The X-Men reached the heights they did not just because of their civil rights metaphor, but because of their versatility. Under Chris Claremont's pen, Uncanny X-Men took some of every genre and mix them together into a heady stew. Add in amazing characters and killer art, and it's no wonder Uncanny X-Men was the bestselling comic for over twenty years, from the late 1970s to the early 2000s. The X-Men can do any kind of story and that's why they are king.