Brotherhood #5

Issue Date: 
November 2001
Story Title: 
Sublime Seduction
Staff: 

X (writer), Leonardo Maco (penciler), Jimmy Palmiotti (inker), Avalon Studios (colors), John Babcock (letters), Lysa Hawkins (editor), Joe Quesada (editor in chief), Bill Jemas (president)

Brief Description: 

Malon is being held hostage by the Brotherhood, whilst her father tries every means possible to find her. Marshal tells him he knows about Malon being a mutant and that he will find her, in exchange for getting the Brotherhood. Marshal examines the scene of the kidnap when he finds Bela, who he then captures and interrogates. Bryson takes Malon to her Uncle Perot's Lab where she finds that he has been experimenting on mutants to find a cure for Malon. Malon is shocked by what she sees and burns the place down.

Full Summary: 

Malon is nearly drowned by Bela as revenge for destroying his left hand in the last issue. Fiona is watching without interfering. Bela then drags Malon to a coffin and wants to put her in and when she refuses, he threatens to use his moisture-draining powers on her. He is stopped by Bryson who scolds Bela. Malon isn’t there for revenge, Bryson asks Malon to enter the coffin, but inside she can still follow the argument between Bela and Bryson. Bryson tells Bela that Malon isn’t just a hostage, she is one of them and she deserves a chance to have her eyes opened.
Malon’s father, Dr. Reeves is using all his resources to find his daughter and he gets an unexpected ally, the mysterious operative that also appeared in the Brotherhood #2. Reeves wants him removed, but when the man hints to Malon being a mutant, he tells everybody else to go. The mysterious man tells him that he knows about Malon being a mutant and that Reeves is trying to find a cure for her. He then identifies himself as Marshal and says that he is with the government. Reeves then asks him which government. Marshal answers that he likes to keep his options open. He will help Reeves and in turn he will get the Brotherhood.
Malon is freed from the coffin by Bryson, who then feeds her. When Malon asks him why he is being nice to her, he tells her that he’s a soldier, not a monster. Torturing women isn’t the point of the operation.
Marshal is inspecting the scene of the crime, when he notices Bela lurking around. He and Bela obviously know each other and Bela attacks him, but is easily knocked out by Marshal. Reeves asks Marshal how he knew that they would come back and Marshal says that he knows the Brotherhood. He will also handle the interrogation. Bela wakes up and threatens Marshal, hinting that he will be revenged. Marshal then puts out his cigarette in Bela’s eye. He then turns around and says that there is another one around. Fiona, who is watching from the bushes, also recognizes Marshal.
Outside of Paris, Bryson takes Malon away, telling her that he had a change of heart. He wants to open her eyes. Malon wants to get out of the car, when Bryson tells her that her father is not the man she thinks he is. Outside Malon nearly faints and Bryson catches her. She asks Bryson to take her to her uncle Perot who runs a clinic in Paris. She then asks Bryson what he wanted to say about her father, but Bryson asks her several times if she really wants to know. He then decides to take her to her uncle Perot.
Marshal is torturing Bela, who has several wooden spikes in his body and he has to run on a conveyer belt to avoid being carried into a press. He questions Bela about X, the Brotherhood and Malon, but stops when several guards of Reeves carry Fiona inside.
In Paris, Bryson and Malon enter the clinic. Bryson then shows Malon that there are armed guards at the clinic and he takes them out. Inside they find dozens of tubes with dead mutants in them, failed experiments by her uncle in trying to cure her. Bryson shows her mutant embryos and tells her that her father funds this research. He is ashamed of what he is, his wife was and what Malon is. Malon runs away, confused, but then she finds her uncle. Malon asks her uncle if he has killed all those innocents. Perot tries to deny it, but Bryson enters. Bryson orders the patient, a pregnant woman, to leave, and then he orders Perot to tell Malon about her father being a mutant and how Perot’s failed experiments killed Malon’s mother.
Marshal tells Reeves that Bela is ready to talk, Fiona has died during the interrogation. He then throws Bela’s right hand on Reeves desk.
Malon and Bryson have left the hospital and Malon has used her powers to destroy the hospital, setting it on fire. Bryson then thanks Malon for opening his eyes too. Malon asks Bryson to take her back to the Brotherhood and after that she wants to see her father.

Characters Involved: 

Bela, Bryson, Fiona (all Brotherhood)

Malon Reeves, mutant, who has been taken hostage by the Brotherhood

Marshal, government operative with some connection to the Brotherhood

Mr. Reeves, CEO of a multinational corporation

Dr. Perot, friend of Reeves

Story Notes: 

Death of Fiona (though we only have Marshal’s words for this)
First Appearance of Dr Perot. It is unsure whether he dies in the fire

Issue Information: 
Written By: