Which X-Men work best as representing the highest ideals of super heroes?

[Dementia5]

Is it enough to a hero to refuse to kill people?

How do you define “hero”? Sometimes that’s really all it takes, but she’s done a hell of a lot more than just that.

I don't mean heroes should kill people but your definition is more moral than accurate.

A hero should have a strong sense of morality, and should have the fortitude to stick to that moral compass in the most extreme of situations, which she has done.

In my opinion, it is more a matter of courage, ideal and sense of responsibility.

All of which she has demonstrated many times in 30 years.

Heroes often face dilemmas and must not shy away from them.

See above.

In that aspect, that can only be applied to people that assume a prominent role.

So you can only be a hero if you’re prominent and well known? Hard disagree. Heroes exist at all levels. Many of history’s greatest heroes are people whose names we will never know. You seem to be arguing (and correct me if I’m wrong) that you can only be a hero if people know about your heroic deeds, and that’s simply not true, not even in comics.

And if you don't face great challenges, you cannot be a hero…

She’s faced countless challenges. In addition to the many classical superhero hurdles she’s overcome (true of all of the X-men), she’s recently become a mother (arguably one of the greatest challenges of all).

[Zelena]

I don't know her enough to say she applies or not…
Just that the definition of hero is tricky: once, the Acolytes had considered Magneto as their hero.
According to what I know, she has been written as a brave, decent girl.
Then, you like her, she inspires you so she's your hero.

[Snoop Dogg]

Doop is the highest ideal of a hero.

[Decoy]

Cyclops in Books not X Related (Champions, where he was the stoic leader we know, not being the universes bitch in Uncanny right now)......hopefully he’ll continue to be that way in future guest appearances (no more Cyclops dickery.......that’s Superman’s job)

[FUBAR007]

Which x-characters function best as representing the highest ideals of super heroes and which do not?

Now? Jean. Nightcrawler. Kitty (on a good day). Setting aside his historical immaturity, maybe Iceman?

Most of the other long-standing characters have been retconned and/or deconstructed into morally ambiguous anti-heroes and are thus too tainted.

[jmc247]

Now? Jean. Nightcrawler. Kitty (on a good day). Setting aside his historical immaturity, maybe Iceman?

Most of the other long-standing characters have been retconned and/or deconstructed into morally ambiguous anti-heroes and are thus too tainted.

The question of which character functions best in a certain area is not exactly the same as where each character happens to be currently. One can for instance believe Scott functions better in his old boy scout form or feel he works better in revolutionary Scott form.

[Wolverine12]

I think it depends on your personal definition of what constitutes a hero. To me a character like Wolverine is more of a hero than Cap or Iron Man because he will take that sometimes necessary step to end a threat that they won’t and he is willing to shoulder the consequences and the public opinion that comes with it. The idea that there will always be a way to win where no one has to die simply isn’t true sometimes. So to me most of the X-Men have made that hard choice at some point so they are all ideal heroes.

[phoenixzero23]

Jean and Nightcrawler.

Cyclops in Books not X Related (Champions, where he was the stoic leader we know, not being the universes bitch in Uncanny right now)......hopefully he’ll continue to be that way in future guest appearances (no more Cyclops dickery.......that’s Superman’s job)

This, Cyclops was good on champions and he didn't need to be edgy or all angst. I like him more as a hero, it makes him more likeable.

[Zelena]

So you can only be a hero if you’re prominent and well known? Hard disagree. Heroes exist at all levels. Many of history’s greatest heroes are people whose names we will never know. You seem to be arguing (and correct me if I’m wrong) that you can only be a hero if people know about your heroic deeds, and that’s simply not true, not even in comics.

I was thinking who was my hero… I would say X-men's pencillers… (except one). They aren't all well-known, I have my favourites. They made so many pictures, the care and the dedication are shown on the pictures. We don't know all they went through and how much time they spent working.

[FUBAR007]

The question of which character functions best in a certain area is not exactly the same as where each character happens to be currently. One can for instance believe Scott functions better in his old boy scout form or feel he works better in revolutionary Scott form.

"Functions better" is a different set of criteria than "representing the highest ideals of super heroes." The former is a matter of opinion based on individual taste in protagonists. The latter basically means "closest to Superman in terms of their morality."

As for Scott, he's been tainted since 1986 and a full-blown anti-hero since Morrison's run. He hasn't represented the highest ideals of super heroes in a very, very long time.

[Triniking1234]

Iceman
Beast
Wolverine
Captain Britain
Storm (from Marvel Adventures Avengers)
Rogue

[Havok83]

Jean and Nightcrawler

[Omega Alpha]

I think it depends on your personal definition of what constitutes a hero. To me a character like Wolverine is more of a hero than Cap or Iron Man because he will take that sometimes necessary step to end a threat that they won’t and he is willing to shoulder the consequences and the public opinion that comes with it. The idea that there will always be a way to win where no one has to die simply isn’t true sometimes. So to me most of the X-Men have made that hard choice at some point so they are all ideal heroes.

That's a great POV, and one I think Hickman shares to some extent- hence his Cap. America journey in the Original Sin tie-in and then in Time Runs Out, in which he stubbornly insisted on an idea of justice that was pointless, and increasingly similar to revenge.

Iceman
Beast
Wolverine
Captain Britain
Storm (from Marvel Adventures Avengers)
Rogue

Beast? Where have you been in the last 10 years?

[DragonsChi]

By definition there is currently no character in the X-Men that stands for or meets the ideals of Superhero. Over the last couple of years every character that could have has been brought down to a level of being normal selfish person or flat out evil but thinking they are good.

There are characters who use to have that standard idealism or achieved it briefly before it was taken way to make them "regular".

Here's my list of X-Men who originally where the ideal Superhero:

Cyclops
Angel
Jean Grey
Storm
Colossus
Nightcrawler
Cannonball
Dani Moonstar
Synche
Bishop


Those who had it briefly but lost it:


Rogue
Wolverine
Kitty Pryde
Sunspot
Beast


None of the younger group(New X-Men and so on) has ever really gotten the chance to get there. If they every could. Most of the writers who have written teen X-Men, since Grant Morrison onward, seem to have a very low opinion on teenagers. They tend to have 1 of 3 purposes for them: 1) Drama/Red Shirt Kill 2) Show how "Hip" and/or "Woke" they are as a writer 3) comic relief.

But that's it. True heroism and the X-Men's mission seem to almost contradict each other in today's climate of writers.

[JudicatorPrime]

For the longest time I thought Kurt was that person. Devil on the outside, but complete angel, saint and noble paladin on the inside. But these days, I'm not so sure.