Entry 033 – Vulcan

Art by Billy Tan, Danny Miki, Roy Allan Martinez, and Frank D’Armata Name: Gabriel Summers Code Names: Kid Vulcan, Vulcan First Appearance: X-Men: Deadly Genesis #1 (Jan 2006) Powers: Energy Manipulation Teams Affiliation: X-Men About The Summers’ family tree is a mess. Centered around poor Cyclops, we have a long lost brother, a space pirate father, an…

Read More

Entry 032 – Goldballs

Art by Valerio Schiti and Richard Isanove Name: Fabio Medina Code Names: Goldballs First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #1 (Feb 2013) Powers: Shoots Gold Balls out of his body Teams Affiliation: X-Men About I was sitting at my computer getting ready to write this article and my dad asked “who are you doing this week?” I started chuckling to myself and…

Read More

Entry 031 – Northstar

Art by Phil Noto Name: Jean-Paul Beaubier Code Names: Northstar First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #12 (April 1979) Powers: Superspeed, Weird Twin Powers Teams Affiliation: Alpha Flight, X-Men Since their inception the X-Men have constantly been an allegory for the disenfranchised. From their red scare origins in the 60’s, to the civil rights allusions of the 70’s and 80’s, Marvels mutants have…

Read More

Entry 030 – Fantomex

Art by Chris Bachalo and Tim Townsend Name: Jean-Phillipe Code Names: Fantomex, Weapon XIII, Charlie Cluster-7 First Appearance: New X-Men #128 (Aug 2002) Powers: Misdirection, External Nervous System/Flying Saucer, Nanoactive Blood, 3 Brains Teams Affiliation: Weapon Plus, X-Force About When I was young, my friends and I used to play Power Rangers. Each of us would chose a character…

Read More

Entry 029 – Apocalypse

Art by Jim Cheung Name: En Sabah Nur Code Names: Apocalypse First Appearance: X-Factor #5 (June 1986) Powers: Total Molecular Control Teams Affiliation: The Clan Akkaba, The Horsemen, The Dark Riders About In his Principals of Biology Herbert Spencer wrote, “This survival of the fittest, which I have here sought to express in mechanical terms, is that which…

Read More

Entry 028 – Mercury

Art by Mark Brooks (Cover of New X-Men #24) Name: Cessily Kincaid Code Names: Mercury First Appearance: New Mutants #2 (August 2003) Powers: Liquid Metal Form Teams Affiliation: Hellions, New X-Men About One of the biggest challenges of being a teenager is trying to balance the person you are with the person others want you to be. Some of…

Read More

Entry 027 – Sage

Art by FeydRautha81 Name: Unknown Code Names: Tessa, Sage First Appearance: X-Men #132 (April 1980) Powers: Telepathy, Compter-like Brain, Ability to Jump Start Mutant Powers Teams Affiliation: Hellfire Club, X-Men, Excalibur, Exiles About X-Men fans love continuity. It isn’t shocking that one of the most recommended comics podcasts is a couple just trying to X-Plain it (Jay and Miles…

Read More

Entry 026 – Frenzy

Art by Rafa Sandoval, and Matthew Wilson Name: Joanna Cargill Code Names: Frenzy First Appearance: X-Factor #4 (1986) Powers: Strength, Stamina, and Durability Teams Affiliation: Alliance of Evil, Femizons, Acolytes, X-Men About One of the most constant trope of the X-Men, and really comics in general, is a villain turning over a new leaf and joining the heroes. From…

Read More

Entry 025 – Dr. Nemesis

Name: James Nicola Bradley Code Names: Dr. Nemesis, Dr. Death First Appearance: Lightning Comics #6 (1941) Powers: Hyperevolved Intellect Teams Affiliation: Battle-Axis, X-Club, X-Force About There is something about science that appeals to me and I think it is the sense of discovery. Finding something new is an experience I have always yearned for. That sense of discovery was half…

Read More

Entry 024 – Callisto

Name: Callisto Code Names: Callisto First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #169 (May ‘83) Powers: Heightened senses and reflexes Teams Affiliation: Morlocks, Excalibur About There is a certain strength in deciding to abandon the modern world. Shed the trappings of everyday life and form a new society free of the glares of the ”normal people” who mock you. It wouldn’t matter what you…

Read More

Entry 023 – Marrow

Art by Jorge Molina Name: Sarah Code Names: Marrow First Appearance: X-Men: Prime (July ‘95) Powers: Can grow and project bones from her body Teams Affiliation: Morlocks, Gene Nation, X-Men, Weapon X, X-Force About The X-Men are built on second chances. When the original run was canceled with issue #66 it looked like the X-Men would be an…

Read More

Entry 022 – Pete Wisdom

Art by Brian Hitch Name: Pete Wisdom Code Names: He jokingly had X-Force call him Professor W once First Appearance: Excalibur #86 (Feb â€˜95) Powers: Shoots “Hot Knives” from his Fingers Teams Affiliation: Excalibur, X-Force, MI-13 About One of the most common experiences in fandom is placing yourself in the stories. You would battle along with your favorite heroes,…

Read More

Entry 021 – X-Man

Art by Simone Bianchi and Simone Peruzzi Name: Nathaniel Grey Code Names: X-Man First Appearance: X-Man #1 (Mar ‘95) Powers: Omega Level Psi-Abilities Teams Affiliation: New Mutants About When writing any story there is an old adage “Show Don’t Tell”. What it comes down to is that audiences should be able to form their own opinion of…

Read More

Entry 020 – Colossus

Art by Lee Bermejo and Marte Gracia Name: Piotr Rasputin Code Names: Colossus First Appearance:Giant Sized X-Men #1 (Oct ‘75) Powers: Massive metal form Teams Affiliation: X-Men, Acolytes, Excalibur, Defenders, X-Force About Piotr Rasputin never wanted to be an X-Man. He was going to be happy using his steel form and enhanced strength to help out on…

Read More

Entry 019 – Elixir

Name: Josh Foley Code Names: Elixir First Appearance: New Mutants #5 (Nov ’03) Powers: Able to control the bodily health in others Teams Affiliation: New Mutants, X-Men, X-Force, Reavers, Utopians About With great power, comes great responsibility. The most classic line in comics works because that sense of responsibility can be used to explore so many…

Read More