The best decade for the X-Men?

[Kal-Elder]

To me the greatness of X-Men storylines and writing has pretty much been spectacular since it's inception in the 60's but what would you guys and gals say was the strongest decade for the Merry Band of Mutants?

For me personally it would be the 80's. My two favourite stories were produced in that decade: Days Of Future Past and God Loves Man Kills, also I really enjoyed the way Wolverine was written in the 80's he was perfectly written in that decade as the angry loner instead of the clawed mutant death machine (which is cool ) which he later became.
The work by Chris Clermont in the 80's really in my humble opinion set the X-Men apart from other comics on the market and really helped transform the comic into a worldwide recognizable magazine instead of the cult comic it had been previously .
I look forward to hearing you thoughts and opinions.

Peace.

 

[roach]

I would actually agree with this...Claremont's first run is the best of the series

 

[Watchman]

2000's, more specifically 2000-2005.

Morrison on New X-Men and Milligan on X-Force/X-Statix.

 

[runawayboulder]

I'll rank them:

1. 1980's (Claremont/Fall of the Mutants/Inferno/ect)
2. 1970's (Claremont's early issues)
3. 2000's (specifically Morrison)
4. 1990's (Scott Lobdell and for a brief time Mark Waid)

 

[Ponyboy]

Jim Lee had stellar sales with his run on X-Men in early 1991... wasn't it the best selling comic of all time? I think that run brought a lot of people back to comics, as well as bringing in new people. I think that may have also opened the way for the animated series in the fall of 1992. Age of Apocalypse was epic (at the time)... this was... 1996? I still remember the excitement over Xavier's death at the hands of his son. All of that popularity culminated with the first X-Men film in 2000. So yeah... 1990-2000. t:

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

I'd say Claremont's first run, up until the artist takeover.

 

[roach]

Jim Lee had stellar sales with his run on X-Men in early 1991... wasn't it the best selling comic of all time? I think that run brought a lot of people back to comics, as well as bringing in new people. I think that may have also opened the way for the animated series in the fall of 1992. Age of Apocalypse was epic (at the time)... this was... 1996? I still remember the excitement over Xavier's death at the hands of his son. All of that popularity culminated with the first X-Men film in 2000. So yeah... 1990-2000. t:

it still is and I consider it a part of Claremont's first run

 

[Phatman]

Claremont/cockrum/Byrne 1975-1980. From Giant Size X-men #1 to X-men 141. The definitive run of the X-men. Some of the best storytelling and art in comic book history.

 

[chamber-music]

I would say

1.1980s - Chris Claremont outsanding Uncanny X-Men run.

Dark Phoenix Saga, Days Of Future Past, God Loves Man kills, Mutant Massacre, Fall Of The Mutants.

Great runs from X-Men Spin Off titles like X-Factor (Orginal Five X-Men back together), Excalibur, New Mutants, Alpha Flight and a great Wolverine solo title run as well.

The birth and and return of Nathan Summmers aka Cable.

Some of the X-Mens greatest villians first make an appearance including

Morlocks, Apocalypse, Mr Sinister, Hellfire Club, Mojo and Sabertooth who went from a Iron Fist & Luke Cage villain to a Wolverine and X-Men one.

2.1990s - Jim Lee's iconic X-Men run. The Blue and Gold teams.

The X-Tinction Agenda, The Muir Island Saga, X-Cutioners Song, Fatal Attractions, Phalanx Coventant, Legion Quest/Age Of Apcalypse, Onslaught, Opperation Zero Tolerance,

Gambits, Deadpool and Bishops arrival. Wolverine having his Adamantium ripped out of him by Magneto. Legacy Virus. Jubilee.

X-Force, Generation X, Mutant X, PADs X-Factor, Warren Ellis Excalibur run.

3.1970s - Giant Sized X-Men! When they became a multicultral team. Colossus, Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler.

Jean grey becomes Phoenix for the first time. Starjammers, Dazzler. Moria McTaggert and Proteus.

4.1960s - It all began. X-Men and The Brotherhood. Havok, Banshee and Polaris appear. Sentinals.

5.2000s - For me my least favourite X-Men decade. Some stuff I liked some I have not liked.

The decade began with the exposure and growth of Mutants and ended with the depowering and fight for survival.

Marvels remodel of the X-Men with Ultimate X-Men. Joss whedons acclaimed X-Men run.

Grant Morrisson's New X-Men, X-Treme X-Men, New Mutants/Young X-Men/X-Men Academy, PAD return to X-Factor, Exiles, Chuck Austens much loathed Uncanny X-Men run, short lived return from Excalibur.

Events like Reveloution, E Is For Extinction, House of M, Messiah Complex, Messiah War, Nation X, Utopia, Divided We Stand, Decimation, Eve Of Destruction, Gifted, Planet X, Necrosha, Here Comes Tomorrow, Phoenix End Song and Manifest Destiny.

Major new additions Armor, Pixie, Rockslide, Bling, Mercury, Elixir, X-23, Danger, Beak, Angel Salvadore, Stepford Cuckoos, Stacy X, Hope, Darwin and Doctor Nemesis

Cassandra Nova emerging and the destruction of Genosha, Betrayal of Bishop, The fight over Mutant Messiah Hope, Juggernaut becoming a good guy for a while, emergence of the truth of the failed mutant team sent to Krakoa including lost Summers brother Vulcan. Return of Dead Mutants in Necrosha including the return of Cypher. Cyclops long romance with Jean Grey comes to an end and he begins dating Emma Frost.

X-Men finally leave westchester NY and find a home on utopia off the coast of San Fransico. New Mutants reform.

Deadpools popularity really takes off.

 

[returntovoid]

1. 1975-1981 run, first by Len Wein and then Chris Claremont
2. Early 60's Stan Lee and Jack Kirby run
3. 1989-1992 run by Jim Lee
4. Neal Adams 1969-1970 stint

 

[Havok83]

2000's, more specifically 2000-2005.

Morrison on New X-Men and Milligan on X-Force/X-Statix.

Really? I thought this time period was pretty bad. Its when I dropped it. Morrison's New X-men was like the only good thing about that

My favorite would be the 90s. Its what I grew up on. It was pretty good up until 1998

80s are a very close second

 

[chamber-music]

I think the 90s and 80s were better than 2000s. The vast majority of storylines and characters/villains that make up the X-Men world came from thay time period. Without the groundwork from those periods alot of the stuff today would not exist.

 

[JewishHobbit]

I keep going back and forth on the 80's and 90's. I think when it came down to it the 90's were more entertaining but the 80's were better stories.

If I had to pick one it'd be the 90's.

The 2000's have been my least favorite thus far, though I never did get around to reading the original team prior to the All New All Differant.

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

I liked some of the ideas in the 2000s, but the execution left much to be desired. And I f***ing hate the secondary mutation crap.

 

[JewishHobbit]

I think it was decent through the end of Morrison's run and Austen's run, but after that it's been bad to mediocre until recently.

Here's what I've enjoyed of the 2000's prior to Messiah Complex:

Claremont

The Adjectiveless X-Men issues of the Neo story (100-102 and 106 I think it was... and I know I'm in the minority here).

The Invasion arc of Claremont's X-Treme X-Men.

His Uncanny arc with the Fury.

I felt he did a good job with Nightcrawler and Bishop and I loved Lifeguard and Thunderbird, sadly they faded away after he left.

Casey

I loved that he put Chamber on the X-Men, though little came of it.

I thought the X-Corps storyline with Banshee was fantastic.

He created Stacey X, and while I didn't like her under Austen's pen, I thought she had real potential under Casey's.

Austen

I thought his depiction of Juggernaut was fantastic and particularly enjoyed his path to heroism and his friendship to Sammy.

I liked the Nightcrawler's family aspects of the Draco (mostly Abyss being his half-brother)

I liked that he officially brought Husk into the X-Men.

I thought She Lies With Angels was a fantastic story.

Morrison

I liked the whole plot with Xorn/Magneto from beginning to end.

Morrison created a lot of interesting characters with decent staying power: Beak, Cuckoo's, Kid Omega, Fantomex, John Sublime, Dust, Blindfold, etc.

Milligan

It's sad but the only memorable thing from his run was that the first issue of each new arc had similar styled covers.

Okay, actuallly I like that he made Sunfire a Horseman of Apocalypse and he looked like his AoA counterpart, though how much of the look was Milligan and how much was Larocca I couldn't tell you.

Brubaker

Created Darwin. I didn't like him at first because he was a Lifeguard ripoff and Lifeguard would have fit amazingly well with that Shi'ar story, but he grew on me.

Carey

I can't say much here because I didn't read his run prior to Messiah Complex.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

80's. Specifically the first few years. Uncanny x-Men was just insanely popular, and with good reason; Some of the best story-telling since the Lee/Kirby era of Marvel in general....

 

[Roughneck]

How can so many people like Morrison's New X-men? That was some of the worse stuff I've ever read.

And Quietly's art makes me want to peel my eyes out

 

[Roughneck]

But I did really like Casey and Churchills run on uncanny at the same time.....I really liked some fo the directions he was going....to bad he didn't stick around for years.

 

[venom892]

Why did Casey leave so soon?I liked his line up.

 

[runawayboulder]

Joe Casey was fighting an uphill battle with Uncanny X-Men when he wrote it. First, he was going up against Grant Morrison on New X-Men, which Marvel touted as the primary book. Over time UXM was viewed as the inferior book.

Second, the bigger characters were off limits because they were in New X-Men. At first Marvel promoted the relaunch as having Scott, Jean and Logan in both books but soon, Casey was given Nightcrawler, Archangel and Banshee. Folks like Gambit, Psylocke, Bishop ect were off- limits because Marvel wanted to get away from the 90's characters. Claremont ended up with most of them as sort of a severance package due to him being dumped from UXM in favor of Morrison.

 

[Havok83]

I disliked Casey's run. It was pretty boring and had too much awful art. It started good with Churchill but after he left, the book looked ugly. I didnt mind Raney, Garney and Lopresti's work, but the rest overall was very unimpressive. Plus I didnt like that he had an all male cast early on and when he finally added a female it was Stacy X, whom I regard as the worst X-man ever. I found her revolting and she made his lineup a big turnoff, especially in comparison to the New and X-treme lineups

How can so many people like Morrison's New X-men? That was some of the worse stuff I've ever read.

And Quietly's art makes me want to peel my eyes out

At the time it was written, he had the best X-title by far. In hindsight, I disliked alot that he did (he ruiend Jean/Scott and killed her off) but he pretty much helped save the franchise, which was dying since the late 90s. New X-men was the best its been in years and he revitalzied it.

Quietely's art rocked. It was different and hard to get used to at first but I loved it. I wish he'd return and take over art on Uncanny.

 

[runawayboulder]

I wouldn't say Sean Phillips art is ugly, it doesn't fit a mainstream book like UXM. I loved his work on Hellblazer. Sometimes, editors make a poor choice for artist on a run. Paul Azaceta on ASMis a recent example. Is his work horrendous, no, but he has no business being on ASM. Now on PunisherMAX.....I can see that. Ian Churchill is waaaaay over-rated, he's like a Liefeld clone.

As for Quietly, I chalk him up to wasted talent. I think his stuff is very unique, in a good way. He just can't hit a deadline to save his life. I look past the criticism that he makes all women look like blobs with fat heads. The Authority, All-Star Superman and his brief work on New X-Men was terrific.

 

[JewishHobbit]

I liked Quietly. It was Kordy who killed me!!! Now that guy drew some ugly X-Men comics and he admited it after the fact.

And I thought New X-Men was decent most of the time, though forever tainted from being a great run due to his treatment of Scott and Jean, which inadvertantly led to the downfall of the X-Men in my opinion

Plus I didnt like that he had an all male cast early on and when he finally added a female it was Stacy X, whom I regard as the worst X-man ever. I found her revolting and she made his lineup a big turnoff, especially in comparison to the New and X-treme lineups

I didn't mind Stacey during Casey's small run, as he started her off in a low place but was building her up. It was porno Austin who took the reigns and just made her a ****.

But she's dead now, blown to pieces in the recent New Warriors book, so it's okay.

 

[runawayboulder]

Chuck Austen.......man did that guy suck. I give Bendis s**t about his stuff but at least he's produced some good work. Everything Chuck Austen did was crap and Marvel continued to treat him like an A list writer. Marvel was truly clueless in that regard for the first half of the decade....

 

[Havok83]

Relationship with Paige aside, I did love Austen's Angel. He was the last writer to actually give a damn about him until his return in Messiah Complex. Austen also brought Havok back to the X-men but then put him in that horrendous pairing with Nurse Annie. He made Polaris an X-man again and one of the few writers to actually write her with a personality, although I hated her as a psycho. Austen had good ideas but then he'd muddle it up with crap that he'd attach to it.