Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men
Episodes
523 – This World of Liars
04 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Illustration by David Wynne In which Wolverine learns to fly; pants are a basic human right; we decide to cherry-pick our Xorn retcons; Xavier’s ey...
522 – Fetus Fight
27 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Illustration by David Wynne In which Marvel goes wordless; Cassandra Nova breaks space; none of the X-Men have media training; and Gus was the best d...
Snowflakes
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Illustration by David Wynne In which John Sublime sucks; Angel Salvatore rules; trauma does not justify evil; and you should never, ever, ever mess w...
520 – Head Like a (Black) Hole
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Illustration by David Wynne In which several individuals are not what they seem; John Sublime sucks; Cyclops talks Xorn down from a cosmic ledge; we ...
519 – Beautiful People With Incredible Powers
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Illustration by David Wynne In which we start the Morrison Run; Professor X gets his hands on Chekhov’s gun; Cassandra Nova raises X-villains to a n...
518 – Mapping the X-Gene
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In which Dr. Jey McCreight joins us to discuss all things X-Genetics! X-PLAINED: The genetics and taxonomy of Marvel’s merry mutants NEXT EPISODE...
517 – Sliding Scale Ransom
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In which we totally forgot to record a cold open (sorry); a lot of characters die (but not in Earth-616); Vampires may already be in command of Ameri...
516 – The Evolution of Magneto (feat. Asher Elbein)
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In which Asher Elbein joins us to discuss the complicated intersections between Magneto, big feelings, and international politics. X-PLAINED: Some c...
515 – Origins
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In which we do a thing and are not even sorry. X-PLAINED: X-Men Origins: Wolverine Next Episode: Magneto, with Asher Elbein! Check out the visual ...
514 – Plan 9 From Westchester
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In which we provide some inroads to resisting fascism in your community; pacifism has amazing abs; Cyclops and Wolverine play revolutionary chicken; ...
513 – Eve of Destruction
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In which Jay and Miles make an announcement; the X-Men are down to bare bones; Cyclops and Corsair are stunningly bad at feelings; Trish Tilby is stu...
512 – You Can Get Anything You Want at Stryfe’s Restaurant
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In which it’s rude to eat in a helmet; Cable does his best villain bit; Bishop is clearly unfamiliar with early X-Force; we’re pretty sure clones...
511 – Night Science
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In which we unapologetically ship Gambit and Bishop; pelicans are deeply alarming birds; Charles Xavier watches your sex dreams; the Witness is a Who...
510 – Giant-Size Special #14 (feat. Alex Paknadel)
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In which we attempt an all-Cyclops Winter special; X-Men are bad at processing grief; writer Alex Paknadel X-Plains his upcoming Cyclops miniseries; ...
509 – No Fun Will Be Had
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which Marrow just want to be left alone; Spider-Man remains hapless; S.H.I.E.L.D. is unhelpful; Colossus dies; Shadowcat leaves the X-Men; and we ...
508 – Destiny’s Doodles
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which Professor Xavier is a jock; all of Shadowcat’s friends are dead; Storm recruits a team; Bishop makes new pals; and everyone gets festive. ...
507 – Comic Book Logic
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which there are a lot of explosions in X-Force; Great Britain-616 is to intelligence as Canada-616 is to military; Alastair Stuart used to be fun;...
506 – The House at the End of the World
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which Jay remains angry at a font; a person who is obviously Kang the Conqueror is not in fact Kang the Conqueror; the pig men deserve better; and...
505 – The Amulet of Ass
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which Widget takes a heel turn; there is some confusion over sword identification; we appreciate Sir Benedict of the Falls; the Braddock family ha...
504 – One Day, Four Ways
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which Banshee is chronically hapless; the team gets new costumes (again); Chamber is a self-fulfilling prophecy; toddlers will sell you out in a h...
503 – Dream’s Anticlimax
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which history repeats itself; Senator Kelly prevaricates (and then dies); Magneto keeps the cape on; Mystique does evil science; Post remains irre...
502 – Milkshakes of Despair (Maximum Security, Part 2 of 2)
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which t’ieves and assassins dress to impress; Bishop returns; Rogue and Carol Danvers have a moment; and the revolution will be stored on compac...
501 – A Bag of Cloacae (Maximum Security, Part 1 of 2)
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which an event begins; Earth is problematic; the Phoenix Force is an unreliable narrator; Max Power just wants to make safer party drugs; and we m...
500 – People Who Stick Together
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which we sure did that. X-PLAINED: Miracles of magnetism Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men NEXT EPISODE: Maximum Security! Special thanks to: P...
499 – Light Me, Boy!
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which we meet some delightful monsters; Cannonball is a man who knows how to wear overalls; Domino is the Leslie Knope of X-Force; red liquid babi...
498 – Home Depot Ossuary
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which the Twisted Sisters are vanquished by water; there is no way to make Stryfe cool; and the X-Men fight a hurricane. X-PLAINED: Ego the Livin...
497 – Stranger Things
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which Prosh’s plans sort of come to fruition; we do not know very much about movies; Iceman dies (but is fine); The Stranger gets around; and To...
496 – Time After Time
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Toadl...
495 – The Goth
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which Rogue is beset with leadership; Psylocke’s telekinetic sword is narratively inconsistent; the Crimson Pirates are bad at their job; and yo...
494 – You’ve Got Evil Mail
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 D...
493 – Now a Major Motion Picture
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
492 – Brain Sharks
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
491 – Live from the Library
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which we record live from the Library of Congress; time travel complicates everything; X-Men is a fundamentally queer narrative; we attempt to sum...
490 – Chekhov’s Angel Dust
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 f...
489 – The Eyepatch of Love
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
XplaintheXmen Live in Washington DC!
01 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for an X-beginner-friendly, mutant-metaphor-focused, live episode of Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men: presented by LC-GLOBE, the LGBTQ+ org...
488 – There Goes the Moon (Mutant X May, Part 3)
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
487 – The Only Well-Adjusted Cyclops in the Multiverse (Mutant X May, Part 2)
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 mee...
486 – Welcome to Earth-1298 (Mutant X May, Part 1)
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
485 – The House of Correction
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
484 – Hell Tuba
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 wo...
483 – Piotr Lovely Locks
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 que...
482 – The Mutant Gene for Murder
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which Pete Wisdom canonically smells weird; we are inordinately entertained by a villain; everyone levels up their superpowers; and you probably s...
481 – Chekhov’s Butt-Gun
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Mi...
480 – Cross-Time Tattoo Parlor
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
479 – Nancy Drew and the Secret of Carrion Cove
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
478 – The Monologue Tube
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
477 – Ages of Apocalypse
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 put...
476 – The Moppets Take Manhattan
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 no...
475 – Cross-Time Crisis
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Dani, Dani, Dani, and Dani. (X-Force #99) In which we wrap up John Francis Moore’s run on X-Force; the Demon Bear returns (kinda); four Moonsta...
474 – Giant-Size Special #13 (feat. Anthony Oliveira)
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Classic (x2). (Warlock #2) In which the Warlock ongoing series is fun, and fun is good; people should maybe leave Doug Ramsey’s grave alone; Tony St...
473 – The Baker’s Dozen (The Twelve, Part Three)
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
472 – Leave Room for Magneto (The Twelve, Part Two)
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
471 – Eyebrows and Powers (The Twelve: Part One)
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Survival of the Toothiest (Cable #75) In which we begin our coverage of The Twelve; Scott and Jean get sucked back in AGAIN; Apocalypse probably does...
470 – Large Adult Men
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which Cable may or may not have been a spokesperson for AT&T; it’s impossible to draw a CD dramatically; Wolverine gets his adamantium back;...
469 – Killed by Death
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which the Shattering officially concludes; you can’t swoop over the phone; toddlers are engines of pure chaos; the X-Men do some processing; and...
468 – Sasquatch Road Trip
17 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which St. Croix History reminds us of a Martian with a big butt; Penance’s escape is ambiguous; Avengers Academy Infinity Comic successfully rein...
467 – Disorganizing Principle
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which Nightcrawler has a type; the Hill is a bad place to raise your kids up; Colossus introduces Marrow to art; we come out against autotrepanati...
466 – A Rogue’s Tale, feat. Lenore Zann
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which Lenore Zann joins us to talk Rogue, Canadian politics, and her upcoming memoir! Lenore’s memoir, A Rogue’s Tale, will be out No...
465 – Right in the Fabric
20 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which “Astonishing X-Men” is something of a misnomer; Death has a good look; sometimes you just need a guy who swoops; Miles stops worrying an...
464 – The Cigarettes of Damocles
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which X-Force is kind of silly; that really isn’t what “quantum” means; polite and lawful are two entirely different things, and Sam Guthrie...
463 – The Fart Ghost That Walks Like a Manhattan
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which Gambit is fundamentally goofy; t’ieves love research; Magneto was ripped; Professor Xavier remains a jerk; Miles attempts to convey someth...
462 – Angst and Continuity
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which the 1990s were very long; if you die in the simulation, you die in real life; Adrienne Frost is a bad person with good clothes; we judge the...
461 – Things to Do in Denver When You’re X-Force
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which Magneto may be right but is also wildly impractical; X-Force goes on a sneaking mission; Magneto isn’t mad, he’s just disappointed; Rict...
460 – Setting Sons
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which Synch is better with your powers than you are; Generation X gets some actual training; Artie and Leech are fully feral; everyone gets the ho...
459 – Waiting to X’Hal (feat. Devin Toohey)
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which Devin Toohey joins Miles to discuss X-Men’s DC Comics cousin Doom Patrol, and their bastard Amalgam child, X-Patrol! X-PLAINED: X-Men vs....
458 – Quantum Stuff
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which Tommy Lee Edwards draws a damned fine everything; death gods get taken a lot less seriously when their avatars are seagulls; warm and cool c...
457 – Stinking at the Moon
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which the theme is too many inkers; Cecilia Reyes has no patience for your bullshit; Genosha’s going to be just fine (it’s not); we would watch...
456 – Until/Unless
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which there’s nothing inherently wrong with monster-of-the-week; Marrow’s makeover extends to her font; Red Skull gets a Power Glove; Marvel s...
455 – Space, Geeks, and Galactus
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which Roadhouse is basically a Wolverine story; Spider-Man does crimes; space names are derivative; there are lots of good reasons to yell at Prof...
454 – X-Men ’97, Part 2
30 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
SPOILER WARNING: ALL OF THEM, NONSTOP In which Barry Windsor-Smith is too sexy for television; we know what happens when unstable molecules get struc...
453 – X-Men ’97, Part 1
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
SPOILER WARNING: ALL OF THEM, NONSTOP In which we put the comics on hold to take a look at X-Men ’97; it is still always Inferno in here; Wolverine...
452 – Hot Nothing
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which Magneto is not full of mirth; nobody real or fictional likes Fabian Cortez; when you’re a speedster, every problem is a metaphorical nail;...
451 – Meanwhile in Another Dimension
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which we remain fascinated by Magneto’s robot butler; murder is Logan’s love language; the Juggernaut punches a hole in reality; Professor Xav...
450 – Live at the Clinton Street Theater
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which we celebrate our tenth anniversary by X-Plaining what may be the most reviled X-arc; you should not try this at home; Mystique is so much be...
449 – Dressing the X-Men, with Russell Dauterman
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which artist Russell Dauterman joins us to discuss super-powered costume design! X-PLAINED: Why it’s important to get a professional to design ...
448 – Skamageddon
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Feral’s back – just in time to wreck Jay’s voice again! (And Siryn’s, but we’ll get to that later.) (X-Force #88) In whi...
447 – Minor Altercation of the Mutants
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which everything is an event these days; Skin may or may not have a skeleton; everyone has a crush on Synch; we are intrigued by Integer; and it’...
446 – Live at the Magnetosphere
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ah, the age-old question: would you scissor your clone while yelling? (Uncanny X-Men #367) In which the Magneto War comes to a close. X-PLAINED: X-Me...
445 – Dick War
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which not every story needs to be an event; Alan Davis returns to the X-line; X-mansion security is not what it once was; Rogue needs some new fan...
444 – Damnit, Magnus
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which it’s difficult to flee with soup; Miles may or may not be haunting the X-Men; Colossus collaborates involuntarily; Marrow is full of surpr...
443 – X-Retail (feat. Katie Pryde of Books With Pictures)
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which we walk down X-Plain Memory Lane; everyone needs Bitch Planet; HoX/PoX wouldn’t stay on shelves; we learn how to make sure a comic does...
442 – MimeQuest 64
03 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which Marrow remains a connoisseur of dead rats; Jay has opinions about the NYC Subway system; U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M. are snazzy dressers; Doctor Doom...
441 – Dracu-tastic
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which Banshee should eat the rich; the real Monet is way more of a jerk than the fake one; the Marvel Universe is the world inside your brain-case...
440 – Fightin’ and Ballin’
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From organic steel to organic… whatever that is. (X-Men #83) In which the Hunt for Xavier remains vaguely disappointing; Gambit is good with kid...
439 – Fishfic
04 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which we reach the beginning of an end; Jay totally forgot Gambit was there; we’re all living in the Mary Purcelliverse; the X-Men split the par...
438 – The Man of Harsh Business
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which Gambit knows how to make an entrance; Rogue and Gambit only have relationship conversations during superhero fights; Wolverine fights a shar...
437 – Dismember the Titans
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Hot Topic Rennfaire” was a somewhat controversial choice for X-Force’s prom theme. (X-Force #85) In which the overlap between Rock...
436 – The Feel-Good Movie of the Summer
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In which Colossus has had a rough time of it; the X-Men are at their best in bar fights; Bronze-age Wolverine was a jerk; Ursa Major deserves more pa...
435 – Giant-Size Special #12 (feat. Kieron Gillen)
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Illustration by David Wynne In which we have had an eventful year; Longshot is a classic folk hero; writer Kieron Gillen makes a triumphant and...
434 – Return to Cape Citadel
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In which the X-Men turn 35; we pause to celebrate the death of Henry Kissinger; Jay is a space nerd; Marrow hang-dries her delicates; space shuttles ...
433 – Looking Back at Looking Back
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In which we take a retrospective look at X-Factor and Excalibur: where the series began, where they went, and what’s in store after the ends of the...
432 – Weird Little Adventures
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In which we reach the end of Larry Hama’s run on Generation X; Gaia remains remarkably normal for someone who has spent millennia chained up alone ...
431 – Doctor Jennifer Murder’s Drop-In Deathatorium
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
No notes. (Generation X Underground Special #1) In which Synch is a more versatile character than he originally got credit for; “eep” and “eek”...
430 – The Bad Feelings Box
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In which birds have no business in sex dreams; feelings are complicated and allegories are imperfect; Mystique made some valid points; Psycho-...
429 – Slightly Sticky
05 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dracularmy (X-Men Unlimited #21) In which you should stop hatin’, there’s a big difference between fill-ins and filler, Snow Valley needs higher F...
428 – Naked in a Cake
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Love and chaos. (Excalibur #125) In which you shouldn’t invite nazis to your wedding, there’s a lot of multiverse, Captain Britain and Meggan are ...
427 – Standard Deviation
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In which we have grown to love Adam Pollina; the Vanisher is delightfully awful; Ekaterina Gryaznova gets a new look; Domino rejoins X-Force; superhe...
426 – A Gift from the Lower Regions
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In which the Shi’ar have zero chill; Bishop and Deathbird do space opera; we travel to the far-future year of 2018; Alanna Nerimani stretches the d...
425 – Shooting the Moose
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In which moose are nothing to mess with; Cyclops requests a reality check; Bachalo does Kirby; Rogue absorbs a catchphrase; and the Shadow King needs...