The X-Men aren’t the only Marvel Comics team that has powerful mutants on it, as the Avengers have also had several join up with them. When mutants first gained prominence in Marvel Comics, they were in the X-Men, both as heroes and as villains, as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants showed up in Uncanny X-Men #4. What is interesting is that several people who appeared in those early X-Men issues were also part of the Avengers over the years, including two members of the Brotherhood who became Avengers in that comic’s second year of publication, as well as a founding X-Men member who became just as famous for his time as an Avenger..
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From original X-Men and Brotherhood of Evil Mutants members to some of the biggest mutant names in Marvel Comics, here is a look at powerful mutants who also served on the Avengers teams.
10) Firestar
Firestar is one of the rare Marvel Comics characters who was introduced on a Marvel cartoon before appearing in comics. Her first appearance was as an original character in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends in 1981, and then she was introduced into comics in 1985. She was a teenage mutant who had fire control mutant powers, and Emma Frost recruited her for the Massachusetts Academy, where she became part of the Hellions.
Firestar ended up becoming a hero over time, and she joined the New Warriors after leaving the Hellions and before she joined up with the Avengers, along with her New Warriors boyfriend, Justice. While she started as a reserve member, she soon moved up to a full membership role. She eventually left the team after a short time, never feeling comfortable in the lineup. Firestar retired during the Civil War storyline rather than signing the Superhuman Registration Act, although she has since returned to action.
9) Beast
Arguably, the most notable early mutant member of the Avengers was Beast. Hank McCoy was one of the first X-Men members and made his debut in Uncanny X-Men #1, and served with them until the main X-Men team disappeared. It was also during this time that the Beast turned blue when he unsuccessfully tried to “cure” himself from being a mutant.
It was the blue, furry Beast who joined the Avengers, and he was one of the most upbeat and optimistic members of the team, clearly a change from the persecuted X-Men heroes (and a massive difference from Beast in recent years). This was also where he developed his lifelong friendship with Simon Williams. Other than the Avengers, he has also been part of the Defenders. While very strong, he is even more powerful thanks to his heightened intelligence.
8) Wolverine
Out of all Marvel’s mutants, the one who has been part of the Avengers more than almost any other is Wolverine. That is simply because Marvel knows that Wolverine is one of the company’s most popular characters, so the intent is to get him in as many comics as possible. It also helps that Wolverine is one of the most respected mutants in Marvel, especially to the people who matter, like Captain America.
Not only is Wolverine a powerful mutant on the Avengers team, but he is also one of the most loyal. This was proven in the Marvel Comics crossover storyline Avengers vs. X-Men, where he took the side of the Avengers over his own mutant allies in the X-Men during this war. As for his power levels, he is almost unstoppable thanks to his healing factor.
7) Havok
While Havok might not be as popular, he is just as powerful as his brother Cyclops. Alex Summers is one of three Summers brothers, and just like Scott, he has control over ambient cosmic energy. While Cyclops shoots it through his eyes and has no control over it, Havok has complete control over his powers and can absorb the energy and shoot it in devastating plasma blasts.
As for the Avengers, it was Havok that Captain America chose after Avengers vs. X-Men to create the Uncanny Avengers team, which combined mutants and non-mutants to show society that there was nothing to fear from mutants and they could be as respectable heroes as anyone else. Havok served as that team’s leader.
6) M
While she is sometimes known as Penance, this is Monet St. Croix, who also goes by the name M. She is a powerhouse mutant hero who joined the mutant teams as part of Generation X before also becoming a member of X-Corps, X-Factor Investigations, and the X-Men. Her mutant powers make her a nearly perfect human being based on strength, agility, speed, reflexes, and more.
When the fall of Krakoa happened thanks to the terrorist organization known as Orchis, Monet was one of the mutant survivors, and she set out to get revenge for her fallen comrades. To do this, she joined Captain America’s Avengers Unity Division, which was the new name for the Uncanny Avengers.
5) Cannonball
Cannonball was one of the first New Mutants members when Professor X put together a team of students to train for the future. Sam Guthrie is an extremely powerful mutant with the power to generate thermo-chemical energy, which he can use to propel himself like a cannonball. He is almost impenetrable and indestructible when he is inside his blast field.
Sam was also one of the first members of X-Force when Cable put them together to work as a counter-terrorist group. After Avengers vs. X-Men, Cannonball joined the Uncanny Avengers, which was led by Havok. Later, he also joined Sunspot’s A.S.Avengers team.
4) Sunspot
Sunspot was also one of the first members of the New Mutants, and he was best friends with Cannonball. He is also very powerful, as he can absorb solar energy and use it to increase his strength as well as to store it inside him to do several superhuman feats. He is also from an extremely wealthy family, and he used his money at one time to finance his own Avengers team.
What happened was that Bobby first joined the Uncanny Avengers after Avengers vs. X-Men. When he learned about the possibility of the incursions, he bought A.I.M.. He became their leader before using this organization to form his own Avengers team, trying to find a way to stop the incursions, something that was impossible.
3) Rogue
Rogue joining the Avengers was always controversial. She was a villain when she got her start, working with Mystique and Destiny, the women who helped raise her. However, after she fought the Avengers, she stripped Carol Danvers of her powers and a lot of her memories. While this devastated Carol, it also caused Rogue to break down.
She went to the X-Men for help, and they took her in. Her powers involve her stealing a person’s powers and memories by just touching them, skin-to-skin. However, she also joined the Avengers Unity Division after Avengers vs. X-Men, and this caused controversy between her and other members, including Wanda Maximoff.
2) Storm
Storm was one of the new X-Men members when Marvel brought the team back after a prolonged absence. She ended up as one of their most respected members and even took over as the team leader, replacing Cyclops. She remains one of the most powerful mutants in Marvel Comics, as she has complete control of the weather and even has the powers of a goddess.
During the Civil War storyline, she worked with the Secret Avengers. She has also been a part of the main Avengers team itself. However, there is a big difference here, as in Avengers vs. X-Men, Storm took the side of the X-Men and mutants, while Wolverine took the side of the Avengers. This caused Black Panther to annul their marriage.
1) Scarlet Witch
There is one caveat to the addition of Scarlet Witch as a mutant who has been part of the Avengers. That is because Marvel retconned her status as a mutant when she learned Magneto was never her father, and he had lied to her for her entire life. However, when she first joined the Avengers, it was in the team’s second iteration when all the founding members left, and Captain America created a new version of the team. Her previous appearance was as a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
Wanda is also one of the most powerful magic users in Marvel Comics. She has been a member of more Avengers teams than she has been part of mutant teams. She was also a major Avengers enemy, as she had a breakdown at one point when she remembered her missing children and caused an attack that killed three Avengers members.
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