All 5 Original X-Men Have Noew Become Villains - But Who Was The Most Evil?

All 5 of the original members of the X-Men have fallen to villainy at some point in Marvel Comics canon. Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Angel, and Beast represented the best and most heroic mutants in Marvel Comics upon their introduction, each of them willing to lay down their lives to secure the safety of both humans and mutants alike. However, even they weren’t immune to corruption, which leaves only one question: who was more evil?

Up until the X-Men’s Krakoan Era, the only original member of the X-Men who hadn’t become a villain was Beast (not counting his Age of Apocalypse variant, Dark Beast). But, during the Krakoan Era’s X-Force run (including Wolverine tie-in comics), Beast became a truly despicable villain. Hank McCoy arguably solidified his status as an X-Men villain in Wolverine #27, when he manipulated Wolverine’s mutant rebirth to turn him into a mindless weapon after murdering the original himself, effectively forcing Logan to relive the horrors of his Weapon X torture.

Beast then doubled-down on his villainous status in X-Force #50, when he tried to isolate the consciousnesses of all mutants into his ‘black hole gun’ in order to separate mutants from humans permanently. Even a resurrected younger version of himself tried to stop Beast from doing this, which highlighted how far Hank had fallen from his earliest days as an X-Men hero. The reason Beast is especially notable is that he’s simply the latest (and the last) of the original X-Men to become a villain, though he obviously isn’t the first.

How the Other Original Members of the X-Men Became Villains in Marvel Comics

With Beast covered, it’s time to take a look at the other original X-Men members who fell to villainy. The first was Jean Grey who (in Uncanny X-Men #129-138) became Dark Phoenix following her initial Phoenix transformation - a famously sinister version of the X-Men hero. The second was Warren Worthington III aka Angel, who had his wings mutilated in the Mutant Massacre, and was ‘healed’ by Apocalypse soon afterward. Apocalypse made Angel his Horseman of Death, and renamed him Archangel.

Next was Bobby Drake aka Iceman, who was infected with a Death Seed by Apocalypse, which opened his mind and lowered his inhibitions in regard to the full extent of his power. It was during this time that Iceman learned he’s an Omega-Level Mutant, as he nearly froze the entire world and terrorized thousands in his kaiju form. Then, there’s Cyclops, who became like an heir of Magneto in 2013’s Uncanny X-Men. Broken by Avengers vs X-Men, Cyclops becomes a mutant revolutionary, which saw him adopt a villainous, extremist view.

So… Which Original X-Men Hero is the Worst Villain?

While each original X-Men member took their turn as an official villain, it seems pretty easy to see which one is the most evil. Right off the bat, fans can eliminate Jean Grey, Angel, and Iceman, as they were corrupted by outside forces and had their powers exploited/heightened without their consent or control. That leaves Cyclops and Beast, and between them, it’s fair to say that Cyclops is the least evil among them, as he was pushed to villainy after the Avengers literally turned on mutantkind. Therefore, Beast takes the win as the most evil original X-Men member.

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Not only were Beast’s crimes the most atrocious (and against his fellow mutants, no less), but he committed every heinous act of his own volition, without outside forces. Plus, this evil Beast never found redemption like the other X-Men, as he was replaced by a younger version of himself. So, not only is Beast the latest original member of the X-Men to turn evil, he’s arguably the evilest one of them all.

X-Men

The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.