Recently in X-Men Category

Marvel has been producing some Women of Marvel variant covers.  Here are three recent ones from Secret Avengers, Avengers Academy, and X-Men Legacy.

Secret Avengers #4 Valkyrie cover by Chris Bachalo.  I'm very conflicted about this cover.  The drawing itself by Bachalo is excellent.  She looks a like young wicked woman and that sword is scarred up like it's been in many battles.

The problem is that this doesn't look like a Viking woman.  She looks like one of the Gossip Girls carrying a sword way too much for her slight body weight.  Mike Deodato draws Valkyrie with some muscle and gravity.  So this cover isn't consistent with the way Valkyrie is drawn in Secret Avengers, Avengers Academy, and New Ultimates.

But it is still a nice cover and worth collecting for Bachalo fans.

Avengers Academy #3 Tigra cover by Amanda Conner.  Now I am thinking we need to see a new Tigra series with Ms. Conner on the art.

X-Men Legacy #239 Rogue cover by Terry Moore.  This cover was a total surprise and a delight!  Moore draws Rogue in the outfit from her very first appearance, Avengers Annual #10.  Nuff Said!

Last week, I shared some Mike Mayhew pieces of Jean Grey as Marvel Girl and the Black Queen.  Let's fill in Ms. Grey's third persona...

Here's a cover that Paul Smith did back in the day, with Jean Grey as Phoenix.  I've completely forgotten what comic this cover belonged to, please let me know if you remember.  Nuff Said!

See also:

Jean Grey as the Black Queen, courtesy of Mike Mayhew

Jean Grey as Marvel Girl, courtesy of Mike Mayhew

Paul Smith's Amazing Heroes X-Men Cover

I just feel so awful about that Jean Grey Black Queen picture from yesterday.  Can I redeem myself somehow?  With this wholesome image of Jean Grey, before the Phoenix force robbed her soul?

Yes, I feel cleansed, like I'm back in the 7th grade reading about Professor Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters.  When Jean was a Marvel Girl and Marvel Girls ruled.  Nuff Said!

Link:  Mike Mayhew on DeviantART.

Here's a great illustration of Jean Grey, as the Black Queen, from the malevolent mind of Mike Mayhew.

Because, sometimes, it's just good to be bad, especially when she's wearing a leather corset.

Link:  Mike Mayhew on DeviantART.

The 1979 book The Art of John Byrne featured a couple of nifty illustrations for that era of the Marvel Universe...

This one in particular is a joy, capturing my favorite X-Men and Avengers teams, with the Fantastic Four thrown in for good measure.  Byrne wouldn't take over the FF until two years later in 1981--this was a harbinger of things to come!

The cover to this book featured Byrne's own creation, Rog-2000, driving terror into the hearts of Spider-Man, Wolverine, Scarlet Witch, and the Vision.

If you ever find this book at a con, it's very much worth having!  Nuff Said.

When the X-Men creative team was about to change in 1977, Dave Cockrum drew this cover for The Comic Reader #145.

John Byrne introduces himself to the X-Men, who have no idea who he is or why Cockrum is missing. 

I can't remember exactly, but I believe this cover appeared a few months before John Byrne's first issue of the X-Men, #108, cover dated December.  I do remember feeling the loss of Cockrum on the title, but feeling like Byrne could pull it off, since he had done so well on Starlord (see Claremont, Byrne & Austin's Classic Take on Star-Lord) and Iron Fist.

It was a great way for Dave Cockrum to hand over the reins of the X-Men, a title he visually re-designed for a new era.  Nuff Said!

More Marvel Funnies:

Storm critiques Ms. Marvel's costume, courtesy of John Byrne.

Red Sonja and Storm pinups by Byrne and Cockrum.

Marvel Funnies: 1970s Marvel Bullpen as the X-Men

Marvel Funnies: Marie Severin Roasts Wein, Cockrum, Claremont Over New X-Men

Neal Adams hasn't drawn the X-Men too many times since he left the series way back when.  He got a chance to revisit the characters in this 1997 cover to X-Men Wildcats The Silver Age.

According to Bleeding Cool, Adams may be drawing a Wolverine limited series for Marvel.  That would be fantastic!  Nuff Said!

This 1982 Amazing Heroes cover by Paul Smith appeared during his spectacular run on X-Men.  Marvel fandom cheered when Smith took over the series—and cried when he left nearly a year later.  In the middle of a double-sized issue of X-Men, no less!  Nuff Said!