Generation X (1st series) #8

Issue Date: 
October 1995
Story Title: 
What Happened to Cassidy Keep ?!
Staff: 

Scott Lobdell (writer), Roger Cruz (penciler), Mark Buckingham and Al Milgrom (inker), Steve Buccellato & Electric Crayon (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (lettering), Bob Harras (editor, editor in chief)

Brief Description: 

Generation X arrive in Ireland to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Cassidy Keep. Synch discovers he can use his power to link to the dimension where the castle is and is pulled there, taking Chamber with him. The others follow, but do not find the boys. Chamber and Synch end up fighting Knights. The teachers find themselves chained in prison but can escape, meanwhile the rest of the team are found by Grande Dame, a fairy Queen who wants them to help her repair her Glamour Machine. On the island of Samoa, Cordelia Frost and Mondo are kidnapped. Omega Red is revealed to be stalking Banshee.

Full Summary: 

Generation X arrive at the site of Casey Keep and find a gaping hole where until recently the castle stood. Black Air are at the site investigating and Agent Scicluna questions Banshee, while Synch begins to experience a strange extension of his power. In the green mists swirling round the hole, Synch can see images of Elves and Knights of another world, like his mind is in synch with that world. Jubilee thinks he has jetlag, but Synch touches the mist and immediately begins to fade away. Chamber, who tried to warn Synch, jumps after his friend, and is too taken away by the mists. Skin also tries to jump after them, but the mists clear leaving Skin behind. Emma scans the area and discovers the mist has a pi tag and may be sentient, like the life form she recently discovered in the Biosphere. Banshee begins to form plan for following the boys, but Agent Scicluna forbids it and places the entire area under Black Air’s jurisdiction. Banshee then uses an ultra high pitched scream to knock the Black Air operatives out, leaving Generation X to rescue their friends. As the group leap into the mists, a shadowy figure watches from a nearby cliff - Omega Red.

In an interlude on the island of Samoa, Cordelia Frost and Mondo are relaxing on the beach, when Cornelia dives in to the sea, but doesn’t return. Worrying about the safety of his friend, Mondo dives in to save her, but cannot find her. He is then attacked by something unknown.

Having successfully crossed into the other dimension, Emma, Sean, Penance, Jubilee, M, Skin and Husk find themselves dressed in strange clothes. While the others look around, M notices the strange atmosphere and points out there is a distinct lack of oxygen, before passing out.

Meanwhile, Chamber and Synch find themselves fighting an army of dark knights to avenge the murder Synch saw in the mists. During the battle, Synch realises he is perfectly in synch with Chamber and they are both influencing each others powers. Having defeated the knights, the elves thank Synch and Chamber and agree to take them home.

Banshee awakens to find himself chained to a wall with Emma, who is angry about the current state of affairs. Banshee worries about the kids and then Eamon O’Donnel appears and tells them that they need to free the kids and get back to the castle before it shifts back to Earth - or they will be trapped here for 300 years. Sean shatters the manacles with his voice and Emma knocks out the guards.

Meanwhile, the former Queen of this land, called Grande Dame, rescues the kids and awakens them. She tells them she needs their help to restore glamour to her land. Glamour is the life force for all fairies and elves and it all ended the day the Glamour machine broke. She shows them an ancient scroll which prophesied their coming to save her World, but Skin notices wet paint on it and she admits to lying. They are the first newcomers to venture in her world for centuries, and begs them to fix the Glamour Machine. Jubilee wonders how they could possibly fix such a complicated machine, when M spaces out again and begins to work on the machine. Husk reasons they have no choice but to help, if only to prevent M getting hurt, when there comes a knock on the door. Grande Dame asks Skin to answer it and before him stands an enormous dragon angrily asking who is messing with the Glamour Machine.

Characters Involved: 

Chamber, Husk, Jubilee, M, Penance, Skin, Synch (all Generation X)
Banshee, Emma Frost (Generation X‘s teachers and tutors)

Eamon O’Donnel
Agent Scicluna (Black Air)

Omega Red
Grande Dame
Dragon
Cordelia Frost
Mondo

Story Notes: 

Black Air is a British Intelligence agency which deals with paranormal investigations. Black Air featured heavily in stories of the Excalibur (1st series) #85-100. Agent Scicluna made her debut there.

The life form in the Biosphere that Emma refers to was discovered in Wolverine (2nd series) #91

Mondo and Cornelia Frost’s story continues in the Generation X ‘95 annual.

The dwarf Eamon O’Donnel was last seen in Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #103.

Written By: