Previously on Muir Island New Mutants...

[Charles Warren]

Thor, the God of Thunder, comes to Muir Island

ISSUE 29

January 7, 1990

Billy is in bed with a cold, since he spent most of last issue frozen by Coldsnap. He awakes with a start, and finds Changeling beside his bed. She has stuck some of her tentacles up Billy's nostrils, into his mouth and ears, causing Billy to gag. She explains that this is a healing tradition on her homeworld. Billy politely declines any further efforts by Changeling to help him get better.

Billy finds that Doctor Strange has sent him a package while he was away. He opens it to find Doctor Strange's original blue Cloak of Levitation. Billy is thrilled and immediately begins floating down the hallway to show everyone his new cloak.

Billy and Changeling find the majority of the students watching TV in the common room. They see themselves on the news battling Magneto, and they realize that they are all now wanted criminals in the U.S. The news coverage upsets Joule.

Senator Kelly comes on the TV and announces that the Mutant Registration Act has passed and that it will go into effect at midnight. He also says that Mutant Registration Centers will be set up in all major US cities and he urges all mutants to cooperate. Jubilee is so angry that she blows up the TV. The other students are mad at her.

Wolverine has stepped up and tells the kids that this is just the beginning. That now's the time to stick together in the face of what's going on.

Wolverine tells the A-Team to walk with him and he leads them down to the first sub-level. He tells them that they did a good job back in D.C. But Joule asks him, "How did we do good?? Everybody hates us even more now!" Wolverine tells them that, the way he sees it, they were in a no-win situation. At least the X-Men made sure that no lives were lost. Wolverine says he'll take that as a win any day.

Wolverine leads the New Mutants past the Command Center, where Forge and Emma Frost are working to locate the mutants that are in the most danger of being picked up by the Mutant Response Division.

Wolverine says: "This is where things go into high gear. The U.S. is gonna start rounding up mutants like crazy. We've got to get to them before they do. Forge's got Cerebro doing round the clock scans for our kind. So be ready to go at the drop of the hat. We're gonna be spread pretty thin, and like it or not, Dr. MacTaggert's gonna have to let us send the A-Team in the field for search and rescue. The President announced today that he's increasing the budget for the Sentinel Program. Registration Centers are being opened in every city. And the Mardies... the Mutant Registration Division... we're seein' 'em pop up everywhere. Things are gettin' hairy."

The students debate whether its a good idea to bring every mutant to Muir Island. Joule says she's not sure there's even room. Billy wants to start using his mutant detection powers immediately, but Wolverine tells him to rest and let Forge and Emma do their work. He says they'll be plenty of time for that later.

They continue to follow Wolverine and he leads them past one of Moira's labs. Moira and two of Jamie's duplicates are examining Magneto. Magneto lies in a biobed and his chest is heavily bandaged. He has a power inhibitor collar around his neck and sedation nodes on his head, keeping him asleep. Some of the students question whether its smart to have him here, and Wolverine agrees. He's says having him hear is preferable to letting him fall into the hands of the US government. He says that once he's stable, Moira plans to put him in the Maximum Security Level, until they can trust him enough to let him out.

Wolverine leads the students by another glass window. On the other side they see Banshee sitting with Polaris. Polaris is wearing a power inhibitor collar and is crying. Banshee seems to be very sympathetically listening to her.

Joule wants to know why Polaris has a collar on, and Wolverine reminds her that Polaris left them to join Magneto. He says she'll have it on until they are sure she won't try to break her father out.

Wolverine tells the students that their training starts again tomorrow, but to take the rest of the day off. When they hesitate, he says, "What are you standin' around for? Go have fun."

The students remember their "sugar baby" assignment. Flux and Billy have forgotten where they left their sugar baby. Blindside and Joule's sugar baby has gotten quite shaken up during the fighting at Capitol Hill. Bullet is still oblivious of the assignment; his partner Jubilee has had to do all the work.

A few hours later, everyone sees the X-Men scrambling towards the blackbird, obviously heading out on a mission. Jubilee is with them, and she sticks her tongue out at them as she boards the Blackbird. The students consider putting her to sleep, or doing something else to her, but they decide to let her be. Jubilee flies off with the other X-Men.

The students go about their business. Billy calls for a study group, but only Changeling shows up. Flux bonds with some of the newly created C-Team members and begins mentoring them. She also copies Riptide's powers while she's at it. Blindside learns a little more about Mindjack and considers reaching out to him to help him with his struggle coming to terms with being a mutant. As a reaction to the anti-mutant news stories, Bullet goes back to his room and replaces his prop guns with real pistols. Joule goes to Banshee and Moira. She tells them that they are wrong to make Polaris wear a power inhibitor collar. Banshee says she has a point and that he and Moira will discuss it.

All of the students receive a magical summons to go to Amanda Sefton's study. When they get there, they find that it has drastically changed. It's now bigger on the inside.


Amanda Sefton's study at the Muir Island Research Center

Amanda approaches. She's obviously suffering from a cold, like Billy. She's wearing a big bathrobe and fuzzy slippers. She's cradling a box of Kleenex's. She explains between sneezes that Doctor Strange has helped her remodel. Billy begins to excitedly go through nearby books.

The kids ask if another card has been found, and Amanda says yes. She says her head is pounding so much that she almost didn't recognize Doctor Strange's call. Soon Doctor Strange arrives with an ostentatious display of magic.

Doctor Strange apologizes for his abrupt arrival, but explains that time is of the essence. He says, "If you will permit me?," then teleports everyone to the circle of standing stones on Muir Island without waiting for their reply.

At the standing stones, Doctor Strange explains that he has sensed a Tarot card moving through the Earth's ley lines. He proposes that he and Amanda Sefton perform a ritual to summon the card. The New Mutants will stand by and attempt to capture it with their Crimson Boxes of Cytorrak.

Blindside zips back to the Research Center and returns with a heavy coat for Amanda and with everyone's magical boxes.

When everyone is ready, Doctor Strange begins to cast a spell. The sky darkens into a churning mass of black clouds. Lightning cracks across the sky and it begins to rain. A vortex begins to form in the sky above, then it widens into a swirling portal. With a crash of thunder, a dark figure emerges from the portal. When the next peal of lightning brightens the sky, the New Mutants see that it is Thor! Thor is clearly enraged and begins to shout at them through the rain.

"Listen well, mortals! I am the mighty Thor! Son of Odin! Heir to Asgard and God of Thunder!!!! Thou hast angered me greatly, by your treachery and deception. And I shall tolerate it no longer!!! I have come for my father, and woe to he who would stand in Thor's way!!!"

As Thor approaches, Doctor Strange tells the New Mutants: "Something clouds his mind! Whether a spell or something else, I do not know. But I sense that he is coming for the JUSTICE tarot card. This we cannot allow! New mutants! You must hold Thor at bay, while Ms. Sefton and I go to secure the Vault Arcanum!" Amanda starts to interject something, but Doctor Strange teleports them away before she can finish.

Thor whirls his hammer and then launches himself towards the New Mutants. Bullet turns himself psychically invisible. Flux copies Thor's powers as he approaches. Thor summons down a flurry of lighting bolts, but Blindside and Flux are able to dodge them. Fractal rips up one of the standing stones and blocks the lightning bolt with it. Flux casually reaches up with her palm to block the bolt.

Joule tries to blast Thor with a kinetic wave, but he smashes through it and continues flying towards the kids. Blindside turns invisible too. Thor hones in on Fractal, who is holding a standing stone above his head. When Thor gets close, Fractal tries to bash Thor with it, but Thor shatters it with his hammer.

Still invisible, Bullet tries to grapple and throw Thor, but the God of Thunder is too strong to be budged. Thor casts Bullet aside and swings Mjolinir at Fractal. Fractal uproots another standing stone and blocks Thor's hammer blow. But Thor batters through the second stone and takes Fractal down with one mighty blow from his hammer.

Blindside realizes that something is wrong and deduces that this is the work of Loki. Realizing that the person they thought was Doctor Strange, was in reality Loki in disguise, he shouts it out to everyone. The New Mutants start reasoning with Thor, and Flux is able to get him to see reason. Blindside wraps his inertial field around everyone and speeds towards the Research Center with everyone in tow.

They find several of Multiple Man's duplicates unconscious as Blindside zooms through the facility and down to the Maximum Security level. In the open cell that contained the JUSTICE card, they find Loki. Amanda Sefton lies unconscious on the floor beside him. In front of Loki, Odin stands encased in an amber-colored crystal.

Bullet shoots Loki, but he blocks the telekinetic bullet with a warding spell. Flux launches herself at Loki, preparing to slam into him with incredible force. But she merely flies right through his illusion and slams into a wall.

Thor shouts, "Loki! Your mischief ends here!"

"No, brother," replies Loki. "Mischief is a small thing. A toy I've well used and discarded. What you see before you is no mischief. It is something much, much more!"

"ENOUGH!" roars Thor and he hurls his hammer at the crystal encasing Odin. But instead of smashing the crystal, the hammer stops in mid-air. Energy surges around it and leaps into Thor's chest. Thor spasms as energy appears to be sucked out of him and into Mjolnir. And then... Thor collapses. The hammer sinks into the crystal, still pulsing with energy. The energy builds and the crystal shatters! But Odin does not emerge. Instead, Storm breaks free, wielding a hammer and dressed in Asgardian garb!


Storm is transformed into the Goddess of Thunder

Loki gloats, "And so, my brother... you are God of Thunder, no more. Behold! The new Goddess of Thunder - and my bride - Ororo!"

The New Mutants are able to detect that Loki possesses two cards: The JUSTICE card and the CHARIOT card.

Loki opens a dimensional portal and says, "And now, I return to Asgard to inform them that what they saw was true. Thor indeed struck down his own father. With Odin, dead. And Thor, an outlaw. It will fall to Loki to rule Asgard. Enjoy your exile, brother..."

The New Mutants try to stop Loki and Storm, but they are able to escape through the portal. As a distraction, the Enchantress appears and opens the doors of the cells holding the dangerous mutants. She vanishes, laughing, as Qunbula, Hiroshima Shadow and Proteus leap out of their cells.

Bullet hits them with a sedation blast, but only Qunbula and Hiroshima Shadow are put to sleep. Proteus senses Joule and begins to yell at her, claiming that she lived a childhood that was meant to be his! (The New Mutants are confused, because they believe Proteus to be dead)

Proteus possesses Qunbula's body, but before he can do anything, Blindside scoops him up in his inertial field. Blindside zips Proteus into a cell and locks him in. The others use their powers to get Hiroshima Shadow back into his cell. Then they check on Thor.

Thor tells them that Loki made the Juggernaut attack him in New York City. While this was happening, Loki travelled to Asgard disguised as Thor. Loki as Thor orchestrated a public argument with Odin. In a rage, Loki as Thor struck down Odin, causing everyone in Asgard to believe that Thor had murdered his father. When the real Thor returned to Asgard, he was faced with hostility. Instead of fighting his kin, Thor withdrew. He travelled to the Well of Wyrd and asked the Norns what had happened.

The Norns informed Thor that Loki had taken Odin to Muir Island, so Thor rushed here to rescue him.

Thor swears to the New Mutants that he will make right the wrongs that were done here this day. He announces his plan to travel to Asgard to rescue Odin and to take the throne back from Loki. The New Mutants agree to help him, so that they can get the JUSTICE and the CHARIOT card from Loki.

Flux gives Thor the glove he got from the horsemen Death. Joule gives Thor the shield she took from U.S.Agent.

Blindside zips back into the Research Center and discovers everyone there under the effect of an Asgardian sleep spell. Blindside calls Forge and fills him in on what's happened. Forge says the X-Men will be back asap. Blindside then leaves a note for Moira, telling her that the New Mutants have gone to Asgard and that they'll be back soon.

The issue ends with Amanda Sefton beginning to open a magical portal to Asgard.

[Charles Warren]

When the Muir Island New Mutants do not surrender to the Enchantress' charms, she calls in the Executioner to deal with them.

ISSUE 30

Amanda Sefton opens a magical portal to Asgard. Thor and the Muir Island New Mutants leap into the portal, only to realize that Amanda's spell has been subverted by the Enchantress.

They appear on the steps of the Enchantress' castle. Thor leads them into the throne room, where the Enchantress awaits them. She tries to convince them that she's saved them from Loki, who wanted them dead. But when that doesn't work, magical copies of herself enter the room and approach each person, trying to entice them. Only Thor and Flux are entranced.

The Enchantress tries to tempt Joule, by reminding her of all of the bad things that have been happening to her. But it only angers Joule, who tries to slam her with a blast of kinetic energy. The enchantress copy beside Joule vanishes and reappears entering the room with the Executioner.

The Executioner wants to execute Thor, but the Enchantress convinces him to let him live. But a fierce fight breaks. In the end, the Enchantress is taken out by the combined might of Joule, Bullet and Blindside. The Executioner is taken out by Fractal and Flux.

After the fight, Thor demands answers from the Enchantress. She tells Thor that Loki detected the emergence of the CHARIOT card, although he perceived it as the Elder Rune RAIDHO. He summoned it and used the power of the card to defeat Odin. Using a magical spell, Loki placed Odin in a near-death state that allowed Hela to take his soul to Hel, while his body remained in torpor in Asgard.

Thor vows to free his father and to defeat Loki. To do so, he needs a means to sneak into Asgard. He tells the New Mutants that his companions, the Warriors Three have such a means.

Thor and the New Mutants travel to the Tree-Village of Agartha, where they find Volstagg fighting an entire bar by himself, defending Thor's name. The New Mutants extricate him from the bar fight and soon they are joined by Fandral and Hogun. The Warriors Three are quickly convinced of Thor's innocence and vow to help him.

Thor reminds them of the Door of Three Keys which the Warriors Three used to use to sneak in an out of Asgard. Thor tells the New Mutants that, at his request, the Warriors Three hid their keys in places where no god, nor mortal could find them. Thor asks them to retrieve their keys now.

Everyone is surprised, when Volstagg walks into the bar he was just in and takes a stuffed boar head off of the wall. He shakes it and a key falls out.

Next Fandral leads them the castle of Astrig, former leader of the Valkyries. He tells them that he has given his key to her, but that she might not be disposed to return it to them. When they arrive, the New Mutants realize that the Valkyries are angry with Fandral for seducing five of them, including Astrig. After a lengthy negotiation, Astrig gives Thor Fandral's key, but only after Fandral agress to remain as Astrig's prisoner.

Finally, Thor asks for Hogun's key, and he simply pulls it out of his pocket.

The issue ends with the Thor, Hogun, Volstagg, and the New Mutants preparing to sneak into Asgard.

[Charles Warren]

Storm as the Goddess of Thunder

ISSUE 31

Thor, Hogun, Volstagg and the Muir Island New Mutants ascend a great stairway that leads to the secret entrance into Asgard. As they climb the steps, Fractal's Cloak of Levitation inexplicably wraps around him and teleports him away. The remaining kids suspect that he has been summoned by Doctor Strange and therefore, are not too concerned about his safety. The new mutants crack jokes and rib each other the entire climb, while Thor remains silent.

The heroes open the great doors and slip into the city. But they find Heimdall and 20 Asgardian soldiers waiting for them.

Heimdall shouts, "Thor Odinson! Dost thou not know that Heimdall canst see all?"

Joule replies, "Yea, we were kinda joking about that the whole way up the stairs."

Thor tries to reason with Heimdall, but it quickly becomes evident that he cannot be swayed.

Bullet takes out all 20 of Heimdall's soldiers with one wide-angle telekinetic blast. Then Thor, Hugun, and Volstagg leap in to begin fighting with Heimdall. Joule user her kinetic energy powers to throw off Heimdall's attacks to give Thor an advantage. Blindside zips around Heimdall, trying to land some punches.

The new mutants hear the tramping of armored boots and see 40 more Asgardian soldiers approaching! 20 from the north and 20 from the south. Flux, mimicking Magneto's powers, freezes all 40 soldiers in place by magnetically seizing their armor. Then, Bullet hits both groups with another wide angle beam telekinetic blast. Finally, Flux knocks out all of the soldiers by magnetically manipulating their weapons to beat against their helmets.

Joule controls the kinetic energy around Heimdall to immobilize him and Thor delivers a mighty blow to his chin. Then Blindside extends his inertial field around everyone and speeds them to the steps of Odin's Palace.

At the palace, they are confronted by Storm, the new Goddess of Thunder. Beside her are Valkyrie and Sif, astride pegasi. Flux uses gravity control to pin them to the ground. And Bullet telepathically puts all three of them to sleep.

The front face of Odin's Palace rips apart as The Destroyer (controlled by Loki) emerges. Embedded in its chest, the New Mutants can see the two Tarot Cards that are now in the shape of Rune Stones: RAIDHO, the Chariot and TIWAZ, Justice.

The New Mutants begin trying to coax the runes/tarot cards out of the Destroyer, while Thor, Hogun and Volstagg attack it. Somewhere unseen, Loki casts spells to try to stop them.

During the fight, Joule has an emotional crisis, causing her calling to change from Thrill-Seeker to vengeance. She lashes out angrily at the Destroyer with her kinetic power. In response to her anger, the villain Vector emerges from her body and pulls the Justice card out of the Destroyer. (Editors note: Joule absorbed Vector into her body during the fight with the U-Foes in Panama). Vector draws the Tarot card back into Joule and she is transformed into the Avatar of Justice!

Joule engages the Destroyer in combat, while the others continue trying to coax the remaining card out of the Destroyer using their Crimson Caskets of Cyttorak.

Loki casts a sleeping spell upon Flux, but Bullet is able to wake him back up with a psychic jolt! However, Bullet is then knocked out by Loki's sleeping magic.

Thor grabs Mjolnir from Storm and his powers return! Thor and the New Mutants continue to battle the Destroyer, but one by one they begin to fall to Loki's magic.

Flux tries to absorb the Destroyer's powers, but they are too great for her to contain. She overloads and passes out. Blindside and Bullet are put to sleep by Loki. Finally Joule is grabbed by the Destroyer. She passes out and the Justice card falls from her, as she transforms back to her old form.

Much later, all of the New Mutants awaken. They are being cared for by Asgardian healers. Volstagg is there and tells them that they are heroes and that a feast is being held in their honor at this very moment.

Storm enters and the kids see that she has been restored to her proper age. She says her memories have been restored too, but they feel like they are not her own.

Storm and Volstagg lead the kids to throne room where a great feast is being held. They are received by Odin and they all bow to him.

Odin thanks them for their role in freeing Asgard. He tells them that he will grant them each a reward, but none of the New Mutants ask for anything. He then, tells them that he will grant them a favor in the future and that all they have to do is call upon him.

Odin gives them the two Tarot cards and tells them that he senses that Doctor Strange is in danger.

Thor walks the kids to the Bifrost bridge and creates a magical portal that transports them to Greenwich Village.

Once they arrive in New York, they see that Greenwich Village has been pulled away from the ground and floats above the city. Its shape keeps changing and the buildings continually morph into strange shapes.

As they discuss what to do, Marvel Boy arrives, thinking that they are the source of this disturbance. He calls the rest of the New Warriors and they surround the New Mutants. It becomes clear that the New Warriors have registered with the government and are now taking orders from Henry Gyrich. The New Warriors tell them that they are under arrest.

Blindside asks the New Warriors how fast they are. Kid Nova says he's pretty fast. But in response, Blindside zips away at super speed, taking all of the New Mutants with him.

The issue ends, with the New Mutants speeding up a warping building and into the distortion zone above New York City.

[Charles Warren]

Doctor Strange's body is possessed by the Magician Tarot

ISSUE 32

Blindside speeds up an elongated building, carrying Bullet, Joule and Flux in his inertial wake. Greenwich Village floats above New York City. The buildings and structures constantly morph into strange shapes. The city constantly folds in on itself.

A subway car shoots past the heroes, with passengers trapped inside. Blindside slows down to allow Joule to stop the subway car in mid-flight with her kinetic control powers. Flux mimics Marvel Boy's telekinesis to pry open the subway car doors. And Bullet uses his remote force field to create a bowl-shaped field to catch the passengers as they escape the car. After Bullet gently lowers them to the ground, Blindside speeds up again, carrying the heroes to the center of the anomaly.

In the center of the disturbance, they find Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum. Fractal floats in front of it in a trance. Blindside deposits everyone onto the sidewalk in front of Strange's brownstone and they try to awaken Fractal. After a few moments, Doctor Strange's astral from emerges from Fractal and Billy wakes up. The kids make the appropriate crude jokes before they begin listening to Doctor Strange.

Strange tells them that he had been meditating in his inner sanctum as he tried to locate more of the Mystical Tarot cards. To his surprise, the MAGICIAN card came to him and attempted to possess him. Realizing that he could not resist the card, Doctor Strange escaped his body in Astral Form to seek help.

According to Strange, his body is now possessed by the primal archetype of the Magician. And this Magician is attempting to rewrite all of reality, infusing primordial magic into everything. Strange says that the result could be the death of every person on the planet; or even the collapse of the entire universe.

Strange asks the New Mutants to assist him in breaking into the Sanctum Sanctorum, as the Magician has rewritten the defensive magic surrounding it.

Doctor Strange makes the magical ward on the door visible, and he an Fractal begin to try to unlock the ward. Flux mimics magical abilities and tries to assist. Bullet stunts into "fine manipulation" with his magic resistant force field and assists too. A central eye opens in the middle of the ward and Blindside speeds up to punch it closed again.

The Ward resists and in a backlash of magical energy tries to suck Fractal into itself. But Joule acts quickly and uses her kinetic repulsion field to bounce Fractal back out of the Ward again. Fractal then juices up with cosmic energy and delivers a cosmic-powered punch into the Ward, shattering it.

The New Mutants follow Doctor Strange into the Sanctum and discover Wong has been turned to stone. They encounter their second obstacle. The heroes are faced with 16 doors set into five rooms. Strange tells them that the second ward will be unlocked only if they are able to pass a circuit through each doorway, only entering each doorway once.

The heroes struggle at this problem for a while, before Bullet realizes that the problem could be solved if the rooms were situated on a torus. They contemplate how to fold the rooms, when Flux has an idea. Mimicking Multiple Man's powers, he makes 15 duplicates of himself and sends them all though the doorways simultaneously. This deactivates the ward and transports them further into the Sanctum.

The heroes make their way upstairs where they are met with a third obstacle. As they try to pass through a spectral likeness of Doctor Strange, the door to his inner sanctum transforms into portal to various dimensions. Doctor Strange's astral form is sucked into the Dark Dimension. The heroes cause the portal to shift from the Dream Dimension, to the Crimson Dimension of Cyttorak, to the Astral Plane, to the Crossroads Dimension. Finally, they are able to cause the Ward to allow them entrance to Doctor Strange's inner sanctum, but now they are without Doctor Strange's astral form.

Inside Strange's inner sanctum, they discover the possessed body of Doctor Strange weaving one magical spell after another and casting them out into the city. He is slowly converting New York into a magical landscape. On both sides of Strange's body is Madelyne Pryor and Tarot, who are trying to summon the MAGICIAN card out of Strange's body. Standing nearby are the Hellions: Beef, Bevatron, Catseye, Empath, Jetstream, and Roulette. Also the new mutants are surprised to see an evil-looking Storm with the Hellions. (They are especially confused because they just left Storm behind in Asgard)

Tarot senses that Joule is carrying the CHARIOT and the JUSTICE card and tells everyone to get it.

Bullet tries to put everyone's minds to sleep, but Madelyne Pryor seems to help psychically shield everyone. Jetstream shoots towards Bullet like a comet, but Bullet easily evades him. Blindside creates an inertial whirlwind and sends many of the bad guys flying. The whirlwind knocks out Roulette, Bevatron, Catseye, and Empath. Beef attacks Flux, with a flurry of blows. Because she has Multiple Man's powers slotted, five duplicates of her are created by the punches.

Madelyne Pryor reaches out to Joule telepathically and draws her into her mindscape so that they can have a quick conversation. Madelyne tells Joule that she's sorry that she left her in the care of Moira MacTaggert, but that it was the only safe place for her. She explains that she had to hide Joule from her father. And from another man who wanted Joule too. That the only way to keep her safe was to journey back in time and bring her to Muir Island. But now, she says, its time for Joule and Madelyne to be together at last. She says, "Surely you have many questions."

Joule replies, "Maybe later." And then blasts Tarot. But Tarot summons a Tarot card portal to absorb the kinetic blast.

Storm then flies down in front of Joule and takes her out with a massive lighting blast. Joule collapses and Storm begins searching her for the two tarot cards.

Tarot tosses out three Tarot cards. The Moon Card summons Moon Knight. The Empress summons Medusa. And the Hanged Man summons Venom. Moon Knight attacks Bullet and the two begin to exchange blows. Medusa lashes out at Fractal with her prehensile hair, but Fractal's Cloak of Levitation swoops him up and out of the way. Venom leaps onto Flux, biting down on her arm. But Flux wrestles Venom onto his back.

Fractal uses his cosmic powers to heal Joule and she wakes back up.

Storm grabs the two cards from Joule and flies back over to Madelyne Pryor. Bullet fires a wide-angle telekinetic beam at everyone, but Madelyne uses her matter manipulation powers to transform the air in front of her into a steel wall. Moon Knight somersaults over the wide-area blast, but Medusa and Venom are struck by Bullet's attack. The steel wall protects everyone else. Jetstream makes another swoop at Bullet, who easily evades him.

Blindside zips up to Storm and grabs the two cards from her. Then he speeds back to stand in front of Joule. Blindside whips out his Acroyear sword and grabs U.S.Agent's shield from Joule. Flux uses radiation powers to melt a huge hole in the steel wall, revealing the enemies behind it. Beef grows to giant-size and tries to smash Blindside with his giant fists, but Blindside is able to block them with his sword and shield.

Doctor Strange's body floats up out of the roof of the Sanctum and into the warping city to continue casting his spells. Madelyne Pryor and Tarot fly up pursuing him, while Storm stays behind to hold off the New Mutants.

Joule flies up to Strange so fast, that she creates a sonic boom that staggers Madelyne Pryor and Tarot. It also attracts Strange's body's attention for the first time.

Madelyne Pryor uses her telepathic power to bring forth the evil side of someone to try to corrupt Joule, but she resists.

Storm conjures a massive tornado that rips the roof off of the Sanctum Sanctorum. The tornado destroys the magical constructs that look like Moon Knight, Medusa and Venom. It sends Beef and Jetstream flying. And it also knocks out Blindside, Bullet, Flux and Fractal.

The issue comes to an end with the worried look on Joule's face as she realizes that she is alone against Madelyne Pryor, Tarot, Storm, and the possessed body of Doctor Strange.

[Charles Warren]

Fractal's astral form possesses Doctor Strange's body and restores Greenwich Village

ISSUE 33

Doctor's Strange's body is still possessed by the MAGICIAN TAROT and continues to cast spells that are transforming New York City into a chaotic swirl of warping buildings.

Joule floats above the Sanctum Sanctorum, flanked by Madelyne Pryor and Tarot. All of the Hellions and the remaining New Mutants are unconscious in the wreckage of the upper floor of the Sanctum.

Madelyne tries to implore Joule to listen to her. "Daughter. Please. Just listen to me. All of this is for me and you. Years ago, I tried to unleash an Inferno upon the world. The X-Men stopped me. But I've been given a second chance. Once I have all of the cards, I will be able to unveil a second Inferno that no one will be able to stop. And the only safe place for you, my dear, will be in Limbo. Don't you see? I want to make you Limbo's queen."

Joule tells Madelyne that the world she left her in is now the one she wants to protect. Joule convinces Madelyne that they should work together to get the Magician Card out of Doctor Strange's body. They agree and begin exerting themselves to remove the card.

Storm retrieves the JUSICE and CHARIOT card from Blindside's unconscious body.

Meanwhile, Fractal finds himself eating dinner with his family. As they talk, the walls peel back to reveal a starscape surrounding the house. The astral form of Doctor Strange rushes down towards Fractal, calling out to him. But Nightmare appears, taking up most of the sky and grabs Doctor Strange's astral form. He tells Strange, "No. As long as he sleeps, the boy is mine."

Strange calls out to Fractal, who finally snaps out of the dream. Fractal uses his ESP magic to see where his friends are, then he casts a teleportation spell to take him there.

Fractal's astral form appears at the battle. He tries to teleport back into his body, but fails. Fractal watches Joule, Madelyne Pryor and Tarot as they attempt to draw the card out of Doctor Strange's body. For a moment, Fractal doesn't know what to do. In a panic, he calls out to Nightmare and Nightmare appears. Fractal offers to serve Nightmare for three years if he will help his friends defeat Maddelye Pyror. Nightmare is pleased and asks Fractal to make an official oath to him to that effect. But Fractal pauses and instead uses his cosmic powers to heal and awaken Bullet.

Meanwhile, the Magician Tarot card is pulled from Doctor Strange's body, which begins to fall. Madelyne Pryor and Tarot begin to struggle with Joule, as Joule tries to pull the card into her Crimson Casket of Cyttorak. Storm moves behind Joule to take her out. But Joule uses her kinetic energy control to slam Storm into Tarot. The impact makes Tarot lose control of the Magician card. The card is nearly pulled into the Casket, but Madelyne Pryor reaches out and causes the card to freeze, mere inches away.

From the top floor of the Sanctum, Bullet shoots Pryor with a powerful telekinetic bullet. She tumbles backwards and the card is sucked into Joule's casket.

Nightmare continues to try to convince Fractal to say the oath of servitude. Fractal asks him to wait one second and he heals Blindside.

The Hellions begin to awaken. Beef begins yelling for someone to open a portal to Limbo so they can escape.

Joule tries to blast Tarot with a kinetic burst, but Tarot uses the tower card to build a protective tower around her to block it. Bullet fires at Storm, but she flies up high to avoid it.

Blindside notices that the floating parts of the city are starting to crumble and are threatening to crash down on top of New York. He zips down to ground level and creates a whirlwind to catch Doctor Strange's body and to also try to catch some of the falling debris. Then Blindside zooms back up to the Sanctum, bringing Strange's body with him.

A portal to Limbo opens and catches Madelyne Pryor. Demon arms pull her into Limbo and the portal closes.

Nightmare tries again to get Fractal to vow an oath to him, but Fractal points out that Madelyn Pryor is gone, so the deal is off. Nightmare then says that they will never see Doctor Strange's astral form again. And that Fractal will be haunted with nightmares of the thousands of people who died here when Greenwich Village falls upon the rest of New York.

Joule reaches out with her power and desperately tries to keep the warped city from falling. Blindside runs along the warped parts of the city and leaps over to Storm, snatching the bottle that holds the JUSTICE and CHARIOT card from her. Then he begins to fall, but is caught by Nova, who arrives on the scene. Storm contemplates going after Blindside, but she is struck by Speedball and then is driven away by Bullet shooting more telekinetic bullets at her. Storm vanishes among the warped buildings.

Tarot's tower crumbles and reveals that she has vanished too.

Nova drops Blindside off on the top floor of the Sanctum. Jetstream shoots up and slams into Nova. Firestar arrives, but is shocked to see the Hellions, her old classmates. She tries to speak with them, but Empath immobilizes her with fear and Beef picks her up.

Fractal hears Doctor Strange's astral form call out to him. He is still trapped in Nightmares clenched hand. As the two begin to fade away, Strange's Eye of Agamotto opens and a beam strikes Fractal. Fractal realizes what Doctor Strange wants. Fractal's astral form leaps into Doctor Strange's body and possesses it. Fractal/Doctor Strange awakens and rises above the Sanctum, casting spells to prevent the city from falling.

Blindside zooms past Beef and slices his arm with his Acroyear sword. Enraged, he drops Firestar. Bevatron takes out Bullet with a bio-electric blast. Flux is now awake. Catseye leaps on Flux. Flux catches her with one hand and throws her at Beef, knocking them both out.

The remaining Hellions begin to put up a fight, but rest of the New Warriors arrive. Namorita slugs Empath, knocking him out. Night Thrasher pounces on Roulette and takes her out with his night sticks. Speedball finishes off Bevatron. Flux mimics Magneto's powers and binds the Hellions with metal bars.

Justice and Joule use their powers in concert to stabilize the city, while Fractal/Doctor Strange settles it gently back in place and then casts spells to revert it to its original shape.

The New Warriors face off against the New Mutants again, but are clearly conflicted, having witnessed them save the city. The New Mutants explain that they are the good guys. Firestar backs them up, explaining that the New Warriors made a deal with Henry Gyrich. The New Warriors now follow his orders in return for Firestar, Justice and Namorita being allowed to continue their work as registered mutants. The New Warriors agree to let the New Mutants go.

Fractal/Strange teleports the New Mutants and the Hellions back to Muir Island Command Center. Moira, Banshee and Forge are there. Moira is happy to see them, but still scolds them for running off on their own. Although, she's glad that they had Doctor Strange as a chaperone. However, she realizes Fractal is inside Strange's body, when he recommends that the New Mutants be rewarded by less classwork and more access to chocolate cake.

Emma Frost is called to see to the Hellions.

The New Mutants transport Doctor Strange's body to the medical bay, and Fractal returns to his body.

Magneto is there and says he wants to speak with them. Two Multiple Man duplicates are nearby to make sure nothing happens. Magneto tells them, "I hold no ill will towards you. You acted based on your convictions. But can't you see, that Charles' dream was exactly that? A dream? We must live in reality now. Not in dreams." Bullet starts to contradict Magneto, but Joule jumps in and gives an impassioned speech on how Magneto is right. That the old dream isn't working. After she finishes, she uses her power to remove Magneto's nullifier collar. The dupes freak out, but surprisingly, Magneto simply levitates the collar to a nearby table and lies back down on the bed, offering no resistance.

The two dupes run off to tell Moira. The New Mutants follow, but when they arrive at the Command Center, they find Sunfire angrily shouting at Moira, Banshee and Forge. Because of Loki's attack on Muir Island, he claims that the Research Center is no safe place for mutants. He says that he's going back to Japan and he's taking Princess Taiyo with him.

The New Mutants argue with him. Bullet uses his telepathy to calm Sunfire down somewhat. And Blindside convinces Sunfire to ask the Emperor first before taking any action. Sunfire agrees and storms off.

The issue ends with New Mutants learning that while they were fighting Loki, the X-Men located and destroyed a Sentinel factory in the Adirondack Mountains.

[Charles Warren]

The Briar Patch awakens!

ISSUE 34

Back on Muir Island, the New Mutants meet with Moira MacTaggert and Emma Frost. Moira tells them that they've decided to let the Hellions stay on Muir Island. She asks the New Mutants to help make them feel at home, but the New Mutants have their doubts.

Moira asks them about their encounter with an "evil" Storm when they last met Madelyne Pryor. The New Mutants suppose that it may have been one of Tarot's duplicates. Or that there could be two Storms. Emma says she will ask the Hellions what they know.

Moira also asks Joule why she removed Magneto's nullifier collar. Joule says that Magneto is not a threat to them. Still, Moira asks them to steer clear of Magneto.

As the meeting ends, Principal Skylar storms up saying that he's quitting because of the Hellions. Bullet causes his pants to split. Moira follows him away trying to change his mind.

Blip, the Warpie, approaches the New Mutants and asks for their help. Sparkler's "time" is coming and will soon be consumed by her powers. She wants her last moments to be in her secret hiding place under the Briar Patch. But the doctor's won't let her.

The New Mutants walk into the Warpie lab. Sunder confronts them, but Bullet puts him to sleep. Before the Doctor and Nurse can call Dr. MacTaggert, Blindside zips everyone out of the ward and to the Briar Patch.

Blip and Sparkler crawl into the Briar Patch and the New Mutants wait around to make sure they are not disturbed.

When Sparkler's time comes, she dissolves into a cascade of sparkles which awakens the Briar Patch.

The Briar Patch is taken to Moira's lab for scans, while Moira explains to the New Mutants that the Briar Patch was one of Moira's first patients. He was a boy when he went into torpor and Moira asks the new mutants to look after him and help him adjust.

The New Mutants introduce themselves to Briar Patch and begin to show him around. They meet Jubilee, whose rivalry with the A-Team surfaces again.

Changeling comes to see the Briar Patch. She gets upset thinking that her new path of vegetarianism is hurting plants, but Briar Patch assures her that its okay to eat from plants.

Radius shows up and tells the group that she'll date anyone who breaks Roulette's nose. Flux zips off to find Skew and Beef squaring off. Flux slams Beef into Roulette, breaking her nose. He returns to Radius, who agrees to date Flux.

The Briar Patch wanders away and dissolves through the shower, later to explode up out of Apex's toilet.

Blindside visits Magneto, who is reading the Rights of Man by Thomas Paine. Blindside engages Magneto in a brief philosophical discussion, that earns him Magneto's respect.

Amanda Sefton hurriedly summons the New Mutants to her library. They learn she's assembled a magical taskforce to rescue Doctor Strange from Nightmare. The taskforce consists of Clea, Brother Voodoo, Doctor Druid and Sleepwalker. She shows the New Mutants where to place any new TAROT CARDS they find and also asks Fractal to feed her cat Skittles.

Over the next few days, Briar Patch trains with the A-Team in the Danger Room.

A few days later, Mystique contacts Muir Island to tell the X-Men that the US Government is building a new Sentinel factory, this time in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They also have established a mutant detention center there as well. Moira decides that they must take action.

Banshee, Wolverine, Polaris, Jubilee, and Emma Frost form a team that will destroy the Sentinel factory. Forge is to lead the New Mutants and the Hellions to raid the detention center and free any captive mutants.

On the flight to Cuba, Beef makes threatening gestures at Blindside. Bullet puts Beef to sleep telepathically. Forge reminds everyone that they are on the same team.

Empath tries to hit on Joule, but she puts him in his place. Catseye jumps on Flux's lap and demands to be petted.

Hours later, they arrive in Cuba. Once the X-Men strike the factory, Forge, the New Mutants and the Hellions disembark the Blackbird. But just as they do, the Genoshan Press Gang materializes. With them is Havok!

Commander Tam Anderson of the Press Gang tells them that they are violation of Genoshan law. She declares that they've come to get what belongs to them. They've come to get Bullet.

[Charles Warren]

ISSUE 35 - THE LOST ISSUE

EDITOR'S NOTE: Unfortunately, I got sick shortly after running this session. This caused me, not only to not write the synopsis, but also to put the game on hold until I felt better.

My memories of the game are kind of fuzzy. But I seem to remember that the Muir Island New Mutants defeated the Genoshan Press Gang and captured several of them. They also freed the mutants at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center and brought them back to Muir Island. The X-Men, led by Banshee, destroyed a Sentinel Factory in Guantanamo Bay.

Later, the X-Men met with representatives of Genosha at the Hague and exchanged prisoners.

[Charles Warren]

Dr. Moira MacTaggert reviews her files on the New Mutants before meeting with Savant

ISSUE 36

April 1, 1990

Three months have passes since Issue 35

Savant arrives on Muir Island and is greeted by Moira MacTaggert, Banshee, Storm, Wolverine, and Multiple Man. Moira gives Savant a tour of the Mutant Research Facility and then they retire to her office.

Moira tells Savant why she's asked her to come to the island.

Moira says, "In a perfect world, we could simply concentrate on improving human/mutant relations. But we don't live in a perfect world, do we? Tensions are at an all time high. At this time, we have three major goals.

"The first is to try to keep mutants safe around the world. To rescue them, when we can from those who would hurt them. Foremost among our concerns now are the Daniel Pierce's Reavers.

"But we've also got the Genoshan's to worry about. and now the United States Government and their Sentinel program.

"Bishop and Forge and the Muir Island X-Men team are focusing on the search and rescue operations. As well as disrupting our enemy organizations activities.

"The second goal is to find the missing X-Men. We've found Storm. Although there appears to be a duplicate Storm working with Madelyne Pryor. We know where Havok is. He's now a soldier working for the Genoshan government.

"But we still have no clue as to the whereabouts of Rogue, or Psylocke, or Colossus. Or Dazzler or Longshot.

"Wolverine, though he is loathe to show it, is wracked with guilt about the missing X-Men. Thinks its his fault. He's taken the lead on trying to find them again.

"Our third concern is Madelyne Pryor. The Goblin Queen. She was thought to have died last year, but apparently that wasn't the case. As the demon queen of Limbo, with the magical ability of Doctor Strange, combined with the psionic abilities of Jean Grey, she was powerful enough on her own. But now she's seeking out the Tablets of the Destinies. Their current form is that of the Mystical Tarot of Thoth. Why she wants them, we don't know. But according to Stephen Strange, the Tablets confer supreme authority over the universe. She is working with Tarot, one of Emma Frost's former students.

"Amanda Sefton, an aquaintance of Nightcrawler, has taken the lead on the search for these Tablets.

"Meanwhile, all I have to do is to help the mutants here learn to use their powers, see to their education, as well as continue my research and to lobby world leaders to try to change their attitude about mutantkind. Not much, eh?

"As ye can see, I can't do it alone any longer. And even Multiple Man has his limits.

"I'd like you to take leadership of our top students and oversee their training and education. The Alpha Team. "

Savant expresses some reservations, but Moira outlines the reasons that she thinks Savant would be perfect for the job.

She then passes Savant a stack of files. Opening the top one, we see a picture of Blindside.

There is a cut-scene where we see Blindside visiting Magneto. They resume their on-going chess game. Magneto gives Blindside the Autobiography of Malcolm X and they discuss his philosophy of "By Any Means Necessary." Blindside makes some very good points about why Magneto's methods are wrong. Magneto then shifts the conversation to ask Blindside why he chose to not allow the Avengers to take him into custody. Blindside tells him that it was mostly in retaliation against the government forcing the New Mutants to become child-soldiers. They resume their game.

We cut back to Moira and Savant, as Moira is going over Blindside's file.

Moira says, "David's powers are of Inertia Control, which results in granting him superspeed. David's powers manifested during an assassination attempt on his parents while on vacation in India. He lived on the streets and was forced to fight in super-powered bloodsport matches for a local crime lord. A few months ago,
the New Mutants rescued his parents from the Microverse. So there's that bit o' good in the story. But I think he still carries the emotional scars of those fighting pits. A few months ago, the New Mutants were captured by the United States government. They were forced to fight as soldiers during the Panama Invasion. I don't think that's sat well with him since."

They discuss him for a bit and then Moira passes Savant a second folder. She opens it to reveal a picture of Briar Patch.

We see another cut scene. Briar Patch and Dr. Curt Connors are working in a medical lab. They review Briar Patch's work that seems to indicate that the Warpies are constantly absorbing transdimensional energy, which feeds the perpetual extra-dimensional reality loop inside each child. They also come up with a plan to use plant matter to absorb the excess energy as a treamtment for the Warpies.

Connors has a yoo-hoo Cola and Briar Patch sticks his foot in the toilet.

Then they begin to look at the possibility of creating a new arm for Doctor Connors out of plant matter. As they are working on it, Martha Connors enters and is distraught. She asks Connors how he could possibly consider doing this, since this is how all of their trouble started in the past! She rushes out and Connors follows.

We cut back to Moira and Savant, as Moira is discussing Briar Patch.

She explains, "Lincoln Walker was an African American inner-city child who grew up during the civil rights movement of the 1960's.

"His powers manifested when his botany club was trapped in rooftop greenhouse during a school shooting. An angry mob surrounded the school trying to lynch Lincoln, but Charles Xavier swooped in to save him. Xavier took him back to his school for gifted youngsters, but Lincoln soon began to deteriorate into a vegetative state from which he could not be roused. Unable to find a way to awaken him, Xavier brought him here to the
Mutant Research Center on Muir Island.

"Lincoln spent the most part of 30 years in a dormant state in our Atrium. The children would hide among his thickets and took to calling him Briar Patch. He didn't awaken until a few months ago when one of the warpie children... she wanted to transition beneath his branches. I suppose this might be while he is so preoccupied with finding a cure for them. Although, in general he seems rather detached from humanity, referring to non-plantbased humans and mutants as ... "meat."

"His powers are largely associated with plant control. He is the most inhuman in appearance among the Alpha Team."

She slides the next folder over and we see a picture of Bullet.

We then cut to Bullet. He is in a warehouse in one of the sub-levels smoking a cigarette. Jubilee emerges from a air duct and she shows him that she has stolen some of Wolverine's beer and cigarillos. It's clear she's trying to impress him. They talk for a bit. Jubilee asks Bullet about life in Genosha. He shares a bit with her.

Then Wolverine shows up. Bullet uses his psychic invisibility to disappear. Wolverine tells Jubilee to scram and he calls out to Bullet that they need to have some words, but Bullet makes a quick exit.

We cut back to Moira and Savant discussing Bullet.

Moira says, "Bullet is from Genosha. I'm sure you know all about their system of Mutant Apartheid there." From an early age he was conscripted into the Genoshan military and trained as the equivilant of an Army Ranger sniper. He's had to kill. Without remorse. And that stays with him. His powers manifest mostly as Telepathy, Force Field generation and Telekinetic Projectile Creation. In Cuba, the New Mutants clashed with the Genoshan Press Gang, who wanted Bullet back. He hasn't spoken of it, but I imagine that's had an impact on him."

After they discuss Bullet, Moira opens the next folder. We see a picture of Flux inside.

We cut to Flux, who is working with Forge in his workshop lab. Flux is holding up a big piece of equipment as Forge works on it. A warpie named Wisp is floating around, getting in everyone's way.

Flux remembers Forge's first lesson on how to use his powers of Mechanical Empathy.

A Warpie named Puddles enters the lab, looking for Wisp. Forge asks Flux to escort the two back to the Warpie Ward.

At the Warpie Ward, Flux is met by Roulette. She's got a black eye and a bandage over her nose, signs that she's had plastic surgery to fix her broken nose. She tries to patch things up with Flux, but Flux doesn't trust her yet. Roulette makes the case that there are already enough people out there who want to kill them, so its stupid for the two of them to fight. Still, Flux isn't totally convinced. They wind up shaking on it and going their separate ways.

We cut back to Moira and Savant as they discuss Flux.

"Tanya Brooks. She was a mute when we found her. Homeless in Tulsa. Guilt-ridden over the death of

he family, which she thought she caused. But Emma Frost discovered that she was being manipulated by the

Shadow King.

"After he was psychically driven out of her, her true powers manifested: Power duplication. Her guilt subsided. She

began to speak. Her power duplication is incredibly powerful. So far she's seems to have used them responsibly.

Based on her potential, I think a major concern of ours should be that continues to recognize the responsibiltiy that

comes with that power."

Savant opens the next folder and we see a picture of Fractal.

There is a brief cutscene. We see Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum in New York. A kid sneaks out of the building, wearing a hoodie. When he gets close we see it is Billy. Billy slips through Greenwich Village and then through the rough streets of Harlem and Hell's Kitchen. Finally, he comes to a run-down building and looks up at the sign. It says "Heroes for Hire."

We cut back to Moira and Savant as they discuss Billy.

"Billy Martin. Fractal. Well, we mostly just call him Billy...

"Billy is unique in that he made his way to MUIR Island by himself. His powers are hard to define. He is able to

visualize the cosmic building blocks of the universe... and then modify them. He sees them as fractals that he can

bend and manipulate. So, he is able to detect mutants, nullify mutant powers. And in theory, modify mutations.

His mutant abilities also make him an ideal student of magic.


"Since the discovery that Billy and his sister are mutants, his parents have lost there jobs and are having to live in

secret to avoid being ostracized. Billy is a sweet boy at heart and I worry about how all of this is affecting him.

Based on recent changes in his behavior, he's trying to work all of this out..."

Then Moira sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose.

"And now... my greatest worry. My daughter Fionna. Her codename is Joule."

She slides the file over.

We cut briefly to Joule. She is swaying in front of a mirror applying heavy goth make-up, while gothic music plays in the background.



We switch back to Moira and Joule.

"Fionna is my adopted daughter. But we didn't know that until recently. I'll explain.

"Fionna's real mother is Madelyne Pryor. Madelyne Pryor is a clone of Jean Grey, created by a mutant named Nathaniel Essex, who also goes by Mister Sinister.
Madelyne is a powerful telepath and telekinetic, just like Jean Grey. But she also made a deal with a devil. A literal devil. She now is the queen of the Limbo Dimension, with legions of demons who serve her. She was thought killed last year, by the X-Men. But apparently she wasn't.

"Madelyne Pryor brought Fionna to me here on Muir Island. She telepathically programmed Fionna and myself to believe that we were mother and daughter. She implanted a whole childhood of memories that we share into us. But it wasn't until Emma Frost came to the island, that we learned that we were not blood relations.

"I still love her. Like she's my own. But Joule. She hasn't been the same since she found out.

"The powers she manifests are Kinetic Energy control. We have no idea who her father might be. And... I'm not sure it would be good for us to find out...

"I hope you can help my Fionna. Lord knows, she's not listening to me these days."

Again Savant discuss her reservations, but Moira assures her that she thinks she will succeed. Finally, Savant goes back to her cottage to settle in.

Later, all of the students gather in the cafeteria for dinner. Savant sits a few tables away from Blinside, Flux, and Bullet and watches them, wanting to learn more about them. Briar Patch walks by and the others invite him to the table.

Radius joins them and they talk a bit about the "new girl" Savant. Briar Patch begins growing peaches and hands them to everyone.

There is a loud noise and we see the Hellions have entered together. They get their trays and line up for food. Briar Patch tosses a peach among them and makes it grow into a full-grown peach tree. It knocks them over and many of the Hellions are splattered with food.

Beef lashes out at the nearest person to him and yanks Mindjack's pants down around his ankles. Empath scrapes food off of him and slings it at the student behind him, who slings it right back.

Skew yells food fight and chaos erupts in the cafeteria.

Flux levitates Beef towards her table and Beef begins to grow to gigantic size in anticipation of a fight. But Bullet steps forward and psychically puts all of the Hellions to sleep, then he steps out of the hall.

Savant uses her staff to flip over to Briar Patch and asks him why he started all of this. At first Briar Patch doesn't notice her. But then he replies that the Hellions are "meat that are not from here."

All of the Hellions come awake again, and the New Mutants suspect Emma Frost has done this. Beef begins yelling at Flux. Flux and Blindside lecture Beef and tell him to calm down.

The food fight escalates and Flux increases gravity in the cafeteria, making everyone lay down. Briar Patch teleports into another plant body outside.

While everyone is pressed onto the floor, Flux convinces everyone to stop fighting.

Flux makes the gravity normal again. Savant retires to her cottage.

Moira MacTaggert come in and gives everyone a stern lecture. She revokes everyone's TV and video game privileges for a week. She starts to command them to clean the place up, but Blindside has already done it with super-speed.

We then cut to Savant's cottage. Wolverine visits her and brings her a beer.

He asks her if she's ready to quit yet. They discuss the difficulties ahead of her and he gives her his advice on how he handles the New Mutants.

After a heart to heart talk, Wolverine welcomes Savant one last time to Muir Island and then leaves.

END OF ISSUE

[Charles Warren]

ISSUE 37

The issue opens with the Muir Island New Mutants having breakfast in Moira MacTaggert's cottage with her, Banshee, and Wolverine. Moira uses the breakfast to introduce Savant to Blindside, Briar Patch, Bullet, and Flux. Moira is upset that Joule didn't show up. Wolverine tells the Alpha Team that he wants to concentrate on finding the missing X-Men and therefore, Savant will be in charge of their training.

The breakfast is interrupted by the news of an incoming jet from the British government. The group goes to the landing runway to meet them and are greeted by representatives of the Weird Happenings Organization. Brigadier Alysande Stuart and her twin brother Professor Alistaire Stuart greet them and say that they are here for a surprise inspection on how the Warpies are being treated. Accompanying them are three members of the newly formed Euroforce: Captain Britain, Lionheart and the Black Knight. Captain Britain makes it clear that he is not the same Brian Braddock that Moira knows.

The New Mutants are suspicious and keep a sharp eye on the delegation as they tour the Warpie Ward and the Student Wing. Once the tour is complete, Brigadier Stuart reveals that the U.K. government has decided that Muir Island is no longer a safe place for the Warpies to live. She sites the fact that rising mutant tensions is making Muir Island more of a target and that the Warpies will be moved to a secret location for their safety.


The Warpies: victims of the Jasper's Warp

Moira and the New Mutants object, and a tense discussion ensues. In the end, Moira stalls by claiming that many of the Warpies are in a delicate state and require extensive planning to move. The W.H.O. delegation agree to leave and await Moira's assessment before they create a relocation timeline.

Briar Patch sprays the W.H.O. vehicle with spore pods that he can listen through. Then after the vehicle takes off, he directs some of the pods to attach themselves to each person on the craft.

The other New Mutants locate three bugs that were left behind in the Warpie Ward, presumably by Black Knight. They begin to devise a plan to feed W.H.O. with false information.

The New Mutants begin carrying out the routine of their day separately, although in reality they are psychically team-linked and discuss plans on how to protect the Warpies throughout the day.

Later in the day, the Muir Island X-Men learn of a convoy of ships heading to Genosha carrying mutant prisoners and they leave to intercept them in the Blackbird.

Meanwhile, Briar Patch learns through his spore pods the movements of the W.H.O. delegation. He learns that Captain Britian, Lionheart, and the Black Knight appear to be reporting to someone other than Brigadier Stuart.

That evening, Emma Frost psychically invites the Alpha Team to come to the command center, where they find Moira in communication with Mystique. It quickly becomes clear that Emma has invited them against Moira's will. And while Moira begins arguing with Emma, Emma brings the Alpha Team into a psychic conference room to explain to them what is going on.

A research station in the Antarctica devoted to studying the Savage Land has been attacked. The last transmission from the station shows that the Reavers are the attackers. Mystique decides to leak the information to the X-Men.

Emma feels that the Alpha Team should be sent to deal with the Reavers. Moira thinks its too dangerous and that they should wait for the X-Men to finish dealing with their current mission. The Alpha Team also decide they do not want to go to the Savage Land, as they feel that it is a diversion tactic. They feel that the minute they live, that W.H.O. will attack the island to take the Warpies.

Blindside decides to consult Magneto. He asks Magneto what interest the Reavers could possibly have in the Savage Land. Magneto says that he thinks the New Brotherhood may be using one of his old bases as a mutant sanctuary and that the Reavers may be targeting it.

Magneto joins everyone in the Command Center and says that he will go the Savage Land to deal with the Reavers. He asks the Alpha Team to accompany him, but they say no. Instead, Flux creates a duplicate of herself to go with him. And Briar Patch grows an apple and gives it to Magneto so he can keep track of him.

Flux uses Pipeline's powers to teleport Magneto and Flux's Duplicate to the Ecostation Antarctic Base.

Moira tells the Alpha Team that Forge will oversee the bugs they discovered and forbids them from messing with them.

Briar Patch uses his memory dredge to check in on Magneto through the apple. He sees Magneto and Duplicate-Flux confronted by Lady Deathstryke and several Reavers. Magneto begins to tear into them with his powers, but then he doubles over in pain and releases them. Duplicate-Flux unleashes a EMP pulse and then begins battling the Reavers. That's when the memory ends. And the last panel of the issue is of Briar Patch looking at the apple.

[Charles Warren]

Gambit infiltrates Muir Island

ISSUE 38

Savant decides to visit Moira in her office.

“I’m going to talk to Moira,” Tessa says and asks Bullet to drop her from the mental link wanting to have some privacy during her conversation with Moira.

Tessa goes to Moira’s office asking to speak with her in private if someone else is there.

Moira is seated at her desk, in the middle of a holo-projected call with Banshee. She motions Tessa to come in as she finishes.

Banshee is telling her that the X-Men successfully stopped the mutant trafficking ships heading to Genosha, but now they have a lead on Havok's location. (One of the missing X-Men, Cyclops' brother, who has been spotted working for Genosha) They decide that Magneto can handle the Reavers by himself, so Banshee says the X-Men will be flying to South Africa, where they expect to find Havok.

After the call is ended, she shuts off the holo-projector.

"There we are. You wanted to speak in private?" she asks.

Tessa smiles. “Some good news. Moira, I’m trying to understand your interactions with Alpha team. What was your purpose in removing the listening devices as you did?”

Moira replies, "Well, good news is always welcome. As for the listenin' devices, the Alpha team informed me they were there. I was afraid of what information the government might glean from the Warpie Ward. Especially, if those devices tried to interface with the computer systems here. I would have liked 'em to stay in place, but I just didn't think the risk to the Warpies was worth the benefit of leavin' 'em be."

"Also, my motherly senses could see the little wheels turnin' in the Alpha Team brains. They forget that they are students. X-Men in trainin'. Not full-blown X-Men. If I left the bugs in place, lord knows what shenanigans they would've gotten into."

"Why d'ye ask?"

Tessa replies: "Well, I understand your reasoning, on both counts, however did you consider that we could have used those devices to our advantage while at the same time protecting the warpies?”

“And secondly, students Alpha may be, but you really need to take into consideration that they are also veterans in an ongoing conflict with a vested interest in helping and protecting the warpies. What you have forced them to do is to go against your wishes which I know bothers them. If I may recommend, it’s time you engaged them and focus their attention on acting, helping them to refine their actions rather than forcing them to react and go around you. They aren’t the children you wish them to be. And you can’t bring that back for them. Respect their knowledge and experience and wishes to be a part of the solution. Otherwise, they’ll be a part of the problem for you, because you will be wanting to protect them and your attention will be divided.” “WHO is coming back. It’s just a matter of when and how. Had you left those listening devices in place a little longer we might have been able to dictate some of that.”

“Alpha has extraordinary gifts. They will use them.”

Moira lets out a great sigh. She removes her glasses and pinches the bridge of her nose. "I know. I know."

She looks back up at Tessa. "It's just so difficult for me. They are my children. And I want to keep them safe. But at the same time, their mutant abilities make them extraordinarily powerful. Its still hard for me to reconcile that." She leans back in my chair. "But I suppose that's in part why I wanted you here on the island. To see things clearly that I cannot."

"So, Tessa... what do you recommend?"

“Just how secure is your office?” Tessa asks with a little smile.

Flux chimes in from somewhere. "Meh, nothing is really that secure if someone wants something bad enough." She is seeing what is happening through Briar Patch, who is present in the room via Moira's plants. Then she is speaking to everyone through the teamlink.

Briar Patch replies to her: "Shhhhh. I want to hear this in live memory, instead of going back later to replay what you "talked" over."

Flux replies, "Sorry, I'm new to this listening through plants thing, I didn't think they would be able to hear me."

Moira pauses at Tessa's question. "Are you insinuating that it isn't? Is there something I should know?"

Tessa rolls her eyes. “Moira! In addition to a lot of talented and nosy young Mutants you let two powerful and frankly dangerous Mutants into your facility who are known to hold their own interests above all else. My point is you need to expect anything I say to you will be said to them in some way or at least to Frost since Magneto is gone and who knows who they will spill it to.”

“Back at Charles’ school the kids had all kinds of ways to find things out. And they shared it. It’s expected even in a school without Mutants.”

“So I have another question before I give you my thoughts. What will you do if either the X-Men or Magneto or both get into trouble? Because your answer has important bearing on my suggestions.”

Moira nods. "That's a fair point." She hesitates a moment before she answers Tessa last question. "I... I would most probably have to send the Alpha Team in to help them."

Tessa nods in agreement. “I’m betting someone will expect you to do exactly that and will arrange a reason for you to send Alpha out. Is Beta up for babysitting? Probably not, but they will be the sitters. So we need to give them tools and strategies to use in addition to setting up traps for intruders. I’m sure Forge can come up with some fabulous traps, and traps might include dimensional warps kind of like a mirror maze intruders get stuck in maybe with a mental trick so they won’t realize they are stuck in something for a long time. Or a dimensional doorway that sends them somewhere else like the other side of the globe. Flux could make another duplicate that can pull that portal trick. If we can’t move the warpies then we wrap the in another dimension. We should get Alpha to weigh in with suggestions.”

“Something else we consider is that the Warpies are a feint to distract us. Maybe someone is more interested in someone else here.”

“Just so you know we have intel that Captain Britain and Black Knight are answering to someone besides the Brigadier. We think Black Hawk planted the bugs. Can Forge create computer viruses? It sure would be nice to know who that is.”

Moira looks concerned. "Working for someone else?" She rubs her forehead, as if a headache is coming on. Then she takes a deep breath to recompose herself.

"Very well. I'm going to let you an the Alpha Team handle securing the island in case anyone comes for the Warpies. As soon as they're able, I'll ask the X-Men to let Forge return to assist you with whatever you need. And I'll let you do what you will, with the listenin' devices. If its not too late, that is."

"Just ... promise me you won't let the new mutants....the Alpha team... get to far out of hand?"

Tessa shakes her head sadly. “I’ll try to temper their responses, but it’s all situational, isn’t it? Alpha has a reputation. Anyone gunning for them or expecting to engage them won’t be armed for bear. They’ll be armed for Alpha. And they’ll know how to push Alpha’s buttons. Alpha has serious buttons to push. They are all suffering from PTSD in various ways. And there are a lot of people out there who know how to take advantage of that.”

“One more thing. If you are asking me to take responsibility for their actions, I’d like a say in who’s on the team and who goes on missions.”

Flux comments through the team-link, "Well, I'm never going on a mission again.."

Moira hesitates a moment. Then she says. "Agreed."

"But I trust you will at least listen to any objections that I might have. There're some students here who just aren't ready for fieldwork at the moment. Gila, for one. Mindjack also comes to mind. And Skew's powers are still very unpredictable. But, you'll have full access to all my evaluations, so I'm certain you'll choose wisely."

“I never intended not to listen to you," replies Tessa. "You know them all better than I do. I just wanted some assurance that if I have a concern about someone you’ll listen to and consider what I have to say. Alpha as they number now is a solid team. Things happen though.”

“Time to get to work. I’ll meet with Alpha and see what they suggest for defenses etcetera.”

Moira rises from her desk as it looks like Tessa is about to leave. Her expression suggests she's about to say something like 'please be sure to be careful' or something like that. But she changes her mind and say. "Thank you. I'm glad your here, Tessa."

Tessa heads to the arboretum where the New Mutants gather to discuss how to best protect the Warpies. Joule and Changeling eventually show up, as well.

Through the memories of his pods, Briar Patch sees the following:

1) Professor Alistaire Stuart flits about his lab and for the next few hours, he turns his attention away from the Warpies. Instead, he is studying what looks like some sort of Inter-dimensional train that he has detected. He appears to be trying to find some way to accurately predict where it will appear again. It also appears that he thinks that the members of Excalibur are on the train. According to his records that would be Captain Britain (the original with no beard), Meggan, Kitty Pryde, Nightcrawler, and Phoenix.

2) After her initial report, Brigadier Alysande Stuart returns to her office, where she gets a video call from Secretary of Defence Tom King. He wants an update on the Warpie situation. Stuart says that she is waitinoulg for MacTaggert's evaluation of each Warpies condition so that they can be moved properly. Secretary King rather rudely reminds her that the Prime Minister wants to avoid a political fiasco should Muir Island be attacked and should there be Warpie casualties. Dead mutant babies all over the news is NOT what they need for the upcoming elections. He also states that the US is pressing for an extradition of Magneto and we can't be sure that they may not send over some group to capture him.

3) Captain Britain returns to what appears to be his quarters. There he takes a briefcase out from under his bed and inside is a communication array. He makes a call and a very old man appears on the video screen. (picture attached) He reports to the old man that there appear to be 200 or so Warpies on the island. He also says that the special targets are there, including a few new ones. He did not see female 2 or male 3, but says there were two others that were not in their records. The old man tells him to await further instructions. Captain Britain than replaces the briefcase. He removes his helmet and sits on the bed. He does some sort of magical ritual and goes into a meditation that makes his eyes glow.

4) The Black Knight returns to his room and removes his helmet. His face is horribly scarred. He watches the TV for a few minutes, then turns it off in disgust. Then he goes to another part of the facility, where a winged horse is stabled. He begins to groom the horse and speak softly too it. "I know. I know, girl. I hate this universe as much as you do. But I promise... we'll return home soon...

5) Lionheart goes to a control room that appears to be tracking warpies. Muir Island is displayed with hundreds of red dots clustered together on it. There are many other dots on the map of the UK, most of them being around the London area. A young officer is giving her reports of suspected Warpie sightings from hospital reports or other public sightings. It looks like they are compiling a list of unaccounted for Warpies and are trying to compile more information about them.

Briar Patch shares all of this to the others through the psychic team-link.

Since Moira has repeatedly said Savant has access to her files, Savant would have keyed her Shiar laptop to access those files. She opens it now and searches for information on Furmintz and Genentech.

Out loud she asks, “Blindeside, Could the Black Knight imposter be from the Microverse?”

“Briarpatch, please resist any impulse to set off an attack at the WHO facility at this moment, but rest assured that something of that nature will likely be coming soon. We have to be careful of our assumptions. Although I have severe concerns and misgivings about a genetics company interested in the Warpies, Alpha team, and now you and me. They may want to help, take advantage of our abilities and use them for their own, or they may want to so called ‘cure’ us and other Mutants of our affliction. And those are just the obvious scenarios. Time and place. Order and stress. Hold your action and keep watching. Also start carefully spreading more of your seed pods through the facility. When we do move, it will need to be fast. Be careful of the Pegasus. It might be able to detect you.”

“Tanya, can you suppress listening devices like the ones we found? I feel that the Brigadier’s base has been throughly bugged and when we make our move, I don’t want it on record for anyone.”

When she has a chance, Savant will also compile a list of any information she overheard in the memory dredge regarding the new warpies in London including location.

“Blindside, who of Beta and Gamma teams can we recruit to act as guards and guardians in our place when we leave, because this has become when we leave, not if.”

Tessa uncovers the following information:

Genetech is a world-leading gene editing company that designs and engineers genetically modified cells and then applies them in research and clinical applications that advance human health.

Genetech builds human disease models and reagents derived from genetically-engineered cells that its customers use, or that are deployed on their behalf to: gain knowledge of the genetic drivers of disease; develop novel drugs or cell therapies targeted at these genetic drivers; and develop companion diagnostics that predict patient response in the clinic. In this way they apply genetic knowledge to provide biological insights that translate to improved research and development outcomes for drug developers and treatment regimens that better serve patients.

Genetech has an international customer base of over 1,400 unique organisations across more than 50 countries, including major pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostic companies as well as leading academic research centers. The company supplies its products and services into a range of markets, estimated to be worth over £29 billion in 1990.

Genetech is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker “GNT”.

The founder and CEO of Genetech is Harmon Furmintz. who graduated from Stanford University in 1933 at the age of 15. At the time, he was heralded as America's Einstein, but was since eclipsed by thinkers such as Howard Stark and Reed Richards. He has devoted his life to building his company into being the foremost experts in gene editing technology. Not much more can be found about him.

The list of Warpies that WHO is investigating is as follows:

Darcie Goobie - age 4
Hallie Barrows - age 6
Sabir Noor - age 5
Rebecca Iordache - age 6
William Hutsch - age 6
Alice Lastra - age 5

All others contain incomplete information, ie leads that they are following.


Briar Patch uses his memory dredge ability to check in on Magneto again. He observes Magneto and Duplicate Flux defeat the Reavers, but Lady Deathstryke escapes. They discover a security officer who tells them that other Reavers captured three scientists and took them into the Savage Land.

Magneto and Duplicate Flux take the security officer and the captured Reavers with them and fly to a tower where Quicksilver has created a Sanctuary for Mutants.



Quicksilver greets his father, hoping that he will be proud of him. Magneto berates him for not dealing with the Reavers on his own, telling him that they are after the High Evolutionary's tower.

Magneto puts Briar Patch's apple down and speaks to it. "Whenever you are ready to join the cause, come to me."

Quicksilver activates a psychic shield that surrounds the Sanctuary. Briar Patch causes the apple to split into more apples inside the Sanctuary.

Next Briar Patch spies on W.H.O. Alistaire Stuart has discovered the pods and eradicated most of them.

Through the remaining pods, Briar Patch learns that Captain Britain is working for the Mad Thinker.

It grows late and the New Mutants retire to their beds.

They awake later, when they hear the hear the X-Men's blackbird return. Savant sees a predator-style cloaked figure jump from the Blackbird. She follows it into the Mutant Research Center. Briar Patch confronts the X-Men, who turn out to be androids.

The New Mutants fight the Androids. One pricks Briar Patch with a tendril, but it does no damage. And then it flies away.

Meanwhile three other Androids are held at bay by Joule. The rest of the New Mutants converge on the cloaked figure.

Flux wraps the figure up using the stairway banister. The cloaking device short-circuits revealing the intruder to be Gambit!

(NOTE: This is Gambit's first appearance in our game universe)

[Charles Warren]

Gambit



ISSUE 39

Blindside, Bullet, Flux and Savant confront Gambit in a stairwell leading down to the first sub-level of the Muir Island Research Center.

Gambit tells Savant, "Well, chere...looks like we got ourselves into a sticky sitution..."

Savant leans forward and distracts him with a passionate kiss.

Meanwhile outside the Mutant Research Center, Joule is surrounded by five of the robots. She shoots up into the air, pursuing the sixth at such a speed that it causes a sonic boom to crash against the five androids. When she reaches the sixth, his chest morphs into a sonic emitter and he blasts Joule into unconsciousness. She falls, but is caught by four androids. The fifth one take a genetic sample from her.

Briar Patch causes the genetic sample taken of him by the sixth android to explode in growth, with causes the android to break apart into globules that are absorbed by the fifth android.

Blindside zooms over to a security panel, but realizes it has been locked, preventing the island security from activating. He zooms into the Command Center, where he sees three Multiple Men trying to regain access to Island Security.

Bullet tries to psychically sedate Gambit, but is unable to due to the natural static in Gambit's mind due to his powers.

The banister wrapped around Gambit begins to glow, as he begins to charge it up. But Savant strikes it with her staff, absorbing its energy and causing it to dissipate.

Flux flies up and grapples Gambit.

Briar Patch causes the pieces of himself that he grew out of the sixth android to fall down onto the fifth. And then burst out of him as well.

The fifth android tells Briar Patch that he finds him fascinating, especially his powers, even has he is being ripped apart. He calmly tells Briar Patch that his name is Primus and that he was made by Arnim Zola. He also says that he would love to continue the conversation, but that it is time to leave. He collapses into globules and rolls away on the lawn.

Blindside tells Multiple Man about the attack. He divides into 12 duplicates and they rush to defend the compound. Bindside detects some sort of foreign technological device attached to the control console.

Bullet uses his precog ability to learn that the androids are about to teleport away.

Gambit charges up five cards and flings them at Savant and Flux. Savant is able to reflect them back at Gambit, nearly taking him out. Knowing he is outmatched, he surrenders.

Flux duplicates herself and the duplicate copies Gambits powers.

The Androids escape, leaving Gambit behind. Moira MacTaggert arrives and clamps a Nullifier collar onto Gambit to neutralize his powers.

The New Mutants secure the island and discover that Emma Frost had been taken out by some sort of technological device attached to her forehead.

Moira and Multiple Man take her into surgery, while Savant and the New Mutants interrogate Gambit.

Gambit tells them that he was hired by a scientist named Norman Whyte to steal Dr. MacTaggert's mutant files. Gambit says that Dr. Whyte works for the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence and that he's stationed at a top secret research facility located in Castle Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye in the Scottish Highlands.

According to Gambit, Dunvegan Castle is situated north of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) uses the
castle as a facility for weapons development and testing. The only civilians who live close by are the inhabitants of the small fishing village of Fuilden.

Fuilden is a sleepy village, where nothing ever occurs. The village maintains a small fishing fleet, who catch their wares in the Cromarty firth and sell the fish
in Inverness. The only buildings of any interest are the village hall, the church, and the local Pub, the ‘Smugglers Den’.

There is only one shop in the village. This is both the Post office and local grocers. The only public call box is also located here. Post arrives on Monday,
Wednesday and Friday mornings only, by van from Inverness. There is no police station in Fuilden; the closest full time station is thirty miles away in Dingwall. This of course dies not bother the residents,the last reported crime here was some twenty years ago, and there has never been any major crime. There is a resident doctor, who also doubles as the village’s coroner.

Fuilden is cut off from the mainland for much of the time. It is connected to the mainland by a low spit of land, which is covered by water at high tide. Local
fishermen may be persuaded to ferry people to and from Fuilden for a price if the causeway is submerged. The small peninsula on which Fuilden stands is relatively
flat, no more than three miles long, most of it taken up by the Muir of Fuilden, a dank and depressing moor, covered in mist and ravaged by the winds off the sea. There are a few sunken coves, and some gravel beaches along the coast, and a small copse of trees to the northern tip of the peninsula. The only other major land feature is the Tap of Dunvegan; the hill forms the centre of the island and rises up several hundred feet.

Many of the scientists who work at Dunvegan Castle, live in Fuilden. According to Gambit there is a secret passage from the Smuggler's Den in Fuilden that leads to the basement of Dunvegan Castle.

Bullet uses Cerebro to scan Dunvegan Castle, but all he sees is a huge shielded area below ground. He pans out and detects some mutant signatures flying towards Castle Dunvegan.

Briar Patch decides to check up on his spores and discovers a group of British super-humans escorting four Warpies to Castle Dunvegan. They are Captain Britain, Abigail Harkness, Albion, Aarkus, the Black Knight, Dark Angel, Kid Briton, Lionheart, and Motormouth. They are communicating with Spitfire and Union Jack about the delivery of the new Warpies.

The New Mutants decide they must intervene.

[Charles Warren]

Harmon Furmintz becomes the Omni-Powerful Man

ISSUE 40

The Muir Island New Mutants begin their efforts to rescue the Warpie captives being delivered Castle Dunvegan.

Savant sends an email to SHIELD that reads:

Director Fury

I am sending this to you because I believe that you are the only person who will
understand the dangers evident in the situation I and my team find ourselves in.
Within the last 24 hours Muir Island has been visited by two teams for the express
purpose of gathering both information on mutants as well as genetic samples for the
weaponization of Warpies and mutants purposes unknown.

The first visit occurred at the behest of the British Government under the pretext of
concern for the mutant children known as Warpies housed on Muir Island undergoing
treatment to alleviate their deadly changes. WHO representatives Alisaine and Alistair
Stuart came to inform us that with tension building over the presence of Magneto on the
Island, the British government wanted to move the Warpies to a more secure facility.
Accompanying them were Captain Britain, Black Knight and Lionheart. At least two of
these people, Captain Britain and Black Knight, are not who we assume them to be and
intelligence suggests that they may be from an alternate universe although possibly
here under some kind of duress. Captain Britain at least has a communication device
and answers to others in addition to Brigadier Stuart specifically The Mad Thinker and
Harmon Furmintz although it isn’t clear if the two are working together. During their visit
to the Muir Island facilities, three listening devices were left. These have been isolated
and blocked. It also became apparent that they have been tracking a number of
Warpies in the London area, and we now know they have taken some and are currently
transporting them to Castle Dunvegan which we have learned is a secret weapons
research facility.

A second team came to Muir Island very late after the facilities and personal were down
for the night. They were disguised as the X-men in an effort to deceive island personnel
and arrived in a SR-71 closely matching the vehicle used by the X-Men. Despite their
late arrive and clandestine methods, the invaders were intercepted. Their intention was
to take Dr. MacTaggert’s files on mutants and to retrieve genetic samples of mutants,
specifically Alpha team since they were of particular interest to this group as noted in
the monitored conversations between the alternate Captain Britain and his minders.
The individual attempting to take samples was Primus. He was able to gain a sample
from Jule, Fiona MacTaggert, but no other, and escaped after meeting strong
resistance. The other invader is in custody on the island having been contained by the
rest of Alpha. They have been very cooperative and have provided a great deal of intel
on who hired them and their location. This is the United Kingdom’s ministry of Defense
secret weapons research facility on the Isle of Skye at Dunvegan Castle possibly
directed by Dr. Norman Whyte.

We have intel about the Warpies currently being taken to Dunvegan and intend to
retrieve them. They are being escorted by Captain Britain, Abigail Harkness, Albion,
Aarkus, the Black Knight, Dark Angel, Kid Briton, Lionheart, and Motormouth. They are
communicating with Spitfire and Union Jack. This seems an overly large escort for the
few children they have with them. As we have assessed the facility, we have been
given general maps of the castle environs as well as intel on the local population and
their interactions with the castle. We have also determined that there are other levels
below the castle proper which are psi shielded so we do not know what is present there.
We are assuming that mutants and Warpies are being held there against their will. With
regard to the Warpies, Even if their parents have been persuaded to give them over to
the state, The Hague Abduction Convention of 1980 explicitly states that taking a child
through actual kidnapping or fraud is considering kidnapping.

As de facto leader of Alpha Team, I take full responsibility for what we are about to do.
Alpha team’s action are at my prompting. We intend to go to Castle Dunvegan, retrieve
the Warpies, release any mutants held there, and reclaim any mutant genetic material
found on the premises.

As another point of concern, Magneto has left the island and is currently in Antarctica
where he is intercepting a team of Reavers who he believes are trying to gain access to
the High Evolutionary’s tower. His son Pietro Maximoff and some others are also
present in the Savage lands. Given the High Evolutionary’s interest in genetic
manipulation, I believe there may be a connection between what is happening at
Dunvegan and in the Savage lands.

I am sending this message because it is quite likely that we will not be successful, and
the people there will be able to acquire samples of the team’s DNA for use in their
weaponization programs. SHIELD needs to be aware of the potential danger this
represents and be prepared to intercept the results of any experiments conducted with
those samples.

Though we know the dangers and risks we face in this endeavor, we cannot stand by
and allow mutants to be made into weapons or abused. I intend to achieve our mission
parameters without loss of life in and around the research facilities either our own or the
people living and working within the facilities.

Director Fury, Mutants do not want to engage in bloodshed or war. We just want to live
our lives like everyone else. Have families, raise children, just be. Yet time and again
we are used as tools in an expanding war of control by the power mongers of the world
and that includes other Mutants. Throughout history, humanity has tried to control,
contain, that which is different for all kinds of petty reasons. I ask you to help me stop
that. The time has come to try a different way forward. I recognize the irony of my
words given that I am proposing a strike against those who invaded our homes, but I
view this as no different from one country attacking and invading another and can cite
legal precedent to support our actions in the International Court of Justice in The
Hague. There must be one law for all people. I and mine would like to live within the
law not only upholding it but also under its protections. Help me to find a way to that
goal.

Dr. Tessa Solis, PhD, MD, JD
Savant

Then Briar Patch goes to the Med Lab and, with the assistance of Savant and Dr. Connors, he makes three vegetable smoothies that will negate Mutant Power Nullification.

Flux duplicates Forge's powers and reverses the polarity on Dr. MacTaggert's Nullifier collars to make anti-nullification collars.

Next, Briar Patch and Flux abduct Alistaire Stuart from W.H.O. Headquarters to brief him on what's going on. But his abduction inadvertently triggers a failsafe which summons Anachronism (a hero empowered by the magical axe of an immortal Celtic warlord) to rescue Stuart.

The New Mutants are able to hold Anachronism's attacks at bay long enough for Savant and Dr. Stuart to calm him down. Once calm, Anachronism turns into a kid. Blindside gives him some ice cream.

With just seven minutes left before the aircraft transporting the Warpies arrive at Castle Dunvegan, the New Mutants, with Dr. Connors, Dr. Stuart and Anachronism, begin their rescue operation from the Med Lab. Bullet is in the commissary getting food at the time, but is connected to them via psionic teamlink.

However, when Flux activates Pipeline's powers teleport them to the aircraft, it triggers a trap and everyone in the Med Lab is teleported somewhere else.

Blindside, Flux, Joule, Briar Patch, Savant, Anachronism, Dr. Connors and Dr. Stuart all awake inside stasis pods in a massive high-tech lab. The Mad Thinker and Primus stand over them.

The Mad Thinker begins to gloat over how his calculations were perfect, while the New Mutants taunt and insult him from their pods. The Thinker tells them that the he was hired by a company named Genetech to assist them in creating super-soldiers. But the Thinker confesses that his true motivation is the New Mutants. His calculations have determined that the players are the key to an upcoming existential threat, but whether they are the cause or the solution to the threat, he does not yet know.

Blindside tries to reason with the Thinker, but the Thinker doesn't cooperate.

We flashback to the island where Bullet realizes that the other minds have dropped out of the teamlink. He rushes down to Cerebro and tries to locate the other New Mutants, but isn't able to. He assumes they are in the cloaked area beneath Castle Dunvegan.

Bullet then attempts to locate Magneto, but is unable to. But during the process, he detects the X-Men in the blackbird flying towards the Savage Land. Bullet contacts Wolverine and fills him in. Wolverine tells Bullet to notify Moira and Emma Frost and to do what they say.

Meanwhile, back beneath Castle Dunvegan, the Mad Thinker and Primus leave, while Harmon Furmintz and Dr. Alayn White enter. Furmintz tells the New Mutants why they have been captured.

Furmintz says, "A long time ago, ancient times to youngsters like yourselves, I was considered to be "super" human. I graduated from Stanford University in 1933 at the age of fifteen. I was a prodigy. America's child Einstein, they called me.

"As a result of my genius, I was a candidate for a top-secret military project in 1940... along with a few other young men. We were being prepared for something WONDERFUL! ut I never found out what... I was REJECTED. A genetic deficiency. I was a hemophiliac.

"You have no idea how much that hurt me. Especially in light of what happened months later. Captain America burst on to the scene. I was never able to find proof, but I was certain that the super-soldier sprung forth from the very experiment which I had been rejected from. Do you realize what that loss meant?? I had the opportunity to become a symbol of HOPE for my country!

"My intelligence and god-given gifts combined with a physically perfect body! The things I could have accomplished. For my country! For my WORLD! All lost because of a random error in a DNA molecule!

"The rest of my life was spent in the pursuit of genetic knowledge! In the Fifties, I worked with Howard Stark in his biochemical division. Later, I attended the educational growth of a young man by the name of Reed Richards. He later became the leader of the Fantastic Four.

"Time and time again, the human race developed in wondrous ways all around me and I CONTINUALLY missed opportunities for myself! But now... I have used your youth to create what was denied me in mine. I have used YOu for my foundation from which will stem a race of SUPER-HUMANS!

"Work has begun on this new enhanced race of super humans! Using information gathered by the THINKER on you children was the final key!

"The British government first approached Genetech to help them create an army of super-soldiers. Now that the USSR has created the Soviet Super-Soldiers and the Chinese have assembled the People's Defense Force, the UK must keep apace in the genetic arms race. Initially we thought that the Warpies would be ideal templates upon which to create our super-soldiers...but alas they proved too stable. But now we have come to see that naturally occurring mutants are the key.

"You first came to our attention in New York, during your battle with Terrax. We were trying to revive him hoping to use his power as a template. But you proved to be much more versatile. Much more stable.

"And so now, after months of study, ENGLAND will have its super-soldiers. AND I will be the first! The Omni-powerful man!"

Furmintz steps into a power-transfer suit, as his scientists initiate the procedure that will drain the New Mutants of their powers and transfer them to Furmintz.

However, we realize that some time has passed, since the New Mutants were abducted, as Blindside notices that two of the scientists are really Changeling and Bullet in disguise. Bullet begins hitting random buttons in the lab, which causes the power transfer to go awry. Changeling lets two more scientists into the room. One leaps onto a bank of machinery, revealing himself to be Gambit. Gambit charges up the equipment and them somersaults off of it as it explodes.

The second scientist is Jubilee, who uses her plasmoid blasts to free the New Mutants. She tells them "You're going to, like, owe me foreeeeever."

Gambit tosses Savant her staff and tells her that someone needs to rescue the Warpies that are here. Blindside says that he'll take care of it.

Bullet shoots Furmintz with a TK projectile that shatters his helmet. Furmintz's powers over-load, causing him to grow to be 80 feet tall and destroying the castle in the process.

Flux tries to copy Furmintz's powers, but she loses control as well, also growing to be 80 feet tall and coursing with power.

The issue comes to an end as Captain Britain and the other British heroes arrive on the scene. They surround the New Mutants and ask "What have you done??"

[Charles Warren]

The Royal Spider, Fallen Captain Britain of Earth 834

ISSUE 41

Harmon Furmintz, the Omni-Powerful Man has just grown out of the top of Castle Dunvegan. And now we see Flux also grows to gigantic size, glowing with same energy as Furmintz!

Meanwhile below, the shattered parts of the castle begin to fall back into the sub-level lab where the rest of the New Mutants are. Steel beams and slabs of stone and chunks of masonry crash down on all sides of them.

A large cluster of steel and stone tumble down towards three cowering scientists. Savant acts quickly, and using her extending staff, she sweeps the scientists out from under the crashing debris.

One of the metal walls buckles and begins to crash down atop the unconscious Dr. Alistaire Stuart. Bullet quickly erects a forcefield that deflects the metal wall and sends it slamming against Furmintz's leg.

High above the wrecked castle, Furmintz turns to Flux. "Power! More Power than I could ever imagine! And you! I shall have yours as well!!!" He lunges for Flux, but she avoids his grasp. "You want my power?" she asks. "Okay, you can have it!" Flux throws her arms forward and blasts Furmintz with her energy, causing him to stumble backwards into the lake.

Blindside zips at super-speed through the room, avoiding pieces of the castle crashing around him and looking for where the Warpies are being held. He notices that Joule lies passed out on the floor of the lab. A live cable dances close to her, sparking, and threatening to electrocute her if it strikes her. Blindside has to calculate his timing perfectly and he does, rescuing Joule before she is shocked. Next, he zips around the room, pushing the remaining scientists to safety against the laboratory walls.

Huge cracks appear in the floor of the lab and one section collapses, sending Aiden Gillespe (the child form of Anachronism) tumbling below. Briar Patch dives in after him and grabs the falling kid. Then Briar Patch changes into his stomach gut bacteria form and pours himself into Aiden's throat!

Savant sees Doctor Connors transform into the Lizard. She leaps on to his back and jams her staff into the Lizard's mouth, preventing him from chomping into a fallen scientist. The Lizard tries to slam Savant into a wall, but she somersaults to safety, as Bullet uses telepathic sedation to put the Lizard to sleep.

Furmintz strikes one of the castle's towers and sends it hurtling towards Flux. Flux produces a pulse of energy that disintegrates the upper levels of the castle, saving her companions from any further falling debris.

Blindside speeds through the crumbled under-levels, Joule in tow, and comes to an opened vault-door. The interior is obscured by smoke. A scientist stumbles out of it and Blindside grabs him. He tries to interrogate him, but Blindside grows frustrated and throws him aside. He causes a whirlwind to clear the smoke and he sees that the door leads into a lab, with several holding cells containing mutated warpies. One warpie, code-named Freak, has escaped and holds a scientist in each hand.

Now, inside Aiden, Briar Patch uses his stomach gut bacteria form to boost the kid's physical abilities. He guides Aiden mentally, telling him to catch on to the wall and to climb out of the pit uses his increased strength.

Savant dashes off to help Blindside. Bullet sees Gambit climbing out of the pit (that is all that remains of the castle and the lab), with Jubilee clinging to his back. Changeling is flying out of the pit, carrying as many scientists as she can in her tentacle arms.

Captain Britain comes flying down the pit. He begins to tell the New Mutants how they've destroyed everything, but Bullet interjects with a telekinetic blast. It takes every effort, but Captain Britain is able to evade the blast. Then he dives down to Bullet to try to attach him.

But above, Flux grabs Furmintz and throws him down to land on top of Captain Britain. There is an explosion of Omni-energy and when it clears, Captain Britain is on the bottom of the pit, trying to lift himself up. Furmintz has returned to his former size, but he looks shriveled and mummified. Flux has resumed her normal size and shape as well.

Flux says something cocky to Captain Britain. He replies through his teeth that "he's not the only Captain Britain here." As if on cue, four other Captain Britains appear atop the pit: Lionheart, Black Knight, Kid Britain, and the Royal Spider.

The Muir Island New Mutants then clash with the rogue Captain Britains.

Blindside uses Bullet's psi-link to alert the team about Freak and the other mutated warpies. Bullet puts Freak to sleep with telepathic sedation.

Gambit and Jubilee clash with the Black Knight, eventually taking him out off camera.

Lionheart and Flux fight. Flux uses her newfound powers to stunt into resistance to Light so that she is able to withstand Lionheart's energy attacks.

The Royal Spider webs up Bullet, but that doesn't affect his telepathy. Bullet soon puts the Royal Spider to sleep with his telepathic sedation.

Blindside and Savant find the captured Warpies. They use existing equipment to put the mutated Warpies under sedation. Then Savant destroys all samples and data pertaining to the Warpies.

Briar Patch entwines Kid Britain, who is unable to break free from his grasp.

Savant confront Captain Britain and learns that he failed to save his Earth from destruction. He and the other failed Captain Britains are here to take this world as their new one. Savant uses mind games to guilt Captain Britain into seeing the error of his ways. He is upset and flies away. Seeing him flee, Lionheart goes with him.

Spitfire sees this happen and Savant convinces her of what is really happening.

The New Mutants are surrounded by Scottish troops and the Lt. Colonel commanding them demands that they surrender.

The New Mutants make their case about how the British Government is at fault, but the Lt. Colonel seems resolved to arrest them.

At that moment, Nick Fury and two agents arrive.

Fury says, "Kidnapping? Human experimentation? Reminds me of the Nazi and Hydra scum I fought during World War 2. Hardly the thing "her majesties government should be involved in."

The colonel tells Fury that he has no jurisdiction there. Fury agrees, but tells him it would be a shame if he were to share what he saw here with certain members of the SHIELD Command Council.

Fury tells the X-Men and the Warpies to come with him, just as a SHIELD Helicarrier breaks from the clouds above.

Aboard the Helicarrier, Dr. Alistaire Stuart apologizes and swears that WHO had no knowledge of Warpie experimentation or the involvement of the Mad Thinker. Stuart goes on to say that in the future, all Warpies found by the UK government will be sent to Muir Island and the government will no longer interfere with their care. Briar Patch suggests that Stuart be the WHO liaison on the island and he agrees. Stuart also asks if Anachronism and Kid Britain could possibly live on the island.

Stuart also says, "As to the Captain Britain situation. It appears that the Thinker had gathered exiled members of the multiversal Captain Britain Corps. Members who had been swayed by an evil multiverse version of Merlin, who sought to corrupt our planet, or something along those lines. All except Kid Briton. He was the appointed guardian of his Universe, but failed to stop its destruction. Evil Merlin was able to use this to manipulate him. Sad case, really."

Nick Fury reappears and asks everyone to join him in a command room on the helicarrier. There he shows them a recording what was broadcast worldwide an hour ago.

On the screen appears Magneto. He says,

"ATTENTION PLANET EARTH. I AM MAGNETO. THE MASTER OF MAGNESTISM."

He raises his arms and levitates the Reavers and Donald Pierce to float behind him. They all have damaged cybernetics and look defeated.

"BEHIND ME ARE THE REAVERS. FOR THE PAST YEARS, THE REAVERS HAVE HUNTED AND MURDERED countless mutants across the globe with IMPUNITY."

"NO LONGER"

"LET THIS BE A MESSAGE TO ALL THE PEOPLE'S OF THE WORLD. TO THOSE WHO WOULD HARM AND OPRESS MUTANKIND, THIS SHALL BE YOUR FATE."

He clenches his fists and all of the Reavers begin to writhe as Magneto causes their cybernetics to rip through their bodies until they are all dead, including Pierce.

Then he lets them drop into the snow.

"TO THOSE WHO WOULD CONTINUE TO OPRESS MY PEOPLE, KNOW THAT THIS IS THE FATE THAT AWAITS YOU. SO SPEAKS THE BROTHERHOOD."

"REMEMBER MY WORDS."

Then the recording ends.

The issue ends with the helicarrier taking everyone back to Muir Island.

[Charles Warren]

Magneto as the White King of the Hellfire Club


ISSUE 42

April 7, 1990

The issue opens with the Muir Island New Mutants aboard one of Emma Frost's private jets as it streaks across the Atlantic Ocean. Bullet is not with them, but Jubilee is.

In mid-flight, there is a conflagration of magic in the plane, as Billy teleports himself on to the jet. He miscalculates and comes crashing aboard, cutting his head. The new mutants nonchalantly greet him, except for Savant who makes sure he's okay.

Jubilee switches the TV to the Geraldo Show, where they are replaying the video of Magneto killing the Reavers. The kids get into a heated debate over whether Magneto was right or wrong. Savant and Jubilee think Magneto was wrong. Blindside and Joule think the killing was justified. Billy tries to justify it as that it was something that Magneto had to do, while Flux and Briar Patch are not that interested.

They are interrupted by Wolverine and Emma Frost who enter arguing. Wolverine tells the New Mutants that Emma has convinced Moira MacTaggert to allow them to go visit the Hellfire Club. Emma Frost brings everyone into a psychic chatroom to explain.




Magneto is offered the position of White King by Sebastian Shaw

Emma explains how Magneto became the White King of the Hellfire Club some years ago to form an alliance between them and the X-Men. Magneto's recent televised execution of the Reavers threatens to bring unwanted attention to the Hellfire Club Inner Circle. So the Inner Circle will be voting soon to oust him. Now that things are growing increasingly difficult for mutantkind, Sebastian Shaw has asked to meet with the X-Men to discuss renewing their alliance.

Wolverine says he thinks its a bad idea. Everyone debates over it and asks Emma more questions about the Hellfire Club.

After the briefing, Emma brings all of the girls into a psychic conference where they try to perform a fashion intervention for Joule. Emma allows everyone to psychically perform a makeover on Joule, but Joule gets super-pissed and the psychic meeting is ended.

Wolverine hands out new X-Men belts to everyone made by Forge. He tells them they come equipped with Image Inducers and with improved Mutant Detection Jamming Technology.

Later, the private jet lands at La Guardia and taxis to a private hanger, where a white limo awaits them. As they step off of the plane, Billy and Flux start rough-housing with Emma's luggage. Before Emma can scold them, she collapses due to a psionic attack.

The Wrecking Crew step out of the shadows to attack them, but Thunderball recognizes the kids from Miami. The Wrecking Crew tell them that they've been hired to "wreck" Emma Frost and they give the kids a chance to leave unharmed. But Blindside and Savant notice a sniper atop the La Guardia Marriott Hotel aiming for Emma, so Blindside uses his superspeed to evacuate everyone to an alley a few blocks away.

Emma wants to be taken to Frost International, but Wolverine says that would be the first place anyone would look. Blindside first takes them to the Heroes for Hire building. But then Wolverine gets him to take them close to the X-Factor Investigations Headquarters.


The X-Factor Building in New York

The X-Factor Building is surrounded by protestors, reporters, a squad of Mutant Response Division soldiers and one Sentinel robot. After some deliberation, Blindside whisks the entire group up to the top of the X-Factor Building.

A door opens for them and they are scanned by an A.I. that tells them that only mutants are allowed inside the structure. After they are scanned, they step inside, but are confronted by the original X-Men: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Iceman, and Archangel.

Cyclops tells Wolverine, "We've been following the exploits of you so-called X-Men. I can't say Professor Xavier would be proud."

Wolverine replies, "That's rich, coming from you, Slim."

"You've been harboring MAGNETO," shouts Iceman. "And now you show up with the WHITE QUEEN?? Great way to build trust, Logan."

Savant and some of the others try to interject between them, but their age-old resentment for each other can't be contained.

"Seems to me, we both've got some answerin' to do," Wolverine growls. "X-FACTOR Investigations? Which of you genius' thought that would be a good idea to pose as mutant hunters? Seems to me is all you've done is make things worse."

"I don't have to stand here and be criticized by the likes of you, Wolverine!" Cyclops shouted. "You've gotta a lot of nerve taking the moral high ground. When we first took you in, you were little more than a mindless killer!"

Wolverine replies, "You think you've got a monopoly on the high ground, Cyke? I seem to remember you tucking tail and running, the second Storm beat you out as leader of the X-Men. And how long was it before Jeanie was gone before you ran off to the first woman you found who looked just like her??"

Cyclops snaps and yells, "THAT'S ENOUGH!" He unleashes an optic blast that sends Wolverine sailing over the heads of the New Mutants. Joule catcAhes him with her kinetic energy control before he hits the ground.

Archangel whips out his metal wings, sending metal spikes, laced with paralytic neurotoxin, shooting out at most everyone! Billy rips up the metal floor and blocks the spikes that shoot at him. Joule absorbs the kinetic energy from them as they touch her, and they clatter to the ground. Blindside zips around with superspeed to take cover behind Billy. Flux turns her body into stone and the spikes clank off of her. Briar Patch is struck with several of the spikes and collapses to the floor. Savant allows herself to be struck by the spikes, but calls out to Cyclops, trying to appeal to him to snap out of his anger.

Cyclops notices her and hesitates, thinking over what is transpiring.

Emma Frost exclaims, "It's time to put an end to this ridiculous posturing." But before she can do anything, she is locked in a psychic battle with Jean Grey.

Jean tells her, "Despite the fact that it was the Phoenix Force and not me you and your Hellfire buddies tortured all those years ago... I still know who you are and what you did. And I'll be damned if I let you mess around in our heads, knowing what you're capable of!"

Iceman freezes the entire floor, trapping almost everyone's ankles in a layer of ice.

Beast bounces down and plucks up Savant. Then he leaps up onto a ledge with her and begins to treat her wounds.

Jubilee tries to blast her feet out of the ice with her fireworks. Wolverine looks over to Joule and shouts, "Joule! Fast-ball special!" He wants Joule to throw him at Cyclops with her powers.

The issue ends mid-fight as the Muir Island New Mutants stand off against X-Factor!

[Charles Warren]

Sentinel robots descend on New York City

ISSUE 43

Back on Muir Island, Moira MacTaggert is finishing up her medical examination of Bullet. When she's done, she tells him that she's sending him to join the other New Mutants in New York. She says that they are going there to meet with the Hellfire Club. She asks Bullet to please not shoot first and ask questions later.

Amanda Sefton teleports Bullet to the location of the New Mutants.

Bullet appears inside the X-Factor Headquarters, where the New Mutants, Wolverine and Emma Frost are battling the original X-Men. After a pitched battle, the situation is finally de-fused by Blindside, Savant, and finally Cyclops.

Beast takes the New Mutants to the Living Area to get some hot cocoa, while the others hash things out. But Briar Patch decides to go out on the roof and Savant follows him.

On the roof, Savant asks Briar Patch what is bothering him. He explains that he is unhappy with how the "meat" have been handling things. They concoct a plan. Briar Patch turns into his "stomach gut bacteria" form and pours himself into Savant's mouth. Now that they are merged, they reach out to all of the seed pods that Briar Patch had left behind throughout New York. They begin growing large quantities of plant matter throughout the city that will register as mutants on Sentinel scanners and will hopefully confuse them.

Meanwhile, the other New Mutants discuss things with Beast over hot cocoa. Beast explains that the original X-Men had been posing as X-Factor Investigations. Under the guise of being mutant hunters, they would find unregistered mutants before the government did and send them to safety. They also posed as mutant terrorists known as the X-Terminators when the X-Factor guise wouldn't work.

They have recently learned that Cameron Hodge, the business director of X-Factor, had betrayed them. Once X-Factor had rescued a mutant, Hodge would secretly send it to the Genoshan Government. The press had found this out, and the result was protesters at X-Factor's doorstep.

Everyone (except Briar Patch and Savant) enter the room. Cyclops explains that X-Factor's top priority is getting back the mutants that were sent to Genosha. The Muir Island New Mutants tell them that they have seen Havok working with the Genoshans, which upsets him even more.

Ship suddenly gives a warning that it is detecting a massive number of mutant signatures all over Manhattan. (This is the result of Briar Patch and Savant's experiment) Everyone looks out of the window and too their horror, they see approximately 30 sentinel robots flying over New York City.

Everyone rushes to the roof, where they find Savant(merged with Briar Patch) still concentrating on growing parts of Briar Patch throughout the city. As they watch from the rooftops, they see the Sentinels begin to go haywire and begin attacking the city, endangering countless innocents.

Archangel, Iceman, and Joule fly out into the city to start rescue operations.

Jean Grey takes the remaining New Mutants and provides them with X-Terminator costumes, so that the X-Men aren't implicated in this. Then she leads them to a hoverjet, where Cyclops, Wolverine, Emma Frost, and Beast are waiting for them. The hoverjet streaks out over the city.

Meanwhile, Iceman and Joule work together to try to gather as much "mutant plant matter" together as they can. Joule gathers it with her kinetic powers, while Iceman freezes it into a great ball. But while they are working on this, they see a crowd of innocents being attacked by a Sentinel. Iceman covers its head in ice, while Joule tries to create a state of absolute zero inside the robot. But the strain causes Joule to pass out. Iceman catches her, but looks up in dismay as the Sentinel begins to "heat up," as it adapts to his ice control attacks.

Meanwhile, Cyclops flies the hoverjet over Times Square. Two sentinel robots are rampaging there. Billy decides to use his magic to teleport himself over the Atlantic Ocean, and then summon a sentinel robot to him. But his magic goes wrong!

The final panel shows the exterior of the hoverjet, with a speech bubble saying "Dammit, Billy!"