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Researching a project & been re-reading X-Men from issue #1. Thought I'd make a thread of some of the fun things I've come across.
Starting with Giant-Size X-Men #1 from 1975. Written by Len Wein. Cover penciled by Gil Kane and inked by Dave Cockrum.
Starting with Giant-Size X-Men #1 from 1975. Written by Len Wein. Cover penciled by Gil Kane and inked by Dave Cockrum.
Just to get some of the basics out of the way...the original X-Men run had ended with #66 in 1970. Issues #67–#93 were all reprints of old stories. So Giant-Size X-Men was the first new stories in 5 years.
Giant-Size X-Men features the first appearances of Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, & Thunderbird. All credited as being created by Len Wein & Dave Cockrum.
Dave Cockrum had designed Nightcrawler before he ever started the X-Men and had actually been planning to introduce him in Legion of Superheroes while working at DC.
Cockrum had a whole portfolio of designs. For Storm, Wein & editor, Roy Thomas, suggested combing a couple of designs & that's how Cockrum finalized Storm.
Cockrum was told they needed a strong guy & knocked out the Colossus design overnight. Len Wein didn't like male characters with bare legs, so that's why Colossus had blue legs when not armored (that always confused the hell out of me) due to unstable molecules of their costumes.
Cockrum also gave Cyclops a new, more rounded visor. You can see the older version (drawn here by Neal Adams) and then Cockrum drawing both versions on the same page.
In 1974, editor, Roy Thomas, asked Incredible Hulk writer, Len Wein, to come up with a character called "Wolverine." John Romita Sr. designed his original look. According to the owner of the original art, Romita did the designs in blue pencil on vellum.
https://www.comicartfans.com/galleryroom.asp?gsub=38015
https://www.comicartfans.com/galleryroom.asp?gsub=38015
Romita then did the full-figure shots. After doing a rough version of Wolverine in action, he flipped the vellum over & did a tighter sketch on the back.
Wolverine made his debut on the final page of Incredible Hulk #180 (penciled by Herb Trimpe & inked by Jack Abel) and then appeared in Hulk #181 fighting the Hulk & Wendigo.
Legend has it that Gil Kane drew Wolverine's mask wrong on the cover to Giant Size & Cockrum liked that version better & stuck with it for his version. (page is Wolverine's recruitment scene from Giant-Size).
So that's some basic background. The rest of this thread will be random bits & observations. Disclaimer: I did my best to verify most of this stuff, but with so many X-books & guest-appearances, it's nearly impossible for me to know exactly what order some things happened in.
Wolverine never actually retracted his claws in the Hulk appearances. There was also debate among fans as to whether his claws were part of his gloves or his powers.
I believe that Giant-Size X-Men is also the first appearance of the SNIKT! sound effect.
I believe that Giant-Size X-Men is also the first appearance of the SNIKT! sound effect.
After Giant-Size X-Men, the X-Men series continued on with issue #94. There was very inconsistent usage of the SNIKT sfx for a while. Sometimes there was no sfx. In issue #96 we actually saw a SNICKT (with a "C"). Then in #101 we got our first SNIKT/SNAKT (for retracting claws).
X-Men #98 is a pretty historic issue for Wolverine. It's the first time we see Wolverine out of costume, see his face ( iconic haircut & chops), see him in a fur-lined jacket & see him smoking. All by Dave Cockrum.
X-Men #98 is also the first time we see a shirtless, hairy Wolverine, learn that his claws are definitively not part of his gloves/costume, and see the first time he fights a Sentinel.
The saga of Wolverine's hairy arms.
Wolverine was seen as have hairy arms all the back in X-Men #98. But for the next two years he was never depicted with hairy arms while in costume by either Dave Cockrum or John Byrne. (Images are from X-Men #98)
Wolverine was seen as have hairy arms all the back in X-Men #98. But for the next two years he was never depicted with hairy arms while in costume by either Dave Cockrum or John Byrne. (Images are from X-Men #98)
In X-Men #109, we see hairy-armed Wolverine in costume, but it's actually the "Fang" costume he picked up from the Shi'ar event.
Here's where it gets crazy. You can see in X-Men #114 by John Byrne that Wolverine is all hairy, but only in the places where his costume is torn.
Later in X-Men #114 by Byrne, Wolverine sews up his torn costume and you can see he's hairy all over here. So what gives?
Apparently in all of these early Wolverine appearances, he actually had skin-colored sleeves on his costume. WTF?!?!
http://www.byrnerobotics.com/FAQ/listing.asp?ID=2&T1=Questions+about+Comic+Book+Projects#213
http://www.byrnerobotics.com/FAQ/listing.asp?ID=2&T1=Questions+about+Comic+Book+Projects#213
So George Perez was the first artist to draw Wolverine (cover of X-Men #112) with hairy arms in costume. Then Byrne kept it rolling after that (Byrne's examples from X-Men #115).
X-Men #94. Pretty sure the first time Wolverine calls someone "Bub" is when he punks poor Bobby Drake. Written by Chris Claremont. Plotted & edited by Len Wein.
X-Men #100. First "Fastball Special" by Claremont & Cockrum. I think it's hilarious how the the first "Bub" was used on an original X-Man & now the first Fastball Special is used on Angel.
