September, 2013, marks the fiftieth anniversary of The X-Men series, which, over the years, has spawned over sixty titles, its popularity driven by the appeal of regular, flawed human beings dealing with the burdens of extraordinary power, combined with the grit of gothic and noir fiction. Most boys get into superheroes to some degree but, like me, leave them behind, solar-powered aliens with unimpeachable morals, and reclusive billionaires with extensive tool sheds forgone in favour of the edgier characters of film and literature around age 12. The X-Men reinvigorated my interest a few years later. Naturally, Wolverine caught my eye first. Theres something irresistible to a red-blooded kid about a short, unbreakable guy going around launching himself, talons first, at anyone who gives him a sideways glance. And Wolvie was followed by other intriguing members of the tortured roster: the cerebral yet crippled Professor X; the ultrapowered and beautiful Rogue, who could never feel a lovers touch; the earnest and proud Cyclops who couldnt let you look him in the eye. On top of being visually fascinating, some wonderful conflicts had been set up both within and between the mutants, so after drifting away from comics once again, my curiosity was piqued, as an adult, by the promise of a motion picture. Surprisingly, given that the West is still working within the crude paradigm of live-action cosplay, it wasnt half bad. Inevitably, though, as the costs of a full CGI epic come down, and audiences reliance upon actors as emotional anchors dissipates, the true power of the comic panel will be unleashed upon the silver screen. With that in mind, Ill run through ten mutants who have the potential to blow our minds.