I’m power ranking all of the X-Men (and former X-Men) who are currently appearing in a comic book or have appeared in a comic since Messiah Complex ended. There are 75 total characters to rank (nearly all are mutants) beginning with the weakest and ending with the strongest.

So what are power rankings? Mostly used to rank sports teams on how well they are playing now, my power rankings are a list of X-Men based on what their power set is in current continuity (or most recent appearance). Other factors that determined a character’s ranking are: what their power potential is, what they’ve already proven they can do (so long as it is still relevant in current continuity), and their over all level of badassness. If you disagree with me that’s totally cool- please leave a civilized comment explaining why. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, and while I believe this list to be very solid in it’s numbering, I’m interested to hear what you have to say! Enough jibber jabber. Here’s what we’ve got for this entry:

graymalkin#58. Graymalkin: Jonas Graymalkin is another mutant newly introduced into the Marvel Universe. Born in the late 18th century his father- a very religious man- severely beat him, believing he was a demon, and buried him alive. It just so happened that the very spot where Jonas was buried turned out to be the location of the Xavier institute. Following the school’s destruction after Messiah Complex, Graymalkin rose from the ruins, free of his grave. He joined the Young X-Men where the discovery was made that he is an ancestor of Charles Xavier, explaining why Jonas’ last name is that of the street the Institute is located on.

Powers: Graymalkin’s powers are stronger in darkness than in light. He possesses super strength, night vision, invulnerability, and longevity. Considering he was able to survive underground in a state of hibernation for around 200 years he is one tough guy to kill. However, due to his powers weakening in the presence of light and his unknown potential, he gets the 58th spot in our rankings.

First Appearance: Young X-Men #1, 2008.

meltdown#57. Meltdown (formerly Boom-Boom): After reading the series Nextwave it became apparent that Tabitha Smith has definitely amped up her power level, creating destructive time bombs at will that can cover a large radius. In X-Men Manifest Destiny Tabby had a one shot story in which she combated the villain Nuwa, and after doing a little research (which is unheard of for the blond shopaholic) she discovered his weakness and easily took him down! It was difficult to rank her this low given her destructive potential, but the fact that the Leper Queen was able to put a bullet in her head during the current run of X-Force, well, it kind of speaks for itself doesn’t it?

Powers: Tabby could create balls of plasma which she dubbed ‘time bombs.’ She developed a greater control over powers recently, being able to time out their explosions to the millisecond and varying them in degrees of severity. To a limited extent she also could muffle the sound of her explosions and even release explosive energy in the form of intense streams. Meltdown could also absorb the energy of un-diffused bombs- but of course this was all before she was killed.

First Appearance: Secret Wars II #5, 1985.

siryn#56. Siryn: Considering that these rankings are based on the status of characters post Messiah Complex, Siryn ranks in the lower tier. Why? Well, how many women do you know of that are able to lay down an ass kicking after giving birth to a baby? That’s right, Theresa recently gave birth to the child of Jamie Madrox, a.k.a Multiple Man. However, after a very emotional scene in which the couple named the boy Sean (after Theresa’s late father, Banshee), Jamie holds his son only to re-absorb him into himself. The situation concludes with the horrible realization that Siryn actually gave birth to a dupe, pushing her mental state even more off the deep end; She broke Jamie’s finger and told him to get out of her sight (which he did). This is all in lieu of her mental struggle in accepting her father’s recent death, clinging to the belief that he isn’t dead because ‘X-Men never really die.’

Powers: Siryn possesses the infamous Sonic Scream which can reach up to 140 decibels as her vocal cords vibrate over a wide range of sonic frequencies, having the ability to shatter solid objects. She can focus this scream into a solid beam reminiscent of a battering ram or create a sonic shield around herself and others by tightening sound molecules. Theresa also has a ‘Siren’s Song’ which seduces humans (male and female alike) when she uses a certain pitch in her voice. This can also be used to hypnotize people. Theresa has learned to amplify sound carrier waves, permitting her to hear conversations or noises from a distance. In contrast, she can create a Sonic Null Field in which an ‘umbrella’ of silence is projected in an area, preventing sound from getting in or out. Sonic vibrations also grant her a form of sonar and allow her to fly.

First Appearance: Spider-Woman #37, 1981.