What were the best concepts on the various incarnations of X-Books from yesteryear to present

[sabongero]

The X-Men and its various incarnations (X-Factor, New Mutants, Gen X ...etc) have all been around for decades. Even though there has been relaunch(es), the various writers had a new concept in mind, especially if launching/relaunching a new title. What do you guys think has been the best? For this topic you might consider some of the following, or consider your own thoughts not mentioned below:

X-Factor as double agent mutant hunters/mutants
X-Factor as government sanctioned
X-Factor as detective agency.
X-Corporations worldwide
X-Forces militant style
X-Forces 'road trip' concept
Generation X/New Mutants school with only about several pupils
New X-Men school with numerous pupils
Astonishing 'super hero mutants'
Excalibur in Genosha

etc...

It doesn't matter if the storyline somehow "sucked" to you, but you feel the concept was one of the best for that X-Book.

[yogaflame]

X-Corporations was fantastic, too bad they killed all the mutants before really investigating that angle. Mutants san Frontiers was great too, and Ellis picked that up a bit in his Astonishing run.

[Anduinel]

I was really fond of the "Mutant Hogwarts" take in the early days of the Xavier Institute being a public school. It was a neat little concept and I liked the glimpses we got of the adult X-Men interacting with the next generation of mutants: Kurt as drama teacher, Hank's math class, Xi'an, Dani and Jean-Paul as the full-time teachers and so on. Just all around fun, really.

[bat39]

'New X-men', with the Institute being a true 'school for mutants' rather than just a training facility and headquarters for the X-men. I think it elevated Charles Xavier from being basically a 'good' version of Magneto training his private army, into a true leader and educator worthy of the 'Professor' title. IMO, having a school for mutants does a lot more good long-term for mutant children than the existence of the X-men.

The post-AVX status quo is pretty interesting too...with the two factions of the X-men; Cyclops leading the revolutionary 'army' against oppressors of mutants, while Wolverine and the JGS are still pursuing integration and co-existence. IMO, it reflects the age-old debate about assimilation v/s segregation and rebellion that has surrounded besieged minority groups a lot better than the old Xavier/Magneto dynamic.

[DurararaFTW]

X-Factor as government sanctioned team
X-Force as black ops team, fully autonomous from the X-Men
New X-Men being about the big student body of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning.

Don't think we need Astonishing for super hero X-Men, "X-Men" and "Uncanny X-Men" themselves should have that.