Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men

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; Emma Frost is here to stomp on your dreams; Chamber joins the X-Men; and the Generation X kids graduate themselves. X-PLAINED: Revolution (again) Counter-X (again) X-Force #114-115 Generation X #75 Yet another origin of humanity and/or life on Earth (again) The World Engine Accurate representation of CD-Rs Genetech A swimsuit interlude Agent Corben Alastair Stuart (more) (again) A kidnapping A really amazingly terrible plan A particularly large explosion The remaining 14 issues of X-Force vol. 1 An interlude at Applebee’s Bad times at the New Xavier School A murder (more) (again) Intersectional superheroism An additional bonus murder An invitation Many goodbyes What happens next to the Generation X kids NEXT EPISODE: The end of Revolution Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog. Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here! Buy rad swag at our Dashery shop!

Transcribed - Published: 1 December 2025

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 Nightcrawler should never, ever, ever be allowed to attempt grief counseling.

Transcribed - Published: 17 November 2025

In which Widget takes a heel turn; there is some confusion over sword identification; we appreciate Sir Benedict of the Falls; the Braddock family has a lot going on; and Otherworld changes hands.

Transcribed - Published: 10 November 2025

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 hot minute; Moira MacTaggert is definitively not in; we are frustrated by excessive ambiguity; and it’s not Rashômon, but it’ll do.

Transcribed - Published: 3 November 2025

In which history repeats itself; Senator Kelly prevaricates (and then dies); Magneto keeps the cape on; Mystique does evil science; Post remains irrelevant (and then dies); Pyro saves the day (and then dies); Cable is a large man; Moira MacTaggert does the astral nasty (and then dies); and we really, really, really want to go to Froggy World.

Transcribed - Published: 20 October 2025

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 compact disc.

Transcribed - Published: 13 October 2025

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 miss Opal Tanaka.

Transcribed - Published: 6 October 2025

In which we sure did that.

Transcribed - Published: 22 September 2025

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 babies deserve love, too; and not all British authors know each other.

Transcribed - Published: 15 September 2025

In which the Twisted Sisters are vanquished by water; there is no way to make Stryfe cool; and the X-Men fight a hurricane.

Transcribed - Published: 8 September 2025

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 Toad learns nothing.

Transcribed - Published: 25 August 2025

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 A motley crew of mutants (and one human) Cataclysm keys The assassination of Graydon Creed Several poignant reunions The cosmic construction worker (Death) Why the Phoenix Force chose Jean Grey How much continuity is too much continuity Pyro’s romance novels NEXT EPISODE: The rest of the series! Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog! Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here! Buy rad swag at our Dashery shop!

Transcribed - Published: 18 August 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 4 August 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 21 July 2025

In which the first X-Men film turns 25 (and holds up remarkably well).

Transcribed - Published: 14 July 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 7 July 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 23 June 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 16 June 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 9 June 2025

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+ organization of employees of the Library of Congress! When: 6:00 PM on Friday 06/06/25 Where: The Mumford Room (LM-649) in the James Madison Building of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC If you'd like to join the staff in attending, you'd be very welcome - to reserve seats, please email us so we can get a headcount and make sure you're on the list. Hope to see you there!

Transcribed - Published: 27 May 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 26 May 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 19 May 2025

In which we embark on a Great Work; it remains hard to be Alex Summers; and it’s also always Inferno on Earth-1298.

Transcribed - Published: 12 May 2025

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 Disk Wars: The Avengers Generation X #63-66 Revolution and Counter X (more) (again) An evil Oyster Warden Coffin The Decency Defecit Some shit we wish was fictional Underpants Souped up powers Newsgroups The Columbine school shooting The Grid Cable vs. ISDN Internet Jonathan Somers Generation X’s new costumes The House of Correction Hacking Trophies Baxter ‘90s X-Men outside of comics How superpowers sound NEXT EPISODE: Mutant X May begins! The visual companion to this episode will be up later this week! Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here! Buy rad swag at our Dashery shop!

Transcribed - Published: 28 April 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 21 April 2025

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: Some big news X-Men: Black Sun #1-5 Phoenix and Psylocke's sorta-power-swap Implied continuity The N'Garai Belasco Limbo Magik (Illyana Rasputin) New costumes Priests vs blood magic An impressively overcomplicated evil plot Chekhov's skeleton Body swaps and/or possession Thunderbird (Neal Sharra) Pilgrimm and the Ru'tai (again, surprisingly) Astral meetups Confusing bloodstone math A Triple-Tech Magik (Amanda Sefton) Counting X-generations Our favorite X-decades NEXT EPISODE: More Magik! Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog. Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here! Buy rad swag at our Dashery shop!

Transcribed - Published: 14 April 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 31 March 2025

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 X #67-70 Revolution (more) (again) Shockwave (more) (again) Adrienne Frost (more) (again) The New Xavier School and/or Massachusetts Academy (more) (again) Possible necrophilia Dorm life How not to draw clothing Rules of entry to Jubilee’s dorm room The Rich Person Store How to say the word “consigliere” The ‘90s Blackmail Limits of telepathy Arson Ninja Boogie Panic How to keep Synch safe Adultification Failure to keep Synch safe Where to pick up to follow along with us Plot threads we’d like to see picked back up NEXT EPISODE: X-Force goes Counter-X! Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog. Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here! Buy rad swag at our Dashery shop!

Transcribed - Published: 24 March 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 17 March 2025

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: Dark Seduction #1-4 Erotic skyscrapers Magneto (again) (forever) X-Men Tijuana Bibles The Genoshan Cabinet Dark friendship with benefits Polaris’s newfound interest in heavy metal Magneto's on-again, off-again children Carrion Cove Coloring symbolism and/or errors Spat and Grovel (kind of) Magneto’s ancestral f**k-ghost Socialism! Magneto’s mysterious mind-voice Neal Conan The Avengers of 2000 Kirby Krackle Magneto’s smooth arc into villainy Bonking Human nature Rachel Summers in the Body Shoppe Our (lack of) coverage of solo comics NEXT EPISODE: X-Man! Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog. Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here! Buy rad swag at our TeePublic shop!

Transcribed - Published: 4 March 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 24 February 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 17 February 2025

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 (somewhat) (again) Who’s on Generation X these days Generation X #59-62 Artie and Leech’s adventures in NYC Holidays at the Massachusetts Academy Cordelia Frost (more) (again) Mondo (the real one) Santa Claus / Juggernaut disambiguation An overly convoluted plot Parenting? St. Croix family problems Vampire problems Legacies of Generation X NEXT EPISODE: Ages of Apocalypse! Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog! Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here! Buy rad swag at our TeePublic shop!

Transcribed - Published: 3 February 2025

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 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-Force #99-100 The Demon Bear (more) (again) Arcadia DeVille (more) (again) Mary Weather Fenwick Meridian The Queen of Star Swords The Cathedral Cable (but not that Cable) The X-Forces of several universes Earth-3100 Earth-10003 Earth-130000 Earth-8280 Earth-23100 Non-mutants on the X-Men The provenance of the Brood X-men NEXT EPISODE: Mondo! (The real one, this time.) Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog! Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here! Buy rad swag at our TeePublic shop!

Transcribed - Published: 27 January 2025

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 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 Avengers Academy Infinity Comic; and you remain the best listeners of any podcast, ever. X-PLAINED: X-related characters of Avengers Academy Warlock vol. 5, #1-9 Warlock (more) (again) M-Tech Jay’s Bluey Test for all-ages media The visual semiotics of Warlock Project Mainspring Hope (Esperanza Ling) Chi-Chee Psi-cops Gatekeepers Technarchs The transmode virus A fancy hat Many guest stars The Phalanx (more) (again) Psiren Psimon The techno-mechanic virus Complicated feelings Psycho Man (more) (again) Astro-computers Hope’s actual powers Template Magus (more) (again) Avengers Academy Marvel Voices Infinity Comic Why there are so many Canadian comic-book writers Superhero comics vs. religious texts Defining heroism Escapade Captain America of the Railways Bloodline Red Goblin Moon Girl Kid Juggernaut Blackheart Ongoing storytelling Emplate as a queer character Marcus Wetherell What else to read if you love Avengers Academy Marvel Voices Infinity Comic The 11th Annual Super Doctor Astronaut Peter Corbeau Awards for Excellence at X-Cellence Many people to whom we are profoundly grateful NEXT EPISODE: The return of the Demon Bear! Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog! Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here! Buy rad swag at our TeePublic shop!

Transcribed - Published: 20 January 2025

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!

Transcribed - Published: 13 January 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 30 December 2024

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.

Transcribed - Published: 23 December 2024

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 doesn’t tip; and we have become awfully fond of Cable. X-PLAINED: A codename that deviates from common patterns The story so far Uncanny X-Men #376 Cable #75 X-Men #96 Fiz the Skrull (again) The Twelve Foreshadowing, both accurate and otherwise The Living Monolith (more) (again) That one font Time-travel logic Cable vs. eyes Fabian Cortez (more) (again) A trap Why the Twelve are the Twelve The evolution of Cable NEXT EPISODE: The Twelve continues! Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog. Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here! Buy rad swag at our TeePublic shop!

Transcribed - Published: 16 December 2024

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; Apocalypse says the thing; and we probably can’t keep putting off The Twelve forever.

Transcribed - Published: 2 December 2024

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 we are mildly scandalized by the absence of footnotes.

Transcribed - Published: 25 November 2024

In which St. Croix History reminds us of a Martian with a big butt; Penance’s escape is ambiguous; Avengers Academy Infinity Comic successfully reinvents Emplate; you should not learn to flirt from Vanilla Ice; Jubilee fires two fireworks blasts into the air whilst going aaahhh; and we go in through the ears. X-PLAINED: Apocalypse’s influence The Big House (about which we are confused) Generation X #58 Cartier and/or Louis St. Croix Our college’s Dean, naked jogger Things that are sharp in the woods HUMP Penance (Hollow) Emplate, spoiled teenager Generation X Annual 1999 Epistolary fonts Jubilee’s pre-X past Round Wolverine Hunter Brawn (again, sigh) Recognizing random dudes from pictures Dad Things and Dad Pipes Juggernaut and Black Tom as a relationship model Jubilee, competent veteran A murder mystery Legault, cosplaying bodyguard Taking notes on comics Magneto’s telepathy-blocking (or not) helmet NEXT EPISODE: Wolverine's dead! And Wolverine's back! Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog. Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here! Buy rad swag at our TeePublic shop!

Transcribed - Published: 17 November 2024

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 autotrepanation; Mikhail Rasputin never learns; Destiny leaves clues from beyond the grave; and The Twelve looms.

Transcribed - Published: 4 November 2024

In which Lenore Zann joins us to talk Rogue, Canadian politics, and her upcoming memoir!

Transcribed - Published: 28 October 2024

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 and learns to love Nate Grey; Telekinesis is silly looking; “Wolverine” dies; and nothing really changes.

Transcribed - Published: 20 October 2024

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 is only one of them; Selene vogues; and the Hellfire Club plays the dead girlfriend card.

Transcribed - Published: 30 September 2024

In which Gambit is fundamentally goofy; t’ieves love research; Magneto was ripped; Professor Xavier remains a jerk; Miles attempts to convey something very fundamentally visual in an audio format; Marrow is adorable; the X-Men pretty much disband (again); and a miniseries is the opposite of a vacation.

Transcribed - Published: 23 September 2024

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 number 57; things just keep happening; and Penance somehow gets even more complicated.

Transcribed - Published: 16 September 2024

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; Rictor and Shatterstar return; Strong is not a common surname in the Marvel universe; and being a mutant on TV doesn’t mean you’re one in the comics. X-PLAINED: How Jubilee became a vampire The most X-treme youth of them all X-Force 94-95 X-Force Annual 1999 Genosha Butler disambiguation Clown jobs A team-up predicated on an awkward breakup Hammer Town Delphi Memory boxes Several potential continuity error Names Genoshan robots Archie A hierarchy of potential fates Vershiagen Industries and/or Vershlagen Industries V2 Hanrancha Stronghold Martin Strong Freddie Michelle Balters (Neurotap) (more) (again) Communication with X-teams A sudden and depressing resolution Continuity across media Why Gambit doesn’t (usually) throw tarot cards NEXT EPISODE: The Return of the Hellions (kinda) The visual companion to this episode will be up later this week! Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here! Buy rad swag at our TeePublic shop!

Transcribed - Published: 2 September 2024

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 hots for Paladin; Zeus has probably fucked a motorcycle at some point; many countries have valleys; and Adrienne Frost is terrible.

Transcribed - Published: 26 August 2024