X-Men (1963) #28

Cover by Werner Roth

Cover Date: January 1967

On-Sale Date: November 1966

Synopsis: The X-Men are attacked by the Ogre and the Banshee, agents of Factor Three. They are able to free the Banshee from Factor Three's influence, and they part as allies.

CHRONOLOGICAL NOTES:

Page 1

The narrations says that it's an Autumn morning.  The last run of stories happened in Summer, which means that Roy Thomas is making my job easier by paying attention to these kinds of things.

Page 3, panel 3

Professor X has apparently been using his psychic powers to boost the range of Mimic's abilities, which is yet another dubious application of his telepathy that we're seeing in these early issues.  Regardless of whether it's something he can do later, he claims to be doing it here.

Note that Angel still has his arm in a sling from being eye-blasted by Cyclops in X-Men (1963) #26.  It takes about 12 weeks for a break or fracture to heal, but mutants in general are supposed to heal more quickly than humans.  Then again, Angel has those hollow bones, which could complicate matters.  Last issue was in July, and this issue is in Autumn. That's a span of anywhere from 8 to 16 weeks, so I guess it's in the ballpark.

Page 4, panel 1

The Mimic is said to be a teenager here. I believe this is the first clue we get regarding his age.

Page 4, panel 6

There's nothing chronologically relevant here, but just check out that first bit of dialogue from the Mimic.  It never fails to crack me up.

Page 5, panel 1

Ogre and Banshee have been assigned to monitor the New York area so that they can discover the headquarters of the X-Men.  The Ogre talks about hours of watchful waiting, but that's vague enough to fit just about anything.

Page 7, panel 6

Xavier has spend recent weeks making calculations to predict the activity of Factor Three.  Again, it's vague, but it's at least something to go on.

Page 8, panel 1

It says here that Jean is enjoying an Indian Summer, which is apparently a period of unseasonably warm weather in late Autumn.  It's said to happen around October or November, which gives me some specifics to work with.

Page 10, panel 1

Professor X mentions that someone has tried to take over his mind twice since the defeat of the Puppet Master.  I don't know if this is ever confirmed, but it's probably the work of Factor Three.

Page 17, panel 5

This oaken door in the cellar has been locked ever since the X-Men returned from their last vacation.  Behind the door is the Juggernaut, but we won't find that out for a while.  That vacation probably happened between X-Men (1963) #27 and #28; it has to refer to an off-panel vacation, because they sure haven't had any successful on-panel ones.

Page 20, panel 4

At some point in the past, Factor Three captured Banshee and forced him to work for them by putting a bomb around his head.  No time-frame for this is given.  I'm also contemplating whether to add a note in my timeline about Banshee getting facial reconstructive surgery.

COUNTING THE DAYS

This issue takes place in a single day in October or November of XY 1 (meaning that there's a 3 or 4 month gap since last issue).

TImeline - End of 1966

Once again I've reached the end of a year, so it's time to update the timeline.  With only one book these posts are coming around pretty quickly, but every X-Men fan knows that's not going to last.  This year didn't even have the X-Men making any guest appearances in other books, so it might be the quickest year I'll ever do.

Here are the comics I'm covering for 1966, and the chronological notes that I need to take into account:

• X-Men (1963) #16
• Takes place over two days, starting the same day as last issue.
• X-Men (1963) #17
• Professor X has been protecting the X-Men for months.
• Beast is 1.5 years older than Iceman.
• Angel, Cyclops and Marvel Girl range from 2 months to a year younger than Beast.
• Takes place in a single day, following from last issue.
• X-Men (1963) #18
• Takes place in a single day, following from last issue.
• Magneto spent months imprisoned by the Stranger after X-Men (1963) #11.
• The flashback to Magneto escaping the Stranger's planet probably happens between X-Men (1963) #13 and #14.
• Conjecture: Magneto uses the instruments on his stolen spaceship to find the mansion.
• Angel used to thrive on sci-fi stories, apparently.
• Angel's wings started to sprout when he was 13.
• Takes place over two days, following from last issue.
• X-Men (1963) #19
• X-Men (1963) #14-18 all took place within the past few months.
• Vera helped Calvin Rankin find some books, and he's been pestering her for a date ever since.
• Conjecture: In order to place the flashbacks, I've assumed that Calvin Rankin is 18 in this story. He would be born in XY -18 or -17.
• For the flashback where Calvin knocks over his father's beakers, I've assumed he is 12. It happens in XY -6 or -5.
• For the flashback where Calvin starts to realise his powers, I've assumed he is 13. It happens in XY -5 or -4.
• For the flashback where Calvin is arrogant and everyone hates him, I've assumed he is 15. It happens in XY -3 or -2.
• For the flashback where Calvin's dad builds a machine and gets killed, I've assumed he is 16. It happens in XY -2 or -1.
• Takes place over two days
• X-Men (1963) #20
• Xavier finishes repairing Cerebro just before this issue.
• Cyclops has been distraught of late. Conjecture: This might be because of rising anti-mutant sentiment after the Sentinels.
• The flashback where Unus and Blob team up happens days before the start of this story.
• Lucifer makes Unus immune to the Beast's ray shortly after the aforementioned flashback.
• Lucifer set up a mental screen to stop the X-Men thinking about him after X-Men (1963) #9.
• It's been more than a year since X-Men (1963) #8.
• The flashback to Xavier's first confrontation with Lucifer is said to happen years ago. Based on earlier clues I have it in XY -10.
• Lucifer has spent years monitoring Earth for conquest.
• Xavier bought a private jet several weeks ago, before X-Men (1963) #14.
• Takes place in a single day.
• X-Men (1963) #21
• The X-Men are still all teenagers.
• The flashback showing the creation of Dominus and its robots happens eons ago.
• Lucifer's people started enslaving planets "when the Earth was still a mass of floating gases". The formation of Earth is dated to 4.6 billion years ago.
• The flashback to Lucifer lording it over a planet orbiting Sirius happens at some point before XY -10.
• Xavier says the Lucifer's plan for conquest began a decade ago.
• Lucifer has been conquering worlds for countless years.
• Takes place in a single day, the day after last issue.
• X-Men (1963) #22
• The X-Men fought the Sentinels and Dominus "of late".
• Nefaria gathered his Maggia forces and recruited some villains after his last appearance in Tales of Suspense (1959) #68.
• Scarecrow last appeared in Tales of Suspense (1959) #51.
• Porcupine first appeared in Tales to Astonish (1959) #48, and last appeared in Fantastic Four Annual (1965) #3.
• Plantman first appeared in Strange Tales (1951) #113, and last appeared in #121 of the same title.
• Eel first appeared in Strange Tales (1951) #112, and last appeared in #117 of the same title.
• Unicorn first appeared in Tales of Suspense (1959) #56, and last appeared in FF Annual #3.
• Takes place over two days.
• X-Men (1963) #23
• It's June.
• Nefaria has been planning his attack for months.
• Xavier has been working on his mechanical leg braces for months.
• Jean's parents decided to send her to another school at some point before this story. Xavier received their letter this morning.
• Takes place in a single day, following from last issue.
• X-Men (1963) #24
• Jean formally graduated from Xavier's "some time ago".
• Angel has been in love with Jean for months.
• It's Summer.
• Johnny Storm is starting college in Fall.
• August Hopper was fired from Metro College last semester. He since got a job with Ryan Chemical.
• This story takes place over six days, from a Monday to a Saturday. It begins the day after last issue.
• X-Men (1963) #25
• El Tigre has been searching for the Pyramid of Kukulcan for years.
• It's been a few days since the end of last issue.
• The flashback with El Tigre causing trouble at a nightclub happens between page 12.1 and 12.2 of this story.
• The flashback with El Tigre evading the police with his amulet happens just after the aforementioned flashback.
• There's a plaque dating the Pendant of Kukulcan to 500 AD.
• Takes place over several days. It probably begins on the Monday following last issue.
• X-Men (1963) #26
• Kukulcan is walking the Earth for the first time in a millennium.
• The pendant of Kukulcan has lain dormant for 400 years, since the conquest of the Mayans.
• Calvin Rankin started at Metro College in the Summer.
• Professor X altered Calvin's memories after X-Men (1963) #19.
• The pendant was used to create a volcanic eruption. Conjecture: This happened circa 900 AD, and was the reason the pendant was broken.
• Takes place over two days, following from last issue.
• X-Men (1963) #27
• This issue is out of sequence, and happens in the following order:
• Page 5.3 to 15
• Page 1 to 5.2
• Page 16 to 20
• Cerebro sensed a new mutant menace while the X-Men were in San Rico.
• Ted Roberts introduced Jean to the Mimic "the other day".
• Xavier erected psychic shields shortly after Fantastic Four (1961) #28.
• Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch returned to Europe at the end of Avengers (1963) #30. They haven't been seen for many months.
• Spider-Man just appeared in Amazing Spider-Man Annual (1966) #3.
• Mimic used Xavier's telepathy to learn how to control Scott's optic blasts at some point during X-Men (1963) #19. He says this was months ago.
• Jean has been designing new costumes for the X-Men.
• Takes place over two days (probably a Friday and a Saturday), following on from last issue.

A COMPLETE CHRONOLOGY OF THE X-MEN (as of December 1966)

As always, XY stands for "X-Men Year", with XY 0 being the year in which X-Men (1963) #1 occurs.  Positive numbers indicate years after that, and negative numbers indicate years before.  Some events (those that don't have to be tied to the sliding timescale) will be placed in actual years rather than in the XY system.  New entries and updates to the timeline are marked in red.

Major updates for this year include Xavier's first confrontation with Lucifer, the origin of the Mimic, and - most important of all - the history of the Pendant of Kukulcan.

EONS AGO

• X-MEN (1963) #21 flashback: Lucifer's alien people invent the Dominus computer to enslave planets.

ABOUT 5 BILLION YEARS AGO

• Lucifer's alien people begin enslaving worlds with the Dominus computer.

COUNTLESS YEARS AGO

• Lucifer begins enslaving planets for his people..

CENTURIES AGO

• The evil deity Cyttorak is driven from Earth. He leaves behind the curse of the Juggernaut in his temple, in the form of a ruby.  It will be spoken of in legend for centuries to come.

circa 500 AD

• The Pendant of Kukulcan is created.

circa 900 AD

• The power of Kukulcan is misused, creating a volcanic eruption that engulfs a city.  After this, the pendant is broken into two pieces.  This is the last time Kukulcan manifests on Earth for 1,000 years.  (The date of the volcanic eruption is conjecture, as is using that event to explain why the pendant was broken. It all ties together very well with the date for when Kukulcan last walked the Earth, though, and it also coincides with the beginning of the decline of Mayan civilisation.)

1546 AD

• The Mayans are conquered by the Spanish. The power of the Pendant of Kukulcan will lie dormant for over 400 years.

BEFORE CHARLES XAVIER IS BORN

• Kurt Marko is married.
• Cain Marko is born.  (His age isn't given, but he definitely looks older than Charles.)
• Kurt Marko's wife probably dies some time after this, and before XY -23.

XY -32 or -33

• Charles Xavier is born.  This assumes Charles is 32 in XY 0.

XY -23

• Charles Xavier's parents work on the first A-bomb project. This will become topical over time, but it's still useful as a guide to when they were alive. I've placed this assuming that they worked on the Manhattan Project.
• Brian Xavier dies in an atomic explosion at Alamagordo, New Mexico. Kurt Marko had the chance to save him, but chose not to.
• X-MEN (1963) #12 flashback: Charles attends his father's funeral, where his mother Sharon is comforted by Kurt Marko.
• Months after the funeral, Kurt Marko marries Sharon Xavier.
• X-MEN (1963) #12 flashback: Kurt Marko moves into the Xavier mansion.

XY -22

• Cain Marko is expelled from school.
• X-MEN (1963) #12 flashback: Kurt's marriage to Sharon Xavier has gone sour. Cain Marko moves into the Xavier mansion, and starts bullying Charles immediately.
• Sharon Xavier dies.
• X-MEN (1963) #12 flashback: After an argument with Cain, Kurt Marko dies in a lab accident. He saves Cain and Charles before he dies, and tells Charles that he knows about his special power.
• Charles realises that he can read minds.

XY -19

• Charles Xavier starts losing his hair in his early teens.
• X-MEN (1963) #12 flashback: Charles Xavier uses his telepathy to read his teacher's mind.  This placement assumes that he is 32 in XY 0, and 13 here.

BEFORE BEAST IS BORN

• Beast's father works at an atomic plant, and absorbs enough radiation to make his son a mutant.

XY -18 or -19

• Beast is born, approximately 1.5 years before Iceman.
• One of Angel, Cyclops or Marvel Girl is born two months after Beast.
• Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are possibly born around this time, although their ages have yet to be confirmed. Quicksilver is older than the Scarlet Witch.

• One of Angel, Cyclops or Marvel Girl is born at some point between two months to a year after Beast.

XY -17 or -18

• One of Angel, Cyclops or Marvel Girl is born a year after Beast.

XY -17

• X-MEN (1963) #12 flashback: Charles Xavier excels at various sports. Cain gets mad about it, and Charles has to knock him out to defend himself.

XY -16 or -17

• Iceman is born. The year depends on whether his 16th birthday was in XY 0 or -1

XY -16

• X-MEN (1963) #12 flashback: Cain drives Charles to college after vacation, and the two of them almost die in a car crash.

XY -14

• Cain Marko and Charles Xavier serve together in Korea.
• X-MEN (1963) #12 flashback: Cain deserts under fire, and finds the Temple of Cyttorak, where a ruby transforms him into the Juggernaut. He is buried underneath tons of rubble.

BEFORE XY -10

• X-MEN (1963) #21 flashback: Lucifer lords it over an enslaved people on a planet orbiting Sirius.

XY -10

• X-MEN (1963) #20 flashback: Professor X travels to Tibet, where he has a confrontation with  the alien Lucifer. He frees the city from Lucifer's control,  but sustains injuries that leave his legs paralysed..
• After his defeat, Lucifer retreats to Europe and begins building a world-destroying bomb that's connected to his own heartbeat.

XY -8

• Beast's father loses his job, and moves the family to another city (probably somewhere in the New York area).
• X-MEN (1963) #15 flashback: Hank McCoy is bullied, and discovers that he has unnatural agility.

XY -6

• X-MEN (1963) #19 flashback: Calvin Rankin knocks over some beakers in his father's lab and inhales the gas.  (This placement assumes he is 18 in XY 1, and 12 here.)

XY -5

• X-MEN (1963) #19 flashback: Calvin Rankin beats up the school boxing champ, and realises that he has the power to mimic the talents of others. (This placement assumes he is 18 in XY 1, and 13 here.)

XY -4

• Angel's wings begin to sprout when he is 13. (This placement assumes he is 17 in XY 0).
• Angel's wings grow while he's at military school, and he keeps them hidden under his uniform. He has to leave school before taking a physical exam.  (I know this placement isn't going to work, but I'll deal with that when the time comes.)

XY -3

• X-MEN (1963) #19 flashback: Calvin Rankin hits a home run, and is great at every sport. His arrogance makes his fellow students hate him. (This placement assumes he is 18 in XY 1, and 15 here.)

YEARS LEADING UP TO XY 0

• Professor X makes preparations to open his school. This includes the creation of many machines, vehicles and training devices in his mansion, as well as making contact with the FBI. His liaison with the FBI is Fred Duncan.
• Magneto begins making his plans for conquest. This involves the establishment of many secret bases, including Asteroid M and an island in the Atlantic Ocean.
• Blob discovers that he is extra-strong and resilient. Thinking he's just a freak, he joins the carnival.
• Unus becomes a wrestler.
• El Tigre begins searching for the Pyramid of Kukulcan.
• Ka-Zar is attacked on the surface and flees to the Savage Land. (This probably happens many years before XY 0, but it's too vague to place right now.)
• The Fantastic Four get their powers (in Fantastic Four (1961) #1).
• Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk (in Incredible Hulk (1962) #1).
• Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man (in Amazing Fantasy #15).
• Donald Blake becomes Thor. (in Journey Into Mystery (1952) #83).
• Henry Pym becomes Ant-Man (in Tales to Astonish (1959) #35).
• Tony Stark becomes Iron Man (in Tales of Suspense (1959) #39).
• Janet Van Dyne becomes the Wasp, and joins Ant-Man on his adventures (in Tales to Astonish (1959) #44).
• Doctor Strange becomes active in New York (in Strange Tales #110).

XY -2

• X-MEN (1963) #19 flashback: Calvin Rankin's father sets up a lab in a cave, and begins working on a machine that he says will make Calvin's mimicking power permanent. Months later the machine is done, but it causes such a power drain that a mob forms. Calvin's father dies trying to seal the cave with explosives. Calvin buries his father, and vows to finish his work.
• Hank McCoy wins a college scholarship.
• Cyclops, Iceman and Angel are recruited by Professor X to join the X-Men.
• X-MEN (1963) #15 flashback: Hank helps his team win the conference championship, and his football prowess gets the attention of Professor X, who recruits him into the X-Men as the Beast. This probably happens in December.
• Professor X designs a harness the Angel can use to hide his wings, and special glasses for Cyclops.

XY -1

• The X-Men begin their Danger Room training in March.
• Conjecture: Unus wins the WWWF Championship on May 17th.

XY 0, January

• The Avengers are formed (in Avengers (1963) #1).
• Jean Grey gets a message from Professor X to enroll at his school. Her parents are hesitant until they are contacted by the US government.
• X-MEN (1963) #1: Jean Grey (Marvel Girl) joins the X-Men, and they go to fight Magneto at Cape Citadel. Takes place over two days in January.
• X-MEN (1963) #4 flashback: Magneto rescues the Scarlet Witch from an angry mob, and she and Quicksilver join him to repay their debt.
• Presumably Magneto recruits Mastermind and the Toad around the same time.
• Ant-Man becomes Giant-Man (in Tales to Astonish (1959) #49).
• X-MEN (1963) #2 flashback: The Vanisher robs a bank. Happens on the same day that X-Men (1963) #2 begins.
• X-MEN (1963) #2: The X-Men face the Vanisher. Takes place over four days in late January.

XY 0, February

• TALES OF SUSPENSE (1959) #49 (1st story): Angel temporarily goes bad, and fights Iron Man. Takes place over one day in early February.
• AVENGERS (1963) #3: Iron Man tries to recruit the X-Men to help the Avengers search for the Hulk. Takes place over one day in mid-February.
• X-MEN (1963) #3: The X-Men battle the Blob. Happens over two days in late February.
• The Avengers find Captain America in a block of ice, and thaw him out (in Avengers (1963) #4)

XY 0, March

• X-MEN (1963) #4, page 1 to 11: The X-Men celebrate the one-year-anniversary of the beginning of their training. Magneto conquers Santo Marco. Happens over a period of three days in early March.
• Weeks pass, in which Magneto consolidates his rule over Santo Marco.
• X-MEN (1963) #4, page 12 to 23: The X-Men drive Magneto and the Brotherhood out of Santo Marco. Takes place over one day in mid March.
• Weeks pass while the X-Men try to get the injured Professor X from Santo Marco to Westchester. The Brotherhood are searching for them the whole time.
• Daredevil makes his debut (in Daredevil (1964) #1).
• X-MEN (1963) #5: The X-Men fight the Brotherhood on Asteroid M. Takes place over two days in late March. (This is just outside of the April to October timespan I mentioned above, but the months-long gap between Strange Tales (1951) #120 and Fantastic Four (1961) #28 means I had to push it back slightly. Maybe Jean's parents are planning to stay in New York for a week or two.)
• STRANGE TALES (1951) #120 (1st story): Iceman and the Human Torch stop Captain Barracuda from robbing a boat. Takes place the day after X-Men (1963) #5, in late March.

XY 0, April

• Mad Thinker begins studying the X-Men, and trying to discover the identity of Professor X. (My conjecture is that he does this using footage and photos of the battle with the Vanisher from X-Men (1963) #2.)

XY 0, May

• JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (1952) #109 (1st story): Magneto fights Thor in a sub in the New York harbor, while the X-Men fight the Brotherhood in Manhattan. Happens over one day in early May.
• AVENGERS (1963) #16 flashback: The X-Men chase Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch through New York. This doesn't match any of the X-Men/Brotherhood battles we've seen, so I'm placing it as part of the off-page battle in Journey Into Mystery (1952) #109.
• FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #28: The Mad Thinker and the Puppet Master manipulate the X-Men into attacking the Fantastic Four. Happens the day after Journey Into Mystery (1952) #109, in early May. (There's meant to be a several month gap between this and Strange Tales (1951) #120, but I've had to shorten it to two months, from March to May.)
• Professor X erects psychic shields so that his mind can't be controlled.
• X-MEN (1963) #6 flashback: A freighter gets too close to Magneto's island, so he hurls it away with his giant magnet. This happens in early May, some days before the main story.
• X-MEN (1963) #6: Magneto recruits the Sub-Mariner, and the X-Men fight them on his Atlantic island. Takes place over two days in early-mid May.
• AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL (1964) #1: The X-Men ignore a message in the sky from the Human Torch to Spider-Man, and continue training. Takes place over one day in mid-May.
• X-MEN (1963) #7: The X-Men graduate prep school. Professor X leaves, and makes Cyclops team leader. Magneto recruits the Blob, and they fight the X-Men. Takes place over two days in mid May.
• X-MEN (1963) #8, page 1 to 7.3: Iceman and Beast are chased by an angry mob. Beast quits the team. This takes place over one day in mid-late May.
• One week later, Beast debuts as a wrestler. He very quickly becomes a top-draw heel in the WWWF. (It's implausibly quick, to be honest, but there's a reference in X-Men (1963) #20 that means this story has to happen before mid-June.)

XY 0, June

• X-MEN (1963) #8, page 7.4 to 20: After wrestling Unus, Beast helps the X-Men defeat him. This happens on June 6th, because it has to be on the same day as a WWWF show at Madison Square Garden in 1964.

XY 0, July

• Conjecture: Due to his criminal activities, Unus is pressured by the WWWF into dropping the championship. This happens on July 11th.
• The X-Men release the first official photos of Magneto and his Brotherhood to the media. (My conjecture is that they do this as a reaction to the anti-mutant mob that chased Beast and Iceman.)
• STRANGE TALES (1951) #128 (1st story): Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch try to get help from the Fantastic Four. Takes place over one day in July.

XY 0, August

• Professor X contacts Cyclops and tells him to bring the X-Men to Europe. The X-Men take about a week to get organised.
• X-MEN (1963) #9: The X-Men delay the Avengers in Europe while Xavier confronts Lucifer. Takes place over one day in August.
• Lucifer retreats to another base in the American southwest. He sets up a psychic screen so that it is difficult for the X-Men to find him or remember his name.

XY 0, September

• FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #35: Xavier and Cyclops investigate some potential mutants at State University, and bump into Reed Richards. Takes place over one day in September.

XY 0, October

• FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #36: The X-Men attend the engagement party of Reed Richards and Sue Storm, along with many other heroes. Takes place over one day in September.

XY 0, November

• X-MEN (1963) #10 flashback: Ka-Zar causes a ruckus at an Antarctic base.
• Washington contacts Professor X about Ka-Zar, and the professor determines that he is not a mutant.
• X-MEN (1963) #10: The X-Men have an adventure in the Savage Land with Ka-Zar and Zabu. Happens over a number of days in October.

XY 0, December

• Professor X finishes working on a radar image beam attachment for Cerebro, and builds the components for a mento-intensifier helmet.
• Juggernaut finally digs himself out of the rubble in Korea, and begins making his way to America.
• X-MEN (1963) #11: The Brotherhood tries to recruit the Stranger, who turns Mastermind to stone and takes Magneto and the Toad back to his home planet. Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch decide to return home to Europe. Takes place over a single day in November.
• X-MEN (1963) #12-13: Juggernaut attacks the mansion, and is defeated by the X-Men and the Human Torch. Takes place over one day, starting just hours after last issue.
• X-MEN (1963) #13, page 20.5 to 20.6: The male X-Men begin recuperating from their injuries under the care of Marvel Girl.
• The X-Men put out an official statement that Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are no longer to be considered as menaces to society.
• The Stranger arrives on his homeworld with Magneto and the Toad as prisoners. He leaves to survey other worlds, and the two mutants are allowed to roam free.

XY 1, January

• AVENGERS (1963) #16, page 6.3 to 8.6: Iron Man, Giant-Man and the Wasp decide to quit the Avengers. Hawkeye is accepted as a new member.
• AVENGERS (1963) #16, page 9.5 to 10.5: The next day, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch learn that the Avengers are seeking new members. They decide to try out.
• AVENGERS (1963) #16, page 13.4 to 20: Days later, Quicksilver and the Scarlet arrive in New York and are accepted as part of the new Avengers team, along with Hawkeye and Captain America.

XY 1, February

• X-MEN (1963) #18 flashback: Magneto repairs an old spaceship and leaves the Stranger's world, abandoning the Toad.

XY 1, between February and April

• After his defeat by Iron Man (in Tales of Suspense (1959) #68), Count Nefaria begins gathering his Maggia forces, and recruits some super-villains: Unicorn, Eel, Plantman, Scarecrow and Porcupine.
• Professor X begins working on mechanical leg braces that will allow him to walk.
• Professor X buys a private jet.

XY 1, April

• Conjecture: Magneto arrives back on Earth, and uses the instruments on his spaceship to locate the mansion. Presumably he waits for them to be gone to invade the mansion, or he arrives on Earth while they're out fighting the Sentinels.
• X-MEN (1963) #14, page 1 to 3: The X-Men recover from their injuries, and Bolivar Trask holds a press conference warning of the dangers of mutants.
• FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL (1965) #3: The X-Men attend the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm, helping to fight off a horde of villains. Takes place in a single day, probably the same day as X-Men (1963) #14.
• X-MEN (1963) #14, page 4 to 20: The next night, Professor X organises a debate against Bolivar Trask. The Sentinels are unveiled, and immediately decide to take over the world. The X-Men find the Sentinel HQ.
• X-MEN (1963) #15: On the same day, the X-Men attack Sentinel HQ and are all captured.
• X-MEN (1963) #16, page 1 to 7.2: On the same day, Professor X escapes from the base, and Master Mold threatens Trask into making more Sentinels.
• X-MEN (1963) #16, page 7.3 to 20: After midnight ticks over the X-Men escape, Xavier finds a way to disable the Sentinels, and Trask dies while destroying the Master Mold.
• Military and medical personnel arrive at Sentinel HQ.
• X-MEN (1963) #17: On the same day, Iceman is taken to hospital, and Magneto takes out the X-Men one by one at the mansion. Angel's parents are captured by Magneto.
• X-MEN (1963) #18, page 1 to 20.3: On the same day, Iceman stops Magneto from using the DNA of Angel's parents to create a mutant army, and Xavier summons the Stranger to take Magneto away.
• Xavier does a mindwipe on Angel's parents.
• X-MEN (1963) #18, page 20.4 to 20.5: The next day, Angel's parents wake up with no knowledge of their ordeal.
• Xavier begins repairing Cerebro, which was smashed by Magneto.
• Conjecture: Cyclops becomes more distraught than usual around this time.  It could be something to do with the anti-mutant sentiment stirred up by Trask.
• After noticing that their powers are fading, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch decide to return to their European homeland (in Avengers (1963) #30).

XY 1, May

• Vera helps Calvin Rankin find some books on mine engineering, and he keeps pestering her for a date.
• Conjecture: Xavier must have gotten Cerebro's basic functions working by this point, because he uses it to scan the Mimic in X-Men (1963) #19. He only gets it fully functional just before issue #20.
• X-MEN (1963) #19, page 1.1 to 9.3: Iceman, Beast, and Marvel Girl all meet Calvin Rankin. He mimics their powers and figures out that they are the X-Men.
• Calvin follows Marvel Girl back to the mansion.  While lurking around outside he mimics Xavier's telepathy and learns how to control Cyclops' optic blasts.
• X-MEN (1963) #19, page 9.4 to 20.5: The next day, Calvin (as the Mimic) fights the X-Men, then goes to use his father's machine, but it removes his powers rather than making them permanent.
• Professor X removes knowledge of the X-Men from Calvin's mind.
• August Hopper is fired from Metro College due to his crackpot theories about giant insects. He gets a job at Ryan Chemical.

XY 1, June

• Calvin Rankin enrolls for Summer classes at Metro College.
• Xavier finishes his repairs on Cerebro.
• X-MEN (1963) #20 flashback: The Blob and Unus meet and decide to team up. They are being influenced by the alien Lucifer.
• Lucifer makes Unus immune to the raygun Beast created to make his powers go haywire.
• X-MEN (1963) #20: A few days later, the X-Men fight Blob and Unus. Xavier is struck down by Lucifer. Marvel Girl uses a machine to revive him, and learns of his first confrontation with Lucifer.
• X-MEN (1963) #21: The next day, the X-Men stop Lucifer from using the Dominus computer to enslave humanity. Lucifer is banished to another dimension by his masters.
• Marvel Girl's parents decide she should attend another school.
• X-MEN (1963) #22, page 1 to 17: Later in June (probably on a Saturday), a team of villains working for Count Nefaria (Unicorn, Eel, Plantman, Scarecrow, and Porcupine) captures the X-Men and ships them off.
• Professor X gets the letter from Marvel Girl's parents.
• X-MEN (1963) #22, page 18 to 20: The next day (probably a Sunday), the X-Men arrive by ship at Nefaria's base. Nefaria asks them to help him blackmail Washington DC for one million dollars.
• X-MEN (1963) #23: On the same day, the X-Men stop Nefaria's plan. Marvel Girl gets the letter telling her she has to leave the school.
• X-MEN (1963) #24, page 1 to 4: The next day (probably a Monday), Marvel Girl goes to Metro College. August Hopper, as the Locust, attacks a number of farms with giant insects.
• X-MEN (1963) #24, page 5 to 8.2: The next day (probably a Tuesday), the X-Men fight giant insects at a farm and take a dead one for study.
• Marvel Girl begins redesigning the X-Men costumes.

XY 1, July

• X-MEN (1963) #24, page 8.3 to 9.7: A few days later (probably a Friday), the Locust experiments with his insect enlarging ray.
• X-MEN (1963) #24, page 10 to 20: The next day (probably a Saturday), the X-Men defeat the Locust.
• X-MEN (1963) #25, page 1 to 8.3: Days later (probably a Monday), the X-Men save an orphanage while dropping Jean back at college, and El Tigre finds half of the Pendant of Kukulcan.
• Spider-Man tries and fails to join the Avengers (in Amazing Spider-Man Annual (1966) #3).
• X-MEN (1963) #25, page 8.4 to 12.1: A few days later (probably Wednesday), El Tigre arrives in New York and Xavier sends the X-Men to investigate.
• X-MEN (1963) #25 flashback: El Tigre causes a riot at a nightclub, the police question the nightclub owner, and El Tigre uses the pendant to evade the police.
• X-MEN (1963) #25, page 12.2 to 20.5: El Tigre and his goons defeat the X-Men, and El Tigre gets the second half of the pendant. He gains the full power of Kukulcan.
• X-MEN (1963) #26, page 1 to 6.1: On the same day, Kukulcan flies away, and Xavier revives the X-Men.
• X-MEN (1963) #26, page 6.2 to 20: The next day (probably Thursday), the X-Men fly to San Rico and defeat Kukulcan. Angel is hurt by Cyclops.
• Cerebro detects a powerful new mutant menace while the X-Men are in San Rico.
• X-MEN (1963) #27, page 5.3 to 13.1 flashback: The next day (probably Friday), the X-Men return from San Rico. Calvin Rankin regains his powers and memory in a lab explosion. Puppet Master tries and fails to control Xavier. Xavier and the X-Men try to recruit some new members, with no luck.
• X-MEN (1963) #27, page 13.2 to 15 flashback: The next day (probably Saturday), the X-Men pick up Marvel Girl from college, and the Mimic follows them back to the mansion. Professor X recruits Mimic to the X-Men. The Puppet Master takes over the Mimic and orders him to fight the X-Men.
• X-MEN (1963) #27, page 1 to 5.2: The Mimic beats up the X-Men.
• X-MEN (1963) #27, page 16 to 20: Puppet Master sends the Mimic out to look for the Fantastic Four. The X-Men track down the Puppet Master and defeat him. Mimic joins the team.

XY 1, Fall (August/September)

• Johnny Storm begins classes at Metro College (in Fantastic Four (1961) #50).

X-Men (1963) #27

Cover by Werner Roth

Cover Date: December 1966

On-Sale Date: October 1966

Synopsis: The Puppet Master tries to get his revenge on the X-Men by controlling the Mimic.  Professor X, who has sensed a great menace that the X-Men will have to face in the future, recruits the Mimic onto the team.

CHRONOLOGICAL NOTES:

Page 5

This issue starts right in the middle of the fight with the Mimic, then has an extended flashback in the middle before resuming where it left off. I'll go over the sequence in more detail below under Counting the Days.

Page 4, panel 4

It's once again confirmed that Iceman is the youngest of the X-Men.

Page 6, panel 5

Cerebro sensed a new mutant menace while the X-Men were in San Rico last issue.  This is the beginning of the Factor Three subplot that will occupy the book for the majority of 1967.

Page 7, panel 7

Ted Roberts says that he introduced Cal Rankin to Jean "the other day". That scene was in X-Men (1963) #26, so only a few days have passed since then.

Page 9, panel 3

The Puppet Master encounters a psychic shield when he tries to take control of Professor X, as he once did in Fantastic Four (1961) #28.  No doubt the professor erected this shield in the wake of that incident.  The shield seems to offer protection against more than just the Puppet Master, as Xavier doesn't immediately think of him when the attack happens.

Page 10, panel 5

Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are seen here in their native home of Transia, where they went to restore their powers in Avengers (1963) #30.  The caption says that it has been "many months", but that could just be a bit of editorial hyperbole. That issue of Avengers came out at the same time as X-Men (1963) #22.

Page 12, panel 5

Spider-Man just appeared in Amazing Spider-Man Annual (1966) #3, where he made an ill-fated attempt to join the Avengers.

Page 13, panel 4

It's the weekend. We're starting to see a trend where the X-Men are having their adventures on the weekend so that Jean can participate without skipping class.

Page 14, panel 1

Aha! I was right about the Mimic using Xavier's telepathy to learn how to controls Cyclops' optic blasts.  He did this months ago, meaning there's a months-long gap between this issue and X-Men (1963) #19.

Page 15, panel 1

Presumably Jean redesigned the team's costumes while she was away at college. It's no wonder they haven't changed much, she's only been gone for two weeks.

Page 15, panel 2

Mimic becomes the first new member of the team since issue #1.  He won't last long: he's gone by the end of issue #29.  Any depictions of the team with the Mimic as a member must occur during this small window of time.

COUNTING THE DAYS

This story takes place over two days, following on from last issue. I have it starting the day after the end of last issue, as there has to be enough time for the X-Men to fly back from San Rico between issues.

• Day 1 (probably Friday):
• Page 5.3 to 13.1 flashback: The X-Men return to the mansion with the injured Angel, Cal Rankin's powers and memories return after a lab explosion at college, Professor X tries to recruit some heroes to help with the menace he detected, Puppet Master tries to control Professor X but fails
• Day 2 (probably Saturday):
• Page 13.2 to 15 flashback: Mimic blackmails the X-Men into taking him back to their HQ, everyone gets into costume, Xavier announces that Mimic is joining the team, the Puppet Master takes control of the Mimic
• Page 1 to 5.2: The Mimic beats up the X-Men
• Page 16 to 20: The X-Men recover and track down the Puppet Master, the injured Angel smashes his puppet, Mimic is freed from his control

X-Men (1963) #26

Cover by Werner Roth

Cover Date: November 1966

On-Sale Date: September 1966

Synopsis: The X-Men stop Kukulcan, and Cyclops accidentally on purpose hits Angel with his optic blast over their rivalry for Jean.

CHRONOLOGICAL NOTES

Page 2, panel 3

Kukulcan says that he is walking the Earth "after a millennium". This would put his last appearance circa 900 AD.  Coincidentally enough, this is around the collapse of the "classic period" of Mayan civilization, which works for me.

Page 4, panel 5

The Pendant of Kukulcan has apparently lain dormant since the conquest of the Mayans 400 years ago. As I understand it, the conquest of most of Mayan civilisation happened by 1546.  The remaining Mayan kingdoms were conquered in 1697, but I assume that writer Roy Thomas was using the prior date, which is indeed around four centuries ago from this story.

Page 6, panel 4

Calvin Rankin started at Metro College during the summer, some time between X-Men (1963) #19 and #24.  It's also noted that Professor X removed some of Calvin's memories after issue #19, which wasn't depicted in that story.

Page 7, panel 5

Legends tell of a time when the misuse of the pendant resulted in a violent volcanic eruption.  There's no time period given here, so I've decided to pair it with the last time that Kukulcan walked the Earth, circa 900 AD. I figure that this was the reason the pendant was split in two.

Page 20, panel 5

Angel is injured after being blasted by Cyclops at the end of this story, as a way to ramp up the drama in the Cyclops-Angel-Marvel Girl love triangle.  This leads directly into next issue, so there's not much of a gap in between.

COUNTING THE DAYS

This story takes place over two days, starting on the same day as last issue.

• Day 1:
• Page 1 to 6.1: Kukulcan beats up Cyclops and travels to San Rico, Professor X telepathically wakes the X-Men
• Day 2:
• Page 6.2 to 20: The X-Men go to San Rico and stop Kukulcan, Cyclops blasts Angel "by accident".

Here's a brief history of the pendant of Kukulcan:

• The pendant is created around 500 AD (according to a plaque from last issue).
• Around 900 AD, the power of Kukulcan is misused, resulting in a volcanic eruption that showers a city in molten lava.
• Conjecture: This is when the amulet is broken in two, and will be the last time Kukulcan appears on Earth until the modern day.
• Mayan civilisation is conquered in 1547, and the two halves of the pendant lie dormant from that time until the present day.

X-Men (1963) #25

Cover by Jack Kirby

Cover Date: October 1966

On-Sale Date: August 1966

Synopsis: The X-Men fight a treasure hunter called El Tigre, who is after two halves of a magical Mayan amulet.

CHRONOLOGICAL NOTES

Page 2, panel 1

The X-Men are returning Jean to college after their adventure with the Locust. That adventure happened on the weekend, so this is probably Monday morning.

Page 5, panel 5

El Tigre has been searching for the pyramid of the Mayan god Kukulcan for years.

Page 9, panel 2

Xavier mentions that he hasn't worn his mechanical leg braces in a few days. He was last seen using them at the end of last issue, which was at least two days before this scene.

Page 12, panels 3 to 6

This news report shows El Tigre and his servants causing trouble in a nightclub.  This scene happens between page 12.1 and 12.2 of this issue.

Page 13

This flashback, showing El Tigre using his pendant to avoid the police, happens between page 12.1 and 12.2 of this issue, after the previous flashback.

Page 20

This cliffhanger, with El Tigre claiming the power of the Mayan god Kukulcan, leads directly into next issue.

COUNTING THE DAYS

This issue takes place over several days, beginning only a day or two after last issue.

• Day 1 (probably Monday):
• Page 1 to 8.3: The X-Men save an orphanage and drop Jean back at college, El Tigre finds the Pyramid of Kukulcan and unearths half of a magic amulet.
• A few days later:
• Page 8.4 to 9.7: Cerebro senses the approach of El Tigre, and Xavier sends the X-Men to investigate.
• El Tigre and his servants land at JFK airport and take a helicopter to the Pan-Am building; Xavier makes delicate adjustments to Cerebro; the X-Men check into a hotel under pseudonyms
• Page 10 to 12.1: The X-Men scout for the "mutant", and barely miss El Tigre a few times
• Page 12.5 flashback: El Tigre and his servants are photographed at a nightclub
• El Tigre uses his pendant to make the nightclub patrons go crazy.
• Page 12.4 flashback: The police question the nightclub owner in the wreckage.
• The police find clues pointing to the hotel El Tigre is staying at.
• Page 13.2 to 13.5 flashback: El Tigre uses his pendant to avoid the police. Professor X monitors with Cerebro.
• Page 12.2 to 20: El Tigre's servants beat up the X-Men, while he steals the second half of the pendant and becomes Kukulcan.

X-Men (1963) #24

Cover by Werner Roth

Cover Date: September 1966

On-Sale Date: June 1966

Synopsis: Jean goes off to Metro College, and the X-Men fight the Locust.

CHRONOLOGICAL NOTES

Page 1

Last issue, Marvel Girl got a letter from her parents telling her that they were sending her to a different college. After reading the letter she said that she'd be leaving the X-Men "tomorrow", so this story is beginning the day after last issue.

Jean says on the next page that the reason her parents want her to go to college is that she formally graduated from Xavier's "some time ago".  That was in X-Men (1963) #7, which I have in May of XY 0.  By my timeline that's over a year ago, so it's not like Jean's parents are rushing her out the door or anything.

Note that Angel here thinks he's been in love with Jean for months.  By my timeline, they first met about a year-and-a-half ago, which works nicely.

Page 3, panel 1

Angel says that it's Summer. Last issue was explicitly set in June, so that fits.  The Human Torch is said to be starting at Metro in Fall, probably in late August or September.

Page 8, panel 5

August Hopper (aka the Locust) was fired by Metro College last semester for pursuing "crackpot theories" to do with the growth of insects.  That firing probably happened between X-Men (1963) #13 and #14. He since got a job with Ryan Chemical.

Page 7, panels 1 and 2

This issue marks the first appearance of the Locust, and his first confrontation with the X-Men. He is sadly not to become a recurring foe, although he does come back much later in an issue of X-Factor.  (How has this guy never fought Ant-Man?)

Page 10, panel 3

It's the weekend, so Jean is able to come back to the mansion and help the team fight the Locust.

Page 12, panel 1

Jean notes here that she has only been away for a few days.

COUNTING THE DAYS

This story takes place over about six days in Summer (probably late June).

• Day 1 (probably Monday):
• Page 1 to 4: Jean leaves, Cyclops and Angel drive her to Metro College, she meets Ted Roberts, the Locust attacks a farm with giant insects
• The Locust attacks a bunch more farms during the night.
• Day 2 (probably Tuesday):
• Page 5 to 8.2: The X-Men investigate, fight and capture some giant locusts, and leave before the army arrives
• A few days later (probably Friday):
• During this time the Locust works on making his insect growth magno-ray portable.
• Page 8.3 to 9: August Hopper causes a scene at the college cafeteria, and experiments with insects in his lab
• Next day (weekend, probably Saturday):
• Page 10 to 20: The X-Men (with Jean) battle the Locust and his insects, and convince him of the error of his ways. Xavier disguises himself as a hobo for some reason.

X-Men (1963) #23

Cover by Werner Roth

Cover Date: August 1966

On-Sale Date: June 1966

Synopsis: The X-Men stop Nefaria and his goons from holding the city of Washington for ransom. Marvel Girl's parents decide to send her to a different school.

CHRONOLOGICAL NOTES

Page 1

This issue continues directly from last issue's cliffhanger, with the X-Men held captive by Count Nefaria.

Page 2, panel 4

This panel gives us our first ever concrete reference to a month or season, as the man in the hat asserts that it can't be snowing in June.  This fits my timeline perfectly: I have X-Men (1963) #8 in June of XY 0.  Issue #20 takes place over a year after that. If I say that it's just over a year then it's in June of XY 1.  That places this story at most a few weeks later, in late June.

Page 8, panel 4

Nefaria says that he has been planning for months. This means that there should be a months-long gap between his last appearance in Tales of Suspense (1959) #68 and this issue. That story was published between X-Men (1963) #12 and #13 (currently in late XY 0), so that shouldn't be a problem.

Page 19, panels 5 and 6

In this story Professor X unveils his new mechanical leg braces, which allow him to walk.  He says he's been working on them for months, which means be probably started building them between X-Men (1963) #13 and #14.

Page 20, panels 6 and 7

Marvel Girl gets a letter from her parents, telling her that they've decided to send her to a different school. Xavier says that the letter arrived in the morning, which would be during the last three pages of last issue, or the first few pages of this issue.  This cliffhanger leads into the next issue, which picks up a day later.

COUNTING THE DAYS

This story takes place over a single day, the same day as the end of last issue.