Brawn Over Brains – Marvel’s 10 Strongest X-Men
Phillip Pratt
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The X-Men are packed with some of the most powerful mutants in the world. Most of the time, the members with the flashier abilities get the spotlight; controlling the weather, manipulating the minds of a thousand people simultaneously, having the potential to force the world into a second ice age. But let’s take a minute to share the limelight with those whose powers aren’t as always that visible. The tanks. The way in and the way out. These are the ones that can stay in the thick of things. They’re the ones who use their incredible bodies as human shields. Here are the 10 strongest X-Men currently on rosters (sorry Danger and Frenzy, you guys have been MIA).
10. Northstar
For all intents and purposes, Northstar is a natural born super soldier. He is every bit as strong, fast, agile, and durable as Captain America and then some. Instead of being injected with a serum or exposed to gamma radiation, Northstar was born with his awesome abilities. His body’s makeup is key to another aspect of his powerset. He’s so fast and tough he can move at superhuman speeds. Not nearly as fast as Quicksilver, but still faster than most normal people can perceive or react to. Even with these talents, in the pantheon of the strongest, Northstar is around or just under the strength level of let’s say, a Spider-Man. Which means while he could probably catch a station wagon – lifting a city bus would be more than he could handle on the fly.
9. Wolfsbane
In her normal human form, Rahne Sinclair, an original member of the New Mutants, possesses sub-superhuman physical attributes. Speed, reflexes, durability, senses and, of course, strength. All of these aspects increase exponentially when she wills herself further and further into her lycanthrope form. In her half-human, half-wolf form, she’s taken on gods and shrugged off small arms fire as if they were slingshots. Wolfsbane’s biggest drawback is her inability to truly control herself the further she moves away from her humanity. However, when she rages, there aren’t many around her, including powerhouses like Strong Guy, that have been able to contain her.
8. Beast
It’s no secret who among the Original 5 X-Men was the strongest in terms of physical strength. I mean, if Angel had been created with powers other than hollow bones and his lame feathery wings, perhaps it could have made Warren more interesting, but I digress. At puberty, Henry ‘Hank’ McCoy, better known as Beast, developed abnormally large hands and feet to go along with his large physique. In his earlier days, he possessed enough superhuman strength and agility to propel himself through the air with ease, even if he was carrying one or two extra bodies.
In those days he was able to bend steel bars and smash most construction materials to pieces. It wasn’t until he mistakingly advanced his mutation did he unleash the higher levels of strength he displays today, as well as his signature blue fur. While he’s nowhere near Juggernaut-level of power, Beast is capable of manhandling the likes of Wolverine, and Bishop, as well as contending with the Strong Guys and Colossus’ of the world, in a pinch. He’s also wrecked a Sentinel or two in his time!
7. Warpath
The kid brother of the original, deceased, Thunderbird (who is currently featured on the Fox TV show The Gifted), James “Warpath” Proudstar, is a bigger, stronger, slower, significantly more violent version of Northstar. Though he doesn’t possess Northstar’s dizzying speed, he does have superhuman senses nearly on par with those of Wolverine and Wolfsbane.
Armed with a pair of giant bowie knives, Warpath lives up to his name by way of his unique brand of savagery. An aspect that has been utilized well during his stints with several versions of X-Force. His formidable powers allow him to go toe to toe with armored vehicles and the giant variety of Sentinels and come out of the conflicts with little to no damage. Utilizing his impressive strength, Warpath can easily turn a concrete column into a javelin.
6. Rockslide
One of the senior members of the New X-Men class, Santo Vaccarro, better known by his codename, Rockslide, has seen more action than most of his contemporaries due to his very useful power set. He’s not just one of the strongest X-Men trainees, he’s one of the strongest the X-Men have. Period. His rock-like body is nearly indestructible and he has the lifting strength to match. Matter of fact, he’s routinely chosen to accompany the veteran X-Men on missions due to his high resistance to damage. Rockslide’s immense strength makes up for his lack of experience.
5. Evan Sabahnur
Evan Sabahnur shares more than just his appearance and name with his progenitor, Apocalypse. Among Apocalypse’s many powers, he’s known for his oppressive strength which enables him to take on the full cast of the X-Men simultaneously. Respectfully, this trait is shared with Evan, though due to his gentle nature, it’s hard to notice. Evan can change his size at will, and unlike other shapeshifters, his augmented size is accompanied by proportionate strength! If he chooses to go down the same path as Apocalypse, chances are, there will be absolutely no difference in their power.
4. Strong Guy
Affectionately called Guido by his friends, Strong Guy has been among the strongest X-Men since his debut in the pages of X-Factor Vol. 2. His mutant ability to increase his mass and size by absorbing kinetic energy has always made him a force to be reckoned with. The more power he takes in, the bigger and stronger he becomes. This ability has given him enough resilience and power to take on both the Hulk and Red Hulk, however, it does come with a drawback.
Guido walks around quite powerful on his own but he needs outside influence to raise his ceiling. The biggest problem for him is his own heart. It can only handle so much stress as his mass increases. He’s also never been especially invulnerable. His durability increases as he gains strength, but until he reaches his upper levels of power, Guido is vulnerable- a detail that led to his death some time ago. But who in the X-Men hasn’t died at least once? You know, other than Storm, I mean.
3. Colossus
Since 1975, Colossus has been the X-Men’s answer to giant walls of muscle like the Juggernaut and the Brotherhood of Mutant’s unmovable, Blob. Listing his feats of strength would take pages and is probably best left to his numerous wiki sites. In his normal flesh and blood form, Colossus is a walking mountain of muscle with power enough to lift cars and smash walls. His mutant ability to cover himself in highly protective organic steel compliments his towering strength. Armored-up, Colossus’ strength increases exponentially. His ability to resist damage often has him used as a wrecking ball or famously throwing Wolverine to perform what is lovingly called the ‘Fastball Special’.
For a short time, Colossus, atop his already amazing strength possessed the power of the Juggernaut. As the envoy of the chaos god, Colossus was able to match and in many ways out duel the Red Hulk, shaking the foundations of a land mass in the process! Once he was freed of the god’s influence, Colossus returned to normal, but he is still among the strongest in the X-Men stable.
2. Gentle
Nezhno ‘Gentle’ Abidemi is the only Wakandan mutant currently featured in the Marvel Universe. Until recently, he was also one of the most tragic superheroes on the planet. In order to effectively use his mutant ability, Gentle would suffer equivalent amounts of pain. The larger and stronger he became, the more pain he experienced. So much so, it resulted in seizures. the marking on his body are vibranium in origin and help facilitate his powers. In stark contrast to his violently potent powers, his codename describes his mentality more than anything else.
Like most mutants, his powers are linked to his emotions. Without having to stay, his practice of pacifism benefits his day to day well-being. Recently, with intervention from Jean Grey, Gentle has surpassed this limitation. Gentle can now increase his size and strength without the debilitating effects. Jean estimates that at his full potential Gentle may now be able to take on the likes of the Hulk. Whether or not this will affect his personality or the way he interacts with the world, has yet to be seen, but so far, he seems to be embracing his new status quo.
1. Rogue
When Rogue joined the X-Men with Ms. Marvel’s powers permanently added to her own, she was, hands down, the strongest member of the team. Today, that hasn’t changed a bit. Rogue remains the physically strongest of the X-Men, possibly even more so than before. She lost her Ms. Marvel powers ages ago, but since then has made the strength and durability of Wonder Man her own. In terms of sheer strength and durability, Wonder Man may be even more powerful than Ms. Marvel herself.
This means as strong as Rogue was in the past, she may be stronger now than she’s ever been. She admitted as much herself when she accidentally killed the Grim Reaper, Wonder Man’s brother. Though she’d been well versed in the use of super strength, she was caught off-guard by how much stronger she was with Wonder Man’s power. It’s claimed that the Avenger is capable of lifting more than 100 tons, which puts him on par with the Sentry and Blue Marvel. This level of strength remains with Rogue today.
All done! These are the strongest the X-Men have to offer going into, and possibly out of (assuming there are no untimely deaths), the Age of X-Man! Who’s your personal favorite? Let us know below!
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