STORY: "Prisoners of the Mysterious Master Mold" (20 pages)  The Sentinels capture the X-Men, and start probing the Beast's mind to learn his origin story.

What you need to know:
The Master Mold shows up for the first time.  It's the really big Sentinel that makes all the other ones.  You might have thought it would be easier to build a factory - especially because the Master Mold doesn't actually know how to make them without Trask's help - but no doubt it made sense at the time....

The Beast recounts parts of his origin story, under the influence of a Sentinel "Psycho-Probe."  The Sentinels are actually trying to find out where the X-Men are based, but the Probe's not really very good.  Of course, it has the handy side effect of letting Trask realise that the X-Men are the goodies after all.  Everything Hank has to say was later revised in the "Origins of the X-Men" stories in issues #49-53, but mainly by adding details.

Hank says that his father was exposed to radiation while working in a nuclear power plant, maintaining the early theme that mutation was something to do with radiation and nuclear stuff.

In this version, Xavier simply recruits Hank after reading about him in the papers (after his success as a football player).  The later version inserts some stuff about a supervillain called the Conquistador, but it doesn't really make much difference.

Hank's parents appear for the first time in the flashback, though in forty odd years, no writer's ever felt inclined to do much with them.

The credits are now describing the X-Men as "the most unusual fighting team of all time", as opposed to "the most unusual teenagers of all time."

A more innocent time:
The Sentinels have gunners.  Great big robots operating... guns.  Wouldn't it be easier just to have computers operating the guns?

Xavier can "bombard Hank's mind with sharp thought particles."

Comments:
Big fight with the Sentinels, and some stuff about the Beast's origin which isn't particularly compelling.  A step down after the previous issue - the action issues really do seem rather dated these days.  It's got a certain charm if you like really crap pseudoscience and Iceman making giant skimmers, but it's not a classic.

FEATURE CHARACTERS
Professor X (also in flashback between the Origins of the X-Men stories in issues #56 and #51; also in flashback following page 5 panel 3 of the Origins of the X-Men story in issue #53 and preceding page 16, panel 2 of Uncanny Origins #6)
The Beast (also in flashback following page 12 panel 1 of Uncanny Origins #6 and preceding the flashback at page 17 of X-Men Unlimited vol 1 #10; also in flashback following the flashback at page 35 panel 1 of X-Men Unlimited #10 and preceding the flashback at page 1 of the Beast story in Marvel Comics Presents #86; also in flashback following page 5 panel 3 of the "Origins of the X-Men" story in issue #53, and preceding page 16 panel 2 of Uncanny Origins #6)
Cyclops, the Angel, Iceman and Marvel Girl I

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Norton McCoy (first appearance; the Beast's father; in flashback; last in the "Origins of the X-Men" story in issue #53; next in Marvel Team-Up vol 1 #124)
Edna Andrews McCoy (first appearance; the Beast's mother; in flashback; last in the "Origins of the X-Men" story in issue #53; next in X-Men: The Hidden Years #10)

VILLAIN
The Master Mold I (first actual appearance; the prime Mark I Sentinel)
The Sentinels

OTHER CHARACTERS
Bolivar Trask

Last revised: 14 August 2004

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