X-Men is a superhero franchise following the lives of mutants who use their powers for good. Based on the classic comics by Stan Lee, the first of which was published in 1963, the first X-Men film came out in 2000, thus kick-starting a catalog of beloved films over the following two decades. While the last movie in the franchise was 2019's X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced a variant of Professor X — and, by extension, the mutants — into the MCU fold, which is something fans have been hoping for ever since news broke about Disney's purchase of 21s Century Fox (the studio who owns the rights of X-Men characters). With Deadpool 3 seemingly introducing even more, the future is bright for the X-Men in the MCU.

Update November 9, 2023: If you're a fan of the X-Men franchise, you'll be happy to know that this article has been updated with even more characters by Jack Deegan.

Among many things, the X-Men franchise is best known for its diverse range of characters and powers. From Jean Grey's telekinesis to Magneto's ability to manipulate metal, the X-men's mutants are full of powerful characters. That said, not all powers are created equal, and some mutants are naturally far more powerful than others. With the mutants poised to make their return to the big screen in the MCU, it's time for a closer look at the strongest X-Men characters in the franchise's movie history.

13 Cyclops / Scott Summers

As the leader of the X-Men, it only makes sense for Cyclops to be one of the most powerful out there. His mutant ability is that of shooting concussive optic blasts from his eyes, which act as portals to the punch dimension. These blasts may be powerful, but the drawback from them is that they're constantly happening whenever his eyes are open. This is why he wears his iconic visor, as it lets him properly see and choose when to release these bursts of energy. One of the founding members of the team and a teacher at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Cyclops' strength is only matched by his capability to lead.

12 Rogue / Marie D'Ancanto

Rogue is one of the hardest mutants to categorize, as her powers are constantly in flux. Rogue has the ability to steal someone's powers and memories just by touching them. Depending on how long she's touching them, the people she drains the life force from could either be unconscious, put into a coma, or even die with too much contact.

This could make her one of the strongest people in the entire Marvel universe if she's able to get close enough to the right person. Her abilities often come with a drawback, though, as a piece of the person's mind sticks with her, and she has no control over it. Regardless, it makes her one of the most intimidating people on the team, as she has limitless potential.

11 Negasonic Teenage Warhead / Ellie

Negasonic Teenage Warhead, known for her badass name as expressed by Deadpool in Deadpool, has the ability to generate explosions from the force generated in her body, some strong enough to destroy a grounded helicarrier. On top of this, she also has a superhuman level of speed, strength, and reflexes and even the ability to warp reality. While she is a relatively new addition to the X-Men franchise, she has power that is comparable to some veteran X-Men like Storm.

10 X-23 / Laura Kinney

Making an appearance in Logan is Laura or X-23, a clone of Logan created by Sarah Kinney, who named the girl Laura as a part of The Transigen Project. Laura was trained to be a weapon, having only two adamantium claws in each hand rather than three like Logan. She also has one claw in each foot. Despite her young age, Laura’s power is comparable to that of Logan’s as she manages to fight numerous foes without assistance. Despite this, Laura is still a child and still wants what children want: fun clothes and cool sunglasses. While many would like to see Laura's return, there has been no talk of a spin-off.

9 Mystique / Raven Darkholme

Raven, who goes by Mystique, is one of the unique mutants in the X-Men universe. Not only is it visibly clear that she is a mutant, but in X-Men: First Class we see how hard Raven works to maintain a “normal” appearance, despite it being exhausting for her to maintain. Mystique’s ability to shape-shift into anyone flawlessly makes her just as dangerous as Magneto, as she manages to trick her victims into doing things willingly rather than doing it by force. Portrayed by Rebecca Romjin and Jennifer Lawrence, Mystique is a staple character when one thinks of the X-Men franchise.

8 Iceman / Bobby Drake

A surprising addition to this list to some, but over the years, Bobby aka Iceman, has managed to gain so much control over his abilities that he's become one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel universe. With his control over ice, he's capable of freezing anything around him and even turning his entire body into organic ice.

The reason his abilities are so powerful is that he isn't just limited to ice, as he can manipulate water molecules and convert them through the states of matter. With a greater understanding and development of his abilities, Bobby would be able to cause changes to the Earth's ecosystem if he wanted to. He went on to become an omega-level mutant in the comics, meaning that he's in the highest tier class of mutant powers. Yet the films have not touched on this aspect so for that he ranks a bit lower.

7 Magneto / Erik Lensherr

After facing the harsh cruelty of the Nazis in war-torn Germany and watching his mother killed in front of his eyes, Erik Lensherr learned how his power could be honed through strong emotions. Magneto has the ability to manipulate all forms of magnetism, making him an especially dangerous adversary for Wolverine, as Magneto is able to control Wolverine’s entire adamantium-laced body.

His powers appear limitless as not only can he manipulate metal, but he can send out EMPs, force fields, and can even shut down electronic devices. While Magneto’s intentions were initially pure, it eventually warped into a hatred of humankind for their history of abuse of mutants. His rivalry with Professor X shows that he can go toe-to-toe with some of the strongest out there and has a uniquely crafted helmet that even makes him immune to telepathic abilities.

6 Wolverine / Logan / James Howlett

The only hero on this list to be portrayed by a single actor, Hugh Jackman, Logan aka Wolverine, is a mutant born with excess bones in his hands that protrude out like claws, which were later altered with adamantium being grafted to his bones to turn him into a weapon. Logan was born in 1832, but his aging appears to be non-existent; he is over 180 years old, but he physically looks no older than his mid-thirties in Logan, due in large part to his regenerative abilities that both slow his body's natural aging and heal any wound inflicted upon him. While Logan initially showed no interest in being a part of the X-Men, he eventually gave in, realizing that he could do more good with them.

Wolverine makes his final stand in Logan; after so long, the adamantium has finally worn down his ability to heal. With a character as powerful as Logan is, the only true weakness he has is aging. After he completes his last mission, he is stabbed through the chest and succumbs to the poisoning, ultimately dying in the hands of his own daughter. That was until it was announced that Hugh Jackman would once again be donning his iconic claws in Deadpool 3 alongside Ryan Reynold's merc with a mouth. While it's unknown if it'll be the same version of the character, he's finally wearing the bright yellow uniform fans have been begging for years and seems to be the character in his prime.

5 Storm / Ororo Monroe

Storm, also known as Ororo Monroe and for her iconic white hair, is able to control the weather. Storm is a massively neglected character in the films as her powers are legendary, able to blow anyone away with the storms she brings. In the comics, Storm also had a relationship with Black Panther until the two joined the X-Men and the Avengers, respectively.

Storm meets an unfortunate end in X-Men: Days of Future Past being stabbed by a sentinel and thrown off a cliff. Of course, with the success of their mission, that timeline is avoided entirely, and she is last seen alive and teaching at the Xavier Institute. While the films barely scratched the surface of Storm's powers, the fact that she is the X-Men's leader in various timelines matched with her powers makes her one of the most powerful mutants in the franchise.

4 Quicksilver / Peter Maximoff

While Quicksilver may not be the strongest character, fighting someone who moves like he does is hard. Not only does he have incredible speed going faster than sound itself, but he's also got the durability to match to make sure his body doesn't burn up while he's doing it. Peter can move fast enough to push bullets aside like it's nothing, defy gravity by running up walls, and outrun an explosion. As the son of one of the most powerful mutants ever, Magneto, he's been gifted with abilities that rival some of the best. It takes a very high-level mutant to be able to stop him at that kind of speed, showing just how formidable he can be.

3 Apocalypse / En Sabah Nur

Considered the first person to develop the mutant gene, Apocalypse quickly became the largest threat the X-Men had ever faced. Able to create force field portals and manipulate matter, he would already be the strongest person in the universe. Adding on further abilities like telepathy and telekinesis made him a force of nature. His powers were so strong that he was able to construct a pyramid all by himself.

These feats of strength quickly gained him a mass of worshipers who treated him like a god. To stay around as long as possible, he would often transfer his essence into a younger and stronger body when the time was right. With the Four Horsemen by his side and given sizable upgrades from the man himself, Apocalypse is the end-all and be-all threat for the X-Men...aside from one cosmic force.

2 Phoenix / Jean Grey

Phoenix, also known as Jean Grey, is a powerful telepathic mutant whose telekinetic powers are so frighteningly strong that Professor X was forced to put psychic dampers on her mind to help control her dark side so that she would not hurt herself or others. With powerful telepathic and telekinetic abilities, Jean is capable of taking on the strongest out there. Her abilities are so powerful that she is classified as one of the strongest Omega-level mutants and the only telepath to receive that label.

Infamously, Jean succumbs to the Phoenix Force, the power of creation and life itself, after a near-death experience, amplifying her power tenfold and turning her dark. In the films, under the control of The Phoenix, be it Jean's own psyche or a cosmic force, she killed four of the most powerful mutants on this list.

1 Professor X / Charles Xavier

Played by Sir Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy respectively, Professor Charles Francis Xavier, or simply Professor X, is arguably the most powerful of any X-Men in the entire franchise. Professor X is an exceptionally powerful telepath who can read and control the minds of others around him. While Professor X only uses his powers for good, his power is so strong that it is even considered to be quite dangerous to even put to use.

Professor X is also the founder and leader of the X-Men and the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, in which he housed and taught mutants to hone and control their powers. Professor X is also known for his long-standing feud with Magneto with whom he was once friends. Professor X seemingly meets his unfortunate end in Logan, killed by Logan’s clone X-24 but the destructive power he wields is hinted at as he killed all the X-Men in a psychic attack from a seizure. That said, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness brought a different variant of his character back as a member of The Illuminati, a group of the smartest Marvel characters. Although as strong as Charles is, the Scarlet Witch killed him rather quickly in the most brutal way.