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3 X-Men You’d Want to Hang Out With (and 3 You Absolutely Shouldn’t)

The X-Men are one of the most popular superteams in comics. There are loads of reasons for this; amazing writers and artists putting out pulse-pounding stories, some of the best villains in the history of comics, and the coolest event books are all part of it. However, a huge factor in their success has always been the characters themselves. If you look at the time when they finally became popular, it coincided with writer Chris Claremont coming aboard and making their adventures into the best superhero soap opera ever. Seriously, the Claremont years on the team made them into something you didn’t get very much back then; fully realized characters that fans connected with in numerous ways.

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Over the years, some men and women of X have grown into characters that would be loads of fun to hang out with. Sure, they’ve all had rough lives and end up putting them on the line all the time, but here’s the thing: they appreciate life and the good times more than they would have if they had an easy time of things. Conversely, there are some X-Men who you might love to read about, but you definitely shouldn’t hang out with. Here are six different X-Men, three you definitely shouldn’t hang out with and three that it would be a blast to be around.

6) Cyclops

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Cyclops is one of the most important X-Men and fans love him. Scott Summers is the first and longest tenured leader of the team. Everyone respects him and looks up to him – telepaths love him especially – but that doesn’t mean that he’d actually be someone you’d want to be around. Scott is the kind of character where he’s a lot of fun to read about but he wouldn’t be all that fun to actually be around. Sure, he’d be able to tell you some cool stories about his adventures, but as a person, Summers is all about the struggle, making plans to keep mutants safe, and training. He’s not exactly the most personable hero in the world, either, so he wouldn’t exactly be a lot of fun to talk to. If you need someone to help you solve a problem, he’s good to have around, since he will do everything he can to solve it. However, if you want someone fun to hang with, he’s definitely not the one you’d choose.

5) Wolverine

Wolverine stuck like a pin cushion with arrows
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Wolverine is the best at what he does and that’s one of the main reasons hanging out with him is usually a mistake. Logan isn’t a bad guy to be around; he’s not as taciturn as he used to be and he likes to drink, so there’s always something to do. However, when it comes right down to it, if you don’t want to take the chance of getting caught up in a ninja fight, you don’t want to go out on a night on the town with him. People who get close to him get killed all the time, mostly because they don’t have a healing factor and an adamantium skeleton. Let’s say that you do somehow not end up in a bar fight that somehow turns into a whole terrorist faction attack. What are you going to talk about with him? Hanging out with the ol’Canucklehead might seem like a good time, but it’s proven to be one of the most dangerous pass times in the Marvel Universe and that’s before we get to his own personal hygiene, which has never been great.

4) Emma Frost

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Emma Frost is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful members of the X-Men, but she is definitely someone that you should never hang out with. To begin with, while there is a heart under her beautiful, ice cold exterior, it’s hidden under layers of attitude and sass. Emma Frost grew up in the most terrible family you can imagine; despite being rich, she couldn’t wait to be gone and make her own way in the world. She used her powers to move up in the world and developed a thick skin as she rose through the ranks of the Hellfire Club, showing everyone that she was more than what she appeared to be. She’s cruel, abrasive, and has no filter whatsoever. If she doesn’t like you, she’s going to go at you as hard as she can. Your only hope of her not being completely and totally terrible to you is if you’re a young mutant, but since you’re not, you might as well forget any notions of having a good time with Emma Frost.

3) Nightcrawler

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Nightcrawler is an X-Men legend and everyone loves him. Kurt Wagner did not have an easy life – orphaned by Mystique and Destiny and looking like a fuzzy little demon, he grew up as a hated outcast until he made his way to the circus, where he was able to indulge himself and entertain others. He ended up joining the X-Men and finally finding the family he never had, basically becoming everyone’s awesome brother. He’s the life and soul of any room he’s in, an animated man always trying to make someone smile or get a laugh. He’s exactly the kind of X-Man that you’d want to hang out. He’s the definition of fun. He’d have you singing German drinking songs and dancing around the whole night at Harry’s Hideaway and you guys could teleport all over the place. The next day, he’d get you breakfast and take care of your hangover. He’s the ultimate friend, because he knows what it’s like not to have any.

2) Rogue

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Once upon a time, Rogue would not be a fun X-Man to hang around with. It took her a long time to learn to control her touch-based powers, which allowed her to drain superpowers, life force, and memory out of anyone she made skin to skin contact with, and during that period she was rather emo. It makes sense, obviously; she’s a beautiful young woman who just wanted to be touched by the people she cared about. However, she’s finally learned to control those powers and she’s become a way better person to be around. Right now, Rogue is in her Southern “mama” phase; she wants to take care of people. She’s loosened up a lot thanks to her marriage with Gambit and is usually pleasant to be around. She can get broody at times but she’ll do everything she can to make the people around her happy. She knows what it’s like to be miserable and she does her best to make sure that no one has to feel that way.

1) Gambit

Trial of Gambit
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Gambit has been superstar since the beginning and a big reason for that is charm. Remy LeBeau is the type of person that can make you feel like you’re the only important person in the whole world. He grew up in New Orleans, a city where hospitality is a way of life and the party never ends. He has that kind of rakish charm that can draw anyone in and before you know it, you’re making bad decisions at four in the morning with the coolest person you’ve ever met. Gambit would be so much fun to be around. He’s smart, he’s good looking, he has a sexy accent, and he’s the coolest person in every room that he walks into. When you’re with Gambit, you know that wild things are going to happen but they are the best wild things you could be involved in. He’s the life of every party and hanging out with him would be an experience, to say the least.

What X-Men do you want to hang out with? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!