Chris Claremont Reveals Why He Can’t Choose Just One Favorite X-Men Story

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Chris Claremont, a hugely influential writer in the world of comic books, explains why he finds it impossible to pick a single story as his favorite. He shares his reasoning with genuine emotion.

“The challenge is, in my perception of the universe, it’s all one,” Claremont explained.

Chris Claremont describes the core X-Men story as a continuous narrative beginning with issue #94 and running through issue #279, page 11. He considers this central storyline to be the very essence of the characters’ lives. He emphasizes that while titles like Wolverine and New Mutants branched off, and even spanned the first thousand issues, they were all fundamentally part of the same, ongoing story.

Chris Claremont’s Marvel Legacy, Explained

Chris Claremont started his career at Marvel Comics in 1969 as an editorial assistant. He first had a story published in 1973 with Daredevil #102. In 1975, he began developing the concept of the X-Men, contributing to Giant-Size Fantastic Four #4, and also started writing the X-Men series with issue #94. Len Wein, Marvel’s editor-in-chief at the time, recognized Claremont’s passion for the X-Men and entrusted him with the writing duties.

This marked the beginning of a hugely successful period for the X-Men, with writer Chris Claremont shaping the future of mutants for years to come through iconic stories like “The Dark Phoenix Saga,” “Days of Future Past,” and the controversial “Mutant Massacre.” Though his first run ended in the early 1990s, Claremont returned in 2000 to revitalize the series. During his second time leading the franchise, he not only introduced fresh characters and ideas—like The Neo—but also revisited classic plots, resolving old mysteries and setting up new storylines.

Recently, writer Chris Claremont has returned to some of his most famous stories and time periods through special Marvel Comics series that celebrate the past. These series let fans revisit Claremont’s classic work and expand on the histories of beloved characters. A great example is the 2023 series Gambit: Thick as Thieves, which paired the mutant antihero Gambit with a much younger version of Storm.

In 2025, Claremont had three successful retro-themed comic book series: Wolverine & Kitty Pryde, Wolverine, and X-Men: Prelude to a Future Past. X-Men: Prelude to a Future Past was especially popular with longtime fans, delving into how the X-Men rescued Rachel Summers from becoming a Hound.

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2026-03-06 23:12