Thanks to the X-Gene, the X-Men boast some of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe, with abilities ranging from superhuman strength to the power to control all of reality. Unfortunately, much like real-life genetics, the powers a mutant is born with are almost entirely random. Consequently, while some mutants are lucky enough to be born with super cool powers like flight or telepathy, others end up with the short end of the stick, developing some of the grossest and most useless abilities in comic book history. Sometimes these mutations aren’t even real superpowers, but instead just physical abnormalities that set them apart from the rest of humanity – and not in a good way. Many of these mutants would much rather have no powers at all.
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The X-Men have a roster of hundreds of mutants, with some having more useful powers than others. These are the lamest superpowers members of the X-Men possess.
7) Kylun (Voice Mimicry)
Kylun is an interesting case among the X-Men because he relies primarily on his skills as a martial artist and swordsman, rather than his mutant ability. The reason for this is that Kylun’s mutant power –- his ability to perfectly mimic any sound he hears — is pretty limited and only useful in extremely specific circumstances. Sure, he can use it to crack voice-activated locks or trick guards into looking elsewhere or leaving their post — like a spy, but these are about the only times this power comes in handy.
6) Glob Herman (Wax Body)
Robert “Glob” Herman is one of Marvel’s most tragic mutants, cursed with a grotesque ability that he can’t turn off. His body is composed of a durable, wax-like substance, leaving his skeleton and internal organs exposed for all to see. While his wax body gives him some level of super strength and speed, it has one significant weakness – it is highly flammable, with even a single spark capable of engulfing him in flames. Sometimes, because pieces of him can melt off, Glob can hurl pieces of flaming wax from his body when he catches on fire, but, for the most part, his flammability is a major handicap that poses a constant threat to his body.
5) Wraith (Transparent Skin)
Invisibility can be a great superpower, but sadly, Hector Rendoza, aka Wraith, can only turn his skin invisible. This ability means that his muscles, organs, and bones remain fully visible, making him look like something out of a horror movie. When he joined the X-Men, Jean saw potential for Wraith to extend his ability and weaponize it to some extent. After extensive training, Wraith gained the power to spread his invisible skin effect to others, causing them to become severely disoriented. Still, it’s not the most useful ability, especially when facing mechanical threats like Sentinels. Wraith still has a long way to go before he can learn how to turn himself completely invisible and wield a true superpower.
4) Beak (Powers of a Flightless Bird)
When people think about having the powers of a bird, they probably imagine soaring through the sky like the X-Man, Angel. What they probably don’t imagine is being a deformed chicken man like Barnell Bohusk, aka Beak. This hideous mutant possesses several bird-like attributes, including having a beak, enhanced vision, hollow bones, talons, and a few feathers on his arms. He can glide, but only for a little bit. While his good vision and talons can be useful, he can’t measure up to the raw power or skill of his fellow X-Men. Beak’s best quality, though, is his charisma, which he uses to make friends with everybody. Still, Beak primarily serves as an example of the fact that some mutants are a lot more unlucky than others.
3) Longneck (Having a Long Neck)
Okay, his moniker sort of gives it away, but for those who are not paying close attention, William Hanover, aka Longneck, possess the power of having an extra-long neck. Aside from that, he has no powers to speak of and is mainly just a background student at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Despite not having any real powers, Longneck courageously joined Cyclops and other mutants against the villainous Xorn. Still, given his less than astounding powers or skills, it’s probably safe to say that his contributions were definitely not the deciding factor in defeating a villain who can harness the power of a star.
2) Ugly John (Having Multiple Faces)
There are plenty of mutants with unfortunate appearances that at least have some extraordinary power, but Steve, aka Ugly John, isn’t so lucky. Ugly John’s only real “power” is that he has three faces. Aside from that abnormality, Ugly John is just a regular guy. As one can imagine, he’s not exactly qualified to fight alongside the other X-Men. Ugly John was initially introduced as a mutant Cyclops saved from Sentinels. Unfortunately, later, Ugly John would be attacked again by Sentinels and sustain agonizing injuries. While Cyclops used his heat vision to put the mutant out of his misery, Ugly John was later resurrected during the Krakoan era, but he still lacks any real powers.
1) X-Ceptional (Self-Detonation)
Bailey Hoskins, aka X-Ceptional, is a mutant with a superpower so terrible that his limited series is titled The Worst X-Man Ever. X-Ceptional’s power is the mutant ability to explode. While that may sound like a good power, the catch is that he can only use it once, because the detonation will kill him too. While he tried his best to fight alongside his fellow X-Men, since he couldn’t use his one power, he was basically just a human fighting alongside superpowered mutants. X-Ceptional lasted only five issues before he finally used his power to blow himself up along with a villain named Riches. It literally can’t get worse than having a power that instantly kills you if you use it – and perhaps makes you the unluckiest as well as the worst X-Man ever!
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Courtesy of Toei Animation
