Top 10 Coolest X-Men Characters No One Knows About

Top 10 Lesser Known X-Men

It's time to root for the underdogs. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Lesser Known X-Men. For this list, we're ranking X-Men members who stand apart from Professor Charles Xavier's main team, often as supporting characters. These Marvel heroes may have a passionate fan following, but have historically taken a comparative backseat to major and more well known characters.

#10: Forge

The first X-Member on our list is the brilliant mutant inventor known as Forge. A war veteran and Native American shaman, Forge's skill at hand to hand combat and medicine has been field-tested, yet it's this mutant's innate skill at weapons manufacturing which makes him an invaluable asset to the X-Men. Forge can both perceive mechanical energy and intuitively create a myriad of technological devices, essentially making him to ultimate weapons master for the X-Men and X-Factor teams, both of which have featured Forge amongst their ranks.

#9: Fantomex

Featuring a visual design inspired by the classic costumed antiheroes Fantomas and Diabolik, the Grant Morrison and Igor Kordey creation known as Fantomex was later revealed to be part of the secretive government program known as Weapon Plus. As a result, Fantomex's mutant abilities include the ability to influence an enemy's perception via a series of hallucinogenic illusions, not to mention superior strength, agility and marksmanship. To add icing on the cake, Fantomex also possesses three brains which can survive independent of each other, as well as a symbiotic nervous system known as E.V.A., making him easily one of the most physiologically complex characters on our list.

#8: Nate Grey

Many comic universes are full of alternate time lines, where characters enjoy different variations on their history and back stories. Nate Grey is one such character, an alternate universe version of the character Cable who also happens to be the product of parents Scott "Cyclops" Summers and Jean Grey. Although both Cable and Grey share Cyclops as their birth father, Grey's conception was genetically assisted by Mr. Sinister, while Cable's birth mother is actually the Jean Grey clone known as Madelyne Pryor. Nate Grey's connection to his mother Jean presents itself via his Omega level telepathic and telekinetic abilities, both of which were initially designed to kill him, yet were ultimately mastered by this immensely powerful mutant.

#7: Danielle Moonstar

The next X-Men member on our list also goes by names Psyche, Mirage and she has spent time within both the New Mutants and X-Force teams as a capable ally. Danielle Moonstar's mutant ability to tap into someone's fears or desires manifests itself in hyper realistic illusions, while Moonstar's journeys amongst the gods of Asgard brought with it an impressive aptitude for sorcery. Danielle is fiercely proud of her Native American heritage, while her adventures with the Asgardians eventually led to Moonstar becoming a valkyrie, warrior goddesses with an acute sense of forthcoming doom and death.

#6: Dazzler

There have been many incredible origin stories told of comic book super heroes over the years, but only Alison Blaire, the mutant known as Dazzler, can claim to be the product of a collaboration between Marvel and the iconic disco record label Casablanca Records. Indeed, Dazzler's mutant ability to transform music and sound vibrations into light beams made her a perfect super hero for the 70s disco era, while Blaire's feathered hair, flashy clothes and pop singing career represented a sentiment of fun and lighthearted freedom in a world so often defined by dreary darkness.

#5: Magik

Some siblings don't fall far from the mutant family tree. This is definitely the case with Magik, a.k.a. Illyana Rasputina, whose biological brother just happens to be the legendary X-Man known as Colossus. Her mutant powers give her full control over sorcery have served her well in many battles, both as a member of the New Mutants, as well as alongside her X-Man sibling Piotr. Indeed, Illyana's magickal prowess is so strong that she became the sorceress supreme in the Limbo dimension, while her ability to set up mental shields means that she can resist the mind-reading techniques of mutant telepaths, even those as strong as Professor X.

#4: Sunfire

It seemed as if Sunfire's association with the X-Men was as brief as it was memorable. This Japanese mutant's ability to generate super-hot plasma was as fiery as his notable temper, which, added with his inability to work with others, made him an X-Man not exactly suitable for teamwork. Shiro Yoshida's mutant abilities stem from his mother's exposure to radiation after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, while his adept martial arts skills ensure that he's always a formidable force, no matter which side of the coin he happens to support.

#3: Cannonball

A good ol' southern boy, Samuel Zachary Guthrie was born in rural Kentucky, and, as Cannonball, has served as a fan favorite member of both the X-Men, New Mutants and X-Factor teams. Cannonball's mutant power of flight is bolstered by the fact that his jet-speed jaunts are amplified by an impenetrable force field, giving Guthrie the concussive force of his namesake. Humble, thoughtful and a natural leader, Cannonball places care of his family first and foremost, particularly that of his fellow mutant sister Paige, also known as the X-Men member Husk.

#2: Longshot

There are some comic characters whose mutant powers are both a blessing and a curse, but only Longshot is gifted with the power of good fortune. Indeed, this artificially created superhero from the alternate dimension known as the Mojoverse possesses the ability to always benefit from favorable odds, so long as his motives are true and pure. This means that, although Longshot can't exactly use his powers to win the lottery, a well aimed throwing knife in the service of a fellow superhero will always hit its mark. This, combined with Longshot's dual hearts, healing factor and natural athletic ability always make him the odds on favorite to win a fight.
Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions!

Rachel Summers aka Phoenix
Multiple Man
Blink
Warpath
Karma

#1: Legion

Talk about a head case. Legion is the mutant biological son of Professor Charles Xavier, one of the strongest telepaths in the world. He developed a vast number of multiple personalities, each with their own uniquely powerful ability. Legion, also known as David Charles Haller, takes his name from the biblical demon who name roughly translates to "We Are Many," and suffers from a number of severe mental disorders, including autism, schizophrenia and dissociative personality disorder. As a result, Legion's powers are extremely unstable and extremely dangerous for his friends, his foes and himself, making this mutant a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.

Do you agree with our list? Who do you think is the best lesser known X-Men member? For more heroic top ten lists, published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com!