X-Men Legend Returns to Expand on Classic Story

Chris Claremont is indisputably the most influential X-Men writer of all time, and one of the most influential comic book writers period. His original sixteen year long run on Uncanny X-Men revitalized a dying title that had previously been nothing but reprints of its earliest days, lifting the X-Men from obscurity to the highest peaks of popularity that just about any comic book team could reach pre-MCU. Over the years, Claremont has returned time and again to the mutant world he so lovingly helped uplift, writing new chapters and telling tales in alternate timelines. Now Claremont returns to the mutants once again, to tell a story set during one of his many side-stories, the limited series Wolverine and Kitty Pryde.

This new comic is a direct sequel and follow up to the original Kitty Pryde and Wolverine, which released across 1984 and 1985. This storyline is special because it is especially close to Claremont’s heart. At the time of the first volume’s release Wolverine was easily one of Marvel’s most popular characters, made so in no small part by Claremont’s work with him, and Kitty Pryde has always been one of Claremont’s favorite characters.

What You Need to Know to Dive In

Kitty Pryde and Wolverine was a standalone six issue limited series that came out in the middle of Claremont’s legendary X-Men run. The story follows Kitty and her dad Carmen’s trip to Japan after he landed in hot water with the yakuza. Kitty attempts to save her dad from the assassins that come after him, but the young X-Man is captured by the assassin Ogun, who once trained Wolverine. Kitty is brainwashed and trained by Ogun to be the perfect assassin, mixing her phasing abilities with his unparalleled training, and Kitty’s unknown and seemingly endless potential for the killing arts.

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Soon after she vanished, Wolverine traveled to Japan himself in order to find the X-Men’s surrogate little sister. He reconnects with lost love Mariko and her companion Yukio, who agree to assist him in finding and rescuing Kitty. Ogun, meanwhile, sees that Wolverine has returned to Japan and sends Kitty to kill him. She almost succeeds, until Yukio knocks her out and she returns to her senses. Kitty is distraught at what Ogun turned her into, but Wolverine pushes her to overcome what Ogun did to her by beating him her way. The duo eventually find the assassin, and although she is tempted to by her training, Kitty refuses to kill him. Ogun tries to take advantage of that, and Wolverine ends the assassin himself.

This story is especially important in Kitty Pryde’s character development because it acts as her coming of age story. This comes just a few issues after her initial breakup with Colossus, and after years of being effectively nothing more than the little sister type character, it is this story that pushes her to be a hero all on her own in a much more dark and mature way. It establishes her costume for well into the 90s, and gives her the codename Shadowcat, Kitty’s most enduring moniker.

What the New Story Promises

Wolverine and Kitty Pryde picks up right after the pair defeated Ogun, but before they return to America. It promises to delve deeper into the events of the final issue, where Kitty comes to terms with what she is now capable of doing. She has rejected Ogun’s mind control, but is unwilling to use the skills she gained from the experience. Wolverine, meanwhile, is pushing her to master her new fighting skill as he sees it as a chance for Kitty to grow into an all new kind of hero. He sees the potential it gives her, even if Kitty rejects that part of herself.

The first issue shows Kitty and Yukio receiving their costumes, and establishes how Kitty is still fighting Wolverine on her instruction. She wants to be a normal girl again, while Wolverine is trying to show her that she can’t simply be normal after all she’s been through. In the tailend of the issue, Kitty is woken up by the sound of Wolverine popping his claws. She goes upstairs, only to join a type of vision that has trapped Wolverine and Mariko. They are in traditional Japanese garb, and a massive snow golem roars at them on the final page.

By going back to an iconic story, Wolverine and Kitty Pryde is giving longtime Marvel fans a chance to revisit a beloved part comics history while also offering newer readers a chance to go a bit deeper into two characters who are so integral to so many stories. It will be interesting to see what is revealed and what adventures are had as this story continues — especially with Claremont at the helm.

Wolverine and Kitty Pryde #1 is on sale now.