Who is the X-Men's greatest leader? The X-Men are a unique comic book franchise, in that - quite appropriately - they're always evolving. When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby first created the X-Men, they imagined them as students of Charles Xavier. As a result, generations of X-Men have grown, matured, graduated, and been replaced by a new class. Meanwhile, the franchise has continually expanded, with countless spin-off teams.
All this means there are quite a remarkable number of X-Men with leadership experience; in fact, it's probably easier to list X-Men who haven't led a team at some time or another. Iceman led a team during the "Operation: Zero Tolerance" event in the '90s; even Jubilee led a new incarnation of Generation X a couple of years ago. Every now and again there have been stories where experienced leaders butt heads, and it's both amusing - and inevitable.
For all this is the case, though, three leaders stand above all the others. Charles Xavier was the founder of the X-Men, Cyclops has been the recurring team leader, and Storm became particularly prominent in the '80s. But which of these X-Men members can rightly be called their greatest leader?
3. Charles Xavier Is A Flawed Leader
Charles Xavier is the founder of the X-Men, an idealist who dreams of peace between men and mutant. He's essentially a prophet who points the way to the Promised Land, but unfortunately he's a flawed prophet. His problem, unfortunately, is that he is overwhelmingly arrogant; his telepathy meant he grew up with the sense that he was a God among men, able to manipulate the minds of others with ease. As a result, he's always seemed to believe the very rules he teaches others to obey are not for him. Even Wolverine was a victim of Xavier's manipulation; according to the "Original Sin" event, Logan was assigned to kill Xavier, but the Professor rewrote his mind in order to turn him into an X-Man. The X-Men: Deadly Genesis miniseries revealed Xavier erased Cyclops' memory of his own brother so he could be a competent field leader.
Jonathan Hickman's X-Men relaunch has seen Xavier take charge of the entire mutant race. He's abandoned his old dream in pursuit of a far more isolationist one, establishing the mutant nation of Krakoa. This is a remarkable achievement, and yet it's already clear Krakoa is flawed, ironically because of Xavier's own character flaws. He deliberately orchestrated his own assassination, in order to unify the mutant race and get permission to found a mutant CIA when he'd been resurrected. He's manipulating Mystique with the promise of resurrecting her wife Destiny, a pledge he has no intention at all of keeping. Mystique knows full well Xavier is lying to her, and has resolved to burn Krakoa to the ground.
2. Storm Is A Potent Leader
Storm's most important period as leader was in the 1980s, and it's easy to forget that she made history when she stepped up to take charge of the X-Men. She became leader of the X-Men at a time when women were typically sidekicks, secondary characters, or love interests. Even better, she won the leadership by beating Cyclops in combat, a feat she accomplished without her powers (it was sadly later retconned). Like many mutants, her powers seem to have generated specific flaws with her character; she has a need for control that can never quite be fulfilled, and a result she often second-guesses her own decisions. For all that's the case, though, Storm boldly led the X-Men to redefine themselves as outlaws and outcasts, taking them to the Australian Outback for a time, and ultimately overthrowing the government of the nation of Genosha rather than allow its citizens to treat mutants as slaves.
The modern Storm has frequently been portrayed as a leader with divided loyalties. Her relationship with Black Panther means she has responsibilities to the nation of Wakanda, and these have often conflicted with her responsibilities to the mutant race. This was particularly notable in the aftermath of the Decimation, a time when mutants were almost rendered extinct by Scarlet Witch. It took Storm quite some time to join the X-Men on the nation of Utopia, and her delay was noted by several of her fellow X-Men, who weren't particularly impressed. A similar tension is likely to emerge in Jonathan Hickman's X-Men relaunch, given the X-Men are secretly instituting a policy of regime change in nations that refuse to trade in mutant drugs - Wakanda being one such country.
1. Cyclops Is The X-Men's Greatest Leader
When the time traveler Bishop joined the X-Men, he was overawed to meet Cyclops, who he described as "the X-Men's greatest leader" - much to Storm's displeasure. In truth, Xavier had been schooling Cyclops for leadership from the mutant he first met him, but curiously enough Cyclops only really flourished when he threw aside Xavier's yoke. Cyclops ultimately learned of Xavier's past mistakes, including the fact he'd erased all knowledge of his brother Vulcan, and he rejected his former father figure. The idealist died in a flare of pain - and that coincided with the darkest days of mutant history.
Stripped of his past restraint, Cyclops began to demonstrate a shrewd sense of tactical judgment. When Cyclops learned of the birth of the mutant Messiah, Hope Summers, he took drastic steps to protect her; he allowed Cable to transport her to the future for safety, and then sent an X-Force team after him to protect the child from Bishop. Cyclops used Xavier's death as a pretext to disband the X-Men, reforming them in San Francisco and welcoming all mutants, no matter their background. This eventually led to anti-mutant tension exploding on the streets, but again Cyclops had a fallback planned, and he founded the mutant nation of Utopia. His X-Men successfully defeated Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers, a remarkable feat given their number included the likes of the Sentry, a being powerful enough to bring down Asgard. In the end, Cyclops' entire approach proved successful, as Hope Summers - her powers combined with the Scarlet Witch - reignited the X-Gene and restored the mutants. Had Cyclops lost faith, it's entirely possible the entire mutant race would have been left extinct.
Cyclops has made many mistakes. Twisted and broken under the influence of the Phoenix Force, he killed Charles Xavier. These are comics, so the death didn't last of course, but the trauma caused Cyclops to experience some sort of protracted nervous breakdown. During that period, he took a far more extreme perspective, one that many feared would cause a lasting mutant civil war. But that potential conflict was averted, Cyclops healed, and he's now back with the X-Men - as Captain Commander, the most important leader of all. This rank is entirely appropriate, and signifies that the X-Men themselves recognize him as the best there is at what he does.