The X-Men have encountered some of the most bizarre creatures imaginable, including extra-dimensional horrors, savage space aliens, and even giant demon bears. But in Uncanny X-Men #103 by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum, and Sam Grainger the X-Men met creatures straight out of fantasy and folklore: leprechauns!
What was meant to be a relaxing vacation at Cassidy Keep in Ireland for the X-Men turned into a nightmare thanks to the combined efforts of Black Tom Cassidy and the Juggernaut. Black Tom Cassidy, evil cousin of the X-Man Banshee, attacked the castle where he and the X-Men were staying. Defeated, the majority of the X-Men were locked away in Black Tom's torture dungeon.
Nightcrawler, however, was rescued from imprisonment by the resident leprechauns that lived within Banshee's castle. The leprechauns carried Nightcrawler to safety and helped revive him. Nightcrawler, very naturally, was incredulous and confused when he laid eyes on the fantastic creatures. Once both parties realized that neither was a threat to the other, efforts were immediately put into motion to save the rest of the team.
As Black Tom and Juggernaut gloated over their victory against the X-Men Nightcrawler appeared in a perfect disguise as Professor X. Black Tom and Juggernaut were tricked by Nightcrawler's deception, but only for a moment. But a moment was all that was needed as Juggernaut accidentally smashed a hole into the wall of the dungeon granting Storm a clear view of the sky. Summoning her mutant powers, Storm created tempestuous winds powerful enough to free herself and the rest of her mutant allies.
While Storm, Colossus, and Banshee engaged Black Tom and Juggernaut, the leprechauns rescued Nightcrawler from the rubble of the destroyed dungeon. Unfortunately, Wolverine was left out of the fray as Colossus had thrown him over the castle for disrespecting Storm. As he cursed Colossus for his poor aim the leprechauns approached him and offered to guide him to the other side of the castle. Much like Nightcrawler, Wolverine was completely taken aback at seeing the magical creatures rush past him. It wasn't until one of them called him “Mr. Logan” that he listened to them and followed. Interestingly enough, this was the very first time Wolverine was ever called “Logan” in the comics.
The issue comes to a close when Banshee is freed from his silencing gag allowing him to use his sonic screams to hinder Juggernaut. Banshee and Black Tom grab nearby swords and battle one another in classic swashbuckling fashion; Banshee bests Black Tom by kicking him over the edge of the castle into the sea below. Juggernaut leaps in after him, terrified of losing his only friend in the world. With their enemies gone, Storm clears the skies above the castle and allows peace and calm to return. As for the leprechauns, however, no trace was ever seen of them again.
Uncanny X-Men #103 could have been a classic, but slightly generic story with the team of heroes being captured by the bad guys. Would they have escaped without the help of leprechauns? In all probability they would have, but having their help come from a group of leprechauns gives the issue an unmistakable sense of fun and imagination that sets it apart from similar stories. While not quite the kind of legacy characters expected to have a revival, the leprechauns of Cassidy Keep were a silly and unique addition to the X-Men mythos. Still, it would be interesting to see what they've been up after all these years.