Kate Pryde Enters A New Phase With Marauders #12

Kate Pryde is back. Gerry Duggan, Mateo Lolli, and Edgar Delgado bring us a new phase in Marauders #12.

Christina Eddleman: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH *breath* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Okay. Now that that’s out of my system, Vishal, your initial thoughts about this week’s issue?

Vishal Gullapalli: *banging fists on table* KATE PRYDE KATE PRYDE KATE PRYDE KATE PRYDE KATE PRYDE! I don’t think I can really say more than that. What a great time to be an X-Fan.

Past

CE: Kate’s resurrection presents a wonderful opportunity for a rebirth of the character. This issue feels like a celebration of Kate’s history, from her hair to all of her most cherished relationships – “Kate’s Greatest Hits” you might say. The ways that Duggan, Lolli, and Delgado have carefully crafted this beautiful montage of her history is so incredibly satisfying. Vishal, is there a moment or relationship revisited that stood out to you this issue?

VG: There were multiple, all of which I thought were portrayed incredibly well. Let’s start off with the one that will draw the fewest heads, that of Kate and her mom Storm – there’s such clear love between the two of them that has been there from the very beginning, and there’s something incredibly joyous in seeing their reunion as Kate finally gets to see her new home.

The next major one is Kurt, who gives Kate her classic Star of David necklace again, a visual representation of her faith despite it not being his own. Kurt and Kate’s relationship has always been really powerful to me because it’s another one built from love but without the standard parental relationship or romantic one. They just care about each other incredibly deeply.

Oh and obviously, we got some incredible stuff with Yana, who is one of my favorite characters even outside of her “subtextual” relationship with Kate, and I really appreciated how they were portrayed together – they know each other better than anyone else.

There was also a small moment with Rachel that I wish we got more of, but she’s in some very good hands right now and I’m sure we’ll get something to follow up. Christi, what did you think of all these relationships shown, given their history? Is there any one I missed?

CE: Logan and Kate’s moment was small, but a nice reminder of their early time together and his mentorship. This issue seemed to focus more on reunions from her past relationships than on reuniting with her fellow Marauders, Storm being the exception.This is time well spent, as I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time back on the ship ahead. While these relationships haven’t been central to Marauders, it’s an excellent reminder of Kate’s foundational friendships, the people who love and shape her. And I also have to agree that her reunion with ‘Yana was wonderful – so full of warm fuzzies I could burst. The moment we miss between them feels significant, and withholding information from the reader is definitely a pattern we see repeated throughout the issue.

Present

VG: Withholding information? Christi, are you implying that writers have known something about Kate Pryde for multiple decades but not confirmed for the fans? Some subtextual secret that’s been forced to stay in a metaphorical closet? That’s preposterous. Clearly there is nothing about Kate that we haven’t already seen confirmed on – oh s-word, she kissed a lady. KATE KISSED A LADY! THE SUBTEXT IS NOW TEXT! WE’VE FINALLY GOTTEN WHAT WE DESERVE!

CE: It really is quite incredible that this remarkably small moment is something we can so happily celebrate as something so much bigger. It feels huge to have this confirmation of something we’ve all known for years: Kate is bisexual. What perhaps feels like the most exciting part of this textual confirmation is the hope that this small moment can become so commonplace that it feels exactly like that, a small moment. Kate has not had any of her relationships with women confirmed. We haven’t witnessed physical intimacy reflective of any sort of emotional bond between two women. This is a move in the right direction, but I was kissing girls long before I knew I was bisexual. My hope is that this is a tiny crack in the dam, and that a flood of sapphic content is in our future.

VG: I had a very similar reaction when I read it – not to take away from the importance of the moment at all, but I was immediately hoping we’d get more in the near future. My greatest fear is the corporate ability to pretend that this isn’t queer content, and I want something completely undeniable. That being said, I’m very happy that we got this page and we got this moment, especially after the issue did a great job reminding us that Kate had a subtextually sapphic relationship with Illyana back in the day, and Rachel too. I’d love to see these relationships also made textual, so I will be watching with bated breath.

CE: I consider this kiss our amuse-bouche and am awaiting a spectacular meal. Anything less I will consider intentionally cruel. That feeling aside, this issue’s blending of all of Kate’s history into her present feels like an ultimate centering of Kate. She’s been resurrected, refocused, and seems so true to herself. While the beginning of Marauders felt like Kate drunkenly recovering from a bad break up, this feels like she’s found her sea-legs. Her kiss with her first tattoo artist read entirely different from the confidence and self-determination here. It’s a fabulous juxtaposition and indicates some incredible growth.

VG: I completely agree. These last couple of issues have felt like a legitimate rebirth for Kate. Sebastian Shaw killed the character that had been so many men’s crushes that they created self-inserts to date (cough Whedon, Bendis, Guggenheim, cough) and brought back the character that so many people saw themselves in, bringing the subtext that so many readers saw to the forefront. I love what’s happened to her and I cannot wait to see what happens in the future.

Future

CE: We’ve gotten the future pretty spelled out, haven’t we? Kate settles down with a nice girl and…. Okay she’s killing Shaw. One can’t really tattoo that on your body and not follow through. Surely though killing a mutant has very little meaning on Krakoa. I have a feeling justice will need to be a lot more complex to be satisfactory in this case. While bringing this to the council seems like a very straightforward choice, where would the fun be in that?

VG: I think it’s very interesting that there aren’t laws against killing mutants – seemingly, Shaw can kill Kate with little to no repercussions… other than that Kate will come back and exact her own personal revenge. I have this inkling that the council, even if they were made aware, would choose to not get involved, because of the reasoning we got back during House of X – death is not a real problem for mutants, so they don’t see a reason to create laws around mutants killing mutants. Whatever happens happens, especially now that Kate’s also able to be resurrected. With all of this being said, though, I cannot wait to see Shaw get his comeuppance. He’s the worst and has been for decades and deserves everything that Kate and Emma are going to do to him and then some. I’m also thinking a lot about the future of the openly bisexual Kate Pryde. Is she going to get back together with one of her subtextual beaus? Or are we going to get a new relationship? Honestly, as much as I love Kate/Yana, I would love to see her in a relationship with someone she didn’t date when she was a kid.

CE: I will agree with you there. Let Kate live a little, date around, finally make it to the Tiki Bar. I don’t know that Kate’s childhood relationships need to be replayed with textual confirmation for them to have meant something. Your points about the lack of consequence for killing mutants is spot on. True revenge would involve consequences that last, and I can’t wait to see what those are. Lust, love, revenge, swords – so many tantalizing future possibilities.

VG: Ahhh, I just realized that we’re going to have to wait for X of Swords before we see Kate get to destroy Sebastian Shaw, and while I am unbelievably excited for the crossover I also really want to get my catharsis! We are being given so many incredible gifts that I’m honestly still kind of in denial of how good we have it, for fear of it being taken away. Whatever happens, I hope it’s really gay and really violent, because Duggan’s shown he’s very willing to depict Kate as both.

CE: We’ve got Vita Ayala joining Lolli on the next issue, too, which I have incredibly high expectations for. I’ve been craving Vita content and am thrilled to see their take on this title. This issue has given Kate a beautiful new start with endless possibilities and I am so excited to see where it all may lead.

X-Traneous Thoughts

Is it just me, or is Lockheed extra adorable and snuggly in this issue?
Illyana’s entrance with a mariachi band is perfect.
I love Lolli’s commitment to Kate’s curls now that she’s been reborn. It’s the perfect visual signifier that she is going back to her roots as the strong character she began as.
That tattoo artist looks like Magik don’t she?
[Ed. note: You would not imagine the incoherent screaming in the Slack when this was revealed]