On Maple Blvd. Mr. and Mrs. Drake are eating dinner in their Dining room. Madeline is telling her husband William that something is wrong with their son Bobby. She says he is becoming more withdrawn and in an effort to calm herself blames it on the pressures of high school. Mr. Drake only says “I Know” and asks if there is anything good on TV.
A drop of water hits William on the head and he looks up. There is a massive leak in the ceiling which is directly below Bobby’s room. The Drakes knock on Bobby’s door and notice the floor is soaked. They bust in to find everything frozen and Bobby curled up in a blanket. Bobby says he think he is dying. William pulls off the blanket and sees that parts of Bobby are frozen too. William touches Bobby and his hand freezes. Bobby asks “W-why can’t I j-just be… like everybody else…?!”
At the A.M.M. headquarters in Trenton, New Jersey, William Metzger is being fitted for a suit while Arthur introduces him to Chad. Metzger tells Chad that the suit is to look like the he belongs in politics. He says that his paper started out as underground literature and now has become a national movement. He tells Chad that he is now about to use the media to bring out America’s celebrities that are mutants.
Agent Duncan is in his car outside Freeport High School. He talks into his tape recorder saying he is there to see Professor Xavier. He has never seen someone so “…committed to his cause, but distant at the same time.” He also muses Xavier is very manipulative and wonders if Xavier is manipulating him.
In Professor “Alexander’s” office, Agent Duncan gives Xavier a folder containing Jack Winters’ history. Xavier tells Duncan that it is hard enough to approach Scott Summers with his offer since he has been an orphan most of his life, but now that he knows Summers is being used by a career criminal, he has to be more careful. Duncan offers to handle Winters but Xavier declines, saying he must do this himself.
When Xavier tells Duncan that he believes Summers’ powers are optic blasts Duncan says “Sounds like a dangerous power for a kid to have to deal with…” Xavier yells at Duncan. Xavier accuses him of being paranoid like everyone else. Duncan yells back, saying he has put his career on the line to help Xavier and he better learn the difference between paranoia and sympathy! Xavier apologizes and Duncan leaves.
On the Charlie Ross show, Metzger begins his attack on mutant celebrities holding up a magazine with Warren Worthington III on the cover. On Tough copy, the celebrity mutant story is on again using the magazine with Warren on it.
Warren makes an angry call to his agent, denying that he is a mutant.
The news talks about the rise of street crimes in Manhattan. As Warren is shopping in a store the clerk is being robbed. The news covers a story about a former White House intern who might be a mutant. The robber is attacked and thrown out of a window by a masked winged man. The clerk attacks the winged man for being a mutant. William Metzger makes a statement that if mutants have infiltrated the White House, then it is time for new leadership.
Warren flees the store and flies back to his apartment. He calls the clerk a “…stupid…ingrate…” when suddenly stuff in his room starts floating around. Magneto is standing in the room. Magneto tells Warren that he is Homo Superior and that he should be ruling humans, not saving them. He tells Warren that he is the one that destroyed the robot that was chasing him. He warns him that a war is coming and offers him a place at his side. Warren blows him off and leaves.
Starkey is hiding in an alley. Two homeless guys see him and tell him to join them by the fire. One takes his coat even though Starkey tells him no. The two men finally see that Starkey is a mutant. They pick up wood clubs and beat him then run away.
At the Shoreham Nuclear Plant,the robbery is going as planned. Scott Summers and Jack Winters are in an office when a guard surprises them. Jack tells Scott to blast him. Scott hesitates but Caffe, one of Jack’s goons, knocks out the guard from behind. Jack is mad at Scott and starts to beat on him.
Outside the office, one of Jack’s goons lights a cigarette but suddenly falls unconscious. Jack tells Scott he is to blast the guard to nothing. Scott refuses. Jack tries to force Scott when Xavier announces “That’s quite enough.” Xavier says it is a joke that Jack thinks he is Scott’s master. When Xavier demands that they release Scott, Caffe points a gun at Xavier. Xavier knocks both goons out with a mind bolt. Before Xavier can explain things to Scott he runs away.
Scott gets lost in the hallways. Xavier tries to communicate with Scott through a mind link. It freaks Scott out and he tells Xavier to leave him alone. Scott is caught by Jack again. Jack starts beating on Scott. The guard wakes up and hits the alarm. While Jack is distracted Scott blasts him. Scott blasts Jack again and again until Jack is buried under rubble. Scott considers killing Jack but decides he will not sink down to that level. Xavier finds them and asks if Scott is going to go back to his old life alone. He offers Scott an alternative …
