Robert Kelly (character)

Robert Edward Kelly is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He most often appears in Marvel's X-Men related comic books. He is a prominent United States Senator who began his career on an anti-mutant platform and tended to be an antagonist to the X-Men team, but later began to change his views on mutants as a whole.

Publication history

The character was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne and makes his first appearance in The Uncanny X-Men #135 (July 1980).

Fictional character biography

Senator Robert Kelly was first seen at a social gathering hosted by the

Senator Kelly played a central role in the Days of Future Past storyline. His assassination by Mystique and the Brotherhood of Mutants leads to a dystopian future where mutants and other heroes were hunted down by the Sentinels and nearly totally eliminated, with the X-Men working to prevent it.^[2]

Kelly was later married to Sharon, a former maid who worked in the Hellfire Club.

The Box prison for mutant criminals was also known as the Robert Kelly Correction Facility where it was named in honor of him.[6]

Creation

The character's name was chosen by Chris Claremont, in honor of his Bard College professor, the poet Robert Kelly. The latter has confirmed the connection between the two names in interviews among his students.^{[citation needed]}

Other versions

Age of Apocalypse

In the Age of Apocalypse, Robert Kelly was an activist for mutant-human peace who is eventually elected President of the United States. He named Magneto as Director of Mutant Affairs and enlisted the X-Men's aid in the broken country's reconstruction.^[7]

X-Men: Noir

In the

During the "Secret Wars" storyline, a version of Robert Kelly existed as the appointed Baron of the Battleworld domain known as Westchester. Kelly survived an assassination attempt by the Shadow King whom possessed Cassandra Nova (revealed to be a clone of Charles Xavier created by Apocalypse) and despite being a merely "human" and remaining publicly favorable to the X-Men, Baron Kelly was secretly one of the Horsemen of Apocalypse along with Bastion, Mystique and Exodus. He was last seen meeting with Apocalypse to plan the future for Westchester.^[9]

In other media

Television

Senator Kelly as he appears in X-Men: The Animated Series (left), X-Men: Evolution (center) and Wolverine and the X-Men (right)

• Senator Robert Jefferson Kelly appears in
  Mystique disguised as Gambit and nearly being brainwashed by Master Mold before being rescued by the X-Men, whom he befriends. Upon winning the election and taking office, Kelly publicly supports mutants and pardons Beast
  as his first presidential act. Following this, Kelly makes minor appearances in subsequent seasons as an ally of the X-Men.
  • Robert Kelly appears in X-Men '97, voiced by Ron Rubin.^[11]
• Robert Kelly, renamed Edward Kelly, appears in X-Men: Evolution, voiced by Dale Wilson.^[10] This version is the principal of Bayville High, which several X-Men and the Brotherhood of Bayville attend, following his predecessor Raven Darkholme's disappearance. After the X-Men's identities are publicly revealed, Kelly attempts to vote them out of school, but the school board vote against him after the X-Men save them from the Brotherhood. Kelly subsequently expels the Brotherhood and runs for mayor.
• Senator Robert Kelly appears in
  Mutant Response Division (MRD), and arranged a deal with Magneto that involved the latter receiving Genosha. After Magneto closes Genosha's borders, Kelly sends Gambit to steal Magneto's helmet and cripple the nation, though Gambit only succeeds in the latter task. Magneto attempts to seek revenge, but Professor X intervenes by showing Magneto and Kelly the possible dystopian future that will take place if they continue on their current path. Shocked by this, Kelly shuts down Sentinel production, but an undeterred Magneto has Quicksilver
  capture him so Mystique can take his place and help him incite a war between mutants and humanity.
• Senator Robert Kelly appears in the Iron Man: Armored Adventures episode "The X-Factor", voiced again by Dale Wilson.^[10] This version sports a beard and rabidly speaks out against mutants.