Summary

• X-Men has a long history, full of exciting stories and iconic characters that have captivated fans for decades.
• From Reign of X to E is for Extinction, the X-Men series has some of the most compelling storylines, with intense moral dilemmas and unforgettable character arcs.
• Days of Future Past, Dark Phoenix Saga, and Giant-Size X-Men #1 are must-reads for any fan, new or old, that define the X-Men legacy.

The X-Men franchise ranks among the richest and well-celebrated in the history of Marvel. Dating back to 1963, X-Men is one of Marvel's oldest properties, but also one of the most beloved and consistent from a storytelling perspective. That's especially impressive considering that until the Krakoa Era, X-Men has maintained largely the same status quo for several decades, yet the stories remained gripping for audiences.

Every true X-fan has their favorite comics and storylines from the franchise, but with so many to choose from, it becomes difficult to rank the all-time best. By proxy, newer X-fans may want a starting point for the best stories to peruse through in order to better familiarize themselves with the franchise. This list hopes to do both by ranking the very best storylines and comics that the X-Men franchise has to offer to loyalists of the franchise and beginners looking to dive into the best ones.

15 Reign of X (2020)

by Several Writers and Artists (including Gerry Duggan, Pepe Larraz, Zeb Wells, etc.)

X of Swords and Krakoa's overall introduction - defined under the Dawn of X title - would be followed up by Reign of X, in which multiple X-books were impacted by the conclusion of X of Swords. With Krakoa stronger than ever, the heralds of the island set their sights on outer space. Meanwhile, the concept of the Hellfire Gala would be introduced in this arc, which simultaneously provide readers with a fun costumed event for the heroes, allow the mutants to put on a public spectacle, and set the stage for what years later would be the X-Men's greatest tragedy.

With the new status quo fully cemented, this allowed creative teams to start exploring the dark repercussions of that new status quo, particularly when it comes to how the mutants utilize their resurrection pool and the moral gray area it provided. It makes for an utterly complex read that is not only layered, but forces readers to question the morality of their favorite characters.

14 The Trial of Magneto

Uncanny X-Men #200 by Chris Claremont and John Romita Jr.

For this special double-size issue, it seems natural to celebrate the franchise by finally condemning Magneto for his crimes. However, rather than being a case of a supervillain getting his just desserts, it's a case of offering sympathy to a character who had been painted as a devil. Audiences get an unexpectedly somber, empathetic portrayal of a classic villain that practically would go on to define how Magnus would continue to be depicted in X-stories for years to come.

Not only that, but this proves to be a major turning point for both the character and the franchise, as the X-Men's long hated rival becomes their leader at the story's conclusion. It is a must-read story for any fan of Magneto.

13 Gifted

Astonishing X-Men #1-6 by Joss Whedon and John Cassady

While marking the start of the much celebrated Astonishing X-Men comic series, the "Gifted" arc also introduces a mutant cure that would offer inspiration for X-Men: The Last Stand. Yes, the third entry in the FOX trilogy isn't exactly the most celebrated of X-Men content. Still, it speaks to how celebrated the Astonishing storyline was knowing how it was so quick to influence the movie content for the big screen.

Truly a great way to kickoff a new revamp for the X-Men franchise, and as strong as the rest of the series holds up, this may still stand tall as the very best arc of the series.

12 Fall of the Mutants (1988)

by Chris Claremont, Louise Simonson, Marc Silvestri, Walter Simonson, and Bret Blevins

Fall of the Mutants was utterly ambitious for its time as it was a story told through three different X-books at the time. The books never intertwined with each other, but were interconnected in showing how one overarching plot can affect all three books at once, which has become the norm in how Marvel tells stories through all of its X-books today.

Another caveat to this storyline is how it effectively foreshadowed the events of Days of Future Past, another pivotal X-story. An all-time great storyline set the stage for another all-time great. It introduces the idea of the Mutant Registration Act and its consequences, all while the X-Men search for their de-powered leader, Storm. Storm herself, meanwhile, searches for a means to get her powers back. Miraculously, each of these weighty subplots have equal time to shine.

11 Inferno (1989)

The '80s Original that Pre-Dates Hickman's Modern Classic

The Jonathan Hickman story arc of the same name deserves its own props, but its name and influence was bridged by the 1989-1990 version of Inferno. Just when Cyclops had seemingly had his happy ending with seemingly mild-mannered Madelyn Pryor and his newborn Nathan, Cyclops is quick to spring back into heroism once he learns Jean Grey is alive. Heading into Inferno, Madelyn's life becomes all the more tragic once she has her son stripped from her and her desperation to get him back eventually leads her down a path into being manipulated into becoming the Goblin Queen. Even worse, she discovers she was a clone of Jean Grey created by Mister Sinister.

And that's just one of the many subplots that the original Inferno has to offer! Inferno is mutant melodrama at its finest and with each ing page, it becomes harder to want to put the book down.

10 Schism

by Jason Aaron

The five-part limited series is a good reflection of the tension that surfaced across the mutant community in the wake of House of M. Rational characters suddenly become irrational and desperate, while the most unexpected of characters are forced to pick up responsibilities they never wanted. The tension rests at the center of a conflict between Cyclops and Wolverine, forcing other mutants to take sides. Both men have conflicting ideas on how to salvage the mutant race, and readers are on the edge of their seats, struggling to pick a side themselves between their favorite characters.

On paper, it's an excuse to get two central leaders of the X-Men to duke it out following years of dormant frustrations, but it also serves as a reflection of the changing times ahead of the proceeding status quo shift to come.

9 The Brood Saga

Uncanny X-Men #161-167

The X-Men franchise has always been rooted in science fiction, but this storyline allowed the franchise to truly deep dive into the franchise for the first time. Without this story arc, the franchise likely would not have had the opportunity to purge into the kind of sci-fi weirdness seen during the Krakoa Era. At the very least, the transition and full commitment into that genre would have never felt as natural as it did without the introduction of the Brood alien race.

At the time, it truly felt like a way to freshen up the franchise, and now, it fits right at home with the rest of the sci-fi content in the X-vault.

8 Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975)

by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum

Most of these entries are comprised of story arcs spanning multiple issues and tie-in comics, but this is the only singular comic one-shot on the list - and with good reason. X-Men as a franchise has existed for several decades, but in of the biggest influence on modern storylines for both the comics and the onscreen adaptations, readers need look no further than Giant-Size X-Men #1.

For new fans, this is the perfect introduction to what the modern depiction of the X-Men is all about, and for fans of old, it's the best way to trace back the very beginnings of what modern X-Men looks like. The team incorporates new who would become permanent fixtures of the roster - namely Nightcrawler, Colossus, and especially Storm - and infuse them with the original team of old, offering the best of both worlds for new and returning readers.

7 God Loves, Man Kills (1982)

by Chris Claremont and Brent Eric Anderson

God Loves, Man Kills is best recognized for its reputation as the primary source material for X2: X-Men United, but the graphic novel is far more than just a source of inspiration for a major motion picture. In fact, it's easy to see why FOX was so keen on adapting a story like this for the screen. God Loves, Man Kills is perhaps the best showcase of X-Men's biggest themes within its mutant allegory.

Similar to the movie, the story revolves around Magneto ing forces with the X-Men to overt William Stryker's plans to manipulate Professor X's psychic powers into a weapon against mutantkind. Stryker questioning Nightcrawler's humanity has become one of X-Men's most iconic s. Like the story as a whole, the is perfectly indicative into the franchise's ultimate message, finding humanity at the root of everyone regardless of their power, genes, or the color of their skin.

6 E is for Extinction (2001)

by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely

"E is for Extinction" represents the opening of Grant Morrison's run on X-Men, which some would argue to be the greatest run by a writer for the franchise since Chris Claremont's groundbreaking time with the series. Morrison's run kicks off with a bang through the swift introduction of Charles Xavier's evil twin, Cassandra Nova.

Nova makes an immediate impact by calling for the end of mutanthood in her first s, then attempting to cause their extinction with the destruction of Genosha in the very next issue, leading to the genocide of millions. The genocide of Genosha was directly adapted into X-Men '97, highlighting just how much these happenings shook readers to their core, if Disney decided to directly duplicate it. From this storyline alone, it's easy to see why so many praise Morrison as one of the best to ever write for the franchise.