The X-Men and its affiliate groups are a team that prides themselves on their reliance on each other. Almost every adventure they have revolves around the lessons of teamwork and the ability to work together when times are rough. Professor X and Cyclops are constantly pushing group morale with regular training sessions in the Danger Room.
As much as they function well as a team, there are a number of teammates who function better on their own. Sure, they may recruit another person here and there for help, but when it comes down to it they are much better off getting the job done by themselves.
10 Cable
Without question, this man from the future is someone who has worked on his own on multiple occasions. His entire attitude and approach to his missions would definitely mark him as a leader, but his willingness to self-sacrifice for the sake of the team has come up on a number of occasions.
Aside from this, he is extremely powerful on his own. In some instances, he has fought and won against the entire X-Men with little effort, and once stood toe to toe with Silver Surfer. Of course, keeping this in mind, he's extremely different from more recent incarnations, showing him to be a bit more reliant on his teammates. His previous presentations have definitely illustrated a mutant that doesn’t need to rely on others to get things done.
9 Rogue
Very much isolated by her powers, Rogue is in some ways a bit of a loner. Being traumatized by her first experiences as a mutant, she’s often felt it was safer to keep her abilities away from others. In a slight contradiction, it’s also because of this that she has often found reasons to be in the presence of others.
Despite having an innate need for companionship, there’s no question that her abilities have put her far above other heroes. In many cases, she has single-handedly defeated extremely powerful characters with little to no effort.
8 Deadpool
Though he’s more of an honorary member serving as part of X-Force and occasionally working with some of the X-Men’s core members, Deadpool has proven many times that he is much better off working by himself. A lot of his missions are extremely deadly, and his recklessness isn’t always helpful to the team that he decides to work with.
Anyone he teams up with has had a pretty terrible time working with him. If there's any indication, he’s always been much better off when he doesn’t have to explain his jokes all the time.
7 Psylocke
It’s commonly known that the best ninjas always work alone. Betsy Braddock has a convoluted history that includes her acquiring the martial arts skills of the Japanese assassin Kwannon. Leaving her skills alone for a moment, there are a number of reasons why the best versions of herself would be when she’s on her own.
Psylocke has a dark personality that presents her as someone who would much rather work solo. She has found herself switching teams constantly, sometimes unwillingly, but also at times as a ploy to achieve her goals.
6 Gambit
Hailing from a past of violence and thievery, Gambit’s history shows many examples of why he is better off working by himself. Growing up a part of the Thieves Guild in New Orleans, he was raised learning to really on his own wit to pick pockets and to steal from some of the most highly secured facilities.
Some of his best adventures have happened when he was up to his own devices. His code of ethics and sly nature have made it easy for him to take the lead on his own choices when the need arises.
5 Bishop
Bishop is often illustrated as having to rely heavily on the X-Men to accomplish his missions. It can’t be argued, however, that his resolve to do whatever is necessary has meant that his opinions will sometimes isolate him from the rest of the team.
A perfect example of this is his determination at killing Hope Summers, realizing that her birth meant the torture and demise of many mutants in his version of the future. Chasing after her through different timelines, he eventually came to his own conclusion that she should be spared.
4 X-23
Being the sole surviving clone of Wolverine, Laura Kinney’s antics have left her as someone who relies very little on others. Laura has acted independently mostly as a reflex to protect those she cares about.
She has made no hesitation at harming anyone to protect those close to her. Most of her actions, aside from team missions, seem to be driven by a high level of autonomy that is very similar to her genetic father.
3 Storm
Even though through most of her history she has functioned as a key member of the X-Men, Ororo Munroe is far from being in need of her teammates. She is extremely strong-willed and is extremely powerful both in her abilities and in her personality.
She has often sought to be solitary through several scenarios. Taking time in several scenarios to help people on her own, she is definitely capable of doing things in her own direction.
2 Domino
One of the luckiest mutants in existence, Domino has actually worked with both the X-men and X-Force. As a valuable teammate in both instances, she has used many of her skills with much effect. This doesn’t change the fact that for a large stretch of time, she was actually at her best when she worked solo.
With her ability working in her favor, she has found herself extremely capable on her own assignments. She’s had multiple series that detail her adventures and show the full extent of what she can do without the supervision of a team.
1 Wolverine
As the ultimate X-Man, Logan has lived most of his life fighting on his own. Realizing that many of his adventures may be too violent for most of the team and their morals, Wolverine has not hesitated to break away from the group when he needs to.
It’s often when he needs to become extremely violent that he tends to separate from the group. However, he has shown that he is very capable of tracking down or subduing anyone he needs to, especially when he isn’t tied down by the obligation of teamwork.