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The Claremont Run

Mar 10 • 9 tweets • 4 min read

Chris Claremont laid the groundwork for Kitty Pryde and Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler to develop one of the X-Men franchise’s most complex and sustained cross-gender friendships. 1/8 #xmen

Kitty’s initial fear of Kurt compels intersectional explorations of how different mutations are perceived differently, even by other mutants, and inspires Kurt to reflect on his ingratiating approach to acceptance. 2/8

Their relationship has several important turning points, including a buddy adventure in space (Uncanny X-Men #155-57), and a second space adventure in which Kitty (inadvertently) takes her first sentient life, to save Kurt (Uncanny #163). 3/8

Kitty befriending Kurt becomes symbolic of her developing maturity and social consciousness; her iconic defenses of the mutant cause in Uncanny #210 and God Loves, Man Kills extend from her devotion to Kurt. Relevant to the former: Kitty is Jewish; Kurt is German. 4/8

In the Claremont-penned tie-in Excalibur, Kitty propels Kurt’s own maturation. The series opens with Kitty admonishing Kurt’s senseless bravado after he is nearly impaled fighting robotic pirates. With the other X-Men seemingly dead, Kurt must grow up; for Kitty, he does. 5/8

Their relationship is largely devoid of sexual tension. Kitty is one of the few X-women Kurt (a notorious flirt) never tries to romance, except, interestingly, in a comedic guise within a bedtime story Kitty tells to Illyana (“Kitty’s Fairy Tale,” Uncanny #153). 6/8

In post-Claremont stories, Kitty and Kurt continue to function as emotional outlets for each other. On numerous occasions, their interactions inspire important confessions of vulnerability, often leading to character growth (and tearful hugs). 7/8

Individually, each character has often been framed as a “soul” of the X-Men. But they arguably communicate the franchise theme even better through their friendship, their heroism emerging through a model of found family grounded in intersectional empathy. 8/8

@accommodatingly

Today's TBT post composed by (e)visiting Claremont scholar, Dr. Anna Peppard, who (with Stephanie Burt @accommodatingly) actually just published a review of Claremont’s most recent Kitty/Kurt story comicsxf.com/2022/03/09/exc…

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The Claremont Run

@ClaremontRun

Mar 12

Where X-Men elevated the idea of the internally-conflicted superhero group to new heights, Excalibur at times subverted that formula by bringing together characters with established connections to a wide variety of different genres. #xmen #excalibur 1/11

A genre is ultimately a series of expectations within a story that a writer can play to or play off of. Genre is important in storytelling. Jacques Derrida notes that “As soon as genre announces itself, one must respect a norm...one must not risk impurity." 2/11

The relationship to genre in comics is especially fraught, however, due to a widely held perception that comics are about superheroes alone, a perception that burdens the form with an expectation of genre conventions, even when it might like to explore other genres. 3/11

Read 11 tweets

The Claremont Run

@ClaremontRun

Mar 11

In “The Black Body in Ecstasy, “ Women’s Studies professor Jennifer C. Nash advances a revision to the discourse of Black women in visual culture (through the study of pornography) that may offer insight to the complex intersections of sex and race in the X-Men’s Storm. #xmen 1/8

Nash opens by establishing “black feminism’s approach to representation, which treats visual culture, unless produced by black women, as presumptively problematic.” Her complaint is that critics always fall into this exclusively “protectionist” approach that oversimplifies. 2/8

Storm’s portrayal of sexual exoticism is well-established in Claremont studies, often with emphasis on the exploitative potential through her participation in long-standing stereotypes that might be seen to dehumanize, objectify, or fetishize Ororo as a character. 3/8

Read 8 tweets

The Claremont Run

@ClaremontRun

Mar 1

In UXM 201, Cyclops famously duels Storm. Immediately prior to this, however, he verbally duels his own wife, Madelyne Pryor over his desire to stay with the X-Men in an exchange that features some of Claremont’s most direct analysis of Cyclops’ character hang-ups. #xmen 1/10

Before this, Madelyne expresses her building frustration to Ororo. Storm tells her “He is a very private man. Such feelings are hard for him to face, much less reveal. But they are there, Madelyne. He does love you very much.” Madelyne isn’t convinced. 2/10

The debate scene in question begins with Cyclops’ declaration to Madelyne that “I have to stay. To lead them.” His concerns are his distrust for Magneto and his (terrible) observation that Storm would be a combat liability without her powers. 3/10

Read 10 tweets

The Claremont Run

@ClaremontRun

Feb 28

In his original scripts for the Muir Island Saga, Claremont had planned to bring the character of Charlotte Jones to the forefront by having her personally defeat the physical body of the Shadow King, Jacob Reisz, as the climax of the story. #xmen 1/4

Claremont had already showcased Jones (created in X-Factor) in a recent UXM story in which she and Forge worked together to escape from a Genoshan death squad. For practical rather than symbolic reasons, Jones even got to wear the X-Men uniform in the story. 2/4

However, in a fax from Bob Harras, dated 4/9/91, Claremont is advised by his editor that “while I appreciate the notes on the plot to X-Men #280, I have doubts about Charlotte Jones being the cause of the S.K.’s defeat. I think we’ll pump it up here.” 3/4

Read 4 tweets

The Claremont Run

@ClaremontRun

Feb 27

In UXM 183 Claremont takes the seemingly superficial concept of a teenager getting dumped and lends it a weight and interiority beyond all expectation. As Piotr breaks Kitty’s heart, she is run through a complex gamut of emotional responses to devastating effect. #xmen 1/10

The backdrop for the scene (cliffs at sunset) is both dramatic and (ironically) romantic. This is enhanced by JRJR’s use of hot pink colour shade panels as well as Piotr’s tendency to stare out across the endless water, while struggling to make eye contact with Kitty. 2/10

While his actions in Secret Wars (not written by Claremont) were indeed callous, Claremont’s Piotr is arguably noble in this scene, laying out the truth as he sees it out of respect for Kitty’s feelings. The damage, however, is already done. 3/10

Read 10 tweets

The Claremont Run

@ClaremontRun

Feb 8

In a 2020 piece for the Journal of Comics and Graphic Novels, Nicholas Holm speaks to the “Britishness” of Claremont’s Excalibur and how it implicitly validates Thatcherism through a lack of understanding of British society outside of popular culture. #xmen 1/9

“Claremont’s Britain would seem to have its shallow foundations in cultural references, rather than a social existence, and therefore manifests almost entirely at the level of aesthetic surface.” 2/9

“The result is more however than simply a denial or absence of politics, but rather a celebration of a timeless and stable UK that feeds into conservative worldview.” 3/9

Read 10 tweets

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