X-Men Vol 1 8

X-Men #8
Previous Issue	X-Men #7
Next Issue	X-Men #9
Cover Date	November, 1964
Issue Details
Editor-in-Chief	Stan Lee

1. ""The Uncanny Threat of...Unus, the Untouchable!""
Appearances · Synopsis
Writer(s)	Stan Lee
Penciler(s)	Jack Kirby
Inker(s)	Chic Stone
Letterer(s)	Sam Rosen
Editor(s)	Stan Lee

 Bobby is a full-fledged graduate X-Man now! He can handle himself! 

—Cyclops

Appearing in ""The Uncanny Threat of...Unus, the Untouchable!""

Featured Characters:

• X-Men
  • ⏴ Cyclops (Scott Summers) ⏵
  • ⏴ Marvel Girl (Jean Grey) ⏵
  • ⏴ Angel (Warren Worthington) ⏵
  • ⏴ Beast (Hank McCoy) ⏵
  • ⏴ Iceman (Bobby Drake) ⏵
• ⏴ Professor X (Charles Xavier) ⏵

Antagonists:

• Unus the Untouchable ⏵ (First appearance)
• Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
  • ⏴ Mastermind ⏵
  • Magneto (Magnus) (Behind the scenes)
• Lucifer (Mentioned)

Other Characters:

• Susan Storm (Mentioned)
• Maxie
• Unnamed bank robbers
  • ⏴ Charlie ⏵
• Tommy
• Unnamed father of Tommy
• Wrestling spectators

Races and Species:

• Mutants
• Humans
• Quists (Mentioned)

Locations:

• Earth
  • United States of America
    • New York
      • Westchester County
        • Salem Center
          • Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
      • New York City
        • Manhattan
          • Greenwich Village
          • Wrestling stadium
          • Tower Bank (First appearance) (Unnamed)
          • Times Square
            • Corner of Broadway & 46th Street (First appearance)
  • Bulgaria (First appearance)
    • Balkan Mountains

Items:

• Cyclops' Visor, version 1
• Cerebro
• Mutant Power Enhancer (First appearance)

Vehicles:

• Professor X's cave exploring wheelchair (First appearance)
• X-Men's twin-rotor helicopter

Synopsis for ""The Uncanny Threat of...Unus, the Untouchable!""

Cyclops watches over the X-Men's latest training session. He helps Iceman develop his powers, including making his body colder, which in turn makes him appear icier and more transparent, rather than a snowman. Following the tough workouts, Cyclops gives the group the rest of the day off. Jean tries to convince Cyclops to spend the rest of the afternoon with them, but he refuses, saying that he has too much work to do. From her thoughts, it becomes obvious that Jean has fallen in love with Scott.

Heading for the coffee shop where they met Zelda, Hank and Bobby come across a child in danger of falling off a roof. Without any time to change into costume, Hank climbs up the side of the building and rescues the child. When he reaches the ground again, he and Bobby are attacked by the onlooking mob, which is angered that there was a mutant hiding among them. Hank and Bobby escape and head back to the mansion.

Infuriated, Hank tells Scott that he is quitting the X-Men. Scott does not know what to do, so he contacts Professor Xavier. Professor Xavier tells him that he cannot do anything about it, and continues on his quest to find Lucifer.

A week later, Hank has established himself as a pro wrestler named The Beast. His latest opponent is Unus, the Untouchable. Hank tries to attack Unus, but every time he attempts to strike the man, he is stopped by an invisible forcefield. Hank suddenly recognizes Mastermind in the audience, then realizes that the two men somehow know each other.

After the fight, Mastermind heads into Unus' locker room. Unus inquires whether he can join the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants yet. Mastermind informs him that due to the failures of Namor and the Blob recently, Unus must prove his loyalty before receiving membership. He informs Unus that he must find or even defeat one of the X-Men.

Unus has no idea how to find the X-Men, so he goes for a walk. He sees a bank robbery and thinks that he could put the money to better use, and robs the bank robbers. The X-Men are nearby and assume Unus is the bank robber and confront him. The four X-Men are unable to figure out how to fight a man who can't be touched. Unus grabs Angel, who tries to fly off. Unus holds onto him, knowing that the X-Men are not killers. Angel eventually sets Unus down on a nearby rooftop.

The X-Men return to the mansion to plot a strategy and find Beast in the lab, working on a strange device. Beast informs them that the device is designed to increase Unus' powers. The X-Men think Beast has joined with Magneto and attack him. Beast tries to explain his plan, but the others won't listen, so he grabs his device and jumps out the window. At the gym, Beast uses the device on Unus, increasing his powers. The X-Men arrive too late.

At first, Unus is very pleased with his powers, but quickly realizes he can no longer control them. He learns that he can't touch anything, not even his cigarettes and food. The X-Men find him in a restaurant trying to grab food because he is starving, but his power thwarts him. Beast makes a deal with Unus to reverse the device's effects, as long as he does not join the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Unus agrees and returns to his wrestling career after being treated, and Beast returns to the X-Men.

Notes

• Refers to X-Men #7 in regards to Magneto's disappointment in the Blob.
• Marvel Girl changes her mask back to her original one.
• Iceman takes his transparent ice form for the first time. This becomes the standard look for the character from this point on.
• Issue offers a full-page pin-up of the Beast, by Jack Kirby, Chic Stone and Sam Rosen.
• credits:
  • Produced by Marvel's Fantastic Foursome...
  • Stan Lee, Writer
  • Jack Kirby, Artist
  • Chic Stone, Inker
  • S. Rosen, Letterer

Trivia

• The Beast temporarily leaves the team to become a wrestler. His pseudonym is "The Beast".
• Cyclops' last name is misspelled as "Sommers".
• Cyclops calls the Angel "Bobby" mistakenly.
• Lucifer is mentioned. He is seen for the first time next issue.
• This issue is cited in All-New X-Men #1 by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) and Stuart Immonen (penciler).
• This issue contains the very first assault of Humans on Mutants in the original run of the series.

See Also

• 9 image(s) from X-Men Vol 1 8
  • 2 reprint(s) of X-Men Vol 1 8.jpg
• 19 reprint(s) of X-Men Vol 1 8