Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men

66 comments

  1. Question for Rachel and miles x-plain the x-men. What do you think of the recent announcement of wolverine’s death? Do you think it will last? If it does how will it affect the marvel universe? Lastly what are the best wolverine stories?

  2. In episode four, you mentioned about a song/rap dealing with the X-Men. Check out “The X-Men Song” by the Ray Wall Band. X-Men…the musical!

  3. Question: How does wolverines hair fit with his mask. Is it pinned down on the back when he puts the mask on, or is his mask designed specifically to mimic the shape of his hair so it fits right into the black bit?

  4. Question for Rachel and miles x-plain the x-men: Where is Sage after the X-Terminated story line? She’s my favorite forgotten X-Man. She has Roma’s memories and a computer brain. She should be leading a team. Can you mention any of the big hanging plot lines that never got resolved (ex: Summers Bro., the 12).

    Love your show. I listened to the first 7 in one sitting. 🙂

  5. First I love the podcast, I jumped into X-men because of the Fox cartoon and my first issue was X-Men #28. I collected faithfully all the related X-books until 1999. I have a question, for both of you to answer. Besides Cyclops, in your opinion who is the quintisenal X-Man and why? I know my thoughts on this but Id like to hear yours.

  6. Hey Rachel and Miles! Love the show! Heard about via recommendation from my other favorite podcast, DCR. I love that you guys are so light-hearted about the frankly detrimental issues that the comics suffers from at times. Also, Greg Rucka is now on my bucket list of people to meet. He’s so hilariously deadpan. Anyway, I guess I should throw a question in here to make it legit, so here goes. I’ve heard not great things about both Wolverine and the X-Men(the comic not the show, which was so great) as well as the current Uncanny X-Men, and I was wondering which currently running X-Men title is the “essential” title to be reading. I’m curious to hear you guys’ opinion.

    Check out some of my art by searching thebaddestfrag on Instagram, and expect to see a skydiving Nightcrawler chugging a Dew, wearing roller skates strapped to a skateboard any day now.

    P.S. I’m from way way south Georgia, and no, no one says “Nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockingchairs” anymore, if they ever did. Just setting the record straight.

    1. They didn’t when we lived in North Carolina, either, and that’s a damn shame: it’s a fantastically vivid idiom.

      1. Maybe an Alabama thing? The electric motorcycle adventure rider/writer has a lot of colorful phrases such as “busier than a cat burying a turd on marble floor”,and my favorite one as worn out as a 2 dollar whore on buckle night”.

  7. Absolutely love the Rachel & Miles! You two are the highlight of my week! Well, you & comic book day! Just wanted to let you know there is an interesting episode (episode #49…it’s the newest episode) on Nerdist Writer’s Podcast comics edition, with Chris Claremont & Len Wein talking about Wolverine. Just thought I’d let you know, in case you missed it.

  8. Ok, since discovering your podcast I have come up with many questions. The most pressing at the moment though, is Rachel, where did you get those rad cyclops shades?

  9. Question: I’m a huge fan of Emma frost, what comics would you recommend with Emma frost at her best?

    Second question: If you could have any superpower from the x-men universe what would it be and why?

    p.s- Love the show keep it up.

  10. Hi guys! I’m a HUGE fan from Utah, but I’m on vacation here on Portland till Sunday morning. My friend mike is a huge fans and actually introduced me to your amazing podcast. I was wondering if it would be at all possible to pick up a couple signed T-shirt’s from you both. It’d make the ultimate X-mas X-men X-plained present! I hope to hear back from you!

    1. Unfortunately, all of our t-shirts are print-to-order through Redbubble, which means we don’t have any in stock locally. Sorry!

      (Tangentially: I really appreciate you getting in touch–and you sound like an awesome and very thoughtful friend–but in the future, I’d really prefer that folks e-mail us with requests like this. We both enjoy meeting listeners, and we’d like to accommodate requests like this where we can; but maintaining show/private life boundaries is something I’m pretty hard-line on (Miles is significantly more flexible there, FWIW); and I’m uncomfortable with the precedents that responding publicly to requests like this could set.)

  11. Hey, guys, I’ve been a fan of the podcast for about a month now and love the podcast it is the first thing I listen to every Tuesday. Doesn’t Claremont get overrated at times? When was the last time he wrote something great? Keep up the great work, Make Mine Marvel

  12. I’m up to episode #4 and hooked. Thanks EW (also known as ‘The Bible’ in my house) for sending me your way. You guys are really fun and have great insights and opinions! (I never realized what a dick Xavier truly is – but you’re right!) X-cited for what’s ahead you!
    Thanks again!

    1. Right, thanks to EW, I finally listened to a podcast, and I am glad to have learned of yours. I am revisiting the comics as I share them with my nephew who is as obsessed as I was, and this is making the experience delicious!

  13. Hi guys, I have been listening to your show for quite a while and I finally have a question for you two. I was rewatching the X-men TAS with some friends and in Days of Future Past Part 1 episode in the first season they show Jubilee’s tombstone. It has her death date as 2010. So my questions for you guys are in what issue in Curse of the Mutants does Jubilee actually become a vampire and do you know the release date of that issue? If its in 2010 then X-men TAS effectively predicted the future.

    P.S. You guys have me really interested in Excalibur and have now begun collecting it.

  14. So I’ve pretty much binge listened (is that a thing?) to your podcast netflix style. Its great to find a podcast that actually gives Scott Summers his due! He’s my favorite and its refreshing to hear positives! Thanks guys you rock!

  15. Do you guys meet up with fans? I’d love to meet you all if you are ever in the Dallas area. Love you guys podcast. None of my friends are comic book nerds like me so I don’t ever get to talk about it with anyone so I am addicted to listening to you guys. Take care! Thanks for all the fun content!

    1. We’ve organized one meetup–at ECCC this past spring–which was a lot of fun; and we’re hoping to do that regularly at or around any cons we attend! Right now, most of those are in the PNW, because travel is super expensive; if you want to see us elsewhere, the best way to make that happen is probably to encourage your hometown show that we’d be super cool guests.

  16. I know Fox has the film rights to the X-Men and mutants, but as far as I know that only holds for feature films.
    I have seen the X-Men in Marvel animated shows. Do you think we will ever see a Marvel produced X-Men (or better New Mutants) show like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Daredevil?

  17. When are you doing a cold open about Sugar Man? He’s got to be on the list at some point. Love the podcast btw.

  18. So question, what tablet would you buy for reading the Marvel Unlimited digital books? Hopefully sub 500 bucks. I need some X-Men in my life.

    1. I used to use my iPad 3 but, while that is the perfect screen size to act like an actual comic book, it gets heavy to handle one-handed. I got rid of that iPad and got an iPad mini and I absolutely LOVE reading comics on it. Splash pages need to be rotated to be read well but other than that, it’s light, it’s high enough resolution to look good, and it’s SO portable! That said, I see no reason that if you are ok with a tablet that maybe the screen isn’t the best and you just want to use if to read comic books, the $50 Fire Tablet would be great! I’ve thought of getting one just because it’s so cheap to play with. Only problem is that I’m not sure the Unlimited app is on the tablet. However, a quick google search will let you know how to install google play apps on a Fire Tablet.

  19. Hey guys! Longtime listener to the podcast, and I recently started reading Uncanny X-Men (Post AVX) and since I love Cyclops and love hearing you guys ponder complex character traits, I’m wondering how you reconcile who Scott is now with who he was. I know him from the 90s cartoon and Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men, and Grant Morrison’s New X-Men, so help me understand what led that guy to essentially be the new face of the mutant revolution. I’m a little behind on my episodes (Listening to 64 right now) so I hope this hasn’t been covered. Love the show! Thanks!

    P.S. The goose question was amazing.

  20. Still having a lot of difficulty downloading your podcast…
    I anyone else having trouble? Ive tried everything i can think of with different devices and different internet sources, but i have to refresh 4-5 times every episode because it keeps failing. None of the other podcasts seem to have this problem. Am I doing something wrong? Love the show and plan on continuing to deal with this issue, but I would love some advice if anyone has any!
    Thanks

    1. That’s so weird – we haven’t heard about problems like that from other folks. I’ve found the best way to listen is to use a podcatcher like iTunes, the iOS Podcasts app, or Stitcher, since they pre-download episodes so that you don’t have to worry about buffering or other streaming problems.

      Anyone else have any suggestions?

      1. i semi-solved the problem by going through a podcast directory. still not perfect, but better. i have a lot of problems with technology that make less sense than the marvel universe, so i’ll just live with it. love the show,once again. can’t wait to hear whats next!

  21. All right. I’ll endeavor to not get too deeply into The Feels as I write this. Know up front that I only very recently discovered your podcast and am still working to get caught up in order. Just finished Episode 29, “Mutant in a Box”.

    Your podcast is beginning to mean something personal to me. I explained recently via email that the first thing I ever read on my own, much less aloud, was X-Men #104, and haven’t missed anything since. As I said then, if you ever had a Target Demographic, I am that guy.

    As I’ve said, I’ve read every issue of everything X-Men-related since the late 70s. Spin-offs, New Mutants, limited series, crossovers. All of it. Much of the larger Marvel Universe, but at any given time in my life it always will come back to any and all X-related shit.

    I live in a small, relatively rural town. I eventually met kids like me later in life, but all this Marvel madness was a solitary pursuit for most of my childhood. Rarely have I had folks in my life with whom I could speak about comics without having to stifle my enthusiasm or mute just how far into these stories I had read. A great example is your great and disgusted reaction to Scott and Madelyne sending a boudoir shot to Xavier from their honeymoon. I remember very well that this was my reaction too, when I read it back then, but have never in my life and small town had anyone I could talk about that with who would have enough frame of reference to understand the hows and whys of that conversation.

    But you guys do, with the same enthusiasm and damn-near eidetic recall to which I approach these things. And I just can’t thank you enough. Your podcast means a bunch to me now, and I just want you to know how grateful I am to have someone to go over all these stories and characters with me.

    Thank you.

    1. Those exact gut reactions and heartfelt connections are why so many of us like you gravitate here. And keep coming back.

      Welcome to the family.
      Hope you survive the experience. >|-)

  22. i just wanted to say thank you so much for your podcast. Ever since the 90’s cartoon x-men show i have loved the x-men. at that point in my life i absolutely would have jumped in and started reading the comics, unfortunately due to my Dyslexia and the way comics are formatted my brain is not able to decipher them. everything is just a jumble in my head and i can’t read them. so when i discovered your podcast summer 2015 i was so excited. i started on episode 1 and just binge it. i had you guys playing when ever i was out of the house, which was a lot. I would even put you on when it was slow at work. i quickly caught up and get excited every time a new episode appears on my phone. you guys are my window into the the world of x-men and i can’t thank you enough for that.

    sorry for being so mushy but ay

  23. First of all, the both of you are Awesome. I love the podcast!…I’ve been renovating my building and your show has made my days fly by. Thank you. I was a die-hard Uncanny X-men fan in the 80’s and the both of you have inspired me to dig those old books out and re-read them. Two questions: have the current X-men writers/artists ever reached out to either of you in order to clear-up any current questions about the Marvel multiverse? It seems like the two of you are spot on with your analysis and critique of the X-men…and, do either of you aspire toward writing your own X-men related title? Keep up the good work and keep on keepin’ on.

  24. Just started listening to you guys! A little late to the game I know but I was driving with my wife and baby 10 hours both ways on a trip and your podcast kept me sorta sane the whole way. I was loving one of your first episodes, #3 I believe where you talk about the 90’s cartoon. I grew up on that era of comics, I know most people hate all the pouches on costumes from the 90s but I have a spot in my heart for them! Anyway I was hoping someone would talk about sabertooths nude colored costume and flowing mane cause for the longest time I thought he was running around naked ha! Am I the only one who thought that?
    Your podcast is great!

  25. I have a couple of questions for Jay about Daredevil. I finished Frank Miller’s run and I’m toward the end of Brian Bendis’s run. I would like more recommendations and I trust their judgement. Also, I want to hear Jay’s opinion on the fridging filled personal life of Matt Murdock.

    Also, if Jay wants to start a Daredevil podcast, they’ve got one listener.

  26. I would like to say that you guys are A bright spot in the dark clouds that sometimes surrounds my day to day life. I look forward to your humor and your expertise and the all-around good vibes you guys give off. I don’t really have An X-Men question but I just wanted you guys to know that you are doing something right. Thank you

  27. hey, you rock. I quit reading the x-books around 1992, and I wasn’t really into them, just sort of followed them back then. I’d like to get back into them, but it’s really daunting and I don’t know where to start. do you have a guide or know of one which will could get a x-newbie or former reader back into things?

  28. Such an amazing podcast just found it a few days ago and I’m hooked. You guys are great I have been hooked on the xmen since I was little and my dads addiction to comics became my own. Definitely will catch up with the episodes quickly.

  29. Wasn’t sure where to post this, but as soon as I saw this video on the terrible things Professor X has done I thought of Jay! You might have seen this already, but, in case you haven’t, here’s a link!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS07llAuLxU

    Side note, I hope you’re enjoying your sabbatical and New York city!

  30. Where did Jay get the awesome x-factor hoodie and do they come in the brown and yellow of beasts 2nd x-factor costume

  31. Once again I’m a bit late but OMG I’M SO GLAD YOU GOT TO SHINOBI! He’s like my favorite part of the 1990s and I’m glad you highlighted just HOW FREAKING RIDICULOUS HE IS! The Shinobi Shaw voice at the end was AMAZING!

  32. I’ve been an X-man fan since I was 13 (just turned 18) and was brought awareness to your podcast just last month. I adore the way you guys have covered the sometimes confusing continuity, and yes I started at episode 1, and wan’t y’all to know that you do our favorite superhero soap opera proud!

  33. I just had to leave a comment and thank you guys so much for providing the best podcast in the universe! Your passion and excitement is infectious and have totally reignited my obsession with X-Men. X-Men was my life as a kid but then I stopped reading comics for at least 20 years but recently jumped back into the game and came across your podcast at the perfect time. Just found it a couple months ago and already on Episode 93. Just wanted to show so love and thank you both so much for the amazing show you give us X-Fans and keep it up!

  34. I am still laughing at Jay shouting (as Storm) I want a cheese pizza! With mushrooms!

    You guys are hilarious.

  35. On a different note, why, when I click on the picture above to enlarge it to see what was on the bookshelf (Sandman?), does it enlarge upside down?

  36. Jay why are you so rude to miles? I feel bad for him. Your supposed to be explaining a comic. Instead your correcting miles and putting your own ideas in to a comic your supposed to love.

  37. Grate show guys, keep up the good work. Do you think you are better than the Uncanny x-cast. Well anyway keep up the good work and I love the Podcast. It helps a blind guy like me who can’t access the commics learn a lot about the characters. I wasn’t exactly sure where to post my question so I wrote it on your conctact link.

  38. A question for Jay. In your former role as an editor, what is your take on the X-Universe Editorial driven comics that you and Miles are currently reviewing? From the editor and artist driving the books that lead to Simonson and Claremont leaving the books. To writers being hired guns for editorial mandate and not being allowed to drive the stories themselves. Bob Harris saying I don’t get this so change it. Even such thing as Jean and Scott’s marriage because Harris had just been married. Do you think this is over stepping bounds? I feel good stories came out of this time, but I can see how tensions could (and were) be very high in the X-offices.

  39. I turn 45 on Saturday and have managed to procreate 3 times. The oldest 22, the youngest, 6. Somewhere in between those two ages, I found our Marvelous Mutants of Marvel and in them, drew immense strength during an onerous childhood. Having had gone through some rough times in the last couple of weeks, I turned to the thing that brought me so much comfort then, and in doing so, I found your podcast. I’m only on episode 5, and to my surprise – there are 245 more to go. Approximately 184 hours more X-Men X-Planation … X-celsior! I don’t know you, but I love you for this. Even if I skip a few here and there – The naivete of my youth wants to sincerely thank you for investing so much in this. For letting me know that I haven’t been alone in loving these characters, in hoping to find strength in a community of outcasts, and reminding me that life is better with a team. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Magneto, indeed, made some valid points- A

  40. Thank goodness!

    I recently discovered this podcast (via a comment on a thread on themarysue.com) and am listening to it from the beginning.

    So, in proper X-fashion, I’m time-shifted by approximately five years, which is fine, and at my current rate I will catch up in a year or so.

    FWIW I’ve been tracking the X-Men comics, in varying degrees of paying attention, for 30 years or so.

    The time-shift is fine because the X-Men in some ways are timeless (or not), but it’s fun listening to you talking about trepidation about the “upcoming” Days of Future Past movie.

    And I’m guessing (remember I’m still five years in the past) that in spite of your general annoyance of the surfeit of Wolverine. you will have liked the Logan movie. A lot. Possibly even more because (spoilers) he clearly dies. Final death, no resurrection. With Hugh Jackman finally tapdancing his way off to Showman-business.

    (I have no idea what the X-Men have been up to in the last 5 years except I know Skrulls were involved at one point — the ultimate hack device, next to clones.)

    But… BUT… I am aware that the podcast is now called “Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men”, whereas back in 2014 when I am (adverbs are confusing), it’s called “Rachel & Miles…”.

    DID SOMETHING HAPPEN??? WELL, DID IT? (Claremont voice.)

    And I just listened Episode 14 or so where it was confirmed that Rachel & Miles are, well, more than an item, they/you have been married for 9 years at this point.

    Gulp. I, five years in the past, have had to worry about what will have happened. I have already come to care about you two and your mile-a-minute dialog/banter that spoke of long-term connectedness. (“And they were married, too!”)

    But I spoiled the suspense (hence, the “thank goodness”) by reading http://postcardsfromspace.tumblr.com/post/132414301818/in-which-i-achieve-a-state-of-perfect-self-parody — and am relieved.

    Rock on, and Excelsior, and all that!

    1. The answer to the questions you seek may he found in Jay’s article: https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/how-to-be-a-guy-doing-it-in-public

      If you read it, the answers shall come (hopefully, eventually). =P

      P.S. Portland Metro Area listener here—glad to see the show is rockin’ on into perpetuity! ❤️?

      I thank @AdamTheAlien for the recommendation & the crew of @DJSwitch’s weekly jam session for introducing me to J&M’s most EXCELLENT theme song producer! Muahahahaha! The win is most excellent!

      Am I curious, though, if Miles & Jay can actually talk that fast IRL, or doth thou use post to speed that stoof up?

      The Dragon Lord

  41. My iTunes glitched and jumped back 4 months and started replaying all the old episodes. Instead of skipping past them, I decided to re-listen to them and got to be reminded of “a pedant of Edidins.” It was the delight of my day. Thank you for creating such a quality and funny podcast!

  42. I have no idea how i came across your guy’s podcast but I’m so glad i did. I’ve been an on and off reader of x-men since the mid 80’s. Its so awesome that your recapping the entire run! Theres things I never even knew. I’ve been binging this show for the past 3 months and I’m all about caught up. Keep up the great work, you guys are awesome!!! Thanks so much

  43. Hi guys,

    I’ve just recently discovered your show on Spotify and love it. Do you have any podcasts dealing with Chris Claremont’s “X-Men Forever” series?

  44. Ok. I hope I’m breaking this story. Otherwise I’ll delete this comment and delete myself from the internet.

    I’ve only just discovered this podcast, as a lifetime X-Men reader. I first got into it at age 3 when I was given a Cyclops happy meal toy which was for some reason also a car: the Cyclomobile. Devoured the X-Men TAS in the 90s as a kid, and then got my first X-Men comic through a 7-11 slurpee giveaway. Got hooked on the comics. After that I had a strange intro, as a 10 year old I got the massive trade paperbacks of the Len Wein / Dave Cockrum Giant Size X-Men 1 and it continued into the Chris Claremont / John Byrne era. I’m only just up to the Claremont era in the podcast (started a week ago), but I think I might be breaking news here about the X-Men The Animated Series:
    Cover: The 90s X-Men stand shocked.
    Tagline: The Iconic X-Men The Animated Series Theme Song revealed to be … STOLEN!
    Yes, not sure if you talk about this on the podcast later, but the theme song was stolen from (wait for it): “from a 1980s Hungarian TV series … Linda, a comedy thriller that aired from 1984-91 in the former Soviet Union satellite”

    https://deadline.com/2019/10/x-men-theme-song-lawsuit-marvel-disney-amazon-apple-linda-1202756336/

    If this has already been reported, I’ll fake my own death and get the Changeling to fill in for me. That, or I’ll go outside and the hostile narrator can yell at me until I yell back.

    1. Hmm… ? Well, whatever the case, the YouTube video of the evidence seems to have been taken down, which I find interesting. ???‍♂️?

  45. Hi! Recently I have been binge listening to the podcast and I realized that Mystique tends to turn into silver age Angel a lot, especially in the late 90’s I was wondering if there is a reason why?

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