In Hammer Bay, capital of Genosha, Fabian Cortez, holding little Luna on his lap, mulls over the events soon to take place when her parents discover she is missing….
In Washington D.C. at the State Department, Valerie Cooper confers with Henry Peter Gyrich and Nick Fury about the civil war in Genosha, where mutant slaves have rebelled against their human rulers. Charles Xavier has been asked by the President to broker a peace settlement, accompanied by Philip Moreau and Jennifer Ransome. Gyrich is to escort them and Fury is assigned to keep the Avengers out of the conflict, lest their presence make matters worse….
Later, at Avengers Mansion, Fury delivers the edict to the assembled Avengers—East and West Coast—explaining that, as the team is under the authority of the United Nations, their involvement would be politically risky. When Fury reveals that a Genoshan faction may strike against the Avengers, Crystal realizes her daughter Luna—granddaughter of Magneto—is in danger. Rushing into the next room to check on her child, Crys discovers that Luna has been replaced by a mutant shapeshifter, who tells them they pay the price for their country’s apathy toward the plight of the Genoshan mutates—and explodes….
In Westchester, Gyrich, Moreau and Ransom speak to Xavier about the mission to Genosha, disturbed by the escalating violence on the island nation. Xavier agrees to go and Gyrich assigns USAgent as his bodyguard. Professor X intends to have the Beast, Hank McCoy, accompany him as an aide. Gyrich reveals that TV newswoman Trish Tilby—Hank’s old girlfriend—is trapped in Genosha. Xavier mentally contacts the X-Men in the Danger Room and tells them about his mission and warns them that the events are strongly connected to Magneto’s legacy.
Back at Avengers Mansion, the heroes have been saved from the force of the blast by Crystal’s cyclone force, and the Avengers are determined to rescue the little girl. But, as Nick Fury warns Captain America, SHIELD will stop them. In the hangar bay, the heroes find themselves facing SHIELD agents wielding heavy artillery, bringing their mission to a halt….
On the way to Genosha, Xavier’s plane picks up a transmission from the island: Fabian Cortez announcing he that he is in control of the nation and will be carrying out Magneto’s agenda—by killing every human on the island in retaliation for their treatment of the mutant populace Xavier and Beast recognize Luna Maximoff sitting on the villain’s lap. The cycle of terror continues to the next generation.
Story continues in X-MEN #26.