Giant-Size X-Men

Publication history

The X-Men title stopped producing new stories after #66 in March 1970. From December 1970 through April 1975, Marvel reprinted many of the older X-Men issues as #67–93. Following the May publication of Giant-Size X-Men #1, Marvel began again publishing new issues of X-Men with #94 in August 1975.

The comic also collects reprints from X-Men #43, #47 and #57.

Plot

The story opens in medias res, with Professor X recruiting a new team of X-Men, to rescue the original X-Men (Marvel Girl, Iceman and Angel, plus X-Men recruits Havok and Polaris), who had disappeared on a mission to the island of Krakoa, with only their leader Cyclops escaping. The new team consists of Sunfire and Banshee, who had been introduced in earlier X-Men comics; Wolverine, who had made his first appearance in The Incredible Hulk #181 (Oct. 1974); and the newly created Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Thunderbird. These members are gathered from all over the world, and Professor X uses his telepathic powers to teach them all English so that they can communicate with each other.

The team soon learns that Krakoa is not just an island, but a giant mutant as well. Despite personality clashes among the individual members, as well as a fatality, the new team succeeds in rescuing the old X-Men and destroying the entity by shooting it into outer space with Polaris' power. The issue ends by posing the question of the future of a 13-member X-Men team.

The later storyline "Deadly Genesis" offers a ret-con of this story, which tells how Professor X had initially recruited a different team before the events in this issue.

Credits

• Story, edits — Len Wein
• Pencils, cover inks — Dave Cockrum
• Cover pencils — Gil Kane
• Inks — Dave Cockrum & Peter Iro
• Letters — John Costanza
• Colors — Glynis Wein

Reprint

The "Second Genesis" story was reprinted in Classic X-Men #1 in September 1986, with substantial editing to reduce its length, and a new backup story by Claremont and John Bolton bridging the gap between this and the following issue, Uncanny X-Men #94.

Collected editions

''Marvel Masterworks''

''Epic Collection''s

''Essential''s

Panini Pocket Books

Second issue

Marvel published a second issue of Giant-Size X-Men later in 1975. This November issue had no new material, instead featuring reprints of stories from X-Men #57, #58, and #59, written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Neal Adams.

Third and fourth issues

In 2005, Marvel published two new Giant Size X-Men issues to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original. Issue #3 in July contained a story written by Joss Whedon and illustrated by Neal Adams. The issue also reprinted several older X-Men team-ups: the group's appearance in Fantastic Four #28, an Avengers guest appearance in X-Men #9 and a story featuring Spider-Man in X-Men #35. In November, Chris Claremont penned a story for issue #4, with artwork by Neal Adams. It also reprinted material related to the death of Thunderbird from X-Men #94–95, Classic X-Men #3 and Uncanny X-Men #193.

40th Anniversary edition hardcover

The series has also been collected into a hardcover paperback titled Giant-Size X-Men: 40th Anniversary Edition. The hardcover collects Giant-Size X-Men #1, 3–4; Classic X-Men #1; X-Men Origins: Colossus; X-Men Origins: Wolverine; X-Men: Deadly Genesis #1–6; What If? (1989) #9, #23; and material from X-Men Gold #1. The second Giant-Sized issue was likely omitted, due to it being reprints of X-Men #57–59. The 440-page paperback was released June 2015. )

Krakoa

Dawn of X

Five Giant-Size X-Men one-shots, all written by Jonathan Hickman, were released as part of Marvel's 2019 Dawn of X relaunch of its X-Men books between February and September 2020. The first, Giant Size X-Men: Jean Grey and Emma Frost, was drawn by Russell Dauterman and colored by Matt Wilson. The second, Giant-Size X-Men: Nightcrawler, was drawn by Alan Davis and colored by Carlos Lopez. The third, Giant-Size X-Men: Magneto, was drawn by Ramon Perez and colored by David Curiel. The fourth, Giant-Size X-Men: Fantomex, was drawn and colored by Rod Reis. The fifth, Giant-Size X-Men: Storm, was drawn by Dauterman and colored by Wilson. A trade paperback collecting the five comics was published in December 2020.

Comics

Destiny of X

In 2022, a sixth Krakoan Giant-Size X-Men one-shot, Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird, was published as a part of the Destiny of X event. The issue was co-written by Steve Orlando and Nyla Rose and drawn by David Cutler.

50th Anniversary Event

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Giant-Size X-Men issue, it was announced that five one-shots written by writing duo Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing and illustrated by Adam Kubert, C.F. Villa and Francesco Manna, was released between May and August 2025. The event involves Ms. Marvel being pulled by Legion in a battle across time, where she encountered the X-Men during their most iconic moments in history and alternate timelines, including the "Second Genesis" and "The Dark Phoenix Saga" storylines and the Age of Apocalypse and "House of M" continuities. The event began with Giant-Size X-Men #1 and be followed by Giant-Size Dark Phoenix Saga #1, Giant-Size Age of Apocalypse #1, Giant-Size House of M #1 and Giant-Size X-Men #2. In addition, each issue features a back-up Revelations story.

Issues

Footnotes

References

References

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9. [http://www.comics.org/issue/28078/?style=default ''Giant-Size X-Men'' #2], Grand Comics Database.
10. [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=5041 PREVIEW: Neal Adams' "Giant Size X-Men" #3 Story]
11. [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=5621 Taking An Early Look at "Giant-Size X-Men" #4]
12. [https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/82527/giant-size_x-men_jean_grey_and_emma_frost_2020_1 ''Giant Size X-Men: Jean Grey and Emma Frost'' #1]
13. [https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/82506/giant-size_x-men_nightcrawler_2020_1 ''Giant Size X-Men: Nightcrawler'' #1]
14. [https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/91225/giant-size_x-men_magneto_2020_1_variant ''Giant Size X-Men: Magneto'' #1]
15. [https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/82526/giant-size_x-men_fantomex_2020_1 ''Giant Size X-Men: Fantomex'' #1]
16. Terror, Jude. (February 17, 2020). "Jonathan Hickman and Russell Dauterman Give Storm the Giant-Size X-Men Treatment in June". Bleeding Cool.
17. "Giant-Size X-Men by Jonathan Hickman (Trade Paperback)".
18. "Giant Size X-Men (2020)". [[Comic Book Roundup]].
19. "February 2020 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron.
20. "March 2020 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron.
21. (June 19, 2020). "Marvel Comics' September 2020 comic book solicitations and covers". [[GamesRadar+]].
22. "Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird (2022) #1".
23. Johnston, Rich. (February 19, 2025). "Giant-Size X-Men To Rewrite Marvel Comics Continuity".
24. Marston, George. (February 19, 2025). "Marvel celebrates 50 years since Giant-Size X-Men #1 by sending Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan through time in an event that "redefines mutant history forever"".