The X-Men constitute one of the most iconic franchises of the world, providing fans an opportunity to explore identity through flashy superheroics and soap-operatic drama. The mutants and their metaphor are an important part of today's culture, but the idea of "X-Men comics" usually conjures up ideas of confusing, labyrinthine story-telling.

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To read every piece of mutant media would be a difficult task for anyone, but there are some crucial stories anyone with an interest in the X-Men franchise should read. From the Silver Age to the 2020s, the X-Men have a story for everyone.

10 "The Dark Phoenix Saga" Is Iconic

Cyclops and Jean Grey desperately fight side by side in Marvel Comics

If there's an X-Men story that most people have heard of, it's likely "The Dark Phoenix Saga." Written by Chris Claremont and drawn by John Byrne, "The Dark Phoenix Saga" is an epic opera of love, found family, and a space Roman Empire run by bird-people. Many have attempted adapting the work, but there's no substitute for the original.

Found in the pages of Uncanny X-Men #129-138, the "Saga" is the story of Jean Grey, a woman with telepathic ability who finds herself connected to the mysterious cosmic entity, the Phoenix. As she dances with the temptation of its power, the heroic X-Men, the aristocratic Hellfire Club, and the space-faring Shi'ar Empire enter a collision course to determine the fate of the universe.

9 "House Of X/Powers Of X" Reinvented The Franchise

House of X/Powers of X, depicting Professor X, Magneto and Jean Gray walking through a Krakoa Gate.

One of the most recent additions to the X-Men canon, writer Jonathan Hickman's House of X/Powers of X cemented itself as an instant classic. Hickman and artists Pepe Larraz, R.B. Silva and Marte Gracia weave an intricate story of the past, present, and future of the mutant race.

Over the twelve issues, Hickman offers two parallel narratives: a present-day tale of the founding of mutant nation-state Krakoa and a far-flung future tale of mutantkind's last gasp against the robotic Sentinels. The two are connected by longtime X-Men ally Moira MacTaggert, whose unique circumstances allow her to help the X-Men, the Brotherhood of Mutants, and every other X-character chart a bold new future.

8 "Days Of Future Past" Set The Pace For Time-Travel Stories

Wolverine protects Kate Pryde in Marvel's X-Men: Days of Futures Past.

Another Claremont gem, "Days of Future Past" is a short storyline that has had wide-reaching affects on not only the X-Men, but fantastical fiction in general. Often abbreviated to DOFP, the story sees an elder version of X-Man Kitty Pryde travel back in time to prevent a future in which robots rule humanity.

Taking place in Uncanny X-Men #141-142, Claremont works with frequent artistic collaborators John Byrne and Terry Austin. The storyline features the X-Men at their best as they fight the Brotherhood of Mutants to save a man who hates and fears them and prevent future Pryde's horrible future from coming to pass.

7 "Giant-Size X-Men #1" Brought The X-Men Into The Modern Era

Giant-Size X-Men Cockrum Wein Colossus Storm Wolverine Nightcrawler Cyclops

The story that kicked off the revitalization of Marvel's Merry Mutants, Giant-Size X-Men #1 serves as an exemplary introduction to the franchise to this day. Drawn by Dave Cockrum and written by Len Wein (with uncredited co-plotting by Chris Claremont), the single-issue story establishes the X-Men as a diverse, world-spanning team.

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The story itself features the X-Men of the Silver Age captured by Krakoa, the Island That Walks Like A Man. Professor X and Cyclops recruit a new team to save their fellows, introducing characters like Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Storm as the new face of mutantdom.

6 "The Demon Bear Saga" Is The Ultimate Superhero Horror Story

The Demon Bear attacks the New Mutants.

Part of the X-Men's appeal is the vastness of the universe they inhabit, something exemplified by the franchise's legion of subteams. The New Mutants were the first, a group of teenagers brought to the Xavier Institute to control their powers. Found in issues 18-20 of The New Mutants, "The Demon Bear Saga" is what happens when one member's past tracks the team down.

Written by Chris Claremont and rendered in exquisite surrealism by Bill Sienkiewicz, "The Demon Bear Saga" sees New Mutant Dani Moonstar attempt to kill the supernatural Demon Bear that slew her parents. As the teens are dragged into Moonstar's waking nightmare, Claremont and Sienkiewicz change the nature of superheroes and horror comics.

5 "Fatal Attractions" Is Peak 90s X-Men

Uncanny X-Men 304 Fatal Attractions

The X-Men hit the peak of their popularity in the 90s, starring in a hit TV show, launching comic book careers, and having one issue become the best-selling comic of all-time. It was also an era of extremity, full of bladed costumes, superbad villains, and epic showdowns. The crossover event "Fatal Attractions" is the prime example of those elements.

Written mainly by Fabian Nicieza and Scott Lobdell, "Fatal Attractions" sees the return of a freshly-diabolical Magneto and his attempts to conquer Earth. Spanning every single X-book at the time, artists like John Romita Jr and Adam Kubert make this book the epitome of 90s X-Men.

4 "The Apocalypse Solution" Is Darkly Fascinating

Uncanny X-Force cover with Wolverine, Psylocke, and Deadpool

The mutants of the X-Men are marvelously mutable, finding adaptability to any genre. Writer Rick Remender and artist Jerome Opeña use that to their advantage in "The Apocalypse Solution," a story featuring the black-ops mutant team known as X-Force.

Taking place in Uncanny X-Force #1-4, "The Apocalypse Solution" sees Wolverine form a secret X-Men team of characters like Deadpool and Psylocke to destroy threats to mutantkind before they appear. However, the first threat found is a child version of the supervillain Apocalypse. Fusing the question of "would you kill baby Hitler" with explosive science fiction, "The Apocalypse Solution" offers a darker take on the world of mutant superheroics.

3 Alan Davis's Excalibur Is Pure Fun

Alan Davis Excalibur 1 Cover

While X-Men can be gloomy and dark, it can just as easily be silly. Alan Davis's Excalibur is a light, goofy romp featuring a group of mutants and their allies who go on wacky yet heartfelt multiversal adventures. Continuing from his work penciling and co-plotting the series with Chris Claremont, Davis took Excalibur to new heights in his solo run.

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Featuring characters like Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde, and Rachel Summers, Davis's penciling and writing pair better than peanut butter and chocolate. His witty dialogue matches his fantastic figure drawing, while his plots tie old loose plot threads together in a way that's easy for new readers to understand, satisfying to longtime readers, and features some of the best (subtextual) queer relationships in comics.

2 Peter David And Larry Stroman's "X-Factor" Created Fan-Favorites Out Of Nobodies

Larry Stroman Peter David X-Factor 71 Cover Strong Guy Polaris

In their 60-year history, the X-Men have spawned hundreds of characters. However, not every character is Wolverine. Many are forgotten — at least until the right creative team comes along to save them. Writer Peter David and artist Larry Stroman rescued more than a few characters in the beginning of their legendary X-Factor run.

From issue 71-75, David and Stroman reintroduced characters like Multiple Man and Polaris as members of a government-sponsored team of mutants. The duo offered dynamic characterizations and storylines alongside cheeky pop-culture references, making these once-forgotten characters into bona fide fan favorites.

1 "God Loves, Man Kills" Explains The Importance Of The Mutant Metaphor

Marvel Comics' X-Men God Loves Man Kills Cover by Brent Anderson

The mutant metaphor is crucial to the X-Men franchise, serving as a way to explore themes of race, sexuality, gender, and general identity. While never a perfect device, the metaphor is important as it explores the relationships of minority groups to a society that doesn't understand or love them in an easily-digestible way.

"God Loves, Man Kills" is perhaps the X-Men's best exploration of its central metaphor, placing the X-Men and Magneto against an evangelical preacher calling for mutant extermination. Written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Brent Anderson, the story explores just how far society can go when nobody stands up for the marginalized and emphasizes the importance of doing so.