The inevitable addition of the X-Men to the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a topic of countless rumors and theories for years now, and the unexpected appearance of Patrick Stewart as Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has only fueled the flames of fan speculation. The question is, when fans do eventually get X-Men stories in the MCU, what kind of stories will they be?

The original X-Men films from 20th Century Fox drew inspiration from some of the most famous X-Men stories ever, from “Days of Future Past” to “The Dark Phoenix Saga” to “Old Man Logan.” And while elements of those stories are likely to reappear in the MCU X-Men — just as Batman films continually draw inspiration from Year One and The Long Halloween — it would be good to see some different comics represented on the big screen as well. Here are just a few X-Men comic storylines that would be perfect influences for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s take on everyone’s favorite mighty mutants.

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God Loves, Man Kills

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Originally published in 1982, this graphic novel by legendary X-Men writer Chris Claremont and artist Brent Anderson is widely hailed as one of the greatest X-Men stories ever told. God Loves, Man Kills is one of the first storylines to truly delve into the idea of mutants as an allegory for marginalized groups in the real world — a concept that has since become one of the central themes of the series. The story features the iconic lineup of Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Kitty Pryde, some of the X-Men's most prominent and beloved members in the team’s history.

The story also features Magneto in one of his finest portrayals in any comic — not as a villain, but as an uneasy cooperator, furthering his gradual growth from the X-Men’s arch-nemesis to a steadfast ally. The story’s actual antagonist isn’t any costumed supervillain, but rather a far more realistic evil. Reverend William Stryker is a fire and brimstone televangelist who preaches that mutants are demonic monsters whose very existence is a sin against God. And in secret, he’s the leader of the Purifiers, a violent hate group dedicated to the extermination of mutantkind. Stryker’s Purifiers kidnap Professor X, brainwashing him in order to use a twisted copy of Cerebro to psychically murder every mutant on the planet.

If any of that sounds familiar, it’s likely because God Loves, Man Kills already served as an influence on the plot of 2003’s X2: X-Men United. Stryker was portrayed in that film by Brian Cox, and his backstory and master plan were largely unchanged. Both versions of the story even feature the X-Men teaming up with Magneto to stop Stryker. But besides that, X2 has little in common with its source material — for starters, Stryker is the head of Weapon X rather than a televangelist.

More importantly, the more political, thematically dense tone of God Loves, Man Kills is largely abandoned for a straightforward action movie. In the comic, Stryker’s true defeat comes not from a fight scene, but from a televised debate in which the X-Men sway the hearts and minds of the human audience. The conflict at the heart of the story isn’t physical, but ideological, as the X-Men struggle to prove the worth of Xavier’s dream against both Stryker’s bigoted rhetoric and Magneto’s jaded authoritarianism. If executed well, a more faithful adaptation of God Loves, Man Kills could be both the perfect story to introduce the X-Men to the MCU and one of the most compelling Marvel movies to date.

Lifedeath

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This more subdued story arc that begins with 1984’s Uncanny X-Men #186 isn’t the kind of action blockbuster that’s typical of famous comic storylines, but it’s an incredible tale nonetheless. Written by Claremont with art by Barry Windsor-Smith, this story deals with Storm grappling with a deep depression after losing her mutant powers, seemingly forever.

There’s no villain to fight or world to save, just a woman struggling to find her place in the world when she feels more powerless than ever before. It’s an incredible character study of Storm, and exactly the kind of story she needs for the MCU to do her justice.

Mutant Massacre

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One of the darkest X-Men storylines, this arc sees an underground community of mutants called the Morlocks face vicious slaughter at the hands of the bloodthirsty Marauders, hired killers working for Mister Sinister. It’s such a gripping storyline largely because it shows what happens when the heroes fail — they fight to save as many lives as possible, but they arrive too late to do much good. The X-Men are pushed to their breaking point, with Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde, and Angel suffering near-fatal wounds while the rest watch innocent people die all around them.

“Mutant Massacre” is distinct in how it pushes its heroes to a much darker place than usual thanks to the cruelty unfolding around them. Wolverine and Storm are no strangers to ruthless pragmatism, but the usually-gentle Colossus is enraged by the senseless bloodshed, and ends up brutally killing one villain. Not only does the story feature some intense action — including the first on-page showdown between Wolverine and Sabretooth — it’s also a harrowing tale of the X-Men’s darkest hour, and some of Sinister’s most heinous crimes.

Inferno

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Yet another Claremont classic, this fan-favorite arc sees two long-running storylines reach a boiling point. First, there are the machinations of Minister Sinister, whose schemes have tormented the X-Men longer than any of them realize. Second, there's the character arc of Magik, aka Colossus’ sister Illyana Rasputin, whose mutant powers tie her to the hellish dimension of Limbo.

The chaos culminates in Madelyne Pryor, a vengeful clone of Jean Grey, leading an army of demons in a full-scale invasion of New York. If all of that sounds bizarre and random, that’s okay. “Inferno” is the culmination of a lot of long-running plot threads, and it’s difficult to summarize the whole thing succinctly. However, it has plenty of striking visuals, high-stakes action, and heartbreaking drama that would be great to see in the MCU.

House of X

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This is a more recent storyline from 2019, written by Jonathan Hickman of Fantastic Four and Secret Wars fame. House of X and its companion miniseries Powers of X revitalized the X-Men, kicking off an exciting new status quo that’s continued to this day. On the surface, the story seems simple — Professor X and Magneto have founded a new nation on the island of Krakoa as a safe haven for all mutants. However, the story quickly escalates into a gripping tale of political intrigue, unlikely alliances, and even multiple timelines colliding.

Like much of Hickman’s work, it’s an absolutely epic story with some truly fascinating ideas at play, exploring themes of nation-building and mortality, and ultimately questioning how far is too far in the name of peace. Granted, it’s unlikely that House of X and its successive storylines will serve as the main influence for the MCU’s X-Men. While mainstays like Cyclops, Wolverine, and Nightcrawler are as heroic as ever, other characters — particularly Professor X — are portrayed in a very morally ambiguous light. Still, it would be interesting to see some of Hickman’s bold and gripping ideas translated to the MCU.

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