X-Men (1963) #46

Cover by Don Heck

Cover Date: July 1968

On-Sale Date: May 1968

FIRST STORY: "The End of the X-Men!"

Synopsis: Juggernaut is returned to Earth by one of Xavier's machines, and goes berserk when he learns that his step-brother's death has robbed him of his vengeance.  After fighting the X-Men, he is eventually sent back to the Crimson Cosmos.  FBI agent Amos Duncan tells the X-Men that they must disband.

CHRONOLOGICAL NOTES

Page 1

It's been weeks since Professor X's funeral, as seen in X-Men (1963) #43.

Page 2, panel 4

Marvel Girl thinks about how Professor X told her weeks ago that he was dying.  For the moment I have to take this at face value, but later on it will be revealed that the Xavier who died was an impostor.  We'll just have to assume that Jean is really broken up about the Changeling.

Page 3, panel 1

FBI agent Amos Duncan is supposed to be the same character as FBI agent Fred Duncan; presumably new writer Gary Friedrich didn't realise that he already had a first name.  Later comics will get around this by calling him Fred Amos Duncan.

Friedrich may also have forgotten that Cyclops and Duncan never met during the origin back-ups in X-Men (1963) #38-42.  I figure that their meeting must have taken place after that story, when Xavier and Duncan were figuring out how their partnership would work.

Page 3, panels 3 to 5

Foggy Nelson shows up to read Xavier's will, which Cyclops arranged between Avengers (1963) #53 and this story.  It's not clear when Xavier had this version of his will drafted, but I figure it has to be after he decided to make Cyclops the team leader in X-Men (1963) #7.  Between issues #6 and #7 makes some sense; Xavier was preparing to go off and search for Lucifer on his own, and you have to figure that he knew there was a chance he wouldn't be coming back.  As for when Xavier told Cyclops about his charitable fund, that could be any time after Scott is recruited.

It's mentioned on page 4.5 that Foggy Nelson is currently running for New York District Attorney.  That subplot runs from Daredevil (1964) #36 to #48, but has very little bearing on the X-Men timeline.

Page 7, panel 1

Professor X apparently created a machine to bring Juggernaut back from the Crimson Cosmos (which he was banished to back in X-Men (1963) #33).  It was built in secret (probably during the big gap between issue #39 and #40), and set to activate at a pre-determined time.

Later on page 14.1, after Juggernaut vanishes back into the Cosmos, Cyclops theorises that Xavier must have made it so that the Juggernaut would be sent back unless otherwise treated.  It's all quite irresponsible behaviour from Xavier, who knew that he was about to die/go into a lengthy hibernation.  Couldn't he have switched the damn machine off?

Page 15, panel 4 to 7

This issue ends with the X-Men disbanding, and heading home to their families (or wherever it is that Scott is going).  Agent Duncan tells them on the previous page that they'll each receive a letter in a few days telling them where the government wants them to operate.  (How the team are going to explain any of this to their parents is a real mystery.  "Dad, our teacher died so the school is closed, and now the government says I have to move to California.  Nope, can't tell you why, seeya!")

COUNTING THE DAYS:

This story takes place over a single day, weeks after X-Men (1963) #43.

SECOND STORY: "...And Then There Were Two"

Synopsis: Cyclops and Bobby escape from the mob, and Xavier shows up to mindwipe everyone. Bobby is recruited into the X-Men as Iceman.

CHRONOLOGICAL NOTES:

Page 5

There's not a lot to say about this story chronologically speaking.  Iceman's recruitment is the most important scene, and it's interesting to note that Xavier erases knowledge of Bobby's powers from the town as well as his parents.  I have no idea if there's ever a scene where they relearn that Bobby is a mutant, or if this just gets quietly forgotten.

Also, Bobby isn't given his codename during the story.  Presumably he gets it shortly afterwards.

COUNTING THE DAYS:

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