What’s Covered?
New X-Men # 127, X-Treme X-Men # 19, Wolverine # 177 - 178, X-Men Unlimited # 35 - 36 & 38, Mekanix # 1- 8.
Roster Watch
My Connections and Creators
This blog will be a little unique as it's a combination of being a "hodge podge" and a "transition state" for the main titles.
Both New X-Men and X-Treme X-Men are going through some major changes with their lineups. Uncanny is also going through big lineup and creative changes, but I'm saving that for it's own blog as we usher in the Chuck Austen era.
The New X-Men will be losing Wolverine and Beast, but gaining Xorn. At least I think Xorn will be a recurring character. This means there will be even more focus on Scott, Jean, and Emma, which I'm perfectly fine with.
X-Treme X-Men is losing Rogue, Gambit, Thunderbird, and Lifeguard, yet they'll be gaining Wolverine. I talked in the last X-Treme blog about Thunderbird not really catching on as a character, so I'm glad that Claremont was able to recognize that and move on. I'm bummed though about Lifeguard, I liked her. Rogue and Gambit are taking off together, but you know they won't be far whereas Lifeguard and Thunderbird won't be heard from for about 20 years. The biggest change in dynamics is related to the team no longer focusing on finding Destiny's diaries after Rogue changed her trajectory. This was kind of a weak storyline so I'm ok with that, but I fear that they may not find a focus at all moving forward.
A large part of this blog will actually focus in on my favorite X-Men hero, Kitty Pryde. I had heard a lot of great thinks about the Mekanix series and I totally agree that it's a splendid read.
I want to mention that the theme of Jean being more of a segregationist comes up again as this time Kitty is happy to play the foil as opposed to Scott from last time.
Synopsis
New X-Men # 127: Xorn and transitions
Writer - Grant Morrison
Pencils - John Paul Leon
We find out that Xorn is the one who fixed Xavier's spine. It appears as though Xorn is going to remain with the team as we learn more about him. He talks through manipulating matter and he see's through recognition of light. There is a short story here as Xorn tries to help a 12 year old boy who mutated into a monster, but the boy is killed by cops.
The other main story here is that both Beast and Wolverine are leaving this lineup, leaving the team only with Scott, Jean, Emma, and Xorn.
X-Treme X-Men # 19: Major Lineup shifts
Writer - Chris Claremont
Pencils - Salvador Larocca
The X-Treme team is back in New Orleans as they are visted by Jean, Beast, Kitty, Wolverine, and Nightcrawler. There seems to be a conscious effort here to drop the barricade between series and usher in a more connected future? We'll see, but that's the impression I'm getting.
Jean claims they started X Corp. to help out mutants who don’t want to join the school, however that seems like a bit of revisionist history considering what I covered in 209: Uncanny X-Men 399 - 409 (X-Corp).
They all tease Storm about being involved in a harem and it's fun to see the team laying back, having a good time.
Kitty is arguing with Jean as Jean sounds a bit more of a segregationist and Kitty wants co-existence. Later, she tells Storm that she regrets coming back to see everyone. She's struggling with the fact that the ones she loves dies, and she’s reminded that a bunch of people almost died in Madripoor, including Storm currently being in a wheelchair.
Thunderbird agrees to leave with Lifeguard and help her find her brother. This marks the exit of both Thunderbird and Lifeguard from the series.
Beast checks on Gambit after using nano bots to cure his scars. Remember when he got a sword through his fucking heart?
Bishop is trying to convince everyone, including Sage, that they should go back with Jean. Bishop reminds Sage that Rogue changed her destiny and therefore they don’t need to find Destiny’s diaries. It's interesting that Bishop was doing the one convincing them considering he is one of the only three who stick with the X-Treme team after this issue.
It sounds like Rogue and Gambit are getting ready to run off together. Rogue also seems to be able to touch people with her skin, however I don't recall how that happened.
Wolverine # 177 - 178: Filler
Writer - Matt Nixon
Pencils - Dan Fraga
I only have the following to say: "Rogue priests want to make everyone Catholic." Feel free to skip these two.
X-Men Unlimited # 35: 3 boring stories
1
Jean fights Sabretooth while Joel, a teenage mutant, looks on
2
Rogue gets in a bar fight at a strip club
3
Slab is an actor in a new X-Men movie
XMU # 36 & 38, Mekanix # 1 - 6: KITTY!
Writer - Chris Claremont (Mekanix)
Pencils - Juan Bobillo (Mekanix)
X-Men Unlimited vol. 1 #36  5/30/2002  Chris Claremont, Ian Edginton, Jeff Jensen  Salvador Larroca, Joe Chiodo, John Totleben
Kitty is living a normal life in college
She is reminiscing about all the people who have died around her
She saves a family from a burning building
Kitty beats up a bunch of bigots and gets put on probation
Kitty finds footage that her dad died in Genosha and right before he died. He looked at a camera and told her that he was proud of her.
Second and third story can be found here: https://uncannyxmen.net/comics/issue/x-men-unlimited-1st-series-36
I can't find the reference, but I read this a year ago because Claremont mentioned it as his favorite Kitty story on a podcast. I agree that all of these Kitty stories are the best I've read since the original early Claremont run.
Unlimited
X-Men Unlimited vol. 1 #38  9/11/2002  Greg Rucka  Darick Robertson
Kitty is sad and thinks she sees Piotr one year after his sacrifice
Kurt comes to be a friend
It turns out that the cop is not Piotr, but she befriends him anyway.
I love seeing that Kurt and Kitty are still so close. I'm trying to decide if they are overdoing this angle about Kitty being said about so many people close to her dying or if it's a brilliant plot point that they should be milking. I maybe feel both emotions simultaneously.
Mekanix
Mekanix #1  10/9/2003  Chris Claremont  Juan Bobillo
Kitty is still dealing with the death of her dad
Kitty runs into Shan Coy Mahn at the bar
Some fascists disrupt an experiment Kitty is working on. Boom
Mekanix #2  11/13/2003  Chris Claremont  Juan Bobillo
Kitty helps her fellow scientist escape from the explosion
A Genoshan mutant named Shola Inkosi saves everyone with telekinesis
Kitty shows her power to a peer turned bigot
Kitty stays quiet in therapy
FBI investigating the explosion
A rogue ship heads towards shore
Mekanix #3  12/11/2002  Chris Claremont  Juan Bobillo
The FBI raid Kitty’s apartmentÂ
Shan is evicted
Bigots try to kill Kitty, but Tom (hacker who regrets his actions) helps. Shola helps too
Mekanix #4  1/8/2003  Chris Claremont  Juan Bobillo
Sentinels attack Kitty and Shan
Mekanix #5  2/12/2003  Chris Claremont  Juan Bobillo
The sentinel keeps rebuilding itself
Kitty and Shan share a moment. Almost a kiss?
Shola shows up to help
Kitty debates the head bigot, Alice
A bunch of Sentinels show up
Mekanix #6  3/12/2003  Chris Claremont  Juan Bobillo
Kitty, Shan, and Shola destroy the sentinels