The original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

The original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants Cover-dated March 1964, X-Men #4 introduces Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants: Toad, Mastermind, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver, with Magneto directing the group. Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and inker Paul Reinman give the X-Men an opposing team whose abilities create several different kinds of danger. Magnetism, superhuman leaps, illusions, hexes, and speed all become parts of the same invasion. The issue establishes the team’s relationships before the fighting begins. After the X-Men celebrate the anniversary of their classes with a cake, the story moves to the Brotherhood’s dinner table. Their conversation is already strained. Mastermind’s unwanted attention toward Wanda brings him into conflict with Pietro, while Toad looks to their absent leader’s authority. The scene suggests a group held together by unequal loyalties and pressure. Their first operation is the conquest of Santo Marco, a small South American nation. Magneto supplies the direction and stolen ship; Mastermind supplies the appearance of overwhelming numbers. The X-Men’s intervention exposes another division inside the Brotherhood: some members embrace domination, while Wanda and Pietro remain troubled by the people they are helping. That tension is present from the team’s first appearance.