7 Biggest X-Men Mistakes Marvel Made in the ‘00s, Ranked

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The X-Men truly defined the 1990s, but the decade saw a shift in the series’ popularity. While the main three titles – Uncanny X-Men, X-Men (Vol. 2), and Wolverine (Vol. 2) – remained popular, sales declined in the later years. Although the stories were still well-written, readers grew frustrated with a lack of lasting consequences and a tendency to revisit old themes. The 2000s were seen as a fresh start, and ultimately became a remarkably creative period for the X-Men.

The 2000s had some fantastic X-Men comics, but it wasn’t a flawless period for the series. Marvel made several questionable decisions with the X-Men during that decade. Here are seven of their biggest errors from the 2000s – mistakes they really should have avoided.

7) The Beginning of the Grimdark Era

The early 2010s were a pretty dark period for X-Men comics, filled with relentlessly grim stories. This trend actually started in the late 2000s, beginning when mutants started losing their powers. This shift made every threat feel truly existential – like it could wipe out the entire mutant population. The comic X-Force (Volume 3) was an early sign of this change in tone. While it’s a well-regarded series, it foreshadowed just how bleak things were becoming. Initially, these darker stories were exciting, but fans eventually grew tired of them, proving that this approach doesn’t work well long-term.

6) Evil Xavier

As a long-time X-Men fan, I used to see Professor X as this amazing, almost saintly figure – the guy who started it all and always wanted mutants and humans to get along. But things really shifted in the 2000s. Two storylines, “Danger” and X-Men: Deadly Genesis, completely changed how I saw him. “Danger” revealed he knew the Danger Room was actually alive and basically forced it to keep running simulations. Then Deadly Genesis showed that there was a whole team of X-Men who tried to rescue the original five when they disappeared on Krakoa, but Xavier covered it all up! He erased their memories – and the memories of everyone else – and then formed the new team as if nothing happened. That’s when things started to feel really wrong, and honestly, a lot of us fans haven’t been able to look at him the same way since. It marked the start of this darker, more manipulative side of Xavier that a lot of us just don’t like.

5) Kitty Pryde’s Astonishing Ending

Joss Whedon and John Cassaday’s run on Astonishing X-Men was hugely popular and remains beloved by many fans. It successfully captured the spirit of the classic Claremont-era X-Men, with a particular focus on Kitty Pryde. The story brought her back to the team after a long absence and culminated in a dramatic sacrifice: she phased a massive bullet threatening Earth, but had to remain phased with it to prevent destruction as it traveled through space. While heroic, this felt like an unnecessary loss for a character fans had just reconnected with. It was a puzzling choice that led to an illogical storyline where Magneto managed to return her to Earth, requiring a complete disregard for the laws of physics.

4) The Second Claremont Run

Chris Claremont is widely considered the most important writer in X-Men history. His work on the team for 16 years transformed them into a major success and established many of the elements fans still love today. Though sales had declined by the late 1990s, Marvel brought him back for another run. Unfortunately, this second attempt wasn’t successful, despite initial excitement from fans. While I personally enjoy the 18 issues he produced, most fans didn’t connect with it. His classic style didn’t resonate with readers at the time, and that was reflected in the book’s sales.

3) Chuck Austen

Many X-Men fans consider Chuck Austen to be the worst writer to work on the team, despite him writing both Uncanny X-Men and X-Men for three years. He initially gained favor with Marvel editors through his work on titles like Elektra and U.S. War Machine. While his X-Men run has a few bright spots, much of it is considered poor quality. Interestingly, this wasn’t a recent opinion – fans disliked his writing at the time, but the books still sold well. This demonstrated that Marvel prioritized sales over story quality and fan satisfaction, a pattern that would later create further issues for the company.

2) Pushing Grant Morrison Out of Marvel

Grant Morrison’s run on New X-Men is widely considered the best X-Men series of the 21st century. After joining Marvel in 1999 with titles like Marvel Boy and Fantastic Four: 1234, Morrison took over X-Men (Vol. 2) in 2001, quickly relaunching it as New X-Men. They revitalized classic X-Men themes, taking the stories in bold new directions. However, Morrison was known for their independent creative vision and often negotiated contracts that protected their work from editorial interference. Their book SuperGods revealed frequent disagreements with Marvel editors, ultimately leading to their departure in 2005. Many fans believe Marvel lost its best X-Men writer since Chris Claremont because editors didn’t trust Morrison’s creative instincts.

1) House of M

As a big Marvel fan, I always felt like House of M was a turning point for the worst. It was hyped as this huge team-up between the New Avengers and the X-Men, but it ended up kicking off a really damaging trend where Marvel seemed to sideline their mutants. The whole story revolved around Scarlet Witch creating a world ruled by mutants, only to then strip almost all of them of their powers. It just felt like a really dark turn for the X-Men, completely undoing all the great stuff Grant Morrison had been building. Honestly, it felt petty, like a reaction to creators leaving Marvel, and that made an already awful story even worse – which is saying something, because House of M was pretty terrible to begin with!

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2026-05-25 00:11