10 Great Mutants Who Are More Than Just X-Men (Including 5 Avengers)

When people picture mutants in Marvel comics, they usually think of the X-Men and related teams. But many well-known mutants have actually joined teams made up of non-mutants. This is significant because the public often fears and distrusts mutants, leading to prejudice. Having a mutant join a popular team like The Avengers or Fantastic Four can make them seem less threatening and more relatable. It also helps build trust, as it shows heroes people admire – like Captain America or Reed Richards – accept and work alongside mutants, helping them find a place in a world that often fears them.

Throughout Marvel Comics history, several well-known mutants have teamed up with groups of heroes who aren’t mutants themselves. This includes popular teams like The Avengers, Fantastic Four, The Champions, and The Defenders. Here’s a look back at those instances.

10) Namor – The Defenders

Namor is often credited as the first mutant to appear in Marvel Comics. While he wasn’t the first mutant ever-characters like Apocalypse existed earlier-he debuted in the early issues of *The Fantastic Four* before Marvel Comics was even officially established as Marvel, making him the first in comic book history. Both Professor X and Magneto attempted to recruit Namor to their respective mutant groups, but he turned them down. Instead, he chose to join The Defenders-a team consisting of Doctor Strange, Hulk, and Silver Surfer-though his pride often made him a difficult teammate. He simply preferred not aligning himself with other mutants.

9) Cyclops – Champions

Cyclops is best known as a member of the X-Men and teams like X-Factor. But when a time-traveling incident caused a younger version of Cyclops to be separated from the X-Men, he struck out on his own to discover who he was. He joined forces with other young heroes – including Kamala Khan, Miles Morales, Amadeus Cho, and Nova – to create a new team called the Champions. Interestingly, this was the younger Cyclops experiencing these events. When he eventually returned to his own time, the adult Cyclops surprisingly gained the memories of his younger self and was ready to assist his former teammates when they faced a powerful threat.

8) Ms. Marvel – Champions, Avengers

Kamala Khan, like Cyclops, was a founding member of the Champions. However, unlike Cyclops, she remained dedicated to the team, helping them earn a strong reputation and even fighting against the U.S. government when they tried to imprison young heroes. Having previously been an Avenger alongside Nova and Miles Morales, Ms. Marvel left to focus the Champions on helping everyday people often overlooked by the Avengers. Interestingly, Kamala later discovered she was also a mutant, making her a unique combination of Inhuman and mutant powers.

7) Northstar & Aurora – Alpha Flight

Canada’s equivalent of the Avengers was a team called Alpha Flight. They were a government-funded group who completed missions for Canada, and their first mission famously involved trying to capture Wolverine – who had previously worked for the Canadian government himself. Later, the team lost its funding and had to operate independently. Among the members of this new, self-funded Alpha Flight were twin mutants, Northstar and Aurora. Northstar is incredibly fast, while Aurora can create and control light.

6) Iceman – The Defenders, The Champions

Iceman was an original member of the X-Men and the team’s youngest hero. Over the years, he’s joined and left the X-Men several times, and was also part of the initial lineup of X-Factor. He’s also teamed up with non-mutant groups. Once, he co-founded the Champions of Los Angeles with fellow X-Men original member Angel, alongside heroes like Ghost Rider, Black Widow, and Hercules. Later, he rejoined Angel and Beast as a member of the Defenders, bringing the total of original X-Men on that team to three. More recently, Iceman has focused on working exclusively with mutant teams.

5) Sunspot – The Avengers

Roberto da Costa, known as Sunspot, is a fascinating mutant who began his superhero journey as a teenager with the New Mutants – a team designed to prepare young mutants for potential X-Men membership. Coming from a very wealthy family, he later used his inheritance to pursue ambitious projects. After the *Avengers Vs. X-Men* event, Sunspot briefly joined the Avengers, but left due to differing opinions on their approach. He then took control of the organization AIM, ousting its leader, and used AIM’s resources to form his own team of heroes. Eventually, this team evolved into an intelligence division working with SHIELD.

4) Storm – The Fantastic Four, The Avengers

Storm joined the X-Men when Marvel relaunched the team with a diverse, international roster, alongside characters like Wolverine, Colossus, and Nightcrawler. She quickly became a key leader, known for her strength and dedication. Beyond the X-Men, Storm has also teamed up with other heroes, famously joining the Fantastic Four while Reed and Sue Richards focused on their relationship. More recently, she’s fought alongside the Avengers, consistently proving herself a valuable and formidable ally wherever she goes.

3) Angel – The Champions, The Defenders

As a longtime comic and movie fan, I’ve always found Angel’s team history fascinating. He started with the original X-Men, of course, but he didn’t stop there. He actually helped create another team, The Champions, alongside Iceman – they brought in heroes like Hercules, Black Widow, and Ghost Rider and decided to stick together. Later, when the original Defenders disbanded, he played a role in rebuilding them, working with Beast and Iceman to bring in a new generation of heroes and give them a more official structure. Still, most of his time has been spent with mutant groups – the X-Men, X-Factor – and even a stint as one of the Horsemen of Apocalypse, which was a pretty dark turn for him!

2) Beast – The Avengers, The Defenders

Beast was one of the very first X-Men, initially appearing as a normal human. He later transformed into the blue, furry figure he’s famous for while attempting to remove his mutant abilities. Following this change, Beast joined the Avengers, where he became a long-standing member known for his cheerful personality and close friendship with Wonder Man. He also played a key role in reforming the Defenders, recruiting new members alongside Angel and Iceman to replace the team’s original lineup, including Namor, Doctor Strange, Hulk, and Silver Surfer. Despite becoming a controversial character later on, Beast was consistently popular during his time with both the X-Men and the Avengers.

1) Wolverine – The Avengers, Fantastic Four

Wolverine is arguably the most well-known member of the X-Men. His story began with a stint working for a Canadian government superhero program. He later received his incredibly strong adamantium skeleton through Weapon X, the same organization that played a role in creating Captain America. Professor X influenced Wolverine’s mind, leading him to join the X-Men, where he’s remained a core member ever since. Beyond the X-Men, Wolverine has also worked with other famous teams. He briefly joined the Fantastic Four while its usual members were away, and he’s been a valuable asset to the Avengers, even fighting alongside them against the X-Men in a famous team-up story.

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2025-09-17 00:45