Robert Kelly

Robert Jefferson Kelly was a United States politician. Kelly served as a Senator and later as President.

Kelly was a Senator who took a decidedly anti-mutant stance, which he would then use to run for President. He announced his intentions to run for President after Magneto and the X-Men fought at Metro Chemical. He gained many followers, including Graydon Creed Jr. Because of his growing popularity he became the target of several mutants' attacks. First Mystique imitated Kelly's aid and then Gambit in an attempted assassination. Her goal was to frame the X-Man. However, she did not count on the time-traveling Bishop to aid the X-Men in an attempt to stop a nightmarish future.

Their victory was short-lived as Kelly was then kidnapped by Magneto who also wanted to stop he and his followers. But before the mutant leader could carry out his plan he was attacked by several Sentinels. However they did not return him to Washington, D.C.. They took him to the hidden Master Mold. Master Mold's plan was to replace Kelly's brain along with every other world leader with a mechanical brain so that Master Mold could rule the world. The X-Men, along with Magneto, went to the coal mine where Kelly was being hidden, saved him, and stopped the Sentinel army.

He was so grateful towards his rescuers that he changed his political stance to pro-mutant. His first pro-mutant act was to arrange for Beast to be released, he had been captured following the X-Men's attack on the Mutant Control Agency headquarters. This did not sit well with his followers, particularly Creed, who all felt betrayed. They organized into the Friends of Humanity.

Kelly won the presidential race and after his inauguration his first act was to fully pardon Beast. Shortly after the FoH attacked the press conference with a man dressed as a mutant. They then used the "mutant attack" as reason to start anti-mutant riots in the streets. During one riot Creed framed Beast, who had been defending himself and innocents, so it appeared he was attacking the "innocent" civilians. Kelly refused to comment regarding Beast when asked.

Kelly would continue to work with the X-Men to confront global mutant threats throughout his presidency. When Magneto lead a mass exodus to Asteroid M he helped to lessen fears that the new mutant community would then attack humans.

Alternate Version
Initially, Mystique was successful in assassinating Kelly. This lead to the Sentinels being used to take over the United States and later the world. Mutants were herded into camps and often killed. The only X-Man to survive was Wolverine. He persuaded Forge to send Bishop back in time to stop Gambit, who everyone thought had killed Kelly. Bishop was successful and that particular timeline was erased, with only Bishop remembering what had happened.