X-Men #1 (1964)

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The very first page and Iceman is pole dancing.

The first seven pages of issue #1 has the boys training, and the reader gets a great sense of their power sets.

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Eye blasts!

Making things cold and becoming a snowman!

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Flying!

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Being good looking!

Sigh. Stan Lee never did know how to write for females.

Agility! And basket ball!

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Incidentally, sports will be a big part of the X-Men comic. Chris Claremont loved to show the heroes playing.

We also see Professor X in his typical top-down leadership style.

It’s also suggested that his telepathy is not simply broadcasting thought–the team had to learn to “read” Professor X’s mental commands.

We also get a glimpse of how X is kind of creepily attracted to young Jean Grey.  All the teen boys are, too, of course.

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The very first issue also introduces Magneto.

Even from the beginning he’s a pompous ass who is high on power. 

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No real depth to him yet. He’s just a bastard.

And look: Professor X got them together so they could be his footservants.

So, issue #1 is full of promise: Interesting characters, a great villain, and a premise that teen readers of the day could certainly relate to: Being in school.  No indication yet of how the book would morph into an allegory about civil rights, but we’ve got time.

2 thoughts on “X-Men #1 (1964)”

  1. The days when The Beast spoke like just another Ben Grimm, before he swallowed his Thesaurus! I guess Bobby being cold when all the others were drooling over Jean was the wiggle room/rationale for him to be portrayed as gay years later! When was the last time anyone called Scott, Slim?!

    Reply
    • Wolverine did it all the time. Don’t know if he still does–I haven’t read a “new” comic in a while. Spend too much time going over these old one.

      Reply

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