When The X-MEN Were A-HOLES!

X-Men #3 (Marvel Comics, January, 1964) was the first full story with the original X-Men I had ever read. In fact, it was only the second story featuring the team in any incarnation that I had read ever, the first being a reprint of Marvel Team-Up #4 (Marvel Comics, September, 1972) in the Marvel Treasury Edition #18 (January, 1978) featuring The Astonishing Spider-Man. The version of X-Men #3 I read was also actually a reprint, from the Son of Origins of Marvel Comics (Fireside, 1975) trade paperback collection. 

For a person of my age, it was somewhat unusual that my first exposure to Marvel's merry mutants would  have been the team in its original incarnation. It was more likely for a Gen-X'er to have first encountered the "new" X-Men. This I did with my third encounter with the team in Uncanny X-Men #122 (Marvel Comics, June, 1979). I became a fan from the first story with the team I read, and remain so to this day.

Recently, Marvel released a nine-volume boxed set titled X-Men: Children of The Atom that reprints the teams adventures from their first issue to the end of famed artist John Byrne's run in issue #143, including nearly all of the team's appearances outside their title in the Marvel Universe during the years those comics were originally published. I bought this set (which was an adventure in and of itself, which I may blog about some other time), and am currently rereading the earliest issues in the set during this time of the COVID-19 quarantine.

As mentioned, the third story featuring the original team of X-Men was the first story of the team's own adventures I had read. This story first introduced us to the evil mutant known as The Blob. 

The Blob makes his entrance in X-Men #3 (1964)

Also, by this third outing of the strangest teen-agers of all, the title characters personalities were starting to emerge. Cyclops was initially called "Slim" Summers in the very first appearance of the team, but in the third issue we learn that his given first name is Scott. It is also established that he can't control his optic blasts without the use of his ruby quartz glasses or his optic visor. 

The entire group was smitten with their female teammate Marvel Girl, AKA Jean Grey.  Ice Man (Bobby Drake) first seemed unimpressed with her charms in the first issue, but in this issue he's as excited to go on a mission with her as any of the other fellows. However, a glimpse into Cyclops' thoughts that reveal his feelings for her might go deeper than a simple schoolboy crush.

We first get an idea of Cyclops' lack of control over his power, and his deep feelings for Jean Grey.

Ice Man was portrayed more or less as the joker in the group form the start, as Angel (Warren Worthington III) was likewise established as being a privileged youth from the beginning, but the Beast (Hank McCoy) is established in this third adventure as being an intellectual despite his brutish appearance and code-name. 

There was only one reference before, in the second issue, where he claims to be the smartest among his teammates. However, that remark is played as if it was more of a joke, while this issue affirms that he is indeed the most academic among his mates. Before this issue, his speech was not only more casual, it was more akin to how the Thing spoke in Fantastic Four, with its use of contractions and the like.

X-Men #2 (1983) The Beast remarks he's smarter than the others, but isn't truly portrayed as such until the third issue.

By X-Men #3 (1964) Beast is now firmly established as the group's intellctual.

Now, I know that I have read the story at least a couple more times since the late 1970s, but even then it's probably been at least 30 years at the time of this writing since I last read it. So, going back and rereading these early stories all these years later, I am naturally viewing some details in a whole new light. Naturally, there are the expected change with societal issues, but even taking the context of the period in which the tales were originally written one thing still stands out in this third issue: 

THE X-MEN WERE A-HOLES!

After what I wrote above, it should be clear that I am a fan, so when I state this about the X-Men, it is not done lightly. However, when one reads this tale it is an inescapable fact. The attitude of the team and the actions they take in this story are atrocious and even criminal! As first presented to us in this comic, The Blob comes off crass, uncouth, arrogant, and rude... but initially he is not shown to be particularly evil or criminal. Yes, that does eventually happen to be the case, but only after events caused by the actions of the X-Men themselves. At the beginning of the tale, his worse offense is being a bit too touchy with Jean Grey. While this is definitely not proper, especially in the modern age of the "Me Too" movement, frankly, the X-Men were also a bit cringey in their own way as illustrated when Angel is practically salivating in Jean's presence about the prospect of another female joining the group. "Mmmm boy!," he exclaims! It may not enter the realm of sexual harassment, but it's certainly crass behavior.

The Blob gets too hands-on with Jean.

The Blob makes a move on Jean, as mentioned above. It's every bit as crass, yes, but is it really any worse that Blob refers to her as a "tomato" when her fellow teammate is smacking his lips in anticipation of another female member? Admittedly, he carries it a bit too far when he makes a grab for her. However, if the guys are going to get offended on her behalf at the Blob's objectifying her, shouldn't they also consider their own attitudes towards the fairer sex? Of course, in context of the story and the period within which it was written, Angel's remarks where meant to be indicative of  natural, innocent teen-boy lust, but I point this out to illustrate that at this point of the story the Blob has yet to give any impression he is criminally-minded. After all, despite his behavior they still insist on him coming with them.

More disturbing, though, is Professor Xavier's inner thoughts about his young female student. In a panel which has since become somewhat infamous among the comic book community, Xavier bemoans his situation where he refrains from expressing his romantic interest in Jean due to his being in a wheelchair, and being the leader (not to mention the teacher) of the X-Men. 

I point out these instances to demonstrate that other than Blob's unwelcome advance on Jean, something the team could stand to refrain from doing themselves, he has not done anything else that warrants the treatment he receives from the X-Men in their attempt to recruit him to their team.

When Cyclops first encounters The Blob in his tent at a circus, he is adamant that the Blob is going to go with him. "The X-Men don't take 'no' for an answer," he tells the Blob. Though Cyclops thinks to himself that he shouldn't have lost his temper after saying that, there really wasn't anything the Blob said to make such a demand. Yes, the Blob is arrogant and rude, but what makes Cyclops think that he can insist Blob go with him against his own will?

It would be bad enough if it were only Cyclops that displayed this attitude, but we eventually learn that even Professor Xavier believes its the X-Men's right to draft whomever they want into their team. The Blob consents to be tested at the School for Gifted Youngsters, headquarters to the X-Men, but declines their invitation to join them. Xavier balks with indignation, "This is unheard of! No one has ever refused us before!" He then refuses to let The Blob leave and threatens to wipe his memory of them and his visit there. Say what...??  Xavier and The X-Men insist he come and be tested, which he did, but then leave him no choice but to join them or have his mind messed with? These are the heroes of our story, folks!

You WILL join us... OR be mind-wiped! YEESH!!

The Blob makes a run for it, but Jean uses her telekinesis to shut off his exit, and the team assaults him afterwards.

You ain't goin' nowhere, tubby!

Eventually, The Blob is forced to go into the sewer system in order to escape this crazy crew! Xavier realizes too late that insisting someone go to his place for tests and be inducted into his school without having anticipated that the person may refuse to join them was probably not the wisest course of action. Worried that Blob is going to rat them out, and egged on by Jean, he makes plans to capture the Blob and bring him back to the school for a good ol' fashion violation of his rights... I mean, a mind wipe.

Yeah... about that: Not cool, Xavier... not cool.

So, having escaped and made his way back to the circus, The Blob now fears that the X-Men won't leave him be -- and he isn't wrong!! Figuring he has no other recourse, he reckons that he has to take the battle to them first. At this point in the story, honestly, he is the victim. The X-Men seems like some kooky cult that forces others to join them or have your mind messed with.

Is he wrong when we just saw the X-Men say they couldn't let him go? Who are the heroes again??

Now, here's where the story turns in a way... Up to this point, as already noted, yeah, The Blob's a jerk, and a bit skeevy, but we readers haven't been given any real reason to believe he is a threat to society. In fact, he already knew that he has these strange powers, and still chose to make an honest living as a performer. But, in order to give some justification story-wise for the X-Men's behavior, suddenly the Blob decides that having learned he is a mutant means he will now use his powers for evil. 

His only motive for turning bad is learning he is a mutant and being concerned that the X-Men will hound him, a fact which he is actually correct in assuming! If he had just discovered his abilities as a result of Xavier's test, I could accept that maybe he had a hidden desire to rule over others and this revelation could now facilitate that previously secret desire. However, he already knew he had powers, he just got an explanation for why he has them. Why is suddenly learning he's a mutant enough to make him turn evil?

"Yeah, I know I had these powers already and could have taken charge before, but ya see... I know I'm a mutant now!"

Frankly, this turn seems to have been done just to make Xavier and the X-Men less creeps in their actions. You see, that Blob guy was a bag egg all along, so they were right to coerce, threaten, and attempt to wipe his mind against his will! If The Blob wanted to take over the circus, he knew he had the power already to do that.

But it's not just The Blob! Now the whole circus is evil, or at the least very bad folk.Yes, The Blob confronted his boss and took charge of the circus, but the entire troupe never is really shown putting up any real resistance and seem to go along pretty willingly with the attack on Xavier's school.

The Blob and his circus pals storm the school!

So, things end after a battle when Xavier using an intensifier ray to amplify his mental abilities to mind wipe the entire group of circus performers along with The Blob. Yep, those innocent performers who were seemingly forced by Blob to attack the X-Men are included in the mind wiping. And Xavier commands that they all return to a state of mind that they were in before the X-Men came across them. Who's fault is all this mess, again??

"You're just dupes of The Blob? So what? You still know too much! Mind wipes for EVERYONE!"

In the end of the story, The Blob is indeed back where we first met him, working at the circus with no apparent desire for world domination, earning his living as a performer. "It's better than starvin'," he thinks, with no indication that he had any thoughts of using his powers for ill pursuits. What is it about learning he was a mutant that made him veer off into villainy?

Yep, revisiting this comic book story decades later, with a modern sensibility and an older outlook has me scratching my head at some aspects of the stories, but don't get me wrong; I still love these stories! They are pure, unbridled fun! I am excited to be going through them again after all this time. 

Part of the enjoyment is approaching the stories with a new perspective from what I had in my youth. And I realize that with early X-Men issues, as with pretty much all early Marvel stories, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko, and the rest of the Bullpen, were still developing and setting up the foundations for the Marvel Universe. As they went along, the stories became more complex, and fleshed out. The earliest stuff has a more "by the seat of their pants" approach which made for a wonky, but wild ride.

While the portrayal of the X-Men in this tale make their actions somewhat dubious, thankfully they relaxed the "join us or be assimilated" attitude from this issue. It's hard to root for them when they're acting like a-holes, after all.

BONUS FUNNY PIC!

Sometimes Jack Kirby was so into his work that some little details would often escape his notice. In this instance, it seems to have also escaped the notice of both the inker, and Stan Lee, as the editor. In the panel below, The Blob has apparently lost his wig! LOL!

#X-Men #Marvel #Marvelcomics #uncannyx-men #childrenoftheatom #review