Kitty Pryde: The Making of a Ninja

I used to have a thing for Kitty Pryde, so I have more than one Memorable Moment starring the 16-year-old X-Man. I've already discussed Kitty's Fairy Tale and her wedding to Caliban, but third place goes to her ninjafication in the pages of Kitty Pryde and Wolverine, the 6-issue mini by Chris Claremont and Al Milgrom (Marvel Comics - duh - 1984-85). There's probably a Top 10 list of X-Men turned into ninjas, isn't there?

For Kitty, it all starts when a nasty ninja with bad breath captures her.What follows then is a ninja-making sequence worthy of Kill Bill (although more reminiscent of V for Vendetta). Click on the following pages for full legibility. Claremont has never been known as the "silent one".
That may be Kitty's favorite skating outfit, but keep in mind that she was flushed through the New York sewers in that thing in issue 1. Let it go Kitty.
And now for the part that's stuck in my mind for the longest time. The ninja dehumanizing Kitty, breaking her will and physically wiping her identity. As my comics crush #1, these images (and her wedding makeover in X-Men 179) struck me to my core. And you know? I still hate it when a girl I like or love gets a haircut.
And then the ninja goes deep into her mind...
...and basically trains her and brainwashes her in an instant. So how useful do you think phasing powers are to a ninja?
Extremely. The end of that fight is as memorable to me as Kitty's deconstruction, yet another shocking image to my 13-year-old eyes.
Look mom! Code approved gore!

I don't think this mini-series has ever been collected, has it? Because it's a great showcase for the Kitty/Wolverine relationship hijacked by Rogue in the movies, and is also the source of her Shadowcat moniker. So it seems important enough to the canon. Good action, good characterization, and a strong chapter in the Samurai Wolverine subplot. Anyone else have affection for this series?

Comments

Anonymous said…
I sure do now!

That was totally awesome!
Austin Gorton said…
Me too. But then, I have an unhealthy amount of affection for most things X-Men (and Kitty Pryde).

Ten X-Men-turned-ninjas huh? May have to see if I can put something like that together on my blog...
Siskoid said…
There's Kitty and Psylocke for sure... Wolverine became a samurai, but we could make the Top 10 a little more inclusive...

That's a small start...
Marc Burkhardt said…
Honestly, this was about the time I was getting really really creeped out by Chris Claremont.

I mean a brainwashing or two here or there is one thing, but just how many of his characters have been mind-wiped and altered to their very core?

There's a top 10 for you!