Mad #399 (Nick Meglin and John Ficarra) - $-Men Issue - November 2000

The X-Men were created in comic-book form in1963 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.  The original mutants of Dr. X were Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, Beast and Marvel Girl.  Angel and Beast were cut from the movie and "Marvel Girl" is now known as Jean Grey.  In the big screen revision of the X-Men origin, some of the original mutants were replaced by subsequent Marvel characters: Wolverine (1974 origin), Storm (1975), Mystique (1978) and Rogue (1981).  Since Mr. Lee has creative control over the Marvel movies, there is no good excuse for this revisionist origin.  The Mad editors allotted eight pages to its parody of this blockbuster movie that grossed over $157 million in the U.S. and more worldwide.  Desmond Devlin wrote the story that concluded that the most powerful group of mutants are the fanboys who buy these products.  Angelo Torres filled the pages with sight gags including the Yugo, pipe wrench, toaster, etc. that stick to Magnesia; bandages on Vasoline; Ted Kennedy; the Tasmanian-devil on Vasoline's rear-view window; Batman in the fight-scene splash page; and rabbit ears for Professor $.

This issue also featured the debut of Mad superstar caricaturist Tom Richment ("Gadgets to Really Make Home Theater Like Going Home to the Movies").  It got better.  The best drawings in the were issue were by Grey Blackwell ("Why Cybergeeks Make Lousy Boyfriends").  And, writer Eric Perlin should be commended for his 192-page "The Presidential Candidate's Choose Your Own Adventure Book" which was his fourth and last contribution to Mad.  [JAM 12/27/2013]

Look for Jeremy from Zits, Monroe, The Hamburglar, Hillary Clinton, Alfred E. Neuman, a flasher and Melvin & Jenkins in "Totally Repulsed Live".

Departments:
Super Zeroes - $ Men
May Divorce Be With You - Can Your Parents' Marriage Be Saved?
All Jaffee - The Rescue
Angster's Paradise - Monroe & ... The Baby
The Revise Have It - Updated Board Games for the 21st Century
American Bland Stand - Welcome to Suburbia
Tales From the Duck Side - Back to the Suture
A Nerd to the Wise - Why Cybergeeks Make Lousy Boyfriends
An Embarrassment of Richard's - Gadgets to Really Make Home Theater Like Going to the Movies
Electile Dysfunction - The Presidential Candidate's Choose Your Own Adventure Book
Behind the Irrigate Ball - If They Can Make a Disposable Douche, Then Why Can't They  [Fake Department]
Strands Across America - Using DNA Testing for Questions We Really Want Answered
Serge-In General - A Mad Look at Elections
Give Us This Day Our Daily Dread - Totally Repulsed Live
Grieving Las Vegas - Mad's Celebrity Cause-of-Death Betting Odds  [Dennis Miller]

Fold-In - Vomiter