Featuring: X-Men
Release: July 1, 1965
Cover: September 1965
12 cents
Story by smilin’ Stan Lee
Layouts by jolly Jack Kirby
Penciling by Jay Gavin
Inking by Joe Sinnott
Lettering by Swingin’ Sam Rosen
20 pages
| Previous | #331 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| X-Men #12 | Reading order | Fantastic Four #38 |
| X-Men #12 | X-Men | X-Men #14 |
We are jumping a bit ahead with X-Men, as issues 11-13 all take place the same day, but the comic is bi-monthly. In general, we are still in March 1965, which is when X-Men #11 was released.
Last issue sort of introduced the Juggernaut. We mostly saw him in shadow and marveled at how easily he broke through the X-Men’s defenses. He was revealed in the last panel. Most of the issue had been about Xavier’s youth. Now, we meet Juggernaut properly.
We also had the legendary Alex Toth on art, as Kirby is moving off X-Men. Kirby has often been the go-to guy for getting series started, but then usually soon handed off the reins. Fantastic Four is the only series he’s really stuck with so far. Though he’ll do a decent stretch on Captain America, and his recent return to Thor is for the long haul.
Let’s look at the credits. Jay Gavin is a new name, and not even a real one. Jay and Gavin are the names of the sons of Werner Roth, our new artist. Werner Roth is not quite the legend that Alex Toth is. He is probably most notable for this stint on X-Men, where he is unfortunately stuck being “the guy that followed Kirby”. He got started in comics later than many peers, already 30 or so before working regularly. He’s already 44 at this point as he takes the reins on X-Men. He died tragically young at the age of 52, never quite having set the world of comics on fire.
Here’s a sampling of prior work.
- Venus #9, Marvel, 1950
- Kid Colt Outlaw #11, Marvel, 1950
- Yellow Claw #1, Marvel, 1956
- Falling in Love #38, DC, 1960
The other name we have seen, but not in a while. Joe Sinnott lent his finishes to Kirby’s pencils for some key stories early in our reading, including the introductions of Dr. Doom and Thor. He was briefly the primary artist on Thor, work he unfortunately just phoned in, by his own admission. He is about to set the world of comics on fire in the August issue of Fantastic Four, one month after this X-Men story, but still a bit away in our reading. We’ve got several Fantastic Four stories to read before we get there.
This story is where we really meet the Juggernaut. The best X-Men villain since Magneto, a fan favorite to this day. He’s just got a cool tagline, which we almost heard last issue, give or take an article. Nothing can stop the Juggernaut!
However, apparently a sufficiently large cave-in can really slow him down. He had been trapped under rubble during the Korean War, and it took him until now, about a decade later to dig himself out. I guess he doesn’t need to eat?
We see some connections to the larger universe, as Professor X must release pent up mental energy (just as we all sometimes must). The waves are detected by the Teen Bridge and Matt Murdock.
The story becomes of those I always like, where the heroes are outmatched, but stand firm against the odds.
Professor X contacts Human Torch for help. This clarifies some chronology for us. Johnny explicitly notes the wedding is coming soon. In fact, the wedding issue was published the very same day as this comic. Stan notes that, but gets the issue wrong. The wedding is in FF Annual 3, not 4 as Stan claims. But we jumped ahead 4 months to read this comic. We’re not ready for the wedding yet.
Johnny doesn’t have a lot of time before the wedding to be idly working on a car. These are hectic times for the FF. Probably the intention is that this is right before the wedding, after Fantastic Four #43. BUT. This all takes place the same day as X-Men #11, and there must be a decent gap of time between that issue and the wedding because of the stories of Wanda and Pietro. We are thus placing this before Fantastic Four #38, published in February, as that was a calm moment in Johnny’s life.
How do you beat an unbeatable foe? Well, get his helmet off, and he apparently loses his mystical protection against a mental attack.
The issue ends with the X-Men injured, which will bind this story to the next one. The idea will be they convalesce for a while, then heal enough to attend a wedding, then face next issue’s threat.
Human Torch helps defeat the Juggernaut, then Xavier erases his memories. Cold, Chuck. You’d be off the guest list if Johnny could remember you doing that!
Rating: ★★★½, 68/100
Significance: ★★★★☆
Despite the loss of Kirby, this is the second highest score I have given any X-Men comic. Fitting, as it introduces the second best X-Men villain so far.
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men vol. 2. You can also find this story in X-Men Epic Collection vol. 1: Children of the Atom. Or on Kindle.
Characters
- Professor X
- Juggernaut/Cain Marko
- Iceman/Bobby Drake
- Beast/Hank McCoy
- Angel/Warren Worthington III
- Cyclops/Scott Summers
- Marvel Girl/Jean Grey
- Daredevil/Matt Murdock
- Johnny Storm/Human Torch
Minor characters:
- Charlie (Human Torch auto enthusiast friend)
Story notes:
- Juggernaut charged with energy; exudes force even when standing still.
- Crimson Bands of Cyttorak give Juggernaut power, including psionic helmet which can protect him from any mental attack.
- Jean still uses the word “teleport” to refer to moving objects with her mind.
- Plan involves Xavier’s new mento-helmet.
- Wedding inaccurately described as in FF annual 4.
- Beast loosens helmet; Angel removes it; Xavier wins with brain, as Juggernaut is vulnerable to a mental attack without his helmet.
- 4 male X-Men injured; school in shambles; same status when we pick up next issue.
| Previous | #331 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| X-Men #12 | Reading order | Fantastic Four #38 |
| X-Men #12 | X-Men | X-Men #14 |
The next issue begins my favorite of the entire run – and the theme of the X-Men is finally brought to the front of the stage. It would be all but ignored for so long, but every over-complicated serial of later years – every movie – every move towards its domination of Marvel – begins with issue #14. The Sentinels don’t return for years, but their next two appearances may be even better – but the parable of prejudice is at its most shocking, when it was so unexpected in a comic book.
And it seems to have required a Juggernaut to open the door.
Part of my inspiration for all this is Busiek noting in Marvels #2 that the Sentinels launch and the Fantastic Four wedding had to be basically concurrent. Quite the contrast in how the world viewed the different types of superheroes based on arbitrary distinctions.