Copyright Screen Rant
Several of Marvel's mutants need to have their powers toned down before they make the X-Men redundant. The Marvel Universe constantly elevates its stakes, which in turn leads many characters to upgrade their powers. This creates a dangerous power bloat. When nearly every character can destroy the world or the universe, large-scale conflicts become less interesting than street-level battles. To preserve the balance, characters often need to be restrained. This doesn’t mean removing their powers altogether, but rather restoring limits that make their stories more engaging. Believable weaknesses and the possibility of failure help victories mean much more. Monarch Jamie Braddock Jr. Can Alter Reality On A Whim Jamie Braddock Jr. a.k.a. Monarch is one of those mutants whose powers are so vast they almost break the logic of the Marvel Universe. He can play with the invisible strings of reality itself in order to shape it to his will. Monarch can create matter and manipulate space, time, and life with a single thought. He's basically immortal, and he can theoretically annihilate on a scale that makes the most powerful Omega-level mutants look like amateur fighters. The problem with Monarch isn’t his power itself, but what it implies for every other story. If a single mutant can end wars in seconds or resurrect the dead, it immediately drains tension from every narrative he’s part of. Similarly to other reality warpers like Mad Jim Jaspers and Franklin Richards, Monarch’s godlike power forces Marvel to remove him from the picture or state that he simply isn't interested in reshaping the Marvel Universe. Luckily, Jamie Braddock refuses to fall into villainy, and he has even helped the X-Men out of sheer benevolence. Synch Synch Can Be All X-Men At Once Synch has gone from an underrated Generation X member to one of the most overpowered mutants in the Marvel Universe. Originally able to copy the powers of nearby mutants, Everett Thomas’ resurrection on Krakoa amplified his abilities to absurd levels. Now he can recall and manifest any power he’s ever encountered at will. Synch's upgrade turned him into a one-man army capable of winning battles in seconds. Synch has already received a significant nerf in the form of accelerated aging when he uses an ability from his repertoire, but still, it’s hardly enough to balance his godlike power set. His ability to access powers like Wolverine’s healing and Storm’s weather control practically makes every surrounding mutant redundant. Instead of doubling down on his power, Marvel could keep improving on Synch's unique appeal by focusing on his strategic skills. Justina LaGuardia Justina Is Always Slightly More Powerful Than Her Enemies Justina LaGuardia's mutation automatically makes her superior to anyone nearby, physically or mentally. She can outthink Xavier, outfight Wolverine, and outmatch Omega-level mutants by manifesting improved versions of their powers. The fact that Justina erased herself from Professor X’s mind without effort is the definitive proof of her might. If Justina returns at her current power level, she risks damaging the balance of Marvel’s mutant hierarchy. Justina's superiority-based mutation means that, theoretically, no one could defeat her in direct combat. This is almost the same ability as the mutant Isca, whose power is winning no matter what. Unless Marvel limits how her powers activate, Justina will have to remain absent. Doug Ramsey Revelation Can Make Anybody Do Whatever He Wants Doug Ramsey’s transformation into Revelation pushed him far beyond his original role as the X-Men’s resident translator. Originally able to communicate in any language, Doug received an upgrade from Apocalypse that evolved him into a near-divine figure capable of commanding anyone with a single word. As Revelation, Doug became the architect of a dystopian era spanning a whole decade. Doug’s omnipotent communication ability makes him nearly untouchable. Of course, Doug's days as the villain Revelation are counted as the Age of Revelation comes to an end. While Purple Man has a very similar ability, his characterization keeps him contained to grounded stories. Doug is too closely linked to the X-Men, meaning he has to lose this power in order to interact with other mutants after his reign collapses. Legion Legion's Powers Are Too Vague David Haller’s fractured mind houses countless personalities, each with its own unique power, effectively making him an infinite army contained within a single person. Writers and artists have used this premise for brilliant explorations of his mental health and wide array of abilities. However, Legion's nearly omnipotent capabilities make him almost impossible to balance in a shared universe. Legion can alter reality and manipulate time, control minds, and absorb other mutants' powers. Although his full power is limited by his own mind, Legion often needs to be sidelined, depowered, or simply ignored. When he joins a fight, Legion often gets punched into submission despite his godlike abilities. In theory, Legion should be untouchable, and every hero would almost automatically lose immediately. So, it's very difficult to handle Legion in other characters' stories. Wolverine Wolverine's Healing Factor Is Too Overpowered Wolverine’s healing factor was originally fast enough to keep him alive, but not so extreme that it erased all sense of danger. Throughout the years, Logan’s regeneration has developed to the point of rivaling Deadpool’s cartoonish immortality. Modern comics have shown Wolverine recovering from gruesome injuries in no time, which undermines the visceral stakes of his battles. Recently, Wolverine's healing factor has been toned down, but it continues to be too fast. While near-immortality is a big part of Wolverine's story and a curse rather than a blessing, Wolverine rarely struggles in battle. Logan works best when he pushes through unbearable pain and struggles in battle, and when it takes time and patience for him to regenerate whole parts of his body. Jean Grey Jean Grey Can't Escape Her Own Omnipotence Jean Grey’s connection to the Phoenix Force has become both her greatest strength and her biggest creative limitation. Every time Jean tries to grow beyond her past or explore her humanity, she’s inevitably drawn back to the same power that has shaped her entire history. And every time, Marvel adds new lore to the Phoenix Force, which has gone from Jean's eventual destiny to a permanent fixture of her identity. Jean has become too powerful for most stories that aren’t about reality-shattering events. It’s difficult to create tension when only one member of the X-Men could theoretically end any conflict in seconds. To make Jean compelling again, Marvel needs to give her space to exist without the Phoenix and rediscover her own capabilities and limitations. Storm Storm Loses Her Appeal After Ascending Above Cosmic Beings Storm’s latest power-up has taken her far beyond her origins as the X-Men’s weather goddess. After embracing her divine side, Ororo Munroe now ranks among Marvel’s most powerful beings, above cosmic entities like Eternity, Infinity, and Oblivion. Storm's victory over Hadad, who dominates the Black Winters, confirms her near-omnipotent status. As with most near-omnipotent characters, Storm’s new level of power makes her difficult to write into compelling stories. When a is on par with cosmic concepts, it’s almost impossible to generate believable threats. The logical next step for Marvel regarding Storm is to tone her powers down and allow her to reconnect with her more grounded origins.
