X-Men #47 (1968, August)

Well, with the X-Men broken up, I guess that’s the end of the series, right? Oh, I guess not. This issue was co-written by Gary Friedrich and Arnold Drake, who will become the regular writer for the next little while. This story is titled “The Warlock Wears Three Faces!”

I still love that cape. This guy seriously needs to make a return, wearing that same cape. And rocking that beard, too.

As I said, the X-Men have disbanded, and Hank and Bobby are in the city, feeling miserable about it. Hank also disagrees with Agent Duncan’s logic that they’re at risk if they stay together. Then it cuts to the Maha Yogi doing a self-help seminar, with Hank and Bobby and their girls getting there only to learn it’s been sold out, and getting turned away. The Yogi hypnotizes the audience, turning them into his slaves and sending them back out into the world. At the Coffee A Go-Go, some hippies pick a fight with Hank. He and Bobby beat them up and leave with the girls, then learn there were four cancellations at the Yogi’s next show. They go in and recognize the voice of the Warlock, from X-Men#30, and sneak away while he hypnotizes the crowd. They confront him, and he uses his illusions to beat them up. Iceman uses his freezing powers to cause some flood lights to pop, which hurts Yogi’s ears. He throws a jewel at Iceman, who deflects it into the light control box. The lights start going screwy, driving Yogi to the brink of madness and disrupting his control over the audience. Beast drops a curtain over him, and Iceman shoves a tape console under the curtain. The Yogi surrenders, and Hank and Bobby go outside to meet back up with their ladies and try to make it up to them.

It’s a fun little story. The hippie thugs bit was kinda stupid. Considering how Hank’s built, I also have to wonder why he worries that fighting someone would give away his identity. He looks like a pretty tough guy, after all. Oh well. We also learn what the book’s new direction is, for the few issues it lasts.

The back-up feature is about Iceman’s powers. Ice slides, shooting ice cubes, weapons, shields, ladders. The panel with him creating a ladder makes a joke about physics majors asking what holds it up. “Perfect balance, of course! Not to mention a hulkin’ helping of imagination!” In other words, “Dude, shut up, it’s a comic book.” He explains his power works by concentrating and freezing moisture around him. He says it’s related to the part of the brain that controls body temperature, and likens it to being born with a busted thermostat. He also wonders how he’d make out against the Human Torch, and says he’d win, and the Human Torch says that’s as likely as the Mets winning the pennant. According to Wikipedia, the Mets won the World Series in 1969 – the very next year after this comic came out. Amusing.