A new X-Men team was just crowned in July 13's X-Men: The Hellfire Gala #1, and along with some mainstays such as Cyclops and Jean Grey, the team includes some big surprises such as the winner of the 2022 fan vote for a member of the team, former New Warrior and Avenger Firestar.
The new X-Men roster is eclectic, but it also reflects the way the team has often looked over the years, with some wildcards structured under the leadership of more well-known members.
But who are the best X-Men members of all time? These are our picks for the top 15 members of the core X-Men team ever.
15. Charles Xavier
Charles Xavier has made some mistakes in his pursuit of his vision of peace between mutants and humans, but without him, there would be no X-Men. It's right there in the name - Professor X.
14. Sync
One of the newest members of the X-Men, Sync graduated to the X-Men from the young Generation X team just recently, but he's made a big mark on the team while also evolving his mutant power to copy other mutants' abilities.
13. Laura Kinney
Not the only Wolverine on this list (hint hint), Laura Kinney has grown into her own as a superhero embodying the legacy of her genetic predecessor Logan while also stepping out of his shadow by taking his place on the X-Men.
12. Cannonball
Sam Guthrie became an X-Men legend by being one of the first students to graduate from the New Mutants to the main X-team. He's since also become a longtime Avenger as well.
11. Emma Frost
As many of the best X-Men do, Emma Frost started out as a villain before becoming headmistress of the Generation X class of mutants. She later joined the main X-Men roster, and has since become one of the leaders of mutantkind.
10. Rogue
Just like Emma Frost, Rogue started out as a villain, but for the Avengers rather than the X-Men. Since reforming to heroism, Rogue has become one of the most long running and powerful members of the X-Men.
9. Colossus
With the heart of an artist underneath skin of steel, the shy but strong Colossus has become one of the most emotionally charged members of the team since joining in the landmark Giant-Size X-Men #1.
8. Nightcrawler
Just like Colossus, Nightcrawler joined the X-Men in Giant-Size X-Men #1, and has since become one of the most beloved characters on the team. He's also often provided a unique perspective for the X-Men as one of the few openly religious mutants.
7. Iceman
Bobby Drake has been the humorous heart of the X-Men since their debut. And almost since his introduction among the original team, he's been one of the most popular mutants. Iceman gained new prominence and new fans in recent years after coming out as gay.
6. Magneto
Once their greatest foe, Magneto is also one of the greatest members of the X-Men. First joining as a replacement leader for Xavier in the early '80s, Magneto has had numerous stints with the team. He's currently one of the leaders of the mutant island of Krakoa, alongside his longtime frenemy Charles Xavier.
5. Jean Grey
As one of the original X-Men and one of the few to carry over to the team's reconfiguring in Giant-Size X-Men, Jean Grey has been at the center of some of the best X-Men stories ever told. She's one of the leaders of the current X-Men team alongside her husband, Cyclops.
4. Kitty Pryde
For many longtime X-Men readers, Kitty Pryde - who goes by Kate now - is the character they identified with, growing up alongside the X-Men. First recruited at the start of the legendary 'Dark Phoenix Saga' (how's that for an introduction to the team?), she's since become a mainstay and even leader of the X-Men.
3. Cyclops
Scott Summers is known as the de facto leader of the X-Men, and was indeed trained specifically in that role by Charles Xavier. Like Xavier, Summers has made his share of mistakes in leadership of the X-Men, but he's always been a strong force pushing for mutant rights.
2. Storm
The goddess, the queen, the mistress of weather itself, Storm is one of the most powerful, regal, and storied of the X-Men. To wit, she's the current mutant Regent of Mars, which the X-Men have terraformed into their own home planet for all mutantkind.
1. Wolverine
Who else could it be but the so-called 'best there is at what he does'? Inarguably the most popular (and arguably the most badass) of the X-Men, Wolverine has been at the core of the team basically since becoming a breakout character following his introduction in Giant-Size X-Men #1 way back in the '70s.
