With the X-Men lost in space and presumed dead by their mentor Professor X, Xavier decided he would not make the same mistake twice. While he was not willing to give up his dream of helping young mutants cope with their new found abilities, he was not ready to put any more young mutants' lives in danger. The answer was to recruit a group of scared young mutants who needed his help, but NOT turn them into costumed adventurers.
The readers of Marvel Comics were first introduced to The New Mutants in 1982 when they debuted in the 4th oversized Marvel Comics Graphic Novel. Only one of the team, Karma, whose backstory had been told in Marvel Team Up #100, had been seen before the Graphic Novel. With Karma already in the mansion following the events of MTU, readers were introduced to Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane), Dani Moonstar (first called Psyche) and Roberto DaCosta (Sunspot). Along with Shan, these 4 mutants became involved in a plot by Donald Pierce of the Hellfire Club. Also in the GN, Sam Guthrie (Cannonball) was recruited by the Hellfire Club before turning his back on them and showing up at the doorstep of Xavier's school. The original five members were now in place.
After joining the school, the New Mutants met the X-Men in Uncanny #167. As the X-Men returned home, the New Mutants, thinking them intruders, began a classic super hero battle. Though the New Mutants took the X-Men by surprise, eventually the elder team was able to take out their inexperienced counterparts. The initial meeting of the two teams continued in the next issue, Uncanny #168, appropriately titled "Professor Xaiver is a Jerk!" In this issue, Kitty is demoted to the junior team, and though her tenure as a New Mutant only lasts one issue, the seeds are planted for the slight animosity that exists between Shadowcat and the "X-Babies" as she calls them.
The New Mutants debuted their own series in March of 1983. The first few issues of the series featured the characters just trying to find their own niche. Dani was the rebel, 'Berto the cocky one. Rahne was the shy one, Sam the determined one, and Shan was the one with the difficult past she was trying to overcome. As the oldest one, Karma was the team's first leader, but she was never really cut out for the role. Over the first 7 issues, the team faced a whole host of different villains. By issue #3 the team had already conquered the Danger Room, their first Sentinels and The Brood. #4 toned it down a bit as the villain turned out to be a local kid from Salem Center. The kids were beginning to bond into a team.
Issues 5-6 featured an odd team up with the motorcycle gang, Team America, and saw the team face their first super-villains: Silver Samurai & Viper. Dani is captured, and The New Mutants go off to her rescue. Karma discovers her uncle is involved with the villains, and makes a deal with him to save Dani. Soon after, an explosion rocks Viper's headquarters and The New Mutants escape, but not without losing Shan in the commotion. Presumed dead, the team gives up on Shan, believing her to be their first casualty. Roberto's mother appears and takes the team into Rio de Janiero for some fun, but the hostility between Roberto's parents becomes evident. Later, 'Berto's mother is taken prisoner by The Hellfire Club and the team faces the mercenary Axe. After busting Nina DaCosta out, the New Mutants head to the Amazon with her on a trip to Brazil, but the reader finds out that Roberto's father has made an allegiance with The Hellfire Club.
With issue #8, The New Mutants series really starts rolling. Sal Buscema takes over as the series regular penciller, though his art is similar to creater McLeod's. The characters are well established (all 4 of them still left on the team) and the subplots are now developing. Lost in the Amazon, the team discovers the lost city of Nova Roma. There, descendants of ancient Rome have lived for centuries by their old customs, never adopting the comforts of the modern world. After spoiling a plot to overthrow the city's Senator, The New Mutants discover that The Hellfire Club's Selene is involved. She is worshipped in Nova Roma as a goddess and sorceress, and when she sacrifices one of the local girls, Amara Aquilla, Selene triggers Amara's mutant power to control molten lava. Taking the codename Magma, Amara joins the team after her father asks her to go explore the outside world.
When they return to Salem Center, we get our only real glimpse into Amara's difficult transition to our world. Issue #13 provides a welcome look into the lives of the kids as kids, as they throw a party to welcome Amara to the school. We also see the first love triangle on the team begin to develop, as Sam begins to fall for the new blond girl, Amara, and Rahne's schoolgirl crush on Sam continues to develop. Love must be in the air in Salem Center, as NM #13 also introduces us to Kitty's new friend, Doug Ramsey, the future New Mutant who will adopt the codename Cypher. The two accidentally hack into a government computer and activate a Sentinel.
Issue #14 is entitled "Do You Believe in Magik?" and it appropriately adds another member to the team: Illyana Rasputin, codenamed Magik. The younger sister of the X-Man Colossus will become arguably the most popular member on The New Mutants roster. We don't see much of Illyana's history here, as it is covered in earlier issues of the X-Men and the Magik Limited Series. In this issue, Magik and The New Mutants travel to Limbo where they defeat the demon S'ym, who becomes Magik's servant. In a sub-plot, Kitty's friend Doug Ramsey asks Kitty to accompany him on a school interview at The Massachusetts Academy. The fact that Doug is in fact a mutant has become common knowledge to Professor Xavier and The Hellfire Club (though he still remains clueless.) When Kitty agrees to go with Doug in an effort to protect him, she is captured by that school's Headmistress, Emma Frost, The White Queen of the Hellfire Club. (This, by the way, is the reason Kitty was not present during the first Secret Wars.)
When Illyana's spells discover Kitty's location, The New Mutants head to the rescue (by bus). Once there, they too are captured by The White Queen. They split up and escape, but one by one they are brought in by a mysterious group of young mutants, called The Hellions. These young Hellions, introduced in Issue #16, become the New Mutants rivals. Controlled by The Hellfire Club, these young mutants are what The New Mutants could have been, had they remained misguided and angry. Only 'Yana and Dani, disguised as Hellfire guards, are able to escape, as Magik teleports the two to Limbo and then to an alternate future where The New Mutants have joined The Hellions. Eventually, they make it back to their own time, but are captured with their teammates. The Hellions take it upon themselves to face The New Mutants and Cannonball defeats The Hellion Jetstream in one-on-one combat. The New Mutants still have to go through The Hellfire Club, but eventually, they are able to ride one of Illyana's stepping discs back home, with Kitty in tow.
Issue #18 welcomes Bill Sienkiewicz in as the new regular artist of the series. While his artistic style on New Mutants is certainly different, Sienkiewicz's tenure on the book was definitely memorable. Issue #18 also offers us our introduction to Warlock, a techno-organic alien made of living circuitry who flees his father The Magus and his homeworld. Meanwhile, Dani has nightmares of The Demon Bear that killed her parents. She goes out to hunt the Bear, and is nearly killed. The New Mutants organize a rescue mission, and find Dani wounded in the snow. The team rushes her to the hospital, where they meet for the first time Tom Corsi, a Westchester police officer, and Sharon Friedlander, a nurse, both of whom become reccurring characters in the series and the X-Books.
While Dani is in the operating room, the New Mutants wait to hear whether she will live or die. Meanwhile, they notice changes in Sunspot and Wolfsbane, both of whom seem to be more feral after an earlier encounter with the heroes Cloak & Dagger (in a story chronicled in Marvel Team Up Annual #6). As the bear comes to finish off Dani, the team battles the monster in a demon realm called The Badlands. Eventually, it is Magik's soulsword that defeats the monster, releasing the captured spirits of Dani's parents and bringing them back to life. Dani is overjoyed to see them when she comes out of surgery, but she is given the news that she will never walk again. However, the Morlock Healer tends to her, and her injury is downgraded from permanent to temporary.
Issue #21 is one of the classic solo issues of the New Mutants run. In it, the girls throw a slumber party as the boys bond outside. Warlock finishes his journey by crashing into the lake outside the mansion. The alien begins to run rampant around the mansion, and in an effort to communicate with him, Sam brings in Doug Ramsey, and tells him about the school and Doug's own mutant power to decipher languages. A startled Doug is able to use the Danger Room to communicate with Warlock, and they learn of the alien's history. When Professor Xavier returns, Warlock is welcomed into the school and the team.
As the New Mutants train in the Danger Room, Prof. X has a talk with Sam about leadership as Stevie helps Dani recover from her injury. Meanwhile, Roberto has snagged tickets to see Lila Cheyney, the newest pop sensation. The team, now including Doug and Warlock, head to the concert. At the soundcheck, the team saves Lila from an accident and she befriends the kids, especially Sam. Backstage, ‘Yana is attacked by an alien, and the team fights him off.
During the concert, Lila disappears in a flash of light, and the team follows her, only to wind up in deep space on Lila’s Dyson Sphere. There, Sam grows closer to Lila until he finds out she is actually considering stealing the Earth and selling it to the alien the team had fought earlier. However, the team is captured when Lila is betrayed by one of her band members. The mutants are able to break free, and Doug translates some ancient text to save both the Dyson Sphere and the Earth. Lila returns the New Mutants to Earth and shares a kiss with Sam, much to ‘Berto’s dismay.
The New Mutants train with the X-Men, but it is clear to all that Bobby and Rahne are acting strangely. Meanwhile, Roberto's father is inducted into the Hellfire Club. Issue #22 also features Rahne's fairy tale, a look into Rahne's mind and the team as she sees them. As the drug that was injected into Sunspot and Rahne during their encounter with Cloak & Dagger begins to take affect, the two New Mutants begin acting strange. 'Berto brawls with Colossus and Rahne runs away from the mansion. Sam & Dani piece together that the kids have been drugged, and have a talk with Cloak & Dagger, who have lost their powers, and don't want them back.
It soon becomes clear that Dani & 'Berto have taken over the powers of Cloak & Dagger. Overwhelmed with grief after Sunspot believes himself to have killed Colossus, the two youngsters seek out Father Bowen, who always helped Cloak & Dagger. Eventually, Xavier finds the two, but cannot cure them. Finally, Cloak & Dagger show up, willing to take the powers back from Rahne & 'Berto. With the help of Xavier, Rogue & Magik, Cloak & Dagger regain their powers, turn down a spot at Xavier's and resume their lives as costumed adventurers. Sunspot and Wolfsbane are returned to normal.
On Muir Isle, David Haller a.k.a. Legion begins to display all his powers, resulting in an explosion that destroys Moira’s lab and sends Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander into a state of unconsciousness. To investigate, Professor Xavier arrives with four New Mutants: Dani, Rahne, Doug and Warlock. Professor Xavier meets his old love Gabrielle Haller, as well as Madrox the Multiple Man. Xavier tries to enter David’s mind, but finds it blocked off. Legion attacks Rahne and Moira and they wind up in the same trance as Tom and Sharon. Xavier enters the astral plane with Dani, where he finds Rahne. Gabby and Doug are “sucked in” to the astral plane as well, and they all wind up stuck inside Legions’ mind.
In David’s mind, they meet his three personalities: Jack Wayne, an Indiana Jones type telekinetic, a young Arab boy named Jemail and Cyndi, a pyrokinetic girl. The team finds themselves in the midst of a war raging inside his head. Xavier also realizes that he is David’s father. Jack Wayne and Cyndi befriend the team, and Jack offers to lead them into the shielded part of David’s mind where they can help the boy. In an interlude, Lee Forrester turns on Magneto after she finds his true identity, leaving the Master of Magnetism alone.
Inside David’s head, they encounter Jemail and realize he is not a true evil personality. The three personalities work together with Dani to restore David’s mind and Xavier and his son finally meet face to face. All is not well, however, as Prof. X senses the presence of The Beyonder.
While Professor X and the four New Mutants spent the last few days on Muir Isle, Roberto and Amara were kidnapped from the mansion. Sam and Illyana go off in pursuit and track them to LA where Sam looks up Lila Cheyney. Issue #29 also features the first appearance of Lila's bodyguard Guido, later the X-Factor member callled Strong Guy. Sam and 'Yana find out from Lila and Dazzler (serving as a member of Lila's band) that their friends are captured by an outfit called the Gladiators, who force Sunspot and Magma to fight in their arena.
Meanwhile, Professor X contacts Magneto and lets him know that The Beyonder (he of Secret Wars fame) is headed to Earth. Back in L.A., Sam, Illyana, Lila and Dazzler head to the Gladiator ring and find their friends, but Magma and Sunspot refuse to leave, as they have been told that innocent children will suffer if they escape. Magneto, at Xavier's request, shows up at the arena and asks for the New Mutants to join him. Sam agrees, and the story continues in Secret Wars II # 1.
In Secret Wars II # 1, Magneto leads the X-Men into battle with the Beyonder. Cannonball & Magik have joined in to help, while the four New Mutants on Muir (Dani, Doug, Rahne & Warlock) are rushing back to their aid with Moira. During the encounter with The Beyonder, Magik is transformed into her Darkchilde persona and teleports into Limbo with Sam, Dazzler and the X-Men Kitty Pryde and Rachel Summers.
The New Mutants story continues in NM # 30, where the mutants in Limbo must strip Illyana of her soulsword to return her to normal. In the process, Kitty begins to display Magik's eldritch armor. Once back to herself, Magik returns the mutants to LA, and they go off to rescue 'Berto and Amara. Against the wishes of the others, Dazzler heads down to infiltrate the Gladiators mansion. Rachel also finds she can't read thoughts in the mansion due to a powerful psychic blocking her thoughts. (This would be Farouk, possessing the body of Karma, but we'll get to that in the next story arc.)
Dazz returns to the Gladiators' fold, and is welcomed by their mysterious leader who is seen only in shadows. (He does place a phone call to General NGuyen Ngoc Coy, a clue to his identity.) Dazzler shows off in the arena, and tries to rescue the two New Mutants, but Sunspot and Magma don't trust her and refuse to leave. With Dazzler frustrated, Kitty infiltrates the mansion at night and tells Sunspot that the Gladiators' threat about captured children is just a bluff. Her plan goes wrong, however, and she is captured as well.
In the arena, Sunspot and Magma are pitted against a giant robot, with Kitty trapped inside. The three mutants manage to escape, but Dazzler attacks them, and Kitty realizes she is being possessed by "Fatso" (the mysterious boss whose identity is still not revealed at this point). The other mutants rush in to the rescue and the other Gladiators begin to revolt. They battle their way out of the mansion until Sam comes face to face with the immense, bloated form of their tormentor and realizes it is none other than their former teammate, Karma. She escapes, and the New Mutants head off in pursuit.
With issue #32, we bid adieu to revolutionary artist Sienkiewicz, and get a more traditional artist in Steve Leialoha. His work on the New Mutants is a bit reminiscent of Sienkiewicz, but is definitely toned down a bit. The issue begins with a flashback to Issue #7 when Karma was lost and presumed dead. The team, now reunited is in search of Shan, traces her location to Madripoor. There, they try to invader her stronghold, but are all captured. Magik is able to teleport out of harm's way, but is only able to take Dani with her, stranding her teammates.
Dani and 'Yana track Karma to Cairo, and despite Magik's fears, they teleport there. Magik's 'port goes awry, however, and the girls find themselves in an alternate future where the New Mutants have gone bad. Eventually, the girls teleport back to the correct time, where they find Warlock, who, as an alien, is immune to Karma's powers. He has brought the X-Man Storm to the aid of his teammates, and the four mutants begin to plan how to free their friends.
Meanwhile, Karma, still possessed by the Amahl Farouk, is enjoying the power she has over the minds of the other New Mutants. Storm and the others attack, and manage to free Wolfsbane before being forced to flee. They take refuge in an old building with Storm, but the other New Mutants attack. Illyana seems to turn on her friends, and delivers Dani to Karma. They try to resist, but Illyana delivers Storm to Karma as well, which leaves only Magik and Warlock free, and Warlock is out for revenge on 'Yana.
Warlock starts tearing Limbo apart, but Magik convinces him that betraying the others was all part of her plan. 'Lock is skeptical, but eventually buys it. Storm fights the Shadow King's mind control, while Illyana conjures up a scrying pool and witnesses Xavier's first battle with Farouk. She figures out who they are dealing with.
Magik enters Karma's stronghold and tries to make a partnership with Farouk, but Farouk refuses. When he attacks Magik, he realizes it isn't Illyana at all, but Warlock in her shape. While 'Lock kept Farouk busy, 'Yana teleported all her friends out and restored their minds in limbo. The New Mutants attack, and Farouk flees Karma's body, leaving the NM's to wonder whose body he has inhabited. Magik figures out that Farouk has possessed Doug, and while Storm battles the villain, Karma, still grossly obese, challenges Farouk to battle.
Karma and The Shadow King battle on the Astral Plane, and when Karma defeats him, Farouk flees into the Astral Plane. The New Mutants have won, but Karma cannot bear to live life in the ugly, obese form she now inhabits. Storm suggests the New Mutants take some time off on the island of Kirinos.
