X-amining Pryde and Wisdom #1-3

"Mystery School" / "Mystery Walk" / "Mystery Train"

September - November 1996

In a Nutshell

Kitty Pryde and Pete Wisdom investigate a serial killer mutant who fossilizes his victims. 

Writer; Warren Ellis

Artists: Terry Dodson & Karl Story (issue #1), Dodson & Aaron Lopresti (issues #2-3)

Inkers: Lopresti, Pinnco, Simmons, Martin

Letterer: RS & Comicraft

Colorist: Ariane Lenshoek 

Enhancements: Malibu

Editor: Matt Idelson

Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

Issue #1: On their way to meet with Jardin, an old associate of Pete Wisdom's, Kitty Pryde and Wisdom are attacked. After foiling the attempted assassination, they meet with Jardin, who asks them to find his daughter Amanda, a journalist who has gone undercover trying to find a mutant serial killer who fossilizes his victims. They proceed to meet with the Mystery School, a subset of the police department tasked with investigating occult cases, passing one of their members, Gideon, on the way in. Examining the body of one of the victims, Pryde & Wisdom discover a series of strange symbols carved into the bones; reluctantly, Wisdom tells Kitty his family might be able to help them. On their way, they are attacked again, this time directly by the killer, but escape once more, their actions observed by a shadowy woman who declares they must die. 

X-amining Excalibur #102

"After the Bomb"

October 1996

In a Nutshell

Excalibur deals with the fallout of Onslaught

Writer: Warren Ellis

Artist: Casey Jones & Rob Haynes

Inkers: Scott Koblish, Jason Martin

Letterer: Comicraft 

Colorist: Ariane Lenshoek 

Editor: Suzanne Gaffney

Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

Amidst news reports of the deaths of the Avengers and Fantastic Four in New York, Nightcrawler & Moira mourn their passing, Meanwhile, Kitty & Pete Wisdom have breakfast on the mainland, discussing the situation in the states and how the British Prime Minister is looking more favorably on Excalibur than the view of mutants held by the Americans. Meanwhile, Brian reminiscences about fighting alongside Captain America. Outside, Moira, Nightcrawler & Douglock oversee the transfer of Muir Island's prisoners to the new British intelligence agency. In Germany, Amanda Sefton, Colossus, and Wolfsbane return to Amanda's childhood home in search of her mother, Margali, but depart when their search comes up empty. As Kitty and Wisdom finish their breakfast, they are accosted by US government agents, sent to warn Kitty that she and her American teammates in Excalibur are no longer welcome in the US. Wisdom & Kitty respond by thoroughly beating them up, then including their bound-and-gagged leader in the prisoner transfer, sending along instructions to mail him back to America. Later, Excalibur receives word that Professor X is to be arrested by X-Factor, though Wisdom notes at least that means he's alive, then proceeds to lead the group out to the local pub. 

X-amining Excalibur #95

"Amplified Heart"
March 1996

In a Nutshell
Nate Grey gets yelled at by Moira.

Writer; Warren Ellis
Artist: Carlos Pacheco
Inker: Bob Wiacek
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Colorist: Joe Rosas
Separations: Malibu Hues
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
Following an explosion, Excalibur converges on Muir Island's communications room, where Nate Grey is accusing Moira MacTaggart of running a shady operation to experiment on mutants. But Moira stands up for herself, and admonishes Nate for consistently reacting to half-truths from untrustworthy sources. She opens her mind to him, and he sees the truth: that his own powers - not Moira or Xavier or anyone else - will kill him before he turns 21. Excalibur then tries to calm him down further, allowing him to read all their minds to show him their commitment to helping mutants and improving the world. Convinced he was in the wrong and that neither Moira nor Excalibur is out to get him, he flies off, leaving Moira to wonder if he'll live long enough to ever return.

X-amining Storm #1-4

"Sunburst & Snowblind" / "The Ghost Has No Home" / "The Tinderbox of a Heart" / "She Will Destroy You
February - May 1996

In a Nutshell
Storm is transported to the Hill, where she encounters Mikhail Rasputin and a new Gene Nation.

Story/Dialogue: Warren Ellis
Artist/Storyteller: Terry Dodson
Inkers: Karl Story
Letters: Ricjard Starkings & Comicraft
Colors: Rosas/Lenshoek, Ariane Lenshoek (issues #2 & 4), Lenshoek & Hoston (issue #3)
Separations: Malibu Hues
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
Issue #1: Struggling with her recent murder of Marrow, Storm asks Cable to show her the Ceremony of Light, so she might apologize to the dead Morlocks for failing them. As the she performs the ceremony, a dimensional portal opens, pulling her through. When Cable returns to the site of the ceremony, he finds a disfigured corpse and no psychic trace of Storm; he informs the X-Men she has died. However, Storm awakens in another world, and realizes the energy effect which took her there was similar to Mikhail Rasputin's.

X-amining Excalibur #94

"Days of Future Tense"
February 1996

In a Nutshell
Captainb Britain experiences a grim vision of Excalibur's future.

Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Casey Jones
Inker: Tom Simmons
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Adriane Lenshock with Malibu's Hues
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
In the year 2013, Britain is ruled by Black Air, operating as agents of the Sentinels who have taken over North America and decimated the mutant population. The remaining members of Excalibur, including Wolfsbane, Betsy Braddock, Tangerine, Karma, Captain Britain & Meggan, are given a mission by their leader, Pete Wisdom: their missing teammate Douglock has been traced to Blackwall, Black Air's London base, which Excalibur is going to infiltrate in order to rescue their friend. Later, they fight their way into the base, only to discover Douglock isn't just a captive of Black Air, he has been thoroughly dissected and transformed into the operating system of Blackwall, fueling the rise of Black Air. Just then, Black Air agents surround the team, signaling the end of Excalibur, and England, just as Brian Braddock wakes up in the present day, shocked by the events he dreamt, which he now realizes were visions of the near-future he witnessed while lost in the timestream. 

X-amining Excalibur #91

"Baby, I Love You"
November 1995

In a Nutshell
Excalibur goes out for a night of drinking

Writer: Warren Ellis
Pencilers: David Williams, Mike Wieringo, Jeff Moy & Mike Miller
Inkers: Mike Miller, M. Christian & Philip Moy
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Ariane Lenshock
Separations: Malibu Hues
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
Kitty & Pete Wisdom round up their teammates for a night on the town, and Moira brings them to a nearby pub that was once owned by her father. As the drinks begin to flow, much is made of the blossoming relationship between Kitty & Wisdom, and Kurt ultimately agrees to let Wisdom remain with the team. Eventually, Moira, Amanda, Meggan & Rahne end up dancing a chorus line atop one of the tables, and the various couples end up making out. Later, a deeply-intoxicated Moira admits that she drank to forget her problems, and the team stumbles home. After they arrive, Kitty & Wisdom stop & embrace in the moonlight, unaware that Colossus has just arrived on Muir Island.

X-amining Excalibur #89

"Dream Nails Part 2: Easy Tiger"
September 1995

In a Nutshell
Shadowcat & Wisdom infiltrate the Dream Nails airbase.

Writer: Warren Ellis
Penciler: David Williams
Inkers: Mike Miller, Mike Christian & Phil Moy
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Colorist: Joe Rosas & Digital Chameleon
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
After surviving an attempted assassination by Black Air, Kitty & Pete Wisdom return to the neutral ground of the Crown pub. There, Jardin, an old friend of Wisdom's, passes along info that reveals Dream Nails involves aliens. Meanwhile, Amanda Sefton returns to Muir Island, where Rory is in the midst of psycho-analyzing Spoor. In London, after searching his deceased friend's Cully's flat, Wisdom decides the only way to shake things loose is to break into the Dream Nail's base. On Muir Island, Moira discusses the Legacy Virus with Meggan & Douglock. At Dream Nail's, Kitty helps Wisdom infiltrate the base, but their presence eventually triggers an alarm that calls out Black Air troops. They manage to capture Wisdom, and he seemingly convinces Kitty to save herself and escape before they knock him out.

X-amining What If? #77

"One Dream"
September 1995

In a Nutshell
Legion kills Magneto in the past, leading to a world where Xavier dies battling Apocalypse & mutants become more feared & hated than ever.

Story: Benny Powell
Dialogue: Warren Ellis
Penciler: Hector Gomez
Inkers: John Livesay & Mike Halblieb
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colors: Sam Parsons
Editor: Marcus McLaurin
Chief: Carl Potts

Plot
Legion goes back in time and kills Magneto as a young man, just after he escapes from Auschwitz. In the future, mutants are beloved celebrities, the X-Men, under the auspices of Forge, the most famous mutants of all and lacking purpose; they are currently preparing for a public appearance involving a mock battle with the old Hellfire Club. Meanwhile, at the New York headquarters of the Hellfire Club International, the wealthiest & most ambitious mutants are attacked by mutants loyal to Apocalypse, in the name of Apocalypse's "survival of the fittest" code. In the wake of the attack, a distraught Xavier visits a retired Scott & Jean in Alaska, asking them to return for a mission, but they refuse. Later, as the X-Men are about to begin their performance in Washington DC, Apocalypse attacks. Seeing the fight on TV, Scott & Jean go back into action, with Jean using her Phoenix powers to teleport them to DC. After Apocalypse kills Xavier, in the face of his unrelenting attack, Jean uses the Phoenix Force to destroy him and his followers along with hundreds of thousands of bystanders. In the wake of Apocalypse's attacks, mutants have become hated & feared, creating an ominous feeling as Scott & Jean re-open Xavier's school to further his dream of co-existence and Apocalypse's forces regroup to continue his mission.

X-amining X-Calibre #2

"Burn"
April 1995

In a Nutshell
Nightcrawler runs afoul of a group of pirates led by Callisto on his way to Avalon.

Writer: Warren Ellis
Pencilers: Roger Cruz & Renato Arlem, with Charles Mota & Eddie Wagner
Inkers: Phil Moy, Tom Wegrzyn & Harry Candelario
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colors: Joe Rosas/Digital Chameleon
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
As Destiny sees a vision of Avalon burning, the Madri attack the abandoned warehouse where the Infernal Gallop begins. Meanwhile, the submarine carrying Nightcrawler towards Avalon experiences technical difficulties, forcing it to surface and to hail a nearby cargo ship to save the refugees trapped inside. Nightcrawler, who teleported to the outside of the sub as soon as it surfaced, watches as the sub captain meets Callisto, captain of the cargo ship. Above, the Pale Riders are following Nightcrawler from the air, and Damask receives revised orders from Apocalypse to burn Avalon once she finds it. Later, with the submarine beyond repair, Callisto agrees to finish ferreting the refugees to Avalon, and transfers all of them into the ballast tanks of her ship in order to hide them from detection, first taking all their valuables to help their cover as a salvage operation. However, once in deeper waters, Callisto opens the ballast tanks, killing everyone inside. Enraged, Nightcrawler attacks Callisto's crew before confronting Callisto, but their standoff is interrupted by the arrival of Mystique, who tells Callisto to leave her son alone.

X-amining Excalibur #83

"Bend Sinister"
November 1994

In a Nutshell
Warren Ellis' run begins as forces converge on the Soulsword.

Writer; Warren Ellis
Artists: Terry Dodson & W.C. Carani
Letterer: Jon Babcock
Colorist: Joe Rosas
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Group Editor: Bob Harras
Chief Editor: Tom DeFalco

Plot
Bishop arrives on Muir Island with a shipment of research equipment, and new clothes for Kitty, courtesy of Jubilee. On vacation in Egypt, Amanda Sefton encounters her mother Margali, who warns her that Gravemoss, a sorcerer ahead of Margali on the Winding Way, is plotting to retrieve the Soulsword and use it to cement his power. Back on Muir Island, Meggan suddenly goes into convulsions while sprouting spikes all over her body. As Moira anesthetizes her, she asks Kitty for help, but Kitty ignores her. Instead, she disdainfully goes through the clothes Jubilee sent. In London, a sorceress who feels crippling pain whenever the Soulsword is drawn vows to kill the possessor of the weapon. On Muir, Kitty searches through Moira's room. When Moira discovers her, Kitty knocks her over, then draws the Soulsword from her chest & declares she'll have to kill Moira. Nightcrawler, responding to the crash of Moira's fall, attempts to teleport to her room, but in the split second he travels through an alternate dimension while teleporting, Gravemoss takes control of his body.