Lockheed (comics)

Lockheed is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character appears most commonly in association with the X-Men. He is an alien dragon that is the longtime companion of Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde), a member of the X-Men and Excalibur.

Publication history

Lockheed was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith and first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #166 (February 1983).

Fictional character biography

In Uncanny X-Men No. 153, "Kitty's Fairy Tale", Kitty Pryde, the teenaged member of the X-Men, told a bedtime story to young Illyana Rasputin, 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",^[1] who was based on the modified Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird jet aircraft used by the team. Subsequently, the X-Men's Blackbird was named "Kitty's Dragon", with the name embossed in gold under the pilot's side window.

Not long thereafter, the X-Men were kidnapped into outer space by the alien race the Brood and taken to a Brood-colonized planet. Here, Kitty met a cat-sized purple dragon who resembled the creature from her fairy tale, which she named "Lockheed."^[2] 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, but has demonstrated individual attitudes and wishes which were realized only when he encountered the X-Men.

Lockheed saved Kitty from the Brood and then departed with her.^[2] 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 Sidrian hunter hatchlings.^[3] The X-Men accepted his presence in the X-Mansion,^[4] 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.^[5]

Secret Wars

During the Secret Wars 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,^[6] 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.^[7]

Excalibur

In addition to serving with the X-Men alongside Kitty, he joined her when she co-founded the British superhero team Excalibur.^[8] There he would form a friendship with Widget.

Lockheed participates in the so-called Cross-Time Caper, which involved him 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 than the rest of the group. The intervention of the vastly powerful Saturnyne allows the team to return home.^[9]

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,^[10] 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.^[11]

Lockheed's affections for Kitty earned him the ire of the interdimensional entities called Bamfs, 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.

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 Ord, it was Lockheed who saved the day with his fire breath.^[12]

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.^[13]

Agent of S.W.O.R.D.

It was revealed that Lockheed is the mole within the Institute for S.W.O.R.D..^[14] Abigail Brand, S.W.O.R.D.'s Director later told Kitty to stop coddling the dragon like a "starlet'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.^[15]

After Kitty Pryde returned, she reunited with Lockheed in Astonishing X-Men #38. He has since joined her at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. In a brochure included at the end of Wolverine and the X-Men #1, it is said that he teaches a class entitled "Knowing Your Alien Races, And How To Kill Them".

Lockjaw & the Pet Avengers

In the mini-series Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers, Lockheed teams up with Lockjaw (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 from Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends) 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.^[16]

Powers and abilities

Lockheed looks like a small European dragon 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 empathic and able 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 Claremont, 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 pupils 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.

Other versions

X-Babies

In the series of X-Babies 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 Merlyn or Roma.

Mutant X

In this reality, Lockeed joins the Starjammers which consist of Cyclops, Binary, Nova, and Silver Surfer.

In other media

Television

• Lockheed appeared in X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men voiced by Frank Welker. He was introduced as a pest on Asteroid M, the headquarters of the Brotherhood of Mutants. He managed to escape Asteroid M with the X-Men.
• In X-Men: Evolution third season episode, "Dark Horizon Part One", Lockheed is not present, but instead of a teddy bear, Kitty's apparent favorite stuffed toy is a dragon.
• Lockheed appears in The Super Hero Squad Show 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.

Film

In November of 2016, it was confirmed that Lockheed will appear in the upcoming film New Mutants as a companion of Magik.^[17]

Video games

• Lockheed appears in Marvel: Avengers Alliance. He appears as an assist move for Shadowcat.
• Lockheed is an unlockable upgrade for Shadowcat in Uncanny X-Men: The Days of Future Past. When unlocked, he shoots fire blasts at any enemies that try to attack her. As he is upgraded from base level to max, he is able to do more damage each time.
• Lockheed appears as a non-playable character in Marvel Heroes.

Novels

• Lockheed is Shadowcat's pet dragon in the novel to X-Men: The Last Stand. He is briefly mentioned cooing sadly following Professor Xavier's funeral when Bobby Drake (Iceman) visited Kitty.

Footnotes

External links

• Lockheed at the Marvel Universe wiki