Hey everybody, welcome back to another week in Ye Olde School Café! This week, we’ll be continuing our look at the landmark series that began with the X-Men in 1991! Chris Claremont and Jim Lee really had something to tell with this story, and it certainly jump started a somewhat stagnant X-Universe at that time. Let us continue with this epic tale, right now!
Just as the X-Men are getting ready to apprehend the Acolytes, Magneto arrives and quickly makes it known that he will not accept the X-Men’s decision to incarcerate the Acolytes. The X-Men try to talk him down, but he isn’t having it. He throws the team around like a bunch of rag dolls, and then Cortez gets a second wind and helps out by amping up Psylocke’s powers, beyond her control. Well, initially anyway. Back in the war room, Fury, Val Cooper, and some other top ranking officials are deciding what to do about Magneto’s recent acquisition of nuclear arms. They all agree that whether it’s sanctioned or not, something must be done. Meanwhile, Magneto is really giving the X-Men a beating, until Psylocke (who has been amped up by Cortez) strikes at Magneto from behind and puts him down, hard. The Acolyte named Chrome then turns Betsy and the others to chrome, and Magneto escapes. Up on Asteroid M, Magneto is struggling to recover from his injuries. Magneto then realizes that someone has messed with his DNA, and he knows of only one time that could have happened.
As Moira McTaggert and Professor X are having a quiet moment talking, Magneto shows up and whisks them away to the skies. He then accuses Moira of tampering with his DNA when he was reverted to a baby (Defenders #16). She initially denies it, but when he threatens her with violence, she tells him the truth. She did indeed mess with his DNA, by trying to eliminate an instability in his nervous system that she thought was going to help find a cure for her son (Proteus). Magneto and his followers are furious with her, and they tell him he should kill her. He does rough her up a bit, but decides to let her live. At this point, we see a quick interlude involving a bunch of Russian military types and Matsuo Tsurayaba. The meeting involves Matsuo purchasing something from the Russians, and then he betrays them, and kills them. Back on Asteroid M, Xavier is in a holding cell, and then gets a surprise visit from the X-Men team led by Cyclops. They tell him that they’ve decided to join Magneto, as he’s the man who should lead them into the future. Xavier is stunned, naturally, and then we watch as Storm and Jean run simulations back at the mansion. They realize there is no way they can beat Cyclops’s team, plus Magneto and the Acolytes, but it doesn’t stop them from trying. Nick Fury also is preparing for combat, and war is declared on Magneto by the world powers.
We watch as Storm, Archangel, Iceman, Colossus, Forge, and Banshee make their way into orbit, and to Asteroid M. Once there, they immediately rescue the Professor, but it takes mere seconds for their friends to corner them. They engage them in combat, but they also quickly realize that something is wrong. Beast is the first to figure out things aren’t quite right, and then Rogue does, as well. Magneto isn’t surprised that they’ve overcome the programming that he forced Moira to install in their minds. She tells him that as soon as they used their mutant powers, they snapped out of it. Cyclops blasts him, but before he can follow up, one of the Acolytes shoots Cyke, and puts him down. Xavier and Magneto then battle, but mostly verbally. While they do, Wolverine creeps up and slashes Magneto, and he drops to the floor. He tells Logan to finish him off, but Logan tells him that they are heroes, and that they don’t do that. All of a sudden, one of the escape pods is jettisoned from the base. It’s Cortez, and he tells himself that Magneto deserves to die with the X-Men, and that the plasma cannon that is orbiting and aimed at the station by Fury and the others will destroy them. Moira then tells Magneto that Cortez was using his power to slowly kill him.
A shot from the orbiting cannon blasts the asteroid, and then Magneto realizes that Cortez armed the warheads of the missiles to make matters worse. Magneto then uses his awesome powers to deactivate the warheads, rendering them useless. Charles tells the team it’s time to get out of Dodge. As the asteroid is breaking apart, Charles begs Magneto to come with them. He refuses, and then seals off the chamber. He uses his powers once again to help the X-Men’s aircraft get away from the exploding base. Professor X tells the team that they must remain steadfast in their belief that hope will overcome hate.
Well, that’s it for this week, but get ready for next time as the X-Men must do battle against one of Wolverine’s enemies from the past, and this enemy will show no mercy.
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
