I have decided that you, the X-Man known as Cyclops, shall be group leader until I return! 
Appearing in "The Return of the Blob"
X-Men #7
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Zelda (First appearance)
- Bernard the Poet (First appearance)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Numerous unnamed carnies and carnival guests
- Jumbo the elephant
- Coffee A Go-Go patrons
- Sam Hill (Invoked)
- Romeo (Mentioned) (Topical Reference)
Races and Species:
- Mutants
- Humans
- Elephants
- Snakes (Illusion or holographic simulation)
- Fleas (Mentioned)
- Hippopotamuses (Referenced)
- Mules (Mentioned)
Locations:
- Earth
- North America
- United States of America
- New York
- Westchester County
- Magneto's mansion
- New York City
- Manhattan
- Greenwich Village
- Coffee A Go-Go (First appearance)
- Greenwich Village
- Manhattan
- A Carnival
- Magneto's factory
- New York
- United States of America
- Europe (Mentioned)
- French Riviera (Mentioned)
- Swiss Alps (Mentioned)
- Waterloo, Belgium (Mentioned)
- North America
- Heaven (Mentioned)
Items:
- Magneto's Helmet
- Cyclops' Visor, version 1
- X-Uniforms
- Ruby-Quartz Sunglasses
- Cerebro (First appearance)
Vehicles:
- X-Men jetcopter (Destruction)
- Magna-Car (First appearance)
Synopsis for "The Return of the Blob"
X-Men #7
Professor Xavier takes a photograph of his students during their graduation. Afterward, he informs them that they must continue their fight against evil mutants without him, while he takes care of some unfinished business. He tells his students that he will select a new leader from amongst them soon.
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First appearance of Cerebro
Across town at another mansion, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants regroups. Mastermind and the Scarlet Witch are the first to arrive. Mastermind offers the Scarlet Witch a life of luxury, but she refuses since she cannot stand him. Magneto and the rest of the group arrive.
Back at the school, Professor Xavier asks Cyclops to accompany him to a previously off-limits section of the school. There he shows Cyclops his invention, Cerebro, which is used to detect mutant brainwave activity. Cyclops wonders why a telepath such as Professor Xavier would need such a device, so Professor Xavier informs him that it is intended to be used by the new leader of the X-Men, Cyclops. Cyclops questions his mentor's decision, considering Angel's aggressiveness and Beast's intelligence, so Professor Xavier informs him that it is because of Cyclops' leadership abilities. The next morning, the X-Men awaken to learn that Professor Xavier has already departed. They congratulate Scott on becoming their new leader. The group goes to New York City that night to celebrate, but Scott refuses, saying that he has to stay and monitor Cerebro.
At a carnival, Magneto seeks out the Blob, suspecting that he is a mutant, due to his inability to be moved by an elephant or a cannonball. Magneto tries to perform a mind probe of the Blob, but is stopped by a mental block put on him by Professor Xavier.[1] Suddenly the Blob's manager appears and tries to fend off Magneto, not wanting him to talk to his client. Magneto orders the Brotherhood to attack the carnival workers. They all run off, leaving Magneto alone with the Blob. Magneto orders the Blob to join the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
At first the Blob refuses and attacks Magneto. Magneto then magnetically lifts pipes from under the ground, hurling the Blob through the air. The force of impact from landing loosens the mental block in his mind, and his memory returns. Wanting revenge against the X-Men, the Blob agrees to join the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
At the mansion, Cerebro's alarm suddenly goes off, alerting Cyclops to the Blob's recent activities. Cyclops tries to contact the rest of the X-Men, successfully reaching Warren. Warren gathers Hank and Bobby so they can meet back up with Scott and Jean.
Magneto challenges the X-Men to a fight at an abandoned factory. Cyclops' leadership skills quickly show, as he leads the X-Men in successful counter attacks to everything that the evil mutants throw at them, including missiles. With the X-Men standing together, Magneto fires a second round of missiles at the group, even though the Blob is standing next to them.
The X-Men hide behind the bulky villain and let him take the full force of the missiles. Magneto orders the rest of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to retreat, seeing that his plans have failed. The X-Men offer to help the Blob, since his teammates abandoned him. The Blob refuses, telling them that he's fed up with fighting other people's fights, and that he just wants to return to the carnival.
Appearing in "The Uncanny Threat of...Unus, the Untouchable!"
X-Men #8
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Unus the Untouchable (Gunther Bain) (First appearance)
- Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
- Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde)
- Magneto (Magnus) (Behind the scenes)
Other Characters:
- Maxie
- Unnamed bank robbers
- Tommy
- Unnamed father of Tommy
- Wrestling spectators
- Blob (Fred Dukes) (Mentioned)
- Susan Storm (Mentioned)
- Lucifer (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth
- North America
- United States of America
- New York
- Westchester County
- New York City
- Manhattan
- Greenwich Village
- Wrestling stadium
- Tower Bank (First appearance) (Unnamed)
- Midtown
- Times Square
- Corner of Broadway & 46th Street (First appearance)
- Times Square
- Manhattan
- New York
- United States of America
- Europe
- Bulgaria (First appearance)
- North America
Items:
- X-Uniforms
- Cyclops' Visor, version 1
- Cerebro
- Mutant Power Enhancer (First appearance)
Vehicles:
- Professor X's cave exploring wheelchair (First appearance)
- X-Men's twin-rotor helicopter
Synopsis for "The Uncanny Threat of...Unus, the Untouchable!"
X-Men #8
Cyclops watches over the X-Men's latest training session. He helps Iceman develop his powers, including making his body colder, which in turn makes him appear icier and more transparent, rather than a snowman. Following the tough workouts, Cyclops gives the group the rest of the day off. Jean tries to convince Cyclops to spend the rest of the afternoon with them, but he refuses, saying that he has too much work to do. From her thoughts, it becomes obvious that Jean has fallen in love with Scott.
Heading for the coffee shop where they met Zelda, Hank and Bobby come across a child in danger of falling off a roof. Without any time to change into costume, Hank climbs up the side of the building and rescues the child. When he reaches the ground again, he and Bobby are attacked by the onlooking mob, which is angered that there was a mutant hiding among them. Hank and Bobby escape and head back to the mansion.
Infuriated, Hank tells Scott that he is quitting the X-Men. Scott does not know what to do, so he contacts Professor Xavier. Professor Xavier tells him that he cannot do anything about it, and continues on his quest to find Lucifer.
A week later, Hank has established himself as a pro wrestler named The Beast. His latest opponent is Unus, the Untouchable. Hank tries to attack Unus, but every time he attempts to strike the man, he is stopped by an invisible forcefield. Hank suddenly recognizes Mastermind in the audience, then realizes that the two men somehow know each other.
After the fight, Mastermind heads into Unus' locker room. Unus inquires whether he can join the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants yet. Mastermind informs him that due to the failures of Namor and the Blob recently, Unus must prove his loyalty before receiving membership. He informs Unus that he must find or even defeat one of the X-Men.
Unus has no idea how to find the X-Men, so he goes for a walk. He sees a bank robbery and thinks that he could put the money to better use, and robs the bank robbers. The X-Men are nearby and assume Unus is the bank robber and confront him. The four X-Men are unable to figure out how to fight a man who can't be touched. Unus grabs Angel, who tries to fly off. Unus holds onto him, knowing that the X-Men are not killers. Angel eventually sets Unus down on a nearby rooftop.
The X-Men return to the mansion to plot a strategy and find Beast in the lab, working on a strange device. Beast informs them that the device is designed to increase Unus' powers. The X-Men think Beast has joined with Magneto and attack him. Beast tries to explain his plan, but the others won't listen, so he grabs his device and jumps out the window. At the gym, Beast uses the device on Unus, increasing his powers. The X-Men arrive too late.
At first, Unus is very pleased with his powers, but quickly realizes he can no longer control them. He learns that he can't touch anything, not even his cigarettes and food. The X-Men find him in a restaurant trying to grab food because he is starving, but his power thwarts him. Beast makes a deal with Unus to reverse the device's effects, as long as he does not join the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Unus agrees and returns to his wrestling career after being treated, and Beast returns to the X-Men.