The X-Men #63

Around about that time, the Duke boys had gotten themselves in a whole mess of trouble ... and the artwork of Neal Adams had started to wear out its welcome. All of his male characters are starting to look the same. Fortunately, the mutates in the issue help break up the monotony. Unfortunately, no one in the Savage Land yet recognizes Ka-Zar's authority, but perhaps the events of this issue will help with that. Like the previous issue, we are presented with potential ideas that don't come to meaningful fruition. Angel's loyalty switches to the "creator" easily, and just as easily it returns to the X-Men after Magneto follows through on exactly what he told Angel he would do (it's weird). Stylistically, the big reveal of Magneto to the X-Men happens in one of the tiniest, poorly-drawn panels in Neal Adams's X-Men oeuvre. Magneto looks more like a shrunk Hank Pym than the mighty Erik Lehnsherr. Following that odd choice, Thomas has Magneto use a newly-created mutate to beguile the minds of the X-Men. Marvel Girl is immune to this, but for some reason Magneto "knows" this is going to happen. 1) Why would Magneto know the mutate he just created would have that limitation? 2) Why create a mutate with such limitation in the first place? 3) Why would Magneto consider Marvel Girl simultaneously not worth his attention and a potential mate/companion for world domination? 4) Why does Magneto starting using a gun to finish off Marvel Girl? It's a rather confusing ending. The potential for a weakened Magneto needing a mechanical exoskeleton could have been intriguing, but nothing comes of it. Magneto starts shooting a hand pistol, Cyclops destroys Magneto's machines, and suddenly that causes Magneto's secret compound to explode (as is its wont). Everyone escapes, the mutates magically go back to normal, and the X-Men feel bad for being mutants. The cover is a great misleading picture: we think Magneto has Jean captured, to the dismay of Ka-Zar and the X-Men. However, it's not Jean, and nothing substantial happens with any of it. Will the X-Men resume their search for Lykos? Doubtful. Will they bother to check the wreckage for Magneto's body? Of course not. Will the final three issues of X-Men be any good? Let's hope so.