Warning: SPOILERS for Marauders #10
Marvel's X-Men comics have confirmed Kitty Pryde won't be resurrected... through the normal means. Death has always been something of a revolving door in superhero comics, and that's particularly the case for the X-Men, who are strongly associated with cosmic forces of death and resurrection.
Jonathan Hickman's X-Men relaunch took the unusual step of acknowledging this from the outset, giving the mutants their own way of resurrecting anybody who has died. This is achieved through a combination of Cerebro mental recordings and five mutant powers working in synergy. In a twist, though, Gerry Duggan's Marauders suggested fan-favorite Kitty Pryde could be the exception to the rule - and that was tested when Kitty died, killed by Sebastian Shaw.
This week's Marauders #10 confirms that Kitty Pryde can't be resurrected through the 'normal' means. The issue ends with a tag scene in which the Five - Hope Summers, Elixir, Tempus, Proteus, and Goldballs - are standing over another failed resurrection egg, clearly disappointed and devastated. It falls to Goldballs to voice the thought clearly running through all their minds; "With all due respect, sir," he tells Professor X, "I don't think it's us who are doing anything wrong... I just don't think Kitty can be resurrected." Xavier reluctantly agrees.
It's devastating news for the X-Men - and also for readers. Over the years, Kitty Pryde has become a reader surrogate in the comics. The X-Men's inability to resurrect Kitty thus creates a fascinating distance between readers and the new mutant community, a decision that is undoubtedly intentional on Marvel's part. It's particularly disappointing given Kitty Pryde's new status quo, as Red Queen of the Hellfire Corporation, was a really interesting way to use the character.
But the story of Kitty Pryde may not be over. Marauders #10 is framed by two letters; the first is a painful read, sent from Kitty to Nightcrawler immediately before her fatal last mission. The other, however, is Nightcrawler's response. The most spiritual of all the X-Men, Kurt Wagner has resolved to get Kitty back, one way or another. "Science may not solve your mystery, but I intend to," he writes, promising Kitty he will work through his grief and then work to bring her back. Nightcrawler is no stranger to death and resurrection himself; he sacrificed himself in 2010's "Second Coming" event, only to return from Heaven itself some time later. His role in the Jonathan Hickman era has been a strange one, apparently seeing Nightcrawler give up his faith and consider founding a new mutant religion, a move that has earned mixed reactions from readers. It looks as though Nightcrawler is about to become a key player in the future of the X-Men - as he figures out the reason Kitty Pryde can't be resurrected, and puts matters right.