The team known as the X-Men is filled with some of the most powerful mutants on the planet who sit at the omega and alpha levels of power, which gives them control of elemental forces like the weather and Earth's magnetism. Some of these heroes have always displayed these incredible levels of power, though not everyone joined the team in their prime.
There were a number of mutants who first appeared with seemingly weak powers until they eventually reached the upper levels of their ability through training or even with cosmic boosts. Today we are going to take a look at a few X-Men who may have started out weak when they first appeared in the comics but have grown to become some of the most powerful.
10 Jubilee's Firecrackers And Attitude Were Enhanced With Vampiric Powers And Motherly Love
Jubilation Lee/Jubilee's over-the-top personality and teenage energy don't exactly fit the usual perceptions of weakness, but her inexperience and limited control over her explosive firecracker abilities sometimes made her a liability in the field. She was sent for further training with Generation X to increase her control which began to make her more dangerous in battles.
However, Jubilee was given a dark boost in power after she was briefly turned into a vampire, and her personality was further empowered when she became the adoptive mother of young Shogo. Anyone who has attempted to threaten Shogo has learned that Jubilee can be a force of nature.
9 Doug Ramsey's Language Abilities As Cypher Grew Until He Became The Voice of Krakoa
When Doug Ramsey first joined the New Mutants, he was a quiet student whose ability to understand languages didn't seem to help him out much in the field, though that changed as soon as he met and befriended the alien Warlock. However, he was still killed by a gun during one of the New Mutants' missions, and that seemed to prove his weakness in battle.
Cypher eventually returned, and his abilities began to expand, allowing him to converse with technology, aliens, other-dimensional beings, the internet, and the mutant island of Krakoa. He has retained a connection with Warlock that increases his physical capabilities while his status as the voice of Krakoa has made him a strong component of the mutant government.
8 Jean Grey Was Considered One Of The Weakest X-Men Before She Unlocked Her True Powers
Marvel Girl was one of the first recruits of the X-Men, though she was the last member of the original five students who began training with Professor Xavier. She was initially only able to use small amounts of telekinesis after the manifestation of her telepathy proved too much for her young mind to control and it was blocked by Xavier.
Over time her unlocked powers would continue to develop, and she was given a further power boost by her connection to the Phoenix Force. Jean Grey is now an omega-level telepath and alpha-level telekinetic who has become known as one of the X-Men's most powerful psionics.
7 Rogue's Energy Absorption Abilities Eventually Gained Her Incredible Strength And Flight
When Rogue first appeared, she wasn't yet a member of the X-Men and was instead working alongside her adoptive mother, Mystique, as a member of her Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Rogue's energy absorption abilities didn't offer her any physical boosts and closed her off from human contact at the risk of draining their thoughts, personalities, and life force.
However, after she drained Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel of her powerful Kree abilities and held on too long, the exchange became permanent and Rogue gained incredible strength, durability, and flight, becoming one of the strongest X-Men members.
6 Multiple Man's Duplicates Traveled The World To Learn New Skills For Jamie Madrox
Jamie Madrox's ability to duplicate himself was originally dependent on additional kinetic energy that was created when he stopped his foot or took a punch, which made him a useful member of X-Factor when they needed to increase their numbers.
He eventually increased his usefulness and knowledge when he sent a number of his dupes on missions around the world to learn new skills for the prime Jamie Madrox to absorb back into himself. His dupes have even developed their own personalities and continued to show much growth since his debut, where he relied on a high-tech suit to help control his abilities.
5 Betsy Braddock Wore Protective Armor Before She First Became A Ninja And Then Captain Britain
While Betsy Braddock had already worked as a British spy by the time she had joined with the X-Men, she felt her telepathic abilities didn't give her enough of an edge. She even wore an armored suit to help protect her during battles. After the X-Men were forced to walk through the transformative Siege Perilous, Betsy was transported to Japan.
There, her mind was placed in the body of a highly-trained ninja named Kwannon. Betsy became a new and deadly version of herself known as Psylocke whose telepathy was only a part of her new skills. While they were eventually separated, Betsy then gained the power of Captain Britain to further increase her power levels.
4 Archangel's Original Feathers Were Replaced With Razor-Sharp Techno-Organic Metal Wings
Warren Worthington III was another of Xavier's first class of X-Men, whose feathery wings and intensive training turned him into air support for the X-Men. Unfortunately, his wings were severely injured during the Mutant Massacre, and they were amputated. Apocalypse then kidnapped Worthington and transformed him using his Celestial technology into the Horsemen, Death.
His feathered wings were replaced with techno-organic wings that were razor-sharp and contained deadly metal flechettes that he could launch as projectiles. Archangel's attitude and personality were darkened by the transformation as well, and he frequently struggled with Apocalypse's influence, though he earned a new reputation as one of the X-Men's most dangerous members.
3 Illyana Rasputin Was A Young Girl With Teleportation Discs Who Became A Demonic Warrior
Colossus' young sister Illyana Rasputin was targeted for her mutant abilities to create teleportation platforms she called "stepping discs," so she was brought to stay with the X-Men alongside the New Mutants. She was a sweet young child with barely any control of her abilities when she was taken by the demon Belasco and trapped in the hellish dimension of Limbo.
She lived there for years, where she learned mystic arts and became the demonic Darkchilde before she was rescued and returned to Earth. As Magik, she has continued her magical studies with Dr. Strange and has proven herself to be a powerful fighter who serves as one of Krakoa's captains of war as well as the ruler of Limbo.
2 Iceman Threw Snowballs And Cracked Jokes Before He Learned His Omega-Level Potential
Bobby Drake began his career as Iceman as one of the X-Men's class clowns who loved to throw snowballs at his team members or cover the bathroom floor in ice so they fell getting out of the shower. It wasn't until he got older and began experimenting with his mutant abilities that he began to learn just how powerful he could become.
His potential as an omega-level mutant hasn't been tapped yet to its fullest, though he has displayed a number of impressive feats that have showcased his extreme control over his own ice form that could potentially make him immortal. His powers also have the potential to affect his very ecosystem, much like other omega-level mutants like Magneto and Storm.
1 Kate Pryde Was The Runt Of The X-Men Who Grew Up To Become One Of The Team's Leaders
When Kitty Pryde first joined the X-Men, she was the youngest member of the team who was kept away from most field missions due to her age and inexperience with her phasing powers. She initially struggled even in Danger Room sessions with the team, though she developed a close friendship with Wolverine, who took her to Japan with him for training.
She developed into the hero known as Shadowcat who worked as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., a valuable member of Excalibur, and after, she returned to the X-Men as one of the team's most trusted leaders. She even saved the entire planet by phasing a world-sized bullet through Earth, showing how much her powers grew over the years as well.