At Fontaine College in the Boston area, Helen Williams interrupts Adrian Leverkuhn Castorp as he is playing piano to invite him to the student meeting, which she insists he must attend, important to him and to his friends. But he brushes her off and she goes alone...
…to the student meeting where the tape of a recent news program is replayed, recounting anti-mutant protests surrounding the filming of a movie starring Alison “Dazzler” Blaire. Reaction from the assembled students is divided, though mostly pro-mutant. Student President Art Wagner announces that both anti-mutant Senator Robert Kelly and Henry “Beast” McCoy of the New Defenders will be on campus next week and they can take advantage of that. Meanwhile, Adrian’s music has built to a crescendo and he collapses, exhausted….
And so Hank shows up on campus with Bobby “Iceman” Drake and Cloud. But Bobby feels something strange is going on. They are greeted by Adrian Castorp, wearing his jacket that says “Monster,” who unnerves Beast by holding out a six-fingered hand to shake (the Six-Fingered Hand was the name of an occultic enemy of the Defenders)….
Back at Defenders Mansion, Gargoyle confides in Dolly Donahue that his mystical kiss with Moondragon (last issue) has convinced him that she is a good guy and he regrets his willingness to believe evil of her….
Elsewhere in the building, Angel and Candy Southern are looking on the frozen form of Chris Larmouth, infected with the deadly spores (also last issue), and Angel comes to the realization that he has responsibilities now….
Moondragon meditates in her room when her body is suddenly stricken with pain and she rushes out to vomit….
Art Wagner greets Hank and company and Art has a lot of questions for Hank which Bobby finds annoying but they are interrupted by a scream. They trace it to a locked door which Bobby easily opens with a little application of ice. Inside they find Helen comforting Adrian, claiming he had an epileptic seizure. They leave and Art leads them to their rooms but Hank and Bobby have taken something from Adrian’s room: a crushed Walkman, indicating there is something more going on…..
Later at the coffee shop, Bobby and Cloud have a conversation: Bobby likes her a lot but she is in love with Moondragon which is why she turned into a man but she usually stays a girl so that Bobby will be more comfortable around her. But she confesses that she doesn’t know who she really is, having been raised by the Secret Empire and indoctrinated with their lies. Bobby assures her he will always be there to help….
The next day, Senator Kelly arrives at the College to be met by protestors. Beast is looking forward to finding out what the Senator’s Mutant Affairs Control Act is all about….
Later at the big meeting, Beast is putting on his comedy act when Adrian asks him why he feels the need to act like a clown when the mutants need a defender—and Hank can’t give an answer; Adrian dismisses him with a snide comment and walks out….
That night, Beast visits Adrian as he plays piano in the lounge and asks him what’s wrong. Adrian points out that his mutation gave him six fingers on each hand and the ability to see in infrared, making him more helpless than dangerous, yet people still hate and fear him. Hank offers help but Adrian points out that he is under the same threat as Adrian….
The next day, Senator Kelly makes his pitch for the Mutant Affairs Control Act, explaining that someone should keep track of the dangerous mutants. Adrian fights his way onto the stage while denouncing the act as dehumanizing. Adrian fights with the Secret Service Agents while Beast and Iceman try to stop him. One agent thinks Beast is helping Adrian and shoots him, hitting him in the shoulder. The crowd takes down the agent as Adrian punches Beast. He continues to harangue Kelly and when Beast intervenes, Adrian punches him right in the bullet wound and then slugs Iceman when he gets too close. Cloud wraps him in her gaseous form and detects something electrical under his jacket so, despite warnings from Helen and Art, she shorts him out with a lightning bolt and it nearly kills Adrian. Helen explains that Adrian’s mutation gave him a degenerative nerve disorder and he needs to wear an exoskeleton just to function. Cloud is shattered and Art covers Adrian with his “Monster” jacket….
The next day, Beast tells the assembly that they have to stop people like Kelly from turning mutants into something to fear. So he is joining Art and Helen in forming a group called M.O.N.S.T.E.R., Mutants Only Need Sensitivity, Tolerance and Equal Rights to fight for his people….
Meanwhile, back at Defenders HQ, Moondragon mediates and a voice whispers within her that she is dying….
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