The Original New Mutants Are Back!

The Originals Get Better With Age

The New Mutants have always been a high profile distinct group right up there comparable with the top notch X-Men. Since inception, their diversity, history and strength of character has been what made this title stand out among the many x-teams. During the initial run certain characters like Magma, Warlock, Mirage and Karma have fallen to the way side. Others like Cannonball, Wolfsbane & Sunspot have been used on numerous occasions throughout the 90s but this era suffered from weak story lines from time to time. I'm overjoyed that the title will relaunch giving some focus to the much more mature and eXperienced mutants. If anything near the attention to detail that was placed on New X-Men volume two is shown here it will be an overnight success like back in its heyday. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens neXt especially with all the x-books being of such a high caliber at this point in time. The characters have grown with us and it's going to be interesting seeing them take their lives and the future of the dying mutant race to the neXt level. The first issue is already out and if it's any indication we're off to a great start. Here's to at least another 100 issues of New Mutants.

Legion (David Haller) son of Professor X and Gabrielle Haller. This autistic mutants manifested three personalities each with a different mutant ability:
I.) Telekinesis: moving & manipulation of physical objects - adventurous adult male personality
II.) Telepathy: control and projection of the mind - personality of a terrorist
III.) Pyrokinesis: creation & control of fire - defiant young female personality

Anybody who doesn't find Charles Xavier intriguing needs to have their head eXamined. The dynamics of his life and the people in it always made for good story telling. David scored big by having Charles as his dad. However he really won the popularity award just by being as intriguing, human and vulnerable like his dad despite being an eXtremely powerful mutant. This is a child that has been caught in the crossfire or a war between two races human and mutant as well as a broken family. There was never any lack of love from his parents but his mutation and mental condition placed him in a category all of his own. His mind like his life is in permanent fluX and no matter how crazy it gets I never get bored or tired of it. Like any other child he just wants to be recognised and loved by his parents especially his father Charles. It's going to be interesting (to say the least) to see where Legion goes from here.

Danielle Moonstar (previously called Psyche, Mirage) all beautiful names.

Prior to the events of House of M where she was depowered, Moonstar could:
I.) create realistic holographic illusion in her victims
II.) She had a psionic link with animals
III.) She could manifest fear in the form of a psychic arrow to render a person unconscious after being shot.
IV.) Dani was once a Valkyrie with a white Pegasus, connections to Asgard the mystical realm and able to perceive impending death before it occurred. The death of her pegasus, Brightwind changed this somewhat. I'm looking forward to any further development here.

Dani was always a proud cheyenne warrior with formidable fighting skills as well as undeveloped mystical abilities. The possibilities with her are limitless. This is a woman that is dynamic in every sense of the word and when she makes a move everybody takes note.

Magik (Illyana Rasputin)

There have been many siblings and other family connections in the world of the X-Men. The bond between Illyana and her big brother, the x-man Colossus is by far the most interesting sibling relationship. This brother sister duo proved that no matter how much life changed they were always there for each other. The once thought dead sorceress queen of a hellish dimension and mutant temporal teleporter has a lot on her plate right now. Returning at a time when her family has grown and her best friend and brother's girlfriend seemingly sacrificed her life to save the planet Earth. Personally I think our little snowflake deserves some hope and happiness in her life. She has sacrificed so much and tried relentlessly to aid others in the past. Magik has proved that no matter how bad life gets all you need is hope and love to make magic happen.

The New Mutants from back in the day.

image courtesy of http://vegetariangoat.deviantart.com/

The Return of Magik and the New Mutants Reassembled!

Unless you're not a Marvel fan, brain dead or living under a rock you'd know that Illyana Raasputin is back. (Those Rasputins they never stay dead. Hey I'm not complaining.) As Magik of the New Mutants she was a demon sorceress of a hellish dimension called Limbo where she grew up. Now that Illyana's back the New Mutants return to publication with a new series in May.

Illyana with her soul sword

(it can only harm magical beings)

Magik as she appeared with the Exiles.

Magical armor forming

Magical armor & sword

Reverting to her normal human self after claiming her sword

Illyana in Darkchylde form.

This incarnation was referred to as the Lightchylde.


New weapon (has that axe effect)

From the recent X-Infernus series Magik & the X-Men
(left-right: Wolverine, Colossus, Pixie, Mercury, Nightcrawler)

One Less Mutant To Fear

My favorite Native American character is Danielle Moonstar of the original New Mutants.
Ms Moonstar is currently a student adviser and teacher at the Xavier school declining the position of x-man for this role. She's a fierce confident warrior whose determination make her a good role model for the students. I've always been able to relate most to her as a new mutant because maybe because we have a lot in common and she's Native American. Her mutant abilities grant her the ability to manifest somebody's fear in the form of a realistic holographic scenario. In the past she became a Valkyrie able to perceive death when somebody was close to passing away. Since the events of M-Day she had been depowered but still mentors they Young X-Men.

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/.