X-Men #24 (Sep 66): The Plague of... the Locust! Creative Team: Stan (busy bee) Lee, editing; Roy (bookworm) Thomas, script; Werner (worker-and) Roth, art; Dick (doodle-bug) Ayers, inking; Sam (pussycat) Rosen, lettering
Starting Line Up: Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, Beast, Marvel Girl
Synopsis: Marvel Girl doesn't actually have to leave the team, just the school. She starts at Metro College and meets Ted Roberts. Cyclops and Marvel Girl can't bring themselves to talk before she goes. A former professor at the school goes nuts and creates giant insects to unleash on the world so he can stop them as the Locust and be a hero. Marvel Girl figures it out almost right away. The X-Men defeat him. He realises he's insane and seeks help.
Yeah, but is it good? This is 60s camp at it's campiest. I think Marvel realised this too, because it's so over the top you can't possibly take it seriously. The villain realises he's insane in the end is just a cherry on top. This reads more like a horrible Human Torch or Iron Man story. At least we get some real development with Marvel Girl leaving the school and putting strain on her non-existant relationship with Cyclops.
Significata: Marvel Girl leaves Xavier's school for Metro College.
