The X-Men and the Avengers are the two most prominent superhero teams in Marvel Comics, each consisting of some of the universe’s most powerful beings. And while the X-Men and Avengers have frequently united to defeat the forces of evil, there have been just as many times when the two teams came to blows with each other. The X-Men’s priority of protecting mutants often clashes with the Avengers’ broader goal of saving the Earth without regard to mutant affairs. This conflict has led to countless instances of an X-Man and an Avenger duking it out one-on-one. While the members of the Avengers are mighty, they can oftentimes find themselves outsmarted or overpowered by the X-Men’s strongest members.
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Hero vs hero fights are all too familiar in Marvel Comics. Still, the rivalry between the X-Men and the Avengers stands as one of the longest-lasting in superhero history. One of the most infamous battles between the two teams was the 2012 crossover event Avengers vs. X-Men. These are the instances where an X-Man managed to humiliate an Avenger in combat.
7) Angel Makes Iron Man Nearly Fall to His Death
In one of Iron Man’s most embarrassing defeats, Tales of Suspense #49 depicts Angel nearly kill the Armored Avenger. When Angel was exposed to the radiation of an atomic blast, he turned evil and went on a rampage. When Iron Man tried to chase Angel into the sky, his rocket boots ran out of gas, plummeting him to the ground. Having learned nothing from their first encounter, Iron Man flew after Angel during their rematch — and his rockets immediately failed him yet again. Since they were at a higher altitude this time, the impact of hitting the ground would have killed Iron Man. Luckily, Angel managed to snap out of his evil state, swooping down and saving the Avenger at the last second.
6) Magik Stabs Black Widow in the Back
In a surprisingly close fight, Black Widow battles the master sorceress and Queen of Limbo Magik on the Moon in AVX: VS #3. Black Widow manages to use her superior fighting skills to temporarily throw Magik off balance, preventing her from casting spells. Even when Magik drags them into Limbo and unleashes a horde of demons on her, Black Widow manages to fight the creatures off long enough to hold the mutant at gunpoint, forcing her to bring them back to the Moon. However, after getting back to the mortal realm, Black Widow foolishly turns her back on Magik, allowing the X-Man to manifest her Soulsword. Magik stabs Black Widow in the back with the Soulsword, leaving the Avenger alive but unconscious.
5) Cable Beats Captain America to Save the Future
The X-Man Cable is well-known for his drive to do whatever it takes to save the future. In Avengers: X-Sanctioned #1, Cable travels to the present to prevent an apocalyptic future. Cable believes that this future will come to fruition if the Avengers kill the mutant Hope Summers. To make sure that this future never comes to pass, Cable plots to kill the Avengers first. After kidnapping Falcon, Cable lures Captain America into an abandoned warehouse. There, Cable and Captain America engage in an evenly matched brawl. It’s only when Captain America tries to retrieve his shield, which had gotten lodged in a wall, that Cable manages to overpower the distracted Avenger. With Captain America dealt with, Cable began his crusade to destroy the other Avengers.
4) Colossus Pummels Spider-Man
With his incredible strength and metal skin, Colossus would already be a formidable adversary for Spider-Man. However, during the Avengers vs X-Men event, Colossus is further empowered by the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak, which gives the user the strength of the Juggernaut. Still, Spider-Man did his best to evade the powerful strikes of Colossus in AVX: VS #2. However, Colossus abruptly ends Spider-Man’s efforts, delivering an earth-shattering thunderclap that knocks the Wall-Crawler to the ground. After throwing Spider-Man around like a rag doll and chucking robots at him, Colossus warns the battered hero to surrender before he ends up dead. Although Spider-Man initially refuses to back down, he quickly takes the chance to run away when Daredevil told him to retreat.
3) Emma Frost Overpowers Thor
Although under normal circumstances Emma Frost would stand no chance against Thor, Avengers vs. X-Men sees her gain a fraction of the all-powerful Phoenix Force. In AVX: VS #4, the Phoenix-empowered Emma engages in an epic clash with the God of Thunder. However, when Emma takes on her diamond form to increase her strength further, Thor shatters her like glass, launching the shards into space. Unfortunately for Thor, the Phoenix Force allowed Emma to survive this attack, and the shards begin plummeting back down towards Earth, where they start tearing through Thor like bullets. Once her body reformed, Emma pummeled the Avenger into unconsciousness.
2) Wolverine Lobotomizes the Hulk
Ever since Wolverine’s first appearance, he and the Hulk have engaged in numerous savage clashes. Savage Wolverine #5 offers one of Wolverine’s most brutal victories against the Hulk in the main universe. When on a mission in the prehistoric Savage Land investigating a potential alien threat, Wolverine runs into the Hulk. For no reason at all, the two immediately get ready to fight. However, a giant gorilla attacked the Hulk. With the Hulk distracted, Wolverine took the opportunity to jump onto the Jolly Green Giant’s back and stab him in the brain with his claws. After his gruesome defeat, the Hulk soon regenerates and, holding no ill will towards Wolverine, helps the X-Man fight a recently unearthed evil alien.
1) Rogue Absorbs Ms. Marvel’s Life Force
In easily the most impactful battle between an X-Man and an Avenger, Rogue drained Carol Danvers, aka Ms. Marvel, of almost her entire life force in Marvel Superheroes #11. Although Rogue wasn’t a member of the X-Men at the time of the fight, she would soon become one of their most prominent and enduring members. When Rogue was still a mutant terrorist working for Mystique, she decided to prove her worth to the villain by ambushing Ms. Marvel. By grabbing onto Ms. Marvel with her bare skin, Rogue absorbed the Avenger’s powers and memories, nearly killing her. Although Ms. Marvel would eventually recover what she had lost, her abilities, including super strength and flight, became permanent additions to Rogue’s power set, making her one of the strongest X-Men.
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