Kitty Pryde (2025)

Kitty Pryde
(2025, 11x14)

Feeling that the X-Men comic book had gotten away from the “school for young mutants” concept, Marvel Comics asked writer Chris Claremont and writer/artist John Byrne to introduce a new character who would be younger than the established characters at the time. So, in Uncanny X-Men 129 (January 1980), we got Katherine Anne “Kitty” Pryde, aka Sprite, aka Ariel, aka Shadowcat, aka Star-Lady, aka Captain Kate Pryde, aka Red Queen, aka Shadowkat (?) …okay, we get it. She’s big on reinventing herself.

The name of the character comes from a classmate of Byrne’s from his art school days and she was designed to resemble a young Sigourney Weaver (who was popular at the time for forcibly ejecting Xenomorphs out of airlocks). Claremont has said that Kitty’s personality was drawn largely from Julie Simonson, the daughter of X-Men editor Louise Simonson. Kitty’s primary power is the ability to “phase” through solid matter, which also allows her to do interesting things like walk on air or disrupt electrical fields.

It’s interesting to note that Kitty Pryde was an instant fan favorite, probably because of her age. First appearing at 13 years old, she was about the age of the average comic book reader, who could now experience the adventures of the X-Men vicariously through her. Kitty was mostly seen as a little sister by many of the X-Men, though some developed a stronger bond, such as the way Storm thought of her more as her own child. Regardless of the degree, just about every member of the team had a positive relationship with Kitty, making her something like the spiritual glue holding the family together.