Jubilee – Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men

504 – One Day, Four Ways

November 2, 2025 Jay 4 comments

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS

In which Banshee is chronically hapless; the team gets new costumes (again); Chamber is a self-fulfilling prophecy; toddlers will sell you out in a hot minute; Moira MacTaggert is definitively not in; we are frustrated by excessive ambiguity; and it’s not Rashômon, but it’ll do.

X-PLAINED:

Banshee post-Generation X
Generation X #71-74
Interior decorating
New costumes (again)
Chamber, but a housecat
A meet-cute
Teen angst
Fashion
An extremely awkward conversation
A brief history of boba in the United States
A fracas
Fun things to do with extra skin
Evolving teacher-student relationships
Poor interrogation technique
Husk vs. international terrorism, in general
Ghosts of the Massachusetts Academy
Villains and heroes we think would be neat as the reverse
A world in which Peridot of Steven Universe imprinted on X-Men

NEXT EPISODE: Fast times in Otherworld!

The visual companion to this episode will be up later this week!

Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

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!

Buy rad swag at our Dashery shop!

As Mentioned in Episode 488 – There Goes the Moon (Mutant X May, Part 3)

May 31, 2025 Miles Leave a comment

Listen to the episode here!

Color-coded Horsemen of Apocalypse! (Mutant X #19)

What’s the magic word? (Mutant X #19)

Someone let that flying aerobics instructor in! The rain is going to wreck her hair! (Mutant X #20)

That A on his belt stands for Ally! (Mutant X #20)

Note that Charles Xavier’s Evil Mullet is never seen outside of these two panels. (Mutant X #21)

Not a bad riff on the Phoenix costume, honestly. (Mutant X #21)

And then Professor X turned into Doctor Fate. (Mutant X #22)

“That’s right, my friends! We must strike Galactus with every color of the traffic light!” (Mutant X #22)

You ever have a dream where someone is mean to you and then you’re still mad at them when you see them in real life? (Mutant X #23)

Behold! Bargain-basement X-Man, with bonus moppets! (Mutant X #23)

Just a hell of a cover. (Mutant X #24)

Why would you put a portal to the Negative Zone in the goddamn FLOOR?! At least put up a guard rail or something! I’m calling OSHA! (Mutant X #24)

Spoiler: they all just go to a bar. (Mutant X #25)

Flowers for Beast-gernon. (Yes, yes, we know Algernon is the mouse.) (Mutant X #25)

ah jeez (Mutant X #25)

It’s cool, Bloodstorm. We’ve all been there. (Mutant X #26)

The Marauders! (Mutant X #26)

Meet Dagger. And also sorta Cloak. (Mutant X #27)

Awwwwww (Mutant X #27)

Okay, that kid is way too chill. (Mutant X #28)

That’s way better than Evil Xavier’s mullet! (Mutant X #29)

Why, it’s the brand new Sabre-Roaster 3000, as seen on TV! (Mutant X #29)

Plus Iron Giant Man, but he’s too big for this panel! (Mutant X #30)

(This caption intentionally left blank) (Mutant X #31)

After this, they blow up the moon! (Mutant X #31)

The Beyonder x-plains Mutant X! And also eats Captain America. (Mutant X Annual 2001)

It’s really hard to pick a favorite! (Mutant X Annual 2001)

Benjamin E. Yonder, you put the population of New York City down right now! (Mutant X Annual 2001)

Well, I would have said “WHAT?!” (Mutant X #32)

Dracula dies not with a bang, but with a PFFFT. (Mutant X #32)

*sniffle* (Mutant X #32)

Goodbye, Earth-1298. It’s been a hell of a ride. (Mutant X #32)

NEXT TIME: Black ops in black leather!

488 – There Goes the Moon (Mutant X May, Part 3)

May 25, 2025 Jay 5 comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS

In which we reap the consequences of our choices; possession is 18/10 of the law; Sinister dresses for the occasion; Hank gets his groove back; Havok of Earth-1298 is a jerk; Hank loses his groove; Captain America blows up the moon; the Beyonder experiences a stirring; Dracula makes a deal; and Mutant X May comes to an end.

X-PLAINED:

The aftermath of Mutant X
Mutant X #19-32
Mutant X Annual 2001
The story so far
Character color coding
Some telepathic misdirection
Apocalypse of Earth-1298
Charles Xavier of Earth-1298
Professor X’s Juggernaut-fightin’ mullet
A whole lot of possession
Fake Galactus
Several fears
X-Man of Earth-1298
Child batteries
The worst place for a portal to the Negative Zone
How Hank McCoy became the Brute
Vampire problems
The Marauders of Earth-1298
The Outcasts of Earth-1298
Cloak & Dagger of Earth-1298
James Hudson of Earth-1298
The Avengers of Earth-1298
The Beyonder of Earth-1298 who is also kind of the Goblin Force
Several additional superheroes
A last stand
The appeal of alternate timelines
Earth-1298’s best glow-ups

NEXT EPISODE: Attack of the Meatspore Stormtroopers!

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

Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

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!

Buy rad swag at our Dashery shop!

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS

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!

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

Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

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!

Buy rad swag at our Dashery shop!

As Mentioned in Episode 481 – Chekhov’s Butt-Gun

March 23, 2025 Miles 4 comments

Listen to the episode here.

In which Adrienne Frost flirts with a corpse. (Generation X #67)

Oh man, Monet’s left sock is going to be all wet and gross for the rest of the morning… (Generation X #67)

I used to love it when the cafeteria served GReeBo C back in high school. (Generation X #67)

I think those bullies were held back a few years… like maybe 30 or so. (Generation X #67)

Just some really fun faces on this page. (Generation X #67)

NO PRETTY BOYS. (Generation X #67)

It’s like a romance comic cover exploded! (Generation X #68)

Hey, that shirt’s just painted on! (Generation X #68)

Teens are the worst, Jubilee. (Generation X #68)

“And I assure you, that’s far from the most dangerous thing in this skirt.” (Generation X #68)

Everyone reacts to bad news in their own way. Penance’s way is to stick a Mjolnir sticker to her face. (Generation X #68)

Well shit. (Generation X #68)

The snowy calm before the fiery storm. (Generation X #69)

“The Leprechauns of Cassidy Keep never gave me this much grief.” (Generation X #69)

What fighting game is this supposed to be?! And don’t say Ninja Boogie! (Generation X #69)

Effortless. (Generation X #69)

What is this, Black Friday? (Generation X #70)

Kid’s got a point, Sean. (Generation X #70)

You really feel the crush of humanity in this issue. (Generation X #70)

Everett Thomas: hero ’til the end. (Generation X #70)

Bye, Adrienne. See ya never. (Generation X #70)

Left-to-right, the answers will be: make bad decisions as part of X-Factor, become a vampire mom, have sex with Angel in the sky above Ma Guthrie, get crucified on the X-Mansion’s lawn, and find out you’re a descendent of Apocalypse. (Generation X #70)

NEXT TIME: X-Force goes Counter-X!

LINKS AND FURTHER READING:

Episode 303 – No Simple Answers, feat. Laura Hudson

481 – Chekhov’s Butt-Gun

March 23, 2025 Miles 9 comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS

In which Adrienne Frost is absolutely terrible (and so was Ronald Reagan); you should not put guns in your butt; Synch deserved better; and Jay and Miles inventory their favorite dangling plot threads of the ‘90s.

X-PLAINED:

Several potential origins of Havok’s stupid hat
Generation X #67-70
Revolution (more) (again)
Shockwave (more) (again)
Adrienne Frost (more) (again)
The New Xavier School and/or Massachusetts Academy (more) (again)
Possible necrophilia
Dorm life
How not to draw clothing
Rules of entry to Jubilee’s dorm room
The Rich Person Store
How to say the word “consigliere”
The ‘90s
Blackmail
Limits of telepathy
Arson
Ninja Boogie
Panic
How to keep Synch safe
Adultification
Failure to keep Synch safe
Where to pick up to follow along with us
Plot threads we’d like to see picked back up

NEXT EPISODE: X-Force goes Counter-X!

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

Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

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!

Buy rad swag at our Dashery shop!

As Mentioned in Episode 478 – The Monologue Tube

February 23, 2025 Miles 3 comments

Listen to the episode here.

Alan Davis protests the death of Cyclops. (From this link)

X-teams, past to present. (At least the ones who still had comics in 2000.) (Uncanny X-Men #379)

Well, at least this time he’s leaving with someone other than those five motorcycle guys who could turn into a sixth motorcycle guy. (Uncanny X-Men #379)

It really, really isn’t. (Uncanny X-Men #379)

“…why do you call yourself X-Man, anyway?” (Uncanny X-Men #379)

Suddenly, the plot! (Uncanny X-Men #379)

“Sacre blue, non! Our elf ears!” (Uncanny X-Men #379)

“you guys i am so mad right now you have no idea” (Uncanny X-Men #379)

Toad, did you just… have that mirror with you? (Uncanny X-Men #379)

Just a really good cover. (X-Force #101)

That pacing, though. (X-Force #101)

Aww man. (X-Force #101)

We’ve all been there, kid. Well, maybe not exactly there, but like… metaphorically. (X-Force #101)

Meltdown counsels a sad child in a comic by Joseph Harris, part 2. (X-Force #101)

Doctor Wily, is that you? (X-Men #99)

“You wanna play paintball with us?” (X-Men #99)

How does a costume that looks so good when you’re blue look so silly when you’re not? (X-Men #99)

I’m not so sure about this Storm-and-Marrow-as-camp-counselors subplot, but I do love me some soap opera. (X-Men #99)

Businesspeople and bikers: the two genders. (X-Men #99)

Tentacle-guys, demons, and hulks: the three genders. (X-Men #99)

Mystique really misses that lamp. (Uncanny X-Men #380)

Logan may be dying, but his eyebrows are very impressive right now. (Uncanny X-Men #380)

“Plus, they charged us like thirty bucks just to bring a carry-on!” (Uncanny X-Men #380)

The S stands for Sexy. (Uncanny X-Men #380)

We’ve all had that dream, Blob. (Uncanny X-Men #380)

Bye, Alan Davis! It’s been weird but pretty fun! (Uncanny X-Men #380)

NEXT TIME: Magneto versus everybody.

478 – The Monologue Tube

February 23, 2025 Miles 6 comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS

In which Alan Davis is Team Cyclops; everyone gets depowered; it’s hard to connect with kids your age when you’re a superhero; Sinister’s gotta sinister; everyone gets repowered; and the ‘90s were much more eclectic than they get credit for being.

X-PLAINED:

Side effects of Decimation
Uncanny X-Men #379-380
X-Force #101
X-Men #99
Cadre K
Summers family drama
The High Evolutionary (more) (again)
The (other) time all the mutants got depowered
Kevin
A very beautiful book
The ongoing mess of Genoshan politics
The Neo (slightly)
To what extent Logan’s claws are a mutant power
Sinister monologues
Herbert Evolutionary
The New New Men
The ‘90s, in general
What makes a Morlock

NEXT EPISODE: Magneto: Dark Seduction!

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

Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

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!

Buy rad swag at our TeePublic shop!

As Mentioned in Episode 476 – The Moppets Take Manhattan

February 2, 2025 Jay Leave a comment

Listen to the episode here.

Moppets on the run! (Generation X #59)

The meme before the meme but after the thing that became the meme. (Generation X #59)

Generation X vs. New Warriors. (Generation X #59)

Can’t really argue with that. (Generation X #59)

R.I.P., Butter Rum. (Generation X #59)

Oh, hey, it’s Mondo! (Generation X #60)

I don’t know if it’s the pose, or the color and font of the text, or what, but I can’t shake the idea that this is their holiday card. (Generation X #60)