This issue begins off the coast of Scotland, in the
middle of the X-Men trying to broker a deal with a man named MacWhirter for use
of his hovercraft boat. He refuses to lend it to them, having made his deal
with Moira MacTaggert, not a bunch of costumed freaks. However, since he has
been paid already, the X-Men commandeer his boat anyway. The X-Men are in a
hurry because Moira wants them to check in on her mutant research center, Muir
Island, having not heard back from anyone in a concerning amount of time. As
the X-Men make their way to Muir Island, their ship suddenly tears itself
apart, leaving them to swim to the shore. Once ashore, the X-Men are repelled
by an invisible force field, before being lifted into the air on a piece of the
island, leaving them hurtling straight into the wall of the complex. Banshee
devises a strategy and they all cut loose at the wall with everything they’ve
got, just before impact, punching a hole straight through to the inside.
Battered, but alive, the door at the far end of the room starts to glow white
hot, before exploding, as Magneto makes his entrance, promising the X-Men’s
quick deaths!
Not too much later, Cyclops and Moira arrive on the
island in the backup Blackbird, and Cyclops expresses his frustration that
Professor Xavier hid the existence of this place from him, designed to contain
and research dangerous mutants. Cyclops and Moira come across a groggy Jamie
Madrox, Multiple Man, who had been left in charge. Jamie recounts how he had
been ambushed by Erik the Red, Havok, and Polaris. Erik the Red headed to the
cell where Magneto was being held, having been turned into an infant in his
previous appearance in Defenders #16. Erik the Red uses a mysterious ray to age
Magneto back into an adult man and the two forge an alliance, with Magneto
being furious and humiliated at his previous predicament. Hearing that Magneto
has been returned to the peak of his powers, the panicked Cyclops heads off to
help the X-Men, knowing they have no chance against Magneto.
Cyclops turns out to be right, as back at the fight,
Magneto easily flings both Wolverine and Colossus away, even pinballing
Colossus around the room before sending him hurtling out into the ocean. Storm
realizes that Magneto is merely toying with them to test the new limits of his
abilities, as he reflects her lightning back at her. Nightcrawler tries
teleporting for a better vantage point, but Magneto is able to sense the
disruptions along the magnetic lines of force, predicting where Nightcrawler
will reappear and flattens him with a bunch of debris. Banshee does his best to
fight Magneto, even earning his respect, but is overcome too when Magneto fuses
metallic particles around Banshee’s body, encasing him in a form-fitting metal
coffin! Cyclops then appears and briefly stuns Magneto with his full force
optic blasts, laying the pressure on Magneto’s personal force shields, knowing
it won’t keep him down for long.
Cyclops then uses the opportunity to gather the X-Men
and hightail it out of there. Wolverine objects to running away but Cyclops
reveals they have more pressing matters. He realized that almost everything
they’ve encountered recently has been part of Erik the Red’s plan to kill
Xavier, and that Magneto was being used as a distraction while Xavier is
currently unprotected. Magneto revels in his victory while behind him, a
mysterious cell marked by the name “Mutant X” starts to stir! We end with
multiple scene changes, as first, in deep space, two figures called Corsair and
Chod discuss a mysterious Emperor’s plans that could endanger the whole
universe. We then cut to the mysterious figure from Xavier’s dreams, as she
finally makes it to earth, before being intercepted by an enemy ship. Finally,
we check in on Charles Xavier, Jean Grey, and Misty Knight as they visit Jean’s
parents, little knowing that Erik the Red lies in wait to kill Xavier and
recapture the princess headed for him! To be continued!