X-Men: The 11 greatest characters of all time
X-Men, Image Source: Marvel Digital Comics
The X-Men is arguably Marvel’s greatest comic. With literally hundreds of X-Men inside the universe to choose from we had to narrow down a Top 10.
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the mutant comic book series titled, X-Men reached an unheralded feat in 1991. That year, thanks to Jim Lee carrying the X-Men torch, the comic sold 5 million copies. With such massive success that included comics, a couple of animated series, live-action TV shows and movie franchise so to list just 10 X-Men is a difficult task.
The history and depth surrounding arguably Marvel Comics’ greatest comic book series is vast. This list isn’t just about the most powerful mutants, or even the most popular, it’s a combination of both. This list features the greatest mutant that have become most synonymous with X-Men. These are the mutants that automatically come to mind when you think about the 54-year old comic.
11. Jean Grey
Jean is a telepath whose power rivals the man who recruited her when she was just a teenager, Professor Charles Xavier. Jean was the long-time love interest of Scott Summers (Cyclops) and she spent her early days as central focus of a love triangle between Cyclops and Wolverine. Though, she ultimately stayed committed to Cyclops — there was a palpable bond between she and Wolverine. Unfortunately, the two men vying for her affection would reach heights of popularity that she wouldn’t be able to until she became the Dark Phoenix.
Jean would make the ultimate sacrifice by risking her life to pilot a shuttle through enormous amounts of radiation. Emerging from the sea, Jean awoke with new powers after being overcome by an entity known as the Phoenix Force. As the Dark Phoenix she wasn’t exactly Jean Grey, instead, the body that once belonged to Jean was a vessel to a powerful being, Phoenix. Though she does become arguably the most powerful villain she would leave and venture into becoming an intergalactic destroyer. She would eventually return to earth where she would be defeated by the X-Men.
The reasons why Jean didn’t make it much higher on the list is because she technically spent years in a cocoon under Jamaica Bay. Although she would return and eventually join the team, a lot of her story is tied to her death or the cloned version Madelyne Pryor. However, upon her return, she did become a prominent figure but just not like the others on the list.