X-Men: 4 Villains Who Became Heroes (And 3 Heroes Who Became Villains)

It’s not very easy being a mutant in the Marvel Universe; existing on a planet where almost everyone fears and hates you. While some Mutants work to bridge this chasm between Mutants and humans, some simply resent them. However, there have been many anti-human Mutants who went on to become X-Men. On the contrary, many avid supporters of Xavier’s dream of peace have become disenfranchised.

While sometimes these X-Men turn to villainy because of outside influence. While Apocalypse is known to take the X-Men as his horsemen, Xavier’s Institute sometimes fails a young mutant and they flee, finding a better way of life in sinister circles. Today we will discuss 4 X-Men Villains who went on to become heroes (and 3 times good guys went bad)

Became a villain: Wolverine

It’s no secret that Logan has been misguided in the past but he was never inherently villainous. While his berserk rage gets him a little rowdy at times, there was one instance where he was fully villainous.

In the Age of Apocalypse universe, Logan is a villain who was once an X-Man but was taken as a Horseman of Death by Apocalypse.

Became a hero: Sabretooth

Sabretooth is one of the most lethal villains ever faced by X-Men. He loves violence and his precision makes him a really dangerous enemy.

However, during “Axis” storyline, many villains and heroes had their alignment swapped. This saw Sabretooth becoming the leader of the Weapon X team in the X-Men.

Became a villain: Gambit

Gambit was once a thief, who came from a family which had a long line of thieves. He never gave up his passion for stealing, even after he joined the X-Men.

However, his heart was always at the right place but just like many others, he got corrupted by Apocalypse who used him as an agent of death.

Became a hero: Magneto

Magneto defines villainy in the X-Men mythos. He has a villainous way to deal with the oppression faced by the Mutants. He formed a team called Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to send a powerful message to the rest of the world.

He’s not unreasonable though. His passion for the preservation of the Mutants has led him to join the X-Men on several occasions.

Became a villain: Namor

Since the Second World War, Namit has come a long way. He was once a member of the Invaders team but his relationship with the surface world is mostly stained. Despite this, he’s a mutant who has joined the X-Men on various occasions.

However, very recently his hatred towards the surface world has increased. He has battled with the Winter Guard and Avengers, even incapacitating his ally Stingray in the process.

Became a hero: Quicksilver

Quicksilver isn’t an easy guy to get along with. He’s full of arrogance, pride and as Magneto’s son, he only cares for himself and his sister, Scarlet Witch. He started his career with Magneto on the Brotherhood team.

However, he started out on the road of redemption and went on to join the Avengers alongside his sister and has since impressed all fans with his abilities.

Became a villain: Cyclops

Cyclops was once the golden boy in Charles Xavier’s dream. However, in his early days, he was as extreme as Magneto. After obtaining the Phoenix Force, he realised that only action can save the mutant race. This led him to eliminate his former mentor and headmaster.

Even after losing the power of Phoenix Force, his view on the mutant-human relationship remained the same and he went on to become an international threat.