As the X-Men comics center upon the titular team, friendship and unity are major themes in all of its storylines. Shunned by human society, most of the team's mutant members see themselves as solitary outcasts with the X-Men being their only family. This results in some unique friendships between the members, despite their own personal differences and conflicts against each other.
There are also situations in these comics when the line between 'good' and 'evil' gets blurry and even enemies have each other's backs. Examples in this regard include Emma Frost and Magneto, who despite their villainous tendencies have gone on to garner some strange friendships with X-Men members.
10 Professor X And Magneto
Charles Xavier and Magneto are ideological rivals. While Xavier aims to find a tolerant solution to assimilate mutants into human society, Magneto is an ardent proponent of the theory of 'survival of the fittest' as he resorts to more violent methods. Even though initially the two started using their powers together for their mission of helping mutants, they went against each other over time.
Despite Magneto's merciless acts of violence, Xavier still seems to have a soft spot for him in the end. The two still spend time engaging in philosophical debates, games of chess, and general friendly banter.
9 Wolverine And Shadowcat
Wolverine and Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat) are polar opposites in terms of their behavior. While Wolverine mostly has a cynical and disgruntled outlook on life, Kitty is more optimistic in general. Wolverine still shows his emotional side when it comes to her, serving as a mentor and big brother-like figure to her.
This still doesn't imply that he had a condescending attitude towards her. Rather, he tried his best at training her to match his own fighting standards. For instance, after the Days of Future Past storyline, Wolverine also offered Kitty extensive training in martial arts.
8 Rogue And Magneto
Owing to the ominous nature of her powers and her unstable upbringing, Rogue has had tumultuous relationships with many characters in the comics. One of the strangest friendships she shared was that with the team's arch-nemesis Magneto. Their friendship actually began from some unexpected sexual tension as the two shared a brief kiss on Savage Island in the Age of Apocalypse storyline from Uncanny X-Men.
Since then, the two never dated each other but still reminiscence on the intimate moment they shared, while not losing respect for each other.
7 Deadpool And Wolverine
Considering how annoying Deadpool can get, the usually moody Wolverine just tolerates his presence in silence. Deadpool, on the other hand, heavily idolizes the adamantium-clawed mutant while Wolverine too bears some respect for him considering their background.
Both mutants were experimented on heavily as a part of the Weapon X program and both also fought on each other's side as a part of the X-Force. Wolverine also cheerily attended Deadpool's wedding with Shiklah.
6 Beast And Emma Frost
Shifting between the roles of an ally and an enemy to the team, Emma Frost hardly seems to have any friends and is usually shunned by the X-Men except in specific missions. However, she and Beast seemed to form an unlikely friendship chiefly on the ground of art!
An aficionado of literature, art, and culture, Beast found a mutual appreciation in these creative pursuits with Frost in the New X-Men series. This was unique for Beast who otherwise was very particular about his friends' morals. Later on, she's assassinated in her diamond form prompting Beast to desperately find her pieces and revive her.
5 Storm And Yukio
The weather-changing mutant Storm and the Japanese ninja Yukio have had a pretty wholesome friendship. While Storm is a more uptight and leader-like figure for the team, Yukio is more of a free soul. The latter usually relies on impulsive decisions and hardly allies herself with any superhero team in particular.
In Uncanny X-Men, Storm got so impressed by Yukio's so-called 'madness' that she too decided to let loose for a bit. This is what ultimately resulted in a major makeover for Storm as the character sported her iconic mohawk haircut and black leather outfit after this.
4 Rogue And Scarlet Witch
The X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants have often been at loggerheads with each other. So, it would come as no surprise that Rogue and Scarlet Witch have been enemies, especially in House of M. In Uncanny Avengers, Rogue even killed Scarlet Witch for a brief while. It was revealed later that Rogue's actions were a result of the Apocalypse twins controlling her mind.
Feeling a sense of guilt, Rogue develops a bond with Scarlet Witch as she does know that the latter isn't entirely evil either. In Age of Apocalypse, Wanda also instructed Rogue to take care of her father Magneto as a friendly favor. This is what led to Rogue's brief fling with him which later turned into another friendship.
3 Gambit And Storm
Gambit, much like Yukio, is again pretty different from Storm in terms of his personality. But both mutants bond over their similar origins. Leaving troubled families and growing up as orphans, both Gambit and Storm relied on thievery to feed themselves and to make ends meet.
Even though Gambit's tenure at the X-Men isn't consistent, Storm always has a cordial relationship with him that also hinted towards slight romance and flirtation at times. Even at his wedding, Storm was present as Gambit's 'best woman.'
2 Jean Grey And Emma Frost
Cyclops has had romantic relationships with both Jean Grey and Emma Frost and it's this factor that makes the friendship between the two quite awkward to comprehend. They have been 'frenemies' of sorts as they wish to boast their powers over each other even while fighting on the same side.
Despite their differences, they have often united in their pursuits, both heroic and villainous. So, while they would team up to telepathically save Storm in Giant Size X-Men, one would also find them standing side to side as members of the Hellfire Club.
1 Wolverine And Cyclops
An enmity that again stems from a love triangle involving Jean Grey, Wolverine and Cyclops often engage in sarcastic jabs at each other. There can be times when both mutants even get physically violent.
Still, at the end of the day, both respect each other's powers and leadership skills. There are innumerable times when both have effectively collaborated on joint missions. When Cyclops felt the need for an X-Force, he knew the risks that would come along with such a violent covert operation. And hence, he appointed Wolverine to lead the team, revealing his trust in him.
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May 04, 2021 at 05:30AM
