READING
THE
UNCANNY
X­MEN:
GENDER,
RACE,
AND
THE
MUTANT
METAPHOR

IN
A
POPULAR
NARRATIVE



By

Joseph
James
Darowski













A
DISSERTATION

Submitted
to


Michigan
State
University

in
partial
fulfillment
of
the
requirements

for
the
degree
of



DOCTOR
OF
PHILOSOPHY



American
Studies



2011









ABSTRACT

READING
THE
UNCANNY
X­MEN:
GENDER
RACE
AND
THE
MUTANT
METAPHOR
IN

A
POPULAR
NARRATIVE



By




Joseph
James
Darowski




The
first
superhero
comic
book
was
published
in
1938
and
since
that
time


the
genre
has
become
a
staple
of
American
popular
culture.
While
superhero
stories

have
been
adapted
into
every
popular
storytelling
medium,
the
genre
is
most
closely

associated
with
the
comic
book
industry.
This
dissertation
examines
the
first
500

issues
of
The
Uncanny
X­Men,
one
of
the
most
popular
series
to
be
published
in

America.
In
particular,
the
portrayals
of
race
and
gender
will
be
analyzed
by

performing
a
close
reading
of
the
stories
published
as
well
as
a
numerical
analysis
of

the
ethnicity,
nationality,
and
gender
of
the
heroes,
villains,
and
guest
stars
who

appear
in
the
series.
The
X‐Men
comic
book
franchise
has
a
reputation
among
fans,

creators,
and
scholars
as
one
of
the
most
diverse
and
progressive
superhero
comic

book
titles.
The
core
conceit
of
the
series,
that
there
are
people
called
mutants
who

are
born
with
powers
and
abilities
that
separate
them
from
normal
humans,
has

allowed
the
themes
of
societal
prejudice
and
hatred
to
be
explored
in
a

metaphorical
fashion,
though
looking
closely
at
the
race
and
gender
of
the

characters
in
the
series
reveals
a
different
reality
than
the
common
perception
of

the
series.










ACKNOWLEDGMENTS




I
would
like
to
thank
my
wife,
Emily,
for
allowing
me
the
time
necessary
to


complete
this
dissertation
even
as
she
was
working
on
her
PhD.
Also,
our
daughter

Elizabeth
has
shown
remarkable
patience
for
a
toddler
in
a
household
with
both

parents
spending
their
reading
and
writing
for
grad
school.




My
advisor,
Gary
Hoppenstand,
helped
me
my
entire
time
at
Michigan
State


University.
Thank
you
for
your
guidance,
your
support,
and
for
talking
about
the

latest
events
in
comic
books
and
movies
during
our
meetings.
James
Seaton,
Sheila

Contreras,
and
Maria
Bruno
were
the
other
members
of
my
committee
and
without

their
input
and
help
this
would
be
a
vastly
inferior
product.
Others
who
have
helped

me
in
my
studies
have
included
Trixie
Smith,
Ann
Larabee,
Steven
Walker,
Frank

Fox,
and
Phillip
Snyder.
Thanks
to
all.




Finally,
thanks
to
my
family
for
their
support.
To
my
parents,
Joe
and
Kay,
for


being
proud
of
a
son
who
is
studying
comic
books.
Also,
to
my
mother‐in‐law
Helen

and
to
my
sister
Kate
who
helped
watch
my
daughter
when
Emily
and
I
were
in
the

midst
of
comprehensive
exams
and
dissertations.


















iii


TABLE
OF
CONTENTS

List
of
Tables……………………………………………………………………………………..v

List
of
Figures……………………………………………………………………………………iv

Chapter
1:
Popular
Culture,
the
Comic
Book


Industry,
and
Comic
Book
Studies……………………………………………1



Chapter
2:
The
Creators
and
Business
World

Origins
of
the
X‐Men
………………………………………………………………42



Chapter
3:
1963‐1975:
White
Males
as
a
Minority

Metaphor……………………………………………………………………..…………62





Chapter
4:
1975‐1983:
An
International
Team
of…Mostly
White

Males………………………..……………………………………………………….……121



Chapter
5:
1983‐1991:
Greater
Diversity
and
Balanced
Gender


Representation……………………………………………………………………….168



Chapter
6:
1991‐2001:
New
Creative
Teams
and
Broadening
the
Mutant

Metaphor……….………………………………………………………………….……193



Chapter
7:
2001‐2008:
Ensuring
the
Minority
Metaphor..……………………217



Chapter
8:
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………..243

Appendix
A:
The
X­Men
Citations………………………………………………………..265

Appendix
B:
Other
Comic
Books
Cited…………………………………………………301

Works
Cited………………………………………………………………………………………303
















iv


LIST
OF
TABLES



Table
1:
A
Chronology
of
Marvel
Comic
Books
Related
to
the
X‐Men


which
were
Solicited
and
Published
as
Monthly
On‐Going
Series…........................57



Table
2:
The
writers
of
The
X­Men
from
1963‐70…………………………………………..62

Table
3:
The
writers
of
The
X­Men
back‐up
stories
from
1963‐70…………………..62

Table
4:
Artists
for
main
stories
from
1963‐70…………………………………………...…63

Table
5:
Artists
for
back
up
stories
from
1963‐70………………………………………….63

Table
6:
Number
of
appearances
by
members
of
the
X‐Men
from
1963‐70……..116

Table
7:
Writers
and
co‐plotters
of
The
X­Men
from
1975‐83…………………………127

Table
8:
Artists
who
worked
on
The
X­Men
from
1975‐83………………………………127

Table
9:
Number
of
appearances
by
characters
as
a
member
of
the
X‐Men


between
1975‐83…………………………………………………………………………………………160

Table
10:
Number
of
appearances
by
characters,
organized
by
gender,


between
1975‐83…………………………………………………………………………………………162



Table
11:
Writers
and
co‐plotters
of
The
Uncanny
X­Men
from
1983‐91………….171

Table
12:
The
artists
of
The
Uncanny
X­Men
between
March
1983‐91…………….172

Table
13:
The
number
of
times
characters
appeared
as
members
of


the
X‐Men
between
1983‐91………………………………………………………….……………..190



Table
14:
Writers
and
co‐plotters
of
The
X­Men
from
1991‐2001……………………195

Table
15:
Number
of
appearances
by
members
of
the
X‐Men
between


1991‐2001…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
 09

2


Table
16:
The
number
of
male
and
female
characters
appearing
between


1991‐2001…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
 10

2


Table
17:

The
number
of
appearances
by
male
and
female
characters


between
1991‐2001…………………………………………………………………………………….210



Table
18:
The
number
of
characters
in
different
ethnic
groups
to
appear




v





between
1991‐2001…………………………………………………………………………………….
213



Table
19:
Writers
and
co‐plotters
of
The
Uncanny
X­Men
from
2001‐08………...
224

Table
20:
Writers
and
co‐plotters
of
The
Uncanny
X­Men
from
2001‐08………...
225

Table
21:
Appearances
by
characters
as
members
of
the
X‐Men
between


2001‐08……………………………………………………………………………………………………...
239



Table
22:
The
total
number
appearances
by
members
of
the
X‐Men


between
1963‐2008…………………………………………………………………………………….
249



Table
23:
The
nationality
of
members
of
the
X‐Men
that
appeared


between
1963‐2008…………………………………………………………………………………….
250



Table
24:
The
nationality
and
number
of
appearances
by
members
of
the


X‐Men
who
appeared
between
1963‐2008…………………………………………………...
251



Table
25:
The
nationality
of
villains
the
X‐Men
battled
between
1963‐2008…..
252

Table
26:
The
nationality
and
number
of
appearances
of
villains
the
X‐Men


battled
between
1963‐2008…………………………………………………………………………
254



Table
27:
The
nationality
of
guest
stars
who
appeared
between
1963‐2008…...255

Table
28:
The
nationality
and
number
of
appearances
of
guest
stars


who
appeared
between
1963‐2008……………………………………………………………...
257



Table
29:
The
nationality
of
all
characters
who
appeared
in
the
X‐Men


between
1963‐2008…………………………………………………………………………………….
258



Table
30:
The
nationality
and
appearances
of
all
characters
who


appeared
in
the
X‐Men
between
1963‐2008…………………………………………………
261





























vi


LIST
OF
FIGURES

Figure
1:
The
percentage
of
male
characters
who
appeared
as
members
of


the
X‐Men,
as
villains,
or
as
guest‐stars
in
each
time
period…………………………..
245



Figure
22:
The
percentage
of
white
characters
who
appeared
as
members
of


the
X‐Men,
as
villains,
or
as
guest‐stars
in
each
time
period…………………………..
246



Figure
3:
The
number
of
characters
who
appeared
as
members
of
the


X‐Men,
as
villains,
or
as
guest‐stars
in
each
time
period………………………………...
247






































vii


Chapter
1:
Popular
Culture,
the
Comic
Book
Industry,
and
Comic
Book
Studies




When
I
was
kid
in
a
grocery
store
I
asked
my
mom
if
I
could
read
a
comic


book
while
she
shopped.
I
had
little
exposure
to
comic
book
superheroes,
and
based

on
the
cover
as
much
as
anything
else
I
picked
up
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#280
(Sep.

1991).
Soon
I
was
reading
the
adventures
of
Spider‐Man,
Superman,
Batman,
and

others.
While
my
interest
in
comic
books
has
sometimes
waned
since
then,
I
always

came
back
to
superhero
comic
books,
first
as
a
fan
looking
for
entertainment
and

subsequently
with
a
more
academic
purpose.
That
first
introduction
to
comic
books

started
me
on
the
path
that
resulted
in
this
dissertation.


This
project
will
provide
a
close
reading
of
the
Uncanny
X­Men
comic
book

series
with
a
particular
focus
on
the
portrayals
of
race
and
gender.
In
the
course
of

the
study,
significant
stories
within
the
first
500
issues
of
the
series
will
be

examined
to
ascertain
what
themes
and
messages
concerning
race
and
gender
can

be
found.
The
X‐Men
series
was
chosen
because
it
is
one
of
the
most
prominent

franchises
in
the
comic
book
industry
and
it
has,
at
its
core,
what
many
identify
as
a

“minority
metaphor.”
The
X‐Men
are
mutants,
people
who
develop
special
powers

because
they
were
born
different
from
normal
humans.
Besides
supervillains,
the
X‐
Men
battle
prejudice
and
are
hated
and
feared
by
normal
humans
in
the
Marvel

comic
book
universe.
The
X‐Men
are
considered
one
of
the
most
socially
relevant

and
diverse
superhero
comic
book
titles
(Schedeen).
An
analysis
of
how
this
series

actually
employs
that
metaphor
will
be
enlightening,
especially
because
of
the

decades
long
run
the
series
has
had.
The
series
has
adapted
through
the
years
to





1


remain
relevant
to
the
constantly
changing
social
context
of
the
producers
and

consumers
of
the
series.




A
discussion
of
the
field
of
popular
culture
studies
will
provide
a
foundation


for
this
study.
After
discussing
the
theories
of
popular
culture
studies,
an

explanation
of
how
the
entertainment
industry
influences
perceptions,
attitudes,

and
expectations
towards
race
and
gender
will
establish
the
significance
of
the

topics
chosen
for
analysis
in
this
work.
Having
established
the
broad
theoretical

context
in
which
this
study
operates,
a
closer
analysis
of
comic
book
studies
will

position
this
work
in
that
field
of
study.





The
close
readings
of
the
X‐Men
series
will
be
divided
into
five
chronological


periods.
As
the
close
reading
of
the
series
begins
there
will
be
significant

applications
of
theoretical
works
from
popular
culture
theory,
comic
book
theory,

and
race
and
gender
theory.
After
that
foundation
has
been
established
and
the

close
readings
progress
there
will
be
fewer
allusions
to
the
already
discussed

theories.
After
the
theoretical
context
has
been
established
for
the
reader
the
close

readings
will
focus
on
the
interpretation
of
the
stories
found
in
the
X‐Men
comic

books.
Additionally,
a
statistical
analysis
of
the
representation
of
gender
and

ethnicities
in
the
series
will
be
provided
at
the
conclusion
of
each
close
reading.

These
statistics
will
provide
the
actual
numbers
in
terms
of
representation
that
is

occurring
in
the
series.
While
raw
data
does
not
tell
the
story
of
how
the
characters

are
being
used
in
the
series,
these
numbers
do
tell
a
part
of
the
story
of
gender
and

minority
representation
in
one
of
the
most
popular
superhero
comic
book
series
of

all
time.
The
close
reading
of
the
stories
in
conjunction
with
the
raw
numbers
will





2


provide
a
more
complete
picture
of
the
portrayals
of
race
and
gender
in
Uncanny
X­
Men
than
would
otherwise
be
possible.


There
is
a
popular
perception
among
creators,
fans,
and
academics
that
the

X‐Men
is
one
of
the
most
diverse
franchises
in
the
industry.
This
study
does
not
look

at
the
many
other
titles
Marvel
Comics
has
published
in
the
X‐Men
franchise,
but
in

looking
at
the
number
of
characters
that
appear
in
The
Uncanny
X­Men
it
reveals

that
the
series
is
dominated
by
white
male
characters
on
the
heroic
team,
and
that

the
most
diverse
group
of
characters
are
the
villains
the
X‐Men
battle.
While
the

themes
that
are
explored
in
the
series
attack
prejudice
and
discrimination,
the

actual
characters
used
often
portray
the
heroism
of
white
characters
with
the
threat

coming
from
minority
characters.
On
the
one
hand
this
is
not
surprising
in
an

industry
whose
foundation
rests
on
the
enormous
popularity
of
white
male

characters
such
as
Superman,
Batman,
and
Captain
America.
But
it
is
surprising
in

light
of
the
general
perception
of
the
X‐Men
franchise,
which
will
be
addressed

before
a
close
reading
of
the
series
begins.
A
discussion
of
popular
culture
studies,

comic
book
studies,
and
the
comic
book
industry
will
provide
the
foundation
to

better
understand
the
position
the
X‐Men
franchise
holds
in
our
society
and
in
the

industry.

Popular
Culture
Studies

In
relation
to
many
areas
of
studies
in
the
humanities
popular
culture
studies

are
relatively
young
field
but
increasingly
becoming
commonplace
at
universities

across
the
nation.
Popular
culture
is
now
recognized
not
only
as
a
compelling
tool
to





3


pique
student
interest
in
analytical
thought
about
subjects
they’re
already
invested

in,
but
as
a
valid
and
fertile
field
of
study
in
and
of
itself.


Critically
thinking
about
popular
culture
is
a
vital
skill
for
a
number
of

reasons,
one
of
which
was
identified
by
The
Washington
Post
when
it
reported,

“America's
biggest
export
is
no
longer
the
fruit
of
its
fields
or
the
output
of
its

factories,
but
the
mass‐produced
products
of
its
popular
culture
–
movies,
TV

programs,
music,
books
and
computer
software.
Entertainment
around
the
world
is

dominated
by
American‐made
products“
(Farhi).
Understanding
the
means
of

production
and
also
being
capable
of
analyzing
the
content
of
entertainment
is
an

important
skill
as
entertainment
becomes
more
pervasive,
even
invasive,
in

everyday
life.
Scholars
such
as
Russell
Nye,
Ray
Browne,
John
Cawelti,
and
Henry

Jenkins
have
had
to
work
long
and
hard
to
alter
the
prevailing
academic
opinions

about
popular
culture.
These
scholars
have
largely
shaped
the
trends
and
theories

which
have
driven
the
study
of
popular
culture.
Understanding
the
broad

foundations
of
popular
culture
theory
is
key
to
understanding
the
narrower
field
of

comic
book
studies.

For
many
years
elitism
and
artistic
standards
of
“high
quality”
had
precluded

academic
study
of
what
was
generally
considered
low,
common,
or
mass
culture.

Until
Russel
Nye’s
1970
groundbreaking
book,
The
Unembarrassed
Muse:
The

Popular
Arts
in
America,
popular
culture
was
disregarded
as
not
worth
analytical

consideration.
At
the
time
Nye
wrote
his
book,
his
plea
was
for
universities
and

academics
stop
ignoring
popular
art
in
preference
of
long‐established
studies
of

high
art.
Nye
did
not
wish
to
have
the
traditional
literature
or
artistic
studies
done





4


away
with,
he
simply
wanted
other
areas
of
study
to
be
introduced.
In
fact,
Nye

establishes
a
disparity
between
high
and
popular
culture,
and
that
the
popular
was

not
to
be
considered
of
equal
value
with
high
or
elite
culture.
Nye
explains
that

“although
rather
clear
boundaries
lie
between
popular
and
folk
art
on
the
one
hand,

and
elite
art
on
the
other,
the
line
between
the
[popular
and
folk]
is
vague
and
easily

crossed”
(3).
Nye’s
assertion
that
popular
art
has
more
in
common
with
folk
art,
and

far
less
in
common
with
elite
art,
implicitly
assigns
a
lesser
value
to
both
popular

and
folk
art
than
academics
of
the
time
afforded
high
art.
While
later
scholars
such

as
Browne
or
Jenkins
eschew
the
quality
and
value
assessments
Nye
makes,
they
are

perhaps
indicative
of
biases
Nye
carried
out
of
the
historical/biographical
tradition

he
was
schooled
in.
Furthermore,
those
value
boundaries
may
have
been
necessary

to
make
the
introduction
of
popular
culture
studies
more
palatable
to
his
audience:

established
academics
who
would
traditionally
hold
the
“high
arts”
of
canonical

literature,
theater,
and
art
in
higher
esteem.




While
some
of
Nye’s
assertions,
such
as
different
values
inherent
to
popular


and
high
culture,
are
not
endorsed
by
popular
culture
theorists
today,
credit
still

must
be
given
to
Nye
for
the
sheer
breadth
of
topics
he
raises.
The
Unembarrassed

Muse
is
the
groundbreaking
text
in
the
and
provides
a
roadmap
for
the
subjects

which
academia
had
failed
to
study
up
to
the
time
of
it’s
publishing,
including

subjects
such
as
popular
fiction,
dime
novels,
comics,
popular
music,
radio
shows,

film,
and
television.


The
most
in‐depth
theoretical
work
in
the
book
concerns
the
origins
of

popular
culture,
which
Nye
argues
did
not
exist
before
the
industrial
revolution.
The





5


industrial
revolution
arose
out
of
technological
advances
which
led
to
changes
in

transportation,
production,
and
distribution.
The
effects
of
the
industrial
revolution

radically
altered
the
socioeconomic
and
cultural
climate
of
society
initially
in

England
and
Europe,
then
European
colonies
and
the
rest
of
the
world.


Prior
to
the
industrial
revolution,
the
concept
of
entertainment
as
an

economically
viable
product
for
the
masses
was
uncommon.
Without
the

technological
and
cultural
changes
which
came
about
in
the
eighteenth
and

nineteenth
centuries
the
ability
to
mass
produce
and
mass
consume
entertainment

would
not
exist.
Nye
explains
that
“popular
culture
was
also
a
product
of
modern

technology
and
its
new
techniques
for
duplicating
and
multiplying
materials
(high

speed
presses,
cheaper
paper,
new
ways
of
graphic
representation)
along
with
much

more
efficient
methods
of
distribution”
(2).
The
technology
that
fundamentally

changed
society
by
increasing
the
means
of
production
of
traditional
materials

simultaneously
made
possible
a
new
kind
of
product:
mass
produced
entertainment.

While
the
means
of
creating
this
product
was
developing,
the
ideal
audience
was

also
being
created.

Among
the
many
changes
wrought
by
the
industrial
revolution
was
the

gathering
together
of
large
populations
in
urban
centers
which
resulted
from
the

increase
of
factory
labor
in
lieu
of
an
agrarian
society.
Nye
argues:

The
primary
condition
for
the
emergence
of
popular
culture
was
a
great
leap

in
population
growth
in
Europe
and
the
Americas,
and
the
subsequent

concentration
of
people
into
cohesive
urban
or
near‐urban
units
with

common
social,
economic
and
cultural
characteristics.
The
result
was
the





6


creation
of
a
huge
market
for
entertainment,
with
identifiable
desires
and

responses.
(2)

Combining
the
means
to
mass
produce
a
product
with
the
creation
of
geographically

dense
markets
which
eased
distribution
allowed
entertainment
to
become
one
of

the
most
profitable
products
in
the
world.


Additionally,
Nye
argues
that
while
society
has
been
divided
into
“high”
and

“low”
classes
and
cultures,
with
the
emergence
of
a
middle
class
there
came
to
exist

a
culture
of
the
popular
class.
The
creation
of
a
middle
class
was
a
necessary
step
in

the
evolution
of
a
popular
culture.
Disposable
income
and
leisure
time,
two
dual

developments
that
came
along
with
the
middle
class,
were
prerequisites
to
the

creation
of
popular
culture.
In
Nye’s
analysis,
before
the
industrial
revolution,
which

allowed
for
mass
production
and
inadvertently
contributed
to
the
rise
of
urban

centers
and
the
creation
of
a
middle
class
with
extra
income
and
free
time,
there

was
no
such
thing
as
popular
culture.




Ray
B.
Browne
is
another
pioneer
in
popular
culture
studies,
one
whose


perspective
varies
from
Nye’s.
Whereas
Nye
sought
to
position
popular
culture

studies
within
the
established
traditions
of
academic
study
Browne,
the
founder
of

the
Popular
Culture
Association
and
the
American
Culture
Association,
resisted
the

standardization
of
popular
culture
theory.
Browne
feared
that
any
standardization

would
result
in
a
tradition
that
prohibited
new
areas
and
methodologies
of
study.

Browne
explains
that
too
often
institutionalized
studies
become
“content
to
study

the
fields
that
had
been
established
as
important
and
therefore
in
need
of
further

investigation
rather
than
being
modified
into
new
areas
of
investigation”
(11).
This





7


criticism,
in
Browne’s
eyes,
can
be
applied
not
only
to
the
old
“high”
arts
of

academia,
but
to
popular
culture
theorists
who
attempt
to
define
what
popular

culture
is
or
to
derive
a
precise
methodology
for
studying
it.





Browne
opposes
attempts
to
pinpoint
an
origin
to
the
development
of


popular
culture,
defining
popular
culture
as
“the
system
of
attitudes,
behavior

patterns,
beliefs,
customs,
and
tastes
that
define
the
people
of
any
society”
(3)
while

at
the
same
time
offering
the
caveat
that

“the
nature
of
popular
culture
makes
it

particularly
difficult
to
define”
(5).
Browne,
like
Nye,
recognizes
the
existence
of
the

old
split
of
“high”
and
“low”
culture,
though
unlike
Nye
he
would
contend
that
it
was

always
a
false
dichotomy.
Browne
argues
that
“the
distinctions
between
popular

culture
and
elitist
culture
have
blurred
almost
into
invisibility”
not
because
cultural

evolution
is
blurring
the
lines
between
them,
but
because
the
lines
never
should

have
existed
(4).
For
example,
Browne
views
elitists,
such
as
academics,
seeing
the

value
in
folk
music,
such
as
the
blues,
as
evidence
that
elite/folk
distinctions
no

longer
function
as
they
once
did.
To
Browne
this
is
simultaneously
evidence
that
the

old
distinctions
no
longer
function
and
that
those
distinctions
never
should
have

functioned
at
all.
For
Browne
there
is
no
high
or
low
culture,
it
is
all
simply
the

popular
culture
of
different
groups.

Many
efforts
to
analyze
popular
culture
seek
to
contextualize
the

entertainment
of
a
culture
within
the
society
that
both
produces
and
consumes
the

entertainment.
This
method
of
analysis
leans
towards
a
new
historicist

interpretation
of
our
cultural
entertainment.
New
historicism
attempts
to
situate

texts
within
the
existing
culture
at
the
time
of
their
creation.
Louis
Montrose,
in
the





8


essay
“Professing
the
Renaissance:
The
Poetics
and
Politics
of
Culture,”
explains
that

new
historicism
“reorients
the
axis
of
inter‐textuality,
substituting
for
the

diachronic
text
of
an
autonomous
literary
history
the
synchronic
text
of
a
cultural

system
[…]
implicit
in
[this…]
is
a
conviction
that
formal
and
historical
concerns
are

not
opposed,
but
rather
inseparable”
(779).
Montrose
asserts
that
the
culture
of
a

time
period
is
integral,
even
intrinsic,
to
understanding
artistic
works.
The
historical

cultural
setting
is
inherently
linked
to
the
products
of
the
culture.
However,

understanding
the
cultural
context
does
not
only
aid
in
interpreting
the
art,
the

reverse
is
also
true.
Stephen
Greenblatt
states
“if
an
exploration
of
a
particular

culture
will
lead
to
a
heightened
understanding
of
a
work
of
literature
produced

within
that
culture,
so
too
a
careful
reading
of
a
work
of
literature
will
lead
to
a

heightened
understanding
of
the
culture
within
which
it
was
produced”
(227).
Thus

contextualizing
a
work
within
its
contemporary
culture
increases
our

understanding
of
both
the
work
and
culture.
This
is
as
true
for
our
popular

entertainment
as
for
the
literature
Greenblatt
and
Montrose
analyze.

It
is
important
to
note
that
in
performing
any
interpretation
of
a
cultural

artifact
the
conclusions
drawn
are
not
necessarily
reflective
of
how
the
consumers

received
it.
Consumers
are
individuals
with
multi‐faceted
lives,
and
their
individual

socio‐economic
status,
values,
education,
and
perceptions
may
alter
how
they
would

interpret
the
product.
Additionally,
there
may
be
layers
of
meaning
in
the
product

which
are
perceived
differently
by
different
groups.
No
product
has
only
one
fixed

meaning
which
will
be
received
by
all
who
consume
it.
But,
interpreting
our
cultural

products
can
still
be
illuminating
in
identifying
aspects
of
our
society,
even
if
it
does





9


not
provide
a
monolithic
and
all‐applicable
analysis.
Analysis
may
yield
an

interpretation
of
a
work,
not
the
interpretation
of
a
work.




This
reflective
interpretation
of
art
and
culture
is
applicable
to
popular


entertainment
as
well.
Film,
television,
comic
books,
and
video
games,
for
example,

are
not
produced
in
a
vacuum
devoid
of
societal
hopes,
prejudices,
or
concerns.
The

entertainment
a
society
produces
will
be
indicative
of
some
aspects
of
that
society.


Having
a
narrower
focus
while
examining
a
work
of
popular
entertainment,
such
as

the
portrayals
of
race
and
gender,
allows
for
a
greater
enlightenment
on
those

particular
subjects,
but
does
not
invalidate
other
areas
of
analysis.


The
relationship
between
popular
culture
and
society’s
attitudes
towards

race
and
gender
is
complex,
because
our
entertainment
simultaneously
reflects
and

informs
attitudes
and
prejudices.
In
“Why
Study
Popular
Culture”
Michael
Petracca

and
Madeleine
Sorapure
explain:

We
see
reflected
in
pop
culture
certain
standards
and
commonly
held
beliefs

about
beauty,
success,
love,
or
justice.
We
also
see
reflected
there
important

social
contradictions
and
conflicts—the
tension
between
races,
genders,
or

generations,
for
example.
To
find
out
about
ourselves,
then,
we
can
turn
to

our
own
popular
products
and
pastimes.
(5)

Even
though
popular
culture
is
often
considered
escapists
fare,
popular
culture

often
mirrors
the
mindset
of
a
culture,
it
does
not
ignore
it.


There
is
also
a
complex
interplay
between
a
society
and
its
entertainment
in

that
it
is
not
always
possible
to
know
which
is
the
reflection
and
which
is
the
source.

Do
many
Hollywood
films
from
the
1940s
have
elements
of
racism
because
of
the





10


attitudes
of
the
producers
and
consumers
of
the
films,
or
were
those
attitudes

shaped
by
the
entertainment
they
watched
every
day?

The
answer
is,
of
course,

both.

A
society’s
entertainment
reflects
and
influences
that
society.
What
is

“normal”
in
a
society
is,
at
least
to
some
degree,
found
in
and
learned
from

entertainment.


Because
media
instructs
in
societal
norms,
ideas,
attitudes,
and
perceptions

about
race
and
gender
can
be
influenced
by
the
media.
These
two
subjects,
race
and

gender,
overlap
in
several
ways.
In
both
instances,
for
generations
there
have
been

assumptions
that
biology
was
playing
a
dominant
role
in
determining
the
manner
in

which
people
of
different
genders
and
different
races
acted,
interacted,
and

developed
culturally.
However,
while
biology
may
play
role,
many
traits
that
were

historically
believed
to
be
biologically
dictated
are
now
accepted
to
have
been

socially
conditioned.
Much
of
the
current
work
in
the
fields
of
race
and
gender

studies
is
devoted
to
how
society
shapes
the
perceptions
of
race
and
gender,

assigning
roles
which
are
in
no
way
biologically
determined.
The
social
conditioning

of
race
and
gender
roles
has
many
elements,
but
the
manner
in
which
racial
roles

and
gender
roles
are
demonstrated
in
popular
culture
is
a
fascinating
one.
Of

particular
interest
is
the
fact
that
because
so
much
of
our
popular
culture
has
been

preserved
we
can
analyze
an
old
film
or
comic
book
as
an
artifact
that
reveals

societal
attitudes
at
the
time
of
its
production.

In
Race,
Gender,
and
Ethnicity
Joseph
F.
Healey
and
Eileen
O’Brien
explain

that
race
is
an
idea
that
has
both
biological
and
social
meanings.
However,
despite





11


some
obvious
physical
distinctions
between
races,
they
argue
the
far
more

significant
differences
lie
in
socially
constructed
perceptions
of
race.

Today,
extensive
and
long‐term
scientific
research
has
resulted
in
the
nearly

unanimous
conclusion
that,
biologically,
race
is
a
triviality.
Racial
typologies

(black,
white,
yellow,
and
so
on)
are
hopelessly
arbitrary,
and
even
the
most

ambitious
attempts
have
failed
to
find
unambiguous
dividing
lines
between

so‐called
races.
[…]

Race
is
a
social
construction:
a
matter
of
importance

because
of
our
perceptions
of
it,
not
because
of
its
independent
reality.
(4)

There
is
no
biological
predisposition
for
members
of
one
race
to
act
in
a
certain
way

while
members
of
another
race
will
naturally
act
in
a
contrary
manner.
Social

conventions,
traditions,
and
prejudices
influence
our
attitudes
towards,
and

expectations
of,
an
individual
based
on
their
race.
Healey
and
O’Brien
further

explain
that
“Racial
identity
is
part
of
the
self‐image
that
is
constructed
during

socialization,
not
a
simple
or
direct
function
of
one’s
genetic
heritage”
(4).





To
a
larger
degree
there
are
biological
difference
between
men
and
women,


differences
which
can
dictate
some
different
roles
for
men
and
women
in
certain

situations.
However,
there
are
many
long‐held
beliefs
about
the
roles
of
men
and

women
in
society
which
are
more
based
in
socially
constructed
gender
roles
than
in

biologically
mandated
sexual
roles.
Women’s
bodies
allow
them
to
bear
children,
a

biological
role,
but
there
is
no
biological
requirement
that
a
woman
rear
the
child
at

home
while
a
man
earns
an
income.
These
latter
roles
were
traditional
gender
roles

developed
by
society,
rather
than
biology.






12





One’s
concept
of
gender
develops
through
socialization,
the
same
way
one’s


understanding
of
race
comes
about.
There
are
myriad
factors
which
contribute
to

the
socialization
of
an
individual.
The
manner
in
which
an
individual
is
raised
by
his

or
her
parents,
the
socio‐economic
climate
he
or
she
matures
in,
the
opinions
of

peers,
and
the
media
an
individual
reads
and
watches
all
contribute
to
his
or
her

understanding
of
societal
norms
and
expectations.
In
addition
to
economic,
social,

and
political
factors,
our
popular
entertainment
plays
a
significant
role.


Myra
Jehlen
argues
that
the
popular
narratives
describe
the
gender
roles
a

society
assigns
at
the
time
period
the
popular
entertainment
is
produced:

If
gender
is
a
matter
of
nurture
and
not
nature,
the
character
conventionally

assigned
men
and
women
in
novels
reflects
history
and
culture
rather
than

nature,
and
novels,
poems,
and
plays
are
neither
timeless
nor
transcendent.

[…
]
If
literature
speaks
gender,
along
with
class
and
race,
the
critic
has
to

read
culture
and
ideology.
It
turns
out
that
all
the
time
writers
and
critics

thought
they
were
just
creating
and
explicating
transcendingly
in
a
separate

artistic
language,
willy
nilly
they
were
speaking
the
contemporary
cultural

wisdom.”
(264)

Jehlen
contends
that
works
of
literature
reflect
the
contemporary
ideas
about

gender
roles
that
the
writer
encountered
in
their
lifetime.
Conversely,
Judith
Lorber

argues
that
rather
than
reflecting
gender
roles
found
in
society,
media
teaches

gender
roles
to
its
audience,
“Individuals
are
born
sexed
but
not
gendered,
and
they

have
to
be
taught
to
be
masculine
or
feminine.
[…]
Schools,
parents,
peers,
and
the

mass
media
guide
young
people
into
gendered
work
and
family
roles.”
(57)





13





While
these
two
points
of
view
may
seem
to
be
contradictory,
it
is
not


necessary
to
discount
one
in
order
to
accept
the
other.
Both
are
valid.
Popular

entertainment,
including
comic
books,
is
simultaneously
descriptive
of
societal

attitudes
at
the
time
it
is
produced
and
prescriptive
of
how
society
should
be.
Thus,

when
analyzing
the
portrayal
of
a
superheroine
in
an
issue
of
The
X­Men
from
the

1960s,
we
can
find
reflections
of
how
society
perceives
women’s
roles
as
well
as
a

guide
for
young
readers
that
influenced
how
they
perceived
gender
roles.
Popular

entertainment
and
society
reflect
one
another,
but
it
is
not
always
clear
which
is
the

source
and
which
is
the
mirror
image,
and
in
fact
both
roles
are
fulfilled
at
the
same

time.

 

The
Comic
Book
Industry

Comic
books
offer
a
unique
opportunity
to
consider
the
shifts
and
trends
in

America’s
attitudes
towards
race
and
gender.
Because
many
comic
book
series
are

published
monthly
and
contain
ongoing
seemingly
never‐ending
narratives
it
is

possible
to
see
how
portrayals
of
race
and
gender
have
shifted
across
years
and

even
decades.
The
same
characters
have
appeared
in
stories
for
decades,
but
the

way
those
characters
act,
interact,
and
react
has
varied
greatly.
To
have
a
continuing

narrative
that
stretches
across
such
a
long
period
of
time
allows
for
an

interpretation
of
societal
attitudes
which
are
reflected
in
that
entertainment
and

which
are
at
the
same
time
molding
current
societal
attitudes.

The
X‐Men
comic
book
is
a
particularly
apt
series
to
use
for
an
analysis
of

race
and
gender
because
of
the
themes
which
are
often
explored
in
the
series.

Understanding
the
superhero
genre
and
also
some
of
the
market
forces
of
the





14


industry
will
aid
in
understanding
why
the
X‐Men
comic
book
series
is
a
fertile
field

for
analysis.
Thus,
I
will
give
a
brief
history
of
the
comic
book
industry
in
order
to

provide
a
context
for
the
series,
followed
by
a
discussion
of
prominent
works
in
the

field
of
comic
book
studies.
This
history
will
emphasize
the
historical
background
of

the
superhero
genre
in
particular.
While
there
have
always
been
other
comic
books

published
in
other
genres,
for
much
of
the
history
of
the
industry
the
superhero

genre
has
dominated
the
sales
charts
of
mainstream
comic
book
publishers.
There

have
been
exceptions,
such
as
in
the
late
1940s
and
early
1950s
when
horror
and

crime
comics
were
extremely
popular.
But
the
popularity
of
the
industry
was

carried
on
the
shoulders
of
superheroes
in
its
early
years
and
is
today
dominated
by

“the
big
two”
publishers,
DC
Comics
and
Marvel
Comics.


The
first
comic
book
that
matches
today’s
style
was
Funnies
on
Parade,
which

was
published
in
1933Although
there
is
some
debate,
most
often
this
publication
is

identified
as
the
first
American
comic
book.
However,
Funnies
on
Parade
was
not
an

original
production.
Maxwell
Gaines
was
a
publisher
who
recognized
that
the
comic

strips
in
newspapers
were
popular,
and
collected
and
repackaged
comic
strips
into
a

new
format.
Funnies
on
Parade
reprinted
newspaper
comic
strips
into
a
flimsy
book

form.
This
format
made
the
comic
strips
the
focus
of
the
product
rather
than
an

ancillary
portion
of
a
larger
newspaperAlthough
many
observers
thought
that

nobody
would
pay
for
material
that
they
had
already
read
in
the
newspapers,
this

experiment
in
repackaging
already‐produced
entertainment
proved
successful.
As
is

almost
always
the
case
in
the
entertainment
industry,
success
led
to
imitation.
Soon





15


companies
were
publishing
imitation
titles,
such
as
Famous
Funnies,
which
also

reprinted
newspaper
comic
strips.




The
first
comic
book
to
contain
all
original
material
was
New
Fun,
first


published
in
1935.
New
Fun
was
the
first
comic
book
published
by
National
Allied

Publications,
the
company
which
would
eventually
be
renamed
DC
Comics,
one
of

today’s
“big
two”
comic
book
publishers.
Based
on
the
success
of
New
Fun
National

Allied
began
publishing
other
titles,
including
New
Comics
in
1935
and
Detective

Comics
in
1937.
New
Fun
and
New
Comics
featured
comedic
comic
strips,
and

occasionally
westerns
or
adventures,
while
Detective
Comics
featured
mystery

adventure
stories.
Following
a
change
in
ownership,
the
publisher
launched
a
title

that
would
change
comic
books
forever:
Action
Comics
featuring
Superman.

One
of
the
most
significant
publications
in
the
history
of
popular
culture
is

Action
Comics
#1,
though
most
people
probably
are
not
familiar
with
itAlthough

there
had
been
earlier
forms
of
comic
books
published,
and
though
there
had
been

earlier
characters
with
superheroic
traits,
Action
Comics
#1
simultaneously
altered

the
focus
of
the
comic
book
industry
and
introduced
the
world
to
the
first
comic

book
superhero.
It
can
be
argued
that
both
the
modern
comic
book
industry
and
the

superhero
genre
became
established
with
Superman’s
first
appearance
in
1938’s

Action
Comics
#1.
While
the
adventures
of
the
Scarlet
Pimpernel
using
a
dual

identity
or
The
Shadow
wearing
a
version
of
a
costume
were
published
in
dime

novels
and
pulp
magazines
and
heard
on
radio
shows,
Superman
was
the
character

to
put
all
the
generic
elements
together
and
give
birth
to
the
superhero
genre.






16


It
is
difficult
to
understate
the
impact
Superman
has
had
on
popular
culture.

Superman
has
influenced
all
the
subsequent
comic
book
superheroes
from
Batman

to
Wonder
Woman
to
Spider‐Man
to
HellboyAlthough
superheroes
are
generally

associated
with
comic
books
and
comic
books
are
associated
with
superheroes,
the

genre
of
superhero
fiction
has
influenced
and
even
thrived
in
every
other
medium
of

entertainment.
Superman
had
a
popular
and
long‐running
radio
show.
Live
action

television
adaptations
of
superhero
comic
books
have
succeeded
in
primetime
while

cartoon
adaptations
have
proved
popular
on
Saturday
mornings
for
multiple

generations.
Hundreds
of
pop
songs
reference
superheroes,
with
some
even
being

sung
from
superheroes’
points
of
view.
Prose
novels
can
be
found
telling
the

adventures
of
superheroes.
Superman
had
a
Broadway
musical,
and
efforts
our

underway
to
bring
seemingly
ill‐fated
Spider‐Man
musical
to
Broadway.
And
for
the

last
decade
every
summer
has
brought
blockbuster
films
with
multi‐million
dollar

budgets
adapting
characters
from
comic
books.
Superheroes
started
in
comic
books,

but
they
now
permeate
all
of
popular
culture.

Superman’s
creators
Jerry
Siegel
and
Joe
Schuster
could
not
have
imagined

the
impact
Superman
was
to
have.
Siegel
and
Schuster
first
used
a
character
named

Superman
in
a
short
story
they
printed
in
an
amateur
science
fiction
magazine
they

self‐published
while
high
school
studentsAlthough
it
never
reached
a
large

readership,
this
magazine
is
notable
for
containing
the
story
“Reign
of
the

Superman”
which
told
the
tale
of
a
mad
scientist
who
attempted
to
control
the

world.
This
“Superman”
had
little
in
common
with
the
hero
they
later
created,

though
the
bald
villain
may
have
been
a
predecessor
to
Superman’s
arch‐nemesis





17


Lex
Luthor.
After
high
school,
trying
to
find
work
at
the
tail
end
of
the
Great

Depression,
Siegel
and
Schuster
turned
to
Siegel’s
writing
and
Schuster’s
art
skills
in

order
to
produce
comics.
When
they
tried
to
break
into
the
field,
newspaper
comic

strips
were
the
prestigious
side
of
comics,
while
the
new
comic
books
were

generally
seen
as
inferior.
There
was
prestige
in
publishing
newspaper
comics,

while
artists
and
writers
felt
there
was
a
stigma
associated
with
comic
books.




Siegel
and
Schuster
thought
their
new
hero
Superman
was
a
good
enough


idea
to
be
published
in
newspaper
comic
strips.
They
sent
the
character
to
every

newspaper
they
could.
In
the
meantime,
they
created
a
character
named
Slam

Bradley
who
appeared
in
Detective
Comics.
Noted
comic
book
historian
and
artist

Jim
Steranko
records
in
The
Steranko
History
of
Comics
that
“Siegel
and
Schuster

had,
over
the
years,
sent
versions
of
[Superman]
to
every
comic
syndicate
editor
in

the
country.
The
Bell
syndicate
rejected
them
with,
‘We
are
in
the
market
only
for

strips
likely
to
have
the
most
extraordinary
appeal,
and
we
do
not
feel
Superman
gets

into
that
category’”
(39).
What
would
one
day
become
one
of
the
most
recognizable

figures
in
the
world
could
not
find
a
publisher.
In
frustration
Joe
Schuster
tore
up

the
first
Superman
art
and
had
to
redraw
those
panels
when
Siegel
convinced
him
it

was
worth
their
time
to
continue
submitting.
For
six
years
Siegel
and
Schuster

worked
to
get
Superman
published
in
the
newspaper
comics.
Eventually
they
gave

up
on
newspapers,
and
when
Harry
Donenfeld
offered
to
publish
the
character
in

Action
Comics
#1,
Siegel
and
Schuster
sold
the
rights
to
their
creation
along
with
the

strip
itself.






18





When
National
Publications
planned
to
launch
Action
Comics
they
needed
a


lead
character
befitting
that
title.
Action
Comics
was
planned
to
be
a
serialized
comic

with
different
stories
in
each
issue,
but
with
recurring
characters
if
any
proved

popular.
In
order
to
find
cheap
material,
National
looked
through
the
comic

submissions
newspapers
had
rejected.
Several
people
have
claimed
responsibility

for
identifying
Superman’s
potential,
but
however
approval
occurred,
a
now‐iconic

image
of
Superman
lifting
a
car
over
his
head
was
used
on
the
cover
of
Action
Comics

#1
and
sales
were
far
better
than
expected.
Children
snapped
up
the
issue
to

discover
who
this
tights‐clad,
cape‐wearing
figure
was.
Action
Comics
#1
began
what

is
now
called
the
Golden
Age
of
comics.
The
publisher
took
some
time
to
discover

caused
the
popularity
of
the
title.
As
Ryan
Dunlavy
and
Fred
Van
Lente
explain
in

Comic
Book
Comics
#1:

Even
though
Action
Comics
#1
promptly
sold
out,
the
Man
of
Steel
did
not

return
to
the
cover
until
#7.
By
that
time,
Action
was
selling
more
than

double
the
average
comic
book
title.
National
finally
figured
out
that
kids

weren’t
going
to
the
newsstand
asking
for
Action
Comics.
They
were

demanding…Superman!”

Once
publishers
realized
the
consumers
wanted
superheroes,
that’s
what
they

decided
to
give
them.





National
Publications
wanted
a
hero
that
could
be
associated
with
another
of


their
titles,
Detective
Comics.
Less
than
a
year
after
Superman’s
first
appearance,
at

the
request
of
their
editor,
Bill
Finger
and
Bob
Kane
created
a
character
named

Batman,
who
first
appeared
in
1939’s
Detective
Comics
#27.
Batman
also
proved
to





19


be
a
hit,
and
soon
the
comic
book
market
was
flooded
with
superheroes.
National

Publications
soon
introduced
many
other
heroes,
including
Wonder
Woman,
The

Flash,
and
The
Green
Lantern.
Other
publishers
introduced
characters
such
as

Captain
America,
Captain
Marvel,
the
Black
Terror,
and
many
other
masked

characters.





The
popularity
of
comic
books
and
superheroes
increased
when
the
country


found
itself
facing
a
clear
threat:
the
Axis
Powers.
World
War
II,
with
the
patriotic

fervor
at
home
and
conflicts
raging
overseas,
helped
increase
interest
in
the
stories

of
super‐powered
individuals
who
protected
America
and
always
caught
the
bad

guy.
Because
comic
books
were
such
cheap
entertainment
each
issue
sold
very
well.

And
because
a
comic
could
easily
be
passed
along,
the
number
of
kids
reading

comics
was
much
higher
than
the
number
of
comic
books
being
sold.
Unlike
movies,

where
each
ticket
represented
one
viewer,
each
comic
book
sold
may
have

represented
two
or
three
or
even
five
or
six
readers,
by
some
estimates.

Throughout
World
War
II
the
popularity
of
comics
rose.
Often
the
comics

were
openly
propagandistic,
with
the
American
characters
being
shown
as
bastions

of
virtue
and
Japanese
or
German
characters
being
demonized
in
the
narrative.

Sometimes,
the
demonization
was
portrayed
in
the
art,
with
Japanese
characters

being
shown
with
fangs
and
demonic
eyes.
After
the
war
interest
in
superheroes

began
to
wane,
though
the
popularity
of
comic
books
did
not.
Readers
began
to

peruse
other
genres
of
stories
being
told
in
the
comic
book
medium,
and
publishers

responded
by
no
longer
introducing
new
superheroes
and
cutting
back
on
the

number
of
superhero
titles
they
published.
The
most
popular
genres
became
crime





20


comic
books,
which
often
adapted
real
life
crime
stories,
and
horror
comic
books,

such
as
Tales
of
the
Crypt.
The
popularity
of
these
kinds
of
comic
books
soon
led
to

controversy
for
the
industry,
as
many
adults
became
concerned
about
whether
the

stories
told
in
crime
and
horror
comic
books
corrupted
the
children
who
read
them.

The
publisher
which
produced
the
most
notorious
of
the
horror
comics
was

EC
Comics.
Ironically,
the
EC
originally
stood
for
Educational
Comics.
Founded
by

Maxwell
Gaines,
the
man
behind
Funnies
on
Parade,
Educational
Comics
produced

comic
books
based
on
Bible
stories,
history,
and
science.
When
Maxwell
Gaines
died

in
a
boating
accident
in
1947,
his
son
William
began
to
manage
the
company.

William
Gaines
changed
the
company
name
from
Educational
Comics
to

Entertaining
Comics
and
began
to
publish
horror
and
crime
anthologies,
which

proved
much
more
successful
than
the
Bible
stories
the
company
used
to
publish.
As

the
popularity
of
superhero
comics
was
diminishing
following
World
War
II,
other

publishers
began
to
copy
the
popular
titles
EC
Comics
was
publishing,
and
soon

many
horror
and
crime
titles
began
to
flood
the
market.
The
emphasis
on
these

genres
soon
caught
the
attention
of
an
advocate
of
adolescent
mental
health
named

Fredric
Wertham,
as
well
as
parent
and
community
groups
and,
eventually,
the
U.S.

government.

Dr.
Fredric
Wertham
was
a
successful
and
respected
psychiatrist
who

intended
to
help
the
youth
of
America.
Wertham,
like
many
others
in
the
early

1950s,
was
concerned
about
the
rise
of
postwar
juvenile
delinquency.
His
search
for

a
cause
for
delinquency
led
him
to
conclude
that
reading
comic
books
was
a

contributing
factor.
In
Comic
Book
Nation
Bradford
C.
Wright
provides
a
substantial





21


analysis
of
Wertham’s
methodology
and
the
studies
which
led
to
his
conclusion,

allowing
some
of
the
flaws
in
Wertham’s
logic
to
become
clear:

Wertham’s
experience
treating
African
American
and
juvenile
patients
led

him
to
develop
theories
about
how
sociocultural
factors
acted
on
personality

development.
Unlike
most
of
his
Freudian‐trained
colleagues,
Wertham

emphasized
exterior
social
conditions
to
explain
the
psychological
disorders

affecting
the
human
psyche
[…]

This
led
him
to
investigate
[juvenile

delinquents’]
cultural
backgrounds,
their
patterns
of
play,
and
their
choice
of

reading
material.
Consistently,
he
found
that
the
common
cultural
influence

shared
by
virtually
all
juvenile
cases
before
him
was
comic
books.
(93)



Comic
books
were
damned
by
their
own
popularity
and
a
flawed
deduction
by

Wertham.
The
early
1950s
was
one
of
comic
books’
most
popular
periods.
It
is

estimated
that
ninety
percent
of
adolescents
read
comic
books
at
the
time
(Wright

96).
Had
Wertham
performed
a
study
of
youth
who
had
never
been
in
any
sort
of

trouble
he
may
have
also
found
that
comic
books
were
a
“common
cultural

influence”
shared
by
well‐adjusted
adolescents.
Stan
Lee,
the
creator
of
Spider‐Man,

complains
of
Wertham’s
conclusions,
“he
said
things
like,
‘Ninety
percent
of
all
the

kids
in
reform
school
read
comics!’

Of
course,
ninety
percent
of
them
also
drank

milk,
but
that
didn’t
matter
to
him”
(Legends).
There
were
many
common

denominators
which
were
shared
by
these
youths,
but
Wertham
latched
onto
comic

books
as
the
corrupting
influence
in
their
lives
and
made
a
crusade
of
his
cause.





The
main
focus
of
Wertham’s
attack
was
crime
and
horror
comic
books,


though
he
did
also
attack
some
aspects
of
superhero
comic
books.
For
instance,





22


Wertham
accused
Batman
and
Robin
of
inspiring
homosexual
activity
in
youth.

Wertham
explains
in
his
book
with
the
inflammatory
title
Seduction
of
the
Innocent:

The
Influence
of
Comic
Books
on
Today’s
Youth,
“We
have
inquired
about
Batman

from
overt
homosexuals
treated
at
the
Readjustment
Center
[…]
A
number
of
them

knew
these
stories
very
well
and
spoke
of
them
as
their
favorite
reading”
(191–3).

This
was
part
of
the
evidence
Wertham
used
to
conclude
that
reading
Batman

comics
increased
the
likelihood
of
an
adolescent
becoming
homosexual.

Mostly
as
a
result
of
Wertham’s
published
findings
and
his
vocal
public

campaign
against
comic
books,
the
U.S.
Senate’s
Subcommittee
to
Investigate

Juvenile
Delinquency
convened
on
April
21,
1954,
with
the
special
purpose
of

considering
comic
books
and
their
influence
on
youth.
Many
comic
book
publishers

were
present,
as
was
Wertham.
The
conclusion
drawn
by
the
subcommittee

included
the
threat
of
government
censorship
if
comic
books
did
not
begin
policing

themselves.
The
record
of
the
hearings
includes
committee
chairman
Senator

Robert
Hendrickson’s
statement
that,
“A
competent
job
of
self‐policing
within
the

industry
will
achieve
much,”
with
the
implication
that
the
government
would
begin

censoring
them
if
they
did
not
do
a
“competent
job”
(U.S.
Senate,
310).




In
1954
the
comic
book
publishers
came
together
to
form
the
Comics
Code


Authority
which
would
provide
a
seal
of
approval
that
could
be
published
on
the

covers
of
all
comic
books
which
met
their
standard.
The
code,
though
self‐inflicted

to
avoid
outside
censorship,
greatly
limited
the
stories
which
could
be
told.
It

included
such
inhibitions
as
“In
every
instance
good
shall
triumph
over
evil,”

“Scenes
dealing
with
[…]
walking
dead,
torture,
vampires
and
vampirism,
ghouls,





23


cannibalism
and
werewolfism
are
prohibited,”
and
“Policemen,
judges,
government

officials
and
respected
institutions
shall
never
be
presented
in
such
a
way
as
to

create
disrespect
for
established
authority”
(Nyberg,
166–7).




Following
the
public
outcry
against
comic
books
and
the
creation
of
the


Comics
Code
Authority,
most
publishers
became
very
conservative
in
the
types
of

material
they
published.
The
restrictions
on
content
meant
that
most
crime
and

horror
comics
could
not
receive
the
seal
of
approval
required
to
be
sold
on

newsstands.
Many
smaller
publishers
went
out
of
business.
Those
companies
that

did
stay
in
business
began
to
tell
stories
that
were
“safe”
for
children.
For
example,

Batman
stopped
facing
street
level
crime
and
began
to
have
sci‐fi
adventures
in

outer
space
with
aliens,
because
aliens
were
not
outlawed
by
the
Comics
Code
and

children
could
not
learn
anything
about
real
crime
in
a
sci‐fi
comic.
Many
of
the

comics
published
at
this
time
became
simplistic
and
juvenile.


By
the
mid‐1950s
publishers
were
searching
for
new
material
that
could

work
within
the
constraints
of
the
Comics
Code.
Although
publishers
had
shifted

away
from
the
superhero
genre
after
World
War
II
(the
only
superhero
characters

to
have
been
published
continually
during
this
period
were
Superman,
Batman,
and

Wonder
Woman),
they
now
turned
back
to
this
genre
for
ideas
and
characters
that

would
reignite
interest
in
comics.
Julius
Schwartz
was
the
managing
editor
of
DC

Comics
(National
Allied
Publications
had
gone
through
several
name
changes,
and

eventually
settled
on
DC
Comics,
which
stands
for
the
rather
redundant
Detective

Comics
Comics,
named
after
one
of
the
company’s
oldest
and
best‐selling
titles
at

the
time).
In
1956
Schwartz
reimagined
the
Golden
Age
superhero
The
Flash.





24


Schwartz
had
writers
and
artists
create
a
new
secret
identity,
new
costume,
and

new
origin
for
the
character,
but
kept
the
same
powers.
Schwartz
had
writers
and

artists
create
a
new
secret
identity,
new
costume,
and
new
origin
for
the
character,

but
kept
the
same
powers.
The
Flash
proved
popular,
and
soon
DC
Comics
was

updating
other
Golden
Age
heroes
such
as
The
Green
Lantern,
Hawkman,
and
the

Atom.
Eventually
DC
Comics
brought
their
most
popular
heroes
together
into
a

superhero
team
called
The
Justice
League
of
America.
This
resurgence
of
popularity

in
superhero
comics,
which
began
with
the
revival
of
The
Flash
in
1954,
is

considered
the
start
of
the
Silver
Age
of
comics.


As
in
the
Golden
Age
of
comics,
success
with
superhero
stories
bred

imitation.
In
1961
the
owner
of
Atlas
Comics,
which
would
soon
change
its
name
to

Marvel
Comics,
asked
his
managing
editor
Stan
Lee
to
create
a
new
superhero
comic

book.
Stan
Lee
collaborated
with
artist
Jack
Kirby
to
create
the
Fantastic
Four
and

the
Marvel
Comics
superhero
universe
was
born.
When
the
Fantastic
Four
proved

successful,
Marvel
Comics
began
producing
other
superhero
comics.
In
1962
Stan

Lee
and
Jack
Kirby
created
The
Incredible
Hulk
and
Stan
Lee
collaborated
with
Steve

Ditko
to
create
Spider‐Man.
In
1963
Stan
Lee
worked
with
Don
Heck
and
Jack
Kirby

to
create
Iron
Man.
In
1963
Lee
also
worked
with
Kirby
to
create
the
X‐Men
and
the

Avengers,
and
in
1964
he
collaborated
with
Bill
Everett
to
create
Daredevil.
Several

other
characters
were
introduced
in
these
early
years
of
Marvel
Comics,
including

Dr.
Strange,
Thor,
Ant‐Man,
and
the
Wasp.

Stan
Lee
is
an
extremely
important
figure
in
the
history
of
comic
books.
He

was
a
prolific
collaborator
in
the
creation
of
many
of
the
most
recognizable





25


superheroes
in
the
world,
but
he
also
used
his
personality
and
position
to
create
a

sense
of
community
amongst
fans.
He
wrote
editorials
which
allowed
fans
to
get
to

know
the
talent
making
the
comic
books,
he
created
a
fan
club,
and
the
comic’s
letter

pages
were
filled
with
discussions
about
the
content
of
the
magazines.
By
the
mid‐
1960s
Marvel
Comics
and
DC
Comics
were
established
as
the
two
dominant
comic

book
publishers
in
the
industry,
a
situation
that
has
not
changed
significantly
in
the

intervening
years.
The
Silver
Age
of
comics,
beginning
with
the
relaunch
of
the

Flash,
was
noteworthy
for
the
reemergence
of
superheroes
as
the
highest
selling

genre
of
comic
books
and
innovative
storytelling
of
Marvel
Comics.


There
is
much
debate
about
the
period
in
comic
book
history
following
the

Silver
Age.
Undoubtedly
more
time
and
distance
is
needed
to
be
able
to
properly

analyze
the
trends
and
shifts
in
the
industry.
Most
comic
book
historians
agree
that

the
Silver
Age
ended
in
the
early
1970s.
While
the
Silver
Age
comics
were
more

complex
than
their
Golden
Age
counterparts,
they
were
largely
optimistic
and

unambiguous
about
moral
issues.
The
1970s
saw
comic
books
tackle
controversial

social
issues
such
as
racism,
drug
culture,
war
protests,
and
the
counter
culture

movement.




The
1970s
also
saw
an
important
change
in
the
distribution
of
comic
books.


Prior
to
the
1970s
comic
books
could
only
be
bought
on
newsstands
or
spinner

racks
inside
of
drug
or
grocery
stores.
Stores
dedicated
solely
to
comic
books

appeared
for
the
first
time
in
the
1970s.
There
were
positives
and
negatives
for
the

industry
associated
with
the
creation
of
comic
book
shops.
The
selection
of
comic

books
was
larger
in
comic
shops
than
it
had
ever
been
before,
but
fans
had
to
seek





26


out
comic
book
stores
to
find
the
product.
Fans
had
a
greater
variety
to
choose
from,

and
could
look
through
“back
issues”
for
comic
books
from
earlier
years.
However,

while
any
shopper
in
a
drug
store
might
stop
and
look
at
a
rack
of
comic
books,
very

few
casual
shoppers
entered
comic
shops.
Due
to
this
limited
exposure,
fewer
new

readers
were
introduced
to
comic
books.
Comic
book
fans
might
spend
more
money

in
a
comic
shop
because
of
the
greater
selection,
but
there
were
fewer
customers

spending
money.




In
the
1980s
comics
became
even
more
morally
ambiguous.
Seminal
works


such
as
The
Dark
Knight
Returns
and
Watchmen
questioned
the
moral
center
which

had
motivated
superheroes
in
the
earlier
ages.
Anti‐heroes
such
as
The
Punisher

became
extremely
popular,
and
comic
books
in
general
became
darker
and
grittier

in
tone
and
artistic
style.




The
1990s
were
a
problematic
decade
for
the
comic
book
industry.
The


decade
began
with
extreme
prosperity
within
the
industry.
Because
comic
books

from
the
1930s
and
1940s
had
become
so
valuable
(some
of
the
earliest
comic

books
now
sell
for
over
a
million
dollars),
mainstream
news
outlets
began
to
report

that
comic
books
were
great
investments.
This
brought
“investors”
into
comic
book

stores
who
would
buy
comic
books
that
they
thought
would
become
valuable,
but

who
did
not
care
about
the
stories
within
the
comics.
Comic
book
publishers
began

to
publish
more
special
event
comics
to
capitalize
on
this
new
kind
of
customer,
and

soon
many
actual
fans
were
caught
up
in
the
idea
of
investing
in
comics.
Many

customers
would
buy
multiple
copies
of
comic
books,
in
the
hopes
that
they
would

be
able
to
sell
them
in
the
future
at
a
much
higher
price
than
they
paid
for
them.





27


This
was
a
reversal
of
the
1940s,
when
one
issue
was
bought
and
multiple
readers

enjoyed
it.
Now,
one
reader
would
buy
multiple
issues,
but
be
careful
not
to
open

them
so
they
remained
in
mint
condition.
Publishers
began
to
print
more
comics
to

meet
this
higher
demand,
flooding
the
market
with
new
#1
issues,
variant
covers

with
holograms
or
special
foil,
and
high
profile
event
stories,
such
as
“The
Death
of

Superman.”




However,
the
reason
the
comic
books
from
the
1930s
and
1940s
are
worth


so
much
is
because
they
are
so
extremely
rare.
Very
few
of
those
early
comic
book

readers
kept
those
comics,
and
even
fewer
protected
them
from
damage.
The
paper

recycling
drives
during
the
war
caused
the
majority
of
comic
books
from
that
period

to
be
destroyed.
So,
in
the
1990s,
when
comic
book
publishers
were
ordering

massive
print
runs,
sometimes
millions
of
copies
of
a
single
issue,
in
order
to
sell

multiple
copies
to
customers
who
were
going
to
protect
those
comics
as

investments,
there
was
none
of
the
rarity
that
is
necessary
to
create
a
demand
and

an
inflated
price.
While
this
speculatory
bubble
lasted,
it
was
incredibly
profitable

for
the
industry.
But
by
the
mid‐1990s
the
“investors”
and
the
fans
stopped
buying

multiple
copies,
because
they
learned
there
was
none
of
the
anticipated
demand
for

the
products
they
were
buying.
The
publishers,
in
their
rush
to
put
out
enough

product
to
meet
demand,
had
sacrificed
quality
in
the
interest
of
quantity,
and

thereby
alienated
many
of
the
actual
comic
book
fans
who
had
been
buying
comic

books
before
the
speculator’s
market
began.
Thus,
in
short
order,
both
the
investors

and
many
of
the
actual
fans
stopped
buying
comic
books
while
the
publishers
were

still
ordering
large
print
runs
and
producing
as
much
product
as
possible.
So
when





28


the
speculatory
bubble
burst,
publishers
and
comic
book
stores
were
spending

money
to
produce
and
stock
products
that
were
no
longer
in
demand.





Large
numbers
of
comic
book
stores
were
forced
to
close.
The
publishers


were
not
immune
either.
Marvel
Comics
declared
bankruptcy
in
1996,
though
it
was

never
forced
to
cease
publishing
comics
and
it
has
since
emerged
from
bankruptcy.

Unlike
the
problems
the
industry
suffered
in
the
1950s
at
the
hands
of
Wertham
and

the
U.S.
government,
the
woes
the
industry
faced
in
the
1990s
were
entirely
self‐
inflicted.




Since
the
1990s
the
industry
has
attempted
to
place
a
greater
emphasis
on


the
quality
of
storytelling
and
to
establish
sounder
long‐term
business
plans.
With

the
success
of
movie
adaptations
such
as
Spider­Man,
X­Men,
and
the
new
Batman

series
of
films
new
fans
have
discovered
comic
books,
and
old
fans
who
abandoned

the
industry
in
the
1990s
have
returned.
Publishers
are
optimistic
that
they
have

learned
from
the
past
and
will
not
repeat
the
mistakes
which
almost
ended
the

industry
in
the
1990s.
Some
commentators
fear
that
publishers
are
in
fact
repeating

some
of
these
mistakes
by
issuing
variant
covers
of
comic
books
and
regularly

promoting
large
events
in
their
superhero
universes,
but
there
have
been
no
signs
of

a
speculator
bubble
quite
as
large
as
occurred
in
the
1990s.


Comic
Book
Studies




In
1985
Will
Eisner
wrote,
“the
special
nature
of
Sequential
Art
is
deserving


of
serious
consideration
by
both
critic
and
practitioner.
The
modern
acceleration
of

graphic
technology
and
the
emergence
of
an
era
greatly
dependent
on
visual

communication
makes
this
inevitable”
(5).
The
“inevitable”
consideration
of





29


sequential
art
may
have
taken
longer
that
Eisner
would
have
liked,
but
more
than

twenty
years
after
he
predicted
the
emergence
of
comic
book
scholarship
we
are

seeing
a
rapid
growth
in
the
field.





Comic
book
studies
are
a
subset
of
popular
culture
studies.
However,
while


popular
culture
studies
have
become
much
more
accepted
in
academia,
comic
book

studies
are,
to
some
degree,
still
seeking
recognition
and
acceptance.
This
is
perhaps

due
to
the
fact
that
the
dominant
genre
told
in
the
medium,
superhero
adventures,

has
been
dismissed
as
juvenile
fare
for
generations.
In
an
effort
to
distance
the

medium
from
the
superhero
genre,
some
have
used
the
term
“graphic
novel”
to

define
the
medium.
In
truth,
comic
books
is
something
of
a
misnomer,
as
the

majority
of
the
works
produced
by
the
comic
book
industry
are
not
comedic.
The

earliest
comic
book
publishers
reprinted
popular
comic
strips
from
newspapers,

and
the
term
which
was
appropriate
for
those
early
publications
has
stuck
ever

since.
Because
of
the
ubiquity
of
the
term,
for
clarity,
I
will
use
the
term
comic
book

throughout
this
paper,
and
generally
ignore
the
use
of
graphic
novels,
graphic

narratives,
sequential
art,
visual
storytelling,
or
any
other
synonymous
term
which

has
been
proposed
for
the
medium.





Comic
books
are
capable
of
telling
stories
in
any
genre,
and
in
fact
do,
but


perhaps
no
other
medium
has
ever
been
so
closely
linked
to
a
single
genre
as
comic

books
are
to
superheroes.
Both
the
comic
book
medium
and
the
superhero
genre

are
worthy
of
academic
study,
and
currently
there
has
been
an
increase
in
the

number
of
studies
being
done
in
these
areas.
Medium
studies
and
narrative
studies

represent
the
two
main
threads
in
comic
books
studies.





30





Medium
studies
consider
the
nature
of
comic
books
as
a
medium.
What


distinguishes
comics
from
prose
and
film?

How
do
panel
layouts
work?

In
what

ways
is
the
reader
involved
in
the
creation
of
story
in
the
gutter
between
the

panels?

Will
Eisner’s
Comics
and
Sequential
Art
and
Scott
McCloud’s
Understanding

Comics
are
the
pioneering
works
in
this
field,
but
there
remains
much
work
to
be

done.




Narrative
studies
consider
the
stories
being
told
in
comic
books.
Currently,


narrative
studies
have
been
dominated
by
considerations
of
superhero
comics,
but

there
are
some
forays
being
made
into
other
genres.
Also
connected
to
narrative

studies
have
been
histories
of
the
comic
book
industry,
which
often
find
connections

between
the
narratives
and
the
behind
the
scenes
workings
of
publishers,
editors,

writers,
and
artists.





Both
medium
studies
and
narrative
studies
have
been
embraced
by
fans
of


the
comic
book
medium.
These
fans,
perhaps
driven
to
prove
that
there
is

something
deeper
to
the
comic
books
they
love,
have
even
produced
their
own

works
in
both
areas.
Fan
studies,
while
lacking
the
theory
and
academic
rigor
of

their
more
scholarly
counterparts,
can
still
offer
significant
insights
and
invite

further
research
into
the
ideas
they
explore.


Medium
studies



The
study
of
the
comic
book
medium
basically
begins
with
Will
Eisner’s
1985

work
Comics
&
Sequential
Art,
and
largely
ends
with
Scott
McCloud’s
1993
book

Understanding
Comics.
Unfortunately,
there
is
not
much
in
between
or
after.

McCloud
does
expand
on
his
theories
in
his
later
works,
Reinventing
Comics
and





31


Making
Comics,
but
these
are
less
concerned
with
the
theoretical
understanding
of

the
medium.
While
other
mediums
such
as
painting,
prose,
and
film
have
had
long

histories
of
being
studied
and
analyzed,
comic
books
have
largely
been
neglected.





Will
Eisner
was
one
of
the
first
to
attempt
to
fill
the
void
in
comic
book


theory.
Eisner
has
long
been
considered
a
master
of
the
comic
book
medium
based

on
his
work
as
an
artist
and
writer
in
the
field.
Comics
and
Sequential
Art

demonstrated
that
his
skill
was
the
result
of
long
deliberations
on
the
medium
he

was
working
in.
Eisner
explains
the
complexity
of
the
medium
he
worked
in

throughout
his
life:


The
format
of
the
comic
book
presents
a
montage
of
both
word
and
image,

and
the
reader
is
thus
required
to
exercise
both
visual
and
verbal

interpretive
skills.
The
regiments
of
art
(eg.
Perspective,
symmetry,
brush

stroke)
and
the
regiments
of
literature
(eg.
Grammar,
plot,
syntax)
become

superimposed
upon
each
other.
The
reading
of
the
comic
book
is
an
act
of

both
aesthetic
perception
and
intellectual
pursuit.
(8)

Eisner
recognized,
before
comics
had
the
burgeoning
respect
they
receive
today,

that
the
medium
was
an
art
form
that
had
unique
requirements
for
both
creators

and
readers.
Eisner
goes
on
to
explore
that
complexity
by
providing
commentary
to

some
of
his
own
work.
The
commentary
highlights
elements
such
as
perspective,

symbolism,
lettering,
lighting,
and
the
combination
of
literary
and
visual
narrative

devices
which
are
used
in
creating
a
story
in
the
comic
book
medium.




Rather
than
provide
a
completely
text‐based
analysis
of
a
visual
medium,


Eisner’s
commentary
appears
at
the
side
of
his
examples.
A
page
from
a
comic
book





32


is
provided,
and
a
small
amount
of
commentary
is
to
the
side
of
the
page.
Scott

McCloud
would
take
the
examination
of
the
comic
book
medium
to
a
different
level

by
combining
the
commentary
with
the
example.





In
Understanding
Comics
McCloud
presents
his
heavily
theoretical
discussion


of
comic
books
in
comic
book
format.
This
method
allows
for
the
discussion
of

theoretical
concepts
such
as
the
vocabulary
of
comics,
the
function
of
the
gutter
(the

space
between
comic
panels),
or
the
passage
of
time
in
comic
books
to
serve
as
an

example
of
those
very
topics.


This
duality,
providing
the
reader
with
discussion
and
example
at
the
same

time,
is
undeniably
a
strength
of
the
work.
It
requires
the
reader
to
be
aware
of

multiple
factors
while
considering
what
is
being
read.
McCloud
argues
that
this
is

true
of
all
comic
books,
that
as
a
medium
comic
books
require
more
of
a
reader
than

either
prose
or
film.
The
reader
is
required
to
complete
the
action
in
between

panels,
filling
in
both
movement
and
the
passage
of
time,
creating
context,
and

literally
helping
to
write
story
in
the
space
between
images.
This
alone
would
seem

to
qualify
comic
books
as
a
medium
independent
of
any
other,
but
in
general
comic

books
seem
to
be
regulated
to
the
status
of
bastard
child
of
prose
and
film.

Ironically,
comic
books
seem
to
have
a
closer
relation
to
traditional
art
due
to
the

artistic
production
of
images,
but
they
are
rarely
considered
in
this
light.
The

narrative
tends
to
dominate
discussion
of
comic
books,
and
this
more
closely
aligns

them
with
film
and
prose.





Scott
McCloud’s
Understanding
Comics
revolutionized
the
study
of
the


distinctive
elements
of
the
comic
book
medium.
McCloud
begins
discussing
comic





33


books
by
addressing
the
misconception
that
comic
books
only
contain
superhero

stories.
As
McCloud
explains:

If
people
failed
to
understand
comics,
it
was
because
they
defined
what

comics
could
be
too
narrowly!

A
proper
definition,
if
we
could
find
one,

might
give
lie
to
the
stereotypes—and
show
that
the
potential
of
comics
is

limitless
and
exciting.”
(3)

McCloud
is
not
disparaging
of
superhero
comic
books,
he
uses
multiple
examples

from
Marvel
and
DC
Comics
in
his
book,
but
he
wishes
the
reader
to
discover
that

comic
books
are
not
limited
to
that
genre.
McCloud
seems
to
be
primarily
focused
on

elements
of
the
comic
book
medium
that
set
it
apart
and
make
it
unique,
rather
than

the
kinds
of
stories
that
are
told
in
the
medium.
His
discussion
of
comic
book
art
and

its
implications
in
reader
reception
addresses
topics
rarely
touched
on,
even
today,

in
comic
book
studies.


McCloud
then
goes
on
to
explore
some
possible
definitions
for
the
comic

book
medium,
settling
on
“Juxtaposed
pictorial
and
other
images
in
deliberate

sequence,
intended
to
convey
information
and/or
to
produce
an
aesthetic
response

in
the
viewer”
(9).
Somewhat
surprisingly,
it
took
until
1993
to
have
a
working

definition
of
what
comics
are,
as
previous
definitions
were
generally
inaccurate
or

too
simplistic.


McCloud’s
work
is
justifiably
considered
ground‐breakingAlthough
it
was

published
almost
two
decades
ago,
his
voice
remains
one
of
the
few
discussing
the

theory
of
comic
books
as
a
medium,
rather
than
discussing
the
narratives
told

within
that
medium.
Douglas
Wolk’s
recent
book
Reading
Comics:
How
Graphic





34


Novels
Work
and
What
They
Mean
may
fall
into
this
realm
as
well.
His
study
of

artistic
style
and
the
in‐depth
analysis
of
image
construction
are
more
in‐line
with

medium
studies
than
narrative
studies.
However,
Wolk’s
distinction
between
art

comics
and
superhero
comics
is
more
of
a
narrative
consideration.
Wolk’s
study

may
be
one
of
the
first
comic
book
studies
to
take
the
necessary
step
of
combining

medium
and
narrative
studies
to
more
fully
understand
the
stories
being
told
in
the

medium.

Narrative
studies



Just
as
the
comic
book
industry
is
dominated
by
superheroes,
so
is
comic

book
criticism.
The
scholarship
on
superhero
comic
books
is
of
varying
quality.

Knowing
the
source
and
intended
audience
of
the
works
is
useful
in
evaluating
the

value
of
a
work.
Some
works
are
written
by
academics
for
academics,
others
by

academics
for
fans,
some
by
fans
for
fans,
and
some
seem
to
be
written
by
fans
but

for
academics.




In
the
introduction
to
a
2002
reprinting
of
Jules
Feiffer’s
The
Great
Comic


Book
Heroes
from
1965,
Gary
Groth,
a
comic
book
historian
in
his
own
right,

describes
Feiffer’s
work
as
“the
first
sustained
essay
on
comic
books
of
the
‘40s
and

‘50s”
(vi).
While
Groth
vastly
overstates
the
case
when
claiming
that
“Nowadays,

[comic
books
are]
practically
a
de
rigeur
subject
of
University
dissertations,”
he
is

correct
when
pointing
out
that
”in
1965
no
one
wrote
about
comic
books,
much
less

superhero
comics”
(vi).
Feiffer’s
work
does
not
apply
academic
theories,
instead
it

offers
a
more
or
less
chronological
history
of
the
early
superheroes,
interspersed

with
some
of
Feiffer’s
personal
insights.






35





Whereas
Feiffer
largely
considered
the
narrative
history
of
popular
comic


book
characters,
Jim
Steranko’s
two‐volume
work
The
History
of
Comics
ties
the

narratives
to
the
history
of
the
industry
itself.
The
first
volume
was
published
in

1970,
and
the
second
in
1972.
This
history
of
comics
includes
everything
from

biographies
of
key
publishers
and
artists
to
the
publication
history
of
individual

titles,
to
panel‐by‐panel
descriptions
of
what
Steranko
views
to
have
been

significant
sequences.
The
panel‐by‐panel
descriptions,
as
well
as
Steranko’s

analysis
of
the
different
artistic
styles
used
by
different
artists
and
those
style’s

effects
on
readers,
makes
this
work
one
of
the
first
to
apply
theoretical

considerations
to
the
comic
book
medium.
Similarly,
the
simultaneous
discussion
of


societal
history,
narrative
histories
of
characters,
and
the
history
of
the
comic
book

industry
in
some
ways
makes
this
work
a
prototype
of
the
more
rigorous
New

Historical
readings
of
comic
books
which
Bradford
Wright
will
employ
in
Comic

Book
Nation.




For
some
time
after
Steranko’s
history
of
the
industry,
readers
could
best


hope
for
in‐depth
information
about
characters,
with
some
cultural
analysis

interspersed,
in
volumes
written
largely
for
fan
consumption.
Many
of
these

volumes
were
highly
informative
about
the
narrative
history
of
characters,
with

some
biographical
information
about
creators
and
some
industry
history
mixed
in,

but
lacked
any
application
of
academic
theory.
Les
Daniels
produced
several
of
these

types
of
volumes.
Between
1991
and
1999
Daniels
wrote
Marvel:
Five
Decades
of
the

World’s
Greatest
Comics,
DC
Comics:
Sixty
Years
of
the
World’s
Favorite
Comic
Book

Heroes,
Superman:
The
Complete
History,
Batman:
The
Complete
History,
Superman:





36


The
Golden
Age,
and
Wonder
Woman:
The
Golden
Age.
While
these
volumes
lack

sophisticated
analysis,
the
sheer
amount
of
information
in
them
makes
them
useful

as
resources
from
which
insights
can
be
gleaned
to
inspire
further
research.
Works

with
similar
strengths
and
weaknesses
include
Michael
Mallory’s
recent
Marvel:
The

Characters
and
Their
Universe
and
its
companion
X­Men:
The
Characters
and
Their

Universe.
Again
these
books
have
a
narrow
focus
and
high
factual
content,
but
no

deep
analysis.
Another
example
of
this
kind
of
work
is
Ron
Goulart’s
2001
Great

American
Comic
Books.





Gerard
Jones
and
Will
Jacobs’
The
Comic
Book
Heroes:
The
First
History
of


Modern
Comic
Books
from
the
Silver
Age
to
the
Present
is
interesting
in
that
the
book

went
through
two
editions,
more
than
a
decade
apart.
Jones
and
Jacobs
were

outsiders
of
the
industry
when
they
wrote
the
first
edition,
and
then
Jones
became
a

prolific
comic
book
writer,
and
Jacobs
a
comic
book
editor
before
revising
the
book

for
a
second
edition.
The
first
edition
contained
loads
of
historical
facts
about

characters
and
creators,
but
they
explain
that
the
second
edition
became
more

scholarly:

Readers
who
wish
to
compare
this
edition
to
the
first
(and
isn’t
that
the
sort

of
thing
comic
book
fans
do,
after
all?)
will
find
it
is
essentially
a
whole
new

book,
starting
from
page
one.
[…]
A
better
understanding
of
how
comics

connect
with
American
culture
has
led
us
to
deepen
the
social
and

biographical
explorations
of
the
book.
This
has
meant
cutting
some
of
our

historical
criticism
and
bibliography,
which
may
disappoint
those
readers

who
told
us
they
valued
the

first
edition
as
a
“collectors’
guide.”

(xi)






37


In
short,
they
attempted
to
transform
their
book
from
the
historical
fact
driven
style

of
Daniels
into
something
more
analytical.
Their
work
is
obviously
intended
for
fan

consumption,
but
nonetheless
they
push
their
history
of
the
industry
into
more

analytical
directions
than
Daniels,
Goulart,
or
Mallory.





Gerard
Jones
would
go
on
to
write
another
academic
text,
Men
of
Tomorrow:


Geeks,
Gangsters,
and
the
Birth
of
the
Comic
Book.
Men
of
Tomorrow
provides
in‐
depth
biographies
of
the
early
writers,
artists,
and
publishers
of
comic
books.

Because
Jones
goes
to
great
lengths
to
demonstrate
the
creators’
lives
influenced

their
work,
the
cultural
analysis
of
the
comic
books
rises
to
a
higher
level.
Jones
has

researched
the
individuals,
settings,
relationships,
economics,
and
politics
which
all

played
a
role
in
creating
the
comic
book
industry,
and
therefore
controlled
which

stories
were
published.
Understanding
how
Siegel
and
Schuster’s
fears
and
concerns

influenced
Superman
helps
in
understanding
Superman’s
instant
popularity,

because
Siegel
and
Schuster’s
concerns
were
not
necessarily
unique.
They
were

indicative
of
many
Americans’
fears
at
the
time
as
well.





Danny
Fingeroth’s
Superman
on
the
Couch:
What
Superheroes
Really
Tell
Us


About
Ourselves
and
Our
Society
analyzes
comic
book
characters
and
seeks
to

understand
why
those
characters
have
resonated
with
readers
enough
to
sustain

narratives
that
span
decades.
Fingeroth
does
not
provide
a
deep
analysis
rife
with

secondary
research,
but
rather
is
satisfied
with
identifying
common
tropes
of
the

superhero
genre
and
providing
his
own
considerations
on
what
those
trends
might

mean.
In
no
way
is
Fingeroth
attempting
to
offer
the
definitive
analysis,
but
rather

his
own
analysis
of
these
trends.
Secret
identities,
orphans,
sidekicks,
and
other





38


generic
elements
are
considered.
Fingeroth
is
not
trying
to
write
to
an
academic

audience,
nor
is
he
writing
for
reader’s
uninformed
of
the
superhero
genre.
He

seems
to
be
writing
to
the
thinking
fans
of
superhero
comics,
and
asking
them
to

think
a
little
more.





Bradford
Wright’s
Comic
Book
Nation:
The
Transformation
of
Youth
Culture
in


America
is
one
of
the
best
histories
of
the
comic
book
industry.
Notably,
Wright

applies
New
Historicism
to
illuminate
connections
between
societal
fears,
concerns,

hopes,
and
trends
and
the
narratives
being
told
in
comic
books.
Because
of
the

nature
of
comic
book
narratives,
which
never
end,
the
medium
is
perfectly
suited
to

perform
this
type
of
analysis.
Superman,
whose
adventures
have
been
published

non‐stop
since
1938,
has
had
many
different
personalities,
powers,
foes,
adventures,

and
threats
throughout
the
years.
Analyzing
why
those
changes
occurred
from
a

New
Historicist
point
of
view
inherently
reveals
changing
aspects
of
American

society.





Wright
ably
finds
examples
from
comic
books
which
mirror
the
social
climate


of
various
points
in
American
history.
It
is
convincing
when
Wright
considers
the

early
Superman
stories
as
a
product
of
the
Great
Depression
and
America’s
concerns

with
societal
ills.
It
is
also
hard
to
argue
with
Wright’s
assertions
that
comic

censorship
was
brought
on
by
both
E.C.
Comics
pushing
the
envelope
and
the

paranoid
mood
of
the
country
in
the
1950s.
And
linking
early
Marvel
heroes
with

the
atomic
age
is
a
natural
and
revealing
connection.
However,
the
comic
books

Wright
chooses
to
highlight
one
social
movement
are
then
dropped
and
not

mentioned
again
as
Wright
finds
other
comic
books
which
better
match
the
next
era





39


he
addresses.
By
covering
the
entire
mainstream
comic
book
industry,
Wright
is

able
to
cherry
pick
the
comic
books
which
best
suit
his
needs
from
hundreds,
if
not

thousands,
of
comic
books
that
were
published
every
year.
If
Superman’s
popularity

reveals
something
about
American
culture
in
the
1930s,
do
the
changes
in
his

character
by
the
1970s
reveal
more
about
America?

Yes,
but
Wright
found
that

Green
Lantern,
Silver
Surfer,
Spider‐Man,
and
Luke
Cage
better
suited
the

arguments
he
wished
to
make,
so
no
mention
is
made
of
Superman
at
all
in
his

discussion
of
the
1970s.




Perhaps
a
broad
history
of
comic
books
such
as
Wright’s
was
needed
for
the


scholarship
to
progress.
Wright
is
setting
up
a
chessboard,
and
showing
off
the

pieces
which
have
never
been
touched
by
most
academics,
and
it
is
left
to
others
to

then
study
individual
pieces
or
patterns
and
movements
across
the
pieces.
Now
that

Wright
has
highlighted
some
of
the
insights
that
can
be
gleaned
by
comic
book

studies,
others
may
invest
themselves
into
deeper
analysis
of
individual
characters,

creators,
storylines,
or
events
in
the
comic
book
industry.

Comic
Book
Comics
is
a
recent
attempt
to
marry
the
medium
and
the

message,
much
as
McCloud
did
with
his
theoretical
work
in
Understanding
Comics.

Comic
Book
Comics
provides
a
history
of
the
industry
in
comic
book
form.
This

allows
Van
Lente
and
Dunlavey,
comic
book
professionals
in
their
own
right,
to
use

the
medium
to
communicate
in
an
informative
way
rather
than
simply
in
a
narrative

way
as
it
is
so
often
used.





The
increased
volume
of
comic
book
scholarship
in
the
last
decade
is


impressive,
but
the
study
of
the
medium
is
still
young.
Whole
areas
of
study
remain





40


unexplored
and
no
area
has
yet
been
exhausted.
I
believe
that
the
next
steps
for

comic
book
superhero
studies
are
to
begin
having
focused
studies
on
individual

characters
and
creators,
and
also
to
begin
integrating
medium
studies
with

narrative
studies.
An
analysis
of
how
the
panel
layouts
affect
a
theme
being

analyzed
in
a
narrative,
or
how
the
perspective
chosen
by
the
artist
develops

symbolism
in
a
narrative
will
only
deepen
the
insights
gained
in
comic
book
studies.




My
research
on
the
X‐Men
will
move
in
that
direction.
Rather
than
focus
on


all
superhero
comic
books
from
the
late
1930s
to
today,
I
will
look
only
at
the
X‐
Men.
I
will
also
look
at
more
than
just
the
narrative
being
told.
My
discussion
of
race

and
gender
will
include
analysis
of
how
minority
and
female
characters
are

positioned
within
panels,
looking
at
what
characters
are
in
dominant
positions
and

which
are
in
the
background.
I
will
also
look
at
the
racial
and
gender
makeup
of
the

X‐Men
team
throughout
their
various
incarnations.
I
will
consider
how
these

representations
have
evolved
through
the
decades,
comparing
that
evolution
to
the

changes
in
American
society.
Additionally,
my
research
will
provide
a
statistical

analysis
of
the
characters
that
appear
in
The
Uncanny
X­Men
comic
book
series.

Works
such
as
Comic
Book
Nation
and
Men
of
Tomorrow
have
provided
analysis
of

how
comic
books
in
general
have
reflected
broad
changes
in
American
culture;
this

close
analysis
of
one
superhero
team
and
looking
primarily
at
race
and
gender
will

provide
the
focused
analytical
reading
that
comic
book
studies
need
at
this
time.












41


Chapter
2:
The
Creators
and
Business
World
Origins
of
the
X­Men




Before
a
close
analysis
of
the
series,
an
explanation
of
the
time
period
within


the
comic
book
industry
when
the
series
was
first
published
will
provide
context.

The
X­Men
was
first
published
in
1963,
during
the
reinvigoration
of
the
superhero

genre
that
occurred
in
the
Silver
Age
of
comics.
The
superhero
genre
had
been
a

popular
staple
of
comic
book
publishers
since
Superman’s
first
appearance
in

1938’s
Action
Comics
#1
until
the
1950s.
Along
with
the
solo
adventures
of

superpowered
characters,
the
early
Golden
Age
superhero
comic
books
soon

introduced
the
concept
of
the
superhero
team
in
the
form
of
The
Justice
Society
of

America.
This
team,
which
first
appeared
in
All­Star
Comics
#3
from
1940,
initially

featured
eight
white
male
heroes:
Doctor
Fate,
Hour‐Man,
the
Spectre,
the
Sandman,

Atom,
the
Flash,
Green
Lantern,
Hawkman.
The
membership
of
the
Justice
Society

changed
as
new
heroes
were
introduced.
Also,
readers
were
informed
that
if
any

character
had
their
own
comic
book,
they
could
only
serve
as
honorary
members
of

the
Justice
Society
and
no
longer
were
regularly
featured
in
All­Star
Comics1.

The
superhero
team
was
also
key
in
launching
the
Silver
Age,
as
DC
Comics’

The
Justice
League
was
one
of
the
successful
superhero
comic
books
which
is

rumored
to
have
inspired
Marvel
Comics
to
return
to
superhero
publishing.
Stan
Lee

was
the
editor
in
chief
of
Marvel
Comics
at
the
time,
as
well
as
a
frequent
writer
of

comics.
He
relates
the
following:


























































1
Superman
and
Batman
were
honorary
members
from
the
beginning,
and
Flash

and
Green
Lantern
would
become
honorary
members
when
each
proved
popular

enough
to
be
spun
off
into
their
own
title.
An
exception
was
made
for
Wonder

Woman,
after
she
was
created
and
spun
off
into
her
own
comic
book
she
would
still

appear
in
Justice
Society
adventures,
but
only
as
the
team
secretary.




42


Sometime
in
the
early
sixties
[Marvel
publisher]
Martin
Goodman
was

playing
golf
with
the
publisher
of
DC
Comics.
[…]

The
publisher
said
to

Martin,
“You
know
we’ve
got
this
new
book,
The
Justice
League,
and
it’s
really

selling
well.
It’s
a
bunch
of
superheroes.”

Well,
that’s
all
Martin
had
to
hear.

He
came
running
back
to
me
and
said
“Stan
we’ve
got
to
put
out
a
bunch
of

heroes,
there’s
a
market
for
it.”

It
just
happened
that
at
that
time
I
wanted
to

quit.
After
all
these
years
I
had
made
up
mind,
[that
comic
books
was]
a

stupid
business
for
a
grown
up
to
be
in.
I
finally
told
my
wife,
“Honey,
I
just

want
to
quit
and
do
something
else.”
[…]
The
reason
I
wanted
to
quit:
I
felt

we
were
writing
nonsense.
Martin
always
felt
that
the
books
were
only
read

by
young
kids
or
adults
that
weren’t
that
intelligent.
So
he
didn’t
like
me
to

use
words
of
more
than
two
syllables
in
the
dialogue,
he
didn’t
want

continued
stories
because
the
readers
wouldn’t
have
brains
enough
to

remember
from
month
to
month
and
things
like
that.
I
felt
I
was
writing

trash.
[My
wife]
Joanie
said
to
me,
“If
you’re
gonna
quit
anyway,
why
don’t

you
do
a
book
the
way
you’d
like
to
do
it
and
get
it
out
of
your
system.
The

worse
that
will
happen
is
that
he’ll
fire
you,
and
you
want
to
quit
anyway.”


So
I
did
that
one
book,
The
Fantastic
Four,
a
bunch
of
superheroes,
but
I
tried

to
make
them
different
from
the
others.
(Stan
Lee’s
Mutants)

The
Fantastic
Four,
which
had
art
by
Jack
Kirby,
featured
a
family
of
bickering

heroes
and
proved
very
successful
for
Marvel.

Stan
Lee
and
his
collaborators
followed
up
on
the
success
of
The
Fantastic

Four
with
several
individual
titles
which
were
released
throughout
1962
and
1963





43


featuring
such
notable
characters
as
Thor,
Ant‐Man,
Iron
Man,
and
Doctor
Strange.

In
September
of
1963
two
new
series
were
released
by
Marvel
which
returned
to

the
team
concept,
The
Avengers
and
The
X­Men2.

Comic
books
are
an
extremely
collaborative
medium
to
work
in.
Any
single

issue
of
a
comic
book
is
likely
to
have
a
writer,
artist
(or
penciler),
inker,
colorist,

and
editor.
The
significance
of
these
roles
may
vary
greatly
from
comic
to
comic.
For

example,
the
writer
may
provide
a
detailed
script
which
tells
the
artist
how
many

panels
are
on
the
page,
what
the
writer
envisions
in
each
panel,
and
the
dialogue

that
will
be
spoken.
Or,
in
a
method
sometimes
called
“the
Marvel
method”
the

writer
will
provide
a
general
outline
of
the
plot,
the
artist
will
then
draw
the
issue

however
they
please,
and
the
writer
adds
in
dialogue
after
receiving
the
finished
art

pages.
The
inker
will
take
the
artist’s
penciled
pages
and
use
black
ink
to
draw
over

the
pencils
every
black
line
which
is
used
by
the
printer
in
the
final
published

product.
The
inker
is
sometimes
referred
to
as
the
finisher
or
the
embellisher,

because
they
will
sometimes
take
fairly
rough
pencils
and
create
detailed
images

out
of
them.
Particularly
the
faces
of
characters
may
change
depending
on
the
inker,

even
when
the
same
artist
is
providing
the
pencils.
The
colorist
adds
all
of
the
color

to
the
images
for
publication.
The
role
of
the
editor
will
vary
greatly
depending
on
if


























































2
Throughout
this
work
the
cover
date
on
comic
book
issues
will
be
used
to
refer
to

when
they
comic
book
was
released,
though
the
cover
date
does
not
exactly
match

the
month
a
comic
book
was
published.
According
to
Brian
Cronin,
in
the
early

1960s
there
was
usually
a
four
month
gap
between
the
official
cover
date
and
the

ship
date.

In
the
1990s

two
months
was
made
the
official
gap
between
cover
date

and
ship
date
by
Marvel
an
DC
Comics.
However,
there
have
almost
always
been

variations
in
the
exact
difference
between
the
two
dates,
even
within
those
general

guidelines.
Because
of
this
difficulty
the
cover
date
will
be
cited
as
the
date
a
comic

was
published
throughout
this
entire
dissertation.




44


the
comic
is
a
corporately
owned
product,
such
as
the
Marvel
superheroes,
in
which

case
the
editor
is
also
a
caretaker
of
the
image
of
the
characters
and
tone
of
the

story.




Because
of
all
the
roles
necessary
in
creating
a
comic
and
the
somewhat


elastic
nature
of
each
job
it
is
at
times
problematic
to
assign
credit
for
the
various

aspects
of
the
final
product.3

This
is
especially
true
of
Marvel
comic
books
of
the

sixties
and
seventies,
when
the
“Marvel
method”
of
comic
book
writing
was
used

extensively.
This
method
was
pioneered
by
Stan
Lee
and
used
most
often
with

artists
Steve
Ditko
and
Jack
Kirby.
Comic
book
historian
Mark
Evanier
explains
that

this
“new
means
of
collaboration
...
was
born
of
necessity
—
Stan
was
overburdened

with
work
—
and
to
make
use
of
Jack’s
great
skill
with
storylines.
[…]
Sometimes

Stan
would
type
up
a
written
plot
outline
for
the
artist.
Sometimes,
not”
(112).
Lee,

who
wrote
most
of
Marvel’s
superhero
output
in
the
early
sixties,
would
provide
a

plot
to
the
artist,
but
the
plot
may
have
been
a
detailed
write
up
or
it
may
have
been

a
vague
description
given
in
a
conversation.
The
artist
would
then
draw
the
story,

but
sometimes
the
artist
would
add
as
much
or
more
to
the
plot
than
Lee
had,
and

Lee
would
add
dialogue
to
the
finished
product.
In
the
1970s
artists
were

sometimes
given
credit
as
“co‐plotters”
when
the
Marvel
method
was
used.
The

question
of
credit
over
who
is
the
creator
of
a
character
or
the
plotter
of
a
story
has

lead
to
numerous
professional
feuds
in
the
comic
book
industry.


























































3
Much
as
the
cover
title
and
cover
date
were
used
for
simplicity
and
clarity,
in
this

dissertation
the
credit
will
largely
be
given
to
the
writers
and
artists
for
the
comic

book.
Rarely
will
the
inkers,
colorists,
or
editors
be
mentioned,
though
their

contribution
is
key
to
the
final
product.




45





Marvel
began
its
superhero
revolution
in
1961
with
the
publication
of


Fantastic
Four
#1,
written
by
Stan
Lee
with
art
by
Jack
Kirby.
Lee
and
Kirby
would

collaborate
on
102
consecutive
issues
of
The
Fantastic
Four,
which
stood
as
an

industry
record
for
writer‐artist
collaboration
until
Brian
Michael
Bendis
and
Mark

Bagley
collaborated
on
111
issues
of
Ultimate
Spider­Man
between
2000
and
2007.

Lee
and
Kirby
collaborated
to
create
The
Incredible
Hulk
#1
six
months
later.
Lee

collaborated
with
Steve
Ditko
to
create
Spider‐Man
who
first
appeared
in
Amazing

Fantasy
#15
in
1962.
Lee
and
Kirby
again
collaborated
to
introduce
The
Mighty
Thor

into
the
Marvel
universe
in
August
of
1962.
In
September
of
1962
Lee
and
Kirby

published
the
adventures
of
Ant‐Man.
Lee
and
Kirby
also
spun‐off
a
member
of
The

Fantastic
Four,
the
Human
Torch,
into
his
own
solo
adventure.
Lee
worked
with

artist
Don
Heck
to
create
Iron
Man
in
March
of
1963,
with
Kirby
to
create
the
war

comic
Sgt.
Fury
and
His
Howling
Commandos
in
May
of
1963,
and
both
The
Avengers

and
The
X­Men
in
September
of
1963.
It
is
understandable
why
Lee
invented
the

Marvel
method
of
writing
to
limit
how
much
time
he
had
to
devote
to
writing
out

detailed
scripts,
the
number
of
comics
he
wrote
each
month
was
incredible.
But
it
is

staggering
how
much
art
Kirby
produced
in
this
era.
Today
many
artists
struggle
to

consistently
draw
twelve
22‐page
issues
in
a
year.
Kirby
was
the
primary
artist
on

the
majority
of
Marvel’s
superhero
comic
books
in
this
era.

The
X­Men
had
at
its
core
a
conceit
that
set
it
apart
from
other
superhero

comic
books
of
the
day.
Many
superheroes
received
their
powers
due
to
scientific

experiments,
radioactive
accidents,
mystical
objects,
or
alien
encounters.
In
the

narrative
universe
of
Marvel
Comics,
mutants
are
individuals
who
were
been
born





46


with
a
genetic
variation
that
manifests
in
the
form
of
a
superpower.
Because

mutants
are
born
different,
they
face
prejudice
from
normal
humans.


The
themes
of
prejudice,
social
“others,”
and
seeking
to
belong
permeate
the

X‐Men
comic
books.
In
comic
books
it
is
not
uncommon
for
superheroes
or
teams
to

have
a
phrase
that
defines
them.
Superman
fights
for
“truth,
justice,
and
the

American
way.”

Spider‐Man
knows
that
“with
great
power
comes
great

responsibility.”

The
X‐Men
“fight
to
protect
a
world
that
hates
and
fears
them.”





Many
comic
book
creators
who
have
worked
on
the
X‐Men
have

acknowledged
that
they
purposefully
used
the
concept
of
“mutants”
to
explore
how

society
treats
“others,”
be
they
racial,
ethnic,
religious,
or
sexual.
Mike
Carey,
who

currently
writes
X­Men:
Legacy,
calls
the
idea
of
mutants
an
“informing
metaphor”

for
the
series.
Carey
positions
the
mutant
metaphor
as
analogous
to
real‐world

issues:

Readers
coming
to
the
series
recognize
the
echoes
of
real‐world
prejudice
‐

racism,
homophobia
and
so
on
‐
and
that
in
turn
makes
the
series
seem
just

that
little
bit
more
grounded
in
reality,
despite
the
fact
that
it's
essentially

sci‐fi.
The
difference
between
mutants
and
other
heroes
is
that
mutants
are

identifiably
a
human
sub‐species,
marked
by
their
possession
of
the
X‐gene.

This
provides
a
narrative
rational
both
for
their
solidarity
and
for
the
attacks

made
on
them
by
groups
and
individuals
with
an
agenda
based
on
the

psychology
and
politics
of
race
hatred.
(Carey)

For
Carey,
the
world
of
superhero
comic
books
can
become
more
relevant
to

readers
by
having
issues
which
mirror
the
world
the
reader
lives
in.
He
specifically





47


cites
racism
and
homophobia
as
two
of
the
prejudices
which
are
thematically

relevant
to
X‐Men
stories.
Many
other
writers,
though
not
all,
have
also
identified

these
elements
and
believe
they
are
key
to
the
success
of
the
X‐Men
franchise.

Comic
book
writer
Mark
Millar
believes
much
of
the
popularity
the
X‐Men

series
has
had
is
because
it
embraces
the
role
of
the
minority:

The
success
[of
the
X‐Men],
I
think,
is
for
two
reasons.
The
first
is
that,

creatively,
the
book
was
close
to
perfect
[in
the
‘70s
and
‘80s…].
But
the
other

reason
is
that
it
was
a
book
about
being
different
in
a
culture
where,
for
the

first
time
in
the
West,
being
different
wasn’t
just
accepted,
but
was
also

fashionable.
I
don’t
think
it’s
a
coincidence
that
gay
rights,
black
rights,
the

empowerment
of
women
and
political
correctness
all
happened
over
those

twenty

years
and
a
book
about
outsiders
trying
to
be
accepted
was
almost

the
poster‐boy
for
this
era
in
American
culture.
(DeFalco
“Millar”
252)

However,
being
a
minority
is
not
the
only
reason
one
may
gravitate
to
the
X‐Men.

Feeling
alienated
by
society
is
not
the
exclusive
domain
of
any
one
group.
While

racism,
sexism,
or
homophobia
are
forms
or
prejudice
which
alienate
groups
of

people,
there
are
many
people
who
still
feel
alienated
from
society
without
being
a

target
of
those
kinds
of
prejudice.




Fabian
Nicieza,
a
writer
of
many
X‐Men
comic
books
in
the
1990s,
does
not


subscribe
to
the
idea
that
the
mutant
metaphor
correlates
to
any
specific
group.
The

power
of
the
metaphor
is
in
the
ability
of
any
reader
to
find
some
way
to
relate
to
it:

"Mutants"
does
not
equal
one
specific
aspect
of
societal
prejudices,
mutants

equal
ALL
prejudice.
Be
it
race,
creed,
gender,
culture,
nationality,
sexual





48


orientation,
the
notion
of
being
feared
or
despised
simply
because
you
are

"different"
is
not
owned
by
any
one
segment
of
the
population,
but
rather,

ironically,
owned
by
all
of
us
at
one
time
or
another
in
our
lives,
and
that
is

why
the
X‐books
always
flourished
after
their
relaunch,
because
nearly
all

readers
could
empathize
with
their
plight.
Even
if
the
"tragedy"
you

empathized
with
was
because
during
your
teen
years
you
ha
d
a
lot
of
acne,
it

didn't
diminish
the
fact
that
you
still
understood
what
it
meant
to
feel

"different."
Of
course,
people
see
things
through
their
own
eyes,
their
own

experiences,
their
own
pains,
and
therefore
subscribe
their
own
specific

interpretations
on
their
entertainment,
usually
angling
it
towards
a
position

that
speaks
to
their
own
needs,
but
if
you
take
an
aerial
view
rather
than
a

ground
level
view,
you
have
to
realize
the
concept
is
an
umbrella
that
covers

everything,
not
just
one
specific
societal
group.
(Nicieza)

As
Nicieza
points
out,
it
does
not
take
much
to
make
a
teenager
feel
like
an
isolated

outsider.
That
may
be
one
reason
the
concept
of
mutants
appealed
to
young
comic

book
readers.
Within
the
X‐Men
comic
book
mutant
powers
typically
begin
manifest

with
the
onset
of
puberty.
One
of
the
largest
target
audiences
of
comic
book

publishers
are
teenagers,
and
they
may
have
found
some
form
of
association
with

the
concept
of
characters
who
began
to
feel
they
were
different
from
everyone
else

as
they
entered
their
teenage
years.


Ron
Richards,
a
comic
book
commentator
and
co‐founder
of
the
website

iFanboy.com,
believes
that:






49


…the
basic
premise
that
Stan
Lee
and
Jack
Kirby
came
up,
the
idea
of
being

like
humans
but
slightly
different
as
mutants
was
a
direct
allegory
to
the

isolation
that
a
regular
teenager
often
feels.
Things
like
"am
I
normal?
Do
I
fit

in?
I
feel
different"
etc.,
but
manifested
through
developing
super
powers.

This
concept
was
one
that
many
of
us
comic
readers,
especially
who
started

reading
in
our
teens
(like
I
did)
immediately
connected
with.
(Richards)

Kurt
Busiek,
a
prominent
comic
book
writer,
echoes
these
sentiments:

…adolescents
feel
like
"the
other,"
so
that
sense
of
being
alienated,
not
being

understood,
the
fear
that
people
won't
like
you
if
they
know
your
true
self
‐‐

and
the
sense
of
relief
at
finding
others
like
yourself
is
also
part
of

adolescence.
So
just
like
Harry
Potter
resonates
strongly
with
young
readers,

with
its
sense
of
alienation
relieved
by
access
to
a
secret
world
where
the
fact

that
you're
"special"
is
a
plus,
not
a
minus,
X‐Men
classically
had
the
same

kind
of
thrill
of
recognition
to
nerdy
kids.
It
says,
"Those
other
people
don't

like
you
because
they
don't
understand
you,
but
you're
secretly
a
hero."

It's
a

very
attractive
message
to
an
adolescent
reader.
[…]

That
teenage
alienation

can
be
used
as
a
way
to
show
the
inequities
of
prejudice
against
anyone
is
the

magic
of
the
genre.
Ideas
become
metaphors,
symbols
that
can
then
be

shown
to
fit
other
ideas,
and
through
that
we
learn
to
identify
with
people

who
aren't
obviously
like
ourselves,
because
we
know
that
inside,
they
are.

(Busiek)

These
interpretations
of
the
concept
of
“mutant”
remove
some
of
the
metaphor
of

institutionalized
racism
or
sexism
that
have
been
identified
with
the
X‐Men
series,





50


instead
favoring
a
more
universal
appeal
to
the
idea
of
being
different.
However,

they
do
not
negate
those
themes,
indeed
this
broad
inclusive
interpretation
of
the

mutant
metaphor
ensures
that
elements
of
racism,
sexism,
or
homophobia
can
be

read
into
the
series.





At
times,
writers
have
discovered
that
the
X‐Men
has
attracted
fans
they


never
would
have
expected.
Scott
Lobdell,
a
writer
of
X‐Men
comics
and
creator
of

many
mutant
characters,
shared
the
following
experience.

One
of
the
most
astounding
things
that
ever
happened
in
my
life
was
at
a

store
signing
in
Florida
at
the
height
of
the
X‐Mania

(or
my
wild
ride
at
the

time).
I
was
given
an
adorable
eighteen‐year‐old
handler
to
get
me
from
the

motel
to
the
diner
to
the
store
and
such.
We
were
talking
at
one
point
and

she
was
saying
how
much
her
brother
and
his
friends
love
the
X‐Men
and

how
might
writing
spoke
to
them
as
outsiders
who
stick
together
because
of

their
outsider
status.
As
[the
writer]
who
outed
Northstar
[the
first
gay

superhero
in
mainstream
comics]
years
before,
I
assumed
her
brother
and

his
friends
were
gay.
I
was
surprised
when
she
explained,
no,
they
were

skinheads
‐‐
specifically
white
supremacists.
What?!


My
first
inclination
was

to
explain
that
her
brother
and
his
friends
had
completely
not
gotten
the

ideals
of
inclusion
and
tolerance
that
the
X‐Men
stood
for.
But
the
more
I

thought
about
it,
the
more
I
realized
I
couldn't
really
have
my
cake
and
eat
it

too.
I
couldn't
say
the
X‐Men
is
about
finding
strength
in
being
the
other
and

then
get
upset
because
the
other
didn't
fit
my
definition
of
what
I
felt
was

acceptable
otherness.
Don't
get
me
wrong,
when
you
look
at
the
flip
side
of





51


Xavier's
inclusionary
viewpoint,
you
get
Magneto's
almost
Nazi‐esque
Master

Race
thesis.
To
the
degree
that
this
girl's
brother
was
not
running
around
and

gay
bashing
or
involved
in
hate
crimes,
the
notion
that
a
sub‐section
of

society
felt
they
needed
to
come
together
because
what
made
them
them
was

threatened...
or
that
they
were
looking
to
find
strength
in
each
other?


That

strikes
me
as
valid
as
other
others
gravitating
to
the
X‐Men.
(Lobdell)

This
experience
is
evidence
that
there
is
no
single
interpretation
for
X‐Men
comic

books.
Some
writers
may
write
with
specific
points
of
view,
but
readers
will
not
are

under
no
obligation
to
share
that
point
of
view.
This
dissertation
will
look
at
the

portrayal
of
race
and
gender
in
the
comic
book
series,
but
there
are
many
other

potential
readings
of
the
series.
Choosing
to
examine
the
roles
of
race
and
gender
in

the
X‐Men
series
highlights
some
ways
the
mutant
metaphor
is
functioning,
but

there
are
many
other
valid
interpretations
possible.

Because
of
the
powerful
potential
of
the
mutant
metaphor,
the
forty‐five
year

span
in
which
X‐Men
comics
have
been
published,
and
the
number
of
characters

who
have
been
members
of
the
X‐Men
team
make
this
comic
book
series
is
ideal
for

an
analysis
of
the
changing
portrayal
of
race
and
gender
in
American
popular

culture.
This
study
will
look
at
how
characters
who
belong
to
ethnic
minorities
are

portrayed
within
the
larger
metaphor
of
mutants.
It
will
also
examine
how
female

characters
are
portrayed
in
the
traditionally
male‐dominated
world
of
superheroes.

The
X­Men
was
not
an
instant
success,
but
the
concept
of
a
team
of
outsiders

was
one
that
would
become
common
in
the
superhero
genre.
The
minority

metaphor
inherent
in
the
comic
book
allows
for
exploration
of
issues
not
commonly





52


associated
with
what
is
often
considered
a
juvenile
genre.
Michael
Chabon
says,

“The
X‐Men
are
the
most
consciously,
deliberately,
successfully
metaphorical
of
any

comic
book
superhero”
(Comic
Book
Superheroes
Unmasked).
Perhaps
it
is
for
the

deliberate
metaphor
that
the
X‐Men
would
eventually
become
one
of
the
most

successful
comic
book
franchises
in
historyAlthough
the
comic
book
initially

struggled
to
find
an
audience,
Marvel
has
nurtured
the
adventures
of
mutants
into

one
of
the
largest
and
highest
selling
areas
of
their
publishing
line.





When
they
first
appeared
the
X‐Men
were
not
as
popular
as
Marvel’s
other


titles
such
as
The
Amazing
Spider­Man
or
The
Fantastic
Four.
After
the
first
several

issues
were
written
by
Stan
Lee
and
drawn
by
Jack
Kirby,
with
moderate
sales

success,
different
creative
teams
were
rotated
in
to
try
to
increase
interest
as
sales

began
to
wane.
After
66
issues
of
original
stories
Marvel
began
to
reprint
the
earlier

issues
and
ceased
production
of
new
X‐Men
stories.
Oddly,
the
decision
was
made
to

continue
the
issue
numbering
system
with
the
reprints,
so
that
while
X­Men
#66

(Mar.
1970)
was
the
last
new
story,
the
first
reprint
occurred
in
X­Men
#67
(Dec.

1970).
Eventually,
when
Marvel
again
began
to
publish
new
X‐Men
comics,
the

series
continued
the
numbering
beginning
with
X­Men
#94
(Aug.
1975).
X­Men
#67­
93
are
all
reprints,
while
every
other
issue
in
the
run
is
an
original
comic.
This
is
not

the
standard
practice
in
the
industry,
and
The
X­Men
is
unique
as
a
long‐running

series
with
a
significant
number
of
issues
consisting
of
reprinted
issues.




In
1975
Marvel
decided
to
relaunch
the
title
and
it
did
so
to
great
critical


acclaim
and
financial
success.
New
writers,
artists,
and
characters
were
key
to
the

success
of
this
relaunch.
The
X‐Men
were
reintroduced
to
the
public
with
a
one‐shot





53


comic
book
in
1975
entitled
Giant­Size
X­Men
(the
title
referred
to
the
extra
number

of
pages
in
the
issue,
not
the
stature
of
the
X‐Men
themselves).
When
that
title

proved
successful
the
series
was
officially
relaunched
with
Chris
Claremont
writing.

Claremont
would
continue
to
write
the
title
for
sixteen
consecutive
years,
leaving
in

1991,
but
he
has
occasionally
revisited
the
title
since
2000.
Bradford
W.
Wright

explains
some
changes
made
in
the
relaunch:

Between
1977
and
1981
Claremont
and
artist
John
Byrne
transformed
it

from
a
second‐tier
monthly
title
to
the
best
selling
in
the
industry.
[Much
of

this
success
was
because]
Claremont
created
strong
female
characters
who

played
more
than
the
token
supporting
role
traditionally
allotted
to
women

in
comic
books.
[These
strong
women]
helped
to
expand
the
title’s
appeal

across
the
gender
barrier,
and
The
X­Men
became
one
of
the
very
few

superhero
titles
to
win
a
significant
female
following.
(263)

The
series,
newly
christened
The
Uncanny
X­Men,
though
continuing
the

original
numbering,
would
quickly
rank
among
the
most
popular
titles.
The
title
was

so
popular
that
Marvel
would
shortly
publish
spin‐off
series
focusing
on
mutant

characters.
These
included
Dazzler,
about
a
mutant
disco
singer/superhero,
and
The

New
Mutants,
about
the
next
generation
of
mutants
being
trained
to
protect
the

world.
The
New
Mutants
also
proved
popular,
and
since
that
time
the
X‐Men

universe
of
characters
has
inspired
more
than
forty
ongoing
comic
book
titles
and

hundreds
of
limited
series
and
mini‐series.
The
single
highest
selling
issue
in
comic

book
history
was
X­Men
#1,
published
in
1991.
This
new
series
was
created
to
allow

two
teams
of
the
core
X‐Men
characters
to
have
published
adventures
each
month.





54


The
first
issue
was
written
by
Chris
Claremont
and
drawn
by
Jim
Lee
and
sold
an

unprecedented
eight
million
copies.
By
comparison
the
top
selling
titles
in
2010
are

fortunate
to
sell
150,000
copies
in
the
direct
market.


Due
to
the
popularity
of
the
series
since
the
1975
relaunch
Marvel
Comics

has
published
many
other
titles
that
are
closely
tied
to
the
X‐Men
franchise.
Other

books
featuring
teams
of
mutants
and
solo
titles
featuring
popular
X‐Men
characters

in
their
own
adventures
are
prominent
on
the
comic
book
shelves.
At
some
periods

there
have
been
as
almost
twenty
X‐Men
related
comic
books
published
per
month.

With
so
many
publications
the
narrative
continuity
can
become
confusing,

especially
because
so
many
titles
are
interconnected.


In
some
instances
it
is
impossible
to
work
out
a
logical
connection
between

characters’
appearances
in
the
shared
Marvel
universe,
which
ostensibly
is
meant
to

be
telling
one
grand
narrative.
For
example,
in
a
single
month
in
2010
the
character

of
Wolverine
may
appear
in
the
monthly
comics
Wolverine,
Wolverine:
Weapon
X,

Dark
Wolverine,
The
Uncanny
X­Men,
X­Men:
Legacy,
Astonishing
X­Men,
X­Force,
New

Avengers
as
well
as
appearing
in
limited
series
such
as
Astonishing
Spider­Man
and

Wolverine.
Additionally,
Marvel
publishes
comic
books
which
are
not
part
of
the

core
Marvel
universe
continuity.
So
they
may
publish
a
comic
book
aimed
at

younger
readers
featuring
a
version
of
Wolverine
that
is
less
savage,
but
the
story

and
characters
are
not
meant
to
connect
to
the
character
appearing
in
Uncanny
X­
Men.
Or
they
may
publish
alternate
reality
versions
of
the
character,
such
as

Wolverine
Noir
which
reimagines
the
character
as
a
film
noir
private
eye,
again
with

this
version
of
the
character
having
no
relation
to
the
core
Marvel
universe.





55


The
sheer
volume
of
comic
books
published
by
Marvel
relating
to
the
mutant

characters
is
too
broad
and
vast
to
be
exhaustively
analyzed
in
this
project.
To

understand
the
amount
of
material
published
relating
to
the
X‐Men
a
brief

introduction
to
some
of
the
terminology
associated
with
comic
book
publishing
is

necessary.
A
single
comic
book
today
is
likely
to
have
twenty‐two
pages
of
content.

There
are
one‐shot
stories
which
tell
a
complete
story
in
one
issue
and
are
not
part

of
a
continuing
series,
mini‐series
which
tell
a
story
over
2‐6
issues,
maxi‐series

which
usually
tell
a
story
across
twelve‐issues,
and
on‐going
series
which
generally

produce
an
issue
on
a
monthly
basis
and
are
launched
with
the
goal
of
never
ceasing

publication.
Also,
companies
may
publish
graphic
novels
which
are
longer
self‐
contained
stories,
often
with
two
hundred
pages
or
more
of
content
published
in
a

single
volume.
While
on‐going
series
do
have
storylines
which
end,
the
series
itself

is
meant
to
continue
so
long
as
it
is
profitable.
Often
there
are
subplots
which

continue
while
the
main
plot
of
the
story
wraps
up
after
4
to
6
issues.
The
beginning

of
the
next
plotline
is
often
introduced
in
the
same
issue
the
previous
storyline

concludes.
One‐shots,
mini‐series,
maxi‐series,
and
graphic
novels
are
likely
to
have

the
same
creative
team
from
beginning
to
end,
whereas
monthly
on‐going
series

may
have
the
creative
team
change
at
any
point.

As
of
2010,
Marvel
has
launched
forty‐six
monthly
on‐going
series
which

were
closely
tied
to
the
X‐Men,
though
many
of
these
were
canceled
after
a
few

years.
In
December
of
2010,
Marvel
published
eleven
monthly
comic
book
series

featuring
teams
of
mutants
or
the
solo
adventures
of
X‐Men
related
characters.

Table
1
on
the
following
page
provides
a
chronology
of
the
publication
history
of






56




1963­present
The
X­Men
#1‐49,
X­Men

#50­113,
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#114­393,

Uncanny
X­Men
394­529

1981­85
Dazzler
#1­42

1983­91
The
New
Mutants
(Vol.
1)
#1­
100

1983­94
Alpha
Flight
(Vol.
1)
#1­130


1986­98
X­Factor
(Vol.
1)
#1­149


1988­2003
Wolverine
(Vol.
1)
#1­189


1988­98
Excalibur
(Vol.
1)
#1­125


1991­present

X­Men
(Vol.
2)
#1­113,

New
X­Men
#114­156,
X­Men
(Vol.
2)

#157­207,
X­Men:
Legacy
#208­241


1991­2002
X­Force
#1­129

1993­2003
X­Men
Unlimited
#1­50

(published
quarterly)

1993­2002
Cable
#1­107


1994­2001
Generation
X
#1­75


1995­2001
X­Man
#1­75


1997­2002
Deadpool
#1­69


1997­99
Alpha
Flight
(Vol.
2)
#1­20

1997­98
Maverick
#1­12


1997­98
Quicksilver
#1­13

1998­2001
Mutant
X
#1­32


1999­2001
Gambit
#1­25

1999­2001
Bishop:
The
Last
X­Man
#1­
16

2001­04
X­Treme
X­Men
#1­46

2001­08
Exiles

2002­03
Agent
X
#1­15

2002­04
X­Statix
#1­26

2002­03
Soldier
X
#1­12

2002­04
Weapon
X
#1­28

2003­10
Wolverine
(Vol.
2)
#1­90




2003­04
New
Mutants
(Vol.
2)
#1­13

2003­05
Emma
Frost
#1­28

2003­05
Mystique
#1­24

2004­07
Cable
and
Deadpool
#1­50

2004­07
New
Excalibur
#1­24

2004­05
Alpha
Flight
(Vol.
3)
#1­12

2004­08
New
X­Men:
Academy
X
#1­46

2004­10
Astonishing
X­Men
#1­35

2004­05
District
X
#1­14

2004­05
Gambit
(Vol.
2)
#1­12


2004­05
Nightcrawler
#1­12

2004­05
Rogue
#1­12

2006­10
Wolverine:
Origins
#1­50

2006­present
X­Factor
(Vol.
2)
#1­50,

#200­210
(renumbered
to
Vol.
1
issues)

2008­08
Young
X­Men
#1­12

2008­09
New
Exiles
#1­18

2008­09
Captain
Britain
and
MI:13
#1­15

2008­present
Deadpool
(Vol.
2)
#1­28

2008­10
Cable
#1­25

2008­10
X­Force
(Vol.
2)
#1­28

2009­present
New
Mutants
(Vol.
3)
#1­18

2009­10
Deadpool:
Merc
with
a
Mouth
#1­
13

2009­present
Deadpool
Team­Up
#899­
888
(counting
backwards)

2010­10
S.W.O.R.D.
#1­5

2010­present
Deadpool
Corps
#1­7

2010­present
X­Men
(Vol.
3)
#1­4

2010­present
Deadpool
Max
#1­2

2010­present
Daken:
Dark
Wolverine



#1­2

2010­present
Uncanny
X­Force
#1­2

2010­present
Wolverine
(Vol.
3)
#1


Table
1:
A
Chronology
of
Marvel
Comic
Books
Related
to
the
X­Men
which

were
Solicited
and
Published
as
Monthly
On­Going
Series







57


monthly
comic
book
series
Marvel
has
published
related
to
the
X‐Men.
In
addition
to

these
monthly
series,
Marvel
has
published
hundreds
of
one‐shots
and
mini‐series

related
to
the
X‐Men.
The
amount
of
material
that
has
been
published
by
Marvel

related
to
the
X‐Men
is
beyond
the
ability
to
closely
analyze
in
this
study.


My
dissertation
will
focus
on
the
original
and
longest
running
X‐Men
comic

book,
The
Uncanny
X­Men.
Other
ongoing
titles,
mini‐series,
or
one‐shots
within
the

X‐Universe
of
comics
may
also
be
referenced
if
they
have
significant
bearing
on
the

subjects
being
discussed,
but
in
general
the
focus
will
be
on
this
title.
Uncanny
X­Men

is
still
in
production
today
and
is
considered
by
Marvel
to
be
part
of
the
core
of
the

X‐Men
franchise,
with
the
other
X‐Men
related
series
being
appendages
to
this

series.


Unfortunately,
focusing
on
these
this
series
will
not
eliminate
confusion
in

discussing
the
comic
books,
as
it
has
had
several
changes
to
its
titles
in
the
course
of

publication.
In
1963
Marvel
published
the
first
issue
of
The
X­Men.
This
was
the

series
title
on
the
cover
as
well
as
in
the
legal
indicia
within
the
comic
book.
With

issue
#50,
the
cover
title
switched
to
X­Men,
though
the
legal
indicia
did
not
reflect

the
loss
of
the
article
until
issue
#94.
Following
the
series
relaunch
the
cover
title

was
changed
to
The
Uncanny
X­Men
with
issue
#114,
though
the
legal
indicia
did
not

reflect
this
change
until
issue
#142.
And,
the
final
title
change
(thus
far)
resulted
in

the
cover
title
became
simply
Uncanny
X­Men
with
issue
#394,
though
the
legal

indicia
did
not
change
to
Uncanny
X­Men
until
issue
#408.
Throughout
this
study
I

will
use
the
title
found
on
the
cover
and
the
cover
date
of
the
comic
book
when

citing
an
issue.





58


An
additional
aspect
of
comic
books
which
has
the
potential
to
cause

confusion
is
the
somewhat
fluid
nature
of
comic
book
continuity.
While
the
stories

are
published
continually
and
can
be
read
as
one
whole,
there
are
plot
points
which

are
sometimes
retroactively
altered.
Characters
may
be
revealed
to
have
been

impersonated
by
shape
shifters,
deaths
are
undone,
origins
are
reimagined,
and

entire
storylines
are
retroactively
inserted
into
previous
issues
by
modern
writers

(sometimes
altering
a
story
that
was
published
decades
ago).
When
there
is
a

change
to
the
established
continuity
of
a
serialized
story
it
is
often
referred
to
as
a

“retcon”
which
stands
for
retroactive
continuity.
Retcons
have
occurred
in
long

running
TV
series,
sprawling
narrative
universes
such
as
Star
Trek,
and
very
often
in

comic
book
narratives.
For
example,
in
The
X­Men
#42
(Mar.
1968)
Professor
Xavier

suffers
a
fatal
wound
and
dies.
The
writer,
Roy
Thomas
has
said
that
his
“original

intention
was
that
he
would
remain
dead”
(DeFalco
“Roy
Thomas”
26).
But
two

years
later
in
The
X­Men
#65
(Feb.
1970)
a
new
writer,
Dennis
O’Neil,
revealed
that

Professor
X
had
not
died,
but
that
a
shape‐shifter
who
had
taken
his
place
for
a
time

had
died.
This
study
will
treat
issues
individually
and
take
the
stories
contained

therein
at
face
value;
any
retcons
that
alter
the
events
of
the
story
will
be
addressed

when
the
analysis
reaches
the
time
when
the
retcon
was
published.

This
analysis
of
the
X‐Men
will
follow
the
comic
book
narrative
in
the

chronological
order
it
was
published.
Rather
than
following
a
structure
that
is

subject
to
arbitrary
external
time
periods,
the
chapters
will
be
divided
in
a
manner

that
reflects
significant
publishing
eras
of
the
X‐Men
comic
book
series.
First,
the

period
from
1963‐1975
will
be
considered.
This
period
represents
the
introduction





59


of
the
X‐Men,
seven
years
of
stories,
and
a
five‐year
span
in
which
Marvel
published

reprints
of
the
first
X‐Men
comic
books.
It
includes
the
issues
between
The
X­Men
#1

(Sep.
1963)
and
X­Men
#66
(Mar.
1970).
The
period
between
1970‐1975
when

Marvel
only
published
reprints
will
not
be
analyzed.
The
second
period,
1975‐1983

begins
with
Marvel
telling
new
stories
with
the
X‐Men
and
introducing
a
new
team

of
mutants.
This
period
made
the
X‐Men
one
of
the
most
successful
comic
book

franchises
in
history.
This
period
includes
the
issues
between
Giant­Size
X­Men
#1

and
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#166
(Feb.
1983).
1983‐1991
saw
the
first
early
expansion

of
the
X‐Men
universe
beyond
a
single
X‐Men
title.4
This
broadening
of
the
franchise

led
to
the
introduction
of
many
new
mutant
characters
and
more
diversity
in
the

title.
The
comics
in
this
period
include
all
the
issues
between
The
Uncanny
X­Men

#167
(Mar.
1983)
and
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#280
(Sep.
1991).
1991‐2001
saw
the

launch
of
the
second
core
X‐Men
title
and
also
the
departure
of
Chris
Claremont

from
writing
duties
for
the
first
time
in
sixteen
years.
The
issues
in
this
period
range

from
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#281
(Oct.
1991)
through
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#393
(Jun.

2001).
2001‐2008
will
be
the
final
period,
with
Uncanny
X­Men
#500
(Sep.
2008)

marking
the
last
issue
that
will
be
considered
in
this
study.


In
the
following
chapters
I
will
provide
a
brief
overview
of
the
creators
who

worked
on
the
comics
during
the
period,
an
overview
of
key
stories
and
the
general

narrative
of
the
comics
in
this
period,
and
then
a
close
analysis
of
the
portrayals
of


























































4
The
first
spin‐off
of
the
X‐men
franchise
was
technically
Dazzler
which
began

publishing
in
1981

But
it
was
part
of
a
corporate
tie‐in
with
Casablanca
Records.

The
New
Mutants,
which
began
publishing
in
1983
was
the
first
natural
narrative

spin‐off
of
the
series.
X­Factor,
another
comic
book
in
the
X‐Men
family,
began

publication
in
1985.




60


race
and
gender.
My
analysis
will
consider
the
narratives,
the
language,
and
the
art.

It
will
also
include
the
statistical
analysis
of
the
gender,
race,
and
nationalities
of
the

characters
that
appear
in
the
series.













































61


Chapter
3:
1963­1975:
White
Males
as
a
Minority
Metaphor




This
chapter
will
analyze
the
first
sixty‐six
issues
of
The
X­Men,
all
of
which


were
published
in
the
1960s.
Following
these
issues
Marvel
published
reprints
of

the
X‐Men’s
adventures
until
1975.
In
this
period
there
is
obvious
use
of
the
mutants

as
a
metaphor
for
minorities
in
the
United
States,
though
the
team
does
not
feature

any
minority
characters.
The
few
female
characters
who
appear
are
often
damsels
in

distress
or
defined
by
their
romantic
relationships,
though
Marvel
Girl
goes
through

an
interesting
pseudo‐transformation
throughout
these
issues.

The
Creators




The
X­Men
#1
(Sep.
1963)
was
written
by
San
Lee
and
with
art
by
Jack
Kirby.


Lee
and
Kirby
collaborated
on
the
first
11

issues.
Lee
would
continue
to
write
the
series

through
issue
#19.
Kirby
would
provide

layouts
through
issue
#17
with
Werner
Roth

providing
the
finished
pencils.
Following
Lee
as

writer
in
this
period
were
Roy
Thomas,
Gary


Writer

Stan
Lee

Roy
Thomas

Gary
Friedrich

Arnold
Drake


Issue
#

#1­19


#20­43

#44­47

#47­54

#55­64,

Roy
Thomas

#66

Dennis
O’Neal

#65

Table
2:
The
writers
of
The
X­
Men
from
1963‐70.


Friedrich,
and
Arnold
Drake.
On
art,
Werner

Roth
began
to
provide
full
pencils
and
was

followed
by
Ross
Andru,
Don
Heck,
Jim

Steranko,
and


Neal
Adams.
Kirby,
Steranko,
and
Adams
are

considered
masters
of
the
comic
book
medium.

Please
see
Table
3
for
a
guide
to
the
specific





62


Writer
of

Back­up

Back­up

Story
Issue
#

Story

Roy
Thomas

#38­42

Gary
Friedrich
 #44­46

Arnold
Drake
 #47­50,
52­54

Roy
Thomas

#51,
55­56

Linda
Fite

#57

Table
3:
The
writers
of
The
X­
Men
back‐up
stories
from

1963‐70.


issues
each
writer
worked
on
in
this
period
and
Table
4
for
a
guide
to
the
writers
of

back‐up
stories
which
were
featured
in

some
issues.
In
this
period.
Of
particular

note
is
Linda
Fite,
the
first
female
writer

to
work
on
The
X­Men,
who
wrote
the

back‐up
story
in
The
X­Men
#57
(Jun.

1969).
Table
5
and
Table
6
list
the

issues
the
artists
worked
on
in
this

period,
and
the
artists
for
the


back‐up
stories,
respectively.
From

1970‐75
Marvel
ceased
production
of

new
issues
of
The
X­Men
and
reprinted


Artist

Issue
#

Jack
Kirby

#1­11

Jack
Kirby
&
Alex

#12

Toth

Jack
Kirby
&

#13­17

Werner
Roth

Werner
Roth

#18­29,
31­33,
35


Jack
Sparling

#30

Dan
Atkins

#34

Ross
Andru

#36­37

Don
Heck

#38­42,
54­55,
64

George
Tuska

#43

Don
Heck
&

#44­49,
52


Werner
Roth

Jim
Steranko

#50­51

Barry
Smith

#53

Neal
Adams

#56­63,
65

Sal
Buscema

#66

Table
4:
Artists
for
main
stories
from

1963‐70


the
earlier
adventures,
though
Marvel
chose
to
continue
the
numbering
system
for

the
issues.

Artist
for
back­up
 Issue
#
of
back­up

stories

stories

Werner
Roth

#38‐42,
47‐57


superheroes
were
inspired
by
the

George
Tuska

#44‐46

Table
5:
Artists
for
back
up
stories
from

mystery
men
of
pulp
magazines,
the
X‐
1963‐70.

Men
owe
more
of
their
literary
genesis
to
science
fiction
stories
of
the
forties
and




While
many
of
the
Golden
Age


fifties.
Kurt
Busiek
argues
that
the
X‐Men
owe
a
debt
to
several
specific
works
of

science
fiction.
While
it
is
impossible
to
know
if
Lee
and
Kirby
read
any
of
these

works,
the
similarities
of
content
and
theme
are
striking.
Busiek
believes
that







63


…the
three
works
that
are
probably
most
influential
on
[the
X‐Men’s]

creation
are
Mutant
by
Henry
Kuttner,
Children
of
the
Atom
by
Wilmar
Shiras

and
Slan
by
A.E.
van
Vogt,
which
between
them
feature
atomic‐created

mutants,
kids
with
special
powers
being
brought
together
to
[be
taught
to

use
them],
bald
telepaths,
paranoid
"evil"
mutants
seeking
to
subjugate

humanity
and
"good"
mutants
fight
to
save
the
world
[while]
knowing
that

humanity
might
well
just
kill
all
mutants
off
out
of
fear.
(Busiek)


All
of
these
stories
were
published
well
before
Marvel
published
X­Men
#1.
In
1945,

Henry
Kuttner
wrote
a
series
of
stories
about
a
race
of
mutants
who
face

extermination
at
the
hands
of
normal
humans.
Additionally,
there
are
good
and
evil

mutants
who
fight
amongst
themselves
in
the
story.
The
mutants
are
identified
as

homo
superior,
as
opposed
to
normal
humans,
or
homo
sapiens.
Wilmar
H.
Shiras

wrote
a
series
of
stories
later
collected
as
Children
of
the
Atom
which
involved
a

group
of
special
highly
intelligent
gifted
children
into
a
unique
school
where
they

were
hidden
from
the
world.
A.E.
can
Vogt’s
Slan
told
the
story
of
a
group
of

individuals,
called
Slans,
with
telepathic
powers.
Some
Slans
have
external
markers

which
clearly
identify
them
as
telepaths,
while
others
can
pass
as
normal
humans.

Those
that
are
identified
as
Slans
are
hunted
to
extinction.
In
The
X­Men
comic

books
Lee
would
introduce
mutants,
identified
as
homo
superior,
who
fear

prejudice
from
normal
humans
but
fight
among
themselves
because
there
are
good

and
evil
mutants.
The
X‐Men,
who
are
only
teenagers,
are
trained
at
Xavier’s
School

for
Gifted
Youngsters
where
they
are
largely
kept
secluded
from
the
world.
Some

mutants
can
pass
as
normal
humans
while
others,
who
are
more
likely
to
face





64


prejudice,
have
external
markers
that
make
it
clear
they
are
mutants.
Whether
Lee

and
or
Kirby
had
read
these
works
is
impossible
to
tell,
but
the
similarities
are

significant.


However,
there
did
seem
to
be
a
trend
in
science
fiction
writing
towards

these
stories
at
this
time.
The
X‐Men
may
simply
have
been
part
of
a
simultaneous

literary
movement,
not
a
group
whose
initial
concept
is
thinly
disguised
plagiarism.

In
“American
Dreams
of
Mutants”
John
Trushell
identified
Olaf
Stapledon,
Stanley

Weinbaum,
and
Philip
Wylie
as
science
fiction
writers
who
had
all
written
stories

about
a
gifted
minority
facing
persecution
from
the
normal
majority
prior
to
the

publication
of
The
X­Men
#1
(Sep.
1963).

In
the
first
issue
readers
are
introduced
to
the
wheelchair
bound
Professor

Xavier
who
runs
a
school
for
Gifted
Students.
As
the
issue
begins
the
four
current

students
are
told
a
fifth
student
will
be
joining
the
school.
The
villain
in
this
issue
is

Magneto,
an
“evil
mutant”
who
the
X‐Men
fight
in
their
first
public
outing
as

superheroes
(19).
The
X‐Men
battle
different
mutants
in
the
following
issues,

including
a
team
Magneto
organizes
after
his
initial
defeat
called
The
Brotherhood

of
Evil
Mutants.
The
X‐Men
also
battle
a
mutant‐hunting
robots
called
Sentinels
the

government
builds
to
control
the
“mutant
menace.”



Following
Stan
Lee’s
departure
from
writing
the
title
the
X‐Men’s
foes

become
less
mutant‐centric
and
more
like
other
superhero
comic
books,
therefore

lessening
the
mutant
metaphor
as
they
began
to
fight
villains
that
were
already

established
in
other
Marvel
comics
or
who
develop
their
powers
unrelated
to
being

a
mutant.
Eventually
another
villainous
mutant
group,
Factor
Three,
became
the





65


focus
of
the
X‐Men’s
adventures.
Around
the
same
time
that
the
Factor
Three

storyline
occurs
the
comic
books
begin
to
have
back‐up
stories
which
relate
the

origins
of
the
members
of
the
X‐Men.
Of
all
the
X‐Men
stories
published
in
this

period,
these
back‐up
stories
have
some
of
the
most
overt
themes
about
the
evils
of

prejudice
and
bigotry.


Following
the
Factor
Three
storyline,
in
a
battle
with
a
subterranean
creature

Professor
X
apparently
dies,
and
the
X‐Men
lose
some
of
their
focus
as
a
team.

Several
issues
alternately
feature
the
adventures
of
individual
members
of
the
team,

often
still
dealing
with
mutant
threats.
A
threat
to
a
newly
discovered
mutant
has

the
team
unite
to
face
Magneto
once
again.
The
team
decides
to
continue
working

together
and
meet
several
more
mutants,
some
as
allies
some
as
enemies.
In
the

final
issues
before
the
series
switched
over
to
reprints
it
is
revealed
that
Professor
X

faked
his
death
in
order
to
be
able
to
focus
all
of
his
time
and
abilities
to
preparing

to
repel
an
alien
invasion.
After
defeating
the
alien
threat,
and
having
one
final

adventure
with
the
Hulk,
the
series
began
to
reprint
earlier
issues.
While
proceeding

into
a
closer
analysis
of
race
and
gender
in
these
comic
books
more
details
about

these
storylines
will
be
provided
when
relevant
to
the
discussion.

The
Characters

The
initial
roster
of
X‐Men
included
the
founder
and
leader
of
the
team,

Professor
Xavier,
and
five
students
who
were
being
trained
in
the
use
of
their

mutant
powers.
Charles
Xavier,
sometimes
called
Professor
X,
is
the
world’s
most

powerful
telepath
and
a
champion
of
mutant
rights
in
the
Marvel
narrative
universe.

When
introduced
to
readers
he
is
bound
to
a
wheel
chair.
Xavier
is
bald,
and
clearly





66


meant
to
be
an
older
character,
certainly
much
older
than
the
teenagers
he
is

training.

Scott
Summers,
codenamed
Cyclops,
can
shoot
energy
beams
from
his
eyes.

His
optic
blasts
cannot
be
controlled,
if
his
eyes
are
open
they
are
emitting
a

powerful
and
destructive
wave
of
energy.
The
only
substance
that
can
control
them

is
“ruby
quartz”
which
absorbs
the
energy.
He
always
wears
either
glasses
or
a
visor

to
control
his
mutant
power.
Cyclops
often
feels
his
power
is
a
burden
because
it
is
a

constant
threat
to
those
around
him.
Cyclops
is
one
of
the
more
serious
members
of

the
team
and
is
the
team
leader.


Hank
McCoy
is
codenamed
the
Beast.
He
has
larger
hands
and
feet
than
a

normal
person
and
is
extremely
agileAlthough
later
the
character
would
sprout
blue

fur
all
over
his
body,
in
this
period
he
has
white
skin
and
can
easily
pass
for
a

normal
human.
Beast
is
the
most
intellectual
of
the
group.
He
has
an
interest
in

science
and
deliberately
uses
an
advanced
sounding
vocabulary.
If
there
is
a
word

that
has
four
syllables
and
means
the
same
thing
as
a
two
syllable
words,
Beast
will

choose
to
use
the
four
syllable
word.


Bobby
Drake
is
the
youngest
member
of
the
team.
He
can
turn
his
body
into

snow,
later
ice,
and
he
can
decrease
the
temperature
around
him.
He
can
also

produce
ice
and
snow
projectiles
by
sapping
moisture
from
the
air
around
him.
He
is

the
prankster
of
the
team,
and
is
often
reprimanded
for
his
immaturity.

Warren
Worthington
III
has
wings
sprouting
from
his
back
and
uses
the

codename
Angel.
He
comes
from
a
very
wealthy
family
and
has
stereotypical
upper‐
class
tastes.





67


Jean
Grey,
originally
codenamed
Marvel
Girl,
has
telekinesis.
Grey’s
defining

characteristic,
at
least
initially,
is
that
she
is
a
female
for
the
boys
on
the
team
to

fight
over.
She
longs
for
Cyclops,
but
in
this
period
their
mutual
attraction
is
not

acted
on.
After
the
team
graduates
from
Xavier’s
School
for
Gifted
Youngsters,
Jean

is
the
only
member
that
is
shown
going
on
to
college.

Calvin
Rankin,
or
Mimic,
is
the
first
addition
to
the
team,
though
it
is
only

short‐lived.
Originally
a
villain,
Mimic
has
the
mutant
power
to
imitate
the
powers
of

other
mutants
around
him.
When
near
the
X‐Men
he
sprouts
wings
like
Angel,
has

optic
blasts,
can
control
ice
and
snow,
has
telekinesis,
and
increased
dexterity.
But,

when
he
is
not
near
other
mutants
he
has
no
powers
at
all.
After
battling
the
X‐Men,

Calvin
decides
to
attempt
to
reform
his
life
and
joins
the
team,
though
it
is
always
a

contentious
relationship
and
after
a
few
issues
he
departs.

Two
other
additions
to
the
team
come
near
the
end
of
this
period.
Alex

Summers,
Cyclops’s
brother,
has
the
power
to
create
powerful
blasts
of
energy
from

his
body.
He
adopts
the
codename
Havok.
Lorna
Dane
has
the
power
to
control

magnetic
waves.
She
adopts
the
codename
Polaris.
Havok
and
Polaris
each
guest‐
starred
in
several
issues
before
becoming
members
of
the
team
for
two
issues
near

the
end
of
this
period.


All
of
these
characters
were
white,
middle‐to‐upper‐class
Americans.
In

short,
this
was
a
very
WASP‐ish
group
to
be
struggling
against
prejudice
in
a

minority
metaphor.
Further
complicating
the
use
this
particular
group
as

representative
of
a
racial
metaphor
is
the
fact
that
none
of
these
mutants
were
in

any
way
distinguishable
from
white
Americans.
While
later
mutants
would
often





68


have
distinctive
features
which
would
set
them
apart
from
all
of
humanity,
such
as

fur,
horns,
or
different
skin
pigmentation,
the
original
X‐Men
could
“pass”
as
non‐
mutants
whenever
they
wished.
Even
Angel,
who
had
wings
on
his
back,
could
use

“restraining
belts”
to
prevent
“wings
from
bulging
under
[his]
suit”
which
allowed

him
to
pass
as
a
non‐mutant
(X­Men
#1,
18).
Werner
Sollors
defines
passing
as
“The

crossing
of
any
line
that
divides
social
groups”
(247).
Some
examples
of
passing,

originally
identified
by
Everett
Stonequist,
include
“Jews
passing
for
Gentiles,
Polish

immigrants
preferring
to
be
German,
Italians
pretending
to
be
Jewish,
the
Japanese

Eta
concealing
their
group
identity
to
avoid
discrimination,
[or]
the
Anglo‐Indians

passing
for
British.”
Despite
these
many
instances
where
the
term
is
applicable,
it
“is

used
most
frequently
as
though
it
were
short
for
‘passing
for
white,’
in
the
sense
of

‘crossing
over’
the
colored
line
in
the
United
States
from
the
black
to
the
white

side”(247).
In
the
Marvel
universe
there
are
those
mutants
who
can
pass
as
normal

humans,
and
those
who
cannot
because
their
mutation
is
too
visible.
In
this
period,

almost
all
the
mutants
that
are
seen
can
pass
as
normal
humans.

Race

From
the
beginning
the
X‐Men
featured
an
obvious
metaphorical
correlation

between
mutants
and
racial
minorities.
The
issues
of
race
relations
and
prejudice

were
worn
on
the
proverbial
sleeve
of
the
series.
Bryan
Singer,
director
of
X­Men

and
X2
says
of
the
comic
book,
“This
was
Stan
Lee
and
Jack
Kirby’s
way
of

commenting
on
prejudice
[…]
This
is
the
comic
book
version
of
The
Crucible”
(Origin

of
the
X­Men).
The
X‐Men
were
created
at
a
time
when
race
and
prejudice
were

among
the
most
pressing
issues
in
America.
The
mutants
who
made
up
the
X‐Men





69


were
literally
a
separate
race
in
this
narrative,
and
the
issue
of
prejudice
has
long

been
the
prevalent
theme
in
the
series.

Many
have
noted
this
correlation
between
the
X‐Men
narrative
and
American

historical
events
and
some
have
even
noted
direct
parallels
between
the
leaders
of

the
mutant
race
and
civil
rights
leaders.
Professor
X,
who
preaches
peace
between

the
races,
seeking
equality
above
all
else,
is
considered
to
have
been
inspired
by

Martin
Luther
King
Jr.
Conversely,
Magneto
who
sees
mutants
as
superior
to
all

other
races
and
has
a
supremacist
point
of
view
is
often
seen
as
reflective
of

Malcolm
X
and
the
black
power
movement.
Ralph
Winter,
a
producer
of
the
first
X‐
Men
film,
said
Bryan
Singer
particularly
emphasized
this
aspect
of
the
X‐Men

mythology:
“Bryan
[Singer]
embraces
this
Martin
Luther
King
versus
Malcolm
X

approach
to
the
values
that
are
being
presented”
(Origin
of
the
X­Men).
One
of
the

final
lines
spoken
by
Magneto
in
the
film
features
a
quote
lifted
directly
from

Malcolm
X.
Malcolm
X
said
“We
declare
our
right
on
this
earth
[...]
to
be
a
human

being,
to
be
respected
as
a
human
being,
to
be
given
the
rights
of
a
human
being
in

this
society,
on
this
earth,
in
this
day,
which
we
intend
to
bring
into
existence
by
any

means
necessary.”
The
words
spoken
by
Magneto
in
the
first
film
are,
“The
war
is

still
coming,
Charles,
and
I
intend
to
fight
it...
by
any
means
necessary.”

Singer,
by

lifting
one
of
the
most
famous
lines
from
Malcolm
X’s
speech
is
clearly
embracing

the
interpretation
that
Magneto
is
meant
as
a
parallel
for
Malcolm
X
while
Professor

X
is
representative
of
Martin
Luther
King’s
more
pacifistic
point
of
view.


Many
others
have
seen
this
similarity.
Michael
Fassbender
who
portrays

Magneto
in
the
film
X­Men:
First
Class,
says,






70


It's
kind
of
like
Martin
Luther
King
Jr.
and
Malcolm
X
‐
Charles
[Professor
X]

being
Martin
Luther
and
Erik
[Magneto]
being
Malcolm
X
‐
these
two
ideals,

two
intelligent
guys
but
with
different
methods
of
achieving
what
they
want.

Erik
doesn't
trust
humans
and
thinks
they
need
to
be
wiped
away
and
I
can

kind
of
see
his
point.
It's
like
Homo
Sapiens,
Neanderthals
...
it's
like
it's
the

next
stage
of
evolution.
(“X‐Men:
First
Class”)

John
Trushell
argues
in
“American
Dreams
of
Mutants”
that


Professor
Xavier
and
his
X‐Men,
who
sought
accommodation
with
homo

sapiens,
recalled
moderate
elements
of
the
civil
rights
movement
of
the

1960s
as
exemplified
by
Martin
Luther
King,
Jr.
King,
head
of
the
Southern

Christian
Leadership
Conference
[…].
Militant
mutants
such
as
Magneto
and

his
Brotherhood
of
Evil
Mutants
[…]
resembled
increasingly
radical
elements.

These
included
the
Nation
of
Islam
(or
“Black
Muslims”)
whose
best‐known

spokesperson,
Malcolm
X,
advocated
black
nationalism,
and
the
Student
Non‐
violent
Coordinating
Committee,
latterly
headed
by
Stokeley
Carmichael

who,
in
Canton,
Mississippi,
publicly
proclaimed
“Black
Power”
in
1966.
Such

parallels
are
not
far‐fetched.


It
has
become
almost
second
nature
by
many
to
identify
and
accept
this

interpretation
of
the
X‐Men,
though
there
are
those
who
resist
this
reading.




In
Adam
Roberts’
essay
“Lee,
Kirby,
and
Ovid’s
Metamorphoses:
or
How
Not


to
Read
the
X‐Men,
and
then
How
to
Read
Them,”
Roberts
is
opposed
to
making
one‐
to‐one
correlations
between
the
fictional
narrative
and
the
real
world.
He
calls
such

interpretations
dumb,
explaining:




71


“Why
is
it
dumb?

Because
(and
excuse
me
for
stating
the
obvious)
Charles

Xavier
is
not
Martin
Luther
King
Jr.
He’s
Charles
Xavier.
There
is
one
way
in

which
he
resembles
Dr.
King
–
he
has
dedicated
his
life
to
the
peaceful

emancipation
of
his
people.
But
there
are
myriad
ways
in
which
he
does
not

resemble
King:
he
is
a
bald‐headed
white
cripple
with
tremendous
telepathic

powers
who
lives
in
an
enormous
mansion
in
New
York
state,
is
in
charge
of

a
school
for
gifted
mutant
supermen
and
is
an
occasional
traveler
into
outer

space.
[…]Concentrating
on
the
one
thing
these
two
people
have
in
common

to
the
exclusion
of
all
these
points
of
difference
is
plain
myopic”
(142).

I
agree
with
Roberts
assertion
that
arguing
that
X
in
the
comic
books
equals
Y
in
the

real
world
can
often
be
reductive.
Arguing
that
a
character
represents
an
actual

person
becomes
problematic
when
the
character
is
written
by
many
different

writers
in
hundreds
of
different
situations
and
with
varying
motivations.
Obviously

the
parallels
will
not
always
work.
However,
identifying
specific
stories
which
are

clearly
meant
to
reflect
moments
in
world
history
is
less
problematic,
and
at
times

unavoidable.




For
example,
in
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#199
(Nov.
1985)
Magneto
reveals
that


he
was
a
Jewish
child
kept
in
German
concentration
camps
who
saw
his
parents

murdered
for
being
Jews.
He
explains
this
while
he
is
standing
in
the
National

Holocaust
Museum
and
he
expresses
his
hopes
that
a
similar
fate
does
not
befall

mutantkind
just
before
he
is
attacked
by
a
group
sponsored
by
the
U.S.
government

to
hunt
down
mutants.
The
metaphor
here
is
far
from
subtle
and
rather
unavoidable

for
the
reader.




72





Chris
Claremont,
who
wrote
the
adventures
of
the
X‐Men
for
17
years,
has


said,
“The
X‐Men
are
hated,
feared
and
despised
collectively
by
humanity
for
no

other
reason
than
that
they
are
mutants.
So
what
we
have
here,
intended
or
not,
is
a

book
that
is
about
racism,
bigotry
and
prejudice”
(Wright
117).
While
it
can,
and

perhaps
should
be
debated
whether
or
not
Professor
X
was
meant
to
be
a
fictional

stand‐in
for
Martin
Luther
King
Jr.,
it
is
clear
that
a
dominant
theme
in
X‐Men
comics

is
a
condemnation
of
prejudice.

Because
the
series
was
created
in
the
early
1960s,
at
one
of
the
most
intense

periods
of
the
Civil
Rights
movement,
one
might
expect
to
encounter
clear
examples

of
this
theme
from
the
very
first
issue.
However,
for
a
series
with
such
an
obvious

metaphor
about
prejudice
in
the
United
States,
they
seem
to
have
forgotten
to

include
race.
While
there
are
certainly
other
minorities
in
America
besides
racial

ones,
in
the
1960s
the
prevalent
public
concerns
about
prejudice
regarded
race,

specifically
prejudice
towards
African
Americans.
Eventually,
Marvel
would

introduce
the
first
black
superhero,
but
it
would
not
be
until
1966.
In
1963,
with
the

X‐Men’s
initial
roster,
the
team
meant
to
represent
minorities
was
entirely
white

and
middleclass.
The
only
exception
was
Angel,
who
was
still
white,
but
upper
class.


Making
the
absence
of
race
in
The
X­Men
even
more
notable
is
that
Stan
Lee

was
not
shying
away
from
the
issue
of
racial
prejudice,
including
using
racial

minorities,
in
another
series
he
was
writing
at
the
same
time.
Gerard
Jones
and
Will

Jacobs,
in
The
Comic
Book
Heroes
explain
some
of
Lee
and
Kirby’s
treatment
of

minorities
in
a
comic
book
called
Sgt.
Fury
and
His
Howling
Commandos:





73


It
was
startling
for
its
brazen
acknowledgement
of
ethnicity:
in
the
comic

book
world
of
Clark
Kents
and
Peter
Parkers,
Izzy
Cohen
was
explicitly

fighting
the
Nazis
because
he
was
a
Jew,
Dino
Manelli
because
the
fascists

betrayed
his
ancestral
land.
More
startling
still
was
Gabe
Jones.
In
those

years
comics
publishers
forbad
portraying
black
people,
unless
bongo‐
beating
“natives”
were
called
for,
fearing
that
Southern
retailers
would

return
books
unsold.
The
same
year
Sgt.
Fury
appeared–the
year
after
the

Civil
Rights
Movement’s
march
on
Washington
–
DC
reprinted
an
adaptation

of
Ian
Fleming’s
Dr.
No,
originally
published
in
England,
and
had
all
the
locals

colored
pink
[…]
even
though
the
story
was
explicitly
set
in
Jamaica.
[…]
Jack

and
Stan
weren’t
just
doing
“realism”
either;
the
US
military
had
still
been

segregated
in
World
War
II
[…]
When
the
color
separators
made
Gabe
look

white,
Stan
wrote
memos
until
they
got
it
right.
He
and
Kirby
were
doing

more
than
selling
comics,
they
were
making
a
statement.
(71)

Lee
and
Kirby
weren’t
only
including
an
African
American
in
the
group,
they

acknowledged
the
prejudice
such
a
character
may
have
encountered
in
the
military

in
Sgt.
Fury
and
His
Howling
Commandos
#6
(Mar.
1964).


Pierre
Comtois
argues
that
Lee
decided
to
use
his
war
comic
as
an

educational
tool.
At
the
same
time
that
headlines
were
“dominated
by
the
national

struggle
over
civil
rights
then
being
waged
by
men
like
Martin
Luther
King
and

punctuated
by
such
landmark
court
decisions
as
Brown
vs
Board
of
Education”
Lee

would
use
The
X­Men
to
address
prejudice
metaphorically,
and
Sgt.
Fury
to
address

it
explicitly
(68).
In
Sgt.
Fury
and
His
Howling
Commandos
#6
(Mar.
1964)
Dino





74


Manelli
is
injured
and
is
replaced
by
George
Stonewell
who
refuses
to
sleep
in
the

same
barrack
with
Jones,
the
African
American
member
of
the
group.
In
Comtois’

words:

Then
Fury
proclaims
what
the
readers
had
probably
been
thinking
all
along:

“You’re
a
14‐carat,
dyed
in
the
wool,
low
down
bigot!”

“You
so
much
as
look

cross‐eyed
at
Izzy,
or
Gabe,
or
anyone
because
of
his
race
or
color,
and
I’ll

make
ya
wish
you
were
never
born!”
[…]

The
Howlers
are
sent
on
a
deadly

mission
to
stop
German
Gen.
Erwin
Rommel
as
tensions
continue
to
mount

among
the
squad
members.
At
one
point
a
captured
Nazi,
sympathizing
with

Stonewell,
tells
him,
“…We
do
not
allow
inferior
races
to
mingle
with
us…to

be
part
of
our
culture!”

[…Lee
]
gives
the
character
patches
of
gray
as
he

performs
his
duty
as
heroically
as
any
of
the
Howlers
even
as
he
continues
to

reject
some
of
them
for
their
ethnicity.
At
last,
after
saving
Izzy’s
life,
Izzy

returns
the
favor
by
saving
Stonewell,
and
in
the
story’s
dénouement

Stonewell
is
kept
alive
due
to
a
transfusion
of
blood
from
Jones.
Unlike
other

writers
who
would’ve
had
Stonewell
either
be
killed
off
for
his
sins
or
get

over
all
of
his
earlier
prejudices,
Lee
allows
the
character’s
feelings
to
remain

ambiguous
with
Fury
delivering
the
final
lines:
“The
seeds
of
prejudice,

which
take
a
lifetime
to
grow,
can’t
be
stamped
out
overnight…but
if
we
keep

trying…keep
fighting…perhaps
a
day
will
come
when
‘love
thy
brother’
will

be
more
than
just
an
expression
we
hear
in
church!”
(68).


Besides
tackling
Civil
Rights
issues
so
clearly
in
stories
such
as
this
one,
Lee
and

Kirby
also
introduced
the
first
African
superhero
in
mainstream
comic
books
when





75


the
Black
Panther
appeared
in
Fantastic
Four
#52
(July
1966).
The
Black
Panther

later
joined
the
Avengers
and
would
be
the
first
minority
character
to
appear
in
an

X‐Men
comic
book
when
he
was
featured
in
a
single
panel
of
X­Men
#45,
in
which

the
X‐Men
and
the
Avengers
had
a
brief
crossover
story5.





In
1971
Stan
Lee
gave
an
interview
with
Rolling
Stone
which
touched
on
the


themes
he
tried
to
present
in
his
work.
He
comes
off
sounding
a
little
exasperated
in

the
piece:

You
know
I’m
very
square
and
preachy
sometimes,
but
the
more
I
realize

that
people
are
to
some
degree
affected
by
what
we
write,
the
more
I’m

aware
of
the
influence
we
have,
the
more
I
worry
about
what
I
write.
[…]

I

think
the
only
message
I
have
tried
to
get
across
is
for
Christsake
don’t
be

bigoted.
Don’t
be
intolerant.
If
you’re
a
radical,
don’t
think
that
all
of
the

conservatives
have
horns.
Just
like
if
you’re
a
John
Bircher,
don’t
think
that

every
radical
wants
to
blow
up
the
nation
and
rape
your
daughter.
(Green

34)

Despite
the
lack
of
diversity
in
the
roster
of
the
X‐Men,
you
can
clearly
see
an
anti‐
prejudice
message
in
the
series.

The
idea
of
mutants
being
hated
and
feared
is
stated
clearly
in
The
X­Men
#1

(Sep.
1963).
Professor
Charles
Xavier
tells
a
new
recruit
to
the
X‐men
that,


When
I
was
young,
normal
people
feared
me,
distrusted
me!

I
realized
the

human
race
is
not
yet
ready
to
accept
those
with
extra
powers!

So
I
decided

to
build
a
haven…a
school
for
X‐Men!

Here
we
stay,
unsuspected
by
normal


























































5
The
two‐part
story
began
in
X­Men
#44
and
concluded
in
The
Avengers
#53.
The

Black
Panther
was
featured
much
more
prominently
in
The
Avengers
#53.




76


humans,
as
we
learn
to
use
our
powers
for
the
benefit
of
mankind…to
help

those
who
would
distrust
us
if
they
knew
of
our
existence!
(4)

However,
despite
this
very
clear
distinction
between
normal
humans
and
mutants

(Angel
refers
to
humans
as
homo
sapiens
in
this
issue
and
in
the
following
issue
we

will
find
that
mutants
are
called
homo
superior)
and
the
statement
that
people

feared
and
distrusted
Xavier,
throughout
the
initial
run
of
X‐Men
stories
evidence
of

prejudice
towards
mutants
only
appears
sporadically.




In
1949
Robert
Merton
described
offered
one
of
the
first
analyses
of


prejudice
and
discrimination.
In
“Discrimination
and
the
American
Creed,”
Merton

explains
that
“Prejudicial
attitudes
need
not
coincide
with
discriminatory
behavior”

and
further
outlines
the
interrelationship
of
prejudice
and
discrimination
by

identifying
four
types
of
individuals:


The
unprejudiced
nondiscriminatory
–
the
all‐weather
liberal

The
unprejudiced
descriminator
–
the
fair‐weather
liberal

The
prejudiced
nondiscriminatory
–
the
fair‐weather
bigot

The
prejudiced
discriminator
–
the
all‐weather
bigot

Using
this
schema,
and
based
on
Xavier’s
description
of
humans’
attitudes
towards

mutants,
readers
would
expect
to
encounter
either
prejudiced
nondiscriminators
or

prejudiced
discriminators
in
the
X‐Men
comic.
Surprisingly,
in
the
first
several

issues
the
normal
humans
are
entirely
unprejudiced
nondescriminators.




At
the
conclusion
of
the
first
issue,
a
high
ranking
military
officer
says,
“You


call
yourselves
the
X‐Men!

I
will
not
ask
you
to
reveal
your
true
identities,
but
I

promise
that
before
this
day
is
over,
the
name
X‐Men
will
be
the
most
honored
in
my





77


command!”
(31).
This
authority
figure
is
behaving
as
one
of
Merton’s
all‐weather

liberals
and
plans
to
use
his
authority
to
ensure
the
X‐Men
are
respected
and

honored.
This
is
hardly
the
reaction
the
reader
would
expect
after
they
have
been

warned
that
humans
will
not
trust
mutants.
Oddly,
this
trend
of
characters

describing
prejudice
but
not
encountering
any
discrimination
continues
for
several

more
issues.

 

In
the
second
issue
we
see
several
unexpected
displays
from
normal
humans,

especially
considering
how
often
we
were
warned
that
normal
humans
will
fear

mutants.
After
a
threat
appears
in
the
form
of
the
villainous
mutant
The
Vanisher,

the
X‐Men
are
called
by
Professor
X
to
gather
for
battle.
The
X‐Men
had
been
out
in

New
York
City,
and
Angel
and
Marvel
Girl
must
fly
to
meet
the
rest
of
the
team.
The

narration
explains
that
Angel
stopped
briefly
to
rest
his
wings
when
he
“suffers
a

temporary
setback6”
(34).
The
setback
is
in
the
form
of
a
mob
of
adoring
women

who,
apparently
unable
to
control
themselves,
throw
themselves
at
him
to
get

autographs
and
kisses.
This
behavior
is
as
far
from
discriminatory
as
it
is
possible
to

get.
A
mob
has
formed
not
for
the
purpose
of
lynching
a
mutant,
but
of
loving
him.
A

couple
pages
later
Cyclops
is
also
stopped
by
a
pair
of
construction
workers
he
has

saved
from
danger.
One
wants
to
shake
Cyclops’s
hand
he
exclaims
“Say!

You’re

Cyclops
aren’t
you?

One
of
the
X‐Men!

I
never
thought
you
jokers
were
for
real!

Put

it
there,
pal!”

The
other
thanks
Cyclops
and
asks
how
his
powers
work
(36).


























































6
Comic
books
do
not
follow
traditional
formatting
for
the
text
in
dialogue
balloons

and
text
boxes.
Every
letter
is
capitalized
and
different
words
are
bolded,
sometimes

to
add
a
semblance
of
voice
inflected
emphasis
to
the
dialogue.
When
quoting

directly
from
comic
books
I
will
use
standard
formatting
for
the
ease
of
reading

comprehension,
though
it
does
not
exactly
mirror
the
content
of
the
page.




78


The
most
discriminatory
behavior
comes
from
The
Vanisher
towards
normal

humans.
After
publicity
about
his
crime
wave,
perpetrated
by
using
his
ability
to

teleport
from
one
location
to
another,
has
spread,
“Every
denizen
of
the
underworld

who
isn’t
in
jail
flocks
to
the
side
of
the
seemingly
invincible
Vanisher”
(43).
The

criminals
beg
for
The
Vanisher
to
let
them
serve
him,
and
he
replies
that
“It
is
only

fitting
that
homo
superior
should
be
served
by
the
inferior
homo
sapiens.
Therefore

I
shall
allow
you
to
become
my
lackeys”
which
prompts
jubliants
cheering
from
the

just‐insulted
crowd
(43).

The
X­Men
#5
(May
1964)
features
a
fascinating
moment,
one
that
delves
into

many
of
the
issues
surrounding
the
perception
of
African
American
athletes
from

the
thite
perspective.
This
is
the
first
instance
in
the
series
where
we
see
a
mutant

facing
the
same
type
of
prejudice
an
African
American
in
the
United
States
may
have

faced.
In
the
story
Magneto
hopes
to
have
the
X‐Men
recruit
Toad,
a
member
of
his

recently
formed
Brotherhood
of
Evil
Mutants.
In
order
to
draw
the
X‐Men’s

attention,
Toad
enters
into
a
track
meet
where
he
uses
his
mutant
powers,
leaping

ability
and
greater
agility,
to
perform
feats
no
normal
human
could.
His
ploy
works,

and
as
the
X‐Men
watch
the
track
meet
on
television
they
conlude
that
he
must
be
a

mutant.
However,
the
crowd
also
reacts
to
the
feats
of
the
Toad,
and
rather
than

cheering
the
great
performance
they’ve
just
witnessed,
they
begin
to
yell
and
boo.
In

the
end
the
crowd
is
surrounding
the
Toad
and
threatening
to
attack
him
when
the

X‐Men
arrive
to
rescue
him
(114‐15).

What
is
particularly
interesting
about
this
episode
is
the
analysis
of
the

crowd’s
reaction
provided
by
one
of
the
X‐Men,
“They’re
calling
him
“fake!”

They





79


feel
it
must
be
a
trick
of
some
sort
–
they
want
to
believe
that
–
it
makes
them
feel

less
inferior!”

This
argument
reflects
many
interpretations
of
how
white
society
has

reacted
to
the
rise
and
dominance
of
African
American
athletes
in
many
professional

sports.


When
African
Americans
began
to
succeeed
in
sports,
white
commentators

would
often
excuse
a
white
athlete’s
loss
by
explaining
that
African
Americans
were

born
with
more
innate
talent.
Thus,
if
a
white
athlete
won,
it
was
an
example
of

David
beating
Goliath,
while
if
an
African
American
athlete
won
it
meant
he
was
the

benefit
of
a
quirk
of
nature.
One
example
of
this
concept
is
the
persistant
urban

legend
that
African
Americans
have
an
extra
muscle
in
their
legs
which
allows
them

to
run
faster
and
jump
higher
than
White
athletes.
A
Google
search
of
“Do
African

Americans
have
an
extra
muscle
in
their
legs”
returns
tens
of
thousands
of
links
to

online
forums
and
question‐and‐answer
sites
where
this
question
has,
in
most

cases,
been
posed
seriously.


In
“Consuming
Blackness”
Daniel
Rosenweig
analyzes
a
commercial
that

aired
in
1990
which
featured
a
white
catcher
watching
tape
of
Rickey
Henderson,
an

African
American
baseball
player
who
was
on
the
verge
of
setting
the
career
record

for
stealing
bases,
repeatedly
stealing
bases.
The
catcher
is
alone
in
a
darkened

room,
watching
film
of
Henderson
stealing
bases
over
and
over,
sseemingly
putting

in
extra
hours
after
rest
of
the
team
has
completed
practice.
As
Rosenweig
notes,

“The
catcher’s
dilemma
links
two
standard
white
dystopic
narratives:
white
men

cannot
compete
physically
with
black
men
and
whites
must
work
harder
to
earn

what
they
have”
(113).
Flying
in
the
face
of
much
of
the
history
of
the
United
States,





80


white
men
are
the
underdog
in
this
interpretation
of
the
racial
dynamic.
The

analysis
continues:


…the
commercial
generates
a
series
of
racially
coded
dyads
underscoring
the

essentialism
of
American
sports
discourse.
Its
central
set
of
antitheses,
the

catcher
and
the
base‐stealing
outfielder,
organizes
a
barely
submerged
belief

system
regarding
the
respective
qualities
of
the
races.
The
white
catcher
is

cerebral,
defensive,
disciplined,
protecting,
fundamentally
sound,
and

perhaps
not
very
athletic
by
nature.
Conversely
the
black
outfielder
is

physical,
offensive,
reckless,
stealing,
flashy,
and
graced
with
an
innate

natural
athleticism.
(114)

It
is
interested
that
the
first
instance
of
the
general
public
reacting
negatively

towards
a
mutant
in
an
X‐Men
comic
book
occurs
at
a
sporting
event.
And
the
script

makes
a
point
that
the
majority
wants
to
believe
there
is
some
cause
other
than

talent
which
would
allow
a
member
of
a
minority
to
surpass
them.
The
superiority

of
the
majority
cannot
be
questioned.
While
in
this
instance
there
is
in
fact
a
distinct

advantage,
superpowers,
which
is
possessed
by
Toad,
the
logic
of
the
angry
crowd
is

the
same
type
of
thinking
which
allows
tales
of
extra
muscles
in
African
Americans

to
be
perpetuated
through
decades
in
lockerrooms
and
now
on
online
forums.

In
The
X­Men
#8
(Nov.
64)
published
more
than
a
year
after
the
X‐Men
first

appeared7,
we
see
a
crowd
of
normal
humans
reacting
with
fear
and
hatred
to
a

mutant.
The
crowd
which
had
threatened
the
Toad
in
The
X­Men
#5
(May
1964)
had


























































7
The
X­Men
has
been
published
monthly
for
most
of
the
title’s
existence,
but
until

issue
#18
it
was
published
bi‐monthly.
Due
to
legal
issues
at
the
time
Marvel
could

only
publish
eight
comic
books
per
month,
so
various
titles
alternated
by
month
in

the
publication
schedule.





81


no
knowledge
he
was
a
mutant.
The
dialogue
makes
it
clear
that
at
the
track
meet

the
group
believed
they
are
watching
a
fraud,
not
neccesarily
a
mutant.


The
incident
in
The
X­Men
#8
(Nov.
1964)
begins
when
the
Beast
climbs
the

side
of
a
building
to
save
a
young
boy.
The
crowd
below
identifies
him
as
a
mutant,

and
immediately
begins
to
react
as
Merton’s
“prejudiced
descriminators.”

Not
only

do
the
members
of
the
crowd
question
the
humanity
of
the
Beast,
pointing
out
that

he
ran
up
the
building
“like
a
gorilla,”
but
they
begin
to
voice
conspiracies
about

mutantkind.
Mutants
are
“waiting
to
take
over
the
world,”
and
Beast
“just
saved
that

kid
to
throw
us
off
guard…to
make
us
think
mutants
aren’t
dangerous!”

And
then

there
is
a
threat
uttered,
as
the
panel
focuses
on
the
clenched
fist
of
a
man
a
voice

bubble
reads
“Let’s
get
‘im,
before
he
loses
himself
in
the
crowd.”

In
the
intervening
issues
between
#2,
when
a
crowd
of
women
adore
the

Angel,
and
#8
when
a
crowd
threatens
the
Beast,
there
is
no
narrative
explanation

given
for
the
change
in
attitudes
towards
mutants.
Despite
his
codename,
the
Beast

did
not
look
terribly
different
from
normal
humans,
only
having
larger
hands
and

feet.
By
contrast,
the
Angel
had
wings
sprouting
from
his
back,
thus
marking
him

more
clearly
as
a
mutant.
So
why
is
there
such
a
dramatic
shift
in
tone?

It
is
entirely
possible
that
the
heightened
debates
and
tensions
in
the
country

surounding
the
Civil
Rights
movement
influenced
Stan
Lee
and
Jack
Kirby.
The
Civil

Rights
Act
of
1964
was
proposed
in
June
1963.
This
is
approximately
the
time
when

Stan
Lee
and
Jack
Kirby
may
have
begun
design
and
production
on
the
first
issue
of

X‐Men,
which
had
a
cover
date
of
September
1963.
The
public
debate
about

prejudice
and
discrimination
may
have
lead
to
the
inclusion
of
Professor
X’s





82


statements
in
the
first
issue
of
the
X‐Men.
The
Civil
Rights
Act
was
passed
in
July
of

1964.
In
the
time
leading
up
to
its
passage
and
at
the
time
of
its
passage
news

outlets
covered
horrific
acts
of
discrimination
and
blatant
hatred,
such
as
a
hotel

manager
pouring
acid
into
a
swimming
pool
because
African
Americans
and
whites

were
swimming
in
it
together.


While
the
idea
of
using
prejudice
as
a
central
theme
was
present
in
the

dialogue
of
X‐Men
comics
from
the
first
issue,
the
representations
of
prejudice
did

not
come
until
over
a
year
later.
The
public
debate,
the
news
coverage
concerning

discrimination,
and
the
political
movement
of
the
times
likely
galvanized
what
was

an
idea
in
the
creators’
minds
into
the
central
theme
of
the
series.
Or
at
least,
it
is
the

central
theme
while
Lee
is
writing
the
series,
as
there
is
a
distinct
tonal
shift
when

Roy
Thomas
comes
on
as
writer.
It
may
have
taken
a
year
to
discover
how
to
wed

the
ideas
of
mutants
and
prejudice
together,
but
it
was
an
idea
Lee
would
continue

to
explore
while
writing
the
series,
and
one
that
would
become
the
primary
focus
of

the
series
after
the
1975
relaunch.
This
is
not
surprising,
as
other
aspects
of
the

series,
such
as
the
Beast’s
scientific
bent
and
pseudo‐intellectual
dialogue
were
not

introduced
for
a
few
issues
either.
The
X‐Men
evolved
as
the
series
progressed,
in

tone,
characterization,
and
theme.

Lee
and
Kirby,
who
had
Werner
Roth
finish
the
pencils
on
these
issues,
had

one
last
tale
with
prejudice
as
the
central
theme
before
Kirby
would
move
onto

other
projects.
A
three‐part
story
would
introduce
one
of
the
most
iconic
villains
in

X‐Men
comic
books:
The
Sentinels.
The
Sentinels
are
giant
robots
built
by
Dr.

Bolivar
Trask
with
the
purpose
of
protecting
mankind
from
the
threat
of
mutants.





83


The
Sentinels,
however,
will
not
simply
wait
for
mutants
to
become
threatening,

they
will
actively
hunt
mutants.
The
first
part
of
the
story,
“Among
Us
Stalk…The

Sentinels!”
was
published
in
The
X­Men
#14
(Nov.
1965)
and
featured
a
televised

debate
between
Professor
Xavier
and
Dr.
Trask.
The
arguments
Professor
Xavier

argues
that
“Before
giving
way
to
groundless

fears,
we
must
first
consider
–What
is

a
mutant?

He
is
not
a
monster!

He
is
not
neccesarily
a
menace!

He
is
merely
a

person
who
was
born
with
different
power
or
ability
than
the
average
human!”

(328).
Pierre
Comtois
argues
that
in
this
issue
“Lee
has
spelled
out
the
series’
racist

subtext,
that
the
hatred
and
distrust
of
mutants
is
nothing
bu
a
thinly
veiled

metaphor
for
the
real
world’s
prejudices”
(107).
But,
the
reactions
from
the
crowd

do
not
reflect
racist
bigotry,
they
express
prejudices
against
intellectual
elites

(“What
would
an
egg‐headed
old
stuffed‐shirt
like
him
know?”)
and
political

ideologies
(“I’ll
bet
he’s
a
Communist!”
and
“He
looks
more
like
one
of
them
right‐
wingers
to
me!”),
but
not
against
mutants
(107).
The
storyline
itself
features
overt

actions
taken
against
mutants
because
they
are
born
different
from
the
majority
of

humanity,
making
the
racial
element
a
significant
metaphorical
theme.




The
most
interesting
character
arc
in
the
Sentinels
story
belongs
to
Trask,


the
creator
of
the
mutant‐hunting
robots.
Trask
begins
the
story
as
a
clear
bigot,

claiming
that
mankind
will
be
enslaved
by
mutants.
His
fear
and
hatred
of
mutants

drove
him
to
construct
the
Sentinels
as
“guardians
of
the
human
race”
(329).
To

Trask’s
surprise,
the
Sentinels
do
not
obey
his
order,
instead
revealing
that
because

their
decisions
are
logical
and
not
influenced
by
human
emotions
and
frailties,
it
is

in
the
best
interest
of
the
humans
to
take
orders
from
the
Sentinels.
In
The
X­Men





84


#15
(Dec.
1965)
the
Sentinels
tell
Trask
“We
can
only
guard
the
human
race
by

becoming
its
master!

Humans
are
too
weak,
too
foolish
to
govern
themselves.

Henceforth,
we
shall
rule!!”
(351).
Not
only
does
Trask
see
his
creations
spin
out
of

his
control,
he
sees
that
the
X‐Men
fight
for
themselves
but
are
also
willing
to

sacrifice
themselves
to
protect
a
city
of
normal
humans.
In
the
following
issue,
just

before
sacrificing
his
own
life
to
prevent
an
army
of
Sentinels
from
being
created,

Trask
realizes
“In
my
ignorance,
in
my
fear,
I
created
an
evil
far
greater
than
the

menace
it
was
built
to
destroy!”

(383).
The
finale
reveals
that
the
true
evil
was
fear

and
ignorance,
and
that,
just
as
significantly,
fear
and
ignorance
can
be
overcome.

Lee
and
Kirby
had
toyed
with
reluctant
villains
before
in
The
X‐Men,
Scarlet
Witch

and
Quicksilver
only
served
Magneto
because
he
had
previously
saved
their
lives,

but
Trask
is
the
first
villain
to
fully
reform
in
the
series.





Following
Stan
Lee
as
writer
was
Roy
Thomas.
While
Lee
and
Kirby
had


launched
many
very
successful
superhero
comics
for
Marvel,
The
X­Men
was
not
one

of
the
company’s
top‐sellers.
Perhaps
it
was
for
this
reason
that
Thomas
introduced

a
different
tone
to
the
series.
The
first
set
of
Thomas
issues
have
the
X‐Men
fighting

past
villains,
such
as
The
Blob.
These
issues
had
been
plotted
before
he
became
the

writer,
with
Thomas
only
adding
dialogue.
As
Thomas
explains
of
his
first
issue,
The

X­Men
#20
(May
1966),
“The
book
had
already
been
plotted
and
even
drawn
by

Werner
Roth
when
I
was
given
it
to
script.
Stan
didn’t
take
any
plotting
credit
in
the

printed
book.
For
all
I
know
Werner
may
have
plotted
the
book
himself.”
(DeFalco

“Thomas”
21).
When
Thomas
began
giving
the
series
his
own
twists
he
made
the

book
more
similar
to
the
other
titles
Marvel
was
publishing.
The
X‐Men
ceased
to





85


fight
other
mutants
or
threats
such
as
the
Sentinels
and
began
to
fight
supervillains

who
had
already
appeared
in
other
Marvel
comic
books.
Eventually
Thomas
would

return
the
X‐Men
to
the
themes
that
Lee
and
Kirby
established.
The
end
of
Thomas’s

run
on
the
series
includes
some
very
overt
condemnations
of
prejudice.




While
making
the
X‐Men
more
like
Marvel’s
other
titles
may
have
been


logical
from
a
certain
business
perspective
it
did
take
away
some
of
the
unique

qualities
of
the
series.
Rather
than
being
a
series
that
was
tackling
a
relevant
issue,

the
title
became
a
fight‐of‐the‐month
series.
In
X­Men
#22
(Jul.
1966)
The
X‐Men

fought
a
group
of
super‐villains
that
included
such
uninspired
characters
as
Count

Nefaria,
Plantman,
the
Scarecrow,
Porcupine,
and
the
Eel.
In
The
X­Men
#24
(Sep.

24),
“The
Plague
of
Locusts,”
a
conveniently‐named
Dr.
Hopper
attacks
the
world

with
a
plague
of
giant
grasshoppers
in
what
seems
like
the
plot
from
a
science

fiction
b‐movie
from
the
1950s.
Soon
the
X‐Men
would
fight
villains
more

traditionally
associated
with
The
Fantastic
Four
and
The
Avengers.
At
least
some

fans
took
note
of
the
change
in
tone.
Many
Marvel
comic
books
feature
a
letters

column,
in
which
letters
from
fans
are
published
and
the
editor
of
the
comic
book

responds
to
the
questions
or
complaints
or
praises
the
fan
voices.
The
letters

column
is
obviously
a
very
mediated
forum,
the
editor
carefully
selects
what
letters

to
publish,
but
it
was
used
as
a
tool
for
Marvel
to
create
a
sense
of
belonging

amongst
their
fans.
In
the
first
letters
column,
appearing
in
The
X­Men
#5
(May

1964),
Kenny
Crowe
wrote
in
saying,
“I
like
the
Homo
Superior
and
Homo
Sapiens

bit
in
The
X‐Men.
It
tends
to
give
the
magazine
something
besides
just
‘good
guys
vs.

bad
guys’”
(129).
But,
it
was
not
uncommon
to
see
letters
which
were
critical
of
the





86


creative
direction
of
the
series
be
published
in
the
letters
column.
For
example,
the

letters
page
of
The
X­Men
#29
(Feb.
1967)
includes
a
letter
by
Ronald
Ford
which

reads:

Awright!

Enough
is
enough!

It
used
to
be
that
I
liked
the
X‐Men
better
than

any
of
your
titles.
They
were
mutants,
feared,
not
trusted,
always
on
the
side

of
humanity
fighting
evil
mutants.
So
what
happens?

You
turn
these
evil‐
mutant
fighters
into
crummy
super‐villain
combaters.
You’ve
turned
an

instant
hit
into
a
flop.
So
bring
back
evil
mutants
–
singly
or
in
a
group
–
in

the
sensational
tradition
of
The
Brotherhood
of
Evil
Mutants.
Their
purpose

is
supposed
to
be
fighting
mutants
such
as
these.
Leave
the
super‐villains
to

your
other
costumed
do‐gooders.
C’Mon,
give
it
some
thought!
(690)

Marvel’s
light‐hearted
response
to
Ford’s
letter
was
to
point
out
that
they
had

previously
received
many
letters
complaining
about
using
Magneto
and
the

Brotherhood
of
Evil
Mutants
too
often
in
their
stories.




Although
the
use
of
mutants
as
a
metaphor
for
minorities
was
lessened
in


this
time,
the
diversity
of
the
title
actually
increased.
Of
course,
with
a
previously
all‐
white
cast,
the
likelihood
of
diversifying
was
pretty
good.
And,
in
this
case,
the

diversity
does
not
include
a
sensitive
portrayal
of
other
cultures.
The
X­Men
#25

(Oct.
1966)
features
the
first
significant
characters
to
appear
who
are
not
white

Americans.
The
main
villain
of
the
issue,
El
Tigre,
and
his
two
henchman
come
from

the
fictional
Central
American
nation
of
San
Rico.
The
three
villains
contain
many

stereotypes
of
Latin
American
culture.
One
henchman
dresses
in
a
mariachi
outfit

while
the
other
dresses
in
a
poncho.
They
wield
bolos,
a
machete,
and
poisoned





87


darts.
In
a
comic
book
universe
which
frequently
features
heavy
sci‐fi
elements
for

American
protagonists,
Central
America
has
not
yet
discovered
guns,
much
less

lasers.





Thomas
would
also
introduce
two
mutants
who
would
later
become
part
of
a


more
international
team
of
X‐Men.
The
Banshee
is
an
Irish
mutant
who
first
appears

as
a
villain,
later
becomes
a
sometimes‐ally
of
the
X‐Men,
and
becomes
a
full‐fledged

member
of
the
team
in
the
1975
relaunch.
As
X­Men
was
nearing
the
end
of
its
initial

run
of
original
issues
Thomas
also
introduced
the
Japanese
mutant
Sunfire
who
was

the
villain
in
the
issue.
Banshee
and
Sunfire
never
became
members
of
The
X‐Men

during
this
period,
but
Havok
and
Polaris,
two
white
mutants,
did
join
the
team.

Appearances
of
minority
mutants
increased,
but
the
team
remained
composed
of

entirely
white
American
members.




In
addition
to
diversifying
the
characters
appearing
in
the
series,
the
back‐up


stories
Marvel
began
publishing,
which
revealed
the
origins
of
the
individual
X‐Men

characters,
had
a
much
stronger
theme
of
fighting
prejudice
than
the
main
stories

did.
Thomas
was
the
writer
for
the
majority
of
these
back‐up
stories.
One
of
the
first

instances
of
Cyclops
using
his
powers
in
public
is
related.
Cyclops
uses
his
optic

blasts
to
disintegrate
a
crate
that
was
falling
from
a
construction
site
and
would

have
killed
the
crowd
below.
With
a
rather
illogical
reaction,
the
crowd
immediately

wants
to
attack
Cyclops.
One
member
of
the
crowd
yells
“He
must’a
been
some
kind

of
mutant…a
monster
with
deadly
powers!”

To
which
a
man
in
a
bow
tie
and
bowler

hat
replies
“Then…he’s
more
dangerous
than
a
falling
crate…by
far!”

Irrational
fear

and
hatred
of
mutants
has
returned
to
the
title,
at
least
in
the
back‐up
stories.
After





88


avoiding
the
theme
for
many
issues,
Thomas
seems
to
have
recognized
that
it
was

an
important
feature
of
The
X­Men.
In
an
interview,
Thomas
admitted
that
“in

hindsight
it
was
probably
a
mistake”
to
try
and
turn
the
X‐Men
into
a
more

traditional
superhero
team
(DeFalco
,
“Thomas”
23).




Following
the
series
of
back‐up
stories
that
established
Cylops’s
origin,
the


Iceman
was
the
next
member
of
the
X‐Men
to
have
his
past
told
beginning
in
The
X­
Men
#44
(May
1968).
When
an
encounter
with
a
bully
ends
with
Iceman
revealing

his
mutant
powers,
the
small
town
quickly
turns
against
him.


A
couple
issues
later,
with
Gary
Friedrich
taking
over
as
writer
for
this

chapter,
the
imagery
of
the
story
takes
an
unmistakable
turn
towards
the
lynch

mobs
which
took
many
African
American
lives.
The
townspeople
attack
the
sheriff

to
prevent
him
from
protecting
Iceman
and
Cyclops
and
prepare
to
hang
them
both.

Unlike
some
artifacts
of
American
entertainment,
such
as
the
silent
film
Birth
of
a

Nation,
the
lynch
mob
that
takes
justice
into
its
own
hands
is
clearly
the
villain
of

this
piece.





X­Men
#65
(Feb.
1970)
tells
the
final
chapter
of
an
attempted
alien
invasion


of
Earth.
Written
by
Dennis
O’Neal
with
art
by
Neal
Adams
the
story
takes
a
new
and

important
angle
in
the
themes
of
diversity
and
understanding.
Up
to
this
point
the
X‐
Men
comic
books
have
largely
dealt
with
the
evils
of
hatred.
The
series
has

promoted
the
concept
that
hating
others
because
they
are
minorities
in
society
is

wrong.
The
focus
has
been
on
condemning
those
who
have
prejudicial
attitudes.

This
issue
takes
the
important
step
of
featuring
racial
minorities
in
positive
roles.
In

all
previous
64
issues
of
X‐Men
comic
books
to
this
point
there
had
been
only
two





89


panels
that
showed
an
African
American.
The
Black
Panther
appeared
in
the
final

panel
of
The
X­Men
#45
(Jun.
1968)
and
there
is
one
African
American
policeman

shown
in
X­Men
#57
(Jun.
1969)8.





In
the
storyline
Professor
X
using
his
incredible
telepathy
to
search
the
Earth


“probing,
searching,
questioning,
demanding
‐
‐
seeking
kindred
spirits
‐
‐men
and

women
of
good
will!

‐‐
Human
beings
who
have
in
good
measure
the
single
trait
he

desperately
needs
‐
‐
compassion!

For
it
is
the
only
thing
that
will
best
the
enemy!”


Professor
Xavier
intends
to
use
compassion
and
love
to
repel
the
alien
Z’Nox.
As

Xavier
finds
the
souls
of
humanity
who
are
good
enough
a
montage
of
images

accompanies
the
narration.
Included
in
the
montage
are,
based
on
appearances
and

dress,
an
American
child,
an
African
woman,
a
Middle
Eastern
man,
a
Native

American
man,
another
American
child,
an
American
couple,
a
Russian
man
and

woman,
and
an
African
man.
This
shift
from
considering
the
evil
that
prejudiced

men
and
women
can
do
to
the
good
that
everyone
can
add
to
the
world
will
be

continued
when
Marvel
begins
to
print
new
stories
in
1975.





Throughout
all
66
issues
of
this
run
the
entire
team
is
composed
of
white


mutants.
Despite
the
at
times
obvious
metaphor
of
mutants
being
feared
and
hated

in
a
manner
similar
to
racial
minorities
in
the
United
States,
almost
all
of
the

minorities
who
appear
are
villains,
often
with
stereotypes
representing
their


























































8
Neal
Adams
drew
X­Men
#57
(Jun.
1969)
with
the
African
American
cop
and
X­Men

#65
(Feb.
1970)
with
African
Americans
shown
as
among
the
most
noble
minds
on

Earth.
He
also
drew
Green
Lantern
#76
(Feb.
1970)
which
features
a
famous
scene
in

which
an
African
American
approaches
Green
Lantern,
who
has
many
outer
space

adventures
and
asks
him,
“I
been
readin'
about
you...How
you
work
for
the
blue

skins..
And
how
on
a
planet
someplace
you
helped
out
the
orange
skins...And
you

done
considerable
for
the
purple
skins!
Only
there's
skins
you
never
bothered
with‐‐
!
The
black
skins!
I
want
to
know...
How
come?!
Answer
me
that,
Mr.
Green
Lantern!"





90


ethnicities.
The
only
new
members
of
the
team
are
white
mutants,
while
all
the


minority
mutants
are
the
villains.
This
is
one
of
the
disconnects
between
the
larger

theme
readers
are
told
about
and
the
actual
content
of
the
stories.

Gender

While
much
of
this
project
will
be
looking
closely
at
the
portrayals
of
gender

in
individual
issues
of
the
X‐Men
comic
book
series,
one
overarching
aspect
of
the

series
should
be
addressed
early
on.
The
team
name
is
unavoidably
masculine

despite
the
team
always
having
female
members.
Sometimes
women
have

outnumbered
the
men
on
the
X‐Men
for
significant
runs
on
the
series.
Despite
the

fact
that
for
most
of
the
published
adventures
of
the
X‐Men
the
team
has
included

prominent
female
characters
the
team
name
has
rarely
been
discussed
as
a
gender

issue
within
the
published
comics
or
by
creators.


To
better
understand
and
analyze
this
concern
a
few
matters
should
be

addressed.
First,
The
X‐Men
was
not
the
initial
proposed
name
for
the
comic
book
or

the
superhero
team.
Stan
Lee,
the
co‐creator
of
the
series,
explains:

Originally,
I
proposed
naming
the
chronicle
of
our
merry
little
misfits
The

Mutants.
I
thought
it
would
make
a
great
title.
But
I
was
outvoted
by
the

powers‐that‐be
in
the
front
office.
I
was
told,
with
much
conviction,
that

nobody
knew
what
a
mutant
was,
therefore
that
couldn’t
be
the
title
of
the

magazine.
I
tried,
in
my
stumbling,
bumbling
way,
to
say
that
some
people

knew
the
word,
and
those
that
didn’t
would
soon
learn
after
the
book
was

published.
But,
as
you
can
tell
by
the
present
title,
yours
truly
didn’t
always

emerge
victorious!

However,
undaunted
and
unbowed,
I
returned
with





91


another
name–The
X­Men.
I
truly
expected
to
be
booted
out
of
the
office
for

that
one.
I
mean,
if
people
didn’t
know
what
a
mutant
was,
how
in
the
would

they
know
what
an
X‐Man
was?

But
I
guess
I’ll
never
make
my
mark
as
a

logician–everyone
okayed
the
title.
(“Our
Merry”)

The
Mutants
would
have
been
a
gender
neutral
title
for
a
team
of
characters
that,
in

the
first
issue
at
least,
featured
four
active
male
heroes
and
one
heroine,
as
well
as

the
crippled
male
leader
of
the
team.


Second,
the
debate
concerning
sexist
language
has
been
going
on
for
decades,

but
it
had
not
yet
begun
in
earnest
when
Marvel
Comics
first
published
The
X­Men.

One
of
the
first
and
most
famous
articles
drawing
attention
to
the
sexual
bias
of

language
was
“De‐Sexing
the
English
Language,”
which
appeared
in
the
first
issue
of

the
feminist
publication
Ms.
Magazine.
The
article,
written
by
Casey
Miller
and
Kate

Smith,
argues
against
tendency
of
the
English
language
to
make
the
generic
human

male
with
words
such
as
“mankind.”


Ms.
Magazine
began
publication
in
1972,
a
full
nine
years
after
the
first
issue

of
The
X­Men
was
published.
In
1963
the
use
of
terms
such
as
“men”
or

“brotherhood”
to
describe
a
group
of
both
men
and
women
was
unlikely
to
have

been
considered
much
of
a
concern
to
the
average
American.
Indeed,
the
practice
is

still
common
today,
though
more
are
aware
of
the
connotations
such
word
choices

have.
However,
while
the
use
of
“X‐Men”
to
describe
a
group
of
men
and
women
is

reflective
of
the
time
period
when
the
term
was
coined,
it
is
odd
that
it
has
gone

largely,
though
not
completely,
unquestioned
almost
forty
years
later.






92


With
a
woman
on
the
team
the
title
X‐Men
serves
much
as
“mankind”
or

“men”
has
in
the
English
language,
a
gendered
noun
acting
with
non‐gendered

inclusiveness.
Even
the
villains
in
early
issues
employ
similar
male‐dominant
titles.

The
first
team
the
X‐Men
battle
is
called
The
Brotherhood
of
Evil
Mutants,
despite

having
a
female
member
(only
one,
much
like
the
earliest
incarnation
of
the
X‐Men).

In
the
letters
column,
though,
readers
did
discuss
the
team
name
and
the
gender

implications.
In
a
letter
published
in
The
X­Men
#28
(Jan.
1967)
Dennis
Clark
wrote


Dear
Stan,
Roy,
and
Werner,

This
is
not
a
social
letter.
Neither
is
it
a
hate
note.
It’s
just
a
few
lines
to

emphasize
an
important
point.
For
years
loyal
fans
have
read
the
X‐Men
with

pleasure.
The
stories
are
great,
the
art
magnificent,
inking
irresistible,
and

the
lettering
luscious.
So,
what’s
my
gripe?

The
name!

It’s
the
name!

For

years
people
have
read
the
X‐Men
without
(I
repeat
–
without)
noticing
one

certain
super‐heroine
–
Marvel
Girl!

For
years
you
have
called
the
team
the

X‐Men.
Poor
Jean
–
she’s
being
insulted.
She’s
a
female,
a
poor
innocent

mutant
who
is
called
an
X‐Man!

Maybe
you
could
change
the
name
to
the
X‐
People
or
something,
but
please
do
something.
(667)

The
official
response
to
the
letter,
written
in
the
Marvel’s
standard
informal
and


playful
manner,
was:

Your
point
is
well
taken,
pungently
presented,
and
daringly
documented
–

but
–
somehow
we
question
the
fact
that
the
X‐People
is
the
kind’a
mag
title

that’ll
knock
anyone
outta
his
tree!

Mebbe
we
can
change
our
name
to
The
X‐
Men
and
Friend,
or
some
such
passionate
phrase!
(667)





93


In
fact,
in
the
very
first
issue
the
group
was
referred
to
as
“the
X‐Men
and
Marvel

Girl”
in
one
line
of
dialogue,
but
other
than
that
the
term
X‐Men
is
used
inclusively

for
Marvel
Girl
as
well.
Although
a
future
writer
does
employ
the
idea
of
calling
a

group
“The
X‐People”
it
is
doubtful
Marvel
ever
seriously
considered
a
name
change.


A
couple
issues
later,
in
The
X­Men
#31
(Apr.
1967)
another
letter
writer

addresses
the
team
name,
coming
to
the
defense
of
using
“The
X‐Men.”

Jeff
Zweig,

using
some
of
the
same
reasoning
which
would
later
be
criticized
in
the
Ms.

Magazine
article
referenced
above,
wrote:

I
must
show
one
fan
the
error
of
his
ways.
He
wrote
to
you
to
complain
that

the
title
“X‐Men”
excludes
females.
I
would
hasten
to
inform
him
that
the

term
“mankind”
refers
to
women
as
well
as
men,
and
if
it’s
a
generic
term
I

fail
to
see
why
“X‐Men”
shouldn’t
be
one,
too.
(736)

Zweig’s
letter
goes
on
to
address
recent
events
in
the
comic
book
series,
and
the

response
to
his
letter
answers
those
concerns
and
does
not
touch
on
his
discussion

of
the
team
name.

There
are
a
couple
instances
in
which
the
team
name
has
been
altered
in

recognition
of
the
inherent
male‐dominant
nature
of
“X‐Men.”

In
1998,
Tom

DeFalco
and
Ron
Frenz
imagined
a
future
version
of
a
mutant
team
in
Marvel

universe
called
it
the
X‐People,
the
very
alteration
suggested
more
than
thirty
years

before
in
the
letters
page.
In
2010
Marvel
published
a
one‐shot
comic
book
entitled

X­Women.
Written
by
Chris
Claremont
and
drawn
by
the
French
artist
Milo
Manara

the
story
featured
an
adventure
of
several
of
the
female
members
of
the
X‐Men.






94


However,
this
latter
work
ignited
controversy
from
several
comic
book

commentators,
notably
because
Manara
is
most
well‐known
for
his
erotic
and

pornographic
art.
Comicvine.com
published
a
post
entitled
“Brutally
Honest:
X‐
Women
#1:
‐
celebration
or
exploitation?”
which
concluded
that
the
book
looked

more
like
an
exploitation
of
women
than
a
celebration
of
strong
female
characters,

which
is
how
Marvel
had
promoted
the
one‐shot.
Similarly,

comicbookresources.com
published
a
review
by
James
Hunt
which
concluded,


The
relationship
between
pornography
and
comics
has,
historically,
been

thinner
than
many
people
would
openly
admit.
[…]That
goes
double
for
“X‐
Women
#1”,
a
book
drawn
by
Milo
Manara,
an
artist
notorious
for
his

pornographic
works.
The
book
has,
not
unreasonably,
ignited
people’s

passions
in
more
ways
than
one.
For
some,
it’s
an
exploitative,
needlessly

titillating
comic.
For
others,
it’s
a
rare
chance
to
see
a
master
of
his
craft
draw

some
of
their
favorite
characters.
[…]There
are
scenes
and
images
Manara

chooses
to
draw
that
do
make
me
uncomfortable.
It
is,
at
times,
little
more

than
porn.


Hunt
also
argues,
however,
that


[…]one
difference
worth
noting
between
Manara’s
artwork
and
the
vast

majority
of
current
superhero
artists
is
that
Manara
strives
for
a
physical

ideal
that
could
actually
exist.
The
backs
may
be
arched,
the
mouths
may
be

slackened,
but
the
spines
are
far
from
dislocated
and
the
expressions
far

from
glassy.
Manara’s
characters
are
in‐proportion.
They
move
and
exist
in





95


real
space.
For
possibly
the
first
time
ever,
Psylocke
is
depicted
as
visibly

Asian,
rather
than
as
a
white
woman
with
slightly
Asian
eyes
and
skin
tone.

The
artistic
portrayal
of
female
characters,
often
with
unrealistic
proportions
which

may
be
meant
to
titillate
the
reader,
will
be
addressed
in
more
depth
later.
While
X­
Women
caused
concerns
for
its
portrayal
of
female
characters,
problematic

portrayals
of
women
go
back
to
The
X­Men
#1.

The
title
of
the
series
is
but
one
of
the
problematic
aspects
of
gender
roles

and
portrayals
that
will
be
encountered
in
the
history
of
X‐Men
comic
books.
In
this

initial
run
of
The
X­Men,
female
characters
are
in
the
minority.
By
far
the
most

prominent
female
is
Jean
Grey,
who
uses
the
codename
Marvel
Girl.
Another
mutant,




Lorna
Dane
who
is
codenamed
Polaris,
will
guest
star
in
a
few
issues
and
act
as
a

member
of
the
team
in
the
final
storyline
of
this
period.
Eventually,
Beast,
Iceman,

and
Angel
begin
dating
women
who
appear
semi‐regularly
in
the
strip,
but
only
as

romantic
interests
for
the
men,
not
as
fully
fleshed‐out
characters.
In
the
entire
run

of
66
issues
which
makes
up
this
period
of
X‐Men
comic
books,
the
team
only
faces

one
female
villain,
the
Scarlet
Witch,
Wanda
Maximoff,
who
is
a
reluctant
member
of

The
Brotherhood
of
Evil
Mutants.


Marvel
Girl


Jean
Grey,
who
uses
the
superhero
codename
Marvel
Girl,
is
the
only
female

team
member
for
most
of
the
first
66
issue‐run
of
The
X­Men.
Initially,
she
is
treated

as
an
object
of
love
for
the
male
members
of
the
team
and
has
many
domestic
traits

associated
with
the
housewife
ideal
of
the
post‐World
War
II
America;
the

conception
of
the
American
female
that
would
be
criticized
in
Betty
Friedan’s





96


landmark
work
The
Feminine
Mystique.
Initially,
despite
being
objectified
by
many
of

the
men
in
her
life,
Marvel
Girl
dresses
conservatively
and
most
of
her
inner

thoughts
concern
a
potential
relationship
with
Cyclops.
Later
on,
her
costume

changes
to
reflect
the
Cosmo‐girl
ideal
of
beauty
espoused
in
Cosmopolitan

Magazine,
but
her
personality
largely
remains
that
of
a
domestic
girl
hoping
to
find

meaning
in
a
romantic
relationship
with
Cyclops.

In
the
initial
roster
of
X‐Men,
the
code
names
generally
are
related
to
a

specific
aspect
of
the
mutant
power
each
member
has.
Cyclops
wears
a
visor
which

makes
him
appear
to
have
one
eye,
Angel
has
feathered
wings,
Iceman
turns
to
ice,

and
Beast
has
inhumanly
large
hands
and
feet.
Marvel
Girl’s
codename
is
much
more

generic,
and
could
be
applied
to
any
character
with
superpowers.
Indeed,
Marvel

Comics
also
feature
the
adventures
of
Ms.
Marvel,
Captain
Marvel,
and
Marvel
Boy.
It

should
also
be
noted
that
Marvel
Girl’s
codename
does
not
identify
her
as
woman,

but
uses
the
younger,
adolescent
gender
marker,
girl.
This
is
contrasted
by
Iceman,

who
is
not
Iceboy.
Making
the
inconsistency
even
more
pronounced
is
the
fact
that

in
the
first
issue
Iceman
is
identified
as
“a
couple
years
younger”
than
the
rest
of
the

team.
Marvel
Girl’s
codename
marks
her
as
the
youngest,
most
innocent
and

perhaps
weakest
of
the
group,
even
though
she
is
not
in
fact
the
youngest
and
her

powers
make
her
quite
formidable,
depending
on
the
writer.
In
several
of
the

adventures
the
X‐Men
have
she
is
shown
to
be
the
most
frail
member
and
to
need

the
most
care
and
protection.


Marvel
Girl’s
powers,
at
this
point,
consist
of
telekinesis,
the
ability
to
move

objects
with
her
mind.
The
strength
of
her
powers
seems
to
vary
from
issue
to
issue.





97


In
the
first
issue
Marvel
Girl
lifts
Beast
in
the
air
and
later
a
large
group
of
soldiers

with
apparent
ease.
But
in
later
issues
she
is
warned
not
to
use
her
powers
to
lift

objects
heavier
than
what
she
could
lift
using
her
muscles.
She
also
develops
a

tendency
to
become
lightheaded
and
at
times
faint
when
straining
with
her
powers.


In
the
first
issue
of
the
series
Marvel
Girl
is
introduced
as
a
new
student
at

Xavier’s
School
for
Gifted
Students.
While
having
a
new
character
enter
into
an

established
setting
is
a
classic
narrative
device
to
allow
readers
to
be
introduced
to

the
world,
Marvel
Girl
does
not
end
up
as
the
eyes
into
this
new
world
of
mutants.

Rather,
Marvel
Girl
is
quickly
objectified
by
the
four
male
members
of
the
team.
The

reader,
to
a
certain
degree,
is
directed
to
gaze
at
Marvel
Girl,
rather
than
look
with

shared
wonder
at
the
new
world
she
is
discovering.





As
Marvel
Girl
is
approaching
the
school
in
The
X­Men
#1
(Sep.
1963)


Professor
Xavier
calmly
notes
that
she
is
a
“most
attractive
young
lady”
(15)
while

preparing
the
other
students
to
meet
her.
The
teenage
boys
on
the
team
are
less

reserved
in
their
appraisal.
Cyclops,
Angel
and
Best
crowd
to
a
window
to
watch
her

walk
up
the
pathway
to
the
school.
Iceman,
who
is
the
youngest
on
the
team,

explains
that
he’s
glad
he’s
not
a
“wolf”
like
the
other
members
of
the
team.
Iceman

will
fairly
quickly
develop
“wolf”‐like
tendencies
and
demonstrate
unreserved

attraction
for
various
female
characters.
Meanwhile,
Cyclops
proclaims
that
Jean

Grey
is
“a
real
living
doll”
while
Angel
exclaims,
“A
redhead!
Look
at
that
face…and

the
rest
of
her”
(16).
Angel
later
notes
that
“She
has
one
very
obvious
power…the

power
to
make
a
man’s
heart
beat
faster”
(10).






98





While
the
boys
are
clearly
objectifying
Jean
Grey,
she
does
not
stand
idly
by


acting
as
a
piece
of
art
for
them
to
gaze
upon.
When
Cyclops
is
offering
her
a
chair,

explaining
that
he
would
“bring
her
the
whole
room
of
furniture
if
she
asked”
Jean

surprises
Cyclops
by
using
her
telekinesis
to
pull
the
chair
from
his
hands
across
the

room,
deliberately
making
Beast,
who
had
been
fawning
over
her
leap
out
of
the

way
of
the
chair
(17).
Additionally,
when
Beast
is
very
forward
and
leans
in
for
a

kiss
Jean
lifts
Beast
in
the
air
in
retaliation,
saying
“I’m
not
exactly
helpless,
as
you

can
see”
(18).
She
goes
on
to
spin
him
until
he’s
dizzy
before
dropping
him
to
the

floor.
This
display
does
not
stop
the
team
from
ogling
Jean,
however.
After
Angel

wonders
“Where
did
the
new
doll
go?”
the
peak
around
a
corner
to
see
her
just

changed
into
her
uniform.
Iceman,
who
earlier
protested
his
lack
of
interest
in

women,
says
“Wowee!

Looks
like
she
was
poured
into
that
uniform!”
(24).


This
treatment
from
the
other
members
of
the
team
doesn’t
stop
with
the

first
issue.
In
the
second
issue
Marvel
Girl
is
called
“fair
damsel”
(35),
“gorgeous”

(38),
and
“little
lady”
(44).
The
third
issue
has
a
particularly
troubling
panel
in

which
Professor
Xavier
professes
his
own
love
for
Marvel
Girl
in
a
thought
balloon,

thus
alerting
readers
to
his
affections
but
not
the
other
characters.
While
his
age
has

not
been
revealed
at
this
point,
it
is
clear
that
he
is
at
the
very
least
middle‐aged,

though
his
bald
head
might
indicate
an
even
older
gentleman.
All
of
the
students
at

his
school
are
teenagers,
and
though
no
official
age
is
given
for
the
characters,
she

cannot
be
older
than
eighteen
at
the
time
she
first
entered
Xavier’s
School
for
Gifted

Youngsters.
After
graduating
from
Xavier’s
School
she
enters
college,
so
the
school
is

the
equivalent
of
a
high
school.
Even
though
the
revelation
of
Professor
X’s
love
for





99


Jean
Grey
was
included
in
the
third
issue,
it
seems
likely
that
Lee
and
Kirby
decided

that
the
idea
of
Professor
Xavier
pursuing
Marvel
Girl
was
too
problematic,
as
it
was

not
brought
up
again
during
their
run,
or
even
addressed
at
all
by
other
writers
for

over
thirty
years.





A
full
catalogue
of
all
the
ways
in
which
Marvel
Girl
is
objectified
is
not


necessary,
but
a
few
examples
from
future
issues
will
help
illustrate
the
point
that

this
continues
during
much
of
this
run.
In
The
X­Men
#4
(Mar.
1964),
in
the
heat
of

battle,
Marvel
Girl
is
called
“little
friend”
(99)
and
“gorgeous”
(100).
In
The
X­Men
#8

(Nov.
1964)
Cyclops
wishes
he
“could
tell
her
the
words
I
really
want
to
say!

How

gorgeous
her
lips
are…how
silken
her
hair
is…how
I
love
her!

But
I
dare
not…”

(182).
Within
a
few
issues
Marvel
Girl
is
as
smitten
with
Cyclops
all
the
men
are

with
her,
though
she
never
admits
it
to
him
directly
in
this
period.
Instead
the

reader
is
treated
to
many
lovelorn
thought
balloons
as
each
secretly
pines
for
the

other
unrequitedly
for
the
initial
66
issue
run
of
The
X­Men.
Even
though
most
of
the

men
on
the
team
profess
at
least
attraction,
if
not
outright
love
for
Marvel
Girl,
none

mentions
any
aspect
of
her
which
they
find
attractive
other
than
her
looks.
Not
even

her
superpowers
are
a
source
of
interest
for
them.





This
may
be
because
the
manner
in
which
her
powers
are
employed
is
not


terribly
impressive
early
on.
The
X‐Men
have
a
training
facility,
called
the
Danger

Room,
where
they
hone
their
powers
and
practice
fighting.
While
the
rest
of
the

team
is
often
shown
fighting
one
another
or
escaping
death
traps,
Marvel
Girl
is

more
likely
to
spend
her
training
time
passing
a
wooden
block
through
a
series
of

hoops
which
resemble
a
children’s
toy,
as
seen
in
The
X­Men
#3
(Jan.
1964),
or





100


opening
a
box
and
lifting
out
a
cake
as
she
does
in
The
X­Men
#4
(Mar.
1964),
or

threading
yarn
through
a
punch
board,
as
shown
in
The
X­Men
#8
(Nov.
1964).

She
repeatedly
calls
for
help,
because
she
is
too
weak
to
continue
on
with
the

task
at
hand.
In
The
X­Men
#2
(Nov.
1963)
Angel
must
carry
her
back
to
the
mansion

because
she
“feels
faint”
after
using
her
powers
(35).
And
during
a
training
session

Marvel
Girl
is
tasked
with
lifting
a
gigantic
ball
above
her
head,
but
quickly
she

begins
to
call
out,
“Growing
tired…can’t
hold
the
weight
much
longer…too
large
to

hurl
away…Wh—what
can
I
do?”
(44).
Cyclops
not
only
uses
his
optic
blasts
to
send

the
ball
to
the
other
side
of
the
room,
he
picks
her
up
as
he
does
so,
marking
the

second
time
in
the
issue
a
man
has
carried
her
after
she
has
exhausted
herself
using

her
powers.
In
the
same
issue
Marvel
Girl
is
“tricked”
by
the
Vanisher,
the
only

member
of
the
team
to
be
incapacitated
in
battle,
when
she
is
hit
by
sleeping
gas
and

needs
to
be
rescued
by
Iceman,
and
then
supported
by
both
Cyclops
and
Beast.
The

X­Men
#3
(Jan.
1964)
has
Marvel
Girl
crying
out,
“Cyclops!!
Do
something!
It’s
too

big
for
me
to
handle!”
as
an
elephant
charges
the
team
(72).


In
the
same
issue,
the
entire
team
is
captured,
tied
up,
and
blindfolded.

Professor
Xavier,
who
is
at
a
remote
locations
but
through
his
psychic
powers
is

aware
of
the
X‐Men’s
predicament,
must
guide
Marvel
Girl
in
using
her
powers
to

free
the
team.
Professor
Xavier
psychically
communicates
with
Jean,
telling
her

“Marvel
Girl,
I
am
sending
my
thoughts
to
you!

You
are
not
as
helpless
as
you
think!


Do
exactly
as
I
say…”

(76).
Professor
Xavier
then
must
guide
Marvel
Girl
through

the
most
basic
use
of
her
powers
to
perform
rather
obvious
tasks.
He
tells
her,
“You

have
the
telekinetic
power
to
mentally
move
an
object.
Use
that
power
to
remove





101


your
blindfold!”
(77)
Professor
X
then
further
guides
her,
explaining,
“Look
around

you
quickly!
[…]

I
can
“see”
what
see
by
probing
your
mind!

Ahh!

That
is
what
we

need!”

Jean
has
seen
a
knife
thrower’s
wagon,
and
Professor
Xavier
guides
her
in

opening
a
window
and
summoning
a
knife,
only
then
does
he
say
“Now
the
rest
is
up

to
you!”
(77).
All
along,
Marvel
Girl
had
the
power
to
free
the
team,
but
the

implication
is
that
she
is
not
clever
or
intelligent
enough
to
use
her
powers

appropriately.
The
male
patriarchal
figure
had
to
walk
her
step
by
step,
and
only

when
the
knife
is
actually
in
her
possession
and
all
she
must
do
is
cut
the
ropes

binding
her
is
she
trusted
to
be
able
to
complete
the
task
and
then
free
the
team.

Although
she
may
have
superpowers
and
wear
the
costume
of
the
X‐Men,

Marvel
Girl’s
role
on
the
team
is
often
that
of
the
damsel
in
distress,
especially

during
the
first
years
of
publication.
X­Men
#4
(Mar.
1964)
sees
the
entire
team

threatened
by
a
wall
of
fire,
and
even
though
she
is
not
injured,
Cyclops
picks
her
up

and
carries
her
to
safety
while
the
rest
of
the
team
runs
away
on
their
own
(100).
In

The
X­Men
#6
(Jul.
1964)
Marvel
Girl
collapses
from
the
strain
of
trying
to
slow

Beast’s
fall
and
Iceman
must
prevent
Beast
from
crushing
her
(138).
In
The
X­Men

#7
(Sep.
1964)
Marvel
Girl
collapses
from
attempting
to
use
her
powers
to
lift
a

villain
called
The
Blob,
and
is
reprimanded
by
Cyclops,
“You
shouldn’t
have
strained

yourself
against
impossible
odds
like
that!
Leave
him
to
me
now!!

Only
my
power

beam
can
beat
him!”
(171).
In
the
same
issue
when
an
explosion
occurs
near
the

team
all
the
members
protect
themselves,
except
Marvel
Girl,
who
is
shielded
by

Angel.
Marvel
Girl
is
captured
in
X­Men
#10
(Mar.
1965),
and
the
rest
of
the
team

must
go
to
rescue
her.
Angel
is
also
captured,
but
when
he
sees
that
Marvel
Girl
is





102


“numb
with
fear”
and
unable
to
act
it
is
his
quick
thinking
that
allows
them
to

escape.
In
the
process
of
escaping
Angel
must
tell
Marvel
Girl
exactly
how
to
use
her

powers,
because
she
is
too
incapacitated
to
think
for
herself
(241)Although
Marvel

Girl’s
powers
are
an
asset,
she
frequently
is
too
physically
weak
to
use
them,
or
a

man
must
direct
her
because
she
is
too
emotionally
frail.


Interestingly,
much
as
there
was
a
sudden
and
somewhat
unexplained

change
in
how
the
minority
metaphor
was
used
in
The
X­Men,
which
came
to
a
head

with
the
Sentinel
Trilogy,
Marvel
Girl’s
role
on
the
team
sees
a
significant
change
in

those
same
issues.
In
The
X­Men
#15
(Dec.
1965)
Jean
makes
a
notable
jump
in

confidence
and
ability.
She
even
directly
tells
Beast
that
“I’m
hardly
a
damsel
in

distress”
as
she
levitates
herself
through
the
air
(347).
Her
words
ring
true,
as
in
this

adventure
it
is
Beast
and
Iceman
who
are
captured
and
need
to
be
rescued
by
the

team.
And
instead
of
falling
into
traps,
it
is
Marvel
Girl
who
calls
out
“Boys!
Look

out!”
when
Cyclops
and
Angel
fail
to
see
an
enemy
(356).
And,
as
Marvel
Girl
is

straining
with
her
powers
as
she
has
so
often
before,
instead
of
fainting
as
the

reader
may
expect
her
too,
she
calls
out
a
triumphant
“I
did
it!”
and
stands
tall
as
she

mentally
pushes
a
giant
robot
sentinel
to
the
ground
(359).
Marvel
Girl’s
newfound

confidence
carries
into
the
next
issue.
Again,
Marvel
Girl
is
straining
to
topple
a

sentinel
when
the
team
sees
she
is
struggling,
and
one
member
calls
out
“Hey!


Jeanie
needs
help!

Let’s
move!”
but
before
the
men
can
arrive
to
save
her,
she

succeeds
and
calls
out
“Too
late!
I
downed
him
myself!”
(378).
And
in
the
final

escape
Jean
carries
Angel
to
safety,
reversing
the
role
they’ve
had
so
many
times

before.
Even
as
they’re
finally
escaping
from
a
high
wall
Cyclops
is
falling
back
on





103


the
established
routine
for
the
team
and
worries
about
who
will
carry
Marvel
Girl
to

safety
before
she
tells
him
not
to
worry
because
she
can
levitate
herself
to
the

ground
(386).


Why
are
there
such
drastic
changes
in
the
role
of
Marvel
Girl
in
these
issues?


It
is
hard
to
say
for
certain,
but
much
as
the
Civil
Rights
movement
was
drawing

attention
to
many
of
the
prejudices
racial
minorities
faced,
the
feminist
movement

was
highlighting
many
gender
issues
during
the
time
period
Lee
and
Kirby
were

producing
these
X‐Men
comic
books.
1963
not
only
saw
the
first
issue
of
The
X­Men

hit
the
stands,
Betty
Friedan’s
The
Feminine
Mystique
was
published
and
became
a

bestseller.
Friedan
identified
what
she
called
a
repressive
image
of
women
which

had
become
common
in
society.
Women,
in
post‐World‐War‐II‐society,
had
been

told
to
“seek
fulfillment
as
wives
and
mothers”
(57)
and
find
contentment
in

cooking,
sewing,
raising
children,
and
doing
their
husbands’
laundry.
Experts

informed
women
that
“they
could
desire
no
greater
destiny
than
to
glory
in
their

own
femininity,”
even
as
society
set
about
creating
narrow
parameters
for
what

defined
femininity
(58).
While
domestic
roles
inherently
repressive
to
women,

society
was
dictating
that
domesticity
was
the
only
place
where
women
could
be

happy.
Many
women
can
find
happiness
in
domestic
roles,
but
few
other
options

were
available
at
the
time,
and
The
Feminine
Mystique
and
the
feminist
movement

raised
awareness
of
this
problematic
social
expectation.

Lee
and
Kirby
were
creating
a
comic
book
at
a
time
when
many
social

changes
were
occurring,
and
those
changes
affected
the
stories
being
told.
Jean
Grey

will
evolve
as
a
character
and
develop
many
different
character
traits,
but
originally,





104


Marvel
Girl
had
many
traditional
domestic
roles
that
society
expected
of
women.

Lee
and
Kirby
were
products
of
the
age
The
Feminine
Mystique
criticizes,
when

women
were
expected
to
be
only
find
fulfillment
and
satisfaction
in
their
roles
as

wives,
mothers,
and
homemakers.


Marvel
Girl
matches
many
of
the
roles
of
femininity
which
Friedan
criticizes.

First,
her
identity
is
closely
linked
to
the
advances
of
the
male
members
of
the
team,

and
her
own
secret
longing
for
Cyclops.
In
post‐war
America,
much
of
the
idealized

concept
of
womanhood
was
not
as
an
individual,
but
as
part
of
a
heterosexual
pair.

This
was
not
the
only
image
of
femininity
promoted
in
American
culture,
but
it
was

one
of
the
most
dominant.
Clearly
the
men
on
the
team
are
also
very
concerned
with

romantic
relationships,
but
there
are
other
defining
characteristics
for
each
of
them.

While
Cyclops
is
shown
worrying
about
being
the
field
leader
of
the
X‐Men
and
the

larger
issues
facing
mutants
even
as
he
longs
for
Jean
Grey,
the
only
insights
reader

gain
from
reading
Marvel
Girl’s
thoughts
are
that
she
wishes
Cyclops
loved
her.
Her

identity
is
linked
exclusively
to
her
romantic
feelings,
and
she
is
shown
as
being

incomplete
without
Cyclops’s
affection.

Marvel
Girl
also
adopts
a
domestic
role
on
the
team.
The
X­Men
#6
(Jul.
1964)

begins
with
a
full‐page
panel
showing
Professor
X,
Angel,
Cyclops,
Beast,
and
Iceman

seated
around
the
dining
room
table,
while
Marvel
Girl
is
sticking
her
head
around
a

doorway
in
the
upper
left
hand
corner
of
the
image.
The
men
are
all
in
the

foreground,
while
Marvel
Girl
is
in
the
background.
Professor
X
says,
“It
was
a

delicious
meal,
Jean!

Thank
you
for
helping
out
on
the
cook’s
day
off!”
to
which
Jean

replies,
“I
was
glad
to
do
it
Professor!”

(131).
From
the
image,
it
is
unclear
if
Jean





105


partook
of
any
of
the
meal
herself,
or
simply
waited
quietly
in
the
kitchen
while
the

men
ate.




After
the
X‐Men
battle
The
Juggernaut,
who
also
happens
to
be
Professor


Xavier’s
half‐brother,
in
The
X­Men
#13
(Sep.
1965)
all
the
men
are
injured,
and

Marvel
Girl
is
shown
caring
for
them
while
wearing
a
nurse’s
uniform.
Cyclops

laments
that
they’ve
never
had
so
many
injured
before,
to
which
Iceman
replies
that

“With
a
nurse
like
Jean,
it’s
a
pleasure!”

When
Beast
mentions
that
his
mother

would
kiss
him
to
aid
his
healing,
Jean
notes
that
she
is
not
her
mother,
and
Angel

offers
a
wry
“That’s
for
sure!”
in
reply
(318).





A
stronger
Marvel
Girl
who
appears
in
The
X­Men
#14
(Nov.
1965)
and
#15


(Dec.
1965)
seems
to
offer
some
level
of
recognition
that
she
had
been
more
or
less

a
token
female
member
of
a
boy’s
club
up
to
that
point.
However,
while
Marvel
Girl

remained
more
confident
of
her
powers
from
this
point
forward,
many
of
the

domestic
markers
which
defined
her
role
as
the
female
on
the
team
were
not

abandoned.
For
example,
the
last
panel
of
The
X­Men
#18
(Mar.
1966)
shows
Jean

wearing
an
apron
and
carrying
a
tray
of
food
out
to
the
table
where
all
the
men

eagerly
await
the
meal
(433).
And
she
is
the
damsel
in
distress
again
in
The
X­Men

#19
(Apr.
1966),
though
a
point
is
made
when
the
team
is
escaping
from
a

collapsing
mine
that
Marvel
Girl
does
not
need
to
be
told
what
to
do
and
can
easily

keep
up
with
the
boys.
And
in
The
X­Men
#35
Cyclops
orders
Marvel
Girl
to
stay

behind
because
the
threat
they
are
facing
is
so
dangerous,
and
he
does
not
want

Marvel
Girl
to
be
injured.
So
in
some
ways
readers
encounter
a
strange
mix
of
the

old
damsel
in
distress
and
the
new
confident
Marvel
Girl.






106





Marvel
Girl
has
acted
as
a
cook
and
nurse
but
she
will
adopt
another
role


traditionally
associated
with
housewives:
seamstress.
When
the
team
has
their

uniforms
redesigned,
twice
in
this
era,
Marvel
Girl
designs
and
produces
the
outfits.


Originally
the
team
wears
uniforms
with
the
same
blue
and
yellow
color
scheme
and

basic
design,
with
the
exception
of
Iceman,
whose
powers
simply
make
him
look
like

a
snowman
at
first
and
like
he
is
carved
out
of
ice
after
artists
change
how
he
is

drawn.
Occasionally,
even
before
the
official
costume
redesign,
Marvel
Girl
is
drawn

with
a
different
shaped
mask
that
does
not
cover
her
hair.

In
The
Supergirls:
Fashion,
Feminism,
and
the
History
of
Comic
Book
Heroines,

Mike
Madrid
criticizes
the
roles
and
costumes
of
early
Marvel
superheroines,
such

as
Marvel
Girl.
Madrid
argues
that
these
female
characters
“take
on
traditional

female
roles
within
the
group
as
mothers
and
handmaidens:
sewing
uniforms,

making
coffee,
and
doing
secretarial
work.
All
the
while,
they
conceal
their

femininity
beneath
unisex
costumes
that
match
those
of
their
male
counterparts”

(109).
The
roles
the
superheroines
had
in
the
early
1960s
Marvel
comic
books

reflect
the
domestic
ideals
of
the
1950s,
and
the
costumes
are
certainly

representative
of
the
conception
of
femininity
before
Gurley
Brown,
the
editor
of

Cosmopolitan
magazine,
helped
subvert
patriarchal
norms
by
creating
the
“Cosmo

Girl”
beginning
in
1965.
Brown
promoted
this
sexually
liberated
interpretation
of

womanhood
on
the
magazine’s
cover
with
images
of
models
featuring
“exposed

cleavage,
teased
hair,
heavy
make‐up,
and
flamboyant
and
suggestive
costumes

(Oullette
123).





107


While
a
regular
criticism
of
comic
books
has
been
the
unrealistic
and
overly

sexualized
portrayal
of
women’s
bodies
in
extremely
revealing
outfits,
it
is
worth

noting
that
Jean
Grey
is
shown
with
normal
proportions
and
modest
clothing
in

these
early
issues.
While
many
artists
draw
what
is
often
referred
to
as
“eye‐candy”

for
male
readers,
Jack
Kirby
and
Werner
Roth
generally
draw
Marvel
Girl
in
a

manner
that
is
not
outlandish
for
a
16‐18
year
old
girl.
Her
curves
realistic,
her

breasts
are
not
exaggerated
in
size
or
shape,
and
her
costume
covers
her
from
head

to
toe
with
the
only
skin
being
revealed
around
her
mouth.
This
will
not
always
be

the
case
in
costume
design
and
artist
portrayal
of
Jean
Grey.

The
first
redesign
of
the
team
uniforms
is
very
minor.
Some
of
the
patterns
of

blue
and
yellow
are
shifted
minimally
and
red
belts
are
added.
Oddly,
when
showing

off
the
new
uniforms,
Marvel
Girl
comments
that
she
“was
getting
tired
of
all
that

yellow
in
the
old
ones…”
when
the
amount
of
yellow
that
has
been
removed
form

the
uniforms
is
very
little
at
all.




One
seemingly
minor
change
in
Marvel
Girl’s
costume
is
that
her
neckline
is


now
v‐shaped,
rather
than
a
circular
shape
that
closely
hugs
her
neck.
This
change

resulted
in
something
of
a
migratory
length,
with
the
v‐neck
of
her
costume

sometimes
being
shown
to
plunge
downward.
For
the
first
time,
in
The
X­Men
#33

(Jun.
1967)
with
art
by
Werner
Roth,
the
reader
sees
an
uncovered
cleavage
line
in

an
X‐Men
comic
book.
The
art
is
angular
and
the
actual
line
of
cleavage
shown

makes
little
anatomical
sense,
so
it
is
not
a
terribly
cheesecake‐style
image,
but
it

will
be
far
from
the
last
time
cleavage
is
shown
in
The
X­Men.
As
with
many
comic

books,
the
breasts
and
butts
of
female
characters
will
become
very
exaggerated
and





108


focused
on
in
future
issues,
while
the
muscles
of
male
characters
will
see
similar

exaggeration.

Possibly
in
response
to
numerous
letters
written
in
by
fans
asking
for
the

characters
to
have
more
individual
looks,
Marvel
gave
the
team
a
much
more
drastic

set
of
costume
changes
in
The
X­Men
#39
(Dec.
1967).
Again,
Jean
Grey
is

responsible
for
designing
and
making
the
team’s
new
costumes.
Jean
explains
that

“Just
before
the
episode
with
the
Juggernaut,
I
had
been
hard
at
work
on
a
pet

project
of
mine
–
with
the
Professor’s
permission!

Here’s
a
pack
for
each
of
you!

In

it,
you’ll
find—a
new
costume!”
(16)
Marvel
Girl’s
costume
is
a
single
piece
of
green

fabric
that
has
a
v‐neckline
and
ends
in
a
very
short
mini‐skirt.
In
some
panels,
the

top
of
the
costume
is
drawn
completely
off
the
shoulders,
essentially
wrapping

Marvel
Girl’s
torso
and
arms
and
nothing
else.
The
men
on
the
team
remain
fully

covered
by
their
costumes,
though
Beast’s
hands
and
feet
are
bare
to
allow
him

greater
dexterity.
Marvel
Girl’s
costume
offers
little
protection
in
the
field
of
battle.


Marvel
Girl’s
costume
reflects
the
image
promoted
in
some
women’s

magazines,
such
as
Cosmopolitan.
Her
outfit
is
more
suggestive
and
less‐
conservative.
However,
while
it
may
reflect
some
aspects
of
the
second
wave
of

feminism,
it
may
also
serve
as
a
more
suggestive
look
to
attract
the
predominantly

male
readers
of
comic
books.
While
her
outfit
has
become
more
revealing
and
her

bare
legs
are
often
drawn
longer
than
is
realistically
possible,
the
rest
of
her

anatomy
is
drawn
with
relative
restraint.

In
The
X­Men
#48
(Sep.
1968)
Jean
Grey
will
begin
to
wear
even
skimpier

outfits
in
her
new,
short
term,
role
as
a
fashion
model.
The
team
has
temporarily





109


disbanded
and
are
assuming
cover
roles.
Jean
Grey
becomes
a
swimsuit
model,

while
Scott
Summers
becomes
a
radio
technician.
Jean
takes
a
job
that
requires

beauty
but
no
brains,
while
Scott
takes
on
a
role
that
requires
brains
but
looks
are

irrelevant.
The
comments
from
the
men
on
the
set
of
the
photoshoot
echo
Marvel

Girl’s
teammate’s
first
comments
about
her
looks
from
The
X­Men
#1
(Sep.
1963).

The
boss,
a
woman,
in
the
scene
says,
“Carlo,
you
ordered
four
models
for
the

beachwear
job–and
you’ve
just
used
only
the
new
one,
Jean
Grey!

What’s
so
special

about
her?”
And
the
photographer
replies,
“She’s
fresh,
boss
lady!

Like
an
easter

bunny
or
an
oven
hot
biscuit!

And
that’s
the
name
of
our
game!”

Another
male
in
a

suit
adds
“He’s
got
a
point
there,
Candy!

That’s
the
tastiest
package
of
goodies
we’ve

opened
around
here
in
months!”
(1).
While
most
of
Jean
is
in
profile
in
this
scene,

she
is
depicted
as
twisting
in
such
a
way
that
her
bikini‐covered
breasts
are
clearly

depicted
for
the
reader.

However,
though
Marvel
Girl’s
costume
becomes
progressively
more

revealing
and
she
takes
a
job
as
a
swimsuit
model,
she
is
the
lone
member
of
the
X‐
Men
to
go
on
to
college
when
the
team
graduates
from
Xavier’s
School
for
Gifted

Youngsters.
Of
course,
her
college
career
largely
serves
to
introduce
a
potential
new

love
interest
and
new
threats
to
the
team
while
her
studies
are
rarely
shown.
For

example,
her
professor
happens
to
be
insane
and
launches
a
deadly
plague
of

gigantic
locusts
against
humanity
and
a
boy
who
has
flirted
with
her
has
a
brother

who
becomes
a
supervillain.
And,
as
the
stories
go
on
Marvel
Girl
spends
more
time

with
the
team
and
less
time
at
college,
and
in
the
ends
she
simply
seems
to
cease

attending
college,
never
finishing
her
studies.





110


In
the
back‐up
stories
published
in
The
X­Men
stories
are
told
of
how
many
of

the
team
members
discovered
their
powers
and
the
reactions
of
their
friends
and

families.
In
flashbacks
in
the
main
stories
and
in
the
back‐up
stories
we
learn
the

origins
of
Professor
X,
Cyclops,
Beast,
Angel,
and
Iceman.
In
The
X­Men
#57
(Jun.

1959)
there
is
a
back‐up
feature
on
Marvel
Girl,
but
it
is
unlike
the
previous
back‐up

stories.
Rather
than
a
narrative,
this
features
Marvel
Girl
directly
addressing
the

reader
and
describing
her
powers.
This
is
the
first
part
of
any
X‐Men
comic
written

by
a
female
writer.
The
back‐up
feature
has
an
announcement
from
the
editors:

“Ye
olde
bullpen
thought
it’d
be
glitzy
if,
just
for
a
change,
this
featurette
on

the
mesmerizing
Marvel
Girl
were
written
by
a
member
of
the
supposedly

weaker
sex!
So,
make
room
for
lovable
Linda
Fite,
ex‐Marvel
staffer
and
X‐
Men
fan
supreme!”
(16)

Fite’s
description
of
Marvel
Girl
follows
the
pattern
of
many
previous
displays
of

Marvel
Girl’s
powers,
using
them
to
complete
domestic
tasks.




Oddly,
one
of
the
first
things
Marvel
Girl
tells
the
reader
is
“I’m
not
the


domestic
type”
(17).
But
this
back‐up
feature
explaining
who
Marvel
Girl
is
to

readers
has
Marvel
Girl
display
her
powers
by
telekinetically
picking
an
apple,

peeling
it,
baking
an
apple
pie,
and
doing
housework
such
as
dusting.
Additionally,

in
a
page
in
which
she
is
showing
how
her
powers
can
help
fight
villains,
she

mentions
that
she
can
“never
turn
down
a
date
on
the
pretext
that
I’m
all
tied
up”
as

she
demonstrates
pulling
a
pair
of
scissors
out
of
a
drawer
to
cut
a
rope
she
is
bound

with.
While
showing
how
she
can
use
her
powers
in
a
fight
Marvel
Girl
deflects
a

mace
thrown
at
her,
uses
scissors
to
free
herself
when
tied
up,
shows
how
she
can





111


unlock
a
door
if
“she
ever
finds
herself
prisoner,”
and
lift
herself
over
a
wall.
One

example
is
defensive,
while
the
rest
involve
escaping
after
capture,
she
does
not

show
a
single
offensive
use
of
her
powers
until
near
the
end
of
the
feature.
In
two
of

the
final
panels
she
incapacitates
a
man
with
her
thoughts,
a
type
of
telepathy
she

does
not
use
often
in
the
actual
comics
at
this
time.
She
explains
that
Professor
X

trained
her
to
“will
a
person
to
be
defeated
without
ever
using
physical
force”
(20).


Jean
Grey
will
become
a
more
complex
character
in
future
issues,
but
in
these

first
66
issues
she
more
often
fulfills
stereotypical
roles
as
a
damsel
in
distress,
a

domestic
presence
in
a
boy’s
club,
a
nurse,
and
a
love
interest
rather
than
a
fully

fleshed‐out
character.
While
her
costume
change
reflects
the
emergence
of
the

cosmo‐girl
ideal
in
society,
she
remains
a
conservative
and
domestic
figure
in
her

personality
and
role
on
the
team.

Scarlet
Witch
and
Polaris
Marvel
Girl
is
clearly
the
most
prominent
female

character
in
this
period,
while
Scarlet
Witch
and
Polaris
are
the
next
most

prominent.
Scarlet
Witch,
who
was
created
by
Stan
Lee
and
Jack
Kirby
and
first

appeared
in
The
X­Men
#4
(Mar.
1964)
has
several
similarities
with
Marvel
Girl.

Much
like
Marvel
Girl,
the
Scarlet
Witch
is
the
lone
female
on
a
team
with
a

masculine
name.
The
Brotherhood
of
Evil
Mutants
is
led
by
Magneto
and
consists
of

Toad,
Mastermind,
Quicksilver,
and
Scarlet
Witch.
The
Scarlet
Witch
also
must
deal

with
forward
men
making
advances.
In
the
first
scene
we
see
Scarlet
Witch
in,

Mastermind
tells
her
“You
are
spunky,
my
little
witch!

I
like
that
in
a
female!


Someday
I
may
even
decide
that
you
would
be
a
worthy
mate
for
Mastermind!”
(85).

Of
course,
the
heroes
are
not
much
more
reserved
in
their
appraisals
of
Scarlet





112


Witch.
When
Angel
sees
her
in
the
course
of
battle
he
thinks
to
himself,
“Wow!
What

a
dish!!

If
she’s
an
evil
mutant
I
want
an
application”
(96).




In
another
similarity
with
Marvel
Girl,
Scarlet
Witch
has
an
oddly
generic


name
on
a
team
whose
other
members
have
codenames
closely
related
with
their

powers.
Magneto
can
control
magnetism,
Toad
has
slightly
grotesque
features
and

leaps
in
a
toad‐like
manner,
Quicksilver
can
move
super
fast,
and
Mastermind
can

create
illusions
in
other
people’s
minds.
Scarlet
Witch
generally
creates
bad
luck.

She
causes
accidents
in
ways
she
can’t
control.
If
she
points
at
a
person,
water
may

spill
on
them,
or
the
wall
behind
them
may
collapse.
Her
powers
are
erratic
and

generally
uncontrollable.
Marvel
Girl
is
often
shown
as
dependent
on
Professor
X
or

Cyclops,
while
Scarlet
Witch
is
completely
dependent
on
her
brother,
Quicksilver.

Quicksilver
always
comes
to
her
aid
when
she
is
in
trouble,
and
she
frequently
calls

out
to
him.




Polaris,
who
first
appears
in
The
X­Men
#49
(Oct.
1968)
is
a
very
different


character
than
Marvel
Girl
or
Scarlet
WitchAlthough
she
is
immediately
seen
as
a

potential
love
interest
by
Iceman,
she
is
not
simply
waiting
for
a
man
to
show

interest
in
her
as
Marvel
Girl
does.
In
The
X­Men
#60
(Oct.
1969)
Polaris
has
a

conversation
with
Jean
on
the
subject
of
a
relationship
with
Iceman
and
says,

“Bobby
[Iceman]
may
be
fun
Jean,
but
I’m
nobody’s
girl!”
and
she
later
tells
Iceman

explicitly
that
she
is
nobody’s
property.

Marvel
Girl
and
Scarlet
Witch,
each
created
by
Stan
Lee
and
Jack
Kirby
in

1963,
reflect
the
stereotypical
domestic
ideal
of
the
1950s
and
early
1960s.
Their

worth
is
determined
by
the
men
in
their
lives,
their
father
figures,
siblings,
and
love





113


interests.
Polaris,
who
was
created
by
Arnold
Drake,
Don
Heck,
and
Werner
Roth
in

1968
is
a
more
liberated
woman,
refusing
to
be
defined
by
her
father,
Magneto,
or

the
romantic
advances
by
Iceman.
Her
personality
is
indicative
of
changes
in
the

feminist
movement.
While
Jean
Grey
has
external
shifts,
her
character
remains
the

same.

Number
Analysis




Having
discussed
some
of
the
ways
in
which
racial
minorities
and
females


were
used
in
the
series,
a
final
analysis
of
their
representation
in
various
roles
in
the

series
will
prove
valuable.
The
following
analysis
will
consider
members
of
the
X‐
Men,
villains
the
team
fought,
and
guest
stars
in
the
comic
book.
Guest
stars
will

encapsulate
two
different
types
of
roles.
First,
any
established
character
in
the

Marvel
Universe
who
makes
an
appearance
in
a
non‐villainous
fashion.
Occasionally,

even
characters
who
battle
the
X‐Men
will
be
identified
as
guest
stars
rather
than

villains.
For
example,
when
the
Avengers
appear
in
The
X­Men
#10
and
fight
the
X‐
Men
it
is
because
of
a
misunderstanding,
not
because
the
Avengers
are
villains,
thus

they
are
counted
as
guest
stars.
Additionally,
characters
who
recur
in
the
X‐Men

comics,
but
are
not
official
members
of
the
team
are
counted
as
guest
stars.

Individuals
such
as
newscasters,
members
of
the
military
who
appear
only
in
one

issue,
or
members
of
a
crowd
that
shout
dialogue
will
not
be
counted
as
guest
stars.


I
will
address
the
racial
and
ethnic
makeup
of
the
characters
who
appear
in

this
period,
their
nationalities,
and
their
genders.
If
a
character
is
a
demon,
robot,

alien,
or
other
fictional
group
that
does
not
conform
to
traditional
ethnicities
they

will
be
categorized
as
a
demon,
robot
or
alien.
In
the
course
of
the
study
there
will





114


be
human
characters
with
no
identifiable
ethnicity,
due
to
their
mutations,
which

will
be
categorized
as
“Unknown.”

If
a
character
from
one
of
these
fictional
groups

has
a
clearly
identifiable
country
of
origin,
that
will
be
used
in
terms
of
nationality.
If

a
demon,
robot,
or
alien
has
a
clearly
identifiable
gender
that
will
be
used
when

categorizing
gender.





Nine
characters
appear
as
members
of
the
X‐Men
in
these
66
issues.
All
nine


are
white.
Beyond
simply
looking
at
the
number
of
characters
who
appear
this

analysis
will
consider
the
number
of
appearances
each
character
made.
So,
if
for

example,
Iceman
had
an
appearance
in
all
66
issues,
even
if
only
for
a
single
panel
in

an
issue,
that
would
count
as
66
appearances.
In
total,
there
are
375
appearances
by

members
of
the
X‐Men
in
these
66
issues,
and
all
375
appearances
are
by
white

characters.





The
villains
the
X‐Men
fought
were
a
slightly
more
diverse
group,
though


fictional
identifications
such
as
aliens,
demons,
and
robots
played
a
larger
role
in

diversifying
the
X‐Men’s
enemies
than
minority
representation.
The
X‐Men
fought

64
different
villains
in
this
period.
Of
these
42
(65.6%)
were
white,
7
(10.9%)
were

robots,
4
(6.3%)
were
Latino,
4
(6.3%)
were
aliens,
2
(3.1%)
were
Egyptian,
1

(1.6%)
were
Asian,
1
(1.6%)
was
Jewish,
1
(1.6%)
was
a
demon,
1
(1.6%)
was
Irish,

and
1
(1.6%)
was
a
subterranean
beings.




The
numbers
are
slightly
different
when
considering
the
number
of


appearances
these
villains
had
versus
simply
the
number
of
villains.
In
total,
there

were
174
appearances
by
villains.
Of
these
122
(70.1%)
were
by
white
characters,

13
(7.5%)
were
by
a
Jewish
character,
13
(7.5%)
were
robotic
characters,
8
(4.6%)





115


were
by
alien
characters,
7
(4.0%)
were
by
Latino
characters,
6
(3.4%)
were
by

Egyptian
characters,
2
(1.1%)
were
by
a
subterranean
character,
1
(.6%)
was
by
a

demonic
character,
1
(.6%)
was
by
an
Irish
character,
and
1
(.6%)
was
by
an
Asian

character.




There
were
23
guest
stars
in
these
issues,
and
of
these
22
(95.7%)
were


white
and
1
(4.3%)
was
Black.
The
lone
non‐white
guest
star
was
the
Black
Panther,

the
king
of
the
fictional
African
nation
of
Wakanda
in
the
Marvel
universe.
There

were
51
appearances
by
guest
stars,
and
50
(98%)
were
by
white
characters,
and
1

(2.0%)
was
by
a
Black
character.




From
these
numbers
it
is
clear
that
during
this
period
the
vast
majority
of


characters
were
white,
but
the
most
diverse
group
was
the
villains
the
X‐Men

fought.
The
X‐Men
were
100%
white
and
the
guest
stars
95.7%
white,
but
the

villains
only
67.2%
white.
There
were
96
total
characters
who
appeared
and
74

(77.1%)
of
them
were
white.
In
the

first
66
issues
there
were
600

appearances
by
characters
in
The
X­
Men
and
548
(91.3%)
of
them
were

by
white
characters.




In
terms
of
gender


representation
the
numbers
skew

heavily
male.
Marvel
Girl
appears
in





Character


Appearances
 Percentage

as
X‐Men

of
issues

Professor
X

41

62.1%

Cyclops

65

98.5%

Beast

66

100%

Angel

65

98.5%

Iceman

66

100%

Marvel
Girl

65

98.5%

Mimic

3

4.5%

Polaris

2

3.0%

Havok

2

3.0%

Table
6:
Number
of
appearances
by

members
of
the
X‐Men
from
1963‐70


116


65
of
66
issues.
Polaris
appears
in
9
issues
(though
only
as
a
team
member
in
two

issues)9.
Table
6
provides
a

breakdown
of
breakdown
of
the
characters’

appearances
as
members
of
the
X‐Men.




If
we
consider
each
issue
a
character
appears
in
as
one
appearance
and
add


up
each
characters’
total
number
of
appearances,
team
members
appear
for
a

cumulative
total
of
375
times
in
the
first
66
issues
of
The
X­Men.
Of
375
appearances

by
members
of
the
X‐Men,
308
appearances
represent
male
team
members
and
67

represent
female
team
members.
From
1965‐70,
82.2%
of
the
team
member

appearances
in
individual
issues
are
male,
while
17.8%
are
female.
This
number
will

shift
dramatically
in
later
periods
as
the
team
becomes
much
more
balanced
in

terms
of
gender
representation.
Also,
the
number
of
strong
female
villains
will

increase
dramatically.




In
total,
the
X‐Men
battled
64
different
villains
in
this
period.
Sixty‐two


(96.9%),
were
men,
while
two
(3.1%)
were
women
(Scarlet
Witch,
and
a
Savage

Land
“mutate”
named
Lorelei).
There
were
174
appearances
by
villains
in
these

issues.
166
(95.4%)
of
those
appearances
were
by
men,
while
8
(4.6%)
were
by

women.




One
potential
reason
for
so
few
female
villains
is
Stan
Lee’s
belief
that
male


villains
were
more
popular.
Even
after
he
stopped
writing
the
series,
Lee
was



























































9
It
is
not
always
clear
who
is
an
official
member
of
the
team
in
every
issue
of
the

series.
Sometimes
a
member
announces
they
are
retiring,
but
never
actually
leave

the
team.
Other
times
former
members
come
back
for
an
adventure
but
do
not
join

the
team.
For
these
statistics,
the
list
of
“Feature
Characters”
in
Marvel’s
The

Uncanny
X­Men:
The
Official
Index
to
the
Marvel
Universe
will
be
used.




117


Marvel’s
editor‐in‐chief,
and
had
a
significant
say
it
what
was
published.
Roy

Thomas
explains:

…drawing
on
myth
and
legend,
I
devised
a
beautiful
female
Irish
mutant

called
Banshee.
Stan,
though,
informed
me
that
super‐villains
were
more

popular
than
super‐villanesses,
so
I
had
to
make
the
Banshee
a
male.
I
got
a

few
letters
decrying
my
ignorance
of
the
sex
of
banshees,
but
I
was
still
fairly

proud
of
our
creation,
especially
the
catchy
green
costume
Werner
designed.

Still,
when
Marvel
introduced
the
Banshee’s
daughter
Siryn
year’s
later,

wearing
her
dad’s
old
costume,
I
sighed;
that’s
what
the
Banshee
should
have

looked
like,
from
the
start!
(507)

The
only
two
female
supervillains
to
appear
are
members
of
teams
that
are

dominated
in
number
and
personality
by
men.




There
were
23
guest
stars
in
this
period.
Nineteen
(82.6%)
were
men,
four


(17.4%)
were
women.
The
guest
stars
made
51
total
appearances.
Thirty‐seven

(72.5%)
appearances
were
by
men,
while
14
(27.5%)
were
by
women.





Totaling
the
total
number
of
X‐Men,
villains,
and
guest
stars
in
X‐Men
comics


from
the
1960s
reveals
that
there
94
distinct
characters
that
appeared.
Of
these,
86

(91.5%)
were
men
and
eight
(8.5%)
were
women.
There
were
600
appearances
by

characters
in
these
66
issues.
Of
these,
511
(85.2%)
were
men
and
89
(14.8%)
were

by
women.


Another
very
important
aspect
of
the
comic
books
are
the
covers.
The
cover

images
are
a
key
in
marketing
the
books,
and
because
of
how
comics
are
displayed





118


on
newsstands
and
in
stores
more
people
see
the
cover
of
a
comic
book
than
read

the
content.


410
characters
appear
on
the
covers
of
The
X­Men
in
the
1960s.
Of
these,
381

(92.9%)
are
white,
9
(2.2%)
are
Jewish,
8
(2.0%)
are
robots,
6
(1.5%)
are
alien,
2

(.5%)
are
Latino,
2
(.5%)
are
Egyptian,
1
(.2%)
is
Asian,
and
1
(.2%),
is
from
a

subterranean
race.

While
Jean
appears
on
a
similar
number
of
covers
as
the
four
other
active

members
of
the
team
in
this
time
period,
the
way
she
is
portrayed
is
vastly
different

than
her
teammates.
An
analysis
of
the
cover
images
from
this
period
reveals
that

Marvel
Girl
is
portrayed
as
a
passive
member
of
the
team.
In
the
sixty‐six
issues

published,
Marvel
Girl
appears
on
57,
or
86.4%
of
the
covers.
This
is
basically
in
line

with
the
other
main
characters
of
the
series,
so
it
is
not
as
though
she
was

underrepresented.
Professor
X
appeared
on
21.1%
of
the
covers,
Cyclops
on
90.9%,

Angel
on
86.4%,
Beast
on
92.4%,
and
Iceman
on
89.4%.


As
is
clear
from
the
numbers
provided
above,
for
this
stretch
of
X‐Men
comic

books
the
entire
team
is
featured
more
often
than
not
on
the
covers.
However,
in
23

of
the
covers,
Marvel
Girl
appears
at
the
back
of
the
group
image
of
the
team.
This

amounts
to
34.8%
of
all
the
first
66
covers,
or
40.4%
of
the
covers
Marvel
Girl

appears
on.
On
18
(7.1%)
of
the
covers,
all
of
the
male
members
of
the
team
are

shown
attacking
a
villain
while
Marvel
Girl
is
passively
in
the
background.
Marvel

Girl
is
never
shown
on
the
attack
while
the
other
members
of
the
team
are
in

danger.





119


In
this
period
of
The
X­Men,
the
greatest
proportion
of
characters
are
white

and
male.
The
females
tend
to
be
shown
in
passive
or
domestic
roles
and
are
the

most
likely
team
members
to
be
captured
or
in
need
of
rescue.
The
most
diverse

characters
are
the
villains.
While
no
minority
characters
are
the
feature
heroes,

Jews,
Latinos,
Egyptians,
Irish,
and
Asians
are
shown
as
villains.









































120


Chapter
4:
1975­1983:
An
International
Team
of…Mostly
White
Males




When
the
X‐Men
relaunched
it
was
with
a
deliberate
effort
to
diversify
the


team,
which
was
a
partial
success.
While
the
team
became
much
more
international,

the
members
who
are
on
the
team
for
the
majority
of
the
issues
are
white
males.

The
most
significant
exception
to
this
is
Storm,
an
African
female
who
is
one
of
the

strongest
female
characters
and
one
of
the
strongest
minority
characters
to
appear

in
the
entire
series.


The
Relaunch
and
a
Narrative
Summary

Between
1970
and
1975
Marvel
did
not
publish
any
new
issues
of
The
X­Men,

but
the
characters
did
not
completely
disappear
from
the
Marvel
universe.
The
X‐
Men
still
guest‐starred
in
other
Marvel
comics
or
appeared
in
an
anthology
titles

such
as
Marvel
Team­Up,
which
featured
a
rotating
cast
of
Marvel
characters.
The
X‐
Men
comic
book
would
be
relaunched
in
1975,
first
with
a
special
issue
Giant­Size
X­
Men
#1
and
subsequently
with
a
regular
series,
and
gain
in
popularity
through

several
years.
Beginning
in
1981
the
mutant
character
Dazzler
was
featured
in
her

own
monthly
comic
book
and
in
1983
the
New
Mutants,
a
new
monthly
comic
book

following
a
new
class
of
teenagers
Xavier
is
training
began
to
be
published.
These

two
series
marked
the
first
expansion
of
the
X‐Men
franchise.
The
analysis
in
this

chapter
will
consider
the
X‐Men
comic
books
published
between
May
1975
and

February
1983.
These
include
Giant­Size
X­Men
#1,
The
X­Men
#94­113
and
The

Uncanny
X­Men
#114­166.



In
1975,
Marvel
would
begin
to
publish
original
adventures
of
mutant

superheroes,
though
the
process
that
ultimately
resulted
in
Giant­Size
X­Men
#1
had





121


little
to
do
with
the
X‐Men
at
all,
it
had
to
do
with
selling
more
comics

internationally.
In
the
early‐to‐mid‐1970s
the
comic
book
industry
was

experiencing
a
decrease
in
overall
sales.
The
domestic
market
was
yielding
fewer

sales,
and
the
president
of
Marvel,
Arthur
Landau,
believed
increasing
foreign
sales

was
the
best
way
shore
up
Marvel’s
shrinking
profits.
Gerard
Jones
and
Will
Jacobs

write
of
this
period
in
the
industry,
when
fans
complained
that
quality
seemed
to
be

slipping
as
quickly
as
sales,
explaining:


No
matter
what
genres
or
gimmicks
were
tried
sales
kept
contracting
and

contracting[…]

Comics
needed
a
miracle
and
it
didn’t
look
like
anyone
in

charge
was
capable
of
producing
one.
Marvel
President
Arthur
Landau’s
idea

of
a
money‐making
idea
was
this:
create
a
team
of
international
superheroes

representing
all
the
major
foreign
markets
in
which
he
could
sell
Marvel

product.
(205)

Roy
Thomas,
who
had
written
35
issues
of
The
X­Men
in
its
original
run,
was
the

editor‐in‐chief
of
Marvel
when
Landau
proposed
an
international
team
of

superheroes.
Thomas
suggested
that
they
use
the
X‐Men
for
the
international
team

of
heroes,
keeping
a
couple
of
the
original
team
members
and
introducing
new

mutants
from
foreign
countries
(DeFalco
“Thomas”
33).
The
goal
was
to
have
the

new
characters
represent
markets
where
Marvel
Comics
already
had
a
significant

presence.




Eventually
Len
Wein
and
Dave
Cockrum
became
the
writer
and
artist
in


charge
the
new
adventures
of
the
X‐Men.
And
while
the
team
they
put
together
was

indeed
international,
Thomas
says
that
“somehow
or
other,
by
the
time
Len
[Wein]





122


was
writing
the
book,
the
whole
idea
of
having
the
new
heroes
be
from
countries

where
Marvel
sold
a
lot
of
comics
got
lost”
(DeFalco
“Thomas”
34).
The
new

members
of
the
X‐Men
would
include
a
Russian
and
a
Kenyan,
hardly
markets

where
Marvel
was
selling
lots
of
comics
1975.





This
new
team
members
were
Nightcrawler
(a
German
teleporter
named


Kurt
Wagner),
Storm
(Ororo
Munroe,
a
weather
controller
from
Kenya),
Colossus

(the
Russian
Peter
Rasputin
who
could
turn
his
flesh
to
steel),
Banshee
(the

Irishman
Sean
Cassidy
who
had
a
sonic
scream),
Warpath
(John
Proudstar,
a
Native

American
with
super‐strength),
Sunfire

(a
fire‐wielder
from
Japan
named
Shiro

Yoshida),
and
Wolverine
(the
Canadian
with
claws
and
a
healing
factor
known
only

as
Logan).
Not
all
of
these
characters
would
remain
X‐Men
for
long,
but
this

relaunch
firmly
established
the
X‐Men
as
a
team
that
embraced
international

characters
in
a
way
that
other
Marvel
superhero
teams,
such
as
the
Avengers
or
the

Fantastic
Four,
rarely
have.




Joe
Quesada,
the
current
editor‐in‐chief
of
Marvel
Comics
has
offered
a


different
interpretation
of
the
reasoning
behind
the
X‐Men’s
relaunch.
Quesada’s

version
relies
less
on
the
bottom
line
and
more
on
thematic
resonance:

The
plan
was
to
create
a
team
of
characters
that
were
not
only
diverse
in

their
powers;
their
diversity
would
be
compounded
by
their
ethnicity,

genders,
political
views
and
preferences
within.
A
super‐powered
team
that

reflected
the
diversity
of
a
world
that
was
shrinking
by
the
minute.
A
world

whose
future
could
be
glorious
if
we
all
learned
the
lessons
of
tolerance
and

acceptance,
or
could
end
up
as
a
black
pit
of
despair
if
we
let
fear
rule
our





123


lives.
Needless
to
say,
this
struck
a
chord
within
all
of
us,
and
the
X‐Men
were

reborn.
(4)

There
are
several
possible
reasons
Quesada’s
description
of
the
relaunch
varies
so

much
from
the
version
described
by
Jones
and
Jacobs
and
confirmed
by
Thomas.

First,
Quesada
wrote
his
description
in
2003,
almost
thirty
years
after
the
event.

While
he
is
a
prominent
figure
in
the
comic
book
industry
today,
his
first
published

work
in
the
comic
book
industry,
as
an
artist,
was
released
in
1994.
His

interpretation
is
most
likely
based
as
much
on
hindsight
as
anything
else.
And
in

hindsight,
what
he
described
is
what
happened
with
the
X‐Men,
even
if
it
was
not

originally
intended
when
discussion
of
the
project
began.
Additionally,
as
editor‐in‐
chief
of
Marvel
Comics,
when
speaking
publically
he
may
be
interested
in
recounting

a
version
of
history
that
is
driven
by
creative
concerns
more
than
business
concerns.

While
fans
of
popular
culture
know
that
money
drives
many
decisions,
the
illusion

that
less‐mercenary
concerns
are
behind
the
production
of
our
entertainment
is

often
promoted
by
the
entertainment
industry.




Because
Thomas
was
in
the
room
where
the
meeting
took
place,
it
is
far
more


likely
that
the
relaunch
of
the
X‐Men
was
a
matter
of
convenience
where
a
pre‐
existing
property,
with
all
the
trademark
and
copyright
concerns
that
entailed,
could

fulfill
a
business‐driven
mandate.
But
this
may
be
one
instance
where
purely

monetary
concerns
improved
the
quality
and
thematic
resonance
of
a
creative

project.
One
reason
that
the
X‐Men
may
have
struggled
so
much
to
find
an
audience

in
their
initial
issues
could
be
that
they
lacked
key
elements
of
the
prejudice

metaphor
that
the
series
addressed
in
storylines
and
dialogue.
All
of
the
original
X‐




124


Men
were
white,
middle‐to‐upper‐class
Americans.
This
was
a
very
WASP‐ish
group

to
be
struggling
against
prejudice
in
a
minority
metaphor.
Further
complicating
this

particular
group
as
representative
of
a
racial
metaphor
is
the
fact
that
none
of
these

mutants
were
in
any
way
distinguishable
from
white
Americans.
While
later

mutants
would
often
have
distinctive
features
which
would
set
them
apart
from
all

of
humanity,
such
as
fur,
horns,
or
different
skin
pigmentation,
the
original
X‐Men

could
pass
as
non‐mutants
whenever
they
wished.
Not
only
could
the
X‐Men
pass
as

non‐mutants,
they
could
pass
as
white
humans,
thus
eliminating
the

institutionalized
and
social
prejudices
ethnic
minorities
faced.

A
hypercorrection
of
this
minority
omission
occurred
when
the
new
team

was
introduced
in
the
1975
relaunch
of
the
X‐Men
title.
There
was
not
a
single
white

American
among
the
new
members
of
the
team,
and
many
of
the
minority
groups

represented
had
been
the
subject
of
widespread
prejudice
in
the
United
States,

much
of
it
institutionalized
by
the
government.
Germans
were
mistrusted
after

World
War
II
and
the
well‐publicized
horrors
of
the
Holocaust.
Africans
have
a
long

history
of
suffering
from
prejudice
in
America
beginning
with
the
slave
trade.
The

general
feelings
toward
Russians
during
the
Cold
War
were
far
from
friendly,
and

having
an
Eastern
European
accent
could
lead
to
accusations
of
Communism.
Anti‐
Irish
sentiment
was
strongest
in
the
mid‐1800s
in
the
United
States
when

discrimination
in
the
workplace
included
the
posting
of
NINA
signs
in
want
ads
(No

Irish
Need
Apply).
Native
Americans
have
been
mistreated
within
the
United
States

since
settlers
first
reached
the
country’s
shores,
and
the
forced
movement
onto

reservations
is
only
one
of
a
long
list
of
grievances.
During
World
War
II
the
federal





125


Government
forced
Japanese
Americans
to
live
in
internment
camps
because
of

mistrust.


The
only
exception
to
this
trend
of
characters
from
groups
who
had
suffered

prejudice
in
America
is
Wolverine,
the
Canadian,
but
he
was
a
pre‐existing

character,
having
already
appeared
in
issues
of
The
Incredible
Hulk.
Len
Wein

created
Wolverine
while
writing
The
Incredible
Hulk,
and
brought
the
character
over

to
his
new
series.
Wolverine
does
take
on
the
role
of
the
outsider
on
the
team,
and

adopts
cowboy
imagery,
such
as
a
cowboy
hat,
and
mannerisms.
The
cowboy
is
an

iconic
image
of
a
lonesome
societal
outsider,
and
traditionally
the
cowboys
in

American
pop
culture
are
white
men
who
have
no
racial
or
gender
barrier
to

acculturation,
but
nonetheless
function
outside
of
society.

According
to
Thomas,
one
of
the
initial
ideas
for
the
relaunched
X‐Men
title

was
to
have
“a
couple
of
the
original
members,
like
Cyclops,
[…]
go
looking
around

the
world
gathering
mutants
from
other
countries”
(DeFalco
“Thomas”
33),
but
this

idea
did
not
come
to
fruition.
Professor
X
and
Cyclops
remained
on
the
team,
while

the
rest
of
the
original
team
chose
not
to
remain,
but
the
team
did
not
travel
to

foreign
countries
searching
for
mutants.
The
only
other
mutants
sought
out
by
the

team
in
this
period
are
two
American
women,
Alison
Blaire
and
Katherine
Pryde.

Initially,
Professor
X
serves
as
the
leader
of
the
team
with
Cyclops
as
the
battle

leader.
If
anything
the
team’s
travel
is
more
intergalactic
than
international
in
this

period,
with
numerous
adventures
taking
them
to
outer
space,
the
moon,
and
to

other
galaxies.





126


After
Giant­Size
X­Men
#1
the
new
adventures
of
the
team
resumed
in
a
bi‐
monthly
title
with
The
X­Men
#94
(Aug.
1975).
Chris
Claremont,
who
was
Len
Wein’s

assistant,
was
given
the
job
of
writing
the
title
when
Wein
decided
his
schedule
was

too
busy
to
continue
with
the
series.

Roy
Thomas
stepped
down
as

editor‐in‐chief
and
Wein
was

promoted
to
the
position,
which

limited
the
number
of
titles
he
could

write.
Claremont
would
write
the


Writer
(co­
Issues

plotter)

Dave
Cockrum

Giant
Size
X­Men
#1

Chris
Claremont
 #94‐166

Bill
Mantlo
(co‐
#106

plotter)

John
Byrne
(co‐
#108‐9,
#111‐143

plotter)

Table
7:
Writers
and
co‐plotters
of
The

X­Men
from
1975‐1983


title
for
the
next
sixteen
years,
writing
what
are
considered
some
of
the
most
iconic

X‐Men
stories.
During
this
period,
Claremont
wrote
every
script,
though
Bill
Mantlo

was
given


credit
for
co‐plotting
one
issue,
and

John
Byrne
is
credited
with
co‐
plotting
34
issues,
as
shown
in
Table

7.
Artists
who
worked
on
the
title
in

this
period
included
Dave
Cockrum,

Bob
Brown,
John
Byrne,
Tony

DeZuniga,
Bob
McCloud,
Bill

Sienkiewicz,
Brent
Anderson,



Artist

Dave
Cockrum


Issues

Giant­Size
X­Men
#1,

#94‐107,
#145‐51,

#153‐8,
#161‐4

Bob
Brown

#106

John
Byrne

#108‐9,
#111‐143

Tony
Dezunga

#110

Brent
Anderson
 #144,
#160

Bob
McLeod

#152

Bill
Sienkiewicz
 #159

Paul
Smith

#165‐6

Table
8:
Artists
who
worked
on
The
X­
Men
from
1975­1983


and
Paul
Smith.
Occasionally
two
artists
worked
on
the
same
issues,
which
is

reflected
in
Table
8
when
the
same
issue
is
credited
to
two
artists.
When
Byrne
was

brought
on
as
artist
the
title
became
monthly,
rather
than
bi‐monthly.





127


For
the
majority
of
the
issues
in
this
run
the
team
consists
of
Professor
X,

Cyclops,
Storm,
Colossus,
Nightcrawler,
and
Wolverine.
Other
character
who
serve

on
the
team
for
multiple
issues
include
Banshee,
Sunfire,
Thunderbird,
Marvel
Girl

(or
Phoenix,
after
a
change
in
codename),
Havok,
Polaris,
Angel,
and
Sprite
(Kitty

Pryde,
who
will
have
several
codenames
before
settling
on
Shadowcat).
Beast
and

Iceman
make
occasional
guest
appearances,
as
do
other
heroes
from
the
Marvel

universe,
but
not
as
official
members
of
the
team.


Giant­Size
X­Men
#1
(1975)
begins
with
Professor
X
travelling
the
world
to

recruit
mutants
to
help
rescue
the
original
team
of
X‐Men.
This
portion
of
the
story

reflects
Thomas’s
original
vision
for
a
globetrotting
version
of
the
X‐Men,
as

Professor
X
visits
Germany,
Canada,
Kenya,
Japan,
Siberia,
and
an
Indian

Reservation
in
Arizona
to
recruit
the
new
X‐Men.
It
is
revealed
that
the
original

team,
including
Havok
and
Polaris,
were
all
captured
on
an
island,
and
only
Cyclops

escaped.
Cyclops
leads
the
new
team
and
rescues
the
captured
X‐Men.
Sunfire

declines
an
offer
to
join
the
team
and
the
original
X‐Men,
save
for
Cyclops,
all
decide

to
retire
as
X‐Men
and
go
lead
their
own
lives.
Havok
and
Polaris
also
leave,
so
the

new
X‐Men
consist
of
Professor
X,
Cyclops,
Storm,
Banshee,
Thunderbird,
Colossus,

Nightcrawler,
and
Wolverine.


This
team
line‐up
is
short‐lived,
however,
as
Thunderbird
dies
on
their
first

mission
while
battling
Count
Nefaria.
Moira
MacTaggert,
a
former
lover
of
Xavier’s,

is
introduced
as
the
team’s
doctor
and
housekeeper.
The
new
team
soon
faces

demons,
an
alien
threat,
and

a
new
version
of
the
mutant‐hunting
robots
called
the

sentinels.
Marvel
Girl
rejoins
the
team
during
the
battle
with
sentinels,
which
takes





128


them
to
outer
space.
While
returning
to
Earth
the
damaged
space
shuttle
must
pass

through
a
solar
flare
full
of
radiation.
Knowing
that
nobody
can
survive
the
radiation

from
the
hangar
of
the
shuttle,
Marvel
Girl
locks
the
rest
of
the
team
in
a
radiation

proof
hold
to
pilot
the
shuttle
herself.
She
hopes
to
use
her
telekinesis
to
shield

herself
from
as
much
radiation
as
possible,
but
accepts
that
she
will
die
saving
the

others.
After
the
shuttle
crashes
into
a
bay
the
team
reaches
shore
and
mourns
Jean

Grey,
when
she
suddenly
rises
out
of
the
water
in
a
new
costume
proclaiming

herself
to
be
Phoenix.
Phoenix
then
collapses,
but
will
eventually
make
a
full

recovery.


While
Jean
recovers,
Professor
X
is
receiving
psychic
contact
with
an
alien

empress,
Lilandra,
who
requests
the
X‐Men’s
help
in
defending
her
empire.
The

team
also
visits
Ireland,
where
Banshee
has
inherited
a
castle
(where,
of
course,

leprechauns
live).
Banshee’s
cousin,
Black
Tom
Cassidy,
and
the
Juggernaut
have
set

a
trap
for
the
X‐Men.
After
defeating
the
villains
the
X‐Men
return
home
and
are

caught
up
in
the
intergalactic
battle
about
which
Lilandra
contacted
Professor
X.

Lilandra’s
brother,
D’Ken
has
dethroned
her
and
taken
the
title
of
Emperor
of
the

Shi’ar.

The
X‐Men
are
transported
to
another
galaxy
and
battle
The
Imperial
Guard,

a
group
of
superpowered
aliens
loyal
to
whoever
is
Emperor
of
the
Shi’ar.

Eventually
the
X‐Men
restore
Lilandra
to
her
throne
and
she
is
again
the
Empress
of

the
Shi’ar
empire.
In
this
adventure
they
meet
The
Starjammers,
a
group
of
rogue

intergalactic
pirates
who
are
led
by
Corsair.
In
a
soap‐opera‐style
twist,
Corsair
is

Cyclops’s
father,
who
was
kidnapped
from
Earth
when
Cyclops
and
Havok
were





129


small
children.
Corsair
recognizes
Cyclops,
but
does
not
reveal
that
he
is
his
father.

This
outer‐space
storyline
was
referred
to
as
“The
Phoenix
Saga”
as
Jean
Grey

played
a
key
role,
displaying
previously
unrevealed
levels
of
power
to
save
the

universe.

After
a
few
minor
threats
the
X‐Men
face
Magneto
(who
since
they
last

battled
had
been
turned
into
an
infant,
then
re‐aged
to
a
young
adult).
Magneto

captures
the
X‐Men,
as
well
as
Beast,
and
takes
them
to
his
base
in
an
Antarctic

volcano.
When
attempting
to
escape
the
volcano
begins
to
erupt
and
Beast
and

Phoenix
are
separated
from
the
rest
of
the
X‐Men.
Beast
and
Phoenix
escape
to
the

Antarctic
surface,
while
the
rest
of
the
team
discover
a
tunnel
leading
to
the
Savage

Land,
the
prehistoric
jungle
world
hidden
in
the
heart
of
the
Antarctic.
Each
group

believes
the
other
perished
in
the
eruption.


Phoenix
and
Beast
return
home
tell
Professor
X
the
X‐Men
died.
A
grieving

Professor
X
accepts
Lilandra’s
offer
to
visit
her
empire,
and
the
two
are
soon
in
love.

Meanwhile,
when
leaving
the
Savage
Land
the
other
X‐Men
are
picked
up
by
a
ship

bound
for
Japan.
In
Japan
the
X‐Men
help
Sunfire
defeat
Moses
Magnum,
a
villain

who
had
been
threatening
to
sink
the
island
nation
unless
declared
Emperor.
In
the

battle,
Banshee
is
injured
and
his
vocal
cords
damaged
preventing
him
from
using

his
powers.
Elsewhere,
Phoenix
visits
Moira
MacTaggert
in
Scotland
where
she
has
a

compound
to
study
mutants.
Dr.
MacTaggert
test
Phoenix’s
powers
and
realizes
they

are
more
powerful
than
ever
before
and
still
increasing.

The
X‐Men
return
to
North
America,
but
their
plane
is
diverted
to
Canada

where
they
are
attacked
by
the
Canadian
superhero
team
Alpha
Flight,
who
wish
to





130


bring
Wolverine
into
custody
for
abandoning
his
work
with
the
Canadian

government
when
he
joined
the
X‐Men.
Wolverine
agrees
to
accompany
Alpha

Flight,
but
shortly
escapes
and
rejoins
the
X‐Men.
The
X‐Men
return
home,
defeat

the
villain
Arcade
who
trapped
the
heroes
in
his
death‐themed
amusement
park,

and
then
learn
that
Phoenix
is
alive
and
on
Muir
Island.
Once
on
Muir
Island
the
X‐
Men
must
defeat
and
kill
Proteus,
Moira
MacTaggert’s
son
whose
mutant
powers
to

warp
reality
are
out
of
control
and
have
driven
him
insane.

When
the
X‐Men
return
to
New
York
their
computer,
Cerebro,
has
detected

two
new
mutants.
Professor
X,
who
has
returned
from
outer
space,
splits
the
team

into
two
to
contact
each
mutant.
Unbeknownst
the
X‐Men,
a
villainous
group
of

mutants
called
The
Hellfire
Club
is
also
interested
in
contacting
the
two
new

mutants.
Mastermind,
a
former
member
of
the
Brotherhood
of
Evil
Mutants
is
part

of
the
Hellfire
Club
and
manipulates
Phoenix,
giving
her
false
visions
of
a
past
life
in

18th
century
America.
In
a
storyline
called
The
Dark
Phoenix
Saga
the
X‐Men
battle

the
Hellfire
Club,
but
Mastermind’s
illusions
unsettle
Phoenix.
This
coupled
with
her

expanding
powers,
drives
her
insane.
She
joins
the
Hellfire
Club
briefly,
as
their

Black
Queen
(the
inner
circle
of
the
Hellfire
Club
all
had
titles
based
on
chess
pieces,

the
most
powerful
being
the
Black
King
and
Queen
and
the
White
King
and
Queen).


Phoenix
breaks
free
of
Mastermind’s
illusions
and
drives
him
mad
by
forcing

his
mind
to
comprehend
the
immensity
of
the
universeAlthough
free
of

Mastermind’s
illusions,
Jean
Grey
is
still
unstable.
As
the
X‐Men
flee
Phoenix’s
dark

side
bursts
forth,
complete
with
a
darker
themed
costume.
Dark
Phoenix
flies
into

outer
space
and
travels
to
another
galaxy,
home
of
the
Shi’ar
Empire.
There,





131


hungered
because
of
her
travels
she
consumes
the
sun
of
a
solar
system
which
had

an
inhabited
planet,
killing
billions
of
the
alien
D’Bari.
Dark
Phoenix
battles
Shi’ar

spaceships
and
then
returns
home.
On
Earth
Jean
Grey
battles
the
Dark
Phoenix

force,
recognizing
that
when
she
gained
her
Phoenix
powers
an
alien
entity
entered

her
mind.
Professor
X
helps
Jean
to
lock
away
the
Phoenix
force
in
her
subconscious,

and
Cyclops
proposes
to
Jean
but
the
X‐Men
are
immediately
transported
away
by

the
Shi’ar.
Lilandra
orders
Jean
Grey
to
be
executed
for
the
crimes
committed
by
the

Dark
Phoenix,
and
the
X‐Men
battle
to
save
her.
In
the
end,
Jean
Grey
fearing
she

would
some
day
lose
control
of
herself
again
sacrifices
herself,
ending
the
battle

between
the
X‐Men
and
the
Shi’ar
Imperial
Guard.
Following
these
events
Cyclops

takes
a
leave
of
absence
from
the
X‐Men.
Angel
rejoins
the
team
and
Kitty
Pryde,
one

of
the
two
mutants
the
X‐Men
detected
before
battling
the
Hellfire
Club,
comes
to

the
X‐Men
for
training.
She
has
the
ability
to
become
immaterial
and
pass
through

solid
objects.

.
A
storyline
called
“Days
of
Future
Past”
begins
several
decades
in
the
future

with
an
adult
Kitty
Pryde
avoiding
Sentinels
in
a
dystopic
future.
The
surviving

members
of
the
X‐Men
use
psychic
powers
to
send
her
adult
mind
back
through

time
to
her
teenage
body
to
help
the
X‐Men
prevent
this
future
in
which
mutants
are

hunted
down
and
either
killed
or
put
in
concentration
camps.
In
the
present
day

Kitty
reveals
that
a
newly
formed
Brotherhood
of
Evil
Mutants
will
assassinate

Senator
Kelly,
who
is
running
for
President
on
an
anti‐mutant
platform.
The
X‐Men

save
Senator
Kelly,
and
Kitty
Pryde’s
adult
mind
returns
to
her
time
period.





132


In
subsequent
issues
Kitty
Pryde
single‐handedly
defeats
a
demon
and

eventually
adopts
the
codename
Sprite,
Scott
Summers
is
hired
on
as
hand
on
a
boat

captained
by
a
woman
named
Lee
Forrester,
and
the
X‐Men
defeat
Dr.
Doom
and

Arcade,
who
had
teamed
up.
Cyclops
and
Lee
end
up
on
a
deserted
island
in
the

Bermuda
Triangle,
but
discover
that
it
is
Magneto’s
new
base.
Magneto
threatens
to

destroy
the
world
unless
all
nations
recognize
him
as
their
leader,
and
the
X‐Men

attack
him
at
his
new
base.
In
the
course
of
battle
Magneto
nearly
kills
Sprite,
but

then
realizes
she
is
only
a
child
(14‐years‐old),
and
sees
that
his
hatred
of
humanity

has
made
him
into
a
monster.
He
abandons
his
base
leaving
behind
the
X‐Men
whom

he
had
nearly
defeated.


Cyclops’s
father
returns
to
Earth
to
recruit
the
X‐Men’s
help.
A
terrorist

faction
has
kidnapped
Lilandra
and
left
clues
leading
the
Shi’ar
Empire
to
suspect

Earth
was
responsible.
The
Shi’ar
Empire
will
shortly
attack
Earth
if
Lilandra
is
not

recovered.
Cyclops
learns
that
Corsair
is
his
father
in
this
meeting.
The
X‐Men
return

to
outer
space
and
battle
the
Shi’ar
and
a
new
alien
species,
the
reptilian
Brood

(who
bear
more
than
a
passing
resemblance
and
modus
operandi
to
the
aliens
in

James
Cameron’s
Alien
films).
They
rescue
Lilandra,
and
peace
is
reestablished
with

the
Shi’ar.
The
X‐Men
return
to
Earth,
where
Storm
is
bitten
by
Dracula,
but

eventually
is
freed
from
his
powers..
The
final
storyline
of
this
era
has
the
X‐Men

returning
to
outer
space
and
battling
the
alien
Brood.
It
is
discovered
that
the
Brood

implanted
several
of
the
X‐Men
with
eggs
which
will
kill
the
X‐Men
when
hatched.
In

the
end
the
X‐Men
kill
the
eggs,
but
are
warned
that
on
Earth
Professor
X
is
also

carrying
an
egg
of
a
Brood
queen.





133


What
will
follow
is
a
brief
description
of
each
new
member
of
the
X‐Men.
The

basic
personalities
and
characteristics
will
be
analyzed.
Subsequently,
there
will
be

a
close
reading
of
a
few
storylines
with
significant
themes
concerning
racial

intolerance
or
gender
roles.

Characters




Nightcrawler





Nightcrawler
is
the
first
character
on
the
X‐Men
who
is
obviously
and


unavoidably
a
mutant.
In
this
new
group
of
X‐Men,
the
majority
of
characters
look

like
normal
humans
when
not
using
their
powers.
Nightcrawler
can
never
look

normal,
at
least
not
until
he
is
provided
with
an
“image
inducer”
which
allows
him
to

project
a
hologram
giving
him
the
appearance
of
a
normal
human.




While
most
mutants
have
their
powers
develop
with
the
onset
of
puberty,


Kurt
Wagner
was
born
with
blue
fur,
yellow
eyes,
a
tail,
fangs,
and
only
three
fingers

and
three
toes.
His
mutant
powers,
besides
his
appearance,
are
to
teleport
short

distances
and
to
disappear
when
in
shadows.





Nightcrawler’s
appearances
is
often
described
as
demonic.
Claremont


explains
that


The
original
concept
of
[Nightcrawler]
was
that
he
was
an
angry,
bitter,

tormented,
soul.
You
know,
“I’m
trapped
in
the
body
of
a
monster.”

Well,

Dave
[Cockrum]
and
I
both
felt
we’d
seen
that
movie
before.
It’s
exactly
what

a
reader
would
expect
seeing
someone
who
is
blue
and
furry,
has
two
toes,

two
fingers,
fangs
and
a
tail.
But
what
if
he
wasn’t?

What
if
he
turns
out
to
be

the
most
rational
person
on
the
team.
What
if,
more
than
that,
he
turns
out
to





134


be
the
most
traditionally
religious
person
on
the
team.
Why
isn’t
he
bothered

by
the
way
he
looks?

Because
“I
am
a
child
of
God,
and
if
God
made
me
look

like
this
it
is
serving
a
purpose.
But
to
complain
about
how
I
look
is
to
say

that
God
made
a
mistake.
Does
God
make
mistakes?

I
don’t
think
so
because

I
don’t
think
I’m
a
wrong
person.
I’m
a
good
person.
I
try
to
live
my
life

according
to
the
precepts
of
the
Lord.”

This
is
Nightcrawler’s
way
of
looking

at
things
and
from
that
perspective,
what’s
the
problem?


And
once
you
cross

that
line
and
say,
“It’s
not
my
problem.
It’s
how
you
choose
to
look
at
me,
not

how
I
am.
This
is
who
I
am.
Accept
it
or
not,
but
it’s
not
my
fault.”

That
gives

you,
as
a
writer,
a
tremendous
amount
of
freedom
to
comment
on
how

people
perceive
other
people
and
[…]
to
have
a
little
fun
along
the
way.

(Claremont
interview)

As
a
mutant
who
cannot
pass
for
a
normal
human,
Nightcawler
introduces
a
new

dimension
to
the
series.
A
mutant
who
is
identified
at
sight
allows
the
mutant

metaphor
to
be
more
closely
aligned
with
a
racial
metaphor.


Nightcrawler’s
use
of
the
hologram
technology
to
pass
for
a
normal
human
is

an
interesting
aspect
of
the
character.
In
the
narrative
universe
the
X‐Men
reside
in,

the
existence
of
mutants,
aliens,
and
superpowered
beings
is
common
knowledge.

Being
startled
by
Nightcrawler’s
demonic
appearance
would
be
a
natural
reaction,

but
other
monstrous‐looking
characters
are
on
teams
which
are
accepted
and
loved

by
the
normal
humans
of
the
Marvel
universe.
For
example,
the
Thing
of
the

Fantastic
Four
has
an
orange,
rock‐like,
or
Tigra
on
the
Avengers
who
has
fur
and

cat‐like
features.
The
general
public
is
willing
to
overlook
the
non‐human





135


appearance
of
other
heroes
in
the
Marvel
Universe,
so
the
use
of
the
image‐
tranducer
marks
a
lack
of
willingness
by
Nightcrawler
to
accept
his
own
minority

identity.




Nightcrawler’s
German
heritage
is
most
clearly
shown
through
his
use
of


German
words.
When
surprised
or
excited,
Nightcrawler
is
likely
to
exclaim
in
his

native
tongue.
This
is
a
trait,
under
Claremont,
that
most
foreign
characters
on
the

X‐Men
share.
For
many
of
the
characters,
the
use
of
their
native
tongue
is
the

defining
representation
of
their
ethnicity.
It
should
be
noted
that
the
use
of
foreign

words
is
not
always
correct.
For
example,
Nightcrawler
often
calls
Kitty
Pryde

“liebchen,”
a
term
of
endearment
or
care
in
German,
but
it
is
sometimes
printed

“leibchen”
which
means
“undergarment”
or
“bodice.”





Banshee





Sean
Cassidy
originally
appeared
as
a
villain
in
the
1960’s
X‐Men
comic


books,
but
reformed
in
that
period
as
well.
He
has
a
sonic
scream,
and
he
can
ride

the
soundwaves
his
scream
produces
so
that
he
flies.
He,
like
Sunfire
and
Wolverine,

was
a
pre‐existing
character
brought
in
during
the
relaunch
of
the
X‐Men
comic

book.
Banshee
embodies
many
stereotypes
of
the
Irish.
He
has
red
hair,
dresses
in

green,
speaks
with
a
thick
brogue
(depicted
in
comic
books
through
expressions

such
as
calling
everyone
“lad,”
using
“yer”
and
“ye”
in
lieu
of
“your”
and
“you,
or

saying
things
such
as
“a
foine
broth
of
a
boy”).
Banshee
inherits
an
Irish
castle
which

is
infested
with
leprechauns,
and
his
powers
and
name
are
derived
from
an
Irish

myth.






136





There
is
difficult
balance
between
recognizing
a
character’s
ethnicity
and


embracing
stereotypes.
One
problem
for
Banshee
is
that
for
much
of
this
run
his

defining
characteristics
are
entirely
those
Irish
stereotypes.
Initially
there
is
not

much
more
to
the
character.




Banshee
does
become
more
interesting
when,
in
the
course
of
battle
his
vocal


chords
are
damaged
and
he
is
unable
to
use
his
mutant
power
for
a
time.
His

budding
relationship
with
Moira
MacTaggert
and
the
family
dynamics
which

develop
when
he
learns
he
has
a
daughter
add
depth
to
a
character
who
for
a
time

was
a
caricature
of
Irish
culture.

Storm

Ororo
Munro
has
become
one
of
the
most
recognizable
and
iconic
of
the
X‐
Men.
She
has
appeared
in
most
adaptations
of
the
X‐Men
and
appears
as
a
member

of
the
team
more
than
any
character
other
than
Wolverine.
Importantly,
she

assumes
the
role
of
field
leader
for
the
X‐Men
when
Cyclops
departs,
making
her
the

first
Black
team
leader
in
Marvel
comic
books.

Storm,
who
has
the
power
to
control
weather,
is
first
introduced
being

worshipped
by
a
group
of
indigenous
Kenyans
as
a
Goddess.
Storm
does
not
know

she
is
a
mutant
and
accepts
her
role
as
a
goddess
until
Professor
Xavier
comes
and

explains
to
her
a
reality
which
replaces
her
traditional
beliefs.
This
aspect
of
the

story
is
uncomfortably
close
to
classic
imperialism,
depicting
the
natives
as
an

ignorant
and
naïve
group
with
no
conception
of
the
modern
world.
Rather
than
the

scientific
explanation
of
Storm’s
powers
which
exists
in
the
narrative
universe,
the





137


African
tribe
embraces
a
superstitious
one.
A
white
man
must
come
in
and
teach

Storm
about
the
world
and
her
place
in
it.


Storm
undergoes
many
changes
in
her
character
but
in
this
period
she

mostly
functions
as
an
extremely
confident
team
leader.
She
is
often
sexualized,

frequently
appearing
topless
with
only
her
hair
or
wind
lines
obscuring
her
nipples.

Claremont
argues
that
this
is
to
honor
her
African
heritage,
which
has
different
sets

of
modesty,
but
it
also
was
likely
used
to
entice
adolescent
male
readers.
Unlike

Nightcrawler,
Banshee,
and
Colossus,
Storm’s
dialogue
is
not
written
with
a
heavy

accent.
If
anything,
she
speaks
with
a
heightened
formality,
perhaps
reflective
of
her

status
as
a
goddess
when
she
was
recruited
into
the
X‐Men.

While
Storm
is
the
lone
female
character
in
the
new
members
of
the
X‐Men,

she
is
far
from
the
at‐times
token
presence
Marvel
Girl
had
in
the
original
run
of
the

series.
She
does
not
pine
for
any
members
of
the
team,
and
though
several
team

members
flirt
with
her,
she
is
not
the
object
of
affection
Marvel
Girl
was.
Also,
while

the
only
Black
character
on
the
team,
she
avoids
many
stereotypes
that
were

common
for
Black
comic
book
characters
at
the
time.
Mike
Madrid
notes:

Ororo
was
codenamed
Storm,
one
of
the
first
heroines
to
bear
a
modern
nam

de
gurre
that
didn’t
use
“girl,”
“woman,”
or
“lady.
[…]

Tall,
Stately
and

elegant,
with

mane
of
long
white
hair,
angular
exotic
features,
and
blue
eyes,

Storm
eschewed
the
blaxpoitation
aesthetic
of
the
times
by
foregoing
hot

pants
and
giant
afros.
(170)





138


Madrid
goes
on
to
argue
that
she
was
not
overly
sexualized,
but
her
body‐baring

costume
and
penchant
for
disrobing
do
invite
the
reader
to
objectify
her
body
and

ignore
the
more
progressive
aspects
of
her
character.


Sunfire




Shiro
Yoshida
can
fly
and
generate
and
control
a
hot
flame‐like
plasma.


Unlike
many
of
the
new
characters
introduced,
Sunfire
immediately
has
a

personality
that
goes
beyond
cultural
stereotypes,
though
it
is
not
a
particularly

pleasant
or
flattering
personality.
Sunfire
is
shown
to
be
prideful,
angry
towards
the

other
members
of
the
team,
and,
more
defensibly,
fiercely
loyal
to
his
homeland.
He

had
appeared
in
the
first
run
of
X‐Men
stories
as
a
villain,
but
is
recruited
by

Professor
X
to
rescue
the
original
team.
He
served
for
this
one
mission,
but
then
quit

the
X‐Men.





When
the
X‐Men
found
themselves
in
Japan
on
a
later
adventure
he
refused


their
help
until
the
emperor
ordered
him
to
accept
their
aid.
His
loyalty
is
strictly
to

his
emperor
and
country,
not
to
mutantkind
or
Professor
Xavier’s
dream.
Sunfire’s

frequent
references
to
his
empire
and
his
emperor
harkens
back
to
the
stereotypical

fear
of
the
“yellow
peril”
that
was
common
in
American
popular
culture
in
the
early

twentieth
century.




Colossus





Piotr
Nikolaievitch
Rasputin,
who
often
simply
goes
by
Peter,
has
the
power


to
turn
his
body
into
“organic
steel”
which
makes
him
almost
impervious
to
harm

and
also
grants
him
super
strength.
When
Professor
Xavier
recruits
Colossus,
he
is





139


working
on
a
Communist
collective
farm.
Piotr
is
sometimes
described
in
the
comic

books
as
a
simple
Russian
farmboy.

Colossus,
and
his
family,
fit
several
Russian
stereotypes
which
are
commonly

seen
in
popular
culture.
The
workers
on
the
farm
are
all
dressed
like
poor
peasants.

Colossus,
in
his
powers
and
personality,
is
a
stoic,
strong
man.
Russian
men
have

often
been
portrayed
as
quiet,
hard
men,
with
the
implication
that
they
have
been

made
so
by
the
Russian
winter.
Other
examples
of
this
type
of
character
include
Ivan

Drago
from
Rocky
IV
or,
more
recently,
Mikhail
from
the
television
show
Lost.
Much

like
Nightcrawler,
Colossus
frequently
makes
exclamations
in
his
native
tongue

which
are
not
translated
for
American
readers.





Thunderbird





John
Proudstar
was
one
of
the
first
Native
Americans
to
be
featured
as
a


superhero.
An
Apache,
Proudstar
is
depicted
as
an
angry
man,
bitter
not
only

because
of
the
unjust
treatment
his
people
had
received
at
the
hands
of
colonizing

Europeans,
but
because
he
perceived
the
current
leadership
of
his
tribe
to
be

complacent
and
lazy.
He
has
super
speed
and
strength
and
heightened
sight,

hearing,
and
smell.
When
readers
are
first
introduced
to
the
character
he
is
hunting

a
bison
by
running
alongside
it
as
it
gallops
at
full
speed
then
he
grabs
it
by
the

horns
and
kills
it
by
throwing
it
into
the
ground.

When
approached
by
Professor
X,
Proudstar
refers
to
him
as
“cripple”
and

“white‐eyes”
and
says
that
it’s
too
bad
“the
white
man”
needs
his
help.
He
is
easily

manipulated
by
Professor
X,
who
gets
Proudstar
to
help
him
by
simply
saying
“I





140


offer
you
a
chance
to
help
the
world
and
you
turn
your
back
on
me?

Then
perhaps

what
they
say
is
true.
Perhaps
the
Apache
are
all
frightened
selfish
children”
(??).


Thunderbird’s
costume
includes
a
headband
with
feathers
stuck
in
it,
which

was
not
commonly
worn
by
Apaches.
Feathered
war
bonnets
were
worn
by
the

Sioux,
Crow,
Blackfeet,
and
other
tribes
from
the
Great
Plains
region.
Thunderbird’s

costume
also
has
a
large
fringe
around
the
armbands.
Apache
men
would
wear

buckskin
shirts
with
fringes
on
the
shoulders,
so
this
aspect
of
the
costume
does

reflect
Thunderbird’s
tribal
heritage,
whereas
the
feathers
seem
to
reflect
a
general

stereotype
about
Native
American
apparel.





In
X­Men
#
94,
Thunderbird’s
third
appearance
ever,
the
team
is
battling


Count
Nefaria
when
the
villain
is
escaping
on
a
jet.
Thunderbird
leaps
onto
the
jet
as

it
takes
off
and
clings
to
it
as
it
flies
away.
Banshee,
who
can
fly,
travels
alongside
the

plane
as
Thunderbird
smashes
tears
at
the
jet’s
fuselage
and
engine.
Banshee
tells

Thunderbird
to
jump
off
the
plane
so
that
he
can
carry
him
to
safety,
but

Thunderbird
continues
his
attack
until
the
jet
explodes,
killing
both
Count
Nefaria

and
himself.




Thunderbird
is
the
first
death
in
the
X‐Men
comic
books
series.
And
while


many
other
characters
since
have
died,
and
almost
as
many
have
been
resurrected,

Thunderbird
has
remained
deceased.
Count
Nefaria,
however,
was
revealed
to
have

only
been
injured
in
the
explosion
and
has
since
returned
as
a
recurring
villain
of

Iron
Man
and
the
Avengers.


An
upset
fan
wrote
in
to
Marvel
to
complain
about
the
short
time

Thunderbird
was
featured
as
a
member
of
the
X‐Men
and
the
fact
that
he
was
killed.





141


Tom
Runningmouth’s
letter
was
published
in
The
X­Men
#97
(Feb.
1976).
He

comments
on
Thunderbird
being
“oppressed,”
likely
a
reference
to
Cyclops
yelling
at

Thunderbird
and
telling
him
to
follow
orders
and
be
a
team
player.
The
letter
reads:

After
reading
GIANT‐SIZE
X‐MEN
#1
I
was
proud
to
see
one
of
my
people,
an

American
Indian
–America’s
First
Citizens—become
a
member.
But
to
my

dissatisfaction,
in
X‐MEN
#94
you
started
to
oppress
him.
The
story
and
art

were
good,
but
I
was
angry
to
see
Thunderbird
treated
harshly.
But
the

clincher
was
in
X‐MEN
#95.
You
killed
him.
Why
was
he
chosen?

Why

Thunderbird?
(125)

The
published
response
reads:




A
serious
question,
Tom;
and
one
which
deserves
a
serious
answer.
[…]

Why
Thunderbird?

Because
he
was
the
weakest
potential
character
in
the
X‐
Men.
He
had
no
powers
which
weren’t
duplicated
by
other
members
of
the

team—by
Colossus,
or
Nightcrawler,
or
Wolverine—and,
harsh
as
it
sounds,

duplicated
better.
But
worst
off
all,
his
character—as
a
character‐‐‐had

nowhere
to
go.
All
he
was,
all
he
really
ever
could
be,
was
a
wise‐cracking,

younger,
not‐as‐interesting
copy
of
Hawkeye
the
Marksman
in
the
Avengers

[…]

Proudstar
deserved
a
better
deal
than
that,
and
he
could
never
get
it,

which
is
why
he
had
to
die.
Because,
when
you
think
about
it,
it
was
better

that
he
die
with
honor
rather
than
spend
the
rest
of
his
comic‐book
life
trying

to
force
himself
into
a
person
he
wasn’t.
We’re
sorry
Thunderbird
had
to
die

too,
Tom,
but
we
also
think
it
was
for
the
best.
(125)





142


To
be
blunt,
many
parts
of
this
explanation
make
very
little
sense.
Certainly
the

writer
may
have
felt
that
Thunderbird
was
the
weakest
potential
character,
and

Wein
and
Claremont’s
opinions
as
writers
were
what
led
to
the
story
of

Thunderbird’s
death.
And
his
powers
were
similar
to
Colossus,
who
has
super

strength,
and
Wolverine,
who
has
heightened
senses.
But
there
are
no
similarities

with
Nightcrawler’s
powers,
so
it
is
odd
that
Nightcrawler
was
included
in
the
list
of

characters
Thunderbird
too
closely
resembled.
The
comparison
to
Hawkeye,
a

member
of
the
Avengers,
another
popular
super
hero
team
comic
book
published
by

Marvel,
makes
little
sense.
Hawkeye
is
a
white
expert
archer
who
has
no

superpowers.
He
often
fights
with
his
teammates,
which
is
similar
to
how

Thunderbird
is
shown
in
his
three
appearances,
but
that
is
the
extent
of
their

similarities.





Also,
to
imply
that
there
was
nothing
the
writers
could
do
other
than
kill
the


character
is
disingenuous
at
best.
The
writers
and
editors
can
do
whatever
they

wish
with
the
characters.
There
are
myriad
examples
of
characters
undergoing

radical
personality
changes,
some
with
narrative
impetus,
some
without.
The

writers
were
under
no
obligation
to
prevent
Thunderbird
from
evolving
as
a

character.
Whatever
the
reason
chosen
to
kill
Thunderbird,
be
it
to
show
the

heightened
stakes
the
team
no
operated
under
or
because
the
Claremont
wasn’t
a

fan
of
the
character,
the
idea
that
“it
was
better”
that
a
fictional
character
who
had

been
published
in
only
three
comic
books
“die
with
honor
rather
than
spend
the
rest

of
his
comic‐book
life
trying
to
force
himself
into
a
person
he
wasn’t”
rings
false.







Wolverine


143





In
terms
of
popularity
in
comic
books
and
media
adaptations,
Wolverine
has


by
far
been
the
most
successful
character
added
to
the
X‐Men’s
roster.
He
has

headlined
several
monthly
comic
books,
many
mini‐series,
and
appeared
on
several

other
teams
in
addition
to
the
X‐Men.
He
has
also
had
a
feature
film
made
about
the

character
and
has
been
the
focus
character
of
several
films
and
cartoon
series

adaptations
of
the
X‐Men.
He
appears
in
more
issues
of
The
Uncanny
X­Men
than
any

other
member
of
the
team.




Wolverine,
who
simply
uses
the
name
Logan
for
his
real
identity,
is
a
short,


muscular
Canadian
mutant.
He
has
enhanced
senses
and
a
healing
factor
which

quickly
heals
any
wounds.
He
also
has
three
claws
which
can
extend
from
each

handAlthough
not
one
of
his
mutant
powers,
Wolverine’s
skeleton
has
been
coated

with
a
nearly
indestructible
fictional
metal
called
Adamantium.




Wolverine
is
something
of
an
outsider
on
the
team,
often
butting
heads
with


the
team
leader
and
preferring
to
do
battle
his
own
way.
He
is,
at
this
point,
one
of

the
only
X‐Men
who
is
willing
to
kill
in
battle.
Interestingly,
Logan
adopts
many
of

the
classic
markers
of
the
cowboy.
When
not
in
costume
he
often
wears
a
cowboy

hat
and
western
themed
bolos
and
belt
buckles.
In
the
other
comic
book
titles
Logan

will
appear
in
he
is
often
shown
as
a
lonely
figure
riding
into
a
sunset
on
a

motorcycle,
a
modern
version
of
the
cowboy’s
horse.




Even
on
the
team
of
societal
outsiders,
Logan
is
an
outsider.
His
adoption
of


the
cowboy
persona
has
little
to
do
with
his
heritage,
but
may
be
one
reason
for
his

popularity.
The
cowboy
is
one
of
the
most
significant
and
enduring
figures
in

American
popular
culture,
and
Wolverine
is
a
superhero
version
of
this
classic





144


figure.
For
the
good
of
the
greater
society
he
does
the
job
others
aren’t
willing
to
do,

even
though
he
never
truly
fits
into
that
society.

Kitty
Pryde




Beginning
with
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#139,
Kitty
Pryde
becomes
an
official


member
of
the
X‐Men.
She
was
introduced
in
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#129
as
a
13‐year‐
old
girl
who
is
very
intelligent,
especially
with
computers.
She
has
the
ability
to

“phase,”
or
pass
through
solid
objects.
She
was
much
younger
then
the
other

members
of
the
X‐Men
when
she
joined
the
team,
but
quickly
developed
a
crush
on

Colossus,
which
would
be
reciprocatedAlthough
his
age
is
not
made
clear
at
the

time,
it
is
implied
he
was
almost
twenty.
She
will
use
several
codenames
on
the

team,
including
Sprite
and
Ariel
before
she
settles
on
Shadowcat.




It
is
very
clear
that
Claremont
and
Byrne
wanted
Pryde
to
be
a
strong
female


character
in
the
mold
of
Ripley
from
Alien.
In
fact,
one
of
her
stories
lifts
very
heavily

from
Alien.
Kitty
is
alone
in
the
X‐Mansion
when
a
demon
attacks.
With
no
training

in
fighting,
Kitty
lures
the
demon
to
the
hangar
where
the
X‐Men’s
jet
is
stored.
She

kills
the
demon
by
burning
it
with
the
afterburners
of
the
jet.
Byrne
has
said:

We
wanted
to
do
an
homage
to
the
movie
Alien,
and
I
don’t
know
whether
I

was
demented
r
what
in
those
days,
but
I
honestly
thought
when
I
was

drawing
it
that
people
wouldn’t
instantly
realize
where
we
got
it
from.
I

thought
I
was
being
really
clever,
how
I
was
making
little
twists
and
turns
to

change
it.
Only
the
ending
where
she
used
the
Blackbird
[jet]
to
blast
the

N’Garai
to
death
was
the
same.
And
then
Chris
kind
of
wrote
[the
script]
even





145


more
like
the
movie.
By
the
time
I
actually
read
it,
it
was
like,
“Oh
well,
wait

till
the
lawsuits
come…”

But
they
never
did
(DeFalco
“Byrne”
113).

Whatever
else
was
lifted
from
Alien,
the
strong
independent
portrayal
of
a
female

lead
certainly
is
reflected
in
Kitty
Pryde.




Unlike
many
female
characters
in
comic
books,
Pryde
is
drawn
to
resemble
a


very
young
teenage
girl.
Much
like
Marvel
Girl
in
the
1960s,
Pryde
is
drawn
with
a

very
modest
costume
and
with
a
body
type
that
does
not
accentuate
her
breasts
or

butt.
At
least
one
reader
took
note
of
this
portrayal
of
Kitty
Pryde.
Julie
St.

Germaine’s
letter
was
published
in
The
X0Men
#136
(Aug.
1980)
and
read,
in
part:

I’m
even
more
thrilled
about
Kitty
Pryde,
however.
She’s
young,
unsure
of

how
to
handle
her
power,
and
most
amazing
of
all:
she’s
not
pretty!

I
like

that
skinny,
flat‐chested
kid.
I
like
her
suburban
corniness
and
her

resourcefulness
[…]

One
request:
please
don’t
call
her
“Cute
Kitty
Pryde”

again—her
lack
of
beauty
is
good;
don’t
ruin
it
by
giving
her
the
cutes.

Kitty
Pryde
is
one
of
the
few
female
characters
that
has,
in
almost
every
iteration,

worn
a
costume
that
was
not
overtly
revealing
and
consistently
been
drawn
without

an
overly
exaggerated
body
type.

Race
and
Ethnicity




The
first
page
of
story
in
Giant­Size
X­Men
#1
(1975)
makes
it
clear
that


prejudice
will
be
a
very
important
theme
for
the
series.
The
scene
opens
with
an

establishing
shot
of
Wintzeldorf,
Germany,
then
shows
a
mob
with
torches,
with
one

villager
calling
out
“This
way,
men!

The
monster
went
this
way!”

The
next
panel

reveals
Nightcrawler,
a
creature
with
blue
skin,
yellow
large
eyes
with
no
pupils,





146


three
large
fingers
and
toes,
a
pointed
tail,
and
pointy
ears.
His
thoughts
condemn

the
villagers
actions,
“Monster
is
it?

The
fools!

It
is
they
who
are
monsters
–
with

their
mindless
prejudice!”

(12)

The
townspeople
risk
burning
their
entire
city
to

capture
Nightcrawler,
and
when
they
do
they
hold
him
down
prepared
to
drive
a

stake
into
his
heart,
but
suddenly
everyone
but
Nightcrawler
becomes
frozen
in

place.
Professor
X
has
used
his
psychic
powers
to
stop
their
minds.
Professor
X

invites
Nightcrawler,
whose
name
is
Kurt
Warner,
to
come
to
his
school.
Kurt
asks,

“Can
you
help
me
to
be
normal?”
to
which
Professor
X
replies,
“After
tonight’s

misfortune,
would
you
truly
want
to
be?”

Kurt’s
reply
signals
an
early
acceptance
of

his
mutant
nature,
“Perhaps
not.
I
want
only
to
be
a
whole
Kurt
Wagner!

If
you
can

make
me
that,
teacher…I
will
go
with
you.”
(14).




The
gathering
of
a
new
team
of
X‐Men
ushered
in
a
new
era
of
much
greater


diversity.
But
how
was
this
diversity
used
in
the
comic
book?
 Chris
Claremont,

who
has
had
the
most
significant
role
in
producing
the
X‐Men
adventures
for
the

longest
tenure
of
any
creator,
explains
that:

The
intent
when
Roy
Thomas
and
Len
Wein
and
Dave
Cockrum
got
together

in
’74
to
relaunch
the
series
[…was
to]
restructure
things
with
a
new
group
of

characters
and
a
more
varied
and
international
team.
[A
team
that
was]

broader
in
terms
of
visual
presentation,
in
terms
of
racial
presentation,
in

terms
of
gender
presentation.
It
would
not
be
five
upper‐middle
class
white

kids.
It
would
be
a
mix
of
ethnographic
and
regional
characters
from
around

the
world.






147


Nonetheless,
simply
having
a
diverse
cast,
though
a
welcome
change
form
the
status

quo
of
superhero
comics,
did
not
ensure
progressive
portrayals
of
minorities.
At

times,
old
stereotypes
were
employed
to
reveal
a
character’s
culture.
But
more

often,
progression
was
seen
compared
to
how
minorities
were
being
portrayed
in

popular
entertainment.
Certainly
the
mere
presence
of
a
diverse
cast
of
characters

in
heroic
roles
was
significant
for
the
comic
book
industry
which
had
spent
much

too
long
publishing
the
adventures
of
white
men.





X‐Men
writer
Fabian
Nicieza
explained
that,
in
his
mind,
having
a
diverse
cast


is
important
not
to
be
to
be
socially
relevant
or
representative
of
every
minority,
but

to
tell
the
best
stories.
“Personally,
I
think
such
diversity
is
very
important,
but
not

for
PC‐related
reasons,
just
the
opposite,
actually,
because
diversity
creates
greater

opportunities
for
differences
of
opinion,
background,
life
experiences,
which
helps

generate
more
conflict
which
is
the
foundation
for
good
drama”
(Nicieza).
Similarly,

Chris
Claremont
explains
that
“You
take
each
character
as
they
are,
you
shuffle
them

together,
you
see
what
works
for
them
[…]
and
also
gives
the
other
characters
to

react
to,
to
relate
to,
to
deal
with.
At
that
point
you’re
off
and
running
to
building
a

story
or
building
and
resolving
a
conflict”
(Claremont)




But
when
exploring
a
character’s
background,
it
can
be
difficult
to
balance


honoring
a
cultural
tradition
and
using
stereotypes
as
a
shorthand
explanation
of

the
character’s
motivations.
When
Nicieza
was
asked
if
there
was
a
balance
between

representing
a
culture
and
using
stereotypes,
he
replied:

Of
course
there
is,
but
the
writer
is
rarely
the
one
who
knows
when
he
or
she

has
crossed
that
line.
Usually,
the
reader
will
be
sure
to
tell
you.
[Not
to
be]





148


flip
about
it,
but
sometimes
[…]
stereotypes
exists
for
a
reason,
because
it
is
a

prevalent
or
consistent
behavior
of
a
particular
group.
For
me,
often,
the
real

fine
line
is
actually
using
a
stereotype
but
not
making
it
stereotypical.
A

recent
example,
which
actually
wasn't
even
for
comic
book
work
I'm
doing,

but
for
a
virtual
world
start‐up
I'm
involved
with,
we
created
several

characters
and
the
person
doing
our
focus‐testing
research
said
that
having

an
African‐American
female
athlete
with
a
single
mother
and
no
father
in
her

life
was
a
stereotype.
Before
I
could
even
say
a
word,
the
artist
I'm
working

with
asked,
"Are
you
saying
there
are
no
single
African‐American
mothers

raising
children
with
no
father
in
sight?"
I
figure,
now
I
can
sit
back
and

watch,
considering
the
artist
in
question
is
African‐American.
She
tried
to

explain
that,
"Of
course
there
are,
but
depicting
them
that
way
is

stereotypical."
We
had
a
nice
discussion
about
what
the
differences
are

between
stereotypical
depictions
and
stereotypes
which
helped
clarify

everyone’s'
thoughts
on
the
subject
in
a
positive
way.
(Nicieza)

Claremont
also
addressed
this
concern,
expressing
his
belief
that

“Ideally
you
avoid

stereotyping
the
character
by
dealing
with
each
person
as
an
individual.
What

makes
them
who
they
are”
(Claremont).
Some
of
that
may
be
elements
of
their

culture
which
some
may
interpret
as
stereotypical,
but
there
must
be
more
to
the

character
than
simply
those
elements.





One
interesting
aspect
of
the
group
dynamic
is
that
initially
the
new


members
of
the
team
do
not
get
along,
and
much
of
their
problems
have
to
do
with

their
own
prejudicesAlthough
they
seem
united
against
the
prejudice
they





149


experience
from
normal
humans,
they
use
pejorative
terms
based
on
nationalities.

Thunderbird,
an
Apache
Indian,
calls
Professor
X
“white
eyes”
when
he
first
meets

him
and
when
Professor
X
asks
for
help
he
replies,
“The
white
man
needs
me?


That’s
tough!

I
owe
him
nothing
but
the
grief
he’s
given
my
people!”
(23).
Cyclops

refers
to
Thunderbird
as
“Geronimo”
(30),
Thunderbird
calls
Sunfire
“the
Jap!”
(30).

Banshee
is
referred
to
as
“Irish”
by
Wolverine
(35)
and
as
“Shamrock”
by

Thunderbird
(55).





Claremont
wanted
to
included
flawed
individuals
who
find
a
way
to
struggle


through
life
in
an
adopted
family.
These
early
prejudices
are
part
of
the
rough
edges

which
the
characters
had
but
which
are
softened
through
their
bonding.
Claremont

has
said
that

“..at
it’s
core
[The
X­Men
is]
a
book
about
outcasts,
people
who
are
so
screwed

over
in
their
lives
that
they
have
no
family
but
the
one
that
they
built
for

themselves.
It’s
a
quest
for
family.
It’s
a
quest
for
a
place
to
belong,
a
place

where
you
are
welcome
among
people
who
believe
deep
down
inside
that

they
would
never
be
welcomed
anywhere
else.
To
me,
The
X­Men
works
best

when
it
says
to
the
reader
“You
are
welcome
here.
We
are
your
guides.
You’re

an
outcast,
we’re
outcasts—Let’s
bond!”


 

Because
of
this
perspective,
the
prejudice
the
mutants
face
in
the
Marvel
universe

becomes
much
more
prevalent
under
Claremont’s
writing
than
what
was
previously

seen.
The
X‐Men
develop
an
us‐versus‐them
mentality
which
is
forged
through

constant
displays
that
“they”
want
nothing
to
do
with
mutants.





150





For
example,
the
X­Men
#94
(Aug.1975),
the
first
of
the
new
stories
in
the


regular
X‐Men
title
following
years
of
reprints,
has
a
storyline
that
is
an
homage
to

The
X­Men
#1
(Sep.
1963).
The
team
must
protect
a
military
base
that
has
been

taken
over
by
a
villain
bent
on
world
domination.
In
The
X­Men
#1,
the
villain
is

Magneto,
in
X­Men
#93
it
is
Count
Nefaria
and
his
Ani‐men.
One
notable
difference

between
the
two
stories,
however,
highlights
greater
prevalence
of
anti‐mutant

prejudice
which
will
be
a
hallmark
of
Claremont’s
tenure
as
writer.
In
the
1963

story,
the
military
leader
thanks
the
X‐Men
for
their
service
and
promises
that

“Before
this
day
is
over
the
X‐Men
will
be
the
most
honored
name
in
my
command!”


(31).
In
X­Men
#94
(Aug.
1975)
the
military
commander
hopefully
asks
if
the

Avengers
have
arrived
when
the
X‐Men’s
jet
flies
to
the
army
base.
When
Cyclops

identifies
the
team
as
the
X‐Men
the
general
responds,
“Figures,
I
mighta
known
you

muties’d
show
up
with
Nefaria
around”
(62).
Whereas
the
earlier
issue
featured
a

military
leader
who
was
an
unprejudiced
nondiscriminatory,
to
use
Robert
Merton’s

system,
in
this
issue
the
military
is
led
by
a
prejudiced
nondiscriminatory.
Soon
the

X‐Men
will
regularly
encounter
prejudiced
discriminators.


Gender

The
two
main
female
characters
on
the
team
during
this
time
are
Jean
Grey,

who
changes
her
codename
to
Phoenix
in
The
X­Men
#101
(Oct.
1976),
and
Storm,

who
appears
in
every
issue
during
this
period.
Other
significant
female
characters

include
Kitty
Pryde
and
Mystique.


One
notable
aspect
of
this
run
is
that
Storm
serves
as
the
team
leader
for
a

significant
period,
the
first
female
and
the
first
African
American
to
lead
the
a





151


superhero
team.
While
Wasp
would
be
the
first
female
to
lead
the
Marvel
superhero

team
the
Avengers
beginning
in
The
Avengers
#217
(Mar.
1982)
and
Invisible

Woman
would
lead
the
Fantastic
Four
beginning
in
Fantastic
Four
#384
(Jan.
1994),

Storm
predates
them
as
a
female
team
leader,
becoming
the
X‐Men’s
leader
in
The

Uncanny
X­Men
#131
(Nov.
1980).
Storm
is
also
the
first
Black
superheroine
in

mainstream
comic
books.
As
the
leader
of
the
X‐Men,
she
is
also
the
first
Black

leader
of
a
superhero
teamAlthough
a
very
strong
character,
Storm
does
have
a

weakness,
her
own
personal
kryptonite.
Storm
suffers
from
debilitating

claustrophobia,
which
does
cause
her
to
occasionally
pass
out
or
become
ineffective

for
the
team.





While
Storm’s
role
as
leader
is
important,
this
period
does
see
an
increase
in


the
amount
of
skin
displayed
by
comic
book
characters,
both
male
and
female.

Storm’s
costume
is
much
more
revealing
that
anything
worn
by
Marvel
Girl
in
the

1960s.
Concerning
Storm’s
penchant
for
being
depicted
without
clothes,
though

always
with
at
least
minimal
covering
by
hair
or
objects
in
the
foreground,

Claremont
explained:

You
have
this
strikingly
beautiful
woman,
but
she’s
from
a
totally
different

cultural
and
ethnic
background
thrown
into
the
heart
of
upper
and
middle

class
suburbia.
And
to
use
an
extreme
example,
[her
thinking]
“Why
do
I
have

to
wear
a
bathing
suit?”
and
then
everyone
reacting
to
her.
Part
of
her
is

thinking
“This
is
really
silly”
and
then
part
of
her
is
thinking,
“Well,
I’m
in

Rome
I
must
do
as
the
Romans
do,
no
matter
how
absurd
it
is.”

Again,
you

think
about
why
one
wear
clothes,
the
standard
base
rationales
are
as
a





152


defense
against
the
weather,
the
environment.
As
a
reflection
of
perceived

societal
rules
and
modesty.
As
an
expression
of
character.
In
Storm’s
case
the

environmental
part
of
the
equation
isn’t
there.
It
doesn’t
matter
whether
it’s

winter
or
summer,
being
in
control
of
the
weather
means
she
can
define

what
her
local
environment
is.
She’s
comfortable
whether
it’s
105
degrees
or

105
below
zero.
Therefore,
that’s
out
of
the
equation
so
it’s
then
a
matter
of
a

moral
choice
or
a
fashion
choice,
and
then
what?

Because
you’re
talking

Northeast
Africa
versus
suburban
New
York.
How
does
that
fit
together?


How
does
she
feel
wearing
traditional
Euro‐American
attire
as
opposed
to

traditional
African
attire.
Again
it’s
something
to
play
with,
it’s
a
direction
to

go.


Claremont’s
explanation
offers
a
reason
for
Storm
to
choose
to
disrobe
at
times,
but

the
frequency
with
which
it
is
shown
to
readers
seems
to
reflect
more
than
just

honoring
her
cultural
norms.




Storm’s
role
on
the
team
is
unlike
many
other
females
in
superhero
team


comics.
As
noted
previously,
she
acted
as
team
leader
following
Cyclops’s
departure,

giving
orders
to
men
which
was
quite
atypical.
While
Cyclops
struggles
to
control

Wolverine,
Storm
does
so
easily.
Madrid
notes
that
“In
an
early
adventure,
she
stops

[Wolverine]
from
attacking
team
leader
Cyclops
with
a
touch
of
her
hand
and
a

simple
command”
(170).
Storm
tells
Wolverine,
“You
will
do
nothing,

Wolverine…not
now.
Not
ever…or
you
will
answer
to
me.”

Additionally,
she
was
not

a
figure
in
a
romantic
love
triangle,
which
was
a
common
feature
in
the
soap
opera‐
esque
comic
book
storylines.
Eventually,
in
a
story
published
in
2006,
Storm
marries





153


Black
Panther,
who
was
introduced
in
1966
as
the
first
African
superhero
in

mainstream
comic
books.





Jean
Grey
undergoes
a
significant
change
in
these
issues
as
well.
In
a


prolonged
storyline,
Jean
Grey
undergoes
a
character
transformation.
Grey
becomes

more
assertive
in
her
personal
life,
more
powerful
in
her
mutant
abilities,
and

changes
her
codename
from
Marvel
Girl
to
Phoenix.
Eventually,
she
turns
evil
and

takes
the
name
Dark
Phoenix
and
becomes
a
threat
to
the
entire
galaxy.
In
this
story,

it
is
revealed
that
her
turn
towards
evil
is
a
result
of
her
body
being
bonded
with
an

intergalactic
entity
referred
to
as
the
Phoenix
Force.
Years
later,
a
retcon
reveals

that
it
was
not
Jean
Grey
who
turned
evil
and
becomes
a
galactic
threat,
but
the

Phoenix
Force
was
impersonating
her
form.
It
is
clear
that
Claremont,
Byrne,
and

the
editors
intended
this
storyline
to
be
Jean
Grey
and
not
an
impersonation
of
her

by
an
interstellar
force.
For
this
analysis,
it
will
be
treated
as
though
Jean
Grey
is
the

featured
character
in
the
storyline.

In
fact,
the
series
made
a
met‐reference
acknowledges
a
significant
change

from
the
previous
status
quo
of
Jean
Grey
and
Scott
Summers.
Recognizing
that
the

two
had
openly
pined
for
each
other
for
the
duration
of
the
original
run
on
the

series,
but
had
never
acted
on
those
feelings,
the
series
gave
a
wink
to
the
readers.

In
X­Men
#98

(Apr.
1976)
there
is
a
two‐panel
appearance
by
Jack
Kirby
and
Stan

Lee.
Kirby
and
Lee
walk
past
Scott
Summers
and
Jean
Grey,
who
have
just
shared

their
first
kiss,
Kirby
remarks
“Hey
Stan,
you
know
who
they
were?

I
tell
ya,
they

never
used
to
do
that
when
we
had
the
book.”
Lee
responds,”
Ah
Jack,
you
know

these
young
kids—they
got
no
respect”
(129).
Notably,
this
kiss
was
instigated
by





154


Jean
Grey,
who
told
Scott
he
needed
to
stop
worrying
about
everything
and
just
kiss

her.
This
is
a
far
cry
from
the
reserved
character
who
longed
for
Scott
from
a

distance.




The
changes
in
Jean
Grey’s
personality
are
on
several
fronts.
First,
she
was


originally
in
constant
need
of
being
rescued.
Often,
she
was
shown
not
knowing
how

to
use
her
powers
and
needing
the
guidance
of
a
male
leader
in
order
to
be
of
use
to

the
team.
Early
on
in
Claremont’s
run
this
narrative
trend
is
boldly
overturned.
In

The
Uncanny
X­Men
#100
Marvel
Girl
takes
control
of
a
deadly
situation
and
saves

the
entire
team.
She
not
only
acts
independently
in
doing
so,
she
has
to
knock
out

Cyclops,
the
team
leader,
who
would
have
prevented
her
from
risking
her
own
life.

As
the
X‐Men
are
aboard
a
shuttle
heading
back
to
Earth
she
orders
the
rest
of
the

team
and
the
pilot
into
a
shielded
cargo
hold.
She
stays
in
the
cockpit,
which
has
had

its
shielding
damaged,
and
uses
her
powers
to
read
the
pilot’s
mind
to
know
how
to

safely
guide
the
shuttle
home
even
as
she
uses
her
telekinesis
to
block
as
many

radioactive
particles
as
she
can.
She
acts
boldly
and
independently
of
the
orders
she

was
given
by
Cyclops
in
order
to
rescue
the
team.




Even
as
her
personality
is
becoming
more
bold,
her
powers
seem
to
be


increasing.
In
the
following
issue
she
rises
from
the
wreckage
of
the
shuttle
and

claims
to
now
be
Phoenix
instead
of
Marvel
Girl,
and
much
of
her
later
power

increase
is
linked
to
the
phoenix
force,
a
cosmic
entity
which
bonded
with
her

during
the
shuttle
crash.
But
even
before
being
joined
to
the
Phoenix
force
she
was

showing
more
strength
in
her
telekinesis
and
more
psychic
ability.
Phoenix
uses
her

new
powers
to
save
the
entire
universe
inside
of
a
structure
called
the
M’Kraan





155


crystal,
which
if
it
had
collapses
would
have
started
a
tidal
wave
of
destruction

ending
all
creation.


At
the
beginning
of
a
storyline
called
“The
Dark
Phoenix
Saga,”
which
spans

eight
issues,
Jean
Grey
also
becomes
much
more
forward
with
Scott
Summers,

instigating
what
is
implied
to
be
their
first
sexual
encounter.
This
act
occurs
early
on

in
Jean
Grey’s
dissent
towards
evil,
implying
that
Jean
Grey’s
sexual
awakening
is

tied
to
her
turn
towards
evil.
The
sexualisation
of
the
character
continues
when,
due

to
the
manipulations
of
Mastermind,
Jean
Grey
becomes
a
member
of
The
Hellfire

Club
and
dons
a
fetishistic
outfit
for
several
issues.
Under
the
manipulations
of

Mastermind
Jean
Grey
becomes
the
Black
Queen
of
the
Hellfire
Club.
The
Hellfire

Club
rulers
adopt
titles
based
on
chess
pieces,
and
the
White
Queen
and
the
Black

Queen
are
the
most
powerful
women
in
the
organization.
While
the
men
wear

anachronistic
Victorian
clothing,
with
ruffled
shirts
and
cravats,
the
women
dress
in,

essentially,
lingerie.


As
she
becomes
sexually
aggressive
in
her
behavior
and
her
dress
she

becomes
more
evil.
When
joining
the
Hellfire
Club
Jean
takes
on
the
name
the
Black

Queen.
However,
when
she
sees
through
Mastermind’s
deceptions
she
drives
him

insane
and
leaves
a
Hellfire
Club.
Wearing
a
darker
version
of
her
Phoenix
costume,

with
maroon
in
place
of
the
green,
she
calls
herself
the
Dark
Phoenix.




The
peak
of
her
villainy
comes
when
she
consumes
a
star
at
the
center
of
a


solar
system
which
has
an
inhabited
planet.
The
language
used
in
the
narration

implies
a
sexual
pleasure
being
derived
from
the
destruction
of
the
star:





156


An
in
the
center
of
the
super‐nova
she
created,
Dark
Phoenix
thrills
to
the

absolute
power
that
is
hers.
She
is
in
ecstasy.
Yet
she
knows
that
this
is
only

the
beginning—that
what
she
feels
now
is
nothing
compared
to
what
she

experienced
within
the
great
M’Kraan
Crystal.
She
craves
that
ultimate

sensation.
(The
Uncanny
X­Men
#135)

The
M’Kraan
Crystal
references
to
an
earlier
adventure,
the
first
time
Phoenix
used

the
full
extent
of
her
new
powers.
Thus,
a
search
for
the
sensations
from
her
first

experience
with
her
powers
has
driven
Phoenix
mad
and
now
threatens
all
life.
This

narration,
combined
with
the
earlier
sexual
awakening
of
Jean
Grey
coinciding
with

her
descent
into
evil,
implies
that
her
sexual
yearning
is
driving
her
to
commit

heinous
acts.
Jean
Grey
has
gone
from
the
conservative
Marvel
Girl,
to
the
sexually

aggressive
Phoenix,
to
the
villainous
and
cosmically
lustful
Dark
Phoenix.
Jean
Grey

later
confesses
to
Scott
Summers
that
“I
hunger,
Scott…for
a
joy,
a
rapture,
beyond

all
comprehension.
That
is
part
of
me,
too.
It…consumes
me.”




Mike
Madrid
explains
this
transformation
as
a
condemnation
of
the
sexual


revolution
which
occurred
in
America.
He
writes:

The
sexual
revolution
of
the
70’s
cast
a
new
light
on
women’s
intimate
needs,

and
specifically,
the
quest
for
the
orgasm.
1976’s
Hite
Report
on
Female

Sexuality
found
that
only
30%
of
women
had
experienced
orgasm.
Every

month
Cosmopolitan
magazine,
with
its
cleavage
baring
cover
models,

promised
new
secrets
to
achieving
the
elusive
orgasm.
[…]

Dark
Phoenix’s

struggles
were
a
parable
for
the
late
70’s,
where
the
hedonistic
search
for

pleasure
and
gratification
led
to
addiction
and
ultimately
death.
The
glamour





157


of
Studio
54
and
the
wild
delights
of
the
nightlife
were
dimmed
in
the
early

80’s,
when
the
first
reports
of
the
“gay
cancer”
that
would
become
AIDS

began
to
surface.
May
felt
that
it
was
atonement
for
the
bacchanalia
of
the

70’s.
Phoenix
too
had
to
atone
for
the
genocide
she
had
committed
in
her

quest
for
pleasure.
(174‐6).

Dark
Phoenix’s
punishment
is
her
death.
The
Shi’ar
Empire,
who
the
X‐Men
had

aided
in
previous
adventures,
came
to
Earth
to
make
Dark
Phoenix
stand
trial.
In
the

subsequent
battle
which
results
between
the
Shi’ar
Imperial
Guard
and
the
X‐Men,

Jean
Grey
who
has
taken
control
of
the
Phoenix
Force
which
corrupted
her,

sacrifices
herself
rather
than
see
her
fellow
X‐Men
fall
in
battle.
Her
death
ends
the

battle,
and
in
the
aftermath
a
grieving
Cyclops
quits
the
X‐Men.




A
retcon
by
later
writers
changes
the
character
of
Phoenix
and
Dark
Phoenix


from
Jean
Grey
to
a
cosmic
force
which
took
on
her
form,
but
to
the
reader
at
the

time
The
Dark
Phoenix
was
a
morality
tale
involving
one
of
Marvel’s
first

superheroine’s
fall
from
grace.
The
good
girl
readers
knew
from
the
earliest
issues

of
the
X‐Men
experienced
a
sexual
awakening
with
her
boyfriend,
Cyclops.
As
a

result
she
falls
in
with
a
new
group
of
friends,
the
Hellfire
Club,
who
introduce
her
to

further
evilsAlthough
she
tries
to
reject
this
group
of
friends
and
return
to
her

earlier
life,
the
new
carnal
desires
are
irrepressible
and
drive
her
to
hurt
those

closest
to
her
in
her
quest
to
satisfy
her
urges.
She
doesn’t
care
who
she
hurts,
in

this
case
reaching
the
extreme
of
committing
murdering
an
entire
race
of
aliens
in

pursuit
of
satisfaction
for
her
cravings.
In
the
end,
the
only
way
to
correct
all
the

problems
she
has
wrought
is
through
self‐sacrifice,
in
this
case
atoning
by
giving
her





158


own
life
in
defense
of
her
original
friends.
Claremont
and
Byrne
have
said
that
this

storyline
was
originally
intended
to
introduce
a
progressive
cosmic‐powered

superheroine,
but
in
the
end
the
moral
of
the
story
was
much
more
conservative.





To
a
certain
degree,
the
change
was
mandated
by
the
editor
of
Marvel
Comics


at
the
time,
Jim
Shooter.
Shooter
insisted
that
Phoenix
needed
to
die
as
a

punishment
for
the
genocide
she
committed,
whereas
Claremont
and
Byrne
simply

wanted
her
to
be
depowered.
But,
depowering
Jean
Grey
would
have
still
carried
a

similarly
conservative
message,
with
implications
that
sexual
awakening
in
women

has
dire
consequences
unless
removed.
Cyclops,
who
was
obviously
a
participant
in

Phoenix’s
sexual
experience,
has
no
such
repercussions.
In
fact,
he
will
go
on
to
be

romantically
attached
to
several
women
before
Jean
Grey
returns.




In
a
drastic
change
from
the
first
period,
there
are
several
strong
female


characters
among
the
villains
the
X‐Men
face.
A
new
version
of
the
villainous
team

The
Brotherhood
of
Evil
Mutants
appears
during
this
run,
but
this
time
the
team
is

led
by
a
female,
Mystique.
Mystique
has
the
ability
to
change
her
form
into
any

appearance
she
desires,
but
her
natural
state
is
with
blue
skin,
yellow
eyes,
and
red

hair.
Another
group
the
X‐Men
battles
is
the
Hellfire
Club,
which
has
a
group
of

four

in
charge
of
the
organization.
Included
in
this
group
is
Emma
Frost,
the
White

Queen,
and,
albeit
briefly,
Jean
Grey
as
the
Black
Queen.
Another
female
leader
in

this
period
is
Callisto,
who
serves
as
leader
of
the
Morlocks,
a
group

of
mutants

whose
deformities
have
caused
them
to
live
in
the
New
York
sewers
to
avoid

persecution.
Between
Storm
leading
the
X‐Men,
Mystique
leading
the
Brotherhood

of
Evil
Mutants,
the
White
Queen
as
one
of
the
leaders
of
the
Hellfire
Club,
and





159


Callisto
leading
the
Morlocks,
the
number
of
women
in
leading
teams
sees
a

significant
increase
in
this
period.

The
Number
Analysis




In
terms
of
gender
representation
this
period
of
X‐Men
comics
is
much
more


balanced
in
some
ways,
but
still
very
heavily
male‐oriented
in
others.
The

percentage
of
female
representation


Character


on
the
team
remains
largely
the


#
of

Appearances

74

74

74

74

59

49

37

26


%
of

Issues

100

100

100

100

79.7

65.3

50

35.1


Storm

Colossus

same
as
in
the
1960s,
but
the
villains
 Wolverine

Nightcrawler

and
especially
the
guest
stars
are

Cyclops

Professor
X

more
evenly
distributed
between

Banshee

Kitty

males
and
females.

Pryde/Sprite

Marvel

21

28.4



Sixteen
different
characters

Girl/Phoenix

Angel

12

16.2

appear
as
members
of
the
X‐Men
in

Thunderbird

3

4.1

Iceman

2

2.7

the
74
issues
published
in
this

Havok

2

2.7

Polaris

2

2.7

period.
Of
these,
12
(75%)
are
male

Sunfire

2

2.7

Beast

1

1.4

and
4
(25%)
are
female.
This
is
a

Table
9:

Number
of
appearances
by

very
slight
increase
percentage
wise
 characters
as
a
member
of
the
X‐Men

between
1975‐83

over
the
first
period
of
X‐Men
comic
books,
when
with
a
smaller
number
of


characters
appearing
on
the
team
77.8%
were
male
and
22.2%
were
female.
Giant

Size
X­Men
#1
through
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#166
did
see
a
much
greater
turnover
in

team
membership
than
the
previous
era.
While
the





160



core
team
of
the
X‐Men
appeared
in
almost
all
the
first
66
issues
of
the
series,
in
this

second
period
Storm,
Colossus,
Nightcrawler,
and
Wolverine
appear
in
all
74
issues,

while
the
other
12
team
members
come
and
go,
with
some
only
appearing
in
two
or


three
issues
before
leaving
the
team.
Table
9
displays
the
characters
who
appeared

in
at
least
one
issue
as
a
member
of
the
team
with
a
breakdown
of
the
total
number

of
their
appearances.




In
terms
of
the
number
of
appearances
made
by
characters,
the
male


members
of
the
X‐Men
made
389
appearances
while
the
female
members
of
the

team
made
123.
In
total,
76%
of
appearances
of
team
members
in
this
period
were

by
men,
while
24%
were
by
women.
This
represents
a
slightly
higher
percentage
of

appearances
by
women
when
compared
to
the
1960’s
X‐Men
comics,
when
82.1%
of

the
appearances
by
team
members
were

by
men
and
17.9%
by
women.




In
the
first
period
of
X‐Men
comic
books,
almost
all
of
the
villains
they
faced


were
men.
They
only
battled
two
women
and
one
genderless
villain,
a
computer

program.
In
this
second
period
of
X‐Men
comics
the
team
faces
more
female
villains

who
make
more
appearances.
Of
the
75
villains
the
X‐Men
battled,
57
(78.1%)
were

male,
14
(18.7%)
were
female,
and
4
(5.3%)
had
no
identifiable
gender,
either

because
they
were
formless
demons,
aliens
with
no
clear
gender,
or
electronic

villains
with
no
discernible
gender
markers.
There
were
200
appearances
by
villains

in
these
issues,
with
155
(77.5%)
of
those
by
men,
34
(17.0%)
by
women,
and
11

(5.5%)
by
villains
with
no
identifiable
gender.





161





The
greatest
change
in
gender
representation
occurs
with
the
guest
stars.


Several
regular
female
guest
stars
were
introduced,
including
Moira
MacTaggert
and

Lilandra.
While
both
of
these
women
serve
as
love
interests
for
members
of
the

team,
Banshee
and
Professor
Xavier,
respectively,
they
are
defined
by
much
more

than
being
simply
the
love
interests
for
male
characters.
Moira
MacTaggert
fends
of

enemies
by
wielding
machine
guns
in
her
first
appearance
and
is
one
of
the
leading

scientists
on
the
mutant
phenomenon
on
the
planet.
Lilandra
is
the
Empress
of
an

entire
alien
empire.
While
the
female
guest
stars
in
the
1960s
were
almost
always

simply
defined
as
love
interests,
the
female
guest
stars
in
this
period
represent

much
greater
character
development.




Seventy‐one


characters
guest‐starred

in
X‐Men
comic
books
in

this
period.
Of
these,
44

(62%)
were
male
and
27


Gender

Male

Female

N/A

X‐Men
 389
(76.0%)
 123
(24.0%)
 0
(0.0%)

Villains
 155
(77.5%)
 34
(17.0%)
 11
(5.5%)

Guest

162
(49.7%)
 164
(50.3%)
 0
(0.0%)

Stars

Total

706
(68.0%)
 321
(30.9%)
 11
(1.1%)

Table
10:
Number
of
appearances
by
characters,

organized
by
gender,
between
1975‐83


(38%)
were
women.
In
terms
of
appearances,
however,
for
the
first
time
there
were

more
female
appearances
than
male
for
a
category.
Of
326
appearances
by
guest

stars,
162
(49.7%)
were
by
men
and
164
(50.3%)
were
by
women.
In
total,
there

were
162
characters
that
appeared
between
Giant­Size
X­Men
#1
and
The
Uncanny

X­Men
#166.
Of
these
113
(69.8%)
were
male,
45
(27.8%)
were
female,
and
4

(2.5%)
had
no
identifiable
gender.
There
were
1,038
appearances
by
characters
in

these
issues.
Of
these
706
(68.0%)
were
by
men,
321
(30.9%)
were
by
women,
and

10
(1.1%)
were
by
characters
with
no
identifiable
gender.
This
represents
a





162


significant
increase
in
female
representation
from
the
first
period
of
X‐Men
comic

books.
In
the
1960s,
91%
of
the
characters
were
men
and
they
made
85.1%
of
all

appearances.
Between
the
two
periods
in
consideration,representation
of
women

increased
in
total
number
of
characters
by
19.4%
and
in
terms
of
appearances
by

16.1%.
While
some
of
the
ways
in
which
women
were
presented
remain

problematic,
there
were
more
portrayals
of
women
as
leaders
and
as
independent

characters
in
this
period.


On
the
covers,
the
most
prominent
part
of
any
comic
book,
there
78
different

characters
featured
in
this
period.
Of
these
57
(73.1%)
were
male,
17
(21.8%)
were

female,
and
4
(5.1%)
had
no
identifiable
gender.
There
411
different
appearances
by

characters
on
covers.
Of
these
300
(73%)
were
male,
104
(25.3%)
were
female,
and

7
(1.7%)
were
male.
In
the
1960s,
84.8%
of
all
characters
appearing
on
covers
were

male
and
15.2%
were
female.





In
terms
of
racial
representation,
there
is
a
trend
towards
greater
diversity
in


terms
of
heroes,
villains,
and
guest
stars,
when
compared
to
the
X‐Men
comic
books

from
the
1960s.
First,
the
race
and
ethnicity
of
characters
will
be
analyzed,
followed

by
their
nationalities.
The
X‐Men
became
much
more
diverse
in
terms
of

nationalities
on
the
team,
though
the
highest
percentage
of
the
team
remains
white.

While
almost
80%
of
character
appearances
by
the
X‐Men
in
this
period
feature

white
characters,
only
a
little
over
30%
of
them
are
American.




There
are
16
characters
who
appear
on
the
team
in
this
period,
of
these
12


(75%)
are
white,
1
(6.3%)
is
Black,
1
(6.3%)
is
Jewish,
1
(6.3%)
is
Asian,
and
1

(6.3%)
is
Native
American.
Because
Sunfire,
who
is
Asian,
quits
the
team
in
his





163


second
appearance,
Thunderbird,
who
is
Native
American,
dies
after
three
issues,

and
Kitty
Pryde,
who
is
Jewish,
joins
the
team
late
in
this
period
the
team
is
still

heavily
white
during
this
time.
There
were
512
appearances
by
members
of
the
X‐
Men
in
these
74
issues.
Of
these,
407
(79.5%)
were
by
white
characters,
74
(14.5%)

were
by
a
Black
character,
26
(5.1%)
were
by
a
Jewish
character,
3
(0.6%)
were
by
a

Native
American
characters,
and
2
(.4%)
were
by
an
Asian.




What
these
numbers
seem
to
indicate
is
that
while
the
team
did
diversify


from
it’s
previous
incarnation,
when
the
team
was
100%
white,
in
terms
of
ethnic

identity
the
X‐Men
remained
overwhelmingly
white.
As
will
be
seen
shortly
the

team
became
much
less
American
with
respect
to
its
membership,
but
in
terms
of

what
a
comic
book
audience
would
see
on
the
page
the
team
remained
mostly
white

and
male.





As
with
the
earlier
period,
the
villains
are
much
more
diverse
than
the


heroes.
Of
the
75
villains
to
appear,
40
(53.3%)
were
white,
1
(1.3%)
was
Black,
1

(1.3%)
was
Jewish,
1
(1.3%)
was
Native
American,
and
1
(1.3%)
was
Egyptian.

Additionally,
25
(33.3%)
were
aliens,
4
(5.3%)
were
demons,
1
(1.3%)
was
a
robot,

and
1(
1.3%)
was
a
living
island.10.
While
the
X‐Men
battled
aliens
in
the
1960s
this

period
really
cemented
the
interstellar
aspect
of
the
X‐Men,
with
stories
which

alluded
to
popular
films
such
as
Alien
and
Star
Wars.




In
terms
of
appearances,
there
were
200
by
villains.
Almost
all
of
these


appearances
were
by
white
characters
or
aliens.
White
villains
appeared
125


























































10
The
robot
villain
was
the
mutant‐hunting
Sentinels.
In
every
story
they
appeared

in
there
was
more
than
one
Sentinel,
but
rather
than
counting
each
Sentinel
as
an

individual
villain
the
Sentinels
are
considered
one
villain
for
the
purposes
of
this

study.




164


(62.5%)
times,
and
aliens
55
(27.3%)
times.
The
next
most
common
race

represented
in
the
villains
were
Jews
with
5
(2.5%)
appearances,
robots
with
5

(2.5%)
appearances,
demons
with
4
(2.0%)
appearances,
Black
characters
with
2

(1.0%)
appearances,
Native
Americans
with
2
(1.0%)
appearances,
and
there
was
1

(0.5%)
appearance
by
an
Egyptian
villain
and
a
living
island.




The
guest
stars
also
were
most
often
either
white
or
alien.
There
were
71


guest
stars
in
this
period.
Of
these,
36
(50.7%)
were
white,
23
(32.4%)
were
alien,
4

(5.6%)
were
Black,
3
(4.2%)
were
Asian,
2
(2.8%)
were
robotic,
1
(1.4%)
was

Jewish,
1
(1.4%)
was
Native
American,

and
1
(1.4%)
was
demonic.
Of
the
326
guest

appearances
in
these
issues
178
(54.6%)
were
by
white
characters,
89
(27.3%)

were
by
alien
characters,
20
(6.1%)
were
by
Black
characters,
17
(5.2%)
were
by

Asian
characters,
15
(4.6%)
were
by
robotic
characters,
4(1.2%)
were
by
Jewish

characters,
2
(0.6%)
were
by
Native
American
characters,
and
1
(0.3%)
was
by
a

demonic
character.




Combing
these
numbers
for
the
total,
the
numbers
still
bear
out
a
comic
book


series
heavily
dominated
by
white
characters
which
is
still
functioning
as
a

metaphor
about
prejudice.
There
were
162
characters
in
these
issues,
and
88

(54.3%)
of
them
were
white.
The
next
most
common
category
was
alien,
with
48

(29.6%)
characters.
There
were
also
6
(3.7%)
Black
characters,
5
(3.1%)
demonic

characters,
4
(2.5%)
Asian
characters,
3
(1.9%)
Jewish
characters,
3
(1.9%)
Native

American
characters,
3
(1.9%)
robotic
characters,
1
(0.6%)
Egyptian
character,
and

1
(0.6%)
living
island.





165





The
actual
appearances
are
even
more
dominated
by
white
characters.
Of


1,038
appearances,
710
(68.4%)
were
by
white
characters,
144
(13.9%)
were
by

aliens,
96
(9.2%)
were
by
Black
characters,
35
(3.4%)
were
by
Jewish
characters,
20

(1.9%)
were
by
robotic
characters,
(19
(1.8%)
were
by
Asian
characters,
7
(0.7%)

were
by
Native
American
characters,
5
(0.5%)
were
by
demonic
characters,
1
(0.1)

was
by
an
Egyptian
character,
and
1
(0.1%)
was
by
a
living
island.
Notably,
while

Latinos
had
a
few
appearances
as
villains
in
the
first
period
of
X‐Men
comics,
there

were
no
appearances
by
Latinos
at
all
in
this
period.





One
aspect
which
should
be
considered
when
looking
at
these
numbers
is
the


problem
presented
by
characters
such
as
Nightcrawler,
who
is
categorized
as

“white,”
but
who
bears
no
resemblance
to
a
white
man
because
his
mutant
power

has
left
him
with
blue
fur.
He
does
have
an
“image
transducer”
which
hides
his
true

appearance
under
a
hologram
when
he
goes
out
in
public
and
wishes
to
pass
as
a

human.
When
using
this
device,
he
chooses
a
white
complexion
(usually
using
Errol

Flynn’s
face).
Nightcrawler
is
the
only
member
of
the
X‐Men
in
these
issues
who
has

not
clear
visible
ethnic
markers.
His
speech
patterns
do
easily
identify
him
as

German.





With
68.4%
of
the
appearances
in
the
comic
books
from
this
period
coming


from
white
characters
the
title
looks
more
diverse
than
the
comic
books
from
the

1960s
when
91.2%
of
the
appearances
were
by
white
characters,
but
it
is
still
not
as

diverse
as
one
would
expect
from
a
comic
book
series
dealing
with
the
themes
the

X‐Men
are
famous
for.
But
when
looking
at
the
nationalities
of
the
characters,
the

numbers
represent
a
much
more
diverse
title.





166





Among
the
16
characters
to
appear
as
X‐Men
in
this
period,
9
(56.3%)
were


American,
1
(6.3%)
was
Irish,
1
(6.3%)
was
Russian,
1
(6.3%)
was
German,
1
(6.3%)

was
Kenyan,
1
(6.3%)
was
Apache,
1
(6.3%)
was
Canadian,
and
1
(6.3%)
was

Japanese.
But
most
of
the
American
characters
did
not
regularly
appear
in
these

issues.
Of
the
486
appearances,
148
(30.5%)
were
by
American
characters,
74

(15.2%)
were
by
a
Russian
character,
74
(15.2%)
were
by
a
German
character,
74

(15.2%)
were
by
a
Kenyan
character,
74
(15.2%)
were
by
a
Canadian
character,
37

(7.6%)
were
by
an
Irish
character,
3
(0.6%)
were
by
an
Apache
character,
and
2

(0.4%)
were
by
a
Japanese
character.




Primarily
Americans
and
aliens
are
represented
in
the
nationalities
of
the


villains
and
guest
stars
from
this
period.
In
terms
of
the
other
nationalities
present,

there
is
a
greater
number
of
distinct
nationalities
represented
in
this
period,
but

they
are
not
without
stereotypes.
For
example,
the
only
French
character
was
one
of

Count
Nefaria’s
Ani‐Men,
who
all
resembled
animals.
While
most
were
Americans,

Frog‐Man
was
French,
likely
an
unfortunate
reference
to
a
common
derogatory
term

for
the
French.
Of
the
75
villains
to
appear
in
this
period,
26
(34.7%)
were
alien

characters,
25
(33.3%)
were
American
characters,
7
(9.3%)
were
Canadian

characters,
4
(5.3%)
were
demonic
characters,
2
(2.7%)
were
German
characters,
1

(1.3%)
was
an
Irish
character,
1
(1.3%)
was
an
Italian
character,
1
(1.3%)
was
a

French
character,
1
(1.3%)
was
a
British
character,
1
(1.3%)
was
an
Ethiopian

character,
1
(1.3%)
was
an
Egyptian
character,
1
(1.3%)
was
a
Scottish
character,
1

(1.3%)
was
an
Australian
character,
1
(1.3%)
was
from
the
fictional
nation
of

Latveria,
1
(1.3%)
was
a
Transylvanian
character,
and
1
(1.3%)
was
a
living
island.






167


In
terms
of
appearances,
of
200
appearances
92
(46.0%)
were
by

American
villains,
59
(29.5%)
were
by
alien
villains,
15
(7.5%)
were
by
Canadian

villains,
6
(3.0%)
were
by
German
villains,
5
(2.5%)
were
by
an
Irish
villain,
4

(2.0%)
were
by
demonic
villains,
3
(1.5%)
were
by
a
Scottish
villain,
3
(1.5%)
were

by
a
Latverian
villain,
2
(1.0%)
were
by
an
Italian
villain,
2
(1.0%)
were
by
a
French

villain,
2
(1.0%)
were
by
a
British
villain,
2
(1.0%)
were
by
an
Ethiopian
villain,
2

(1.0%)
were
by
an
Australian
villain,
1
(0.5%)
was
by
an
Egyptian
villain,
1
(0.5%)

was
by
a
Transylvanian
villain,
and
1
(0.5%)
was
by
a
living
island.
When
combining

the
appearances
of
heroes,
villains,
and
guest
stars
there
164
characters
who
made

1,040
appearances.
Of
these,
120
(73.1%)
of
the
characters
were
either
American
or

alien,
and
597
(57.0%)
of
the
appearances
were
by
Americans
or
aliens.






























168


Chapter
5:
1983­1991:
Greater
Diversity
and
Balanced
Gender

Representation




This
period
represents
the
most
diversity
on
the
team
as
well
as
the
greatest


balance
in
terms
of
gender
representation.
After
Claremont
leaves
the
title
and
other

creators
come
on
the
title
sees
an
increase
in
the
number
of
white
males
on
the
team

of
heroes,
though
the
villains
remain
a
more
diverse
group.

Creative
Teams
and
a
Summary
of
the
Stories

This
period
saw
significant
changes
to
the
cast
of
the
series,
the
makeup
of

individual
characters,
and
the
tone
of
the
X‐Men.
Perhaps
the
most
significant

change
came
from
the
creative
team
at
the
close
of
this
period
of
X‐Men
comic

books.
Chris
Claremont’s
ended
his
sixteen‐year
run
as
the
writer
of
the
series
with

The
Uncanny
X­Men
#280,
which
was
written
by
Fabian
Nicieza.
Claremont
wrote

every
issue
of
the
series
between
X­Men
#94
(Aug.
1975)
and
The
Uncanny
X­Men

#279
(Aug.
1991).
These
185
issues
are
considered
one
of
the
most
successful
runs

by
a
creator
on
any
comic
book
series,
in
terms
of
both
financial
success
and

creative
output.


Both
Claremont
and
Bob
Harras,
the
editor
of
the
X‐Men
books
at
the
time

Claremont
left,
admit
that
behind‐the‐scenes
tensions
about
the
direction
of
the

books
resulted
in
the
end
of
the
Claremont
era.
A
very
popular
and
talented
new

artist,
Jim
Lee,
had
been
assigned
to
the
X‐Men
books
and
wanted
to
direct
the
plots

in
a
direction
that
Claremont
felt
retread
on
stories
he
had
already
told.
In

Claremont’s
own
words:





169


Working
with
Jim
was
a
lot
of
fun,
but
the
institutional
strains
were
starting

to
kick
in.
The
problem
was
that
Jim
was
just
as
strong‐willed
as
I
was.
Jim

wanted
to
do
stuff
that
reminded
him
of
the
things
that
made
him
get
into

comics
in
the
first
place.
He
wanted
to
bring
back
Magneto
and
do
the

Sentinels
and
all
that
sort
of
stuff.
My
problem
was
I’d
already
done
those

things…at
least
twice.
I
wanted
to
try
and
find
some
new
stuff
to
do.
[…]
Bob

Harras
was
editing
X­Men
in
those
days
and
he
was
a
lot
more
simpatico
with

Jim
than
he
was
with
me.
Looking
back
at
it
from
the
vantage
point
of
the

here‐and‐now,
I
can
see
no
one
had
either
the
perspective
or
the
incentive
to

find
a
way
out.
There
was
just
no
comfort
zone.
There
was
all
this
butting
of

heads
and
we
all
got
boxed
into
corners.
Bob
and
Jim
wanted
to
do
what
they

wanted
to
do
and
the
feeling
was
I
could
not
or
would
not
go
along,
and
they

were
going
to
do
it
anyway.
I
thought,
I’ve
worked
too
hard.
The
time
has

come
maybe
to
see
if
I
can
survive
without
the
X‐Men.
So
I
quite
X­Men

and

left
Marvel.
(DeFalco
“Claremont”
75)

Claremont
would
describe
the
feeling
of
leaving
the
series
and
the
characters,
many

of
whom
he
had
created,
by
saying
“it
was
wrenching,
I
felt
like
I
had
abandoned
my

kids”
(DeFalco
“Claremont”
79).




Harras
had
admitted
that
there
was
a
lot
of
tension
between
himself,


Claremont,
and
Lee,
but
he
felt
that
it
was
a
creatively
fruitful
tension.


Not
that
it
was
pleasant,
but
the
tension
was
being
transformed
into
really

dynamic
comics
that
people
were
reacting
to.
I
thought,
“If
we
can
just
ride





170


this
out
a
little
longer,
everything
is
going
to
settle
down.”

But
that
didn’t

happen.
(DeFalco
“Harras”
178)

Harras
also
explains
that
he
and
Claremont
fundamentally
disagreed
on
what
the
X‐
Men
comics
should
be
about.
Harras
felt
that
the
aliens
and
the
magical
dimensions

that
had
become
common
in
Claremont’s
writing
departed
too
significantly
from
the

core
of
the
X‐Men:

I
felt
like
we
had
to
go
back
to
what
X­Men
was
all
about,
and
to
me
X­Men

was
Xavier
and
Scott
and
Jean
and
all
the
other
classic
characters.
But
Chris

didn’t
want
to
do
that
kind
of
stuff
any
more.
He
felt
he
had
done
it
already,


My
point
was
“Sure,
but
that’s
the
X‐Men!”

It
was
getting
so
we
were

speaking
the
same
language,
but
we
couldn’t
understand
each
other.

(DeFalco
“Harras”
178)

If
Harras’s
vision
of
the
X‐Men
included
the
original
roster
of
the
team,
it
is

understandable
why
he
had
become
disenchanted
with
Claremont’s
writing.
In
this

period,
while
Xavier
appears
in
25
issues,
Cyclops
only
appears
in
seven
issues
as
a

member
of
the
team,
and
no
other
original
member
of
the
X‐Men
is
featured
as
a

team
member
at
all.




Rather
this
period
of
The
Uncanny
X­Men
saw
the
introduction
of
many
new


characters
to
the
team
and
many

changes
in
personality
to
those

appearing.
For
example,
Magneto,
the

long‐time
arch‐nemesis
of
the
X‐Men

becomes
a
member
of
the
team
for
a





Writer
(co­
Issues

plotter)

Chris
Claremont
 #167­279

Fabian
Nicieza

#279­80

Jim
Lee
(Co‐
#274

plotter)

Table
11:
Writers
and
co‐plotters
of
The

Uncanny
X­Men
from
1983‐91


171


number
of
issues.
Claremont
wrote
all
but
one
issue
in
this
period,
though
Fabian

Nicieza
co‐plotted
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#279
(Aug.
1991),
which
was
Claremont’s

final
script.
The
writers
and
co‐plotters
from
this
period
are
outlined
in
Table
11.

Claremont
worked
with
a
number
of
artists
in
this
period.
Particularly
following
The


Uncanny
X­Men
#249
(Early
Oct.

1989),
because
that
issue

marked
the
first
of
a
period
in

which
the
comic
book
was

published
twice
a
month.

Because
most
artists
could
not

maintain
such
a
quick
pace
of

production,
there
were

frequently
guest‐artists
doing

single
issues
as
fill‐ins
while
the

regular
artist
worked
on
the
next

storyline.
Issue
#273
is

particularly
notable,
as
eight

artists
worked
on
it.
The
artists

to
work
on
the
title
in
this
period

included
Paul
Smith,


Walt
Simonson,
John
Romita
Jr.,

Barry
Windsor‐Smith,
Rick


Artist

Paul
Smith

Walt
Simonson

John
Romita
Jr.

Barry
Windsor‐
Smith

Rick
Leonardi


#201,
212,
228,
231,

235,
237,
252,
273

June
Brigman

#204

Alan
Davis

#213

Jackson
Guice

#216­7

Marc
Silvestri

#218,
220­222,
224­7,

229­30,
232­4,
236,

238­44,
246­7,
249­51,

253­55,
259­61,
273

Bret
Blevins

#219

Karry
Gammill

#223

Rob
Liefeld

#245

Jim
Lee

#248,
256­8,
267,
269­
72,
273­7

Kieron
Dwyer

#262

Bill
Jaaska

#263,
265

Mike
Collins

#264,
266

Art
Adams

#268

Whilce
Portacio

#273

Klaus
Janson

#273

John
Byrne

#273

Michael
Golden

#273

Larry
Stroman

#273

Andy
Kubert

#279­80

Steven
Butler

#280

Table
12:
The
artists
of
The
Uncanny
X­
Men
between
1983‐91


Leonardi,
June
Brigman,





Issues

#167­70,
172­174,
278

#171

#175­197,
199­200,

202­3,
206­11

#198,
#205


172


Alan
Davis,
Jackson
Guice,
Marc
Silvestri,
Bret
Blevins,
Karry
Gammill,
Rob
Liefeld,

Jim
Lee,
Kieron
Dwyer,
Bill
Jaaska,
Mike
Collins,
Art
Adams,
Whilce
Portacio,
Klaus

Janson,
John
Byrne,
Michael
Golden,
Larry
Stroman,
Andy
Kubert,
and
Steven
Butler.

The
exact
issues
they
worked
on
are
detailed
in
Table
12.

While
the
entire
run
of
the
X‐Men,
particular
during
Chris
Claremont’s
run
as

writer,
has
been
compared
to
a
soap
opera,
this
period
becomes
particularly

complex
and
convoluted.
Interpersonal
relationships
shift
and
change,
the
make
up

of
the
team
is
fluid,
and
characters
undergo
radical
alterations
in
character.

To
begin
with,
Professor
Xavier
has
a
new
body
cloned
for
him
because
he

was
infected
with
the
egg
of
an
alien
Brood
queen
which
was
killing
him.
His
mind
is

transferred
to
this
new
body
and
he
regains
the
ability
to
walk.
He
begins
to
train
a

new
class
of
students,
a
team
featured
in
the
spin‐off
series
New
Mutants.
While
the

cast
and
series
of
the
New
Mutants
will
not
be
considered
in
depth,
it
is
worth

noting
that
the
initial
roster
of
the
team
consists
of
an
American
male,
a
Vietnamese

female,
a
Cheyenne
female,
a
Brazilian
male,
and
a
Scottish
female.
The
team
has

three
females
and
two
males
and
only
one
American.

The
team
and
its
members
experience
several
radical
changes
in
this
period.

When
Angel
is
kidnapped
by
a
group
of
mutants
whose
mutations
have
deformed

them
so
much
they
are
outcasts
from
society,
the
X‐Men
must
travel
into
the
sewers

to
rescue
him.
In
a
battle
for
supremacy
of
the
group
of
outcasts,
who
call

themselves
Morlocks,
Storm
wins
the
right
to
lead
the
group.


Rogue,
who
had
previously
fought
against
the
X‐Men
as
a
member
of
the

Brotherhood
of
Evil
Mutants,
quits
that
team
and
asks
to
join
the
X‐Men
as
she





173


attempts
to
reform
her
life.
Mystique,
the
leader
of
the
Brotherhood
is
particularly

hurt
by
this
as
Rogue
is
her
adopted
daughterAlthough
some
are
hesitant
to
accept

Rogue
she
proves
herself
to
the
X‐Men
on
an
adventure
when
the
team
travels
to

Japan
for
Wolverine’s
wedding.
Wolverine,
who
had
left
the
team
for
a
time,

returned
to
invite
them
to
his
wedding
where
various
fights
ensued.
However,
his

fiancé,
Mariko
Yoshida,
calls
off
the
wedding
at
the
last
minute.

Cyclops
decides
to
end
his
relationship
with
Lee
Forester.
Soon
he
meets
a

woman
who
looks
exactly
like
Jean
Grey
named
Madelyne
Pryor.
Madelyne
has
no

memory
of
her
past,
and
Scott
at
times
suspects
she
may
be
Jean.
Scott
and

Madelyne
marry,
and
Scott
retires
from
the
X‐Men.

Colossus
and
Kitty
Pryde
had
been
dating,
but
Colossus
breaks
up
with
her.

Shortly
thereafter
the
Morlock
Caliban
kidnaps
Kitty
and
intends
to
marry
her.

Storm
uses
her
influence
as
leader
of
the
Morlocks,
though
she
rarely
interacts
with

them,
to
free
Kitty.
Rachel,
a
mutant
from
the
future
who
previously
appeared
in
the

“Days
of
Future
Past”
storyline,
arrives
in
the
present
time
and
soon
joins
the
X‐
MenAlthough
it
is
not
yet
revealed,
in
her
timeline
she
is
the
daughter
of
Cyclops

and
Phoenix.

A
mutant
inventor
named
Forge
has
created
a
weapon
that
will
depower
a

mutant.
The
U.S.
government
wants
to
use
the
weapon
on
Rogue,
who
has
been

framed
for
murder,
but
Storm
is
accidentally
shot
instead.
Forge,
guilty
over
his
role

in
Storm’s
power
loss,
invites
her
to
his
home
as
he
will
try
to
reactivate
her
powers.

The
have
a
brief
romance
until
Storm
discovers
that
he
was
the
inventor
of
the





174


weapon
that
took
her
powers.
Meanwhile,
Cyclops’s
former
girlfriend,
Lee
Forester,

discovers
Magneto’s
body
floating
in
the
ocean
and
rescues
him.


A
sorcerer
named
Kulan
Gath
transforms
all
of
New
York
City
into
medieval

times
until
the
X‐Men
and
other
Marvel
superheroes
are
able
to
undo
the
spell.
After

the
city
is
returned
to
normal,
Professor
Xavier
is
attacked
by
a
group
of
college

students
who
believe
he
is
a
mutant.
Magneto,
meanwhile,
is
making
an
effort
to

reform.
While
at
a
gathering
of
Holocaust
survivors
he
is
attacked
and
captured
by

the
mutant
team
formerly
called
The
Brotherhood
of
Evil
Mutants.
They
now
go
by

the
name
Freedom
Force
and
work
for
the
U.S.
Government.
They
took
this
job
with

the
government
in
exchange
for
full
pardons
for
their
previous
criminal
acts.

Magneto
is
put
on
trial
in
France
for
crimes
against
humanity.
However,
due
to
his

de‐aging
to
an
infant
and
re‐aging
to
adulthood,
all
crimes
prior
to
his
rebirth
are

stricken.
Professor
X
goes
to
recuperate
from
an
attack
he
suffers
from
anti‐mutant

bigots
with
his
love,
Lilandra.
He
asks
Magneto
to
help
the
X‐Men
and
train
the
New

Mutants,
a
role
which
Magneto
accepts.

Cyclops
returns
with
his
wife
and
new
child,
Nathan.
Missing
his
old

adventures,
he
asks
to
lead
the
team
again.
Storm
has
returned
and
also
wishes
to

lead
the
team,
and
the
two
have
a
sparring
session
to
determine
who
will
lead.

Storm
wins
despite
still
having
no
mutant
powers.
Cyclops
receives
a
phone
call
that

his
old
love,
Jean
Grey,
has
been
discovered
alive
at
the
bottom
of
the
bay
where
the

space
shuttle
crashed
(over
100
issues
ago).
In
a
retcon,
it
is
revealed
that
an

interstellar
entity
called
the
Phoenix
Force
bonded
with
Jean
Grey
during
the
shuttle

crash.
It
took
her
form,
memories,
and
personality
and
left
Jean
Grey’s
injured
body





175


in
a
cocoon
to
recuperate.
Cyclops,
in
a
rather
indefensible
move,
abandons
his
wife

and
newborn
son
to
reunite
with
Jean
Grey.
Cyclops
and
the
other
original
members

of
the
X‐Men
have
their
adventures
published
in
a
spin‐off
series
call
X­Factor.

The
X‐Men
and
the
Hellfire
Club
are
forced
to
unite
in
battle
against
Nimrod,

a
sentinel
from
the
same
future
timeline
as
Rachel.
They
defeat
the
futuristic

sentinel,
but
two
members
of
the
Hellfire
club
are
killed
in
the
battle.
Meanwhile,

members
of
the
Morlocks
are
being
murdered,
including
children.
A
new
villainous

team,
the
Marauders,
is
responsible
for
the
attacks.
In
a
violent
fight,
several
X‐Men

are
injured,
and
Colossus
goes
so
far
as
to
kills
one
of
the
marauders.
This
storyline,

called
“The
Mutant
Massacre”
also
begins
the
long‐running
feud
between
Wolverine

and
a
villain
named
Sabretooth.
Kitty
Pryde,
Colossus,
and
Nightcrawler
are
sent
to

Muir
Island
to
convalesce
from
their
serious
injuries
under
Moira
MacTaggert’s
care.

There
are
several
changes
in
the
X‐Men’s
roster
at
this
time.
Betsy
Braddock,

a
telepathic
mutant
codenamed
Psylocke,
joined
the
team.
She
was
a
white
British

woman
whose
mind
is
transferred
into
the
body
of
an
Asian
ninja.
Dazzler,
a
mutant

with
the
power
to
convert
soundwaves
into
light
and
energy
beams
who
was

introduced
in
the
X‐Men
comics
before
being
spun‐off
into
her
own
series,
joins
the

team
for
the
first
time.
Havok
rejoins
the
X‐Men
while
Polaris,
possessed
by
a
force

called
Malice,
joins
the
Marauders.

Madelyne
Pryor
is
attacked
by
the
Marauders
and
her
baby
son,
Nathan,
is

kidnapped.
The
child
is
taken
to
the
Marauder’s
leader,
Mr.
Sinister,
who
it
is

revealed
has
been
manipulating
Scott
Summers’s
life
for
years.
The
X‐Men
take

Madelyne
Pryor
in
for
her
protection.
The
new
group
of
X‐Men
are
tested
in
battle





176


against
Juggernaut
and
bond
in
the
process.
Storm
seeks
out
Forge,
and
following
a

mystical
journey
and
battle,
regains
her
mutant
powers.
The
X‐Men,
joined
by
Storm

and
Forge,
are
in
a
battle
in
Dallas
which
results
in
their
deaths,
which
is
broadcast

to
the
world.
However,
the
team
is
immediately
resurrected
by
a
goddess,
Roma.

They
set
up
a
new
base
of
operations
in
Australia.

The
X‐Men
battle
another
group,
cybernetic
soldiers
called
the
Reavers.
They

also
discover
and
defeat
small
colony
of
Brood.
One
of
the
most
significant

storylines,
and
one
with
themes
about
prejudice
and
intolerance,
involves
the
island

nation
of
Genosha.
Located
off
the
East
coast
of
Africa,
Genosha
is
a
country
with
a

thriving
economy
and
very
modern
standard
of
living.
However,
the
nation’s

economy
is
secretly
based
off
of
the
slave
labor
of
mutants.
Mutants
are

manipulated
by
a
genetic
scientist,
called
the
genengineer.
Besides
ensuring
their

enslavement,
the
genengineer
attempts
to
breed
mutants
with
specific
powers
to

help
fulfill
specific
labor
needs.
Several
X‐Men
are
captured
by
the
Genoshan
police

force,
called
Magistrates.
They
are
eventually
freed
and
some
of
the
foundations
of

Genoshan
society
are
shaken.

Alex
Summers,
grieving
because
his
girlfriend,
Polaris,
has
joined
the

Marauders
begins
a
tentative
romance
with
his
brother’s
ex‐wife,
Madelyne
Pryor.

However,
when
Pryor
sees
Scott
on
television
with
Jean
Grey
she
becomes
enraged.

A
demon
offers
her
the
power
to
make
Scott
suffer,
which
she
accepts.


In
a
storyline
called
“Inferno”
Madelyne
Pryor
becomes
the
Goblin
Queen
and

turns
New
York
into
a
demon‐infested
Hell.
The
story
crosses
over
with
issues
of
X­
Factor
and
New
Mutants.
The
mutant
teams
battle
the
demonic
forces
and
much
of





177


New
York
is
returned
to
normal,
though
the
Goblin
Queen’s
lair
remains.
There,
Mr.

Sinister
reveals
that
Madelyne
Pryor
is
a
clone
of
Jean
Grey
that
he
created.
He
had

manipulated
Scott’s
life
so
that
his
DNA
and
Jean
Grey’s
DNA
could
be
combined
to

create
a
powerful
mutant,
but
Jean
Grey’s
“death”
had
thwarted
his
plans.
Madelyne

Pryor
dies
in
a
battle
with
Jean
Grey
after
these
revelations.
Her
son,
Nathan,
is

infected
with
a
disease
that
modern
science
cannot
cure,
so
he
will
be
sent
to
the

future
where
he
is
raised
as
a
soldier.
He
will
eventually
return
to
the
present
as
a

fully‐grown
man
and
become
a
leader
of
a
team
of
mutants
and
eventually
a

member
of
the
X‐Men.

A
young
Asian
American
mutant
named
Jubilee
follows
the
X‐Men
through
a

portal
back
to
their
base
in
Australia.
When
the
X‐Men
are
attacked
by
a
group

called
the
Reavers,
several
members
of
the
team
step
through
a
portal
called
the

Siege
Perilous,
which
transports
them
to
random
locations
around
the
globe.
Those

who
go
through
the
Siege
Perilous
have
amnesia
and
some
have
been
physically

altered
by
their
journey.
Wolverine,
who
remains
behind
loses
his
battle
with
the

Reavers
and
is
left
for
dead.
Jubilee,
who
was
in
hiding,
rescues
Wolverine
and
helps

him
to
heal.

In
the
absence
of
the
X‐Men
who
are
scattered
across
the
globe
with
amnesia,

a
new
team
of
X‐Men
is
formed
based
on
Muir
Island
for
a
brief
time.
The
storyline

shifts
to
focus
on
the
gathering
of
the
X‐Men
who
passed
through
the
Siege
Perilous

and
helping
them
to
regain
their
memories.
A
large
crossover
story
called
the
X‐
Tinction
Agenda
takes
place
in
all
the
comic
books
Marvel
publishes
related
to
the
X‐
Men.
Taking
place
on
Genosha,
the
teams
must
battle
Cameron
Hodge,
a
cyborg
with





178


an
insane
hatred
of
mutants.
Following
this,
the
X‐Men
return
to
outer
space
to
aid

Professor
X
and
his
wife,
Lilandra,
in
a
battle
against
shape‐shifting
aliens
called

Skrulls.
And
in
the
last
storyline
before
the
X‐Men
split
into
two
teams,
the
team

must
battle
Professor
Xavier’s
insane
son.
In
the
course
of
the
battle
Xavier’s
spine
is

damaged
and
he
is
again
confined
to
a
wheelchair.

New
Characters

Rogue

Rogue,
whose
real
name
(Anna
Marie
Raven)
is
not
revealed
until
2004,
is

one
of
several
reformed
villains
that
will
join
the
X‐Men.
The
first
reformed
villain

on
to
join
the
team
was
Mimic,
and
Banshee
and
Sunfire
were
also
villains
in
their

first
appearances.
Rogue’s
mutant
power
is
to
absorb
the
memories
and
the
special

abilities
of
anyone
her
skin
comes
into
contact
with.
Normally,
the
absorption
of
the

memories
and
powers
is
only
temporary,
but
with
prolonged
contact
the
absorption

can
become
permanent.
One
of
the
first
characters
Rogue
maintained
contact
with

for
too
long
was
a
superhero
named
Ms.
Marvel,
and
Rogue
permanently
absorbed

her
memories,
her
super‐strength,
her
power
of
flight,
and
her
near‐invulnerability.

Rogue
discovered
her
mutant
power
the
first
time
she
kissed
a
boy,
and
was

quite
traumatized
by
the
experienced.
As
Michael
Mallory
says
of
Rogue,


The
knowledge
that
the
mere
touch
of
her
bare
skin
can
be
dangerous
to

anyone,
mutant
or
otherwise,
not
only
affects
her
dress—she
must
remain

covered
head‐to‐toe
at
all
times—but
it
leaves
her
with
a
level
of
sexual
angst

with
which
few,
if
any,
can
really
empathize.
(86)





179


Despite
Mallory’s
assertion,
Rogue
often
appears
in
varying
states
of
undress
in
the

X‐Men
comic
books,
even
going
for
almost
an
entire
issue
without
clothing,
with

shadows
and
objects
in
the
foreground
preventing
full
nudity,
as
she
escapes
the

torture
of
Genoshan
soldiers.


Rachel
Summers
(Phoenix)

Rachel
Summers
first
appeared
in
Uncanny
X­Men
#141
(Jan.
1981)
as
a
part

of
a
potential
future
timeline.
The
storyline
involved
X‐Men
from
a
dystopian
future

attempting
to
alter
the
past
to
change
their
timelineAlthough
the
X‐Men
in
the

present
day
do
prevent
the
inciting
incident
that
led
to
Rachel’s
dystopia,
her

timeline
continued
to
exist.
She
traveled
back
to
the
present
day
and
became
a

member
of
the
X‐Men.

In
Rachel’s
timeline
she
was
the
daughter
of
Cyclops
and
Jean
Grey,
and
she

takes
her
mother’s
codename
as
a
member
of
the
X‐Men.
She
possesses
powerful

psychic
abilities
and
telekinesis,
much
like
her
mother.

Betsy
Braddock
(Psylocke)



Psylocke
is
an
interesting
case.
In
this
period
she
is
a
British
woman
with

telepathic
powers.
She
was
introduced
in
another
series,
Captain
Britain,
and
is
the

sister
of
that
series’
namesake.
Readers
who
began
to
read
The
Uncanny
X­Men
in

the
1990s
would
be
hard‐pressed
to
recognize
the
1980’s
version
of
Psylocke.
This

version,
an
upper‐class
white
British
woman,
is
very
conservative
in
dress
and

social
interactions.


Her
character
will
undergo
a
radical
transformation
which
will
result
in
her

mind
being
in
an
Asian
body,
a
different
set
of
mutant
powers,
ninja
training


and
a





180


much
more
seductive
personality
and
a
significantly
skimpier
costume.
Mike
Madrid

explains:





Gone
was
the
lovely
English
rose;
in
her
place
a
statuesque
gold
skinned

Asian
beauty.
Psylocke’s
sculpted
body
was
wrapped
in
a
skintight
costume

that
showed
off
every
curve
and
muscle.
Her
impossibly
long
legs
were

crisscrossed
with
straps
that
enhanced
her
muscular
thighs.
Psylocke’s
back

arched
to
present
her
chest
for
all
to
admire.
A
revealing
thong
showcased

her
rock
hard
buttocks.
[…]The
old
Caucasian
Psylocke
had
been
a

formidable
telepathic
fighter.
The
new
Asian
Psylocke
was
a
killer,

possessing
ninja
martial
arts
skills
and
a
ruthless
love
of
battle.
[…]
Her
new

body
finally
gave
Betsy
the
fighting
skills
and
endurance
of
her
dreams.
She

was
the
object
of
both
fear
and
desire.
Betsy
Braddock
might
have
been
a

lady,
but
as
Psylocke,
she
was
a
babe.
(270)

The
Asian
version
of
Psylocke,
with
one
of
the
most
revealing
costumes
any
female

on
the
X‐Men
will
wear
regularly,
is
generally
drawn
without
any
semblance
of

realistic
body
proportions.
Moreso
than
any
previous
female
character,
this
version

of
Psylocke
enters
into
the
nearly
pure
cheesecake
portrayal
from
most
artists.

Dazzler

Alison
Blaire
appeared
in
the
same
issue
that
Kitty
Pryde
first
appeared
in.

Dazzler
was
immediate
spun‐off
into
her
own
short‐lived
solo
comic
book
series.
As

such,
Dazzler
was
on
of
Marvel’s
first
titles
to
feature
a
female
protagonist
that
was

not
part
of
a
larger
team.
The
character
of
Dazzler
has
an
odd
history,
in
that
she

was
created
to
be
a
joint
creation
of
Marvel
Comics
and
Casablanca
records.
Marvel





181


Comics
would
help
to
create
the
name,
look,
and
personality
of
a
singer
superhero,

and
Casablanca
would
release
a
record
of
a
singer
they
found
to
adopt
that
persona.

There
were
also
rumors
of
a
potential
film
project
featuring
the
new
character.
After

Marvel
promoted
the
new
character,
even
having
her
first
appear
in
one
of
their
top‐
selling
comic
books,
Casablanca
Records
dropped
out
of
the
agreement.
Marvel,

having
pushed
Dazzler
more
than
most
new
creations,
decided
to
giver
her
a

monthly
comic
book
title
to
try
and
justify
the
promotion
the
character
had

received,
though
the
series
only
ran
for
35
issues.


Dazzler
has
the
power
to
transform
sound
waves
into
light/laser
energy.
As
a

singer,
she
used
her
power
to
provide
a
spectacle
to
her
performances.
After
her

series
was
canceled
she
was
brought
back
into
the
X‐Men
where
she
had
first

appeared.

Longshot

Longshot
is
the
first
member
of
the
team
who
is
not
a
mutant.
Longshot

appears
to
be
a
white
human
male,
though
with
only
three
fingers
and
a
thumb
on

each
hand.
He
is,
in
reality,
an
artificially
created
humanoid
from
another
dimension.

He
has
the
ability
to
alter
the
probability
of
random
events
around
him
so
that
they

turn
out
in
his
favor.
In
the
dimension
where
he
was
created
Longshot
competed
in

gladiatorial
combat
for
a
population
that
was
obsessed
with
televised
events
and

violence.
The
X‐Men
have
been
captured
and
forced
to
compete
for
the

entertainment
of
this
dimension’s
audience
several
times.

Jubilee





182


Jubilee
is
a
young
Chinese‐American
mutant
who
can
generate
bright

explosive
“plasmoids”
which
look
like
fireworks.
After
she
was
orphaned
when
her

parents
were
murdered,
Jubilation
Lee
began
to
live
at
the
Hollywood
Mall,
using

petty
theft
and
money
she
gained
by
entertaining
shoppers
with
her
mutant
powers

to
survive.
At
the
mall
she
sees
several
members
of
the
X‐Men
use
a
portal
to

transport
to
their
Australian
base,
and
she
follows
through.
She
hides
out
in
the

base,
stealing
food
to
survive.
When
Wolverine
is
attacked
and
no
other
members
of

the
team
are
around
she
saves
his
life,
and
they
form
a
close
bond
with
Wolverine

acting
as
a
father
figure
to
Jubilee.

Forge



Often
in
comic
books
Native
American
characters
conform
to
several

stereotypes.
Their
costumes
often
include
feathers
or
a
buckskin‐type
fringe.
They

often
go
on
journeys
of
spiritual
awakening.
And
their
powers
are
very
frequently

closely
related
to
nature
and
spiritualism.
In
some
ways
Forge
departs
significantly

from
these
stereotypes,
in
others
he
embraces
them.
His
character
is
shown
as
being

divided
between
his
technological
side
and
his
spiritual
side.


His
codename
is
a
reference
to
his
mutant
power.
Forge
has
the
ability
to

understand
how
any
machine
is
constructed
instantly,
and
also
the
ability
to

understand
how
a
machine
could
be
constructed
to
meet
any
need
he
has.
In

essence,
he
has
the
power
of
invention.
He
lives
in
one
of
the
most
high‐tech

buildings
in
the
Marvel
universe.
This
is
a
far
cry
from
other
Native
American

characters
such
as
Thunderbird,
or
later
Warpath,
who
come
from
reservations
that

are
depicted
more
as
camping
grounds
than
as
cities
with
any
sign
of
modernity.





183


Both
Thunderbird
and
Warpath
have
sets
of
powers
that
increase
their
natural

abilities.
They
have
heightened
strength,
sight,
and
hearing.
Conversely,
Forge’s

power
places
him
beyond
the
cutting
edge
of
modern
technology.
Forge
has
even

replaced
an
injured
part
of
his
leg
with
a
cybernetic
portion.

However,
while
his
mutant
power
departs
from
the
superheroic
stereotypes

of
Native
American
characters,
many
of
the
storylines
he
is
placed
with,
at
least

initially,
conform
to
those
very
stereotypes.
The
result
is
an
odd
dichotomy
of

unique
character
traits
and
old
stereotypes.
Forge
takes
Storm
on
journeys
of

spiritual
awakening
and
a
former
friend
of
Forge’s
chastises
him
for
turning
his
back

on
his
mystical
heritage
in
favor
of
technology.


Gambit

Remy
LeBeau
is
an
American
mutant
with
the
power
to
charge
objects
with

energy
that
causes
them
to
explode
when
suddenly
hit
or
impacted
against
other

objects.
Gambit
was
born
and
raised
in
New
Orleans
and
belongs
to
a
group
called

the
Thieves
Guild.
Before
joining
the
X‐Men,
Gambit
was
a
master
thief.
Much
like

Nightcrawler,
Colossus,
or
Banshee,
Gambit’s
dialogue
is
often
written
with
a
thick

phonetic
accent,
in
this
case
French.


Significant
Storylines
for
Race
and
Gender

A
storyline
involving
Professor
Xavier
serves
to
make
the
metaphorical

connection
between
mutants
and
racial
and
ethnic
minorities
unavoidable.
In
the

story,
Professor
Xavier
is
attacked
by
bigoted
students,
a
clear
hate
crime,
and
an

example
of
hate
speech
towards
mutants
is
linked
to
hate
speech
that
exists
in
the

real
world.





184





In
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#192
(Apr.
1985)
Professor
Xavier
has
begun
working


as
an
adjunct
professor
at
Columbia
University
where,
though
he
has
not
revealed

himself
to
be
a
mutant
to
the
world,
he
does
touch
on
the
plight
of
mutants
in
his

class.
He
is
attempted
to
draw
his
students’
attention
to
the
threat
mutants
face
in

an
increasingly
hostile
world.
As
he
explains
to
Storm,


The
“mutant
menace”
has
suddenly
become
a
prime
target
for
television
and

tabloid
exposes,
and
the
view
most
often
presented
is
so
hostile
I
fear
they’ll

do
lasting—possibly
irreparable—harm.
More
mutants
are
born
every
day,

Ororo.
What
hope
have
they—or
humanity—in
a
world
where
they’re

condemned
outright
as
evil?
(10)

After
one
of
his
evening
classes
as
Professor
Xavier
passes
in
front
of
a
building
with

graffiti
reading
“MUTIE
DIE!”
across
its
side
a
voice
calls
out
“Mutie
Lover!!”

A

group
of
students
block
his
path
and
when
Xavier
says
“Let
me
pass,
please.
I
want

no
trouble,”
one
of
the
students
replies
“Tough—we
don’t
want
your
kind
at
our

school”
(30).
Because
Xavier
is
first
called
a
“mutie
lover”
and,
at
this
point,
the

students
have
no
way
of
knowing
he
is
a
mutant,
their
hatred
is
clearly
towards

someone
they
perceive
as
being
sympathetic
to
mutants,
not
a
mutant
himself.
The

hatred
towards
mutants
has
spread
to
any
who
would
associate
with
or
defend

them.




Professor
Xavier
uses
his
mental
powers
to
paralyze
the
limbs
of
his


attackers,
but
as
is
explained
in
the
thought
balloons,
“…more
lurk
in
the
shadows

[…]
there
are
so
many—their
thoughts
so
chaotic—hard
to
keep
track‐‐‐did
I
spot

them
all,
have
I
frozen…”

(30).
At
this
point
a
brick
thrown
by
an
assailant
Professor





185


Xavier
had
not
seen
strikes
him
in
the
head
and
all
those
who
had
been
frozen
are

now
free
to
move.
They
quickly
conclude
that
“He
must
be
one
of
‘em.
The
Prof’s
a

mutie!”
and
with
a
cry
of
“Waste
him”
they
all
attack.
As
they
leave
his
unconscious

and
bloody
body
on
the
sidewalk,
the
gang
talks
among
themselves
saying,
“The

nerve
o’
the
sum‐belly,
passing
himself
off
as
a
real
human
being,”

“Hey
man,
he

won’t
be
trying
that
again,”
“He
got
what
he
deserved,”
and
“I
dunno
‘bout
you
all

but
this’s
given
me
a
thirst,
how’s
about
we
grab
some
brews”
(30).




In
subsequent
issues
Xavier
returns
to
teaching
after
recovering
from
his


injuries,
but
the
students
who
attacked
now
plant
a
bomb
in
his
office,
which
when

triggered
fails
to
kill
anyone.
In
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#196
(Aug.
1985)
Kitty
Pryde

comes
upon
the
group
of
students
who
planted
the
bomb
and
Phil,
one
of
the

students,
says
to
her,
“I
hadn’t
though
of
this
till
now,
brat,
but
you
attend
Charles

Xavier’s
Private
School
upstate.
You
a
mutie
then,
Pryde,
like
him?!”

Pryde
responds

to
Phil,
who
is
African
American,
by
saying,
“Gee
I
dunno,
Phill‐‐‐are
you
a
nigger?”


When
Phil
tells
her
to
watch
her
mouth
Pryde
responds,
“Watch
yours!

Especially

when
you
use
words
like
that
and
try
to
be
intentionally
hurtful”
(14).

It
is
in
this
period
that
the
first
use
of
hate‐speech,
complete
with
slang
and

derogatory
terms
for
mutants
becomes
common
when
portraying
the
prejudice
the

X‐Men
face.
In
this
instance,
the
hate‐speech
is
drawn
as
an
unavoidable
comparison

to
the
language
directed
at
African
Americans,
though
in
later
years
it
will
be
also
be

uses
as
a
metaphor
for
hate
speech
directed
at
homosexuals.




One
of
the
most
significant
stories
involving
gender
roles
is
“Inferno.”



Written
by
Chris
Claremont,
“Inferno”
bears
several
thematic
similarities
to
“The





186


Dark
Phoenix
Saga.”
Both
stories
involve
a
female
character
discovering
new

powers,
being
driven
mad,
threatening
all
of
creation
while
adopting
an
evil

persona,
and
finally
dying
to
end
the
threat.
In
this
case,
Madelyne
Pryor
becomes

the
Goblin
Queen
and
threatens
to
open
a
portal
between
hell
and
Earth.
Madelyne

Pryor
is
a
clone
of
Jean
Grey,
so
the
similarities
to
the
Dark
Phoenix
Saga
include
the

physical
appearance
of
the
antagonist,
not
simply
the
themes
of
the
story.





Pryor’s
story
is
very
complex.
She
was
introduced
shortly
after
Jean
Grey’s


apparent
death
in
The
Dark
Phoenix
Saga.
Cyclops
meets
Pryor
in
Alaska,
when
he
is

visiting
his
grandparents
after
he
has
quit
the
X‐Men
to
grieve
for
his
loss
of
Jean

Grey.
Pryor
could
remember
very
little
of
her
life
before
a
plane
crash
of
which
she

was
the
sole
survivor.
She
has
the
exact
same
appearance
as
Jean
Grey,
and
Cyclops

is
immediately
attracted
to
her.
After
a
rapid
courtship,
Cyclops
and
Madelyne
Pryor

marry,
and
Cyclops
retires
from
his
superhero
life.
Together
Cyclops
and
Madelyne

Pryor
have
a
child
named
Nathan
Summers.





This
idyllic
life
was
to
be
short‐lived
because
when
Cyclops
received
a
phone


call
that
his
Jean
Grey
was
alive,
he
immediately
abandoned
his
wife
and
child.
This

action
by
Cyclops
seems
out
of
character,
and
it
seems
to
have
been
driven
simply

by
an
editorial
decision.
The
publisher
wanted
to
reunited
all
of
the
original
X‐Men

as
a
team
in
the
pages
of
X­Factor,
which
is
why
the
decision
to
resurrect
Jean
Grey

and
retcon
the
Phoenix
storyline
occurred.
This
also
meant
that
Cyclops
had
to

become
a
superhero
again,
and
be
disentangled
from
the
home
life
he
had

established.
It
seems
that
rather
than
take
time
to
do
this,
the
decision
was
made
to

separate
Cyclops
from
Madelyne
and
Nathan
as
quickly
as
possible.





187





Understandably,
Madelyne
is
upset
at
this
turn
of
events.
Because
of
her


former
association
with
Cyclops,
her
life
is
occasionally
threatened
by
enemies
of

the
X‐Men,
and
the
X‐Men
take
her
into
their
care
to
protect
her.
A
demon,
sensing

Pryor’s
anger,
begins
to
manipulate
her
and
gives
her
access
to
demonic
powers.

This,
coupled
with
the
revelation
that
she
is
a
clone
of
Jean
Grey,
drives
her
fully

insane
and
she
manifests
incredible
power
and
takes
on
the
title
of
The
Goblin

Queen.





Much
as
Jean
Grey’s
descent
into
madness
was
accompanied
by
more
open


sexuality
and
revealing
outfits,
Madelyne
Pryor’s
change
includes
both
those

character
transformations.
In
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#239
(Dec.
1988)
the
issue

immediately
prior
to
the
beginning
of
Inferno
and
the
Pryor’s
adoption
of
the
Goblin

Queen
persona,
she
sleeps
with
Cyclops’
brother,
Havok.
And
again,
as
with
the
Dark

Phoenix
storyline,
Pryor
is
the
instigator
of
the
sexual
encounter.
Pryor
goes
to

Havok
to
seduce
him,
but
he
protests
“You’re
my
brother’s
wife!”
(21).
Pryor

responds,
“News
to
him,
these
days.
Alex,
I
didn’t
walk
out
on
him—I
didn’t
abandon

out
baby—I
didn’t
toss
this
commitment
down
the
dumpster.
If
the
marriage
is
over,

it’s
none
of
my
doing”
(22).
Then,
while
Havok
sleeps
following
their
implied

intercourse,
Pryor
goes
to
make
a
deal
with
a
demon
which
results
in
her
fully

becoming
the
Goblin
Queen.
And,
as
with
Jean
Grey
when
she
was
the
Black
Queen,

the
Goblin
Queen’s
outfit
is
ridiculously
revealing.





While
a
character
such
as
Storm,
who
remains
a
very
strong
character
even


when
losing
her
powers
is
a
progressive
female
portrayal
in
superhero
comic
books,

some
of
the
most
famous
storylines
in
X‐Men
comic
books
deal
with
a
female





188


character
becoming
more
sexual
in
act
and
appearance,
gaining
new
powers,
going

mad
and
becoming
evil.
There
is
a
close
intertwining
of
female
sexuality
and

morality
which
is
not
as
apparent
with
male
characters.
Cyclops
abandoned
his

family
because
an
old
lover
returned,
but
became
the
team
leader
of
another
group

of
heroes.
The
woman
he
abandoned
becomes
a
supervillain.

The
Number
Analysis

This
period
is
the
most
balanced
of
all

in
terms
of
gender
representation.

There
is
also
a
slight
increase
in
diversity
on
the
team,
though
overall
the
series

becomes
more
dominated
by
white
characters
than
it
had
been
in
the
previous

period
of
X‐Men
comics.
The
series
also
features
a
higher
percentage
of
Americans

on
the
team
than
the
previous
period.

There
are
19
characters
who
appear
as
members
of
the
team
between
The


Uncanny
X­Men
#167
(Mar.
1983)
and
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#280
(Sep.
1991)11.
Of

these,
11
(57.9%)
are
male,
and
8
(42.1%)
are
female.
These
characters
make
631

appearances
in
this
period.
Of
these
331
(52.5%)
are
male
and
300
(47.5%)
are

female.
Table
13
provides
a
breakdown
of
the
members
of
the
team
in
this
period

and
how
often
they
appeared.

A
few
significant
points
stand
out
from
this
period.
First,
though
the
team
has

been
completely
dominated
by
male
members
for
most
of
the
series,
in
this
period

there
are
significantly
more
women
on
the
team
than
men.
Storm,
Rogue,
Dazzler,

and
Psylocke
are
the
core
of
the
team,
with
Wolverine,
Longshot
or
Havok
rotating


























































11
Because
of
the
significant
alteration
to
Psylocke’s
body,
the
issues
in
which
she

appeared
as
a
British
woman
are
listed
as
Psylocke
(1)
and
the
issues
in
which
she

appeared
as
an
Asian
woman
are
listed
as
Psylocke
(2).




189


in.
Also,
through
The
Uncanny


X­Men
#280
(Sep.
1991)
Storm
has
appeared
more

than
any
other
character.
Her
156
appearances
represent
61.9%
of
the
original

issues
published
(discounting
the
reprinted
issues
between
#67‐93).
The
characters


that
appear
most
frequently

after
Storm,
though,
are
all
men.

Wolverine,
Colossus,
Cyclops,

Nightcrawler,
and
Professor
X
are

the
only
other
character
with
more

than
100
appearances
through
this

period
of
X‐Men
comics.

The
villains
were
still
more

than
three‐quarters
men,
but
the

number
became
slightly
more

balanced
than
previous
periods.

There
were
143
characters
who

appeared
as
villains
in
these
issues.

Of
these,
104
(72.7%)
were
male,
35


Character


Appearances
(%
of

issues)

82
(72.6%)

77
(68.1%)

74
(65.5%)

71
(62.8%)

39
(34.5%)

37
(32.7%)

37
(32.7%)

32
(28.3%)

31
(27.4%)

30
(26.5%)

25
(22.1%)

16
(14.2%)

15
(13.3%)

13
(11.5%)


Storm

Wolverine

Rogue

Colossus

Nightcrawler

Psylocke
(1)

Dazzler

Shadowcat

Longshot

Havok

Professor
X

Forge

Banshee

Phoenix

(Rachel

Summers)

Psylocke
(2)

13
(11.5%)

Jubilee

12
(10.6%)

Gambit

11
(9.7%)

Magneto

9
(8.0%)

Cyclops

7
(22.1%)

Table
13:
The
number
of
times

characters
appeared
as
members
of

the
X‐Men
between
1983‐91


(24.5%)
were
female,
and
4
(2.8%)
had
no
discernible
gender.
There
were
510

appearances
by
villains
in
these
issues.
Of
these,
361
(70.8%)
were
by
male
villains,

140
(27.5%)
were
by
female
villains,
and
9
(1.8%)
were
by
characters
(mostly

demons
or
aliens)
with
no
discernible
gender.

While
there
were
more
male
characters
that
guest‐starred
than
female

characters,
the
female
characters
appeared
more
frequently.
There
were
108
guest





190


stars
in
this
period.
Of
these,
62
(57.4%)
were
male
and
46
(42.6%)
were
female.
Of

the
548
appearances
by
guest
stars,
280
(51.1%)
were
by
females
and
268
(48.9%)

were
by
males.

In
total,
there
were
270
characters
that
appeared
in
these
issues.
Of
these,

177
(65.6%)
were
male,
89
(33.0%)
were
female,
and
4
(1.5%)
had
no
discernible

gender.
The
actual
number
of
appearances
were
much
more
balanced
between

genders
than
ever
before.
Of
1,689
appearances,
960
(56.8%)
were
by
male

characters,
720
(42.6%)
by
female
characters,
and
9
(.5%)
by
characters
with
no

discernible
gender.
In
the
first
time
period
analyzed
in
this
study,
85.0%
of
all

appearances
were
by
male
characters
and
in
the
second
period
analyzed
68.0%
of

all
appearances
were
by
male
characters.
The
X‐Men
comic
book
series
is
showing
a

steady
increase
in
the
number
of
female
characters
portrayed
in
the
series
and
also

in
how
often
the
female
characters
appear.

While
the
diversity
of
the
X‐Men
increases
overall
in
this
period,
the
diversity

of
the
overall
cast
of
characters
decreases,
as
a
higher
total
percentage
of
characters

and
appearances
in
this
period
are
by
white
characters
when
compared
with
the

period
between
Giant­Size
X­Men
#1
and
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#166.
The
series
is
still

more
diverse,
statistically
speaking,
when
compared
to
the
issues
published
in
the

1960s.

Of
the
19
characters
to
appear
on
the
X‐Men,
13
(68.4%)
are
white,
2

(10.5%)
are
Jewish,
2
(10.5%)
are
Asian,
1
(5.3%)
is
Native
American,
and
1
(5.3%)

is
Black.
Strictly
speaking,
only
18
characters
appeared
as
X‐Men,
but
because

Psylocke
appeared
in
two
different
bodies
with
different
ethnicities,
each
version
of





191


the
character
is
counted
as
distinct
for
the
purposes
of
this
analysis.
There
were
631

appearances
by
characters
on
the
X‐Men
in
this
period.
Of
these,
467
(74.0%)
were

by
white
characters,
82
(13.0%)
were
by
a
Black
character,
41
(6.5%)
were
by

Jewish
characters,
25
(4.0%)
were
by
Asian
characters,
and
16
(2.5%)
were
by
a

Native
American
character.

As
has
been
the
case
in
every
period
analyzed
so
far,
the
villains
are
more

diverse
than
the
heroes.
Of
the
143
villains
to
appear,
90
(62.9%)
were
white

characters,
25
(17.5%)
were
alien
characters,
9
(6.4%)
were
Asian
characters,
5

(3.5%)
were
robotic
characters,
4
(2.8%)
were
Black
characters,
4
(2.8%)
were

Native
American
characters,
3
(2.1%)
were
demonic
characters,
2
(1.4%)
were
of

unknown
ethnicity,
and
1
(0.7%)
was
an
Egyptian
character.
Of
the
510
appearances

by
villains,
340
(66.7%)
were
by
white
characters,
49
(9.6%)
were
by
alien

characters,
33
(6.5%)
were
by
Asian
characters,
21
(4.1%)
were
by
robotic

characters,
18
(3.5%)
were
by
Native
American
characters,
17
(3.3%)
were
by
Black

characters,
13
(2.5%)
were
by
characters
with
unknown
ethnic
origin,
11
(2.2%)

were
by
Egyptian
characters,

and
8
(1.6%)
were
by
demonic
characters.







‘











192


Chapter
6:
1991­2001:
New
Creative
Teams
and
Broadening
the
Mutant

Metaphor




Following
the
departure
of
Claremont
as
writer
of
the
series
the
new
creative


team
often
explored
earlier
characters
and
villains.
As
a
result,
the
more
recent

more
diverse
characters
began
to
appear
less
frequently.
In
another
development,

the
mutant
metaphor,
which
had
most
often
been
used
to
explore
prejudice
against

racial
minorities,
began
to
be
explored
in
terms
of
prejudice
and
hatred
directed
at

groups.
One
storyline
introduced
the
Legacy
Virus
and
the
subsequent
reaction
in

the
Marvel
narrative
universe
in
many
ways
reflected
the
HIV
scare
in
the
real

world.


The
Creators
and
General
Storyline

This
period
represents
a
significant
change
in
the
publication
practices
of

Marvel
concerning
the
X‐Men
franchise.
While
there
had
been
several
previous
spin‐
off
titles
associated
with
the
X‐Men
franchise,
including
Dazzler,
New
Mutants,
X­
Factor,
Wolverine
and
Excalibur,
those
series
had
different
focuses
than
Uncanny
X­
Men.
Dazzler
and
Wolverine
featured
the
adventures
of
a
single
protagonist,
New

Mutants
was
about
a
young
new
generation
of
mutants
being
trained
in
their

powers,
and
X­Factor
was
originally
envisioned
as
a
chance
to
reunite
the
original
X‐
Men.
In
X­Factor,
which
launched
in
1986,
Cyclops,
a
resurrected
Marvel
Girl,

Iceman,
Beast,
and
Angel
teamed
up
under
the
disguise
of
being
a
team
of
mutant

hunters
who
would
capture
dangerous
mutants
for
a
price.
In
reality,
they
would

take
the
jobs
only
to
then
remove
the
mutants
from
dangerous
situations
and
train

them.
Eventually,
X‐Factor
decides
that
the
“mutant
hunting”
front
inflames
hatred,





193


and
they
drop
the
ruse,
though
they
still
do
not
interact
with
X‐Men
very
often.

Excalibur
featured
a
team
of
mutants
based
in
Britain,
and
employed
several
of

Marvel’s
British
characters
as
well
as
popular
members
of
The
Uncanny
X­Men
who

were
being
written
out
of
that
series.
The
team
title
that
interacted
with
The

Uncanny
X­Men
most
often
was
New
Mutants,
because
they
were
also
based
out
of

Xavier’s
mansion.




In
1991,
Marvel
published
X­Men
#1
(Oct.
1991)
which
was
the
highest


selling
comic
book
in
history.
This
new
series
was
to
be
a
second
“core”
X‐Men
title,

while
all
the
other
titles
would
be
ancillary.
At
this
same
time
New
Mutants
changed

its
name
to
X­Force,
to
more
closely
be
associated
with
the
other
X‐titles
and
also
to

recognize
the
new
direction
that
title
was
taking.
No
longer
would
that
team
be

students,
they
were
now
soldiers
led
by
a
mysterious
mutant
from
the
future
named

Cable.
Cable
was
really
Cyclops
and
Madelyne
Pryor’s
son,
Nathan,
who
had
been

raised
in
the
future.
X­Men
and
The
Uncanny
X­Men
would
feature
two
teams
of
X‐
Men
which
used
the
same
base
of
operations,
the
X‐Mansion.
The
“Gold
Team”

would
be
in
X­Men
and
the
“Blue
Team”
would
be
in
The
Uncanny
X­Men.
Originally,

the
plan
was
that
the
two
teams
would
be
completely
separate,
but
quickly

crossovers
and
guest‐stars
are
shared
between
the
two
titles.





As
previously
touched
on,
Chris
Claremont
ceased
writing
The
Uncanny
X­

Men
due
to
creative
and
editorial
conflicts.
Jim
Lee,
a
popular
artist,
wanted
to
take

the
X‐Men
in
a
direction
Chris
Claremont
did
not
want
to
explore,
and
the
editor

gave
preference
to
Lee.
Unfortunately
for
Marvel,
after
a
little
more
than
a
year
Lee

left
Marvel
Comics
to
found
a
new
comic
book
company
with
six
of
the
most
popular





194


artists
of
the
time.
Marvel
alienated

Claremont
in
order
to
appease
Lee,
who

left
shortly
thereafter.
Following

Claremont’s
departure,
Marvel
brought

John
Byrne
in
to
script
Jim
Lee’s
plot

outlines,
in
hopes
of
connecting
with
the

fan
base
that
saw
the
Claremont‐Byrne

era
as
the
height
of
X‐Men
success.

Byrne
would
only
last
a
few
issues

before
frustrations
caused
him
to
quit.




Scott
Lobdell
replaced
Byrne
as


Writer
(co­
plotter)

John
Byrne

Jim
Lee
(Co‐
plotter)

Whilce
Portacio

(Co‐plotter)

Scott
Lobdell


Issues

#281­5,
288

#281,
285­8

#281­8


#286­319,
322­49,

390­3

Mark
Waid

#320­1

Steven
T.
Seagle

#350­63,
365

Ralph
Macchio

#364

Fabian
Nicieza

#366­7

Joe
Casey

#368

Terry
Kavanagh

#369­73,
375­8,
380

Jay
Faeber

#374

Chris
Claremont
 #379,
381­9

Table
14:
Writers
and
co‐plotters
of
The

X­Men
from
1991‐2001


the
writer,
and
he
had
a
much
longer
tenure
before
being
replaced
by
Steven
Seagle,

Terry
Kavanagh,
and
eventually
Chris
Claremont.
Almost
a
decade
after
leaving
the

title,
and
exactly
100
issues
after
he
left,
Claremont
would
return
to
The
Uncanny
X­
Men
for
a
nine
issue
run.
Changes
in
editors
and
publishers
at
Marvel
had
made
his

return,
which
seemed
unlikely
when
he
first
left,
possible.
A
full
list
of
the
writers

who
worked
on
The
Uncanny
X­Men
is


found
in
Table
14.




Significant
artists
from
this
period
included
Whilce
Portacio,
John
Romita
Jr.,


Andy
Kubert,
Tom
Raney,
Brandon
Peterson,
Joe
Madureira,
Chris
Bachalo,
Leinil

Francis
Yu,
Adam
Kubert,
and
Salvador
LaRocca,
with
many
other
artists
filling
in

briefly
for
single
issues..
Jim
Lee
did
not
provide
art
for
The
Uncanny
X­Men
as
he





195


was
drawing
the
second
X‐Men
title
that
had
recently
launched,
though
he
did
co‐
plot
the
stories
in
The
Uncanny
X­Men
while
he
remained
at
Marvel.




This
period
of
X‐men
comics
begins
with
the
X‐Men
having
split
into
the
Gold


and
Blue
teams,
so
many
of
the
most
popular
X‐Men
are
now
split
between
The

Uncanny
X­Men
and
X­Men.
Because
of
this,
many
popular
characters
such
as

Wolverine,
Shadowcat,
and
Colossus
begin
to
appear
less
frequently
in
The
Uncanny

X­Men,
though
it
is
likely
they
were
still
appearing
in
other
X‐Men
related
comic

books.
This
study
will
only
examine
the
portrayals
in
The
Uncanny
X­Men.





One
of
the
first
storylines
from
this
period
involves
Bishop,
a
mutant
law


enforcer
form
the
future
traveling
back
through
time
to
the
present
day
in
pursuit
of

time‐travelling
criminals.
Bishop,
an
African
American
mutant
with
the
power
to

absorb
energy
and
redirect
it
back
out
of
his
body
in
laser‐like
blasts.
He
becomes

trapped
in
the
present
day
and
after
the
X‐Men
help
to
capture
the
criminals
he
was

hunting
he
joins
the
team.





The
next
storyline
is
called
“X‐Cutioner’s
Song,”
a
crossover
that
included
The


Uncanny
X­Men,
X­Men,
X­Factor,
and
X­Force.
This
was
a
twelve‐part
story
that

featured
one
chapter
in
each
X‐title
for
three
consecutive
months.
At
a
concert

organized
by
a
mutant
pop
star
to
promote
diversity
Professor
Xavier
is
giving
a

speech
when
he
is
shot
by
a
man
who
looks
just
like
Cable,
who
is
the
mysterious

leader
of
the
young
team
of
mutants
called
X‐Force.
It
is
revealed
in
the
course
of

this
storyline
that
Cable
is
Nathan
Summers,
the
child
Cyclops
had
with
Madelyne

Pryor.
Nathan
had
been
infected
with
a
disease
and
sent
to
the
future
for
advanced

medical
aid.
Cable,
older
than
Cyclops
in
the
present,
has
travelled
back
in
time
to





196


the
present.
The
man
who
shot
Professor
Xavier
was
a
clone
of
Cable,
who
was

himself
the
child
of
a
clone.
After
more
than
thirty
years,
X‐Men
continuity
is
getting

quite
convoluted.




At
this
time
a
new
recurring
threat
to
mutants
is
introduced,
the
Legacy


Virus.
The
Legacy
Virus
is
a
disease
which,
initially,
is
confined
to
the
mutant

population
but
eventually
begins
to
affect
normal
humans
as
well.
This
storyline
is

introduced
in
the
early
1990s,
when
the
AIDS
scare
was
quite
prominent
in
the

media.
The
first
victim
of
the
Legacy
Virus
is
Illyana
Rasputin,
the
younger
sister
of

Colossus.
Upset
over
the
death
of
his
sister,
and
the
prejudice
he
sees
all
around,

Colossus
leaves
the
X‐Men
to
join
Magneto,
believing
that
a
more
aggressive
strategy

is
needed
to
protect
mutants.





In
another
crossover
with
the
other
X‐Men
titles,
this
one
called
“Fatal


Attractions,”
Magneto
rips
the
adamantium
off
of
Wolverine’s
bones
and
through
his

flesh.
In
reaction,
Professor
Xavier
performs
a
“mindwipe”
of
Magneto,
which
leaves

him
in
a
coma.
The
“mindwipe”
will
late
be
revealed
to
have
left
a
portion
of

Magneto’s
psyche
in
Professor
Xavier’s
mind
which
will
result
in
Professor
Xavier

going
insane
and
becoming
a
supervillain,
in
what
is
now
a
tradition
in
X‐Men
comic

books.




Jean
Grey
and
Scott
Summers
are
married
and
Cyclops
and
Cable
being
to


establish
a
relationship
as
father
and
son.
Banshee
and
a
reformed
Emma
Frost,

formerly
the
villainous
White
Queen,
decide
to
team
up
to
train
a
new
class
of
young

mutants.
Introduced
in
the
pages
of
X­Men
and
The
Uncanny
X­Men
this
new
team
is

spun‐off
into
its
own
comic
book,
Generation
X.






197





Professor
Xavier’s
insane
son,
codenamed
Legion,
travels
back
in
time
twenty


years
to
kill
Magneto,
believing
that
this
will
shape
the
world
in
a
manner
pleasing

to
his
father.
Instead,
an
alternate
dystopic
timeline
results
called
The
Age
of

Apocalypse
results.
Eventually
the
normal
timeline
is
restored.
During
this
storyline,

all
of
Marvel’s
X‐titles
ceased
publication
for
four
months
and
were
replaced
by
new

titles
set
in
the
Age
of
Apocalypse.
This
study
will
not
include
this
four‐month

replacement
title
in
the
analysis
of
The
Uncanny
X­Men.





The
X‐Men
are
warned
of
an
oncoming
threat
called
Onslaught.
Magneto’s


base
is
destroyed
and
out
of
the
wreckage
an
amnesiac
man
who
looks
like
Magneto

emerges
and
takes
the
name
Joseph.
In
a
crossover
that
affects
all
the
major

superhero
titles
Marvel
publishes,
Onslaught
attacks.
It
is
learned
that
Onslaught
is

Professor
Xavier,
or
rather
a
psychic
entity
created
in
Professor
Xavier’s
mind
after

he
mindwiped
Magneto.
Eventually,
the
psychic
entity
is
given
physical
form,
and

leaves
Xavier
behind.
The
combined
efforts
of
Marvel’s
heroes
defeat
Onslaught,
and

Professor
Xavier
is
then
taken
into
custody.




There
are
several
groups
organized
against
mutant
civil
rights
at
this
time.


One
is
called
the
“Friends
of
Humanity,”
and
while
they
have
political
goals,
they

often
resemble
white
supremacist
groups
that
will
attack
those
they
do
not
like.

Mutants
and
those
related
to
mutants
are
beat
up
by
the
Friends
of
Humanity.

Building
on
the
theme
of
political
opposition
to
mutant
rights
is
the
crossover
event

“Operation:
Zero
Tolerance”
in
which
the
government,
in
conjunction
with

international
governments,
hunts
down
all
mutants
to
try
to
capture
or
kill
them.

When
the
Prime
Sentinels
employed
by
Operation:
Zero
Tolerance
are
deemed
to
be





198


out
of
control
the
government
rescinds
Operation
Zero
Tolerance’s
authorization
to

act
on
U.S.
soil.




Dr.
Cecilia
Reyes
joins
the
X‐Men
and
is
the
first
Latino/a
character
to
join


the
team.
The
X‐Men,
after
surviving
attacks
by
the
Shadow
King,
Sauron,
and
Alpha

Flight,
search
for
Professor
Xavier,
who
has
been
in
custody
since
Onslaught.
They

recover
Xavier
and
are
able
to
restore
his
powers,
which
had
not
worked
since

Onslaught
was
defeated.




Magneto
returns
and
it
is
discovered
that
“Joseph,”
who
emerged
from
the


wreckage
of
Magneto’s
base
was
only
a
clone.
Joseph
dies
in
battle.
Subsequently,
in

a
battle
with
Apocalypse
Cyclops
seemingly
sacrifices
himself,
though
in
a
storyline

called
“The
Search
for
Cyclops”
he
is
rescued
and
returns
to
the
team.

The
New
Team
Members

Bishop



Lucas
Bishop
is
a
time‐traveling
mutant
from
the
future.
While
Storm
was
the
first

Black
member
of
the
X‐Men,
Bishop
is
the
first
African
American
member
of
the

team.
He
has
the
power
to
absorb
energy
and
redirect
it
out
as
plasma
blasts.
He

comes
to
the
present
day
in
pursuit
of
renegade
mutants
from
the
future,
but
after

they
are
defeated
he
is
unable
to
return
to
his
time
period
and
joins
the
X‐Men.
In

his
time
the
X‐Men
are
legendary,
but
as
a
result
of
his
time
travel
his
memories
of

what
he
learned
about
the
X‐Men
are
jumbled
and
fleeting.





Bishop
has
been
trained
as
a
soldier
his
entire
life,
and
in
his
timeline
the
war


between
mutants
and
humans
has
been
much
more
open
and
devastating
than
what





199


is
seen
in
the
X‐Men’s
present
day.
Bishop’s
soldier‐like
attitude
to
the
X‐Men’s

missions
sometimes
puts
him
at
odds
with
the
team,
which
though
a
fighting
unit,
is

much
more
individualistic
than
a
military
unit.
Bishop
is
very
disciplined
and

organized,
but
sometimes
struggles
to
take
orders
from
the
team
leader
when
he

believes
he
has
seen
a
better
course
of
action.
Because
of
this,
many
find
him
to
be

arrogant
and
abrasive.

White
Queen




The
White
Queen
is
yet
another
reformed
villain
who
becomes
a
member
of


the
team,
joining
the
likes
of
Banshee,
Sunfire,
and
Rogue.
In
subsequent
periods

White
Queen
is
a
regular
member
of
the
team,
but
at
this
time
she
is
only
briefly
a

member
of
the
X‐Men.
After
one
adventure
with
the
team
she
then
goes
with

Banshee
to
train
the
next
generation
of
mutants
in
a
series
called
Generation
X.

White
Queen
has
psychic
powers
on
the
level
of
Jean
Grey.
Some
of
her
most

defining
characteristics
are
her
arrogance,
her
extremely
elitist
and
aristocratic

attitudes,
and
her
penchant
for
wearing
revealing
outfits
at
all
times.
The
White

Queen
was
one
of
the
first
female
characters
in
the
X‐Men
to
wear
a
costume
that

was
clearly
meant
for
seduction.

Cannonball




Samuel
Guthrie
was
one
of
the
first
team
young
mutants
to
be
trained
in
the


series
The
New
Mutants
which
premiered
in
1983.
His
joining
the
X‐Men

represented
his
graduation
from
adolescent
student
to
full‐fledged
X‐Man,
which

had
been
his
life’s
dream.
He
has
the
power
to
generate
concussive
blasts
which

propel
him
in
flight
at
great
speeds.
As
he
is
flying
his
body
produces
a
protective





200


field
so
that
he
cannot
be
harmed,
so
he
can
slam
into
objects
or
foes
without
fear
of

personal
injury.

Joseph

Joseph
 is
 the
 name
 taken
 by
 a
 man
 who
 identically
 resembles
 Magneto.

Because
he
stumbles
out
of
the
wreckage
of
Magneto’s
old
base,
it
is
assumed
that

he
 is
 an
 amnesiac
 Magneto.
 However,
 it
 is
 revealed
 that
 he
 is
 a
 clone
 of
 Magneto,

who
was
created
by
Sabra
for
the
sole
purpose
of
killing
Magneto.
Joseph’s
storyline

is
 at
 times
 confusing,
 and
 it
 seems
 likely
 that
 he
 was
 originally
 intended
 to
 be

Magneto,
but
later
writers
made
the
decision
to
have
him
be
a
clone.

Cecilia
Reyes




Cecilia
Reyes
is
a
Puerto
Rican
doctor
who
reluctantly
joins
the
X‐Men
after


several
offers.
Marvel
Comics
has
identified
her
as
Afro‐Latin
American,
She
is
the

first
Latina
to
join
an
X‐Men
team,
though
Latino/a
characters
had
appeared

previously
in
the
spin‐off
X‐Men
books.
Cecilia
Reyes
initially
chose
not
to
join
the
X‐
Men
because
she
wished
to
focus
on
her
work
in
medicine
and
had
no
interest
in

becoming
a
superhero.
She
has
the
mutant
ability
to
project
a
force
field
around
her

body,
though
the
power
has
been
expanded
into
a
more
aggressive
use
in
some

stories.
The
majority
of
the
stories
featuring
Cecilia
Reyes
did
not
occur
in
The

Uncanny
X­Men,
but
in
one
of
the
other
mutant
titles
published
by
Marvel.
While

initially
Reyes,
who
is
a
strong,
independent
character
and
very
accomplished
in
the

field
of
medicine,
avoids
most
of
the
negative
stereotypes
that
are
sometimes
used

in
popular
culture
when
depicting
African
Americans
or
Latinos,
she
develops
an





201


addiction
to
an
illegal
drug
in
one
of
the
few
storylines
in
which
she
is
featured.

Professor
Xavier
helps
her
to
break
this
addiction.

Maggot

Japheth
was
a
Black
South
African
character
who
did
not
endure
for
long
life

on
the
team
in
The
Uncanny
X­Men.
His
mutant
powers
were
telepathic
control
over

two
large
slug‐like
maggots
named
Eeny
and
Meeny,
who
also
served
as
his

digestive
system.
These
maggots
can
digest
anything,
and
after
returning
to

Maggot’s
abdomen,
give
him
superior
strength
and
energy
from
the
nourishment

they
carry.

Initially
little
is
known
about
Maggot,
but
it
is
later
revealed
that
as
a
child
in

South
Africa
during
Apartheid
his
mutation
was
misunderstood
by
all
around
him.

Magneto
finds
Japheth
and
helps
him
learn
to
control
the
maggots
which
serve
as

his
digestive
system.
When
Japheth
witnesses
Magneto
murder
several
white

Afrikaner
soldiers
who
had
been
murdering
Black
South
Africans
he
rejects

Magneto’s
solution
to
the
prejudice
in
his
country,
and
runs
away
from
his

benefactor.
While
this
character
history
does
help
to
broaden
the
scope
of
the

prejudice
metaphor
in
X‐Men
comic
books
beyond
race
relations
in
the
United

States,
it
is
not
touched
on
by
the
character
or
the
themes
in
stories
after
it
is

revealed.

Clearly,
the
back
story
about
South
Africa
was
not
intended
when
Maggot

first
appeared,
because
“if
you
look
at
his
early
appearances,
you
will
see
Australian

dialect
in
his
speech”
because
the
character’s
creator,
Scott
Lobdell,
“intended

Maggot
to
be
Australian,
not
South
African”
(“Maggot”).
After
the
South
African





202


backstory
is
decided,
the
character
frequently
uses
Afrikaans
slang
rather
than

Australian
dialect.

After
his
maggots
return
to
his
body
to
feed
him,
his
skin
turns
blue
for
a

time.
However,
it
will
return
to
his
normal
skin
tone
shortly.
Because
of
this
Maggot,

like
Colossus,
can
appear
to
be
either
a
mutant
or
pass
as
a
normal
human

depending
on
if
his
powers
are
in
use.
Unlike
Colossus,
Maggot
is
still
is
identified
as

part
of
a
minority
group,
in
both
his
home
country
and
the
United
States
when
using

his
mutant
powers
or
appearing
as
a
normal
human.

Marrow

After
Nightcrawler,
Marrow
is
one
of
the
first
members
of
the
X‐Men
who
is

always
clearly
identified
as
a
mutant.
Because
her
mutant
powers
causes
bones
to

protrude
from
all
over
her
body
she
cannot
pass
for
a
normal
human,
as
most
of
the

X‐Men
can.
Marrow
is
another
character
who
first
appeared
as
a
villain,
and
then

became
a
member
of
the
X‐Men.
In
her
appearances
as
a
villain
Marrow
is
very

grotesque,
but
under
the
tutelage
of
the
X‐Men
she
gains
greater
control
of
her

powers
and
becomes
more
classically
attractive.


Cable




Cable
is
Nathan
Summers,
the
child
of
Cyclops
and
Madelyne
Pryor
who
was


taken
into
the
future
and
raised
there,
only
to
return
to
the
present
day
as
a
soldier

determined
to
destroy
the
threat
of
Apocalypse.
Cable
appeared
regularly
in
X­Force

as
the
leader
of
that
team
as
well
as
in
his
own
long‐running
series,
Cable.
Cable’s

stay
on
the
X‐Men
often
highlighted
the
tension
in
his
relationship
with
his
father,





203


Scott
Summers,
and
his
pseudo‐mother
Jean
Grey.
Besides
not
having
been
raised
by

them,
Cable
is
older
than
either
of
them,
creating
a
unique
family
dynamic.

Thunderbird
II




Neal
Shaara
was
a
new
mutant
introduced
during
Chris
Claremont’s
brief


return
to
the
X‐Men
titles.
The
character
had
no
relation
to
the
original
Thunderbird

from
Giant­Size
X­Men
#1.
While
India
has
a
very
diverse
set
of
ethnicities
and

cultural
groups,
we
are
not
told
much
about
the
character’s
heritage
other
than
that

he
is
Indian
and
his
family
lives
in
Calcutta.
While
he
takes
the
codename

Thunderbird,
his
powers
are
almost
identical
to
Sunfire,
another
character
who
was

part
of
the
team
that
relaunched
the
X‐Men
franchise
in
1975.

Gender




In
previous
periods
the
storylines
“The
Dark
Phoenix
Saga”
and
“Inferno”


have
been
analyzed.
In
both
instances
a
female
associated
with
the
X‐Men
gained

new
powers,
succumbed
to
an
outside
influence,
and
threatened
all
of
existence.
A

storyline
with
similar
plot
points
from
this
period
is
“Onslaught.”

Professor
Xavier,

influenced
by
a
seed
of
evil
from
Magneto’s
mind,
creates
a
new
psychic
entity
called

Onslaught.
Eventually
this
psychic
entity
takes
on
physical
form
and
leaves
Xavier’s

mind
and
body,
and
threatens
all
life
on
Earth.





One
of
the
key
differences
in
these
storylines
is
the
gender
of
the


protagonist/antagonist,
and
how
their
gender
is
an
aspect
of
their
displays
of
evil.

While
Jean
Grey,
joining
with
the
Phoenix
Force
became
the
Dark
Phoenix
and

Madelyne
Pryor
receiving
demonic
powers
from
S’ym
became
the
Goblin
Queen,





204


Professor
Xavier,
coupled
with
aspects
of
Magneto’s
mind,
gave
birth
to
Onslaught.

Marvel’s
official
explanation
of
Onslaught’s
origin
is
that,


When
Charles
Xavier
telepathically
rendered
Magneto
catatonic,
he

unknowingly
absorbed
Magneto’s
dark
ego.
Magneto’s
negative
emotions

merged
with
Xavier’s
suppressed
urges,
forming
a
powerful,
dormant
psionic

entity
‐
the
self‐dubbed
Onslaught.
[…]Soon
after,
Xavier
encountered
X‐Man

(Nate
Grey)
on
the
astral
plane,
who
pulled
Xavier’s
astral
form
into
the

physical
world.
Onslaught
thus
escaped
Xavier’s
mind,
but
was
still

“tethered”
to
Xavier.
(“Onslaught”).

Thus,
while
it
was
Jean
Grey
and
Madelyne
Pryor
who
became
villains,

Professor
Xavier
housed
Onslaught
and
more
or
less
gave
birth
to
the
creature,
but

was
not
physically
within
its
being.
Dark
Phoenix
was
the
devourer,
and
consumed

an
entire
star
and
threatened
to
consume
all
of
creation.
The
Goblin
Queen
opened
a

portal
to
a
hell
dimension
and
threatened
to
have
demons
destroy
this
plane
of

existence.
Originally,
Onslaught
sought
to
ensure
peaceful
coexistence
between

humanity
and
mutants
by
fascistic
force,
but
in
the
end
he
decides
that
the

destruction
of
both
groups
is
the
only
way
to
guarantee
peace.


Jean
Grey
and
Madelyne
Pryor
become
more
sexual
in
both
their
path
to

villainy
and
in
their
roles
as
villains.
Professor
Xavier,
conversely,
becomes
a
hyper‐
masculine
being.
Both
Jean
Grey
and
Madelyne
Pryor
had
sexual
encounters
signal

their
descent
into
evil.
The
first
warning
the
X‐Men
have
of
the
coming
of
Onslaught

is
the
defeat
of
their
long‐time
foe
and
Professor
Xavier’s
half‐brother
the

Juggernaut
by
an
unnamed
foe.
The
women
are
sexualized
in
their
villainy,





205


Professor
Xavier
is
marked
as
more
strong
and
violent,
single‐handedly
defeating
a

foe
that
had
troubled
the
entire
team
of
X‐Men
numerous
times
before.







Also
significant
is
the
way
these
characters
evil
forms
are
shown.
In
Jean


Grey’s
path
to
becoming
the
Dark
Phoenix
she
became
the
Black
Queen,
and
wore

black
lingerie
as
her
costume.
The
Goblin
Queen
wore
what
were
essentially

tattered
rags
that
barely
covered
her
as
her
costume.
Onslaught
is
a
massively

armored
being.
His
size
and
armor
are
signs
of
his
power,
whereas
the
sexuality
of

the
Black
Queen
and
Goblin
Queen
were
highlighted.




The
consequences
that
these
heroes
face
for
their
turn
to
towards
evil
are


also
different.
The
Dark
Phoenix
and
the
Goblin
Queen
were
both
killed
in
order
to

balance
the
scales
of
justice.
Professor
Xavier
is
simply
arrested
following
the
events

of
Onslaught.
The
women,
who
threatened
mankind
with
their
power
and
sexuality,

must
be
exterminated.
The
man,
who
also
threatened
the
entire
world,
is

incarcerated.

Ethnicity




One
of
the
most
significant
storylines
from
this
period
is
the
crossover


“Executioner’s
Song.”

While
this
story
does
not
have
many
elements
which
deal

with
prejudice
towards
racial
minority,
it
does
have
a
story
element
that
offers
a

new
interpretation
for
the
mutant
metaphorAlthough
many
have
cited
other

interpretations,
including
the
social
anxiety
and
feelings
of
being
an
“outsider”
that

so‐called
“geeks”
experience
in
high
school,
the
prevalent
interpretation
for
mutants

had
been
an
allegory
for
racial
minorities.
The
conclusion
of
“Executioner’s
Song”





206


introduced
a
new
element
that
invites
the
readers
to
interpret
mutants
as
a

metaphor
for
the
alienation
homosexuals
experienced
in
society.




The
villain
of
the
story,
Stryfe,
releases
a
disease
called
the
Legacy
Virus


which
will
only
infect
mutants.
At
first,
normal
humans
are
relatively
unconcerned

with
this
new
disease
which
will
not
threaten
humans.
However,
eventually
the

Legacy
Virus
makes
the
jump
from
mutants
to
also
infecting
humans.
Moira

MacTaggert,
a
longtime
character
in
the
X‐Men
series
was
the
first
human
to
die

because
of
being
infected
by
the
Legacy
Virus.

Fabian
Nicieza,
one
of
the
writers
“Executioner’s
Song”
storyline
has
said
that

as
a
group,
the
writers
hoped
to
create
a
greater
separation
between
the
X‐Men
and

the
rest
of
the
Marvel
universe
by
introducing
the
Legacy
Virus.

We
specifically
discussed
ways
to
alienate
mutants
even
further
from

mainstream
superheroes,
since
by
then
the
thematic
tone
of
prejudice
was

cemented
into
the
book's
structure.
One
thing
the
"new
wave"
of
writers

discussed
was
"why
are
mutants
railed
against
but
people
are
okay
with
the

Fantastic
Four
or
Thor?"
The
presentation
of
our
theme
was
complicated
by

the
inconsistency
shown
by
the
fictional
population
of
the
universe.

HIV/AIDS
was

a
very
prevalent
topic
at
the
time
and
absolutely
as
creators,

having
gone
through
our
20's
in
the
80's,
we
were
well
informed
by
the

thematic
underpinnings
of
prejudice
against
gays
as
a
result
of
the
virus

outbreak.

But,
Nicieza
also
wants
it
to
be
made
clear
that
this
does
not
mean
that
suddenly
all

readers
should
equate
mutants
with
homosexuals.
Rather,
this
introduced
a
new





207


layer
to
the
metaphor,
one
which
remained
open
to
interpretation
by
both
creators

and
readers.


The
“Operation:
Zero
Tolerance”
storyline
does
have
some
elements
that
line

up
with
historical
precedents
from
the
history
of
the
United
States.
And
it
is
one
of

the
more
overt
attempts
to
bring
the
looming
threat
from
the
future
timelines
the
X‐
Men
have
seen,
mutants
being
rounded
up
into
concentration
camps,
into
the

present
day.
However,
the
story
did
not
align
strongly
with
contemporary
concerns

from
the
period
when
it
was
published.
The
threat
of
the
government
rounding
up
a

group
of
people
and
placing
them
in
concentration
camps
because
of
an
aspect
of

their
genetic
code
did
not
sound
as
threatening
as
it
would
have
shortly
after

Japanese
Americans
were
rounded
up,
or
even
as
it
would
today
with
Guatanomo

Bay
still
functioning
as
a
base
for
untried
enemies
of
the
state.
 

Statistical
Analysis




The
period
from
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#281
(Oct.
1991)
–
The
Uncanny
X­Men



#393
(Jun.
2001)
sees
a
reversal
of
several
trends
in
terms
of
the
representation
of

females
in
the
series.
In
every
previous
period
the
percentage
of
female
characters

increased
in
the
categories
of
X‐Men
team
members,
villains,
and
guest
stars.
In
this

period,
the
percentage
of
male
characters
in
the
series
increases
in
every
category,

in
some
case
dramatically.
From
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#167

(Mar.
1983)
–
The

Uncanny
X­Men
#280
(Sep.
1991)
64.2%
of
all
characters
in
the
series
were
male,
in

this
subsequent
period
that
number
jumps
to
71.1%.







Twenty‐six
characters
appeared
as
members
of
the
X‐Men
in
the
112
issues



208


published
in
this
period.
Of
these,
17
(65.4%)

were
male,
and
9
(34.6%)
were
female.
There

is
very
little
difference
in
those
percentages

when
looking
at
the
total
number
of

appearances
in
this
period.
There
were
765

appearances
by
team
members
in
these
issues.

Of
these
501
(65.5%)
were
by
male
characters

and
34.5%
were
by
female
characters.




In
terms
of
gender
representation,
the


villains
were
the
most
imbalanced
group
in
this

period.
Of
the
163
villains
the
X‐Men
battled

131
(80.4%)
were
male
and
32
(19.6%)
were

female.
The
appearances
were
almost

identically
balanced.
Of
the
391
appearances

by
villains,
309
(79.0%)
were
male
and
82

(21.0%)
were
female.




There
were
126
characters
who
guest‐

Character


#
of

appearances

Storm

80
(70.8%)

Gambit

62
(54.9%)

Professor
X

60
(53.1%)

Phoenix

56
(49.6%)

Beast

51
(45.1%)

Wolverine

48
(42.5%)

Rogue

50
(44.2%)

Bishop

45
(39.8%)

Iceman

44
(38.9%)

Angel

44
(38.9%)

Colossus

43
(38.1%)

Cyclops


28
(24.8%)

Marrow

24
(21.2%)

Nightcrawler

21
(18.6%)

Psylocke

21
(18.6%)

Kitty
Pryde

16
(14.2%)

Cannonball

16
(14.2%)

Joseph

14
(12.4%)

Jubilee

14
(12.4%)

Cable

8
(7.1%)

Forge

8
(7.1%)

Maggot

4
(3.5%)

Thunderbird
II
 3
(2.7%)

Banshee

2
(1.8%)

White
Queen

2
(1.8%)

Cecilia
Reyes

1
(0.9%)

Table
15:
Number
of

appearances
by
members
of

the
X‐Men
between
1991‐
2001


starred
in
the
series
in
this
period.
Of
these,
76
(60.3%)
were
male
and
50
(39.7%)

were
female.
Of
the
436
appearances
by
guest
stars
between
October
1991
and
June

2001,
255
(58.5%)
were
by
male
characters,
and
181
(41.5%)
were
by
female

characters.




In
total,
315
characters
appeared
in
The
Uncanny
X­Men
in
this
period.
Of


these,
224
(71.1%)





209




were
male
and
91
(28.9%)
were

female.
The
percentages
were
a

little
more
balanced
in
terms
of

total
appearances,
though
the

number
still
skews
heavily

towards
male
dominance
in


Category


#
of
male

#
of
female

characters

characters

(percentage
 (percentage

of
total)

of
total)

Heroes

17
(65.4%)

9
(34.6%)

Villains

131
(80.4%)
 32
(19.6%)

Guest
Stars
 76
(60.3%)

50
(39.7%)

Total

224
(71.1%)
 91
(28.9%)

Table
16:
The
number
of
male
and
female

characters
appearing
between
1991‐2001


sheer
numbers.
Of
the
1592
appearances
by
characters
in
these
issues,
1065

(66.9%)
were
male
and
527


Category


(33.1%)
were
female.




The
covers
of
The


#
of
male

character

appearances

(percentage
of

total)

501
(65.5%)

309
(79.0%)

255
(58.5%)


#
of
female

character

appearances

(percentage

of
total)

264
(34.5%)

82
(21.0%)

181
(41.5%)


Heroes

Villains

Guest

featured
more
male
characters

Stars

Total

1055
(66.9%)
 527
(33.1%)

than
female
characters
in
this

Table
17:

The
number
of
appearances
by

male
and
female
characters
between
1991‐
period..
There
were
148

2001

characters
that
appeared
on
the
covers
of
The
Uncanny
X­Men
between
issues
#291

Uncanny
X­Men
also
generally


and
issue
#393.
Of
these
113
(76.4%)
characters
were
male
and
35
(23.6%)

characters
were
female.
There
were
488
appearances
on
the
covers
of
The
Uncanny

X­Men
in
this
period.
Of
these,
347
(71.1%)
were
male
and
141
(28.9%)
were

female.




Once
again,
in
terms
of
racial
make
up,
the
majority
of
the
characters
to


appear
in
The
Uncanny
X­Men
were
white.
And
again,
the
villains
were
more
diverse

than
the
members
of
the
X‐Men
and
the
guest
stars.
And,
as
has
been
common
since





210


the
Claremont
era
began,
aliens
were
one
of
the
most
common
groups
besides
white

characters.
In
this
period
there
is
an
increase
in
the
number
of
characters
who
are

introduced
with
relatively
little
official
background
information
provided
in
either

the
comic
books
themselves
or
in
official
Marvel
publications.
There
were
more

characters
who
appeared
in
The
Uncanny
X­Men
in
this
period
than
any
other
that

will
be
analyzed,
and
many
of
these
new
characters
were
depicted
with
mutations

that
remove
any
identifiable
ethnic
markers.
Because
of
this,
there
are
more

characters
that
will
be
categorized
as
“unknown”
in
regards
to
ethnicity
and

nationality
in
this
period.




Of
the
26
characters
to
appear
as
members
of
the
X‐Men,
17
(65.4%)
were


white
characters,
3
(11.5%)
were
Black
characters,
2
(7.7%)
were
Asian
characters,

1
(3.8%)
was
a
Jewish
character,
1
(3.8%)
was
an
Afro‐Latina
character,
1
(3.8%)

was
a
Native
American
character,
and
1
(3.8%)
was
an
Indian
character.
There
were

765
appearances
by
members
of
the
X‐Men
in
this
period.
Of
these,
573
(74.9%)

were
by
white
characters,
129
(16.9%)
were
by
Black
characters,
35
(4.6%)
were
by

Asian
characters,
16
(2.1%)
were
by
a
Jewish
character,
8
(1.0%)
were
by
a
Native

American
character,
3
(.4%)
were
by
an
Indian
character,
and
1
(.1%)
was
by
an

Afro‐Latina
character.




Of
the
163
villains
to
appear
in
these
issues,
88
(54.0%)
were
white.

 The


next
most
represented
group,
as
has
become
standard
for
The
Uncanny
X­Men,
are

the
groups
of
villains
with
fictional
ethnicities,
including
17
(10.4%)
alien

characters,
9
(5.5%)
robot
characters,
and
3
(1.8%)
demonic
characters.

Additionally,
in
this
period
there
are
22
(13.5%)
villains
with
no
identified
ethnicity.





211


In
descending
order,
the
other
ethnicities
of
the
villains
are
9
(5.5%)
Asian

characters,
6
(3.7%)
Black
characters,
4
Egyptian
(2.5%)
characters,
2
(1.2%)
Native

American
characters,
1
(0.6%)
Jewish
character,
1
(0.6%)
Latino
character,
and
1

(0.6%)
Indian
character,





There
are
391
appearances
by
the
villains
in
these
issues.
The
majority
of


these
appearances,
214
(54.7%)
are
by
white
characters.
Fictional
characters
make

significant
appearances,
including,
34
(4.6%)
by
alien
characters,
22
(5.6%)
are
by

robotic
villains,
and
4
(1.0%)
are
by
demonic
villains.
There
are
47
appearances
by

villains
with
no
known
ethnicity.
In
this
period
there
are
more
appearances
by
Asian

and
Egyptian
villains
than
other
ethnicities.
In
descending
order
of
number
of

appearances,
the
other
ethnicities
represented
in
the
villains
of
this
period
include

18
(4.6%)
appearances
by
Asian
characters,
18
(4.6%)
appearances
by
Egyptian

characters,
15
(3.8%)appearances
by
Black
characters,
9
(2.3%)
appearances
by

Jewish
characters,
7
(1.8%)
appearances
by
Native
American
characters,
2
(0.5%)

appearances
by
Indian
villains,
and
1
(0.3%)
appearance
by
a
Latino
character.




The
guest
stars
in
this
period
are
the
less
diverse
than
the
heroes
and


villains.
Of
the
126
guest
stars
to
appear
in
this
period,
85
(67.5%)
are
white.
There

are
10
guest
stars
that
have
fictional
ethnicities,
6
(4.8%)
alien
guest
stars
and
4

(3.2%)
robotic
guest
stars.
In
this
period
there
are
2
(1.6%)
guest
stars
with
no

identifiable
ethnicity.
There
are
11
(8.7%)
Black
guest
stars,
6
(4.8%)
Native

American
guest
stars,
5
(4.0%)
Latino
guest
stars,
5
(4.0%)
Asian
guest
stars,
and
2


(1.6%)
Jewish
guest
stars.






212





The
actual
number
of
appearances
by
guest
stars
are
even
less
diverse.
Of
the


436
appearances,
305
(70.0%)
are
by
white
characters.
There
are
17
(3.9%)

appearances
by
alien
guest
stars
and
5
(1.1%)
appearances
by
robotic
guest
stars.

There
are
2
(0.5%)
appearances
by
characters
with
unknown
ethnicity.


Race


#
of
Guest

#
of
all

Stars
(%
of

characters
(%

total
#
of

of
total
#
of

guest
stars)

characters)

White

17
(65.4%)
 88
(54.0%)

85
(67.5%)

190
(60.3%)

Unknown

0
(0.0%)

22
(13.5%)

2
(1.6%)

24
(7.6%)

Alien

0
(0.0%)

17
(10.4%)

6
(4.8%)

23
(7.3%

Black

3
(11.5%)

6
(3.7%)

11
(8.7%)

20
(6.3%)

Asian

2
(7.7%)

9
(5.5%)

5
(4.0%)

16
(5.1%)

Robotic

0
(0.0%)

9
(5.5%)

4
(3.2%)

13
(4.1%)

Native
American
 1
(3.8%)

2
(1.2%)

6
(4.8%)

9
(2.9%)

Latino

0
(0.0%)

1
(0.6%)

5
(4.0%)

6
(1.9%)

Jewish

1
(1.8%)

1
(0.6%)

2
(1.6%)

4
(1.3%)

Egyptian

0
(0.0%)

4
(2.5%)

0
(0.0%)

4
(1.3%)

Demonic

0
(0.0%)

3
(1.8%)

0
(0.0%)

3
(1.0%)

Indian

1
(3.8%)

1
(0.6%)

0
(0.0%)

2
(0.6%)

Afro‐Latino

1
(3.8%)

0
(0.0%)

0
(0.0%)

1
(0.3%)

TOTAL

26


163


126


315


Table
18:
The
number
of
characters
in
different
ethnic
groups
to
appear
between

1991‐2001






#
of
Heroes
 #
of
Villains

(%
of
total
#
 (%
of
total
#

of
heroes)

of
villains)


In
total,
between
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#281
(Oct.
1991)
–
The
Uncanny
X­Men



#393
(Jun.
2001)
the
series
is
more
diverse
than
the
previous
period,
but
over
60%

of
the
characters
to
appear
are
white
and
almost
70%
of
the
appearances
are
by

white
characters.
There
were
315
characters
that
appeared
in
these
112
issues,
and

190
(60.3%)
were
white
characters.
There
were
23
(7.3%)
alien
characters,
13

(4.1%)
robotic
characters,
and
3
(1.0%)
demonic
characters.
Twenty‐four
(7.6%)

characters
appeared
with
no
identifiable
ethnicity.
There
were
20
(6.3%)
Black

characters,
16
(5.1%)
Asian
characters,
9
(2.9%)
Native
American
characters,
6





213


(1.9%)
Latino
characters,
4
(1.3%)
Jewish
characters,
4
(1.3%)
Egyptian
characters,

2
(0.6%)
Indian
characters,
and
1
(0.3%)
Afro‐Latina
character.




In
total,
there
were
1,592
appearances
by
character
in
this
period.
Of
these,


1,092
were
by
white
characters.
There
were
also
51
(3.2%)
appearances
by
alien

characters,
27
(1.7%)
appearances
by
robotic
characters,
and
4
(0.3%)
demonic

characters.
There
were
49
(3.1%)
appearances
by
character
with
no
known

identifiable.
There
were
180
(11.3%)
appearances
by
Black
characters,
77
(4.8%)

appearances
by
Asian
characters,
34
(2.1%)
appearances
by
Native
American

characters,
32
(2.0%)
appearances
by
Jewish
characters,
22
(1.4%)
appearances
by

Latino
characters,
18
(1.1%)
appearances
by
Egyptian
characters,
5
(0.3%)

appearances
by
Indian
characters,
and
1
(0.1%)
appearance
by
an
Afro‐Latina

character.




While
in
the
Claremont
era
the
characters
became
more
international,
this


period
sees
a
higher
number
of
characters
and
appearances
by
American
characters.

Of
the
heroes,
villains,
and
guest
stars
the
heroes
has
the
highest
concentration
of

American
characters
and
appearances,
while
the
villains
have
the
smallest

percentage
of
American
characters
and
appearances.





Of
the
26
characters
to
appear
as
members
of
the
X‐Men,
15
(57.7%)
are


American
characters,
2
(7.7%)
are
German
characters,
1
(3.8%)
is
an
Irish
character,

1
(3.8%)
is
a
Russian
character,
1
(3.8%)
is
a
Kenyan
character,
1
(3.8%)
is
a

Canadian,
1
(3.8%)
is
a
British
character,
1
is
a
Cheyenne
character,
1
is
a
South

African
character,
1
is
a
Puerto
Rican
character,
and
1
is
an
Indian
character.
There

are
765
appearances
by
members
of
the
X‐Men
in
this
period.
Of
these,
520
(68.0%)





214


are
by
American
characters,
80
(10.5%)
are
by
a
Kenyan
character,
48
(6.3%)
are
by

a
Canadian
character,
43
(45.6%)
are
by
a
Russian
character,
35
(4.6%)
are
by

German
characters,
21
(2.7%)
are
by
a
British
character,

8
(1.0%)
are
by
a

Cheyenne
character,
4
(0.5%)
are
by
a
South
African
character,
3
(0.4%)
is
by
a
an

Indian
character,
2
(0.3%)
are
by
an
Irish
character,
and
1
(0.1%)
is
by
a
Puerto

Rican
character.




Of
the
163
villains
to
appear,
78
(47.9%)
are
American
characters.
12
(7.4%)


are
alien
characters,
3
(1.8%)
are
demonic
characters,
6
(1.6%)
are
of
a
fictional

group
called
“The
Inhumans”
with
their
own
nation
found
on
the
moon,
14
(8.6%)

belong
to
a
fictional
group
called
“The
Neo”
who
have
their
own
nation,
16
(9.8%)
of

the
characters
have
unknown
nationality,
and
4
(2.5%)
of
the
villains
have
no

applicable
nationality.
In
the
earthly
nationalities
of
the
villains,
6
(3.7%)
are

Japanese
characters,
4
(2.5%)
are
French
characters,
4
(2.5%)
are
Egyptian

characters,
2
(1.2%)
are
Russian
characters,
2
(1.2%)
are
British
characters,
1

(0.6%)
is
an
Irish
character,
1
(0.6%)
is
a
German
character,
1
(0.6%)
is
a
Canadian

character,
1
(0.6%)
is
an
Italian
character,
1
(0.6%)
is
an
Australian
character,
1

(0.6%)
is
an
Indian
character,
1
(0.6%)
is
a
Moroccan
character,
1
(0.6%)
is
a

Castillan
character,
1
(0.6%)
is
an
Inuit
character,
1
(0.6%)
is
a
Sri
Lankan
character,

1
(0.6%)
is
a
Swedish
character,
1
(0.6%)
is
an
Eskimo
character.





The
villains
make
391
appearances
in
these
issues.
Of
these,
206
(52.7%)
of


the
appearances
are
by
white
characters.
In
terms
of
fictional
and
non‐earthly

nationalities,
14
(3.6%)
are
by
Neo
characters,
3
(1.8%)
are
demonic,
and
6
(1.5%)





215


are
by
Inhuman
characters.
Eleven
(2.8%)
appearances
are
by
characters
to
whom

ethnicity
does
not
apply,
and
39
(10.0%)
are
by
characters
with
unknown
ethnicity.


In
addition
to
those
listed
above,
there
were
18
(4.6%)
appearances
by
Egyptian

villains,
10
(2.6%)
appearances
by
Japanese
villains,
9
(2.3%)
appearances
by
a

German
villain,
9
(2.3%)
appearances
by
French
villains,
7
(1.8%)
appearances
by

an
Italian
villain,
5
(1.3%)
appearances
by
a
Castillan
character,
4
(1.0%)

appearances
by
a
Swedish
character,
3
(0.8%)
appearances
by
an
Irish
character,
3

(0.8%)
appearances
by
Russian
characters,
3
(0.8%)
appearances
by
British

characters,
2
(0.5%)
appearances
by
an
Australian
character,
2
(0.5%)
appearances

by
an
Indian
character,
2
(0.5%)
appearances
by
a
Sri
Lankan
character,
1
(0.3%)

appearance
by
a
Moroccan
character,
1
(0.3%)
appearance
by
a
Canadian
character,

and
1
(0.3%)
appearance
by
an
Inuit
character.




Of
the
126
guest
stars
to
make
an
appearance
in
this
period
the
majority,
69


(54.8%)
are
American.
Of
those
from
fictional
lands,
7
(5.6%)
are
alien,
1
(0,8%)
are

demonic,
1
(0.8%)
is
Inhuman,
2
(0.6%)
are
Genoshan,
1
(0.3%)
is
Asgardian,
and
1

(0.8%)
is
from
a
mythical
group
called
the
Eternals.
In
addition,
2
(0,6%)
have
no

known
country
of
origin.
Of
the
remaining
guest
stars
9
(7.1%)
are
Canadian,
6

(4.8%)
are
British,
(3.2%)
are
Japanese,
4
(3.2%)
are
Russian,
3
(2.4%)
are
German,

2
(1.6%)
are
Irish,
2
(1.6%)
are
Cheyenne,
2
are
Monacan,
1
(0.8%)
is
Apache,
1

(0.8%)
is
Italian,
1
(0.8%)
is
Scottish,
1
(0.8%)
is
Australian,
1
(0.8%)
is
Mexican,
1

(0,8%)
is
Brazilian,
1
(0.8%)
is
South
African,
1
(0.8%)
is
Puerto
Rican,
1
(0.8%)
is

Greek,
and
1
(0.8%)
is
Israeli.





216





Of
the
315
characters
to
appear
in
this
period,
162
(51.4%)
are
American.
19


(6.0%)
are
alien
characters,
14
(4.4%)
are
Neo
characters,
7
(2.2%)
are
Inhuman

characters,
4
(1.3%)
are
demonic
characters,
2
(0.6%)
are
Genoshan
characters,
1

(0.3%)
is
an
Asgardian
character,
1
(0.8)
is
an
Eternal
character.
Eighteen
(5.7%)

characters
have
no
known
or
identifiable
country
of
origin
and
4
(1.2%)
characters

have
no
applicable
country
of
origin.








































217


Chapter
7:
2001­2008:
Ensuring
the
Minority
Metaphor

The
Creators
and
Storylines




The
comic
book
industry
had
experiences
incredible
success
in
the
early


1990s,
but
in
the
late
1990s
and
early
2000s
the
industry
suffered
a
crash
that
left

publishers
with
dwindling
readerships.
While
the
X‐Men
had
been
one
of
the

premiere
superhero
franchises
throughout
Claremont’s
run
and
into
the
1990s,
it

was
not
immune
to
the
market
downturn.
The
X‐Men
titles
saw
their
sales
drop
and

soon
the
series
was
no
longer
the
top
selling
title
in
the
industry.


In
2000
Bill
Jemas
was
hired
as
President
of
publishing
for
Marvel.
He
soon

fired
the
company’s
editor‐in‐chief,
Bob
Harras,
and
brought
Joe
Quesada
into
that

position.
These
two
men
were
put
in
charge
of
changing
the
sales
trends
Marvel

found
its
comic
book
titles
producing.
According
to
Dirk
Deppey
in
an
article
for
The

Comics
Journal:

Jemas
and
Quesada
wasted
no
time
in
transforming
Marvel's
publishing

philosophy
from
a
conservative,
formulaic
reliance
on
established
superhero

tropes
to
a
more
adventurous,
whatever‐sticks‐to‐the‐walls
approach,
but

from
the
beginning
their
experiments
were
conducted
in
the
shadow
of

ironclad
market
reality.
Both
men
made
clear
in
interviews
that
they
clearly

understood
that
growth
in
Marvel's
publishing
division
meant
walking
a
fine

line
between
two
seemingly
incompatible
constituencies
‐‐
on
the
one
hand,

the
company
needed
to
maintain
its
existing
base
of
lifelong
superhero
fans,

while
on
the
other,
it
also
needed
to
experiment
with
new
genres
and





218


storytelling
techniques,
in
order
to
appeal
to
potential
readers
who
might
not

be
interested
in
what
the
existing
fan
base
craved.
(“X‐Men…Retreat!”)

One
successful
part
of
Jemas
and
Quesada’s
efforts
was
what
became
known
as
the

“Ultimate”
line
of
comics.
Titles
such
as
Ultimate
Spider­Man
and
Ultimate
X­Men

were
launched
in
a
new
narrative
universe
so
that
the
characters
could
be

introduced
to
new
readers
without
30
years
of
intimidating
continuity.
Each
title

started
out
as
though
the
series
was
launching
for
the
first
time
in
2000,
with

modern
art,
themes,
and
dialogue,
but
characters
that
matched
the
existing
versions

in
the
mainstream
Marvel
universe.

While
all
of
Marvel’s
comic
book
series
were
struggling
in
the
changing

market
place,
the
X‐Men,
which
had
been
so
consistently
a
high
seller,
were
of

particular
concern.
Marvel
had
two
significant
plans
to
revitalize
the
X‐Men

franchises
in
the
new
millennium.
One,
was
to
bring
in
Grant
Morrison,
a
popular

writer,
to
boldly
revision
the
X‐Men.
The
second,
which
would
take
longer
to

implement,
was
to
make
the
minority
metaphor
a
higher
concern
for
the
series
by

reducing
the
number
of
mutants
in
the
Marvel
universe.

Deppey
explains
the
significance
of
bringing
Morrison
on
as
a
writer
of
the
X‐
Men:

The
most
pointed
manifestation
of
this
willingness
to
experiment
can
be

found
in
Marvel's
retooling
of
its
X‐Men
franchise,
and
most
especially
in
the

decision
to
give
the
flagship
X‐title
to
cult‐favorite
comics
author
Grant

Morrison.
The
X‐Men
had
long
been
the
crown
jewel
in
Marvel's
publishing

portfolio.
While
other
titles'
sales
figures
rose
and
fell
based
upon
the
appeal





219


of
their
content
and
the
cachet
of
their
creators
from
book
to
book,
the
X‐
Men's
adventures
in
various
books
were
almost
always
guaranteed
to
sell

well,
although
over
the
years
Marvel
had
managed
to
abuse
even
this

phenomenon
to
the
point
of
diminishing
returns
[…].
Because
of
its
cash‐cow

status,
the
X‐Men
franchise
had
become
one
of
the
most
conservative
family

of
titles
on
the
shelves,
governed
by
a
slavish
devotion
to
the
formula
first

established
by
Chris
Claremont
over
twenty
years
ago.
(“X‐Men…Retreat!”)

Morrison
wrote
a
manifesto
detailing
his
vision
for
the
X‐Men
series.
Among
the

points
in
“Morrison’s
Manifesto,”
as
Marvel
termed
it
when
it
was
reprinted
in
a

collection
of
X‐Men
comics,
was
the
following:

In
the
last
decade
or
so,
the
tendency
at
Marvel
has
been
intensely

conservative;
comics
like
the
X‐MEN
have
gone
from
freewheeling,

overdriven
pop
to
cautious,
dodgy
retro.
What
was
dynamic
becomes
static
‐

dead
characters
always
return,
nothing
that
happens
really
matters

ultimately.
The
stage
is
never
cleared
for
new
creations
to
develop
and
grow.

The
comic
has
turned
inwards
and
gone
septic
like
a
toenail.
The
only
people

reading
are
fan
boys
who
don't
count.
The
X‐MEN,
for
all
it
was
still
Marvel's

bestseller,
had
become
a
watchword
for
undiluted
geekery
before
the
movie

gave
us
another
electroshock
jolt.
And
in
the
last
decade,
sales
fell
from

millions
to
hundreds
of
thousands.
(“X‐Men…Retreat!”)

In
the
end,
Morrison
was
assigned
to
write
the
X­Men,
not
Uncanny
X­Men.
To
signify

the
new
direction
the
franchise
was
taking,
X­Men
was
renamed
New
X­Men
for
all





220


the
issues
when
Morrison
was
writer,
but
was
renamed
to
X­Men
after
his

departure.

While
Morrison
was
receiving
praise
from
fans
and
the
media
for
his
work
on

New
X­Men,
Joe
Casey
and
Chuck
Austen
were
writing
Uncanny
X­Men
to
mixed

reviews.
Casey’s
run
is
considered
good,
but
not
classic,
while
Austen
is
one
of
the

most
controversial
writers
to
have
worked
on
the
series.
Austen’s
stories
have
been

called
both
misogynistic
and
anti‐religious,
though
he
denies
both
charges.
The

frequent
criticisms
online
from
fans
and
reviewers
resulted
in
Austen
giving
several

interviews
in
which
he
openly
criticized
the
online
community
and
fans
of
X‐Men

comic
booksAlthough
sales
did
not
diminish
during
his
tenure
as
writer,
it
remains

one
of
the
more
debated
runs
on
the
series
in
online
circles
to
this
day.





In
one
interview,
titled
“Chuck
Austen,
The
Last
Interview”
because
he
soon


stopped
giving
interviews,
Austen
was
asked
“When
you
see
so
much
bile
and

hatred
thrown
in
your
direction,
do
you
ever
want
to
just
stop
making
comics
or
get

out
of
the
industry?“

His
response
recognized
that
his
work
was
receiving
more‐
than‐average
criticism:


It's
reaching
legendary
status,
isn't
it?
[…]
Everyone's
amazed
by
it.
By
the

level
and
frequency
and
ferocity.
You
must
be,
or
you
wouldn't
have
asked

this
question,
right
Jen?
I've
never
seen
you
or
anyone
else
ever
ask
any

other
creator
this
question.
What
the
hell
is
going
on?

[…]I
mean,
this
is

unprecedented,
isn't
it?
I've
never
seen
so
much
anger
directed
toward
a

single
creator,
anywhere,
in
my
life.
For
someone
who
supposedly
writes

"unoriginal,
unimaginative,
rehash
stories"
I
sure
generate
a
lot
of
intense





221


emotions,
don't
I?
So
much
so
that
it
seems
to
be
the
buzz
of
the
industry,
at

the
moment.
I'm
the
most
hated
man
in
comics,
to
hear
it
from
some.
But

sales
are
up?
How
is
this
inequity
possible?
Maybe
because
the
trolls
are
in

the
minority?
A
loud
and
angry,
but
still
small
minority?

[…]
So,
the
answer

is,
"yes"
sometimes
it
affects
me.
I'm
human,
after
all.
So
I
stay
offline
and

avoid
it
as
much
as
possible,
and
since
the
rest
of
the
world
doesn't
revolve

around
comics,
it's
somewhat
easy
to
avoid.
But
most
of
the
time,
it's

honestly
amusing,
now
that
I
really
understand
that
these
people
are
truly
in

the
minority,
and
generally
unhinged.
(“Chuck
Austen,
The
Last
Interview”)

Though
he
claims
to
find
the
criticism
amusing,
those
were
excerpts
from
an
almost

7,000
word
response
to
questions
about
fan
criticism
of
his
work.
In
his
answer,

Austen
criticized
retailers,
other
professionals,
and
fans
in
a
rambling
fashion.
The

criticism
of
Austen’s
work,
as
noted,
reached
unprecedented
heights
even
for

notoriously
fickle
online
fans.
Undoubtedly
not
all
of
this
criticism
was
valid,
and

Austen
became
an
easy
target
of
the
“trolls”
he
identified
in
the
interview.
But
some

of
the
criticism,
especially
claims
that
his
stories
have
an
anti‐religious
theme,
can

be
verified
from
even
a
simple
plot
description,
as
will
be
provided
later.





While
the
quality
of
Austen’s
work
is
debated
by
his
fans
and
detractors,
it
is


clear
that
the
subsequent
writers
were
not
as
controversial.
Certainly
they
did
not

receive
universal
praise,
but
the
response
from
fans
and
critics
was
not
as
heated
as

when
was
seen
during
Austen’s
run.
Austen
was
immediately
followed
by

Claremont,
in
what
was
perhaps
a
move
by
Marvel
editorial
to
appease
upset
fans





222


by
bringing
back
a
fan
favorite.
Dirk
Deppey
of
The
Comics
Journal
feels
this
was
a

move
by
Marvel
to
give
old
fans
of
the
X‐Men
what
they
wanted:

The
end
of
Grant
Morrison's
run
on
New
X­Men
marked
the
final
stage
of
an

experiment
first
begun
at
the
behest
of
Marvel
executives
Bill
Jemas
and
Joe

Quesada
some
four
years
ago,
an
attempt
to
make
the
company's
flagship
line

more
attractive
to
newer
readers.
Morrison
in
particular
performed
some

amazing
transformations
upon
the
X‐Men:
abandoning
the
traditional

Spandex
superhero
costumes,
outing
Professor
Xavier
as
mentor
of
X‐Men

(and
his
school
as
their
headquarters),
providing
said
school
with
a
full
200+

member
student
body,
and
generally
giving
the
series
a
new,
more
science‐
fiction‐oriented
emphasis.

Alas,
[…]
the
new
market
for
X‐Men
comics
and
graphic
novels
apparently

never
arrived,
which
means
it's
time
to
hit
the
reboot
button
and
return

things
to
the
way
they
were.
[…]
Nostalgia
is
the
name
of
the
game,
here:
The

primary
Direct
Market
readership
is
between
25
and
35
years
of
age,
and
is

looking
for
the
same
junkie
thrill
they
first
experienced
as
teenagers
reading

comics.
Now
that
Marvel
has
finally
decided
which
side
of
the
fence
it
needs

to
be
on,
the
company
is
clearly
bound
and
determined
to
give
the
readership

what
it
wants.
The
end
result
is
"X‐Men
Reload,"
a
marketing
campaign

centered
around
the
Big
Reboot
[which
includes
Claremont’s
return].
(“X‐
Men
Reload”)

Claremont’s
return
received
mix
reviews,
but
nowhere
near
the
levels
of
negative

reaction
Austen
had.






223


It
was
during
Claremont’s
run
that
the
second
goal
of
Quesada
and
Jemas
for

the
X‐Men
franchise
was
implemented.
Quesada
felt
that
the
minority
metaphor
was

what
drove
the
X‐men,
but
creators
had
added
so
many
mutants
to
the
Marvel

Universe,
that
the
metaphor
no
long
functioned
properly.
In
a
mini‐series
called

“The
House
of
M,”
which
was
written
by
Brian
Michael
Bendis
but
crossed
over
with

the
X‐Men
titles,
Magneto’s
daughter,
Scarlet
Witch,
creates
an
alternate
reality

using
her
rather
undefined
powers
in
which
her
father’s
dreams
of
mutant

dominance
are
a
reality.
As
the
heroes
who
have
discovered
that
this
new
reality
is

false
confront
the
Scarlet
Witch,
she
uses
her
powers
to
reset
the
universe
to
its

proper
order.
But
as
she
resets
the
Marvel
universe
back
to
normal,
she
is
more

convinced
than
ever
that
the
battle
between
humans
and
mutants
will
never
cease,

and
she
whispers,
“No
more
mutants”
just
as
reality
is
being
restored.
As
a
result,

over
90
percent
of
the
mutants
in
the
Marvel
universe
lose
their
mutations,
leaving

only
198
identified
mutants
in
the
world.
Mutantkind
is
closer
to
extinction
than

ever
before,
and
the
remaining
X‐Men

will
serve
as
their
protectors

Claremont’s
run
is
followed
by

Tony
Bedard,
for
two
issues,


and
then
Ed
Brubaker
for
a
significant


Writer


Issues

Joe
Casey

#394­409

Chuck
Austen

#410­43

Chris
Claremont
 #444­72

Tony
Bedard

#473­3

Ed
Brubaker

#475­500

Matt
Fraction

#500

Table
19:
Writers
and
co‐plotters
of
The

Uncanny
X­Men
from
2001‐08


run.
A
breakdown
of
all
the
writers
and
the
issues
they
wrote
between
The
Uncanny

X­Men
#394
(Jul.
2001)
through
Uncanny
X­Men
#500
(Sep.
2008)
is
found
in
Table

19.






224


In
this
period,
the
artists
on

the
title
tended
to
work
for
much

shorter
runs
than
the
writers.
There

notably
are
more
artists
than

writers
in
this
period.
The
artists

with
the
most
issues
include
Phillip

Tan,
Salvador
Larroca,
Alan
Davis,

and
Billy
Tan.
A
list
of
all
the
artists

to
work
on
Uncanny
X­Men
in
this

period
is
found
in
Table
20.




This
period
begins
with
a

storyline
in
which
a
singing
pop
star

dates
Chamber,
a
severely
disfigured

mutant.
The
singer
is
only
dating

Chamber
because
he
is
a
mutant,

and
that
gives
her
“street
cred”
and


Artist

Ian
Churchill

Sean
Phillips


Issue
#

#393­6

#397­8,
400,
404­5,

407­9,
413­5

Mel
Rubi

#397

Ashley
Wood

#398,
400

Tom
Raney

#399,
460­1

Cully
Hamner

#400

Eddie
Campbell

#400

Javier
Pulido

#400

Matt
Smith

#400

Ron
Garney

#401­2,
410­2,
421,

435­6

Aaron
Lopresti

#403,
406

Kia
Asamiya

#416­20

Philip
Tan

#422­34

Salvador
Larroca
 #437­43,
487­91

Alan
Davis

#444­7,
450­1,
455­
9,
462­3

Oliver
Coipel

#448­9

Andy
Park

#452­4

Chris
Bachalo

#464­8,
472

Billy
Tan

#469­71,
475­6,

478­9,
481­2,
484­6,

492­4

Roger
Cruz

#473­4

Clayton
Henry

#477,
480,
483

Michael
Choi

#495­99

Greg
Land

#500

Terry
Dodson

#500

Table
20:
Writers
and
co‐plotters
of
The

Uncanny
X­Men
from
2001‐08


helps
her
to
shed
her
good
girl
image
with
the
public.
The
X‐Men
also
battle
a
group

called
The
Church
of
Humanity
which
is
committing
genocide
against
mutants.
The

X‐Men
rescue
a
mutant
woman
named
Stacy
X
from
a
mutant
brothel,
and
she
joins

the
team.

The
story
continues
with
the
X‐Men
discovering
a
Catholic
church
serving
as

a
drug
house,
with
the
Cardinal
being
an
addict
as
well.
The
drugs
are
being
made





225


and
peddled
by
mutants,
so
the
Church
of
Humanity
attacks
the
church
and
kills

those
within,
including
the
Cardinal.
The
Juggernaut
asks
for
the
X‐Men’s
help
and

then
accepts
Professor
Xavier’s
offer
to
stay
at
the
mansion.
Havok,
who
had
been
in

an
alternate
dimension
for
some
time,
is
found
in
a
coma
being
cared
for
by
a
nurse,

named
Annie,
who
has
fallen
in
love
with
him
as
she
cares
for
him.
Northstar,
the

first
homosexual
character
in
mainstream
superhero
comics,
is
added
to
the
X‐Men’s

roster.
He
had
previously
been
a
member
of
the
Canadian
superhero
team
Alpha

Flight.
Nightcrawler,
who
had
always
been
a
deeply
religious
character
and
was

even
ordained
as
a
Catholic
priest,
begins
to
struggle
with
his
faith.

The
X‐Men
battle
a
group
of
werewolf‐like
mutants,
as
the
soap
opera

elements
of
the
book
become
more
of
a
focus.
The
interrelationships
of
characters

are
what
led
some
to
criticize
Austen
as
misogynistic,
as
the
women
on
the
team
are

often
portrayed
as
either
seductresses
who
cannot
restrain
their
impulses
or

literally
insane
due
to
their
raging
emotions.
One
of
the
creepier
relationships
that
is

explored
is
between
Angel,
who
was
one
of
the
first
members
of
the
X‐Men,
and
the

teenaged
mutant
who
goes
by
the
codename
Husk,
who
is
eighteen
in
these
issues.

She
had
previously
been
a
member
of
Generation
X,
the
team
of
teenaged
mutants

being
trained
in
their
powers,
though
it
is
mentioned
in
the
series
that
she
is
now
of

legal
age.
The
age
difference,
while
not
as
troubling
as
that
between
Xavier
and
Jean

Grey
when
she
first
came
to
the
school
and
his
thoughts
revealed
his
attraction
to

her,
is
still
significant.




Havok
awakes
from
his
coma,
and
he
and
Polaris
renew
their
relationship
as


Havok’s
nurse,
Annie,
wonders
about
her
feelings
for
him.
Juggernaut
is
allowed
to





226


join
the
X‐Men.
A
storyline
called
“Holy
War”
followed,
which
is
one
of
the
more

controversial
of
Austen’s
run.
The
X‐Men
are
again
battling
The
Church
of
Humanity,

which
has
crucified
mutants
and
left
them
on
the
lawn
of
the
X‐Men’s
mansion
as
a

warning
at
the
beginning
of
the
story.
What
follows
is
a
bizarre
and
convoluted

story
which,
frankly,
makes
little
sense.
In
their
battle
and
subsequent
interrogation

of
the
leader
of
the
Church
of
Humanity
(who
in
his
only
previous
appearance
was
a

male,
but
is
here,
inexplicably
now
a
female),
it
is
revealed
that
she
was
a
nun
who

was
sexually
abused
by
a
Priest.
Now,
she
has
a
goal
of
either
taking
over
the

Catholic
Church
or
destroying
it,
depending
on
which
line
of
dialogue
has
been

spoken
most
recently.
To
do
so,
the
Church
of
Humanity
plans
to
install

Nightcrawler
as
Pope,
there
is
no
explanation
of
how
this
will
be
accomplished,

while
he
is
using
an
image
transducer
to
appear
to
be
a
normal
human.
Then,
once

he
is
the
Pope
they
will
turn
off
the
image
transducer
due
to
his
mutant
appearance

it
will
appear
as
if
a
demonic
anti‐Christ
is
leading
the
Catholic
Church.

Simultaneously,
the
Church
of
Humanity
will
activate
a
poison
they
have
been
lacing

communion
wafers
with
that
will
cause
those
who
have
consumed
them
to

disintegrate,
thus
simulating
the
rapture.
It
is
unclear
what
the
simulation
of
the

rapture
is
meant
to
accomplish,
especially
since
this
is
not
a
Catholic
belief,
but
a

tenant
Protestant
theology.




In
a
review
of
this
issue
Paul
O’Brien
writes:

This
story
is
so
bad
that
it
deserves
to
be
immortalized
in
derision
for
years

to
come.
Even
as
a
hardcore
atheist,
I
have
little
sympathy
for
Austen's

bizarrely
twisted
idea
of
the
Catholic
Church,
which
seems
to
revolve





227


exclusively
around
the
twin
concepts
of
sexual
abuse
and
bigotry.
Granted

that
those
may
be
the
Church's
most
prominent
flaws,
in
Austen's
stories

they
seem
to
be
the
Church's
only
features.

The
idea
of
a
plan
to
install
Nightcrawler
as
Pope
‐
never
previously

mentioned
prior
to
this
issue
‐
is
comically
over
the
top.
The
idea
that
the

world's
Catholics
are
going
to
react
to
a
simulated
Rapture
in
anything
like

the
manner
described
is
little
short
of
ludicrous
and
suggests
that
Austen
still

thinks
ordinary
Catholics
are
little
more
than
dogmatic
slaves
of
their
church.

I
rather
suspect
the
average
Catholic
in
the
street
would
continue
their

existing
policy
of
generally
acting
much
like
everyone
else.
(“X‐Men,
how
far

you
have
fallen”)

The
storyline
also
retcons
Nightcrawler’s
ordination
to
the
priesthood,
revealing

that
it
never
happened
and
that
it
was
all
a
hallucination
induced
by
the
Church
of

Humanity.




The
next
storyline
involves
Nightcrawler
meeting
his
father,
Azrael.
Azrael
is


an
ancient
mutant
who
has
been
trapped
in
a
hell
dimension,
but
has
periodically

escaped
and
sired
children
on
Earth.
After
returning
from
this
hell
dimension,

where
the
X‐Men
thwart
Azrael’s
plans
to
return
permanently
to
Earth
to
conquer
it,

they
go
to
Kentucky
to
where
a
family
with
multiple
mutant
children
is
experience
a

Romeo
and
Juliet
situation
when
their
son
begins
dating
the
daughter
of
an
anti‐
mutant
bigot.


The
X‐Men
have
adventures
in
England
and
the
Savage
Land,
adventures

which
see
the
line
up
of
the
team
change
considerably.
The
story
with
the
largest





228


impact
on
the
X‐Men
franchise
in
this
period
is
“House
of
M,”
most
of
which
takes

place
in
a
separate
mini‐series.
The
ramifications
of
House
of
M,
which
removed

most
mutants’
powers
and
cut
down
the
total
number
of
empowered
mutants
in
the

Marvel
universe
to
198,
had
effects
on
all
the
X‐Men
family
of
comic
books
Marvel

published.
Following
“The
House
of
M”
the
X‐Men’s
mansion
becomes
a
refugee

camp
for
all
surviving
mutants.
Rachel
Summers,
who
grew
up
in
the
dystopian

future
depicted
in
“The
Days
of
Future
Past”
finds
the
refugee
camp
uncomfortably

similar
to
the
world
she
grew
up
in,
and
decides
to
try
and
connect
with
the

relations
she
may
have
in
this
timeline.
Recently,
in
New
X­Men,
Jean
Grey
was
killed,

and
Rachel
Summers
visits
the
Grey
household
as
they
are
still
in
mourning.


While
Rachel
is
visiting
the
Grey
family
a
Shi’ar
Death
Squad
attacks.
The

Shi’ar
have
determined
that
because
of
the
Grey’s
close
links
to
the
Phoenix
force,

anyone
carrying
Grey
DNA
cannot
live.
The
Grey
genome
is
declared
a
threat
to
the

universe
and
is
to
be
exterminated.
Rachel
survives
the
attack,
but
every
other

member
of
the
Grey
family
is
murdered
in
front
of
her
eyes.


This
sets
the
series
off
into
a
more
interstellar
tone,
after
being
more
Earth‐
centric
for
many
years.
One
of
the
last
storylines
in
this
period
is
a
twelve‐issue
epic

entitled
“The
Rise
and
Fall
of
the
Shi’ar
Empire,”
in
which
a
third
Summers
brother,

who
Cyclops
and
Havok
had
never
known,
rises
to
power
as
a
villain
and
after
many

issues
of
intrigue
becomes
the
new
Emperor
of
the
Shi’ar
empire.
Following
this

storyline
the
X‐Men
return
to
Earth
and
relocate
from
New
York
to
San
Francisco,

which
is
a
city
they
feel
has
always
embraced
minorities.

The
New
Members
of
the
X­Men





229





There
is
only
one
wholly
original
characters
introduced
to
the
team
in
this


period.
Eight
other
characters
become
members
of
the
X‐men
for
the
first
time,
but

they
had
all
been
introduced
in
other
X‐Men
related
titles,
as
villains
in
the
series,
or

as
guest
stars.


The
new
character
that
is
introduced
is
a
female
mutant
named
Miranda

Leevald
who
goes
by
the
codename
Stacy
X.
Stacy
X
has
somewhat
scaly
or
reptilian

skin
and
also
has
the
ability
to
produce
pheromones
which
can
alter
the
emotions
of

those
around
her.
She
used
her
pheromone
powers
working
as
a
prostitute
at
the
X‐
Ranch,
a
brothel
where
the
prostitutes
were
exclusively
mutants.
The
brothel
was

attacked
and
destroyed,
with
many
of
the
mutants
murdered
by
the
Church
of

Humanity.

Stacy
X’s
tenure
as
a
member
of
the
X‐Men
is
short.
She
caused
a
great
deal
of

friction
among
the
member
of
the
team,
and
in
the
end
left
because
she
knew
her

attempts
to
seduce
other
X‐Men
were
not
being
well‐received.
In
her
short
time
she

attempted
to
seduce
Wolverine,
Angel,
and
Nightcrawler.
Nightcrawler
was
a
priest

at
the
time,
so
her
advances
were
particularly
unwelcome
in
that
case.
There
is
not

much
that
is
added
to
the
character
beyond
her
overt
sexuality.
Her
mutant
ability
is

to
give
men
pleasure,
she
worked
as
a
prostitute,
and
in
her
time
with
the
team
she

was
most
noted
for
her
attempts
to
seduce
the
men.
Her
final
act
before
leaving
is
to

make
a
video
recording
of
herself
jump‐roping
nude
to
leave
for
Angel,
even
though

she
knows
he
is
not
interested
in
a
relationship
with
her.


Chamber
and
Husk
are
two
mutants
who
were
both
regular
characters
in

Generation
X,
a
series
about
young
mutants
being
trained
in
their
powers.
Jonothon





230


Starsmore
is
a
British
mutant
who
blew
a
massive
cavity
into
his
chest
and
lower

face
when
his
mutant
powers
first
manifested.
He
goes
by
the
codename
Chamber

and
has
a
constant
furnace
of
energy
is
burning
in
the
cavity
where
his
chest
once

was.


Paige
Guthrie
is
the
younger
sister
of
Cannonball.
Her
mutant
power
is
to

shed
the
outer
layer
of
her
skin
off
and
reveal
a
body
made
of
a
new
material

underneath.
Most
often
would
use
her
powers
to
create
a
new
layer
of
stone
or

metal
which
would
be
stronger
in
battle.
Husk’s
time
with
the
X‐Men
is
mostly

marked
by
her
attraction
to
the
older
Angel,
and
the
subsequent
consummation
of

that
relationship.

Juggernaut
and
Mystique
are
both
reformed
villains
who
joined
the
team
for

their
own
causes.
Juggernaut
was
shown
as
genuinely
hoping
to
reform
after
years

of
being
unhappy
as
a
villain,
while
Mystique’s
motives
were
more
self‐serving
and

mercenary.
Juggernaut
is
Professor
Xavier’s
step‐brother,
and
is
a
white
American.

Raven
Darkholme,
or
Mystique,
is
a
shapeshifting
mutant
who
can
take
on
any

appearance.
However,
due
to
her
mutation,
her
normal
appearance
is
with
blue
skin

and
yellow
eyesAlthough
she
could
have
any
appearance
she
wanted,
she
chooses
to

appear
with
blue
skin
most
often.

Jean‐Paul
Beaubier,
or
Northstar,
is
a
French‐Canadian
mutant
who

possesses
super
speed.
He
was
the
first
character
in
mainstream
superhero
comics

who
was
openly
identified
as
homosexual,
though
other
characters
had
been
hinted

to
be
homosexual
previously.
He
was
a
member
of
Canadian
superhero
team
Alpha

Flight
prior
to
joining
the
X‐Men.






231





Tessa,
or
Sage,
has
a
computer‐like
mind
that
process
and
store
information


with
superhuman
speed
and
accuracy.
She
also
has
telepathy.
Sage
was
used
as
an

Professor
Xavier
as
a
spy
in
the
Hellfire
Club.
In
a
story
that
presented
a
retcon
to

both
Xavier’s
and
Sage’s
past,
when
forming
the
original
X‐Men
Xavier
also
met
Sage,

and
instead
of
bringing
her
to
the
school
had
her
enter
the
Hellfire
Club.


John
Proudstar
is
the
younger
brother
of
Thunderbird,
the
first
X‐Man
to
die

on
a
mission.
Proudstar
takes
the
name
Warpath
and

is
another
reformed
villain.
He

originally
joined
the
villainous
group
of
young
mutants
called
the
Hellions
to
take

his
revenge
on
the
X‐Men,
who
he
blamed
for
his
brother’s
death.
He
eventually

reformed
and
joined
X‐Force
and
then
the
X‐Men.
During
“The
Rise
and
Fall
of
the

Shi’ar
Empire
he
begins
to
date
the
Hepzibah.




Hepzibah
is
the
second
non‐mutant
to
appear
as
an
official
member
of
the
X‐

Men.
A
female
alien
with
cat‐like
features,
Hepzibah
was
a
member
of
the

interstellar
pirate
group
called
the
Starjammers,
who
frequently
aided
the
X‐Men.

When
the
leader
of
the
Starjammers,
Cyclops
and
Havok’s
father
Corsair,
is
killed
in

battle,
Hepzibah
decides
to
explore
a
different
path
in
her
life
and
returns
to
Earth

with
the
X‐Men.

Gender




After
a
significant
period
when
the
gender
representation
on
the
team
has


been
almost
equal
between
men
and
women,
Uncanny
X­Men
#394
(Jul.
2001)

begins
a
run
of
almost
thirty
issues
when
the
core
team
appearing
in
the
series
is

either
entirely
male,
or
all
men
except
for
Stacy
X,
a
former
prostitute
who
spends

much
of
her
time
attempting
to
seduce
the
various
men
on
the
team.
Not
only
has





232


Stacy
X
been
working
as
a
prostitute,
her
superpower
is
literally
to
manipulate

men’s
emotions.
The
previous
times
the
X‐Men
have
only
had
one
female
member

included
when
Marvel
Girl
was
a
token
female
early
in
the
series
and
when
Storm

was
a
strong
leader
of
the
team.





There
have
been
many
online
criticisms
of
the
portrayal
of
women
during


Chuck
Austen’s
run
on
the
series.
The
criticism
primarily
focus
on
his
use
of
an

original
character,
Nurse
Annie,
who
is
taking
care
of
the
comatose
Havok
and

develops
a
strong
attraction
to
him,
on
his
portrayal
of
Polaris,
and
on
the

relationship
between
Husk
and
Angel.
Annie
falls
in
love
with
a
man
she
has
never

known
other
than
as
a
comatose
patient.
Polaris
literally
goes
insane
with
jealousy

when
she
finds
out
Annie
is
in
love
with
Havok.
And
Husk,
who
had
previously
been

shown
as
a
shy
and
reserved
girl
when
it
came
to
relationships
and
sexuality,
openly

pursues
the
much
older
Angel.
It
is
even
implied,
when
Angel
finally
admits
he
is

also
attracted
to
her
that
she
has
sex
with
Angel
in
the
sky
with
the
knowledge
that

her
teammates
and
family
are
on
the
ground
below
them.
After
Angel
hugs
Husk
and

takes
flies
her
into
the
air
Husk’s
clothing
slowly
fall
to
the
ground
as
her
mother

walks
away
muttering,
“I
do
not
want
to
see
this…”

While
these
three
women
are
shown
to
be
very
emotionally
needy,
there
is

little
in
his
writing
that
displays
a
hatred
of
women.
This
criticism
was
so
prevalent

that
he
was
asked
about
it
directly
in
an
interview.
In
a
2006
interview
with
Comic

Book
Resources,
the
following
exchange
occurred:

CBR:
But
more
seriously,
some
people
think
you're
a
misogynist,
you
hate

women,
you're
obsessed
with
sex…





233


Austen:
Aren't
we
all
obsessed
with
sex?
And
misogynist?
Who
says
that?

Some
guy
trying
to
pick
up
on
a
feminist?
"Hey,
baby.
Wanna
go
out
with
me?

I
can
use
the
word
misogynist
in
a
sentence."

[…].
Why
do
people
say
that?

What
makes
them
think
I
have
an
issue
with
women?

CBR:
Maybe…I
know
a
lot
of
it
came
out
of
the
soap
opera
feel
of
your
work,

the
whole
thing
with
Nurse
Annie
in
"Uncanny
X‐Men"
and
the
claim
that

your
women
are
too
needy
for
men.

Austen:
But
I
also
write
men
who
need
women.
And
men
who
need
men.

[laughs]
I'm
writing
for
Marvel
Comics:
these
guys
made
their
reputation
on

soap
operas.
[...]
People
are
always
picking
on
Annie.
I
asked
for
a
women

with
small
breasts,
who
was
funny
and
independent,
raised
a
child
on
her

own,
with
no
powers
who
stands
up
to
a
super
heroine
for
her
son's
life,
and

because
she
‐‐
I
mean,
you're
a
soap
opera
fan,
right?
Can
you
write
a
soap

opera
without
men
and
women
wanting
each
other?
[…]
I've
only
known
one

woman
in
my
life
who
didn't
want
a
relationship,
who
was
very
involved

with
her
work
and
wanted
to
get
her
career
going.
We
just
went
to
dinner

with
her
a
few
months
ago
and
she
asked
if
we
knew
any
good
men.

Everyone
wants
a
relationship.
I
don't
see
how
you
can
write
characters
who

don't
have
one
or
want
one.
And
why
is
it
"hating
women"
to
write
a

character
that
wants
love?
It
wasn't
the
be
all
and
end
all
for
Annie.
She

walked
away
from
Havok
at
the
end
of
my
run
because
she
was
concerned

more
about
her
son
and
she
felt
she
didn't
need
the
X‐Men
or
Havok
in
her





234


life.
She
very
happily
walked
away
from
the
whole
thing.
(“In
Depth
With

Chuck
Austen)

While
Austen’s
run
was
problematic
and
controversial,
many
of
the
criticisms

seemed
to
snowball
together,
as
often
happens
online.
The
more
extreme

accusations
of
misogyny
are
difficult
to
find
in
the
stories.
When
the
readers
did
not

like
the
way
the
women
were
acting
they
leapt
to
the
accusation
of
misogyny,
when

more
likely
they
simply
did
not
like
the
stories
being
told.
A
dislike
of
a
story
does

not
mean
misogyny
on
the
part
of
the
creator.




One
of
the
most
important
stories
in
terms
of
the
direction
of
the
series
as
a


whole
was
the
mini‐series
House
of
M.
Marvel’s
Editor‐in‐Chief
at
the
time,
Joe

Quesada,
has
been
upfront
in
admitting
that
when
he
came
into
his
job,
one
of
his

goals
was
to
make
the
minority
metaphor
matter
in
the
X‐Men
again.
The
solution

that
Marvel
found,
and
that
came
about
in
House
of
M,
was
to
remove
the
majority
of

the
mutants
from
the
Marvel
universe.




In
the
story,
Scarlet
Witch,
the
second
female
mutant
to
appear
in
Marvel


Comics,
goes
insane
and
demonstrates
new
unheard
levels
of
power
that
threaten

all
creation.
This
is
similar
to
previous
events
in
which
a
previously
good
character

becomes
evil
and
loses
control
of
their
powers,
including
“The
Dark
Phoenix
Saga,”

“Inferno,”
and
“Onslaught.”

Scarlet
Witch
recreates
the
world
into
a
reality
in
which

mutants
are
the
majority
and
normal
humans
the
minority.
Her
father,
Magneto,
is

one
of
the
most
powerful
men
on
the
planet,
the
leader
of
the
so‐called
House
of
M.

When
the
Marvel
universe
is
put
back
to
“normal”
she
causes
almost
all
the
mutants





235


to
lose
their
powers.
The
mutants
are
not
killed,
but
their
DNA
is
changed
so
that

they
no
longer
have
powers.

Concerning
the
storyline,
Quesada
has
said,
“Part
of
what
is
inherently

important
about
the
metaphor
of
the
X‐Men
is
that
they
are
a
minority.
The

reason
in
the
past
that
fans
have
been
able
to
relate
to
these
characters
is

that
we
all
see
a
part
of
ourselves
within
them,
whether
it
be
that
you
were

the
lonely
kid
in
school,
the
gay
kid
in
school…or
the
kid
who
got
beaten
up
in

school
because
you
were
different.
Whatever
it
is,
we
all
have
that.
Part
of
it

is
that
there
aren’t
supposed
to
be
a
lot
of
these
guys…they
never
really

should’ve
been
in
the
forefront.
That
kind
of
message
got
lost
over
the
years,

to
the
point
where
we
ended
up
with
a
mutant
island
where
there
were
over

six
million
of
them,
and
every
time
you’d
turn
a
page,
you’d
see
a
mutant
on

every
corner.
We
even
had
‘Mutant
Town.’
So,
one
of
the
things
that
we

wanted
to
do
was
put
the
genie
back
in
the
bottle.
(“Stuff”)

In
the
years
since
the
X‐Men
were
created
the
number
of
mutants
increased

dramatically.
Even
after
the
1975
relaunch
it
was
the
start
of
a
major
storyline
when

two
new
mutants
were
detected,
but
as
Quesada
noted,
but
2005
there
was
an

entire
mutant
nation
and
New
York
City
had
it’s
own
region
call
Mutant
Town.

Quesada
felt
that
the
prevalence
of
mutants
in
the
Marvel
universe
diluted
what

made
the
X‐Men
special.




The
decision
to
make
the
X‐Men
special
again
by
removing
the
majority
of


mutants
has
not
gone
without
criticism.
Andrew
Wheeler
writes
a
column
about

social
issues
in
superhero
comic
books
called
“No
More
Mutants,”
quoting
the





236


phrase
used
by
Scarlet
Witch
at
the
conclusion
of
House
of
M.
In
his
first
article,

Wheeler
wrote:


Faced
with
a
problem
minority,
Marvel’s
response
was
a
fictional
genocide.

In
the
story
House
of
M
it
was
presented
as
the
Scarlet
Witch’s
way
to
undo

the
miseries
of
her
life,
which
included
a
failed
marriage,
a
monstrous
father,

two
dead
children,
a
nervous
breakdown
and
a
spiral
into
villainy.
Faced

with
those
problems,
wiping
out
an
entire
race
seems
like
a
baffling
and

inelegant
solution.
Seen
as
a
solution
to
editorial
concerns
that
mutants
were

overrunning
the
Marvel
universe,
it
makes
a
lot
more
sense.
(It
certainly

wouldn’t
be
the
first
or
last
time
that
a
character
behaved
strangely
in
order

to
serve
an
editorial
agenda.)
(Wheeler).

Wheeler
goes
on
to
criticize
Quesada’s
expressed
reasoning
behind
the
decision
to

decimate
the
mutant
population
of
the
Marvel
universe.
Quesada
argued
that
the

result
of
the
House
of
M
would
make
mutants
unique,
and
indeed
a
minority
again.

Wheeler
countered:


Such
rhetoric
suggests
a
misunderstanding
of
the
challenges
faced
by
real

minorities.
The
invention
of
a
mutant
nation
and
a
mutant
neighbourhood

really
enhanced
the
metaphor,
rather
than
undermined
it.
After
all,
the

existence
of
almost
four
billion
Asians
in
the
world
doesn’t
make
life
easier

for
one
Asian
kid
in
a
town
in
rural
America.
The
existence
of
gay

neighbourhoods
in
almost
every
major
city
in
the
Western
world
has
not

made
coming
out
to
one’s
parents
any
easier.
More
than
half
the
world
is

female,
but
women
still
don’t
have
full
equality
in
the
first
world,
let
alone
in





237


the
developing
world.
The
claim
that
“there
aren’t
supposed
to
be
a
lot
of

these
guys”
is
not
likely
to
be
well
received
by
anyone
who
has
ever
been
a

victim
of
prejudice.
(Wheeler).

Following
The
House
of
M
Marvel
moved
the
X‐Men
to
San
Francisco,
identifying
that

city
as
one
that
embraces
social
minorities.


Statistical
Analysis

The
Uncanny
X­Men
#394
(Jul.
2001)
–
The
Uncanny
X­Men
#500
(Sep.
2008)

sees
the
most
balance
in
terms
of
gender
representation
for
the
team
members
of

any
period
in
the
history
of
The
Uncanny
X­Men.
However,
in
terms
of
appearances,

this
is
one
of
the
most
male‐dominated
periods
in
the
history
of
the
X‐Men.

Additionally,
this
is
the
least
diverse
group
of
X‐Men
for
any


period
other
than
the
original
run,
when
the
team
was
100%
white.
This
is
a
rather

significant
regression
in
terms
of
gender
and
minority
representation
from
what
has

been
occurring
in
previous
periods.

There
were
thirty
characters
who
appeared
as
member
of
the
X‐Men
in
this

period.
These
included
Professor
X,
Cyclops,
Iceman,
Beast,
Angel,
Phoenix
(Jean

Grey),
Havok,
Polaris,
Colossus,
Nightcrawler,
Storm,
Wolverine,
Shadowcat,
Rogue,

Marvel
Girl
(Rachel
Summers),
Psylocke,
Jubilee,
Gambit,
Bishop,
White
Queen,

Cannonball,
Chamber,
Stacy
X,
Northstar,
Husk,
Juggernaut,
Mystique,
Sage,

Warpath,
and
Hepzibah.
The
only
new
original
character
in
this
period
is
Stacy
X,
all

the
other
characters
had
either
previously
been
X‐Men
or
had
previously
appeared

in
The
Uncanny
X­Men
or
other
Marvel
titles.






238


There
were
30
characters
who
appeared
as
members
of
the
team,
and
16

(53.3%)
were
male
and
14
(46.7%)
were
female.
But
in
terms
of
appearances,
of

650
appearances
by
team
members
in
these
106
issues,
463
(71.2%)
were
by
men

while
only
187

(28.8%)
were
by

female
characters.




The
were

123
villains
who

appeared
in
this

period.
Of
these,

94
(76.4%)
were

male,
26
(21.1%),

and
3
(2.4%)
had

no
applicable

gender.
There


Character


Number
of

appearances

(Percentage

of
issues)

91
(85.0%)

56
(52.3%)

53
(49.5%)

45
(42.1%)

41
(38.3%)


Character


Number
of

appearances

(Percentage

of
issues)

16
(15.0%)

15
(14.0%)

14
(14.0%)

13
(12.1%)

13
(12.1%)


Nightcrawler

Warpath

Wolverine

Juggernaut

Angel

Psylocke

Iceman

Cannonball

Rachel

Chamber

Summers

Professor
X

40
(37.4%)
 Colossus

12
(11.2%)

Cyclops

32
(29.9%)
 Northstar

12
(11.2%)

Bishop

27
(25.2%)
 Sage

8
(7.5%)

Polaris

23
(21.5%)
 Jean
Grey

8
(7.5%)

White
Queen

23
(21.5%)
 Hepzibah

6
(5.6%)

Havok

19
(17.8%)
 Kitty
Pryde
 6
(5.6%)

Stacy
X

18
(16.8%)
 Rogue

3
(2.8%)

Beast

17
(15.9%)
 Gambit

2
(1.9%)

Storm

17
(15.9%)
 Jubilee

1
(0.9%)

Husk

17
(15.9%)
 Mystique

1
(0.9%)

Table
21:
Appearances
by
characters
as
members
of
the
X‐
Men
between
2001‐08.


were
321
appearances
by
villains,
of
these
234
(72.9%)
were
by
male
characters,
81

(25.2%)
were
female,
and
6
(1.9%)
had
no
applicable
gender.

As
has
been
the
general
trend
for
guest
stars,
there
were
more
males
than

females,
but
the
number
of
appearances
were
much
more
balanced
in
the
number
of

appearances.
There
were
120
guest
stars
and
of
these
185
(67.8%)
were
male
and

45
(37.5%)
were
female.
Guest
stars
made
373
appearances.
Of
these
207
(55.5%)

were
male
and
166
(44.5%)
were
female.






239


In
total,
there
were
273
characters
who
appeared
in
the
series
between
The

Uncanny
X­Men
#394­The
Uncanny
X­Men
#500.
Of
these,
185
(67.8%)
were
male

characters,
85
(31.3%)
were
female,
and
3
(1.1%)
had
no
applicable
gender.

Characters
made
1344
appearances.
Of
these,
904
(67.3%)
were
male,
434
(32.3%)

were
female,
and
6
(0.4%)
had
no
applicable
gender.

Of
the
30
characters
to
appear
on
the
X‐Men
,
23
(76.7%)
were
white,
2

(6.7%)
were
Black,
2
(6.7%)
were
Asian,
1
(3.3%)
was
Jewish,
1
(3.3%)
were
by
an

Alien
character,
and
1
(3.3%)
was
Native
American.
These
30
characters
made
650

appearances.
Of
these,
562
(86.5%)
were
by
white
characters,
44
(6.8%)
were
by

Black
characters,
16
(2.5%)
were
by
Asian
characters,
16
(2.5%)
were
by
a
Native

American
character,
6
(0.9%)
were
by
a
Jewish
character,
and
6
(0.9%)
were
by
an

alien
character.
These
30
characters
made
650
appearances.
Of
these
562
(86.5%)

were
by
white
characters

Of
the
30
members
of
the
X‐Men
in
this
period,
21
(70.0%)
were
American,
2

(6.7%)
were
Canadian,
2
(6.7%)
were
British,
1
(3.3%)
was
Russian,
1
(3.3%)
was

German,
1
(3.3%)
was
Kenyan,
1
(3.3%)
was
Apache,
and
1
(3.3%)
was
an
alien.

There
were
650
appearances
by
members
of
the
X‐Men
in
this
period.
Of
these
412

(63.4%)
were
by
American
characters,
91
(14.0%)
were
by
a
German
character,
68

(6.7%)
were
by
a
Canadian
character,
28
(4.3%)
were
by
British
characters,
17

(2.6%)
were
by
a
Kenyan
character,
16
(2,5%)
were
by
an
Apache
character,

12

(1.8%)
were
by
a
Russian
character,
and
6
(0.9%)
were
by
an
alien
character.

There
were
123
characters
who
appeared
as
villains
in
this
period
of
the

Uncanny
X­men.
Of
these,
48
(39.0%)
were
American.
In
descending
order,
the
other





240


characters
were
as
follows:
28
(22.8%)
were
alien
characters,
12
(9.8%)
were

characters
from
the
Savage
Land,
7
(5.7%)
were
British,
5
(4.1%)
had
no
known

nationality,
5
(4.1%)
were
from
a
fictional
group
called
the
Neyaphem,
3
(2.4%)

were
German,
2
(1.6%)
were
Russian,
2
(1.6%)
were
Irish,
2
(1.6%)
were
Japanese,

2
(1.6%)
had
no
applicable
nationality,
1
(0.8%)
was
Kenyan,
1
(0.8%)
was

Canadian,
1
(0.8%)
was
Italian,
1
(0.8%)
was
French,
1
(0.8%)
was
Chinese,
1

(0.8%)
was
Indian,
and
1
(0.8%)
was
Swedish.

Of
the
321
appearances
by
villains,
124
(38.6%)
were
by
American

characters,
77
(24.0%)
were
by
alien
characters,
37
(11.5%)
were
by
characters

from
the
Savage
Land,
25
(7.8%)
were
by
Neyaphem,
14
(4.4%)
were
by
British

characters,
8
(2.5%)
were
by
characters
with
no
know
nationalities,
6
(1.9%)
were

by
Irish
characters,
6
(1.9%)
were
by
Japanese
characters,
6
(1.9%)
were
by

characters
with
no
applicable
nationality,
5
(1.6%)
were
by
Russian
characters,
3

(0.9%)
were
by
German
characters,
3
(0.9%)
were
by
a
Canadian
character,
2

(0.6%)
were
by
a
Chinese
character,
1
(0.3%)
was
by
a
Kenyan
character,
1
(0.3%)

was
by
an
Italian
character,
1
(0.3%)
was
by
a
French
character,
1
(0.3%)
was
by
an

Indian
character,
1
(0.3%)
was
by
a
Swedish
character,


There
were
120
characters
who
guest
starred
in
the
Uncanny
X­Men
in
this

period.
Of
these,
58
(48.3%)
were
by
American
characters,
27
(22.5%)
were
alien

characters,
7
(5.8%)
were
by
Canadian
characters,
6
(5.0%)
were
British
characters,

3
(2.5%)
were
Japanese
characters,
2
(1.7%)
were
Cheyenne
characters,
2
(1.7%)

were
Armenian
characters,
2
(1.7%)
were
characters
from
the
Savage
Land,
1

(0.8%)
was
an
Irish
character,
1
(0.8%)
was
a
German
character,
1
(0.8%)
was
a





241


Kenyan
character),
1
(0.8%)
was
an
Apache
character,
1
(0.8%)
was
a
character

from
the
fictional
African
nation
of
Wakanda,
1
(0.8%)
was
a
Scottish
character,
1

(0.8%)
was
a
Mexican
character,
1
(0.8%)
was
a
Brazilian
character,
1
(0.8%)
was

by
a
Vietnamese
character,
1
(0.8%)
was
an
Indian
character,
1
(0.8%)
was
a

Monacan
character,
1
(0.8%)
was
Welsh,
and
1
(0.8%)
was
an
Afghani
character.


There
were
373
appearances
by
guest
stars
in
this
period
of
Uncanny
X­Men.

Of
these,
197
(52.8%)
were
by
American
characters,
50
(13.4%)
were
by
alien

characters,
25
(7.8%)
were
by
Armenian
characters,
18
(4.8%)
were
by
British

characters,
14
(3.8%)
were
by
Canadian
characters,
8
(2.1%)
were
by
a
Monacan

character,
6
(1.9%)
were
by
an
Irish
character,
6
(1.6%)
were
by
Japanese

characters,
6
(1.6%)
were
by
Cheyenne
characters,
4
(1.1%)
were
by
characters

from
the
Savage
Land,
3
(0.8%)
were
by
Scottish
characters,
2
(0.5%)
were
by
an

Apache
character,
2
(0.5%)
were
by
a
Brazilian
character,
2
(0.5%)
were
by
a
Welsh

character,
2
(0.5%)
were
by
an
Afghani
character,
2
(0.5%)
were
by
a
Vietnamese,

character,
1
(0.3%)
were
by
a
German
character,
1
(0.3%)
were
by
a
Kenyan

character,
1
(0.3%)
were
by
a
Wakandan
character,
1
(0.3%)
was
by
a
Mexican

character,
and
1
(0.3%)
was
by
an
Indian
character.

In
total
there
were
273
characters
who
appeared
in
this
period.
Of
these,
127

(46.5%)
were
American,
56
(20.5%)
were
aliens,
15
(5.5%)
were
British,
14
(5.1%)

were
from
the
fictional
Savage
Land,
10
(3.7%)
were
Canadian,
5
(1.8%)
were

Japanese,
5
(1.8%)
had
no
identified
nationality,
5
(1.8%)
were
fictional
Neyaphem,

5
(1.8%)
were
German,
3
(1.1%)
were
Russian,
3
(1.1%)
were
Kenyan,
3
(1.1%)

were
Irish,
2
(0.7%)
had
no
applicable
nationality,
2
(0.7%)
were
Indian
characters,





242


2
(0.7%)
were
Armenian,
2
(0.7%)
were
Cheyenne,
2
(0.7%)
were
Apache,
1
(0.4%)

was
Italian,
1
(0.4%)
was
French,
1
(0.4%)
was
Scottish,
1
(0.4%)
was
Chinese,
1

(0.4%)
was
Mexican,
1
(0.4%)
was
Brazilian,
1
(0.4%)
was
Vietnamese,
1
(0.4%)

was
Swedish,
1
(0.4%)
was
Monacan,
1
(0.4%)
was
an
Afghani,
and
1
(0.4%)
was

Welsh.

In
total
there
were
1,344
appearances
by
characters
in
this
period.
Of
these,

733
(54.5%)
were
by
American
characters,
133
(9.9%)
were
by
aliens,
95
(7.1%)

were
by
German
characters,
85
(6.3%)
were
by
Canadian
characters,
34
(2.5%)

were
by
Armenian
characters,
60
(4.5%)
were
by
British
characters,
41
(3.1%)
were

from
the
fictional
Savage
Land,
31
(2.3%)
were
by
Kenyan
characters,
25
(1.9%)

were
by
fictional
Neyaphem
characters,
18
(1.3%)
were
by
Apache
characters,
17

(1.3%)
were
by
Russian
characters,
12
(0.9%)
were
by
Irish
characters,
12
(0.9%)

were
by
Japanese
characters,
8
(0.6%)
were
by
characters
with
no
identified

nationality,
8
(0.6%)
were
by
a
Monacan
character,
6
(0.4%)
had
no
applicable

nationality,
6
(0.4%)
were
by
Cheyenne
characters,
3
(0.2%)
were
by
a
Scottish

character,
2
(0.1%)
were
by
a
Chinese
character,
2
(0.1%)
were
by
a
Brazilian

character,
2
(0.1%)
were
by
a
Vietnamese
character,
2
(0.1%)
were
by
Indian

characters,
2
(0.1%)
were
by
a
Afghani
character,
2
(0.1%)
were
by
a
Welsh

character,
1(0.1%)
was
by
an
Italian
character,
1
(0.1%)
was
by
a
French
character,

1
(0.1%)
was
by
a
Mexican
character,
and
1
(0.1%)
was
by
a
Swedish
character.











243


Chapter
8:
Conclusion

As
seen
in
this
analysis,
the
X‐Men
do
explore
the
mutant
metaphor
overtly

within
the
series.
The
X‐Men,
as
a
franchise,
is
one
of
the
most
diverse
in
all
of

superhero
comics.
Also,
the
number
of
strong
female
characters
who
have
appeared

in
the
series
is
significant
in
a
genre
and
industry
that
is
dominate
by
male

characters.
This
willingness
to
actively
embrace
a
socially
relevant
metaphor
is

significant
especially
within
the
comic
book
industry.
As
Andrew
Wheeler
explains:

Minorities
in
general
do
not
have
the
best
time
of
things
in
comics’
superhero

mainstream.
The
superhero
genre
is
dominated
by
the
straight,
white,
male

majority,
and
so
is
the
creative
community.
Convention
has
it
that
this
is
true

of
the
audience
is
as
well,
but
there
are
plenty
of
readers
who
don’t
fit
that

model,
and
these
readers
are
used
to
the
idea
that
they
won’t
see
themselves

reflected
in
the
media
they
consume.
That’s
not
something
that
we
should
be

complacent
about,
in
comics
or
in
any
other
medium.
(Wheeler)

However,
despite
actively
embracing
the
mutant
metaphor,
as
demonstrated
in
the

numbers
analysis
this
is
a
series
that
has
largely
been
dominated
by
white
male

characters.
Also,
problematically,
the
most
diverse
group
of
characters
in
the
series

in
relation
to
ethnicities
has
been
the
villains,
though
the
villains
also
were
always

the
group
with
the
least
number
of
women.





The
statistical
representation
of
the
heroes,
villains,
and
guest
stars
varied
in


each
period,
with
a
few
general
identifiable
trends.
Figure
1
shows
how
the

percentage
of
male
members
in
the
X‐Men,
among
the
villains,
among
the
guest

stars,
and
combining
the
total
all
characters
changed
through
the
periods.
These





244


numbers
are
slightly
different
than
those
previously
presented
in
that
these

represent
the
average
percentage
of
characters
who
were
male
in
each
category
in
a

an
issue
in
the
applicable
time
period.


Figure
1:
The
percentage
of
male
characters
who
appeared
as
members
of
the
X­Men,
as

villains,
or
as
guest­stars
in
each
time
period.




As
can
be
seen
the
percentage
of
male
characters
was
very
high
in
all
the
categories

in
the
first
period,
fell
in
ever
category
in
period
two
and
three,
and
mostly
rose

again
in
period
four
before
dropping
period
five.
In
each
period
the
villains
are

either
have
the
highest
percentage
of
males
of
any
group,
or
they
are
tied
for
the

highest
percentage
males.
The
guest
stars
have
the
smallest
percentage
of
male

characters
of
any
category
in
all
five
periods.
Guest
stars
are
also
the
only
group
to

ever
have
less
than
50%
male
representation
in
any
period,
with
periods
two
and





245


three
have
more
females
on
average
than
males
guest‐starring.
The
heroes
begin
the

series
with
over
80%
male
representation
but
drop
to
almost
50%
by
the
third
time

period
before
spiking
in
the
fourth
and
fifth
time
periods
to
almost
70%
male


Figure
2:
The
percentage
of
white
characters
who
appeared
as
members
of
the
X­Men,
as

villains,
or
as
guest­stars
in
each
time
period.


representation.




Because
white
characters
represented
the
majority
of
every
category
in


every
time
period,
Figure
2
represents
the
percentage
of
white
characters
through

all
the
time
periods.
The
heroes
are
have
the
highest
percentage
of
white
characters

of
any
group
in
every
time
period,
while
the
villains
have
the
lowest
percentage
of

white
characters
in
every
single
time
period.





Figure
23
presents
the
average
number
of
characters
who
appeared
in
each


group
in
each
time
period.Looking
at
the
data
in
these
two
charts,
as
well
as

analyzing
how
many
characters
appeared
in
each
issue
we
can
deduce
the
most

common
make
up
of
characters
in
every
time
period.








246


Figure
3:
The
number
of
characters
who
appeared
as
members
of
the
X­Men,
as
villains,

or
as
guest­stars
in
each
time
period.


From
these
numbers
we
can
conclude
that
in
the
first
time
period
the

average
X‐Men
comic
book
featured
5.6
heroes,
85%
of
whom
were
male
and
100%

of
whom
were
white.
In
the
same
period,
an
average
comic
book
featured
2.7

villains,
96%
of
whom
were
male
and
62%
of
whom
were
white.
In
this
same
period

and
average
comic
book
feature
0.7
guest
stars,
75%
of
whom
were
male
and
99%

of
whom
were
white.

From
these
numbers
we
can
conclude
that
in
the
second
time
period
the

average
X‐Men
comic
book
featured
6.9
heroes,
76%
of
whom
were
male
and
79%

of
whom
were
white.
In
the
same
period,
an
average
comic
book
featured
2.7

villains,
76%
of
whom
were
male
and
61%
of
whom
were
white.
In
this
same
period





247


and
average
comic
book
feature
4.4
guest
stars,
39%
of
whom
were
male
and
68%

of
whom
were
white.

From
these
numbers
we
can
conclude
that
in
the
third
time
period
the

average
X‐Men
comic
book
featured
5.5
heroes,
51%
of
whom
were
male
and
72%

of
whom
were
white.
In
the
same
period,
an
average
comic
book
featured
4.5

villains,
69%
of
whom
were
male
and
61%
of
whom
were
white.
In
this
same
period

and
average
comic
book
feature
5
guest
stars,
44%
of
whom
were
male
and
67%
of

whom
were
white.

From
these
numbers
we
can
conclude
that
in
the
fourth
time
period
the

average
X‐Men
comic
book
featured
6.7
heroes,
65%
of
whom
were
male
and
76%

of
whom
were
white.
In
the
same
period,
an
average
comic
book
featured
3.5

villains,
85%
of
whom
were
male
and
52%
of
whom
were
white.
In
this
same
period

and
average
comic
book
feature
3.8
guest
stars,
57%
of
whom
were
male
and
68%

of
whom
were
white.

From
these
numbers
we
can
conclude
that
in
the
third
time
period
the

average
X‐Men
comic
book
featured
6
heroes,
70%
of
whom
were
male
and
86%
of

whom
were
white.
In
the
same
period,
an
average
comic
book
featured
3

villains,78%
of
whom
were
male
and
56%
of
whom
were
white.
In
this
same
period

and
average
comic
book
feature
3.5
guest
stars,
52%
of
whom
were
male
and
63%

of
whom
were
white.

The
following
will
be
a
summation
of
the
data
collected
from
the
first
500

issues
of
Uncanny
X­Men,
exempting
the
issues
from
X­Men
#67
(Dec.
1970)‐X­Men

#93
(Apr.
1975).
In
total
there
were
45
characters
who
appeared
as
members
of
the





248


X‐Men
in
these
474
issues.
On
average,
each
member
of
the
team
made
an
average
of

65
appearances
in
the
series,
though
this
number
is
skewed
on
the
low
end
by
11

characters
who
made
fewer
than
10
appearances
and
on
the
high
end
by
five

character
who
made
over
200
appearances.
Surprisingly,
four
of
the
five
characters


with
over
200
appearances
first
appeared
in
1975,
not
1963.
Wolverine
has
the

most


Character


appearances
in

Uncanny
X­Men

with
256,

followed
by

Storm
with

254,

Nightcrawler

with
226,

Professor

Xavier
with

216,
and

Colossus
with

201.
A
full

listing
of
all
the

team
members

who
appeared

in
the
series





#
of

appearances

(%
of
issues)


Wolverine

Storm


Character


#
of

appearances

(%
of

issues)

27
(5.70%)

25
(5.27%)


256
(54.01%)
 Jubilee

254
(53.39%)
 White

Queen

Nightcrawler
 226
(47.68%)
 Forge

24
(5.06%)

Professor

216
(45.57%)
 Marrow

24
(5.06%)

Xavier

Colossus

201
(42.41%)
 Stacy
X

18
(3.80%)

Cyclops

192
(40.51%)
 Husk

17
(3.59%)

Angel

174
(36.71%)
 Warpath

16
(3.38%)

Iceman

157
(33.12%)
 Juggernaut
 15
(3.16%)

Jean
Grey

150
(31.65%)
 Joseph

14
(2.95%)

Beast

135
(28.48%)
 Chamber

13
(2.74%)

Rogue

127
(26.79%)
 Northstar

12
(2.53%)

Kitty
Pryde

81
(17.09%)

Magneto


9
(1.90%)

Gambit

75
(15.81%)

Cable

8
(1.69%)

Bishop

72
(15.19%)

Sage

8
(1.69%)

Banshee

54
(11.39%)

Hepzibah

6
(1.24%)

Rachel

54
(11.39%)

Maggot

4
(0.84%)

Summers

Havok

53
(11.18%)

Mimic

3
(0.63%)

Psylocke

49
(10.34%)

Thunderbir 3
(0.63%)

(Asian)

d

Psylocke

37
(7.81%)

Thunderbir 3
(0.63%)

(white)

d
II

Dazzler

37
(7.81%)

Sunfire

2
(0.42%)

Longshot

31
(6.45%)

Cecilia

1
(0.21%)

Reyes

Cannonball

29
(6.12%)

Mystique

1
(0.21%)

Polaris

27
(5.70%)

‐

‐

Table
22:
The
total
number
appearances
by
members
of
the

X‐Men
through
between
1963‐2008

249


along
with
the
number
of
appearances
and
percentage
of
all
issues
they
appeared
in

is
found
in
Figure
X.

Of
the
45
members
of
the
team,
31
(68.9%)
were
white,
3
(6.7%)
were
Black,

3
(10.0%)
were
Asian,
3
(10.0%)

were
Native
American,
2
(4.4%)
were
Jewish,
1

(3.3%)
was
extra
terrestrial,
1
(3.3%)
was
Indian,
1
(3.3%)
was
Afro‐Latina.
The

characters
on
the
X‐Men
made
2,940
in
these
474
issues.
Of
these,
2,389
(81.26%)

appearances
were
by
white
characters,
330

(11.22%)
were
by
Black
characters,
90

(3.06%)
were
by
Jewish
characters,
78

(2.65%)
were
by
Asian
characters,
43

(1.46%)
were
by
Native
American

characters,
6
(0.20%)
were
by
an
extra

terrestrial
character,
3
(0.10%)
were
by
an

Indian
character,
and
1
(0.03)
was
by
an

Afro‐Latina
character.
These
numbers

indicate
that
despite
it’s
reputation
for

diversity,
the
X‐Men
remain
largely
a
group


Nationality



#
of
characters

(%
of
total)

American

25
(55.6%)

German

3
(6.7%)

British

3
(6.7%)

Apache

2
(4.4%)

Canadian

2
(4.4%)

Alien

2
(4.4%)

Irish

1
(2.2%)

Russian

1
(2.2%)

Kenyan

1
(2.2%)

Japanese

1
(2.2%)

Cheyenne

1
(2.2%)

South
African

1
(2.2%)

Puerto
Rican

1
(2.2%)

Indian

1
(2.2%)

Table
23:
The
nationality
of

members
of
the
X‐Men
that

appeared
between
1963‐2008


of
white
heroes.


In
total,
45
characters
appeared
as
X‐Men
in
the
first
500
issues
of
Uncanny

X­Men.
Of
these,
25
(55.6%)
were
American,
3
(6.7%)
were
German,
3
(6.7%)
were

British,
2
(4.4%)
were
Apache,
2
(4.4%)
were
Canadian,
2
(4.4%)
were
alien,
1

(2.2%)
were
Irish,
1
(2.2%)
were
Russian,
1
(2.2%)
was
Kenyan,
1
(2.2%)
was





250


Japanese,
1
(2.2%)
was
Cheyenne,
1
(2.2%)
was
South
African,
1
(2.2%)
was
Puerto

Rican,
and
1
(2.2%)
was
Indian.

There
were
2,940

appearances
by
members
of
the
X‐
Men
in
the
first
500
issues
of

Uncanny
X­Men.
Of
these,
1,725

(58.67%)
were
by
American

characters,
268
(9.12%)
were
by

Canadian
characters,
254
(8.64%)

were
by
Kenyan
characters,
249

(8.47%)
were
by
German
characters,

201
(6.84%)
were
by
a
Russian

character,
99
(3.37%)
were
by


Nationality



#
of
appearances
(%

of
total)

American

1,725
(58.67%)

Canadian

268
(9.12%)

Kenyan

254
(8.64%)

German

249
(8.47%)

Russian

201
(6.84%)

British

99
(3.37%)

Irish

54
(1.84%)

Alien

37
(1.26%)

Cheyenne

24
(0.82%)

Apache

19
(0.64%)

South
African
 4
(0.14%)

Indian

3
(0.10%)

Japanese

2
(0.07%)

Puerto
Rican
 1
(0.03%)

Table
24:
The
nationality
and
number

of
appearances
by
members
of
the
X‐
Men
that
appeared
between
1963‐
2008


British
characters,
54
(1.84%)
were
by
an
Irish
character,
37



(1.26%)
were
by
alien
characters,
24
(0.82%)
were
by
a
Cheyenne
character,
19

(0.65%)
were
by
Apache
characters,
4
(0.14%)
were
by
a
South
African
character,
3

(0.10%)
were
by
an
Indian
character,
2
(0.07%)
were
by
Japanese
characters,

and
1

(0.03%)
were
by
a
Puerto
Rican
character.

In
total,
448
characters
appeared
as
villains
in
the
first
500
issues
of
the

Uncanny
X­Men.
Of
these,
195
(43.5%)
were
American,
73
(16.3%)
were
aliens,
22

(4.9%)
were
characters
with
no
known
nationality,
19
(4.2%)
were
by
characters

from
the
fictional
Savage
Land,
14
(3.1%)
were
from
a
fictional
group
called
the
Neo,

11
(2.5%)
were
Japanese,
11
(2.5%)
were
demonic
characters,
11
(2.5%)
were
by





251


characters
with
no
applicable
nationality,
9
(2.0%)
were
British
characters,
9
(2.0%)

were
by
characters
from
the
fictional
nation
of
Genosha,
8
(1.8%)
were
by
Canadian


characters,
6
(1.3%)
were
German,
6
(1.3%)
were
French,
6
(1.3%)
were
Egyptian,
6

(1.3%)
were
from
the
fictional
group
called
the
Inhumans,
5
(1.1%)
were
from
a

fictional
group
called
the
Neyaphem,
4
(0.4%)
were
Russian,
4
(0.9%)
were

characters
from
the
fictional
Central
American
nation
of
San
Rico,
3
(0.7%)
were

Italian,
3
(0.7%)
were
Chinese,

2
(0.4%)
were
Irish,
2
(0.4%)
were
Cheyenne,
2

(0.4%)
were
by
characters
from
subterranean
realms,
1
(0.2%)
was
Kenyan,
1

(0.2%)
was
Apache,
1
(0.2%)
was
Ethiopian,
1
(0.2%)
was
Scottish,
1
(0.2%)
was

Australian,
1
(0.2%)
was
from
the
fictional
character
of
Latveria,
1
(0.2%)
was


Nationality
 #
of

Nationality

characters

(%
of
total)

American


195

(43.5%)

73
(16.3%)

22
(4.9%)

19
(4.2%)


Inhumans


#
of

characters

(%
of

total)

6
(1.3%)


Nationality


Latverian


#
of

characters

(%
of

total)

1
(0.2%)


Alien

Neyaphem

5
(1.1%)

Transylvanian
 1
(0.2%)

Unknown

Russian

4
(0.4%)

Living
Island
 1
(0.2%)

Savage

San
Rican

4
(0.9%)

Korean

1
(0.2%)

Land

Neo

14
(3.1%)
 Italian

3
(0.7%)

Cimmerian

1
(0.2%)

Japanese

11
(2.5%)
 Chinese

3
(0.7%)

Indian

1
(0.2%)

Demonic

11
(2.5%)
 Irish

2
(0.4%)

Moroccan

1
(0.2%)

Not

11
(2.5%)
 Cheyenne

2
(0.4%)

Castilian

1
(0.2%)

Applicable

British

9
(2.0%)

Subterranean
 2
(0.4%)

Inuit

1
(0.2%)

Genoshan
 9
(2.0%)

Kenyan

1
(0.2%)

Sri
Lankan

1
(0.2%)

Canadian
 8
(1.8%)

Apache

1
(0.2%)

Swedish

1
(0.2%)

German

6
(1.3%)

Ethiopian

1
(0.2%)

Eskimo

1
(0.2%)

French

6
(1.3%)

Scottish

1
(0.2%)

‐

‐

Egyptian

6
(1.3%)

Australian

1
(0.2%)

‐

‐

Table
25:
The
nationality
of
villains
the
X‐Men
battled
between
1963‐2008





252


Transylvanian,
1
(0.2%)
was
a
living
island,
1
(0.2%)
was
Korean,
1
(0.2%)
was

from
the
fictional
nation
of
Cimmeria,
1
(0.2%)
was
Indian,
1
(0.2%)
were

Moroccan,
1
(0.2%)
were
Castilian,
1
(0.2%)
was
Inuit,
1
(0.2%)
was
Sri
Lankan,
1

(0.2%)
was
Swedish,
and
1
(0.2%)
was
Eskimo.

There
were
1,598
appearances
by
villains
in
the
first
500
issues
of
Uncanny

X­Men.
Of
these,
815
(51.00%)
were
by
American
characters,
224
(14.02%)
were
by

aliens,
90
(5.63%)
were
by
characters
from
the
fictional
Savage
Land,
67
(4.19%)

were
by
characters
with
no
known
nationality,
41
(2.57%)
were
by
German

characters,
39
(2.44%)
were
by
Japanese
characters,
37
(2.32%)
were
Genoshan

characters,
36
(2.25%)
were
by
Egyptian
characters,
25
(1.56%)
were
Neyaphem

characters,
24
(1.50%)
were
by
British
characters,
22
(1.38%)
were
by
characters

with
no
applicable
nationality,
19
(1.19%)
were
by
Canadian
characters,
17
(1.06%)

were
by
demonic
characters,
15
(0.94%)
were
by
Irish
characters,
14
(0.88%)
were

by
Neo
characters,
12
(0.75%)
were
by
Italian
characters,
12
(0.75%)
were
by

French
characters,
10
(0.63%)
were
by
Australian
characters,
9
(0.56%)
were
by

Russian
characters,
9
(0.56%)
were
by
Cheyenne
characters,
7
(0.44%)
were
by

characters
from
the
fictional
Central
American
nation
of
San
Rico,
6
(0.38%)
were

by
Inhuman
characters,
6
(0.38%)
were
by
Chinese
characters,
5
(0.31%)
were
by
a

Castilian
character,
5
(0.31%)
were
by
a
Swedish
character,
4
(0.25%)
were
by
a

Korean
character,
4
(0.25%)
were
by
a
Cimmerian
character,
3
(0.19%)
were
by

characters
from
subterranean
realms,
3
(0.19%)
were
by
a
Scottish
character,
3

(0.19%)
was
a
Latverian
character,
3
(0.19%)
was
by
an
Indian
character,
2
(0.13%)

was
by
an
Ethiopian
character,
2
(0.13%)
were
by
a
Sri
Lankan
character,
2
(0.13%)






253


were
by
an
Eskimo
character,
1
(0.06%)
was
by
a
Kenyan
character,
1
(0.06%)
was

by
an
Apache
character,
1
(0.2%)
was
a
Transylvanian
character,
1
(0.2%)
was
by
a

Castilian
character,
1
(0.06%)
was
by
a
living
island,
and
1
(0.2%)
was
by
an
Inuit

character.

Nationality
 #
of

Nationality

#
of

Nationality

#
of

appear‐
appear‐
appear‐
ances
(%

ances
(%

ances
(%
of

of
total)

of
total)

total)

American
 195

Inhumans

6
(1.3%)
 Latverian

1
(0.2%)

(43.5%)

Alien

73

Neyaphem

5
(1.1%)
 Transylvanian
 1
(0.2%)

(16.3%)

Unknown
 22
(4.9%)
 Russian

4
(0.4%)
 Living
Island
 1
(0.2%)

Savage

19
(4.2%)
 San
Rican

4
(0.9%)
 Korean

1
(0.2%)

Land

Neo

14
(3.1%)
 Italian

3
(0.7%)
 Cimmerian

1
(0.2%)

Japanese

11
(2.5%)
 Chinese

3
(0.7%)
 Indian

1
(0.2%)

Demonic

11
(2.5%)
 Irish

2
(0.4%)
 Moroccan

1
(0.2%)

Not

11
(2.5%)
 Cheyenne

2
(0.4%)
 Castilian

1
(0.2%)

Applicable

British

9
(2.0%)

Subterranean
 2
(0.4%)
 Inuit

1
(0.2%)

Genoshan
 9
(2.0%)

Kenyan

1
(0.2%)
 Sri
Lankan

1
(0.2%)

Canadian
 8
(1.8%)

Apache

1
(0.2%)
 Swedish

1
(0.2%)

German

6
(1.3%)

Ethiopian

1
(0.2%)
 Eskimo

1
(0.2%)

French

6
(1.3%)

Scottish

1
(0.2%)
 ‐

‐

Egyptian

6
(1.3%)

Australian

1
(0.2%)
 ‐

‐

Table
26:
The
nationality
and
number
of
appearances
of
villains
the
X‐Men
battled

between
1963‐2008



In
total,
252
characters
guest
starred
in
the
first
500
issues
of
the
Uncanny
X­
Men.
Of
these,
135
(53.6%)
were
American,
40
(15.9%)
were
aliens,
13
(5.2%)
were

Canadian,
10
(4.0%)
were
British,
7
(2.8%)
were
Japanese,
4
(1.6%)
were
Russian,
3

(1.2%)
were
Irish,
3
(1.3%)
were
German,
3
(1.2%)
were
Cheyenne,
2
(0.8%)
were

by
characters
from
the
fictional
Savage
Land,
2
(0.8%)
were
from
the
fictional

African
nation
of
Wakanda,
2
(0.8%)
were
Scottish,
2
(0.8%)
were
Australian,
2




254


(0.8%)
were
Monacan,
2
(0.8%)
were
Armenian,
2
(0.8%)
were
by
characters
with

no
known
nationality,
2
(0.8%)
were
by
characters
from
the
fictional
nation
of

Genosha,
1
(0.4%)
was
Kenyan,
1
(0.4%)
was
Apache,
1
(0.4%)
was
Italian,
1
(0.4%)

were
demonic,
1
(0.4%)
were
by
characters
from
the
fictional
nation
of
Atlantis,
1

(0.4%)
were
by
characters
from
the
fictional
group
called
the
Inhumans,
1
(0.4%)

was
Mexican,
1
(0.4%)
was
Brazilian,
1
(0.4%)
was
Vietnamese,
1
(0.4%)
were

South
African,
1
(0.4%)
was
Puerto
Rican,
1
(0.4%)
was
Indian,
1
(0.4%)
was
by
a

character
from
the
fictional
realm
of
Asgard,
1
(0.4%)
was
Greek,
1
(0.4%)
was
from

a
fictional
group
called
the
Eternals,
1
(0.4%)
was
Israeli,
1
(0.4%)
was
Afghani,
and

1
(0.4%)
was
Welsh.

Nationality
 #
of

Nationality

#
of

Nationality

#
of

characters

character
characters

(%
of

s
(%
of

(%
of
total)

total)

total)

American
 135

Armenian

2
(0.8%)
 Indian

1
(0.4%)

(53.6%)

Alien

40

Unknown

2
(0.8%)
 Asgard

1
(0.4%)

(15.9%)

Canadian
 13
(5.2%)
 Genoshan

2
(0.8%)
 Greek

1
(0.4%)

British

10
(4.0%)
 Kenyan

1
(0.4%

Eternals

1
(0.4%)

Japanese

7
(2.8%)

Apache

1
(0.4%)
 Israeli

1
(0.4%)

Russian

4
(1.6%)

Italian

1
(0.4%)
 Afghani

1
(0.4%)

Irish

3
(1.2%)

Demonic

1
(0.4%)
 Welsh

1
(0.4%)

German

4
(1.3%)

Atlantean

1
(0.4%)
 ‐

‐

Cheyenne
 3
(1.2%)

Inhumans

1
(0.4%)
 ‐

‐

Savage

2
(0.8%)

Mexican

1
(0.4%)
 ‐

‐

Land

Wakandan
 2
(0.8%)

Brazilian

1
(0.4%)
 ‐

‐

Scottish

2
(0.8%)

Vietnamese

1
(0.4%)
 ‐

‐

Australian
 2
(0.8%)

South
African
 1
(0.4%)
 ‐

‐

Monacan

2
(0.8%)

Puerto
Rican
 1
(0.4%)
 ‐

‐

Table
27:
The
nationality
of
guest
stars
who
appeared
between
1963‐2008







255


There
were
1,755
appearances
by
guest
stars
in
the
first
500
issues
of

Uncanny
X­Men.
Of
these,
976
(55.61%)
were
by
American
characters,
263
(14.99%)

were
by
alien
characters,
68
(3.87%)
were
by
Scottish
characters,
44
(2.51%)
were

by
Irish
characters,
43
(2.45%)
were
by
British
characters,
42
(2.39%)
were
by

Russian
characters,
42
(2.39%)
were
by
Cheyenne
characters,
37
(2.11%)
were
by

Japanese
characters,
34
(1.94%)
were
Armenian,
33
(1.88%)
were
by
Canadian

characters,
20
(1.14%)
were
by
a
Brazilian
character,
19
(1.08%)
were
by
German

characters,
19
(1.08%)
were
by
Australian
characters,
17
(0.97%)
were
by
a
Kenyan

character,
14
(0.80%)
were
by
Monacan
characters,
13
(0.74%)
were
by
characters

from
the
Savage
land,
12
(0.68%)
were
by
characters
with
no
known
nationality,
8

(0.46%)
were
by
a
Mexican
character,
8
(0.46%)
were
by
Apache
characters,
6

(0.34%)
were
by
a
Vietnamese
character,
6
(0.34%)
were
by
a
South
African

characters,
4
(0.23%)
were
by
Puerto
Rican
characters,
3
(0.17%)
were
by

Wakandan
characters,
3
(0.17%)
were
by
an
Asgardian
character,
3
(0.17%)
were

by
an
Israeli
character,
2
(0.11%)
were
by
Italian
characters,
2
(0.11%)
were
by

Genoshan
characters,
2
(0.11%)
were
by
an
Afghani
character,
2
(0.11%)
were
by
a

Welsh
character,
2
(0.11%)
were
by
an
Inhuman
character,
2
(0.11%)
were
by

demonic
characters,
1
(0.06%)
were
by
an
Atlantean
character,
1
(0.06%)
was
by
an

Indian
character,
1
(0.06%)
was
by
a
Greek
character,
and
1
(0.06%)
were
by

characters
from
the
fictional
group
called
the
Eternals.











256


Nationality

American

Alien

Scottish

Irish


#
of
appear‐
ances
(%
of

total)

976

(55.61%)

263

(14.99%)

68
(3.87%)

44
(2.51%)


Nationality

Australian


#
of
appear‐ Nationality

ances
(%
of

total)

19
(1.08%)
 Genoshan


#
of
appear‐
ances
(%
of

total)

2
(0.11%)


Kenyan


17
(0.97%)


2
(0.11%)


Afghani


Monacan

14
(1.08%)
 Welsh

2
(0.11%)

Savage

13
(0.74%)
 Inhuman

2
(0.11%)

Land

British

43
(2.45%)
 Unknown

12
(0.68%)
 Demonic

2
(0.11%)

Russian

42
(2.39%)
 Mexican

8
(0.46%)

Atlantean

1
(0.6%)

Cheyenne

42
(2.39%)
 Apache

8
(0.46%)

Indian

1
(0.6%)

Japanese


37
(2.11%)
 Vietnamese
 6
(0.34%)

Greek

1
(0.6%)

Armenian

34
(1.94%)
 South

6
(0.34%)

Eternals

1
(0.6%)

African

Canadian

33
(1.88%)
 Puerto

4
(0.23%)

‐

‐

Rican

Brazilian

20
(1.14%)
 Wakandan
 3
(0.17%)

‐

‐

German

19
(1.08%)
 Asgardian

3
(0.17%)

‐

‐

Australian
 17
(0.97%)
 Israeli

2
(0.11%)

‐

‐

German

19
(0.97%)
 Italian

2
(0.11%)

‐

‐

Table
28:
The
nationality
and
number
of
appearances
of
guest
stars
who
appeared

between
1963‐2008



In
total,
745
characters
who
appeared
in
the
first
500
issues
of
the
Uncanny

X­Men.
Of
these,
355
(47.7%)
were
American,
115
(15.4%)
were
extra‐terrestrials,

24
(3.2%)
were
by
characters
with
no
known
nationality,
23
(3.1%)
were
Canadian,

22
(3.0%)
were
British,
21
(2.8%)
were
characters
from
the
fictional
Savage
Land,

19
(2.6%)
were
Japanese,
14
(1.9%)
were
by
characters
from
a
fictional
group

called
the
Neo,
12
(1.6%)
were
German,
12
(1.6%)
were
demonic,
11
(1.5%)
were

characters
with
no
applicable
nationality,
11
(1.5%)
were
from
the
fictional
nation

of
Genosha,
9
(1.2%)
were
Russian,
7(0.9%)
were
from
a
fictional
group
called
the

inhumans,
6
(0.8%)
were
Irish,
6
(0.8%)
were
French,
6
(0.8%)
were
Egyptian,
6

(0.8%)
were
Cheyenne,
5
(0.7%)
were
from
the
fictional
group
called
the





257


Neyaphem,
4
(0.5%)
were
Apache,
4
(0.5%)
were
Italian,
4
(0.5%)
were
from
the

fictional
nation
of
San
Rico,
3
(0.4%)
were
Kenyan,
3
(0.4%)
were
Scottish,
3
(0.4%)

were
Australian,
3
(0.4%)
were
Chinese,
3
(0.4%)
were
Indian,
2
(0.3%)
were
from

fictional
subterranean
lands,
2
(0.3%)
were
by
characters
from
the
fictional
African

of
Wakanda,
2
(0.3%)
were
South
African,
2
(0.3%)
were
Puerto
Rican,
2
(0.3%)


Nationality
 #
of
appear‐
ances
(%
of

total)

American

Alien

Unknown

Canadian

British

Savage

Land

Japanese


#
of

Nationali #
of

appear‐
ty

appear‐
ances
(%
of

ances
(%

total)

of
total)

355
(47.7%)
 Neyaphem
 5
(0.7%)

Transylv 1
(0.1%)

anian

115
(15.4%)
 Apache

4
(0.5%)

Living

1
(0.1%)

island

24
(3.2%)

Scottish

3
(0.4%)

Korean

1
(0.1%)

23
(3.1%)

Australian
 3
(0.4%)

Cimmeri 1
(0.1%)

a

22
(3.0%)

Chinese

3
(0.4%)

Mexican
 1
(0.1%)

21
(2.8%)

Indian

3
(0.4%)

Brazilian
 1
(0.1%)

19
(2.6%)


Neo


14
(1.9%)


German


12
(1.6%)


Demonic


12
(1.6%)


Nationalit
y


Subterran 2
(0.3%)

ean

Wakandan
 2
(0.3%)

South

African

Puerto

Rican

Monacan


2
(0.3%)


Vietnam 1
(0.1%)

ese

Morocca 1
(0.1%)

n

Castilian
 1
(0.1%)


2
(0.3%)


Inuit


1
(0.1%)


Not

11
(1.5%)

2
(0.3%)

Sri

1
(0.1%)

Applicable

Lankan

Genoshan
 11
(1.5%)

Armenian
 1
(0.1%)

Eskimo
 1
(0.1%)

Russian

9
(1.2%)

Atlantean
 1
(0.1%)

Asgard

1
(0.1%)

Inhuman

7
(0.9%)

Inhuman

1
(0.1%)

Greek

1
(0.1%)

Irish

6
(0.8%)

Demonic

1
(0.1%)

Eternal

1
(0.1%)

French

6
(0.8%)

Atlantean
 1
(0.1%)

Israeli

1
(0.1%)

Egyptian

6
(0.8%)

Ethopian

1
(0.1%)

Afghani
 1
(0.1%)

Cheyenne
 6
(0.8%)

Latverian
 1
(0.1%)

Welsh

1
(0.1%)

Table
29:
The
nationality
of
all
characters
who
appeared
in
the
X‐Men

between
1963‐2008







258


were
Monacan,
2
(0.3%)
were
Armenian,
1
(0.1%)
were
by
characters
from
the

fictional
land
of
Atlantis,
1
(0.1%)
were
by
Ethiopians,
1
(0.1%)
was
Latverian,
1

(0.1%)
was
Transylvanian,
1
(0.1%)
was
a
living
island,
1
(0.4%)
was
Korean,
1


(0.1%)
was
a
character
from
the
fictional
nation
of
Cimmeria,
1
(0.1%)
was
Mexican,

1
(0.1%)
was
Brazilian,
1
(0.1%)
was
Vietnamese,
1
(0.1%)
was
Moroccan,
1



(0.08%)
was
Castilian,
1
(0.1%)
was
Inuit,
1
(0.1%)
was
Sri
Lankan,
1
(0.1%)
was

an
Eskimo,
1
(0.01%)
were
by
a
character
from
the
fictional
realm
of
Asgard,
1

(0.1%)
was
Greek,
1
(0.1%)
was
by
a
character
from
the
fictional
group
called
the

Eternals,
1
(0.1%)
was
Israeli,
1
(0.1%)
was
Afghani,
and
1
(0.1%)
was
Welsh.



There
were
6,293
appearances
by
either
members
of
the
X‐Men,
the
villains,

and
guest
stars
in
the
first
500
issues
of
Uncanny
X­Men.
In
total,
3,516
(55.87%)

were
by
American
characters,
524
(8.33%)
were
by
extra‐terrestrial
characters,
320

(5.09%)
were
by
Canadian
characters,
309
(4.91%)
were
by
German
characters,
272

(4.32%)
were
by
Kenyan
characters,
252
(4.00%)
were
by
Russian
characters,

166

(2.64%)
were
by
British
characters,
113
(1.80%)
were
by
Irish
characters,
103

(1.64%)
were
by
characters
from
the
Savage
Land,
79
(1.26%)
were
by
characters

with
no
known
nationality,
78
(1.24%)
were
by
Japanese
characters,
75
(1.19%)

were
by
Cheyenne
characters,
71
(1.13%)
were
by
Scottish
characters,
39
(0.64%)

were
by
Genoshan
characters,
36
(0.57%)
were
by
Egyptian
characters,
34
(0.54%)

were
by
Armenian
characters,
29
(0.46%)
were
by
Australian
characters,
28

(0.44%)
were
by
Apache
characters,
25
(0.40%)
were
by
Neyaphem,
22
(0.35%)

were
by
characters
with
no
applicable
nationality,
21
(0.33%)
were
demonic,
20





259


(0.32%)
were
by
a
Brazilian
character,
14
(0.22%)
were
by
Italian
characters,
14

(0.22%)
were
by
characters
from
the
fictional
group
called
the
Neo,
14
(0.22%)

were
by
Monacan
characters,
12
(0.19%)
were
by
French
characters,
10
(0.16%)

were
by
South
African
characters,
8
(0.13%)
were
by
characters
from
the
fictional

group
called
the
inhumans,
8
(0.13%)
were
by
a
Mexican
character,
7
(0.11%)
were

by
characters
from
the
fictional
nation
of
San
Rico,
7
(0.11%)
were
by
Indian

characters,
7
(0.11%)
was
by
a
Castilian
character,
6
(0.10%)
were
by
Chinese

characters,
6
(0.10%)
were
by
Vietnamese
characters,
5
(0.08%)
were
Puerto
Rican,

4
(0.06%)
were
by
Korean
characters,
4
(0.06%)
were
by
Cimmerian
characters,
3

(0.05%)
were
by
a
character
from
the
fictional
realm
of
Asgard,
3
(0.05%)
were
by

characters
from
subterranean
lands,
3
(0.05%)
were
by
Wakandan
characters,
3

(0.05%)
were
by
a
Latverian
character,
3
(0.05%)
were
by
an
Israeli
character,
2

(0.03%)
were
by
Ethiopian
characters,
2
(0.03%)
were
by
a
Sri
Lankan
character,
2

(0.03%)
were
by
an
Eskimo
character,

2
(0.03%)
were
by
an
Afghani
character,
2

(0.03%)
were
by
a
Welsh
character,
1
(0.02%)
were
by
Atlantean
characters,
1

(0.02%)
were
by
Transylvanian
characters,

1
(0.02%)
was
by
a
living
island,
1

(0.02%)
was
by
a
Moroccan,
1
(0.02%)
was
by
an
Inuit,
1
(0.2%)
was
by
a
Greek

character,
and
1
(0.02%)
was
by
a
character
from
the
fictional
group
called
the

Eternals.













260


Nationality
 #
of
appear‐
ances
(%
of

total)


Nationalit
y


#
of

Nationali #
of

appear‐
ty

appear‐
ances
(%
of

ances
(%

total)

of
total)

American
 3,516

Neyaphem
 25
(0.40%)
 Cimmeri 4
(0.06%)

(55.87%)

an

Alien

524
(8.33%)
 Not

22
(0.35%)
 Asgardia 3
(0.05%)

applicable

n

Canadian
 320
(5.09%)
 Demonic

21
(0.33%)
 Subterra 3
(0.05%)

nean

German

309
(4.91%)
 Brazilian

20
(0.32%)
 Wakand 3
(0.05%)

an

Kenyan

272
(4.32%)
 Italian

14
(0.22%)
 Latveria 3
(0.05%)

n

Russian

252
(4.00%)
 Neo

14
(0.22%)
 Israeli

3
(0.05%)

British

166
(2.64%)
 Monacan

14
(0.22%)
 Ethiopia 2
(0.03%)

n

Irish

113
(1.80%)
 French

12
(0.19%)
 Sri

2
(0.03%)

Lankan

Savage

103
(1.64%)
 South

10
(0.16%)
 Eskimo
 2
(0.03%)

Land

African

Unknown
 79
(1.26%)
 Inhumans
 8
(0.13%)
 Afghani
 2
(0.03%)

Japanese

78
(1.24%)
 Mexican

8
(0.13%)
 Welsh

2
(0.03%)

Cheyenne
 75
(1.19%)
 San
Rico

7
(0.11%)
 Atlantea 1
(0.02%)

n

Scottish

71
(1.13%)
 Indian

7
(0.11%)
 Transylv 1
(0.02%)

anian

Genoshan
 39
(0.62%)
 Castilian

7
(0.11%)
 Living

1
(0.02%)

island

Egyptian

36
(0.57%)
 Chinese

6
(0.10%)
 Morocca 1
(0.02%)

n

Armenian
 34
(0.54%)
 Vietnames 6
(0.10%)
 Inuit

1
(0.02%)

e

Australian
 29
(0.46%)
 Puerto

5
(0.08%)
 Greek

1
(0.02%)

Rican

Apache

28
(0.44%)
 Korean

4
(0.06%)
 Eternal

1
(0.02%)

Table
30:
The
nationality
and
appearances
of
all
characters
who
appeared
in

the
X‐Men
between
1963‐2008



What
these
numbers
reveal
is
that
while
the
X‐Men
do
openly
and
often
deal
with

the
issues
of
prejudice
and
discrimination
in
the
storylines,
the
characters
that





261


appear
most
frequently
are
white
men.
Following
this,
fictional
groups
such
as

aliens
make
the
most
appearances.
Thus,
while
on
the
one
hand
the
series
does
deal

with
issues
facing
real
world
minorities,
on
the
other
it
remains
a
series
dominated

by
social
minorities.
However,
because
so
much
of
the
prejudice
is
rooted
in
the

idea
of
being
a
mutant,
the
metaphor
inherently
allows
interpretation
by
the
reader

that
does
not
limit
the
meaning
to
the
race
and
gender
of
the
characters
on
the
page.

As
was
pointed
out
by
writers
such
as
Scott
Lobdell
and
Fabian
Nicieza,
everyone
at

some
point
can
associate
with
the
alienation
the
X‐Men
endure,
even
if
the
source
of

their
alienation
has
nothing
to
do
with
the
larger
social
concerns
of
race
and
gender.




It
is
surprising
when
considering
the
general
perception
of
the
series
that
it


is
in
fact
so
dominated
by
white
male
characters.
This
certainly
fits
the
tradition
of

superhero
comic
books,
which
began
by
featuring
the
adventures
of
white
male

protagonists,
a
formula
that
has
seen
unfortunately
little
derivation.
While
other

titles
in
the
X‐Men
franchise
such
as
New
Mutants
or
Generation
X
may
have
greater

diversity,
the
original
core
X‐Men
title
has
had
some
very
compelling
and
strong

minority
characters,
but
has
largely
continued
the
industry
tradition
of
publishing

the
adventures
of
heroic
white
males.




The
most
diverse
group
in
the
series
as
a
whole
are
the
villains
the
X‐Men


battle.
Much
as
the
white
male
protagonist
is
a
trend
within
the
industry
from
its

earliest
periods,
the
threat
of
a
minority
“other”
extends
back
to
American
literary

traditions
that
predate
the
comic
book
industry.
The
dime
novel
was
dominated
by

tales
of
the
savage
Native
American
that
threatened
the
white
settlers,
and
the
pulp

magazines
often
detailed
the
threat
of
Asian
villains.
The
superhero
genre
has





262


picked
up
many
of
the
narrative
threads
from
dime
novel
adventures
and
pulp

magazine
heroes,
and
the
X‐Men
are
no
exception.




In
the
end,
the
numbers
analysis
only
tell
a
part
of
the
story.
The
general


themes
and
tone
of
the
stories
in
the
series
align
with
the
reputation
the
X‐Men

have,
but
it
is
interesting
how
the
raw
numbers
in
terms
of
ethnic
and
gender

representation
tell
a
different
story.
Without
doing
a
similar
analysis
on
other
titles

published
in
the
industry
it
is
difficult
to
conclusively
state
whether
the
X‐Men
is

more
or
less
diverse,
more
or
less
male‐centric
than
the
average
title.
A
cursory

familiarity
with
other
superhero
titles
such
as
The
Justice
League
and
The
Avengers

would
indicate
that
The
Uncanny
X­Men
is
more
diverse,
but
after
looking
at
the

numbers
for
The
Uncanny
X­Men
it
is
startling
how
close
those
numbers
may

actually
be.



























263
























APPENDICES



























264


Appendix
A:
The
X­Men
Citations

The
X­Men
#1
(Sep.
1963).
“X‐Men.”

Lee,
Stan
(w)
and
Jack
Kirby
(a).
The
X­Men

Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:

Marvel
Comics,
2009.
8‐31.
Print.





The
X­Men
#2
(Nov.
1963),
“No
One
Can
Stop
the
Vanisher!”

Lee,
Stan
(w)
and
Jack

Kirby
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.

Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
32‐54.
Print.





The
X­Men
#3
(Jan.
1964),
“Beware
of
the
Blob!”

Lee,
Stan
(w)
and
Jack
Kirby
(a).

The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
55‐79.
Print.





The
X­Men
#4
(Mar.
1964),
“The
Brotherhood
of
Evil
Mutants!”

Lee,
Stan
(w)
and

Jack
Kirby
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.

Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
80‐103.
Print.





The
X­Men
#5
(May
1964),
“Trapped:
One
X‐Man!”

Lee,
Stan
(w)
and
Jack
Kirby
(a).

The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
104‐129.
Print.





The
X­Men
#6
(Jul.
1964),
“Sub‐Mariner!
Joins
the
Evil
Mutants.”

Lee,
Stan
(w)
and

Jack
Kirby
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.

Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
130‐54.
Print.





The
X­Men
#7
(Sep.
1964),
“The
Return
of
the
Blob.”

Lee,
Stan
(w)
and
Jack
Kirby

(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
155‐78.
Print.





The
X­Men
#8
(Nov.
1964),
Unus,
the
Untouchable!”

Lee,
Stan
(w)
and
Jack
Kirby
(a).

The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
179‐202.
Print.





The
X­Men
#9
(Jan.
1965),
“Enter,
the
Avengers!”

Lee,
Stan
(w)
and
Jack
Kirby
(a).

The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
203‐26.
Print.






265




The
X­Men
#10
(Mar.
1965),
“The
Coming
of…Ka‐Zar!”

Lee,
Stan
(w)
and
Jack
Kirby

(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
227‐49.
Print.





The
X­Men
#11
(May
1965),
“The
Triumph
of
Magneto!”

Lee,
Stan
(w)
and
Jack

Kirby
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.

Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
252‐74.
Print.





The
X­Men
#12
(Jul.
1965),
“The
Origin
of
Professor
X!”

Lee,
Stan
(w),
Jack
Kirby
and

Alex
Toth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.

Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
275‐97.
Print.





The
X­Men
#13
(Sep.
1965),
“Where
Walks
the
Juggernaut!”

Lee,
Stan
(w),
Jack
Kirby

and
Werner
Roth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.

1­31.
Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
298‐320.
Print.





The
X­Men
#14
(Nov.
1965),
“Among
Us
Stalk…the
Sentinels!”
Lee,
Stan
(w),
Jack

Kirby
and
Werner
Roth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­
Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
321‐343.
Print.





The
X­Men
#15
(Dec.
1965),
“Prisoners
of
the
Mysterious
Master
Mold!”
Lee,
Stan

(w),
Jack
Kirby
and
Werner
Roth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting

The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
344‐366.

Print.





The
X­Men
#16
(Jan.
1966),
“The
Supreme
Sacrifice!”
Lee,
Stan
(w),
Jack
Kirby
and

Werner
Roth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­
31.
Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
367‐89.
Print.





The
X­Men
#17
(Feb.
1966),
“…and
None
Shall
Survive!”
Lee,
Stan
(w),
Jack
Kirby
and

Werner
Roth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­
31.
Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
390‐412.
Print.





The
X­Men
#18
(Mar.
1966),
“If
Iceman
Should
Fail‐‐!”

Lee,
Stan
(w)
and
Werner

Roth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.

Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
413‐435.
Print.






266




The
X­Men
#19
(Apr.
1966),
“Lo!
Now
Shall
Appear—The
Mimic!”

Lee,
Stan
(w)
and

Werner
Roth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­
31.
Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
436‐458.
Print.





The
X­Men
#20
(May
1966),
“I,
Lucifer…”

Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
Werner
Roth
(a).
The

X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.

NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
459‐81.
Print.





The
X­Men
#21
(Jun.
1966),

“From
Whence
Comes…Dominus?”

Thomas,
Roy
(w)

and
Werner
Roth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.

1­31.
Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
482‐507.
Print.





The
X­Men
#22
(Jul.
1966),
“Divided—We
Fall!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
Werner
Roth

(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
508‐530.
Print.





The
X­Men
#23

(Aug.
1966),
“To
Save
a
City.”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
Werner
Roth
(a).

The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
531‐553.
Print.





The
X­Men
#24
(Sep.
1966),
“The
Plague
of…the
Locust!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and

Werner
Roth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­
31.
Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
554‐576

Print.





The
X­Men
#25
(Oct.
1966),
“The
Power
and
the
Pendant.”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and

Werner
Roth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­
31.
Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
577‐599.
Print.





The
X­Men
#26
(Nov.
1966),
“Holocaust!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
Werner
Roth
(a).
The

X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.

NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
600‐622.
Print.





The
X­Men
#27
(Dec.
1966),
“Re‐Enter:
The
Mimic!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
Werner

Roth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.

Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
623‐645.
Print.








267


The
X­Men
#28
(Jan.
1967),
“The
Wail
of
the
Banshee!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
Werner

Roth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.

Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
646‐68.
Print.





The
X­Men
#29
(Feb.
1967),
“When
Titans
Clash!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
Werner

Roth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.
Ed.

Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
669‐691.
Print.





The
X­Men
#30
(Mar.
1967),
“The
Warlock
Wakes!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
Jack

Sparling
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.
1­31.

Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
692‐714.
Print.





The
X­Men
#31
(Apr.
1967),
“We
Must
Destroy…the
Cobalt
Man!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)

and
Werner
Roth
(a).
The
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
The
X­Men
Nos.

1­31.
Ed.
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
715‐737.
Print.





The
X­Men
#32
(May
1967),
“Beware
the
Juggernaut,
My
Son!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and

Werner
Roth
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
12
Jan.
2010.
Online.



The
X­Men
#33
(Jun.
1967),
“Into
the
Crimson
Cosmos.”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and

Werner
Roth
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
12
Jan.
2010.
Online.



The
X­Men
#34
(Jul.
1967),
“War—In
a
World
of
Darkness!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and

Dan
Adkins
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
12
Jan.
2010.
Online.



The
X­Men
#35
(Aug.
1967),
“Along
Came
a
Spider…”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
Werner

Roth
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
12
Jan.
2010.
Online.



The
X­Men
#36
(Sep.
1967),
“Mekano
Lives!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
Ross
Andru
(a).

Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
13
Jan.
2010.
Online.



The
X­Men
#37
(Oct.
1967),
“We,
the
Jury…”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
Ross
Andru
(a).

Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
13
Jan.
2010.
Online.



The
X­Men
#38
(Nov.
1967),
“The
Sinister
Shadow
of…Doomsday!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)

and
Don
Heck
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
13
Jan.
2010.
Online.

The
X­Men
#39
(Dec.
1967),
“The
Fateful
Finale!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
Don
Heck
(a).

Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
14
Jan.
2010.
Online.



The
X­Men
#40
(Jan.
1968),
“The
Mark
of
the
Monster!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
Don

Heck
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
14
Jan.
2010.
Online.






268


The
X­Men
#41
(Feb.
1968),
“Now
Strikes…the
Sub‐Human!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and

Don
Heck
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
14
Jan.
2010.
Online.



The
X­Men
#42
(Mar.
1968),
“If
I
Should
Die…!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
Don
Heck
(a).

Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
15
Jan.
2010.
Online.



The
X­Men
#43
(Mar.
1968),
“The
Torch
is
Passed…!”
Thomas,
Roy
(w)
and
George

Tuska
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
15
Jan.
2010.
Online.



The
X­Men
#44
(May
1968),
“Red
Raven,
Red
Raven…!”
Thomas,
Roy
and
Gary

Friedrich
(w)
and
Don
Heck
and
Werner
Roth
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics

Unlimited.
18
Jan.
2010.
Online.



The
X­Men
#45
(Jun.
1968),
“When
Mutants
Clash!”
Friedrich,
Gary
(w)
and
Don

Heck
and
Werner
Roth
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
18
Jan.
2010.

Online.



The
X­Men
#46
(Jul.
1968),
“The
End
of
the
X‐Men!”
Friedrich,
Gary
(w)
and
Don

Heck
and
Werner
Roth
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
18
Jan.
2010.

Online.



The
X­Men
#47
(Aug.
1968),
“The
Warlock
Wears
Three
Faces!”
Friedrich,
Gary
(w)

and
Don
Heck
and
Werner
Roth
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
18
Jan.

2010.
Online.



The
X­Men
#48
(Sep.
1968),
“Beware
Computo,
Commander
of
the
Robot
Hive!”

Drake,
Arnold
(w)
and
Don
Heck
and
Werner
Roth
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics

Unlimited.
19
Jan.
2010.
Online.



The
X­Men
#49
(Oct.
1968),
“Who
Dares
Defy…the
Demi‐Men?”
Drake,
Arnold
(w)

and
Don
Heck
and
Werner
Roth
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
19
Jan.

2010.
Online.



The
X­Men
#50
(Nov.
1968),
“City
of
Mutants.”
Drake,
Arnold
(w)
and
Jim
Steranko

(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
20
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#51
(Dec.
1968),
“The
Devil
had
a
Daughter!”
Drake,
Arnold
(w)
and
Jim

Steranko
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
21
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#52
(Jan.
1969),
“Twilight
of
the
Mutants!”
Drake,
Arnold
(w)
and
Don
Jeck

and
Werner
Roth
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
21
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#53
(Feb.
1969),
“The
Rage
of
Blastarr!”
Drake,
Arnold
(w)
and
Barry

Windsor‐Smith
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
21
Jan.
2010.
Online.







269


X­Men
#54
(Mar.
1969),
“Wanted:
Dead
or
Alive—Cyclops!”
Drake,
Arnold
(w)
and

Don
Heck
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
22
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#55
(Apr.
1969),
“The
Living
Pharoah!”
Drake,
Arnold
(w)
and
Don
Heck
and

Werner
Roth
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
22
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#56
(May
1969),
“What
is…the
Power?”
Roy
Thomas
(w)
and
Neal
Adams
(a).

Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
25
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#57
(June
1969),
“The
Sentinels
Live!”
Roy
Thomas
(w)
and
Neal
Adams
(a).

Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
25
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#58
(July
1969),
“Mission:
Murder”
Roy
Thomas
(w)
and
Neal
Adams
(a).

Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
25
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#59
(Aug.
1969),
“Do
or
Die,
Baby!”
Roy
Thomas
(w)
and
Neal
Adams
(a).

Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
25
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#60
(Sep.
1969),
“In
the
Shadow
of…Sauron!”
Roy
Thomas
(w)
and
Neal

Adams
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
26
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#61
(Oct.
1969),
“Monsters
Also
Weep!”
Roy
Thomas
(w)
and
Neal
Adams
(a).

Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
26
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#62
(Nov.
1969),
“Strangers…in
a
Strange
Land!”
Roy
Thomas
(w)
and
Neal

Adams
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
26
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#63
(Dec.
1969),
“War
in
the
World
Below!”
Roy
Thomas
(w)
and
Neal
Adams

(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
26
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#64
(Jan.
1970),
“The
Coming
of
Sunfire!”
Roy
Thomas
(w)
and
Don
Heck
(a).

Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
27
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#65
(Feb.
1970),
“Before
I’d
Be
Slave…”
O’Neal,
Dennis
(w)
and
Neal
Adams

(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
27
Jan.
2010.
Online.



X­Men
#66
(Mar.
1970),
“The
Mutants
and
the
Monster!”
Roy
Thomas
(w)
and
Sal

Buscema
(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
27
Jan.
2010.
Online.



Giant­Size
X­Men
#1
(May
1975),
“Second
Genesis!”
Wein,
Len
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­
Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.

NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
10‐46.
Print.









270


X­Men
#94
(Aug.
1975),
“The
Doomsmith
Scenario”
Claremont,
Chris
and
Len
Wein

(w)
and
Dave
Cockrum
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting

Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
47‐65.
Print.





X­Men
#95
(Oct.
1975),
“Warhunt!”
Claremont,
Chris
and
Len
Wein
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­
Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.

NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
66‐85.
Print.





X­Men
#96
(Dec.
1975),
“Night
of
the
Demon!”
Claremont,
Chris
and
Bill
Mantlo
(w)

and
Dave
Cockrum
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting

Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
86‐105.
Print.





X­Men
#97
(Feb.
1976),
“My
Brother,
My
Enemy!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­
Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.

NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
106‐25.
Print.





X­Men
#98
(Apr.
1976),
“Merry
Christmas,
X‐Men.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­
Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.

NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
126‐44.
Print.





X­Men
#99
(Jun.
1976),
“Deathstar,
Rising!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave
Cockrum

(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,

The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
2009.
145‐63.
Print.





X­Men
#100
(Aug.
1976),
“Greater
Love
Hath
No
X‐Man.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Dave
Cockrum
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­
Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
164‐83.
Print.





X­Men
#101
(Oct.
1976),
“Like
a
Phoenix,
From
the
Ashes!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Dave
Cockrum
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­
Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
186‐204.
Print.




271






X­Men
#102
(Dec.
1976),
“Who
Will
Stop
the
Juggernaut?”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Dave
Cockrum
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­
Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
205‐23.
Print.





X­Men
#103
(Feb.
1977),
“The
Fall
of
the
Tower!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­
Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.

NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
224‐43.
Print.





X­Men
#104
(Apr.
1977),
“The
Gentleman’s
Name
is
Magneto.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Dave
Cockrum
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting

Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
244‐63.
Print.





X­Men
#105
(Jun.
1977),
“Phoenix
Unleashed!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­
Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.

NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
264‐82.
Print.





X­Men
#106
(Jun.
1977),
“Dark
Shroud
of
the
Past!”
Claremont,
Chris
and
Bill
Mantlo

(w)
and
Bob
Brown
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting

Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
283‐301.
Print.





X­Men
#107
(Oct.
1977),
“Where
No
X‐Man
Has
Gone
Before!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Dave
Cockrum
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting

Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
302‐320.
Print.





X­Men
#108
(Dec.
1977),
“Armageddon
Now!”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)

and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­
Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
321‐339.
Print.





X­Men
#109
(Feb.
1978),
“Home
are
the
Heroes!”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne

(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting




272


Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
340‐59.
Print.






X­Men
#110
(Apr.
1978),
“The
‘X’
Sanction!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Tony

Dezuinga
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­
Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.

NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
340‐59.
Print.





X­Men
#111
(Jun.
1978),
“Mindgames!”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)
and

John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size

X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
380‐99.
Print.





X­Men
#112
(Aug.
1978),
“Magneto
Triumphant!”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne

(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting

Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
400‐18.
Print.





X­Men
#113
(Sep.
1978),
“Showdown!”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)
and

John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size

X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
419‐37.
Print.





The
Uncanny
X­Men
#114
(Oct.
1978),
“Desolation!”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne

(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting

Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
438‐57.
Print.





The
Uncanny
X­Men
#115
(Nov.
1978),
“Visions
of
Death!”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John

Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:

Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.

Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
458‐77.
Print.





The
Uncanny
X­Men
#116
(Dec.
1978),
“To
Save
the
Savage
Land!”
Claremont,
Chris

and
John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume

1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.

Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
478‐96.
Print.








273


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#117
(Jan.
1979),
“Psi‐War!”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne

(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting

Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
497‐515.
Print.





The
Uncanny
X­Men
#118
(Feb.
1979),
“The
Submergence
of
Japan!”
Claremont,

Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus

Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark

D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
516‐34.
Print.





The
Uncanny
X­Men
#119
(Mar.
1979),
“’Twas
the
Night
Before
Chistmas…”

Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men

Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.

Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
535‐53.

Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#120
(Apr.
1979),
“Wanted:
Wolverine!
Dead
or
Alive!”

Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men

Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.

Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
554‐72.

Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#121
(May
1979),
“Shoot‐Out
at
the
Stampede!”
Claremont,

Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus

Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark

D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
573‐91.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#122
(Jun.
1979),
“Cry
for
the
Children!”
Claremont,
Chris
and

John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:

Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.

Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
594‐612.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#123
(Jul.
1979),
“Listen—Stop
Me
if
You’ve
Heard
It—But
This

One
Wil
Kill
You!!”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).

The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The

X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
2009.
613‐31.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#124
(Aug.
1979),
“He
Only
Laughs
When
I
Hurt!”
Claremont,

Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus

Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark

D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
632‐50.
Print.







274


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#125
(Sep.
1979),
“A
Fire
in
the
Sky!”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John

Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:

Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.

Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
688‐706.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#126
(Oct.
1979),
“There’s
Something
Awful
on
Muir
Island!”

Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men

Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.

Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
707‐25.

Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#127
(Nov.
1979),
“The
Quality
of
Hatred!”
Claremont,
Chris
and

John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:

Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.

Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
726‐44.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#128
(Dec.
1979),
“The
Action
of
the
Tiger!”
Claremont,
Chris

and
John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume

1:
Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.

Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
745‐62.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#129
(Jan.
1980),
“God
Spare
the
Child…”
Claremont,
Chris
and

John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:

Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.

Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
763‐81.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#130
(Feb.
1980),
“Dazzler.”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne

(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:
Collecting

Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.
Beazley
and
Cory

Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
782‐800.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#131
(Mar.
1980),
“Run
For
Your
Life!”
Claremont,
Chris
and

John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
The
Uncanny
X­Men
Omnibus
Volume
1:

Collecting
Giant­Size
X­Men
No.
1,
The
X­Men
Nos.
94­131.
Eds.
Mark
D.

Beazley
and
Cory
Sedlmeier.
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2009.
801‐18.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#132
(Apr.
1980),
“And
Hellfire
Is
Their
Name!”
Claremont,

Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1980.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#133
(May
1980),
“Wolverine:
Alone!”
Claremont,
Chris
and

John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1980.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#134
(Jun.
1980),
“Too
Late,
the
Heroes!”
Claremont,
Chris
and

John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1980.
Print.







275


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#135
(Jul.
1980),
“Dark
Phoenix.”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John

Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1980.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#136
(Aug.
1980),
“Child
of
Light
and
Darkness.”
Claremont,

Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1980.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#137
(Sep.
1980),
“The
Fate
of
the
phoenix.”
Claremont,
Chris

and
John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1980.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#138
(Oct.
1980),
“Elegy.”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)

and
John
Byrne
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1980.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#139
(Nov.
1980),
“…Something
Wicked
This
Way
Comes.”

Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,

1980.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#140
(Dec.
1980),
“Rage!”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne
(w)

and
John
Byrne
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1980.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#141
(Jan.
1981),
“Days
of
Future
Past.”
Claremont,
Chris
and

John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1981.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#142
(Feb.
1981),
“Mind
Out
of
Time.”
Claremont,
Chris
and

John
Byrne
(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1981.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#143
(Mar.
1981),
“Demon.”
Claremont,
Chris
and
John
Byrne

(w)
and
John
Byrne
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1981.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#144
(Apr.
1981),
“Even
in
Death...”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Brent
Anderson
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1981.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#145
(May
1981),
“Kidnapped!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1981.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#146
(Jun.
1981),
“Murderworld!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Dave
Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1981.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#147
(Jul.
1981),
“Rogue
Storm!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1981.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#148
(Aug.
1981),
“Cry,
Mutant!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1981.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#149
(Sep.
1981),
“And
the
Dead
Shall
Bury
the
Living!”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave
Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1981.
Print.






276


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#150
(Oct.
1981),
“I
Magneto…!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1981.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#151
(Nov.
1981),
“X‐Men
Minus
One!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Dave
Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1981.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#152
(Dec.
1981),
“The
Hellfire
Gambit.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Dave
Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1981.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#153
(Jan.
1982),
“Kitty’s
Fairy
Tale.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Dave
Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1982.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#154
(Feb.
1982),
“Reunion.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1982.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#155
(Mar.
1982),
“First
Blood.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1982.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#156
(Apr.
1982),
“Pursuit.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1982.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#157
(May
1982),
“Hide‐‘n’‐Seek!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Dave
Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1982.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#158
(Jun.
1982),
“The
Life
That
I
Led…”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Dave
Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1982.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#159
(Jul.
1982),
“Night
Screams.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Dave
Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1982.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#159
(Jul.
1982),
“Night
Screams.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Bill

Sienkiewicz
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1982.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#160
(Aug.
1982),
“Chutes
and
Ladders.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Brent
Anderson
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1982.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#161
(Sep.
1982),
“Gold
Rush!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1982.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#162
(Oct.
1982),
“Beyond
the
Farthest
Star.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Dave
Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1982.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#163
(Nov.
1982),
“Rescue
Mission.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Dave
Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1982.
Print.







277


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#164
(Dec.
1982),
“Binary
Star!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Dave

Cockrum
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1982.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#165
(Jan.
1983),
“Transfigurations!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Paul
Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1983.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#166
(Feb.
1983),
“Live
Free
or
Die!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Paul
Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1983.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#167
(Mar.
1983),
“The
Goldilocks
Syndrom
(or:
‘Who’s
Been

Sleeping
in
My
Head?’).”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Paul
Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
1983.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#168
(Apr.
1983),
“Professor
Xavier
is
a
Jerk.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Paul
Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1983.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#169
(May
1983),
“Catacombs.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Paul

Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1983.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#170
(Jun.
1983),
“Dancin’
in
the
Dark.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Paul
Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1983.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#171
(Jul.
1983),
“Rogue.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Walt

Simonson
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1983.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#172
(Aug.
1983),
“Scarlet
in
Glory.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Paul
Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1983.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#173
(Sep.
1983),
“To
Have
and
Have
Not.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Paul
Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1983.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#174
(Oct.
1983),
“Romances.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Paul

Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1983.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#175
(Nov.
1983),
“Phoenix!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Paul

Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1983.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#176
(Dec.
1983),
“Decisions.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1983.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#177
(Jan.
1984),
“Sanction.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1984.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#178
(Feb.
1984),
“Hell
Hath
No
Fury...”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1984.
Print.






278


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#179
(Mar.
1984),
“What
Happened
to
Kitty?”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1984.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#180
(Apr.
1984),
“Whose
Life
Is
It,
Anyway?”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1984.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#181
(May
1984),
“Tokyo
Story.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1984.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#182
(Jun.
1984),
“Madness.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1984.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#183
(Jul.
1984),
“He’ll
Never
Make
Me
Cry.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1984.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#184
(Aug.
1984),
“The
Past…of
Future
Days.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1984.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#185
(Sep.
1984),
“Public
Enemy.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1984.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#186
(Oct.
1984),
“Lifedeath.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Barry

Windsor‐Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1984.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#187
(Nov.
1984),
“Wraithkill!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1984.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#188
(Dec.
1984),
“Legacy
of
the
Lost!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1984.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#189
(Jan.
1985),
“Two
Girls
Out
to
Have
Fun!”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1985.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#190
(Feb.
1985),
“An
Age
Undreamed
Of!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1985.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#191
(Mar.
1985),
“Raiders
of
the
Lost
Temple!”
Claremont,

Chris
(w)
and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1985.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#192
(Apr.
1985),
“Fun
‘n’
Games!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1985.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#193
(May
1985),
“Warhunt
2!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1985.
Print.







279


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#194
(Jun.
1985),
“‐‐Juggernaut’s
Back
in
Town!”
Claremont,

Chris
(w)
and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1985.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#195
(Jul.
1985),
“It
Was
a
Dark
and
Stormy
Night!”
Claremont,

Chris
(w)
and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1985.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#196
(Aug.
1985),
“What
Was
That?!!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1985.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#197
(Sep.
1985),
“To
Save
Arcade!?!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1985.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#198
(Oct.
1985),
“Lifedeath:
From
the
Heart
of
Darkness.”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Barry
Windsor‐Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1985.

Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#199
(Nov.
1985),
“The
Spiral
Path.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1985.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#200
(Dec.
1985),
“The
Trial
of
Magneto.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1985.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#201
(Jan.
1986),
“Duel.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Rick

Leonardi
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1986.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#201
(Jan.
1986),
“Duel.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Rick

Leonardi
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1986.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#202
(Feb.
1986),
“X‐Men…I’ve
Gone
to
Kill—the
Beyonder!”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1986.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#203
(Mar.
1986),
“Crossroads.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1986.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#204
(Apr.
1986),
“What
Happened
to
Nightcrawler?”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1986.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#205
(May
1986),
“Wounded
Wolf.”
Claremont,
Chris
and
Barry

Windsor‐Smith
(w)
and
Barry
Windsor‐Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1986.

Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#206
(Jun.
1986),
“Freedom
is
a
Four
Letter
Word.”
Claremont,

Chris
(w)
and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1986.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#207
(Jul.
1986),
“Ghosts.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1986.
Print.




280




The
Uncanny
X­Men
#208
(Aug.
1986),
“Retribution.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1986.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#209
(Sep.
1986),
“Salvation.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
and
P.
Craig
Russel
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1986.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#210
(Oct.
1986),
“The
Morning
After.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1986.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#211
(Nov.
1986),
“Massacre.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
and
Bret
Blevins
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1986.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#212
(Dec.
1986),
“The
Last
Run.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Rick

Leonardi
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1986.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#213
(Jan.
1987),
“Psylocke.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Alan

Davis
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1987.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#214
(Feb.
1987),
“With
Malice
Toward
All!.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Barry
Windsor‐Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1987.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#215
(Mar.
1987),
“Old
Soldiers.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Barry
Windsor‐Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1987.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#216
(Apr.
1987),
“Crucible.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Jackson

Guice
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1987.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#217
(May
1987),
“Folly’s
Gambit.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Jackson
Guice
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1987.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#218
(Jun.
1987),
“Charge
of
the
Light
Brigade.”
Claremont,

Chris
(w)
and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1987.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#219
(Jul.
1987),
“Where
Duty
Lies.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Bret
Blevins
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1987.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#220
(Aug.
1987),
“Unfinished
Business.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1987.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#221
(Sep.
1987),
“Death
by
Drowning.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1987.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#222
(Oct.
1987),
“Heartbreak!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Marc

Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1987.
Print.






281


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#223
(Nov.
1987),
“Omens
and
Portents”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Kerry
Gammill
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1987.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#224
(Dec.
1987),
“The
Dark
Before
the
Dawn”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1987.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#225
(Jan.
1988),
“False
Dawn!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Marc

Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1988.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#226
(Feb.
1988),
“Go
Tell
the
Spartans.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1988.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#227
(Mar.
1988),
“To
the
Belly
of
the
Beast.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1988.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#228
(Apr.
1988),
“Deadly
Games.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Rick
Leonardi
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1988.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#229
(May
1988),
“Down
Under.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1988.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#230
(Jun.
1988),
“Twas
the
Night...”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1988.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#231
(Jul.
1988),
“…Dressed
for
Dinner!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Rick
Leonardi
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1988.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#232
(Aug.
1988),
“Earthfall.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Marc

Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1988.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#233
(Early
Sep.
1988),
“Dawn
of
Blood.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1988.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#234
(Late
Sep.
1988),
“Glory
Day.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1988.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#235
(Early
Oct.
1988),
“Welcome
to
Genosha...a
Green
and

Pleasant
Land…”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Rick
Leonardi
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
1988.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#236
(Late
Oct.
1988),
“Busting
Loose.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1988.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#237
(Early
Nov.
1988),
“Who’s
Human?.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Rick
Leonardi
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1988.
Print.






282


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#238
(Late
Nov.
1988),
“Gonna
be
a
Revolution.”
Claremont,

Chris
(w)
and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1988.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#239
(Dec.
1988),
“Vanities.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Marc

Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1988.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#240
(Jan.
1989),
“Strike
the
Match.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#241
(Feb.
1989),
“Fan
the
Flames.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#242
(Mar.
1989),
“Burn!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Marc

Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#243
(Apr.
1989),
“Ashes!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Marc

Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#244
(May
1989),
“Ladies’
Night.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#245
(Jun.
1989),
“Men!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Marc

Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#246
(Jul.
1989),
“The
Day
of
Other
Nights!”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#247
(Aug.
1989),
“The
Light
That
Failed!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#248
(Sep.
1989),
“The
Cradle
Will
Fall!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Jim
Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#249
(Early
Oct.
1989),
“The
Dane
Curse.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#250
(Late
Oct.
1989),
“The
Shattered
Star.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#251
(Early
Nov.
1989),
“Fever
Dream.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#252
(Mid
Nov.
1989),
“Where’s
Wolverine?!”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Rick
Leonardi
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.







283


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#253
(Late
Nov.
1989),
“Storm
Warnings!.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#254
(Early
Dec.
1989),
“All‐New,
All‐Different—Here
We
Go

Again!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.

Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#255
(Mid
Dec.
1989),
“Crash
&
Burn.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#256
(Late
Dec.
1989),
“The
Key
That
Breaks
the
Lock.”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Jim
Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1989.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#257
(Jan.
1990),
“I
Am
Lady
Mandarin.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Jim
Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#258
(Feb.
1990),
“Broken
Chains.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Jim
Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#259
(Mar.
1990),
“Dream
a
Little
Dream.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Jim
Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#260
(Apr.
1990),
“Star
90.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Marc

Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#261
(May.
1990),
“Harrier’s
Hunt.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Marc
Silvestri
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#262
(Jun.
1990),
“Scary
Monsters.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Kieron
Dwyer
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#263
(Early
Jul.
1990),
“The
Lower
Depths.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Bill
Jaaska
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#264
(Late
Jul.
1990),
“Hot
Pursuit.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Mike
Collins
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#265
(Early
Aug.
1990),
“Storm.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Bill

Jaaska
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#266
(Late
Aug.
1990),
“Gambit:
Out
of
the
Frying
Pan.”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Mike
Collins
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#267
(Early
Sep.
1990),
“Nanny:
Into
the
Fire.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Jim
Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.






284


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#268
(Late
Sep.
1990),
“Madripoor
Knights.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Jim
Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#269
(Oct.
1990),
“Rogue
Redux.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Jim

Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#270
(Nov.
1990),
“The
X‐Tinction
Agenda.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Jim
Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#271
(Dec.
1990),
“Flashpoint!”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Jim

Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1990.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#272
(Jan.
1991),
“Capital
Crimes.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Jim

Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1991.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#273
(Feb.
1991),
“Too
Many
Mutants!
(or
Whose
House
Is
This,

Anyway?).”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Whilce
Portacio,
Klaus
Janson,
John

Byrne,
Rick
Leonardi,
Marc
Silvestri,
Michael
Golden,
Larry
Stroman,
and
Jim

Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1991.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#274
(Mar.
1991),
“Crossroads.”
Claremont,
Chris
and
Jim
Lee

(w)
and
Jim
Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1991.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#275
(Apr.
1991),
“The
Path
Not
Taken.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Jim
Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1991.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#276
(May
1991),
“Double
Death.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Jim

Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1991.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#277
(Jun.
1991),
“Free
Charly.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Jim

Lee
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1991.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#278
(Jul.
1991),
“The
Battle
of
Muir
Island.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Paul
Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1991.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#279
(Aug.
1991),
“Bad
to
the
Bone.”
Claremont,
Chris,
Fabian

Nicieza,
and
Jim
Lee
(w)
and
Andy
Kubert
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1991.

Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#280
(Sep.
1991),
“One
Step
Back—Two
Steps
Forward.”

Nicieza,
Fabian
(w)
and
Andy
Kubert
and
Steven
Butler
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
1991.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#281
(Oct.
1991),
“Fresh
Upstart.”
Lee,
Jim,
Whilce
Portacio,
and

John
Byrne
(w)
and
Whilce
Portacio
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1991.
Print.






285


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#282
(Nov.
1991),
“Payback.”
Portacio,
Whilce
and
John
Byrne

(w)
and
Whilce
Portacio
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1991.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#283
(Dec.
1991),
“Bishop’s
Crossing.”
Portacio,
Whilce
and

John
Byrne
(w)
and
Whilce
Portacio
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1991.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#284
(Jan.
1992),
“Into
the
Void.”
Portacio,
Whilce
and
John

Byrne
(w)
and
Whilce
Portacio
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1992.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#285
(Feb.
1992),
“Down
the
Rabbit
Hole.”
Portacio,
Whilce,
Jim

Lee,
and
John
Byrne
(w)
and
Whilce
Portacio
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1992.

Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#286
(Mar.
1992),
“Close
Call.”
Portacio,
Whilce,
Jim
Lee,
and

Scott
Lobdell
(w)
and
Whilce
Portacio
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1992.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#287
(Apr.
1992),
“Bishop
to
King’s
Five!”
Lee,
Jim
and
Scott

Lobdell
(w)
and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1992.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#288
(May
1992),
“Time
and
Place.”
Lee,
Jim,
Whilce
Portacio,

John
Byrne,
and
Scott
Lobdell
(w)
and
Andy
Kubert
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,

1992.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#289
(Jun.
1992),
“Knots.”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Whilce

Portacio
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1992.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#290
(Jul.
1992),
“Frayed.”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Whilce

Portacio
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1992.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#291
(Aug.
1992),
“Underbelly.”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Tom

Raney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1992.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#292
(Sep.
1992),
“…The
Morlocks
Take
Manhattan.”
Lobdell,

Scott
(w)
and
Tom
Raney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1992.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#293
(Oct.
1992),
“The
Last
Morlock
Story!”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)

and
Tom
Raney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1992.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#294
(Nov.
1992),
“Overture!”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Brandon

Peterson
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1992.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#295
(Dec.
1992),
“Familiar
Refrain!”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and

Brandon
Peterson
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1992.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#296
(Jan.
1993),
“Crescendo.”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Brandon

Peterson
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1993.
Print.




286




The
Uncanny
X­Men
#297
(Feb.
1993),
“Up
and
Around.”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and

Brandon
Peterson
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1993.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#298
(Mar.
1993),
“…For
the
Children!”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and

Brandon
Peterson
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1993.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#299
(Apr.
1993),
“Nightlines.”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Brandon

Peterson
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1993.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#300
(May
1993),
“Legacies.”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1993.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#301
(Jun.
1993),
“Dominion!”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1993.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#302
(Jul.
1993),
“Province.”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
John
Romita

Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1993.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#303
(Aug.
1993),
“Province.”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Richard

Bennet
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1993.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#304
(Sep.
1993),
“…For
What
I
Have
Done.”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)

and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1993.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#305
(Oct.
1993),
“The
Measure
of
the
Man.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)

and
Jan
Duuresema
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1993.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#306
(Nov.
1993),
“Mortal
Coils.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1993.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#307
(Dec.
1993),
“Night
and
Fog.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1993.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#308
(Jan.
1994),
“Mixed
Blessings.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
John

Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1994.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#309
(Feb.
1994),
“…When
the
Tigers
Come
at
Night.”

Lobdell,

Scott
(w)
and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1994.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#310
(Mar.
1994),
“…Show
Me
the
Way
to
Go
Home...”

Lobdell,

Scott
(w)
and
John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1994.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#311
(Apr.
1994),
“Putting
the
Cat
Out.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and

John
Romita
Jr.
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1994.
Print.






287


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#312
(May
1994),
“Romp.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Joe
Madureira

(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1994.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#313
(Jun.
1994),
“Hands
Across
the
Water.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)

and
Joe
Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1994.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#314
(Jul.
1994),
“Early
Frost.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Lee

Weeks

(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1994.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#315
(Aug.
1994),
“Peers.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Roger
Cruz


(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1994.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#316
(Sep.
1994),
“The
Phalanx
Covenant:
Generation
Next
Part

One‐‐Encounter.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Roger
Cruz

(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,

1994.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#317
(Oct.
1994),
“The
Phalanx
Covenant:
Book
Three
of

Generation
Next—Enter
Freely
and
of
Your
Own
Free
Will.”

Lobdell,
Scott

(w)
and
Roger
Cruz

(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1994.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#318
(Nov.
1994),
“Moving
Day.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Roger

Cruz

(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1994.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#319
(Dec.
1994),
“Untapped
Potential.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and

Steve
Epting

(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1994.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#320
(Jan.
1995),
“The
Son
Rises
in
the
East.”

Lobdell,
Scott
and

Mark
Waid
(w)
and
Roger
Cruz

(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1995.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#321
(Feb.
1995),
“Auld
Lang
Syne.”

Lobdell,
Scott
and
Mark

Waid
(w)
and
Roger
Cruz

(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1995.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#322
(Jul.
1995),
“Dark
Walk.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Tom

Grummet
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1995.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#323
(Aug.
1995),
“A
Nation
Rising.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and

Bryan
Hitch
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1995.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#324
(Sep.
1995),
“Deadly
Messengers.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and

Roger
Cruz
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1995.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#325
(Oct.
1995),
“Generation
of
Evil.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and

Joe
Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1995.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#326
(Nov.
1995),
“The
Nature
of
Evil.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and

Joe
Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1995.
Print.




288




The
Uncanny
X­Men
#327
(Dec.
1995),
“Whispers
on
the
Wind.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)

and
Roger
Cruz
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1995.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#328
(Jan.
1996),
“Precipice.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Joe

Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1996.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#328
(Jan.
1996),
“Precipice.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Joe

Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1996.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#329
(Feb.
1996),
“Warriors
of
the
Ebon
Night.”

Lobdell,
Scott

and
Jeph
Loeb
(w)
and
Joe
Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1996.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#330
(Mar.
1996),
“Warriors
of
the
Ebon
Night,
the
Conclusion:

Quest
for
the
CrimsonDawn.”

Lobdell,
Scott
and
Jeph
Loeb
(w)
and
Joe

Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1996.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#331
(Apr.
1996),
“The
Splinter
of
Our
Discontent.”

Lobdell,

Scott
(w)
and
Bryan
Hitch
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1996.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#332
(May
1996),
“The
Road
to
Casablanca.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)

and
Joe
Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1996.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#333
(Jun.
1996),
“The
Other
Shoe.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and

Pascual
Ferry
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1996.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#334
(Jul.
1996),
“Dark
Horizon.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Joe

Madureira(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1996.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#335
(Aug.
1996),
“—Apocalypse
Lives.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and

Joe
Madureira(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1996.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#336
(Sep.
1996),
“A
Voice
as
Deep
as
Thunder.”

Lobdell,
Scott

(w)
and
Joe
Madureira(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1996.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#337
(Oct.
1996),
“Know
Thy
Enemy.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and

Joe
Madureira(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1996.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#338
(Nov.
1996),
“A
Hope
Reborn,
a
Past
Reclaimed.”

Lobdell,

Scott
(w)
and
Joe
Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1996.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#339
(Dec.
1996),
“Fight
or
Flight.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Adam

Kubert
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1996.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#340
(Jan.
1997),
“Relativity.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Joe

Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1997.
Print.




289




The
Uncanny
X­Men
#341
(Feb.
1997),
“When
Strikes
a
Gladiator.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)

and
Joe
Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1997.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#342
(Mar.
1997),
“—Did
I
miss
Something?!”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)

and
Joe
Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1997.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#343
(Apr.
1997),
“Where
No
X‐Man
Has
Gone
Before!.”


Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Joe
Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1997.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#344
(May
1997),
“Casualties
of
War.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and

Melvin
Rubi
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1997.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#345
(Jun.
1997),
“Moving
On.”

Lobdell,
Scott

and
Ben
Raab(w)

and
Joe
Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1997.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#346
(Aug.
1997),
“The
Story
of
the
Year.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)

and
Joe
Madureira
and
Humberto
Ramos
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1997.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#347
(Sep.
1997),
“Big
Night.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Joe

Madureira
and
Humberto
Ramos
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1997.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#348
(Oct.
1997),
“Because,
I
Said
So.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and

Joe
Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1997.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#349
(Nov.
1997),
“The
Crawl.”

Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Chris

Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1997.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#350
(Dec.
1997),
“Trial
&
Errors.”

Seagle,
Steve
(w)
and
Joe

Madureira
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1997.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#351
(Jan.
1998),
“Hours
&
Minutes.”

Seagle,
Steve
(w)
and
Ed

Benes
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1998.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#352
(Feb.
1998),
“In
Sin
Air.”

Seagle,
Steve
(w)
and
Cully

Hamner,
Darryl
Banks,
Terry
Dodson,
and
John
Cassaday
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
1998.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#353
(Mar.
1998),
“Blackbirds.”

Seagle,
Steve
(w)
and
Chris

Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1998.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#354
(Apr.
1998),
“Prehistory.”

Seagle,
Steve
(w)
and
Chris

Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1998.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#355
(May
1998),
“North
&
South.”

Seagle,
Steve
(w)
and
Chris

Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1998.
Print.




290




The
Uncanny
X­Men
#356
(Jun.
1998),
“Reunion.”

Seagle,
Steve
(w)
and
Chris

Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1998.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#357
(Jul.
1998),
“The
Sky
is
Falling.”

Seagle,
Steve
(w)
and
Dan

Norton
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1998.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#358
(Aug.
1998),
“Lost
in
Space.”

Seagle,
Steve
and
Joseph

Harris
(w)
and
Chris
Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1998.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#359
(Sep.
1998),
“Power
Play.”

Seagle,
Steve
and
Joe
Kelly
(w)

and
Chris
Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1998.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#360
(Oct.
1998),
“Children
of
the
Atom.”

Seagle,
Steve
(w)
and

Chris
Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1998.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#361
(Nov.
1998),
“Thieves
in
the
Temple.”

Seagle,
Steve
(w)

and
Steve
Skroce
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1998.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#362
(Dec.
1998),
“The
Hunt
for
Xavier!
Part
One:
Meltdown.”


Seagle,
Steve
(w)
and
Chris
Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1998.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#363
(Early
Jan.
1999),
“The
Hunt
for
Xavier!
Part
Three:
When

You’re
Unwanted.”

Seagle,
Steve
(w)
and
Chris
Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
1999.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#364
(Feb.
1999),
“The
Hunt
for
Xavier!
Part
Five:
Escape
from

Alkatraz.”

Seagle,
Steve
and
Ralph
Macchio
(w)
and
Leinil
Francis
Yu
(a).
NY:

Marvel
Comics,
1999.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#365
(Feb.
1999),
“Ghost
of
X‐Mas
Past.”

Seagle,
Steve
(w)
and

Leinil
Francis
Yu
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1999.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#366
(Mar.
1999),
“The
Shot
Heard
Round
the
World.”

Davis,

Alan
and
Fabian
Nicieza
(w)
and
Leinil
Francis
Yu
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,

1999.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#367
(Apr.
1999),
“Disturbing
Behavior.”

Davis,
Alan
and

Fabian
Nicieza
(w)
and
Leinil
Francis
Yu
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1999.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#368
(May
1999),
“Mansions
in
Heaven.”

Davis,
Alan
and
Joe

Casey
(w)
and
Adam
Kubert
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1999.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#369
(Jun.
1999),
“Collision
Course.”

Davis,
Alan
and
Terry

Kavanagh
(w)
and
Adam
Kubert
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1999.
Print.






291


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#370
(Jul.
1999),
“History
Repeats.”

Davis,
Alan
and
Terry

Kavanagh
(w)
and
Adam
Kubert
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
1999.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#371
(Aug.
1999),
“Rage
Against
the
Machine,
Part
One:
Crossed

Wires.”

Davis,
Alan
and
Terry
Kavanagh
(w)
and
Jim
Cheung
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
1999.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#372
(Sep.
1999),
“Dream’s
End,
Chapter
One:
Rude

Awakenings.”

Davis,
Alan
and
Terry
Kavanagh
(w)
and
Adam
Kubert
(a).
NY:

Marvel
Comics,
1999.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#373
(Oct.
1999),
“Beauty
&
the
Beast,
Part
One:
Broken

Mirrors.”

Davis,
Alan
and
Terry
Kavanagh
(w)
and
Adam
Kubert
(a).
NY:

Marvel
Comics,
1999.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#374
(Nov.
1999),
“Beauty
&
the
Beast,
Part
Two:
You
Can’t
Go

Home
Again.”

Davis,
Alan
and
Jay
Faerber
(w)
and
Tom
Raney
(a).
NY:

Marvel
Comics,
1999.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#374
(Nov.
1999),
“Beauty
&
the
Beast,
Part
Two:
You
Can’t
Go

Home
Again.”

Davis,
Alan
and
Jay
Faerber
(w)
and
Tom
Raney
(a).
NY:

Marvel
Comics,
1999.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#375
(Dec.
1999),
“I
Am
Not
Now,
Nor
Have
I
Ever
Been…”


Davis,
Alan
and
Terry
Kavanagh
(w)
and
Adam
Kubert
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
1999.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#376
(Jan.
2000),
“Filling
the
Blanks.”

Davis,
Alan
and
Terry

Kavanagh
(w)
and
Roger
Cruz
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2000.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#377
(Feb.
2000),
“The
End
of
the
World
As
We
Know
It.”

Davis,

Alan
and
Terry
Kavanagh
(w)
and
Roger
Cruz
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2000.

Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#378
(Mar.
2000),
“First
&
Last,
Part
1.”

Davis,
Alan
and
Terry

Kavanagh
(w)
and
Adam
Kubert
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2000.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#379
(Apr.
2000),
“What
Dreams
May
Come....”

Davis,
Alan
(w)

and
Tom
Raney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2000.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#380
(May
2000),
“Heaven’s
Shadow.”

Davis,
Alan
and
Terry

Kavanagh(w)
and
Tom
Raney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2000.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#381
(Jun.
2000),
“Night
of
Masques.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Adam
Kubert
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2000.
Print.






292


The
Uncanny
X­Men
#382
(Jul.
2000),
“Lost
Souls.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Tom

Raney(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2000.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#383
(Aug.
2000),
“Moscow
Knights.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Adam
Kubert
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2000.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#384
(Sep.
2000),
“Crimson
Pirates.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Adam
Kubert
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2000.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#385
(Oct.
2000),
“Shell
Game.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

German
Garcia,
Michael
Ryan,
and
Randy
Green
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2000.

Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#385
(Oct.
2000),
“Shell
Game.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

German
Garcia,
Michael
Ryan,
and
Randy
Green
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2000.

Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#386
(Nov.
2000),
“For
Those
In
Peril.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Tom
Derenick
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2000.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#387
(Dec.
2000),
“Cry
Justice,
Cry
Vengeance.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Salvador
Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2000.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#388
(Jan.
2001),
“Dream’s
End,
Part
1
of
IV:
The
Past
Is
But

Prologue.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Salvador
Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,

2001.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#389
(Feb.
2001),
“The
Good
Shepherd.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Salvador
Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2001.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#390
(Mar.
2001),
“The
Cure.”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Salvador

Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2001.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#391
(Apr.
2001),
“Dad.”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Salvador

Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2001.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#392
(May
2001),
“Eve
of
Destruction,
Part
One:
From
the
Ashes

of
the
Past…Still
Another
Genesis.”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Salvador
Larroca

(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2001.
Print.



The
Uncanny
X­Men
#393
(Jun.
2001),
“Eve
of
Destruction,
Part
Three:
Like
Lambs
to

the
Slaughter.”
Lobdell,
Scott
(w)
and
Tom
Raney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,

2001.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#394
(Jul.
2001),
“Playing
God.”
Casey,
Joe
(w)
and
Ian
Churchill
(a).

NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2001.
Print.




293




Uncanny
X­Men
#395
(Aug.
2001),
“Poptopia,
Part
One:
Useless
Beauty.”
Casey,
Joe

(w)
and
Ian
Churchill
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2001.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#396
(Sep.
2001),
“Poptopia,
Part
Two:
The
Glamorous
Life.”
Casey,

Joe
(w)
and
Ian
Churchill
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2001.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#397
(Oct.
2001),
“Poptopia,
Part
Three:
A
Complete
Unknown.”

Casey,
Joe
(w)
and
Sean
Phillips
and
Mel
Rubi
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2001.

Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#398
(Nov.
2001),
“Poptopia,
4
of
4:
The
Clash.”
Casey,
Joe
(w)
and

Sean
Phillips
and
Ashley
Wood
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2001.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#399
(Dec.
2001),
“For
Unlawful
Carnal
Knowledge.”
Casey,
Joe
(w)

and
Tom
Raney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2001.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#400
(Jan.
2002),
“Supreme
Confessions.”
Casey,
Joe
(w)
and
Ashley

Wood,
Cully
Hamner,
Eddie
Campbell,
Javier
Pulido,
Sean
Phillips,
and
Matt

Smith
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#401
(Feb.
2002),
“Golden:
A
Silent
Adventure.”
Casey,
Joe
(w)
and

Ron
Garney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#402
(Mar.
2002),
“Utility
of
Myth.”
Casey,
Joe
(w)
and
Ron
Garney

(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#403
(Apr.
2002),
“Lurking.”
Casey,
Joe
(w)
and
Ron
Garney
(a).
NY:

Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#404
(May
2002),
“Army
Ants.”
Casey,
Joe
(w)
and
Sean
Phillips
(a).

NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#405
(Jun.
2002),
“Ballroom
Blietzkrieg.”
Casey,
Joe
(w)
and
Sean

Phillips
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#406
(Jul.
2002),
“Staring
Contests
Are
For
Suckers.”
Casey,
Joe
(w)

and
Sean
Phillips
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#407
(Aug.
2002),
“Glaubiger,
Heiler,
Gefallener.”
Casey,
Joe
(w)
and

Sean
Phillips
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#408
(Sep.
2002),
“Identity
Crisis.”
Casey,
Joe
(w)
and
Sean
Phillips

(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.







294


Uncanny
X­Men
#409
(Sep.
2002),
“Rocktopia,
Part
8
of
5.”
Casey,
Joe
(w)
and
Sean

Phillips
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#410
(Oct.
2002),
“Hope.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and
Ron
Garney
(a).

NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#411
(Oct.
2002),
“Hope,
Part
2
of
3.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and
Ron

Garney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#412
(Nov.
2002),
“Hope,
Conclusion.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and
Ron

Garney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#413
(Nov.
2002),
“Annie’s
Moving
Story.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and

Sean
Phillips
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#414
(Dec.
2002),
“Fall
Down
Go
Boom.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and

Sean
Phillips
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2002.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#415
(Jan.
2003),
“Secrets.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and
Sean
Phillips
(a).

NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#416
(Feb.
2003),
“Living
in
a
Mansion.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and
Kia

Asamiya
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#417
(Mar.
2003),
“Dominant
Species,
Part
One.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)

and
Kia
Asamiya
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#418
(Mar.
2003),
“Dominant
Species,
Part
II.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)

and
Kia
Asamiya
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#419
(Apr.
2003),
“Dominant
Species,
Part
III.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)

and
Kia
Asamiya
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#420
(May
2003),
“Dominant
Species:
Conclusion.”
Austen,
Chuck

(w)
and
Kia
Asamiya
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#421
(Jun.
2003),
“Rules
of
Engagement,
Part
1
of
2.”
Austen,
Chuck

(w)
and
Ron
Garney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#422
(Jun.
2003),
“Rules
of
Engagement,
Part
2
of
2.”
Austen,
Chuck

(w)
and
Ron
Garney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#423
(Jul.
2003),
“Holy
War,
Part
1
of
2.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and
Ron

Garney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.







295


Uncanny
X­Men
#424
(Jul.
2003),
“Holy
War,
Part
2
of
2.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and
Ron

Garney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#425
(Aug.
2003),
“Sacred
Vows,
Part
1
of
2.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and

Phillip
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#426
(Aug.
2003),
“Sacred
Vows,
Part
II
of
II.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and

Phillip
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#427
(Sep.
2003),
“The
Dead
Have
No
Rights.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)

and
Steve
Kim
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#428
(Oct.
2003),
“How
Did
I
Get
Here?
–
A
Prelude
to
the
Draco.”

Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and
Sean
Phillips
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#429
(Oct.
2003),
“The
Draco,
Part
1
of
6:
Sins
of
the
Father.”
Austen,

Chuck
(w)
and
Phillip
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#430
(Oct.
2003),
“The
Draco,
Part
II
of
VI.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and

Phillip
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#431
(Nov.
2003),
“The
Draco,
Part
III
of
VI.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and

Phillip
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#432
(Dec.
2003),
“The
Draco,
Part
IV
of
VI.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and

Phillip
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2003.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#433
(Jan.
2004),
“The
Draco,
Part
V
of
VI.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and

Phillip
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#434
(Jan.
2004),
“The
Draco,
Conclusion.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and

Takeshi
Miyazawa
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#435
(Feb.
2004),
“Trial
of
the
Juggernaut,
1
of
2.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)

and
Ron
Garney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#436
(Feb.
2004),
“Trial
of
the
Juggernaut,
Conclusion.”
Austen,

Chuck
(w)
and
Ron
Garney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#437
(Feb.
2004),
“She
Lies
With
Angels,
Part
1
of
5.”
Austen,
Chuck

(w)
and
Salvador
Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#438
(Mar.
2004),
“She
Lies
With
Angels,
Part
2
of
5.”
Austen,
Chuck

(w)
and
Salvador
Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.







296


Uncanny
X­Men
#439
(Apr.
2004),
“She
Lies
With
Angels,
Part
3
of
5.”
Austen,
Chuck

(w)
and
Salvador
Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#440
(Apr.
2004),
“She
Lies
With
Angels,
Part
4
of
5.”
Austen,
Chuck

(w)
and
Salvador
Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#441
(May
2004),
“She
Lies
With
Angels,
Conclusion.”
Austen,
Chuck

(w)
and
Salvador
Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#442
(Jun.
2004),
“Of
Darkest
Nights,
1
of
2.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and

Salvador
Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#443
(Jun.
2004),
“Of
Darkest
Nights,
2
of
2.”
Austen,
Chuck
(w)
and

Salvador
Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#444
(Jul.
2004),
“The
End
of
History,
1
of
4.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Alan
Davis
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#445
(Aug.
2004),
“Death
and
the
Maiden:
The
End
of
History,
2
of

4.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Alan
Davis
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#446
(Sep.
2004),
“Burning
Sage!
‐
The
End
of
History,
3
of
4.”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Alan
Davis
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#447
(Oct.
2004),
“Hell
Hath
No
Fury!
‐
The
End
of
History,

Conclusion.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Alan
Davis
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,

2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#448
(Nov.
2004),
“Guess
Who’s
Back
in
Town?.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Oliver
Coipel
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#449
(Nov.
2004),
“To
Slay
a
Queen.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Oliver
Coipel
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#450
(Dec.
2004),
“The
Cruelest
Cut,
Part
1
of
2.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Alan
Davis
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#451
(Dec.
2004),
“Impediments.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Alan

Davis
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2004.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#452
(Jan.
2005),
“Chasing
Hellfire!
Part
1
of
3.”
Claremont,
Chris

(w)
and
Andy
Park
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2005.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#453
(Feb.
2005),
“Cardinal
Betrayed:
Chasing
Hellfire!
Part
2
of
3.”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Andy
Park
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2005.
Print.






297


Uncanny
X­Men
#454
(Mar.
2005),
“Cardinal
Law:
Chasing
Hellfire!
Part
3
of
3.”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Andy
Park
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2005.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#455
(Apr.
2005),
“Not
Dead
Yet?!
–
World’s
End,
Part
1
of
5.”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Alan
Davis
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2005.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#456
(Apr.
2005),
“On
Ice!
–
World’s
End,
Part
1
of
5.”
Claremont,

Chris
(w)
and
Alan
Davis
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2005.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#457
(May
2005),
“World’s
End,
Part
3
of
5:
Cutting
Edge!”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Alan
Davis
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2005.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#458
(Jun.
2005),
“World’s
End,
Part
4
of
5:
The
Enemy
of
My

Enemy.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Alan
Davis
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2005.

Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#459
(Jul.
2005),
“World’s
End,
Conclusion:
Bad
Company.”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Alan
Davis
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2005.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#460
(Aug.
2005),
“Resurrections
&
Reunions.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Tom
Raney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2005.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#461
(Aug.
2005),
“Mojo
Rising.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Tom

Raney
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2005.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#462
(Sep.
2005),
“Season
of
the
Witch.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and

Alan
Davis
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2005.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#463
(Oct.
2005),
“We’re
Not
in
Kansas
Anymore!
–
Season
of
the

Witch,
Part
2
of
4.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Alan
Davis
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
2005.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#464
(Nov.
2005),
“Season
of
the
Witch,
Part
3
of
4:
To
Die
For.”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Chris
Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2005.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#465
(Dec.
2005),
“Season
of
the
Witch,
Part
4
of
4:
Chaos
Rules.”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Chris
Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2005.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#466
(Jan.
2006),
“Last
Night
I
Had
the
Strangest
Dream.”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Chris
Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2006.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#467
(Feb.
2006),
“…24
Seconds.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Chris

Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2006.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#468
(Mar.
2006),
Deathmark:
Grey’s
End,
Part
3
of
3.”
Claremont,

Chris
(w)
and
Chris
Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2006.
Print.




298




Uncanny
X­Men
#468
(Mar.
2006),
“Deathmark:
Grey’s
End,
Part
3
of
3.”
Claremont,

Chris
(w)
and
Chris
Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2006.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#469
(Apr.
2006),
“Wand’ring
Star,
Part
1
of
3.”
Claremont,
Chris
(w)

and
Chris
Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2006.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#470
(Apr.
2006),
“Gal
on
the
Run!
‐
Wand’ring
Star,
Part
2
of
3.”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2006.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#471
(May
2006),
“Glory
Days!
‐
Wand’ring
Star,
Part
3
of
3.”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2006.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#472
(Jun.
2006),
“Pulling
Strings:
The
First
Foursaken,
Part
1
of
3.”

Claremont,
Chris
and
Tony
Bedard
(w)
and
Chris
Bachalo
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
2006.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#473
(Jul.
2006),
“Family
Lies:
The
First
Foursaken,
Part
2
of
3.”

Claremont,
Chris
and
Tony
Bedard
(w)
and
Roger
Cruz
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
2006.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#474
(Aug.
2006),
“Loose
Ends:
The
First
Foursaken,
Part
3
of
3.”

Bedard,
Tony
(w)
and
Roger
Cruz
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2006.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#475
(Aug.
2006),
“The
Rise
and
Fall
of
the
Shi’ar
Empire,
Chapter

One:
Plan
B.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2006.

Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#476
(Sep.
2006),
“The
Rise
and
Fall
of
the
Shi’ar
Empire,
Chapter

Two:
The
Things
They
Left
Behind.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:

Marvel
Comics,
2006.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#477
(Oct.
2006),
“The
Rise
and
Fall
of
the
Shi’ar
Empire,
Chapter

Three:
Vulcan’s
Progress.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
2006.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#478
(Nov.
2006),
“The
Rise
and
Fall
of
the
Shi’ar
Empire,
Chapter

Four:
Castaways.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,

2006.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#479
(Dec.
2006),
“The
Rise
and
Fall
of
the
Shi’ar
Empire,
Chapter

Five:
Double‐Edged.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,

2006.
Print.







299


Uncanny
X­Men
#480
(Jan.
2007),
“The
Rise
and
Fall
of
the
Shi’ar
Empire,
Chapter

Six:
Vulcan’s
Progress.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Clayton
Henry
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
2007.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#481
(Feb.
2007),
“The
Rise
and
Fall
of
the
Shi’ar
Empire,
Chapter

Seven:
Crossing
the
Rubicon.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
2007.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#482
(Mar.
2007),
“The
Rise
and
Fall
of
the
Shi’ar
Empire,
Chapter

Eight:
Imperial
Rescue.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
2007.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#483
(Apr.
2007),
“The
Rise
and
Fall
of
the
Shi’ar
Empire,
Chapter

Nine:
Vulcan
Descent.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Clayton
Henry
(a).
NY:
Marvel

Comics,
2007.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#484
(May
2007),
“The
Rise
and
Fall
of
the
Shi’ar
Empire,
Chapter

Ten:
In
Exile.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2007.

Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#485
(Jun.
2007),
“The
Rise
and
Fall
of
the
Shi’ar
Empire,
Chapter

Eleven:
The
End
of
All
That
Is.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:

Marvel
Comics,
2007.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#486
(Jul.
2007),
“The
Rise
and
Fall
of
the
Shi’ar
Empire,
Chapter

Twelve:
Endings
and
Beginnings.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:

Marvel
Comics,
2007.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#487
(Aug.
2007),
“The
Extremists,
One
of
Five.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)

and
Salvador
Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2007.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#488
(Sep.
2007),
“Untitled.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Salvador
Larroca

(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2007.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#489
(Oct.
2007),
“The
Extremists,
Part
Three.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)

and
Salvador
Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2007.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#490
(Nov.
2007),
“Untitled.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Salvador

Larroca
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2007.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#491
(Dec.
2007),
“Untitled.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and
Salvador
Larroca

(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2007.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#492
(Jan.
2008),
“Messiah
CompleX,
Chapter
Two.”
Brubaker,
Ed

(w)
and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2008.
Print.






300


Uncanny
X­Men
#493
(Feb.
2008),
“Messiah
CompleX,
Chapter
Six.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)

and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2008.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#494
(Mar.
2008),
“Messiah
CompleX,
Chapter
Ten.”
Brubaker,
Ed

(w)
and
Billy
Tan
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2008.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#495
(Apr.
2008),
“X‐Men:
Divided,
Part
One.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and

Mike
Choi
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2008.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#496
(May
2008),
“X‐Men:
Divided,
Part
Two.”
Brubaker,
Ed
(w)
and

Mike
Choi
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2008.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#497
(Jun.
2008),
“X‐Men:
Divided,
Part
Three
of
Five.”
Brubaker,
Ed

(w)
and
Mike
Choi
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2008.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#498
(Jul.
2008),
“X‐Men:
Divided,
Part
Four
of
Five.”
Brubaker,
Ed

(w)
and
Mike
Choi
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2008.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#499
(Aug.
2008),
“X‐Men:
Divided,
Part
Five
of
Five.”
Brubaker,
Ed

(w)
and
Mike
Choi
and
Ben
Oliver(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2008.
Print.



Uncanny
X­Men
#500
(Sep.
2008),
“SFX
Part
One.”
Brubaker,
Ed
and
Matt
Fraction

(w)
and
Greg
Land
and
Terry
Dodson
(a).
NY:
Marvel
Comics,
2008.
Print.


















































301


Appendix
B:
Other
Cited
Comic
Books



Fantastic
Four
#52
(Jul.
1966),
“The
Black
Panther.”

Lee,
Stan
(w)
and
Jack
Kirby

(a).
Marvel
Digital
Comics
Unlimited.
NY:
Marvel
Comics.
Online.



House
of
M
#1.
Bendis,
Brian
Michael
(w)
and
Olivier
Coipel
(a).
House
of
M.
Ed.

Jennifer
Grunwald.
NY:
Marvel
Comics:
2006.
Print.




House
of
M
#2.
Bendis,
Brian
Michael
(w)
and
Olivier
Coipel
(a).
House
of
M.
Ed.

Jennifer
Grunwald.
NY:
Marvel
Comics:
2006.
Print.




House
of
M
#3.
Bendis,
Brian
Michael
(w)
and
Olivier
Coipel
(a).
House
of
M.
Ed.

Jennifer
Grunwald.
NY:
Marvel
Comics:
2006.
Print.




House
of
M
#4.
Bendis,
Brian
Michael
(w)
and
Olivier
Coipel
(a).
House
of
M.
Ed.

Jennifer
Grunwald.
NY:
Marvel
Comics:
2006.
Print.




House
of
M
#5.
Bendis,
Brian
Michael
(w)
and
Olivier
Coipel
(a).
House
of
M.
Ed.

Jennifer
Grunwald.
NY:
Marvel
Comics:
2006.
Print.




House
of
M
#6.
Bendis,
Brian
Michael
(w)
and
Olivier
Coipel
(a).
House
of
M.
Ed.

Jennifer
Grunwald.
NY:
Marvel
Comics:
2006.
Print.




House
of
M
#7.
Bendis,
Brian
Michael
(w)
and
Olivier
Coipel
(a).
House
of
M.
Ed.

Jennifer
Grunwald.
NY:
Marvel
Comics:
2006.
Print.




House
of
M
#8.
Bendis,
Brian
Michael
(w)
and
Olivier
Coipel
(a).
House
of
M.
Ed.

Jennifer
Grunwald.
NY:
Marvel
Comics:
2006.
Print.




X­Men
#1
(Oct.
1991),
“Mutant
Genesis.”

Claremont,
Chris
(w)
and
Jim
Lee
(a).
NY:

Marvel
Comics.
Print.


































302
















































Works
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