Uncanny X-Men #8 – Key Highlights
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Publisher: Marvel Comics
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Publication Date: November 1964
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Editor: Stan Lee
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Cover Artist: Jack Kirby (pencils), Chic Stone (inks)
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Genre: Superhero
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Pages: 36
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Original Cover Price: $0.12
🔥 Key Significance
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First appearance of Unus the Untouchable, a mutant whose protective force field makes him physically untouchable.
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Features the classic creative team of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Chic Stone.
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Includes a significant character-development moment for Hank McCoy (Beast), who temporarily quits the X-Men after experiencing humanity's fear and hatred of mutants.
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Features an early appearance of Mastermind in the story.
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Includes a one-page Beast Special Pin-Up, illustrated by Kirby and Stone.
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Notable visual detail: Iceman transitions from his snowman-like appearance to his more familiar ice form during the issue.
📖 Story Highlights
- “Unus, the Untouchable!” – 20 pages
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Script: Stan Lee
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Pencils: Jack Kirby
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Inks: Chic Stone
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Letters: Sam Rosen
After rescuing a young boy, Beast is attacked by a mutant-hating crowd and becomes disillusioned with protecting a humanity that fears him. He quits the X-Men and becomes a professional wrestler, where he encounters Unus, a mutant who cannot be touched.
Unus hopes to join Magneto's Brotherhood and challenges the X-Men as an initiation. After the team barely manages to stop him, Beast constructs a machine that increases Unus' powers. The experiment goes too far, leaving Unus unable to touch or even eat anything. Beast eventually restores his powers to their previous level after Unus agrees to stay away from Magneto.
📌 Additional Details
- “The Beast” – 1-page Special Pin-Up
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Pencils: Jack Kirby
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Inks: Chic Stone
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Letters: Sam Rosen
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Character: Beast
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Later reprinted in Marvel Super-Heroes #21 (July 1969) and Amazing Adventures #2 (January 1980).
- Story Reprints: “Unus, the Untouchable!” was subsequently reprinted in Marvel Super-Heroes #27 (July 1970), Amazing Adventures #14 (January 1980), and several Marvel collected editions.
- The main story accounts for 20 pages. Including the pin-up, 21 pages of the 36-page issue are documented.
Collector’s Note: The X-Men #8 is an important early Silver Age X-Men issue, featuring the first appearance of Unus the Untouchable, a memorable Beast character-development story, and classic Kirby and Stone artwork.
