The 10 Most Important X-Men Comics of All Time, Ranked

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The X-Men are one of Marvel’s most popular and important teams. Their stories are some of the most consistently excellent books being published by the comics giant, and their vast history of incredible stories has kept fans engaged for decades. With so many years of X-Men lore and history, it can sometimes be difficult for new readers and fans to jump on board the mutant-centered line of comics, but with many of the X-books and their stories being broken up into distinct “eras,” fans are able to simply jump into whatever era they find the most interesting.

Even for readers who want to jump into the modern era of X-Men books, some vitally important stories from the team’s past would certainly help them gain a wider understanding of the complex world and the characters that inhabit it. From single issues that introduce fundamental concepts and characters to wide-spanning story arcs or series that redefined the X-Men and their stories, some of the very best mutant-centered stories are also the most important.

10

The X-Men #1 Set The Stage for the Future of Mutantkind

The First Appearance of The X-Men Is Vital to Their History

The story that started it all, The X-Men #1, is one of the most fundamentally important comic book issues in Marvel history. Bringing together a group of young super-powered individuals, Professor Charles Xavier forms a superhero team known as the X-Men to fight against threats to humans and mutantkind alike.

With the first appearance of characters like Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Jean Grey, and Ice Man, the very first issue perfectly set the stage for what was to come. With the all-new team of mutant superheroes facing off against their deadliest foe, Magneto, the book is packed with classic Marvel dialogue and art from Lee and Kirby. Many of Marvel’s most popular characters have stayed relatively close to where they started. Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and Daredevil have mostly maintained their basic premise and status quo, but the X-Men’s evolution from this seminal issue is one of the biggest parts of its importance.

9

House of X / Powers of X Brought The X-Men Into a Bold New Era

The Start of the Krakoa Era Ushered In a New Kind of X-Men Story

Jumping ahead from the very first X-Men story to one of the most recent, Jonathan Hickman’s bold new Krakoa era for the X-Men was a major departure from many of the past X-books. Bringing the X-Men to a new home, their very own mutant-only island nation, was a surprising move for the series, and it ushered in a whole new kind of comic book storytelling for the heroes and villains of the mutant world.

For fans looking to jump into modern X-Men stories, the Krakoa era is one of the most important runs to read. With the From The Ashes relaunch currently underway, the Krakoa era remains the most recent complete X-Men era, making it essential for anyone wanting to follow the mutants and their ongoing stories.

8

Astonishing X-Men Relaunched the Team With Superheroics to Spare

A More Streamlined Team and Story Provided New Readers With a Better Sense of the Mutant World

In the wake of Grant Morrison’s groundbreaking time writing the X-Men team, writer Joss Whedon spearheaded a brand-new title for the X-Men team: Astonishing X-Men. The book featured a smaller, more focused team of mutant heroes, a sense of superheroic tension and fun, and stories for fans new and old to enjoy.

Astonishing X-Men also introduced a number of ideas and characters that remain vitally important to the X-Men canon today, like the idea of a mutant cure and the character of Hisako Ichiki, aka Armor. With the original run of the book being somewhat short and quite manageable for readers interested in giving the mutant world a shot, Astonishing X-Men is one of the important jumping-on points for the series.

7

X-Men #1 Broke Comic Book Records

The Relaunched X-Title Remains the Highest Selling Comic of All Time

While the X-Men were consistently popular throughout the 1980s, their biggest moment in the spotlight came in August 1991, when the relaunched title’s first issue sold over eight million copies. The book was a game-changer for the X-Men franchise, and artist Jim Lee’s legendary work on it sent the team’s popularity into the stratosphere.

Many Marvel fans today consider the Avengers or Spider-Man the most popular or important Marvel characters, but in the 1990s, the X-Men reigned supreme. As a landmark in the history of one of comics’ greatest superhero teams, X-Men #1 remains incredibly important to this day, in part because of its iconic redesigns of classic characters and its exciting storytelling and pace.

6

Days of Future Past Brought The X-Men Into the Future

The Dystopian Future X-Men Storyline Remains Iconic to This Day

One of the most shocking storylines in comic book history, Days of Future Past became an instant classic when it was first released. Featuring a terrifying alternate future where mutants are hunted and enslaved, and many of the X-Men are long dead, the book is a staple of X-Men canon, and it has inspired countless storylines, adaptations, and homages in the decades since its release.

One of the few major storylines to be adapted into live-action, Days of Future Past is one of the crown jewels of writer Chris Claremont’s work on the Uncanny X-Men book. It remains one of the definitive alternate history comic book storylines. While Days of Future Past was intended to be a self-contained storyline, it’s been revisited in many X-Men comics.

5

Decimation / Messiah Complex Changed the World of Mutants Forever

The Mutant Population’s Time On the Edge of Extinction Is a Major Part of Marvel History

One of the most vital eras of X-Men stories came in the mid-2000s, after the events of the cataclysmic House of M storyline, in which Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, uttered the now-infamous words “no more mutants” and sent the mutant population of Earth plummeting.

Decimation was set in the wake of this terrifying event for mutantkind, and it focused on the aftermath and attempts at rebuilding that the mutants of the Marvel Universe tried to do. Notably, Hank McCoy, aka Beast, attempted ceaselessly to find a way to bring the mutant race back from the brink of extinction, but to seemingly no avail. It was only during the events of X-Men: Messiah Complex that a new mutant child was finally born—a girl named Hope. Introducing key new ideas and a fresh look at the mutant corner of the Marvel Universe, these stories are vital to understanding the X-Men and their books.

4

E Is For Extinction Brought Terrifying Tragedy to Mutantkind

A Mass Mutant Genocide Shocked the Marvel Universe for Decades

Before Decimation sent the mutant community reeling, Grant Morrison’s time on New X-Men shocked the entire world with the devastating events of E Is For Extinction, a storyline that saw the mutant haven of Genosha attacked by an enormous Sentinel robot. The massacre on Genosha resulted in tens of millions of mutants being killed, a figure that only set the stage more for the eventual tragedy caused by Wanda Maximoff.

One of the most tragic and gut-wrenching moments in Marvel history, the Genosha massacre remains one of the most important contemporary X-Men stories. For decades, it shaped the future of the X-books, and it has even since been adapted into animation with the excellent X-Men ’97. The massacre is one of the very worst things that has happened to mutants in the Marvel Universe, and it remains a terrifying reminder that mutants may never be safe from those who hate and fear them.

The Most Iconic Era of X-Men Started With This Single Issue

The X-Men characters that most people know and love were not simply the first X-Men introduced all the way back in 1963. In fact, characters like Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1, and the ever-popular Wolverine appeared for the first time as an X-Men here, having previously been introduced in The Incredible Hulk #181.

This book established the new direction for the X-Men team, and it has been a cornerstone of the franchise for decades. Bringing a more mature, tense feeling to the book and stories, as well as establishing the idea of tackling genuine social issues within the pages of superhero comics, Giant-Size X-Men #1 is one of the most important X-Men books ever released.

2

The Dark Phoenix Saga Has Shocked Fans for Years

The Loss of a Major X-Men Character Ushered In a New Age for Marvel Comics

One of the most shocking X-Men stories of the Claremont era, the Dark Phoenix Saga, has enraptured fans and shocked readers for decades. Major character deaths were not nearly as common in comic books at the time, and the downfall of Jean Gray, which led to her eventual death, rocked the comic book world.

Serving as a setup for many future core aspects of X-Men canon, the Dark Phoenix storyline delivered a galactic adventure on a personal scale. Character drama took center stage, even with planets’ fates hanging in the balance, making the story feel all the more raw and real. Claremont’s work on the X-Men is iconic, and this story is a key reason why.

The Iconic Graphic Novel Reshaped the Way Readers Saw The X-Men

One of the most seminal Marvel graphic novels in history, God Loves, Man Kills is one of the darkest, most emotionally charged X-Men stories ever put to page. Focusing deeply on the societal implications and responsibilities associated with the existence of super-powered mutants, the book handles the weighty, dark subject matter with grace and gravitas.

God Loves, Man Kills is the gold standard for X-Men stories that focus on the socio-political aspect of their existence. It also established Magneto as a more three-dimensional, morally complicated character. Partially adapted in the film X2: X-Men United, God Loves, Man Kills has remained a classic for decades, and it is perhaps the single most important X-Men story ever published.

“}]] The X-Men’s history is packed with monumental moments, and so many stories and series have had major effects on the X-Men fans know and love today.  Read More