First Story:
Warren Worthington sits at his desk, reviewing paperwork and investments. He checks his palm pilot, noting appointments for lunch with the Minister of Transportation, a tour of SpaceShipOne with Rutan, and a Genoshan Survivors’ charity dinner.
Feeling the burden of his busy schedule, Warren decides to stretch his wings and glides out of his office window for a relaxing flight. He wishes everyone could feel the joy of flying, but then wonders if it would be as special to him if everyone could do it.
Later, Warren arrives at the Xavier Institute in his limousine. Several of the students greet him, asking to join his flight class or if he’s here to help the X-Men fight. He waves to Rachel, Kitty and Danielle and knocks on the Headmaster’s door.
Scott invites him in and thanks Warren for his prompt arrival. The old friends sit down and Scott asks for Warren’s help. Due to the bad publicity the Institute has been getting, Scott wants to establish a charity to project a more positive image of the school.
Warren assumes Scott wants his financial aid and tells him that funds will be transferred as soon as he returns to the office. Scott interrupts him, as it’s not Warren’s money he needs, but his vision.
Scott wants this charity to not only do good things, but also to reflect what the Xavier Institute stands for: overcoming perceived disabilities, personal transformation, empathy and cooperation.
Warren replies that is a hefty agenda, but Scott has confidence that he is the one for the task. Warren ponders the idea, but quickly agrees to helm the project.
Over the next three weeks, Warren visits many different charities but none of them help him to define what the X-Men mean to him. Longing for a flight to clear his mind, but too exhausted, Warren sits down to read a favorite book-“The Past through Tomorrow”.
While reading, Warren is inspired and jumps in excitement, suddenly struck by an idea.
Warren visits Gilblane Construction about constructing a dome-shaped building. Calar Tensiles have created metal wings attached to harness for him and Warren consults S.H.I.E.L.D. about variable gravity conditions. He also visits a hospital for people with physical disabilities.
As the project nears completion, Scott joins Warren at the site of “Wings Over the World”. Scott is very impressed and wonders where Warren got the idea. Warren tells him the idea was from the book, that the lunar colonists took advantage of the moon’s lessened gravity to fly in a giant bubble. “Wings over the World” uses S.H.I.E.L.D. anti-gravity units to achieve the same effect within the dome, allowing participants to use the metal wings to glide.
As Scott and Warren talk, Reverend Salthouse, whose organization objects to the project, interrupts them. The reverend believes they are encouraging “celestial delusions”, that for mortals to don wings and fly is almost blasphemous.
Warren asks Reverend Salthouse if he considers Warren to be one of God’s children. The reverend agrees that Warren is a child of God and Warren spreads his wings, replying that whatever God gave him, he can share with the world.
With “Wings over the World” open, participants with many disabilities flock to try it out and Warren happily flies amongst them.
Second Story:
At the Xavier Institute, Kitty Pryde is badgering Hank McCoy. She wants to know where they are going for their weekly evening out. Hank tells her it’s a surprise and shoos her away, as he’s busy working on a paper.
Kitty scoffs that he’s always busy working on a paper, but concedes that it is his week to choose where they are going. Hank reminds her that she took him to see Bryan Adams the previous week. Exasperated, Kitty tells him it was Ryan Adams and Hank asks if there’s a difference.
Still wanting to know the evening’s agenda, Kitty continues to probe Hank. She says that although rules and structure are good, sometimes you need to shake things up. Glancing at a picture of him when he appeared more human, Hank tells her not all change is progressive. Kitty asks if they could break the rules, just once, and let her choose again this week, as there is a Marx Brothers double-bill showing.
Later, dressed in an evening gown, Kitty tells Hank she hates him. He asks her if something is the matter and she complains that they are at the opera. Hank thinks it’s wonderful, but Kitty thinks “Acis and Galatea” sounds like a pharmaceutical firm.
Hank compliments her on her wit, but tells her he’s been looking forward to seeing Professor Xavier’s favorite opera for some time. Not all evenings out should involve denim and sneakers, Hank tells her, and she should know better than to close the door on new experiences.
As they try to enter the theatre, the doorman blocks their way. Hank tells the doorman that he made arrangements with the management, but the doorman tells Hank he looks like no one in the mutant database.
As a frustrated Hank lunges for the obnoxious doorman, a gunshot goes off outside the opera. Kitty and Hank rush out to find a young man has been shot trying to prevent thieves from stealing a wealthy opera patron’s necklace.
Hank sniffs a scarf left at the scene as Kitty questions the owner of the necklace. He tells her the thieves escaped in to the sewers. Kitty turns around to tell Hank, but he’s gone.
A few blocks away, the thieves are trying to take off in a car after leaving the sewers. Suddenly, there is a loud thud on the roof of the car. Hank starts to tear the roof off the car, having followed the scent on the scarf to the criminals. One thief starts screaming that Hank is a monster while the other pulls his gun.
Hank smashes through the windshield and tosses the thieves from the car. He tells them he is not a monster, at least not yet, as he recovers the stolen necklace.
At a diner later on, Kitty remarks that Hank is awfully quiet after the night’s events. She tries to talk to him about it, but he loses his temper and tells her to drop it. Hank apologizes for his outburst and Kitty tells him he has every reason to be angry.
Hank tells her he’s not angry - he’s scared. Kitty asks what he’s scared of and he tells her it is change that frightens him, as he looks at his reflection in the diner’s window.
Kitty comments that she thought she was the only self-indulgent mutant in town and phases through the wall, telling Hank to follow.
They arrive at the theatre showing the Marx Brothers double-bill and Kitty gives Hank permission to growl if he has any problems at the door. Hank thanks Kitty for bringing him and they enter the theatre, with Kitty telling Hank there is hope for him yet, as she gets him to try something new at the snack bar.
