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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 make it to right before the Top 10!

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! Today we cover the top three characters who just missed ranking amongst the best of the best!

#13. The Stepford Cuckoos: The test tube daughters of Emma Frost: Celeste, Mindee, and Phoebe Cuckoo played a very important role in Messiah Complex. While they may not have been on the front lines kicking ass, the twin sisters were the ones to discover the location of Cable who was in possession of the Messiah Child and everyone now knows the significance of this discovery. Then, at the request of Cyclops, the sisters erased Elixir’s memories of his time spent aiding X-Force in order to not corrupt his innocent mind. Of course this didn’t really matter as he ended up joining the team anyway. The girls helped Emma Frost take down the Skrull mental blockade during Secret Invasion, keeping their mentor alive despite her psyche’s brief absence from her body. For the first time ever, the girls have truly begun to develop their own personalities, dressing as individuals (although not in this picture) and getting over the losses of their two sisters, Esme and Sophie. More recently they have taken up the role of being Utopia’s resident psychics, never straying far from the mutant locating/connecting machine, Cerebra.

Powers: Like their mother, the girls can turn into organic diamond, but the power they use most often is that of telepathy. They’re almost always in telepathic communication with each other and have the ability to combine their minds into one incredibly powerful super-mind. As telepaths they can read minds, project their thoughts onto others, create realistic illusions, have people think they are experiencing events that aren’t really happening, and form a mental link with practically any individual. The girls also have the power of mind control (but can only target one mind at a time- and they have to physically be in it’s presence), mind possession (where the girls can use a person’s mind and body as their own), mind alteration, and can induce mental or physical paralysis. If they wish to remain undetected they can mask their presence (and those around them) from detection or even alter their appearance by telepathically disguising themselves. Sentient beings have a difficult time hiding from the Cuckoos as they can detect or sense them, and even cause amnesia (like what they did to Elixir). As another offensive, the sisters can project psionic force bolts that affect a victim’s mind, causing pain or unconsciousness. When in their diamond form, the Cuckoos cannot give or receive telepathic attacks, nor do they need to eat or drink for some time. Unlike Emma, their diamond form is completely flawless meaning that they are totally impervious when using this power. Also unlike their mother, they can transform selective parts of their bodies into a perpetual diamond state. The Cuckoos have done this to their hearts, and as a result they can never feel emotions again. The girls are proven leaders and are trusted (and able) to use Cerebra. In Phoenix Warsong, a fragment of the Phoenix Force bonded with each of the sisters, but in the recent issue of Uncanny X-Men #517 the Phoenix Force left the girls and took to space, its whereabouts unknown…

First Appearance: New X-Men #118, 2001.

#12. Havok: I used to despise Havok. I downright hated him for how he treated my boy Iceman by being the catalyst for Bobby’s romantic relationships with Lorna Dane and nurse Annie Ghazikhanian coming to a dramatic halt. He’s a total dick head, but since he’s embarked on his crusade to kill his brother Vulcan, it’s difficult not to be a fan of Alex Summers. The guy is almost as loony tunes as his lover Polaris, and is so fueled with rage, hate, anger, and destruction towards his brother that he’s willing to kill whomever stands in his way in order to eliminate him. In X-Men: Kingbreaker Vulcan was holding Alex prisoner 20 miles below a faraway planet’s surface, underwater, and far from any star or solar energy which prevented him from using his powers. He broke out though, fueled with his burning desire for vengeance against Vulcan for killing their father (Corsair, the former captain of the Starjammer) and for imprisoning his fellow Starjammers and Polaris. The dude is crazy. Unfortunately, since the conclusion of War of Kings roughly three months ago Havok (and the other X-Men that were temporary Starjammers) hasn’t made any appearances. What’s up with that?

Powers: Havok has the power of Ambient Energy Conversion with which he absorbs ambient cosmic energy (and even local energies from his environment like starlight, x-rays, and gamma radiation) into the cells of his body and changes it into plasma. Sometimes this energy intake is too much for him to handle on his own, so his costume serves as a containment suit, helping Alex control how much energy he releases at any given time. However, if he reaches his capacity for cosmic energy, the excess is immediately released after absorption. When all of his available energy is used, it takes Havok 16.5 hours to recharge to his peak level. His plasma blasts are usually released in a concentric circular pattern and can disintegrate objects, have concussive force, and give him the ability to fly. Alex is immune to most forms of heat and radiation, and if he were to release his cosmic energy for an extended period of time, it becomes physically taxing on him.

First Appearance: X-Men #54, 1969.

#11. Captain Britain: Brian Braddock played no role in Messiah Complex, but during Secret Invasion he was fighting the Skrulls on the British front alongside Pete Wisdom, the Black Knight, Spitfire, and others, calling themselves the MI-13. When the Skrulls launched a missile aiming to destroy Earth’s access to magic, Brian attempted to divert it but was killed in its explosion. He was resurrected (again) by Merlyn, and taking hold of the sword Excalibur, he kicked the crap out of a bunch of Skrulls in London. Ultimately, a deal with Pete Wisdom and the forces of Dark Magic rid England of the Skrulls, and Captain Britain came to the realization that his post-resurrection power set is virtually limitless. Even though he could easily take out all of the enemies to Great Britain with sheer brute strength, Brian has made a vow (and committed his teammates to it as well) that the members of MI-13 will not kill. Even so, he and his team were able to repel Dracula and his ferocious vampire army in an all out brawl in space. At its conclusion, Brian and Meggan were reunited as lovers, but we have yet to see either character since the canceling of the Captain Britain and MI-13 series back in the summer of 2009. Still, given how much ass he kicked in the battle against Dracula and his new power set (explained below) Captain Britain is a force to be reckoned with.

Powers: Unlike his sister Betsy, Brian is not a mutant but is powered by inter-dimensional energies concentrated around the British Isles in our world and in other dimensions. If he moves too far away from the field, the result will be an eventual power loss so he wears a suit which counteracts this effect. So in theory, his costume works as both an antenna and a battery which retain his powers wherever he goes. His powers used to be granted to him via the Amulet of Right which he wore around his neck and a Star Scepter (which enabled him to fly), but the wizard Merlyn removed the power from these tools and placed it all into his suit. Shortly after doing this, Brian was killed… go figure. So Merlyn resurrected him (this was the first time) by remaking his body and having his powers be more innate by enabling the suit to serve as more of an amplifier to his powers as opposed to their source. Currently, Brian’s power levels are based on his own confidence (similar to those of his lover, Meggan), so the more he believes in himself and his actions the more powerful he becomes. The reverse, of course, is also true. Therefore his power limits are unknown at the moment, but we do know that he possesses super strength, enhanced stamina, agility, reflexes, senses, and durability (his body is surrounded by a force field emitted from the suit that prevents practically anything except gasses from passing through). Captain Britain’s flight speed peaks at the speed of sound (77o mph).

First Appearance: Captain Britain #1, 1976.

Next time: The Top 10 countdown begins!

Andy Liegl
andy@comicattack.net