Pryde, Katherine

Katherine "Kitty" Pryde is a Jewish mutant with versatile phasing abilities which allow her to move through solid matter. After her powers first manifested, Pryde was approached both by Emma Frost, the White Queen of the Hellfire Club, and the X-Men, a mutant superhero group. Realizing Frost had vile intentions as she captured and tortured the X-Men, Pryde demonstrated immense bravery and freed the X-Men. As Sprite, she became the X-Men's youngest member by enrolling at the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
Proving to be a controversial but invigorating addition to the team, Pryde had her life completely guided by her tenure with the X-Men, who became her second family. After being brainwashed by the sword master known as Ogun, Pryde connected herself with darker aspects of her soul, adopting the codename Shadowcat for years. She was also a founding member of the British-based mutant team known as Excalibur, experiencing an exceptional adolescence, by growing up as a superhero.
== History ==
=== Early Years ===
Katherine Pryde was the daughter of Carmen and Theresa Pryde, and was born in Deerfield, Illinois. Kitty was leading the normal life of an 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 attack led by the White Queen. The X-Men were overcome and taken as prisoners. Unwilling to abandon Storm and the others, Kitty hid aboard the Hellfire Club's hovercraft and 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 her to join Prof. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. She became the newest member of the X-Men and 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. Storm 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, returned to his underground home. Later, after Kitty stowed away on a 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.
Sometime afterwards, Kitty's parents reconsidered their decision to send her to Xavier's School and enrolled her in the Massachusetts Academy instead. Frost switched bodies with Storm after the later brought Kitty to the new school, but Kitty, Ororo (in Emma’s body) and the other X-Men managed to defeat the Hellfire Cub once more, with Kitty returning to Xavier's.
Illyana Rasputin, Colossus' six-year-old sister, was kidnapped by Belasco and the X-Men followed to Limbo. While there, 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 into 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 as a thirteen-year-old. 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." 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.
Piotr 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 Colossus. 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.
The X-Men encountered the underground community of mutants known as the Morlocks, who had kidnapped one of their former members, Angel. Kitty promised Caliban of the Morlocks her hand in marriage, while deathly sick from Plague, in exchange for aid in saving Piotr and the X-Men's life. Sprite however 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. 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 ninjutsu. 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 and permanent code name Shadowcat. 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 Professor Xavier's request, and Kitty was amazed to learn that Magneto knew her great-aunt 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. While there they battled Fenris, and later, the Beyonder again. Following the conflict, 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 came into Kitty's possession. Due to her and Illyana's bond, only Kitty retained her memories of the New Mutants until Beyonder 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. 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 mind control and defeated the spineless one.
The X-Men attempted to rescue the Morlocks during the indiscriminate massacre by the Marauders. The Marauder called Harpoon seriously injured the phased Shadowcat with his energy spear, as she leaped between him and Rogue. Although she survived the attack, it 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 Kitty's 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 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 battled Technet and the Warwolves, during which Kitty was briefly defeated by Joyboy, who used his powers to make her corporal, but, due to a twist, Kitty also became huge and fat. Despite this brief setback, the five pulled free and this resulted in the defeat of both Technet and the Warwolves, who were sent by Mojo to bring Rachel back. 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, whose 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 Murderworld 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. While there 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; as Fast Buck and then a Nightmare on Elm St. look-alike, Captain Britain attempted to kill Kitty. Illyana's eldritch armor and Soulsword covered Kitty and she successfully brought Cap and Meggan out of their enchantments.
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." Excalibur returned home to rescue W.H.O. from the Lightning Force, alternate reality versions of themselves, where Kitty met Widget and, 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 the Soulsword 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, Kitty became infatuated with the W.H.O. scientist 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.