New Mutants

By the early 1980s, Uncanny X-Men (under the authorship of Chris Claremont) had become one of the comic book industry's most successful titles, prompting Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter to launch The New Mutants, the first of several X-Men spin-offs. X-Men editor Louise Simonson recalled "Neither Chris [Claremont] or I really wanted to do it. We wanted X-Men to be special and by itself, but Shooter told us that if we didn't come up with a new 'mutant' book, someone else would."[2] The name was a modification of Stan Lee's original name for the X-Men, "The Mutants".[2]

The New Mutants were teenaged students of Professor Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and wore matching uniforms, much like the original X-Men, who had since grown into adulthood.[3] These students resembled the "all-new, all-different X-Men" of their era in terms of ethnic diversity.

The original team consisted of:

• Cannonball (Samuel Guthrie), a 16-year-old boy from Kentucky, United States and eventual co-leader, with the ability to generate thermo-chemical energy and propel himself through the air.
• Karma (Mạnh Cao Xuân), a 19-year-old girl from Vietnam and the team's original leader, who could mentally possess other people's bodies.
• Mirage (Danielle Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche), a girl who is a Cheyenne Native American and eventual co-leader after Karma's apparent death, who could create visual empathic three-dimensional illusions.
• Sunspot (Roberto da Costa), a 14-year-old boy from Brazil who had superhuman strength fueled by sunlight and could store solar energy in his body to use his super strength.
• Wolfsbane (Rahne Sinclair), a 13-year-old religious girl from Scotland, United Kingdom who could transform into a wolf and a werewolf-like creature.

The team was intended to debut in their own series. As the first issue was nearing completion, Shooter ordered it to be reworked into a graphic novel so that Marvel Graphic Novel could make its deadline for the next issue. Thus, the New Mutants debuted in Marvel Graphic Novel #4 (December 1982), which continued a plotline from Uncanny X-Men.[2]

In addition to very serious depictions of teenage angst and growing pains, the series featured themes of mysticism. The stories also relied on wilder, more far-fetched premises than were typical of X-Men at the time, shaping into more of a science fiction and fantasy series than the superhero coming-of-age comic it had been touted as in its early days.[3] Locales included demonic dimensions, alternate futures, and an ancient Roman civilization hidden within the Amazon rainforest. The New Mutants also encountered a secret society called the Hellfire Club, and began a rivalry with their young apprentices, the Hellions.

After the apparent death of Karma, Cannonball and Dani Moonstar act as co-leaders.[4] New recruits included:

• Cypher (Douglas Ramsey), an otherwise ordinary young man who could learn to read or speak any language rapidly, whether it was human, alien, or machine, making him an unmatched computer expert.
• Magik (Illyana Rasputin), sister of the Russian X-Man Colossus and long-time resident of the X-Mansion, an accomplished mystic who could open "teleportation discs" allowing travel to Limbo and from there, any point on Earth.
• Magma (Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla), a fiercely tempered native of a secret Roman society in the Amazon who can control lava.[3]
• Warlock, an extraterrestrial of the techno-organic race known as the Technarchy. Considered a pariah due to the uncommon trait of empathy.

A supplementary New Mutants Annual series began in 1984.

In 1986, Professor X was written out of the series. Before he left, he made the X-Men's one-time nemesis, Magneto, headmaster of his school.[5] Magneto would be the team's longest-running headmaster, holding the position from New Mutants #35 through to #75. Fiercely overprotective of his students, particularly after the events of the "Mutant Massacre" and "Fall of the Mutants", he was increasingly used as an uptight foil for the adventurous New Mutants, setting rules that they would inevitably break in the interests of helping their friends.

During Simonson's run, Magma is written out of the book,[6] and Magik is de-aged back to childhood.[7] Due to his unpopularity with New Mutants readers and artists, Cypher is killed off in The New Mutants #60 (February 1988). Simonson also folded the X-Terminators, a group of young wards from X-Factor, into the New Mutants.[8]

The X-Terminators added to the team were:

• Boom-Boom (Tabitha Smith), a teen runaway who could create "plasma bombs."
• Firefist (Rusty Collins), a pyrokinetic wanted by the U.S. government.
• Rictor (Julio Richter), a young Mexican who could create shock waves.
• Skids (Sally Blevins), a former Morlock who could project a frictionless force field around her body.

In 1989, Simonson crafted a saga in which the team journeyed to Asgard, the home of the gods of Norse mythology. The storyline wrote Dani Moonstar out of the series, as she joined the Norse pantheon as one of the Valkyrior.[9] Titled "Instant Replay!", the story in New Mutants #64 deals with the New Mutants' mourning for Cypher, and includes a scene in which Warlock attempts to resurrect Cypher by taking his corpse out of its coffin and showing it to Cypher's loved ones.

A new mentor for the group, the mysterious mercenary Cable, was introduced.[9] Over the next year, several longtime team members were written out or killed off. When Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza took over as writers of the final three issues of the series, they included several harder-edged characters:

• "Domino" (Vanessa Geraldine Carlysle), Cable's pale-skinned, black-garbed mercenary lover. Actually Copycat, impersonating Domino.
• Feral (Maria Callasantos), who possessed a bestial temperament and appearance.
• Shatterstar (Gaveedra Seven), a swashbuckling warrior from another dimension.
• Warpath (James Proudstar), the younger brother of slain X-Man Thunderbird and a former Hellion, an Apache who possessed super strength and speed.

The New Mutants was cancelled in 1991 with issue #100, but the new platoon-like team formed by Cable continued in X-Force, and feature a variety of the former New Mutants cast.

New Mutants (Training Squad)
The New Mutants from New X-Men: Academy X #2 by Randy Green. From left to right: Danielle Moonstar, Surge, Prodigy, Wind Dancer, Elixir, Wallflower.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	New X-Men: Academy X #2 (August 2004)
Created by	Nunzio DeFilippis Christina Weir Keron Grant Randy Green
In-story information
Base(s)	Xavier Institute for Higher Learning
Member(s)	Danielle Moonstar (advisor) Elixir Icarus Prodigy Surge Wallflower Wind Dancer Wither

The second incarnation of the New Mutants debuted in 2003 with an ongoing series of the same name, written by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir. The series would continue for 13 issues, until June 2004, before being relaunched as New X-Men: Academy X in July 2004, with a new #1.

The series featured a handful of the dozens of mutant teenagers attending the Xavier Institute, as well as their instructors, which included various X-Men as well as former members of the original New Mutants (Karma, Magma, Dani Moonstar, and Wolfsbane).

The featured group of students never refer to themselves as "the New Mutants" before the series relaunch as New X-Men: Academy X in 2004, and the reorganization of the Xavier Institute student body into various training squads. The New Mutants, advised by Dani Moonstar, were:

• Elixir (Josh Foley) – Josh is an Omega-Level mutant who can manipulate his or others' biologies to heal or harm. In addition, Elixir possesses gold skin which converts to black when he uses his powers offensively. He was one of the 27 students at the Xavier Institute to retain his powers after "M-Day". He was seemingly killed by the Dark Riders before returning with vastly enhanced abilities.
• Icarus (Joshua "Jay" Guthrie) – Jay possesses red angelic wings on his back that allow him to fly and which grant him an accelerated healing process. Furthermore, he possesses the ability to manipulate his own voice. He was one of the 27 students at the Xavier Institute to retain his powers after "M-Day". Jay's wings are amputated by Stryker,[10] who later kills him.[11]
• Prodigy (David Alleyne) – David was the team's co-leader who could temporarily gain the knowledge and skills of those near him. Although he was de-powered after "M-Day", he has retained all the knowledge he had acquired prior to the "Decimation".[12].
• Surge (Noriko Ashida) – Noriko is Japanese. She absorbs electricity from her environment which she can discharge as powerful electric blasts or utilize as superhuman speed. She requires mechanical gauntlets to prevent overcharge. Surge was one of the 27 students at the Xavier Institute to retain her powers after "M-Day".
• Wallflower (Laurie Collins) – Laurie is a shy girl who generates highly potent pheromones that influence people's emotions. She was one of the 27 students at the Xavier Institute to retain her powers after "M-Day". Laurie was later killed by one of Stryker's men.[13]
• Wind Dancer (Sofia Mantega) – Sofia was the other co-leader and was a temperamental aerokinetic who was particularly adept at using this power to manipulate sound. She was depowered after "M-Day" and joined a group of fellow ex-mutants as part of the New Warriors. Donning a variety of mechanical gear, she took up the codename Renascence before the group disbanded.
• Wither (Kevin Ford) – Kevin could cause organic material to decay with his touch. He eventually switches to the Hellions squad.[14] He is later killed by Elixir.[15]

Another such group, advised by Emma Frost, was known as the Hellions and, like their predecessor, was the arch-rival of the New Mutants. Whereas the original New Mutants series revolved around battles with world-threatening menaces, New Mutants volume 2 focused on the characters' personal relationships and struggles with controlling their powers.

After "M-Day", the cataclysmic event that decimated the world's mutant population, only 27 of the 182 students enrolled at the Xavier Institute retained their powers. The New Mutants and the other training squads were disbanded, and the remaining students were folded into a single junior team, the New X-Men.[16]

New Mutants
Variant cover to New Mutants, vol. 3 #1 by Bob McLeod.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	New Mutants #1 (2009)
Created by	Zeb Wells (writer) Diogenes Neves (artist)
In-story information
Base(s)	Utopia 1128 Mission Street, San Francisco

In May 2009, a third volume of New Mutants was launched. The team is a reunion of the cast from the first volume, consisting of Cannonball, Karma, Magik, Magma, Dani Moonstar and Sunspot.

The reunion is spun from events from the limited series X-Infernus. Magik shows up at the X-Men headquarters in San Francisco, claiming to be from the future and warning that Dani Moonstar and Karma are in danger. Once tests show that Illyanna is not an imposter, Cannonball leads a rescue mission with her. They are joined by Magma and Sunspot.[17] They end up taking on Legion.

In later issue, Warlock returns to Earth[18] and Cypher reappears alive, under the control of Selene. After Warlock frees him from Selene's control, Cypher joins the team.[19][20]

During "Siege", Hela empowers Dani (now going by the codename Mirage[21]) as a Valkyrie to bring the souls of the fallen Asgardians to her. During "X-Men: Second Coming", Karma loses her leg after being repeatedly stabbed by Cameron Hodge.[22] It is replaced with a bionic one.

Magik leads the team to Limbo, as part of her plan for revenge against the Elder Gods. Cyclops has her imprisoned for her actions.[23] In the same issue, Cannonball and Karma also leave the team.

After they successfully rescue him from Sugar Man, Nate Grey joins the team.[24]

When the X-Men split in X-Men: Schism, the team sides with Cyclops and stays on Utopia.[25] Their next mission is to find Blink. After locating her and helping her defeat a mutant rock band (Diskhord), Blink returns with them but decides to join the X-Men at the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning.[26] She does join them during the last issues of the series.[27]

New Mutants was relaunched in November 2019 as part of Dawn of X. The initial team consisted of Chamber, Cypher, Karma, Magik, Mirage, Mondo, Sunspot and Wolfsbane.[28] A second team comprising Armor, Boom Boom, Glob, Maxime and Manon debuted in issue #3 (December 2019).[29]

Later issues were featuring older New Mutants Karma, Magik, Mirage, Warlock, Warpath, and Wolfsbane acting as teachers and mentors to a new group of younger students known as the Lost Club.[30] This new group of students (which includes Anole, Scout, Rain Boy, Cosmar, and No-Girl) falls under the influence of, and later into conflict with the Shadow King, culminating in an adventure through the astral plane.[31]

In 1982, the original New Mutants team debuted in Marvel Graphic Novel #4.[32] Originally led by Professor X, and later by Magneto, the lineup gradually expanded to include additional recruits, with subsequent volumes and titles have features a variety of team members and associated characters.

• The first incarnation of the New Mutants appear in X-Men: Evolution, consisting of Boom-Boom, Cannonball, Magma, Sunspot, Wolfsbane, Berzerker, Iceman, Jubilee, and Multiple.
• A self-titled film adaptation of the New Mutants was released on August 28, 2020. The film was directed by Josh Boone, with a script written by Boone and Knate Gwaltney, and stars Maisie Williams as Rahne Sinclair / Wolfsbane,[39] Anya Taylor-Joy as Illyana Rasputin / Magik,[40] Charlie Heaton as Sam Guthrie / Cannonball,[41] Blu Hunt as Dani Moonstar / Mirage,[42] and Henry Zaga as Bobby da Costa / Sunspot.[43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52]

• MDP: New Mutants at the Marvel Database Project
• X-Men Diaries article on the original Hellions and New Mutants
• X-Men comics at Marvel.com
• Academic Podcast Analyzing New Mutants at ComicsVerse.com