The future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe promises a lot of new and exciting developments. Perhaps the most anticipated addition to the franchise is the existence of mutants. The X-Men have long been some of the most popular characters in Marvel history, and already existing MCU characters like the Scarlet Witch have close ties with them.

RELATED: 10 X-Men Comics That Could Easily Be Adapted Into The MCU

The Fox X-Men movies have had some success in portraying the X-Men. The original two installments of the franchise were excellent, but many subsequent additions proved to be unsatisfying at best. After X-Men: Dark Phoenix and the unremarkable New Mutants, fans are more than ready to start over. Still, many X-Men in the Fox movies remain memorable, both for their characterization and their strength.

10 Iceman’s Cryokinesis Is Remarkable If Not As Strong As In The Comics

Bobby Drake makes his full transformation into Iceman in the X-Men movies

In the Marvel comics, Bobby Drake, known as Iceman, is an Omega-level mutant, and his cryokinesis can affect and change entire ecosystems. His equivalent in the movies isn’t quite as strong, but his abilities remain remarkable nonetheless. He can effortlessly turn a fountain into a miniature lake just for fun.

Eventually, they develop so much that he gains an organic ice form. While using this shape, Bobby’s strength and durability are significantly enhanced. Bobby has also displayed an ability to control water, no doubt a throwaway skill related to his cryokinesis. Sadly, he does have a significant weakness to fire and extreme force, which makes him a poor match against the Sentinels.

9 Beast’s Mutant Transformation Gives Him Incredible Strength At A Cost

X-Men 3 Beast

Mutants are met with a lot of discrimination and few have felt this as acutely as Beast. Hank McCoy’s ability transforms him into a blue beast-like creature. His mutation gives him incredible strength, speed, and agility, skills that become even more enhanced after he turns into his simian form.

But beneath his animalistic facade lays a keen mind that is just as important as his powerful physique. Hank is a true genius, so much so that he engineers a serum that contains his mutation and allows Professor X to walk. He is also the one in charge of most of the X-Men's equipment.

8 Cyclops’s Optic Blasts Can Create Tremendous Destruction If Uncontrolled

Tye Sheridan as Cyclops in X-Men Apocalypse

Scott Summers may not have as much of a presence in the X-Men movies as he does in the comics, but when he does contribute, his strength is more than obvious. His optic blasts once blasted through three floors of a school and disintegrated three soldiers.

He is said to have the potential to punch a hole through a mountain. His worst weakness is that he can’t control his power at all, which is why he wears his iconic visor, earning him his X-Men name, Cyclops.

7 Mystique Becomes A Powerful Part Of The Team In Her Own Right

Mystique In X-Men

One of the most unusual presences in the X-Men movies, Mystique—also known as Raven Darkholme—originally appears as a villain. Played by Rebecca Romijn, she acts as Magneto’s agent while targeting Senator Kelly in an attempt to stop the Mutant Registration Act. The part is later taken over by Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique becomes a powerful part of the X-Men team in her own right.

Her shapeshifting skill comes with some extra benefits, as her ability to manipulate her cells makes her age slower. On top of that, Mystique is a talented martial artist and an incredible acrobat. Her power does have its limitations, however. She cannot mimic scents, and cannot manifest other mutant abilities at a level beyond the superficial. Her healing factor is also limited and is unable to save her from her injury in Dark Phoenix.

6 Storm’s Power Remains Remarkable Despite Her Underwhelming Portrayal

storm

Ororo Munroe has been compared to a goddess in the past, and for good reason. Controlling the weather certainly seems like something within the realms of deities. Fox’s version of Storm doesn’t quite manage to own up to the potential of her memorable comic book equivalent, but she is still incredibly powerful.

RELATED: The 10 Most Powerful Female X-Men

She has displayed the ability to fly, command lightning, hurricanes, blizzards, and mist. She’s also been able to use her unique mutation in conjunction with her hand-to-hand combat skill. Sadly, much like Iceman, she is overpowered by the Sentinels and stabbed from behind.

5 Quicksilver’s Speed Remains One Of The Most Memorable Additions To The Films

Evan Peters as Quicksilver in X-Men: Apocalypse

In the MCU, Quicksilver dies before he can make much of an impression. The same thing cannot be said about his Fox equivalent. On the contrary, the mutant version of the character often steals the show, his incredible speed saving the day on more than one occasion. One of the best scenes in X-Men: Days of Future Past involves Quicksilver manipulating bullets mid-air while assisting in Magneto’s escape.

In X-Men: Apocalypse, he manages to evacuate Professor X’s whole school when it explodes, following a clash between Havok and Apocalypse’s Horsemen. He’s always a memorable presence and a huge asset to the X-Men. It has made him so popular that his actor, Evan Peters, appears in WandaVision, though he is, unfortunately, a fake version of Pietro Maximoff.

4 Wolverine’s Healing Factor Makes Him Almost Immortal

Cover for X2: Wolverine's Revenge

Easily the most iconic figure in Fox’s X-Men franchise, Wolverine has created his own entry in the Guinness World Records. Hugh Jackman is now known for having the longest career as a live-action superhero. But Wolverine himself is just as remarkable within the franchise. Alongside his retractable claws and incredible healing factor, Wolverine also possesses heightened senses and has demonstrated feats of superhuman strength and relentless stamina.

After his skeleton is combined with adamantium, it is this strength that allows him to maintain his agility despite the weight of the metal. Wolverine’s healing factor also grants him incredible longevity, though eventually, it begins to fail due to metal poisoning. It is his own powerful skeleton that is eventually his undoing, aging and weakening him. He is finally killed in Logan, ending the amazing life of a true hero and leader.

3 Professor X’s Telepathic Skills Make Him More Dangerous Than He Seems

Patrick Stewart as Professor X using Cerebro

It’s hard to believe that a grandfatherly man in a wheelchair is one of the most dangerous X-Men around, but appearances are deceiving. Professor X’s telepathy makes him incredibly powerful. He has displayed abilities like controlling minds, paralyzing others, manipulating memories, and even making himself invisible.

When his powers are enhanced by Cerebro, he is even more dangerous, and he was capable of inducing excruciating pain in every mutant and every regular human. With his appearance confirmed in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, fans are definitely looking forward to what he will be bringing to the table.

2 Magneto Is One Of The Strongest Mutants In The World

Magneto (Ian McKellen) from X-Men

A founding member of the X-Men, Eric Lensherr later becomes one of its strongest enemies due to the difference in opinions between him and Professor X. He is an immensely powerful mutant, his magnetokinesis granting him the ability to control any type of metal—even the adamantium in Wolverine’s bones or the copper in someone’s bloodstream.

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His mutation also allows him to fly and shield himself in magnetic fields. The only mutants who are a challenge to him are Apocalypse and Phoenix, though Professor X’s mental abilities have occasionally given him trouble.

1 Jean Grey’s Dark Phoenix Saga Goes Through Two Adaptation Attempts

jean grey

An Omega-level mutant, Jean Grey has is easily one of the most powerful figures in Marvel Comics. Her Dark Phoenix Saga has gone through two adaptation attempts and neither has managed to properly illustrate the grandeur of the original comic. However, if there’s one thing that is immediately obvious, it’s that, no matter her incarnation, Jean is incredibly powerful. Her telepathy and telekinesis are off the charts, so much so that Professor X originally suppresses them.

When she first unleashes her powers in X-Men: The Last Stand, she is able to manipulate matter at a molecular level and disintegrate people with a thought. Her ability to use cosmic fire allows her to defeat the powerful Apocalypse. She becomes immensely more powerful in Dark Phoenix when she merges with the Phoenix Force. This fully unleashes her potential while also giving her god-like new skills like creating life.

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