10 Oddest X-Men in Marvel’s Recent History
Since Chris Claremont stopped writing the X-Men full-time there’s been a heavy amount of weird X-Men coming down the pipe. Perhaps we were spoiled by the crap-ton of pretty mutants created by him, but there have been two writers that more than made up for it. Grant Morrison’s early ’00 run with [easyazon_link identifier=”1302901966″ locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]New X-Men[/easyazon_link] and Jason Aaron’s [easyazon_link identifier=”B00EKM8Q4G” locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Wolverine and the X-Men[/easyazon_link] are populated with the weirdest looking X-Men the franchise has seen this side of the Morlock tunnels! Here’s a list of the 10 oddest entries in the X-Men canon.
10. Glob Herman
Robert “Glob” Herman is one of the few young mutants that survived Decimation. He’s first introduced as a member of Quentin Quire’s Omega Gang. Even among the oddities that populated the mansion during Grant Morrison’s run, he stood out. Which isn’t all that hard to believe seeing as his entire body is a translucent mass of living paraffin wax-like material. He may not look it, but he’s much faster and stronger than at first glance. He’s also flammable. So, there’s that.
9. Stacy X
Yet another creation from the Grant Morrison era, Stacy X is a prostitute turned mutant adventurer by way of the X-Men. Because, you know… that made sense. Her mutant powers did more than alter her appearance. Stacy was able to manipulate the emotions or others using pheromones, a skill that came in useful in her line of work. She was rescued by the X-Men when the anti-mutant group, the Church of Humanity burned the brothel she worked at (X-Ranch) down. She didn’t stay with the X-Men long, but during her tenure, she attempted to use her pheromone powers to sleep with Nightcrawler and even Archangel.
8. Kid Gladiator
The first Aaron product on this list, Kid Gladiator is the son of the former leader of Shi’ar Imperial Guard and the empire’s current Magistrate, that being, of course, Gladiator. As atonement for leveling half a city out of boredom, KG was sent to earth to live with the X-Men and learn humility. He didn’t come alone, however. His protector, Warbird, accompanied him. During her stay on Earth, she’d also become an X-Man of sorts, even going as far as being a regular in the Astonishing X-Men title. In terms of abilities, he seemingly has all the powers of his father, who himself is a play on Superman. In other words, ‘Baby Superman’.
7. No-Girl
Grant Morrison strikes again, this time with a character that is equally tragic in origin as they are bizarre in appearance! No-Girl, or Martha, is nothing more than a brain in a floating jar, though she possesses a range of psionic abilities. Her state wasn’t a result of her mutant powers, though. Found living on the streets by the human radicals called U-Men (humans who kidnap mutants, dismember them, and attach parts of their bodies onto their own), her brain was taken from her body. She’s kept alive through the administration of drugs. Her presence on this list is based purely on her appearance, but the tragic conditions from which she originates is vintage X-Men.
6. Nature Girl
Lin Li lands this high up on the list simply due to having antlers on her head. Yes, I’m judging her as such in a world where girls can turn into wolves and flying is normal. But antlers, Aaron? Best you could do? Better known as Nature Girl (a name given to her by another entry on this list, Eye Boy), she can commune with and manipulate animals. This ability has allowed her to bond with Bamf creatures that frequented the Jean Grey Institute of Higher Learning, as well as Krakoa, the living landmass which the school was built atop of.
5. Beak
Half of one of the weirdest pairings in all X-Men history, Beak (a Morrison project, of course), Barnell Bohusk, is a mutant with a very distinct avian appearance. Though he looks like a bird, his powerset didn’t include flight. It was Beast who later helped him achieve that through special equipment. He’d later get romantically involved with fellow X-Man trainee, Angel Salvador. Stripped of his powers on M-Day, he later joined the New Warriors under the name ‘Blackwing,’ using a tech suit to simulate flight, and project energy blasts.
4. Angel Salvador
Speaking of Beak’s better half, Angel was also a mutant at the Institute. She sported insect wings and ate food much like a fly. Her very odd appearance resulted in her being kicked out of her home. At the Insitute, on a bet, she kissed Beak. The two formed a bond and began seeing each other. She’d soon become pregnant and laid eggs that quickly spawned several children. The entire family, save one child, lost their powers and they’re out of the ordinary looks. Angel, alongside her husband, joined the New Warriors. Angel is seen using ice and fire powers via tech gauntlets. The character was also portrayed by actress Zoe Kravitz in 20th Century Fox’s film [easyazon_link identifier=”B01J5SES5U” locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]X-Men: First Class[/easyazon_link].
3. Eye Boy
Probably the most on the nose named character on the list, save perhaps the next selection, Trevor ‘Eye Boy’ Hawkins, like his classmate, Nature Girl, and several others, developed his powers after the Hope Summers and Scarlet Witch reset X-Gene. Due to having his body covered in eyes, Eye Boy’s powers are linked to the amount of vision available to him. He can read body language and can perceive the usage of magic via waves in the air among other skills. Though he died after being exposed to poison, he’s been seen alive. I’m going to assume this was an editorial mistake, or perhaps the writers don’t even want to read about this Aaron creation.
2. Shark-Girl
Apparently, were-sharks are a thing now. If your interested in what that might be, and remember the ‘90s, think Street Sharks. Iara dos Santos, more aptly known as Shark-Girl, was another Jason Aaron venture, and part of the new wave of mutants following Avengers Vs. X-Men. Her fearsome appearance may have endeared her to less than heroic pursuits (which is probably why Mystique attempted to pull her under her wing), she ultimately chose to accept Angel’s invitation and leave her Brazilian home to join the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning on a part-time basis.
1. Broo
The one and only submission that didn’t come from Grant Morrison or Jason Aaron is a creation from writer, Christos Gage. Broo is a mutant member of the so-not-Xenomorphs alien race called, the Brood. The X-Men have had a long history with the savage, sometimes talkative beasts, but none have ever been as intelligent or sophisticated as Broo. He also walked on two legs, wore glasses and often dressed in full uniform. It was even suggested that a romantic relationship with classmate Oya may have at one point been in the works. Unlike the only other non-human list candidate, Kid Gladiator, Broo’s race has never had anything but carnivorous intentions for humanity and the X-Men. Broo obtained the top spot simply due to having more in common with a botfly than any other X-Man before him.
Final Score: Morrison- 5 Aaron- 4 Gage-1
Grant Morrison takes the win! I will say this for him. His characters, their strangeness notwithstanding, are never shallow. He weaves in personality and never lets their shock value be their defining trait. With that said, I suppose the X-Men deal in weird. It’s why we love them despite how mind-numbingly strange their stories can get. Which one of these oddities is your favorite? Let us know!
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