From Lolita to Leader: KITTY PRYDE/PROFESSOR K Appreciation

[ImprobableQuestion]

I liked the issue, but I felt it was a bit rushed. Like they tried to cram in as much information and stories as they could in the book.

But now with Bendis departing from the X-Men what do you think will happen to Kitty?
Do you guys think that after Secret Wars, if the X-Men are still around as a team, another author will give Kitty that much panel time? Or will she go back being a secondary, wallpaper character?

So far at least three X-writers have put particular emphasis on Kitty (Claremont, Whedon, and Bendis). The chances are pretty good that if she's in the book, she's got a decently major role.

It probably says something, how many creators have Kitty as their favorite.

[starlord215]

So far at least three X-writers have put particular emphasis on Kitty (Claremont, Whedon, and Bendis). The chances are pretty good that if she's in the book, she's got a decently major role.

It probably says something, how many creators have Kitty as their favorite.

Sam answered this on tumblr
people ask you about Starkat, and you're in the middle of it after all, how big is the support for this pairing? Had you ever imagined the support would be this big?

It’s really big, bigger than anything I’ve experienced. I knew we had something good, and I knew if we portrayed them honestly, it would work. I knew it would be fun, because they are fun characters.
But no, I did not anticipate it becoming such a thing. And from what we’ve got planned, it’s gonna get even bigger…

[Shadowkitty]

Sam answered this on tumblr
people ask you about Starkat, and you're in the middle of it after all, how big is the support for this pairing? Had you ever imagined the support would be this big?

It’s really big, bigger than anything I’ve experienced. I knew we had something good, and I knew if we portrayed them honestly, it would work. I knew it would be fun, because they are fun characters.
But no, I did not anticipate it becoming such a thing. And from what we’ve got planned, it’s gonna get even bigger…

I liked the answer. I think it sounds promising... At least, until Secret Wars, that is.

[Starleafgirl]

The Iron Fist-centric Battle world title will feature a number of X-Men characters in East Asian designs, including "Kitten" and Lockheed. Kitten looks like a Xiaolin monk complete with shaved head. Lockheed is repackaged as an Asian Lung.

http://www.comicvine.com/articles/ex...i/1100-151191/

CV: What can you tell us about this version of K’un Lun?

HB: Life in K'un-Lun revolves around martial arts, and specifically the many different schools that train the populace, each of which focuses on different techniques. Mastering these techniques provides a wide range of powers and abilities -- from something familiar, like Iron Fist's ability to focus his chi to empower his attacks, to intangibility and even shape-shifting.

CV: How will superpowers fit into this world? Do those with powers have an advantage over others is mastering the arts?

HB: Mastering the arts is how one gains powers. In this reality, no one is born with powers, or gains them through a scientific experiment gone wrong. That doesn't mean that characters who are classified as mutants or accidents of science in the Earth-616 reality won't be show up in this series; but in our version of K'un-Lun, they have unlocked their special abilities through years of training. And because nearly everyone trains, the result is a whole kingdom full of metahumans.

So I guess Kitty's not going to be a mutant anymore, but a student at the school that teaches intangibility as a special ability.

This is the first mention of Kitty Pryde after the "final incursion" of Secret Wars. She's not on the cover of "X-Men '92"... is she in "Years of Future Past" or one of the others?

Just a thought.

[JackalsIII]

The Iron Fist-centric Battle world title will feature a number of X-Men characters in East Asian designs, including "Kitten" and Lockheed. Kitten looks like a Xiaolin monk complete with shaved head. Lockheed is repackaged as an Asian Lung.

That's awesome, thanks for the heads up! See, that's the type of news I need to be told as I wouldn't have sought out information on Iron Fist

[starlord215]

That's awesome, thanks for the heads up! See, that's the type of news I need to be told as I wouldn't have sought out information on Iron Fist

i wonder if kitty will be a full time in that book and sam keeps teasing both a break up and that they will make it i hope kitty and peter stay together but we will see

[JackalsIII]

i wonder if kitty will be a full time in that book and sam keeps teasing both a break up and that they will make it i hope kitty and peter stay together but we will see

It is an alternate reality Shang-Chi title so we shouldn't have to worry. I'm all for buying it

[Narasinha]

Commission sketch by Tiago Olivereen:

[JackalsIII]

Commission sketch by Tiago Olivereen:

That is awesome!

[Starleafgirl]

It is an alternate reality Shang-Chi title so we shouldn't have to worry. I'm all for buying it

It originates in an alternate reality, but it's going to be a permanent part of our totally canon Battleworld reality in Secret Wars.

[JackalsIII]

It originates in an alternate reality, but it's going to be a permanent part of our totally canon Battleworld reality in Secret Wars.

I'll be cool with a martial artist Kitty in a Post-Secret Wars world but I can't imagine a Shang-Chi title is going to be that crucial to the methods. I imagine it will be pretty self contained and the characters will be seen in the background of the proper crossover title.

But I'm buying it so I'm all for its success!

[starlord215]

It is an alternate reality Shang-Chi title so we shouldn't have to worry. I'm all for buying it

You think kittys gona get a new outfit and that's a great news to me star kat has a chance

[a0040pc]

Issue Information
Title- Magik (Volume 1) #2
Release Date- January 1984
Writer- Chris Claremont
Artist- John Buscema

Major Notes
Death of Nightcrawler (sort of)

Brief Summary

Cold Iron - Hot Blood!

Cat has come face to face with a demon while Illyana cowers in the background. It is able to take Cat by surprise and knocks her down. It then turns its attentions to Illyana who begins to run away. Cat is able to recover and throws some throwing stars at the demon, it doesn’t harm him but only attracts its attention. As it charges towards Cat she stabs it in the chest killing it. Illyana is happy to see this but another demon tries to grab her, in her panic she falls into a teleportation disc and disappears.

Illyana finds herself in a dark room and as she gets up she is horrified to discover the corpse of an alternate version of her brother Colossus. She turns and sees the demon S’ym who is the loyal servant of Belasco. He intends to take her to him and even mocks her with how he killed her brother. She tries to flee but he is able to grab her, she is at his mercy but he suddenly feels a sharp pain in his tail causing him to drop her. When he turns he sees that Cat has stabbed him in his tail. He tries to attack her but she phases through his arm and she grabs Illyana. They then phase through a wall and find themselves in another part of Limbo.

This part of Limbo resembles the Savage Land but has been corrupted by Belasco. Using Cat’s phasing abilities they float down near the ground and she explains how her mutant abilities work when Illyana questions her. Cat drops Illyana into a pile of sticks and attacks a two headed Sabre Toothed cat. Illyana thinks that Cat will be killed but the warrior woman is able to take the sabre toothed cat by surprise and kills it with ease. After the cat is dead Cat herself takes off her mask and gives out a roar of triumph. This scares Illyana and Cat reminds her that she is not like what she used to be when she was human.

That night the pair eat the sabre toothed cat and Illyana asks about going home. Storm had told her that taking her home was dangerous but Cat disagrees that no sorcerer can be trusted. She also tells Illyana to go to sleep since her training will start in the morning.

The next morning Illyana wakes up and Cat makes her put on a suit that will be more fitting for their training. She points that a faraway mountain range is their destination and when Illyana asks how they will be getting there Cat responds that they run as she uses her sword to knock Illyana.

The pair begin their journey but Illyana has a hard time keeping up with the taller and more athletic Cat. Every time she falls down from exhaustion Cat taunts her and forces her to get up and keep going. There are fierce creatures who could turn them into mincemeat so Illyana is forced to run simply to stay alive.

When Illyana can’t go any further Cat decides it is time for them to duel. Illyana is given a sword while Cat uses her knife. At first Illyana has no energy but when Cat cuts her cheeks she gains a second wind and is able to fight back. Cat is able to disarm her but she is happy with how the duel went. She explains to Illyana that she must stay strong and that she will return home. Suddenly an astral image of Storm appears and she demands that they return to her sanctuary. Cat refuses stating that Belasco and be killed using swords and although Storm can stop them with a thought she decides that if she did she would be no better than Belasco himself. Her astral image disappears but before she leaves she states that they will not meet again.

Over the next year or two Cat and Illyana continue to travel to the mountains and train. Illyana is becoming more skilled with a blade and she is even able to cut cat during one of their duels. Cat is proud of Illyana and they have reached their destination which is the citadel of Belasco and Illyana’s ticket home.

They are able to climb up to the citadel but they are confronted by a twisted version of Nightcrawler who attacks Cat. He is able to gain the upper hand on both girls and Cat phases through the ground seemingly to safety. Nightcrawler’s teleportation abilities give him an advantage and he duels with Illyana. She is not able to touch him but as he stands confidently he doesn’t notice Cat phase up behind him.
She grabs his ankle and phases his foot into the ground. As she lets go his foot solidifies in the floor causing him great pain but Cat stabs him in the chest killing him. Illyana is saddened since she remembers what he had been like and not what he had become.

With Nightcrawler out of the way the pair walk to Belasco’s alter where walls between Limbo and Earth are at its weakest. Cat intends to use her abilities to phase them through the dimensional barriers and take her back to Earth. As she begins to travel through the walls with Illyana they see a flurry of different colours but they soon find themselves in what seems to be Earth. They see the X-Men and Illyana thinks that she is home but as she grabs the hand of Kitty it is revealed that they have fallen into Belasco’s trap.

The pair find themselves before Belasco and his demon hordes. He knows that Illyana was somewhat glad to see him since he believes that she is bound to him. He looks at the dead body of Nightcrawler and is disappointed to see him dead, he states that since Cat killed him that she will take his place. Cat tries to attack Belasco but he stops her with a simple spell. Much to her horror her body is no longer in her control and she hands him her sword on his command. Belasco then uses his magic to mutate cat further until she is much more like a cat, she grows hair over her body and a tail along with cat ears and whiskers. Her free will has also been taken away and she is completely obedient to Belasco.

Illyana hides in the background but a part of her is excited by what she has seen. She approaches Belasco when he asks her two and he gives her a blade, instead of attacking him Illyana cuts herself and uses the medallion that she was given to allow some of her blood to pour into it. This forms the second blood stone and she is seemingly under Belasco’s influence.

At her sanctuary Storm is watching the events from a crystal ball and she smashes it in rage. She is horrified with what has happened and despite her vows she vows to destroy Belasco, Cat and Illyana.

My Thoughts

Now we come back to the Magik Limited Series with the second issue out of four. I really enjoyed this issue because this is one of the first issues that is almost entirely dedicated with the friendship between Illyana and Kitty Pryde. Ok it isn’t the Kitty Pryde that we all know and love but it was still very nice to see.

In this issue we also see the return of Limbo Nightcrawler who is as demonic inside as he is outwards. I did notice that his fingers and toes look more like claws and this is a beautiful reminder that he is not the Nightcrawler that has an enormous fan base but instead a more twisted version who is truly demonic. It was a shame to see him killed although we can take comfort in knowing that normal Nightcrawler is still alive and well.

We get to see Illyana gain skills as a warrior thanks to the training of Cat, it will come in handy when she manifests the Soulsword. We also saw the beginning of her friendship with Cat which will carry over into the real world with Kitty. Before Kitty had been like a big sister to her but with Cat it was more out of friendship as she tries to train Illyana for if they faced Belasco. She did do things to Illyana that would seem barbaric but it was ultimately to help her, it made her stronger and more skilled. The only thing that ruined what they had was that the light at the end of the tunnel was a trap.

I do find it somewhat hard to believe that it took them almost two years to reach Belasco’s citadel if the mountains were their ultimate destination. I admit that it would take them a while to get there from their start point but not two years. Maybe his citadel was beyond the mountains or they went at a slower pace since they were training as well as travelling. Either way it was a way to kill a bit of time during the seven years that Illyana was trapped in Limbo.

Storm’s presence was only minor in this issue but they were still important as she tries to sway Cat from her fool’s errand. I wonder what would have happened if they had returned to Storm, would Illyana have fallen into the hands of Belasco or would all three of them have been doomed. This is something that we might never know but one thing we do know is that Storm is not bluffing and that she is giving up all that she held sacred to rid the universe of Belasco.

I was sad to see Cat’s efforts come to naught and then further transformed into a cat like creature. We knew that something bad was going to happen to her and the other Limbo X-Men thanks to a few quotes from Illyana in both the Uncanny X-Men and the New Mutants series and we more or less know that their stories will not have a happy ending.

In conclusion I’m giving this issue a 9 out of 10. I thoroughly enjoyed this issue from start to finish.

Next Issue
X-Men and the Micronauts (Volume 1) #1

[a0040pc]

Issue Information
Title- Uncanny X-Men (Volume 1) #179
Release Date- March 1984
Writer- Chris Claremont
Artist- John Romita Jr. & Dan Green

Major Notes
First appearance of Leech

Brief Summary

What Happened To Kitty?

Beneath the streets of New York the Morlocks are preparing for a wedding. With Callisto leading the way they prepare a young girl to be wed to her prince. They change her into a torn wedding dress and as she is presented to the other Morlocks the girl is none other than the X-Man Kitty Pryde.

Meanwhile at a morgue nearby Wolverine, Storm and Rogue are there to identify what seems to be Kitty’s dead body. As the doctor reveals the dead body to the team they see that it looks exactly like Kitty right down to fingerprints. At first they think that it is truly her but Wolverine is suspicious. He is able to intimidate the doctor enough to leave for a few minutes and as the doctor leaves Wolverine tells the two women that the dead girl isn’t Kitty. Her scent is wrong and with that Storm starts to suspect who is behind the crime.

Meanwhile at the X-Mansion Nightcrawler is trying to find any vital signs in the injured Colossus. He cannot find any but in Colossus’s armoured form he doesn’t have any vital signs, Professor Xavier is also mentally scanning his mind while Amanda Sefton and Illyana watch on. His scans aren’t revealing anything but it could mean that Colossus is in a state of deep shock.

Suddenly Xavier picks up the thoughts of Storm who tell him about the situation at the morgue. She Wolverine and Rogue are going to track down those responsible and bring Kitty back to the mansion. Xavier agrees but suddenly overwhelmed by a mental force, it causes him to project mental bolts in all directions. Nightcrawler comes to his aid. Xavier is able to tell him that he has felt this scanning wave a few times and as he falls unconscious Nightcrawler commands Amanda to take him to the infirmary and they have to warn the others.

Meanwhile Kitty is walking through what seems to be a grand hall, she is wearing a wedding dress and the people looking on are from the high end of society. She walks up to her groom and she bows to him.
But as she looks up to him she sees the groom is Caliban and that she is in the Morlock tunnels. She pushes him away and tries to flee but Sunder comes up from behind her and grabs her. Callisto approaches her and when Kitty demands her release she is reminded of the vow that she made to Caliban the last time that she was in the Morlock tunnels. She has to marry Caliban but she begins to remember about
Colossus and she begs Callisto to let her go so that she can help him. She would promise to come back but Callisto doesn’t believe her word so Kitty has no choice but to flee. She has also discovered that she cannot use her mutant abilities.

As Kitty runs through the tunnels she realises that none of the Morlocks tried to stop her. She still cannot use her mutant abilities and she has no idea which way will take her back to the surface. She cannot see through the darkness and trips over. As she tries to pick herself up she understands what she promised Caliban and that he truly loves her. She turns and sees a young mutant who looks somewhat like a monster. Instead of running away she allows the young mutant to lead her back to the Morlocks knowing that she can’t run from her conscience.

As Kitty is taken back Callisto she is happy that she is keeping her word. Kitty begs Callisto to help Colossus so the dethroned Morlock leader sends the young mutant now called Leech to find the healer while Kitty is cleaned up before being taken to Masque.

As Kitty awaits Masque he intends to change her appearance since she is too pretty to be a Morlock. First he changes her face so that she looks like him, then Callisto, then Caliban, then Storm and until it is blank. She pushes him away in disgust and in his anger Masque deforms her face so that she cannot breathe. Callisto watches on but commands him to change Kitty back to the way that she was so that she doesn’t suffocate.

Later Kitty (now reverted to normal) is by the side of Caliban as Callisto goes through the marriage ceremony with the other Morlocks looking on. The ceremony is interrupted by Wolverine, Storm and Rogue,
Kitty tells them to stay out of it but Storm attacks Callisto anyway. Leech lunges towards Storm and the X-Man finds her powers gone. Rogue and Wolverine try to join the fight but while Kitty tries to warn them they discover that Leech has also robbed them of their powers.

Storm and Callisto continue to fight as Wolverine draws his claws. He intends to kill Callisto but Kitty stops him stating that she is doing this out of her own free will. She states that she has brought enough pain and that by allowing her to do this she can stop the fighting. The Morlocks are also their only means of saving Colossus and she agrees to go through with the wedding.

A short time later the Morlock Healer is brought to the X-Mansion where the injured Colossus is waiting. Rogue has to absorb Colossus powers so that he reverts to normal and then the healer can heal him before he bleeds to death. As they perform the manoeuvre Rogue finds herself in Colossus’s petrified form while the man himself reverts to normal. The healer then moves in and heals Colossus, his powers only go so far but Colossus will survive and eventually make a full recovery.

The next day Kitty stands outside the entrance to the subway with Illyana. She hugs her best friend and gives her a two letters, one addressed to her parents and one to Colossus. They think that they will never see each other again as Kitty walks down the subway steps.

When Kitty reaches the bottom she accepts her fate and she walks up to Caliban. She tries to find the best of the situation but Caliban calls off the wedding and frees her of her vow. She is shocked but
Caliban tells her that he realises that her place is in the sun while his is in the shadows. He knows that she doesn’t truly love him and that he must let her go. He hopes that one day she will come down to him on her own free will or that he musters the courage to come to the surface to be with her. She is honoured by this and is glad to call him her friend and before he walks away he gives her a rose. He asks her to look upon it and think of him not as a Morlock monster but her prince.

My Thoughts

Now we are back with the Uncanny X-Men in a story that has been hinted for the last couple of issues. This is where Kitty Pryde has to fulfil the promise that she made in Uncanny X-Men #170. It was a very touching issue that I enjoyed thoroughly from the very first page all the way to the last.

This was a very important issue for Kitty as despite the fact that she is repulsed by Caliban that she was willing to fulfil the vow that she made to him. She was willing to sacrifice the life that she has known not only for her conscience but for the man that she truly loves Colossus. I don’t think that there is many fourteen year old girls who would be willing to do what she did and it was touching. It shows that she is more mature than an average teenager and if she had gone through with the wedding I think she would have eventually found some happiness with Caliban.

The issue was also the first to introduce the mutant known as Leech. He is a young mutant who is most like in his preteen years. His mutant ability is to basically nullify the powers of any mutant around him. I think that he can also nullify the effects of other superpowered beings (such as Spider-Man) but I can’t confirm this for sure. He is a minor character in the X-Men franchise but is also considered to be a mutant’s dream if they absolutely hate their powers.

Colossus was also restored to health this issue after the injuries that he suffered in issue #177. I’m not too sure if there had been some way of helping him without the Morlocks. He was lucky to not have died after what had happened to him but I wonder if he will ever mention what Kitty had to go through to save him. I think it would bring them closer but sadly their relationship won’t survive for much longer.

The scanning wave that Professor Xavier has been picking up is that which is being created by a being called the Beyonder. All of that will be the topic of the upcoming Secret Wars Limited Series which began two months after the release of this issue.

Rogue also proved herself a team player as she helped Colossus return to normal despite the danger to her own life. This shows that she has truly turned away from her life as a villain and proved herself an X-Man. She has more than proved it to Storm who was originally against her joining the team.

The unsung hero of this issue was Caliban as he sacrificed his own form of happiness to release Kitty of her vow. Once again I don’t know many people who would have done that but he saw that she would be happier on the surface. It would be nice to think that one day that they do live happily ever after together but this is something that unfortunately will never happen.

In conclusion I’m giving the issue a 9 out of 10. It was a truly great issue that should be read by all.

Next Issue
Dazzler (Volume 1) #31

[Innocent Bystander]

I wish Claremont had been able to break up Piotr and Kitty organically, as opposed to Shooter's heavy handed Secret Wars version. It was clear it was going to happen, with the Doug Ramsey subplot, and it led to some of my favorite issues (183, 197).