The Original X-Men

Part one of my X-Men line-up series - the OG X-Men!

As one of the most recognizable rosters the X-Men have ever had, the first members of Marvel's resident team of mutants have gone on to become icons in their own rights. It's truly no wonder this particular line-up made my list of the ten best X-Men line-ups (found here: divas-femmes-fatales.blogspot.…).</span>

Originally appearing in the fall of 1963, the X-Men were one of the very first superhero team comprised solely of teenagers. The founding members included the stoic leader Cyclops, the pretty boy Angel, the goofy Iceman, the genius Beast and the sassy Marvel Girl. Under the tutelage of mutant expert Professor Xavier, the X-Men faced off against such menaces as Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants, the Juggernaut, Mimic, the Sentinels and even the Avengers. Though the comic was originally written as a traditional superhero title, it would go on to develop the core relationship between Cyclops and Marvel Girl, as well as delving into social commentary by using mutants as an analog for racism.

As many comic book historians are quick to point out, the X-Men were not a runaway success. The title never quite matched the appeal of the Fantastic Four or Spider-Man, which eventually led to their near cancellation prior to the release of Giant Size X-Men #1. It's not hard to understand why this would be the case. The early stories lacked the depth and excitement that became a staple of the X-books during the 1980s, which was largely attributed to shallow character development and a wide range of less-than-stellar villains. After all, the guys initially lacked personalities and were really only distinguished by their powers. They all acted and spoke the same, with all four harbouring feelings for Marvel Girl (even Professor Xavier rather creepily revealed that he loved her in a thought bubble). Even still, these Silver Age stories have plenty of merits. Though the majority of the bad guys the X-Men faced off against were fairly cheesy, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced some of the most iconic Marvel villains that have since gone on to become staples of the X-Books. Furthermore, the eventual development of the characters into individuals marked the true start of the evolution of the X-Men. From Cyclops' secret feelings for Jean to Beast's hyper intelligence (which came out of the blue, pardon the pun), the X-Men became fully formed characters once the title found its wings. Above all else, there was Jean Grey. While the Fantastic Four and the Avengers portrayed its females as little more than decoration, Marvel Girl was the most useful member of the X-Men. She was the glue that held them together and her active powers meant that she was the most likely to save the day. Though Invisible Woman and the Wasp grew into their roles as badass heroines, it was Jean Grey that was truly ahead of the class.

Drawing all of these characters was a challenge and a half. In general, I'm just not terribly skilled at drawing men and this is a piece comprised almost entirely of them. Still, I did my best to capture these characters as they appeared at that time and really wanted them to look youthful and optimistic. I achieved varying success with them, but I still feel Jean (as Marvel Girl) looks the best. That shouldn't be a surprise considering she's one of my all-time favourite Marvel characters. Many of you will also note that - gasp - Professor Xavier is here! Whenever I've drawn large scale X-Men ensemble pieces, people are quick to ask me where he is and why I've excluded him. Well, here he is folks! I wanted to include him given his importance to the X-Men. It also gave me a chance to challenge myself by drawing a wheelchair. They are so hard to draw!

As always, I love hearing from you all so please feel free to leave a comment below letting me know what you think of the art and of the original X-Men.

Enjoy!