The X-Men #45

Published in June 1968, The X-Men #45 represents a transitional period in the original Marvel run. Written by Gary Friedrich with art by Don Heck and Vince Colletta, the issue features a story titled 'The Maddening Menace of the Mimic!', which continues the long-running arc involving the character Calvin Rankin. At this point in the late 1960s, the X-Men title was struggling with stagnant sales, leading the creative teams to experiment with more dramatic character departures and shifts in team dynamics before the series eventually entered a reprint-only phase.

The cover art, illustrated by George Tuska and John Tartaglione, leans into the high-stakes, melodramatic house style established by Marvel during the Silver Age. The design focuses on the visual tension of the Mimic's powers, reflecting a period where the creative direction sought to emphasize individual power sets over the ensemble dynamic that would later define the franchise’s massive success in the mid-1970s. While not considered one of the series' primary keys, it is valued by completists as a quintessential example of the 1960s X-Men aesthetic.