The ’90s Were Great to X-Men, And These 10 Superheroes Show Why

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Following the Original Class and the New Mutants, the 1990s introduced a new sea of X-Men
characters who defined a generation. Many of these chrome-plated, gun-toting, badasses stomped their way through time and space or bathed in blood and bullets all to become some of the ’90s most iconic mutant heroes the franchise had ever seen. Even after three decades, these heroes still hold the test of time.

The 1990s was a new world for Marvel Comics. With the turn of a new decade came a wave of innovative ideas that would join a pop-culture overhaul. Grunge sci-fi dystopian esthetics became more commonplace and Marvel’s sensitivity toward gruesome violence and vulgarity had been sidelined for these fresh faces. Yet, despite some of the dated concepts and “retro” aesthetic, these X-Men characters have remained some of the most popular in the series. As time goes on and the ’90s fades further into the past, “living” relics like these help remind us how awesome the 1990s were. The ’90s was a good time for the X-Men, and these ten Marvel mutants show why.

1

Deadpool (Wade Wilson)

Debuted In: New Mutants #98 (1990) by Fabian Nicieza & Rob Liefeld

There is no better era for the Merc with a Mouth to have risen from than the 1990s. Yes, by technical classification,
Deadpool isn’t a mutant
, but he has been declared an official X-Man and was given a special invitation to join the mutant nation of Krakoa. Back to it, this bombastic, free-flying, anti-hero is nothing but explosively violent outbursts and ridiculously guided antics. At the time, Deadpool broke the mold of most “traditional” heroes because he defied most unspoken standards.

While Marvel already had characters like Punisher brutally slaying the guilty, Deadpool broke out as an absurdly violent and gruesome character who went very few panels without being bathed in a shower of blood and bullets. Likewise, only the 1990s would have allowed such a (comparatively) vulgarly offensive character to explode in popularity. Deadpool doesn’t persist on action alone; he’s one of the few Marvel characters with the ability and crass to talk back to the reader. Fortunately, readers have continued to enjoy Deadpool’s ludicrous personality to the point where the character now dominates the face of the MCU.

2

Gambit (Remy LeBeau)

Debuted In: Uncanny X-Men #266 (1990) by Chris Claremont & Mike Collins

Arguably
Marvel’s hottest mutant
, Gambit has been a career heartbreaker, thief, and superhero for the last 36 years. Raised in an underground organization of master thieves, Gambit first struck out from his criminal family after killing his fiance’s brother. While the soon-to-be-hero quickly fell in with Mister Sinister, Storm later vouched for Gambit after he risked his life to save hers. Since then, Gambit has become Marvel Comics’ biggest flirt and one of the X-Men’s most valuable and iconic members.

His vivacious personality aside, Gambit is an often unspoken powerhouse
compared to his fellow X-Men
. While his playing cards may seem simple on the service, the real power behind it is devastating. Gambit can convert an object’s potential energy into kinetic energy, often resulting in explosive consequences. However, he can apply this concept to a varying degree of effects by controlling the flow of kinetic energy instead of releasing it. Technically speaking, Gambit’s sweet southern charm is a mutant ability too. No wonder he charmed his way past the ’90s.

3

Cable (Nathaniel Grey)

Debuted In: New Mutants #87 (1990) by Louise Simonson & Rob Liefeld

This is a slightly less fair comparison because Cable came out first, but Cable has always given off Duke Nukem vibes. The hyper-masculine, semi-cybernetic, gut-toting, time-traveling mutant threw together about every interesting sci-fi trope the 1990s had in a miraculous blend that still persists today. If “badass” was a character, it would be Cable. It absolutely makes sense that this hulking unit of a comic character was designed by the influential
’90s comic artist Rob Liefeld
, considering the character’s ludicrously ripped physique.

Everything about Cable is iconographic of the ’90s. As part of a wave of the late 1980s and early 1990s obsession with grunge sci-fi, Cable visibly represented a pop-culture stylistic movement marked by films like Terminator 2: Salvation Day. But
Cable isn’t a cheap-shlock character
dressed to impress fans of this type of setting; he’s a genuinely fun character. Cable has been hardened by his apocalyptic upbringing and bolstered by the power of his family’s legacy. Yet, despite his harrowingly gritty past, he remains a hopeful force for the future.

4

Bishop (Lucas Bishop)

Debuted In: Uncanny X-Men #283 (1991) by John Byrne and Whilce Portacio

Lucas Bishop originally hails from an apocalyptic alternate future where the Sentinels rained over mutants and humans alike. Still considered an outcast for his mutant heritage, Bishop grew up in authoritarian poverty until joining the
Xavier Security Enforcers
. When one of his freedom-fighting missions takes a time-traveling turn, Bishop appeared in the modern world to join the X-Men in their fight to save the present. Alongside Cable, Bishop was another artifact of the 1990s’ love for time-travelers and dystopian futures.

Despite an extended dip into villainy during the Messiah War, Bishop ascended past his time-displaced fears and has
remained with the X-Men
since. Before Krakoa’s collapse, Bishop was appointed one of the nation’s Great Captains, holding the highest rank in the Krakoan military. As expected from this gun-slinging ’90s hero, Bishop channels his energy absorption powers through his gun to fire varying rounds of compiled energy. While the character hasn’t had as much staying power as other additions to this list, his burning rage against tyranny makes him a fit for any age.

5

Shatterstar (Gaveedra Seven)

Debuted In: New Mutants #99 (1991) by Rob Liefeld & Fabian Nicieza

Yet another time-traveling, blade-wielding, metallic-looking badass, Shatterstar has undergone numerous complicated origin changes throughout the year, but the core of the character remains the same. When Shatterstar finally debuted in the “present” timeline, he initially teamed up with Cable’s cast of 1990s rising mutant stars: the X-Force. Despite his tougher character design, Shatterstar is a relatively emotionally sensitive character. This is a far cry from the traditional machismo expected from
Marvel’s 1990s masculine heroes
, but it makes sense with the mutant’s parentage.

As the son of the mutants Longshot and Dazzler, Shatterstar possesses some unique powered traits from each parent alongside his own mutant ability. The X-Man can generate powerful vibrations which he channels through his swords, although he primarily relies on his teleportation powers. By picturing someone he is close to, Shatterstar can summon an X-shaped portal to teleport across dimensional barriers. While he hasn’t been seen since Krakoa’s demise, his lifelong nemesis Mojo has been sneaking around in
Marvel’s NYX (2024) series
. Maybe this dazzling hero will return to put down his former ruler.

6

Domino (Neena Thurman)

Debuted In: X-Force #8 (1992) by Fabian Nicieza & Rob Liefeld

Joining alongside many of the mutants on this list, Domino first began her comic career as a mercenary-turned-member of Cable’s X-Force team. Domino, like many
Marvel hits from the 1990s
, has remained a morally ambiguous anti-hero who ultimately serves her own agenda. Fortunately, that agenda happens to overlap with the X-Men’s more frequently than it doesn’t, though this wildcard is as equally unpredictable a teammate as Deadpool. However, it’s less her personality, but instead her power that makes her truly unpredictable.

Domino has the mutant ability to subliminally alter the probability of the surrounding space to ensure “good luck” befalls her and “bad luck” befalls those near her. So far, Domino’s powers don’t seem to have any major limitations or ceilings, effectively granting her limitless potential in life. Unfortunately, Domino is only one of a small few new female mutants who were given space to
thrive in the ’90s
. Fortunately, however, her elusively beguiling personality and unpredictable powerset have continued to fan the flames of interest over the years.

7

Chamber (Jono Starsmore)

Debuted In: Generation X #1 (1994) by Scott Lobdell & Chris Bachalo

Following the early 1990s love for dystopian futures and chrome-coated cyberwear, the mid-1990s saw the emergence of a new generation of problematically-powered young mutants called “
Generation X
.” Among these outcasts, Chamber’s mutant ability engulfs his lower face and chest with psionic fire. These flames are sub-conscious and Jono has rarely been able to shut them off. Because Chamber’s face is constantly consumed by the flames of his own psionic powers, he relies on telepathic communication to speak. Sadly, this aspect of his power has always driven a wall between Jono and others.

Fortunately, Chamber eventually found a home with the Morlocks, another group of mutants whose powers manifest in visible “displeasing” ways. Jono is one of the mid-1990s’ more unique mutants, despite his relative lack of appearances compared to the
X-Men’s major player
s. Characters like Chamber make it very apparent how few of the staple X-Men have problematic powers. This theme of “mutants who defy the odds despite their burdensome powers” remained a common one throughout the rest of the decade.

8

Omega Red (Arkady Rossovich)

Debuted In: X-Men #4 (1991) by John Byrne and Jim Lee

Admittedly, calling Omega Red a “superhero” is a bit of a stretch. Having been raised in the iron grip of the Soviet Union, Omega Red was funneled through the USSR’s military and into the KGB’s
super soldier program
. Arkady is a terrifying mutant with the power to release “death spores” from the weak and dying, which unleashes a plague-like effect in the nearby vicinity. Additionally, Omega Red sustains his life by absorbing the life force of others through long maneuverable tentacles on his back.

Eventually, the vampire joined
the Weapon X program
and embroiled himself with the likes of Sabertooth and Romulus. However, despite being villains, Omega Red has claimed that Sabertooth is one of the few people who have ever made Arkady feel he could be more than a monster. As a mercenary, Omega Red is more frequently opposed to the X-Men than not, but has previously worked alongside other morally gray heroes like Deadpool and Domino. While Earth-616’s Omega Red is no longer alive, his Ultimate Universe counterpart oversees his Earth’s Winter Soldier program.

9

X-Man (Nate Grey)

Debuted In: X-Man #1 (1995) by Jeph Loeb and Steve Skroce

Nate Grey is the genetically engineered
son of Cyclops and Jean Grey
from the Age of Apocalypse timeline. Like his time-traveling genetic equal, Cable, Nate possesses tremendous power that almost exceeds his body’s ability to handle it. In his home timeline, Nate was created to be the Earth’s most powerful mutant and has been classified as being above Omega-level. Nate once sacrificed himself by dispersing his psionic energy into all life on Earth, granting the X-Man near-omnipotence and complete control over his Astral self.

Nate’s psionic powers dominate Jean Grey, Cable, and Charles Xavier’s. With his mutant abilities, Nate can communicate
across the Multiverse
, bestow and take powers, and manipulate reality as he sees fit. Unlike Cable’s rough outer exterior, Nate carries a sort of messiah-complex and often presents himself as a Christ-like figure. While X-Man was relatively popular past the 1990s and up to the 2020s, his divine status made him a difficult character to write about, considering the near-limitless scope of his techniques.

10

M (Monet St. Croix)

Debuted In: Generation X #1 (1994) by Scott Lobdell & Chris Bachalo

While Monet originally debuted as “
Penance
,” the confusing character’s duplicitous nature has caused the hero to adopt multiple names over the years. Monet is one of four siblings, each of whom possesses an independent power in addition to the ability to fuse with each other. When Monet’s brother, Emplate, was transformed into an insatiable mutant vampire, Monet and her two sisters fused to face their kin. Still assuming the name Monet St. Croix, M now has the combined powers of all three siblings.

When M is fully combined, she becomes a powerful teleporter, telekinetic, and telepath. In addition to her well-rounded psionic abilities, Monet possesses the full array of superhuman enhancements and the ability to fly.
When the X-Man first debuted
, she was forced into a monstrous form of red diamonds and claws, alongside Generation X’s other unsightly young mutants. Fortunately, she and her sisters later gained the power to control the use of this versatile form. Monet’s dark past and dissociative tendencies have sometimes steered her toward a sinister path, but the 1990s X-Men hero remains an ultimate force of good.

“}]] The ’90s X-Men are as awesome today as before.  Read More