Excalibur (comics)
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Excalibur is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an offshoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, the original Excalibur first appeared in Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn (1987).
The first Excalibur consisted of the English superhero Captain Britain, his lover Meggan, and several onetime members of the X-Men and related mutant teams. An eponymous series featuring the team lasted from 1988 until 1998. Originally, it was a wacky series involving cross-dimensional travel that incorporated as many elements of Captain Britain’s mythos as it did the X-Men’s. It became a more typical X-Book in later years.
Captain Britain reformed Excalibur to defend London in a series entitled New Excalibur, which debuted in 2005.
Between Excalibur’s disbandment and reformation, a short-lived, ongoing series entitled Excalibur chronicled the efforts of X-Men founder Charles Xavier and his former nemesis Magneto to rebuild the mutant homeland of Genosha. Aside from the name and the writer, it had no connection to the superhero team.
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[edit] The original Excalibur
[edit] Excalibur vol. 1 (1988–98)
Excalibur's original creative team, writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, incorporated elements of two Marvel properties: the X-Men and Captain Britain.
The X-Men are a group of mutants—evolved human beings born with extraordinary powers—who use their abilities to defend a society that hates and fears them. Claremont had authored their series since 1976, guiding them to tremendous success. He borrowed four characters from the X-Men for Excalibur:
- Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner), a rascally German who possessed the ability to teleport and a freakish appearance
- Phoenix (Rachel Summers), a telekinetic and telepathic young woman from a dystopian future
- Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde), a Jewish teenaged computer expert with the ability to “phase” through solid objects
- Lockheed, her small pet dragon.
A Marvel UK property co-created by Claremont in 1976, Captain Britain is a protector of Great Britain, endowed with superhuman powers by the legendary wizard Merlyn. Alan Davis and Alan Moore, during their joint early 1980s stint, established that the Marvel Universe's Captain Britain was one of many from various dimensions and that one of his main roles is guarding the lighthouse that is placed at the convergence of realities.
Excalibur, which also featured Captain Britain's emotionally unstable, shapeshifter lover Meggan, first gathered together in Excalibur Special Edition #1 (1988) and were soon featured in a monthly series. With the help of a manic, dimension-hopping robot named Widget, they embarked on a series of wacky adventures through parallel worlds, many of which had previously been featured in Captain Britain’s UK-only series.
Davis left with Excalibur #24 (1990), and Claremont with Excalibur #34 (1991) and the series began to flag badly. A year later, Davis returned to the book as both writer and illustrator with Excalibur #42 and rejuvenated it, returning to the (mostly) lighthearted tone of his original run, while resolving many plotlines Claremont had left dangling. He also added several new members, including the mystic Feron, the warrior Kylun and the alien seductress Cerise, and also introduced the size-shifter Micromax. (In an interview in Wizard #6, Davis said that he was adding four new team members to the team. Presumably if Davis's run had not ended prematurely, Micromax would have become a full member of the team.)
After Davis left in 1993, Uncanny X-Men writer Scott Lobdell filled-in for several months. In a jarring transition, Captain Britain was lost off-panel, Meggan was suddenly catatonic from losing Captain Britain, and the newer members were summarily dispatched. Marvel stationed the team on the fictitious Muir Island, off the coast of Scotland, and tied the series closer to the X-Men family, casting-off most Captain Britain-related elements entirely, while Phoenix was disposed of to bring a much altered "Britannic" back. Lobdell also introduced Douglock, who was eventually revealed to be the deceased techno-organic alien Warlock of the New Mutants, reborn with the form and memories his former teammate, the deceased Cypher, who joined the team. Also around this time Nightcrawler's former lover, the mystic Amanda Sefton joined the team, using the codename Daytripper.
In 1994, Warren Ellis assumed writing duties and, using his dark sense of humor, helped the book gain its own voice once again. Revisions made in his time on the book included reverting "Britannic" back to Captain Britain once more, adding Pete Wisdom, an often-obnoxious British spy, often considered Ellis’ alter ego, who could turn his fingers into hot knives. In a bold move, Ellis made Wisdom (an archetypical chain-smoking sarcastic obnoxious Englishman that Ellis writes into almost all his books) the romantic interest of the once young and innocent Shadowcat. At the insistence of Marvel editors, Ellis also added Wolfsbane (Rahne Sinclair), a Scottish werewolf-like young woman from the X-Men spin-off New Mutants; and Colossus (Peter Rasputin), a Russian X-Man who could turn his flesh into “organic steel.”
Ellis left in 1996 and Ben Raab, his replacement, failed to find a voice for the series, often borrowing plotlines from other X-Books. Sales fell and Marvel cancelled the series, partially so Nightcrawler, Shadowcat and Colossus could return to the X-Men. The series ended with issue #125 (1998) featuring the wedding of Meggan and a depowered Captain Britain.
[edit] Excalibur vol. 2 (2001)
In 2001, a four-issue limited series titled Excalibur, featuring Captain Britain, Meggan, Psylocke and the Black Knight and written by Raab, detailed Captain Britain's rise to become king of the extra-dimensional realm of Otherworld.
Originally solicited as Excalibur: Sword of Power, the subtitle was absent from the published issues, and, due to an error, the indicia described it as Excalibur volume 1. In addition, the solicited cover to issue #1 featured a new costume for Captain Britain different from the one he actually received in the comic, and the cover was unused. [1]
[edit] Excalibur vol. 3 (2004)
In 2004, Marvel Comics launched a new ongoing series titled Excalibur, this time dealing with the efforts of Professor Xavier and Magneto to rebuild the devastated mutant nation of Genosha (which was destroyed at the beginning of Grant Morrison's X-Men run). Aside from the name and the writer (Claremont) it has no connection to Marvel's previous Excalibur titles.
Other cast members included Callisto, another mutant leader and former member of the Morlocks, and newcomers such as Wicked, Freakshow, Shola Inkosi, and Karima Shapandar. Archangel and Husk also appeared in the series. The grouping never laid claim to the name Excalibur, despite the title of the series. The series' last issue was #14, released in May 2005. Events of the House of M storyline concluded Xavier's and Magneto's partnership. Afterwards, the mutant members of the group showed up in the Son of M series, where it was revealed they had all lost their powers due to the Decimation. However, they used Quicksilver's stolen Terrigen Mist to bring their powers back, which caused them to go out of control, but the effect wore off later, leaving them human. Ironically, issues of Uncanny X-Men during the time of this Excalibur had much in common with the original Excalibur: light hearted stories by Chris Claremont, colorful art by Alan Davis, characters including Nightcrawler and Rachel Summers and even a cameo appearance by Captain Britain.
[edit] New Excalibur (2005)
Art by Michael Ryan.
The letters page of the final issue of Excalibur (vol. 3) announced a relaunch of the title as New Excalibur in November 2005. This current incarnation of the book is written by Claremont and primarily illustrated by Michael Ryan with a guest stint by Steven Cummings (issues #4 and #5).
New Excalibur appears to have more in common with the original series than the Genosha-based book had, for it features Captain Britain and Peter Wisdom as main characters and takes place in London. Other characters include the reformed villain-turned-X-Man Juggernaut, the former X-Women Sage and Dazzler, and Nocturne, formerly of the Exiles.
As with many of Marvel's late 2005 books, it spun out of the after-effects of House of M. Six issues of Uncanny X-Men laid the foundation for New Excalibur. Captain Britain brought the team together as the new Excalibur in New Excalibur #5, preceding an attack from Lionheart, Albion, and the Warwolves. Later, the team faced an attack by Black Air and Black Tom Cassidy, who was partially depowered due to M-Day. Black Air retreated after Dazzler, Wisdom, Nocturne, and Captain Britain trounced them. Black Tom surrendered after Juggernaut talked him down and made him feel guilty about killing Juggernaut's friend Samuel Pare. Sage also confronted the evil Charles Xavier from the Dark X-Men. They got in an astral fight, where Sage shot his astral form and won. The Dark Xavier is presumed to be dead.
Recently, Psylocke joined New Excalibur and assisted them during an attack by the recently-revived Shadow King who was responsible for the creation of the Dark X-Men. With Nocturne, Juggernaut, Dazzler, and Pete Wisdom under Shadow King's control, Captain Britain being beaten by his own team, and Sage unconscious, Psylocke faced the Shadow King alone, plunging a psi-blade into the Dark Xavier, saving New Excalibur and mysteriously vanished in a flash of light without explanation. Captain Britain believes her to be dead, unaware that she has joined the Exiles. Since the incident with Psylocke, New Excalibur has met up with a repowered Chamber, visited and saved Camelot, temporarily had the Black Knight travel with them, and have attempted to help Juggernaut with some recent troubles. The series also revealed that Charles Xavier was meant to be the Juggernaut. Recently, Nocturne has had a stroke and the team is trying to help her recover.
[edit] Bibliography
[edit] Original team
- Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn (1987) (also known as Excalibur Special Edition)
- Excalibur #1–125 (October 1988 – October 1998)
- Excalibur Classic Volume 1: The Sword is Drawn (November 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1888-8) (TPB; reprints #1–5 and Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn)
- Excalibur Classic Volume 2: Two-Edged Sword (August 2006, ISBN 0-7851-2201-X) (TPB; reprints #6–11 and Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem)
- Excalibur Classic Volume 3: The Cross Time Caper Book 1 (February 2007, ISBN 0-7851-2202-8) (TPB; reprints #12–20)
- Marvel Comics Presents #31-38 (November 1989-December 1989)
- Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem (December 1989)
- Excalibur: Weird War III (December 1990, ISBN 0-87135-702-X)
- Excalibur: The Possession (July 1991)
- Excalibur: Air Apparent (December 1991)
- Excalibur: XX Crossing (May 1992) (also known as Excalibur vs The X-Men)
- Excalibur Annual 1–2 (1993–1994)
- Excalibur #-1 (July 1997)
[edit] Limited series
- Excalibur #1–4 (February 2001 – May 2001) (solicited as Excalibur: Sword of Power, and occasionally called by that name)
[edit] 2004–2005
- Excalibur #1–14 (July 2004 – May 2005)
- Excalibur Volume 1: Forging The Sword (November 2004, ISBN 0-7851-1527-7) (TPB; reprints #1–4)
- Excalibur Volume 2: Saturday Night Fever (June 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1476-9) (TPB; reprints #5–10)
- House of M: Excalibur - Prelude (August 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1812-8) (TPB; reprints #11–14)
[edit] 2005—
- New Excalibur #1— (November 2005— )
- New Excalibur Volume 1: Defenders of the Realm (August 2006, ISBN 0-7851-1835-7) (TPB; reprints #1–7)
- New Excalibur Volume 2: Last Day of Camelot (March 2007, ISBN 0-7851-2221-4) (TPB; reprints #8-15)
