10 Most Brutal Fights In X-Men Comics

If it is, in fact, Patrick Stewart as Professor X in Doctor Stange In The Multiverse Of Madness, the X-Men may be coming to the MCU in the near future and they will have many major battles ahead of them in live-action. Some of them are likely to be based on their most brutal fights in X-Men comics, vicious battles often borne of years of character conflict and development.

Some of the most brutal battles in X-Men comics feature some of the most powerful characters in Marvel Comics, like Rachel Summers fighting Galactus and the Dark Phoenix unleashing her power against her teammates. All of these epic battles stand out for their intensity and long-lasting impacts, some of which altered the course of major characters for years after.

Rachel Summers Vs. Galactus

One of the biggest and most brutal fights in X-Men comics comes in Excalibur #61. Rachel Summers happens upon Galactus in deep space as he’s about to feed on an inhabited world, setting off a visually stunning and truly cosmic battle for the ages.

Alan Davis renders the battle between two of the most powerful cosmic beings in the Marvel Universe in huge splash pages and lands the impact of the Phoenix Force in every one as Rachel overwhelms the mighty Galactus with her power.

Colossus Vs. The Marauders

One of the most brutal battles in X-Men comics history comes during The Fall of the Mutants storyline when the Marauders kill scores of innocent Morlocks under the streets of New York City. In a vicious battle in Uncanny X-Men #211, Colossus kills the Marauder Riptide.

The indiscriminate hate and violence of the Marauders drive Colossus over the edge, especially after they injure both Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde. His killing of Riptide is a breaking point for Colossus, who was a gentle person despite his strength before this.

Psylocke Vs. Wolverine

There have been a few brutal fights between Psylocke and Wolverine in the comics over the years, and one of the best is one of the first. In Uncanny X-Men #258, Psylocke proves why she is one of the best martial artists in Marvel Comics.

Despite his strength, speed, skill, and adamantium claws, Psylocke makes quick work of Wolverine. She dispatches him with a series of expert moves and then for the coup de grace, unleashes her psychic knife, one of the most devastating weapons in the X-Men arsenal.

Cyclops Vs. Wolverine

Cyclops and Wolverine have always been at odds in the comics, mostly over their mutual affection for Jean Grey. But things reached a crisis point in Schism when their different visions for the X-Men led to a knockdown, drag-out brawl between the two.

Cyclops unleashed his optic blasts directly at Wolverine at close range, and Wolverine didn’t pull any punches. Though Cyclops is far more powerful than Wolverine, Wolverine’s healing factor kept him in the fight, which descended into rage for both men.

Wolverine Vs. The Hellfire Club

Uncanny X-Men #133  features one of the early battles that cemented Wolverine’s reputation as ‘the best there is at what I do.’ His brutal takedown of the Hellfire Club goons during The Dark Phoenix Saga showed how devastating and ruthless he could be.

The fight may not have been as gory as later battles, but it defined Wolverine for the future. The Hellfire goons go down one at a time in increasingly brutal fashion, their fear escalating with every page as Wolverine reduces their numbers.

Jean Grey Vs. Emma Frost

There is little love lost between Jean Grey and Emma Frost and when Jean discovered Emma was having a psychic affair with Scott Summers in New X-Men #139, one of the best X-Men comics of the 2000s, it turned into one of the most vicious battles in the history of Marvel Comics.

Jean starts off by making Emma relive her worst memories, a form of psychic torture that was far worse than any physical damage Jean could have caused. The cold brutality of the fight destroys the marriage between Cyclops and Jean Grey, leading to even darker consequences.

Dark Phoenix Vs. The X-Men

The X-Men’s most brutal battles usually come against their own and that’s true of Uncanny X-Men #135 when Jean Grey transforms into the Dark Phoenix. She lashes out against her teammates with unimaginable force and anger.

She transmutes a tree to solid gold, pinning Colossus beneath it, who she already forcibly changed back into human form. She unleashes devastating psychic attacks against Storm, one of the few X-Men who can slow her down, and she hurls the others away like they’re nothing.

Wolverine Vs. Sabretooth

Wolverine and Sabretooth have had scores of brutal battles over the years and one of the most vicious came in Wolverine #10. In this issue, Wolverine goes beserk after learning the Sabretooth killed his lover Silver Fox.

It’s one of the biggest and most unhinged battles between the two bitter rivals in the comics, with a nearly feral Wolverine tearing Sabretooth to shreds and Sabretooth doing the same. Their healing factors keep them alive and the fight going.

Professor X Vs. Magneto

Professor X and Magneto have been friends, enemies, and friends again in some of the best Professor X comics ever. Their lowest moment came in their most brutal battle in X-Men #25 when Professor X erased Magneto’s mind.

This brutal act followed another unimaginable act of violence on Magneto’s part. He ripped all the adamantium from Wolverine’s body, nearly killing him. He also killed hundreds of innocent people, sending Professor X over the edge.

X-Men Vs. The Sentinels

The Sentinels are some of the most powerful and dangerous villains the X-Men have ever faced. In Uncanny X-Men #142, they cement their threat in one of the most brutal battles ever. In this dystopian future, the Sentinels destroy the X-Men seemingly forever.

The horror of the moment is encapsulated in the image of a Sentinel killing Wolverine with a powerful energy blast. This future is only avoided – perhaps – by Kitty Pryde going back in time and averting the assassination of a United States senator whose death precipitated the future.

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