8. Piper

8. Piper Piper uses music to control animals. His instrument makes the power easy to understand visually: the music begins, and a creature responds. X-Men #62 gives him a sea creature to send against the heroes. Ka-Zar and Zabu go after the person directing it while the X-Men deal with the immediate attack. That division of effort shows why an animal controller can be troublesome even without standing in the middle of the fight. Piper and Lupo both involve animals, but they are separate members and should not be merged into one roster slot. Piper's musical focus is central to his presentation. The instrument gives the encounter a visible point of control and a practical target for the heroes.