7 Biggest Mistakes That Almost Ruined the X-Men in the 2010s

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The X-Men were the most popular team in comics during the 1980s and 90s, but in the 2000s, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and titles from DC Comics became equally successful. Marvel began assigning creators who previously worked on X-Men to other comic series. Then, in 2008, the release of the Iron Man movie dramatically changed things. Marvel started to focus less on the X-Men—a trend that arguably began in 2005 with House of M. It seems likely that Marvel was already planning a shared cinematic universe at this point, and this shift in focus was connected to that plan. This ultimately led to a decline in the prominence of the X-Men during the 2010s.

As a longtime X-Men fan, it really bothers me how unfairly the 2010s are remembered. People tend to think it was a terrible decade for the team and all their mutant friends, and honestly, it really was rough! Looking back, it feels like seven major missteps almost destroyed everything we love about the X-Men, and it all stemmed from Marvel not having the rights to make their own movies back then.

7) The Cyclops Slander

Cyclops has been a key leader for mutants in the X-Men for years, even before the major storyline House of M. In the 2010s, he became increasingly focused on aggressive tactics. His death after the Secret Wars event in 2016 was a shock to fans, especially since it was revealed he died while seemingly harming the Inhumans. He faced a lot of negative publicity, and the full story wasn’t revealed until the Death of X storyline. It turned out Cyclops died from a mutant-specific illness, M-Pox, caused by the Terrigen Mist. Emma Frost then created a psychic projection of him to destroy one of the dangerous mist clouds, protecting mutants from a deadly threat. Many fans disliked this storyline when it was released and continue to feel that way today.

6) Printing X-Men Gold #1 with Anti-Semitic Artwork

I remember when the Inhumans line ended around 2017, and the X-Men got a fresh start that, honestly, didn’t really work. But the biggest problem wasn’t just that the comics were often poor quality – it was the really disturbing imagery that appeared. Specifically, the first issue of X-Men Gold featured some awful, anti-Semitic symbols hidden in the artwork by Ardian Sayif. They weren’t subtle, but somehow the editors missed them, and fans quickly spotted them. He was fired, of course, but the harm was done. It wasn’t an isolated incident in comics, sadly, but the fact that it happened within the X-Men universe – a series often about acceptance and fighting prejudice – just made it feel particularly awful and disappointing.

5) Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 4) #1-12

I have so many fond memories of the original Astonishing X-Men – it was truly a fantastic series for years. That’s why I was so disappointed with the 2017 run. While it featured incredible art from different top artists with each issue, the writing just didn’t deliver. It brought Xavier back, but honestly, that didn’t save it. It really tarnished the reputation of a book I used to eagerly anticipate. The final arc after the initial writer left was decent, but by then, the damage to the legacy of Astonishing X-Men was already done. It’s sad to see a classic title fall so short of its potential.

4) “Age of X-Man”

Look, as a huge X-Men fan, 2019 felt like the year things finally started clicking again, but honestly, the road to get there was rough. Late 2018 brought a relaunch with “X-Men Disassembled,” which was…fine, I guess. But it quickly spiraled into “Age of X-Man,” and that was a real low point. It felt like Marvel was trying to recapture the magic of “Age of Apocalypse,” but instead of a compelling story, we got this weird, alternate universe created by X-Man. The books just didn’t have any of the big-name creators working on them, and nothing really stuck with me. It was a total dud, just a temporary thing while everyone waited for House of X and Powers of X. Most fans, myself included, are trying to forget it ever happened, to be honest.

3) Death of Wolverine

While Return of Wolverine wasn’t well-received, the bigger problem was killing off Wolverine altogether. Marvel was phasing out its most popular characters in the mid-2010s, and making Logan one of those characters did prove his star power. However, it happened right before Marvel heavily promoted the Inhumans, and Death of Wolverine feels like another setback for the X-Men. Despite what some fans might believe, Wolverine is a huge reason for the X-Men’s popularity, and removing him ultimately drew attention away from the team.

2) Bringing the Original Five X-Men to the Present

As a longtime X-Men fan, it was tough seeing Cyclops fall so far. After the huge Avengers vs. X-Men event, he really changed, becoming the Dark Phoenix, and things just didn’t feel right. When Brian Michael Bendis took over, the idea of bringing the original five X-Men – the O5 – to the present seemed like it might work to help bring Scott back from the brink. But honestly, it quickly became a mess. They ended up sticking around for five years, and most of the time it just didn’t make sense. The only storyline that really worked was Extermination, which thankfully sent them back where they belonged. It was a long, bumpy ride, and I’m glad that chapter is closed.

1) The Inhumans Push

Marvel’s attempt to promote the Inhumans began in 2013 with the ‘Inhumanity’ storyline, which followed events in ‘Infinity’ and ‘New Avengers.’ However, it didn’t gain much traction with readers. After the ‘Secret Wars’ event in 2016, Marvel revealed that the Terrigen Mist, released in 2013, was harmful to mutants. This sidelined the X-Men and positioned the Inhumans to take their place in many stories. Despite Charles Soule being the lead writer, the Inhumans stories weren’t very engaging, and Marvel published several books that fans didn’t enjoy. The effort culminated in the poorly received ‘Inhumans vs. X-Men,’ which frustratingly portrayed the Inhumans, who were endangering mutants, as the heroes. Ultimately, the push for the Inhumans was a significant misstep and a low point for X-Men storylines.

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2026-03-28 19:14