The X-Men have been part of many epic storylines over their six decades in comic books. As one of Marvel’s most beloved sections, the mutants have faced unimaginable threats. Since their introduction in 1963, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby established the X-Men as icons of oppression and finding belonging.
However, it was under Chris Claremont’s legendary 17-year run that the characters truly came into their own. His run contained many storylines that have stayed classic even after so many years. These six stories show the X-Men at their best, tackling real-world issues through gripping superhero adventures.
Related: Marvel Universe: All Major X-Men Mutant Classifications
6. Age of Apocalypse
In 1995, writer Scott Lobdell took the X-Men into one of their biggest alternate realities – the ‘Age of Apocalypse‘. After Professor X is killed, this dystopian timeline sees Apocalypse take over North America. Familiar characters were drastically reimagined in desperate battles for survival.
Spanning the multiverse, its scope was unprecedented. Strong art from the likes of Joe Madureira brought the grim world to life. While controversial, it showed the X-Men could support new directions and time travel storylines are deeply compelling.
5. New X-Men
Jumping ahead a few years, Grant Morrison revitalized the X-Men in 2001 with ‘New X-Men‘. Working with Frank Quitely, Morrison stripped the franchise back to its basics. Iconic costumes and a leaner team dynamic made the book accessible to new readers.
Morrison also humanized popular characters like Emma Frost and innovated the lore with concepts like secondary mutations. His influential run challenged expectations and paved the way for newer generations to enjoy the X-Men.
In case you missed it: Top 10 Strongest X-Men Villains
4. The Dark Phoenix Saga
Arguably the most famous X-Men storyline, ‘The Dark Phoenix Saga‘ saw Jean Grey transform into the powerful Dark Phoenix. Her descent into madness and corruption over the course of 1980 issues is a dramatic masterpiece by Claremont. It proved superhero comics could handle morally grey characters and tragedy and was shocking for killing a main X-Man.
Iconic villains like Mastermind and the Hellfire Club made for excellent additions to the team. To this day, it remains the benchmark for how to evolve a hero into a compelling villain, which was even followed in Wanda’s characterization.
3. Astonishing X-Men
In 2004, Joss Whedon brought his talent for witty dialogue to ‘Astonishing X-Men‘. Like Morrison, Whedon streamlined the team and reinvented iconic looks. However, he focused on emotional character arcs like Cyclops rediscovering his heroic identity. John Cassaday’s artwork perfectly captured the tone.
Later stories delved into mutant politics and intrigues, exemplifying Whedon’s skill at crafting gripping superhero soap operas. It proved the X-Men remain compelling when scaled down to intimate storytelling.
2. Days of Future Past
Debuting in 1981, ‘Days of Future Past‘ introduced the concept of alternate realities to X-Men. Set in a dystopian future, the world is ruled by Sentinels who have imprisoned and killed most mutants. Kitty Pryde uses her powers to send Wolverine’s consciousness back to the 1970s to prevent this dark timeline.
It was this concise yet captivating storytelling from Claremont and John Byrne. Beyond the sci-fi concepts, it explored timely themes of civil rights and preventing violence. The arc remains hugely influential as it served as the reference for the acclaimed 2014 film of the same name.
1. House of X/Powers of X
As the X-Men entered the 2020s, Jonathan Hickman delivered one of their boldest stories yet. ‘House of X/Powers of X‘ completely reframed the concept of mutant-kind’s future nation of Krakoa. Radically refashioning the worldbuilding, it established new status quos and lore that the franchise is still exploring.
Beautiful artwork from Pepe Larraz brought Hickman’s vision to life. Retaining re-read value, it showed even iconic properties can adapt to captivate new generations of readers. The arc signalled the X-Men are as powerful as ever.
You might also like to read:
