The culmination of the Silver Age legacy of Marvel's mutant misfits, the X-Men! Closing the gap between the end of the X-Men's original series in 1970 and the debut of the All-New, All-Different team in 1975, the Marvel Masterworks present several never-before-collected X-Men tales that set the stage for Giant-Size X-Men #1!

 

First up: forced underground by anti-mutant hysteria run amok, the X-Men find themselves pursued by a secret adversary that seeks to pick them off one by one. And if being on the run wasnšt tough enough, here comes Magneto! Only the combined might of the X-Men and the Avengers can prevent the Master of Magnetism from unleashing a nuclear holocaust. Then, with the X-Men's ranks dwindling, Professor X, Cyclops and Marvel Girl head West for reinforcements, but instead bump into the Incredible Hulk and the Juggernaut.

 

Next comes the culmination of the classic Secret Empire saga, where the X-Men find they share a common enemy with Captain America and join forces with the shield-slingin' Avenger to save the nation and rescue their mutant comrades. Then, on the eve of the X-Menšs departure to face Krakoa the Living Island, Iceman and the Human Torch team-up to battle Equinox, the Thermo-Dynamic Man - and with his team missing, Professor X must enlist the Defenders to fight a resurgent Magneto and Alpha, the Ultimate Mutant!

 

To top it all off, we've also included X-Man-to-be Wolverinešs very first appearance! The ole' Canucklehead leaps from the top-secret Weapon X program and throws down in his first famous battle with the Incredible Hulk. There's also the debut of Madrox the Multiple Man, Chris Claremont's first X-Man and the Beast vs. the Griffin. This X-tra special Masterworks volume polishes off the library of every X-Fanšs dreams‹completing the original adventures of Marvelšs most-famous super team!

 

Collecting Avengers issues #110 to 111, Incredible Hulk #172, 180 & 181, Captain America #172 to 175, Marvel Team-Up #23 and #38, Defenders #15 and 16 and Giant-Size Fantastic Four #4, plus the rare covers to X-Men #81 to 93, written by Steve Englehart, Len Wein, Chris Claremont, Bill Mantlo, Roy Thomas and Tony Isabella, pencilled by Sal Buscema, Don Heck, Herb Trimpe, Gil Kane and John Buscema, with a cover by Kane.

Marvel, hardback, 304 pages, published March 2010

 

  please note that variant editions are published in smaller quantities than regular Masterworks and so can go out of print more quickly; please order early to avoid possible disappointment