276: New Excalibur # 13 - 24 (Exiles & New Excalibur Conclude)
- Matt Campbell
- Jul 9
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 20
What’s Covered?
New Excalibur # 13 - 24, Exiles # 90 - 100, Wisdom # 1 - 6, X-Men: Die By the Sword # 1 - 5
Roster Watch
Synopsis
Exiles # 90 - 94: Enemy of the Stars
Writer - Chris Claremont
Pencils - Paul Pelletier
The arc begins with Heather Hudson (Multiverse secretary/switchboard operator) revealing a terrifying possibility: if Proteus were to possess Morph, the multiverse could be destroyed.
OMG! Guess what, this entire plot point gets dropped. In the first issue, Morph was identified as Kevin McTaggert, then later he just goes back to Morph. Then...no one talked about this, with the exception of one throwaway comment. That's not like Claremont, but he was obviously rushing to end the series.
Recognizing the stakes, Power Princess (whoever the fuck that was) chooses to leave the Exiles, making way for Psylocke (The real, 616 version) to officially join the team. Claremont fricken loves Psylocke. Meanwhile, Nocturne’s Excalibur team is highlighted as a unique variable in the multiversal equation—hinted to be key in resisting chaos.
The Exiles land on an Earth ruled by a tyrannical version of Sue Storm, who has captured both Blink and Spider-Man 2099. Reed Richards leads a resistance against her regime. In the chaos, Sabretooth bests Captain America in a brutal fight, while it’s revealed that Sue is in league with a savage Wolverine (who she's banging) and Slaymaster—the latter being infamous for maiming Psylocke (blinding her) in 616.
In a desperate gambit, the Exiles and Reed escape to another dimension. Working together, they manage to topple Sue’s empire, saving the multiverse from her twisted vision of order.
Quick editing note. When I decide what order to read comics, I usually a few different guides to help me group arcs together. I assumed that this Evil Sue Richards would pop back up (because she escaped at the end) and become the "big bad," but no she literally never came back.
Wisdom # 1 - 6
Writer - Paul Cornell
Pencils - Trevor Hairsine, Manuel Garcia
Wisdom is a six-issue Marvel MAX mini-series by Paul Cornell that follows Pete Wisdom and MI:13 as they battle bizarre British threats, from invading fairies and dragons to interdimensional Jack the Rippers and Martian plots. Blending magic, espionage, and mythology, the series lays the groundwork for Captain Britain and MI:13. With sharp wit and surreal danger, it offers a uniquely British take on Marvel's supernatural side.
Another editing note. I didn't actually read this all the way through. It was terrible. Don't tell anyone.
New Excalibur # 13 - 15: Juggernaut goes soft
Writer - Frank Tieri
Pencils - Jim Calafiore
The Wrecking Crew attacks Juggernaut, and tension mounts among the team. TJ’s infatuation with Cain grows, but he’s still hung up on Dazzler. Cain begins hearing a sinister voice urging him to embrace his darker impulses (spoiler: It's Cyttorak!). He visits Black Tom to reconcile over Sammy’s death. This is a pretty big deal which I'll touch on later. Meanwhile, Juggernaut goes off to Korea seeking Cyttorak.
TJ confronts Dazzler about chasing fame and leading Juggs on. In Korea, Cyttorak reveals he created Juggernaut as a vessel and we learn that there had been other Juggernaut's before (at least this was news to me!)
A harrowing past is revealed: the original Juggernaut destroyed an entire village. The team debates kicking Cain out, but Pete Wisdom defends him based on his own sins. Black Knight quits, and Cain secretly keeps the gem.
New Excalibur # 16 - 17: Fallen Friend
Writer - Chris Claremont
Pencils - Scot Eaton
Vivid art showcases a fresher, sexier TJ design. The team stops a robbery, Juggs is stunned by a bullet, and Dazzler is shot—but revives. Then TJ suffers a stroke and loses some memory and motor skills. TJ recuperates in hospital with the team’s unwavering support.
New Excalibur # 18 - 24: Albion
Writer - Chris Claremont
Pencils - Various
Albion’s dark origin is revealed: in a world where WWI never ended, Brian Braddock chose power via the Sword. He wages conquest, sets out to destroy Our Captain Britain, and trains Lionheart (recent Avenger who had previously been the only member of the Captain Britain core who chose the sword over the shield) as his apprentice. We see how absolute power twists heroism—a major thematic inversion of the Captain Britain legacy.
Juggs tries to play villain. Lionheart and Albion share an intimate moment. Shadow‑X (the evil group of X-Men that annoyingly keep appearing) attempts to corrupt Lionheart but fails. Shadow King (who we learn has been the big bad throughout the series) overtakes evil Professor X, and Shadow‑X tries to transfer its power. The story delves into loyalty, corruption, and betrayal—especially as evil twists legacies.
Excalibur battles Shadow‑X. Sage infiltrates Albion’s stronghold and grows in power. Albion deploys an EMP to plunge England into darkness. Shadow‑X saves civilians and allies with Excalibur. Then, Sage (now “Brittanica”) protects Albion and brutally beheads Shadow Cyclops. Power and allegiance shift rapidly; betrayal becomes visceral.
Excalibur fights Albion’s forces. “Brittanica” kills dark Beast (Let's call him Dark-er Beast so he's not confused with the Age of Apocalypse Dark Beast). Lionheart switches sides and Angel is stabbed. Evil Jean goes on a rampage. Finally, Sage recovers her senses, Excalibur unites to defeat Albion, and the mysterious Avalon rebirth cycle remains unresolved. Major resolution with lingering mysteries—and emotionally charged reunions.
Exiles # 95 - 99: A Dream of Two Good Men
Writer - Chris Claremont
Pencils - Various
Heather abandons the mission believing her team lost; Psylocke agonizes over repeating failure to the Slaymaster. Poor girl has serious trauma. They encounter a reality controlled by Dr. Doom (as the leader of the F4.) Unsurprisingly, Doom was bein evil and stuff, controlling the free will of Earth's people. Doom’s manipulation pushes Reed to destroy the planet to protect the greater multiverse (Seems like a rational choice, right?). The arc highlights sacrifice, leadership fracture, and the brutal costs of freedom.
X-Men: Die By The Sword #1 - 5
Writer - Chris Claremont
Pencils - Juan Santacruz
Brian hosts a party for both teams—romance rekindles between TJ and ThunderBird as well as Dazzler/Wisdom. Since I didn't read much of Exiles, and Claremont makes that assumption, we are filled in on the fact that they (TJ & T-Bird) used to be together but ThunderBird was believed to be killed. Dazzler and Wisdom hooking up seems completely out of left field. I mean, Dazzler was involved in a love/flirt triangle with TJ and Juggernaut. Wisdom is constantly hitting on Sage. That was all throw out to set up a new "love angle" with Longshot being reunited with Dazz.
Jaspers returns, cuts through their celebration, and an armored assailant attacks Brian. Jaspers is a villain from the original Cap Britain stories. I've read his backstory a bunch and it still confuses me. He was the former PM of Britain and then went evil and has Jamie Braddock powers...or something???
In Part 2, the heroes are whisked to the crystal palace; Longshot has no memory of Albion.
Parts 3–4: Both teams unite to defend Roma’s palace against Jaspers. Roma is stabbed, Longshot is semi‑gutted, and Merlyn may have slain Roma (not before she transfered her essence in Sage). Albion and Captain Britain join forces to face Jaspers/Fury.
Part 5: Roma appears dead, Sage inherits Roma’s memories and goes rogue. Betsy, Blink (did you forget about her? Claremont did), and TJ opt to stay behind. Longshot sides with New Excalibur to stay with Dazzler. Exiles #100 follows, as the teams choose paths, with Nocturne’s future group forming.
Exiles # 100: Conclusion
Writer - Chris Claremont
Pencils - Tom Grummett
This milestone issue sees Blink, Nocturne, and Thunderbird decide to step away from the Exiles—physically and emotionally exhausted—traveling to Earth‑3470 to help Nocturne recover from her stroke under Heather Hudson’s care.
Back at the Crystal Palace, Sage struggles with Roma’s new memories and accidentally clashes with her teammates, while Cat and Rogue nearly die during a reckless palace excursion that forces Rogue to reveal flight powers.
The issue wraps by reprinting the original Exiles #1 and teasing the formation of a New Exiles team, setting up fresh adventures as volume one closes
My Connections and Creators
Boring or Great?
Overall, this wasn't the easiest to get through. I read a huge chunk in a row and that helped me to get somewhat more invested. I've been a big fan of Juggernaut since Chuck Austen worked his magic (Yea, I'm a Chuck Austen guy, so sue me!) Sage is interesting. Nocturn seems like a character I would like if I read more of her. But Dazzler, Captain Britain, and Pete Wisdom are a hard pass for me. Pete Wisdom wasn't terrible as part of Excalibur under Warren Ellis, but he's insufferable under Claremont.
I think it was really a choice to spent two full issues focusing on nothing but TJ having a stroke. Why? Why was that necessary. I would bet anything that Claremont had a friend who had a stroke and he just wanted to write about. It did nothing for the overall plot or the character. I'm really baffled by that choice.
I also can't believe how many arcs Claremont simply dropped. Morph as Proteus. Evil Sue Storm. Dazzler's reincarnations. Love triangles. Sage going too far. Fucking Meggan. I don't even fully know if Juggernaut is a good guy!
Ever since Claremont came back, he has a villain problem. He keeps inventing these villains thinking they will carry his story. Shadow X, Albion, Jaspers, a stroke. You can do better, Chris.
Thoughts on Art
Scot Eaton’s penciling shines especially in Excalibur’s street‑level battles and Sage’s transformations. The darker tone in Albion is augmented by artistic grit, while Claremont’s scripts pay homage to classic character drama.
Larger Impacts/ Things to keep an eye on
We spend two issues primarily focusing on TJ. Will she still have symptoms next time we see her!? Better yet, will we ever see her again!? (According to the Marvel Wiki, she won't appear again for two years until Exiles Vol 2, and only a total of 6 more comics to date. Poor Nocturne)
Sage’s transformation into “Brittanica” and inheritance of Roma’s memories. Bro, this is the second series in a row where Sage went bad again. Are we going to start remembering that? Also, I bet you $20 we never see another peep about Sage having Roma's memories, but I hope I'm wrong. (Shit, according to the Marvel Wiki, we won't see Sage again until something called "New Exiles" two years from now, also written by Claremont, and it runs for 19 issues. Unlike TJ, we'll see a lot of Sage in the years to come.)
Where the fuck is Meggan!?
Did we really never learn why Dazzler kept reincarnating!? This better be picked up in the future.
Is Juggernaut going to stay as a good guy or is this the beginning of him breaking bad?
Will Dazzler and Longshot stay together? My guess is YES.
Characters
Captain Britain (Brian Braddock)
Brian is torn between legacy and redemption. First depicted conquering his dark world as Albion, he returns humbled, teaming with Excalibur and Exiles. His leadership is tested at the palace—and though he declines Saturnyne’s offer, he remains a moral linchpin balancing power and restraint.
Juggernaut (Cain Marko)
Cain’s journey is layered: from revenge-seeking to nearly a villain’s pawn. His past atrocities contrast with his redeeming actions, and the Juggernaut‑gem secret fuels internal team conflict. He emerges as a tragic anti‑hero on the edge.
His visit to see Black Tom in jail is a big deal! Black Tom killed fucking Sammy and that's what sent Juggernaut to the light side. It looks like Black Tom is repenting and they may have made up. What will happen between them!?
Dazzler (Alison Blaire)
Dazzler’s compassion and guidance of Cain show her growth. Her romance with Wisdom anchors her emotionally, and her revival after being shot underlines her resilience. Loyalty, light, and leadership define her path forward.
Nocturne (Talia “T.J.” Josephine)
TJ’s growth is the heartache of heroism: stroke, memory, identity. Once carefree, she’s now vulnerable yet stronger for it—finding love, coping with trauma, and discovering her mutant legacy and physical limits.
Sage (Tessa)
Sage evolves from tactical mind to Britannia under dark sway, and finally Roma‑inherited persona. Her arc is one of internal integration and reclamation—and her possession by Roma’s power marks a major turning point.
Pete Wisdom
Wisdom stands by Cain, frank about past sins. His relationship with Dazzler softens his gruff demeanor. As trusted ally, his judgment and experience become critical in guiding the fractured team.