The X-Men’s 10 Biggest Breakups In Marvel History, Ranked

The X-Men are one big, dysfunctional family… which means that when they fight, they fight hard. Here are the 10 biggest team schisms in X-Men history, ranked by how many were involved in the blow-up and how lasting the consequences were.

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X-Men: Raid on Graymalkin

Jed MacKay, Rayn Stegman, Gail Simone, David Marques, Edgar Salazar et al. (2024)

In this recent crossover, Cyclops and Rogue were outraged to find that Xavier’s school on Graymalkin Lane had been turned into a mutant prison. Both led teams to break out the prison’s victims, but violently disagreed over whether Charles Xavier (then believed to have betrayed the X-Men) should be set free.

While the two teams scuffled and Cyclops and Rogue fought one-on-one, little changed, and Cyclops and Rogue’s units actually seemed to end up closer together once the storyline was concluded.

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Astonishing X-Men: Gifted

Joss Whedon, John Cassaday, Laura Martin, Chris Eliopoulos et al. (2004)

Thanks to the secret sponsorship of the alien Breakworld, scientist Kavita Rao developed a ‘Cure’ for the X-gene, nullifying the powers of any mutant who took it. While the X-Men were strongly against this development, seeing it as tantamount to genocide, some found it hard to resist the promise of a normal life.

The X-Men lost students who snuck away to take the Cure and struggled to keep a lid on the chaotic fears of their young charges. Wolverine and Beast engaged in a knock-down, drag-out fight when Logan sensed that the founding X-Man was considering taking the cure – an act that Logan believed would destroy any argument against its use.

Meanwhile, Wolverine and Cyclops quarreled over the recently dead Jean Grey, Kitty Pryde made it clear she would never believe Emma Frost’s supposed redemption, and Emma plotted to betray the team due to a psychic virus implanted by Cassandra Nova. Rao would later become an ally to the X-Men, and a member of their ‘X-Club’ science team.

X-Manhunt

Gail Simone, Murewa Ayodele, Gleb Melnikov, Federica Mancin, Enid Balam et al. (2025)

Having lied to the X-Men, betrayed Cyclops’ family and seemingly killed innocent humans, Xavier was arrested by human authorities and abandoned by his students. However, when Xavier got word that his daughter was in trouble, he carried out a prison break and attempted to leave Earth.

Some X-Men like Storm, Angel and Havok supported Xavier’s escape, while others like Cyclops and Magik fought against it. Ultimately, the crossover ends with Xavier escaping to space, and his former students making peace with each other, but this crossover includes some brutal battles, with Cyclops vs Storm as a standout.

Secret Empire

Cullen Bunn, Cory Smith, Matt Milla and Joe Caramagna (2017)

When Captain America’s evil clone took over America, many of the X-Men organized as New Tian – a short-lived nation ruled over by Emma Frost, Xorn and Beast. In order to keep New Tian safe, its resident mutants fought in favor of the evil Cap, and even imprisoned fellow heroes who attempted to attack the Hydra regime.

One of the biggest clashes took place in X-Men: Blue #7, when the time-lost original X-Men fought a New Tian X-Men unit including Havok, Firestar, Wolfsbane and more.

The Muir Island Saga

Chris Claremont, Fabian Nicieza, Peter David, Paul Smith, Andy Kubert, Whilce Portacio, Kirk Jarvinen, Steven Butler et al. (1991)

In this story, the Shadow King telepathically took control of a team of X-Men, with heroes including Colossus, Rogue, Psylocke and more working towards his dark agenda, and coming into conflict with Wolverine, Storm, Gambit, Xavier and Forge.

While the source of the conflict was ultimately a villain mind-controlling the good guys, it still had major consequences, separating the X-Men into a Blue team, Gold team and the founding heroes’ X-Factor unit.

X-Force vs the X-Men

Fabian Nicieza, Greg Capullo, Harry Candelario, Joe Rosas, et al. (1991)

When Cable was framed for an assassination attempt on Professor Xavier, the X-Men tracked down his X-Force team. While this schism was due to a misunderstanding, it permanently established X-Force as a team who don’t answer to the X-Men and don’t share the same philosophy of winning public approval via heroism.

Professor X and Magneto Split

Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum, Bob Wiacek, Glynis Wein et al. (1982)

It’s a major facet of X-Men lore that despite being enemies in the modern day, Xavier and Magneto were once close allies. Uncanny X-Men #161 finally revealed why they split. On a mission to battle Baron Strucker, Magneto concluded that Xavier was too trusting and too naive, and that he would be more effective fighting for mutants solo.

While this was a falling out between two friends, it established the two sides that defined X-Men canon for decades. For a more thrilling version of this story, see Ultimate X-Men #26. The Earth-1610 version of the story sees Xavier and Magneto found a hidden mutant colony in the Savage Land, with Xavier and a few loyalists fleeing for their lives once they discover Magneto’s genocidal dreams.

Avengers vs. X-Men

Brian Michael Bendis, Matt Fraction, Jason Aaron, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman, John Romita Jr., Olivier Coipel, Adam Kubert, et al. (2012)

When Cyclops, Colossus, Magik, Emma Frost and Namor were infused with the Phoenix Force, they began remaking the world as a utopia. Knowing the corrupting force of the Phoenix, the Avengers fought back, with Wolverine allying with Captain America to bring down his former ally Scott Summers.

As the battle went on, more and more of the Phoenix Force consolidated in Cyclops and Emma Frost, allowing their darkest desires to take control. In the final battle, the X-Men turned against the godlike pair, allying with the Avengers.

Finally, when Xavier attempted to shut down his mind, Scott Summers lashed out and killed his surrogate father.

X-Men: Schism

Jason Aaron, Carlos Pacheco, Frank Cho, Daniel Acuña, Alan Davis, Adam Kubert, et al. (2011)

In one of the best X-Men comics on this list, Cyclops and Wolverine’s rivalry finally hit breaking point. After Cyclops gathered the world’s surviving mutants onto the island of Utopia, Wolverine grew concerned that they were turning young mutants into child soldiers. Cyclops agreed, but argued it was necessary given the threat mutantkind was under.

Things boiled over during a gigantic Sentinel attack on Utopia, where Cyclops and Wolverine expressed decades of antagonism in a brutal fight where each stopped holding back.

While the Sentinel was ultimately repelled, the damage was done – Cyclops and his X-Men remained on Utopia, while Wolverine moved back to New York and opened a school for mutant youth. Every member of the X-Men was forced to pick a side, and the heroic team were split in two for years.

The Krakoan Era

Jonathan Hickman and dozens more (2019)

Ostensibly, the 2019-2024 Krakoan Era saw every single mutant on the planet gather together as one nation, more united than ever before. In reality, it meant that countless mutant factions were thrown into conflict, with the survival of the species and control of a world power in the mix.

During the Krakoan Era, mutantkind was ruled by the Quiet Council – an assemblage of heroes and villains who all had their own agendas. Xavier and Magneto hid the existence of Moira MacTaggert, Sebastian Shaw schemed to kill Kitty Pryde, and was beaten and paralyzed in return.

Mystique rigged the vote to get her lover Destiny into the group, Nightcrawler founded a religion to counteract Magneto’s influence, Colossus was an unwilling double-agent and Cypher undercut the Council’s decisions for the good of the living island that mutantkind had settled on.

Meanwhile, various mutants were exiled into an underground prison and became the Exiles, heroes like Cyclops and Northstar fought Quiet Council authority to lead independent teams, Moira went from a major ally to nearly wiping out mutantkind, and Wolverine ended this era trying to kill Charles Xavier.

All of that is before discussing Arakko – Krakoa’s mutant ally nation based on Mars, and the intrigues of Storm and Magneto seizing power through ritual combat and fighting the Genesis War to keep it.

The X-Men have never been more divided than when they were a nation. Having welcomed every mutant villain under their wing and established themselves as a superpower, the agendas at play ranged from Cyclops’ idealistic heroism to Mister Sinister’s plan to raze the world and become a god.

Those are the 10 biggest schisms in X-Men history – let us know below what you think of our ranking, as well as what other X-Men splits belong on this list.

Movie(s)

X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

First Film

X-Men (2000)

TV Show(s)

X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men ’97 (2024)

Video Game(s)

X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine’s Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)

Character(s)

Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23

Comic Release Date

213035,212968