All-New X-Men (1st series) #31

Issue Date: 
October 2014
Story Title: 
untitled
Staff: 

Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mahmud Asrar (artist), Marte Gracia and Jason Keith (colorists), VC’s Cory Petit (letterer), Immonen, Grawbadger & Gracia (cover artists), Xander Jarowey (assistant editor), Mike Marts (editor), Axel Alonso (editor-in-chief), Joe Quesada (chief creative officer), Dan Buckley (publisher), Alan Fine (executive producer)

Brief Description: 

In the Ultimate Universe, the rift to the Marvel Universe proper suddenly closes without any explanation. In the Marvel Universe, Angel and X-23 return to the school just as the adults are teleporting away to the reading of Xavier’s will. Left to their own devices, Beast tinkers with Cerebro and the young X-Men learn about a strange new mutant as the same S-shaped symbol that appeared in the closing rift appears. The original X-Men and X-23 decide to take on the case. They leave for Austin, where high school graduate Carmen, suddenly and without any control, opens dimensional portals. The X-Men try to calm her down but, not being experienced at this, instead upset Carmen further, with the result that she inadvertently teleports them away. Iceman finds himself in the Mole Man’s realm and Jean in Manhattan where she meets Miles Morales, the new Ultimate Spider-Man.

Full Summary: 

Earth 1610:
New York:
In a building, Amadeus Cho and Tony Stark are looking at a dimensional rift. Cho expresses disgust that they plan to shut the door to another universe. He can’t believe it! Stark reminds him that just yesterday a giant purple cosmic entity almost ate their world and the damage was so intense it took out SHIELD, the Ultimates and New Jersey. They are lucky to still be here. The world is a mess and the powers that be can’t afford to keep things like this.

Cho insists the proof of the multiverse is more important than food and roads and-- Stark surprisingly agrees and decides he is going to buy it and he will keep Cho on, being that he is the leading expert in this field.

Before Amadeus can fully express his gratitude, the rift implodes and disappears. Cho is about to cry while Stark postulates maybe somebody on the other side closed it or something bad happened…

Earth 616:
A universe away and flying over the Canadian wilderness, Angel is taking X-23 back to the new Xavier School after their night together. X-23 asks him to be a gentleman when they return to school.

Just as they are approaching, they find everyone outside and Magik teleporting the senior X-Men – Cyclops, Emma Frost, Dazzler and Kitty Pryde – away. What if it’s a trap and they never come back? Triage fears. They’ll have to repopulate the mutant race through procreation, the Stepford Cuckoos reply, scaring Goldballs.

When Angel lands and asks what’s going on, Jean explains they’ve gone to listen to the last will and testament of Charles Xavier. Beast muses it’s odd they’ve let themselves forget so easily he’s passed away.

What are they supposed to do in the meantime? Angel asks. Bobby demands info on their time away. Jean chides him and Triage tells him to at least try and be cool. Him not trying is what makes him cool, Iceman claims. Yeah, no, Triage replies.

Goldballs asks what they should do while the grown-ups are away. Training and studying, Beast replies. No, really, he asks.

Jean carefully addresses Laura, stressing that she does not wish to lose any fingers, but Laura is looking calm and happy. Laura cuts her off. She knows there are girls who do “this.” She’s not one of them. She knows, Jean replies as Laura stomps off. Good thing she’s a psychic. Is she the girl who can accept when someone is genuinely happy for her? she asks and Laura stops. Warren is a great guy, Jean continues. Truly great. They’ll see, Laura replies looking at Warren standing with the other guys.

Jean reveals that Bobby asked for the gory details and Warren told him to grow up and is walking away. All because Laura told him to be a gentleman. Like she said: Good guy. Laura still wrestles with the concept. Jean continues, knowing all she does now, she is teaching herself to enjoy the good stuff. It’s really hard, Laura replies. Welcome to the X-Men, Jean shrugs. You are not going to survive the experience, so… might as well try to make it worthwhile.

A little later, Warren joins Beast in the lab, where he is tinkering with Cerebro, figuring nobody told him not to. As they muse that every one of the lights is someone they are fighting for, suddenly there is one sigil-shaped sign. Both are surprised. It becomes a red energy ball. Beast figures it’s a mutant in need of help.

Sensing their thoughts, Jean joins them. She figures they should examine this without waiting for Kitty or taking the others students along.

Soon, Benjamin, Goldballs and Celeste see an X-jet leaving. Goldballs asks Celeste who that is. Celeste tells him it’s the original X-Men and the one with the foot claws going off on a mission that no one told them to go on. Fabio reveals that he is going to marry Jean Grey. Celeste deadpans that he has a better chance of marrying Nate Grey. When none of the boys reacts, she tells them if they knew anything they’d find that reference hilarious.

Aboard the plane, the other X-Men ask for more intel. Beast summarizes what they know: a new mutant is either being born or discovering a secondary mutation. If he had to say, he’d guess new mutant.

In a high school in Texas, the graduation ceremony is underway. Amongst the happy youngsters being photographed one girl, Carmen, feels unwell. The photographer and the principal look shocked and so soon do the others as Carmen begins to glow and a glowing S-shape forms in her torso. Help, Carmen mutters. The principal shouts for everyone to remember their mutant emergency procedure training. The kids take cover.

Confused, Carmen grabs the floating energy sigil. Looking into it, she sees an image of ruined buildings followed by an image of familiar but strangely dressed heroes fighting each other. The energy pours from her and she cries for help. She sees another image of a fantastic world, possibly Asgard. She makes the energy go down. Oh my God, she mutters.

Don’t panic, Jean Grey tells her and assures her everything is okay. Angel chimes in this is a good day. She is coming into her own. He’s Warren. What’s her name? Carmen stutters her name. Jean announces they are the X-Men. Carmen is skeptical. The X-Men are adults. Where’s the guy with the goggles? He’s not here right now, Jean replies.

But they are, Hank takes over, holding a tablet. Her mutant power is manifesting and they are here to help. Carmen looks panicked at this revelation and refuses to believe it. Jean assures her it’s a good thing. Hank asks how she feels. Freaked out, Carmen admits, but strangely less so than before. Jean admits she’s helping with that. Carmen figures she is controlling her.

Hank asks personal questions. Is she nauseated? Does she have her period? What? Carmen, Jean and Laura asks simultaneously. Just a theory he’s working on. It’s not a good one, Bobby stage-whispers. Hank continues, saying she is registering a unique energy type so he’d like some blood and urine. Jean tells him he is terrible at this. Can’t he see the poor girl is freaking out?

Angel talks to Carmen, assuring her they’ve all been there.

Lots of police cars close in. Jean offers to take Carmen away. Carmen bristles at the word “take.” She panics and her eyes glow as her powers manifest.

Suddenly, Iceman finds himself in darkness. Hello? he calls out. Does anybody else smell that? It smells like a cat pooped after eating at Little Caesar‘s. He’s totally lost, he mutters, unaware he is being watched by the Mole Man and his Moloids.

Jean finds herself in the middle of a busy street. A cab is about to mow her down. She lifts it telekinetically and lets it down on the other side. Instead of Austin, she figures she is now in New York. She flies upward to get a better vantage point. She lands on a roof, only to find it already occupied.

She looks familiar, Miles Morales, the new ultimate Spider-Man tells her. Do they know each other? She was just about to ask the same thing, Jean replies.

Characters Involved: 

Angel, Beast, Iceman, Marvel Girl, X-23
Cyclops Dazzler, Emma, Frost, Kitty Pryde, Magik (X-Men at the Jean Grey School)

Benjamn Deeds, Goldballs, Stepford Cuckoos, Tempus, Triage (students at the Jean Grey School)

Carmen
Other students
Teachers

In the Ultimate Universe:
Dr. Amadeus Cho
Iron Man
Spider-Man II

Mole Man
Moloids

Images of the House of M reality:
Nightcrawler, Rogue, Sasquatch, Wolverine
Luke Cage

Asgardians

Story Notes: 

The dimensional rift was created by the Marvel Universe’s version of Mysterio in the limited series Spider-Men, which is also when Miles met the Marvel Universe’s Peter Parker.

Galactus almost destroyed the Ultimate Earth in the Cataclysm limited series.

The last will and testament of Charles Xavier storyline begins in Uncanny X-Men (3rd series) #23.

Carmen sees the heroes of the House of M reality fighting each other.

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