Written by JOHN RHETT THOMAS In 1963, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby launched a new title that featured a band of teenagers and their wheelchair-bound mentor, all possessing an 'X-Tra' power that made them unique...and feared by humanity. UNCANNY X-MEN went through some early highs and lows before exploding back onto the scene in the late 1970s under the auspices of Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum and John Byrne - fast becoming a phenomenon that would break out of the comics industry and become a worldwide sensation. It would make characters like Wolverine, Phoenix and Rogue household names, and launch the careers of talents like Paul Smith, Marc Silvestri, Jim Lee and Joe Madureira - to name just a few. In honor of UNCANNY X-MEN's milestone 500th issue, MARVEL SPOTLIGHT throws a party to celebrate one of the greatest comics of all time. Join us as we look back at 500 issues worth of amazing characters, top creative talent and some of the most powerful stories in the medium. 32 PGS./