In 1944 Nazi-occupied Poland, 14-year-old Erik Lehnsherr is separated from his parents upon entering the Auschwitz concentration camp.

In the 2000s, United States Senator Robert Kelly attempts to pass a "Mutant Registration Act" in Congress, which would force mutants to reveal their identities and abilities. The telepathic mutant Charles Xavier is concerned about how Lehnsherr, who now goes by the name "Magneto", will respond to the Registration Act.

In Meridian, Mississippi, 17-year-old Marie accidentally puts her boyfriend into a coma after kissing him, because of her mutant ability to absorb the life force and powers of others. Adopting the name "Rogue", she flees to Alberta, where she meets Logan, also known as "Wolverine", a mutant with superhuman healing abilities and metal claws that protrude from between his knuckles.