The X-Men film franchise has been producing blockbusters for the past two decades, and even with eleven X-Men related films under their belt, there are still so many iconic stories that have been untouched. There are plenty of stories featuring different incarnations of the team that show the diversity of the X-Men and their struggles.
While there has always been plenty of complications with moving the X-Men films along, from controversial directors, to infamous reshoots, to bad scripts and performances, with Marvel Studios finally securing the rights to the X-Men there is a new era for the mutants in movies incoming— and Kevin Feige should know that there are other plots to adapt other than the Dark Phoenix Saga.
10 The Mutant Massacre Was A Classic '80s Story
The "Mutant Massacre" was a storyline from the 1980s by Chris Claremont and Louise & Walter Simonson. The story featured the Marauders, a group of evil mutants attacking the underground community known as the Morlocks so that they could collect genetic research for their boss— Mr. Sinister. The fighting between the Marauders and the X-Men would become incredibly costly to both sides, and continue throughout the next few years as it became one of the lowest moments in X-Men history.
The Massacre brought a darker, grittier edge to the X-Men during the '80s, with the team taking significant losses including Angel having his wings badly damaged— which would lead to his revival as Archangel under Apocalypse— and Nightcrawler being left in a comatose state.
9 Onslaught Was The Combination Of Charles Xavier & Magneto
The Onslaught storyline from the 1990s brought to life the idea of a character that was a mix between the two most powerful mutant leaders: Charles Xavier and Magneto. After psychically attacking Magneto and leaving him in a catatonic state, the darkest aspect of Magneto's mind escaped into Xavier's mind, creating the psionic being known as Onslaught. Onslaught would grow into a separate persona of its own, forcing the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Avengers to join forces to defeat it.
The appeal to Onslaught back in the 1990s was the idea of an amalgamation of Professor Xavier and Magneto, an iconic duo that have always been central to the X-Men films. And while recent movie installations such as First Class and Days of Future Past have investigated their weighted friendship, the Onslaught story adds another layer to their relationship.
8 The Age Of Apocalypse Reimagined The Whole World
While the 2016 film X-Men: Apocalypse did introduce the incredibly powerful mutant known as Apocalypse to audiences, it did not draw from the huge crossover event from the 1990s: The Age of Apocalypse. When Charles Xavier is killed protecting Magneto, Apocalypse launches a conquest of Earth that completely changed the landscape of their society, where mutants became the ruling class and humans were killed off.
The Age of Apocalypse event was another instance of the X-Men's history of being involved in alternate timelines, and this dystopian universe could present a fun re-imagining of fan-favorite characters in a completely new context, while also re-contextualizing Apocalypse as one of the most prominent threats to the X-Men (which he has been for decades).
7 End Of Greys Was A Heartbreaking Massacre
While most are very familiar with Jean Grey, the host of the Phoenix Force, it is often forgotten that her daughter, Rachel Grey, is also a potential candidate to host the Force as a telepath and telekinetic. This was not overlooked by the S'hiar, however, as in 2006 a group of Death Commandos attacked Earth and wiped out the entire Grey lineage in 24 seconds— with Rachel as their last target— in order to prevent the return of the Phoenix. It was a terrible tragedy that forever changed Rachel's motivations.
The Phoenix Force has been central to not just one, but two different reincarnations of X-Men franchises. And while these stories have focused on the Dark Phoenix Saga, it's easy to forget that Jean Grey isn't the only telepath on Earth who is eligible to host the Phoenix. A story revolving around the Grey family and their connection to the Phoenix would add a layer of depth to previous films.
6 Avengers Vs. X-Men Pit Longtime Friends Against Each Other
While the story is fairly recent having just taken place in the 2010s, it was a landmark occasion when the Avengers and X-Men came to blows over the handling of the Phoenix Force, an incredibly sensitive issue for the X-Men. The resulting conflict pit friends against each other, with Cyclops becoming hell-bent on using the Phoenix to save mutantkind— which would lead to his descent into madness.
With the Avengers are already established, a film featuring both Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the X-Men would have the same kind of excitement as Avengers: Infinity War. As seen in previous MCU films, Marvel Studios is no stranger to creating conflict between heroes— and with the Phoenix Force being as high as the stakes can get, an adaptation of this story certainly has blockbuster potential.
5 Astonishing X-Men Brought The Team Back To Their Superhero Roots
Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's time on Astonishing X-Men still stands as one of the most iconic 21st century runs on an X-Men title. Their run transitioned the team from Grant Morrison's New X-Men era, and brought the return of the X-Men as international superheroes, while also leading the team into the post-M-Day era of mutantkind. The first story on the title, "Gifted," was the most influential, with the idea of a "cure" for mutant abilities being secretly created from the genetic material of dead mutants, before being released to the world.
While the "Gifted" storyline was partially adapted for X-Men: The Last Stand, the full context and severity of the storyline was left untouched in the movie, as so to incorporate the Dark Phoenix storyline. A different adaptation that stayed closer to the source material would greatly benefit the film franchise.
4 M-Day Almost Ended The Mutant Race
M Day has become one of the most recognized X-Men stories from the 2000s. After the Scarlet Witch had a mental breakdown and created the House of M reality, she decided that the problems within her family were due to Magneto's dedication to the mutant race. Then the Scarlet Witch said the words "No more mutants," and when the X-Men woke up, 1 million mutants had become depowered. This changed the landscape of the X-Men forever, nearly wiping out the mutant race completely.
With the Scarlet Witch's mental health and powers being questioned over the course of WandaVision, and with an appearance scheduled in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel film, it seems that Marvel Studios is taking the character in a direction similar to the comics. This makes it even more plausible that the Scarlet Witch might lose control of her powers and result in serious changes to the whole MCU.
3 The Genocide Of Genosha Was A Tragic Time In History
Genosha was the first major mutant population, and ruled under Magneto, became a fully functional civilization. That was until the first story under Grant Morrison's New X-Men run, "E for Extinction." The story introduced Cassandra Nova, the mental twin to Charles Xavier, who reactivated the Sentinel program and launched a full scale genocide of the nation of Genosha. The attack nearly wiped out the whole population, with 16.5 million mutants dying in the event— making it the largest attack on mutants ever.
While this storyline is definitely tragic and gruesome, it perfectly encapsulates the mutant struggle. Despite building a peaceful and successful nation, mutants constantly face adversary and threat of death. The story also humanizes long-time villains such as Magneto, who perished in the destruction trying to delay the collapse of the island so that his people could escape; and Emma Frost, who was one of the few survivors of the attack and would later go on to join the X-Men.
2 Utopia Marked A Brand New Era For Mutants
The "Utopia" storyline was another from the 2000s, which coincided with the Dark Reign event when Norman Osborn had become the most powerful man in America. Seeing the X-Men as a threat, Osborn tried to evict them from San Francisco by causing anti-mutant unrest in the city, enforcing his own team of "X-Men" on the people of San Francisco. This forced Cyclops to raise Asteroid M— the orbital space station that belonged to Magneto— and turn it into Utopia, the new home of the X-Men and all mutants.
While the X-Men only spent a few years away from the Xavier Institute in Westchester, their stint in San Francisco marked the first time the team had relocated their headquarters in decades. Especially with the decimated mutant population, a movie showcasing the extreme pressure the mutant community was under would cement the struggles of the X-Men in the 2000s.
1 Messiah Complex Was The Mutant Race's Final Hope
Messiah Complex was the beginning of an all-out war between the X-Men, the Purifiers, the Reavers, and the Marauders over the first mutant birth since M-Day. Believed to be an actual mutant messiah, the child was hunted by all three factions, with everyone wanting the child for their own purpose. Eventually the child was taken in by Cable, the time-travelling son of Cyclops, and brought to the future where they would both be safe.
While there have been many villains established in previous X-Men movies, the chaos and high stakes forced so many factions to come to blows over this mutant messiah. Any sort of film adaptation would be action-packed, and if they were able to convey the pressure of the situation, it would make for an incredibly thrilling ticking-clock situation.