The X-Men #44
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeX-Men #44 is the bridge between Marvel's Golden Age past and its Silver Age present, marking the first time the Red Raven — a Timely Comics character who had appeared in print exactly once, in 1940 — was revived for a modern Marvel story, a full 28 years after his debut. The issue is equally significant as the opening chapter of Iceman's multi-part origin, the first time any of the original five X-Men received a dedicated origin backstory; the details introduced here about Bobby Drake's parents and his early public unmasking as a mutant would quietly reverberate through the character for decades. As the final plotted work of Roy Thomas on the title before Gary Friedrich took over the scripting duties, it also marks a clean editorial handoff at a transitional moment in the book's history.
In "Red Raven, Red Raven...!", the X-Men's early days take a tense turn as Bobby, caught in a moment of desperation, reveals his mutant powers while defending Judy from a gang led by the troublemaker Rocky. Written by Gary Friedrich and brought to life by George Tuska’s dynamic art and John Verpoorten’s inks, this 1968 issue captures the raw fear and suspicion that follow a young mutant’s secret exposure. The cover by Don Heck and Marie Severin, with inks by John Tartaglione and Marie Severin, perfectly frames the rising storm of hostility that now surrounds Bobby.
When Angel flees Magneto’s grasp, he stumbles upon a mysterious island ruled by the enigmatic Red Raven, an android guardian of forgotten lore. There, he uncovers the hidden legacy of a long-lost race of bird-people, their secrets woven into the island’s ancient stones and skies.
When a date between Judy Harmon and Bobby takes a violent turn, the quiet town is thrown into chaos as a hidden power is revealed. As the townspeople react with fear and suspicion, Bobby must face the consequences of his abilities in a world unready for a hero he never asked to be.
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The lead story was plotted by Roy Thomas — whose tenure as writer ran from issue #20 through #43 — and scripted by incoming writer Gary Friedrich, making #44 a collaborative transitional issue between the two. Thomas, a devoted student of Golden Age comics, selected the Red Raven specifically because of his near-total obscurity, resurrecting the character who had headlined only a single Timely Comics issue in August 1940 before that title was canceled and relaunched as The Human Torch. The main story's art divided between Don Heck on breakdowns and Werner Roth on finishing pencils, with John Tartaglione inking and Marie Severin making alterations to the Don Heck cover; the backup origin story featured pencils by George Tuska with inks by John Verpoorten — an unusually large creative team for a single issue of the era.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First Silver Age appearance of Red Raven, who had not appeared in print since Red Raven Comics #1 (Timely, August 1940) — a gap of roughly 28 years.
- The Red Raven encountered in the lead story is later retroactively established by subsequent Marvel comics to be an android construct built by the Bird People, not the original human character, who appears only in the issue's flashback sequences.
- The five-page backup story, 'The Iceman Cometh!,' is the opening chapter of a multi-part origin for Bobby Drake (Iceman) that continues through X-Men #47 — the first dedicated origin story for any of the founding five X-Men.
- The backup story introduces Bobby Drake's parents (William Robert Drake and Madeline Bass-Drake, unnamed in this issue), as well as supporting characters Rocky Beasely and Judy Harmon, who are introduced here.
- Issue #44 is Roy Thomas's final plotted issue on X-Men; he had written or plotted the book continuously from #20 through this issue, with Gary Friedrich scripting Thomas's plot here before taking over as sole writer.
- Creative credits: lead story plot by Roy Thomas, script by Gary Friedrich, breakdowns by Don Heck, finishing pencils by Werner Roth, inks by John Tartaglione; backup story written and penciled by George Tuska with inks by John Verpoorten; cover pencils by Don Heck with alterations by Marie Severin, edited by Stan Lee.
- The lead story ('Red Raven, Red Raven…!') was reprinted in X-Men #92 (February 1975); the backup Iceman origin story was separately reprinted in Amazing Adventures #7 (June 1980).
- The issue's letters page includes a letter from a young Keith Giffen, who would later become a significant comics artist and writer known for co-creating Lobo and his lengthy run on Legion of Super-Heroes and Justice League International.
Cast · 15 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in HIP Comics #19111 (1969), Hit Comics #111 (1969), Strange #44 (1973), The X-Men #92 (1975), Amazing Adventures #7 (1980), Spidey #60 (1985), The Marvel Saga the Official History of the Marvel Universe #5 (1986), The Official Marvel Index to the X-Men #2 (1987), Marvel Special #4 (1995), Marvel Special #15 (1998), Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men #5 (2005), Essential Classic X-Men #2 (2006), The X-Men Omnibus #2 (2011), Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men #5 (2012), X-Men Epic Collection #2 (2016), X-Men: Children of the Atom #[3] (2019), X-Men (Penguin Classics Marvel Collection) #[nn] (2023), Los Hombres X #42
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