X-Men (comic)
X-Men is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics, first introduced in 1963 by creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The series features a diverse cast of superhero mutants, each endowed with unique abilities, who often navigate challenges related to their identities and societal acceptance. The original team included notable characters like Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Iceman, and they operate under the guidance of Professor Charles Xavier. Initially facing struggles in popularity, the series saw a revival in the mid-1970s and transformed into a cultural phenomenon, particularly during the 1980s under writer Chris Claremont.
X-Men is renowned for its exploration of social justice themes, particularly the marginalization of minority groups, drawing parallels to real-world issues such as racism and LGBTQ+ discrimination. Iconic storylines, such as the "Dark Phoenix Saga" and "Days of Future Past," delve into complex narratives involving sacrifice, identity, and the consequences of societal fear. Over the decades, the franchise has expanded to include successful film adaptations, animated series, and a wealth of merchandise, solidifying its place in popular culture. Through its intricate storytelling and rich symbolism, X-Men continues to resonate with audiences, prompting reflections on diversity and acceptance.
X-Men (comic)
X-Men is a comic book series produced by Marvel Comics that involves dozens of characters and numerous story lines. The popular series, which was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the 1960s, has spawned a successful film franchise, a cartoon television series, and tons of related merchandise. Although the series is about a team of superhero mutants with extraordinary abilities, many of the series' themes focus on issues of social justice, such as the marginalization of minority groups.
History
Lee and Kirby introduced the world to the X-Men in X-Men #1 in 1963. In this first appearance, the X-Men are depicted as a team of teenage superhero mutants who hide their identities from the world at Professor Charles Xavier's (code name: Professor X) School for Gifted Youngsters in upstate New York. The original team consisted of Scott Summers (Cyclops), Jean Grey (Marvel Girl), Bobby Drake (Iceman), Hank McCoy (Beast), and Warren Worthington III (Angel). All of the mutants, including Professor X, have unique abilities. For instance, Angel has wings and can fly, while Marvel Girl has the power of telekinesis, or the ability to move objects with her mind. In their first battle, the X-Men face off against evil mutant Magneto, who has the ability to control magnetic fields.
Despite this exciting concept, the series did not perform well during its early years. By 1970, X-Men had been cancelled. However, the cancellation did not last long. The series was retooled for Giant-Size X-Men #1, released in 1975. In this new book, only Cyclops and Professor X remain from the old X-Men team. The new team, which was the creation of Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, featured mutants from around the world, including Storm, Nightcrawler, and Wolverine. Following this reintroduction, writer Chris Claremont took control of the series. He helped turn X-Men into the most popular comic book series on the market during the 1980s. Claremont remained at the helm of the series until the early 1990s.
The end of Claremont's reign brought new writers, artists, and stories to the series. Writers and artists such as Fabian Nicieza, Peter David, and Brandon Peterson created some of the most memorable story lines of the 1990s. In the early 2000s, famous names in and outside of the comic industry, such as Grant Morrison and Joss Whedon, created stories for the series, taking some of X-Men's most familiar characters in new directions.
By the twenty-first century, there were many X-Men spin-offs and crossover books. The movie franchise launched in 2000 with the release of X-Men and continued through 2016 with the release of X-Men: Apocalypse. This level of attention helped the comic book series, in its various incarnations, remain commercially successful over the years.
Notable Story Lines
The X-Men universe has multiple story lines involving many characters across dozens of books. Nevertheless, there have been several noteworthy story lines during the series' more than fifty-year run.
One of these was the "Dark Phoenix Saga," which spanned several issues of the Uncanny X-Men during the 1980s. In this series, Jean Grey survives an accident that should have killed her. However, she emerges from the accident altered. She has new powers and a new code name—Phoenix. Soon, the X-Men realize that Jean has been taken over by a dark cosmic spirit known as the Phoenix Force and that her powers are out of control. A race of aliens determines that the only way to stop the Phoenix is to destroy the solar system, forcing Jean to sacrifice herself to save the world. This story line was significant because it was the first time a major character died, even though Jean returned in later story lines.
The "Days of Future Past" story line, featured in several issues in 1980, focuses on mutant Kitty Pryde, who becomes possessed by a future version of herself. This version of Kitty warns the X-Men of a terrible future where mutants have been hunted into near extinction following the murder of an anti-mutant senator. However, their attempts to prevent this from occurring may result in the future they fear no matter what they do. This story line was especially important because it created alternate timelines that would become important later in the series and in the wider Marvel universe.
Another important X-Men story line took place in the 2005 limited series House of M. In this series, all but 198 of the millions of mutants worldwide lose their powers. This creates new questions for the mutants about their existence and forces them to re-examine their place in society.
Symbolism
One of the most significant themes of the X-Men series is the marginalization of one group from the rest of society. As mutants, the X-Men are feared by humans, even though they are trying to protect humans from evil forces. Throughout the series' run, the mutants have been viewed as metaphors for historically marginalized groups, including African Americans, German Jews, and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. For example, the "Days of Future Past" story line reveals a future in which mutants are put into internment camps and branded with the letter "M." This is reminiscent of the treatment of the Jews during the Holocaust.
Another story line parallels the treatment of gay individuals during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s. In "X-Cutioner's Song," a story line from several X-Men books in the early 1990s, a supervillain from the future infects Professor X with a terminal techno-virus that strikes only mutants at first but then infects non-mutants as well.
Bibliography
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McMillan, Graeme. "'X-Men: Apocalypse': First Trailer Promises Death and Destruction for Humanity." Hollywood Reporter. Hollywood Reporter. 11 Dec. 2015. Web. 8 Mar. 2016. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/x-men-apocalypse-first-trailer-847867
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