Giant-Size X-Men

Cover to Giant-Size X-Men #1.

Giant-Size X-Men #1 was a special issue of the X-Men comic book series, published by Marvel Comics in 1975. It was written by Len Wein and illustrated by Dave Cockrum. Though not a regular issue, it jump-started the series after a five-year hiatus. The issue serves as a link between the original X-Men and a new team. Chronologically it is placed before The Uncanny X-Men #94. The 68-page issue was published with a May 1975 cover date and distributed to newsstands in February of that year.

Publication history

Following the May publication of Giant-Size X-Men #1, Marvel published one more issue of Giant-Size X-Men later in the year. The second issue had nothing to do with the preceding one, instead featuring reprints of stories from X-Men #57 and #58, written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Neal Adams.

Story

"Second Genesis!"

The story links the old X-Men team with the new, as the original team (Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast (comics), Angel, and Iceman) and recent recruits Havok and Lorna Dane ventures to the island of Krakoa and vanishes. Cyclops is allowed to return to tell Professor X what has happened. This prompts the professor to assemble a new team of X-Men to stage a rescue. The new team includes Sunfire and Banshee, who had been introduced in earlier X-Men comics; Wolverine, who had made his first appearance in the Marvel Universe in The Incredible Hulk #180 (Oct. 1974); and the newly created Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Thunderbird.

The team soon learns that Krakoa is not just an island, but a giant mutant as well. The new team succeeds in rescuing the old X-Men as well as destroying the island by shooting it into outer space with Lorna's power, despite hiccups in their first time working together. The issue ends by posing the question of the future of the 13 X-Men.

Reprints

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

Credits

• Cover artist(s) — Gil Kane (pencils) and Dave Cockrum (inks)
• Plotter(s) — Len Wein
• Scripter(s) — Len Wein
• Penciler(s) — Dave Cockrum
• Inker(s) — Dave Cockrum & Peter Iro
• Letterer(s) — John Costanza
• Colorist(s) — Glynis Wein
• Editor(s) — Len Wein

Characters

• Angel
• Banshee
• Colossus
• Illyana Nikolaievna Rasputina – Colossus’s sister
• Cyclops
• Havok
• Iceman
• Krakoa
• Marvel Girl
• Nikolai Rasputin & Alexandra Rasputina – Colossus’s parents
• Nightcrawler
• Prof. Charles Xavier
• Polaris
• Storm
• Sunfire
• Thunderbird
• Wolverine