Hi, Patrons!
We're coming up on Episode 500... and we have no idea what to do.
Well, that's not entirely true. We have some ideas. But we're hoping to hear from you, too--after all, you're the folks who keep the show running, and some of our most avid listeners! If you've got questions, thoughts, or ...
2025-08-18 18:27:30 +0000 UTC View Post
In which Prosh assembles a peculiar team; the cosmic forces are somewhat paranoid; Mystique gets shit done; and we are very into the concept of Toadland.
X-PLAINED:
The Black Womb Project
X-Men Forever #1-3
Prosh
Several custom-grown people
In which Rogue is beset with leadership; Psylocke’s telekinetic sword is narratively inconsistent; the Crimson Pirates are bad at their job; and you should not look to Frank Punisher as a role model.
X-PLAINED:
Whether Dani Moonstar is still a Valkyrie
X-Men #103-104
In which the X-Men zealously protect their trademarks; Cable can have as many moms as he wants to; not everyone should have to be a superhero; Lady Deathstrike knows how to handle unauthorized emails; and somehow there are still more gun arms.
X-PLAINED:
Lady Deathstrike
X-Men U...
2025-07-21 02:54:34 +0000 UTC View Post
In which the first X-Men film turns 25 (and holds up remarkably well).
X-PLAINED:
A startling absence
The X-Men’s big-screen debut
An X-film that might have been
X-Men (2000), in general; and related publications
Some very casting
2025-07-14 03:13:49 +0000 UTC View Post
In which the Shockwave Riders are exceptionally silly; we are deeply impressed by brain sharks; and chrome plating and gun arms are among the lesser explored recurring Claremont motifs.
X-PLAINED:
The fate of Sara Grey
Revolution Claremont X-book disambiguation
Uncanny X-M...
2025-07-07 02:59:14 +0000 UTC View Post
In which we record live from the Library of Congress; time travel complicates everything; X-Men is a fundamentally queer narrative; we attempt to summarize a lot of history very fast; and when identities are politicized, claiming them becomes a political act.
X-PLAINED:
LC-GLOBE
The first op...
2025-06-23 03:16:50 +0000 UTC View Post
In which Chris Claremont tries to make the Neo happen; Cecilia Reyes continues to have no time for this bullshit; Rogue gets some action; Shadowcat flees the comic; and Tessa returns.
X-PLAINED:
The Evolutionaries
X-Men #100-102
The current X-Men rosters
In which Pete Wisdom does his best Charles Xavier; Alastair Stuart has not aged well; San Francisco has monster problems; and there’s probably an alternate universe where Dr. Niles Roman fronts a metal band for toddlers.
X-PLAINED:
The value of Pete Wisdom
X-Force...
2025-06-09 01:28:52 +0000 UTC View Post
Join us in Washington, DC on June 6th for an X-beginner-friendly, mutant-metaphor-focused, LIVE episode of Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men!
2025-05-27 21:50:06 +0000 UTC View Post
In which we reap the consequences of our choices; possession is 18/10 of the law; Sinister dresses for the occasion; Hank gets his groove back; Havok of Earth-1298 is a jerk; Hank loses his groove; Captain America blows up the moon; the Beyonder experiences a stirring; Dracula makes a deal; and Mutant X May comes to an end. 2025-05-26 01:20:07 +0000 UTC View Post
In which Mutant X May continues; the X-Men return from space; it’s okay not to fill in every detail of a world; Havok leans into parenthood; we meet the only well-adjusted Cyclops in the multiverse; in any universe, Forge has terrible judgment; and the Six get some new members.
X-PLAINED:
Several notable...
2025-05-19 04:41:27 +0000 UTC View Post
In which we embark on a Great Work; it remains hard to be Alex Summers; and it’s also always Inferno on Earth-1298.
X-PLAINED:
Mutant X May
Mutant X #1-8
Mutant X Annual 1999
Havok (Alex Summers) (more) (again)
Earth-1298
2025-05-12 19:25:48 +0000 UTC View Post
In which we go back to the future of Generation X; Jay once again gets pedantic about lettering; Generation X takes on the carceral state; we take a deep dive into the late ‘90s; Jubilee does her best Nick Fury; and superpowers should be noisier.
X-PLAINED:
Earth-14042
Marvel ...
2025-04-28 01:12:37 +0000 UTC View Post
In which the 2000 Magik miniseries is not a good comics series but is an excellent heavy metal concept album; Nightmare has a nightmare; and tubas work differently in Hell.
X-PLAINED:
Belasco: the early years
Magik (2000 series) #1-4
Magik (Amanda Sefton) (Ji...
2025-04-21 01:55:55 +0000 UTC View Post
In which a lot has happened in the Six Month Gap (and we even get to learn about some of it); we’d missed Claremontian narration; Miles has questions about Colossus’s ponytail; the Soulsword is basically a Poké Ball; the Shadow Pope is cooler than the regular Pope; and Magik has a secret.
X-PLAINED:
S...
2025-04-14 03:38:14 +0000 UTC View Post
In which Pete Wisdom canonically smells weird; we are inordinately entertained by a villain; everyone levels up their superpowers; and you probably shouldn’t shave the logo of your secret super team into the side of your head.
X-PLAINED:
Nasty Boys disambiguation
X-Force #106...
2025-03-31 01:40:07 +0000 UTC View Post
In which Adrienne Frost is absolutely terrible (and so was Ronald Reagan); you should not put guns in your butt; Synch deserved better; and Jay and Miles inventory their favorite dangling plot threads of the ‘90s.
X-PLAINED:
Several potential origins of Havok’s stupid hat
Generation ...
2025-03-24 02:08:04 +0000 UTC View Post
In which we check in on Nate Grey; yet another Madelyne Pryor is not what she seems; dead men tell tales; there are a lot of Canadians out there; and Nate gets a makeover.
X-PLAINED:
What happened to Nate Grey (short-term)
Counter X
Shockwave
Nate Grey (more) (a...
2025-03-17 02:12:21 +0000 UTC View Post
In which Genosha gets better and/or worse; Fabian Cortez is the Secretary of Betrayal; having an action figure of yourself is the path to immortality; and Hammer Bay sounds like a sex toy company.
X-PLAINED:
Triathlon
The Revolution relaunch and the six-month gap
Magneto: ...
2025-03-04 20:14:55 +0000 UTC View Post
In which Alan Davis is Team Cyclops; everyone gets depowered; it’s hard to connect with kids your age when you’re a superhero; Sinister’s gotta sinister; everyone gets repowered; and the ‘90s were much more eclectic than they get credit for being.
X-PLAINED:
Side effects of Decimation
In which reality shatters; Ghost Rider wants friends; Jay’s toddler weighs in on the X-Men; the Phoenix costume is pretty much perfect; Caliban puts all his resources into an epic mount; and the future is so bright you’re gonna need shades.
X-PLAINED:
The Triune Understanding
Ages of Apo...
2025-02-17 02:32:57 +0000 UTC View Post
In which we remain adamant pro-POG advocates; Artie and Leech have adventures; Firestar and Emma Frost get some resolution; Santa Claus may or may not be the avatar of Cyttorak; Black Tom Cassidy exceeds expectations; and Monet has vampire problems.
X-PLAINED:
Marvel’s Revolution line
POGs...
2025-02-03 01:34:44 +0000 UTC View Post
In which we wrap up John Francis Moore’s run on X-Force; the Demon Bear returns (kinda); four Moonstars are not in fact better than one; the Queen of Star Swords is an extremely rad villain; and X-Force takes a very contained multiversal tour.
X-PLAINED:
Multiversal canon
X-Fo...
2025-01-27 02:07:25 +0000 UTC View Post
In which the Warlock ongoing series is fun, and fun is good; people should maybe leave Doug Ramsey’s grave alone; Tony Stark is probably not in touch with the Indigo Girls; the heroes skate awfully close to the “no killing” line; Bastion gets exhumed, rehumed, and re-exhumed; you should really read the Ave...
2025-01-20 01:38:37 +0000 UTC View Post
Because reality is full of things, the Winter Special is… not quite ready. But it will be in a week, and we think you’re going to love it! Apologies for the delay and we’ll see you then!
2025-01-13 01:42:15 +0000 UTC View Post
In which you know it’s serious business when a logo gets smashed; the prophecy of the Twelve is an elaborate prank; we have a lot of Summers family feelings; Apocalypse is not a very good planner; and the Twelve reaches its conclusion.
X-PLAINED:
Who Madelyne Pryor’s psychic ghost really is
In which the Twelve should really be twelve chapters long; Archangel has issues; we continue to bemoan the absence of captions; the X-Men ditch their crossover event for a side quest; Magneto is Genosha’s official chaperone; and we would absolutely elect Emma Frost to a school board.
X-PLAINED:
What Cabl...
2024-12-23 03:00:26 +0000 UTC View Post
HALELUJAH! THEY'RE LETTING US POST LINKS AGAIN!
In which we begin our coverage of The Twelve; Scott and Jean get sucked back in AGAIN; Apocalypse probably doesn’t tip; and we have become awfully fond of Cable.
X-PLAINED:
A codename that deviates from common patterns
The story so far<...
2024-12-16 02:01:25 +0000 UTC View PostFor some damn reason, Patreon STILL won't let me make link posts for our episodes, so here's the link.
2024-12-02 03:26:20 +0000 UTC View Post
