X Men

Gorgeous, oversize, and well designed, Ultimate X-Men is also perfectly titled. It's a comprehensive overview of four decades of Marvel Comics's monstrously popular mutant superheroes--from their debut, in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's (1963), to the terrific movie (2000). includes the many major mutants who have appeared in and its spinoffs (, and numerous other series and miniseries). Two-page spreads detail the most important characters' origins, powers, costumes, and relationships. In addition, every superhero and supervillain appearing in the movie receives a sidebar, with stills, that describes the onscreen incarnation. Also receiving detailed coverage are nonmutants important to the X-Men, including Ka-Zar, Longshot, and Dr. Moira MacTaggert; major alien groups and races, like the Starjammers and the Shi'ar; and important locations and technology, such as the Danger Room, Dr. Xavier's estate, and the Blackbird jets. The book also covers the best story lines, the , and . A Summers family tree lays out clearly a tangle of relationships (between clonal and alternate-timeline versions of Cyclops/Scott Summers and Marvel Girl/Phoenix/Jean Grey) that could drive even an experienced genealogist crazy. Ultimate X-Men opens with an entertaining foreword by X-Men creator-editor Stan Lee and concludes with a two-page overview of the animated series (1992-1997); a four-page "Making the X-Men Movie" section with many great shots; and an insightful afterword by the series' best writer, Chris Claremont. --

In 1963, a revolutionary new breed of hero emerged in the pages of X-MEN #1. These strange men and women each possessed a special "mutant" gene, granting them incredible powers and abilities. Since those early years, Marvel's mutants have exploded into a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. From a single comic book, the X-Men went on to star in a diverse line of titles featuring mutants of every type imaginable, as well as a pair of top-rated animated series and two hit movies. Featuring more than 350 fully illustrated biographies, the X-MEN ENCYCLOPEDIA is a comprehensive guide to these world-famous Marvel Comics characters their mysterious origins, their incredible powers, their titanic struggles and their hidden tragedies. --