X-Men Adventures (Season II) #2

Issue Date: 
March 1994
Story Title: 
Somethin' Sinister
Staff: 

Ralph Macchio (writer), Andrew Wildman (penciler), Ariane Lenshoek & Jeff Albrecht (inker), Michael Higgins (letterer), Carlos Lopez (colorist), Jaye Gardner (assistant editor), Kelly Corvese (editor), Bob Harras (group editor), Tom DeFalco (editor-in-chief)

Based on the Teleplay by Mark Edens

 

Brief Description: 

Cyclops and Jean Grey are on their honeymoon in the South Pacific when Jean gets a strange feeling that something is wrong back at the Mansion. Cyclops tells her to enjoy their vacation, when they come across a small island where they see a man leaping across the shore. He unleashes a powerful scream at them, which capsizes their sailboat and brings them to the island, where they are attacked by a group known as the Nasty Boys who are working for Mr Sinister. Cyclops and Jean are captured and power-dampening collars are placed on them. Back in New York, Wolverine is investigating the pool hall where he, Gambit and Beast were filmed fighting Friends of Humanity members, and is certain that they were set up. Rogue and the Beast arrive at the hospital where Storm was taken after being shot. They learn from her medical chart that she is out of danger – the same cannot be said for Jubilee, who is brought onto a stage at a Friends of Humanity rally, where Graydon Creed asks his followers what they should do with her. They want to make an example of her, but before they get the chance, Wolverine drops down among them, slices their weapons apart, and frees Jubilee. Rogue and Beast return to the Mansion to check on Gambit who is recovering after he touched Rogue. The Professor is there, which surprises Wolverine when he and Jubilee arrive, as Wolverine thought the Professor had left to deal with personal matters. Wolverine accuses the Professor of actually being Morph, so the Professor orders Wolverine to be restrained. The Beast attempts to restrain him, while Gambit throws some kinetically-charged playing cards at the Professor – who leaps to safety, forcing Morph to reveal himself. Morph then makes an escape after releasing a smoke bomb to distract the X-Men. He makes his way to the hangar bay where he steals a plane. Back in the South Pacific, Cyclops and Jean are being held prisoner in Mr Sinister's strange lab. Sinister reveals he has been watching Cyclops for many years and tells them that they are the chosen ones – that with their genetic material he will create a new master bloodline. Morph soon arrives on the island, and confronts Cyclops, blaming him for leaving him behind on an earlier mission, he then reveals that he posed as the priest who married them recently. Morph wants to shoot Cyclops, but Sinister warns him aginast doing so. Morph has flashbacks to being rescued by Sinister, who healed his shattered body, although his mind was apparently beyond repair. Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue and the Beast arrive on the island, and a battle ensues against the Nasty Boys. Cyclops tries to assure Morph that he is still an X-Man, and Morph shoots Sinister – but it's no use, Sinister's body recovers quickly from the attack, and he blasts Morph with an energy beam. Cyclops frees himself and Jean and they join the battle against Sinister, who retreats into the jungle and escapes with his Nasty Boys in an aircraft. Wolverine goes off after Morph who also ran into the jungle, and the X-Men wonder about Professor X. The Professor arrives in the Antarctic, wondering what Magneto needed to see him here so urgently for. Magneto appears, and asks Xavier why he summoned him here so urgently. They realize someone has set them up, before an avalanche washes them away.

 

Full Summary: 

The islands of the South Pacific, a warm and tranquil place, the perfect setting for a couple sharing the bliss of a honeymoon. Even for two members of the much-maligned mutant band called X-Men – what could possibly go wrong in paradise? Jean Grey leans into Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops as they sit in a small boat that rocks on the gentle waves of the waters, the sky a bright orange above them. 'Oh, Scott, after all we've been through – from the Sentinels to Magneto – for us to be here – together... it seems like another world' Jean utters. 'It is, Jean. It is' Scott agrees, before recalling that Genosha looked pretty angelic from a distance, too. 'Leave it to my Mister Summers to drop a caveat into an otherwise perfect afternoon' Jean remakes, before she goes wide-eyed and pulls away from Scott. 'Jean – that look – what's wrong, darling?' Scott asks. Jean exclaims that she has a sense that things aren't right back at the X-Mansion – nothing definite, just a sense. Jean suggests that for now they enjoy this secluded little lagoon they have sailed into.

However, across from the lagoon is a small island, and the X-Men don't see a figure with pink hair and a long coat leap across the rocks on the edge of the island. 'Ahoy! You – on the sailboat! Ahoy!' the mysterious figure calls out. Scott and Jean look out across the lagoon, and Scott reminds Jean that they were told this island was uninhabited. 'That's what the travel agent said' Jean adds. The figure with the pink hair comes into a view – it is a man, who smirks as he tells Cyclops and Jean that it is nice of them to come ashore, and that he has a message for them. 'Listen closely!' he calls out, before he unleashes a powerful sonic scream, which ripples through the lagoon and forces the sailboat to topple, sending Jean and Cyclops falling from the boat and onto the shore of the island. 'We've capsized! Scott!' Jean calls out, while Scott tells Jean to try and ride the wave.

'Looks like you're drydocked. Permanently' a voice calls out. Jean looks up and frowns at the figure towering over her. 'You'll regret spoiling my honeymoon, whoever you are! You've messed with the wrong couple!' Jean declares. The bald, muscular figure standing over Jean tells her to watch herself, and introducing himself as Slab, boasts that he doesn't like threats. 'Doesn't like them at all!' Slab declares as he slams his fist into the sailboat, while Jean ducks from the direction of his oversized fists. 'You watch how you talk to my wife, you animal! I've a good mind to -' Scott begins as he steps between between Jean and Slab, who tells Cyclops to keep it clean. 'You don't want to offend my dainty shell-like ears!' Slab exclaims. The man with the pink hair joins Slab and tells him that they can't waste time on this. Jean suddenly alerts Scott to another mysterious mutant and  tells him that he is raising his fist. 'Looks as if he's going to -' Jean begins, before a blast strikes the two of them, destroying Cyclops' shirt and knocking the two of them out.

'Collar them, Gorgeous George. I do not want to hurt them – yet' the pale-skinned mutant in a dark costume with a large red collar remarks, energy glowing around his fist after firing the blast. 'As you wish, Mr Sinister' the odd-looking mutant with a form that easily shifts in shape responds as  he extends his form over to the fallen X-Men, placing collars around their necks, he jokes that once the collars start to glow, their powers are a no-show. Another mutant, short and hairy, stands ready, near Sinister, before Sinister walks over to Cyclops, who shuts his eyes as he turns to Sinister. Sinister tells Cyclops that it will be easier if he doesn't resist, and explains that unless he deactivates the control unit, the collar will detonate on removal – which is most unpleasant. 'Who are you? What do you want with us?' Cyclops asks. Mr Sinister grins and introduces himself, before remarking that his companions are the Nasty Boys. 'And you, Scott Summers and Jean Grey, are the key that will unlock my glorious future. I have awaited this moment longer than you know!'

Meanwhile, at a recently smashed pool hall in New Salem, where Logan a.k.a. Wolverine, another of the X-Men, picks through the debris. He crouches among the rubble and thinks to himself that something isn't right here – and he isn't leaving until he sifts through all this junk and gets himself a clue. Logan reminds himself that he, Beast and Gambit were minding their own business, shooting pool and suddenly there was a mob outside the joint, ready to tear them limb from limb – a mob of mutant haters. Logan remembers that then, they see the whole fight that strted when they confronted the mutant haters – on television – the fracas was filmed so it looked like he, Gambit and Beast were the aggressors. Logan is convinced that they are being set up. 'And I ain't nobody's fall guy!' Logan declares, before he finds something in the rubble that has an address on it. 'Them mutie-bashers got some answering to do' Logan tells himself, boasting that he is going to be there to hear them, as he heads off away from the rubble of the pool hall.

Several blocks uptown is City Hospital, an ordinary medical establishment, with ordinary windows – about to receive several extraordinary visitors – more X-Men! Apparently, the receptionist supplied us with the proper room number on the phone' Dr Hank McCoy a.k.a. the Beast remarks as he climbs through a window, while his teammate Rogue flies through in front of him. 'Don't Storm look sad, Hank? All banged up after she was attacked by that lunatic mob yesterday' Rogue exclaims as she looks at her friend. Ororo Munroe a.k.a. Storm lays motionless in the hospital bed, connected to several tubes. The Beast examines Storm's medical chart and reports that she is out of danger and recovering rapidly. 'Thank the Lord for that one' Rogue remarks, adding that she would love to let Storm know they are here, but she knows Storm needs her rest. Rogue suggests she might come back during regular visiting hours. Suddenly, the door handle begins to turn, and Rogue hears this. She alerts the Beast and suggests they hightail it the way they came in. 'Get well, 'Roro. We're with ya' Rogue calls out as she and the Beast exit back through the window.

At that moment, in a rundown neighborhood in New Salem, New York, where behind an innocent appearing marquee, a sickening spectacle of full-blown hatred has commenced – as the Friends of Humanity gather inside. Standing on a stage before his dozens of followers, Graydon Creed calls this meeting of the Friends of Humanity to order. He tells those before him that on this evening they have been favored by the unexpected appearance of a most welcome guest. Creed's voice increases and he begins to rant: 'I give you the wretched reason for our group's very existence – in the repulsive flesh! I give you a thing which masquerades as a human being – and yet isn't remotely human!' Creed shouts, as the young X-Man called Jubilee is brought onto the stage by two armed Friends of Humanity members. 'Is this like some Friar's Roast, or something?' Jubilee asks, while one of those escorting her tells her to shut up.

Creed motions at Jubilee and shouts 'What, my friends, shall we do with this creature who carries the bad seed... this thing which will one day propagate her kind – like a maggot! What shall we do with her?' While one of the men on stage keeping watch over Jubilee holds a gun to her back, a man in the audience suggests they make an example of her: 'Rip off her head and mail it to that mutant-loving president of ours!' Another man backs up this suggestion, 'Grab her!' he calls out. But suddenly, the men on stage with Jubilee discover glass falling down from above. 'Skylight must've busted!' one of them exclaims, before Wolverine suddenly drops through the skylight above, 'Meetin's adjourned, boys! Time fer refreshments!' Wolverine exclaims, before sliding down a large curtain, using his claws to slow his descent. 'Problem with that, gents? Didn't think so' Logan snarls as he lands on the stage, then slices the guns apart with his adamantium claws, the Friends of Humanity staring at him in shock.

Wolverine then grabs the two that were holding Jubilee by their gollars: 'Couple of tough customers like you don't need guns to take out one stinkin' mutie, do you?' he asks them, adding that they did pretty well tying up the girl – it must have been a real tussle. 'I think you two need a rest after that kind o' workout' Logan suggests. The two Friends of Humanity members look concerned, while one of them tells Wolverine to get his hands off them. 'My pleasure. Take a load off yer feet!' Logan replies as he tosses them at Graydon Creed, knocking the three of them off the stage and into the audience. 'Um, Wolvie, could you cut me loose?' Jubilee asks quietly. 'We're not gonna take this! Not from mutant scum!' one of the Friends of Humanity exclaims. 'There's fifty of us! Let's rush him!' another suggests. 'Yeah! Then we'll hang him for crimes against humanity!' another declares.

Wolverine grits his teeth and responds: 'Let's dance, dirtbags! I'll shish kabob ya one at a time – or all together! Yer choice!' he calls out. 'Umm, Wolvie, could you cut -' Jubilee begins, before Logan slices the rope restraining Jubilee's hands, and tells her that he heard her. 'Don't think we'll be seeing any grief from these wimps!' Wolverine remarks, pointing out that it has got quiet as a church in here, so they should split. Wolverine picks Jubilee up and starts to run off stage, with one of the Friends of Humanity calling after him 'Loo kat him running off – scared of his own shadow. I oughtta -', but then one of the others tells his companion to zip it, as Wolverine might turn around. 'I – I... oh... right...' he agrees, while Wolverine tells Jubilee that she is keeping great company, and asks her how she fell in with this debating society. Jubilee explains that Rogue sent her, said there was going to be an attack at a mutant safehouse and that she should prevent it. Jubilee informs Logan that she came to this address and was snagged by a creep when she went inside, then they tied her up. 'Will you put me down?' Jubilee asks.

Back at the X-Mansion, 'Greetings, group. Pleased to report Ororo is holding her own at the hospital. She'll make it' the Beast announces as he and Rogue enter a meeting room, where Remy LeBeau a.k.a. Gambit is sitting, a blanket wrapped around him. Rogue remarks that Storm is one tough lady, before telling Gambit that he doesn't look so good himself and asks him how he is feeling. 'Your fault Remy's in dis condition, Rogue. You said you could be touched now. Little kiss – no danger' Gambit reminds Rogue. Rogue goes over to Gambit and tells him that she said no such thing, and calls him a “fibbing swamprat”, that he snuck up on her when she was napping, to steal a peck on the cheek – shame on him. Gambit looks up at Rogue and disagrees, telling her that the shame is on her, playing with his feelings. 'Gal, you owe dis Cajun an apology' Gambit declares. Rogue grins: 'An apology! In your dreams, Remy-Pooh! Ah got nothin' tuh state 'cept min yoh own beeswax next time!'

Professor Charles Xavier approaches the X-Men and tells him that they will sort out this situation later, as he has more pressing matters to discuss with them. At that moment, Wolverine and Jubilee join the group, and Wolverine asks the Professor when he returned, as the last they heard, he had left to take care of personal matters. 'Redhead or blonde?' Logan enquires. Charles tells Logan that he will ignore his final remark, and explains that he concluded his business and returned with this disturbing news – that they may be under attack by a neural disruptor which alters brain waves, causing its targets to behave in a strange irrational manner. Logan sniffs the air and announces that something smells funny here. 'That ain't Charlie's scent I'm picking up!' he exclaims, revealing that Charles has the stink of Morph on him. 'You ain't Xavier – yer our missin' shape-shifter!' Logan declares. Xavier points at Wolverine and instructs Beast and Rogue to restrain him, claiming that he is obviously under the influence of the disruptor. 'Hurry! He may be dangerous!' Charles adds..

'Nice try, Morph! But yer coming clean – or else!' Wolverine responds, before the Beast grabs him from behind, holding his arms back. 'Explanations first... fisticuffs later' the Beast suggests. 'Leggo, ya hairball!' Logan snarls, before he flips the Beast over him and hurls him at Charles, knocking Charles out of his hoverchair. 'Help!' Charles calls out. Logan tells Charles to quit jivin' and get up. 'You need that wheelchair as much as me!' Logan points out, while Charles calls out to Gambit, urging him to destroy Wolverine. 'Destroy? Don't sound like Xavier to me' Gambit remarks, as he charges a playing card and tosses it to the ground, where it lands in front of Charles. 'No – one of those cards – those blasted exploding cards! Gotta get away!' Charles calls out, as he suddenly gets to his feet. 'Pretty good impression'a walking there, Professor. Nice trick, homme' Gambit declares, while Charles looks down at the card. 'Tricked me, huh, Cajun? That card didn't explode – just fizzled out' Morph mutters as he drops his disguise of Charles Xavier, revealing his true, sullen self.

Morph then throws a gas grenade towards the X-Men, boasting that it won't fizzle. 'Chew on this  one, chumps!' he calls out. 'Appears somewhat less than appetizing to me, boyo. But the sentiments are touching' the Beast jokes as he catches the gas grenade, and throws it through a doorway, remarking that he can't seem to keep his dexterous digits on it, and that it has slipped rather conveniently into an abiding corridor, before it explodes, releasing the gas. 'Catch me if you can!' Morph suddenly calls out as he runs into the gas-filled corridor, with Rogue telling her teammates that they have to go after him, even if that smoke is going to choke them. 'Lead de way!' Gambit responds as he follows Rogue off into the corridor. Wolverine turns to the Beast, who is at a console and asks him if there is any reading on the screen, or if they are going to be running in circles. The Beast reports that it seems Morph is moving rapidly in the direction of the hangar - which he thinks is a clever move. The Beast then proceeds to seal off the school's defensive perimeter. 'Figures' Wolverine replies, commenting that Morph knows the layout here, before announcing that he is headed down there. 'As I always say, two radar blips are better than one! Ciao!' the Beast responds.

Moments later, Wolverine arrives in the hangar bay, where Morph is climbing into a jet. Wolverine calls out to him, telling him that he has to understand that once they were whipped by the Sentinels, he tried to make Cyclops go back for him, but Cyclops felt he had to leave, thought Morph was dead, and needed to leave to save the rest of the team. 'I hate him for awhile, too...but we just gotta live with it! He was the boss! You turning on us ain't the answer!' Wolverine exclaims. 'Nice speech. Who're you trying to convince – me...or yourself?' Morph responds as he suddenly transforms into Wolverine. 'He's getting away!' Rogue calls out as the jet vertically takes off through a hatch in the hangar ceiling. 'Where do you think he's going?' Rogue asks. 'Take a guess' Logan tells her, to which Gambit supposes that Morph seeks out that X-Men he has the most reason to hate – Cyclops. He tells the others to come on, as they have work to go, and instructs Jubilee to stay here in case the Professor returns. 'Aw, shucks' Jubilee mutters.

Meanwhile, at a Pacific atoll just off the Solomon Islands, where the remains of a World War Two Japanese bunker houses a sinister scenario. 'Stop staring at us like some obscene voyeur, and explain why you've taken us prisoner!' Jean Grey calls out as she and Cyclops are restrained by their ankles and wrists, against panels that connect the ceiling to the floor of a strange laboratory, where tanks of green liquid house strange floating objects. Sinister stands before the two X-Men and tells Jean that “voyeur” is a fascinating word, and admits that, in a sense, he is. He calls Jean “Mrs Summers” and asks her if she doesn't object to being called by her married name. Sinister then reveals that he has watched Cyclops and Jean for their entire lives – watched them, tracked them and studied them – and they never had an inkling. He boasts that he may know them better than they know themselves. 

Holographic images are projected into Sinister's lair, firstly of Scott as a child, as Sinister announces that he recalls Scott as a young boy, when the first gleam of his amazing optic power manifested itself. Another image, of a slightly older Scott meeting Charles Xavier, as Sinister remarks that he saw when Xavier took Scott under his wing, and made him the first of his gifted youngsters, then watched as he battled the Sentinels – mankind's answer to the “mutant menace”. Another image, of Cyclops and Jean kissing, as Sinister reveals that of late, he gazed at their wedding, where they exchanged vows and spoke of an optimistic future for their kind. Sinister tells Cyclops and Jean Grey that they are the prototypes – the chosen ones. Cyclops tells Sinister to skip the flattery, and points out that he still hasn't told them anything – except that he likes to watch. Sinister holds up a strange device and tells the X-Men that using this device he has extracted blood samples from them both, and that through their offspring, he will control the future of all humanity – homo sapiens and homo sapiens superior. Sinister grins as he holds up a small cubic object which contains a strand of DNA and declares that the genetic material of Cyclops and Jean Grey will be the foundation, the master bloodline, for an unstoppable race of mutants – under his complete domination! 'Through you, I shall give birth to the future! You should be pleased to partake of the grandest experiment of all!' Sinister exclaims.

Elsewhere, in Antarctica, where the mini-jet of Professor Charles Xavier descends. Wearing a thick jacket and hood pulled up over his head, Charles exits the mini-jet in his hover-chair, recalling how Magneto called on an emergency frequency, begging  him to come here to meet him. Charles decides that it is hardly character for Magneto to seek his aid, or anyone's aid for that matter, but he did seem shaken when they spoke. Charles wonders what could possibly have reduced the Master of Magnetism to such a state.

Back in the South Pacific, the stolen X-Men jet lands on the small atoll, where Morph thinks that the other X-Men will follow him as quickly as possible, and that they must be utterly distraught wondering what he will do to their precious Scott and Jean once he finds them. 'And those fools – those self-righteous bumblers have every reason for concern over the happy couple's soon-to-be-extinguished lives!' Morph thinks to himself, deciding that it is fitting that the other X-Men be here to witness it happen. 'Yoo-hoo! Anybody at home? Come out, come out wherever you are!' Morph calls out as he enters the old bunker. Morph strides towards the captive Cyclops and Jean and asks them if they are having a bit of trouble there, joking that he hates seeing friends hung-up over small things. 'Morph! You're alive!' the shocked Cyclops calls out. 'It's no wonder you're our deputy leader, Cyke... who else could be so marvelously perceptive?' Morph mutters sarcastically. 'What are you doing here?' Jean gasps.

Morph smiles and tells the X-Men that he is just checking up on their accommodations. 'I was at your wedding, you know. Probably just didn't recognize me' Morph remarks, as he switches his appearance – into that of the priest who married Scott and Jean earlier! 'I now pronounce you – betrayer and betrayee!' Morph changes his form again, into someone who recommended that Jean and Scott come to this atoll, offering to arrange the boat rental so they were all set. Morph suddenly raises a weapon and points it at Scott and Jean, revealing that he was both the minister and the travel agent. 'It was so much fun!' he exclaaims, adding that he was not as much fun as splattering their brains is going to be, though.

Suddenly, 'If you shoot, Morph, you surely end your own life by my hand!' Sinister exclaims as he enters the bunker with the Nasty Boys. 'Mr Sinister!' Morph cries out, turning to the villain, Morph explains that he has to destroy Summers. 'You know what he did to me! He must die! He must -' Morph begins, before clutching his head and screaming. 'The pain! Make it stop!' Morph pleads, to which Sinister replies 'This pain is nothing compared to the pain I released you from'. Sinister reminds Morph that he was nearly lifeless outside the Mutant Registration headquarters after his “friends” betrayed him during the Sentinel assault. Sinister explains that he healed Morph's shattered body, gave him back his life – but his mind was beyond true repair. Sinister states that Morph's personality was splintered – there was the man who yearned to be back with the X-Men, and the one who interested him – the man who craved revenge on his betrayer. 'That was the one I chose to cultivate' Sinister states, recalling how he used mind manipulation to find the means to control Morph's violent personality shifts and ensure his powers of imitation worked for Sinister's behalf.

Sinister stands over Morph, who clutches his head, and tells him that he became the perfect instrument in his plan. 'Without even knowing why, you placed Scott Summers and Jean Grey in my hands – and rendered the other X-Men helpless' Sinister points out, when, suddenly, there is an explosion, and part of the bunker is blown in. 'Who -?' the shocked Sinister gasps, turning to the direction of four new arrivals – Wolverine, Rogue, Gambit and the Beast, who exclaims 'Oh my stars and garters! The newlyweds appear to be strapped securely to yon tables! Perhaps an island ritual for risque honeymooners, eh my Cajun compatriot?' to which Gambit replies 'And they say ol' Remy got the way with the ladies! Got nothing on that Summers guy!' But Rogue tells Gambit to hush, and that it looks like this passel of baddies is spoiling for a fight. 'Wouldn't have it any other way!' Wolverine calls out, adding that he is itching to sink his claws into something soft. 'Nasty Boys – destroy them!' Sinister shouts.

'Without a second thought, Mr Sinister!' Ruckus responds as he unleashes a powerful sonic scream that knocks the four X-Men back out of the bunker. 'Least we looked great going in!' Wolverine jokes, while Gambit tells him that image isn't everything. 'Oh, save the pretty one for me, Hairbag. Women just love getting plants!' the Nasty Boy called Slab calls out, holding a large palm tree. 'Be my guest, Slab! I'll have me a time with the short, hairy one!' Hairbag replies as he moves towards Wolverine. But as Slab approaches Rogue with the palm tree, Rogue flies into him and slams a fist into his face, joking that she was hoping to knock him silly against that palm tree, but he snapped it off 'Some slabs got no sense o' style!' Rogue adds. 'Making faces at me, Bub, ain't gonna -' Wolverine begins as he confronts Hairbag, only to be repelled backwards by a gas that Hairbag breathes over him. 'That's lethal gas I breathed on you – Bub! And since you were so fond of my breath, big boy... let's see what you think of my pearly white teeth!' Hairbag declares as he leaps at Logan, who has collapsed to the ground.

'Keep them choppers to yer self!' Wolverine coughs, and before Hairbag lands on him, the Beast leaps in and kicks Hairbag backwards. 'Pardon the pedal extremity, sir, but it would never do to have the world and woolly Wolverine taken down by an aggressive attack of halitosis!' the Beast jokes. Nearby, Gambit throws a kinetically-charged playing card after Ruckus, who runs from him. 'Where you going, homme? Dis only one card trick! Wanna see de rest?' Gambit jokes, to which Ruckus replies 'No thanks' and jokes that he is going to make a ruckus someplace else. 'Come to Gorgeous, handsome! We must be careful where we toss our explosives now, don't we!' Gorgeous George remarks as he appears behind Gambit and wraps his malleable body around him. 'you worried about the explosives – then we see them safe and sound in your gut!' Gambit replies as he hurls a charged playing card into Gorgeous George's mouth.

Gorgeous George swallows the card – and his body blows up like a blimp, before reducing back down to his regular form. 'That wasn't fair, but y'see – I'm still standing -' Gorgeous George starts to reply, before he is knocked aside as Slab is thrown into him. 'Guess that Sinister feller's gonna holler uncle now that we whipped his troops, huh?' Rogue smiles. Gambit tells Rogue not to be too sure, before they are both knocked over by a blast that Sinister fires at them. 'Perhaps you defeated my underlings – but Sinister himself is quite another matter!' Sinister boasts.

Back inside the bunker, Jean tells Morph that it isn't too late to make amends and asks him to help them. 'Yes! You can see what a monster Sinister is – you must help! You're still part of the team!' Cyclops tells Morph. 'You're still an X-Man!' he exclaims. 'But you all left me for dead. I – I am an X-man. Yes. That's all that matters now!' Morph declares as he gets to his feet, then calls out to Sinister: 'I'M AN X-MAN! DO YOU HEAR ME!?' as he fires his gun, the blast striking Sinister's lower back. Sinister grins, and turns back to Morph, as his wound repairs itself instantly. 'You see – I cannot be injured by mere firearms! I should have let you die your lowly death, Morph' Sinister remarks, responding by firing a blast at Morph, knocking him backwards as he decides that Morph did manage to serve some small function in the overall scheme, and for that,  he shall offer him a swift death.

Suddenly, Cyclops is able to slip one arm free from the restraints. With his free hand, he snaps the power-dampener collar around his neck, then pulls his glasses off his eyes, releasing several optic blasts that shatter the other restraints. Cyclops then frees Jean, before blasting Sinister backwards with an optic blast. 'You've done enough to him, Sinister! Your fight is with me!' Cyclops shouts as Sinister falls backwards. Hairbag and Slab rush over to Sinister as Cyclops asks him if he likes playing god with the lives of other mutants – threatening him and his wife. Cyclops warns Sinister that he is going to show him the consequences of assuming the pose of a deity, and tells him to get up, as he is just starting.

'I SAID GET UP!' Cyclops shouts, to which Sinister tells Scott that there is no need to shout, as he heard him perfectly well. And as he gets to his feet, Sinister fires a blast at Gambit and Rogue, knocking them back as the Nasty Boys begin to run away. Sinister follows them, and tells the X-Men that unfortunately they have a pressing engagement elsewhere, but that they will continue their llittle lesson in genetics. 'That, I promise you!' Sinister vows. The X-Men are too slow to follow, and the Beast remarks that the jungle appears to have instantly swallowed them. He asks if they engage in pursuit, before a loud rumbling interrupts him, and the X-Men look up as a vessel rises up through the jungle. 'Why that sneaky so-and-so! He had a getaway ship hidden just in case someone got onto him' Rogue remarks, supposing that they go after him before he gets too far, but Wolverine tells here to forget it, as by the time they get to their ship, he will be gone.

Suddenly, another ship rises up from the jungle, and Wolverine identifies it as the het Morph stole from them. The Beast remarks that it appears Morph has given them the slip, before Rogue asks what they do now. Wolverine tells the others that he doesn't care what Morph did when he wasn't in his right mind, as right now he is probably scared to death. Wolverine vows that he is going to find Morph and bring him back, after all, Morph was one of them, and they have to take care of their own. 'Don't wait up for me' Logan tells the others as he heads off into the jungle. The Beast tells the others that it seems Wolverine has a strangely compassionate heart, and Cyclops points out that if it is true that you really know a man by is actions, then they have just learned a lot about Logan now. He suggests that they go home, as they still have to find the Professor. Rogue remarks that she is really  worried about the Professor's whereabouts. 'Ain't exactly sunshine for us, is it?' Rogue asks. 'Never is, petite. Never is' Gambit replies.

Meanwhile, in Antarctica, 'You seem remarkably well for a dying man, Charles. Because of our past relationship, I offer a response to your urgent summons' Magneto, the Master of Magnetism, calls out as he appears amongst the snow that blows around Charles Xavier. 'My urgent summons? It was you who contacted me, Magnus at the X-Mansion on an emergency frequency. You seemed near death' Charles replies. 'I have never been more fit' Magneto responds, narrowing his eyes. Standing next to Charles, Magneto suggests that it appears they have been the victims of a dupe, that someone wanted them here – someone who is going to be very, very sorry. Charles replies that this is obviously a trap and tells Magneto that they must be on their guard. 'I hardly need your warnings to -' Magneto begins, before there is a loud rumbling. 'The mountain is shaking! It can only mean an – AVALANCHE!' Xavier shouts, before he and Magneto are swept away in a flurry of snow and rock....

Characters Involved: 

Beast, Cyclops, Gambit, Jean Grey, Jubilee, Rogue, Storm, Wolverine, Professor X (all X-Men)

Morph

 

Mr Sinister

Gorgeous George, Hairbag, Ruckus, Slab (all Nasty Boys)

Magneto

 

Graydon Creed

Friends of Humanity

 

in Sinister's holograms:

Cyclops, Jean Grey

Professor X

Sentinel

 

in flashback images:

Mr Sinister

Morph

 

Story Notes: 

This issue is based on “Til Death Do Us Part (Part 2)” which originally screened on October 30 1993.

Storm was grazed by a bullet fired by one of the Friends of Humanity last issue.

Professor X departed the X-Men after a disguised Morph lured him away last issue.

Issue Information: 
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