New Excalibur #16

Written by: Chris Claremont;

Art by: Scot Eaton;

Inks by: John Dell

Cover by: Salvador Larroca and Dave McCaig

Review by: Brian Hofacker of Dynamic Forces

There is no debating Chris Claremont’s position as the greatest X-writer of all time; from his involvement in the X-Men revival in 1974, with Editor Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, to his scripting of such acclaimed storylines as “The Dark Phoenix Saga” and “Days of Future Past”, Chris Claremont has set the groundwork for what the modern X-Men are today. He has introduced readers to super soldiers and ancient gods, spirited imaginations from the far reaches of space to prehistoric savage lands, and designed a diverse array of characters that fans have been relating to for over 30 years. As a storyteller, Claremont seems to have the ability to flawlessly meld genres, keeping the adventures of Marvel’s mutants fresh and unpredictable. Now, with New Excalibur #16 released, Chris Claremont takes the story inward and shows readers just how quickly the world can change and how delicate life is.

Almost 20 years ago, Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis gathered some of Marvel’s most beloved characters to form the first incarnation of Britain’s premiere super hero team, Excalibur. Starring the X-Men Nightcrawler, Shadowcat and Phoenix, along with Captain Britain and his lover Meggan, Excalibur first debuted in the one-shot special Excalibur Special Edition #1 (1988), which soon gave way for an ongoing series that would last for a decade and showcase some of the biggest and upcoming names in comics, including Scott Lobdell, Warren Ellis, Joe Madureira and Ken Lashley, as well as introduce characters such as Pete Wisdom and Cerise to the mainstream.

When compared to the dire challenges facing the X-Teams across the pond (at the time only three: Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants and the fledgling X-Factor) the early adventures of Excalibur were lighthearted in nature, without the stress of politics and bigotry. The team spent most of their work hours skirting around alternate Earths, solving cross-dimensional capers and facing quirky threats such as Mojo's Warwolves, the Crazy Gang, and the inter-dimensional traveling bounty hunters known as the Technet. The title’s initial success stemmed from the simplicity of these traditionally fun tales, as well as fans enjoying the evolution of some favorite characters that, at times, were more or less supporting rise to a well deserved position on center stage in Excalibur.

Nevertheless, despite all their zany otherworldly misadventures and apparent good times, it cannot be overlooked that Excalibur originated out of tragedy; the team was formed in the wake of both the “Mutant Massacre”, which left Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler critically injured and recovering on Muir Isle, and the “Fall of the Mutants” which ended with the apparent death of the X-Men. Excalibur also had to deal with some very personal issues such as Captain Britain’s battle with alcoholism, and Meggan’s manic/depressant personality.

After the conclusion of the original series in 1998, the title appeared again in 2001, as a four-issue limited series which detailed Captain Britain's rise to become king of the extra-dimensional realm of Otherworld; and then again in 2004 with a more dramatic plot and cast that featured the pairing Professor Xavier and Magneto rebuilding the devastated mutant nation of Genosha. The latest incarnation of Britain’s defenders formed from the events of 2005’s M-Day storyline and features a mismatched, and sometimes reluctant, cast of former X-Men Dazzler, Juggernaut and Sage with the displaced Exile Nocturne, operating under the disputed leadership of original members Pete Wisdom and Captain Britain. Like the original series, New Excalibur has distanced itself from its American counterparts and developed an entertaining personality which couples inter-dimensional mayhem with X-Files-esque politics… and most recently, tragedy.

Taking place in New Excalibur #16, the tragedy for the team, like most misfortune, arrived without warning. The issue starts out demonstrating the escapist capacity of comic books in an opening arc of heroics as the team prevents a bank robbery using their various laser blasts, super strength and other mutant abilities. Once the day is saved, however, the story takes a grim turn when youngest member Nocturne suffers a debilitating stroke; a reality that writer Chris Claremont and artist Scot Eaton made appear far more frightening than facing even the most ferocious villain.

The events of the Nocturne’s stroke happen quickly and unexpectedly and are easily overshadowed by what readers would expect to be just another dramatic plot opening but are, in actuality, precisely how such circumstances come about in reality. It takes three pages for the severity of the situation to set in, giving the reader time to deduce the practical comic book explanation, involving supernatural or otherworldly forces, followed by a cliffhanger ending. In reality, the reader knows that Nocturne is too young and too healthy for her collapse to be serious… But there are fallacies in these notions, and it is quickly realized that not every tragedy involves aliens and magic, and no one is too young or too healthy to have a stroke.

The scariest part of Nocturne's stroke is that it happens without warning. Nocturne is a happy teenage girl in one panel, feels that something is wrong in the next, and finally collapses. Mutant powers and heroics aside, the panels that follow clearly show one base emotion- fear! Genuine fear is portrayed flawlessly in the eyes of a character that has risked her life time and again facing evil gods and alien armadas to save worlds that are not her own. “I’m so scared.” and “I don’t want to die!” are statements that super heroes generally do not make, but rather the anxious claims of average people during overbearing measures. Finally, as suddenly as the situation arose, Nocturne is down; a victim of fate and physiology.

The scene that follows shows her teammates dealing with a situation they cannot punch, blast or even think their way out of. Suddenly super humans are humbled with a very human condition, and the reader, who uses comic books to escape, suddenly finds comfort with everyday life. As moving as the build up of Nocturne’s stroke is, her awakening is where the real desperation is felt. There is a sad reality in the next few pages as the young girl regains consciousness and discovers the aftereffects of her condition; partial paralysis, memory loss and possible brain damage… not the way a hero should fall.

Overall, the issue is an absolute credit to Claremont’s writing abilities as he makes these extraordinary people deal with an “ordinary” situation; fortunately, although the members of Excalibur are helpless, they are not hopeless. New Excalibur #16 may not be the “must read” book of the year, but, in a world full of mutants and super powers, it may be one of the most “human” stories ever.