The X-Men are one of the most game-changing super teams in the history of the comic medium. The team wasn’t just a group of superheroes out to save the world, but a group of oppressed people fighting against the oppression of the majority. This change to the formula made them unique, and while they failed in the short run, with X-Men (Vol. 1) becoming a reprint book, the team would come roaring back with Giant-Size X-Men #1. Since then, they’ve become one of the most popular super teams of all time, and a big reason for their success is their amazing covers.
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The X-Men have had some history-shaking covers, with some of the coolest images ever fronting their stories. However, there are so many groundbreaking X-Men covers, ones that had a huge effect on the comic industry, it isn’t funny. These ten X-Men covers are amazing, and changed the tenor of comics forever.
10) X-Men (Vol. 1) #94
Chris Claremont changed the X-Men and comic history, taking over the team after Giant-Size X-Men #1 with X-Men (Vol. 1) #94. This was the first time an all-new X-Men story had been published in his book since X-Men (Vol. 1) #67 and the cover is perfect. Drawn by Dave Cockrum, Gil Kane, and Danny Crespi, this cover told its own story and dared you to walk by it without picking it up. The composition is perfect, capturing an insane moment and all of the emotion of it. This cover jumps out at you, and it is an example of why those early Cockrum covers are so amazing.
9) X-Men (Vol. 1) #139
Every team has cover tropes of their own, images and ideas that are brought back numerous times over the decades. X-Men (Vol. 1) #139 introduced a cover trope to the X-Men, one that we would see many, many times over the years. This was the first time we saw “Welcome to the X-Men, (blank), hope you survive the experience” on the cover, and it would become a favorite of fans and artists as the years went on. John Byrne, Terry Austin, and Jim Novak gave readers a best of all-time cover with this one, and it would introduce a cover trope that has even spread beyond the X-Men.
8) X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills
In the 1980s, Marvel started a line of one-shot graphic novels, stories that were often more mature than the monthlies. Their 15th graphic novel in the series was X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills. This story is a stone cold classic, a tale that is still prescient 44 years later. This cover by Brent Anderson is one of the most perfect covers you can imagine. It has a great shot of the team, and the background does an amazing job of hinting at the ideas in the story. It’s a cover that grabs you, and it has exactly the kind of tone you’d expect from a tale like this.
7) Uncanny X-Men #213
Wolverine and Sabretooth have had some amazing battles, and they all started with the one in Uncanny X-Men #213. They’ve become two of comics’ greatest rivals, and this amazing cover from Alan Davis and Paul Neary kicked off their enmity. This image is perfect. It showcases the two combatants, capturing their rage and resolve to kill the other gorgeously. Wolverine was the star of the team back at this point, and this cover was everything that readers in 1986 would have wanted from a comic.
6) X-Men (Vol. 1) #9
The X-Men and the Avengers are Marvel’s two greatest teams (sorry, Fantastic Four fans, but Marvel’s First Family is the third best team), and have numerous crossovers over the years. The first time the two teams appeared on a cover together was X-Men (Vol. 1) #9, with this fantastic cover from Jack Kirby, Chic Stone, and Sam Rosen. This clash of the two teams is amazing, and this is just half the cover. The other half sees Xavier battling against the man who paralyzed him, Lucifer. So, not only did this cover give readers the first X-Men/Avengers crossover, but also a major revelation about the life of Charles Xavier. Simply marvelous.
5) Uncanny X-Men #142
“Days of Future Past” changed comics forever, but that’s not the reason Terry Austin and Danny Crespi’s cover to Uncanny X-Men #142 is on this list. To begin with, this is the first issue that’s official title was Uncanny X-Men. “Uncanny” had been appearing on the cover for months, but it wasn’t actually the title of the book until this issue. On top of that, it’s also the first, but certainly not the last, time readers saw Wolverine killed on the cover of a comic. It’s one of those covers that makes people think “X-Men”, and has been homaged many times over the years, showing the impact that it had.
4) X-Men Alpha #1
“Age of Apocalypse” is a legendary X-event, and it all kicked off with this amazing chromium cover from Joe Madureira and Tim Townsend. This wraparound cover introduced readers to the new version of the team, and it grabbed the imaginations of fans and never let go. This is one of those covers that is unforgettable for anyone who saw it on the stands and spinner racks of the day, a big shiny moment in time for fans of a certain age. While it was a stereotypical ’90s gimmick cover, there was something special about it that everyone who saw it felt.
3) Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 3) #1 1 in 200 Variant
Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 3) #1 was the beginning of a new era of the team, and when most people see the above cover, by John Cassaday and Laura Martin, they think of this particular issue. However, they almost certainly didn’t actually own it. This wasn’t actually the main cover; this was the 1 in 200 variant (and yes, I was able to get my hands on it) and would later become the cover to the Director’s Cut of the comic and the collected editions (the actual A cover of the book was just Wolverine’s claws; the C cover was Wolverine by Gabrielle dell’Otto. This is the first image most fans think of when they think of this book and the Whedon/Cassaday run, and it’s become so iconic that most fans don’t even realize it wasn’t the book’s main cover.
2) X-Men (Vol. 1) #114
So, we have the first official issue of Uncanny X-Men non this list, but it wasn’t the first issue with the word “uncanny” on the cover. That was X-Men #114, and this cover from John Byrne, Terry Austin, and Danny Crespi is one of those forgotten gems. It tells a story all on its own, with the specters of the X-Men behind Beast, Xavier, and Phoenix as they sadly walk away from them. It’s an evocative, detailed piece that will make you want to know what’s inside in the book, as well as being the introduction of one of the most successful titles in comic history.
1) X-Men (Vol. 1) #1
The X-Men’s Silver Age history isn’t as bright as the rest of the House of Ideas’ works of the time, but that doesn’t change how important the cover to X-Men (Vol. 1) #1 is. This cover by Jack Kirby and Sal Brodsky was the perfect introduction to the team. It’s a Kirby masterwork, showing off each character doing what they do best. The designs of the characters are eye-grabbing, the action is great, and it had that Kirby vibe that makes so many of his covers so unforgettable. There would be no X-Men without this cover, and it will always be a classic.
What is your favorite X-Men cover? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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