The New Mutants Special and Annual

When writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod first introduced The New Mutants in the 1980s it was for two reasons.

Money (isn’t it always about money?).  Marvel Comics wanted to capitalize on the success of its Uncanny X-Men franchise.  What better way to do so than to introduce a new (and younger) team of mutants?

Christ Claremont was not crazy about the idea at first but agreed nonetheless.  It would give him greater creative freedom and the opportunity to write stories outside The X-Men franchise.

The New Mutants were different from The X-Men.  Besides being younger and less experienced they offered a fresh perspective on mutant mania and prejudice.

If there was one thing you could count The New Mutants to be (despite the writer or artist) their stories always had a twinge of the strange and bizarre about them.

That no more so true than with The New Mutant’s Specials or Annuals.

In the Special Edition The New Mutants #1, Loki: The God of Mischief rears his ugly head and brings the Enchantress along for the ride.

Magic reigns as The New Mutants face off against a transformed fellow X-Men and find themselves in an enchanted land complete with gnomes, elves, giants and the like.

It’s magic mayhem brought to you by writer Chris Claremont and artist Arthur Adams.

Oh! Warlock and The Warriors Three show up for the fun!

Marvel’s two resident changling aliens: Warlock and The Impossible Man, face-off in a hilarious shape-changing contest that spans the entire Marvel Universe.

It’s a shape shifting romp as one tries to outdo the other.  Who’s the winner?  The one who puts on a ‘new’ face.  It’s a ‘colorful’ conclusion. It's all in the Giant-Sized Annual The New Mutants #3. 

Chris Claremont provides the words and Alan Davis the artwork.  It’s a classic!