As the dust from Krakoa’s collapse continues to settle in the modern era of X-Men comics, the long-term effects of the once-exalted Charles Xavier’s leadership can be seen in the lives of his students. The harrowing effects of Xavier’s actions alongside Orchis are still being felt, especially in those of his oldest children. Among the X-Men’s earliest students, Kate Pryde is Professor X’s greatest tragedy.
Exceptional X-Men #4 – written by Eve L. Ewing, with art by Carmen Carnero – finally begins to unpack the long-lasting effects of how Kate Pryde was broken and remolded following Orchis’ invasion of Krakoa.
As Kate’s new students slowly come into their own, alongside
Emma Frost and Iceman's guidance
, Kate herself is still running from the echoes of those she killed under the moniker “Shadowkat.” Now that her trauma has come to light, and her students know everything, Kate is forced to reflect on how Xavier’s lessons molded her, as she decides how she wants to teach her students moving forward.
Exception X-Men #4 – Written By Eve L. Ewing; Art By Carmen Carnero; Color By Nolan Woodard; Lettering By VC’s Travis Lanham; Cover Art By Carmen Carnero & Nolan Woodard
Since childhood, Kate Pryde has been recognized by both Charles Xavier and Emma Frost as a gifted prodigy. Like many of Xavier’s other children, Kate was recruited at no older than thirteen years old to be trained to become an X-Man. While Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters gave the young mutant a place to explore her powers safely, the X-Men were a militant group filled with adults and seasoned fighters. As with the
X-Men’s First Class
, Kate, despite her age, was expected to put her life on the line for Xavier’s dream.
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Now that Xavier’s dream has come and gone, a new ideological war is brewing between Charles’s children. A new fight to determine whether
Xavier was justified
in using others as pawns in his war. At this point, even Cyclops, his most devout soldier, can’t deny it, even though he still justifies it. Decades after her juvenile introduction, in the ruins of Krakoa’s collapse, Kate became exactly what Xavier became himself; a killer. Mere moments after the nation’s demise, Kate unleashed ruthless violence against the Orchis agents surrounding her, christening her bloody rebirth into Shadowkat, Xavier’s true prodigy.
Of all the most fan-favorite X-franchise characters, Kate Pryde has had one of the most tumultuous histories; not just in-universe, but in terms of how frequently the hero has been redefined and reinvented over the years, at least in comparison to some of her peers. Chris Claremont originally introduced "Kitty" Pryde as a "focal character" that readers could relate to, as she acclimated to the world of Marvel's mutants for the first time. Over time, her role in the franchise has changed dramatically – and the current X-era is once more offering a significantly altered take on her role.
Even At Her Most Vengeful, Shadowkat Was Always A Tactical, Efficient Killer
Xavider Didn’t Teach Self-Defense, He Taught The Art Of War
No matter which way the issue is looked at, there is one simple truth. Charles Xavier raised soldiers. Soldiers who, in the end, proved to be expendable pawns to ensure his dream could endure to see another day. When entrusted with the lives of children, he turned them into weapons. Yes, when Kate first snapped she crossed a moral line, but not one that hadn’t been crossed time and time again
within Xavier’s ranks
. Yet what can be expected of a person who, during their most important years of psychological development, was made to fight against villains willing to kill?
Like Kate Pryde, Charles Xavier's role in the X-Men franchise has taken on a radically new context – forcing every character in his orbit to audit his role in their lives.
After taking up the mantle of Shadowkat again, Kate became a much more cold and tactical character. She wasn’t leaning on rage or vengeance; death was but a necessary factor in a greater fight she was a part of. These are lessons of war that were taught to children, who internalized these messages until adulthood. Now that
Kitty Pryde has moved past Shadowkat
, she can’t escape the ghosts behind her. With students of her own to lead, she’s realizing the difference between teaching self-defense and the arts of war.
Like Kate Pryde, Charles Xavier's role in the X-Men franchise has taken on a radically new context – forcing eveyr character in his orbit to audit his role in their lives. This is, of course, the reason for making such significant changes to the X-Men's paradigm; by cultivating new, unexpected character dynamics, Marvel's X-Office can find new tensions between familiar characters, and new dramatic angles from which to tell classic X-Men stories. Kate Pryde and Charles Xavier's relationship is just one prominent example of that, among many.
Charles Xavier’s Legacy Is Dividing His Students
Kate is far from the first X-Man to denounce Xavier’s insensitive mishandling of children’s lives. One immediate example was
during Cyclops’s leadership
of the X-Men during the X-Men: Schism event. Much like the Krakoa era, mutantkind found momentary peace among themselves, banding together on an artificial island utopia. Naturally, humanity wouldn’t leave the mutants alone, prompting the X-Men and their newest teen recruits to face battle. Throughout the five-issue event, Cyclops and Wolverine consistently clash over the X-Men’s willingness to use children in combat.
When faced with likely death, Cyclops, like Xavier before him, rallied his inexperienced teenage soldiers to fight by his side.
On their first mission out, the fourteen-year-old mutant Temper unintentionally killed multiple men, admitting to Cyclops that she couldn’t get their screams out of her head. In return, Scott reaffirms that she did a good thing. Only a few scenes later, the Utopia is targeted by a Sentinel unlike any other. When faced with likely death, Cyclops, like Xavier before him, rallied his inexperienced teenage soldiers to fight by his side. Echoing the words of his own mentor,
Cyclops spoke about his X-Men
as tools of war while enforcing his pride in them for “stepping up.”
Kitty Pryde Isn’t The Only Member Of The X-Men Who Rejects Xavier’s Ways
A New Generation of Mutants Means A Chance For Change
A civil war is on the horizon for the X-Men. While Charles Xavier originally turned himself in to face the consequences of his legal and moral crimes, he’s soon to break out of his confines, triggering an all-out X-Manhunt. As Kate will now have to win the trust of her innocent young students back,
Rogue and Cyclops
are about to clash over the same ideological conflict. Like Kate, Rogue has been put in charge of a cast of young mutants, who she refuses to turn into child soldiers, like Xavier and Magneto did to her.
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A new generation marks a fresh chance to do things right. These kids, many of whom are untouched by the trauma of war and death, look upon their teachers with wide-eyed attention. Both
Kate and Rogue
realize their position in these teenagers’ lives. However, both heroes have learned from their predecessors’ mistakes. Kate Pryde refuses to make more killers, which is why she will have to prove to her students that she’s nothing like the man who raised her. Kitty Pryde is forging a new future for her X-Men, devoid of Xavier’s callous misuse of others’ lives.
Exceptional X-Men #4 is available now from Marvel Comics.
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The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
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