Listener Questions

Nearly every episode, Jay and Miles answer listener questions that are submitted on the blog, by email, or on tumblr.

## Episode 001

* How broadly should we define X-Men? Only characters who have been members of a team called the X-Men, or members of ancillary teams as well? What about supporting characters?
* If you were introducing someone to XMen what comic/story arc would you give them?
* Yellow? Why in the name of all that looks terrible on cheap paper did their original uniforms have to be so yellow?

## Episode 002

* Are there early villains that fell by the wayside? Is there a difference between those that did/didn't stick?
* How could Unus the Untouchable be alive? Wouldn't he starve to death or something?
* I've never been able to make sense of Sauron's backstory. Could you try?

## Episode 003

* When were the costume designs used in the show for the main team first introduced in the comics? Also, what's your opinion on the costumes? Which ones work the best, and which ones the worst?
* Why won't Beast put a shirt on in the 90s cartoon?
* What's the deal with Morph?  Was he a good character or...what?

## Episode 004

* Do you think the X-Men work better when they're part of the larger Marvel Universe, or do they work better if you kinda isolate them? I ask, since I've always found it weird that the citizens of the Marvel Universe can fear and hate mutants, but say love Spider-Man, when they have no idea if he could also be a Mutant.
* Iceman. Actual player or unacknowledged mascot?
* How much of the silver age needs revisiting? How much has to happen before it's time for the Giant-Size era?

## Episode 005

* Why have some members of the new Giant-Size team stayed popular throughout the years, while others were more or less forgotten? Specifically, why is Wolverine so popular?
* Hi Rachel and Miles! I'm relatively new to the X-Men. Started reading around the Second Coming event and also watched the 90s cartoon on Fox. I'm looking forward to you x-plaining all of the crazy stuff that I've missed. My question is: When did the "Powers don't affect family members" thing start? Is that a modern trope, or is that been present from the start? Thanks!

## Episode 006

* It's been 30 years since DoFP. Why does this storyline keep getting mined?
* What, in your estimation, is truly the DARKEST X-Men timeline and why? Show your work.

## Episode 007

* There seem to be 4 X-genres: save the world stories, oppression stories, time travel stories, and space stories. The first three make sense to me as flowing naturally from their premise - even time travel makes sense, because the X-Men have a very specific goal, and these stories show what happens when they don't succeed. But why wacky space adventures? To this day space stories seem to be really popular, even though it seems 100% random for these characters.
* If the Starjammers got a new ship that wasn't called the Starjammer, would they still be Starjammers?
* Do you suppose the character of Vulcan can be "salvaged"?

## Episode 008

* Why is Wolverine put on every X-team and Avengers team, even though his main character trait is "grizzled loner"?

## Episode 009

* Do the X-Books really rely on heroes coming back to life more than other superhero comics?
* How long did it take for Magneto to get that Holocaust survivor backstory and not just be generically evil?
* Whatever happened to all those weird powers Claremont gave the X-Men and forgot about, like Kurt literally turning invisible in shadow or Storm using her powers to change her clothes

## Episode 011

* Who would win in a fight between Rachel and Miles? Who would give a better Claremontian explanation of how they fight and what they are doing while fighting?
* Everyone knows that Scott's glasses and visor to control his eye beams are made of ruby quartz. How was it discovered that this would work? What Sunglasses Hut sold him his handy laser-blocking Ray-Bans?
* I’ve recently decided to start reading X-men comics. I’ve always loved X-men from the 90′s cartoon series and now want to delve into all the lore but I have no idea how comics work. If I want to start from the beginning how can I do that without purchasing a “collectors” edition of early copies, are their reprints that are affordable? Also are they all labeled in chronological order or release date or are they all labeled as part of separate series that I’ve heard about? Any information would be great.
* I was just curious what your guys favorite spinoff X team is, like New Mutants, X-Force or Excalibur.
* Will you guys be covering [book or story arc X/Y/Z]?
* Has the evolution of Kitty's powers as shown in DOFP ever been referenced in other comics? It seems like it should have been, with that while secondary mutation thing later on.
* In your reading of things, what are the most important ways that the industry censorship of the Comics Code Authority influenced the X-Men?
* What’s your take on Ultimate X-Men? You didn’t mention it during your episode that covered alternate takes on the Golden Age years. Not that it’s Golden Age at all, really, but it does feature the origins/early days of the team. Is it too Millary for you or could you get past the sometimes unnecessarily grim-darkness and enjoy it still?
* Is there a good source out there for keeping track of story lines and crossovers through the various X-series? I was reading the Legion Quest story arc last night on my tablet and got a little lost.
* Is Mystique's queerness canon?
* Someone please explain the Siege Perilous to me.
* Who did you guys like better for Cyclops? Jean or Emma?
* i am diving back into x-men thanks to you. Could you recommend some Iceman and Nightcrawler Stories?
* What are your thoughts on the Jason Aaron run of Wolverine and the X-Men (Or Wolverine and the X-men Vol 1 I guess now)?
* Let’s play pretend…Marvel has announced an X-Men limited series to run 8 issues. And they’re letting YOU decide the details. Who’s your creative team (no, you may not pick yourself), your lineup of X-Men, and your villain?
* Any idea why Nate Grey ditched his costume for a fishnet shirt and leather pants for a while? Other than to keep me buying a horribly written comic, that is?
* Is there a particular line-up of X-men that you guys just love?
* Rachel, what is your headcanon as to why Wolverine is on so many Marvel teams? I seem to recall this was mentioned once, but that a lack of time prevented you from going into it.
* Thoughts on the new Claremont Nightcrawler series and recent Longshot miniseries?
* What are your favorite and least favorite X-Men code names?
* If there was an alternate universe where the X-men were talking animals, which animals would best represent some of the best X-men characters?

## Episode 012

* "The Dark Phoenix Saga" is my favorite comic book story of all time. Lately, though, I've read people on Tumblr call the story problematic because it tells a story of a woman with too much power not being able to control that power, and thus needs to be killed. How problematic is "The Dark Phoenix Saga" in y'all's opinion, and how much does that affect how you react to the story?
* Can you X-Plain why Magneto's powers are broken post AvX? He wasn't one of the Phoenix 5.

## Episode 013

* Could Cyclops write his name on the moon?
* What is the best adaptation of the Dark Phoenix Saga in non-comic book media?
* We know that the Jean Grey that appeared from X-Men 101-137 was actually the Phoenix. People still seem to refer to this character as Jean, even though it's not her? Or did I make that up? But Kitty appears in Phoenix Endsong as one of the people who loves Jean even though not counting 101-137 Jean would mean that they'd have barely met. Is there a reason we still seem to count 101-137 as being Jean even with the Phoenix retcon?

## Episode 014

* I have a question about the openings, some variation of which I was SURE was going to be asked in the all-question-spectacular. Is Miles always the one with the “WHAT?!?” because Rachel actually knows more/has read more X-Men comics? Or is it just a dynamic you decided on for your “characters” on the show? Even if it was just an artistic choice, and not based in fact, I’m curious: who’s read more X-Men? And, just in case the answer to this question is different, who knows more about Marvel’s Merry Mutants?
* How did Storm become leader of the X-men over Cyclops and who do you think is the better leader?
* Can you catalog all the many patented Danger Room tried-and-tested maneuvers such as the "Fastball" from Colossus and Wolverine?

## Episode 015

* I’ve wondered since I was a kid reading X-Men back in the 90′s, what was the reason X-Men #137 could be worth $2500? I’m sure it’s actually something anticlimactic, but at the time I thought that it meant that they already knew how good it was. Reprints never seem to include the important details.
* Didn’t Lee Forrester hook up with Magneto at some point on his Bermuda Triangle island base?

## Episode 016

* How come Jean Grey gets a free pass for wiping out an entire solar system under Dark Phoenix's influence, but Cyclops is essentially dead to the majority of his lifelong friends for murdering Professor X under the exact same influence?
* Why is Jubilee a vampire? No, seriously -- I heard she's a vampire now. Wait, wait, forget the whole vampire thing...Jubilee's a MOM?!?

## Episode 017

* Question about Rogue's powers: When she touches someone and gains an ability she didn't have before, say for instance kung­fu, when that wears off will she continue to have that kung fu knowledge or would that go away too? I understand if absorbing another mutant's power would go away but if she learns kung­ fu or how to build car after touching someone and uses that knowledge shortly after, should not she be able to keep that knowledge?
* Several of the defining Bronze Age stories have a major moment that involves the death of a prominent female character. Gwen Stacy in Spider­Man, Supergirl in Crisis on Infinite Earths. These events often typified the Woman in Refrigerators trope. Do you think that the death of Jean/Phoenix in 137 is another of these moments or is there something intrinsically different?

## Episode 018

* What's your favorite crossover storyline? Not the most important one -- your favorite one.
* Given Marvel's decision to make a Guardians of the Galaxy movie, do you think the chances of the Starjammers or Brood ever being on screen have improved infinitesimally? I just assumed those two groups of characters and story arcs would be untouchable for movies. But if Rocket Raccoon is on screen, all bets are off.

## Episode 019

* Do you guys have any handy hints or trusty tips for setting up a podcast?
* Can you X-plain why Cyclops is from Alaska and Havok is from Hawaii?

## Episode 020

* Is there any topic you've tried to use an opening and found that it just doesn't work?
* Are there any notable crossovers between X-Men including cosmic folk (Starjammers, Shi'ar, etc.) and the rest of cosmic Marvel?
* Wolverine's famous for being the grumpiest lone not actually a wolf there is. But one of my favorite things about him is the adamantium strength BFF broship he has with Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler seems to be the one person out there that Wolverine busts out all the emotions for, from fearful concern to outright huggy joy. What's your take? How important do you feel this relationship is for both characters?

## Episode 021

* What's the one Silver Age storyline you can constantly go back to without getting bored?
* Kurt, have you read X-Men First Class? Because it occurs to me -- that strikes me as the most recent-ish X-Men series that's been most in that spirit.
* Would you consider writing an Untold Tales of X-Men featuring the Silver Age team like you did with Spider-Man? What are the types of storylines you'd want to focus on if you did?

## Episode 023

* Karma of the New Mutants: Groundbreaking lesbian superhero of color, or chronically narratively punished cluster of overlapping stereotypes about refugees, abuse survivors, and queer people?
* While the New Mutants don't have as many notable supporting characters as the X-Men, they do have a whole host of interesting recurring characters, both good and bad. Who's your favorite recurring character that's not a member of the team itself? (ex: Lila Cheney, one of the Hellions, Xi'an's siblings, etc.)

## Episode 024

* Rogue was raised by Mystique and Destiny, neither of whom appear to have the colorful language and thick accent that Rogue does. So where did Rogue get it from?
* Is there an in­ canon (or out ­off ­canon) term to describe those middleground mutants? Those who fall somewhere between mutants who can "pass" for homo sapiens, and those who we'd describe as Morlocks?

## Episode 025

* Can you No-Prize x-plain how it's okay for Wolverine to be on the black-ops X-Force assassination squad who smoke bad guys **and** become headmaster of a school a very short time later in Wolverine and the X-Men? Why are all the X-Men okay with this?
* Is Wolverine's mask specifically designed to fit over his majestic hair without squashing it, or did he just design the mask as a tribute to his hair?

## Episode 026

* I've decided to read the X-Men from the get-go, and I want to be thorough. But I also want to get the most coherent narrative. In regards to the Summers, you chose to go into depth with the Deadly Genesis retcon. But with Phoenix you specifically chose to examine it with retcons removed. Which way do you suggest to go through the X-Men in order to have the most rewarding experience?
* Whom in your opinion is the most 90s X-character that's since been the best redeemed? Discounting Deadpool off the bat, because, well, he needs to be discounted.

## Episode 028

* What is the best version of Kitty after Claremont? Davis' Excalibur? Whedon's X-Men?
* How come Kitty Pryde just wears a variation on the Xavier School uniform these days, instead of a costume of her own? It seems especially weird with her because in her early days on the team, graduating out of that uniform and creating her own identity was a driving force of her character development. It seems weird that now, as a grown woman and a professor herself, she just wears the old yellow and black.

## Episode 029

* Just how many kids does Mystique have (that we know of)?
* What's the deal with Douglock? He was one of my favorites, but I heard he was retconned into being Warlock. That's kind of an awful thing to do! I like that Warlock and Cypher had sort of a son.
* So, when Mystique takes on another mutant's form, she also apparently takes on their weapons (Wolverine's claws, Cyclops' optic blasts, etc.) So his kind of begs the question - why not just morph into Thanos, Dark Phoenix or some other overpowered entity?

## Episode 030

* Hey guys, loving the podcast! I was wondering if you knew what was up with the pretty evident connection between the X-Men's Hellfire Club and the one from the Avengers? (The 60s British spy TV series, not those other guys.) There are too many similarities in plot and trappings (secret society for the rich and powerful, 18th century outfits, female lead brainwashed into aiding the club and simultaneously dressing up in bondage gear, character named Emma) to be coincidence. Do you have any insight into what happened there?
* Why do modern Marvel comics change artists so often? I especially noticed it on Aaron and Bachalo's run of *Wolverine and The X-Men* and found it really distracting to the story. Is there a good reason?

## Episode 031

* So recently I've been digging Rachel Grey because of the no-adjective *X-Men* series. Forget her impossible to comprehend background story, I'm confused by her facial stripes. Sometimes she has them, sometimes she doesn't. Got an X-planation?
* Has anyone ever written an Elseworlds or alternate universe story with the characters aging normally?

## Episode 032

* What's the deal with Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander?  In the Demon Bear Saga, both were turned from white to Native American, and this was never addressed again to my knowledge. Has Claremont ever stated the reason for this? It seems like something major, but it just sort of happened and the characters got on with their lives.
* Where are the New Mutants now?  It's my understanding that the book turned into X-­Force but that title is not that anymore.

## Episode 033

* Where I can find more X-stories with developed female leads? Specifically Jean Grey?
* How are X-Men operations funded? I always assumed that the Fantastic Four had income from Reed's parents and the Avengers were funded through a combination of Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. money. But what about the X-teams? Does Xavier have an inherited fortune? How is it administered since his death? Is there a trust of some sort that funds the schools?

## Episode 034

* Are there any comics where Nightcrawler struggles with his religion not lining up with his personal beliefs? I'm asking because I know someone who insists Kurt must be a homophobe because a devout Catholic wouldn't disagree with the church's teachings. I'm not Catholic but I went to a Catholic school for eight years and I know she's wrong. Also, Kurt is one of my favorite characters. I'm queer and she keeps telling me that it's unethical to like him. Are there any comics that will shut her up?
* It seems oddly serendipitous that there'd be a mutant alien named Warlock whose father's named Magus in the same universe with a character named Adam Warlock whose evil twin is named Magus. Is there a connection between these two pairs of characters?

## Episode 035

* I finally picked up the Longshot miniseries you guys recommended but there's something I don't quite understand here - where's Dazzer? Did they break up at some point between the 80s and now? Is she dead? What's she been up to? If it's really bad, you could probably make a fun cold open out of it.
* What current Marvel books are you guys reading? I'm actually really interested to see how the X-perts experience the Marvel Universe.

## Episode 036

* I picked up Marvel Unlimited, mostly to keep up with the podcast - but I'm almost through the paltry offering of New Mutants that they have. Is there a good way to get the complete Claremont run? I don't think there's an omnibus.
* What's the deal with Psylocke's powers? Telepathy? Telekinesis? Both? In the current adjectiveless X-Men she manifests weapons besides the psychic dagger (maces, bow and arrows, crossbows etc.) Are those manifestations the focused totality of her psychic powers too? Or are they her telekinesis manifesting as a physical weapon doing physical damage? Also, how did she get telekinesis?

## Episode 037

* Which version of the school do you guys think did the best job actually teaching mutant teenagers, and which did the worst?

## Episode 038

* Which is the greatest non X-Men Arcade story?
* Sharxkin has some questions about how the dubious crossover event Axis (or, if you prefer, Sixis) wrapped up.
* Has Arcade been in video games? Why hasn't he been in more?

## Episode 039

* What's the deal with Cloak and Dagger? I've recently started reading some old series with them, and I like the team. It seems like they're mutants, but wiki is telling me that they're not. What's up?
* My girlfriend loves the X-Men, and I would really love to get her an original page from a more recent X-comic. What's the best way to go about doing that? Are they really expensive?

## Episode 040

* Willow, what character are you most excited to get your hands on someday that you haven't been able to write yet?
* I'm already on board for your run on adjectiveless X-Men, but I have a serious question about it: Will there be fun times and shenanigans?

## Episode 041

* Started reading the X-Men in March of last year, and am coming to the end of Claremont's run, just about hitting the Inferno story. My question is: Do you think it's important for people to read all of the crossover titles (i.e in Inferno all the Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Avenger titles) in X-Men crossovers? If yes, what if I'm only interested in the X storylines? Will I miss important points?
* Hey Rachel and Miles, love the podcast! What would you say the definitive version of Magneto is? Scene chewing silver age Dick Dastardly, the more antagonistic foil to Xavier like in God Loves Man Kills, the New Mutants teacher, the separatist leader of the Acolytes, every X-fans source of alcoholism Xorn, or some other iteration?

## Episode 042

* Why didn't they bring back Thunderbird, and instead created Warpath? Isn't it strange that he's been one of the few heroes that's stayed dead all of these years?
* Colossus is always described as turning into organic steel. I'm not a metallurgist, but as I understand it, all steel is organic (in the sense of containing carbon.) This can't be what they mean though, because it would be very extremely redundant. Is it ever explained what organic steel means?

## Episode 043

* Stuart Cadwell/Thundersword from Secret Wars II #1 - he's got to be based on someone Shooter had a beef with, right? His rant about writing pablum, censors, about what he'd so if he had some power and the things he'd straighten out...only to find that he's powerless without his "Shazam" award, and being in tears after realizing he'd destroyed the places that he'd worked. I mean, this all has to be some passive/aggressive meta-commentary about someone Shooter's worked with, I assume?
* What's the best thing and the worst thing to come out of Secret Wars?
* What major changes to the X-Men universe do you want to see happen in Secret Wars 2015?

## Episode 044

* Legion's big bad was the psychic projection of his father Charles Xavier. It's clear this is not the real Xavier, who at this point in continuity had been killed by Cyclops. Even so, how much of this is Legion's own perception and hangups about his difficult relationship with his dad, and how much is a reflection of the actual dark side of Charles Xavier which we've seen throughout the comics for 50+ years?
* How did Legion go from comparable age with The New Mutants to comparable age to the students in the Jean Grey school during Legacy? Time Paradox? Suspended animation? Being stuck eternally as a teenager as punishment for creating the Age of Apocalypse?

## Episode 045

* Black history month seems like a good time to ask: What the hell is with the X-Men's diversity issue? It seems like every time they get a woman of color on the team who isn't Storm, she vanishes. I started reading in the 90s and I remember how excited I was to see Cecilia Reyes on comic covers because she looked like me. But after a few issues she was suddenly gone. The closest the team has come to diverse females might be Marjorie Liu's *Astonishing,* but that that's only if you count Warbird as a person of color.
* Has there been an X-Men story that contemplated the merits of the "solution" that Storm found to her existence before Xavier recruited her? It was sort of the inverse of the superstitious mob pursuing Kurt - use human superstition in a more benign way, and set yourself to be regarded as a goddess instead of a demon.
* So Ororo was the finest beggar in Cairo at six-and-a-half years old. Has she ever run a con or otherwise used these skills since? I want grifter Storm so bad! Also, is this involved in her taking on the goddess identity? That whole transition from successful, self-reliant criminal to agreeing at some level you're a divine being is kind of nuts unless it's a scam.

## Episode 046

* The X-Men seem to keep defaulting back to some combination of Cyclops, Jean, Storm, Wolverine, and a young girl mutant (Kitty, Jubilee, Rogue, etc.) What is it about this combination that people keep falling back on? Do these characters work particularly well together, are they just individually more popular, or does it really correspond to a time of particular popularity, like the mid-90s?
* What are Cypher's actual powers? He's "good at language", but sometimes that means learning or speaking new languages, sometimes it means a persuasive speaker, once it even made him a good computer programmer. What can he actually do? And can his character be redeemed?

## Episode 047

* Aren't Snowbird's powers because she gets power from the great magical beasts of Canada? I think that's why she's effected so quickly in the X-Men vs. Alpha Flight mini.
* Apologies if this has already been answered, I have a really terrible memory. We know that Rachel's favorite X-Person is Cyclops, but who is Miles'?

## Episode 048

* We know there are non-humans with active X genes. Are there any Asgardians who are mutants?
* Listening to you talk about Storm as a con artist last episode got me thinking: What's your ideal X-Men *Leverage* team?

## Episode 049

* Has the similarity in Dazzler and Longshot's star symbols ever been addressed? I've been reading Excalibur for the first time and have been loving it, and in a couple of flashback scenes Alan Davis draws them essentially having the same symbol. I just assumed it was because they're in love and it's cute, but I wonder if there's some Claremont-ian explanation lurking somewhere?
* Hi! I really love your show and I was wondering if you had any advice on how to meet and make friends with other X-Men fans? I know it's a strange question, but I'm in high school and I don't have anyone to discuss the comics with, and I want to make some more friends. Any advice? Thanks!

## Episode 050

* Is the Phoenix force evil? Was everyone freaking about it justifiable in Avengers vs. X-men or just for story drama? Should they just have sent Rachel Summers out? Do you think the Phoenix force will ever be redeemed or will it always be this dark entity now?
* I saw on Twitter that you'd consider sponsorship from Marvel a conflict of interest, but I was wondering if you could flesh that out more? It's not unusual for critics to be sponsored by the industries or companies they review. Most newspaper movie reviews appear alongside ads for the movies. Siskel & Ebert (the show) was even owned by Disney at one point I think. Is there something about your situation that's different from those that I'm missing?

## Episode 051

* With the recent news of Sansa Stark and others being cast in X-Men: Apocalypse, what are some things you guys would like to see in upcoming X-Men films? With the the announcement that Apocalypse will be the the last movie Jennifer Lawrence will appear in, I am hoping we'll see her and Destiny and their partnership and relationship that was hinted at so much in the comics.

## Episode 052

* If you guys were offered a chance to write an X-Men book, would you take it? Or would you want to keep criticism/x-plaining and writing separate?
* I was wondering: who assigns numbers to the various Marvel timelines? I understand that the 616 designation was first referred to in Captain Britain. What about the other timelines? When we refer, for example, to the Askani Clan timeline as Marvel-4935, where do we find that designation? Do the Marvel editors assign the number after the fact, or is it referred to in the actual story or in a comic?

## Episode 053

* Has Marvel ever done a *What If* or alternate timeline where Cyclops stays with Madelyne? I wonder if things would still lead to Inferno?
* Is there an in-comics explanation as to why Jean Grey stops using a codename after dropping Marvel Girl in X-Factor? Can you explain?

## Episode 054

* Do you think the series would have been better if the original planned lineup for *X-Factor* had been used and Jean stayed dead?
* Thanks to a later retcon, we discover that the Jean Grey who went all evil and genocidal in the Dark Phoenix saga was not *actually* Jean Grey, but the Phoenix incarnate impersonating her. Jean Grey was actually still at the bottom of the bay when the X-Men crash landed. Rachel Grey is the alternate timeline future daughter of Scott and Jean, but as you mentioned in Episode 50, the Jean in her timeline was accepted by her family and never went dark. But at that point, wouldn't it have actually been the Phoenix incarnate, since Jean had been left at the bottom of the bay by that point. Doe that mean that Rachel is actually the daughter of Scott and the Phoenix force itself, or did Jean not get left behind for the Phoenix to take her place in Rachel's timeline?

## Episode 055

* Did Rogue ever make peace with Carol Danvers over stealing her powers/memories/etc.?
* I'd like to find a way to introduce my daughter to comics and she's 3 years old. I randomly picked up a *Tiny Titans* book, but the first couple of stories featuring girl characters were aboutboys and clothes. I'd prefer to introduce her to the Marvel Universe anyway. Do you know of any good X-Men books for a very young person?

## Episode 056

* You've covered the Firestar miniseries - another in the long line of domineering mutant plutocrat Emma Frost's early crimes. How does she get a pass for her long criminal history, yet Professor X remains eternally in the doghouse?
* What is the biggest discrepancy you two have over something X-related? Whether it's a character you don't agree on or a story one of you likes but the other hates?

## Episode 057

* Have you ever read the *Amazing Adventures* Beast story arc from 1972 detailing how he mutated into his furry form? I would be kind of interested in your opinion on what color Beast's fur actually is. It started out as grey in *Amazing Adventures* #11 thru #14, then changed to black in #15. Of course, comic books used blue to show black highlights back then, so I've always believed that, as years passed, writers simply forgot that Beast's fur was supposed to be black and started referring to it as blue by mistake.
* Do you guys have favorite ToyBiz figures? Has this or any other X-Men merchandising played a role in developing and furthering your fandom?

## Episode 058

* What would your ideal live action adaptation of X-Men be like? Would it be a movie, TV show, or web series? And what things would you like to see covered in said live action adaptation?
* We know that Nightcrawler's "Bamfs" smell strongly of sulfur from the brimstone dimension. The problem with this is that sulfur dioxide is poisonous, and we frequently see Kurt teleport into confined spaces where this could be a huge issue. Even if he's immune to it himself, other people would still be at risk. I was wondering if this has ever been addressed, or if I should just take a deep breath and recite the MST3K mantra?

## Episode 059

* Four or five different people wondered if Chris Sims and Chad Bowers do the animated series voices while they're writing
* Besides scorpions, what's something else you'd like to see Wolverine covered in?
* What I'd like to know is if the last issue of *X-Men '92* will be weirdly written and have a different art style like the last season of the animated series? Will it feel out of place, and will Xavier leave for space for a really stupid reason?
* How difficult is it to write Cyclops considering his personality in the cartoon and the not-so-much-love Chris has for him?
* I haven't read much from the 90s X-Men. Are there any story arcs from that era that you would suggest as background reading for your series?

## Episode 060

* Do either of you have a favorite among the many future-alternate-future-time-travelly Summers children? I thought mine was Rachel until I was reading *X-Factor* and suddenly learned about Ruby. What gives Summers/Grey/Frost/Pryor children such staying power? Why don't more X-families have grown up alternate future kids running around?
* I just discovered Lila Cheney via *Captain Marvel* #9, and it's got me thinking about music and the X-verses. Are there any particular artists you guys associate with Dazzler, Lila, or other mutant musicians that I should be aware of? Are you aware of anyone writing songs for them? I refuse to believe it hasn't been done, but I'm having trouble finding any. How about music in general that you associate in general with X-Men or specific characters?

## Episode 061

* Recently issue #10 of Mark Waid's current *Daredevil* run concluded an arc with a simple yet effective and emotional narrative on the horrors of depression. I've suffered from moderate to severe clinical depression for years, and I finally began treatment several months ago. Being a lifelong X-Men fan, I was wondering if you have recommendations for any issues, arcs, or titles that successfully explore depression or other mental illnesses? Reading comics, especially X-Men titles, is a great support system.
* Hey! I'm new to comics, and how do you store them? Like, not old-first-edition-worth-$100 comics, but just normal trade paperbacks that come out any other week? I mean, the stereotype is keeping them in boxes or whatever, but where do you even get those?
* I've seen a couple of pages from a comic where one of the X-Men (I forgot who) figures out that Monet has autism. Is that still canon? Also, how well did the writer of that comic handle the topic? I'm wondering because I was recently diagnosed with autism (by recently, I mean literally 14 hours ago.) I'm thinking that reading a comic about one of the X-Men having autism, especially if her teammates are OK with it would, make me more OK with my own diagnosis.

## Episode 062

* Since you two are now reformed evil mutants in the *X-Men '92* universe, what were your powers and motivations, and what causes you to want to reform?

## Episode 063

* For every dark, strange, and sometimes pretty frightening arc, New Mutants almost seems to rubber band its way into a very broad, silly story. And sometimes, ostensibly silly stories will have very dark underpinnings. Whereas the other 80s X-books are more easily divided by Claremont's phases in his tenure, The New Mutants feels less bound by the limits of genre. It almost feels like New Mutants existed to buck the notion that comics had to be one thing. Was the book considered a playground for narrative experimentation in its time? Or was this simply the result of the book functioning in tandem with various other major titles of the day, as well as 80s trends?
* Which X-Man would be most likely to accidentally anger a goose, or perhaps a flock of geese? Geese are rage filled hellspawn, and would be formidable enemies.

## Episode 064

* You've both spoken at length about Claremont's writing tics, but is there a repeatedly used line that's a favorite?
* Talking about Sam and his family in Episode 61 made me think: does Xavier (or Emma Frost or Brian Braddock or whoever's in charge) financially compensate the team members or students? I mean, I don't think anyone could juggle the team and a second job, and most of them aren't independently wealthy. At least the Brotherhood could be stealing money or valuables, but I doubt the X-Men are. Especially Sam, the best kid.

## Episode 065

* Do you feel that the late 80s crossovers, starting with Mutant Massacre, directly lead to the culture of crossover bloat that would become a hallmark of the X-universe? Or is it just a symptom of how the comics industry business model evolved?
* Who are some X-characters that are not appearing in already announced All-New All-Different Marvel books you'd like to see in the next wave of announcements? Personally, I hope Jubilee, Monet, and Rachel Grey show up somewhere. It's also been too long since we've seen Dani Moonstar and Nate Grey show up anywhere.

## Episode 066

* If you two had to be servants of Apocalypse, which Horsemen or Horsewomen would you want to be?
* Which X-Man would be most worthy to wield Mjolnir? Which X-Man would try the longest to lift it?

## Episode 067

* Why is Xian's codename Karma? It doesn't really seem to fit her powers, and she's not a member of any of the faiths that explicitly believe in the concept of karma, so why did she choose it? Did she even choose it? Is there an in continuity reason for her codename? Is there a real world x-planation?
* Illyana's Soulsword confuses me. In the Magik miniseries, it's a concentrated part of her soul, like Storm's acorn, making it personal to her. So in Excalibur they make a big deal about Kitty being one of the few who can use it. But then not long after: Doom is waving it around, then Alice Wright says it's made of soulsteel and there can only be one soulsteel weapon. Then in Claremont's Nightcrawler, it's some kind of ancient inherited weapon thing. And there's inconsistency in what it can actually damage.

## Episode 068

* I was wondering who made the costumes for the X-Men? Is there a mutant with the power to construct costumes perfectly? Do they hire someone to construct them? Does Xavier make them? Has this ever been x-plained or mentioned at all in the comics?
* Magnum P.I. and Tom Selleck seem to come up in The *New Mutants* a lot. For a modern day adaptation like a movie might do, what TV show and what actor might take their place?

## Episode 069

* What is your best Beast story?
* I recall that Graeme believes Moira MacTaggert is the worst person in the Marvel universe. Care to x-plain?
* Graeme McMillan also went on to answer another 13 questions that were submitted specifically for this episode.

## Episode 071

* In the first, or maybe second, issue of Grant Morrison's *New X-Men* run, Emma Frost gets into a taxi and the taxi driver asks if "that's an English accent I hear?" She replies in the affirmative. Why the hell would Emma Frost have an English accent?
* Is blastin' noisy? I know that Sam Guthrie is nigh invulnerable when he's blastin', and assumed he was pretty loud too. The attached panel seems to indicate that blastin' is, counterintuitively, pretty quiet. What say ye?

## Episode 072

* I'm working on a 5th Edition D&D game where all the characters and story are based around X-Men. Still a fantasy setting and all. Example: Wolverine is a fighter dwarf, Magik is a warlock, Magneto is a wizard healer (Mageneto). One of my player's wants Rogue though, and I'm stuck on how to do her. You're both X-Men and D&D fans. Any suggestions?
* What do you think makes for an interesting power set? Should it be broad and powerful, or oddly specific and limited? How much should it reflect the user's personality?

## Episode 073

* X-Men fandom can be pretty intense. Do you have any stories, good or bad, about your brushes with it?

## Episode 074

* Have Magneto and Dr. Doom ever interacted in continuity? I ask because Scarlet Witch and Doom seem to have some kind of relationship, and I'm not 100% on what the nature of that relationship is. Do they at least get together and compare capes maybe?
* I forget what writer said it, but the writer made the argument that the X-Men was a school, Fantastic Four was the family, and The Avengers was a team, and that's what the stories should reflect. Do you still think that's true? Was it ever true?

## Episode 075

* Considering he was from ancient Egypt and had basically slept through the entire Christian era, why does Apocalypse use so much imagery from the book of Revelation? That's basically his whole schtick, down to his name.
* Something that's been driving me crazy about the X-Men comics since I began reading them as a first grader is that they're supposedly hated and feared by the general population, but it only seems like they're hated and feared by the most radical of radical villains and extremists. While the rest of the world is as indifferent to them as to any other young hero. I think the problem comes from there not being a good reason to hate and fear them, which is what happens when the only new X-Men are already heroic and virtuous before they even get powers. Where are all the terrible bullies who are then blessed with super strength, or the nerd who gets the power to mind control people that picked on them? Do you think the mutants that become the the X-Men should be made up of regular jackasses like I was in high school, or do you think the X-Men were already the X-Men in spirit before the powers?

## Episode 076

* Do you think that Marvel Girl and Squirrel Girl could be friends? And if they were, what kind of adventure would they have together?
* You mentioned earlier that you kind of wished you could go back and make Angel a girl. I'm wondering what all of you -- what sort of a change you wish you could make, possibly even to your own work, or to that which came before, that you think be more fun than what happened?
* The X-Men being what it is, it will probably never have a true conclusion. If it were down to you to decide, you know, what would be a logical end point for the X-Men as a series, what it has been before -- what do you think that would be?
* Which of the X-Men do you think would be great as a professional wrestler?
* I was just wondering if there are any currently inactive characters that any of you miss in particular. Besides Maggot, obviously.
* How has the vagueness of the mutant metaphor impacted you?
* Which one of the X-Men is best at fighting Sentinels?

## Episode 077

* A few of my friends and I like hosting ambitious Halloween parties with stuff like roleplaying and scavenger hunting based on a given theme. This year we're psyched to try our hands at a superhero themed party. I'm going as Dr. Doom and one of my friends would be perfect as Wolverine. Naturally, we have no idea what the 20 or so guests will come as. What we really need now is a kind of framed narrative that can serve as an excuse for having every imaginable hero and/or villain (be it Marvel, DC, or other) doing activities together. Of course, it shouldn't be too complex so that non comic book readers can enjoy it as well. Do you have any ideas on what kind of narrative might work? Naturally a humorous one is encouraged. Any help is appreciated.
* I was wondering what your opinions are on the parallels between the Doom Patrol and the X-Men? I've seen fans lump both teams together, but the similarities aren't as obvious to me.

## Episode 078

* I was wondering if either or both of you generally call the X-Men by code names or by their real names? I know it's always Scott, Jean, and Kitty for me, but I tend to stick with code names like Storm, Gambit, and Beast. I'm not sure what it means exactly, but I was just wondering if you or other X-fans x-perience the same thing?
* I'm currently working on a men's wear fashion collection inspired by the women of the X-Men universe. I'm fascinated especially with Dazzler's recent character redesign both esthetically and from a story perspective. Are there other examples of X-women undergoing dramatic esthetic transformations in terms of their wardrobe that you could point me towards? And what's your take on the Dazzler makeover?

## Episode 079

* I, too, have been going through and trying to read all the X-related comics from the the past few years, and I'm eagerly awaiting Excalibur as I've only read bits and pieces. However, I find that I can read through the main series rather quickly, but the events, guest appearances, and other non X-comics and other team books that happen to have X-characters tend to bog me down. How do you go about deciding what to read outside of the regular series run? I imagine this is going to get more difficult as time goes on, and the X-Men characters start appearing everywhere. I'm looking at **you**, Wolverine.
* I was re-reading *Astonishing X-Men* and it brought up some questions for me about Kitty's phasing. I always assumed she was all solid or all not. But clearly she must be able to selectively phase in order to go through walls but not sink through the floor at the same time. When she's going through solid matter, it appears that she can control the rate, so it's effectively like levitating. The trickiest thing would seem to be as in the beginning of *Astonishing* when she comes up through the floor. Do you think she's standing on a ladder? Or would it be that once she's in solid matter she's able to move herself up so she can jump up and reach the ceiling, or go up through the wall and be fine? I guess it's tricky to think too hard about Kitty's powers because if she can float through rock because she's doing some kind of molecular magic, why couldn't she do the same with the molecules of the air and fly?

## Episode 080

* Whatever happened to Peter Corbeau? Based on what I could find on Dr. Internet, it seems like he just faded into obscurity.
* You mentioned something you didn't like, but I'd like you to expand on it a but. What powers and characters are too "cutesy" or "obvious"?

## Episode 081

* Who is sexier, Beast or Nightcrawler?
* Given that the All-New X-Men crew are still teenagers, what teen hobbies do you think they would have outside of the super stuff?
* What are some challenges or surprises you've found with revisiting the original five X-Men?

## Episode 082

* If you could pick one non comics writer to head up an X-Men series, who would it be?
* If you could add the teenage version of another X-Man to the All-New team, who would it be?

## Episode 083

* If Funky Winkerbean joined the X-group, which would be the most appropriate X-Men base book (New Mutants, X-Factor) -- where would Winkerbean's power of depression fit the best?
* Who is your favorite terrible X-Man? Terrible meaning powers and/or campiness.
* Which X-Force team do you prefer?

## Episode 084

* Are the characters in the post Secret Wars titles the ones from Earth-616 or Earth-1610? Or are they native to this new universe?
* Who is your preferred third Summers brother?

## Episode 086

* Do all, most, or many mutants require a specific source to recharge their powers? For those that don't, is it just basic metabolism? If Angel has a long day of dodging things, can he get in a mondo cheat meal without regretting it later? If Dazzer becomes deaf, would she effectively lose her powers?

## Episode 087

* If you could have any iteration of an X-character from Battleworld replace the usual 616 version, what would you choose?
* So I was reading The Mutant Massacre and some of the X-Factor stuff that followed (the Archangel arc) , and noticed they were using thought bubbles as a storytelling device quite often. As someone who didn't get into comics until the mid-2000s, I've only ever really seen this used in older comics I've sought out. I was wondering if you knew when this device started to get phased out in favor of either narration captions by a single character or no inner monologue at all, which seems quite common now? I actually quite like how it's used in X-Factor, as it allows me as a reader to see how all the characters are being emotionally affected by all the terrible things they encounter.

## Episode 088

* As an Australian who has been run down and mugged by an emu for my lunch, I understand the terror that they can inspire. I'm fascinated at how often emus have been mentioned in passing in your podcast, and I was wondering if there was a specific source was for this interest in those avian thugs? Also, to bring it back on topic: Could the X-Men have won the Emu War of 1932 that the Australian forces lost? Which team would have been best suited to fighting this war?
* Costumes and uniforms aside: who is the best dressed X-Man?

## Episode 090

* Hi Jay and Miles! Wondering if you could help on a project I'm working on. I teach science in an inner city school in New York, and most of my students approach science through superhero comics. So I'm building an inspirational wall of science moments from Marvel Comics featuring Drs.Doom, Nemesis, and Octopus reading "Learn Science, Rule the World!" I was wondering if you had any favorite science moments from X-Men? Also, any explicitly Afro-Caribbean scientists in Marvel? Thanks!
* My comic book collection is starting to get too big to manage, and I'm gathering the bulk of the titles I know I'm not going to read again. I would love to donate most of it, but I'm not sure who would be best be suited for this kind of donation. Do you know of any comic book based charities or causes, or other appropriate organizations I could donate them to?

## Episode 091

* I can't get my head around Douglock properly. In *Uncanny* #313 he's generated from the dead cells of Doug and Warlock, but then in *Excalibur* #107 Kitty goes to Doug's grave and his body is still there. Where does Douglock get his Doug Ramsey-ness from?
* Where would you put The New Mutants and Xavier on an alignment grid?

## Episode 092

* Would you care to comment on the Lego Marvel Super Heroes video game and how it represents the X-Men?
* What would be your lineup of X-Men for a band? Style of music is up to you - ska, metal, Oasis cover band, etc. Hard mode: no Dazzler.

## Episode 093

* I'm really curious why Wolverine's teeth aren't adamantium? Is it a bone marrow thing, or is to preserve his brilliant and bestial smile?
* Which of The New Mutants do you think would be best to have at a party, both from the original team and the 2003 team?

## Episode 094

* Do you think *Pryde of the X-Men* did a better job at setting up its premise and introducing its characters than the 90s series or *Evolution*? It brings in a lot of characters, both good and bad, very quickly.
* Two part question: Is there a part of X-Men lore that you think would easily translate to a live action show in the vein of *Arrow*? And what part of X-Men lore would be the most hilarious to translate to a live television show?

## Episode 095

* I love reading comics and big trades, but I very much dislike buying floppies. In the same way I can't watch shows week to week (my heart can't take it), I adore getting to snuggle up with a big collection of content. However, I'm afraid this buying habit hurts the actual comic writers and artists by making it seem like people aren't interested when it's quite the opposite. Does waiting for trades hurt creators financially? If I want to support smaller comics, do I just have to buy floppies?
* How do y'all deal with the never ending aspect of the X-Men line? I keep thinking I might like the X-books for the long running character based narratives, but long running doesn't mean endless, and lack of endings weirds me out, especially when the endings you do get are almost always upended somewhere down the line. Does that bother y'all? Or is it part of the fun of comics?

## Episode 096

* I was wondering if you could tell me when the Cyclops/Jean/Wolverine love triangle first became a thing? Was that created in the 90s, or did the movies make it up entirely?
* It seems like you two usually agree, but when you don't, that Miles likes it and Jay doesn't. Are there any examples of things that Jay likes and Miles doesn't?

## Episode 097

* I've been listening to some older episodes today, specifically #57 , and I was wondering: did you ever find out what happened to Artie's kitten Muffin?
* If you had to cast Nic Cage as a character from the X-universe, who would he be?
* I was wondering: what's Deadpool's deal? I know he's not an X-character, but (and I guess this is more for Jay) why is there such a strong distaste for him? Is it because of a Wolverine problem where he's been oversaturated?

## Episode 098

* I'd like to know: what's your opinion about the X-Men movies so far, especially how the characters are portrayed? Who do you think gets the worst deal?
* Do mutant couples exclusively give birth to mutant children, or is it possible for a mutant and a mutant to produce a human child? I had thought that Luna qualified, but I realized recently that her mother was an Inhuman, not a mutant.

## Episode 099

* We all know horses are jerks. But I'm curious: Are there any good, not-so-jerkish horses in X-Men continuity? Or is Brightwind just the best horse by default despite the fact that he, too, can be kind of a jerk?
* Hello Jay and Miles, I have a question. How do you make re-readings more interesting and enjoyable? I'm someone that usually reads a series or specific run and I'm done. Re-reading feels like a slog because I already know what to expect, but I want to change that. What should I be looking for that I might be missing in a more casual reading?

## Episode 101

* How does a new writer onboard onto an X-book? It seems like there is a ridiculous amount of prior knowledge needed to write an X-Men character well. I can't imagine they're required to read 60 years of backstory as a pre-req, so is there like a character boot camp or something Marvel puts them through to bring them up to speed? Or is it all on the editor make sure the plot/references/character traits make sense in the big picture?
* If you were to choose 4 X-Men for your trivia team, who would they be?

## Episode 102

* Hey there, long time listener, first time question asker on the internet. Why does Mr. Sinister keep running running with Apocalypse? Team Blue Bros. seems to show up together often in the comics and the cartoon. Other than the reductive genetic "remake the human race" angle, I don't understand the tag-team. I thought Sinister would be smart enough to know better. Maybe I'm overestimating him.
* I think Boom Boom was at her best in Nextwave. Thoughts?

## Episode 103

* In the Dark Phoenix Saga, Kitty Pryde accidentally phases through the room's floor. Does that mean she could accidentally phase through the Earth forever?
* Sergeant Terry Jeffries of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine is hosting a Marvel themed birthday party for his daughters. He has invited the entire squad, but they must dress up as Marvel characters. Who would they show up as?

## Episode 104

* Do you think it would be a good for the X-Men comics to do multiple miniseries instead of a bunch of ongoings like there have been in the past?
* With the recent announcement of The New Mutants movie, do you think it's finally time for the X-Men films to get really weird and introduce elements of magic and more cosmic sci-fi?
* What's the difference between a mystery like "What Scott Did" and something like the long-form mysteries on Hickman's *Avengers*?

## Episode 105

* The mutant metaphor has been used to discuss so many different social issues. If you could pick - If you were making an arc, and you could pick a social issue that a particular character could speak to in depth in the context of the X-Men, what would you want to see covered and what character would you want to use as the foil to flesh that out?
* With such talk about continuity -- Marvel's, you know, always moving forward in this continuity and its sliding timescale (Punisher fought in Vietnam, then he fought in, you know, Afghanistan) like it's moving things forward. However, one of, I think, the most unique cases about that as an X-character...Magneto always has to have been in the Holocaust. And as continuity moves forward that went from he's, you know, 20 years ago he was in the Holocaust to now 70. How, if that character can move forward (as X-Men comics show no sign of stopping) when he is so fixed at this one extremely important moment in human history?
* Talking of X-Men and alternate universes, one title that was just in that up to its elbows, of course, was Exiles. Do you guys read that? Did you enjoy it? And would you want to play around in that particular sandbox?
* So we talked a bit about the mutant metaphor thing, and I think X-Men does a great job of using that. But it's more of like if you've got your superhero silliness and that's 80% of storylines ,and then mutant metaphor is maybe like let's just throw out 20. What do you think would have to change in the industry to make the mutant metaphor more of like a 40%, or a 60%? Maybe a 50-50?
* I had a question about Secret Wars, and since a lot of you wrote on that I guess it's appropriate. Are there any characters, I guess specifically X-characters since we're at an X-panel, that you feel would have done well with being replaced by one of their Secret Wars counterparts? Like on a permanent basis?
* If you could give any X-Men a solo series, who would it be and why?

## Episode 106

* What is the deal with Magneto's helmet? When did it exactly get the psychic blocking magic that is such a mcguffin, especially in the X-films?
* What would you say the definitive version of Magneto is? Scene chewing silver age Dick Dastardly, the more antagonistic foil to Xavier like in God Loves Man Kills, the New Mutants teacher, the separatist leader of the Acolytes, every X-fans source of alcoholism Xorn, or some other iteration?

## Episode 107

* Do you ever wish that Xavier's School was just that? That there wouldn't be a Danger Room or the whole child soldier thing? Or maybe they could just re-open the Massachusetts Academy?
* What is your favorite artistic interpretation of Rahne Sinclair's transitional form? You know, the form where she's in between a wolf and a human.

## Episode 108

* If you could use your demonic powers to animate any object, what would it be?
* Who would be better at doing your taxes: Iceman or Cyclops? Because, I mean, Bobby is an accountant, but Scott seems way more meticulous.

## Episode 109

* Are there any retcons that you feel improved the overall continuity, or a particular story arc?
* Hey! We've just started listening recently and we love the show, but we're only at Episode 30. We won't catch up before the next movie. Anything we should listen to now so we're ready for Apocalypse?

## Episode 110

* What are your thoughts on the cinematic X-Men uniforms?
* What would be Jay and Miles' ideal versions of an X-Men film or cinematic universe?
* Who is your favorite Apocalypse successor, or potential successor? (For example Archangel, the twins, Evan, etc.)
* Apocalypse seems almost cemented in the public mind by an alternate reality story. I've even heard people assume that the movie was about Age of Apocalypse because En-Sabah-Nur was in it. Why has that become the touchstone for the character?

## Episode 111

* What are your thoughts about Mister Sinister's outfit?
* Considering Inferno, is the Limbo of Immortus and Marcus, S'ym and Magik, Rom and the Dire Wraiths, and The Space Phantoms the same place?

## Episode 112

* We all know that Mr. Sinister is obsessed with the Summers family for his own complicated Apocalypse related reasons. Has he ever tried kidnapping Rachel, or manipulating her to use as a weapon against Apocalypse? Did the Sinister form Earth-811 ever do any experiments on her? After all, she's the daughter of Scott Summers and Jean Grey proper, and not from a clone or an emergency back-up brother. And as you've pointed out, the only Phoenix host to have full control.
* Would it be possible for Madelyne Pryor to be a hero again? Most later creators have made her purely evil, but Claremont's version could easily be someone who walks the hero-villain line the same way Magneto does. If this does happen, how would you like it to play out?

## Episode 113

* I was wondering if you had any specific online resources that you use for tracking down old back issues, particularly ones from the 80s and early 90s?
* Why are there so many blue mutants?

## Episode 114

* Which is stronger: vibranium or adamantium? I thought that each of those was at one time or another said to be the strongest material known to man. Could Wolverine successfully cut, or at least scratch, Cap's shield?
* The obvious question related to Meltdown is this: at the end, we see more chess pieces, with the implication we should see more scheming. What other two characters would you want to see paired in a second miniseries like this?

## Episode 115

* What would Hellfire Club Whist drive look like? What sort of prizes would they have in their Christmas raffle? How would Hellfire Club bingo nights work? What would the Lords Cardinal bring to a potluck dinner?
* Since the X-Men anime starts off with the end of The Dark Phoenix Saga, Jean functions as a ghost that haunts the team through the series. She has also served as such in the comics for a very long time in recent history, even with teen Jean in the present. Do you think Jean as a character functions best as a living character, or as a ghost that allows the X-Men to react to her legacy and help push the X-Men into the future and away from the past, where she has remained?

## Episode 116

* What's up with Wolverine's hair? I get that it serves for something of a silhouette, but it sort of got out of hand. By the 90s he had a mane that was threatening to consume small children if it wasn't watched closely. And then I look at his sideways spires in *Meltdown* and I'm at a loss. What happened?
* Are there any X-Men runs you'd like to see continued in the vein of the *X-Men* and *X-Factor Forever* series?
* In Episode 113's Q&A you talk about color. I've always wondered if you think Storm's 1990s Jim Lee costume is supposed to be black, or white / silver? I always read it as black with white highlights / reflections, but I often see it described as white or silver by others. Do you have a definitive answer?

## Episode 117

* Why do the X-Factor kids mostly have the same powers as the Brotherhood of Mutants? Rusty and Pyro, Rictor and Avalanche, Skids and Unus the Untouchable are all obvious. Also, arguably, Leech and Rogue, and Artie and Mastermind. Only Boom Boom is really not a copy of a Brotherhood member.
* With the recent addition of Cerebra to the team, and you guys discussing Nimrod, I've been thinking about Sentinels being used for heroic purposes (see Tom Skylark and Rover, Karima Shapandar, Sentinel Squad O\*N\*E\* and Juston Seyfert), or as a sometimes metaphor for gun control. I wanted to know what you thought of machines made specifically to hunt mutants being used for good. I know the mutant metaphor isn't perfect, but would the idea of heroic Sentinels be a problem to most mutants?

## Episode 118

* What would happen if Magik and Eva Bell crossed paths in the timestream?

## Episode 119

* Are there any asexual X-related characters?
* Is there any status quo or era that you wish could have lasted longer in an individual X-book or the X-line in general?

## Episode 120

* Have you ever read a comic that was published in the 80s or 90s and thought "This would never be allowed today"? I'm thinking specifically of Psylocke, because I can't help but wonder if her changing races would have raised some hackles had it been done today.
* Most characters powers seem to creep slowly stronger. Do you find it interesting that Jubilee's went the opposite direction, from blowing up buildings to barely inconveniencing foes?

## Episode 121

* Is there a reason why everyone seems to hate Gambit? All I can gather is they keep calling him sleazebag, which I can infer is referencing his womanizing traits, including that dump pheromone power he has / had. But is that really it?
* Gambit, Deadpool, Sparks Nevada, and Frank & Sadie Doyle (who, for people aren't familiar, are from *Thrilling Adventure Hour*) are playing poker. Who wins, and why?

## Episode 122

* If you were going to judge the US presidents solely by the quality of the X-Men comics that came out during their presidencies, who would be the best president, and who would be the worst?
* Who do you think is the most and least convincing multiverse character inversion in the X-world?

## Episode 123

* In all the years I've read X-Men comics, a very few of them involve Alex Summers in any significant capacity. Are there any Havok comics you guys would recommend besides *Meltdown*?
* You have now mentioned Iceman in his ice wizard incarnation, and the Morlock healer as a wizard. And who could forget Dick Warlock? What other X-characters would you like to see transcend mere mortality to ascend to wizard status?

## Episode 124

* My brother says Wolverine is the Batman of the Marvel Universe. Is this true? And if so, what should I do with that knowledge?
* Who would be the top 5 mutants to get high with?

## Episode 126

* You mentioned trying to avoid real world situations and conflict because the material is too big for that. But a lot of early superhero comics, like of the concurrent era, did exactly that. What do you think separates doing it now from the way that they did it back then?
* What is your buddy cop duo from the X-Men lineup? And if you could do forgotten X-Mens if you want.
* So, imagine you're running one of the various Xavier Institute Massachusetts Academy yadda yadda yadda. Who do you invite to give the commencement address?
* So you mentioned in X-Treme X-Men that Wolverine and Hercules are -- you know, Wolverine's in love with Hercules. Presumably that means Wolverine is not straight. Do you think that that means that Wolverine is not straight in 616 as well? That he is a queer character? Or is that just a divergence point from that universe?
* On one of your recent episodes you mentioned Boom Boom Von Doom as a really awesome roller derby name. So I was wondering if you had thought of any other possible X-related roller derby names?
* Is it more interesting, like, reading a comic arc that is written during the timepiece and you can see like, actual evidence of like "*Whoa, radical culture!*" Versus a movie that's like recreating that in its own vision. What's more interesting for you guys?
* So you're about to enter the dark age of darkness and many pouches. Not what do you dislike, but what do you dread having to cover the most?

## Episode 127

* You recently called Gateway, who uses the trappings of his own culture, problematic. White characters who use trappings and practices of other cultures, for instance Iron Fist, are also problematic. How should characters with overt cultural trappings be handled?
* Just recently Miles mentioned that Uncanny X-Men #251 was the last issue in the box of comics his dad gave him. I'd love to know more about that collection. Were there any substantial gaps in the X-Men run? What were the other titles? Is this where Miles' love of Thor comes from? In what ways did that particular collection shape your expectations for comics?

## X-TRA - Sofa Special (feat. Al Ewing)

* Who would be on the Great Lakes X-Men?
* You get to write a Summers mini. Which brother do you pick, and what happens?
* If you had to pick a new leader for an X-Men team who's never lead before, who would it be?
* What is Cannonball's favorite song?
* Which two mismatched characters would you put on a road trip book?
* If Sean Connery plays Magneto, and we're picking all of our actors based on accents, who plays Gambit?
* Which mutant character would you stick on Doctor Who as a companion, and with which Doctor would they be paired?
* Which X-Men character would you like to reboot, throwing away the history but keeping the basic concept and name?
* Headscratches or bellyscratches?
* Which X-Man would you most like to dress the Worst Cat up as?

## Episode 128

* Will there ever be another X-Plain the X-Men episode entirely of listener questions?
* Do the X-Men even have a school anymore? I haven't followed the comics in a while, but there doesn't seem to be a school anymore.

## Episode 129

* My favorite is Nightcrawler, both swashbuckler and priest. My favorite New Mutant is Magik. Given that information, Miles, what sub-genre or sub-genres of metal should I explore? Who would be a great entry band for said genre?
* Has it ever been explained why there was only one working parachute available when Scott and Alex Summers were tossed out of their parents plane?
* Favorite romantic motions from X-Men?

## Episode 131

* I'd forgotten that Havok and Madelyne had had a romantic relationship in *Uncanny X-Men*, so my question is, has there ever been an arc or alternate universe where Scott and Lorna have been romantically involved?
* Which Marvel character that isn't currently a mutant or X-Man do you think could be worked onto any of the X-Man teams with little to no alteration done to the character's bio and background?

## Episode 132

* Hey hey! I've been binge-listening to your episodes, and I'm deep into the throes of Inferno, but I have an X-related question that's been bugging me for a long time. Was Cable originally supposed to be an older, grizzled Longshot with his memories back fighting to save Mojoworld after *Uncanny X-Men* #248? The name (Cable TV), and the eye flare, and the fifth fingers that look added on in the first cover with him, always made me think there was supposed to be a connection, but I can never find an answer.
* My husband grew up without much exposure to the comics. Most of his exposure to the characters has mostly been through video games or movies. He has stated that he craves continuity, which stops him from getting in to comics. Can you guys suggest a starting point he might like? The Last of Us, which I've heard you guys mention before, is his heart and soul, but he also like Dragonball Z and some AMC shows like Breaking Bad and the Walking Dead.

## Episode 133

* Hey, very sorry to ask/say this, but is there any way you could use a word other than queer when talking about LGBT stuff? I'm gay, and while I know a lot of people have reclaimed the word, for me it is always like a slap in the face. I have had people use it in violent ways. If not, I understand, it's just a very painful word for me to hear. Thank you.
* Over the years, the X-Men has had crossovers with a lot of odd comic book properties, such as Star Trek, and I was wondering which comic book property you'd cross them over with if you had the chance? And if you were to cross them with a newspaper comic, what would the plot be?

## Episode 134

* Last episode, last week's episode, you mentioned comparing the Odinsleep to that board game Don't Wake Daddy. What overly complicated board game would you associate with an X-Men character?
* X-Men '92, or the nineties X-Men, kind of like really happened when I got into X-Men, so from a nostalgia standpoint that's what I grew up and loved, and it's easy for me to justify that because the entire line was rebooted and they brought everybody back together, but I was wondering for people who really love, like, the Australia outpost X-Men, it's so - for someone who came up right after that, I find it so weird, and so un-X-Men-like, that I was wondering what people who really loved that period of X-men and grew up with that, what they think of that and why they love it?
* Are there any X-men characters that you wish they would kill off and not resurrect, and why?
* I believe you've answered this question before, but when you think of your favorite characters, for example, me, one of my favorite characters is Longshot, and when I think of him, I think of him drawn by Arthur Adams, or for example, Boom Boom, when I think about her, I think of her drawn by Jon Bogdanov, who do you guys think of when you think of your favorite characters, as far as artists?

## Episode 135

* It's pretty gross that Wolverine regularly uses his claws to prepare food, right?
* Can you explain the difference between Jim Jaspers and Jamie Braddock?

## Episode 136

* The last major events - Secret Wars, and now Civil War II - have been plagued with delays. Is there an industry reason that big events with a set schedule and issue count can't be completed ahead of time to ensure release? I know you can't do that for ongoings, but when you know the story and that it's going to be so many issues, couldn't it all be done in advance?
* In the past ten years we've seen Logan as a headmaster, Cyclops as a gritty rebel, and Colossus on a no holds barred paramilitary unit to name just a few. Do you think there are any X-Men who are truly stuck in a single team role and interpretation, and are there characters you'd like to see shaken up with a new place within the various teams.

## Episode 138

* If Troy and Abed through an X-men themed party for the rest of the characters in *Community*, who would everyone come dressed as?

## Episode 139

* What do you guys thinks of the ResurrXion announcements so far?
* How do you balance your opinion on a creative team vs your desire to read the characters? There are some good ResurrXion pitches with questionable teams, and great teams with odd pitches. What do you put your weight on?

## Episode 140

* I recently realized that a solid percentage of Cable's rogues gallery are either related to him, like Stryfe or Genesis, or have been written as maybe related to him, such as Finality or Apocalypse. Do you think there's a reason for this, or is simply an amusing statistical anomaly?
* According to *X-Force* #30, Cable graduated from Harvard undergrad or law school, it's not clear, and then passed the New York state Bar Exam a year later. Have we ever found out what area of law is his specialty, or why he would have studied it in the first place?

## Episode 141

* How did Cable die in Second Coming but come back in X-sanction a year later just in time for AvX?
* Is there any aspect of Cable's design or power set that you think could be removed (some examples: light up eye, scarred eye, metal arm, time-travel, telekinesis) without losing the essence of what Cable is all about? Or is Cable only Cable as a result of his many parts?

## Episode 142

* In the cases of Psylocke and Cable, two characters with some of the most convoluted retconned and re-retconned backstories going, you've introduced the entire retcon when first covering the event that got retconned. So, with Psylocke's turning Asian, you immediately addressed that this was a body swap rather than a modification of her original body, and with Cable, you addressed his actual identity long before it was part of the actual stories. Is this a conscious choice? I wonder how different the coverage might have been if you had addressed the retcons only as they arose in storylines.
* I have a theory that Grant Morrison's *New X-Men*'s big plot twist would be better if it was a different villain like Apocalypse under Xorn's mask instead of Magneto. Does this theory check out?

## Episode 143

* How can Nightcrawler grow a beard if he's already covered in fur?
* I have a question about the Siege Courageous. I know that the Siege Perilous was made by either Roma or Merlin and it let the X-Men get new destinies. In *Avengers vs X-Men* the Phoenix Five use the Siege Courageous to get around. Was this Siege also made by Roma? Are there other Sieges besides the two?

## Episode 145

* If you could change one thing about your earlier episodes, what would it be? For example, would you have gone more in depth in to certain stories, or introduced Peter Corbeau's theme music earlier?
* What are your thoughts on the upcoming series *Legion* premieringon FX? I'm excited and interested to see how well he transfers on screen.

## Episode 146

* Do you think the plans for Mutant Wars could ever be resurrected the Twelve style?
* To what extent are comic book characters (or any shared universe ongoing characters) defined for you by their best representations in the various stories as opposed to the worst representations?

## Episode 147

* Who do you think was portrayed the best in the X-Men nineties cartoon? I'd ask who was portrayed the worst, but we all know it's Cyclops.
* My seven-year-old daughter recently told me she liked superheroes but they were only for boys. Thanks to your show (I don't actually read any comics but I love the show) I responded by listing about twenty female super heroes in less than a minute. But by making my list, I realized that an awful lot of them had ambiguous motivations or had gone through phases as villains. Jean Grey, Psylocke, Rogue, etc. Do female heroes really turn evil more than male heroes, and if so, why?

## Episode 148

* I can't remember if you had discussed this when you debuted, but is there a reason why you pronounced Opal Lun Sat-yr-9 as "Sat ayer nine" instead of "Saturnine"? Since she's the dark evil counterpoint of 616 Courtney Ross, I always assumed her name was a pun on the adjective Saturnine and meant to be a homophone of that word.
* Who would be the best fit for a horror movie villain besides Mystique, the Wolverines, and Sabertooth?

## Episode 149

* What would an Old Woman Laura series be like? Or Old Wolverine Jonathon?

## Episode 150

* There is a very popular, adorable cat character out of Japan, who for the purposes of my question I will call Greetings Cat. Her creators have come out and said that Greetings Cat is not actually a kitten but is a little girl named Kitty White. Now she clearly does not appear to be a baseline human, so do you think that perhaps Greetings Cat is a mutant, and if so, what would her powers be, and who should she team up with?
* Namor is the first mutant, and I've been hearing that he will be considered the first Inhuman because there will be a TV show or film made about him. I was wondering if you had heard those rumors and if they are valid.
* So obviously a lot of great people have worked on the X-books, but for each of you, what are the creaters who will never be able to do an X-book (because they're dead, or in Alan Moore's case, you know) - Out of the entire history of comics, or even visual arts, which creaters would you love to see do an X-book?
* Charles - since you have two big X-deaths under your belt, which one are you more proud of - Logan or Cyclops?
* When is the leather coming back?
* After the events of Death of X - what happened to Havok? Where is he now? After AXIS, he went insane. What happened to that?
* With the X-books splitting in to Blue and Gold, when Marvel inevitably goes back to the numbering of Uncanny, because they always do, which one do you think they'll stick the numbering with?
* Big thing around the X-Men is the touch points of X-Men comics seem to often be deaths and resurrections, and Charles, I know you get asked about character deaths all the time, but I'm sure you're just as proud of other moments that you have put in to your writing over dozens and dozens of comics. So when you approach writing X-Men, do you come at it from, okay, what are the deaths and resurrections that I have to do, or are they just kind of, to the side, and you have an expectation that you're going to hear about those things a lot? Do you write with those as the touch points I guess is what I'm asking?
* This question is for Dennis - I'm really enjoying several of your other books, I wanted to know which of the X-Men you feel, besides Hank McCoy, would make the best sports entertainer.
* So, with ResurrXion you have this blend of classic teams with new kind of ways of retelling some of these characters who maybe haven't had a lot to do like before, with Iceman and Jean Grey, and I was wondering going forward what kind of teams or concepts or characters that you'd like to see come back and have new things done with them, personally I would like to see the return of the X-Statics.
* So I've grown up with the X-Men, and watched cartoons and the movies, and I read it when I was younger but kind of fell out of it, there's so much, where would I start, if I wanted to start reading the comics again?
* For Dennis and Charles, coming out of Secret Wars and that eight month gap - is there anything really weird that you wanted to pitch or wanted to do that you just never got around to or got shot down besides Colossus and Domino?
* Last night at your party, you had the team of X-Men from cosplayers that was made up of Wolverine, Havok, Quentin Quire, Beast, and Lila Cheney. What sort of threat do you think would bring them together?

## Episode 151

* I just read and loved Si Spurrier's *X-Club* miniseries, but I'm confused by the different relationship that mutants have with Terrigen compared to present comics. Though the Terrigen there will evidently kill Nemisis when he's exposed to it, it does actually imbue him with extraordinary abilities. Moreover, Rao successively synthesizes a cure to save Nemesis. Did I miss something that took Rao's cure off the table in current comics?
* If Captain Britain had an ongoing series, would you consider it an X-book? What about Longshot? I'm not asking about your coverage, just the metaphysics.

## Episode 152

* For Jay, what are your favorite versions of Cyclops' casual ruby quartz glasses, and for Miles, who has your favorite beard in any Marvel Universe?
* If you could bring back an X-man from the dead to fight in Inhumans vs X-Men, who would you resurrect?

## Episode 153

* What happened to the AXIS inversions? Sabertooth's has stuck apparently, but did Havok's? It seemed like Tony Stark changed back at some point too, but when? How? Speaking of Havok, why did Reed Richards fix Doctor Doom's face but not his at the end of Secret Wars?
* I've been arguing with a friend and I need this settled. Would Colossus support Russia in our current political landscape?

## Episode 154

* Iceman and Beast?
* I think one of the most important elements of minority sexual identity development is getting to know other queer people. Are we going to see Iceman have more non-romantic interactions with existing queer characters?
* Bobby's relatively uniquely positioned to have a conversation with an older or younger version of himself. Given the same opportunity, what's the one thing you'd want to warn your younger self about, and what's the one thing you'd like to remind an older version of yourself in twenty to thirty years.

## Episode 155

* I've been reading through the Silver Age, and Jean's danger room sessions keep sticking out to me. They're consistently much simpler and less dangerous than anything the male members of the team are doing - threading a needle for example. While I get that this is supposed to emphasize finesse with her powers, the constant choice to have the lone woman focus on tasks that are notably not strength based, they easily could have had her try to lift heavy objects, stop incoming missile based attacks, etc, this seems deliberate. There's even a moment in issue #9 in which the X-Men are going in to battle, and each character gets a little moment to show off their powers as they charge in, but Jean's introduction is just moving a log over a hole so she doesn't step in to it. Am I reading too much in to this, or is this something you've noticed as well?
* If you were introducing the X-Men in 2017, what would you do differently?

## Episode 156

* Could you please explain the roles of pencils and artists and inkers and colorists? Are they all different jobs to speed up production? Does the artist dictate the colors? Is it a collaborative relationship like writer and artist? I love Andrea Sorrentino from the 2015 X-Men annuals, and I will point out from most of the *Old Man Logan* ongoing series, and the ways panels have blocked green and red colors, but is that actually the responsibility of colorist Marcello Maiolo? Do you have a favorite artist and colorist team?
* Assuming we are on the verge of an X-Movie reboot (I sincerely hope) what would be your ideal approach to this? Start with another building the team movie with a new lineup? Or more of an in medias res approach where they dive right in to adapting a classic X-Storyline? Personally, I'd love it if more superhero movies skipped past the origin story. What would you like to see out of an X-Reboot, more story wise than character wise?

## Episode 157

* Do you collect individual issues, or stick to trades, and what are your most prize issues of any book, doesn't have to be X-Men. I know that Jay, you've worked in comics, maybe Miles too, so I'd love to hear your take on collecting. When you work on a book, do you think that down the road, someone might be bagging it to keep it mint, seeking out that variant, etc, or do you think only of your craft?
* I just got Marvel Unlimited and have been reading mostly short runs or series that don't cross over a lot. However I am very interested in reading a long running X-Series and don't know where to start. I was thinking Grant Morrison's run would be a good place to start, or X-Factor Investigations. Any recommendations for mostly self-contained X-Men to binge-read?