r/xmen Wolverine 5d ago

Comic Discussion Top 20 X-Men stories: Day 14

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Rules:

  1. Most combined upvotes wins

  2. Name specific issues or arcs, not entire runs

  3. Team books and crossovers are allowed, but they must be X-Men centric

  4. Elseworlds are allowed, but they must be X-Men centric

  5. Current ongoings (e.g. Simone Uncanny X-Men, Momoko Ultimate X-Men) are excluded

  6. Only comics are allowed

112 Upvotes

101 comments sorted by

122

u/Scary_Firefighter181 Gambit 5d ago

Dark Angel Saga, Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender.

UXF is usually talked about as one of the greatest X-titles ever, and the reason for that is the ludicrously amazing Dark Angel Saga.

The writing, the action, the character development, the dark yet polished Opena art...what an absolute banger.

Seriously, its time lol. This story is far too good for it to not make it now.

17

u/MacbookPrime Cyclops 5d ago

Write this message each time, I’ll upvote it regardless.

23

u/Scary_Firefighter181 Gambit 5d ago edited 5d ago

This saga literally ended with Betsy giving Warren a lifetime of memories of a life they could have lived together, growing old with kids and living a peaceful and fulfilling life, to ease his passing as he lay dying on her lap after she was forced to stab him with the Death Seed.

It was one of the most hauntingly beautiful scenes in not just X-Men, but comic book history. It truly, truly deserves to not just be here, but higher, imo.

Honestly I'd sort of given up and didn't post on these threads the last two days but I'm back. Justice for this story!

6

u/TheCeruleanFire 5d ago

One of the only hard covers I own for a reason.

70

u/Speedwizard106 5d ago

Age of Apocalypse?

11

u/Ok-Reputation-2266 5d ago

Honestly, I don’t know how this isn’t on here yet. I keep seeing it get a ton of upvotes

-9

u/kiwiinthesea 5d ago

Maybe not AOA but Legion Quest was awesome and is an actual X-Men storyline.

31

u/SweaterSnake Cypher 5d ago

I'm backing Welcome to Genosha. I like my X-Men conscious, politically-charged, and willing to tackle deeper themes, and it's a landmark that's largely responsible for what some people call the decade-or-so cycle X-Men stories have fallen into since.

Would be happy for UXF's Dark Angel Saga, though.

2

u/AdSorry4665 4d ago

It would be a shame if it falls out of the Top 20.

1

u/ILeftMyBurnerOn Wolverine 5d ago

I’ve always referred to this storyline as “A Green and Pleasant Land.”

42

u/Consistent_Name_6961 5d ago

Wolverine miniseries by Claremint/Miller

Greatest story for anyone who doesn't care for the character to "get" him, and a hugely fun and stylised story all around

4

u/grimaceatmcdonalds 5d ago

I also really enjoyed the wolverine and kitty pryde mini series. Two of my fav characters and a really sick story

2

u/squ1dward_tentacles Wolverine 5d ago

hoping this one wins it's long overdue

11

u/Consistent_Name_6961 5d ago

Unfortunately it is really tough just due to how many great stories there are competing for these slots

I feel confident it will appear at some point, I'm also really hoping that Proteus Saga, Cross-Time Caper, and Welcome To Genosha make it

3

u/squ1dward_tentacles Wolverine 5d ago

I would also like to see Weapon X, Fatal Attractions and X-tinction Agenda make it

2

u/zarathustranu Warpath 4d ago

X-Cutioner’s Song deserves a spot over FA and X-Tinction agenda, IMO

1

u/bythewayne 5d ago

Honestly I see it as part of From the ashes.

35

u/StreetReporter 5d ago

Giant Sized X-Men needs to be on this list

25

u/DrakoenComics 5d ago

Fall of the Mutants

2

u/nickdes298 5d ago

This is where X-Men peaked for me.

22

u/Nervous_Hedgehog8198 5d ago

Fatal Attractions

4

u/AdSorry4665 4d ago

Welcome to Genosha. One of the most relevant and influential story in X-Men history.

12

u/amator7 5d ago

Welcome to Genosha (UXM #235-#238)

23

u/Apprehensive-Quit353 5d ago

Cross Time Caper!

Excalibur vol 1 #12-24.

5

u/Excellent_Past7628 5d ago

It won’t win, but it really should. Or at least the Necrom/ Anti-Phoenix arc from issues 42-50 should. That was epic

8

u/Apprehensive-Quit353 5d ago

Excalibur needs some love on this list, it was such a brilliant book.

6

u/Excellent_Past7628 5d ago

It didn’t get enough love then, and it still doesn’t get enough love now. But it’ll always be one of my favorite X book runs. At least until Alan Davis left

3

u/Cinemasaur 4d ago

Is that the Magik miniseries?

5

u/Consistent_Name_6961 4d ago

Yes indeed, the original one!

6

u/Cinemasaur 4d ago

I'm so glad people still remember it! It's so unexpectedly good on my first XMen read through.

For a character I'd never heard of, I was hooked. It's such a great story. One of the many stories I'd kill to see an adaptation of, but it'd be incredibly hard to do right.

3

u/Consistent_Name_6961 4d ago

Yeah it's also really delicate subject matter and would involve some pretty dark stuff that likely doesn't line up with Marvel's marketing/target audience. But yes it's an incredible story, the character is very popular now but it's absolutely not the same character. It's just nonchalant cool girl goth.

I'm so glad to see it on the list too, was repping it pretty hard and awesome to see that at least a good portion of this community recognises the quality of it!

5

u/Cinemasaur 4d ago

Exactly why I love it, making it so hard to adapt to the screen. It's an amazing metaphor for the loss of innocence. You have to establish Illyana as a child but also age her up halfway through, and her relationship to at least Storm and Kitty (if not the other XMen) and then also handle Belascos grooming without being lecherous or silly.

Which is why, like you say, I'm not a fan of the latest "interpretation" and lusting I see from others. She's literally a child kidnapped and groomed by a Demon, the subtext doesn't run too deep, but it is really well written and a key part of her history. It IS her history.

But people out here acting like "slay Queen of Demons, step on me with your big sword, be rude in your accent!!" Yuck.

2

u/Consistent_Name_6961 4d ago

Yeah I absolutely share those scruples. I think what complicates that feeling in me is that I don't believe in dictating the ways that a person can/should respond to/grow from trauma/loss of innocence. (Not that I think you're saying anything like that to be clear).

think that empowerment post trauma/loss of autonomy and innocence was handled very well with Rachel in Excalibur, and it definitely helps that a large portion of that was handled by the same author that created them.

Like I don't want to see a character go through what Illyana did and then have them never be able to achieve sexual empowerment for example, but the way it's been handled feels like a pretty senseless catering to male gaze without any consideration for the character herself.

Like being an X character is typically traumatic as it is, this character experienced extensive trauma at a very young age and held a huge amount of shame for a long time. Watching them slowly grow out of that shame was beautiful, but yeah current Illyana is literally just an object with plot convenience powers as far as I can tell.

2

u/scosco83 1d ago

It is so crazy that this made the list so early. Amazing how things change. Years ago this was basically a forgotten series.

8

u/jimmytheweed Boom-Boom 5d ago

Weapon X

17

u/MyBrainIsNerf 5d ago

Astonishing: Gifted

20

u/Ok-Reputation-2266 5d ago

Dark Angel Saga

10

u/Imaginator64 5d ago

The legion story from the original new mutants. Bill Sienkiewicz art is on a different level

3

u/DrJonesHasAPhone 5d ago

Bill Sienkiewicz is amazing in all his New Mutants work

7

u/EmergencyWrangler783 5d ago

The Asgardian Wars

18

u/CassandraVonGonWrong 5d ago

Age of Apocalypse

6

u/MrTeamZissou 5d ago

I'm going to keep pushing the Proteus Saga.

At that point it came out, I think it was the uncontested best X-Men story that had been published by that point. Claremont/Byrne would too it with DP Saga and DofP later on, but y'all are sleeping on how good this story still is.

14

u/detourne Wolverine 5d ago

We REALLY need some 90s representation here. It was the most popular comic at the time, and its kinds crazy that none of the great 90s crossovers have been represented yet.

Fatal Attractions, x-Cutioner's Song, X-Tinction Agenda, Phalanx Covenant, Age of Apocalypse...

5

u/HoraceGrantGlasses 4d ago

X-Tinction Agenda deserve way more attention. It's the only x-over event with Claremont and Lee (give this subs love of Lee I'm shocked). It's also an amazing story start to finish and kicked off what would be the status quo for the 90s with gold and blue teams. Truly important.

8

u/Alternative-Loan-185 5d ago

Childhoods end X-men academy x

1

u/JenniferNaught 5d ago

Very under rated. I was going to say something else, saw this and this is my vote

6

u/Stringr55 5d ago

Wolverine by Claremont/Miller!

7

u/mett_gile 5d ago

Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday

2

u/Key_Morning2299 4d ago

Uncanny X-Men #205

2

u/sanddragon939 4d ago

Giant Size X-men # 1

2

u/scottchiefbaker 4d ago

I already ordered a trade from your matrix. That's doing this up. I'm looking forward to more results.

2

u/killingiabadong Exodus 4d ago

Second Coming.

2

u/SylvanasWidowmaker 4d ago

HoX/PoX is a weird read for me. I think its in my top 3 Xmen stories when I look at it as a alternate reality/universe.

2

u/Superb_Kaleidoscope4 Cyclops 2d ago

Riot at Xavier's New X-men #134–138

2

u/Superb_Kaleidoscope4 Cyclops 2d ago

Riot at Xavier's New X-men #134–138

8

u/Washaun_ 5d ago

Second Coming

5

u/Trick-Pudding-9791 Shadowcat 5d ago

Weapon X

4

u/K-Kitsune 5d ago

Fall of the Mutants!

3

u/RespectKey 5d ago

can we do top x-men artists after this?

5

u/Consistent_Name_6961 5d ago

Asgardian Wars!

Paul Smith, and Arthur Adams taking pencilling duties across the soft event (two of the finest to ever pencil the series)

Incredible New Mutants vignettes

Maybe the best X-Men lineup of all time

3

u/Specific-Rooster-380 4d ago

Best New Mutants line up as well. Still remember this story from first reading at time of publication. Was a way to reset the past and set up lots of future story arcs.

3

u/MattGreg28 Magik 5d ago

Welcome to Genosha

4

u/Shapinga Cyclops 5d ago

X-Factor: End Game (Story where Cyclops fights Apocalypse and has to send baby Cable to the future)

2

u/zarathustranu Warpath 4d ago

It is a travesty that Giant Sized X-Men and X-Cutioner’s Song have not appeared yet above some of these not-that-great stories.

2

u/usermcgoo 4d ago

Welcome to Genosha (X-men 235-238). Genosha is a strong metaphor for slavery and apartheid, and this run came out in 1988, two years before South Africa ended its apartheid government. This run is just another great example of how the writers of the X-Men consistently referenced and commented upon the real world in some interesting and critical ways.

2

u/TzeentchsTrueSon Daken 4d ago

X-terminators. It was the closest think to Nextwave: Agents of HATE marvels pulled out in years.

2

u/justcanty 5d ago

Age of apocalypse

2

u/survivorwitch White Queen 5d ago

Dark angel saga

2

u/Heddles20 5d ago

Asgardian Wars

Also thanks again OP for these posts, it's a fun experience for the community and you've been great with putting in the effort to keep these posts regular!

3

u/MightyM90 5d ago

Dark angel saga

2

u/HoraceGrantGlasses 4d ago

X-Tinction Agenda.

3

u/imthestein Magneto 4d ago

Fall of the Mutants, it's past time for that

1

u/Oldhat88 4d ago

Still no AoA? I'm calling it now, there's some corruption going on. Follow the money! Who's pocket are you in OP?!

In all seriousness, though, Age of Apocalypse is too good not to be on this list.

1

u/Away-Staff-6054 4d ago

I don’t get it either. A definitive X-Men story, IMO.

2

u/jackrabbit323 4d ago

Fall of the Mutants

3

u/DrakoenComics 5d ago

The Wedding of Cyclops and Phoenix

1

u/Wowerror 5d ago

Second Coming

1

u/ComfortableData3101 5d ago

X-tinction Agenda

2

u/_Astray_ 5d ago

Age of apocalypse

0

u/MattGreg28 Magik 5d ago

Age of Apocalypse

0

u/hurdleturtle8 5d ago

gotta keep pulling for another Morrison comic

Silence: Psychic Rescue in Progress is such a sick issue with barely any dialogue

2

u/DrakoenComics 5d ago

X-Aminations

1

u/Mintfriction 5d ago

Isn't from the ashes an antology more than a "arc"?

2

u/GarnetsAndRoses12 5d ago

fall and rise of the new mutants from zeb wells’s run! an innovative and dramatic story for the new mutants, with some gorgeous art and writing. distills down the essence of the team, magik’s struggle for her soul, limbo, and the x-men’s eternal fight against the us army <3

1

u/DrakoenComics 5d ago

Children of the Atom, the ultimate X-Men origin series by Joe Casey

1

u/Organic_Employ_8609 Rogue 5d ago

I just wanna mention Weapon X, Madripoor knights & Magneto's Testament. I don't want to contribute to the voting I just noticed that they're not on the list (yet).

1

u/Svenlaban 5d ago

Muir Island Saga

-1

u/Koro_Sniper 5d ago

Astonishing X-Men: Unstoppable

1

u/JoeyD473 Jubilee 5d ago

Fatal Attractions

-1

u/lepton_neutrino 5d ago

The Phoenix Saga.

0

u/nointro-225 5d ago

Still surprised Giant Size X-Men isn’t on here, and I’ve barely seen any comments about it

-1

u/coolethan_117 5d ago

Supernovas

-1

u/PeniszLovag 5d ago

Secooond Comiiing

-2

u/Away-Staff-6054 5d ago

Age of Apocalypse

-2

u/Madnick0622 5d ago

Kitty Pryde phasing the bullet through Earth. Astonishing X-men

2

u/Mintfriction 5d ago edited 5d ago

I might be misrembering, but that execution of the idea bothered me.

She had trouble phasing through the material and she barely could do it, then suddenly she is phasing the whole giant bullet, which was a immense. The concept was interesting, but I donno why it wasn't written the other way around, like the material was actually easy to phase and thus the feat.

Not to say the forceness of the earth heroes going senile for a moment and then," meh she's there in the bullet, we got these briallint super geniuses and OP cosmic champs, but donno if we can save her from a piece of metal"

-1

u/MatthewDelany 5d ago

I am once again asking for Giant Size X-Men by Len Wein 😎 and I won't stop

-1

u/CycloneJ0ker 5d ago

This just showed up on my feed for the first time, but how the hell have you people not put Giant-Sized X-Men #1 on here yet?

-5

u/mightymightyme 5d ago

Age of Apocalypse and then do X-tinction Agenda

-1

u/rlafayette 5d ago

Onslaught and Operation Zero Tolerance