What's the 'Butterfly Effect' about?

Life has been keen since the incident at the Statue of Liberty. The attempt on Senator Robert Kelly's life was thwarted, thanks to the grand gesture of Charles Xavier and his X-Men. Magneto failed, and imprisonment was his reward. The rest of his soldiers were presumed dead if not still on the run. Xavier had a school to run, and in the time of peace, Charles admitted many children into his home for education. People all over the world trusted him in educating these special children to master their powers and to not become a menace to society like those in the Brotherhood. With the help of Scott Summers, Jean Grey, and Ororo Munroe, they succeeded. To further help evolve the school, Xavier reached out to an old acquaintance, Emma Frost. Much like Charles, she too had been educating and training a small class of students, the Hellions. Frost accepted Xavier's invitation, and she and her students found themselves moving into the Xavier Institute.

Meanwhile, forces in the shadows worked for more sinister motives...

Mystique is still considered missing, and the fact that Erik Lensherr's right hand is still active and operating in the free world is a threat to national security. Imprisoned in his chamber and watched under constant guard, no metal is allowed near him. There he waits, confined in his bubble with the only company of his keepers and Charles Xavier, his old friend. But one day as his guard comes to feed him, something is different. Erik can sense it in his blood... a little too much iron in his diet. Enough so that Magneto could rip the metal from his body and use it to fight his way free from his plastic prison. Outside Mystique was waiting for him, and the two of them walked off into the night, fugitives from the law, out to continue the good fight for mutantkind.

While Xavier wanted to make a world of peace where humans and mutants could live together, Magneto wanted a world where mutants were the #1 power, solidifying their true standing as inheritors of the planet. But there was another factor in things in their fight for change. A shadow organization was at work, building their resources and positioning all the pieces on the chessboard. It will be hard to outmaneuver this player... because the Black King already has Checkmate. Yes, a powerful and influential man in business and aristocratic circles, Sebastian Shaw has taken his next step towards global domination... political. In a suspenseful race between Democratic rep Robert Kelly and Republican rep Graydon Creed, the Independent Party stepped up with their dark horse Sebastian Shaw. Under the theme of CHANGE, he washed out the traditional parties to become the President of the United States of America... unbeknownst to the world, the FIRST MUTANT PRESIDENT. With the most powerful position in the world in his grasp, it is up to Shaw how he will direct him and his Hellfire Club towards ultimate conquest.

There are so many variables in the world, each of them affecting the other. Unknown elements to calculate right down to the simplest of actions made by a child... it all equals out in The Butterfly Effect.