The 10 Most Shocking X-Men Stories, Ranked

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The X-Men are one of Marvel Comics’ most beloved teams. The mutant corner of the Marvel Universe is packed with incredible characters, exciting stories, and shocking twists and turns. Featuring characters and series from all kinds of genres and tones, the X-books constantly evolve, surprise readers, and shake up the status quo.

From events like the Legacy Virus to the mutant genocide of the island nation Genosha, the X-Men and their mutant comrades are constantly entrenched in tragedy, terror, and shocking revelations. More than perhaps any other corner of the Marvel Universe, the mutants of the X-Men and related teams struggle to find peace and hope in an ever-terrifying world. Character betrayals, surprise deaths, and tragic showdowns are just the tip of the iceberg with the X-books.

10

The Birth of the Krakoa Era Was Packed With Shocking Reveals

The X-Men’s Latest Era Changed the World of Mutantkind Forever

After struggling for some time in the 2010s to find a clear focus and direction, the X-Men books were reinvigorated by the writing of superstar Marvel writer Jonathan Hickman, the man behind Secret Wars, Fantastic Four, Avengers, and the recent Ultimate Spider-Man. Hickman’s work on the X-Men created a brand-new home for the mutants of the Marvel Universe: the sentient island nation of Krakoa.

Introduced in two concurrent series, House of X and Powers of X, this new era for the X-Men featured unforgettable reveals like the true power of Moira Kinross, the X-Men providing amnesty to all of their long-time foes like Apocalypse, Sabretooth, and Mister Sinister, and the startling seeming deaths of a number of core X-Men characters—specifically Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Jean Grey, and Cyclops, among others. With this new era, Jonathan Hickman successfully introduced all-new concepts and ideas for the world of mutants, and the Krakoa era, though somewhat short-lived, proved to be one of the most exceptional eras for the X-Men.

9

Cable and Bishop Were Locked In a Deadly Battle Spanning Years

A Time-Travelling Fight to the Death Between Former X-Men-Shocked Readers

Following the events of the shocking X-Men: Messiah Complex, one of Marvel’s best comic events, the time-traveling son of Cyclops known as Cable was tasked with protecting the first mutant baby to be born since the Scarlet Witch cast a spell depowering mutants across the globe. Taking the infant girl into the future, Cable was promptly followed by his one-time ally, Bishop, who was shockingly determined to kill Cable and the child.

Convinced that the death of the infant Hope Summers would save the future, Bishop embarked on an odyssey across time in pursuit of Cable. The two time-traveling X-Men faced off across dozens of action-packed issues, and readers were constantly surprised to see just how far each man was willing to go to achieve their goals. The series is woefully underrated, and it serves as a perfect solo run for Cable, as well as an introduction to Hope Summers, a vital character to the contemporary X-Men canon.

8

Madrox the Multiple Man Absorbed His Own Child

The Leader of X-Factor Accidentally Absorbed His Infant Son Shortly After His Birth

Jamie Madrox, aka Multiple Man, is a complicated member of the mutant world. Far more morally flexible than the majority of his heroic compatriots, Madrox often finds himself on the outside of society, even within his own species. With the power to create duplicates of himself that can learn and grow and think for themselves, then return to the original and provide information and skills, Madrox is one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe.

When Madrox and his X-Factor teammate Siryn have a child together, it seems that everything might be looking up for the hard-luck mutants. However, what follows remains one of the most shocking moments in X-Men history. After the birth of their child, Madrox takes his infant son in his arms and, without realizing it, begins to absorb the child into himself, as he would do with any of his duplicates. It’s a harrowing scene and a cataclysmically shocking one for readers and fans of X-Factor.

7

Schism Split the X-Men In Half

A Smaller-Scale Marvel Civil War Pitted Wolverine and Cyclops Against Each Other

The late 2000s and early 2010s were rough times for the X-Men. Devastated by the constant losses to their race’s population, the team was under constant pressure. Gone were the days of brief reprieves from fear and stress, and in their stead, a constant dread imbued each issue and character.

When tensions surrounding the X-Men reached a breaking point, Wolverine and Cyclops clashed ideologically. Cyclops wanted to involve the mutant children under their care in the fight against their enemies, while Wolverine sought to provide the children with a semi-normal upbringing. The resulting conflict echoed Marvel’s earlier Civil War event, where Captain America and Iron Man’s opposing views caused heroes to take sides and divide into separate teams.

Avengers Vs. X-Men Saw Cyclops Killing His Long-time Mentor and Father Figure

Though the Avengers VS. X-Men event is somewhat controversial among fans, there is no doubt that it has had a major impact on the future of X-books since its release. One of the major shocks of the event was the death of Charles Xavier at the hands of Scott Summers, aka Cyclops himself.

Possessed by the terrifying Phoenix Force, Cyclops became overcome with dark power and found himself struggling to maintain his humanity and goodness. While he was seemingly aware of his actions, it is clear that had he not been possessed by the cosmic entity, he would not have killed his long-time mentor. The events in the book were shocking to readers, and even though Charles Xavier later returned from the dead, there was a major shift in the status quo of X-Men books for years to come.

5

Days of Future Past Was a Startling Look at the Future

The Iconic X-Men Story Showed a Terrifying Alternate Future for Mutants

Perhaps the most iconic X-Men story of all time, and certainly one of the best X-books ever released, Days of Future Past set the gold standard for the X-Men’s stories going forward. Featuring unforgettable action, terrific character work, and shocking twists and turns, the story remains one of the best things produced by Marvel Comics in the 1980s.

Introducing new characters like Rachel Summers and depicting the deaths of fan favorites like Wolverine are just a few of the shocking aspects of Days of Future Past. The story itself only spanned two issues, but those two issues’ impact on the canon of Marvel’s mutant stories is undeniable. It is a feat of storytelling excellence, and the shock factor of what the world might become for the mutants of the X-Men has not lost its impact with time.

4

The Uncanny X-Force Were Given A Terrible Choice

Wolverine’s Black-Ops X-Force Team Hunted Down A Young Clone of Apocalypse

One of the darkest X-Men runs, Rick Remender’s time on Uncanny X-Force was packed with shocking moments, incredible character work, and explosive action. The first arc of the series was The Apocalypse Solution, a story about a team of killers tracking down a child clone of the mutant villain Apocalypse.

Struggling with the idea of killing a child, even if it will eventually grow into one of their greatest foes, the X-Force team is faced with an impossible choice to make: kill a child and save the world, or let him live and potentially doom the human race. Characters like Deadpool being on the team might have led readers to think that he would happily commit such an act. Still, the series explores the depths of characters like Wade Wilson in much more complex ways, revealing that the Merc with the Mouth is actually one of the vocal team members against killing the young Apocalypse.

3

Decimation Left Mutants on the Brink of Extinction

The Fallout of House of M Sent the Mutant World into Disarray

The events of the iconic Marvel storyline House of M rocked the mutant world. In the final moments of the event, Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, uttered the infamous words, “No more mutants.” The mutant population of Earth dropped drastically.

With fewer than two hundred mutants still powered, the X-Men faced a terrifying question: how could they bring mutant-kind back from the brink of extinction? What followed were shocking and harrowing years for the mutants of the Marvel Universe. Survival forced enemies to unite, rivals to set aside their differences, and relationships to grow stronger. It was a dark time for the X-Men, but it ultimately led to hope and renewal.

2

The Dark Phoenix Saga Rocked the X-Men to Their Core

The Rise and Fall of Jean Grey Was Unbelievable for Fans of the X-Men

Chris Claremont’s run on The Uncanny X-Men is perhaps the greatest long-running arc in Marvel history. The crown jewel of his time on the book was The Dark Phoenix Saga. The story saw beloved X-Man Jean Grey overcome by the powerful entity later known as the Phoenix Force. Turning against her teammates and embracing the power, the events of the saga led to Jean inadvertently destroying an entire planet and killing millions of people in the process.

This shocking moment, as well as the finale of the arc, which saw the death of Jean Grey herself, are prime examples of the power of comic book storytelling, as well as the quality present in many X-Men stories. The saga of the Phoenix is a tragedy focused on characters and their interactions. It is a grand, operatic fight for humanity, and it is one of the X-Men’s most staggering stories.

1

The Genoshan Genocide Left Readers Stunned

The Deaths of 16 Million Mutants Led the X-Men Down a Dark Path

One of the most tragic moments in X-Men history, the storyline E Is For Extinction, shocked comic book readers when it came out. The story featured a Sentinel attack on the island nation of Genosha, which killed the vast majority of the world’s mutant population. Genosha acted as a haven for mutants and symbolized the progress the species had made in recent years, but the tragic attack destroyed hope.

One of the most impactful modern X-Men stories, E Is For Extinction, has had incredible staying power over the years. Influencing the X-books for decades, it remains as shocking today as it was when it was first released. The Genoshan genocide was even adapted in an episode of the Disney+ X-Men: ’97 animated series, further showing its impact on the X-Men story canon.

“}]] Spanning decades of history, the heroic mutants of the X-Men have had some of the most shocking stories ever released by Marvel Comics.  Read More