Avengers vs. X-Men (by a whole bunch of different people) was first released in 2012. It serviced fans who always wanted to see which superteam would come out on top in a no-holds-barred brawl. While it generally received positive reviews, the series has been criticized for being an empty attempt to sell books purely on the marquee value of the titular title matches.
Despite those criticisms, the story remains a fun action-packed read. It might not break each character down into three dimensions, but it makes up for it with spectacular action and entertaining match-ups that showcase some of the best character dynamics Marvel has to offer.
10 Cyclops vs Captain America (Verbal Abuse) Lampshaded The Story's Biggest Flaw
The first item on the list is the satirical battle between team leaders showcased in AVX #6 by Brian Michael Bendis and Jim Mahfood. One of the biggest gripes fans had with the story was that Steve Rogers and Scott Summers were largely to blame for the entire battle – not because of complex issues, but mainly due to them both being sticks in the mud. This didn't help Scott's already infamous reputation for being an X-jerk, but this fun one-page short thankfully provides some catharsis for anyone annoyed with their portrayal in the main series.
9 Squirrel Girl vs Pixie Was A Fun Meta-Textual Ribbing At The Self Serious Series
Another tongue and cheek match-up is the tabletop battle between Squirrel Girl and Pixie. A perfect encapsulation of the cute and peppy atmosphere both characters provide, this page by Dan Slott and Katie Cook was a refreshing break for the same series that provided the hardcore battle seen in the next subject of this list.
After playing a totally-not-D&D game that mimicked many of the battles of the main series, it is hinted at via interjection by The Thing that the miniatures may have been dolls created by The Puppet Master, thereby causing the entire event.
8 Hawkeye vs Angel Was More Matt Fraction Hawkeye, So An Automatic Plus
As mentioned, this battle by Matt Fraction and Leinil Francis Yu in AVX #5 was a knock-down-drag-out brawl that left both leads bloodied and bruised. Any Hawkeye by Matt Fraction is an excellent thing, and that may be why (SPOILERS) Hawkeye ends up defeating Angel with some ingenuity. The art by Yu is gritty and full of detail, which makes for the perfect marriage between the tone of the writing and the visuals of the panels. It's just a shame that Lucky the Pizza Dog wasn't available to assist Clint.
7 The Thing vs Colossus Sent The Two Titans To The Moon
Having Colossus bear the curse of the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak was a brilliant move to inject some conflict in the character – especially since it became a focal point in all his battles during Avengers vs X-Men. One of the best examples comes when Piotr battled the Ever-Lovin' Blue-Eyed Thing on, fittingly enough, the blue area of the Moon. This barren wasteland allowed for both heroes to go all out in their battle by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness in AVX #3. McGuinness' art is always a perfect fit for big and beefy heroes, so it goes without saying that he delivers fantastic work that raises Loeb's straight-to-the-point script.
6 Iron Man vs Magneto Answered An Obvious Flaw
When hearing that Iron Man would be facing down the Master of Magnet himself, many fans were quick to argue how cut and dried the fight would be. That's why, when the Armored Avenger came to blows with Magneto, it was quickly explained that Tony Stark had some kind of anti-magnetic field gadget for the terrorist. He was one of the world's most wanted men, and it would be silly for Stark to not at least prep for a battle with such a famous mutant mastermind. Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert delivered a fun and dynamic battle of the egos between the two in AVX #1.
5 Spider-Man vs Colossus Dealt With The Cliché
Spider-Man has fought just about everyone in the Marvel Universe at this point (in large part due to his co-starring role in Marvel Team-Up). However, someone he's continued to battle a fairly bizarre amount of times is the Unstoppable Juggernaut, which is perfectly lampooned in this battle by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca.
Spidey gets cocky and assumes that things will go just like every time he's fought Cain Marko, but what the Webhead fails to remember is that he isn't fighting the same person as last time. He's fighting Colossus (now the Unstoppable Colossus).
4 The Phoenix Five vs Mister Sinister Was Wild Warfare
While not a battle between Earth's Mightiest Heroes and The Children of the Atom, the siege of Mister Sinister's paradise country located below Alaska was a stand-out moment for the series as a whole. After acquiring the power of the Phoenix Force, the Phoenix Five begin an all-out assault against their old nemesis' lair. Little do they realize that Mister Sinister has several tricks up his sleeve in this battle, which takes place in Kieron Gillen's Uncanny X-Men run. The most noteworthy has to go to a legion of self-detonating Gambit clones, which constantly spout French.
3 Captain America vs Gambit Was A Brutal Beating
Steve McNiven and John Dell provided a brutal beatdown for both Captain America and Gambit in AVX #2. Mano a mano in the middle of a jungle, the soldier out of time battles the Cajun mutant in a battle that goes blow for blow. The obvious question of whether or not Gambit can make Cap's sheild explode is answered as the First Avenger ends the battle so beaten and blasted that he barely has any bit of his costume left. Still, it's not long before Rogers takes the day and knocks Gambit out with a solid right hook.
2 Black Panther vs Storm Needed Couples Counseling
Casual fans may not be aware that prior to the events of Avengers vs X-Men, Storm and Black Panther were actually married and became co-rulers of Wakanda. This led to a very personal struggle when the two found themselves on opposite sides of the battle in a story by Jason Aaron and Tom Raney. Storm ends the battle by removing her wedding ring, signaling to T'Challa that the problems caused by their fight won't be over by the time the event ends. As the end card says, there were no winners there.
1 Toad vs Jarvis Was The True Clash Of The Titans
There's been enough set-up. B-List heroes like Captain America and Cyclops can't compete with the heavy-weight marquee value of Jarvis and Toad. Sent on a mission by Emma Frost to steal data from Avengers Tower, Toad meets his match when Edwin Jarvis comes home to set things right. By Christopher Hastings with Jacob Chabot and Joe Caramagna, this battle from AVX #6 sent the unstoppable force to battle the immovable object. Both men's values and personal philosophies are put to the test and the Marvel Universe could never be the same after. Like Superman fighting Batman in The Dark Knight Returns, this battle will surely go down in comic book history as an all-time classic.