Excalibur Special Edition #1

“The Sword is Drawn”

Writer: Chris Claremont

Penciler: Alan Davis

Inker: Paul Neary and Mark Farmer

Colourist: Glynis Oliver

Letterer: Tom Orzechowski

Editor: Ann Nocenti

Original publication date: April 1988

In this mega-sized debut, the regular team—Anna, Mav, and Andrew—explore the origins of Excalibur in Marvel UK, the X-Men franchise, and Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn (1988). We also discuss our own origins—our individual histories with Excalibur, and what makes us love it enough to want to dissect it on a podcast for 126 hours! Come for Mav’s argument no one should re-read “Mutant Massacre”; stay for Anna’s argument everyone should always re-read Dave Cockrum’s 1985 Nightcrawler series; and thrill to Andrew’s argument that Excalibur is really a grief support group masquerading as sex farce.

This episode has an enhanced video version! Watch here:

“Under Alan Moore and Alan Davis, Captain Britain became superhero cosmic horror—a deeply human meditation on the innate cruelty of the superhero’s burden.” -Andrew

“I think the 1985 Nightcrawler series informs what makes Kurt so successful in Excalibur… His ability to think outside the box & manage volatile personalities with calmness and empathy becomes the basis of his leadership.” -Anna

For more, see Anna’s guest thread for “The Claremont Run” on the ‘85 series! 

“I like to think of the Mutant Massacre as one of the most important crossovers that no one should go ever go back and read.”-Mav

For more on “Mutant Massacre,” see Andrew’s thread for “The Claremont Run” on how it all started with a misunderstanding in the writer’s room!

“Up until this moment, Kurt’s been wallowing in his own pain and trauma, but now Kitty needs help… So he yells at Captain Britain while really yelling at himself.” -Mav

“Rachel’s costume is a complex sexiness. It’s a dominatrix outfit, but it’s also a manifestation of her guilt and trauma. The spikes and impenetrable shine resonate with Rachel being asexual or at least untouchable (unless you want to get hurt).” -Anna

For more on Rachel’s backstory, see Andrew’s thread all about it on “The Claremont Run”!

“This is the collateral damage of some horrible decisions that the X-Men have made, and everyone is going to suffer emotionally at a spectacular, almost suicidal level… that helps us look at Excalibur as having moral high ground over the X-Men.” -Andrew

“The issue starts off with a nightmare image of Kitty’s grief given shape in her dreams, but at the same time, it’s playing with that metatextual tone that’s really going to define Excalibur.” -Andrew

For more on this sequence, see Andrew’s thread on “The Claremont Run”!

“I love that it’s a group of misfits, alone in the world, together in saving it. Just like classic X-Men, but with more joy & optimism than the main title had at the time.” -Anna

Want more?

You can find Anna on Twitter (@peppard_anna) and on her podcast with Andrew and Michael Hancock, Three Panel Contrast (@3PanelContrast).

You can find Andrew on Twitter (@ClaremontRun).

You can find Mav on Twitter (@chrismaverick) and on his podcast, VoxPopcast (@VoxPopcast).

Enjoy, and let us know what you think!

-GGW