The X-Men are icons, but the only reason they’ve ever gotten to this point is because of writer Chris Claremont. Claremont was made regular writer of the book after the success of Giant-Size X-Men #1, starting with X-Men (Vol. 1) #94. The book had spent several years as a reprint book at this point, and had never been very popular in the Silver Age. Claremont had his work cut out for him, and he was able to hook readers almost immediately. He redefined what the team could be, and it became the bestselling book in the comic industry throughout the ’80s because of him. He has written Uncanny X-Men three times, with his first run lasting for 17 years, and when you take it all together, he wrote the group for over 20 years in total (and that’s just counting their main books; he’s also wrote years worth of other mutant books).
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Chris Claremont is an X-Men icon, and he’s given readers not just some of great X-stories, but the best stories. If you love the team, it’s because of characters and ideas that he created. These are his ten best X-Men stories, legendary tales that have stood the test of time.
10) Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #265
Chris Claremont worked with some of the greatest artists of all time, including current DC head honcho Jim Lee. Lee and Claremont have some fantastic stories together, but the best of them is easily Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #268. This story saw Wolverine, Psylocke, and Jubilee teaming up with Black Widow in Madripoor against the Hand, while a flashback tale set in World War II tells about the time that Logan teamed up with Captain America to save a young Widow. It’s a legendary issue with an iconic cover, and it is amazing.
9) Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #172-173
Speaking of Chris Claremont working with the best X-Men artists of all time, I present Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #172-173. This two issue story was drawn by Paul Smith, and the art is as perfect as the story. In the wake of Wolverine (Vol. 1) #1-4, Logan invites his teammates to Japan for his wedding to Mariko Yashida, but an attack by Viper and Silver Samurai lays the team low, with only Wolverine and Rogue able to hunt them down. However, there’s a problem: Rogue drained the powers and memory of his friend Carol Danvers, and he doesn’t trust her. This is a smashing story, one with great character work and action, and is a classic.
8) Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #186
Barry Windsor-Smith is one of the greatest writer/artists in the history of comics, and he would do about one story a year with Chris Claremont on Uncanny X-Men in the ’80s. Their greatest work together came in Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #186. Titled “Lifedeath”, this story took place after Forge’s Neutralizer had taken away Storm’s powers. The two of them spend time together, despite Storm’s disdain for the technopathic mutant, and an attack by the Dire Wraiths see them have to put aside their differences to survive. This issue is a brilliant one and done, full of emotion and gorgeous art.
7) “The Brood Saga”
Nowadays, Marvel’s parent company Disney owns the right to the Alien franchise, but once upon a time they had to create their own version of the Xenomorph in the form of the Brood. There have been several great Brood stories over the years, but the best of them is the first, “The Brood Saga”, which ran through Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #154-167, with art by Dave Cockrum and Paul Smith. This story pit the mutants and their Shi’Ar allies in battles against this cosmic scourge in a story that ebbs and flows beautifully. It’s an all-time classic, and more fans need to check it out.
6) Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #200
Claremont took the unformed clay that was Magneto, who was basically just mutant Doctor Doom, and made him into everyone’s favorite leftist murder grandpa. All of that started in Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #200, by Claremont and John Romita Jr. Titled “The Trial of Magneto”, this story saw the mutant master of magnetism turn himself into the UN for judgment. Meanwhile, the X-Men have to protect the court from the evil Fenris Twins. This issue redeemed Magneto for the first time, and plays a massive role in Marvel history. It’s an amazing story, and sent the team into a completely new direction.
5) “Days of Future Past”
“Days of Future Past” changed comics forever, bringing the dystopian future to the industry in a way no story had before. Running through Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #141-142, by Claremont and John Byrne, this story took place in a terrible future where after the Mutant Registration Act was passed, the Sentinels were able to take over the world, killing every superhuman and mutant they came across. The surviving X-Men make a desperate plan to stop their future from happening, sending one of their number to the past, while making a final strike against the Master Mold. This is a stone cold classic. Claremont and Byrne are one of the greatest creative teams ever, and this story is one of the gems of their run.
4) X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills
In the ’80s, Marvel put out a series of graphic novels, more mature stories sold only in comic stores. There are some amazing stories from this time period, but the best of them is easily X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills, by Claremont and Brent Anderson. This story sees the X-Men and Magneto team up to battle Reverend Stryker and his Purifiers, a group of religious extremists killing mutants because they are “the spawn of Satan”. This is a story of bigotry and religion, a tale you could only get from the X-Men, and it was unfortunately prescient for our current situation in the world.
3) “Mutant Massacre”
“Mutant Massacre” was the first time the X-Men helmed a big summer event, running through Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants, X-Factor, Thor, and Power Pack. The story saw the Marauders attack the Morlocks in the sewers under New York City, with the X-Men and various Marvel heroes out to protec themt. Numerous creators worked on the story, but Claremont wrote most of the best chapters. We got the first Wolverine/Sabretooth fight from this story, the near death of several X-Men, and Angel lost his wings, with this story showing Marvel that the X-Men could be the centerpiece of a big crossover and it would sell.
2) “Inferno”
“Inferno” was another big summer crossover that spun out of Claremont’s run, and ran through Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, New Mutants, X-Terminators, Excalibur, The Avengers, Daredevil, Power Pack, Cloak and Dagger, Fantastic Four, Spectacular Spider-Man, Web of Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man, and Damage Control. This story was all about Cyclops’s ex-wife Madelyne Pryor, driven made by his treatment of her and Mister Sinister hunting her, teaming with the demons of Limbo in an attack on New York City. It’s the culmination of years of Claremont’s plots, and a nearly flawless example of a great Marvel crossover.
1) “The Dark Phoenix Saga”
“The Dark Phoenix Saga” is the greatest Marvel story ever. The centerpiece of the Claremont/Bryne run on Uncanny X-Men, this story tied up the threads of the Phoenix story, as Jean Grey falls to darkness because of the manipulations of the Hellfire Club. From there, the X-Men do everything they can to save their friend, ending in one of the most tragic battles in Marvel history. This story is everything you could want from the X-Men, a piece of perfection that will never be topped. The art is fantastic, but what really makes the whole thing sing is Claremont’s writing. His purple prose sells the emotion of the story perfectly, and it’s the masterpiece of masterpieces.
What’s your favorite Claremont X-story? Leave comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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