The early ‘90s is where I cultivated my love for comic books, especially The X-Men. In the fourth grade I became ill with Valley Fever, a respiratory virus that lives in spores, primarily found in the central valley where I grew up. After a doctor’s visit, and there were many, my parents would take me to Toys r Us and buy me something special.
This is where I found X-Men #1 and The Uncanny X-Men #281. Instantly fascinated by this unique team of heroes, I need more! I need trading cards, I needed action figures, I wanted it all. Anything X-Men that I could get my hands on I wanted. Jim Lee, Chris Claremont, Whilce Portacio and John Byrne were weaving a world that I wanted nothing more than to be engulfed by.
I discovered a couple local comic book shops and would spend a good hour flipping through back issues, gazing at the books on the wall and flipping through binders of trading cards. Before I bought complete storylines or numbered sets, I bought based on the cover art and the featured characters. Jean Grey, Kitty Pryde, Storm, Rogue, Nightcrawler, Colossus and Magik quickly became my favorites.
Here is a listing of my Top 10 FIRST X-Men Comic Book Covers that still hold a very special place in my heart and in my collection:
10.) New Mutants #13: A New Mutant is welcomed to the ranks, but will she survive her first day at Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters?
09.) Uncanny X-Men #114: Listen to me! The volcano flooded the entire complex with molten lava. Your power got you and me out — but that’s all. There’s no way anyone else could have survived! Scott and the X-Men are dead, Jean. They’re dead.” – Beast
08.) Classic X-Men #1: “Kind’a man I am, darlin’, I know what I want the minute I lay eyes on it. An’ what Wolverine wants, he gets. Heart’s poundin’, Jeannie– you’re breathin’ awful fast. Gives me the impression this feelin’s mutual.” —Wolverine
07.) Uncanny X-Men #272: “Here I go. Alone. Armed. Facing impossible odds. Crawling through a ventilation duct. As Jubilee would no doubt say: “… eat your heart out, Bruce Willis!” – Pyslocke
06.) Uncanny X-Men #269: “Yo, X-Men — hit the bricks, ya’ll come a’runnin’ — we got us a job t’do! An’ some heads t’bust!” – Rogue
05.) Uncanny X-Men 218: “A train?!!? Ain’t that just peachy!” – Rogue
04.) New Mutants #98: “If life were a picnic, you‘d be a family. Since life is war, you’re soldiers. You’d do well to start accepting that fact.” – Cable
03.) Uncanny X-Men #137: “Scott, am I worth it? I destroyed a world– in my mind, I can still hear the screams of the dying– and it felt good! I don’t want that feeling ever again. And yet– I do!” – Jean Grey
02.) Uncanny X-Men #281: “Clumsy, child. Very clumsy. You do not bait the lioness in her den, nor the spider at the center of her web.” – Emma Frost
01.) X-Men #1: The best-selling comic in history was 1991’s X-Men #1. ‘Nuff Said!
Have you ever had any of your comics graded?! If so which ones?! And if not what ones would you want graded the most?!
Hi! I haven’t had them graded, yet. I have quite a few autographed books, some by Stan Lee, too. I think it’s bit of a pricey endeavor so I just haven’t done it. I will one day, hopefully.
I didn’t know X men existed until I met you Jason. I love knowing how passionate you are about all your collectables and had fun getting to know you at school. You’ve come a long way and are an awesome young man!