"I Created the X-Men. You're Welcome"- X Appreciation Thread

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Uncanny X-Men #171 Jul 1983
"Rogue" Guest-starring Binary.
The Alley.
Storm greets her new subjects, and commands them not to attack the "surface dwellers" any longer.
As she leaves Callisto - weak enough that she can barely stand - intercepts her.
They exchange unpleasantries and Storm tells Sunder to put his mistress back to bed.
Nightcrawler notes that Storm is going out of her way to make an enemy of Callisto, to which Storm responds they were moments from the instant they met.
Nightcrawler is troubled about Storm's shifting personality.

Anchorage.
Madelyne Pryor wakes up from a nightmare, and Scott comes running.
After she calms down she tells Scott about the 747 crash only she walked away from.
She gives the date as September 1, 1980 - and Scott is shocked to realize that is the exact day Jean Grey died!

Massachusetts.
Carol Danvers finishes a visit to her folks. However, she's setting her folks on edge and she feels empty.
She knows they're her parents and that she's supposed to care for them, but she doesn't - those feelings were stolen by Rogue.
She concludes there is no place for her on Earth - Binary's place is among the stars!

Xavier's.
Kitty is frantically searching her room for her computer disks with her homework on them
and blaming the New Mutants (X-Babies) for stealing or misplacing them.
Her roommate Illyana makes fun of her when she finally finds them under her keyboard.

In the Danger Room, Charles is running a gym setting to work on his leg muscles.
Both he and Lilandra remain mystified as to why he cannot walk in his new cloned body;
since his paraplegic condition was caused by his legs being crushed and not genetic, his legs should be perfectly functional!

In the kitchen, Colossus is pondering a cookbook when Professor X psychically tells him they have a visitor.
Because he used Peter's codename, he knows there might be trouble, and he shifts into his armored form as he opens the door to discover... Rogue?

Professor X's study.
We discover Professor X cannot read her mind. She tells them that her powers are out of control,
that permanently absorbing Carol's powers was an accident, and that she needs help.
The X-Men are suspicious, and eventually Professor X asks them to leave so he can talk to Rogue in private without all the hostility.
The X-Men resolve to vent their frustrations in the danger room.

Despite it being Kitty who wanted to hit something, she and Illyana end up in the control booth.
Illyana picks out the program, and when Kitty asks what it is Illyana tells her its a surprise.
However, when the program comes up Belasco, even Illyana is briefly surprised before flipping out.
As if possessed, she draws her Soulsword for the FIRST time from nowhere and attacks Kitty.
Kitty phases, but the Soulsword still cuts her! Kitty disarms her, and Illyana comes to her senses - crying out "I remembered!".
The other X-Men arrive in the control booth and Kitty hides the full nature of the incident, waving it off as an accident for Illyana's sake.

Later, Ororo's Attic.
She notices her plants are parched and starts a rainstorm to water them.
However, while she has an angst-ridden internal monologue she loses control of her storm and is reminded only by the sound of thunder.
She clears the clouds, but the plants have already been ruined!
Professor X contacts her telepathically, and she responds by hurling a dagger through his thought-image!

Professor X's study.
Charles has decided to admit Rogue to both the school and as a probationary X-Men member.
Storm objects - as leader of the X-Men she feels she has a say, and is unwilling to take on a member who might betray them!

At that moment, Binary lands outside the X-Mansion and enters.
After a moment of peace we suddenly see Rogue flying through the roof, getting knocked clear into orbit!
Rogue comes back for more and Binary gives it to her. But then Colossus holds Binary down and breaks up the fight.

Professor X explains that Rogue is under his protection as of now, and Binary complains.
It is Storm who tells Binary that Rogue is now the newest X-Man.
A puzzled Rogue doesn't even know why Binary has it in for her, until Binary shifts to her human (looking) form!

Rogue speaks Carol's name under her breath. Carol tells Rogue that she now has the power to destroy her.
Storm tells Professor X that if Rogue stays, she goes - and Nightcrawler says they all will.
Professor X talks the X-Men through the impasse -

Carol concedes understanding but not approval, and leaves in a huff.
Storm, however, is also uncertain and goes to take a walk to decide whether she will stay or leave.
She realizes, either way, that she will no longer be the woman she was.

Story by Chris Claremont. Art by Walter Simonson and Bob Wiacek.

[Gortam]

At some point you know, Marvel needs to stop destroying Xavier.

This X is a jerk, total jerk. Unsensitive, cold, megalomaniac, egocentric.

Xavier was the father figure. Its been years now of this crap.

As an X-Men fan i dont particullary like the X-Men FOX movies, but thax Xavier... is better than Comic Xavier has been in decades. Mainly, because it behaves like the original Xavier, but cooler.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Uncanny X-Men #1 Sep 1963
"X-Men"
At Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in Westchester County, New York, Professor Charles Xavier summons his students telepathically.

When the Beast, Angel, Iceman, and Cyclops arrive, he puts them through a series of exercises to hone their mutant talents.
Xavier then introduces them to a new student, Marvel Girl, to whom he explains the purpose of his school:

his students do receive an education, but they are also the first line of defense against evil mutants.

Meanwhile, at Cape Citadel, Magneto causes a rocket to crash.
The next day he takes over the whole base and claims it in the name of Homo superior (i.e. mutants).
When Xavier hears about the incident, he sends his X-Men on their first mission.
Cyclops uses his eye beams to make a hole in Magneto's force field, thus alerting him to their presence.
Magneto launches a volley of heat-seeking missiles, which lock on to Angel.
Iceman knocks most of them out, and the Beast catches the last one.

Magneto then sends metal debris at Angel. Cyclops destroys it. Magneto flings a burning tanker truck at the team.
Iceman covers them with an ice shield, and Cyclops blasts a tunnel under the flames so that they come up near Magneto.
Unprepared for such power and resourcefulness, Magneto sets up another force field and levitates himself to safety.

Script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Paul Reinman

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

WHY didn't they codename him "Cerebro"?

It's got the same beat-beat-"o" like his nemesis Magneto.

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

Think it would be really hard to get away with a name like that now a days. Magento only works now because it's been in use for so long.

I also think Soule didn't want to disconnect Charles already established branding. He has been know as Professor X for ever so much so that it is his code name.
The shorting to X keeps his branding in tact while also still plays along with him being the creator of the X-Men.


But I can totally see where your coming from with that. If this was still the 60's or even the 80's that name for sure would work.

I tend to agree.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Uncanny X-Men #174 Oct 1983
"Romances"
Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor rest on the Starjammer and watch an "earthrise".
In the cockpit, Corsair introduces Binary as a member of the Starjammers.

Corsair offers Cyclops to join the Starjammers. Cyclops hesitates. In the medical bay,
Lilandra helps Professor X in his leg physical therapy. She tells him that she is going
to need to go back to the Shi'ar Empire since her sister, Deathbird, has ascended the throne.

She asks Xavier to come with her and he says that he must stay with the X-Men and New Mutants.

Back on the bridge, Madelyne tells Cyclops not to refuse his father's offer to join the Starjammers on her account.

In Japan, Wolverine enters the main grounds of the Yashida Clan estate. He is looking for Mariko.
He asks her why she will not marry him and she explains that she cannot marry her father's murderer.
Wolverine returns the clan's "Honor Sword" she had given him.
The Silver Samurai boasts that he is Mariko's new heir.
Wolverine is then told to leave the house and Yashida land forever.

At the X-Mansion, Ariel interrupts Colossus from his painting and brings him to the
mansion's attic where Storm has removed all of her plants. There they embrace and kiss.
Storm interrupts them and explains that she has changed her room to match her new attitude.
Nightcrawler tends to Rogue's wounds and she asks about Madelyne Pryor taking Marvel Girl's "spot".
Nightcrawler explains the story of the Phoenix and Dark Phoenix to Rogue.
He goes to his room and finds a package from Amanda Sefton. It is a doll of a witch on
a broom with a note telling him she knows he would prefer the real thing instead of the doll.

Meanwhile, Cyclops and Madelyne are back on Earth and headed toward Anchorage.
Cyclops walks the fuselage and encounters a priest who found a photo on the floor of Marvel Girl.
Scott does not recognize the picture as his and stashes it.
The priest seems to be plotting something for Scott.
The couple enjoy themselves at Madelyne's house where they begin to celebrate their relationship.
They do not realize that Mastermind is hidden in the garage.
Inside, Scott asks Madelyne if she is a reincarnation of Marvel Girl or the Phoenix.
She punches him and disappears. Scott recovers and looks up to find the Dark Phoenix
walking through the doorway. She attacks him and then stands over his burning body.

Story by Chris Claremont. Art by Paul Smith and Bob Wiacek.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Uncanny X-Men #2 Nov 1963
First appearance of the Vanisher in "No One Can Stop the Vanisher!"
Professor Xavier telepathically orders his students to return to the school.
Once they return to the Mansion, Professor Xavier informs them that there is a new super-villain with mutant powers calling himself the Vanisher.
Earlier in the day he had robbed the national bank by using his teleportation powers to escape from the bank's security guards.

Professor Xavier sends his students off on extra training missions to prepare them for the upcoming fight with the Vanisher.

Meanwhile, the Vanisher announces his intent to steal the Pentagon's defensive plans along with his newly formed criminal organization.
Professor Xavier receives word from his FBI informant, Agent Fred Duncan, that the Vanisher is preparing to make his move.
The X-Men are asked to help stop the Vanisher so Professor Xavier sends them out to Washington, DC.
The Vanisher steals the defense plans from the Pentagon but is quickly surrounded by the X-Men.
After a short battle, the Vanisher is able to escape with the plans.

The next day, the Vanisher appears once again and demands that he be given 10 million dollars;
otherwise, he will sell the defense plans to the country's enemies.
A day later, the Vanisher and his criminal army appear in front of the White House to pick up their money, but find the X-Men waiting for them.
Professor Xavier appears from behind his students and uses his powers to prevent the Vanisher from teleporting away

and then makes him lose his memory. With their leader rendered harmless, the criminals are easily defeated by the X-Men.

Script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Paul Reinman

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Uncanny X-Men #175 Nov 1983
"Phoenix!"
The X-Men are chopping down a dying tree when suddenly a large firebird appears in the sky above them!
And from out of the firebird falls a man - Cyclops!

Rogue catches him, and Storm tells Nightcrawler to take him to the infirmary, but he belays that.

Its too late for such action - Dark Phoenix has returned! Professor X summons them to the study.

Professor X is not convinced - he sensed Marvel Girl's death, but not her rebirth.
He puts on Cerebro to look for traces of Marvel Girl, but Cerebro overloads,
knocking him out and putting him on the brink of death!

Nightcrawler teleports him to the infirmary while Kitty inspects Cerebro -
to find that all the safety interlocks were disengaged and the settings reversed!
Someone made Professor Xavier do that to himself!
In the confusion, Phoenix slips out from within Cyclops, who collapses.
The X-Men attack, but do so singly, and Phoenix defeats them all -
all that is except Wolverine, who sees no point in attacking.
Phoenix leaves to do some 'errands', promising to return to finish what she started.

Kitty goes to raise the Starjammers on the comms, but when she finally gets through
its to see Corsair telling them they are under attack by Phoenix -- and then the Starjammer explodes!
They next try to contact the Avengers, but their conversation with Captain America is cut short as all of New York City ceases to exist!

In the infirmary Professor X is stable but in bad shape, while Cyclops is in 'perfect health'
physically but otherwise deteriorating rapidly. Cyclops, however, is looking down on his body from above,
and he sees it charred and blistered. He drifts towards the light.
Suddenly, he can sense Marvel Girl's presence through their psychic rapport, he knows she's here.
And then a woman appears, but as he gets closer, he realizes that woman isn't Marvel Girl.
She tells him to go back, and sends him hurtling back towards his body - he wakes up realizing it was his mom!

Cyclops examines himself and finds no burns. He finally starts to piece it together -
maybe he hasn't been burned either time and maybe Phoenix isn't real either!
Cyclops reviews the evidence, and realizes only one foe could possibly be responsible.
He rushes off to prepare, knowing that convincing the other X-Men will be difficult.

Ten minutes later he rushes in to where Storm and Colossus are, but the X-Men don't see Cyclops - they see Phoenix!
Storm uses wind to bring Cyclops close where Colossus can swing at him, and Cyclops gets hit hard, cracking some ribs.
Cyclops manages to turn the tables enough to make his escape, but Kitty tackles him through the wall -
Cyclops throws himself off the balcony and Kitty instinctively phases them through the floor and into ... the danger room!

Nightcrawler ports down to the control room, but Cyclops has it booby trapped, and it knocks him out.
He puts Kitty to sleep with a nerve pinch. The other X-Men enter, but Cyke has control of the Danger Room!
He ambushes them with a sudden chasm, forcing the fliers to rescue the others, and hides in a jungle environment.

Elsewhere, Madelyne Pryor is dressed as Dark Phoenix, and is utterly confused as to where she is.
The villain, Mastermind, reveals himself to her, and proceeds to tell her his evil plan and why he seeks revenge.
He then tortures her by making himself look like Scott, stealing a kiss, and laughing at her reaction as he turns back to his natural form.

Cyclops is being hunted by the X-Men, but better knowledge of the terrain allows him to outwit his pursuers.
However, its an open stretch to the door of the danger room, and the fliers come after him.
But Storm throws off her lightning bolt, and as Cyke nails her he wonders if she's figured it out.
Rogue catches Storm and lands between Cyclops and the door - but he specifically prepared some poppies designed to knock her out -
and he wide-angle blasts the field she's landed in, sending poppy dust into the air.
Rogue collapses. Cyclops picks Rogue up and exits the danger room.

Cyclops shuts down all the mansion surveillance equipment so Mastermind won't know where he is,
and then takes Rogue to the infirmary. There he wakes her with a vial and quickly touches her hand to Professor X's forehead.
Suddenly telepathic, Cyclops persuades her he's not Phoenix.
The remainder of the X-Men appear, but before they can attack 'Phoenix',
Cyke has Rogue patch him through to the X-Men, and convinces them of the truth.
At that moment, Phoenix appears behind them!

Cyclops moves between the X-Men and Phoenix, and announces he knows its an illusion, and therefore it can't hurt him.
Suddenly, he clutches his chest, and falls down. But Wolverine heard the shot - a gun with a silencer.
He lets Storm know the enemy is here, and Storm summons up a monsoon which forces everyone to grab hold of whatever is available.
When the Storm subsides, Mastermind has been blown back into a wall and is unconscious.
Wolverine pops his claws and goes for the kill, but Storm stops him.
Scott gets up and sees Madelyne, and rushes to her - thankfully she's alright.

Later. Scott Summers takes flowers to Marvel Girl's tombstone.
He's wearing a tux, and he makes his peace with Marvel Girl's ghost.
Later that afternoon, Scott and Madelyne get married.

NOTES: The credits appear on the last page.
This is the first anniversary issue of X-Men - the 10th anniversary having been missed because in 1973 X-Men was a reprint title.
This is the 20th anniversary issue (they actually missed by 2 months).
The first page begins with: "Twenty years ago, more or less, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Uncanny X-Men."
The 20 year mark was actually September (Sept 1963-Sept 1983).
"Uncanny" does not appear on the cover - its place taken by the 20th anniversary announcement.
This is because the title started as "X-Men", and thus it's X-Men's 20th anniversary, not "Uncanny X-Men's" 20th anniversary.

Story by Chris Claremont https://www.birthdaycelebs.com/chris-claremont/. Art by Paul Smith, John Romita, Jr., and Bob Wiacek.