Which of the Xmen is your favorite and why?

Mine is Wolverine because of his healing factor. It is his greatest asset as it has saved him from death on several occasions but his greatest weakness too, as he has to live through the ages watching his close friends die.

Gambit because he wasn't a boy scout like Cyclops or a brooding sourpuss like Logan on the X-Men cartoon in the 90s

oh man, had to think about this pretty hard.....

First time I saw them as a kid it was Angel, when I got older and thougt tough was cool it was Wolverine or Colossus, but now after reading comics for so long I would have to say that my favorite is... Mimic

......Just one of those characters that for some reason i couldnt help but be interested in. even if his x-men history started with him being a tool. Might have been from me loving the super-skrull and thinking that Mimic was sort of a super-skrull with x-men powers?

His alternate reality Exile version was great too.

Ok this one is pretty impossible for me, i like way too man of them back in the day I loved Night Crawler and i would always use him as my go to favorite, but that was mainly cause of his powers and the whole contrast of his image and personality it worked very well. I think ive learned to love alot more since then though, I am going to pick one that may not be my absolute favorite but i doubt anyone else says

Cannonball!!! His power is just absolutely awesome in my opinion, his story was always interesting to me and just honestly hes not from the deep south like me (more midwest) but about the closest thing to it from a male character in comics so i related to him a bit lol

Cyclops- He's not the bland boyscout anymore and hasn't been for awhile. He isn't cookie-cutter anymore. I like how tactical they make the character, showing his growth and talent from a little kid. Cykes has had a plan to get through so many obstacles and I really don't mind the revolutionary idea. He seems to have toned down the cold attitude and become more attentive to his friends too while focusing on his goal. And plus his power, albeit simple in theory, is pretty cool and he is extremely underrated as far as power goes. From blasting through mountains, to ricocheting blasts off of demonic cars. Cykes cool. And I enjoy seeing his growth from when he was a teen, regardless if I think there could be a much better position for him.

@novauniverse: this might be the hardest question I've ever tried to answer on here, because I love so many of the characters so much.

But if I had to pick one all time favorite character that most spoke to me, it would be Nightcrawler.

He always seemed like the character who had been treated the crappiest for being different, and yet still had the most optimistic and sympathetic outlook. He seemed to be the most morally motivated and idealistic, and was always questioning what was truly right in both the actions of his teammates and himself.

Though I don't believe in religion myself, I even admired his dedication to his faith, because for him, it really was about doing the right thing: treating people fairly and not judging others for having their own point of view. As a character who grew up travelling a world where the law was, as often as not, not on his side, he saw that the only rule worth a damn was the one you applied to yourself: one should treat others as one would like others to treat one's self.

Even my love for a lot of my other favorite characters stems from their relationship with Nightcrawler. I love the Wolverine for how he taught him not to be afraid of being different or care if other people had a problem with him. I love Kitty for the way she stood up to people bullying him, even though she herself had been afraid of him at first. I loved Colossus for how he admired and looked up to him, even when Nightcrawller himself was insecure and full of doubt. In many ways, he was the impetus for the X-men feeling so much like a real family, and perhaps even why they didn't so much when he had left.

To me, he represented what was best about the X-men, having endured some of the worst prejudice, and putting himself in some of the worst danger to do the right thing, he still, somehow, seemed to have the most fun.

Taken from my Top 10 List:

OK first off, lower those pitchforks. Breathe. Give me a chance to explain. When I say that Cyclops is my fourth favorite comic-book character, I'm not talking about the present nutjob Cyclops. I'm not talking about the Scott Summers that runs around as a fugitive with a TRON visor. Or the power-deluded Phoenix Cyclops who killed Charles Xavier. Or even the annoying Cyclops that had that little breakup spat with Wolverine (Cyke would have totally owned, if not for the Sentinel, btw!). I'm talking about the Scott Summers who was a natural leader, who led the X-Men through their many victories and failures, the mutant who was the prize pupil of Xavier. The man who would one day lead an entire race of mutants on the verge of extinction, and win. That Cyclops. The Cyclops from the earlier issues of X-Men, from X-Men: First Class (the comic, not the movie), from Astonishing X-Men, from the Messiah Trilogy. That's the Scott Summers that I enjoy. Not the crazy fanatic currently running around with a giant X slapped on his face. But the born leader who couldn't even open his eyes, but whom commanded some of the most powerful men and women of the Marvel Universe.

When Cyclops speaks, people listen. That's the Cyclops that I remember reading and loving. And what made him so appealing was the fact that the people under his command didn't necessarily like or even respected him. Cyclops was a different leader than others of his sort (Captain America, Mr. Fantastic, Black Bolt); in the sense that while he did lead a team, he wasn't the untouchable icons that the other leaders were. He had more self-doubt than the rest, he felt out of control with his own mutation, and he was uncomfortable in the role of the top general at certain points. His marriage with Jean was messed up at times, he suffered through so many heartbreaks, and more often than not, Cyclops would break down and leave the X-Men. But that's what makes Scott Summers so fascinating to me, and so much more relatable. It's always good fun to read about leaders who are living legends in every sense of the term (Hi Cap!), but I also like reading about leaders who aren't perfect. Leaders who don't always make the right decisions, but when they do call the shots - sh!t happens. Here is a man who cannot control his one defining characteristic, his own mutation, and yet he controls a veritable army of mutants. A general who often stumbles, but who has proven time and time again that he deserves to lead all who wear the X. A fallible person, like all of us. Scott Summers may be a mutant, but if that isn't being human, I don't know what is

And I know there's a lot of hate for the character, and in some instances, I can even understand why. He can be an obnoxious, insufferable jerk who's made some poor choices. Some don't like the fact that he's a straight-laced strict sort of fellow. Many prefer the more expressive or cooler X-Men (Hi Logan!), but I for one don't. I like how his control freak, perfectionist, in-total-command streak reflects on his inability to command his own mutation. I love how he's always the man in charge, the X-Man that other mutants always follow into the field. He's an alpha male, b*tches! And he also has one of the most iconic powers in all of superhero comics. Red optic blasts and his visor are synonymous with Cyclops. Not to mention the plethora of awesome outfits he's rocked over the years (Thank you, Jack Kirby, Jim Lee, and John Cassaday), the different teams he's led, and the countless battles he's overcome. No matter the amount of manure that writers love to drag him through, no matter how many times he's been through the ringer, Scott Summers always comes back stronger than ever. And that's why Cyclops is my favorite X-Man and my fourth favorite superhero of all-time.

@veshark:

Well said. You've made your point and this is from a Cyke Hater.

For me it's Wolverine. Call me sentimental but I met the superhero world with him, and he's just awesome. Bad attitude, gruff but with a heart of gold. I know he suffer from overexposition, and truly, his own serie is just meh most of the time and worst the other time.

But heck, healing factor, claw, badass, he's just insanely cool.

gotta say its the stepford cuckoos!! I love how they "teach" young jean a lesson.

Thanks, bud!

@veshark: I actually still like the way Cyclops is now, but it's largely because of the reasons you mention here. Current Cyclops is still really interesting to me, but he would be much less so were it not for his challenging and colorful history.

He truly is one of the greats. And, as you say, because he doesn't have the same iconic quality as some other characters, he's actually been developed way more than most characters who have been around as long.

To each his own, I suppose, but yeah he has always been an interesting character. I once read an interesting article on a comic blog that pointed out that one reason why most prefer other X-Men over Cyclops could be because while other X-Men (e.g. Gambit, Wolverine) were rebellious bada*ses, Cyclops was the fuddy-duddy straight arrow who was always trying to keep everybody in line. He was the straight A student who always followed the rules, and I guess a lot of people don't relate to that. Personally, I love it, though.

Psylocke. I was lucky enough to start reading comics again at the same time Rick Remender saved her from years of bad writing; she was definitely the most interesting character in Uncanny X-Force.

(It also doesn't hurt that she has the nicest butt in the Marvel Universe.)

@veshark: Actually I can whole heartily relate to your quandary. Scott was a role model in X-Factor and the early exploits of the reunited X-Men. I wanted to BE him. He had the job, the girl, the jet and he was the mutha frickin leader. Now he has been utterly torn down to a "human" level to make him "interesting", much like superman has over the past few years. Now we have a soiled, trite, spent character that alienates his long term fan base, so yes that is MUCH better than being a little "boring"...

It's one of my favorite qualities about Cyclops is that he doesn't seem to feel he has anything to prove. His prudish demeanor really seems to come from his confidence and sense of righteousness. Those qualities can at times lean towards arrogance or even causing him to make bad decisions, but to me that's no less interesting.

But I guess I don't feel that I have to agree with everything a character does to like them. Like the best classic Marvel characters, he is defined by his flaws; and I think that's a really cool thing about him.

@oldnightcrawler: What X-Men character do you look to for inspiration? Out of curiosity...

Emma Frost, obviously lol

She's a strong woman, whith a great irony and a bitchy and classy personality which make her quite unique among the other X-Women.

She always says what she thinks and she wills to do anything to get what she wants. She is not one of those characters firmly tied to their moral, Emma Frost is an anti-hero who does not hesitate to do what others are afraid to do hiding behind a false morality, she wills to do anything for the good of her students and her fellows teammates, and maybe because of this is often seen as a heartless bitch by a lot of people, but she's just brave enough to do what it needs to be done.

I also love the way she's not afraid of her own sexuality. Her revealing costumes are a weapon for her, but they are especially integral part of her iconography, the costumes are what Emma really is: a woman able to use sex to get what she wants, and proud of her body and her sexuality.

In a sense, Emma Frost goes against the taboo that many other X-Women respected, she does not care to kill nor to go around half-naked, she does not fear her powers and her mutation but she is proud of them and she uses them to her own purposes.

She's everything the X-Men didn't have before she became one of them, she's ironic and funny, she's got a great sense of humor and her dialogues are just brilliant, as are the infinite possibilities of her character. Unlike many characters, she can shine also if she's just a supporting character and if she isn't one of the main characters because of her personality and her way to talk and interact with others.

She's got a charming story behind her, with her family, her sister and her story with the members of the Hellfire Club, Namor and Generation X. She's a great teacher, we've seen how much she cares for her students and we've seen how great she is at teaching them, she's been like a mother for many of her students, and she died as many times as are the times one of her students died, and behind her cold appearance she's full of different emotions.

This is the best thing about Emma Frost: she's got a multi-faceted personality, her being outside cold and hard as a diamond and hiding inside a world of emotions and feelings make her even more unique.

You can't expect anything from Emma Frost, she's a wild card, she can be a friend of yours or the greates enemy you've ever had, but you won't know on which side she is untill the end of the game, and even when all the card have come into play, she is still unpredictable.

Everyone should love Auntie Emma :P

oh, different ones in different ways.

Kitty and Storm inform my views of how I look at authority.

Nightcrawler, Beast, and Colossus speak especially to my idea of morality.

Wolverine and Cyclops inspire me to protect those who can't protect themselves.

Gambit and Nightcrawler remind me to play it cool and not lose my temper.

Taken as a whole, the X-men can provide a lot of inspiration in the basic endeavor of being a decent person.

@oldnightcrawler: Nice list, not an "all eggs in one basket" type of guy, eh? Mine are pretty much between Scott and Logan for different things but mostly Scott. Either way it seems red heads are trouble to me too. That actually that sticks in real life. Don't ask.

@chasereis: haha! okay, I won't. :P

yeah, I've never understood the compulsion to favor one character over another if both characters are interesting. And almost all X-men characters are at least interesting, so I kinda love them all.

very nice assessment of Emma! I've never understood why people wouldn't appreciate such a distinct and complex character.

Cyclops, at least the old one. Not the current genocidal dude.

My fav X-Men:

1. Cyclops

2. Juggernaut (does he count??)

3. Beast

4. Nightcrawler

5. Wolverine

6. Colossus

7, Charles Xavier

8. Shadowcat

Beast

I don't really have one "favorite" - the X-Men have always been more like an ensemble cast, and most of them get more interesting in a group setting bringing different sets of skills to the table. I like Jean Grey, Cyclops, Emma Frost, Magik, Dazzler, Professor X, Magneto, Polaris, Banshee, Mirage, Cannonball and British Psylocke the most, I suppose. Definitely can't forget Monet - great character.

@oldnightcrawler: Well I can explain mine perhaps that would better your understanding of the phenomena. For me Scott is essentially the door or constant framing point by which I judge the whole of the X-universe's goings on. Without using Cyclops or some other character as the way point to start or navigate my journey through a story it would literally be impossible for me to become invested in it. I could not have gauged outback X-Men without Storm or The whole of the New Mutants without Dani and Sam collectively. So it is the means by which I measure. Does that help?

This is pretty much how I feel about it, too. Wolverine, for example, is one of my favorites, but I almost never read his solo books.

I do like that most X-men tend to go off and have their own adventures from time to time, but it's always been how they play off each other that interests me most.

Like, you need to have the perspective of a character you can relate to be engaged by the story? That I can understand.

I think was talking more about not liking characters who are at odds with characters one does like. Like people not liking Cyclops because they like Wolverine, or whatever. Those two are a good example, though, in so far as they've classically been written to be foils for each other, which, in my mind, makes them both more interesting.

It was a tough decision between Emma, Kurt and Pete, but I went ahead and chose the resident brick of the X-men. In a time where anti-heroes have become popular he's stuck to his same belief that the bigger picture is a great deal more important than any want or desire he might have. I think I've always dug the introspective aspect of the character as well. The moral compass of the character really can't be swayed by anyone. Which is a shame as that personal belief of sacrificing himself for the ones he loves has cost him everyone he's loved.

Who wouldn't want Pete in their corner? He'll (literally) go to hell and back for you.

@oldnightcrawler said:

Thank you :) I'll never understand why they hate Emma, too. But then, haters gonna hate lol

@xwraith: I think you've said it best.

She's my favorite female X-man..

Male is Cyclops, simply for being able to go the amount of shit he does and still keep going.

A tie between Kurt and Piotr

Scott Summers & Jamie Madrox

This is a tough one. So many great characters you can choose. Seeing as how Cyclops and Colossus have already been recognized, I'll go with Kitty Pryde. She was the original kid sidekick for the X-Men and the character that kept a younger perspective on the team after everyone else had grown up and all these new adult X-Men had been added.

She's a mutant with phasing powers, she's brilliant with computers, she got ninja training from an evil demon samurai, she was Wolverine's original sidekick (starting a tradition that has since brought us fantastic characters from Jubilee, to X-23, to Armor, to Oya, to the entire class of the Jean Grey School), she has an alien dragon as her best friend, she's saved the world numerous times on various X-teams and Excalibur (including the time when she saved the world solo by heroically sacrificing herself at the end of the original run of Astonishing X-Men), and she's an X-Man through-and-through—as much as the originals, because like them she grew up in the fold.

And despite all her setbacks—including in her long tumultuous relationship with Colossus—she's stayed positive. I love seeing her as driving force behind the new school, even if Wolverine is the figurehead. She's strong, she's talented, she's outspoken, she's compassionate, she's determined, and she's fun. She is definitive X-Men.

Gallery

Note: I am of course referring to the 616 Kitty Pryde and not the Ultimate Kitty Pryde, who is basically "female Bendis protagonist".

I look forward to reading thought this thread later. I'm too new to all this to have a proper favorite (and while X-23 is my favorite character, she's not an X-Man, not anymore, so I don't know if she counts?). But of the characters I've seen, I get the sense that my favorite will be Nightcrawler. A man of faith myself, I suppose I'm biased, but his death was basically the only scene I've ever read with him, and the impact he seems to have made on everyone around him (not to mention readers) makes me want to see what his life was like.

I also really like what little I've seen of Gambit and Kitty. For totally different reasons, of course. But those are the living X-Men I'm most drawn to right now.

Why nobody said Wolverine??.....i'm surprised!

I think Wolverine is one of those characters whose fans don't always read X-Men or consider them fans of the team book, so they tend to cluster around his forum.

The OP said wolverine

Someone did.

Emma.

Pretty much everything about her became appealing to me since I discovered her character. I love her personality, bad ass bitch with a heart, wits and snarky remarks but a sensitive side and a true care for their own. I like that she started like a villain (a badass one also), but also reformed, without becoming a "pure and perfect" heroine, still maintaining some treats of her former self.

I love her powers. I like that she had TP alone at first, without TK, and that more than raw power she relies in her skill. Her Diamond Form is, at least IMO, the perfect second mutation for someone like her, because is the opposite of her TP, and I like that versatility that it gives her in terms of power.

I pretty much like everything about her.

haha! well, true dat.

Nice. Yeah, my two favorite eras for the X-men were when Kitty was pretty much the main character (Claremont's run from '80-86, and Whedon's Astonishing' run), so, in my mind, her code-name might as well be X-woman :).

@oldnightcrawler: And what may I ask is wrong with Shadowcat? That is an AWESOME code name. lol.

@mcklayn: @fodigg: Ok,nobody was a matter of speech...i said i like him,that makes at least one! (and OP!...)

Maybe you're right....just he's an X-Man too,so,i just wondered...

haha.. oh, nothing. I actually like that she's one of the few X-men who doesn't seem to bother with a code name anymore.

@oldnightcrawler: X-Men and GI Joe need to keep the commonality of everyone having a code name. It just makes sense. However sadly it is fact that most writers dont really consider the writers before or after them and the logistics of keeping a modicum of "realism" to the world of X.

I never liked secret identities or code names, to be honest. Maybe that's why even though I wasn't a huge fan of them growing up, I always had a soft spot for how the Fantastic Four had codenames that might as well have been nicknames since their identities were public knowledge.

Code names make sense for characters with secret identities, or who represent something besides themselves (like Captain America or the Black Panther), but most X-men don't even wear masks. And Kitty is in a kinda public role as one of the representatives of the school.

The X-men are pretty much the same, really, except for when the members were minors (like the O5, or Kitty, when she first joined), but even by the time Rogue and Rachel joined, they had pretty much done away with secret identities. Wolverine's been the only one to wear a mask in the last 25 years.

Moonstar, Kitty Pryde, Wolfsbane, Sage, and all of the New X-Men students (pre-Messiah Complex of course)!