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

[Assistant]
Second Genesis!
Chapter IWinzeldorf, GermanyThe small village of Winzeldorf had been a gentle, peaceful place to live in for centuries. That is up until the present, where the once quiet villagers storm the streets armed with torches. One of the men points out where the monster went and orders everyone to follow suit. The monster in question is a three-fingered, two-toed, blue-furred demon-like creature, wearing a red and black costume. He hears the man call him a monster and thinks to himself that it is the villagers who are the real monsters with their mindless prejudices.The creature continues running wondering if he would have been better off staying with “Der Jahrmarkt”. He quickly refutes this thought, as he comes to the conclusion he would rather face the angry mob than spend his days as the carnival freak. The spade-tailed creature stops running and leaps onto the wall of a nearby home.The villagers spot him as he climbs to the roof. They surround the house and tell the creature to come down or they’ll set the place on fire. The creature howls into the night and tells the villagers to leave him alone, that he has done nothing to warrant this.The villagers’ torches rain down on the roof. The creature is astounded at the lengths these people would go to in order to eradicate him. He thinks to himself how he came to this area to learn among them, yet all he’s been taught is hate and violence. The creature, with no options left, leaps off the roof straight towards the villagers intent on making a powerful last stand. The creature fights well against the mob, but inevitably is defeated. One of the men yells out for someone to get him a stake.As a gang of men holds down the defenseless creature, another man with a long moustache and hat brings the stake down towards the creature’s chest for the fatal blow. The man yells out to his fellow neighbors that they will be rid of the monster. A voice from out of nowhere yells out, “Stop!” and everyone does.The creature is surprised to see that everyone is as still as can be, however he can still move. He wonders aloud what happened to everyone. A man approaches in a wheelchair and informs the creature, calling him by his name, Kurt Wagner, that he happened to them. Kurt asks the bald man how he did it and why. Charles Xavier explains that he is a teacher for gifted youngsters like Kurt and that he had heard Kurt say he came to this village to learn. He further clarifies that it is a school for mutants.Kurt admits to hearing the term “mutants” before. Xavier informs Kurt that he is a mutant, which is why he came there to help him. Xavier holds out his hand, but Kurt shies away. He asks the Professor if he can make him normal. Xavier asks him if after what just happened would he really want to be. Kurt reconsiders and admits he just wants to be whole. If that can be done, he tells Xavier, then he will join him.Quebec, CanadaA meeting has been arranged at a secluded, top-secret military installation. The base is the headquarters of one of Canada’s special government agencies as well as one of their top agents, the Wolverine. Wolverine busts into a conference room on the third floor of one of the complex’s main buildings. He wants to know whom the “bigwig” is he’s supposed to meet.Charles Xavier, who’s already sitting at the conference table, introduces himself to Wolverine. Wolvie asks if he’s supposed to be impressed. The military official also waiting in the room explains that the top brass set the meeting up and that Xavier has an offer to make him.Wolverine wants to know what kind of offer the Professor has. Xavier cuts to the chase and tells Wolverine he knows of his recent battle with the Hulk and about his powers. He tells Wolverine he is in desperate need of mutants. Wolverine wants to know about his current responsibilities to the Canadian government. Xavier tells Wolvie he’s offering him a chance to be a free agent and put his powers to their greatest use. Wolverine likes that idea and shakes Charles’ hand on it. The military official can’t believe his ears. He tells them it won’t fly, what with his government having invested a lot of time and money into him. He threatens to lock up Wolverine if he tries to leave.Wolverine snikts a claw and reminds his soon-to-be former associate that it’s still a free country. He swipes at the official cutting his tie in half. Wolverine tells him he’s resigning his commission immediately. He then brings the protruding claw up to the man’s face and asks if he has any further objections. “I didn’t think so,” Wolvie sneers.As the two mutants are leaving the room the government official warns Wolverine that he hasn’t heard the last of it. Wolvie tells the guy that they can come looking for him anytime they want.Nashville, TNBanshee sits at the Grand Ol’ Opry, taking in the show. He looks over to his left to find Professor X sitting next to him. He’s shocked, to say the least. The Professor tells Banshee that he must talk with him.Not much later at Banshee’s place, Professor X has just finished relating his story and his need for mutants. Banshee doesn’t have to think twice before joining up with Xavier’s cause. He even states that it would be nice to follow the “straight an’ narrow” for once.Kenya, East AfricaA large stone portal sits atop a grassy knoll. A group of men make their way to the top to sing songs of praise to the goddess of the storm. They hope she will ease their burden and send them rain.The goddess arrives and asks the men what they are in need of. The man with the headdress, who appears to be the leader of the group, explains to the goddess about the drought that has hit their land and how the crops and grasses are dying. He offers to slaughter ten goats and chickens in her honor if she will bring them rain.The goddess tells the tribesmen to save their animals, as they need them more than she. She tells them she will help them. The goddess raises her arms to the sky and lets the winds sweep her from off the ground. Higher and higher she flies as lightning fires from her fingertips. The sky opens up and the rains begin to fall.The men on the ground are jumping and dancing as the goddess returns to the ground. A voice within her head tells her she put on an impressive display. The goddess named Ororo spots the man in the wheelchair and approaches him. She asks him what business he has in her land. Professor X introduces himself and explains that he has come to make her an offer. She scoffs at him, for what kind of offer could he make a goddess such as herself.He knows she has a land and people who adore her, but Xavier explains that there is a world out there that needs her. He tells her the world he offers her is not beautiful, but it is more real than the fantasy she’s currently living in. He explains to her that she is not a goddess, but a mutant, and that she has responsibilities in using the gifts given her. Ororo is not fully convinced by his argument, but agrees to leave her homeland and set off with the Professor.Osaka, JapanProfessor X and Shiro Yoshida, better known as Sunfire, are sitting down at a table, sharing some tea in his garden. Xavier empathizes with Shiro’s views of the Western world, but explains that he would not be there if there was not dire need of him. Shiro tells the Professor that he owes him nothing. Although he wonders aloud whether he should do this for himself.Shiro contemplates Xavier’s request and moments later reappears in his costume. He states it may be time for the world to hear from Sunfire once again.Lake Baikal, SiberiaThe crop has been larger than expected this season for the Ust-Ordynski collective farm. One of the farmers riding a large field machine yells out to the muscular man pitching wheat on the ground below. He tells the man named Peter to look, for his sister is in trouble. Peter spots his sister off a short distance with a runaway tractor heading straight towards her.Peter takes off and instantly transforms into a metallic behemoth. He doesn’t have enough time to take his sister to safety, so instead stands his ground with the oncoming tractor. The tractor smashes to pieces before the strength of the armored Russian as he cradles his sister in his arms.Peter hears a voice in his head that wishes to hold a conversation with him. Moments later, Peter and Xavier discuss the need for him to come to America. Peter believes his great power belongs to the State. It belongs to the world, Xavier corrects him, for the good of everyone. Peter explains that they must first speak with his parents.Peter finishes telling his parents what Xavier had just told him and how the Professor will teach him in the use of his mutant powers. Peter tells his parents he’s conflicted about leaving, as he’s happy where he is, but knows he has much to offer to the outside world. He asks his father for help with his decision.Peter’s father tells him to do what his heart tells him. Peter says his heart wants him to stay, but his conscience tells him to go. He decides he must go and his father backs him on his decision. His mother begins crying so Peter pulls her in tight for a loving embrace.Moments later, Xavier and Peter, with his suitcase in hand, leave the homestead. Peter waves to his parents who are standing on the porch. He promises to write them and make them proud. His father calls out that he is already proud of him.Camp Verde, AZAn Apache by the name of John Proudstar is chasing down a buffalo residing on the Indian reservation. He laments about his people and how the old ones sit around mostly, discussing the days long past. It disgusts him to see what his people have turned into. The Apache were once hunters and warriors and were meant to be free amongst the plains, but now are “sad-eyed simpering squaws”.At this thought, John leaps at the buffalo he is chasing and grabs it by the horns, bringing it to the ground. As he wrestles with the beast, John proclaims that there is still one man left among the Apache.A voice invades John’s head, causing him to lose focus. The buffalo takes off leaving John face to face with Professor X. He asks Xavier how a cripple could have gotten out so far, but doesn’t wait for a response before telling “white-eyes” to leave the reservation.Charles tells him not to be hasty. He offers John a chance to bring pride back to his people. He explains to John that he is a mutant and that he is needed. “And you can stuff a cactus, Custer!” John replies. He tells Xavier that he owes the white man nothing for the grief he’s given his people and once more tells Xavier to leave, turning his back and heading out himself.Xavier goads John by telling him the rumors he’s heard, that the Apache are all “frightened  selfish children”. Xavier’s ploy works as John turns back around and tells Xavier that nobody calls him a coward. He tells the Professor he’s willing to prove it to him. Xavier promises him he will have that chance.After speaking those words out loud, Charles Xavier wonders if any of the new X-Men will be good enough for the task that lies ahead of them. He wonders if, instead, the world will go down into ruin.Chapter II: …And When There Was One!Westchester, NYThe new recruits are all present at Xavier’s School and after a telepathic crash course in English are all able to communicate with each other. Each mutant is wearing their costume, with Peter, Ororo and John wearing theirs for the first time ever. Peter comments that he had never seen such clothing like what they are all wearing. Ororo tells Professor X that her costume is beautiful and asks how he got just the right size.Xavier explains that the costumes are created from unstable molecules that adjust to the body of the wearer. He explains he obtained them from a man named Reed Richards of whom they’re sure to learn more about and his family later. Xavier starts to explain why he brought them all together, but Sunfire interrupts him.Sunfire points his finger at Xavier’s face and demands to know what’s going on. He tells Xavier he’s losing his patience. Xavier tries to calm him down and apologizes for the delay. He explains he only wanted to wait until the person who can explain the situation better arrived. Xavier motions to the doors behind him right as one of his original students enters the room. He introduces everyone to Scott Summers, also called Cyclops.Cyclops tells them they are there for one simple reason: the X-Men have disappeared. He explains to the new X-Men that they represent the only hope of getting them back. He motions for everyone to follow him as he leads them to the chamber that houses Cerebro. He explains Cerebro’s purpose; to find and identify mutants, which is how each one of them was found, and the reason the original X-Men were lost.Cyclops begins the story of how it all began… Cerebro lets off a signal alarm that is louder than ever before. Professor X, Angel, Iceman, Marvel Girl, Lorna Dane, Havok and Cyclops all show up to see what’s the matter. Xavier checks the computer and finds that Cerebro has detected a mutant signature so powerful that it can’t be classified. The location, Charles discovers, is the island of Krakoa in the South Pacific. Professor X orders the X-Men to go investigate before someone else finds the mysterious mutant.The X-Men take off in the Strato-Jet right away. Jean mentions how she wishes Beast was with them. Scott reminds her that Hank had graduated and no longer had time for them. Scott tells her they have their own stuff to worry about. Up ahead lies the island of Krakoa.The X-Men find an area to land and lower the Strato-Jet to the island surface. Iceman is the first one off the jet and he makes a crack about taking the wrong bus because this overgrown jungle does not look like Cleveland. Cyclops tells him to stow the jokes as they have a difficult job ahead of them. Cyke reminds them they are searching for a new mutant. Angel chimes in how it’s worse since they don’t even know what they’re looking for.Cyclops tells the team to fan out for a better search radius. Lorna spots something behind them and calls everyone’s attention to it. Havok yells for everyone to scatter and then suddenly everything goes black.An unknown time later, Cyclops wakes up aboard the Strato-Jet. His head hurts badly and he has no idea at all where he is, but he notices he’s by himself. Cyke wonders what happened. He suddenly realizes he has no ruby quartz protection covering his eyes and that he’s not firing any beams either. Cyclops tries to discharge his optic blasts, but nothing happens. Then Scott realizes he’s back on the Strato-Jet with the automatic pilot turned on. Cyke tries to get the ship turned around back to the island, but it won’t budge.The plane reaches its destination, back at Xavier’s School. Cyclops races off to find Xavier and finally does so. Xavier asks him where the others are and Cyclops fills him in on the story. Xavier can’t believe his ears, the X-Men are still on the island and Scott has no idea how it all happened.Xavier notices that Scott’s eyes are beginning to glow. He tells Scott to grab some protective lenses, as his powers seem to be returning. Cyke covers his eyes with his hands as his optic beams begin to unleash. Scott cries out in anguish, as he was happy thinking he never had to worry about energy beams shooting from his eyes again. The beam’s strength is more than Cyke can handle and his hands fly free and he is hurled back into some machinery, destroying it…presentCyclops explains to the new team how the Professor modified one of his old visors to contain his increased optic powers and that he stayed back to retrain while Xavier searched for more mutants.With the story now told, Wolverine wants to know what the next move is. Cyclops explains they go back to Krakoa to find the original X-Men and find the mutant that defeated them.Sunfire tells Cyke that he will have no part in the mission. Cyke can’t believe it. He tells Sunfire he’s been given a chance to help his fellow mutants. Sunfire tells him he doesn’t like his fellow mutants and that he will not risk his life to help them. Cyclops tells Sunfire he pities him, but doesn’t have time to waste arguing with him because they have a job to do.Moments later, the Strato-Jet is in the air and on a familiar course towards Krakoa. Aboard the jet, Ororo tells Scott she wasn’t impressed by her first taste of “mutant camaraderie”. John pipes up saying the new X-Men “aren’t exactly a Mutual Admiration Society.” John tells Ororo they’re not there to pat each other on the back. John spots something out of the window and tells Cyclops that something is following them.Cyclops spots the object and replies, “I see it, Geronimo! It’s…”, but John cuts him off, “Well, I’ll be jiggered, One-Eye—the Jap!” Sunfire asks Cyke if he’s going to open the hatch or does he expect Sunfire to travel to Krakoa all by himself. As Sunfire gains entry, Kurt asks him why he returned. Sunfire tells him to mind his own business, his reasons are his own.Chapter III: Assault Force!Two hours into the flight and the new X-Men finally arrive at the island of Krakoa. The X-Men look out their windows at the island below. John says, “So that’s where you mislaid your partners, huh?” and Wolvie chimes in, “Can’t say much for your taste in vacation spots, Summers!” Cyclops tells both Wolverine and John, calling him by his codename Thunderbird, that he doesn’t appreciate their sense of humor. John fires back that his name is Proudstar. Cyclops, obviously not used to receiving this much flak, angrily tells them they will be going by the codenames the Professor assigned.Cyclops breaks the new X-Men into separate assault teams. Storm (Ororo) and Colossus (Peter) will enter from the north, Banshee and the Wolverine will come in from the east, Sunfire and Nightcrawler (Kurt) will start from the south and Thunderbird (John) and Cyclops will head in from the west. Cyclops tells the south team to get ready because their drop is coming up. Sunfire, who hates taking orders, tells Cyke he doesn’t like his tone. Cyclops tells him they can discuss it after the mission is over, and with that Sunfire and Nightcrawler are out of the jet. The east team is out next, followed by the north.Still in the in the aircraft, Thunderbird comments to Cyclops how Storm and Colossus have just landed and they’re already arguing. Cyclops ignores the remark and tells Thunderbird to strap in because they’re next.Cyclops spots a clearing in the jungle and lands the ship, wondering to himself how many more X-Men he will lose. Cyke and Thunderbird exit the jet and head out into the wilderness. Cyke points out to Thunderbird which way they’re going prompting Thunderbird to respond with another sarcastic comment, “I just hope you’re not leading me into another Little Big Horn!” Thunderbird’s complaint is cut short when Cyclops realizes he left the mini-cerebro unit onboard the Strato-Jet. Cyke turns around to re-board the plane and is shocked to see it has disappeared.Thunderbird can’t believe it either. He remarks that the ground couldn’t have just opened up and swallowed the plane whole. Cyke agrees, but points out the fact that a strange temple had just appeared out of nowhere. Cyclops, sensing a connection, figures it’s the best place to go search.Cyclops and Thunderbird make their way toward the temple. From above a vine reaches down and snags Thunderbird around the neck. Thunderbird cries out, but it’s too late. Cyclops is snatched up into the air. Both mutants struggle against the vines. Thunderbird, with his feet still planted on the ground, manages to tear the roots up from the earth. Cyke starts firing his optic beams, tearing the remaining vines in half. The two X-Men finally destroy the vine menace and continue their journey toward the temple. 14 minutes later they arrive.Meanwhile, on the island’s east side, giant crab monsters emerge from the ocean water and head out onto the beach. Their intended targets; Banshee and Wolverine. Banshee spots them first and gets Wolverine’s attention. Wolverine dives into the action with his claws drawn. Wolvie starts tearing them to shreds. At one point he asks Banshee, rather sarcastically, if he’s going to join in on the battle. Banshee, however, is already on the move and letting loose with his sonic scream. The crabs don’t stand a chance against the two battle-tested mutants and are easily obliterated. Banshee and Wolverine both agree that it’s time to get back on their way to the mysterious temple near the center of the island. Soon enough, they both arrive and are greeted by Storm and Cyclops.A bit earlier, Storm and Colossus ran into some trouble of their own. While making their way from the north side, they too spotted the temple and decided to make their way there. During their trek through the valley, however, an avalanche occurred and both X-Men took off. Colossus switched to metal form and had taken the brunt of the hits. As the two X-Men were running they noticed the avalanche was actually following them. At that point Storm summoned the powers of the wind to slow down the barrage while Colossus uprooted a tree and used it like a Louisville slugger to knock the rock debris out of the ballpark. With their powers combined Storm and Colossus managed to send all of the boulders out to sea.At that same moment on the south side, Nightcrawler and Sunfire are being overrun by vicious birds. Sunfire fires away obliterating any that come in his path while Nightcrawler does his best to dodge the attacks. Crawler notes that they seem bent on preventing the duo’s progress towards the temple. Sunfire takes a dig at Nightcrawler for stating the obvious. Kurt, obviously hurt by the comment, wonders aloud whether the mutant community is any better than the human one.From behind, a falcon comes swooping in with its talons reared at Crawler’s head. Nightcrawler teleports away just in time. Sunfire picks on Nightcrawler again, this time for his defensive maneuvers. Sunfire lays waste to the rest of the birds and with no more obstacles in the way, the two of them make good time to the temple and meet up with the rest of the new X-Men.All eight X-Men make their way to the entrance of the temple, Cyclops in the lead with Banshee defending the rear. Cyclops tells the group that he believes they’ve all been lured to the temple on purpose. The door stands before them, concrete and over a foot thick. Cyclops orders his offensive teammates to bust down the door, and that they do.Inside, they are shocked to find all of the missing X-Men are hanging from a network of vines and it seems as though something’s feeding off of them. Cyclops gives the orders to set them free. As the new X-Men pull the tubes off their predecessors the whole temple begins to shake. Cyclops orders the group to carry whatever X-Man is closest to them and escape.They all make it to safety before the temple collapses. The rescued X-Men start to come around. Cyclops sees it as good news, but Angel begs to differ. He asks Cyclops why they came back for them. Cyclops is confused by Angel’s question. Angel explains that it wanted him to come back and bring more mutants. It was a trap all along, he clarifies.The ground opens up before them right where the temple was standing. Cyclops is still stunned, but Angel explains everything. It wasn’t a mutant living on the island they were looking for, it was the island itself that was a mutant!Chapter IV: Krakoa… The Island That Walks Like A Man!Images flood the minds of the group of X-Men. They see an island where early atomic tests were performed, tests where the resulting radiation affected every living thing on it. Eventually each organism on the island linked into a colony intelligence, which gave the island a life of its own. The island, Krakoa, grew hungry however. It was a hunger that never fully went away until the original detachment of X-Men arrived. Krakoa fed on the mutants and decided to release one of them in order to bring back more for it to feast upon.Back in the present, Krakoa proclaims to its fresh crop of food that it will never go hungry again. Cyclops yells at the mutant island for using him, for having him bring more innocent mutants to the slaughter. Krakoa admits to using Cyke and also takes claim that it used Professor X as well, sending him a voice that only his mind could hear. Krakoa is done explaining and says it’s time to feed. He fires energy blasts from his eyes at the mutants gathered beneath him. Cyclops yells for everyone to scatter, but it’s a bit late as several of them are knocked off their feet.Wolverine goes on the offensive, disobeying Cyclops’ orders. He jumps onto the arm of the monster and digs right in. Storm and Sunfire join the fight as well as they take to the air and start firing away with lightning bolts and plasma bursts. Angel points out to Sunfire that his plasma blasts have no effect on the creature. Storm, hearing this, realizes her lightning bolts are doing diddlysquat as well.The X-Men do not give up, though, and press the attack. Everyone lets loose knowing this could be their last stand. The X-Men continue fighting, getting nowhere, that is until the astral projection of Professor X appears. He contacts Scott and tells him they’re going about the battle all wrong. Professor X continues, explaining how he was monitoring their battle and studying the mutant island. He tells Cyclops he thinks he’s found a weak point and then fills the field leader in on his plan.Back at Westchester Xavier sits at his desk mentally preparing for what he must do. He places his hand over his face in deep concentration and joins the battle telepathically from halfway around the world.Professor X wages mental war with Krakoa while his X-Men carry out the master plan. Cyclops gives Storm an order and she takes off to the skies. As she hovers above Krakoa she harnesses the electronic fury of the storm. Lorna Dane absorbs the electrical energies and is recharged. A conduit is created between Storm and Lorna, with Lorna taking the brunt of it all. She screams out in agony, but tells them not to stop. Alex tells Scott to call off the plan, for Lorna’s sake. Scott denies his request. He tells Alex that he can’t sacrifice the world to save the woman he loves. Havok is upset to say the least and swears to his brother that if Lorna dies… The rest of what Havok says is lost in the deafening roar of the downpour.As the rain comes crashing down, Krakoa grows in size and strength. Banshee points this out to everyone in total disbelief. Professor X reaches out to Scott one more time to tell him that Krakoa had grown too strong mentally.Back at Westchester Xavier collapses on his desk after telling Cyclops he can’t continue his part anymore.Back at the battle, Krakoa prods the X-Men, calling them fools. It laughs at them for sending the rain. It tells them the rain replenishes and gives it strength. Jean voices her concerns to Scott about the Professor’s plan. She knows they won’t last much longer in battle. Scott tells her not to worry and to get everyone back because the next phase is about to begin.Scott turns to see Lorna, but she is an incandescent tower of sheer magnetic force. Cyclops yells out, “Now!” and both he and Havok let loose a powerful barrage at the epicenter of the magnetic energy. The energy shoots downward, all the way to the molten center of the planet itself. Krakoa starts feeling strange almost instantly. It cries out that it can’t maintain its humanoid form anymore.Scott voices his happiness that the Professor’s plan worked. He tells everyone to get moving before the end. Everyone starts running for it. Cyclops, Havok and Iceman run into Lorna lying on the ground. Havok tells them that Lorna is too weak to run and before he can do anything about it, Iceman picks her up and tells Havok that Lorna is “in good hands for once”. Havok is about to hand him a verbal smackdown, but Cyclops tells them they can argue later.They join the remaining X-Men who are already a bit ahead of them. Thunderbird is the first to spot the beach ahead and he relays the fact that it’s breaking up as well just like the rest of the island. Without their Strato-Jet, the X-Men worry. Luckily, Iceman comes up with a solution and creates an ice platform on top of the ocean water. He orders everyone on board.Havok and Cyclops move to the rear of the ice raft and both use their powers to propel their vessel further away from the island. Behind them the island is propelled into the air with such force that it breaks free of the Earth’s orbit and enters the vacuum of space. It seems as though their plan to sever the planet’s primary lines of magnetic force worked. When the forces realigned themselves, it was so violent that it popped the island into outer space.A whirlpool appears where Krakoa once stood and it begins drawing the ice raft right into its maw. Cyclops orders Iceman to create an airtight ice shield over the raft. Seconds later their ice raft is sucked down beneath the ocean. The X-Men are knocked around as the waters rock them back and forth like pinballs. The vortex slows and stops and for a brief moment the waters are calm. The ice bubble created by Iceman emerges from the frothy depths of the sea. With the coast clear, Cyclops blows open the roof.The X-Men are finally safe, but the good news doesn’t end there. The Strato-Jet, built watertight, also pops up out of the water. The X-Men paddle their ice raft to the jet while Angel flies over to open the hatch. Everyone climbs aboard and they take off back towards Westchester. Angel apologizes to everyone for the lack of comfort, but explains that the jet wasn’t built for so many mutants. Then he asks the obvious question, “What are we going to do with thirteen X-Men?”


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

[Assistant]
None
None


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

[Assistant]
First Story: Teamwork
Second Story: Enter, the Avengers!
Third Story: We Have to Fight the X-Men!
Fourth Story: Excerpt from “Re-Enter: The Mimic!”
Fifth Story: “Along Came a Spider…”
First Story:
The mysterious, feral man, known simply as Wolverine, closes the door to the Danger Room. With a vile smirk on his face, he locks the room shut and then turns to his companions in the room. Wolverine, wearing a pink, unbuttoned shirt, spreads his arms out as he walks over towards his fellow new X-Men: Thunderbird, Storm, Colossus, Sunfire and Nightcrawler. Sunfire alone wears his uniform; as Nightcrawler continues to wear his circus outfit and the other three simply wear civilian clothing.
Wolverine tells the group that it is their first day as new X-Men, so he is going to show them how this works. Colossus interrupts and joyfully turns to his companions. He is still amazed on how an hour ago he spoke not even a word of English, but now he knows and understands every word of the language. Storm turns to her new friend and tells him that the Professor is indeed a powerful man. Annoyed, Sunfire tells the pain that he would gladly forget the English language if it meant not having to listen to them prattle any longer.
Sunfire continues to be rude and tells the group that he only joined the X-Men to be with the most powerful and righteous, who would do great deeds for the world. Sunfire then looks at Nightcrawler confused, and then looks back at Thunderbird, Storm and Colossus. He shoots a dirty look at the nervous Nightcrawler and asks if they were not to be wearing uniforms. The little German man is still in his circus outfit.
Calling Sunfire “sunflower,” Wolverine tells him that he is wrong on everything he just said. Angry, Sunfire corrects Wolverine’s assumption of his name, though the naïve Colossus is more concerned on costumes, as he did not realize he was getting one. Storm, levelheaded, asks Wolverine what he means by Sunfire being wrong. Wolverine, listening only to Storm, tells her that Sunfire was wrong about them being a team. They are not one. A team has something that binds them all together. The Fantastic Four all received their powers together. The Avengers are all big-shot A-listers and they even have a god on their team. Thor is Norse, but he is a still a god. Those teams have been together for years, but they have not.
They are not a team. Nightcrawler, sitting on top of a box, points out that Banshee is not present. Wolverine tells the group that Banshee is not part of this. He is tight with the Professor. He then corrects “Creepy Crawler” and tells him that they are not one man short. They are one man too many. Wolverine pops his claws and tells the team that the Professor knows that at least one of them won’t make it as an X-Man. Storm casts Wolverine a dirty look, as the menacing mutant announces that finding out who will fail will bring them together. One of them is walking out of this room dead.
Angered and acting impulsively, Colossus armors up and tells Wolverine that he is being obscene, for there is a woman present. Annoyed at Colossus, who stands in front of her to protect her, Storm tells him that she does not need his protection. Wolverine also adds that no one said Storm was the weak link. His money is on Nightcrawler. Kurt, who was nervous before thanks to Sunfire, becomes even more so and now scared for his life. Figuring Wolverine out, Thunderbird comments that the white man never changes, for they always promise glory and then turn their backs. Sunfire, who seems to have no problem with this challenge, tells Wolverine that, if the Professor wants one of them dead, then he shall cast his vote.
Sunfire unleashes a massive fireball at Wolverine to kill him. Colossus, however, jumps in the way and blocks the attack. Storm calls forth the elements, as she knows that the Danger Room is too small to contain the fire, so she decides that she will. After calling a massive gust of wind to slam back Sunfire, Storm finds that she is unable to control her weather for long, as the lightning she summons strikes her. Storm then realizes that she has never summoned the elements in a closes space and now it is all closing in.
Wolverine smalls at the downfall of Sunfire and wonders who will go next. Suddenly, Thunderbird slams into Wolverine’s back and tells him that, if he wants death, he will receive it. Thunderbird then slams his elbow powerfully into Wolverine’s back. Nightcrawler, who is now disenfranchised by Xavier’s dream, is in disbelief that the nice man who saved him would bring them to a place where they must kill the weak to earn their place. He did not escape a mob to die there. Nightcrawler then teleports behind Storm and grabs her. He tells the goddess to forgive him and then wraps his arm around her neck.
Below, Thunderbird rams his mighty fist into Wolverine’s gut and asks him if he is too scared for a real fight. Why doesn’t the animal show his claws again? Wolverine, who recovers, simply says “lightning” and asks Thunderbird to do the math. He then kicks the other man in the gut, which sends Thunderbird reeling back into Colossus, who serves as a conduit for Storm’s lightning.
At that moment, the Banshee enters and uses his mighty sonic powers to defeat all the X-Men. Horrified, he asks them if they are all mad. The Professor “heard” them all from across town and, if only he could see them now, he would be horrified as well. Confused, Nightcrawler asks if the Professor had not ordered this. Of course not, says Wolverine, as he picks up his shirt from the ground and puts it back on. The Professor is a decent man, which is why Wolverine waited till now to spring his game. On the ground, Sunfire asks Wolverine why he would do such a thing.
Wolverine tells Sunfire that they are not a team. Angered, Colossus wonders why Wolverine would turn them against each other to prove his point. Playing with his toothpick, Wolverine explains that a team knows each other’s powers, weak spots, and tempers not from files, but from real life experience. When they are in the heat of battle, they will learn more about who has their backs. Personally, says Wolverine, as he walks out of the Danger Room, his money is on Thunderbird to outlast the rest of them. He hasn’t been hit that hard since he fought the Hulk.
"So, anybody want a beer?"
Second Story:
This story is a reprint of X-Men (1st series) #9, in which the X-Men fight the Avengers as Xavier confronts Lucifer.
Third Story:
This story is a reprint of Fantastic Four (1st series) #28, in which the Puppet Master uses his powers to force the X-Men in battle against the Fantastic Four.
Fourth Story:
This is a one-page excerpt taken from X-Men (1st series) #27, and depicts Beast and Iceman trying to recruit Spider-Man for the team.
Fifth Story:
This story is a reprint of X-Men (1st series) #35, in which the X-Men search for the missing Banshee and Professor X, captives of Factor Three, but get into a misunderstanding and fight with Spider-Man instead.


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

[Assistant]
First Story: Finding Home
Second Story: The Doomsmith Scenario!
Third Story: Warhunt!
Fourth Story: Mourning
Fifth Story: Warhunt 2
First Story:
Rain comes down in the Danger Room. Cat-5 winds, which are more than 200 knots, pound the rain down so hard that it hurts him. John Proudstar can’t see his enemy and, because of her amazing ability to manipulate the weather, he can barely stand. However, he does not quit. Soon or later, he will find the woman who calls herself Storm, who from behind him sends a bolt of lightning to crack dangerously close to his back.
Suddenly, he hears the voice of the leader of the X-Men, Cyclops, calling out to Storm, telling her that it is enough. They should move on with the practice session. The weather returns back to normal for John, who finds himself soaked and battered. Before him are his fellow teammates, Cyclops, Storm, Banshee, Colossus, Wolverine, and Nightcrawler. While John dries his hair, Cyclops commends Storm on her excellent control over the weather. None of the men watching her evade Thunderbird were hit with a single drop. Now, for the next round, Storm and Thunderbird will engage each other without powers. Cocky, Thunderbird tells “one-eye” that he doesn’t fight girls.
An angered Storm runs up to Thunderbird and kicks him straight in the face, telling him that she is not a girl. Colossus is stunned and asks Wolverine and Nightcrawler if they just saw that. Nightcrawler comments on how Storm is really fast, to which Wolverine agrees. However, Nightcrawler goes on and tells Logan that, if he lost his teleportation powers, it would not affect his speed or agility. Wolverine asks him if he is sure, but Nightcrawler rather arrogantly assures Wolverine that he would do just fine. Usual stakes, asks Wolverine, as he challenges Nightcrawler.
“Absolu…” says Nightcrawler, as he is cut off my Wolverine quickly lifting his fist to Nightcrawler’s neck and popping out two of his claws, trapping Nightcrawler’s neck in between. Cyclops, who watches Thunderbird and Storm fight, turns to the two men and tells him to stop horsing around. He needs them focused. The two men comply, but Wolverine smirks and tells Nightcrawler that this is another case of beer that he owes him for losing. Nightcrawler sighs.
Thunderbird and Storm continue their fight without interruption. John thinks of how Storm kicks like a mule, as he tries punching her. However, she somersaults in the air over his attack, quicker than expected. Thunderbird then remembers his Uncle Jack and recalls how he kicked like a mule too. In fact, it was Uncle Jack who taught John how to fight.
Storm proves sneakier than expected too, as she wraps her cloak around Thunderbird’s head, ensnaring him. However, John thinks to himself that this was Storm’s first mistake. She slams his against the wall, which normally would have taken out anyone this side of Wolverine. However, he takes it in stride. Unfortunately, because Storm has grabbed him with her cloak, that means he also has a hold of her. Thunderbird quickly ducks out from under the cloak and gets a hold of it. He yanks it hard and sends Storm to the floor. He then leaps upon her. He does not know anything about Africa, where Storm comes from. However, he is Chiricahua Apache. Nobody is more cunning and tougher in the world. Storm retaliates just as hard as the kick, but it does not bother John. He is enjoying this.
Pinning Storm face first on the floor, John tells her that she is down and done. Angered and blood thirsty, Storm tells him that she will never be done. Worried, Wolverine turns to Cyclops, but the leader of the X-Men doesn’t act. Storm screams at the top of her lungs for Thunderbird to let her go. Wolverine rushes to her side and tells Thunderbird to let her go. He heard her; it is over.
Thunderbird gets up and Wolverine helps up the embarrassed Storm, who begins to apologize to Logan. However, Wolverine tells her to just take a few deep breaths for now. Thunderbird turns to Cyclops and asks if he did something wrong, but the disappointed leader of the X-Men tells him that John did nothing wrong; it was his leadership that was the mistake. Cyclops then leaves the Danger Room, as the training session is over.
Sometime later in Xavier’s study, Wolverine and Xavier have a drink in front of the fireplace. Xavier tells Wolverine that Cyclops felt undermined by him today at the training session. Wolverine informs Xavier that Scott was behind the curve. Another second and there would have been bloodshed. That is one of the reasons he turned to him, replies Xavier. Xavier wants Wolverine to help Cyclops lead the X-Men.
As Xavier fills Wolverine’s cup, the feral mutant tells Xavier that it won’t work. Xavier, however, has faith. Wolverine smiles and tells Xavier that he may be the most powerful telepath, but even he cannot sort out the mess in Logan’s head. He has been messed up by experts and he is more dangerous to the X-Men than the bad guys. Yet you’re here, points out the astute leader. What I am, replies Logan, is crazy. That too, jokes Charles. Xavier then becomes serious and reasons with Logan to have more faith in Cyclops. Why, asks Wolverine.
Xavier replies that Cyclops has the right instincts of a leader, but he doubts Wolverine’s loyalty and that causes him to second-guess himself. Cyclops needs to trust himself, so Wolverine can trust him. Your call, replies Wolverine, as he picks up a photo of the five original X-Men. He then comments that this team Charles has assembled is an interesting mix. It seems like a coincidence that he, Storm, and Thunderbird are what… damaged goods? Is Charles still bent on recruiting lost souls?
Xavier explains that it is his life calling. Wolverine adds that Charles should give Jean Grey a chance. She might be better at it than him. Unfortunately, replies Xavier, Jean has the left the X-Men and the school and Wolverine knows that… and she is also taken.
Unbeknownst to the two men, however, outside, John Proudstar has heard their entire conversation. He leaps away and climbs the side of the building, where he perches at an open window and stares down at Cyclops in the hallway… and seems to be talking to himself! However, what Thunderbird does not realize is that Cyclops is speaking to the astral projection of Jean Grey, the former X-Man known as Marvel Girl.
Cyclops holds Jean and tells her that the training session was a disaster, but Jean tells him not to beat himself up. Scott, however, argues that she wasn’t there. If Wolverine had not intervened things would have ended badly. Jean assures Scott that Wolverine did what all teammates would do for each other. He was just looking out for Storm. Scott is doing what all leaders do. He is trying to learn about his people. Not so sure, Scott tells Jean that he feel as if having Wolverine around makes him feel like a kid. Jean kisses Scott and tells him to give himself a chance. He is better than this than he will ever know.
Thunderbird is creeped out, as it seems as if Cyclops is speaking to a ghost. He didn’t think it would be so hard being around other people with powers. Thunderbird then reaches Wolverine’s room. He thinks that Wolverine is a slob, as he sees beer cans littered everywhere. However, he knows that there is a purpose. A person cannot cross this room without hitting a can and making a noise. However, Thunderbird considers this a challenge and gracefully leaps around the room to Logan’s desk, which is worse than the floor. John figures that Wolverine probably has everything on his desk memorized, so he won’t touch anything.
However, John spots something that he does touch. It is a photo of Wolverine in a war. Surprised, John comments to himself that Wolverine had a war of his own too. So did John. John tears up and tells his Uncle Jack that it should have been him. He should have been the one to save him. He should have been the one to die. Thunderbird leaves Logan’s quarters, unaware that Logan is in the next room meditating.
Thunderbird arrives in Storm’s room and calls out to her to talk to her, but finds the room empty. In fact, there are not even any decorations, except for a knife hanging on a wall. Suddenly, John is telepathically spoken to by Xavier, who tells him that Ororo killed a man when she was hardly more than a child. John is scared to see Xavier, but the founder of the X-Men quickly calms his student, telling him that it is only a projection. Storm’s history is why she freaked out in the Danger Room. He struck a nerve raw. Damaged goods, asks John. Something like that, replies Xavier. It is her greatest secret. John tells Charles that he doesn’t tell tales – Storm’s or Xavier’s.
Xavier offers his condolences for Uncle Jack. John tells Xavier that as a mutant he should have spotted the ambush. Wolverine came back into his room while John was snooping, didn’t he? John didn’t spot that either. Xavier tells John about mistakes, and how they all make them and learn. If we survive the mistakes, replies John; if they don’t get anyone else killed for their mistakes. Xavier tells John that he knows about war and wants to help him. He needs him to help him and the others. There are more mutants like them born every day and not all of them are nice. That is why Xavier founded the school and the X-Men.
Thunderbird looks around and tells Xavier that the room is too empty. Xavier reveals that Storm is not sure if she is staying with the X-Men. That makes two of us, replies Thunderbird. Maybe, just maybe… Storm needs something to show her how to put down roots.
Sometime later Storm flies back to her empty room, but finds it empty no longer. In the middle of the room is a cactus to her surprise and a note.
“Prickly on the outside, maybe even dangerous. But the meat and sweet water within can save your life.”
Signed, John Proudstar.
Second Story:
This story is a reprint of X-Men (1st series) #94, in which the X-Men battle Count Nefaria and the Ani-Men at Mount Valhalla.
Third Story:
This story is a reprint of X-Men (1st series) #95, in which the X-Men continues their fight against Count Nefaria, leading to the death of Thunderbird I.
Fourth Story:
This story is a reprint of the backup story in Classic X-Men #3, in which the X-Men put Thunderbird I to rest.
Fifth Story:
This is a reprint of Uncanny X-Men #193, in which John Proudstar’s little brother takes up the mantle of Thunderbird II to gain revenge against the X-Men.


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

[Assistant]
Hereditary-X
A news feature:The report shows a battle with the X-Force team originally led by Axel Cluny aka Zeitgeist, the team that fought pay per view missions filmed by the unlikely sex symbol Doop. Zeitgeist and most of his team (with the exception of U-Go-Girl, Doop and the Anarchist) were killed on a mission. The thing X-Force (later X-Statix) was most famous for was their insanely high body count.
The report is watched by a young, redheaded woman, Katie, who except for her tooth-gap and her healthier skin tone is the spitting image of Edie Sawyer aka U-Go Girl. Edie is in fact the one X-Statix member Katie is interested in. She still has the pillbox hat from when X-Static fought the League of Evil Out of Work Actors. It’s the only thing of her she has. Apart from being horribly objectified - this was years before #metoo – Edie was the team’s teleporter. And Katie’s big sister. The family changed their names to “Jones” though after Edie died, so the paparazzi wouldn’t bug them. Katie’s mother died a few years later, but she and her father got through it. She has friends at high school and, while not the best, she isn’t at the bottom of class either. When she graduates, Katie plans to be an engineer. She has a death metal-loving boyfriend named Mickey Halloran whom she isn’t sure about yet. She is happy. Her life isn’t exciting and that is how she wants it to stay.
And then everything changed.
Katie wakes up and finds herself in a graveyard at her mother’s grave. She believes this to be a dream… until Dead Girl shows up to announce it isn’t. When Katie bursts out that she looks way plumper on TV, Dead Girl blames Doop and glares at him as he come from the shadows. She explains she’s managed to wrangle a four-minute-pass from the land of the dead… for someone who will speak to Katie. What must be said will come better from her mother.
Edie appears and greets Katie. Disbelieving, Katie points out that isn’t her mom but her big sister. Edie admits that it’s no mistake and begins to explain….
In the meantime, Katie’s boyfriend Mickey Halloran sits on the porch of his home, listening to death metal, when an energy beam hits him courtesy of two mutants in X-costumes plus a giant flying eye. The male identifies him as Mickey Halloran, boyfriend of Katie Sawyer, daughter of dead hero U-Go Girl. Micky stammers he is dating a girl named Katie Jones who is as far from super as you can get. The eye blasts him again and the man warns Mickey that Uno’s evil eye will liquefy his skeleton… unless he arranges to meet his Girlfriend here tomorrow. Mickey groans he still thinks they have to the wrong person. The man orders the woman - Mirror Girl - to show him whom they seek, and the woman creates an artist’s impression of Katie.
At the graveyard, Katie can’t believe what she just heard. Her mother is lying in the grave in front of her! Edie explains that was Katie’s grandmother, Edie’s mother. She was only seventeen when she had Katie… and she was ambitious. She means she didn’t’ want a baby cramping her lifestyle, Katie spells out. Her racy lifestyle wasn’t a healthy environment to raise a child, Edie defends herself. Katie accuses her of putting fame before her own baby!
Dead Girl interrupts, she didn’t get U-Go-Girl a pass from the afterlife so they could have a family drama. She reminds Edie that she has an important message to give. Edie agrees and tells Katie she is going to have to accept her inheritance. Katie shoots back she can keep her money. Edie explains she is talking about the mutant gene inside Katie.
But her daughter isn’t interested She isn’t some stupid celebrity superhero. She is going to be an engineer. Something real. Edie sadly tells her a time is coming when she is going to have to use the special gift Katie inherited from her. Katie throws a tantrum. She doesn’t want anything from her! Why couldn’t Edie have stayed dead?!
That moment, Edie gets dragged back and tells her goodbye. Katie shouts she can’t go yet, but it’s too late. She turns to Dead Girl accusingly. That was never four minutes. Dead Girl shrugs apologetically. A technical glitch. Stuff like that happens all the time.
The following morning, Katie ditches Edie’s pillbox hat, throwing it from a bridge. She is determined to forget and studies even more, focusing on her grades. But suddenly, she finds herself disappearing from the library to reappear in graveyard, and she wonders if meeting Edie triggered something in her.
She gets her answer the next morning, when she looks into the mirror and finds she has Edie’s greyish complexion. Angrily she shouts, why couldn’t Dead Girl and Edie just leave her alone?
A sentiment shared elsewhere by Myles Alfred, the former Vivsector and Guy Smith, once known as either the Orphan or Mr. Sensitive, both former members X-Statix, both believed dead, both informed by Doop. Guy reminds Doop that, since their lucky escape, they both have new careers. Myles writes books that give him migraines when he is trying to read them and he is the unseen force behind Mr. Sensitive skin products. Myles spells out they are not at Doop’s beck and call.
Suddenly, he contorts in pain courtesy of Dead Girl, who is trying to see if she can get him angry enough to turn into Vivisector. Guy snaps, asking if it wouldn’t be easier to ask him and asks Doop to do something. Undeterred, Dead Girl replies she has seen a vision of the future, a team that perverts everything X-statix stood for… Fame, money, entertainment? Guy points out wryly.
Myles has finally changed into his more feral self, causing Dead Girl to drop him. Guy catches him as Dead Girl announces that only X-Statix can stop this deadly new crew. Guy asks if she means a reunion with Edie and Tike. And maybe even El Guapo, the skateboard kid. And Billy Bob, Myles growls, referring to his former lover, “Phat.” Dead Girl reminds them they are dead. Guy retorts if he can come back from the dead, why can’t they?
Standing next to Doop, Dead Girl refuses to discuss such complexities now, but it’s true they are a little light on numbers. Which is why she and Doop took the liberty of reaching out to the younger generation…
In the meantime, Katie visits medical experts about her condition. They either tell her she will grow out of it or don’t believe her. As a result, she teleports one of them to the Arctic and figures she will have to work on her anger issues. Finally, with a mix of meditation and epilepsy medication, she gets some control over her involuntary teleportation. Still, she sometimes wakes up hugging Edie’s star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood and, of course, no amount of medication helps with her skin problem.
Visiting her boyfriend Mickey, she tells him he better get used to the way she looks now. Mickey stammers there is nothing wrong with the way she looks. He is very liberal-minded. He once dated a girl with a Coldplay tattoo, he assures her. Katie demands why he has been acting weird all evening then. He admits there is something on his mind and asks if her mother was that old superhero U-Go-Girl? She was never her mother! She will never be her mother! Katie snaps. Why does he want to know? He apologizes and stammers that those scary dudes said they would hurt him if he didn’t help them find her.
That moment, the three villains burst into the room, attacking and injuring Micky. They are unimpressed at the sight of Katie, but their leader wants her. Micky groans that he is hurt.
That moment, Dead Girl walks through the wall into the room and tells Katie she can save herself and her boyfriend. She instructs her what to do but Katie refuses. Dead Girl replies she knows she is upset about her mother... Katie interrupts, noting that the selfish cow wasn’t her mother. She abandoned her!
Mirror Girl interjects she wants to be her own woman. She can dig thar. She tells Katie to look into the mirror; she is going to see her true self. Katie looks to see Edie. She refuses to believe that. Mirror Girl assures her that her mirror doesn’t lie (this time).
Dead Girl gets between them and orders her to concentrate. But the male villain, Hurt John, touches her and his power manages to cause even Dead Girl pain, psychological pain that is - recalling an unhappy memory of her childhood. Katie tries to help her and gets attacked by Uno.
Elsewhere, Doop is filming Guy, who is crying while looking at a photo of Edie. He still misses her. Annoyed, he orders Doop to get the camera out of his face. He knows they’ve got a contract for a three-hour docu-drama and they are still missing a third act, but he doesn’t have the strength or courage to do X-Statix again. Not without Edie. And nothing Doop says can persuade him otherwise. Doop replies something and Guy thinks.
Elsewhere, Myles is in bed with his husband, defending his decision not to return to X-Statix. Did James Joyce grow fur? Did Saul Bellow have fangs? It has taken him ages to be taken halfway seriously as a writer. His partner Fenton gently tells him he cannot change the past. Myles points out that, at the moment, Vivisector can be seen as the result of youthful indiscretion. And of mutant genes, Fenton adds. And his books sales will rocket. Myles is more concerned with the literary establishment. Fenton reminds him that, if they were really worried about what others thought, they wouldn’t be together. Myles gently touches his face and wonders what he would do without him.
X-Statix “bad boy” Tike Alicar aka the Anarchist was known for his womanizing lifestyle. However, all of that was a smokescreen hiding his relationship with his high school sweetheart Marsha Davies, with whom he had his only son Mike. At an early age, Mike showed he had inherited his father’s power of acid sweat when a cop tried to arrest his mother for a minor traffic violation. At 17, he used his power to clear out a drug gang from his block. Angry, smart and brilliant, Mike is determined to be every bit as famous as his father was. He refuses to be called the Anarchist, going instead by “the A.”
And he is perfect for X-Statix, Dead Girl finishes her introduction. She means he is tough? Brave? Resourceful? Myles asks. She replies he already has a record deal with Bad Rap Records and he’s designed a radical new line of sneakers.
Guy is mildly impressed and asks who’s next. Dead Girl reminds them of their dead teammate Phat, Billy Bob Reilly. Doop had secretly extracted genetic material from him. Nine months later, a girl was born, also displaying her father’s power of cellulite manipulation. Now she’s Phatty. And according to her PR material for this young woman, Phatty is always a feminist issue!
Watching the video of her taking out a few gangsters with her powers, Myles wonders how something so grossly misshapen can looks so feminine.
Dead Girl continues that she is a rising star on the plus-size catwalk. Of course, they are going to have to offer these guys points at the back ends and image rights. This isn’t like the old days when everyone from CAA to William Morris would come running to X-Statix.
She notes that Guy looks worried. He replies it’s hopeless, unless they can get into and out of fight scenes. Who could ever take the place of Edie Sawyer or Venus Dee Milo? Yes, the teleporter, Dead Girl agrees. She was just coming to her…
A building complex in Death Valley:The unconscious Katie sits strapped to a chair, watched by her abductors and their leader, who warns Uno about the consequences should he have permanently damaged her. The flying eyeball asks what the big deal with that one is. There are more teleporters out there. What about the one from New York, Doctor Whoosh? Mirror Girl opines she likes the British girl with the cute lisp, Toodle Pip.
Their leader decides that they are passable but none of them is the daughter of Edie Sawyer!
Katie wakes up and bursts out she recognizes him. He’s Zeitgeist. Looking at his scarred face, she adds that he used to be handsome in an old guy kind of way and now… He’s monstrous, he agrees. He’s the spirit of the times. Look at him. Does she see the world they are living in? She doesn’t understand what he’s talking about and bursts out, he’s dead! They saw his intestines hanging out. Zeitgeist reveals that Axel Cluney died. But thanks to Doop’s naïve intervention, Zeitgeist survived the Boyz’r’Us massacre. He was in a coma for a year during which time he had major bionic surgery. It suited his purposes to remain officially dead. He is gathering a team of evil dada shock troops for the culture war that lies ahead. He calls them the X-Cellent. The only thing he is missing is a teleporter. Behold…
Who the hell says “behold?” Katie bursts out. Behold, he repeats, the Bohrometer. He points at a giant test tube that contain fragments of what looks like Venus Dee Milo. Zeitgeist rambles, it was built by the finest scientists he could kidnap and drug, based on notes left by physicist Niels Bohr, this machine is attracting and reassembling Venus Dee Milo’s many atoms which were scattered across the universe after X-Statix’ final joke of a mission. Unfortunately, there is a problem. It will take another fifteen years for Venus’ body to fully reassemble. He can’t wait that long for a decent teleporter, which brings him to her.
Katie refuses, and what makes him think she won’t just port out of here? With an evil grin, Zeitgeist informs her that electric impulses from the chair to her brain mean it is impossible for her to teleport. She will remain here until she agrees to join the team. Fine, then she’ll remain here, Katie announces.
Zeitgeist declares her as stubborn as her mother was. Katie retorts the only mother she knew was a dressmaker all her life and died two years ago. So, unless he had a secret hankering for off the shoulder damask-print cutoffs, the two of them probably didn’t meet. Not amused Zeitgeist uses his power against her and Katie screams.
Dead Girl phases inside the room and notes she always thought there was something sadistic about him. Hurt John attacks Dead Girl and gets rebuffed.
A little later, X-Statix break through the wall, including the new members (all of it, of course, filmed by Doop). Guy criticizes the A that he used a little too much sweat on the wall, and the young man retorts he is not taking lessons from him. Phatty tells Doop to make her butt look really big - think Jennifer Lopez. Doop sends the howl thing live (Provided you subscribe to X-Statix TV).
Guy is astonished to see Zeitgeist alive who tells him he doesn’t like what he did to his team. Guy stammers it wasn’t his team. Besides X-Statix were Entertainment Weekly’s superheroes of the year for three consecutive seasons. Ignoring the others fighting, Zeitgeist insists he shouldn’t have changed the name from X-Force. He turned the team into a laughing stock. The Keystone Cops in spandex. Guy retorts Zeitgeist led his team into a massacre. Most of them were expendable, is the reply, Edie Sawyer wasn’t. And Guy let her die on his watch. He lashes out at Guy, who replies he’d rather have died himself.
Zeitgeist orders Uno to give them the evil eye. Uno blasts the X-Statix members. Vivisector ends up next to Katie and introduces himself, adding she may have read his last novel “Some are Born Great.” Katie suggests they discuss literature after he’s gotten her out of the damn chair. He apologizes while slashing her loose. He’s out of practice with the superhero business. Been too busy storming the old cultural barricades, if she knows what he means. She doesn’t and calls him weird.
Uno is still blasting away. Calling the A “Tike,” Guy asks him to put up a little sweat there and give them some cover. The A snaps, he is Mike. He guesses they all look the same to him. As touchy as his old man, Guy groans.
Vivisector protects Katie from one of Zeitgeist’s blasts and muses that he supposes it is all rather exhilarating. If you like that kind of thing, Katie mutters. But she doesn’t, does she? he observes. She spent her entire life running from it. Katie retorts she saw what this life did to Edie. Fame ate her up and spat her out again. Myles insists this is about more than fame, which Katie doubts.
Guy dodges a blast and asks her to teleport them out. They can’t take much more of this. Katie stubbornly insists that she is a normal high school kid, not a superhero. She doesn’t transport anyone anywhere!
Mirror Girl scares Phatty with an image of her nightmare: herself slim.
Guy asks if she can’t see what is happening to them. Like it or not, she has the power, she carries the X-gene! And she can’t fight what she is. None of them can. Katie retorts that Edie’s love of fame made her leave her family. She won’t step into the same spotlight!
A rapt audience at home watches as one of Zeitgeist’s acid vomit blasts mutilates the A’s right arm. Angrily, he shouts at Katie to help them. Guy tells her he is not asking her to be like Edie, just use her special talent to help them.
Katie gives in and teleports voluntarily for the first time, taking the whole team back to the graveyard. The A groans about his agent warning him against taking up with them freaks. Guy assures him Doop will get him a prosthetic - he will be better than new.
He enthuses that Doop will get Katie a new outfit and they need to think names. Angrily, she cuts him off: she is not getting into any celebrity superhero team. Her life is her own! She walks away.
Myles wonders if they should stop her. Guy points out that, if she is anything like Edie, she won’t do anything she doesn’t want to.
Sometime later, Katie admits to herself that the fame she got through the adventure as well as using her powers was a thrill. She is beginning to understand why Edie chased fame. Maybe one day she will even be able to think of her as her mother…


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

[Assistant]
Haunted Mansion
Westchester:Ever since the mutants moved to Krakoa, the X-Men’s mansion has stood empty. The rooms are overgrown by plants. The Krakoan gateway in the hallway, now resembling a jungle, opens and four people (and a dragon) step though: Nightcrawler, Magik, Cypher, Eye-Boy and Lockheed the dragon.
Magik remarks that the place is supposed to be deserted, right? So why all the attempted breaches of the gateway here? Cypher replies that’s not really the problem. Krakoa has hundreds of access failures every day – humans who try to walk through an active gate and then aren’t able to. It’s how the gates work, it’s how they are grown. But they are here because Krakoa smelled “mutant” in this gate’s vicinity during each failure. Which begs the question… what in the world is going on in the abandoned X-Mansion?
Nightcrawler asks Eye-Boy to do his thing. Trevor replies he is using ten different kinds of vision and here’s what he’s seeing: a haunted creepshow they should haul ass from. Immediately, Illyana chides him to show some respect. This was their home. Kurt agrees, but Trevor’s not wrong. Something is off. Trevor enumerates the visions he is using: infrared, night vision aural, thermal. This place looks empty but it isn’t. He’s seeing recent movement everywhere. Human? Kurt asks. Human but he can’t make them out.
Something rustles. They try to figure out where the sound came from. Lockheed sniffs. He smells something and, with a roar, he flies away and begins breathing fire at the shrubbery some distance away.
Nightcrawler orders him to stop and gets ignored. He teleports up to the small dragon, grabs him and repeats his order more forcefully. He’ll burn the whole mansion down! He wrestles with the small dragon and finally clams his snout shut. What’s gotten into him? Kurt demands as Lockheed snarls angrily. He’s acting like he’s seen a ghost! Kurt looks up. In front of him, partially in shadow, he sees what appears to be his dead teammate: John Proudstar aka Thunderbird.
A moment later, the others join them and the apparition is gone. He asks Eye-Boy if he is picking up anything. He swears someone was just standing right here. But Trevor sees nothing further and suggest it may have been the smoke. Never mind, Kurt decides, they should just do what they came here to do.
Lockheed still grumbles in Illyana’s arms. Kurt hears a rustle nearby and sees a woman standing in the shadow. He teleports closer. He ‘ports several times. What is he doing? the others ask. Confused, he replies he could have sworn he saw Rachel. But she looked wrong. She was a Hound. He means, in red leather, stilettos, spikes everywhere? Trevor asks. She’s standing over there. Indeed, there is Rachel Summers standing quietly in her original Excalibur outfit. Kurt addresses her. Suddenly, she runs away underground. Kurt and the others follow. Eye-Boy warns he is picking up a huge spike in both temperature and density. It doesn’t read as part of the mansion or the campus grounds.
Kurt sees Rachel entering a kind of alien tunnel, seeming organic. He teleports in front of her and holds her fast. Rachel seems to be in a trance. He shouts at her to snap out of it. She replies in an alien tongue. Cypher identifies it as some kind of standard harmonic binary. He touches the wall of the tunnel with his techno-organic arm and asks Eye-Boy what alloy this is. They are slightly pulsing. Almost as if… A moment later, the wall swallows him.
That’s not something you see every day, Eye-Boy mutters. A phase shift at the molecular level. Pretty cool, minus the Doug part. They should probably go after him. But they will have to go after her too. He refers to Rachel, who has run away again, deeper into the tunnel. Kurt follows.
Doug is spat out elsewhere on what looks like a scifi bridge. He berates himself for acting like a horror film cliché. In front of him is a giant glowing orb. He walks toward it and gingerly reaches out. He recognizes it as a repurposed antimatter drive of alien origin. Now how did it get here? He hears a noise from behind and sees large black spiderlike creatures coming up close.
Nightcrawler and the others work their way through the tunnel and finally find a chamber, where Rachel is just standing still. Assuming a trap, Magik takes a combative stance with her sword while Kurt addresses Rachel. Time to tell them what’s going on. She’s trapped… sleepwalking, is the reply… dreaming of traveling… migrating to other worlds. Always moving… hunting, capturing – a memory of spiderlings battling Storm, Cyclops and Corsair… now lost alone. Her face contorts as she asks for help.
Then she breaks apart into small spiders. Kurt recognizes them as Sidri – alien bounty hunters – and more and more of the surround the three.
Doug, in the meantime, has started a dialogue with the orb – the leader of the Sidri. He asks it not to freak, out as he wants to try something. His techno-organic arm forms tendrils that reach out to the orb.
Elsewhere, the other three are fighting for their lives against the Sidri. Magik point out this has gotten a bit more violent than they expected. She could do this all day but… Kurt agrees. They are the wrong team for this. Trevor tells them not to worry about him, worry about Doug! They can’t leave him behind. Illyana agrees. Her or him? she asks Kurt. He decides her power is better suited to finding Doug, but hurry or he’ll have to teleport Trevor clear. Magik teleports away.
Some jumps later, Illyana has found him. Doug stands transfixed staring at the orb. But she is more worried about the big Sidri behind him. She runs to attack it… to find that it is actually Warlock who greets her.
Illyana calms down and observes that Doug’s techno-organic arm is normal. So how long have he and Warlock been running this game? And why? Warlock implores her the secret has to stay secret for friendssake. Doug asks if she will keep it to herself if he tells her. Does he really need to ask?
They are interrupted by the Sidri. Doug assures them they will do it now and tells Illyana they have to finish this later. Right now, they have to deal with what the Sidri nest has netted. He orders Warlock to tell them they are doing it now.
Elsewhere, Nightcrawler and Eye-Boy find the Sidri have stopped attacking them. Eye-Boy notes that they are all vibrating at the same frequency. He thinks they are waiting.
That moment, Magik teleports in with Doug. Eye-Boy pleads with them to get out. Doug replies that is exactly what the Sidri want, but first they have to deal with the nests’ infestation. They walk toward a giant cocoon the Sidri have formed. It opens to reveal Lady Mastermind. Doug explains the mutant illusionist is the reason why they’ve been seeing things.
Lady Mastermind wakes up and asks what is going on. Doug asks her what the last thing she remembers is. She recalls she went to the mansion to use the Krakoan Gateway. She heard something, then… she breaks off.
Doug explains the Sidri must be hatchlings, He figures they’ve bene gestating since the last time they invaded the mansion. They must have hatched after everyone went to Krakoa and jumped on the first person who disturbed their nest. He guesses that Lady Mastermind – trapped and lashing out with her powers – exerted some control over the Sidri and them, asking for help the only way she knew how.
Kurt thanks him for a job well done. Doug adds he would hold off on that. He had to made a deal with them…. Some Sidri form into a humanoid body that speaks to Doug. He replies they are leaving now. Thanks for being cool about it. Doug tells the others the deal. The Sidri will stay clear of the gateway but will have the rest of the estate for their nest. He guesses this is going to be a problem.
Maybe not, Kurt replies. Perhaps they can find a way to make it work. And why shouldn’t they be hopeful? These are new days for their people and today they have added one more to their number.


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

[Assistant]
Into the Storm
Krakoa:Two kids are enjoying a game of tag in the air when they notice an energy trace coming from the ground. They follow the trail and find an unconscious Storm, lying in a pool of blood.
Outside a chamber in the Healing Garden:Jean Grey and Cyclops join the waiting Wolverine and Emma Frost. Jean gives Logan a goodbye kiss, then joins Emma as the two of them step into the chamber where the unconscious Storm lies.
Jean touches Storm’s forehead and focuses. Emma takes a gulp from a hip flask and Jean gives her the side eye. Then she also focuses on Storm and both of them enter her mindscape.
Storm’s mindscape:Emma and jean are on a veldt. In front of them is a giant tree, above it in the sky is the symbol of Storm’s tiara. Emma scans. A storm comes up from the tree. They realize that’s where they need to go.
They find a pair of lions, one of them with a white mane, barring their way. Wordlessly, they indicate their desire to know who the women are. Jean telekinetically creates letters from dust, replying they are friends. She forms a memory of her and Storm embracing. One of the lions smiles in recognition. The others lion critically glares at Emma, who in true form shows a memory of her and Storm in deadly battle.
The lions change into a giant serpent that grabs Emma and smashes her to the ground. Jean tries to help but the snake’s tail casts her away. When the snake again lunges at Emma, who is trapped in its coils, Emma turns to her diamond form and hits the snake’s snout. Jean has had enough and psychically tears the snake apart. It reforms into a flying elephant with butterfly wings, which they ride to the majestic tree in the center.
They walk toward an opening in the tree. Vines coming from the tree attack and Storm’s face appears in the sky. Jean seems to communicate with her and finally they are allowed to enter.
They walk up a winding stairway, watched by blue eyes in the walls. Suddenly, energy seems to come from the eyes. The stairs crumble and the two women fall. Darkness tries to swallow them but they use their psychic power in tandem to keep it at bay.
The darkness shatters and they follow a pathway upwards toward the light. They reach a huge chamber full of flowers. In its center lies a golden cocoon. They sense Storm’s presence. The cocoon seems to be attacked by techno-organic web. As they step closer it breaks open. Metal? Emma wonders. Machine, Jean replies.
There is only a golden puddle left, a flower growing within. They look at each other. Emma finally shrugs and begins pulling the flower out, helped by Jean.
Out of the fluid emerges Storm. Jean looks at her closely. Part of Storm’s face comes away in her hands, to reveal a machine-like look and a countdown on her forehead with the numbers 29:23:55:46.
Storm throws lightning into the air, forming the letters SAVE ME. Jean reaches out and hugs Storm and, after some hesitation, so does Emma.
In the real world, Cyclops and Wolverine sit outside the lab on the ground waiting. Finally, Jean and Emma emerge from the room. Jean announces that the Children of the Vault gave Storm a machine virus that’s going to kill her in the next 3 days. They ought to talk…


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

[Assistant]
untitled
An empty ship full of goods is magnetically steered by Magneto towards the island Mykines amidst the Faroe Islands. The caretaker, apparently the sole human there, addresses him, remarking he doesn’t strike him as a picture-taking tourist. He isn’t, comes the tight-lipped reply. The man asks if that is his boat parking there, and again Magneto agrees. Islands have been an interest of his for years and he has collected quite a few. He was recently asked to procure one for a colleague. There were certain requirements regarding location: weather, other uninteresting demands. So here he is, money in hand.
The caretaker tells him he is talking to the wrong hand. And the owner is a bit eccentric. A hard fellow to know if he is being honest. Magneto agrees, he has something of a reputation. The caretaker asks if he should give him a shout, tell him there is an interested buyer? It could be a while though. Magneto promises to wait.
Flashback:Hellfire Bay, the White Palace…Where the White Queen Emma Frost has visited Magneto to dinner. Jokingly, he pretends to be insulted for her not having invited him before. Word has spread about the mutant miracle she has hiding in her kitchen.
The four-armed Saucier is about to present the next course. Emma agrees; Saucier is a gift. Ask him and he will tell you. And if you doubt him, he will threaten you with dirt. Saucier informs her if he will make her eat dirt, she will eat dirt and then thank him for it. Tonight, however, they will eat lobster. He died for them and from his death Saucier resurrected him as a dish so succulent they might in fact die from this indulgence. But this is Krakoa, and there are worse ways to die.
Magneto finds that the cook does not exaggerate. He suggests Emma tell him why she invited him before dessert. Having him pour her a glass of champagne, she explains that, in the past months with all things Hellfire, she has learned from watching how humanity reacts to what they are doing… and she has an idea. She would like for him to find her an island…
The present:And so, Magneto waits as the suns sets and it begins to drizzle. Nighttime comes and he builds a campfire. The caretaker returns and offers him something warm to drink. He has heard from him. He said he’ll get here when he feels like it. No specific word on when that might be. That sounds like him, Magneto agrees. He gets up and walks to the cliffside.
Something comes from the waters at great speed and King Namor lands in front of him. Coolly, he remarks that, as a boon for diligent service, he gave the caretaker an Atlantean Gresh to contact him, if ever he needed his assistance. Needed, not wanted, he stresses. Yet here he is, king of Atlantis, prince of the oceans, answering the summons of “there’s a stranger in our strange land…” only to find him. Just a mutant. Less special each and every day, he thinks.
Magneto just points out that Namor kept him waiting. He is a king, is the reply. Did he expect it to be any other way? He should be grateful for an audience. Either way, he should use it, and quickly. He has matters of dark water to attend.
Magneto explains that he is there on the White Queen’s behalf. She would like to lease the island. He understands, Namor replies more softly. Then they can come to terms? Magneto asks. Offering his hands, Namor replies, that depends. Does he feel like a swim? Magneto takes the proffered hand. He could take a dip.
Protecting himself with a magnetic forcefield, he follows Namor into the Molloy Deep. Namor explains that, a month ago, Andromeda sent an Atlantean exploratory team into the deepest part of this trench. Seismic activity had cracked the wall and the great siren song was heard. The team was never heard from again. Now he is here to see what happened to them. “See?” Magneto softly asks as they swim down further. It’s dark down here. Namor retorts, the sun is for thin skin and weak hearts. The deep is for those made of sterner stuff.
They find an entrance to a cave closed with a golden gate adorned with a kraken-like symbol. Namor explains, it’s the spiral of the old kings of Atlantis. Uhari, he thinks. Can Magneto open it? Magneto replies, it’s a brass-tin-iron composite, so yes. Should he? Only one way to know for sure, Namor decides and Magneto uses his power on the gate.
Moments later, a kraken bursts out and attacks them. It’s always a kraken, Namor sighs. He throws his trident at the monster… and misses. The kraken grabs both of them with its tentacles, ignoring Namor’s protests. It swallows them whole and they find themselves in utter darkness. This goes well, he thinks, Magneto remarks.
They find a lit opening and three women, half-humanoid half-fish (or kraken), who ask what they want. Also in the room, above three plinths float three small objects. Namor explains he lost a group of explorers in these deep waters weeks ago. He’s trying to find them.
One of the women smiles that their bones are around them scattered with millennia of others. As theirs will be if they choose incorrectly. She orders them to choose - the spiral or the stone. Only in choosing correctly can they find their way back to shallow waters.
This is simple, Namor decides and grabs the floating spiral. He explains it is the symbol of the Uhari. Before he can continue, tentacles spring from an opening in the spiral and grab his head.
The women tell Magneto that he can save him, if he chooses correctly. He muses that the choice seems obvious, but he sees three pillars behind them, so he does not choose the stone but the other.
The women scream in denial. Two of them crumble to dust, the third becomes a crone. She berates him as a trickster and thief. Does he know what he has done? She takes a key from the third plinth. Does he care at all what this does? Magneto makes it clear he doesn’t. He and Namor turn to the portal. Magneto asks about the island. Namor tells him, it’s his. What is he going to do with it?
Back on the island Magneto puts the key carefully away and begins to unload the cargo from the ship with his powers. The lady asked for a favor, he announces, the lady gets a favor. Magnetically, he creates an elegant, high-tech building around the face of a Sentinel.
A little later, he invites Emma Frost via a Krakoan gate. She is pleased with the result and hopes it wasn’t too much trouble. Not at all, he demurs. Namor sends his regards and it turns out he wasn’t especially attached to the place. Apparently, he won it gambling with some Danes after the Second World War. She has her island. What is she going to do with it? Send invitations, she replies, and see who turns up.


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

[Assistant]
The
The past:A laboratory: one scientist instructs another one to pay attention, as from a manipulated cell a baby is quickly born. He describes that this facility is a factory of sorts. They are a baseline, produced of the ex-vitro material that is at the very heart of their research of metahumanity. In this field, they are decades ahead of the world. And their goal is advanced ideas… at any cost.
Most people would look at this place and label it inhumane, but who are they to judge them? The vast majority of people are decisionless hypocrites and superstitious cowards. Here they worship the one true god: science! And their commitment to her is all that matters.
Identical looking babies are created on what looks like an assembly line. The newcomer asks if those are identical clones. The first scientist explains they are not identical, but progressive. Each one different from the next by one single chromosome. As such, they are perfect experiment stock.
One worker interrupts that his microscope shows those two babies are identical. The scientist scoffs at first but then is forced to agree. As the two babies are marked with different symbols on their forehead, one with a circle, the other with a diamond, the first scientist gives orders to keep the one baby and throw the other with the diamond away.
One decade later, the UK:Fantomex has hired Sergeant Nick Fury and his Howling Commandoes. Donning a beret, he announces the mission is reconnaissance: they go in, scout the place, they get out, any questions?
Unimpressed, Dum-Dum Dugan asks what his terrible accent is supposed to be. Belgian? Gabe Jones opines it’s Swiss, whereas another member suggests it’s Flemish. Flemish is Belgian, yet another one scoffs, to be schooled by Fury that Flemish is Dutch. None of which explains why they are taking orders from some pastry boy in the middle of monarchy land without a single star or stripe in sight.
Fantomex shows them the way to a dome. As for why they are here, that’s simple: they may be men of some moral standing, but many in their government are not.
They enter and Fantomex continues. Someone showed him their belly and their greed led to his need, and here they are, as a favor for a favor. If it’s any consolation; he asked for the best. Yeah, bad luck he got them, Fury replies drily as they enter a portal. What is this place? They are in what looks like a street in a French town. Fantomex replies, he doesn’t think it has a formal name, but he hears the men who have built it, have taken to calling it the World…
As they scrutinize the street, Fury asks if they just look around or is he looking for something specific? Fantomex informs them this is a super science lab where monstrous and illegal research is being done. He was born here. That’s funny, it doesn’t look Flemish, Dugan opines. Fury wants to correct him, then announces he hears something.
Of course, it’s robots, he sighs a moment later when armed drones fly towards them. He commands the Howling Commandos to take them down. He gives order to look for cover. Dugan shouts they need to get out. Fury retorts that that is a negative. The mission is done when the mission is done. Fantomex corrects him that they have done enough by drawing their attention; they can head back to the exit now.
And where is he headed? Fury asks. Where does he think? Fantomex retorts as he runs in the opposite direction, guns drawn, deeper into the World. He makes his way up the steps of a tower, taking out a drone with a thrown grenade. He falls off the tower and lands on the back of a flying pterodactyl. He flies until he finds his quarry and lands in front of a boy.
Fantomex notes that it is alarming that the world spins against its axis when starting up. A little retrograde before propelling itself forward. And he is still a boy, he addresses his twin. Unnerving. The boy apologizes. Fantomex asks if he is okay. Yes, is the reply. Does he want to leave? Fantomex asks. The boy hesitates then replies, not yet.
A decade after that, Fantomex is making overtures to the Hellfire Club’s Inner Circle. He states his case to Sebastian Shaw, Jason Wyngarde, Donald Pierce and (presumably) Tessa. Shaw summarizes Fantomex offer: they are to help him gain entry to the World, and in return he will not oppose their asserted rights of pillage and plunder, is that right? Plus club privileges for himself in perpetuity, Fantomex adds. If he wants.
Shaw is suspicious. Why does he need their help? Getting in should be easy enough. Fantomex explains that they are a distraction. What he needs is time alone inside, uninterrupted. Now he has a question: what’s that smell? Shaw and Pierce are unsure if it’s baby oil or butter and Fantomex makes a note to himself not to ask if he doesn’t want to know.
Shaw agrees to their deal. Take them to his World that they may have their way with it.
Soon, the Inner Circle plus some armed Hellfire guards accompany Fantomex into the world, which seems little more than a French town. Quite threatening, Shaw mocks. He may never sleep again. Why again was there a need of their being here? he demands. Not that he minds but this feels like found money. Fantomex asks him to give it a minute. As if on cue, the World goes mad. Drones fire at them and a tentacled flying monster grabs Pierce and a guard, the latter of whom it eats.
Wyngarde evades the drones’ fire by creating illusional doubles of himself. Shaw fights what seems to be a faceless cyborg. What kind of hell is this? he demands.
Dodging some drones, Fantomex corrects him it isn’t hell… it’s the World!
Pierce frees himself and announces he is leaving. Shaw and Wyngarde follow. Shaw promise he won’t forget this.
Fantomex makes his way through the chaos and finds his brother. Asked how he is, he replies he is fine. He definitely looks better. Fantomex takes off his mask. With the brother now grown up, they look identical. Is he ready to leave yet? Fantomex asks. His brother declines. Work to do. Many children of the World to raise. In fact, he thinks from now on it’s best Fantomex stay away.
A decade later:Following his brother’s wishes, Fantomex does just that, enjoying a day at the beach instead. He may not ever go back, he mutters.
Nevertheless, a decade later he is back at it having recruited a team of young heroes who want to know why he chose them. Well, first he went to the Avengers, saw a room of has-beens and thought: not good enough. After that it was the Defenders… the Champions, even the Thunderbolts, and he thought each time: no quality. So, he came to them: the Humonganauts. They are the best this generation has to offer and to pull off this rescue mission.
They enter the World, even as one of them asks if he said “bait”:
This time, the World’s creatures are instantly hostile and waiting from them. Sterile environment breach! one of them screeches. That’s new, Fantomex observes. He and one of the heroes run as the others are killed. and she shouts, he knew this was going to happen. He retorts, he definitely never expected this. Yes, they were probably never going to survive, he remarks, as she is blasted, but he was absolutely expecting to make it past the front door. He wonders how.
His twin, now an adult, is expecting him. He thinks they are the same. That’s how. Fantomex is like a memory of a time long lost. Something he saw out of the corner of his eye a hundred years ago. He can see him now, but why can’t Fantomex see: they are building something here. It cannot be stopped. Fantomex leaves determined.
A decade after that, Fantomex sits in the bar of the Hellfire Club close to a table where Cyclops has been getting drunk. Cyclops asks Wolverine who the guy with the phone is. Because he’s been winking at him. Fantomex uses the phone to order some hangover cure. Only one of these idiots has a healing factor.
Wolverine tells Cyclops that Fantomex is his contact. He is going with him to find out where he came from. Cyclops refuses to come along. He is so sick of missions and being some perfect mutant soldier teacher - whatever it is they are today. He strives for a dramatic exit which is spoiled by his falling over drunk.
Some drinker, Fantomex scoffs. Finishing his drink, Wolverine replies that guy is one of the best. There’s nobody he’d rather have in his corner than Scott Summers. So what’s the name of this place again?
A little later, the three are standing outside the building housing the World or as Fantomex explains, a square mile of experimental micro-reality with its own culture, religion, history… a giant petri-dish where the lives of unsuspecting humans are used up in days, even moments. A torture chamber. They call it the World. Here his mother was mated with machines and he was bred. Let them now return to the womb.
They sneak inside the complex and fight their way through AIM agents. Wolverine groans that everything smells wrong. As they enter the World, Fantomex announces this is the smell of old sins revisited. Of claims being made on what was wrought.
They enter what seems to be an ordinary urban neighborhood, only to be attacked by a flying robot guard, screaming that the sterile environment has been breached. Fanomex shoots at it, then runs to find once again his brother, now grown to be Ultimaton. Can he feel it? Ultimaton asks. This experiment – this society is coming to an end. They built the world, but look, he has broken the World. Does he build a new prison here in the ruins or dare go beyond? He remembers the idea of him, he addresses Fantomex. Like a cave painting from thousand years ago. Some primal direction of man. Some primal direction of himself. Is he real?
Not a decade later. Less:Fantomex sits outside the entry to the World with an AIM agent discussing what is real. He doesn’t know where the lies stop and the truth starts anymore. It’s all just stories. Unsure, the AIM scientist replies he is just an evil scientist from Boston. Can he spare him the Flemish therapist routine? He’s just here for the money.
Storm, Monet and Cypher step though a Krakoan gate. They rang? Fantomex asks. Storm explains that she is dying and their best mutant scientists believe their best way to save her lies inside the World. Once they get there, they are going to need him to guide them.
They understand how it works, yeah? Fantomex asks. Yes, temporal nonsense, Monet replies haughtily. That’s the gist of it, Fantomex agrees. He can’t promise them anything. But he’ll do it? Storm asks. He replies that AIM has reasserted control of access, but he’s paid the ferryman. He’ll get them in the door.
The group step into the entrance to the dome that house the World. Storm asks what’s in it for him? She knows he doesn’t do charity or believe in goodwill, so can they trust him. Normally? Probably not, he replies. But he’s working through some of his own stuff. So maybe just this once…
Cypher asks the AIM guy what Fantomex is paying him. A lot, is the reply. Seriously, it’s a ridiculous amount. Like change-your -identity-leave-your-wife-and-kids-disappear-forever money. Cypher bets it’s not enough.
The entrance to the world. Madness rules inside.One last time, Fantomex announces: Welcome to the World…