September 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the X-Men comics. You bet your ass I have something for that. THE THEME: Marvel's roster of mutants has grown from the original seven in the very first issue of X-Men (the team of Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Jean Grey/Marvel Girl, and Angel, plus Professor X and Magneto), to the point that I could easily name 20 off the top of my head. Instead of just reading five general X-books, I decided to make this theme a bit more specific and read five solo titles starring one mutants. THE COMICS: ![]() CYCLOPS (2014-2015) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Greg Rucka Artist: Russell Dauterman This follows the original incarnation of Cyclops (who, at this time, was sent into the future where he saw how messed up he becomes), who is out in space with his dad Corsair (the leader of the Starjammers, who are basically space pirates). Like his fellow time-displaced teammates, he's having quite the internal crisis learning of his future, but he's at least having a fun time hanging out with his dad (who is equally eager to be a father to his son). ![]() MARVEL KNIGHTS: MADROX #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Peter David Artists: Pablo Raimondi, Drew Hennessy Jamie Madrox (AKA Multiple Man) is currently flying solo as a private investigator, but on the side, he's using his ability to duplicate himself to send his copies to gain knowledge and experience elsewhere. Appropriately, the comic starts out with a mystery: someone has attempted to kill one of Jamie's duplicates, and they may be out to kill every other duplicate next. ![]() SOLDIER X (2002-2003) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Darko Macan Artist: Igor Hordey Don't be confused by the name, as Soldier X is simply another name that Cable goes by in this series. This comic splits the story into two halves, with the first focusing on Irene (a journalist friend/possible love interest who's searching for Cable), and the second showing the beginning of why Cable's been missing for two years. Not really sure where it's going, but it unsurprisingly seems to involve a bit of time travel. ![]() X-MAN (1995-2001) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Jeph Loeb Artists: Steve Skroce, Mike Sellers, Cam Smith, Bud Larosa, Will Conrad X-Man (real name Nate Grey) is actually an alternate version of Cable who comes from the Age of Apocalypse universe, where the villain Apocalypse reigns supreme and enforces mutant supremacy by eliminating the "weak" humans. Nate is part of a ragtag group of rebel mutants doing what little they can to save people, but things get interesting when Nate sees glimpses of the past and their group runs into what appears to be this universe's version of Mister Sinister. ![]() X-MEN: WORST X-MAN EVER #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Max Bemis Artist: Michael Walsh Bailey Hoskins is a kid many would consider "unremarkable," and he himself laments the fact that he's no one special at school. So, when his parents tell him he may be a mutant (in a hilarious subversion of "the talk"), he's over the moon. Just when he think he's about to stand out from the crowd and have something special to his name, he finds out what his powers are. It's... not great. Nonetheless, the people at Xavier's Institute accept him wholeheartedly, so it may not be all bad for Bailey. X-Men is up there as one of the most influential comic series of all time, no question. Between introducing dozens of iconic characters taking part in unforgettable story arcs, spawning an equally memorable movie franchise and animated series, and its enduring legacy as an allegory for victims of prejudice, the impact of this series is undeniable. The Avengers may be the bigger name at the moment, but I don't think they would have reached the pop culture heights they're at right now if the X-Men didn't pave the way first. PANEL(s) OF THE WEEK: - end -
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June 2024
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