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Excalibur: One-Shots
Excalibur: Sword is Drawn #1
When the X-Men are gone, what heroes are going to fill the void? Can a group of disparate heroes come together to form a new team? Witness the formation of Excalibur!
48 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1989
1 person is currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Chris Claremont
3,272 books890 followersChris Claremont is a writer of American comic books, best known for his 16-year (1975-1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, during which the series became one of the comic book industry's most successful properties.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 4, 2021
With the X-Men seemingly dead, no-one remains to stand in the way of invaders from the Mojoverse. However, a disparate group made up of Shadowcat, Nightcrawler, Meggan, Captain Britain and the Phoenix soon come together to defeat the interlopers and rekindle Charles Xavier's dream.
I've always had a soft spot for Excalibur, so I was rather looking forward to reading the story of how the team first came together. My excitement began to dim almost immediately when elements from the Mojoverse, one of the most tedious elements ever introduced by Marvel, began to crop up. It didn't get much better from there on out.
The only thing I really enjoyed here is seeing how emotionally damaged all of the protagonists are, by both their personal histories and the loss of the X-Men, and how uniting to continue Xavier's dream is what begins the process of them each healing.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com *
I've always had a soft spot for Excalibur, so I was rather looking forward to reading the story of how the team first came together. My excitement began to dim almost immediately when elements from the Mojoverse, one of the most tedious elements ever introduced by Marvel, began to crop up. It didn't get much better from there on out.
The only thing I really enjoyed here is seeing how emotionally damaged all of the protagonists are, by both their personal histories and the loss of the X-Men, and how uniting to continue Xavier's dream is what begins the process of them each healing.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com *
May 29, 2019
I’m really not digging these warwolves or Gate Crasher and the Technet but otherwise and ok story.
September 25, 2014
This is an interesting take on the superhero team origin story--usually it's the best of the best, gathered for great purpose, or seeing an already-impressive team through the eyes of their latest recruit. Here, what we have are essentially the leftovers: after the X-Men "die" in Dallas, their wounded comrades and grieving families struggle with both the losses they've suffered and the belief that they weren't good enough to either save their friends or die with them. But when they're attacked, they pull themselves together to try and make their survival mean something, to take up the X-Men's responsibilities.
It's clear from the start that this comic is Alan Davis's baby: Captain Britain and Meggan play a prominent part, and the villains du jour are ones from his earlier Captain Britain run. But Shadowcat and Nightcrawler are wonderfully written as well, and Davis's art is always gorgeous.
It's clear from the start that this comic is Alan Davis's baby: Captain Britain and Meggan play a prominent part, and the villains du jour are ones from his earlier Captain Britain run. But Shadowcat and Nightcrawler are wonderfully written as well, and Davis's art is always gorgeous.
April 30, 2023
This story begins with Kitty having a terrible dream about the X-Men.
After the phaser saves Kurt from his own foolishness, they realise they’ve had the same dream…
Rachel is living that dream, under the thumb of Mojo.
After fighting off the Warwolves, there’s a chance for freedom, which the young Phoenix takes!
Which lands the mutant in London…
Not sure if the Technet plot was necessary. Sure, there is that big fight at the end but the story felt a little all over the place.
I’m sure that had something to do with trying to appeal to the UK audience.
Speaking of, I really liked that we saw how badly Brian took the 'death' of his sister.
I wasn't too fond of the way he treated Meggan but it’s understandable the anger one might feel for being a hero but unable to save your loved ones.
After the enemies flee (for now), Kitty, Kurt, Meggan, Brian and Rachel gather together.
Rachel talks about Xavier’s dream and how it should continue, even though the X-Men are gone.
She likens it to the dream King Arthur had and how Excalibur was the light in the darkness.
And that is how the team Excalibur is born!
I felt this could have been a shorter story if only they didn’t have the Opal Luna Saturnyne thing but otherwise, I’m excited to see what this ragtag team has in store!
After the phaser saves Kurt from his own foolishness, they realise they’ve had the same dream…
Rachel is living that dream, under the thumb of Mojo.
After fighting off the Warwolves, there’s a chance for freedom, which the young Phoenix takes!
Which lands the mutant in London…
Not sure if the Technet plot was necessary. Sure, there is that big fight at the end but the story felt a little all over the place.
I’m sure that had something to do with trying to appeal to the UK audience.
Speaking of, I really liked that we saw how badly Brian took the 'death' of his sister.
I wasn't too fond of the way he treated Meggan but it’s understandable the anger one might feel for being a hero but unable to save your loved ones.
After the enemies flee (for now), Kitty, Kurt, Meggan, Brian and Rachel gather together.
Rachel talks about Xavier’s dream and how it should continue, even though the X-Men are gone.
She likens it to the dream King Arthur had and how Excalibur was the light in the darkness.
And that is how the team Excalibur is born!
I felt this could have been a shorter story if only they didn’t have the Opal Luna Saturnyne thing but otherwise, I’m excited to see what this ragtag team has in store!
January 16, 2023
I have very fond memories of this title. This is a good start and Excalibur was a good comic for several years. Superior art and Claremont's usual writing make this an excellent issue. Claremont takes what were at the time unused characters and makes a cohesive whole out of them. Much like the Avengers, Excalibur comes together to fight a common threat. This issue functions as Excalibur #0 and is crucial in the continuity of that series. Highly recommended for Marvel action fans, X-Men fans, as well as Captain Britain fans.
November 22, 2017
I think the core of this book through issue 11 is fairly solid. the extra stuff isn't as great, but I see the huge potential in this book from these initial stories and it was such a relief to be able to catch up with Kitty, Rachel and Kurt again.
January 10, 2022
This was surprisingly and deliciously weird. It feels like a combination of Captain Britain and X-Men which resulted in a proto-Exiles. It's a pretty good one-shot with an interesting assertion that Professor X is similar to King Arthur, with this team being his weapon.
March 1, 2025
I think it kinda had more effect on me coming back to read this after I've already read more than 50 issues of the main series and loved a great deal of it. It was nice to see how they came together in the first place.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2016
The story had at first a nice surreal touch with the whole X-Men as actors thing, but then it was revealed that they are "warwolves".. except... who calls silver griffon things without wings warwolves?
And, as this claims, if Kitty is constantly phased right now unless she concentrates very hard, how come she was able to apparently sleep in her bed and affect the sheets when she woke up?
Also, not only is the writing style unnecessarily expository but either there was bad communication between writer and artist or either was not doing his job.
Furthermore, I was looking up Meggan's background to know whether drunk Britain's words about her never having a family are true (they are not) and I found out she is not only a "gypsy" but her last name is Puceanu, which I think is Romanian, and sounds like "Puck", plus with her looks and powers they might as well call her gypsy-elf. And apparently she looks the way she does because that is Capt. Britain's ideal woman... she is basically a woman who changed her appearance simply to please her man. Do I have to point out the problem with that?
And considered how Meggan suddenly talks and her childish drawing of where she is going I have to wonder whether the writers intentionally wrote that as part of her powers... however she was fine just a few panels ago and she is no longer in her emotionally distressed state so why do her thoughts partially match a 6 year old?
Then the writer have her stated that she can't see what Brian (Capt. Britain) saw in Saturnyne? I think it has something to do with the fact that she is a pink-skinned, blue-eyed, yellow-haired and big-breasted woman that dresses skimpily... you know, like Meggan! I know this does sound harsh, but like I mentioned already according to research Meggan looks the way she does because that is Brian's ideal type. Apparently her own looks weren't good enough.
I know it s supposed to be heartwarming when Nightcrawler refers to the X-men as his "family" but each time I hear that from him and others, or when they talk about Mystique and Azazel being his family, I am reminded how much Marvel screws over his actual family. His brother is dead, his sister his lover and not referred by her name anymore and his mother is an evil witch.
However, it was good for the story that Nightcrawler is there and the artists remembered that he had a tail, but portal Cerebro or not, how did he get so quickly from somewhere in Scotland to London? Doesn't his teleportation reach have limits?
And Meggan's body looses all firmness due to that one alien's power... so what? She is an elemental and a shapeshifter. What does it matter? Are her powers still inhibited... you know, I get the suspicion as if the writers don't quite know what to do with her. She is pretty powerful in theory but here was mistreated, blamed herself and has to be rescued... like Rachel... coincidence?
Then again, I don't really understand why they name themselves Excalibur to be honest. Even that passing the torch and surviving symbols explanation doesn't really fit when you consider what Excalibur actually represents.
PS. Kurt refers to Brian as "Herr Kapitan." Apart from the fact that it is spelled "Kapitän", that is actually the wrong translation of "captain", the correct German term would be "Hauptmann" or "Kommandant", Kurt just labeled Brian as the captain of a ship or airplane, that is what "Kapitän" refers to.
And, as this claims, if Kitty is constantly phased right now unless she concentrates very hard, how come she was able to apparently sleep in her bed and affect the sheets when she woke up?
Also, not only is the writing style unnecessarily expository but either there was bad communication between writer and artist or either was not doing his job.
Furthermore, I was looking up Meggan's background to know whether drunk Britain's words about her never having a family are true (they are not) and I found out she is not only a "gypsy" but her last name is Puceanu, which I think is Romanian, and sounds like "Puck", plus with her looks and powers they might as well call her gypsy-elf. And apparently she looks the way she does because that is Capt. Britain's ideal woman... she is basically a woman who changed her appearance simply to please her man. Do I have to point out the problem with that?
And considered how Meggan suddenly talks and her childish drawing of where she is going I have to wonder whether the writers intentionally wrote that as part of her powers... however she was fine just a few panels ago and she is no longer in her emotionally distressed state so why do her thoughts partially match a 6 year old?
Then the writer have her stated that she can't see what Brian (Capt. Britain) saw in Saturnyne? I think it has something to do with the fact that she is a pink-skinned, blue-eyed, yellow-haired and big-breasted woman that dresses skimpily... you know, like Meggan! I know this does sound harsh, but like I mentioned already according to research Meggan looks the way she does because that is Brian's ideal type. Apparently her own looks weren't good enough.
I know it s supposed to be heartwarming when Nightcrawler refers to the X-men as his "family" but each time I hear that from him and others, or when they talk about Mystique and Azazel being his family, I am reminded how much Marvel screws over his actual family. His brother is dead, his sister his lover and not referred by her name anymore and his mother is an evil witch.
However, it was good for the story that Nightcrawler is there and the artists remembered that he had a tail, but portal Cerebro or not, how did he get so quickly from somewhere in Scotland to London? Doesn't his teleportation reach have limits?
And Meggan's body looses all firmness due to that one alien's power... so what? She is an elemental and a shapeshifter. What does it matter? Are her powers still inhibited... you know, I get the suspicion as if the writers don't quite know what to do with her. She is pretty powerful in theory but here was mistreated, blamed herself and has to be rescued... like Rachel... coincidence?
Then again, I don't really understand why they name themselves Excalibur to be honest. Even that passing the torch and surviving symbols explanation doesn't really fit when you consider what Excalibur actually represents.
PS. Kurt refers to Brian as "Herr Kapitan." Apart from the fact that it is spelled "Kapitän", that is actually the wrong translation of "captain", the correct German term would be "Hauptmann" or "Kommandant", Kurt just labeled Brian as the captain of a ship or airplane, that is what "Kapitän" refers to.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews