Hello and welcome to another week right here in Ye Olde School Cafe’! This week, we’ll continue with our look at the X-Men: X-Tinction Agenda! Last week, we saw how the X-Men have evolved from their roots and have become more proactive than they previously were. As they try to blend together with some Danger Room training and then downtime at Harry’s Bar, they first had to defend themselves against their “roommates,” X-Force. The younger X-clan has taken up residence at the mansion, and wants some training time, too. The X-Men acquiesce to their request, and let them use the facility. What comes next, no one could see, as the mansion is attacked by Genoshan fighters, and they are led by a masked man who ends up being revealed to be the former X-Man, Havoc! The team gets separated, then a few of them are kidnapped. This is where we stand.
As the sun is setting on Genosha, the captive X-members realize that not only have they been captured and are naked, but also that their captor is none other than a man they thought dead, Cameron Hodge! He taunts his prisoners and then tells them how he’s going to turn them into his loyal slaves. They immediately try to escape, but after the captives take care of a few guards, Hodge intervenes and handles them all. They’re put in cells after Wipeout nullifies their powers, and then Hodge reveals the other part of his plan, along with the way he survived death itself. He explains that he wants Warlock especially for his shape-shifting abilities, so he can move about the world freely. Of course, the team tries to stop him, but he swats them aside like children. He tells them of how he made a deal with N’Astirh (the demon), and that saved him from his beheading from Archangel (because Hodge murdered his girlfriend, Candy Southern). Warlock manages to escape while Hodge is arguing with someone. He gets back to his friends and frees them. He must stay behind, though, as he is too weak to walk, and too heavy for them to carry. The team then heads for an exit, but Rahne decides to go back to help Warlock. She arrives just as Hodge is trying to siphon his power, disrupting the process. This stops Hodge, but Warlock is not as fortunate. He fades away as the others look on.
As X-Factor arrives at the mansion to help, more questions arise than answers. Cable and the others try to pick up the pieces and figure out what’s gone on. They figure out that the answers lie in Genosha, and Cyclops realizes that some of the blast marks are from a plasma based energy wielder like his brother, Alex. The squad sets off to find them (after a pit stop in Washington D.C.), and back in Genosha, Hodge is again arguing with the Genegineer and the President of Genosha. We watch then as Cable, X-Factor, and the remaining X-Men travel to Washington D.C., to learn why Genosha has openly told the world that they’ve captured renegade mutants, and they’ll be executed. The team is formulating a plan with or without the consent of the government. They decide for a full on strike against Genosha, and rocket towards the island nation. Of course, Hodge realizes this and has his mutates ready along with their leader, the amnesiac Havoc. No sooner does the team hit the beach, than the battle begins. Beast and Sunspot start throwing people around, while Cyclops and Havoc go at it tooth and nail. Cyke tries to pound some sense into him, but it doesn’t work. Then, out of nowhere, Havoc and his team are teleported away. Cyclops and Jean are confused on why Alex doesn’t remember who he really is. As Cable and Cyclops make plans for a huge attack, Hodge is watching, and welcomes the fight.
Well, that’s it for now, but be back next week, as we’ll see Wolverine, Psylocke, and Jubilee enter the battle, and then Storm and the the New Mutants fight for survival on the inside of the prison. All the while none seem to be any match for the evil Cameron Hodge! See you next week!
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
