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Excalibur

Excalibur (comics)

Excalibur

is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an off-shoot 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 Special Edition (1987), also known as Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn.

The first Excalibur consisted of the British superhero Captain Britain, his lover Meggan, and several one-time members of the X-Men and related mutant teams. An eponymous series featuring the team lasted from 1988 until 1998. Originally, the series involved cross-dimensional travel that incorporated as many elements of Captain Britain’s mythos as it did the X-Men’s.

Captain Britain reformed Excalibur to defend London in a series entitled New Excalibur, which ran from 2005 until it was replaced in 2008 by Captain Britain and MI13.

Between Excalibur’s disbandment and reformation, a short-lived series entitledExcalibur chronicled the efforts of X-Men founder Professor Charles Xavier and his former nemesis, Magneto, to rebuild the mutant homeland of Genosha. Although written by Claremont with the same title, it had no connection to the superhero team.

The original Excalibur – Excalibur (vol. 1, 1988–1998)

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, who formed the team under the mistaken impression their X-Men teammates were dead:

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 inExcalibur 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 adventures through parallel worlds.

Davis left with Excalibur #24 (1990) and Claremont with Excalibur #34 (1991), leaving a number of various plot points unresolved before his departure. A year later, Davis returned as both writer and illustrator with Excalibur #42. He rejuvenated the series, returning to the (mostly) lighthearted tone of his original run, while resolving many of the plotlines Claremont had left dangling. He also added several new members, including the mystic Feron, the warrior Kylun, and the alien 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’ run had not ended prematurely, Micromax would have become a full member of the team during Davis’ tenure, rather than the start of Lobdell’s.)

After Davis left again in 1993 (issue #67), Uncanny X-Men writer Scott Lobdell filled in for over a year (issues #68-82). Lobdell stated one of his key goals to be creating a foundation for the series beyond being another X-Men spinoff, something both he and editor Bob Harras felt the series was lacking.  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. In addition, the tone of the series changed as well, from a lighthearted, fun comic to a more grim and depressing series. 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, in addition to the characters that did not have close ties to the X-Universe (like Kylun and Feron). Phoenix was disposed of to bring in Britannic (an altered Captain Britain). 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 of his former teammate, the deceased Cypher. Nightcrawler’s former lover, the mystic Amanda Sefton, also joined the team, using the codename Daytripper.

In 1994, Warren Ellis assumed writing duties (issue #83) and, using his dark sense of humor, helped the book gain its own voice once again. Revisions made in his time included reverting Britannic back to Captain Britain and adding Pete Wisdom, a cynical British spy who could manifest solar energy in the form of “hot knives” from his fingers. Ellis made Wisdom the romantic interest of the much younger Shadowcat. At the insistence of Marvel editors, Ellis also added Wolfsbane (Rahne Sinclair), a Scottish werewolf-like young woman from the New Mutants, and Colossus (Peter Rasputin), a Russian X-Man who could turn his flesh into “organic steel.”

Ellis left in 1996 (issue #103) and Ben Raab, his replacement (issue #106), failed to find a voice for the series, often borrowing plotlines from other X-books. Sales fell and Marvel canceled 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.

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