7 Masterpiece X-Men Stories That Have Never Been Adapted In Movies

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As a lifelong comic book and movie fan, I remember when the X-Men first hit the big screen – it felt like a natural fit! Back then, they were the team at Marvel – their comics were flying off the shelves, and the cartoon was awesome. While the X-Men movies have been a bit hit-or-miss quality-wise over the years, a lot of us fans still really love them. They’ve pulled inspiration from so many classic storylines, like ‘God Loves, Man Kills,’ ‘The Dark Phoenix Saga’ (which, let’s be honest, hasn’t translated well on film – they tried twice!), and ‘Days of Future Past.’ Now that the X-Men are officially joining the MCU, everyone’s buzzing about which stories they’ll adapt next, and I’m right there with them!

The X-Men comics have a wealth of fantastic stories, but most haven’t made it to the screen. Several of these are truly exceptional, with fans having cherished them for years – even decades. Here are seven X-Men stories that are considered masterpieces and deserve to be adapted, hopefully someday.

7) “Inferno”

Chris Claremont is widely considered the best writer to ever work on the X-Men. He’s written the team three separate times, penned the three-part X-Men: The End series, and even returned to explore unfinished storylines in X-Men Forever. Many of the X-Men movies based on the comics draw heavily from his work. His final major story arc with the team is called “Inferno.” It centers on Madelyne Pryor, the wife of Cyclops, who is driven to madness by both her husband and the relentless pursuit of Mister Sinister, who wants her son, Nathan. She makes a deal with a powerful demon and attacks New York City. “Inferno” is a fantastic story that united the X-Men, New Mutants, and X-Factor, along with other Marvel heroes, against a demonic invasion. It’s a classic tale that would be a great fit for a major event in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

6) “Gifted”

While elements of the “Gifted” storyline were used in X3: The Last Stand (specifically the mutant cure), it wasn’t a full adaptation. “Gifted,” created by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday, featured a core team of X-Men – Cyclops, Emma Frost, Wolverine, Beast, and Kitty Pryde – battling an alien threat named Ord, all while a scientist develops a cure for mutations. Astonishing X-Men was intended to be Marvel’s main X-Men title after a change in creative teams, and it started strong. Many fans consider this story the highlight of Whedon and Cassaday’s work on the series. It features a significant return for a key character, exciting artwork, and well-developed characters. It’s a fantastic story, especially for newcomers to the X-Men, and has a classic, nostalgic feel.

5) “Here Comes Tomorrow”

Grant Morrison’s run on New X-Men is widely considered the best X-Men series of the 21st century. While their time at Marvel ended abruptly – reportedly due to disagreements with editors, as detailed in their book SuperGods – their final story demonstrated just how much Marvel lost when Morrison left. “Here Comes Tomorrow,” with art by Marc Silvestri, is set a century in the future, depicting a ruined world threatened by the Beast of the Apocalypse and his mutant army, who have obtained the Phoenix Egg. This forces the remaining X-Men into a final, desperate fight. It’s a fantastic story reminiscent of “Days of Future Past,” showcasing Morrison’s skill as an X-Men writer. Silvestri’s artwork is also exceptional, with every page demonstrating incredible detail and effort. It’s a truly underrated classic.

4) X-Men (Vol. 2) #50

Issue #50 of X-Men (Vol. 2), created by Scott Lobdell and Andy Kubert, is surprisingly overlooked, but it’s a fantastic story. The issue begins with Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, and Iceman finding themselves in an unknown location, all disoriented and with no memory of how they arrived. Cyclops is missing his visor, and Iceman is wounded. They’re immediately attacked by a mutant named Post, who’s working for the villain Onslaught, as a test of the X-Men’s strength. This self-contained story helped set the stage for the larger “Onslaught” event and is full of exciting action. While the writing is solid, the artwork by Andy Kubert truly shines – it’s arguably his best work on the X-Men series. It’s a really fun, action-packed comic that deserves more attention.

3) House of X/Powers of X

I was completely hooked by the Krakoa era! While the ending, especially Fall of the House of X, felt a bit messy, it doesn’t take away from how incredible it started with House of X/Powers of X. Seriously, that initial story was mind-blowing. Jonathan Hickman really nailed it with the writing, and Pepe Larraz and R.B. Silva’s art was stunning. It was all about mutants building their own nation on the island of Krakoa, and it had everything I wanted – a deep connection to X-Men history, totally fresh ideas, political drama, awesome action, glimpses into different futures, and visuals that just blew me away. For me, HoX/PoX is easily one of the best X-Men stories ever told. It gave the whole X-Men line a much-needed jolt of energy, something it hadn’t felt since Grant Morrison’s New X-Men. It really felt like a perfect X-Men story.

2) “Ghost Box”

Warren Ellis took over writing Astonishing X-Men after Joss Whedon and John Cassaday, and I think his stories were even better. Though he only wrote two full story arcs and a couple of mini-series, they’re both fantastic. Today, I want to highlight his first, “Ghost Box,” with art by Simone Bianchi. This story centers around the X-Men investigating the impossible death of an unknown mutant, following the events of House of M. Their investigation quickly leads them into a massive, multiversal conflict involving one of their allies and forces from another universe. It’s a brilliant blend of X-Men and science fiction, with great character dynamics. Bianchi’s artwork is stunning and truly brings the story to life. It’s a complete package of a story, and surprisingly overlooked by many X-Men fans.

1) “E Is for Extinction”

As a comic book critic, I can confidently say that Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s “E Is for Extinction” is a true X-Men masterpiece. This three-issue arc perfectly captures what makes the team so compelling. It starts with a fascinating shift in direction – the X-Men deciding to focus on helping mutants through teaching and rescue work, and they debut their iconic black leather costumes. But things quickly go sideways, and they’re faced with a threat to the entire mutant species. We’re introduced to the brilliant villain Cassandra Nova and see Emma Frost join the team, all wrapped up in Morrison’s signature blend of big ideas and fantastic character work. Quitely’s art style isn’t for everyone, but it’s absolutely perfect for this story’s tone. What’s truly remarkable is that even after 24 years, it feels incredibly fresh and relevant—something of a shock in the current X-Men landscape post-Krakoa. In my opinion, it remains the best X-Men story of the 21st century, hands down.

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2025-11-24 17:15