Marvel Reveals the Top Mutant Killers in the X-Men Universe

Jonathan Hickman’s “Dawn of X” storylines continues with House of X #4, in which the X-Men carry out a deadly mission to stop the human supremacy organization Orchis from threatening the future of mutantkind. While most of the issue is focused on a tense espionage-thriller story, it is still a Jonathan Hickman story, which means there are detailed charts of backstory included alongside the main narrative.

In the case of House of X #4, Hickman brings the legacy of genocidal trauma the X-Men have faced into clear focus, via a chart that lists the worst perpetrators of “Major Mutant Crimes.” The names on that list invoke some of the darkest storylines and moments in X-Men history, as longtime fans will recognize and appreciate.

Here are the top mutant killers in the X-Men Universe:

Stephen Lang

Mutants Killed: 28

One of the original Sentinel developers himself became a technological nightmare for mutants, first creating mutant-killing robots in the form of X-Sentinel android doubles of the X-Men. Later, Lang was at the forefront of the Phalanx invasion of Earth, as he was uniquely able to join the techno-organic collective without losing his individual identity. After the Phalanx was defeated, Lang was resurrected as part of Bastion’s mission to resurrect the biggest mutant killers on Earth. 

Mister Clean

Mutants Killed: 126

Mister Clean is a throwaway enforcer from the Church of Humanity – but his unbreakable skin, enhanced reflexes, and combat training made him a formidable mutant hunter-killer. 

Graydon Creed

Mutants Killed: 147

Graydon Creed is one of the famous (and perennial) Mutant Killers in X-Men lore, having started the Friends of Humanity anti-mutant terrorism group, joined the Upstarts villain group, helped usher in the government’s anti-mutant Operation: Zero Tolerance, and even embarked on a political career that nearly put him in the White House, but instead got him assassinated. Even in death Creed has been a threat, after being resurrected using Bastion’s techno-organic virus. He’s dead (again) now, but Mystique and Sabertooth’s son did plenty of damage to mutants while he was still breathing. 

Cameron Hodge

Mutants Killed: 178

Cameron Hodge was a major villain representing humanity’s anti-mutant hysteria, in the late ’80s / 90s X-Men stories. His winding path starts at being Angel’s roomate and friend and X-Factor’s PR manager – only to be revealed as an anti-mutant terrorist sympathizer. After becoming Archangel Warren Worthington decapitated Hodge, but the villain re-emerged as a head in a horrific cyborg body, who is revealed to be the mastermind behind Genosha’s “X-Tinction Agenda” process of converting mutants into Genosha’s brainwashed mutant slave caste, the mutates. After being seemingly killed in that form, Hodge folloed Stephen Lang on the path of becoming a Phalanx entity, and later being resurrected by Bastion’s transmode virus.

The Leper Queen

Mutants Killed: 221

Groups like Friends of Humanity would eventually beget more extreme visions of human supremacy, and The Sapien League is definitely one of the most extreme. The group’s leader The Leper Queen was created when her mutant daughter lost control of her flame powers, causing the Leper Queen to be horribly scarred and the little girl to lose her life. After flagrant attacks on mutants, the Leper Queen was also transformed by Bastion’s Transmode virus and wreaked new acts of terror by using mutants as biological bombs. 

Donald Pierce

Mutants Killed: 348

Donald Pierce is yet another case of man and machine uniting into a nightmare for mutants. Pierce was a wealthy and affluent member of the Hellfire Club, who has steadily transformed himself into a cyborg. Pierce led the mutant-killing cyborg team The Reavers, but was one of the mutant-killing figures transformed by Bastion’s Transmode virus. Pierce direct or tangential presence in the anti-mutant movement has helped him put up a big body count over the years. 

William Stryker

Mutants Killed: 414

The biggest icon for intolerance in the X-Men universe is no doubt Reverend William Stryker. First appearing in the classic X-Men story “God Loves, Man Kills”, Stryker and his paramilitary cult The Purifiers have been responsible for some of the X-Men’s darkest days, and most heartbreaking losses. After “M Day” brought mutants to the rink of extinction, Stryker attacked the Xavier institute trying to finish the job. He killed a bus of de-powered mutant kids, and has assassinated or severely injured several members fo the X-Men family. Stryker became and even deadlier threat to mutants when he was resurrected by Bastion’s Transmode Virus, allowing his Purifiers and Cameron Hodge’s group to reign terror on mutants again. Archangel final cut Stryker down for good. 

Wanda Maximoff

Mutants Killed: 986, 420

House of X #4 is unflinchingly harsh in its damnation of Wanda Maximoff Scarlet Witch as the second-worst perpetrator of mutant atrocity, due to her causing “M Day” and nearly bringing mutants to extinction. In fact, House of X goes so far as to refer to Wanda as “the pretender,” refusing to officially recognize her as a mutant. At nearly 1 million dead by her hand, it’s understandable why the rest of the surviving mutants don’t consider her part of the tribe. 

Bolivar Trask

Mutants Killed: 16,521,618

At the end of the day, the biggest threat to mutants is, always has been (and apparently always will be) The Sentinel robots. Having killed mutants in targeted strikes, or the mass genocide that occurred with the “Wild Sentinel” attack on Genosha (16 million dead), every drop of mutant blood the Sentinels spill washes back onto the hands of their creator, Bolivar Trask. 

Who is the biggest threat to Marvel’s mutants in your opinion? Let us know in the comments! 

House of X 1 – 3 and Powers of X 1 – 3 are all now on sale.