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Right. So.
The following is an attempt to make 25 years of canon, written by over a dozen writers, and crossing god knows how many timelines, make sense.
Or, in other words: How Kitty's Powers Work
Yes, this is my version.
Yes, this is all drawn from canon.
No, this is not explicitly stated.
I filled in the blanks where I had to.
In The Science of the X-Men--yes, there is a book all about fake mutant science, yes, I do own it, shut up--there are a few theories posed. The first is the Vibration and String Theory. Yes, it needs capital letters. Basically, it says that Kitty can pass through objects by controlling the vibration of the molecules that comprise her matter.
This theory doesn't really work. There are ways to MAKE it work, but the big problem is that Kitty would have to give off huge amounts of energy, as a byproduct, and we don't ever see her do that. (As the website The Catbox points out, there are ways around this problem. Personally, I think there's an easier explanation, so I'm not bothering with those.)
Another theory the book offered was the Theory of Spintronics. Molecular rearrangement, where Kitty deliberately (well, "deliberately" she wouldn't be aware of it) polarizes some of her own molecules. This also allows for the airwalking, and shorting out of electrical systems.
This comes down to telekenenisis and it's late and that's spelled wrong, but I don't care. I don't like this theory, because I have yet to see a (Marvelverse, at least) telepath rearrange their own molecules to become intangible, and Kitty can't move things with her mind in your classic case of TK.
While these are nice theories, they don't really deal with the things that HAVE been said canonically about her powers. (Granted, not much.)
But we have this.
While there are other instances, those were the ones that immediately sprang to mind. I'm not digging out any more issues to find the others specifically.
So it comes down to, in my opinion--Kitty's mutation allows her to move between dimensions. ("I walk through the walls between worlds, Stryker. Impossible no longer has any meaning to me.") She literally exists less in "this" reality when she phases than before she does so.
There.
Now you may all mock me as you will.
The following is an attempt to make 25 years of canon, written by over a dozen writers, and crossing god knows how many timelines, make sense.
Or, in other words: How Kitty's Powers Work
Yes, this is my version.
Yes, this is all drawn from canon.
No, this is not explicitly stated.
I filled in the blanks where I had to.
In The Science of the X-Men--yes, there is a book all about fake mutant science, yes, I do own it, shut up--there are a few theories posed. The first is the Vibration and String Theory. Yes, it needs capital letters. Basically, it says that Kitty can pass through objects by controlling the vibration of the molecules that comprise her matter.
This theory doesn't really work. There are ways to MAKE it work, but the big problem is that Kitty would have to give off huge amounts of energy, as a byproduct, and we don't ever see her do that. (As the website The Catbox points out, there are ways around this problem. Personally, I think there's an easier explanation, so I'm not bothering with those.)
Another theory the book offered was the Theory of Spintronics. Molecular rearrangement, where Kitty deliberately (well, "deliberately" she wouldn't be aware of it) polarizes some of her own molecules. This also allows for the airwalking, and shorting out of electrical systems.
This comes down to telekenenisis and it's late and that's spelled wrong, but I don't care. I don't like this theory, because I have yet to see a (Marvelverse, at least) telepath rearrange their own molecules to become intangible, and Kitty can't move things with her mind in your classic case of TK.
While these are nice theories, they don't really deal with the things that HAVE been said canonically about her powers. (Granted, not much.)
But we have this.
- Belasco informed Kitty that she was connected to other dimensions
- In the Magic LS, Kitty proved this true. She phased between dimensions/realities. (Realities is actually a more accurate term.)
- God Loves, Man Kills II arch established that Kitty's
khefmind is split up among other dimensions. (This also makes it difficult for 99% of telepaths to read her mind, if she doesn't want them to.) - As a side note to the above--in X-Men: Black Sun, Kitty's soul is ripped out. This takes place in a hell dimension. In that hell dimension only, she can still move, walk, etc. However, she shouldn't be able to do that at all, anywhere, hell dimension or not. If part of her being exists in a different dimension, though, it would have been kept safe from nasty soul stealers. It would also still be connected with her body. Which is messed up. Have you gotten that fact? Because yeah. It is.
While there are other instances, those were the ones that immediately sprang to mind. I'm not digging out any more issues to find the others specifically.
So it comes down to, in my opinion--Kitty's mutation allows her to move between dimensions. ("I walk through the walls between worlds, Stryker. Impossible no longer has any meaning to me.") She literally exists less in "this" reality when she phases than before she does so.
There.
Now you may all mock me as you will.
