TheX-Menfranchise offered some of the most powerful and emotionally resonant superhero scenes ever, moments so iconic that even theMarvel Cinematic Universemay struggle to top them. Across theX-Menmovie timeline, Fox’s mutant saga featured rich character development, weighty themes, and dazzling action. As Marvel Studios prepares theMCU’sX-Menadaptation, it has some stiff competition.
Deadpool & Wolverineis technically the first MCU movie to star X-Men characters, merging timelines and teasing the multiverse’s wider implications. While the proper MCUX-Menreboot is still on the horizon. TheMCU’sAvengers: Doomsdayincludes several returning Fox X-Men, showing Marvel’s appreciation for what came before. Still, some classicX-Menscenes may prove nearly impossible for Marvel Studios to surpass.
10Young Magneto In Auschwitz
X-Men (2000) & X-Men: First Class
X-Men(2000) opens with one of the mosthaunting and unique prologuesin superhero movie history. A young Erik Lehnsherr, torn from his parents at Auschwitz, watches helplessly as they’re taken away. His powers subsequently manifest in response to unbearable trauma.
It’s an unexpectedly grounded and brutal moment thatimmediately sets theX-Menfranchise apart. It rooted the story of mutants in the real-world horrors of the Holocaust. This scene reappears inX-Men: First Class(2011), deepening its impact by portraying Sebastian Shaw’s role in Erik’s suffering and evolution into Magneto.
It was a bold, emotional opening that emphasized how the franchise viewed mutant powers as metaphors for societal fear, hatred, and persecution. The MCU’s tone rarely leans this dark. Yet thesethemes are essential to theX-Men, and matching this introduction may be one of the MCU’s biggest challenges yet.
9Wolverine Vs Lady Deathstrike
X2: X-Men United
One of themost visceral and kinetic fightsin theX-Menmovies comes inX2: X-Men Unitedwhen Wolverine squares off against Lady Deathstrike. Both are Weapon X experiments, each possessing rapid healing and retractable claws. This makes their brutal encounter especially intense.
Their fight rages through the underground levels of Alkali Lake, filled with feral rage and slick choreography,showcasing the animalistic nature of their powers. Wolverine ultimately defeats Deathstrike only by injecting her with molten adamantium. This offers an ending as tragic as it is savage.
The fight is relentless, bloody, and emotionally charged, emphasizing Logan’s internal struggle with his violent past. It’s hard to imagine the MCU replicating this level of rawness, especially given its more PG-13-leaning approach. Even with Deadpool in the picture,few MCU fights match the stakes and intensityof this one.
8Magneto And The X-Men Battle Sentinels
X-Men: Days Of Future Past
X-Men: Days of Future Pastdepicted a dark, dystopian future where mutants were hunted by nearly invincible Sentinels. The final battle features the remaining X-Men (including Magneto, Storm, Bishop, Iceman, and Blink)making their last stand as time itself unravels. Magneto’s steel manipulation becomes a key weapon, crafting deadly weapons from debris while Sentinels adapt to every attack.
The scene is a masterclass in powers-on-display, strategy, and teamwork. Blink’s portals, Iceman’s slides, and Sunspot’s solar blasts highlight the mutant ensemble like never before. It’s also emotionally weighty: each death feels significant,underscoring the hopelessness of their reality.
The beautiful moment when Magneto and Xavier reconcile is especially compelling. The MCU will certainly introduce Sentinels at some point, but topping this sequence’s tension, creativity, and character-driven action will be a monumental task. This may be thebest mutant battle everput to screen.
7Wolverine Fights The SWAT Team In The Xavier Mansion
When Colonel Stryker’s team invades the Xavier Mansion inX2: X-Men United, it results in one ofWolverine’s most ferocious moments. As mutant children are tranquilized or captured, Logan transforms into a lethal protector. With no time to strategize, he uses his claws to take down an entire SWAT team.
He navigates the darkened halls ina savage blur. It’s the first time theX-Menfilms allowed Wolverine to truly unleash as raw, deadly, and unstoppable. Yet it never loses sight of his humanity.
The look in his eyes when a child watches him kill reminds us that he’s still haunted by his violent nature. This sequencegave audiences the berserker ragethey’d longed to see. Replicating that tension and payoff will be difficult for Marvel, especially with a more child-friendly tone.
6Magneto Hunts Nazis In South America
X-Men: First Class
InX-Men: First Class, Michael Fassbender’s Magneto embarks on a solo mission to track down former Nazis who escaped justice. One sequence in particular, set in an Argentine bar, is a chilling masterstroke. Magneto pretends to be a traveler,gradually revealing his identityas tension builds.
What follows is a violent and cathartic confrontation as he kills the men who helped orchestrate the Holocaust. It’s a rare superhero scene that plays like a Tarantino thriller,soaked in history, menace, and justified vengeance. Magneto’s calculated rage and moral complexity make the moment unforgettable.
It elevated Erik Lehnsherr from comic book villain to layered antihero. It steeped him in personal trauma, lending hima level of emotional gravity rarely seenin the MCU. Redoing this scene would require the same daring blend of history and genre fusion.
5Nightcrawler Infiltrates The White House
X2: X-Men Unitedopens with a jaw-dropping action scene as Nightcrawler teleports his way through the White House in an attempt to assassinate the President. Set to Alan Silvestri’s soaring score, the scene showcases Kurt Wagner’s agility, teleportation, and acrobaticsin dazzling fashion.Yet, it’s not just a cool power demonstration.
It’s a statement: the X-Men movies were stepping up their game. Every beat of this sequence is expertly timed, with bullet-time effects, sweeping camera work, and fluid fight choreography. Despite Nightcrawler’s menacing appearance, we soon learn he’s being mind-controlled, making the momenteven more tragic.
This scene remains one of the best superhero movie openings ever. Recreating its elegance and impact will be tough for Marvel. Especially since teleportation sequences have since become commonplace, butrarely this stylish or emotionally complex.
4Magneto Escapes The Plastic Prison
InX2: X-Men United, Magneto is imprisoned in a sophisticated plastic cell designed to neutralize his metal-controlling powers. However, thanks to a drop of iron smuggled into a guard’s bloodstream by Mystique, he stages one of themost memorable breakouts in superhero movie history. He extracts the iron, forms it into deadly projectiles, and glides effortlessly through the air.
He dispatches guards withcasual menace. This scene is pure Magneto: clever, ruthless, and godlike in power. Ian McKellen delivers every line with quiet authority, making his escape seem inevitable rather than lucky.
It’s a visual and narrative payoff to everything the film had built up about hisgenius and threat level. The MCU might eventually feature Magneto’s escape from captivity. However, matching this scene’s elegance, horror, and sheer theatricality will be a monumental creative challenge.
3Quicksilver’s Time In A Bottle Escape
X-Men: Days of Future Pastintroduced Evan Peters' Quicksilver with a standout moment that remains one of themost stylish super-speed scenesever filmed. As the X-Men infiltrate the Pentagon to break Magneto out, Quicksilver slows time to a crawl while “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce plays. What follows is a dazzling slow-motion ballet.
Quicksilver casually rearranges bullets, adjusts enemy positions, and saves the day with ease. What makes the scene shine isn’t just the visual effects; it’s the humor, music, andQuicksilver’s irreverent charm. It redefined how speedsters could be portrayed on screen and became an instant fan favorite.
The MCU introduced its own Quicksilver briefly inAvengers: Age of Ultron. Yet this sequence remains the gold standard. Recreating that perfect blend of levity, power, and personality won’t be easy, even with Marvel’s budget and tech.
2Mystique Infiltrates Alkali Lake
InX2: X-Men United, Mystique proves she’s one of the franchise’s deadliest and most resourceful characters. Her infiltration of Stryker’s underground base at Alkali Lake is a masterclass in espionage, deception, and shape-shifting strategy. She uses seduction, stealth, and transformation to Wolverine guards, evade detection, and hack the system – all while showcasing her unmatched adaptability.
The scene is more than action. It’s a demonstration of Mystique’s skills and independence. Rebecca Romijn plays her with a cold precision that makes her feelmore like a spy than a supervillain. Her ability to manipulate environments and people without brute force adds dimension to her character.
Her final middle finger to the humans after she effortlessly infiltrates the security center is especially thrilling. It also highlights theunique kind of threatmutants can pose. While the MCU may give Mystique a new spin, topping this coldly efficient infiltration won’t be easy.
1Xavier And Magneto Play Chess
X-Men (2000)
Few superhero rivalries are as iconic, or as quietly emotional, as Professor Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr. At the end ofX-Men(2000) and revisited again in later films, the two old friends play chess whilereflecting on their ideological differences. It’s a subdued yet powerful scene that captures the heart of the X-Men mythos.
The pair’s chess gamereflects the philosophical conflict betweenpeaceful coexistence and justified resistance. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen imbue the moment with warmth and sadness. Audiences feel the weight of history in every glance and word, as if they know their war is eternal.
There are no explosions or CGI here. Just two brilliant mindsforever at odds, yet deeply bonded. The MCU will undoubtedly cast new versions of Xavier and Magneto, but capturing the level of emotional nuance theX-Menfranchise boasts will be a steep hill to climb.
