The New Mutants is a graphic novel published in 1982 by Marvel Comics. Written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Bob McLeod, it introduced a new team of characters as teenage counterparts to the team of superhero mutants, the X-Men. It returns to the premise of the original X-Men, which featured a group of students, while retaining the diversity in race and social background introduced to the X-Men by the second incarnation of the team. The New Mutants is the fourth publication of the Marvel Graphic Novel branding and the first spinoff of X-Men. It was followed by an ongoing series in 1983, also titled The New Mutants. The graphic novel follows Professor X, the leader of the X-Men, as he gathers the New Mutants to protect them from the villain Donald Pierce. With Karma and Wolfsbane, Professor X goes to collect Psyche when they are attacked. Another mutant, Sunspot, is kidnapped along with his girlfriend, so Karma and Wolfsbane try to rescue them. Sunspot's girlfriend is killed in the ensuing fight. Cannonball, a teenage mutant hired by Pierce, kidnaps Professor X. The four New Mutants find where Pierce is holding Professor X, and they battle with Cannonball and Pierce. After Pierce is defeated, Cannonball defects and joins the New Mutants. Source: Wikipedia (en)