X-Men #20

I, Lucifer

Featuring: X-Men
Release: March 3, 1966
Cover: May 1966
12 cents
Expertly edited by: Stan Lee
Skillfully scripted by: Roy Thomas
Perfectly penciled by: Jay Gavin
Ideally inked by: Dick Ayers
Laxly lettered by: Artie Simek
20 pages

Previous#525Next
Sgt. Fury #30Reading orderX-Men #21
X-Men #19X-MenX-Men #21

As usual, a mob seldom makes the right decision!

With this issue, Roy Thomas takes over as regular writer on The X-Men, a position he will hold for the next two years. Some sources suggest Stan gave a writing assist on this and the next issue, but Stan is only credited as Editor. (Of course, even as editor, Stan’s credit goes first.)

It begins with fake X-Men, villains seeking to ruin their reputation.

As Mark had previously noted in comments, you can spot the villains by the smoking of cigarettes.

Heroes smoke pipes.

Continue reading “X-Men #20”

X-Men #8

Unus, the Untouchable

Featuring: X-Men
Release: September 1, 1964
Cover: November 1964
12 cents
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Inker: Chic Stone
Letter: S. Rosen
20 pages

Previous#270Next
Fantastic Four #32Reading orderSgt. Fury #12
X-Men #7X-MenX-Men #9

The X-Men are no longer students, but the status quo hasn’t changed much. They now train for missions; their training sessions look very similar to the classes they used to take. Professor X is still away and Cyclops is in charge; so he is running the training session. Hence, he is in a suit rather than a uniform. So you know he’s in charge.

Iceman practices making his body icier. As he does, some of the smoothness fades, allowing defined corners within his now icy body. These are the first hints of a new look forming. Iceman’s visual evolution is similar to Thing’s, going from a softer ill-defined look to lots of defining lines and corners.

It’s weird that Iceman is described as transparent and compared to the Invisible Girl. I usually think of the ice as a layer around him; they seem to be suggesting his insides are turning to ice as well, though the art indicates nothing of the kind.

Continue reading “X-Men #8”