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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Sacrificial Worlds
Once upon a time, there was a small boy born in a strange place between realities. His body spread across all the worlds at once. He walks between them all, too small to be seen, too transparent to be touched and too faint to be heard. All he can do is walk, forever watching, forever alone.
A farmer by the name of Mr. Thatchel walks up to a scarecrow on the fields, a child’s pajama in his hands. As he places it on the scarecrow, he says that this is all he has left, just this one wish. Thatchel pulls a scroll with ancient hieroglyphs on it from his pocket and begins to read. A strange voice coming out of nowhere apparently answers him that they have reached an agreement – there will be a cleansing and soon all mutants will be washed from existence.
Elsewhere, in some sort of Nether realm, where the skies are red and filled with dark clouds and lighting, the X-Men are fighting for their lives, but are overwhelmed by hundreds, if not thousands of demons. Illyana Rasputin stands on top of a small hill and watches it all with a smile. Some demons cower by her side, and she holds her dark blade triumphant into the air.
Kitty Pryde wakes up, shouting out Illyana’s name. Then she gets very sad, and picks up the framed picture that’s standing on her bedside table. Looking at the photograph of her deceased friend, Kitty tells herself that it was just a dream.
Out on the field, Thatchel has finished reading the text on the scroll aloud. He is unaware of a rift in the sky opening and growing bigger. The ritual he just performed strained him, and with tears in his eyes, he begs for it to work. Miraculously it does. Apparently out of nowhere something grows and fills out the pajama. It is a young blonde boy. He runs towards the farmer, stumbles, and gets up again. Thatchel is stunned. The boy asks if he can see him, and the farmer opens his arms and tells him to come to him. He ensures him that he will never be unseen, unheard or un-held again. They hug.
With the picture still in her hand, Kitty goes to Xavier’s office. Inside, the professor, dressed in a bathrobe, is using Cerebro to scan for new mutants all over the world. Sensing that Kitty is troubled by something, he interrupts his session. Kitty shows him Illyana’s picture and says that today would have been her birthday. Xavier embraces his student and tells her that she is right, and also that it’s good to have her there. Kitty says she’ll never forget Illyana, and the professor agrees, none of them ever shall. Kitty suggests they get some breakfast.
Somewhat later, now fully dressed, Kitty and Xavier are outside, where the others are playing a game of football in their unique style. Scott throws a pass towards Bobby, but Kurt teleports and intercepts it in mid-air. However Bobby uses his ice-power to make Kurt slide, and he reclaims the ball. Watching the game Xavier continues his conversation with Kitty. It’s times like these that they can remember what they have fought for and what they lost. Kitty knew Illyana on so many levels. When they first met, she was just a child and Kitty treated her like a younger sister. When she returned from Limbo, the same age as Kitty, they became best friends and years later, when she returned to her rightful age, Kitty developed almost maternal feelings for her. On the day Illyana died, Kitty lost not only one, but actually three persons, so she has every right to grief. Kitty admits that sometimes she goes a whole day without thinking about her, but she feels guilty and fears that one day she might stop remembering at all. Xavier tells her that she can’t remember someone’s death by dying inside herself. When they are together like this, laughing, playing, living their lives, Illyana will be present as a part of them and they won’t forget.
On the field, Thatchel and Hutch, that’s the young boy’s name, are enjoying a picnic. Hutch is eating a peanut butter sandwich for the first time and is happy. This reminds the farmer of his own son, Jamie, who used to love peanut butter too. Mr. Thatchel tells Hutch how he found him. He came to him and whispered into his ear, telling him many things of other worlds, and of a young boy who forever walks between them. Hutch realizes that this is he, though. Thatchel points out, “Not anymore”. He opens the basket where another surprise waits for the child – a puppy. While the child plays with the dog, Thatchel explains that he told him how to bring all worlds together and what would happen if he did.
The farmer and the boy walk up a hill and, along the way, Thatchel talks about his late family. His wife, Sara, was a good woman, just like Jamie was a good son. On his twelfth birthday, they held a party, but one of the other kids was a mutant and his pyrokinetic powers manifested. He could not control them and killed everyone at the party. Thatchel shows Hutch the graves of Sara and Jamie. He had always believed that mutants were dangerous, but his wife was too good a person and could never see the evil in the world. Thatchel asks Hutch what he knows of evil, but the boy answers that he doesn’t know. The farmer lectures that evil took twelve innocent lives that day, and that it’s not Hutch’s fault, but some of that same evil is inside him. There is somebody he wants Hutch to meet.
A strange voice greets the boy. Hutch asks who he is, and he is answered, “I am your hopes and dreams”. Hutch wants to know if he knows his dreams, and the voice correctly answers that he desires a world of his own, friends to play with and a mother to love him. Hutch wants to know how the voice knows all this, but he receives no answers. Instead, the voice points out that not only does he know his dreams, he can make them happen.
In the Nether realm, some strange force is pulling at the fighting X-Men, placing them in great pain. Illyana notices what is going on. At the same time at the mansion, Xavier has a weird sensation, and, suddenly, he screams and falls out of the wheelchair. The X-Men rush to their mentor’s side, who comes around and realizes that Illyana is coming.
Thatchel picks up Hutch and tells him that he has been chosen. His power will pull them here from countless worlds. He will lead the mutant evil to the fields of fire and the world will be cleansed of them once and for all. As he says this, an energy aura emanates around them and they rise up in the air, Hutch is scared and begs for Thatchel to stop. At the Xavier estate a giant figure made of light erupts from beneath the ground. It orders all mutants to be brought to it, so that they can all be burned.
Unaware of any of this, Logan is in the hangar, tending to his bike. Suddenly, he smells that he is not alone. Logan sees a silhouette in of somebody, dressed in his own costume with the trademark mask. He thinks it’s some sort of Halloween joke and tells whoever it is that he is not in the mood. However the other one, an alternate version of Wolverine, asks who he and his friends are, and why they all look at him. Logan turns around and about a dozen more Wolverines, some of them popping their claws, determined to prove that they are the best there is at what they do. A battle erupts and it is the Logan who in the beginning was tending to his bike, that emerges as the winner. He gets out of the hangar, but the surroundings of the Xavier estate have changed. A huge volcano is spitting lava and the skies are red instead of blue. Before Logan can even think about solving this puzzle, his other selves come around and he gets dragged back into the hangar to continue the fight.
Hundreds of meteors are coming down at the area where the X-Men were playing football, only they aren’t meteors but X-Men of alternate realities. Immediately after landing, they start to fight. Scott calls out to Jean to stay close by his side, but he is blasted from behind by another Cyclops. Jean cries out Scott’s name before she too is knocked out with a floating rock by another redhead wearing the Dark Phoenix costume. Chaos ensues as more as more X-Men arrive, fighting for apparently no reason. Some Colossuses perform the fastball special maneuver with a few Wolverines, and while many versions of Rogue, Archangel, Banshee and Iceman join each other in aerial battles, the ground below if covered by what seems to be thousands of combatants.
A little bit apart are Xavier and Kitty, who is kneeling by his side as he is still lying on the ground. The Professor tells her to keep them intangible, so that he can think their situation through without being bothered by the fighting. Obviously, they have become some focal point or nexus, where alternate versions of the X-Men from different realities and dimensions are pulled together. Kitty comes clear to the point, the important question is – Why. Suddenly, they are approach by someone who claims to hold the answer. They turn around to see six alternate versions of Xavier approaching them.
High above in the air, Illyana welcomes Thatchel and Hutch; all of them are afloat in glowing spheres of energy. The boy recognizes her as his mom, and Illyana confirms it. They have been separated since Huitch’s birth, which occurred in-between realities. He was equally spread between all realities and Illyana believed him lost forever. That’s why she struck a deal with him and, in return for her services, she and her boy are finally reunited. Thatchel’s words are more clear. By sacrificing this one of countless worlds, they will sacrifice the others. Hutch is unsure, he doesn’t want to hurt anybody. The mysterious voice again addresses him, saying that he has suffered enough and never needs to walk alone again. Illyana too tries to make her son understand.
Xavier astral form appears behind Illyana, stating that apparently her boy understands more than she does. Illyana calls out to Hutch that she will protect him, but Xavier in return asks who will protect her from him? Angrily, Illyana points her sword towards Xavier, unleashing a powerful lightning stroke at him. The other Xaviers and Kitty are right behind the professor. Kitty is shocked by her friend’s actions, but before she can even reach her, she too is hit by a beam from the sorceress’ blade. The Xaviers try a scientific approach and explain that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. By pulling foreign bodies and foreign energies into this dimension, it will collapse. Thatchel states that this is their intent and that he will receive a reward for cleansing all words of the mutant evil.  He will be reunited with his wife Sara and their son Jamie. He promised it.
The Xaviers aren’t finished yet. It will not only be this reality, but all that will be destroyed, even the mastermind behind this grand scheme – Mephisto. With his true name revealed, the hull of the light giant cracks, revealing the true form of Mephisto. He is not convinced by the telepath’s words. After all, he is beyond existence, so he won’t be affected by a reality collapsing around him. Mephisto is the harvester of souls, and as this universe is now plump and ripe with mutants, he intends to fill his vaults with their essence. As he says this, he releases hordes of demons on the assembled legion of X-Men and instead of battling each other, they now fight against the common foe.
Observing the battles, Mephisto can’t help but to gloat how easily he manipulated the players in this event. In fact, there was no fire-breathing mutant attending Jamie Thatchel’s birthday party. The mutant was Jamie Thatchel himself. The farmer refuses to believe this and calls Mephisto a liar. The rules of his own portion of Hell admits that he enjoys to lie, but not when the hard truth is so much sweeter. Thatchel’s wife had known of their boy’s mutant powers for quite some time and, at the party, they intended to show Thatchel the gift in a small demonstration. However, Jamie lost control and set the fields aflame, killing everyone at the party. Thatchel still refuses to believe this story and demands his price; he wants to be reunited with his family. Mephisto holds his word and lashes out at Thatchel, so that they can be united in death.
The Xaviers, acting as one, do not want to allow this and attack Mephisto with their mental blasts, but he laughs at their effort and simply absorbs their souls. He then spreads his arms, announcing that it is time. Within moments, reality will collapse and he can harvest all these souls, thanks to the young boy. On the battlefield, the multitude of X-Men screams in agony as their souls are pulled from their bodies.
Out in the fields, Kitty is calling Hutch’s name. She finds him covering behind a rock, playing with his puppy. Hutch wants to be left alone, but Kitty says he can’t let all this happen. Illyana appears and orders Kitty to leave her son alone. Kitty tries to reason with her, saying that she is about to sacrifice all the X-Men. Illyana replies that she isn’t the Illyana Kitty knew; they are from different realities. Kitty’s Illyana never had a child. She did not know the loss and emptiness. However, Kitty says that she knows these feelings, and lunges forward to attack. However, Illyana easily knocks her over. She tells her son that to be with him, she made a deal with Mephisto and opened a doorway to this world.
Lying on the ground, Kitty urges Hutch that he doesn’t belong here. The child approaches his mother and hugs her. Illyana smiles, but then the boy lets go of her and tells her to never forget that he loves her. Next, Hutch runs over a cliff and falls down. He keeps falling and falling towards Mephisto, who realizes too late what is happening. Upon making contact, the absorbed souls are freed from Mephisto’s body, and Hutch’s last words are “I’m going back. We’re all going back”.
With that said, the alternate reality X-Men are spirited away to their own worlds, the skies clear and the agonized form of Mephisto sinks down into the hole from which he erupted. Kitty is approached by Illyana, who asks her that, if she should ever see Hutch again, she should let him know how proud his mother was. He found the strength that Illyana did could not. Before she too fades away, Illyana tells Kitty that she wishes that they were from the same world, as they could have been great friends. With that, she is gone, and Kitty is left behind. She calls out to the air, ”Goodbye, Illyana. Goodbye again.”
Later, Xavier, Scott, Jean and Kitty are in the infirmary, gathered around the bandaged body of the farmer Thatchel. Jean finds it hard to believe that one single child could have destroyed their entire reality, and Xavier points out that this child showed them the true nature of goodness. Scott wants to know what that is and Xavier answers, “Sacrifice”. More dead than alive, the heavily burned farmer did apparently not follow the conversation. He stumbles, “The fields ...”
At night, Kitty sits in her bed, playing with the puppy. She wonders where Hutch went and if he comes back one day. She wishes he would know what his mother said about him, or that she now wants to thank him. Kitty is unaware of the boy indeed being right next to her, listening to her every word. As Kitty turns off the lights, Hutch leaves.
Once upon a time, there lived a small boy, not fully in this world not fully in the next. Forever walking between, he watches us. An endless number of worlds laughing and playing. Maybe one day he will find a way to share what he sees, but for now, it’s okay. It’s okay to be alone.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Yartzeit
(thoughts and memories)
Kitty remembers how two thousand years in the future the villain Stryfe invented a plague to kill mutants – and eventually humans – and unleashed it on the present, where the so-called Legacy Virus killed many, for example little Illyana Rasputin, until Hank McCoy found a cure – a cure that could only be implemented, if the bearer sacrificed his life – which Colossus did.
(present)
One year later, on his dying day, Kitty Pryde goes through a ritual of remembrance called Yartzeit, lighting the traditional candle, that’s supposed to burn for 24 hours. She feels emotionally torn between hate, anger and love towards Colossus, and is trying to come to terms with what he did and why he did it. She just wants him back, she thinks. She thinks about him all day, in classes, on the campus, and in the labs of the university.
As she turns a Chicago street corner, she sees a young police officer on the other side, who’s the spitting image of her dead friend. Kitty approaches him, but he has already entered his car and drives away. Heedlessly, Kitty follows the car onto the street and almost gets mowed down by car. She easily phases to save herself and gives the driver the shock of his life.
Back at her own place, Kitty phones her friend Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler, and tells him what she’s seen. She’s sure someone’s messing with her head: Mystique perhaps or Mastermind? Or maybe Mr. Sinister’s cloned Peter? Kurt tries to calm her. He admits, the latter might be a possibility, but reasonably he asks, why would any of those villains bother? After all Kitty left the X-Men. He insinuates that Kitty might have been seeing things, seeing as how Peter has been on her mind lately. Kitty angrily tells him to go to hell and breaks the connection.
Kitty throws herself into an investigation, asking around the neighborhood about the identity of that cop, but not turning up a clue. She hangs around the police station even as it is getting later and later and finally sees her target leaving the station. Kitty doesn’t care anymore, if it is a trap or not and follows him into the subway. The cop finally notices her and eyes her suspiciously, but clearly without recognizing her at all, before he walks away. Numbly, Kitty heads home, and calls in sick for her job. She hates herself for not approaching him, but she was so sure he’d recognize her.
Lost in thoughts, she doesn’t even notice the priest standing in front of her apartment, until he addresses her. Happily, she hugs the disguised Nightcrawler. He explains he came to Chicago because their phone-call ended badly and she sounded as though she could use a friend. Over takeout they talk. Nightcrawler’s been checking and he’s more convinced than before that no old foe of them is behind this. He tells Kitty that Peter was her first love and that will never go away. Kitty admits that she saw the man again and followed him after work. She finally breaks down crying admitting to both of them that it wasn’t Peter, no matter how much she wanted him to be.
The next morning Kitty throws away the burnt-down Yartzeit candle. She writes a note to Kurt who’s still fast asleep on her couch, telling him she has to attend classes, but she’d love to buy him dinner that night. While she’s at school, she muses about the point of mourning rituals such as the Yartzeit –and how they help you to cope with the death of a loved one.
After classes Kitty once more approaches the cop, and actually speaks to him this time. He recognizes her from the subway and asks her half-joking, whether she was stalking him. Kitty apologizes and explains that he resembles her dead friend. The cop feels sorry for her loss and introduces himself as Danny Wyczenko, a cop with a half-Polish, half-Russian family background. Danny asks her to tell him more about her friend, so with a wistful smile Kitty starts telling him about Peter.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
The final Alternative (1st story)
 Wounded Animals (2nd story)
 Rebirth (3rd story)
First story :
A wrecked car hangs halfway over the edge of a bridge. The two teenagers inside are angrily arguing. Amy, the girl, berates her friend, Dylan, for going a hundred miles per hour in the rain. Dylan tells her to stop whining and blames hydroplaning for their accident. At the same time, he wonders where the storm came from. It wasn’t announced in the weather forecast. Amy wonders if she deserves to die, because of what happened to Eric. Dylan notices a woman on the bridge, looking at the car. It is Storm, who stands there silently, apparently not reacting to Dylan’s cries for help.
(flashback to earlier that day:)
Storm is attending the funeral of Eric Tucker, a teenage mutant who committed suicide. Ororo tries to comfort Eric’s mother, who tells her that she tried to convince her son to go attend Xavier’s school. Ororo wants to know what exactly happened to lead to this tragedy.
Mrs Tucker explains that while they had kept Eric’s mutant powers a secret ever since he was twelve, somehow, word got out. As a result, he was kicked off the football team, his best friend, Dylan, turned against him, and finally his girlfriend Amy left him. When he saw her kiss Dylan at the prom, he was utterly devastated and it may very well have been the final straw that led to his suicide. Mrs. Tucker was 42 when she had him, her only child, she states and breaks down crying. Trying to comfort the grieving mother, Ororo notes someone lurking in the shadows – Magneto in civilian clothing.
Suddenly, a car enters the cemetery, its driver, Dylan, laughs, shoots around with a gun and asks Mrs Tucker if that was the sound she heard before Eric’s “mutie brains kissed the wallpaper.” The car drives off and Mrs. Tucker faints. Magneto, too, has disappeared, leaving a very angry Ororo. Echoing her emotional state, a thunderstorm springs up out of nowhere.
(present:)
Amy shouts at Ororo to get help. When the woman doesn’t move, she asks what her problem is. Storm replies with a question of her own: did Amy leave Eric because he was a mutant? Amy denies this and wonders how the woman knows about Eric and her. Dylan recognizes her from the funeral and shouts that she’s probably a mutie herself and wants them to die. The world wouldn’t be a lesser place if that happened, Ororo states with a calm fury. A wind rises up, endangering the already precariously balanced car even more.
Suddenly, Magneto floats down from the sky, announcing that, despite all their battles, Storm never considered killing him. Now, ignorant children tempt her to become a murderer? Should he be insulted?
Storm denies this. She had no intention of letting them die. Her control over the weather has been somewhat inconsistent - on the edge - since her recent adventures in space, that’s all. Perhaps it’s her, who’s actually on the edge, not her powers, Magneto suggests. Storm angrily asks Magneto what he was doing at the funeral. He’d been following her, he admits. Of all the X-Men, only she avoided the prejudice that usually accompanies the manifestation of mutant powers. She became revered instead in her homeland. Nevertheless, she relinquished her status to follow Xavier. Why?
The car moves another inch towards the abyss and the kids scream. Magneto tells Storm not to let them distract her. His questions alone are worth more than their lives. Why, because he’s the great Master of Magnetism? Storm asks sarcastically. He may impress the rest of the world, but as far as she’s concerned, he’s just “an arrogant megalomaniac in the middle of a mid-life-crisis”.
Dylan angrily exclaims that those “freaks” are just standing there, arguing and not caring whether he and Amy live or die. Why should they? Amy cries. She left her boyfriend in his time of need and he is the “mutant-hating meathead” who ruined his funeral. How could he do that to his best friend’s mother? Dylan brutally pulls her hair. Eric was a freak and he’s dead, he snarls. She should remember that the next time she kisses him. Amy shoves him away and shouts that he’s insane. Sometimes, insanity is all one needs, Dylan replies ominously and reaches for the glove department.
Magneto blusters angrily that Storm risks much by angering him. Storm impatiently tells Magneto to fight or leave. She’s had enough of the discussion. With a sullen stare, Magneto tells her to witness the consequence of her contempt: with a gesture, he repels the car, causing it to finally fall. Storm concentrates, trying to redirect the updraft and the currents. Finally, she creates a waterspout that keeps the car up – that is until Dylan madly shoots at them, hitting Storm in the shoulder, while a disgusted Magneto protects himself with a magnetic shield, mumbling “fool”.
With a gesture, Magneto melts Dylan’s gun and asks Storm how she can even consider saving the pathetic hides of those ingrates. How are mutants any better, Storm shoots back. Do they not bleed? Do they not fear death as well? Amy shouts from the car, that she loved Eric but, unlike him, she realized that it became too dangerous for him to stay. She left him because she realized that he wouldn’t go to a mutant school as long as he had her! Was Amy’s attempt to save Eric any less noble than her attempt to save them, Storm asks Magneto, as the storm rages.
Magneto notes that her control over the storm is waning. Is she foolish enough to risk her life for them? Storm replies that she saw too many of her people die in Africa. Now that she has powers, she will not dishonor their memories by succumbing to weakness. She believes in hope and possibilities – that’s why she’s following Xavier, she states.
Storm’s lightning bolt, unfortunately, is attracted to the spout, thanks to the metal car, and tears apart the funnel. Storm cries out as the spout collapses, taking the car with it. To her surprise, she sees how the children are being levitated in a magnetic bubble and are lowered safely to the ground. While Amy tells Dylan they are through, Ororo asks Magneto why?
Because, he answers, at his age it is hard to be impressed, but she managed to do so. To thank her, he saved the children. However, he adds, he does not share Xavier’s foolish idealism, though he will tolerate it a little longer. After all, in the end, his way is the final alternative. He will leave her with her hopeful possibilities because, when she stops dreaming, he will be there and then there’ll be no turning back.
Second story :
A high tech Japanese watch-station detects a mutant presence nearing the Japanese borders. The mutant is identified as the X-Man, Storm. The soldiers ask if they should send out an unit to intercept, but Sunfire – Japan’s national hero and former X-Man – who’s also present, interjects that he will handle this himself.
Unaware of this exchange, Storm flies on until Sunfire, who’s closing in on her, fires a warning shot with his plasma powers. Storm angrily asks why he fires at her without any provocation. Sunfire answers that he just wanted to get her attention. She flew so fast that she didn’t hear his call. He starts to explain that she isn’t authorized to be in Japanese airspace. While he’s in mid-sentence, Ororo turns away, apparently intent on flying on.
Sunfire grabs her arm and, suddenly, Storm slaps, punches and kicks him. Eventuall,y she announces that that was his warning shot and flies on. Understandably angry, Shiro continues the pursuit, no matter how hard she tries to shake him off. After both finally land at a beach, Sunfire tackles Storm and they come to rest in a little wood.
The skies darken. Storm, now really furious, summons her lightning, intent to strike Sunfire. Shiro bravely refuses to budge and explains there is a new legislation in Japan that he is in charge of enforcing. Aside from his duties in the X-Corporation, he has been tasked with keeping unauthorized mutants out of Japan. Storm seems unimpressed and is about to strike. They are interrupted by a gruff voice, telling Shiro that he’s not exactly doing a great job at it, is he? It’s Wolverine and Storm extinguishes her lightning.
Logan tells Shiro that they aren’t here to cause trouble. They were just meeting for a little R & R. Ororo has some need of the healing spas of Japan. Shiro points out that they’ll need special visas to be in Japan. Mutants will no longer be allowed to use the country as their personal stomping ground. He asks the two X-Men to please adhere to those laws. He respects Logan’s ties to this country, but things have changed. They have twenty-four hours to leave, he informs them, and flies away.
Logan turns to Ororo, who kept silent during the entire exchange, and states that she’s pretty feisty for someone with a serous back injury. Quietly, Storm turns away, leaving Logan to mumble that a lot of things have changed and he doesn’t approve of any of them.
Third story:
Outside a Japanese castle that stands on a cliff, high above the sea, Storm and Yukio are having a heated argument. Losing her temper, Storm hits Yukio with a gust of wind, causing the Japanese woman, who was already precariously balanced on the edge, to fall towards the ocean.
Realizing what she’s done, Storm jumps after Yukio, who strangely seems to be enjoying the ride. Creating a downdraft, Storm manages to reach the woman and grabs her hand. However, at that moment, they get into the path of a huge breaker, which separates them and drags them both under.
Caught in the relentless undertow, Ororo struggles with all her strength, but seems helpless as the riptide tumbles her into a rock. Close to drowning, she feels her claustrophobia acting up and remembers the last time she felt like this – during her childhood, when their house exploded around them and her parents died. Thinking of her mother, the image that comes to Storm is actually that of a laughing Yukio. If she gives up now, Storm realizes, Yukio will pay the price as well.
Storm realizes there are currents in the water she can manipulate, same as in the air – it’s just harder. She attempts to sense the patterns and work with them. The pressure eases and she gambles that she can sense the movement of objects in the water, same as in the air. That leads her to the unconscious Yukio. Ororo senses another big wave coming and uses it to propel them out and onto the beach.
When she realized Yukio isn’t breathing, Ororo performs CPR on the young ronin, until she awakes and becomes violently sick. Nevertheless, she thought it was a great ride. Ororo tells her she’s insane. She almost died. But that’s what makes the experience so glorious, Yukio exclaims. How else to celebrate life, but by living it to the extreme?
Changing the subject, Yukio asks, how Storm feels now. Ororo admits the terror she felt when things totally spun out of control for her. She felt she was doomed. But when she stopped thinking and, instead, got angry, her body knew what to do. All her life she’d been afraid of her passions and locked them away, when actually she could use them as an asset. She feels reborn.
One week later, in an extravagant boutique in Tokyo, Storm is in the dressing room, trying on outfits, while Yukio stands before a computer testing several possible looks for Ororo. Storm has doubts, but Yukio reminds her that there is no point in being reborn, if you return in the original packaging afterwards. She needs to make a statement to the world. Life was simpler in Africa, Ororo moans. If she really believes that, Yukio tells her, she should go back. But the woman who took no risks would have died in the surf… And if she really feels like that, why did she go for that radical a haircut?
Yukio’s influence, Storm replies. If she goes for a change, why go the safe route, she asks and finally presents herself in her new mohawk and leather ensemble.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Hunters (1st story)
Animals (2nd story)
Slam (3rd story)
First Story:
Somewhere in the Canadian Rockies. Sabretooth is a mutant with remarkable powers. He has incredible strength, animal instincts, a healing factor, and bones that are indestructible. He is a killer and hunter by nature. He is making his way across the snow covered mountains unaware that he is caught right between the hairs of a rifle. The shot goes off and the bullet penetrates Sabretooth's skull jerking his head backwards. The impact of the bullet throws him off balance resulting in him helplessly rolling down the mountainside.
One of the hunters, a bespectacled man named Powell, tells his partner Teneber to finish Sabretooth off. Teneber however has other plans. He tells Powell not to be so hungry for the bounty because they will get it. He then questions Powell as to if he knows what separates man from animals and tells him that man hunts for sport, for fun and to relax because they are here to enjoy themselves. Powell insists that he isn't as concerned about the bounty as he is the fact that Sabretooth is extremely dangerous. Teneber replies that Sabretooth is arguably the most magnificent beast on the planet and that killing him will be a pleasure.
Sabretooth hides himself under the cover of snow covered trees. He waits, allowing himself time to recover and orient himself to his surroundings. The hunters had come at him from a distance when they shot him. Although he has been shot many times before, what bothers him now is the fact that they had gotten so close without him even knowing. He should have heard them or picked up their scent, even from the distance they were at, but Creed realizes that they were prepared and had came for the specific reason of hunting him. While now, they are holding back like fools and giving him time to heal not realizing that once he heals himself he will hunt them because that is what his instincts tell him to do.
Sabretooth makes his way to a creek and takes a drink of the cold water as he thinks how he will kill them without planning since planning requires thought and thought  is for weaklings. He pauses at the feeling of a pain beginning to occur within him as another shot goes off. He is taken aback with surprise upon discovering that the shot had come from inside him. He lets out a furious scream as a second shot goes off inside of him tearing apart his midsection.
At their campsite Teneber informs Powell that they bullets are specially designed bullets, frangibles that break upon impact. Each fragment is a small bomb with a computer chip. Each time a wound starts to heal, a bomb blows, reopening the wound. Powell questions the bullets and states that Sabretooth's bones are laced with adamantium and they can't hurt him. Teneber admits that while he can't hurt his bones he can turn his muscles into stew meat and once that happens he won't be able to heal himself causing him to bleed to death. Powell asks why they aren't tracking Sabretooth and that he will get away if they don't pursue him. Teneber scoffs at the notion and remarks to Powell that whatever Sabretooth thinks his strengths are, they have neutralized them and he is just another easily preyed upon animal. But, he tells Powell that Sabretooth does still have a huge ego and that is a human failing. He states that he imagines that Sabretooth will soon be hunting them. He then asks Powell if he ever mentioned why he brought him along on the hunt.
Sabretooth has managed to track the two hunters to their campsite. Even though it is night time, Creed is never truly in the dark thanks to heightened sense of vision. It is a gift that allows him to see the subtle living heat that things radiate allowing him to know their moods and what sort of state they are in. He creeps behind a tree and lets his senses feed on the sounds as he reads the hunters' body signatures. The recognizes the one he wants, Teneber, by his scent. The other one, Powell is nothing to him, a weakling. Sabretooth springs into action leaping atop the body of Teneber and viciously slashing the chest of his victim. Sabretooth shockingly finds out that his senses have failed him because it isn't Teneber but Powell. Teneber had switched clothes with Powell and bound and gagged him to use for bait to lure Sabretooth to him.
Teneber steps out from behind Sabretooth and tells him not to be too shocked. He states that he studies his prey and he knows everything about Sabretooth, what he can see and what he can smell. He pulls out a remote device and presses the button and informs Creed that he also knows what he can hear. He continues by telling Sabretooth that he can only imagine how ultrasound must pain him since Teneber can't hear it at all. Sabretooth is obviously in pain and clutching his ears as Teneber informs him that Sabretooth's strengths are also his weaknesses and that he knows how to kill him. He questions Sabretooth as to what is so special about homo superior as he fires a shot into the midsection of his prey. He mockingly remarks that Sabretooth is an animal and he thinks like an animal. He bets that Sabretooth had ever imagined that a mere man could do this to him. As Creed attempts to run away Teneber fires another shot that strikes Sabretooth in the calf as he yelps in pain.
Sabretooth realizes that everything Teneber has told him is true. The shot to the leg has taken a lot out of him and he loses his balance and tumbles down into the snow. He is being toyed with as Teneber takes him apart. His power seems to be nothing and Sabretooth understands that not only has he lived like an animal but also that he will die like one. He comes to a stop near the bottom of a hill to find himself once again surrounded by a cover of bush and tree limbs. He examines his wounds and thinks how the nearness of death doesn't bother him, pain and death are always near him. However, the humiliation is another thing all together. His senses and power are useless and his instincts have failed him. Even his body has betrayed him since every time it attempts to heal itself it just triggers a noise that will lead Teneber to him. Sabretooth thinks that no mutant or animal has done this to him, just a man. If being a mutant and an animal can't help him, what can. He knows that he will die as men do - degraded and alone. His eyes widely open as he says aloud "A man."
Sabretooth thinks about how he hates the word, but comes to fully understand there is hope in it. Teneber hunts an animal, not a man. Most of Teneber's tricks wouldn't phase an ordinary man. Although it goes against his instincts Sabretooth must somehow allow himself to become like man. He wills his night vision to subside just as he quiets his hearing and sense of smell. Where he once saw the approaching figure of Teneber engrossed in his heat signature he now only sees a man walking down the hill. Sabretooth has crippled himself by shutting off his instincts but he has done so to survive, a ruse so desperate and stupid that Teneber would not anticipate it. Teneber closes in, rifle in hand as Sabretooth asks him if this is what the world looks like to him and if so how can he stand it.
Teneber pulls the rifle to his eyeline and tells Sabretooth that he is talking gibberish. He remarks that he is a magnificent brute and he would surely love to mount his head on his trophy wall but it won't happen because Creed will just be lost and forgotten out here, pickings for birds. He informs Sabretooth that one more shot, right through his eye where no bone is there to save him, is all that he needs to finish him off. He targets Sabretooth in his sights and says that his speed and strength are gone and he doesn't even have a weapon. He lines up the perfect shot and prepares to fire it right into the skull of Sabretooth.
Feeling his forehead heal over, Sabretooth replies that the only weapon he has is the one Teneber has given him. The bullet in Sabretooth’s head explodes, sending a fragment of it through Teneber’s shoulder. Teneber applauds his cunning and remarks how clever it was to use his own frangible against him but it is a small victory because he can't miss at this range and Sabretooth is still dead. Sabretooth tells Teneber that he can't miss at this range either and with a quick swipe, his adamantium laced claws make short work of Teneber's rifle as he questions the hunter as to who is weaponless now. Teneber attempts to pull out a pistol from his waist lining but before he can get off a shot Sabretooth swats the weapon away. Teneber screams for Sabretooth not to kill him as he nears himself to the hunter. Only screams and darkness follow.
Somewhat later, Sabretooth demands Teneber to wake up. Shocked and naked, Teneber questions Sabretooth as to why he hasn't killed him. Sabretooth simply tells him that civilization is a couple of hundred miles away and to get started. Teneber asks where his clothes are only to have Sabretooth tell him they are gone. Teneber pleads that he can't survive out here naked. With an evil grin, Sabretooth remarks that a beast can and Teneber should just do what a beast does. He tells Teneber that he should start by smelling his own blood, beasts smell it. Walking away, he states that the beasts will be there soon and he tells the hunter that there is no reason that he can't make it because an animal could, all you have to do is be an animal.
Second Story:
It is night and Sabretooth is asleep at his camp. The fire smolders with the remnants of his meal still slightly remaining heated by the last remaining flames of his camp fire. A person approaches him, thinking how she has lost everything. The person lived in a castle, had more money than God, and had all the sex they could ever want with lovers fighting to share her bed. But now, she has hit rock bottom. Sabretooth senses the smell of someone approaching his camp and turns around to see a beautiful woman dressed in tattered clothing stumbling into his camp. He mentions aloud how God does answer prayers sometimes. The woman thinks how she is about to sink even lower as she stutters while asking Sabretooth if she could trouble him for any food. Sabretooth tells the lady to help herself but he don't know how well he would trust the food since it has been sitting out in the sun all day. The lady pays the thought no mind and hungrily devours the food. Sabretooth warns the lady to slow down because she just may choke and die. He then sneers as he tells her that he ain't a necrophiliac. The lady turns and gives him a startled look to which Sabretooth replies that he bought her dinner and that implies certain things. As the two lay in a moment of passion the lady thinks to herself how fortunate it was for her that she was able to sleep through most of it.
Later on the two sit around a fire where Sabretooth tells her that there is a boat leaving the next day for Canada. He has a buddy that can get them into the hold, and that he hates Germany. He tells her that is assuming she would like to come because he doesn't see a lot of options for here there. They exchange glances and not much later they are boarding a ship where a man is telling Creed to hurry up. Upon seeing the lady, the sailor, Christian, remarks to Sabretooth that he never mentioned anything about hiding two people. Sabretooth pleads with him that there is certainly enough room for two to stow away and offers to work extra for her passage. Christian mulls it over for a moment and replies that there is no sense in Sabretooth killing himself because there are "other" ways to pay for passage as he hungrily eyes the woman. Sabretooth is upset at the notion and strongly states that he will pay for her passage but Christian still insists on the woman working off her own passage. This infuriates Sabretooth and he grabs Christian by his throat and yells that she is with him. Christian has no choice but to agree.
(during the passage)
Lying in Sabretooth's arms as he sleeps, the woman thinks to herself how she has no options or control over her life. After hours she begins to finally fall asleep until Sabretooth greets her good morning. She asks if he was watching her sleep and Sabretooth admits that he was for a few minutes. He states that she was talking and she asks him what she had said. He tells her that it was nothing that she could understand and asks what she is so concerned about. She tries to downplay the situation but he cuts her off by telling her that he knows that she is a mutant as he had smelt it the first time he met her and reveals to the woman that he too is a mutant as well. Obviously shocked by his revelation, she warms up a bit to Sabretooth. He goes on to let her in on the fact that he can do all sorts of weird stuff and he has incredible sense of smell, eyesight off the charts, and he can heal like she wouldn't believe.
She has a sad look on her face and he asks her what she can do. She is hesitant and replies to him that she really doesn't know but he assures her that it is alright and he won't hurt her. She looks down and her complexion begins to turn blue and her once black hair turns red. She tells him that her power is that she can change her appearance which impresses Sabretooth. He asks her what her name is and she tells him that she goes by Mystique and that she didn't know there were more people like her. He tells her that there are many more like them and that is why he is going to Canada. He has learned that there is a group of mutants starting up and he wants to join them and fight with them so they can take over as the new human race, to live safe together without humanity hounding them. Mystique informs him that Christian should be the first one to go. Sabretooth agrees and tells her that as soon as they get to Canada he will take care of him, but Mystique interrupts him and states that Christian is expecting her to join him in his bunk tonight to pay for her passage. Sabretooth is extremely upset and yells at her to stay there. She warns him that Christian will expose them to the captain if she refuses to sleep with him only to have Sabretooth tell her ‘only if he can come back from the dead‘ as he storms out from their hiding spot. Mystique laughs after he has gone and thinks to herself how the hate has now subsided or maybe it has just become more focused because the control is once again hers.
Christian is on deck tending to some work when Sabretooth makes his way and screams out to Christian. Christian yells at him and tells him to get back down below deck before he gets spotted. Sabretooth ferociously growls his teeth and raises a clawed hand as he proceeds to drive it into Christian's chest. Christian lets out a prayer and Sabretooth asks the man that if he is looking for God he will surely send him to him. Christian's lifeless body slumps over the railing and Sabretooth thanks him because he has enjoyed killing him so much. Sabretooth tosses the dead body over sending it splashing into the water below. He hears a loading of a gun and a shot is fired striking him into the shoulder as he screams out in pain. Another worker has spotted him and reloads the rifle, telling Sabretooth that he is one tough son of a... but before he can get the words out Sabretooth leaps out him as the man screams in horror.
(days later)
In a bar in Canada, a TV newscaster is reporting the events of what had happened aboard the ship that was carrying Sabretooth and Mystique. The reporter mentions that there were signs of violence and blood all over the ship but no bodies have been found at this time, though police are still investigating the matter. Three men are sitting at a table and watching the report. One of the men, a bulky green skinned character, states how creepy the grisly event was, almost like the people were attacked by vampires. Another man with massive, furred arms remarks at how vampires are real because he knows a buddy who had... then the third man interrupts with a smart comment about how he always knows a guy. He then starts to yell at the green skinned man, whom he calls Clicker, and tells him that he needs to stop riding him or he'll regret it. Clicker doesn't back down from his threats and questions him on to what exactly he is gonna do.
Just then Sabretooth and Mystique walk through the door and Sabretooth tells them that they need leadership and thankfully he is there to provide it. The large armed man is upset by Sabretooth's remarks and gets in his face and tells him that he is the leader and if he wants to be a part of them... Sabretooth simply reaches his hand up and shoves his clawed hand into the mans face as he lets out a shriek and falls lifeless to the ground. Sabretooth continues to tell the group that he is their to provide them with leadership. The other two men just stare on in disbelief.
(later that night)
Sabretooth and Mystique are once again in bed together. He tells her that he feels like with the other two guys that he believes that they can take on the world. The four of them together have so much power, he continues, that this is just the beginning. They have money, power,... Mystique cuts him off and tells him that she is pregnant. He smiles and says that this day couldn't get any better. He touches her face and she moves closer to him as she tells him that things can always get better. Sabretooth doesn't notice the syringe that she is holding to his neck.
(the next day)
Sabretooth is groggily awakening as he hears voices yell to get him in the truck. He screams out asking what is going on as he is completely unaware of his surroundings and what is going on. One of the soldiers comments that he doesn't trust the cage that has been constructed to restrain Sabretooth but the other soldier commands him to place Creed in the truck now. Sabretooth yells to let him loose and asks what is going on. He then notices a crowd staring at him, among them Mystique disguised as the beautiful woman he had met at the campsite in Germany. He calls out to her but she ignores him as the soldiers prepare to slide him into the truck. Clicker mentions that Sabretooth is the one that killed all those people aboard the boat while onlookers just watch in amazement. Sabretooth begs for Mystique to help him but she pays no attention to him. She thinks about how she had lost everything and sunk as low as she thought she could sink. Yet, there are always options and you can always get it all back...and more as she laughs hysterically.
Third Story:
Juggernaut is standing in a room reciting back some lines of poetry that he has written in his Spider-Man journal. The walls behind him are smashed as if he had walked right through them without noticing, apparently lost in his thoughts. He can't seem to find the correct words to correlate with his feelings so he takes a moment or two to reflect before thinking of exactly how he would like to fill in the missing line. He recites the line and mentions that it is perfect and she will love it. The whole apartment has been smashed and trampled through as result of Juggernaut attempting to construct the perfect poem. He steps up to the mirror and introduces himself, enacting what would happen when he meets his love, as he slips a tie on over his armor. He asks his reflection if it would like to hear a line and begins to recite the poem. He comes to a line that he doesn't feel works properly and, while walking through a wall and falling to the ground below, he revises it. As Juggernaut smashes into the ground, several bystanders are completely baffled and converse on how they just saw a guy dive right into the street.
Up in the apartment, a person is reviewing Juggernaut’s calendar. Every day is marked with some sort of plan to seek his revenge against Charles Xavier and the X-Men. All except for May 17, which is today‘s poetry slam. Mastermind and Toad stare from the hole in the apartment to the street below. Mastermind tells Toad how completely unreliable Juggernaut now is. He goes on to state that they must keep their minds and libidos in check because it is the only way that the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants shall retain their rightful stewardship of the planet. He tells Toad that he must follow Juggernaut and bring him back to the group. Toad replies that he has yoga tonight but Mastermind remarks that while he would do it himself, he has other plans with his lady friend so it is up to Toad. Toad is displeased and utters a nasty remark to Mastermind as he leaps out of the gaping hole.
On the street below, Juggernaut is bringing himself off the ground after his drop. A man on a cellphone yells at Juggernaut and informs him that he lost his signal because of him and his stupid notes. The man then rips a page out of Juggernaut's journal which only serves to infuriate the behemoth. Juggernaut grabs the man by the neck and lifts him up overhead and announces that the man is lucky because he can't have blood or bits of brain on his tie tonight. At the same time Toad is leaping atop of a taxi cab in pursuit of Juggernaut as the driver yells out the window at him angrily remarking to go back to France.
A little bit later, a woman in a dress and wearing glasses asks Juggernaut will be signing up for the poetry slam. Juggernaut is sitting alone at a table surrounded by empty glasses of drink. As he sips the glass in hand and obviously a bit inebriated, he blinks his eyes realizing who is standing in front if him. He smiles as the lady asks if he has a poem he would like to read. Juggernaut stutters before accidentally snapping the woman's clipboard in two. He apologizes to the woman and promises to buy her another one as he once again stutters for words and accidentally tells her that he loves her but recants and says that he would love to buy her a new clipboard.
Outside, the Toad is squatting beside a sign that advertises that poetry slam and questions aloud as to if this is what Juggernaut is up to. Inside a man is reading poetry while Juggernaut frantically scribbles away in his journal. At the door, the bouncer asks Toad if he has a stamp on his hand and it is a five dollar cover. Toad replies that his cover is in his hand and shows his palm to the man which contains some sort of secretion. Quickly Toad launches his feet into the unsuspecting man, knocking him down.
Juggernaut is now on stage and is nervously preparing to recite his poem for the audience. The crowd is yawning as they watch him fumble at his tie and pull out a flower. He begins his recital and the crowd begins laughing. Toad is standing at the bar having a drink and comments on the fact that he refuses to be the only evil mutant who isn't getting lucky tonight. As Juggernaut is reading his poem, Toad spits his tongue out at the lovestruck mutant, enwrapping his mouth with his tongue. He speak with an impediment due to his tongue being wrapped around Juggernaut‘s head and informs him that if he can't have fun tonight than neither can Juggernaut. Juggernaut easily yanks Toad's tongue away and warns him to get out there as he slings Toad sending him bouncing through the bar. He looks directly at MC Ms. Thing and continues with his love poem.
A fellow patron surprisingly tells Ms. Thing that he thinks Juggernaut is in love with her as MC Ms. Thing looks on in disbelief. Juggernaut reaches down to Ms. Thing and offers her the flower. She is startled by the show of affection and questions him if he means her. Just then Toad pounces on top of Juggernaut and grabs on to his helmet. Upset, Juggernaut tells Toad that he warned him and to remember that he asked for this. As Juggernaut goes to punch Toad, who is still atop his head, Toad springs him away taking Juggernaut's helmet with him. Unable to stop the momentum of his punch, Juggernaut is helpless as the attack intended for Toad strikes him instead. Dizzied Juggernaut crashes down in front of MC Ms. Thing and breaking her table.
MC Ms. Thing reaches down and rests Juggernaut's head in her lap as she picks up his journal and reads the rest of his poem. She replies that it is so beautiful as she hugs and unconscious Juggernaut. Toad is sitting at the bar with a woman who asks him how he did that trick with his tongue.


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

[Assistant]
Dark and Scary Things (1st story)
A Hard Day’s Fight (2nd story)
Something in the Air (3rd story)
First story :
In another reality, a young boy clings to the leg of his uncle, pleading with him to not lock him away in the cellars, but it’s no use. Ben Parker orders his nephew to let go of him and, after locking the door, shouts that this will teach him to never disobey again. Scared and in tears, Peter sits alone in the darkness and recalls how only last year his father killed his mother while he was sitting in her lap, only to one minute later turn the gun on himself. One might think it couldn’t have gotten any worse, but it did.
Sitting alone in the darkness, little Peter hears a voice calling out to him. He turns to see a pair of glowing eyes in a shadowy corner. Afraid, he asks who’s there and the voice replies that it is a friend, someone who feels just like him and who knows that his uncle is a bad person. Approaching the strange individual, Peter sees a hybrid of man and spider, twice as big as himself. It promises that when the abusive uncle comes back, it will be on little Peter’s side.
Elsewhere, Blink and Nocturne of the Exiles feel like little school girls. They are watching this reality’s Wolverine clawing his way through a group of prison guards. Both girls heard stories of Logan in their native realities, but never saw him in action like this, and they watch in awe. As Logan has finished dealing with his opponents, he senses the two Exiles staring at him.
Soon, the three mutants sit around a campfire in a forest. The two girls explain to Logan how they and their teammates jump from one reality to the next, fixing things gone wrong. Logan takes in the story and wonders what this has to do with him. Apparently, they had to break him out of prison, but for what? Nocturne says they don’t know yet and asks her friend Blink whether the Tallus has already answered this part. The Exiles‘ leader only has a partial answer in store. She knows where they have to take Logan, but not for what. Rather annoyed, Wolverine questions why they think he’ll follow the orders of the Tallus, or wether the two girls are stupid enough to make him. Nocturne tries to calm him, suggesting that possibly he would want to do it and then calls him “Unkie” Logan. However, the feral X-Man tells her to not call her that.
A little bit later, the group stands before a worn-down house, standing alone in a secluded area within a forest. Wolverine approaches it and, sniffing something odd inside, he pops his claws. Behind him, Nocturne and Blink whisper to each other that maybe they should have brought the entire team, but unfortunately they have to take out some Spider God, while they are with Logan. Actually, both of them volunteered for this side-mission, since they wanted to meet the amazing Wolverine in person. With his claws, Logan makes quick way of the door and enters the house, the two Exiles following him at a safe distance. Inside, they come upon the body of an old woman and webbing. Logan’s senses tell him that blood and pieces of the poor lady are distributed all over the walls and he recognizes something else, while Nocturne is still saddened by the brutality of the murder.
In the kitchen, Wolverine comes upon little Peter, who is eating sugar cereals with milk and whipped cream. Suspiciously eyeing the stranger, the boy says that his friend allowed him to have this for dinner. Logan, however, knows better. He tells the boy that his “friend“ stinks of the Spider God. Probably, it is a pregnant queen, looking to lay eggs inside him. The boy tells Logan to go away, his friend is big and mean and he could kill the intruder. After all, he killed his Uncle Ben and he was, by far, meaner than Wolverine. Logan corrects him on that – there is no one meaner than he.
Right on cue, the spider queen smashes through the window and lands in front of Wolverine, ready to fight. Peter shouts, “Don’t hurt him.“ Wolverine wonders whether he was talking to the beast or him, but it doesn’t really matter as he rams his claw in the creatures body. The spider queen, fighting back, wraps some webbing around his neck and slashes him across the chest. Momentarily down, Logan finds himself pinned by the spider queen’s many legs and tendrils. Blink teleports in, intending to get the kid to safety, but Peter struggles against her. The queen hears him cry and extents a webline, reclaiming her prize from the teleporter’s hands. Then, all of a sudden, the battle is ended as the creature retreats.
Nocturne comes into the room, asking “Unkie Logan“ if he is okay, which only annoys him further. Blink tries to calm the situation, reminding him that they need to help the little boy, but Logan doesn’t care about him. Making their way down a staircase to the basement, Blink once more tries to reason with him, but Wolverine no longer listens. A trail of green blood leads them to a corner where little Peter stands next to what seems to be the dead body of the spider queen. The boy accuses Logan of killing his one and only friend, but the mutant senses that the queen is still survive, he can hear its heartbeats.
Behind his back, Blink tells Nocturne that she can save the boy and their plan is set. Peter tries to protect the creature as Logan leaps forward, when the Exiles girls use their powers as well. Blink opens a teleportation gate and grabs the child, while Nocturne uses her power to possess Logan. She feels sorry for her “uncle“ but she knows she has to do this to buy Blink some extra seconds to rescue the child. After her comrade is finished, she let’s go of Logan and, according to plan, he and the spider queen now start fighting each other recklessly.
Nocturne joins Blink and little Peter outside, stating that they will apparently kill each other, but they might be supposed to. The boy is quite mad at the two girls, yelling that he hates them and that the beast was his friend. Blink promises that they’ll find him another friend, someone who will take care of him but, right after the words have left her mouth, she realizes that she can’t keep this promise. Apparently, the rest of the team has finished their mission too, as the Exiles are teleported away to the next dimension. Peter is left alone, alone with the dark and scary things inside of him, for the queen already laid the eggs – the bloody bite marks on Peter’s neck being silent proof of it.
Second story :
Phat, Vivisector and the Orphan are running from a crowd of obsessed X-Statix fans. They make it into a train station and hide in three telephone booths. It works, as their pursuers run past them, also not noticing the Anarchist, who is sitting next to an elderly man on a bench, both holding up a newspaper so as not to be seen. By the time the fans again spot their idols, the X-Statix members have already boarded their train.
For a while, they silently sit in their compartment, Phat flipping through a magazine, Miles, as usual, reading a book, Tike gazing out of the window and the Orphan wondering about the elderly white man sitting next to his comrade. Finally, he asks the Anarchist who the man is. Tike replies that it’s his grandfather. Phat, Vivisector and Orphan look at each other confused, then they remember – Tike was adopted and brought up by white people. Considering the old man being well dressed and bald, Miles begins to theorize that they might look at the reason for Tike’s own predisposition towards cleanliness, but the others have problems understanding the terms he uses.
The conversation is interrupted by Mr. Filson, a PR person, who tells the X-Statix members that they are about to arrive. He also warns them; he heard about the things they did in San Francisco and he wants them to behave before the presentation tonight. Soon, the group is staying in a hotel suite. Phat announces to change into his party threads and hit a bachelor party in the conference room, but Filson tells him he is staying put as he has scheduled an interview with the local rag. This is bad news for the mutants and they wonder if all of them need to be present for this. Filson explains that they requested Tike, Guy and Billy Bob, which would mean Vivisector could have some little spare time.
Filson even offers to get him a book but Miles is a little bit depressed and wonders why they specifically excluded him. The PR person tries to explain that they have a large female readership, and the gay, intellectual thing might turn them off, but the Anarchist makes a joke that he is just too hairy. His grandfather has another idea – it must be the glasses; they are so outdated, they look from his own times. Phat even tops this, reminding his teammate that his fan mail has also decreased, so he might want to hire an image consultant. Filson leaves, once more reminding the group not to go anywhere.
In the instant that the door is closed behind him, Guy lets out a surprise. The local fan club has got a party going on that should give them all some ego boost. Tike tells his grandpa to “mind the store“ and the four youngsters leave. Before long, Tike and Guy are sitting in a lounge having drinks with three girls, while Phat and Vivisector are dancing among the crowd. It seems that one of the men is even hitting on Miles and his teammates curiously observe what might happen next, when suddenly someone blocks their view. It’s Mr. Filson. He has found them and now it’s back to the scheduled interview, for which they are now late. This means extra costs for him.
For Phat, the Anarchist and the Orphan, it’s now business as usual, as they come face to face with the team of reporters. Phat has his picture taken in as many different grimaces as he can think off, before answering a stupid question what he calls his costume. “Joe,“ he answers. When asked about his hobbies, Tike, with two ladies in his arms, only grins. Guy makes a lame joke of being a “superlante“ when asked wether he considers himself a super hero or a vigilante. Through all off this, Vivisector silently sits on a table, refusing the hour d’oeuvres offered by a waitress.
After the press conference, Filson leads the team through a corridor, already talking about their public performance scheduled for later that day. He is well aware that they have a set arrangement that nicely displays all their powers but he was hoping they could change it a little bit. While he keeps on blabbering, the four teenagers sneak out through a back door behind him. They run out of the building into a park and enjoy just playing with their powers. Their joy is soon stopped by a park guard, who tells the “lousy mutants“ to stay off the grass as the park is private property. Vivisector apologizes for the behavior of him and his friends but Tike is annoyed by the prejudice they are constantly met with.
Leaving the park, a girl recognizes the Orphan and tells him that she loves him. Guy is flattered, but then the girl puts on her glasses. “No wait – It‘s not you. I can’t stand you“. Meanwhile, a black guy presents some of his clothes to Phat and the Anarchist and wants them to wear them. Phat politely turns down the offer as they already have a manufacturer, but the man doesn’t give up. He even talks slang and tries to bond with them, but Phat can do the slang-talk better and disses the man’s designs. He only would wear them if he killed him and buried him in it. Anarchist congratulates his comrade.
Later, back in the hotel room, the grandfather waves Vivisector to come to him, he wants to give him some advice. Miles welcomes this, surely the old man has gathered some wisdom over the years. That’s exactly the grandfather’s point. He thinks that Miles is still young with his whole life in front of him. Why waste it wandering around doing what he is told and filling the blank spots with a book? Miles interrupts; he enjoys reading. The elder man says that he didn’t mean to offend him; he just wanted to shed some sight on him. Miles should be squirreling around with antics that will fill books for others to read about. Vivisector is confused “Squirreling?“ The grandfather repeats it, making an important gesture. Miles finally gets the meaning and enthusiastically agrees with him.
Mr. Filson is furious, now Miles is missing. He thinks he never should have taken on these unstable freaks. It’s bad enough they couldn’t even get the female members off the team, but now they are down to just three. The Anarchist apologizes, it was his grandfather’s doing, giving another of his “squirreling speeches.“ Probably their friend is rolling around in chocolate right now. The manager is confused “Squirreling? Chocolate?“ The Orphan changes the subject, saying that he didn’t help either by telling Miles that the local paper didn’t want him. He advises him to back off or, instead of three X-Statix members, he’ll get none.
Meanwhile, Vivisector is out in the city, sightseeing, taking pictures of himself and thinking about his life. He keeps telling himself that, one day, they’ll all realize how much they underestimate him. Suddenly, he is hit by a spinning wheel from behind. A kid runs up and apologizes, before he recognizes him. The kid’s is amazed, this is Vivisector – the coolest mutant in the world. Miles wonders if that is really his opinion and, to prove his claim, the young boy imitates Vivisector’s trademark pose, also saying that his friends think the same. Now feeling better, Miles returns to the hotel, much to Filson’s relief.
The show starts and the crowd is eagerly anticipating their stars. Behind the stage, Tike’s grandfather encourages him to give his all. Mr. Filson gets on stage and introduces the world’s greatest super mutant team – the X-Statix. The mostly female audience cheer and shout the names of the objects of their affections, while the four mutants perform on stage, publicly demonstrating their powers in mock battles.
After the show, Mr. Filson congratulates the X-Statix members and claims that he never had any doubt it would be a great display. The four mutants are met by Dead Girl, Venus and Doop. Orphan tells them that they missed a great exhibition and that the town loves them. Tike too wonders where the girls have been. Holding up her bags, Dead Girl gives the answer – shopping. Seeing Doop nearly crumble beneath the weight of several boxes, Guy asks if he had fun with the girls, earning a snappy remark from the team’s cameraman. Venus tells everyone to get ready and then starts to teleport the team home. Tike’s grandfather, also caught in the effect voices his discomfort. He thinks they are all a bunch of nitwits.
Third story :
It’s the final victory show of the American Megastar contest. MC Milo Mystik is on stage with 5,000 people in the audience cheering at him. The women throw their underwear at the stage and Milo takes it all in, almost disbelieving it. Milo is mega, he is bigger than ecstasy, bigger than X-Force. Nothing can stop him now.
(several months ago)
Milo Smutts is a sixteen year old teenager with a personal hygiene problem, he sweats a lot. As he enters his biology class several kids laugh at him and one girl sarcastically offers him a deodorant stick. However this day something changes. Miss Jimenez, the good looking teacher, announces the topic for today – pheromone. She explains that it is a chemical substance secreted by many animals to induce a behavioral or physiological response in others of the same species. Some scientists even believe that, although atrophied by evolution, this ability may be residual in humans. Milo hangs on the teacher’s every word, his glands seeping, perfuming his skin. Finally it makes all sense to him, as he sees the teacher flush, body heat thickening the air and students screaming in spontaneous arousal.
(flashback)
Milo recalls weird stuff happening around him recently. Like when he was totally focused on playing a video game, he only realized that the screams he thought were sound effects were coming from the fighting crowd behind him when he turned from the screen. Another time, while watching a horror movie, he witnessed all other people in the cinema totally freaking out, pulling out their hair and screaming in agony. He was happy when the paramedics arrived to treat with the “mass hysteria.” He never knew how or why, but he was sure that he was the cause.
(several months ago)
Now thanks to the teacher, Milo finally has a name for what was happening. He understands that he has mutant sweat, everyone who catches his scent is tuned in to his emotions. As Miss Jimenez leans over to Milo, opening her blouse, he is relieved. He had felt like kissing her fir ages. But it’s the teacher who acts first and, in front of the whole class, she pushes him to the floor and tongue-wrestles the sweaty youth.
Later that day, while Miss Jimenez is led away by the police, Milo finds himself in the student counselor’s office, who to tries to rebuild the victim’s damaged self-esteem. He thinks little about the poor teacher whose career is now at an end. Instead, Milo grooves about his new power and thinks about how to make it work for him.
(the following days and weeks)
It takes Milo a while to get the hang of his gift and, although he found it pretty cool, he thought that it wasn’t as useful as other mutations, like those of X-Force. He could induce terror, rage, despair, joy, love, lust – the basic emotional responses. The problem is that it works indiscriminately. Anyone within the zone of influence reacts according to the pheromones. Milo learns this the hard way when he tries to push beautiful Milly McDonagh’s desire to nurture him at her bosom without checking the wind direction first, as Milo gets nearly crushed between two obese women following his wish instantly.
Another accident occurs when Milo tries to pay back the guy who extorted his lunch money since third grade. He hits him with a wave of despair, though the driver of the school bus gets caught in it too, resulting in him getting reckless and driving off the road. Afterwards, Milo is ready to give up his quest for glory and keeps taking showers to limit his sweat output. He stays at home, watching TV shows about X-Force, when there is suddenly an answer to all his dreams, a commercial about the new American Megastar show.
At first thought, a primetime TV talent show, with the winner chosen by phone ballot, was not vulnerable to rigging by pheromone power. However, in the first rounds, music industry insiders make the first cuts, live in a studio environment. Milo knows that he just has to nail the judges and make it to the final rounds to have a shot at the price. All performers touch their audience someway, usually by sight or sound; Milo by smell. He can’t sing, but under the studio lighting and the pressure to succeed, Milo sweats more than ever. His debut touches the judges and he makes them experience love and desire, earning him a pass to the second round. Once backstage, he ensures that he’d have not much competition by undermining the other contestants with doubt and insecurity.
Over the next rounds Milo refines his show, synching his pheromone cocktail with a roller coaster ride of synthesized samples. He snags the crowd’s emotions and plays them up and down the scale, before bringing them to a climax. Humans are mimetic creatures. Primal excitement is contagious, even via television. The viewers couldn’t smell him but they catch the wild buzz from the live audience and reach for the phone in millions. MC Milo Mystik storms the ballot every time. By the time of the network finals, he is a full-blown media phenomenon. Preachers denounce his satanic influence and music critics loathe him, but the show’s producers kiss his butt as advertisers pay enormous amounts of money to place their ads. Finally, the big price is about to be his. All Milo needs to do is reach out and take it.
(present)
Milo is on stage with the crowd cheering at him. He had the from the first minute, when he started his show with aromatic appetizers to set their juices flowing and get them into his groove. He let them experience desire, then pushed them down the road of pure black terror, only to again change the mood. The audience is charged to the max and many of them throw their underwear on stage. That’s when it happens: Milo loses the plot. For a moment, he can’t believe this is actually happened. “This is too totally un-freaking-real, man,“ he says to himself.
It is just a moment, a tiny chink in his armor of self-belief, but it translates to the audience nonetheless. Milo senses the mood of the crowd change and he starts to panic. Fear is in his eyes and the crowd responds, becoming the center of his fear. Milo thinks to himself that he was stupid to do all of this without a safety net. Next time, he needs to make sure that there is a strong air-condition that could flush out the pheromone-ridden air, as security caves in and dozens of angry people storm towards the stage. Next time, Milo thinks, or else someone is gonna end up dead. Too late, Milo ...