X-Men #46

Name: X-Men #46
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Nov 1995 · Marvel · 1.95 USD; 2.75 CAD

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“They're Baaack...”

★ 1st appearance — Joseph

About this Issue

X-Men (vol. 2) #46 carries genuine historical weight as the first comic book appearance of Joseph — the mysterious amnesiac figure who strongly resembles Magneto and whose true nature as a clone would not be revealed until years later, making this issue his debut. The issue also plants one of the earliest in-story seeds of the Onslaught saga: Senator Kelly's discovery of a deserted Sentinel factory whose every screen displays the single word 'Onslaught,' marking one of the very first explicit uses of that name as a threat within regular continuity. Beyond those connective-tissue moments, it debuts the complete roster of the X-Babies as a named, individuated team in this volume of the series — including their mini-versions of Cyclops (Cyke), Rogue (Sugah), Iceman (Iceboy), Archangel, Bishop, Storm (Shower), and Gambit — and delivers the first appearance of Mojoverse bounty hunters Gog and MaGog in this title, reprising their roles from the original Longshot limited series in a new generational context. This issue is part of the 'Road to Onslaught' editorial arc, a deliberate bridge between the Age of Apocalypse fallout and Marvel's next line-wide crisis.

writer Scott Lobdell · artist Andy Kubert · inker Cam Smith · colorist Kevin Somers · colorist Malibu Hues · letterer Richard Starkings · letterer Comicraft · cover Andy Kubert, Cam Smith

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (NM) $91

CGC 9.8 · 24 in census $483*

CGC 9.6 · 2 in census $226*

CGC 9.4 · 2 in census $220

CGC 9.2 $195

CGC 9.0 · 1 in census $158

CGC 8.5 none in existence

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CGC 8.0 none in existence

CGC 7.5 none in existence

CGC 7.0 $88

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CBCS $50 1 listing Raw — NM $24 1 listing Raw — FN/VF $7.35 1 listing Raw — FN+ $60 1 listing

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VG $7.95 VG $68.87

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History

Scott Lobdell wrote this issue as a fill-in while series regular Fabian Nicieza's replacement — Mark Waid — was being lined up, giving Lobdell stewardship of both core X-titles simultaneously in late 1995. Andy Kubert remained on pencils, with Cam Smith on inks, Kevin Somers and Malibu Hues on coloring, and Richard Starkings and Comicraft on lettering; Bob Harras and Ben Raab are credited as editors. The cover is a deliberate homage to Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975), reworked around the X-Babies bursting through in place of the classic new team, a playful meta-commentary on the issue's Mojoverse subject matter. The story's title — 'They're Baaack...' — continued into X-Men #47 the following month to resolve the Gog-and-MaGog cliffhanger.

Trivia · 9 facts

First appearance of Joseph — a figure physically resembling Magneto found amnesiac in a field — later confirmed to be a Magneto clone; his debut here predates his full introduction in Uncanny X-Men #327.
First in-story use of the word 'Onslaught' as an active threat: Senator Kelly discovers a vacated Sentinel research facility whose computer screens all display only 'Onslaught,' one of the earliest explicit breadcrumbs for the upcoming crossover event.
First appearances (in this series) of the named X-Babies roster: Cyke (baby Cyclops), Sugah (baby Rogue), Shower (baby Storm), Iceboy (baby Iceman), and baby versions of Archangel, Bishop, and Gambit — all fleeing assassination by the Mojoverse enforcers Gog and MaGog.
Gog and MaGog (Mojoverse) appear in this issue as the villains tasked with 'cancelling' the X-Babies on behalf of Mojo II; the father-son duo originally debuted in Longshot #1 (1985) by Ann Nocenti and Arthur Adams.
Bishop receives a new buzzed haircut this issue, replacing his earlier mullet-style look; this became his default visual going forward and echoed his Age of Apocalypse appearance.
The issue's B-plot features a charged character scene between Gambit and Bishop in which Bishop openly revisits the X-Traitor storyline — explicitly reminding readers (and Gambit) of the future-timeline accusation — an intentional narrative setup for the Onslaught revelation.
Iceman and Jean Grey share a subplot in which Bobby raises concerns about residual influence from Emma Frost's mind-swap in his head, continuing a thread carried over from Uncanny X-Men.
The issue was reprinted in the X-Babies Classic Vol. 1 trade paperback (collecting X-Men Annual #10, X-Men Annual #12, Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem, and X-Men #46–47) and also in X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Vol. 2 (2014 paperback, ISBN 978-0785188308), which collects X-Men #46–49 alongside related issues.
Andy Kubert's cover is officially catalogued as a homage to the Neal Adams cover of Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975), substituting the X-Babies for the classic new team breaking through the image plane.