The 50 greatest X-Men movie moments

Magneto moves the Golden Gate Bridge

The moment: A grandiose display of Magneto's enviable power takes over the finale of The Last Stand. Manipulating one of the world's most recognisable landmarks he contorts the Golden Gate Bridge and repositions it to connect Alcatraz to the mainland. It's all so his troops have easier access to Worthington labs... which they're planning to take out.

Mutant magic: A brassy move by Magneto, who's past caring what the world thinks of him or his fellow mutants, it's one of the highlights in this otherwise lacklustre sequel.

Azazel takes out the CIA

The moment: Sebastian Shaw sends his mutant thugs to rally up the latest batch of young mutants from the CIA. Azazel shows up and systematically eliminates every member of staff in the entire complex, using his teleportation ability to sneak up on them.

Latest Videos From

Mutant magic: For the young thangs, it's a chance to see the devastation caused if they opt to abuse their powers, which they were just all fooling around with, making for a timely finger-wagging.

Wolverine meets Young Stryker

The moment: In the heat of an action-packed fight between Mystique, Magneto and Beast is when Wolverine unfortunately spots the knocked-out William Stryker. Much younger than when Logan first met him, the mere sight of him kickstarts a painful hallucinatory flashback that nearly untethers him from 1973.

Mutant magic: Inserting Stryker into Days of Future Past is a masterstroke in linking together this recent trilogy of flicks to the earlier noughties movies. Plus, it lays the foundation of Wolvie and Charles' future friendship.

Erik's aquabatics

The moment: Charles and Moira close in on Shaw's vessel while Erik inflicts his fury from beneath the water, tearing apart the boat as if it were a piece of unwanted junk mail.

Mutant magic: They say first impressions count, and Erik makes his with a resounding KA-CHAW! That's the sound of Shaw's boat tearing in two.

Double Magneto breakout

The moment: In the dystopian future, Magneto, Professor X and Iceman head back to Xavier's school to rescue Rogue from a series of experiments. Meanwhile, the younger Magneto rescues his trusty helmet before he brings down the football stadium.

Mutant magic: Both versions of Magneto are essentially embarking on the same activity thirty years apart, shown through a series of quick edits. Only available in the Rogue Cut

Shaw murders Mrs Lehnsherr

The moment: This harrowing opener to First Class shows the film's roots as a Magneto origin story, with Sebastian Shaw forcing young Erik Lehnsherr to move a coin using his abilities otherwise his mother dies. The lad fails and his mother is shot, causing the juvenile mutant to embrace his rage and destroy Shaw's office.

Mutant magic: Erik's response to the enormity of his power etches him with an indelible realisation: his power is summoned from anger.

Pyro's police attack

The moment: A perfectly harmless trip to visit Bobby's parents turns explosive when Iceman's younger brother slinks away to call the cops. The police soon ahve the house surrounded and Pyro elects himself the defender of the mutants, blasting away and torching the squad of cruisers until they're all thoroughly scorched.

Mutant magic: The turning moment in Pyro's allegiances, especially as Rogue stops him when he's really getting into it, it's a shame that he didn't surface in later movies.

Jean and Scott live!

The moment: Wolverine's time-travel jaunt to 1973 comes to a close, with a brand new timeline blossoming into existence. He walks the halls of Xavier's school to discover two of his old comrades, Jean Grey and Scott Summers are both very much alive.

Mutant magic: The re-appearance of Jean is a pleasing sight for fans and Wolverine. Although Wolvie's probably not happy to see Scott back, his presence makes up for the shoddy way he was disposed of in The Last Stand.

Hank becomes Beast

The moment: Hellbent on finalising a serum to repress mutants' physical attributes - and to impress Mystique - Hank doses himself with a syringe-full of his medicine. And amplifies his mutation, turning into a blue-skinned beast.

Mutant magic: The fourth movie in the series steps up the CGI with this impressive transformation sequence.

Logan fights Victor

The moment: Logan discovers his girlfriend's dead body and hunts down the man responsible: his brother Victor Creed. Tracking him to a local dive bar, the pair fight out in the parking lot with Creed thoroughly trouncing his brother by slamming him into a pile of rolling logs and then onto a speeding truck.

Mutant magic: This showdown was on the cards right from the start of the film, and despite the bizarre introduction of Deadpool, watching the two brothers pummel each other is the best part of this limp prequel.