When it comes to superheroes, very few teams are more popular and recognizable than Marvel's X-Men. As with any group, their ranks have changed over the years to include new characters or to bring back old ones. Many of these variations have become just as iconic as the individuals themselves. From the original group from the swingin' '60s to the '90s-rific Blue Team, this post takes a look at the top ten greatest X-Men line-ups.
10. Astonishing Team, Redux
(Astonishing X-Men Vol. 3 #48-68)
ROSTER: Gambit, Iceman, Karma, Northstar, Cecilia Reyes, Warbird, Wolverine
When the businesswoman turned supervillain Susan Hatchi sought to acquire the nation of Madripoor, she used the X-Men as pawns in her twisted game. These X-Men were an eclectic bunch and easily became one of the most diverse rosters in recent years. It included two LGBTQ characters, as well as three women of colour. This was especially important for a franchise whose struggles have been an analogy for homophobia and racism. Aside from the diversity angle, this team was notable for its familial vibe. Writer Marjorie Liu took the time to nurture the relationships between these characters and it really helped to make them that much more captivating.
When the businesswoman turned supervillain Susan Hatchi sought to acquire the nation of Madripoor, she used the X-Men as pawns in her twisted game. These X-Men were an eclectic bunch and easily became one of the most diverse rosters in recent years. It included two LGBTQ characters, as well as three women of colour. This was especially important for a franchise whose struggles have been an analogy for homophobia and racism. Aside from the diversity angle, this team was notable for its familial vibe. Writer Marjorie Liu took the time to nurture the relationships between these characters and it really helped to make them that much more captivating.
09. Original Team
(X-Men Vol. 1 #1-66)
ROSTER: Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, Marvel Girl
LATECOMERS: Havok, Mimic, Polaris
Created by the legendary Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the original X-Men were five teenagers who banded together under the tutelage of Professor Charles Xavier to save the world that fears them. As the first mutants to fight for Xavier's Dream, nostalgia for this line-up is high. In fact, Marvel continually revisits this group due to its iconic status. In titles like X-Men: The Hidden Years and X-Men: First Class, writers have revisited this team in their early days. More recently they've become the focus of Brian Michael Bendis' best-selling All-New X-Men series.
LATECOMERS: Havok, Mimic, Polaris
Created by the legendary Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the original X-Men were five teenagers who banded together under the tutelage of Professor Charles Xavier to save the world that fears them. As the first mutants to fight for Xavier's Dream, nostalgia for this line-up is high. In fact, Marvel continually revisits this group due to its iconic status. In titles like X-Men: The Hidden Years and X-Men: First Class, writers have revisited this team in their early days. More recently they've become the focus of Brian Michael Bendis' best-selling All-New X-Men series.
08. Gold Team
(Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 #281-315)
ROSTER: Archangel, Bishop, Colossus, Iceman, Jean Grey, Storm
Following the events of the crossover X-Tinction Agenda, the ranks of the X-Men swelled to the size of a small army. To address this, they were split into two squads. Storm was given control of the Gold Strike Team, which dealt with threats from the future and Colossus' villainous brother Mikhail Rasputin. Her group was more classic in its line-up, especially since it featured three of the five original X-Men. However, it was also notable for the inclusion of '90s newcomer Bishop.
07. All-Female Team
(X-Men Vol. 4 #1-?)
ROSTER: Jubilee, Psylocke, Rachel Grey, Storm
EARLY DEPARTURES: Kitty Pryde, Rogue
LATECOMERS: Monet St. Croix
There's no denying that the X-Men have some of the fiercest superheroines in their ranks. That's why it's so surprising that it took so long to get an all-female squad for the franchise. This group, currently appearing in the pages of X-Men, became the first of its kind and is notable for emphasizing the sisterhood formed amongst the X-Women. As far as its membership is concerned, Storm leads a crop of A-listers and fan-favourites who are considered some of the most powerful mutants in the universe. Of course, it could still use a pinch of Dazzler to make it perfect.
06. Rogue's Team
(X-Men Vol. 2 #188-204)
ROSTER: Cable, Cannonball, Iceman, Mystique, Rogue, Sabretooth
LATECOMERS: Lady Mastermind, Omega Sentinel
After Cyclops grants Rogue the opportunity to lead her own team, she puts together one of the most unconventional and dysfunctional rosters the X-Men have ever had. While she recruited trusted allies like Iceman and Cannonball, Rogue was certainly asking for trouble when she threw three supervillains into the mix. This is undoubtedly what made this trainwreck so interesting and made the ride that much more fun.
05. X-Treme Sanctions Executive Team
(Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 #444-474)
ROSTER: Bishop, Marvel Girl, Sage, Storm, Wolverine
EARLY DEPARTURES: Cannonball
LATECOMERS: Psylocke, X-23
When Storm is deputized to deal with mutant-related crimes, she and her X.S.E. set about establishing themselves as an authority in a world that hates their kind. This band of X-Men featured a stellar cast that felt like a return to the glory days of the 1980s, especially since Chris Claremont was on hand to write their adventures. Beyond the A-list status of its members, this group was so compelling due to their closeness and their interactions. This wasn't just a group of musclebound superheroes, this was a family.
EARLY DEPARTURES: Cannonball
LATECOMERS: Psylocke, X-23
When Storm is deputized to deal with mutant-related crimes, she and her X.S.E. set about establishing themselves as an authority in a world that hates their kind. This band of X-Men featured a stellar cast that felt like a return to the glory days of the 1980s, especially since Chris Claremont was on hand to write their adventures. Beyond the A-list status of its members, this group was so compelling due to their closeness and their interactions. This wasn't just a group of musclebound superheroes, this was a family.
04. Astonishing Team
(Astonishing X-Men Vol. 3 #1-24)
ROSTER: Beast, Colossus, Cyclops, Emma Frost, Kitty Pryde, Wolverine
LATECOMERS: Armor
Following the conclusion of Grant Morrison's critically-acclaimed run on New X-Men, Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator (and future Avengers director) Joss Whedon made his X-Men debut with this beloved team in the pages of Astonishing X-Men. This small but mighty group was instantly iconic and completely rejuvenated the X-Men's universe. While it certainly helped that its members were legends, what made this team so compelling was that they felt like a love letter to the seminal Post-Dark Phoenix Saga material from the 1980s.
03. Outback Team
(Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 #214-250)
ROSTER: Colossus, Dazzler, Havok, Longshot, Psylocke, Rogue, Storm, Wolverine
In the late-1980s, X-Men scribe Chris Claremont defied the status quo when he moved the X-Men from their home in New York to the dusty expanses of the Australian Outback. This would be the biggest shake-up in the team's history since the introduction of the all-new, all-different X-Men in the mid-1970s. Formed in the wake of the devastating massacre of the Morlocks at the hands of the Marauders, this team took a proactive approach to combatting the forces that threatened mutant kind. With newcomers Psylocke, Dazzler and Longshot on-hand, this roster was a breath of fresh air and focused on the budding interpersonal relationships between its members. It also helps that the stories from this era were among some of the best in the history of the X-Men.
02. Blue Team
(X-Men Vol. 2 #1-34)
ROSTER: Beast, Cyclops, Gambit, Jubilee, Psylocke, Rogue, Wolverine
When the Jim Lee-helmed X-Men hit shelves in 1991, it broke sales records and became an instant hit. The title saw Cyclops leading his squad of X-Men, then known as the Blue Strike Team, against forces such as Omega Red, Mojo and long-time foe Magneto. This roster became the defining membership of the X-Men in the '90s and was the basis for the legendary X-Men: The Animated Series. Aside from the overwhelming popularity of this line-up, the Blue Team was brilliantly composed and featured a balanced mix of power and skill types. It also birthed intriguing character relationships, some of which included Rogue and Gambit's on-off courtship, Psylocke's pursuit of Cyclops and Wolverine's mentorship of Jubilee.
01. 1980s Team
(X-Men Vol. 1 #139-141, Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 #142-213)
ROSTER: Colossus, Kitty Pryde, Nightcrawler, Storm, Wolverine
EARLY DEPARTURES: Angel, Cyclops
LATECOMERS: Magneto, Rachel Grey, Rogue
Following the conclusion of the epic Dark Phoenix Saga, the X-Men entered into what would be one of their most critically-acclaimed and commercially successful eras. With Cyclops taking a leave of absence from the team, Storm took over as leader and this tenure would be one of the longest in the history of the team. While the line-up of her team fluctuated over the years, it was bolstered by mainstays Wolverine, Kitty Pryde, Colossus, Nightcrawler and Rogue. This brilliant mix of outcasts captured the attention of readers and singlehandedly defined the 1980s.
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