There have been around 90 official members of the X-Men over the years. The X-Men essentially became a smaller company inside Marvel, spreading out to the point where four different X-Men teams could operate simultaneously along side affiliated teams and solo adventures. And the reason for that wild success is that the concept of the X-Men is so simple and yet so brilliant, the themes are so powerful, and the characters so vivid. Like any comic book franchise it has its fallow periods, but few comics can boast not merely being intellectually and emotionally fulfilling, but also being a force for social good.
10. Magik: Illyana Rasputin was introduced as Colossus's younger sister. After a series of horrific events her mutation (to teleport through time and space) activated alongside her nascent mystical abilities. Bad, nightmarish things happen to her, events far beyond the routine suffering piled upon superheroes. But even in a profoundly unjust world she still strives to be a hero, to be a better person.
10. Magik: Illyana Rasputin was introduced as Colossus's younger sister. After a series of horrific events her mutation (to teleport through time and space) activated alongside her nascent mystical abilities. Bad, nightmarish things happen to her, events far beyond the routine suffering piled upon superheroes. But even in a profoundly unjust world she still strives to be a hero, to be a better person.
9. Dazzler: Alison Blaire never desired to be a superhero. She wanted to be a singer, and her mutation (to convert sound into light) was merely something she used to make her shows more theatrical. But what makes her special is that she was the public face of mutants. While the X-Men sequestered themselves in their mansion, Alison was a beloved entertainer. She was a mutant superstar and became the positive example of her species the world needed. In her time, she did more work for the X-Men's goal of human/mutant peace than anyone else.
8. Beast: Hank McCoy was born a mutant, but his own experimentation upon himself pushed his mutation beyond its natural limitations. He is an affable genius. One who has been an Avenger and a Defender, beyond merely being an X-Man. What makes him stand out is his never ending quest for knowledge. The world might be a difficult place, with many setbacks, but the X-Men embrace it, and none more so than Beast.
7. Nightcrawler: Kurt Wagner is a profoundly different individual. His mutation resulted in an almost demonic appearance. But rather than be bitter, he embraced his mutant nature. Mutation thematically represents a huge swath of "others" and as part of that self-loathing is not uncommon. Nightcrawler represents the best of us, how what makes us different is not shameful or bad, but something to be embraced and celebrated.
6. Rogue: Rogue's mutation is deadly. She steals the very essence of anyone she touches. She was battered, abused and manipulated. But she sought help, and through the X-Men became a stronger, more complete person. Alienation is not total, there is help, and growth is possible.
5. Cable: Jean Grey referred to her not quite son, Nathan Summers, as, "a cable linking the present to the future." Time travel has almost always been a major element to the X-Men, because the X-Men are not focused on a perpetual present. The X-Men look to the future with specific goals, and so the future must intercede upon the present in order to clarify the stakes and how the dream the X-Men advocate will fail or succeed. And that intercession is Cable, a man who is the mutant messiah in multiple eras thousands of years apart. He is the watchman, keeping the dream alive across all of time, from the most bleak to the most paradisaical.
4. Magneto: The X-Men are unique in that their adversaries each represent specific ideologies. In Magneto's case that ideology is militancy. While the X-Men are (in a very round about way) pacifists (I should reiterate it is in a very round about and ass backwards way), Magneto represents the idea that safety can only come from weapons and aggression. But what makes him a compelling character is that he is not necessarily wrong. And the fact that his goal is what he perceives is best for the mutant species, which does not preclude working with and occasionally being a member of the X-Men.
3. Charles Xavier: The founder of the X-Men and the man with the dream. He is, ultimately the leader of a social movement, not the leader of a super hero team. And like all such leaders, he has a grand vision. That is why he never ceases to embrace all people, including villains like Magneto or his step-brother Juggernaut. He tries, in his own way, to help everyone, And, like all such leaders, he occasionally fails and his personal demons get in the way. That's what makes him a tragic hero, rather than a mythical icon of goodness.
2. Emma Frost: Emma originated as a member of the Hellfire Club, which represented decadence, licentiousness, and greed. Unlike Magneto or the X-Men (or even Mr. Sinister, Mystique, and Apocalypse) the Hellfire Club cared for nothing more than their own petty aggrandizement, wealth and power. It is the Id run amok. But Emma grew beyond that ultimately sociopathic outlook. She became an ally of the X-Men, eventually training the younger generation of mutants before eventually joining the team outright. Being a hero is a struggle for her. Her natural impulse is not necessarily to do the right thing, but she does (or tries to) anyway. She represents the potential for the ideology of the X-Men to convert those around them.
1. Cyclops: Scott Summers is the man who holds everything together. He has the weight of both an entire species resting upon him. He saves people. He does good. His power is uncontrollable in a perfect metaphor for how the world is uncontrolable. And yet, Cyclops manages to keep everything in check. Everything advancing towards the ultimate dream of peaceful integration. He's strong, he's moody, he puts his responsibilities to the world ahead of any happiness he might ever have. He's willing not merely to sacrifice himself, but to allow himself to be hated and be ostracized. That's what being a hero really means, making hard choices for the good of those around him and accepting the consequences.
