Lockheed (comics)
Encyclopedia
Lockheed is a fictional character
in the Marvel Comics
universe
. He is an alien
dragon
that is the longtime companion of Shadowcat
(Kitty Pryde), a member of the X-Men
and Excalibur
. He was created by writer Chris Claremont
and artist Paul Smith
and first appeared in Uncanny X-Men
#166 (February 1983). He is one of the only non-human-like mutants in the world, and this may put his species, mutants, and humans DNA be connected in some ways, however, his placing on the team may change the idea that the X-Men are always an all-mutant team.
, who was living with the X-Men at the time. The story recast the X-Men, including the recently deceased Jean Grey
, in the roles of fairy tale characters. One such character was a giant black dragon named "Lockheed", who was based on the modified Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird jet aircraft
used by the team.
Not long thereafter, the X-Men were kidnapped into outer space by the alien Brood
and taken to a Brood-colonized planet. Here, Kitty met a cat-sized purple dragon who resembled the creature from her fairy tale. Lockheed is actually a member of a highly advanced dragon-like extraterrestrial race, who are capable of traveling through space via special astral ships which transport their essences. Their society is similar to insect hives, with the individual being only part of the "Flock". Lockheed had been celebrated by his people as a brave fighter and hero against the Brood. He has demonstrated individual attitudes and wishes, however, which were realized only when he encountered the X-Men.
Lockheed saved Kitty from the Brood and then departed with her. She tried to hide his presence from Professor X
and her teammates, but he was revealed back on Earth when he again saved her life, this time from a nest of alien Sidri
an hunter hatchlings. The X-Men accepted his presence in the X-Mansion
, and Lockheed has since been Kitty's longtime companion.
Lockheed also bonded to a lesser degree with Illyana Rasputin, who, after being abducted into the dimension of Limbo (also known as Otherplace
) by the sorcerer Belasco
, had aged into a teenager, manifested her own mutant powers, and been installed as Kitty's roommate. Lockheed occasionally accompanied Illyana after she adopted the codename Magik and joined the X-Men's "junior team", the New Mutants, including an adventure where the two encountered Brood-controlled clones
of the X-Men.
the X-Men, including Lockheed, were transported to an alien planet nicknamed 'Battleworld'. There Lockheed met a green, female alien dragon, supposedly created by the Beyonder's lingering power (which was also responsible for fixing Captain America
's shield). This second dragon accompanied Lockheed and his allies to Earth, but she grew to gigantic size upon arrival and rampaged across Tokyo
. She seemingly vanished from existence when Lockheed rejected her, though she eventually resurfaced (and was again assisted by Kitty and Lockheed).
In the companion series 'Spider-Man and the Secret Wars', it's shown Lockheed spent some time patrolling Denver, Colorado which had been taken to the planet as well, protecting its citizens from alien attack.
superhero
team Excalibur. There he would form a friendship with Widget.
Lockheed participates in the so-called Cross-Time Caper, which involved he and his teammates leaping through dimensions on a train. The train itself came from an alternate universe and it was discovered the power source was an alternate version of Lockheed himself. The two Lockheeds became good friends even though the other desired to stay in the train. Lockheed would travel with the team (and their ally, Alistaire Stuart
) on several adventures throughout multiple realities, which included almost losing Kitty to the mystical powers of an alternate Queen of England. The team would also encounter a humanoid version of Lockheed. He, along with a female Nightcrawler analogue, would become the duo-team of Captain Britain, protecting the citizens of a magic-heavy planet. After their return to earth, Lockheed's new dragon friend left with Numbers, a member of the interdimensional Technet. For the last part of the 'Caper', Lockheed and the team believed Kitty to be lost in the dimensions; in reality she had been transported home far earlier then the rest of the group. The intervention of the vastly powerful Saturnyne
allows the team to return home.
Eventually, Lockheed's past exploits following his meeting with Kitty and the X-Men came back to haunt him. By having left so unexpectedly with Kitty, he had left behind his fiancée, whom he had been due to wed the following day. Later, while healing from injuries gained from fighting Doctor Doom
, his astral form was apprehended by the Flock and had to stand trial for treason. In his astral form, Lockheed was capable of speech. After managing to explain his motives and saving his fellows from a piloting accident, he was officially exiled from his race, but on amiable terms.
Lockheed's affections for Kitty earned him the ire of the interdimensional entities called Bamf
s, characters from the fairy tale Kitty once told Illyana. Like Lockheed, these were real also. These small versions of Nightcrawler also loved Kitty, in their own way. This would boil over into dangerous jealousy in one instance. They would invade the tunnels under Muir Island
and hold Lockheed prisoner for some time. Unfortunately, Lockheed's penchant for hiding after Kitty moves did not help his situation, as Kitty simply thought he was again being difficult.
Lockheed developed a severe distaste for Kitty's romantic interest, the secret agent Pete Wisdom. Lockheed demonstrated that he has the ability to speak, but only talks to Wisdom, telling him that he "hated him". Peter tells Kitty about this, but she believes Wisdom is only joking, and Peter suffers the frequent theft of his clothing and cigarettes. Even so, Lockheed did eventually save Peter's life, although he made sure to tell the Londoner "I still 'ate yoo." It appears that one reason Lockheed disliked Wisdom so much was that he much preferred Kitty's previous boyfriend Colossus
. This was demonstrated at the wedding of Captain Britain
and Meggan
when Lockheed attempts to help them reconnect by snatching the bride's garter and dropping it into Piotr's hands just after Kitty had won Meggan's bouquet.
Later, after Kitty left Excalibur and the X-Men entirely, it is believed that Lockheed died through unrevealed circumstances. In reality, Lockheed was found wounded and confused by a pair of young girls who practiced witchcraft. He bonded with them until he discovered that the girls used their super-powers to terrorize the local populace. The duo were soon humiliated in battle by their rival, another young girl with powers. This new friend healed Lockheed and helped direct him back to Kitty.
, it was Lockheed who saved the day with his fire breath.
Lockheed became part of a training incident for the younger students at Xavier's institute. He was the 'flag' in a game of Capture the Flag
, hiding in the middle of the hedge maze. This created problems because many of the students found it hard to actually believe in a living, miniature dragon. Specifically, the mutant Wither
ended up endangering Lockheed with his organic-destruction powers.
Lockheed attempted to help the X-Men stop the Hulk
when he attacked in World War Hulk
. Like the other X-Men, Lockheed was defeated.
. Abigail Brand
, S.W.O.R.D.'s Director later told Kitty to stop coddling the dragon like a "celebrity's chihuahua", and that the dragon was an informant in exchange for S.W.O.R.D.'s help with pressing issues on its homeworld, and the dragon can speak more languages than the X-Men's resident genius, the Beast
. The shocked team looked on as Lockheed flew away from Kitty.
After discovering the truth about Lockheed, the X-Men team joins S.W.O.R.D. in an attempt to end the confrontation with the alien race of Breakworld, who are attempting to destroy Earth with a giant missile. Kitty is assigned with the team appointed to stop the missile, while Lockheed is forced to remain behind. The two share a final lingering look before Kitty leaves. Later Kitty phases into the missile to disrupt its circuitry, noting that it is composed of the same material as the rest of Breakworld, making it difficult and exhausting for her to phase through. After phasing for a mile into the missile, Kitty finds the center, only to discover it empty. The missile is fired, causing Kitty to pass out inside of it as Beast discovers too late that due to its shape, trajectory, and lack of internal circuitry, the Breakworld's weapon is not a missile, but a bullet. Kitty, who is unable to get out, manages to phase the bullet through the Earth, but is trapped within. At the end of Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men, Scott Summers
mentions that Doctor Strange
, Reed Richards
, and some "top men" tried to save her, but believe she has fused to the bullet as it continues to hurtle through space in a constant state of phasing.
While grieving over Kitty, Lockheed drinks heavily to help with the pain. Eventually it is revealed by Abigail Brand that Kitty is still alive within the bullet but they can't get her out yet. Lockheed then approaches Unit for help but then changes his mind and flies off as the price for helping Kitty involves freeing Unit from his prison.
(the teleporting bulldog from the Inhumans), Redwing (pet falcon to The Falcon
), Zabu
(Ka-Zar's sabretooth tiger companion and ally), Niels the Cat/Hairball (who gained the same powers as Speedball
during the same incident), the new frog Thor, and Ms. Lion (May Parker's
pet dog) on a quest for the Infinity Gems
. He expressed great grief over the loss of Kitty, and his estrangement from his homeworld. In another instance, he also clearly felt guilty over acting as a mole for S.W.O.R.D, stating that he had already "Betrayed too many friends and allies in the past!". Lockheed is given the Time Gem during this adventure.
about the size of a cat. He has purple skin, sharp claws and teeth, two small, curved horns protruding from the back of his head and wings that enable him to fly. He can breathe fire with extreme intensity and is a surprisingly formidable combatant for his size, having once destroyed a nest of Sidri hatchlings and at another time bested a fully armored medieval knight-in-training. Quite tellingly, the Brood that he confronted upon his first appearance were terrified and immediately fled upon seeing him. His brain is immune to telepathic probing by telepaths such as Professor X
. He is also an empath which allows him to understand human speech. He is able to speak English as well, but rarely does so.
, evolved from the time of his first appearance to his later appearances in Excalibur. When he first appeared as drawn by Paul Smith
, he was largely quadrupedal, with red eyes lacking any pupil
s or irises
, a small triangular head about half a foot long, teeth protruding outward from his upper and lower jaws and his intelligence appeared comparable with that of a dog. By the time of his appearances in Excalibur as drawn by Alan Davis
, he had been anthropomorphized
considerably. His eyes were now human-like, with white corneas and black irises, though at times they were colored yellow and red or orange and he was capable of more human-like facial expressions and gestures, including standing on his hind legs. His teeth no longer stuck out the sides of his mouth, his head was more oblong and his jaw now much longer.
Recently, Lockheed has reverted more to his previous appearance. He no longer stands on his hind legs, he has lost the comical appearance for the most part and his eyes are once again without pupils. He still retains the same personality and skills. Initially, his only vocalizations included mostly animal-like sounds like cooing or roars, but hints were dropped as early as Uncanny X-Men #168 that he was capable of more articulate words like “oops” and was shown as capable of speaking some words of English years later in Fantastic Four Versus the X-Men #4 (June 1987) and Excalibur volume 1, #64 (April 1993).
During his tenure on Excalibur, Warren Ellis
left no uncertainty about Lockheed's intelligence: he is capable of conversant speech (although for some reason he speaks in a Cockney
accent, despite spending most of his life in America and Scotland), however, the only member of Excalibur who ever hears him is Kitty's boyfriend Peter Wisdom
, whom Lockheed dislikes. Pete tries to convince the other members that Lockheed can talk, but, in one of the repeated gags of Ellis' run, they refuse to believe him. Even in his times of muteness, he appears to understand what is said and done around him. While Lockheed sometimes tries to give the impression of being unintelligent, at other times he demonstrates outstanding powers of deduction, awareness and intelligence. He is very loyal to Kitty and shares a close rapport with her that is possibly psychic in nature. In Astonishing X-Men an alien telepath confirmed this by saying that Lockheed and Kitty were deeply connected and that the dragon could locate her through that bond. Later in the series, it is revealed that he can speak many languages, some presumably alien.
specials in the 1990s, the title characters gain an ally in "Locksteed", a version of Lockheed large enough to carry several X-Babies on his back. Apart from his larger size, Locksteed differs from Lockheed mainly in configuration, Locksteed's body design being closer to a quadrupedal riding animal's shape, with larger, stronger forelegs.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. He is an alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
that is the longtime companion of Shadowcat
Kitty Pryde
Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 and was created by writer-artist John Byrne....
(Kitty Pryde), a member of the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
and Excalibur
Excalibur (comics)
Excalibur is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an off-shoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, the original Excalibur first appeared in Excalibur Special Edition , also known as Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn.The...
. He was created by writer Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
and artist Paul Smith
Paul Smith (comics)
Paul Smith is an American comic book artist.-Early life:Smith was born in Kansas City, Missouri, but only lived there three days. His father was a U.S. Naval aviator, and the family moved several times during his childhood...
and first appeared in Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#166 (February 1983). He is one of the only non-human-like mutants in the world, and this may put his species, mutants, and humans DNA be connected in some ways, however, his placing on the team may change the idea that the X-Men are always an all-mutant team.
Fictional character biography
Kitty Pryde, the teenaged member of the X-Men, told a bedtime story to young Illyana RasputinMagik (comics)
Magik is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is the younger sister of the Russian X-Man Colossus.-Publication history:...
, who was living with the X-Men at the time. The story recast the X-Men, including the recently deceased Jean Grey
Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
, in the roles of fairy tale characters. One such character was a giant black dragon named "Lockheed", who was based on the modified Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird jet aircraft
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
used by the team.
Not long thereafter, the X-Men were kidnapped into outer space by the alien Brood
Brood (comics)
The Brood are a race of insectoid, parasitic, extraterrestrial beings that appear in the comic books published by Marvel Comics, especially Uncanny X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, they first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #155 .The Brood possess wings, fanged teeth and...
and taken to a Brood-colonized planet. Here, Kitty met a cat-sized purple dragon who resembled the creature from her fairy tale. Lockheed is actually a member of a highly advanced dragon-like extraterrestrial race, who are capable of traveling through space via special astral ships which transport their essences. Their society is similar to insect hives, with the individual being only part of the "Flock". Lockheed had been celebrated by his people as a brave fighter and hero against the Brood. He has demonstrated individual attitudes and wishes, however, which were realized only when he encountered the X-Men.
Lockheed saved Kitty from the Brood and then departed with her. She tried to hide his presence from Professor X
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
and her teammates, but he was revealed back on Earth when he again saved her life, this time from a nest of alien Sidri
Sidri
The Sidri, also known as Sidrian Hunters, are a fictional race of extraterrestrial beings in the Marvel Comics universe. They are adversaries of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, they first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #154 .-Physical characteristics and...
an hunter hatchlings. The X-Men accepted his presence in the X-Mansion
X-Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, the X-Mansion is the common name for Professor Xavier's mansion. It is the base of operations and training site of the X-Men and the location of a school for mutant teenagers, the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, formerly Xavier's School for Gifted...
, and Lockheed has since been Kitty's longtime companion.
Lockheed also bonded to a lesser degree with Illyana Rasputin, who, after being abducted into the dimension of Limbo (also known as Otherplace
Otherplace
Otherplace, is a fictional location in titles published by Marvel Comics. The concept debuted in Uncanny X-Men #160, and was created by Chris Claremont and Brent Anderson.-History:...
) by the sorcerer Belasco
Belasco
Belasco is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character's first appearance was in Ka-Zar the Savage #11; he was created by Bruce Jones and Brent Anderson.-Fictional character biography:...
, had aged into a teenager, manifested her own mutant powers, and been installed as Kitty's roommate. Lockheed occasionally accompanied Illyana after she adopted the codename Magik and joined the X-Men's "junior team", the New Mutants, including an adventure where the two encountered Brood-controlled clones
Molecular cloning
Molecular cloning refers to a set of experimental methods in molecular biology that are used to assemble recombinant DNA molecules and to direct their replication within host organisms...
of the X-Men.
Secret Wars
During the Secret WarsSecret Wars
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
the X-Men, including Lockheed, were transported to an alien planet nicknamed 'Battleworld'. There Lockheed met a green, female alien dragon, supposedly created by the Beyonder's lingering power (which was also responsible for fixing Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
's shield). This second dragon accompanied Lockheed and his allies to Earth, but she grew to gigantic size upon arrival and rampaged across Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. She seemingly vanished from existence when Lockheed rejected her, though she eventually resurfaced (and was again assisted by Kitty and Lockheed).
In the companion series 'Spider-Man and the Secret Wars', it's shown Lockheed spent some time patrolling Denver, Colorado which had been taken to the planet as well, protecting its citizens from alien attack.
Excalibur
In addition to serving with the X-Men alongside Kitty, he joined her when she co-founded the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team Excalibur. There he would form a friendship with Widget.
Lockheed participates in the so-called Cross-Time Caper, which involved he and his teammates leaping through dimensions on a train. The train itself came from an alternate universe and it was discovered the power source was an alternate version of Lockheed himself. The two Lockheeds became good friends even though the other desired to stay in the train. Lockheed would travel with the team (and their ally, Alistaire Stuart
Alistaire Stuart
Alistaire Stuart is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a scientist, an ally of the superhero team Excalibur and head of MI-13, an intelligence agency...
) on several adventures throughout multiple realities, which included almost losing Kitty to the mystical powers of an alternate Queen of England. The team would also encounter a humanoid version of Lockheed. He, along with a female Nightcrawler analogue, would become the duo-team of Captain Britain, protecting the citizens of a magic-heavy planet. After their return to earth, Lockheed's new dragon friend left with Numbers, a member of the interdimensional Technet. For the last part of the 'Caper', Lockheed and the team believed Kitty to be lost in the dimensions; in reality she had been transported home far earlier then the rest of the group. The intervention of the vastly powerful Saturnyne
Saturnyne
Opal Luna Saturnyne is the name of a fictional comic book character created by Dave Thorpe and Alan Davis for their Captain Britain stories. She is the Omniversal Majestrix of Otherworld, and a servant of Roma, charged with the safety of the Omniverse....
allows the team to return home.
Eventually, Lockheed's past exploits following his meeting with Kitty and the X-Men came back to haunt him. By having left so unexpectedly with Kitty, he had left behind his fiancée, whom he had been due to wed the following day. Later, while healing from injuries gained from fighting Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
, his astral form was apprehended by the Flock and had to stand trial for treason. In his astral form, Lockheed was capable of speech. After managing to explain his motives and saving his fellows from a piloting accident, he was officially exiled from his race, but on amiable terms.
Lockheed's affections for Kitty earned him the ire of the interdimensional entities called Bamf
Bamf
Bamf , originally Bampf, is a onomatopoeic term from the Marvel Universe.-Sound:"Bamf" in the Marvel Universe is onomatopoeia relating to the fictional character Nightcrawler and the resulting sound he makes when he teleports. The sound is caused by air rushing into the space where Nightcrawler's...
s, characters from the fairy tale Kitty once told Illyana. Like Lockheed, these were real also. These small versions of Nightcrawler also loved Kitty, in their own way. This would boil over into dangerous jealousy in one instance. They would invade the tunnels under Muir Island
Muir Island
Muir Island is a small, fictional island off the northern coast of Scotland in the Marvel Comics universe. It plays a prominent role in the X-Men comics and its related series.-History:...
and hold Lockheed prisoner for some time. Unfortunately, Lockheed's penchant for hiding after Kitty moves did not help his situation, as Kitty simply thought he was again being difficult.
Lockheed developed a severe distaste for Kitty's romantic interest, the secret agent Pete Wisdom. Lockheed demonstrated that he has the ability to speak, but only talks to Wisdom, telling him that he "hated him". Peter tells Kitty about this, but she believes Wisdom is only joking, and Peter suffers the frequent theft of his clothing and cigarettes. Even so, Lockheed did eventually save Peter's life, although he made sure to tell the Londoner "I still 'ate yoo." It appears that one reason Lockheed disliked Wisdom so much was that he much preferred Kitty's previous boyfriend Colossus
Colossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
. This was demonstrated at the wedding of Captain Britain
Captain Britain
Captain Britain , briefly known as Britannic, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe, he first appeared in Captain Britain Weekly, #1...
and Meggan
Meggan
Meggan Puceanu is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the . She first appeared in Mighty World of Marvel #7, , and was created by Alan Moore and Alan Davis....
when Lockheed attempts to help them reconnect by snatching the bride's garter and dropping it into Piotr's hands just after Kitty had won Meggan's bouquet.
Later, after Kitty left Excalibur and the X-Men entirely, it is believed that Lockheed died through unrevealed circumstances. In reality, Lockheed was found wounded and confused by a pair of young girls who practiced witchcraft. He bonded with them until he discovered that the girls used their super-powers to terrorize the local populace. The duo were soon humiliated in battle by their rival, another young girl with powers. This new friend healed Lockheed and helped direct him back to Kitty.
Back on the X-Men
Kitty eventually re-joined with the X-Men and Lockheed happily followed. When the X-Men were battling the alien OrdOrd (comics)
Ord is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. Ord is an enemy of the X-Men. He first appeared in Astonishing X-Men #1 in May 2004. He was created by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday.- Ord's mission :...
, it was Lockheed who saved the day with his fire breath.
Lockheed became part of a training incident for the younger students at Xavier's institute. He was the 'flag' in a game of Capture the Flag
Capture the flag
Capture the Flag is a traditional outdoor sport generally played by children, where two teams each have a flag and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base," and bring it safely back to their own base...
, hiding in the middle of the hedge maze. This created problems because many of the students found it hard to actually believe in a living, miniature dragon. Specifically, the mutant Wither
Wither (comics)
Wither is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He has been a member of the student body at the Xavier Institute, a member of the Hellions training squad, and a supervillain as a part of Selene's Coven.-Early life:Kevin Ford developed his mutant...
ended up endangering Lockheed with his organic-destruction powers.
Lockheed attempted to help the X-Men stop the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
when he attacked in World War Hulk
World War Hulk
"World War Hulk" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self titled limited series and various other titles published by Marvel Comics in 2007, featuring the Hulk....
. Like the other X-Men, Lockheed was defeated.
Agent of S.W.O.R.D.
It was revealed that Lockheed is the mole within the Institute for S.W.O.R.D.S.W.O.R.D. (comics)
S.W.O.R.D. is a fictional counterterrorism and intelligence agency in the . Its purpose is to deal with extraterrestrial threats to world security.-Publication history:...
. Abigail Brand
Abigail Brand
Special Agent Abigail Brand is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics' universe. Her first appearance was a cameo in Astonishing X-Men #3 , and she was introduced fully in Astonishing X-Men #6 . She was created by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday.-Origin:Abigail Brand is the commanding officer of...
, S.W.O.R.D.'s Director later told Kitty to stop coddling the dragon like a "celebrity's chihuahua", and that the dragon was an informant in exchange for S.W.O.R.D.'s help with pressing issues on its homeworld, and the dragon can speak more languages than the X-Men's resident genius, the Beast
Beast (comics)
Beast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
. The shocked team looked on as Lockheed flew away from Kitty.
After discovering the truth about Lockheed, the X-Men team joins S.W.O.R.D. in an attempt to end the confrontation with the alien race of Breakworld, who are attempting to destroy Earth with a giant missile. Kitty is assigned with the team appointed to stop the missile, while Lockheed is forced to remain behind. The two share a final lingering look before Kitty leaves. Later Kitty phases into the missile to disrupt its circuitry, noting that it is composed of the same material as the rest of Breakworld, making it difficult and exhausting for her to phase through. After phasing for a mile into the missile, Kitty finds the center, only to discover it empty. The missile is fired, causing Kitty to pass out inside of it as Beast discovers too late that due to its shape, trajectory, and lack of internal circuitry, the Breakworld's weapon is not a missile, but a bullet. Kitty, who is unable to get out, manages to phase the bullet through the Earth, but is trapped within. At the end of Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men, Scott Summers
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
mentions that Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, Reed Richards
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
, and some "top men" tried to save her, but believe she has fused to the bullet as it continues to hurtle through space in a constant state of phasing.
While grieving over Kitty, Lockheed drinks heavily to help with the pain. Eventually it is revealed by Abigail Brand that Kitty is still alive within the bullet but they can't get her out yet. Lockheed then approaches Unit for help but then changes his mind and flies off as the price for helping Kitty involves freeing Unit from his prison.
Lockjaw & the Pet Avengers
Lockheed teams up with LockjawLockjaw (comics)
Lockjaw is a fictional character and alien bulldog-like being that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
(the teleporting bulldog from the Inhumans), Redwing (pet falcon to The Falcon
Falcon (comics)
The Falcon is a fictional comic book superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics.Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan, and introduced in Captain America #117 , the character is mainstream comics' first African-American superhero...
), Zabu
Zabu
Zabu is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe, a superhero who is connected primarily to the Savage Land, and the X-Men, and most recently the Avengers . He first appeared in X-Men #10 . He is the last known living Smilodon and is a companion and ally of Ka-Zar.-Fictional character...
(Ka-Zar's sabretooth tiger companion and ally), Niels the Cat/Hairball (who gained the same powers as Speedball
Speedball (comics)
Robert "Robbie" Baldwin is a comic book superhero character, appearing in books published by Marvel Comics.Originally known as Speedball, the character was created by artist Steve Ditko and writer Tom DeFalco, initially as a candidate for Marvel's separate New Universe imprint.Baldwin first...
during the same incident), the new frog Thor, and Ms. Lion (May Parker's
Aunt May
May Reilly Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared as May Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15...
pet dog) on a quest for the Infinity Gems
Infinity Gems
Infinity Gems, sometimes referred to as the Soul Gems, are six immensely powerful gems featured in the fictional Marvel Universe. Whoever holds all six gems in the Infinity Gauntlet gains omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and God-like power, and has absolute dominion over the universe...
. He expressed great grief over the loss of Kitty, and his estrangement from his homeworld. In another instance, he also clearly felt guilty over acting as a mole for S.W.O.R.D, stating that he had already "Betrayed too many friends and allies in the past!". Lockheed is given the Time Gem during this adventure.
Powers and abilities
Lockheed looks like a small European dragonEuropean dragon
European dragons are legendary creatures in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe.In European folklore, a dragon is a serpentine legendary creature. The Latin word draco, as in constellation Draco, comes directly from Greek δράκων,...
about the size of a cat. He has purple skin, sharp claws and teeth, two small, curved horns protruding from the back of his head and wings that enable him to fly. He can breathe fire with extreme intensity and is a surprisingly formidable combatant for his size, having once destroyed a nest of Sidri hatchlings and at another time bested a fully armored medieval knight-in-training. Quite tellingly, the Brood that he confronted upon his first appearance were terrified and immediately fled upon seeing him. His brain is immune to telepathic probing by telepaths such as Professor X
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
. He is also an empath which allows him to understand human speech. He is able to speak English as well, but rarely does so.
Character evolution
Lockheed’s appearance and character, as depicted by the various artists who illustrated him, as well as writer Chris ClaremontChris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
, evolved from the time of his first appearance to his later appearances in Excalibur. When he first appeared as drawn by Paul Smith
Paul Smith (comics)
Paul Smith is an American comic book artist.-Early life:Smith was born in Kansas City, Missouri, but only lived there three days. His father was a U.S. Naval aviator, and the family moved several times during his childhood...
, he was largely quadrupedal, with red eyes lacking any pupil
Pupil
The pupil is a hole located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to enter the retina. It appears black because most of the light entering the pupil is absorbed by the tissues inside the eye. In humans the pupil is round, but other species, such as some cats, have slit pupils. In...
s or irises
Iris (anatomy)
The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel , grey, violet, or even pink...
, a small triangular head about half a foot long, teeth protruding outward from his upper and lower jaws and his intelligence appeared comparable with that of a dog. By the time of his appearances in Excalibur as drawn by Alan Davis
Alan Davis
Alan Davis is an English writer and artist of comic books, known for his work on titles such as Captain Britain, The Uncanny X-Men, ClanDestine, Excalibur, JLA: The Nail and JLA: Another Nail.-UK work:...
, he had been anthropomorphized
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
considerably. His eyes were now human-like, with white corneas and black irises, though at times they were colored yellow and red or orange and he was capable of more human-like facial expressions and gestures, including standing on his hind legs. His teeth no longer stuck out the sides of his mouth, his head was more oblong and his jaw now much longer.
Recently, Lockheed has reverted more to his previous appearance. He no longer stands on his hind legs, he has lost the comical appearance for the most part and his eyes are once again without pupils. He still retains the same personality and skills. Initially, his only vocalizations included mostly animal-like sounds like cooing or roars, but hints were dropped as early as Uncanny X-Men #168 that he was capable of more articulate words like “oops” and was shown as capable of speaking some words of English years later in Fantastic Four Versus the X-Men #4 (June 1987) and Excalibur volume 1, #64 (April 1993).
During his tenure on Excalibur, Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
left no uncertainty about Lockheed's intelligence: he is capable of conversant speech (although for some reason he speaks in a Cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
accent, despite spending most of his life in America and Scotland), however, the only member of Excalibur who ever hears him is Kitty's boyfriend Peter Wisdom
Peter Wisdom
Pete Wisdom is a fictional secret agent published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Excalibur vol.1 #86 , and was created by Warren Ellis and Ken Lashley...
, whom Lockheed dislikes. Pete tries to convince the other members that Lockheed can talk, but, in one of the repeated gags of Ellis' run, they refuse to believe him. Even in his times of muteness, he appears to understand what is said and done around him. While Lockheed sometimes tries to give the impression of being unintelligent, at other times he demonstrates outstanding powers of deduction, awareness and intelligence. He is very loyal to Kitty and shares a close rapport with her that is possibly psychic in nature. In Astonishing X-Men an alien telepath confirmed this by saying that Lockheed and Kitty were deeply connected and that the dragon could locate her through that bond. Later in the series, it is revealed that he can speak many languages, some presumably alien.
"Cross Time Caper"
An alternate reality's counterpart of Lockheed served as the power source of Excalibur's train; their means of interdimensional transport during the "Cross-Time Caper" storyline. Though the origin of the train was from an Earth dominated by Nazi forces, Lockheed actually enjoyed being the power source. This larger, female Lockheed eventually departs with Excalibur's sometime foes, the Technet, after having mated with their member Numbers and giving birth to his children.X-Babies
In the series of X-BabiesX-Babies
The X-Babies are a group of Mojo-manufactured child clones of the X-Men. They first appeared in Uncanny X-Men Annual #12 and were created by Chris Claremont and Art Adams.-Appearances:...
specials in the 1990s, the title characters gain an ally in "Locksteed", a version of Lockheed large enough to carry several X-Babies on his back. Apart from his larger size, Locksteed differs from Lockheed mainly in configuration, Locksteed's body design being closer to a quadrupedal riding animal's shape, with larger, stronger forelegs.
Earth-1289
Lockheed is the humanoid counterpart of Kitty's pet dragon, he and Kymri jointly took on the mantle of Captain Britain after they emerged victorious in a tournament in Excalibur vol. 1 #16-17. His status in regard to membership in the Captain Britain Corps is unknown, since she was not chosen by Merlin or Roma.Mutant X
In this reality, Lockeed joins the Starjammers which consist of Cyclops, Binary, Nova and Silver Surfer.Television
- Lockheed appeared in X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men voiced by Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
. He was introduced as a pest on Asteroid MAsteroid MUtopia is the name of the sepratist mutant homeland created by the X-Men from the remains of Asteroid M which is the name of several fictional settings, each an asteroid converted by the mutant Magneto into his home/orbiting base, in the Marvel Comics Universe...
, the headquarters of the Brotherhood of MutantsBrotherhood of MutantsThe Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men...
. He managed to escape Asteroid M with the X-Men. - In X-Men: EvolutionX-Men: EvolutionX-Men: Evolution is an American animated television series about the Marvel Comics superhero team the X-Men. In this incarnation many of the characters are teenagers rather than adults...
third season episode, "Dark Horizon Part One", Lockheed is not present, but instead of a teddy bearTeddy bearThe teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
, Kitty's apparent favorite stuffed toy is a dragon. - Lockheed appears in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
episode "Mysterious Mayhem at Mutant Academy!". He briefly appears in a chase scene using his fire breath to drive Reptil and the hypnotized X-Men out of the girls' bathroom on Shadowcat's behalf.
Novels
- Lockheed is Shadowcat's pet dragon in the novel to X-Men: The Last StandX-Men: The Last StandX-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...
. He is briefly mentioned cooing sadly following Professor Xavier's funeral when Bobby Drake (Iceman) visited Kitty.
Merchandise
- An early New MutantsNew MutantsThe New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
figure of Illyana RasputinMagik (comics)Magik is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is the younger sister of the Russian X-Man Colossus.-Publication history:...
came with a Lockheed accessory, as did the Captain BritainCaptain BritainCaptain Britain , briefly known as Britannic, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe, he first appeared in Captain Britain Weekly, #1...
figure—but it was much larger in size. - The Kitty Pryde Marvel LegendsMarvel LegendsMarvel Legends is an action figure line based on the characters of Marvel Comics, initially produced by Toy Biz, then by Hasbro. This line is in the scale, with spin-off lines in the , , and scale.-History:...
action figure comes with Lockheed as an accessory. - The Kitty Pryde HeroClixHeroClixHeroClix is a collectible miniatures game that uses the Clix system. Originally designed and produced by WizKids, it is now owned and marketed by NECA. Players construct teams of comic book heroes, villains, and other characters from popular video games such as Street Fighter, Gears of War, and Halo...
Unique figurine from the Xplosion expansion set has Shadowcat with Lockheed on her arm. Lockheed was also released as a cardboard bystander token for the Sinister expansion set and finally released as a standard figure in 2011's Giant-Size X-Men.
External links
- Lockheed at Marvel.com