The 15 Most Underrated X-Men Characters Ranked

The X-Men are one of the most popular superhero teams from Marvel Comics, and have had quite a long history of being portrayed on-screen. Between the original "X-Men" movies, to the soft reboots starting with "X-Men: First Class," and their official debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in "Deadpool & Wolverine," the X-Men might be slated for their proper introduction into Marvel's film franchise, which might give a few underrated characters the opportunity to get some love on the big screen.

At this point, audiences have become familiar with the likes of Wolverine, Jean Grey, Cyclops, and Professor X, but there are plenty of "X-Men" heroes and villains who deserve to be among the franchise's greatest mutant characters. These 15 characters from the X-Men have some of the most interesting sets of mutant abilities, yet somehow don't get enough love from the comics or even fans as they deserve. Hopefully, for some of them, that love is on the way. 

Longshot is a bit of an obscure character even to hardcore "X-Men" fans, having originated in his own limited series in 1985. Like Domino, Longshot's central ability is luck, able to influence unlikely events in his favor so long as his intentions are good. However, he's not a mutant; he's a biogenetic cyborg created by Arize, the enigmatic master of the "Freemen," who hail from the dimension known as the Mojoverse. Longshot is essentially the Freemen's Spartacus, leading a slave rebellion against Arize and gaining the name "Longshot" for his probability-influencing abilities.

As for his involvement in the "X-Men" timeline, Longshot's allegiance to other mutants is frequently tested due to his suffering from memory loss, but he has been an ally or member of various teams, including the Exiles, X-Factor, and the X-Men proper. He's a part of the X-Men's adventures in Savage Land, against the mutant warlord Horde, and crosses paths with the Fantastic Four and the Skrull army. Though it's unlikely that Longshot will ever get his own project, getting to see his lucky powers in action in a future "X-Men" movie would be exciting. 

"The New Mutants" was a middling movie that's best enjoyed with lowered expectations, but it did bring to life one "X-Men" character that deserves a lot more respect: Wolfsbane, played in the film by Maisie Williams of "Game of Thrones" fame. Born in Scotland as Rahne Sinclair, Wolfsbane made her comic book debut in 1982's "The New Mutants" comic series, but has since joined other "X-Men"-adjacent teams like Excalibur, X-Factor, and X-Force. For the most part, however, Wolfsbane has always been a team member and never had a solo series of her own.

It's a shame, because as far as mutant characters in Marvel Comics go, Wolfsbane is pretty unique. Her primary mutant ability is shapeshifting into a wolf, a power she shares with the much more popular Marvel hero Werewolf by Night. In some comics, her powers are even expanded upon by allowing her to split herself into multiple different wolves, and her vision in wolf form allows her to see infrared and ultraviolet electromagnetic spectrums. Maybe one day, the MCU can reintroduce Williams' version of the character and have her meet Gael Garcia Bernal's Jack Russell. 

You would think that, for a character who goes by "X-Man," that they'd be pretty important to the "X-Men" franchise. Well, that's sort of true for the character Nate Grey, who despite having a fascinating story isn't among the most well-known characters in the "X-Men" legacy. Hailing from the alternate dimension of Earth-295, Grey is the son of Cyclops and Jean Grey (born out of genetic manipulation from Mister Sinister), ostensibly taking on the role of Cable in his universe as one of the few survivors of a techno-virus that destroyed his timeline. 

Known as one of the most powerful "X-Men" characters in his universe, his allegiance to the X-Men has waned from time to time, as he's also been a member of Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants, the New Mutants, and the Outcasts, the latter originating on Earth-295 as a team of B-list "X-Men" characters which also included Toad, Mastermind, and Sauron, with Forge as their leader. Though he's one of the standout characters from Marvel Comics' "Age of Apocalypse" story arc, his relevance in proper ongoing "X-Men" stories should be bigger. 

Believe it or not, Jubilation Lee (known by her codename Jubilee) has had quite a few appearances in live-action "X-Men" projects, most notably being portrayed by Lana Condor in "X-Men: Apocalypse," where she's a student of Xavier Institute in the early 1980s. It's a fitting setting for a character like Lee, who has always been one of the most stylish and visually impressive characters in the "X-Men" franchise, debuting in 1989 as a younger member of the team inspired by the '80s generation of mall rats. 

Unfortunately, Jubilee's most uninteresting aspect is her mutant abilities, which see her able to summon pyrokinetic energy from her hands, which can definitely vary in coolness depending on the author. She also has a pretty close father-daughter relationship with Wolverine, the X-Men member whom she rescues from being tortured by the Reavers. Although she's one of the Marvel characters the "X-Men" movies screwed over the most, as they could've done a lot more interesting development of her character in live-action, perhaps teaming her up with Hugh Jackman's Logan. 

Northstar occupies an interesting place in Marvel Comics history. Having originated in "The Uncanny X-Men" in 1979, the super-strong flying mutant born as Jean-Paul Beaubier was at first a member of Alpha Flight, a Canadian superhero team that rivals America's Avengers. He didn't properly join the X-Men team until the 2000s, when he was recruited to help rescue Professor X from the clutches of Magneto, and remained an on-and-off member of the team for years to come. However, his relevance in Marvel Comics actually relates to the more personal aspects of his character.

In John Byrne's 1983 "Alpha Flight" series, the author specifically hinted at Northstar's queer sexual orientation as a way to diversify Marvel Comics' superhero roster, though later comics would see this aspect of the character be toned down and ultimately hidden. Though the character's sexuality caused quite a stir in the early '90s, it was still a landmark moment as the first openly queer character in the entire history of Marvel Comics. He may not be the most notable "X-Men" character otherwise, but for this, Northstar is one of the few LGBTQIA+ superheroes you might not know about. 

Havok is a lot less famous to casual Marvel fans compared to his brother, Scott Summers (a.k.a. Cyclops), but he's still had his fair share of interesting moments in "X-Men" comics. Alex Summers first appeared in a 1969 issue of "The X-Men," in which he (fittingly) lives in the shadow of his much more successful older brother. Whereas a freak accident as children caused Scott to uncontrollably fire lasers from his eyes, Alex gained the ability to absorb cosmic energy and repurpose it through massive plasma waves. 

Ultimately, Alex and Scott become separated until later in their lives, reuniting well into Cyclops' time with the X-Men. He later becomes a member of the team, fostering a romance with Polaris until the two quit the team following their capture by the living island Krakoa. In more recent Marvel Comics storylines, Havok joins a new mutant team known as the Hellions alongside Psylocke, Mister Sinister, Wild Child, and Greycrow. He may not be the most popular "X-Men" character of all time, but he sure deserves more respect than he gets. 

Firestar is an outlier on this list, given that her first appearance wasn't in an issue of Marvel Comics. Due to rights issues that prevented the makers of the 1980s animated series "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends" from using Human Torch, Angelica Jones was invented as a fire-wielding superhero alongside Iceman, who ends up in a love triangle with Peter Parker and the X-Men member before being invited to join the team. The character didn't make her comic book debut until 1986 in a solo limited series, but as of the 2010s, she has been considered a mainstay of the current X-Men incarnation.

Powers-wise, Firestar takes after the likes of Human Torch as a character who's capable of harnessing microwave aura and projecting it through fiery blasts of energy. This isn't just any ordinary fire, though, like the abilities of X-Men's Pyro, because she's been known to disrupt the psychic powers of mutants such as Emma Frost via microwave radiation. Perhaps the character could make her debut in the impending "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" as a tribute to her Spider-Man-centric origins, as they've already got a redhead cast for a mystery role in Sadie Sink from "Stranger Things." 

As his name suggests, Banshee is a mutant whose primary abilities include sonic screeches, which can not only deafen his enemies but also hypnotize them or hit them with immense force. However, where Banshee stands out amongst his mutant brethren is his origin story, as he's an Irish immigrant (hence his being named after a creature from Irish folklore) named Sean Cassidy who, after joining a covert mutant organization known as the Factor Three, encountered the X-Men in New York City and switched sides after being incapacitated by Professor X.

Aside from the X-Men, Banshee has also been a member of the X-Corps and Generation X, though he's never been big enough in the "X-Men" canon to get his own solo series. However, following the popularity of Ryan Coogler's "Sinners," perhaps Irish actor Jack O'Connell would be the perfect casting to bring Banshee into the fold, as I'm sure many people would be excited to see him join Marvel's "X-Men" reboot. 

Dazzler recently attracted a lot of attention ahead of the release of "Deadpool & Wolverine," after fans were convinced Taylor Swift would cameo as the character, given her friendship with Ryan Reynolds. It'd be a fitting casting considering Dazzler's backstory, as a mutant who uses her powers of sonic energy manipulation to provide special effects for her career as a pop star. Compared to other "X-Men" characters of this time, Alison Blaire was unique, given she had her own solo series in the '80s, a limited series co-starring Beast, and a new solo series that began in 2024. 

In fact, things could've been very different had a Dazzler movie come to fruition in the early '80s, shortly following her introduction in the comics in 1980. Sadly, the canceled Marvel movie starring Bo Derek is one we may never get to see, unless Swift or some other current queen of pop would like to make a full-fledged debut into the MCU and turn this D-list "X-Men" character into perhaps one of the most iconic superheroes of the 21st century. Now more than ever, a lot of people could get on board with the idea that pop stars can also be superheroes.

Lots of "X-Men" fans are well aware of Kitty Pryde, a.k.a. Shadowcat, the mutant who has the ability to phase through solid objects and was portrayed by Elliot Page in the 20th Century Fox "X-Men" films. However, few respect the character's memorable sidekick, Lockheed, a purple alien dragon who made a live-action debut in 2020's "The New Mutants." Unfortunately, like much of the rest of the film, he was forgettable. The same can't be said for Lockheed's comic book counterpart, who, after rescuing Pryde, becomes the mutant's companion.

Lockheed also becomes close with another member of the "X-Men" who appears later on this list, but despite his miniature size, he's an incredibly entertaining supporting character in the adventures of Shadowcat. His powers are mostly stereotypical dragon abilities, such as fire-breathing and flying, but Lockheed is also immune to psychic abilities, making him a formidable entity in the X-Mansion for people like Charles Xavier. If "X-Men" is coming to the MCU, they should embrace the weirdness of the comics and hopefully allow Lockheed to play a big role. 

There have been a number of Marvel Comics characters who go by the name "Thunderbird," all of whom have close ties to the X-Men team. The first was John Proudstar, a mutant known for superhuman strength and speed, who first debuted in "Giant-Size X-Men" in 1975 before being swiftly killed off during a fight with Count Nefaria. It wasn't until 2000 that Proudstar's backstory was delved into and the character was eventually resurrected, with a solo series planned for release in 2025. 

Although it would be years later until Marvel's "What If...?" went above and beyond to create a new indigenous superhero, the character of Thunderbird was later reinterpreted in both Neal Shaara, an Indian X-Men member who debuted in 2000, as well as James Proudstar, John's brother who adopts the name "Thunderbird" but also goes by "Warpath," who is among one of the strongest "X-Men" characters of all time, even able to hold his own against Juggernaut. Hopefully, the new solo series for John Proudstar later this year gives him new life as a possible frontrunner for the "X-Men" MCU reboot. 

Speaking of Native American "X-Men" characters, Marvel's "Echo" marked many firsts, but the titular hero wasn't the first character of such ethnicity for the franchise. Danielle Moonstar (who has also gone by "Mirage" or just "Moonstar") debuted back in 1982 as part of "The New Mutants." As one of her codenames suggests, Danielle's mutant powers allow her to create hyper-realistic illusions, able to conjure up her opponents' deepest fears or greatest desires. This power can also manifest in allowing Moonstar to summon psionic energy in the form of weapons, such as a spear or bow and arrow. 

Though for most of her comic book history she was mostly a background character, the late 2010s and early 2020s have seen her become a more prominent member of the X-Men in ongoing series such as "The Uncanny X-Men" and "New Mutants," and she's also been a member of teams like X-Force, the Hellions, X-Corps, and the Initiative. She made her live-action debut in 2020's "The New Mutants," played by Blu Hunt, but that film barely scratches the surface of how impressive and complex she is in the comics. 

Polaris may have a pretty unique look as far as "X-Men" characters go, and that's saying something, considering she first appeared in the comics in 1968. Having been lured to the X-Men via the psychic manipulation of Mesmero, Lorna Dane's latent mutant powers were unleashed by Magneto, who revealed himself to be her father. However, Dane turned against her own family to ally with the X-Men, later falling in love with Havok and becoming a mainstay of the Marvel Comics team. 

Similar to her father, Polaris' ability allows her to harness magnetic power through telekinesis, which she can also use to fly at will and manipulate magnetic forces in the natural world. It wasn't until Polaris' appearance in the 2024 comic series "Fall of the House of X" that she finally got a new costume indebted in its design to Magneto, complete with an iconic helmet in Dane's signature green color. Although she's beloved by hardcore "X-Men" fans, the fact that she has yet to be portrayed properly in a live-action "X-Men" film is a crime against mutantkind, to say the least. 

Warren Worthington III, a.k.a. Angel, is one of the most iconic members of the "X-Men," as a founding member of the team in their 1963 debut comic from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. However, there's another side to this character that might be familiar to those who fell in love with Sentry from "Thunderbolts*." Prior to Worthington's history as Angel, he had another life as an anti-hero known as Archangel, a much darker persona whose wings are techno-organic and coated in poison, but more importantly, the technology comes from none other than the Celestials. 

In case you've forgotten about the Celestials in "Eternals," this incredibly powerful material makes Archangel much more fearsome than his Angel alter-ego, and that's not even counting the character's ability to emit piercing screeches. This iteration of the character ended up appearing in "X-Men: Apocalypse," played by Ben Hardy, but lacks the depth and darkness of the Archangel in the comics. Hopefully, one of the future "X-Men" movies does this other half of Angel justice without seeming too similar to other characters like Sentry or Scarlet Witch. 

As far as underrated "X-Men" characters go, Magik is the closest to not being underrated, but still deserves to be way more iconic than she is. Illyana Rasputina is mostly known for being the younger sister of Colossus, but due to her time spent trapped in Limbo, she mastered sorcery on top of her already latent mutant ability to teleport across space and time at will. As a result, Illyana was able to forge the Soulsword, her signature weapon that increases in power every time she uses it, as it feeds off the life force of her enemies.

Magik notably appeared in "The New Mutants," where she was played by Anya Taylor-Joy, but hopefully that casting won't go to waste if the character is to be reprised in the future. She's been a featured character in many of the best Marvel Comics from the X-Men's Krakoa era, and is even a playable character in "Marvel Rivals." Given her comic book history with the most powerful Marvel characters like Doctor Doom, Mephisto, and Stephen Strange, it's about time that fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as Marvel Comics as a whole, see what Illyana is truly capable of, as evidenced by her first-ever solo series, which debuted in January 2025.