X-Men: 10 Best Comic Issues of the 1980s

The X-Men was one of the most popular superhero teams in the world in the 80s and they had some of their best storylines in that decade.

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While the X-Men began to lose popularity in the late 60s and early 70s, Marvel reinvented them in 1975. This reboot allowed the X-Men to head into the 1980s as one of Marvel’s most popular superhero teams, and arguably one of the most popular teams regardless of the company.

In the 1980s, the X-Men had multiple massive storylines that remain groundbreaking to this day. From the Dark Phoenix Saga and Days of Future Past to the Morlock Mutant Massacre and God Loves, Man Kills, the X-Men made history in that decade as one of the biggest can’t-miss comic books in the world.

10 Uncanny X-Men #137 (September 1980)

There were some great X-Men comics in the 1970s, and it all ended with Jean Grey becoming the Phoenix. That carried over to 1980 when Grey lost control of the Phoenix Force and became the Dark Phoenix thanks to the Hellfire Club messing with her mind.

After Phoenix destroyed an entire solar system, she was sentenced to death. The X-Men fought to save her, but they ultimately failed. The final issue of that battle came in Uncanny X-Men #137 and that is when Jean sacrificed herself for the safety of the universe. The issue remains one of the most popular X-Men comics in history.

9 Uncanny X-Men #141 (January 1981)

Only three short months after one of the greatest X-Men moments of all time, the biggest X-Men storyline in history took place. This was the first major time travel story that proved that the future wasn’t bright for mutants in Marvel Comics.

Uncanny X-Men #141 shocked X-Men fans when the book opened with a post-apocalyptic world. The story then showed Sentinels killing mutants and the rest of the world living in fear. The storyline only lasted two issues but remains one of the X-Men’s most important.

8 X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills (1982)

In 1982, Marvel Comics released an X-Men graphic novel called X-Men: God Lives, Man Kills. The villain here was Reverend William Stryker in his first appearance. He led people in a hate-filled anti-mutant campaign that resulted in the murder of young kids and the persecution of mutants.

Prejudice and racism remained prevalent through X-Men comics over the years, and there might not be a better telling of this story than in this graphic novel. Even Stryker has a complicated backstory, making this is a story all X-Men fans need to read.

7 Uncanny X-Men #173 (June 1983)

After the All-New X-Men was formed in 1975, Wolverine became one of the best new members of the X-Men. Fans wanted to learn more about the rabid mutant. In the 1970s, they saw that he had experience with the Canadian government as a superhero.

In the 1980s, more of Wolverine was shown and he even ended up with his own miniseries that showed his history and legacy in Japan. In Uncanny X-Men #173, Wolverine went to Japan to get married. It was a moment that lived in infamy because, in this issue, Yukio left Wolverine at the alter.

6 Uncanny X-Men 183 (July 1984)

Some of the best X-Men issues are standalone comics – ones that tell a fun story in just one book. One of these stories came in Uncanny X-Men #183 when Wolverine taught Colossus an important life lesson. This took place after the X-Men were off-planet and Colossus fell in love with someone.

Colossus came back in this issue and broke up with Kitty Pryde, breaking her heart. Wolverine saw this and took Colossus to a bar to give him a piece of his mind and then watched as Colossus and Juggernaut fought. Juggernaut beat up Colossus and Wolverine’s point was proven. The X-Men are nothing if they don’t respect each other.

5 Uncanny X-Men #200 (December 1985)

Everything changed in Uncanny X-Men #200. Magneto agreed to go on trial for his crimes, and that played out in this issue. The entire trial was backdropped with the X-Men in battle while Magneto answered for all his misdeeds. However, in the end, the Von Strucker twins attacked and Magneto helped stop them.

In the battle, Professor X appeared to die and asked Magneto to take over the leadership of the X-Men. Magneto agreed in tears and promised to follow Xavier’s dreams.

4 Uncanny X-Men #211 (November 1986)

One of the most devastating and brutal moments in X-Men history happened in 1986 when Mister Sinister showed up and slaughtered an entire community of mutants. The moment itself happened in Uncanny X-Men #211 when Sinister sent his mutant warriors in The Marauders into the underground tunnels of New York City.

These Marauders, led by Sabretooth, slaughtered hundreds of Morlocks before the X-Men, New Mutants, and X-Factor teamed up to stop them. This moment lives in infamy to this day in mutant history.

3 Uncanny X-Men #217 (May 1987)

Uncanny X-Men #217 was another comic book from the 1980s that told a fun standalone story that remains a fan favorite over three decades since its release. In this issue, Dazzler was trying to prove her worth as the newest member of the X-Men. She thought it would be a good idea to fight Juggernaut on her own.

What made this battle so great was that Dazzler wouldn’t give up — even though Juggernaut wasn’t doing anything wrong, didn’t want to fight her, and was actually a big fan of her music. When he beat her, Juggernaut felt terrible about it too. This was a fun X-Men comic in a decade full of angst.

2 Uncanny X-Men #234 (September 1988)

One of the X-Men’s deadliest enemies in the 1980s was the alien race known as The Brood. These usually saw the mutants in outer space battling the aliens, but in Broodfall, they came to Earth and attacked the mutants here. The Brood could possess anyone and control them, and they took control of several X-Men here, including Wolverine.

Uncanny X-Men #234 saw The Brood and X-Men in one of their greatest battles. In this battle, the attack went to an amphitheater where a minister was leading a giant televised event. In the end, the X-Men beat the Brood, and the beloved reverend came out as a pro-mutant supporter and tried to help turn the tide of anti-mutant hysteria.

1 Uncanny X-Men #251 (November 1989)

As the 1980s came to a close, the X-Men were falling apart. The members of the team went in their own directions and it looked like they were finished. This led to Wolverine facing one of his toughest battles. He ended up in a battle with a group called The Reavers, led by former Hellfire Club White Bishop, Donald Pierce.

It all came to a head in Uncanny X-Men #251 when they captured Wolverine and hung him on an X-shaped cross. The entire issue saw Wolverine having fever dreams and hallucinations of his past. This is also where Wolverine and Jubilee began their mentor-student relationship that played out into the 1990s.

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