In which Rachel refuses to back down from a challenge, we reject a point of canon, Leprechauns know Wolverine's secrets, Erik the Red is (still) awful, Professor X is (still) a dick, the X-Men are your D&D party, the Shi'ar do a Star Trek riff, Phoenix is kind of a big deal, the circus comes to town, and Magneto gets creepy.

X-Plained:

Cassandra Nova
More early Claremont
Sound effects
Cassidy Keep
Seneschals
Shillelaghs
Image inducers
Black Tom Cassidy
Supervillain bromance
Bronze-age pacing
Leprechauns
Hovercraft rental
Muir Island
The Shi'ar Imperial Guard
The M'Kraan Cyrstal
Phoenix 101
Secret volcano lairs
Magneto's mercifully short-lived age-play fixation
The (dis)continuity of mutant powers

You can find a visual companion to the episode – and links to recommended reading – on our blog.
Find us on iTunes or Stitcher!
Next week: Wolverine punches a pterosaur, Cyclops grows a mustache, and everyone gets possessed!