X-Menis a superhero franchise following the lives of mutants who use their powers for good. Based on the classic comics by Stan Lee, the first of which was published in 1963, the firstX-Menfilm came out in 2000, thus kick-starting acatalog of beloved filmsover the following two decades. While the last movie in the franchise was 2019’sX-Men: Dark Phoenix,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessintroduced a variant of Professor X— and, by extension, the mutants — into the MCU fold, which is something fans have been hoping for ever since news broke aboutDisney’s purchase of 21s Century Fox(the studio who owns the rights ofX-Mencharacters). WithDeadpool 3seemingly introducing even more, the future is bright for the X-Men in the MCU.
Update July 28, 2025: If you’re a fan of theX-Menfranchise, you’ll be happy to know that this article has been updated with even more characters by Jack Deegan.
Among many things, theX-Menfranchise is best known for its diverse range of characters and powers. From Jean Grey’s telekinesis to Magneto’s ability to manipulate metal, theX-men’s mutants are full of powerful characters. That said, not all powers are created equal, and some mutants are naturally far more powerful than others. With the mutants poised to make their return to the big screen in the MCU, it’s time for a closer look at the strongestX-Mencharacters in the franchise’s movie history.
13Cyclops / Scott Summers
As the leader of the X-Men, it only makes sense forCyclopsto be one of the most powerful out there. His mutant ability is that of shooting concussive optic blasts from his eyes, which act as portals to the punch dimension. These blasts may be powerful, but the drawback from them is that they’re constantly happening whenever his eyes are open. This is why he wears his iconic visor, as it lets him properly see and choose when to release these bursts of energy. One of the founding members of the team and a teacher at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, Cyclops' strength is only matched by his capability to lead.
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12Rogue / Marie D’Ancanto
Rogueis one of the hardest mutants to categorize, as her powers are constantly in flux. Rogue has the ability to steal someone’s powers and memories just by touching them. Depending on how long she’s touching them, the people she drains the life force from could either be unconscious, put into a coma, or even die with too much contact.
This could make her one of the strongest people in the entire Marvel universe if she’s able to get close enough to the right person. Her abilities often come with a drawback, though, as a piece of the person’s mind sticks with her, and she has no control over it. Regardless, it makes her one of the most intimidating people on the team, as she has limitless potential.
Negasonic Teenage Warhead, known for her badass name as expressed by Deadpool inDeadpool, has the ability to generate explosions from the force generated in her body, some strong enough to destroy a grounded helicarrier. On top of this, she also has a superhuman level of speed, strength, and reflexes and even the ability to warp reality.While she is a relatively new addition to theX-Menfranchise, she has power that is comparable to some veteran X-Men like Storm.
10X-23 / Laura Kinney
Making an appearance inLoganis Laura orX-23, a clone of Logan created by Sarah Kinney, who named the girl Laura as a part of The Transigen Project. Laura was trained to be a weapon, having only two adamantium claws in each hand rather than three like Logan. She also has one claw in each foot. Despite her young age, Laura’s power is comparable to that of Logan’s as she manages to fight numerous foes without assistance. Despite this, Laura is still a child and still wants what children want: fun clothes and cool sunglasses.While many would like to see Laura’s return, there has been no talk of a spin-off.
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9Mystique / Raven Darkholme
Raven, who goes byMystique, is one of the unique mutants in theX-Menuniverse. Not only is it visibly clear that she is a mutant, but inX-Men: First Classwe see how hard Raven works to maintain a “normal” appearance, despite it being exhausting for her to maintain. Mystique’s ability to shape-shift into anyone flawlessly makes her just as dangerous as Magneto, as she manages to trick her victims into doing things willingly rather than doing it by force. Portrayed by Rebecca Romjin and Jennifer Lawrence, Mystique is a staple character when one thinks of theX-Menfranchise.
8Iceman / Bobby Drake
A surprising addition to this list to some, but over the years, Bobby akaIceman, has managed to gain so much control over his abilities that he’s become one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel universe. With his control over ice, he’s capable of freezing anything around him and even turning his entire body into organic ice.
The reason his abilities are so powerful is that he isn’t just limited to ice, as he can manipulate water molecules and convert them through the states of matter. With a greater understanding and development of his abilities, Bobby would be able to cause changes to the Earth’s ecosystem if he wanted to. He went on to become an omega-level mutant in the comics, meaning that he’s in the highest tier class of mutant powers. Yet the films have not touched on this aspect so for that he ranks a bit lower.
7Magneto / Erik Lensherr
After facing the harsh cruelty of the Nazis in war-torn Germany and watching his mother killed in front of his eyes, Erik Lensherr learned how his power could be honed through strong emotions.Magnetohas the ability to manipulate all forms of magnetism, making him an especially dangerous adversary for Wolverine, as Magneto is able to control Wolverine’s entire adamantium-laced body.
His powers appear limitless as not only can he manipulate metal, but he can send out EMPs, force fields, and can even shut down electronic devices.While Magneto’s intentions were initially pure, it eventually warped into a hatred of humankind for their history of abuse of mutants. His rivalry with Professor X shows that he can go toe-to-toe with some of the strongest out there and has a uniquely crafted helmet that even makes him immune to telepathic abilities.
6Wolverine / Logan / James Howlett
The only hero on this list to be portrayed by a single actor, Hugh Jackman, Logan aka Wolverine, is a mutant born with excess bones in his hands that protrude out like claws, which were later altered with adamantium being grafted to his bones to turn him into a weapon. Logan was born in 1832, but his aging appears to be non-existent; he is over 180 years old, but he physically looks no older than his mid-thirties inLogan, due in large part to his regenerative abilities that both slow his body’s natural aging and heal any wound inflicted upon him. While Logan initially showed no interest in being a part of the X-Men, he eventually gave in, realizing that he could do more good with them.
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Wolverine makes his final stand inLogan; after so long, the adamantium has finally worn down his ability to heal. With a character as powerful as Logan is, the only true weakness he has is aging. After he completes his last mission, he is stabbed through the chest and succumbs to the poisoning, ultimately dying in the hands of his own daughter. That was until it was announced that Hugh Jackman would once again be donning his iconic claws inDeadpool 3alongside Ryan Reynold’s merc with a mouth. While it’s unknown if it’ll be the same version of the character, he’s finally wearing the bright yellow uniform fans have been begging for years and seems to be the character in his prime.
5Storm / Ororo Monroe
Storm, also known as Ororo Monroe and for her iconic white hair, is able to control the weather. Storm is a massively neglected character in the films as her powers are legendary, able to blow anyone away with the storms she brings. In the comics, Storm also had a relationship with Black Panther until the two joined the X-Men and the Avengers, respectively.
Storm meets an unfortunate end inX-Men:Days of Future Pastbeing stabbed by a sentinel and thrown off a cliff. Of course, with the success of their mission, that timeline is avoided entirely, and she is last seen alive and teaching at the Xavier Institute. While the films barely scratched the surface of Storm’s powers, the fact that she is the X-Men’s leader in various timelines matched with her powers makes her one of the most powerful mutants in the franchise.
4Quicksilver / Peter Maximoff
WhileQuicksilvermay not be the strongest character, fighting someone who moves like he does is hard. Not only does he have incredible speed going faster than sound itself, but he’s also got the durability to match to make sure his body doesn’t burn up while he’s doing it. Peter can move fast enough to push bullets aside like it’s nothing, defy gravity by running up walls, and outrun an explosion. As the son of one of the most powerful mutants ever, Magneto, he’s been gifted with abilities that rival some of the best. It takes a very high-level mutant to be able to stop him at that kind of speed, showing just how formidable he can be.
