Thirteen-year-old Angelica Jones has just moved to West Morris, New Jersey with her family. She sits at the table with her Grandmother who lives with her and her father. Holding Angelica’s hand palm up, she tells her grandchild that she has the mark. asking her if she sees the lines in her palm form the letter M. Angel curiously asks what it means. Her Grandmother tells her it means she possesses exceptional talents, that she is one of the chosen few, a very special person. Excited she wonders really calling her Grandmother Nana as she always does. Nana tells her that she would not lie to her.
Drinking his coffee, her father Bartholomew Jones asks them if they are finished, telling Angel she’d better get a move on. That she doesn’t want to be late for her first day of school. Her cat Pumpkin sleeps contently on a near-by chair. Hugging her Nana, Angel tells her that she always makes her feel so good and she wouldn’t know what to do without her. Smiling back her Nana tells her she’d better go before her father gets nervous. Hugging her father good-bye she asks him to wish her luck. He tells her that she won’t need it, but she should make sure she works hard. Clearing the kitchen table Nana tells her to hurry back from school, that she will eagerly await to hear about her first day at a new school. The door slams shut as Angel runs down the sidewalk with Pumpkin watching her go.
Bart tells his mother that he wishes she wouldn’t make such a fuss over Angel. It’s not right telling her she is so special when she is only an average child. She asks why not, the girl could use some encouragement. Angel’s very intelligent, and it’s not the girl’s fault she lost her mother, or that they must constantly move from school to school because of his job. Bart tells his mother to get off his back, that he hates up-rooting the family, but he must work where there is work. She knows and tells him she is not criticizing him, it’s just she is more sensitive to Angel’s needs. Just then a dish breaks as Nana grabs the counter for balance, moaning in pain. Bart rushes to his mother’s side, she reassures that she is fine, only needing to catch her breath. He tells her that her spells are getting worse, that there must be something they can do, maybe another doctor. She cuts him off telling him no, that they have wasted enough money on her doctors. There is nothing they can do for her, she is just an old woman who is starting to wear out.
Meanwhile, Angel gets off her school bus overwhelmed at the size of her new school. She thinks to herself that it is bigger than any school she has ever attended, and that she always hates the first day of school. Walking past some students talking, she continues her thoughts of everyone knowing everyone else ,as she is the only outsider. From afar, three girls stare at her after of Cassie tells them to check it out, a new girl’s on campus. Eve tells Cassie that she looks like a total waste, a loser. Cassie asks what her slightly heavy friend Martha thinks. Martha tells them she thinks that the girl’s mother dresses her funny and she’s fat. Hearing the girls whispering about her, Angel keeps to herself staring at the M on her palm. She doesn’t care what they think since Nana already told her that the M makes her special. Eve tells Martha to forget the creep, as there is a ‘hunk alert’, talking about the boy coming towards them. Martha claims that’s her idea of a good time. Eve states that it is Mister Gorgeous himself, Chuckie Belson. Cassie walks away from her friends telling them to eat their heart outs, while she has plans to ‘brand that stallion’ this semester.
Cassie approaches Chuck and puts her arm in his, asking if he minded if she walked with him. Chuck tells her that would be great as he tells his friend Phil that he will catch up with him later. Leaving Phil replies with a yeah, right. as they walk, Chuck asks Cassie what the deal is with the new redhead, since Cassie is usually plugged into everything that goes on at the school. Sullenly she replies how should she know and why should she even care. Chuck asks where Cassie’s manners are, he had thought she would have introduced herself by now, since the girl looks like she could use a friend. Besides, she’s kinda cute, he adds telling that he’s going over to say hello. Enraged, Cassie thinks "Cute ?! Why that dirty---"
Chuck approaches Angel stating that she looks like she could use some help. Angel admits that she sure could as she’s looking for the admission office. Chuck tells her that’s not a problem, and that he’s headed that way himself. Angel asks really as she smiles for the first time since getting off the bus.
Miles away at Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, Kitty Pryde wonders where a cetain tool is, thinking to herself that if Nightcralwer learnt how to put things back where he finds them, she wouldn’t be wasting her time rummaging through a stupid tool cabinet. She is standing outside the cabinet, with her upper half of her body phased inside of it. Finally finding what she was looking for, Kitty grabs the tool tightly and phases out of the cabinet and out the door. She phases through the hallway until she reaches Xavier claiming that she has finally found the continuity pulse tester. Xavier congratulates her, adding her that he knew she could do it. She asks how the repairs are coming. Very well, he replies. Nightcrawler has promised to have Cerebro up and running within a few hours.
Nightcrawler is hanging upside down from his tail, while working on Cerebro and thanks Kitty for getting the tester. She tells him it was no sweat, just remember where he got it from this time. She asks Xavier that if she understands correctly, Cerebro detects mutants by zeroing in on the unique psionic energy that mutants produce. Xavier tells her that she is correct, that mutant brain waves differ very radically from human brain waves. The difference becomes apparent when a mutant first starts manifesting their powers, and with it they can locate other new mutants like the ones outside. Outside Cannonball and Psyche are teamed up against Sunspot and Wolfsbane in a game of Volleyball.
But elsewhere there is another school standing on a high hill, near Snow Valley Massachusetts. Two girls in school uniforms walk by and greet a woman with a black skirt and white overcoat. After they say hello to Miss Frost, she greets them addressing them with their names. They think to themselves that it is amazing that she knows every student by name.
To the outside world, the school is merely a prestigious and exclusive school for the New England countryside. But as headmistress Emma Frost knows that appearances can be deceiving. She walks upstairs and enters her private office. With a click of a secret panel, on an apparently blank wall, the massive bookcase gives way to a hidden elevator. Once inside she activates the elevator with her handprint. As the elevator lowers, she drops her telepathic illusion revealing her true appearance. From glasses and conservative wardrobe, to white high boots, corset, and white cape with fur along the collar.
Two men in Hellfire Club uniforms guard the elevator’s exit and greet their White Queen. She asks if he is simply announcing her, or warning his friends that she is coming to check on them. She tells him there is no need to answer for she has already read his mind, she asks if there is anything to report. The other guard tells her no, that they haven’t heard a peep from their Mutivac all day. Emma claims it’s a pity that if the Hellfire Club is to grow and prosper, they must continually find new recruits. She tells them to continue their standard monitoring position, that there’s no telling when the next new mutant will emerge. Suddenly she spots a guard missing from his post. She is enraged as she demands to know here he is, just then an unsuspecting guard walks around the corner, coffee in hand. She lashes out, calling him an idiot, that his carelessness could have very well cost them the next new mutant. As she telepathically attacks his mind, he falls to the ground in agony. She tells him that the Hellfire Club is at a constant race with Xavier, a race in which that they intend to win.
Back in West Morris, the teacher asks Angel what she can tell the class about the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. She apologizes telling him that they never covered that at her last school. He strictly tells her that she is now in his class, and if she wants a passing grade she’ll have to make up the work she’s missed. As she replies Yes sir, Cassie sitting behind her tells Martha that they didn’t cover the Treaty of Versailles at her last school in a mocking voice. Martha adds to her poking fun by saying that maybe she should just go back to that school with the other dummies. Staring at the M on her hand, Angel knows she has to be strong and not let the girls get to her.
Later at lunch she walks with her lunch tray and notices an opening with the three girls who have been hassling her all day. She remembers her Nana telling her that most people are friendly, once you give them a chance. She agrees to give it a shot, asking the girls if she can sit with them. Cassie replies sure, that they were just about to leave anyway. Martha gets up and asks Angel if she thinks they want to be seen eating next to the class nerd. Eve tells Angel just to face it, that she is already a social reject. As they walk way Angel tells them she had only wanted to make friends, but Cassie tells her to forget it, that Angel’s a loser, and no one will want anything to do with her. With her hand on her milk, Angel thinks about her hopes that this school would be different than the others, but she can quickly see it’s not.
As she broods, her right hand holding the milk starts to shimmer and glow. She asks herself why people don’t like her, wondering what is so wrong with her. Elsewhere at the Massachusetts Academy, a guard watching the Mutivak tells someone to summon the White Queen, that he thinks they’ve got a first manifestation on their hands. Angel tells herself it’s not fair, that the girls were so mean without even giving her a chance. As a tear falls from her face, she thinks that she’d fix them good if she could.
At the Academy, the guard reports as the White Queen watches over his shoulder. He tells her that the subject appears to be a young female, and she is emitting an incredible amount of psionic energy for a first timer. Asked if he can zero in on her, he admits he’s trying, but her manifestation is about to reach the climax. Back at West Morris, the milk erupts spraying Mr Slattery right in the face. Enraged, he asks if spraying him with hot milk is her idea of a joke. She tells him the it was an accident, it had just exploded as she opened it, that it must of been defective. Really, he asks, telling her they will discuss this after school in detention.
At the Academy, the guard reports that they’ve lost her with her psionic energy dipping back too low to detect. The White Queen assures them that it will grow once again with each manifestation, until the child is hers.
Months later, in mid-December, Chuck runs through the hall of West Morris High, asking Angel to wait up. She greets him, asking how the football team is doing. Not bad, he tells her. If they make it through the play-offs, then they’ve got a shot at winning the State Championship. Walking past a flyer for the First Annual Ice Sculpting contest, he asks if she’s thought about being in it, with her being a real whiz in art class. When she replies not really, he urges her that she certainly has the talent for it, and she should go for it, start showing some school spirit. Putting her hand on his chest, she finally gives in and agrees. From the girls bathroom door, Cassie watches them with a very angry look on her face.
Sometime later outside students stand around blocks of ice awaiting instructions. A teacher informs them that the school has only purchased a minimum amount of ice blocks, so they are to be careful, and there are no second chances. She bids them good luck and tells them to begin.
As they start Eve tells Cassie to check out their competition, poking fun at Angels’ intent look as she sculpts her ice statue. Cassie replies ‘for sure’ that the pathetic creature must have nothing else better to do with her time. Eve announces Cassie’s heart throb approaching them, asking what the story between the two of them is. She has noticed that they he doesn’t hang around much anymore, and wonders if they are still an item. Cassie tells her to get real, that Chuck has just been busy with football. She waves over to Chuck, as she tells Eve that once football’s over with, he’ll be back to devoting every spare moment to her. Her boast is proven untrue, as Chuck approaches Angel, not her. Chuck compliments Angel on her purple beret matching her coat) When he asks her what she is making, she smiles and tells him it’s either going to be an angel or a snowbird. He suggests she go with the angel as it fits her more. Cassie shouts at Chuck asking what he thinks of her ice sculpture entitled The Iceman Broketh. Eve tells her to forget it, the dumb jock didn’t even hear a word she said. Chuck tells Angel she’ll see her later, calling her ‘doll’ as he’s got to run.
Cassie threatens that she will teach that scheming witch to mess with her boyfriend. Eve tells her to ease up, they’ll get even with the little twerp.
Early next morning at the Jones’ home, Nana notices that Angel is certainly bright and chipper this morning. Petting Pumpkin, Angel tells her that they are to judge the ice sculptures today and she thinks she has a good chance at winning. Her father puts on his coat and tells her that he wishes she’d focus on her studies as much as that silly contest. Nana tells her son to let the child enjoy herself, waving goodbye to both of them wishing Angel good luck. Watching them leave she talks to Pumpkin who is clawing the floor. She tells that she can’t recall the last time she saw Angel this happy , that things finally seem to be falling in place for her. Shutting the door, she tells Pumpkin that it’s about time too, if they could only do something with her father. That he has always been a a good boy, but he’s too serious for his own good, she moans in pain again grabbing her chest. She barely lets out the words.... no, not now.
At school, Angel rushes to put the finishing touches on her statue before the judges arrive. As she reaches her statue, she notices her angel has been destroyed. Laughter echoes over the field, and she spins around to find Cassie, Martha and Eve. Cassie asks if Angel had an accident, as Martha tells her that her sculpture must not have been sturdy enough to last the night. Angels screams that they did this. Cassie tells her to prove it.
Angel looks away trying to relax to not let the girls beat her at this. Cassie calls out to her, asking why she’s always staring at her palm, grabbing Angel by the wrist. Angel tells her that they cannot hurt her with anything they do or say because she has something that no one else has. She tells that the lines on her palm indicate the letter M, which means she’s a very special person, and that is something they can never take away from her. Cassie calls her a turkey, telling her there is nothing special about having a M on her palm, because she has one too. Martha and Eve point out their M’s, and as they walk away from her, Cassie sarcastically tells Angel that it looks like she’s real special.
Looking at the ground, Angel thinks that Nana had lied to her, and drops to the ground. She starts to cry, and she thinks that her father was right, and she should have never entered this stupid contest. Her hands start to glow again and she screams that she is glad they destroyed her statue, that she hated it, hated them all! Just then her glow emerges and stretches out and melts the other sculptures. Angel looks up, puts her hand over her mouth in shock, and wonders what she has done.
Chuck approaches her telling her to hurry before she is late for class. Noticing the what is left of the sculptures, he asks what happened, to them, and if she’s okay. a look of shock still on her face, she whispers that she doesn’t know, and starts running away. Chuck picks up her hat after it falls off, and cries out to her to wait. she reaches a payphone and wants to call Nana, that she’ll know what’s happening to her. Picking up the phone, she notices that it feels strange. It begins to melt in her hands as she cries ‘NO!’
At that moment, Xavier using Cerebro notices the presence of a young mutant. He tells Kitty and Nightcrawler to be silent, and clear their thoughts. That he cannot have any interference while using his telepathic abilities to increase Cerebro to pinpoint the exact location. At the Massachusetts Academy, the guard announces that they’ve got her. That the computer has locked her coordinates , and she’s in New Jersey. The white queen remarks that this is excellent as she demands for her private jet for an immediate take-off, as well as a limousine to meet her when she lands. She states that she will personally collect this ‘poor thing’; she must be terrified. She had better get used to it, when she gets her way, terror will be a way of life for the girl.
Angel runs from the pay phone and all the way home. Never thinking she was going to make it, she notices an ambulance parked outside her house. Her father approaches her, asking why she is out of school. Angel tells him that she just had to talk to Nana, and asks what is going on here. Her father starts that he is sorry that Nana- Angel cuts him off screaming: No, not her Nana , No! Her father holds her and tells her that he had come home early for lunch, and he had found her lying on the floor in the living room, where they had left her this morning. Angel tries to escape her father’s hold with tears in her eyes telling him to let her go, that she can’t lose Nana now. Upset, her father tells her he understands, but her Nana is gone.
At her grandmother’s grave, Angel tells her father that they need to talk. He asks if her if it can’t wait till later. She tells him that she has waited too long already, that she is really frightened. He assures that everything will be fine, and he understands that he misses her grandmother. She tells him no, things will never be the same again. Nana was right about her, that she is special. Looking away, he tells he not to start that again, that this isn’t the place for such nonsense. Behind him, his daughter starts glowing again, with tears in her eyes, she tells him to look at her. He turns around to see her glowing and the snow melting all around her. He asks what is wrong with her. She turns away telling him she doesn’t know, but wishes she did.
Sometime later Bart Jones sits in his house with his hands covering his face. He thinks to himself that his little baby is a freak, a blasted mutie. He wonders if there is some kind of treatment, some kind of hormone, something he can do, someone to turn to. He hears a voice telling him that perhaps she can help, and she took the liberty of letting herself in. Looking up he asks who she is. She replies that she is a friend.
A few minutes later , Angel is in her room laying next to Pumpkin, staring at her palm. Pumpkin hisses viciously as she turns to see what he is hissing at, she sees a woman dressed in complete white. She tells Angel hello, that her name is Emma Frost, and she is here to help. Emma asks if she was just staring at her palm. When Angel asks how she knew that, Emma replies that she knows many things. Sitting on her bed, she tells Angel that she has it, the mark of the mutant. Angel tells her not to be silly, that everyone has the M on their hands. Emma agrees that others do have an M on their hand, but Angel has the M. Meaning that she is a very special young lady, born with unique and extraordinary abilities. She introduces herself as the head-mistress of a school where she could teach Angel how to use her abilities to their fullest. Emma tells her that she already talked it over with her father, that they think it’ll be a good idea for Angel to attend her school. Looking amazed, Angel asks if Emma truly believes that she is special. She replies that indeed she does with a triumphant smile on her face as a sleek limousine pulls in front of the Jones’ house.
From inside the limo Xavier exclaims oh no. When Nightcrawler asks him what is wrong, Xavier tells him they have arrived too late. The Hellfire Club? Kurt asks, as Xavier tells him yes, and he hopes God protects this poor girl.
