NEW MUTANTS 441
New Mutants #1, with a cover date of March, 1983. Most notably, New Mutants was
the fi rst X - M e n spin-off ongoing series. Its success generated later ongoing X-Men
series including X-Factor , X-Force , and Generation X. Th e premise of the series centers
on a group of mutants who are just coming into their abilities and learning to use or
master their powers. In real time, it had been 20 years since the X-Men fi rst appeared,
and though within the Marvel Comics universe they had not grown by 20 years, it was
abundantly clear that the members of the X-Men should now be adults. New Mutants
gave the opportunity to explore the complex issues of adolescent identity complicated by
mutant powers and bigotry. Th e series would also prove a testing ground for characters
(heroes and villains) in determining if they were successful enough to make it into the
X-Men main series or into other splinter series later on. Th e New Mutants also provided
staunch competition for the revived New Te e n T i t a n s (1980) from DC Comics.
Much like the relaunch of X-Men with Giant Size X-Men #1, the New Mutants’
roster took on a diverse representation of cultures, some of which had not been
previously represented in Marvel Comics. Th e team included Cannonball (American),
Karma (Vietnamese), Mirage (Cheyenne), Sunspot (Brazilian), and Wolfsbane (Scot-
tish). Other early members would include Magma, Magik, Warlock and Cypher, while
former X-Factor wards Boom Boom, Rictor, Rusty Collins and Skids would join later.
Bird Brain and Gosamyr were also members for short periods, and Kitty Pryde was
briefl y demoted to the team from the X-Men. Th ough often successful in their missions
and challenges, the overall life of the New Mutants has been chaotic and traumatic.
Several team members have been lost through death (Cypher and Warlock), loss of
powers (Magik), and desertion (Wolfsbane, Rictor, and Sunspot). Partway into the
series, Xavier leaves both X-Men and New Mutants, giving direction over to Magneto,
who has rehabilitated himself. Magneto returns to a more sinister character as he
assumes a position within the Hellfi re Club, thus reinforcing the theme of abandon-
ment that runs so strongly within the series from its leaders to the individual characters.
Whether orphaned, abandoned, or disowned, most of the New Mutants, the original
and later members, are parentless and their time with the New Mutants does not always
off er substitute parental support.
Th eir adventures bring them to far-off places, including the Norse mythological
Asgard and even outer space; often they are fi ghting foes much more powerful than
themselves including the Hellfi re Club, Freedom Force, Legion, Mutant Liberation
Front, Shadow King, and Silver Samurai. However, often these external threats prove
no more compelling than the group dynamics of the New Mutants and the burgeoning
identities of the diff erent characters as they deal with their own inner adolescent turmoil
while also contending with the tragedy their team experienced.
Th e most signifi cant run of the series came in its last 15 issues, when Rob Liefeld
took over as penciller and eventually writer (with Fabian Nicieza) for the last three
issues of the series (#98–100). Th ough the series as a whole maintains a dark edge
to it, the fi nal run of the series transforms the New Mutants into a small militant
organization led (forcibly) by Cable, who fi rst appeared in New Mutants #87. Cable is
