The X-Men once had a certain reputation among fans. The team's adventures and continuity were known to be complicated, and the convoluted nature of their history was often a point against them. X-Men comics have often hinged on huge reveals that shocked both readers and characters. However, due to the nature of comics, there have been surprises that fans knew about first.
Readers have gotten to see how the X-Men react, knowing exactly what the group was walking into. It's always interesting to have more knowledge than the characters in the story, something X-Men writers have taken advantage of.
10 Wolverine & Layla Miller Shocked The X-Men & Avengers In House Of M
House Of M outlined a huge Marvel catastrophe, as it ended with the depowering of the mutant race. This was a shock for readers and the characters, but earlier in the series, readers knew something that the characters didn't. The second issue dropped everyone into an alternate universe created by Scarlet Witch, something readers knew about before any of the heroes.
A large portion of the book's plot revolved around Wolverine and Layla Miller giving everyone their memories back. Every hero, X-Man and Avenger alike, blamed Magneto, and they all screamed some variation of, "I'm going to kill Magneto!". It was one of the comic's more annoying parts, honestly.
9 Readers Knew Professor X Was In Love With Jean Grey Since The '60s
X-Men (Vol. 2) #53 outlined Onslaught dragging Jean Grey into the Astral Plane, in order for the two of them to have a little chat. This was a pretty exciting moment since it was the first time anyone had seen Onslaught. The two of them had a lively conversation about secrets and Onslaught revealed to Jean that Xavier had been in love with her since she was a teen.
This was no surprise to older readers, as X-Men (Vol.1) #3 established this. Now, granted, many of the younger X-Men fans in the '90s were shocked at this reveal, but it was established decades before. It's probably the ickiest moment in X-Men history, for obvious reasons.
8 Wolverine's Feral Mutation Shocked The X-Men But The Readers Watched It Happen
Wolverine's mutant abilities are actually quite complicated, something that was discovered after he lost his adamantium. Wolverine was mutating into a feral state, something heretofore held back by his adamantium skeleton. It was getting worse when he was captured by Genesis, who wanted to re-bond the metal to his skeleton and make him into the Horseman of Death.
Wolverine violently expelled the adamantium in order to escape and save Cannonball, which kicked his mutation into overdrive. The X-Men found him and an unconscious Cannonball, and he was already fully mutated into a feral state.
7 Cassandra Nova Taking Over Xavier's Body Was Known To Readers Long Before The X-Men
Cassandra Nova made a huge impact on the X-Men and mutantkind immediately, using Mega-Sentinels to eradicate the mutant nation of Genosha and almost destroying the team. Her first attack on the X-Mansion involved her trying to use Cerebro to destroy mutantkind, but this was seemingly a ruse for her to possess her brother Charles.
After Emma Frost broke her neck, she had already made the transfer, as she shot her old body with a gun Xavier had started to carry. She used Beak to beat Beast into a coma and then absconded to the Shi'Ar Empire, wreaking havoc there. The X-Men wouldn't discover the body swap until it was almost too late.
6 Bishop Told Magneto About The 616 Universe When The X-Men Found Him In Age Of Apocalypse
Age Of Apocalypse is a '90s Marvel gem. Considered by many to be the best Marvel alternate universe storyline, it opened with Bishop, who had watched the world fall to ruin when Xavier was killed in the past because of his nature as a temporal anomaly, under attack by Apocalypse's Infinites. The X-Men saved him and brought him to their base.
He dropped a bombshell on them. He told them about how Xavier's death's effect on the timestream and that their universe was wrong. This spurred them to take action to fix the timeline, restoring the old universe with the help of Illyana Rasputin and the M'Kraan Crystal.
5 Magneto & Xavier Kept Moira MacTaggert A Secret From The X-Men
X-Men history is full of radical changes, with the most recent presented in House Of X/Powers Of X. For years, everyone thought Moira MacTaggert was a human, but she was actually a reincarnating mutant. Along with Xavier and Magneto, she helped plant the seeds for the idea of Krakoa. Her existence was kept secret from the X-Men and the people of the new mutant nation.
The reveal of her existence led to the Quiet Council losing faith in Magneto and Xavier. Mystique and Destiny's actions against her, as well as a battle against a Phalanx-possessed Wolverine from the future, drove her into the arms of Orchis as a cyborg. Moira is now an enemy of mutantkind.
4 The Existence Of X-Force Shocked The Mutants Of Utopia
Cyclops and Wolverine brought back X-Force as a secret black ops team during the Utopia years. Their reasoning was simple: the mutant race was small enough to be picked off, so Utopia needed a force that would destroy threats before they attacked. The team did Cyclops's dirty work, but eventually, the group's existence came to light.
This immediately caused controversy among the residents of the island and the team was disbanded. However, Wolverine started a new version and kept it secret as well. This would come back to haunt him with both the X-Men and the Avengers.
3 Readers Have Been Privy To Mister Sinister's Manipulation In Immortal X-Men
Mister Sinister is a scary foe, despite being rather jovial in recent years. In Immortal X-Men, his plans against the Quiet Council have been revealed to readers. The first issue showed that he had clones of Moira MacTaggert that he was using as a save state. Destiny had a vision of him in the future after having destroyed Krakoa battling Exodus.
Readers were privy to his attempts to kill Hope Summers and the Council. Sinister has always had an inordinate amount of power over Krakoa. He controls the genetic library that makes resurrection possible and was given his own team of mutants for a time, the Hellions. He's always been planning the island's downfall and readers have been privy to each step.
2 Operation Zero Tolerance Took Xavier & Jubilee Prisoner While Setting Up Their Attack On Mutantkind
Many X-Men comics live up to the hype, with the mid-'90s story Operation Zero Tolerance presenting a climactic battle between the team and the titular anti-mutant organization. The group was mobilized by the government after the Onslaught incident and led by the mysterious Bastion. Bastion secretly imprisoned Xavier and Jubilee, then launched his assault.
The X-Men and their mutant allies were caught by surprise. With half the team in space, they were at their most vulnerable. They were able to triumph, but Bastion's forces wiped the X-Mansion clean of its technology, leaving the X-Men with nothing.
1 Readers Learned The True Identity Of Onslaught Before The Team
The '90s introduced deadly X-Men villains, with Onslaught being the most powerful. X-Men #53 saw the entity target Jean Grey and the next issue had him attack Juggernaut for the second time, tearing the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak from him. Issue 54 ended with a double-page spread of Onslaught standing with the specter of Xavier superimposed over the armor.
The X-Men wouldn't find out the truth until Onslaught: X-Men, when the all-powerful attacked the team. The group survived, but were unable to stop him. He attacked New York City, drawing in the heroes of the city and nearly destroying the Earth.