Previous Posts: Introduction | Chapter 1: Lee/Kirby Part 1 | Chapter 2: Lee/Kirby Part 2

Starting with X-Men #20, Roy Thomas takes over as writer and a noticeable change in tone occurs. The book becomes more interested in its own and Marvel’s wider continuity – unsurprising, since Thomas is part of a generation who grew up reading, rather than creating Marvel Comics. Unfortunately, this whole period is also characterized by a long string of stories that have nothing to do with the X-Men’s core concepts, as the X-Men spend fight cast-off villains from other books. It’s telling that during his whole run, Thomas only creates three new mutant characters (Banshee, Warlock, and Changeling).

The silver age camp is also toned down quite a bit — there’s a lot less knowing fun in these issues. For Iceman, this means quite a bit less of the ambiguous campy dialogue, no more scenes of him helping Warren get un/dressed, and more attention to the subplot with his “girlfriend,” Zelda the waitress. Still, there’s some notable moments in this long, character-defining run.

Thomas wrote the book from #20-44, and then again from #56-64, and #66. This article will cover Thomas’ first run, with the balance of the 60s era covered next week.

X-Men #20-21 (May-June 1966)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Jay Gavin (Werner Roth)

The X-Men fight off Lucifer’s latest plan to conquer earth, and we learn how Professor X became handicapped.

I don’t have much to say about this story, but I’m gonna post some panels and let you judge whether Iceman comes across as gay.

 

This is the first time Iceman (the teenage boy who hangs out at coffee shops in plaid suits) comments on a villain’s design taste. Thirty years later, a stray comment from Emma Frost about his taste in interior design in Uncanny X-Men #331 will renew fan debate about Iceman’s sexuality.

 

X-Men #22-23 (July-Aug 1966)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Werner Roth

The X-Men fight Count Nefaria, who has taken the city of Washington, DC hostage for $100 million, along with the Eel, Plant Man, Unicorn, Porcupine, and Scarecrow.

There are two stories where the X-Men fight Count Nefaria and a quintet of Marvel villains, and this isn’t the good one, but anyway…

Xavier once again sends the X-Men on vacation, and Hank and Bobby are thrilled to head out to Greenwich Village. It bears repeating that this has to be read differently in a post-Stonewall MCU (although obviously the neighborhood was already known for queer bars in 1966). Indeed, the first person Beast meets when looking for Vera in the Village is a gender-non-conforming person named Waldo (who isn’t upset at being mistaken for a woman so much as for being bothered by a man). Anyway, Bobby is continuing to lay it on thick, calling Zelda the “girl of my life.”

As Iceman heads off to investigate the villains alone, he muses that he was looking forward to “two weeks in New York, seeing plays and movies – and of course, Zelda.” Interesting that Broadway is the priority over the girlfriend, no?

Later, wandering Central Park alone at night, he fights the Unicorn and “the irresistible might of [his] power horn.” Go on and tell us more about where you’d like to stick his horn, Bobby.

The narrator misidentifies Iceman as “Bobby Blake” on page 14 of #22.

 

X-Men #24 (September 1966)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Werner Roth

Jean leaves the school to start studying at Metro College, and the X-Men fight the Locust.

Possibly interesting continuity trivia: Jean’s college boyfriend Ted Roberts, who appears in a few issues before being dropped as a plot, was explained away as being Mastermind in disguise in Ed Piskor’s (non-continuity) X-Men: Grand Design book. That doesn’t work with this version having a famous brother, but it’s an interesting idea. It also has nasty implications around sexual consent, and most X-Men writers have wisely steered well clear of making the female characters victims of telepathic sexual coercion and assault.

You may notice I struggle with some of these issues.

X-Men #25-26 (October-November 1966)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Werner Roth

The X-Men fight El Tigre.

Nothing remotely of interest here, unless you’re curious to see the whitest Latin American stereotypes ever committed to the pages of Marvel Comics.

 

 

X-Men #27 (December 1966)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Werner Roth

Mimic rejoins the team and the Puppet Master tries to take over the X-Men (again, after Fantastic Four #28).

Not much to see here either. Iceman and Mimic snipe at each other a lot, but then, Mimic is an incredible jerk in the Silver Age, so you can’t really blame him.

Minor continuity trivia: Beast mentions Angel’s “mutant recuperative powers,” something that will never be mentioned again until Chuck Austin gives him healing blood powers around 2002.

Also, Jean can sense Mimic’s regained his powers, suggesting either her telepathy is starting to come back, or silver age writers struggle to tell the difference between telepathy and telekinesis.

 

X-Men #28 (January 1967)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Werner Roth

The X-Men, including Mimic, fight Banshee and the Ogre, kicking off the Factor Three story.

Iceman and Mimic continue sniping at each other, but again, Mimic is being completely obnoxious to everyone. Mimic’s dialogue in this issue is quite something. He describes his and Cyclops’ leadership of the X-Men as “ramrodding that kooky crew,” and he describes himself as feeling like a “tossed salad.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s also take a moment to enjoy how fabulous Ogre’s character design is.

Also, it has to be pointed out that mythological banshees were female. Sean Cassidy taking on this identity assumes at least a little gender play. (The real story is that Stan Lee nixed the idea that Banshee could be female because he didn’t think female villains worked, and this is partly why the total number of female mutants in Marvel Comics doesn’t reach double digits until 1980).

Whatever this fetish is, I never want to see it again.

 

X-Men #29 (February 1967)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Werner Roth

The X-Men fight the Super Adaptoid and Mimic leaves the team.

You get the sense Roy Thomas doesn’t really care about the whole ‘mutant’ concept of the series, given how rarely the main themes of the series crop up in this part of his run.

Anyway, the issue opens with the X-Men ice skating on a pond, which prompts Iceman to compare himself to Olympic medalist Carol Heiss. Just pointing out that at publication time, the US Men’s figure skating team had also medaled in every Olympics since 1948.

Mimic loses his powers in the battle and is not seen again until Incredible Hulk #161 during the hiatus years.

 

X-Men #30 (March 1967)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Jack Sparling

The X-Men fight the Warlock, who claims to be the real Merlin and an immortal mutant. (But years later is revealed to be neither, in Incredible Hulk #210).

Nothing at all. The X-Men are fighting a Thor villain this month.

 

 

 

 

X-Men #31 (April 1967)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Werner Roth

The X-Men fight the Cobalt Man.

Professor X is playing matchmaker with Jean and Scott, a theme that we’ll see recur a bit more in X-Men: First Class, and which we may have seen back in Strange Tales #120.

Beast wonders to Iceman whether they can trust the Mimic with their secret identities now that he’s returned to college. Iceman believes they can trust him. But is it just their superhero/civilian identities that they’re worried about?

Later as he’s getting ready for their double date, Hank has a private moment where he resents the efforts he has to go to in order to fit into the normal world. As he puts on his oversized socks and shoes, it’s clear he resents this human drag he has to wear in order to have a heterosexual relationship, and would rather stay at the mansion with his mutant buddies. We’ll have to keep an eye on Hank McCoy.

Once again the date is cut short by the mission, and the ever-patient “girlfriends” just take it in stride.

Wondering why the X-Men are still at a school even though they graduated in issue #7? Angel explains to his new girlfriend Candy Southern that they’re now taking college courses at Xavier’s. This thread was never really mentioned again until it was picked up in X-Men: First Class, but it makes more sense than them all just bumming around the mansion through their early twenties.

Nothing much else to report here as the X-Men’s story gets hijacked to fight an Iron Man villain.

 

Strange Tales #156 (May 1967)
Writer/Penciller: Jim Steranko

The X-Men make a cameo hearing a ransom call from Hydra.

Hey, I said this was going to be comprehensive.

 

 

 

 

 

X-Men #32-33 (May-June 1967)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Werner Roth

The X-Men fight the Juggernaut.

Iceman turns 18 and poor Zelda throws a party for him at the Coffee A-Go-Go. He doesn’t exactly jump at the invitation to dance with her, and when Warren shows up with his new girlfriend Candy Southern, well, this happens.

 

On one reading, Bobby is making a joke about how he’d like to find a girl as hot as Candy – which still works as his over-the-top cover. On another reading, he’s expressing what he’d do to get a guy like his former dress-up doll Warren.

The X-Men bust up a motorcycle gang that ride their bikes into the club to terrorize them because Zelda turned their leader down for a date. I guess she prefers the sensitive type. Afterward, Bobby walks her home and they share their first moment of physical affection since they started dating when Bobby was still 16. It looks like how I kissed that girl at sleepaway camp to prove to the guys how straight I was. He’s practically grimacing. Nevertheless, cherish this kiss! It’s the only one you’ll see Bobby put on another person for over a decade (sorry, spoilers!).

Anyway, in the end, Dr. Strange points the X-Men toward the magical doohickey that will get rid of Juggernaut, while Factor Three kidnap the Professor.

 

X-Men #34 (July 1967)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Dan Adkins

The X-Men fight Tyrannus and Mole Man.

Absolutely nothing of importance happens in this issue of Fantastic Four that the X-Men happen to be wandering through instead of rescuing the Professor. Still, years later, it gets a follow up in X-Men: The Hidden Years.

 

 

 

X-Men #35 (August 1967)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Dan Adkins

The X-Men fight Spider-Man after Banshee gives them some unhelpful advice to find Factor Three. Nothing particularly important happens here, except for this panel of Iceman hoping to take Spider-Man from behind with his big pole.

And check out Iceman’s sassy little pose here.

 

 

 

 

X-Men #36 (September 1967)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Ross Andru

The X-Men scramble to find cash to afford plane tickets to Europe so they can rescue Professor X, and end up fighting Mekano.

Another bizarre issue where the X-Men fight a character who belongs in Iron Man. Again, very little of interest here. We learn that Bobby and Hank can juggle. A scene where Iceman puts up no resistance as he’s arrested by a pair of cops could be a rough Tom of Finland pinup.

 

X-Men #37-39 – first stories (October-December 1967)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Ross Andru

The X-Men finally catch up to Factor Three and attempt to thwart their plan to trick the US and USSR into nuclear Armageddon, but end up getting caught. Finally, the X-Men team up with Factor Three to stop their Mutant Master, who turns out to be an alien from Sirius. Then Jean gives the team new uniforms she’s designed (X-Men Unlimited #42 later establishes that Xavier designed Jean’s new look). Iceman’s look changes slightly with boots and gloves under his ice.

Probably the most important thing about this story is the first real look at the Changeling, who only has a short run in the 60s before dying, but went on to enduring popularity in the 90s cartoon as Morph, and again under that name in the “Age of Apocalypse” story and in Exiles. He recently turned up alive again on Krakoa. The AoA version certainly defied gender norms in a way that predicted the anything-that’s-funny sexuality of later Deadpool portrayals, but we’ve never had an outright statement that he’s queer. Still, look at these costumes!

 

X-Men #38 – backup story (November 1967)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Ross Andru

The “Origins of the X-Men” back-up strips begin, this time with a strip explaining how Xavier came to work with the government to set up the X-Men. This strip doesn’t really stand up to much scrutiny – even at publication date, having Xavier claim that he had become a recluse in Westchester ever since Juggernaut was buried alive in Korea was incorrect – we knew that he had at least spent years travelling in Asia, where he met Lucifer and became crippled. Next month: Cyclops!

 

 

X-Men #40 – first story (January 1968)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Don Heck and Werner Roth

The X-Men fight Frankenstein’s monster, who turns out to be an alien robot.

This is a pretty awful issue, let’s be honest. It’s X-Men vs. Frankenstein, and it’s only a fight at all because no one thinks to just let Iceman freeze the robot again, like it was found in the Arctic at the beginning of the issue. Of minor interest, in 2011 we’ll meet Maximilian Frankenstein, one of the Hellfire Kids, who claims to be the last living descendent of the real Dr. Frankenstein (the Marvel Universe line being that the Shelley book is a fictionalized account of real events).

 

 

X-Men #41-42 – first stories (February-March 1968)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Don Heck and Werner Roth

The X-Men fight Grotesk, and “Professor X” dies, but we eventually learn it’s the Changeling.

When a subway they’re riding with their girlfriends Zelda and Vera is derailed, Hank and Bobby investigate and find Grotesk, the sole survivor of an underworld kingdom that was annihilated in a nuclear test. Grotesk plans to destroy the world in revenge somehow.

When Bobby returns, his dialogue with Zelda sure seems coded to me.

 

He claims that when the subway was stopped, he “did what any red-blooded all-American boy would do when he’s alone in a darkened train with the love of his life! Namely, I went looking for a match!” Not untrue – he found a match with Grotesk! But also, we could say that throughout his relationship with Zelda he’s been looking for a better match, couldn’t we? Zelda brushes all of this off like a good clueless girl in love with her gay best friend: “If you big strong mystery men say you have to go, Vera and I will believe you! But if I ever find out you’re two-timing me…” To which Bobby responds “What I’ve got waiting for me isn’t half as cute as you – honest!” Let’s read this as Bobby lamenting that he doesn’t have a boyfriend, yet.

The death of Professor X fake out is pretty sloppily handled too. After starting to set up that Xavier is acting strangely, Roy Thomas has him use his mental powers, wear a rubber mask, and the narration specifically says he’s using his mechanical braces to walk. Ah well. Grotesk also dies here, but turns up again in other Marvel books years down the road.

X-Men #39-42 – backup story (December 1967)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Don Heck

The “Origins of the X-Men” covers Cyclops, who runs away from his orphanage when a crowd attacks him after he uses his optic blasts to save someone’s life. He falls in with the criminal Jack O’Diamonds. In the end, Cyclops realizes he’s an insane threat, and Xavier has Cyclops kill him with a vibration device. Xavier brings Cyclops back to the mansion where he gives him an X-Men uniform and visor. In a 90s retcon we’ll learn that Amelia Voght is living at the mansion at the time, and left Xavier in protest when he showed up with Scott. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when Jack is resurrected on Krakoa.

 

X-Men #43 (April 1968)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: George Tuska and Werner Roth

The X-Men bury “Xavier” and Jean announces she now has telepathic powers (later, Bizarre Adventures #27 establishes she was always telepathic, but that Xavier put blocks on those powers to protect her from childhood trauma. He removed the blocks right before he “died”). Responding to a command in Xavier’s filmed will, the X-Men go looking for Magneto on his island and promptly get caught.

This begins a crossover with Roy Thomas’ other book Avengers, picking up on a story thread in Avengers #47-49, in which Magneto and Toad escaped the Stranger’s prison planet, then kidnapped Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch to attempt to reform the Brotherhood. They explicitly decide they don’t need Mastermind. That story is also the first time Magneto storms the UN demanding recognition of a mutant nation. One wonders what the mutant nation would look like, given that thus far we’ve only seen fewer than 20 mutants in the entire Marvel Universe. This will eventually pay off thirty years later when the UN hands Magneto Genosha in the aftermath of the “Magneto War” storyline, and sets a precedent for future mutant nation stories, including Providence, Utopia, Tian, and eventually Krakoa.

There’s also a back-up feature that explains how Cyclops’ powers work.

X-Men #44 – first story (May 1968)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Don Heck and Werner Roth

Angel flies off to ask the Avengers for help, and on the way stumbles into the Red Raven, an obscure Golden Age character.

Even readers in the 60s must’ve thought this issue was crap. All the narrative momentum of the Magneto story stops for this side mission that exists to reintroduce a terrible Golden Age character. The Red Raven is an awful concept: a human baby who’s raised in a society of bird people who live on a floating island in the sky, who somehow doesn’t even understand that he’s not a bird person, and he’s keeping all the bird people in suspended animation to prevent them from attempting an attack on the United States to take over the world. And it’s played completely straight. Later stories establish that the character in this issue is actually a robot, not the real Red Raven and I’m way too bored to dig any further.

Iceman is unconscious throughout the lead story, but the backup strip begins his three-part origin tale, which I’ll cover next week, since it’s written by Thomas’ replacement Gary Friedrich.

X-Men #45 – first story (June 1968)
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Penciler: Don Heck and Werner Roth

Cyclops escapes and spends the issue fighting and arguing with Quicksilver about mutant rights, and then the Avengers show up. Not bad for what it is, and the appearance of the Black Panther in the final panel marks this as the first time a person of color appears and is rendered as if they are a person of color in X-Men. Iceman is still unconscious through the lead story.

 

 

 

Avengers #53 (June 1968)
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: John Buscema

The X-Men and Avengers fight (the Avengers win, basically), and then unite against Magneto. Toad, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch turn on him and flee, leaving Magneto to fall to his apparent death in the ocean. Iceman doesn’t really say or do anything in particular in this issue.

This story is expanded upon in Domination Factor: Avengers #2.4, an Avengers/Fantastic Four crossover miniseries that features the two teams time-travelling to major events in their history. I haven’t tracked it down and it’s not on Marvel Unlimited.

Where to find these stories: The X-Men Epic Collection Vol 1 includes issues #20-23. Vol 2 covers #24-45, and Avengers #53. Unless otherwise noted, all issues mentioned here are on Marvel Unlimited.

Next week, the origins of Iceman, Beast, and Angel, Iceman gets a new “girlfriend,” and the original run of X-Men comics ends with some of its best issues.