Deadpool
Gambit
The X-Man: Gambit (Taylor Kitsch) was originally held captive by William Stryker because of his abilities (see X-Men: Origins - Wolverine ), and later teams up with Wolverine to take Stryker down.
Why They're Super: As well as having a very cool hat, Gambit is also able to charge objects - mostly playing cards - with bio-kinetic energy that explodes on impact. He also has a nifty cane.
Are They Cooler In The Comics? Gambit definitely had more to do in the comics.
All that's set to change, though, with Channing Tatum, who's been confirmed as the new Gambit in upcoming X-flicks…
Storm
The X-Man: She of neon-white hair and creepy white eyes, Storm (aka Ororo Munroe) is one of the staff members at Xavier's School and the co-leader of the X-Men.
Why They're Super: Storm has control over the weather, which makes her particularly handy during a battle - not only can she obscure everybody's view by creating fog, she can also direct lightning at her opponents.
Are They Cooler In The Comics? Halle Berry's portrayal of Storm has been much-maligned, meaning the general consensus is that Storm is cooler in the comics.
That said, we like her spinning trick in X-Men: The Last Stand.
Stryker
The X-Man: William Stryker (Brian Cox) is the main antagonist of X2 . He has a complex history with Wolverine that's tied up with the experiments that he's carried out on mutants.
Why They're Super: Stryker's the definition of cold, corrupt and callous. He turns his own son into a mutant puppet and isn't above using the likes of Wolverine as pawns in his war against the mutants.
Are They Cooler In The Comics? Not really. Stryker does some awesomely evil stuff in the films, and Brian Cox is fantastic.
Pyro
The X-Man: An angry teen and student at Xavier's School, Pyro (aka John Allerdyce) starts out as part of X-Men, but he's quickly seduced to the dark side by Magneto and joins the Brotherhood of Mutants.
Why They're Super: You needn't ever ask this guy if he's got a light - he can manipulate fire at will, though he's not able to create it out of nothing.
Are They Cooler In The Comics? Though he's portrayed as a troubled teen in the movies, his character goes through one of the most interesting evolutions - and his fight with Iceman in X3 is pretty spectacular.
Nightcrawler
The X-Man: Introduced attempting to assassinate the President in X2 , Nightcrawler (aka Kurt Wagner) is a mutant who was raised by circus performers in Germany.
Why They're Super: BAMF! Nightcrawler is able to teleport, so long as he knows exactly where he is teleporting to. Also, he has a pointy tail…
Are They Cooler In The Comics? Though Nightcawler has a long and illustrious history in the X-comics, his grandstanding opening attack in X2 means he's just as cool on the big screen.
Colossus
The X-Man: Born Peter Rasputin, Colossus is one of the older students at Xavier's School. Though he's not a lead player, he's often a pivotal part of the X-team's battles.
Why They're Super: As well as being uber-muscular, Colossus can also turn his body into steel.
Think of him as a near-invincible human battering ram.
Are They Cooler In The Comics? In the comics, Colossus is often reluctant about using his powers. That's not true in the movies, with Colossus often at the centre of the X-flicks' best fight scenes.
Cyclops
The X-Man: A senior member of the X-Men and a teacher at Xavier's School, Cylcops (aka Scott Summers) is romantically involved with Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) and has a rivalry with Wolverine.
Why They're Super: Cyclops earned his name because he is able to fire optic blasts using his eyes - which necessitates him wearing special shades.
Are They Cooler In The Comics? Way cooler.
Cyclops' appearance in the movies is overshadowed by his love rivalry with Wolverine over Jean, meaning he doesn't get to do much of the badass stuff he does in the comics.
Iceman
The X-Man: Born Robert Louis Drake, Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) enlists as a student at Xavier's School.
Why They're Super: Iceman has power over all things frosty. He can freeze just about anything and even transform his entire body into a near-impenetrable mass of ice.
Are They Cooler In The Comics? If Iceman is nothing else, he's definitely cool.
Obviously the comics give him more depth, but his on-screen antics have been impressive, too - especially his fight with Pyro in X3 and his brilliantly funny 'coming out' sequence in X2 .
Jean Grey/Phoenix
The X-Man: Jean is a pivotal member of the X-Men and has a close bond with Professor X thanks to their similar abilities.
Why They're Super: Jean has telekinetic abilities, which Professor X helps her to hone.
When she sacrifices herself to save the X-Men (in X2 ), she later returns as the destructive Phoenix.
Are They Cooler In The Comics? Some comic readers might argue it, but despite the faults in X3 , the portrayal of Phoenix is pretty impressive.
