House of M: Civil War #5

Issue Date: 
March 2010
Story Title: 
Rex
Staff: 

Christos N. Gage (writer), Andrea Divito (artist), Laura Villari (colorist), Dave Sharpe (letterer), Lauren Sankovitch & Lauren Henry (assistant editors), Bill Rosemann (editor), Joe Quesada (editor-in-chief), Dan Buckley (publisher), Alan Fine (Exec. Publisher)

Brief Description: 

Magneto’s troops fight the Sentinels over Washington DC while Vice-President Trask has given orders to nuke Genosha. However, the missiles are stopped by Magneto’s ally, Black Bolt. Magneto intends to take the fight to the enemy and has Gateway teleport him and Quicksilver aboard the SHILED heli-carrier where Trask is. Magneto then drops the carrier to the ground (while sparing lives). Instead of surrendering, Trask calls Sentinels and overrides the order that keeps them from harming non-mutants. Unfortunately for Trask, Magneto uses him as a human shield, resulting in the Sentinels killing him. Magneto then leads the Sentinels away to Central Park to keep the other humans safe. Meanwhile, Quicksilver has found their ally, agent Carol Danvers, and her files on the anti mutant conspiracy. He and Carol join Magneto, whereupon Carol reveals her superpowes as she goes to Magneto’s aid. Eventually, they win and Magneto takes the president prisoner. Later, they give Carol’s files to the United Nations. It’s a new dawn for mutants. After his rousing speech, Magneto finally admits to his children that he is their father. However, Polaris and Quicksilver do not take the news well. Wanda, in the meantime, comforts him that everything turned out for the best. He tries to believe, even while mutants everywhere now begin to lord it over humans…

Full Summary: 

Washington DC:

Magneto’s mutant army fights the Sentinels. While Magneto throws a tank against one of the killer robots, another of them blast and kills several mutants, among them Dragoness.

Quicksilver comes running, shouting Magneto’s name. Agitated, he informs him that they’ve launched missiles at Genosha! He knew they would, Magneto replies and promises it will be dealt with. But time works against them and these non-metal Sentinels are slowing them down. They need to take the fight to their masters. Quicksilver replies that Forge’s instruments traced the command signal. It originates thirty thousand feet above New York. The SHIELD heli-carrier, Magneto replies. Then that’s where he should be.

Magneto next calls for Polaris and explains that he and Quicksilver must go. He needs her to lead in his place. Stammering, Polaris promises she won’t let him down. Magneto asks her to tell their people he goes to strike at their enemies’ heart. Then he begs her to be careful. Before she died, when she entrusted Lorna to his care, he swore to her mother to protect her. And he did, Lorna replies. She can take care of herself now. Magneto replies he is very proud of her.

Quicksilver wants to stay to fight. Only fools want to fight, Magneto admonishes him. He should want to win and for that he needs Quicksilver with him. He orders him to take him to the teleporter Gateway. Pietro complies. Magneto promises him there is no more important front in this war. Everything depends on them. Pietro promises he’ll give his life to see they succeed. He prays not, Magneto replies unexpectedly. For what profiteth a man if he gain the whole world… What? Pietro asks. Nothing. Pietro watches Polaris leading the others into battle, shouting Magneto is taking the fight to the enemy. When he’s back let’s give him a gift! The United States of America!

Gateway’s bullroar creates a portal and Magneto and Quicksilver disappear.

Aboard the SHIELD heli-carrier, Vice-President Trask is informed that the missiles are one minute away from Genosha. Trask asks if they have visual. He wants to see the mutant homeland go up in a mushroom. An agent accesses a satellite image. What they see is a figure hovering in the air – Black Bolt, king of the Inhumans, who opens his mouth and with his powerful voice destroys the missiles before they can detonate. The connection breaks off. The agent explains that their satellite was hit by the same massive sonic blast that destroyed the missiles.

That was Black Bolt, Dum-Dum Dugan announces. Since when are the Inhumans working with Magneto? Trask demands to know who this Black Bolt is. Another mutant? Dugan explains he is the ruler of a race of superhumans who live in the Himalayas. They’ve always kept to themselves. Magneto must have formed an alliance with them. Trask orders more missiles to be deployed. At the Inhumans too. They’ll see whose homeland he decides to defend then. Dugan points out that means launching ICBMs at Tibet. May he respectfully remind him China has nukes too?

Frustrated, Trask gives order to send them at Genosha. More than they can stop. He wants it raining bombs on that godforsaken place.

Magneto and Quicksilver appear that moment. God has not forsaken Genosha, Magneto announces: “he’s forsaken you”! SHIELD agents fire non metal guns at him. Clever, he remarks wryly as he uses a floor plate to shield himself and Pietro. Pity they are in a steel flying machine. Did he say “Flying?” He stands corrected. He gestures and the engines stop.

The helicarrier falls into the river. He reminds Quicksilver he knows what to do and Pietro runs off. Hovering above the people in the command center, Magneto reminds them that crash could have been fatal, had he wished. There’s a saying about people in glass houses. He’d extend it to steel. He’s giving them the chance to surrender without loss of life.

Surrender to a mutant? Trask replies. He never thought he’d see the day… and he won’t! He presses a button on a device and Sentinels rip the hull apart. The Sentinels warn that with humans in here they can use non-lethal options only. Trask overrides the programming and gives the order to kill the mutant target at all cost! They announce compliance and begin firing at Magneto.

Dugan shouts if Trask is insane. They will kill them all! Trask is fine with that. Whatever it takes to see Magneto dead! If that’s how he feels, so be it, Magneto agrees and lifts Trask between himself and the Sentinels. Predictably, Trask is killed by a Sentinel’s energy ray.

Magneto informs Dugan that he will draw the Sentinels away, so that Dugan can get his people to safety. That moment, Quicksilver returns carrying a blonde SHIELD agent with a file. However, Magneto cannot hear them anymore.

Pietro presses a SHIELD agent against the wall and demands to know where he’s gone. Dugan orders Wilson to tell him. The SHIELD agent replies it looks like they are headed for Manhattan Central Park.

At Central Park, there are few civilians. Magneto attacks the Sentinels with levitated vehicles. “Come on then!” he shouts. “To your death or mine. It ends here!”

Aboard Air Force One, the president has learned of the helicarrier’s and the vice president’s fate. He intends to order a nuclear strike on Manhattan to get Magneto.

Quicksilver tells agent Danvers, who is holding onto her files, that he will take her to the Daily Bugle so she can show them what she has. But she insists he take her along to Central Park; she can help! She knows this person? Dugan asks confused. Carol agrees and announces that she quits.

Pietro runs over to Central Park, where Magneto is up in the air under attack by Sentinels. He can’t reach him! He needs reinforcements! He tells Carol he needs to run to Washington and can’t have her slow him down. She is on her own. Try not to get in the way! That’s exactly what she plans to do, she shoots back and flies up, absorbing the Sentinel’s blast.

Magneto is surprised, then identifies his ally as Agent Danvers. Charles Xavier spoke highly of her. He didn’t realize she was a mutant… She’s not, Carol replies. Long story, but her alien powers would have driven her insane without Charles’ help. Quicksilver said they killed Xavier. “Let’s make them regret it!” She attacks one sentinel while Magneto takes the other.

Quicksilver arrives in Washington DC and asks Gateway to open a portal to Manhattan. He rallies his fellow fighters: Magneto is fighting for his life… for all their lives! Follow him! Let them show the world no mutant stands alone!

They follow him to Central Park and help fight the Sentinels. Magneto now finally has the time to properly concentrate and find what he’s been looking for: Airforce One suddenly is out of control, moving down… and decapitates the Sentinel holding Magneto.

Stop! he orders, preventing the plane from crashing. He magnetically opens the plane door and grabs the president.

Later in Washington, standing atop a Sentinel head with the president as his prisoner, Magneto addresses his people. He promises that the mutant blood lost here will be the last ever lost. He tells mutants everywhere it is time to come out of hiding, time to embrace their destiny. The world is theirs!

Genosha, several days later:

Magneto, now dressed in a ceremonial suit rather than costume, addresses his cheering people from a balcony. He announces that he speaks not only to them but humankind as well. By now they’ve seen the documents presented to the United Nations. Indisputable proof of a worldwide multi-governmental anti mutant conspiracy spearheaded by the president and vice-president of the United States. Those responsible will be tried in the world court. Some will say that is not enough. Some will want to punish all of humanity for the sins of its leaders but he says they are better than that. They are the next step in evolution. To truly embrace that destiny they must evolve spiritually as well.

He introduces the woman to his right as Carol Danvers, the human SHIELD agent who risked her life to provide him with the documents he spoke of. They owe her more than words can say. Following their tradition of choosing a new name, a mutant name, he has christened her Captain Marvel, the champion of humans and mutants alike.

Then he refers to the woman on his left, his daughter Wanda who is genetically human, but her heart is committed to the mutant cause. To persecute all humans for the crimes of a few would be to spit on the bravery and sacrifice of these women and that of Charles Xavier, who died so Genosha could live, who dreamed of coexistence between man and mutant. In his name, they show mercy. In his name, he declares an end to hostilities!

Pyro ignites up the flame for Xavier’s monument. This is a historic day, Magneto announces, arms stretched out. They stand witness to the beginning of a new world. A word of peace, of prosperity, the perfect world they all hoped and prayed for. Today at long last those prayers are answered.

The crowd cheers his name as he and his inner circle step inside. Captain Marvel congratulates him on the speech. She’d better go. There’s still a lot to do to make it official. The UN agreed to his demands, he replies. Some nations will need persuading, she points out. They are scared. They find it hard to believe he won’t want revenge. Why would he? Within a few generations there will no longer be any humans. What better revenge is there than that? Uh, right, Carol replies, taken aback. She’ll be in touch.

Magnus asks Wanda, Pietro and Lorna to come with him. There is something he’d like to discuss with them He leads them to a room with a sumptuous feast. He doesn’t have to do things like that for them, Lorna exclaims. He wants to, he replies. It’s the least he can do for his children.

Lorna agrees that he has always been like a father to them. Pietro interrupts that’s not the way he meant it. He didn’t mean “like” a father, did he?

He wanted to tell them so many times, Magnus states. But the danger if anyone found out…

He is their father? Lorna asks in disbelief. All these years, she thought her dad abandoned her and her mother! Magnus assures her they were very much in love. But had his enemies known, they would have killed her. Cancer killed her, Lorna shouts. She wasted away for months and he… He visited when he could, he replies. When he could? When he could? she shouts. She lashes out with her power to toss the table away, then walks off in a huff.

Magneto tells Pietro to unleash his famous temper at him. He deserves it. Pietro looks at him sullenly, then races off without a word.

Only left is Wanda, who assures him she understands. And so will they… in time. Think of all they have achieved. All the wonderful things that have happened. All over the world, mutants are coming out of hiding. For the first time in their lives, they are not afraid.

In New York, mutants rob a hardware store and terrorize the clerk.

They can stand tall and proud, knowing they are free to go as far as their talents take them.

At SHIELD headquarters, old personnel like Dum Dum Dugan leave as the new mutant SHIELD agents take over.

Confident that their days of fear and oppression are gone forever.

In Egypt, Apocalypse lords it over his human slaves.

Isn’t that what he spent his life fighting for? Wanda asks. She’s right. It’s everything he ever wanted. All of his dreams have come true, he states with the demeanor of a man who believes anything but what he just said…

Characters Involved: 

Magneto

Polaris

Quicksilver

Wanda

Magneto’s troops

Captain Marvel / Carol Danvers

Black Bolt

“Dum-Dum” Dugan

SHIELD agents

Vice-president Bolivar Trask

President Nixon

Sentinels

Story Notes: 

Matthew 16:26: For what profiteth a man, if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul? Is the whole quote.

ICBM is an acronym for Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile.

A slight mistake: Magneto publicly refers to Wanda as his daughter, before actually informing his children of this.

Issue Information: 
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