X-Men Mutants Who Lost Their Powers

Summary

• X-Men often lose their powers, creating an impact on storytelling.
• Loss of powers ranged from physical damage to events like M-Day.
• Some X-Men, like Jubilee and Storm, thrived despite loss.

The X-Men are one of the most beloved superhero teams of all time and one of the most interesting, with each member possessing different powers thanks to their unique mutations. However, despite how important their powers are, in true comic book fashion, they lose them more often than most people realize.

Though inhibitor collars and power dampers can temporarily block a mutant’s powers, it’s the more permanent and meaningful times when X-Men lose their powers that leave a lasting impact on fans. While nearly every mutant lost their powers during M-Day/Decimation, it’s worth examining the more specific and impactful moments when X-Men have lost their powers.

8

Banshee (Sean Cassidy)

Screamed Himself Hoarse

• First Appearance: X-Men #28 (1967)
• Creators: Roy Thomas, Werner Roy
• Powers Lost: Uncanny X-Men #119 (1979)

Banshee is one of the rare mutants who didn’t lose his powers to the likes of an inhibitor collar or some magic spell; he simply pushed himself too far. In Uncanny X-Men, issue 119, Banshee saves the X-Men from a deadly attack by Moses Magnum by screaming louder than he ever had before, causing him to lose his mutant power.

While exerting such force, Banshee seriously damaged his vocal cords and lost the ability to use his powerful sonic scream. It was one of the first times a mutant lost their powers, and it marked a shift in the X-Men comics. It showed fans that even the most unique mutants could lose their powers at any moment, adding way more weight to future stories.

7

Tag (Brian Cruz)

Didn’t Live To Regain His Psionic Abilities

• First Appearance: New Mutants (Vol. 2) #10 (2004)
• Creators: Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir
• Powers Lost: House of M #8 (2005)

While Tag is one of the lesser-known and more unique X-Men, his story is just as tragic as many beloved characters, especially following the events of M-Day. Tag, like hundreds of thousands of other mutants, lost his abilities during the Decimation. Unfortunately for Tag, he didn’t live long enough to regain his powers.

After M-Day, Tag and a group of other de-powered mutants decided to leave Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters; however, the bus they traveled on was targeted and destroyed by William Stryker. Although he wasn’t a significant member of the X-Men, the loss of his powers led to his and 42 other students’ needless deaths, heavily impacting the surviving X-Men.

6

Wolverine (James Howlett / Logan)

Doomed Without His Healing Factor

• First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #180 (1974)
• Creators: Chris Claremont, Len Wein
• Powers Lost: Death of Wolverine (2014)

Wolverine is known to be nearly indestructible thanks to his invulnerable Adamantium skeleton and powerful healing factor. However, during the Death of Wolverine comic run released in 2014, after being infected with a virus, Logan loses his most important power: his healing factor.

After years of physical abuse, exposure to deadly radiation and chemicals, and his Adamantium skeleton slowly poisoning him, Wolverine is dying, as he no longer has a healing factor to keep him healthy. The loss of this power ultimately leads to his death. While his claws are his more iconic mutant power, the story showcases how important his healing factor truly is.

5

Rictor (Julio Richter)

Struggled With Depression

• First Appearance: X-Factor #17 (1987)
• Creators: Louise Simonson, Walt Simonson
• Powers Lost: House of M #8 (2005)

Julio Richter, better known as Rictor, is a mutant with the powers of seismic manipulation, vibration generation, and earth manipulation. Over the years, Rictor has been a part of many mutant teams, like the X-Men, X-Terminators, X-Force, X-Factor and the X-Corporation. Rictor, like many others, lost his powers during the Decimation storyline.

After he lost his powers during M-Day, Rictor fell into a deep depression and even contemplated suicide, feeling that his whole identity had been stripped away when he lost his powers. While his story was sad at first, Rictor was helped by Multiple Man and went on to be a crucial member of X-Factor, and contributed to helping other mutants deal with losing their powers.

4

Gambit (Remy LeBeau)

Regained His Powers Later

• First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 (1990)
• Creators: Jim Lee, Chris Claremont, Mike Collins
• Powers Lost: X-Treme X-Men #17 (2002)

During the 2001 X-Treme X-Men run, Gambit loses his powers for a significant portion of time, after being stabbed in the chest by Vargas. Despite Rogue jumping between the two and taking most of the damage, Gambit is left fighting for his life. Although he eventually heals, he comes to realize that his mutant powers seem to have disappeared.

While both Rogue and Gambit were de-powered, they did spend some time together in retirement, but like most X-Men, they continued to fight for what’s right. After just over two years, Gambit’s powers were fully restored by Sage after she essentially jump-started his powers with a powerful energy blast.

3

Jubilee (Jubilation Lee)

From Mutant To Vampire

• First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #244 (1989)
• Creator: Chris Claremont, Marc Silvestri
• Powers Lost: House of M #8 (2005)

Jubilee, like many other mutants, lost her powers during the famous House of M storyline, in which Wanda Maximoff uttered the words “No More Mutants” and forever changed the landscape of the Marvel universe. While she initially struggled with her powerless life, she eventually assumed a new identity as Wondra and joined the New Warriors.

Before she regained her original powers, Jubilee spent nearly ten years as a vampire, reviving the character for the modern era. While the vampire transformation did grant her powers, she only regained her original abilities after Quentin Quier used a fragment of the Phoenix Force to cure her vampirism and restore her mutant powers.

2

Storm (Ororo Munroe)

Kept Fighting Even Without Her Powers

• First Appearance: Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975)
• Creator: Len Wein, Dave Cockrum
• Powers Lost: Uncanny X-Men #185 (1984)

Storm is one of the most powerful members of the X-Men, so when she lost her powers during the original Uncanny X-Men comic run in 1984, it shocked the fans and in-universe characters alike. After being shot by Henry Gyrich with Forge’s neutralizer, Storm lost her powers for over 40 issues, spanning 4 years in real time.

Despite losing her powers, Storm remained a key member of the X-Men and even led the team against many powerful enemies. While she would later go on to have her powers restored in 1988’s Uncanny X-Men #226, her period as the powerless leader of the X-Men was a defining time for the character and helped shape the Storm we all know and love today.

1

Professor X (Charles Xavier)

The Cost Of Defeating Onslaught

• First Appearance: The X-Men #1 (1963)
• Creators: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
• Powers Lost: Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1 (1996)

Since the character first appeared in 1963, Professor Charles Xavier has become powerless during multiple different timelines and continuities. However, the event often called the Onslaught Saga is the most significant. After Professor X wiped Magneto’s mind, he unintentionally absorbed his rage and anger. Combined with the professor’s repressed dark side, this gave birth to Onslaught.

Onslaught went on to become one of the most dangerous villains in Marvel Comics history, requiring the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men to finally take him down. After Onslaught’s defeat, Professor X was finally free; however, he was rendered powerless. Professor X would remain without powers for nearly four years in real time, until Shi’ar managed to restore them.