Uncanny X-Men Issue 002 - No One Can Stop The Vanisher

November 1963

In which the X-Men take on The Vanisher before honing their abilities to ensure victory over this incredible threat. How can the Uncanny X-Men defeat a mutant who is unbeatable?

Cover Story

The cover for Issue Two is perhaps a little less dynamic that for the premier issue. Instead of an action scene as is often the case with X-Men, it instead opts for a spoken scene with The Vanisher, looking half villain, half clown declaring he will defeat the X-Men for a second time. 

Jean Grey has the only other line on the front page, unusually reminding the X-Men to stay back, as per Professor Xavier's orders. It is from here that our eyes notice that Professor Xavier is in the heart of this battle.

The setting is Washington DC, indeed the battle unfolds on the front lawn of the White House, it's iconic architecture capping an image that is framed above by a field of bright red, with the classic X-Men logo rendered in yellow. 

As with issue one the comic is described as being in the 'Fantastic Four style', they style that would eventually evolve as being the Marvel style. The other caption on the cover describes the villain of the piece, The Vanisher as being unbeatable, truly setting up an epic story.

The composition still retails the dynamic Marvel feel with Beast and Cyclops in particular looking ready to strike. Professor Xavier lightly grips the handle of his wheelchair and looks almost serene by comparison to the others. Vanisher grandstands at the heart of the piece, almost daring the X-Men to attack. 

No One Can Stop The Vanisher

X-Men In Training

Credits Written by Stan Lee Drawn by Jack Kirby Inked by Paul Reinman Lettered by Sam Rosen

The X-Men find themselves downtown in a race to get back to the school after Professor Xavier has called them back.

Beast hitches a ride on top of a train, pointing out that he does have a valid ticket should the conductor care to come up and check it. Angel is mobbed by female fans and has to be rescued by Jean Grey who moves the fans telekinetically to a cinema marquee. Cyclops and Iceman save a group of builders from disaster before hitching a ride in an ice cream truck.

The X-Men arrive back at the school and Professor Xavier uses his mental powers to project a 'film' of the events which have concerned him as the X-Men look on

The Vanisher

The uniquely arrogant Vanisher informs the Police that he intends to rob a bank, the policemen present dismiss him as a madman in a costume. When he robs the bank the policeman present even tells the teller to hand over the money as there is no way the Vanisher can escape. However escape he does, using his mutant power too teleport away.

Illustration of Vanisher

With characteristic bravado Iceman fires off a volley of snowballs to show how he will defeat the Vanisher. Under Professor Xavier's instruction Marvel Girl defends herself by altering their path and hurling them back at Iceman. Professor Xavier introduces the X-Men to the Danger Room where Angel struggles with the tests set. The Beast, however is successful at evading it's traps with a soft landing provided by Marvel Girl.

Vanisher appears inside the Pentagon and declares that he will soon be stealing America's continental defence plans. The personnel at the facility are astounded at his confidence. Later, Vanisher has amassed a following of criminal lackeys.

In the Danger Room Marvel Girl struggles with her test and is rescued by Cyclops, Iceman is irritated by the brief chivalrous romantic moment between the two. Professor Xavier mentally contacts FBI Agent Fred Duncan who fills him in on the Vanisher's plans.

Professor Xavier Enters The Battle

The X-Men travel by military aircraft to confront the Vanisher. The Vanisher successfully steals the plans and despite a close fight with the X-Men who try to retrieve them, he escapes. As the media turn against the X-Men, Vanisher demands a million dollars for the return of the plans. The X-Men bicker but Xavier brings them to attention by announcing that he will accompany them on their trip to Washington.

First Appearances FBI Agent Fred Duncan The Vanisher

Professor Xavier informs Fred Duncan of his plan and the team head to Washington. The X-Men confront Vanisher who makes many threats, but Professor Xavier gives him one chance to surrender before wiping his memory completely, including his knowlege of how to use his mutant power.

The Vanisher's lackeys turn nasty, but the X-Men make short work of them, Professor Xavier maintains his cover and no association with the X-Men is made by the attending military. Professor Xavier reminds the X-Men that the greatest power any of them possess is the power of the mind.

Mutant Evolution

Mutant	Power Evolution
Professor X	Professor X demonstrates the ability to communicate over long distances with non-mutant individuals with the use of a special device.
Cyclops	Cylcops' optic blast at full intensity is enough to reduce a falling side of a building to dust.
Marvel Girl	Professor Xavier has advised Marvel Girl not to lift anything she couldn't lift physically, but she is able to lift a group of six women into the air, this leaves her feeling faint.
Angel	Angel is able to fly while carrying Marvel Girl.
Beast	Beast demonstrates astonishing reflexes, and the ability to brace himself against the wall of a pit, and propel himself back out by tensing his muscles.
Iceman	Iceman is able to create snowballs and ice structures with great strength such as a ice cage to hold felons, and an ice grappling hook.
Vanisher	Vanisher is able to teleport himself and cargo. There is no suggestion as to his maximum range, but he appears to teleport himself to places he has know spacial knowledge of, without appearing in a wall.

 

We Need A Hero

Modern fans of the X-Men may be astounded to learn that the X-Men were regarded as heroes in the early issues, Although in issue one Magneto talks of hatred towards Homo-Superior the X-Men experience praise, thanks and cooperation from the public in their early days.

FBI Agent Fred Duncan openly liaises with 'Mutant Expert' Professor Xavier in this issue and will continue to do so in the coming issues. Angel is ambushed by screaming fans who want to kiss him in an early scene this issue, when Marvel Girl telekinetically moves them away one fan puts it down to the strength of Angel's kiss.

While Cyclops is thanked by the builders he and Iceman saved from the collapsing wall, Iceman is struggling with builders not amused that their gloves have been turned to ice when they shook his hand; but even then the scene seems good natured and of course the builders had rushed to thank iceman in the first place.

On page seventeen a news vendor sells a newspaper with the headline 'Vanisher steals defense plans. X-Men fail in attempt to halt theft!'. It's a turning point for our characters as we finally see them have to deal with the negative aspects of being a superhero.

For now it is a temporary state of affairs, but as time goes on it will become a natural state of being for the X-Men,

Advertisement Corner

In advertisement corner we will take the time to look at some of the entertaining tat advertised throughout out favourite comic books.

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In this post we look at the amazing, the incredible, Hypno-Coin. I fear the reality may prove to be a little less impressive than the hyperbole.

The product was essentially a plastic coin with a design on it, which, i'm sure could help a skilled hypnotist hypnotise someone as well as any other focus point, but lets be honest, probably no better.

The astonishing thing here is the price, $1.00 is actually £5.24 in today's money here in the UK. Even with the free book and no postage to pay that's an awful lot of money

I discovered that you can indeed purchase replica Hypno-Coins from the internet, along with a reproduced pamphlet from certain websites. They will set you back $11.00, which is £7.46 today, so your Hypno-Coin is now worth a good deal more; if you can find someone gullible enough to buy it.

However in this blog the user claims it to have worked, so maybe there are real powers in these comics,