The Week That Was 1312023

Upcoming X-aminations, Oscars, shameless plugs. 

60 Years of X - 1966

Year 4: 1966

1966 X-Men Comics & Appearances: X-Men #18-29, Strange Tales #156. 

019 - Year 4 Cover: X-Men #28

Not a lot of great covers to choose from in '66. Werner Roth's cover to Banshee's first appearance stands out due to the red background & eerie spectral quality to Banshee & the energy created by the figure's movement.

X-amining Classic X-Men #25 - Patreon First

"Just don't look it in its eyes"

September 1988

In a Nutshell

Wolverine is stalked by a hunter and fights a bear. 

Writer: Ann Nocenti, Chris Claremont (additional pages)
Artist: John Bolton, Kieron Dwyer (additional pages)

Inker: Terry Austin (additional pages)
Letters: Tom Orzechowski, Michael Heisler (additional pages)

Colors: Gynis Wein

Editor: Bob Harras
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Plot

Moonlighting for Central, Wolverine destroys a building in the Canadian wilderness, but gets burned in the process. Making his way back to civilization, he is spotted by a hunter, who thinks the burned Wolverine may be a creature like Big Foot or Sasquatch. The hunter tries to sneak up on Wolverine, but Wolverine is amazed at how noisy the hunter is, noise which attracts a large bear. The bear attacks Wolverine but he manages to kill it. As the hunter gets closer to Wolverine, he fires an arrow at him, but Wolverine catches it and throws it back to the hunter. Hitting his thigh, the hunter is stunned to learn his prey isn't some dumb beast. Wolverine leaves the hunter be, then continues on his way home. 

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X-amining Uncanny X-Men #343

"Where No X-Man Has Gone Before!"

April 1997

In a Nutshell

The Phalanx return as the X-Men fight to save the Shi'ar!

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Penciler: Joe Madureira
Inkers: Tim Townsend
Letters: Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Colors: Steve Buccellato and Team Bucce
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

As Bishop and Beast tend to the injured Deathbird, Gambit and Joseph arrive to interrogate her. However, Deathbird grabs Bishop's gun and fires on them, revealing both to be Phalanx, the techno-organic aliens who have decimated the Shi'ar Empire. Meanwhile, Rogue attempts to rescue the real Gambit & Joseph, but is drawn into conflict with the Phalanx. She is partially transmoded, which allows her to learn of the Phalanx plans for galactic conquest, just before Gambit & Joseph rescue her in turn. Back on Earth, Bastion arrives at an Operation: Zero Tolerance base with special cargo: the captive Jubilee. Back in Shi'ar space, the X-Men arrive at distant moon of Chandilar, the Shi'ar throneworld. They allow the Phalanx to destroy their ship, using the debris to mask their descent to the moon inside a makeshift lifeboat. Landing on the moon, they proceed to one of Deathbird's safehouses, and from there, teleport to directly to Chandilar!

60 Years of X - 1965

Year 3: 1965

1965 X-Men Comics: X-Men #10-17, Fantastic Four Annual #3

013 - Year 3 Cover: X-Men #13

On his way out in '65 (shifting to only doing layouts & covers), Kirby turns in some of the strongest covers of his run, w/several icon entries. I like this one just a smidge more than #12, the other Juggernaut cover.

The Week That Was 1202023

 Resolutions, 60 Years of X, shameless plugs. 

60 Years of X - 1964

Year 2: 1964

1964 X-Men Comics: X-Men #4-9, Fantastic Four #28, Journey into Mystery #109, Strange Tales #120, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1

007 - Year 2 Cover: X-Men #4

Of '64's mostly routine Silver Age covers, this stands out due to Kirby's knack for characterization: Pietro's indifference, Toad's simpering & Wanda's odd intensity. We know something about them before we even open the book.

X-amining Deadpool #3 - Patreon First

"Stumped! (or: This Little Piggy Went… Hey! Where is Little Piggy?!)"

March 1997

In a Nutshell

Deadpool & Siryn team-up to track down Black Tom!

Writer: Joe Kelly

Penciler: Ed McGuiness

Inkers: Nathan Messengill & Norman Lee

Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft 

Colors: Matthew Pain

Separations: Digital Chameleon

Editor: Matthew Idelson

Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

In the wake of losing his finger, Deadpool takes bets at the Hellhole on how fast he can grow it back, but loses money when his finger doesn't return. Later, he receives a package from Black Tom Cassidy containing a hand that had been previously severed. This prompts him to visit Siryn at the X-Mansion, where he tells her about the package he received from her uncle. Siryn doesn't know where Black Tom is, but worried about Deadpool, she agrees to help him. They track the hand back to Doctor Killebrew, the former Weapon X scientist who experimented on Deadpool. He says he sent the hand to lure Deadpool to him, as he wants to atone for his past by saving Deadpool, saying not only is his healing factor failing, but his entire body is killing him from the inside!

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60 Years of X - 1963

As an addendum/archive of my "60 Years of X" social media project, I will post the collective results of each year here upon its completion as a standalone post, and add the results to the running "60 Years of X" page (linked on the top of the left column on the home page) which will, by year's end, feature the entirety of the project and my favorite bits from each of the X-Men's sixty years of existence. 

Year 1: 1963

1963 Comics: X-Men #1-3, Tales of Suspense #49

001 - Year 1 Cover: X-Men #1

The pickings are slimmer in Year 1, of course, but it's hard not to go w/the iconic cover to the series' first issue, especially since I've had an Alex Ross recreation of it in poster form hanging on my wall for decades.

X-amining Excalibur #107

"Focus"

March 1997

In a Nutshell

Salvador Larroca debuts as the new series artist while Excalibur is attacked by the Dragons of the Crimson Dawn!

Writer: Ben Raab

Penciller: Salvador Larroca 

Inker: Scott Koblish

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft

Colorist: Kevin Tinsley

Separations: GCW

Editor: Matt Idelson

Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

Brian Braddock and Meggan arrive arrive in London for what Meggan says will be one of the happiest days of their lives, while back on Muir Island, Colossus, Wolfsbane, and Nightcrawler work together to build their own Cerebro unit to detect mutants. In London, Brian and Meggan discover that despite their recent heroics in saving the city, many of the citizens still blame them for the death of the "real heroes" at the hands of Onslaught. Angry, Brian declares he doesn't want to be a superhero anymore, just a scientist, then laments that he's letting his anger ruin his and Meggan's day. On Muir Island, Douglock urges Moira to take a break from her Legacy Virus research, but she refuses, determined to find a cure for the virus. Back in London, Brian and Meggan are picking out an engagement ring when Meggan is suddenly knocked out onto the street. Just then, Spiral appears, and Brian attacks her, thinking she targeted Meggan. But when Spiral reveals she's been marked by Crimson Dawn, the Dragons of Crimson Dawn, Meggan's actual attackers, emerge and reveal they have come to kill Brian!