Death and resurrection are not uncommon in the X-Men comics. Indeed, the number of Mutant heroes who haven’t come back from the dead at least once was small even before the Krakoa Era. However, one hero just broke the trend in the Age of Revelation event. This hero came back from the dead, but they apparently did it as a ghost.
Written by Jed MacKay, with art by Netho Diaz, X-Men: Book of Revelation #1 centers around a young Mutant named Elbecca Voss. Her power to enhance the superpowers of other Mutants marks her for a special position among the retinue of the Mutant leader Revelation. Mutants like Elbecca, dubbed Choristers, are recruited to enhance Revelation’s powers upon pain of death. This does not sit well with the Chorister Cortez, who would prefer that fewer be allowed to hold a rank equal to his own.
After her induction into the Choristers, Cortez torments Elbecca with stories of the Ghost of Philadelphia. This spectral presence is said to be a spirit of vengeance, born of those killed when Revelation took power. Elbecca thinks little of these stories, however, until she starts to hear a voice warning her of danger as she tries to sleep.
What dead X-Men member returned as a ghost?
The Ghost of Philadelphia reveals themselves at the end of X-Men: Book of Revelation #1. This occurs when Cortez pushes Elbecca off the parapet of Revelation’s fortress. The Ghost instructs Elbecca to focus her power upon the ghost. This gives her the strength to solidify enough to catch Elbecca and save her. It also confirms the ghost to be the phasing superhero Shadowcat, a.k.a. Kitty Pryde.
It should be noted that Kitty Pryde is not dead at the present time in Marvel Comics‘ Earth-616 setting. Indeed, it is not entirely clear if she is dead in the future of Age of Revelation. It seems unlikely, unless Elbecca’s powers can somehow enhance the powers of the undead. The artwork suggests that Kitty is a ghost, as she appears wispier than usual. However, it is also possible she was rendered unable to solidify due to the X-Virus that made some Mutant powers erratic.
X-Men: Book of Revelation #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
