The X-Men first appeared in Marvel Comics in September 1963. The characters were created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby as a result of Stan Lee needing more superheros but not wanting to have to design an origin story on how they acquired their super powers.
The X-Men are mutants, a subspecies of humans who are born with superhuman abilities. They are led by Charles Xavier, also known as Professor X, a powerful mutant telepath who can control and read minds. Early X-Men issues introduced the original team composed of Cyclops, Jean Grey (Marvel Girl, Phoenix and Dark Phoenix), Beast, Angel, and Iceman.
Angel originally possessed a pair of large feathered wings extending from his back, enabling him to fly. He is the heir to a multibillion-dollar corporation called Worthington Industries. This privileged background results in Angel being stereotyped as a self-absorbed playboy during his early years with the X-Men. This personality was ultimately replaced with a more introspective and brooding personality in the late 1980s, when the character was revamped into the darker "Archangel" persona.