[Assistant]
Season of the Witch
In East Africa, the X-Men are battling a band of pirates known as the Weaponeers. The villains were attempting a hostile takeover of Zanzibar, and the mutant heroes had flown in to stop them. They were winning…until their world came to an end. A white flash lights up the horizon and expands rapidly consuming everything in its wake. Bishop tells Rachel and Betsy to raise their teke shields, but it’s too late. The X-Men and their enemies are completely wiped from existence. All except Betsy and Rachel. The two women grasp hands and as the wave passes they find themselves in a sea of great white nothingness.
What was that? Betsy asks as she and Rachel hover in empty space. The two women are flabbergasted by what has happened and what is happening. Betsy passes a frustrated comment about hoping she is not dead again. Rachel suggests that perhaps they are in the White-Hot Room—the center of creation—the heart of the Phoenix. Betsy remains upset that everything revolves around that “bloody bird”. Psylocke desperately wants to hit something, but neither woman knows what to do next.
On Otherworld where Brian Braddock reigns, his wife Meggan awakes from a nightmare with a horrific scream. Brian rushes to her aid, but she can only cry and tremble. She mutters that it is over…over…done…ashes…dust.
 Flight Leader, Captain UK, and Justicer Bull of the Captain Britain Corps come rushing into the room to check on Brian and Meggan, but Brian insists that he is fine. Flight Leader informs Brian that Meggan’s scream was heard by every member of the Corps!
 Meggan shifts into her elemental form and informs Brian that the end of all that is has arrived. The Corps members are confused by Meggan’s comments. When the ground starts to tremble, the group heads to the tower to get a better look at what is going on. From there they watch as a cataclysmic tsunami of cosmic proportions bears down upon them. Meggan just has time to comment that she had hoped it was all a bad dream before the wave strikes the palace turning the majestic edifice into powder.
The wave grabs Meggan and Brian along with the three Corps members and slams them forcefully through crosstime. They witness the destruction of universe after universe after universe. They watch as versions of heroes they know such as Thor, Namor, Iron Man, Thing, Kylun, Human Torch, and Hulk are erased by the unstoppable wall of water.
The wave thunders onward and upward where it eventually reaches the Starlight Citadel, home to Roma—the celestial guardian. She tries her best to stem the oceanic onslaught but in the end she is overcome and her citadel too is demolished.
 As the waters begin to calm, refugees from each of the destroyed timelines find themselves washed up into the space formerly occupied by Roma’s home. All the dimensions have crashed into one, and the surviving denizens of each timeline are now here in Otherworld.
Energy patterns mix and coalesce and the long-dead James Jaspers of Earth 616 appears—very much alive. He comments on how long it took him to find his way back from death and his mad banter begins.
Upon seeing the incapacitated form of Roma beneath some debris he blames the whole mess on her being a woman. He is about to dispatch the unconscious Roma when his arm mutates into an energy cannon. The cannon looks suspiciously like the weapon used by the creature that killed him so long ago.
Jaspers’ body begins to transform into the very shape of the creature that killed him…the Fury! Jaspers/Fury lowers it cannon to Roma’s head and is about to finish her off when Brian Braddock makes a dramatic entrance and with a stunning left hook sends the creature flying through the air.
Brian frees Roma from the debris that was covering her. They comment on the danger of this newly merged Fury and Jaspers creature. Separate each was virtually unstoppable. The multiverse is in for real trouble if the two are truly one!
 Brian asks Roma if she is responsible for this mess but is surprised to get an answer from none other than Opal Luna Saturnyne. The omniversal majestrix condemns Brian, blaming his planet, Earth 616, for the madness that is consuming reality. Saturnyne loses control of her emotions to such a degree that she takes a punch at Brian and nearly breaks her hand. She storms away stating that she will soon rectify the problem of Brian’s misbegotten little world permanently.
When Brian makes a move to stop her, he is accosted by what seems to be living metal. He is wrapped in a steel cocoon and then sees who is attacking him: male versions of 616 Earth’s X-Men ladies! Standing over him are male counterparts to Marvel Girl, Polaris, Psylocke (who comments “This is what my sister looks like as a man?”), Rogue, Storm, and Kitty Pryde: the Executive Action Committee, better known as X-Com.
The group is apparently in Saturnyne’s service and has been sent to keep Brian from stopping the destruction of Earth 616. They are aware of how dangerous Brian is, but they still underestimate him. Brian topples Psylocke and shatters his bonds sending the men flying, fleeing, and falling for cover.
 Brian suggests that Saturnyne has chosen these mutants for their looks alone, but that comment is rebutted by one of Storm’s lightning bolts. Before Brian can stand back up, Rogue descends on him to sap his power. Brian does not resist but rather offers all his power…Kit realizes that Brian is overloading Rogue and separates the two men before Rogue can be completely burned out by Brian’s power.
While Marvel “Boy” telekinetically locks his muscles, Kit moves in and begins beating Brian with an electric billy club. Brian throws off the telekinetic restraints blowing Marvel Boy’s mind and decks the unsuspecting Kit who has no time to phase.
Psylocke comes from behind with his psychic knife blazing. He buries it deep into Brian’s head. As Brian collapses, Psylocke calls the rest of the X-Com out and assures them that his knife has thrown Brian into a fugue state.
“Surprise!”
Brian grabs Psylocke. Apparently sibling immunity to powers works across dimensions as well! Better luck next time, Brian says as he twirls Psylocke above his head and knocks over the remaining X-Com members.
Saturnyne, meanwhile, is sifting her way through the rubble of the Starlight Citadel trying to find the celestial nullifier, a device capable of completely erasing any particular dimension of the multiverse.
Brian grabs her and demands her to explain what she thinks she is doing. Saturnyne replies that she is doing what he should be doing. She explains that 616 is acting like a cancer…eating away at the rest of the timestream! If she spares his world she will condemn the rest.
Suddenly from nowhere, mad Jamie Braddock appears and smashes the nullifier with a large piece of rubble. With a “plink” he disappears. “We’re doomed,” mutters Saturnyne.
Later in Roma’s transdimensional council chamber, Brian, Meggan, Roma, Saturnyne, Captain UK, and Justicer Bull discuss the trans-temporal phenomena that is making its way across the sidereal string. Something is changing the boundaries of causality itself in the 616 universe. It could continue expanding until creation itself ends up an amorphous blob void of any type of rational existence.
 Saturnyne is still angry that Brian’s brother has smashed their chances to excise the cancerous dimension, but Brian reproves her for espousing genocide. Even as the cosmic warp alters Meggan’s malleable form into that of a three headed monster, Brian remains resolute that murder is not the answer. He is not as ruthless as Saturnyne.
Roma steps in and tells Brian that he may have to be. Grimly, she shares that even though she cares deeply about Brian and the 616 universe, she will not stand by and allow it to endanger the rest of the omniverse. She tells Brian that she will return him to 616; furthermore she will give him forty-eight hours to find whatever is causing this aberration and deal with it. As soon as they are able to repair the celestial nullifier, Roma and Saturnyne will use it to destroy the “sick” universe. Roma warns Brian that he may be subsumed by the warp: he may forget his mission. If this happens, he will cease to exist.
In the White-Hot Room, Betsy enjoys viewing a parade of her parallel selves. She is amazed at all the different possibilities. She stops short when she notices that Rachel has no parallel selves. Rachel claims that she has met other “Rachels” who are the offspring of Scott Summers and Jean Grey, but none of them are her. The only other selves present in the Room for her are past versions of herself.
There are four Rachels: the malnourished and sickly refugee from Days of Future Past, the mutant killing hound, the red leather clad Phoenix from Excalibur, and the fiery Phoenix version of Rachel. Rachel explains that this is all there is. Apparently, she is unique. Betsy comments that she doesn’t get it, but neither does Rachel. Nothing makes sense! Everything is so difficult!
Betsy tries to calm Rachel with some humor, but Rachel reacts as if Betsy was deliberately making fun of her. Holding onto the Shi’Ar crystal necklace that contains the memory essence of her mother, Rachel wishes her mom were here. Betsy reminds Rachel about Logan’s advice that perhaps this is Rachel’s chance to live a normal life…or at least what passes for normal for an X-Man!
 Rachel doesn’t understand how Betsy can remain so calm. The whole “death and return” thing is something that Rachel, Jean, Betsy, Brian and even Jamie share. Almost on cue, Brian and Jamie are seen behind the dissolving fabric of the White-Hot Room. Both ladies are surprised that the other can see Jamie. Jamie pulls the reality of the Room with his fingers and tells the X-Ladies that they get no more downtime, and no more revelations. He has worked very hard and broken every rule there is to bind their lives and fates together. He dumps them back to earth and says Don’t make me regret it!
As they land in the grass near Braddock Manor, Rachel wonders what Jamie meant by his comments. Betsy’s only answer is that she will ask him just as soon as she cuts out his heart. The ladies notice the sounds of a party coming from inside the house. Betsy comments that something doesn’t seem right…her fears are confirmed as the two turn to face as fully functional Sentinel.


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
The Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire: Chapter Four - Castaways
(Chandilar)
The Shi’ar homeworld is bustling with life. From high in his tower, vice-chancellor K’Tor welcomes a visitor in the form of Commander N’Ruto. The commander informs him that the Imperial Guard has been dispatched to confront the rogue warship. With luck, they’ll make contact in the next day. K’Tor enquires about their stargates. The commander replies that fifty-five have been completely destroyed, along with the support ships and the crews that maintain them. The vice-chancellor is angry. They’ve only just finished rebuilding after the Earther’s treachery.
N’Ruto reminds him that the empress proclaimed Xavier innocent in that matter, but K’Tor insists she was ashamed. He was her consort and he used his mind control to manipulate her into nearly destroying the realm. It was only through the ministry’s pressure that she dissolved their union and they were able to have Xavier banished. The commander asks if the empress knows of the attacks on the stargates. He is told that she knows only what the vice-chancellor’s superior decides she needs to know. At present her condition is fragile. She is being tended to. N’Ruto then announces that there is another matter he has just received word of… about the line of the Phoenix! This grabs the vice-chancellor’s full attention.
(the outer rim of the Shi’ar Empire)
Professor Xavier and his team of X-Men have come across a space station, and Marvel Girl uses her telepathy to determine whether the occupants are friendly or not. She senses only a skeleton crew, and their thoughts are tame. They should be able to ‘Jedi’ the crew into helping them. Charles gives the order to proceed, and dons a spacesuit to conceal his identity.
Once on the station, they find just two men working there, and they welcome the team aboard. Charles feels that whatever facilities they have will be of great use as their own ship is nearly out of fuel. One of them looks out of the window and comments that it’s been too long since he saw such a model of starcraft. He enquires as to where they acquired such a vessel. Charles says Rachel’s name in a questioning manner, and she ‘Jedi’s’ the workman, informing him telepathically that he doesn’t need to know about the ship, and that he just needs to refuel it. The workman returns to his computer and forgets he asked the question, adding that their ship is unmanned so it might take some time. Charles wonders if his crew could gather supplies while they wait. The workman pauses a moment, before offering the run of the station to them.
Havok and Polaris take one route through the ship whilst Darwin and Nightcrawler choose another. Lorna mentions to Alex that she’s just noticing now, because he uses Rachel to do it, but asks whether the professor has always just pushed his will onto people like that? Alex reckons that he has, when the need arose. He asks if she remembers when Jean became the Phoenix. Charles made an airport full of people forget they’d seen any of them.
Lorna says she misses Jean. And, she liked Scott better when she was around… a lot better. Alex agrees, but asks her not to forget that the Shi’ar are the people who killed Jean the first time around, and they’d do the same to the professor given half the chance. He doesn’t mind him pushing a few minds to get them on their way. Is that bad in the grand scheme of things? Lorna guesses not.
Elsewhere, Nightcrawler and Darwin have taken another route, and Kurt senses that something is troubling Darwin. The newcomer explains that he doesn’t like how the professor’s treating him. They’ve been in space almost a week, and he’s hardly let him out of his sight. Kurt agrees that he’s being overprotective, but Darwin is still new to the team. He guesses Kurt is right, and then asks why Charles is wearing a space suit. Kurt explains that he’s a wanted man in Shi’ar space. It’s a long story involving an evil twin, and Kurt would rather not go into it.
Meanwhile, Alex and Lorna arrive at a large door with a sword & sickle carved into the doorway. They don’t know what it means, but Alex guesses this is where the security gear was stored when they had a security detail… before this place because the ghost station at the edge of the universe. He places his hand on a glowing white screen and the large door slowly opens. Inside, they discover the dead bodies of several crewmembers who appear to have been killed. Alex gasps.
Darwin and Kurt are looking for food, and Kurt thinks they’re heading in the wrong direction. Darwin notices a small sign written in Shi’ar, and explains that it means Food Storage. “You can read Shi’ar?” asks Kurt, surprised. Darwin replies that he looked through a few of the ship’s logs until it made sense. Now, through listening to the workmen speaking with the professor he can speak it pretty well, too. He utters something in Shi’ar.
Amazed, replies Kurt, before asking what it means. Darwin’s smiling face suddenly changes into a frown and he replies, “Look out!” Kurt turns just in time to see an assailant emerge from the shadows and shoot at him. He teleports instantly, but the blast shatters the window behind him and Darwin is sucked out of the station and into the unforgiving coldness of space. Kurt is unable to grab him as he hangs on to a ladder.
The alarm sounds and the blast doors are activated. Outside the station, Darwin quickly begins to adapt to his new environment. He discovers that he has no need to breathe, and both his skin and internal structure increase in density. He realizes that he must warn the professor that this place isn’t what it seems. Whatever that thing was, it wasn’t Shi’ar, and he’s guessing that neither are the men he’s dealing with.
Inside the station, Rachel suddenly takes a turn for the worse. She holds her forehead and complains of a sudden nauseating headache. She was trying to mind-probe the lead worker because of the way he kept looking at their ship, and then her headache came on strong. She feels that something’s wrong. She looks up to see Darwin approaching the station. He lands on the outside of the glass, held there by suckers that have formed on his fingers. He looks like he’s trying to tell them something. “What the hell?” exclaims Warpath.
From Warpath’s blind spot, a Warskrull appears having shape shifted from his previous form of a workman. He is holding a double-edged blade. “Die, Earthmen,” he says, grinning nefariously from ear to ear. He lashes out at James, but he ducks and grabs Rachel, calling out to the professor that this is a trap. Another Warskrull carrying the weapon fired at Nightcrawler sees Kurt teleport above him and he asks what he is. He likes to know what he’s killing.
Kurt warns him that he’ll be killing no one else today if he has anything to do with it. He teleports them both outside the station and leaves the Warskrull there before returning to the station. He notices that the Warskrull’s armor has formed a protective sheath over his head, and he hopes his friend can also survive out there.
Rachel is having difficulty moving, and it’s up to Warpath to take on three Warskrulls, all of whom are superior in size. He figures one of them must have an implant that is giving out some kind of feedback to Rachel. He reminds her that she’s not just a telepath. Another Warskrull grabs Charles by his helmet but, before he can do any damage, Havok arrives with Polaris and he blasts the alien. With his back smoldering, the Warskrull turns to his assailant and says he was hoping for a fight. Havok brings it on, pummeling him with his plasma blasts, but the Warskrull simply grins at him and thanks Alex for charging up his forcefield.
Warpath is being overawed by sheer numbers, despite his prodigious strength. Charles informs Lorna that one of the Skrulls must have an implant, which hurts Rachel, so she uses her powers to reach out and destroy whatever it is. The Warskrulls fall away from James in agony, and Lorna points to one that is still conscious. James gladly delivers a kick to finish him off. There is just one Warskrull remaining, and Alex is keeping him at bay. Charles helps Rachel up, and she isn’t happy about having her head messed with. She assaults the Warskrull, using her telekinesis on a molecular level to take him out. She leaves him alive, despite the fact that he wouldn’t have spared any of them.
Elsewhere, Darwin appears to have somehow found a way back inside the station. He descends a ladder that leads from what appears to be an access point. Kurt thinks he truly is a wonder. He himself survived a few seconds out there, but Darwin managed to adapt to his environment. He nonchalantly tells Kurt that it’s no big deal. He asks if Kurt can teleport through the door next to them, pointing out that, while he was outside, he was a few Shi’ar locked inside. Maybe they know what’s going on? Kurt asks if the space beyond the door is clear. It is, so he teleports inside.
Soon, the X-Men are getting the full story from two surviving Shi’ar crewmen. They inform the professor about Vulcan’s destruction of their ship. They managed to escape in a shuttle, and they found the Warskrulls floating in space in the guise of their own people. They rescued them, and then it was too late. They told of being refugees from their system, having to evacuate due to a force moving through space, destroying all. They wanted a real ship, so they killed the workers at the station and took their places to lay an ambush.
Rachel asks why they were spared. He replies that the Warskrulls said their code wouldn’t allow them to kill any who saved them. It’s the first he’s heard of Skrulls having any code. Charles feels that the Skrulls aren’t without honor, however twisted it may be. He allows the Shi’ar to travel with them until they reach the nearest hub. Kurt doesn’t think that this is a good idea, but Charles is concerned that the Skrulls might break free before their signal reaches the authorities.
Once inside their holding cell, the two Shi’ar chat about Charles who they recognize as being Lilandra’s former consort. For now they can do nothing, but when the time comes, they will deliver him to the vice-chancellor’s justice.
(the third moon of Phygim - high security prison)
The vice-chancellor visits a prisoner who is being held in powerful shackles. He asks the man if he knows who he is. He replies that he’s the man who put him there. The vice-chancellor says that he’s much more than that. He’s also the man who had his brothers killed and his mother sterilized; just as his predecessors have done with the descendents of Rook’shir for five hundred years, wherever they can find them. He looks at Korvus and says he is the last.
He asks if he knows why he is allowed to live. Korvus has no idea. The vice-chancellor replies that he knew there would be a day when he would need his services. He asks Korvus if he would like his sentence commuted; to roam freely among the stars. Korvus asks what he has to do. “What do you think?” replies the vice-chancellor, “Something that only the Blade of the Phoenix can do…”


[Assistant]
Untitled
(San Francisco)
The newcomers to the “City by the Bay,” who have taken up the offer of a safe haven on the west coast, are fitting in nicely. At long last they have found a place made up of a people greater than the sum of their parts. It's a place where diversity and tolerance are the norm. On some days, when the light hits the city just right, it's easy for them to focus on the silver lining rather than the storm cloud: to feel hope and happiness instead of fear. They feel they can do good and be good, and contribute to the community that has embraced them. They can be super heroes and not an endangered species. They can fall in love and eat incredible meals, waste time and enjoy one another's company instead of running for their lives constantly.
Noriko Ashida, otherwise known as Surge, runs through Chinatown with a big grin on her face. A blur flashes past her and she grinds to a halt; her hair sweeping past her eyes. Northstar is in the Castro by the time he speaks. He doesn't want Surge to go dawdling and daydreaming. If she's gonna run, she should run fast. He is supposed to be chaperoning her. He thinks Surge seems like a good sort and is sure she'll catch up later. Jean-Paul hadn't realized that joining the X-Men would be such an... event, in the city.
A news reporter stands outside the Castro Theater waiting for his super-quick interviewee – the world-famous skier, snowboarder and queer mutant hero. Jean-Paul appears with a following wind that blows the reporter around. He thanks Jean-Paul for joining them, and he replies that it's his pleasure, though he apologizes. It's his first day and he's trying not to die right away. The comment brings the reporter to his first questions. Isn't he dead? Wasn't he a psychotic killer, and is he still gay? Northstar admits that he was dead but got better. He was a psychotic killer but got better, and he is still gay and can't possibly get any better.
Before a follow-up question is forthcoming, Jean-Paul informs the interviewer that he isn't there to wave any banners. There's a tactical need for him on the team, and there are tremendous educational resources for young mutants here. He joined because... well, because it's the right thing to do. Why shouldn't they all, regardless of what they can do, be the best people they can be? “There's a real opportunity here in San Francisco for mutants to...” The reporter pulls away as someone informs him that there's breaking news coming out of Sacramento. They should listen to it.
Simon Trask is broadcasting live on another television channel. He explains to the viewing public that his coalition has brought the so-called Breeding Act Ballot to a public referendum. If passed, Proposition X would require all humans that are X-gene positive to undergo mandatory chemical birth control procedures. If the Cooperstown massacre has shown them anything, it's that even an innocent newborn, if X-gene positive, can inadvertently bring about horror. Their goal is not to legislate who gets to breed, but rather insure that everyone gets to survive. The reporter is quite shocked and asks Jean-Paul if they can do that. Northstar replies that it looks like they just did.
Elsewhere, Sadie Sinclair, the pro-mutant mayor of San Francisco shouts to someone over the phone that this is bull, and scatters the papers across her desk in frustration. Over at Graymalkin, the X-Men look at the television in dismay. Pixie can't believe it, but Scott says that it's okay. They'll fight this. Regular people will fight this. Trask won't win. Northstar appears, having run back to the HQ in mere moments. "I take it back," he says. "I quit!" He asks who wants to save a bunch of terrified American bigots. He's heading back to Canada where he enjoyed socialized health care, the metric system and tolerance. Scott asks him to knock it off, but it's clear from the faces of those around him that this isn't good for them. Warpath comments that they'll be putting them in camps next... reservations. Pixie quietly departs as bitterness among the world's few remaining mutants turns into fractiousness.
(the Danger Room)
Pixie asks for four Hellfire Cultists to fight, and then makes it five. They appear around her and she takes up an aggressive fighting stance. Her ferocity causes Hank, watching from the control room with Wolverine, to remark that she's gotten better. She's gotten angry. Wolverine snikts his claws and asks Hank if he saw the crap on TV. He doesn't blame Megan. He knows how she feels.
Over in the lab, Madison Jeffries cuddles a cup of coffee and tells the others that he had a fascinating conversation with a very unique coffee machine that used to live in another lab. He asks if anyone there knew Forge but no one responds. He continues to explain, as Kavita Rao carries on with her experiments, that he fixed the clock which was still an hour wrong and it got him started thinking about the time-leaper that they made which went into the future.
Dr. Nemesis congratulates him on freeing the coffee machine from the tyranny of daylight savings. He's a genius, he quips. Kavita adds that it must be hard to be so difficult all the time. She asks if it worries him that he will die alone and unloved, and that so many of his former colleagues will use his grave as a toilet. Hank appears and asks what he missed. Madison explains that they made a machine to go into the future, right. Well why not make one that goes into the past?
Dr. Takiguchi asks if he wishes to study the origin of species. Kavita Rao finds it rather interesting and figures that if they could study a first-generation mutant, they would see the indicators and eccentricities that made such an evolutionary leap possible. Madison says that making the machine is easy, they'd just have to find… what? Prince Namor's parent's, right? Hank replies that they wouldn't need them, but they'd need someone of Namor's era. Dr. Takiguchi asks if anyone knows where they might find a couple about to give birth to a first-generation mutant about a century ago. Hank replies that actually... they do, "Don't they, Dr. Nemesis?"
The doctor smiles and says that what Hank is insinuating is that... it's him. This comes as a great surprise to the others. Dr. Takiguchi remarks that this would make Nemesis older than him. Nemesis explains that he was born in the year 1906, so he is quite a bit older. He is kept alive by an aggressive array of bizarre narcotics of his own invention and his unending annoyance of them all. He was also born in San Francisco, which he suspects is why he agreed to join their collection of carnies and mental deficients. He suspects that Hank knew that and hoped to appeal to his sense of nostalgia when he and the 'dandy' recruited him. They want a sample of pre-mutant DNA? Then his parents are prime candidates. "Field trip, anyone?" asks Madison Jeffries.
(meanwhile)
The Sisterhood have just transferred Psylocke's consciousness into the deceased body of Kwannon – Betsy’s original body. It's been a success, but confusion reigns. Chimera asks if there are two Psylockes. Madelyne replies yes. Once upon a time, a little British girl named Betsy Braddock was one of the great psychic adepts of her age. The X-Men recruited her and did all kinds of wonderful things until their world came crashing down around them. They fled through a magical gateway which scattered them to the four winds. Young Betsy's mind ended up in the head of a Japanese girl called Kwannon, and vice-versa. The British girl became an Asian woman. Kwannon died and Betsy lived.
She adds that Betsy traveled to places and spaces beyond the comprehension of most and that is where she found her - dancing between parallel worlds. She cradles Betsy's head in her hands and tells Betsy that she created entirely new kinds of spells and damnations to bring her there. She hopes she can appreciate how troublesome it was for her to bring her home.
Betsy struggles to speak, but utters, "Kuh kuh Queen." Madelyne says that's right. She explains that Spiral, the body witch, prepared the corpse for reanimation, purged it of preservations and impurities, reinvigorated tissues and reconstituted the organs. Her brilliant girls, under her magical guidance, marshaled her mighty powers and plucked Betsy from her hiding place. Now they can control what she does and what she says. "All of the power and none of the personality," adds Martinique. Madelyne points out that bodies and minds capable of housing such tremendous psychic energies are rare things - especially dead ones. They needed to reanimate a dead body capable of containing a psyche that powerful. Now that they've tested it and succeeded, they'll be doing it again.
Chimera's energies flare up and she reminds Madelyne that she promised to bring back their dead if they did what they wanted. Spiral adds that they had a deal. This was not part of it. Madelyne replies that they did indeed, and she may yet wish to strike her. Deathstrike does just that, but her blades pass harmlessly through Madelyne. She informs them that she has no home. This is why she has assembled them. What they've done with Psylocke is a test. While her abilities and talents are welcome, the real accomplishment is housing the spirit in new flesh.
There have been only two humans gifted enough to contain power as great as hers. Her first host was destroyed irrevocably. The second... well... she thought the X-Men would have caught wind of their little ritual and so she wanted them gone. She should have remembered how self-obsessed Scott Summers is and how oblivious to true danger he really is. She always knew they were destined to collide. She just assumed it would be in New York. No matter, though. They can strike just as easily in California.
(Graymalkin Industries)
Emma Frost is asleep when Scott enters the room. He looks at her, grabs a pillow and heads to the lounge. Something's wrong. Dazzler, Pixie and Northstar return from a night out, a little tipsy and all smiles. Scott asks what the hell's the matter with them. It's three in the morning. Alison plonks herself into a chair and asks why he's sleeping shirtless out here instead of with Ms. Frost. Jean-Paul asks what he did. "And did you do it shirtless?" adds Pixie. He asks if she's been drinking. Megan realizes she's been caught out and promptly teleports away.
Scott reminds the others that Megan is not yet twenty-one. Jean-Paul says that she is legal in Canada, and Alison adds that she's legal in Wales, too. "But not California, guys," Scott sighs. Alison asks why he's sleeping on the couch. What's going on with him and Emma? She asks him not to take it the wrong way but, if they can't make it work, then there's no hope for any of them. Scott leans into his palms and replies that everything's fine. "Yeah," replies Northstar, "I like sleeping on couches, too."
As he speaks, he notices the walls begin to shimmer a little. Alison lights up and warns them to get ready for the floorshow. Scott knows the feeling. It's Martinique! A green dragon flies into the room and Chimera tells him that she's there too, but no one ever remembers her. She tells him it's okay though. She'll make sure to kill him for it.
Martinique sends a telepathic message to Emma telling her that Scott, Northstar and Dazzler are going down. Emma sits upright in bed and tries to contact Scott to inform him that they've been compromised. Unfortunately, Regan Wyngarde is there too, and she mentally shackles Emma. Colossus and Nightcrawler realize that there is danger and Kurt asks Piotr to armor up. Before he can do so, Spiral teleports behind them and stabs them both with her swords. She then prepares a portal for Madelyne to come through and she congratulates them. She tells them that they can finish the job now.
Elsewhere, Deathstrike attacks Wolverine who is sleeping. She thrusts her blades right through his chest and holds him up for Madelyne to see. "Don't move, little man," warns Deathstrike. Madelyne smiles at Logan and tells him he's just the man she was looking for.


[Assistant]
Untitled
Utopia, where Nightcrawler has just teleported back to the island nation, exclaiming ‘Shoot it down -’ with great urgency. Cyclops and several other residents of Utopia have gathered nearby - Northstar, Wolverine, Psylocke, Magneto, Colossus, Sub-Mariner, Doctor Nemesis, the Stepford Cuckoos - as the large jumbo jet swiftly approaches Utopia. Cyclops turns to the plane, ‘I got it’ he remarks, before asking Nightcrawler if he cares to tell him why, before he destroys the plane. ‘Predator X…five of them!’ Nightcrawler reveals. ‘Then I better not miss’ Cyclops declares before unleashing a massive optical blast, which cuts the jumbo jet into pieces, which plummet to the water that surrounds Utopia.
Cyclops turns to the Stepford Cuckoos - Mindee, Phoebe and Celeste - and tells the psychics to scan the water and find out  if the Predator X are in there and how many. He adds that they are going to need island-wide psi-links. ‘Yes, Mister Summers’ the girls reply in unison, before revealing that there were five Predator’s, but now only four remain. The girls add that one died in the crash and three are closer together than the other one, while the pilot has also survived and is swimming. The girls announce that the first surviving Predator is minutes away from the shoreline. ‘Their minds are berserk!’ they declare, while indeed, the pilot of the jet swims to apparent safety, past the body of one of the Predator X‘s..
Cyclops announces that the Predator X is a mutant hunter-killer with augmented powers. ‘Last time we only beat it by letting the thing eat Wolverine and him clawing is way from the inside out’ Cyclops reminds everyone. ‘Yeah, we ain’t doing that again’ Wolverine snarls. Cyclops declares that they have drilled for another Predator attack. ‘We know what we’re doing against these things’ he tells everyone. Magneto asks Cyclops if he has planned to fight four of them, to which Cyclops replies that doesn’t matter, as they have tactics and strategy. ‘And we’ve got freaking Magneto and the King of Atlantis on our side’ Cyclops boasts, referring to Namor the Sub-Mariner. ‘So listen close, pay attention and follow orders. Or these things will kill you’ Cyclops declares.
Namor reminds Cyclops that he said he would help him, not that he wanted to follow orders. ‘The King of Atlantis does not play army’ Namor adds as he takes to the sky, telling Cyclops to stay here and make his plans, while he takes care of the things swimming towards his island. ‘Ten dollars that says if he survives…he apologizes’ Cyclops remarks, as he and the others watch Namor take a dive towards the ocean, shouting ‘IMPERIUS REX!’ as he approaches one of the Predator X’s - then strikes it, forcing it under the water, Namor pushes the creature down further and further, as it tries to roar from its jagged-toothed mouth. ‘Amazing!’ Namor exclaims.
Back on Utopia, one of the Cuckoos informs Cyclops that one of the Predator X’s is on shore now. Indeed, one of them climbs up the cliff-side, with another not too far behind. Cyclops orders those other heroes around him into two teams. ‘Hit hard and make ‘em count!’ he declares as he, Northstar, Psylocke, Magneto and the Stepford Cuckoos head off in one direction, and Wolverine, Iceman, Colossus and Boom-Boom in another. ‘Last team to gut one of these things buys the beer’ Wolverine declares.
Meanwhile, inside, Rogue and the White Queen stand with several of the Young X-Men - Anole, Mercury, Dust, Rockslide, Armor, Gentle, Surge. ‘They’re here’ the White Queen remarks. ‘Sounds like’ Rogue agrees, before Anole asks Rogue why she isn’t out there fighting as well. Rogue explains that her powers work a little different these days, and supposes Cyclops didn’t want her in the field as a potential liability. ‘And God knows we’d hate to upset Scott Summers’ the White Queen mutters, arms folded across.
Back outside, Cyclops tells everyone to be cool, explaining that he wants to try something. He tells Magneto that the Predator’s are covered with a metal skin. ‘Do you think you can -’ he begins, while Magneto, hovering in the air, declares ‘I get it, Cyclops. Monster covered with metal…meet the Master of Magnetism!’ Magneto exclaims as he begins to pull at the metal covering the Predator X with his powers, until eventually, only the creature’s flesh can be seen. ‘…well that’s horrific’ someone remarks, while Magneto looks confused. ‘I think you just made him angrier’ Northstar declares, before Cyclops orders Nightcrawler to teleport Magneto out of here.
Nightcrawler does so, before the fleshy Predator X can get him, while Northstar begins speeding around the creature and lashing out at it with swift punches: ‘Never a dull moment, huh?’ he remarks. ‘This ain’t Alpha Flight, no’ Cyclops tells the former Alphan, before ordering the first wave to fall back. ‘Iceman -’ he begins, but his fellow founding X-Man already moves towards the fleshy Predator X on an ice-sled, and covers the creature in ice, before Iceman calls out to Colossus, who suddenly drops from the top of a nearby building, ‘Incoming!’ the Russian mutant exclaims, shattering the ice at full-speed, he wraps his steel-strength arms around the creature, forcing it’s gaping mouth open. Colossus tells Boom-Boom that he is ready for her, and the former New Mutant leaps over the creature’s mouth, dropping a burst of plasma energy into it, to which Colossus releases his hold, and Iceman once more encases the Predator X in ice. ‘We’re clear!’ Colossus exclaims. ‘Three…two…one…’ Boom-Boom remarks, her traditional countdown. The creature goes wide-eyed, before it explodes in a massive display, which Iceman, Colossus and Boom-Boom walk away from with ease.
Inside, Nightcrawler is contacted by Cyclops, telling him to inform Magneto that he did good work, softening up the creature for them. ‘I think he knows…’ Nightcrawler replies, while Magneto stirs. Holding the bridge of his nose, Magneto admits that he is not a young man anymore, despite that it may feel that way sometimes. ‘I just wanted to help’ Magneto whispers, before passing out. Nightcrawler contacts Cyclops, revealing that Magneto has passed out due to overexertion. ‘And with Namor off on his own…’ Nightcrawler begins. ‘That’s our two new big guns’ Cyclops remarks, before ordering the others to stick to the plan and trust in training. ‘And find the missing Predator, dammit!’ he adds, while Wolverine lunges the other Predator on shore of Utopia, as Northstar is knocked back by the creature’s tail.
Elsewhere on the Island, the missing Predator bursts its way into one of the buildings. ‘That ain’t sounding any too good y’all’ Rogue announces, while the Young X-Men with her look around nervously. The White Queen puts a finger to her lips, as if telling everyone to be quiet, while the creature can be heard rustling about in a nearby vent.
Back underwater, Namor still struggles with the other Predator X. He admits that the creature is certainly spirited, he must confess that he is getting a little bored, when suddenly, a spear is thrown through the creature‘s head, which then goes limp. ‘Ahh. Finally’ Namor remarks, as a bearded Atlantean swims towards him, flanked by several other Atlantean warriors, the bearded one addresses Namor as his Lord and announces that he has two dozen of the finest warriors Atlantis ever bred armed and ready to alleviate the Sub-Mariner of this tiresome task.
Back on the Island, ‘Any progress, Wolverine?’ Cyclops asks as he fires an optical blast into the Predator X’s mouth. ‘You kidding me?’ Wolverine replies, while Madison Jeffries stands nearby, ‘One second’ he tells Cyclops, as he uses his transmutative power to send shards of scrap metal into the Predator X creature. The former Alphan remarks that usually he would have time to make a robot warrior or something, but Cyclops tells him that it is okay, as reinforcements have arrived, just as the wind picks up.
Indeed, the powerful X-Woman Storm hovers overhead and exclaims ‘You there! The monstrous one. We are no amused!’. Her eyes flash, and immediately following, a burst of lightning strikes the Predator X creature. Cyclops smiles and tells his long-time teammate that she always did have a knack for great entrances. Storm drops to the ground and apologizes for her lateness. ‘You wouldn’t believe my commute these days’ she jokes, referring to having to travel from the nation of Wakanda, which she rules as Queen. Cyclops blasts the creature again with his optic powers and announces that they have stunned it, before pointing out that there are still more of them. ‘Fall back, regroup and continue the battery’ he orders.
Contacting Rogue, Cyclops asks her how everyone is holding up down below. As the jagged-toothed Predator X moves towards Rogue, the White Queen and the several Young X-Men, Rogue replies ‘Not great’, while the White Queen tells Rogue to inform Cyclops they have been compromised. Rogue instead tells Cyclops to hang on, before removing her gloves and extending both her arms as she tells the seven Young X-Men to touch her. ‘All y’all right now’ she orders. The kids do as Rogue requests, and after Rogue absorbs enough of their powers as she needs, she tells them that if the Predator X drops her they are to follow the White Queen. ‘Y’all run like Hell’ she adds.
Rogue lunges at the Predator, while the Young X-Men are ushered out of the room by the White Queen, who tells Rogue that she is getting the kids to safe ground and then coming back for her. ‘Ah’ll be done or dead by the time you get back’ Rogue replies, before she continues her assault on the Predator X creature, using the combination of powers she borrowed from Anole, Dust, Mercury and the others - culminating in a final explosion which shatters the Predator X, splattering its remains all over the room. ‘We are no longer compromised. The kids are safe’ Rogue announces. ‘Ho-lee…’ Gentle remarks. ‘We can…we can do that?’ Armor asks as she and the others glimpse the action. ‘Teamwork’s a hell of thing, kids’ Rogue tells them.
Rogue informs Cyclops that they can continue waiting down here, or join him surface-side. Cyclops tells Rogue to stay safe. ‘We’ve just about - Rogue?’ Cyclops asks when he loses psychic connection. Nearby, Dazzler, Warpath and Wolverine continue their assault on the weakened Predator X creature. Back down below, Rogue announces that she has lost psychic connection with Cyclops. ‘Mindee? Other creepy blonde girls?’ Rogue calls out, before declaring that it is like the power just went out or something.
On the surface, Mindee, Celeste and Phoebe suddenly keel over in agony, and in a glorious display, the Phoenix Force suddenly flies from them and into the sky above. ‘Oh no…the Phoenix Force is leaving the girls…’ Cyclops exclaims, before Warpath calls out to him, having trouble with the Predator X creature. The creature moves towards Cyclops, teeth bared. ‘Blaze of glory, Summers. Blaze of -’ Cyclops begins, when suddenly, a bullet is fired into the creature’s head, spraying blood all over Cyclops’ face. ‘Y’all look like you needed a hand!’ exclaims the Marauder known as Scalphunter - the man who piloted the jumbo jet to Utopia.
Cyclops points at Scalphunter, as he exclaims ‘Somebody want to kill that damn thing before its healing factor brings it back to life. And get Scalphunter down here, now!’. Moments later, the White Queen walks towards Cyclops, telling him that they lost psychic contact, to which Cyclops explains that the Phoenix Force left the Cuckoos and they were knocked out. He and the White Queen rush towards the motionless girls as Cyclops explains that they collapsed and lost the psi-link. ‘Are they alive?’ the White Queen asks, before kneeling beside one of them and discovering a pulse. ‘What happened?’ the White Queen asks, to which Cyclops replies that psychics are not exactly his forte, before telling her that without the Cuckoos they need her back. ‘Without a powerful enough psychic to keep us linked together we might as well all be handcuffed’.
Cyclops tells the others that the Predators were cybernetically modified, so they need to find out who did it and why. He tells the White Queen that first thing tomorrow they are staging a psychic rescue in her mind. ‘And I want Scalphunter in the X-brig before nightfall’.
Later - nowhere - apparently a desert island, ’Th’ hell?’ Scalphunter asks as he sits beside a fire on the beach in the dead of the night, the bright moon shining down upon him. ’This isn’t real. This isn’t really happening’ declares Danger as she approaches Scalphunter.  Danger greets Scalphunter, before introducing herself. ‘Welcome to the brig. Who sent you to Utopia?’….


[Assistant]
Ghostly (1st story)<br> The End of the World and Everything After (2nd story)
First Story:
Once upon a time a girl took a ride on a bullet into outer space. It’s okay though it was a ghost bullet. And she kept it ghostly always and nobody ever got hurt. So that probably made it okay. All she had to do was keep it together forever and ever until she died. Everything would be okay. The end.
And at this very moment, Kitty “Shadowcat” Pryde lies phased in the bullet shaped starship. A tear falls from her eye - as she careens through space towards a planet.
Meanwhile, in San Francisco, on Mt Tamalpais. Erik Lehnsherr a.k.a. Magneto, the Master of Magnetism sits and concentrates. Blood trickles from his nose, and he thinks to himself ‘Once…once upon a time…when I was in outer space…I saw the most remarkable thing’.
Flashback:
Working with the High Evolutionary in space, Magneto noticed something, and alerted the High Evolutionary. Checking his monitors, the High Evolutionary announces that it is a projectile of some sort, and that the scans suggests it is phased, but there is someone inside it - a human mutant generating a phase field. He adds that it looks as though it came from Earth. ‘Do you know who this could be? Should we retrieve it?’ the High Evolutionary asks. ‘Hm’ Magneto replies, pausing. ‘No idea’ he declares, before he and the High Evolutionary return to what they were doing.
Present:
‘Of course I did. At least I assumed, and yet - and yet we had other things to do…such as save the mutant race’ Magneto thinks to himself, recalling how he put that magical, remarkable thing out of his mind, memorized the unique tastes of the metals in her phantom body, and kept track of the taste as he returned to his labours - labors that shall end today, or so Magneto hopes. ‘What is he doing?’ Scott “Cyclops” Summers asks. ‘I can’t - I still can’t get in. He’s locked me out even more, somehow. This psychic defense of his is practically impenetrable’ Emma Frost a.k.a. the White Queen replies. Scott replies that he doesn’t even understand how that is possible, and as Emma reaches out to touch Magneto, she is blocked by a force field. ‘Jeez, look at the guy. He looks bad, right? I mean - he looks really bad’ Scott exclaims.
Emma remarks that Magneto has looked better and motions to his nosebleed, before announcing that Warren is coming. Indeed, Warren “Angel” Worthington descends near his teammates, exclaiming ‘She’s coming back!’. ‘Who?’ Scott asks. ‘Oh God…I didn’t mean to read your thoughts, but you’re thinking so loud…’ Emma exclaims. ‘Kitty - Scott, Kitty’s bullet -’ Angel exclaims. ‘What?’ Scott gasps. ‘It turned around, it’s coming - it’s coming back, Scott. Kitty Pryde is coming home!’. ‘I…that’s…’ Scott begins, before turning to Magneto. ‘You’ he declares.
‘This is you, isn’t it? This is your doing. Somehow this is you!’ Scott exclaims. ‘Do you really think he’s -’ Emma begins, while Scott replies ‘Call it a hunch’ before exclaiming that they need to get back to Utopia now. He asks Emma to get Nightcrawler, ‘On it’ the telepath replies, while Angel exclaims that this is good news, but Scott quickly reminds his friend that a giant bullet is coming straight at them and it is about to be visible to anyone that decides to look up into the sky. ‘I don’t know how far away it is and how fast it’s coming home but we’re t-minus that to complete global panic!’ Scott declares.
There is a bamf as Kurt “Nightcrawler” Wagner teleports in, ‘You rang?’ he exclaims. Scott tells his friend that there is an emergency and that he needs him to take them to the X-Club straight away. ‘But I just got here’ Kurt jokes. Scott asks Emma to stay here with Magneto. ‘If his condition worsens or -’ he begins. ‘Of course’ Emma replies, while Angel asks ‘Why now? Does anyone have any idea why all this is happening now?’. ‘Yeah. I think Magneto wants to say he’s sorry…’ Scott replies as Kurt teleports he and Angel back to Utopia…
…and into the laboratory of the X-Club. ‘…but every effort at retrieval caused visions, cataplexy -’ Dr Kavita Rao remarks. ‘What if that’s because they were going for the vessel and not the cargo?’ Madison Jeffries suggests. The former Alphan adds that they are talking about the Master of Magnetism, and exclaims ‘What if he’s pulling at the ferromagnetic properties of -’, but Jeffries is interrupted by the arrival of Scott, Kurt and Warren, and Scott shouts at Doctor Nemesis, asking him for a status report: ‘Is Kitty Pryde alive?’ he exclaims. Doctor Nemesis motions to a computer reconstruction of the bullet moving through space. ‘First thing’s first’ he declares, remarking that the big bullet was racing through space, and that Cyclops and the Beast made sure they were tracking 24/7 changed direction and now it is heading to Earth at nearly the speed of light.
Scott pauses, before asking ‘How’. ‘How do I know?’ Doctor Nemesis retorts, declaring that he no longer possesses the capacity to evaluate what is and isn’t completely off-the-chars insane while dealing with the X-Men. ‘And I’m the man that spent most of his adult life hunting Nazi super clones through South America!’ Jeffries calls out to his teammate, and hands him some papers. ‘Is this accurate?’ Nemesis asks, glancing over the papers. ‘The math is right. The science is dubious. But the math is right’ Jeffries replies. ‘Damn’ Nemesis mutters, while Scott exclaims ‘What? Is she alive? Is the bullet solid or phased?’
Doctor Nemesis replies that they will know sometime tomorrow, adding that it is going so fast that by the time it is close enough to scan it will be too close to stop. ‘Everything’s going to be okay. Kitty’s coming home and Magneto’s bringing her here’ Scott tells himself. ‘Scott -’ Doctor Nemesis calls out, but Cyclops tells them to trust him on this. ‘And if you don’t - you just said yourselves - we can’t stop it. Either she’s coming home and it all works out, or she’s dead, the bullet is heading for Earth and it - and we’re all dead anyway, right?’
Jeffries suggests that they could start building an interstellar ark, but one of his teammates hushes him. ‘Sorry, yeah. Either we live or we won’t he remarks. ‘Okay, so…so let’s say I’m right and we live. How do we hide the bullet from every single long-range deep space sensor and every prying eyeball that we can for as long as we can?’ Scott asks, before telling the X-Club that their job is to avert global panic. Scott makes his way out of the lab, asking somebody to find him Dr Cecilia Reyes, as he needs a mutant-specific medical support for Magneto. ‘Scott…’ Doctor Nemesis calls out. Scott turns back to the X-Club: ‘Get it done, guys. Get me a doctor. Stop panic. Save the world. It’s an order, not a request’.
Meanwhile, somewhere over Kansas, a Blackbird jet belonging to the X-Men soars across a farmyard. ‘Are you alive?’. ‘No’. ‘Are you a vegetable?’. ‘Yes’. ‘You’re beer’ Fantomex exclaims. ‘Dammit’ Logan a.k.a. Wolverine mutters. ‘Wait a moment -’ Piotr “Colossus” Rasputin exclaims, while Betsy “Psylocke” Braddock asks Fantomex  if he considers beer a vegetable. Suddenly, Cyclops appears on the monitor, asking Fantomex where they are and how far away are they. ‘And hello to you again, Scott. Where’s the fire?’ Fantomex asks. Urgently, Scott tells Fantomex and the X-Men that he was wrong. ‘Do not stop for coffee on your way home. Don’t stop for anything. It’s Kitty. She’s coming back!’ Scott reveals, which causes Colossus to smile - and the Blackbird speeds across the sky.
On Utopia, Scott and Emma meet with Doctor Nemesis and Jeffries, who have the Stepford Cuckoos and Danger hooked up to some machinery. ‘Wow. So what‘s it do?’ Scott asks. ‘Summers, be quiet. The grown-ups are talking‘ Doctor Nemesis exclaims, while Jeffries tells him that they are going to hypnotize every deep space observation satellite that might happen to see the bullet into… ‘Well, not seeing the bullet‘. ‘Do what now?’ Scott asks. ‘Half psychic trick, half computer hack. We obfuscate the truth as though we were playing with the perceptions of a human mind -’ one of the Stepford Cuckoos explains.
‘- and I translate into the machine code equivalent of a hallucination or a hypnotic state. This modified Cerebro tower broadcasts it and we fool every satellite in the sky’ Danger remarks, hooked up to a computer. ‘Really? How does that even work?’ Cyclops asks. ’What? It works, don’t worry about it’ Jeffries assures him, adding that it will blind them too, but they already know where the bullet is headed. ’And it’ll work until everybody can just look up and see the damn thing anyway’.  ‘That’s all we need it to do’ Scott tells Jeffries, calling him by his former codename, “Box”, before congratulating the X-Club and the Stepford Cuckoos on some nice work. ‘Get it up and activated!’
Shortly, back on Mt Tamalpais, Emma continues to watch over Magneto, while telepathically communicating with Cyclops. ‘He envies you, somewhat, I think’ she remarks. ‘I haven’t - well, darling, I haven’t checked, but you don’t need to be a psychic to figure thinks like this out’ Emma tells Scott. ‘It’s your…comfort ability…with power. Poor little Scott Summers - the boy most likely to have a nervous breakdown - prepared his whole life to lead an army by everyone he ever knew and trusted. And then it’s time to grow up and lead and - and it’s an awkward fit on him, sometimes’ Emma adds.
Emma presses against Magneto’s force field once more, ‘He’s better at walking across that high wire than he knows but he’s still Scott. He still can’t help looking down and getting terrified. Then you blow in with a certainty and confidence that he’s lacked his whole life…the difference between you and him is that he has to work so hard to keep together what simply falls into your lap fully formed. And the compassion that just radiates out of the core of who Scott Summers is might as well be Chinese algebra to you…between the two of you there’s -’ the White Queen stops her thoughts, as Cyclops and Rogue appear behind her - with Dr Cecilia Reyes in tow. ‘Emma’ Scott exclaims. ‘He’s getting worse’ Emma replies, while Scott motions to Cecilia, who declares that she will do what she can. ‘But if he can’t be touched…’.
Up on the ridge, several others have arrived to see what is going on, including Cannonball, Mirage, Sunspot, Pixie and Rockslide. ‘He is a complete blank slate in there. His consciousness, personality, his ego…all singularly focused with such intensity there’s nothing but pure will that remains. It just vibrates out of him’ Emma declares. ‘What vibrates out of him?’ Scott asks.
Am I dying? Shadowcat wonders to herself.
‘”Home”’ Emma replies. ‘It’s…difficult to articulate; it’s an aggregate of thoughts, of emotions’. Dr Reyes scans Magneto with some sort of instrument, while Emma continues: ‘Home. Homecoming. Tribes. Unity. Nativity…not just the words - the concepts. The feelings they evoke, their resonant emotions’. Emma declares that Magneto is willing them all here, all together. ‘In his way…I think he wants you to see this is as much about her as it is about you and what you’ve accomplished’ Emma adds, while Nightcrawler clasps his hands together as if he is saying a prayer. ‘I don’t…I don’t know what to do with any of that, Em’ Scott replies, as he and Emma embrace.
Back on Utopia, the X-Club are speaking to Mister Fantastic over a monitor. Mister Fantastic stands in front of the rest of the Fantastic Four as he tells the X-Club that they might fool some of the satellites some of the time, but that they cannot fool his satellites ever, at any time, for any reason. ‘What the hell are you guys trying to pull?’ he asks. ‘The phase vessel that’s trapped Kitty Pryde for however-long is coming back to Earth. That’s the good news. The bad news it it’s moving at a velocity so great that -’ Doctor Nemesis begins, before Mister Fantastic interrupts: ‘- that you decided to hope Ms Pryde was still alive, that the bullet was still phased, and to conceal the thing rather than set off a panic’.
‘…you…make it sound bad when you put it like that’ Doctor Nemesis replies. ‘Well, it is, and she is. Phased and alive, I mean - congratulations, X-Men. You’re getting your man back. We’ll do what we can on our end to help smooth any feathers you manage to ruffle’ Mister Fantastic exclaims, before telling the X-Club that next time they should try asking for permission rather than apologizing after the fact. ‘It’s time your people got out of the shadows’ he adds, before ending the transmission.
Later at Mt Tamalpais, night has fallen, as more and more mutants have gathered. Standing around small fires for warmth, they all cast their eyes skyward. Suddenly, Magneto opens his eyes. ’Scott!’ someone calls out, pointing skyward, as there is a bright streak across the star-lit sky. ’There she is!’ Emma exclaims, hugging Scott, while Wolverine, Colossus, Angel, Psylocke, Rogue, Nightcrawler, Doctor Nemesis and Graymalkin stand around them.
In the sky, the bullet speeds into the atmosphere, and begins to burn up. ‘Oh no. I’m going to the wrong place. Dying shouldn’t feel this hot’ Kitty tells herself.
‘What’s happening?’ Colossus asks, concerned. As the bullet heads towards San Francisco, Magneto uses his powers to re-direct it down towards them, though he is under incredible strain. ‘Holy cats!’ Pixie gasps, as Magneto’s power goes one step further, and reaches out to Kitty herself, drawing her out of the bullet. ‘Oh my God. I’m - is this for real - am I really - is this for real - is this for really real? Am I really home?’ Kitty thinks to herself as Magneto lays her down in front of everyone. ‘Du bist tsu dar, tzatzkeleh’ Magneto utters, blood still covering his face, before he collapses at Dr Reyes’ feet. ‘Katya - Katya, Katya - my -’ Colossus exclaims as he rushes towards Kitty.
They extend their hands to each other - but Kitty passes through Colossus. ‘No - no -’ Piotr exclaims, before asking Kitty what is wrong and why she is still phased. ‘Can you -’ he begins, but Kitty points at her throat, unable to speak. ‘Oh no. This is a nightmare. Why can’t I?’ she wonders to herself. ‘What does this mean?’ colossus asks. ‘WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?’ he shouts, as everyone stares at them, and Reyes continues to check Magneto.
Later, back on Utopia. Cyclops sits alone, while in the X-Club laboratory, Shadowcat is placed into a tank, and Colossus stands outside it, pressing his hand up to hers through the glass, while Wolverine stands with Doctor Nemesis and Madison Jeffries as they tinker with the machine. Dr Rao begins to work on Magneto. The Sub-Mariner swims alongside an underwater vessel, piloted by the White Queen. They move over several Atlanteans standing in New Atlantis, as the White Queen is shown the pillar which holds up Utopia.
In one of the residential parts of Utopia, Fantomex brings Psylocke some flowers, while in San Francisco, Dazzler and Northstar have apprehended a criminal, and pose for the media while the criminal is placed into a Police wagon. In a church, Nightcrawler talks to Pixie, while on a basketball court on Utopia, founding X-Men Angel and Iceman play a game of one-on-one.
Cyclops still sits alone, when suddenly, the White Queen approaches him. Scott gets up, and he and Emma embrace, while the sun begins to rise in the distance.
Second story, narrated by Daruxus Dax:
Everybody hates this time of year but everybody loves hating anything these days. Especially if it’s something that might suggest that some people somewhere might actually be feeling something they’re not. I’ll tell you a secret though - I kind of love it. Night’s Festival. The bottom of the well. The end of the road. It’s the time of year we’re as far away from the sun as we can get. It’s the darkest, the coldest, the worst. The end of the cycle. Tomorrow it gets better, because it can’t get any darker or colder. Because today’s our rock bottom. That’s just fact. So, you know - mathematically, if nothing else - this is as bad….
A cloaked figure moves through the alien city, while listening to an announcement: ‘Repeating…I’m sorry, folks, I’m sorry - apparent reports from the deep space observation agen - God - oh God - they’re saying impact is five cycles away - five cycles until an object from space collides and - and we’re dead, we’re dying, we’re all dead - this is a complete planetary holocaust -’. The cloaked figure glances sideways and thinks to himself that this is bad as it cane get, while others begin running about in fear.
My name is Daruxus Dax. These are the last five years of my life.
I drank. didn’t pay for the bottle or anything, just - just went into the store and took whatever I wanted. I’ll tell you something I never told anyone - ever - the first night there was this kid - I was walking and drinking and -. The kid approached Daruxus Dax - who was walking past a burning shuttlecraft which seemed to be getting looted. Dax then punched the kid hard in the face, and he fell to the ground in a pool of his own blood. I threw up. Seconds after. I don’t know if it was drunk or if it was the adrenaline or the terror and shame but - but…see all night long, you’d keep telling yourself - it’s a bad dream. It’s not real. This isn’t really happening. And then I looked up…when I saw the two Police just staring at me, I knew. This was real. It’s the end of the world and nobody cared about anything anymore.
After everything went insane…after everyone and everything went completely berserk in the wake of the news…we all found ourselves in the weird place of knowing we were all going to die…later. Which wasn’t really all that different than the way things had been. We just had the exact date and time. After the world came to terms with the nightmare…the world sort of got back to work. The best it could, anyway. We had to do something. Five cycles is kind of a long time.
Walking home with a bag of groceries, Daruxus Dax tells himself that he always hated fruit, as he never had sweet tooth, but as everyone was given ration tickets every week. He leaves the can of fruit on a neighbor’s doorstep. So anyway it’s all just us left anymore to try and make things better for each other. You do what you can or you go crazy like everyone else. He walks to his house, while the neighbor reaches out and grabs the fruit.
‘Legions of the planet’s most wealthy and most privileged launch into the great beyond, seeking sanctuary on a new world that may or may not exist…. It’s been estimated that those aboard the so-called Ark Fleet are responsible for almost 40% of the world’s wealth’ a report revealed as Daraxus Dax watched the fleet leave his planet. The rich people just left. We were all alone. Sometimes we - the royal we, I mean - we as a race, as a species - sometimes we behaved very badly. And sometimes in the depths of the very worst we were capable of, you could find fleeting moments of our very best. Daraxus Dax tells himself referring to a riot.
Another can of fruit is left at the neighbor’s doorstep, and the neighbor takes it once more. It didn’t matter what we did anymore. So what we did was all that mattered. My father died. It wasn’t in riots, it wasn’t from starvation, it wasn’t from a giant, world ender meteoroid. Old guy’s heart just gave out in his sleep one night. People died just the same as they did before and it had nothing to do with anything.
In never found comfort in religion but as cycle five got closer you couldn’t avoid it. End-of-the-world cults sprang up, convinced that all we needed to do was punish ourselves hard enough, and the world ender would turn around or something. What kind of God would do this to his people? Freaks just made everything worse. Because everybody who believed something suddenly got to believe that they’d be proven right soon and somehow the rest of us had to start suffering now. The end times had a schedule and the true believers had a way out. The rest of us had to deal with it.
Daruxus Dax was carrying groceries home when he got caught in a quarrel between Police and a religious cult. He still managed to get home with a can of fruit and leave it at his neighbor’s door, and once more, the neighbor took the fruit.
Lying naked in his room, Daraxus Dax thinks to himself that it is Night’s Festival again, cycle four this time. We have one year left. I don’t want to die alone.
Winter passes. Summer fades. And Daraxus Dax decided that he wanted to see it, wanted to be there. Lots of folks went into bunkers - they built giant bunkers all over - but it seemed - well, would you rather die in a dark room underground getting crushed by a billion tons or…or in a nice park? Nobody was talking really. We were all ju - ‘Um. Excuse me. Have you - this might sound odd - have you been leaving cans of fruit outside my door? I think we’re neighbors’ someone remarks as they approach Daruxus Dax.
‘Yeah, I - they - I hate fruit. I thought - I just - why waste it?’ Daruxus Dax tells his neighbor. ‘It was…it was really kind, actually. Thank you. Why didn’t you introduce yourself?’ the neighbor asks, both staring up at the sky. ‘I don’t know. I don’t - there wasn’t a good time’ Daruxus Dax replies. ‘I don’t think you have to worry about that’ his neighbor tells him, before thanking Dax for being nice.
In the sky, Please, Kitty “Shadowcat” Pryde thinks to herself as she phases the bullet through the planet - and it passes out the other side, hurtling through space.
Daruxus Dax and his neighbor kiss. ‘Did -’ Daruxus Dax asks. ‘Hah. We live’ his neighbor exclaims as they hold hands.


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Untitled
Utopia, off the Western US seaboard, at 8:00 am, a helicopter flits towards the home of mutantkind. ‘I’m going to get drinks off the story forever. Forget Gaga. Forget Kanye. Today I’m shooting the actual X-Men!’ a young photographer called Donald Evans exclaims. ‘Hated! Feared! Highly photogenic!’ Checking her mobile phone as she sits in the seat next to him, Kate Kildare, the X-Men’s public relations manager, tells the photographer to be thankful for his gift, and reminds him that this is delicate. She remarks that if Donald’s portraits were even an inch less instant-classic than they are, he would never be aboard this chopper. ‘Sadly, I need the best, and the best is you’ Kate mutters. ‘Or at least the best that’ll answer your calls, Kate?’ Donald suggests.
Donald points out that they are nearly at Utopia, and announces he is turning off his Blackberry phone. ‘Spill. What’s the enormous life-threatening secret PR problem?’ he asks Kate. ‘Erik Lehnsherr is an X-Man’ Kate announces. ‘Erik who?’ Donald replies. ‘Magneto’ Kate tells him, and a moment later, the boy’s Blackberry falls from his hand. ‘And now you understand’ Kate declares. ‘Well, crap’ Donald mutters.
Meanwhile, in San Francisco at 8:05 am. Two well-dressed men stand behind a desk in some sort of warehouse office. ‘You’re late. We were w-’ one of them begins as two men in yellow AIM outfits enter. ‘We arrive in our own good time’ one of the AIM operatives replies, before asking the men in suits if they have the money, in unordered, unmarked bills with no primitive tracing devices. ‘As requested’ one of the men replies. One of the AIM operatives calls the other “Brother Copernicus XIV” and tells him to activate the marked bill detector. The operative opens a small casket where a device is kept, and one of the men in suits exclaims ‘Wait. John, give them the other -’, but the AIM interrupt, ‘Your petty deceit is predictable and easily countered by the uber-intellect of AIM’ one of the operatives exclaims.
‘Then you’ll…’ one of the men begins, to which the AIM operative replies that they will do what thy promised, and exclaims ‘Hail AIM!’ and raises one hand into the air, while the other  takes a briefcase. But soon, in an abandoned car parking lot, the two operatives approach a vehicle. “Marked bill detector” one of them remarks. ‘Idiots!’ he exclaims, before the other declares ‘Look who’s talking. Hydra does the “hail” thing, not AIM! And I almost cracked up when you dropped the “Brother Copernicus” line’ he adds. Entering the car, they remove their helmets, ‘A little style never hurt’ the other declares. ‘Now, we’ve played the blame AIM game. Let’s get the Hell out of town before it comes falling down!’ the other suggests.
Utopia, at 8:12 am, the chopper has landed, and Kate and Donald are greeted by Scott “Cyclops” Summers and Emma Frost a.k.a. the White Queen. Cyclops welcomes them to Utopia, and Emma announces ‘He’s clean’. ‘Huh?’ Donald asks. Scott replies that these are precautions, and informs Donald that there are only about 175 mutants left, and the vast majority live on the island, so they have to be careful. ‘Emma’s a telepath’ he explains. Emma assures Donald that she did a surface scan only, that she has not memorized his pin. ‘Just the first three digits’ she tells him. Kate tells Scott that she is sorry for the rush here, but that they need to do this ASAP, adding that she did say they needed to keep Magneto on the down-low. ‘And we have’ Scott replies.
But Kate tells Scott that helping with reconstruction work on a San Francisco building site is not strictly speaking “on the down-low”. Kate adds that she is not even going to mention India, that instead she is just going to roll her eyes. But Scott tells Kate that he does not recall seeing any stories. ‘Thanks a lot to yours truly’ Kate replies, while Donald takes some photos of the surrounding area. Kate explains that someone sold shaky cam-phone footage to one of the papers, but she managed to get them to kill the story, in exchange for exclusive on a better reveal. ‘Lots more access, lots more material. And a big X-Men story down the line’ Kate adds. Walking past the large meeting room, Scott asks if that was necessary.
‘Yes, it was’ Kate replies. ‘If they break it, they get to define the story. They define the story, and it’s pitchforks on a national scale’ Kate exclaims, pointing out that if the X-Men define the story and maybe they can just sell the world’s most infamous mutant terrorist sitting on an island off San Francisco as the sort of thing only crazies would get their pitchforks out over. Scott tells Kate that he understands, and informs her that he has talked Erik into sitting for her, but warns her that it will not be easy, as Magneto is old school. Cyclops opens a door and tells Donald to go straight in, as Magneto is waiting. Donald hesitates, and Kate calls back to him, ‘Professionalism, remember’ she calls back, assuring him that Magneto is not going to kill him. ‘Tell that to New York’ Donald mumbles.
City Hall, San Francisco at 8:57 am. Mayor of San Francisco Sadie Sinclair is having a conference call with someone. ‘Yes, there was a shake ten minutes back. A tiny one. You’re in California. It barely coun…you did what?’ she exclaims. Muffin in one hand, coffee in the other, Sadie looks at her watch and exclaims ‘…and we have an hour and change. No, this doesn’t go to the Avengers. This is the West Coast. We support the local community. I’ve got to get on this. Bye’. Sadie picks up her cellular and tells herself that with corporate heads like this anarcho-syndicalism just looks better and better. ‘Scott. Are you doing anything for the next hour, or do you feel like earning the unending gratitude of the Western Seaboard’s first civic center?’ Sadie exclaims.
Sadie tells Cyclops that AIM scientists have been extorting money directly from San Francisco corporations, and say that unless they pay, they will precipitate an enormous earthquake at 10:00 am today. Sadie informs Scott that the AIM demonstrated the technology with a few small quakes over the last few days, and adds that governments are reluctant to make deals, but corporations, however look at the graphs and she figured it would be prudent.
On Utopia, Kitty “Shadowcat” Pryde waves goodbye to her teammates as Cyclops and the White Queen, accompanied by Wolverine a.k.a. Logan and Piotr “Colossus” Rasputin race to the Blackbird jet. Inside, Scott finishes relaying the information to his teammates, explaining that they paid, and now the AIM agents have disappeared, so it is only now that the authorities hear about it, and hand it over to the X-Men. Scott declares that they have an hour to find these lunatics and their device, before they cause enough havoc to make whatever insane point they are trying to articulate. ‘A whole hour? You interrupted my breakfast for this, Slim? Do you think we’re slowing down or something?’ Logan asks casually as the Blackbird takes flight.
‘No, I think it’s highly unlikely that I’ll “smile for the camera”!’ Magneto exclaims as he sits on a sofa as if it were a throne, while his helmet hovers at his side and a piece of metal is tossed about around him. ‘Take a break, Donald’ Kate tells the young man as he tries to photograph Magneto. Donald goes over to his bag, while Kate looks at the metal and asks ‘So…what is that?’ Magneto replies that it is a fragment of the Breakworld bullet which he destroyed, and remarks that it fascinates him. Kate reveals that she has read the file, and sits opposite Magneto, ‘So - a weapon of mass destruction that threatened everyone on the Earth stopped by the force of your will and now can be anything you want it to be? That’s an interesting idea’ Kate exclaims.
Magneto says nothing, he just stares at the bullet fragment, using his power to alter its shape. ‘Hint-hint’ Kate exclaims. Magneto smiles and tells Kate that she is clever, for a human. ‘That’s -’ Kate begins, ‘A joke!’ Magneto assures her. Kate replies that she knows, but that it is the sort of joke that they are going to have to dial back on for a while. ‘There’s ways to make this work. We just need to prepare’ she tells Magneto. ‘Very well. What do you have in mind?’ Magneto asks.
At the meeting place, 9:10 am, Logan is on the ground and calls back to the Blackbird which hovers overhead, announcing that he has a scent. ‘Try to keep up’ he exclaims.
Shortly, at the abandoned base, 9:27 am, the four X-Men enter, and Cyclops announces that it has been cleared out. ‘They’ll have left in a vehicle’ he tells Emma, who tells her lover that she is ahead of him, and using her vast psychic power, announces that she has picked an image of the vehicle from an unfortunate homeless gentleman who has been across the street all morning, and has traced it all across town via observant traffic police. Emma adds that according to a delightful old lady sitting on her porch, the vehicle is heading into a private airport across the bay.
On Utopia, in the X-Club lab at 9:31 am, Kitty communicates with Cyclops and the others, informing them that she skipped the bureaucracy and hacked straight into the airport’s systems, revealing that a private jet on the north most strip is “owned” by a fake corporation, and is cleared to take off in fifteen minutes - just in time to avoid their quake. ‘Good work, Kitty. We’re in transit’ comes the reply.
In the Blackbird, which is in transit, at 9:32 am, Scott asks Emma if there are any crew aboard the plane. ‘Not that I can sense’ Emma replies. ‘Good’ Scott declares, before contacting Namor, ‘You’ve got the coordinates, Namor. Activate’ Scott announces.
At 9:32 am, off the coast, Namor the Sub-Mariner activates.
Back on Utopia, ‘Okay, this is what I was thinking…’ Kate begins as she reaches into her bag, and pulls out some sort of electronic device, which has a mocked-up image of Magneto on it. ‘The helmet’s aggressive, but it’s so iconic it’s untouchable as far as I’m concerned. But I figured…a simple change, but obviously symbolic. Red screams blood, revolution. In the US, communism. White is traditionally the sign of peace, maturity…’ she begins, but Magneto look at the image of him in a mocked-up white costume, and exclaims ‘Surrender’. ‘Eri - Magneto. We’ve got to find a way to make you less scary’ Kate exclaims, adding that what they have on their side is that he was - is - so incendiary. ‘You scared people by what you said almost as much as what you did’ she remarks.
‘I mean, the Magneto Was Right t-shirts? Classic. You’re a revolutionary style icon. You’re Che Guevara. And you’re alive. And you’re now an X-Man. What does that mean?’ Kate asks. Magneto frowns and looks at Kate, who tells Magneto that the line she is thinking is that he has not gone back on anything he has said. ‘It’s America and the world that’s changed. We’re all mutants and humans both - making progress. Mutants aren’t as hated anymore’ she reminds him, touching his shoulder, Kate explains that by accepting him, they make themselves feel better about themselves. ‘They’re reasonable, accepting, nice people’ Kate exclaims/ Magneto gets up out of the chair and replies ‘That’s not true. I won’t say it’. Kate explains to Magneto that he doesn’t have to, as she is hired to lie for him. ‘What is wrong with them being petrified of me?’ Magneto asks, declaring that they should be afraid. ‘There’s scared and there’s scared. We’ve put it off for long enough. Let’s talk about New York’ Kate replies.
9:35 am, ‘Oh hell!’ one of the AIM operatives gasps as they drive towards their jet - which suddenly explodes before them. ‘Imperius Rex!’ Namor exclaims as he hovers over the wreckage. ‘Okay, plan B. Deep cover. Personality overwrites. We have to trust the Club to get us out of jail afterwards’ one of the men remarks, adding that he hopes the X-Men do not kill them when they find out what is really going on. ‘They may. But if we just surrender, the Club will’ the other points out. They put their AIM helmets on, ‘In science we trust!’ one of them exclaims. ‘The nanobrains will not defeat us!’ he adds.
Back on Utopia, ‘Okay, how are we going to explain this?’ Kate asks as she looks at footage of Magneto tearing up New York City. ‘It was an imposter. It wasn’t me’ Magneto replies matter-of-factly. Kate replies that she knows the whole story, but tells Magneto to listen to himself: “It wasn’t me” she quotes. ‘Even my mom didn’t fall for that one, and I practiced it a lot’ she remarks. Magneto asks how he could have done it, and declares that they know that, and should not forget it. ‘As I said, I have no problem in humans being afraid of me’ Magneto declares, before asking if it is better to be loved or feared. ‘Machiavelli knew the answer and so do I…’.
Kate replies that she knows that it is feared, because people who love you can hope for forgiveness if they betray you. ‘I’m PR. I’ve read Machiavelli, Erik. I’ve dated guys with Machiavelli tattoos. But remember the rest…it’s best to be loved and feared. That’s what I’m about’ she declares. Magneto holds up a hand and exclaims that this is not PR, that this is propaganda. ‘And it leaves a sour taste -’ he begins, but Kate interrupts, telling him that is what public relations is. Kate explains that “PR” was coined by Edward Bernays in the ‘20s, and “propaganda” had somehow picked up a bad reputation in the war, so he started calling it PR instead.
Kate goes over to Magneto and puts another hand on his shoulder, and exclaims ‘Plain brilliant rebranding: Something everyone with an ounce of sanity despises transformed into something just about palatable. Even necessary. That’s what we’ve got to do to you. We have to make this work. And if you don’t, you need to leave this island immediately’ Kate declares. Magneto grits his teeth, and Kate warns him that if he stays, everyone is dead. ‘Sooner or later, you’re going to attract something even you can’t stop’ she exclaims.
9:40 am, the battle at the airport has begun! ‘Ideas are indestructible!’ one of the AIM soldiers exclaims as they both fire weapons, but the blasts just bound off Colossus. ‘Perhaps. But men and their machines? Less so’ Piotr exclaims. ‘Precisely, Colossus’ Cyclops agrees as he unleashes a powerful optic blast at the agents. Colossus, Wolverine and Namor race toward them, ‘Your arrogance sickens me, beekeeper. Only Namor has the ability to make the Earth move!’ the Sub-Mariner boasts as he tosses his opponent about with ease. Namor adds that he reserves that privilege for one woman at a time, unless they have experimental friends. The agents are defeated and the X-Men stand over them, with Cyclops asking Emma to find out how to turn off the earthquake device, as they only have fifteen minutes.
Emma touches the head of one of the agents and announces that, surprisingly for such spoddy little men, they have telepathic shields. ‘Yes, and as brave servants of AIM, we will never talk. We will -’ he boasts, stopping mid-sentence as Wolverine unsheathes his claws. ‘The device. Turn it off’ Scott orders. ‘We…can’t the AIM operative replies. ‘Oh, you can’ Logan declares. Wide-eyed, the anxious operative declares that they can’t, as they never had an earthquake generator. ‘We had a limited prediction machine. It had divined a series of microshakes heralding a larger one. A huge one’ he explained, revealing that they just used the information to extort funding, and help their standing. ‘It doesn’t hurt to make people think you can cause earthquakes…’ he declares. Scott turns to Emma and urgently tells her to warn everyone.
On Utopia, Kate tells Magneto that this is not his style, but he needs to swallow it, as this is about mutants. ‘That’s all you care about, yeah? Let me lie for - am I the only one hearing Emma’s voice in my head?’ Kate exclaims. Magneto replies that his helmet prevents such intrusions and asks what Emma is saying. ‘A major earthquake hitting in minutes. Oh, God’ Kate exclaims. ‘I see’ Magneto remarks, before announcing that he will see what he can do. ‘Uh…earthquake. As in, the earth, quaking?’ Kate points out. ‘Surely you can’t do anything?’ she asks. Magneto heads to a window and points out that buildings have an underlying metallic structure, which he can support across the greater bay area. Magneto adds that there is enough ferrous deposits in the mantle that he thinks he can smooth the changes a little. ‘You can do that? Really?’ Kate asks as Magneto flies away from Utopia.
Over the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, 9:57 am. Magneto hovers over the bridge, several cars float around him as his power echoes out over the city in spectacular display.
Later, ‘Nice. And thank you’ Kate exclaims as Magneto soars back into the room on Utopia, where Kate and Donald are waiting for him. ‘For making your task just a little easier?’ Magneto asks. ‘I think I got my shot. I’ll go now’ Donald announces, while Kate tells Magneto that he made her job easier, and increased property values across the bay by several points. Kate informs Magneto that she just received her hundredth email requesting an interview with Magneto, and assures him that she is refusing them all, but they should work on a statement or press release. ‘Call me Erik. And do and say what you will. I trust you. Use your power, Kate. I will use mine. And I think everyone will understand…that was my press release’ Magneto announces.