After a five year hiatus, Marvel hired Lein Wen & David Cockrum to bring the X-Men back in publication. This time, Cyclops leads a new team of unique individuals. Teleporting German blue guy, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler, Irish sonic screamer OG member, Sean Cassidy/Banshee, Kenyan weather expert, Ororo Munroe/Storm, Russian metal man, Peter Rasputin/Colossus, Native American with enhanced abilities, John Proudstar/Thunderbird and last but not least, Canadian badass, Logan/Wolverine.
Professor X sends Cyclops and the new recruits to find missing OG members who were seen in Krakoa. An island filled with dangerous wildlife. Afterwards, the new team encounter Avengers foe, Count Nefaria, super villain group, the Ani-Men and Sentinel manufacturer, Steven Lang, Black Tom Cassidy and last but not least, Magneto.
X-Men’s revival was officially published in 1975 (same year Dog Day Afternoon came out) as “Giant-Size X-Men” #1. Followed by a storyline, “Second Genesis” told in issues #94-110. The new team earned positive reception from critics, fans and readers alike. 42 Years Later, Second Genesis was republished in 2017 as part of Marvel’s reprint lineup “Marvel Epic Collection.”
As I’ve mentioned several times on my previous comic book related reviews, my favorite superhero team will join forces with The Avengers & Fantastic Four to go head to head with Doctor Doom in “Avengers Doomsday.” The highly anticipated MCU film will be released on December 18, 2025. By the way, Insomniac Games’ upcoming Wolverine video game will be released in late 2026 exclusively for the PS5. 2026’s gonna be one epic year for an X-Men fan like me.
This review contains no SPOILERS.
Strong & Weak Qualities
Strong: Len Wein & Chris Claremont both did a solid job writing a cohesive storyline.
David Cockrum’s drawings look pretty good.
Action Sequences displays various old and new team members duking it out with adversaries.
Here’s what featured in Marvel Epic Collection: Second Genesis. You get 22 issues in one package. That’ll keep you busy. More bang for your buck.
- Giant-Size X-Men #1
- X-Men #94-110
- Iron Fist #14-15
- Marvel Team-Up #69-70
Fun Facts
- Sabretooth makes his comic book debut in Iron Fist issue #14. Prior to facing off Wolverine, he fought Iron Fist. Heck, Sabretooth borrowed Wolverine’s catchphrase, “Bub.”
- The Starjammers make their comic book debut in issue #104. They’ve yet to get a movie or TV show. One of the members is related to Cyclops.
Chemistry between old and new members serve as the main highlight. Wolverine bickering with Cyclops due to their differences on how they deal with a mission. Cyclops is the brains while Wolverine’s the brawn. Kinda like Superman & Batman. One’s a boy scout and the other’s an intimidating badass. A love triangle involving Jean further escalates the rivalry between Cyclops and Wolverine.
For those who are totally lost, callbacks to previous issues will help inform you on what’s going on.
Giant-Size X-Men introduces the new team. As I mentioned many times, Wolverine’s my favorite.
Issue #101 gives Jean an upgrade becoming The Phoenix as well as a green suit. This is before she unleashes her dark side in “The Dark Phoenix Saga.”
Spider-Man teams up with the X-Men in Marvel Team-Up issue #53 around the same time Hulk shows up. Spidey also assists Cyclops’ brother, Havok in Team-Up issue #69.
Each member has their own epic moment.
Weak: Thunderbird’s my least favorite character, Why? Because he’s abrasive, racist and not very nice to his teammates. For example, he said a racial slur towards Sunfire.
The Final Verdict: A-
X-Men: Second Genesis is a near-perfect reintroduction of the team. If it weren’t for Thunderbird depicted as a meanie, I would’ve given it my highest grade. An A, FOR APEX! An A- minus will do. If you’re a Marvel Epic Collection enthusiast, order a copy on Amazon. If you’re pinching pennies, subscribe to Marvel Unlimited. The choice is yours.
Which member of the X-Men is your personal favorite? Please leave a comment.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 