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Hello and welcome back to another week in the most X-citing corner of ComicAttack.net! Here in Ye Olde School Café, I strive to bring you all the “hits” from pre-1995, with a special emphasis on the Bronze Age (my favorite!). In the past three weeks, we’ve seen the X-Men get attacked on their home turf by minions of the sadistic Cameron Hodge! He’s been in seclusion in Genosha, and gathered a few other undesirables to help him in his quest to annihilate the X-Men! One by one, he has captured most of X-Factor, the New Mutants, and the X-Men, too. Only a few have yet to taste defeat, and their chances don’t look good to stop that outcome.

As Hodge is hovering over his prisoners, he tells them how he’s going to defeat the others. Then, all of a sudden, Cable breaks his chains, and lunges at Hodge. He initially gets the upper hand on him, but then Hodge slams him against the wall, and impales him with a dozen poisonous spikes. In another part of Genosha, Cyclops, Beast, and the others are planning on a counter attack to free their friends. They remark about Alex, and how he’s fighting for the Genoshan’s while still an X-Man. Back at the citadel, Hodge has Jean tossed into a cell, and Logan is there, barely alive. He and Jean then have a few romantic moments together, then Hodge threatens the President and the Genegineer. Suddenly, Logan hears Banshee’s sonic scream, and it is on! Archangel, Cannonball, and Banshee smash into the citadel to take on Hodge. The fight shakes the entire building, and this gives the others the opportunity to infiltrate the citadel in the guise of magistrates. Cyclops, Beast, and Iceman start to pound everyone in sight until Cyke comes face to face with Havok. Cyke recounts the moment of their childhood when they were separated from their parents. This snaps Havok out of his delusional state. At that very moment, Hodge strikes from behind, almost killing Cyclops!

The news outlets around the wold are trying to figure out if Genosha is going to kill their own populace or the rest of the world. As the court begins to start the trial, Logan goes berserk, but is immediately swept away by a brainwashed Storm. Then one of the Magistrates beats Logan down, but the others use this as their chance to get loose from Hodge’s grasp. Cable and Gambit both let loose and do some damage, but then Hodge puts both of them in their place. He then also forces Archangel to fight Logan in front of all the other X-Men. Outside the citadel, Jubilee, Boom Boom, and Rictor are trying to figure out how they can get back into the citadel and fight. As they’re arguing, Psylocke is making her way through Magistrates, and the building itself on her way to Hodge. Speaking of Hodge, he and Rahne  are searching for the Genegineer, and the intentions they have towards him are not good ones. At that same moment, Cyclops and Gambit make another attempt to escape their bonds. They do this time, and battle their way towards Hodge. In another section of the building, Havok has stumbled upon a corpse. The body belongs to Wipeout, and Rahne believes that Havok was the murderer. At this point, the President and the Genegineer have also learned of Hodge’s plan to double-cross them, so they send all the Magistrates after him, too! This all sets up a final confrontation between Hodge and the X-Men, plus the lives of Rahne and Storm lie in the balance as well, being that they have been transformed into mutates.

Well, that’s it for this week, but come back next week for the knock down, drag out fight of the century! You don’t want to miss Hodge versus everybody, Rahne going wild, and Cyclops and Logan battling for the love of Jean Grey! Don’t you dare miss it!
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net