10 Most Powerful X-Men Villains

10. The Shadow King

The Shadow King was once an Egyptian mutant named Farouk, who used his vast telepathic abilities for evil. This made him a nemesis of Professor-X, who doesn't care for such tactics where telepathy is concerned, and as a result, he's butted heads with the X-Men since he debuted in 1979's Uncanny X-Men #117.

Since he was first introduced, his origin story has been tweaked, making him more powerful and enigmatic. He was changed such that the Shadow King was an ancient evil entity, who has been around since the dawn of humanity, and it was that entity who took Farouk as a host.

Whatever his origin, the guy is dangerous, and with his vast resources and lust for power, he's not someone to take lightly. His list of powers include telepathy, the ability to mentally possess another person, and he's immortal.

He's taken part in many of the X-Men's crossover events and storylines and has been featured in the animated series, as well as the live-action show, Legion. The only limitation he has relates to the person he inhabits. The more powerful the psychic he possesses, the greater the Shadow King's power, which makes him particularly dangerous around people like Jean Grey or Charles Xavier.