Now we have Marvel pumping Ultimate titles yet again. I know the one problem they don’t have is selling Ultimate titles. Not that I see anything wrong with pumping them up seeing as they are some of Marvel's best sellers. Of course though pumping up some of the TSUNAMI titles might be smart at the moment with some of the titles not doing well. I would like to see Marvel help out a little more even though they do well in this department most of the time. Also could be that most fans will gobble up the Trade Paperbacks instead of going after the ongoing. Would help if they waited a little longer before coming out with the Trades. I love Trade Paperbacks but it doesn’t help monthly sales.
Marvel on CD Rom
Topics Entertainment will release a new CD-Rom containing 100 different classic Marvel comics called 'The Marvel Comic Book Library.' CBR News spoke with Greg James, the President of Topics, to learn more about this new CD-Rom library.
Now this idea I love. You know people have asked a lot why don’t Marvel reprint some of those old Silver Age books in Trade format (That would be better then those trades with issues from 4 months ago). This is very cool. You can now buy a CD-Rom and get such cool characters as Spider-Man, Captain America, Daredevil, Sub-Mariner, Silver Surfer, Hulk, The Avengers, The Fantastic Four and the X-Men. Also Tales of Suspense with Iron Man. These are issues everyone would want to read. I just hope they do more stuff like this.
40 years.
You know I’ve been checking out ComiX-Fan lately and they’re helping celebrate 40 years of X-Men and Avengers. 40 years is a long time. True Cap is in his 60s and most of the other Marvel characters are close to 40 or older as well. But you know these two teams have had some strange histories. Your talking about a book in X-Men that was brough back out of hiatus and was dead till Chris Claremount and Dave Cockrum. Your also talking about a comic in Avengers with a team that spans most of the Marvel Universe and has had three volumes of it’s main series.
Let’s go through both series and some of impact they have made. Some of the characters and more.
We’ll start with part 1: X-Men
Back in September 1963 a book came out called X-Men. The two best Marvel creators decided that this team would be different then the Fantastic Four or even the other group that came out at the same time. A group of mutants. Stan And Jack created a school where young mutants where being trained. Five young mutants. It was simple to know how these characters got their powers. Being mutants they where born with them.
Cyclops (Scott Summers) the young mutant with powerful blast coming out of his eyes.)
Beast (Henry "Hank" Peter McCoy) The mutant with big feet and hands. Also with superhuman strength, agility, endurance, speed and dexterity
Angel (Warren Kenneth Worthington III) Called that because he had the wings of an Angel.
Iceman (Robert "Bobby" Drake) The youngest of the group and having the powers of extreme cold or ice.
Marvel Girl (Jean Grey) The newest member who was just joining the group in the first issue. She had telekinetic abilities
Their teacher was a man named Professor X (Charles Francis Xavier) Who was the most powerful psionic power in the world.
The X-Men where formed for two purposes first, to train such mutants in the uses of their superhuman powers, and second, to serve as a combat team that could defend humanity against attacks by superhumanly powerful mutants who use their powers for criminal ends, as well as against other threats. These mutants are officially students at Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The School, where the X-Men are based, is housed in Charles Xavier's mansion at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York.
Their first major threat was a mutant known as Magneto at Cape Citadel. The five students embarked on many adventures over the course of training in their abilities. Often, Xavier would extent membership for the X-Men to various mutants the X-Men would encounter, such as the Blob. Of course most rejected. Even some becoming villains. Magneto also would form his own group known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
After some time Mimic joined the team. The first (but not last) non mutant to join the team. Mimic (Calvin Rankin) had the ability to duplicate the powers and skills of anyone within 10 feet. He would also quit the team after a few missions. Another mutant who joined the team was Changeling who impersonated the Professor who went into hiding to prepare for an invasion of the Z'nox. Of course he died while doing so. He was the first X-Men to die in action. Changeling had the change mutant ability to shape-change to a limited extent.
There where two new members who also joined the group Polaris (Lorna Dane) who possesses the ability to manipulate magnetism and Havok (Alexander ("Alex") Summers) who could absorb ambient cosmic energy and discharge it. These two would be there when the series ended. (we would later see the adventures of the X-Men when they where on Hiatus in X-Men the Hidden Years. Of course the team would be back. One member graduated and left the school for a time while away (Beast). The team would have reprinted tales for a few years.
In 1975 the team returned. The team Marvel Girl, Polaris, Iceman, Havok, Iceman, Angel, and Cyclops had gone on a mission to Krakoa and been captured by the living Island. Cyclops was let go to bring more mutants. He went back to Xavier and a new team was formed. This one being more international.
Wolverine (Logan (James Howlett)) with a fast healing factor and two sets of three adamantium claws on each hand. From Canada.
Colossus (Piotr (Peter) Nikolaievitch Rasputin) With the power to turn into organic steel. From Russia
Banshee (Sean Cassidy) Who creates powerful sonic waves with his voice. From Ireland.
Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner) This demon looking mutant has the power to teleport himself. From Germany.
Storm (Ororo Munroe) With the power to control weather. From Africa
Sunfire (Shiro Yoshida) with the power to ionize matter. From Japan
Thunderbird I (John Proudstar) This native American possessed superhuman strength and endurance
The new team defeat Krakoa with the others. A new team was formed as most of the originals left. Leaving Cyclops, Wolverine, Colossus, Storm, Banshee, Nightcrawler, and Thunderbird. Thunderbird died on their next mission to become the second X-Men to have died.
The team went on a mission later to help the kidnapped Jean Grey from the Sentinels. On the mission an entity known as the Phoenix with the power of world-wide telepathy, telekinesis on a molecular level, travel through space, and even planetary destruction
replaced her and stayed with the team.
Thus began the Phoenix Saga. The first big storyline of the X-Men. The team would go to space to help Lilandra to take back the Shi’ar Empire from D’Ken. This also led to the introduction of the Imperial Guard and the Starjammers. The team returned to Earth without Phoenix for a short time. Banshee left the team after losing his powers in battle. Phoenix also returned and Beast helped the team a little even though he was an Avenger at the same time. The team would go onto the Proteus Saga where the team battled a foe like none other. The team did defeat him in the end thanks to Colossus. The team didn’t get a break though. The Dark Phoenix Saga came to happen and a new villain team emerged in the Hellfire Club. Phoenix sacrificed herself in the end because she had gone evil. Cyclops left the team when the X-Men returned to Earth. Angel rejoined the team and a new student Shadowcat (Katherine "Kitty" Pryde) who has the ability to pass through solid matter also joined.
The team would also be confronted by the future in Days of Future Past. They where to stop the assassination of Senator Kelly by the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Rachel Summers made her first appearance as well. The team would go on numerous missions after this. The team even where thought dead at one point in which the Professor formed the New Mutants. Younger students who would be around for some time. It was also the first series to spin off of X-Men if you don’t count Dazzler. When the team returned home they also got a new member in Rogue who possesses the superhuman ability to absorb the memories, knowledge, talents, personality, and physical abilities through touch. Angel left the team also. The X-Men would go on many more missions with Rogue even to the Beyonder world for the first Secret Wars. Rachel Summers with powers of telepathy and telekinesis. She joined the team and even took on the powers of Phoenix.
The team would also lose it’s long time mentor Professor X in issue 200 when he was to ill to stay on Earth. He left Magento (Magnus) The Master of magnetism and former foe in charge. Cyclops left the team as well after losing a battle for leadership with Storm. The Original X-Men got back together at this same time and formed X-Factor with the return of Jean Grey who was back from the dead as it seemed. So yet another title came out of the X-Men. Another book that would come out of this long time mutant title would be Wolverine. The most popular X-Men at the time. Dazzler’s series would also come to an end.
The X-Men would get new members soon as the Mutant Massacre came to be. Mister Sinister had sent the Marauders to the Morlock Tunnels to destroy the group. The X-Men, New Mutants, X-Factor, Thor and even Daredevil all got involved in the conflict. This battle would cost the X-Men as well. Nightcrawler was severely injured, Shadowcat lost her powers to unfase, Rachel had left the team before the battle for other business, and Colossus also was injured and could not change out of his armored form. In X-Factor Angel lost his wings as well but that’s another story. To replace their three friends on the team the X-Men added three new members.
Psylocke (Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock) who possesses many telepathic abilities.
Dazzler (Alison Blaire) who could to transduce sonic vibrations
Longshot With the powers of good luck.
The new team of Storm, Wolverine Dazzler, Longshot, Psylocke, and Rogue would be under the leadership of Magneto for short time. Havok would also rejoin the team. The team got involved in a battle with the Adversary in Fall of the Mutants next. Colossus rejoined the group also. The team appeared to die in battle though but in reality began their years in Australia in which they protected the Siege Perilious. Magneto of course was with the Hellfire Club and teaching the New Mutants when the team disappeared. Nightcrawler, Rachel and Shadowcat formed a new group called Excalibur to keep the dream alive.
The team spent some time there while one of their allies Madelyne Pryor who they brought with them was going through some changes. In Inferno Maddy became the Goblin Queen and the X-Men had to battle her, Sinister, and the Marauders. The X-Men had some help in the New Mutants, X-Factor and a few other heroes in New York. The team did win and returned to Australia. Most of the team went through the Siege Perilous after some time. Storm was kidnapped by Nanny and Orphan Maker and turned into a young child, Wolverine also came back from his own mission and found the place empty. The others all got new memories and more being reborn and put in separate locations. Wolverine was attacked by the Reavers and saved in the end by Jubilee (Jubilation Lee) with the superhuman ability to generate what she calls her "fireworks". Wolverine and Jubilee set out to go find the others. Another group of X-Men. These where the Muir Island X-Men. This group had Polaris and Banshee on it with a few others.
Sunder The former Morlock with superhuman strength and durability
Forge This ally of the X-Men before they disappeared has mechanical energy perceptions.
Moira Mactaggert Another X-Men Ally. She was a former love of the Professor. She was a normal human.
Amanda Sefton (Jimaine Szardos) This former girlfriend of Nightcrawler with magical abilities
Legion III (David Charles Haller) son of the Professor with multiple personalities
Sharon Friedlander She is supercharged with spirit magic. A former teacher of the New Mutants
Tom Corsi Another New Mutant teacher with supercharged with spirit magic
Along the way Wolverine would find Psylocke again during Acts of Vengeance. Colossus reappeared as a painter, Storm reemerged as a young child and found by Gambit (Remy LeBeau) with the powers of kinetic energy. Dazzler reappeared on Lila Cheney’s doorstep. Forge and Banshee found her and him later. Also Rogue would return in the Savage Land with her being separated from Ms Marvel. A good amount of X-Men alongside the New Mutants and X-Factor would later battle Cameron Hodge and Genosha. The X-Men would form a new group after the battle was won. Banshee, Forge, Gambit, Jubilee, Psylocke, Storm, and Wolverine formed a new group of X-Men while the other groups went separate ways. The New Mutants would become X-Froce not long after this.
On Muir Island a few other mutants joined the group.
Siryn (Theresa Rourke Cassidy) who had the same powers as her father Banshee.
Multiple Man (James Arthur Madrox) Who can create exact physical duplicates of himself.
Guido Carosella Former security guard of Lila Cheney. With superhuman strength, endurance, and durability
Also Rogue would join them when the X-Men returned from space with the Professor to battle the Shadow King. The X-Men, The Muir team and X-Factor joined forces to defeat him. New teams would be formed after the battle. A new X-Factor, a second X-Men group with it’s own title as well. Professor X as all around leader.
X-Men Gold: Archangel, Banshee, Colossus, Forge, Jean Grey, Iceman, Storm
Of course Forge left the team and a new member joined. A time jockey who warned of a traitor from the future. Bishop (Lucas Bishop) who can absorb kinetic energy and throw it back. The X-Men would have new threat from Stryfe who tried to kill the Professor in X-Cutioners Song. The other teams of X-Force and X-Factor joined them to stop Stryfe in the end. The team would also have Excalibur join them and the others against Magneto in Fatal Attractions. Colossus would leave the team to join Magneto and Wolverine would leave thanks to Magneto pulling out his adamantium. A new member would also join in Revanche (Kwannon) who gained some degree of telepathic abilities thanks to Psylocke. Even Cyclops and Jean left after some time because they got married. They would return for the Phalanx Covenant. The X-Men and all their other groups had to face this new threat. A new team called Generation X was formed out of the event and Wolverine would return. Jubilee and Banshee would leave to form Gen X as well. Of course the team would stay the same for some time. Even after the Legion Quest and AOA.
When we came back to 616 the team would consist of Archangel, Phoenix (Jean Grey), Storm, Bishop, Beast, Cyclops, Gambit, Psylocke, and Wolverine.
Rogue and Iceman would be away from the team for a bit. Iceman went to help Rogue through some stuff after she kissed Gambit. Iceman would come back before Rogue did.
Also Cannonball (Samuel Guthrie) who can generate thermo-chemical energy and release it from his skin joined the team. Also Dark Beast would replace Beast on the X-Men. The X-Men would be hit by that traitor who would turn out to be the Professor who became the entity Onslaught. The group would get Rogue back during the battle and a new member in Joseph who was Magneto’s clone and had the same powers. The team and almost every other Marvel character got involved in the fight. The Professor would be taken by OZT. Most of the team would go to get him back from OZT while the other part went to space. Also they would find out about Gambit and what he did. He would leave the team at that time.
When the team got back together after OZT the team would change again.
Cyclops and Phoenix left the team.
Bishop had stayed in space when part of the team went there.
Maggott (Japheth) manifests his digestive system as twin slugs that can digest matter and energy
Marrow (Sarah) she can grow bones on command
Cecilia Reyes can generate a translucent psioplasmic bio-field around herself
After some time the team started falling apart. The Originals had all gone to help Jean and Scott and then went to live normal lives and some of the others did the same.
So Wolverine formed a new group with former X-Men who had joined Excalibur. The new team would be Wolverine, Marrow, Rogue, Shadowcat, Colossus, Storm, and Nightcrawler. Even having Gambit rejoin the team to finish the roster. They would find the Professor as well and he would rejoin the group. Even we would see the death of Joseph in the Magneto War.
Mostly the team would look that way for time till the Twelve storyline. A Skrull replaced Wolverine after the team went to space. Cable (Nathan Christopher Charles Summers) with vast telepathic and telekinetic abilities and X-Man (Nathan "Nate" Grey) with vast psionic abilities had joined Cyclops, Jean, Wolverine Skrull and Archangel against Wolverine who was the new Death of the Horsemen. After the battle most of the team reformed at the mansion.
Archangel, Beast, Colossus, Cyclops, Gambit, Iceman, Marrow, Nightcrawler, Phoenix IV (Jean), Polaris, Psylocke, Rogue, Shadowcat, and Storm soon found out about the Twelve. Which lead to a battle with Apocalypse in which they lost Cyclops and Wolverine also came back to the team.
The Professor left for space to teach the mutant Skrulls.
Polaris left to join with Magneto
Jean left because of the lose of Cyclops.
A new team was formed also Archangel, Beast, Colossus, Gambit, Iceman, Marrow, Nightcrawler, Professor X, Psylocke, Rogue, Shadowcat, Storm, and Wolverine. Of course this did not last long either.
Revolution started and yet another new X-Men team was born. Of course this was after the 6 month gap.
Uncanny: Beast, Cable, Gambit, Phoenix IV, Storm
X-Men: Colossus, Psylocke, Rogue, Shadowcat, plus new member Thunderbird III (Neal Sharra) who can generate and manipulate super-fiery plasma
Also as reserve/supporting cast: Cecilia Reyes, Forge, Nightcrawler, Archangel. Plus three others.
Charlotte Jones This X-Men ally became reservist/helping hand for the X-Men. She’s a normal human.
Moonstar (Danielle "Dani" Moonstar) The former X-Force/New Mutant member finally got her shot as an X-Men even though it was more reserve. With mutant ability to project solid images of a person's greatest fear or desire
Tessa This former aid of Shaw turned out to be a spy of the Professor’s. Has the mutant ability to communicate telepathically and read others' minds.
These teams would last till Dreams End. The team would have to Deal with the Brotherhood who where out to kill Senator Kelly and Moira MacTaggert. Bother would die. Also Bishop and the Professor would return. The team would fail on both fronts in a way. Moira would be killed by the Brotherhood and Senator Kelly would be killed by his supporters. Also in the end Colossus would sacrifice himself for the Dream. He would help cure the Legacy Virus. Oh and good old Cyclops was back to. Cable had left the team as well.
The team would even disband for a bit. Jean would reform it. With Wolverine, Dazzler and Cyclops. Also a few new members
Cargill (Johanna Cargill) She was super-strong and nearly-invulnerable
Northstar (
Wraith II (Hector Mendoza) who could generate a field of invisibility
Paul Provenzano His powers where Invulnerability
Sunpyre (Leyu Yoshida) has the ability to control nuclear forces
The team saved the Professor and a new X-Men team was formed.
(114) New X-Men: Beast, Cyclops, Phoenix IV, Wolverine, Professor X plus new member Emma Frost with various telepathic abilities
(395) Uncanny X-Men: Archangel, Wolverine, Iceman, Nightcrawler, plus new member Chamber (Jonothon Evan Starsmore) who is naturally composed of pure psionic energy
(1) Plus the newest title and group: X-Treme X-Men: Bishop, Thunderbird, Psylocke, Storm, Rogue, Sage (Tessa)
New X-Men would be devoted to the school.
We would meet new students like Beak, Angel IV, and the Stepford Cuckoos.
Also a new X-Men would join in Xorn (of course now we know who he is)
In Uncanny it is more a field team
With X-Treme the story has changed. At first being a team after the books of Destiny and now a team out to solve mutant crime.
The team would lose Psylocke and gain two new mutants.
Lifeguard (Heather Cameron) Her powers are numerous. She sort of reminds me of Mimic in a way since she uses different powers for different things.
Slipstream (Davis Cameron) Can transport them over vast distances
With the recent change over team is now smaller.
Storm, Bishop, Sage, and Cannonball (who joined the group). They will be getting Rogue and Gambit back as well.
Over the years the X-Men have turned into a line of titles. There’s have been many different titles that have joined the X-Family.
Such titles as X-Factor, X-Force, Excalibur, Generation X, Alpha Flight, Exiles, Mutant X, New Mutants, Brotherhood, Weapon X, and X-Statix.
Even solo heroes as Agent X, Cable, Deadpool, Gambit, Maverick, Quicksilver, and Wolverine.
Pretty full issue. I hope to be doing the 40 years of Avengers information next time. These little extra features should be fun for those readers into reading about the past and more. I just hope to make them really good for the fans of these books. Reporting from the Marvel Universe this is Jim Trabold. Have a great week.
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