Who created the X-Men and when did they first appear?
The X-Men were created by writer and editor Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. The team first appeared in The X-Men #1, cover-dated September 1963, published by Marvel Comics.
Questions about X-Men
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why were the original X-Men comics cancelled in 1970?
The original X-Men series was cancelled due to low sales. Marvel stopped producing new stories with issue #66 in March 1970 and spent subsequent years reprinting older material as issues #67 through #93.
Who were the new X-Men introduced in Giant-Size X-Men #1 in 1975?
The 1975 revival introduced Colossus from the Soviet Union, Nightcrawler from Germany, Storm from Kenya, and Thunderbird, a Native American of Apache descent, alongside previously introduced characters Banshee, Sunfire, and Wolverine. Cyclops remained from the original team as leader.
What is the best-selling comic book issue of all time and how many copies did it sell?
X-Men #1, launched in October 1991 and written by Chris Claremont with art by Jim Lee, is certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling comic book of all time. Retailers pre-ordered over 8.1 million copies, generating nearly $7 million in orders.
What real-world social issues do the X-Men comics address?
The X-Men comics address racism, antisemitism, the AIDS epidemic, LGBTQ identity and the closet, apartheid, and McCarthyism through mutant allegory. Professor Xavier has been compared to Martin Luther King Jr. and Magneto to Malcolm X; the fictional nation of Genosha depicted an apartheid system explicitly referencing South Africa.
How long did Chris Claremont write the X-Men?
Chris Claremont wrote the X-Men for sixteen years, beginning with Uncanny X-Men #94 in 1975 and ending after writing only three issues of the new X-Men series launched in October 1991, when he departed following a dispute with editor Bob Harras.