Real Name: Warren Worthington III
First Appearance: X-Men #1 (1963)
Affiliation: Founding member of the X-Men
Powers: Natural flight through large, feathered wings.
Review coverage: Through X-Men #13 (1965), with relevant published guest appearances.

A polished introduction

Warren Worthington III makes an impression before we get very far into his history. In X-Men #1, his suit and tie give him an air of class that sets him apart from the other students. The wings make Angel immediately recognizable in costume, but those quieter details give us our first glimpse of Warren outside it.

His flight also gives Kirby something different to work with in the team’s battles. The review of X-Men #6 highlights the motion of Angel’s attack on Toad: we can follow the flight across the panel and see how quickly the encounter unfolds. Warren brings movement to the group, even when a story offers little new insight into his personality.

A teammate who also needs rescuing

Flight does not keep Angel out of trouble. His capture in X-Men #5 sends the others to Asteroid M to rescue him, turning his predicament into a test of how well the students can operate without the Professor’s usual guidance.

His encounter with Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #49 is a less convincing use of the character. Radiation changes his behavior and turns him against the heroes, but the review finds the guest cast poorly served. That episode belongs in his reading history without becoming the basis for describing Warren as secretly villainous.

Through #13, Angel remains more clearly defined by his presence within the original team than by a developed personal history. There is room to recognize his distinctive look and usefulness without pretending these early stories have already told us everything about him.