Five thoughts on the original X-Men run (1-66):

1) I started buying comics at the beginning of the Adams/Thomas run and X-Men was my favorite comic at the time. I can still remember reading X-Men 66 with its annoucement that the series was over. I couldn't believe it.

2) Roy Thomas got started writing superheroes on two group titles: Avengers and X-Men. It's kind of like the movie Twins. The Avengers got all of his talent and creativity and X-Men were .... Danny DeVito.

3) Arnold Drake was first rate on Doom Patrol. It's amazing how lost he seemed on X-Men.

4) I don't think Lee and Kirby laid as strong a foundation for X-Men as some of their other titles. The characterization was weak. Magneto was a good villain but there was too much of him in the early issues. The X-Men as outcasts concept was underdeveloped.

5) For most people the Claremont run starts what is the X-Men so the first run doesn't get the respect of other silver age Marvel series.