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The launch of Kitty Pryde represented an important structural transition for the series, introducing a young female viewpoint character (highly unusual), but it also created connective tissue across books as the X-Men comic became the X-Men franchise. #xmen @LetsTalkKitty 1/6
With the launch of New Mutants in 1982, Kitty became a somewhat liminal figure, capable of occupying a place on either team, and thus providing important expository opportunities for Claremont to explore and explain the differences between the New Mutants and the X-Men. 2/6
In this sense, Kitty herself becomes a sort of staging ground for what exactly an X-Man is, in an era where that’s not abundantly clear. Also, her connections to the junior squad create crossover opportunities that keep the two series in dialogue with each other. 3/6
With Excalibur, Kitty again finds herself in this liminal position: an American mutant hero thrust into a world of Arthurian lore and British simulacrum. Once again, she is largely the viewpoint character, connecting American audiences to a new setting and story. 4/6
Furthermore, with Rachel’s mixed feelings toward the X-Men and Kurt’s quick adaptation to the Excalibur new normal, it’s largely Kitty’s sense of loss and longing that offers a connection between X-Men and its British spin-off. 5/6
It is perhaps appropriate then that the girl who walks through walls is the one who most effectually passes through the different X-franchise series, uniting them in complex and important ways. 6/6
