7 Times X-Men Took Down Avengers

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The X-Men and the Avengers are Marvel’s two biggest superhero teams, both filled with incredibly powerful individuals. They’ve often teamed up to fight villains, but they’ve also fought each other quite a few times. This is usually because the X-Men focus on protecting mutants, while the Avengers are more concerned with saving the entire planet, sometimes overlooking mutant issues. This difference in priorities has led to many one-on-one battles between members of the two teams. Even though the Avengers are strong, they can sometimes be outmatched or outsmarted by the X-Men’s most powerful heroes.

Fights between heroes are common in Marvel Comics, but the long-standing rivalry between the X-Men and the Avengers is particularly notable. One famous clash was the 2012 event called Avengers vs. X-Men. Here are some times when members of the X-Men defeated Avengers in battle.

7) Angel Makes Iron Man Nearly Fall to His Death

As a huge Iron Man fan, I always cringe remembering Tales of Suspense #49. It shows one of his most humiliating defeats! Basically, Angel went berserk after being hit by radiation and started tearing things up. Tony tried to stop him, taking the fight to the skies, but his rocket boots failed him and he plummeted to earth. You’d think he’d learn, but in their next battle, the same thing happened! Except this time they were even higher up, meaning the fall would have been fatal. Thankfully, Angel managed to break free from whatever was controlling him and swooped in to save Iron Man at the last possible second. It was a close one, even for a guy in armor!

6) Magik Stabs Black Widow in the Back

The battle between Black Widow and the powerful sorceress Magik in AVX: VS #3 was a close one, taking place on the Moon. Black Widow’s excellent fighting skills gave her an early advantage, disrupting Magik’s spellcasting. Even when Magik transported them to Limbo and unleashed a wave of demons, Black Widow fought them off and managed to hold Magik at gunpoint, forcing her to return to the Moon. Unfortunately, upon their return, Black Widow made a critical mistake by turning her back on Magik, who then summoned her Soulsword. Magik stabbed Black Widow with the Soulsword, leaving the Avenger unconscious but alive.

5) Cable Beats Captain America to Save the Future

Cable, the X-Man, is famous for his determination to protect the future, even at any cost. In Avengers: X-Sanctioned #1, he travels to the present day to stop a terrible future from happening. Cable fears this future will occur if the Avengers kill the mutant Hope Summers, so he decides to eliminate the Avengers before they can. He starts by capturing Falcon and using him as bait to lure Captain America to an abandoned warehouse. There, the two heroes fight to a standstill. Cable only gains the upper hand when Captain America is momentarily distracted trying to recover his shield, which is stuck in a wall. With Captain America defeated, Cable moves forward with his plan to take down the rest of the Avengers.

4) Colossus Pummels Spider-Man

Colossus is already a powerful opponent for Spider-Man thanks to his immense strength and metallic body. During the Avengers vs X-Men storyline, he became even stronger when empowered by the Crimson Gem, gaining the power level of the Juggernaut. In AVX: VS #2, Spider-Man tried to dodge Colossus’s attacks, but Colossus quickly overwhelmed him with a devastating blow that knocked him down. He then proceeded to toss Spider-Man around and even threw robots at him, warning him to give up or risk being killed. Although Spider-Man initially resisted, he heeded Daredevil’s advice and fled when given the opportunity.

3) Emma Frost Overpowers Thor

Normally, Emma Frost wouldn’t stand a chance against Thor, but during the Avengers vs. X-Men event, she gained a piece of the incredibly powerful Phoenix Force. In AVX: VS #4, this empowered Emma fought Thor in a huge battle. She even tried to boost her strength by turning into diamond, but Thor easily shattered her, sending the pieces flying into space. Luckily for Emma, the Phoenix Force kept her alive, and the diamond shards fell back to Earth, ripping into Thor like bullets. After reforming her body, Emma defeated the unconscious Avenger.

2) Wolverine Lobotomizes the Hulk

Wolverine and the Hulk have a long history of intense battles. In Savage Wolverine #5, Wolverine achieves one of his most decisive victories against the Hulk within the main Marvel universe. While investigating a possible alien threat in the prehistoric Savage Land, Wolverine encounters the Hulk, and they immediately begin to fight for no apparent reason. During the fight, a giant gorilla attacks the Hulk, creating a distraction. Wolverine seizes the opportunity, leaping onto the Hulk’s back and delivering a brutal attack with his claws to the brain. Though defeated, the Hulk quickly recovers and, surprisingly, teams up with Wolverine to combat a newly discovered alien enemy.

1) Rogue Absorbs Ms. Marvel’s Life Force

One of the most significant clashes between an X-Man and an Avenger happened in Marvel Superheroes #11, where Rogue almost completely drained the life force from Carol Danvers, also known as Ms. Marvel. Though Rogue wasn’t officially an X-Man at the time, she quickly became a key member of the team. While working as a mutant operative for Mystique, Rogue attacked Ms. Marvel to prove her loyalty. By touching Ms. Marvel, Rogue absorbed her powers and memories, bringing the Avenger to the brink of death. Ms. Marvel did eventually recover, but her abilities – including super strength and the power of flight – permanently became part of Rogue’s own powers, establishing her as one of the X-Men’s most powerful members.

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2026-01-13 00:12