In the streets of Hammer Bay, Genosha’s capital, 3-D images, broadcasted by a so called telemutate, appear. They portray the recent capture of the dangerous X-Men Wolverine and Psylocke. Some kids talk about how cool it must be to own such a telemutate, whose images are much better than those of a usual TV. Actually they believe that to be the reason why the X-Men “stole“ the mutate Jenny Ransome (Uncanny X-Men #238, though obviously Genosha’s cizizen have been fed some cover story for the incident). Suddenly a small patrol consisting of two Magistrates and a tracking mutate arrives, they are hunting the escapees Boom-Boom and Rictor. Soon they run into Jubilee who was trying to buy some food without being noticed, since she was the only one still dressed in normal clothes. Anyway the tracker recognizes her as a mutant and a fight starts. Jubilation runs away, with the patrol hot on her tracks, but suddenly Ric and Boom-Boom jump on them from a nearby roof. Even though they are currently powerless, they are able to knock out the Magistrates with combat moves learned from Cable. Without his masters the mutate is scared, he tells that he just emerged from the Genegineer’s labs and is not yet properly trained. The three teenagers wonder what to do, as they hear others troops nearby. Again they run and order the mutate to accompany them. Jubilee wonders why they do not run towards X-Factor‘s coordinates which Psylocke gave them mentally; but Rictor points out that they can’t endanger their friends by leading Magistrates to them.
Meanwhile the rescue team of X-Factor and the remaing members of X-Men and New Mutants are discussing strategies in an abandoned warehouse near the citadel. They come up with a plan, and after Marvel Girl bids Cyclops farewell, she telekinatically lifts half of the group towards the citadel, while the rest reamains behind as a back-up force.
Inside the citadel Commander Cameron Hodge questions the Magistrate Havok, why the Genoshan forces performed so bad agaist the invading X-Factor and X-Men (in X-Factor 62) and why they haven’t been captured yet. Alex apologizes that obviously Forge must have designed some devices to hide their mutant energy signatures, secretly he still wonders about Cyclops‘ claim to be his brother. Hodge wanders off to the labs where the Genegineer has already prepared Wolfsbane for the mutate bonding process. Already her head has been shaved and genetic material has been removed to create more tube grown mutates. A telepathic mutate is ordered to completly mindwipe her, but in the last instant Hodge intercepts. He wants not all of her memories erased, in some dark corner of her mind she should remember what has been done to her, yet unable to oppose Hodge’s commands.
In the streets Tabitha, Rictor, Jubilee and the tracker have eluded the Magistrate patrols and break into an empty appartment to gat some food and shelter. Suddenly the owner, a Magistrate, comes home, but he is taken by surprise and the mutants defeat him. They switch on the TV and are surprised to see Rahne on national TV. She has been turned into a mutate and reads a speech, claiming that she “willingly offered to serve Genosha in expiation for the terrorist crimes of the X-Men“. Rictor storms off and wants to rescue her from the citadel, but Tabitha is able to hold him back and talk some sense in him. At least they should have a plan. Jubilee vouches that rescueing a friend is a worthy cause, even if it is a suicide mission, and surprisinigly also the tracking mutate says that Rictor reminds him of his mother, who tried to stop his mutate process and so he will help as much as his programming allows.
At night Jean and her team consisting of Cable, Gambit, Sunspot and Forge plant various bombs around the citadel. They are almost finshed and shielded from electronic detection thanks to Forge’s scrambles as a guard spots them from a balcony. Gambit tries to stun him with an energizes throwing card, but the soldier falls off the balcony and shouts. Alarmed more guards arrive and a fight starts, while not far away, the three teenagers and their mutate emerge from the sewers. As Jubilee becomes aware of the fight in front of them she wants to join the battle, but Tabitha and Ric hold her back since they know first hand about the power negating effect. Jubilee points out that they themselves blamed Storm for making a similar decision (Uncanny X-Men 270), but Tabitha admits that Ororo was right, which she now sees. Only seconds later Hodge and Wipeout arrive at the battleground and the fight is over as all mutant powers of Jean’s team are cancelled. Seeing his masters the tracking muate runs towards them and the three teenager already think their cover is blown, but as the mutate is questioned he reports the area. Jubilee, Ric and Boom-Boom continue to watch from a safe distance as Hodge presents another surprise to his captives. Mutate 490 (Wolfsbane) steps from the shadows, she announces that all of them will be tried and condemned and will become mutates like herself. Rictor is shocked to his love in the zombie-like state. He thinks that the key to defeating the Genoshans lies within Wipeout, kidnapped he could be forced to return their powers.
