Sorry, But the Brotherhood Was Never Evil (They Were Right All Along)

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1975 marked a turning point for Marvel Comics with the release of *Giant-Size X-Men* #1, which brought the X-Men back into the spotlight after years of relative obscurity. The team quickly became the most popular in comics, dominating sales throughout the 1980s and 90s. This era saw a wealth of new characters created by writers like Chris Claremont and Louise Simonson, enriching the X-Men’s place within the Marvel Universe. Alongside the heroes, a long-standing team of villains, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (and now simply called the Brotherhood), also evolved and adapted over the years.

The Brotherhood began as the X-Men’s main adversaries, initially led by Magneto and dedicated to opposing them. After Magneto stepped down, Mystique took charge, marking a significant shift in the team’s history – eventually, even Toad led his own version. Over time, many different Brotherhoods have formed, with recent iterations led by Magneto and Storm. However, when looking back at the original Brotherhood, particularly during Magneto and Mystique’s leadership, it’s possible to argue they weren’t truly villains. While they often opposed the X-Men, they weren’t necessarily fighting for evil purposes.

The Brotherhood Evolved Significantly as the Years Went On

Magneto’s original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants – made up of Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Toad, Blob, and Mastermind – functioned as his main team. Back in the early days of Marvel comics, Magneto was simply portrayed as a classic, over-the-top villain with a goal to destroy humanity. But with a deeper understanding of his motivations, it’s now difficult to say he and his Brotherhood were entirely in the wrong. Magneto aimed to protect mutants from human prejudice, and while his methods were extreme, he believed he was fighting for a just cause.

The Brotherhood initially claimed to be fighting for mutant rights, but their methods were cruel. Everything changed when Mystique and Destiny took charge, bringing in members like Pyro, Blob, Avalanche, Crimson Commando, and Sabre. Unlike the previous leadership, Mystique and Destiny aimed to *protect* mutants, not destroy humanity. They were essentially antiheroes, similar to the Punisher, using questionable methods for a greater good. Destiny’s precognitive visions guided their actions, leading them to target Senator Kelly. While Mystique’s motivations are complex, they weren’t simply about personal gain. Ultimately, Mystique and her team sought to be recognized and respected for their efforts.

Mystique’s team was eventually hired by the government and rebranded as Freedom Force. This flipped the script for the Brotherhood, as Freedom Force became the authorities while the X-Men were often seen as criminals. Later, the government let Freedom Force go, and a new Brotherhood emerged, led by Toad and including Blob, Pyro, Fantazia, and Sauron, who clashed with X-Force. Interestingly, like many iterations of the Brotherhood, this team primarily aimed to help mutants by using force against humans. It’s worth noting that early X-Force fought both the Mutant Liberation Front and the Brotherhood – both groups tried to help mutants, but through violent means. This core idea has remained consistent throughout most versions of the team.

How people see mutant villains has evolved, which has led to a reevaluation of the Brotherhood’s past actions. Historically, the Brotherhood wasn‘t about destroying the world—they were fighting for mutant rights, just using different tactics than the X-Men. That’s why it felt natural when Storm and Magneto formed a new Brotherhood on Arakko. The group has always been strongly pro-mutant, willing to go further than others to achieve their goals. While the Brotherhood has certainly done questionable things, labeling them as simple ‘villains’ isn’t accurate. In fact, the X-Men later adopted many of the Brotherhood’s strategies to safeguard mutantkind.

The Brotherhood Aren’t Heroes but They Aren’t Monsters Either

The Brotherhood shared similarities with the Avengers’ foes, the Masters of Evil, but their goals weren’t about taking over the world. They fought for the rights of mutants, though they were much more aggressive in their methods. Eventually, they even removed the “of Evil Mutants” from their name, as they weren’t truly villains. Considering heroes like Wolverine and Cable have been celebrated despite their own violent histories, it’s hard to label the Brotherhood as evil.

The Brotherhood has existed in many forms over the years. Sometimes they’ve fought for mutant rights at any cost – even Xavier led a version while struggling against the powerful Cerebro. Other times, different leaders have pursued their own agendas, like Daken’s Brotherhood which was essentially a team of Wolverine enemies focused on eliminating him and X-Force. Despite these variations, the Brotherhood was originally intended to champion mutant causes in ways others wouldn’t, and that core mission has been a consistent theme throughout their history. While the X-Men have battled countless villains, the Brotherhood isn’t typically considered among them.

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2025-10-13 22:21