The Uncanny X-Men #179
Uncanny X-Men #179 brings to a head the long-simmering subplot launched in issue #170, where Kitty Pryde made a rash promise to live with Caliban in exchange for his help saving the X-Men — a promise Chris Claremont now forces her to honor with full moral weight. The issue is a showcase for Claremont's character-driven storytelling at its peak: Kitty chooses to keep her word even at enormous personal cost, and Caliban's decision to release her rather than trap her against her will gives the story a genuine emotional resolution rarely seen in superhero comics of the era. Beyond the Kitty–Caliban arc, the issue debuts two Morlocks — Leech and the Healer — whose powers and personalities would reverberate across the X-line for years, with Leech in particular becoming one of the franchise's most enduring minor characters. It also marks an important moment for Rogue, whose willingness to absorb Colossus's lethal metallic state at risk to herself quietly earns her acceptance on the team.
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The issue was produced during John Romita Jr.'s sustained early run on the title, inked by Dan Green — the pairing that critics and fans credit with shaping Romita's mature, geometric visual style. Louise Jones edited the book, with Ann Nocenti as assistant editor, under editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. The story is the direct resolution of the Morlock kidnapping plot begun in issue #178, itself a callback to the promise Kitty made during the original Morlocks two-parter in issues #169–170; Claremont's willingness to follow through on that continuity thread across roughly a year of publication is characteristic of his long-form approach to the series.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Leech (green-skinned Morlock child with power-nullification ability), created by Chris Claremont and John Romita Jr., cover-dated March 1984.
- First on-panel appearance of the Morlock Healer, who had been mentioned but unseen since Uncanny X-Men #170; his power to accelerate mutant biological healing is demonstrated by saving Colossus.
- Also the first appearance of Jo, a Morlock bridesmaid assigned to prepare Kitty for the forced wedding ceremony.
- Story titled 'What Happened to Kitty?' — written by Chris Claremont, penciled by John Romita Jr., inked by Dan Green, colored by Glynis Wein, lettered by Tom Orzechowski; edited by Louise Jones (assistant editor: Ann Nocenti).
- Resolves the Kitty Pryde–Caliban promise arc begun in Uncanny X-Men #170: Kitty voluntarily returns to honor her vow, but Caliban releases her, giving her a single rose and asking to be remembered 'not as the monster, but as the prince.'
- Rogue absorbs Colossus's organic-steel powers to revert him to human form, allowing the Morlock Healer to cure his otherwise fatal injuries — a key moment in establishing Rogue's place on the team.
- Contains a brief cosmic scanning-wave subplot later revealed to be the Beyonder's reconnaissance ahead of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1.
- Reprinted in Essential X-Men Vol. 4 (collects Uncanny X-Men #162–179, Annual #7, and Marvel Graphic Novel #5) and in The Uncanny X-Men Omnibus Vol. 4.
Cast · 24 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Callisto and the Morlocks try to hold Kitty to an old promise to stay with Caliban forever by marrying the two.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).