The X-Men have some of the most iconic and beloved villains in Marvel Comics history. With the likes of Magneto, Mystique, Apocalypse, and Juggernaut, the X-Men’s rogues gallery is one of the most stacked rosters in the comics giant’s library. Because the X-Men have been around for so many years, there have been countless enemies the team faced that have since been forgotten to time — even those that deserved fan recognition and praise.
With such a wide range of stories spanning over the course of many decades, the X-Men and their tales have spawned an endless supply of excellent supporting characters, both good and evil. Whether the characters come from a demented alternate future, from a group of mutant-hating radicals, or from within their own ranks, some of the best X-Men villains are also some of the most obscure.
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Mastermind Is an Early X-Men Foe That Has Been Mostly Forgotten
The Villainous Telepathic Illusionist Was a Major Threat to the Early X-Men Team
Originally a member of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Jason Wyngarde, aka Mastermind was one of the X-Men’s earliest enemies. With the power to generate complex illusions to trick and influence anyone under his grasp, Mastermind is a terrifying threat to Marvel’s mutant heroes. Later appearing as a member of the infamous Hellfire Club, Mastermind played an important role in the early issues of the iconic Dark Phoenix Saga, one of the X-Men’s most important storylines.
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Though Jason Wyngarde’s version of Mastermind has not had much play in the years since the X-Men’s early days, there have been numerous other characters who have taken on the mantle of Mastermind, most notably, Jason’s own daughter, Martinique Wyngarde. Though his time as a member of the X-Men’s central rogues gallery was somewhat short-lived, Mastermind’s role as one of the team’s major early threats cannot be understated. His role in key moments for the team is something that should be looked at with reverence and appreciation by fans, and his legacy is a strong one in the Marvel community.
5
Masque Is a Frighteningly Overlooked Member of the Morlocks
Masque Is a Disfigured Mutant With the Power to Alter Physical Appearances
With the Morlocks being one of Marvel’s most downtrodden and oppressed groups, many of their members are rightfully angry toward the rest of the world around them. Masque, one of the earliest members of the sewer-dwelling mutant clan, is constantly battling with his own inner demons and what they mean for the people around him. Originally established as having the power to manipulate other people’s flesh like clay—but not his own—Masque was brought on by the Morlock leader Callisto to reshape and deform other members of the group that were not deemed “ugly enough”.
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A tragic character with more than a few good reasons to resent and hate the status quo of the ordinary world around him, Masque’s villainy is tainted by sadness and regret. He is not a major threat to the members of the X-Men, but his envy and loathing for those more fortunate than him make him an unpredictable wildcard, as well as someone that readers often pitied more than feared. One of the brilliant things about X-Men stories is the way that the villains and their motivations are justified and explored in genuine ways, and Masque’s story is no exception.
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Dark Beast Is a Villainous Reflection of Hank McCoy
The Evil Alternate Version of Beast Poses a Major Threat to Mutantkind
Originally appearing in the Age of Apocalypse storyline, the Hank McCoy of Earth-295 has remained a thorn in the side of the mainline Beast and his mutant comrades for years since his inception. A twisted, warped alternate version of the furry blue scientist that readers know and love, Dark Beast was one of Apocalypse’s most trusted allies, revealing that the lack of Charles Xavier’s guiding hand in Hank’s life could so easily result in him being sent down a much darker path in life.
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Though Dark Beast’s main stories came from the alternate Age of Apocalypse universe, he has reappeared a number of times in books like X-Factor and Uncanny X-Force, where he has repeatedly proved himself to be a frightful enemy and a sometimes temporary ally. Out for his own ends in ways that the mainline Hank McCoy never was, Dark Beast is one of the most effective alternate universe versions of a Marvel hero — if not just because he is such a perfect reminder of what any of the universe’s greatest heroes could be if circumstances had been only slightly different.
3
Proteus Has Finally Received Some Recent Love
The Uber-Powerful Son of Moira MacTaggert Nearly Defeated the Entire X-Men Team
Kevin MacTaggert, aka Proteus, is one of the most dangerous and most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe. Originally confined to a cell on Muir Island where his mother Moira could study him, Kevin escaped after the X-Men damaged his facility during a battle with Magneto. The resulting aftermath of his escape has gone down as one of iconic X-Men writer Chris Claremont’s best early storylines on the mainline book.
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With the ability to manipulate reality, Proteus is one of the strongest Omega-level mutants that currently exists in the Marvel Universe. Though he was underutilized for decades after his origination in the pages of The Uncanny X-Men #125, Proteus has since gotten some love and recognition from fans during the Krakoa Era of X-Men books, with the now less antagonistic Kevin acting as one of Krakoa’s “Five”, a group of mutants assigned to the resurrection of fallen mutants.
2
The Brood Deserves More Recognition From Fans
The Terrifying Alien Race Brought Horror to The X-Men’s Stories
Originating in one of the X-Men’s most underrated stories, the terrifying alien race known as the Brood is one of the X-Men’s most unique foes. While the mutants of the Marvel Universe are most often known for fighting against foes that seek to eradicate them and their kind and preserve the human way of life on Earth, the Brood serves a more classic supervillain role in the book. They are an evil, infectious race that enslaves other beings and impregnates them with their eggs to further the existence of the Brood race. The X-Men’s first confrontation with the Brood remains a high-water mark for horror-adjacent superhero comic book storytelling, and fans at the time were genuinely enraptured by the underdog battle the X-Men were facing.
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Clearly taking influence from the iconic Xenomorphs from the Alien film franchise, the Brood is one of Marvel Comics’ most horrifying threats. Many casual fans of the X-Men know the team as a mostly Earth-based group, but stories like the Brood Saga and other space-based adventures prove that the mutant heroes of Earth are just as much at home among the stars. The race has reappeared quite a few times over the years, but it seems that fans didn’t connect to them all that much, as they’ve never risen in popularity in the same ways that other characters and evil alien races have since.
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Arcade Is a Gleefully Silly Threat to the X-Men
The Murderous Showman Deserves More Playtime With the X-Men
One of the most fun and engaging recurring villains in the X-Men’s long history is Arcade, a murderous hitman who uses elaborate traps and games to eliminate his foes. Butting heads with members of the X-Men repeatedly since his first appearance in the pages of Marvel Team-Up #65, Arcade has also been known to square off against the web-slinging hero Spider-Man as well. Another prime example of a classic style of supervillain, Arcade is one of the most underappreciated and underutilized villains in the entire X-Men rogues gallery. His appearances are always a treat for longtime readers, and his goofy facade is perfect for the terrifying horrors lurking behind his myriad of games and puzzles.
Though Arcade is nowhere near the threat level of a character like Magneto or Apocalypse, it’s clear that there is still a place for his wacky brand of supervillain antics. While the pages of a book like The Amazing Spider-Man might seem to suit the character better, there is no doubt that the X-Men and their generally dark brand of storytelling could use an occasional ray of light. There’s something so visually appealing, so simply engaging, so wonderfully alluring about Arcade’s appearances across the Marvel Universe, and it is a genuine shame that so few comic book fans recognize the villain as what he is—one of the very best obscure Marvel villains in the publisher’s long history.
