Whenever X-Men fans debate the best storyline in the franchise's history, one always comes up on top: "The Dark Phoenix Saga." The amazing comics work by Chris Claremont and John Byrne was terrific storytelling, showing the team at their best (while depicting them at their worst). It made Wolverine a breakout character and delivered a classic conclusion as Jean Grey seemingly sacrificed her life to save the universe. Many cite it as a key reason they got into X-Men in the first place. However, as time has gone on, the story’s impact has faded a bit. That Jean turned out to be alive after all dilutes the climax and left some disappointed. There’s also how it’s “old school” in the story-telling, a product of the 1980 Marvel that did constant recaps of the stories and other issues. Sadly, to some X-Men fans, the "Dark Phoenix Saga" isn’t quite as important as it once was.

That’s been pushed more by how the X-Men have grown over the decades. What was once a single title of a small team is now a full-fledged franchise with dozens of books and far too many heroes to count. Since "The Dark Phoenix Saga," the X-Books have done their best to top that epic with other major crossovers. True, a lot of them turned out to be major messes and hugely disappointing. That was especially true in the 1990s when Marvel was all about gimmick covers and flashy stuff. However, some stories are still excellent, whether a huge crossover event or a simpler and more contained tale. The best always focus on the characters rather than the action, showcasing that it’s the humanity that makes the X-Men shine. For those who think “Dark Phoenix” is the best, here are 20 other X-Men comics that give it a run for the money in terms of the best story in the history of these Merry Mutants.

20 FATAL ATTRACTIONS

X-Men Fatal Attractions

To celebrate their 30th anniversary, the X-Men gave fans one really wild event. The first few issues are mostly set-up with X-Factor finding their government operative Val Cooper has betrayed them and X-Force’s Cable finding out his old space station is now a floating base. Magneto is back and ready to do a full-on attack on Earth that includes going after the X-Men. In a surprising move, Colossus turns on the team to join Magneto’s side. That’s followed by Magneto setting off a massive electro-magnetic pulse that ravages Earth.

The X-Men attack which leads to the most famous moment of the entire storyline: Magneto ripping the adamantium right off of Wolverine’s skeleton. This pushes Xavier to mind-wipe Magneto which would play into (confusing) events down the road. The follow-up storylines involve Wolverine recovering from the ordeal and Kitty Pryde trying to win Colossus back. Yet, that Wolverine moment alone makes this an iconic X-Men storyline that shocked fans majorly.

19 MESSIAH COMPLEX

After years on their own various adventures, the X-Books came together for this huge 2008 crossover event. Since “M Day," mutants had become an endangered species, only a few hundred of them, with no new mutants being born. Thus, when a new mutant is detected, the X-Men are racing to find her. However, other forces want her too as Mystique, Mr. Sinister, Lady Deathstrike and the Reavers all want the kid for their own twisted purposes. Before long, the X-Men are in a serious fight for their lives.

Complicating matters is Bishop turning on the team to try and get the child himself. Bishop is convinced the child (named Hope) will cause a huge disaster that will result in a future where mutants are put in camps and wants to stop it…by any means necessary. This leads to conflict with Cable as the X-Men are unsure whether this new birth is truly a sign of hope or things getting worse. It would introduce the big character of Hope and a new direction for the X-Men while working as a nice tale on its own.

18 PHALANX COVENANT

X-Men Phalanx Covenant

This 1994 crossover did have the “gimmick covers” of the time period. But it also focused on a great series of events that pushed the team to some good adventures. On a trip to the X-Mansion, Banshee realizes the team has been replaced by the Phalanx, a techno-organic alien race determined to control all of Earth. With the unlikely aid of Sabretooth and the White Queen, Banshee goes to rescue a new generation of mutants from the Phalanx. This leads to the debuts of popular characters Blink, Husk and M with great artwork highlighting their baptism of fire.

A secondary crossover has X-Factor, X-Force and Excalibur teaming up to deal with more Phalanx in England. Meanwhile, Cyclops, Phoenix, Wolverine and Cable go on a mission to rescue the X-Men. The Phalanx are a major threat so it makes sense it takes so many teams to take them down. It’s a good storyline of the time which set the stage for the Generation X title.

17 SECOND COMING

second coming

A direct sequel to “Messiah CompleX,” this ended up being even more of a daring storyline. It begins with Cable returning to the present with Hope, now a fully-grown teenager. Once more, the X-Men are on a quest to find them. But they’re not alone as a gang of the X-Men’s various enemies (Bastion, William Styrker, Bolivar Trask and others) have joined forces to kill this “Mutant Messiah.” Their Purifier armies go after the X-Men in a series of brutal attacks that actually take out one of the most iconic X-Men of them all.

The battles are all a huge deal with Hope herself worried about so much destruction being caused because of her. The artwork is great as the writers do a good job balancing out the threats from mass Sentinel invasions to a threat from the future. It ends with the arrival of more mutants across the world and showcases how it may take some sacrifice but the X-Men can still win the day in the end.

16 THE PROTEUS SAGA

Proteus - omega level mutant in Marvel Comics

Chris Claremont and John Byrne were really hitting their stride with this storyline which plays out like a true horror film. After some time apart, the X-Men are finally reunited when they head to Scotland where a mysterious force is attacking people. It basically jumps from body to body, burning out one form with its incredible psychic power. This is the son of Moira MacTaggert, a mutant whose power was so terrible that she kept him locked up. In fact, Moira is ready to kill her own son to spare the world his horrible powers.

Those powers are on display as Proteus twists the X-Men about, putting them through horrific ordeals. Wolverine is actually rendered a nearly broken mess after Proteus gets through with him. The team need to pull out all the stops against an enemy that can warp all of reality. It’s a brutal final fight to cap off an adventure that pushes the X-Men to their physical and mental limits.

15 THE BROOD SAGA

Wolverine screams in the X-Men's Brood Saga

Imagine the X-Men crossed with the classic sci-fi/horror tale Alien. On a mission in space, the X-Men are captured by the Brood, a vicious race of insect-like aliens. In a stunning issue, Wolverine breaks free of the Brood and undergoes a painful fight against an egg he’s been infected with. Wolverine realizes the other X-Men are infected and will turn into Brood themselves. He thus decides to take out every Brood he can before it happens and then put his friends out of their misery.

It’s a daunting storyline as the X-Men face their own impending dooms. It brings up great character work from Nightcrawler’s faith to Kitty handling the idea of dying so young. Fans of Carol Danvers will be impressed by how the storyline has her taking up a new cosmic status that ends up helping save the day. The follow-up has the team trying to save Professor X on Earth. This story truly ramps up the horror with the team facing a nightmarish enemy within.

14 ADVENTURES OF CYCLOPS AND PHOENIX

The backstory for Cable was complex to say the least. To make it as short a story as possible, he was Nathan, Cyclops’ son who he was forced to send into the future to save his life from a techno-virus. This mini-series has Scott and Jean Grey, right off their wedding, finding themselves whisked into that far future. They take on identities as Slym and Redd as they realize they are destined to raise Nathan and help him on the path to becoming a warrior.

It’s a bold storyline with the idea of how Jean and Scott lives out a decade of life before returning to the exact moment in the present that they left. Even without their mutant powers, the duo are a formidable pair. There’s plenty of action, with a big fight against Apocalypse, but the true strength of the story is the character work as this classic X-Men pair prove themselves heroes in any time period.

13 BROODFALL

While the original Brood storyline was good, this is even better. This was during a period when the X-Men were believed dead by the world and hiding out in Australia. Mysterious reports bring the team to Denver where they find a mutant has been infected by a Brood egg. He’s already gone ahead and infected other mutants, thus creating Brood with super-powers. Needless to say, this is a major conflict as the team have to contain the threat before it gets even worse.

The battle is unique as the X-Men deal with these far more dangerous Brood. A subplot involving a preacher ends up playing a major role in the climax as a reminder of what the X-Men are fighting for their lives. The artwork emphasizes what a nightmare the Brood really are as the X-Men are pushed to their limit.

12 MUTANT GENESIS

This saga was the final major story arc in Chris Claremont’s long run as an X-Men writer, and he went out with a bang. It was the beginning of the best-selling 1991 X-Men book that shattered sales records and boasts glorious artwork by Jim Lee. Magneto is joined by a band of Acolytes as he embarks on a bold plot line to remake the world for mutants. The story brings up the dichotomy of Magneto in wanting to defend his people while becoming as much a monster as the humanity he hates.

There’s a plot line of some of the X-Men brought to Magneto’s side which just makes the odds worse. The artwork is terrific as it shows one Acolyte may not have his “lord’s” best interests in mind. It showcases how Magneto and Xavier always considered each other friends despite their differences and wanting to help mutantkind in their own way. It was a good close to Claremont’s epic run and pushed the X-Men into the their wild decade that was the '90s.

11 ASGARDIAN WARS 

Really two big events in one, this saga begins with a team-up mini-series of the X-Men and Alpha Flight. A mysterious event has given Cyclops and others magical abilities that they use to help the world. Rogue can touch people, Puck is full-sized and Cyclops doesn’t need his visor. However, the “benefactor” of these gifts is Loki which means there’s a high price to be paid. It comes down to a fight between the two teams before ganging up on Loki, forcing the God of Mischief to back down.

The follow-up is a pair of Annuals where Loki seeks revenge by kidnapping the New Mutants. The X-Men follow them to Asgard where Loki plots to make Storm a Goddess of Thunder. Art Adams provides terrific pencils for the storyline as the mutants get involved with trolls, giants and other Asgardian forces. It shows that even among the gods of myth, the X-Men can stand tall.

10 X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

Lasting just eight issues, this mini-series has Jeff Parker putting a terrific spin on the original X-Men adventures. He doesn’t rewrite the past but rather inserts some better character work. Instead of a huge epic world-shaking storyline, Parker gives one-shot tales that delve wonderfully into each character. Cyclops with his role as a leader; Iceman coping as a class clown; Angel as a rich kid dealing with his more simple-minded peers; Jean Grey as a mind-reader unable to tell her own feelings; the Beast with his great intellect, trying to fix everything; and Xavier himself dealing with the fact that he's put these kids in danger.

We get appearances by Spider-Man and the Lizard as well as a conflict with Magneto’s Brotherhood, in addition to a solid A issue that explores Quicksilver’s over-protective nature with regard to his sister, Scarlet Witch.

9 X-AMINATIONS

This single issue, X-Factor vol 1 #87, shows you don’t need a major super-hero fight to tell a good X-Men story. The set-up is simple, as the government-sponsored team is sent to therapy by Doc Samson. However, writer Peter David and artist Larry Stroman use it to explore the issues of the gang. Havok is unsure of being in Cyclops’ shadow; Strong Guy reveals his constant joking is to hide the non-stop agony of his powers; Multiple Man unsure which of his numerous doubles is the “real” him; Wolfsbane worried over her feral nature; and Polaris obsessively convinced she’s somehow unattractive.

The highlight is a single page in which super-speedster Quicksilver explains why he’s such a jerk. Imagine being constantly stuck in line behind someone who can’t move at your speed and struggles with simple tasks. That’s his life every minute so no wonder he has an attitude. In this one issue, David beautifully won fans over, and showcased great character work, cementing his and Stroman's run a certified winner.

8 GIFTED

The idea of Joss Whedon taking over X-Men with artist John Cassaday in 2004 was a huge deal. It paid off as the beloved creator brought the team back to basics with comic booky costumes, but also matched them with a fine storyline. It debuts the idea of a mutant “cure” and the X-Men contemplating whether or not to let it exist or put a stop to it. They also tangle with Ord and the debut of the feisty Abigail Brand. The big moment is the return of the believed-dead Colossus who gets right back into the action as a returning member of the team.

The storyline works wonderfully with Cassaday’s artwork nothing short of gorgeous and truly cinematic. As he has with his numerous TV shows and movies, Whedon provides sparkling dialogue along with bold ideas like the argument over the mutant cure. The rest of his run was good but the opening six issues are Whedon, and the X-Men, at their best.

7 E IS FOR EXTINCTION

Xorn Frank Quitely

Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely embarked on a bold new era of X-Men in this 2001 storyline. The team switch to the leather suits they’d have for a while and are far more bold in public. That’s proven as Professor Xavier finally admits to the world he’s a mutant himself. The Beast is transformed into his “cat” look while the team are tougher in fights. The big villain is Cassandra Nova, Professor X's "twin," and a murderous madwoman who launches a Sentinel attack that devastates Genosha.

Morrison sets down subplots that will play over his run such as the idea mutants are going to overtake humanity in a few generations. His writing is sharp and matched by Quitely’s classic artwork ,making the stories shine. It was the start of one of the wildest creative runs in the book’s history and still one of the best from master storytellers.

6 MUTANT MASSACRE

The X-Men had always been about helping other mutants and keeping them safe. This 1986 storyline shocked readers out of their comfort zone and made things far more dangerous for mutants. The Morlocks had been established as a community of mutants who lived in the sewers of New York as outsiders. A group calling themselves the Marauders began brutally wiping out every Morlock they can find. The X-Men are on the move but even they suffer casualties in this battle.

It’s far worse for X-Factor as Angel suffers the character-defining injury that costs him his wings. Even Thor finds himself overcome by the twisted evil of the Marauders. That there’s seemingly no reason for them to do this makes it even worse. There’s also one of the most brutal Wolverine/Sabretooth battles ever put on the page. It forced the X-Men to accept a more dangerous world that would shake up the book for a while.

5 WOLVERINE MINI-SERIES

frank miller wolverine

While already a popular member of the team, this Claremont/Frank Miller mini-series is what turned Wolverine into a bonafide star. Logan journeys to Japan to track down his love, Mariko Yashida. He finds she’s forced into an abusive marriage by her criminal father and naturally wants to handle this his own way. Circumstances send Wolverine on a dark ride that involves the wild Yukio. He pulls himself back together to face off against Yashida in a fantastic duel.

The comic showcases Logan’s sense of honor and his battle against his animal side, which has dominated him for years. It also debuts Yukio, who would become a popular supporting character. The artwork is terrific and illustrates Wolverine as a fierce fighter and intellectual character. All in all, this is the perfect Wolverine story and helped boost him to greatness.

4 FROM THE ASHES

A fine sequel to the “Dark Phoenix Saga,” this work begins with Scott Summers meeting pilot Madelyne Pryor. Scott is rocked to find she’s a dead ringer for Jean Grey and a romance blossoms. The saga works in plot points like Wolverine’s ill-fated wedding and Rogue joining the team. The key to it all is Cyclops worried that Madelyne might be Jean reborn and thus the Phoenix could return as well. Claremont brilliantly plays with expectations before yanking the rug out.

The big finale indicates Phoenix is back but it’s all a sinister plot by another figure. It was meant to put Jean’s spirit to rest once and for all and ends with a nice wedding. While future stories would undo it with Jean returning and Madelyne going evil, this is still a fine follow-up to "The Dark Phoenix Saga."

3 AGE OF APOCALYPSE

X-Men during the Age of Apocalypse

The 1990s were a wild time for the X-Men with a lot of complex storylines. However, this event remains a terrific read. Professor X’s son, Legion, goes back in time to when Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr had been good friends. Legion intends to kill Magneto and spare the world all the pain he causes but ends up taking out Xavier instead. This creates a brand new timeline where Apocalypse comes to power and conquers North America. Humanity is hunted down and attacked while Magneto now leads the X-Men in a battle to save reality.

The story is amazing in how it transforms characters. Sabretooth and Exodus are X-Men while Cyclops, Havok and a monstrous Beast serve Apocalypse. Blink became a major breakout character. Other characters are more brutal while Magneto is a truly noble hero. The storylines can be dark with characters falling but offers a thrilling experience. The final battle is truly epic and brings it to a good close. While it’s been revisited a few times since, the original "AoA" remains one of the best epic crossovers Marvel has ever done .

2 DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

Days of Future Past

Just months after "The Dark Phoenix Saga," Claremont and Byrne topped themselves. The opening pages were unheard of for readers in 1980. In a ruined New York of 2014, an aged Kitty Pryde walks past a graveyard marked with the names of X-Men. She joins husband Colossus, Storm and a wheelchair-bound Magneto in a plan involving telepath Rachel. Kitty is sent back to warn her younger self. She tells the X-Men that the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is plotting to assassinate Senator Edward Kelly, a move that creates this nightmare future. Anti-mutant sentiment causes the Sentinels to take over the country and exterminate any "mutie" they can find while humanity is locked up into camps.

The story bounces back and forth between the present and the horrific future, as the X-Men try to stop the Brotherhood. Those future segments are gripping as even Wolverine falls to the Sentinels in a horrifying scene. While the X-Men are successful, they worry that this dark future can still come to be. It’s a concept the books have returned to numerous times yet the original two-issue arc was a storyline truly ahead of its time.

1 GOD LOVES, MAN KILLS

During the 1980s, Marvel put out a series of stand-alone graphic novels that allowed creators to do more daring stories. Few were more daring than this fantastic one-off tale. The X-Men find themselves targeted by William Stryker, a televangelist convinced mutants are an affront to God. He kidnaps Storm, Cyclops and Xavier, plotting to use Professor X to wipe out all mutants. His Purifiers are out to exterminate mutants, even children. When they take out a pair of youths, they earn the attention, and wrath, of one mutant in particular.

This leads to the then-stunning sight of the X-Men teaming up with Magneto. The story is gripping with Stryker a true zealot and brings up the major prejudice mutants face. The artwork by Brent Anderson makes it more gripping with some nightmarish sequences from Xavier brainwashed to Magneto torturing a Purifier. Perhaps the greatest horror is that Stryker is truly convinced he’s in the right with his terrible actions. It all ends on a somber note to showcase that the battle against bigotry is one the X-Men never stop fighting. It still holds up today as one of Chris Claremont’s greatest works -- even more so then "Dark Phoenix."