Giant-Size X-Men Vol 1 #1
A Legend Begins.
"From the ashes of the past there grow the fires of the future!"
— Narration
Giant-Size X-Men Vol 1 #1 was written by Len Wein, pencilled by Dave Cockrum, inked by Dave Cockrum and Peter Iro, colored by Glynis Wein, lettered by John Costanza and edited by Len Wein. It was released on April 1, 1975 and has a cover date of May 1975.
The first half of the story is dedicated to Professor X traveling the globe, recruiting X-Men old and new. The second half consists of Cyclops leading the new team to the mysterious island Krakoa to rescue his teammates.
Tropes:
- Action Prologue: The story picks up with Nightcrawler fleeing from a crazed mob.
- All of the Other Reindeer: Nightcrawler is violently shunned in Germany due to his mutation.
- Armor-Piercing Question: When the Nightcrawler states he’d like to be normal, Professor X asks after tonight why. Kurt admits he’s right.
- Big Damn Heroes: Professor X saves a outnumbered Kurt from being murdered by the mob.
- Peter transforms in Colossus for the first to save his sister Illyana from a runaway tractor.
- Changed My Mind, Kid: Sunfire joins the X-Men after he declined to help find the missing X-Men.
- Continuity Nod: Charles points out that the new X-Men uniforms are made of unstable molecules, discovered by Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four.
- New X-Men teammate Sean Cassidy/Banshee was an old enemy before joining. He was introduced in X-Men #28.
- New X-Men teammate Shiro Yoshida/Sunfire was an old enemy before joining. He was introduced in X-Men #64.
- Cornered Rattlesnake: When the mob corners a fleeing Kurt, it is then he decides to fight back.
- Crucified Hero Shot: The original X-Men are displayed like this wrapped in vines when their successors find them on Krakoa.
- Dare to Be Badass: When James Proudstar refuses to join the X-Men, Charles Xavier antagonizes him into doing so.
- Dawn of an Era: Out of universe, this marks the end of the The Silver Age of Comic Books for the X-Men and the ushering in of a brand new cast and a brand new writer going forward.
- Debut Queue: The new cast is introduced in mostly sequential order.
- Depower: Krakoa has the ability to do this mutants. Specifically we see Scott briefly be cured on his ability.
- Establishing Character Moment:
- Kurt is introduced in Germany fleeing from a vicious mob because of his appearance.
- Wolverine is introduced in Canada working as a government agent. When Professor X comes to recruit him, Wolverine immediately accepts and violently threatens his old employer when he voices his disapproval.
- Ororo is established in Kenyan unknowingly using mutant ability to live as a benevolent goddess.
- Peter is in Russia on a farm. He selflessly saves his junior sister Illyana from a runaway tractor before hesitantly leaving with Professor X after a heartfelt goodbye from his parents.
- John is first seen saddened about the fate of his people before strongly rejecting Professor X’s offer then changing his mind.
- Flashback: Scott reminiscizes on what happened to the X-Men before they were ensnared by Krakoa.
- The Freakshow: Kurt mentions he was formerly apart of a circus.
- Genius Loci: Big Bad Krakoa is an example of this.
- God Guise: Unintentionally, Ororo and the villagers believe Ororo is a goddess due to her Weather Manipulation abilities.
- Godiva Hair: In Kenyan, Storm is completely shirtless and only her hair protects her.
- Good Parents: Peter’s parents urge him to leave their farm with Professor X and wish him well.
- Herald: Professor X appears in the lives of the new X-Men to deliver them their own Call to Adventure.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Discussed.Kurt: Can you help me be normal?Charles: After tonight’s misfortune, Kurt - - would you truly want to be?Kurt: Perhaps not. I want only to be a whole Kurt Wagner. If you can make me that, Teacher… I will go with you.
- Jerkass: Sunfire is shown to be unpleasant to be around and refuses to call Kurt anything else but “Misfit”.
- Jumped at the Call: Wolverine wastes no time leaving with Professor X once he gives him an offer.
- Let's Split Up, Gang!: When they arrive on Krakoa the new X-Men spilt up but eventually reunite at the end.
- Mook Chivalry:Subverted. The mob is able to beat Kurt by simply overwhelming him with numbers.
- The Needs of the Many: To Havok’s horror, Scott is prepared to let Polaris sacrifice herself for everyone else.
- Nobody Calls Me "Chicken"!: This is why John ultimately accepts Professor X’s offer.
- Nuclear Mutant: This was how Krakoa grew sentience.
- Politically Incorrect Hero: John makes it no secret that he resents Caucasian people for what their forefathers did to his.
- He immediately calls Charles “a cripple” once he sees him.
- Torches and Pitchforks: Kurt is on the run from such a mob in the beginning.
- Recruited from the Gutter: Kurt is a runaway circus act turned X-Men.
- Recruitment by Rescue: Professor X saves Kurt from a mob and offers him a job.
- Refusal of the Call: John initially wants nothing to do with the X-Men and makes that no secret to Charles.
- Rescue Introduction: Charles introduced himself to Kurt by mentally subduing the mob chasing him.
- Splash Panel: The comic begins on one, displaying the new X-Men as the original are in the background.
- Sole Survivor: Only Scott is able to escape Krakoa. This is no coincidence. Krakoa wanted him to leave and to return with more mutants for it to devour and he does.
- Super-Toughness: Colossus shrugs off a tractor.
- Traumatic Superpower Awakening: His sister Illyana life being in danger is what prompts Peter to awaken his powers.
- World of Snark: It seems everyone always has a smart quip or a witty one-liner on hand.
