Brotherhood #4

Issue Date: 
October 2001
Story Title: 
The Heiress
Staff: 

X (scripter), Leonardo Manco (penciler), Jimmy Palmiotti (inker), Jeromy Cox (colorist), Jon Babcock (letterer), Lysa Hawkins (editor), Joe Quesada (editor-in-chief), Bill Jemas (president)

Brief Description: 

A British cell of the Brotherhood tries to capture a senator's daughter Malon Reeves. They hunt her from her home to a club and deal with the guards that her father sends. Finally Malon has no choice left but to use her own mutamnt powers against the kidnappers, even though she still pretends to not be a mutant herself. Though the loose one of their operatives, the british Brotherhood team captures her in the end. Hoffman sends Mike Asher and Fagin to Britain.

Full Summary: 

Someone tells about how they moved into this house when she was just a baby after Daddy made his first real money and before her mother died. She hated it there and her father would tell her stories about bogies who came out to steal little girls away from their family. She tells how her father can be such a jerk and it would be tough to love him if he hadn't had all that money.
The panels show a house (the size of a small castle) and a guard that gets taken out. We see four persons standing over the body of a guard that seems to be already decomposing. The four persons are a man with black hair and a scar on his face, a woman with red hair, a pale man, dressed in black with long black hair and a man covered in tattoos. The thoughts of the narrating female go on: bogies don't exist and if they did, they don't affect people of her status and social standing. At the same time the man with the tattoos gets a sign from the scarred man and he flies or jumps over the wall to take out some heavily armed guards. He dropkicks one of them. Some guards with dogs attack the red haired woman, when two creatures spring from her body and claw their way through the dogs and guards. The woman herself hits a man, who falls down with a smoking wound. The thoughts of the unseen woman go on: according to her the poor and unfortunate need something to blame their woes upon and therefore they have religion superstitions, aliens, mutants and other monsters. She doesn't believe in anything that she can't see, touch or buy. That's why her therapist has her keeping this journal. Her therapist wants her to find her core beliefs. She doesn't see theuse of that. If she needs to find out who she is, she just has to shop and party. Her thoughts are interrupted by the noice downstairs (from the guards getting killed by the Brotherhood-strike force). The door to the mansion is kicked in by the scarred man with such force that the two guards behind it are knocked out or worse. While they climb the stairs, we get to know their names and their mission. They are here to capture the girl whose thoughts we were reading. The leader is called Bryson, the tattood man is Clive, the woman is Fiona and the pale man is Bela, a psionic vampire. Bela is still outside feeding on the guards. Fiona is worried about Bela's behaviour, but Bryson tells her that it's all a facade. When they enter the girl's room, she has already escaped.
The woman escapes in a car and thinks that the assailants are kidnappers that want to cash in on her dad's love for his only daughter. Fiona tells them that she's getting away and Bryson orders Clive to go after her. Fiona implies to Bryson that Clive is an amateur and Bela is a vampire wannabe. Bryson shouts to Clive that he should just stop her, they want her alive.
The woman, called Malon Reeves, calls her father on her mobile phone and tells him that people are trying to kidnap her, while remaining rather cool, until she notices a flying Clive in her rear mirror. Clive grabs the car, Malon tries to shake him, but Clive hangs on. Malon then hits the brakes and Clives flies over the car, she then runs over him with her car.
In the office of Malcolm Reeves, his connection with his daughter is broken. He tells Hughes to track her car (it has electronic device in the undercarriage), Fredericks has to prepare his helicopter and Mrs. Dunnerfield has to call Xavier. Mrs. Dunnerfield connects Reeves to Xavier and Reeves tells him that someone is trying to kidnap his daughter. He accuses Xavier of kidnapping her to get training at his school, but he wants her cured of her 'affliction'. Reeves then hears from Xavier about the Brotherhood.
Back at the road, the Brotherhood has found a car and are looking at Clive. Bela tells Clive that he is not going to make it. Clive tells them that he knew the risks when he signed on, he asks Bela to get Malon for him and then notices a shadow between the trees, which he identifies as the big man (Hoffman). He tells Bryson to tell him that he's sorry, but Bryson says the he already knows: he knows everything. Clive then tells that he feels Orwell in his skull and apoligizes to Orwell. Bela asks Clive if he's ready and Clive asks him to be quick. Bela then touches Clive and drains all his energy, leaving a withered husk of a corpse. Bryson has telepathic contact with Orwell and receives his orders. He nearly overloads Bryson's mind and then leaves. Bryson orders his crew to come along before Orwell turns them in to X.
Malon arrives in London and seeks sanctuary in the Clash Club, where her friends are. One of her friends offer her drugs, but Malon tells her friend Ian, that she needs help against her kidnappers, whom she describes as monsters. The Brotherhood enters and Malon‘s friends block their way, but Fiona and her monsters quickly make a way through them, while Bryson breaks Ian's jaw and Bela kills a woman while heading for Malon.
Outside Reeves‘ security team arrives and their leader tells them to shoot anyone questionable and let Reeves lawyers deal with all consequences. Behind the Club, Malon tries to get away but her path is blocked by Bela, who appears to be flying. The other end of the passage is blocked by Fiona and her
monsters. Bryson then tells her to come along nice and quietly, because they don't want to hurt her. Brysonis then shot in the head by the security team. The security team tells the others to stand still and Malon to come to them and that her father sent them. Bela comments that they made a big error. One of the guards wants to know why. Bela tells them that Bryson hates to be shot in the head. Bryson is indeed standing again and seems furious. Bryson, Fiona, her monsters and Bela quickly take out the guards. Bryson orders Bela to leave one alive to carry back their ransom demands. Fiona then closes in on Malon, who tells them that her father will pay anything. Fiona replies that Malon shouldn't pretend to be different from them. Malon refuses to accept that: according to her father and uncle Peri it was all a mistake, she isn't a mutant. She then treatens to use her powers against them. Bela closes in on her and grabs her,while wondering why Fiona's hags seem to keep their distance. Somehow Malon grabs Bela's hand and does something to it (hit it badly or even desintegrates it).She then hits one of Fiona's monsters in the chest and the creature dies. Fiona falls down in pain. Malon tells them that she isn't a mutant, but when she gets stressed things happen. Bryson gets tired and knocks her out. He tells Orwell to go home and tell Hoffman that she will be broken to do exactly what they want.
In America, Hoffman tells Asher and Fagin that Orwell has returned. Fagin doesn't seemed very pleased at the idea, but Hoffman tells him to show respect to Orwell. There is much more to him than meets the eye. Hoffman then tells Asher and Fagin to go to England to learn more about the inner workings of the Brotherhood.

Characters Involved: 

Mike Asher, Fagin, Hoffman, Orwell (all Brotherhood)

Bela, Bryson, Clive, Fiona (british Brotherhood operatives)

Malon Reeves, spoiled rich girl and mutant

Malcolm Reeves, her father

Hughes, Fredericks and Mrs. Dunnerfield, assistants to Malcolm Reeves

Ian, friend of Malon

Story Notes: 
Issue Information: 
Written By: