#Jay & Miles X-Plain The X-Men

[xplainthexmen]

Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men, Episode 474 - Giant-Size Winter Special #13 (feat. Anthony Oliveira)

In which the Warlock ongoing series is fun, and fun is good; people should maybe leave Doug Ramsey’s grave alone; Tony Stark is probably not in touch with the Indigo Girls; the heroes skate awfully close to the “no killing” line; Bastion gets exhumed, rehumed, and re-exhumed; you should really read the Avengers Academy Infinity Comic; and you remain the best listeners of any podcast, ever.

X-PLAINED:

X-related characters of Avengers Academy

Warlock vol. 5, #1-9

Warlock (more) (again)

M-Tech

Jay’s Bluey Test for all-ages media

The visual semiotics of Warlock Project Mainspring

Hope (Esperanza Ling)

Chi-Chee

Psi-cops

Gatekeepers

Technarchs

The transmode virus

A fancy hat

Many guest stars

The Phalanx (more) (again)

Psiren

Psimon

The techno-mechanic virus

Complicated feelings

Psycho Man (more) (again)

Astro-computers

Hope’s actual powers

Template

Magus (more) (again)

Avengers Academy Marvel Voices Infinity Comic

Why there are so many Canadian comic-book writers

Superhero comics vs. religious texts

Defining heroism

Escapade

Captain America of the Railways

Bloodline

Red Goblin

Moon Girl

Kid Juggernaut

Blackheart

Ongoing storytelling

Emplate as a queer character

Marcus Wetherell

What else to read if you love Avengers Academy Marvel Voices Infinity Comic

The 11th Annual Super Doctor Astronaut Peter Corbeau Awards for Excellence at X-Cellence

Many people to whom we are profoundly grateful

NEXT EPISODE: The return of the Demon Bear!

Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog!

Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

Buy rad swag at our TeePublic shop!

[dailydamnation]

Aw, look at the mutant besties dancing with each other right in the center there! I bet they're having so much fun that Illyana isn't even making fun of Kitty's costume!

Colleen Coover art--I'm sorry, I meant to say glorious art--for a print for the 10th anniversary party of the Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men podcast.

[illyanarasputinfan]

@colleencoover created this awesome piece of art for the tenth anniversary of the podcast Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men! Happy Anniversary!

[newx-menfan]

So the Cebero Cast did a NYX Podcast with the writers, and its pretty clear they LOVE the entire damn cast. And they talked about the story they have for Hellion is gunna take time. AND he's going to get an issue down the line.

ALSO they did talk about his hands for like 5 min or so. They said that they mostly go with what the writer draws BUT they're going with that Julian Crucibled off screen ATM. (Apparently Jackson (one of the writers) has Spina Bifida and says that the disabled rep meant a lot but he thinks it makes sense for the character to get his hands back). So there's that.

Also one issue and Manuel already making the Oedipus jokes XD

I was nervous when I heard about the “Cerebro podcast” because I got it confused with the “Xavier files” and I know the guy that runs it hates Hellion and NXM; I realized they’re different now after a Google search lol- so now I’m really excited and will definitely check them out! 😂

I really hope Jay and Miles review the book on their podcast/channel- I usually like their content and was interested what they had to say about it….

I’m kind of disappointed with Hellion getting back his hands, tbh, just because that was a big part of his depression and anger. It was kind of like Bishop’s “M” tattoo or Magneto’s Holocaust tattoo- it’s a visual signifier for just what Hellion has been through, along with representation for disability. Honestly I was surprised people were so up in arms about the name “X-23”…but not this.

I’m really excited about each character getting an “issue” and it just rotating back and forth- I think that’s a great way to do things and (hopefully!) keep it from becoming the “Laura” or “Kamala” show.

It’s good they are taking a lot of care with it though- honestly this is the only book besides Surge on X-Force that I am excited about.

I love Gail Simone…but her more recent books have been disappointing (particularly her WW runs and Plastic Man…) and I wasn’t sold on her premise OR the main X-title.

I have a feeling NYX is gonna be like Taylor’s “X-Men: Red”; the only beloved X-book of the group lol

[haveyouheardthispodcast]

Propaganda below the cut:

"Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men... because it's about time *someone* does." Deep dives into all eras of X-Men comics, with storyline explanations, character discussions, and both genuine admiration and MST3K-style teasing of the twisty continuity of the X-Men. You don't have to have read the comics to listen!

[ancient-string]

Shinobi Shaw behaviour

you catch me in my room watching something kinky, but instead of masturbating I'm just watching intently and taking notes like it's a college lecture

[spaceorphan18]

The Rogue and Gambit Project : Introduction

This has something I've been wanting to do for a long, long time, and now that X-Men 97 has really lit up the fandom again, I figure it's a great time to do it.

What is the project?

I want to look at Rogue and Gambit's relationship throughout their entire thirty year comic book history. I'm mainly sticking with the 616/Main Canon Universe, but who knows, maybe I'll branch out a little. I do want to revisit XM97 and dig in there a little bit, too.

For the most part, I'll be going through chronologically - starting in the 90s and working my way through the comics as they were first written. And do what I do - read the stories and discuss them. :)

Why do this? Because I'm partially insane - but mostly because I've loved these characters for a long, long time and I really want to dig in and talk about their story.

Tags I'm using so you can follow along or blacklist: the rg project; marvel meta

Some resources! Comics are a pain in the butt to follow, so here are some tools I use that help me keep everything straight:

Uncannyxmen.net : These guys have been around since at least the 90s and have very comprehensive summaries of everything X-Men related. They also have incredibly useful articles such as character studies, family trees, and all sorts of info. They also have a way to look up everything chronologically! I've been using them for years.

All Rogue Appearances : This has been a helpful tool in finding every comic Rogue has appeared in. They put it in their own reading order - I do kind of wish it was straight up chronological, but still incredibly useful as a tool.

All Gambit Appearances : Same thing as above except for Gambit

Rogue and Gambit Reading Guide : In case you're only here for the Romy and want to dig right in!

Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men : A podcast I've been listening to for about ten years now. They've been going through the entire 616 canon with a fine tooth comb and are about at the late-90s. They also have interviews with creators

Bon Temps! : A Rogue and Gambit Podcast! I've just started listening to them - and they're really a fun group who loves both characters well and equally!

Okay, time to dig into some comics - my god, I hope I survive the experience. ;)

[yakichoufd]

This is a tangent but I'm someone who finds trying to work through all the x-men comics hard/time consuming, so I just wanted to recommend the podcast Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men!

They started it in 2014 and do a great job summarizing a lot of the comics and storylines, with detailed art companions on their website with each episode. Since it's like a decade old now, its still a time commitment, but less so compared to the comics, and you can skip around. I haven't listened to it in a while, but I still recommend!

Jay is a fellow huge Scott fan so he tends to focus on him a lot as well/explain things from his point of view. And as a heads up if you do end up listening to it, Jay is trans and came out a few years into the show, so the beginning has his deadname.

Sorry if this is weird and feel free to ignore! I also wanted to say I very much enjoy your work and think your comic and art skills are amazing :) Have a great day!

Hi!! thank you so much for your recommandation! I do not usually listen to podcasts, but I'll give it a try! Since Jay is a fellow Scott enjoyer, he might guide me into reading cool comic issues about dear Scotty! Plus I'm curious about his point of view about that character :) Thank you for your message! <3

[rei-ismyname]

Hello again, I am the anonymous one who wants to expose Scott's autistic nature that readers insist on denying. Following the topic, since I want to learn from the criticism of previous works, and you always give very good analysis, I have a small question to ask you. If you could rewrite the X-Men from scratch, what elements would you keep? We all know what to rule out (creepy love triangles, writers' prejudices accidentally present in the narrative, machismo, sexism, lack of depth in the characters) and since we all know what not to do, I have the big question about what the successes of other writers have been. I admit that I am an impressionable person, I have to read a comic repeatedly to get the message because I tend to get distracted by the specific drawing or characters, that is why I come to you, I trust your judgment.

Hey there!

That's really kind of you to say and I appreciate it. It's certainly a tough question, if only because of the sheer volume of stories there are in the over 60 years the X-Men have been around.

Some readers are never going to come around on coding or deniable story elements, but there's plenty of people who are interested in good faith close readings. Personally, I find myself a lot happier by avoiding the former and seeking the latter - something Tumblr is especially good for. Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men has at least one whole episode dedicated to examination of Scott Summers through an ASD lens. I definitely recommend checking that out if you haven't already.

Part of the problem with imagining a rewrite is that a lot of the stuff I'd remove/alter simply wouldn't be allowed. Marvel has a very clear culture and identity in terms of what's allowed and what's not, and they're not looking to break any barriers (unless it's profitable.) A pretty simple thing I'd add would be a diagnosis for Scott, or a storyline where he explores that. Obviously a diagnosis doesn't make anyone's health any more valid (bc doctors kinda suck) but if you're looking to get something to stick, especially with fans, you need to be crystal clear.

Unfortunately, even that might be a little too close to permanent change for Marvel (with not enough opportunities for action) that the pitch wouldn't be accepted or I'd be editorially overwritten. Then, even if it did get published, chances are high that the next writer or the next would undo it or handle it offensively (like Legion's 'autism' for example.)

Part of me wouldn't go back and change problematic choices from the past (except for the super egregious stuff) because it does add some value. I hate the love triangle, for instance, but it has led to plenty of interesting dynamics. I'd certainly make it less creepy and have Logan grow/feel social consequences for his bs, but that brings me back to something I wouldn't be allowed to do. Stories like AvX, that baffle me with the choices made, are some of my favourites to analyse in retrospect.

Part of the importance of fan engagement and interpretation of the text is discussion of coding and developing individual relationships with the canon, IMO. There's just too much of it, often contradictory, that you have to choose what is and isn't meaningful to you. The X-Men franchise is never going to be perfect but discovering how to dictate the terms for your enjoyment can be rewarding, or even necessary.

I hope that helps, feel free to follow up if I missed anything or you'd like me to elaborate/explore further. I may have misunderstood the question.

Thanks for the ask and the kind words. Hope you're well!

[1random-starfish]

Jane Howlett from what I could find is the only gender swapped character from her reality, and is born from the same parents and similar upbringing to James. So she isn’t Wolverine in the “spider verse” sense. 616 Wolverine had an older brother who died while, Jane’s did not and so her mother was kinder in this universe. I am honestly not sure what the “rules” are for alternate reality characters, some stories go in depth explaining and some don’t. 

Jane isn’t trans? Jane has an  identity, or expression of that identity changed by altered aspects of this universe? If Logan’s physical appearance is altered when he was young then the same could happen to Jane if her identity/ understanding of identity changed. Jane’s interactions with the other wolverines could be a catalyst, and their meeting also jog the memories of  those other versions. Idk tho did not know about Jane before today, but she could definitely fit into the trans Wolverine idea. 

Finally making that trans wolverine post I keep bringing up, Mild suggestive nudity and gore under the cut.

Notice in the above image Logan has been shaved. This is the adamantium bonding scene that shows up in the live action movies. The specifics of this scene vary but this panel is from one of its earliest depictions.

Same comic, his hair has grown back (and claws but that’s irrelevant) think about that. Why would dead cells regenerate?

Why back to the exact tufted style and sideburns they were before, and continue to be. Skin and flesh heals, but hair is superficial.

Unless his healing factor is connected to a deeper sense of self image. The tufted hair and sideburns are inherent to wolverine’s identity, a physical identity that could’ve conceivably shifted over time.

2nd point, X-23 wolverine’s clone

Laura is the 23rd attempt in a series of cloning attempts, and the first to work. The sample used had damaged Y genes, and so the 22 attempted clones before her were all XX and failed. All of Laura’s fellow successful clones are female.

My main argument is Wolverine being Trans could work. It could be an interesting addition to the character, and help explain why his hair grows back and why his clones aren’t male. He has famously unreliable memory so it would be fairly easy to explain why it hasn’t come up before. Mutations usually express in a characters teens, but can younger if the story calls for it. This is a bit of a nothing retcon and wouldn’t really change anything. I genuinely think Logan would immediately shrug and move on from a reveal like this, but it could add complexity to the story if not the character himself.

[tradewaiters]

This is the first part of a two-parter on Thunderbolts Volume 1: Justice, Like Lightning, by such people as Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Sal Buscema, Peter David, Mike Deodato Jr., and Steve Epting. We brave the Marvel Universe in the mid 90s to ask important questions like, what happens when a gang of super-villains switches sides? Are nazis real? What happens when the biggest comics publisher goes bankrupt? And, what’s the deal with the “Marvel Method?” Buckle up, true believers!

Also mentioned in this episode: Marvels and Astro City, also written by Kurt Busiek Jay and Miles X-plain the X-Men The Official Marvel Comics Try-Out Book Trigun by Yasuhiro Nightow Smile by Raina Telgemeier Shortbox Comics Fair Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi Flat Art Show by Evan Dahm Gamerville by Johnnie Christmas And so many Marvel comics, including X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, Avengers, New Warriors, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and Alias: Jessica Jones.

Music by Sleuth

You can find us at: J Dalton Jam Jeff Ellis

Our next episode will continue the discussion on Thunderbolts.

You can also follow the TradeWaiters on Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Ko-Fi.

[xplainthexmen]

Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men, Episode 466 - A Rogue's Tale, feat. Lenore Zann

In which Lenore Zann joins us to talk Rogue, Canadian politics, and her upcoming memoir!

Lenore’s memoir, A Rogue’s Tale, will be out November 1! You can preorder it here.

Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

Buy rad swag at our TeePublic shop!

[measuringbliss]

Soooo...

I read Dark Web, the 2023 Marvel comics crossover.

The plot: Two clones, Madeline Pryor (Jean Grey's) and Ben Reilly (Peter Parker's) join forces to wreak havoc, and suddenly, New York's usually inanimated objects suddenly start talking and biting everyone they see!

Overall, I really enjoyed it, but I'll give my thoughts on each series in it.

The X-Men issues are excellent, be it the plot or the art. I'm very tempted to read more of their adventures! I'm very thankful to have listened to Jay & Miles X-plain the X-Men, even for not so many episodes, because it definitely helped! Aside from the touching storyline between Jean and Madeline, there's also the matter of Cyclops and Havok both being detained. Cyclops hilariously can't open his eyes or the extremely adorable puppies dangling in front of his face will burn. What a cute predicament. I loved looking at the puppies! Meanwhile, Havok has an extremely sexy outfit that, I suppose, is damaged, but it really hides... not much of his body.

Is this his usual garment?! It seems so. I'm here for it, but also, what the heck. Not gonna complain though.

A prominent member of the cast is also Forge, my husband who's just as dashing as what I'd imagined. So overall, really loved those issues.

The Miss Marvel issues were also great. I don't really care about her powers, but what listen I've seen of her cast is really enjoyable. The objects are the most prominent in her story and are enjoyable conversation partners. We also get a nice Miles Morales cameo who helps the Muslim community in a big (literally) way.

The Mary Jane & Black Cat issues are also extremely enjoyable. MJ has her Jackpot powers, and they really work well as a duo. Aside from the delightful lesbian vibes, they're just great as friends (and previous romantic rivals). The art is great, the plot is fun and full of surprises. I loved their relationship with the purple demon where they all made it clear there would be a betrayal coming up, and were chill with that. And look, two women looking badass while fighting together? I'm easy to please, folks.

Spider-Man's issues are alright. Spidey's conflict with Chasm reaches hilarious proportions (be it Chasm's stupid plan to make Peter eat an apple, or Rek-Rap's whole character that I expected to hate and instead found intensely delightful), but the ending is quite sad. I did enjoy seeing Ben and his girlfriend, whom I'd never heard of before. Hallow's Eve has a sick costume design. Chasm also has a great suit, that's what made me aware of the event in the first place! I wish he had a good ending too, however. I'm curious about the aftermath...

The art was extremely good overall for these issues.

Now, for issues I enjoyed less...

Gold Goblin was a surprising, but not uninteresting delve into Norman's psyche around questionable plot points. In concept, it's not so bad, and here too, the art is impressive, but somehow those issues ended up being... boring.

But it's nothing compared to Venom. I'm not attached to those symbiotes, but this really didn't help either. I didn't really care about that plotline, it felt messy and boring.

So overall, Dark Web was quite enjoyable. It made me want to read more of some characters, thirst on many men, and turn a lot of pages. Definitely not a beginner's comic storyline because there's a lot of bagage involved.

[smashpages]

Here's a preview of “Evil Mutants” starring Destiny and Mystiquefrom Marvel's Voices: X-Men:

Jay Edidin—co-host of the X-Men podcast Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men and worked on the X-Men issue of Marvel Snapshots, will work with artist Nina Vakueva, creator of Lilith’s World, for “a heartfelt tale about Mystique and Destiny set during the couple’s time leading the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.”

[ewzzy]

I was reminded that the 1993 Topps Marvel trading cards had Unsolved Mysteries of the Marvel Universe and I just had to check if we've solved them in the intervening 30 years.

Starting off we’ve got the longest running mystery, but as with all of these the big question is “what were you hoping to find out?” We’ve seen Doom’s unscarred face in flashbacks and healed in the 1980s Secret Wars, but it was only in 2015’s reimagining of Secret Wars that we see what really lives under the mask. It’s nasty! A real “dead dove do not eat” moment.

This one I’m surprised was a mystery since it’s so well known now. When Cable first showed up he was a warrior from the future, but it wasn’t until 1994’s The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix that it was revealed that he was the time traveling son of Scott Summers and Jean Grey. Well, kinda... you see he’s actually the son of Scott and Jean’s clone Madeline and… go ask Jay and Miles if you want the X-Men X-Plained.

This is the one that got me started on this mess. Darkhawk wasn’t a huge character so this sort of went unresolved but also who cared? Basically when Chris Powell turns into Darkhawk his whole body is replaced by a drone robot from these space hawk warriors. Turns out the whole thing that freaked him out was that underneath the helmet it revealed that he wasn’t even human in that form. And yet, as far as I know we’ve never got a clear look at what he saw.

Hoo boy was this a mystery in 1993? So for background in 1990 we got Danny Ketch as the new Ghost Rider. He was more chains and leather than Johnny Blaze, the Evel Knievel-esque original. The mystery in question is “where did he get his powers and are they from the same demon Zarathos as the original?" After spending time too many wiki pages, I can now say that Danny was revealed to be Johnny Blaze’s secret brother and not powered by Zarathos. Looks like Danny at some point swapped his bike for a buster sword and started calling himself Death Rider. lol

This one is easy! It’s Thanos! Thanos is the sixth member! It got revealed in The Warlock Chronicles during Infinity Crusade. This mystery didn’t make it out of 1993.

Oh hey it’s my least favorite Spider-Man topic! That his parents were killed by the fake communist Red Skull is pointless at best. That they were seemingly brought back only to be revealed as Spider-Slayer robots is somehow worse. That whole mess got resolved in 1994 as a plot from The Chameleon. It’s right before the Clone Saga. Ugh!

This one is a case of dragging it out so long that no answer would be good enough. In 2001’s “Origin” we finally found out that Logan’s real name is James Howlett and he was born in late-19th-century Canada. The Logan name comes from James’ maybereal father from an affair and definite first bone claw stabbing victim Thomas Logan. This is all fine but I 100% of the time confuse “James Howlett” with “Jamie Hewlett” the artist who draws The Gorillaz.

A major thread in 90s X-Men was that Bishop came from a future where an X-Man had betrayed the team and ruined the future. He was pretty suspicious of Gambit in particular and there were hints based on this guy named The Witness that seemed to be Gambit from the future. All that got dropped when Charles Xavier became Onslaught and turned on everyone. Bishop even kind of got to save the day in that story. I guess it all worked out.

It’s our final X-Men mystery and the answer lies in one of the worst received X-Men stories of ALL-TIME! So your first thought should be “he’s a mutant what do you mean origin?” Okay, so starting in 1981 there were hints that Mystique was Nightcrawler’s mom. That started because people say they look the same. That’s a pretty wild thing to say since she has blue skin and he has blue fur and also she’s a shapeshifter so the idea of her real form is iffy at best. Well, it turns out Claremont wanted Mystique to have shapeshifted into a fella and been the father not the mother. Biologically speaking. He didn’t get to write that story, so instead Chuck Austen wrote The Draco…

I can’t believe this is going to a 2nd paragraph but here goes. Mystique in disguise as the wife of a German baron named Christian Wagner, but got pregnant by a mysterious Herr Azazel. The kid comes out blue and her charade is exposed. Flash forward to present day and Nightcrawler is investigating Isla des Demonas and he finally meets dear old dad. Azazel reveals himself to be a literal satan from the Brimstone Dimension. This very nearly broke Nightcrawler’s whole character. Instead of a kind man who is hated because of his appearance, he is a literal son of a demon. Don’t get me started on the woman who adopted Kurt. She’s green and has horns.

That's all the mysteries! If you think I got something wrong about X-Men then yes you're probably right. If there's a secret Darkhawk reveal I couldn't find them please please share it.

[humanundead]

does anyone have any good star trek podcast recs? specifically if theres anything similar to jay and miles x-plain the x-men or mashcast but for star trek? i enjoy episode-by-episode breakdown/analysis/review type stuff