im going with Cyclops...pulled the X-men and mutants as a whole out of the worst crisis they had ever faced, knowing that the choices he made would likely result in him (and Emma by proxy) being hated and ostracized (confessions). Made the tough calls that insured there was still a species to save when the time came.

Plus when the two field leaders are on the same side its generally Scott that takes the reigns.

I'm gonna go with Storm. And that's not to say i think Cyclops is a bad or worse leader. I just think Storm tends to shine as a leader who inspires better than he does. The more recent Storm issues show and also oscure this somewhat (the Rachel and Kitty issues with karima and BOTA but her dynamic with Psylocke and the decisions she makes - questionable or not, they're hard calls that need to be made). But i think it feels more natural to have storm as the leader - mostly coz she really doesn't want the position. She leads because she's the most capable. But her nature, her very aura, heck even her powers, are all about a natural command. Storm was born to lead. Cyclops was trained to do it. Natural born talent vs Trained Skills both are great.... but a developed natural talent ... gonna shine more than the trained. Cyclops is a brilliant tactical commander and his ability to think big picture and plan is fantastic, no questions. I just question his ability as a leader of men (or women, or x-men lol).

Cyclops

I actually really like this description...I would argue Cyclops is a better big picture and tactical commander, but as for being someone that people look up to storm surpasses him. Even when he was less of a hard a person this was the case, as people often though him boring and he was much less confident in himself. He gained more loyalists who did look up to and respect him when he developed into a more confident and sure of himself leader, but then his command was characterized much more by tight control and chain of command, rather than the more natural leadership that storm employs.

The power analogy in this case also works in in regards to Scott....where as Storm would be about natural command, Scott, who's character is very much defined by his need to control himself and his powers, is much more about control. About acting as the single vision that the rest of his team/group can rally behind and follow.

thats exactly how i interpret their leadership styles. In part it comes down to personal preference as to which style and which character's personality i prefer that makes me choose Storm as the better. Overall i feel that Storm and Cyclops have always worked together exceptionally well. Except when written poorly of course.

If you look at how the teams split Gold and Blue, and interestingly how they're split now... JGS and Xaviers... its still fairly similar in general line-up. In that once again, Cyclops - the control-at-all-costs leader is in command of a squad of "felons" and newbie with unpredictable powers (hmmm sounds rather like the blue team excluding Beast) whilst Storm leads the most powerful of their kind, the brightest stars and the greatest potential (again sounds similar... Rachel standing in for Jean... Iceman... M for Colossus... Psylocke (well she's now one of the worlds premiere telepaths, and a senior (if unpredictable) x-man - rather like Xavier could occasionally be). But their positions reflect their personalities perfectly. Cyclops' school and team need direction, it needs unity and focus on a goal. Storm's school and team need inspiration, guidance, someone to aspire towards being. And i'll give the writers credit lately... they've nailed the two X-Leaders into positions that truly suit them. (even if they'd almost prefer the other's roles, they seem to do better in the roles they DON'T want the burden of).

Hmm...interesting. any arguments for Xavier?

i always looked at charles as more of a figurehead than an actual leader. I recently re-read Secret Wars and his deep flaw at field command is clearly on display. please forgive the christian analogy - but he's the Jesus to the Apostles. The inspiration, the life-model, the visionary... to the implimentors... the Peter and the Paul...

Xavier in my mind was never really that effective a leader, as mentioned above he was much more the inspiration. He was the one who gave the dream to both Ororo and Scott (and despite what some people say, Scott does still believe in the Xavier dream). But while Xavier is certainly able to inspire, and his dream is something all the various X-teams continue to fight for in one capacity or another....as an actual leader, whether in the field or just leading people...he never really struck me as effective.

Storm can inspire and motivate, but she can also lead the team in the field and make tough decisions...Scott can lead the team in the field and make tough decisions, but can also inspire and motivate (the San Francisco days, formation/early Utopia, and Astonishing id say are good examples of him inspiring people).

Both of them are more effective at one aspect of leadership than the other, but both are able to perform both roles as needed.

which is why i think they always worked well together. And in many ways i think Storm's willingness to accept his authority (however limitedly) is a reflection of her respect for him, and the understanding that she will act as she chooses, but with regard to the overall plan - she won't be micromanaged.

If being possessed by a malign entity has never affected a person better than Apocalypse's possession of Cyclops... i've not seen it. All of Cyclops' more positive character changes have been since he walked that darker path.

There's no way this isn't going to be a popularity contest; they've all been great leaders and they've all even been the best leader for certain times.

Cyclops. He has a natural talent for it, and his consistency and high level strategic abilities makes him the guy you turn to when something needs to get done. You can trust him, on an objective level, to train, lead, and inspire trust. He'd keep his people alive, and take on the burdens that no one else is willing to take on to be the best leader he can be; he's been that way reliably since the '60s when he was made a field commander, and it's an enduring character trait. He's the type of figure that is so competent and collected that his followers may not know of any inner conflict he is facing, but it often doesn't matter because his brain allows him to prioritize in real time.

Xavier is next - he is their founder, and he is able to be respected far beyond battlefield counsel. He's also a great role model (or at least was, before the character assassination). He's the type of person that can start a movement that would keep people motivated for generations. He can be sidelined by internal conflict, though, and his judgment has been compromised before but despite his personal failings, it is to his credit, that the people he inspired remain loyal to his vision.

Storm comes after them - she's a capable strategist, and a good second-in-command, but while she inspires personal loyalty, she's very much driven by her internal passions and opinions. She lags behind the other two when motivating people she doesn't see eye-to-eye with, though people respect her. She doesn't have a larger vision, though, and is often unable to separate her personal feelings from the pressures of leadership. Sometimes worries too much about symbolism and how she would look to others, which can paralyze her when a decision needs to be made, but if there is an easy solution, she's the first to point it out and take it. Less strategic and more straightforward than either of the other two. Also has a habit of not achieving much or covering any new ground.

Per the discussion above, I tend to think Xavier and Storm are similar in terms of being best as symbolic leaders while Cyclops actually gets the hard work done, and is able to do so without faltering too much. At the end of the day, they're all great, but consistency, dependability, and resourcefulness just happen to be some of Scott's strongest personality traits.

Yeah.

@devilsgrin81: well said. Especially Ororo's natural leadership skills vs Scott's trained skills resonating more with those who prefer her leadership to his. You capture a lot of he reasons why I would prefer Storm's leadership to either Cyclops or Xavier's.

I actually think all 3 are great leaders as well. In fact I think it would be a great direction if they represented 3 branches or factions of the xmen.

Xavier running a school teaching and training new, young and inexperienced mutants.

Storm leading a team sort of reminiscent or her X.S.E group. Officially sanctioned by the government as a liaison to the mutant community and police force protecting the world from dangerous mutants.

Cyclops leading a team that encompasses the ideals of the Extinction squad and the Revolutionary team. Continuing to protect the world from extinction level threats, while also rescuing persecuted mutants and seeking to destroy and outlaw all mutant-hating organizations.

I like this idea, i mean you could really argue that it's not far away from the current set up. Just change Wolverine and the X-Men to Xavier and the X-Men. I think that it'd be something cool to explore whenever Xavier decides he's tired of being dead, as it'd really put the different leadership styles and strengths on display.

@koays: Yeah. i just dont think they've done a good job highlighting the JGS under Wolverine. Xavier teaching the school and recruiting new mutants while using a few of his more advanced students to serve as security on his recruitment trips or when he goes to help newly emerging mutants would be pretty cool imo almost in line with the old-school X-corporation. In fact just thinking about makes me want Xavier back. Im not sure who at the moment could fill those shoes. I thought Kitty would but the way she's being portrayed is a little less than desirable at the moment

I think once Wolverine is Dead Storm will take over fully and i hope it will be better then, I have faith in storm :-p

I did vote for Cyclops however for best over all