The X-Men could’ve been a big help against Thanos during the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Infinity Saga, but not every mutant is created equally. Thanks to the Fox-Disney merger, the X-Men have finally joined the MCU officially as of the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, with mutants from the original Fox X-Men movie timeline making the jump between universes to the new continuity. If only they had come a little bit sooner, however, they could’ve helped defend the Earth against Thanos and the Black Order during the end of the Infinity Saga.
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The original line-up of mutants in 2000’s X-Men vary in power wildly, with some mutations granting only mildly above-average combat capabilities and others offering godlike levels of dominance over any battlefield. In both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, some of these mutants may have altered the course of Thanos’ attacks dramatically, perhaps even resulting in a more favorable outcome for the heroes. Thanos is a threatening foe, but a select few mutants from the Fox universe would be able to give the Mad Titan a run for his Infinity Stones.
10 Mystique
Would have a hard time sneaking up on Thanos
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With a mutant power not necessarily well-suited to direct combat, Mystique’s unique biology allows her to unerringly copy the physical appearance, voice, height, and even clothes of almost anyone she sees. Combined with her natural acting skill and dangerous martial arts proficiency, Mystique is certainly a deadly agent of espionage in most settings. Against Thanos, however, she would be unlikely to be much use, even if he has yet to acquire any Infinity Stones.
Mystique might be able to sneak up on Thanos by pretending to be one of his alien members of the Black Order, assuming she’s even capable of copying nonhuman physiology. But even if she could, there’s little she could accomplish with the drop on Thanos, who operates in a totally different weight class in a one-on-one fight. Perhaps Mystique could steal the Infinity Gauntlet from an unsuspecting Thanos, but considering how quickly he’s able to figure out future Nebula is impersonating her past self, there’s little chance her disguises would even work on the perceptive villain.
9 Toad
An unremarkable combatant
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Even within the scope of the X-Men universe, the unfortunate mutant known as Toad is something of a laughingstock. One of Magneto’s henchmen in the Brotherhood of Mutants, Toad’s nickname accurately describes his mutant anatomy, which cursed him with superhuman agility and climbing skills, a long, prehensile tongue, and the ability to spit hardening, toxic green goo from his mouth. It’s worth noting that in his first appearance, Toad does manage to get the drop on Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm in their first outing as the X-Men.
Against the heavy hitters of the MCU, however, Toad would be in over his head. It’s unlikely that Toad would even be able to stand up to the average alien soldier in Thanos’ army, let alone against the Mad Titan himself. In truth, Toad would be little more than a road bump to Thanos in his path to victory. Still, there’s a possibility that Toad would be able to land a shot of his blinding, suffocating spit on Thanos’ face, possibly serving as a valuable distraction long enough for a stronger hero to take over.
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8 Sabretooth
A ferocious, but limited melee attacker
The half-brother and archnemesis of Wolverine, Sabretooth bares many of the same powers as his more famous counterpart. Boasting a similar mutation to his sibling, Sabretooth’s animalistic mutation grants him superhuman senses, reflexes, strength, agility, and stamina, not to mention the razor-sharp claws in his fingertips and fangs of his namesake. He also sports a healing factor similar to Wolverine’s, though Stryker implies at one point that Sabretooth’s version of ability might not be as strong.
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Sabretooth is certainly a demon in melee combat, and would likely be a ferocious asset against Thanos’ various alien forces. His healing factor also might allow him to survive attacks imbued with the power of the Infinity Stones which would be lethal to almost any other Marvel character. However, if he did get up close and personal with Thanos, there’s little his natural claws would be likely to do, considering Thanos’ bare skin was able to tank a flurry of attacks from Iron Man’s nanite-powered weaponry, only shedding a tiny drop of blood.
7 Wolverine
By far the more powerful feral brother
Comparatively, Wolverine could be a much more valuable asset against Thanos. Like his half-brother, Wolverine was born with enhanced agility and strength, a canine-like sense of smell and hearing, and a healing factor that allows him to come back from the brink of nearly any injury. Notably, Wolverine trades Sabretooth’s five smaller claws out for six long blades that pop out of his fists, honed to an impossibly sharp edge with adamantium courtesy of the Weapon X program.
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Wolverine’s incredibly fast healing factor in his prime would assuredly allow him to withstand nearly any attack Thanos could throw at him, barring the Snap itself. Unlike Sabretooth, Wolverine could actually do some real damage against Thanos in close quarters as well, with his adamantium-laced claws likely able to slice through Thanos’ tough flesh. However, Wolverine has no easy way to close the distance on his own, and might end up as a mere annoyance Thanos would occasionally have to send flying back over the horizon. With support from other heroes, Wolverine could be a great asset.
6 Storm
Is one of the X-Men’s most powerful mutants
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The mutant Ororo Munroe, also known as Storm, is easily one of the most powerful X-Men featured in Fox’s initial roster. With the innate ability to conjure and control the weather, Storm is capable of wielding wind, rain, lightning, ice, and snow as weapons, flying through the air on gale force currents. It’s no wonder that Storm was worshiped as a goddess prior to her joining Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.
Interestingly enough, Storm is one of the few mutants with a similar combat profile to an existing Avenger Thanos has canonically fought against, Doctor Strange. Like Strange, Storm is a versatile flying hero able to harass Thanos with an endless supply of ranged attacks, though Storm would be slinging thunder and lightning rather than Doctor Strange’s powerful spells.
5 Rogue
Is a risky, but powerful option for the X-Men to use
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Rogue has one of the most unfortunate predicaments of any mutant in the Fox X-Men movies, being negatively affected by her dangerous power. Heedless of her own accord, Rogue automatically begins draining the life force of anyone she touches with skin-to-skin contact, gaining their memories and echoes of their mind while slowly sending them into a coma and, if left unchecked, killing them. Obviously, this mutant ability makes Rogue’s personal life difficult, but it could be a great asset against Thanos.
Rogue could have the potential to one-shot Thanos by touching his bare skin, quickly draining his life-force and sending him into a catatonic state. This makes her something of a glass cannon, however, as unlike her comic counterpart, the Fox movie Rogue has no inherent super strength or flying ability to close the distance. In fact, she’s an inexperienced teenager, making her a risky but potentially game-changing mutant for the heroes to use against Thanos.
4 Cyclops
Is a destructive force not to be underestimated
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Like Rogue, Cyclops is a mutant whose powers are just as much of a curse as they are a blessing. Scott Summers unleashes a devastating optic blast from his eyes wherever he looks, a kinetic beam with enough strength to “punch a hole in a mountain”, according to Jean Grey in a deleted scene of X-Men. To help control his powers, Cyclops wears a special visor that gives him his namesake, able to control and direct his blasts in more precise beams.
With the full intensity of his eyes unleashed, Cyclops would be a devastating threat to Thanos’ army, annihilating legions of soldiers through sheer kinetic force. It’s hard to say if Thanos himself would be able to withstand the full power of Cyclops’ unhindered beam, but with the help of the Infinity Stones, he most likely would be able to find away around Cyclops’ power, perhaps with the Power Stone’s impossible energy projection. At the very least, Cyclops would be some valuable artillery for the heroes’ side of the conflict.
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3 Professor X
A powerful psychic that could only be overcome with one stone
The leader of the X-Men and founder of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, Professor Charlex Xavier is mutant proof to never judge a book by its cover. While he may appear as a frail old man paralyzed from the waist down, Professor X is undoubtedly one of the most powerful mutants in the Fox X-Men continuity thanks to his potent telepathic abilities. With the power of thought alone, Professor X is able to read and control the mind of anyone he comes across, only held back from unleashing psychic torment by his own willpower and good conscience.
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Psychic abilities seem to be a particular weakness of Thanos, as seen by how long Mantis is able to contain his rage with her empath powers. If simply within the same postal code as Thanos, Professor X could have all the Infinity Saga sorted out before lunch. However, if Thanos was able to get his hands on the Mind Stone before Charles could be utilized, there’s a very real chance that Thanos could not only perhaps withstand Professor X’s telepathic will, but overcome it entirely, causing a dangerous psychic feedback spike.
2 Magneto
Could make Thanos’ biggest weapon irrelevant
Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury
Magneto could be a mutant who wouldn’t just survive, but thrive on a battlefield against Thanos and his alien army. The archenemy of the X-Men and former friend of Charles Xavier, Magneto is the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants, an organization that seeks to end the reign of mankind in favor of the mutant race. His powers allow him to telekinetically control any metallic object, from the tiniest trace amounts of iron in the blood to massive city-scale structures, with ease, making him dangerous foe.
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Against Thanos and his army, Magneto could be a true menace, wreaking havoc against the lines of Thanos’ forces and possibly even bringing down their ships. There’s no telling what synergies he could have if properly equipped with Iron Man’s weaponry as well, though it’s unlikely for the two to trust each other enough to get to that point. Magneto could be especially useful against Thanos if his power works on the special metals used to forge Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet. If so, Magneto could simply crush Thanos’ hand inside of the glove, or simply rip it clean off.
1 Jean Grey
By far the most powerful mutant in Fox history
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Easily one of the most powerful mutants in Fox movie history, Jean Grey would instantly become one of the MCU’s strongest beings upon stepping foot in the franchise. Once a timid telekinetic with unimpressive strength, Jean Grey slowly becomes one of the most powerful X-Men and alter a threat all her own. In X-Men: The Last Stand, Jean is able to not only overcome Professor X’s telepathic influence, but destroy disintegrate anyone around her with a mere thought.
To truly unleash her most powerful abilities, Jean Grey would have to tap into the Dark Phoenix, which would undoubtedly cause almost as much damage as Thanos himself. However, there’s little chance that Thanos would be able to stand against Jean’s full unmitigated telekinetic powers, perhaps even with the Infinity Stones. It’s safe to say the Snap may have never happened if Jean Grey was present among the X-Men in Avengers: Endgame.
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