10 X-Men Who Crossed the Line Into Villainy, Ranked (And Jean Grey Leads Them All)

by

The X-Men are famous for dealing with difficult ethical dilemmas where there aren’t easy solutions. Their fight against discrimination has often blurred the lines between good and evil, with both heroes and villains working to protect mutants from those who believe humans are superior. While Professor X believes in achieving peace through understanding, this approach hasn’t always worked. Over time, some X-Men have strayed from his peaceful teachings, either due to manipulation or simply losing their way. This has led to several members becoming corrupted, highlighting the challenges of maintaining ideals in a world constantly hostile to mutants.

This list focuses on X-Men members who have experienced the most disturbing changes and done terrible things. It won’t include characters who were villains from the beginning, like Magneto.

10) Hellion

Julian Keller, a mutant with telekinetic powers known as Hellion, faced a difficult life. Rejected by his family for his abilities, he lost his hands in an attack and struggled to fit in with the X-Men due to his temper. He hoped the founding of Krakoa, a mutant nation, would finally give him a sense of belonging. But when the anti-mutant organization Orchis destroyed Krakoa, Julian decided to take matters into his own hands. Adopting the name the Krakoan, he teamed up with the villain Empath to get revenge on humanity, carrying out acts of terrorism in the name of mutant dominance. Despite this turn to villainy, Julian never fully embraced the dark side, refusing to take any lives. Ultimately, he reformed and joined the New York-based mutant superhero team, NYX.

9) Polaris

Lorna Dane, daughter of Magneto, has a recurring struggle with villainy, often manipulated against her will. From her first appearance, she was a target for control – the villain Mesmero initially brainwashed her into fighting the X-Men, but the heroes were able to free her and she joined their team. Unfortunately, she’s been mind-controlled multiple times since then by various enemies, including Malice and Apocalypse. These repeated instances of manipulation have deeply affected her mental state. Now, she’s reached a point where she’s prone to villainous behavior even without anyone influencing her. A prime example is when she attempted to kill her fiancé, Havok, after he left her at the altar, leading to a destructive outburst until the X-Men intervened. It seems Lorna is destined to be pulled towards the dark side, regardless of her own choices.

8) Gambit

Gambit, the mutant Remy Lebeau, was going through a difficult time when the villain Apocalypse made him an offer. He’d recently broken up with Rogue and, like many mutants, had lost his powers. Apocalypse promised to restore his abilities, and those of countless others, which caught Gambit’s attention. Despite knowing Apocalypse was dangerous, Gambit agreed to the deal, hoping to monitor the villain’s actions. Unfortunately, this plan failed; Apocalypse quickly brainwashed Gambit, turning him into one of his powerful Horsemen. Under Apocalypse’s control, Gambit even attempted to harm Rogue. Thankfully, the heroes Pixie and Magik were able to free Gambit from this influence by purifying his soul with their magic.

7) Nature Girl

Lin Li, known as Nature Girl and later Armageddon Girl, was once a shy student at the Jean Grey Institute. She tragically transformed into a villain after befriending the mutant Curse, who amplified her negative feelings. Lin has the power to control plants and animals, and under Curse’s influence, she decided humanity was responsible for the planet’s problems and deserved to be eliminated. She committed multiple murders, formed the eco-terrorist group X-Men Green, and continued her destructive path even after Curse died trying to help her. Lin repeatedly battled the X-Men, attempting to use a substance called the Genus Serum to turn people into beasts. Her story is a heartbreaking example of how a compassionate nature-lover could become a ruthless and genocidal villain.

6) Vulcan

Gabriel Summers, also known as Vulcan, is a former X-Man who permanently became a villain. He’s the long-lost brother of Cyclops and Havok, and his early life was marked by tragedy. While his mother was pregnant, he was taken by the Shi’ar Empire and born into slavery. After escaping, he came to Earth and joined the original X-Men team. Professor X helped him develop his powerful energy-manipulating abilities, but his teammates tragically died on their first mission. Gabriel was left in a coma, orbiting Earth, and Professor X erased his memory from Cyclops’ mind to protect him from the pain. Years later, Gabriel awoke and, feeling abandoned, attacked the X-Men. He then left Earth and conquered the Shi’ar Empire, becoming a powerful and feared ruler.

5) Bishop

Bishop comes from a ruined future and traveled to the past to stop it from happening. He believed a baby named Hope Summers would cause the terrible future he knew, so he tried to kill her. Another time traveler, Cable, rescued Hope and took her to the future to raise her safely. Determined to find them, Bishop traveled through different futures, causing widespread destruction in an attempt to eliminate humanity. He believed killing Hope would fix the timeline and undo all the damage he’d caused. However, Bishop was mistaken. Hope wasn’t destined to destroy the world; she was meant to return to the present and *save* it. She was a hero who needed to live to create a better future. Ironically, Bishop’s attempt to save the world almost destroyed it by making him try to kill the very person who could fix everything.

4) Beast

Hank McCoy, better known as Beast, was originally one of the most thoughtful and compassionate members of the X-Men. However, after a tragic event involving Professor X, Hank became consumed with protecting mutants at any cost. This led him down a dark path, starting with erasing the mind of a tech CEO who threatened the mutant homeland of Krakoa. He then went further, killing and reviving Wolverine, turning him into a controlled, mindless creature. In a desperate final act, Hank created a younger clone of himself to assist in building a powerful weapon: a cannon capable of creating a black hole. His plan was to use this cannon to isolate the mutant planet of Arakko from the rest of the universe, believing it was the only way to protect them. Thankfully, Wonder Man intervened, and Hank, realizing the gravity of his mistakes, sacrificed himself to save both Wonder Man and Arakko. Now, the younger clone is stepping up, working to rebuild Hank’s reputation as a hero.

3) Angel

The story of Warren Washington III, known as Angel, is one of the most heartbreaking transformations into a villain in X-Men history. His father was embarrassed by the large wings Warren was born with. After an attack by Harpoon damaged his wings, Warren needed surgery, but his father insisted they be amputated, causing severe trauma. Shortly after, a bombing nearly killed Warren, and he was rescued by the villain Apocalypse. Desperate to fly again, Warren pleaded with Apocalypse for help. Apocalypse provided him with new metallic wings that could fire sharp feathers, but also brainwashed and renamed him “Death,” making him one of the villain’s elite followers. Under Apocalypse’s control, Warren fought against his old teammates until Iceman was able to break the brainwashing. Even after regaining his free will, Warren continued to struggle with the lasting effects of his traumatic experiences for years to come.

2) Cyclops

Scott Summers, the leader of the X-Men, is a dedicated advocate for mutant rights, willing to sacrifice everything to achieve them. During the Avengers vs. X-Men conflict, the incredibly powerful Phoenix Force fractured into five parts, each possessing a different X-Man – Magik, Colossus, Namor, Emma Frost, and Scott. Leading this group, known as the Phoenix Five, Scott helped build Utopia, a safe place for mutants. However, the Phoenix Five quickly became tyrannical, using their immense power to control the world. As each member fell, Scott absorbed their portion of the Phoenix Force, growing stronger but increasingly erratic. In this unstable state, he tragically killed Professor X. Eventually, Scott lost the Phoenix Force and was imprisoned with the help of Scarlet Witch and Hope Summers. After escaping, Cyclops became an even more vocal and radical mutant activist, pushing for a violent revolution similar to the one Magneto once envisioned.

1) Jean Grey

The story of Jean Grey and the Phoenix Force is one of the most famous in X-Men history. After sacrificing herself to save her teammates from deadly radiation, Jean was resurrected by the incredibly powerful Phoenix Force, greatly enhancing her mental and telekinetic abilities. Initially, she fought alongside the X-Men as Phoenix, but the Phoenix Force’s destructive nature began to corrupt her, transforming her into the dangerous Dark Phoenix. As Dark Phoenix, she tragically destroyed an entire planet, causing unimaginable loss of life. To prevent further devastation, Jean ultimately sacrificed herself again. Later, Marvel revised the story, claiming the Dark Phoenix wasn’t actually Jean, but the Phoenix Force pretending to be her. Despite this, Jean has consistently struggled to control the Phoenix Force, as unleashing its full power would lead to catastrophic consequences.

What do you think? Leave a Comment below and join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/comics/news/10-non-mutant-x-men-who-pack-serious-power-one-could-crush-the-entire-team-alone/embed/#

Read More

2025-09-15 22:53