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X-Men Chronology, Facts, and Opinions

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Contents

[edit] Updates

  • 11/6- Added Issues 60-62.
  • 11/4- Added Issues 58-59 info.
  • 10/29- Added Issue 56-57 info.
  • 10/27- Added Issues 54-55.
  • 10/24- Added Issues 52-53.
  • 10/22- Added Issue 47-51 info.
  • 10/16- Added Issue 44-46 Info.
  • 10/12- Added Issue 40-43 info.
  • 10/8- Added Issue 40 info.
  • 9/29- Added Issue 39 Info.
  • 9/26- Added Issue 38 info.
  • 9/23- Added Issue 37 info.
  • 9/22- Reorganized article with Summary and Story Detail sections. Added new misc links.
  • 9/21- Added Issue 36 info.
  • 9/20- Added Issue 34-35 info.

[edit] Welcome

Welcome to X-Men Chronology, Facts, and Opinions. This page has a lot of spoilers, be warned! I put it together as a reference especially for X-Men movie fans who are not aware of their history. It is a work in progress and should be updated frequently. Please note that the terms "issue" and "episode" are used interchangeably. Also note that the "Characters Introduced" section does not mean this is the first place these characters have ever appeared. It is just the first time they appeared in the X-Men world. And be aware the the special X-Men Origins sections starting in Issue No.38 is my numbering. They were not numbered in the comics.- Dave Peck.

[edit] Misc Links


[edit] X-Men Themes 1963-1969

I assume you know about Marvel's X-Men Mutants, humans who have mutated genes that give them special abilities. The Marvel universe has good mutants on the left, bad mutants on the right, and Homo Sapiens in between a mutant philosophical-physical conflict to determine if mutants should be part of the World or to dominate the World at the expense of mankind.

Young pubescent boys may have loved the X-Men when they debuted in the mid 1960's. Reading this series published from 1963-1969 as an adult was interesting, at moments the story drew me in, but overall I was expecting more. It can be argued that comics are comics, especially in the 1960's. The stories are typically on the shallow side, with tidbits of personal interaction, followed by lots of action that seems flat especially when compared with today's theater special-effect extravaganzas. In fairness, I should not be holding a forty year comic accountable for being on the flat side as compared to today's technology. The stories are interesting enough to keep me going.

The original X-Men team consists of 5 mutants, Cyclops (Scott Summers- optical energy beam), The Beast (Hank McCoy- acrobatic, extremely strong), Iceman (Bobby Drake- can manipulate water turning it to ice), Angel (Warren Worthington III- highly acrobatic and powerful flyer), Marvel Girl (Jean Grey- telepathic and telekinetic), and are led by Professor Xavier, a powerful telepathic personality who is wheel chair bound (most of the time).

That being said, villains come and go. At times the X-Men as a team have been beaten down and are at the mercy of bad guy, but good fortune always seems to shines upon them preventing their demise.

At the personal level each of the X-Men do have unique personalities. The Beast has a high IQ and at times laments his mutant powers, expressing a desire to be a regular human being. At one point, he quits the X-Men to become a wrestler (Issue No.8), but he quickly returns during the X-Men encounter with Unus. The Beast likes using big words and is full of witty quips that he throws around while battling evil. He and Iceman are buddies and frequently go on double dates with Zelda, the Coffee A Go-Go waitress and Vera, the librarian, in Greenwich Village, N.Y.C. (Issue No.19), but I don't think it will ever be possible for the X-Men to go on an uninterrupted date, much less a holiday. Angel is a conceited mutant with an ego when it comes to his adoring female fans.

At the beginning of the series, all the X-Men teenagers immediately are drawn to Marvel Girl. A romantic triangle develops between Cyclops, Marvel Girl, and Angel, with Marvel Girl clearly preferring Cyclops. However, Cyclops has some real issues lamenting the incredible ability of his eyeballs to send out a destructive energy blast. Injured as a child, he can't control is power without the help of special glasses and consequently he views the power as a curse, afraid of accidently hurting someone, especially the one he loves, Marvel Girl. He considers visiting a doctor for a cure if such a thing exists (Issue No.7). Unfortunately the series of episodes from 1963-1967 includes an excruciatingly long running soap opera between Cyclops who is torn between love and self loathing and Marvel Girl who is attracted to Cyclops and senses some form of affection from him. But instead of smoothly developing these personal encounters towards a conclusion, the reader experiences the same frustrating misconnects over and over again. However, some progress is finally achieved on the Cyclops/Marvel Girl scene as they appear on a date during Iceman's Birthday party at Coffee A Go-go (Issue No.32 1967) and actually appear to become a steady couple through the end of the 1960's.

Fortunately in the big picture, these brief moments of drama are secondary to the main focus of action packed episodes, with the X-Men acting as guardians of the Human race, despite being despised and feared at times. And although the Professor is mostly a strong, commanding presence in the stories, on one occasion, Professor Xavier has a moment (Issue No.6) wallowing in self pity due to being wheel chair bound and at another point (Issue No.3) expresses love for Marvel Girl, but what kind of love is not made clear and the issue dead ends at least through 1967. The most shocking events in this time period is the untimely death of Xavier in Issue No.42 "If I should Die", who is not killed in action but dies of an ailment. However, if you've ever read any comic series, the concept of "death" means little as characters are resurrected without much problem, especially in the X-men series where a story reboot has quite an impact.

Besides the Cyclops-Marvel Girl soap opera the next most interesting dynamic takes place between Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants who spend most of their time bickering with each other. The brother-sister mutant team of Scarlet Witch and Quick Silver (Issue No.4) are basically good mutant being coerced into helping Magneto, a megalomaniac without any of the sympathy built into his character, in contrast to the X-Men movies. Eventually the brother and sister take steps to undercut Magneto's plans and eventually leave the Brotherhood. Other interesting characters are, Toad who has the mannerisms of Renfield in Dracula, treating Magneto as his master (but he is betrayed in the end), Mastermind, a telepathic mutant who can plant visions in people's heads, The Mimic, a troubled mutant who is not sure if he wants to be good or bad, and the humorous Banshee who appreciates fine art and smoking his pipe.

Through 1967, Marvel cross pollinates it's stories with other heros and villains from the Marvel universe such as SpiderMan (Issue No.27), The Human Torch (Issue No.13), the Mighty Avengers (Issue No.9), and villians from other Marvel comic series such as Super Adaptoid who encounters the X-Men after battling the Mighty Avengers. Exotic locations are frequently used for battles between good and bad: The bottom of the Ocean (Issue No.6), an asteroid circling the Earth (Issue No.5- asteroids circle the Earth?), The Center of the Earth (Issue No.10), a South American Indiana Jones style Temple (remember X-Men did it first), and several underground caverns. The last Issue of 1967, No.39 concludes the fight with the Mutant Master and the X-Men get new uniforms!

If you are a X-Men movie fan, be aware that the X-Men movies as compared to the comics, turned everything around and to some extent upside down, not to say they were bad movie-going experiences. The concept of X-Men was established, a variety of elements and characters were taken from the comics, molded and changed without regard to the original stories to create a pretty good series of movies even though they only have a partial resemblance to the original time table and character relationships. The best part of the X-Men movies so far has been devoting almost three entire movies to Wolverine's and fan's discovery of his past. However, Wolverine is no were to be seen in the 1963-1969 time frame.

[edit] 1963

Issue 1 (1963)

[edit] Issue No.1- X-Men (1963)

[edit] Summary

The first X-Men issue establishes the existence of the X-Men, Professor Xavier and Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters located in Westchester, N.Y. Angel (Warren Worthington III), Beast (Hank McCoy), Cyclops (Scott Summers), Iceman (Bobby Drake), Marvel Girl (Jean Grey), and Professor Xavier are the original X-Men team.The first conflict is with Magneto (no human name is given). Magneto wants to show the world his power so he interferes with the launch of a U.S. Government rocket and then demands that the Cape Citadel Base be surrendered to him. He takes over the base by force until the X-Men show up and drive him off. (Author's note- this is the shortest summary. They got longer as the years pass by.)

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • X-Men wear Blue and Yellow outfits. Magnetos wears a red outfit with purple trim, a purple cape and a red helmet.
  • Self revealed: Xavier was born of parents who worked on the first A-Bomb project and thinks he might be the first mutant. He created a school, Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, as a haven for mutants so they can learn their powers for the benefit of mankind which includes protecting mankind from the evil mutants out there who feel they should rule the Earth. He is confined to a wheel chair due to a child hood accident.
  • Xavier puts his students through training to refine their abilities. X-Men display youthful competition and rivalry. Jean Grey (Marvel Girl) arrives by taxi for admission into school. All of the boys are ga-ga over the girl.
  • Magneto refers to himself as "Homo Superior" (versus Homo Sapien).
  • Considering when it debuted (1960's) there is no real surprise X-Men includes Cold War influences in the story.

[edit] Movie Relationships

  • In the movies, X-Men wear Black leather outfits. In the comic, they wore blue and yellow outfits.
  • In the movies Magneto is portrayed as someone lashing back at oppression while in the first edition of the comic, he is portrayed as an unsympathetic power hungry megalomaniac. In addition to controlling metal, he has the power to form a magnetic barrier around himself for protection or around others to trap them. His control over magnetism effects everything, not just metal.
  • Cyclops is called Slim Summers, a nick name. In later episodes and the movies he is called Scott. Scott has two eyes but a single power beam comes out of his eyes, hence the name (although sometimes it as drawn in the comics as two beams).
  • The Beast, Hank McCoy looks like a normal person as he is not covered with blue fur (he evolves in later decades).
  • Jean Grey, Marvel Girl is a strong X-Men team member with no mental issues at this point in time. However the rest of the story is yet to be revealed.
  • Angel was a strong central X-Men team member in the original series but only got peripheral treatment in the third X-Men movie, The Last Stand.
  • Bobby Drake, Iceman is a full fledged member of the X-men team, not just a student at the school as portrayed in the first 3 movies. It just so happens that Frozone in The Incredibles manipulates water in a similar manner, but Iceman did it first!


Issue 2 (1963)

[edit] Issue No.2- Nothing Can Stop The Vanisher (1963)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Drawn by: Jack Kirby; Inked by: Paul reinman; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Introduced: Vanisher, FBI Agent Fred Duncan.
  • Gadgets: The Danger Room, a training room full of perilous gadgets for the X-Men to practice against; Psionic Head Band worn by normal people (Agent Duncan) making it easier for the Professor to read their thoughts; McDonnel XV-1 Convertiplane.

[edit] Summary

Nothing can stop the Vanisher except the X-Men. :) The team fights the Vanisher, a mutant who can teleport himself and who's primary interest appears to be robbing a bank and stealing Continental Defense Plans from the Pentagon for ransom. The fight against the Vanisher ends in more of a whimper than a real fight with Professor Xavier demonstrating his mental ability to get inside people's heads, even make them forget who they are.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • The X-Men spend time training in the Danger Room to deal with the Vanisher.
  • The Vanisher wears a funky red suit with a semi hood and another purple cape. He is the second mutant (after Magneto) who refers to himself as "Homo Superior".
  • The X-Men keep their identities secret however, Angel is swarmed by women who want his autograph and more! Angel is conceited.
  • X-Men are welcomed by the general populace aware of their actions at Cape Citadel. Later when the team receives some public scorn after failing to deal with the Vanisher.
  • Marvel Girl and Cyclops are developing a relationship and Iceman is jealous.
  • Professor Xavier coordinates X-Men actions with the FBI and the White House.
  • Cold war influences in story.



[edit] 1964

Issue 3

[edit] Issue No.3- Beware of the Blob! (1964)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Drawn by: Jack Kirby; Inked by: Paul reinman; Lettered by: Art Simek.
  • Characters Introduced: Blob
  • Gadgets: Electronic Mass Influencer, can effect the memories of a crowd.

[edit] Summary

The Professor senses a mutant called the Blob, working at the carnival worker. He can control his body such that skin can't be penetrated by bullets, harmed by fire, he can anchor himself to the ground and is "mutant" strong. After inviting the Blob to the Xavier's school where the Professor offers Blob a place on the X-Men team, Blob decides he'd rather grab the Professor's secrets and use them to his advantage, so he rounds up his carnival troupe and some exotic animals to assault the school. Yes it's true. The Carnies and the Blob lose the fight with the X-Men and the Professor performs a group mind wipe, the end of this episode.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Cyclops expresses hesitancy to get involved with Jean Grey because of his power. Jean makes it apparent she has feelings for Scott.
  • Xavier reveals to the reader he loves Jean Grey but it's unclear what kind of love he is referring to.
  • Cyclops is referred to as Scott (Scott Summers) by Jean Grey and the narrative. Previously he was called "Slim".
  • Cyclops blasts a rampaging elephant the length of a football field. Yes it's true.

[edit] Movie Relationships

  • Xavier notices that Cyclops is always "grim and unsmiling". Noted in movies to some degree.
  • Blob makes a token appearance in X-Men "Wolverine: Origins" as part of William Stryker’s paramilitary team, but is not central to the plot. In the comic he is a carnival worker who uses his mutant abilities to entertain the crowds. In the movie, his size is attributed to a eating disorder and while in the comic his ability to anchor himself and resist damage is mutant related, in the movie, he appears to be just a big fat and powerful guy.


Issue 4

[edit] Issue No.4- The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (1964)

[edit] Summary

One year has passed since forming the team. Coincidentally, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is established and new members of the BOEM Team are hoppy Toad, sexy Scarlet Witch, blazing fast Quick Silver, and shady Mastermind.

Magneto desires to take over the United States. but needs some practice so he focuses on a small South American nation called Santo Marco. Using a stolen destroyer and Mastermind's ability to make the residents see an invading army the country capitulates. You just know the X-Men are going to thwart Magnetos plan, but Magneto likes playing hard ball and sets a nuclear bomb to erradicate the X-Men. However, Quick Silver, brother of the Scarlet Witch, a mutant with a conscience prevents the bomb from going off. This episode ends with no resolution. For an unclear reason, Xavier is left helpless at the end of this issue and the Brotherhood escapes.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Mastermind, Quick Silver, and the Scarlet Witch have some personal conflict.
  • Magneto saved Scarlet Witch from a a village in Europe where she was going to be harmed by a mob because of her mutant powers.
  • The Scarlet Witch's brother, Quick Silver is not sold on Magneto's vision of world domination. Ultimately he takes action to prevent the X-Men from being killed.
  • The Professor and Magneto conduct a meeting on a "mental plane" to negotiate. Magneto believes people should be slaves to mutants. The Professor disagrees.



Issue 5

[edit] Issue No.5- The Angel is Trapped! (1964)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Drawn by: Jack Kirby; Inked by: Paul reinman; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Featured: Magneto, Toad, Quick Silver, Scarlet Witch, Mastermind.
  • Gadgets: The Danger Room; Magneto's magnetically powered airplane; Magnetic Intensifier increase Magnetos control over metal and the environment; magnetic Dart Grenade.

[edit] Summary

Due to an unclear reason, in the last episode, Professor Xavier has lost his mental powers during fight with Magneto The Brotherhood sets a trap using Toad to lure the X-Men and manages to abduct Angel, who is then tortured in an unsuccessful attempt to reveal the location of the X-Men's hideout. Magneto faces a mutiny in the form of The Scarlet Witch and Quick Silver when it comes to killing the X-Men.

The climax of the story takes place at Magneto's hideout located on an asteroid circling the Earth. (An asteroid circles the Earth?) Mastermind creates the illusion of a monster to scare the X-men but it fails to do the job. During the fight, the asteroid starts to break up because someone may have brushed up against the "detonate" button. The BOEM (Brotherhood of Evil Mutants) and the X-Men escape in time to survive. It turns out the sneaky Professor's lost mental powers were just a ruse to test the X-Men. Even though Magneto and the BOEM escape, the Professor is happy with his X-Men's performance.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Hank McCoy reveals he does not like being The Beast. He would rather be Hank McCoy honor student. (Remember he is not a blue furry beast in this rendition of X-men.)
  • The Brotherhood's base is now located on an asteroid circling the Earth.
  • Toad is very reminiscent of Renfield in the original Dracula story.

[edit] Movie Parallels

  • Jean Grey's parents come to visit her at the school. Unlike the movie there is no hint that she is mentally troubled.
  • Unlike the movie version, the comic version of Toad is short and toady and no super tongue has been revealed so far. His main ability is to hop with force, using his legs as weapons.



Issue 6

[edit] Issue No.6- Sub-Mariner Joins the Evil Mutants! (1964)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Drawn by: Jack Kirby; Inked by: Chic Stone; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Introduced: Sub-Mariner (Prince Namor).
  • Characters Featured: Magneto, Toad, Quick Silver, Scarlet Witch, Mastermind.
  • Gadgets: Undersea Racer- a speedy underwater vehicle that looks like a jet aircraft.

[edit] Summary

The Professor and Magneto become aware of a new mutant, Sub Mariner (Prince Namor) and they both try to influence him. Prince Namor does not really like the Human Race and once fell for a human, Sue Storm but it turned out badly. He also has a giant ego, not unlike Magneto. On Magneto’s island, conflict erupts between the X-Men, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and Sub Mariner and ends with Sub Mariner joining no one, moping back to his under ocean castle, the BOEM (Brotherhood of Evil Mutants) escaping in Magneto’s rocket, and the X-Men watching them leave.

[edit] Story Details

No he doesn't! (Referring to the title.) Both the Professor and Magneto become aware of a new mutant, the Sub Mariner (Prince Namor) and use their mental powers to locate him on the bottom of the ocean. Magneto and the Professor send out mental images of themselves to locate Sub Mariner's location. Magneto enters Prince Namor's castle and witnesses him having a temper tantrum about his failures in conflict with the human race (with a reference to the Fantastic Four). Prince Namor is in such a bad mood, Magneto decides to make a suggestion to one of Sub-Mariner's minions to have them join the BOEM (Brotherhood of Evil Mutants).

The Professor locates Magneto's new headquarters, an inconspicuous island adorned with a giant horse-shoe magnet. Because he knows Magneto wants Sub-Mariner to join the BOEM, the X-Men team quickly sets sail a ship to the island. After listening to the suggestion from his minion, Sub Mariner decides he must meet Magneto, another mutant who hates the human race as much as he does.

On the island Magneto meets Sub-Mariner face to face and discovers someone with possibly a bigger ego than his own. He tries to offer up Scarlet Witch as an enticement to join the Brotherhood. Angel flies ahead and tries to deliver a message from the Professor to Magneto but he gets thumped by the Sub-Mariner.

As the X-Men approach the island, they discover that the giant horse-magnet is a weapon as it blows their ship to bits. Resourceful Iceman creates a path of ice for the X-Men to walk to the island where they are engaged by Quick Silver, who zips around at super speeds. As the X-Men neutralize Quick Silver, the Scarlet Witch protests vigorously when Magnetos moves to destroy all of the X-Men, along with her brother using the magnetic dynamo. As Magneto threatens her, Sub-Mariner flashes by his side, furious over Magneto's chavinistic ways (verbally mistreating Scarlet Witch), as he impetuously destroys Magneto's magnet controls.

Magneto will not put up with what he considers insolence, no less the destruction of private property so he immediately attacks Sub-Mariner. Followed by Cyclops explosive entrance into the scene, Magneto drops the fight with Sub-Mariner and decides to take refuge behind a steel blast door urging Scarlet Witch to follow, but she will not abandon her brother, so the door slams shut.

Now we have the X-Men facing Scarlet Witch and Sub-Mariner. Scarlet Witch demands the X-Men release her brother and Prince Namor who is attracted to her on some level, seconds the demand. A fight breaks out between the X-Men and Prince Namor. Xavier appears with a submissive Quick Silver in tow and under Xavier's mental power. The Professor is able to stop the fight, he releases Quick Silver from his control, and Sub-Mariner leaves in a huff, lamenting his love for Sue Storm, and daring not to get involved with another "surface" female such as Scarlet Witch.

Magneto does not like quiet endings, deciding that if Namor will not join the Brotherhood, he must die. He turns his Magnetic Dynamo on Namor, who struggles, gathers his forces, and smashes his fists down creating a "force beyond the power of human understanding" that blows Magneto's magnet weapon to pieces, then he mopes back to his under ocean lair. The episode ends with the Unhappy Brotherhood including Scarlet Witch and Quick Silver escaping in Magneto's rocket as the X-Men watch them disappear into the sky.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Iceman (Bobby Drake) has a sweet tooth. He's been eating ice cream in one form or another for the last 3 episodes.
  • Angel refers to the X-men as "Homo Superior" mutants.
  • One of the primary goals of the X-Men are to locate new mutants and turn them towards good before Magneto can turn them bad.
  • Xavier laments the power of his brain but his inability to cure his helpless legs.
  • Quote: Marverl Girl watching the Brotherhood escape: I'm glad to see them go! That witch is much too attractive!


Issue 7

[edit] Issue No.7- The Return of the Blob! (1964)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Drawn by: Jack Kirby; Inked by: Chic Stone; Lettered by: Art Simek.
  • Characters Introduced: Zelda.
  • Characters Featured: Magneto, Toad, Quick Silver, Scarlet Witch, Mastermind.
  • Gadgets: Cerebro- a machine that helps Xavier detect other mutants; Magma Car.

[edit] Summary

The original X-Men team graduate from Xavier's School, Xavier announces his intention to leave the team for a while to take care of "some tasks" and appoints Cycops as the leader of the X-Men until he returns. Meanwhile at Evil Mutant Central, Mastermind makes a play for The Scarlet Witch, who rejects him. Magneto expresses his opinion that the X-Men must be removed before The Brotherhood will be able to take over the Earth. Marvel Girl displays her affection for Cyclops, once more but it is not returned. (More accurately, it is ignored or he is not aware.) Magneto becomes aware of the Blob who since his first encounter with the X-Men (Issue 3) has been working at the carnival. The Blob joins The Brotherhood.

The X-Men led by Cyclops heads to a factory owned by Magneto. Lots of fighting, in the end The Blob realizes he is expendable (due to Magneto showing no regard for his life), the X-men hold their own but don't win, Magneto escapes in his Magma Car along with the Scarlet Witch and Quick Silver who are more or less fed up with Magneto and his plans. The Blob is a loner when it comes to mutants, returns to the carnival to live his own life.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • The Scarlet Witch is not happy being part of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
  • Scott Summers (Cyclops) fears his power beam, afraid he will lose control of it someday and accidently hurt someone, and has considered visiting a doctor for a cure.
  • It is revealed that Magneto can read minds.
  • The term Hey Rube! is used by a Carney to call for help.
  • The X-Men celebrate their graduation by visiting a Greenwich Village Coffee Shop to listen to some jazz. The Beast's feet are killing him so he takes his shoes off and becomes a hit with the beat-nik crowd.
  • Zelda the waitress appears for the first time at the Coffee-a- Go-Go Coffee shop and The Angel flirts with her.

[edit] Movie Parallels

  • Cerebro is not a huge spherical machine in the original comic, but something that looks like a computer control panel.
  • Blob makes a token appearance in X-Men "Wolverine: Origins" but is not central to the plot. Unlike the movie, the Blob does not get fat as a result of a eating disorder. He starts out fat!


Issue 8

[edit] Issue No.8- The Uncanny Threat of Unus The Untouchable! (1964)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Drawn by: Jack Kirby; Inked by: Chic Stone; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Introduced: Unus.
  • Gadgets: Ray device to defeat Unus by increasing his powers.

[edit] Summary

While relaxing in Greenwich Village, NYC, (their favorite place to hang out) The Beast and Iceman see a boy stuck on top of a water tower. After witnessing The Beast's powers he uses to save the boy, an angry mob (who apparently fears mutants and their powers) tries to chase him down and beat him up. In a huff The Beast decides to abandon the X-Men and their mission of protecting humans. The Beast becomes a professional wrestler and in the ring meets Unus, the Untouchable. Hank try as hard as he may, can't beat Unus and loses the match. Suddenly he sees Mastermind in the crowd and it all most looks like Unus and Mastermind know each other. In fact they do and Unus wants into the Brotherhood.

A collision happens between the X-Men who have sensed Unus, and a bank robbery in progress. To impress Magneto, Unus decides he will intercept the robbers and grab the loot for himself. The X-Men, minus The Beast take him on, but being untouchable they can only neutralize him long enough to retreat and come up with plan B. They return to the school to discover The Beast (The Beast is back!) working on a "ray" device that when used on Unus will increase his power so he can't control it, can't pick up anything even food. After he realizes he can't eat, he agrees not to join Magneto and returns to the ring to continue wrestling.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • In this issue it is revealed that Cyclops loves Marvel Girl, but appears to be hesitant to express himself especially now that he is the leader of the group. She feels the same about him but they are not connecting.
  • Xavier is located exploring a cave in the Balkans searching for Lucifer.
  • The Beast quits the X-Men and becomes a professional wrestler.
  • Lucifer (a new mutant) is mentioned but does not appear in the story.


[edit] 1965

Issue 9

[edit] Issue No.9- Enter The Avengers! (1965)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Drawn by: Jack Kirby; Inked by: Chic Stone; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Introduced: Mighty Avengers; Lucifer
  • Gadgets: Artificial Dust Devil!, A Thermal Bomb capable of incinerating a continent; Lucifer uses a Mental Directional Impulse that shoots a Destructive Ionic Ray; hydraulic Conveyer.

[edit] Summary

The team is on an ocean liner headed for Europe. From a comment Iceman (Bobby Drake) makes, it appears that the public opinion poll regarding the X-Men is low. The general populace seems more afraid of them. The X-men are following in the footsteps of Xavier. Xavier has been searching for Lucifer in a cave in the Balkan Mountains and it is revealed that Lucifer caused Xavier to lose the use of his legs. The Mighty Avengers are also on the trail of Lucifer.

Lucifer has rigged a thermal bomb rigged so that if his heartbeat stops it will automatically detonate, destroying most of the Earth. The Avengers move to attack Lucifer, but the X-Men know he can't be harmed so they interfere. Things happen so quickly they end up fighting each other but they have the time to throw compliments at each other between attacks! Xavier intercedes so the The Mighty Avengers decide let the X-Men take care of Lucifer. The Professor gets ahold of Lucifer's mind incapacitating him and in the end the bomb is disarmed and Lucifer is set free. Why? Because the X-Men are good mutants!

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • This issue guest stars The Mighty Avengers (including Iron Man) and marks the return of Xavier.
  • In Issue 9, Jean Grey continues to have romantic feelings for Scott (Cyclops).
  • Magneto and Xavier have the ability to project mental images of themselves to others.


Issue 10

[edit] Issue No.10- The Coming of Ka-Zar (1965)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Drawn by: Jack Kirby; Inked by: Chic Stone; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Introduced: Ka-Zar (not a mutant), Zabu, Maa-Gor (not a mutant).
  • Gadgets:

[edit] Summary

Imagined title: Tarzan and the Lost World. Jean Grey has honed her telekinetic skills to a very high level, able to disassemble and reassemble a rifle using her mind. Scott AGAIN expresses his attraction to Jean to the reader then drops it like a hot potato until later in the story (See Quote 2 below).

This episode starts with the X-Men team heading for Antartica to locate a Tarzan like figure with a pet Saber Tooth Cat. The Professor has told them he is not a mutant, but he has incredible powers? They crawl down a hole and discover something like Conan Doyle's The Lost World, filled with dinos, Ka-Zar, Zabu, (his cat), Swamp Men (primitives who ride giant carnivorous birds), and Maa-Gor (last of the Man-Ape tribe). After locating Ka-Zar, due to a little misunderstanding about who can "touch" Ka-Zar, a small fight breaks out between Ka-Zar and the X-Men. Jean and Angel get captured by The Swamp Men who try to sacrifice them to a T-Rex. Ka-Zar controls mastodons, just like Tarzan can! Jean and Angel are rescued. Ka-Zar tells the X-Men to get out of his jungle.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Quote: from the writer Stan Lee- "No mere words of ours can do justice to the fury of Ka-Zar' attack... so we'll attempt no such written description".
  • Quote 2: In response to Cyclop's concern over Jean, she thinks: "Is that the normal concern of a leader for an ally...or, do I detect another note in his voice?... One that I've been longing to hear?"


Issue No.11

[edit] Issue No.11- The Triumph of Magneto! (1965)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Drawn by: Jack Kirby; Inked by: Chic Stone; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
  • Characters Introduced: The Stranger
  • Characters Featured: Magneto, Toad, Mastermind.
  • Gadgets: Radar Image Beam that converts radar blips into pictures of the object. Anti-Magnetic Membrane.

[edit] Summary

Speaking of an opposite title, continue reading. The Stranger is described as a super-powerful being and according to Cyclops (Cliche Alert!), "probably the most dangerous mutant we've ever faced!" Jean Grey has more romantic thoughts about Cyclops. Magneto and The Brotherhood try to coerce The Stranger into joining them but The Stranger announces he is no mutant and he will not join the Brotherhood. He zaps Mastermind with a beam that turns him into a block of something solid (he's not dead). The Icing on the cake is when he wraps Magento and The Toad in an anti-magnetic membrane, says he is a Stranger from the Stars who has an interest in studying mutants specimens and then abducts them (Magneto and Toad), saying they will never return.

Back at the mansion, the Professor removes the names, Magneto, Toad, and Mastermind from Cerebro's list of mutants, the X-Men rejoice and it looks like the good times are ahead, until minutes later... Cerebro goes berserk with a danger alarm and Xavier says (Cliche Alert!) "Whatever it is that's out there threatening us, it is the most powerful, most deadly danger we have ever faced!" There is definitely no rest for the X-Men in this series!

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Quote: "Introducing the new, startling, staggering menace of The Stranger!"
  • Cultural Slang for Money: Scratch, Cabbage, Jack, Moola, Dough.
  • Without his glasses, Cyclops is unable to stop his energy beam, even with his eyes tightly closed.
  • Quote: When Cyclops refers to Jean Grey as "Good Girl" she thinks: "Somehow when he says "Good Girl", it's better than Richard Chamberlain saying "My Darling".
  • The Scarlet Witch and Quick Silver leave the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and saying they are sick of conflict will not join the X-men although The Scarlet Witch takes one good look at Cyclops and appears to be attracted to him.

[edit] Movie Parallels

  • Bobby Drake, Iceman can do some pretty fantastical things with his ice ability that have not been shown in the 3 movies he has been featured in (2009 comment).


IssueNo. 12

[edit] Issue No.12- The Origin of Professor X! (1965)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Layout by: Jack Kirby; Pencilling: Alex Toth; Inked by: Wince Colletta; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Introduced: Juggernaut (Cain Marko)
  • Gadgets: Steel Inner Wall that protects the Mutant School.

[edit] Summary

The episode starts with Cerebro going nuts and the Professor telling the X-Men this will be their most challenging encounter. (He likes saying that.) The team jumps into action setting up defensive measures around the school. The Professor reveals that the force coming to attack them is none other than his step-brother and he tells a tale from his childhood when his father died in a nuclear test blast and a fellow scientist, Dr. Marko could have saved him but did not. Xavier could sense intentions at a young age so he knew that Dr. Marko was just using his Mom when they were married so that he would get access to the Xavier family wealth. His step-brother (not a mutant) caused an accidental explosion in his step-father's lab which fatally injures his step-father, but before he dies Dr. Marko saves both Xavier and Cain and in his last breath warns Xavier about Cain.

During the Korean War Cain becomes a mutant by stumbling into the cave to find the Temple of Cyttorak (black magic diety) and touches a powerful ruby which turns him into the Juggernaut. After defeating all of the X-Men's defenses, this episode ends with the Juggernaught standing face to face with Xavier and the reader is promised "one of the greatest battles of all time".

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • The Professor's father is Brian Xavier.
  • The Professor's step-brother is Cain Marko (Juggernaught).
  • Xaviers mutant powers result from the radiation his parents were exposed to doing research.
  • The Temple of Cyttorak, a black magic deity that gave Juggernaught his powers.

[edit] Movie Parallels

  • Juggernaught- No mention of his relationship to Xavier is made in the movie. Unlike the movie, Juggernaught does not have to build up speed to break through obstacles. He wears a helmet (which offers psionic protection to withstand Xavier).



IssueNo.13

[edit] Issue No.13- Where Walks the Juggernaught (1965)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Layout by: Jack Kirby; Pencilling: Jay Gavin; Inked by: Joe Sinnott; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Introduced (as in first appearance in this series): Daredevil, Human Torch
  • Gadgets: Xavier's Mento-Helmit.

[edit] Summary

Issue No.12 ended with the Juggernaught facing down the Professor. Juggernaught's helmit prevented Xavier from successfully attacking him. Quickly Jean levitates the Juggernaught while Clyclops burns a deep hole in the ground. Jean releases him and he falls in the hole. Eventually Juggernaught digs his way out of the hole while the Professor uses his Mento-Helmit which increase his mental power to broadcast a signal across the city which is felt by both Daredevil and the Human Torch.

In the mean time, The Beast maneuvers the Juggernaught into the Danger Room and turns on all of the training apparatus which slows Juggernaught down. A combination of the Beast who loosens Juggernaught's helmet, the Human Torch who confuses and temporarily blinds him, allows Angel to remove his helmet. Now he belongs to the Professor who zaps him with his mental power and the situation is resolved. The Juggernaught is ready for safe keeping by the authorities. The Professor tells the Human Torch the X-Men are eternally grateful then rewards him by wiping his short term memory. Yes it's true!

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • First Episode where Xavier's Mento-Helmit is used.

[edit] Movie Parallels

  • Mento-Helmit is what Xavier wears in Cerebro to locate mutants. It amplifies the power of his brain.
  • Juggernaught appears in the 3rd movie, X-Men, The Last Stand.



Issue No.14

[edit] Issue No.14- Among Us Stalk... The Sentinels! (1965)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Layout by: Jack Kirby; Pencilling: Jay Gavin; Inked by: V. Colletta; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
  • Characters Introduced: Dr. Bolivar Trask, The Sentinels
  • Gadgets:

[edit] Summary

The X-Men are recovering from their battle with Juggernaught. As they prepare for a vacation, a press conference is being held where Dr. Bolivar Trask, an eminent anthropologist, tells the public, forget about the cold war, mutants walking among us are the greatest menace to mankind. The first witch hunt for mutants has begun. The Professor challenges Dr. Trask to a debate on mutants and during the debate Dr. Trask reveals the existence of his invention, a squad of robots he calls Sentinels created to control and destroy Mutants who will not submit to authority.

But to the Doctor's surprise at the debate, The Sentinels run amok when they attack the Doctor, announcing they are superior to humans and must control humans to protect them. On the way to assist the professor while riding in a cab, Cyclops suffers an accidental emission of his optical energy beam which severely damages the cab, scares the crap out of the driver and suddenly there is another mutant-mob after Cyclops. This episode ends unresolved as the X-Men and the Professor find the home of the Sentinels, a hidden fortress that rises from beneath the ground to attack them with energy beams.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • First three issue story arc.
  • Angel's wings did not sprout until he went to military school. Soon after he left school for fear of having to submit to a physical exam. His parents don't know about his condition.
  • Cyclops allows Angel to have the upper hand in the competition for Marvel Girl's (Jean Grey) affection due to a complex regarding the danger of his power vision. Cyclops appears to be a melancholy person. This theme has continued since Issue No.1.
  • The first real witch hunt for mutants begins.
  • Zelda the waitress makes her second appearance at Coffee A-Go-Go in Greenwich Village. Bobby asks her for a date, she agrees, but when an emergency pops up, asks for a rain check. Zelda is pissed.
  • It is revealed that Warren Worthington III, Angel comes from a well to do family living on the North Shore of Long Island, N.Y.
  • Marvel Girl demos her ability to levitate herself with her mental power.

[edit] Movie Parallels

  • Dr. Trask in the comic is the original mutant alarmist as opposed to Col. William Striker or Senator Kelly in the movies.


Issue No.15

[edit] Issue No.15- Prisoners of the Mysterious Master Mold (1965)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Layout by: Jack Kirby; Pencilling: Jay Gavin; Inked by: Dick Ayers; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
  • Gadgets: A huge hydraulic fortress with power beams, flame throwers, and giant mechanical arms; psycho probe- probes human minds; Heavy-Gravity Ray- used by Sentinels, immobilizes the X-Men.

[edit] Summary

Sentinels Part II- the story continues from Issue No.14. The X-Men team try to assault the Sentinels in their fortress created by Dr. Trask. Trask is having a hissy fit trying to reason with the Sentinels who are hell bent ruling the human race to protect them. The Professor uses his mental powers to disable a group of the Sentinels who are manning the fortress's external defenses. The Master Mold (head Sentinel) commands that the captured Beast be put under the Psycho Probe where under its influence he (Beast) announces the X-Men's mission is to protect Mankind from evil mutants. At this point Trask anguishes about how wrong he was about the X-Men. The Beast continues with the story of his youth, acrobatic, unstoppable in sports, feared by regular humans.

Outside the fortress, the Professor realizes that he must stop the Beast from revealing all of the X-Men's secrets so he creates an "Astral Image" of himself who can invade the fortress and mentally stops the Beast from speaking and then probes the Master Mold's analytical circuitry. There is fighting between the X-Men and Sentinels, however a heavy-gravity ray used by a Sentinel squelches the X-mens' attack. So ends episode 15 (the last issue of 1965) with the Master Mold (head Sentinel) demanding that Dr. Trask create an army of Sentinels for him, Trask yelling "NO!" and being dragged away.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Issue 15 includes a Beast origins story.
  • Iceman makes an ice glider and Cyclops uses his power vision to supply forward thrust to launch it and the X-men into the wild blue.
  • Beast suspects he got his mutant powers because his father was exposed to radiation working on an atomic project.
  • The Astral Image created by the Professor, is the ability to project his mental self to another location and interact with the environment, mentally but not physically. The image must return to his body before it is destroyed or he (the Professor) will be condemned to remain in a trance forever.
  • The Happiness Boys- Iceman's nickname for the Sentinels.

[edit] Movie Parallels

  • Iceman creates an ice shield as he did in X-Men 2.

[edit] 1966

Issue No.16

[edit] Issue No.16- The Supreme Sacrifice (1966)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Layout by: Jack Kirby; Pencilling: Jay Gavin; Inked by: Dick Ayers; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
  • Gadgets: Heavy Gravity Globe- anything in it is effected by extra strong gravitational force.

[edit] Summary

"In Which A Life Is Lost... A Battle Won!" The Sentinels Part III, starts with the professor, whose Astral form barely makes it back to his physical body outside the Sentinel's fortress. With a bit of mental manipulation he hitches a ride into town to figure out why one of the Sentinels in the middle of a fight, collapsed. He discovers a large crystal mounted on the top of a building disrupts Sentinel communications rendering them inop. The X-Men are captured, break free, and then are hit with a massive stun ray. But when they wake up all the Sentinels around them have collapsed due to the crystal that is now passing over head carried by a helo, occupied by the professor and officers of the law.

In the inner chamber of the fortress, Trask whose life is threatened as well as the threat of a town being destroyed, is helping the Master Mold start the Sentinel production line, but... Trask can't take knowing that his actions will mean the enslavement of the human race so at the risk of his life, he wacks the "ionic power source" with a wrench and kaboom! The fortress blows up, Trask dies, the Master Mold, Sentinels, and production equipment are destroyed, and the X-Men barely escape. Next episode includes "the most unexpected menace of all!"

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Dr Bolivar Trask sacrificing himself, dies in an explosion he caused to destroy the Sentinels.



Issue No.17

[edit] Issue No.17- And None Shall Survive! (1966)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Layout by: Jack Kirby; Pencilling: Jay Gavin; Inked by: Dick Ayers; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
  • Characters Introduced: Dr. John Thomas
  • Characters Featured: Magneto
  • Gadgets: Automatic Phone Answering Device- not too common in 1966.

[edit] Summary

Issue 17 starts with this warning: "You must not reveal the incredible ending to any living soul! (Remember... we'll be watching you! Therefor to honor this wish please don't read any more of this paragraph...)

The X-Men and Professor are dealing with the aftermath of the Sentinel encounter as they are swarmed by U.S. Army personnel and law enforcement. The X-Men get an "attaboy" from the Two Star General for taking care of the situation. The Professor hides the fact he is the X-Men's leader. Cyclops, Beast, and Iceman have been injured and are taken to the hospital but they keep their outfits on to protect their identities. Of the three, Iceman appears to be in the worst shape, unconscious and delirious. Complicating the situation Angel's parents announce they are coming for a visit, and the Professor senses some menace in the vicinity of Xavier's school, the X-Men headquarters, so Angel volunteers to scout it.

Inside the school Angel discovers a mysterious enemy unrevealed to the reader. When the Professor looses mental contact with Angel, he has Cyclops drive him post haste to the school. When Marvel Girl and The Beast notice everyone is gone but Iceman, they head for the school and one by one each of them are gotten the better of, but by who? The Issue ends with Angel's parents being greeted at school by none other than Magneto, the Magneto who was abducted to another planet by The Stranger in a previous issue.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Dr. John Thomas is the doctor who takes care of the X-Men in the hospital.


Issue No.18 (1966)

[edit] Issue No.18- If Iceman Should Fail! (1966)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Art by: Jay Gavin; Inked by: Dick Ayers; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
  • Characters Featured: Magneto, The Stranger
  • Gadgets: Laser-Induced Hypdermic- looks like a ray gun, used to give Iceman a shot; Mental Wave Distorter- placed on Xavier's head by Magneto to prevent him from using his telepathic powers; Selector Panel- A device that allows Magneto to analyze, duplicate and manipulate cell patterns to create new mutants.

[edit] Summary

The title references the ability of Iceman to save all of the other X-Men who have been set adrift by Magneto in a steel gondola rising into the stratosphere, facing their doom by running out of oxygen.

If you remember Magneto and Toad were abducted by The Stranger and whisked to another planet in Issue 11 so his appearance back on Earth is a surprise. The story of how Magneto escapes The Stranger's planet is revealed when the Professor probes Magneto's memory. Magneto hijacked an old spaceship and during the escape, he abandoned poor hoppy, devoted Toad.

Magneto lifts Xavier's School with the intent of smashing it, but then decides to use it as his headquarters. When Angel's parents show up at the Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, Magneto greets them, hypnotizes them, and shuffles them off to a guest room. He uses a device (a Selector Panel) to measure the cell patterns in Angel's parents with the intent of creating new mutants who will be at his command. Soon after, he starts growing mutants in large glass tubes.

In the gondola, Marvel Girl is able to stop the gondola from rising. At the hospital, Iceman receives some radical treatment by a young Dr. Kildare type. In the gondola, the Professor uses his extreme mental ability to remove the mental shackles placed on his head by Magneto. The Professor then realizes that Magneto has control of Angel's parents and sends an urgent mental message to Iceman to go to the school immediately! At the school, Iceman who is still weak, confronts Magneto, disrupts his clone making machine while defensively avoiding Magneto's attacks.

Cyclops punctures a hole in the gondola's gas bag and it starts to descend rapidly but Marvel Girl uses her telekinetic power to break it's fall. The X-Men escape the Gondola and engage in battle with Magneto. It's touch and go, until the Professor uses his mental projection to call The Stranger, who suddenly appears. The episode ends with a panicky Magneto jumping in his magma car and driving very fast with The Stranger in pursuit. The development of engineered mutants is halted by the X-Men.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Jean Grey's most impressive telekinetic feat to date is accomplished when she stops a large steel gondola containing herself and most of the X-Men that is plummeting to Earth from smashing into it by arresting it's fall at the last moment.


Issue No.19 (1966)

[edit] Issue No.19- Lo! Now Shall Appear-- The Mimic! (1966)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Pencilling: Jay Gavin; Inked by: Dick Ayers; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
  • Characters Introduced: Vera The Librarian, The Mimic (Calvin Rankin)- Vera's Wanna-Be Boyfriend.

[edit] Summary

The episode starts with X-Men in their practice routine of honing their mutant skills. After all the recent trials and tribulations, The Professor rewards them with their 2nd vacation! Bobby and Hank head for the library where they have planned a double date with Zelda the waitress and a good looking librarian, named Vera. Coming out of the library, the foursome run into Calvin Rankin, Vera's wanna-be boy friend who is very irritated she's on a date with someone else. Soon after, Calvin starts a fight with Hank and to Hank's surprise, this yokel can make all the same moves as the one and only Beast! And when Bobby jumps in, Calvin uses ice powers against him. Bobby and Hank have encountered The Mimic!

The Mimic knows he can absorb all of the X-Men's powers and defeat them. But he can only keep absorbed powers as long as he is close to them. In one day he runs into The Beast, Iceman, and Marvel Girl and figures out they are all mutants. However, the Professor says that although Calvin is not a mutant, he is a troubled person.

Calvin follows Jean from the store to Xavier's School, introduces himself, aborbs all of the X-Men's powers, then plans on defeating them in battle. They fight, The Mimic kidnaps Marvel Girl, takes her to his cave, and tells her his story (See Notes & Trivia below). Remember, The Mimic only keeps absorbed powers as long as he is in the presence of those whom he got the powers from. The Mimic's plan is to absorb all of the X-Men's powers when they follow him to his cave, then he can dig through the rubble to find "the machine" (See Backstory of The Mimic below). Another brief fight, when the Professor tells the X-Men to allow The Mimic to use his father's machine, and poof, the Mimic no longer has his powers because the machine was designed by his Dad to take away his powers not make them permanent. The episode ends with a good ole-fashioned Xavior mind wipe, and Calvin Rankin heads out to live a normal life as a college student. (or does he?)

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Beast likes calling Iceman, "MacDuff".
  • Backstory of The Mimic- As a boy he sneaks into his father's (the scientist) lab and breaks a beaker exposing him to some kind of un-named gas which gives him the power to mimic other people's abilities as long as he is in their presence. These absorption abilities include regular human and mutant skills. Calvin Rankin's abilities are such that people have become suspicious and angry, so he is not popular. The father suggests they go live in a cave, yes a cave, until he can figure out how to help the boy so he creates a machine that will enable the boy to keep his powers, or so Calvin thinks.

But the machine is so powerful it causes a huge drain on the electricity supply, causing every fuse in the local area to pop! A mob, angry at having their electricity disrupted, shows up at the cave and to "protect" themselves Calvin's Dad sets off an explosion to seal the cave entrance, but manages to blow himself up in the process. Calvin digs his way out of the cave and vows to get even with people in general! He is determined to dig through the rubble and find "the machine" that will change him so he can keep the powers he absorbs permanently. However The Mimic does not realize the machine his Father built was designed to permanently take away his ability to absorb poweers.


Issue No.20 (1966)

[edit] Issue No.20- I, Lucifer (1966)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Roy Thomas; Pencilling: Jay Gavin; Inked by: Dick Ayers; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
  • Characters Introduced: Mr. Philbert (bank employee).
  • Characters Featured: Blob, [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Lucifer_(Quist) Lucifer, Unus
  • Gadgets: Mechanical Memory Inducer- used to penetrate a mental screen.; Mento Wave- Receiver- Lucifer's gadget tells him that Xavier has penetrated his mental screen; Beam Distorter- helps Xavier recover from an attack from Lucifer.

[edit] Summary

Robbing a bank, Blob and Unus are unwitting accomplices to Lucifer who wants to defeat the X-Men. Some fighting takes place. The Professor gets his brain fried a little as he tries to mentally probe Lucifer’s defenses. Lucifer retreats to his hideout in the South West desert with the X-Men in pursuit. Story concludes in next episode.

[edit] Story Details

Astonishingly the inside page of this issues shows two suspicious characters looking like the Blob and Unus dressed in X-Men suits and robbing a bank. Turns out Lucifer (Issue No.9) is back and has planted the idea in their heads, with the idea of drawing out the X-Men so Lucifer and his robot henchmen can defeat them in battle. So why exactly did Professor Xavier turn him loose the first time?

Back at the school, tormented Cyclops has decided to quit the X-Men due to his "sight issue" anxiety in combination with his hidden affection for Marvel Girl, who just happens to be practically falling over in love with him although he seems blind to her affections. The irony, I tell you!! Scott Summers (Cyclops) is off to find a doctor who will rid him of his dangerous energy-eyeballs. But fickle fate has Cyclops witness the two phony X-Men making off with bags of money and feels obligated to confront them as an X-Man. A crowd watches as Cyclops fights the Blob and Unus. The bad guys succeed in making the crowd think Cyclops is really one of them and Cyclops ends up beating a hasty retreat as the crowd comes after him.

At the bank, the X-Men show up and are attacked by the people who just witnessed Blob and Unus in X-Men suits robbing the bank. As far as they know the X-Men have gone bad. The real bad guys (Blob & Unus) make an unexpected exit on the roof of a subway train while Lucifer jumps up and down in anger. But there is hope for the bad guys when Lucifer's Mento Wave- Receiver indicates that the Professor has penetrated his mental screen. Lucifer sets off a ray that sends a beam right into Xavier's noggin, frying his brain a bit, and paralyzing him!

However, Xavier is able to mentally relates a story to Jean about his past with Lucifer (see Notes and Trivia below). Xavier realizes that Lucifer threatens all of Earth's people. The Professor recovers with the help of a custom built Beam Distorter, by mentally relaying the technical specs to Jean, who turns them over the technically savy Beast for building. While paralyzed, the Professor sensed Lucier's new hiding place in the U.S. Southwest. The Episode ends with the X-Men flying out on their jet for the showdown with Lucifer and the "Startling Sinister Secret of Dominus!"


[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Backstory- How The Professor Lost The Use of His Legs. While visiting a mysterious walled city in the shadow of the Himalayas, Xavier senses a tyrant who controls the city with some kind of alien machinery. The people live in fear. Xavier locates the rebellious elements in the city and formulates a successful resurrection invading the tyrant's castle. Lucifer (the tyrant), is ordered by the "Supreme One" to abandon Sector A and move to Sector B. But before Lucifer abandons the castle, he causes a large slab of stone to fall from the ceiling, hitting and crushing the Professor's legs. Xavier claims Lucifer and his people are one of the reasons he created the X-Men.
  • Cyclops quits the X-Men for 2 pages of this issue because of his cursed eyes in combination with his affection for Marvel Girl.

[edit] Movie Parallels

  • The X-Mens' Jet sits inside a part of the school but does not rise out of the basketball court.



Issue No.21

[edit] Issue No.21- From Whence Comes Dominus? (1966)

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Writing by: Roy Thomas; Art by: Jay Gavin; Inked by: Dick Ayers; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
  • Characters Introduced: The Supreme One.
  • Characters Featured: Lucifer
  • Gadgets: Beam-Distorter Helmit- protects Xavier's Noggin from mental interference; Hovercraft.

[edit] Summary

A continuation from Episode 20, the story continues at Lucifer's hidden layer at Buchanan's Butte, out West. The X-Men have a run-in with some cowboys, then jump on Iceman's ice raft to ride a river into a cave below the butte. Marvel Girl uses here telepathic powers to free the X-men from a trap. The history of Lucifer's alien race is revealed (see notes and trivia). Lucifer sets his robots on the X-Men, but because Xavier was able to penetrate their mental screen, the robots become reckless fighters and are defeated easily. At one point Iceman creates an ice shield that reflects their attack rays back, destroying them.

The episode ends with Supreme One (Lucifer's boss) dialing in and finding that all of his precious robots are destroyed. In a huff, he banishes Lucifer to a "nameless dimension" and sucks the machine called Dominus back to it's origins. Incredibly as Lucifer starts to vanish, he cries out to the X-men for help as they wave good bye.


Dominus Fight!

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Quote: When Angel states the obvious, The Beast replies "A most sagacious deduction, my feathered friend! The mind positively boggles at your prodigious powers of perception! (Beast likes using big words...)
  • Dominus- a sentient- super computer Lucifer uses in an attempt to enslave the human race.
  • Backstory of the Quists: Lucifer, belongs to an alien race called the Quists who has been around before the origin of the Earth and likes taking over planets, turning their populations into slaves with the help of Dominus, a sentient super-computer.



Issue No. 22

[edit] Issue No.22- Divided We Fall! (1966)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Script by: Roy Thomas; Art by: Jay Gavin; Inked by: Dick Ayers; Lettered by: Artie Simek; Colosso by: Irving Forbush Robotics, Inc.
  • Characters/Organizations Introduced: Count Nefaria, Plantman, Scarecrow, Eel, Unicorn, and Maggia- a criminal organization.
  • Gadgets: Colosso- a large robot training device for the X-Men; Sticky Net- used by Scarecrow to capture Angel; Hypnotic Disk- used by Porcupine to capture Beast.

[edit] Summary

By means of an illusion, the X-Men are captured one by one in Central Park by members of the Maggia, a criminal organization run by Count Nafaria and are whisked off to Nafaria’s ship where he offers them membership in his organization. His plan is to isolate the Nation’s Capital and ransom it. Story continues in episode 23.

[edit] Story Details

This episode introduces a slew of villains to the X-Men world, working as part of the Maggia, a criminal organization, led by Count Nefaria. As the X-Men have been fighting robots lately (see recent issues), the Professor creates Colosso, a large menacing robot for the X-Men to practice fighting the purpose is to reinforce the concept as a team they are more powerful than any X-Men operating alone. And it just so happens the X-Men don't fare so well in this episode when they take on mutants individually.

The Professor grants the X-Men another vacation as the first one was interrupted by the battle with Mimic. Hank (Beast) and Bobby (Iceman) head for, (you guessed it), Greenwich Village to meet up with Zelda and Vera. Warren (Angel) invites Jean (Marvel Girl) to dinner, and not surprisingly, to Warren's consternation, Jean invites Scott (Cyclops) to come along, which he accepts! And most surprisingly, the Professor is revealed as a tormented soul, lamenting the lose of his legs.

Into X-Men's world marches Count Nefaria who at some time in the past was defeated by Iron Man but is still moving ahead with his dream of ruling the world.

After the threesome dinner (Jean, Warren, and Scott), personal thoughts are mentally expressed by Cyclops and Jean about their feelings for each other, but no mutual realization is made. (No real surprise there.)

In Central Park, Jean thinks she sees an X-Man and while investigating is captured by Plantman, a member of the Count's criminal organization, the Maggia who uses animated plants and chloroform to apprehend her. Angel thinks he sees an X-Man in Central Park, and is captured by Scarecrow in a sticky net carried by obedient crows. The idea here is that the X-Men are being lured by some kind of illusion. Beast is captured by Porcupine using a hypnotic disk. Iceman is accosted by Eel, but Cyclops takes Eel momentarily out of the picture. Moments later Unicorn appears and challenges the duo, Iceman and Cyclops. Eel revives and blasts Iceman rendering him unconscious. As Cyclops goes after Eel, Cyclops blasts Cyclops with beams that come out of his hands.

All five X-Men have been captured and are whisked to a ship waiting at a nearby wharf. The ship sails to an undisclosed location (presumably in the States). Tension between Eel and Unicorn, and Count Nefaria. The Count offers an alliance with the X-Men who reject him. The episode ends as he reveals his plan to capture and ransom Washington D.C.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Colosso- a large training robot for the X-Men to practice their skills against.
  • Maggia- a criminal organization headed by Count Nefaria.



Issue No.23

[edit] Issue No.23- To Save A City (1966)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Written by: Roy Thomas; Drawn by: Werner Roth; Inked by: Dick Ayers; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
  • Characters/Organizations Featured: Count Nefaria, Plantman, Scarecrow, Eel, Unicorn, and Maggia- a criminal organization.
  • Gadgets: Rocket Lift Boots (Unicorn); Lightweight Flexible Metal Braces- allow Xavier to walk.

[edit] Summary

The Maggia Part II- Nafaria uses a machine to form an impenetrable dome over the Capital, so he can ransom Washington, D.C. Based on a secret plan offered by Xavier, the X-Men tell Nafaria they will join his team and go to Washington to collect the money. Some mutinous members of the Maggia, decide they are going to grab the money for themselves. In the end, Nafaria and Unicorn think they have escaped with the money in Nafaria’s ship, but it turns out they just have an illusion while the Coast Guard close in to apprehend them.

[edit] Story Details

The Maggia Part II- This episode begins with Count Nefaria proposing an alliance with the X-Men who are all trussed up in a continuation of Issue No.22. His angle is that when he takes over Washington D.C., everyone is going to blame the X-Men (and mutants) anyway, so why not? This is especially true since he does not tell them he is using an X-Men illusion to make the ransom demand in the Capital. (In the last issue these illusions were used to lure and capture the X-Men individually.) While the X-Men mull their options, the Count uses an unnamed machine to form a impenetrable crystalline dome over the city and the ransom demand is made.

Back in the dungeon, the X-Men are trying to escape. Marvel Girl uses her abilities to lift the metal band from around Cyclops visors so that he can blast off the shackles they are being held with. General Fredricks, U.S. Army, who thinks the X-Men are now bad mutants, and who does not realize Xavier is head of the X-Men asks for assistance fighting the X-Men. Xavier mentally contacts the X-Men with his plan. Nefaria is surprised when the X-Men free themselves from their bonds, but they offer to join him as partners in crime. So he sends them to the Washington D.C. to collect the ransom. But little does Nefaria know, both the X-Men and independently, the members of Maggia are planning on double crossing him. The Maggia henchmen plan on keeping the ransom money for themselves. Xavier sends an Astral Image of himself to check out Nefaria's hideout and his "machine".

The X-Men move into the Capitol to pick up the ransom and are attacked by citizens who think they are crooks and crummy "muties". The mutinous Maggia move in and help the X-Men with the intention of stealing the money for themselves. After a scuffle, the Unicorn ends up with the briefcase of money and then turns on his other coconspirators as he starts to escape by means of rocket lift boots. A tank shell hits him causing him to drop the case. The X-Men grab the case and defensively fight the U.S. Army who is firing at them.

At Nefaria's hideout, Jean shows up with the briefcase. A masked Xavier, now walking, arrives to manipulate and then destroys Nefaria's machine. Nefaria gains custody of the briefcase, and escapes in his boat along with Unicorn, thinking he has the money. But the Professor has used "the machine" to create an illusion of the briefcase (the same illusion that earlier fooled the X-Men). The Professor has alerted the Coast Guard to apprehend Nefaria and Unicorn. The episode ends when Marvel Girl (Jean Grey) reads a letter that recently arrived at the school and announces, she must leave the X-Men forever!! (not really.)

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • The Maggia is plagued by internal power struggles, deception and treachery.
  • Jean Greay (Marvel Girl) announces at the end of this episode that she must leave the X-Men (and she does, kinda)!



Issue No. 24

[edit] Issue No.24- The Plague of The Locust! (1966)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Script by: Roy Thomas; Art by: Werner Roth; Inked by: Dick Ayers; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Introduced: Ted Roberts (Student at Metro College)- Jean's new friend; Locust (Dr. August Hopper)
  • Gadgets: Magno Ray- used by the Locust to mutate insects.

[edit] Summary

Jean Grey heads to Metro College where she meets Ted Roberts. More unrealized love between Marvel Girl and Cyclops. The Locust a disgruntled college Professor who manipulates bugs, growing them to enormous size so he can appear to rescue humanity but the bugs get out of control and it is the X-Men who save him.

[edit] Story Details

Since Marvel Girl's parents have no idea what Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters is about, and Jean has graduated, they have made arrangements to send her to Metro College and while compliant, she does not want to leave the X-Men (or Cyclops). More mental gymnastics regarding the unrealized love between Scott and Jean, but as usual in this series, no connection is made.

Meanwhile out in a field of crops appears the Locust, a man in a bug suit is seeding the field with ionically treated locust eggs that hatch and grow at an alarming rate to an enormous size (4-5' long) in a matter of minutes. After leveling several fields, their presence comes to the attention of the authorities and the X-Men (minus Jean). The Locust is not ready to fight the X-Men so he withdraws avoiding detection, while they take care of the bugs. The X-Men are dusted by a crop dusting helo, followed by the Army with flame throwers to take care of the stragglers. The X-men note that despite their size, the gigantic locust have no apparent special powers.

At Metro College, Jean is having a coffee with Ted (trying to forget Cyclops) when she notices some students making fun of a bearded gentleman, a former Professor, who they call Doc Hopper, referring to his preoccupation with bugs. As explained by Ted, Dr Hopper, is now employed by Ryan Chemicals and it is revealed, he is a bitter genius, who has developed the most potent of insecticides, but has never been given credit by his employers. Secretly he has developed some big bugs to be used in his diabolical plan is to unleash the big bugs on an unsuspecting world and then appear as the hero with the solution to get rid of them. How could this possibly backfire?

While the X-Men examine the carcass of a large locust at the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Jean (Marvel Girl) walks in because it is the weekend and she misses the action. She informs the team about Doc Hopper and they fill her in on the big bugs. The Professor decides to visit Doc Hopper. At the lab, Doc Hopper is absent, but is his boss is happy to allow Xavier to snoop around where he discovers incriminating, circumstantial evidence of Hopper's involvement in big bugs. Rushing back to the School, the X-Men, including Jean assemble and take off in their "fast" helo to the scene of a new outburst of locust and discover The Locust (Dr. Hopper) wearing a suit that includes mechanical wings and other defensive and offensive devices. The Locust is not alone. To fight the X-Men, he summons assistance from his creations, a giant beetle and wasps! The Locust withdraws while the X-Men finish off the Beetle. Bobby (Iceman) creates a large igloo shaped ice shield to protect them from the wasps who become attracted to the big locusts and disperse to feed on them instead. The National Guard appears and has an easier time taking care of the large bugs with flame throwers and M-1 rifles, than the X-men did.

The X-Men take off in pursuit of The Locust to his mobile trailer-lab. Xavier appears in a disguise and attempts to talk sense to the Locust but it is no use. Both the Beast and Angel fail in their first individual attempts to apprehend Locust. In their second encounter, Doc Hopper whips out two new eggs and irradiates them so in a matter of seconds they grow into two big-ass mean and nasty bugs. Resourceful Marvel Girl uses her mental powers to interfere with the Doc's ability to communicate with his bugs by tying his suit's antenna into knots. Without direction, Hopper's big bugs turn on him, because in his locust suit, he looks like dinner! They follow him to his trailer where he hides inside. When the bugs climb on the trailer it snaps free from its spot and starts rolling towards the nearby cliff. The X-Men save the Locust while the trailer and bugs go over the side. Doc Hopper comes to his senses, sees the error of his ways, and the X-Men allow him to turn himself into the authorities. However, the reader may wonder along with the X-Men, is he truly reformed?

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Johnny Storm (Human Torch) also attends Metro College but he does not appear in this issue.
  • Fav Quote from Stan to the Reader: Note to armchair psychologists: if, as you read on, it seems to you that our orthoperous antagonist has a distinct fascist fixation, please forward all analyses to mighty marvel...we're still trin' to figure him out!


Issue No.25

[edit] Issue No.25- The Power and the Pendant (1966)

  • Credits: Written by: Stan Lee; Script by: Roy Thomas; Art by: Werner Roth; Inked by: Dick Ayers; Lettered by: Sam Rosen; Imitated by: Brand Echh.
  • Characters/Locations Introduced: El Tigre (Juan Meroz)- Gem hunter who with possession of the Sacred Pendant of Kukulcan, becomes the reincarnation of Kukulcan; Pyramid of the Mayan God Kukulcan.
  • 'Characters Featured: Ted Roberts'.

[edit] Summary

El Tigre, a gem hunter down in South America comes across a special pendant that gives him great power. But he only has half of the pendant and needs the other half to realize great power so he comes to NYC to steal it from the museum and runs head long into the X-Men. Story is concluded in the next episode.

[edit] Story Details

On the way to drop Jean at Metro College after their last X-Men adventure with Locust, the crew sees the Abercrombie Orphanage engulfed in flames. The X-Men jump into action to save the kids. Then at Metro College, as they drop Jean off, Ted Roberts, her new persistent friend appears to escort her to class. Simultaneously both Cyclops and Angel in the departing limo ponder a possible future with Jean Grey.

Far away in the jungles of South America, in the country of San Rico, there is a hidden pyramid of the Mayan God Kukulcan. Juan Meroz, known as El Tigre leads a team of fortune hunters in search of valuable gems and treasure. They discover Kukulcan's catch of Sacred Gold and a glowing stone that El Tigre places in his pocket for later examination. When his assistants decided to double cross him, El Tigre accidently discovers that while in possession of Sacred Pendant of Kukulcan, he can control objects with his spoken wish and he can read the ancient inscriptions on the pyramid. The inscriptions tell him that he who possesses both halves of the pendant will enjoy unlimited power if they can survive the curse of the pendant.

Some time after, Cerebro sounds an alarm of a new threat (not a mutant) and the Professor sends out the X-Men to search New York City to discover who or what that threat might be. They observe El Tigre (accompanied by this two assistants) thinking he is just a Latin American gentlemen. But soon El Tigre is involved in a suspicious night club brawl before heading to the City Museum pursued by the X-Men. In the large museum the team decides to split up (bad move). Beast is subdued by a combo attack from animated mid-evil armor and a well placed bolas attack. Iceman trips over a rope and falls down some stairs smacking into a wall. Angel is felled by a drugged dart. Cyclops is cornered by a guard who is being dominated by El Tigre. The episode ends when El Tigre finds the other half of the pendant, puts them together and is transformed into the reincarnation of Kukulcan! This adventure is continued in Issue No.26.

[edit] Movie Parallels

  • Iceman suggests some ice skating on an ice rink he creates as in X-Men The Last Stand.
  • In comparison to the movies where Cerebro is used by the Professor to located mutants around the world, in the comic, Cerebro is rigged to sound an alarm any time it detects a new mutant or threat in the relative vicinity of the School.



Issue No.26

[edit] Issue No.26- Holocaust (1966)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Script by: Roy Thomas; Art by: Werner Roth; Inked by: Dick Ayers; Lettered by: Sam Rosen; Mayan Headdresses by: Irving Forbush.
  • Characters Featured: El Tigre (Juan Meroz), Ted Roberts, The Mimic (Calvin Rankin).

[edit] Summary

El Tigre successfully joins the two halves of the pendant to become the reincarnation of the Mayan God Kukulcan and heads back to the source of power at the South American ancient temple with the X-Men in hot pursuit. At college, Jean discovers text that states if the pendant is misused, it will result in a holocaust. Beast discovers that a giant gem on top of an idol is the source of El Tigre’s power and in an attempt to dislodge X-Men from the idol, he blasts the ground setting off a huge earthquake which swallows the idol and his pendant, converting El Tigre back to a mortal man and is quickly apprehended.

[edit] Story Details

The Power and the Pendant Part II- A continuation from Issue No. 25. El Tigre has been transformed into the reincarnation of the Mayan God Kukulcan. With the help of Cerebro, the Professor wonders what force on Earth can contain the enormous power El Tigre now possesses. After some inconsequential combat, El Tigre announces he must return to the source of his power and creates a solar force sphere to transport him back to the Mayan Pyramid.

At the college, Jean (Marvel Girl) receives a call from the Professor to research Mayan history and legends. Ted Roberts, (Jean's college friend) shows up with Calvin Rankin. (The X-Men fought him in Issue No. 19 as the Mimic. His memory of the encounter was wiped by the Professor). Jean brings the Mayan books for the Professor to peruse, discovering the legend and curse of the pendant which tells of a violent holocaust if the powers of the pendant are misused. A possible turning point in the relationship of Cyclops and Marvel Girl occurs when Cyclops senses that Jean Grey cares for him as much as he cares for her. (But will he act on it??) Additionally, Angel realizes and resents Jean's feelings for Cyclops.

At the Pyramid of Kukulcan, El Tigre uncovers the large idol of Kukulcan, a huge gem encrusted, plumed serpent and uses his power to restore the temple to its former glory as the center of Kukulcan's power. He sends out a mental call to all the descendants of the Mayan race who involuntarily are controlled to serve the resurrected God.

The X-Men, minus Marvel Girl, jet to South America then take a small motorized dugout up river to confront El Tigre. The X-Men crack up their boat on the river rapids. Then they fall into a pit-trap, but are able to escape. At the temple, Angel swoops on El Tigre in a failed attempt to snatch the pendant from his chest. Beast tries to sneak up on El Tigre but fails. Iceman can't stand the heat barrier surrounding El Tigre. But then Beast climbs up the giant idol and discovers the gem on top matches the material in the pedant and figures out it is the source of El Tigre's power.

Unfortunately when Cyclops tries to blast El Tigre, El Tigre dodges so the beam hits Angel who was sweeping in for an attack. Then as Cyclops forgets about the fight and rushes to Angel's aid, he is blasted by El Tigre's solar bolt. El Tigre, turns to Iceman who is on the statue trying to cover the sun gem with ice, but El Tigre's power has been drained by fighting. Although he can't blast Iceman off the statue, he can blast the ground in an attempt to knock Iceman off. To everyone's surprise, the blast triggers an earthquake, a giant crack forms at the base of the statue and the idol, El Tigre's source of power is swallowed into the Earth and engulfs the site in flames. Without his power source, El Tigre is quickly apprehended, but the surprise ending shocker is when Angel accuses Cyclops of attacking him on purpose presumable because of their competition for Marvel Girl's affection!

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Quote: El Tigre: But, I am a mortal no more. The essence of the divine Kukulcan pervades my very being. Cyclops: Uh oh! Either El Tigre's completely flipped or else, mandkind is in for it's greatest menace yet! I don't care if that guy calls himself El Tigre, or Kukulcan, or Little Mary Sunshine...I've got to stop him!



Issue No.27

[edit] Issue No.27- Re-enter the Mimic! (1966)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Script by: Roy Thomas; Art by: Werner Roth; Inked by: Dick Ayers; Lettered by: Sam Rosen; (Wouldya Believe: Artie Simek?).

'Characters Introduced: Puppet Master, Spiderman' (Reminder: Introduced in X-Men series.)

  • Characters Featured: [The Mimic (Calvin Rankin), Ted Roberts, QuickSilver, Scarlet Witch, http://marvel.com/universe/Spiderman Spiderman].
  • Gadgets: Radio Active Clay- gives Puppet Master control over the image of anyone whose shape it is sculpted in; Multi-Frequency Booster- a device that allow Cerebro to more accurately pin point the location of mutants.

[edit] Summary

Second encounter with The Mimic, Calvin Rinkin who after being injured regains his memory and invites himself to Xavier’s to join the X-Men, but he is an egotistic trouble maker. The Puppet Master uses a special clay to create images of people, to take mental control of the Mimic. Xavier realizes something fishy is going on and much to the surprise of the X-men regulars, promotes The Mimic to leader of team X-Men. In practice fighting, the solo Mimic bests the X-Men, but not all is as it appears. At The Puppet Master’s secret lab, his plan falls apart when Mimic resists his mental commands and the X-Men prevail.

[edit] Story Details

In three years of X-Men episodes, the last issue of 1966 is one of the most complex and interesting story lines to date, hence a longer than usual summary. It begins with the X-men, minus the convalescing Angel (recuperating from the fight with El Tigre) facing the Mimic for a second time (first encounter was Issue No.19). That's right fighting him without explanation, and shocker, the Mimic is the last one left standing!

The Mimic!

Then the story clock is turned back 1 hour to when the X-Men return to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters exhausted from their fight with El Tigre. And in contrast to the startling ending of the last episode, Angel is now apologizing to Cyclops for being delirious when he accused Cyclops of attacking him. The worrisome news is that Angel is so severely hurt that he may not be able to fly again. And then Xavier announces that Cerebro has detected a new mutant threat "which may be the greatest we have ever encountered"!! (Doesn't he always say that?)

After Jean cheers for Ted Roberts in some college athletic events, he starts to tell her (Marvel Girl) of his relationship with his older brother, Ralph when there is an explosion in the Chemistry Lab. Cavlin Rinkin (The Mimic and fellow college student) is dragged out of the lab injured. It appears that the explosion has recovered Calvin's memory of his battle with the X-Men and some how Jean recognizes this. (Issue No. 19 ended with Calvin loosing his powers and having his memory partially- wiped.)

In the standard secluded lab, a new villain, The Puppet Master (PM) is revealed, a bad guy who controls people by sculpting images of them in radioactive clay. The PM wants to control the X-Men so they can strike against his enemies, the Fantastic Four. He starts by sculpting an image of Xavier, but it fails to work due to the Professor's psychic shield and alerts the Professor of...something. Reluctantly, The Puppet Master picks another victim to manipulate, but who?

At the School for Gifted Youngsters, with the help of Hank (Beast), Bobby (Iceman) and Scott (Cyclops), the Professor assembles a Multi-Frequency Booster which gives Cerebro the ability to more accurately pinpoint the location of mutants.

Realizing the X-Men are in a weakened state and need additional assistance, Xavier uses his Astral Image (a way of projecting his presence) to seek out the brother-sister team of QuickSilver and the Scarlet Witch in central Europe inviting them to join the X-Men. But now as members of the Avengers, they decline. Hank and Bobby on a date with Vera and Zelda get an opportunity to invite Spiderman to join forces with them, but he declines. So much for Super Hero camaraderie.

The X-Men minus the Angel head for Metro College to pick up Marvel Girl when The Mimic spots them. He has regained his memory and he thinks he has regained his mimic power and confronts the X-Men, but to what purpose? Mimic invites himself into Xavier's Rolls Royce and they head for the School.

The PM surrounded by Fantastic Four puppets, is observed by the reader scanning Metro College and seeing the Mimic joining the X-Men. He tells of his plan to create a puppet of the Mimic to defeat the X-Men.

At the school, a shocker arrives when Xavier announces that Cyclops is stepping down as the Deputy Leader of the X-men to be replaced by the Mimic! Yes the bitter, troubled mutant is now in tactical control of the X-Men. Ironically just at this moment, the PM is in a position to take control of the Mimic (which he does)!! The Professor suggests that the Mimic should participate in practice fighting with the X-Men team. Fortunately, he senses that some force has taken over the Mimic! You know the result from the beginning of the story, the Mimic defeats the four X-Men (minus Angel). To no avail, Xavier tries to tell the Mimic that an external force is controlling him, but the Mimic ignores him and at the control of the Puppet Master heads out to do the PM's bidding.

In a happy turn of events, the reader discovers that during the practice fight with the Mimic, the X-Men, at Xavier's order, at been holding back to promote the impression that the Mimic was more powerful then the combined X-Men team. This was to deceive whomever was controlling the Mimic. Xavier announces to the X-Men it is the Puppet Master who is behind the mental attacks, is in control of the Mimic and he, Xavier has mentally located the culprit. The X-Men, minus Angel take off in their helo to confront the PM. The Angel who is not fully recovered, at Xavier's objections, takes off in his Ford Mustang (1966 model?) to help the X-Men.

At the Puppet Master's lair, after defeating a large android Defender, they confront the PM who is brandishing his Mimic puppet and orders the Mimic to attack the X-Men but to the PM's surprise, the Mimic resists the command! And then the Angel who has arrived on the scene, summons all of his strength to snatch the Mimic puppet out of the Puppet Master's hands which releases mental control of the Mimic. All of the build up to a spectacular conclusion ends with a whimper as the Mimic realizes he is being controlled, the Puppet Master suddenly disappears, the X-Men rush to Angel's aid, and the Mimic anguishes about his future and lack of permanent mimic abilities. (Will the Mimic be good, bad, or neutral in the future?)

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Marvel Girl creates new uniforms for the X-Men. They are still blue and yellow but more blue in the shirts along the side of the torso, giving the yellow area a more sleek angular appearance.
  • A shocker, Xavier announces that Cyclops is stepping down as the Deputy Leader of the X-men to be replaced by the Mimic!
  • When he is not flying Angel drives a red convertible Ford Mustang, (1966?).


[edit] 1967

Issue No.28 (1967)

[edit] Issue No.28- The Wail of the Banshee! (1967)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Script by: Roy Thomas; Art by: Werner Roth; Inked by: Dick Ayers; Lettered by: Artie Simek; Noise Maker: Irving Forbush.
  • Characters/Organizations Introduced: Banshee (Sean Cassidy), Ogre, Factor Three.
  • 'Characters Featured: The Mimic (Calvin Rankin), Ted Roberts.'
  • Gadgets: Pyro-Projector- used by Ogre and Banshee to starts fires; Ogre wears Jet Equipped Boots, a wrist mounted Repello-Ray, and a chest mounted Blinding Light Device.

[edit] Summary

The Banshee, the Ogre, and Factor 3. Mimic is now working as a X-Men but he clashes with other team members. Ogre and Banshee locate and attack X-Men headquarters, Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. The Mimic plays an important part in defeating the Ogre. The Professor figures out that Banshee is not acting on his own accord and removes an electronic headband that forced the Banshee to cooperate with Ogre allowing the Ogre to be quickly apprehended.. The Professor tells the gang that Factor 3 is a most dangerous secret organization with plans to conquer the Earth!

[edit] Story Details

The first episode of 1967 starts with a scream, as the Banshee arrives in New York City, manipulating the air so he can't be seen, emitting a disabling ear-splitting scream that knocks people senseless, as he uses a sonic-based wail to physically break into an art gallery where he steals a Gaelic landscape painting.

A pleasant surprise is that Calvin Rankin, the The Mimic is working with the X-Men as the Professor, using his mental abilities tries to help Calvin hang onto the mutant powers he absorbs. In his desire to have permanent super powers, Calvin is rightfully perceived as an overbearing non-team player by the X-Men team, but the Professor reminds them that Calvin at heart is a decent person. In reality Calvin is not a likable person and is such a big mouth, that Cyclops has words with him.

In a well concealed hideout, the Ogre, a new bad mutant is working with Banshee, and by means of a scanning device, has located the X-Men's headquarters. The Banshee appreciates fine art and likes smoking a pipe to the extent that he wreaks more havoc in downtown NYC to fetch some tobacco. Ogre looks down upon the Banshee, speaks of "their mission" and makes reference to "Factor Three".

At Metro College, Ted Roberts, Jean's friend tells her the reason he drives himself so hard is because of his over-achieving brother, Ralph Roberts. But before that conversation can develop, a news radio flash is broadcast about a mysterious mass-mental blackout in downtown Manhattan, an art gallery break in, along with stolen tobacco!

The Professor with his mysterious way informs Cyclops that they are about to have (Cliche Alert!) "the battle of our lives!" Xavier hands out "specially treated" ear wax shields (to protect against the Banshee's wail). The attack starts with Banshee bursting in through a window at X-Men head quarters and pummeling the X-Men with a sonic blast that their ear protection is inadequate against and all, including the Professor fall unconscious. Ogre, who is right behind, tells Banshee to leave before Mimic can absorb his power. (All of Ore's powers are mechanical so they can't be absorbed.) Ogre binds the unconscious professor and starts to leave, abducting Xavier and speaking of Factor Three's plan to conquer the Earth, when he is surprised by Marvel Girl and attempts to zap her with his wrist mounted Repello Ray. The rest of the X-Men recover and appear. The ear plugs they wore helped them recover more quickly than Ogre imagined and a battle in earnest starts between the X-Men and the Ogre who uses his mechanical gizmos.

Ogre is stomped upon by the Mimic, but gives him an effective old-fashioned upper cut. Then Ogre turns on his Blinding Light Device with the intent of getting away before the X-Men can see again. But the not so helpless Professor, trussed up and laying on the ground, rolls and trips him. In desperation, Ogre signals for The Banshee to return to the fight which he does, stunning the group with his "EEOOOOOEEE", allowing the Ogre to escape, and leaving the Professor behind. Banshee and Ogre bicker a bit.

In preparation for round two, the Professor mentally probed the Ogre and figures out what kind of material he needs to use for an effective anti-Banshee ear plug for the X-Men. This time when the Banshee sonically attacks them, he is confounded when his attack has no meaningful effect! Then as he tries to escape, he is captured by a sonic blast from Mimic who has absorbed his power, along with a "specially treated" steel netting, and a gas pellet fired by the Beast. Once incapacitated, the Banshee is placed inside a special chamber that neutralizes his ability to vibrate the air. Again, The Mimic allows his huge misplaced ego to run his mouth. Despite this tendency, Cyclops realizes that the Mimic made the difference in this fight.

But the fight is not over. The Professor sends Mimic out to scout while the Ogre is basically under their noses (a ruse to draw the Ogre out). However, Ogre manages to blast four of the X-Men (minus Cyclops) with his larger Repello Ray rifle. And when Ogre turns on Banshee to kill him for failing to do his job, the Repello rifle explodes from a eye-blast from Cyclops. Ogre attempts to flee and is attacked by the Mimic. While both are airborne, Ogre fights back with his rays as the Mimic crashes into him. They fight as they fall.

And then kaboom! The chamber holding the Banshee explodes, but instead of resuming the fight, the Banshee who has been freed by Xavier, is now a happy-go-lucky mutant. It turns out that Banshee was wearing an electronic headband that would explode if removed and so he was force to help the Ogre. But when Mimic smashed into the Ogre, that destroyed the control panel allowing the Professor to remove Banshee's headband. The Ogre is captured. Banshee is free from the headband and the episode ends as the Professor tells the group that Factor Three is the most dangerous secret organization on the Earth with the means to conquer or even destroy it.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • First episode where Factor Three mentioned.
  • The Banshees appreciates art and smoking his pipe.



Issue No. 29 (1967)

[edit] Issue No.29- When Titans Clash! (1967)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Script by: Roy Thomas; Art by: Werner Roth; Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Sam Rosen; Skating Instructor: Irving Forbush.
  • Characters Introduced: Super Adaptoid.
  • 'Characters Featured: The Mimic (Calvin Rankin).'

[edit] Summary

When Cyclops is tormented by the lack of control he has with his energy eye balls, he blasts a hill disturbing the Super Adaptoid (hiding underground) who arrives at a football game with the intention of turning the X-Men into androids like himself. A fight erupts, the Super Adaptoid tries to absorb Mimic’s powers but because they are not permanent, something goes wrong short circuiting the Super Adaptoid’s wiring as he falls into a river and disappears.

[edit] Story Details

While the X-men, including Jean Grey (Marvel Girl) and Calvin Rankin (Mimic) take a break to enjoy some amateur ice capades on a private pond, Scott Summers (Cyclops) continues to be haunted by his lack of self control regarding his super projector eyeballs. He wanders into the woods to practice controlling the beams without the help of his special visors. But failure sets him on a mini-tantrum as he blasts trees and a nearby hillside of rock and stone, inadvertently disturbing The Super Adaptoid (SA), an android being who after a fight with The Avengers, is hiding out in some Revolutionary War tunnels and does not appreciate having rocks falling on his head. He emerges from his hole into a Winter day and comments that he has the power "to evolve others into beings like himself, and with them, conquer the world!"

Following this expression of sinister intent, SA observes a lone skater, Iceman, trying to polish his skills, while the other have gone to the school. As SA approaches, Iceman becomes aware of his ten foot tall presence, senses a threat, and covers him in ice. Thinking the robot is secured, Iceman hustles back to the school to tell the others. But for some reason they think he fell on his head one to many times and dismisses the report as they head into the Danger Room, the X-men's practice facility.

In the Danger Room, Xavier is putting The Mimic through his paces, but without fail, Calvin Rankin has a bad attitude, uses derogative nick names such "overgrown monkey" (Beast) and "Chrome Dome" (Professor Xavier). Cyclops takes exception to the name calling and ends up with a face full of snow from Mimic (an absorbed Iceman ability). A general fight breaks out between the original X-Men and the Mimic. Xavier tries to stay out of it but finally, tells the Mimic to leave the school and announces that the X-Men will have to fight Factor Three (see Issue No.28) without Mimic. As he leaves, Mimic grumbles something about getting even.

To unwind from the tension, the X-Men start an impromptu game of football that is quickly interrupted by the Super Adaptoid when he appears and catches a football. Without any small talk, he reaches for Marvel Girl, announcing his intention to transmute the X-Men into a replica of himself. Cyclops attacks him, but his beam is deflected by SA's hand held shield. Angel pushes SA's shield aside while Beast thumps him with his feet, knocking him down. Iceman tries to encase him again in ice, but this time SA easily breaks the ice barrier while speaking of "having adapted the powers of the four Mighty Avengers" as he pulls out a gas filled arrow and "FTAK!"s it to the ground, dropping the X-Men in their tracks.

As the SA makes plans to copy the X-Men's powers, none other than the Mimic appears. The Super Adaptoid offers to change the Mimic's body cells and nerve endings into solid state components thereby turning him into the Number Two Adaptoid and amazingly The Mimic accepts! But during the transformation process, Cyclops warns the Mimic to reconsider. Because the SA's real intent is only to convert the Mimic into an Adaptoid slave, at the last possible moment Calvin reconsiders, and interrupts the process. The SA threatens him with death.

Mimic uses a Beast stomp and then tries to blast the SA with his Cyclops optic beam, but no use, it is deflected. Gas filled arrows are flung at the Mimic who uses his Marvel Girl telekinesis powers to explode one, but it blinds him. The other two arrows miss. While the Mimic blunders around waiting for his sight to return, the SA plans on finishing him off with a fling of his big green shield, but Mimic's sight returns in time to avoid an impact as the Mimic launches into the sky and heckles the SA to follow him. They fight airborne while discussing the SA's misimpression about the demise of Captain America. Having snatched the Mimic by the leg, SA spins him around to the point of blacking out, but before hurling him to the ground, the SA stops long enough to try to make a Pantographic Tracing of the Mimic for the purpose of absorbing all of Mimic's powers.

But because the Mimic's powers are only "absorbed" and not permanent, something goes wrong as the SA is surrounded by an electrical black-lash. In an attempt to get free, he flings the Mimic towards the ground. Angel scoops the battered Mimic up (who is also loosing his powers), while the Super Adaptoid plummets to the ground watching most of his powers dissolve in the electrical mishap. But just before he splashes into the water and disappears, he expresses confidence that "the world has not yet heard the last of the Adaptoid"! The issue ends with the X-Men forgiving Calvin for saving their behinds, and Calvin actually discovers some humility and the value of friendship!

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Quote: Bobby Drake (Iceman) after taking many spills while ice skating using skates: "I'm beginnin' to think I should strap these skates on my backside!"
  • The Super Adaptoid does not like being called a "robot" as he is too good for that.
  • Calving Rankin (The Mimic) actually finds some humility in this issue.



Issue No.30 (1967)

[edit] Issue No.30- The Warlock Wakes! (1967)

  • Credits: Editer: Stan Lee; Script: Roy Thomas; Designer: Jack Sparling; Delineator: John Tartaglione; Letterer: Artie Simek; Manicurist: Irving Forbush.
  • Characters Introduced: The Warlock (see Note section).
  • Gadgets: Single-Person Hover Craft provided by Warlock.

[edit] Summary

A giant hand pulls the X-Men into an alternate space. Jean and the Professor end up in the presence of the Warlock who takes them underground to his hidden subterranean castle. The Warlock has a machine if turned loose on the human race would remove all knowledge of modern technology from their brains, allowing the Warlock and his gang to rule the Earth. The Professor helps the other X-Men escape the void. The Warlock in a sporting manner prepares a tournament and tells the X-men if they win, he will cancel his plans for world domination. The X-men win, the Warlock reneges on his promise, he is bagged by the X-Men and forced back into the coma (see Warlock backstory in notes section) he emerged from.


[edit] Story Details

This issue starts with a bang and barely a respite for the X-Men from their last adventure, when they are suddenly attacked by a giant hallucinatory hand which draws them into a visual funnel, but it places more attractive force on Marvel Girl, pulling her away from the others. Suddenly she finds herself with the Professor who has also been captured by a man dressed in exotic magically-themed clothing, who calls himself the Warlock! Xavier thinks they are somewhere in New England. The rest of the X-Men are left in a some kind of a void.

The Warlock seems to be attracted to Jean Grey. The Professor feels the effect of the Warlock who has the power to nullify the Professor's abilities and outright control Jean's mind as he summons a trio of winged stallions that he refers to as "created" mutants. The group of three mount the steeds and fly across the landscape arriving at a cave that is guarded by men in mid-evil armor armed with tommy guns. The Angel who has escaped the void, appears and follows them.

Inside the cave, the group switches to individual hover crafts for travel further into the depths where eventually they pop out into a huge cavern filled with a full size mid-evil castle armed with modern weapons and described by the Warlock as "part of his ultimate weapon that will bring "man's world crashing down around him-- and usher in the rule of... the Warlock"!

The Warlock then relates his past to the X-Men (See Warlock Backstory below) along with his plan to conquer Earth. His brain powered machine is designed to remove modern scientific knowledge from the minds of all humans, reverting them to a technology level equivalent to King Author's time. In this way the Warlock and his modern equipped army of thugs will rule with the Warlock as the Emperor of Earth!

After listening to this diatribe, Angel has had enough, figuring out that Warlock can only control one mind at a time, in this case Jean's (Marvel Girl). But as he attempts to slug the Warlock, Warlock has Jean stop him telekinetically! And then the Warlock using his "Evil Eye" places a mental suggestion on Angel making him think his wings are on fire, causing Angel to dive into a nearby subterranean river. Angel realizes it was a powerful mental suggestion but it felt real. The Professor feigns unconsciousness drawing the Warlock's attention, and stalling for time to allow him (Xavier) to pull the other X-Men out of the physical void where they were stranded by Warlock.

When the remainder of the X-Men suddenly appear, they are quickly immobilized as Warlock places a mental suggestion on all of them, sticking them to the floor. Then Warlock prepares a tournament with the intent of disposing of the X-Men in a sporting manner. Due to his extreme confidence, he offers the X-Men a wager that if they survive the tournament, he, the Warlock will abandon his plans to conquer human civilization and return to his crypt!

The tournament starts rather pathetically with a guy on a horse and a laser powered spear. Beast easily bests him and ends up mounted on the guy's horse. Iceman lays down a sheet of ice causing three more horsemen to lose control and crash, while Cyclops blasts a ledge full of bowmen. In hindsight, Warlock lacks realistic judgement by sending meagerly equipped humans against super-powered mutants. Swinging off his horse by means of nearby drapery, the Beast zeros in on Warlock to thump him personally, but he is disabled by telekinetic force bolts. However, Warlock observes the X-Men marshaling their forces and decides that a strategic retreat is prudent, so he flees through the castle, dragging Jean with him and leaving the Professor who is regaining his mental powers the farther Warlock gets away from him. The Warlock has reneged on his wager!

As the X-Men pursue the Warlock, both the Professor and Jean finally break free of Warlock's mental control. The Warlock blasts a castle tower hoping to crushing the X-Men, but Marvel Girl telekinetically knocks the heros out of the way. As Warlock turns on her, Cyclops blasts him, allowing the Beast enough time to flip the Warlock's cape over his head preventing him from using his "Evil Eye" suggestion ability on them. Then while the Beast holds the bagged Warlock, Xavier exerts mental control over him forcing him back into his coma (see backstory below).

As the episode ends, the X-Men mop up the remainder of Warlock's thugs. And as they head for home, Marvel Girl ponders Cyclop's intense concern for her during the time she was dominated by Warlock, wondering if Cyclops has feelings for her, and if so, why he has never said anything about it? The suspense of un-fullfilled X-Men love continues!

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • The X-Men Comics turn Merlin the Magician into a villian!
  • Warlock Backstory: (No.30 1967)- A super-human mutant who was first known as Merlin the Magician (King Author's Merlin) who has the ability to teleport, mind control, and control the environment to some degree. Centuries ago, the Warlock, a super-human mutant was known as Merlin the Magician (the famous King Author's Merlin) who sleeps through centuries in a coma only to awaken in modern times to be opposed by [Thor The Mighty Thunder God (ref: Thor Issue 96 and Thor Annual No.2). He is tricked into returning to his crypt in a New York City Museum where he was supposed to sleep for aother millennium. But Merlin was playing possum. After Merlin senses the absence of Thor from the Earth, he alters his appearance and awakens to be known as The Warlock! Of possible interest I could find no marvel.com reference for this specific character and a general online search revealed only fleeting details. There is a marvel character known as Adam Warlock who appeared in the Fantastic Four in the same time frame as this X-Men issue but his bio does not match up with this individual who claims to be Merlin the Magician from King Author's court.
  • Quote: As seems typical with X-Men villains, Warlock has a huge ego: "Your puny minds cannot suspect the true genius of my scheme!".
  • More Unfufilled X-Men Romance: Marvel Girl ponders Cyclop's intense concern for her during the time she was dominated by Warlock, she wonders if Cyclops has feelings for her, and if so, why he has never said anything about it?



Issue No.31 (1967)

[edit] Issue No.31- We Must Destroy The Cobalt Man! (1967)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Script by: Roy Thomas; Pencilling by: Werner Roth; Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters/Organizations Introduced: Candy Sothern'- the light of Warren Worthington's (Angel) youth; 'Cobalt Man' (Ralph Roberts, brother of Ted Roberts), 'Robert's Research Lab.'
  • 'Characters Featured: Zelda, Vera' (Beast and Iceman's dates); 'Ted Roberts, Bernard' (the Coffee A GoGo hippie poet).
  • Gadgets: Danger Room; Cobalt Man Suit; Repulsar Rays (in suit); Signal Devices in X-Men Wrist Watches.

[edit] Summary

At Metro College, Ted, Jean’s Friend, introduces her to his over achieving elder brother Ralph whom Ted feels to compete with, but no more than Ralph. Ralph is a former employee at Stark Industries, home of Iron Man. At Robert’s Research Lab, Ralph puts on a Cobalt suit he created to compete with Iron Man but something goes haywire and he kind of loses his bearing, deciding he must take down Iron Man and anyone who stands in his way. The X-Men have to defend themselves and end up splashing Cobalt Man in the river which short circuits his suit and brings him back to his senses.

[edit] Story Details

A typical day of smoke and flames starts in the Danger Room with the X-Men minus Marvel Girl and The Mimic. The Mimic is back at college taking courses. Cyclops thinks: "Angel is a great guy! I only wish we weren't undeclared rivals for the love of Marvel Girl!"

The Professor tells the lads that after fighting Banshee, Ogre, Super-Adaptoid, and the Warlock, they deserve a break and awe-oh, he is giving them the weekend off! Sure they will...

With somewhat of an ulterior motive, as in helping unfulfilled romance, plus giving the Professor some private time for experiments, Xavier asks Cyclops (Scott) to take the books on Columbian Civilization (that were used for reference in their fight with El Tigre) over to Jean (Marvel Girl) at the college. Angel (Warren) tells Scott he was going over to look up Jean so why doesn't he give Scott a lift - and - make Jean choose between the two of them! Scott accepts.

Beast (Hank) and Iceman (Bobby) prepare for their double dates with Zelda and Vera at Coffee A Go-Go, the Greenwich village coffee shop. Will they have interrupted dates? I vote no! While dressing, Hank once again laments his fate of being an X-Man and how he wishes to be just a regular Homo Sapien.

At the college, Ted, Jean's friend is introducing her to his older brother, Ralph, the older brother who over shadows him, and in no time Ralph challenges Ted to an athletic contest of Ted's choosing which is pole vaulting! During the vault, Ralph's pole breaks and he ends up cracking his head on the uprights. After recovering his wits, the trio meet up with Scott and Angel at a local diner. Ralph invites the group to visit Roberts Research Labs and everyone except Warren accepts. His feelings for Marvel Girl seem to be fleeting as he thinks: "there are other fair-haired fish in the sea and old Warry's gonna find 'em."

At Coffee A Go-Go, Hank, Bobby and their dates listen to Bernard, the hippie poet, who notices Zelda, and to Bobby's consternation invites himself to their table. Bobby quietly freezes his coffee to make him go away. Meanwhile across town, Warren has wandered into the Monkee's Paw, the "East-Side world of post-Twist teens and Watusi-ing teeny-boppers" and runs into Candace Sothern, a girl from his youth. They sit down to compare notes.

At the labs, Scott, Jean, and Ted are being lead on a tour by Ralph Roberts that includes a ship designed to travel to the Earth's core. But then Ralph takes his younger brother aside to show him a top priority project, a silver blue cobalt suit, except for the color is similar in appearance to Iron Man's suit. And it is revealed the Ralph is a former employee of Stark Industries (the home of Iron Man). Ralph dons the suit and proclaims his intention to prove it is a worthy competitor to Iron Man and then turn the suit over to the U.S. Government. Ralph also happens to mention the slightest of design flaws- if the suit is activated for more than 2 hours it starts producing deadly radio-active Cobalt 60 and may blow up. Instead of exiting the facility normally, Ralph feels the need to blast a hole in the ceiling with a built in Cobalt-powered Recoil Beam, takes off flying and then lands back in the lab. But something happens to Ralph. It might be that knock on the noggin in combination with wearing the suit is the cause, and in a common comic book occurrence, the good guy is turned into a villain. Ted is rewarded with a slap across the face rendering him unconscious as he tries to help Ralph out of Cobalt suit. Then Ralph, now referring to himself as Cobalt Man gets a fixation about Iron Man and "destroying the traitor". But leaving the lab, he destroys the equipment used to create the Cobalt suit.

Both Cyclops and Marvel Girl raced towards the calamity of equipment being destroyed but they both take a moment to reflect about the perfect romantic situation now being ruined by another event. In fact Jean is quite certain, Scott was just about to ask her on a date!!

Cyclops and Marvel Girl confront Cobalt Man, not knowing he is Ralph Robertson, who incidentally confirms his unsound state of mind but associating the masked mutants with masked Iron Man, so they must be Iron Man friends and traitors too! Then he becomes incensed when Marvel Girl mentions he has Repulsor Rays just-like- Iron Man, HOW DARE SHE!! Fighting takes place and Cobalt Man thinks he has finished the pair when he knocks down a large metal cab on top of them. He leaves the scene but the pair are safely inside the cab because Cyclops blasted a large hole in it as it fell on them. Cyclops uses his newly equipped signal device to mentally signal the Professor who then signals Hank and Bobby, no surprise, interrupting their dates. While farther Up Town Warren (Angel) gets the signal and promises to meet up with Candy in the near future.

At the Lab, Cyclops and Marvel Girl rendezvous with Ted Roberts who has regained consciousness and informs them Cobalt man is his brother Ralph as they jump in a van and head for Stark Industries. Mean while, Angel stops along the road in his Mustang to pick up Beast and Iceman, who were stranded by a cabby because they were broke and the three of them also head for Stark Industries.

Once there, Angel takes to the air where he runs into an aggressive Cobalt Man, who thinks everyone with masks are enemies. Angel does not know who he is. Beast and Iceman now costumed, appear and fight with Cobalt Man. Ted Roberts, Cyclops, and Marvel Girl appear and Ted tells the group that it is his deranged brother Ralph in the suit and if they don't stop him, Ralph will die because the suit will probably blow up after two hours use. The X-Men formulate a double diversion and then attack Cobalt Man. He ends up splashing in the river, which due to damage and water, short circuits the suit, rendering it inactive. This episode ends with Ralph coming to his senses, while Ted seems to suspect that Marvel Girl is Jean Grey and Cyclops is Scott Summers.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • The Beast again laments his fate of being an X-Man and how he wishes to be just a regular Homo Sapien.
  • Quote: From Bernard, the Hippie Poet: "Like, life is a yo-yo...and mankind keeps tying knots in the string!"
  • Quote: Cyclops to Cobalt Man: "All right, I don't know who you are under that helmet, mister, but it's a cinch you're ot the interior decorator!"
  • Ralph Robertson, Ted Robert's older brother, inadvertently becomes Cobalt Man.



Issue No.32 (1967)

[edit] Issue No.32- Beware The Juggernaut My Son! (1967)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Coproduced by: Roy Thomas & Werner Roth; Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Artie Simek; Catered by: Irving Forbush.
  • 'Characters/Organizations Featured: Juggernaut; Factor Three; Zelda; Vera; Candy Sothern; Benard; Satan's Saints (motorcycle gang).'
  • Gadgets: Energo-Transformer- used by Xavier to try to remove the effects of the demon Cyttorak from Cain Marko.

[edit] Summary

Iceman and Beast fight the Wild One-like motorcycle gang at Coffee A Go Go. The Professor tries to revive his step brother Cain Marko, Juggernaut. But during the experiment with both of them hooked up to a machine, Factor 3 interferes causing the machine to blow up, Juggernaut to wake up, and Xavier to be left unconscious on the floor. Juggernaut fights the X-Men at the school, but the fight is interrupted when he receives orders to head for Europe to rendezvous with Factor 3. Story continues in episode 33.

[edit] Story Details

Two parter, the scene opens at Coffee A Go-Go where Bobby Drake (Iceman) is getting a surprise birthday party, along with Zelda, Vera, Hank (Beast), and amazingly Scott Summer (Cyclops), and Jean Grey (Marvel Girl) appearing as a couple! But instead of just enjoying each other's company, you'll probably be annoyed reading their thoughts about each other, Jean wondering if Scott is just being polite and Scott is wondering if he waited too long to ask her out. The pain I tell you, the pain! Warren Worthington (Angel) shows up with Candy Sothern, a childhood friend he bumped into during the last issue at the Monkee's Paw. Bernard, the resident Coffee A Go-Go beatnik poet has written a 13 stanza ode to celebrate the occasion.

Back at the school, Xavier is in the final stages of an experiment behind a locked door. And it is revealed, Cain Marko, The Juggernaut, Xavier's evil step-brother is under the Professor's custody and has been in a comatose state since being subdued by the X-Men way back in Issue 13. But now he awakens!

Back at Coffee A Go-Go the party takes a decided turn for the worst as the coffee shop is invaded by a gang of motorcycle thugs reminiscent of The Wild One, who ride their hogs right through the front window to harass Zelda and the B-Day party participants! As told by Zelda, this is the Satan's Saints gang and she turned down their leader, Rocky Rhodes for a date. Without revealing their mutant abilities, Bobby sneaks in a little ice on the floor resulting in at least one SPLAT, Jean uses subtle telekinesis to cause a collision, Scott and Warren tilt a table just right to cause an surprised biker to go flying, and Hank without going too far over the top, manages an acrobatic kick to a biker's face. Collectively, the X-Men take the air out of the gang's bravado.

At the school, Xavier has created a Energo-Transformer, a device which he hopes will remove the effects of Cyttorak from his step-brother Cain. With both Cain and Xavier hooked to the machine, the Professor throws the switch sending the machine into action, but a 3rd alien mental presence appears causing the machine to blow up, and releasing Cain, who seems to be his same ole-evil self, The Juggernaut! As Xavier lays on the floor unconscious, Juggernaught dons his silly looking helmet and senses a presence/power which he attributes to having absorbed Xavier's mental powers, but really it's something else!

Wrapping up the birthday party, Bobby gets lucky back at Zelda's, as the recipient of a lip-to-lip smooch. And while walking in the park, Scott actually has enough courage to tell Jean that he's always been hesitant about personal relationships due to his energy eyeballs, but he does not tell her he loves her. Regardless, Jean is encouraged enough to pursue the relationship.

Skipping back to the school, we find Juggernaught hiding-in-wait for someone to return to the school so he can ambush them. And the victim is Angel who suspects something suspicious because the Professor is no where to be found and all of the lights are out. Angel heads for the basement lab, and just as he throws the power switch, something hurdles at him, which he senses and moves enough to avoid a direct impact. But as the lights flash on, he finds himself fighting the Beast as the rest of the X-Men (minus Mimic) appear ready for action. Before much can be said, Cerebro goes crazy, but in amazement the X-Men note that it is registering their names, the mighty X-Men, as it topples over in a crash.

The only place left to examine in the school is Xavier's private lab, which is normally off limits but under the circumstances, the X-men head down when suddenly the steps they are on turn into a ramp as the group topples to the bottom. As the X-Men regroup, Angel takes to the air despite Cyclop's objection and gets knocked unconscious by Juggernaut hiding in the corner. As all eyes, except for Angel's focus on Juggernaut, he announces his intention to destroy them as Cyclops call out to the group for plan F-1!! But Juggernaut is ahead of them now. Not only can he use raw energy against the group, due to absorbing Xavier's powers, he knows the moves they are going to use causing Beast and Iceman to crash into each other. Cyclops hits Juggernaut with the full force of his beam which has no real effect. And as Marvel Girl tries to levitate out of the basement, Juggernaut sends out sonic waves that interrupts Marvel Girls ability, causing her to fall. In triumph, Juggernaut prepares to bring down the school on top of the unconscious X-Men when he hears a voice in his head- "Forget the Professor, it is time to concern yourself with more important matters!" Factor Three (mentioned several issues ago) is in Juggernaut's head, and it is revealed they are the ones who caused the explosion that brought Juggernaut out of his coma and rendered Xavier helpless. They tell him to rendezvous with them in Europe and he drops everything to comply. This episode ends unresolved as the Professor hangs to life by a thread, the X-Men vow vengeance, and the Juggernaut heads for Europe via New York City.


[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • First real physical romantic act in X-Men history as Zelda plants a kiss on Bobby Drake (Iceman)!
  • Juggernaut wipes the floor with the X-Men (minus Mimic).
  • The Professor is hanging onto life by a thread.


[edit] Movie Parallels

  • Anyone for Marlin Brando and the Wild One? A biker gang assaults the X-Men while riding their bikes during Bobby Drake's birthday party.



Issue No.33 (1967)

[edit] Issue No.33- Into the Crimson Cosmos! (1967)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Coproduced by: Roy Thomas & Werner Roth; Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters/Locations Introduced: The Ancient One; Doctor Strange; Crimson Cosmos; Temple of Cyttorak; Xorak- Guardian of the Temple.
  • Characters/Organization/Locations Featured: http://www.marvel.com/universe/Juggernaut_(Cain_Marko) Juggernaut]; Factor Three; Crimson Cosmos.
  • Gadgets: Mental Wave Amplifier (first appeared in Issue 20) used to amplify a mutant's mental abilities.

[edit] Summary

Continuation of X-Men’s Factor 3 confrontation from episode 32. Juggernaut heads to NYC to steal and jet to fly to Europe to rendezvous with Factor 3. Scanning the Professor’s brain, Jean discovers the secret of Juggernaut’s power and she and Cyclops head to the Crimson Cosmos to retrieve the Ruby Prototype which will remove Juggernaut’s power. The other X-Men struggle fighting Juggernaut, but when Cyclops and Jean appear on the scene, Juggernaut grabs the Ruby Prototype, there is a huge explosion, and apparently Juggernaught is sucked into the Crimson Cosmos for good? The X-Men get back to the school to discover that the Professor is missing and presumed to be a prisoner of Factor 3.

[edit] Story Details

This is the second part of the second Juggernaut encounter. At the conclusion of the last episode, Juggernaut was tromping towards NYC with the intention of stealing an airplane to jet off to Europe and rendezvous with Factor Three. The National Guard confront him with powerful weapons, but beat a hasty retreat when they have no real effect on him.

Back at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Marvel Girl dons a Mental-Wave Amplifier to probe the Professor's mind for clues about his comatose state. (Last issue, a machine with both Juggernaut and Xavier hooked up to it, blew up after Factor Three interference, putting Xavier into a semi-coma.) Using the Amplifier, Marvel Girl sees a vision hundreds of years old of a young mystic The Ancient One approaching the Temple of Cyttorak in Korea (Juggernaut's source of power) to be confronted by a being who calls himself, Xorak, Guardian of the Temple. They engage in magical combat as the Mystic prevails forcing Xorak into the Ruby of Cyttorak, causing him to disappear into the Crimson Cosmos, a strange dimension associated with The Temple.

The X-Men lift Cerebro which fell over in the last issue so they can search for the presence of The Ancient One, who if still alive might shed some light on Cyttorak. As Cerebro cranks up, the X-Men hear a voice. An image describing itself as Doctor Strange appears and makes this statement: Who calls the Ancient One... Calls Dr. Strange! The Ancient One is no more. His essence has passed to me...his mystic disciple! I have come here from Stonehenge at great risk. The X-Men ask for information abut Cyttorak. The image tells them, that two of them must go on a dangerous journey to the Temple of Cyttorak. He offers to cast a spell to send two X-Men to the Temple to repeat an incantation. While everyone volunteers to go, Cyclops picks Marvel Girl to accompany him as he wonders "is she the best pick or is it just because I love her?". As the spell is cast, Cyclops and Marvel girl start to fade, as the image of Dr. Strange vanishes, but not before he happens to mention, the pair will only have one hour to complete their mission or else they will remain stranded in the Crimson Cosmos, forever.

Cyclops and Marvel Girl appear at the temple in Korea. When the pair views the ruby of Cyttorak, Jean is so beguiled she almost touches it, but Cyclops yells a warning, bringing her to her senses. Holding hands the pair repeat the Incantation and shrink into the Crimson Cosmos to face Xorak (from the Ancient One vision) who threatens them with death.

While half a world away, Juggernaut approaches The Metro Aircraft plant on the outskirts of NYC, while three X-Men fly to intervene in their fast helo. As the Juggernaut rushes them, they tilt the helo, whose engines are still running in an attempt to shred the Juggernaut with the helo blades, but they explode on impact without scratching the bad guy. As the Juggernaut hurls helo debris, the X-Men beat a fast retreat.

Back in the Crimson Cosmos, after they ask Xorak for the Ruby Prototype, he threatens Cyclops and Marvel Girl with... "THE SCARLET CIRCLES OF DOOM", twirly scarlet colored disks that unravel as they wrap themselves around the pair of X-Men. Marvel Girl uses her mental abilities to stop them, then hurl them back at their attacker. As they hit him, Xorak disappears. The two X-Men all most think the confrontation is over but while walking down a tunnel, suddenly crimson tentacles grow out of the walls to apprehend them and pull them towards an image of the giant face and gaping mouth of Xorak. Are they soon to become a Xorak snack? Then Cyclops remembers he has energy-eyeballs, and starts blasting the tentacles, followed by the face of Xorak, who again, abruptly vanishes. Marvel Girl worries that their hour is all most up. However as the pair come face to face with Xorak for the third time, he says the same exact thing as when they first arrived. Somehow the two X-Men realize "time" in the Crimson Cosmos has strange properties and as Jean checks her watch, it's ticking seems to terrorize Xorak. When Jean asks him a second time for the Ruby Prototype, he declines, until Jean levitates her watch towards him, causing him to submit. But before their eyes, Xorak ages hundreds of years and disappears leaving behind the Ruby Prototype. In a rush Cyclops and Marvel Girl hold hands and reach to grab the Ruby before their hour expires.

Magically they find themselves back at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, they jump into the X-Men jet and fly towards the conflict with Juggernaut at the Metro Aircraft Plant. In a shocker, as the Professor lays unconscious, alone and unguarded, he is joined by several mysterious figures who speak of "Factor Three and carrying out the Master's assigned tasks!"

Back at the Aircraft Plant, the X-Men lure Juggernaut into a wind tunnel where surprisingly it exerts enough force to pull him into the giant fan. Juggernaut survives but he is no longer on the ball, as the X-Men pummel him with attacks long enough for Cyclops to appear holding the Ruby Prototype. As the original Ruby gave Juggernaut its powers, the Ruby Prototype takes away the Crimson Ruby powers. In a mad dash Juggernaut snatches the Ruby out of Cyclop's hands but to everyone's surprise, in a huge explosion, Juggernaut is sucked into the Crimson Cosmos, presumably forever? The episode ends with the X-Men happy as clams zooming back to Westchester, N.Y only to discover, THE PROFESSOR IS MISSING!

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Quote: Temple of Cyttorak Incantation: "By dread Dormammu's deadly twin--by Hoggoth's hoar strands-- let these two now descend within the Ruby of Crimson Bands!"
  • Professor Xavier is kidnapped by Factor Three!



Issue No.34 (1967)

[edit] Issue No.34- War- In a World of Darkness (1967)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Scripting by: Roy Thomas; Inked by: Dan Adkins; Lettered by: J. Feldmann.
  • Characters Introduced: Mole Man; Tyrannus
  • Characters Featured: Ralph Roberts (formerly Cobalt Man); Ted Roberts.
  • Gadgets: The X-Men's Jet is equipped with an Auto-Giro Hovering Device; Ralph Roberts invents an Atomic Powered Earth Borer equipped with Super Cobalt Alloy; Mole Man's laser gun.

[edit] Summary

The X-Men are sidetracked from their Factor 3 encounter when Ralph Robertson, head of Robertson Research is abducted by Tyrannus to help him in his battle with Mole Man. Angel, Marvel Girl, and Iceman searching the underground caverns fight with Mole Man who exposes them to some river mists that put them under his mental control. Ralph is forced to help Tyrannus by coating his robot with super cobalt alloy so it can beat MoleMan’s Android. To make a long story short, Tyrannus’s robot blows up, the X-men briefly fight each other until the ones controlled by Moleman are sprayed with an antidote. Both Tyrannus and Mole Man are exposed to the mysterious river mists and left wandering the caverns wondering who they are.

[edit] Story Details

This episode begins with The Beast repairing Cerebro, while the X-Men ponder the significance of The Professor's abduction and Factor 3. Marvel Girl returns to her dorm room at Metro College to catch some sleep when she is informed by her room mate, Carole, that Ted Roberts has left an urgent message for her. On the phone, Ted tells her his brother Ralph has been captured and he needs the X-Men's help. Jean tries to deny any X-Men relationships, but Ted hangs up on her. A quick call results in Angel, Iceman, and Marvel Girl whisking to Robert's Research Labs on Long Island, N.Y. in the X-Men's hover jet.

At the lab, they meet Ted Roberts who tells them of a group of thugs, led by Tyrannus, a dude in a gladiator outfit that breaks into the lab and abducts Ralph. The intent is to use Ralph's invention of a super cobalt alloy against Tyrannus's enemy, Mole Man. The X-Men uses Ted's Atomic Powered Earth Borer, a vehicle allowing the X-men to follow Tyrannus to his underground palace. The team pops out in a huge underground cavern bathed in a emerald glow where they are attacked by Mole Man who is infuriated when they refer to him as Tyrannus. In a straight up fight Mole Man is no competition for the X-Men, so he leads them on a chase into a trap, where Angel, Marvel Girl, and Iceman are overcome by mists from a unique underground river called the Lethe and become servants of the Mole Man!

The scene switches to the prisoner, Ralph Robertson in Tyrannus's underground palace who is coating a giant robot constructed of diamonds with his Cobalt alloy. It's cooperate or death. Tyrannus reveals he must drink from an underground pool, he calls The Fountain of Youth or he will die.

In the cave, The Beast and Cyclops arrive aided by a note left by Angel, looking for their three companions. Under the Mole Man's influence, the compliant Angel, Iceman, and Marvel Girl look upon the 30' high Diamond Android, Mole Man has constructed to destroy Tyrannus. The Android is controlled by Mole Man's brain. It is sent to attack Tyrannus's palace. Tyrannus unleashes his now Super-Cobalt Alloy covered robot against the android for an epic battle. It appears Tyrannus's robot will be victorious, until Angel, under the control of Mole Man, attacks the Tyrannus's robot causing it to fall into a hot pool of lava where it explodes.

It turns out that Ralph Robertson, while coating the robot, sabotaged it by mixing in a low heat resistant substance while applying the Cobalt alloy. Before Tyrannus can figure out the treachery, Ralph wallops Tyrannus with his fist, but he is quickly subdued by Tyrannus's hench-men. Angel, still under the effect of the river mists, swoops in to attack Tyrannus on behalf of Mole Man, just as Mole Man is captured by Cyclops and The Beast. You may be wondering what happens when the two groups of X-Men come face to face. Here goes- Angel is incensed when he sees Mole Man under custody of The X-Men, and attacks them. But under the influence of the river mists, he is not that great of a fighter and Cyclops easily trips him before spraying Angel with an antidote to bring him, Marvel Girl, and Iceman back to their senses. The episode ends with an appropriate comeuppance- Cyclops exposes both Tyrannus and Moleman to the mists of the River Lethe and leaves the pair wandering the caverns wondering who they are, as the X-Men head for the surface in the Earth borer.


[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Quote: Marvel Girl regarding Cyclops: Scott's so thoughtful-- so selfless! Maybe, that's why I love him so!
  • The Professor has been abducted and missing since episode 33. Factor 3 was first mentioned in episode 28.
  • Quote: Angel Do unto others as they would do unto you, only do it first!.



Issue No.35 (1967)

[edit] Issue No.35- Along Came a Spider (1967)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Script by: Roy Thomas & Werner Wroth; Inked by: Dan Adkins; Lettered by: Jerry Feldmann.
  • Characters Introduced: A glimpse of a Mysterious Member of Factor 3 (Changeling).
  • Characters/Organizations Featured: Spiderman; Banshee; Factor Three;
  • Gadgets: Mechanical spider with paralyzing beam.

[edit] Summary

Xavier has been abducted by Factor 3 since episode 33. Banshee is on a mission helping Professor Xavier locate Factor 3’s hideout in the Alps. He is able to send a brief puzzling message “Beware the spider” to the X-Men before being captured. Factor 3 sends a flying saucer to snoop on the X-Men but Peter Parker (Spiderman) gets involved in a fight and destroys the mechanical spider the emerges from the saucer. Due to a misunderstanding the X-Men appear on the scene with “Beware the Spider” on their minds and without any talking decide they must apprehend Spiderman. Finally the mess is straightened out and the X-Men refocus on heading for the Alps and Factor 3.

[edit] Story Details

This is the second episode in a row, with Professor Xavier missing, abducted at the end of Issue 33 and is a captive of Factor 3. The cover is unusual because it is titled “Along Came a Spider” along with a portrayal of the X-Men fighting Spiderman. Why on Earth would they be fighting each other? Keep reading!

You also may recall, the Banshee was an unwilling participant in the Ogre and Factor 3’s plan to conquer the Earth (Issue No.28). In this issue, the Banshee, with information provided by Professor Xavier, is flying through the Alps of central Europe searching for Factor 3 with the declared intent of stopping them. He locates the hidden mountain fortress of Factor 3 but barely escapes when a mechanical spider guarding the entrance hits him with a paralyzing ray.

Back at Westchester, N.Y., Team X-Men is trying to figure out where Factor 3 has taken the Professor when an incoming message from the Banshee gets their attention. But Banshee is only able to send a brief message “Beware the spider” before collapsing and being captured by agents of Factor 3 who arrive in a flying saucer. A mysterious figure is shown sitting in front of a large video screen, the leader of Factor 3. After witnessing the capture of the Banshee, he decides to send a reconnaissance unit to the U.S. to evaluate how much the X-Men know.

The scene cuts to none other than Peter Parker, yes Spider Man, tooling down a road in Westchester County for rest and relaxation in the country when suddenly he spots a saucer shaped object circling the area. Hiding in an abandoned mill, Spiderman observes the saucer land and a large mechanical spider emerges. Upon becoming aware of Spiderman, it attacks him with the same weapon used on Banshee, but Spiderman avoids it and prepares to counter attack.

While Spiderman fights the spider, back at X-Men headquarters, Cerebro alerts the X-Men that a hostile mutant is in the vicinity of the school. They hop in the Professor’s Rolls Royce and race to the scene to confront what they think is an agent of Factor 3. By the time the X-Men arrive, Spiderman has defeated the mechanical spider inside the mill. Ironically, the X-Men arrive, spot Spiderman emerging from the mill, but miss the pile of rubble that used to be a mechanical spider, and based on Banshee’s warning, “Beware the spider” decide they need to apprehend Spiderman first and ask questions second. A protracted fight erupts between the X-Men and Spiderman, although the X-Men’s goal is to apprehend Spiderman and Spiderman mostly reacts defensively. In other words, everyone is pulling their punches. Finally Cyclops gets smart enough to appeal to Spiderman to stop fighting, although it has been the X-Men who have been attacking Spidey.

Back at Xavier’s school, Jean Grey (Marvel Girl) discovers Professor Xavier’s note about a crystal placed in Banshee’s headband that would allow them to contact the Banshee directly by adjusting Cerebro’s frequency, but her first attempt to communicate with the unconscious Banshee fails.

At the X-Men-Spiderman brawl, a 10 second truce fails as the X-Men mostly accuse Spiderman of being involved with Factor 3. Of course Spiderman has no clue about what the X-Men are talking about. But before the fight can ramp back up, the X-Men receive a message from Marvel Girl that Cerebro is no longer detecting a hostile mutant, and immediately they regret their actions towards Spiderman. Apparently Cerebro was detecting the mechanical spider (although it is not a mutant). With a minimal apology to Spiderman, the X-Men pile into their car and leave. Spiderman is left wondering what kind of nuts the X-Men are...

The episode ends at Xavier’s School, where Marvel Girl has located the Banshee and relays the info to her team. They prepare to depart for the Alps for a show down with Factor 3, and there is just enough time left over for some romantic thoughts between Cyclops and Marvel Girl.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Spiderman fights the X-Men!
  • The Professor has been abducted and missing since episode 33. Factor 3 was first mentioned in episode 28.



Issue No.36 (1967)

[edit] Issue No.36- Mekano Lives! (1967)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Scripting by: Roy Thomas-Ross Andru; Inked by: George Bell; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Mutants/Characters Introduced: Mekano (Tom Regal).
  • Gadgets:

[edit] Summary

Continuation of the X-Men’s encounter with Factor 3. The Professor has been missing since episode 33. Without the Professor and his vast resources around, the X-Men are broke and explore a variety of methods of raising cash so they can fly to Europe and save the Professor. Iceman and Beast become street performers at Washington Square Park. After getting the Professor’s Rolls towed, the X-Men catch a ride to the park with a stranger, Tom Regal. Little do they know that Tom is the neglected son of philanthropist Mr. Regal who has just built a new library. To get some attention Tom steals a mechanical suit from the Universities research lab to become Mekano and for some attention, starts trashing the new library. The X-Men fight him, ultimately save him from falling to his death, Mekano has a change of heart, makes up with his Dad, and his Dad gives the X-Men a reward large enough to get the Rolls out of impound and purchase airfare tickets for Europe. Now they can go fight Factor 3!

[edit] Story Details

Issue No.36, ‘’‘Mekano Lives’’’, unofficial title- ‘‘I Hate Books!’’, begins with the X-Men team standing around Cerebro discussing plans to rescue the Professor from Factor 3, a story line that started back in episode 32.

While upstairs in the Mansion, Beast is having a knock down drag-out fight with two burglars who have stumbled onto X-Men’s headquarters, known as Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. Beast prevails and the X-Men who can’t tolerate having their secret identities or headquarter location revealed, use Cerebro to erase the burglars’ memories of the X-Men and instruct them to surrender at the nearest police station. You may wonder if their short term memories have been wiped, what will they tell the police? They have a background of robberies and confess all. I’ll leave it up to you to decide if it would stand up in court. :)

Faced with traveling to Europe, the reader discovers without the Professor and his vast resources, Team X-Men are strapped for cash, as they consider various options to get themselves to Europe to rescue the Professor. The X-Men jet is low on fuel. Angel’s (Warren Worthington III) parents are away on vacation so he can’t ask them for airfare money. Although for a good cause, Angel and Marvel Girl drop in at the local welfare center and make up a story appealing for cash, which does not fly with the local administrator. Then they (Marvel Girl, Cyclops, and Angel) try to hire themselves out as construction workers and while doing so, the Rolls Royce gets towed because they parked in a No Parking Zone. At the construction site, they bump into Tom Regal, a stranger and college student, who offers them a ride over to Washington Square Park where Iceman and Beast have become street performers in an effort to raise cash by entertaining the crowd with amazing physical feats. I’m not making this up! The X-Men notice that Tom has some kind of personal issue.

And Tom is up to no good. After dropping off the X-Men, he sneaks a package to the top of the Washington Square Arch, and pops out dressed up as the newest villain in the X-Men world, Mekano wearing a mechanical suit! He proceeds to address the crowd, announcing he will destroy the new, about to be dedicated, library (no reason is given), and in a sinister turn, calls Iceman and Beast his closest friends, implicating them as accomplices, although he has never met them!

The action happens quickly as Iceman and Beast head for Mekano. The police manage to apprehend Iceman who is not at full “ice” strength due to performing for the crowd. Beast in a confrontation with Mekano gets flattened due Mekano’s great strength. Crashing through the doors of the library, Mekano starts to knock down shelves of books while cursing great authors! The reader must be wondering what Mekano’s real problem is?

As Cyclops and Angel prepare to do battle in the library, they are told to “freeze” by the police (who think the X-Men are bad guys), but Marvel Girl uses her telekinetic abilities to relieve the police of their weapons and float them out of harms way as Angel and Cyclops engage Mekano. Impetuous Angel, who forgets about teamwork, also gets flattened when he launches himself at the villain. Cyclops sends an energy beam warning shot at Mekano and gets rewarded by being knocked silly with a book shelf full of books as Mekano tells them to leave him alone!

Cyclops and Angel follow him through the library and Cyclops tries to reason with him but the result is a reading machine comes flying at him. In what I’m thinking is a first time event, instead of destroying things with his energy beams, Cyclops in his concern for destroying valuable property, is able to modulate his beam so that he is able to stop the object and gently lower it to the ground. Bravo! But Angel is insistent on solo attacks and again he fails as Mekano grabs him and sends him crashing into Beast and Cyclops. Instead of trying to finish the X-Men, Mekano decides to flee the scene using his powerful legs to jump out a window over to the adjacent building. As a dapper dressed gentleman emerges from a limo, the form of Mekano flashes overhead, but the jump goes awry as he misses and falls. His mechanical suit won’t protect him from a fall like this until Marvel Girl appears, using her telekinetic power to stop him in mid-air. As she lets him down, the rest of team X-Men appears along with rich, Mr. Regal, the dapper gentleman who is Tom Regal’s father and a philanthropist who has funded the new library. It turns out that Tom Regal has been feeling ignored by Dad and is just seeking attention by tearing up the library his father built. Father and son make up. Mr. Regal gives the X-Men enough money to buy tickets for Europe and get the Rolls out of impound, then he heads off with his son to return the stolen mechanical suit to the research lab. The episode ends with the X-Men boarding a plane for Europe and little do they know their departure appears on the view screen of the evil unnamed leader of Factor 3 who vows they will never reach his stronghold alive!


[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • The Professor has been abducted and missing since episode 33. Factor 3 was first mentioned in episode 28.
  • Quote: Burgler “I’d better make like a banana and split!”
  • Cyclops uses his energy beam to stop an object in mid air and gently lower it to the ground.



Issue No. 37 (1967)

[edit] Issue No.37- We, The Jury (1967)

[edit] Summary

Continuation of Factor 3 fight. The commercial airliner the X-Men are riding is attacked by a Factor 3 flying saucer. The X-Men bail out without parachutes, Cyclops destroys the saucer with an optical blast, and Bobby makes an ice ramp to facilitate a safe landing on terra-firma. After being captured by Factor 3, the X-Men are tried by a kangaroo court composed of former mutant adversaries, and found guilty of treason against Homo Superiors, the mutants. They are sentenced by the Mutant Master to have their wills sucked out of them by an Oblivio Ray. Fortunately they escape the machine, but the Mutant Master has left his fortress in the Alps with the X-men locked in and trying to figure out a means of escaping in time to prevent the Mutant Master from starting a nuclear holocaust between cold war adversaries, the United States and the Iron Curtain.

[edit] Story Details

In a continuation of X-Men's confrontation with Factor 3, Changeling, the second in command of Factor 3 is observing the memories plucked from the mind of Professor Xavier, specifically the X-Men’s defeat of Juggernaught so he can figure out how to beat them.

The first attempt occurs while the X-Men are flying on a commercial airliner. The Factor 3 flying disk zooms in and attacks the jet, misses, but gets the attention of everyone on the airplane. The X-Men decide to run to the back of the plane, force the door open and bail out. (Realism Note: Apparently they did not cause a rapid depressurization and are not bothered by the lack of 02 or extreme cold at 30k+ feet. Possibly the aircraft was getting ready to land.) Angel, Cyclops, and Beast hang on to one another. Marvel Girl and Iceman are in another group. Her telekinesis is slowing them down but not enough for a safe landing. Cyclops gets an energy beam shot off and destroys the craft although he regrets the act as he only meant to damage it, but what are you gonna do when you are falling through space? As he tries to rip off Angel’s coat to free his wings, Cyclops glasses blow off and when he tries to grab them, he slips away from the other two while keeping his eyes closed. Beast flies over to Cyclops to try to divert his fall, to avoid hitting an outcropping of a high mountain peak, but he does not have enough momentum so he yells at Cyclops to open his eyes. Cyclop’s blast knocks the rock away, but they are only moments from impact. Angel frees his wings and scoops all members of the team who are now falling in tandem, but as a group they are too heavy for Angel to carry, and Jean’s telekinesis powers are weakened, so it is up to Bobby Drake (Iceman) to form an ice ramp that grows as they fall, as he angles the rate of decent so they have a hard but survivable landing.

Moments after they land, they switch into their uniforms, when a large mechanical Factor 3 spider attacks them with it’s energy beam. Marvel Girl uses her telekinesis to turn the spider’s head so it blows itself up. But then, the X-Men are surrounded by more spiders and two hooded characters command that they join them against the humans or die! The X-Men decide to take their chances as Beast kicks two of the spiders off a cliff, then they beat a hasty retreat down into a valley covered in mist. Bad move, because it is a Factor 3 trap and the mist puts the X-men asleep!

Soon they wake up, finding themselves in a circle of light that they can’t escape and there in the video monitors are a group of their former foes- Vanisher, Unus, Blob, and Mastermind all members of Factor 3 and all gloating about the X-Men’s predicament. They are then addressed by the second in command of Factor 3, The Changeling standing on a platform with a shady personage, The Mutant Master sitting behind him as the pronouncement is made, "You are in a court of law, and anything which you say may be held against you!" The X-Men are being judged and the outcome in this court does not look good. The Mutant Master tells them they are "accused of betraying the cause of your fellow mutants by acting as the friends of the Homo Sapiens! For that you must die!"

One by one starting with the Vanisher, followed by Unis, the Blob, and Mastermind, tell their stories of how the X-Man have betrayed the Homo Superiors! At the end of the presentations, without being able to say a word, the X-Men are pronounced "GUILTY" by the shadiest group of their mutant peers. And before the Master Mutant pronounces the verdict, he feels compelled to describe how he is going to achieve world domination over the Humans, by causing an explosion at a meeting of Iron-Curtain Officials that shall be blamed on the United States, then by taking over an ICBM base, and launching all of its nuclear missiles at the Iron Curtain countries, thus plunging the Earth into nuclear holocaust! After that Factor 3 will be there to mop up the pieces.

After being zapped by a stun charge, the X-Men find themselves strapped to an apparatus designed to deliver an Oblivio-Ray to their noggins sapping their wills and making them completely obedient to the Mutant Master. But for some odd reason, the sentence is not carried out immediately giving the X-Men time to release themselves! Cyclops tells Iceman to form some icicles, then he has Marvel Girl levitate them and hold them over the machines circuits as they melt. The machine short circuits releasing the X-Men. Immediately they are confronted by a large hostile green, flame-thrower, machine gun equipped robot. In her love for Cyclops, Jean flips him out of the way, Bobby ices up the robots flame throwers, Beast stomps out it's optical sensor, and Cyclops gets off a blast causing it to rampage about blind. The X-Men leave the robot in search of the Master Mutant but they discover he has gone, he is implementing the scheme to start nuclear war, and they are trapped in Factor 3's fortress!

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • At the trial of the X-Men, Mastermind reveals that when the Stranger turned him to stone (Issue No.11), it was not a permanent spell and after reviving, he sought the comfort of other evil mutants.


Issue No.38 (1967)

[edit] Issue No.38- The Sinister Shadow of Doomsday! (1967)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Scripting by: Roy Thomas-Don Heck; Inked by: George Bell; Lettered by: L.P. Gregory.

Characters/Organizations Featured: Mutant Master; Changeling; Factor Three; Vanisher, Mastermind, Unus, Blob; http://marvel.com/universe/Banshee Banshee]'

[edit] Summary

The X-Men escape the Mutant Master’s hideout in the Alps. They know his plan is to start WWIII by killing Iron Curtain Generals and by taking control of and launching U.S. ICBM missiles at Eastern Europe. Cyclops and Iceman try to convince the U.S. military of the threat, but when they don’t buy, to the consternation of the military, X-Men start destroying ICBMs. In Eastern Europe, Angel, Beast, and Marvel Girl try to reach and convince the Eastern Block Generals of the threat, but land in the clink (a jail).

[edit] Story Details

The X-Men have escaped the Oblivio- Ray machine what would have turned them into mindless servants of the Mutant Master (MM) and they discover they are now the sole occupants of the Mutant Master’s hidden Alps hideout. A giant video screen lights up with a gloating Mutant Master bragging about how he’s going to finish off the Human Race no matter what the X-Men do. Beast’s large and supersensitive feet sense the vibration of a bomb under the floor and makes an urgent suggestion the X-Men leave at once which they do by commandeering two of Factor 3’s flying saucers and head for home base, Xavier’s School in Westchester, N.Y. As they circle over the mountain, it erupts in a giant explosion! If you’re not counting this is MM’s second failed attempt to finish the X-Men!

But it seems that all is not well in Mutant Master land, currently located in a giant sphere floating over the Earth, which serves as MM’s new hideout and is undetectable by radar.. An over-eager Changeling is put into his place by MM and there are hints the arrogant MM is going to double-cross Changeling in some fashion as Changeling ponders his relationship with MM. Just a reminder, MM’s plan is to set East against West in a WWIII nuclear holocaust by blowing up a bunch of Iron Curtain officials, and then taking over a U.S. ICBM base and launching all of its missiles at Eastern European countries.

Communications between MM and his henchmen are detected by Cerebro revealing the location of Factor 3’s operatives. The X-Men jump into their newly acquired saucers, Cyclops and Iceman heading for an ICBM base, Marvel Girl, Angel, and Beast in another, heading for the Iron Curtain meeting. As you knew she would, Marvel Girl wonders if she’ll ever see the one she loves again?

At the top secret conference in Eastern Europe, Angel, Marvel Girl, and Beast close in to warn the Generals about being blown up, but they are attacked by soldiers before coming face to face with Vanisher, Blob, and several more Factor 3 henchmen.

On MM’s sphere, Xavier and Changeling have a discussion about armageddon ending in a slap across Xavier’s face when he suggests Changeling is being used.

At the ICBM base Cyclops fails to convince the Commanding Officer that his precious ICBMs will be compromised in the near future. The Colonel throws them out, threatens to lock them up, and finally sends troops to engage Cyclops and Iceman as it appears Cyclops is blowing up ICBMs!

Back in Eastern Europe Angel and Marvel Girl, who have lost track of Beast (as he fought soldiers), are now dueling with Vanisher, Blob, and Factor 3 ray gun-wielding henchmen. Marvel girl shows much improved levitational skills in her ability to avoid Blob’s physical attack. Angel scoops ray guns from the henchmen before they can fire at him. Even more impressive is when Angel upsets Vanisher causing him to gas himself with his own weapon, and Jean uses her telekinetic powers to gather the sleeping gas around Blob and knock him out.

Unfortunately Vanisher manages to vanish, the Factor 3 android henchmen explode, dazing Jean and Warren and when they come to their senses, they are surrounded by soldiers and thrown in the clink (jail) along with Beast and the Blob. The issue closes with the Mutant Master gloating about how his plan is right on schedule (story continued).

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Marvel Girl is showing tremendous increases in her telekinetic abilities, her ability to dodge attacks and even gather poisonous gas and control it with her mind.


[edit] X-Men Origins I: A Man Called X

  • Issue No.38 includes a this special X-Men Origins section..
  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Scripting by: Roy Thomas, Werner Roth; Inked by: John Verpoorten; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Featured: Professor Charles Xavier, Cyclops, Agent Fred Duncan.
[edit] Summary

The public becomes aware of the so called mutant menace in the mid-1960’s causing near panic in some cities. Professor Xavier who is a virtual hermit in his Westchester, N.Y. mansion, and who previously vowed not to get involved in the affairs of Homo Sapiens, decides he must become proactive and heads for Washington, D.C. as the FBI starts an investigation into mutants. At a the guarded FBI building, Xavier displays impressive mental talents as he controls the minds of three guards, Obi-Wan Kenobi style, manipulating them into allowing him into the building, and then wiping their minds of the occurrence. In the same building, two FBI agents are watching a film of an accident where a falling air conditioning unit is disintegrated by a person, a mutant with an energy beam erupting from his eyes. You know him as Cyclops. And then out of the fear of his power the crowd turns on the mutant who flees. As the movie ends, the agents are surprised by Xavier who appears behind them, explains he is a mutant, and despite their best efforts to eject him (which they can’t) pitches his plan to locate and approach mutants to keep them from becoming a menace to the human race. Agent Fred Duncan accepts. This issue includes a Professor Xavier back story feature: A Man Called X.


Issue No.39 (1967)

[edit] Issue No.39- The Fateful Finale! (1967)

[edit] Summary

Finale of the Factor 3 conflict. Cyclops and Iceman prevent Mastermind and Unus from taking over the ICBM base. Angel, Beast, and Marvel Girl prevent the Russian Generals from being blown up. In the fight with the Mutant Master, it is revealed that it is a Siris, a large tentacled octopoid alien creature from the Siris Star System who wanted to conquer the Earth. All of the mutants good and bad fight the Siris and it kills itself after realizing defeat. Jean Grey has made the X-Men their 3rd new uniform design. (The last change was Issue No.27.)

[edit] Story Details

The Fateful Finale is the last X-Men Issue of 1967 and concludes the fight with the Mutant Master and his evil mutant cronies, Changeling, Vanisher, Mastermind, Unus, and Blob. The last chapter ended with Cyclops and Iceman getting ready to destroy an ICBM base and Angel, Beast, and Marvel Girl behind the Iron Curtain trying to prevent some U.S.S.R Generals from being blown up in the Mutant Master's plot to start World War III.

X-Mens' New Duds 1967

But despite appearances, Cyclops is not blowing up ICBM missiles. He and Iceman move to a building so that Iceman can ice over the air conditioning system, so that the evil mutants, (who ever they are) won't be able to pump the base full of poisonous gas so they can take control and launch ICBMs at Russia. Suddenly giant tentacles appear out of no where and plaster the X-Men against the wall. They are facing Mastermind, Unus, and some more Factor 3 androids. Iceman figures out that the tentacles are illusions. He and Cyclops are quickly able break free. The fight drags out until Cyclops directs Bobby to form some ice and fog. As they can't see much of anything, Mastermind and Unus decide to leave, having failed their mission. The 2 X-Men also escape in their flying disk.

Somewhere in Russia, Marvel Girl, Beast and Angel escape their prison by way of Marvel Girls telekinetic abilities with some help from Beast. As they confront the Generals, Jean levitates a briefcase out of one of the general's hands having mentally probed it and identifying it as the bomb that is about to explode. Remember, Marvel Girl has both telekinetic and mental abilities. Blob appears, fights the X-Men, and ends up with the brief case. He seems confident that he will be able to survive the blast. However Jean is able to plant enough doubt in Blob's mind about the true strength of the bomb he decides to leave quickly and Angel is able to fling the bomb way up in the sky as it explodes. The X-Men decide to leave quickly before the Generals try to apprehend them.

Somewhere in the mid-West U.S. Mutant Master lands his sphere. Soon after all of the X-Men arrive for a show down with MM, along with the evil mutants. Just as a huge battle is about to start, none other than Professor Xavier appears and is able to stop everyone in their tracks with a warning about the Mutant Master's true intentions. WWIII would render the planet uninhabitable to Humans and Mutants alike. As Xavier confronts him, Mutant Master gets a bit panicky and all of the mutants realize the Professor is telling the truth. All mutants present, good and bad move to attack MM as he unleashes his Factor 3 androids to fight back.

Just then the Banshee awakens to view all of the mutants fighting side by side against MM and his androids. He lets go a powerful wail (his weapon) and the nearby androids blow up. Not only that but the mobile platform that the Mutant Master rides around on, comes apart to reveal an incredible sight. The Mutant Master is not only not a mutant, but he's not Human either- It is an alien, a Siris to be exact, a large tentacled octopoid creature from the Siris Star System who wanted to conquer the Earth. As it faces defeat, the Siris pushes a button that blows up all remaining Factor 3 androids and kills himself. The good and bad mutants end up standing there facing each other, but instead of more conflict, decide to call it a day and they all head home.

Back at X-Men headquarters, the X-Men do get a reward. Jean Grey with the Professor's permission has created new individually unique uniforms for the X-Men to wear and they are thrilled with them! Cyclops has primarily a dark blue uniform. Angel is yellow and red. Beast is red with dark blue extremities. Iceman as mostly he is covered in ice looks about the same and Marvel Girl is now in a green, sleek, sexy, short, one piece outfit. What could be better? Maybe a little spending money... ;)

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • The Mutant Master fails in its quest to conquer the Earth.
  • The 3rd uniforms for the X-Men- Marvel Girl (Jean Grey) creates new duds (clothes/uniforms) for the gang.


[edit] 1968

Issue No.40 (1968)

[edit] Issue No.40- Mark of the Monster (1968)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Scripting by: Roy Thomas, Don Heck; Inked by: George Tuska; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
  • Characters Introduced: Frankenstein's Android (I mean Monster.)

[edit] Summary

Sorry folks, no story details for this one as it is the weakest X-Men concept to date. The Professor senses a discovery in the Arctic, long lost Frankenstein's monster (as created by Mary Shelly) has been located frozen in a slab of ice and sent to the NYC Museum for study. It wakes up, the X-Men go to confront it, hoping they can make friends, but it does not like "costumed characters" and fights them displaying special abilities like incredible strength, energy eye-balls, sticking itself to the floor, and stomping shock waves. After kicking X-Men buttock, the Monster somehow boards a ship underway, with the X-Men in pursuit. More fighting and Iceman ends up dousing it in heaps of ice causing it to explode. It's probably better if you don't wonder why it did not explode before when it was in a block of ice...

Who was the monster android? An ambassador sent to earth to make contact with mankind by un-named "costumed" aliens, but due to a "malfunction" it went bonkers. The Aliens chased it to the Arctic but lost track of it. When it woke up the appearance of costumed characters, the X-Men, set up the confrontation and it's demise. Poor android.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Weakest X-Men story line.

[edit] Movie Parallels

  • Frankenstein monster is an android!



Issue No.41 (1968)

[edit] Issue No.41- Now Strikes...The Sub-Human (1968)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Scripting by: Roy Thomas and Don Heck; Inked by: George tuska; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Introduced: Grotesk, Dr. Hunt.
  • Characters Featured: Zelda and Vera, girl friends of Iceman and The Beast.
  • 'Gadgets:'Iceman Ice Boomerang, Nuclear Occilator.

[edit] Summary

Prince Gor-Tok, is seeking to destroy the Human Race in retaliation for accidently destroying his subterranean civilization (because of nuclear bomb testing), killing all those he knows and loves, and dousing him with radiation, turning him into a very strong mutant. Now known as "Grotesk, The Sub-Human" he is seeking out the Nuclear Oscillator, an invention of a Dr. Hunt which can be used to cause Earth tremors and possibly rip the Earth apart. Exactly what Grotesk has in mind. The story is continued in the next issue. This issue also includes a Cyclops (Scott Summers) back story feature: The Living Diamond!

[edit] Story Details

The Sub-Human who lives in the Sub-Way... well, not really, but that is where the X-Men, Beast and Iceman fight him after he messes up their double date with Vera and Zelda by stopping the subway train they are riding. When Bobby and Hank come out to investigate, the Sub-Human attacks them. When Hank refers to him as "grotesque", the Sub-Human who has some memory problems, adopts the name Grotesk and then escapes down a tunnel which he seals behind him.

His real name is Prince Gor-tok and as his memory returns to him, he remembers belonging to a great underground waring civilization about to invade the upper world when the Earth shattered due to a tremendous nuclear explosion (human testing). The blast which destroyed this underground civilization was followed by radiation that killed all of his people including his princess, Ingar and turned him into a mutant. Returning to the present, the sole survivor, he declares himself Grotesk, the Sub-Human and vows vengeance!

Meanwhile at Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, the Professor is out of sorts as he verbally rips into his students, the X-Men while they practice their mutant skills. At the end of the session, Xavier asks Jean (Marvel Girl) to accompany him for a word in private leaving the rest of the X-Men frustrated with his stern demeanor. Away from the others, the Professor explains to Jean that it is vital that the X-Men work as a team and she responds, "If only you'd tell the others what you recently told me...!" The Professor declines and asks her if she is ready to continue... the experiments?

At Nearby Archer College in Manhattan, Dr Hunt has created a Nuclear Oscillator, a device that can be used to create Earth tremors. (It's not made clear why such a thing would be invented.) But after Dr. Hunt proves his machine works, he is warned by his superiors to cease at once, as it might cause a chain reaction that tears the Earth apart. Down below, Grotesk feels a tremor and senses this too is coming from the world of humans. As he climbs for the surface, Grotesk decides what ever is causing it, if machine, he might be able to use it destroy the Earth and it's masses of humans, not caring if he perishes in the process.

The Professor has something going on behind the scenes and without informing the X-Men, commands them to locate Grotesk in the caverns. They descend into the Earth and discover the remains of the Grotesk's subterranean civilization while Grotesk invades the lab at Archer College. Unable to find "the device" Grotesk, takes a lab worker hostage and returns to his lair.

Angel and Iceman return to X-Men Headquarters to inform the Professor what they have found, but they run into an elusive and distracted Marvel Girl. Meanwhile, down in Grotesk's cavern, Cyclops and Beast run into Grotesk as he threatens the lab worker with death, if he does not reveal where the Nuclear Osscilator is located. (story continued)


[edit] X-Men Origins II: The Living Diamond!

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Scripting by: Roy Thomas and Werner Roth; Inked by: J. Verpoorten; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Introduced: Jack O' Diamonds (Jack Winters) - powers: mental and teleportation, great strength and diamond hard hands.
[edit] Summary

The back story of Scott Summers (Cyclops). The scene opens before the days of the X-men, with Scott Summers accompanying an evil mutant called Jack O' Diamonds to a Nuclear power plant to be confronted by Professor Xavier. Whatever the evil deed on Jack's mind, the Professor is holding him stationary with "mental bolts" as Jack commands Scott to attack the Professor. But Scott declines. Jack uses his "diamond hard" hands to tear out a support structure and fling it at the Professor. The Professor mentally deflects it, but Jack has done enough damage to cause the part of the structure to collapse. He and Scott barely escape outside. Scott is worried about the fate of the man in the wheelchair.

The narrative reveals that Jack wants to use Scott's optic energy beams to break into the Cyclotron Center so that when he (Jack) takes an "atomic bath" (exposure to radiation), it will turn his entire body into a diamond hard material just like his hands. As Jack exposes himself to radiation, outside the young Scott Summers is holding off the police, not because he wants to help Jack, but because he is convinced that if they get inside, Jack will kill them. The Professor knocks out all of the guards using his mental powers and tells Scott to follow his instructions. Although Summers does not know who the Professor is, he trusts him and obeys. Inside the nuclear facility, Jack O' Diamonds has succeeded in turning himself into a living diamond. (Story continued as part of Issue No.42).



Issue No.42 (1968)

[edit] Issue No.42- If I Should Die...! (1968)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Scripting by: Roy Thomas & Don Heck; Inked by: George Tuska; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Featured: Grotesk
  • Gadgets Featured: Solar Orbs- used to temporarily blind people.

[edit] Summary

Part II of Grotesk encounter. The Professor and Marvel Girl are up to something and not telling the rest of the X-Men. Cyclops and Bobby fight Grotesk in his cavern, while Angel verbally accosts Marvel Girl and demands to see the Professor. Grotesk escapes and heads to the surface to take control of the Nuclear Oscillator, his plan being to rip and Earth apart killing all the Humans (and himself) in revenge for the snuffing of his civilization during a nuclear bomb test. In a show down, the Professor and X-men fight Grotesk, he all most succeeds in causing the Oscillator to rip open the Earth but the X-Men through their delay tactics foil his plans. When Grotesk tries to force more power out of the Oscillator, it explodes, killing him. And speaking of death, in a shocker of an ending, Professor Xavier apparently dies in the arms of Angel!

This issue also includes a second Cyclops back story feature: The End or the Beginning!


Death of Professor X! (1968)

[edit] Story Details

The story starts an image purporting to show the death of Professor Xavier! Do you believe it? Angel is yelling at Marvel Girl demanding to see the Professor and for her refusal to accompany them back to Grotesk's underground cavern. The Professor appears and tells them that Cyclops and Bobby can handle themselves and that they, Iceman, Angel, and Marvel Girl are to remain at X-men headquarters. Angel can't believe this is the Professor talking.

In the mean time down in the caverns, Beast and Cyclops are having a knock down fight with Grotesk. As an Earth tremor occurs, Grotesk sees the vision of a man operating a machine, the Nuclear Oscillator and decides that destroying the Earth is more important than his fight with the X-men, so he suddenly leaves obscured in a mist whose exterior is hard as rock. Cyclops and Beast can't follow him, so they return to Xavier's School.

At the school, Cyclops demands to see Xavier, but when he makes a move, Marvel Girl, following Xavier's orders, levitates Cyclops to prevent him from leaving the room. Just as Marvel Girl faces a mutiny of angry X-Men, she tells them that Xavier want's to see them.

The scene switches to an undisclosed location as Grotesk bursts through the wall, having located the Nuclear Oscillator. He snatches up the person operating the machine, who turns out to be... Professor Xavier! The narrative explains that the Professor wanted to lure Grotesk to the machine so he could handle him alone and not endanger the rest of the X-Men. As Grotesk turns to activate the machine, he is gripped by an unseen mental power that commands him to turn away from the machine. A mental duel ensues between Xavier and Grotesk and amazingly, Grotesk finds the handle to turn on the machine and... Angel appears. The Professor tells Angel to turn off the machine before it is too late! Wielding"solar orbs", Angel momentarily blinds Grotesk who takes off in pursuit as Marvel Girl tries to turn off the machine, but the handle is jammed and an ominous vibration starts to be felt. Both Marvel Girl and the Professor concentrate their hardest blasting the machine with their mental power. Alerted, Grotesk leaves the fight with the X-men and returns to the machine where he tries to increase its power output, inadvertantly causing the Nuclear Oscillator to explode, killing him.

In a most shocking ending, the Professor weak and lying in Angel's arms, explains that he is dying from an un-named illness, this is why he pushed the X-men so hard and why he tried to take care of Grotesk alone. Moments later, he expires, as in dies, done, dead, finito! The Professor is gone, leaving the X-Men in total shock! Can this be or is it one of those tricks sneaky comic writers like to pull??

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • First time Cyclops uses his optic beams as rockets to move himself out of the way of a hurled object and to slow down Angel who is thrown with great velocity by Grotesk.
  • Professor Xavier dies at the end of this episode!

[edit] X-Men Origins III: The End or The Beginning?

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Scripting by: Roy Thomas and Werner Roth; Inked by: Herbe Trimpe; Lettered by: Al Kurzrok.
  • Characters Featured: Jack O' Diamonds (Jack Winters) - powers: mental and teleportation, great strength and diamond hard hands
  • Gadget Featured: Ultra Sonic Vibration Inducer.
[edit] Summary

The conclusion of Cyclops back story started in Issue No.41. "I'm the Living Diamond!" spouts Jack O' Diamonds after exposing himself to radiation at a nuclear power plant. Professor Xavier tries to talk sense to Jack but when he attacks the Professor, Scott (the future Cyclops) blasts him with his optical beam. The Professor and Scott rush inside the facility and locate an Ultra Sonic Vibration Inducer, described by the Professor as a machine designed to test the reaction of radio-active isotopes under stress. Jack is noticing that his movements are slowing and the Professor warns him several times "for his own good" to stop. Jack refuses to listen and attacks the Professor a second time. Scott turns on the device as the Professor warns Jack to stand still. But Jack who refuses to give up his "diamond state" struggles until, KA-BOOM he is blown to smithereens! Xavier tells Scott he wants to form a team of mutants to do good things, and wants Scott to lead the group. Scott accepts and becomes the first X-Man.



Issue No.43 (1968)

[edit] Issue No.43- The Torch Is Passed! (1968)

  • Credits: Editing by: Stan Lee; Scripting by: Roy Thomas & George Tuska; Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Featured: Magneto, QuickSilver, Toad, Scarlet Witch.

[edit] Summary

Magneto is back, along with Toad, Quick Silver, and the Scarlet Witch. After becoming aware of the Professor's death, Magneto intends on marshaling his forces to finish off the X-Men. This episode also reveals that while Magneto tries to portray himself as a benefactor of Quick Silver and the Scarlet Witch, in reality he is a manipulative bad guy with treacherous plans for the brother-sister pair. The X-Men track Magneto to his new secret hideout on an island in the Atlantic where they engage in battle and appear to be electrocuted at the end of the episode (to be continued).

This issue also includes a third Cyclops back story feature: Call Him Cyclops!

[edit] Story Details

I'm still reeling from the death of Professor Xavier! As the X-Men are observed in Magnetos "view" globe attending a funeral, he expresses sincere regret it was not he who was able to snuff out the Professor's worthless life! Magneto decides now is the time to gather his forces and attack the X-men. Then Magneto yells for "Quick Silver!" Where the heck is he? I'll tell you, he's flashing to Xavier's funeral. The "why" is really unknown, possibly regret but when the X-Men spot and cautiously approach him, in a spooked state he runs back to Magneto deciding the evil mutant is the only one he can trust. But he does not realized that Magneto knows he went to the funeral...

Back at Xavier's mansion, the X-Men discover a video made by Xavier that explains: 1) He died from an un-named disease. 2) He trained Jean in telepathy to take over some of his abilities. It looks like the X-Men are on their own.

Magneto's headquarters are now on an island out in the Atlantic. When Quick Silver returns to Magneto he is greeted by none other than Toad, whom we last saw stranded on a planet far far away having been abandoned by Magneto! But it looks like Toad is in Magneto's service once again. Quick Silver seeks out his sister Scarlet Witch who has been sick and lost her hex abilities. It is revealed that Quick Silver regarded Xavier as their only friend and hoped that he could help cure his sister. And while Quick Silver regards Magneto as cruel, he also is looking to him for a cure for the Scarlet Witch. However, the plot thickens when it is revealed that not only was it Magneto who manipulated a bullet to manipulate the brother-sister team of Quick Silver and Scarlet Witch to join him (Avengers Issue No.49 is mentioned), but that he also has treacherous plans for them!

Magneto is looking for a ship reportedly carrying a computer he needs to create emanations designed to blanket the Earth turning the human population into slaves. He also claims it will help him help the Scarlet Witch's hex abilities.

It turns out the ship is a trap with the X-Men onboard. But who is trapped? They are taken by surprise when entire ship is lifted out of the water! They recover and invade Magneto's island to fight the evil mutant. Quick Silver makes a fast appearance but does not really get involved in the fight. However the episode ends with Magneto gloating in apparent triumph as he throws a switch electrocuting the floor and the X-Men! (Story continued next issue.)

[edit] X-Men Origins IV: Call Him...Cyclops

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Gary Friedrich; Layout by: Don Heck, Pencilled by: Werner Roth, Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Sam Rosen .
[edit] Summary

The third special section on Cyclops in recent issues. The first two were background stories on how Scott Summers met Xavier (Issue No. 41& 42). This one explains how Cyclop's powered eyeballs work. Scott Summer's brown eyes store Sun light like batteries and emit this energy as a red energy beam. Unfortunately he can't control it and any time he opens his unshielded eyes, this very disruptive beam has a habit of destroying whatever he is looking at. It is specifically stated that the beam created by Cyclops eyes is primarily force, not heat. However the FX department for X-Men movies may not have it quite right as when in the Origins Wolverine Movie, Sabertooth tackles Scott Summers in school and the destruction cut through the exterior of the school appears to have a heat effect with glowing edges. (However we also know that the makers of the X-Men movies have constructed a separate X-Men universe with very little correlation to the comics so no surprise there.)

To compensate Cyclops either wears sunglasses made of Ruby Quartz when in civilian clothes or when in his X-Men uniform, a special visor (of the same material) that can retract instantly when he presses a button on its side. A secret until now, Cyclops has buttons in the palms of his hands that control the visor so he does not have to raise his hand to use it. If you've been reading recent issues, he is gaining some control over the beam, being able to modulate its width and strength to a less destructive, more manipulative state such as when he used it in the fight against Grotesk to in essence catch/decelerate Angel who had been flung at great velocity. As described in this section, he can also use this force to pull objects, using it to slow down a vehicle traveling away from him, but I have never witnessed this this ability during an episode(-Dave Peck). Any regular readers of the series knows that the effectiveness of his optic beams depends on what and who he is using it on.


Issue No. 44 (1968)

[edit] Issue No.44- Red Raven, Red Raven! (1968)

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Gary Friedrich; Layout by: Jon Heck, Pencilled by: Werner Roth, Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Introduced: Red Raven.
  • Characters Featured: Magneto, QuickSilver, Toad, Scarlet Witch.
  • Gadgets:

[edit] Summary

After being shocked into unconsciousness at the end of the last issue, the X-Men are locked up by Magneto's henchman Toad, and is supposed to be guarded by Quicksilver. Angel who is locked up in an electrified bird cage, finds a strange device conveniently located just outside his prison and uses it to disintegrate the bars. He escapes, runs into a gale while flying back to NYC, lands to rest on an island that raises up out of the ocean, discovers a secret scientific complex, is confronted by and fights Red Raven, gets zapped by a ray gun and when he wakes up, he is floating on a plank of wood and the island is gone! He takes off continuing the trek to NYC, seeking the Avengers help. (Story continued in Issue No. 45.)

This issue also includes the first Iceman (Bobby Drake) back story feature: The Iceman Cometh!

[edit] Story Details

The X-Men- Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, and Marvel Girl lie unconscious at the mercy of Magneto with Toad bouncing around urging him to kill them. Quick Silver Intercedes, asking Magneto if he would stoop so low as cold blooded murder? Magneto responds, "NO, I must savor this victory and who knows after such a defeat, maybe they will join us!" And Magneto adds that he will hold Quicksilver responsible for their safe keeping as each of the X-Men are locked into custom devices designed to negate their powers.

As the X-Men regain consciousness, they are surprised and disappointed to see Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch standing over them and accuse them of joining Magneto. Quicksilver makes a case that Homo Sapiens have mistreated them so they have no choice but join the cause of Homo Superior. Then they leave.

Angel sitting in his electrified bird cage spots some kind of device laying just outside the bars. He manages to reach it and to his surprise, it acts like a laser disintegrating the bars of his prison. Quickly he makes it to the other X-Men, but Cyclops feels this is some kind of trap. He urges Angel to leave as quickly as possible and seek out the Avengers for help. Magneto commands Quicksilver to apprehend Angel to prove his loyalty and it is revealed that Quicksilver can fly but only for a few minutes at a time. Angel easily outmaneuvers Quicksilver and gets away but Quicksilver does not really mind, although he's gonna be in big trouble with the big-M.

Angel heads for NYC but gets caught up in a raging gale and exhausted, lands on a small bit of coral rising above the waves. Suddenly the little spec of land, rises up into an island. But this is no ordinary island, it has a metal door the opens beckoning Angel inside where he discovers a vast scientific complex. And then he is confronted by Red Raven who attacks him, claiming that no man is allowed to enter the sanctuary and that no man can be allowed to live to tell of it! But as Angel gets the upper hand, suddenly Red Raven desires to chat. He tells Angel that he is a human who lived with the Bird Men on a floating island in the sky, normally obscured by a severe storm. (See backstory below.) It is his duty to re-sink the island, and prevent war between the Humans the the Bird Men. He zaps Angel with a ray gun, and adds a touch of anti-gravity to the now unconscious Angel, so when the island sinks, Angel will remain afloat. Angel awakens on a plank of wood, the island is gone, and he launches into the air seeking help from the Avengers.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • First X-Men Issue credited to writer, Gary Friedrich.

[edit] Xmen Origins V: The Iceman Cometh!

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Gary Friedrich; Drawn by: George Tuska , Inked by: John Verpoorten; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
[edit] Summary

A special section describing Iceman's (Bobby Drake) background, pre X-Men, who is seen walking his date Nancy Harmon home, when he is viscously attacked by three thugs, apparently one of them (Rocky Beasely) wanting to show Ms. Harmon who the real man is. As Rocky makes off with Nancy, she screams for help. At the time of this story, Bobby knows about his powers and decides he must act, covering Rocky in a sheet of ice. Rocky's two companions are shocked. Nancy, although grateful is scared of Bobby and tells him she never wants to see him again! Four normal kids have seen Bobby's talent and the word spreads through town. In no time, an angry mob appears outside the Drake's residence with the intent of apprehending Bobby or worse. In self defense, Bobby pelts them with snow balls but he is apprehended and tossed into jail. Professor Xavier and Cyclops become aware of Bobby Drakes circumstance and decide to go get him. (Continued in Issue No.45.)

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Quote: Angel to Red Raven- "You jokers are all alike! The minute things go against you... your suddenly ready to go to the conference table! But since I know now I can lick your weight in Hobbits any day, I'll lend an ear!
  • Backstory of the Lost Race of Birdmen: When Red Raven was a child, while flying with his parents to the U.S., their aircraft crashed on an island in the sky, the Home of the Bird People! He was the only survivor and was raised by the Bird Men. On his twenty first birthday, Red Raven realizes he is not like the Bird Men, but is actually a human of the race whom the Bird Men plan on attacking and urges them to reconsider, but he fails to change the head Bird Man's mind. As the bird men prepare to attack the U.S., Red Raven opens a valve releasing suspended-animation gas because he is sure, the Bird Men will be wiped out if they attack the humans. Then he pushed a button which separated the military complex of the Bird Men from the floating island allowing it to sink into the ocean hopefully not to be disturbed for twenty years, upon where the island would raise up and the Bird Men warriors would awake! That day is the day Angel landed on the little rock in the ocean. Note during this part of the story, it is not told how Red Raven gets his wings. Red Raven continues the story saying it is his duty to start another twenty year cycle of suspended animation and resink the island.



Issue No.45 (1968)

[edit] Issue No.45- When Mutants Clash! (1968)

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Gary Friedrich; Layout by: Jon Heck, Pencilled by: Werner Roth, Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Featured: Magneto, QuickSilver, Toad, Scarlet Witch, The Avengers.

[edit] Summary

Cyclops escapes and fights with Quick Silver resulting in a stalemate as both mutants end up crawling on the floor, however Quick Silver is unconscious. As Cyclops tries to revive him, the Avengers show up. The conclusion is contained in Avengers Issue No.53- In Battle Joined! The short summary of the conclusion can be read below under Story Details.

This issue also includes the second Iceman back story feature: And the Mob Cried Vengeance!

[edit] Story Details

Having no idea what is taking Angel so long to return with help (hopefully the Avengers), Cyclops actually is able to burn through the lead shield surrounding his visor. Breaking free, he searches for other X-men and discovers Marvel Girl in a cell, unconscious. Toad spots Cyclops and hops off to tell Magneto with Cyclops in hot pursuit. Angel makes it back to NYC but the reader is informed, they will have to read Avengers No.55 to see what luck Angel has seeking help from the Avengers. Cyclops comes across QuickSilver who desires to talk with him, but Cyclops apparently in no mood to talk, takes a shot at QS with an optic blast! The scene switches to Toad who eagerly tells of Magneto of Cyclops, but as is the fate of poor sniveling Toad, he is rewarded with a magnetic blast for allowing Cyclops to escape! Magneto holds Toad in very low regard.

QS gets Angel to listen as he pitches what he thinks is Magnetos vision of a separate sanctuary, a country for mutants. Cyclops thinks there is something not quite right about QS's idea. After being rejected, QS attacks Cyclops with a mighty punch! Optic beams fly as QS bounces around the room avoiding his beam, but Cyclops manages to get his hands on QS and throw him. QS gains the upper hand when he grabs some graphite padding and shoves them in Cyclops eyes, but Cyclops still manages to hold onto QS. Above the fray, Magneto wonders why Quicksilver is not finishing off Cyclops as the Scarlet Witch helplessly observes the fight between her brother and the X-Man. Finally, QS wacks Cyclops with his fist, but as Cyclops starts to black out, he lets go an optic blast which luckily ricochets and solidly hits Quick Silver knocking him out.

As Cyclops regains his senses, he sees an unconscious Quick Silver, who he tries to revive, but is then interrupted by... The Avengers! The End! In an aggravating bit of Marvel marketing, the reader is told to read the cataclysmic conclusion of this two parter in Avengers Issue No.53- In Battle Joined!.

Avengers No.53 Summary as described at Comic Vine. In case the above link ceases to work in the future here is a shortened summary: It appears that Angel located the Avengers but they discover a miniature bugging device in Angel's wings and think he is working with Magneto. Despite his protests they tie him up and leave him behind. Cyclops is trying to revive Quick Silver when the Avengers arrive. They tell him to freeze, but instead he runs away not sure if this one of Magneto's tricks. Regarding Toad's relationship to Magneto, he is the only evil mutant who appears to be totally devoted to Magneto but reaps abuse constant because the arrogant Magneto makes it clear that Toad is only kept around to "amuse me" and basically be his whipping boy.

Magneto uses a machine that sends mind-control commands to the X-Men telling them to attack the Avengers. In this fight between the X-Men and Avengers, the Avengers win. Magneto is confused because he thought the X-men would win. Then Angel appears in Magneto's control room as well as the Avengers. Turns out the Avengers decided the bug in Angel's wing was a plant so they tied his hands loosely and whispered their plan to him, hoping to goad Magneto into an ill timed attack. Magneto decides to leave, dropping a wall of metal parts on the Avengers. He orders Toad to head to the escape ship, hitting him in the process. Toad has had enough and sets one of the generators to overload which will blow the island up. Toad leads QuickSilver and Scarlet Witch to the ship and as it takes off, Magneto jumps and barely hangs on. It turns out this is a non-magnetic ship he had built.

Direct quote from ComicVine: Magneto yells, “Toad…Stop!! I am Your Master!” to which the Toad solemnly replies, “No Magneto. The Toad calls no man master- ever again!!” He steps on Magneto’s fingers and sends him hurtling to the jagged rocks below! The final scene is an ocean filled with smoking debris and the remains of Magneto's helmet!

[edit] X-Men Origins VI: And the Mob Cried Vengeance!

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Gary Friedrich; Drawn by: George Tuska , Inked by: John Verpoorten; Lettered by: Irving Watanabe.
[edit] Summary

Part II of the Iceman backstory started in Episode 44. Bobby Drake is sitting in jail when Cyclops appears and offers him freedom. Bobby declines, willing to accept his chances at a trial even though a vigilante mob is ready to kill him. However, Cyclops won't take no for an answer and blasts a whole in the wall of the cell, grabs Bobby and leaps out. Bobby who wants no part of rescue ends up fighting Cyclops as the mob descends upon them. Bobby flees in a boat, but Cyclops catches up, they fight and crash and are apprehended by the Sheriff! (Story continued in Issue No.46.)



Issue No.46 (1968)

[edit] Issue No.46- The End of the X-Men! (1968)

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Gary Friedrich; Layout by: Jon Heck, Pencilled by: Werner Roth, Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
  • Characters Featured: Juggernaut

[edit] Summary

FBI Agent Duncan intercepts the X-Men at Xavier's grave. After a fight with Juggernaught, who comes back from the Crimson Cosmos, just long enough to fight the X-Men (then gets sent back), Duncan tells them it's too dangerous for them to stay together and orders Team X-Men to split up and leave the school. He will send them each a letter telling them where to go. Cyclops decides that it is a good idea and that the Professor would want them to comply, so he makes it so. In a tearful goodbye, Scott, Hank, Bobby, Warren, and Jean pack up and head out. And as you might expect, the two losers-in-love head their separate ways as Scott has nothing to say to a tearful Jean. (What a dope!)

This issue also includes the third Iceman back story feature: And Then There Were Two!

[edit] Story Details

During a visit to Professor Xavier's grave, the X-Men run into FBI Agent Amos Duncan, who if you remember, the Professor coordinated some of his activities with in previous episodes. Agemt Duncan wants to speak with the X-Men so they invite him back to Xavier's School. At the school Foggy Nelson, lawyer is waiting to read the Professor's will. Duncan agrees to wait. Professor Xavier has left all of his assets to either the school or the X-men to be administered by Scott Summers (Cyclops). At the end of the will reading, Duncan springs it on the X-Men that a situation has developed that effects the fate of the entire world!

The scene switches to the Crimson Cosmos, and The Juggernaught, who if you remember got sent there back in Episode No.33 (1967), but suddenly he finds himself in the basement of Xavier's School. Yes, the Professor created a machine capable of fetching Juggernaught and somehow it activated. But when the Juggernaught appears, instead of being grateful, he is full of vengeance and his desire to kill Xavier. So much for brotherly love... The first thing he does is destroy the machine to ensure he can't be sent back to the Cosmos. Hearing a ruckus in the basement, the X-Men descend and confront Juggernaught. It is apparent he is not aware of Xavier's death and when they tell him, he flies into a rage being cheated of the greatest goal in his life (killing Xavier), but he also thinks this is some kind of trick to protect Xavier. Juggernaught attacks the X-Men who are no match for his power, as he downs Angel, Beast, then he beats on some machinery causing it to blow up and taking out Cyclops and Marvel Girl. The only X-Man left to fight is Iceman who covers him in a thick coating of ice, but Juggernaught is able to break free and knocks out Iceman with a piece of ice.

Upstairs Juggernaught encounters Agent Duncan, whacks him against the ceiling and throws him out a window. Juggernaught searches the entire mansion with no luck looking for the Professor (of course not) while the X-Men recover in the basement and pursue him. They meet up at Xavier's grave on the property and Juggernaught finally accepts he missed out on the fun of killing Xavier, but that makes him even madder. Juggernaught whacks Angel as he flies by, knocking him down. Bobby creates a large ball of ice, and Beast flings it at Juggernaught with no real effect. Suddenly energy globes start flying off the Juggernaught, as the X-Men scurry to dodge them. Scott hits him with an optic blast with little, if no effect. Then Marvel Girl displays her new power, as she hit's Juggernaught's brain with a mental bolt which sends him reeling and convinces him that Xavier is still alive (because only Xavier can do that, or so he thinks). Staggering forward, he grabs up Angel and threatens to crush him if the mental bolts don't stop. Jean complies and stops attacking him, but suddenly with special effects, he disappears (assumably) back to the Crimson Cosmos! The X-Men deduce that the Professor set up the machine so the effects of it would wear off if Juggernaught was not otherwise treated. (What ever that means?)

Agent Duncan appears a little worse for wear, but he survived and he insists that the situation is such that the X-Men must split up. It's an order! They are too easy of a target for all of the evil mutants if they stay together in a group. Duncan tells them a letter will be sent to each of them, telling them were to go. Beast, basically calls the order BS, but Cyclops feels that they will be able to fight more effectively if they spread out and also feels that the Professor, if he was alive would agree. (I'm not sure why he would feel this way as it has been proven multiple times, they do better coordinating their efforts.) As the X-Men pack their bags and leave, surprise, surprise, Cyclops stands there and thinks "Am I actually going to stand here and let the only girl I'll ever love walk out of my life?" While Jean Gray thinks "He...he isn't going to come after me! Maybe he does not care after all?" (Give me a break, just head your separate ways, you losers-in-love! If it makes you feel any better, it is the writer's fault, not the characters! ;))

[edit] X-Men Origins VII: And Then There Were Two

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Gary Friedrich; Drawn by: George Tuska , Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
[edit] Summary

Continued from Issue No.45- And The Crowd Cried Vengeance! After to trying to rescue Bobby from jail, both an exhausted Iceman and Cyclops (unable to use their powers until they recharge) fond themselves surrounded by a vigilante gang intent on "string'n up". The Sheriff intervenes, but he is wrestled to the side and the group brings out the ropes! Professor Xavier's Rolls Royce is fast approaching. Cyclops gets a mental message from the Professor, then he has enough power to zap the rope holding Bobby. One armed member of the mob raises his rifle to shoot Cyclops, but Iceman pelts him up side the head with multiple ice balls (ouch!), then Cyclops kicks and thumps the crap out of another moron, before the pair of X-Men take flight (running) to escape to Bobby Drake's house. The reader discovers that the Professor is there and he has wiped the mobs brains of this incident. His parents have agreed to send Bobby to Xavier's school.

[edit] Movie Parallels
  • Unlike in the Second X-Men movie, Bobby Drake's (Iceman) parents are not ashamed of him and seem to be supportive.



Issue No.47 (1968)

[edit] Issue No.47- The Warlock Wears Three Faces! (1968)

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Gary Friedrich & Arnold Drake; Layout by: Don Heck, Pencilled by: Werner Roth, Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
  • Characters Featured: Warlock

[edit] Summary

The X-Men have split up on the insistence of FBI Agent Duncan for the purpose of spreading out to intercept mutant menaces quickly. On a double date with Zelda and Vera, Hank and Bobby get into a fight with some beatniks. Later at show featuring Maha Yogi, the boys discover they are really dealing with the Warlock as he hypnotizes the crowd and every crowd he entertains, with the idea of turning them into his psychic army who will do his bidding when the time is right! They fight, end up dropping a stage curtain on Warlock so the police can arrest him!

This issue includes the forth Iceman Origins story: I, The Iceman.

[edit] Story Details

Hank McCoy (Beast) and Bobby Drake (Iceman) walking the streets of NYC heading for their double date with girlfriends Zelda and Vera. Lamenting the fate of the X-Men being broken apart, again Hank questions Agent Drake's assertion that the X-Men would be better capable of handling new threats if they are spread out across the country. Instead he thinks they would be more effective as a team.

Outside an East Village theatre, the two couples show up to see Maha Yogi, but the performances for the evening are sold out, so they decide to stop by Coffee A-Go Go. Inside the theatre, the crowd is entertained by Maha Yogi, that is until he hypnotizes the entire crowd and tells them they will forget all that happens in the theatre and they will now be slaves to his command! His diabolical plan is to create a psychic army who will do his bidding.

At Coffee A-Go Go, they listen to some "way out" poetry and Hank makes a disapproving comment. Moments later he is whacked in the head by a beatnik, who with his buddies takes exception to the remark. Careful not to give away their identities, Bobby shorts out the lighting with some well placed ice, while Hank flings the troublemaker across the room. Bobby freezes other troublemakers to the floor and Hank uses one of them as a bowling ball, for a strike! Then when the leader comes after Bobby with a chain, Bobby uses an ice lance to flatten him. With the beatniks on the floor, he two X-Men decide it is time to gather their dates and leave. Passing by the Maha Yogi theatre, they discover tickets are now available.

The two couples take their seats and when the show starts, Iceman recognizes a familiar voice and realizes they are being entertained by The Warlock (who first appeared in Episode 30). As the crowd is mass hypnotized, Bobby and Hank dash for a corner to change into their uniforms, then confront Warlock.

Using his mental powers, the Warlock throws Beast around. Iceman throws ice at the Warlock, but the Warlock creates an illusion of Iceman being covered and smothered by his own ice, rendering his attack ineffective! Beast seizes Warlock but as he prepares a mighty punch, the Warlock instantaneously renders Beast mentally incapable, then knocks Beast down with a Warlock punch before dropping bags of theater sand on him. Now that Warlock is focused on Beast, Iceman can use his ice to pop theatre lights, causing such noise, the Warlock can't stand it and flees as he uses a special gem encrusted ring to shoot a ray at Iceman who deflects it with an ice shield into a lighting control panel, turning it on and causing a kaleidoscope of color to bathe the area, vexing the Warlock, breaking his concentration and releasing the crowd from their trance.

A good sign is when the crowd sees The Beast battling the Warlock and cheer the Beast on as he drops the stage curtain on the Warlock! Iceman turns on a special effects tape which drives the Warlock almost insane (apparently Warlock can't stand loud noises) and he gives up to be arrested by the police. Iceman and Beast revert to their civvies (street clothes) to rejoin the girls. who are on the verge of dumping them because the two X-Men always seem to run off during their dates. But when Bobby suggests a stop at the Copa, a plush night club, the girls reconsider and go with them. Amazingly Hank admits they are financially challenged, but the girls don't seem to mind as they head back to the coffee shop.

[edit] X-Men Origins VIII: I, The Iceman

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Arnold Drake; Drawn by: Werner Roth , Inked by: John Verporten; Lettered by: Joe Rosen.
[edit] Summary

An X-Men family album feature. "Hi, folks, I'm the Iceman and I can do lots of cool things!" or so it starts. Iceman shows off for the reader his ice slide, projecting ice balls, his ice boomerang, ice shield, ice ladder. "And boys and girls, where does all this ice come from? It's called moisture!!" His chemistry allows him to control his body temperature without harming himself and alter the temperature of the atmosphere around him creating ice and snow. If you've been reading the X-Men, you kinda figured this stuff out all ready...



Issue No.48 (1968)

[edit] Issue No.48- Beware Computo Commander of the Robot Hive! (1968)

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Arnold Drake; Layout by: Don Heck & Werner Roth, Inked by: John Verpoorten; Lettered by: I. Watanabe.
  • Characters Introduced: Computo, Quasimodo.

[edit] Summary

Marvel Girl is a swimsuit model. Cyclops is a reporter. They have found each other romantically after a long painful series of near hits. Cybernetic agents try to steal a new transmitter from the radio station Scott works for. Attacking them, the X-Men pair follow one of the agents to an underground cavern where they fight Computo, a large robot and his helper agents. Then they encounter Quasimodo, the true intelligence behind Computo who is either a very advanced computer or a cyborg (see link). Quasimodo escapes and the episode ends.

This issue also includes the first Beast (Hank McCoy) back story feature: Yours Truly The Beast!

[edit] Story Details

Jean Grey (Marvel Girl) jump starts this issue showing a lot of skin (by X-Men standards) as she models a bikini swimsuit for a fashion magazine! While being "shot" she mentally runs down the situation for X-Men readers. Hank McCoy (Beast) and Bobby Drake (Iceman) have been sent to California. Jean and Scott Summers (Cyclops) remain in New York City and Warren Worthington III (Angel) is the roving X-Man.

During the shoot, the photographer trips over some wires and Jean uses her telekinetic power to slow down a falling lamp so he can escape. The owner observes that Jean seems to be their lucky charm and the co-owner, Mr. Dane invites her to dinner. I had to absorb the next couple of panels several times, but it appears that a highly peeved Scott Summers is so irritated by Dane's advance on "his girl" that he was ready to strike him! But the other models intervene and hanging all over Scott, Jean has to rescue him.

Meanwhile at a subterranean structure that "defies the wildest of satanic imaginings" Three cybernetic agents in a hive of hundreds are awakened to server their master Computo!

Jean Grey- Swimsuit Model (1968)

In what might described as one of the major shocks of the X-Men series is that Jean Grey and Scott Summers have finally, mutually realized their love for one another and are now a couple! As they leave the studio they comment about their acting performance. If this makes sense, it seems they created a cover for Jean, small town girl with a big job and a jealous boy friend! So Scott was just pretending he was mad. Maybe it was to keep Mr. Dane at bay.

Scott has taken a job as a radio reporter and at the radio station, workmen are unloading a new more powerful transmitter for the station. During the delivery they are suddenly attacked by Computo's cybernetic agents, one uses ultrasonic energy to knock them down. One of the workmen makes it to the truck cab and attempts to run them over, but using ultrasonic energy an agent shakes the truck apart! Post haste, Marvel Girl and Cyclops are on the scene and Cyclops hits the attacking agent with an optic blast. When a second agent uses a thermal attack, Cyclops moves to avoid it, then returns fire, taking it out of action. But then, the third agent is a big fat green, wind-sucker causing a cyclone of air that sweeps Cyclops up and as the agent expels, the force smacks Cyclops against a wall! The big green agent tries to crush Cyclops with a gigantic belly flop (I'm not kidding!), but it's attack is interrupted by Marvel Girl who telekinetically hangs the big wind bag in the air as Cyclops levels his visor and blows it to smithereens! The ultrasonic agent flees the scene, but Marvel Girl takes a quick mental reading of it's electronic brain and is able to track it to what looks like a deserted sand and gravel pit where they find a secret entrance to tunnels.

Into the earth, Marvel Girl and Cyclops descend and arrive to observe a meeting of robots including the ultrasonic agent they just fought. Because of its failure, it is condemned to "cancellation" (destruction), but it does not seem to mind as it chant's "Long live Computo!" as it is being crushed. An alert sounds when the two X-Men are detected and a signal goes out to wake all of the agents in hibernation! The X-Men prove to be formidable opponents as Cyclops blasts them. Even more impressive is Marvel Girl's mental abilities as she blocks a group of agents with a mental wall of energy and then slams them with a thought. However there are too many agents for the X-Men to handle. Cyclops feels that if he can reach Computo, he can end the fight. Multiple optic blast delivered to Computo results in "KABOOM!" as it explodes.

Cyclops thinks the immediate battle is over and Marvel Girl wonders what the ultimate intelligence is behind these machines. Her question is answered by the appearance of an ugly green "Hulk" looking creature who declares himself to be Quasimodo, "the living product of man and machine"! Quasimodo then flees the scene, pulling a switch which opens a torrent from an underground river as he disappears through an emergency exit which closes behind him!

The issue concludes with Marvel Girl grabing Cyclops by the hand and levitates them out of the cavern. Cyclops then blasts their exit to contain the river. For some reason, they think that ends the threat of Quasimodo for now. If the writers say so!

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Cyclops and Marvel Girl find true love!


[edit] X-Men Origins IX: Yours Truly The Beast

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Arnold Drake; Drawn by: Werner Roth , Inked by: John Verporten; Lettered by: I. Watanabe.
[edit] Summary

A X-Men family album feature. The Beast describes to the reader the power of his body, specifically in his hands and feet which give him super locomotion, superior strength, freakish flexibility, the ability to absorb impact from great heights, able to deliver powerful shots using his body as a weapon, whether it be from his feet or his hands. He also possesses great intellect mastering complicated machinery and appreciaes fine literature. The end!


Issue No.49 (1968)

[edit] Issue No.49- Who Dares Defy...The Demi-Men? (1968)

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Arnold Drake; Layout by: Don Heck, Pencilled by: Werner Roth, Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Herb Cooper.
  • Characters Introduced: Mesmero (Vincent), Polaris (Lorna Dane). Note: Despite the link, Lorna Dane is not known as Polaris in this story.
  • Gadgets: Psyche-Generator- used to summon mutants, Portable Cerebro- designed by Beast; X-Men borrow a supersonic jet from the Avengers. Although not mentioned by name looks similar to the Avenger's quinjet and is referred to as such.

[edit] Summary

This issue starts a good four issue story arc. When the X-Men disbanded and dispersed they forgot all about Cerebro. Angel decides to visit Xavier's mansion the there is Cerebro chirping an alarm, a large number of mutants are on the move! The team convenes in San Francisco to figure out what is going on. Mesmero, the latest mutant villain, is a disciple of Magneto and has used a Psyche-Generator to summon latent Mutants, mutants who don't know they are mutants to come to him in a trance like state. Bobby saves a girl, Lorna Dane after she trips on some of his ice, then he takes her back to his apartment apparently fond of her. The X-Men fight Mesmero's agents. The X-Men figure out Lorna is a latent mutant, who does not realize she has powers or what those powers are. Bobby stays behind to watch over Lorna as the X-Men take off to confront Mesmero, but in a surprise move, Mesmero and his helpers, bursts into the apartment, apprehend Iceman and Lorna and informs her, they are there to worship her! Story continues in Issue No. 50.

This issue also includes the second Beast (Hank McCoy) back story feature: A Beast is Born!!

[edit] Story Details

X-Men readers know how important Cerebro is for its ability to locate new mutant menaces. If someone told you that when the X-Men disbanded and left Xavier's mansion that they would have forgotten about Cerebro, you'd have said "naw", right? Prepare yourself for below average X-men head-work.

Most Indecisive Couple 1968

Angel (Warren Worthington III) decides to go back to Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, Xavier's deserted mansion, for a stroll down memory lane, when he hears a strange noise in the mansion, "Ticka, Ticka, Ticka" to be exact. He flies around looking for the source of the disturbance and discovers Cerebro running by means of an emergency circuit. It is sensing the "highest recorded concentration of mutant on the move, ever!" Now that Jean Grey is telepathic, Angel reaches out to her for a psychic conference with the other team members who are spread across the country. Jean initially has some difficulty reaching Bobby and Hank while they are sky diving near San Francisco, but she finally makes contact, They decide to assemble at the Beast and Iceman's apartment in San Francisco, and soon after the East Coast X-men, Cyclops, Angel, and Marvel Girl board a quinjet loaned to them by the Avengers to make a quick trip to the West Coast.

The scene switches to a mansion on a hill top in San Francisco where inside, an ugly dude in a purple and green outfit, called Mesmero is rallying a horde of orange and blue dudes around the "glorious destiny of mutants", along with honorary mention going to his inspiration, Magneto! Standing in front of his Psyche-Generator, he generates a signal to a large group of "latent" mutants, regular people who do not know they are mutants causing them to travel to Mesmero like zombies in a trance. Then he sends his elite guards (the orange/blue guys) out to patrol the streets in case the pesky X-Men appear.

Out in the streets we find Lorna Dane, one of the latent mutants walking to her destination in a trance. In a strange observance, we see Bobby Drake (Iceman) leaving a trail of ice on the street as he walks. When Lorna slips on his mutant ice, he rescues her! This could not be a scheme to meet pretty girls could it? She awakens from her trance and wonders what she is doing 1200 miles from home? Then Bobby invites her to his pad (apartment)! Back at the pad, an irritated Hank, asks Bobby if he is out of his mind, bringing a girl to their apartment when the rest of the X-gang could arrive at any time. Just then, the door swings open and in walks the East Coast X-Men!

Lorna is sleeping off the effects of the trance, so the X-Men convene and decide to scan the city using the Quinjet. Hank remains behind to work on his new portable Cerebro (mutant detector). In no time they spot the Mesmero's elite guards and as they close the guards fire at them! A large brawl takes place as the X-Men wonder why the guards are only using ray guns to fight and near the end of this battle, Angel is zapped, but he recovers.

Back at the apartment Beast cranks up his new portable Cerebro and it immediately picks up a mutant signal in the next room. Yes it is Lorna now with green hair who walks out in a robe having taken a shower. Hank introduces himself and she explains that her green hair has been something she has always had to hide by dying it, but the dye always washes out. Beast recognizes her as a mutant, and a good looking mutant at that.

The X-Men walk in have a conversation about mutants and Lorna. She has no idea what they are talking about. Then everyone, except Iceman (who is left to look after Lorna) heads out back to the area where the guards were spotted. She has no idea that Iceman is Bobby. Hank has a premonition that something is not right back at the apartment, as they zero in on Mesmero's mansion.

At the apartment, elite guards burst through the door, led by Mesmero, who orders the guards to kill Iceman! But Iceman has other ideas as he pelts them with ice balls and a throws a wall of ice, until Mesmero hits him with a paralyzing mental blast. Mesmero mentions this is but a small sample of his power as compared to when he gets hold of the M-II weapon (whatever that is), but he no longer seems intent on killing Iceman who is now standing like a statue.

The issue concludes with Lorna pleading with Iceman to save them, but Iceman is helpless. As the guards approach her, she pleads for mercy, when Mesmero and his guards make a surprise announcement, "you don't need to fear us, we have come to worship you!" (Story continued in Issue 50.)

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • X-Men borrow a supersonic jet from the Avengers. Although not mentioned by name looks similar to the Avenger's quinjet and is referred to as such, including Issues No. 54 & 56.

[edit] X-Men Origins X: A Beast is Born

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Arnold Drake; Drawn by: Werner Roth , Inked by: John Verporten; Lettered by: I. Watanabe.
[edit] Summary

The scene opens with Hank McCoy's father wrestling with a crisis at a breeder reactor nuclear power plant. The clock turns back momentarily to a time when Horton McCoy and Edna Andrews, Hank's Mom and Dat are married. Then the story rapidly jumps back to the crisis with the reactor where there is an electrical short and a volunteer is needed to go into the observation deck and manually lower carbon rods into the reactor to prevent a melt down. That volunteer is Horton McCoy who saves the day but is exposed to radiation in the process. And surprise, turns out his kid, Hank is a mutant with surprising strength as an infant with more surprises to come!



Issue No.50 (1968)

[edit] Issue No.50- Hail, Queen of Mutants! (1968)

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Written by: Arnold Drake; Artist: Jim Steranko, Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Herb Cooper.
  • Characters Featured: Mesmero (Vincent), Polaris (Lorna Dane), Magneto. Note: Despite the link, Lorna Dane is not known as Polaris in this story.
  • Gadgets: Mutant Energy Stimulator- used to awaken mutant powers in a latent mutant, K-19- knock out gas.

[edit] Summary

The introduction of a new stylized graphic presentation by Jim Steranko does wonders for the X-Men story, which includes elevated tension along with snappy story telling, some intriguing events involving the destiny of Lorna Dane and the resurrection of Magneto! Magneto reappearing is not that surprising but his relationship to Lorna is!

This issue also includes the third Beast (Hank McCoy) back story feature: This Beast, This Bombshell!

[edit] Story Details

Story is a continuation from Issue No.49. A group of mysterious men surround the objects of their interest, Lorna Dane and Iceman. They are wearing bio-plasticene masks as disguises, as they take the two prisoners out in coffins. (So as not to attract attention?)

The scene switches to the desert and a "fortress of fiendishness and memorial to malevolence!" that rises out of the ground along with a giant billboard, proclaiming "City of Mutants"! Once his "missile powered" car has entered the fortress, Mesmero discards his disguise and orders Iceman to be placed in cell twelve. Then he orders the Mutant Energy Stimulator be prepared to zap Lorna Dane and awaken her mutant powers! Three seconds of magic and Lorna Dane is transformed!

Lorna Dane- Queen of the Mutants! (1968)

Meanwhile, the X-Men, minus Iceman, crash the sinister mansion where they figure, Mesmero will be found, but instead find lots of guards and engage them in battle. Some outstanding physical action as Beast, Angel, and Cyclops take turns pummeling the bad guys, when Marvel Girl gets a distress call from Bobby, realizing that he and Lorna are captives, but she has no idea where they are, so she sends a mental signal to the boys to let themselves be captured. The premise is that they will be taken to the same place as Iceman. But as they ease up, they are surprised by a giant plastic bag that drops on them filled with K-19, knock-out gas perfected by Magneto! The guards dance with joy at the thought of presenting the X-Men to Mesmero at Mutant City!

Back at Mutant City, Mesmero warns Iceman not to struggle as the psychic device that holds him will explode if he struggles against it, then he directs Iceman's attention to a video monitor at the living Goddess, Lorna Dane! Bobby wonders if her transformation will turn her into a bad mutant?

Citing Magneto as his inspiration, Mesmero hopes the transformation of Lorna Dane will bring forward a new, ultra powerful and invincible leader for the bad guys to worship! (She is hot...) And as she steps forward, out of the Mutant Stimulator, in a sexy green outfit, Mesmero reveals that she is the "DAUGHTER OF MAGNETO-- And Queen of the Mutants! Hail, glorious queen!!" The X-Men realize Lorna Dane is the weapon M-2 as in Magneto the second and that their work is cut for them.

Beast and Angel are itching to get the fight going, but Cyclops warns them that fighting could endanger Iceman's life. That is until Marvel Girl breaks the bond that hold Iceman (apparently without blowing up) and snap, Iceman is free just.

Mesmero chants "Daughter of the emperor of evil-- offspring of our beloved leader-- now turn your insuperable power to the destruction of those who took your father from us!" Iceman yells, "Lorna, no don't do it!!"

"From every living cell of that mutant being (Lorna Dane) flow mighty waves of incredible force, slamming outward to fling their human targets into a labyrinthine limbo", yet the force is incredibly focused on Mesmero's agents, who go flying! Then Angel sweeps in and scoops Lorna up as undeterred, Mesmero focuses his mental energies for combat as the X-Men barrel towards the bad guy! But before they can dish out a lick'n, the ground rises up and knocks the X-Men down. "No it can't be, only one mutant can do that!" the X-men shout! "But it is me, Magneto!!" And there stands the baddest of bad mutants, Lorna Dane's father! (Story continued in Issue No.51.)


[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Jim Steranko- a new artist to the X-Men series along with more edgy dialog brings a fresh new exciting and stylized story rendering, introduced in Issue No. 50- Hail, Queen of Mutants!
  • Quote- Mesmero to Lorna Dane after she has been transformed into the Queen of Mutants: "Daughter of the emperor of evil-- offspring of our beloved leader-- now turn your insuperable power to the destruction of those who took your father from us!"
  • Magneto is alive! See Issue No.45 for the last previous appearance of Magneto. Not so fast!- The Marvel Universe link for Polaris includes notable info regarding Samuel Saxon, Mesmero, and makes reference to an android duplicate of Magneto. Is he alive or isn't he?? See the answer in Issue No.58.

[edit] X-Men Origins XI: This Boy, This Bombshell!

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Arnold Drake; Drawn by: Werner Roth , Inked by: John Verporten; Lettered by: Herb Cooper.
[edit] Summary

More on boyhood Hank McCoy (Beast)- he can hang on walls! He does not know his own strength! He becomes a high school football star and single handedly foils a robbery of the stadium ticket office! The end!



Issue No.51 (1968)

[edit] Issue No.51- The Devil Had a Daughter! (1968)

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Written by: Arnold Drake; Artist: Presumed to be- Jim Steranko?, Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: S.Rosen.
  • Characters Featured: Mesmero (Vincent), Polaris (Lorna Dane), Magneto. Note: Despite the link, Lorna Dane is not known as Polaris in this story.
  • Gadgets:

[edit] Summary

Magneto stands before X-Men and demands that his daughter, Lorna Dane, choose between her unknown, evil father, and the X-Men. There is fighting. Lorna Dane is confused but appears to make some kind of a choice when she helps Magneto pull a pile of scrap metal off of him, after Cyclops blasts the ceiling of Mutant City causeing it to collapse. But does helping your father, mean you are joining him? Previously she plead with him, "does it have to be this way?" Of course he said "yes". Back at Hank and Bobby's apartment, Bobby and Scott all most come to fisticuffs over Lorna, because Scott thinks Bobby is attracted to her and won't hold up his duty to the team when the going gets rough. Bobby stomps out of the apartment. Several days later at Mutant City, a new arrival Erik The Red who demands an audience with Magneto!

This issue also includes the forth Beast (Hank McCoy) back story feature: The Lure of the Beast Nappers!

[edit] Story Details

Continued from Issue No.50, at Mutant City, Magneto who was once thought dead, now stands before the X-Men and to their shock, calls Lorna Dane his daughter. No prior communications, no getting to know you moments, the bad buy appears and delivers an ultimatum to his (if you can believe it) child, "make your choice, the X-Men or me!" Beast and Cyclops are sure that Lorna will pick her father, even if she knows him not, but enamored Iceman feels that if he can reveal the truth, they just might stand a chance of gaining her as an alley so he confronts Magneto and challenges him to admit he has a mad ego, the fortunes he's stolen, the lives he's taken, and generally all of the bad things he stands for! Iceman gets so worked up, as he is ready to launch himself at Magneto, the other X-Men hold him back asking him to reconsider. Lorna asks him, "not to waste yourself on me!" But when Iceman makes it clear he means to take Magneto on, no matter what, Cyclops accepts fate and flattens Magneto with a mighty punch! Lorna looks distressed as Magneto commands Mesmero to "put an end to these noxious fools!"

Iceman's first concern seems to be Lorna as he whisks her up in his arms and she wonders why she feels so strange in his arms... But Cyclops breaks the spell "Hey, Casanova Jr, we need your help over here!" as Iceman sprays down the bad guys (agents) with ice, sticking them to the floor so Angel and Beast can thump them! But there are lots more and three of them manage to apprehend Cyclops and slip a special helmet to block his optic energy. Beast gets preoccupied with the mini-grenade mines that Magneto flings at him as Marvel Girl protects Iceman who is wasted from the huge ice emission, by hanging two agents in the air with her mental energy.

With extreme exertion, Cyclops blasts the helmet off of his head and the X-Men regroup to attack! Magneto counters by throwing every loose nut and bolt, every piece of scrap metal at them! Marvel Girl is able to shield herself and Beast behind her mental wall. Angel is pummeled, but seeks shelter behind Cyclops as he blast everything that comes at him. As Magneto ups his exertion, Lorna pleads with her father, "Is there no other way?" "None", replies her father as Marvel Girl starts to loose her energy and Angel decides it might be a good time to retreat! However escape is not easy as Mesmero's agents form a circle, putting up a negative energy wall and Angel is bound up in Magneto-powered constricting steel cables! As a last resort, Cyclops blasts the ceiling of the structure causing the roof to collapse and everyone to scatter! Iceman sees Lorna trying to free her father from debris as the X-Men retreat and escape in one of Mesmero's rockets, as they debate if Lorna has joined the bad mutants or not. Back at Hank and Bobby's apartment, Scott suggests that Bobby sit the next round on the sidelines because he is emotionally involved with Lorna, but Bobby takes offense and all most starts a fist fight! However Bobby and Scott have one heck of a verbal fight concluded with Bobby walking out the door. Scott makes reference to his plan for Magneto and Hanks asks "what plan?"

The episode ends as the scene shifts to the desert several days later, out at Mutant City where Mesmero's agents detect an intruder, but it's not the X-Men! They scatter as a large red alien Viking, with flames shooting out of his hands, calling himself Erik The Red, demands an audience with Magneto!! (Story continued).

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Quote- Iceman to Magneto referring to his daughter Lorna Dane: "Tell her the rest big man! Tell her how you've used your mutant powers to feed your own mad ego! Tell her about the lives you've taken, the fortunes you've stolen, the misery and misfortune you've been spreading aroudn with a trowel! Tell her that you're offerin' her a half-interest in a bloddy empire that would make genghis khan and attila the hun look like... The Smothers Brothers!!" Yes, he really said that!- D.Peck.

[edit] X-Men Origins XII: The Lure of the Beast-Nappers!

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Arnold Drake; Drawn by: Werner Roth , Inked by: John Tartag; Lettered by: Herb Cooper.
[edit] Summary

The forth Beast back story. Hank McCoy, high school football star, is the object of the Conquistador's plan for world domination. The Conquistador and his henchmen try to abduct Hank without luck as he is too quick on his feet, bouncing around the landscape! The second attempt, "Operation Snare" all most fails until Hank is zapped by Conquistador's trident. Hank's home is under surveillance by Iceman who reports back to Professor Xavier that the boy and his parents are missing! Xavier ponders who has realized Hanks full potential, while at the bad guy's HQ, the Conquistador threatens Hanks with his parents death if he does not cooperate! (Story continued)

[edit] 1969

Issue No.52 1969

[edit] Issue No.52- Twilight of the Mutants! (1968)

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Arnlold Drake; Art by: Don Heck & Werner Roth, Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Sam Rosen.
  • Characters Featured: Mesmero (Vincent), Polaris (Lorna Dane), Magneto. Note: Despite the link, Lorna Dane is not known as Polaris in this story.

[edit] Summary

Well it looks like guest artist Jim Steranko is gone. The X-Men visual presentation takes a step backwards. Erik the Red who appeared at the end of the last issue manages to gain Magneto's confidence to run his show until Magneto recovers. Mesmero and his evil agents are still there. The X-men devise Operation Twilight which in large part is a ruse with Cyclops posing as Erik The Red. There is no real Erik the Red in this Issue, just Cyclops. Lorna Dane is caught in the middle between the X-Men and her father, Magneto. However, that is until Iceman fills her in on Magneto's deception and really, Lorna is not his daughter! Bad guys fall, Magneto gets away, and Lorna and Bobby now appear to be an item for at least this issue.

[edit] Story Details

If you recall from the end of the last issue, Erik the Red was standing outside of Mutant City demanding an audience with a now invalid Magneto (who had his legs crushed last issue). Just who is this Erik? Mesmero is not going to stand for this, so he sends his agents to attack Erik who mows them down left and right with energy that erupts from his finger tips. Mesmero seems over confident in his ability to handle Erik, until Erik's well placed shot starts a wild chain reaction causing a portion of mutant city to collapse. All participants scatter for their lives to avoid the falling debris with Mesmero and his agents trapped.

The scene switches to Lorna Dane observing Erik approaching the inner chamber of the city on a view finder, and despite knowing her father is a bad person, she vows to defend his life. Confronting Erik the Red, Lorna commands him to stop. (If you remember from the last issue, she has the power to radiate great force outwards.) Erik respects her command and tells her he admires her father and wants to join them. She relays the request to Magneto and although they wonder about a trap, in Magneto's weakened state, feel they have no choice but to grant Erik an audience. Magneto agrees that Erik will be in charge until he recovers.

Back at the X-Men's apartment, Marvel Girl receives a message from Cyclops, "ready to begin Operation Twilight. rendezvous as planned!"

In Mutant City, Mesmero does not take the news well, being pushed aside for this new comer, Erik the Red, but he submits. Lorna observes Erik and wonders why she does not sense "evil vibrations" like the others, nor is she happy with the prospect of a love-less life beside her evil father, Magneto.

The X-Men arrive minus Iceman and sneak into Mutant City. Suddenly they are spotted by Erik, but amazingly Marvel Girl walks up to him and gives him a big hug. It is Cyclops in disguise. He is and has been Erik the Red all along!! Angel is equipped with a role of copper tape and it looks like part of Cyclop's plan is to electrocute the bad guys as he runs it along the floor. But just as they pull the switch electrifying the floor, in runs Iceman and "CRZZZ!", Iceman is electrocuted and just as suddenly a powerful blast destroys the power circuit, preventing the floor from being re-energized. Mesmero has discovered the X-Men's plot, destroyed the control panel, and attacks with his agents! A fight ensues as Angel "BWOOOSHes" some agents, Marvel Girl sends up a wall of mental power, and Beast runs an unconscious Iceman to a safer location. In quick succession, Mesmero tries to attack Angel with psychic energy, just as Beast thumps him. Mesmero then turns on Beast as Marvel Girl zaps Mesmero with her psychic energy (ouch!). Cyclops, in his Erik costume starts a-blasting enemy agents, Marvel Girl and Mesmero engage in a mental duel, while Beast knocks more agents around.

Magneto now realizes it is the X-Men and asks for his daughter's help. She is conflicted, but feels compelled to save him. As she walks towards a show down with the X-men, Iceman surprises her and more surprisingly she embraces him, as he tells her some very important news! "MAGNETO IS NOT YOUR FATHER!!" To summarize, Lorna's parents were killed in a plane crash when she was an infant. Her Aunt and Uncle raised her, but when Magneto became aware of her, and her mutant powers, he manipulated her into believing he was her father! (He likes doing that, thinking of Quick Silver and Scarlet Witch) "Then I'm not the Queen of those twisted beings?" she asks. Bobby confirms as she stomps off to settle a score with Mesmero and her "darling Dad"!

The X-Men are now in a bind as an evil agent holds a gun to Angel's head and threatens to pull the trigger, when suddenly "CRZZZZZZZ!", Mesmero and his agents are floored by a blast of psychic power. "My daughter, have you gone mad?" Magneto yells. Lorna responds, she has no father, the Magneto has manipulated her and she will destroy him with the very powers he helped her develop! But somehow as is usually the case, Magneto disappears and leaves a taped message congratulating the X-Men on out performing his expectations, and oh, btw, Mutant City is going to explode and kill you all! He-he! Marvel Girl senses bombs about to go off and they manage to vacate the premises before "BATWOOM!", Mutant City explodes. Back at the apartment, the X-men are once again a happy family and Bobby has an attentive green haired admirer, Lorna Dane.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Lorna Dane and Bobby Drake (Iceman) are a romantic couple. (Poor Zelda.)

[edit] X-Men Origins XIII: The Crimes of the Conquistador!

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Arnold Drake; Drawn by: Werner Roth , Inked by: John Tartag; Lettered by: Herb Cooper.
[edit] Summary

The fifth Beast Back story. Hank has been captured by the Conquistador and taken to his hideout and abandoned power station. Because he is aware of Hank's great mutant abilities, he demands that Hank help him create a miniature power plant to power Conquistador's electronic arsenal. He threatens Hank's parents, to get him to comply. Hank agrees and sneaks into a top secret government facility to steal an experimental miniature nuclear reactor and gets away with the device! (Story continued.)



Issue No.53

[edit] Issue No.53- The Rage of Blastaar! (1969)

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Arnlold Drake; Art by: Barry Smith, Inked by: Michael Dee; Lettered by: Herb Cooper.
  • Characters Introduced: Blastaar

[edit] Summary

Mostly a forgettable episode in the X-Men saga. Marvel Girl is experimenting with one of Xavier's mind machines and in some vague way causes it to draw Blastaar, a humanoid who has been banned to "negative space" out of the heavens, and into the X-Men lab where he fights the X-Men for a while, before Blastaar gets either destroyed or pulled back into space due to some water on the floor that makes an electrical conduit between him and Xavier's machine which is still chugging along.

[edit] Story Details

Through the heavens floats Blastaar, set adrift in negative space by fate and conspiracy, a muscular creature with a muscled body, the face of a caveman, and an orangoutang mane, wearing a blue suit. He looks upon Earth, prevented from returning due to his anti-matter composition. On Earth are those that did him wrong! Somewhere, somehow, he will find his vengeance, but against whom? That question is not answered in this episode.

Presumably at Xavier's mansion, Marvel Girl is acting like the guinea pig with one of Xavier's mind machine designed to "transmute your own matter into radio energy and then transmit it deep into space. (Is this supposed to be a teleporter of some kind and what converts the signal back into matter?) Something does not go right and an overload blows Jean across the room and blows a hole in the roof.. She survives with a shock, but the machine is still operating and try as he may, Beast can't get close enough to the fuse housing due to the extreme heat, to disable the machine. By some convienent quirk of comic book fate, Blastaar is drawn out of the cosmos and into the X-Men's lab where he is confronted by Beast. Blastaar does not like being confronted and blasts Beast with energy coming out of his fingers. With Marvel Girl in his arms, Cyclops tries to get her out of the lab. She has sent out a mental distress message to the lads. Angel swoops by and up through the hole in the ceiling. Blastaar also takes to the air following Angel, catching and pounding Angel with his fists, downing him. Iceman checks on Beast who seems to be recovering but slow to get up. Cyclops disrupts Blastaar's next attack on Angel with an optic blast!

Marvel Girl has Iceman create three ice mannequins. She confounds Blastaar by using her telekinetic powers to propel and animate them to attack him. Blastaar retreats and falls through the hole in the ceiling near Xavier's machine, taking one of the ice mannequins with him. He blasts it, feels a moment of triumph when "Arrgghh!", as the water spreads out on the floor, it creates an electrical conduit with Xavier's machine that is still chugging along and whatever mechanism that initially set him free, destroys him in some kind of reaction. Hows that for a vague description of an unknown physics reaction? And in the world of comics, we all know that "destroyed" does not mean dead by any means!

[edit] X-Men Origins XIV: Welcome To The Club, Beast!

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Arnold Drake; Drawn by: Werner Roth , Inked by: John Tartaglione; Lettered by: Jean "simek" Izzo.
[edit] Summary

Continued from Issue No.52. Hank McCoy has done the Conquistador's bidding and stole an experimental solar generator to keep his captive parents from harm. As the Sun nears sunrise, Hank realizes that the entire world is threatened by Conquistador and his electronic devices, now powered by the generator he stole, so he tries to destroy it. But just as Conquistador threatens to destroy Beast, the door blows in by means of an optic blast and in charge Cyclops, Angel, and Iceman! Fighting as expected, but as the sun rises and Conquistador pushes the fateful button, instead of his machines being powered, the electricity flows into him and "KWOOM!" the place blows up presumably along with the Conquistador but not before the boys have a chance to escape prior to the explosion. We find that Professor Xavier has messed with the machine's electronic circuits using his telekinetic powers and a little brain wiping on the Professor's part causes none of the third parties to remember a thing. The episode ends with Beast donning an X-Man uniform and becoming part of the X-Men team!



Issue No.54 (1969)

[edit] Issue No.54- Wanted: Dead or Alive- Cyclops! (1969)

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Arnold Drake; Art by: Don Heck, Inked by: Vince Colletta; Lettered by: Jean Izzo..
  • Characters Introduced: Havok (Alex Summers), Living Pharaoh. Alex Summers is the younger brother of Cyclops (Scott Summers). Living Pharaoh is an alias name for the Living Monolith, see link.
  • Gadgets: The Ring of Silence- used surprisingly to silence people.

[edit] Summary

This is a five episode story arc. The X-Men take on the Living Pharaoh who abducts Alex Summers, Scott's younger brother. The Pharaoh is a mutant and feels threatened by other mutants and selects Alex, who does not yet know he is a mutant, for death. There is a fight, the Living Pharaoh looks rather dead, and because Cyclops is present, when the police show up, they try to arrest him for murder, but concerned about his missing brother, Cyclops resists arrest and goes searching for his brother in the tunnels under the Pharaoh's hang out. Weak premise and execution in this story, see Details section for more. (Story continued.)

Also starts a multi-issue X-Men's Origin Angel story.

[edit] Story Details

The story begins with Cyclops on the floor in a museum being arrested by a policeman for ... murder! Then in a flashback Cyclops tells the reader how it all started. It was at Old Landon College where all of the X-Men turned out to witness the graduation of Cyclop's younger brother, Alex Summers. Alex heads back to his room to change out of his cap and gown when he is surprised, subdued, and abducted by two dudes in ancient Egypt garb who use the dreaded Ring of Silence on him!

The X-Men arrive at Alex's room to discover the foul play and a missing Alex. Jean attempts to pick up the "mind patterns" of those who were there.

The scene switches to the Living Pharaoh's headquarters that looks like a Egyptian museum setting. (Where is this place?) Alex is laid out on a table with the Pharaoh standing over him who says "Here lies the only living man who could challenge my power! The young fool does not realize--." And a surprise is revealed that Alex has the blood of royal Egypt running through his veins and that all Pharaohs were men of special natural powers, in other words, mutants! (But wouldn't Cyclops also have royal blood?) Pharaoh has some unknown reason for wanting Alex dead, but just as he steps forward with a sword threatening an unconscious Alex, an optical blast knocks the sword from his hands as X-Men pour into the room! When the Pharaoh becomes aware so many more with special powers, he degrees "all must perish!!" as a general brawl starts. The Pharaoh zaps Angel with an electronic charge. out of his hand. Iceman, Beast, and Marvel Girl get their licks in. Pharaoh realizes he needs reinforcements so he presses a secret button and warriors pop out of their coffins to engage the X-Men. More fighting. The Pharaoh and Cyclops end up in an energy duel but Pharaoh is tough. Marvel Girl tries to accost him with a mental attack but is bounces back at her as the LP puts up a impenetrable mental wall, that allows him and his warriors to escape.

They rescue Alex and Cyclops who is in his uniform, decides it's time to sit down with little brother and have a little X-Men chat. But before that can happen, Pharoah returns and puts Cyclops into some kind of a trance. When he awakens, Cyclops finds himself at the point of a policeman's gun accusing him of murdering the Pharaoh whose body is laying there. This is very confusing for Cyclops who thinks, it must of been his brother Alex who killed the Pharaoh and ran away and decides it is not a good time to be taken into custody. So he overpowers the cops and heads out to find his brother. The policeman think the X-Men are going bad and wonder what can be done to stop them. Cyclops discovers some tunnels under the Pharaoh's HQ and explores them to run into the Pharaoh. "It can't be, your dead!" blurts Cyclops. Story continued.

Note: I found this story arc to be underwhelming. Ask yourself who do the police think this pharaoh guy is? How did they end up at his headquarters to discover him dead, and where the heck are they? Additionally, the story does not do a good job explaining how the rest of the X-Men leaving a fight at the Pharaoh's HQ and end up hearing a bulletin on the radio about Cyclops being wanted for murder! The X-Men were standing right there when Pharaoh reappeared. Maybe they did not see anything? Either this is intrigue to keep the reader guessing or it is confusing and poor story telling imo. The story gets better as it continues.- d.peck

[edit] X-Men Origins XV: Million Dollar Angel!

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Arnold Drake; Drawn by: Werner Roth , Inked by: Vinnie Colletta; Lettered by: Artie Simek.
[edit] Summary

As a kid Warren Worthington III (Angel) likes climbing trees and scaring his parents to death! Warren's parents are wealthy and he leads a privileged life. He is smart and athletic, outperforming all others at school. To his shock, Warren sprouts wings in boarding school although they are too small to be of use. But as time goes by they grow larger and when Warren is faced with a dorm fire with no way out except the window he leaps and discovers he can fly! He also realizes there are other people trapped in the dormitory so he finds a rope in the schools prop room, along with a blond wig and a night shirt. And what looks like a real angel flies to the upper rooms of the dorm and delivers the rope to the unbelieving students, but they are happy for the rope. Afterwards all the boys are excited and one of them vows to discover who the angel might be! (story continued.)


Issue No. 55 (1969)

[edit] Issue No.55- The Living Pharaoh! (1969)

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Roy Thomas; Art by: Don Heck, Pencilled by: Werner Roth; Inked by: Vince Colletta, Lettered by: Jean Izzo.
  • Characters Featured: Havok (Alex Summers), Living Pharaoh. Alex Summers is not known as Havok in this issue.
  • Gadgets: Sacred Ankh- Living Pharaoh's hand held weapon of choice.

[edit] Summary

Second part of the Living Pharaoh story arc. The X-Men pursue Pharaoh to Egypt with both Alex and Cyclops as prisoners. Once there, the rest of the X-Men catch up, the usual fight and by natural instinct, Alex discovers he is a mutant who can project power from his hands (a fairly standard mutant ability) smacking down the Living Pharaoh. The Pharaoh is captured and the story is continued.

[edit] Story Details

The last issue ended with Cyclops exploring tunnels beneath the Living Pharaoh's headquarters looking for his younger brother Alex, and running into the LP, even though in the last issue Cyclops saw his body. Additionally when the police tried to arresting him for Pharaoh's murder, Cyclops resisted arrest and became a fugitive.

Now face to face with the Pharaoh, Cyclops says "but you're dead!". Pharaoh tells him that the infidels see what he wants them to see. This is a ploy by Pharaoh to get Cyclops to serve him on the march to world conquest. (All bad mutants want to rule the world it seams.) When Cyclops tells him to stuff it, Pharaoh tries to zap Cyclops with his Sacred Ankh, but Cyclops dodges and returns fire with his optic beam, then tackles him.

Meanwhile above the city, the X-Men are using the borrowed Avenger's Quinjet to position it so Marvel Girl can do a mental search for Cyclops and she locates him! But then she loses contact with Cyclops but picks up another signature similar to Scott's but somehow horribly evil!

Alex Summers- Mutant (55)

The action continues with Cyclops and Pharaoh grappling with one another, kicking, punching, zapping, finally Pharaoh thwacks Cyclops over the head with his ankh and knocks Cyclops out! The Living Pharaoh commands his helpers to be "careful with him" as they haul Cyclops away. Seems the LP has plans for our X-Man.

The scene switches to two vehicles headed for JFK airport. The Pharaoh is loading a mummy and crate on a box for transport on a chartered large four engine commercial style aircraft. In route, the bad guys dump over a box and out of it tumbles Cyclops wearing a hood with special optic beam hindering features. For some reason they leave Cyclops in the cargo section where he discovers that his little brother, Alex is locked inside the Mummy case. In the next moment, Marvel Girl senses Cyclops and realizes he is in the jet flying over ahead. The X-Men use the quinjet to follow along. But as they catch up to the jet, the door opens, the Pharaoh hangs out and hits them with a ray from his ankh causing the quinjet to go down. With the help of Angel, it lands safely in the water. Then the X-Men watch the chartered jet disappear over the horizon on it's way to Egypt and the Pyramids of Giza (although the text does not mention Giza).

Inside what is presumed to be a pyramid, Pharaoh tells them that Cyclops and Alex will "die deaths that befit a mutant born"! If you recall, the Living Pharaoh feels threatened by mutants as a group who have the same kind of powers he does. The question is why has he singled out Cyclops and Alex? He leave Cyclops in a room and water starts gushing out of a large cat statute's mouth as Cyclops ponders how to get this hood off. Cyclops also stumbles across the mummy case holding his brother and bashes the lid with his head (not kidding) to break it open and free Alex, who then helps Cyclops get his hood off. Pharaoh's warriors become aware and attack the pair while informing Pharaoh of the developments. Pharaoh degrees, "I gave them a chance at a royal death, now strike them down!" But his warriors are not up to the task against these formidable opponents so as he gets ready to intervene with his magic ankh, suddenly he is lifted up spun about and tossed by... Angel! The X-Men have arrived, all attacking in their unique ways.

Pharaoh how has recovered being flung looks down upon the fight and as he raises his ankh to destroy Cyclops and Alex, is shocked as his magical weapon shatters into pieces and he is blasted off his perch by Alex who did not realize the powers he possesses. A simple gesture of raising his hands was all it took. Angel snatches up the Pharaoh in mid fall. (Story continued)

[edit] X-Men Origins XVI: Where Angels Dare To Tread!

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Written by: Roy Thomas; Drawn by: Werner Roth , Inked and Lettered by: Sam Grainger.
[edit] Summary

Angel zooms in on a warehouse robbery and armed with what looks like a gas gun with pellets, lets them have it from above! Then with a portable radio, he calls the cops before diving on them and finishing the robbery with his fists. Back at his apartment Angel is miffed because he does not get credit for stopping the crime. There is mention of some guy with wings, but that is discounted by authorities.

At this point in time, Angel is working free lance and is wearing primarily red colored outfit. Based on news reports regarding the foiled robbery, he comes to the attention of the X-Men who show up at his apartment and offer membership in the X-Men. Angel's response: "You gotta be kiddin!" (Story continued.)



Issue No.56 (1969)

[edit] Issue No.56- The Power? (1969)

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Scripted by: Roy Thomas; Penciled by: Neal Adams, Inked by: Tom Palmer; Lettered by: Herb Cooper.
  • Characters Introduced: Living Monolith- The Living Pharaoh and the Living Monolith are one and the same.
  • Characters Featured: Havok (Alex Summers), Living Pharaoh. Alex Summers is not known as Havok in this issue.
  • Gadgets:

[edit] Summary

Part 3 of the Living Pharaoh story arc. For some reason the X-men think that an archeological dig site is a good place to figure out what to do with the Living Pharaoh, but it just turns out to be a good place for the Pharaoh's henchmen to attack them. The Pharaoh makes off with Alex and locks him into a glass coffin. It is said that Pharaoh and Alex are linked with a relationship where if one gets power the other loses it, so the intent is to suck out Alex's powers which turns the Living Pharaoh into the Living Monolith, a big powerful stoney guy. However Alex concentrates, and gets both his and Pharaoh's powers back as he blasts open the coffin and destroys the tomb in the process. The Pharaoh is captured and Alex freaks about his un-controllable power. (Story continued.)

This issue also contains the continuation of the Angel Origins story.

[edit] Story Details

Having captured the Living Pharaoh, the X-Men are trying to figure out what to do with him. Traveling in the quinjet, they to decide to explore an archaeological dig for an answer. Alex Summers is shaken by his new found powers, like Scott in previous issues, wondering if he will accidently kill someone. Initially, the site looks deserted, until Marvel Girl senses something amuk and warns the crew to duck!. Then, "KKKZAK!" a giant explosion from the concussion guns wielded by Pharaoh's henchmen who were hiding in wait (What are the odds?), knocks out the X-Men, except for Cyclops who can still focus his optic beam at the bad guys until "KWUNK!", he gets whacked in the head by a low flying vehicle. Beast is still in good shape and takes revenge by throwing the offenders out of their ride.

Pharaoh yells at his men not to bother with the X-Men, but to scoop up Alex Summers as Beast is hit with some kind of a ray gun and knocked out of action. Iceman tries to hit Pharaoh's craft with an ice bolt, but Pharaoh does the energy-out-of-finger-tips routine and destroys it. Angel recovers, and although groggy takes pursuit, but he gets knocked out of the sky with concussion missiles. Down below Cyclops hovers over an unconscious Marvel Girl, crying out her name and vows "they'll pay!"

However, Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, and Marvel Girl all recover and although Jean feels weak, she gathers her mental strength for amazing cerebral exertions (impossible to describe) to make contact with Angel and finds out he avoided hitting the ground and was able to continue following the Pharaoh and his prisoner, Alex Summers. They arrive at another ancient site, identical to the first site where the fighting began.

While Alex lays constrained in a glass coffin, Pharaoh makes a speech how he and Alex are linked by celestial chains, that they, mutants, get their power from cosmic rays, and as Alex powers have grown, the Pharaoh's powers have ebbed. Therefore Alex must die so the Pharaoh can regain his powers! Pharaoh starts a chain reaction as he slams shut the glass coffin and it appears that the coffin takes away Alex's energy and feeds them into Pharaoh, turning him into a ... giant Pharaoh, called The Living Monolith who bursts out of the tomb, surprising the X-Men and grabbing Angel!

The X-Men battle the Living Monolith. Cyclops surprises, but does hurt him with an optic blast allowing Angel to escape his grasp. As the Monolith moves forward to step on Cyclops, Marvel Girl lays up a mental barrier stopping him as Beast makes a flying kick to his feet, knocking him to the ground. But as Monolith reaches out the grab Marvel Girl the scene switches to Alex Summers in the glass coffin running out of air and wondering if he can still conjure up some power to escape when electricity starts to fly out his eyeballs!

Outside, the Monolith lifts Marvel Girl with a fiendish look in his eye, when suddenly he starts to transform, dropping her, as he yells "What's happening to me?!" Angel is there to catch Jean. The temple starts to shake and collapses. Cyclops screams for his brother and there standing in the rubble is Alex with electric eyes. Alex yells at the X-Men, "Stay back, I have the power and I can't control it!" (Story continued).

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • New X-Men artist: X-Men graphics get an upgrade as Neal Adams brings a more dynamic presentation to the story.

[edit] X-Men Origins XVII: The Flying A-Bomb!

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Written by: Roy Thomas; Art by: Werner Roth , Inked and Lettered by: Sam Grainger.
[edit] Summary

Continues from last issue... It appears that if Angel won't voluntarily join the X-Men, in fact attacks them as Xavier sends out a message to Cyclops and Iceman that they must capture him because... then the message breaks off. The two X-Men defend themselves from Angel's attacks and try not to hurt him. Finally Xavier sends out a mental message which Angel hears. "Is this some kind of a trick?" he asks. Cyclops tells him to listen to the voice and something in Xavier's demeanor makes Angel trust him. Xavier tells him that a vial he took from the thieves in the warehouse robbery contains a nuclear explosive that is activated by Angel's mutant body. Angel takes the explosive and flies it high into the sky into the cold upper limits of the atmosphere, where at the Professor's suggestion he takes the top off the vial to deactivate it. And it turns out that the gas pellets he used on the robbers had an unintended effect of inflating his ego, explaining why he was so eager to fight Cyclops and Iceman. Xavier offers membership in the X-men and Angel accepts.



Issue No.57 (1969)

[edit] Issue No.57- The Sentinels Live! (1969)

[edit] Summary

Part 4 of the Living Pharaoh story arc, the transformation of Alex Summers into a powerful mutant, and the return of the Sentinels. Lorna Dane is abducted from her apartment in Manhattan by the Sentinels. In Egypt, the Living Pharaoh is under X-Men custody but when the police show up, it turns out Pharaoh is also Professor Abdol, a noted archeologist and the police decide to arrest the X-Men and Alex Summers who inadvertently destroyed an ancient temple. X-Men fight the police. Alex runs off into the desert and while hiding in a cave runs into a Sentinel. The X-Men figure out that something happened to Lorna, so Iceman and Beast return to NYC to find her. At Cyclops apartment, they watch a televised news conference where Larry Trask, son of Bolivar Trask (The original creator of the Sentinels. See Issue No.14), calls mutants a threat, as a sinister entity lurks outside their apartment window. (Story continued.)

Starts an X-Men origins feature on Marvel Girl.

[edit] Story Details

The episode opens with Lorna Dane with green hair, all decked out in a slinky blue costume in her Manhattan apartment lamenting her fizzling mutant powers when suddenly something or someone pounds on her door bursting it open. Lorna finds herself surrounded by... Sentinels!

Meanwhile, out in the deserts of Egypt, the Living Monolith is back to being just the Living Pharaoh and is in X-Men custody. They are waiting for the local police to show up. Alex Sumers, Cyclop's little brother is having an identity crisis. He had been locked up in a glass coffin by the Living Pharaoh, and when his fear transformed into pure power, the coffin and the entire temple were destroyed without harm to himself. He is in deathly fear he might accidentally kill someone.

Beast Takes A Dive! (57)

The local constabulary arrives on a camel and surprisingly, he knows the Living Pharaoh as Professor Abdol, an eminent archeologist of the region. Some confusion sets in as the X-Men have accused Abdol of being a menace and Abdol accuses Alex Summers of the destruction of an ancient temple. The guy on the camel says, "I guess that could be possible" referring to Alex. When the X-Men reassert it is Abdol who is the threat, the constable says that all of the X-Men should be taken into custody including the defiler of the temple. But when the police approach Alex, he screams "stay back!" As they approach, energy erupts from his hands to zap them. As the X-Men fight the police (defensively), Alex takes off across the desert. Cyclops gets pissed and floors the police with a wide angle blast, just enough to drop them.

Then the X-Men take off in search of Alex who has taken refuge in a cave. "Why don't they leave me alone?" Alex laments "power that makes my every gesture a threat... my every movement a menace!" And out of dark comes an answer, "You need worry no longer mutant, for you will never menace anyone...ever again!" Standing before young Alex Summers is a new and improved Sentinel!

As the search for Alex becomes futile, a light bulb goes off in Cyclop's head, and he suggests they contact Lorna, to have her crank up Cerebro to locate Alex. But when they pull up the Quin Jet's view screen of Lorna's apartment, it is a wreck! Bobby (Iceman) almost has a melt down wondering what happened to his gal? Cyclops gives the jet to Bobby and Hank so they can zip back to NYC, while he, Angel, and Marvel Girl remain to search for Alex. Little do they know the X-Men splitting up is being observed.

Back in NYC at Lorna's Manhattan apartment, Iceman and Beast walk into a wrecked apartment to be greeted by the police who want to arrest them. But there is no time for custody as Iceman freezes their guns and they make a rapid exit. In frustration, one of the cops throws a chair that knocks Beast out the window, but iceman is fast with the ice, creating an ice pole that Beast uses to avoid spatting on the ground.

At Scott Summer's apartment, Bobby worries about Lorna while Hank catches up with current affairs on the television. He tunes into a news conference featuring a Judge Chalmers and Larry Trask who are warning the public that mutants are a threat to society! Larry Trask is the son of Dr. Bolivar Trask, the first person to initiate an anti-mutant campaign. (See Issue No.14) Trask tells his story about how the X-Men killed his father, when we all know it was the Sentinels that turned on Bolivar Trask. The elder Trask sacrificed himself in an effort to destroy the out of control Sentinels. Larry Trask finishes the conference by declaring "The Sentinels Live!", while outside the apartment, an entity lurks! (Story Continued.)

[edit] X-Men Origins XVIII: The Female of the Species!

  • Credits: Edited by: Stan Lee; Written by: Linda Fite; Pencilled by: Werner Roth , Inked and by: Sam Grainger.
[edit] Summary

Hi, I'm Marvel Girl, I can move things telekinetically, paring an apple with a knife just using my mind, clean the house just thinking about it, deflect projectiles, unlock locks, even levitate myself and others. You don't want to be on my bad side as I can fry your brain a little using the mental ability that Professor Xavier trained me for and I can communicate with others telepathically . Not only can I disrupt street crimes with ease, but I'm also a real head turner! The end!



Issue No.58 (1969)

[edit] Issue No.58- Mission Murder! (1969)

[edit] Summary

The 5th part of the Living Pharaoh story arc that has morphed into the second Sentinels showdown. And yes, it's time for Havok! And a shocker, Magneto, the Magneto in this issue is revealed to be an android! So will the real Magneto standup?

If you read the first Sentinels encounter, then you are expecting something to go wrong and you don't have long to wait. Larry Trask, son of Bolivar Trask and the leader of the new Sentinels, wears a medallion given to him by his Dad and has sworn he'll always wear it. The reason for this will be made clear as the story progresses.

After an attack by the Banshee and an altercation with Judge Chalmers, his co-sponser in rounding up mutants, Trask overreacts and orders the Sentinels to destroy all mutants nearby. In response, Chalmers seizes the medallion from around his neck, causing the Sentinels to no longer recognize Trask as their leader. They seize him as a mutant and prepare to carry out his order!

[edit] Story Details

In the last issue, we left Beast and Iceman in Cyclop's apartment catching the "mutants are bad!" news conference when a Sentinel explodes through the wall, attacking them. While they fight, Larry Trask, son of Dr. Bolivar Trask drones on the T.V. about evil mutants, the ones who murdered his Father and how he has improved the Sentinels, making them bigger, and better with improved intelligence and more weapons such as steel tendrils they can ensnare opponents with and steam to fight ice as in Iceman. When asked, how can we be sure The Sentinels won't run amuck again, Trask claims that the Sentinels did not rebel the first time, instead it was an X-Men trick. Of course we know Trask is mistaken. Trask also claims he can personally take control of any Sentinel at any time by use of a special helmet he designed.

Meanwhile back at the fight in Cyclop's apartment, Beast is tied up in a Sentinel tendril. Iceman sprays it with ice and as the Sentinel turns on Iceman, he creates three ice-images of himself that the Sentinel focuses on, smashing them one at a time. This gives Bobby enough time to toss Cyclop's miniature TV transmitter to Beast, then he freezes the tendril holding Hank, enabling Beast to smash it. Iceman tells Beast to get out and warn the other X-Men in Egypt. Beast reluctantly leaves, feeling guilty as Bobby fights the Sentinel, a feeling which is reinforced as Beast sees the Sentinel take to the skies with Iceman in his grasp.

In Egypt, Angel, Cyclops, and Marvel Girl have searched for Alex Summers (Cyclop's little brother) in vain. As Angel lands, Scott and Jean are getting a report from Hank about Sentinels on the loose. Warren flips and decides he is flying to States right then, using his own wings, despite Scott and Jean's protest.

In the States, Judge Chalmers is on the phone with Larry Trask expressing doubt that all mutants are evil (because he knows something that Trask does not). A confident Trask responds that the captured mutant (Iceman) will be rendered harmless and then people will be able to see the true depth of mutant depravity. Trask gives Bobby an unwanted steam bath designed to take away his powers for four hours. Upon release, Iceman attacks Trask, but he is immediately scooped up by a guarding Sentinel and thrown in a cell. Triumphantly, Trask tells Iceman the exchange has been video recorded for the world to see the violent nature of mutants. (Hmm, who would not feel a bit violent after such treatment?)

In the cell, Bobby is not alone. There is a character dressed up in a black suite with concentric circles on his chest and funky looking head gear. It's Alex, Scott Summers brother! And behind him on a bed is Lorna Dane, all three of them are now prisoners. Alex tells Iceman, if he donned his uniform and cooperated, Trask would leave the other X-Men alone, including Lorna. Trask has named Alex, "Havok", a name that seems to aree with him. The concentric circles on his chest measure Alex's energy output, giving him some feedback. But when a Sentinel appears at the cell and grabs Lorna, Alex looses his cool and... knocks the Sentinel down with a blast, releasing Lorna. But Trask is right there, and although surprised Havok possesses such power, he is prepared, zapping Havok with a pistol device that repels the cosmic rays, taking away Havok's power. All three mutants are placed in detention tubes and placed in suspended animation.

The scene switches to a television news report describes the newly created Federal Council on Mutant Activities who approves of Sentinels scouring the country, apprehending mutants. Ironically, one of the council members is none other than Professor Abdol (Living Pharaoh)! Before the other council members, one minute he is raving about the dangerous X-Men and the next minute he feels himself transforming into the Living Monolith#... that is until the Sentinels arrive and spray him down with a special adhesive that blocks cosmic rays (the source of mutant powers). The Sentinels take Abdol into custody. (# If you remember when Havok loses power, the Living Pharaoh gains power turning into the Living Monolith.)

Meanwhile Angel has been schlepping his way across the Atlantic and as he approaches the coast of the U.S., a pair of Sentinels capture him. Coincidentally, the event is observed by Scott and Jean on an airliner flying them back to NYC.

Next a Sentinel finds the indisclosed hideout of Mesmero and Magneto. Mesmero tries to hold back the Sentinel using his mental powers, but when that fails, he rushes to Magneto's side and pleads to be saved. Most interesting, the Sentinel asks Mesmero why he seeks refuge behind a machine, as it hits Magneto with a ray. What was Magneto falls apart into pieces of metal and circuitry!! Mesmero is taken into custody. Trask states that "Magneto has temporarily eluded him, because he has an android doing his dirty work" keeps the reader in doubt regarding the true fate of Magneto. I'm betting on Magneto.

Judge Chalmers visits Trask in the base built by the Sentinels to get a mutant status report. Again Chalmers expresses doubt regarding the anti-mutant campaign and is annoyed when the mutants in custody are being stored in large tubes in a state of suspended animation. Trask who is myopic about the evil nature of mutants does not care about being humane to "monsters that aren't even human", especially the ones he says killed his father! As Chalmers and Trask discuss the situation, the remaining free X-Men- Beast, Marvel Girl and Cyclops are being observed on Trask's view screen, preparing to fall into the trap Trask has set for them. Trask tells Chalmers about the oath he gave to his father to always wear a medallion from his Mother. Trask has no idea Chalmers knows about the medallion.

To emphasis the threat Larry Trask and the Sentinels represents to mutants, suddenly the Banshee appears and attacks them with his ear splitting wail. "Do unto others" comes into play as the Sentinels attack Banshee with a different frequency, knocking him out. This puts Trask over the edge and suddenly gives a command to his Sentinels to "secure all mutants in the area and destroy them!" Judge Chalmers, won't stand for this order, punching Trask and ripping the medallion from his neck!

Now things get weird. Chalmer's punch brings Trask back to his senses, but when he countermands his order to destroy all mutants, the Sentinels do not acknowledge the command. And when Trask asks them why don't they obey?- The leader of the Sentinels tells him that with out his medallion he is no longer leader of the Sentinels and he, Larry Trask is a mutant who must be destroyed! (Story continued.)

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • The Federal Council on Mutant Activities is formed to control mutants.
  • Magneto, in this issue is revealed to be an android, but constructed by who? Is Magneto alive or dead? At this point in time, it is unknown.



Issue No.59 (1969)

[edit] Issue No.59- Do or Die, Baby! (1969)

[edit] Summary

The sixth episode of the Living Pharaoh/Sentinels story arc. (See Issue No.14 for the first Sentinel encounter.) While flying in the Quin Jet searching for the Sentinels' mutant captives, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, and Beast are blasted out of the sky by a Sentinel projectile. They survive and sneak into the Sentinel base. Larry Trask now realizes he is a mutant with the power of clairvoyance. But before he lost his position as leader of Sentinels, in an emotional moment, he gave them an order to "kill the mutants". Ironically he is now one of the mutants to be killed.

After fighting their way into the Sentinel base, the X-Men leader, Cyclops engages in some logic with the Sentinel leader convincing him that the best way for Sentinels to protect humans is to remove the source of the radiation that causes mutation. The Sentinels agree and decide to go after the primary source of radiation. In unison they launch towards the Sun and dive into it, which leaves the reader wondering if their intent was to destroy the Sun which would not be so good, if they know of a way to stop the Sun from emitting radiation, and finally do they have the ability to survive direct contact with the Sun? These questions are not answered.

[edit] Story Details

This somewhat climatic episode begins with the trio of Cyclops, Marvel Girl, and Beast flying in the Quin Jet huddled together, peering at the blip in Mini-Cerebro's screen showing the location of mutants who have been captured by the Sentinels. But Beast suspects a trap. Jean feels the trap tighten as she yells for the X-Men to "JUMP" as the jet is hit by a projectile and goes down in flames. As they plummet though the air, Jean is at a loss how she will stop all three of them from splatting on the ground. Beast is the closest to impact and just before he hits, Cyclops directs Jean to project a levitational force field under Beast which acts as a cushion. Then she is able to slow her and Cyclop's decent rate for a safe landing.

At the Sentinels' headquarters, we resume Larry Trask's mutinous encounter with the head Sentinel. First, Trask expresses some mutant empathy, if the X-Men on the Quin Jet had died, he felt bad. Secondly he wants to know why the new Sentinel leader keeps calling him a mutant?

Judge Chalmers is there to answer that question. Turns out Larry Trask is a mutant with the gift of clairvoyance. As a child he predicted the time of his Mother's death. His father, Bolivar Trask created a medallion that erased Larry's memory of the event and muted his natural ability as long as he wore it. He made the young Larry Trask swear he would always wear it. Then his father, who feared other mutants would discover his son's ability, started the original campaign to round up all mutants as a way of protecting his son. When Trask issued the "kill mutant" command in the last episode, Chalmers pulled the medallion from Trask to bring back his lost memory, but the unintended consequence was that the Sentinels no longer view Trask as their leader and intend on carrying out his last command (as their leader) to "round up all nearby mutants and destroy them!" Trask protests, but he is knocked out with gas and placed in a holding tube as reports roll in regarding the capture of Quick Silver, Scarlet Witch, Unus, Mastermind, Blob, and one of Magneto's former disciples, Toad.

Suddenly the head Mutant announces a new mutant threat has been detected nearby as all Sentinels are marshaled to converge on the location, the South cliff. The scene switches to the South cliff near the Sentinels' HQ where Marvel Girl, Cyclops, and Beast are climbing. Beast finds a fissure that allows the X-Men a secret entrance into the Sentinels compound but they are quickly discovered. Beast lands both feet on the offending Sentinel's chest. Cyclops yells at Jean to hit the Sentinel with her telekinetic power as he zaps it with an optic blast breaking it apart.

The X-Men sneak to where QuickSilver, Scarlet Witch, and Toad are being held. The destroyed Sentinel is discovered and the alarm sounds. The X-Men release the three prisoners and take their place donning their uniforms. When the guard Sentinel returns he notices the mutant switch, just as Beast (dressed as Toad) gives it an uppercut with his feet and Cyclops (dressed as QuickSilver) disables the guard with an optic blast.

A general Sentinel alarm goes out for "mutants on the loose". Beast throws a stack of barrels at converging Sentinels allowing Marvel Girl, Cyclops, and Beast to flee towards the detention area. The Sentinel order goes out, "execute without mercy!"

In his detention tube, Trask sees a vision of Havok and comes to terms with his power of clairvoyance. Because he is only a human, Judge Chalmer's has been allowed to hang out at Sentinel HQs. Although he can't speak, Trask sends Chalmers a message using his eyes. Chalmer's sees Trask staring at a special gun laying on a table, but when he pulls the trigger nothing happens. This gun does not shoot bullets. Then he sees Trask staring at Havok in a detention tube and wonders "does he want me to kill Havok?"

Back at the fighting X-men location, Beast takes out another Sentinel by dropping heavy equipment on it and urges Cyclops and Marvel Girl to get to the mutant detention facility. Outside the detention facility, Jean knocks down two guard Sentinels with an extreme burst of power. (Jean has never looked better in combat.) Jean keeps the two guards occupied while Cyclops runs in just in time to see Judge Chalmers use the pistol device on Havok, awakening him! As a Sentinel and Cyclops exchange fire, Chalmers jumps in front Cyclops and takes a blast from the Sentinel. Harming a human is really bad in Sentinel logic and offending Sentinel cries out "DISASTER, a human has been harmed, adjust priority systems accordingly!" Cyclops turns to Havok's detention tube and uses his last bit of optic energy to free him. As a Sentinel enters the detention area, Havok "cries Havok" and knocks the Sentinel down and out!

Cyclops and Havok turn to see two Sentinels working on Chalmers to mend him. Havok notices a power build up in his chest sensor and is concerned. Chalmer's tells Cyclops to defeat the Sentinels, he must use logic. Cyclops thinks for a moment, then asks the Sentinel "Are you not programmed to protect human life from mutants?" The Sentinel agrees. Then Cyclops adds, "But all life forms...even humans...are the result of mutation! Thus, you can only protect human life by finding and neutralizing the source of mutation!" Most startling, the Sentinel buys the logic! In unison, the Sentinels blast off heading to the primary source of radiation, the Sun! As the Sentinels disappear into the Sun, one can only wonder if they might survive? Hopefully they were not trying to put the Sun out...

Back on Earth, Havok whose power is building as indicated by his chest monitor, wonders if it would be better if he destroyed himself before he hurts others as he blows a hole in the wall of the Sentinel compound and ends up unconscious under a pile of rubble. Cyclops needs to get his little brother, Havok to a doctor. A call is placed to a colleague of Professor Xavier's. Then a strange scene is revealed as the call is answered in Manhattan by a man calling himself Dr. Lykos sitting before a human chained to a wall wearing some kind of an apparatus on his head and shoulders. For more info, see the Dr. Lykos (Sauron) link. (Story Continued.)


Issue No.60 (1969)

[edit] Issue No.60- In the Shadow of Sauron! (1969)

[edit] Summary

Unable to control his power, Havok injured himself in the last issue after the fight with the Sentinels. Cyclops has taken him to see Dr. Lykos, a colleague of Professor Xavier who has a dark secret. His backstory can be read in the Notes and Trivia section below. Dr. Lykos, due to no fault of his own has been transformed into a vampire, except this vampire preys on human energy instead of blood. Lykos has also discovered that when he preys on mutants, his energy absorption is so high, it transforms him into something that looks like a pteranodon and brings out his evil nature, so evil, he has named himself Sauron. After reports of a winged thief, rumored to be a mutant hits the news, Angel who does not like the idea of a bad, winged mutant takes off to patrol the sky and runs into Sauron. When goaded into looking into Sauron's eyes, Angel gets a surprise! (Story continued.)

[edit] Story Details

The aftermath of the second Sentinels encounter. The Sentinels have flown to the Sun where their fate is unknown. The X-Men are preparing to leave the Sentinels' headquarters in a Sentinel built flying vehicle. Cyclops wants to get an injured Havok to a doctor and in in the last issue, called Dr. Lykos, a colleague of Professor Xavier's. Larry Trask former leader of the Sentinels is sitting in a daze. In an effort to help Larry Trask recover, Judge Chalmers, (who knows the power of the medallion he removed from Trask several episodes ago), slips it back around Trask's neck. This medallion removes Trask memory of being a mutant and mutes his ability of clairvoyance. Chalmers also plans on releasing the mutants who were captured by the Sentinels which is ok with the X-Men who are leaving. On the flight out, Lorna Dane asks to become part of the X-Men.

The scene switches to Dr. Lykos's office where his current patient being treated for hyper-tension, is waking up from hypnosis and feeling a little weak. Dr. Lykos offers to increase treatments to twice a week. As the patient leaves, Scott Summers and Jean Grey help Alex Summers through the door and onto a examining table. The doctor looks at Alex and tells Scott he will speak to them at length in the near future. But when Scott says they'll be in the waiting room, Dr. Lykos tells them that his methods require privacy and tells them to drop back later that night. Jean grabs Scott and says "let's go!".

They drive to Xavier's mansion, and discover Angel, Beast, and Iceman practicing in the Danger Room, the X-men practice facility and being observed by Jean Grey and Lorna Dane. When Jean makes a comment about "Bobby's girl", Lorna tells her she is "nobody's" girl! Then Jean suggests they put the squeeze on the men and lets Lorna magnetically activate the Danger Room's metal tentacles to challenge the lads. Beast wonders how all of their old mutant foes, will react as they are released from the Sentinel's prison. He suggests they will all go into hiding for some extended period of time.

At Dr. Lykos's office, after Alex's wounds have been bandaged, Lykos sends his nurse home for the day. And as Lykos contemplates his plan for Havok (Alex Summers), he has a moment of hesitation, of regret, and flashback to a fateful day when on Tierra Del Fuego (See Sauron Backstory under Notes and Trivia.), but then...

The X-Men with Lorna Dane are hanging out eating sandwiches when a news report flashes on the television about a robbery involving a winged thief. The icing on the cake for Angel is the report that the police think a mutant was involved! In anger, he dons his uniform and takes off to patrol the sky and there in the distance is a winged character who looks like a pteranodon wearing pants. Angel zooms in and has a discussion with what he thinks is a guy in a scary mask, who more or less dares Angel to look into his eyes. Angel thinks "no problem", but when he looks into the creatures eyes, he starts yelling "Your eyes! Your eyes!" (Story continued.)

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • Sauron Backstory- Many years ago, Karl Lykos the teenage son of an ex-sailor and explorer's guide, accompanies his Father, as they take a client, a Mr. Anderssen and his daughter, Tanya to a cabin in the mountains of Tierra Del Fuego, the land of fire on the edge of the Antarctic. The client's daughter, Tanya turns up missing. Splitting up, they search the mountain and Karl discovers a tunnel into the mountain. Following it, he hears Tanya's cries for help and discovers she is being attacked by prehistoric Pteranodons, flying dinosaurs who have come from the depths into the cavern. Karl fights them off and in the process, is wounded receiving strange lacerations. Under the care of Dr. Anderssen and his Father, Karl falls unconscious and has bad dreams of flying dinosaurs. When Karl awakens he feels bad and calls his dog over to give him a hug. He immediately feels better, but his poor dog ends up looking sick and refuses to go near Karl again. To keep his health, Karl grows up periodically feeling the need to touch people draining their energy. After his Father dies, Karl lives with Dr. Anderssen and Tanya, but Tanya's Father does not want his daughter with someone of "no means" (no wealth), so Lykos leaves vowing to return when he possesses the wealth to marry Tanya. Lykos goes to medical school and becomes a success. Along the way he devises electrical apparatus he needed to syphon energy off of his patents when they are under hypnosis. Lykos is a human energy vampire! Then with Xavier, but unknown to Xavier, Lykos discovers that Mutants provide extra energy, extra power, and youthful vigor but also create a terrible change that turns him into a leathery winged dinosaur creature who is predisposed towards evil and names himself after Tolkien's Lord of the Rings villian, Sauron! (During the progress of this story in Issues 60-62, it should be noted that the treatment of "taking energy" from patients although leaving them tired, seems to make them feel better and in Alex Summer's case, heals him, so in my opinion, Lykos should not be viewed completely negative, especially in light of how he became the way he is. Bringing out the "evil" in his personality seems to be a result of his injuries defending T