The Most Underrated Veteran X-Men

With literally hundreds of characters dating back to 1963, the X-Men have gone through so many roster changes with new or existing characters. More often than not, these character additions don’t become the next Storm, Gambit or Rogue but each X-Men member have made their own mark in X-Men history. This is one of the reasons why we get articles like The 12 Most Pointless X-Men, or The 8 Worst X-Men – poorly researched and poorly argued posts that only serve as fodder for casual fans who know little about these characters. Long-time X-Men fans, or comic fans in general, know that powers are only secondary; character comes first. The proof is in (arguably) the second most famous superhero of all time:

What super-power does Batman have? Thats right, his billions of dollars in the bank.

Anyway, here are some veteran X-Men characters that have been unfairly maligned in mainstream pop culture.

Warren Worthington III / Angel

As one of the original five X-Men, Angel has been with the team from the start. With seniority doesn’t come respect, though, as many people ask whats so great about his mutant power – wings capable of flight. Most people forget, though, that having a body capable of flying in the upper atmosphere means that he is super strong and durable since he needs to be able to withstand insane amounts or air pressure and strong winds. He’s also had multiple power upgrades since his debut, such as the ability to transform his feathered wings into metal, and able to throw sharp metal shards with them.

Why He’s Awesome

The core concept of the X-Men and mutants in general has been that of a hated and feared minority. Having someone like Angel illustrates a beautiful irony. Here we have a character that looks like a benevolent and beautiful mythical creature that has inspired millions of people for thousands of years yet that doesn’t spare him from society’s hate. This irony extends to his public persona as well. As Warren Worthington III, Angel possesses extreme fame, fortune and beauty – traits that are worshipped by society, but his one defining trait, being a mutant, negates all of that. It’s an interesting dichotomy.

Notable Storyline: The Dark Angel Saga (Uncanny X-Force #8-#19)

Although it didn’t show Warren in the most heroic light, it does show the potential badassery of his Archangel (with the metal wings) persona. Under the influence of the villain Apocalypse, Angel shows his skills and abilities to reboot the world in Apocalypse’s image, similar to the classic X-Men storyline The Dark Phoenix Saga.

Alison Blaire / Dazzler

So the crux of Dazzler’s joke status lays on the description of her powers: conversion of sound into light. Immediately, one thinks of having light powers as harmless and not useful, but that’s just because they forget that in sci-fi, destructive laser beams and hard light both come from light – the same one that Dazzler can wield. The applications are boundless: force fields, laser beams, hard light constructs, holograms, blinding flashes, manipulative strobes etc. She’s like a Green Lantern in a way. Although she is limited by a need for a sonic power source, it has been stated that her potential for sound to light transmutation is unlimited. That sounds like a pretty powerful ability to me.

Why She’s Awesome

During the time Dazzler debuted, super-heroes still maintained a secret identity. As an internationally famous recording artist however, that wasn’t entirely possible for her. She came out as a mutant to the public to promote a movie she was starring in. While this marketing move backfired since her movie flopped due to widespread boycotts, it was a key moment in mutant-human relations. She was one of the first well-known mutant celebrities, and for mutant youth back in the day, it was a big deal. Suddenly you had a public figure that you can relate to. It’s like how Michael J Fox raised awareness for Parkinson’s disease, or how some stars today reveal they’re suffering from bipolar disorders. Now I’m not equating being a mutant to having a disorder, but that was certainly how they were viewed at the time. At a time when mutant rights were a growing issue, she did her part by raising awareness for it using her status as a celebrity. It’s heroism in a different way.

Notable Storyline: Xtreme X-Men Vol. 2

This ongoing series that was gone too soon showed Dazzler at her best. As the leader of a rag-tag group of alternate reality characters tasked with saving the multiverse, Dazzler was one badass HBIC. Each issue showcased creative use of her powers and her skills as a leader, and the alternate versions of Wolverine, Hercules, Nightcrawler and Emma Frost were fun as well.

Doug Ramsey / Cypher

When you hear what Cypher’s powers are (the ability to learn any form of language quickly), you’ll balk. “How can that be useful in a fight?”, you ask. When he first started, he certainly wasn’t a huge asset to the team power-wise. Aside from being a linguist, earthly or alien, he was also skilled in communicating with computers and machines. He was the ultimate master hacker, if there ever was one. His physical inferiority proved to be his demise as he died in battle some time ago. He came back from the dead during the Necrosha event as a pawn of X-Villain Selene. During this time he found a useful application of his powerset for combat – he learned how to read body language and the martial arts. Suddenly, he wasn’t as useless as everybody remembered. He began to totally curbstomp the New Mutants team, including heavyweights such as powerful demon sorceress Magik, superstrong Sunspot and invulnerable Cannonball. Eventually, Cypher broke free from Selene’s control and became a valued member of the team as their trusted tactician/computer expert as well as their master hand to hand combatant.

Why He’s Awesome

What makes Cypher’s character significant is that he was one of the first major mutant heroes who was regarded as weak. Initially having a useless powerset combat-wise, he has been the butt of jokes even within his team. Over time, he improved himself and worked hard to prove his worth. Isn’t this what Xavier’s school mission is all about – To learn to control, improve and enhance your mutant abilities.

Notable Storyline: New Mutants: Necrosha (New Mutants vol 3 #6-#11)

This crossover storyline was when Cypher made his grand return to the X-Men. His power-set was expanded and it truly showed what his potential was. Although, he was mind-controlled when he returned, as soon as he broke free he came around and became an asset to the team, even saving the day in one major X-Men event, Second Coming.

Jubilation Lee / Jubilee

I’m pretty sure most of the public’s exposure to the X-Men came from the 90s animated series and this is where the public got their first exposure to Jubilee as well. Saying that her representation in the show was unfortunate is a big understatement. She was consistently shown as in need of help, annoying, a childish brat and generally the worst character in the show. It didn’t help that people perceived her mutant power of projecting pyrotechnic plasmoids as just useless fireworks. In fact, it was theorized that she had the power to detonate matter at a sub-atomic level, which in theory is the equivalent of a fusion bomb. Either way, that’s all moot now since her powers were taken away during the decimation event House of M. Recently, she was turned into a vampire and gained superhuman vampire abilities: superhuman strength and speed, enhanced healing and the ability to turn into vapor, but she has also gained their weaknesses as well, such as sustaining herself on blood, direct sunlight, garlic, silver, and religious symbols. Really cliche but she has now become a physical brawler.

Why She’s Awesome

Jubilee’s character went through something that many of us can relate to. We watched her grow up from when she was still a child and now she is one of the veteran X-Men. Admittedly, she has had a lot of difficulty shedding her sidekick and childish image, but her courage, sense of heroism and dedication to the mutant cause is what makes her an awesome character she is today.

Notable Storyline: X-Men vol. 4 (ongoing)

Jubilee is a mainstay on the X-Men vol. 4 and she has had a lot of development on it. She’s still a vampire and she doesn’t have her old mutant powers but this time she has become a mother! During one of her travels abroad, she adopted an orphan baby named Shogo, who was possessed by one of the X-Men’s newest villains. It’s complicated, but this book is still awesome.