Robert Kelly (character)

Robert Edward Kelly is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, often in association with the X-Men. 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.

Robert Kelly
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Uncanny X-Men #135 (July 1980)
Created by	Chris Claremont (writer) John Byrne (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Robert Edward Kelly
Species	Human
Team affiliations	United States Senate Project Wideawake

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). Claremont named the character after his Bard College professor, poet Robert Kelly.^{[citation needed]}

Fictional character biography

Senator Robert Kelly is first seen at a social gathering hosted by the Hellfire Club, where an illusion projected by the mutant villain Mastermind causes him to believe he had witnessed the X-Man Cyclops firing randomly into a crowd. He is the primary backer of the Mutant Control Act and Project Wideawake, a government program aimed at creating updated Sentinel robots that would help track down, detain, and, if necessary, kill violent mutants.^[1]

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 are hunted down by the Sentinels and nearly totally eliminated, with the X-Men working to prevent it.^[2]

Kelly is later married to Sharon, a former maid who worked in the Hellfire Club.^[3] Sharon is killed by Master Mold during the latter's battle with Rogue, which further incites Kelly's stance against mutants.^[4]

Kelly remains an active anti-mutant activist in the comics through the 1990s, but slowly becomes more open-minded and tolerant towards the mutant population, promising the X-Men he will work for the rights of mutants. After Pyro saves him during an attack from Post, Kelly vows to reconsider his standing on mutants and work towards improving human/mutant relations. Shortly afterward, Kelly is assassinated by anti-mutant activist Alan Lewis, who feels that Kelly has betrayed his anti-mutant cause.^[5]

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.^[6]

X-Men: Noir

In the X-Men Noir reality, Robert Kelly was a Republican Senator of New York who strongly defended the controversial U.S. extraterritorial prison Genosha Bay. Kelly believed through eugenics that it is necessary for containing criminals who are more exceptionally dangerous and from "infecting" the public with their criminal ways. However, in reality, Kelly's true purpose of keeping Genosha Bay was because it was the proving grounds in recruiting the next generation of ideal soldiers and government operatives.^[7]

Secret Wars

During the "Secret Wars" storyline, an alternate universe version of Robert Kelly appears as the Baron of the Battleworld domain of Westchester and a member of the Horsemen of Apocalypse.^[8]

In other media

Television

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

• Robert Jefferson Kelly appears in X-Men: The Animated Series, voiced by Len Carlson.^[9] He initially runs for President of the United States on an anti-mutant campaign during the first season until he gradually changes his mind following failed assassination attempts by Mystique disguised as Gambit and kidnapped 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. 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.^[10]
• Edward Kelly appears in X-Men: Evolution, voiced by Dale Wilson.^[9] 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 the mutants out of school, but the school board vote against him after the X-Men save them from the Brotherhood. After subsequently expelling the latter, Kelly runs for mayor.
• Senator Robert Kelly appears in Wolverine and the X-Men, voiced by Richard Doyle.^[9] This version supports various anti-mutant projects, such as Bolivar Trask's Sentinel program and the Mutant Response Division (MRD), and arranged a deal where Magneto received 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 Magneto is undeterred and has Quicksilver capture him so Mystique can take his place and help 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.^[9] This version sports a beard.

Film

• Senator Robert Kelly appears in X-Men (2000), portrayed by Bruce Davison.^[9] This version is a Republican from Kansas who advocates for a Mutant Registration Act. After being kidnapped by the Brotherhood of Mutants and used as a test subject for Magneto's plan to convert humans into mutants, Kelly is transformed into a jellyfish-like mutant with stretching capabilities. However, the process proves fatal due to his body rejecting the changes. The X-Men later recover Kelly and learn of Magneto's machine before he dies.
• Senator Robert Kelly appears in X2, portrayed again by Bruce Davison. Magneto's subordinate Mystique takes his place to avoid arousing suspicions.

Video games

• Senator Robert Kelly appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, voiced by Peter Renaday.^[9] This version harbors a general distrust of superhumans in addition to mutants. After being captured by Arcade and imprisoned in Murderworld, players have the option of saving him in a side mission. If he is found and rescued, Kelly will support a mutant aid bill, which will allow government funding for schools dedicated to training young mutants in how to control their powers. If not, he frees himself and successfully sponsors a bill where all mutants are sent to re-education camps, where they are brutally educated in not using their powers.
• Senator Robert Kelly appears in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, voiced by Steve Blum.^[9]