I love writing these articles and reading them. A personal Top X list I always find to be an interesting look at someone’s psyche. By looking at what someone likes and dislikes in a character, movie, or whatever you get a better sense of that person and when you personally write one of these lists it allows you to examine yourself. To dig up weird quirks you didn’t know you had and maybe even some things you don’t particularly like about yourself. Whatever you find I always think it’s good to have an idea of yourself and this is why I am writing this particular list. Not all of these entries have been official X-Men but they are all a part of the X-Universe so close enough. Because this is my Top 15 of all time (for a while at least) I have spent months (maybe a year at this point) writing this and moving people around all in the vain hope of making it perfect. So if you’ve made it through my babbling here are my top 15 X-Men: Part 1.
Runners-Up
Jean Grey
I really quite like Jean and can’t really think of anything to hold against her. It’s just that she doesn’t spark my interest as others do. For whatever reason there’s just no “hook” no matter how much I read her and am interested in her.
Wanda Maximoff
Even before I really started reading the comics Wanda always interested me. She has an interesting story and I just love her whole look. Then AvX happened and just made me hate her. How hypocritical of her to assume she can teach someone else how to control their powers and not go crazy!
Madelyne Pryor
This poor chick has had to put up with a lot of shit. She really deserved a better husband and a better life in general and she would have made it on this list if not for the attempted baby killing. Seriously when you’re willing to go that far to fuck with your ex you really need to reassess your priorities.
Aliya Dayspring
I have a special connection to this character. We share a few physical traits (green eyes and brown hair which is kind of rare in Marvel with all the redheads), our names are very similar (Aliya is but a letter away from Alycia), and there’s the fun coincidence that the issue where she came to the past was published in September of 95 which is the same month I was born. But sadly there’s just not enough about her to make a full character otherwise she’d definitely a spot.
Tyler Dayspring
Tyler suffers from the same problem as his mother. I really want to love this character but there’s just not enough known about him before he was insane so we don’t really know what he’s like. And it’s sad because he could be so interesting! The possible son of Stryfe who was raised by Cable then later kidnapped and tortured by his “real” father only to later be shot by his “adopted” father. That’s so fucked up! Such an interesting skeleton but sadly there seems to be little meat.
15. Hope Summers
Originally I wasn’t going to put Hope on this list but I wanted a nice round number so here she is. It’s not that I dislike Hope. I really did love her when she was little. She was adorable and it was really nice to see Nate in a new situation. But as she grew older I started liking her less. I chalk this up mostly to my general distaste for teenagers in fiction but as I wrote this I realized there’s another reason I started liking her less. As she got closer to my age I started feeling jealous of her and the relationship she has with Cable. I love my dad don’t get me wrong but I’ve got a weird, creepy fascination with single fathers with daughters and it is only made worse when we’re talking about one of my favorite characters in all fiction. Admitting all this makes me feel awkward and disturbing but I promised myself I would be completely honest and that is truly one of the many reasons teenage Hope gets on my nerves. This also makes me realize that I need to stop judging Hope based on her dad and start judging her based more on her own character which is honestly kind of boring. But I’m not going to start now so even though I only find her to be an okay character she still gets a spot on this list.
14. Garrison Kane aka Weapon X
This guy went wrong so young it’s sad. Kane started as a mercenary when he was still a teenager and then lost all his limbs before he even reached his twentieth birthday. That’s a hard life. This loss of limbs made him turn to the Weapon X program to “fix” him and his use of robotic appendages spiraled out of control until he was more machine than man. So Kane has always been morally gray at best. Even when helping to save the world he was usually doing it for selfish reasons such as money or revenge. And yet he’s incredibly loyal to his friends. He held a grunge against Nate for a long time not just because he left Kane to lose his limbs but also because he crippled Hammer who was Kane’s closest friend on the team. Later when he became close to Nate he did all he could to help him even though they butted heads often. And in the end even when he hadn’t seen Nate and Neena for years he still gave his life to ensure their safety. Now having that kind of love for your friends is something I can admire.
13. Major Christopher Summers aka Corsair
This is an almost shallow choice for me. I do love the character but it’s really his status as space pirate that got him to this point on the list. I love how he contrasts with his straight laced son Scott and I wonder what Scott would have been like had Chris been around to raise him. Corsair is kind of cocky and brash and it works for him because he’s a pirate mother fuckers! Even though he is a pirate Corsair always has seemed to fight for what he believes is right. On Earth that meant joining the army as a pilot and in space that meant stealing a ship and becoming a rebel against the Shi’ar Empire. Even when it means fighting against his own son Corsair will stand up for what is right. Sadly this resulted in his death by the hands of said son. I’m not sure when and if he’ll ever come back but I do hope that he will and I hope that him and all the other Summers can get together for a much needed family reunion.
12. Guido Carosella aka Strong Guy
This is one of the many characters that Peter David got me to love and I can point to the exact issue that made him seem like more than just the funny guy to me. It’s the famous psychological study X-Factor 87. In that issue it was revealed that Guido is in constant pain because of his mutation and he covers this up with humor. Another reason he covers it up is because he cannot stand to be pitied by his friends. This is kind of common in fiction but it really made me look at him differently. He wasn’t just the goofy one. He had his own issues to deal with and now he has even more since the loss of his soul. Well I hope Layla does find a way to return it to him because I’ve got a feeling I’ll be following him for a long time. (Edit: Apparently Guido is now the King of Hell.)
11. James Bradley aka Doctor Nemesis
This is the most recent addition to my list. Now I want to make it clear that it is not because he is part of Cable’s new X-Force. At the time of writing I have not had a chance to read the new series and I’m actually very afraid of it. No when I saw his short appearances in Second Coming and Generation Hope I knew I was going to like this guy. He’s kind of the stereotypical arrogant, genius curmudgeon who tries to hide his human nature but this guy pulls it off better than most. I think at least part of this is due to that damn starfish that let us see the difference in what James said and what he was actually thinking. It really helped the reader see that his usual collected appearance is a lot of show and that his thoughts are very similar to the average person’s. He thinks about shallow things like who has the coolest costume and makes Looney Tunes references. Also it doesn’t hurt that he’s probably one of the few superheroes who would understand my silent movie references. It’s great and I hope to see him kill a lot more Nazis with the power of science in the future. (Edit: Since editing this article I have read Cable and X-Force and have loved James in that also.)
10. Rachel Grey/Summers aka Phoenix
This spot I debated over for a while. I knew it would go to one of three people Rachel Grey, Jean Grey, or Wanda Maximoff. But after talking it over I decided that Rachel deserved it most. Rachel has had a tough time. Her happy childhood was ruined when her parents died and she was forced to hunt down other mutants. Even when she came to a past that should objectively be better she still couldn’t fully enjoy it because she was now in a world where she did not exist and was not accepted by her parents. And even when they did accept her they did things that were so out of character for the people who raised her that she changed her name. Despite this total mind fuck she is really one of the most mentally stable X-Women. She has even hosted the Phoenix for years without it getting the best of her and she has used it exclusively for good. Yes I have complained that she has never seemed to move on from her past but really that can be said of many X-Men. Despite that her stability is amazing. Maybe venting often does the trick I don’t know my childhood wasn’t that sad. Whatever it is I whole heatedly applaud her for it.
Well that’s all for right now. I’m still working on my top entries and rearranging them a bit but hopefully I’ll have it posted by next week. This whole process is kind of exhausting but hold me to this deadline fellow contributors! Also leave plenty of comments telling me whether you agree or disagree or what not I’d love to hear your thoughts and please make your own Top whatever list! I’d love to read it.
Runners-Up
Jean Grey
I really quite like Jean and can’t really think of anything to hold against her. It’s just that she doesn’t spark my interest as others do. For whatever reason there’s just no “hook” no matter how much I read her and am interested in her.
Wanda Maximoff
Even before I really started reading the comics Wanda always interested me. She has an interesting story and I just love her whole look. Then AvX happened and just made me hate her. How hypocritical of her to assume she can teach someone else how to control their powers and not go crazy!
Madelyne Pryor
This poor chick has had to put up with a lot of shit. She really deserved a better husband and a better life in general and she would have made it on this list if not for the attempted baby killing. Seriously when you’re willing to go that far to fuck with your ex you really need to reassess your priorities.
Aliya Dayspring
I have a special connection to this character. We share a few physical traits (green eyes and brown hair which is kind of rare in Marvel with all the redheads), our names are very similar (Aliya is but a letter away from Alycia), and there’s the fun coincidence that the issue where she came to the past was published in September of 95 which is the same month I was born. But sadly there’s just not enough about her to make a full character otherwise she’d definitely a spot.
Tyler Dayspring
Tyler suffers from the same problem as his mother. I really want to love this character but there’s just not enough known about him before he was insane so we don’t really know what he’s like. And it’s sad because he could be so interesting! The possible son of Stryfe who was raised by Cable then later kidnapped and tortured by his “real” father only to later be shot by his “adopted” father. That’s so fucked up! Such an interesting skeleton but sadly there seems to be little meat.
15. Hope Summers
Originally I wasn’t going to put Hope on this list but I wanted a nice round number so here she is. It’s not that I dislike Hope. I really did love her when she was little. She was adorable and it was really nice to see Nate in a new situation. But as she grew older I started liking her less. I chalk this up mostly to my general distaste for teenagers in fiction but as I wrote this I realized there’s another reason I started liking her less. As she got closer to my age I started feeling jealous of her and the relationship she has with Cable. I love my dad don’t get me wrong but I’ve got a weird, creepy fascination with single fathers with daughters and it is only made worse when we’re talking about one of my favorite characters in all fiction. Admitting all this makes me feel awkward and disturbing but I promised myself I would be completely honest and that is truly one of the many reasons teenage Hope gets on my nerves. This also makes me realize that I need to stop judging Hope based on her dad and start judging her based more on her own character which is honestly kind of boring. But I’m not going to start now so even though I only find her to be an okay character she still gets a spot on this list.
14. Garrison Kane aka Weapon X
This guy went wrong so young it’s sad. Kane started as a mercenary when he was still a teenager and then lost all his limbs before he even reached his twentieth birthday. That’s a hard life. This loss of limbs made him turn to the Weapon X program to “fix” him and his use of robotic appendages spiraled out of control until he was more machine than man. So Kane has always been morally gray at best. Even when helping to save the world he was usually doing it for selfish reasons such as money or revenge. And yet he’s incredibly loyal to his friends. He held a grunge against Nate for a long time not just because he left Kane to lose his limbs but also because he crippled Hammer who was Kane’s closest friend on the team. Later when he became close to Nate he did all he could to help him even though they butted heads often. And in the end even when he hadn’t seen Nate and Neena for years he still gave his life to ensure their safety. Now having that kind of love for your friends is something I can admire.
13. Major Christopher Summers aka Corsair
This is an almost shallow choice for me. I do love the character but it’s really his status as space pirate that got him to this point on the list. I love how he contrasts with his straight laced son Scott and I wonder what Scott would have been like had Chris been around to raise him. Corsair is kind of cocky and brash and it works for him because he’s a pirate mother fuckers! Even though he is a pirate Corsair always has seemed to fight for what he believes is right. On Earth that meant joining the army as a pilot and in space that meant stealing a ship and becoming a rebel against the Shi’ar Empire. Even when it means fighting against his own son Corsair will stand up for what is right. Sadly this resulted in his death by the hands of said son. I’m not sure when and if he’ll ever come back but I do hope that he will and I hope that him and all the other Summers can get together for a much needed family reunion.
12. Guido Carosella aka Strong Guy
This is one of the many characters that Peter David got me to love and I can point to the exact issue that made him seem like more than just the funny guy to me. It’s the famous psychological study X-Factor 87. In that issue it was revealed that Guido is in constant pain because of his mutation and he covers this up with humor. Another reason he covers it up is because he cannot stand to be pitied by his friends. This is kind of common in fiction but it really made me look at him differently. He wasn’t just the goofy one. He had his own issues to deal with and now he has even more since the loss of his soul. Well I hope Layla does find a way to return it to him because I’ve got a feeling I’ll be following him for a long time. (Edit: Apparently Guido is now the King of Hell.)
11. James Bradley aka Doctor Nemesis
This is the most recent addition to my list. Now I want to make it clear that it is not because he is part of Cable’s new X-Force. At the time of writing I have not had a chance to read the new series and I’m actually very afraid of it. No when I saw his short appearances in Second Coming and Generation Hope I knew I was going to like this guy. He’s kind of the stereotypical arrogant, genius curmudgeon who tries to hide his human nature but this guy pulls it off better than most. I think at least part of this is due to that damn starfish that let us see the difference in what James said and what he was actually thinking. It really helped the reader see that his usual collected appearance is a lot of show and that his thoughts are very similar to the average person’s. He thinks about shallow things like who has the coolest costume and makes Looney Tunes references. Also it doesn’t hurt that he’s probably one of the few superheroes who would understand my silent movie references. It’s great and I hope to see him kill a lot more Nazis with the power of science in the future. (Edit: Since editing this article I have read Cable and X-Force and have loved James in that also.)
10. Rachel Grey/Summers aka Phoenix
This spot I debated over for a while. I knew it would go to one of three people Rachel Grey, Jean Grey, or Wanda Maximoff. But after talking it over I decided that Rachel deserved it most. Rachel has had a tough time. Her happy childhood was ruined when her parents died and she was forced to hunt down other mutants. Even when she came to a past that should objectively be better she still couldn’t fully enjoy it because she was now in a world where she did not exist and was not accepted by her parents. And even when they did accept her they did things that were so out of character for the people who raised her that she changed her name. Despite this total mind fuck she is really one of the most mentally stable X-Women. She has even hosted the Phoenix for years without it getting the best of her and she has used it exclusively for good. Yes I have complained that she has never seemed to move on from her past but really that can be said of many X-Men. Despite that her stability is amazing. Maybe venting often does the trick I don’t know my childhood wasn’t that sad. Whatever it is I whole heatedly applaud her for it.
Well that’s all for right now. I’m still working on my top entries and rearranging them a bit but hopefully I’ll have it posted by next week. This whole process is kind of exhausting but hold me to this deadline fellow contributors! Also leave plenty of comments telling me whether you agree or disagree or what not I’d love to hear your thoughts and please make your own Top whatever list! I’d love to read it.