Quick Answers
What are Kate Pryde's mutant abilities in the Marvel Universe?
How did Kate Pryde first come into contact with the X-Men?
Why is Kate Pryde also known as 'Sprite' and 'Shadowcat'?
What role did Kate Pryde play in the rescue of the X-Men from Emma Frost?
What is the significance of Kate Pryde's Jewish heritage in her character development?
History
Katherine "Kitty" Pryde was a thirteen-and-a-half year old girl living in Deerfield, Illinois who led a normal life but then began suffering headaches of steadily increasing frequency, duration, and intensity. Unknown to her or her parents, the headaches were a result of her mutant power emerging.
Meanwhile, Professor Charles Xavier, founder of the X-Men, a team of mutant adventurers whom he trained in the use of their superhuman powers, located Kitty with his device for finding superhuman mutants, Cerebro. He and three of the X-Men, Colossus, Storm, and Wolverine, set out for Deerfield to contact her and possibly recruit her as a member of the X-Men. Unknown to Xavier, the mercenary Warhawk had planted a device that enabled his employers in the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club to monitor Cerebro's activities. The Inner Circle thus also learned about Kitty Pryde, and one of its leaders, Emma Frost, the White Queen, also went to contact her.
Xavier trained superhuman mutants at his School for Gifted Youngsters, whereas Frost was headmistress of the Massachusetts Academy, where she also secretly trained young superhuman mutants such as the Hellions in the use of their powers. Hence, Xavier and Frost would each approach Pryde and her parents as the heads of private schools seeking to recruit her as a talented student. Neither Xavier nor Frost intended to reveal to Kitty's parents that their daughter was a mutant.
Kitty as Sprite
Kitty herself was unaware that she was mutant or that she had a superhuman power until the afternoon that Frost arrived to speak to her parents. While Frost was downstairs, Kitty went to her room upstairs, suffering her worst headache ever. Lying on her bed, she closed her eyes, wishing the headache would stop. It did. Kitty opened her eyes, and, to her surprise, found herself lying on the floor of her living room. Without knowing it, Kitty had used her "phasing" power for the first time, and had passed through her bed and the floor into the room below.
As Frost left, Xavier and his three X-Men arrived. The three X-Men took Kitty to a local malt shop, where Kitty and Storm began what evolved into a close friendship. Suddenly three Hellfire Club mercenaries burst into the shop and attacked the X-Men. Surprised and frightened, Kitty moved out of the way and found herself passing through the wall. Landing outside, she fell unconscious since she was still not used to utilizing her power. The White Queen used her telepathic powers to overcome the three X-Men, whom the Hellfire Club took into their hovercraft.
But the brave Kitty had decided to snoop around the hovercraft before it took off, and discovered the X-Men were aboard as prisoners. Unwilling to desert her new friend Storm or the others, she hid aboard the craft and used her new powers to find the captive X-Men in the Frost Industries complex to which the White Queen had taken them. Storm gave Kitty the X-Men's phone number and asked her to summon help. But one of the Hellfire Club mercenaries spotted Pryde, and the White Queen ordered her capture. Using her powers, Pryde got away long enough to phone the number.
Two Hellfire Club mercenaries in a car were just about to capture Pryde in Chicago when they were halted by Phoenix Force, who had just arrived with her fellow X-Men Cyclops and Nightcrawler in response to Kitty's message. Phoenix found and comforted the frightened Kitty, who told her story to her and her X-Men colleagues. Pryde then helped the X-Men and their ally, the Dazzler, in rescuing their captive colleagues.
Kitty as Ariel
Phoenix used her mental powers to calm Carmen Pryde's rage over his daughter's disappearance. Mr. and Mrs. Pryde allowed Kitty to join Xavier's school, and soon afterwards she became the newest member of the X-Men. She originally took the code name Sprite, but later changed it to Ariel. Kitty quickly became a valuable member of the X-Men, so much so that Xavier retained her in the X-Men even after founding a new team, the New Mutants, most of whose members were closer to Kitty in age than the other X-Men were.
Kitty's friendship with Storm has continued, but her best friend was Illyana Rasputin, the New Mutant called Magik. Kitty was deeply affected by Illyana's recent death from the Legacy Virus. Kitty had a romance with her fellow X-Man Colossus, and although it proved to be short-lived, they remain friends today. Kitty's constant companion is the small, alien, dragon-like creature Lockheed, whom she met when the X-Men were on another planet.
Over time Kitty also grew close to the X-Man Wolverine, who became a mentor to her. While in Japan, Kitty was captured and put under the mental control of Ogun, the martial arts master who had once been Wolverine's teacher but had since become his enemy. Wolverine undertook a crash program to teach Kitty to become skillful enough in the Japanese martial arts to contend against Ogun. At the end of her training Kitty assumed the new code name Shadowcat, which she still uses today.
During the massacre of the mutant Morlocks by the Marauders, the Marauder called Harpoon seriously injured the phased Shadowcat with his energy spear, as she leaped between him and Rogue. It also adversely affected her powers so that she could no longer regain her solidity, and gradually began to dissipate. At times she psychic encouragement from Psylocke, who had recently joined the X-Men. She was cured by the combined efforts of Doctor Doom and the Fantastic Four's Mister Fantastic. The outcome of this situation was almost halted by Magneto's reckless use of his magnetic powers.
Kitty as Shadowcat in her first Shadowcat costume
Subsequently, Shadowcat became a founding member of the new British-based team of adventurers Excalibur. She eventually became romantically involved with her teammate Peter Wisdom.
Later, G. W. Bridge, the acting commander of the international law enforcement agency S.H.I.E.L.D., recruited Kitty Pryde to become a temporary S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Bridge explained that the computer system of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying headquarters, the helicarrier, was failing to recognize any user but her. Pryde soon learned that this was because the spirit of the late Ogun had taken control of the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier's computer system. Pryde succeeded in defeating Ogun and, with Wolverine's aid, S.H.I.E.L.D. regained control of the helicarrier computers.
Shadowcat has subsequently returned to Excalibur, where she has continued to be a valued member of the team. When Excalibur disbanded, Shadowcat returned to the United States and the X-Men. Following the tragic death of Colossus, and too many loved ones before him, Kitty left the team to find a new way to help realize Xavier's dream of peaceful coexistence between man and mutant. That road led her to a life away from the front lines of genetic conflict at Robert Heinlein University, where she would be free to pursue her own destiny.
Life away from the X-Men only lasted so long. While studying computer science, her father died in the Sentinel attack on Genosha. Attacking another who was spouting anti-mutant sentiments, she was placed in therapy. Soon after, the Purity anti-mutant group attempted sabotage on-campus, and evolving Sentinels attacked. Kitty defeated both threats with the help of Karma and Shola Inzeki.
Kitty then became involved with Storm's X-Men squad, once again facing William Stryker. Storm then requested her help in fighting Elias Bogan and his mysterious telepath who ended up being Kitty's lost friend Rachel Summers.
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Shadowcat
Shortly thereafter, Scott Summers and Emma Frost took over the Xavier Institute. Kitty accepted a spot on Cyclops' squad, while also teaching at the school. She is reluctant, as her dealings with Ms. Frost in the past were anything but friendly. Yet, in their investigation of a claimed cure for mutants, Shadowcat discovered the very much alive Colossus being used as a test subject. After a bit of initial awkwardness, Kitty and Peter resumed dating and finally consummated their relationship.
Recently, during the latest incarnation of the Hellfire Club's assault on Xavier's School, Kitty fulfilled the role that Emma Frost envisioned, personally taking down Frost and imprisoning her, only to fall under a telepathic delusion created by Hellfire member Perfection, who claims to be the true, unreformed Emma Frost. Under this delusion, Kitty was made to believe that she and Colossus had conceived a child which was later taken away by the X-Men because its potential mutant abilities were supposedly dangerous. Kitty reacts in the delusion by attempting to rescue the child from a near-inescapable "box" in the depths of the school, unaware that in reality she is freeing an alien entity, "Stuff", who contains the trapped consciousness of Cassandra Nova, the apparent ringleader of this new Hellfire Club. Kitty collapses immediately afterward, driven to unconsciousness by either Perfection or Nova, and Nova's stated intention is to transfer her mind into Kitty's body.
Later, Kitty was with a group of X-Men taken to the planet Breakworld by Abigail Brand of S.W.O.R.D. Kitty was phased into an enormous bullet that was launched toward earth by the inhabitants of Breakworld. In a heroic gesture, Kitty phased the entire bullet through the planet and out the other side. What happened to Kitty afterward is still unknown, but the top minds of the 616 Universe believed she may have been permanently fused to the bullet and was presumed dead.
Relationships
Colossus and Shadowcat
When Shadowcat first met the X-Men at 13, she had a crush on Colossus from the start. Peter and Kitty became close, though at the time, both were too shy to fully admit their feelings for each other. However, after surviving a threat by the alien Brood, Kitty and Peter grew closer and started to date. After Piotr's life was in danger, Kitty promised Caliban of the Morlocks her hand in marriage in exchange for aid in saving Peter's life, although later Caliban released her from that vow. Soon after this, even though Kitty had acted out of love to save him, Piotr started to question the time she was spending with Douglas Ramsey. One problem in their relationship was that Kitty was a devout Jew and Colossus was raised as an atheist.
Following his return from the dead, Colossus and Kitty resumed a romantic relationship, finally consummating it.[3]
With Kitty's alleged death, many X-men were still haunted by her and missed her. Colossus was barely functional as an X-man while Nightcrawler activated a simulation of her in the Danger Room, calling Kurt "elf." Emma Frost was haunted by a voice in her dreams that was Kitty crying for help.Attributes
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Powers
Shadowcat
Phasing: Shadowcat possessed the ability to pass through solid matter by passing her atoms through the spaces between the atoms of the object through which she was moving. In this way she and the object through which she was passing could temporarily merge without interacting, and each was unharmed when Shadowcat had finished passing through the object. This process was called "phasing." When Shadowcat was phasing, she was, for all intents ad purposes, intangible. Hence, when attacked, she could shift into a "phasing" state (even if she was not at the time passing through an object) so as to allow oncoming projectiles or energy blasts to pass through her harmlessly. Shadowcat passed through objects at the same rate of speed at which she was moving before she "entered" it. She trained herself to go automatically, by reflex, into a phasing state at any indication of danger, such as a loud noise like a gunshot, in order to protect herself.
- Air Walking: Using her phasing ability, Shadowcat could walk on air. In fact, she could use her ability to walk on the air from the ground to the upper stories of a building as if she were climbing a staircase.
- Phasing Extension: From the first use of her phasing power, Shadowcat was able to phase her clothing along with herself. Through practice she learned to phase other objects along with herself without harm to them, and at one point phased an entire X-Men team. She could also enable someone as big as Colossus to "walk on air" along with her. However, she had to maintain physical contact with the people or objects she phased along with herself for the effect to work with this other person or object.
- Electrical Disruption: She could phase through any material object, even living people. When she phased through an object with an electrical system, the process disrupted the system's workings.
- Telepathic Resistance: Her thoughts were highly erratic when phased as if there was no mind to telepathically affect.
Abilities
Expert Martial Artist: Shadowcat possessed moderate expertise of the martial arts of the Japanese ninja and samurai. Shadowcat demonstrated great knowledge of ninja methods of combat when she was mentally possessed by the Ronin Ogun. With the possession over, Shadowcat forgot the knowledge of ninja techniques he gave her, but she retained the knowledge of Oriental methods of combat taught her by Wolverine.
Dance Training: She continued to take dance training under the tutelage of Stevie Hunter, and was highly agile.
Genius-level Computer Expert: Shadowcat was an expert in the field of computer science, demonstrating genius-level aptitude for programming, modifying, and diagnosing almost any computer system: even those of unfamiliar human and extraterrestrial origin. She used her skills in many high-stress combat situations to great effect, and in combination with her mutant ability to disrupt electrical systems she was a formidable foe for any enemy relying on advanced technology. She was the equal and peer of her former hacking partner Cypher (deceased) whose mutant gift for languages granted him superhuman skill in the same field.
Multi-lingual: She also fluently spoke Japanese.Weaknesses
Mystical Vulnerability: While phasing Shadowcat was still vulnerable to mystical attack, however.
Phasing Limitations: Since she was unable to breathe while "inside" an object, she could only continuously phase through solid objects (as when she traveled underground) as long as she could hold her breath. Denser materials were more difficult for Kitty to phase through, sometimes causing her pain. Solidifying while in an object could cause serious injury if not death.Paraphernalia
Weapons
Transportation
Trivia
- Kitty Pryde was Jewish. Cultural memories of the Holocaust made her especially sensitive to anti-mutant prejudice.
- Under the delusion implanted by Emma Frost, she and Peter had a son named Micheal. (sic?)
- John Byrne named Shadowcat/Kitty Pryde after a classmate he met in art school in Calgary in 1973.[4]
- Kitty Pryde is mentioned in the Weezer song "In the Garage":
- I've got the Dungeon Master's Guide
- I've got a twelve-sided die
- I've got Kitty Pryde
- And Nightcrawler too
- Waiting there for me
- Yes I do, I do
- Shadowcat is also mentioned in the song "Missing Link" by Dinosaur Jr and Del the Funky Homosapien from the soundtrack for the movie Judgment Night: "Bowing, praising, now when I phase in, like Kitty Pryde, city wide, confer to kick the rumor..."
- In the Spike Lee's film 25th Hour, Edward Norton's character expresses his desire to avoid prison by stating he wishes he was "that girl from X-Men... the one who can walk through walls"
- Kitty Pryde and the Shadowcats was the name of an all-female band that existed for several years in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- Shadowcat has gone through many costumes along with other aliases. Originally joined as Kitty Pryde and adopted the codename Sprite. Soon after she went through many masks (even roller skates) and ended up with the codename Ariel. She did not go by Shadowcat (originally) until Wolverine trained her while in Japan.
- The three actresses that portrayed Shadowcat in the X-Men Trilogy are all from Canada.
- Kitty Pryde is mentioned in the ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead song, "An Ounce Of Prevention".
- The main reason for Colossus and Kitty breaking up was due to Jim Shooter disapproving of their age differences.
See Also
- 1154 appearance(s) of Katherine Pryde (Earth-616)
- 24 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Katherine Pryde (Earth-616)
- 121 minor appearance(s) of Katherine Pryde (Earth-616)
- 137 mention(s) of Katherine Pryde (Earth-616)
- 16 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Katherine Pryde (Earth-616)
- 1228 image(s) of Katherine Pryde (Earth-616)
- 99 quotation(s) by or about Katherine Pryde (Earth-616)
- 3 victim(s) killed by Katherine Pryde (Earth-616)
- 10 item(s) used/owned by Katherine Pryde (Earth-616)
Links and References
- Comics:Kitty Pryde
- X-Men
- Colossus (Piotr Rasputin)
- Excalibur
- Cypher
- Religious Affiliation of Comics Book Characters : Shadowcat
- Marvel Directory
- UncannyXmen.net, Spotlight feature on Shadowcat
- Open directory listing for Shadowcat