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.

Behold the Eyes of Sauron

The X-Men have barely had time to calm down since the excitement of the mutant genocide and they’re about to face a monster. This isn’t a lost, hapless mutant. This isn’t some guy in a suit with a fancy gadget. This isn’t a bank robber, a robot, or some pathetic megalomaniac plugging the holes in his ego. This isn’t Magneto’s crazy face. This is a god damn monster. Sauron is one of the first villains they’ve faced that could easily rip them limb from limb. He is a villain to fear, and I’m excited to see where he comes from. Issues 60 and 61 tell the story of his origin, his tragedy, and his first encounter with the X-Men.

Up To New Tricks

Now that the X-Men have split up into smaller groups, we get to see the members having some adventures without any back up to bail them out. What kind of trouble will these teenagers get into now that school’s out? Hank and Bobby are still living on the east coast, hitting up their old haunts and girlfriends. They don’t suspect that they’re about to have an encounter with an old enemy. And why would they? What could possibly go wrong on date night?

Ice Man Explained

Issue 47 ends with another vignette, this time exploring the powers and abilities of Bobby Drake, the Professor’s sub-zero student. These are really fun to read, and clear up a lot of questions I’m sure their early readers had. We know he ices up and creates ice, but to what extent? Is he solid ice or coated? What are his limits? Lets find out what Ice Man can do.

Origins: Iceman

Get ready for the darkest, most disturbingly racist origin story yet, as issues 45 and 46 conclude the tale of how Bobby Drake became Iceman, the youngest member of the X-Men. He and Scott are almost strung up by their necks by a bunch of ignorant country bumpkins. These vignettes in the backs of these issues are getting tiresome, but I have to admit they’re often the best part of the issue.

Origins: Bobby Drake

“It is a cool fall night in 1963! The place is a small town in Nassau County.” Thus begins the story of Bobby Drake. These origin stories finally turn away from Cyclops and show us another member of the team, Iceman. Bobby Drake is just a teenager with strange powers, completely unaware of who he is about to meet.

Charlie and The Gang Meet Frankenstein

Factor Three is finished and it looks like we’re back to the monster-of-the-month formula. I can’t think of a better example of this tired approach than issue 40. Charles Xavier will realize a boyhood dream and reveal the secrets of Frankenstein’s Monster. Yes, that’s right. Frankenstein. Marvel would go on to publish the Tomb of Dracula series in the 70s, so I guess why the hell not. The issue gives good credit to Mary Shelley, but of course Stan* puts his own twist on this classic literary tale. Behold, the true story of Frankenstein.

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.

Bobby’s 18th Birthday

Issue 32 begins with a very special milestone for Bobby Drake, his 18th birthday. He is the youngest of the group, and therefore the last to reach adulthood. The gang is all together, celebrating at, of course, the Coffee A-Go-Go. And why not? The X-Men are the hippest cats around.