Starting an education NateR would be proud of

[VCURamFan]

Back in 2006, Marvel released a 5 part DVD series that contained all X-Men issues to date. I just downloaded DVD #1 which includes the first 93 issues of The Uncanny X-Men (1963-1975) as well as the first 25 annuals (1965-2001). I'm really stoked about this. I've loved the X-Men for awhile, but my only real knowledge of the story lines was mainly thansk to the animated TV show & the arcade game (please, NateR, don't strike me down for my impurity!). Anyhow, now that I'm out of college, I figured I should start educating myself on what's truly important!

First comment: Beast was a lot crasser in the original! He gets pissed easily & within 3 pages of first meeting Jean Grey, he's already getting handsy & trying to make-out with her!!!

O, & "Slim" Summers?

[Neezar]

I don't have a lot of free time on my hands so I look forward to your short but informative summaries. Oh, and of course, your own witty input on the story.

[VCURamFan]

There are a coupla things I'm really excited about: my 3 favorite mutants are easily Beast, Iceman & Angel. Since they're 3 of the original 5 X-Men, I'm stoked that I'll get to watch their characters grow from right off the bat. The coolest thing is that these 3 characters under-go some of the greatest aesthetic changes as their stories are developed & these physical changes mimic their internal maturation.

On top of that, I'm going to enjoy just being able to immerse myself in this facet of Stan Lee's universe & try to understand his world-view & the underlying premise he's trying to promote. Now that I'm old enough to realize that there's subtext to everything, whether intended or not, I'm interested to see how subtle Stan & Co. were.

[J.B.]

The title of this thread is perfect buzzard bait...

Clearly you are only reading X-Men to suck up to Nate.

[VCURamFan]

Originally Posted by J.B.

The title of this thread is perfect buzzard bait...

Clearly you are only reading X-Men to suck up to Nate.

Yup, it can't possibly be that I've always wanted to read the back-issues & never had the opportunity until now. I clearly hate all things super-hero, but desperately want to impress NateR so I can get that mod-ship I've been drooling over.

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by VCURamFan

so I can get that mod-ship I've been drooling over.

or one of them golden tickets!

[VCURamFan]

Originally Posted by J.B.

or one of them golden tickets!

So I can take over the chocolate factory when he retires/ODs on acid? Eff that, I'm selling the gobstopper!!

[VCURamFan]

OK, here's the issue #1 synopsis for Neezy:

• Meet the first four X-Men:

• Angel (aka Warren Worthignton, III) - Has large white wings & can fly thanks to his hollow bones
• Beast (aka Hank McCoy) - Amazingly strong & agile
• Cyclops (aka Scott "Slim" Summers) - Shoots concussive energy blasts from his eyes
• Iceman (aka Bobby Drake) - Can freeze water particles in the air to form shields, projectiles, etc.
  
• Jean Grey (aka Marvel Girl) arrives & joins the team - Has the power of telekinesis
• Magneto (aka Eric ) takes over a military base - Controls fields of magnetism & therefore all metallic objects
• X-Men are dispatched to fight him
• X-Men win

So about 10 pages after he tries to make-out with her, Beast gets busted for peeking around the corner as jean's putting on her uniform!

[NateR]

Originally Posted by VCURamFan

Back in 2006, Marvel released a 5 part DVD series that contained all X-Men issues to date. I just downloaded DVD #1 which includes the first 93 issues of The Uncanny X-Men (1963-1975) as well as the first 25 annuals (1965-2001). I'm really stoked about this. I've loved the X-Men for awhile, but my only real knowledge of the story lines was mainly thansk to the animated TV show & the arcade game (please, NateR, don't strike me down for my impurity!). Anyhow, now that I'm out of college, I figured I should start educating myself on what's truly important!

First comment: Beast was a lot crasser in the original! He gets pissed easily & within 3 pages of first meeting Jean Grey, he's already getting handsy & trying to make-out with her!!!

O, & "Slim" Summers?

Yeah, Beast's scholarly personality didn't start to show up until about the 4th issue or so and he became less and less brutish and more civilized as the series went on. He's my favorite X-Men character as well and I've always preferred his original human form (to read about his transformation to the blue and furry Beast, you'll have to read Amazing Adventures #11-17).

Anyways, the original X-men series only lasted 66 issues before being relegated to reprints and ultimately cancelled. It had always been one of Marvel's poorest selling books and you'll see lots of desperate changes in the last 20-30 issues trying to save the series from cancellation.

Despite that, it's still one of the most enjoyable series of that era. Completely ahead of its time and revolutionary and it would take the comic book world decades to catch up.

The "All New, All Different" X-Men (soon to be Uncanny X-Men) took up the reigns in issue #94 and everything you read there will ultimately lead up to the Dark Phoenix Saga, which climaxes in issue #137 and is easily the single greatest story in all of comic book history.

After you read all of this stuff, then you'll see just what a great injustice to the source material the animated series and the movies really were.

Anyways, have fun I know you'll enjoy it.

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by VCURamFan

So I can take over the chocolate factory when he retires/ODs on acid? Eff that, I'm selling the gobstopper!!