Bryan Singer’s first X-Men movie in 2000 introduced many new audiences to Marvel’s mutants, though not every member of the cast was on equal footing.

One of the most celebrated superhero teams ever made, 2000’s X-Men featured a lineup of mutants with vastly varying levels of power. One of the earliest and most influential Marvel movies ever made, the original entry in the long-running Fox X-Men movie series introduced some of the most iconic members of the superhero team into live-action. While they’re mutant powers are incredibly varied, that’s not to say that each mutant in the original film is on equal footing in a fight.

The cast of Fox’s X-Men include both the titular team, students and allies of the great Charles Xavier, and the dastardly minions of Ian McKellan’s Magneto. On both sides, there are some clear powerhouses and weaker links, struggling to utilize their gifts to their full extent. In terms of defense, raw power, versatility, and unique weaknesses, the original roster of X-Men mutants all bring something to the table, but only one can come out on top as the absolute strongest.

10. Mystique

The femme fatale with a non-combat power

As a member of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants, Mystique is actually quite invaluable. Being able to infiltrate human society at such a high level, impersonating lawmakers, senators, or even fellow mutants, is crucial to many of Magneto’s plans. However, there’s no denying that combat isn’t quite her forte, having little to rely on when getting involved in an all-out brawl between the Brotherhood of Mutants and Charles Xavier’s X-Men.

By no means is Mystique useless in a fight. Over a long life, she’s managed to hone a number of impressive skills, including some potent martial arts and acrobatics. But compared to the fantastic capabilities of some of the other mutants, Mystique’s best weapon isn’t brute force. Instead, the blue-skinned infiltrator is more suited to stealth and subterfuge, making her most effective strikes always the most unexpected. Not only is her power not great for direct combat, but it requires some incredible acting skill to make efficient use of.

9. Jean Grey

Had yet to awaken her potential in the first X-Men movie

It may be a shock for the all-powerful Dark Phoenix to rank so lowly among the cast of the first X-Men movie. While Jean Grey grows into one of the most powerful mutants in the X-Men universe as her psychic and telekinetic powers continue to unlock, she isn’t much of a threat in the very first movie. In her live-action debut in 2000’s X-Men, Jean Grey’s combat record is far from impressive.

The first time Jean tries to use her powers offensively, she manages to trap Toad midair with telekinesis, only to have her concentration instantly broken when he spits at her. Her psychic abilities are far from developed at this point in the story as well, failing to use them in a fight or handle the overwhelming power of Cerebro. With essentially only minor telekinesis that isn’t even guaranteed to ward off melee attackers, it’s hard to make a case for Jean Grey as she appeared in the first X-Men movie.

8. Toad

A slimy henchman with an unfortunate power

One of the most unfortunate mutations in the entire Fox universe, Toad’s unflattering name is true to his mutant abilities. Unlike most, his frog-like mutation actually gives him a bevy of biological enhancements, including increased agility and jumping height, toxic spit, and a long, prehensile tongue that can harass his foes from a distance. Toad has some neat tricks, but he ultimately adds up to being little more than a nuisance for the seasoned X-Men.

In a fight, Toad is more annoying than anything else, being difficult to tag thanks to his impressive jumping and wall-clinging capabilities. Ultimately, Toad isn’t able to do much more than harass his targets, with none of his powers being particularly destructive or difficult to escape from for most of the X-Men. The closest thing Magneto has to mutant canon-fodder in the first movie, Toad’s weakness is exemplified by Storm, who asks him “You know what happens to a Toad when its struck by lightning? The same thing that happens to everything else.“

7. Rogue

Nerfed compared to her comics version

Few mutants get the short end of the stick when it comes to the downside of their powers quite like Rogue. Cursed with the mutant power to drain the life force out of anyone she touches, Rogue has to be consigned to a life without skin-to-skin contact, lest she violently absorb someone else’s memories and powers. While this makes maintaining romantic relationships difficult, as detailed in the mid-season finale of X-Men ’97, it can come in handy when it comes to fighting other mutants.

While Rogue is guaranteed to take someone out of a fight with just one touch, maneuvering herself to that position is much more difficult without her additional baseline powers of flight and super-strength, which X-Men took away for the movie version. This means that it’s far more likely for Rogue to be taken out of a fight before she has a chance to apply her power on another mutant. Not only that, but the sheltered teen starts the series with the least combat experience of any X-Man, making her more of a liability in combat than anything else.

6. Sabretooth

Essentially a discount version of Wolverine

Being Wolverine’s half-brother, Sabretooth’s powers are incredibly similar, boasting almost the exact same mutations as his eternal rival. Blessed with feline agility, enhanced senses, super strength, and razor-sharp claws tipping every fingertip, Sabretooth isn’t a threat to be taken lightly. Unfortunately, he often falls short of his feral potential, comparing especially unfavorably to Wolverine himself.

Like Logan, Sabretooth has an enhanced healing factor to go along with his physical mutations, allowing him to shrug off deadly wounds. However, this aspect of his powers isn’t given much of a chance to shine in Sabretooth’s first role in the X-Men movies. His first encounter with Wolverine is mostly successful due to being an ambush, but he doesn’t seem eager to prolong a straight-up fight. In the end, he’s scared off by Cyclops, and eventually catches a stray that sends him flying out of the Statue of Liberty’s crown.

5. Cyclops

The Fox films weren’t kind to the mutant leader

Another mutant that was drastically nerfed in the films compared to his comics incarnation, Cyclops gets few moments to shine throughout the entire Fox X-Men movie series, let alone within just the first film. His powers are similar enough, sporting a devastatingly powerful optic blast held back only by his ruby quartz visor, which he can use to direct kinetic eye beams to individual opponents. But 2000’s X-Men robbed Cyclops of his best attributes, which had nothing to do with his actual powers.

In the comics, and other media, such as X-Men ’97, Cyclops is shown to be a competent leader and a genius combat strategist. Bryan Singer’s X-Men instead watered down the character to be little more than a jealous rival for Wolverine, hurting his combat record in the process. Once his visor is removed, Cyclops can’t do much for fear of risking friendly fire, and his fully unleashed beams are capable of only taking down buildings rather than entire cities. Still, he’s able to outclass the likes of Sabretooth quite easily with his powerful ranged attacks.

4. Wolverine

Surprisingly weak compared to his iconic status

The poster boy of the 2000s X-Men movies, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is one of the most iconic superhero portrayals ever for a good reason. But beyond the role’s perfect casting in X-Men, Wolverine’s combat record doesn’t live up to expectations of the X-Men’s flagship character. Undoubtedly a capable mutant, Wolverine serves as a clear gatekeeper for the strong when comparing the Fox universe mutants to one another, a line separating the mutants of middling fighting prowess from the true powerhouses.

Compared to Sabretooth, Wolverine boasts longer, sharper claws, making him far more threatening in melee combat, as well as an adamantium-laced skeleton, increasing his durability. This metallic bone structure does come back to bite him when facing off against Magneto, but usually helps fortify his already staggering durability. While it may be impossible to keep Wolverine down for long, he’s still vulnerable to psychic attacks, and can’t do much against an opponent that can consistently out-range him with area of effect attacks.

3. Magneto

The master of magnetism earns his title

Even if his Brotherhood of Mutants don’t present the most impressive cadre of powered henchman compared to the X-Men, the raw power of Magneto more than makes up for their shortcomings. Able to gain complete telekinetic control of any metallic object, Magneto’s powers are shockingly versatile, able to use the litany of metal objects in urban environments as weapons, shields, and tools, making him an incredibly intimidating opponent. Even getting near Magneto is a difficult task, and his ability to fly by levitating his own metal costume makes him no sitting duck.

Magneto is even resistant to psychic assaults thanks to his signature helmet, given to him as a gift from Charles Xavier himself. Amazingly, the detail of Magneto’s helmet blocking telepathy was a movie creation, positively impacting X-Men lore forever. With all that being said, Magneto is still ultimately reliant on being able to find magnetic objects to attune to, leaving him as powerless as an ordinary human when put in an environment free of metal materials.

2. Storm

One of the X-Men’s biggest aces in the hole

Born with an innate mastery over the forces of nature themselves, it’s no wonder that Storm was worshiped as a goddess in the comics. Bryan Singer’s X-Men made no efforts to conceal Storm’s strength, clearly demonstrating her wide range of control over the weather through her mutant powers. The most impressive part of Storm’s powers is her ability to effect a wide area at once, leaving nowhere safe to hide when her eyes go white with elemental rage.

On the flip side, Storm is also demonstrated as being able to delicately target individuals with her powers as well, guiding a lightning bolt straight to Toad with little effort. Her ability to fly thanks to the winds means she’s also very difficult to hit, not keen to allow melee-focused mutants to get in her face easily. Unlike Magneto, Storm can also conjure her powers in nearly any environment, needing only an open sky above her head. Storm’s only weakness is her lack of mental defense, leaving her already delicate psyche open to telepathic attack.

1. Professor X

The leader of the mutants, and for good reason

Not only is Professor X one of the most veteran mutants by the start of Fox’s X-Men franchise, but his staggering psychic power makes him a shoo-in for the coveted spot of strongest mutant in the first film. Paralyzed from the waist down, and an old man besides, it’s true that Professor X acts mostly in a leadership role, sending the X-Men out on missions rather than participating in the fight directly. That doesn’t mean that his powers are to be underestimated, as demonstrated in the few scenes in which he unleashes his mental weaponry.

Charles Xavier’s psychic abilities are able to instantly take over the minds of others, as demonstrated on Sabretooth, or kindly guide them to safety even in their most feral states, as demonstrated on Wolverine. He’s also able to handle the tremendous stress of surveying the minds of thousands of people at once with Cerebro, something Jean Grey couldn’t do in the first film without fainting from the stress. Even if Professor X isn’t perfect, his potential to hack into the very psyche of anyone who stands against him makes him undeniably the strongest mutant in X-Men.