“Yesterday’s” Comic> The New Mutants #1

“That’s right, get off my lawn!”

The New Mutants #1

Marvel Comics Group (March, 1983)

“Initiation”

WRITER/CO-CREATOR: Chris Claremont

PENCILER/CO-CREATOR: Bob McLeod

INKER/NOT A CO-CREATOR: Mike Gustovich

COLORIST: Glynis Wein

LETTERER: Tom Orzechowski

EDITOR: Louise Jones

ROLL CALL:  Cannonball [Sam Guthrie] , Karma [Xi’an Coy Manh], Psyche [Dani Moonstar], Sunspot [Roberto Da Costa], Wolfsbane [Rahne Sinclair],

It’s not a good first day for the latest batch of students. Stevie Hunter, one of the teachers, gives Karma a new hairstyle (whether she wants it or not), and something causes Psyche’s powers to activate, giving us Karma’s origin story. The girl freaks out having the secret revealed and Dani freaks out at her reaction and her own power control history, causing her to run off, finding an attic garden in one of the X-Men’s rooms. During their first Danger Room test everyone fails at the first test except for Dani, who panics after all that’s happened and runs off. Later, Rahne finds her on the grounds and isn’t really able to comfort her or convince her Xi’an forgives her. As Stevie takes the others on a field trip, Gyrich’s men watches. Meanwhile, Moira and Ilyana meet a woman whose son is having troubles with his powers but she doesn’t want to get help from Xavier because the boy is Xavier’s son. Back at the Mansion, Dani faces the Danger Room alone, with not even Charles there, to prove to herself that she can do it, which she does, the only one to succeed not with her powers but with her tribal-taught skills. Then she’s knocked out, her attacker switching to a scenario meant to challenge the X-Men’s skills…and the safeties are all off!

What they got right: We do get an introduction to each of the new students and their powers through the test. Though Psyche is the focus character due to her powers going off, the others get a good introduction and a hint of their personalities. We also get a good cliffhanger to lead into the next issue and I wish I had it.

What they got wrong: What exactly set Dani’s vision powers off? It’s an excuse to learn why she hates her powers and she has good reason but everybody’s calm (though Xi’an isn’t happy with everyone seeing Stevie forcing a new hairdo on her, it has no connection to thinking about her murdered family that I can tell), so it seems to go off just to set the story in motion.

What I think overall: As a first issue it does the job well of establishing the team and making me interested in reading the next issue. I don’t know what happened to the X-Men around this time or why Charles is so insistent they won’t be new recruits but as someone who isn’t an X-Fan I’m actually curious about this series.