The X-Men with Rankin Bass. Merry Christmas! … In June…

Disclaimer: The X-Men and any other Marvel characters I use in this belong to Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, Marvel Comics, and their respective creators while the Stingiest Man in Town belongs to Rankin-Bass. I own nothing.

The Stingiest Man in New York

Prologue: Erik Lehnsherr

Holly-ho!

Holly ho-ho-ho!

Holly ho! Tally ho!

Sing a Christmas Carol written long ago.

Kurt Wagner was hanging out in Erik Lehnsherr's house when we walked up.

"Written long ago." Kurt repeated when he noticed us. "Ze merriest of Merry Christmases to you."

"Who are you?" I asked?

"Who am I?" Kurt exclaimed. "Kurt Wagner. Velcome to ze home of ze kindest and most generous man in New York, Erik Lehnsherr." Kurt continued.

"What?" My friend Rob asked in shock.

"You're surprised I call Erik kind and generous." Kurt observed. "Vell, you can take my vord for it. True, Mr. Lehnsherr wasn't always so jolly. Zere vas a time vhen he vas as mean and miserable as ze counting house in vhich he conducted his business. Ze offices of Lehnsherr and Worthington. Now Warren Worthington vas dead to begin vith, but old Erik never paid to have Worthington's name crossed out.

There was a mean and stingy man

Named Erik Lehnsherr.

His heart was hard and cold

Because he was the devil's fare.

While he set down to count the gold

That is mind could never leave.

Young people in the square outside…

"Merry Christmas!" Several children called out, disrupting Erik's train of thought.

Celebrated Christmas Eve.

"Away!" Erik shouted, brandishing an umbrella. "Away with you and your 'Merry Christmas'!"

The children scattered upon seeing Erik.

"Christmas." Erik scoffed as he sat back down. "Bah humbug. Humbug!"

"Zat used to be his favorite vord." Kurt explained to us. "My mom vas ze housekeeper for Erik before she passed on, so he had me stay and do my mother's old work load. Oh, Erik was a tight-fisted man. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, covetous old sinner. Until that Christmas Eve, not too long ago, vhen ze ghosts came. My new friends, allow me to tell you a Ghost Story for Christmas. The Stingiest Man in New York."

And you'll hear it too, in a few days, hopefully. So keep an eye out.