Avengers vs X-Men was a 2012 Marvel Comics crossover event that pitted the Avengers against the X-Men. The core conflict centered around the appearance of the Phoenix Force, a destructive cosmic entity, and how to handle its arrival on Earth. This led to the creation of two opposing factions:
The Avengers team
- Captain America
- Iron Man
- Thor
- Spider-Man
- Wolverine
- Protector
- Ms. Marvel
- Spider-Woman
- Luke Cage
- Iron Fist
- Thing
- She-Hulk
The X-Men team
- Cyclops
- Emma Frost
- Namor
- Colossus
- Magik
- Magma
- Danger
The Avengers wanted to contain the Phoenix Force and prevent it from possessing the mutant Hope Summers. The X-Men believed that the Phoenix could be harnessed to reignite the mutant population whose powers were depleted after the Scarlet Witch’s “No More Mutants” spell.
The two teams came into direct conflict over their opposing ideologies. Their members also had interpersonal histories that fueled the rivalry. In the end, the power of the Phoenix could not be contained and possessed five X-Men – Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus, and Magik. This led to devastating consequences before its power was finally dispersed.
Here is a comparison of some key players on both sides:
| Character | Team | Powers and Abilities |
|---|---|---|
| Captain America | Avengers | Enhanced strength, speed, agility, stamina, and durability; Master tactician and strategist; Expert in hand-to-hand combat |
| Cyclops | X-Men | Optic blasts from eyes; Expert tactician and field commander |
| Thor | Avengers | Super strength, durability and longevity; Ability to fly; Weather manipulation (thunder, lightning, storms); Expert hand-to-hand fighter |
| Emma Frost | X-Men | Telepathy; Organic diamond form grants enhanced strength, stamina, psionic immunity |
| Iron Man | Avengers | Powered armored suit grants super strength, durability, flight and energy blasts; Genius intellect; Expert engineer and inventor |
| Namor | X-Men | Superhuman strength, speed, durability, flight, and aquatic abilities; Longevity; Expert hand-to-hand combatant |
This ideological divide between the Avengers and X-Men fueled an epic battle with each side believing they were in the right. Their conflicting methods and motivations regarding the arrival of the Phoenix Force ultimately led to its destructive power being unleashed.
Avengers Alliance games were shut down by Marvel back in 2016.