Though the MCU has kept the two teams separated, the X-Men and the Avengers have shared quite a few members over the years in Marvel Comics. Considering the prestige of the team, only the best and brightest of the mutant faction have been allowed among the ranks of Marvel’s mightiest heroes.
Whether it was gruff brutes like Wolverine or super speedsters like Quicksilver, the bar for mutant admission into the Avengers has always been high. Though many powerful mutants have joined the team at one point, only the best left an impression on readers and are synonymous with both groups.
Dazzler
Originally debuting as a disco pop star mutant in X-Men comics, Dazzler had moved on to other genres by the time she became an Avenger. Imbued with the power to convert sound waves into energy beams, Dazzler was a fearsome adversary despite the silliness of her power in the early days.
The A-Force was an all female Avengers squad that appeared during the Secret Wars storyline, and was tasked with protecting Battleworld. She wasn’t part of the team long, but they nevertheless made up an amazingly powerful group along with the likes of She-Hulk and America Chavez. Dazzler returned to her X-Men roots soon after, and has largely remained there ever since.
Quicksilver
Brother of Wanda, Pietro Maximoff was one of the earliest X-Men characters to appear as part of the Avengers. Joining the second iteration of the team, sometimes referred to as Cap’s Kooky Quartet, the speedster Quicksilver spent quite a while amongst Marvel’s premiere team.
The fact that Quicksilver was one of the first 10 members of the Avengers proved that the two teams had a long history together, even if they did eventually fight. Quicksilver’s abilities made him an asset to the team, and as an Avenger he was able to put his time with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants behind him.
Havok
Alexander Summers had big shoes to fill as the younger brother Scott, and though he was never as famous as Cyclops, he was still a powerful mutant in his own right. Gifted with the ability to convert energy into plasma bursts that emanate from his body, Havok’s nearly uncontrollable power is what earned him his nickname.
He was a longtime on-again-off-again member of the X-Men, and even fought alongside them against the Avengers during one of their conflicts. However, when the fighting was over Havok was invited to be a member of the newly formed Avengers Unity Division, which sought to give mutants a place in the organization.
Rogue
Rogue’s history withtThe Avengers is a long and complicated one, and she even made her debut in The Avengers comics as a villainous member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. She wouldn’t stay a villain for long, and would be adopted into the X-Men fold soon after her defection from Magneto’s group.
Her gift of power absorption made her a subtly powerful mutant, and she eventually became an important fixture in the X-Men lore. After the war between the two teams, Rogue was invited to join the Avengers Unity Division, and she took over as field leader after Captain America stepped down. Though other mutants had more aggressive powers, Rogue’s leadership abilities made her an excellent addition to the group.
Sunfire
Shiro Yoshida’s prickly personality often made him a difficult teammate to work with, but the powers that earned him his Sunfire nickname were usually worth the hassle. Originally an adversary to Xavier’s group, Sunfire eventually became a reluctant member when the original team was kidnaped by Krakoa.
Yoshida would go his own way for many years before eventually falling on hard times and being rescued by Wolverine. Recruited into the newly formed Avengers Unity Division, Sunfire regained his honor and his purpose as a member of the team. While fighting the Apocalypse Twins, Sunfire was touched with celestial energy which should have killed him, but actually made him an even more powerful mutant.
Cable
Starring in some of the best X-Men comics of the 1980s, the mutant Cable was one of the characters that came to define the later days of Chris Claremont’s run on the book. The predestined son of Cyclops and Jean Grey, Cable’s origins are a twisted web of time travel and intrigue that was brought on by Mister Sinister’s meddling.
He inherited his psychic powers from his mother, and because he was infected with a techno-organic virus, his body was heavily fortified with technology. Cable is counted among the rare breed of Alpha Level mutants, and his powers know almost no bounds. Cable bounced around between mutant teams like X-Force and the New Mutants, before briefly joining the Avengers Unity Division on a mission to aid the Uncanny Avengers in preventing a dystopian future from occurring.
Beast
Debuting as one of the original members of the X-Men, Beast wasn’t always the blue-haired monster that fans know him to be. Henry McCoy was born with obvious mutant abilities, but it wasn’t until his second mutation that he gained his decidedly bluish hue, while still retaining his genius level intellect.
He stuck with the X-Men for a while before finishing his education and moving on to intellectual pursuits. Eventually he applied for membership into the Avengers, and earned his spot by fighting with the team. Despite his Avengers membership, Beast continually returned to aid his former X-Men pals, and his personal struggles led him to seek out Dr. Strange and the Defenders for help. It was with the Defenders that he found his true calling, and became a longterm member of that squad.
Storm
Storm wasn’t an original X-Men member, but she has nevertheless become one of its most recognizable figures. Gifted with the powerful ability to control weather phenomena, Ororo Munroe rose to prominence within the X-Men, and was even their leader for several years.
Storm joined the Avengers shortly before the war between the two teams, and her allegiances were tested by the actions of both sides of the conflict. Her time with the Avengers was brief, but it nevertheless made up one of the best Avengers lineups that consisted of the likes of Red Hulk, and a host of Avengers stalwarts like Iron Man. Not only was Storm one of the best leaders either team had ever seen, but her immense abilities made her a natural force to be reckoned with.
Wolverine
Of all the mutants that have bounced between both teams, Wolverine has perhaps done it the most. Originally debuting as a villain against the Hulk, Wolverine soon returned as a reluctant member of the reformed X-Men team.
The adamantium clawed goon helped put the new X-Men on the map, and he remains one of the team’s most famous members. Wolverine’s first tenure with the Avengers coincided with the restoration of his memory, and he was mostly busy with exacting revenge against those that wronged him. Even so, Logan has returned frequently to Marvel’s premiere team, and has even joined odd offshoots like the Savage Avengers in recent years.
Scarlet Witch
Wanda Maximoff was long thought to be a mutant, but only recently it was revealed in the comics that she gained her powers as the result of the High Evolutionary’s genetic tampering. Nevertheless, Scarlet Witch is often recognized as one of Marvel’s most powerful magic users, and she has alternated between a force for good and a force for evil.
Debuting alongside her brother in the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, it didn’t take long for Scarlet Witch to join the second iteration of the Avengers. Over the years, her unpredictable behavior has made an enemy and ally to the X-Men, and she was a key figure in the Avengers’ fight against them. While she never was an official member of the mutant faction, her anti-hero status within the book’s lore has seen her team up with them on countless occasions.
