Shadowcat

Shadowcat's History

Early Years

Katherine "Kitty" Anne Pryde was leading the normal life of a extremely gifted thirteen year old girl in Deerfield, Illinois when she began suffering increasingly intense headaches. The headaches were a result of Kitty's mutant power emerging. Kitty possesses the ability to pass through solid matter.

Professor Charles Xavier located Kitty and set to recruit her for his school and possibly as a new member of his X-Men. The Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club also learned about Kitty, and its White Queen, Emma Frost, went to invite Kitty to her Massachusetts Academy.

Visiting a local malt shop with some of the X-Men, Kitty and Storm began what would evolve into a close friendship. Suddenly, three Hellfire Knights burst into the shop in an attacked led by the White Queen. The X-Men were overcome and taken prisoner. Unwilling to abandon Storm and the others, Kitty hid aboard the Hellfire Club's hovercraft and then found the captive X-Men in the Frost International complex where the White Queen was holding them. Storm gave Kitty the X-Men's phone number and asked her to summon help. Phoenix, Cyclops and Nightcrawler arrived in response of the message just in time to save her from Hellfire Club mercenaries. Phoenix comforted the frightened Kitty. Pryde then helped the X-Men in rescuing their captive colleagues.

Afterwards, Kitty's father was furious at Xavier for the danger he believed he had placed his daughter in. Phoenix invasively used her mental powers to calm Carmen Pryde's rage.

X-Men

Kitty's parents allowed Kitty to join Prof. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. She became the newest member of the X-Men. Kitty spent a great deal of time training. During her first training session in the Danger Room, Kitty easily walked through a scenario that took Professor Xavier weeks to program. Ororo Munroe christened Kitty with her first code name, Sprite, and took her to dancing lessons at Stevie Hunter?s studio. Kitty quickly developed a crush on Colossus, but was uncomfortable around the demon-like Nightcrawler.

Thirty years ahead in a possible future, Rachel Summers used her psionic powers to exchange the consciousness and spirit of the adult X-Man Kate Pryde with that of Pryde's teenage self. It was hoped that the adult Kate, in her younger self's body at that earlier time, could warn the X-Men about the assassination attempt on Senator Robert Kelly's life by the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants so they could stop it, thereby preventing the chain of events that led to her dystopian future from occurring. After the X-Men saved Senator Kelly, Kate Pryde's consciousness left Kitty's body and returned to her own time, only to find her timeline had not changed. She had only created an alternate timeline.

Many adventures soon followed. On Christmas Eve, Kitty destroyed a N'Garai demon by herself when she was left alone in the mansion. Later, Kitty was almost kidnapped by deformed mutant Caliban. Caliban, who only sought friendship, return to his underground home. Later, after Kitty stowed away on an X-Men mission, Kitty was nearly killed by Magneto. This act made Magneto finally come to realize that he was becoming no better than the Nazis who had murdered his family.

Emma Frost telepathically influenced Kitty's parents into transferring her to her Massachusetts Academy. Frost switched bodies with Storm. After Kitty and Ororo (in Emma?s body) freed the X-Men, Kitty returned to Xavier's.

Illyana Rasputin, Colossus' six year old sister, was kidnapped by Belasco and the X-Men followed to Limbo, where Kitty was harassed by an alternate version of Nightcrawler, and they rescued her. While returning to their dimension, Belasco grabbed Illyana and Kitty held her arm. Kitty lost her grip for a few seconds and reached back in the portal, until she felt an arm and pulled out Illyana. Due to her captivity in Limbo, where she spent years while only mere moments elapsed on Earth, Illyana returned to them thirteen. Kitty and Illyana became very close and seemed to share a link, with Illyana even joining Kitty in Stevie's dance studio and becoming roommates.

When the alien Brood implanted embryos in all of the X-Men, Kitty met the small, alien, dragon-like creature Lockheed. While the X-Men were in space, Xavier formed a new team of mutants, the New Mutants, most of whose members were closer to Kitty in age than the other X-Men were.This time, he would only train them in the use of their special powers, and not send them out into combat. Xavier infuriated Kitty by terminating her X-Men status and moving her to the New Mutants, who she called the "X-Babies".

Peter and Kitty became close, though at the time, both were too shy to fully admit their feelings for each other. However, after surviving the threat by the alien Brood, Kitty and Peter grew closer and started to date. One problem in their relationship was that Kitty was a devout Jew and Colossus was raised as an atheist. Kitty began to grow angry at her parents' divorce.

As the X-Men confronted Dracula over Storm, Kitty was temporarily possessed by Lilith and bit Piotr (Peter) Rasputin. Together, Kitty and Piotr attacked Storm, as she was commanded to steal the Montesi Formula for Dracula. While the X-Men battled Dracula, Kitty began to recite the Montesi Formula, but was stopped. Dracula was defeated and Lilith released Kitty, thanking the X-Men for their assistance.

Xavier relented and retained Kitty in the X-Men after Kitty impressed him by defeating two Sidri with the help of Lockheed, who had followed her back to earth. Lockheed became Kitty's constant companion.

The X-Men encountered the underground community of mutants known as the Morlocks, who had kidnapped one of their former members, Angel. After Piotr's life was in danger, Kitty promised Caliban of the Morlocks her hand in marriage, while deathly sick from Plague, in exchange for aid in saving Peter and the X-Men's life, but Sprite did not keep her promise and returned to the X-Men. Kitty abandoned her code-name, Sprite, for the Professor's original choice, Ariel.

While battling the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Colossus was frozen in liquid nitrogen. While attempting to save Colossus, Kitty was kidnapped by Callisto, who intended for her to keep her word and marry Caliban, but Caliban released her from her vow, hoping she would one day return to him of her free will, and Colossus was saved by the combined efforts of Rogue and the Morlock, Healer.

Kitty began spending time with her friend, Doug Ramsey, another computer genius, and together, they hacked Project Wideawake files. Soon after this, even though Kitty had acted out of love to save him, Piotr started to question the time she was spending with Doug, which even led to Kitty missing scheduled Danger Room sessions. Doug later asked Kitty to accompany him to the Massachusetts Academy, where he had received a scholarship. Believing Emma to be in a coma, Kitty went and they were both captured by the White Queen. After the New Mutants rescued them and because of his relationship with Zsaji, Colossus broke up with Kitty.

Kitty grew close to the X-Man Wolverine, who became a mentor to her. Kitty found that her father was dealing with Japanese gangsters. She followed him to Japan and Kitty was captured and put under the mental control of Ogun, the ninja master who had once been Wolverine's teacher but had since become his enemy. Ogun mentally had Kitty believe that she was his daughter and had been training in the art of ninjitsu since birth. Ogun also cut her hair shorter. Being the only X-Man to receive her call for help, Wolverine soon followed. Kitty was sent to kill Wolverine and injured him greatly, but with help from Yukio, she was restored. Wolverine undertook a crash program to teach Kitty's body, just as Ogun had taught her mind, to become skillful enough in the Japanese martial arts to contend against Ogun. Constantly telling her that she can either train or leave, Kitty eventually realized that Wolverine was giving her a choice that Ogun denied her and she slowly began to grow out of her childish, spoiled ways. At the end of her training, Kitty assumed the new code name Shadowcat, which she still uses today. Kitty went to face Ogun herself. After being defeated by Ogun, he offered her to join him or die. At that time, Wolverine came to her rescue. Sadly, Wolverine was also overwhelmed and the two of them sat helplessly at Ogun's mercy. In a turn of events, Kitty informed Wolverine that she was scared until he arrived. When he apologized, she stated that she did not want an apology, but life. At that moment, Wolverine turned the battle and defeated Ogun. Kitty regained her innocence that Ogun had taken. Kitty returned and made another costume change.

Kitty went on to rescue the Power Pack from the Morlocks and battled the Beyonder, who briefly transferred Illyana's powers to Kitty.

Kitty and Piotr agreed to be friends after surviving together in Murderworld. Kitty then battled the Gladiators to rescue Sunspot and Magma from their old teammate, Karma. While fighting the Gladiators, the Beyonder brought-out Illyana's dark half, the Darkchylde. She teleported her friends to Limbo and attacked them, until Kitty used Illyana's Soulsword on her and returned her to her natural form. After Kitty and Piotr returned from Murderworld, Kitty and Doug created a program that would alter the Murderworld computers.

Kitty visited the National Holocaust Memorial with Magneto, new member of the X-Men per Prof. Xavier's request, and Kitty was amazed to learn that Magneto knew her grandaunt and that he was a hero in the death camp of Auschwitz before they were attacked by the Freedom Force. At this time, the Beyonder brought a young mutant named Boom-Boom to the mansion and the X-Men and New Mutants instinctively attacked them. After having nightmares of Illyana being in trouble from Karnilla, the Norn Queen, the X-Men later traveled to Asgard to rescue Storm and the New Mutants from one of Loki's schemes, then battled Fenris, and later, the Beyonder again. Later, Phoenix decided to simply destroy the entire universe and have it all start over without the Beyonder. Phoenix stole the life force of the X-Men and Starjammers, but Storm's soul convinced her otherwise. After hearing the thoughts of every living being in existence, Phoenix returned the X-Men and Starjammers to life.

While the X-Men rebuilt San Francisco from the battle with the Beyonder, he wiped the New Mutants out of existence and Illyana's Soulsword and armor were passed to Kitty. No one knew of the New Mutants' existence until he brought them back. At this time, the X-Men stayed with Jessica Drew and Kitty accompanied David Ishima to a date. Upon their return, the X-Men were beaten by Freedom Force and about to be taken-in, until the intervention of Officer Bree Morrell. The X-Men then returned to New York. While the X-Men searched for a severely wounded Phoenix after Wolverine had stabbed her in the chest, they were attacked by Nimrod and formed an alliance with the Hellfire Club. Later, Kitty re-calibrated Cerebro, for non telepaths to use, to search for Nightcrawler and Phoenix. Kitty, Piotr, and Magik rescued a weakened Nightcrawler from a gang. After being turned to X-Babies by Mojo, the X-Men battled the New Mutants until they were broken of their brainwashing and defeated the spineless one, Mojo.

The X-Men attempted to rescue the Morlocks during the indiscriminate massacre by the Marauders and the Marauder, called Harpoon, seriously injured the phased Shadowcat with his energy spear, as she leaped between him and Rogue. It also adversely affected Kitty's powers so that she could no longer regain her solidity and gradually began to dissipate. Kitty was sent to recover on Muir Island.

Kitty's condition began to worsen and she was in danger of completely dissipating. Unwilling to watch her die, Magneto went to Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) of the Fantastic Four to use a device that Mr. Fantastic had built. Unsure of the outcome, Mr. Fantastic refused to help Kitty, even after the X-Men begged him, and the X-Men and Fantastic Four briefly battled. At that time, Dr. Doom presented his assistance and, under duress, Storm accepted. While having Psylocke mentally keep her mind together, Mr. Fantastic reconsidered and traveled to Latveria, where the X-Men initially battled the Fantastic Four again. At the urging of Franklin Richards, Kitty was cured by the combined efforts of Dr. Doom and Mr Fantastic and through intense concentration, Kitty was able to remain solid.

Excalibur

While recovering on Muir Island, Kitty witnessed the what seemed to be the X-Men sacrificing themselves on television, in Dallas, Texas. Kitty was later visited by Illyana, who was hysterically blaming Forge for her brother and the X-Men's death and asking Kitty to aid her in killing him. Illyana left furious after Kitty declined to help her.

After having the same continuous dream, Kitty and Nightcrawler summarized that Rachel might have been trying to telepathically reach them. After being attacked by Gatecrasher and the Technet, who were hired by Saturnyne to eliminate Phoenix, Kitty and Meggan Puceanu were captured. After arriving in London and being reunited with Rachel, the combined efforts of Kitty, Nightcrawler, Phoenix, Meggan, and Captain Britain resulted in their escape and the defeat of the Technet and the Warwolves, who were sent from Mojo to bring back Rachel. At the urging of Rachel to continue Professor Xavier's dream, Shadowcat and Nightcrawler became founding members of the British-based team Excalibur.

After rescuing hostages in a nightclub, Kitty created a Doppelganger Module to draw-out the remaining Warwolves, by impersonating Rachel. Kitty's plan worked better than she thought and she was captured by the Warwolves. After Kitty was skinned by a Warwolf, Phoenix felt her pain and held her consciousness together, while tracking her to the Warwolves' hide-out. Excalibur rescued Shadowcat, who's intangibility saved her life, and placed the Warwolves on display at the zoo.

After battling the Juggernaut and a group of escaped prisoners, the team addressed Captain Britain's drinking problems, while moving into their new headquarters, Captain Britain's Braddock Lighthouse. Following a trail of counterfeit money, Excalibur traveled to Murderwold and battled the Crazy Gang, to rescue Captain Britain's ex girlfriend, Courtney Ross. While battling the Crazy Gang, Excalibur's bodies were switched with members of the Crazy Gang, except Kitty who stayed hidden. After Kitty entered the virus that she and Doug created into the Murderworld computers and sent Arcade into Murderworld, Courtney restored everyone to their respective bodies, except Rachel, who was possessed. Kitty had to phase in order for Rachel's telepathy to reassert her control. Following Rachel, who sensed her infant brother's telepathic distress, Excalibur traveled to the Empire State Building and battled demons, where Meggan was brought under the demonic influence of the demon, N'Astirh, and became the Goblin Princess. Kitty and Captain Britain were transformed into movie characters and Captain Britain attempted to kill Kitty, as Fast Buck and then a Nightmare on Elm St. look-alike. At this time, Illyana's eldrich armor and Soulsword covered Kitty and she brought Cap out of his illusion and brought Meggan out of her enchantment, as well.

After the demonic invasion, Kitty returned to the School for Gifted Youngsters to get her old things and was shocked to see it had been destroyed. The New Mutants were also at the site and Kitty began to argue with them, until a newly returned to childhood Illyana yelled at her and Mirage used her power to manifest Doug and the teenage Illyana. Kitty realized her immaturity and apologized to the New Mutants and asked Mirage to "let them go". After briefly returning to the School for Gifted Youngsters, Excalibur returned home to rescue W.H.O. from the Lightning Force, alternate reality versions of themselves, where Kitty met Widget and, completely out of fear, disrupted her circuitry. Through their actions battling the Lightning Force, Excalibur was able to return Dr. Moira MacTaggert and Kitty took Widget home with her. Upon returning to the Lighthouse, Kitty and Rachel found that the Soulsword appeared, embedded in bedrock. Despite using the full extent of power permitted by the Phoenix Force, Rachel was unable to remove the sword, which she surmised only Kitty could remove.

At this time, a competition grew between Kitty and Rachel over the affections of W.H.O. member Alistaire Stuart. Stuart ignored the smitten Shadowcat while he found himself attracted to Rachel. While attempting to activate Widget, Kitty briefly stood before a group of aliens in a giant hall, including hairy Excalibur counterparts, until she was returned to her reality and Widget began to eat small, metal objects. After returning to the exchange of Dr. MacTaggert and the Highland Flyer crew with the Lightning Force Reichsrail Train, Reichsminister MacTaggart threw a nuclear grenade and Widget teleported Excalibur and Alistaire into another dimension.

Kitty was deeply affected by Illyana's death from the Legacy Virus. Kitty 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 Inkose.

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.

Astonishing X-Men

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 was 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.

Mental projections created by a piece of Cassandra Nova's consciousness which had been lodged in Emma's mind utilized Emma's telepathy to orchestrate Nova's escape from the Stuff body. Kitty personally took down Frost and imprisoned her, only to fall under a telepathic delusion. 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 reacted 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 was freeing Stuff, who contained the trapped consciousness of Cassandra Nova. Kitty collapsed immediately afterward, driven to unconsciousness after Nova tried to transfer her mind into Kitty's body from Emma'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. She may have been permanently fused to the bullet and was presumed dead.

S.W.O.R.D. managed to keep track of the giant bullet using a satellite which fell into the bullet's orbit. Because the bullet's design was to harden as time went on, it became increasingly difficult to break the bullet open. When some asteroid travelers wandered into the bullet's path it looked like the bullet was going to destroy the thousands of lifeforms on the asteroids, but the bullet phased through them - revealing Kitty to be alive.

Return to Earth

A few months after that, Magneto went to the top of Mount Tamalpais and used his powers to bring her back to Earth, but was nearly killed by that act. When Kitty Pryde was about to hug Colossus, she phased through him and couldn't talk. She was placed in a containment unit to ensure that she could be restored to her state prior to when she was taken to Breakworld. Kitty had no hair or nail growth, and had not slept, gone to the bathroom, eaten, or drank while she was in the bullet. She was also being visited by Colossus.

Colossus asked Emma to help them contact telepathically, but she refused. Kitty then got angry, blaming the fact that she was like this on Emma herself. She then accepted. Kitty told Colossus that she loved him. Kitty figured out that Emma meant to kill Sebastian Shaw when she heard Emma's stray thought. She used a suit that the X-Club made for her that cancelled out her intangibility and let her interact with other people. She, along with Emma and Fantomex went to get Sebastian off the island so Emma could not kill him. However, Sebastian broke out of his confinement. As he was about to kill Emma, Kitty removed her suit and stuck her hand into his heart, and threatened to kill him if he didn't let Emma go, but she was not truly able to kill him because she was unable to become solid. He knew that she had lied and continued to attack Emma. Emma then subdued him, wiped his mind and left him there.

When Breakworld refugees came to Earth, led by Kruun and Haleena, they found hospitality on Utopia. Kitty, alongside with Colossus, known by the Breakworlders as the Powerlord, visited the camp to support the refugees.

Kruun, who wanted to win over Colossus, took the intangible Shadowcat hostage using a Breakworld's metal dagger that was able to cut her. After battling Colossus, Kruun tracked down Kitty on Utopia, until she went to the X-Club's X-Lab, where she was killed and revived as a solid by Haleena during a solo mission ritual where she sacrificed herself. She was revived by the same ritual by Kruun, who was strong enough to survive.

When Kuurth attacked San Francisco, the X-Men failed to stop him. Magik used her powers to teleport herself, Colossus, and Kitty Pryde into the Crimson Cosmos and meet with Cytorrak. Illyana told Cyttorak that Cain Marko betrayed him and now served another god. Cytorrak took his power back from Marko and Magik intended to become his new avatar, but Colussus intercepted, becoming the new Juggernaut, much to the displeasure of Kitty Pryde.

Schism

Wolverine had had enough of Scott using kids as soldiers and decided to restart the school and sides were taken. Kitty sided with Logan. Kitty became the headmistress of the Jean Grey School. Her first day involved Bamfs, the Hellfire Club, Krakoa, Sauron, and Wendigo.

Kitty was shocked to find herself seemingly eight months pregnant. It turned out that she wasn't pregnant, but things were much worse: her uterus contained Brood drones. These Broods were trying to kill her. The X-Men shrank down to microscopic size and fought the Brood inside Kitty's body. An infected Kitty was force to fight for her life as the Broods begin their invasion. Later, she was incapacitated by an alien name Starblood, who revealed that Kitty's history with the Brood made her the most effective distraction, and the Brood was about to attack its real target: Broo . Kitty was injected with centaurian penicillin to kill off the remaining Brood inside her..

Kitty eventually left Wolverine's X-Men team and the Jean Grey School because she believed that he didn't trust her. She took the time displaced X-Men with her, and together they joined Cyclops and his X-Men (the Extinction team).