X-Men #36

Published in September 1967, X-Men #36 arrived during the final stretch of the original Silver Age run of the title. At this point in the series' history, the team was struggling to gain consistent sales traction, leading to experimental storytelling and frequent shifts in tone. The issue features a script by Roy Thomas, who was tasked with navigating the creative pressures placed on the X-Men line as the publisher sought to differentiate the mutant team from the more popular Avengers or Fantastic Four.

The cover and interior art were provided by Werner Roth, working under the pseudonym Jay Gavin, with inking by Dan Adkins. Roth’s style was notable for a cleaner, more traditional aesthetic that contrasted sharply with the kinetic, dynamic energy pioneered by the series' co-creator Jack Kirby. While this era is often viewed as a transitional period before the title's eventual relaunch in the 1970s, it remains a point of interest for collectors who value the grounded, human-centric approach that Thomas and Roth brought to the team's interpersonal dynamics during the late 1960s.