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Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men #7
Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men, Vol. 7
Collects Amazing Adventures #11-17, Marvel Team-Up #4, The Amazing Spider-Man #92, The Incredible Hulk #150, 161,
plus the covers to The X-Men #67-80 and Annual #1-2
plus the covers to The X-Men #67-80 and Annual #1-2
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2008
13 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Steve Englehart
1,395 books97 followersSee also John Harkness.
Steve Englehart went to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. After a stint in the Army, he moved to New York and began to write for Marvel Comics. That led to long runs on Captain America, The Hulk, The Avengers, Dr. Strange, and a dozen other titles. Midway through that period he moved to California (where he remains), and met and married his wife Terry.
He was finally hired away from Marvel by DC Comics, to be their lead writer and revamp their core characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern). He did, but he also wrote a solo Batman series (immediately dubbed the "definitive" version) that later became Warner Brothers' first Batman film (the good one).
After that he left comics for a time, traveled in Europe for a year, wrote a novel (The Point Man™), and came back to design video games for Atari (E.T., Garfield). But he still liked comics, so he created Coyote™, which within its first year was rated one of America's ten best series. Other projects he owned (Scorpio Rose™, The Djinn™) were mixed with company series (Green Lantern [with Joe Staton], Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four). Meanwhile, he continued his game design for Activision, Electronic Arts, Sega, and Brøderbund.
And once he and Terry had their two sons, Alex and Eric, he naturally told them stories. Rustle's Christmas Adventure was first devised for them. He went on to add a run of mid-grade books to his bibliography, including the DNAgers™ adventure series, and Countdown to Flight, a biography of the Wright brothers selected by NASA as the basis for their school curriculum on the invention of the airplane.
In 1992 Steve was asked to co-create a comics pantheon called the Ultraverse. One of his contributions, The Night Man, became not only a successful comics series, but also a television show. That led to more Hollywood work, including animated series such as Street Fighter, GI Joe, and Team Atlantis for Disney.
Steve Englehart went to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. After a stint in the Army, he moved to New York and began to write for Marvel Comics. That led to long runs on Captain America, The Hulk, The Avengers, Dr. Strange, and a dozen other titles. Midway through that period he moved to California (where he remains), and met and married his wife Terry.
He was finally hired away from Marvel by DC Comics, to be their lead writer and revamp their core characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern). He did, but he also wrote a solo Batman series (immediately dubbed the "definitive" version) that later became Warner Brothers' first Batman film (the good one).
After that he left comics for a time, traveled in Europe for a year, wrote a novel (The Point Man™), and came back to design video games for Atari (E.T., Garfield). But he still liked comics, so he created Coyote™, which within its first year was rated one of America's ten best series. Other projects he owned (Scorpio Rose™, The Djinn™) were mixed with company series (Green Lantern [with Joe Staton], Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four). Meanwhile, he continued his game design for Activision, Electronic Arts, Sega, and Brøderbund.
And once he and Terry had their two sons, Alex and Eric, he naturally told them stories. Rustle's Christmas Adventure was first devised for them. He went on to add a run of mid-grade books to his bibliography, including the DNAgers™ adventure series, and Countdown to Flight, a biography of the Wright brothers selected by NASA as the basis for their school curriculum on the invention of the airplane.
In 1992 Steve was asked to co-create a comics pantheon called the Ultraverse. One of his contributions, The Night Man, became not only a successful comics series, but also a television show. That led to more Hollywood work, including animated series such as Street Fighter, GI Joe, and Team Atlantis for Disney.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 11, 2020
This book collects the Beast’s short-lived solo run in Amazing Adventures plus a few odd issues guest-starring the rest of the X-Men published between the time their own book was cancelled and when it was relaunched with a mostly new cast and became the comicbook juggernaut it is today.
The quality’s not great, to be honest. I don’t know whose idea it was to give the Beast his own solo book and transform him into his now-familiar furry self but Steve Englehart seems to change his mind every five minutes as to how he wants to portray him. Hank’s powers keep changing (for the first half of the story he has a healing factor that puts Wolverine’s to shame which suddenly disappears halfway through a battle with no explanation) as does his appearance (he starts out with silvery grey fur, which then turns black with blue highlights and then turns blue, all with no explanation). Their biggest mistake, though, was getting rid of Hank’s overly verbose style of speech; it’s his trademark, guys! Without it he’s just not Hank!
All-in-all, this book is mostly of interest to die hard Beast fans and X-Men completists.
The quality’s not great, to be honest. I don’t know whose idea it was to give the Beast his own solo book and transform him into his now-familiar furry self but Steve Englehart seems to change his mind every five minutes as to how he wants to portray him. Hank’s powers keep changing (for the first half of the story he has a healing factor that puts Wolverine’s to shame which suddenly disappears halfway through a battle with no explanation) as does his appearance (he starts out with silvery grey fur, which then turns black with blue highlights and then turns blue, all with no explanation). Their biggest mistake, though, was getting rid of Hank’s overly verbose style of speech; it’s his trademark, guys! Without it he’s just not Hank!
All-in-all, this book is mostly of interest to die hard Beast fans and X-Men completists.
January 12, 2022
After the X-Men was cancelled, some Marvel writers who had been fond of the characters tried to think of ways to keep using them. At this time, the early 70s, monster comics such as Werewolf by Night were very popular. So they took Beast, one of the original X-Men, and gave him his own solo series in which, as a result of scientific experimentation, he mutates into a big hairy monster. It wasn't very successful and the series got cancelled after just a few issues.
However, the newly hairy Beast ended up joining the Avengers and was a member of that team for years even after the X-Men was revived, until eventually rejoining the franchise for X-Factor (and briefly becoming non-hairy again).
These issues aren't great but they're a fun look at the development of Beast and at a very different take on the character.
However, the newly hairy Beast ended up joining the Avengers and was a member of that team for years even after the X-Men was revived, until eventually rejoining the franchise for X-Factor (and briefly becoming non-hairy again).
These issues aren't great but they're a fun look at the development of Beast and at a very different take on the character.
January 24, 2016
Amazing Adventures 11-17 explains Beast's "devolving" mutation from humanoid in the early issues of X-Men to the blue furred "gorilla." While working for Brand corporation, he attempts to cure himself and instead causes himself to sprout the blue fur. Of note, he has a confrontation with Iron Man. Out of sheer desperation, he uses costume make-up to make himself latex head and hands to wear, but by the end of this short series, he has revealed himself to Angel. The series also begins the pattern of frustration with Beast as frustrated lover. These are typical Silver Age comics, which admittedly are not my favorites, but are of historical value.
November 25, 2019
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I don't usually go for older comics, but, for all its melodramatic framework, this turned out to be a refreshingly nuanced character piece, and it seemed to play with tired tropes in a cool way. Got me interested in reading more Englehart.
We interviewed Steve Englehart for a special episode of Previously on X-Men.
You can find it here: http://previously-on-x-men.libsyn.com...
We interviewed Steve Englehart for a special episode of Previously on X-Men.
You can find it here: http://previously-on-x-men.libsyn.com...
June 7, 2016
I love old X-Men.
December 25, 2021
Vol. 6 took me to the end of the original X-Men series. Vol. 7 collects comics from their limbo period, dating from 1971 to 1973. Iceman guest stars in Spider-Man. Havock and Lorna Dane guest star in the Hulk. The Beast briefly gets his own series in Amazing Adventures. (Funny story there: I had subscribed to that book after buying the 5th issue and loving the Roy Thomas/Neal Adams Inhumans feature, along with the Black Widow. That was my only comic book subscription. I received two issues with the pairing I wanted, then two issues with the Inhumans alone, now drawn by Mike Sekowsky, then seven issues with the Beast, including one reprint issue, then one issue with the first appearance of Killraven. Those were the days.) Somewhere in there, the other X-Men teamed with Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up.Finally, the Beast storyline wraps up in the Hulk.
This was more entertaining than you might think. The Iceman story, drawn by Gil Kane, showed that Stan Lee still had flair in the final year of his regular writing days. The Beast issues, after a competent origin story by Gerry Conway, were the first regular feature written by Steve Englehart, one of my favorite comics writers of my teens. He was just getting a handle on what he could do when the series ended - I don't remember ever reading the Hulk story which concluded it until now, and if it was anticlimactic, it was, I guess, still good to get some kind of closure after almost 50 years.
This was more entertaining than you might think. The Iceman story, drawn by Gil Kane, showed that Stan Lee still had flair in the final year of his regular writing days. The Beast issues, after a competent origin story by Gerry Conway, were the first regular feature written by Steve Englehart, one of my favorite comics writers of my teens. He was just getting a handle on what he could do when the series ended - I don't remember ever reading the Hulk story which concluded it until now, and if it was anticlimactic, it was, I guess, still good to get some kind of closure after almost 50 years.
April 20, 2024
During the era when the X-Men book was just reprints of the original run, the X-Men were "in hiding" (or trapped on Krakoa in space, depending on who was editing what). Professor X, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, and Angel were used very sparingly as guests in other titles. Beast, meanwhile, was tearing it up in "Amazing Adventures", and Iceman was teaming up with Spider-Man and the Human Torch.
This collection has Spider-Man and Iceman's teamup, which is a fun latter-day Stan Lee issue with hints of the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends cartoon.
The Beast story explains how Hank McCoy went from a bouncing, gymnastic human cannonball to a blue furry scientist, with brief stops as a silver fuzzy scientist, and then a black-firred scientist. His powers and his personality are all over the place, as he is initially given a Wolverine healing factor pre-Wolverine! This then disappears without explanation.
In some ways, this is maddening to read as Englehart never seems to have a handle on what he's trying to do. But the appearances of Iron Men, various other Avengers, Spider-Man, and then Hulk add enough silliness and Marvel continuity porn to keep X-Men fans interested.
This collection has Spider-Man and Iceman's teamup, which is a fun latter-day Stan Lee issue with hints of the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends cartoon.
The Beast story explains how Hank McCoy went from a bouncing, gymnastic human cannonball to a blue furry scientist, with brief stops as a silver fuzzy scientist, and then a black-firred scientist. His powers and his personality are all over the place, as he is initially given a Wolverine healing factor pre-Wolverine! This then disappears without explanation.
In some ways, this is maddening to read as Englehart never seems to have a handle on what he's trying to do. But the appearances of Iron Men, various other Avengers, Spider-Man, and then Hulk add enough silliness and Marvel continuity porn to keep X-Men fans interested.
June 20, 2020
A miscellany of mediocre stuff that leans toward some pretty good Englehart writing in the Beast stories, but is filled out by some workaday insertions of Spiderman, Marvel Teamup and Hulk bits.
Art-wise, highlights are the Tom Sutton art on the Beast stories, particularly when inked by Mooney and the lovely Trimpe/Severin issue of Hulk.
Art-wise, highlights are the Tom Sutton art on the Beast stories, particularly when inked by Mooney and the lovely Trimpe/Severin issue of Hulk.
October 16, 2019
This felt more like a classic monster movie than the X-Men and I was digging it.
Tune in to my chat with author Steve Englehart here on the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/in...
Tune in to my chat with author Steve Englehart here on the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/in...
January 22, 2025
A little bit of Angel (mostly without a shirt) and a lot of Beast (with fur). Lots of bad art, pretty bad storylines, and not many good times. I would only recommend this to diehard Beast fans and that is with a lot of reservation.
January 7, 2020
I was a fan of the furry version of the Beast from reading the 70’s Avengers. So this was a nice way to check out how Hank McCoy ended up that way. This was a solid run of issues.
January 30, 2021
Set after the X-Men went into reprints and before Giant X-men #1 made them legends, this book collects a guest appearances by individual X-men in Amazing Spider-man and the Incredible Hulk, and also multiple X-Men guest-starring in Marvel Team-up.
The comics are okay. Marvel Team-up #4 is probably the best story and the X-men do take the lead since Spidey's out of commission for most of the book. The Beast's solo series is not bad, but what he was going through felt very derivative of what the Incredible Hulk's set-up. Still, it's worth seeing in order to find out how the classic Hank McCoy changed to his more beastial form. Although his changing of color from gray to blue is not well-explained.
It's not terrible, but you can see why the X-men were in a no-man's land.
The comics are okay. Marvel Team-up #4 is probably the best story and the X-men do take the lead since Spidey's out of commission for most of the book. The Beast's solo series is not bad, but what he was going through felt very derivative of what the Incredible Hulk's set-up. Still, it's worth seeing in order to find out how the classic Hank McCoy changed to his more beastial form. Although his changing of color from gray to blue is not well-explained.
It's not terrible, but you can see why the X-men were in a no-man's land.
February 7, 2021
A fascinating look at Marvel trying to figure out what to do with the X-Men after they’d essentially been cancelled. That said, I don’t think I’ll ever read it again.
August 17, 2025
the fact that such a vital piece of xmen lore just took place in a bunch of non-xmen comics is rly funny to me
April 27, 2024
During the reruns between X-Men 62 and Giant Sized X-Men's reboot in 1974, Hank McCoy, aka Beast, Dr. Jeckel & Mr. Hyde's himself into the fuzzy blue form we know today - though first he is a bit more Hyde and a bit greyer and needs to overcome those and some basic evil corporate supervillainy.
March 23, 2014
I understand this comes at a very strange time in Marvel history, when the X-Men are moribund and not the powerhouse of today, and while the focus on Hank McCoy in his own title is wholly deserved, the creative team does no justice to his character or his story. I grew up with Hank McCoy already in his furry form, so I was originally surprised when I learned he wasn't always like that. Now that I have finally read through the issues up to this point, I was disappointed in the actual transformation. I know the Marvel Universe has a number of similarly-transformed characters (The Thing, especially), who no longer look the way they used to, and though the premise of McCoy transforming himself into a furry beast because of his research and whatnot is plausible, it just felt off. Conway does a fine job with the transformation issue, and the pain of McCoy's new life is depicted quite well throughout the issue with the off-putting atmosphere from the beginning until the end, so perhaps it is mostly the sadness for Hank that irritates. Plus, if he is as smart as he supposedly is, surely he would have developed a counteragent before trying some magically-timed Cinderella-like potion on himself. Steve Englehart truly does the greatest disservice to Hank through this series. It's bad enough the storyline is cancelled without any meaningful resolution (likely not Englehart's fault, admittedly), but the characterization is rather wretched. At first, we are willing to follow Englehart's revision of Hank's character, as his vocabulary and demeanor embrace the bestial identity of the new Hank McCoy ... but a few issues later Hank has resumed his humanity and diction. This is certainly a positive mark, in one sense, but the immediate abandonment of the character direction replaced with the early '60s flippancy and dialogue in the dark days of the X-Men are grating, at best. One gets the suspicion Englehart was itching to revisit the pirate ship episode if the series lasted any longer. At least he doesn't end every sentence with an exclamation mark, though he does feel the need to bring back old characters/villains just long enough to have them commit suicide by the end of each issue. The other issues featuring Iceman, Polaris, and Havok are equally steps in the wrong direction, though on the whole we are willing to forgive the egregious disrespect the creative staffs display for their subjects, since we are just glad to spend some time with these characters again. This collection definitely gets worse at it goes along, which is probably why the series was cancelled so soon, but it does have many fine moments and is rife with great possibilities ... which never seemed to materialize, sadly. What happens next to Hank and Linda and the Brand Corporation? I wish I knew. This collection does not tell us. It's worth reading, certainly, especially to fill in the missing gaps between the first demise of the X-Men and Giant-size X-Men #1, but it will not answer all your questions.
July 24, 2024
This hardcover collects the "in-between" years of the X-Men, when the title was cancelled due to low sales and existed as a reprint title. The Beast stories in Amazing Adventures, done mostly by Steve Englehart and Tom Sutton, are sensational slices of Bronze Age goodness. I've always enjoyed the "furry" Beast, and wish to _______ (deity of your choice) that someone would undo the cat-like Beast from Grant Morrison's run on the title that seems to have stuck around much too long in the current comics.
November 10, 2013
For being an anthology of fairly disparate Comics, this masterworks volume is surprisingly readable. It centers mostly on my favorite original X-Man, the Beast, reprinting the short-lived solo series from Amazing Adventures. There's also two issues of Incredible Hulk, an Amazing Spider-Man and an early Marvel Team-Up in this volume.
March 16, 2011
I can't help it. I really don't like Beast's early solo adventure and I have to force my way through it. I don't know why that is and I don't want to reread it to find out.
June 24, 2015
Amazing Adventures #11-17 3 stars each. #17 reprints Beast's origin with a new introduction and conclusion.
Marvel Team-Up #4 3 stars.
Incredible Hulk #150 2 stars, #161 3 stars.
Marvel Team-Up #4 3 stars.
Incredible Hulk #150 2 stars, #161 3 stars.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews