The seeds of a pop-cultural phenomenon were sown with the launch of the first X-Men comic in 1963, at the height of “the Marvel Revolution,” under the creative team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The title was bookended by some of the best Super Hero comics of that era; the first issue established a creative formula that continues to inspire contemporary creators, while the final issues remain acclaimed for the groundbreaking artwork of Neal Adams. This collection gathers several key tales from the original run of the classic X-Men series.

A foreword by Rainbow Rowell and scholarly introductions and apparatus by Ben Saunders offer further insight into the enduring significance of the X-Men and classic Marvel comics.