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

As Mentioned in Episode 526 – Vengeful Mutants on Drugs

May 31, 2026 Jay One comment

Listen to the episode here.

I love these weird kids. (New X-Men #135)

It really is the same outfit with different flourishes. (New X-Men #135)

That One Shirt. (New X-Men #135)

That… is not how campfires work. (New X-Men #135)

It’s a look, alright. (New X-Men #135)

Go, Beak! (New X-Men #136)

WELL, THAT’S NOT MENACING OR ANYTHING (New X-Men #136)

“His Viennese Waltz, for instance, was terribly clumsy.” (New X-Men #137)

These kids in a nutshell. (New X-Men #137)

Why is that thing on your face, Logan? Who did this to you? (New X-Men #137)

See how much better he looks without it? (New X-Men #137)

Ouch. (New X-Men #137)

I wish these gentlemen only the best. (New X-Men #138)

SPOILER: Their kids are gonna be awesome. (New X-Men #138)

Awkward. (New X-Men #138)

NEXT EPISODE: Murder!

LINKS & FURTHER REVOLUTIONS

Wanna read more about Quentin Quire in context? Check out “You Were Never My Age: Unpacking Quentin Quire’s Problematic History.”
Wanna hear Jay talk more about this arc? Go listen to Episode 11 of Here Comes Tomorrow.

526 – Vengeful Mutants on Drugs

May 31, 2026 Jay 10 comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS

In which you should use drugs only with caution; a famous shirt makes its debut; Wolverine is the new Mary Worth; and you were never Quentin Quire’s age (unless you were).

X-PLAINED:

What Quentin Quire’s been up to since discorporating
New X-Men #135-138
The Special Class
Basilisk
Ernst
Dummy
No Girl
Whether the Xavier School should admit human students
Quentin’s new look
Kick (more) (again)
The Omega Gang
That one t-shirt
How to punch up your Power Point presentation
A somewhat fraught camping trip
The Special Class vs. U-Men
A secret
Some kind of weird affair
A riot, of sorts
Wolverine’s unfortunate soul patch
What actually happened to Jumbo Carnation
Telepathic deconstruction
The Cuckoos vs. Emma Frost
A somewhat mysterious secondary mutation
Denouement
The subsequent evolution of Quentin Quire
What’s happening to xplainthexmen.com when the show ends
The telepathy-telekinesis overlap

NEXT EPISODE: Murder!

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 521 – Snowflakes

April 21, 2026 Miles Leave a comment

Listen to the episode here.

Illustration by David Wynne

Did those eyeballs come from a different jock or did he steal them between panels from this one? (New X-Men #118)

Telepaths must see a lot of weird fetishes. (New X-Men #118)

Onward, faculty! (New X-Men #118)

DAMMIT EMMA (New X-Men #118)

Mean or literal? You be the judge! (New X-Men #118)

Angel Salvadore is so gross and awesome! (New X-Men #118)

John Sublime remains the absolute worst. Also, hi Martha! (New X-Men #118)

I was always a little sad that Angel never got to wear the bumblebee helmet in the comics themselves. (New X-Men #119)

Sublime is awful, but that’s a great panel layout. (New X-Men #119)

Logan needs to work on his bedside manner. (New X-Men #119)

Explanations are not excuses. (New X-Men #119)

Kitty Pryde she isn’t… (New X-Men #119)

The tiniest morgue drawers! (New X-Men #119)

Just a kick-ass cover. (New X-Men #120)

Again: Kitty Pryde she isn’t! (New X-Men #120)

Aww shit. (New X-Men #120)

The Stepford Cuckoos. (New X-Men #120)

Effortless. (New X-Men #120)

This is fine. (New X-Men #120)

Martha’s revenge. (New X-Men #120)

Michael Jackson? (New X-Men #120)

NEXT TIME: Shh.

521 – Snowflakes

April 13, 2026 Jay 8 comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS

In which John Sublime sucks; Angel Salvatore rules; trauma does not justify evil; and you should never, ever, ever mess with Jean Grey.

X-PLAINED:

A horrifying revelation
The universe where Jay and Miles work for Cassandra Nova
New X-Men #118-120
John Sublime (more) (again)
The U-Men
Psychic energy, gender-reveal party-style
The Stepford Cuckoos
One way to disperse a mob
An uncivil conversation
The death and/or discomfort of many U-Men
An awakening of sorts
Squaring the phoenix
Hank McCoy’s “coming out”

NEXT EPISODE: The Shi’ar invade!

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 520 – Head Like a (Black) Hole

April 10, 2026 Miles 2 comments

Listen to the episode here.

Illustration by David Wynne

To unlock Xorn, you’ll need the Lapis Eye key, the Purple Bull key, a code from carbon paper, and a number written in blood in a padded cell. (New X-Men Annual 2001)

X-Corporation Hong Kong has a pretty big headquarters for a staff of two… Well, now just one. (New X-Men Annual 2001)

Introducing John Sublime, tech-bro douchebag (and ancient/sentient bacteria). (New X-Men Annual 2001)

Grant Morrison: “I need you to draw a containment suit!” Leinil Francis Yu: *cracks knuckles* Every future artist: “DAMMIT LEINIL” (New X-Men Annual 2001)

Ninja business. (New X-Men Annual 2001)

Ao Jun’s flesh golems! Just… wow. (New X-Men Annual 2001)

Logan would be great at charcuterie. (New X-Men Annual 2001)

I’m still not over this kid dying. (New X-Men Annual 2001)

Just a hell of an action shot. (New X-Men Annual 2001)

Is Emma telling the truth about her powers or bullshitting us? Discuss! (New X-Men Annual 2001)

The New X-Men Story. (New X-Men Annual 2001)

Think about that third panel in the context of the eventual Xorn reveal… (New X-Men Annual 2001)

Hey, it’s Beak! Hi Beak! (New X-Men #17)

And then the Xavier Institute changed forever. (New X-Men #17)

DAMMIT TRISH YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE BEAST THAT SAD (New X-Men #17)

Seriously. (New X-Men #17)

…with letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Saida Temofonte. (New X-Men #17)

No no no no (New X-Men #17)

Poor… everybody. (New X-Men #17)

And the Academy Award for Best Secretly Body-Swapped Lead Actress goes to… (New X-Men #17)

What trim level is that? (New X-Men #17)

NEXT TIME: X-Men vs. U-Men

520 – Head Like a (Black) Hole

April 5, 2026 Jay 8 comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS

In which several individuals are not what they seem; John Sublime sucks; Cyclops talks Xorn down from a cosmic ledge; we meet the inimitable Beak; and Cassandra Nova makes herself (limitedly) known.

X-PLAINED:

John Sublime
Marvelscope™
New X-Men 2001 Annual
New X-Men #117
Xorn
X-Corporation
The U-Men
Ao Jun (and his super gross mutant power)
Synchronized heists
Psychometry vs. telepathy
A big eventual twist
Beak (Barnell Bohusk)
A kiss
Some really fucked up use of telepathy
Some Moira MacTaggert continuity nonsense

NEXT EPISODE: U-Men vs. X-Men

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 519 – Beautiful People With Incredible Powers

March 29, 2026 Jay 4 comments

Listen to the podcast here!

Illustration by David Wynne

And so it begins. (New X-Men #114)

That is a damn stylish credits page. (New X-Men #114)

Cerebra. (New X-Men #114)

Well, fuck. (New X-Men #114)

Charles Xavier vs. Cassandra Nova, round 2 (although you won’t officially find that out ’til later). (New X-Men #114)

These covers! (New X-Men #115)

I really like the way Morrison writes these two. (New X-Men #115)

Alas, Ugly John, we hardly knew ye. (New X-Men #115)

She’s so evil, but also so fucking weird. (New X-Men #115)

The original Negasonic Teenage Warhead. (New X-Men #115)

So, that happened. (New X-Men #115)

It may be improbable, but I legitimately like the negative-space X as a statement. (New X-Men #116)

The return of Emma Frost. (New X-Men #116)

One of the most lingering images of the run. (New X-Men #116)

Oh. That’s bad. (New X-Men #116)

That’s not Charles Xavier. (New X-Men #116)

NEXT EPISODE: Beast has a bad day.

519 – Beautiful People With Incredible Powers

March 29, 2026 Jay 21 comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS

In which we start the Morrison Run; Professor X gets his hands on Chekhov’s gun; Cassandra Nova raises X-villains to a new level of weird; and humanity is running on borrowed time.

X-PLAINED:

No-Girl
New X-Men #114-116
Grant Morrison and their approach to the X-Men
Superhero fashion
Cerebra
Beast’s new look
Ugly John
Interpersonal dynamics
Cassandra Nova (somewhat)
Donald Trask
Master Molds
Wild Sentinels
Emma Frost (more) (again)
Negasonic Teenage Warhead (the original)
The fall of Genosha
Secondary mutations
The most strapless bra of all time
The Black Bug Room
Summers problems
Official X-Men and the designation thereof
Wonder Man and mutants

NEXT EPISODE: Beast has a bad day

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!

219 – Brutal Hearts: An Appreciation of Emma Frost (feat. Seanan McGuire, Leah Williams, Tea Fougner, Kel McDonald, and Diana Fox)

October 22, 2018 Jay 27 comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!

In which Jay recruits X-writers Seanan McGuire and Leah Williams, cosplayer Tea Fougner, and innocent bystanders Kel McDonald and Diana Fox, for a night of Emma Frost appreciation.

X-PLAINED:

Why Emma Frost is amazing; why we love her; and why you should, too.

NEXT EPISODE: Return of the RCX!

WHITE QUEEN COCKTAIL RECIPE:

Combine:

1.5 oz gin
.5 oz rose elderflower syrup
Splash of elixir vegetal
Prosecco to fill glass

Top off with:

Smoke bitters

No visual companion this week! Go read some comics about Emma Frost!

Find us on iTunes or Stitcher!

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!

We’re in the process of migrating our official shop to TeePublic! Click over to check it out! (You can still find the designs we haven’t moved yet at Redbubble.)