Exiles (1st series) #39

Issue Date: 
February 2004
Story Title: 
King Hyperion - part 2
Staff: 

Chuck Austen (writer), Jim Calafiore (penciler) Mark McKenna (inker), Transparency Digital (colors), Dave Sharpe (letters), Cory Sedlmeier & Stephanie Moore (assistant editors), Mike Marts (editor), Joe Quesada (editor and chief), Dan Buckley (publisher).

Brief Description: 

Hyperion destroys the Mastermold core of the Sentinels and then kills President Kelly and proclaims himself King. As he holds up the dead body of Kelly, Ms. Marvel questions what other countries they’ll need to destroy in order to rule Earth. Magneto appears informing them that they will need to deal with Genosha. Magneto had gone back to Earth to make Weapon X their slaves aboard Asteroid M after Quicksilver informed him of the destruction of the Sentinels and the appearance of more super beings for betraying their race. As they face off, Hyperion kills Wolverine. Hyperion, then flies off into space with Magneto and kills him for refusing to help his destroy the asteroid.
Gambit and team meet up with Vanisher outside of Storm’s city as Kitty and Colossus bond then kiss.

Full Summary: 

Washington, D.C.

As Sentinels fly overhead, Gyrich informs President Kelly that the mutant threat has been successfully taken care of. The president is pleased and calls the Avengers ‘race traitors’ and is happy with the Sentinels ‘protecting’ humans. President Kelly and Gyrich are then interrupted by an agent that Magneto has launched an asteroid at the Earth that is big enough to destroy the Earth and they have less than twenty-four hours.

The Pentagon: Core Mind For The Sentinels.

A man tells General Ross that with the destruction of Xavier’s home base, there are only a few mutants left which makes them easy prey for the Sentinels. Ross tells him that aside from the mutants on Magneto’s asteroid M, which will be taken care of as soon as the space borne prototype Sentinels are taken completed; the mutant threat is over. The screen buzzes and Ross and the man are puzzled as errors in mutant deaths show up, Colossus and Gambit are reported as errors and alive. Hyperion, Ms. Marvel are reported as unknown super powered entities with their location being tracked. Spider shows up as another super powered entity in Colorado along with Shadowcat. Storm and Vanisher are also on screen listed as being inside an impenetrable Storm field. As they wonder why Hyperion and Ms. Marvel are listed as location tracking a Sentinel is blasted outside of the building. Soon Hyperion stands in front of the two blowing up some more Sentinels.
Ross ask Hyperion who he is as Ms. Marvel comes flying in telling Hyperion to save some for her, she blast a Sentinel standing behind Hyperion and tells him that backup is useless if he leaves it halfway behind the continent. Hyperion ignores Carol and continues at his task. Carol mocks him and thanks herself for him. A Sentinel comes up behind her and fires at her, she falls on the ground complaining about the burn; Carol asks Hyperion for help since her blast needs time to recharge, he tells her that he’s busy and he holds Ross by the throat. Carol gets pissed and is blasted by the Sentinels again. The computer warns that the core temperature is reaching critical as Hyperion continues to heat it up and Carol yells for assistance. Her visor shatters and Carol complains about after what they shared at the mansion, Hyperion could at least pop a few heads for her, then blow up the computer. The computer blows and Hyperion tells her that the computer takes out all the Sentinels, including the ones attacking her; he pushes aside a Sentinel head and asks if she is happy.
A Sentinel flying overhead crashes into the yard before the White house, President Kelly is jolted and interrupts Gyrich who was explaining his plan for the Space Sentinels with nuclear warheads and having to hide out in the Idaho bunker during the initial impacts. Gyrich tells Kelly to stop being paranoid and that his country needs him, a Sentinel suddenly falls into the side of the building.

Boulder, Colorado

A Sentinel falls to the ground before Remy and the group and they wonder what happened while Spider gives hype to Hyperion and tells them that they are pals. They head towards Storm’s City and Kitty tells them that Storm will probably send out her teleporter to get them; Spider complains about nausea. As they pass a hill part, they see a big city in front of them with Sentinels all shattered on the ground. As they gaze at Storms lightning encircled city Gambit commends Storms on a nice job. Kitty tells them that Storm and Vanisher are the only mutants left on Earth, the rest of the mutants either joined up with Xavier and died or went off into space with Magneto. She continues saying that she doubts Storm will be willing to join up with Hyperion and that she doesn’t care about anyone except herself. Gambits smirks to question Kitty’s logic.

Asteroid M.

Quicksilver runs in to tell Magneto that the Sentinels are offline, and that they can go back. Magneto tells him to slow down as Mystique dresses him. Quicksilver continues saying that the sentinel base has been shut down and it looks like some sort of super human destroyed it. Magneto questions who did it since there are no more super humans left on Earth. Quicksilver tells him that it’s a new guy and now they can go back and claim what is rightfully theirs. Magneto tells him that he has no desire to stop the destruction of the human race and that the asteroid will hit Earth in fifteen hours, “There’s no turning back.” Magneto then decides that they shouldn’t leave behind their genetic brethren since they need servants up at Asteroid M.

Washington.

Hyperion holds up a dead President Kelly and proclaims “Long live the King.” As Ms. Marvel holds a defeated Gyrich at bay with her blast, she questions who they need to defeat next, England, France, Russia? A voice who reveals himself to be Magneto tells them that they need to defeat Genosha next. Rogue accompanying Magneto tells them she loves what they’ve done with the place. Ms. Marvel, tells Hyperion that Magneto and the Brotherhood are their prime targets if they’re supposed to make sure the last ten mutants are dead. Hyperion tells Magneto that it is his world now and he will protect it from whatever threat he thinks he might pose. Magneto, pissed, informs Hyperion that an asteroid is heading toward the Earth as they speak and that he merely came to offer their genetic equals a chance at salvation with them in space or they can remain and rule over the ashes of a dead world. Magneto tells them to reconsider or die.
Hyperion smirks, then offers Magneto a choice: stop the asteroid and save his planet and remain with him or die. Magneto tells Hyperion that he is beneath no one and declines. Hyperion tells Magneto that he has no choice, he only needs a few of them to remain alive to stay in this reality, “Your death will be meaningless.” Magneto finally gets annoyed enough and orders the Brotherhood to kill Hyperion and Ms. Marvel. Wolverine and Mystique grin in delight and Ice Man and Rogue look worried.

The Storm Field.

A sweaty Spider gets annoyed at the hour long wait and complains to Gambit, but gets told to enjoy the scenery since Kitty said that Storm would send the teleporter out and she’s been right about everything so far.

Behind them, Kitty and Colossus talk about how long Kitty and this dimensions’ Colossus have been together, she tells him that he is just like him except for trying to kill her yesterday. He apologizes and tells her that he didn’t know her then and that he would never have done it, but she interrupts him and tells him that she understands with all the reality hopping they do and having to worry about home and normalcy, she tells him that she might even do whatever it took to get home too, probably. Colossus explains that he doesn’t even think that they will ever get to go home despite Angel being sent back a few months ago. He begins to say how he’s unsure if he can go on then he gives his condolences about this reality’s Peter, Kitty’s Peter. Kitty tells him not to talk about it and tells him again how he is so much like him, then they kiss. Spider is grossed out and calls it a unhealthy relationship since she is pretty much kissing her dead boyfriend.
Suddenly blooonk! Vanisher appears and tells them that they are all clean, being all mutants or super freaks, he asks for the person in charge and Gambit unsure, tells him that it’s him. Vanisher immediately perks up and tells him that he heard he was dead and that Storm will be so pleased to see him alive. Gambit begins to explain that he is not their Gambit, then tells him it’s a long story. Vanisher agrees to Gambit telling them the story after they arrive and tells them to all gather around the amazing teleporting Vanisher and his lady Storm awaits.

Washington

As Hyperion holds onto Wolverine by the neck he tells Magneto that he only wants to kill him and not his minions. Wolverine calls Hyperion meat and tells him that the road to Magneto leads through him. Hyperion says fine, then blasts Wolverine with his flash vision which burns off his flesh and leaves nothing behind but his adamantium skeleton. Mystique freaks out and says that Hyperion is indestructible. Magneto says that no one is indestructible and orders Ice Man and Rogue to take Hyperion down; they continue to stand there and Magneto asks if they heard him. Ice Man asks Magneto to reconsider and stop the asteroid since none of them really want to float around in space forever. Ice Man adds that it is their chance to make the world their own with no Sentinels around, who cares who runs it. Rogue adds that Hyperion will probably let him live if he helps stop the asteroid. Magneto is offended at the fact that someone has to let him live. Hyperion orders him to stop the asteroid or have his head imploded. Magneto threatens to boil Hyperion’s blood through his skin and tear his heart out. Mystique shoots at him and Hyperion tells them that he is not of this Earth or any Earth and there is no iron in his blood, he grabs Magneto by the helmet, then burns Mystique to death.
Rogue and Ice Man look on in horror as Hyperion then picks Magneto up and flies them toward the asteroid. Magneto tried to pull iron file cabinets at them but Hyperion blast them away. Hyperion tells Magneto to give up the garbage since he cannot defeat him. Magneto tells him that everyone has an Achilles heel, Hyperion tells Magneto that only Achilles has an Achilles heel. Magneto begins to feel the atmosphere burning him up and Hyperion orders him to stop the asteroid, then maybe he’ll care, Magneto says no a final time and Hyperion blasts into Magneto’s helmet and implodes his head. As Magneto floats nearby dead, the asteroid approaches and Hyperion is standing his ground in front of it.

Characters Involved: 

Colossus, Gambit, Hyperion, Ms. Marvel, The Spider, Vision, (Weapon X)
Alternate reality Weapon X visit in #38-40:

Shadowcat

Vanisher

Forge, Iceman, Magneto, Mystique, Quicksilver, Rogue, Wolverine (Brotherhood of Mutants)

President Robert Kelly

Henry Gyrich

Story Notes: 

-

Issue Information: 

This Issue has been reprinted in:

Written By: