If nothing else, the world of X-Men does a good job showcasing mutant diversity. Some mutants can fire optic blasts while others can expel corrosive acid. Some have radically changed physical appearances while others can easily fade into a crowd of homo sapiens. The only constant thing about mutant life is how inconstant it is. Mutants vary in every imaginable way, including how powerful they are. For the most part, mutants aren’t necessarily dangerous. Like most X-Men comics preach, there ordinarily isn’t a reason to fear mutants. However, there is a select group of mutants known as “Omega-level mutants” who are the definition of fear-inducing. On the Mutant Power Level Classification scale, Omega is the highest category and represents the most powerful mutants in the world. Omega’s powers can be anything from telepathy to precognition. The term “Omega-level mutant” is a bit arbitrary since there aren’t any real qualifications aside from being crazy powerful.
It’s up to X-Men writers to determine who should have the Omega title and, not surprisingly, they’re pretty careful about who they bring into this special club. Very few mutants are Omega-level. This is a good thing since if there were a lot, X-Men comics would be even crazier than they already are. Omega-level mutants can alter any series or arc with minimal interaction, making them some of the most dangerous characters in Marvel comics. For our list, we’re including all of the known Omega-level mutants in the Marvel Universe, plus a few who we think deserve the title.
20 STRYFE
Cloning is rarely a good thing in comics. Sometimes, it does bring about some memorable characters like X-23 or the Stepford Cuckoos but, for the most part, cloning only breeds trouble. Take Nathan Summers, aka Cable, as an example. Cable’s caretakers cloned him when he was a young child.
Due to some very unrealistic events, Apocalypse became the clone’s father and named him Stryfe. Like Cable, Stryfe is an Omega-level mutant capable of telepathy and telekinesis. Unlike Cable, Stryfe doesn’t have much of a moral compass and frequently uses his gifts for evil. Apocalypse instilled within Stryfe his own cruelty, thus making him one of the most vicious Omegas on our list.
19 X-MAN
Modern X-Men fans probably aren't familiar with this late ‘90s has-been hero, but don’t let his recent absence fool you. Nathaniel Grey’s parents are Jean Grey and Scott Summers, so his incredible powers were guaranteed before birth. Unlike his siblings, Nate was artificially created by Mister Sinister during his mad search to create the perfect mutant via Jean and Scott’s DNA.
Although Jean didn't raise him, he did possess her Omega-level telepathic and telekinetic powers. We use “did” because Nate is no longer a powerful mutant after the Omega machine absorbed most of his abilities. Still, for a while, his Grey and Summers blood made him an Omega-level threat.
18 RACHEL GREY
Rachel Grey (or Summers, depending on when you ask her) is the spitting image of her superpowered mother. Not only do they look nearly identical, Rachel and Jean also share similar telepathic and telekinetic mutant gifts. Like Nate, the Jean Grey we all know and love wasn’t the one to raise Rachel. However, Rachel’s similarities to her mother still blossomed, even without Jean’s tutelage. Rachel became the second Grey Phoenix host and her powers increased exponentially.
With Jean’s recent return from the grave, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Rachel get a power downgrade since her mother is now around to do the heavy-lifting. But, for the time being, Rachel is still one of the few Omega-level mutants in the Marvel Universe.
17 QUENTIN QUIRE
Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters is full of teenage troublemakers, bent on using their mutant abilities to cause schoolyard chaos. No matter what series or issue number, chances are Quentin Quire will be at the head of this troublemaking gang. Quire is incredibly annoying and loves to mess up everything the older X-Men try to accomplish -- even if it means putting himself in jeopardy.
Regardless of his childish antics, Quire aka Kid Omega, is exactly as his name promotes: an Omega. His telepathic prowess has garnered the Phoenix’s attention on more than one occasion. His sarcastic dialogue and witty t-shirts describe a disgruntled teenager, but Quire’s mutant powers shouldn’t be doubted.
16 STORM
Ororo Munroe aka Storm, has been called a lot of things: Queen, Goddess, Weather Witch, Windrider. The one thing she ordinarily isn’t called is Omega, which is why her presence on this list may surprise you. Writers in the past have said that she has the potential to be an Omega Mutant, but hasn’t reached the threshold yet. However, we’re pretty sure she has.
Storm is able to control the weather in all of its forms. Among her many powers, her ability to manipulate lightning is perhaps her strongest. Since Marvel introduced her in 1975, her abilities have only grown. Powerful to begin with, Storm is an incredible force of nature that surely deserves the title of "Omega".
15 ELIXIR
Joshua Foley doesn’t have telepathic powers or fancy optic blasts but he does have an extremely convenient mutant ability: Omega-level healing. The young X-Men member can control the biological structure of human bodies, allowing him to heal something as simple as a broken bone or something as advanced as a missing organ.
After years at Xavier’s, Elixir discovered he could both resurrect and harm using his abilities. He can generate diseases, such as brain tumors, in his victims or cause massive organ failure. Of course, if he does end someone, he can instantly revitalize them. Some X-Men theorize that, with some more training, Elixir will be able to resurrect millions of people at a time, inhibiting anything like the Genoshan massacre from ever happening again.
14 GABRIEL SHEPHERD
He isn’t the first mutant, but he is one of the original X-gene carriers and the last of a special group known as the proto-mutants. Around 700 years ago, witch hunters ended most of these early mutants, but, thanks to his superior abilities, Shepherd survived.
Shepherd boasts a plethora of powers, including immortality, super strength, flight, telepathy, healing, and matter manipulation. He also has the unique capability to temporarily “freeze” time whenever he chooses. Shepherd has stated that his Omega-level powers grant him complete omnipotence. However, we’re not so convinced. This proto-mutant is undeniably powerful, but there are still 19 other Omegas on our list who have their own formidable gifts.
13 EMMA FROST
Whether she was the White Queen of the Hellfire Club or the leader of the 21st century X-Men, Emma Frost has always been a daunting figure in comics. While that may be partly because of her cold personality, we think it also has to do with her Omega-level status.
Emma is an extremely capable telepath and has the ability to transform her body into organic diamond on a whim. Her impressive track record includes taking down Charles Xavier, Rachel Grey, and Kid Omega in telepathic battles. Since Quentin and Rachel are also on our list, it’s safe to say Emma is one of the most powerful (and dangerous) mutants in the world.
12 EVA BELL
Eva is one of the many “new mutants” to arise after the Phoenix dispersion in Avengers vs. X-Men. She plays a fairly important role in the 2013 series All-New X-Men, where her ability to freeze time frequently comes in handy. Although writers considered her “Near Omega-level” in 2013, we’re certain that she’s now officially earned the title Omega-level mutant.
Eva’s temporal stasis ability is the strongest on Earth, impressing even Dr. Strange. She can also displace time by creating “bubbles” that allow her to travel through time for extended periods. As we’ve seen in past X-Men comics, time travel can be as dangerous as it is useful. This young mutant may not look very intimidating, but her control over time makes her a high-level threat.
11 MISTER M
While there are a few X-Men regulars on our list, heroes like Emma Frost have to share the Omega spotlight with lesser known mutants, like Mister M. This is because in the past 20 years, writers have tried to outdo themselves by creating mutants even more powerful than Xavier and his students. In 2004, Mister M fulfilled this role perfectly.
He only lasted two years in the X-Men universe, but during that time he was an Omega-level mutant with reality-defying powers. His ability to manipulate subatomic matter granted him gifts such as healing, intangibility, telekinesis, and X-Gene negation. Mister M was never destined to be an X-Men member, but he was one of the few Omega mutants, so he makes our list.
10 CABLE
With his giant guns, grenade laden belts, and Stormtrooper armor, Cable doesn’t look like your typical Omega-level mutant. A lot of the mutants on our list don’t carry any weapons because they’re so confident in their mutant abilities. If you have a mind that can create an entire universe, guns aren’t really necessary, right?
Ordinarily, Cable is an extremely gifted telepath and telekinetic. However, as an infant, Cable contracted the Techno-Organic Virus. To keep it from spreading, Cable has to give the virus constant psionic attention. Because of this, he can’t always use his powers. Of course, that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Whether we like it or not, Cable’s one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe -- guns and all.
9 GABRIEL SUMMERS
Most comic fans are probably familiar with the Summers brothers, Scott and Alex Summers. A much smaller percentage of readers may know about the third Summers brother, Gabriel "Vulcan" Summers. Scott and Alex's mother, who was presumed to have died in a plane crash, actually survived the tragedy, as did her unborn child. The D'Ken civilization abducted her and stole the child.
Said child, Gabriel Summers, escaped the D'Ken and discovered his energy absorption ability while on Earth. During M-Day, Vulcan absorbed all of the lost mutant energy, giving him an unimaginable amount of power. Before his demise, Gabriel was the emperor of the Shi'ar and possibly the most formidable mutant in the universe.
8 CHAMBER
With mutants like Emma Frost and Storm walking around, it’s sometimes easy to forget that most mutations involve physical changes along with mental ones. Some mutants have animalistic features, some have bodies made of goo, and others, like Chamber don’t really have bodies at all. Psionic energy makes up the entirety of Chamber's physical form. When his mutation first appeared, Jonothon accidentally blew a hole through his chest, destroying his jaw and most of his organs. Because Chamber's body is pure energy, his injuries were artificial.
Chamber is technically a near-Omega-level mutant, but after Apocalypse supercharged him, his capacity to shoot psionic energy beams tripled. Pure energy and Apocalypse blood make up Chamber's body. We think it’s safe to say he’s an Omega-level mutant.
7 MADDIE
Unlike pretty much everyone else on this list, the Omega-level mutant known as “Maddie” doesn’t have a code name or even a last name. She appeared for the first time in the 2017 series Deadpool vs. Old Man Logan and, strangely enough, she hasn’t been seen since.
Even though we don't know a lot about the character, one thing is for certain: Maddie is an incredibly powerful mutant. Her powers are an advanced form of teleportation that puts Nightcrawler’s “bamf” trick to shame. Maddie can psychically map out an area and teleport any item within that area, including herself. Since she was able to teleport an entire hi-tech facility in Deadpool vs. Old Man Logan, we’re assuming her powers are pretty much limitless.
6 MATTHEW MALLOY
If you’ve heard of Matthew Malloy, congratulations: you’re a true X-Men fan. For those with less fruitful pull lists, the name Malloy probably means nothing. He was around for less than ten issues and didn’t really leave a lasting impact on the X-Men, but during the short time he was in comics, he was the most powerful mutant on the planet.
His ability to manipulate reality was so great that the X-Men considered him to be “beyond Omega-level.” Without even really thinking, he accidentally ended Emma Frost and inadvertently caused the demises of Cyclops and Magik. His path was so destructive that the only way the X-Men were able to stop him was by rewriting the past so that his parents never met.
5 ICEMAN
At first glance, Bobby Drake doesn’t seem like an Omega-level mutant. Most of the mutants on this list are stressed and pretty much never smile...or laugh...or show happiness in any form. But, Bobby is the X-Men’s single tiny sliver of positivity. Somehow, Bobby’s Omega-level cryokinesis hasn’t affected his outlook on life or his lowly position in the X-Men.
Most readers (and a lot of writers) don’t take Bobby very seriously, but his ability to generate and manipulate ice is worthy of more attention. Since there is always water in the air, Bobby’s never without a weapon and can always make durable ice constructs using just a few thoughts. When telepaths have fully unlocked Bobby’s mutant potential in the past, his powers became nearly limitless.
4 HOPE SUMMERS
As the third Summers on the list, you probably already know what to expect from Hope: lots and lots of power. The “mutant messiah” has the ability to mimic other mutants’ powers. Her power is similar to Rogue, however, Hope doesn’t have to physically touch someone to mimic their powers, nor does Hope truly “absorb” other mutants’ powers.
Instead, she observes and somehow mimics them, which allows her to “mimic” numerous mutants concurrently. She easily grabs the title of Omega since she can mimic the powers of Omegas within her vicinity. Against a group of mutants, Hope is pretty much unstoppable, since she can replicate any mutant ability they throw at her.
3 LEGION
Hope’s mimicry ability is impressive but if she were isolated from mutant society, she’d be practically helpless. Xavier’s long-lost son, David Haller, also has a plethora of mutant powers at his fingertips, but unlike Hope he doesn’t need other mutants in the vicinity. David, aka Legion, can create spontaneous mutations in himself that are only limited by his imagination. At the moment, Legion has over 200 separate personalities that all have different Omega-level mutations.
Because of his immense power and fragile home life, Legion has developed dissociative identity disorder. His illness inhibits his powers from functioning normally and gives him little control over his own abilities. Although he may not want it to, one of Legion’s many Omega-level mutations could destroy the universe.
2 FRANKLIN RICHARDS
The youngest mutant on our list might also be the most powerful. Son of Sue and Reed Richards, (two of the founding members of the Fantastic Four) Franklin Richards isn’t your average kid. He’s pretty much the end-all-be-all character in the Marvel Universe, with the capability to do pretty much anything. His endless list of powers includes raising the dead and warping reality to training Galactus to be his lapdog.
The celestials consider him “beyond Omega classification” which isn’t a term to be used lightly. A lot of fans think Franklin is the most powerful person in the Marvel universe. He’s definitely an Omega-level mutant... but he’s also a perpetual kid. While this makes him more reckless it also makes him less prone to evil.
1 JEAN GREY
There is only one reason why Rachel, Cable, Stryfe, and Nate are on this list: Jean Grey. Marvel writers and fans alike love the original Omega-level mutant so much that her character has spurred the creation of numerous other Omega-level mutants. Jean and her “children” share the abilities of telepathy and telekinesis, but Jean’s long standing in the X-Men franchise gives her a few perks that her children don’t have.
Rachel has been a Phoenix host, but that’s only because she has her mother’s genes. Jean’s position as the original Phoenix host really says something about how powerful she is. Out of everyone in the galaxy, the Phoenix chose Jean because of the unbridled potential he saw.