X-Men Vol 1 Episode 1

Appearing in "X-Men"

Featured Characters:

• Professor X (First appearance)
  
• X-Men (First appearance)
  
• Cyclops (First appearance)
  
• Marvel Girl (First appearance)
  
• Angel (First appearance)
  
• Beast (First appearance)
  
• Iceman (First appearance)
  

Villains:

• Magneto (First appearance)
  

Other Characters:

• Unnamed Cape Citadel soldiers

Locations:

• Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters (First appearance)
• Cape Citadel (Earth-616)

Items:

• Cyclops' visor 1.0 (First appearance)
  

Synopsis for "X-Men"

At Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in Westchester County, New York, Professor Charles Xavier summons his students telepathically. When the Beast, Angel, Iceman, and Cyclops arrive, he puts them through a series of exercises to hone their mutant talents. Xavier then introduces them to a new student, Marvel Girl, to whom he explains the purpose of his school: his students do receive an education, but they are also the first line of defense against evil mutants.

Meanwhile, at Cape Citadel, Magneto causes a rocket to crash. The next day he takes over the whole base and claims it in the name of Homo superior (i.e. mutants). When Xavier hears about the incident, he sends his X-Men on their first mission. Cyclops uses his eye beams to make a hole in Magneto's force field, thus alerting him to their presence. Magneto launches a volley of heat-seeking missiles, which lock on to Angel; Iceman knocks most of them out, and the Beast catches the last one. Magneto sends metal debris at Angel; Cyclops destroys it. Magneto flings a burning tanker truck at the team; Iceman covers them with an ice shield, and Cyclops blasts a tunnel under the flames so that they come up near Magneto. Unprepared for such power and resourcefulness, Magneto sets up another force field and levitates himself to safety.

Trivia

• Magneto's power shows that he can create manipulate the magnetic field around things to enclose them in the field. This theory was debunked and rather explained by the writers as his power to control the iron in one's blood and use that to contain them.
• This comic's title is often confused with the later named Uncanny X-Men.
• Iceman was originally drawn as a "snowman" when his powers are activated and he regularly threw snowballs as weapons. This would later be changed to give him more of an icy look rather than snow-like.
• Professor X's "training machine" that is shown is a precursor to the giant Danger Room that is created in the mansion.
• Although this issue is the first appearance of the X-Men, the team has already been formed. Their previous storylines are shown in other titles and flashbacks.