Summary
With theX-Menbeing extremely close to making their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut and fans speculating about the nature of their arrival, it’s no surprise that hardcoreX-Menreaders might be wondering just who among the Xavier School’s students will be among the first to go to the big screen. Although fan favorites like Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Wolverine are a no-brainer, some fans might be wondering if any more love will be given to obscure X-Men characters.
In fact, while there are indeed hundreds of Mutants who need more screen time after their debut in the comics, there are still some Mutants who first appearedoutsidecomics that may deserve a spot in the films. Although some of them already got screen time in both recent films and shows, these non-comics characters have interesting stories to share.
1X-23
A Killer Trying To Be A Little Girl
Considering the widespread acclaim ofX-23inX-Mencomics, it’s no surprise that the revelation that she wasn’t an original comic book creation can stun even hardcore fans.X-23 - or Laura Kinney- actually made her debut inX-Men Evolution. While mostX-Men: Evolutioncharacters were reimagined versions of the X-Men team in a high school setting, Wolverine remained a seasoned veteran and was generally detached from fans. Laura Kinney being a young clone trained as a killer directly contrasts Logan’s amnesiac berserker, giving younger audiences a more “relatable” figure similar to Wolverine.
Reception to Laura’s past and story made her a breakout success inX-Mencomics. She remains an iconic part of Wolverine’s legacy, to the point where she was even chosen as Logan’s successor to the Wolverine mantle in modern works. Whereas Wolverine and Laura both struggle to come to terms with their past, their father-daughter relationship remains a sight to behold regardless of the material - which is also what made theLoganfilm quite a tear-jerker in the eyes of many.
2Spyke
A Newcomer Whose Role Represents The Viewers
Evan Daniels was a typical high school athlete until his powers of bone manipulation suddenly manifested in a basketball match. It’s only after Professor X helped Evan out of prison that he decided to attend the Xavier’s Institute under the codenameSpyke- withhis story inX-Men: Evolutioninvolving the juggling of his schoolwork and the occasional missions to save New York. Being a total newcomer in theX-Menfranchise, Spyke serves as the viewer’s lens intoEvolution’s take on Mutants.
Throughout the story, Spyke is known as a bit of a troublemaker before eventually maturing into a “protector” role when his powers “evolve” and inspire him to join the Morlocks. Although his powers are similar to those of Marrow’s, the creators of the show didn’t indicate if they have any relation.
3Morph
One Of Logan’s Closest Friends
Originally making an appearance in 1992’sX-Men: The Animated Series,Morphis notable for his shapeshifting abilities. Unlike Mystique who can only perfectly shapeshift humans and humanoids, Morph can even “mimic” the physical characteristics of the people they shapeshift into - allowing them to fly like Angel or even have Wolverine’s claws, but none of their “true” physical characteristics. Morph initially had a small role inthe X-Men’s first outing- having sacrificed themselves to save Wolverine from a Sentinel. Believing to have been killed in the fight, Cyclops ordered the team to retreat and leave Morph behind. Morph eventually came back under the influence of Mister Sinister, having turned on their former colleagues in the belief that they abandoned them.
A testament to the complexity of characters and storylines inThe Animated Series, Morph has struggled with their desire for redemption throughout the series. They are also close with Logan, who has become a kindred spirit of sorts throughout the series.X-Men ‘97creator Beau DeMayo revealed that Morph had romantic feelings for Logan.
4Firestar
One Of Spider-Man’s Earliest Allies
In 1981’sSpider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Spider-Man is seen working with two rather peculiar super-friends:Bobby Drake or Iceman, and Angelica Jones orFirestar. Despite her name, Firestar isn’t a Pyrokinetic, but rather someone who can convert energy into microwave radiation, which she can then manipulate to cause a target to melt, explode, or burst into flames.
These powers can even let her emit microwave radiation to fly. Unlike other prominent Mutants in Marvel Comics, Firestar wasn’t a prominent member of the X-Men. While she’s stayed for a while with the Mutant superhero team, Firestar was a more prominent member of the West Coast Avengers. In the cartoon, Firestar and Iceman were both X-Men until they both quit.
5Aimi Yoshida
Rumored Daughter Of Sunfire
When players choose a character inX-Men: Destiny, they can select the Japan-hailingAimi Yoshidaas their main character. Smuggled out of Japan by her parents, a young Aimi could only feel resentment towards them as they thought they had abandoned her. In truth, they wanted to send Aimi to San Francisco so she could avoid incarceration as a Mutant.
Unlike other X-Men in the comics, Aimi has access to special “suits” that can be combined with X-Gene sets to grant herself different powers. It seems her “canonical” power is energy projection, allowing her to create energy in the form of beams, shields, and grenades. It’s implied that Aimi Yoshida’s father was Sunfire - this means she likely inherited his Pyrokinesis. Aimi doesn’t appear in theX-Mencomics.
6Grant Alexander
Oblivious To Mutant-Human Relations Until It Became His Problem
Among the other available Mutants forplayers to choose from inX-Men: DestinyisGrant Alexander, a varsity hopeful who was once oblivious to the tension between Mutants and Humans… until discovering he had the X-Gene himself. Similar to Aimi, Grant can combine different X-Gene sets into special suits in order to acquire different powers.
Interestingly enough, the oldX-Men: Destinywebsite claimed Grant’s canonical power was that of density manipulation. This should technically mean transforming the body into something extremely dense to become extra durable and superhumanly strong, lowering one’s density to potentially increase one’s speed, jump higher, or even “pass” through objects. Unfortunately, Grant doesn’t make any other appearances outsideX-Men: Destiny.
7Adrian Luca
Trained To Hate Humans
Another characterplayers could choose inX-Men: DestinyisAdrian Luca, this time raised among Purifiers and was taught to hate Mutants because of their threat to Humans. He begins the game craving for vengeance as his father, another Purifier, was killed by an anti-Mutant extremist. Despite having Mutant powers, Adrian is raised as a “soldier” for this cause. Compared to the other playable characters, Adrian Luca suffers from frequent hallucinations of his deceased father - it’s unknown if this is a mental condition or another thing entirely.
Similar to Aimi and Grant, Adrian can also use X-Genes into suits to grant him various abilities. It seems his “canonical” power is that of Shadow Matter, allowing Adrian to create invisible blades or use it to create superhuman bursts of speed.
8Samuel Kamerhe
Once Luis Reyes’s Assistant
When a suspected attack from the Brotherhood caused chaos in the memorial rally for Charles Xavier inX-Men: Destiny,Samuel Kamerhewas caught in the crossfire. Formerly the personal assistant of Mutant Response Division’s Luis Reyes, Samuel had to find his boss to find the truth about the situation. However, things change drastically for Samuel after awakening his X-Gene, giving him powers of energy manipulation - allowing him to create energy blasts, defensive auras, and charged attacks.
Unlike the console versions ofX-Men: Destiny, the Nintendo DS version only allows players to play as Samuel. He doesn’t appear in other versions ofX-Menmedia, making him a DS-exclusive character.
