Comical Musings Read more comics. Annddd we’re back, folks! Here comes round two of You Probably Don’t Remember: Uncanny X-Men. We’ve been taking a look at Uncanny X-Men from 1963, and if you missed part 1, it can be found here: Part 1. It was a wild time, the 60’s, and nothing was wilder than the arms race between homo sapiens and homo superior, led by none other than the master of magnetism himself, Magneto.
Magneto’s Weird Powers
How do magnets work? Nobody knows; they’re simply a miracle. This is probably why Magneto’s powers of magnetism pretty much allowed him to do anything. For example, the following, from issues #1, #6, and #7, respectively: invisible “magnetic” nets, “magnetic” astral projection, and “magnetic” mind reading. So powerful!
Magneto’s a Polite Guy
He may want to destroy and/or enslave all homo sapiens, but there is one thing you should know about Magneto: He’s a polite guy. Here he is in issue #5 apologetically performing a sneak attack on poor ole cyclops.
The Irony of Magneto’s Army
Because these characters were just being developed, sometimes funny things happen when you get to look back from the future. One such instance is in issue #4, wherein Magneto and the evil mutants conquer a country. The army they form is dressed eerily reminiscent of the World War 2 Nazi army. This is a strange choice when viewed from the future, because we know that Magneto and his family suffered atrocities as Jews in the hands of the Nazis during World War 2. Of course this perfectly illustrates a classic tenant of comic book writing: The past is canon until its changed.
Magneto the Multifaceted
And finally, we round out talk of Magneto by highlighting just how multifaceted Mr. Magneto really is. For example, he loves the carnival and feels extremely comfortable there. Oh, he is also a psychopath. What a guy!
Speed-Seeking Ice Grenades
Magneto wasn’t the only one with puzzling powers. Iceman, Bobby Drake, apparently had the ability to craft ice grenades that were attracted to speed, because that makes sense (issue #1).
The Professor Loses His Powers
A fun story arc that takes place in issues #4 and #5 is that the Professor loses his powers. Like a story right out of the headlines, an explosion rattles the Professor’s brain, and the ensuing trauma removes his power. The teenage X-Men, quite worried about their mentor, must somehow find a way to stop Magneto and his evil mutants without the aid of their supervising adult. In the end, however, we find that the Professor was just pretending. Why, you ask? Because Xavier is apparently a jerk that doesn’t mind putting kids in harm’s way.
The Time-Honored Carny Battle Cry
Finally, a tidbit that isn’t really specifically X-Men related. Issue #7 revealed to us all the carny battle cry. Great, great stuff in these early comics.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this trip down not-so-memory lane. Tune in next time as we take another look at weird moments in comics history when You Probably Don’t Remember returns. Oh, and since you’re already down here, why not leave a comment about your favorite X-Men moment or anything else on your mind!
“Husky Roustabouts” was the original name for the Writers Blok.
This is accurate. That and more in our upcoming tell-all “Husky Roustabouts and Carnival Delights: The Secret Origin of the Writers Blok,” due out in late 2014.