X-MEN

Publication history Cyclops, whose eyes shoot powerful beams unless they are controlled by a visor, is the central protagonist. Beast is apelike in appearance but speaks in sophisticated diction; Iceman is hedonistic and energetic; Angel comes from a wealthy background and has wings protruding from his back; and Marvel Girl is hyperfeminine. The masculine characters often express their attraction to Marvel Girl. The first issue also introduces the team's archenemy, Magneto .

Magneto appears frequently throughout the series. Early The X-Men issues (#4 and #5) go on to introduce Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants , featuring Mastermind and Toad . Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were initially introduced in issue #4 as members of the Brotherhood, but later reformed and joined the Avengers . The comic focused on a common human theme of good versus evil; issue #8 first introduces the theme of prejudice against mutants, which eventually comes to function as an allegory for racism or other forms of bigotry.

Issue #12 introduces Cain Marko, the Juggernaut , Professor Xavier's stepbrother, and implies that Marko was responsible for the accident that paralyzed Xavier. Issues #14 to #16 (November 1965 - January 1966) introduce the Sentinels , mutant-hunting robots designed by Bolivar Trask . The title lagged in sales behind Marvel's other comic franchises. Writer Roy Thomas and Werner Roth replaced Lee and Kirby by issue #20 (May 1966).

Issue #28 introduces Banshee ; initially an antagonist, Banshee will go on to become a member of the X-Men. In 1969, Thomas and illustrator Neal Adams briefly rejuvenated the comic book. They gave regular roles to two recently introduced characters: Alex Summers (Cyclops' brother, later known as Havok , who had been introduced by Roy Thomas before Adams began work on the comic) and Lorna Dane, later called Polaris (created by Arnold Drake and Jim Steranko ). Issue #64 introduced Sunfire , a Japanese mutant.

However, these later X-Men issues failed to attract sales and Marvel stopped producing new stories with issue #66 (March 1970), later reprinting a number of the older comics as issues #67–93.