This issue on the one hand is about an article of Xavier´s about mutants in society. On the other hand it is about several goings-on in the X-Men's lives (in brackets).
Xavier's article starts with a definition of the term "mutant", before going on to describe what role mutants can play in society. Xavier points out, how foolish it is to hate another person for their special talents.
[The X-Men in the meantime are shown playing baseball and using their special powers in the process. Even Wolverine cracks a smile, watching his teammates' antics.]
In the article Xavier explains why he thinks young mutants have to be embraced by society and taught the use of their special gifts. He cites his X-Men as examples: Marvel Girl was almost driven mad by her psychic powers, until Xavier suppressed them, Now she works with mentally ill people herself and helps the police with missing people.
Storm, blossoms academically, in spite of her past as a runaway and uses her powers to help the farming community.
Cyclops, usually a poor student, shows exceptional leading skills and does extreme sports with underprivileged children, thus offering them a positive role model.
Iceman helps the poor.
[At the same time Iceman is shown to "mistakenly" walk into the girls dressing room, while Jean and Ororo are changing; apparently not for the first time.]
Beast works on a project to find alternatives to expensive pharmaceuticals in third world countries.
[Beast is shown to have an Internet chat with a groupie.]
Xavier gushes most about the two former criminals Wolverine and Colossus, who spend their nights solving crimes and helping the hopeless.
Xavier admits, that not the entire mutant influence is positive, citing Spike Lee's upcoming Magneto biography or Professor Bolivar Trask's theories about cruelty being hardwired into mutant genes as negative influences
Considering the Brotherhood's renewed attack on financial districts, Xavier admits, detractors might have a point.
[Xavier has a meeting with the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver and asks them to consider less violent alternatives to simply blowing targets up: for example proving the corruption of politicians or outing mutant celebrities.]
In the article Xavier excuses his inaction against the Brotherhood with the claim that outright battle is an outmoded solution. Violence begets further violence, but ideas change the world.
[On a walk in Central Park Xavier introduces Colossus to Erik Lehnsherr, a social worker, who works with handicapped children, a man, who's the amnesiac reprogrammed Magneto. Xavier says, he doesn't believe in killing, but he staged Magneto's death, because the public was howling for blood. Now he has the chance to reintroduce Magneto into society and eventually rehabilitate him.
"Erik" feels that Xavier is kind of familiar and he has a problem with his watch that always stops, proof of his still existent magnetic powers.
Back at home, the X-Men prepare for the photo shoot. Cyclops is gossiping with Toad on the phone. Apparently Storm retaliated for Iceman's Peeping-Tom-tendencies by creating a tiny thunderstorm in his intestines. And Blob turns out to be Beast's secret Internet "admirer".]
Xavier finishes his article with the thought, why mutants should only be considered an evolution of all that's bad in humanity, as Trask claims. Isn't it possible that they are also an evolution of man's capacity for good?
[Some time later Iceman and Xavier discuss that the magazine turned the article down, because it is too pro-mutant in light of the Brotherhood's terrorist attacks.]
