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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

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Grounded Forever
Panicked, Sunspot and Magma run through darkened city streets. Looking around, Magma announces that there is no sign of pursuit. Perhaps they have eluded them. Roberto tells her not to bet on it and drags her down a subway tunnel. Downstairs, the gate is locked. Roberto powers up and pulls the gate aside, while Amara warns him that he dare not exhaust his sun-fuelled powers at night. He snarls back at her not to mother-hen him. They’re in luck, he announces a moment later. He recalls that Mirage told them to split up. Forces the bad guys to do the same. Makes the odds more even, gives them all a better chance.
Nice idea, comes a voice from the approaching train. Too bad they are ahead of her. It is Scalphunter of the Marauder, standing on the front part of the train. He shoots Sunspot with his rifle.
He’s dead! Amara shouts horrified. Yep, comes the reply, and she’s next! Magma powers up and fires a lava blast at him, which the villain dodges. She plans to create a volcano beneath him next, but Scalphunter didn’t come alone. Vertigo uses her vertigo effect to create nausea and dizziness in Amara. Scalphunter fires again, though the shot doesn’t kill.
Scrambler next kisses Amara. Disgusted Amara shoves him aside, shouting they should have slain her when they had the chance. But they did, Scrambler retorts. She just doesn’t know it yet. Magma powers up. But as Scramber has scrambled her power, her flame consumes her instead of others.
Up above her, the other New Mutants hear a scream of agony as there is a volcanic eruption. Dani spells out what the others don’t dare. The Marauders nailed Amara and probably Sunspot with her. While the others are horrified, Illyana Rasputin seems bored, announcing that this is stupid. She has got lots of better things to do.
Behind her, from the shadows someone suggests she keep the pose and the attitude. But before Sabretooth can slice her, Illyana teleports away, not interested in continuing this any longer.
Dani orders Karma to possess the Marauder. She tries but finds the villain’s will formidable. She fears she can’t hold him long.
Doug cries a warning as he sees another Marauder not too far away. It is Harpoon who hurls one of his eponymous weapons at Karma. Warlock steps in between the harpoon and Karma, but the weapon fries his system. Douglas runs to his aid, while Wolfsbane attacks Sabretooth and Cannonball flies towards Harpoon. Dani shouts after him to hurry back. They need to find a better place to make their stand.
Sabretooth hurls Wolfsbane way and then hurries after her to finish her off. Cannonball doesn’t even reach his quarry as suddenly the world turns topsy-turvy for him. He crashlands thanks to Vertigo. Arclight next uses one of her shockwaves to collapse a building on the mutants. Only Dani escapes. Before she can take in the horror, Sabretooth dangles the dying Wolfsbane before her. Muttering, asking her forgiveness, Rahne dies and Sabretoth hurls her down like a rag doll.
Scalphunter gets ready to kill Dani too. Dani threatens she can take his heart’s desire or greatest fear and bring it to life. Trouble is, he leers, that he confronts his fears instead of running and his heart’s desire is doing what he does best. And he fires.
A moment later, the Danger Room returns to normal and the mutants slowly get up. Program ended, their headmaster Magneto announces from the observation booth. He orders them on their feet. They are none of them dead, though they may feel like it and perhaps before he is done they may wish they were. He floats down with his magnetic powers. Sunspot silently sulks that Magneto probably wouldn’t have fared any better.
Cypher moans that he’s never been through so real a Danger Room exercise. Lucky this was only a test. He is missing the point, Sam observes. They failed.
Elapsed time of exercise. 327 seconds, Magneto tells them. Barely five minutes. Result, termination of all student participants. Opposing casualties, minor and cosmetic. Hardly a performance to be proud of. What does he expect, Roberto demands. That was a top-line X-Men training session. Is not he the one who constantly maintains that they are the equal of the school’s senior team? Magneto asks icily.
When the Marauders first attacked, they were told to remain on school grounds for their own safety. They chose to defy that command. And thereby placed their lives, and possibly the X-Men’s, in jeopardy. This training sequence, these simulacrums of the Marauders are derived from the X-Men’s own encounters with them. Today’s exercise, he trusts, gives them an idea of how they would have fared. Xavier’s school is here not simply to teach them the proper use of their power, but also to help them learn about life and through the difficult transition from youth to adulthood. Their actions have proved how far they have yet to go.
Karma states that the blame is hers. The mutants defied Magneto’s orders to rescue her. He understands, but replies that is not an excuse. He expected better of them all. He thought he could trust them, count on them. He was mistaken. Consequently, they are all restricted to the school grounds until they prove themselves able to act with appropriate maturity and responsibility. Suddenly, he notices that only eight are present. Where the devil is Magik?!
“Where the devil” is appropriate as Magik is in her magical realm of Limbo, again fighting S’ym for control. He may have numbers on his side, she snarls, but she has the power. So what? he replies amused and suggests she take a good look at herself. Even when she wins, she loses. What matters, is the winning, she snarls and slices him apart.
The demons are gone. She destroyed him, she realizes. But it was too quick, too easy. She wanted him to suffer. Just to make sure, she’ll leave her Soulword implanted in the ground, to keep the creep from ever returning. She teleports back to Earth and one of the flowers reveals itself o be S’ym. Nice try, but no cigar, he mocks.
Back home, in the room she shares with Kitty Pryde, Illyana sees her reflection in the mirror, she has become the Darkchilde, the outward manifestation of the evil in her soul. She shakes it off. Sadly, she realizes that using her black magic against S’ym is changing her. She is drowning inside. More and more certain that’s the real her and this the illusion.
She looks at a snapshot of her and Kitty. She needs her. But Kitty is with her brother in the hospital an ocean away from here. Wounded, dying, and for all her powers there is nothing Illyana can do to save her. She breaks down crying.
Elsewhere, Dani is caring for her winged Asgardian stallion Brightwind. She talks to her horse, telling him about the future she experienced, a utopia for mutants where human were treated worse than animals. How can she change that future? Brightwind sniffs. Company.
Dani turns around to find Rahne. The younger admits that in the future she saw, Dani and Sam were the sole survivors and a lifetime of war had made that Dani cruel beyond imagining. How can she prevent that world where all mutants are murdered from coming to pass? Same way she will Dani replies, by taking life a day at a time and hoping for the best
She gets up on Brightwind and drags Rahne up behind her. They fly upwards. Below them they see Sam and Bobby who is trying to teach his best friend the art of soccer. He calls up at the girls not to forget their game this afternoon. Dani promises to be there and “whup” them good. That’ll be the day, Bobby snorts.
Magneto watches their banter from his office window. He wonders whether he was too harsh to them, but reminds himself it was for their own good.
Karma knocks and he asks her to enter. Acting as school secretary again, she tells him she has finished his correspondence. These letters require his signature. He praises her work. On the desk, she sees their evaluation report cards. After yesterday’s debacle, they have probably all failed.
She then addresses him about her missing siblings, Nga and Leong. They disappeared the day the Marauders attacked. Magneto assures her he is doing everything possible to find them.
Unusually forcefully, Shan replies that it is not enough. She wishes to search for them herself. Out of the question, he replies. Must she stand idly by without even trying to help? she asks. Perhaps he can abandon those he loves. She cannot! And if the Marauders are involved? he asks. Would she fare any better against them in reality than she did in the Danger Room? He asks for her trust and acceptance that his dictates are for the best. Shan closes the door. She understands him, but she refuses to accept.
Magneto muses that Shan’s siblings may also be mutants. Cerebro’s system may be able to detect them. It was destroyed by Sabretooth when he attacked the mansion. He tries to repair it magnetically and fails.
A little later, he stands in front of Illyana’s room. On the door are signs like “Beware of demons” and “knock before entering – Danger”. Those signs might be seen on any teenager’s door, he muses. In Illyana’s case, however, the warnings are serious.
He changes his suit to his costume and enters her darkened room. He tells her he has a problem and was wondering if she could help him resolve it. He is headmaster. That means he is responsible for them all. But what is he to do with a student who deliberately flouts his authority. If he tolerates such behavior, he loses all respect. If he responds the wrong way, he might well drive the student away.
Keeping her back to him, Illyana suggests he could force obedience. Does being the strongest automatically give one the right to force obedience? Magneto asks as he sits down next to her. Without power you are always the victim, she replies. Is that what she wishes to be? he asks. Does he think he can beat her? she asks with a devilish grin. That isn’t why he is here. Why doesn’t he just leave her alone? she demands. He can’t help. He has to try, Magneto insists.
Then maybe he’d better see what he is up against. She lights the room. In the light, the room is full of demonic sigils and symbols. She is merely showing her true colors, she mocks. He refuses to believe that. Suit yourself, she replies. But the New Mutants know the truth, and so do Kitty and her brother Peter. They know her for what she truly is. Maybe she is tired of trying to hide it. She only did it for Peter and Kitty’s benefit anyway and once they die, there is no more point. With all her power, she can’t help the two she loves best. She can’t help herself. She can’t help anyone.
She teleports the two of them to Limbo, where she takes on her Darkchilde look. Because, she continues, if she heals them, the cure is sure to prove worse then the disease. It’ll be tainted and twisted by the evil that’s a fundamental part of her.
Magneto is surprised at Limbo, which looks lovely. She wonders why she even bothers. The harder she tries to heal the land or herself, the more she seems to win her war with S’ym, the more she loses herself to the dark side of her soul. Peter and Kitty are her balance, they anchor her to humanity. Without them, she is done.
Easy solution, comes the suggestion from S’ym. Leave Limbo to him. He reaches out for her. That’s her decision to make, Magneto replies and holds him fast in a magnetic field. He offers to destroy S’ym for Illyana. Her welfare is his responsibility. But Limbo and this mess are her responsibility, she replies. She has to take care of her own problems, doesn’t she? And the way she does it is as important as what she chooses to do. That’s what he old her. She tells him to let S’ym go. She’ll find a better way to beat him.
With that, she turns back to her human self. She teleports both of them back. Magneto tells her that they both have demons in their souls. Hers have a physical being as well and can be confronted directly, but his are no less fearsome. They have both done things that will mark them forever, that cannot be undone or forgotten and may never be atoned for. Their choice is to be overwhelmed by them and let their past dictate their present and future, her to be the demon sorceress and he the evil mutant… or they can accept what they were and are and go on regardless. Learning and growing as they do. She hugs him. They could lose, she remarks. Does that mean they should not try? he asks.
From outside, Sam calls up to Illyana, reminding her that the soccer game is about to start. Is she part of the team or what? You betcha, she cries back and grabs her gear. She thanks Magneto and teleports downstairs. His pleasure, he replies. It’s why he is there and why it makes him proud that she has decided to stay.


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[Assistant]
Flying Wild!
‘They stink! All of them stink! Rats!’ exclaims Samuel “Sam” Guthrie a.k.a. Cannonball, co-leader of the young New Mutants as he blasts around his bedroom trying to find something to wear. Posters of Sam’s inter-stellar rock star girlfriend Lila Cheney line his walls as he holds up one shirt to his friend and teammate Doug “Cypher” Ramsey and asks him what he thinks of it. Doug assures Sam that he looks fine, and points out that it is just a party, before reminding Sam that Lila has seen him before.
Sam replies that this is not just any party, but a party to launch Lila’s new album, so it is really important to her. Sam cringes at his old-fashioned country-bumpkin clothes. ‘No sense of style!’ he exclaims in anguish as he wonders once more what he is going to wear. Pulling off the shirt, Sam mutters that he doesn’t want to embarrass Lila in front of her rock world friends - as they are pretty sophisticated-international - intergalactic even! Sam rubs his head and tells Doug that he is scared stiff that someday Lila is going to notice he doesn’t fit in and then he will lose her.
Meanwhile, down the hall in another of the rooms belonging to the New Mutants at the Xavier School, Illyana “Magik” Rasputin checks herself out in a mirror, and her teammate Danielle “Dani” Moonstar a.k.a. Mirage tells her that her outfit isn’t bad, but that it still needs something else. Standing in a corner of the room, Rahne “Wolfsbane” Sinclair exclaims that Dani and Illyana have already tried on everything they own - five times! Mirage replies ‘Not quite’ to her best friend as she rummages through a pile of clothes until she finds what she is looking for - a pink feather boa.
Rahne goes over to the radio when a special announcement comes on. The creature dubbed Bird Boy, rescued from an ice floe in the North Atlantic last week remains in quarantine on Governors Island off Manhattan pending shipment to the research laboratory… ‘Poor thing!’ exclaims Rahne, wondering if Bird Boy is a mutant or something else. ‘All alone in that chilly tower!’ she remarks, until Mirage switches the radio off, telling her best friend to forget it as it is probably a publicity stunt.
Mirage exclaims that this party is a big deal and points out that after all the worrying about Sunspot and  Warlock that they have done they deserve some fun. ‘One desperate, mindless fling before midterms!’ Dani exclaims as she hands Illyana the pink feather boa, adding that tonight they can just thinks about music, dancing and clothes. ‘Fresh! Absolutely…fresh!’ Illyana exclaims admiring herself.
Mirage turns to Rahne and asks her if she isn’t getting dressed. ‘I am dressed! Rahne replies. Dani and Illyana lean in towards Rahne and Dani tells Rahne that she cannot go in like that. ‘Your hair is punk, but…’ ‘Only cause it won’t grow!” Rahne remarks. Dani asks Rahne if she doesn’t like any of these clothes, and offers her to wear her new sequined sweater. Rahne exclaims that it would be like dressing a goose in peacock feathers, and adds that it is not unstable molecules. Rahne asks what would happen if they had to use their powers, and as she transforms into her lupine form she points out that the dress she is wearing now is made from unstable molecules, but the sweater isn’t and she might rip it.
‘Good grief! We’re going to a party, not a battle! You won’t have to shift forms!’ Magik exclaims. Danielle suggests that, for once, they forget they are mutants have normal, ordinary fun, before asking Rahne if she could look like anything, what would it be? Rahne looks suspect as DanI draws from her friend[‘s mind an illusion of what she wants to look like. ‘Ah ha!’ DanI exclaims as she sees Rahne in a orange dress. Angry, Rahne tells Danielle that she shouldn’t have done that, as it was her dream and she could never look like that. ‘Pulling dream images is what I do, kid!’ Mirage replies, while Illyana mutters ‘The Cinderella look, hmmmm…’ before declaring that it is kinda Fifties and that it could be funky. Illyana then disappears via a Stepping Disk…
…and re-appears moments later, ‘Try this!’ she exclaims, handing Rahne an orange dress, just like the one seen in her dream image. Rahne hugs the dress and exclaims that it is beautiful, before asking Illyana where she got it from - before handing it back to her. Illyana asks Rahne why she won’t wear it, to which Rahne points out that she teleported for it. ‘It comes from Limbo - that Godless dimension with demons and sorceries!’ Magik asks Rahne if she is afraid that the dresses merest touch will corrupt her, before reminding her that she was raised in Limbo. ‘I come from there, too!’
Rahne replies that she knows, and that it is tempting, really, but that Reverend Craig said they must put temptation behind them. ‘Temptation? Rahne, it’s just a dress!’ Illyana exclaims as she angrily snatches it back, until Mirage tells her to cool it, as Rahne cannot help how she was raised any more than she can. Dani hands the dress back to Rahne assuring her that Magik wouldn’t have brought it here if it could hurt her, and suggests that she pretends Illyana is her fairy godmother or something. Rahne looks unconvinced, so Dani asks her to at least try it on.
Meanwhile, out on the porch, Doug stands dressed in a gray suit, while Sam is in tight jeans and a black leather vest and declares that he looks more like he is going to a Halloween party. Sam wishes that Bobby was here, as he always knew how to dress. Doug assures Sam that Bobby will be back soon, and  Warlock too. ‘Magneto says so!’ Doug smiles and points out that, until then, the two of them are the only guys left, so they should stick together. ‘I’ll even hold your trick-or-treat bag!’ Doug jokes, before apologizing, then motioning to the fancy car that pulls up the drive. ‘Your girlfriend sure does things in style!’ Doug gasps as Sam begins to fly back inside, muttering ‘Sure wish I did’ as he exclaims that he has to get the girls.
Dani, Illyana and Rahne approach Sam, who then crashes into a wall. Illyana and Rahne laugh while Dani helps her fellow co-leader up asking if he is all right. Sam replies that he is okay, as nothing hurts him when he is blasting. Illyana and Rahne walk outside, and Doug smiles upon seeing Rahne all dressed up in the orange gown. Rahne looks all coy as Magik whispers to her ‘I guess temptation has its places, huh, Rahne?’
Suddenly, Magneto comes out onto the porch to inspect his five young charges. He tells Rahne that her dress is beautiful and that she looks very beautiful in it. He remarks that Dani is very stylish, but is at a loss for words when it comes to Illyana’s outfit. ‘It’s punk, sir! It’s supposed to look like this, really!’ Illyana explains, before pointing out that Sam is going for the same look. Magneto remarks that times have indeed changed since he was a boy, before informing the New Mutants that he still expects them home by one am. ‘ONE?!!’ the New Mutants exclaim in unison. Magneto smiles, before reminding them that as Headmaster he must make the rules as he sees fit, before telling his wards to have a good time and try to behave like ladies and gentlemen.
Soon, in Lower Manhattan. Glancing out the window of the car, Rahne points to the island where Bird Boy is being held. Rahne remarks that the club is really close, and suggests that Illyana could teleport them to the island. Mirage tells Rahne that they would only cause trouble and that they would end up ripping their clothes or something. Magik agrees, and points out that Bird Boy is probably being quarantined for a good reason. Cannonball tells Rahne to cheer up and assures her that they will talk about it tomorrow. ‘Tomorrow. Tonight we party!’ Cypher reminds Rahne that the Bird Boy is valuable science, so his captors wouldn’t hurt him. ‘And what could happen there in one night?’…On the island, the mysterious Bird Boy lets out a mighty squawk…..
Minutes later, ‘That’s a rolls!’ ‘Who can they be?’ ‘Rock stars?’ ‘I think I saw her in a movie!’ gasp the crowds of people outside the club as the New Mutants pull up and step out of the car. Magik tells Sam not to let the bouncer psyche him out, and reminds him that they have invitations. Sam swaggers past the bouncer without even giving him a look and waves the invitation in his face. ‘Way to go!’ whispers Illyana, as Mirage jokes that they will make a rock groupie out of Sam yet. Entering the club, the five young heroes stand in the doorway and look in. Rahne exclaims that it is beautiful, but very lout and very crowded. Sam agrees before reminding his friends that Lila said she would meet them here, so he wonders where she is.
Nearby, the glamorous Lila Cheney remarks to a man dressed in blue ‘No one invited you, Raek! Before asking him if he tricked himself in like usual, before telling him that, for old times sake, that she will not cause a scene by having him removed - unless he makes trouble. Lila tells Raek to dance, eat, drink and have a good time - but that he needs to get it through his thick Zyndarian skull that she is not interested in him or his propositions. With that, Lila storms off, and Raek calls out as she goes. Ignoring him, Lila sees her boyfriend and rushes over to him - only to be surprised at his new appearance. ‘What did you do to yourself?’ she asks.
‘Oh well, I’ve been known to change my look occasionally, too!’ Lila jokes before kissing a pleased Sam on the lips, before telling him that after they kiss he needs to come and dance with her, as she wants to show him off. ‘Dance…?’ Sam asks worriedly as he is led on to the dance floor, thinking to himself that he doesn’t match what Lila is wearing, and that she must hate the way he looks now.
Shortly, Rahne and Doug stand against a wall, and Rahne remarks that Dani and Illyana both seem to be having fun. Doug agrees, before asking Rahne if she wants to dance. Rahne replies that she can’t, as she doesn’t know how. ‘Reverend Craig thought dancing was sinful!’ Doug replies that he supposes this place is full of sinners, before admitting that he doesn’t know how to dance either and asks Rahne if she wants to check out the upstairs. Rahne replies that it would be lovely, before asking if they could eat first, as she is starving.
The two head over to the tables covered in foods and Doug asks Rahne if Reverend Craig ever told her that gluttony was a sin. ‘Why he - oh, you!’ Rahne exclaims, realizing Doug is only joking. Rahne motions across the table where she sees the man who was arguing with Lila standing with several others and glaring at Cannonball. Rahne realizes that the man is not speaking English and asks Cypher what it is he is saying. ‘How should I know?’ Doug replies. ‘Your mutant power is figuring out languages, isn’t it?’ Rahne remarks. Doug grins and reminds Rahne that Magneto said to act like a gentleman, so it is not polite to eavesdrop.
‘Tough! Do it!’ Rahne exclaims, shaking a fist at Doug. ‘Okay, okay! You convinced me!’ Doug replies, and begins concentrating on the brightly-dressed strangers. The strangers are commenting on people at the party, and mentioning many non-Earth names. Doug turns back to Rahne and reports this to her - meaning whatever language it is they are speaking, it is not from Earth. He reveals that they know Lila is a teleporter and the certainly do not like Cannonball, before adding that the bristle-leaded guy is jealous and he thinks he wants Lila for himself.
Doug and Rahne carry their food they have gathered upstairs, and Doug exclaims that he would like to see the stranger take Lila away from Sam, before suggesting to Rahne that they forget about it and start eating! Raek and the other strangers continue talking in their language, and Raek remarks that Lila’s companion may be a small cog, ‘But he’s wrecking my machinery!’ Raek reminds his comrades that he needs Lila, but with Cannonball around, she isn’t interested in what he has to offer. Raek declares that they have twenty four Earth hours before the jewels are destroyed, so Lila is their last hope. ‘But don’t worry - he won’t be in our way for long’!
With that said, Raek goes over to where Cannonball and Lila are dancing, and as Lila remarks that Sam is looking happier now, to which Sam replies that once you get used to dancing, it isn’t that bad, when you get used to it, Raek then drops some small balls on the floor - which Sam slips on as he begins to say that he is getting the hang of things, except he crashes into several other people and they all end up in heap on the floor. Lila laughs and tells Sam that what he did was an incredible move, and adds that he never does what is expected, does he.
Sam rubs his head and mutters that he thinks he needs another drink, as Raek grins at one of his companions and whispers that it is now time for phase two. While Lila continues to dance with someone else, Sam walks away glumly, telling himself that he was trying as hard as he could, and supposes that he is lucky he didn’t kill anyone with that move he made, before wondering if his real mutant power is having two left feet.
One of Raek’s female companions approaches Sam, telling him that she saw what happened out there, and offering him a drink remarks that it looks like he needs it more than she does. Sam thanks the woman, before cracking open a can of Pepsi and informing that this is all he drinks. The woman frowns, and in her native tongue, mutters to Raek that it didn’t work, so what are they to do now. Raek grits his teeth and tells his associate to leave it to him.
Raek walks over to Sam and asks ‘Lila’s your girl, huh?’ Glumly, Sam replies that she is - or at least was, because after tonight, he thinks that she will probably never wanna see him again. ‘Yeah, girls like her - they like sophisticated guys!’ Raek exclaims. ‘Guys who’ll try new stuff, who’ll show them a good time!’ Raek adds that he means no offense as he tells Sam that he is looking real mopey. Raek extends his hand to Sam, and in it are some green pills. Raek tells Sam to take them as they will make him feel better. ‘You feel better, you act better, you dig?’
Sam replies that he doesn’t want them, before looking back over at Lila dancing with some other guy, and Raek remarks that he thinks Lila is beautiful - at the height of her glory and everyone wants her tonight. ‘You gotta get out there - fight for what’s yours - or one minute she’s dancing with you, the next she’s dancing right out of your life!’ Grinning behind Sam’s back, Raek asks him if he wants that. Clearly upset, Sam takes the green pills and tosses them into his mouth.
Moments later, he heads back over to Lila, smiling, and Lila asks him if he feels better now. Sam takes Lila’s hands and replies that he does, while thinking to himself that the pills are working, for he really does feel better. Sam asks Lila if she is mad at him, to which Lila asks why would she be mad. Continuing to dance, Lila exclaims that she thinks people should build human pyramids at her parties. Sam’s vision begins to blur, and he asks Lila whatr she means by that.
Lila explains that it was a joke, before realizing something still isn’t right with Sam, and asking him if he wants to sit this one out. Holding onto his head, Sam asks Lila if she doesn’t want to dance with him, and tells her that she doesn’t have to, as there are too many people in here, so he is going outside. Lila calls out after Sam, when a man in yellow comes up beside her, asking if she wants to dance with him for old times sake. ‘Remember that time on Alderaan?’ he asks. Addressing him as Gyrk, Lila angrily tells him to bug off, before calling out to Sam once more.
Up on the balcony, Rahne motions down to the dance floor and seeing Sam, exclaims to Doug that something is wrong with him, before realizing that the aliens are all following him. Rahne drops her food and grabs Doug, ‘Come on!’ she exclaims as they run down the stairs, but getting to the dance floor, Rahne doesn’t see Sam anywhere. Doug does though, out on the outdoors balcony. The two rush outside, only to see the aliens reveal their wings and carrying Sam, they fly off. ‘Wow! They are aliens!’ Doug exclaims, before watching and wondering where they are taking Cannonball. Rahne suggests that Sam might have been drugged, and declares that they better get Dani and Illyana - if they can find them that is.
High in the air, Sam wonders what is going on, and realizes that he is flying - but not himself blasting - someone else is carrying him. Wondering who it is, he turns and sees the man who gave him the drugs - Raek - then Sam instantly blasts free of Raek and Gyrk’s grasp. One of the alien sarcastically exclaims ‘So, it’ll be easy? Drug him and dump him - and tomorrow, one more human teenage junkie washes ashore! A normal part of everyday Earth culture!’ Raek replies that it should have worked, as Lila saw how Cannonball was, and there would be no way she could connect it with them. But as Cannonball has escaped, they must now do things the old fashioned way.
Sam is tired, but keeps blasting, knowing that he has to stay awake and get away. Sam hovers just above some water as the aliens begin firing at him - lucky for Sam, they cannot hurt him while he is blasting. Sam realizes that the aliens attacking him might result in an innocent below being harmed, so he turns around with the intention of stopping them, but he is so tired he can hardly stay awake - and smashes into one of the aliens - before plummeting back down towards the city.
Raek urges his associates to burn Cannonball - and one of Raek’s blasts strike him in the side - but it manages to wake Sam up in the process. Sam returns to blasting, despite the pain in his side, he blasts on, wondering what it was that they used on him. One of Raek’s comrades mutters that they should have used a stronger drug, something of their own as opposed to an Earth drug on him. Raek points out that it would have tipped off Lila, before explaining that the dosage Cannonball took should have been enough to stop him breathing.
Sam glances back over his shoulder, thinking that he has proved he is a country bumpkin - ‘Get the boy feeling sorry for himself, get him looped, then mug him!’  - Sam thinks that trick was old when Abraham was young, yet he still fell for it tonight. Sam blasts right through the very top of a building, knocking a small corner off it as he thinks that without the training he received to resist mind tampering from his old teacher, Professor X, he would be a goner already! Sam thinks however that he still might be a goner, ‘Bet Xavier never thought his teaching would save me from my own stupidity!’ Raek laughs loudly and points out to his associates that there is more to Cannonball than meets the eye - like an unparalleled zest for destruction! Raek thinks that he should have trusted Lila’s judgment and that it is a pity his new acquaintance will prove so short-lived.
Meanwhile, back at the party, Rahne and Doug push past everyone in their search for Danielle and Illyana, and Rahne regrets that she didn’t wear her old clothes, for then she could have switched to wolf form and easily sniff out their friends. Doug suggests to her that she could still switch, but Rahne exclaims that she would rip her gown, and adds that it is special - not to mention what Magneto said about her in it. Rahne changes the subject quickly, exclaiming that Dani and Illyana down here, so they must be up on the next level.
Moments later, Rahne and Doug go up nearby to where DanI and Illyana are dancing with two guys, and Rahne urgently exclaims that Sam is in trouble, that some aliens with wings took him away, except that DanI and Illyana cannot hear her. Rahne isn’t sure if her teammates are ignoring her on purpose, or if they actually cannot hear her, so she rushes over to them declaring that they are going to listen, whether they want to or not. Rahne grabs Dani and Doug grabs Illyana, dragging them away from the dudes and pulling them onto the balcony, with Illyana calling out to the guys, telling them not to go away as they will be right back.
Annoyed, Mirage tells Rahne that she is ruining the most perfect evening of her life so this better be good. Rahne just points across the city and tells her best friend to look. Dani does, and sees Cannonball’s blast and wonders what is going on. Rahne reveals that Sam has been kidnapped by five aliens, which is what she has been trying to tell her, when suddenly, they all witness Sam’s blast crash.
Instantly, Illyana teleports herself and the others to the location, as Mirage exclaims that she hopes Sam didn’t crash through any skyscrapers. Rahne gasps that it wasn’t water that Sam just exploded into, and the young heroes soon materialize on a garbage barge. ‘Oh no!’ ‘My dress!’ ‘Gross out!’ ‘It figures!’ they exclaim, standing almost knee-deep in rubbish. Rahne spots Sam and alerts the others, but Sam warns his friends to stay back as they are dangerous, and adds that just cause he screwed up, it doesn’t mean that he can let them get screwed up too. ‘Is he nuts?’ Mirage asks.
‘Perhaps I am,’ thinks Rahne as she transforms into her lupine form, thinking she should have done this earlier, if not for her “accursed” vanity. Her dress in tatters, she leaps onto one of the aliens, Rahne hopes that Sam will be able to forgive her. One of Raek’s companions cries out that she is a shape-shifter, so they need to burn her also, and gets ready to fire at her. However, Cypher sees this and rushes over to the alien, and with some metal piping, smashes his opponent in the face ‘Leave her alone!’ he shouts. Doug then smiles as he realizes that he stopped the alien all on his own - only to get shot in the back by another of the aliens. ‘Doug! No!’ shouts Illyana, picking up one of the guns, she then blasts the female alien that struck Doug down.
Mirage rushes up and grabs Raek from behind, while telling Sam, who is punching Raek, to quit playing with him. Mirage sarcastically tells Raek that he is so brave for kidnapping kids, before suggesting they find out what it is he is scared of, and using her illusion creating powers, Dani displays some sort of alien symbol before Raek, who, declares that he will kill them all. Mirage points out that Raek obviously means it, before informing Sam that she cannot hold Raek for much longer. Cannonball then smashes Raek in the face, knocking him out.
The New Mutants all regroup and Dani tells the aliens to reach for the sky, meaning they need to put their hands up, as the New Mutants have the weapons now. Mirage then wonders what they are to do with them now, to which Magik declares that they should kill them. Doug tells his friend to get real, as they are not killers. Mirage informs her friends that what she cannot figure out is why Raek was so scared of what she thinks is a lollypop.
Suddenly, ‘That’s not a lollypop - you don’t want to know what it really is!’ The New Mutants turn and see Lila standing on the edge of the barge. Lila explains that she got worried when she couldn’t find Sam, or any of them, at the party, then when she saw some fireworks out here from the roof, she thought she would investigate. Lila then asks Mirage to show everyone what Raek’s heart most desires. A brightly colored “something” appears before them all, to which Raek exclaims ‘The Jewels of Inferno!’
Lila reveals that she met these…people…during her days as an intergalactic thief, in fact she took something from right under neath their noses. Lila informs the New Mutants that Raek and his cohorts what her to help them steal a treasure beyond price that will soon be catapulted into an alien sun as a sacrifice to alien gods, but of course she turned them down. Raek points to Cannonball and exclaims that it is all his fault, before mocking Earth drugs and declaring that he should have given him something stronger, then they would be rid of him. ‘And now he’s rid of you!’ Lila declares as she goes over to Sam.
Magik mutters that the rest of the New Mutants won’t let her kill the aliens, and asks what they should do with them, before suggesting that although it sounds cold of her, she could send them to Limbo. Lila replies that Raek and his gang used to be thieves, but not murderers, however now they have changed, so she agrees that Limbo would be a good place for them. Lila tells the New Mutants that she would love to stay, but that it looks like they have everything under control, and she has to get back to the party, as there is this award ceremony. ‘Tiresome, but a part of the game!’ Lila kisses Sam on the cheek, and tells him that he is a fantastic counter to a life of interstellar crime. Lila adds that a girl has time for only so much temptation in life, then farewells Cannonball and the New Mutants, before teleporting off.
Magik declares that she might as well get on with it, adding that she hopes this isn’t a mistake. ‘See ya, villains! Don’t do anything in Limbo I wouldn’t do!’ Illyana exclaims as she creates a Stepping Disk to take Raek and the others to Limbo. ‘And watch out for demons!’ she calls out to them. Holding her ruined dress, Rahne mumbles that she guesses this is what comes out of vanity, that she knew she would have to use her power, only she didn’t use it soon enough! Rahne, obviously upset, asks Sam if he will ever be able to forgive her.
‘Forgive you? Get real, Rahne!’ DanI remarks, as in there is nothing to be forgiven for, then she takes off her purple jumper ands puts it on her best friend, remarking that it isn’t a ball gown, but at least she will be decently covered. Doug goes over to Rahne, who returns to her human form, and tells her that she doesn’t need a princess dress to look like a princess to him. Mirage declares that they are all a mess, so they cannot go back to the party like this. She then asks Magik if she can teleport them all home.
Cypher and Wolfsbane look at each other longingly, while Magik and Mirage help Cannonball. Sam exclaims that he was stupid, that he actually took the drugs because he thought it would make him cool. As Illyana teleports everyone home, Sam declares that Lila already thinks he is cool, and fears that if she finds out what he did, then he would have lost her for sure.


[Assistant]
Anything You Can Do…!
The Danger Room’s Observation Booth where Doug Ramsey aka Cypher, with a sadistic grin on his face, is programming his teammates’ latest practice session.
Said teammates down below are getting a bit impatient. Is the exercise to determine how long it’ll take them to die from boredom? Magik asks unimpressed. Sunspot flexes his muscles, announcing he cannot wait. It feels so good to be back at Xavier’s school after bounding hither and yon through time and space.
Mimicking Sunspot, Warlock agrees and asks why Cypher, Karma and Magma aren’t joining them. Cannonball explains that someone has to monitor the training session. And the two girls are laid up by the flu bug going around. And since this is a session to test the physical abilities and Doug’s being low-key and psychic, it makes sense he is sitting this out. Rahne reminds him that Mirage’s powers are psychic but she is with them. Dani replies that she is war-chief. It is her job.
Sunspot challenges Doug to take his best chance. They will triumph. Doug warns him to be careful what he wishes for and presses a button. The session begins.
They find themselves in Central Park and are facing the Avengers (the current line-up: Captain America, Thor, She-Hulk, Captain Marvel (the female one), Dr. Druid and the Black Knight). Warlock panics. How can they fight superheroes? Sunspot corrects him: they are merely Danger Room simulacrums and the Avengers are no friends of theirs. They beat up on their teacher Magneto and the X-Men. This is their chance to pay them back with interest! So what if they are adults and supposedly the greatest hero team. Anything they can do, the New Mutants can do better!
That’s the spirit! Doug agrees, but promises to even the odds. He presses a button again and the Avengers now turn into teenage versions of themselves.
The teen Avengers attack. Captain Marvel tries to grab Illyana, who teleports herself away with a stepping disk to land on the Black Knight’s flying atomic steed. She begins to tickle him and he loses control of the vehicle. As they are about to land in Delacorte Lake, Illyana, of course, teleports away.
Teenage She-Hulk throws a boulder at Sunspot, who pulverizes it. They wrestle. Anyone ever tell her she is beautiful when she is angry? he asks and suddenly kisses her. He then uses her moment of surprise for a nerve-pinch. As he lays her down gently he feels sorry that the real She-hulk is so old. She is his kind of girl…
Nearby, Captain America makes Wolfsbane stumble by throwing his shield at her legs. He grabs her but when she turns to her human form he faces a dilemma for he cannot hit a girl. Cannonball flies in ready to attack only to be in turn punched out by Captain Marvel. Sam falls unable to re-ignite his power. Surprisingly, he is caught by Thor who is too honorable to let a foe die like this.
Captain Marvel does not approve. A moment later, she is in for the shock of her life as a huge monster appears before her in mid-air. She drops down shouting for her mommy. It’s the bogey man! Dani feels some regret. She didn’t figure she’d scare her as much.
Cannonball, in the meantime, reignites. He feels sorry to repay Thor’s kindness like this, but they have a scrap to win. Thor falls into Sunspot’s arms and he in turn hurls him into Captain America.
The mutants gather, wondering if they haven’t missed someone. A moment later, Thor and Captain America are ready to attack Dani where Sunspot and Cannonball were a moment ago Dan intends to fight when Warlock stops her announcing she is responding to wrong data input, due to Dr. Druid whom he takes out. They won, but Dani thinks it was too easy and wonders if Doug rigged the exercise in their favor.
Suddenly, the ground rumbles. Is that his doing? Dani asks Doug. It isn’t. There are alarms flashing all over. The mutants run upstairs and outside while Illyana teleports ahead. The sight that greets them is impressive, a huge green spaceship hovering outside the building. From it emerges: a green egg-headed humanoid. Aren’t they glad to see him? he announces but breaks off a moment later, realizing they are not the X-Men. What have they done to his friends? He asks menacingly.
They haven’t done anything to the X-Men, they are not here right now, Dani replies and begins to chide him for making such a racket with sick people upstairs. Illyana keeps nudging her and annoyed Dani finally turns to her. She knows their visitor, she explains. He’s called the Impossible Man and with good reason. Last time he was here he kidnapped the mansion!
The Impossible Man tries to flirt with Illyana, then begins to explain that he only borrowed the mansion for his scavenger hunt. He should have won too, he had the best collection. He begins to number the items and transforms accordingly to display his prizes (though always in his signature green and purple). There was Colonel Nick Fury’s eye-patch. The Black Queen’s costume, all the Wasp’s costumes. Iron Man’s original armor, the Incredible Hulk’s incredible pants. Zabu, the sabretooth tiger, Dr. Strange’s window and the Fantasticar. The only thing he missed was Stan ‘the Man’ Lee who used to chronicle his adventures. Since that was the most fun he had in ages, he decided to come back and have some more.
The mutants turn away. Dani tells him the X-Men aren’t there and even if they were these days they aren’t much in a mood for fun and games. Maybe they? he asks hopefully. Nope, sorry, can’t, rules… schoolwork…
Turning into a muscular barbarian, the Impossible Man shouts they cannot turn their backs on a challenge. If they’ve any courage and honor at all they have to accept. Not interested, comes the reply. He knows the real reason! They are scared! he shouts childishly.
Warlock finally reacts, transforming into a black and yellow hero- Am not! he shouts.  Are so! the Impossible Man replies. They begin changing from heroes to soldiers to small boys until finally Warlock accepts the challenge. Both of them disappear.
The spaceship is left behind, dwarfing the mansion. Understandably, the kids have a bad feeling about this. Illyana suggests she can use a Limbo scrying pool to find them and then teleport the Mutants there. Doug, meanwhile, anguishes that Warlock left without a word. He thought they were pals! And worse without him to partner what real use is he to the team? He should probably stay here and look after the sickos. However, he says nothing. Dani decides they have to go after the two aliens. Sam suggests they use their graduation costumes as they have masks. And so Illyana teleports them away.
Forty odd miles southward, in Manhattan, the Impossible Man’s Hulk smashes Warlock’s thing through a building at the port. The workers wonder. They thought the Hulk had green skin and purple pants. Not the other way round.
The next moment, the New Mutants arrive. Dani, Rahne and Doug try to evacuate the area. Illyana stalks toward the two fighters intending to teleport them both to Limbo but during the fight the Impossible Man loses a board which hits Illyana on the head. She falls and has to be rescued by Cannonball.
The two combatants race toward each other. In the ensuing detonation, the condemned pier is destroyed but the aliens are gone. Cypher suggests they both teleported simultaneous with the explosion. Better go to Limbo and find where they have gone.
And so soon the New Mutants find themselves in Sunspot’s favorite place in the world: Rio de Janeiro. They manifest in an alleyway above the beach. Lots of people down there. They will start a panic dressed like this. They need disguises. Leave that to him, Bobby announces and runs away.
A little later, they walk the beach of Ipanema in swim apparel, more or less comfortable with their clothes and the state of undress of the people around them. Dani tells the others to gather around Rahne and hide her from view so she can turn to her wolf form. Once that’s done, Rahne gets their quarries’ scents and leads the way.
She leads them to a mostly female – and to Dani’s dismay – mostly gorgeous crowd tightly packed around two tents. The reason for that becomes clear when they manage to see a blond hunk strutting his stuff. “Don’t go away, Earthlings,” he tells them as he walks back into the tent when from the other one comes an even more muscular dark-haired hunk. Concurrent statement, he claims, the best is yet to come. The kids realize the hunks’ identities.
Angrily Dani shouts at the dark-haired one.  Warlock explains that he and Rivalimpy are engaged in a contest to determine who is the superior sentient entity. With a beauty contest? Doug asks.
Dani loudly orders him to stop, only to become the subject of rage from the audience. An even more muscular Impossible Man joins Warlock on the stage and Dani can’t even bring herself to care about the problem anymore. Sam on the other hand has had enough and cannonballs both hunks away and throws them into the water.
Warlock gets a shock as the interaction with the water disrupts his cosmetic circuitry elements. In other words, he returns to his basic form. The Impossible Man gloats but not for long, as the water washes off his make-up and he becomes green and purple once more.
The mutants gather around them and ask them if they’re finished with this foolishness. Before the two aliens can reply, they are pelted with objects ranging from shoes to ice cream cones. Their previous admirers have turned into a lynch mob. Warlock holds them back with a shield while the Impossible Man blames the mutants for interfering and warns them not to mess up their contest again. With that, they teleport away. Despite the warning, the kids teleport back to Limbo to search for them and continue the chase.
London, Wimbledon, tennis championships. Macchio playing Lendl, when suddenly the two aliens pop up on the lawn. The players and staff run. Isn’t it nice and considerate of them to leave the center court to them? the Impossible Man asks and Warlock shouts his thanks after the fleeing players. After asking if the Impossible Man knows the rules (both of them do from TV), the match starts and they fire dozens of balls at each others, leaving the audience confused.
The New Mutants teleport onto the center court and get hit by most of the balls. Angrily, the Impossible Man shouts at them they have ruined things again! Warlock warns him to moderate his tone, or else! The mutants try to talk sense to the two of them. Cannonball suggests they try another way of resolving the conflict like a game of chess, but Warlock retorts that he has observed among humans interpersonal physical violence is the preferred mode of resolution conflict.
In the meantime, the cops have arrived. That moment, the aliens teleport away again. Rahne angrily snarls at the cops. Illyana teleports the girls to Limbo to scout for the aliens while Sam – carrying Doug and Roberto – flies up to see if they are close by.
As they pass Trafalgar Square, Doug spies them down on a little side street, namely Denmark Street, between Charing Cross Road and St. Giles High Street. There, several shoppers run panicked out of the comic store Forbidden Planet.
The girls arrive at the same time as the boys. A moment later, Warlock – in the shape of Captain Britain – is thrown through the shop window and demolishes a Ferrari,  much to  the owner’s horror. The Impossible Man, in the form of Captain America, bursts through the shop window ready to attack. Warlock tells him to wait. There is an error in confrontational parameters. They are both heroes!
The kids try to interfere. Automatically, Warlock and the Impossible Man shift to Professor X and Magneto respectively and order them to leave them alone. The Impossible Man traps them in a makeshift cage made of streetlights. Twerps, he calls them. What’s his problem? he asks Warlock while the two of them face each other confrontationally. Heroes don’t battle heroes, Warlock explains. Heroes fight villains. He turns to Rocky Balboa while the Impossible Man turns into John Rambo. Logically, one of them must portray antisocial entity, colloquial nomenclature “bad guy,” Warlock explains. The Impossible Man rightly figures Warlock wants to play the hero and shifts into Rocky’s foe, Clubber Lang, and hits him in the face.
Warlock again lands inside the comic shop. Foul! Warlock protests. He struck when Warlock was unready! Changing into Baron von Strucker, the Impossible Man points out he is a villain. He is supposed to. Shifting to Nick Fury, Warlock attacks.
Sunspot, in the meantime, frees the mutants. Cannonball flies towards the two combatants, only to be forcefully told to go away and gets hit by energy bolts. He lands in the already totaled Ferrari.
Cypher tries to calm the onlookers, telling them they are sorry. They are just trying to keep things from getting any worse. And failing miserably, Illyana adds wryly as she teleports them inside the shop where “Spider-Woman” Warlock is fighting “Viper” Impossible Man. The latter protests Warlock is cheating. Spider-Woman is his friend! He can’t fight her, even in fun. He has to switch to someone else.
The mutants figure this is their chance and pile on them. As a result, they are teleported along with the two aliens. They land in front of several tanks. A large picture of Lenin gives them their clue; they are on the Red Square in Moscow, in the middle of a parade.
Buried under “Vipe,r, “Spider-Woman” turns to “Spider-Man” and webs “Viper’s” face. Immediately, Viper becomes the Green Goblin, dragging Spidey along the sky with his Goblin Glider. His Goblin bombs create a fireworks display across the sky. Harmless, but try telling that to the KGB.
Illyana takes it as a personal insult that they are using her home country as their battefield. She gestures and Warlock disappears in a stepping disk. She joins him in Limbo and furiously shouts at him, asking if he has any idea what trouble he has caused.
Back on Earth, the Impossible Man is livid at Warlock’s disappearance, threatening Cannonball as Thanos. They were told not to interfere, he reminds him.
In the meantime, Russian helicopters fire projectiles at him. Angrily, he transforms the rotor blades into parachutes, forcing the choppers to land. Are they satisfied? he shouts down at the mutants. Do they require any further demonstration of his power? Shall he make their planet like the moon of legend, a world of green cheese? Bring back Warlock – or else! They realize he’s not bluffing. Dani figures he’s too caught up in playing villain.
That moment, Warlock emerges from a stepping disk. Transforming into Captain Marvel, he attacks Thanos, forcing him to release Cannonball. Illyana explains to her friends she saw what was happening from Limbo and brought him back.
The Russians are becoming restless, aiming their weapons at them. As the two aliens teleport out again, the mutants do the same.
In Tokyo, the Japanese prime minister leads the Prince and Princess of Wales to inspect the honor guard. A moment later, they look up to see Impossible Man “Galactus” and Warlock “Watcher” standing before and way above them, arguing who is better.
The mutant show up, wondering what to do. Cypher suggests they call every hero on Earth to gang up on them.
The Impossible Man informs Warlock he can’t win. Anything he can do the Impossible Man can match and beat! In response the “Watcher” knocks down “Galactus,” who falls into a (thankfully condemned) building. Fittingly (for Tokyo), he turns into Godzilla to attack.
They’re doomed, Sunspot fears. “Sayonara Tokyo,” Illyana adds. At this rate, they’ll be paying for the damage out of their allowances till the end of time, Sam fears. Suddenly, Doug has an idea, pointing out that, through all the changes, one thing remained constant. The kids yell up at Warlock to get his attention and share their idea with him.
And so, a little later, Warlock tells “Godzilla” he has an idea to settle their dispute for once and all. He can do something the Impossible Man can’t and… with that… Warlock changes color.
A little later, back at the X-Mansion, everything is peaceful. The kids watch Magnum PI, while the Impossible Man sulks and cries. Sam and Dani suggest to Warlock he make up with the Impossible Man. He does and asks if it was appropriate to put everything back the way they found it. The least they could do, is the reply.
.
On the couch, Illyana is disgusted as things are getting too saccharine for her taste. That is about to change as Magneto comes home (The Impossible Man quickly changes to a chair). The kids greet him enthusiastically, assuring him nothing interesting happened. That moment, the news is on and Magneto sees the kids at Wimbledon. New Mutants! he bellows in a threatening tone while the kids and aliens are trying to sneak away…


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

[Assistant]
Scavenger Hunt!
Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, it’s breakfast time for the young heroes known as the New Mutants. ‘It’s too bad you were sick, Amara! Lila’s party was incredible!’ Illyana “Magik” Rasputin remarks to Amara “Magma” Aquilla, adding that Lila actually sent a Rolls-Royce to pick them all up, and that the club was amazing. ‘Balconies and food and music…’ ‘And guys, incredible guys!’ Danielle “Mirage” Moonstar” adds. Illyana asks Amara if she wants to see what she missed out on, and tells Dani to pull out the image of her heart’s desire.
Mirage uses her powers to project Illyana’s heart’s desire, and both Dani and Illyana smile as they see the dudes that they were dancing with. Illyana exclaims that if Rahne and Doug hadn’t interfered, then they would still be dancing with them. Mirage points out that as it is they didn’t even get their phone numbers. Samuel “Cannonball” Guthrie enters the small dinning room and tells his New Mutants co-leader to not blame Rahne and Doug as they broke up the dancing so that he could be saved, informing Amara that aliens drugged him. ‘You drugged yourself, dope!’ Doug “Cypher” Ramsey reminds Sam.
‘Don’t remind me!’ Cannonball exclaims, clutching his head as he pulls up a chair he declares that he thinks he flew through a building as his head feels like he used it for a battering ram. Amara takes a bite of her toast and remarks that she is glad her teammates saved Sam, as it wasn’t that big a sacrifice, for those guys weren’t that cute. ’Not that cute? Let’s see your idea of cute!’ Illyana exclaims. Mirage agrees, and tells Magma to show them her heart’s desire.
Suddenly, the young man Manuel de la Rocha - better known as the Hellion Empath - appears before everyone. All the New Mutants are shocked. ‘He’s one of the bad guys!’ Doug exclaims, nearly falling off his chair. Rahne Sinclair transforms into her Wolfsbane form declares that Empath is the worst of the bad guys, and asks Magma if he is really her heart’s desire. Magma looks at Dani, annoyed, and mutters that she thought DanI could control her power. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, Amara suggests that Dani latched on to her greatest hate by mistake, before getting up off her chair and storming out of the room, declaring that pulling images from people’s heads without asking first is hateful.
Dani shouts out that it was all in good fun, and she didn’t mean for this to happen, but Amara isn’t listening. Rahne supports her best friend, Dani, assuring her that they all know, and points out that Magma has been acting odd ever since their confrontation with the Hellions, before suggesting that it might have something to do with the letter from her father that was waiting when they returned. Illyana declares that, whatever it is, Amara should still lighten up and asks what her problem is anyway.
Mirage reminds Illyana that Amara is from an ancient-Roman culture in the Amazon where they do things a lot different from here. Illyana points out that she, Rahne and Dani are all not from here also, but they don’t go around acting like jerks. Illyana declares that perhaps she does know what Magma’s problem is - boys - for all the guys around here - all two of them - are either babies or taken. ‘Babies?’ asks the single Doug. ‘Boy, she’s so starved, even villains are starting to look good to her!’ Magik exclaims. Mirage remarks that she knows how Magma feels, before reminding her friends that midterms are coming up and asks who wants to work out in the Danger Room before they hit the books.
In Amara’s room on the floor above, the fiery young woman reads the letter from her father.
 …I am grateful, beloved daughter, for the information on modern 	civilization that you have sent to me in Nova Roma…but it seems you have learned all that is necessary. It is time for you to return home and marry. Already your cousin Maya has a son and she is younger than you are…
Sitting on the edge of her bed, Amara thinks to herself that she is indeed homesick here, but wonders if that is she really wants - forced betrothal to some local noble? Amara throws herself down onto her Roman-style bed, thinking ‘No! Never!’ and that no matter what her father thinks, she does not belong in Nova Roma any more, yet she feels that she doesn’t belong here either. ‘I get so lonely sometimes!’ Amara recalls how her power to transform into a fire-being and to control heat, call lava from the earth frightened her father, who practically forced her to come here and learn the ways of the “other world”.
Amara picks up a photograph and thinks to herself that Miss Frost’s Massachusetts Academy - where the Hellions go - with its servants and its luxury is more like home, and she actually felt comfortable there. Looking at the photo of the Hellions, Amara concentrates on Empath, for like she, he is also an aristocrat and can trace his family’s lineage back to Ancient Rome. ‘I know he likes me, I can tell by the way he looks at me!’ Tears streaming from her eyes, Amara destroys the photo in a burst of flames, while thinking that her friends are right, that Empath is the worst of the Hellions for he uses people, indeed he is a villain! Amara thinks that she shames her family and friends by even considering a liaison with him.
Meanwhile, in New York City, at the infamous Hellfire Club, the Hellions are also eating breakfast, although in much more extravagant surroundings than the New Mutants. The six young mutants watch and listen intently to the reporter on television who announces that the creature dubbed “Bird Boy” has escaped from the tower where he was quarantined last night. ‘Bird Boy? I thought this was supposed to be the news!’ mutters Jenny Stavros a.k.a. Roulette. One of her teammates asks one of the Hellions’ more nasty members what she expects between Saturday morning cartoons.
Sharon Smith, dubbed Catseye, exclaims ‘Wingboy fly high is news! TV tells! Why you not listen?’ Jetstream asks his slightly-odd teammate why she would bother, as television tells you nothing. The reporter informs viewers that the bird creature was found by scientists, starving and half-frozen on ice floe in the North Atlantic. Empath points out that it is said the Bird Boy is a monster, and suggests that he might be a mutant like them. Marie-Angle Colbert, the comely Hellion known as Tarot replies ‘You’d be a monster, Empath, even if you weren’t a mutant!’
Lila’s party promoting her new album appears on the news, as it was widely covered by the media, and Jetstream declares that he wishes they could have attended. Roulette tells her teammate that they are lucky Miss Frost brought them to New York instead of leaving them at the Massachusetts Academy. Tarot exclaims that they are having a weekend off for good behavior, then back to the Academy for finals.
Empath exclaims that he cannot believe Lila really dates “that jerk” Cannonball, before pointing out that there are girls at Xavier’s School who are better looking than Lila, yet they wouldn’t give Sam a second look. ‘They, Empath? Any girl in particular?’ Marie-Ange asks. Biting into a sausage, Empath replies ‘Certainly not the blonde one, or the skinny one, or the baby…’ Tarot glances at Empath and points out that it only leaves the stuck up one. ‘Amara is not stuck up!’ Empath snaps back, declaring that she is simply an aristocrat, used to the finer things as is he.
Empath uses his powers on Tarot, ‘You admire her, don’t you? In fact, you love her…’ Empath says to Tarot. ‘I…I…’ Tarot replies, when James “Thunderbird” Proudstar tells Empath to leave Tarot alone and be quiet. Everyone’s attention is turned back to the news, which shows a telephoto shot as a rocket smashed through the tower housing the Bird Boy. The announcer informs viewers that the creature escaped and has been flying around Manhattan.
Thunderbird declares that it is no rocket, and Jetstream agrees, exclaiming that it is his rival Cannonball’s blast, meaning it would seem Sam broke the Bird Boy out. While the other Hellions all rush from the table, Catseye is still eating, so Jetstream grabs her and pulls her along as Roulette remarks that it is foolish of Cannonball to let himself be filmed and at letting the Bird Boy escape. Thunderbird tells his teammates that if the New Mutants want that creature then the Hellions want him to. ‘Get your uniforms on, we’ve got work to do!’
But rushing through the halls of the Hellfire Club, the Hellions soon run into Miss Frost, their headmistress, otherwise known as the alluring White Queen! Emma Frost greets her students and asks them where they are hurrying to. No one answers, while Roulette thinks to herself ‘She’s a telepath! She’ll know!’ Getting no response, Emma tells her prized students to run along, as she too was young once, but warns them to keep out of trouble, before telling Empath that she would like a word with him about his tendency to use his power without subtlety or discretion. ‘Ha! Now you’ll catch it!’ Tarot exclaims.
With the Hellions out of sight, although Tarot is eavesdropping around the corner, Emma tells Empath that his recklessness must stop, for there is more at stake in this proposed “scavenger hunt” than they yet realize. Emma informs Manuel that she has laid the bait - when the New Mutants visited the Academy sometime ago, and more recently at the Hellfire Club party. Emma puts a hand on Manuel’s face, remarking that as an empath, he can read the feelings of others as well as project his own feelings onto them, and warns Manuel to use both gifts wisely. ‘Spring the trap! Bring me the prize!’
Emma turns and walks away from Empath, telling him that if he fails her, it will be at his own peril, reminding him that he, more than the others, know how very painful such a failure can be. Tarot whispers to Empath that he needs to hurry up and get dressed, adding that it sounds like he needs to get the Bird Boy…or else! ‘Tarot, my dear, your infinite capacity to misunderstand astounds even me!’ Empath mutters to his teammate.
Back at Xavier’s School, Mirage, Illyana and Rahne are in their standard training uniforms and Mirage informs the boys that they are ready for their work out, and that they are going to program the Danger Room for a “Star Wars” sequence. The boys aren’t listening, instead they are watching a small television intently. Trying to get their attention, Illyana exclaims that the sequence is going to be complete with Hans Solo and Luke Skywalker, and that if they rig it right, they can try and get Princess Leia in too. Rahne begins to say that it will be gun, when Cannonball tells the girls to all hush.
‘As the hunt for the Bird Boy continues. Do not panic! The creature is gentle and recapture is imminent’ a newscaster announces to viewers. Rahne, concerned for the creature, asks Doug if he can understand what Bird Boy is saying, as the Bird Boy can be heard squawking on the television. Doug replies that if it is a language it is unlike any he has heard before, but that Bird Boy does sound upset. Sam jokes that you don’t need a mutant ability to decipher languages to know that, before pointing out that it is his fault Bird Boy escaped, so they should go after him.
Rushing from the dining room, Cannonball reminds his friends that the television showed him blasting through the tower, ‘I screwed up royally!’ Rahne feels sorry for Bird Boy and tells Sam that she is glad he freed Bird Boy, even if it was an accident, except that now he is wandering around, hunted and afraid. Rahne points out that Bird Boy may be a mutant, to which Mirage declares that they have got to save him. But rushing toward their quarters, Dani points out that they know what not studying is going to do to their test scores. ‘Forget tests!’ Cannonball exclaims, while Cypher asks if they are going to tell Magneto. Illyana suggests against it, for if he knows what they are up to, then he is bound to stop them.
Dani tells everyone to go and change, while she checks in on Magma. Entering Amara’s room, Mirage tells her that they are going to rescue Bird Boy. ‘Bird Boy?’ Amara asks, unaware of who Mirage is talking about. Dani replies that she will explain later, before telling Amara to get her costume on - if she is feeling okay that is. Grabbing her standard uniform, Magma replies that she is okay, but Danielle tells her to get the special costume she wore when they went up against the Hellions. ‘Why not just pull a picture of it out of my head, so you’ll know I understand?’ Amara replies coldly.
Danielle rushes out back down the hall, telling her team to get the special costumes on. Magik reminds Mirage that they are their special costumes, to which Dani points out that they do not want to get recognized. ‘What if they film us?’ Danielle then tells everyone to meet her in the pasture in ten minutes. ‘The pasture…?’ Sam asks curiously.
At the same time, back at the Hellfire Club, the Hellions are dressed in their pink costumes and trying to sneak out - but a butler is in their way. Jetstream tells his teammates that if the butler sees them, he will tell Miss Frost, ‘Our heads will roll!’ Thunderbird asks how they are going to get rid of him, as it looks like he will be tending to those dishes for ages, when suddenly, Roulette tosses something towards the butler. Standing beside Tarot, Empath thinks to himself that the rest of the Hellions are jerks for thinking that they have to sneak around, not realizing that in fact the White Queen knows everything.
Roulette exclaims that her bad luck psi-disk will place the odds definitely in the Hellions’ favor, and as it strikes the butler, he drops the dozen or-so plates that he is holding and they smash when they hit the ground. The butler wonders how that happened, as he was sure he stacked them right! ‘Better get the broom. They’ll take it from my salary!’ he mumbles leaving the area. The Hellions dart past him and Thunderbird orders everyone out the back door and over the fence. Catseye transforms into a large purple cat to leap over the fence, while Thunderbird uses his own enhanced physical abilities to propel himself over the fence. Jetstream picks up Roulette and flies her over with him, while Tarot and Empath stand and talk.
Tarot tells Empath that she has been thinking, and that while he might like that stuck up New Mutant Magma, the only way Magma would ever like him is if he made her. Manuel asks if he is so unlikeable, to which Marie-Ange replies ‘What do you think?’ Manuel asks Tarot if she is sure of that, to which the French mutant replies that she is absolutely sure. Empath once more uses his powers on Tarot, asking her what she will give him when he proves her wrong. Tarot falls to her knees, ‘I…I will give you…’ she begins until Thunderbird reaches over the fence and exclaims ‘Empath - I said cut it out!’ James turns to Tarot and tells her to stop baiting Empath, before informing her that she needs to use her cards, as they need transportation - something with wings.
Tarot pulls out her deck of tarot cards, ‘Among many more gruesome possibilities, the cards throw up…the lover!’ Marie-Ange announces, adding that this is no doubt in Empath’s honor. The giant manifestation of the lover picks the Hellions up, and they rest on its shoulders and arms. ‘Giant-wing-being comes from nowhere! Now fly away?’ Catseye asks. Flying alongside the lover, Jetstream asks Tarot if she can control this, to which Tarot replies ‘No problem!’
Shortly, the New Mutants, all decked out in their “graduation costumes” have gathered in the pasture. Mirage, Magik, Cypher and Wolfsbane are all sitting on Dani’s winged horse, Brightwind when Cannonball drops down with Magma. ‘Oh, honestly, Dani, you’re not bringing your horse!’ exclaims Magma. Mirage points out that Bird Boy can fly, to which Amara replies that so can Cannonball. Mirage points out that Sam can only carry one of them, so Brightwing can carry the rest if he needs to - which he does. Danielle then asks Illyana to teleport them away, and in an instant, the New Mutants reappear in Manhattan.
The six young heroes and the large horse stand on the top of an extremely tall building. ‘No! Illyana! What have you done? Where are we?!’ Amara exclaims. Magik grins and reveals that they are on top of the World Trade Center, and asks Amara if heights bother her, before explaining that they needed a place to look around from, so she figured they may as well start at the top. Rahne points out over the river and up to the sky where a figure can be seen. ‘Can that be him?’ she asks. Sam tells Rahne that she has “good eyes” and that it might be Bird Boy, so picking up Magma again he blasts off into the air, with Mirage and the others on Brightwind close behind.
Mirage tells everyone to look at how Bird Boy is wheeling around, and wonders what he is doing, when suddenly the bird-creature dives towards the water, then submerges itself in the water, reappearing moments later. ‘Oh, gross! Look what he has in his mouth! A fish!’ Magik exclaims, disgusted, before pointing out that Bird Boy will not be able to swallow it whole, and therefore choke. But as Bird Boy darts past the New Mutants, Mirage points out that Bird Boy has swallowed the fish and dodged them at the same time.
Amazed, Dani wonders how Bird Boy ever managed to get captured to begin with. Rahne explains that the radio said he was exhausted and nearly frozen, before remarking that he is beautiful, and yet horrible, at the same time. Rahne then asks Dani if Bird Boy can really be a mutant like they are, to which Dani replies that he isn’t much like them, pointing out that he is at least half animal. Mirage explains that she can establish a tenuous psychic rapport with him, but she cannot communicate with him, and all she gets from him is hunger - and fear!
Mirage suggests that they see what Bird Boy wants the most, and pulls from his mind an image of his heart’s desire - ‘Fish and worms! Bird food!’ Magik exclaims. Cypher wonders how Bird Boy can be hungry when he just ate, to which Danielle explains that birds have an incredibly fast metabolism, and Bird Boy does seem to be a kind of bird - a big bird. Dani adds that his thought’s aren’t human, that is for sure, but then they are not like any bird’s she has encountered before either. Wolfsbane points out that Bird Boy is reaching for the food image and trying to eat it.
Suddenly, ‘Yo, muties! You know what they say about a bird in the hand?’ shouts one of the Hellions as they arrive on the scene. Thunderbird tells Tarot to make her creature reach for the Bird Boy, while Magma gasps ‘Manuel! Empath!’ and Mirage wonders what the Hellions are riding. Magik supposes that it is one of Tarot’s monsters, when Rahne is knocked from Brightwind. As Dani lowers Brightwind to the dock, Illyana tells Wolfsbane to hang on, while Cypher mutters ‘Great idea Dani! Fabulous mode of transportation!’ pointing out that he can Rahne could have been killed.
With everyone safe on the dock, Rahne agrees with Doug, telling Mirage that more than a couple of people simply do not fit. ‘Ha-ha! So long, suckers!’ shouts one of the Hellions high above the New Mutants. Rahne comments on Bird Boy being chase, and likens it to when she was chased once by men who thought she was a demon. Cannonball and Magma drop to the dock and Sam reminds his friends that the Hellions won last time they squared off, so they need to even the score now.
Mirage remarks that more importantly the Bird Boy’s life may be at stake, and exclaims that she has an idea, telling Sam to put Magma up on Brightwind with her, so they can fly after the Hellions and fight them - or at least distract them. Sam agrees, and lifts Magma up onto Brightwind, before asking what he can do, ‘Round up the Bird Boy?’ Mirage agrees, and is about to say something else when Magma interrupts, ‘No debate! We just do what you say, whenever you say…just like that?’ Mirage asks Amara if she has a better idea, but Magma does not answer.
As Mirage, Cannonball and Magma take off, Magik asks what the rest of them are supposed to do. Mirage suggests they figure out a way to lure the Bird Boy, and Sam offers to drive Bird Boy back down this way so Magik can teleport him back to the School. ‘Lure him? Swell, where’ll we find half a ton of fish?’ Doug mutters.
Mirage congratulates her horse for catching up to the Hellions, while Sam points out that Bird Boy is diving into an alley. Magma tells Mirage that it is too narrow for Brightwind’s wingspan and suggests she get him out quickly. From Tarot’s creation, Thunderbird orders Jetstream to stop Cannonball while they deal with the others. Jetstream does as he is commanded, telling Cannonball to give it up, ‘You Can’t match my maneuvrability’. ‘And let the six million dollar cyborg at him? Not a chance!’ Sam replies, blasting as fast as he can away from Jetstream and towards Bird Boy.
Tarot motions backwards and tells Empath that there is his one and only. ‘Knew what I was doing when I drew the lover card, didn’t I?’ Marie-Ange asks. Empath remarks that only Amara and Mirage are there, so they must have ditched the others, to which Jenny asks how they can ditch them. Tarot shuffles through her cards - ‘Let’s see…the knight of swords…the lion of strength…the Devil…’ Manuel asks Tarot what she is doing, to which she replies that it is easy - ‘I’m throwing the deck at them!’ Suddenly, the three creatures appear alongside Dani, Amara and Brightwind, and Empath exclaims ‘No!’
Danielle exclaims that she cannot project those monsters greatest fears because they do not have minds, to which Magma asks Mirage if she thinks she is the only one who can ever do anything useful and begins blasting the Hellions with molten lava. Dani tells Amara to watch out so she doesn’t burn Brightwind, to which Amara replies that it is only for a second and beats having him ripped to shreds. Magma then points out that Magik said those things came from Tarot’s cards, ‘So let’s burn up the cards!’
‘Yikes!’ exclaims Marie-Ange as her cards are blasted right out of her hands, and because she is no longer in possession of the cards, she has no control over her creatures, and the lover disappears, causing the five Hellions to plummet towards the ground. ‘It’s fading!’ ‘We’re falling!’ Magma is shocked, ‘No! I didn’t think! Dani! We have to save them!’ Proudstar orders Roulette to throw some good luck discs around, while Tarot manages to grab one of her falling cards, ‘The Devil!’ she exclaims, landing on the back of the manifestation of the Devil. ‘Stinks like the Devil too!’ Empath remarks as he grabs onto it. Thunderbird remarks that it is a better transport for Hellions anyway, before wondering where Roulette and Catseye are. Down on the street below, Jenny shouts ’Where else, T-Bird? We had luck on our side!’ as she and Catseye land safely on a store’s veranda covering.
‘He’s safe…they’re all safe! Thank Zeus!’ Amara exclaims as Thunderbird asks the New Mutants what it is they think they are doing. ‘Same thing you are - going hunting!’ Dani shouts back, before motioning to where Bird Boy has re-emerged from the alley. Empath points out that Magma and Mirage are losing speed, and Thunderbird tells the girls to give it up, as they will never catch up to them. Magma asks Dani what is wrong, for she knows Brightwind can fly faster than this, and asks if she burnt him badly. Mirage replies that Brightwind is fine, and informs Amara that the Hellions are chasing one of her mirages. Dani suggests they go and find Sam, adding that she hopes he hasn’t lost Bird Boy, and that Rahne is in wolf form so she can link up with her and find out how the others are doing.
Back on the dock, Rahne is indeed in her wolf form and informs Illyana and Doug that Dani is trying to contact her. Magik asks Rahne to tell Dani that she teleported a load of fish over from a boat. ‘You stole them?’ Rahne asks. ‘I’m a demon-sorceress in another dimension, Rahne! You think I’d let a few illegal fish stop me? Tell her!’ Magik exclaims. Rahne does, informing Dani psychically that they have the bait, so all they need now is the Bird Boy.
Up in the air, Magma motions to where Jetstream is closing in on Bird Boy, but Mirage points out that Cannonball is doing really well - and suddenly Sam smashes into Jetstream and brings him back round past the girls on Brightwind. Mirage tells Brightwind that it is “round up” time, but Bird Boy swoops past them squawking as Tarot, Thunderbird and Empath reappear on Tarot’s devil image. ‘Having fun, cowgirls?’ Marie-Ange asks, before Thunderbird congratulates Mirage on such a good illusion - until it faded away that is, adding that they will not settle for less than the real thing.
Mirage moves Brightwind round to block the Hellions, but Tarot’s creation strikes Brightwind, causing the winged horse to lose flight and fall to the ground, with Mirage and Magma in tow - and Mirage lands hard on the ground. Magma declares that she has had enough of this and tells the Hellions that if the New Mutants can’t have Bird Boy, then neither can they, and she blasts Tarot’s cards, ‘Oh no! Not again!’ Tarot exclaims as she and the boys fall to the ground when her Devil image disappears.
Concerned for Mirage, Thunderbird goes over to her, as she is unconscious. Amara tells Thunderbird to leave Mirage alone or else she will fry him. James thinks that Magma is crazy, and orders Empath to possess her. ‘Now its okay? All right then!’ Manuel replies, before turning to amara and telling her that she doesn’t want to hurt him, and that she loves him. ‘Love you…yes…I do love you…’ Magma replies in a trance, before declaring ‘But you are a villain…you use people…I…I cannot…cannot love you!’
Magma turns away, ‘Poor kid! So that’s it!’ Tarot remarks before Amara declares that she will not obey Empath, nor will she betray Dani even after what she did to her. Smoke rises from the ground where Magma stands as she turns back to the Hellions and declares that she will not betray that bird creature, ‘Not even for you!’ The ground begins to shake thanks to Magma’s rising emotions, and Empath warns her to stop. Magma tells the Hellions to free Mirage, and tells Manuel that he doesn’t need to do this as she doesn’t want to hurt him.
Manuel replies that they don’t want to hurt each other - none of them, before turning to James, and using his powers on him, reveals that James cares for Mirage very much, so asks him why he wants to hurt her. Thunderbird, under Empath’s power, replies that he never meant to hurt Dani, and that he is worried about her, that’s all. Empath orders Thunderbird to release Dani, so James does, handing her over to Magma. Magma smiles and thanks Manuel, admitting that perhaps she misjudged him.
Marie-Ange declares that she cannot believe it - that the cold Empath has a human weakness and because of it he lost the battle for his whole team. Manuel calls Tarot and idiot and asks her if she doesn’t remember what Miss Frost said was at stake, and what the wager was. Empath then tells Tarot that she lacks subtlety, and informs her that he has won, as she will soon see, for he did not force Magma. ‘And now…Tarot, love. About that wager - when you see how I have won…what will you give me?’
Tarot sulks and turns away as Thunderbird returns to normal, asking Empath what he did. Manuel replies that he did nothing, and that they are all back from where they came from - except for the stinking load of fish brought along by their rivals. Indeed, Illyana has teleported onto the scene, with Cypher, Rahne and a ton of fish to boot. Wolfsbane rushes over to Mirage, who is regaining consciousness and declares that she felt their rapport break off. Rahne explains that she wanted to come straight away but that Illyana was off getting more fish, so she had to wait. Dani tells Rahne to calm down and that everything is okay, as she just bumped her head, but she is fine.
Thunderbird points out that both teams have lost the Bird Boy, which means the Hellions are still winning thanks to their last encounter. ‘His life - it’s just a game to you?’ Rahne asks. Thunderbird doesn’t get a chance to answer, as Mirage exclaims that they haven’t lost, and asks him if he has ever heard the old baseball saying “It ain’t over till it’s over?”, for up in the air, Cannonball flies past Jetstream, knocking the Hellion aside as he blasts his way up to Bird Boy - and eventually, grabs the Bird Boy who now begins to squawk loudly as Sam drives him downwards, forcing him into the pile of fish. ‘See ya around, Hellions! It’s been real!’ exclaims Magik as she teleports herself, the rest of the New Mutants, Brightwind, Bird Boy and the fish away.
Moments later, they reappear in the Danger Room at their school. ‘Gross! Never has our danger room smelled more disgusting!’ Illyana exclaims as Cannonball holds onto Bird Boy, informing everyone that he is stronger than he looks and isn’t sure how much longer he can hang onto him for, before asking Magik to teleport up to the control room and run through the artificial environments until she finds one that calms him down. Magik does so, but each one that she brings up just causes Bird Boy to squawk even more. One of the New Mutants asks Cypher if he can’t talk to him, to which Doug replies that he cant even talk to Bird Boy let alone understand him, as if he is more alien than Warlock.
Eventually someone suggests that since the radio said he was found in the North Atlantic, a desert island might suffice. Indeed it does. Tired Sam remarks that it isn’t the North Atlantic, but it seems to be keeping Bird Boy happy. ‘I think he’s happy wherever there’s food’ Cypher remarks. Mirage agrees, then turns to Magma as Bird Boy stuffs himself with fish, and tells her that she is sorry she pulled Empath from her head earlier. Dani admits that it was her own mistake, and adds that after the way Magma handled all of the Hellions today, none of them could be her heart’s desire.
‘Perhaps not’ replies Magma, before declaring that she must learn that for herself, then dropping a bombshell by announcing that is why she is going to transfer to the Massachusetts Academy!


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

[Assistant]
Fang and Claw!
The New Mutants approach an island (carried by Brightwind and cannonball, respectively). It looks severely deserted, as Cannonball wonders if this is worth sneaking out of the school, breaking their recent grounding, and risking being grounded forever. Their new friend Bird-Brain, squaks he is home. Cannonball sets Magik down. The others mutants, Mirage, Cypher, and Wolfsbane rode on Mirage’s winged stallion, Brightwind. Wolfsbane defends their choice in action, as Bird-Brain feared his friends would die in animal testing if they didn’t save them. The look around and find no one. Magik, who scouted around some of the bigger rocks states she hasn’t found anything either. Just then various creatures appear from the shadows, all looking similar to Bird-Brain, sort of human and sort of animal. Sam wonders if they just evolved that way, or someone made them that way. The move closer to the Mutants. The fact that they are Bird-Brain’s friends doesn’t stop Magik from noticing they still look like they want to eat the Mutants.
Meanwhile 250 feet below, the Animator works away in his lab. His wardrobe has a skull head, and a lion like cloth draping him. His current experiment in front of him through a glass cage, he knows the parietal lobes are too prominent, leading to over developed cerebrum. They’ll be like the last batch, with heads filled with dreams, they’ll be too human for his experiment. Behind him Bolivar, a mouse like creature has brought him his globe. He examines the insides of this sphere. He notes that while it is cute, it might suffer the same defects as his water baby. Tonight will be the test for Lot E, and their performance shall decide their fate. As he continues his mad rant, a frog creature warns him of intruders shown on the video screen. Pleased by Bufo’s observation, he promises the frog an extra ration of flies. Seeing humans have invaded his paradise, he suspects Commander Hodge has discovered his secret. With no call to warn him, he knows they have no respect for his science.
With a flick of the video screen he views Magik and Cannonball. Magik isn’t afraid of the creatures still surrounding them, actually she is amazed at their teeth. this angers the Animator, for they are not screaming or being killed. Looking closer at the crowd of figures, he notices his own Bird-Boy amongst them. Upset that his own creation, his master piece could lead them into his paradise. He wonders just who these oddly dressed children are? With flicks of switches and buttons, his viewing screen changes, bringing up the information about the New Mutants. He knows Commander Hodge and the Right must be kept away. He tell his beasts to join him on the surface, as he tosses the globe smashing it on the floor. This shall be a test which none of the other lots have experienced.
The animates approach closer to the Mutants, Mirage tries to make Cypher talk to them. To let them know they are mutants, born different as well. Hearing only a few snarls and grows, Cypher is unable to decipher the language they are speaking. he attempts to try Bird-Brain’s language with them. No answer, Mirage tries pulling the thoughts of what they really want to life in her 3-d images. Food appears before them, fooling the animates. Bird-Brain pulls the food from Magik’s arms. He throws it to the ground, feeding his friends. He tells his friends through squaks he brought them hamburgers and chocolate shakes.
The food doesn’t last long as they approach the Mutants once more. A lizard like animate approaches Cypher, but Bird-Brain pushes him away. Cypher has heard enough of their language and he’s beginning to understand what they’re saying. As Bird-Brain talks to his fellow animates, Cypher learns the reason for their anger. Bird-Brain’s escape provided them with hope, but when he returned, he did so with humans. Humans are the ones who are the enemies, they do the testing, and hold the whips. But Bird-Brain returned wearing the clothes of man , so he is now their enemy as well. As they approach to kill Bird-Brain, Wolfsbane snaps. He brought them here to save them, not to test or hurt them any further. She dives into the middle of the crowd of animates. The Mutants fear for her safety, but realize the animates take to her, believing she is a like-creature. a human, but a creature. They believe she is one of them.
Back in upstate New York, Warlock flies home carrying his teammate Sunspot. They decide to try to sneak in, to avoid awakening Magneto, and try to face him in the morning after he’s fully rested. Attempting to open the door, they realize the locks have been changed, as they set of the alarm. Magento busts open the door, Warlock jumps away. but he wraps Sunspot up in two umbrellas. Realizing it is his two missing students he quickly hugs them. Their running away had caused him a great of deal of worry. Warlock quickly searches for his best friend Cypher, and learns that they are gone.
Back in the North Artic, The New Mutants and the animates are bombarded with a noise blaring from various sirens surrounding them. The whistle alarm somehow hypnotizes the animates, including Bird-Brain. Wolfsbane tackles him in attempt to figure out what is going on. he squaks wildly. Cypher learns that the whistle announces the test, where they are trained and rewarded with food. Magik wonders what are they tested for, and who is testing them anyway. Cypher learns more from the squaking. The man who runs the test is called the Animator, the tests are to see who’ll live or die. The tests are very scary, and the reason why he escaped in the first place, he knew he’d never survive the maze. Wolfsbane wants them to teleport him away home. But Cypher learns he won’t leave he has to survive the maze, and face the Animator.
The Mutants decide to face the maze with him, with their powers, it shouldn’t be hard at all. Magik wonders how a few traps and a maze could actually be dangerous. Upon entering the maze they see it is no easy task as they find skeletal remains of an animate crushed under a rock. Further into the maze a trap door opens under Cypher, but he is quickly grabbed by Bird-Brain. Magik decides the maze might be more dangerous than they had thought. Just then a horrible scream rings through the cavern. They soon learn the screams origin, seeing an animate impaled by various spikes emitted from the wall. Wolfbane kneels down in praying position, and prays for God to rest his poor soul. Bird-Brain is confused by the gesture, but Cypher explains it is to honor the fallen souls of the dead. As Bird-Brain tries to comfort the crying Wolfsbane, another scream rings through the maze. They push on further, only to find a dead end. Or so they think , as three doors open, releasing three very huge animates. A walrus like one, with huge teeth, a bull with horns an a huge mace, and the last, a huge lizard. Magik’s Soulsword appears in her hands, a true sign of the danger they face. she offers porting home to find Magneto, as he was good helping her fight demons in Limbo, he would certainly be of use here. Cypher tells her no, they don’t need to crawl back home for help, they are here to fight the bad guys, and here they are. He bashes the Bull with a rock, as Cannonball blasts into the walrus.
Bird-Brain leaps into action smashing the lizard animate with his feet. Magik notices more approaching and warns her teammates. Just then the floor opens beneath them, releasing a poisonous gas, knocking her and Wolfsbane out. Wolf animates grab them, and punches Bird-Brain. Cypher in the midst of his own battle, cries out to them to stay away from his friends. Mirage reaches into the beats minds, pulling out the image of the Animator to scare them away. A huge bat animate grabs her, as Cannonball flies to her rescue. His attempt is stomped by a metal net launched at him, wrapping him up. Bird-Brain tries to free him, but is clubbed from behind. The Animator reveals himself, congratulating the army of his creation. He tells them to continue further into the maze, and bring him all who did not survive the maze for him to further test.
Back in his lab, the Mutants are shackled on the ground in front of caged animates lot F and G. He rants on, as the Mutants discover he’s a lunatic. Cannonball wonders if being captured was worth it for a bunch of dumb animals. Wolfsbane tells him Bird-Brain isn’t dumb, and neither are his friends. They only think different than others, and the animals were smart enough to capture them. The animates bring the beaten Bird-Brain to the animator, who sits upon a small thrown. He taunts him, in clothes, he and asks if they gave him a name. He screams at his creation, calling him an accident, he was never to dress like humans, or speak, or have a name. To earn a name he must know evil, and evil is to become man. He continues his taunts and refers to the Bible’s serpent with name and apples.
Wolfsbane shouts at the Animator, calling him out. She knows he is talking Genesis, with Adam and Eve. They did eat the apple, but it gave them knowledge of good and evil. Her church taught her people wouldn’t be good automatically, they had to choose to be. Cannonball tries to silence her, as this madman surely isn’t trying to have a scripture debate with her. Animator tells her the animates should never choose. Choice is a right of man, choice for animates is not an option. Wolfsbane continues to argue, that Bird-Brain has a name, he is more than an animal, and he’s practically human. Angered he orders her silenced, and a wolf animate backhands her, drawing blood instantly. He tells the Animates who are shackled they disobeyed, letting strangers to live on their surface, and they turned against their creator with hopes to have escaped like Bird-Brain. That choice will cost their lives. He grabs Bird-Brains face, telling him his plans to save his friends cost them their lives. He kills an animate, taunting it’s only the beginning. Bird-Brain starts to cry, as he puts his hands together to pray like he saw Wolfsbane do earlier.
Cypher knows now all the animates will die, not just the ones in the maze. Mirage admits they messed up, going into the maze like it was some sort of game, not even taking it serious. Cannonball adds the stakes are now higher than they ever knew. Grabbing Bird-Brains feathers, The animator demands to know what he is doing. seeing him pray set him off. He rips off Bird-Brains uniform, screaming clothes are for decoration, for shame, for those with knowledge of evil. Clothes are for man, and he is nothing but an animal. He orders the animates to take these monsters away, and destroy them!