Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men #1

In this pivotal issue from Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men #1, newly arrived student Jo joins the X-Men after a day of training and meeting Jean Grey, only to be thrust into their first mission: confronting the enigmatic Magneto as he threatens an Air Force base with his powerful voice. The team must navigate the tension between their ideals and the escalating danger, testing their unity before they’ve even had a chance to fully form.

In "No One Can Stop the Vanisher," the X-Men face a relentless foe who vanishes without a trace, threatening to steal vital U.S. military secrets. As the team scrambles to track the elusive mutant, tensions rise—especially between Iceman and Cyclops, whose growing distance from Marvel Girl adds friction to an already volatile mission.

In "Beware of the Blob!", the X-Men are sent to investigate a new mutant detected by Professor X, leading them to a traveling carnival where they meet the Blob—a towering, immovable sideshow performer with a body that defies physics. Though they offer him a place at the mansion, he declines, forcing the team to bring him back under less voluntary circumstances when they realize he knows their secret.

In "The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants!" from Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men #1, Magneto leads his newly formed Brotherhood in a bold takeover of the South American nation of Santo Marco, commandeering a freighter to launch their assault. The X-Men respond with a mission to reclaim the country, but when Xavier is caught in a devastating explosion, his telepathic abilities are lost—leaving the team and their leader in uncharted territory.

In "Trapped: One X-Man!", the X-Men face their greatest challenge yet when Professor Xavier’s powers mysteriously vanish, leaving the team leaderless and vulnerable. With Magneto manipulating events from the shadows, the Toad’s shocking performance at a public athletic event triggers a crisis that pulls the X-Men into a high-stakes rescue mission on Asteroid M—where Angel is held captive and the Brotherhood’s true intentions begin to unfold.

In a twist that sends shockwaves through the undersea world, Namor finds himself at the center of a clash between ideologies when Magneto invades his realm with an offer to join the Brotherhood—sparked by a rumor that he might be a mutant. With the X-Men rushing in to stop the invasion and the Scarlet Witch weaving her spell, Namor must decide where his loyalty truly lies, even as the waters churn with uncertainty.

In "The Return of the Blob," the newly graduated X-Men face their first real test when Professor Xavier steps aside, entrusting Cyclops with leadership and introducing Cerebro. When Magneto recruits the Blob and the two clash, long-buried memories resurface—revealing a secret that sets Cerebro alight. As the X-Men are called back to defend the school, the Blob must choose between loyalty to the Brotherhood and the life he once left behind.

When Beast quits the X-Men after a violent mob attack, he trades his lab coat for a wrestling ring — but his new life collides with Unus the Untouchable, a mutant whose power to repel all touch makes him a prime target for Magneto’s Brotherhood. As the X-Men confront Unus in battle, they discover Beast has built a machine meant to amplify the mutant’s already formidable abilities, leading to a tense showdown over control and consequence.

In "Enter, The Avengers!" from Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men #1, Xavier tracks down Lucifer in Bavaria, only to discover the villain’s heartbeat is tied to a massive thermal bomb. With the X-Men and the Avengers both arriving on the scene, the two teams must navigate a tense standoff as the X-Men work to stop the bomb without triggering a global catastrophe.

When the X-Men journey to Antarctica and into the Savage Land, they’re drawn into a world far removed from their usual battles—where Ka-Zar, the noble savage, stands at the edge of a forgotten realm. Though not a mutant, he becomes an unexpected ally as the team confronts the deadly Swamp Men and must protect Jean and Warren from a ritual they never saw coming.