X-Men/Characters/Other Teams

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
Force, Factor, Men, it does get so confusing. Let me elucidate. X-Force does things with an overabundance of testosterone. X-Factor, a modicum of humor.
—The Beast, laying out the state of things in The Nineties

The X-Men have various spinoff and sister team helmed by other mutants.

  • The most prominent and steady one is the "Junior X-Men" team, which has gone through many name-changes (New Mutants, Generation X, New X-Men, and the Young X-Men) but retains the mission of preparing teenage mutants for the hardships mutants must go through, and gives them the training they need to defend themselves and become X-Men in the future if they wish. These teams have to have a very high mortality rate, as the writers usually employ a shotgun strategy of introducing new characters - tossing out a ton of them at a time and killing off anyone who doesn't become popular. This leads to even more angst and survivor's guilt for the remaining members of the teenage teams. Only a few members graduate to the actual X-Men, with the rest killed off, depowered, or sent into comic book limbo. Because of this, these series have a very high reader turnover rate.
  • X-Factor started out as an undercover team of the original five X-Men members pretending to hunt down mutants, while secretly protecting them and aiding them. In the '90s, X-Factor more or less became a team of X-Men working for the government; this ended up going badly. Eventually a couple of members of that team got back together with some other C-list mutants to become became X-Factor Investigations, led by Multiple Man - who are superhero detectives for hire.
  • When the Dark Age hit, the New Mutants got grimdarked into X-Force, a paramilitary team with big guns, bigger shoulder pads, and questionable anatomy. Eventually X-Force went back to more character-focused stories before being given a Darker and Edgier Retool again and then being killed off. That was when things got interesting. Another team who stole, excuse me, "bought" the X-force name to use for a superhero team based on realitiy television, back when that hadn't been run into the ground yet. They had to change to X-Statix when the real X-Force was forced to come out of the shadows and admit they weren't dead after all, so the name was not up for grabs like they'd thought in the first place. X-Statix was a rather strange series where the team members died, a lot. Nowadays X-Force is back as the X-Men's black ops team, while the original New Mutants are back together under that name. And when that X-Force was disbanded, Wolverine and Angel decided to keep it as an unofficial mutant death-squad as the Uncanny X-Force. Confusing enough?

Other teams include:

    • Exiles, a group of dimension-hopping mutants out to help the multiverse - sort of like Sliders meets X-Men
    • Excalibur: An X-Men team based out of Great Britain
    • X-Treme X-Men: A short-lived splinter group that acted more internationally, traveling the world, wandering the earth looking for adventure.
    • Alpha Flight: Canada's national superteam. Extremely prone to infighting. The only team afiliated with the X-Men to constantly have a majority of non-mutant members, but more likely to have mutants than most non-X-Men teams. Tends to go through a lot of Conspiracy Redemption, since the Marvel version of Canada leans towards evil, racism, and fascism for some reason.
    • The Starjammers, a team of heroic Space Pirates who pop up occasionally when one of the X-series is doing a space opera story. Their leader, Corsair is Cyclops's long-lost dad.

More characters from New Mutants, X-Force, X-Factor and Excalibur can be found in those character sheets...


Students

Santo Vacarro / Rockslide

An Italian-American teenager with a body made up of living rocks that he can shoot from his body and re-form from any rock. Loves being a superhero and idolizes similar heroes like the Thing and loves wrestling. Started out as a bully, but evolved into a good-natured loudmouth who likes to jokingly insult his friends.

Victor Borkowski / Anole

An American boy from a small town where mutants were accepted, he was sent to Xavier's when anti-mutant sentiment swept the nation. Has a mutation that gives him lizard and chameleon abilities - wall crawling, prehensile tongue, camouflage, agility, superstrength, and regeneration. Was originally supposed to be a minor gay character who killed himself, but the story was nixed to avoid controversy - anti-gay readers would have complained about the issue and pro-gay readers would have complained about another gay character introduced just to die. Grew in popularity from a minor character to a supporting character to a main character. Frequently shown to be one of the only kids at Xavier's with a level head.

Sooraya Qadir / Dust

A shy, spiritual, and moral Muslim girl who has the power to turn into a living sandstorm. She was discovered when slave traders captured her and she used her powers to flay them alive to escape. Sooraya is very sensitive and reserved, and usually serves as the moral center for any team she's on.

Josh Foley / Elixir

See X-Force

Megan Gwynn / Pixie

Noriko Ashida / Surge

Kevin Ford / Wither

Julian Keller / Hellion

The son of rich parents who was sent to Xavier's so he'd use his psychokinetic powers more subtly, Julian was a spoiled brat with an air of superiority. He warmed up to Emma Frost because he reminded Emma of herself at that age. He chose his code name as a tribute to her dead students. He makes friends incredibly easy, because he's so charismatic. He had a relationship with Sofia aka Wind Dancer that ended badly when she lost her powers and left the school. Julian idolizes Magneto, but Magneto won't let him join him because he thinks Julian isn't ready. Has a rather...erm...interesting relationship with X-23.

  • Anti-Hero: Type II. He's a conceited sort of jerk, but that's also it. Beyond that he's not a bad person.
  • Broken Base: rebellious bad boy, or complete Jerkass? It's up to you. But even after his Character Development, there's still those who can't stand him.
  • Butt Monkey: First, his friends were depowered on M-day and were blown up in a school bus right in front of him. During NXM he's been shot by the Purifiers, smacked around by Prodigy and Kimura, and shanked by Deathstrike. Then in Utopia he was sucker punched by Emma and then Daken proceeded beat him up. Then in X-Force, he was kidnapped by Leper Queen and was nearly blown up by the Legacy Virus and....then in his Hands get blown up by Nimrods. Then just when you think it's safe for Hellion, he then get's shanked from behind by Hellverine in X-23's ongoing...
  • Character Development: Mostly due to the hell going on around him, and his relationship with X-23.
  • Crowning Moment of Awesome: When X-23 is gravely injured, he begs Emma Frost to unlock his full powers, which leads to him carrying Laura while flying at supersonic speeds back to the mansion, ramming an armored car through a guard Sentinel because it was in his way. He then busts into the traumatized Elixir's hospital room, and gives him the pep talk of the century. Elixir heals Laura, and all is well. Then Hellion passes out, and doesn't wake up for over thirty hours.
    • It was the most awesome thing he has done, or will ever do in the future. Period.
      • You should see lay down all the pent up anger of loosing his hands when he demolishes Omega Sentinel
  • Crowning Moment of Funny: Also with X-23. He and the New X-Men (plus David) are hanging out in the Danger Room and going on cosplaying X-Men missions. They have just met Laura, who Mercury invites to play after Jay leaves.

Julian: Fine, you can play, but you can't be Wolverine every time.
[Laura walks up to him.]
Julian: Down girl.
[Laura unsheathes her claws, which stop right before his groin, before she walks past him.]
Santo: Ouch.
Julian: ... Didn't they CLONE you a SENSE OF HUMOR!?

  • Expy: Hellion's personality is very similar to that of Pyro's from the X-Men movies.
  • Good Is Not Nice: He's a total Jerkass. And he dreams of being an X-Man. He was even voted 'Most likely to become an X-Man' in the yearbook.
  • Hidden Heart of Gold: It's in there... somewhere... maaaaaybe...
    • Found it! Julian refuses to kill Magnificent Bitch Kimura, even though Laura insists he's the only one who can. Julian insists that they "Have to be better than them" and instead launches Kimura many, many, many miles away.
      • When Julian and Laura are shaking down Laura's contacts in the underworld so that they can find Mercury, a brief but funny Running Gag is him repeatedly stopping Laura from killing whoever it is they're interrogating. He even uses his powers to fly down and save a man who X-23 had thrown out a window. Made even funnier considering how Julian is so used to being the jackass, but now has to be the moral one. Laura does eventually listen, even punching a guy in the face without using her claws. Of course, all this progress is undone by Scott placing her into X-Force. Sigh...
  • High School Hustler
  • Important Haircut: To show his coming into maturity after returning from the rescue mission with X-23.
  • Jerkass: Originally. He got better, but then he went back again. Still not as bad as before, so he's now more of a...
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold
  • Kick the Dog: Telling a homeless, pill-addicted (to control her powers) Surge to get lost BECAUSE she was homeless back when he was way more of a Jerkass.
  • Kiss Kiss Slap: With Sofia
  • Lonely Rich Kid: Not really, but he plays this trope when he wants sympathy.
  • No Guy Wants an Amazon: He had no problem pursuing Sofia, who was not stronger than him but resisted his affections, but initially disliked X-23, even giving her the oh-so-original nickname "clone".
    • Averted in how he eventually falls for Laura-something that really freaks him out. He even vents to his rival about how weirded out he is by the fact he "Can't stop thinking about a girl who literally scares him."
  • Psychic Powers
  • Screw the Rules, I Have Money: During his early days he often flaunted his money around to show how much better he was—and he often got away with it. Being Emma's favorite student helped, too. But then his parents disowned him so now he has no money and therefore cannot screw the rules
  • She Is Not My Girlfriend: When Laura and Julian break into the Facility to save Mercury, Kimura (X-23's former handler) thinks Julian is Laura's boyfriend. In fact a lot of her enemies make this assumption.
    • Though it is subverted in how neither Laura nor Julian deny it, despite them not being a couple.
      • In X-23 #1 Rockslide calls X-23 his crazy girlfriend; which Hellion tells him not to call her that. Surge asks if he means "crazy" or "girlfriend". He doesn't reply. Though in issue #2 he call X-23 his best friend.
  • Ship Tease: And how! While he first finds X-23/Laura to be a total freak, she saves his life, and he in turn, keeps her from being eliminated (even though Frost told him to take her out first).
    • It's not so much a Ship Tease anymore as it is an actual near-canon pairing. Laura's presence brings a new perspective into his life, leading to a very notable deflating of his ego, while Laura becomes less robotic and begins to experience more complex emotion. Too bad Cyclops put Laura in X-force, thus making her backslide on all her personal progress to becoming less like a soldier, while Julian became a total emo boy and potentially a future Well Intentioned Extremist. Thanks, Scott.
    • However, Kyle and Yost know their continuity, and will probably pick this back up later on. They're not known for dropping things, especially not with X-23, their own creation.
      • Marjorie Liu seems to be giving them a Relationship Upgrade in X-23's new ongoing series.
      • That ship is sunk in issue 19 with X-23 clearly telling Hellion that she no longer has feelings for him.
  • Spoiled Brat: And it shows.
  • Took a Level in Badass

Cessily Kincaid / Mercury

  • Shipper on Deck: Ships Hellion/X-23. After she learns that X-23 has developed feelings for Hellion after their battle with Nimrod, Cessily and Laura go to a coffee shop to talk about it and Cessily gives off the impression that the two would be good for one an another
  • Chrome Champion
  • Shapeshifter Weapon: Mercury forms blades, maces, and hammers among other things. At least once, she's also done a variant where she's acted as armor for another character.
  • I Just Want to Be Normal: In the aftermath of M-Day, she was upset that she kept her powers, rather than lost them. She has also stated that she does not need to eat, but does so anyway to feel normal.

The Stepford Cuckoos

Sofia Mantega / Wind Dancer

David Alleyne / Prodigy

  • The Ace
  • Black and Nerdy
  • Teen Genius
  • What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?: Possessing the aptitude and intelligence of everyone nearby might sound impressive, but it's completely useless because the person who has that aptitude and intelligence in the first place is already right there.
    • Well, there were applications for it. However he lost that power. He did gain the collective knowledge of every X-Man and other character with extreme training he's ever met. So his power isn't as 'lame' anymore.

Joshua 'Jay' Guthrie / Icarus

  • Combo-Platter Powers: Not only that he has flight and healing factor from his wings, he also has sound mimicry.
  • One Steve Limit: There are technically two Joshes in the New Mutants squad - Joshua Guthrie (Icarus) and Josh Foley (Elixir). However, earlier in Uncanny X-Men, Josh Guthrie decided to go by "Jay" because he feels that after his girlfriend died his old name should be left in his past too.
  • The Scrappy
  • Winged Humanoid
  • Wangst: Icarus would constantly bring up the subject of his dead girlfriend in every appearance. Made even more wangsty, since they only dated for a week before she ended up killed.

Laurie Collins / Wallflower

Nezhno Abidemi / Gentle

  • Blessed with Suck: The longer he uses his mutant power, it is more likely to put a massive strain on him which leads to seizures. Because of this, he is painted with vibranium tattoos adorning his body help to keep his powers in check.
  • Gentle Giant / The Big Guy: Subverted. He is actually a passive skinny boy who only uses his mutant powers which makes him become a towering muscular giant when necessary.
  • Martial Pacifist
  • Pillars of Moral Character
  • Power Limiter: His vibranium tattoos
  • Super Strength: Gentle has the ability to temporarily increase the muscle mass of his body to extreme levels. He can will himself to immediately grow and strengthen to the extent that he can lift at least 100 tons.

Ruth Aldine / Blindfold

  • Blind Seer: Like the X-Men villain Destiny, she could use telepathy and to sometimes psychically sense events when other telepaths apparently did not.
    • In Necrosha storyline, Blindfold's precognitive abilities are neutralized while in the presence of the resurrected Destiny, another precog which is explained that this is because two precogs in close presence to one another "are like two magnets pressed together positive pole to positive pole" and will negatively effect one another's powers.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Blindfold comes off like this thanks to her powers giving her a warped sense of time and casuality.
  • Eyeless Face: When she removes her blindfold
  • The Ophelia
  • Verbal Tic: Blindfold is... hard to describe. Basically, as she's having a conversation with you, she sounds like she's giving yes-or-no answers to someone just offscreen.

Alani Ryan / Loa

  • Aloha Hawaii
  • Captain Ethnic: She is from Hawaii with a talent for surfing and her codename is named after a type of tropical worm, which moves the same way she does when she uses her powers.
  • Intangible Man: She could disintegrate matter by phasing through it.
  • Kid Sidekick: Became one for Namor, the Sub-Mariner, of all people.
  • Super Not-Drowning Skills: Inherited an Atlantean amulet which allowed her to breath underwater. And support water pressure, apparently.

Ben Hamill / Match

  • Flaming Hair: Not just his hair, he also has a flaming head
  • Playing with Fire
  • The Chew Toy: He is constantly bullied by Rockslide who takes advantage of his fire powers by roasting his marshmallows over his flaming head.

Hope Abbott / Trance

  • Hard Light: Whenever Trance goes into some kind of altered state of consciousness, she releases her astral form while her physical body is left behind.

Roxanne 'Roxy' Washington / Bling!

Sidney Green / Onyxx

  • Anti-Hero: Debatable. Either a disfigured, socially awkward, and confused type I, who nonetheless generally seems to treat his friends very well; or a potential rapist type V, going by some outspoken female readers.
  • C-List Fodder
  • Dishing Out Dirt: Onyxx is just a big guy made of rocks.
  • Dumb Muscle
  • Expy: He is almost an expy of Rockslide for having roughly the same powers (being giant rock men) and only a few strong physical differences (different colors, Onyxx has a helmet and is slightly bulkier, slightly different costumes).
  • The Big Guy

Jonas Graymalkin / Graymalkin

Professor Xavier's great, great, great, great etc. etc. grand-uncle from 200 years in the past. Was discovered kissing another boy by his father and buried alive on the property. This activated his mutation: superstrength, speed, durability, and no aging while in complete or semi-darkness. Was recently unearthed and joined the young X-Men. Suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and confusion over the world of the future. Anole has taken him under his wing.

Eric Gitter / Ink

A punk from the ghetto who discovered that whenever he got a tatoo, he'd get a new power based symbolically on whatever the taoo depicts (wings make him fly, a hazard symbol on his hand makes him to make people violently ill with a touch). Discovered that the tatoo artist was the mutant rather than himself, making him one of very few X-Men to not be an actual mutant. Fell into a coma after using his powers to heal dying teammate Dust.

Alisa Tager / Cipher

  • Intangible Girl
  • Invisibility: Cipher's abilities include full spectrum invisibility and complete stealth, able to mask even her psychic imprint from most telepaths.
  • One Steve Limit: There are two 'Cyphers' in the comics, one is a guy with multi-lingual powers from the New Mutants who died years ago and is recently resurrected in Necrosha and the other is a girl with invisibility and phasing. Thankfully their codenames are changed with different spelling to avoid confusion with the readers.
  • Remember the New Guy?: She is introduced in Young X-Men as not a new character but she is actually Secret Xavier Institute student known originally known only to Cyclops and Jean Grey. Eventually joined the training squad after assisting them behind the scenes for months.


X-Club

A team of Science Heroes. Formed in order to save mutantkind after M-Day, the X-Club is the devoted science division of the X-Men. They usually stay off the frontlines of the X-Men's battles to help from the sidelines. Most of their work has been concerned with the X-Gene, specifically, what makes it work, and how it originated. Unfortunately for the X-Club, most of their efforts have been fruitless, and they have already lost half their teammembers. However, they have proven popular enough to recieve two one-shots, and a mini-series.

Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy/Beast

See X-Men.

James Bradley / Doctor Nemesis

Dr. Nemesis: "We are scientists, madam. We deduce!

Madison Jeffries / Box

  • Almighty Janitor: Comparatively. Out of all the X-Club members he is the least scientifically minded and is often assigned the grunt-work of building and repairing. However, he's proven multiple times that he is more than capable of creating near-impossible machinery from scratch, as well as kick ass whenever he wants to.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: He's a really sweet guy. Just don't threaten someone he cares about.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: Luckily not anymore. However, just prior to joining the X-Club he spent two years brainwashed into building and operating a mutant death-camp. This did not do wonders for his mental health.
  • Bunny Ears Lawyer: Comes off as strange because of his habits of talking to machines, as well as being somewhat introverted. Worsened in recent years to due to the death of his wife.
  • Extra Ore Dinary: Notably he can manipulate glass and plastic in addition to metal.
  • Gadgeteer Genius
  • Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Inverted with the towering wife Diamond Lil and the average-height Madison Jeffries.
  • No Social Skills: To a lesser agree, but still noticeable. An unfortunate side-effect of being brainwashed, locking himself away in the Yukon, and having a habit of talking to his machines more often than people.
  • One-Robot Army: Plenty capable of this though it was more common in his Alpha Flight days.
  • Retired Badass: Was this before recruited to join the X-Club. Still arguably semi-retired considering what he used to do in Alpha Flight.
  • Robosexual
  • Shell-Shocked Veteran: Shows shades of this on occasion.
  • Technopath: One of his main abilities is the ability to communicate with machines.
  • Transforming Mecha: When merged with the Boxbot. Notably, due to his powers he is able to manipulate the robot to take any form he can imagine to the point that it borders on Shapeshifting.

Dr. Kavita Rao

Danger

Dr. Yuriko Takiguchi

Regular human electronics expert. Later died of old age and was buried on Utopia. Honestly not very remarkable.

Elizabeth Braddock/Psylocke

See X-Men

Warren Kenneth Worthington III/Angel

See X-Men.


Others

Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch

Magneto's long-lost daughter, believed to be dead and raised by gypsies with her brother, Quicksilver. When she grew into a young woman, a mob almost killed her after they learned of her ability to manipulate reality. Although good natured, she was indebted to Magneto when he saved her from the mob, and took her brother in to form the first Brotherhood of Mutants. After learning the truth about their parentage, Wanda and Pietro have pinballed back and forth between heroes and villains, though they usually retain good intentions in either form. Wanda herself became more and more insane as her powers quickly grew from causing minor bad luck to full-scale reality warping.

Ariel

Shard

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