Marvel Masterworks #3

In the heart of their training, the X-Men are thrust into their first real mission when a new student, Jo, joins the team and quickly becomes part of the action. With Jean Grey by their side, the team races to stop the powerful mutant Magneto from seizing control of a high-stakes Air Force base.

In "No One Can Stop the Vanisher!", the X-Men race to stop a mysterious mutant with the power to vanish at will from stealing top-secret U.S. military plans, testing their teamwork and resolve. As tension mounts, Iceman can't help but notice the growing focus Marvel Girl gives to Cyclops, adding a spark of personal friction to the mission.

In "Beware of the Blob!", the X-Men are sent to investigate a new mutant signal, leading them to a traveling carnival where they meet the Blob—a towering, immovable sideshow performer with a body that deflects bullets and anchors to the ground. Though they offer him a place at the mansion, the Blob refuses and returns to the carnival, forcing the team to bring him back and erase his memories of their secret.

In "The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants!", Magneto and his rogue team seize a freighter to launch a bold takeover of the South American nation of Santo Marco. The X-Men respond with a full-scale intervention, leading to a high-stakes clash that ends in tragedy when Xavier is caught in an explosion that strips him of his telepathic abilities.

In "Trapped: One X-Man!" from Marvel Masterworks #3 (1987), the X-Men face a crisis when Xavier’s powers vanish, leaving them to navigate leadership without his guidance. When Magneto manipulates the Toad into winning a high-stakes athletic event, the resulting chaos draws the team into a confrontation that spirals into a rescue mission on Asteroid M. With Angel captured and the Brotherhood on the offensive, the X-Men must push through danger to bring their teammate home—only to discover Xavier’s absence was a carefully orchestrated test of their resolve.

In a twist that blurs the line between enemy and ally, Namor finds himself at the center of a clash between ideologies when Magneto invades his underwater kingdom with an offer to join the Brotherhood—spurred by a rumor that he might be a mutant. Xavier, too, wonders if Namor belongs among the X-Men, but as the Scarlet Witch's influence swirls and the X-Men arrive to stop the invasion, Namor must decide where his loyalties truly lie.

In "The Return of the Blob," the X-Men are just settling into their new roles when Professor Xavier steps away, entrusting Cyclops with leadership and revealing his powerful new tool, Cerebro. When Magneto recruits the Blob and the two clash, the mutant's long-buried memories resurface—triggering a shocking alert on Cerebro. With the team called back into action, the X-Men face a dangerous confrontation where loyalty is tested and betrayal looms, leaving the Blob at a crossroads between vengeance and redemption.

When Beast walks away from the X-Men after a brutal encounter with a mutant-hating mob, he trades his lab coat for a wrestling ring—only to cross paths with Unus the Untouchable, a mutant whose power makes him immune to touch. As Unus attempts to join Magneto’s Brotherhood, the X-Men face off against him, only to discover Beast has built a machine meant to amplify his already unique ability. Now, with Unus struggling to eat and the X-Men racing to stop the experiment’s fallout, Hank must confront the consequences of his new path.

In "Enter, the Avengers!" from Marvel Masterworks #3 (1987), Xavier tracks down Lucifer in Bavaria, only to discover the villain’s heartbeat is tied to a massive thermal bomb. With the X-Men and Avengers both arriving on the scene, the two teams must navigate a tense standoff as the X-Men work to stop the bomb without triggering its detonation—leaving the fate of the world in their hands.

In "The Coming of...Ka-Zar!" from Marvel Masterworks #3, the X-Men journey to Antarctica and into the hidden Savage Land, drawn by the legend of the noble savage Ka-Zar. When Jean and Warren are captured by the fierce Swamp Men, the team must act fast to rescue them—before the ritual is complete.