As Mentioned in Episode 513 – Eve of Destruction

February 1, 2026 Miles 4 comments

Listen to the episode here.

Scott Summers, sharply dressed in (morally) gray! (Uncanny X-Men #391)

“Geez, Dad, can you say midlife crisis??” (Uncanny X-Men #391)

Summerses gotta Summers. (Uncanny X-Men #391)

“You must be thinking of the me from Earth-10005 or Earth-13122.” (Uncanny X-Men #391)

Exposition in the front, party in the (flash-)back. (Uncanny X-Men #391)

Scott’s face in that second panel… (Uncanny X-Men #391)

*sniffle* (Uncanny X-Men #391)

Anyone have ideas about the significance of the text on that gravestone in the foreground? (X-Men #111)

A purple and unpleasant land. (X-Men #111)

Muscles and shadows. (X-Men #111)

“Here with us is Doctor Henry McCoy, who’s really good with his… uh, science.” (X-Men #111)

Hey, she’s being nicer than she was back in her Alliance of Evil days! (X-Men #111)

A picture is worth – and includes – a thousand words. (X-Men #111)

Now that’s how you end a prologue. (X-Men #111)

The All-New, Mostly-Untrained X-Men. (Uncanny X-Men #392)

Jean recruits Jean-Paul Beaubier, Northstar! (Uncanny X-Men #392)

Jean recruits Hector Rendoza, AKA Wraith! (Uncanny X-Men #392)

Jean is about to recruit Paulie Provenzano, AKA Omerta! (Uncanny X-Men #392)

Jean recruits Leyu Yoshida, AKA Sunpyre! (Uncanny X-Men #392)

They’re… they’re gonna do fine. (Uncanny X-Men #392)

Jean recruits(?) Joanna Cargill, AKA Frenzy! (Uncanny X-Men #392)

Jean accepts the coincidental timing of the arrival of Alison Blaire, AKA Dazzler! (Uncanny X-Men #392)

NEXT TIME: Eve of Destruction concludes.

LINKS AND FURTHER READING:

Relevant once again: The Judgment of Magneto by Asher Elbein

513 – Eve of Destruction

February 1, 2026 Jay 15 comments

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In which Jay and Miles make an announcement; the X-Men are down to bare bones; Cyclops and Corsair are stunningly bad at feelings; Trish Tilby is stunningly bad at journalism; Magneto says goodbye to nuance; and Jean Grey assembles a team.

X-PLAINED:

X-Corps vs. X-Corp
A thing that will be happening in a few months
The story so far
Uncanny X-Men #391-392
X-Men #111
The state of the X-Men
A short-lived Cyclops costume
A reunion
A sorry excuse
Resolution, somewhat
Genosha (more) (again)
Conflict of interest
Several excellent villain speeches
Joanna Cargill (Frenzy) (again)
Jean-Paul Beaubier (Northstar) (again)
Hector Rendoza
Yet another angry mob
Paulie Provenzano (Omerta)
Leyu Yoshida (Sunpyre)
Ice skating in Rockefeller Center
Our picks for a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

NEXT EPISODE: Eve of Destruction concludes!

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Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

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As Mentioned in Episode 485 – The House of Correction

April 30, 2025 Miles Leave a comment

Listen to the episode here.

Being the boss means you get the yellow pouches! (Generation X #63)

Teenagers! (Generation X #63)

The new and… improved… Emma Frost. (Generation X #63)

DEAR GOD THOSE PANTS (Generation X #63)

Remember, this issue came out before we knew what happened to Synch… (Generation X #63)

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE (Generation X #64)

Fashion? (Generation X #64)

Fashion! (Generation X #64)

Jubilee, you are the worstbest. (Generation X #64)

The most dangerous game! (Generation X #64)

Super-speed, part one! (Generation X #65)

Super-speed, part two! (Generation X #65)

I see no flaws with this plan. (Generation X #65)

We have our complaints about this era, but… man, it can just be so charming! (Generation X #65)

I have so many questions, and yet I do not want them answered. (Generation X #66)

Miles just saw Eraserhead at a David Lynch retrospective, and you know that mix of revulsion and pity you feel toward the baby in that movie? …yeah. (Generation X #66)

Banshee, you rule and we’re sorry everyone always forgets you exist. (Generation X #66)

An only slightly less abrupt ending than that of X-Factor #149. (Generation X #66)

NEXT TIME: Yes, really.

485 – The House of Correction

April 27, 2025 Jay 13 comments

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In which we go back to the future of Generation X; Jay once again gets pedantic about lettering; Generation X takes on the carceral state; we take a deep dive into the late ‘90s; Jubilee does her best Nick Fury; and superpowers should be noisier.

X-PLAINED:

Earth-14042
Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers
Generation X #63-66
Revolution and Counter X (more) (again)
An evil Oyster
Warden Coffin
The Decency Defecit
Some shit we wish was fictional
Underpants
Souped up powers
Newsgroups
The Columbine school shooting
The Grid
Cable vs. ISDN Internet
Jonathan Somers
Generation X’s new costumes
The House of Correction
Hacking
Trophies
Baxter
‘90s X-Men outside of comics
How superpowers sound

NEXT EPISODE: Mutant X May begins!

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Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

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454 – X-Men ’97, Part 2

June 30, 2024 Miles 13 comments

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SPOILER WARNING: ALL OF THEM, NONSTOP

In which Barry Windsor-Smith is too sexy for television; we know what happens when unstable molecules get struck by lightning; X-Men gets political and does it spectacularly; this Captain America would not sew the cape; Magneto continues to throw things into space; and they kissed and we missed it.

X-PLAINED:

Fabian Cortez’s name
X-Men ’97 episodes 6-10
Lifedeath I & II: a surprising adaptation
Varying levels of going in blind
A somewhat different and possibly better Forge
The Adversary vs. the Owl Queen
Stormiest and least-Stormy costumes
Professor Charles Xavier, Official Space Boyfriend
Colonialism vs. Identity
Delayed catharsis
The narrative power of altered opening credits
What makes allyship effective (and not)
Justified mutant anger
The worst version of Nina DaCosta
What makes Prime Sentinels scary
Summers family feels
The best damned fight scenes out there
Bastion, robo-avatar of conservative white patriarchy
Simultaneous crossovers
A psychic gay bar
A last boss arena
Acolyte equivalencies
Phoenix Ex Machina
Crying
Whether Magneto was right
Apoca-futures and Apoca-pasts
A bulletin board and our hopes for its contents
Soft Serve
Kitty Pryde’s coffee shop AU
X-Men ’97 as the perfect gateway

NEXT EPISODE: Skrulls!

LINKS AND FURTHER READING:

The Judgment of Magneto by Asher Elbein

No visual companion this week!

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Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

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As Mentioned in Episode 449 – Dressing the X-Men, with Russell Dauterman

May 12, 2024 Miles Leave a comment

Listen to the episode here!

The Marvel Art of Russell Dauterman!

Storm’s X-Men Red design.

The Scarlet Witch’s new design.

Nightcrawler’s original design by Dave Cockrum.

Hellfire Gala redesigns!

And some close-ups.

Jean Grey costume variant cover for X-Men #1.

Rogue costume variant cover for Excalibur #18.

Gambit costume variant cover for Gambit #5.

Thor costume variant cover for Thor #31.

Speaking of Thor – Russell’s wraparound cover for The Mighty Thor #1.

More covers! Here’s Marauders #1.

Scarlet Witch #3.

Giant Size X-Men: Jean Grey & Emma Frost #1.

Variant cover, X-Men Legends #1.

Variant cover, X-Men ’97 #1.

NEXT EPISODE: Jay & Miles live at the Clinton Street Theater!

LINKS AND FURTHER READING

You still have a few days to be part of The Marvel Art of Russell Dauterman Kickstarter campaign!
Hear Russell and Kris Anka talk Adam X and more on Episode 27 – NYCC 2014 Special!
Russell’s website!
Russell on Instagram!

449 – Dressing the X-Men, with Russell Dauterman

May 12, 2024 Jay 6 comments

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In which artist Russell Dauterman joins us to discuss super-powered costume design!

X-PLAINED:

Why it’s important to get a professional to design your superhero costume
Why Miles doesn’t trust the government
Russell’s history at Marvel
Designing for the Hellfire Gala
Mutant fashion
The word “fashionize”
Iconic looks
Modernizing superhero costumes
Powers vs. personality
Punk goddess Storm
Designing for drawability
Magic hair
Russell’s influences
Definitive Rogue costumes
X-Men ‘97
Best X-team costumes
Jay’s holy grail cosplay
Magic hair, cosplayed
Costume retrospectives
Where to find Russell online
Evil twin trends of the 1990s
Fuck You Pink

NEXT EPISODE: Jay & Miles Live at the Clinton Street Theater!

Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog!

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Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

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As Mentioned in Episode 434 – Return to Cape Citadel

December 31, 2023 Miles Leave a comment

Listen to the episode here.

Happy anniversary! Have a brand-new team! (Uncanny X-Men #360)

The first of a number of Giant-Size X-Men #1-style origin stories. (Uncanny X-Men #360)

In which the long-absent Excalibur mutants remind us of the first team they were all on. (Uncanny X-Men #360)

The All-New, Slightly-Off X-Men attack! (Uncanny X-Men #360)

Meanwhile: all that’s left of the X-Men. Err, the most recent team of X-Men. Not the returning ones. Or the fake ones. Look, there are a lot of different X-Men in this issue, okay? (Uncanny X-Men #360)

Hey, looks like Thomas Wolfe was wrong! (Uncanny X-Men #360)

Who needs panel borders when you’ve got layouts like this? (Uncanny X-Men #360)

Hey, it’s like the last issue’s cover – but with actual X-Men! (X-Men #80)

Comics’ greatest superhero soap opera. (X-Men #80)

Gotta admit, this is not Super Doctor Astronaut Peter Corbeau’s greatest showing. (X-Men #80)

A lot’s changed since you’ve been gone, Pete. (X-Men #80)

*raised heavy metal horns accompany a single heavy metal tear* (X-Men #80)

They’ve been back together for only a few hours and are already dramatically posing like champs! (X-Men #80)

“Hey, that’s not Professor X! He has a… you know!” (X-Men #80)

…rocket? (X-Men #80)

More couples’ therapy should include fastball specials. (X-Men #80)

I mean, I know they were kinda jerks, but… jeez! (X-Men #80)

NEXT EPISODE: Our tenth annual Giant-Size Winter Special!

434 – Return to Cape Citadel

December 17, 2023 Jay 13 comments

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In which the X-Men turn 35; we pause to celebrate the death of Henry Kissinger; Jay is a space nerd; Marrow hang-dries her delicates; space shuttles are not rockets; the band gets back together; and the Danger Room isn’t the first piece of X-tech to get sentience and a robot body.

X-PLAINED

How Excalibur got a Blackbird
Uncanny X-Men #360
X-Men #80
Many callbacks
The Benassi Rocket
The Cassini Probe
The All-New, Slightly Off X-Men
The Grey King (Addison Falk)
Chaos and/or Xhaos (Dan Dash)
Mercury
Rapture (Sister Joy)
Crux (Cristal Lemiuex)
Landslide (Lee Broder)
The Founder
Super Doctor Astronaut Peter Corbeau (again)
The Mutant Defense Net
Heroic narration
Lack of spacefaring continuity
Friendship
Technology
Costumes
All-New All-Different Dungeons & Dragons

NEXT EPISODE: GIANT-SIZE WINTER SPECIAL #10

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Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

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