The X-Men
# 11-21
The X-Men # 11: "The Triumph of Magneto!" 
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Jack Kirby
Inker: Chic Stone
Jay's Rating: JJJJ
Synopsis:
Professor X dispatches the X-Men to search for an incredible energy being who may be a mutant. Unfortunately, Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil get to him first. The Stranger, however, is not impressed. He leaves as the X-Men arrive and takes Magneto and Toad with him. The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver surrender and announce that they will no longer serve Magneto and the Brotherhood. The X-Men catch up with the Stranger who boldly announces that he's taking Magneto and Toad as specimens of human mutations, and leaves Earth.

Jay's Notes:

  • First appearance of the Stranger who is next seen in X-Men #18.
  • Magneto is next seen in X-Men #17.
  • The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are next seen in Avengers #16 as new members.
The X-Men # 12: "The Origin of Professor X" 
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Jack Kirby (breakdowns)/Alex Toth (finished pencils)
Inker: Vince Colletta
Jay's Rating: JJJJ
Synopsis:
Professor X's mutant detection device, Cerebro, announces a fearsome mutant menace. Xavier has the X-Men erect a defensive perimeter around the mansion. He then tells them of his childhood. His father died and his mother remarried his father's fellow scientist Dr. Marko. Marko's own son from a previous marriage, Cain, takes an immediate dislike of Xavier and bullies him. While the mutant menace makes it way through the defensive perimeter, Xavier continues his tale. While in Asia during the Korean war, Xavier and Cain stumble upon a lost temple of Cyttorak. Cain grabbed the gem of Cyttorak and was transformed into the Juggernaut. Enemy shelling destroyed the cave and Xavier was the only one to escape. The mutant menace, now revealed as the Juggernaut, breaches the mansion and swat aside the X-Men to face off against Xavier.

Jay's Notes:

  • First appearance and origin of the Juggernaut!
  • Insight into Xavier's youth.
The X-Men # 13: "Where Walks the Juggernaut!"
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Werner Roth (layouts by Kirby)
Inker: Joe Sinnott
Jay's Rating: JJJJ
Synopsis:
The Juggernaut's helmet protects him from Xavier's mental powers. The X-Men regroup and keep the Juggernaut busy long enough for Xavier to contact the Human Torch. The Human Torch joins the battle. The Human Torch blinds the Juggernaut while the Angel strips off his helmet leaving him vulnerable to Professor X's mental attack. The Juggernaut is defeated and Professor X lets the Human Torch go on his merry way, but not before removing his memories of the event.

Jay's Notes:

  • Werner Roth, an artist who had only done romance comics, used the pen name of Jay Gavin.
The X-Men # 14: "Among Us Stalk ... the Sentinels!"
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Werner Roth (layouts by Kirby)
Inker: Vince Colletta
Jay's Rating: JJJJ
Synopsis:
The X-Men recover from their injuries during Juggernaut's attack and Professor X sends them out on vacation. Meanwhile, an anthropologist, Dr. Bolivar Trask warns humankind of the deadly mutant menace that they may one day face. Professor X challenges Trask and his views on network television. Trask has already gone one step further and created an army of mutant hunting robots called Sentinels.  However, the Sentinels turn the tables on Trask and rebel against his authority. They capture Trask and take him back to their fortress to create more Sentinels. Professor X summons the X-Men who engage the Sentinel that remained behind. The remaining Sentinel mysteriously collapsed during the battle. Professor X and the X-Men follow the Sentinels to their hidden fortress.

Jay's Notes:

  • First appearance of Trask and the Sentinels.
The X-Men # 15: "Prisoners of the Mysterious Master Mold!"
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Werner Roth (layouts by Kirby)
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating: JJJJ
Synopsis:
The X-Men content with the Sentinels' fortress' defenses and the Beast and Ice Man are taken prisoner. Trask learns that the Sentinels have rebelled because the most logical way, at least according to them, to protect humanity is by ruling them. The Master Mold has the Beast put under a psycho probe and he recounts his origin until Professor X blocks his memories before the can reveal the X-Men's secrets. Meanwhile, the other X-Men breach the fortress and free Ice Man only to all be captured.

Jay's Notes:

  • First appearance of the Master Mold.
  • Origin of the Beast and actually the first origin of the X-Men members.
The X-Men # 16: "The Supreme Sacrifice!"
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Werner Roth (layouts by Kirby)
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating: JJJJ
Synopsis:
The X-Men manage to free themselves and engage the Sentinels. Meanwhile, Professor X investigates why the Sentinel (in issue #14) had mysteriously collapsed. It turned out to be a giant crystal that adorned a nearby building. With the police's help, they "borrow" the crystal and transport it to the Sentinels' fortress. The crystal disrupts the Sentinel's power transmission and they are all rendered powerless. Meanwhile, Trask prepares to create more Sentinels for the Master Mold, but realizes how wrong he's been about mutants. Trask sabotages the machinery which causes an explosion that kills both Trask and the Master Mold.
The X-Men # 17: "... And None Shall Survive!"
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Werner Roth (layouts by Kirby)
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating:
JJJJ
Synopsis:
The U.S. army moves in and investiages the remains of the Sentinels' fortress and see that the X-Men get medical attention. One by one the 
X-Men return to the mansion and are in turn defeated by Magneto. Magneto places them in a death trap and leaves them to their fate. Only Ice Man remains in the hospital in a critical condition.

Jay's Notes:

  • Kirby's last issue as layout artist.
The X-Men # 18: "If Iceman Should Fail ..!"
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Werner Roth
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating: JJJJ
Synopsis:
Ice Man's condition improves and he makes his way to the mansion to confront Magneto. Unfortunately, the Angel's parents have picked a bad time to pay a visit and are used by Magneto to help create mutant clones that will be under his command. Ice Man manages to keep Magneto from completing his task while the X-Men free themselves and join the battle. However, the battle ends when the Stranger arrives, summoned by Professor X,  and is very interested in resuming his studies of Magneto.

Jay's Notes:

  • The Stranger is next seen in Tales to Astonish #89-90.
The X-Men # 19: "Lo! Now Shall Appear -- the Mimic!"
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Werner Roth
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating:
JJJ1/2
Synopsis:
An arrogant, quick-tempered Calvin Rankin runs into some of the vacationing X-Men, as civilians, and gains their powers and figures out their secret identities. He approaches them under the pretense of joining the team since his mimic powers are only temporary. However, his arrogance betrays his true attentions and they manage to drive him off, but he takes Jean captive. They catch up with him in an abandoned mine where the Mimic's father apparently constructed a machine that would make his mimic powers permanent. The machine turns out to to the opposite and removes his powers. Professor X removes his memories and allows his to begin a normal life.

Jay's Notes:

  • Stan Lee's last issue as writer.
  • First appearance and origin of the Mimic.
The X-Men # 20: "I, Lucifer ..."
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciller: Werner Roth
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating:
JJJ1/2
Synopsis:
The Blob and Unus begin a crime spree posing as X-Men in hopes of discrediting the X-Men. The X-Men confront the Blob and Unus, but they  escape. Meanwhile, the mastermind behind all of this, Lucifer, strikes at his ultimate enemy Professor X and leaves him in a paralyzed state. Professor X tells of his first confrontation with Lucifer and how he lost the use of his legs. The X-Men recruit at the mansion and head off to do battle against Lucifer.

Jay's Notes:

  • Lucifer last seen in X-Men #9. The Blob was last seen in X-Men #7 and Unus in X-Men #8.
X-Men # 21: "From Whence Comes ... Dominus?" 
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciller: Werner Roth
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating:
JJJ1/2
Synopsis:
Professor X leads the X-Men to Lucifer's headquarters. However, Lucifer's weapons overwhelm the X-Men and Professor X. Lucifer gloats over Professor X and tells him the plans for the conquest of Earth. The X-Men free themselves and battle Lucifer's robots which are then mysteriously destroyed. Lucifer's superior, the Supreme One, is not impressed and exiles him. Professor X reveals that he had influenced Lucifer enough to convince him to destroy his own robots.
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