8:56 AM
Brad
Cover Date: September 1963
Plot Overview: Professor X summons the X-Men to start the issue. Cyclops, Angel, Beast and Iceman answer the call. Xavier tests the members of the team. Angel can fly, Beast has super strength and agility, Iceman has ice powers and Cyclops has eye beams. The team rough houses a bit until Xavier stops them and tells them a new student is coming today. Jean Grey arrives to the delight of the male students. She reveals telekinesis as her powers. Xavier explains that the X-Men exist to protect the world from evil mutants that want to harm mankind.
The scene shifts to a man named Magneto. He proceeds to use his magnetic powers to take over a base at Cape Citadel.
Xavier summons the X-Men and tells them about the attack and tells them this will be their first mission as a team. The team flies to Cape Citadel and the military agrees to let them try to save the day.
Cyclops uses his eye beams to break Magneto's shield around the base. Magneto sends missiles after the X-Men but they manage to disable the missiles with relative ease. Magneto then throws a flaming cart of fuel at the team but Iceman saves the day with an ice shield. The X-Men return and Magneto decides to flee the scene. The military thank the X-Men as the issue comes to a close.
Fun Fact: Professor X named the X-Men with the X standing for Ex-tra power.
My Take: I had read this issue at a much younger age and didn't have many fond memories towards it. I remembered it as being pretty boring and kind of a dry read. This reading of it went better in my head.
There isn't a lot of story to this issue. It's really 23 pages used to explore each character's power with a justification for them to show off. In that regard it works. Everyone on the team has a bit of personality and you have a really good idea of what each member of the team can do power wise. Magneto is kind of a blank slate but they were trying to show what he is capable of as well.
I enjoyed this read quite a bit. The team is likable for the most part. It's interesting to see that Cyclops was a bore from almost day 1. My only complaint with this is Jean Grey is really similar to Sue Storm powerwise and Iceman is essentially an ice version of the Human Torch. But those are really minor issues and I expect that to get better as more issues are released.
The art for this issue was Jack Kirby so you know it was good. The action scenes were good and the team has a very distinct look from anything else in the Marvel Universe at this point.
A little aside to this review. The advertising for this issue was interesting. Marvel revealed the name of the team in several ads but didn't show what the members of the team looked like at all. I thought it was a good way to get people to check out this book.
I'd give this *** out of *****
Notes: This book features the first appearance of the X-Men. Professor X, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Angel and Iceman all go on to be important members of the team to this very day. This would essentially be the X-Men throughout the 60s and the early 70s. This book also features the first appearance of Magneto who is the main antagonist of the X-Men. Magneto would be their most popular nemesis throughout the entire run of the series.
A sidenote here as well. Cyclops is introduced as Slim Summers in this issue.
Next Issue: Fantastic Four Annual #1
Posted in: Angel,Beast,Cyclops,Iceman,Jean Grey,Magneto,Professor X,Uncanny X-Men
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