I’d definitely say Kurt’s great “It’s — already too late” is THE moment.

I’d have to agree. The fastball special is an all-time great, but the end of the issue in incredible.

It’s so strange that the issue was clearly written and presented with that “old vs. new!” thing being the big draw, but what everyone really remembers is just the lead-up to the issue’s cliffhanger.

I have to go with the first appearance of “The Fast Ball Special”. Great artwork by Dave Cockrum.

Lol, didn’t a recent issue of the boys have an homage of that cover?

This was actually the first X-Men comic I ever bought, and I did so because of the cover. That said, I have to vote for the ending as the coolest moment.

I love how it evokes the FF orgin with the “tac tac tac tac”

“Not long at all. Just the rest of my life.” is my favorite part of that scene.

I’m going to politcian it up and say they are both great moments, also both could have there own theme week
A week of “fastball specials” and sadly a week of “Jean dying” *sigh* I think on second thought I’ll go with the fastball special, it stayed awesome throughout the years of X-men comics.

It’s funny. I tend to forget how some of the big scenes in the X-Men movies are inspired by specific comic scenes. Jean not letting anyone stop her from sacrificing herself. Cyclops being held back by another one of the X-Men, etc… Then earlier we have Wolvy saving Rogue by letting her absorb his powers.

As a gigantic/absurdly devoted Jean Grey fan, the whole issue is not only a great X-Men moment but a turning point for her as well. Despite the ridiculousness in later decades that would follow with the story, if you look at this moment by itself in its original context it’s truly awesome.

Sometimes I forget just how awesome Dave Cockrum was. What a great issue.

I have to say the first appearance of the Fastball Special, if only because I get giddy every time I see it in any comic. It just holds up, while Jean’s death is just the first of many deaths for her. Kinda lost its impact because of bad writing later on.

i would go with Kurt saying its already too late. not to mention the story is the start of of the greatest x-men stories ever

Also, the cover has been homaged at least twice, by Sealab 2021 and Troublemakers.

WOW! have not seen that in a while, I was in the 6th or 7th grade when I first saw this cover and I was stunned I just could not believe my eyes The original X-Men vs. The New X-Men Whoa! The fastball special was a great moment and don’t take me wrong I love it, but find it insignificant to what followed. I have not looked at the brittle, tan pages of my glorious X-Men collection in a while but seeing this makes me want to read them or maybe just cry, for the love of all Jean! Why! Whyyyy? Sniff Sniff. later!

Favorite part about that issue ( which has many awesome parts ) is Cyclops’ frantic determination to keep Jean from sacrificing herself. Claremont’s Scott Summers was always one of the most likable versions of the character; rather than writing him as an obedient dullard, Claremont showed Scott as a very repressed man who had uncommon but powerful outbursts from time to time.

Witness also the previous issue, where Scott first confronts Stephen Lang and starts utterly whaling on the little bastard. Lang might also be of note, because up to this point, he was the most bigoted of the bigots the X-Men had faced, and it was quite cathartic to watch Scott beat him like a baby seal.

“Not long at all. Just the rest of my life.” Not only a poignant moment, but the visualization of Jean’s powers holding back the solar flare was beautiful.

The fastball special was cool, but it’s a moment defined by how iconic it was going to become, instead of how cool it is in and of itself. For me, that tips the balance.

Two things stick out to me about this issue:

1) The subtle homage to the first issue of the Fantastic Four. The cosmic rays have the same >TAC TAC TAC< sound effect. The FF is never even mentioned, but that sound is a little Easter egg for longtime fans.

2) The cover. Given his prominence on the cover, it’s pretty obvious that this is still in the early era when they thought that Colossus would be the breakout star of the book. Look at that teeny tiny Wolverine way in the back!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A80AkkimBS0 For my video’s inspired by this coluemn. Thanks to Brian for many of these images.

personally, i love the psychedelic shuttle panel with Jean’s face in the background…that could be advertising a Grateful Dead/Jefferson Airplane concert at the Filmore in 1968.

Both are def great moments but I’m also going with the Fastball Special. It even has it’s own Wikipedia entry. But then again so does Pauly Shore.

The art is much better than I remember.

‘It’s starting to get THRU!”

The second. Though, I wonder what Scott would have said had he finished his sentence when called Jean “You little–”

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