Published Mar 12, 2026, 8:01 AM EDT
Robert Wood is a writer and editor based out of Cheshire, England. He is the author of 'The False Elephant: and 99 Other Unreasonably Short Stories' - 100 stories, each told in exactly 100 words.
Rob got into comics via Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man and the UK anthology 'The Mighty World of Marvel,' which was running Frank Miller's Daredevil, Classic Hulk and Contest of Champions II.
Prior to journalism, he worked in copywriting and copyedited for Oxford University Press. He is on X as @PinchTwigs and Instagram as roobwoodjourno.
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The X-Men franchise is packed with iconic heroes and villains, but not everyone fits into neat categories. Over the last few decades, X-Men has introduced several awesome characters who occupy the moral gray - here are the ten best.
10 Henrietta Benjamin, aka Lady Henrietta
Debuted in 2025's Uncanny X-Men Vol. 6 #13, Created by Gail Simone and David Marquez
A mutant who lived in the early 1900s, Lady Henrietta stumbled across a hidden mutant community in Louisiana. During her lifetime, she used her power to transform into obsidian and create stone golems to fight those who would take mutant lives.
However, she eventually became a much darker force of justice as the protector of the Penumbra - a private Hell where the souls of those who have killed mutants are trapped to suffer. Uncanny X-Men is continuing to unravel Henrietta's story, and how she went from merciful hero to supernatural jailer.
9 Weaponless Zsen and Khora of the Burning Heart
Debuted in 2022's Legion of X #1 and created by Simon Spurrier and Jan Bazaldua | Debuted in 2021's S.W.O.R.D. Vol. 2 #5 and created by Al Ewing and Valerio Schiti
These mutant sisters are sharing an entry, despite having a pretty terrible relationship. Both are warrior mutants from Arakko - an ancient mutant civilization that was sucked into a realm of demons for millennia, creating a uniquely warlike culture.
In Arakko, mutant powers are considered 'weapons', and both Zsen and Khora got a raw deal. Zsen's mutant ability allows her to 'paint the truth'. Arakki mutants weren't exactly impressed with this ability, and Zsen compensated by becoming one of the deadliest fighters in an already deadly culture, utilizing curved, claw-like blades comparable to Wolverine's and operating as a galactic mercenary.
Meanwhile, Khora can amplify the powers of any mutant in her vicinity - something that's considered an insult in Arakki culture. As a result, she's also spent most of her life training to become a world-class fighter.
The X-Men used both Zsen and Khora to steer galactic events, including some shady assassinations to make sure an alien civil war fell in their favor.
8 Kid Omega, aka Quentin Quire
Debuted in 2002's New X-Men #134, Created by Grant Morrison and Keron Grant
Quentin Quire is a super-genius telepath who had a breakdown when he learned he was adopted. Quentin's temper tantrum led to the infamous 'Riot at Xavier's', and established him as the eternal prodigal son of the X-Men.
Quentin has been a genuine problem for the X-Men in the past, creating international incidents as a would-be terrorist, however today he's a reluctant member, channeling his Omega-level psionic gifts into whatever weapon amuses him.
Even as a member of the X-Men, Kid Omega can be trusted to bring the franchise's most iconic heroes down to Earth, mocking Wolverine, Cyclops and Magneto at every opportunity, and always willing to consider dark methods that the team's outright heroes won't.
7 Solem of the Silver Skin
Debuted in 2020's Wolverine #6, Created by Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz and Benjamin Percy
Another Arakki mutant, Solem refuses to be bound by the laws of his people. He steals whatever he wants and sleeps with whoever he wants, earning him the ire of the Arakki ruling class.
Solem's skin is made of unbreakable adamantium, and he's an expert escape artist who refuses to take even life and death matters seriously. Despite that, he's lethal with a blade, and struck up an unlikely friendship with Wolverine when the two met.
6 Death, the First Horseman
Debuted in 2019's Marvel Comics #1000, Created by Jonathan Hickman and Dustin Weaver
Apocalypse's son Death is a hardcore believer in his father's philosophy and a brutal conqueror of worlds. But while he's killed thousands, he insists on a strict code of honor - even killing his sister Pestilence when she tried to slay the X-Men in a dishonorable way.
Surprisingly for such a strict warrior, Death is something of a charmer, and flirted with Storm when the two did battle in the X of Swords event. He can kill with a single glance but holds his power in reserve, only unleashing it against unworthy opponents.
5 Isca the Unbeaten
Debuted in 2020's X-Men Vol. 5 #12, Created by Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz
Isca has one of the wildest powers in X-Men lore - she cannot lose. No matter what happens, Isca always wins. In most challenges, that means she has a supernatural edge to her strength, intellect and luck.
However, when the odds are truly impossible, her power forces her to change sides, even if it means betraying those she loves the most.
4 Danger, the Living Danger Room
Debuted in 2005's Astonishing X-Men #9, Created by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday
When Charles Xavier built the 'Danger Room' he uses to train his students, he used a piece of experimental alien technology to do it. That technology eventually gained sentience and became Danger.
Danger started out obsessively hating the X-Men for imprisoning her, though she's been both ally and enemy to them since. Danger's robotic body can take any shape, and she has a particular fascination with imprisonment and redemption after being locked away for years.
3 Akihiro, aka Hellverine, aka Daken, aka Fang
Debuted in 2006's Wolverine: Origins #5, Created by Daniel Way and Steve Dillon
The son of Wolverine, Akihiro was presumed dead after the assassination of his mother. Instead, he was kidnapped by the villainous Romulus and raised to hate his father with a fiery passion.
As Daken, Akihiro tried to kill both Wolverine and his young students - a mission that only stopped once Logan made the heart-breaking decision to kill his own son. Akihiro was later resurrected and began a quest for redemption, taking on the name Fang and joining groups including X-Factor and Alpha Flight.
Today, Akihiro is possessed by a demon that turns him into the Hellverine - a hellish force of violence who can literally smell sin, and won't stop until he's cut it to pieces with his flaming claws.
2 Abigail Brand, aka Abigail Thanriaguiaxus
Debuted in 2004's Astonishing X-Men Vol. 3 #3, Created by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday
Abigail Brand is the former leader of SWORD - Earth's premier agency for dealing with alien life. Despite being a mutant who can superheat her hands, Brand sees humans and mutants as basically the same, and follows an agenda of trying to do what's best for Earth.
Brand is a tactical genius with a callous streak, and will happily sacrifice any individual to establish the Earth as a galactic power (indeed, she faciliated Colossus' capture and death for this reason.) In recent comics, she took this mission too far, selling the X-Men out to the mutant-hating Orchis.
Brand's devious personality and 'bigger picture' motivations make her a fascinating antihero - one who rejects everything the X-Men stand for in the name of what she considers a much, much greater good.
1 Fantomex, aka Charlie Cluster-7
Debuted in 2002's New X-Men #128, Created by Grant Morrison and Igor Kordey
In order to finally kill off mutants, a group of scientists designed the ultimate team of Sentinels - living weapons made in the mold of a superhero team. After Wolverine got through with that plan, only one Super-Sentinel remained - the dryly ironic, faux-French master thief known as Fantomex.
Fantomex has a number of mutant powers - he can create minor illusions to distract others, and his nervous system lives outside his body as the sentient flying saucer known as EVA.
Fantomex is a thief and a mercenary who refuses to do anything that doesn't benefit him directly, however that's just the personality he was programmed to have. Underneath, he's a more heroic soul, though his loyalty to the X-Men is often tested by his shady past and his commitment to 'The World' - the bizarre living laboratory where he was created.
Those are our picks for the best X-Men antiheroes introduced since 2000 - let us know below what you think of our ranking, as well as what other characters belong on this list.
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
English (US) ·