rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks

Frequently Asked Questions

Version 2003.02, last updated November 2003

Subject: Welcome!

Welcome to the rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks general FAQ! The page you are currently reading includes the list of recent changes and the Table of Contents for the entire FAQ. This FAQ is posted monthly to the newsgroups rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks and rec.arts.comics.info.

The FAQ Keeper cheerfully accepts any corrections and suggestions! The Keeper of the RACMX FAQs is Kate the Short (mailto:racmx@yahoo.com).

If your newsreader has a search/go-to command, you can quickly page through this FAQ by searching for any of the Contents as spelled. A plus sign in parentheses (+) indicates a change to the contents listed since the last FAQ update.

Subject: Recent Changes (+)

• ALL:

• Part 1: The titles.
  • Updated list of X-Teams.
  • Updated list of starting points for back issue collections.
  • Updated definition of mutant.

• Part 2: The history.
  • Typo patrol.

• Part 3: Original members, mutants, powers, and Rogue.
  • Updated list of X-Men.
  • Updated classes at Xavier's.
  • Updated Professor X's legs.
  • Updated gay X-Men.
  • Updated Rogue/Gambit sex.
  • Updated Mystique family tree.

• Part 4: The Summers Family.
  • No updates.

• Part 5: Ages, Whatever Happened To ...?
  • Updated what happened to everyone.

• Part 6: Magneto, Hellfire Club, and Wolverine.
  • Updated Magneto's existence.
  • Updated Hellfire Club members list.
  • Updated Wolverine's origin.

• Part 7: Beast, The Twelve, and other stuff.
  • Added secondary mutation / appearance change question.

• Part 8: Comics industry, and X-Men in other media.
  • Updated _X-Men_ cameos.
  • Added _X-Men 2_ information.
  • Updated credits.

Subject: Table of Contents (+)

Part 1:

• PURPOSE/INTRO
• NEW (OR RETURNING) READER INFORMATION
  • The current list of X-Titles and Teams (+)
  • Hints for picking up back issues and older storylines (+)
• WHAT ARE THE X-BOOKS?
  • Philosophical Meanderings and Inspirations
  • What is a mutant? (+)
• RACMX NEWSGROUP QUESTIONS
  • Can you explain Paul O'Brien's review grading system?
  • Why do all those annoying dinos keep on complaining about the X-titles here? If they don't like the books, why do they read them?
  • What is this Kid Dynamo thing? Where can I find it?
  • Where can I get scans of comic art? Why doesn't anybody post pictures on the newsgroup?
• COMMONLY USED ABBREVIATIONS AND TERMS
• OTHER RACMXERS WHO MAY BE OF ASSISTANCE

Part 2:

• HISTORY OF THE X-TEAMS AND X-TITLES
  • The 1960s and 1970s: Early history
  • The 1980s: An explosion of new titles
  • The 1990s: Claremont's exit, mega-crossovers
  • 2000 and beyond: New (and newer) directions

Part 3:

• X-MEN COMIC BOOK QUESTIONS
  • Who were the original X-Men? Who was the first X-Man? Who have been X-Men? (+)
  • How come Professor X has so much money?
  • What classes does the Professor offer at his schools, anyway? (+)
  • Wasn't there a title released in 1963 about a team of super-powered misfits who banded together under some smart guy in a wheelchair to fight against prejudice and the right to just be yourself ... by DC Comics?
  • When did Professor X start walking? Isn't he supposed to be in a wheelchair? (+)
  • Are there any gay X-Men? (+)
  • Why do people hate the X-Men when they love the Avengers and the Fantastic Four?
  • Why can't Cyclops just wear contact lenses?
  • Why doesn't Forge invent something that would neutralize powers so mutants like Cyclops and Rogue can live normal lives? And how can Rogue cut her hair, if she's invulnerable? (+)
  • Did Psylocke dye her hair? What about Rogue's stripe?
  • I've got an idea! Why don't Rogue and Gambit use Leech so they can have sex? Have they already had sex? (+)
  • Is Rogue's inability to control her powers psychological in nature?
  • Why does Rogue have claws? When did that happen?
  • Was Rogue raped by the guards in the first Genosha storyline?
  • What is the relationship between Mystique and Nightcrawler? Why is Rogue involved in it, if she isn't blue? (+)

Part 4:

• X-MEN COMIC BOOK QUESTIONS
  • Why do so many people hate Scott Summers?
  • How many Summerses are there, anyways?
    • Simplified family tree
    • The third Summers brother
    • Timelost children
  • What's the relationship between the Phoenix, Jean Grey, Madelyne Pryor, and Rachel Summers?
    • Is Maddie Pryor in Avengers Annual #10?
    • Is Jean or Phoenix dead on the moon?
    • When did Jean take the codename Phoenix? Is she Phoenix?
    • Who's the Madelyne in X-Man?
    • The problem with Excalibur #52
  • What's the relationship between Cable, Stryfe, Ahab, and Nate Grey?
    • Cable and Stryfe
    • Who's Ahab?
    • Is Stryfe dead?
    • What's the deal with Nate?

Part 5:

• X-MEN COMIC BOOK QUESTIONS
  • How old is Kitty Pryde? Jubilee? The rest of the X-Men?
  • What are the names and ages of the Guthrie siblings? How many of them are mutants?
  • What happened to the New Mutants and X-Force kids? (+)
  • What happened to Excalibur? (+)
  • What happened to X-Factor? (+)
  • What happened to Generation X? (+)
  • What about everyone else? (+)

Part 6:

• X-MEN COMIC BOOK QUESTIONS
  • Is Magneto Jewish or Gypsy? Was Joseph Magneto? (+)
  • What is the Hellfire Club? Who are its members? (+)
  • What is the relationship between Wolverine and Sabretooth supposed to be?
  • Does Wolverine have any real memories, anyway? How about real bones?
  • Who was Wolverine before he was Wolverine? Does he even have a real name? (+)
  • Wolverine can regularly regenerate himself from a drop of blood, right?

Part 7:

• X-MEN COMIC BOOK QUESTIONS
  • Which X-Men haven't been mutants?
  • What is the Siege Perilous?
  • Why did the X-Men lose their invisibility to electronic scanners?
  • Psylocke, Revanche, Kwannon, Betsy Braddock ... help?
  • When did Psylocke and Phoenix switch powers? Wasn't Psylocke telepathically holding the Shadow King captive?
  • When did the Beast turn blue and furry? Wasn't he unfurry again for a while? When did he become a lion?
  • How come other mutants seem to be changing their powers and appearances? (+)
  • Is Longshot Shatterstar's father?
  • There's an External at my door. What does that mean? Should I be concerned? Is it contagious?
  • Who are the Twelve? Why are they important?
  • Is Apocalypse dead?
  • What is the Legacy Virus? Who's had it? Hasn't there been a cure for a while?
  • What is the Soulsword? Who has Magik's Soulsword now?
  • Is the Malice who worked with the Marauders the same one that appears in Fantastic Four now and then?
  • Do you lose your mutant powers in the Savage Land? Where is the Savage Land, anyway?
  • What happens when the Blob meets the Juggernaut?

Part 8:

• COMICS INDUSTRY QUESTIONS
  • Why did Chris Claremont leave the X-titles? Why did Peter David leave X-Factor?
  • Are any Marvel staff reading racmx?
  • What's a dangler? Is it related to a six month gap?
  • What's a Claremontism?
• X-MEN OTHER-MEDIA QUESTIONS
  • How is _X-Men: The Movie_ different from the comics?
  • What cameos are there in _X-Men: The Movie_? (+)
  • What's new in _X-Men 2_? (+)
  • What other movies or cartoons are there?
• HISTORY OF THIS FAQ
• CREDITS (+)

*** Continued in Part 1 ***

Contents | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8

Welcome to rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks! (a RACMX FAQ of introduction)
Read Before Posting (a RACMX FAQ for detailed netiquette and assistance)
The General RACMX FAQ (a RACMX FAQ for detailed story/character questions)

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Last updated: 2004-01-19