7 Creative Decisions that Defined the X-Men

The X-Men are one of Marvel’s biggest names, and that has stayed true for decades because of how many great ideas so many different people have poured into the mutant team. Comics aren’t the work of one person, after all. Not even the legendary Chris Claremont was solely responsible for the decisions that made the X-Men into the icons that they are today. They’ve only managed to become as popular and pivotal as they are because dozens, if not hundreds, of people have all thrown their hats into the ring for guiding the X-Men towards superstardom. The X-Men are a work of many hands.

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New storylines, character introductions, character deaths, relaunches, and so, so much more all make up the framework of who the X-Men are. These decisions, between who to focus on, who to kill, and so on, have made the X-Men into the comic book behemoths that they are. Today, we’re taking a look at seven of the most important decisions that defined the X-Men. Some of these ideas were incredible, some were horrible, and some remain to be seen. We won’t know which are which until we dive in and examine the X-Men’s foundation.

7) Krakoa

Krakoa, both in concept and execution, had clear problems. It was intended as a cautionary tale, meant to show the X-Men straying from the path of coexistence and falling for the fear and pride that fueled their greatest enemies. Despite that, Krakoa was exactly what the X-Men needed, right when they needed it. It was a massive status quo shift that shot the X-Men back to prominence after a decade of listless floundering. Regardless of its intent or how it ended, the entire X-line lives in Krakoa’s shadow. Its existence will define the X-Men for years to come. Frankly, you can look at the X-comics as pre and post-Krakoa, and we’re living in a post-Krakoa world.

6) Giant-Size X-Men

This comic is the single most important X-Men issue of all time. It introduced a whole new team that was an instant success, bringing the X-Men back from the very brink of cancellation and oblivion. Storm, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and the like are some of the most popular X-Men of all, and they all joined here. This issue expanded what the X-Men could be. Instead of a bunch of white Americans, the X-Men became an international team packed with diversity and different perspectives on the world and what it meant to be a mutant. This single issue changed the X-Men more than anything else and began the essential and phenomenal Chris Claremont run, which defined the X-Men as we know them.

5) Jean’s Return

Jean’s death in the “Dark Phoenix Saga” was a turning point for the X-Men. The rest of the team learned and grew from it, with Cyclops’s best development coming after her fall. Jean’s return in X-Factor (1985) brought the original five back together, but it did so much more. It destroyed Cyclops’s relationship with Madelyne Pryor, bringing him back into the superhero game after his retirement. It was also the final nail in the coffin for death in Marvel. People had been coming back to life for years by that point, but Jean’s return showed that there was no grave Marvel wasn’t willing to upturn. It also set the stage for the Phoenix Force’s return, and Jean’s continued rebirths as a whole.

4) Blue and Gold Teams

By the end of the ‘80s, the X-Men were cultural sensations. They were Marvel’s powerhouses, and their teams had expanded to near ludicrous levels. They were growing larger than they could handle, and they needed something to clear the muddy nature and evolve them to the next level. Then came X-Men (1991) and the creation of the Blue and Gold teams, which brought all the X-Men under one banner once again and set their new, awesome status quo. X-Men (1991) #1 is the best-selling comic of all time, with around eight million copies sold. These two teams were the perfect jumping-on point for new readers and continuation for long-time fans, creating a rare situation where everyone was happy.

3) Grant Morrison’s Run

Morrison is one of comic books’ greatest writers, and their work on the X-Men fundamentally changed the team. New X-Men (2001) provided the status quo shift the team needed. They got a new direction, a broader school, and the expanded lore that they so desperately needed to regain their former glory. More than that, this run opened the door for much, much darker stories down the road. Genosha’s genocide shocked the world and established how dark the X-Men could get. It left future writers chasing that high, desperate to recapture that lightning Morrison put in the bottle. This would lead to stories like House of M and the X-Men’s militant era. Its biggest impact was definitely in the stakes every writer since has tried to emulate.

2) Magneto’s Backstory

They say that heroes are only as good as their villains, and the X-Men have one of the greatest villains of all. Before Uncanny X-Men (1963) #150, Magneto was another run-of-the-mill megalomaniac, but this issue changed everything. It reimagined him as a concentration camp survivor, instantly changing him from a monster to a misguided man whose pain had driven his good intentions too far. Since then, Magneto has become one of the X-Men’s most nuanced characters. The struggle between Professor X’s optimism and Magneto’s pessimism has fueled the X-Men’s greatest stories for decades now, and is the central argument that so many comics have explored.

1) Professor X’s Fall From Grace

Just as Magneto’s rise was a pivotal moment, so was Charles Xavier’s fall. Back in the day, he was an endlessly hopeful man. His pure dream of peace is still the X-Men’s connective tissue, the reason they fight and work as a concept. But with the “Onslaught” event and Deadly Genesis, it became common practice to make Professor X look evil, or at least morally grey. Nowadays, Xavier has fallen so far that a huge section of fans legitimately see him as a villain. Professor X’s moral descent has dragged the X-Men down with him. You can literally watch the hope leave their comics in tandem with Xavier’s morality. Many stories are focused on Xavier’s darkest moments, and his dark shadow hangs over all their comics, current and future.

Which creative decision do you think was most pivotal to the X-Men’s development? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!