The X-Men have been through a lot of ups and downs, battling terrible villains and fighting against the bigotry of humanity. Every team depends on its members, but the X-Men take it to the next level. The array of threats the team faces is unlike anything other groups of heroes have to deal with, which means each X-Man has to be very reliable. The X-Men have no one but themselves to depend on.
The team's most reliable members, like Professor Xavier and even Magento, are legends. They've been with the group through thick and thin, their powers and skills making them dangerous on the battlefield. They're the X-Men that every member can rely on.
10 Magneto Will Always Fight For The Mutant Race
Magneto is an example of an unlikely Marvel hero. The former arch enemy of the X-Men, Magneto joined up with the team after M-Day. Since then, he's been more reliable than anyone could imagine. His joining the team wasn't a trick or a ploy; he genuinely wanted to protect the mutant race from humanity and the best way to do so was joining the X-Men.
Magneto has since been an exemplary member of the team. Not everyone likes him, but they know that they can depend on him. Whenever mutants are in trouble, he'll be there, and with his powers he's going to make a huge difference in any battle he's in.
9 Kate Pryde Has Been With The Team Since She Was A Teenager
Kate Pryde joined the X-Men when she was thirteen. She had all of her awkward years alongside the team, going through costumes and hero names like other teenage girls went through fads. The whole time, she learned the heroic ropes from the best mutant heroes ever.
Kate's grown into a strong, seasoned hero. She's mastered her mutant phasing ability completely, learning to use it defensively and offensively. She's an amazing hand-to-hand combatant, trained by Wolverine and the best members of the X-Men. Her teammates know that she's always going to be there to help them, no matter what.
8 Colossus Is The Team's Strong Man
Colossus joined the team when Storm, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, and Thunderbird did. The Russian mutant's powers made him into a solid steel monolith of muscle, able to go toe to toe with the Juggernaut and the Blob without breaking a sweat. He made the X-Men into his life, the team becoming a second family to him, especially when his sister Illyana came to the states and joined the New Mutants.
Colossus has spent nearly his entire adult life since leaving Russia as a member of X-Men or Excalibur, with a short stint with Magneto's Acolytes and being dead as the only time he wasn't. He's a powerful member of the team, and they all know that he'll be there when the chips are down.
7 Professor X Is Always There For His Students
Professor X founded the X-Men, his dream being the cornerstone of the entire enterprise. He did everything he could to help the team, using his wealth and opening his home to them. He's made many sacrifices for the team, eventually starting a mutant nation which he had laid the groundwork for in secret so his X-Men could have a home.
Professor X isn't much for going out in the field, but they know that he has their back in other ways. He's not always the most trustworthy person, as he's been done known to do shady things to protect mutantkind, but they know that he's always going to fight for his fellow mutants.
6 Iceman's At His Best When He's With The X-Men
The X-Men's Omega class mutants are the most powerful beings on Earth. A rather unexpected Omega is Iceman. No one every really expected him to be numbered among the most powerful mutants on the planet, but a stint with Emma Frost in his head opened up his powers like never before. He was always formidable, but he's definitely hit the next level.
Iceman has been with the team since the beginning. He's spent a little time away from the X-Men, but since returning to the team after being with X-Factor, he's been as dependable as can be. His friends know just what kind of mutant he is: someone who literally freeze Hell over to help them.
5 Nightcrawler Is Everyone's Go-To X-Man
The X-Men have great fighters, but few can compare to Nightcrawler. The teleporting mutant may not be the strongest on the battlefield, but he's ridiculously skilled. Nightcrawler is known for being dependable. Everyone on the team knows they can call on Nightcrawler, and he'll be there. He doesn't let his team down ever, because they're his friends and family.
Nightcrawler's fighting style takes advantage of his teleporting powers. He's a swashbuckler, someone who jumps into every fight with swords swinging and fights til he can't fight anymore. He's sacrificed his life for mutantkind once, and he's done it again and again on Krakoa. He's clutch for the team every time.
4 Storm Proved Her Heroism As An X-Man
Storm joined the X-Men as a young woman, after years of being worshiped as a goddess. Storm's powers give her many options in battle, her control of the weather allowing her to be a master of the battlefield. As a member of the team, she not only gained a new family, but became a leader. Her skill with and without her powers makes her a top member of the team.
Storm's status as a leader among the team proves her reliability. She always steps up when she's needed, battling the X-Men's enemies with a gusto like few others. Her teammates know how much they can depend on her, both as a partner in battle or just as a friend.
3 Jean Grey Is The X-Men's Patron Saint
Jean Grey mutant powers manifested when she watched her best friend hit by a car. Rendered catatonic, Charles Xavier was the only person who could help her. He healed her mind and took her on as his first student. In the intervening years, she's become the patron saint of the team, a powerful mental talent who has anchored the team for as long as she's been a member.
Every X-Man loves Jean. They know what the team means to her and what it's done to her. She's never quit fighting, no matter how hard things are for her. She's an X-Man through and through, and they know when she shows up, the fight is all but won.
2 Wolverine Is A Cut Above The Rest
There have been some reckless X-Men, with Wolverine becoming a legend because of it. Wolverine started out as the team's loner, but he's grown into its fiercest soldier and a leader in his own right. Even when Wolverine was gruff and mouthy to his teammates, he was always the first to jump into battle.
Every X-Man knows that Wolverine is there for them when they need him. They all know that he will suffer any pain to win. They know that he will choose to save their lives while putting his own at risk. Wolverine may go off and go his own thing, join other teams, and go wild when he needs to, but his fellow X-Men know they can rely on him like no other.
1 Cyclops Is The Epitome Of What An X-Man Should Be
Cyclops is the X-Men's greatest leader. He's been commanding the team in battle since he was a teenager. He led the mutant race through its lowest point, when there were barely two hundred of them and they were beset on all sides by enemies who wanted to destroy them. Cyclops is the X-Men's Captain America. He's made the team better by being a member.
No one doubts Cyclops's reliability or his dedication to the X-Men and their cause. He's the first in the breach, the one who is always ready to battle against the team's enemies. He's saved every member of the team a thousand times, whether it be by direct action or because of his leadership skills.