Tabitha arrives with opinions, time bombs and very little patience for being treated as a helpless kid. Her experience with the X-Terminators matters here. She has already worke…

Tabitha arrives with opinions, time bombs and very little patience for being treated as a helpless kid. Her experience with the X-Terminators matters here. She has already worked alongside Rusty, Skids and Rictor, so joining the New Mutants means bringing an existing set of relationships into another established group. The transition around #76 does not turn everybody into instant best friends. Tabitha's joking and boasting can irritate people, particularly when they hear confidence where she is trying to hide fear. Asgard gives her plenty to be afraid of. She has been dropped into a world where gods, monsters and ancient rules are immediately relevant to whether she survives the afternoon. Rictor understands that performance better than some of her new teammates. His conversation with Rahne helps explain why Tabitha keeps making noise. She would rather seem impossible to embarrass than let strangers see how badly she wants to get home. Her adventures with Warlock and Hrimhari give her room to be resourceful. In #82, being imprisoned does not persuade her to sit patiently and hope the right adult eventually arrives. Her bombs offer a practical way out once Volstagg's children give the little group somewhere to go. That combination of impatience and invention suits her. Tabitha can complain about a situation while actively working to survive it. She can think an entire realm is ridiculous and still help its people when they need her. The Ship period gives her more than an introduction to a new costume lineup. It shows the original class getting used to somebody whose courage comes wrapped in teasing, attitude and an occasional terrible first impression. They have to learn to hear the concern underneath the volume.