Excalibur (comics)

Excalibur
Cover to Excalibur #1 (Oct. 1988), featuring the original members of Excalibur, with art by Alan Davis with inking by Paul Neary
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Excalibur Special Edition #1 (December 1, 1987, on sale)
Created by	Chris Claremont (writer) Alan Davis (artist)
In-story information
Base(s)	The Lake House (Empress Matilda Docks, Rotherhithe); Lighthouse; Braddock Manor; Muir Isle

Excalibur is a fictional superhero group appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are depicted as an offshoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, they first appeared in Excalibur Special Edition #1 (1987), also known as Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn.^[1] Stories involving this team have featured elements of both the X-Men and Captain Britain franchises, frequently involving cross-dimensional travel.

The initial Excalibur roster, which was featured in the

The current iteration of the team is led by Betsy Braddock, who took up the Captain Britain mantle during the Dawn of X.

Excalibur (vol. 1): 1988–1998

Excalibur's original creative team, writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, incorporated elements of two Marvel properties: the X-Men and Captain Britain.

The X-Men are a group of mutants—evolved human beings born with extraordinary powers—who use their abilities to defend a society that both hates and fears them. Claremont had authored their series since 1976, guiding them to tremendous success. He borrowed four characters from the X-Men, who formed the team under the mistaken impression that their fellow X-Men were dead:

• Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner) – a German mutant who possesses the ability to teleport, becomes nearly invisible in shadows, and has a demon-like appearance.
• Phoenix (Rachel Summers) – a telekinetic and telepathic young woman from a dystopian future. She plays host to the Phoenix Force, a powerful cosmic entity which once posed as her mother, Jean Grey.
• Shadowcat
  (Kitty Pryde) – A teenage computer expert with the ability to "phase" through solid objects.
• Lockheed – A small extraterrestrial dragon kept as Kitty's pet.

A Marvel UK property, co-created by Claremont in 1976, Captain Britain is a protector of Great Britain, endowed with superhuman powers by the legendary wizard, Merlyn. Alan Davis and Alan Moore, during their joint early-1980s stint, established that the Marvel Universe's Captain Britain was one of many from various dimensions and that one of his main roles is guarding the lighthouse that is placed at the convergence of realities.

Excalibur, which also featured shapeshifter Meggan, first gathered together in Excalibur Special Edition #1 (1988) and were soon featured in a monthly Excalibur series. With the help of a manic, dimension-hopping robot named Widget, they embarked on a series of adventures through parallel worlds.

Claremont left with Excalibur #34 (1991). Beginning with Excalibur #42, Davis returned to the series, this time as both writer and penciller, and resolved many plotlines that Claremont had left unconcluded. He also added several new members, including the mystic

Revisions made under Warren Ellis included reverting Britannic back to Captain Britain and adding Pete Wisdom, a cynical British spy who could manifest solar energy in the form of "hot knives" that could be shot out from his fingers. Ellis also developed a romantic relationship between Wisdom and Shadowcat. At the insistence of Marvel editors, Ellis also added Wolfsbane, a Scottish werewolf-like young woman from the New Mutants and X-Factor, and Colossus, the Russian X-Man who can turn his flesh into organic steel.

Sales fell and Marvel canceled the series, partially so Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, and Colossus could return to the X-Men.^{[citation needed]} The series ended with issue #125 (1998), featuring the wedding of Meggan and a de-powered Captain Britain.

Excalibur (vol. 2): 2001

In 2001, a four-issue limited series titled Excalibur, featuring Captain Britain, Meggan, Psylocke, the Black Knight, Sir Benedict, Captain U.K., and Crusader X, detailed Captain Britain's rise to become king of the extra-dimensional realm of Otherworld.

The solicited cover to issue #1 featured a new costume for Captain Britain that was different from the one that he actually received in the comic, but the cover was unused.^[2]

Excalibur (vol. 3): 2004

In 2004, Marvel Comics launched a new ongoing series titled Excalibur, this time dealing with the efforts of Professor Xavier and Magneto to rebuild the devastated mutant nation of Genosha (which was destroyed at the beginning of Grant Morrison's X-Men run).

Other cast members included

The letters page of the final issue of Excalibur (vol. 3) announced a relaunch of the title as New Excalibur in November, 2005. This incarnation of the book was written by Claremont. New Excalibur has more in common with the original series than the Genosha-based book had, for it features Captain Britain and Peter Wisdom as main characters and takes place in London. Other characters include the reformed villain-turned-X-Man the Juggernaut, the former X-Women Sage and the Dazzler, and Nocturne, formerly of the Exiles.

As with many of Marvel's late 2005 books, it spun out of the after-effects of "House of M". Four issues of Uncanny X-Men

Psylocke and

During the X of Swords event, Apocalypse reveals that his motives for powering the External Gate was so that he could reach Arakko, an island that was once part of Krakoa, where his wife Genesis and their children, his original Four Horsemen have been trapped thousands of years fighting demons. He takes Summoner, Banshee and Unus the Untouchable with him through the gate to Otherworld but they are betrayed when Summoner reveals himself as the son of War and the Horsemen attack, gravely injuring Apocalypse and Banshee while capturing Unus. A rescue mission similarly goes awry but the fighting is stopped by Saturnyne, who declares that a tournament be held between the champions of Krakoa and Arakko in order to avoid all-out war which could potentially destabilize Otherworld, of which she is regent. As the champions search for their prophesied weapons, the Braddock siblings visit the Citadel to retrieve the Starlight Sword. During their search, Saturnyne expresses her hatred for Betsy, locks her in prison and states that she is unworthy to be Captain Britain because she did not have to choose between the amulet and the sword as is tradition because she was simply given it by Brian back in Avalon. Jamie frees Betsy and they go to Saturnyne's chambers, where Brian manages seduces her, distracting her long enough for Betsy to claim the Starlight Sword. As revenge, Saturnyne declares that the first fight during the tournament is between Betsy and Isca the Unbeaten, an Arakki mutant with the power to never lose. When Betsy attempts to parry one of Isca's attacks, the Starlight Sword shatters immediately and so does Betsy, who is presumed dead. Saturnyne takes the pieces to her chambers and uses them to revive the Captain Britain Corps but is distraught when they are all made in Betsy's image rather than Brian's. Following the conclusion of the tournament, Apocalypse returns to Arakko with his family.^[17]

Following the departure of Apocalypse and the death of Betsy, the rest of Excalibur are lost and unsure of what to do next. Rogue and Gambit submit a request to X-Factor to have Betsy resurrected but Northstar and Prestige state that there is no way to know whether Betsy died during the fight with Isca or not and therefore won't risk reviving her, much to the team's frustration. They head to Avalon, where Brian has taken on the mantle of Captain Avalon and works as the protector of Jamie's throne. Meggan volunteers to accompany them into Otherworld to see if Betsy is still alive while Jamie secretly makes a deal with Mister Sinister to create a clone of Betsy. In an alternate timeline, Betsy awakens and finds that has taken the place of Queen Elizabeth III, with Angel as her secret lover. She explains to him that she needs to return to her original universe and Angel states that his ex-wife, Kwannon, can help smuggle her to Otherworld. During the mission, Betsy tries to talk to Kwannon about their history in her timeline but Kwannon becomes angry and forces her through the portal. Excalibur team up with Pete Wisdom to defend the Lighthouse from Clan Akkaba, who have turned the British people against Betsy, a mutant Captain Britain who abandoned them for Krakoa. Betsy returns but isolates herself, refusing to talk to anyone, leading Rogue to suspect that she is not their original Betsy. Emma Frost arrives and declares that the Krakoan Council attempted to arrange an audience with Saturnyne but, as they did not have a Captain Britain to represent them, their request was refused but, now that Betsy is back, she must do her job. Rogue and Rictor go to Apocalypse's old lab to look for answers, where it is reveal that Apocalypse had left all of his magical research to Rictor. They are attacked by Betsy but saved by Kwannon, who declares that is not the real Betsy Braddock.^[18]

Other members of the Captain Britain Corps attempt to search for Betsy until one of them, Elspeth Braddock, finally locates her consciousness and traps it in a lamp. She, along with Queen Elizabeth III who has been returned to her body, and the rest of the Corps, go to the Citadel to get Saturnyne to revive Betsy but she outright refuses. Excalibur use Jamie's clone of Betsy and one of Apocalypse's rituals to try and bring Betsy back to life but the spell doesn't work. Kwannon releases Betsy's consciousness and uses the connection between them to track it down in Otherworld. Betsy and Kwannon have a psychic battle where they reconcile their past and Kwannon temporarily acts as the host for Betsy's consciousness until she returns it to the clone body, reviving her. Rogue then reveals that she knows who the fake Betsy was: Malice, who is now loose in Krakoa.^[19]

During the Hellfire Gala, Betsy attends a meeting with Professor X, Emma Frost and the UK ambassador, who is secretly a member of Clan Akkaba. He expresses his dislike for a mutant Captain Britain and announces that the UK will no longer be an ally of Krakoa. Rictor is sent into a spiral when Shatterstar appears and tries to reconnect, causing him to cleave the piece of land where the Lighthouse stands into a new island off the coast of the UK. Clan Akkaba murder Pete Wisdom in order to fully revive Morgan le Fay.^[20]

Excalibur members

Collected editions

Other versions

Lightning Force (Earth-597)

From an alternate Earth where the

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, the European Union Super Soldier Program owns a team of superheroes named the EDI (European Defense Initiative) which is also codenamed Excalibur. It is the European equivalent to America's Ultimates. They first appear in The Ultimates 2 and are involved in the origins of Thor. They aid the Ultimates in defeating the Liberators in New York.^[21] Captains France, Captain Italy, Captain Spain and the new Captain Britain reside there.^[22] The now-villainous Reed Richards-led Children of Tomorrow killed Captains Italy and France, with Spain and Britain remaining. Britain then joined the Ultimates.^[23]

Calibur (Earth-924)

Led by Cap'n Saxonia, the team consists of the Hulk, Spider-Girl, Doctor Strange, and Iron Fist. The team first appeared in Excalibur #49.^[24]

Excalibur (Earth-148)

Led by Yeoman UK (Brion Burdack),^[25] the Excalibur of Ee'rath featured versions of Thor, the Black Knight, and Spider-Man. The team first appeared in Excalibur #1.

Excalibur (Earth-99476)

The Griswald family accidentally fall through a portal and end up in Earth-99476, where the dinosaurs never died out.^[26] The Britainicus Rex and his Excalibur-equivalent team of that world are able to help them return to Earth-616. They also have a short battle with a dinosaur version of the Fantastic Five, with Saur Fantastic, the Invisiguanadon, the Dinotorch, a green hairy Thing, and Arachnosaur.^[27][28]

References