This issue reprints X-MEN #2 (1963), more early adventures of the strangest super-team of all when they learn “No One Can Stop the Vanisher”. This issue seems to spend a lot of time setting up the powers of each character, with an opening scene of them making their way to the mansion to answer a call from Professor X, where he tells them about a new threat, a super-thief named the Vanisher with teleportation powers. He then takes the team to the Danger Room to work on their powers.

Eventually the X-Men face the Vanisher in Washington DC (this is back when they had a good working relationship with the government), but despite all their powers are unable to prevent him from making off with some military secrets.

Prof X steps in for the next confrontation, and is able to use his mental powers to make the Vanisher forget everything, including his powers, while the X-Men make short work of his recruited criminal henchmen. Still mostly setting up the series, but I really liked a lot of the scenes showing the powers, as well as some of the characterization worked into the dialogue.

Paul Reinman inks Kirby on the 22-page story and the cover (reprinted as an interior pin-up). Not a huge fan of Reinman’s inks in general, but there are several nice pages. Very nice Mike Parobeck cover up front.

The Bullpen page for this issue contains a tribute to Jack Kirby, who passed away a few months earlier, with a Ben Grimm illustration by Joe Sinnott and words by Sinnott, John Buscema, Marie Severin, Curt Swan, Sal Buscema, Gene Colan, Don Heck and Tom DeFalco.

Published 1994