Lockheed (character)
Dragon-like alien and longtime companion of Kitty Pryde.
Lockheed is a dragon-like alien from Marvel Comics, most often seen alongside the X-Men. He serves as the constant companion of Kitty Pryde, a member of both the X-Men and Excalibur. The character has appeared in a few X-Men animated series but has no live-action film appearances to date.
Writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith created Lockheed, who debuted in *Uncanny X-Men* #166 in February 1983.
In the story "Kitty's Fairy Tale" from *Uncanny X-Men* #153, Kitty tells Illyana Rasputin a bedtime story featuring a black dragon named Lockheed, inspired by the X-Men's SR-71 Blackbird aircraft. Later, when the X-Men are captured by the alien Brood, Kitty meets a purple dragon-like creature on a Brood-colonized planet. She names it Lockheed after her storybook dragon. Lockheed rescues Kitty and secretly follows her back to the X-Mansion, where he remains hidden until he saves her from Sidri hatchlings. The X-Men accept him, and he becomes Kitty's longtime companion.
Lockheed also bonds with Illyana Rasputin, who, after being taken to the dimension of Limbo by the sorcerer Belasco, aged into a teenager, developed her mutant powers, and became Kitty's roommate. Lockheed sometimes accompanies Illyana on adventures with the New Mutants, including one involving Brood-controlled clones of the X-Men.
During the *Secret Wars* storyline, Lockheed and the X-Men are transported to Battleworld. There, he meets a green female alien dragon, apparently created by the Beyonder's lingering power. She returns to Earth with him but grows enormous and rampages through Tokyo. She vanishes when Lockheed rejects her, though she later reappears. In *Spider-Man and the Secret Wars*, Lockheed is shown protecting Denver, Colorado after it was taken to Battleworld.
When Kitty co-founds the British superhero team Excalibur, Lockheed joins her and becomes friends with Widget. During the Cross-Time Caper, the team travels through dimensions on a train from an alternate universe, whose power source is an alternate Lockheed. The two Lockheeds become friends, though the other chooses to stay on the train. The team also encounters a humanoid Lockheed, who, with a female Nightcrawler analogue, becomes Captain Britain on a magic-heavy planet. Near the caper's end, the team believes Kitty is lost in the dimensions, but she had actually returned home earlier.
- first_appearance
- Uncanny X-Men #166 (February 1983)
- creators
- Chris Claremont and Paul Smith
- species
- Dragon-like alien
- affiliations
- X-Men, Excalibur, S.W.O.R.D.
- notable_abilities
- Flight, fire breath, sharp claws and teeth
Quick Facts
- Character Name
- Lockheed
- Species
- Flock
- Publisher
- Marvel Comics
- Debut
- The Uncanny X-Men #166 (Feb. 1983)
- Creators
- Chris Claremont (writer) / Paul Smith (artist)
- Alliances
- Marauders / S.W.O.R.D. / Pet Avengers / X-Men / Xavier Institute / Excalibur / The Flock / Jean Grey School
- Powers
- Fire projection / Flight / Empathy
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Lockheed was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith and first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #166 (February 1983). In The Uncanny X-Men #153, Kitty Pryde tells a bedtime story to Illyana Rasputin that places the X-Men in the roles of fairy tale characters, including a black dragon named Lockheed, based on the X-Men's Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird aircraft. Not long afterward, the X-Men are captured by the alien race, the Brood, and taken to a Brood-colonized planet. Kitty meets a purple dragon-like alien who resembles the creature from her fairy tale, which she also names Lockheed. Lockheed saves Kitty from the Brood, and then secretly departs along with her. She, as well as Professor X and her teammates, are unaware of his presence in the X-Mansion until he saves Kitty from a nest of Sidri hatchlings. The X-Men accept his presence, and Lockheed has since become Kitty's longtime companion. To a lesser degree, Lockheed also bonds with Illyana Rasputin, who, after being abducted into the dimension of Limbo by the sorcerer Belasco, had aged into a teenager, manifested her own mutant powers, and been installed as Kitty's roommate. Lockheed occasionally accompanies Illyana after she joins the X-Men's 'junior team', the New Mutants, including an adventure where the two encounter Brood-controlled clones of the X-Men.
Reader's Guide
Lockheed's significance lies in his long-standing role as the loyal companion of Kitty Pryde, appearing alongside her in the X-Men and Excalibur. He has been involved in major storylines such as Secret Wars, where he met a green female alien dragon on Battleworld, and the Cross-Time Caper, where he encountered an alternate version of himself. His character was later revealed to be a mole for S.W.O.R.D., speaking multiple languages and acting as an informant in exchange for help on his homeworld. Lockheed has also teamed up with other animal heroes in the mini-series Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers, where he expressed grief over Kitty's loss and guilt over his betrayals. His legacy includes teaching a class at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning titled 'Knowing Your Alien Races, And How To Kill Them' and attending Kitty's wedding rehearsal dinner with his dragon family.
Did You Know?
- Lockheed first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #166 (February 1983), created by Chris Claremont and Paul Smith.
- Lockheed was named after the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird aircraft from Kitty Pryde's fairy tale.
- Lockheed can speak, but only talks to Pete Wisdom, telling him 'I hate him'.
- Lockheed was revealed to be a mole for S.W.O.R.D., speaking more languages than the Beast.
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