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The X-Men Project : Children of the Atom

Uncanny X-Men 1-23 (1963-1966)

Collected in X-Men Epic Collections 1 : Children of the Atom

I’ve started this project a few times, and haven’t gotten too far -- but my main goal was to read through the main canon of X-Men comics chronologically for some time now. I’m taking a new approach this time - reading them via trade paperback (and sometimes omnibus). And of course in doing so, I’ve got to start at the beginning - which may be part of the reason this keeps slowing me down from getting too far.

Because I have to start with Silver Age comics.

So… long comic book history story short - the Golden Age of comics started in the 30s with the advent of comic adventures and super heroes. Batman, Superman, Captain America - all larger than life heroes that kids could fall in love with. And kids did - until the war came and changed things and comics were on the decline for a while and then - bam! The 60s happened, and both DC and Marvel flourished in brightly colored, campy glory.

The thing about Silver Age comics, though, is that these stories, while iconic, sure; were written for 8-12-year-old boys growing up in the early sixties. There’s kind of a simple, standardness to all of them. And while I won’t argue that modern day superhero comics are the cutting edge of literature or anything, Silver Age comics feel antiquated in a charming albeit somewhat dull way.

Here’s the thing though - I’ve only read X-Men Silver Age comics. The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, The Avengers, and even Hulk were regarded in much higher standing. And while Stan Lee’s idea to have superheroes naturally have powers -- unlike the plethora of humans being bombarded by radiation and getting their powers through increasingly more ridiculous ways - The X-Men were unique among superheroes. But that didn’t make them all that interesting to read. In fact - X-Men was the lowest read book for most of its original run.

So… is it really that bad?

Let’s break it down!

The first trade paper I’m covering is part of the Epic Collections series - and covers the first 23 issues of Uncanny X-Men (the original run, which was just X-Men, I don’t think ‘Uncanny’ came until Chris Claremont). It’s mostly written by Stan Lee (who leaves after issue 19 and is replaced by Roy Thomas) and drawn by the infamous Jack Kirby (who also leaves the book around 19, though other artists were helping with book many issues before).

I feel like there’s a bit of novelty when you say Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. But I think there’s a difference between nostalgia and quality. Stan Lee is… fine as a writer. I don’t think he does anything that special with the X-Men (while I haven’t read any other Silver Age - I’ve heard his work on other books was much better). Jack Kirby’s art, though, is classic and clean and is the more interesting aspect to these comics.

Each of the comics run a little bit in the same way. We get an introduction (or reintroduction) to our heroes, the rise of some villainous conflict, the first fight in which our heroes lose and the second fight after a regrouping where our heroes win -- or on rare occasions things are postponed until the next issue. Story arcs weren’t really a thing, neither was characterization. Most of the comic is action based with the heroes using their powers to fight the bad guy. And that’s, well, kind of it.

The X-Men

The original line-up of X-Men might feel a little odd to people who are used to the movies or modern day comics. Everyone knows that Charles Xavier founded the X-Men and runs a school in New York, but half the cast of the original movie hadn’t even been created yet.

Charles Xavier - Mutant ability: Telepath and Telekinetic. In a wheelchair. The X-Men kind of all look up to him as a father like figure (especially Cyclops who is an orphan). There are some aspects of his characterization that don’t necessarily hold up well -- such as his uncomfortable admiration of Jean Grey. He also just has some odd unethical morals -- there are too many of these comics that end with Xavier literally just wiping out the bad guys’ and even civilians’ minds just to end the conflict. He also had the tendency to fake his own illnesses to teach the X-Men a lesson.

Scott Summers/Cyclops - The Leader - Mutant ability: shoots lasers out of his eyes. Cyclops probably has the most distinct characterization right out of the gate. He’s moody and broody and tormented about his mutation. He’s interested in Jean Grey right from the start but can never tell her his true feelings. (This is the closest we get to any kind of human interest drama in these comics - though it’s infrequent and never built upon.) He takes life and his X-Men-ing very seriously.

Warren Worthington III/Angel - The Playboy - Mutant Ability: Wings. He can fly! He’s charming! And… that’s about it. He’s rich and kind of has a flippant attitude about anything. But it’s kind of hilarious at how lackluster he is. He also sorta has eyes for Jean because you can’t have romantic drama without a love triangle.

Hank McCoy/Beast - The Brainiac - Mutant Ability: Giant limbs and superhuman dexterity. This was long before Beast was Blue! And it even takes a few issues for him to be defined as the smart one. You can tell that whoever was writing Beast had a thesaurus next to them, as Beast cannot talk like a normal person. He and Iceman are (kind of by default) bffs - though that isn’t developed as much in this first batch of issues.

Bobby Drake/Iceman - The Jokester - Mutant Ability: Can freeze things, including himself. He’s the youngest of the X-Men, and is always goofing around, never taking anything that seriously. You can tell he’s supposed to be the comic relief, but I don’t think actual humor was Stan Lee’s strong point.

Jean Gray/Marvel Girl - The Girl - Mutant Ability: Telekinetics. Jean’s telepathy really isn’t developed until after the silver age. Unfortunately, Jean isn’t written much beyond being a love interest for Cyclops and Angel - and checking off the obligatory woman box. She doesn’t really even get a chance to shine (even though she clearly could be and will be the most powerful of them) -- every time she uses her powers she always grows tired really quickly and has to have one of the men save her. It’s definitely eye roll-y how stuck in their time these comics are when it comes to gender, but it’s also not egregiously offensive.

I have to point out that all of the X-Men at this point are supposed to be teenagers. With the exception of Iceman, none of them really act like teenagers - and they’re all drawn like they’re in their mid-twenties. It’s a little bit comical at how not good they were depicting teenagers.

The Villains (worth mentioning)

Every superhero team has their rogue’s gallery, and while the Silver Age is notable for having some hilariously ridiculous super villains, there are a handful that are worth mentioning, including some that become downright iconic in the X-Men world.

Magneto - Master of Magnetism. Long before his tragic WW2 history and his retconned BFF status with Xavier, Magneto was the original X-Men villain who definitely knew how to chew the scenery. No seriously. He might be over the top and ridiculous but he has the most distinct personality of any of these original villains, which does make him stand out. Also, it’s kind of hilarious how much Magneto’s use of ‘magnetism’ breaks the laws of physics.

Brotherhood of Evil Mutants! - let by Magneto. Most of these guys are actually going to stick around for the long haul. We have Toad (who is Magneto’s main lackey) and Mastermind (who will later become part of the Hellfire club) but most importantly Quicksilver and The Scarlet Witch -- who, incidentally, were run out of Eastern Europe by an angry mob and rescued by Magneto himself, for whom they feel they owe a debt to. They spend most of their time feeling torn about their decision until they eventually hop on over to join the Avengers later down the road.

Namor - who is just hilariously sassy in his one appearance. Magneto and Xavier astro project themselves to fight over which side he’s on, and he eventually tells both of them to screw off.

Unus the Untouchable - he doesn’t really make a big splash or anything, but I’m entertained that Beast was able to make a ray gun that amplifies this guy’s reflection power to the point where he can’t grab food. Why he isn’t propelled from the Earth is beyond me if his power is pushing objects away from him, but hey, Silver Age Comics at their finest.

The Stranger - I kind of love this guy and it’s a shame he never makes a reappearance - ever I believe. He’s an alien checking out Earth and when Magneto annoys him too much, he whisks him away and abandons him on some desolate planet. He’s also sassy.

The Juggernaut - whom it’s set up from the beginning - was Xavier’s step brother. Ngl, I was surprised when I read that. But he’s as big and dumb as he always is.

The Government & the Sentinels Project - they’re rather fully formed. Another thing I was surprised about when I first read it.

Mimic - Another character who doesn’t really come back all that often. It’s a dude who can absorb everyone’s power at once. He’s really kind of an ass about it, too, but he is the first official add on into the X-Men even if he leaves right away.

Notable Things

Thematically, one of the big things about the X-Men is the fact that they are persecuted for being different. Their minority status is kind of baked into the premise, and it’s something that’s going to permeate throughout the rest of the series. It’s most notable when the government and sentinels come into play.

It’s kind of fun to look at these as a time capsule of the 60s. Everything has this 60s futuristic feel about it -- with all the ray guns and quirky costumes and reliance on nutty science. It very much is a product of its time.

Cerebro is a thing! I thought it came later - but Xavier came up with it very early on. Kind of funny out of all the bonkers things they come up with in the Silver Age this one makes a lot of sense and sticks around.

Favorite Issues

Issue #1 - It isn’t that ground breaking or even that memorable. But it is the first issue and I think it is a pretty decent introduction to the characters. I also want to note that I think the first X-Men movie was inspired by this first issue.

Issue #4 - Not a favorite issue, actually, but a notable one. The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants make their first appearance here. I’d say the X-Men’s personalities kind of solidify here, too.

Issue #6 - Namor makes his sassy appearance. I think this is the issue where I found I could actually tolerate the ridiculousness of the Silver Age.

Issue #11 - The Stranger appears and it is delightful.

Issues #12-13 - Not only do we get Juggernaut’s first appearance, we also get a huge chunk of backstory for Xavier. It’s actually a really tense couple of issues as Xavier tries to explain his path as this unknown entity slowly encroaches on the mansion. It’s probably my favorite two issues of this particular run.

Issue #18 - Everyone comes back from the whole sentinel saga that had taken up the previous three issues only to find that Magneto has been hiding out and capturing them all (Along with Angel’s parents). Iceman is the only one left and has to rescue them all. It’s kind of a clever concept.

Least Favorite Issues

Issue #10 - We get our first introduction to the Savage Land; this weird place in Antarctica that’s like the jungle with dinosaurs in it. I’ve never been a fan of Savage Land stories as they usually bore me to tears.

Issues #20-23 - This is just after Stan Lee leaves. And while Roy Thomas is not doing a terrible job or anything, these villains are just dull and unmemorable, and at this point I want to just get on to the next volume.

Final Thoughts

Once I get past some of this introductory stuff, I'll be able to make these reviews shorter. I feel like I've read a lot of these issues a hundred times because I haven't made it too far with this project. Glad to be finally moving forward.

Look - these aren't the best X-Men comics out there, but as someone who came into the Silver Age kicking and screaming, there is some charm to be found. But they aren't the comics that I'd normally read for fun.

#the xmen project #xmen #children of the atom

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