The 10 Worst Things X-Men Members Have Ever Done

by

The X-Men were created to demonstrate that mutants and humans could coexist peacefully, proving they could be heroes just like anyone else. However, Magneto often had a point – humans frequently harbor prejudice against mutants. This bias is a major reason why some mutants have lost control and committed terrible acts throughout their history in Marvel Comics, harming humans, other mutants, and even their own teammates. This shows that, at times, the X-Men can be just as dangerous as villains like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

Let’s explore the ten most questionable actions taken by members of the X-Men, from Wolverine and Cyclops to Professor X, in Marvel Comics.

10) Wolverine’s Red Right Hand Massacre

Wolverine is known for being a formidable fighter who doesn’t hesitate to kill when necessary. He’s previously threatened Rachel Summers and the Scarlet Witch, and even killed a young mutant who couldn’t control his abilities. However, one of his most shocking acts occurred when he was manipulated by the Red Right Hand. This group, seeking revenge for people Wolverine had killed, sent a group of assassins called the Mongrels after him. Fueled by rage, Wolverine brutally killed them all, only to later discover they were his own children from various relationships. The Red Right Hand intended this as a cruel way to make Wolverine experience the pain he had inflicted on others.

9) Magik Destroyed Many of Legion’s Alternate Personalities

In a 2009 issue of New Mutants, the team encountered Legion, Professor X’s son, who suffers from a severe mental illness causing his powers to manifest through multiple personalities. To help him, Karma and Magik entered Legion’s mind. Illyana, also known as Magik, then used her Soulsword to eliminate several of these personalities, effectively bringing Legion under control. While authorized by the X-Men as a heroic act, Illyana’s actions were harsh, as she destroyed parts of a mentally ill man rather than attempting to heal him.

8) Namor Destroyed Wakanda in Avengers vs. X-Men

The Phoenix Five believed they were acting with good intentions, influenced by the Phoenix Force, and attempting to save the world. However, the Avengers repeatedly interfered, and this quickly led the Five down a dark path. While Cyclops ultimately killing Professor X was a tragic climax, the situation reached its lowest point when Namor, empowered by the Phoenix, unleashed a devastating tidal wave upon Wakanda. This attack nearly wiped out the kingdom and caused immense loss of life. As a result, Black Panther ended his marriage to Storm, and Wakanda declared Namor an eternal enemy.

7) Rogue Stole Captain Marvel’s Powers & Memories

Before joining the X-Men, Rogue grew up with Mystique and Destiny and was a member of Mystique’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. In a 1981 Avengers Annual comic, Rogue and her team attacked the Avengers. During the fight with Ms. Marvel, Rogue did something shocking: she touched Ms. Marvel and didn’t let go. This permanently transferred Ms. Marvel’s powers – including flight, strength, and near-invulnerability – as well as her memories and personality, to Rogue. This left Ms. Marvel powerless for years and deeply affected Rogue, leading her to seek help from the X-Men and ultimately become a hero.

6) Gambit Led the Marauders to the Mutant Massacre

Gambit was involved in a terrible event he didn’t foresee. Mister Sinister offered to help him master his abilities, but first asked him to gather and lead a team of assassins – the Marauders – into the Morlock tunnels beneath New York City. Though Gambit formed the team, he was horrified when they massacred hundreds of Morlocks, and he tried to suppress the memory. Years later, after joining the X-Men, his involvement in the Morlock Massacre was revealed by Psylocke. The X-Men were shocked and exiled him, and the revelation damaged his relationship with Rogue for many years.

5) Emma Frost Mind-Controlled the UN to Ensure Krakoa’s Acceptance

Look, I’ll be honest, Emma Frost has a complicated history. She started out as a real antagonist, even helping to trigger the whole Dark Phoenix Saga – a truly devastating event. And later, when she was with the X-Men, she made some seriously questionable choices, like faking Cyclops’ death to escalate tensions with the Inhumans. But honestly, the thing that really bothers me is what happened with Krakoa. The mutants just wanted a place to live in peace, a sovereign nation, and she manipulated the United Nations to get it. It just confirmed every fear humans ever had about mutants controlling things, and it felt like a huge betrayal of trust. It proved those fears were justified, and that’s hard to forgive.

4) Jean Grey (as Dark Phoenix) Committed Genocide

Jean Grey’s most infamous act was the destruction of the D’Bari people, an event that appeared as genocide. Though her body was in stasis at the time, the story presented it as being committed by Jean as the Phoenix. The Hellfire Club had fractured her mind, leading to the Phoenix draining the energy from a star, causing it to explode and obliterate the D’Bari IV planet, wiping out billions of its inhabitants. Facing the Shi’ar’s demand for punishment, Jean ultimately took her own life to end the Phoenix’s threat.

3) Cyclops Turned Teenage Mutants Into a Militia in “Schism”

The ‘Schism’ storyline is considered one of the most impactful X-Men stories of the 2000s, dramatically dividing the team. For years, Cyclops was seen as the noble leader and Wolverine as the reckless one, but Cyclops grew disillusioned with Professor X’s vision. After repeated attacks on mutants, Cyclops decided to take a more aggressive approach and transform the X-Men into a military force. The story reached a critical point when Cyclops instructed a teenage mutant to begin killing soldiers of the Hellfire Club. This shifted Cyclops from a traditional hero into a commander willing to send children into battle. As a result, Wolverine left to found the Jean Grey School, while Cyclops stayed behind with his increasingly militarized team.

2) Beast Lobotomized a Man to Forcefully Take Over Terra Verde

On the mutant island of Krakoa, Beast succumbed to his darker side. He’d long walked a dangerous line, making questionable choices with his scientific abilities – like bringing past versions of the X-Men to the future and attempting to create a mutant cure, both with terrible consequences. When put in charge of X-Force, he took increasingly drastic measures, ultimately ordering the lobotomization of Hadwin Cocom to safeguard Krakoa. This act led to him seizing control of the nation of Terra Verde, which he ruined in the process, solidifying his transformation into a true villain.

1) Professor X Erasing Memory of an Entire Dead X-Men Team

Look, as a longtime X-Men fan, it’s hard to talk about Professor X. He’s always been presented as this heroic figure, but when you really look at his history, he did some seriously questionable things. I mean, he used kids – kids – as soldiers, trying to prove mutants were the good guys. And the way he treated Wolverine? Brainwashing and messing with his memories just to get him on the team? That’s messed up. Then there’s his involvement with the Illuminati and all the disasters that came from their decisions, like World War Hulk and Secret Invasion. He even faked his own death a couple of times! But the thing that really gets me is what happened with the original X-Men and Krakoa. He sent a new team to rescue them, and they all died. And instead of dealing with that loss, he just…erased everyone’s memories and started over! One of those who died was Cyclops’ brother, and that pain eventually resurfaced and caused even more problems for the X-Men years later. It’s a really dark part of X-Men history, and it’s hard to reconcile with the Professor we thought we knew.

Read More

2026-06-07 22:25