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[Assistant]
The Bird, the Beast and the Lizard
A house near the Everglades. On the porch, a woman sees how another lady lets her dog to its business on the first woman’s lawn. Angrily, she orders the other woman to pick that up. It’s fertilizer, the older woman replies. Not on her shoe, the first woman retorts. The woman wants to tear away her dog, which has been sniffing some bushes. But there no longer is a dog on the leash and, in the vegetation, the Lizard waits.
In a helicopter, the X-Men are wondering why they aren’t home yet. Professor Xavier, who is at the controls with Warren, explains that he promised them a vacation some time ago and Warren’s family happens to have a beach house in southern Florida, which they barely use. In the meantime, he would like to look up a friend from his college days, Dr. Curtis Connors.
A little later, Xavier and his students are at the Connors’ home near the Everglades. Mrs. Connors is hesitant to open the door and ready to blow them off, claiming her husband is away on business. Xavier hints that maybe he can help her husband. Mrs. Connors finally opens the door and ventures to show them Connor’s lab which is a mess.
There was a video, Mrs. Connors explains. Has Xavier met Curt since the loss of his arm? He hasn’t, Xavier admits. They look at the video where Connors has two arms. An excellent prosthesis, Hank remarks. Mrs. Connors explains that the arm is real. He gained the Lizard’s power to regenerate human limbs.
On the video, Connors describes that the last injection was 72 hours ago. Six hours gained thanks to the dosage. Suddenly, he can’t think anymore and turns into the insane Lizard and flees.
Mrs. Connors explains that sometimes he turns reasonable again and takes the antidote. Does that happen often? Hank asks. The last time it was so bad, Spider-Man followed him into the swamp and gave him the anti-dote, she admits. Does she have relatives? Xavier asks and suggests she and her son stay with them for a while, it would make matters easier.
Mrs. Connors protests. For all she knows, Xavier is working for a pharma- company wanting to kidnap Curt. They are too much like her husband for that, Warren retorts and displays his wings. She asks him not to hurt Curt. They just want to turn him normal again, Warren assures her.
Xavier decides not to start now as it is turning dark. He apologizes for spoiling their vacation. Beast suggests that they needn’t all go into the swamp looking for Connors. He can track him and give him the antidote. As a biologist, he feels duty-bound. Warren agrees and decides to join him because he gained Mrs. Connors’ trust. She wonders why… Jean jokes. Scott decides to come along as well. Bobby chides that Scott needs some relaxation most of all. As impossible as it may sound, sometimes they don’t need Scott leading them, Hank remarks. He’s right, Warren confides. This morning he went alone to the bathroom. What, without Scott? Hank asks wide-eyed.
Xavier tells them it’s enough and orders Scott, Jean and Bobby to go to the beach house. The others are staying there and will begin the search tomorrow. If there is trouble, he will call them.
In the morning, Warren and Beast, in their uniforms, complain about the damp air as they get ready to paddle into the Everglades. In the meantime, the others are enjoying the beachhouse’s comforts and the private beach.
Punting, Beast at the same time gives a very bored Warren a lesson about the Everglades. Warren pouts that everyone else is having fun. He smirks, though, as he decides that Scott is probably forcing the others to train at the beach.
Actually, practice couldn’t be further from their mind. Scott and Bobby are having iced drinks in the deckchairs while Jean is tanning.
Beast discusses the proliferation of alligators in the swamp. Very interesting, Warren states, in actuality bored. That’s why he suggests Warren stop trailing his hand in the water, Hank concludes. Which is full of gators. Both fascinated and scared, Warren ogles them. What do they eat? Can they enter the boat? Beast doubts it. Gators wait for their food to come to them. With their weight, they pull their prey down and wait for it to drown. Warren? he asks as there is neither hair nor hide of his friend, but only a lone feather floating on the water.
Bobby tries to freeze the ocean water. Xavier contacts him warning him that his physiology makes him particularly vulnerable to sunlight. He should be careful. Bobby decides to head for the house for a bit. Xavier then contacts Scott and, with a wink, tells him he hopes Scott is happy with that. Alone with Jean, he asks her if se wants to swim for a bit.
Angel is swimming, as the Lizard has dragged him downward. Beast dives to help and manage to wrestle Angel loose. Warren dives up for air, thanking Hank, who now has trouble of his own, as the Lizard is stomping on him, not allowing him to come up.
The Lizard is hit by an oar courtesy of Angel, who has swum down again. Beast comes up for air, while the Lizard makes short work of the oar. The two X-Men quickly reach for the boat. While Warren flaps his wings to dry them he states the Lizard now knows who’s the boss. Yes, he, Beast dryly states. He is at an advantage in this environment.
Warren flies Beast to a tree where he intends to play bait, wishing Scott was there, as this kind of plan is more his thing. Warren points out that Scott is probably in a bad mood again. They can’t use that here.
Instead Scott is having fun in the water with Jean. During their horseplay Jean accidentally knocks off his glasses and Scott instantly panics. Guiltily, he suggests they head back out of the water. Jean chastises him, telling to stop always worrying about others. She tells him to look at the ocean. Compared to that both their powers are nothing. She orders him to take off his stupid glasses. He hesitates… she tells him to fire at the water with all his strength. The ocean can handle it. He does so and feels powered out in a good way. Jean tells him that sometimes he just has let his powers go.
In the swamps, Angel is flying and Beast jumps from tree to tree on their search. Xavier mentally contacts them, telling them he has trouble finding Connors as he has adapted to the local fauna. But he has a trace. He is hanging on Hank’s right leg. Angel quickly drags him off Beast by his tail and into the air. To free himself, the Lizard gnaws off his own tail and falls into the water again. Brilliant, Hank comments.
At the beach house Bobby drives off, explaining that the professor told him the others would need them. Scott wonders why he didn’t call him and Jean as well. Jean tells him he shouldn’t mind.
Angel is disgusted. Hank orders him to pass over the tail. He wants to lay a blood trail. Angel is even more disgusted as Hank explains he has to drip down some blood in regular distances. The Lizard will follow them to his home.
The Lizard gains ground and even manages to bite off some of Warren’s feathers. Warren comments they don’t need the tail anymore. He’s mad enough to follow them anywhere. They reach the house, where the professor and Iceman are awaiting them.
On Xavier’s command, Bobby ices up the swamp. Immedialte, the Lizard’s metabolism slows him down, stops him even to the point where Hank can feed him the antidote.
Later, Curt Connors has changed back and Xavier tells him his family wasn’t harmed. Only his leg, Hank mutters. Xavier offers to explain everything at a more relaxing place, while Jean and Scott are having drinks in the sun.


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[Assistant]
A Life of the Mind
Cyclops’ yearbook:
Professor Xavier: Why did I let the prof pick my name? I do kind of like it when the guys call me Cyke though.
Cyclops: Boy, I haven’t called Alex in a while – wonder if he’s taking care of my car.
Marvel Girl: I see everything as red. Jean has red hair. Coincidence? Fate?
Beast: Got to thank Hank for lending Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War.” Finally, he recommends something I understand.
Angel: If I could fly like Warren, I could target threats so much better… Of course, I might barf on them too. I don’t know how he can maneuver like that without losing it.
Iceman:  Thermostat in room not broken, Bobby is just pranking me again. Little #&^!@
When is that jet going to be finished? Vertical take-off and landing, speed of sound… now that’s a proper superhero ride.
An idyllic morning at Xavier’s School. Getting to the bathroom, Warren asks Bobby whether he used all the hot water. He never uses any, Bobby replies and tells him he’ll see him at breakfast. In the kitchen, something smells great. Ms. LaFitte is making waffles, Jean, who is the first at the table, explains. Awesome, Bobby states. The day is going to be all downhill from there, as their housekeeper, Ms. LaFitte, is presenting him a stack of waffles.
Scott Summers enters without any glasses, smelling the waffles. Fresh cream and blueberries too, he marvels, he bets the students at Metro don’t get this in the morning. They’re all pouring condensed milk into those tiny cereal boxes that come in a pack, Bobby agrees.  Hank and Professor X walk in, discussing the connections between superpowers and high fructose corn syrup. Xavier greets all his students.
Jean is somewhat suspicious. Something about him looks different, she addresses Scott. Did he get a haircut? Maybe he should and get a pro to do it, Warren suggests. The door bell is ringing. “I shall get that,” their butler Jarvis announces. Jean is startled. Jarvis?
Jarvis announces that they have a guest for breakfast. It’s the Blob. Instead of treating him like an enemy, the X-Men seem pleased to see him. “What’s up, Blobster?” Bobby greets him.
“The Blizzob,” Warren high-fives him. Wait, wait! Jean shouts. She doesn’t mean to be rude, but aren’t they like at war with him? Well, they’ve argued some, he guesses, the Blob ventures. Receiving a huge stack of waffles, he asks if that’s real maple syrup. Something isn’t right, Jean insists, trying to remember. Out of the corner of her eye she sees the Juggernaut rushing past the kitchen.
She drags Scott out, telling him they need to talk. Blob will finish his food if he leaves the table, he protests and warns him not to touch that bacon.
Outside the kitchen, they see Xavier and Magneto peacefully playing chess. Scott holds Jean back, telling her he will look into this. After studying the situation, he informs Jean that the professor will be okay. He’s seen him beat Hank with this tactic. Magneto politely asks them to carry on elsewhere. All right, Magnus, the Professor states. This one’s for the helmet.
Holding her head, Jean strides off. What’s wrong? Scott asks. Something isn’t right, she insists and uses her telekinesis on a clock just to make sure her power works. Isn’t she feeling very “Marvel Girl” today? She feels completely normal, Jean replies. That’s what’s bugging her. Everything seems normal yet she knows in the back of her mind it’s not right. Scott looks normal, just like himself, but she knows she shouldn’t see him this way. Maybe… if he looked at himself… she asks him to follow her.
As she shoves him ahead, he suggests shyly that, if she wants to go somewhere private, there are lots of other rooms in the mansion. She orders him to look into a mirror. What does he see? Is anything off? Scott replies that he told her he didn’t get a haircut. He could probably use one though. What is he looking for? Jean doesn’t know. But she feels he will. What does he see?
He sees… Scott Summers. College student. Majoring in “liberal arts” or whatever the professor is going to end up calling their degree. Team leader of the secret group known as the X-Men. His red eyes begin to glow. Mutant. His optic blasts shatter the mirror and the wall.
Panicked, he asks Jean for his glasses and Jean finally recalls what’s wrong. He wears glasses all the time to hold in his power. Jean telekinetically gets them while he keeps his eyes shut. Why wasn’t he using them? he wonders. Is anyone hurt? Is everyone ok? Jean tells him to calm down and put the glasses on. He opens his eyes to find the world all red again. He guesses that’s the way it’s supposed to look. For him at least, she states apologetically. They’ve got to see the others.
They walk into the kitchen through the hole in the wall. Everyone is annoyed. What was that about? Angel asks. They almost hit Jarvis! Bobby shouts. And they hit the stove where Ms. LaFitte was making him more waffles, the Blob remarks. Scott apologizes. He didn’t have his glasses on.
Jean is realizing more about what’s out of place, like Ms. LaFitte. Why is she there? Jean asks the other woman. Where else would she be? she snaps back. Her job is to feed Charles Xavier. Hank intervenes, recalling that she cooked for Xavier when he was a boy. He would tell them about the delicious meals she prepared. Merci, she thanks him. But that came up last year, Hank continues. Xavier had been thinking about her, .because he attended her funeral!
Before their eyes Ms. LaFitte turns zombielike. Angrily, she asks him if he’s saying that she’s dead. She points an accusing finger at Jean. She has given very loyal service for years. Now that girl is changing all that. And that means he’s getting no more waffles! the Blob shouts furiously. Bobby amends that Jean might be on to something. Blob throws Hank into Bobby as he shouts that Marvel Girl is right. They are at war.
That’s enough! Angel decides and dives at the Blob. To no avail, as his mass simply seems to swallow the young man. He told them, the Blob threatens, they should have made him more waffles! He ate Warren, Bobby shouts while Jarvis orders them to run. He’ll summon Iron Man.
Cyclops orders everybody to fall back and Bobby to wall the Blob off. A moment later, Hank shouts that Bobby walled off Jarvis with the Blob. It’s ok, Jean states, She doesn’t think Jarvis is supposed to be there. Telekinetically, she gets them their uniforms, figuring that putting them on will help.
As they run, Hank admits that Jean is right. Something about the way they perceive themselves is different. They have to focus on each other… as X-Men. Bobby complains if their original uniforms are ever going to be fixed. Cyclops remarks that he knows that look Hank has. The McCoy 5000 is processing data. Yes, he orders them to follow him up the stairs.
Bobby remarks that he doesn’t remember the staircase being so long. They head to Hank’s room. Inside, they see Hank sleeping. An evil clone! Bobby shouts. No, just him, Hank states. So it’s all just a dream? Bobby wonders. No, they wouldn’t be sharing a dream, Jean points out. They are in some kind of trap. Behind them, the Juggernaut runs past.
Bobby finds himself in another corner of the same room (dreaming of Ice-cream). Trying to shake himself awake, he announces that this is messed up. He doesn’t share a room with Hank. What’s going on? Hey! Wake up, me! Drake! Rise and shine!
Jean tells him it’s no use. This is some kind of virtual reality. If they could get themselves out of it, she would have been able to do so by now. Cyclops recalls that they saw Magneto earlier. Could he be behind this? Jean doesn’t think so. There’s only one mutant who can alter the mental landscape like this. The professor, Hank agrees. Where is he? Cyclops asks Jean. Jean concentrates for a moment before replying that he’s nowhere… and everywhere. This is bizarre. Cyclops orders the team to find him. That’s where the answers are.
That will be difficult if they can’t even make it down the hall, Beast observes, for outside the room, they seem to have shrunk and a giant hallways is stretching in front of them. It’s like a hundred miles to the east wing, Bobby states. They’ve been contained for some reason, Jean ventures and suggests Scott shoot something. Anything, Anywhere. Blast through the floor. He does so, but blasts too hard.
As the ground beneath them shatters, he calls out Bobby’s name and Iceman instantly complies by creating an iceslide for them to glide down all the stories. However, after they have passed the different levels of the house, they seem to be sliding towards a sun or something. Bobby shouts that he can’t find another way. Instead, they stop before it. It looks more like a window than a sun. Is the professor in there? Bobby wonders. Cyclops suddenly realizes what they are looking at and shouts at the others to get off the iceslide now!
They obey at the last moment. What they saw was the visor of a huge Cyclops who is now firing at them. When did they put Scott on Mount Rushmore? Bobby asks. He creates another iceslide to catch them. That was really easy, he cries. It should be for him, Cyclops replies, before pointing out that unlike him Bobby’s power isn’t destructive, it’s creative. He may have a lot of power here.
Bobby considers that for a moment and creates a funfair car for them to glide down the slide in. Hold on, passengers, he shouts, they’ve just entered Bobbyland. Their first stop is to find the Blob and avenge Warren. Avenge… that’s it! The Avengers, Beast cries. He was watching a TV special on them the other day and it showed they had this butler named Jarvis.
Jean agrees that she knew that Jarvis guy was out of place! The mansion’s services are all either automated or by delivery. What about Ms. LaFitte? Bobby wonders. They glide past a scene where they see her feeding a young Charles his favorite custard pudding. Jean thinks that they are inside the professor’s head. It’s Xavier’s subconscious but they are in it, somehow helping shape it, like Hank remembering the butler.
The torrents drag them along and suddenly like in a carny attraction they are passing by threatening versions of the Vanisher, Namor, Unus and Toad. This is like the most screwed up theme park ever, Bobby sums it up. If the professor’s mind can simulate their enemies that well, Hank fears (and it can, Jean interjects), they’d better step on it, Hank finishes his thought.
Bobby steers them towards a tunnel, which turns out to be the Blob’s mouth. It’s too late to steer back as the mouth is closing. They’ve been swallowed.
Darkness surrounds them until they see a light. Hank mutters that he doesn’t know if they want to exit that way. This isn’t a literal body, Jean corrects him. They see a landmass and the ocean beneath them. It’s nice to know that the professor has a peaceful place in his head, Cyclops observes. Jean tells him to take a closer look as they land. What seemed to be rocks from above are actually Sentinel heads. It’s all representational, she explains. Do they see how large the Sentinels are looming in his mind?
They are greeted by Angel, who tells them he’s been trying to get back inside but couldn’t. He shows them the mansion while Hank lectures that by going through the Blob they seem to have found a way out to the edge of the professor’s consciousness. Before they go back in they need to have a goal, Scott decides. A very Cyclops thing to say, Beast agrees. He knows he’s not exactly the thinker of the group, because he isn’t all old like them, but are they saying they need to know how the professor’s brain is laid out, Bobby asks? Is that possible?
Before Scott replies, they reach the Cerebro chamber. Jean announces that Xavier must be in there. It amplifies his ability, but the chamber is still a prototype… That somehow sucked their minds into it as well, Beast, finishes her thought. The next moment, they see the Juggernaut racing around and Jean recalls she subconsciously picked him up running through the mansion. The professor’s mind seems to contain chaotic elements that would either harm him or them, Beast realizes. Like a problem he’s constantly working on, Cyclops suggests.
Cerebro greets them. Warren asks if Xavier is with Cerebro. Cerebro explains that it and Xavier located an extremely powerful mutant mind. Please wait. We are contacting—Warning: target is an echo reading: Charles Xavier disengage –
Jean suggests it reboot its software system, but instead Cerebro repeats itself and Jean cannot override the commands. Cerebro and Xavier are stuck in a feedback loop, Bobby announces. Like a microphone aimed into a speaker. Everybody looks at him in surprise. Oh is it so shocking he understands something? Bobby sulks.
Scott tries to break the loop with his optic blasts, to no avail. Jean tells them she’s been trying mentally since they landed. She thinks the only thing that can break Xavier out is the Juggernaut. He can go anywhere here, just like in the physical world. Cyclops agrees. Xavier sees all the other menaces as something he can contain, but not his brother.
How do they…? Warren wonders, while Bobby simply shouts: Hey Cain! Cain Marko! Hey, idiot wit the mushroom head! Over here, you big wuss! Furious, the Juggernaut runs towards them.
Suddenly, a child version of the professor appears. It’s Cain. Is he coming for him? he asks frightened… Please don’t let Cain hurt him. Jean holds him and tries to comfort him while the others get ready. Cyclops orders the others to wait, then tells Bobby “now.” Iceman creates an iceslide under Juggernaut’s feet; he slips and smashes into the Cerebro shield. The system override works, Cerebro is shut down, and the X-Men find themselves in the real world, in the Cerebro chamber where they help Xavier out of the machine.
He thanks them. He admits the chamber is going to need much work before it can be used reliably. Jean suggests next time he wake them before trying that again. Does anybody beside him really, really want some waffles now? Bobby wonders.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Seeing Red
Angel’s yearbook:
Professor Xavier: …window’s open. X is down the hall answering the phone. I’m going for it! Scratch it, he’s back.
Cyclops: What a surprise. Scott gets to class early and macs the seat next to Jean. Didn’t see that coming. Come on Charles, enough of all those hardfaces, get some ladies in this place!
Marvel Girl: Who rocks? Jean is who. Went shopping and picked me up a coat that hides wings AND naturally looks good.
Beast: Thought we could just ask Cerebro to do us a solid; he’s kind of cool.
Angel: Dad’s accountant called and said I’m not spending my college fund fast enough – dude, you fight Magneto and Blob and Underwater guy and Toad, then show me when you got time to spend money!
Iceman: Drake, you punk, stop freezing my water bottle!
The X-Men are in the battle with a Sentinel… Marvel Girl and Cyclops bring down a dead tree on it. Beast removes a device that seems to be control it.
Cyclops orders him to get clear, but the next moments he sees a leering monster in the shrubbery and he blasts at it instead of the Sentinel. The others ask why he missed. He was going for that monster, he explains. Iceman, busy icing up the Sentinel’s head, remarks he could consider the Sentinel a monster. How about shooting it?
Xavier mentally orders Angel to carry Beast to a building on the hill southeast of there. He believes he has found the source of this rebuilt Sentinel. Marvel Girl reminds Cyclops that Iceman can’t hold the robot off much longer. Cyclops fires, destroying the iceslide.
Elsewhere, a nerdy-looking guy works his computer, triumphantly announcing that his frequency broadcaster should keep Marvel Girl from using her power. A moment later, Beast and Angel crash through the window.
Cyclops finally snaps out of it but is no longer needed, for the Sentinel freezes as Xavier, Hank and Warren are now in control.
Later at their foe’s home, the man now sits dejected in his chair and the X-Men learn that this Sentinel which he fixed was one of those they beat up before. Next time, they’ll have to make sure the things are ashes before they leave, Warren states. Xavier talks to the man, who apologizes and exclaims he doesn’t know why he did this. Xavier confirms he’s telling the truth. He doesn’t know about the X-Men or the Sentinels.
Well, sure, he often finds old robots in rubble and spends months tricking them out to fight mutants, Warren points out sarcastically. Who doesn’t?
Cyclops demands Xavier ask him what’s up with those strange claw marks on his arms. One of the others asks him if he’s running a fever or something. He’s been off ever since they got here. Clearly, the others don’t see any claw marking. Why do they all keep talking to him like he’s nuts? Cyclops asks agitated. First, they didn’t see the thing in the woods, now they say they don’t see the marks. Is it screw-with-Scott-day? Code-naaames… one of the others mutters.
Xavier realizes something unusual is happening and asks Cyclops’ permission to enter his mind. This is not a hallucination, Xavier realizes, it’s a residual of occult energy which s not Xavier’s forte. He believes they must turn to the man who helped the X-Men imprison his wayward brother, Cain Marko. Their guide had the power and knowledge to reach the mystic realm of Cyttorak. Dr. Strange? Jean asks. But Strange found them when they had to go to that dimension. How do they contact him? Cyclops wonders. After he tries to help this unfortunate engineer deal with the psychic intrusion he experienced, they’ll go back to school, Xavier announces. There he has an idea that will help them reach this… Dr. Strange.
And so, a little later, Xavier uses his means of contacting him, causing Bobby to moan that he thinks he could have come up with using the phone book if someone had asked him.
Xavier arranges a date with Strange this evening and asks his team to bring their version 2.0 uniforms, just in case. When is her pointy mask going to be fixed, Jean asks. Are they going to take the new jet, Bobby asks hopefully, only to be disappointed as they take the train. Xavier points out that the mystic lives in the middle of Manhattan. There’s nowhere to land a jet. Besides it’s a pretty quick train ride. Well, I’m stuck in Folsom Prison Bobby begins to sing.
His mood improves when they reach Greenwich Village. What with all the colorful people there, the X-Men would hardly stick out. They should set up a base there. They end up before a townhouse in Bleeker Street with an oddly shaped window and decide that’s it.
Strange’s manservant Wong bids them enter and the mutants quickly marvel at the collection of exotic objects in the hall. Dr. Strange greets Xavier and next kisses Jean’s hand. Warren and Scott simultaneously roll their eyes in disgust. Strange next turns to Scott, asking for the visor he wears in battle. Good to see him again, too, Scott replies icily as he complies.
Strange looks outside through the visor, seeing the street in shades of red and also seeing the strange monster grinning. His suspicion is correct, he announces. A demon has attached itself to Cyclops. He feared it might happen when he sent Cyclops and Marvel Girl into the realm of Cyttorak.
Flashback:
Strange recalls that the X-Men were battling a Juggernaut, a mortal bestowed with unstoppable power by the demon exemplar known as Cyttorak. They needed the Ruby of Cyttorak to imprison Cain Marko there, and he could only send the two of them. Marvel Girl and Cyclops battled the ancient creature called Outcast. They were victorious on all counts. Yet he was not present to oversee their return, to make sure nothing returned with them.
Present:
How come Scott can see this bogeyman now? Warren asks. Strange asks them to consider that the entrance to Cyttorak’s realm is through the Ruby Gem. The Cyclops visor uses ruby crystal to conduct Scott’s energies, Jean relates. While the two of them were in that other realm, it took on the properties of the other crystal, Hank adds. It can register a whole different spectrum now – a demonic one. He was going to say that, Bobby pipes up.
Any malevolence that can slip though this as this one did is very formidable, Strange decides. It may take all their power to banish it. Xavier hands them the spare visors Strange requested. As Strange works his magic on them to replicate the viewing properties, Scott remarks that Xavier really doesn’t trust him not to break them. That’s only half of the ones he has, comes the reply.
Each X-Man puts on a visor. Whoa, now that’s red, Bobby exclaims. Looking out of the window they are in for a shock with a huge demon leering at them. Strange tells them that he has many protection spells on his sanctum. The demon is trying to tell them something. The next moment, it’s gone. Strange gestures and dresses all of them in their uniforms.
Strange leads the X-Men through a doorway leading to the Netherworld the demon occupies the most. He will be tangible there. He will leave the door open, so Xavier can stay linked to his students. Wong will defend the portal.
He opens the doorway. Behind them still stands Strange’s house but, instead of Manhattan, they are in a barren landscape with floating islands in the sky. Scott notes this feels familiar and Strange, who flies ahead, replies that he and Marvel Girl have passed though there on their way to Cyttorak’s realm. They will open that pathway again and banish the demon there if they find it. He warns the X-Men not to be alarmed if their powers work differently here.
Angel mutters that this looks like a nightmare he had. Strange agrees that many have nightmares set in this place. He orders them to don their visors and be on their guard. Iceman exclaims that this whole red thing is insane, then apologizes to Scott. He never thought about the way that Scott sees the world, Angel muses. Beast agrees without joking that it would tend to color one’s perspective.
Angel reminds himself that he has wings and flies upwards to find the boogerman. Boogeyman, one of the others corrects him. He finds nothing until, suddenly, he shouts a warning to Hank. Beast is standing on the huge bogeyman.
With a grin, it extends its tongue and captures Angel with it, while grabbing Beast with its hand. Energy sparks from its eyes hit them, turning Angel into a bird and Beast into a rodent. Strange tells the other X-Men that he must restore their friends or they could be lost here forever. Using its magic for the spell of familiars reduces its power greatly. He’s still pretty big, Jean points out. They may be able to defeat it if they hurry, he tells them.
Seeing what the demon has done to his friends, Bobby starts an ice barrage, finding that his power is off the charts here. However, within the snowstorm the demon just snuck out.
Scott has had enough and lets loose an optic blast against the creature, blasting a hole through it. Jean tells him nobody was hurt. The demon may even be messing with them. He most certainly is, Xavier tells them telepathically. It took him a while to find them. This space does not work in a manner he is used to. Where are Warren and Henry? They got… Uh… Dr. Strange is looking for them, Jean explains.
Suddenly, the monster grabs them from behind. Xavier impresses upon them that Jean may be the key to stopping this. Her powers here may be the equal of powerful magic. He tells her to extend her self. Think the way she does when she manipulates her environment. Expand her mind. Expand, she thinks and suddenly she is everywhere. Her invisible hands grab the monster and make it drop them.
Xavier now looks through Scott’s eyes and the original tainted visor. Over to the right, he sees a fissure. Strange said they’d be able to access the realm of Cyttorak through there. He guides Jean to the rift and she pulls it open. She recognizes the ruby realm on the other side. Dozens of demons appear at the fissure. They were in a part of it that was a lot less populated, Cyclops states.
Xavier orders them to throw the demon through. Scott keeps the other demons at bay back on their side with an optic blast, while Jean throws their demon through the hole and finally closes the fissure.
Scott holds her as she becomes dizzy and Strange and the others – human again – find them. Strange made mooks of them again, Bobby observes. Returning them was the easy part, Strange replies, catching them was not. What has transpired here?
Xavier explains he found a rift to the gem land to exploit. Jean opened it and cast the demon back. Oh, Strange replies. He was going to do that. He insists on viewing the realm to make sure it didn’t slip away again. On the others side, they see that the demon is happily greeted by its people. He only wanted to go home. Why didn’t he just make that clear instead of trying to kill them? Angel asks annoyed. Demons are not human, Strange lectures him and do not express themselves the way they would find normal. So this is where they sent Juggernaut? Hank asks. Yes, Xavier replies curtly.
Back in Strange’s home, Bobby asks Wong if he’s killed anything creepy. Only a few, comes the reply. Welcome back. Now they only have one ritual that must be performed, Strange decides. Tea.


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

[Assistant]
The Littlest Frost Giant
Marvel Girl’s yearbook:
Professor Xavier: …Yesterday during our mission Xavier had a song stuck in his head, and now it’s stuck in MY head. Driving me nuts!
Cyclops: I hear Scott down the hall. Can always tell by the quick footsteps. Wonder if he wore that silk shirt he sometimes does. Now that’s HOT.
Marvel Girl: Why didn’t I get to choose my own picture for this thing? I hate this picture. Ug! I’m thinking we all need red uniforms
Beast: Hank’s explaining something to me… keep nodding, smile… WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT!!!
Angel: Warren, stay put… the Professor is a li’l cranky today… I know it’s sunny out and the window is open, but don’t… don’t… - he’s gone.
Iceman: Bobby needs some advice on the girl down at the coffee shop and I told him just BE- YOUR –SELF.  But quit wiggling, making nasty jokes and mouthing sound effects to things all the time. And be yourself
An icy desert. Gathered around a scrying pool, four longhaired individuals clad in fur coats watch the X-Men. One of them tells another to learn from their ordeal.
They began by sending Ulf, the icetroll around the area where they had heard reports of the new elemental. Can we watch this inside? another complains. He’s had enough of the cold for now. That youngest one? One of the others asks.  Yes, he was the key to it all…
Flashback:
Ulf the icetroll is tearing up things around the harbor. And the X-Men are ready to attack. That’s their boy, Angel remarks. He may be your boy, but he’s not mine, Cyclops retorts. Angel quickly gathers two men and transports them to safety, assuring them the X-Men will handle things. Oh, good. Some other weird characters are here! one of the men observes dryly.
Beast remarks that this is clearly the creature they’ve been hearing about all over the northeast. It must not have heard of keeping a low profile. Marvel Girl levitates the last bystander in a boat away, and tells Cyclops he can blast away. Cyclops fires his optic blast beneath the troll’s feet and then orders Iceman to act, however Bobby can’t freeze him.
Of course not, Ulf is an ice troll, comes the explanation from one of the longhaired bearded individuals who are suddenly there. He and the three others fire tranquilizer darts at all the X-Men save for Iceman. As they sink down, Bobby alone is left with the troll. Aw, crud! about covers it. Ulf takes him prisoner on the newcomers’ orders.
Bobby tries to telepathically reach the Professor but is gassed by the female stranger. They must get out of there, the leader decides. That will be no problem, now that they have the elemental. One of them holds a stone above Bobby and remarks that the rune glows in his present. Then use it! the leader commands. They are enveloped by the glow and disappear.
Somewhat later, the X-Men awake. A newcomer, a blond man with a cane and an aura of calm authority, remarks that they’ve been drugged. He would suggest drinking water.
Is he a doctor? Jean asks. Yes, as it happens, comes the reply. They are heroes? What gave them away? Warren asks bitterly as he rubs his head. The majestic way they were lying on their faces?
They’ve been in battle, the doctor replies. It wouldn’t have been with a group of four, would it? Did they all have long hair? Jean asks. They were fighting this big weirdo when some … band showed up and shot them with darts. Tranqued like a common animal, Beast mutters as he examines one of the darts. “Bobby!” Cyclops suddenly shouts, before amending “Iceman.” They’ve taken him. It was them, the doctor mutters. Again, he’s picked up their trail too late.
Xavier mentally contacts the team. They inform him that Bobby’s been kidnapped. The doctor squints his eyes, remarking he can almost see who they are speaking with. Is this a god? Beast points at him, stating that they should be questioning him. He doesn’t seem to be very surprised by a man with wings and he is unnaturally perceptive. Also oddly tall, like their attackers. There is a connection, the stranger admits.
Xavier scans him, remarking that he is not getting all of his being. Yet he senses no maliciousness in this man, only nobleness of purpose. He assumes he is being judged now, the stranger asks.
From the plane, Xavier tells them he’s almost in the area. Cerebro indicates that Bobby has already traveled thousands of miles. While Angel looks for a place for the jet to land, the stranger asks if they know where their missing friend is. If they tell him, he will take care of this. Cyclops states that he appreciates this, but the X-Men tend to take care of their own. And he still hasn’t given the word one what his story is. The stranger replies that the people who took their friend call themselves the Vanir; they are likely observing them now. He doesn’t wish to be secretive but, if he shows his hand now, they could go into hiding indefinitely.
Indeed, watching in their scrying pool one of the Vanir mutters if only they’d known who he was then.
Xavier mentally informs Scott that he believes he knows who the stranger is. And he is an ally they want. Cyclops takes the stranger’s hand. He’s welcome to tag along as he’s just been given a good character reference; the best in fact.
Meanwhile, the Vanir await around the altar Bobby is chained upon, impatient at the cusp of their plans being fulfilled… if he ever wakes up, that is. The Midgard Vanir have waited thousands of years for this moment, one of them remarks. They can be patient a few hours more.
Bobby finally stirs (with a headache). Anxious, he demands to know where he is and who they are. They snagged the wrong college kid, he tries to threaten them. However he finds that his powers don’t work. A Vanir woman corrects him with a smile that his power is working perfectly. But it doesn’t serve him now, it serves the Vanir.  Bobby notices the glowing stone around his neck and demands they take it off.
Meanwhile, the X-Men’s jet lands nearby, courtesy of Charles Xavier. The stranger is impressed by his landing in all the ice, a tough landing for any pilot, done all by Xavier’s mind no less. Xavier wishes them luck. He shall advise them from the plane.
Packed into anoraks, the X-Men and their new companions follow the smell of the Vanirs’ fire, which Hank can smell. The stranger explains that they have to get the talisman away from the Vanir first now that they can use it to transport… That shouldn’t be too hard, Jean remarks, as she peers across a corner, it looks to be attached to Bobby (who in turn is in the hands of Ulf, trying to carry him into a cave).
Not having noticed the X-Men the Vanir say that Bobby is in and ask Ymir to accept the sacrifice.
Within the cave, there is a rumbling sound. Ulf looks up surprised, but doesn’t drop Bobby. The next moment, he is hit in the shoulder by an optic blast. Loosening his grip on Bobby means that Angel can snatch him away and leave the cave with him. It does not matter, the Vanir woman observes, poor loyal Ulf – referring to the troll – will supply the nourishment. The ice stalactites and stalagmites in front of the cave begin to close like rows of sharp teeth and, the moment the cave is shut, a face shows itself. The Vanir have reached their goal. Ymir, the frost giant lives.
This is what he feared they were trying to do, the stranger observes. Yeah, he can see why he might fear that, Cyclops mutters.
The Vanir captured in Marvel Girl’s telekinetic field make obeisance to Ymir whom they call the living winter. They beg him to return the world to frozen glory, so they may rule. Show them his power, they entreat. Ymir swats them aside, announcing that he answers to no mortal.
Then look before you, frost giant! the stranger shouts as he raises his cane. The cane comes down as the stranger shouts that Ymir will answer to … the Mighty Thor.
They brought Thor for him? Bobby exclaims, still carried by Angel. They rock! Ymir grabs Bobby in his fist, recalling that he was used to summon Ymir.
Thor swings his hammer and shouts this is no longer the frost giants’ realm. Ordering him to unhand the youths, he throws Mjolnir, injuring Ymir by severing his arm. Marvel Girl uses this opportunity by telekinetically raising the severed limb and hitting Ymir with it. In your giant face, Bobby shouts as Ymir lets go of him.
Xavier commends Jean for her quick thinking, as he uses the jet to draw Ymir’s attention, so Warren and Scott can reprise their flying gun routine. Angel carries Cyclops upwards. Once they are in range, Cyclops fires at Ymir’s head. Unimpressed, Ymir gathers up his severed arm and swirls it around, creating a vortex. Ymir does not control nature, he boasts. Ymir is nature!
He bets Thor has a plan, Scott tells the others. However, the Thundergod has been frozen and Jean observes if his plan was to become a thorsicle, mission accomplished. Beast announces that Ymir is focusing all his power on Thor, they are inconsequential to him.
Bobby notices that his control over his power is returning, but he doesn’t see how that’s going to do any good there in all that ice. Suddenly, he shouts for Warren whose wings are nearly frozen to come over to him. He creates a covered area for Warren to perch in and take a break. He has a lot of material to work with. These are the best conditions he ever had for his power.
Xavier announces that the jet wings are iced over. He’ll have to find a place to crashland. Bobby tells him to just cut the engines and creates a runway for him to land on plus a snow cushion. Everything’s coming up Bobby, he announces satisfied. At least it was, he mutters a moment later, when an annoyed Ymir picks him up.
Ymir looks at him furiously. So he would become a lord of winter. He seeks to replace Ymir. Dude, no! Bobby protests. He can keep his job. He was kidnapped. With Ymir’s attention on Iceman and off Thor, Cyclops frees Thor with his optic blast.
Bobby finds that Ymir is sucking away his power.  A moment later, Thor attacks, proclaiming that the age of ice is over. He orders Bobby to stand back and swings his hammer. He explains that Ymir can reform himself endlessly whenever they smash him, so he needs to be banished. Mjolnir opens a gate to a netherrealm of Asgard, to which Ymir is banished.
With that over, Thor explains that Ymir had originally been banished for eternity but he has consumed the Midgard Vanir’s talisman. Along with that troll dude, Bobby adds. Thor adds that now it will be easier for him to breach the gaps between worlds again. He should warn the Avengers of that possibility. Xavier and Thor great each other and exchange pleasantries, however, Thor warns them. Iceman possesses the elemental powers of winter. The legends say that Ymir was once a human like him. They must consider well the paths great powers lead them down. He would not wish to return in a thousand years to battle another frost giant. Looking cowed for a moment, Bobby replies, “Yes sir.”
Elsewhere, the Vanir watch them from their scrying pool, taking note of Thor’s “suggestion.” Perhaps a new frost giant must be fostered… and with him the Vanir return to glory…


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

[Assistant]
The S-Men
Beast’s yearbook:
Professor Xavier: The professor made a gaffe earlier in his lecture! He said “mutate” when he actually meant to say “mutant!” Should I say something?
Just smelled the caterer driving up the highway. Still about a kilometer away. Unless my olfactory neurons deceive me, tonight we have a choice of peppercorn-crusted tenderloin or salmon marinated in mint and… basil! I’m famished.
Cyclops: Summers and I found a case of clay pigeons yesterday and had a grand old time engaging in some skeet-shooting.
Taking a cue from none less than Cerebro, I’ve been speaking to my colleagues in an unvarnished manner, as they prefer. Thank my stars and garters I can be less abridged when writing.
Angel: LATEST IRONY: I was very ready to reprimand Warren for his exorbitant spending on trifles last week when UPS arrived. The package (to me) was comprised of one custom-hewn pair of size 15 leather shoes, courtesy of our auto-aviator. Now I’m going to wait until Xavier’s mutant ethics class to decide whether to say anything.
Iceman: A most embarrassing episode: Drake lost his Frisbee on the mansion roof and asked me to retrieve it. Not thinking about which hall we were by as I scaled the wall, I came by the window of Jean – as she was readying for a bath. I barely opened my mouth to explain when I found myself propelled across the courtyard and into the fountain. As I shook off the water, I saw our Iceman pick up his Frisbee from behind a bush, laughing at me. Warning, young man: retribution is a hard comeuppance!
The X-Men are out for another night at the Café-A-Gogo and raring to go. They’ve got girls dancing on the table now, Warren announces after one look inside and Jean automatically holds her hand in front of Bobby’s eyes. Unfortunately, it’s only Zelda, the barista, changing a lightbulb.
Bobby spies two hot ladies who’ve been coming here more often recently. He instructs Jean to make a big deal over him, so the girls will wonder. And Warren should accidentally drop a few hundred bucks on the floor. How shallow does he think girls are? Jean asks annoyed. Before Bobby can give a detailed reply, Hank holds his mouth shut. Why doesn’t he just sit and let their fascinating repartee draw the girls in? he suggests. A moment later, a disappointed Bobby sees that the girls have three male companions who join them.
It’s Scott’s turn and Zelda asks him what it’ll be. While Scott is still considering his choices somebody from behind announces “a large latte.” Sounds good, Scott agrees before wondering. It’s one of the five youngsters who continue that the redhead would like a medium latte, half-decaf; the young loud one wants an iced mocha; surfer guy is going to ask for a triple Americano and the big man will talk about the caffeine in espresso vs. drip, then end up ordering a hot tea.
And now he feels good and predictable, Hank replies annoyed. Thanks. One of the girls asks them not to get mad. They listen to everyone’s order because they don’t have lives. Oh, he isn’t mad, Warren immediately flirts.
Annoyed, Jean orders a medium latte with all the caffeine. Zelda asks her if they’ve been watching the news. Those X-heads they are always talking about are on. The news repeats it non-stop.
News report:
The reporter describes how this rural area was shaken when gigantic creatures were released by criminal scientist Harvey Elder yesterday. They were subdued by the Fantastic Four, who then had to pursue “Mole Man” Elder to an remote island. The national guard has taken on the task of holding the beasts until the heroes return to transport them back, but that was when the costumed people attacked.
Cyclops carried by Angel destroyed the prison van, freeing the creatures, shouting that he will destroy the cage lock with his death eyes.
Present:
Oh man, Scott, why’d you free that thing? Bobby sighs. What? Shut up, Drake! comes the reply, he doesn’t say Death eyes.
News report:
The National Guard shoots at the monster that grabs one of their men. Marvel Girl incapacitates the guns and shouts at “Iceboy” to incapacitate them!
Present:
Iceboy? The other X-Men laugh at Bobby.
News report:
Iceboy orders “Bestial” to attack and he does so shouting “platitudinous! Indubitably! Ontogeny! Verbosity!
Present:
That’s so Hank, Bobby states. Oh, please, Hank sighs insulted.
News Report:
The other container is destroyed and a huge crab-like beings comes from it. The X-Men leave, shouting at the monster to destroy the humans and teach them who their new masters are. The next step in evolution – Homo superior!
Present:
The real X-Men are more than disturbed. Bobby suggests they get in touch with the Professor. He’s dealing with personal stuff, Jean protests. They can’t drag him home every time anything comes up. Scott agrees. Warren was saying only yesterday they had to function without him.
He looks to Warren for agreement, but Warren is off trying to charm one of the girls with his car. The others call him back. Sorry a group of impostors wreaking havoc in their name doesn’t hold hid attention, Hank remarks sarcastically. Aw, this has Magneto and the Brotherhood written all over it, he shrugs. They’ll just go, kick ’em, zap ‘em, freeze ‘em and that will be the end of it. Jean disagrees. Unless Magnus has found a mutant who takes on someone’s appearance. Five of them.
As they leave, the five young people they talked to earlier look after them.
Minutes later, the five transfers contact heir leader, their high commander, a Skrull, as are they. He commends them for their move and thinks it was clever to move them from surveillance to active espionage. The Krellek council will no doubt promote all of them after they have eliminated this group of mutants.
The youngsters are surprised. The girl Warren flirted with remarks that it’s a waste of resources. The mutants are quite young after all. Not much younger than they, the commander replies, which is why they were chosen. They know the Skrull projections for the mutant population within the next two generations. Earth is a key station on the eventual Skrull conquest of this arm of the galaxy. A significant number of powered Terrans would make this colonization problematic. They have their orders. He asks them to drop their disgusting visages and they change to their Skrull shapes. Just one of them as if in rebellion keeps his human goatee.
The X-Men move towards the released monster with Angel flying ahead, trying to kept he monster from eating the panicked lifestock of a farm. Warren leads the monster to a barn where Jean punches the creature with a block of wood and Cyclops blasts him. Iceman finally freezes the creature and Beast makes an anonymous call to the National Guard. If they are all fighting among themselves, “git out,” the farmer threatens. He’s welcome, comes the reply.
The next day, the tired X-Men are in early at the coffee bar. They don’t know how the coffeemaker at school works. Bobby tells Zelda. Hank pipes up that he actually wants coffee today, as strong as possible.
They sink tired into their chairs, as they spent last night looking for that other monster – though in vain. Hank was trying to figure out its trail by studying topographic maps, but it defies all animal behavior, Hank remarks apologetically. It’s not a typical animal, Scott point out. Yeah, Hank yaws but a behemoth like that shouldn’t be so clever.
Again they are watched by the five Skrulls.
The girl Warren flirted with addresses them, having heard they were actually out looking for the monster. They were hoping to take some photos, Hank quickly explains. Aren’t they worried about the X-Men attacking them, the girl goads. No, Warren shouts. They’ve done a lot of research on them and there’s no way the X-Men freed those things.
Finally something’s more important to Warren than scoring, Scott whispers to Hank. They kill themselves trying to help people and show them mutants are cool, just for some losers to pull a stunt like that and undo all that work, Warren continues. Building up trust is hard, tearing it down is nothing. The Skrulls look embarrassed. He’s got to them. Warren apologizes to the girl, getting back into flirt mode.
Suddenly, somebody shouts at them to get to the basement. An old man enters the café in a panic, shouting that one of them big mutants is coming their way.
The X-Men run outside, while the disguised Skrulls are puzzled. None of them summoned the threat – the second monster, a giant praying mantis terrorizing main street. The X-Men immediately try to help evacuating people without showing their powers. Jean asks the Skrull kids to get back into the coffee shop.
They watch as the X-Men selflessly act. The five of them draw the creature away from the public into the shrubbery. Suddenly, lightning from its antennae hits them and they sink down unconscious.
Before it can harm them any further, it is hit by an optic blast courtesy of Skrull Cyclops. Skrull Beast orders him to attack again but he can’t. His visor is depleted. Both of them are taken out by electricity and revert to their true shapes. Skrull Angel diverts the monster. Skrull Marvel Girl, referring to him as Krillik, levitates the X-Men out of the way while Bellok – Skrull Iceman – tries to freeze the monster, only to find it harder than the real Iceman makes it look like.
The creature electrocutes Skrull Angel and swats the other two with his tail. All of them fall. A voice from the shadow remarks this is what happens when younglings are sent to do a warrior’s task. The Skrull girl tries to awaken Krillik.
Foolish children, the man (another patron of the Café a Go-go) mutters as he checks one of them for lifesigns. The girl finders herself face to face with the monster and is helpless. Whelps, the man mutters as he takes the fallen Skrull’s weapon and incinerates the monster.
Young crews simply aren’t suited for deep cover work, he announces. Too impressionable. They became sympathetic to their enemies, he accuses them in Skrull language. The council had a spy following them, the girl realizes. Yes, he agrees as he changes to his true form. It’s why they live now.
He uncovers his hidden spacecraft and informs them their mission here is terminated. They leave for debriefing on World 6. One of the youngsters apologizes. The humans tried to protect them. They couldn’t just let them die, another adds. Of course they could, he scoffs. That’s what being a Skrull is. He orders them to board. Sadly, they look backwards. Jean awakes, barely seeing the spacecraft leave.
What will become of them? Will they be eliminated? the young Skrull asks. No, they will probably be assigned to city planning or maybe work with the gladiator games on Kral. They can forget interstellar work.
Later at the Café a Go-go, the X-Men try to figure out what happened. If Jean says she saw a flying saucer that’s good enough for him, Hank states. Jean points out her head was still full of voltage at the time. Aliens wanting to discredit them, Scott muses. Lucifer maybe.
At the counter, Bobby inquires about the other group of youngsters that always hung around there. Zelda replies the monsters must have scared them off. They weren’t here at the usual time today.
Warren sulks. He wasn’t interested in the girls, was he? Jean teases him. He was going to ask that one out when the guys weren’t looking, he admits. Aww, now he’s just left with good looks, money and flying power, she “pities” him.
It would have been nice to make some new friends, Hank admits, Xavier’s school keeps them quite cut off from their own demographic. He bets they’d feel the same even at a regular school, Scott replies. Who’s going to ever know what it’s like to be them?
In the space ship, the five Skrulls who might know are busy playing tricks on each other.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Who Wants to Date a Millionaire?
Cerebro’s yearbook:
Cyclops: Semester Evaluation:
Scott Summers has exceeded projections in class work and performed successfully in the field.
Marvel Girl: Semester Evaluation:
Jean Grey has exceeded projections in class work and performed successfully in the field.
Beast: Semester Evaluation:
Henry McCoy has exceeded projections in class work and performed successfully in the field.
Angel: Semester Evaluation:
Warren Worthington has exceeded projections in class work and performed successfully in the field.
Iceman: Semester Evaluation:
Robert Drake has a perfect attendance rate.
Another morning at Xavier’s School. Cerebro wishes the students a good morning and notes that, once again, Warren is not in attendance. The fourth time in two weeks. Maybe he’s got a stomach thing, Bobby offers weakly. Unfortunately, it will have to share this information with Professor Xavier upon his return, Cerebro informs them. Perhaps they could persuade Warren to be more punctual.
Appears flyboy doesn’t think he has to fulfill academics when X isn’t around, Hank remarks after lessons. Scott refuses to get into this. That’s for Warren and the Professor to settle. If he doesn’t show up to a mission, though, then he’ll find Warren and zap him out of the sky.
Suddenly, Cerebro alerts them to an unidentified object rapidly approaching school grounds. Something crashes through the window at high speed. Scott orders everyone to suit up. They’re under attack! Angel, scout the-- grr, Scott groans when he recalls that Angel isn’t with them.
Marvel Girl points to a bluff where they see their attacker, Quicksilver. The next moment, he’s gone. Beast anticipates his route and Cyclops tries to head him off. Iceman ices up the ground of the route Pietro has to take and the speedster slips and falls into Beast’s waiting arms.
With his usual charm, Quicksilver insults him. When Cyclops asks why he attacked them, Pietro replies that he did not mean to create the shockwave. He was getting impatient in his search. It’s odd seeing him without his sister, Jean observes. Is that a joke? he scoffs. They know where she is, don’t they? Cycops immediately replies they haven’t seen her and offers help. How can they help, he scoffs. They can’t cover territory as quickly as he. Bobby replies that they shot him down, didn’t they?
Jean remarks that the Brotherhood of … Evil, Bobby stresses. …Mutants is finished, Jean continues The X-Men aren’t Pietro’s enemies. Can they agree to trust each other? Pietro agrees. Beast lets him go. A split-second later Quicksilver is gone.
The X-Men head back. Cyclops doesn’t quite buy into Pietro’s story. Quicksilver appears from behind and slaps him before disappearing again. Jerk! Scott complains.
Inside, Jean starts that the Brotherhood of Mutants… Evil Mutants, Bobby stresses. … Can’t be together anymore, can they? Cyclops reminds them that, according to the Maximoffs, they disbanded.
Iceman recalls how that big weirdo called the Stranger messed them up for good. He appeared to be extraterrestrial and took Magneto and the Toad to the stars with him. That got him some points, Scott adds, especially when he petrified Mastermind. Speaking of, how long is the Professor going to keep this Jason Wyngarde paperweight around, Jean asks, looking askew at the petrified villain.
They consider the Maximoffs having something to do with Warren’s disappearance. Angel could be kidnapped or mind-controlled. Who knows the extent of the powers the Scarlet Witch has.
Jean leads them to Cerebro, which worries Bobby. The classroom interfaces are online now, she calms him and addresses Cerebro. They need to do a mutant search for Warren. Cerebro apologizes, but students are not authorized to run mutant searches, unless Professor Xavier agrees. Jean protests that Warren may be in trouble and Beast quickly hacks into the system.
Jean asks again and Cerebro replies that Warren is fifty-seven miles east of here at these coordinates. Jean casts Hank a suspicious look. Does it register any other mutant near Warren? The Scarlet Witch, Cerebro replies. What do Cerebro’s logs show as the most recent mutant search it has run? Scarlet Witch, comes the reply again. The penny drops as Cyclops notes that Beast hacked into Cerebro awfully fast.
Hank stammers an obvious excuse while Jean huffs; imagine what it’s like to be her waiting for all of them to catch on. Okay, she addresses Hank, what were he and Warren up to in here? Will this help? Cerebro asks and shows them a recording of Hank finding the Scarlet Witch for Warren. He confesses that he promised not to say anything. Warren’s not in any danger. Not that kind of danger, anyway.
The last time they saw the twins, they were trying to turn over a new leaf. He noticed how she was looking at Warren and vice versa. A couple of weeks ago, Warren said he was curious to see how she was doing and Cerebro revealed she was still in the country. Then, he blasted out of the window. And he’s been blasting out every change he gets since, Jean states.
Bobby demands they better head out and look at this. Is there a reason he’s being such a pain? Scott asks. They’re both grown-ups. They can do what they want without them interfering. Besides that’s Qucksilver’s problem. Hmm, maybe they should get out there since Quicksilver is getting close to their trail. When he finds his sister with Warren, there’s bound to be trouble.
Elsewhere, Warren is flying around the Scarlet Witch, who’s clearly enjoying the trip. Isn’t she cold? he worries. It’s worth it, she replies. She’d trade all her hexes to be able to do this. This is date four, he reminds her. He thinks they can say their real names now. Warren, he introduces himself. Snuggling up to him, she tells him she is Wanda.
He lands where he left his car and suggests taking in a movie she hasn’t seen yet. That would be all of them, she points out. But she didn’t bring a change of clothes. They’ll draw attention. X-Men think of everything, he replies and gives her a coat from his trunk which he picked up along the way. As he binds his wings, he explains that coats come in very handy when you have plumage like this.
Wanda is shocked when she sees the price tag. This coat costs a thousand dollars! Why did he pay so much for this? Is that a lot? he asks. Sharply, she tells him not to joke. He’s not, Warren replies. He has no frame of reference. He really doesn’t pay attention to price tags. And this car, she protests. What’s wrong with it? he asks. Where she comes from, you can buy a house for what this costs. Does she want him to buy her a house? No! she shouts.
As they walk in town, she explains how she and Pietro were raised by poor gypsies. Many things here seem extravagant to her. It’s just the way he grew up, he apologizes. They are still a lot alike though, right? All-powerful, misunderstood and feared… Is she ok?
Wanda feels bad about lying to her brother. He’s not her dad! Warren points out. Why does he have to approve everything she does? Because they rarely had parents to watch over them. He has far more control over his power than she does over her. The role of keeping them safe always fell on him. He didn’t keep them from falling in with Magneto and the Brotherhood, Warren retorts. Wanda reminds him that Magneto saved them from an angry mob. And they are done with him. Can they talk about something else? How about they just say nothing, he suggests sullenly. It seems everything’s fine until they start talking.
The X-Men drive through town in a minivan. Which sucks, Bobby protests. Jean sees Warren and calls out. Cyclops sees them, too but realizes they are too late.
Warren and Wanda are at a playground when Quicksilver catches up to them and shoves Warren, shouting at him to get away from his sister.
Warren is shoved into a slide, after which Quicksilver drags him around shouting he knew it’d be an X-Man. Does he have mind-controlling powers like their master? Warren gets angry. His wings snap through their restraints as one of them hits Quicksilver. Wanda shouts at them to stop it.
The X-Men have arrived. Go, Warren! Bobby shouts. Cyclops sharply admonishes him. Sorry, he corrects himself. Go, Angel!
Wanda again orders them to stop and uses one of her hexes. It destroys the monkey bars next to them.
Quicksilver and Beast quickly save the children while Marvel Girl tries to hold up the pieces. Unfortunately, some that she misses hit Warren, as he protects some kids as the rubble falls on him and his wings. Quicksilver notes what he is doing and calms down.
Wanda apologizes to him. She sometimes loses control. He tells her the danger is over and hugs her as he pointedly looks at Warren. He loses control too, he admits.
Warren belatedly puts on his mask, as the kids admiringly stare at his wings. He tells them to go to their teacher and tell her they’re okay.
Pietro asks Wanda why she didn’t tell him this was where she was going. Would he have given her his blessings? she asks. No, but she should have told him, he insists. Marvel Girl interrupts, stating as the only other mutant girl she’d like to say something. Quicksilver haughtily informs her that this is a family affair and she should stay out of it. Uh-oh, the male X-Men mutter.
He is bossy, isn’t he? Jean observes mildly as she telekinetically hangs him up in the air head down. Now how does he think his sister is going to react to all that control? When she wants to do something for herself, is she going to tell him? He’s just driving her away and, even if she did do everything he said, is that what he wants for her? Or does he want her to be independent and strong-willed?
Still hanging, Pietro asks Wanda if she would believe he was really trying to make her rebel against him. No, she replies, good try though. She asks Jean to put her brother right side up again.
Jean complies and Pietro apologizes for being a domineering brother. They have no family left and everyone tries to get close to Wanda for the wrong reasons. Cyclops agrees. If he had a sister like Wanda, he’d probably be zapping every guy in range. What does that mean? Jean wants to know.
Yet… perhaps some people do genuinely care for her, Pietro admits and shakes Warren’s hand. He admits that she’s still kicking him to the curb. They really are from different worlds. He and Wanda hug as she asks him not to feel bad. She still wants them to… Don’t say “just be friends,” he asks her. At least let him get out with his pride intact.
How great they have settled their differences, a teacher states ironically. But the playground is ruined. Warren apologizes. He’ll pay for all this equipment. He’s afraid this area won’t be much fun for a while though. Step aside lame ones, Iceman commands. Let the bringer of fun take care of this. And a little later the kids, the X-Men and the Maximoffs are having a snowball fight in an ice and snow playground, courtesy of Iceman.


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

[Assistant]
The Treasure Hunters
Professor X’s yearbook:
Professor Xavier: Ah, what a class. If I may pat myself on the back for a moment, I did quite well in choosing students. My only regret is that I still had to print a run of 1000 yearbooks, despite having only five students.
Cyclops: Scott. Exceptional field leader. I often wish that he could see the team as people as well as he sees them as weapons. Still, that discipline is what will keep them alive, so I can hardly complain.
Marvel Girl:  Jean. Of this first class, she gives me the most pride… and the most trepidation. She is potentially the most powerful mutant alive, by my reckoning, and I’m not sure any human is ready for such power. The school has given her the best that it could however – peers she loves. I hope that will make the difference.
Beast:  Henry. It is very hard to look at him and not see myself as a young man. Not that I’ that much older, of course. His mind will be a driving force in the future of mutantkind, I am sure of it.
Angel: Warren. Impetuous, easily distracted and a bit arrogant. Yet if all mutants cold be like him rather than insecure, self-loathing and paranoid, I would be happy indeed.
Iceman:  Robert. Somehow seems to grow younger everyday. I doubt I would be much different, if I could make snow though.
The X-Men find themselves in an unusual situation, flying to a mission by passenger jet - at least first class thanks to Warren, after all the old wi – err, back can’t take several hours in coach. A wise choice, Hank remarks, to be as rested as possible, as they don’t know Dr. Xavier’s situation.
Cyclops as usual blames himself. He should have checked on the professor sooner, he moans. He was so determined to show him that they could take care of themselves that he waited too long. And he is not too crazy about putting his trust in some jungle guide. They have very few people they can share their problems with. He thinks he’s worried? Jean asks. This whole hunt could be based on her eating spicy food before bedtime.
24 hours earlier.
Jean Grey awakes in panic, shouting the Professor’s name. When the others come rushing in to ask if she’s ok, she is certain that the professor is in trouble. It felt like one of his mental transmissions, but stranger, like through fog.
Later in the kitchen, Cyclops suggests that she picked up Xavier’s thoughts. Jean reminds him that she is telekinetic, not telepathic. But she’s closer to being a telepath than the rest of them, Bobby points out and Hank agrees. If Xavier’s far away, her mind is the best chance for a receiver he would have. But he wasn’t asking for help, Jean points out.
Scott asks her to sit down and recall it. Jean remembers. Mountains… a jungle… a stone temple… and she heard a name: the Valley of Demons. Then there’s a terrifying face in stone. There are stones everywhere and it’s so dark.
Hank comes with several encyclopedia and maps and asks Jean to describe the mountain range as best she can, as well as any plant life she might have seen.
Later, Hank has it pinned down as being within a six hundred miles radius west of the Congo. Cerebro logged a brief mutant signal two weeks ago around he time the professor left.
Cerebro explains that they registered the presence of an emerging mutant. Charles sensed that she was distressed, but then the signal vanished. This is common as the X-gene first emerges.
That’s when they were on break, Scott reasons. He must not have wanted to lose any time or overwork them. They’ll need to arrange transportation as Xavier took the jet and it would help if they could all turn into Hank once they got there. Perfection is elusive, Hank replies, but still even he doesn’t know how to find this place. There aren’t any good maps of the area.
Warren states he knows who to call. Jean worries and Scott tries to reassure her. A moment later, Warren turns up with a slip of paper. He just talked to his aunt. She gave him a name.
Twelve hours later. The X-Men, in safari gear, are told to follow a trail down through there in the wilderness. How does his aunt know about this part of Africa? Bobby asks. Aunt Mimi’s a world life photographer Warren explains. And she’s always know he’s a mutant. The guide she’s recommended is the best and he won’t spill the beans about them. Scott decides that’s not enough for him but they don’t really have a choice. They’re going to find the professor even if the whole world knows about them.
Well, she’s convinced this Ken Hale guy knows the jungle better than anyone living, Warren adds. Still, his hut might be hard to find. He wants to scout ahead. Hank tells him it won’t be necessary. Before them, there is a huge tree house, which he guesses is their guide’s place.
Bobby and Hank climb up ahead, wondering if their guide is expecting them. Upstairs, Bobby takes a look at the place, exclaiming this is kind of cool. Hank orders him not to move. There is a huge gorilla in the comfortable tree house. Hank tells Bobby to keep his head down and avoid eye contact, suggesting a deferential manner, so they don’t make it mad. Know what makes him madder? the gorilla suddenly states. Walking in without knocking. Hank’s and Bobby’s jaws visibly drop.
Jean and Scott catch up to also see the gorilla, who remarks more kids who act like they’ve never seen a talking gorilla. The U.S must have gotten boring since he left town. He’s Hale.
Cyclops is the first to recover and, addressing the gorilla as Mr. Hale, points out it is a little unusual. But they are not exactly strangers to the unusual themselves.
Warren flies in, exclaiming: hey, Mimi wasn’t kidding. He is a gorilla. Thanks for not telling them, Bobby comment sarcastically.
Hank explains to Hale that they are all a little bit “off” like Warren. They are a crime fighting group. Has he heard of the X-Men? Not very interested, Hale retorts he doesn’t even know who the president is. But he knows about superteams. Used to be in one himself years ago. He walks past a photo showing him in the team of… shaking the hand of the president.
He tells the kids to come in, so the can go over their expedition. Soon he sighs. How did he know they’d want to go into that valley? A lot of people have gone in there and he never saw them come out. Everyone was looking for some treasure.
Do they see that symbol? he asks, pointing to the map. That’s the native term for “water demons.” And this one means “trapped souls.” That’s the part that concerns them, Scott interjects. Whatever, Hale shrugs. It ain’t worth it. Jean interrupts him politely, but forcefully. They don’t want any treasure, they want their friend. Charles Xavier, their teacher, is helpless in there somewhere. They are going after him, whether Hale helps them or not. She wishes he would.
Hale rolls his eyes. They hadda break out a girl in need on him, didn’t they? Fine. There’s some canteens in the front room they can fill from the spring outside. He’ll get his gear.
The X-Men have changed into their uniforms and they begin their trek. Now he doesn’t feel like such an oddball, Hale remarks. Do they wear these things back in New York? Dude, Africa is hot! Warren moans.
Hale critically looks at Hank, who is perambulating like a gorilla. Is he making fun of him? Hank assures him this is his favored way of walking.
Eventually, they reach a river, only to find that Hale’s boat is gone. Stupid monkeys must have chewed the mooring line again, he swears. They’re gonna have to chop down a tree and carve out a canoe. Gonna take a while. Hank suggests a dying tree to Scott, who orders everyone to stand back before he lets loose his optic blast on the tree. Hale remarks that Scott reminds him of someone he used to work with. Can he hollow it out too? Scott can and so a little late they are rowing downriver.
Jean remarks it’s like a paradise. He must love it here. It doesn’t suck, Hale admits. Jean senses they are getting close. Bobby remarks there are a lot of rocks in this part of the river Those ain’t rocks, Hale warns them. This is going to be tricky. The rocks are revealed as hippos.
Cool, Warren remarks, while their guide anxiously orders them to get the oars out of the water. The hippos attack and capsize the boat. Warren carries Jean, who protests that she doesn’t need to be rescued. But he doesn’t like carrying Bobby or Hank, he points out.
Hank, in the meantime, wonders where Scott is and drags him out from underwater the next moment. Hale tries to keep the hippos away from Bobby who shouts Hungry hungry hippos in panic. Recovered, Cyclops tells him he can stop all this. He orders Jean to lift everyone but Drake up.
Bobby protests they forgot him. In panic, he freezes the entire water around him, trapping the surprised hippos. While Bobby protests, they did that on purpose Scott compliments Jean on the safe, and she complains they need to go on a diet. Hale helps Bobby out and laughs. This is one expedition. They’re hoofin’ it from here.
While they continue on foot or in the cases of Beast and Hale climb, Warren wonders how the Professor made it past all those monsters. He could have just made them think he was another hippo or a log, Jean suggests while Scott points out that they still don’t know if the professor is even out here.
Hank tries to scout the way, making Hale protest that’s his job. Hank apologizes he didn’t mean to be presumptuous. Actually, that’s what he likes about them, Hale admits. They’ve been out here all day and none of them have asked why he is a talking gorilla. It did cross his mind, Warren admits. Course it did, Hale retorts. He’s fascinating. He usually gives everyone some spiel about how he is an ape that drank from a pond a meteorite fell in or that a mad scientist made him that way. Truth is his condition is his own fault.
Flashback:
Years ago, he was a happy-go-lucky soldier of fortune. Always risking his back for another big thrill. You’d think he had a deathwish, but really he was scared silly of dying. So much that he bought into a tribal legend. Kill this magical “Gorilla Man” and become immortal. He gave up on the idea at the last minute but the ape forced him to shoot. Then he saw the catch. The magic makes you live forever, but as the new “Gorilla Man”.
 Present:
So now he is the lovable outcast from society they see today. Perhaps science can find a cure… Hank suggests. His experience is science can’t do squat when magic is involved, Hale replies and adds that this is their temple.
They walk through the ruins and Jean senses something wrong. Cyclops uses his visor to light the scenery. Making everything’ red is much less scary, Bobby complains.
Hank smells Xavier’s scent, but faintly. They find a portal. It says something underneath. Hale translates it as “here is what you seek.” The portal conveniently opens. Even if it is a trap, it’s nothing they can’t break out of, Cyclops points out and they enter.
Inside, surrounded by skulls, they find Xavier’s all-terrain chair. Hale lights the torches while the doorway behind them closes. When there’s light they soon find Xavier lying on the ground.
They put him back into the chair. Was the mutant girl here? Scott asks. No, her signal was hundred of miles away, Xavier replies, but he couldn’t pick her up again. He searched the continent with his mind and kept feeling a pull to this area. He felt sure his goal was here. He thought it was his own mind leading him. He found nothing here except some hieroglyphs. He’s had plenty of time to translate the text based on his dead language notes.
What does this temple hold? Hank asks. What does it hold? The ambitious. The obsessed. Those who long for a goal. Most poor victims are pulled in by proximity to search this temple. Whatever they search for, this becomes the destination. Hale explains it’s a treasure trap, like at Oak Island. You go through deep and tougher sections that cave in. It’s so hard to get to, you’re sure you’re on the right path. But everyone wastes resources and gets hurt just to get to the bottom and there ain’t nothing there.
Xavier admits contritely that he has no business being their teacher. Coming down to something like this without help… foolish.
It’s not his fault, Jean points out. The closer you get, the more right it feels. Until you get inside and then it’s too late, Bobby remarks. Not that they could ever escape, the others agree.
What is up with them? Hale asks. When they came to his place they were the biggest buncha go-getters he’d seen since his old team. Now they are all throwing in the towel… it’s this place!
Hank agrees it’s a pit of despair, it feels hopeless but maybe it’s not real. Course it’s not! Hale shouts. Hank knows that intellectually, but he can’t overcome it. He thinks Hale can because his curse makes him invulnerable to this place.
But he can’t move ton of stones and they can. No they can’t! Cyclops disagrees. He thinks their powers are gone. Hale orders him to look up. Humor the gorilla! It looks like the biggest wall he’s ever seen, Scott remarks. Hale tears off his visor and his optic beam smashes the ceiling. Daylight can be seen. Hale has to move Bobby out of the way when he doesn’t move by himself. He binds a rope around Angel’s waist and tosses him up through the hole in the roof.
Outside, Warren immediately comes to his senses. Yes! Hel-lo, Sky! he shouts. That’s more like it! Hale shouts and tells him to pull this kid, referring to Bobby – out next and hurry, the place is coming down around their ears!
Warren orders him to send Jean out instead. He sees where this is going… Hale agrees and obeys. As Jean gets out, the roof begins to cave in. Hale tells them to have a happy life.
But the rocks never touch him, he finds. Having recovered, Jean keeps the rocks levitated, while Warren focuses as hard as he can not to succumb to the draining effect flies out Xavier and Scott. Hale grabs Hank and Bobby and climbs up on the rocks. They manage only just before Jean has to drop the load.
Xavier praises the X-Men and Hank points out Hale’s good work. He begins to explain to Xavier that he is no mere gorilla. No need to explain, Xavier tells him. He sees Mr. Hale very clearly. He connects with their minds and allows them to see Hale as he does – the man he used to be. Xavier shakes his hand, telling him they own him a great debt.
Warren suggests Hale come back to the States with them. Hale thanks him, but he doesn’t quite blend in like them. But if anyone can pave the ways for oddballs like him, it’s them. They’re the only bunch to ever make it out of this Valley. Taking Xavier’s hand, Jean adds that actually they found their treasure.
Ken Hale’s (Bachelor of Science in Kickin’ Butt) yearbook:
Hey, the kids sent me a yearbook – nice! Always thought about going to college myself but I could barely sit through high school. I guess I learned some stuff while they were here. Does that make me an X-Ape?
Professor X: The professor was pretty wiped out when we met so I didn’t get a real take on him. But he seemed okay for an egghead.
Cyclops: This guy is wound a little right, but for a kid, he’s all business on a mission, and I like that: reminds me of my old boss Jimmy Woo (if Jimmy could knock down trees with his eyes. In that respect he reminds me of that nutty robot.)
Marvel Girl: This girl’s a pistol. When you combine a power like her with being a redhead – Hoowhgg!
Beast: Needs to pipe down some, but he’s a good kid. Got a whole lecture on African flora and fauna while we were out, like I needed it. Least I know the real name for things now.
Angel: See, if I could have picked my curse, it would have been to be more like a bird than a gorilla. Man, it must be great to fly without a plane!
Iceman: A couple of times I was ready to throw this kid to the lions but, I gotta admit, I wasn’t any better when I was his age. Heck, worse.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
The Museum of Oddities (1st story), The Key (2nd story), The Soul of a Poet (3rd story), Men fear the Blob (4th story) , A Girl and her Dragon (5th story), The Mental Might of Marvel Girl (6th Story)
1st storyHank and Bobby stand outside an old-fashioned spooky house called the Museum of Oddities. The equally spooky owner, Mr. Vayle, welcomes them, asking if they are the investigators from Xavier’s school. Hank replies that they are students, but they are highly qualified in their chosen field of paranormal studies. Then they are lucky, Vayle replies, for he assures them this curious museum is quite haunted.
He leads them inside as he adds that he doesn’t mind a ghost or two. In fact, it helps their attendance even more. He rather hopes they can confirm it in an official capacity.
Have they always had occurrences? Hank asks. Curious, he looks around at a mummy and the statue of a gargoyle while Bobby plays with a carnivore plant. Moments later, it bites his fingertip.
Vayle explains that the hauntings began earlier this year. Objects are often moved, food disappears, the wireless comes on a night. Yet no one has ever died on the premises to his knowledge.
Did they receive any new attractions around then? Hank wonders. Possibly, Vayle concedes. They constantly import curiosities from around the world. It’s not unheard of for a presence to attach itself to a special object, Hank explains. They’ll take some readings. Vayle offers to leave them to their work and wishes them a good evening. Bobby in retaliation has secretly frozen the plant.
Can he talk now? Bobby asks. Since they don’t have any ghost finding equipment, what did Hank really bring in this suitcase? His dinner, Hank replies. A moment later, he is hit in the head by an eightball and evil laughter rings in their ears. The ghost! Bobby exclaims. One can’t smell a ghost, Hank retorts and follows the scent up the stairs.
Bobby mutters the ghost is in for it now as he stands next to a seer doll in a glass case. Suddenly, it speaks, saying, “I hold the key to your future.” Bobby cries out. Alerted, Hank returns to his side. Ask the swami a question, the doll asks. Where’s the ghost? Bobby shouts. Han reminds him that Cerebro does not detect disembodied ectoplasm. The professor sent them here to look for a possibly class one mutant…
Angrily, he exclaims as his suitcase is suddenly empty. His dinner is gone? Now does he believe? Bobby asks. Why would a spirit want his food? Hank asks. No, he’s through with this. He orders Bobby to lower the temperature of the room to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Bobby complies.
Now doesn’t he find it odd, even in a museum of oddities, that you can see a gargoyle’s breath? Hank asks. Found out, the gargoyle runs panicked, shouting he is not a monster. They know, Bobby replies and ices up. He’s a mutant like them. The gargoyle stops, intrigued.
He realizes they are the X-Men he has heard of. He’s spent much of his life at a castle in Wales, living off the tourists, but the place was crumbling and he was “sold” to this museum. He rather likes it here among the other oddities. Attendance was low, so he began the poltergeist activities to increase the museum’s reputation. He wanted to help Mr. Vayle.
Bobby suggests he – Alistair – come back to school with them. It’s a training ground for mutants, so they can use their abilities for noble purposes. A worthy goal, Alistair agrees, but he fears his ability to look like a gargoyle and stand extremely still would rarely come in handy. Unless their missions often take them to gothic castles.
And he won’t hear of it, Vayle who has eavesdropped, announces. If he plans to skulk about and frighten visitors, then he shall have to put him on the payroll.
He predicts prosperity, comes the voice of the automatic seer.
second story:Magneto, in full costume, enters the Cafe a Gogo bar, hoping to find the X-Men here and persuade them to join his select group of mutants, the Brotherhood. Chalk it up to the joys of Greenwich Village that nobody bats an eye at him.
However, after hours with no sign of the X-Men, he fears they must be out doing “good.” Now, even he, as Homo superior, must bow to the whims of nature. The bathroom, however, is locked. A man before him complains he knows but fat chance getting these snotty hipster baristas to give ya the key.
Zelda is, after all, too busy phoning a friend and telling her she believes the college guy is into her. Gives her the chills sometimes though.
Suddenly, the restroom key flies by itself into Magneto’s hands. How…? the other man asks astonished. Simplicity itself, Magneto announces triumphantly, when you’re the lord of magnetism.
third story:It’s evening and the X-Men are out in Greenwich village. Scott complains that they could have gone to the Café-a-go-go near their school instead of coming to the one in the Village. And why drink coffee at night? It’ll keep them up. Is he afraid fun might be had? Jean teases him. They are here to make Bobby look good in front of his favorite barista.
Hank and Warren have grabbed Bobby, dragging him into the coffee shop and sing-songing Zeldaaa… Bobby shouts a greeting at her, remarking that nobody at the other place can make the mochas right.
Zelda tells them to take a seat. They are in for a show. They’ve got Bernard on tonight.
Bernard the poet on stage looks at them and remarks he sees college kids in the house. Ready for a real education, are they? Get ready to expand your mind!
Hank mutters that Bobby owes them for that. Suddenly they all hear a high-pitched noise, similar to the noise they hear before the professor telepathically speaks to them, Jean points out.
Bernard has starte slamming:on the streets – they ain’t hearin’ Keats – they livin’ hard – only hearing Bernard…
“Don’t call me professor,” Bernard tells them. A professor professes to know. Bernard knows.
Speak of the devil, Warren mutters as his cell rings. It’s the prof telling them he’s been trying to reach them mentally, but there’s interference. He’s detected a neo-mutant and Cerebro registers their signals… at the same place.
That moment, Zelda takes away Warren’s cell phone. No cells during performance, she tells him strictly.
It’s the information age. We don’t talk… we inform. Bernard continues.
Jean admonishes Warren that cells are rude but suddenly sinks down dizzy.
Next stop: secret fears. Doors to your left
Bobby too feels woozy. He thought coffee was supposed to make you perky, he mutters dreamily.
Banana Sunday. Chicken in the bread pan. Pickin’ out. Doors
Also affected, Scott asks Warren what the professor said. Warren repeats Xavier’s words. Suddenly, Jean shouts: Warren’s hands have turned to bird talons!
Identical cousins all the way
Hank, who is turning all furry, dimly recalls Neo-Mutants were a hypothesis of Xavier’s. Iceman is making it snow around them whereas things around Jean seem wiggly.
The ghost is a gargoyle
Turning more monster-like, Hank continues that Xavier theorized about a type of mutants with latent powers whose abilities only kick in around other X-genes.
Rock over London, rock on Chicago… see the world for what it is
The other patrons cry out in shock as they recognize the X-Men as mutants. Warren has turned into a bird, Bobby a snowman, Scott has a huge red eye, Beast looks like a werewolf and Jean seems to be made of energy. What did those monster do to Bobby? Zelda demands.
It’s that awful poet, Hank shouts and orders Jean to plug her ears. His hearing is too good to shut it out. When Jean does that, she returns to normal and can hear Xavier’s mental voice. He explains that the neo-mutant is altering their perceptions. They are to get away from him and the effect will stop.
Jean orders them away, while Bernard shouts after them that she listen to the man. They fear the truth!
With the X-Men outside, Xavier manages to get inside through Jean’s perceptions, calming everyone and telling them the last hour was a dream. Nothing abnormal happened. And certainly nothing concerning mutants. Then, he turns to Bernard, instructing him that performance is not his future. Poetry is better written.
What’s going on? Scott asks. Jean remarks that Bernard just got poetry-slammed.
The X-Men leave, Warren remarking that’s the last time Bobby plans their night for them. He can impress Zelda on his own, Jean agrees. Fine, fine Bobby agrees. He wouldn’t put them through that again either. Hidden in his hand is a CD by Bernard.
fourth story:The Blob has robbed a bank and makes short work of the cops trying to stop him.
Where are those X-Men when you need them? the mayor complains. He told them to keep their mutant selves out of their wholesome town, a cop reminds him. Doesn’t anyone censor him? the mayor moans.
A female cop takes off her jacket. She has an idea to end this. Is Terri a mutant too? a colleague asks her.
Cops shoot at Blob, causing him to state this is the best massage he ever got. He thinks he’ll stay a while. This town is great! Suddenly, he hears a ripping noise behind him and fears it’s his pants. Just remembered something, gotta go! he shouts and leaves.
Everybody celebrates Terri, who simply tore her jacket.
fifth storyKitty Pryde runs after her pet dragon Lockheed. As she catches him, the two of them fall over Scott, who was just trimming the shrubbery outside. Looking at the dragon, Scott reveals that Kitty wasn’t the first mutant girl with a dragon… This goes back to his school days during the first class…
Scott’s tale:The five original X-Men were walking through a cavernous system, mentally guided by Xavier as Cerebro had gotten some erratic readings from there. The lifeform in this cavern could be a mutant needing help, or something else altogether.
Angel scouts ahead with Iceman following on an iceslide, both of them ignoring Cyclops’ orders. Suddenly, Angel returns, followed by a gust of flames. Hot don’t impress the Bobby, Iceman decides and sends icestreams back to create an icewall.
Just as he boasts that the six inch wall isn’t going to break anytime soon, break it does at the hands of a huge dragon-like monster.
Cyclops instantly attacks it with an optic blast, exhausting him, but the creature is down… briefly. Cyclops orders Beast and Angel to start the playground maneuver. They all run in different directions. Iceman protects himself and Cyclops with an iceshield. He tells the others to hurry. Angel and Beast attack from different directions, making the dragon creature lose his equilibrium, unfortunately almost dropping him on Marvel Girl who falls.
The Dragon becomes interested in her. It follows her. When Angel tries to help, he is swatted aside by the beast’s tail. Cyclops urges the others to run after Jean and the monster. The thing must have a weakness, he decides. He is right, Iceman who is ahead of him agrees, and that weakness is… redheads. The monster has lain down in front of Jean and allows her to tickle his ears.
Once the danger is over, they describe the creature to the professor who finds out it is known as Dragon Man, a synthetic creature built by a scientist and given life by the evil alchemist Diablo.
Xavier critically looks outside where Jean is treating Dragon Man like a pet and feeds him. He doesn’t want to keep him around forever…
Suddenly Xavier announces that he’s reading several minds in distress. He tells them it’s the Westchester overpass. A train has derailed. One of the cars is close to falling off the bridge completely. It could go within minutes. Only Warren flying alone can make it in time, but that won’t be enough. No, Jean cries, she can make it!
And at the overpass, just as the car is about to fall, it is saved by the kick-butt team of Marvel Girl and Dragon Man.
After that, the X-Men had an unofficial mascot for a while. All that raw power did come in handy though. Good thing, because Dragon Man wasn’t interested in leaving Jean’s side anytime soon. He could deal with things that still gave them trouble, chasing away Juggernaut and the Blob or tearing apart Sentinels. But even with Jean around he wasn’t always easy to control, attacking good guys as well as bad. For example, he attacked cops, which made the X-Men look bad.
The professor finally put his foot down. Hank suggested the next best thing to taking Dragon Man to a farm upstate.
On their way to Monster Island, they watch him play with dolphins, being extra cute and breaking Jean’s heart.
From their boat, she flies with him to Monster Island, where she leaves him, hoping he will like it there. She confides she knows he is more than a monster. He’s been the best friend a girl could have. And he won’t tell anyone the things she said about Scott, will he? She smacks him a kiss, tells him he is the best dragon ever and lets him go.
present:Scott gets back to work. Kitty thanks him for talking to her about Jean. She knows it’s not easy for him. Scott leaves and Kitty hugs Lockheed.
Sixth story:Professor X orders Jean to find and observe some ducklings. Cerebro has calculated that they are 40% more lovable than any other species. If Homo superior can adopt some of their traits, they could be accepted by mankind.
Jean’s attempts to study them are troublesome. First, she has to save the ducklings from a motorboat, then from a car as they cross the road. Exasperated, she decides to take them home where she can study them at her leisure.
Hank, in the meantime, reveals that his calculations refute Cerebro’s: Otters are cuter!