Summary
TheX-Menare an iconic superhero team that’s been around for over 60 years, with their latest comic era just recently ending with theconclusion of theFall of Xstoryline. Constantly needing to prove themselves as worthy heroes thanks to the prejudices of their enemies and those who despise them, this hate is par for the course for the X-Men and more or less has been ever since their first comic appearance.
Rostering dozens upon dozens of mutants across nearly as many X-teams in the decades after their debut,the X-Men have come a long way as a force of good, with each mutant under their care having unique powers and visual designs that started with the original five members of the team. But what exactly happened in the X-Men’s first comic appearance? And how has the team evolved and changed in the years since?
X-Men’s New Writer Reveals Key Difference Between the Relaunch and the Franchise’s Krakoan Era
The X-Men’s new From the Ashes era is set to begin, and incoming writer Jed MacKay explains the difference between it and the Krakoan phase.
X-Men’s First Comic Appearance: ‘The X-Men #1’ (1963)
“X-Men,” by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Wanting to capitalize on the success of Marvel’s other popular properties, like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Marvel’s “First Family,” The Fantastic Four, legendary comic creatorStan Lee decided to try something new by developing a team that already had their superpowers baked-inrather than bestowed upon them due to a freak accident or other acquired means. Dubbed “mutants,” the team’s mentor,Charles Xavier aka Professor X, brought together the original five X-Men — Scott “Slim” Summers aka Cyclops, Jean Grey aka Marvel Girl, Hank McCoy aka Beast, Warren Worthington III aka Angel, and Bobby Drake aka Iceman — with their adventures soon going on to become comic history.
Released in 1963,TheX-Men #1promised fans front seats to the adventures of “The Strangest Super-Heroes Of All,”and with the incredible costume designs and art contributed by the equally legendary artist, Jack Kirby, that promise was followed up on to extraordinary results. Known as the X-Men thanks to Xavier’s comment to the newly arrived Jean Grey that mutants “possess an extra power… one which ordinary humans do not!! That is why I call my students… X-Men, for EX-tra power!” and it wasn’t long beforethe X-Men became a staple superhero teamthat gave Marvel’sotherflagship crew, The Avengers, a run for their money.
The X-Men’s First Story Set the Stage for Their Future Battles With Magneto
Magneto Used His Powers To Manipulate the Army’s Missiles
Gathered together to stop Magnetofrom utilizing his metal-bending powers to hijack Cape Citadel’s military-grade missilesand use them against humanity for his own nefarious purposes, the original X-Men were tasked by Professor X to “protect mankind” from “evil mutants,” like Magneto, and did just that after they arrived on the scene. Needing their numbers to take Magneto down, this issue, other than being wordy at times and featuring the boys on the team ogle Jean a bit too often, did a commendable job of showing what the X-Men were capable of while sprinkling the story with fears of a post-Cuban Missile Crisis world taking a turn for the worse.
Treated like real heroes, especially after they thwart Magneto,this issue laid the groundwork for the future expansion of the team and their constant struggle against enemies likethe Brotherhood of Mutants, giving fans a taste of how the X-Men work together in the field while setting up a unique team dynamic for the battles ahead. Though early issues of the X-Men dealt with the usual themes of good vs evil, it wasn’t long before the X-Men became a place to tell stories that dealt with the real threats of racism and prejudice, themes of equality and chosen family, and more, all stemming from their first comic appearance.
The X-Men Have Gone From Outcasts To Developing Their Own Nation and Colonizing a Planet
Most Elements From the X-Men’s First Issue Were Expanded On
Introducing elements that would eventually become integral to X-Men lore, like Xavier’s “exclusive private school”, Beast’s “training machine,” a contraption that essentially acts as a prototype forthe X-Men’s Danger Room, matching yellow uniforms that have made a comeback in different forms over the years, and even the debut of their arch-nemesis in Magneto,this inaugural issue made it immediately apparent the X-Men were something far different from what came before. Not adding the iconic mutants known as Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Colossus, or Nightcrawler for a while yet, the team has always brought together misfits and outcasts looking for safe haven, with one of the franchise’s biggest changes being the recently concluded Krakoan Age.
Creating a sovereign nation onthe sentient island of Krakoawhere all mutants had a place to call home,Professor X, Magneto, and Moira MacTaggert gave mutantkind something to strive for by developing a nuanced mutant society governed by the Quiet Counseland compromised of both X-Men heroes and villains alike. Creating cure-all medicines, beating death with the Resurrection Protocols, unifying mutantkind while developing better relations with governments around the world, and most importantly, colonization Mars and rebirthing it as Arakko, the X-Men couldn’t be more different from when they first began, showing just how far the team has come despite the hate for them being a consistent problem they’ll always have to deal with.
The X-Men Are Only Just Getting Started With a Fresh New Start on the Horizon
The First Krakoan Age Recently Ended inFall of X
Having been relaunched and rebooted multiple times over the years — specifically for 1975’sGiant-Size X-Men #1, by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum, 1991’sX-Men, by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee, and 2019’sHouse of X/Powers of X, masterminded by Jonathan Hickman —the X-Men’s latest refresh,From the Ashes, sees the team given brand-new looks for all-new stories, continuing a tradition that ensures more and more content for fans to pour over. What’s more, the X-Men have transcended from their comic roots to become live-action stars, animated icons, playable heroes in video games, and more, with their inevitable introduction into the MCU being a much anticipated and much-needed development.
Whether fighting for humanity, against the worst of it, or simply trying to exist alongside it,the X-Men have always struggled in Marvel Comics only for them to inevitably come out on top, proving themselves to be the heroes they have always deserved to be seen as. Regardless of how others treat them, including fellow mutants like Magneto, it’s good to know that Professor X and hisX-Menwill always fight to protect those who love and fear them, something that’s been the case ever since their very first comic appearance over six decades ago.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
