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Rachel and Miles of 2003, testing out early “Who Would Win in a Fight” hypotheses. Rachel hasn’t had long hair in years, but she still fights dirty.
Cycloptometry, from X-Factor #39.
Some of our favorite X-spinoffs.
That’s Rachel Summers, sending Kitty Pryde’s consciousness back in time in the original “Days of Future Past” comic. (X-Men #141)
Fun fact: the title of this podcast is roughly 90% Michael C. Maronna’s fault. (Photo courtesy of Will McRobb.)
Mystique and Destiny: CANONICAL AS FUCK. (Astonishing X-Men #51)
The Siege Perilous will body-swap you with a Japanese assassin, or send you to Australia, or whatever. Unless you’re Quentin Quire, anyway. (Uncanny X-Men #229)
Lee Forrester takes shit from nobody. (X-Men #143)
You can, in fact, judge this book by its cover. (Nightcrawler #1)
Would you buy logical causality from this man? YES. Yes, you would.
Miles’s favorite superhero.
Just in case you were wondering what it looked like.
Paracyclophus, by Legitimus Maximus.
Janet K. Lee is the inventor of the Metawolverine, the most powerful creature in Canada.
Next week: The Dark Phoenix Saga!
Links and Further Reading: UncannyXMen.net
I loved your answer session this time around and I have to ask two questions that I hope you would consider for your next time around:
1) Have you ever considered reading Children of the Atom by Wilmar H. Shiras. Though I doubt Stan Lee would cop to it, this particular Science Fiction book seems to be the golden age precursor to the X-Men. A group of “mutants” from westchester New York, use their mental abilities (i.e. advanced intellect and curiosity) to build a better world, despite the fact that the world fears and hates them. It is notable for being the turning point in science fiction in 1953, where science fiction turned from Space Opera to becoming more about social issues. I thought it might be a fascinating read if you’re trying to find the roots of where the X-Men came from.
2) I know you didn’t want to do Marvels, but Marvels: Eye of the Camera is a secret X-Men book written by Kurt Busiek. While it is still a documentation of Phil coming to grips with his age, it is also a story about Phil trying to redeem the X-Men in the public eye culminating in the famous speech Wolverine gives to the news cameras (“We may be back, we may not. But Remember Us”). Gave me chills when I read it it again in Marvels.
3) What do you think of the X-Men knock-offs from other companies? DC had their own X-Men in the form of Doom Patrol (from the original Doom Patrol=Original X-Men, to Mento’s Hybrid=All New All Different X, to Morrison’s “Doom Force Special” with that fantastic list of Claremont/Leifield-style names). DC’s Teen Titans also sort of mimicked X-Men with the introduction of Terra (who was conscious Marv Wolfman rip-off of Kitty Pryde that broke Michael Chabon’s heart when he read it as a child). DC even had their own “Imperial Guard” with the League of Super Assassins who were all “mutants” from different planets. Wildstorm had their own WildCATS (which basically replaced good mutant with Angels and bad mutants with Devils) and the original Gen X (which became Gen 13) and Generation X). Extreme Studios had their own New Men (which was basically what if Cable recruited the original X-Men), which later became truly weird as a proto-Challengers of the Unknown, to the new Bloodstryke). There’s Ex-Mutants (by Malibu), Ennis’s “Fratboy/Sorority Girl” take on X-Men in the Boys, Byrne’s Next Men, and even Claremont’s Sovereign Seven (which is X-Men as New Gods). I’d love to see you guys tackle a few of these homages when appropriate.