X Is For Comics: An X-Men Podcast

The MC2 may be done, but Nico & TK sure are not! The travel-thru to the MU from the MC2 remains in full swing as the guys take a look at some of the more uncommon appearances of the MC2! First up, in the pages of Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis & John Romita Jr, the MC2 makes a one panel appearance – which leads to 30 minutes of deep discussion on how something so small can have such a big impact (0:00:00)! From there, follow the adventures of the (less cool) Thunderstrike as he makes minor appearances (literally, an OHOTMU entry and a single panel) in the post-MC2 age in Thor: Asgard’s Avenger & Avengers Academy #20 (0:34:30) before examining what is a low-point of the Thunderstrike version 2.0 saga – Fear Itself: The Home Front #5-7, which despite nearly being the perfect iteration of the MC2 heroes we want to see as a single team, which never quite hits the heights of its potential (0:57:30). Strap back in for a new look after the after-Earth of Earth 982 on an all new AU:MC2 on XI4P – we hope you survive the experience!

The X Is For Podcast crew roll in their 375th episode with a look back on their coverage starting in September 2018, starting with their original 70s & 80s retrospective coverage before moving to the HOXPOX era and on! Then look at the titles the XI4P team has seen come and go - from the initial X-Men, Marauders, Excalibur, New Mutants, X-Force, & Fallen Angels launch point to the most recent work in Knights Of X and Sabretooth, plus all the X-Corps and Cables in between! Lastly, look at the X-Books who have either reached 375 issues within a single numbering or came close. All this and more on an all new anniversary XI4P -- strap in and we hope you survive the experience.

It's a New Mutants Special Edition here on X Is For Podcast! Kick things off with conversational look at the history of New Mutants and school titles via their publishing and a brief snapshot of the characters in question from later this episode (0:00:00) before moving over to a recent X-Men Unlimited two-part arc featuring the New Mutant's original polyglot, Cypher, in X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #42-43 (0:26:00)! Then, move over to the current going-ons of the (mostly) OG New Mutants in New Mutants #28, also featuring Inferno-powerhouse Madelyne Pryor in power battle for Limbo (0:47:30)! Lastly, check out Jane Foster & the Mighty Thor's first three issues (of five) where longtime Illyana-nemesis and Limbo-locust Sym makes an appearance as does Prometheum (1:23:00)! Strap in for an all new XI4P – we hope you survive the experience!

The MC2 may be done, but Nico & TK sure are not! Always ready for what’s next, the duo examine their options and the new trajectory of the show – which will follow the further adventures of the MC2 crew and their 616 counterparts, ranging from the Spider-Verse to Kevin Masterson of the main Marvel Universe – and the team starts right there! The pair looks at the first 5 appearances of Kevin as the new Thunderstrike, following his childhood appearances from Thor and the first volume of the title (24:30) before looking at one of the stranger titles to come from the MC2’s fallout: Captain America Corps featuring American Dream and Kiyoshi Morales, Commander A of a future world – two standout characters in an odd miniseries! Strap back in for a new look after the after-Earth of Earth 982 on an all new AU:MC2 on XI4P – we hope you survive the experience!

The Judgment continues all summer long on X Is For Podcast! Kick things off with the return to the Marvel Unlimited Infinity Comics for the newest Strange Tales issue -- this one dedicated to TV's newest Jade Giant, She-Hulk (0:00:00)! Then, join a different crew from the X-Pack for a second examination of AXE: Judgment Day #2 (0:23:00) before turning your attention to the relaunched Momokoverse with Demon Wars: Iron Samurai (1:07:30)! Strap in for an all new XI4P – we hope you survive the experience!

The Judgment continues all summer long on X Is For Podcast! Kick things off with a look at the newest issue of Punisher with stops at Deadpool, Irredeemable, & Daredevil along the way (0:00:00) as the Punisher team continues to examine the terrible decisions Frank can't seem to stop making (story of his life though, amirite?). Then, check out the first of two coverages of AXE: Judgment Day (30:45) before diving into the complex legalities and unrealities of Legion of X #4 (1:05:00)!

Strap in for an all new XI4P – we hope you survive the experience!

This project began 222 issues ago. Nico and TK wanted to take a look at the MC2 to understand how such a promising line lost steam quickly in the larger perspective of comics but would go on in some form to be published for over 20 years. The journey took them from Spider-Girl and the initial line of J2 & A-Next to Fantastic Five and Wild Thing before coming to a sudden stop with Darkdevil and The Buzz. Spider-Girl lasted years by herself before the Last Standing double-header revitalized the line into an Amazing place with the return of Avengers Next & Fantastic Five, plus an American Dream mini. Now, the Spectacular era comes to an end – twice – before it is truly THE END for Spider-Girl. Kick things off with Spectacular Spider-Girl volume one’s abrupt conclusions (0:00:00) before turning things over to the short-lived second era of Spectacular with the mini-series adaptation of what was clearly intended to be the final run of digital comics (0:40:30). Lastly, join the team as they almost say goodbye to Spider-Girl with Spider-Girl: The End, a tragic finale for Mayhem but a possibly promising new beginning for May Day (1:18:30) as the team begins to plan MC2.5, a look at all the relevant and connected stories from the 616 and beyond that bring it all back to 982. Strap in for one last trip to Earth 982 on an all new AU:MC2 on XI4P – we hope you survive the experience!

The nonstop coverage of the Marvel Universe continues to expand as the X-Pack take on Mephisto in his many forms?! Kicking things off is the continued look at Jason Aaron's Avengers run, having finally arrived at the much-discussed Age of Khonshu arc, surrounded by stories featuring Marvel's sassiest devil (0:00:00)! Then, Join the crew as they examine the most recent issue of Ben Percy's Ghost Rider in the new special, Vengeance Forever, leading to some curiosity about a number of spirits and Riders (0:53:00)! Lastly but definitely not least, make your Marvel way back over to Moon Knight for the most current events of the Fist of Khonshu (1:16:30)! All this and more, so strap in for an all new XI4P – we hope you survive the experience!

Judgment Day hits the X-Men and Shang-Chi renumbers (again!)! First off, join the X-Pack for Immortal X-Men to kick off the episode's weekly Marvel coverage, featuring an indepth character study on Exodus (0:00:00). From there, join the ravaged world of Arakko with X-Men Red #5, featuring powerful moments from the Arakkii and Magneto (0:40:00)! Then, join the team as they take a look at the relaunched Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #1, a departure for the title but more of the same magic that made the previous runs amazing (1:15:30). All this and more, so strap in for an all new XI4P – we hope you survive the experience!

So we may have jumped the gun on thinking the MC2 was going to end anytime soon. As Nico and TK make their way to the end of the properly published MC2, things get....weird. The Amazing Spider-Girl era ends with TWO SPIDER-GIRLS, and their names are May and April and literally the MC2 will never be the same -- what's left of it! Amazing Spider-Girl #25-30 (0:00:00) takes May from a young woman struggling with her identity as a hero, occasionally fighting for her life, to a woman fighting for her actual personal identity as her clone steals her life! Then, join a very short lived era of Sider-Girl, sans Spider-Girl, as the crew look at the four short stories of Mr. & Mrs. Spider-Man (0:56:00)! Then, join the final adjective to join Spider-Girl before she leaves her own title (for now) with Spectacular Spider-Girl #1-8, which sees April join May's life for what can only be called the spring of the Parker's discontent (1:14:30). And while the plan had been to wrap things up with The End, there's the coming of MC2.5 -- and more May Parker stories, if the team can get through this last batch! Strap in for an all new AU:MC2 on XI4P – we hope you survive the experience!