After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

After the events of the Fall of the Mutants, the world believed that the X-Men had died. Even past members who were no longer with the team were not aware that they were still alive. Two of these past members, Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde, found themselves joined by Captain Britain and Megan in their attempt to save Phoenix. Mojo had sent the Warwolves (a group of deadly shapeshifters – for lack of an in-depth examination of their powers) to capture Phoenix – this team-up led to the formation of Excalibur. In Excalibur #41, the team found themselves up against the recently-revealed-to-be-alive X-Men – only to discover that they were actually the Warwolves in disguise.

Excalibur: the Sword is Drawn 1987 Alan Davis

Excalibur #41 September 1991 Dave Hoover

On Ebay: Excalibur
On AtomicAvenue: Excalibur