Summary
TheX-Menfranchise ranks among therichest and well-celebrated in the history of Marvel.Dating back to 1963, X-Men is one of Marvel’s oldest properties, but also one of the most beloved and consistent from a storytelling perspective. That’s especially impressive considering that until the Krakoa Era,X-Menhas maintained largely the same status quo for several decades, yet the stories remained gripping for audiences.
Every true X-fan has their favorite comics and storylines from the franchise, but with so many to choose from, it becomes difficult to rank the all-time best. By proxy, newer X-fans may want a starting point for the best stories to peruse through to better familiarize themselves with the franchise. This list hopes to do both byranking the very best storylines and comics that theX-Menfranchise has to offerto loyalists of the franchise and beginners looking to dive into the best ones.
X-Men: The First 15 Members Of Marvel’s Mutant Team, In Chronological Order
The X-Men brought Marvel a team that told stories of prejudice and hate, and here are the first members to join this iconic mutant group.
15Reign of X (2020)
by Several Writers and Artists (including Gerry Duggan, Pepe Larraz, Zeb Wells, etc.)
X of Swordsand Krakoa’s overall introduction - defined under theDawn of Xtitle - would be followed up byReign of X, in which multiple X-books were impacted by the conclusion of X of Swords. WithKrakoa stronger than ever, the heralds of the island set their sights on outer space. Meanwhile, the concept of the Hellfire Gala would be introduced in this arc, which simultaneously provide readers with a fun costumed event for the heroes, allow the mutants to put on a public spectacle, and set the stage for what years later would bethe X-Men’s greatest tragedy.
With the new status quo fully cemented, this allowed creative teams to start exploring the dark repercussions of that new status quo, particularly when it comes to how the mutants utilize their resurrection pool and the moral gray area it provided. It makes for an utterly complex read that is not only layered, but forces readers to question the morality of their favorite characters.
14The Trial of Magneto
Uncanny X-Men #200 by Chris Claremont and John Romita Jr.
For this special double-size issue, it seems natural to celebrate the franchise by finally condemning Magneto for his crimes. However, rather than being a case of a supervillain getting his just desserts, it’s a case of offering sympathy to a character who had been painted as a devil.Audiences get an unexpectedly somber, empathetic portrayal of a classic villain that practically would go on to define how Magnus would continue to be depicted in X-stories for years to come.
Not only that, but this proves to be a major turning point for both the character and the franchise, as the X-Men’s long hated rival becomes their leader at the story’s conclusion. It is a must-read story for any fan of Magneto.
13Gifted
Astonishing X-Men #1-6 by Joss Whedon and John Cassady
While marking the start of the much celebratedAstonishing X-Mencomic series, the “Gifted” arc also introduces a mutant cure that would offer inspiration forX-Men: The Last Stand. Yes, the third entry in the FOX trilogy isn’t exactly the most celebrated of X-Men content. Still,it speaks to how celebrated theAstonishingstoryline was knowing how it was so quick to influence the movie content for the big screen.
Truly a great way to kickoff a new revamp for theX-Menfranchise, and as strong as the rest of the series holds up, this may still stand tall as the very best arc of the series.
12Fall of the Mutants (1988)
by Chris Claremont, Louise Simonson, Marc Silvestri, Walter Simonson, and Bret Blevins
Fall of the Mutantswas utterly ambitious for its timeas it was a story told through three different X-books at the time. The books never intertwined with each other, but were interconnected inshowing how one overarching plot can affect all three books at once, which has become the norm in how Marvel tells stories through all of its X-books today.
Another caveat to this storyline is how iteffectively foreshadowed the events ofDays of Future Past,another pivotal X-story. An all-time great storyline set the stage for another all-time great. It introduces the idea of the Mutant Registration Act and its consequences, all while the X-Men search for their de-powered leader, Storm. Storm herself, meanwhile, searches for a means to get her powers back. Miraculously, each of these weighty subplots have equal time to shine.
11Inferno (1989)
The ’80s Original that Pre-Dates Hickman’s Modern Classic
The Jonathan Hickman story arc of the same name deserves its own props, but its name and influence was bridged by the 1989-1990 version ofInferno. Just when Cyclops had seemingly had his happy ending with seemingly mild-mannered Madelyn Pryor and his newborn Nathan, Cyclops is quick to spring back into heroism once he learns Jean Grey is alive. Heading into Inferno,Madelyn’s life becomes all the more tragiconce she has her son stripped from her and her desperation to get him back eventually leads her down a path into being manipulated into becoming the Goblin Queen. Even worse, she discovers she was a clone of Jean Grey created by Mister Sinister.
And that’s just one of the many subplots that the original Inferno has to offer!Infernois mutant melodrama at its finest and with each passing page, it becomes harder to want to put the book down.
10 Most Brutal 1 vs 1 Fights in X-Men History
There is no shortage of epic fights in X-Men, and a great many of them are one-v-one. Here are the 10 best single combat battles in X-Men history!
10Schism
by Jason Aaron
The five-part limited series is a good reflection of the tension that surfaced across the mutant community in the wake ofHouse of M. Rational characters suddenly become irrational and desperate, while the most unexpected of characters are forced to pick up responsibilities they never wanted. The tension rests at the center of a conflict between Cyclops and Wolverine, forcing other mutants to take sides. Both men have conflicting ideas on how to salvage the mutant race, and readers are on the edge of their seats, struggling to pick a side themselves between their favorite characters.
On paper, it’s an excuse to get two central leaders of the X-Men to duke it out following years of dormant frustrations, but it also serves as a reflection of the changing times ahead of the proceeding status quo shift to come.
9The Brood Saga
Uncanny X-Men #161-167
The X-Men franchise has always been rooted in science fiction, but this storyline allowed the franchise to truly deep dive into the franchise for the first time. Without this story arc, the franchise likely would not have had the opportunity to purge into the kind of sci-fi weirdness seen during the Krakoa Era. At the very least, the transition and full commitment into that genre would have never felt as natural as it did without the introduction of the Brood alien race.
At the time, it truly felt like a way to freshen up the franchise, and now, it fits right at home with the rest of the sci-fi content in the X-vault.
8Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975)
by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum
Most of these entries are comprised of story arcs spanning multiple issues and tie-in comics, but this is the only singular comic one-shot on the list - and with good reason.X-Menas a franchise has existed for several decades, but in terms of the biggest influence on modern storylines for both the comics and the onscreen adaptations, readers need look no further thanGiant-Size X-Men#1.
For new fans, this is the perfect introduction to what the modern depiction of the X-Men is all about, and for fans of old, it’s the best way to trace back the very beginnings of what modern X-Men looks like. The team incorporates new members who would become permanent fixtures of the roster - namely Nightcrawler, Colossus, and especially Storm - and infuse them with the original team of old, offering the best of both worlds for new and returning readers.
7God Loves, Man Kills (1982)
by Chris Claremont and Brent Eric Anderson
God Loves, Man Killsis best recognized for its reputation as the primary source material forX2: X-Men United, but the graphic novel is far more than just a source of inspiration for a major motion picture. In fact, it’s easy to see why FOX was so keen on adapting a story like this for the screen.God Loves, Man Killsis perhaps the best showcase of X-Men’s biggest themes within its mutant allegory.
Similar to the movie, the story revolves around Magneto joining forces with the X-Men to overt William Stryker’s plans to manipulate Professor X’s psychic powers into a weapon against mutantkind. Stryker questioning Nightcrawler’s humanity has becomeone ofX-Men’smost iconic panels. Like the story as a whole, the panel is perfectly indicative into the franchise’s ultimate message, finding humanity at the root of everyone regardless of their power, genes, or the color of their skin.
X-Men: 10 Best Nightcrawler Moments That Prove He’s Their Most Underrated Fighter
Nightcrawler may be one of the most iconic members of the X-Men, but he’s definitely an underrated fighter, & these moments prove he’s a total badass!
6E is for Extinction (2001)
by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
“E is for Extinction” represents the opening of Grant Morrison’s run onX-Men, which some would argue to be the greatest run by a writer for the franchise since Chris Claremont’s groundbreaking time with the series. Morrison’s run kicks off with a bang through the swift introduction ofCharles Xavier’s evil twin, Cassandra Nova.
Nova makes an immediate impact by calling for the end of mutanthood in her first panels, then attempting to cause their extinction with the destruction of Genosha in the very next issue, leading to the genocide of millions. The genocide of Genosha was directly adapted intoX-Men ‘97, highlighting just how much these happenings shook readers to their core, if Disney decided to directly duplicate it. From this storyline alone, it’s easy to see why so many praise Morrison as one of the best to ever write for the franchise.
