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The X-Men have always existed as proof that mutants can live in peace with humanity and serve as heroes just like any other superhero in the world. However, in many cases, Magneto was always right because humans have always held contempt toward mutants thanks to their inherent bigotry. This is one reason why many mutants have lost control on occasion, as they have done some very bad things over their time in Marvel Comics. This includes some terrible things to humans, mutants, and often to their own allies, showing that the X-Men can be as evil as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
From Wolverine and Cyclops to even their leader, Professor Charles Xavier, here is a look at the 10 worst things X-Men members have done in Marvel Comics.
10) Wolverine’s Red Right Hand Massacre
Wolverine has always been a killing machine, and he has no problem taking lives when the need arises. He has threatened to kill both Rachel Summers and the Scarlet Witch in the past. He even killed a teenage boy when he realized that the young mutant had no control over his powers. However, the worst thing that Wolverine did was when he was manipulated by the Red Right Hand. This group was out to ruin him, and they sent the Mongrels after Wolverine. With no mercy, Wolverine slaughtered all the Mongrels in his rage before he learned they were all his children from different women throughout the years. The reason the Red Right Hand did this was that Wolverine had killed their loved ones over the years, so this was done to show Wolverine how it felt.
9) Magik Destroyed Many of Legion’s Alternate Personalities
In New Mutants Vol. 3 #3 (2009) by Zeb Wells and Diogenes Neves, the reformed New Mutants found Legion, Professor X’s son, whose dissociative identity disorder splits his powers among different personalities. The team needed to get him under control, so Karma and Magik went into Legion’s mind, and then Illyana used her Soulsword to kill several of Legion’s alternate personas to subdue him. This effectively destroyed several living fragments of a mentally ill man. This was an X-Men-sanctioned mission, so her role was as a hero, but it was ruthless, with her killing Legion’s personalities rather than trying to help save him.
Namor Destroyed Wakanda in Avengers vs. X-Men
The Phoenix Five had the excuse that they were influenced by the Phoenix, and they all tried to help save the world, only for the Avengers to try to stop them from doing so. However, it didn’t take long for them to start doing evil things when the Avengers kept interfering in their altruistic mission. It all ended when Cyclops killed Professor X, but the worst moment happened before that. Namor used the Phoenix avatar to charge in and attack Wakanda with a tidal wave, almost destroying the entire kingdom and killing countless innocent people. This led to Black Panther annulling his marriage to Storm and made Namor an enemy of Wakanda for life.
7) Rogue Stole Captain Marvel’s Powers & Memories
Before she joined the X-Men, Rogue was raised by Mystique and Destiny and was part of Mystique’s version of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. In Avengers Annual #10 (1981) by Chris Claremont and Michael Golden, Rogue and her teammates attacked the Avengers, and when Rogue fought Ms. Marvel, she did the unthinkable. She touched Carol Danvers and held on for too long, permanently absorbing Carol’s superhuman powers (flight, strength, near-invulnerability) and all her memories and personality. This ruined Carol for years and traumatized Rogue, which caused her to go to the X-Men for help, eventually leading to her hero turn.
6) Gambit Led the Marauders to the Mutant Massacre
The worst thing Gambit ever did led to a tragedy that he had no idea was coming. Mister Sinister promised that he would help Gambit control his powers better, but he needed Gambit to do a favor for him first. He hired Gambit to assemble a team of killers and help lead them into the Morlock tunnels under New York City. Gambit formed the Marauders and led them down there, but then, when the Marauders slaughtered hundreds of Morlocks, Gambit was in horror, and it ended up as a buried memory. Later, Gambit joined the X-Men, but this part of his past remained hidden until Psylocke eventually uncovered his role in the Morlock Massacre. When the X-Men found out, they banished him, and it ruined his relationship with Rogue for years.
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5) Emma Frost Mind-Controlled the UN to Ensure Krakoa’s Acceptance
Emma Frost started her life as a villain and a member of the Hellfire Club. Here, she was part of the group that broke Jean Grey’s mind and caused the Dark Phoenix to commit genocide by destroying a star. She was also part of the X-Men when she faked Cyclops’ death to further a war with the Inhumans. However, the worst thing she did was when the X-Men’s Krakoa began. The mutants wanted to live in peace on their own island, and she used her powers to mind-control members of the United Nations so they would vote to allow them to become a member of the U.N. Humans have always feared that mutants would one day do things to control them, and what she did here was proof that those fears were always real.
4) Jean Grey (as Dark Phoenix) Committed Genocide
The worst thing that Jean Grey ever did was to commit genocide. Now, there is the caveat that she wasn’t the one who actually did this, because Jean’s body was actually in a ship in suspended animation, but the storyline made it look like Jean Grey was the Phoenix, so this was still something the character did, with the later story as a retcon. The Hellfire Club broke her mind, and Phoenix flew into space and drained the energy of a star in the D’Bari system to feed herself, causing the sun to go supernova. This destroyed the inhabited planet D’Bari IV, exterminating its population, billions of the alien D’Bari, in an act of outright genocide. The Shi’ar demanded Jean’s life, and she took her own life to stop the Phoenix.
3) Cyclops Turned Teenage Mutants Into a Militia in “Schism”
“Schism” was one of the best X-Men stories of the 21st century, and it tore the entire team apart. Cyclops was always the good guy and Wolverine the uncontrollable weapon for years, but by this time, Cyclops was starting to become disenfranchised by Professor X’s original dream. When humans kept targeting mutants, Cyclops finally decided to become more proactive and militarize the X-Men. “Schism” had a breaking point where Cyclops ordered a young teenage mutant to start killing the Hellfire Club soldiers. Cyclops was no longer a genuine hero and was more of a military leader, sending children out to kill their enemies. Wolverine left and opened the Jean Grey School while Cyclops remained behind with his mutant soldiers.
2) Beast Lobotomized a Man to Forcefully Take Over Terra Verde
On Krakoa, Beast finally gave in to his worst impulses. For years, Beast was always drifting close to becoming a villain, using science for immoral reasons, whether it was bringing the time-displaced X-Men to the future and stranding them here or trying to come up with a “Mutant Cure,” to disastrous results. In Krakoa, he was put in charge of X-Force and then sent them out to kill anyone he deemed a threat. However, the worst thing that he did was to lobotomize Hadwin Cocom to protect Krakoa, but then he ended up taking control of the country of Terra Verde. This ended up devastating the entire country, and Beast continued his slide into a full villain by the end.
1) Professor X Erasing Memory of an Entire Dead X-Men Team
Professor X did a lot of bad things in his life. He used children as soldiers as he tried to use the X-Men to fight and prove that mutants were good. He brainwashed Wolverine and toyed with his memories to force him to join the X-Men. He was a member of the Illuminati and made a lot of bad decisions that led to things like World War Hulk and Secret Invasion. He faked his death more than once to prove a point. However, the worst thing he did was form a new X-Men team to rescue the original X-Men from the living island of Krakoa. However, they failed and died. What he did next was unforgivable. He erased memories of their existence and just formed another team and tried again. One of the dead mutants was Cyclops’ brother, and this came back to haunt the X-Men years later.
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