Following years with the first class of the X-Men and their additional members, Charles Xavier welcomed an official second class fo mutant students that would become known as the New Mutants. The young team would work on their own and alongside the X-Men before becoming X-Force, though they would later return to the New Mutants moniker.
With a film adaptation finally on its way (despite recently being taken off the schedule), we wanted to take a look at a few of the more successful New Mutants that have ever graduated onto the X-Men, with a few members becoming key leaders on the team as it settles on Krakoa, with some even moving on to the Avengers and beyond.
10 WOLFSBANE
Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane was one of the youngest members of the New Mutants when she joined after a childhood spent under the abusive boot of Reverend Craig, which resulted in some emotional issues that led her to believe her mutant ability to transform into a wolf was impure and evil.
Rahne would eventually recover from this mindset and become a powerful member of the New Mutants, though she would later join with X-Factor and X-Force, where her bestial nature threatened to consume her. Wolfsbane even spent some time teaching a new generation of students, but she eventually returned to active duty alongside the X-Men and the New Mutants.
9 PRODIGY
When David Alleyne/Prodigy first arrived at the Xavier Institue, he joined the largest class of students the school had ever seen. This resulted in students being placed in squads that were led by teachers from the X-Men, with group names like the Corsairs, the Hellions, and of course, the New Mutants.
Prodigy was placed in the new class of New Mutants, and his ability to absorb the knowledge and skills of anyone around him made him a valuable asset, and he would work with other teams like the Young Avengers and other private organizations before returning to Krakoa to work with the X-Men and the upcoming new team of X-Factor.
8 MIRAGE
Danielle Moonstar was one of the original founding members of the New Mutants, and she adopted the codename of Psyche and the later Mirage as her powers allowed her to psychically project the thoughts and fears of others as illusions, which she would manifest later as a bow and arrow that allowed her to shoot nightmare arrows at her enemies.
Dani Moonstar quickly became one of the leaders of the New Mutants and even became a valued member of the Asgardian Valkyrie, which is a role she still holds. Dani taught the second class of New Mutants and is a trusted lieutenant in Cyclops' army of X-Men. She continues to lead the New Mutants as one of the X-Men's many strike teams.
7 WARLOCK
Not to be confused with the cosmic being known as Adam Warlock, the New Mutant Warlock is a bio-metallic alien from the species known as the Technarchy, which infect and consume other living beings using a techno-organic transmode virus.
As a mutant of his own race, Warlock escaped from his father's rule and joined with the New Mutants for many adventures after establishing a close relationship with Cypher. Warlock is currently a key figure on the Krakoan Quiet Council alongside Cypher (keep reading) and is instrumental in the day-to-day operations of the X-Men in the "Dawn of X" era.
6 CYPHER
Doug Ramsey/Cypher was one of the first new additions to the original New Mutants team that formed in 1982's Marvel Graphic Novel #4, though he rarely went on missions with the team as his power to understand any language made him a liability in the field until he partnered up with Warlock later in the New Mutants run.
Even his inevitable death wasn't able to stop Doug, as he has returned to life and reunited with Warlock to take on a larger role with the X-Men. Working with Warlock in a somewhat ominous role, Doug is the main form of communication between Krakoa and the various teams of X-Men.
5 CANNONBALL
While Dani Moonstar took over leadership duties, initially Sam Guthrie/Cannonball found himself leading the New Mutants, a role he would continue while working with Cable as a part of X-Force. Cannonball's mutant ability to propel himself like a rocket came with an almost impenetrable blast-shield, making Cannonball an incredibly effective weapon.
While the full New Mutants team technically graduated and became X-Men during their initial comic series, it was only after X-Force began working with the X-Men again that Sam was welcomed on to the team officially. He would work with the X-Men for years and later rejoin the New Mutants, though he would again graduate to the Avengers, and later the Shi'ar Imperial Guard.
4 SUNSPOT
Roberta da Costa/Sunspot was one of the original members of the New Mutants, though he was one of the first to leave the team after accidentally injuring a teammate with his solar-powered strength. He would go on to join the first Fallen Angels, though he would return to work alongside X-Force when the New Mutants evolved into Cable's mutant strike force.
Sunspot would go on to run the Hellfire Club briefly before rejoining the New Mutants when they became one of the X-Men's strike teams on Utopia. Along with Cannonball, Sunspot would be welcomed onto the Avengers, where he would go on to lead his own team of Avengers before returning to Krakoa to work alongside his old friends on the New Mutants.
3 ELIXIR
Like the previously-mentioned Prodigy, Josh Foley/Elixir was placed on the New Mutants Squad where he was trained in the use of his healing abilities, which continued to grow and evolve the more he used them to the point where he developed a killing touch as well as a healing one.
Elixir would work with the New X-Men following the dissolution of the squads at the school, and then Wolverine's covert ops X-Force squad before he was revealed to be an omega-level mutant. Now Elixir is a member of the Five, powerful mutants who power the resurrection machine that has revolutionized the X-Men's ways on Krakoa.
2 MAGIK
Illyana Rasputin/Magik's life as a New Mutant began earlier than it should have when she was lost to Limbo as a child for moments and returned as an older teen with dark magical powers that worked alongside her mutant ability to create teleportation portals she called "stepping disks."
As Magik, Illyana uses her mutant abilities in tandem with the mystical abilities she gained as the ruler of the hellish Limbo (enhanced by further training with Doctor Strange) and has become one of the X-Men's most powerful members. She is currently one of the four Great Captains of Krakoa that are in charge of security and defense of the mutant nation of Krakoa.
1 KATE PRYDE
While Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat began her career as the youngest member of the X-Men, she was eventually sent down to the New Mutants team when they were brought into the school, as Xavier felt Kitty would excel learning alongside mutants her own age.
However, Kitty would soon return to the X-Men despite maintaining close relationships with the New Mutants over the years, and Kitty would eventually go on to not only lead the X-Men but also run the Jean Grey School as well. She currently leads the Marauders, sits on the Quiet Council and serves as the Red Queen of the Hellfire Club.