The Good Shepherd
In the ruins of Genosha, Charles Xavier tries desperately to salvage the mind of Wanda Maximoff. However, after several months, Wanda has not gotten any better, and all attempts have taken a toll on both Xavier and Magneto. Realizing that Wanda needs not just a mental cleansing, but a spiritual one as well, Xavier contacts Dr. Strange, who tells Charles that for Wanda to recover it is important for the people around her to be at peace as well.
During Xavier’s next session with Magneto and Wanda, Strange comes as well to aid Xavier in his psychic journey. After walking through memories of Xavier’s time in war, his break-up with Moira MacTaggert and his relationship to Gabrielle Haller, Strange realizes that Wanda is using Xavier’s regrets and shame to hide herself from him. For Xavier to help Wanda, he must overcome his problems first. However, the two also realize that Wanda is also feeding off Magneto’s shame and the forces he controls. Strange and Xavier eventually reach a part of the journey where Strange can no longer continue. Xavier continues and confronts Gabrielle Haller about their past. After making peace with his inner demons, Xavier finds
Magnus reading a book to Wanda. Knowing that Wanda is feeding off of his power, Magnus tells Xavier to shoot him with his gun in order to end her misery and prevent her downfall, but after his journey Xavier realizes that this is not the way to save Wanda. For them to be a happy family, they must work hard. Xavier ends the psychic journey and speaks with Dr. Strange about the results. Xavier believes that Wanda and Magnus are both driven by love and for creating a better world; however, a solution to Wanda’s condition is still unknown. [Excalibur (3rd series) #13-14]
Judge, Jury… Executioner?
Unable to come up with a viable solution on Genosha to save Wanda, Xavier steals away from the island and heads to New York City, where he meets the New Avengers at their headquarters in Stark Tower, among them Captain America, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Wolverine and the Sentry. There, the Avengers invite Dr. Strange and several former Avengers, such as Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man, Wasp, Yellowjacket, She-Hulk and Falcon. The Avengers then have Wolverine bring in the senior staff of the Xavier Institute. Cyclops’ squad of X-Men, including Shadowcat, Emma Frost, Beast and Colossus, arrive at Avengers Tower and are shocked to see their mentor there.
The assemblage of power wastes no time in bringing up the heavy subject matter. Xavier informs the heroes that he has attempted to salvage the mind of Wanda Maximoff, but to no avail. Emma Frost and Wolverine immediately suggest killing Wanda, as she poses a threat to the delicate relations between humans and mutants. However, Captain America and Cyclops refuse to entertain such a notion, though are disturbed to see that a weary Xavier does not object. Captain America then announces that only the Avengers can decide Wanda’s fate, and the team votes to see what Wanda thinks.
However, neither team realizes that their meeting has been spied upon by Quicksilver, who rushes back to Genosha to inform Magneto. Unfortunately, Pietro’s hopes of saving Wanda are dashed when he realizes that his father, worn by attempts to save Wanda, is indecisive about what to do. Magneto hints that perhaps ending Wanda’s life is the only solution, leaving Quicksilver torn.
The X-Men and Avengers arrive at the ruins of Genosha and quickly realize that something is wrong, as Xavier cannot sense Wanda on the island. As the heroes investigate the building where Wanda was recuperating, Xavier suddenly vanishes out of thin air. The heroes are unsure of what is occurring, but suddenly Emma senses Wanda, though Dr. Strange senses nothing. Emma leads the team to another part of the island, where they come upon a church. The heroes enter to investigate the church but, when Spider-Man turns a corner and sees something, the world around him burns away in a flash of white light. [House of M #1]
Brave New World
With her powers, Wanda remakes the world, and quite possibly all of reality. When the flash of white light subsides, the world is no longer one ruled by humans. In this new world, back in the 1970s, when mutants were still a minority and hunted down by the robot Sentinels, a man known as Magnus arose from the ranks of his fellow mutants and stood up against the tyranny of human kind. With his magnetic powers he led mutant kind through the Mutant-Human War, and was victorious after the human defeat in Central Park in New York City. Mutants were liberated and now rule the world, their numbers increased immensely and they now control everything from governments, to culture and to media.
Today, the vast majority of people on Earth are mutants, while humans are a dwindling species. However, this has led to a role reversal, with humans becoming
second class citizens in some parts of the world and treated as inferior. The world is now ruled by King Magnus, father of the royal family known as the House of M, whose capital is the island of Genosha, an advanced nation once built on the backs of enslaved mutates. With Magneto are his mutant children Quicksilver and Lorna, as well as his rarely seen daughter Wanda, who apparently is human. In reward for their actions in the Mutant-Human War, Magnus has gathered his closest allies and formed them into his Royal Guard. Magneto also employs the services of S.H.I.E.L.D. to protect the world. Sentinels are still a common sight in the streets, though mutants view them as protectors instead of oppressors now. [House of M #2-3]
In order to prevent the Avengers and X-Men from coming for her again, Wanda has given most of them true happiness within the revamped reality. The various members of both groups live their lives to their hearts content, in world where they are no Avengers or X-Men. Not only this, but many people long dead in the proper version of the reality are now alive in the House of M world. Despite these drastic changes, however, no one in the world remembers the way reality was before Wanda tampered with it, and they all live their new lives as if the world has always been like that. However, not everyone is as happy as they are supposed to be. Among them are a group of human freedom fighters led by Luke Cage called the Human Resistance Movement, the outcast Bruce Banner who was run out of the United States, as well as several world leaders who are displeased with Magneto’s rule, such as Black Panther, Queen Ororo, King Namor or Emperor Sunfire.
The Life and Times in the House of M
One area in particular where mutant culture is vibrant is Mutopia X, an area of New York that is famous for its culture and its role as a haven for mutants. Surrounding Mutopia X is a destitute area known as Sapien Town, where the remnants of humanity in New York can gather. Ismael Ortega, a high ranking human officer of the X.S.E., is partnered up with street cop Bishop after it becomes clear that the Sapien League, a militant offshoot of the Human Resistance Movement, is targeting celebrity mutants instead of politicians. Ortega and Bishop are put in charge of protecting movie mogul Daniel Kaufman and his wife, Lara the Illusionist, and this necessity became apparent when Kaufman is attacked by the Sapien League at a movie premiere. However, despite having helped save the day, Ortega’s heroic actions put him as a target for the Sapien League and its leader, Popova.
Ismael’s problems do not just include the Sapien League. At home, Ortega finds himself with a mutant son, Esteban, but a human daughter, Chamayra. 
Ismael’s wife, Armena, wishes to take Chamayra to the Centre for Transformation and Illumination in order to cure her daughter’s Sapien “sickness,” termed Arrested Genetic Development, a term for those who have not displayed any form of mutant powers. Ismael does not feel that anything was wrong with Chamayra, but his problems grow worse when he begins an affair with Lara the Illusionist, which is caught on camera and published in The Pulse. For the sake of their children, Armena agrees to give Ismael one more chance, but only if he agrees to let Chamayra take the Rite of Transformation.
Kaufman also discovers his wife’s infidelity and, after capturing Popova, the two strike a deal that requires Popova to kill Ismael at his daughter’s Rite of Transformation, in exchange for some information. On the day of the Transformation, the Ortega’s are closely guarded by Bishop, but Popova sneaks in disguised and attacks. Ismael and Armena are protected, but a stray bullet hits Chamayra in the chest, killing her, before Popova is finally taken down. [Mutopia X #1-4]
Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous (Sapiens)
Being human does not always mean that one is relegated to being lower caste. Industrialist Tony Stark is one of the wealthiest men on the planet, and has contracts with the House of M to design weapons, as well as being a contestant on the hit show “Sapien Death Match,” where humans battle in robotic suits, alongside his father, Howard, and Johnny Storm. However, despite fame and fortune, Tony lacks a good relationship with his father, and this becomes apparent after discovering that his employee, Hank Pym, is secretly working on a project to map the mutant genome. Fearing retribution by the House of M, Howard orders the project shut down but, when Pym disappears with the data, a disgruntled Howard makes his disappointment known to Tony. Refusing to look weak, Tony tracks down Pym to a Human Resistance cell with his Iron Man armor, but Sentinels arrive and murder the Resistance members. Iron Man defeats the remaining Sentinels and thus is branded a human sympathizer.
The House of M contacts Tony and, after dropping hints that they suspect that he is Iron Man, a paranoid Tony gives into their demands that he sign over the Vision Project that Forge and Hank McCoy have been working on. 
Infuriated by Tony’s actions, Howard reprimands him, as the House of M actually thought Johnny Storm was the Iron Man. When Tony goes to destroy the Iron Man suit, he finds Johnny hiding, and the two agree to fight their oppressors by first finding Pym. The two are successful, but quickly discover that Pym has created a gene bomb for the Human Resistance that causes a genetic meltdown in mutants. The two heroes track down all 103 bombs in Chicago, but are attacked by the House of M and their new Vision robots, led by Magneto. Tony discovers that his father set this all up so Iron Man could kill Magneto and look like a hero, but Howard ends up perishing at the hands of Magnus. Tony refuses to fight Magneto and decides to focus his attention to clean up Chicago, despite his company facing a hostile takeover by Jason Wyngarde. [Iron Man: House of M #1-3]
Peter Parker also became famous as a wrestler, actor and business man. Marrying Gwen Stacy, Parker and she have a son, Ritchie, and live with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. However, 
Parker’s success is not all that it seems. In a world where mutants rule supreme, Parker hides the true origin of his powers and tricks the world into thinking that he is a mutant. He even keeps this information private from his publicist, J. Jonah Jameson, whom he humiliates constantly since Jonah treated him poorly when he was younger. Jonah’s luck changes, however, when he is attacked by the Green Goblin. The Goblin gives Jonah Parker’s diary, where Parker mentions the true origins of his powers.
Jonah takes the information to the news media, and thus the public turns on Parker. When a little boy is beaten and hospitalized for wearing a Spider-Man shirt, Parker visits him, but soon learns that his bodyguard, the Rhino, has run amok downtown. Spider-Man defeats him, but the Rhino escapes to the Green Goblin, who tells him to meet him at Parker’s house that night. Rhino complies and that night gets into a fight with the Goblin. Gwen unmasks the Goblin and discovers that it is Parker. Peter reveals that he has been having nightmares of a world where Gwen and Ben are both dead, and his family believes that Peter subconsciously created the Goblin to force his secret out into the open so he could stop living a lie. Peter fakes his death and goes into hiding with his family, but not before sending out a message to Magneto to leave humans alone, or else. [Spider-Man: House of M #1-5]
Note: The ending does not mesh well with a scene later on, in which Peter and his family freely walk around in public. Peter is still beloved in that scene and the family is not in hiding.
Dirty Politics a.k.a. If You Cannot Beat Them, Obliterate Them
While there are underground rumblings against the House of M, there were also ruling families who had ill wishes for Magnus, though politics made dealings tricky. Dr. Doom, ruler of New Latveria, leads a strike force for the House of M to deal with some of the more unruly super-powered beings. With his wife Valeria and son Kristoff, he created the Fearsome Four, giving them their own powers via science and magic.
After realizing that mutants were the next stage of power, Doom used his magic and technology to create liquid body armor for himself. When his rival, Reed Richards, died in a cosmic experiment, he took into custody the only survivor, Ben Grimm, who was now horribly mutated into a rocky creature. Calling him “the It,” Doom made the weak-minded creature the final member of his group, as well as a pet to abuse.
However, Doom’s mother makes it clear to him that he is nothing more than a dog following Magnus’ orders. Frustrated with this idea, Doom hatches a devious plan. After creating a dimensional teleporting gate, the Fearsome Four travel through and kill all the sentient creatures they encounter, also realizing that in this world Magneto’s powers would not work the same, due to magic being superior there, and physics being altered. The Fearsome Four travel to Genosha, where they offer the gate as a gift, but after traveling through to show that it works, they attack Magneto and Quicksilver and leave them there to die. While Doom sends It to find and kill Polaris, he takes his new throne, but a fed-up It rebels against Doom and frees Magneto and Quicksilver. A battle quickly ensues and, in the process, Valeria and Kristoff are killed. Magneto also captures Doom’s mother, who disowns her son and sucks up to Magneto to save her own life. Magneto does not kill Doom, but cruelly sends him home alone to live out the rest of his miserable life. Meanwhile, the It escapes and is found by Alicia Masters, who takes him to join yet another resistance group. [Fantastic Four: House of M #1-3]
New Latveria is the least of Magneto’s worries, however. The continent of Africa, under the guidance of the Black Panther and Queen Ororo, has become an economic super-power that would soon surpass the House of M. Magneto becomes enraged at Ororo when she makes comments on 
television that Magnus takes personally. Blaming the Black Panther for all of this, Magnus sends Sabretooth to kill him, since Quicksilver failed to break-up the Panther and Ororo. However, the Panther easily defeats Sabretooth and sends back the severed head to Magneto. Black Panther meets with the other free leaders left in the world and makes an alliance with Namor, Black Bolt and Sunfire. Magneto then contacts Apocalypse, who he knows plans on dethroning him, but still hires his services to dispose of the Black Panther. However, Apocalypse and his Horsemen are easily defeated by the Panther’s new alliance, and the political aggressions are temporarily halted. [Black Panther (4th series) #7]
Further from Genosha, more uprisings are in the making. Bruce Banner, who was run out of the United States because of his alter ego as the Hulk, 
finds himself now living in Australia among the mutant Gateway and his Aborigine tribe. However, trouble starts when Exodus’ troops attack A.I.M., the last human resistance in Australia, which is helping humans escape the tyranny of mutants. Hulk aids A.I.M. and its leader, Monica Rappaccini, and dethrones Exodus with the help of Rappaccini’s daughter, Scorpion.
Australia becomes a safe haven for humans, but Scorpion and Banner quickly discover that refugees are mysteriously disappearing. After investigating, they discover that A.I.M. is transforming humans into a cyborg army to fight Magneto. Rappaccini realizes that she will be found out, so she frames others for the cyborg program. Hulk, unfortunately believing Rappaccini, kicks out A.I.M. and Scorpion from Australia, though allows Monica to stay to turn the cyborgs back human. Shortly, Magneto contacts the Hulk about letting Exodus return in exchange for being left alone, but the Hulk refuses and threatens to destroy Magneto if he interferes with Australia. [Incredible Hulk (3rd series) #83-86]
“Something is Rotten in the state of Denmark”
Though Wanda warped reality, it soon becomes clear that her changes are not perfect. Captain Genis-Vell of the Kree came to Earth as a diplomat to renew the Kree alliance with Earth. However, during a battle against the Thunderbolts, Vell encounters the man called Flashback. An accident occurs when the two battle, and Genis experiences visions of the world prior to Wanda’s change. The encounter leaves Genis hospitalized and, during that period, his human colleague, Major Erik Josten, takes a blood sample from him. Josten is actually part of the Human Resistance alongside Dum Dum Dugan and others, and wishes to use the sample to create a bio-agent to kill the Kree, create an alliance with the Shi’Ar and destroy mutant kind. After being released from the hospital, Genis tries to make sense out of his visions and decides to visit one of the men in his visions – Rick Jones. However, he discovers that Rick is dead. Genis’ powers go out of control, and both Kree and humans try to take him down. Josten commanders a special Sentinel secretly built for the Human Resistance, but it is destroyed and he escapes, realizing his secret plans will be revealed. Genis, however, is left in a coma. [New Thunderbolts #11]
Note: Genis apparently quickly recovers from his coma, as he is seen later on in Genosha.
However, the undoing of Wanda’s work begins aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. Wolverine, leader of the elite Red Guard unit, wakes up in bed with fellow agent, Mystique, except he remembers 
everything about his old life before the reality change, including memories that he never had access to before. Recalling the events on Genosha before the reality wave, Wolverine escapes from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and heads out to find his colleagues, though this initially proves difficult, as he has no way to find any of them. Unable to locate the X-Men or Xavier, and confused about Peter Parker’s new celebrity status, Wolverine heads to Stark Tower to contact Tony Stark. [House of M #3]
When Good S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents Go Bad
Confused and shocked at Wolverine’s actions, Director Sebastian Shaw calls in Mystique to question her on Wolverine’s recent behavior. 
He brings up a recent mission Mystique and Wolverine were on in Mexico, attending a party at the House of M embassy. The party was attacked by rebels, who wanted to steal the Sentinel that was given to Mexico as a gift. However, Shaw has photographic evidence that suggests that Wolverine was a part of the attack and was working with the thought to be deceased Nick Fury, former leader of the Red Guard and Logan’s rival. Mystique admits that Wolverine disappeared from the hospital after the attack and, even though no clues pointed to Fury, he still hunted the man down. Finally, Mystique confesses to have tracked Wolverine down to a warehouse where Fury was, but Fury caused a blast and escaped. Shaw locks up Mystique but learns that, before the Mexico incident, she accessed Fury’s file. Shaw then confronts Mystique, who finally admits that it was all a stage – she set up the Mexico attack and posed as Fury in order to bring the passion of war back to Logan. Shaw, believing that Wolverine went rogue to find Fury, sends Mystique and the Red Guard after him. [Wolverine (3rd series) #33-35]
Meanwhile, the New Mutant Leadership Institute is attacked by Japanese human terrorists, but they are defeated by the New Mutant’s rivals, the Hellions, an elite S.H.I.E.L.D. training squad. Preoccupied with Wolverine, Mystique puts Moonstar and her Hellions in charge of taking down the terrorists, which is led by the father of the Hellion, Surge. Surge is pulled off the case because of this, so she contacts her boyfriend, Prodigy of the New Mutants, to help her. He convinces his teammates to help, but no one realizes that New Mutant Wallflower and her father, Sean Garrison, are actually secret S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Wallflower kills Quentin Quire to protect her and her father’s secret when he discovers it. The Hellions discover that the terrorists are after Emperor Sunfire’s Project: Genesis to destroy it, but the leader refuses to admit what the project truly is.
The New Mutants find the human terrorists, but Wallflower betrays them and calls in the Hellions. The groups discover that Project: Genesis actually is a process to transform humans into mutants, with fatal results, and it was partially designed by Sean Garrison. Simultaneously, Karma and Cypher of the New Mutants discover Sean Garrison’s duplicitous role, but kill him before he kills them. The two groups in Japan team up to destroy the project, but Wallflower uses her powers to force them all to fight each other. The mutants eventually kill Wallflower, but not before some of their own perish. Emperor Sunfire arrives to stop the kids, but the Hellions and New Mutants battle him in order to give Magik time to teleport the human subjects away and reveal Project: Genesis to the world. [New X-Men: Academy X #16-19]
Who – or What – Is Layla Miller?
Making his way to the city, Wolverine reaches Stark Tower, but finds that Stark isn’t there. Before he can make his next move, he is attacked by Mystique and the Red Guard unit, consisting of Toad, Jessica Drew, Rogue and Nightcrawler. Wolverine battles his former comrades and escapes, but is chased down the streets of Chicago. However, his assailants are defeated by mysterious allies, and Wolverine is suddenly teleported away by newly arrived Cloak.
Cloak takes Wolverine to Luke Cage and his Human Resistance cell, among whom is Hawkeye. The group is attacked by Sentinels, but most are able to escape. Cage informs Logan that they learned of him going rogue and thought it was worth checking out. Wolverine tells the Resistance about the old world and about Magneto and the Scarlet Witch, but is surprised to
learn that Wanda is apparently a human in this world. While the others do not believe Wolverine’s story about reality being altered, Cage does, as a young girl named Layla somehow showed him visions of the old world, though he has no recollection of the events he saw.
Wolverine realizes that Layla is a mutant and then takes her to the residence of Scott and Emma Summers. They catch Emma and Scott off guard, and somehow
Emma’s telepathy mixes with Layla’s ability to see the true reality and this causes Emma to permanently remember the real world. Emma and Layla use their powers in conjunction to “wake up” all the others, except for Hawkeye, who refuses. Emma, however, is intrigued by Layla, as she seems different than mutants and humans. Needing more allies, the group locates and wakes up Spider-Man, She-Hulk, Daredevil, Iron Man, Dr. Strange, Ms. Marvel and Shadowcat. However, they discover that Captain America was never frozen after the end of World War II, and is now an elderly man, so they do not use the process on him.
The group organizes and deduces that Magneto has coerced Wanda into remaking the world and used Xavier to probe their minds to find out what would make them happy, in an attempt to prevent the heroes from interfering; Wolverine’s deep desire being able to remember his past being the reason he remembered initially. Suddenly, the team is attacked by the Red Guard unit but, when Rogue makes skin contact with Layla, she goes out of control and wakes up her team, and inadvertently Hawkeye, who runs away in the confusion. Rogue freaks out and accuses Layla of not being human, but the group has no time to deal with that or Hawkeye, as they must find Xavier and stop Magneto. [Captain America (6th series) #10, House of M #3-5]
It’s the End of the World As We Know It
The altercation at Stark Tower does not go unnoticed, as reporters flock to the scene of the crime, including Kat Farrell of the Daily Bugle’s The Pulse. Kat’s frustrations come to the forefront, as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents prevent her from getting any details and her editor doesn’t help her. However, Kat herself does not go unnoticed. 
The confused and angry Hawkeye, who now remembers his old life and his death by Wanda, approaches Kat as she works late at night at the Bugle writing a report on the House of M gala for Magneto’s birthday in the next few days. He holds the woman hostage and talks to her about his recent problems in order to get it off his chest. He shows her an article in the Daily Bugle, but Kat sees an article about the House of M, while Hawkeye sees a totally different article about him being part of the Avengers. He apologizes for harassing her, but takes her to where Avengers Mansion would have been in this world, though now it is a garden. Hawkeye destroys a statue to Magneto in Central Park, and tells Kat that he believes the Scarlet Witch brought him back from the dead to put her out of her misery, so he will do just that. Hawkeye then runs off and heads to Genosha. [The Pulse #10]
As the heroes make their war strategies, other forces work to save the entire multiverse from destruction. When Wanda changed reality, her powers broke out of her universe and caused chaos in other realities and worlds. Otherworld, home of the Captain Britain Corps, was horribly mangled and twisted as realities bled together. Captain Britain and Meggan find Roma, the Omniversal Guardian, and discover that a fault in their home universe must be sealed, or else she will be forced to destroy the entire reality. Captain Britain and Meggan have 48 hours to seal the breach, however when they arrive in the House of M reality they are warped into the King and Queen of England and lose all memories of their mission. At a party for Magneto’s birthday, Brian is reunited with his sister, Psylocke, and her traveling companion, Marvel Girl. That night, however, Brian is plagued by visions of his mission.
The next day the group discovers the Marauders, sent by the House of M, are hunting down two individuals in England. The heroes confront the Marauders and learn that their 
target, Nocturne, has royal blood in her, causing controversy. The group defeats the Marauders but, when Nocturne runs from them, they stumble upon the tear in reality, which causes Brian to regain his memories. Before he can repair the tear, though, he is attacked by the Omega Sentinel known as Karima Shapander for treason against the House of M. Karima is defeated, but the heroes have limited time to seal the breach, as a wave of temporal energy heads to their reality from the other side. Meggan passes through the breach to use her powers to block off the tsunami, sacrificing herself to a fate unknown as Psylocke and Rachel close the breach and save the world. [Uncanny X-Men #462-465]
Dimension-Jumping Party Crashers
Captain Britain and Meggan were not the only ones to enter the House of M from another dimension. The reality-hopping team known as the Exiles came to this Earth several times before, most recently to pick up their new teammate Beak. Finished with his duty as an Exile, Beak was on his way home. However, the Exiles returns to an Earth far different than when they left it. Seeking out his girlfriend, Beak finds that Angel Salvadore is now a famous super-model, and their children no longer exist. Heartbroken, Beak does not know what to do, and the 
Exiles are troubled to find that, in this mutant “utopia,” mutants commit the same atrocities and have the same lack of compassion towards humans as in worlds where humans rule. However, no one realizes that they are being stalked by the body-snatching serial killer known as Proteus, who takes over Angel’s body.
Using Angel, Proteus attacks the Exiles with his reality altering powers. The Exiles meet Moira MacTaggert, Proteus’ mother, who has been chasing him from Scotland ever since the House of M destroyed her lab and freed him. The Exiles discover Proteus’ weakness to metal and how he was destroyed on the real Earth thanks to Heather, but they can do nothing as he defeats them. Moira kills herself before Proteus can possess her but, when Mimic attacks and hesitates to kill Proteus, the killer takes over Mimic’s body, leaving the dying and withered body of Angel. After encountering the Tallus and using his reality bending powers to access the files of the Exiles base, the Panoptichron, Proteus/Mimic escapes to another reality. The Exiles quickly tend to Angel and, leaving Beak behind, they chase Proteus to the next reality. [Exiles #69-71]
Elsewhere, Deadpool, Cannonball and Siryn return from another dimension to their reality. Before the warp they began a multi-dimensional jump in search of their missing teammate Cable. However, when the three return home, 
they do not realize where they are and assume that they are in another reality. Investigating, they find Cable, but he is now an infant and in the care of Mr. Sinister. Sinister seems to be reformed in this reality, but he drugs the food he serves the heroes. Not having had the food, Siryn and Cannonball lose all trust in Sinister. They plan to steal baby Nathan from Sinister, who shows them his teleportation chamber. Cannonball and Siryn teleport to Westchester to find the X-Men, but Sinister takes a sample of Deadpool’s healing factor to accelerate baby Nathan’s growth. Sinister insists that Nathan will be needed to guide the world when Magneto dies, but Deadpool steals Nathan away from Sinister and seemingly teleports away. [Cable & Deadpool #17]
Note: Deadpool does not teleport to another dimension at the end, even though he thinks so. In truth, the white light was Wanda reshaping reality again.
The Final Decree of Wanda Maximoff
Meanwhile, Cyclops leads his forces to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. With Shaw away, Emma uses her powers to let the heroes on board without being detected. She then mentally controls Captain Greycrow to take the ship to Genosha. While on the way, 
the heroes relax and discuss what happened. However, there doesn’t seem to be a group consensus on what to do. Some wonder if they can put the world back, others wonder what they will do if they fail. Still, some think that perhaps restoring the world is just as bad as Wanda’s initial change; while others think that perhaps they should just leave things be. In the end, Cyclops takes charge and makes a plan to take down Magneto and find Xavier. Dr. Strange will find and talk to Wanda, while Cloak will take Emma and Layla to find Xavier. The rest of them will distract the House of M.
As evening falls in Genosha, the guests for the House of M gala arrive, including the Black Panther, Queen Ororo, Genis-Vell, Namor and Doom. As the royal family is introduced, a giant Sentinel 
heads towards the throne on a collision course, but is stopped by Magneto and Polaris. The heroes debark from the Sentinel and a battle begins with the Royal Guard. Cyclops attacks Magneto, blasting him far from the gala plaza. In the Memorial Garden, Emma, Layla and Cloak discover a memorial for the dead Xavier. Emma is overcome by this revelation, but Cloak investigates and discovers that there is no body; Xavier isn’t there.
Quicksilver comes to the aid of the unconscious Wanda, but she literally crumbles into nothingness in his arms. Confused and angry, Pietro blames the heroes for this and attacks them. As the battle rages, Dr. Strange locates the real Wanda in a nearby tower. Wanda, who is oblivious to the battle outside, plays with her children. The two begin to talk, 
but it is clear that Wanda is still not entirely well. Strange suggests that she created Layla Miller to bring the heroes to her, but Wanda has no clue who Layla is. Strange begins to question Wanda on what Magneto has done, but Wanda uses her powers to show Strange a vision of the past shortly before the heroes came to Genosha to see Wanda, and Strange realizes that it wasn’t Magneto who coerced Wanda into reshaping reality, it was her brother, Quicksilver. However, before Strange can figure out where Xavier is, Hawkeye interrupts and tries to kill Wanda. Clint talks about his love for her and their past but, when he is about to kill her, Wanda accidentally lashes out and erases him from reality. Wanda then begins to break down, as she loses grip of her powers again.
Outside, Magneto emerges in the Memorial Garden, where Layla wakes him up. Realizing the truth, Magneto returns back to the plaza and attacks Quicksilver in a fury. 
He beats his son to death out of anger for doing what he did to the world in his name. Sensing her brother’s pain, Wanda destroys her tower and restrains Magneto, then healing Quicksilver. The heroes begin to organize and figure out what to do next, but Wanda is not through. She tells her father that Pietro gave him what he always wanted, and yet he is still a horrible man. He ruined her and Pietro years ago when he chose mutant supremacy over his own children. Wanda declares that mutants are not the next step in evolution; they are just freaks who ruin everything. Before anyone can do anything, Wanda utters three fateful words: no more mutants. Reality then burns away in a flash of white light again. [House of M #6-7]
Endangered Species
Emma Frost wakes up on the grounds of the Xavier Institute and immediately senses trouble. Rushing into the school, she discovers most of the 
student population is de-powered and no longer mutants. Strangely, no one else seems to remember the House of M aside from herself, Cyclops, Shadowcat and Wolverine, who has also retained all his memories and now remembers his whole life. Leaving Nightcrawler and Shadowcat to deal with the distraught students, Emma rushes to Cerebra and discovers that the entire mutant population throughout the world has been reduced drastically. Where there were once millions, there are now barely enough to sustain a viable species. To make things worse, Emma cannot locate Wanda or Xavier.
The Avengers also convene but, just like the X-Men, some remember the House of M while others do not. The team watches the news coverage on the mutant de-powering crisis, but their attention is then called to Avengers Mansion. They arrive there and find Hawkeye’s uniform pinned up on the wall with a newspaper article about his death, Clint’s signal to the Avengers that he lives once again.
The X-Men head to Genosha and find a de-powered Magneto. They confront him about the House of M and the location of Xavier and his children. However, Magneto knows nothing. Wolverine threatens to kill Magnus, but Shadowcat reminds her teammates that Magneto wasn’t responsible for this mess. The X-Men leave Magneto alone on Genosha, to live out the rest of his miserable, human life. [House of M #8]