485 episodes
Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men Jay Edidin & Miles Stokes
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4.8 • 131 Ratings
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Daunted by complex continuity? Can’t tell a mutate from a warpie? We are here for you. We have trained for this responsibility for decades. We have the backissues, the calluses, and a really detailed map of the Summers family tree.
We’ve been explaining the X-Men informally for years–to our friends and family, to the Internet, and, occasionally, to patient strangers on the street. Now, we’re making it official, with Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men: a weekly podcast dedicated to unpacking the weird, wonderful world of our favorite superhero soap opera for newcomers and die-hard fans alike.
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The Strangest Podcast of Them All
In which we begin at the beginning: everything clicks with #3, Professor Xavier is a jerk, Magneto is a fearless fashionista, Cyclops gets a name, Jean Grey has a chronic case of the Silver Age, and allegorical diversity is not enough.
X-Plained:
Mutant genetics and taxonomy
Practical semantics of "X-Men"
Charles Xavier's equally dubious ethics and decorating choices
Superhero couture of the Atomic Age
Why Cyclops can't control his powers
The miracle of comic-book magnetism
A problematic analogy
X-books for beginners
Snow grenades
The word "yaybo"
The mystery of the ubiquitous plaid suit
You can find a visual companion to the episode – and links to recommended reading – on our blog.
Find us on iTunes or Stitcher! -
Sentinels in the Mist
In which we introduce the villains of the Silver Age: Magneto makes some valid points, Mastermind is a Nice Guy of OkCupid, the Scarlet Witch predicts Cat Breading, the Trasks should really have known better, and the Comics Code Authority is down with pterosaurs.
X-Plained:
Common characteristics of enduring X-villains
Mutant identity politics and moral relativism
Context-agnostic Juggernaut flashbacks
An unorthodox approach to anthropology
Cyclops's greatest diplomatic achievement
Silver-Age haberdashery
An innovative modification to vampire mythology
Cultural assimilation
The propaganda-and-sweater-vest machine
Hex bolts
Supplemental reading
You can find a visual companion to the episode – and links to recommended reading – on our blog.
Find us on iTunes or Stitcher! -
Cartoons, Lies, and Video Tape
Featuring Emergency Backup Co-Host Chris Sims!
In which Rachel and Chris X-plain three cartoons and track a disagreement to its source; Gambit is definitely the worst person you know; Broadcasting Standards and Practices is tired of your death ceremonies; Storm doesn't have an inside voice; and we finally get around to mentioning that one dude with the claws.
X-Plained:
Weaponized creepiness
The evolution (and Evolution) of X-Toons
Why you hate Cyclops (and Rachel doesn't)
Adaptation overload
Broadcast standards, practices, and laser rifles
How to order pizza like a weather goddess
A paramilitary after-school club
G-Rated Wolverine
Comics based on cartoons based on comics
Morph
The Batman Standard
The Wolverine and the X-Men trifecta of perfection
Why the Mojoverse works better on TV
Dazzler's secret second job
Basic jacketry
CORRECTION: In this episode, Rachel mentions that Morph's first comics appearance is in Exiles. It's not: he's in Age of Apocalypse. Mea culpa.
You can find a visual companion to the episode – and links to recommended reading – on our blog.
Find us on iTunes or Stitcher! -
American History X-Men
In which Rachel finally gets to say "WHAT?!," we examine three variations on the Silver Age, Twin Peaks is reality TV, we can't believe you hired Hitler, Angel is not Batman, even the most sympathetic Xavier is still pretty creepy, Cyclops has a good day, Marvel Girl is not going to throw a dinosaur for you, Iceman is the Troy Barnes of the X-Men, and we say a fond farewell to the Silver Age.
X-Plained:
The X-Axis
X-Men: Children of the Atom
Hard-sell noir
How to party like it's sometime between 1986 and 1991, as filtered through 1999
The perils of over-referencing
Why Marvel is in the Tommy Westphall Universe
The worst guidance counselor ever
Villain speeches
X-Men: First Class (but not that one)
Fun, and several places to find it
Angst-free X-Men
Gender politics of superheroism
X-Men: Season One
Teenagers
The solution to the Silver-Age-Jean Grey problem
Why Iceman matters
The Silver Age cram book
You can find a visual companion to the episode – and links to recommended reading – on our blog.
Find us on iTunes or Stitcher! -
The Retcon That Walks Like a Man
In which the Bronze Age begins; Dave Cockrum is your god now; the band gets together; Sunfire joins the team; cultural sensitivity is not Marvel's strong suit; Sunfire quits the team; it sucks to be Cyclops; Professor X crosses a moral event horizon; Sunfire joins the team; Ed Brubaker channels Thomas Hardy; you are probably a Summers brother; and Sunfire quits the team.
X-Plained:
Bamf-Voltron Nightcrawler
Giant-Size X-Men #1
The worst hat of the Marvel Universe
The Mostly-New, Mostly-Different X-Men
A business-casual angry mob
The limits of creative good intentions
Tractor punching on the Ust-Ordynski Collective
The correct spelling of "fine"
Canada
Sunfire's utter disdain for everything, including you
Krakoa: The Island That Walks Like a Man!
Characteristics of good X-fights
Yet another miracle of magnetism
X-Men: Deadly Genesis
Summers Family Continuity (Introductory)
More hats
The Muir-MacTaggert Research Facility
Summers Family Continuity (Intermediate)
The Charles Xavier Scale of Supervillainy
Relative immunity
Wolverine's ubiquity
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION:
What would you do with thirteen X-Men?
Help us find all-ages-friendly Marvel Girl stories!
You can find a visual companion to the episode – and links to recommended reading – on our blog.
Find us on iTunes or Stitcher! -
Days of Future Whatever
In which we more or less prepare you for the upcoming feature film; Rachel Summers is a black hole of continuity; Kitty Pryde breaks the Danger Room; Earth 200500 is clearly the best earth; even the X-Men have no idea what's going on; First Class Emma Frost is so boring that we forget she exists; wolverines are definitely not wolves; and you can have Rachel's Community references when you pry them from her cold, dead hands.
X-Plained:
Rachel Summers
"Days of Future Past"
Gravestone engraving standards of 2013
The Mostly-New, Mostly-Different Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
Another unfortunate hat
Causality in the Marvel Multiverse
Earths 811, 1191, 295, 311, and 200500
Hall monitors with laser rifles
How to fix a broken timeline
The X-Men cinematic universe, and points of divergence from the comics
The one thing X-Men: The Last Stand does right
The Xavier Index of Cinematic Continuity
The difference between Canis lupus and Gulo gulo
A Days of Future Past cinematic cram course
Fix-it fic
Blink, Bishop, and dark-future mash-ups
The enduring appeal of Earth-811
The significantly less enduring appeal of Earth-242
The Nazi Excalibur of Earth-597
You can find a visual companion to the episode – and links to recommended reading – on our blog.
Find us on iTunes or Stitcher!
Next week: Greg Rucka, Cyclops, and Starjammers!
Customer Reviews
Scammer How cutting and stop . The name Charles bueno
Scamer
An Uncanny Pod Cast
I never write reviews- but this podcast has compelled me to share my thoughts. This is one of if not the best pod casts I’ve listened. I have been dying to get back into X-Men, but have been overcome with the sheer magnitude of lore that is required to even begin. Jay and Miles break it down so clearly and succinctly that the woods become clear from the trees. Not to mention the hilarious quips between the two of them. Lastly, they hate Wolverine and like Cyclops… dude, could we ask anything more? If you are an old X-Men vet or a newb like me, this is the pod cast for you!
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Part X-Men comics podcast, part SJW/'Woke' police
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PROS:
-Clearly they genuinely love the subject matter.
-Extremely knowledgable on it.
-Higher then normal production value.
-If you can get past the cons, this IS one of the best X-Pods.
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CONS:
-Easily triggered, SJW/'Woke', know-it-all, uber virtue signalers...is how I would describe them. This applies more-so to Jay. Miles is more chill.
-The humour can be corny/weak
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The 1st X-Pod was the 'Uncanny X-Cast' (2006)