X-Men

Before this blonde-haired fella in his striped tee turned into a big Hollywood movie star, he was just spending time outdoors while going on camping trips with his fam, hanging at the beach, and growing up in Sydney, Australia.

"The Greatest Showman" you're looking at is quite a talented musician ... you may have heard him singing alongside Anne Hatheway in "Les Misérables" back in 2012. And beware of his shredded physique ... he's quite the wolverine with some sharp adamantium claws!

Need one more hint? He's just one Oscar away from being an EGOT recipient!

You know Marvel's "X-Men" as defenders of justice, but a TV show -- in Hungary of all places -- claims Wolverine and co. are guilty of stealing the theme song to their hit cartoon.

A guy named Zoltan Krisko is suing every media giant you can imagine -- Marvel, Disney, FOX, Apple, Amazon and more -- claiming the TV execs behind the animated series from the '90s jacked the intro music from an even older show ... called "Linda."

Bear with us ... "Linda" aired in Hungary from 1984 to 1991, and according to a lawsuit filed by Krisko it was a hit cop comedy/thriller. Hey, genres are different over there.

Anyway, Krisko says he manages the estate of a Hungarian composer named Gyorgy Vukan, who created and copyrighted the "Linda" theme song in 1983. Krisko says it sounds exactly like the tune the "X-Men" cartoon used years later.

Marvel says it's bringing its first Muslim superhero to the big screen, and a couple of the universe's smaller screen actors say it's about time ... 'cause we need a new normal.

We ran into Coby Bell and Emma Dumont at LAX -- who both star in FOX's "The Gifted," which is a spin-off of the X-Men series -- and they give their bosses at Marvel major props for discussing how to bring their Pakistani-American character, Ms. Marvel, to life.

The president of Marvel, Kevin Feige, told the BBC this week that the studio plan on introducing Kamala Khan once they got Brie Larson's movie, "Captain Marvel," out of the way in 2019. Coby and Emma are looking forward to it for a few different reasons.

Coby says he wants his kid growing up to see heroes of color as the standard, not the exception ... even shouting out Obama in comparison. Emma's take is ... more broad strokes.

The lawyer repping the 2 clients who have accused "X-Men" director Bryan Singer of sexual molestation is a disgraced, shameless fame whore who is concocting phony lawsuits so he can get in the movies ... so claims Singer's lawyer.

Legal pit bull Marty Singer has sent attorney Jeff Herman a scathing letter -- obtained by TMZ -- warning him he is going to be sued for maliciously attempting to destroy Singer's reputation and life.

Singer says both cases are baseless -- claiming the allegation by Michael Egan that the director molested him in Hawaii is absurd, because Singer wasn't even in the state during the time in question. And Singer says the allegation involving another boy -- that Singer molested him in England when he was 16 is not only false, but the age of consent in that country is 16.

Singer says Herman didn't want the facts to get in the way of his lawsuits because it would deprive him of his "moment in the spotlight."

Singers writes ... Herman was suspended by the Florida bar for "dishonesty and deceit" and these lawsuits are an attempt "to revive your career after being so publicly and embarrassingly suspended."

And Singer says ... Herman is preening for the media both to make money and "to obtain an entree into a documentary film that we understand you are seeking to promote and in which you want to be featured."

Singer is demanding that Herman immediately drop the lawsuits ... or else.

After ripping the man who accused him of sexual abuse, "X-Men" director Bryan Singer misstepped in a big way this weekend by literally sprinting out of a coffee shop to avoid our camera.

After spotting our photog, Singer hid out inside Coffee Bean in West Hollywood for roughly 30 minutes waiting for a car to arrive ... and when it did, he made a bee line for the door, swung himself into the passenger seat and peeled out into traffic.

It's a pretty basic concept ... a normal walk telegraphs the message a lot better than a dead sprint.

Bryan Singer insists he never laid a finger on the man accusing the "X-Men" director of raping him as a 15-year-old -- but he's not about to squander a perfectly good publicity opportunity for his new movie.

Bryan released a statement, saying, "The allegations against me are outrageous, vicious and completely false," immediately adding, "I do not want these fictitious claims to divert ANY attention from X-Men: Days of Future Past."

As we reported, 31-year-old Michael Egan filed lawsuits against Singer, Broadway producer Gary Goddard, TV producer Garth Ancier, and former president of Disney TV David Neuman -- claiming they sexually abused him as a young teen at various Hollywood parties and in Hawaii.

Singer has remained silent longer than the other three -- and only today spoke out, condemning the allegations ... but not without promoting "X-Men: Days of Future Past" in the process.

Singer's statement continues, "This fantastic film is a labor of love and one of the greatest experiences of my career. So, out of respect to all of the extraordinary contributions from the incredibly talented actors and crew involved, I've decided not to participate in the upcoming media events for the film."

Bryan Singer believes he has proof that will blow his sexual accuser out of the water ... he was NOT in Hawaii during the period he allegedly committed a sexual assault.

Michael Egan claims in a new lawsuit Singer anally raped him and forced hard drugs on him during 2 separate trips to Hawaii in August and October, 1999.

Sources connected with Singer tell TMZ ... the "X-Men" director has proof he was NOT in Hawaii during that period ... he was in Toronto shooting the first "X-Men" movie.

We're told Singer will file credit card bills and various other documents proving he was in Toronto during the times in question.

We know the movie itself was shot Sept. 22 - March 3 in Toronto, but there was pre-production and we're told Singer was present.

"X-Men" director Bryan Singer has been sued by a man who claims Singer molested him when he was a young teenager at raunchy Hollywood parties ... but Singer says the suit is an outrageous pack of lies.

The lawsuit claims the teen -- who is now around 30 -- was lured to a mansion in Encino, CA when he was 14 or 15 to attend a party that allegedly had a rep for featuring "sexual contact between adult males and the many teenage boys who were present for the parties."

The lawsuit claims Singer provided alcohol for the boy and offered him a role in one of his upcoming movies, and then told him how "this group" controls Hollywood. The suit claims Singer performed oral sex on the boy and then strong-armed the boy to return the favor -- allegedly forcing him to perform the act underwater in the pool.

The suit goes on to accuse Singer of providing the boy with drugs -- including coke -- on another occasion, allegedly promising him a role in an "X-Men" flick.

Singer's lawyer, Marty Singer, says, "The claims made against Bryan Singer are completely without merit. We are very confident that Bryan will be vindicated in this absurd and defamatory lawsuit."

Oops ... Famke Janssen didn't get the world's creepiest gift from a burglar after all -- cops now believe the children's book that was allegedly 'left' in her home ... was hers all along!

As TMZ first reported ... the 'X-Men' star called NYPD back in August after she returned to her ritzy NYC pad and found a children's book called "The Lonely Doll" in her bedroom.

But now detectives think the book was hers because they found errand lists tucked in the pages of the book -- and Famke's name was reportedly on at least one of the notes. Police reportedly believe the book has some connection to Famke's home.

What's so creepy about the book is the subject -- it's about a couple of toys that promise to never leave each other ... so, understandably, Famke probably feared a stalker had been in her home.

Jennifer Lawrence was spotted in her head-to-toe body paint for the next "X-Men" movie -- which means some lucky devil's been busy filling in every crack and crevice. But ... how?

Jennifer Lawrence took a break this weekend from winning Oscars (and the 74th annual Hunger Games) to get back in her blue Mystique makeup on the set of "X-Men: Days of Future Past" in Montreal.

Her body of work never disappoints.