Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men

As Mentioned in Episode 434 – Return to Cape Citadel

December 31, 2023 Miles Leave a comment

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Happy anniversary! Have a brand-new team! (Uncanny X-Men #360)

The first of a number of Giant-Size X-Men #1-style origin stories. (Uncanny X-Men #360)

In which the long-absent Excalibur mutants remind us of the first team they were all on. (Uncanny X-Men #360)

The All-New, Slightly-Off X-Men attack! (Uncanny X-Men #360)

Meanwhile: all that’s left of the X-Men. Err, the most recent team of X-Men. Not the returning ones. Or the fake ones. Look, there are a lot of different X-Men in this issue, okay? (Uncanny X-Men #360)

Hey, looks like Thomas Wolfe was wrong! (Uncanny X-Men #360)

Who needs panel borders when you’ve got layouts like this? (Uncanny X-Men #360)

Hey, it’s like the last issue’s cover – but with actual X-Men! (X-Men #80)

Comics’ greatest superhero soap opera. (X-Men #80)

Gotta admit, this is not Super Doctor Astronaut Peter Corbeau’s greatest showing. (X-Men #80)

A lot’s changed since you’ve been gone, Pete. (X-Men #80)

*raised heavy metal horns accompany a single heavy metal tear* (X-Men #80)

They’ve been back together for only a few hours and are already dramatically posing like champs! (X-Men #80)

“Hey, that’s not Professor X! He has a… you know!” (X-Men #80)

…rocket? (X-Men #80)

More couples’ therapy should include fastball specials. (X-Men #80)

I mean, I know they were kinda jerks, but… jeez! (X-Men #80)

NEXT EPISODE: Our tenth annual Giant-Size Winter Special!

434 – Return to Cape Citadel

December 17, 2023 Jay 13 comments

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In which the X-Men turn 35; we pause to celebrate the death of Henry Kissinger; Jay is a space nerd; Marrow hang-dries her delicates; space shuttles are not rockets; the band gets back together; and the Danger Room isn’t the first piece of X-tech to get sentience and a robot body.

X-PLAINED

How Excalibur got a Blackbird
Uncanny X-Men #360
X-Men #80
Many callbacks
The Benassi Rocket
The Cassini Probe
The All-New, Slightly Off X-Men
The Grey King (Addison Falk)
Chaos and/or Xhaos (Dan Dash)
Mercury
Rapture (Sister Joy)
Crux (Cristal Lemiuex)
Landslide (Lee Broder)
The Founder
Super Doctor Astronaut Peter Corbeau (again)
The Mutant Defense Net
Heroic narration
Lack of spacefaring continuity
Friendship
Technology
Costumes
All-New All-Different Dungeons & Dragons

NEXT EPISODE: GIANT-SIZE WINTER SPECIAL #10

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433 – Looking Back at Looking Back

December 10, 2023 Jay 10 comments

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In which we take a retrospective look at X-Factor and Excalibur: where the series began, where they went, and what’s in store after the ends of their first volumes.

X-PLAINED:

What Rictor’s been up to
X-Factor
Excalibur

NEXT EPISODE: A Corbeau cameo!

The visual companion to this episode is scattered through the last eight years of visual companions, mostly under the X-Factor and Excalibur tags.

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Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

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As Mentioned in Episode 432 – Weird Little Adventures

December 10, 2023 Jay Leave a comment

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This makes it look like one of them is about to die. (Generation X #44)

The weirdest thing about Polaroids was that they could all talk. (Generation X #44)

Aw. (Generation X #44)

Siryn knows how to dress! (Generation X #44)

A plot thread that dangles to this day. (Generation X #44)

I really enjoy this credits page. (Generation X #45)

I enjoy when Monet is mischievous. (Generation X #45)

What the HELL, Sean? (Generation X #46)

Of course, it would have EMTs, but, whatever. (Generation X #46)

One way to deal with traffic. (Generation X #46)

How fast is she running?! (Generation X #46)

“I mean, they’ll have a rough time at college, but whatever.” (Generation X #46)

Forge, no. (Generation X #47)

Did… did they HAVE to live in the treehouse before?! (Generation X #47)

Later he’s going to lecture on not pissing off your girlfriend. (Generation X #47)

YOU TELL ‘IM, PARADOX! (Generation X #47)

NEXT EPISODE: X-Factor and Excalibur post mortem!

432 – Weird Little Adventures

December 3, 2023 Jay 4 comments

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In which we reach the end of Larry Hama’s run on Generation X; Gaia remains remarkably normal for someone who has spent millennia chained up alone in a citadel; Synch practices radical forgiveness; we ponder the nature of Emma Frost and Sean Cassidy’s relationship; and Forge is extra unqualified to lecture on ethics.

X-PLAINED:

How Jubilee stopped being a vampire
The Draco, kinda
Generation X #44-47
Bianca LaNeige (again)
Polaroid cameras
Gaia (more) (again)
Reality warping
Woody and Arlo Guthrie
Iceland
Several continuity errors
Psi War fallout
Paul Weller
New school uniforms
Accreditation
Miss Pickwick
Penance’s nationality
Guthrie manifestation
Teamwork
Forge’s decision-making skills
Paradox
Indoor/outdoor moppets
Four theoretical horsemen of Apocalypse
Awkward family holidays

NEXT EPISODE: Jay & Miles autopsy X-Factor and Excalibur!

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Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

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As Mentioned in Episode 431 – Doctor Jennifer Murder’s Drop-In Deathatorium

November 19, 2023 Miles Leave a comment

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Alright, who stuck their surprisingly awesome fan-zine on this comics rack? (Generation X Underground Special #1)

Do the extra-long fingers help or hurt? (Generation X Underground Special #1)

Triumphant walk! (Generation X Underground Special #1)

Cibo Matto! (Generation X Underground Special #1)

“I’m just not sure about this neighborhood. Let’s head over to Crime Alley instead.” (Generation X Underground Special #1)

No notes. (Generation X Underground Special #1)

(Former since the Donut Day Riots) Detective Lucas Bishop. (Generation X Underground Special #1)

Eat your heart out, Jack Kirby. (Generation X Underground Special #1)

You and me both, random gangster. (Generation X Underground Special #1)

And, in fact, that very funk will save the day. (Generation X Underground Special #1)

Chamber’s secondary mutation is to be more heavily inked when he’s depressed. (Generation X Underground Special #1)

If you’re ever this heavily inked, please talk to someone. (Generation X Underground Special #1)

Al made a shirt and so can you! (Generation X Underground Special #1)

Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Beatniks vs. Hostess Fruit Pies… (Generation X Underground Special #1)

Nate is such a good dude sometimes. (X-Man: All Saints Day #1)

What an oddly relevantly helpful old woman! (X-Man: All Saints Day #1)

Downtown Transylvania circa 1998, I assume. (X-Man: All Saints Day #1)

Hey, your face isn’t even all that bony! (X-Man: All Saints Day #1)

See, kids? This is why you shouldn’t smoke. (X-Man: All Saints Day #1)

She had to wait days for a lightning storm epic enough for her to make her entrance properly. (X-Man: All Saints Day #1)

How has no one brought this delightful villain back since this issue?! (X-Man: All Saints Day #1)

Didn’t see that one coming… (X-Man: All Saints Day #1)

NO NOTES. (X-Man: All Saints Day #1)

Doctor Von Mort’s home office is way cooler than mine. (X-Man: All Saints Day #1)

Abysnthia Von Mort x-plains Absynthia Von Mort. (X-Man: All Saints Day #1)

“Help! We’ve been filed!” (X-Man: All Saints Day #1)

I’m not crying you’re crying (X-Man: All Saints Day #1)

NEXT EPISODE: Generation X suits up!

431 – Doctor Jennifer Murder’s Drop-In Deathatorium

November 19, 2023 Miles 4 comments

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In which Synch is a more versatile character than he originally got credit for; “eep” and “eek” are likewise underused; space makes everything better; Nate Grey is the proto-himbo; and if you can decipher the secret code in this episode, you, too, can win a Silver Surfer jet ski!

X-PLAINED:

Diablo
Generation X Underground Special
X-Men Unlimited #30
X-Man: All Saints Day
Jim Mahfood
Skin’s video-game preferences
Strange superpowers
Poster pirates
Visual representations of the passage of time
“Banshee’s Angels”
Charlie’s Angels
The infamous donut-day riots
Perfect costumes
Adequate restraints for small children
The raw power of funk
Generation X vs. the Beat Generation
The greatest disco event in the universe
Nate Grey
Some kid named Jerome
Countess Absynthia Von Mort
Transylvania
Dr. Cindy’s Castle
The state of Phoenix affairs
The color bar at the top of the page in ‘90s comics

NEXT EPISODE: Generation X suits up!

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Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

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As Mentioned in Episode 430 – The Bad Feelings Box

November 19, 2023 Jay Leave a comment

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It’s always awkward when you run into someone you know out of context. (Uncanny X-Men #359)

I don’t know why Rogue palming Mystique’s face like a basketball is so funny, but it really is. (Uncanny X-Men #359)

Aw, these two. (Uncanny X-Men #359)

Spoiler: They do not actually fight each other. (Uncanny X-Men / Fantastic Four Annual 1998)

Every supervillain, ever. (Uncanny X-Men / Fantastic Four Annual 1998)

It’s Bring-a-Twink night at the poker game! (Uncanny X-Men / Fantastic Four Annual 1998)

Psycho Man may have his issues, but you’ve gotta hand it to his UI design. (Uncanny X-Men / Fantastic Four Annual 1998)

I love that Kirby armor. (Uncanny X-Men / Fantastic Four Annual 1998)

INVISIBLE BEAR TRAP (Uncanny X-Men / Fantastic Four Annual 1998)

By this point, half the superheroes in the Marvel Universe are anxiously awaiting their turn to toss Wolverine. (Uncanny X-Men / Fantastic Four Annual 1998)

OH NO (Uncanny X-Men / Fantastic Four Annual 1998)

Callisto looks so cool in this issue. (X-Men #79)

She knows how to flirt like a pro. (X-Men #79)

They’re spooning. (X-Men #79)

NEXT EPISODE: Miles and Al Kennedy X-Plain the Generation X Underground Special!

430 – The Bad Feelings Box

November 12, 2023 Jay 8 comments

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In which birds have no business in sex dreams; feelings are complicated and allegories are imperfect; Mystique made some valid points; Psycho-Man is good at UI; Callisto was right; and the label “Omega-level mutant” actually kind of makes sense.

X-PLAINED:

Psycho-Man
Malice (but not that one)
Hate Monger (but not that one)
Finding good comics from the ‘90s
Uncanny X-Men #359
X-Men / Fantastic Four Annual 1998
X-Men #79
The dead man’s hand
Dr. Aubrey Agee
Psi-War fallout
Dr. Bradley Beynon
Hadley the robot
Poker twinks
La Bludgeon
Psycho-Man’s Bad Feelings Box
An invisible bear trap
Marvel’s floating poker game
Officers Aguinal and Cleveland
Antagonists vs. villains
Omega-level mutants

NEXT EPISODE: The Generation X Underground Special, feat. Al Kennedy!

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Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

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