Mighty Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men Vol. 2: Where Walks The Juggernaut (Uncanny X-Men

by Stan Lee, Michael Cho (Cover Art), Jack Kirby (Artist)

Collects X-Men (1963) #11-19.

The X-Men blend super hero action, teen angst and a potent metaphor for the turbulent issues of the '60s into one powerful package! And in this volume, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby finished laying the foundation for what would later become comics' biggest franchise! Experience the unstoppable Juggernaut's devastating debut and learn his shocking connection to Professor X! Thrill to the first appearances of the cosmic Stranger, the power-copying Mimic, and - in a classic three-part saga - the mutant-hunting robots known as the Sentinels! And for good measure, it's all topped off with the return of Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants - and a devastating attack on the X-Men's school! They're mutant milestones one and all!

Genres: Comics, Comic Book

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 2, 2022

About the author

Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.

With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.

Reviews

[Gary Sassaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been a very long time since I’ve read the X-Men issues—#s 11-19—contained in this volume and to be honest, they were better than I remembered. Growing up as a Marvel Kid, I always felt X-Men was one of the lesser Marvels, still better than anything DC was churning out in the same era, but certainly not up to the level of the Fantastic Four or Amazing Spider-Man. Jack Kirby pencils only one of these issues (#11) but does layouts (or, as it’s sometimes referred to, “designed by”) for Alex Toth (who lasted one lone issue, inked by Vince Colletta, who totally obliterates any hint of Toth, thus robbing us of actually seeing a Toth Marvel superhero book) and then “Jay Gavin,” who is actually Werner Roth. By the time he takes over full pencils in issue #17, Roth is still Gavin, but with inks by Dick Ayers, his work isn’t half-bad. This was a great run for new concepts: The Stranger, Juggernaut, the Sentinels, and the Mimic (okay, that last one’s not so great) and for longer stories: The Sentinels saga is three issues. I’m afraid X-Men really went downhill after this and didn’t really recover until Roy Thomas and Neal Adams took it over, almost 40 issues later (although there was a two-issue Steranko run which is at least nice to look at). I’m sensing Marvel is pulling back a little on these new editions of Marvel Masterworks, cutting back from 10 issues to nine with this one, which also features a new Michael Cho cover, which I like better than his first X-Men cover in this series. I’m still really enjoying re-reading these books. A little nostalgia goes a very long way with me these days.

[Paul Stanis · Rating 4 out of 5]

“An unreasoning mob! The one thing I can’t fight!”

Look for: Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver leaving Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (#11); in this telling, the atomic bomb testing in New Mexico having claimed at least one life (#12); a crystallizing issue of the series, with Sentinels quite scary in approximately ten foot form (#14); Stan Lee’s even more heightened writing, with the dial turned higher on the humor, melodrama, and surreality (#15); the death of Trask and destruction of the Master Mold (#16); and in the Mimic, the X-Men getting their version of the Super Skrull (#19).

“What has befallen our gunnery specialists???”

First appearances of: Juggernaut (Professor X’s non-mutant stepbrother), and Cerebro (#12); the Sentinels and Dr. Bolivar Trask (#14); and the Master Mold (#15).

“Even now it may be too late to stop the wheels of persecution that have been set in motion…”

[Mr. Stick · Rating 3 out of 5]

"WE ARE THE SENTINELS! OUR BRAIN IS SUPERIOR TO YOUR BRAIN! OUR STRENGTH IS SUPERIOR TO YOUR STRENGTH! WE SERVE NONE! WE ARE THE SENTINELS! IT IS OUR DESTINY TO COMMAND!"
- Lead Sentinel 1 kidnapping its creator Dr. Bolivar Trask.

This was much better than the first ten issues. Character personalities and relationships we refined. The serial issues start here with the Juggernaut and the Sentinels. A lot of origins, including the Mimic. I'm looking forward to the next volume. Maybe Magneto won't be so stereotypical (and disappointing) and eventually become the BEST x-men villain.
Still corny, but much better.
Three stars.

[Avril · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating to go back to where it all began; what a long way the X-Men have come since then. I do see why Jay and Miles describe Jean Grey’s personality in these early stories as ‘being the girl’. And Cyclops has certainly started the brooding that will be his primary characteristic forevermore.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

With X comics so big and convoluted these days, it was fun to go back to a simpler time and see the mythology being built.

Kind of amazing to discover Lee/Kirby were only on the title for two years, but how much stuff got introduced: The Juggernaut, the Sentinels, the Brotherhood of evil mutants, the Stranger, the origins of all 5 X-men and Professor X etc.
Busy time.

Sad to see Kirby go, but Jay Gavin, who I had no knowledge of, was a solid artist.
Fun to read Stan trying to write 'cool, hip' teens.

Lots of great ideas, adventures and humor from the days when there were no 'Omega level' mutants, so the heroes had to break a sweat to win.