Kitty Pryde Just Reclaimed Her Classic Name

Marvel’s latest Ultimate books offer two distinct flavors of mutant comics for X-Men fans. The initial offering is titled Ultimate X-Men, which employs a horror manga approach to narrate the tale of mutants in this novel universe. Conversely, Ultimate Wolverine offers a more traditional X-Men storyline, where a group of mutants find themselves battling adversaries who seek to exploit mutant powers for their own gain. So far, the narrative of Ultimate Wolverine has predominantly revolved around Wolverine, with his past as the Winter Soldier and subsequent de-programming serving as significant plot points. In issue #7 of Ultimate Wolverine, he grapples with the repercussions of his actions before embarking on a mission assigned by the Opposition, a mutant resistance group opposing the Eurasian Republic. This assignment includes a briefing that unexpectedly introduces an X-Men trivia, featuring Kitty Pryde.

In the comic series “Ultimate Wolverine”, Kitty Pryde assumes a pivotal part, which is fitting given her significant connection to Wolverine. Throughout the years, she’s been a crucial character for him, undergoing numerous transformations. The seventh issue features an abundance of Kitty, as she assists Wolverine in coping with his past as the Winter Soldier and accepting his part in the deaths of their comrades. However, we also uncover something significant about Kitty in this installment, namely, her codename within the Opposition is Sprite – a name that long-time X-Men enthusiasts will recognize. The codenames (and costumes, truth be told) are one of those delightful tidbits of X-Men lore, and “Ultimate Wolverine” expands upon it.

Sprite Was Kitty Pryde’s First — But Not Last — Codename

13-year-old Kitty Pryde became a member of the X-Men, making her debut in Uncanny X-Men #129. She brought vitality and was the element that significantly improved the X-Men team. Her relationships with Wolverine and Storm greatly impacted the team’s development, introducing an elusive charm that defined them. At 13, Kitty was quite indecisive, a trait that persisted as she grew older, particularly when it came to her codenames and costumes. Initially, she chose Sprite as her codename and wore the traditional blue and yellow X-Men suit. Over time, this changed multiple times, including self-designed outfits, green costumes, a blue number with puffy sleeves from the late ’80s to mid ’90s, and more recently, pirate and ninja-inspired looks. During her initial phase with the team, she retained the Sprite codename, but eventually changed it to Shadowcat.

After going by Shadowcat for some time, Kitty Pryde changed her name back to Kitty during the Krakoa Era. Following an attack on Krakoa, she began using Shadowkat as her codename, which many fans found odd. In another universe, Kitty was known as Sprite, but this is unusual given that Sprite was a name she had when she was still very innocent and training with Ogun. It seems that this version of Kitty identifies more with being a mischievous trickster than a mutant soldier. Perhaps Kitty in this universe wants to escape the life she’s living now and return to her carefree days as Sprite.

Sprite Is Going to Have Her Work Cut Out for Her

In the seventh issue of Ultimate Wolverine, Kitty’s role mirrors a recurring theme for longtime X-Men fans. The narrative begins with her conversing with Wolverine, who has just escaped his Winter Soldier conditioning. Kitty aids him in dealing with this new reality, a task she was accustomed to in the regular comic book universe (616). In the 616 continuity, Kitty frequently acted as Wolverine’s moral compass, which explains why her name “Sprite” fits better than “Shadowcat” or the awkward “Shadowkat”. This was a characteristic of Gerry Duggan’s writing in X-Men.

In essence, Shadowcat represents Kitty Pryde in her warrior form, yet thus far, we haven’t witnessed much of this warrior side from her. Instead, she has appeared as a sprightly figure, using her phasing abilities to assist the Resistance. This role of hers resembles instances where sprites and spirits served as the moral compass for an individual, guiding them through their personal struggles. For a considerable period, Kitty was not Sprite, but assuming the name again in her Ultimate version fits perfectly.

Ultimate Wolverine #7 is on sale now.

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2025-07-05 03:10

Sprite Was Kitty Pryde’s First — But Not Last — Codename

Sprite Is Going to Have Her Work Cut Out for Her

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