The Early Years: First Class

There is a lot of change ahead for the X-Men, including a very different roster. Some founding X-Men members are dropping off the team for a while, and they will be missed. This is the end of the “good old days” of the original five: Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, and Marvel Girl. So lets look back at who these characters are and what they accomplished in their first tenure with the X-Men.

A Big Green Goodbye

The X-Men have only once chance to save Professor X, and his name is Bruce Banner. Unfortunately, his other name is The Incredible Hulk. The secret to saving Charles is locked inside the mind of a monster, and it’ll take everything they have to get it out. The X-Men have had run-ins with the Avengers in the past, but this is actually their first encounter with the Hulk. Issue 66 shows us how this team performs against the most powerful brute force on planet Earth. This is also the final issue of this titles early run, before taking a five year hiatus. The days of Scott, Bobby, Jean, Hank, and Warren end here, for now.

Compuserved

While Hank and Bobby are battling Merlin back in New York, Scott and Jean are soaking in the sunshine of Hollywood, California. Jean is creating quite a buzz as a swimsuit model, posing for the cameras and breaking hearts wherever she goes. The two of them are actually having a pretty nice vacation, but how long can it last? Will issue 48 be the first time anyone’s been able to have some relaxing time off in this comic?

Cyclops Explained

The origin stories that have been showing up in the back of these issues have become a bit of a drag lately, so it’s refreshing that this issue takes a break to tell us more about Scott’s super power. This section answers many fan questions about how his optic blast works. Let’s get a deeper understanding of what this guy can do.

Origins: Cyclops

At the end of issue 42, we get another installment in the origin of Cyclops. Jack O’ Diamonds meets his fate, but more importantly we get to see Scott Summers don his uniform and iconic visor for the first time!

Origins: The Living Diamond

These Origin stories that have been in the back of the last few issues have been some of the more interesting stories these comics have given us recently. Unfortunately, this segment is pretty unnecessary. Jack O’Diamonds gets his wish and fully becomes the ugly man version of Emma Frost.

Origins: Jack O’ Diamonds

The origin stories continue in the back pages of issue 40, this time continuing Cyclops’ adventure running away from the orphanage. Lost in the woods, he was beckoned into a creepy shack. We were promised the first evil mutant, and this issue delivers. However, the answer isn’t as lavish as Magneto or as powerful as Namor. Instead we have Jack of Diamonds, the man with diamond hands and telepathy. Get ready for sex-offender Emma Frost.

Origins: Scott Summers

The last part of issue 39 that I want to mention is a continuation of the X-Men Origins story that began the prior month. This segment picks up right where the last left off, following Scott Summers as he flees his orphanage home. He was just responsible for outing the mutant race in public and on camera, and now an angry mob is chasing him down. Good job, four eyes. Scott runs from the mob and makes his escape in a freight train, skipping town like a hobo. With his preppy sweater and bowtie he’s sure to fit right in.

The Gang Gets Ugly

At the end of issue 39, the team once again gets new uniforms. They’re very colorful and I guess they’re indicative of the time period, but man… this team is a fashion disaster. The blue and gold motif is gone and instead the team is a mess of primary colors. This was an attempt to make them each look more distinct, but they end up looking pretty stupid.

Origins: Professor X

After we are left with a doomsday cliffhanger, issue 38 shifts to another segment, the secret origins of the X-Men! It is the story of how the team came to be, and what caused the Professor to meddle in the affairs of humans and mutants alike. We find out how the “mutant problem” began, and how one person laid the groundwork to form a team of superheroes that would rival the likes of the Fantastic Four and the Avengers.