As Mentioned – Page 40 – Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men

As Mentioned In Episode 23 – Meet the New Mutants

September 20, 2014 Jay 6 comments

Listen to the episode here!

Art by David Wynne

Nova Roma. It’s probably best not to ask.

These kids!

It’s really convenient that Rahne landed in that particular position. (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

In which Moira MacTaggert is a stone cold badass. (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

Roberto da Costa is so very much Roberto da Costa. (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

He’s also Sunspot! (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

Meanwhile, a disembodied hand has some opinions to share. (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

Sam Guthrie is such a good kid. Also nigh invulnerable when he’s blastin’! (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

Danielle Moonstar is the best, and anyone who tells you otherwise is probably trying to sell something. (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

Xi’an Coy Mahn actually been around for a few issues–and made her debut in another title altogether–so she’s an old hand at this. (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

Aw, Bobby. (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

Sam is the nicest henchman ever, and we love him very much. (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

Donald Pierce knows he has standards to meet when it comes to villainous exposition. (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

Remember how Sam is the nicest henchman? (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

Yeah. Sam is the nicest henchman. (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

Let’s break this down: Bobby’s room contains a pinup calendar and a framed photo of Wolverine; and his idea of heaven is a place where his dead girlfriend can watch him put on tights. Headcanon: Bobby’s secondary mutation is being the most 14-year-old boy of all the 14-year-old-boys, ever. (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

“It is time… FOR A CALLBACK TO MY FIRST APPEARANCE!” (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

Danielle Moonstar is still the best, and Xavier is not actually a jerk in this book. (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

Aw, Sam. (Marvel Graphic Novel #4)

Over nearly a decade, the New Mutants will go from this… (New Mutants #21)

…to this. Marvel, this is why you can’t have nice things. (New Mutants #100)

In her first appearance, Lila Cheney steals and fences Earth. She is the interstellar bandit Joan Jett of the Marvel Universe, and she is wonderful. (New Mutants Annual #1)

The Hellions. They’re all super doomed. (New Mutants #17)

Next week: The X-Men do Barbarella.

As Mentioned in Episode 22 – Through Death and Through Life

September 7, 2014 Jay 8 comments

Listen to the episode here!

At some point, someone pointed out that this is technically Anniversary X, and it was a pretty slippery slope from there.

We are aware that our favorite romance has its share of detractors. We don’t care. (Art by David Wynne.)

Actual photograph of Rachel and Miles at their 8th-grade graduation dance. (X-Men #32)

This is literally as explicit a conversation they have about it for… pretty much the entire Silver Age. (X-Men #32)

Proposal #1. Unfortunately, Jean is a) actually the Phoenix Force, and b) about to die on the moon. (Uncanny X-Men #136)

Not directly pertinent, but it’s one of our favorite moments. (Uncanny X-Men #137)

Scott saying goodbye to Jean immediately before marrying Madelyne Pryor. That really, really didn’t work out, but we like the sentiment–that “true love” doesn’t always have to mean “one true love.” (Uncanny X-Men #175)

Scott doesn’t actually work out that Madelyne and Jean are identical until X-Factor #14. Headcanon: Hella prosopagnosia.

Scott and Jean are reunited in a panel that appears to have fled from Apartment 3-G to X-Factor #1.

Jean gets Madelyne and Phoenix’s memories–and her own telepathy–back. (X-Factor #38)

Proposal #2. (X-Factor #53)

Jean’s response. (X-Factor #53)

“Fatal Attractions” was a rough time for everyone, but probably worst for Wolverine. (X-Men vol. 2 #75)

Proposal #3, guest-starring John Romita, Jr.’s profoundly alarming faces. (Uncanny X-Men #308)

Fate can go fuck itself. Damn, we love these two. (Uncanny X-Men #308)

There is probably no other panel from the entire 50 years of X-Men that we’ve sent back and forth more than this one. (Uncanny X-Men #308)

He’s actually fighting some dude who broke into the X-mansion and bonding with his time-displaced kid, but the basic principle of failing-at-bachelor-party still stands. (Uncanny X-Men #310)

And now, the main event. (X-Men vol. 2 #30)

Andy Kubert x body language. (X-Men vol. 2 #30)

Charles Xavier of X-Men vol. 2 #30 is the best Charles Xavier.

He also has the best timing. (X-Men vol. 2 #30)

Look at all those X-Men. (X-Men vol. 2 #30)

Can we have a moment of silent appreciation for the fact that Storm managed to find a dress that perfectly encapsulates the 1990s? (X-Men vol. 2 #30)

Best vows? Best vows. (X-Men vol. 2 #30)

Scott, Jean, we’re gonna let you finish… (X-Men vol. 2 #30)

…but Rogue and Gambit’s kiss in X-Men vol. 2 #41 is the best kiss in X-Men.

September 4, 2014.

Links:

Print of the week! You can find prints of David Wynne’s “Haters Gonna Hate” Scott & Jean illustration over at our shop until September 14–or drop David a line to buy the original!
The real Cats Laughing

NEXT WEEK: Rachel and Miles are going on vacation. Read a book. WEEK AFTER NEXT: The New Mutants!

As Mentioned in Episode 21 – Kurt Busiek at the Coffee-a-Go-Go

August 31, 2014 Jay 8 comments

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METOXO the lava man, as teased in X-Men #48–but never revealed!

Beast and Iceman teach METOXO the true meaning of Christmas in the 1994 Marvel Holiday Special.

Angel X-Plains the Phoenix retcon. (X-Factor #1)

In X-Men #37, five reasonably normal-looking teenagers dive out of a plane…

…and then this happens. (X-Men #37)

In which Jean Grey, given the choice between the Silver Age’s two stock career options for female protagonists, opts for option A. (X-Men #48)

Scott Summers’ radio career lasted five whole panels. Here are four of them. We remain annoyed that none of them actually show him recording, because that would be really useful as a podcast graphic. (X-Men #48)

The Coffee-a-Go-Go made its debut in X-Men #7, along with regular Bernard the Poet and acerbic waitress Zelda.

There are a lot of Coffee-a-Go-Go stories, but Bobby’s 18th birthday, from X-Men #32, is probably the best.

Bernard the poet sells out in the name of birthday cheer. (X-Men #32)

Zelda’s original line, from X-Men #7 (she was originally a redhead)…

…and Busiek’s homage in the 1994 Marvel Holiday Special.

Iceman vs. ice skating. (X-Men #29)

We’ll be giving it its own post on Monday, but David Wynne’s art of the original X-Men as Enid Blyton’s Famous Five goes way too well with this episode.

Next Episode: Fast-forwarding to 1994 for the wedding of Scott Summers and Jean Grey.

Links & Further Reading:

Kurt Busiek
Unpublished X-Men
The X-Axis Silver-Age Index (archived)
Marvels
X-Men #32
X-Men #37
X-Men #48
Marvel Holiday Special 1994
Slan, by A. E. van Vogt
Children of the Atom, by Wilmar H. Shiras
Mutant, by Lewis Padgett (Henry Kuttner)
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon
The Dark Is Rising Sequence, by Susan Cooper
Astro City
Tooth and Claw

As Mentioned on Episode 19 – Acorns and Swords

August 17, 2014 Jay 19 comments

Listen to the episode here!

(Hand not to scale.) (X-Men #160)

She knows how to dodge radioactive mutants and spinning saw blades, but no one has given Illyana the talk about not taking bloodstone amulets from strangers. (X-Men #160)

If there were a drinking game, “Storm spontaneously takes a shower indoors” would be on the list. (X-Men #160)

Oops. (X-Men #160)

Kitty, you adorable nerd. (X-Men #160)

Aw. Man. Why are all the evil alternate Nightcrawlers super creepy and rapey? (X-Men #160)

This asshole. (X-Men #160)

Remember this dude. You will be seeing more of him. (X-Men #160)

EMERGO! (X-Men #160)

Whoa. (X-Men #160)

BUT WHERE COULD SHE HAVE BEEN? If only there were a miniseries that answered that very question! (X-Men #160)

Belasco, man. (X-Men #160)

Oh, hey, those guys. (Storm and Illyana: Magik #1)

For obvious reasons, Magik includes a lot of very direct callbacks to X-Men #160. (Storm and Illyana: Magik #1)

“Body and soul.” Take a drink. (Storm and Illyana: Magik #1)

CAT WHAT ARE YOU WEARING WHY WOULD YOU WEAR THAT (Storm and Illyana: Magik #1)

So, here’s a thing: There’s a lot of creepily suggestive language about Belasco’s plans for Illyana, but none of it is reflected in the actual story. Make of that what you will, but it seems worth mentioning, for both parts. (Storm and Illyana: Magik #1)

Aw, Cat. (Storm and Illyana: Magik #1)

This is going to be important later. (Storm and Illyana: Magik #1)

S’ym is a pretty pitch-perfect kid’s nightmare: a friendly, slightly silly-looking monster who’s actually one of the most sadistic, dangerous guys in the building. He’s gonna be around for a long time, too, and he only gets scarier. (Storm and Illyana: Magik #2)