The horror genre and theX-Menfranchise go hand-in-hand more than most fans might realize.The best X-Men comicstend to hew closer to sci-fi, action, or even soap opera-level drama. However, the idea of being a mutant itself is rooted in horror, especially once those elements are brought to the surface in particular X-Men stories.
As much as the X-Men franchise has emphasized howthe most powerful of mutantshave the coolest powers,one’s body suddenly mutating into something beyond humanity is inherently terrifying. That idea has formed the basis of classic body horror stories likeThe Last of UsandThe Fly.Sometimes, X-Men creators take the time to explore the body horror aspect of the X-Men. Other times, rather than restrict the franchise to body horror, writers have used more recognizable horror tropes and motifs to tell unique X-Men tales.
8The Demon Bear Saga
The New Mutants#18-20 by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz
The famed “Demon Bear Saga” begins with a bone-chilling introduction: “He’s out there, the Demon Bear that murdered my parents. Watching. Waiting. For me.” This story is one of thescariest X-Men stories of all time. Dani Moonstar is having visions of the Demon Bear that killed her parents. These flashbacks and dreams suddenly weave their way into reality when she faces the Demon Bear for the first time in battle. Each glimpse of the Demon Bear that readers get leading into the battle is more nightmarish than the last. The build-up makes the confrontation all the more intense when the Demon Bear really reveals itself.
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Whenever the Demon Bear strikes, the artwork makes it clear just howbloody it is every time. Whenever the Demon Bear makes its presence known, its sheer presence makes it clear that the bear is a formidable foe, not to mention a frightening one. It is hard to turn the page and not feel a tingle down the spine and a gulp down the throat whenever the Demon Bear is on a panel.
7Dark X-Men Was Inspired byEvil Dead
Dark X-Men#1-5 by Steve Foxe and Jonas Scharf
Ahead ofDark X-Men’srelease, writer Steve Foxe admitted to being a fan of"pitch black horror"and encouraged comparisons toEvil Deadwhen expressing what sort of tone he wanted to implement in the series. The dark, horrific tone certainly resonates thanks to the art style of Jonas Scharf. Scharf’s art arrests the reader with engrossing, spooky visuals. Among the most visually striking is whenever Archangel is on panel sporting hishorrifying, nightmare fuel form.
Madelyn Pryor’s Dark X-Men team makes for such a sharp contrast from the usual X-Men roster and, by proxy, a contrast to the average X-story. Arguably, this series can be viewed asthe best story centered around Pryorsince the release of the originalInferno, which itself is a pretty magnificent horror story for fans new and old.
61989’sInfernoIs a Haunting Breakout for the Goblin Queen
Begins withUncanny X-Men#239 by Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri; Ends withX-Factor#40 by Louise Jones Simonson and Rob Liefeld
The original 1989 comic crossover event,Inferno, sent shockwaves through every X-title. There’s a lot to unpack with this story, but alleveryone needs to know aboutInfernois that Madelyn Pryor is the star of the show. She proves in a breakout moment that her potential as the Goblin Queen would exceed her origins as a Jean Grey clone. Playing up the Goblin Queen’s role helped the event deliver some ofthe most haunting Marvel images of the 1980s.
There’s a reason whyX-Men ‘97loosely adaptedInferno. Not just because it’s a tightly-knit story with its own merit as a superhero tale, but because the visuals derived from this event leave a lasting impression. At every turn, these visuals take tight hold of the reader and refuse to let go until it reaches its conclusion.
5That Time the X-Men Fought Dracula
Uncanny X-Men#159 andUncanny X-Men Annual#6 by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz
Any reader who picked upUncanny X-Men#159 in 1982 had to have known that they were in for a thrill ride when they opened to the first page to see thatthe story is titled “Night Screams!” The story certainly lives up to the title, as theX-Men are forced into a skirmish with Dracula. The stakes are further elevated withStorm being primed as Dracula’s mistress. When Storm mysteriously starts to grow pale, old, and deathly afraid of sunlight following an even more mysterious throat wound, it’s up to the X-Men to investigate.
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Things escalate when Dracula finally reveals himself, with Storm fully under his control. Kitty Pryde must play Van Helsing in hopes of getting the old Ororo back, while the X-Men try to keep the vampire master at bay. Just when it looks like Dracula has been defeated, he resurfaces inUncannyX-Men Annual#6. The two-part story is expertly crafted to emulate theeerie Gothic vibe of Hammer Horror pictures.
4Kitty Pryde Is Home Alone with a Xenomorph-Like Alien
Uncanny X-Men#143 by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
Horror and holidays tend to go hand-in-hand, as some of the scariest horror stories happen to be around Christmastime. This classic X-Men tale is no different, as the ancient race of Elder Gods returns in the form of the N’Garai. While their defeat and destruction of the Cairn was supposed to seal the gateway between the N’Garai’s demon dimension and Earth,one of these demons managed to escape. The timing couldn’t have been worse as Kitty is all alone in the X-Mansion while the rest of the team are away for a holiday getaway on Christmas Eve.
The assumption is that nothing can go wrong in a short time away, but in that time the mansion is infiltrated by a beast that looks like a Xenomorph straight out ofAliens. Kitty must rely on her knowledge of the X-Mansion and its weaponry, like the Danger Room, to survive as she’s chased from room to room. Each panel follows one jump scare with another, embracing the motifs of classic horror movies.Nothing screams X-Masquite like a screamfest all through the house, where not a creature is stirring besides a N’Garai.
3Jubilee Is Home Alone with Sabretooth
What If…#87 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Frank Teran
The only thing scarier than being trapped at home alone with an alien is being trapped at home alone withWolverine’s greatest villain, Sabretooth. In this universe, Professor X had brought Sabretooth into the X-Men to heal his mind, but the attempt proved rudderless, asSabretooth inevitably went on a rampage. On a night when most of the X-Men are away, Sabretooth strikes. From Bishop to Iceman to Beast, Creed picks off the few members on campus one by one, leaving Jubilee to defend herself.
Much of the artwork is dark and gritty, with an emphasis on the pure,unrelenting terror in Jubilee’s eyesas she watches her friends be torn to shreds. Jubilee’s convincing depiction as a “final girl” is enough to leave an impression. Still, it can’t be overlooked how Sabretooth’s massacre manages to be bloodier than the averageX-Menstory. Watching Victor chase Jubilation Lee from one page to another reads as something closer to aNightmare on Elm Streetmovie than a run-of-the-mill X-tale.
22024’sUltimate X-MenIs Inspired by Horror Manga
Ultimate X-Men#1 by Peach Momoko
The originalUltimate X-Mentitle features one ofMarvel’s most tragic tales starring Wolverine, but when it came time for Marvel to reboot its Ultimate Universe for a new era and canon, it was time to introduce something completely different for theUltimate X-Menbook.“Different"would arrive in the form of Peach Momoko, who enters the fray as both artist and writer. As such, the series revolves around Hisako Ichiki, better known as Armor. Armor was always an underrated and underused mutant in the grand scheme of X-Men stories, but here, she takes center stage.
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The writer and artist of the series has gone on record saying that she wasinspired by horror mangawhile crafting the new series. In her own words, she said she was inspired"heavily by Japanese manga, body horror, and horror in general.“As the series has continued to develop, Momoko has kept to her promise of creating more of a horror-themedX-Men series. As always, the idea of developing powers and growing into mutanthood is inherently a body horror experience. Few stories have leaned so heavily into this idea as Momoko’s.
1Stephen King’s Only X-Men Story Is Reminiscent of One of His Novels
Pages 10-12 ofHeroes for Hope: Starring the X-Men#1 by Stephen King and Berni Wrightson
Heroes for Hope: Starring the X-Menwas an ambitious project crafted to help raise money for famine relief and recovery in Africa in 1985. A select few pages of this 48-page odyssey boast unique creative teams, with each team revolving every couple of pages. Onboard creators included comics legends like Stan Lee, Frank Miller, Denny O’Neil, and horror legend Stephen King. There is an overarching story at the heart of this narrative, in which each member of theX-Men is targeted by psychic attacks.
The psychic attacks in question are enforced by a mysterious god-tier entity that feeds on the distress of others, achieving its desire through psychically attacking the subconscious fears of the X-Men. For Kitty Pryde, that fear is of going hungry. In King’s pages, which echoa previous King novel calledThinner, Kitty goes to grab something from the refrigerator, only to open it and be immediately met by this entity, referring to itself as “Hungry.” With one touch, Hungry reduces Kitty to withering skin and bones. King’s touch delivers one of the most bone-chillingX-Menstories to ever grace a comic book page.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
