Meet the X-Men who haven't been in a movie yet (pictures)
"X-Men: Apocalypse" stars a host of superpowered mutant characters. But which X-Men haven't yet made the leap from comics to the big screen?
Dazzler
Though the X-Men have starred in nine films from 2000 to "X-Men: Apocalypse" , in theatres now, there are still loads of mutant superheroes appearing in the pages of Marvel comics who haven't made it to a film yet. Let's kick off with Dazzler, a mutant with the ability to transform into light and generate sound-energy beams. The character first appeared in "Uncanny X-Men" No. 130, in February 1980, and, interestingly, was created in a partnership between Marvel and Casablanca Records to promote disco music.
Thunderbird
The X-Men comic, originally created in 1963, was relaunched in 1975 with words by Len Wein and art by Dave Cockrum. That 1975 team included Thunderbird, an Apache named John Proudstar who possessed superhuman athletic abilities. Sadly, he died in the second mission of the group, perhaps to show readers that none of the superhero X-Men was entirely safe from danger.
Sunfire
Japanese mutant Sunfire was introduced in "Uncanny X-Men" No. 64, in January 1970. Considered temperamental and arrogant by his peers, this heat-controlling mutant wasn't an X-Man for long.
Scarlet Witch
OK, so Scarlet Witch was played by actress Elizabeth Olsen in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Captain America: Civil War". But we've thrown her in because of the changes made to the character for the movies, in which her powers came from evil experiments rather than mutation.
Originally introduced in X-Men No. 4 in March 1964, Scarlet Witch was a mutant and daughter of villain Magneto. Her ability to alter reality was described as stemming from genetic mutation, but in 2014 Marvel retconned her origin to match the movie continuity.
Polaris
Polaris, whose true identity is Lorna Dane, is a mutant able to control magnetism. She first appeared in "The X-Men" No. 49 in October 1968 and has generally been a good guy, except for a brief period in which she was possessed by a telepathic entity that made her evil. Also in the picture is her boyfriend, Havok, who does appear in "Apocalypse".
Longshot
Longshot is a curious case in the X-Men because he isn't a mutant, but a human who has escaped from another dimension. Introduced in "Longshot" No. 1 in September 1985, he enjoys a superpower we all wish we had: His actions have a high probability of success. In other words, he's one lucky chap.
Karma
Karma is a mutant of Vietnamese origin with the power to take control of the minds of other people or animals for a short time. Karma was introduced in "Marvel Team-Up" No. 100 in December 1980. She's Catholic and speaks French.
Cannonball
Born into a mining family in the southern United States, Samuel Guthrie joined the X-Men with the code-name Cannonball in "Marvel Graphic Novel" No. 4 in 1982. Cannonball can fly at the speed of a jet, wrapped in an impenetrable force field. His rural upbringing instilled in him the value of hard work and being true to your beliefs.
Wolfsbane
Introduced in 1982, Rahne Sinclair, better known as Wolfsbane, is a mutant born in Scotland who can transform into a wolf.
Mirage
Like Thunderbird before her, Danielle Moonstar is a Native American member of the X-Men. A member of the Cheyenne nation and known by the code-name Mirage, she has the ability to telepathically implant fears or desires in her opponents. She also acquired magical powers after visiting Asgard, home of Thor. She was introduced in "Marvel Graphic Novel No. 4: The New Mutants" in 1982.
Forge
Like Mirage, Forge is a mutant belonging to the Cheyenne nation. He has a superhuman talent for inventing technological devices. Introduced in "Uncanny X-Men" No. 184 in August 1984, he's been romantically involved with Storm and Mystique.
Goldballs
Ah, Goldballs. Proving that after 50 years it's tricky to come up with new characters, this X-Man's name is Goldballs and when he shouts "Goldballs!" when he shoots gold balls. Wow, Marvel. He was created for "Uncanny X-Men" Vol. 3 No. 1 in 2012, presumably on a Friday afternoon.
Avalanche
Greek mutant Dominikos Petrakis is an enemy of the X-Men. First appearing in "Uncanny X-Men" Vol. 1 No. 141 in January 1981, Avalanche has the ability to create earthquakes of varying intensity and disintegrate any substance other than living tissue.
Dust
Born in Afghanistan under the name of Sooraya Qadir, Dust was attacked by a slave trader trying to remove the veil from her face -- and in response she manifested her mutant abilities by turning him to sand. She was created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Ethan Van Sciver for "New X-Men" No. 133 in December 2002.
Magik
Magik is the younger sister of Russian X-Man Colossus. Her name is Illyana Rasputina and her mutant ability is that she can teleport through space and time. She is also a sorceress and carries a psychic sword. She first appeared in "Giant-Size X-Men" No. 1 in May 1975.
Northstar and Aurora
Originally from Canada, twins Northstar and Aurora are among the fastest superheroes in the Marvel Universe. They first appeared in "Uncanny X-Men" No. 120 in April 1979. Northstar, whose real name is Jean-Paul Beaubier, was one of the first gay characters in Marvel comics. Aurora, real name Jeanne-Marie Beaubier, has a personality disorder that gives her distinct characters when she's in her superhero identity and when she's out of costume.