Marvel Read-Through: X-Men: The Interim Years
It’s been a while since the X-Men or any mutants have shown up in anything I’ve read. Actually, I think the last time I saw any of them was when I last wrote about the original X-Men comic. After that unsuccessful run, the mutants faded into obscurity save for a few guest appearances here and there until the team was revamped in 1975 and the X-Men became the comic book classic we know them as today. That original run also focused on a small group of mutants, rather than the hundreds of them we have in Marvel comics today. So in the years between the cancellation of their first book and their return, some characters who will be important later popped up. Oh, and Beast had a starring role in a book for a few issues. Let’s get into it.
Amazing Adventures, an anthology book that actually morphed into Amazing Fantasy and introduced Spider-Man to the world, was brought back into print in the 1970s and starting with issue #11 it featured original X-Men member Beast in the starring role. Beast lasted 7 issues in this starring role and surprisingly, this short stint has come to define the character ever since. Beast’s famous look is that of a creature with blue fur, but in the first X-Men title he was basically just a guy with a body shaped like that of a gorilla. In Amazing Adevntures #11, Hank gets a job studying genetics and creates a serum that can turn any regular human into a mutant temporarily. When he overhears his colleague plotting to steal his work, he drinks the serum and since he is already a mutant, he mutates further: he grows grey fur and gains the cat-like appearance his face is known for. This issue was acutally very good. Gerry Conway wrote it and his skill is on full display. It is horror first-and-foremost. It is a tragedy as we watch Hank go from getting his dream job and meeting a girl to turning into, well, a beast. Also Conway writes it in the second person, which is extremely rare but I found it worked very well with the horror aspect. In issue #15, Hank’s fur turns blue. Strangely, he says it’s black, but the coloring looks blue and that is the color that stuck with the character, so I’m just gonna say it’s blue from the beginning. This one was written by Steve Englehart and he does a fine job of having Beast reunite with Angel and reveal his new form while they fight a strange one-off villain. There’s not much to be said for it other than it’s noteworthy for being the first appearance of the blue fur.
Finally, one of the biggest moments in comic book history and one I have been waiting to get to since I started this blog a year ago: Wolverine! I love Wolverine. I think every Marvel fan loves Wolverine. I grew up with the X-Men movies and Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of the character and he’s a short Canadian! Wolverine may be one inch taller than me but I always loved having a short Canadian superhero to root for. While the mutants may have been mostly forgotten from 1969–75, writers Len Wein and Chris Claremont remembered them. In the pages of Incredible Hulk, Wein introduced a formidable foe who would go on to become one of the most popular characters of all time. Hulk and Wolverine battle it out and it’s a pretty fun fight. There was no backstory given on Wolverine except that he is Canadian and working for a secret government/military facility. I don’t know if Wein intended for Wolverine’s backstory to be expanded on so much but the mystery of this character in his first appearance added to his appeal. There was one brief mention of the word ‘mutant’ so Wein definitely had his eventual revamp of the X-Men in mind. Something I found very interesting about this early Wolverine is that his powers are not fully fleshed out. His healing-factor is non-existent and his power set seems basically to be increased agility and strength. Oh, and claws. He is also a lot more similar to his namesake than he becomes. His small stature and agility allow for him to quickly bounce around while remaining fierce, just like a real wolverine. The character is a far cry from the legendary one he is now, but all the seeds are there and I cannot wait to watch this Wolverine grow into the Wolverine I know and love.
Wein and Claremont introduced a new one in a Fantastic Four story, Madrox the Multiple Man. I really like Multiple Man and I think he is severely underused in both comics and on-screen adaptations. It was a fun little story as he faces off against the Fantastic Four, but bringing Professor X in to save the day and take Madrox into his care to train him was what really made this worth reading. Wein and Claremont went on to reinvent the X-Men just a few months after this issue so they planted some seeds here for the return of the mutants. It was cool to have them directly reference that Madrox is a mutant instead of it being revealed later; mutants still play a part, albeit a tiny one, during the interim years.
There’s not much for mutants in these years. It’s weird to see since they are such a huge part of the Marvel universe I know. I am excited to read Wein’s Second Genesis and Claremont’s epic X-Men run, and I liked seeing the beginnings of their ideas in these issues.
Issues Read:
Amazing Adventures Vol. 2 #11, #15
Giant-Size Fantastic Four #4
Incredible Hulk #180–181
Favorite issue: Incredible Hulk #181 I mean come on, it’s Wolverine
