Comics
Published January 13, 2025

Every Major Schism in X-Men History

From the original rivalry between Professor X and Magneto to Rogue and Cyclops’ clashing ideologies in “Raid on Graymalkin,” learn more about every major X-Men schism.

While the X-Men have always followed Professor X's dream of a shared future for mutants and humans, they haven't always agreed on how to make that dream a reality. 

Whether driven by their convictions or influenced by outside forces, the X-Men and their allies turned against one another on numerous occasions. Some of these fights were minor skirmishes between old friends, but other X-Men feuds evolved into battles with world-rattling consequences.

Now, tensions between Rogue and Cyclops' X-Men factions come to a head in "Raid on Graymalkin," the four-part crossover culminating in UNCANNY X-MEN #8 by Gail Simone and Javier Garron. Let’s look back at some of the X-Men's most bitter schisms, breaking down how these mutant family feuds began and how these battles changed the course of X-Men history.

UNCANNY X-MEN (2024) #7 cover by David Marquez and Matthew Wilson
UNCANNY X-MEN (2024) #7 cover by David Marquez and Matthew Wilson

PROFESSOR X VS. MAGNETO

The ideological rivalry between Charles Xavier and Magneto defined the X-Men for a very long time. Professor X and Magneto befriended each other at a time when mutants were mostly unknown to the wider Marvel Universe, but the two men famously fell out over their opposing philosophies, as detailed in UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #161 by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum.

Where Charles Xavier dreamt of a peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants, Magneto took a more militant stance on mutants that positioned them as humanity's superiors and successors. The two mutants became close while stopping Baron Strucker from stealing a massive amount of gold, but Magneto left Professor X when he deemed their dueling philosophies incompatible.

In the years that followed, Professor X's dream became the X-Men's guiding light, while Magneto's more aggressive approach inspired groups like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and later, the Acolytes. Throughout the years, Xavier and Magneto's teams faced off dozens of times. Both teams witnessed major defections, with members like Quicksilver and Colossus joining the cause for the opposite side.

Even Magneto moderated his views enough to join the X-Men on multiple occasions, while Professor X also briefly joined the Brotherhood during a particularly dark time.

UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #161 by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum
UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #161 by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum

THE MUIR ISLAND SAGA

After the X-Men and their allies scattered into smaller groups around the galaxy, the mutants reunited once more in "The Muir Island Saga," starting in UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #278 by Chris Claremont and Paul Smith

During this period, Cyclops, Jean Grey, and the original X-Men operated as X-Factor, while an X-Men team that included Wolverine, Storm, and Gambit was busy in space with the Shi'ar. Meanwhile, a small group of mutants had gathered on Muir Island with the X-Men's longtime ally, Moira MacTaggert.

However, the Shadow King also found a perch on Muir Island, where he telepathically took control over Colossus, Rogue, Polaris, Psylocke, Legion, and several other X-Men. Throughout the story, the dark psychic entity set his X-Men against their teammates until Forge and Professor X defeated him. 

With over a dozen mutants gathered by the end of this story, "The Muir Island Saga" reorganized the X-Men into Blue and Gold teams, as well as a government-sponsored X-Factor squad that defined one of their most iconic eras.

UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #280 by Fabian Nicieza, Steve Butler, and Andy Kubert
UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #280 by Fabian Nicieza, Steve Butler, and Andy Kubert

X-FORCE VS THE X-MEN

While the New Mutants began as a team of trainee X-Men, the young group evolved into something more under the leadership of Cable. Shortly after the time-traveling telepathic soldier arrived in the modern day, the New Mutants morphed into X-Force, a more aggressive group that proactively hunted down villains like the Mutant Liberation Front.

During "X-Cutioner's Song," the philosophical differences between X-Force and the other X-Men reached a boiling point when Cable's evil clone, Stryfe, tried to kill Professor X in UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #294 by Joe Quesada and Brandon Peterson.

While searching for Cable, the X-Men and X-Factor confronted X-Force over their mentor's supposed role in the killing. Even though Cable had already left the team behind, X-Force fought the other X-teams and was taken into custody.

Although the mutant heroes ultimately worked together to take down Stryfe, Storm and Professor X spoke to Cannonball, X-Force's field leader, about the group's relationship with the X-Men and the law. 

While Cable moved on from being X-Force's default leader, this encounter cemented his influence on the nascent team and firmly established them as outlaws.

X-FORCE (1991) #16 cover by Greg Capullo
X-FORCE (1991) #16 cover by Greg Capullo

X-MEN: SCHISM

Despite their long-standing rivalry, Cyclops and Wolverine forged a begrudging respect for each other after fighting together for years. However, a feud between these two leading X-Men figures in X-MEN: SCHISM (2011) #1 by Jason Aaron and Carlos Pacheco split mutantkind up for years.

After the Hellfire Club launched a massive attack against mutants, Cyclops told a young mutant named Idie to use lethal force against their soldiers. While the X-Men had already become a more militant group under Scott Summers’ guidance, Wolverine rebuked this and could not stand by Cyclops' subsequent decision to send young mutants into battle. In the midst of a Sentinel attack, the two X-Men fought each other before deciding to split the X-Men up into separate factions.

Consequently, Cyclops remained on the island Utopia with several powerful mutants and former villains like Magneto and Emma Frost, while Wolverine returned to the X-Mansion in Westchester, New York, where he opened the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. 

The X-Men and their splinter groups divided themselves evenly between Cyclops and Wolverine's rival camps, and the philosophical differences between the two factions defined the X-Men as a whole for years.

X-MEN: SCHISM (2011) #4 cover by Alan Davis, Mark Farmer, and Javier Rodriguez
X-MEN: SCHISM (2011) #4 cover by Alan Davis, Mark Farmer, and Javier Rodriguez

AVENGERS VS. X-MEN

In AVENGERS VS. X-MEN (2012), the Phoenix Force turned the differences between Cyclops and Wolverine's X-Men teams into a genuine rivalry.

After Iron Man split the incredible cosmic power of the Phoenix Force, it found hosts in Cyclops, Emma Frost, Colossus, Magik, and Namor. The so-called Phoenix Five initially used their powers to help Earth's mutants, but were quickly corrupted by their limitless abilities.

As the members of the Phoenix Five battled their old teammates and each other, alienated members of Cyclops' X-Men faction joined Wolverine's X-Men and the Avengers.

The corrupted Cyclops found himself isolated from the rest of mutantkind after he killed Professor X. The X-Men additionally severed ties with major mutant leaders like Magneto and Emma Frost. The X-Men branded the Phoenix Five as enemies and outlaws, creating labels and divisions that lingered for years.

AVENGERS VS X-MEN (2012) #11 art by Olivier Coipel, Mark Morales, and Laura Martin
AVENGERS VS X-MEN (2012) #11 art by Olivier Coipel, Mark Morales, and Laura Martin

SECRET EMPIRE

During SECRET EMPIRE, Hydra replaced Captain America with a clone who pledged loyalty to the villainous organization and helped it take over the United States. To appease the mutant population, the Captain America imposter gave mutants a small part of the western United States, which became the short-lived mutant nation, New Tian.

Despite its questionable founding, New Tian offered mutants a few peaceful years under the leadership of Emma Frost and Xorn before its inevitable conflict with Hydra.

Emma Frost’s position in New Tian saw her fall back into some of her villainous tendencies; New Tian imprisoned any mutants or humans who spoke out against Hydra. In X-MEN: BLUE (2017) #7 by Cullen Bunn and Cory Smith, the time-traveling teenage X-Men disagreed with the White Queen's methods and freed those prisoners. 

During the breakout, they faced the New Tian Strike Force, a group that included several veteran X-Men like Havok, Marrow, Wolfsbane, Firestar, Toad, and Mondo. However, many mutants ultimately joined the fight against Hydra and the imposter Captain America.

X-MEN: BLUE (2017) #7 by Cullen Bunn and Cory Smith
X-MEN: BLUE (2017) #7 by Cullen Bunn and Cory Smith

RAID ON GRAYMALKIN

Krakoa offered mutantkind a brief moment of unity and strength. After it fell, however, the X-Men went their separate ways. Cyclops assembled a small X-Men team operating out of an abandoned Sentinel factory in Alaska and Rogue brought together a small group of veteran X-Men to protect several young mutants in Louisiana. Meanwhile, Dr. Corina Ellis and her anti-mutant operation took over the former X-Mansion and transformed it into Graymalkin Prison. 

When Dr. Ellis’ forces captured Beast, Jubilee, and a young mutant named Calico, Cyclops and Rogue both made plans to rescue their missing teammates. As Cyclops prepared his small strike team to break into the prison for a quick mission, he and Rogue found themselves at odds over how to execute this rescue mission. Specifically, they clashed over whether they should free Charles Xavier from the facility.

With Rogue wanting to leave no man behind and Cyclops believing Xavier needs to atone for his crimes against mutants and humanity, the rift between these X-Men factions deepened. Now, in the ashes of Krakoa, the future of mutantkind remains uncertain as these two mutant teams go their separate ways.

X-MEN (2024) #9 by Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman
X-MEN (2024) #9 by Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman

Will Rogue and Cyclops be able to put aside their differences? Find out in the grand finale of "Raid on Graymalkin" in UNCANNY X-MEN #8, available now.

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