x-men's cyclops with x-23 and xorn
Introducing a new hero to X-Men lore is always a gamble - for every new character who becomes a fixture of the franchise, five more fall by the wayside. Over the last twenty-six years, X-Men has introduced hundreds of new mutant characters - but only some of them are success stories.
Here are the ten most successful new heroes introduced since 2000. We'll be looking at how much they've appeared since their debut, as well as their impact on the X-Men stories since and the quality of the comics they've appeared in. Don't forget to answer our reader poll at the end of this article, asking whether you agree with our rankings. 10 Xorn and Xorn, aka Kuan-Yin Xorn and Shen Xorn Debuted in 2001's New X-Men Annual #2001, Created by Grant Morrison and Leinil Francis Yu Xorn was a fixture of Grant Morrison's acclaimed New X-Men run, and has returned again and again, sometimes with new characters under the mask. The character is incredibly compelling - a pacifist healer with a black hole for a brain. He's currently serving alongside the main X-Men roster. Xorn was never meant to be a new character - instead, he was a disguise Magneto used to get close to Xavier's school and unleash chaos. However, fans loved 'Xorn' so much that Marvel later retconned him into a separate character... sadly, not very successfully. Xorn has to sit at number ten because of the sheer chaos his backstory has become, including an identical twin brother who took his place. It's hard to call such a convoluted journey 100% successful. 9 Prodigy, aka David Alleyne Debuted in 2003's New Mutants Volume 2 #4, Created by Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir and Keron Grant Introduced as a member of the New Mutants, Prodigy absorbs the skills and knowledge of all those around him. New X-Men was itself a significant success, running for forty-six issues, and while Prodigy isn't exactly iconic, he's rarely gone long without an appearance somewhere, including Avengers Academy, X-Factor and Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie's acclaimed Young Avengers run.8 Broo of the Brood Debuted in 2011's Astonishing X-Men Volume 3 #40, Created by Christos N. Gage and Juan Bobillo The Brood have been a part of X-Men lore since 1981, but their first notable mutant member arrived more recently. While the Brood are vicious predators, Broo was born with a sense of empathy and a prodigious intellect, becoming one of the X-Men's go-to scientific geniuses. Broo couldn't have debuted at a better time, with his introduction leading into a starring role in 2011's Wolverine & the X-Men series, which turned him into one of the team's most beloved students. He's since become a reliable side character in X-Men comics, including a major role in the Krakoan Era, where he seized control of the entire Brood species. 7 Armor, aka Hisako Ichiki Debuted in 2004's Astonishing X-Men Volume 3 #4, Created by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday For a while, it looked like Armor was going to be the new Kitty Pryde - a young mutant thrust into adventure and becoming a member of the X-Men by necessity, rather than because she was ready. Armor ran with the main X-Men team for a while, joined a short-lived X-Force iteration, and has since become a reliable bit player in various X-Books. However, 2024 saw her star on the rise once again, thanks to Ultimate X-Men. Armor became the main character in Peach Momoko's reimagining of X-Men lore, courtesy of the Ultimate Universe imprint, starring in one of Marvel's most critically acclaimed projects in years. 6 Fantomex, aka Charlie Cluster-7 Debuted in 2002's New X-Men #128, Created by Grant Morrison and Igor Kordey A lab-grown super-sentinel with misdirection powers, Fantomex is an arrogant cat burglar who effortlessly won fans' hearts thanks to his devil-may-care attitude and hidden heart of gold. Fantomex has become X-Men's most reliable rogue, with running appearances in multiple X-Force and X-Men comics, Mystique's solo series, and various Wolverine stories. Despite his complicated powers and backstory, Fantomex was arguably the secret sauce in Rick Remender and Jerome Opeña's Uncanny X-Force - often named one of the best X-Men comics of all time. 5 The Stepford Cuckoos, aka Celeste, Esme, Irma, Phoebe and Sophie Debuted in 2001's New X-Men #118, Created by Grant Morrison and Ethan van Sciver Originally believed to be clones of Emma Frost, the Stepford Cuckoos are five identical psychics who can combine their immense telepathic powers. Originally introduced as students at the X-Men's school, they've since become a fixture of the franchise, appearing in comics including X-Men, Cable, Avengers Academy, All-New X-Men and more. The characters were also adapted for 2017 TV series The Gifted and a cameo in 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand, breaking through to become characters even casual fans know on sight. 4 Hope Summers Debuted in 2007's X-Men Volume 2 #205, Created by Mike Carey and Chris Bachalo After the Scarlet Witch cast her iconic "No More Mutants" spell in House of M, Marvel needed something big to bring them back. That thing was the birth of the 'Mutant Messiah', Hope Summers. Hope was quickly spirited away into the future by Cable and raised as a badass dystopian soldier, before eventually returning to Earth to become a major player in Kieron Gillen's celebrated Uncanny X-Men run and the main character of her own Generation Hope series. She was the focus of the massive Avengers vs X-Men event, and became the key to mutant resurrection during the Krakoan Era, which also revealed she was a cosmic creation of the Phoenix Force. It's impossible to explain the last twenty-six years of X-Men lore without saying 'Hope Summers' a dozen times. 3 Akihiro, aka Daken, aka Fang, aka Hellverine Debuted in 2006's Wolverine: Origins #5, Created by Daniel Way and Steve Dillon Wolverine's neglected son Akihiro was introduced as a vicious villain and eventually killed off by his father. However, fan love for the character was simply too strong, and he was resurrected and given a major redemption arc. Akihiro has appeared in series such as Dark Avengers, Inglorious X-Force and Deadpool, however he also boasts the significant honor of multiple solo series, including Dark Wolverine and Hellverine. 2 Quentin Quire, aka Kid Omega Debuted in 2002's New X-Men #134, Created by Grant Morrison and Keron Grant A rebellious student who treats the X-Men with disdain, Quentin Quire is one of the planet's most powerful telepaths. His antagonistic relationship with the franchise's main heroes has made him a constant presence since his debut, causing trouble in Wolverine, Storm, Uncanny X-Men, X-Force, West Coast Avengers, Mighty Thor, Generation X, Gwenpool Strikes Back and more. Currently a member of Cyclops' X-Men, Quentin Quire is the definition of a breakout character - a snarky jerk who gives comic creators an easy way to add a voice of dissent to any and every X-Men story. 1 X-23, aka Wolverine, aka Gabby Kinney Debuted in 2003's NYX #3, Created by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost A rare character who started out in animation , Laura Kinney is the daughter of Wolverine, raised as a living weapon and tame assassin. Laura was initially introduced as a clone of Wolverine, but later retconned as his daughter, created using biological samples without his knowledge. She later connected with the X-Men and sought out redemption as a hero, appearing as a major character in NYX, X-Force and New X-Men. Laura's dark struggle got fan attention, and she went on to helm solo titles including X-23, All-New Wolverine, Laura Kinney: Wolverine, and the ongoing Generation X-23. Laura's popularity acted as the scaffolding for an entire Wolverine family, including son Akihiro and Laura's clone Gabby Kinney, aka Scout. She was played by Dafne Keen in 2017's Logan and 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine, and is a fan favorite to take up the 'Wolverine' name when the MCU introduces its take on the X-Men. With major movie, TV and comic success, Laura Kinney is undoubtedly X-Men's most successful hero introduction since 2000. Let us know below if you agree with our ranking of X-Men's most successful hero launches, and who else belongs on this list. X-Men Movie X-Men , X2, X-Men: The Last Stand , X-Men Origins: Wolverine , X-Men: First Class , The Wolverine , X-Men: Days of Future Past , Deadpool , X-Men: Apocalypse , Logan , Deadpool 2 , Dark Phoenix , The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine First Film X-Men TV Show X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men , X-Men: Evolution , Wolverine and the X-Men , Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion , The Gifted , X-Men '97 Video Game X-Men: Children of the Atom , Marvel Super Heroes , X-Men vs. Street Fighter , Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter , Marvel vs. Capcom , X-Men: Mutant Academy , Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes , X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 , X-Men: Next Dimension , Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds , Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 , X-Men Legends , X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse , X2: Wolverine's Revenge , X-Men , X-Men 2: Clone Wars , X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse Character Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23 Comic Release Date 213035,212968
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