Class of X

By Jon Risinger

What's Class of X about?

Class of X is a podcast book club for past, present and future readers of X-Men comics hosted by Jon Risinger. Each episode Jon & guest cover a specific story from the history of the X-Men, providing insight, context and humor for the audience to enjoy. It's the comics podcast where you don't need to know comics to listen!

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Class of X episodes:

06.24.2024
Cable & Hope: The Two X-Men Messiahs
An attempt at explaining Cable's time travel history and Hope's weird family lineage is attempted in this episode. The two messiahs of the X-Men travel through time, form a bond and attempt to bring about a new era of mutants...
06.10.2024
Saying Goodbye To The X-Men
5 years ago, X-Men fans moved to Krakoa, said goodbye to the sting of death thanks to the resurrection protocols, joined the Quiet Council and terraformed Mars. This week, we say goodbye to the first Krakoan Age for mutants and...
05.20.2024
Did X-Men '97 Get It Right?
Season 1 of X-Men '97 is over and the question persists: did this show successfully serve as not only a sequel to the original Fox Kids 90's series and, more importantly, did it stay true to the comics? Answers to...
05.06.2024
The Real Villain of X-Men '97
X-Men '97 has revealed Bastion and Operation Zero Tolerance with their hidden Prime Sentinels. But what is the true origin of Bastion and what does he have to do with Nimrod, Genosha and the future of mutants in the Marvel...
04.23.2024
Deadpool Movies vs Deadpool Comics
Deadpool and Wolverine dropped their first trailer this week so there is no better time than ever to learn about where the character came from in the comics. Join me on a brief but moderately accurate attempt at unraveling the...
04.08.2024
X-Men Arcade Game Meets Inferno?
X-Men '97 episodes 3 & 4 take huge swings at paying homage to Inferno, one of the biggest X-Men stories from the 80's involving a mysterious clone of Jean and a demonic assault on the team. As well as a...
03.24.2024
X-Men '97 Episodes 1 & 2
It's a glorious day to be an X-Men fan and even better if you're a 90's kid at heart. Disney+ has premiered X-Men '97 with the first two episodes and Professor Risinger is here to feed your minds with sweet...
03.18.2024
Gambit's First Appearance!
Gambit didn't make his premiere with red eyes, Magik is a lot older than you think and Rogue didn't make her first appearance in X-Men comics. All facts we talk about in this special "first appearances" episode where I asked...
03.04.2024
What were the X-Men doing in 1997?
With the the Disney+ cartoon, X-Men '97, coming out this month I thought now is as a good time as any to walk y'all through what the X-Men were doing in the comics all throughout 1997. This episode we seek...
02.20.2024
The Multiverse of X-Men Madness (Exiles)
The MCU has introduced the multiverse into the films but what is the history of alternate realities in Marvel comics and what lead them to creating a multiverse hopping team of mutants called the Exiles? Let me introduce you to...
02.05.2024
Who Killed Professor X? (X-Cutioner's Song)
The world saw Cable assassinate Professor X at a live music concert. But was it really Cable? And what connection does the assassin have with Cyclops & Jean Grey? X-Cutioner's Song was the climax of the mystery behind Cable's origins...
01.22.2024
Can X-Men Be A Religious Book?
A church killed an X-Men team member and a priest is the father of another. Mix that up with a techno organic alien race and Nimrod's queer eye persona, Bastion, and you have the makings of a renaissance painting called...
01.08.2024
Myths about the X-Men Explained
Let's start 2024 by getting the record straight. Is Jean Grey the Phoenix? Who is Nightcrawler's dad? What exactly is coming out of Cyclops's eyes? A whole episode tackling misconceptions and myths about the X-Men to prep you for next...
12.25.2023
Professor Xavier is a Jerk!
The X-Men are no strangers to celebrating the holidays so this Christmas, Class of X is wishing you a Merry Christmas with a good ol' fashioned Holiday Special Episode! How does Wolverine get his Christmas shopping done? Does Santa looked...
12.11.2023
The X-Men vs Everyone! (Messiah Complex PART 2)
To save mutantkind, the X-Men must save the mutant messiah. But Cable has his own plans, the Marauders are still on the hunt, Mystique is weaving webs, the Purifiers won't stop, Predator X approaches swiftly and Bishop himself has entered...
11.26.2023
From House of M to Hope! (Messiah Complex PART 1)
It's been 2 years since the Scarlet Witch warped reality with three word, "Now More Mutants", and the first mutant baby since that day has just been born in Alaska. It's a race against the evolutionary clock as the X-Men...
11.13.2023
Wolverine's French Origins
What if the Weapon X in Wolverine's origin story was actually Weapon 10? What if Wolverine's origins were linked to Captain America's creation? What if all of this was revealed by a French mutant thief in a flying saucer? Let's...
10.30.2023
The Mystery of the Multiple Man
You wake up tomorrow and find you can split yourself into an infinite number of identical duplicates with a snap. What do you do? Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man from X-Factor, X-Force & the X-Men, is opening a mutant detective...
10.16.2023
Who is Nimrod, the Ultimate Sentinel?
You've seen him in X-Men: The Animated Series! You've seen him HoX/PoX! But who is this pink robot from the future? And why does he hate mutants so much? And why is just so darn cute? All answers will be...
10.02.2023
X of Swords (PART 2)
X of Swords, a massive crossover event of the Krakoan era, is heating up! Cypher, The Braddock Twins, Gorgon and Apocalypse himself are the remaining Krakoan swordbearers. Arakko has their fighters and we have ourselves a tournament! Let's discuss the...
09.18.2023
X of Swords (PART 1)
Apocalypse, the ultimate 90's villain, gets his own historic retcon with X of Swords, the giant X-Men crossover event that proceeded after House of X/Powers of X. His connection to Krakoa and the mysterious partner island, Arakko, gets fleshed out...
09.09.2023
X-Men Hellfire Gala 2023
Why is Marvel Girl with the X-Men now? Who is Iceman's new boyfriend? Why is Rogue with the Avengers? This year, the Hellfire Gala was the opening salve to the next era of X-Men comics, the Fall of X. The...
08.21.2023
Ultimate X-Men with James Willems
In December of the year 2000, Mark Millar, after only having seen the X-Men film, launches a reboot of the X-Men franchise within the Marvel Ultimate Universe. New cast, new looks, new origins, new everything. And since James Willems did...
08.07.2023
X-Men: Supernovas w/ Laurel Rothamel
Do you know what happens when you let Rogue pick her own X-Team to serve as an independent strike force from the school? She ends up using Sabretooth, Lady Mastermind, an Omega Sentinel and her mom, Mystique! Also Cable, Cannonball...
07.24.2023
X-Men: Deadly Genesis w/ Mikey Neumann
30 years after the historical release of Giant Size X-Men #1 comes X-Men: Deadly Genesis, the biggest retcon yet in Marvel history! Professor X had a secret other team? There is a third Summers brother besides Cyclops & Havok? All...
07.10.2023
Inferno (1988) with Mikey Randolph
Inferno is the culmination of years of stories leading to a giant hellish brawl in Manhattan between the X-Men and demons and Mr. Sinister and the Goblin Queen. Possibly the biggest event in X-Men history and a delightful story to...
06.26.2023
Old Man Logan (2003) with Diction
Wolverine is living in an alternate timeline where the villains have won, super heroes are no more, and our protagonist goes simply by Logan now. Mark Millar wrote this dark, western epic and years later it would be used as...
06.12.2023
Emma Frost (2003) with Barbara Dunkelman
Emma Frost, the White Queen of the X-Men, wasn't always the platinum chic goddess known for telepathically wrapping everybody who crosses her path around her little finger. Her origins are much more complicated, timid and interesting than you could ever...
05.30.2023
Iceman: Thawing Out with Blizzb3ar
For almost 60 years, writers and editors alike kept Iceman frozen in the closet and it wasn't until 2017, with the help of Brian Michael Bendis, that we finally saw Bobby Drake out and proud. So we're reading the 2017...
05.15.2023
The Fall of the Mutants with Joel Rubin
Smosh let me borrow my good friend Joel Rubin for the night so that we could cover the death of the X-Men in The Fall of the Mutants. But more importantly, it gave us time to talk about why the...
05.01.2023
Where No X-Man Has Gone Before! with Jacob Fullerton
We're going to space! In Uncanny X-Men 107 & 108 means we're in the beginning of the epic Phoenix Saga and we get to see what Jean Grey can really do with power on a cosmic level. Join our guest,...
04.17.2023
X-Treme X-Men with James Willems
X-Treme X-Men, as the title would lead you to believe, is the exciting story of Storm and her independent team of X-Men seeking the diaries of the preognitive mutant Destiny, told through the words of Chris Claremont and art of...
04.03.2023
X-Men: Fatal Attractions w/ Bruce Greene
The sister of Colossus, Illyana, has died of the mysterious Legacy Virus and Magneto has decided that her funeral is where he will recruit the X-Men to abandon Xavier's dream and join him on his new satellite base, Avalon. Things...
03.20.2023
Episode 013 - New Mutants: Aftermath (with Elyse Willems)
After the New Mutants die at the hands of the Neyonder, only to come back to life with the memories of their demise intact, Professor Magneto is grappling with how to break his students out of this funk! Emma Frost,...
03.16.2023
Episode 012 - Dawn of X PART 2
You've read House of X/ Powers of X and you want more? Good news! X-Force, X-Factor, Hellions, Cable, Wolverine and more are ready for you to read! And this episode is your prerequisite guide so you can jump into those...
02.20.2023
Episode 011 - Mystique (with Griff)
Mystique has been a spy, an assassin, a terrorist, and a freedom fighter. But how will she fair as an agent of Professor X himself? In Brian K Vaughan's 2003 solo title, Mystique, we get to explore some one on...
02.06.2023
Episode 010 - Dawn of X
So you've read House of X and Powers of X, now what? Have no fear, my readers guide for Dawn of X is here! Dawn of X is the title given to all of the X-books released after HoX/Pox and...
01.23.2023
Episode 009 - House of M (with Blaine Gibson)
The foundation of what became WandaVision, the House of M tells the story of the Scarlet Witch's world changing attempt to bring peace between humans and mutants forever. By changing reality into a world run by her father, Magneto. With...
01.08.2023
Episode 008 - New X-Men: Academy X
Continuing the rich history of new students at Xavier's school, New X-Men: Academy X introduces to the next generation of mutants and who better to dissect this slice of life "school drama" than the queen of anime and waifus, Black...
12.25.2022
Episode 007 - New X-Men: E is for Extinction (with Geoff Ramsey)
If Chris Claremont defined the X-Men from the 70's to the 90's then Grant Morrison defined them for the new millenium. New X-Men #1-3 and New X-Men Annual 2001 are the reading materials this week and our guest is the...
12.11.2022
Episode 006 - X-23: Innocence Lost (with Alanah Pearce)
You've seen her in "Logan", you've seen her in X-Men Evolution, but have you ever wondered what is the true origin story of Wolverine's daughter, X-23? Join me and my friend Alanah Pearce, video game writer at Santa Monica Studios...
11.25.2022
Episode 005 - Age of Apocalypse (with Tim Gettys)
Ever wanted to know what would the world be like without Professor X? Age of Apocalypse answers that question with an alternate timeline that took over 8 X-Men titles in 1995 for 6 months and became so popular its been...
11.14.2022
Episode 004 - Giant Size X-Men (with Steven Spohn)
The year is 1975, it's been 5 years since there has been a new X-Men comic when all of a sudden, this behemoth hits the newsstands and changes the course of X-Men and comics overall forever. Wolverine's first appearance in...
10.30.2022
Episode 003 - Days of Future Past (with LawrieBird)
The year is 2013 and the Sentinels are in charge, mutants are outlawed and most of the X-Men are dead. Kate Pryde must go back in time to 1981 and change history for good! This episode we're reading "Days Future...
10.22.2022
Episode 002 - Mutant Genesis (with Diction)
We time travel back to 1991 where Chris Claremont is ending his 26 year run on X-Men and handing the reigns to Jim Lee. Magneto is vibing in space, Professor X is in his hoverchair and everyone keeps kissing everyone...
10.18.2022
Episode 001 - House of X/Powers of X (with Andrew Blanchard)
In the first episode we cover Jonathan Hickman's 2019 soft reboot, House of X/Powers of X. Moira MacTaggert is a mutant, Krakoa is now the home of all mutants, Magneto and all the X-Men villains are good guys and Professor...