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New Mutants |
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My thoughts on this series as a whole have not entirely been formed yet,
at least not so far as I would feel comfortable making them public. But anyway, I highly doubt
that you came here to read what it is that I may or may not have thought.
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| Issues Owned: |
1, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31, 38, 39, 41,
51, 54, 59, 61, 63, 64, 66, 67, 68, 79, 84, 85, 86, 87, 100
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of 100 |
| #1 | | March, 1983 |
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| Writer | Penciller | Inks | | Chris Claremont | Bob McLeod | Mike Gustovich | | The New Mutants gather to watch their fellow teammate Karma get an unwanted make-over from their teacher Stevie Hunter. Making a joke, Psyche accidentally uses her mutant power and pulls horribly real images from Karma's past of her parents getting killed and her and her siblings being kidnapped by Thai pirates. Enraged Karma attacks her until Sunspot pulls her off. Sorry and upset Psyche leaves the room and wanders through the mansion and comes across the X-Men's quarters. Later the New Mutants are summoned by Professor Xavier to the Danger Room for their first Danger Room session. Their mission is to simply cross the room. Cannonball, Wolfsbane, Sunspot and Karma fail and when it's Psyche's turn, she runs away in fear. Wolfsbane later finds Psyche on the Xavier Estate by using her wolf tracking senses. Not so happy with her powers, Psyche tells Wolfsbane how she showed her family their deaths and that the school was her last hope. Leaving her to herself, Wolfsbane joins the other New Mutants and leave the school for an outing to the mall. They are spotted and followed by two agents of Project Wideawake. Dani however, returns to the mansion and sneaks back into the Danger Room, where she activates the test sequence designed for her. Although the program involves robots that can not be affected be her mental power, Dani accomplishes what none of the others could do and crossed the room. However, she is suddenly zapped by a ray from behind and when she comes around, she is once more in the Danger Room, in an X-Men training scenario involving a huge monster, and the safety protocols have been switched off. Meanwhile Moira MacTaggert and Illyana Rasputin meet Israeli Ambassador Gabrielle Haller and learn that she has an autistic son with psi-powers. She needs help, but doesn't want Xavier to get involved as he is unaware of being the boy's father. |
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June, 1984 | | #16 |
| Writer | Penciller | Inks | | Chris Claremont | Sal Buscema | Tom Mandrake &
Kim DeMulder | | The New Mutants manage to hide from the White Queen within the Massachusetts Academy while Emma Frost tries to convince Kitty Pryde that her methods are the only one that can make young mutants safe. Emma Frost sends the Hellions, the Hellfire Club’s own training team of mutants, after them. Sunspot and Wolfsbane are defeated by Thunderbird and Roulette, while Cannonball and Magma manage to hold their own until Emma Frost uses her telepathy on them. Only Mirage and Illyana manage to escape with one of Illyana’s stepping disks. |
| #17 | | July, 1984 |
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| Writer | Penciller | Inks | | Chris Claremont | Sal Buscema | Tom Mandrake &
Kim DeMulder | | Emma Frost has a conference with the Hellions about their recent battle with the New Mutants. The New Mutants (besides Mirage and Illyana) are officially prisoners of the White Queen and will soon get brainwashed along Kitty Pryde top join the Hellions. Having escaped to Limbo, Mirage is given the full disclosure on Illyana Rasputin's darker self. They secretly teleport back to the Massachusetts Academy and try to liberate their friends, but are discovered. Yet the Hellions disagree with their teacher's methods of recruiting new mutant students, so they offer the New Mutants their freedom if they vanquish them in a duel. The fight between cannonball and Jetstream is interrupted by Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw. In the confusion Kitty phases through the training room’s security systems, causing multiple attacks, and the New Mutants are safely teleported back to Salem Center by Illyana. |
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August,1984 | | #18 |
| Writer | Artist | Color | | Chris Claremont | Bill Sienkiewicz | Glynis Wein | | Rachel Summers, a young woman from the future, remembers her past – in the future – where she witnessed the death of Xavier and plans to change that. When she reaches the mansion and sees Illyana however, she starts to realize that she is in the wrong timeline and runs away. Mirage is haunted by her Demon Bear in her dreams. She goes through Danger Room scenarios fighting bears and refuses to give any satisfying explanation, much to Illyana’s dismay. Remembering that the Demon Bear is responsible for the death of her parents, Dani finally decides to face it alone. She actually manages to win the desperate fight, seemingly killing the beast, but then unexpectedly it comes back to life. Notified through her rapport with Dani, Rahne wakes up screaming. Racing to the battlesite she and the other New Mutants find a horribly injured Dani. Somewhere in space a young alien named Warlock flees for his life from his incredibly powerful father, who wants to kill him. |
| #19 | | September, 1984 |
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| Writer | Artist | Color | | Chris Claremont | Bill Sienkiewicz | Glynis Wein | | The injured Mirage is brought to the hospital and undergoes extensive surgery. The New Mutants, who accompanied her, are questioned by police officer Tom Corsi, who has a hard time believing that Dani was mauled by a bear. Nurse Sharon Friedlander tries to give the kids hope and invites them to stay. Alone, the New Mutants realize, that the Demon Bear Dani was always afraid of does exist. From a telepathic conversation with Dani via her and Rahne's rapport, they learn that the monster will be back for her. However due to her injuries, Dani is unable to tell them all she knows about the creature. Not before long Corsi and Friedlander are attacked and abducted by the Bear. Magik in the meantime, created a magical forcefield around the operating room. As the Bear attacks her and Sunspot, and scratches her, a protective armor appears on her injured bodyparts instead of blood. Illyana manages to drive the beast off with her Soulsword. After severing the powerlines the Bear tries another attack, and once again finds the mutants ready to defend their friend. Finally, the Bear teleports itself, the energy bubble containing the operating room, its prisoners Corsi and Friedlander and the New Mutants to its own dimension, where it is more powerful. Meanwhile in space, the Starjammers witness two incredibly powerful beings making their way to Earth. Unable to warn their friends on Earth in time, they hope for the best. |
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December, 1984 | | #22 |
| Writer | Artist | Color | | Chris Claremont | Bill Sienkiewicz | Glynis Wein | | Nightcrawler is trying to help Cannonball with his maneuverability problems in the Danger Room, where they are joined by Wolfsbane. Cannonball tries to copy Nightcrawler’s moves, but fails, although Kurt consoles him that he just needs practice. Kurt then uses the Danger Room holographic technology to trick Rahne into believing he is Sam and dances with her. When he shows her the truth, she calls him a demon and runs away. Sunspot in the meantime is training with Colossus and in a fit of rage almost hurts the X-Man, while noting that his hands briefly become non-human. Rahne is looking for someone to talk, first Dr MacTaggert, then Mirage, but eventually shares her problems with nobody. In her room, she writes down a fairy tale about an enchanted princess living an idyllic life in the forest. When her true love Duncan falls under a spell by an evil sorceress, princess Alystraea changes into her wolfform, and leaves for the big city, where eventually she finds the sorceress and her companion and attacks them. Later at night, while asleep, Rahne has an identical necklace as the sorceress of her story. In the meantime, the villainess Selene searches out her high priest Friedrich von Roehm, because she needs both a powerbase and a residence. Von Roehm suggests the Hellfire Club. Sunspot’s father, Emmanuel DaCosta, is about to join the Inner Circle of that club, but expresses some doubts about the club’s rituals and its dress code. The Black King, Shaw, calms him and DaCosta is determined to join. |
| #23 | | January, 1985 |
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| Writer | Artist | Color | | Chris Claremont | Bill Sienkiewicz | Glynis Wein | | After acting moody for quite some time, Sunspot goes berserk at Harry’s Hideaway, thrashing the place and fighting Colossus. Piotr manages to knock the strangely transformed boy out, but falls unconscious himself in the process. Xavier sends Mirage and Cannonball to retrieve them. Later, while Xavier and Moira examine the unconscious boys, Mirage and Cannonball are called to a luxurious hotel in Manhattan by Rahne who has no idea how she ended up there. Sam and Dani finally manage to understand Sunspot’s and Wolfsbane’s bizarre behavior, when they learn thanks to a newspaper article that recently two teenagers were attacked by a wolf. They recognize the teenagers as Cloak and Dagger. Sunspot and Wolfsbane were once injected with the drug that gave those two their power and now somehow they have stolen those powers. Sam and Dani ask the two former heroes for help, but they decline as they want a normal life. In the meantime Sunspot wakes up, bursts into shadows, consumes Colossus and attacks Xavier. In the meantime in Manhattan the Hellfire Club’s Inner Circle admits Selene and Emmanuel DaCosta into their ranks. |
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February, 1985 | | #24 |
| Writer | Artist | Color | | Chris Claremont | Bill Sienkiewicz | Glynis Wein | | Before the horrifyingly changed Sunspot can attack Moira, Rahne enters the room. She changes into a glowing angel of light and soothes him with her light. As the other New Mutants join them, the terrified Roberto teleports himself and Rahne to St. Anne's Church, where he asks Father Michael Bowen for help. Roberto admits that he consumed Colossus, but Rahne mentions that Peter can still be saved - she enters the shadow as a silver wolf and drags Colossus forth from a nightmare of self-loathing, due to his guilt about Kitty and Zsaji. Back at the church, Xavier and the other mutants are waiting for them, having traced them with Cerebro. Xavier attempts to learn about the shadow's nature with the help of Dani, who manifests Roberto's fears. As his shadow manifests again, Illyana comes to the conclusion that those powers might be fought with magic. She teleports herself, Rahne and Bobby to Limbo and tries to exorcise them, but fails spectacularly. Upon returning to the church, Xavier furiously tells her that he had everything under control, until she intervened and it was extremely dangerous to act on her own. They're joined by Tandy and Tyrone, who after a lot of soul-searching have decided that they can not turn their back on the mutants and want to help if they can. In the Bermuda Triangle, Lee Forrester and Magneto get to know each other better. |
| #25 | | March, 1985 |
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| Writer | Artist | Color | | Chris Claremont | Bill Sienkiewicz | Glynis Wein | | Ty and Tandy have decided to help the New Mutants. Surprisingly they realize that Father Michael is Tandy's uncle. While uncle and niece are happy to see each other again, Ty is rather curt with them. He crouches in a corner lost in feelings of self-loathing and fear. Xavier in the meantime debriefs Illyana and wonders what to do. They have to act soon, as Sunspot can't handle the shadows any longer. Xavier has a conversation with Ty, telling him about his past experiences with his own powers, explaining that powers aren't necessarily a curse, but fear inevitably makes them one. Ty finally agrees and Xavier decides to let Illyana try again, this time with their help. Illyana teleports them all to Limbo and Rogue with Xavier's help absorbs Dagger's power from Rahne. Before she can absorb Bobby he goes wild and attacks - Ty bravely tries to stop him and gives Rogue the chance to absorb Bobby's shadow powers as well. Illyana then exorcises the powers from Rogue and back into their rightful owners. Back at the church, restored, Cloak and Dagger thank them, but decline Xavier's offer of help. Sunspot will need that help more, plus they are needed on the streets. Later Cloak and Dagger save two runaways from the pimp who earlier accosted them and wonder whether they make a difference. Cloak concludes it's the trying that counts. Xavier taught them that. |
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April 1985 | | #26 |
| Writer | Artist | Color | | Chris Claremont | Bill Sienkiewicz | Glynis Wein | | Tom Coris and Sharon Friedlander become the victims of Moira MacTaggert's latest patient, David Haller. Moira asks for help from Xavier, who comes to Muir Isle alongside several New Mutants. David is the son of Xavier's onetime lover Gaby Haller, who asks Charles to help her son the way he once helped her. The New Mutants, in the meantime, run afoul of Wolfsbane's old guardian, Reverend Craig, causing Rahne to doubt herself and seek out Moira. Both of them are surprised by the astral form of an Arab, trying to warn them before David attacks them as well. At the Massachusetts Academy, Emma Frost restricts the powers of her pupil, Empath, as punishment for what he did to Firestar and, in the Bermuda Triangle, Magneto and Lee Forrester become lovers after she saves his life for the second time. |
| #27 | | May, 1985 |
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| Writer | Artist | Color | | Chris Claremont | Bill Sienkiewicz | Glynis Wein | | After Xavier and the New Mutants find the comatose Moira and Wolfsbane in Moira’s destroyed lab, Xavier and Mirage try to contact them via Dani’s and Rahne’s psychic link on the astral plane. It turns out to be a trap and Cypher and Gaby Haller get drawn in as well, while Warlock watches in helpless horror. On the astral plane, Charles protects the others, while at the same time trying to tear down David’ psychic walls. He comes face to face with three of David’s personalities (the ones that control his powers) and the pitiful tiny true personality of David, calling him father. Taken aback by this revelation, Charles loses concentration and the others are drawn into the city that lies at the base of the maelstrom. Xavier decides to follow. The city is a surreal horrifying mix of Paris and war-torn Beirut, dominated by a black dome. Xavier decides to go find Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander – David’s first victims - while Dani and the others go look for Rahne and Moira. Those two have been fleeing from the violent manifestations of David’s psyche until running into Cyndi, a nihilistic punk girl who is in control of David’s pyrokinetic abilities. Together with her, they rendezvous with Dani’s group. Gaby tells them that the Arab was in charge of an assassination team that wanted to kill David but, with the manifestation of his powers, he killed them first and apparently absorbed the Arab’s psyche into himself. Charles, in the meantime, gets some help, courtesy of Jack Wayne, the telekinetic persona. Jack tells him that the Arab is to blame for the horror that has become of David’s mind, that David is imprisoned in the black dome and that Xavier has to help him kill the Arab. After some soul-searching, Charles agrees. |
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September 1985 | | #31 |
| Writer | Artist | Color | | Chris Claremont | Bill Sienkiewicz | Glynis Oliver | | Sunspot and Magma fight for their lives in the Gladiators’ arena against a hulking monster – actually a robot, which contains the possessed Shadowcat. Both sides are egged on by the mysterious telepath, who leads the Gladiators. Eventually, Shadowcat’s willpower proves too strong and she phases out of the robot. Now, the three of them have to face a still-possessed Dazzler. They are joined by Cannonball, Magik and Rachel. Magik teleports Dazzler into Limbo. Believing she’s dead, the Gladiators angrily attack the mutants. At Kitty’s behest, Illyana returns Alison, who is now free of the possession. With the police arriving, the patrons and the Gladiators make a run for it. The mutants examine the leader’s box and find a tunnel. They once more find themselves attacked telepathically, until Kitty orders Dazzler to light the tunnel and Sam to fly into their foe. Cannonball I shocked to find that the telepath is their old teammate Karma – horribly changed. Karma blackmails them into letting her leave by using her slaves as bargaining chips and the New Mutants decide that it is their job to find her and save her or bring her to justice. |
| #38 | | April, 1986 |
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| Writer | Artist | Color | | Chris Claremont | Rick Leonardi | Glynis Oliver | | Magneto is haunted by dreams of the New Mutants squaring off against the Sentinels and Hellions. The dream always ends with Magneto telling the children its time for bed and the children returning to graves on the mansion grounds. The next morning Sharon gives him a letter from the White Queen. The children show up for breakfast but their mood is depressing. Despite Tom’s effort to communicate with Amara, it is clear that this is not going to be a problem easily solved by anyone presently at the Mansion. The White Queen appears to Magneto that night in his study. She says that she is aware of what is happening and knows that she can help. Magneto rejects her offer. The next day, Magneto puts Sam through a training session in the Danger Room and realizes that this depression is affecting the kids severely. Magneto observes Stevie Hunters’ dance class and interrupts it to have words with the students thinking this will increase their level of performance. Instead, Illyana leaves for Limbo, and Stevie asks him to leave so she can teach her class without further interruptions. That night, Magneto arranges for the New Mutants to attend a dance at Salem Center, hoping to help the kids out of their shared depression. However, his plan only backfires and the other kids comment on them as “the snobs at Xaviers”. Later, Doug Ramsey’s parents meet with Michael and Magneto to discuss the possibility of pulling Doug from the school because of his depression. Outside the mansion, Tom and Sharon stumble upon Empath observing the mansion through binoculars. Empath, however, controls their emotions making them more interested in each other than in him. The next morning Magneto calls the students to his study to announce that he is planning to transfer them all to the Massachusetts Academy. Dani objects and refuses to go, but the other students don’t seem to care at all. Magneto regrets this decision but feels he is doing the best thing he can for the students as Emma can help them where he can't. |
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May 1986 | | #39 |
| Writer | Penciller | Inks | | Chris Claremont | Keith Pollard | Dell Barras | | The White Queen summons the former New Mutants to convince them she is looking out for their best interests. Then she sends them to try on their new costumes. Illyana appears and brings Empath to Roulette’s and Catseye’s attention. The girls throw him out in front of the White Queen. Emma has a class photograph taken of the Hellions and the former New Mutants dressed as Hellions. She sends Magneto a copy knowing this will deepen his personal sense of failure. The White Queen individually conducts a sort of physic surgery on each of the former New Mutants. When she is done, they are animated, smiling and happy, more like their normal selves. Later Rahne has a nightmare and wakes her room mate Catseye as well as the boys. They are all relieved to learn she is ok. Sam realizes he is still having the nightmares too and wonders if he and Rahne are the only ones. Illyana appears and it is very evident that the dark side of her soul is slowly taking over. The White Queen watches this psychically from her study, and hopes this is a problem she can deal with. Back at Xavier’s Dani uses her power on herself to discover that her hearts desire is for her friends to be well and happy, and make Magneto proud. A vision she knows can never happen. Dani goes to Magneto to tell him of her decision to return home. She leaves in tears and Magneto in emotional turmoil. On her way out she runs into Sharon. As she is saying goodbye, Warlock appears to report that Tom and Sharon are missing. Dani leaves anyway, feeling guilty but knowing she must return home to find herself again. Two intruders who turn out to be the missing Tom and Sharon interrupt Magneto's shower. Magneto wakes Stevie and they care for their friends in the infirmary. Sharon regains consciousness and tells Magneto about their meeting on the mansion grounds with the hellion known as Empath.. The White Queen psychically feels his rage and makes plans for the coming confrontation between herself and Magneto. |
| #41 | | July 1986 |
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| Writer | Breakdowns | Finishes | | Chris Claremont | Jackson Guice | Terry Austin | | Dani returns back home to her parents’ ranch, full of self-doubts. At the shopping mall, she runs into Pat Roberts, formerly her best friend until she accidentally used her powers on him when they were kids. Ever since, he’s despised her. Pat confronts her and Dani runs off when she sees a death-image above him. Later, back at the ranch with a huge storm coming up, she is contacted via radio by Pat, who has had an accident. She flies into the storm with Brightwind, finds Pat in his totalled truck and drags him into a cave. There, she accidentally uses her powers again and learns that Pat doesn’t only hate, but also love her. They begin to talk and, when Pat fears that he will die, Dani challenges death. Her challenge is answered, as Death faces her as a gunslinger. Using her valkyrie powers, Dani wins the duel, but finds that Pat is in a coma. After they are rescued, Death confronts Dani again, this time more peacefully, and explains that pat is in an irreversible diabetic coma. Dani may keep him alive, but he will never wake up again. Heartbroken, Dani allows Pat to die. |
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Born Stanley Martin Lieber on December 28, 1922. Stan is an American writer, editor, who co-produced some of the earliest, longest, and best Superhero comics ever. His creations helped transform Marvel Comics from a small publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.