X-men Blue and Gold’s impact vs reality

[Factor]

The Blue and Gold era is probably one of the most well-known periods in X-history.
Both teams (and especially Blue) are often cited among fan favorite listings and they’re certainly beyond iconic.
Yet I’m curious if things like X-men TAS helped make this period seem bigger than it actually was.
In my X-men read-through (I’ve spent some years reading or re-reading basically every X-book since the Roy Thomas days), I was surprised to realise how little the Blue/Gold division actually lasted.
Contrary to my previous perception, both teams were only consistently around for very few issues (like 13 in UXM’s case). By the time crossovers like X-Cutioner’s Song arrived (only a year later), UXM and XM started becoming almost interchangeable, with characters coming and going between books all the time and no discernible line-ups. The follow-up to that first crossover had the Gold book heavily focusing on blue members Jubilee and Rogue, for example. The line between books only became more and more blurred, especially when Lobdell took over both books. By the mid 90’s, there was no such thing as a Blue/Gold division at all.
So do you think that the Blue/Gold teams famous because of their impact upon launch (and their effect on TAS), moreso than each teams’s actual history as separate units?

[ChildOfTheAtom]

it’s because the of the show using the costumes and partial lineup for 5 years and the games using the same cast mostly in the genesis/snes games then Capcom using those characters + voice actors for the 6 fighting games. that era just became the “real” X-MEN until fox switched public perception with the movie.

[Factor]

it’s because the of the show using the costumes and partial lineup for 5 years and the games using the same cast mostly in the genesis/snes games then Capcom using those characters + voice actors for the 6 fighting games. that era just became the “real” X-MEN until fox switched public perception with the movie.

I get all that, but other media always presented them as one "X-men" unit.
My point is that the individual Blue/Golf teams get a reputation that the actual content doesn't really support. They weren't around for long before being merged, yet the perception of their importance is still huge.

[ChildOfTheAtom]

perception > reality

plus it’s just a bad ass idea in theory. id like them to adopt this with the reboot. a movie roster and then a disney + roster that crosses over with same support characters (Xavier/Moira/Forge/Reyes/Hunter etc)

[Android 17]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but Blue/Gold still are the best selling comic of all time right?

I mean that speaks for itself.

[Jackraow21]

X-men #1 which featured both teams is indeed the #1 selling comic book of all time.

[DragonsChi]

You also have to throw in that most of the Gold and Blue cast, as individual members, are and are still seen as the "definitive" X-Men. With the only Nightcrawler and Shadowkat missing from the bunch.

We have over 100 X-Characters at this point but it's hard to find a well selling on-going or x-tended media that doesn't include someone from that roster. Sure we get a few things here and there but those guys always pop-up.

[Android 17]

You also have to throw in that most of the Gold and Blue cast, as individual members, are and are still seen as the "definitive" X-Men. With the only Nightcrawler and Shadowkat missing from the bunch.

We have over 100 X-Characters at this point but it's hard to find a well selling on-going or x-tended media that doesn't include someone from that roster. Sure we get a few things here and there but those guys always pop-up.

I mean they're the X-Men that I grew up on and the first ones I was introduced to.

That's why I still cry a little on the inside whenever I see Emma Frost taking Psylocke's place for the last 20 years lol.

[Nicoclaws]

About the team separations, there were times were there really was a distinction between adjectiveless and Uncanny, like one team went to space at some point.

For me, it's a bit of a blur though, mostly because in France they were generally published together in the same book.

[DragonsChi]

I will go out on a limb and saying that the majority of normies/non-comic buying audience couldn't even tell you who Emma Frost is, let alone think she was a super hero if they saw her in a picture on her own.

Granted...the same could almost be said about Psylocke but she has been in so many Marvel vs Capcom games at this point that I would say she would get recognition even if they don't know much about her.

[charliehustle415]

I will go out on a limb and saying that the majority of normies/non-comic buying audience could even tell you who Emma Frost is, let alone think she was a super hero if they saw her in a picture on her own.

Granted...the same could almost be said about Psylocke but she has been in so many Marvel vs Capcom games at this point that I would say she would get recognition even if they don't know much about her.

exactly and to a lot of normies Psylocke is Betsy and would look at you crazy if you told them "actually no it's Kwannon..."

the Blue and Gold team were heavily in the VS games, console games (Sega and SNES), trading cards, and toys these added with the show and first year of the Young Guns X-Men line made them immensely popular

[Slicknickshady]

It was a way better era than Krakoa. Which ruined Nature Girl, Moira, etc.

[JamJams]

I would say its the most well known because Marvel has pigeonholed the franchise to enshrine that as the best. Since it made them the most amount of money they will always go back to that era to try to re-capture as much of that profit as possible and are now highly resistant to deviating too far from that core idea for too long. It's the downside of success when you're dealing with corporations - the more attention/money you bring the more creative freedom with that brand is going to go down.

But in return the support the X-Brand gets will be a lot higher than other books because when they are promoting that thing they'll give extra money for that promotion because they've already seen the potential profits they could reap from it if they manage to line everything up at the proper time. Without realizing that erra happened over 30 years ago at this point so the millions of readers that got those comics are way out of the prime demographic so the returns on going back to that well are drastically reduced.

Lore is not something the company cares about and most readership bounces in/out of books so they have their own headcanon for what has/hasn't happened or should happen so I don't think in-universe lore plays any major factor in it being famous.

[SturdyMike89]

Another thing to consider is that this was the team that was in existence when Marvel was making it's push to make the X-Men more well-known outside of just comic book fans. This was the first time Marvel printed two X-Men books a month. As mentioned above, this was the era the animated series borrowed from. Also in 1991, X-Men action figures entered the market and burrowed heavily from this era. Jim Lee's covers appeared as posters and t-shirts. In other words, this was the first period of time the X-Men really entered into the public conscience. And since nostalgia is the strongest drug of all...

[charliehustle415]

I would say its the most well known because Marvel has pigeonholed the franchise to enshrine that as the best. Since it made them the most amount of money they will always go back to that era to try to re-capture as much of that profit as possible and are now highly resistant to deviating too far from that core idea for too long. It's the downside of success when you're dealing with corporations - the more attention/money you bring the more creative freedom with that brand is going to go down.

But in return the support the X-Brand gets will be a lot higher than other books because when they are promoting that thing they'll give extra money for that promotion because they've already seen the potential profits they could reap from it if they manage to line everything up at the proper time. Without realizing that erra happened over 30 years ago at this point so the millions of readers that got those comics are way out of the prime demographic so the returns on going back to that well are drastically reduced.

Lore is not something the company cares about and most readership bounces in/out of books so they have their own headcanon for what has/hasn't happened or should happen so I don't think in-universe lore plays any major factor in it being famous.

exactly!

even when Marvel was trying to deliberately kill the X-Line because of Fox Studios, the X-Men still persisted.

I mean what other IP can take that kind of pressure and still retain the legions of fans?

Not to sound overly dramatic, Lee's X-Men are part of the human consciousness just like Mickey, Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man.

You'll see Lee's X-Men designs all across the world.