Hellions #3

Issue Date: 
October 2020
Story Title: 
Nothing People
Staff: 

Zeb Wells (writer), Stephen Segovia (artist), David Curiel (colorist), Virtual Calligraphy's Ariana Maher (letterer), Tom Muller (designer), Stephen Segovia & Rain Beredo (cover artists), Valerio Giangiordano & Romulo Fajardo Jr (variant cover artists), Tom Muller (design variant cover artist), Anthony Gambino (production) Jonathan Hickman (Head of X), Annalise Bisa & Lauren Amaro & Mark Basso (assistant editors), Jordan D White (editor), CB Cebulski (editor-in-chief)

Brief Description: 

Madelyne briefly recounts the different women she has been – a pilot, a mother and a nothing person, before Havok takes some broken glass and cuts his own mouth open after Madelyne sewed it shut. Havok speaks to Madelyne about his love for her, and the way he felt when Madelyne rejected that love because she only cared for Cyclops, before they kiss. Kwannon and Wild Child engage in battle after Kwannon discovers that her teammate needs to find his place in the “pack”. She shoves a psi-blade into his head, reducing him to his lower functioning state. Havok finds Scalphunter hanging from the ceiling, while the other old Marauders are using tools to try and break through the armor that Nanny and Orphan Maker wear. Madelyne is in complete control of the Marauders and when she commands Arclight to cut off her own hand and eat it, Arclight begins to do so. Scalphunter remembers Madelyne and she tells him that he shot her in the head and stole her baby. Madelyne appears somewhat deranged. Kwannon's fight with Wild Child continues, resulting in her breaking some of Wild Child's bones and eventually snapping his neck to prove that she is in charge. Havok kneels before Madelyne, and he now appears to be under her control. Madelyne reveals she has access to Sinister's old clone farm, filled with dozens of versions of the Marauders and is going to bring them online and ravage Krakoa to prove to Cyclops that she exists. Blockbuster breaks through Orphan Maker's armor, resulting in an acid spurting upwards and burning off Scrambler's face. Nanny begins to tell a story about Orphan Maker – Peter – while Arclight continues to eat her own hand, to Scalphunter's disgust. When Wild Child's mutant healing factor kicks in, he thanks Kwannnon for putting him in his place, and follows her through the old laboratory as she tells him they have a mess to clean up.

Full Summary: 

Omaha, Nebraska, in the clone farm of Mister Sinister, located under the State Home for Foundlings, where Madelyne Pryor the Goblin Queen stands before Alex Summers a.k.a. Havok and tells him to hush and that she will play him a spell. Havok is unable to respond, as Madelyne has altered his face so that he has no mouth. Havok stares back at Madeleyne, wide-eyed, as she grins and utter 'Good boy! Now. There once was a girl from the Land of the Midnight Sun...who longe to fondle the sky. But was grounded by the touch of another'. As she plays a strange keyboard, Madelyne's appearance changes, reverting to her pilot's overalls. 'Your brother' she tells Alex, her appearance changing again so that she is pregnant, smiling, she remarks 'Who the girl cherished. Who promised to cherish her. Until his first love returned, his true love'. Madelyne plays some more keys on the keyboard, and her appearance changes again, a blank slate with long red hair as she remarks 'And the girl became...a nothing person. In a nowhere place'. She slams her hand down on the keyboard, and reverts to her current appearance, 'You're making noise, Alex. I told you to hush' Madelyne snaps.

Havok kneels down and picks up a shard of glass which he then uses to slice open his mouth, blood dripping from his mouth he grabs Madelyne and offers to tell her a story – about a boy who wanted the woman his brother had, who promised her he'd give her everything his brother couldn't – a boy who learned she really loved his brother the whole time. A boy who is beyond $#%&*^% sick of hearing her talk about him. Madelyne grins at Alex and tells him that he has changed – and she can work with this. Madelyne leans into Havok, kissing his blood-drenched mouth and lifting one of her legs up against him.

Elsewhere in the run-down old laboratory, Kwannon, now called Psylocke, shuffles down a corridor, clutching her wounded chest as blood puddles form behind her, leaving a trail. She looks up to see Kyle Gibney a.k.a. Wild Child leering down at her from a platform above. Kwannon tells him to stand down and that his animal instincts have taken over. 'I'm your friend, even if they compel you to test me' she assures him. Wild Child leaps down at Kwannon, 'I said heel, dog!' Kwannon exclaims, grabbing his hair, she yanks his head back and readies a psi-blade. 'Wounded or not... I am the Alpha!' Kwannon shouts as she shoves the powerful blade of pure psionic energy straight into Wild Child's head. Wild Child drops to the ground, then slowly gets back up, turning to Kwannon, his eyes glow with rage, his claws are tensed and he roars at her, as Kwannon knows that all that's left of him are the lower functions.

Back in the other part of the lab, Havok looks over to where John Greycrow a.k.a. Scalphunter is hanging from the ceiling. He hears a repetitive clanging noise, and realizes the zombie-like Marauders are up to something, so asks Madelyne why her idiots are making a racket, and motioning to Scalphunter, asks why they don't just eat him. Human bones can be seen strewn about the ground as Madelyne looks over at Scalphunter and tells Havok that he is his. 'Let them work for their food' she smirks, motioning to the shadows, where the zombie-like Marauders – Arclight, Blockbuster, Harpoon, Riptide and Scrambler – are using hammers and other tools to try and crack open the armors worn by Nanny and Orphan Maker. “First one to break gets eaten like cake!” Riptide sings, to which Harpoon laughs. 'Are you touching my Peter, you animals?' Nanny asks, unable to see Orphan Maker as she is face-down on the ground. 'Shcramble shcrambled!' Scrambler utters, to which Oprhan Maker snaps 'I know I've been scrambled, butt-breath!'

Madelyne strokes Scalphunter's hair between her fingers and remarks that the Marauders are hungry, that they will always hunger, no matter how much they eat – that is the curse she gifted them. 'Do you know why?' she asks Scalphunter, who just stares back at her as he continues to hang upside down. Madelyne is annoyed at this and tells Scalphunter that it is very, very unwise to pretend that she doesn't exist – it is her least favorite thing. Madelyne summons Arclight, who walks over to her, 'Yesh, kween?' Arclight asks. 'Remove your hand and eat it' Madelyne instructs Arclight, whose real name is Philippa Sontag. 'Yesh, kween' Arclight responds as she takes a dagger that Madelyne has created, and carries out her instruction, starting to slice into her own wrist.

'I remember you' Scalphunter calls out, which causes Madelyne to frown and tells Arclight to hold. 'See? It's like I don't exist until I start hurting people. Why is that?' Madelyne asks. 'Maybe -' Scalphunter begins, but Madelyne puts her fingers in his mouth, preventing him from speaking. 'You shot me in the head and stole my baby. I went away then...my mind had to find someplace safe. But when I came back I wasn't...' Madelyne begins, her voice trails off, she frowns and explains 'He made us like this. In this lab. Me and you. Sending you to kill me...knowing I'll send other yous to kill him...' she grins, and her eyes go wide, she laughs and apologizes, joking that it is funny if you think about it too long. 'But enough. It's time for you to die. Yes, you must all die in pain. Then they'll see...see that I'm a real girl' Madelyne exclaims. She tursn and walks away, with Havok following her. 'Arclight, you may eat now' Madelyne calls back. 'Yesh, kween' Arclight responds as she starts to chew her own hand in front of Scalphunter.

At that moment, Kwannon dodges Wild Child as he lunges at her, crashingb binto some old equipment. Wild Child growls, so Kwannon tells him 'All right. The old way, then' and closes her eyes, standing still, as Wild Child leaps towards her – but as he is about to strike her, Kwannon's lightning-fast reflexes grab his arm and she breaks it, before kicking one of his legs so hard that she breaks that, also. 'Bad dog' Kwannon tells Wild Child as she grabs him in a headlock – before casually snapping his neck with ease. 'Enough?' Kwannon asks Wild Child as he lay broken and twisted at her feet. He gurgles something in response, 'Good boy' Kwannon tells him.

Elsewhere, Madelyne now sits on a throne, while Havok kneels before her. 'You've created a home for all mutants. All except me' Madelyne points out. She tells Alex that she is hurt, although people won't see it through the blood and horror, but she is hurt. 'You see that I can't let them forget? How it wouldn't be fair?' Madelyne asks. She touches Havok's face and asks him if he sees why she has to take his head and throw it at their feet. 'Yesh, kween' Havok replies, while tears fall down his face. 'Good' Madelyne declares, standing up, she turns to dozens of pods that hang from the ceiling – the clone pods. Madelyne announces that first they will take Sinister's children as he took hers, and with them, make a family of monsters. 'I will birth all his Marauders at once, like cutting the belly of a pregnant snake. And with a thousand mutant killers I will flood your Krakoan gates'. Madelyne smiles as she remarks that the lucky will drown in the blood of the murdered, and in the sleeping remains of the island, she will leave her footprint, that in mutant blood and soil it will fossilize, scarring this cursed epoch – and then only fools will argue that she never existed. 'But for Scott...your head' Madelyne utters, while Havok looks up at her, tears continue to fall down his face.

Back in the other area, Arclight apologizes to Scalphunter, telling him that she is still so hungry. 'Fantastic' Scalphunter mutters as Arclight raises the dagger to her former lover's chest. The clanging noises suddenly come to a stop, as Scrambler announces that he has got something. 'Move, idiot. Let me!' Blockbuster exclaims, trying to push Scrambler off of Orphan Maker while Scrambler shoves a spear into Orphan Maker's neck. 'You're going to crack his seal!' Nanny cries out. 'Okay' Riptide replies. 'No, it's not okay!' Nanny exclaims. Blockbuster pushes Scrambler aside, telling him that he isn't fast enough, and that he is hungry. Blockbuster then slams a spiked weapon down on Orphan Maker's chest, and a strange liquid spurts upwards, striking Scrambler in the face and knocking him backwards. 'Is my face okay?' Scrambler asks, unaware that the liquid has scorched half of his face. 'What the hell was that?' Blockbuster asks.

'There once was a boy named Peter, who loved his mommy very much. But one day as Peter fed, a great fever -' Nanny begins, before Blockbuster raises the spiked weapon towards her, 'Hey! I wasn't done with my story – wait, you ghouls!' Nanny calls out, while Arclight tells Scalphunter that she needs him, and that she is sorry. 'Apologizing ain't like you, Sontag. Do what you're gonna do' Scalphunter replies as Arclight moves the dagger to his face, and the clanging noise continues. 'I'm so hungry...' Arclight utters, before Scalphunter closes his eyes as the dagger strikes him.

At that moment, Kwannon hears Scalphunter screaming, and Wild Child sits up and thanks Kwannon, explaining that knowing who is in charge calms his mind. 'If you've healed, come... we've a mess to clean' Kwannon declares as she readies her psi-blade and sets off through the facility....

 

Characters Involved: 

Havok, Psylocke II/Kwannon, Nanny, Orphan Maker, Scalphunter, Wild Child

 

Goblin Queen

Arclight, Blockbuster, Harpoon, Riptide, Scrambler (all Sinister's Marauders)

 

Story Notes: 

Despite appearing on the regular cover to this issue, Mr Sinister and Empath do not appear in the issue itself.

Scalphunter shot Madelyne in Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #215.

This issue contains a text-only page of notes on Kwannon's placing within Sinister's Hellions.

Written By: