7 Powerful Mutant Heroes Who Never Became X-Men

The X-Men are practically synonymous with the subspecies of humanity known as Homo Superior, aka mutants. And this makes sense: the X-Men are the primary advocates of human-mutant coexistence and fight for mutant rights in Marvel Comics. Over the years, the X-Men and their numerous offshoot groups have come to include hundreds of mutants, including villains, into their ranks to provide a united front in the battle against oppression. Their ranks grew even more when they established their own nation of Krakoa, which welcomed every mutant across the globe. Still, mutants are a diverse people, and not all of them are interested in joining the X-Men. Without any alignment with the X-Men, these mutant heroes protect the innocent either as independent superheroes or members of other teams.

The reasons why these powerful mutant superheroes refuse to join the X-Men or any of the other X-Teams vary. Many of these mutants are intensely loyal to their countries or teams and unwilling to leave them. Others prefer to work alone and don’t want to get involved in human/mutant relations. Ironically, though, by these mutants preferring to live among humans rather than separate from them, either at the Xavier School or on Krakoa, they perhaps offer the best example of why peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants is possible.

7) Molly Hayes

Molly Hayes is the youngest member of the Runaways, a group of teens who discovered that their parents are members of a super-powered crime ring known as the Pride. Molly and the rest of the Runaways defeated their parents and became the protectors of Los Angeles. Molly’s X-Gene gives her immense strength and durability, allowing her to pull off impressive feats, including lifting Giant Man and uppercutting a Skrull so hard that he flew over a building. Molly’s main weakness is that she quickly tires when using her powers. The X-Men have tried to recruit Molly on multiple occasions. Yet, she always refuses to leave the Runaways, who have become her found family.

6) Great Lakes Avengers

One of the only mutant superhero teams not affiliated with the X-Men, the Great Lakes Avengers feature members with potent abilities. Mr. Immortal is unkillable; Big Bertha can rapidly increase her mass, giving her immense strength and durability; Flatman can stretch his body like Mr. Fantastic; and Doorman can teleport people and phase through objects. Despite their incredible powers, the Great Lakes Avengers are not taken seriously and often treated as a comedic team. They once tried to rebrand themselves as the Great Lakes X-Men (GLX). However, not wanting to be affiliated with the joke heroes, Jean Grey used her telepathy to force Mr. Immortal to change the team’s name yet again. Now, back to the Great Lakes Avengers, the team still fights to protect the Midwest.

5) Vanguard

While most mutants stand firmly with their own kind, there are a few whose loyalty is to their homeland. Nicolai Krylenko, aka Vanguard, is a proud member of the Russian government superhero team the Winter Guard. He’s also the brother of the mutant hero Darkstar. However, where Darkstar has been a member of the X-Men-affiliated team X-Corporation, Vanguard has never joined any of Marvel’s numerous X-Teams. Vanguard can repel any force directed at him, from Iron Man’s energy blasts to a high-speed train. Vanguard also has a vibranium shield that he uses for both defense and offense. Vanguard sees himself as a Russian first, and a mutant second, and therefore will never compromise his loyalty to his country by joining the X-Man.

4) Persuasion

The mutant daughter of the notorious supervillain, the Purple Man, Kara Killgrave, aka Persuasion, has similar mind-controlling powers as her father’s. She can secrete pheromones that allow her to bend people’s minds to her will. She can even command entire groups at once. Ashamed of her lineage and her mutant abilities, Kara has had a hard time forming long-term attachments with any particular team. She’s been a member of the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight and their offshoot Beta Flight, as well as a member of the reformed villain group the Thunderbolts. Still, she never stays in one place for long because she fears misusing her mind-control abilities.

3) Justice

Vance Astrovik, aka Justice, is a telekinetic mutant who has been part of several major teams, but never the X-Men. He started as Marvel Boy, a founding member of the teen superhero group the New Warriors, before changing his name to Justice and becoming an Avenger. Justice now serves as a teacher at Avengers Academy, training young heroes. His telekinesis gives him the powers of flight, enhanced strength, force fields, and psychokinetic blasts. He’s used these abilities to battle building-sized monsters, knock back the Guardians of the Galaxy, and help support a giant collapsing bridge. Justice’s loyalty to both the New Warriors and Avengers ensures that he’ll never abandon them to join the X-Men.

2) Namora

During the 90s, Marvel established that the Atlantean anti-hero Namor the Sub-Mariner has the X-Gene, which gave him winged feet. Although Namor has been an official member of the X-Men, his cousin Aquaria Neptuna, aka Namora, has never joined the team. She’s also a human-Atlantean hybrid whose X-Gene manifests as tiny, winged feet that let her fly at up to 60 mph. As an Atlantean hybrid, Namora can breathe underwater, has an extended lifespan, and can communicate with marine life. She’s also strong enough to lift a battleship, kill a Super Skrull, and overpower Carol Danvers. Namora is a longtime member of the superhero team of the Agents of Atlas and has had very few interactions with the X-Men.

1) Mr. M

While most mutants have chosen to take sides in the conflict between humans and mutants, Absolon Mercator, aka Mr. M, has refused to participate and instead acts as an enigmatic, reclusive figure. Mr. M is an incredibly powerful Omega-Level mutant with potent reality-warping capabilities. He can make a nuclear explosion in his hand, restore and remove other mutants’ abilities, and turn a person inside-out. Yet despite this incredible power, Mr. M wouldn’t hurt a fly and only uses his god-like powers to help people. Mr. M’s desire for autonomy and to be left alone has led him to refuse to join the X-Men and the people of Krakoa.

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