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Hey there Comic Attackers! If you’re like me you can never get enough of the X-Men. Yet, there are so many mutants out there that they’ve become incredibly hard to keep track of, let alone stay up to date on what their current power levels are. That’s why I have taken up the task to power rank all of the active X-Men post Messiah Complex from the very least to the top beast! There are 75 mutants in all to rank and today we get familial with the Rasputin’s and the Summers’!

So what are power rankings? Mostly used to rank sports teams on how well they are playing now, my power rankings are a list of X-Men based on what their power set is in current continuity (or most recent appearance). Other factors that determined a character’s ranking are: what their power potential is, what they’ve already proven they can do (so long as it is still relevant in current continuity), and their over all level of badassness. If you disagree with me that’s totally cool- please feel free to call me out and explain what your reasoning is. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, and while I believe this list to be very solid in it’s numbering, I’m interested to hear what you have to say! So lets meet Illyana, Rachel and Piotr!

#23. Magik: Illyana is a difficult character to rank because the current incarnation of her isn’t technically even human. Essentially, she is a living embodiment of the lingering essence and memories that the original Illyana left behind in Limbo reformed via a spell cast by Belasco. Got that? When she first returned as a result of this spell, it was in the form of Darkchylde (a power hungry demon), not the cute lovable Illyana Rasputin. However, she is still treated by everyone as if she were the original. Her character was a power house in the X-Infernus story line (commanding armies of Demons in an attempt to find the Bloodstone Amulet which contains a piece of her soul), and her current appearances in the new series New Mutants have only reinforced this. Her current M.O. is to regain her soul and at the request of Cyclops and her brother Colossus, she has decided to remain with the New Mutants for the time being. Certain hints have been dropped that something big is in store for Magik in the very near future… (Special thanks to my buddies over at Comic Collector Live for the assist on this one!)

Powers: Illyana can mentally control Stepping Discs which allow her to teleport from one location to another. Since these Discs are a part of Limbo, she must stop there as a midpoint between her first location and the destined endpoint. She has used this ability to travel continents and even as far as interplanetary and intergalactic distances on occasion. She can also use this ability to travel through time. Magik is the Sorceress Supreme in Limbo, being all powerful there and having control of a unique blend of black and white magic. While outside of Limbo, however, her power is severely limited as Illyana is only able to cast simple spells. While on Earth Magik has mystical armor that forms upon her the more she uses her magical powers, and she can detect the presence of mystical beings and objects, summon a soulsword, and has psionic shields which protect her from psychic attacks. The drawbacks to Illyana’s magical powers are that the more she uses them apart from Limbo, the more she begins to look like a demon, sprouting horns, a tail, etc. Also, whenever she employs the use of dark magic she runs the risk of spontaneously changing into Darkchylde.

First Appearance: Giant Size X-Men #1, 1975.

#22. Marvel Girl: If these rankings were done before the mini series X-Men: King Breaker ended, Rachel Summers from Earth 811 would easily be in the top 10. However, at the end of that story the Phoenix Force left her for some unexplained reason (like it did Korvus’ sword). Now Rachel only has her TK powers and is the most vulnerable she has been in recent history. Sure these powers are still formidable, but having relied on a legendary force for so long has knocked her back a bit here. Tough luck for the child of Jean Grey and Scott Summers. To boot, we haven’t seen much of her lately which makes her powers difficult to gauge at this point. Although I sincerely believe that Hope is Earth 616’s version of Rachel Summers!

Powers: Currently traveling with the remnants of the Star Jammers’ crew plus Havok, Polaris, and Korvus, Rachel possesses only her natural mutant powers of Telepathy and Telekinesis. With telepathy Rachel can read minds, project her thoughts onto others, cloak her presence (and those around her) from detection, control the minds of others and alter their personalities, create a psychic shield, and create realistic illusions. Her telepathy also allows her to paralyze, release psionic force blasts that result in an opponent going brain-dead, cause amnesia, project an astral version of herself, transfer her mind from one body to another (even in the event of death), and feel the presence of other mutants. Wowza! With telekinesis Rachel can manipulate matter with her thoughts, create force fields, and fire psionic blasts. She can also fly. Marvel Girl has the power to levitate entire cities and even create black holes, and as if this weren’t enough, she can time travel and go back and forth between the astral plane. Despite all of these powers though, Rachel is shockingly weak against magic.

First Appearance: X-Men #141, 1981.

#21. Colossus: You’re most likely wondering how Piotr Rasputin could be ranked so high given that he’s playing more of a supporting role as of late, but come on; the dude survived from injecting the Legacy Virus into himself! And that my friends, is bad ass. Since returning from the ‘dead’ in Astonishing X-Men #4, Colossus has developed a much more brooding personality than before. Post Messiah Complex he was a forgettable member of The Last Defenders, appearing in the mini series for a couple issues. Recently though, Piotr was seen in the X-Infernus mini-series as part of the team that Pixie teleported to Limbo in search of his sister, Illyana. There he is seen savagely beating the crap out of any demon that gets in his way. Colossus was so brutal in the battle that even his own teammates were shocked at how relentlessly he pummeled the demons. It should come as no surprise as to why he was so ruthless; Piotr had recently lost his love, Kitty Pryde, who is in a gigantic bullet floating somewhere in space, so he sure as shit wasn’t about to lose his little sister (again)! Then in the Utopia story Colossus  stood toe-to-toe with Spider-Man of the Dark Avengers (who is really Mac Gargan with the Venom symbiote), and in Uncanny X-Men #517 he took it to a Predator X alongside his teammates. In short, Colossus has emerged as a powerhouse for the X-Men which is satisfying to see.

Powers: Piotr has the ability to change his body into Organic Steel. The transformation into the armored state is practically instantaneous, and he can stay that way until he consciously decides to change or gets knocked out. He cannot use this ability to partially or selectively transform his bod to steel – it’s an all or nothing type of thing. Obviously while in his steel form Colossus has enhanced strength which lets him lift at least 100 tons, and has enhanced stamina and durability. While steel, he still conducts electricity (but does not feel the effects of it), can go without food, water, or air for many days (although eventually his body would require these things), and can survive between -390 degrees and 9000 degrees Fahrenheit. Plus he’s one hell of an artist!

First Appearance: Giant Size X-Men #1, 1975.

Andy Liegl
andy@comicattack.net