a mentionbuy amazon16 messiah complexxmen messiah complex cover image credit marvel comicshouse of m changed the course of mutant history in the marvel universe forever with three simple words scarlet witch put mutants close to extinction but it made their struggle for survival even more desperate and compelling messiah complex might be a little bit of a sprawl at 13 issues for a story like this but essentially the xmen marauders acolytes reavers purifiers and predator x are out to get the first mutant baby thats been born since the decimation when all but a relative handful of mutants lost their powers thanks to the scarlet witchthe crossover as a whole is a little uneven as its told over 13 issues by five different writers who were all writing books that were fairly different in tone at the time but they still get the job donein a weird way the xmen prevailing in this storyline is one of the most significant events in xmen history because the baby turns out to be hope summers and she is crucial to the resurrection process in place in the current reign of x xmen linebut if youre looking for a story that feels nostalgic in all the right ways this is the story for you its simple and straightforward featuring characters you love and little bits of deception that you probably dontbuy amazon15 mutant massacrexmen mutant massacre cover image credit marvel comicsdepending on how you feel about crossover events mutant massacre will either draw your ire or your praiseoriginally intended to be told solely within the main xmen title it was expanded to cross over with all of the xtitles of the time as well as marvels other nonxmen titles thor power pack and daredevil the rest is historybut mutant massacre did what so many great chris claremont stories did it reminded us what the xmen stood for created a real sense of dread about their situation and maintained the xmens underdog status throughout this story the xmen are put through the wringercolossus has to use deadly force and is quadriplegic for a time kitty is trapped in her intangible form they arent even able to save all the morlocks and sabretooth makes them realize that even the mansion isnt safe mister sinister emerges as a deadly new villain as well solidifying this arc as one of the most exciting and memorable in claremonts runto the point that continuity from age of apocalypse would actually loop back around to make dark beast some of the impetus for sinisters attack on the morlocks in the first place how do you like them applesbuy amazon14 fall of the mutantsfall of the mutants advertisement image credit marvel comicswhile fall of the mutants is probably most remembered for leading into the outback era of the xmen its the smaller moments in this crossover that really deserve to be highlighted though the main conflict with the adversary and freedom force doesnt have the