X-Men discussion

What did you first read, or see, that made you interested in the X-Men?

I was introduced to the X-Men through the 90s X-Men cartoon series. I remembered watching that show all the time when I was little and since then, I fell in love with the X-Men!

I think that my first X-Men comic was #193 (May 1985) This issue was the first (comic book) appearance of Firestar. That may be why I picked it up. From that point I was a fan. I would have seen them guest star on Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends around that time as well.

My first comic was loaned to me by a kid at school and it was the Byrne/Claremont team fighting the Juggernaut.
Can't remember the number, but the issue was basically one big fight scene and everyone had those cool costumes, names and powers.

After that I got a hold of a comic reprinting one of the original X-men stories by Lee and Kirby and then I was hooked.

Travis wrote: "My first comic was loaned to me by a kid at school and it was the Byrne/Claremont team fighting the Juggernaut.
Can't remember the number, but the issue was basically one big fight scene and everyo..."
I certainly didn't remember the number on the comic I was referring to.. had to look it up. So Lee and Kirby - you're speaking of the original team then? Charles, Scott, Jean, Bobby Hank and Warren...

William wrote: "My first X-Men was X3. My Dad saw a bit when I was half-watching it once and was laughing so much I tuned out, a bit embarrassed, but I saw a trailer a couple of weeks later and tried watching agai..."
So your dad didn't care for it, I take it? Saying you were a bit embarrassed - that "fits", doesn't it? Life imitating art?

James wrote: "Travis wrote: "My first comic was loaned to me by a kid at school and it was the Byrne/Claremont team fighting the Juggernaut.
Can't remember the number, but the issue was basically one big fight s..."

Yes, the original five.
I'm old school, so my favorite team line ups tend to be the originals.

I probably didn't explain that right - but I was kind of thinking of Bobby and his parents in X2... them not understanding...
Not the same, I know...

Because I am from SA, I grew up in the Apartheid era. Sanctions were set against SA and all sorts of things were rare- books, movies, games, certain food products and comics. Obviously comics were accessible via a circuitous route but were rare. I was further banned from reading them. So obviously felt that they were something I MUST try!
I was 10 when a kid at school leant me a comic he had bought overseas. I was hooked.
I was an odd, different kid and found the X-men reassuring. Being different was OK, actually better than OK.

^ like

@ Lisa - that is interesting

The sanctions? The ban? Or the oddness?
Um, thanks

The sanctions and the ban - I don't know what that would be like at all. For me - the only trouble I ever had in obtaining a comic would be if I had saved enough allowance...
The oddness - don't we all feel that way as kids, at least from time to time. But it is cool to have something that "speaks to you" like the X-Men apparently did for you... very cool.

The ban was informal- imposed by my gran as they were 'bad for me'. At some point, she tried to ban me from university too. Sanctions were a very necessary tool at that time. SA needed to be confronted.

I'm sure I read some before, but I remember really getting into X-Men right before Jim Lee's X-Men number 1 and the corresponding new directions for Uncanny (with the intro of Bishop) and X-Factor (Peter David's start). Was hooked from then on and went back to read a lot of Claremont's stuff.

I first became obsessed with the X-Men during the greatly debated X-Cutioner's arc. As a very young boy, my dad handed me a stack of issues from the arc, and said I may enjoy these more than my Sonic the Hedgehog comics.
I became a fanatic. I pigged out on anything X-Men related I could get a hold of: watching and recording every episode of the original animated series, collecting the action figures, and later, religiously following the Age of Apocalypse.