Featuring: X-Men
Release: May 5, 1964
Cover: July 1964
12 cents
Written: With the flair of Stan Lee
Drawn: With the air of Jack Kirby
Inked: With the care of Chic Stone
Lettered: On a dare by S. Rosen
22 pages
Once again, we see that Namor and Hulk are the binding that holds this nascent Marvel Universe together. Most of the heroes haven’t met each other, but they’ve almost all met Hulk or Namor. (Daredevil hasn’t met either yet, but we’ve only read two issues; he’ll meet Namor soon.)
My confusion about what to call Magneto’s group remains. It’s becoming clearer that “Evil Mutants” is how Xavier and the narrator refer to them. It’s less clear what they would call themselves. They were called the “Brotherhood of Evil Mutants” on the cover, and in the title, of their first appearance; however, that name has never shown up in-story.
Professor X wonders if Sub-Mariner is a mutant; decides he must find him before Magneto. Magneto has the same idea at exactly the same time.
Dr. Strange frequently sends out an astral image of himself. He can still be safe at home, but his astral projection can interact with people around the world. Iron Man is able to replicate a similar feat with technology, projecting an image of himself able to see, hear, and speak around the globe. Xavier and Magneto can do the same. Because they’re powerful mutants.
Xavier had thought it essential that he beat Magneto to Namor, but when he sees Magneto is getting close, he just gives up.
Namor says it has never occurred to him that he might be a mutant. This is false. He has self-described as a mutant twice before, in Fantastic Four Annual 1 and Avengers #4.
Wanda’s powers will eventually cause writers and fans lots of confusion, but so far they seem pretty straightforward. She points and bad things happen. Often, she points accidentally, as with now when she accidentally electrocutes Namor. Note Namor is unphased by what would be a lethal dose for a human.
Namor refuses to ally with Magneto over how he speaks to a female. Definitely Magneto’s greatest crime.
“The Sub-Mariner is no murderer!” claims Professor X. Tell that to the residents of a flooded Manhattan.
Namor is tempted by feelings for Scarlet Witch, but pushes them away. He seems to fall in love with every super-powered surface woman he meets. At the beginning of the issue, he was still raging over Invisible Girl’s rejection from Fantastic Four #27. He now seems to have moved on… starting the next time he saw another woman.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 52/100
Significance: ★★★★☆
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men vol. 1. You can also find this story in X-Men Epic Collection vol. 1: Children of the Atom. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Cyclops
- Angel
- Marvel Girl/Jean Grey
- Cyclops/Scott Summers
- Professor X
- Beast
- Iceman
- Magneto
- Toad
- Mastermind
- Scarlet Witch/Wanda
- Quicksilver
- Prince Namor/Sub-Mariner
Story notes:
- Full title may be: “Sub-Mariner! Joins the Evil Mutants”.
- The cover lists Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver separately from the Evil Mutants.
- The X-Men have a cook, who has the day off.
- Magneto finds a Sub-Mariner who desires Namor’s throne.
- Namor plans to claim the surface world for Atlantis.
#214 story in reading order
Next: Strange Tales #123
Previous: Tales to Astonish #58, Story B
