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 keep chipping away at the Top 20!
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 tackle an Immortal, a psycho woman, and a woman who could kick your ass!
#16. Cannonball: After Messiah Complex, Sam Guthrie has gotten into a couple bar fights, kicked the crap out of the Young X-Men (who were misinformed that he was a member of the Hellfire Club), took down Magneto by disarming his magnetism suit, tackled Empath, and became an indecisive ham with the New Mutants. When he was recently informed by Magik that Moonstar and Karma had been abducted in New Mutants, he didn’t hesitate to re-establish the old team to look for his friends, but he hasn’t turned out to be the world’s best leader; discriminating against Dani Moonstar because of her lack of powers and acting like an all around poof. Seriously, despite being leader of the team and an Immortal (whatever that means nowadays), Cannonball has come across as very uncomfortable in his new leadership shoes…but he’s still incredibly powerful as you’ll read below.
Powers: Sam’s recent resume is less than exhilarating, but the reason why he gets such a high spot here is because of his power potential. Cannonball has the power to generate thermo-chemical energy and release it through his skin, propelling his body through the air at great speeds and with considerable maneuverability. As his powers have developed, he can now shoot this energy from practically any part of his body, not just his feet. You’re probably still wondering what’s so great about Sam, and here’s the hook- when Cannonball is ‘blasting’ he has meta-human durability and is virtually indestructible due to an energy field that forms over his body. He can even have this blast field encompass those within his immediate vicinity, and can even use it to absorb kinetic energy and then release it to propel him even further, increasing his power level. At his peak Sam has defeated the highly renowned Shi’Ar warrior, Gladiator, and that’s flat out bad ass!
First Appearance: Marvel Graphic Novel #4, 1982.
#15. Polaris: Lorna Dane is a walking whack job with the potential to destroy entire cities with the wave of her hand. Unfortunately for herself and the X-Men, she missed out on Messiah Complex as she was captured by the Emperor of the Shi’ar, Gabriel Summers. Yes, that’s Cyclops’ and Havok’s brother. She was tortured, but was eventually rescued by Havok and the Starjammers. She is currently appeared in the War of Kings event, by helping the Starjammers (whom she is now affiliated with) to pass through the Kree defensive shield due to her familial ties to Crystal, the Inhuman member. During WoK, she took part in besieging a Shi’ar ship, and along with the Starjammers, flew incognito amongst the Shi’ar fleet, rescuing the Guardians of the Galaxy! However, she has gone MIA in comics since the end of War of Kings and we X-fans are left wondering what the hell is up with that…and yes, Magneto is her father and Havok’s tapping it (much to the chagrin of my boy, Iceman).
Powers: Lorna has the power of Magnetic Field Manipulation, which allows her to manipulate magnetism, including electrical and gravitational fields. While she may not be as strong as her father yet (due to his having years on her perfecting the ability), Polaris can liquefy, mend, reconstruct metallic objects, and has at least some control over the metals that reside in everything- including the iron in a person’s blood. She can create metallic force fields that have the ability to suspend people or objects in the air, can fly by riding Earth’s magnetic field, and has electromagnetic sight which allows her to perceive the world solely as fields of magnetic and electrical energy. By focusing her magnetic energy, Polaris can cut loose with powerful concussive blasts, and even short circuit electrical systems, giving her the power to bring down entire star ships. In order to temporarily boost her own strength, Lorna can absorb some forms of energy through her magnetic force fields; energy like Cyclops’ eye beams, Havok’s energy beams, or Storm’s lightning blasts, giving her the power to launch an entire island into space! As a secondary mutation, Polaris absorbs negative emotional energy which transforms her into a virtual power house, granting her increased size, strength, endurance, and some invulnerability. She can even release this negative energy into her surrounding environment, causing people to act more selfish, angry, and violent. Hmmm… no wonder she’s such a nut case.
First Appearance: X-Men #49, 1968.
#14. Psylocke: Betsy Braddock sat out the entire Messiah Complex event due to her traveling the Omniverse with the New Exiles. There she evolved into the team leader and developed a romantic relationship with the Age of Apocalypse version of Sabretooth. Before she made her return to the 616 Universe, Betsy had to confront an assassin named Slaymaster who was killing every version of Psylocke in the known Multiverse. With much effort she took him down, and was then captured by Madelyne Pryor’s Sisterhood whose plan was to place Betsy’s mind back into her original re-animated body because it held great psychic potential. Thanks to a forceful energy blast in the face by Dazzler, Psylocke managed to break free of Pryor’s mind control, stabbing herself in the head with her own psychic knife. This resulted in Betsy fighting a psychic battle against her dark side in the realm of her mind. She kicked the shit out of her dark side, and is now back to normal, apparently more powerful than ever! I originally had her ranked a little higher, but her recent appearances in Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine Weapon X, and her own mini-series that bears her namesake, Psylocke, Betsy has proven that she’s a major force to be reckoned with!
Powers: Betsy is a telepath who can affect and manipulate the minds of other sentient beings. She can read minds, communicate mentally over long distances, can track people via her telepathy, and can mask her presence (and those around her) from others. She can project realistic illusions, induce temporary mental or physical paralysis, cause amnesia, and project herself onto the astral plane. Psylocke can generate her ever popular Psychic Knife which is the focused totality of her psychic powers. The knives are razor sharp blades jam packed with psychic energy, and when plunged into the skull of an opponent disrupts their neurons and can even kill. She has been known to wield a psychic katana as well (it holds the same power potential as the knives). Psylocke is immune to telepathic attacks, probes, and mutants who can warp or restructure reality (like Scarlet Witch or Lady Mastermind). She also possesses the ability of Telekinesis which allows her to psychically move and manipulate objects. Yeah, Betsy is bad ass.
First Appearance: Captain Britain (vol. 1) #8, 1976 (in the U.S., New Mutants Annual #2, 1986).
The mutant mayhem continues soon so stay tuned!
Andy Liegl
andy@comicattack.net
@Andy-You mean Gabriel Summers? lol. Betsy definitely deserves the ranking for sure. After her recent run in with that Jinn guy in Weapon X.
I’m glad you have Sam in the top 20, though I could’ve seen him a little higher.
@Billy Yep, I totally meant Gabriel Summers, not “Vulcan” Summers, lol. Consider it fixed. Glad to see you agree with Betsy’s spot!
@Eli Originally I had him at #13…but his character development has taken a step back I feel with this new New Mutants series. He’s coming off more flaky now as opposed to bad ass.
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these three I can agree with, but I’ve been wondering why are they (Marvel) scaling Cannonball back to what he used to be so many years ago instead of the leader he was on his way to being up unitl recently.
Glad to see you agree this time around Speech!
Yeah, I also don’t understand the change in Cannonball’s character and I don’t really like it either…
I think the immunities for Psylocke were thrown out when she was brought back during the Sisterhood arc. Not they they seemed to work consistently before that either.
Recently she was “warped” by Proteus in X-Men: Legacy.
I think you may be right about the telepathic immunities, but I’m not 100% sure.
Yes, she was manipulated in the Sisterhood arc, but I feel like that the body switch may have had something to do with it…I can’t recall off the top of my head in recent history if this thought has been expanded upon.
Polaris wasn’t a nutcase especially during the highly acclaimed Peter David run in X-Factor. turning her a little “nuts” to give her a bit more character seems a little lazy to me. granted, she broke up with Alex (and he fell in love with that nurse), but since they’re back together and hopefully there’s a wedding soon (man, was the last X-wedding Scott/Jean in 1993? Ororo and T’Challa don’t count).
Yeah, Ororo and T’Challa definitely don’t count because, well, he isn’t an X-Man.
And F Lorna being with Alex…she should be with my boy Bobby!
hahahahaha! Bobby is still too much of a prankster for Lorna’s tastes. and anyone who hooks up with Mystique is suspect in my book (yeah, you too, House of M Logan). i love Bobby free and single – so i can claim him for myself!! LOL
man, i also miss those cool X-Factor days where he and Hank used to ice slide around Manhattan collecting runaway mutants. cost the city lots of overtime money to pay sanitation workers.
lol about Bobby. Did you read the Nation X: X-Factor one-shot? There’re two hilarious panels with Bobby, Shatterstar, and Rictor. Ridiculous!
…you do know about X-Factor Forever, right?
: D
you mean this? ah, this!
yeah, now i know about X-Factor Forever 😛
i meant, this!
Ayo!