The Uncanny X-Men (1981)

Jean contends with Starhammer on the astral plane!

The Shiar spaceship is on it's way to Earth for the first time in months, carrying the founder of the X-Men along with his Skrull mutants but what is their purpose?

Storm gets an urgent call from the Black Panther himself calling her to attend to him immediately.

The X-Men find out that there have been some attempt to make planet Earth a space prison for evil space dwellers and plan to put an end to it at once.

The Phoenix gets some home truths about what really happened when the Dark version of herself was in its reign and the secrets may haunt her till the day she dies.

Beast has discovered a cure for the Legacy Virus. The catch: the first mutant to use it dies!

After many ours of laboratory work Beast emerges with a cure for the Legacy Virus. He made the cure from the codes he deciphered from Moira's notes on the virus. Xavier, Cecelia Reyes, Gambit and Wolverine congratulate Beast, who explains to them how the cure works. However, Beast and Cecelia realize that the cure can only be released after its host uses his or her power, which will then kill him or her.

Beast stores the virus in a cabinet and goes an plays basketball with Gambit and Wolverine to clear his head. While the three debate on how they should be living their lives as mutants, Xavier enters the game. Inside, Cecelia senses something wrong with Colossus, who tells Cecelia all about his dead sister, Illyana. She realizes what he is going to do but is knocked out by him before she could stop him. He takes the virus and says "I'm coming home Snowflake" and injects himself with the cure and uses his powers one last time.

She tries to find a pulse but ot no avail the long time teammate of the X-men is reunited with his family and baby sister.

War brews for man and mutant alike. Its origin: Genosha!

The Pentagon is in Washington D.C. and represents the line of defense for the United States of America. Sometimes, however, that line blurs between legal and less legal, as is with the case of Ambassador Johanna Cargill, known as Frenzy among her fellow Acolytes. In a dark room within the Pentagon, Johanna finds herself restrained in a chair, while two men and one woman from the Pentagon question her. One of the men approaches Johanna and tells her that they appreciate that she is willing to talk, but she is not being too forthcoming. The other man tells her that her reticence is quite the contrast to the speech she gave that day in front of the United Nations. She couldn’t shut up about Magneto and his vision for both races.

The woman in the room comes to Johanna’s side and informs her that diplomatic immunity means nothing in this room. As far as Johanna should be concerned, they are her judge, jury and executioner if she continues to refuse to help them. The first man speaks up again and tells Johanna that, if she tells them what they need to know about her employer, she might leave the room alive. Weakly, Johanna lifts her head and tells them that Magneto is not her employer, but her savior. She would die before betraying him. Johanna asks them if they know what they are up against but then realizes that none of her captors are moving.

A telepathic voice sounds in Johanna’s head and tells her that they cannot hear her. Five minutes from now they will be in the commissary with no memory that Johanna was even there. Startled, Johanna turns around to see Jean Grey, arguably the most powerful telepath after Charles Xavier. Jean is dressed in a black shirt and green skirt, with a blue shawl. Jean tells Johanna that it is lady’s choice: they can do it the hard way or the easy way.

Several hours later in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a line forms outside a bookstore filled with people all wanting to get their copy of “Born Normal,” signed by its author, Jean Paul Beaubier, former Olympic skier and member of Alpha Flight. Jean Paul sits at a table and hands a woman back her book, who tells him that he is an inspiration. Next in line is a portly man to holds bag and hands Jean Paul his book. Nervously, the man tells him that he thinks it is brave of him to write this book. Many people aren’t willing to accept a gay celebrity. Annoyed by the comment, Jean Paul tells him that it is fortunate that he does not care. The portly man reaches into his bag and tells him that maybe he should care. In fact, continues the man as he pulls out a gun and aims it at Jean Paul’s head, maybe he should die for being an unclean abomination. The people in line scream and run away, but Jean Paul simply sits there.

Before the portly man can pull the trigger, Jean Paul uses his super speed to grab the man’s gun, turns it around and stuffs it into the man’s mouth. A guard rushes over and is amazed to see anyone move so fast. The guard takes the man away and the crowd returns to cheer and clap for Jean Paul, who thanks them and asks who is next in line. Jean Paul sees Jean Grey in the crowd and the woman telepathically asks him if this is what happened to Northstar, Alpha Flight’s “great firebrand.” Jean Paul continues to wave and answers back in his head to Jean that the crowd loves him because he is a celebrity, not because he is gay or a mutant. He can live with that. Jean comes closer and, as Jean Paul signs another book, she asks him if he can stand by and sign books while the world is near genetic war. Without hesitation, Northstar says yes and excuses himself. After receiving his book, a man tells Jean Paul that he is an inspiration, to which the celebrity replies, “So I’ve been told.”

Soon, in Boston, a man and a woman run out of a building and scream for help, for there is a mutant and he is horrible. The crowd in the market rushes over to a nearby apartment building and decides that they don’t need to call the cops, because they have numbers. The crowd then taunts the mutant to come out. A young teenager, wearing a large overcoat with a hood pulled up, comes to the doorway and tells the people that he does not want trouble and explains that he has come for help. The crowd grabs him, but one person reminds the others to be careful, because he could be radioactive. In Spanish, the teenager asks the crowd not to hurt him, but they refuse to listen.

The crowd drags Hector Rendoza to the to ground and rips off his coat, revealing the boy below, whose skin is gone, showing all the muscles and bones beneath. Ironically, most of the people in the mob know Hector, yet none recognize him now, only one week after his mutant gene expressed itself. Hector continues to scream for the crowd to stop and, to his surprise, they do, at the behest of a lady nearby. On the ground, Hector crawls into a fetal position and is surprised to be alive. Jean Grey comes over to him and he asks her how she stopped them. Jean explains that she is a mutant like him, to which Hector points out that she is a lot prettier.

Jean thanks him and explains that he is needed, which is the good news. However, he is needed by a world that fears and hates what they do not understand. Jean holds up Hector’s face and he tells her that truthfully he has nothing going on in his life right now, but realizes that he does not know Jean’s name. Jean tells him to call her Phoenix and Hector tells her that he would love to help. The two walk away from the market, whose shoppers and rioters are still frozen. Hector asks Jean how long she is going to keep everyone like that. Jean tells him forever and Hector asks if she is serious. “Probably,” replies Jean.

Not everything about Brooklyn is true. Not every bakery or bar or dry cleaner is a front for the underworld. One or two are maybe, like Caruso’s. Three men in suits smoke cigars and drink coffee in the back of the bakery. One of the men tells his companions that the Feds have nothing on them and, if they did, they would be busting on Tony Soprano by now. The leader of the group tells his lackey to shut up with the show and asks if he can focus on reality for a few moments so they can get some business done. A young man in a blue suit walks in and comments that reality is an interesting comment. The men recognize the young man as Paulie Provenzano. The men reach into their coats and tell him not to take another step. One of the men asks Paulie why he is here since, last he heard, the man joined the army. Paulie corrects him and tells him that he joined the Marines. They push a body real hard in the Marines. He pushed his body farther than he thought possible. One of the men asks Paulie if this is some joke, because he missed the punch line.

Paulie explains that the punch line is that he is a mutant. Apparently, he is indestructible, which means guns, knives, and bazookas do nothing to him. He is like the Thing, but without the brick mouth. The leader realizes that Paulie wants a job in his crew, but explains that he wouldn’t be popular if others knew that he was turning mutants into made men. Paulie comes to the table and explains that he doesn’t want to work for them. He wants them to work for him. He understands he doesn’t deserve all the money, but half at least.

The three men begin to laugh hysterically and the leader is about to answer Paulie when they take out their gun and shoot several rounds each into Paulie’s chest. Once the smoke of the guns fades, the leader is left in awe. Paulie is still standing, unharmed, though his suit is covered with bullet holes. Angry, Paulie tells them that these were his best threads. He smashes the table and sends one of the men against a glass case. Paulie easily beats up the three men and tells them that he used to idolize them when he was a kid. Now, though, he is stronger than all of them. There is a new Paulie in town and they should spread the word as soon as their jaws heal.

From behind, Jean Grey tells Paulie that this was the most pathetic display of mutant powers she has ever seen. Paulie turns around surprised to see a woman who wasn’t there seconds ago and is also surprised that she can talk in his head. That explains the echo, replies Jean. Unimpressed, Jean tells him that he is one among a handful of people born as mutants and asks if he is content with being a big fish in a small cesspool. Paulie explains that the idea sounded good at the time and asks Jean why she came. Is she here to invite him to join a band of mutant outlaws out to fight against a world that fears and hates them? Jean asks Paulie if he has ever heard of the X-Men. Paulie asks her who hasn’t heard of them. Paulie goes over to the bar and tells Jean that he is going to grab a box of cannolis and then they can go. Jean is surprised that he is so willing to go, but Paulie explains that he is going just to see her in tight leather. Jean rolls her eyes and wonders if it was this difficult for the Professor.

Soon, Jean and Paulie pull up to the front doors of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning in Salem Center. Paulie comments on the nice place and remembers hearing about some mutants living in the sewers beneath Manhattan. Jean rubs her head and tells him that he is thinking of the Morlocks. The two get out and Jean tells him to go inside and meet Jean Paul and the others. Paulie walks to the front door in the remains of his suit and asks if he is dressed appropriately, because he doesn’t want to make bad impression. Jean tells him that she doesn’t think it is possible for him to make a good impression and tells him that she will come in a minute, for she is waiting for a friend.

Paulie goes in and Jean hears a woman from above tell her that, if she is expecting a friend, then she expects too much. Jean looks up to see a girl flying in the air, wearing the uniform of the former X-Man, Sunfire. The woman suddenly yells at Jean, as she realizes that the woman is using her psionic powers to hold her in stasis. Does Jean have any idea who she is? Jean tells her that she knows that she is not Sunfire, the man Jean called to aid the X-Men. The woman explains that she is his sister, Leyu. She came because her brother was not interested in her request for help and she thought it would be amusing. So far, she is wrong.

Jean lets Leyu go and the woman lands on the ground and pulls off her mask. Jean tells Leyu that Sunfire never mentioned a sister. Leyu does not care and tells Jean to pry into her mind if she must. Jean asks Leyu her age and the girl replies that she is older than Jean was when she started. Leyu then asks if Jean wants her help or not. Jean thanks Leyu and invites her inside. Leyu realizes that the situations must be dire if she is accepting the aid of strangers. Jean explains that they have both seen the news and things cannot get any worse.

Suddenly, Paulie comes crashing through the front doors of the Institute and lands in front of the women. Jean introduces Paulie to Leyu, who asks what happened to him. Jean does not know and asks Paulie what happened. Paulie starts to get up and tells Jean that he does not mind helping out mutants and all, but he did not sign up to work with a homosexual. Northstar runs over to Paulie, grabs him and dares him to say his comment again. Paulie tells Jean Paul to get off him, because he already explained that he is not into that kind of stuff.

Paulie explains that he is only afraid of catching something from Jean Paul. He is invulnerable and in “American” that means he cannot be hurt. Jean Paul can hit him as hard as he wants. Jean Paul uses his super speed to repeatedly hit Paulie in the face and asks him if he can hit him as often as he wants. Paulie’s nose begins to bleed as Hector comes out to explain to Jean that he tried to break them up. Jean tells Northstar to bring Paulie in so they can deal with this matter without fighting amongst themselves. Shocked, Jean Paul is surprised that Jean is blaming this on him. Northstar carries the unconscious Paulie and follows the others inside, mumbling that the homophobe gets to mouth off and he gets in trouble for defending himself. Leyu tells Jean that she has quite a team assembled and Hector tells her that he is just thankful for the opportunity to help out.

Once inside, Jean explains to everyone what they are up against. She is sure that everyone knows what is going on in Genosha. Magneto has a mutant army at his disposal. All they wait for is his Declaration of War. That happened this morning when Magneto revealed the symbol her brought to rally his troops around. That symbol was Charles Xavier, the man who has always opposed Magneto’s dream. Magneto explained that Xavier, who is chained against a wall by his hands and feet, would stay chained in Genosha until the last human fell.

Jean explains that she has no right to bring any of their lives into this kind of danger, but this is the conflict that the X-Men were formed to stop. If open war starts between man and mutant, they are all finished. By this time tomorrow, Magneto will have unleashed his dogs of war. Hector asks if there are any other X-Men around. Jean explains that, unfortunately, a group departed for parts unknown and she is unable to locate them. However, they do have resources. At the moment, her husband, Cyclops, and the man known as Wolverine are in Genosha but, as gifted as they are, it will take more than the two of them to stop World War Three.

Paulie regains consciousness and, in the Danger Room, the team gets into uniforms. Paulie asks if they will have enough time to train. Northstar tells him to relax and explains that several hours in the Danger Room and it will be as if they have been working together for years. The X-Men have it down to a science. Jean tells them that they are leaving immediately. Northstar is shocked and realizes that this is suicide. Jean explains that she has someone who has personal knowledge of Magneto’s base of operations.

Frenzy walks in and Jean introduces her to the others as Magneto’s former Acolyte and ambassador to the United Nations. Johanna tells Jean that it is nice of her to give her a second chance and she promises not to let them down. However, there is something wrong with Johanna, almost as if she is too eager to say this. Jean tells Johanna that she has faith in her.

Suddenly, the team hears the door ring. Jean tells the team to be alert, since no one should be able to penetrate their alarms system without them being alerted. Jokingly, Northstar tells Jean that, with the way the day has been going to so far, he wouldn’t be surprised if that is Magneto at the door. Horrified, Hector asks him if he really thinks this. “No,” says Northstar, “Not really.”

The group reaches the door and Johanna asks Jean if she can telepathically tell who it is. Jean reaches the broken doors and tells her that she is not picking up any psi-print, so it could be anyone. The bell rings again and Northstar agrees, though it could be anyone impatient. Jean moves the broken door to the side and is surprised to see Alison Blaire at the door, her uniform tattered! One of the others recognizes the pop singer, Dazzler, and comments that they have both her albums. “Hi, Jean,” says the former X-Man Dazzler, “Did I come…at a bad time?”

While Magneto keeps Xavier hostage, Jean and the X-Men race to Genosha to prevent full-scale war.

Magneto is the sovereign of the nation of Genosha, as well as the sole member of mutantkind who is willing to destroy anyone who would seek to exterminate the mutant race from the Earth. However, at one point in time, a person would have difficulty recognizing him. Shortly after defeating the X-Men, Magneto had ripped out the adamantium from Wolverine’s skeleton. What Magneto did not realize, however, was that Xavier would be willing to turn off his mind. The Acolytes brought him back to Avalon and, for weeks, he remained catatonic and under the care of the former X-Man, Colossus. In Magneto’s chamber, Colossus would always feed him and, at the end of every meal, he would turn Magneto’s throne so that it faced the Earth.

Colossus once explained that he left the X-Men, because he lost faith. He didn’t lose faith in the dream, but the idea that he could actually make a difference. A man so powerful that he could move mountains was unable to save his sister. The man then told Magneto that he does not knows much about his old life, before he became bent on realizing his dream for mutants, but Colossus knows that he lost his family and that there is a bond between them. That is a connection Colossus will never have with Xavier, no matter how much he loves and respects him. Before Colossus left the chamber that day, he told Magneto that he did not know why he left but hopes that the time the two spend together and restart the fire and faith inside of them again.

In the present, Colossus is dead and Magneto is once again bent on mutantkind’s survival. To realize his dream, he has rallied the island of Genosha to begin a genetic war, with Charles Xavier bound to a cross to act as his rallying symbol. Magneto lifts up Xavier’s head and tells him that Colossus’ dream never mattered to him. Let the humans kill them with Sentinels and let them be killed by the Legacy Virus. Let the humans incarcerate them in death camps, so long as it serves the dream of Charles Xavier, who refused to allow mutants to rise above their inferiors. However, Xavier does not respond. More accurately, he cannot, for Magneto uses his magnetic powers to stem the flow of iron to Xavier’s brain, preventing him from uttering a word or using his powers.

Magneto steps back and asks Xavier to imagine how he felt when he learned that Peter died to save mutants around the world. Magneto uses his powers to rip up some metal tiles in the floor and molds the pieces in the effigy of Colossus. Magneto continues and recounts the tale of how Colossus sacrificed himself to cure the Legacy Virus. Colossus died at night and, by morning, Magneto had an army at his disposal. In many ways, Colossus achieved more in death than Xavier and Magneto have achieved in their lives.

Magneto dissolves the effigy of Colossus and tells Xavier that he has the power to influence minds, but he still refuses to solve that problem that which Magneto plans to solve with war. Some believed that he has become what he hates. Maybe it is true, or maybe he is tired of waiting for evolution to run its course. Since Xavier has refused to change minds, any blood spilled will be on his conscience, not Magneto’s. Magneto walks away and tells Xavier to enjoy the view, for he has earned it.

However, what Magneto does not notice is that, in the shadows to the side of Xavier’s cross, is Amelia Voght, formally Magneto’s most trusted Acolyte. Amelia watches the conversation and waits for Magneto to leave. She pulls her hood closer around her head and wonders how it has come to this; how has a world come upon the eve of destruction. More importantly, though, does she have the strength to stop it?

Several hundred miles away, the Blackbird streaks across the night sky but there is only one X-Man aboard. Frenzy and Northstar, who pilot the jet, are only interim X-Men. With an unnaturally happy smile on her face, Frenzy tells Northstar that she is grateful for the chance to help out. With most of the others engaged elsewhere, someone had to help free Xavier and stop Magneto from cleansing the human race. Slightly perplexed, Northstar tells her that he saw her two days ago on television, addressing the United Nations. He remembers her putting the world on notice to “accept Magneto’s undisputed rule or face total obliteration.” Frenzy chuckles and tells Northstar that he is correct but, soon after, she had an enlightening conversation with Phoenix, who made her see things in a new light. “Why don’t I doubt that?” says Northstar, as he looks back at Phoenix suspiciously.

In the back, Phoenix finishes mentally prepping Paulie Provenzano and tells him, with disgust, that this is the first time that she has ever wanted to take a bath after reading a person’s mind. Defending himself, Paulie tells her that it was her idea to give them all a telepathic cram course on their powers. Phoenix tells him that she has no idea what that has to do with a bathtub of tapioca pudding. Nearby, Wraith leans over to Sunpyre and tells her that the last thing he expected this morning was to wake up with the X-Men. He asks Sunpyre if she is nervous but she tells him that she is only nervous about the rest of the X-Men getting in her way. Wraith, who clearly has a crush on the uninterested Sunpyre, asks her how many missions has she been on. “Counting this one?” asks Sunpyre, “One.”

Phoenix heads to the back to Dazzler but Paulie stops her and asks where she is going. He thought that they could go down to the cargo hold for a private session. Phoenix tells Paulie that she is glad there she can finally be herself with someone. She then uses her telepathy to make Paulie think that she is an old overly obese woman. Paulie gets away from her and tells her that he just remembered that his seatbelt is on. While Paulie clams himself down, Phoenix sits beside Dazzler, who tells Jean that, if she weren’t so depressed, she would have thought that the act was be a riot.

Phoenix takes Dazzler’s hand and tells her that the two of them have not been particularly close, since they served as X-Men separate times. Dazzler understands Jean’s train of thought and realizes that she wants to do a psychic Danger Room session with the team in a mental landscape. Dazzler invited Jean in but warns her to be wary of what she sees.

Suddenly, the entire team, minus Frenzy, is linked into Dazzler’s mind. However, the setting is a desolate mess of barren wasteland and trashed structures, littered with dead people; clearly, this is not what Jean was expecting. Wraith freaks out but Northstar calms his down and tells him that their perception of reality has changed, though they are still in the Blackbird. Paulie is surprised that they are in Dazzler’s head and realizes that she has issues. Just as surprised, but for different reasons, Phoenix asks Dazzler if this is really the Mojoverse, where she and Longshot live. Dazzler corrects Jean and tells her that they lived there. Still scared, Wraith asks if they can leave and Northstar agrees, for he finds the exercise pointless. Phoenix ignores them and tells Dazzler that she does not understand. This is where she took the X-Babies, but what happened? Saddened, Dazzler tells Jean that she wouldn’t believe her even if she told her.

Suddenly, a childish voice tells the X-Men that he shall display his power on them and blasts Paulie and Northstar. Paulie lands on the homophobic Northstar and thinks that the former Alpha Flight member is enjoying this, but Northstar tells him not to flatter himself. The others turn around to see four villains, familiar to Phoenix and Dazzler. However, they are child versions of the villains; in other words, they are evil X-Babies!

Apocalypse sits upon his throne and tells his friends that they have found another word to prepare to suffer the “Age of Apocalypthe.” A baby version of Dark Beast tells his friends that this must be the world where Mojo based his “Age of Apocalypse” production on. Baby Holocaust asks if there is a Longshot on this world that they can kill too. Phoenix asks Dazzler again what happened. Dazzler tells her that Mojo wanted to launch a mini series on something he called the “Age of Apocalypse.” The production got away from him and took on its own life.

Phoenix brings everyone back to the Blackbird and tells them that they are safe. Dazzler tells them that maybe they are for now, but those children are as dangerous as the people they were named after. They are worse, though, as they have no inhibitions. Phoenix asks Dazzler if they really killed Longshot. Dazzler starts to cry and tells Jean that she does not know. That is why she came to the X-Men for help. Paulie tells Dazzler that of course they will help. The X-Men take care of their own. Northstar tells them that aren’t really X-Men, then sighs. Dazzler thanks Paulie.

Suddenly, everyone except Northstar is thrust to the back of the jet. Northstar realizes that the jet has lurched forward but his super speed has automatically compensated for the speed difference. Paulie sarcastically tells someone to get Northstar a “Mr. Science” award. Dazzler asks Northstar to find out what is going on. Northstar heads to the front of the plane and asks Frenzy if she has switched alliances again and is attempting to kill them all. A terrified Frenzy says no and tells him that the plane has taken a life of its own. Phoenix backs Frenzy and tells them that they are no longer in control of the plane. At this speed, though, it is going to tear itself up.

The jet does tear up and everyone is in a free-fall above Genosha. Northstar tells Phoenix that, if it weren’t for her telekinesis, he would be worried right now. Phoenix tells Northstar that she doesn’t have telekinesis anymore. “Then this might be a problem,” says Northstar. Jean telepathically tells Northstar and Sunpyre to grab two X-Men and head to the ground. Northstar goes for Paulie, but the man tells him that he can get down on his own and tells him to grab Frenzy or Jean. Thinking that Paulie is acting out of his homophobic tendencies, Northstar tells him not to be a fool, but Jean tells Northstar not to argue and again tells Northstar and Sunpyre to grab two and go.

Suddenly, the X-Men find themselves landing on the ground instead of falling. Frenzy tells Phoenix that the electromagnetic embrace is familiar and Northstar tells the others that someone wants them to land safely. The group lands uninjured. Jean tells them that the good news is that they have landed in Magda Square in the heart of Genosha. The bad news is that they have landed in Magda Square in the heart of Genosha. The team gets up and find themselves surrounded by flying troops, all bearing war flags.

Northstar comments to Jean on her plan to take a group of novice X-Men and drop them in the middle of a crisis. Jean tells him that it was worked before. Frenzy comments that the thousands of mutates were less intimidating when they were her countrymen. Paulie tells them that he doesn’t mean to whine, but they are toast. Wraith tries to cheer everyone up and reminds them that things cannot get worse. On cue, a voice from behind tells the team otherwise.

Everyone turns to see Magneto land in front of them, the crowd cheering his name. Magneto explains that anyone opposing him will get much worse. The mutant population has increased drastically and, during that time, they have been hunted and killed. Just as the Neanderthal gave way to the Cro-Magnon, so will humanity give way to mutants. Magneto tells them to choose to follow him or suffer the fate of all race-traitors. Wraith stutters that Magneto looks scarier in person than in the papers. Paulie tells Wraith to calm down, for, as his aunt Tony, used to say, “They can only kill you once.”

Nearby, the roar of the crowd is heard in the tunnels beneath Genosha, where Cyclops, Wolverine and Polaris have been helping human refugees escape to Wakanda. When Wolverine wonders what is going on, Cyclops tells him that it is Jean and that she somehow contacted the others. Wolverine asks Cyclops how he knows, since the psychic link between them was severed. Cyclops runs off into the tunnels and tells Logan that it was, but Jean is still his wife. Wolverine pulls down his mask and follows Cyclops, thinking that Jean got the heavy hitters like Storm, Rogue and Bishop. Polaris is about to follow them but Wolverine tells her to stay behind to use her powers to help the refugees. He pops out a single claw and assures her that he is going to take care of Magneto once and for all.

Above, Magneto tells Phoenix that he takes it that they are here for Xavier. He supposes that it is fair to let them see him before they die. Jean turns around and sees Xavier bound to the cross. Telepathically, Jean asks Xavier about what Magneto has done to him, but realizes that she is getting no reading from him. Magneto has turned off his mind.

In a horrible rage, Dazzler calls Magneto a filthy animal. When she thinks of everything that Xavier has done for them all and has stood for, it is painful to see him like that. Dazzler begins to collect a blinding ball of light in her hands and tells Magneto that he has taken too many lives in his self-ordained quest. In words that he will understand…”NEVER AGAIN!” Dazzler blasts Magneto with her powers but Magneto easy shields himself against it. He explains that he knows that she is using the roar of the crows to boost her sound-based powers. However, he controls electromagnetic energy, to which even photons must yield. Simply put, he can turn her powers against her. Magneto does just this and raises one hand to Dazzler. Alison Blaire has not time to scream, as a blaze of light escapes all around her.

The team is blinded by the light but, when it dies out, Wraith wishes that he had eyelids. Jean calls out to Dazzler, but does not get a response. When the light fades, the X-Men find a crater and in the middle is a pile of ash, where Dazzler once stood. Sunpyre is stunned and asks if Magneto really killed her. Wraith, however, is more worried over who is next. Sarcastically, Northstar tells his teammates that, though he is not one to complain, they should have thought of a strategy before arriving. Magneto tells Northstar that it would not have mattered. Dazzler’s is the fate that will befall all who refuse to stand by him. This is war.

Now, says Magneto, let them get this over with. He has a world to conquer. Paulie tells Phoenix, who is on her knees in front of the ashes, that this would be a good time to lead. However, Jean can only stare at the still steaming ashes of Dazzler and apologize to Alison.

On the anniversary of Magneto's attack on Cape Citadel, a young mutant with reality warping powers celebrates his birthday by staging an attack on an army base of his own.

A day before his eighteenth birthday, Warp Savant does some internet research and discovers that on the same day years ago, Magneto made his public debut as he attacked the military base Cape Citadel (way back in X-Men Vol.I #1 from 1963). Later Warp is seen with his friends in a night club and they are eager to know his plans for his birthday. Savant only answers vaguely that he will be celebrating and uses his mutant powers on an empty bottle. It seems as if the bottle is melting or getting vaporized till it is fully gone.

At the Xavier Institute Cyclops watches anti mutant speeches in the news and is kind of depressed. He knows that this kind of media coverage will only make conditions for mutantkind worse and there no longer seems to be a doubt that one day humans and mutants will go at war. His wife Jean tries to snap him out of his mood, but without effort.

Warp Savant has made his way to Cape Citadel and simply uses his powers on the signs and barriers that are meant to keep unrestricted persons out of the military base. He makes a lot of noise, destroys some tanks and other equipment and loudly cries out that he is an evil mutant, till many soldiers arrive on the scene. Their commander gets very angry and starts to yell at Warp Savant, who makes fun of him by saluting and kissing him on the face, before the commander too is vaporized by his powers.

Back at the mansion, Cyclops has alerted Jean and Wolverine to a yet unknown mutant signature in Florida detected by Cerebro. Scott sends his wife and Logan there with the X-wing, their new plane, while he and Archangel will follow soon. Jean gives her husband a goodbye kiss, but he doesn’t respond too much. During the flight Wolverine asks Jean about possible problems in the marriage, but she tells him to mind his own business. Below, Warp Savant battles the military and all gunfire and any soldier that comes within his power‘s range vanishes away. Finally they decide to retreat, while Savant stands triumphant in the ruins of Cape Citadel. As he lights himself a cigarette he becomes aware of a new opponent – Wolverine, who jumped out of the X-wing with his claws up first, but as soon as he gets within Warp’s range, he too is vaporized. While still laughing Warp savant is hit by a powerful psi-bolt, however as soon as he has located Jean as it‘s cause, he uses his power on her too. Jean and Logan find themselves in an unknown place, that at first seems to be similar to Cape Citadel. The many tanks that Warp has whisked away are there too, operated by skeletons, possibly the remains of the transported soldiers. Without knowing what they are up against the two X-Men are able to hold their ground.

Meanwhile the military has evacuated the area and are calling higher departments for help, as Archangel and Cyclops arrive on the scene. Warren carries an EMP pulse gun and has deduced that Warp Savant’s ability has a reach limit, which he tell Scott via his comm-link. On Cyclops‘ command, Archangel hits Savant with a pulse wave, and the villain screams in agony, while Scott still tries to locate the signatures of his missing teammates. Elsewhere Jean and Logan hear Warp’s cries as suddenly the scenery changes. They find themselves in a child’s bedroom, and not before long monsters crawl out from under the bed and out of the closet. While fighting them, Jean realizes that they have been transported into their opponents mind, specifically into his subconscious. Outside Warren and Scott hit Savant from a safe distance with optic beams and EMP waves, till he finally falls down. Temporarily immobile and powerless, Cyclops approaches him about the whereabout’s of his wife, while inside the mind, the isolated place where Jean and Logan are slowly breaks apart. Little by little does the room dissolve till only a small corner is left; Jean gives in to despair as she believes that they will die. Wolverine on the other hand is not too afraid, but as these might be his last moments he grabs Jean and kisses her deeply. With the room fully destroyed, both Jean and Logan emerge back in the real world in a weakened condition. Cyclops cares for his wife, but Wolverine angrily walks over to Savant, wanting to slice him up with his claws. Scott is about to stop him, but Warp needs no help as he escapes by using his powers on himself.

The X-Men decide to go back to Westchester, Jean claims to not remember what happened while they were gone, but Logan states that he knows every little bit about what they experienced. Jean pauses, as if she too remembers, before they all head for the X-wing.

A new team lineup debuts as the X-Men become involved with an underground mutant colony in London.

Popstar Sugar Kane enters a nightclub in Soho, London. Her three bodyguards warn her that it’s too dangerous, but Kane wants to maintain contact with the fans, however after she is announced the crowd rushes in on her and the guards can’t handle them. Before anyone is seriously injured Chamber stops the clubbers with his psionic energy. Everyone in the room is surprised to see the enrgy-leaking mutant in their midst. Kane takes the initiative and starts to talk with Jonothon, but then the people in the night club shout anti-mutant words. Sugar’s bodyguards try to get her out before a full riot starts, as she turns back Chamber has already left.

Bobby Drake is sitting in a cafe near Hyde Park. He flirts with a waitress and ordered a warm beer, which he cools himself with his ice powers. Nightcrawler is hanging below the roof above him and makes a little fun of Bobby’s tourist behaviour as a transmission from Archangel comes in. They meet at the transmitted coordinates, and find themselves at an entrance to London’s sewer system, where Cerebra, the X-Men’s new mutant tracking device, located a huge spike. The three X-Men carefully enter the tunnels with flashlights without knowing what they might find inside, even Nightcrawler, who mentions to have lived in London for a while, is clueless. After a while they discover a pipe that leads to a large hall filled with a community of ugly mutants, not unlike the Morlocks, who lived in similar circumstances below New York. Archangel attempts to do an aerial count of how many people are there, but one of the first he sees is a woman with fishlike features, who is about to give birth. Kurt, claiming to be a priest, opts to help her deliver and the baby’s father tries to calm Harmony, while she has to press the baby out. Her first concern is that the baby looks normal, but her mate points out, that they most of them all did look human at birth. With the immediate problem dealt with, all of the tunnel people realize that there are strangers in their midst. Bobby and Warren feel very uncomfortable surrounded by the many unpretty sights, and while Drake ices up, Warren lifts off. Kurt warns them to not move to sudden, but it’s too late as the mutants perceive them as a threat. One of them, called Cyclops for having only one big eye, is called to deal with the X-Men, but Nightcrawler tried to reason with them that all of them are mutants. However soon it becomes clear that Cyclops and the others have killed to protect the secrecy of their community and Kurt is shocked. Using their unique powers, the X-Men can avoid a physical fight and escape back into the pipes.

At the same time, Sugar Kane’s bodyguards have tracked down the living quarters of Chamber. They knock and ask him to accompany them, since Ms. Kane is awaiting him in a limo down at the street, eager to continue their conversation.

The three X-Men have made their way back to their hotel rooms, and Nightcrawler is doing some strechting while he talks with teammember Wolverine via video screen. He fills Logan in on the mutant comminity and agree that the best cause of action would be to relocate them, as they probably will not remain undiscovered forever. Wolverine is also interested how their search for Chamber is going, the former member of Generation X had been invited to join the X-Men, but never showed up after the disbanding of his old team. Iceman comes into the room, holding a newspaper. The front page has a story with pictures about the incident with Sugar Kane at the night club.

Below the surface Harmony is happy with her baby and shows it to other mutants. They also discuss about the X-Men as again an intrudes is spotted in the tunnels. Cyclops attempts to deal with the stranger, but before he even gets close he is burned by the stranger who uses a flame thrower. More mutants attack him, but he is able to deal with them using good combat moves. The many mutants panic and try to run away, but as everybody tries to leave the room at once, the exit tunnels get clogged. The foe, calling himself Mr. Clean, torches a good lot of them and is proud to have accomplished some genetic cleansing.

Last

Comics Code Authority

approved issue.

The X-Men battle Mr. Clean. Chamber tries to cope with his fifteen minutes of fame.

The media are full of news about Sugar Kane and the mysterious man named “Jon“ in her company. He is easily recognized as mutant and considering that they seem to be romantically involved, reporters argue that Sugar Kane is out for some scandalous Madonna-style press.

Meanwhile Iceman, Archangel and Nightcrawler investigate the London sewers and find many scorched bodies of the underground community they met there last issue. They wonder who might have killed them, apparently it weren’t the Sentibnels as they would have cause d more structural damage. Iceman suggests to search the tunnels for any survivors, but the others object. They can’t really know if anyone survived and a search would take hours, while the enemy is still out there. Also scanning the area from above with a portable Cerebra Unit would be more accurate and faster as Archangel points out.

Sugar and Chamber attempt to have some fun in the party scene of London, but they are always met with the same prejudices, so they finally head home. Jono is kind of depressed, but Sugar encourages him and they spend the night together.

Apparently they had some fun in bed (one of Jono’s hands is still handcuffed), but by the next morning Sugar has already left when Iceman and Nightcrawler knock at the door. Chamber opens and is surprised that the two X-Men have tracked him down. Bobby tells him that he could not have hoped to keep his whereabouts secret with that kind of media exposure. Kurt gives him a lecture about forgeting his responsibilities, as a mutant he should be with the X-Men and fight for Xavier’s dream, instead of runnig away from what he truly is. Chamber does not really care and states that nobody knows what it’s like to be deformed and ugly and stick out of every crowd, but of course Nightcrawler can. Before leaving, Kurt and Bobby dare Chamber to re-think his decisions again.

Back in their hotel the two talk about Chamber. Nightcrawler is sure that the media attention will soon takke a turn for the worse, though Iceman wonders if the press reporting about a celebrity like Sugar Kane being together with a mutant might not actually be a good sign. Archangel, flying over London, reports via com-link that he has picked up an energy reading. Smaller than before but of the same energy signature, and moving; so it’s clear that some of the underground mutants have survived the attack. He transmits the coordinates and five minutes later the three X-Men meet to again enter the tunnels. The sensors pick up a heat signature ahead of them, but it’s not the outcasts they are searching for, it’s Mr. Clean they run into. He tries to torch Nightcrawler, who teleports to safety, and also the flames don’t have any effect on Iceman. Arcahngel strips him of the portable flame-thrower, but the villain shows to be very good a chand to hand combat. He manages to outfight both Bobby and Iceman and also injures Warren’s back with a set of knives. Finally he causes an explosion by shooting at the portable flame canister and escapes in the confusion.

Sugar Kane and Chamber spend another night dancing through the clubs. She explains to Jon that it’s all about the right marketing, the media present her in a certain image and she is loved by the audience, all she can do is take the ride for as long as it lasts.

At London's airport Heathrow a plane lands using thirty year old Interpol codes – Wolverine has arrived.

Chamber begins to have doubts about his brush with fame and his relationship with Sugar Kane. Mr. Clean talks with the Church of Humanity.

Sugar takes Chamber to the fractured Überclub in Manhattan. While she enjoys partying, Jon is met with the same prejudices as before, some people are suspicious of him or think he might have a contagious disease, others ask him about other mutants as if all mutants worldwide would know each other. Finally Sugar introduces him to Colby Lee, an extraordinaire performance artist. Lee is happy to met Chamber in person, actually he is reminded of his own work; he uses various doll bodyparts for his art, one of them being the upper half of a face. Later Sugar and Jono fly back to London.

Kurt, Logan and Bobby are in a pub. Nightcrawler is not in the mood to use his image inducer and the other customers are staring as he drinks his beer while hanging from the ceiling. Logan informs them about recent developments at the school (Xavier publicly announced to be a mutant in New X-Men #116). Archangel calls them on their headphones and says that the portable Cerebra device located a slow-moving signal in the underground tunnels. Wolverine radios him to meet the team at dawn even though Kurt objects, thinking that Warren needs more time to recover from their fight. However before they investigate, Wolverine wants to talk some sense into Chamber.

In Wembley Arena, Sugar Kane is busy with a production rehearsal. Halfway through she asks Chamber to flare up since she loves it when he uses his powers. Sugar’s manager Sim is not too happy about their relationship. Backstage he tells Chamber that he does not like him, and that soon it would no longer matter if Sugar liked him or not.

A small group of mutants are walikng through the subway system. They are Harmony and her baby, Helix, Miss Saccharine, the Burning Puddle and Harmony’s mate. Having survived Mr. Clean torching the underground community they think about escaping to europe. One of them asks if the mutants that visited them shortly before the incident might have been the X-Men, they don’t know for sure; having lived underground they have only heard rumours about them.

Kane and her manager speak to the press. The singer wants to introduce her lover to the media, but Sim stops the interview. Jono leaves for the toilet, where he is met by Wolverine. Chember is angry that the X-Men are now sending the “big guns“, as he refused to come back with Kurt and Bobby, but Logan only explains that the X-men will always be there for him. Right then one of Sugar’s bodyguards comes in and orders “the freak“ to hurry as Sugar wants to leave for her hotel. Logan says that he should not call Jono a freak and a fight starts, of course Logan easily knocks the bodyguard out. He then leaves, leaving Chamber to wonder if his decision is the right one.

Somewhere in the tunnels Mr. Clean is seen. He is in radio contact with his superiors, who mention to have engineered him to compete with mutants at their level. The organisation he belongs to consists of prefects, a vicar general and the Supreme Pontiff. Mr. Clean ensures that he will finish his task. During the whole speech he was holding a knife to his arm, yet decides not to cut himself.

At a train station Kurt, Warren and Bobby wait for Wolverine, who is running late. Suddenly they are provoked by a group of Hitler youth. Iceman quickly deals with the threat by freezing them into one giant iceconstruct, and then the three X-Men head into the tunnels.

In her penthouse, Sugar is happy. She just landed a new gig and wants Jono to be happy for her. Sim storms in, bringing bad news. The latest headlines of the media claim that Kane is pregnant with a mutant baby.

The outcast mutants continue to march through the tunnels. Helix gets hungry and licks some secretion of Ms. Saccharine to compensate. Without warning Nightcrawler teleports in and states that he belongs to the X-Men and has come to help them.

Wolverine versus Mr. Clean! And what happens when Sugar Kane dumps Chamber?

The story about Sugar Kane being pregnant with a mutant baby is on every TV channel. Sugar and Chamber watch, and she angrily kicks the Tv, and then throws away her telephone, which won’t stop ringing. Chamber doesn’t know hoe to help her. Sugar realizes that the whole world is turning against her, that this must be how a mutant like Jon feels every day; she doesn’t think that she can take it.

Beneath London, the X-Men talk with the few survivors of the underground community. Nightcrawler checks on the baby he helped deliver and proper introductions are made. Harmony, the baby’s mother is able to breathe under water, Double Helix has two heads on one body, Carla ressembles a mole.The Burning Puddle’s mutation is acid perspiration and his Mother Saccharine’s sweat is liek Sugar when he burns her. Ther bay has not been named yet. The outcasts tell their individual stories, they have been thrown out by their parents or escaped from governmental facilities and baded together in London’s sewers, where they lived in secrecy till Mr. Clean torched many of their community.

Accompanied by her bodyguards, Sugar Kane enters a hotel with many reporters asking annoying questions. Inside Chamber wqaits for them. Suddenly a few people in containment suits burst in and take Sugar with them. Chamber wants to stop them with his powers but her manager Sim tells him not to.

In the sewers the X-Men and the other mutants are still walking, as suddenly Mr. Clean arrives behind them. Iceman seals off the tunenels between them, leaving Mr. Clean trapped with Wolverine closing in from behind him. Clean uses his flame-thrower and a grenade toi set Logan on fire and believes the fight to be over. He turns towards the ice-shield, but Logan is not dead and destroys the flame-thrower with his claws. They fight each other with combat moves, and after Wolverine is sure that his opponent is bathed in the fuel from his own equipment, he uses a zippo to set Mr. Clean on fire. He perishes.

In his hotel room, Chamber watches the news. Where Sim makes an announcement. Upon being asked if Sugar will get an abortion, he replies that her condition is still hypothetical and has not even been confirmed. A servant comes in to tell Jono that Miss Kane no longer pays for the room and he has to leave immediatly. Also he asks him to use the back entrance.

In the tunnels, the X-Men have accompanied their new friends to a tunnel leading outside of London. They even offer to take them to Xavier’s school in Westchester, but the mutants turn them down., they are only looking for a quiet peaceful place to live. Harmony decides to name her baby Hope, as they part ways.

Later, TV news report, that Sugar voluntarily checked into a british intelligence facility who confirmed that she is not pregnant. Her managment considers to file a lawsuit against the tabloids that reported otherwise.

Chamber and Sugar meet one final time in a dark garage. Sugar explains that the whole abduction scenario was set up be her manager, to convince the public that she was really “clean“. She goes on, that she was already on gher way out of stardom, yet the whole incident with Chamber boosted her good-girl image with a needed edge, and now her career still is evolving. Jon feels used, all he wanted was a place to belong and not stardom. Sugar tells him to find a real home, if that is what he wants and leaves.

At Heathrow the X-Men are boarding the Blackbird, ready to return to the United States. Chamber makes it there in time and asks if they still want him. Of course he is welcome and on the flight back, Jon confesses that he never liked Sugar’s music anyway.

The X-Men investigate a mutant brothel, only to be attacked by the Church of Humanity.

Archangel pulls his weight as chairman during a Worthington Industries meeting. He demands that the board of directors tell him why such a large portion of company funds is being invested in something called the X-Ranch. He also wants to help finance some programs, started by Professor Xavier, which provide aid to mutants. Some board members try to snowball Archangel with excuses, but he eventually learns that his people have been spending money at the X-Ranch because the place is a mutant brothel. After dismissing everyone, Archangel contacts Nightcrawler and the two of them agree that the X-Ranch bears investigation. Once they’re finished, Archangel removes his shirt and jacket and spends some time soaring through the night air.

In Nevada, a Mr. Favreau nervously arrives at the X-Ranch by limousine. He is greeted by Madame Drache, the house mother. Madame Drache tries to alleviate some of Mr. Favreau’s tension by assuring him he has nothing to fear. She directs him upstairs to a room with one of the prostitutes, named Bette. Mr. Favreau is shocked when he sees that Bette is extremely obese. Bette uses her mutant powers to find his deepest desires so they can have some fun together, but tells him there will be no touching. From far away, Nightcrawler eavesdrops on the meeting between Bette and Mr. Favreau, disgusted. He says that the audio sensors are functioning properly and gives the okay for the X-Men to send in their spy.

Later that night, Iceman arrives at the X-Ranch by limousine. He enters the brothel under the alias of Mr. Friese and Madame Drache greets him. Working his new cover, Iceman tells Madame Drache that he works for a major record label and that a high-powered associate suggested he visit the X-Ranch. Just then, Mr. Favreau comes downstairs from his appointment with Bette, perplexed and stammering. He wonders how Bette was able to do what she did to him and hands Madame Drache some cash before he leaves. Iceman tells Madame Drache that Mr. Favreau looked really satisfied and she tells him that all X-Ranch customers leave happy. She explains that the X-Ranch depends on rich clientele like Mr. Favreau to stay in business; the people without the fear of breaking taboos like paying mutants for sexual favors. When Iceman mentions that an openly mutant brothel could attract deadly attention, Madame Drache assures him that everything is safe since the employees can protect themselves and prostitution is legal in Nevada. She escorts Iceman to his appointment and leaves him with one of her girls.

Inside, Iceman meets a scantily clad woman named Stacy with orange snakeskin instead of ordinary flesh. She tells him that lust tastes something like licorice. More than a little startled, Iceman ventures out to the balcony to get some air. Stacy follows after him and gets to work. She whispers into his ear about chemistry and bodily secretions while she begins touching him. According to Stacy, her body emits pheromones that allow her to control the reactions of others. Iceman starts to feel funny and collapses, incapacitated. Archangel arrives to his teammate’s rescue and subdues Stacy, who tries to beat him with better than average combat skills. Archangel pins her, careful not to let her touch him. Nightcrawler contacts Archangel through an electronic device and warns him that human intruders are beaming into the X-Ranch lobby.

Downstairs, followers of the Church of Humanity teleport into the lobby and kill Madame Drache, despite her attempt to stop them with her fire breathing power. They claim that the fires of humanity must destroy the brothel and punish the mutants inside. Armed with laser guns, the men make their way through the X-Ranch tossing bombs and firing lasers, killing everyone they find along the way, including the human clients. Archangel frees Stacy and gets Iceman back to his feet, knowing that they’re going to have to fight to make it out. Between the three of them, they beat the followers of the church and Nightcrawler picks them up in an X-Wing while the X-Ranch catches on fire.

Inside, once everyone boards the plane, Stacy meets Nightcrawler, the pilot, and says that he can call her Stacy “X”. Stacy sarcastically compliments the X-Men on their rescue operation since they failed to stop the Church of Humanity before all of her co-workers were killed. She yells at Chamber when she sees him staring at her. Nightcrawler assures her that the X-Men aren’t through with the Church of Humanity and their crimes. Archangel warns Stacy not to use her powers on any X-Men while she’s with them. Together, they head back east in the X-Wing as the X-Ranch burns down.

The X-Men track the members of the Church of Humanity to their base, where Nightcrawler is left unconscious after an encounter with their leader, the Supreme Pontiff.

In Atlanta, The X-Men confront priests of the Church of Humanity who are slaughtering researchers in a pro-mutant gene laboratory. The Church thinks the laboratory is a “house of scientific perversion” due to the place’s mutant friendly work ethic. The X-Men defeat the killers, but not before most of them teleport away, answering a summons from their cathedral. Iceman manages to freeze one of the priests before the man can escape with his brethren. Iceman suggests to the other X-Men that they should take the priest prisoner and interrogate him.

Later, the Supreme Pontiff sermonizes inside of the cathedral headquarters in Montana. The Pontiff tells his followers that they have given their lives and souls over to the Church of Humanity and “ultimate salvation.” After he expounds humanity’s entitlement to the planet, the Supreme Pontiff talks about being “touched by the universe” and becoming stronger for it. According to him, the Church of Humanity will eradicate the mutant race and maintain the livelihood and supremacy of homo sapiens.

While Wolverine takes the X-Men’s prisoner to Canada for interrogation, the rest of the X-Men stay in the Worthington Industries building of Manhattan. They examine the prisoner’s uniform and find a teleportation net and theorize that each member of the Church of Humanity must wear one, “which is either controlled by the wearer… or by remote.” Nightcrawler tells his teammates that the Church will stop at nothing to destroy mutantkind because of religious fanaticism. Stacy takes the teleportation net and Chamber warns her to be careful. Nightcrawler and Iceman wonder how long it will be before the Church attacks the Xavier Institute. Nightcrawler sees Stacy holding the teleportation net and tells her to put it down. The net suddenly activates and Stacy is whisked away from the Worthington Industries building.

In James Bay, Canada, Wolverine ties his prisoner to a chair and uses scare tactics to get him talking. The priest tells the origin of the Church of Humanity and story of the current Supreme Pontiff :

(Supreme Pontiff’s origin)

Centuries ago, an early American settler, referred to as the “All-Father,” wandered the country and discovered an Indian woman whom he fell in love with. They “joined in a blessed union” and their son was born “under the half-light of a solar eclipse,” making him special. The family lived in blissful harmony with nature until the parents dabbled into the occult and summoned forth a nameless beast from another dimension. The beast was an intelligent, poetry-reciting creature and charmed himself into the family’s good graces and, later, into the mother’s arms. While her son watched in horror, the mother helped the beast kill the “All-Father.” After that moment, the son developed a hatred for everything inhuman. The son studied black magic and killed his mother and the beast, avenging his father’s murder. After that, “he took his first steps toward immortality.” The boy grew into a young man during the Industrial Revolution. After an ominous occurrence, he knew he was destined to become a spiritual leader. Soon after, the future leader met a group of occult scientists. The scientists had built a contraption that allowed the human subconscious to “peer into the mysteries of the universe.” The young man used the scientists’ invention and he was “catapulted across the known planes of cosmic reality.” But the journey was physically taxing and he returned with an injured body. The scientists placed him inside an isolation tank to recuperate. During this time, the young man learned how to control the cosmic energy that merged with his soul, “a force which now powered his humanity.” Once the young man emerged from isolation, the scientists recognized his supremacy and bowed down to him. He became their Supreme Pontiff.

Wolverine finds the story absurd.

(present)

Meanwhile, Stacy accidentally teleports into the cathedral of the Church of Humanity and the Church’s followers instantly attack. Stacy fights back, but soon she’s overpowered. Her attackers take her to the confessional.

After hearing the priest’s tale, Wolverine is contacted by Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler tells him that there’s “a situation” and that the X-Men are nearing his position to retrieve him.

While she’s chained upside-down to a wall, Stacy awakens as the Supreme Pontiff speaks to her. The Supreme Pontiff gives another speech on mutant inferiority and he promises Stacy that he’ll have no mercy on her. According to the self-proclaimed holy man, he knows how the universe works, and mutants are unnatural in the cosmic order of things. After Stacy endures some torture, the Supreme Pontiff orders her to tell him about herself and the X-Men. Stacy grants his wish, giving him a story that may be completely fictitious, or a mixture of fiction and truth :

(Stacy’s story)

Stacy used to be an ordinary high school girl until her mutant powers kicked in and her skin changed. Subsequently, she became a social outcast and her home life went downhill as well. Her mother’s boyfriend hated Stacy for being a mutant and tried to hurt her. In defense, Stacy’s pheromone abilities kicked in and played with his digestive system. Stacy’s mother was less-than-understanding and kicked her out. Stacy became homeless and found some comfort with other street derelicts. However, when the police tried to break them up for loitering and unlawful assembly, they discovered that Stacy was a mutant. They tried to beat her, but then Professor Xavier arrived and saved the day with his tremendous mental powers. The rest of her story is obviously pure fantasy, as Stacy claims to be one of the original X-Men (instead of Jean Grey), falling in love with Cyclops and fighting with the team for years, before Professor Xavier assigned her undercover work as a madam for the Nevada X-Ranch.

The Supreme Pontiff is not amused by Stacy’s antics and the torturing continues.

(present)

Nearby, the rest of the X-Men approach in the Blackbird, homing in on Stacy’s signal. Since the signal is weak, the team fears that Stacy is either nearing death or already there.

From her cell, Stacy tricks one of the Church’s guardsmen into coming close to her. Stacy reaches through the bars and touches him, using her power to chemically render him unconscious.

The X-Men hover over the cathedral and Nightcrawler teleports into the cathedral’s control tower. While the rest of the team lands in the courtyard, engaging an army of the Church of Humanity’s priests, Chamber heads deep inside to save Stacy. Chamber blasts open Stacy’s cell door as his teammates clean house outside.

Meanwhile, Nightcrawler locates the lair of the Supreme Pontiff and the Supreme Pontiff attacks him with an energy blast of unknown power. As Nightcrawler reels on the floor, the Supreme Pontiff sees that Nightcrawler’s a man of the cloth and finds the idea of a mutant priest laughable. The Supreme Pontiff speaks of every creature’s “personal abyss” and decides to violate Nightcrawler’s soul. As Nightcrawler gazes at him in horror, the Supreme Pontiff tells him to surrender what he values most.

Stacy leaves her cell and she and Chamber prepare to leave. Chamber is caught by surprise when he’s attacked by a follower of the Church of Humanity. Nevertheless, Chamber and Stacy manage to subdue the attacker.

Elsewhere in the cathedral, the Supreme Pontiff addresses a legion of his brethren. He speaks of victory and of drawing first blood. Since the cathedral’s soil has been tainted by the presence of mutants, the Supreme Pontiff says that the Church of Humanity must vacate and spread the word elsewhere. Together, the Supreme Pontiff and his followers teleport away.

In an aisle between rows of church pews, Chamber and Stacy meet up with Archangel, Wolverine, and Iceman. With his animal senses, Wolverine detects that the X-Men are alone in the Church. Archangel notices that Nightcrawler’s the only team member missing and wonders where he is. The X-Men find Nightcrawler in the lair of the Supreme Pontiff, unconscious and lying in a fetal position on the floor. Stacy volunteers to help Nightcrawler. Wolverine begrudgingly agrees to let her go to work. Nightcrawler awakens after Stacy uses her power to give him an adrenaline rush. Concerned, the X-Men ask Nightcrawler how he ended up in dire straits, but Nightcrawler remembers nothing of his ordeal with the Supreme Pontiff. The team decides to head home.

Back in the Xavier Institute, the X-Men take a brief respite. Stacy finds a picture of the original five X-Men and makes fun of Iceman’s and Archangel’s old uniforms. Chamber mentions that he hasn’t been in the Xavier Institute for awhile, but Iceman tells him that this team won’t be staying there for long. Stacy heads for the bathroom and Iceman and Archangel take note of her spunk.

Outside, Wolverine speaks with Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler says that, even though his memory fails him, he knows something strange happened to him in the cathedral. He feels that part of his mind has been taken or tampered with. Nightcrawler worries about what he might remember if his memory ever returns.

In a silent issue, Banshee begins assembling the X-Corps.

In Scotland, Bansee visits Moira MacTaggert's grave with a whiskey bottle in hand. Having a solemn face, Sean empties the bottle and leaves. Clearly having quit his alcoholic state since her death.

Martinique Jason is in her prison cell with a Virtual Reality helmet locked on her head. She dreams of serving in the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants alongside Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch and Toad. Romancing the latter. The dream ends with Magneto killing her.

Martinique is released from her virtual reality prison by a small army made exclusively of Madrox duplicates. The Madroxes have already taken down the prison personnel to get to her. They attempt to free Mystique as well ... to find her cell empty. Raven has apparently escaped on her own.

Wolverine is in Chappaqua, Westchester County, New York. Investigating the private residence of a government official. Several security guards lay unconscious all around. Initially seeming victims of attack. But with clear ecstatic smiles on their face. He then finds the official, Bill Clinton, in the same state. Wolvie is then attacked by his teammate Stacy X, having apparently intruded in her working space.

Winning a quick match with her, Wolvie takes Stacy and leaves. Later, they are seen in Wolverine's apartment, relaxing infront a television. A very irrate Nightcrawler teleports in to scold Stacy. Wolvie helps her out, confusing her.

Somewhere in Europe, Avalanche and Radius in apparent military uniforms deliver a captive Blob to Banshee. Blob clearly confused on why one his oldest friends has turned on him. Fred attempts to attack Sean but is swiftly overpowered with a deafening sonic scream. Sean grabs Fred by the hair and smiles as the issue ends.

A silent pilot to the X-Corps storyline which starts here and ended in #406.

The X-Men investigate the X-Corps after they discover that Banshee has been employing criminals.

The X-Men’s jet lands at the X-Corps headquarter outside of Paris. Once inside Banshee’s office, Nightcrawler speaks for the team, stating that they are curious what this new organisation is about. Banshee replies with “ Fear not, friends, I am as clear-headed as I’ve ever been ” and continues that he is very pleased to see them, especially Chamber whom he trained as teacher for Generation X. Iceman, Archangel and Nightcrawler say that they are in europe to take part in the G8 economic summit, as they are discussing the rising mutant condition, and that Banshee’s strange X-Corps is concerning them. For months they haven’t heard from him, and then he suddenly returns leading this new outfit. Banshee explains that he is still serving the Dream, like before, wether as an X-man, on Muir Island in Moira’s labs or teaching Generation X. He has seen Xavier’s dream from all sides, and especially in recent months many things have changed – Moira killed, Xavier outing himself to be a mutant and the Massachusetts academy closing. Kurt offers comfort, these events really must have touched him, but he finds Banshee’s response rather extreme. They have to consider that they shape the way the population perceives mutants, and is a drastic military group the message they want to send ? Banshee says yes, and then offers to show the X-Men around before they make any further judgements.

They start at the command center. They even have a tap on the Cerebra device at Xavier’s mansion and lots of other equipment. Stacy notices that all of the workers look the same – they are all Multiple Man. Banshee says that the X-Corps’ purpose is above and beyond simple location and training of mutants like the X-Men do, this group will strictly police the mutant population. As an interpol agent and later as an X-Man, Banshee has seen both sides of the law, and found each endeavor lacking in some way, that’s why he founded the new organisation. He doesn’t care about humanity anymore, as they are no real threat compared to evil mutants constantly fighting the X-Men and others. It’s time to maintain an order within mutant population. Suddenly alarms go off, the devices locate two mutant signals in Berlin, Germany. Local authorities report mass destruction and that they have evacuated the area, and Banshee immediatly starts barking orders. While the Multiple Men are still crossreferencing their files to identify the two mutant signatures, Banshee decides to send in the “Bastard Squad”. Kurt, Warren and Bobby are reminded of a drill sergeant and a military operation.

In Berlin, a van arrives near the battle site and some militia group jumps out. They are speaking german and want to deal with the mutants for humanity’s sake. They find Fever Pitch and Nils Styger fighting. Fever Pitch wants to capture the genoshan mutant as he knows people who would pay millions to disscet him. The human militia group themselves surround the combatants and prepare to fire, as they are hit by a shockwave. Avalanche has arrived, and he says that they should let the professionals handle the crisis. Another X-Corps operative by the name of Surge enters the fry, using his electic powers to gain the attention of the battling mutants. Surge claims that they both would have been fried if he weren’t wearing his restrainer pack. Fever Pitch is unimpressed and uses his flame on Surge. Avalanche tells him to get a rest, as they have another option. He radios to the rest of the Squad that they need “Mr. Big” at the coordinates and also informs them of the local militia. Carried by seven helicopters, the Blob if lifted in the area, and drops on both Fever Pitch and Abyss, ending the fight.

In the command central, the equipment registers Blob’s seizmic impact. Banshee is informed that they situation has been dealt with and he boards a craft that will carry him to Berlin. Nightcrawler marvels at the technology at the X-Corps disposal and asks how they are funded. Sean explains that he had a few bank accounts frozen by Interpol years ago, also he uncovered a forgotten Factor Three account. Other than that, they are using an abandoned A.I.M. facility and are funded by donations. Banshee says that the X-men are welcome to accompany them to Berlin and witness how they deal with such situation, yet the will have to keep a respectable distance, and probably they won’t like what they see.

Both the X-Corps helicopter and the X-Men’s jet arrive in Berlin to find that Blob, Surge and Avalanche dealt with the mutant hating militia by tying them up in tanglewire. Seeing them, Kurt looses his tempers and teleports over to Banshee, wanting to know why he has known criminals serve in his group. Sean reminds him that they were meant only to observe, and that he will explain his actions later on, yet now he has business. Banshee then inspects Fever Pitch and Abyss who are held in forcefield cubes. He congratulates his team on their efficency and tells them to load the prisoners. The X-Men discuss what they are observing. They don’t like what they see, two known criminals and an unknown third operative, they wonder what Banshee thinks he is doing.

Meanwhile Banshee is interrogating the captured militia men. As they are handed over to the local authorities, one of them states that they are part of A.R.M., the Acculturation Resistance Movement, and they won’t allow mutants to overrun society. They will fight to their last man to cleans humanity of every single mutant. Archangel, Nightcrawler and Iceman try to reason with banshee once more, asking if heavy muscle tactics and agressive militarism are his only answer, and Banshee confirms it. This is the new approach to achieve unity through reactionary concepts and revolutionary emotion. As the X-Corps’ helicopter lifts off, the X-men are left behind puzzled. They have never seen their friend so driven. They know that Sean might have good intentions, but these definately are the wrong methods and how can he he hope to keep these criminals in line ?

About twelve hours later, Banshee checks into the labs where Sunpyre, aka Leyu Yoshida has been examining their two captives. Both are still contained in the cubes, but properly sedated. She fills Banshee in that the first one is Fever Pitch’s power is high intensity, organic flame, however he burned his own body away. Banshee knows him from the time when he was among Gene Nation, who once battleb Generation X. The other mutant is genoshan Nils Styger, and the scientists have yet to fully explore the extent of his powers. Yet they discovered that he was once infected with the Legacy Virus and it supposingly was eliminated when the airborne cure was released last year. Banshee thinks of his good old friend Peter (Colossus), and comments that he was a good soldier, who gave his life to elimiante a mutant plague brought onto them not by humans but a fellow mutant (Stryfe).Sunpyre continues that Styger was last seen with Renee Majcomb, whose current whereabouts are unknown, though she could have died in the Sentinel Massacre on Genosha. She concludes that both captives are fairly unstable and can not recommend them being used as field operatives, as their violent tendecies could hardly be controlled. Banshee’s answer is “We’ll see, Miss Yoshida .... we’ll see.”

In Rome Warren Worthington attends the G8 summit and is allowed to make a speech, because of the recent events in Genosha and Germany. After being introduced as the chairman of Worthington Industries, Warren starts stating the obvious, namely that he is a mutant as the audience can see by his blue skin and the huge wings on his back. The G8 meet every year to discuss global cooperation and the mutant topic might be the most important one. Warren says that he knows the rumors that they must have heard and he knows of the fears that humanity has, fear of the unknown. Yet they only need to look at him and find that he doesn’t hide anything; like him there are dozens of other mutants who have aligned themselves to the cause of Charles Xavier who wants to achieve peaceful coexistence. Warren addresses the recent X-Corps situation and says that understandably humans are nervous, it’s true that there are differences within mutant population, but he and the X-Men will make sure that these differences will be addressed. The X-Men’s goal is to further mutant rights but not at the expense of the human race. Warren closes his speech with stating that it is not about genetics, but about political and social evolution. He has come as a potential ally, and they now have the future in their hands.

Meanwhile Banshee head to some secret basement area of his base. After a control panel confirms his identity he gains entrance and he walks towards a tank that is holding Mastermind. Her head has been shaved, and many cables and tubes are connected to her body. “Time to test your limits, lass ... Don’t let me down.”

The secret of the X-Corp revealed!  The X-Men have witnessed firsthand the power and militarism of Banshee's squad, and they don't like what they see!  Their onetime teammate has recruited known criminals and their methods are decidedly less tolerant than those of the X-Men.  Now, they learn how Banshee has recruited outlaws such as Blob and Avalanche to his cause,  and it may cause a permanent rift between them! And is that Jubilee on the cover?!

What happens when Banshee loses control of the villains in the employ of X-Corps?

Chamber finds himself facing the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, however he knows that Magneto has died in the recent attacks on Genosha, this can’t be real.. Chamber tries to touch the villains and the images get blurry, turning around he finds the Brotherhood again standing there, only this time they are not wearing their recent costumes, but those of when they first battled the X-Men. Chamber wonders on whose mind the illusions are based, certainly not him as he doesn’t have a fetish with Evile Mutants. The Brotherhood get impaled by dozens of spears and Jono wonders what this has to do with the X-Corps. Finally the female Mastermind reveals herself, she introduces herself as Martinique and accuses Chamber of trespassing as this is her mind.

Meanwhile Stacy, Archangel and Iceman are in the lab area where Sunpyre is still running diagnostics on Abyss who is held in a containment field. Her tests reveal that his body celss are not only extremely pliable, they also open up a spacial rift to an unidentified void dimension. Possibly they could learn more by sending a Madrox in there. Archangel demands to know if Abyss ius held against his will, but he and Iceman have to repeat the question several times before Sunpyre answers them. She claims that since he volunteered to be examined. Warren asks Leyu about her brother Shiro, the one-time X-Man Sunfire. Sunpyre says that he was made an offer by Banshee but declined and she took his place then. Archangel asks her about her time with Jean Grey (among the Interim X-Men) and touches her shoulder, but Leyu uses her flame power to make him remove his hand. Leyu tells them to not pretend that they share any bonds that they all know do not exist. Stacy watches Abyss and asks him if he can hear her inside the fielkd, and Leyu finally asks the X-Men to leave the lab, after all she has work to do and Abyss should be ready for field duty by the end of the week.

On TV another video tape of Jakonb Eisen, leader of A.R.M. is shown. He holds Surge’s harness and claims that the first mutant has fallen. A.R.M. have executed Surge and this was only the beginning. In the X-Corps’s office, Banshee, Multiple Man and Nightcrawler watched the news on TV. Nightcrawler is the only one to express any emotion at all, before he asks Banshee who this Surge was. Banshee explains that Surge sought him out when the X-Corps just moved into this building, and the harness helped him to keep his electricity based powers under control. He then tells Multiple Man that they need to track down Eisen and his organisation right now. Kurt tries to intervene, if they perform a counterstrike now, they will ignite a full war, yet Banshee says that one of their own has been murdered and he won’t allow A.R.M. to continue. He then tells Madrox to give this assignment to his angels. Not before long, M and an X-Corps helicopter carrying Husk and Jubilee are closing in on Zürich, yet as soon as A.R.M. members spot them, the copter is fired on.

On the astral plane, Chamber apologizes, he didn’t invade by choice, and Martinique says that telepaths sometimes attract and sometimes repel; apparently they are in synch with the frequencies they operate on. She then talks about her father, the late Mastermind, who actually didn’t achieve much in his life, despite him being as goal oriented as she is. Chamber can’t make any sense of what she is saying, however she teslls him to not get distracted if he wants to learn something. Mastermind goes on that in this illusion plane, she can play her own little psychodramas and try out things she could never tell anybody. She wonders if Jono has such secret thoughts too, but he denies. Martinique then says that he is still trying to fin his own way, and that he believes to have lost so much in his life, still he keeps everyone at arm’s length to pretend of being im control. Chamber tells her that she shouldn’t try to psycho-analyze him, but she says she wasn’t, it was just a way to pass the time. Fact is, he was not invited, and she now has other matters to attend to, matters that don’t involve him.

In the main office, Nightcrawler and Archangel witness as Banshee is filled in on the situation in Zürich through radio contact with Jubilee. The helicopter is doen, and hundreds of A.R.M. operatives are coming out of the woodwork – it was a set-up. Then the contact breaks down. Banshee immediately prepares to leave for Zürich. Kurt once more tries to reason with him, obviously the situation has escalated beyond control and the X-men want to help. Warren agrees, but Sean replies that neiother of them understands. He is not moving in to join the fray, by the time they’ll arrive the battle will already be over. Afterall A.R.M. are not the only one with an army. In Zürich dozens of Multiple Men, who apparently was piloting the helicopter, are seen fighting with humans.

On the astral plane, Chamber wants to know why Martinique just threatened him. He wants answers from her about the X-Corps and about Banshee, and he grabs her to stop her from leaving. Martinique doesn’t like to be touched and she really has to leave, so she starts to create a furnace around Chamber. She tells him to not take it personally, but she is a lot more skilled in mind control than he is, with the proper training he copuld do a lot more than just communicate, but as it is right now, he will be stuck in her mental trap, and he should better not worry about his physical body. Then she departs, however she underestimated Jono, and he is able to blast himself out of the furnace, though under a lot of strain. Free again, he wonders where Mastermind has gone.

In the lab, Sunpyre is still making notes on Abyss. She uses a voice recorder and comments that Nils is a true survivor, he overcame being exploited as a mutate and survived the Legacy Virus. She continues that she lacks the needed technology to fully analyze him, but it seems that his entire body being a conduit between dimension is not a conscious act, but apparently second nature. While making notes, Leyu fails to notice a few figures sneeking into the lab behind her. Abyss gets aware of them, but from inside his containment field he can’t warn her.

In Zürich the fights are already over when Banshee, Nightcrawler and Archangel arrive. Several people are carried away in ambulances and Banshee checks on his team. Jubilee, M, Husk and Multiple Man are all fine. Multiple Man says that A.R.M. had an impressive number of operatives and Archangel asks if he killed any, however Jamie says that the X-Corps are not murderers. Banshee goes over to one of the injured A.R.M. members and demands to know the whereabouts of their leader Jakob Eisen. As he refuses to talk, Sean repeats the question, however he asks with his sonic powers at full force and the guy collapses. Kurt teleports over and stops Banshee from continuing, asking if this is what he meant “by any means necessary” ? Sean hesitates, then he comes to his senses : “It wasn’t supposed t’go this way. There wasn’t supposed to be any more death ...”

In the lab, Abyss looks at a horrific scene. Sunpyre lies on the ground, her head in a pool of blood. Her eyes are wide open and staring into nothing. Next to her lies her damaged dictaphone, it’s playing her recorded entries. Ironically in her notes, Leyu was talking about how the X-Corps might have the right goals, but there was some feeling of menace where hope should be and also she was worried about the personal sacrifices they had to make.

On the astral plane, Chamber is walking through some caves, searching for Martinique. He hears voices and carefully peeks around a corner. There Mastermind is talking with an apparently female figure who is seen in shadows. Martimnique complains that her muscles are already starting to atrophy and about the loss of her hair, yet the mystery person says that they need to play along a little while longer. Banshee has constructed quite an operation, but the loss of his loved one made him unstable and self-righteous and he never suspected that his X-Corps have been infiltrated. The mystery person says that it’s time to make their move now, as Banshee is currently not in the base, and just then they discover Chamber spying on them. Chamber is hit by a bolt of electricity both on the astral plane and physically. As he collapses near Mastermind’s tank, the attacker is seen – Surge. Behind him are Fever Pitch, Avalanche and the Blob. “Gentlemen, it’s time to take over.”

The truth surrounding Mystique's involvement in X-Corps is revealed! A mutant loses their life and another is mortally wounded!

Back from Zürich, Banshee finds the X-Corps' hangar empty, only the X-Men's Blackbird is still there. Banshee asks Multiple Man if there are any aerial maneuvers scheduled, but Jamie denies it, however he suddenly feels a little bit dizzy. Banshee tells him to pull himself together; he needs to know where all those helicopters went. Archangel and Nightcrawler say that this incident proves that Banshee is not as much in control as he thinks, and he almost lost it in Zürich. Banshee finally gives in and says that he couldn't possibly have kept his secrets forever.

After waking up Iceman, the three X-men accompany Banshee to the chamber with Mastertmind's tank. Kurt is horrified by the looks of her, and he explains that she is the daughter of the original Mastermind. She calls herself Martinique Jason, but that might just be an alias. Despite her power of illusion casting, she is also a telepath and possesses the raw power to modify an individual's behavior. Kurt begins to understand; Banshee used her to hold his X-Corps against their will. Sean confirms it, though not all of them. Radius, Sunpyre, Multiple Man and the girls from Generation X are there because they believe in the idea of mutant unity, but to make the proper statement, Banshee needed recruits that would illustrate this unity, and the criminals were added to their ranks. Mastermind gives Iceman a slight headache to show how recruits that step out of line get dealt with. He now realizes that the other night in the bar, the Blob and Avalanche had received a similar treatment when they were about to cause a fight with him. Warren asks Banshee how he could have hoped to keep a criminal telepath under his control, and Nightcrawler states that these are serious ethical breaches. Iceman remembers that Surge seemed unaffected of the headaches, and Banshee realizes that his operation has been betrayed from within.

(three hours earlier)

In the woods, outside of the X-Corps building, Radius is sitting on the ground with Stacy. He has paid her for what she usually did in her former profession (prostitute), and Stacy tries to slip her stimulating pheromones into Radius' forcefield, to no effect. Suddenly they are disturbed by the helicopters flying away from the hangar. Before they can even think of investigating, the ground starts to shake. A rift opens, Radius falls inside, and then it closes again. Yet Stacy is not alone, as the Blob and Avalanche approach, behind her. Avalanche states that he never liked the arrogant Radius, and the Blob says that it's now his turn. He stomps on the ground, causing a small tremor and while Stacy is off balance, he grabs her by the leg and hurls her on the ground, face first. While Stacy lies not moving, the two villains are picked up by a helicopter. The Blob complains that his hand feels all tingly.

(present)

In the lab, Jubilee and Husk have found the body of Sunpyre. She is really dead. Abyss is still in his containment field, though apparently in shock. They report to Banshee, who doesn't believe it. The X-Men get angry, now that blood has been spilled this has really gone too far. Archangel takes charge; he tells Kurt to search for Chamber, while he and Iceman will accompany Banshee and some of the Multiple Men to the command center. Warren asks if the X-Corps uniforms have inbuilt tracking devices and they confirm, though the villains might have disabled them. Jamie once more says that he doesn't feel too well.

Once at the command central, Banshee orders his personnel to search around and locate the missing operatives, but right then a transmission comes in from Fever Pitch. Jamie tracks the signal and finds that the gunships and the villains are in Paris, causing mass destruction. Fever Pitch confirms, they are in the city of lights to show the world the true face of mutant pride by burning down the old monuments and make way for the new world. To back up his claim, Fever Pitch sets the Arc de Triomphe on fire. Even worse, the villains have their own army of Multiple Men at their disposal, this explains why he wasn't feeling well. Banshee angrily smashes the screen, and then tells Jamie to find as many of is duplicates and consolidate. If Martinique has taken control of some of his selves they have to override her telepathy. As the local authorities report about massive civilian casualties and widespread property damage, Archangel says that they have to take down Mastermind immediately. Banshee agrees, though then they will loose their only chance to get the villains back in line.

Meanwhile Nightcrawler teleports through the huge X-Corps building in search for Chamber, but he is nowhere to be found. Hallways, bedrooms, kitchen, every room is empty. Kurt then has an idea and decides to try the Blackbird in the hangar. Inside, he finds Jono unconscious, but still alive. He is unable to communicate, but Kurt finds burn marks on his clothes. Nightcrawler radios Archangel about their friend's condition, but then he spots a bomb in the Blackbird. The timer is already down to two seconds. As the jet explodes, Warren loses radio contact with him.

A few minutes later, Archangel and a Multiple Man are standing before the remains of the Blackbird. Jamie offers to search the wreckage, but Warren, still in denial of what has just happened, tells him not to. Warren says that it's time to take the fight to the villains, and since they have taken away all of their air power, he wants to know what the X-Corps have left. Jamie leads him to a secret weapons room that only he and Banshee know about. It contains various weaponry salvaged from their many missions. While they are searching for something useful, Multiple Man explains his reasons for why he joined the X-Corps. After he returned form his time in Genosha, he had felt like a mutant without a country. He was never bothered by humans, it had always been other mutants that got in his face, and he found that Banshee had the right idea about dealing with any threat to mutants from either humans or other humans. Warren states that evil has to do nothing with genetics; both humans and mutants can do good or bad. By then he has found a huge blaster that he thinks will be of good use.

Outside in the woods, Stacy comes around, she's boiling mad and says that "somebody's dyin' for this."

Banshee and another Multiple Man have gone back to Mastermind's chamber. Sean operates the controls. They want to locate Jamie's missing dupes and then break whatever telepathic connection she has with them. Sean asks Multiple man to keep an eye on Martinique. If she blinks, they can send a neuro-shock into her cortex. While operating the controls, Banshee wonders how all of it could have happened. He and Jamie were the only ones who knew about the tank, and it all started as a dream of a better tomorrow. Banshee talks about his dead lover, Moira. If he had never left Muir Island all those years ago, she might still be alive and they'd be happy. Lost in his thoughts, Sean fails to notice "Multiple Man" reverting back to her true appearance - Mystique. She rams a knife into his throat and tells Banshee to say "hello" to Moira when they meet in hell.

The X-Men versus X-Corps in Paris!

Mystique has freed Mastermind from her holding tank and she angrily rips the tubes and cables from her body. Mastermind feels humiliated for having been trapped in a jar while her half-sister gets to cause all kind of troubles elsewhere. Now that she is free again, she vows to settle who the rightful heir to their father, Jason Wyngarde, is once and for all. While working on the computer consoles, Mystique calms her ally down by informing her that Regan is out of commission. Mystique gloats about how well her plan has turn out. By posing as the loyal X-Corps member Surge and their enemy Jakob Eisen, Mystique infiltrated Banshee's organization and kept him distracted while she and Mastermind took over from within. However, she then has a slip of tongue, saying that it "is all mine" and Martinique corrects, "You mean ours". Mystique apologizes and on their way out, Mastermind asks what becomes of Banshee, who is lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Mystique says that if he won't bleed to death, he will die of the nerve gas that, like she just programmed into the central computer, starts to fill the building.

Meanwhile, Archangel and M are busy high above Paris. M bursts into the stolen helicopters that are piloted by mindcontrolled dupes of Madrox. After flying clear with them, Warren shoots the copters down with a bazooka. One by one they decimate the enemies' fleet. M takes the rogue dupes back to their own helicopter, where Iceman watches Jamie re-absorbing them. With each dupe being reunited he starts to feel better. He actually had spread himself to thin, but the X-Corps needed him as support staff. Suddenly they become aware of Fever Pitch flying close to them, and is causing much destruction with his fire powers. From aboard a copter that is piloted by a still mindcontrolled Madrox, Avalanche uses his shockwaves to make the Eiffel Tower crumble to pieces. The X-Men are shocked but continue to fight.

At the X-Corps headquarters, Jubilee and Husk are fighting the Blob. Paige husks into a form of metal. Her punch to the Blob's face puts him in pain, yet he grabs her by the hair and slams her to the ground. Jubilee uses her lightbursts to distract him and annoys him even more by making fun of his codename. The door slides open and Stacy comes in, determined for a rematch with "fatty".

In Paris, Archangel, Iceman, Multiple Man and Monet are slowly gaining the upper hand. They have already dealt with half of the air fleet and Jamie feels a lot better, though some dupes are still under Martinique's mental hold. Iceman becomes aware of Fever Pitch who is attempting to set the entire Louvre on fire. He tells Jamie to fly the helicopter as close by as possible. Bobby then blasts his ice out of the copter's open door.

Mystique and Mastermind have made their way to the command central and along the way they have killed a few Madrox dupes. Mystique believes that her mutant terrorism across Europe will taint Xavier's dream of coexistence and humans will fear mutantkind for what they truly are: unpredictable, dangerous and superior. Martinique holds one hand to her head as she feels that Madrox is pulling himself together and her control of the remaining dupes is starting to slip. Raven orders her to get her act together. She reminds her that the original Mastermind would never have shown such weakness and Martinique agrees.

In the lab, Abyss is still trapped in his containment field, before the tube is the dead body of Sunpyre, her open eyes staring into nothingness. The door opens, it's Banshee. Despite his massive throat injury, he has managed to get up and make his way this far.

In Paris, Iceman has succeeded and encased not only Fever Pitch, but also the entire Louvre, in a huge block of ice. Meanwhile, M and Archangel have dealt with the last aircraft in sight and Jamie has reabsorbed the last dupe like the others before. Bobby congratulates Warren on his good aim, but Archangel lowers his weapon in shame; he did not enjoy this kind of action. Also, the political reactions to an all-out mutant attack on a European capital city have yet to be seen. They decide to head back to the X-Corps building. They are aware that they have missed a few of the villains, but Multiple Man says that he senses his dupes are free of the mental hold and will return to the base too. As Monet looks at the destroyed city, she mentions that she used to love Paris.

Back at the X-Corps quarters, Stacy is sitting on top of the Blob's limp and exhausted body. Apparently she used her pheromone control to over stimulate his pleasure centers. While Jubilee finds Stacy pretty cool, Paige wonders if this is what Xavier is looking for these days. The three girls decide to move on and see of they can be of help elsewhere.

In the command central, Mystique registers a security breach alarm coming from the research lab. Since all the Madroxes still in the building were killed, it has to be someone else and she wants to investigate. Upon leaving, she gives one more lecture about the revolution of homo superior and that she accepts nothing less than full commitment. Martinique agrees, but from the glance she gives after Mystique, it is clear that she doesn't like to be bossed around.

Having made her way to the lab, mystique is surprised to see Banshee there, still standing. She had not expected him to be still alive, but as he slowly walks towards her, he collapses. Triumphant, Mystique says that she could accelerate his death anytime, but suddenly she becomes aware of movement behind her. Abyss stretches himself out and, not wanting to let her kill anyone ever again, he opens his inner dimensional vortex. Mystique gets sucked inside along with much of the lab equipment. Attempting to close the rift, Abyss begins to panic. He is not fully in control and he sees that Banshee is about to get sucked it too. Sean does not even fight back, wanting to die, but he is held back by Husk and Jubilee and Abyss shuts himself down.

(a short while later)

While workers are already cleaning up the city, the X-men and the remaining X-Corps members have taken Banshee to a hospital. While Paige and Jubilee have fallen asleep, Bobby, Stacy and Jamie sum up how they fared. Nightcrawler and Chamber are missing, Sunpyre and Radius are dead and of the villains, Avalanche and Mastermind got away. Jamie says he does not dare risk multiplying to help clearing the city, fearing that Mastermind might mentally possess him again. They don't know when or where Mystique will pop up again, and Banshee is still in critical condition; his mutant power apparently gone forever. Warren watches over Banshee in his hospital room. From his bed Sean stares out of the window at the destroyed city.

Nightcrawler and Chamber recover from their recent battle with the Church of Humanity.

(nightmare)

Nightcrawler has a feverish dream in which he re-lives the explosion in the X-wing and his last-second teleportation to save himself and Chamber. He dreams that he is being crucified on a large 'X' as the legions of the Church of Humanity march across the countryside under the looming figure of the Supreme Pontiff taking away “that what means most to you“ (spelled backwards and in german).

(present)

Wagner awakens suddenly and realizes that he has 'ported into the cabin home of his old circus friend, Feuer Langhagen, a retired fire-breather. Kurt exits the cabin to see Jono admiring the beautiful mountains surrounding Feuer's cabin. Nightcrawler's memory is foggy of the recent events, so Chamber fills him in: Kurt teleported the two of them out of the Blackbird just before it was destroyed. His blind teleport brought them to snow-covered Northern Alps of Bavaria. Kurt considers that perhaps Feuer has chosen a way of life that truly grants one piece of mind: he has no friends or enemies, just isolation and simplicity. Chamber is unsure of this, but asks Nightcrawler if he has contacted the X-Men yet; Kurt has not.

Night falls, and the three sit down to a meal courtesy of Feuer. They discuss the recent ideological break between Cassidy and the X-Men. Feuer remarks that Xavier's school sounds wonderful, to which Kurt replies – with a hint of bitterness - that he has been "relegated" to a field operative, and that he might have proven to be a good teacher. Chamber is confused by this statement, and Nightcrawler tells him that they are often the subordinates of the greater good, and must forget their personal feelings. Jono becomes angry, reminding him that when he approached him in London (in the Poptopia arc), Kurt told him that the lives of mutants are based on their responsibilities. Nightcrawler replies that that was then, this is now. Chamber leaves in disgust.

Outside, he telepathically reaches across the globe to Stacy X in Paris, who awakens from her slumber. In the abandoned X-Corp base, the Multiple Men are dismantling the equipment while Warren is approached by President Prodi, who subtly tells him and the X-Men to leave, as they now have the UN to deal with matters in the base. Warren's reply is cut off by Stacy, who now knows where the missing Chamber and Nightcrawler are. Iceman is skeptical, uncertain that Chamber would choose Stacy to contact over the rest of them. Warren tries to convince Prodi that the X-Corps was a rogue organization separate from the X-Men, but Prodi is not so sure. He tells Warren that the European Commission would like the X-Men to avoid "helping" Europe in the future, and asks him to give up control of the base. Stacy interjects again, expressing her outrage over her mind being invaded by Chamber's telepathy. Warren is contacted from Cerebra by Phoenix who transmits the exact location of Jono and Kurt. Warren wonders why, if Kurt is fine, he didn't call the X-Men himself. Stacy triumphs – Jean’s coordinates confirm that the two X-Men are in the Alps, exactly like Chamber’s telepathic message told her.

Back in the Alps cabin, Feuer is concerned over Nightcrawler's brooding. Kurt tells him that he has been having doubts about his belief in Xavier's dream. Feuer encourages him to stay in the X-Men, but Kurt is still not certain. Kurt teleports outside to apologize and Chamber tells Kurt that the reason he became so angry at dinner was because he assumed that, out of all the X-Men, Kurt was the most at peace with his choices in life. Nightcrawler admits that he has not been, as of late, and has been having strange nightmares. They are cut off by the approach of the X-Corp gunship, carrying Multiple Man, Archangel, Stacy-X, and Iceman.

Everyone rests in Feuer's cabin. Nightcrawler assures the rest others that he would have contacted them eventually, but Iceman is worried that Nightcrawler's commitment to the X-Men may be wavering. Archangel agrees; after the disaster is Paris, the X-Men need all of their members. Still, Kurt admits that his future is very unclear to him. Meanwhile, outside, Stacy tells Jono that she is angry that he infiltrated her brain to deliver his message, and wonders why he chose her to contact instead of the others. Jono tells her that he thought she would be the only one who would take him seriously. Stacy is taken aback. In the cabin, Archangel tells Kurt that they need him, and that he in turn needs the X-Men. Nightcrawler suggests that they leave. The team bids Feuer farewell, leaving the Alps cabin.

Archangel prepares to take down the Vanisher's drug business. Stacy X aids a dying man.

In Manhattan, Archangel holds a press conference at Worthington Industries and tries in vain to answer the flood of questions concerning the recent events involving the Church of Humanity, the X-Corps disaster, and the X-Ranch. Nightcrawler teleports into the room and proceeds to flaunt for the press, jokingly suggesting that the media should treat him as they would treat a celebrity, and wondering if he should get a Hollywood agent. After the conference, Warren and Kurt speak in an office on the top floor of Worthington Industries. Warren wants to know why Kurt acted so showy in front of the press, to which Kurt replies that Warren wasn't in control of the conference, and that the media appreciates showmanship. He begins to joke with Warren that he should run for President. Warren becomes impatient, wondering why Kurt is acting with such strange levity. Kurt answers that he thinks that a return to the recklessness of his earlier days would make his return to the X-Men after the Europe incident less uncomfortable. With that, he 'ports out, leaving Warren alone in the office.

At The Gene Pool pub Chamber and Iceman are interrupted from their conversation by a young man who asks Jon where he got his fix of designer genes. The man is obviously ravaged from the effects of his addiction to the genes.

Back at Worthington Industries, Stacy informs Warren that she has an appointment as a "pheromonal prostitute" and must go to meet her "date." Warren assures her that she doesn't have to keep turning tricks now that she is financially secure with the X-Men. Stacy tells him that her being a working girl is more about identity than money, and assures him that she is still willing to fight for Xavier's dream. Warren sternly warns Stacy that living in such a way doesn't lead anywhere. She becomes annoyed with his judgmental attitude, and leaves. Warren receives a call from Kurt: in the basement of St. Paul's Church, he has discovered a room full of dead bodies!

In his apartment, Stacy angrily vents to Logan. She is miffed that Warren, who had quite a wild youth, is telling her how to live her life. Logan shows Stacy his old yellow uniform that he received in service of the Canadian government, telling her about how he wore it years after he left the government's service because he was too afraid to leave a role that everyone was used to seeing him in. He tells Stacy that it took time, but eventually he took off the mask physically and metaphorically and let the X-Men see his true self. Stacy considers these words.

In the church basement, Nightcrawler and Archangel observe the dead bodies of teenagers who overdosed on the designer genes, knowing that it is the Vanisher's drug that killed the kids. Nightcrawler suggests that they call in the rest of the team.

Stacy arrives at a large skyscraper, the location of her "appointment." She finds an emaciated old man lying in a hospital bed in one of the rooms who tells her that he is her date. The man introduces himself as Jason Treemont. Stacy realizes that Treemont is "Chef Jay-R-Tee," the creator of Chef Jay-R-Tee's Noodle-oo's, which she loved as a child. She begins to undress, but Treemont informs her that he is not her regular kind of customer : he is a mutant who has been cursed with accelerated aging and an immunity to all medicine. No amount of morphine has any affect upon him, and he is wracked with pain. He asks Stacy to help him take away the agony that he lives with at all hours of the day.

At the church, Archangel and Nightcrawler discuss the Vanisher, and the way that he wishes to be seen as a businessman. Archangel calls Childs at Worthington Industries and tells him to begin a board meeting with the topic "mergers and acquisitions."

At Treemont's apartment, Stacy finishes her pheromone work on the old man. He is unconscious, but has a smile upon his face. Logan, Jon, and Bobby arrive. Stacy tells them that she affected his pleasure centers so strongly that the effects will last for the remainder of his short life. Stacy is surprised when the three support her in her actions, telling her that she did the right thing. Drake reveals the reason for the X-Men's visit: they are preparing to move against the Vanisher, and it's up to them to bring Porter into the open.

At the Worthington Industries meeting, Warren tells his people that they have a new and important objective: to follow the paper trail from a series of street-level operations all the way to the man behind it all. He warns his board members that it will not be easy.

In an office building somewhere in the city, three men await a meeting with the man who has recently moved in and taken the street-drug trade from them. The Vanisher teleports in all of a sudden, and tells them ominously that they are already working for him.

Archangel buys out the Vanisher's drug business, while Nightcrawler learns that the Church of Humanity has plans concerning him.

At Worthington Industries Archangel, Wolverine and Chamber sit in Warren's office as Warren's contacts transmit info concerning the Vanisher designer gene business. Logan mocks Warren's methods of tracking down the Vanisher, himself preferring to simply use the tried-and-true "find the bad guy's lair and beat him" technique. Logan asks Jon whose side he is on, and Jono sides with Warren's approach.

In a nearby restaurant, Telford Porter, with total cockiness, proclaims to his new associates his victory in taking over the street-drug trade. He takes one of the drug lords to the secrecy of the restaurant kitchen and demands all info regarding the drug lord's dealers and front companies. Their conversation is interrupted by Stacy X, whom Porter mistakes for a gene junkie. With a touch, Stacy renders the drug lord "unconscious" with her pheromones. She tells Porter that she has a business proposition for him, and asks him if he's ever heard of the X-Ranch.

At St. Paul's church, Nightcrawler 'ports in, demanding an explanation from Cardinal Hammond concerning the dead junkies found in the church's basement. As a syringe falls from the Cardinal's hands, Kurt realizes, to his horror, that Hammond himself is a gene junkie. The Cardinal transforms into a hulking black beast, and mistaking Kurt for a demon, begins to attack him. Given no choice, Nightcrawler begins to choke the Cardinal to death with his robes, but he is flung away by Hammond. As Hammond prepares for the death blow, three soldiers from the Church of Humanity teleport in. With moral outrage, they condemn Hammond for "succumbing to the temptations of mutant immorality," and proceed to blast him to death with their energy rifles. They are about to kill Kurt, when one of the soldiers recognizes him as one who the Supreme Pontiff has "plans" for. They teleport away, leaving Kurt alone inside the church.

(two weeks later)

In Porter's Plaza Hotel suite, Porter and Stacy relax in a jacuzzi. Porter is in pheromone-induced ecstasy. He gloats about how the X-Ranch will be a new franchise, another part of his empire. Stacy touches him, and suddenly Porter snaps out of his state. Stacy tells him that he has been under her influence for two weeks now. Porter declares that she is dead, but Stacy tells him that a friend of hers wishes to meet with him.

Logan arrives at his apartment, and finds Kurt moaning with fear in his sleep. Logan wonders what is bothering his friend.

In the Tavern on the Green, Warren meets with the Vanisher. Porter angrily declares that Warren cannot possibly do anything to hurt him or his empire, which is why he agreed to the meeting. Yet Warren points out that the experience with Stacy proves that he indeed can be touched and harmed. Warren tells Porter to make a call to his people. Porter agrees, confidently telling Warren that he has surrounded himself by his own henchmen in the restaurant. Meanwhile Iceman posing as a waiter, pours wine for an elderly couple.

Porter contacts one of his men, Mr. Finch, who informs him that Porter's former employees have all deserted him because a Mr. Worthington doubled his offer. Porter is shocked: Warren has bought the designer gene trade from under him while he was in his pheromone-induced state. Enraged, Porter begins spouting threats and starts to teleport away. Unfortunately for him, Bobby appears behind him and freezes him in place. Warren declares that, since he now controls the drug trade, he'll have the genes off the streets by morning. Behind them, several waiters inject themselves with syringes. They begin to transform into various types of mutants while the patrons flee in terror as Wolverine watches the action unfold from outside. Iceman tells Archangel to get clear while he deals with Porter's men. After a few seconds, Bobby emerges. The three re-enter the restaurant to see all of Porter's men frozen in a giant block of ice.

Back in Worthington Industries, Warren congratulates the team on their success. Kurt kisses Stacy's hand, commenting on her espionage skills before 'porting out. Jono notices that Kurt has been acting strange ever since Europe. Warren and Logan shake hands, Logan admitting that Warren did a good job. Chamber wonders if Stacy really considers franchising the X-Ranch, though she says it does seem like much of a priority anymore. However if the X-Ranch would reopen, he’d always get a discount.

Logan finds Kurt brooding on the roof. Kurt admits that he has been putting on a front of frivolity to conceal the recent things he has learned about himself. Logan reminds him that everything is changing: Professor X can walk again, Beast is mutating, and Banshee was nearly killed for his efforts to change the world. Kurt responds that even with each good change, the potential for disaster still lurks. Logan assures him that the X-Men have changed the world before, and they will do it again.

In Vancouver, Canada, a young mutant named Sammy with a fish-like head is being harassed by a group of kids. They push him into a puddle of mud and walk away, laughing. The boy picks himself up and dejectedly walks back home, bemoaning his fate as a mutant, and "not one of the good kind." He arrives back at his house, where his mother tells him to come inside and prepare for company coming later in the day. Sammy tells his mother that he wants to go to the nearby field for a minute. Despite his mother's warnings that the field is dangerous because of broken glass and nails, Sammy wanders into it and enters his secret hiding place: a ramshackle fort. The inside of the fort contains effigies of the boys who harass Sammy, all hanging by their neck. Sammy produces a hidden gun, and contemplates suicide. The question he considers is, should he take his tormentors with him? Before he can act, his mother calls him again and he walks back home. The company has arrived: it is Professor X with the Blackbird. A tear rolls down Sammy's cheek as Charles tells the boy that he has a wonderful opportunity for him.

Somewhere above the ocean, a second Blackbird containing Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Archangel, Iceman, Stacy X and M heads in the direction of Scotland. Stacy asks why Xavier is sending the team to Scotland, and Warren replies that the Professor detected a weak mutant signal that suddenly cut off. Stacy comments on Chamber's leaving for college, wondering how he can just walk out on the X-Men. Monet accuses Stacy of knowing nothing about the X-Men and of simply being a "mutant prostitute hitching a ride." Stacy angrily replies that men paid her to be with her, while the men that slept with Monet were only aroused by her father’s fortune. The argument is cut off when a series of strange noises occur: the jet is being hammered by giant fireballs being hurled at them from the coast they are approaching.

A hole is torn in the Blackbird and M is thrown out of the craft with only a cable holding her seat to the jet. Stacy leaps out of her seat and tries to reach M, but she can't quite make it. Monet tells Stacy she should have just stayed in her seat: M is, after all, invulnerable. Stacy panics and loses control, but Warren is there in time and grabs hold of her. The jet finally reaches the coast of Scotland, and it crashes down, right through the wall of a huge castle.

At Sammy's home, Xavier informs Sammy and his parents of the details of his school. After a long conversation during which the concerned questions ask about the Institute’s recent problems, Sammy is packing his bags to go. Sammy and Xavier board the Blackbird. A police officer briefly talks with Xavier and reminds him that public streets are no landing places for jets. The professor apologizes that it was an emergency situation and promises to not do it again. The officer is convinced and wishes them goodbye. Sammy, still gaping in awe at the recent events, realizes marveling over the Professor's "brain powers", though Xavier explains he would never force his will on another human being unless lives depend on it.

The Beast is waiting for them in the Blackbird, and introduces himself to the young mutant. Sammy comments on the Beast‘s looks and he wishes he would look like him, as then nobody would mess with him again. Hank is surprised to get such a reaction, but decides to take it as a compliment. Xavier reveals to Sammy that he knows about the gun hidden in his pants, and asks him to give it up. Ashamed, Sammy obeys, telling Xavier that he only brought it along because was afraid someone might find it and get hurt. The Professor tells him that he was wise to think of such a thing. He then tells Sammy to take a seat and strap himself in. While Xavier puts the gun away, the Beast asks if it had anything to do with their sudden descent onto a public street and Xavier confirms. The professor then tries to contact Warren to finish informing him about their mission.

The professor's psychic presence arrives at the crashsite at the castle, and he is horrified to see the wreckage before him. Nightcrawler lies over an airbag in the Blackbird‘s cockpit, Monet is partially buried by some debris and Wolverine has been impaled by a sharp piece of wood. Stacy is the only one conscious, and she is panicking over Warren's fallen form. She tells Xavier that Warren is not breathing, and completely loses it. The professor tells her to calm down, and that he will perform CPR through her, but she still panics and believes that the others are all dead. In shock she shuts the professor‘s mind out, shouting “Why did you send us here ?“

Xavier informs the Beast of the events in Scotland and that he can’t get Stacy to calm down. Hank advises him to stimulate her seratonin levels, but Xavier thinks that would be too much – he only wants to calm her down and not to put her to sleep. Instead he aims for the adrenal glands and from half a world away, the telepath reaches into Stacy’s mind and accomplishes to reduce her "fight or flight" impulse. He then tells her to calm down and relax, as the lives of the rest of the team depend on her. Behind Xavier, a frightened Sammy watches wide-eyed.

At the island, Stacy has calmed down enough to let Xavier take control of her body and administer CPR. Kurt stumbles out of the wreckage, and begins to help Stacy with Warren. He wonders where Monet is, and Stacy replies that she is “over there, somewhere“. As Iceman too comes around and comes out of the Blackbird’s remains, the Professor tells Kurt his reason for sending the X-Men to Scotland : he received a distress call from one of his hotlines that appeared to be legitimate. However, he now fears it may have been a trap. Kurt confirms his fears as he watches Juggernaut advance on him !    

In Vancouver, Canada, young Sammy sits in the X-Jet, gripping the seat in fear as he overhears Professor Xavier's worry that the X-Men are in trouble.  

  
The X-Men field team has crash-landed at Cassidy Keep and the unstoppable Juggernaut is bearing down on them. Archangel is injured, M is unaccounted for and Wolverine has been skewered. Nightcrawler and Stacy X try to save Archangel, who is not breathing, as Iceman steps from their crashed jet and blasts a beam of ice at the Juggernaut. After years of facing just such an attack, Juggernaut simply smashes through it and yanks out the pole that is sticking through Wolverine. Iceman ups the juice and blasts Juggernaut through the castle wall. He checks on Wolverine as Stacy and Nightcrawler try their best to revive Archangel, but before he can be saved, the ground bursts open and millions of vines wrap themselves around the fallen X-Man and pull him underground.  
 

The Juggernaut comes smashing back onto the scene, easily busting through everything Iceman throws at him. The X-Men stand ready to face him, but Cain Marko reveals that he was the one who called them there to help. The X-Men are obviously confused and very reluctant to believe him, but they don't have time to argue with him. The vines come back stronger than before and rip the entire ground apart. Iceman and Nightcrawler escape, but everyone else is pulled underground this time.

At the Rosy Manor Convalescent Hospital in Upstate New York, attendant Annie Ghazikhanian is taking extra care of her most favorite patient, a young blond man with a scar across his eye, who is in an almost vegitative state. She pushes his wheelchair through the halls, and the other nurses feel sorry that this single mother of one spends all her time hoping this handsome young man will someday snap out of it and carry her off into the sunset. But then, at least she has hope.

She wheels John Doe out to the fountain in the yard. The only thing she knows about him is that sunlight seems to make him stronger. They meet her son, Carter, and look through the various magazines and newspapers they want to read. While glancing through the latest “Newstrack” she finds an article on the Xavier Institute. The article features a nice picture of two of Xavier's students, the Summers brothers Scott and Alex. The article says that Alex supposedly died trying to save people in a plane crash; it says that he is a mutant, and the picture looks an awful lot like Mr. Doe.  
 

Back at Cassidy Keep, the X-Men have been dragged underground. The green vines are everywhere and they have captured many people, including the missing Monet, several unnamed people and also some animals. The vines wrap themselves around their prey and go up through the nostrils and in the mouth to suck the life from their captives. Wolverine, Juggernaut, and Stacy fight as best they can, and Juggernaut tells them that the vines are Black Tom. And speak of the devil, Black Tom appears to them, a man-shaped lump of the vines with beady yellow eyes. He yells at Juggernaut about how weak he has become, and how he has brought Tom's mortal enemies to help. It shames Black Tom, and he forces his vines into Juggernaut's face. Wolverine slices free and saves Juggernaut, and slashes at Black Tom's face. But the vines are everywhere, and Wolverine tries in vain to save Juggernaut and Stacy, as well as himself. He berates Juggernaut that the unstoppable one cares more for the man who's killing him than he does for his own step-brother Xavier, who had sent the X-Men into danger just to help.  
 

Elsewhere is the castle, Iceman and Nightcrawler make their way through vine-covered halls searching in vain for their friends. Then Iceman reaches out and takes hold of one of the vines. He uses his moisture powers to draw upon the water within the vine. In a root system, the water would flow to the main trunk, and sure enough he's able to freeze the water and they now have a path leading them to the main trunk.  
 

Back in Upstate New York, Annie makes a call to the Xavier Institute. Cyclops checks out her call on the answering machine, only to find out that his brother Alex might still be alive. His wife Jean is as surprised as Scott himself.

Back at Cassidy Keep, Iceman and Nightcrawler follow the trail of frozen vines and eventually find someone that looks like the new Black Tom. This creature utters in a most horrific way "get out". The walls crumble around them, and Iceman and Nightcrawler see all their teammates strung up by vines, their skin being sucked down to the skull.