25th Anniversary: The Best Quotes from X-Men (2000)

Twenty five years ago, in 2000, super hero cinema was revolutionized with the first live-action X-Men movie. Up until that point, super hero media beyond the page had mostly only thrived through animation. But mutantkind has always been about that next leap forward in evolution. Progress is in their genetic code, after all.

Without the success of X-Men, there might never have been a Marvel Cinematic Universe. It even precedes the wildly popular first Spider-Man film by two years. So what’s the secret? Maybe it’s the way fans have always connected to the mutant plight. Perhaps it’s all the cool superpowers. Or maybe it’s the memorable, poignant yet still entertaining dialogue among fan-favorite characters. To celebrate the film’s big anniversary, here are the 10 best quotes from the X-Men movie.

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“It is because of that ever-present hostility that I am urging the Senate to vote against mutant registration.” – Jean Grey

Dr. Jean Grey’s rousing speech becomes more of a debate with Senator Robert Kelly, the bigot behind the film’s anti-mutant law. The law would require mutants to register with the government and risk exposure, along with all the dangerous consequences that would follow. Sound familiar? It should if you’ve ever opened a history book or tuned in to the news. The quote above is a call-to-action sound bite from Dr. Grey’s appeal, but the following exchange, after Senator Kelly asks if mutants are dangerous, really illustrates her point:

“I’m afraid that’s an unfair question, Senator Kelly. After all, the wrong person behind the wheel of a car can be dangerous.”

“Well, we do license people to drive.”

“Yes, but not to live.”

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“I will bring you hope, old friend. And I ask only one thing in return. Don’t get in my way.” – Magneto

Ian McKellen brings the gravitas necessary to any depiction of Magneto. The super-villain is known for his impassioned speeches about mutantkind versus humanity. He believes in mutants’ right to exist and utterly abhors humanity’s claim to the planet. They’re the genetic past, after all, and mutantkind is the future.

When you see all the anti-mutant protests and consider the legislation, can you really blame him? Magneto’s unbending attitude toward humans is a reaction to injustice.

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“You’re not the only one with gifts.” – Professor X

Welcome to Mutant High. Wolverine becomes the audience’s stand-in character as he is rapidly introduced to a new idea: a school, and refuge, for people like him. In typical Xavier fashion, Professor X lets his telepathy do the talking. While Logan gets accustomed to the curriculum, it’s also fun to spot all the background character allusions. In this classroom scene, you’ve got Jubilee, Kitty, Pyro, Iceman, and even a young girl appearing to be Dani Moonstar.

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“You know, people like you are the reason I was afraid to go to school as a child.” – Mystique

It’s rare that comic book reinventions for the screen are met with fan approval, especially nowadays. However, this incarnation of Raven Darkhölme is now a pivotal part of mutant cinema. In the comics, Mystique looks very different. She wears a long white dress and has a fiery red bob. For the movies, Mystique has almost reptilian skin and she rejects the notion of clothing — no doubt a statement of pride against humanity.

In her natural form, Mystique’s blue skin could never pass as a human. So she embraces it. That’s probably why this very different interpretation of the character works. It’s still in line with her anti-establishment core. Anyone whose existence has ever made them feel othered can connect to this powerful quote, too. If only we could all lash out with Mystique’s lethal movements as well.

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“Toad has a wicked tongue, Senator. Just like you.” – Magneto

While X-Men certainly shapeshifts the traditional comic book dynamics, it does succeed in creating a fascinating Brotherhood of Mutants. You can argue that this version of Rogue lacks the character’s comic book grit. Storm and Jean Grey are undoubtedly shown weaker than they should be. Yet Magneto’s sinister group of acolytes, with Mystique, Toad, and Sabretooth, is delightfully evil. Mystique and Toad are visually pleasing fighters, with Sabretooth acting as the brute force of the group. They’re an extremely well-balanced antithesis to this film’s X-Men team.

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“Women and children, whole families destroyed, simply because they were born different than those in power.” – Magneto

If it’s beginning to sound like Magneto might be the voice of reason in this film, well then you’re beginning to understand the X-Men! After all, Magneto was right. Like any extremist, his methods are dangerous and reckless. Yet if you listen to his words there is undeniable truth to his cause. Being born “different” is no excuse for bigotry. And that’s the entire point of all X-Men comics.

Any other interpretation of the mutant struggle is simply missing the whole picture. What exactly is “different?” Who are we establishing as the norm in a world where everyone is, by nature of their existence, unique? Once again, Magneto’s words strike a resounding chord: “Mankind has always feared what it doesn’t understand.”

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“Well what would you prefer, yellow spandex?” – Cyclops

Marvel fans know that the X-Men have always been a cornerstone of the brand’s success. During this time, the team was definitely going through an aesthetic revolution. After the big muscles, bigger guns, and brightest colors of the 1990s, a new millennium brought with it even more evolution for Marvel’s mutants.

You won’t find any yellow spandex in X-Men and, at the time, there wasn’t any in the comics either. As X-Men hit theaters, the team in the comic books also wore sleek leather suits under Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s creative direction. On the screen, mutants were all-new and uncannily exciting. And on the page, their New X-Men era defied expectations and forever altered the team’s history, bringing in important characters like Emma Frost and Cassandra Nova.

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“Do you know what happens to a toad when it’s struck by lighting? The same thing that happens to everything else.” – Storm

Toad is really getting the brunt of the verbal attacks in this movie — but we love to see it, especially in this iconic, quotable scene with Storm. All comic books are a little nonsensical and Storm’s quip here definitely highlights that. Did she need to share this basic bit of science? Not at all, but since the animated ’90s cartoon, Storm has been announcing her every move with dramatic intros and it just gets better every time.

Plus, it’s a thrill for fans to see Ororo Munroe finally let loose with her power! Give ’em the forecast, Ro.

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“Oh yes! A bolt of lightning into a huge copper conductor. I thought you lived at a school?” – Magneto

Speaking of sass, Magneto is pretty serious most of the time, but he does have an acidic sense of humor. And if there’s one thing Magneto loves to do, it’s make the X-Men look like fools. In his desperation to stop the villain, Cyclops calls for Storm to hit the Statue of Liberty with her power, even though they’re trapped inside as well. Magneto points out his tactical oversight and it’s even funnier knowing that at one point in the comics, Magneto takes over as the school’s headmaster.

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“I feel a great swell of pity for the fool who comes to that school looking for trouble.” – Professor X

Is it better to appease the masses or claim equality by any means necessary? Professor X and Magneto’s philosophies on mutantkind’s place in the world have always been in opposition. Both sides have merit yet, in the face of humanity’s prejudice, it can be difficult to find patience for Charles’ insistence on assimilation. No matter how much you try to please an oppressor, they will always be the oppressor.

That’s why this closing line from Xavier is satisfying. He might choose peace first, but self-defense is never out of the question.

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Today, love for Marvel’s mutants is stronger than ever. Since the year 2000, we’ve seen them move across cinematic timelines (thanks Deadpool & Wolverine), thrive during the Krakoa Era in comics, and find animated success again with X-Men ’97. All that’s left is for the highly awaited return of mutants in the MCU, beginning with Avengers: Doomsday.

How are you celebrating this mutant anniversary? Join the conversation with other Marvel fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Mutant Sideshow!