The 90s were an era of excess, and in that way, the X-Men benefitted. The world of mutants had an abundance of riches when it came to artists during the 90s, including some of the best to ever work at Marvel Comics and some of the most iconic of all time.
The X-Men saw heights in sales and popularity they never saw again during the 90s, thanks largely to major artists like Jim Lee. Many others left their mark across the X-Men universe of books throughout the decade as well. Here are the 10 bests artists who worked on the X-Men comics art in the 90s, ranked.
10 Carlos Pacheco
Carlos Pacheco is a Spanish born artist who drew the adjectiveless X-Men title between 1997 and 1998. Pachecho got his start with the mutants by drawing a spin-off title of the Age Of Apocalypse storyline a few years later. A fan favorite, his run was, unfortunately, a period where the book was in something of a decline both in popularity and quality. Stories focusing on villains like Bastion and lame X-Men heroes like Maggot left the series in stasis before Grant Morrison kickstarted it a few years later with the New X-Men run.
9 Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld made an indelible impression on The New Mutants, which evolved into X-Force. X-Force #1 became one of the biggest selling comics of the era, and Liefeld's star rose so fast he eventually left Marvel to become a founding father of Image Comics. Among his many contributions to X-Men lore is that he's the co-creator of Deadpool, though that character has changed a lot over the years. Liefeld's characteristic art style was widely praised and panned, but there was no denying its huge success.
8 Whilce Portacio
Whilce Portacio is another Image Comics veteran who got his start with the X-Men. Portacio, a native of the Philippines, took over penciling duties on the Uncanny X-Men when Jim Lee left to start the adjectiveless title back in 1991. Portacio's linework was very similar to Lee's but had a unique flair. He carried this over to his Image Comics work, which included the Wetworks series. Portacio got his start at Marvel drawing another X-Men-related comic, X-Factor.
7 John Romita Jr.
John Romita Jr. had an early run on the X-Men back in the 80s, but most fans likely remember his run from the mid-90s. Romita Jr.'s signature bulky style hadn't entirely crystallized in the 80s, but by the 90s, it had marked a sharp contrast from the more streamlined styles of artists like Jim Lee.
John Romita Jr. drew his fair share of the massive Fatal Attractions story arc, in which Wolverine lost his adamantium skeleton but discovered he had bone claws. He left after a brief run and drew major runs of Daredevil and The Amazing Spider-Man.
6 Adam Kubert
Like John Romita Jr., Adam Kubert is part of a proud comic book legacy. His father, Joe Kubert, is one of the most influential artists in the genre, and his brother Andy also drew the X-Men in the 90s. Adam specifically had a big run on the Uncanny X-Men toward the end of the decade. He also drew the one-shots that bookended the Onslaught crossover epic, perhaps the epitome of 90s excess in comic books. Onslaught hasn't really aged well in a lot of ways. He went on to draw the Ultimate X-Men comic.
5 Greg Capullo
When Rob Liefeld left X-Force, artistic duties fell to Greg Capullo. Capullo instantly impressions with fans, taking the heavy armor (and pouched) look of the team and adding his more streamlined style to it. Capullo proved very popular with fans and drew some of X-Force's most essential stories. He went on to have major runs on Spawn for Image Comics and Batman for DC Comics, including drawing the Court of Owls' first appearance.
4 Joe Madureira
Joe Madureira's cartoonish, anime-inspired art style was hugely popular with fans in the mid-90s. He drew major stories during this era, including the dark, dystopian Age of Apocalypse and the Phalanx Covenant, notable for introducing Blink's character. Like many other popular artists at the time, he eventually left for Image Comics. He rolled out his creator-owned comic Battle Chasers, which never got a proper finish. Madureira has tried to revisit it with a Kickstarter in recent years, though.
3 Chris Bachalo
Chris Bachalo's unique style of smooth lines eschewed traditional muscle heavy looks, but it was hugely popular. Bachalo co-created Generation X with Scott Lobdell, a new team of young mutants designed to replace The New Mutants who had become X-Force.
Bachalo introduced several major characters during this time, including M. He went on to draw another big run of X-Men from 2013-2015, which saw him introduce one of Rogue's best costumes ever.
2 Andy Kubert
Andy Kubert took over the adjectiveless X-Men title after Jim Lee left for Image. His art style was equally stylistic but emphasized more realism than some of the other major artists. He drew many landmark moments of this era, including Wolverine first revealed his bone claws, the wedding of Cyclops and Jean Grey, and the epic X-Cutioner's Song crossover revealed the truth behind the origin of both Cable and Stryfe.
1 Jim Lee
There is no denying the influence of Jim Lee on the X-Men or the 90s. His art style contributed to making X-Men #1 the biggest selling comic book of all time, to this day. His dramatic costume designs remain iconic and popular and were made even more so with their use in X-Men: The Animated Series. For many, Lee is the quintessential X-Men artist, even though his time on the book was relatively brief. Though he didn't draw a major story, he left an indelible mark for all-time on the X-Men.