The X-men - 1970's Recruits

Nightcrawler

Joined In: Giant-Size X-men #1

Notes: Nightcrawler was part of a circus when he accidentally killed his foster brother. A mob rally against him and were about to kill him when he was saved by Professor X. He join the "new" X-men team and help rescue the old team. He stay with the team, but after he thought the team had died and he was recovering in Muir Island, along with Shadowcat and the then Phoenix (Rachel Gray), set up the Excalibur with Captain Britain and Meggan and was team leader. He later returned to the main team after Captain Britain and Meggan married.

Wolverine

Joined In: Giant-Size X-men #1

Notes: Despite what people say, Wolverine was not the first new X-men introduced. He was the third. Wolverine is probably Marvel Second most popular character (first of course being Spidey) but the most famous X-men. He was first seen fighting the Hulk and the Wendigo for Department H but jumped at the chance to get away from them and join the X-men. There he thought of the X-men as his family and has remain with them since. He originally stayed with the team because of his attraction to Jean Grey but eventually backed away because he knew that she was better off with Cyclops. He eventually became a father figure to many of the younger member of the team, including Shadowcat and Jubilee.

Banshee

Joined In: Giant-Size X-men #1

Notes: Banshee was the first of the new X-men introduced. He was a unwilling member of Factor Three being control. He later was freed by the Original X-men team. When the chance for him to turn over a new leaf came he jumped at it. He remained with the team until his troat was injure and after he help the team with Proteus. He stayed on Muir Island with his love Moira MacTaggart before eventually returning to the team. He eventually set up X-Corp, consisting of former enemies of the X-men, being controled by Mastermind. he eventually was betray and nearly killed. During the Deadly Genesis arc, Banshee was killed trying to save a plan full of people.

Storm

Joined In: Giant-Size X-men #1

Notes: Storm was found by Professor X living like a goddess in Africa. She joined the team to rescue the original X-men team. She remain for a long time eventually becoming the team field leader over Cyclops (who lost in a fight with and left to raise his son). She eventually lost her power and was turn into a child where she was found by Gambit, who she recommended for membership. When the X-men become a two team group she lead one team and Cyclops lead the other. Eventually, she left the mansion to search for the Destiny Diaries and set up the X-treme X-men team. She returned to the main team as the new XSE but after M-Day she left for Africa where she met her old boyfriend Black Panther and they eventually married and joined the F4 fillers for Reed and Sue.

Colossus

Joined In: Giant-Size X-men #1

Notes: Colossus may have been the largest member of the new X-men but he was also the youngest member and the most gentle. A artist at heart, Colossus has become a main stead of the team for a while. However, when his sister, Illyana, contracted the Legacy Virus and was killed, he lost faith in Xavier and joined Magneto Acolytes. After Asteroid M was destroyed, he return to Earth and became a member of the Excalibur team before eventually rejoining the X-men. When Beast discovered a cure for the Legacy Virus using note from the recently dead Moira MacTaggart, he discovered that a mutant must activate his power and sarcifice his life for the cure to work. Although the rest left this idea, alone in the room with Cecilia Reyes, Colossus injected the cure into himself and activated his powers. He was killed but later revived by Ord to find a cure for mutants.

Thunderbird (John Proudstar)

Joined In: Giant-Size X-men #1

Notes: Thunderbird was the first of the new X-men to die. He joined with the X-men to save the original X-men. He stayed with the X-men then but during a mission against Count Narfaria he jumped on a plane and started banging on the hatch. The plane eventually crashed killing Thunderbird but Count Nafaria managed to escape. James Proudstar eventually took the named Thunderbird and swore revenge on the X-men before eventually joining the X-force team and then the X-men as Warpath. The Thunderbird named has since being taken by Neal Shaara.

Sunfire

Joined In: Giant-Size X-men #1

Notes: Sunfire was introduce long before he became a X-men as one of their enemies, but he found out that he was being used and with the X-men help defeated the traitor. Owing a debt of honour to the X-men, he help the team rescue the original X-men but left then so after. He remained friends with the team since then but after Rogue gain his powers and he lost his legs, he was approached by Apocalypse and transformed into Pestilence.