Some Light Reading - The Old New Mutants

The girls of the New Mutants:
Mirage (top), Karma (back), Magma (crouching), Wolfsbane (morphing).

Since last year I have been trying to update myself on some X-Men history. I have been reading the original New Mutants comics. The group first appeared in the Marvel Graphic Novel #4 (1982) from Marvel Comics. The New Mutants which was published monthly, followed these characters along the journey their lives took since discovering the were mutants. Mutants are humans who posses an extra ability due to genetic evolution. The book is quite impressive. I'm beginning to wonder why Cannonball was the only person that made it/graduated to the X-Men. Excluding Wolfsbane who was on several other teams. This series was unique because it centered on the lives of these teenagers that just happened to be mutants. The New Mutants initially had 5 members: Karma, Sunspot, Wolfsbane, Cannonball and Mirage, the leaders. I also like the idea of the team being mostly female. The book focused on character development which is evident with the addition of Magma, Magik, Shadowcat, Warlock and Cypher in future years. As I continue to read this series I'm discovering much more than how these characters fit into the X-Men universe. I'm growing and evolving with these mutants, whom I have come to hold in such high regard. Artist Bob McLeod, painter Bill Sienkiewicz and writer Chris Claremont did a wonderful job bringing drama to the lives of these youngsters.

Here are the initial 6 members of the New Mutants and their mutant abilities.
Cannonball - thermochemical rocket propelled flight/near invulnerability
Karma - telepathic possession of others
Magma - flame projection and control over lava and volcanic activity including earthquakes
Mirage - elaborate mental illusions normally linked with fear
Sunspot - super strength from solar energy absorption
Wolfsbane - mutant werewolf, transforms at will

Cannonball, Wolfsbane, Karma, Mirage, Magma.

The Sentinels vs the original team, excluding Karma.

The new mutants are property of Marvel Comics.
Images 1&2 courtesy of Joshua Middleton http://joshuamiddleton.com/
Image 3 courtesy of Bob McLeod http://www.bobmcleod.com/.