# Who out of the X-men would win a battle to the death? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 29, 2003, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887 "2003-04-29T11:18:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/41 "2003-04-30T13:20:02Z")
I have always liked Iceman and don’t think he gets enough credit. If he really was all out and could use his powers, I think his death toll would be a LOT higher. Telepath? Ice in the brain. Cyclops? Ice in the brain. Colossus? Same thing. Don’t forget how much water there is in the human body, and superhard skin doesn’t mean you ain’t mushy underneath. Most of them would die this way especially if he gets the drop on them. Wolverine could be taken out with the ice, and then dismembered, which would take him out. Storm would be in an enclosed space, and woudl go nuts if Iceman froze the air around her. Assuming he can heal himself by turning to ice, he should be able to survive for a while, especially if Storm’s whipped up some snow before she goes. Shadowcat would be hard, but he could just fill the room up with ice, and eventually… ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/42 "2003-04-30T16:37:19Z")
Don’t forget, Kitty _is_ a demon ninja, and a more than fair challenge to Logan withhout powers. The real wild card is Phoenix, which is what Jean’s code name is these days. Either she wins or she goes down fast. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/43 "2003-04-30T17:05:20Z")
Synch, like Colussus, is already dead. If that matters for the question. If not for that fact, he might be able to win, since he could out-telepath Jean. (I could’ve sworn I’ve seen Jean mind-control people, but maybe I’m confusing her with Emma. I can’t remember if Synch ever synched with Emma.) But you could also argue that while he’d be a stronger telepath, he’d be completely untrained in using those powers. The question is, if he Synched with Kitty and phased out, would they be solid to each other? And while we’re throwing power-stealers in the mix, what about Mimic? ---
**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/44 "2003-04-30T18:54:33Z")
Mimic isn’t a mutant, he got his powers from his dad injecting him with something or some other experiment. He’s also a villian. ---
**Author:** ![Grim\_Beaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Grim\_Beaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grim_Beaker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/45 "2003-04-30T20:17:47Z")
What?! A comic book thread and no post by **Fenris**? ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/46 "2003-04-30T21:25:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Jean is not nearly the offensively-powered telepath that, say, Professor X is. I would disagree. Unless something significant has happened to her telepathy in the past couple of years (since I last read an X-men comic book), she was pretty damn close to Xavier’s level of telepathic control. Telekinetically, she can hurl everyone in the room into a wall. Telepathically, she can make them kill each other. Jean wins this. You just can’t beat an experienced telepath through physical means. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/47 "2003-04-30T23:03:07Z")
Mimic, despite being a non-mutant, was a member of the X-Men, briefly. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/48 "2003-04-30T23:04:17Z")
Assuming we’re disallowing Phoenix, Mimic wins. He was an X-Man however briefly, he doesn’t need to touch you to duplicate your powers, he can do it at a distance. In addition, he can duplicate mupltiple powers at once and once he gets Jeans AND professor’s powers under his belt, combined with Colossus and Wolverine’s physical stats (he gets the bone claws), he’s unbeatable. The only possible problem could be Rogues (if she touches him while he’s duplicating her powers, there’ll be a feedback loop that knocks 'em both out, but since he can phase, fly and teleport, that’s not likely: remember he can duplicate all powers within range (about 40 feet) at once.) The rest of the X-Men are toast. Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/49 "2003-04-30T23:13:14Z")
Mimic started out as a bad-guy. Then he became a hero. Then he lost his powers. Then he got them back and died. Then it turned out that he hadn’t and he came back in a storyline that made no sense. Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/50 "2003-04-30T23:23:11Z")
Mimic still got his ass handed to him by the X-Men several times in battle though, didn’t he? It seems like a lot of people are simply considering who would win IN THEORY of what powers they have: without considering the weaknesses and creative strategies other characters might use against them (not to mention being better fighters in some cases). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/51 "2003-05-01T01:20:41Z")
I cannot believe it; the Apocalypse is at hand. I caught Fenris in a mistake. Fenris: Mimic can duplicate powers at a longer range than 40 feet. Reread the issue of the X-Men where Factor Three makes its first appearance. He can duplicate powers at a range of several hundred yards. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/52 "2003-05-01T01:45:55Z")
Mimic may be able to duplicate powers, but that doesn’t mean he duplicates the experience needed to adequately control them. Case in point: Iceman. It took some mental wrangling from Emma Frost to get him to learn how to use his powers to the fullest. Jean, too, took a long time to learn how to use her powers as well as she does. Mimic may be a nuisance, but his lack of experience with the various powers will mean that he’ll be very crude with the powers he uses. Furthermore, he’ll also present himself as the most prominent target. Mimic won’t win. Jean will. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/53 "2003-05-01T02:41:14Z")
Since we’re supposing that the X-Men, normally friends (or at least allies) are fighting to the death, I think we have to assume that there’s already some pretty mojo mind control going on (i.e., more powerful than that of any of the X-Men). Given that, would it even be possible for Jean to add a further layer of control on anyone? I’m going to guess no, which would essentially take her right out of the fight. And given that Storm knows that Iceman is one of her opponents, I think that it’s safe to say that she’ll lay off the cold until he’s safely killed. No sense in strengthening one of your enemies, and she’s got enough other potential attacks under her belt that she doesn’t need to. Unless they team up, of course, but if we’re allowing team-ups, then what’s to stop everyone from just ganging up on the crazy SOB who locked them in there to begin with? So no team-ups. Meanwhile, were this battle fought outdoors, I’d say Storm wins hands down, but indoors, she’s at rather a disadvantage. So I’m not sure. Wolverine presents a problem. A few folks have suggested dismembering him, but even aside from his healing ability (which is admittedly not instantaneous), you’ve still got to consider his skeleton. How do you dismember a guy whose bones are completely indestructible? On the other hand, his offense isn’t all that hot. He can’t do much beyond melee range, unlike Gambit or Cyclops, and if you can immobilize his arms (say, by coating them in a nice thick layer of ice, or even just a good wrestling hold by someone stronger than him), he can’t even fight in melee range. And no, I’m not a comic book nerd, though sometimes I think I ought to be. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/54 "2003-05-01T03:01:08Z")
Chronos: Slice Logan’s muscles, skin and organs off that indestructable skeleton, and Wolvie becomes Jellyman. Frankly, in an all-out, no team-ups deathmatch, Wolverine becomes one of the first ones down. Cyclops and Storm kill him at a distance easily. > [@](#): > > And no, I’m not a comic book nerd, though sometimes I think I ought to be. Could have fooled me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nightime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Nightime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightime)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/55 "2003-05-01T03:11:01Z")
First, those with no chance: Archangel Beast Jubilee Storm Gambit in his most powerful incarnation would have a very good chance to win, but he has since lost those powers. Rogue, same deal. Colossus can’t win, because there are too many people who can take him out who he can’t beat, like Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, or Iceman. Wolverine would be very difficult to defeat, because his healing factor is extremely powerful. But he essentially has the same problem as Colossus. So who is left? Cyclops Shadowcat Nightcrawler Iceman Phoenix Cyclops can start off with a full power, wide angle, mountain levelling blast that takes out almost everyone else. Shadowcat will phase, and then start phasing people into the ground like she did against Thor. Nightcrawler will start teleporting around teleporting heads off. Iceman goes to full ice form and tries to freeze all the water in his opponents’ bodies. Phoenix puts up a shield and attacks people with both telekinetic and telepathic attacks. Of these, the first to go down is Nightcrawler, as he cannot fully escape from both Cyclops and Iceman’s big attacks no matter where he teleports. Shadowcat has a problem. I remember she once got knocked out by poison gas while phased. After all, she still has to breath. In this case the air will be either freezing from Iceman, or superheated from Cyclops, so she has to hold her breath. Iceman can dodge her attacks while she runs around holding her breath, but she may take down Cyclops before she goes down. Final three: Cyclops Iceman Phoenix Cyclops can destroy either or both opponents with a huge blast if they aren’t prepared. Iceman can possibly reform from water molecules and freeze both opponents. Jean might be able to put up a shield to deflect the blast, throw Cyclops against the wall, and disperse Iceman’s consciousness so he can’t reform. Any of the three can win this, so that I have a hard time even saying who would win more often. Probably Jean. But then again… ---
**Author:** ![Alcibiades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cab0a1/32.png) [@Alcibiades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alcibiades)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/56 "2003-05-01T03:13:54Z")
> [@](#): > > superheated from Cyclops Cyclops’ beam is concussive, not heat-related: see Fantastic Four #250. I liked the reference to Longshot by **Mullinator**. I’d have to go with him, too. He’s too lucky to get taken out. ---
**Author:** ![Nightime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Nightime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightime)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/57 "2003-05-01T03:19:15Z")
Yeah, I know it is concussive, but I always thought the molecules would still be moving faster. Maybe they aren’t. In that case, Shadowcat can focus on Iceman, but she still can’t defeat him before taking a breath of supercold air and getting knocked out, so the final three remains the same, with Cyclops having the worst chance to win of the three. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/58 "2003-05-01T03:23:54Z")
Would it not depend, though, on how long she could hold her breath, Nighttime? From what I remember of the X-books, Bobby Drake is not especially agile, nor is he a good hand-to-hand fighter like Cyclops. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/59 "2003-05-01T03:30:05Z")
Why is it that Shadowcat would have to worry about the super frigid air but Cyclops and Jean Grey wouldn’t? They breathe too. ---
**Author:** ![Nightime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Nightime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightime)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887/60 "2003-05-01T03:31:48Z")
She would beat older versions of Iceman, but the Iceman with his full ice body is too hard to kill. He has even reformed himself from ambient moisture before. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-out-of-the-x-men-would-win-a-battle-to-the-death/171887.md?page=4)