Excalibur Vol 1 17

Part of the "The Cross-Time Caper" story arc Excalibur Vol 1 #17 Published December, 1989 Editor-in-Chief Tom DeFalco Cover Artist Alan Davis Paul Neary "From the Crucible -- a Captain?" Writer Chris Claremont Penciler Alan Davis Inker Paul Neary Colourist Nelson Yomtov Letterer Jade Moede Editor Terry Kavanagh Previous Issue Next Issue Excalibur #16 Excalibur #18

Appearing in "From the Crucible -- a Captain?"

Featured Characters:

• Excalibur
  • Captain Britain (Brian Braddock)
  • Meggan
  • Lockheed
  • Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner)
  • Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde)
  • Phoenix (Rachel Summers)

Supporting Characters:

• Alistaire Stuart
• Captain Britain Corps
  • Captain Britain (Lockheed) (Joins team)
  • Captain Britain (Kymri) (Joins team)
• Widget
• Jean Grey (Earth-1289) (Death)
• Lockheed (Earth-597)

Antagonists:

• Slavers (First appearance)
• Reg
• Cyril
• Nigel Frobisher (Earth-1289)
• Anjulie (Only in flashback)

Other Characters:

• Starjammers
  • Professor X
  • Raza
  • Binary
  • Lilandra
  • Ch'od
  • Corsair
  • Hepzibah
• Dark Phoenix
• X-Men (Only in flashback)
  • Colossus (Only in flashback)
  • Cyclops (Only in flashback)
  • Storm (Only in flashback)
  • Rogue (Only in flashback)
  • Wolverine (Only in flashback)

Locations:

• Earth-1289

Items:

Vehicles:

• Lightning Force's Train
  
  

Synopsis for "From the Crucible -- a Captain?"

The Storyteller continues her tale of Excalibur. After the destruction of Anjulie’s creature, a wild victory celebration ensues. However, Rachel sits apart, her Phoenix powers having seemingly been drained by the effort of destroying the creature. Meggan tries to comfort her, but Rachel slips away. She finds and lives with this reality’s Jean Grey for a few weeks, but as she comes to terms with herself, they are attacked by slavers, and this reality’s Jean is killed, and Rachel captured. When she wakes aboard their ship, she attacks them, and drawing swords, begins her escape.

Further away, news of Excalibur’s plan, to elect a Champion to protect the planet, has reached the slavers. They discuss plans to combat this, and decide to enter their own contestant, so they regain control of the planet, having been driven off by Princess Anjulie.

Back at Kymri’s newly freed city, Excalibur open the tourney to elect the Champion. Various contests, from boulder throwing, to races, to puzzles and sword fights, whittle the competition down to three: Kymri, Lockheed (of their current reality) and a disguised woman, who Kitty instantly recognises as Rachel in disguise. As Kitty tries to fix Widget, who has become inert since Rachel’s powers faded, she, Nightcrawler and Captain Britain are struck down by an assassin. Suspicion falls on Rachel, who no one else has yet recognised. However, Alistaire soon recognises her, but he is stabbed in the back by the real assassin. He takes Meggan hostage, but Rachel throws her sword through his head, killing him. Their friends lie dead, but Meggan has a way to save them. She persuades Rachel to embrace her Phoenix powers, which she had been subconsciously blocking. Using Meggan as a conduit, she restores the dormant world’s spirit, bringing the world and their friends back to life. Lockheed and Kymri take up the mantle as Champions of the world, and Excalibur prepare to depart. Kitty reveals herself to be the storyteller, and they board the train. As the train departs, Kitty sees the Starjammers and Professor X outside, but the train vanishes before she can stop it.

Notes

• Part of the Cross-Time Caper.

See Also

• Write your own review of this comic!
• Discuss Excalibur Vol 1 17 on the forums
• 8 Images from Excalibur Vol 1 17
• 1 Reprints of Excalibur Vol 1 17
  

Links and References

• plot summary at uncannyxmen.net

Footnotes