Essential Uncanny X-Men #1
"X-Men" kicks off in *Essential Uncanny X-Men #1* (1999) with a bold twist on the team’s dynamics: after being driven out by a hostile mob, Beast leaves the X-Men behind to become a professional wrestler. When he encounters Unus, a mutant immune to touch seeking to join Magneto’s Brotherhood, the X-Men are forced to confront both a new threat and the surprising consequences of Beast’s invention—a machine designed to amplify Unus’ powers. Written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Jack Kirby with Chic Stone’s inks and Sam Rosen’s lettering, this pivotal issue features a cover by Bruce Timm, capturing the moment’s tension with striking clarity.
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After being attacked by a mutant hating crowd, Beast gets fed up and quits the X-Men. He becomes a professional wrestler but meets Unus, a mutant who cannot be touched. Unus is trying to join Magneto's Brotherhood so he takes on the X-Men. The X-Men barely fend him off and find Beast has constructed a machine that will actually increase Unus' powers. The X-Men try to prevent Hank from using the machine, but, once Unus has been zapped, he finds that he cannot even eat without the food being repelled out of his hands. Beast returns him to normal and Unus promises to will steer clear of Magneto.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).