X is for The X-Men

X-Men King Size Annual #4

If push comes to shove, my all time favorite character is Nightcrawler. There was something smooth and suave about him. I loved the look of the character. I loved the simplicity of his costume. I loved his power and the mystery that surrounded him.

There was a time when comic book companies would put out an "Annual" issue. It was usually bigger and better than what could fit into a monthly book. It was something to look forward to.

This annual was released in 1980. It came out shortly after the death of Jean Grey and just as Kitty Pryde had joined the team. It was written by regular X-Men writer Chris Claremont, with art by John Romita Jr and Bob McLeod.

In this story, Nightcrawler is celebrating his 21st birthday. A mysterious gift arrives. This gift is a trap and Nightcrawler is apparently killed. Shortly after, the rest of the X-Men and Doctor Strange are sent to the Underworld to free him.

I'm not doing the story justice. It is a loose take on Dante's "Inferno" and added a great deal to Nightcrawler's backstory. To my 13 or 14 year old mind, it "read" like something more than just a comic book. To this day, it remains one of my all time favorite single issues.

It even caused the young teenager "me" to attempt to READ some Dante....I scurried back to the comics pretty quickly!

U is for Uncanny X-Men #175

One of my favorite comic book covers ever...

So many covers these days have little to nothing to do with the story inside.

Unlike the Uncanny X-Men 175 cover.

When I bought this issue, I had only been "officially" collecting for two or three months. I had no idea of the back story of this issue, having only bought three issues of the series. But I've always been wowed by this cover.

I love the colors, the action, and the fact that it does tie-in to the story inside. Of all the elements, I think the "claw" and the "rubble" are the most striking to me. Just glancing at the cover, you can pretty much figure out each character's abilities. You know who the "bad guy" is.

This cover was created by Paul Smith, who is often over-looked when mentioning the artists who drew the X-Men. I understand why when names like Jack Kirby, Neal Adams, Dave Cockrum, John Byrne and Jim Lee are attached to such a storied franchise. Smith only penciled 10 issues of the X-Men (#165-175, except #171) and he only worked 21 total covers for ANY comic in my entire collection (17 on his own and 4 with someone else inking him).

Regardless, this is the cover that stands out for me when I think about my collection.

N is for Nightcrawler

My all time favorite X-Men character.  There was something smooth and suave about him. I loved the look of the character. I loved the simplicity of his costume. I loved his power and the mystery that surrounded him.

My favorite version is the John Byrne version from Uncanny X-Men 108 to 141 but I could not find a decent scan of him!  So I used this one by Alan Davis from Excalibur.  It was a series with great promise that seemed to fizzle quick.  And like so many characters from my youth, when I rediscovered comics in the last few years, Kurt Wagner was no longer someone I recognized.

G is for Jean Grey

Jean Grey was one of the founding members of the X-Men.  She was also the first comic book character to be killed in a story I read.

When she joined the X-Men, as Marvel Girl, Jean had the powers of telepathy (she could read minds) and telekinesis (she could move things with her mind).  She originally wore the costume shown here.  It was similar to the outfits the other four members of the X-Men wore.

In their early adventures, Jean did not play a very big role but was still a valuable member of the team. 

As their adventures continued, the X-Men graduated and Jean designed a new costume for herself and her teammates.  Time went on, and Jean, along with most of the original X-Men, left the team to try to live normal lives.

After some time passed, Jean rejoined the X-Men.  On an emergency mission in outer space, the X-Men find that their space shuttle has been damaged.  There is no way to fly the ship back to Earth.  Jean volunteers to use her powers to guide the ship back, knowing that she will probably be killed during the journey.

Miraculously, Jean is not killed.  Instead, the radiation in space causes her powers to increase.  She is no longer the same woman.  Now, she is Phoenix.  She is very powerful.

However, a group of villains try to capture and brainwash Phoenix to use her immense powers for their own nefarious purposes.  During the battle to rescue her, Phoenix becomes evil. She now calls herself Dark Phoenix and is a danger to the entire universe.

The X-Men, lead by their leader, the powerful telepath named Professor Xavier, do everything they can to help contain Dark Phoenix.  After an incredible battle of the minds, Jean Grey gains control and once again becomes Marvel Girl.

While the story could have ended happily, a group of aliens, lead by Professor Xavier's true love, Princess Lilandra, decide Jean Grey might become Dark Phoenix again and she must die.

The X-Men rally to Jean's side.  They battle a large group of alien fighters.  But the odds are overwhelming.  During the battle, the X-Men start to fall!  This causes Jean to become Dark Phoenix.

Part of Jean's goodness remains inside of her.  She tries to fight the power of Dark Phoenix.  Only Jean's true love, Scott Summers, the mutant Cyclops, remains standing with her.  Jean realizes there is only one way out.

In order to stop the fighting....in order to save the universe from the danger of Dark Phoenix...in order to protect the people she loves, Jean sacrifices her own life.

I had never known a superhero could turn evil...I never knew a superhero could die.  It was kind of a big deal for me.