Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Captain America has called together another mixed X-Men/Avengers Unity Squad to counter anti-mutant hysteria and investigate the mystery man who's wearing the Captain Krakoa costume and leading the new Mutant Liberation Front who have just stolen a nuclear weapon (and we know they've got it at the Orchis science centre in Empire State University).
Deadpool watches Black Widow shooting targets (pumpkins) blindfolded with a sniper rifle. Quicksilver and Psylocke (Kwannon) discuss Rogue's idea that CapA stand down because if CapK kills *him* that would sink any hope of human/mutant rapprochement. But Rogue dashes up to say she's received a distress signal from Steve Rogers so they all head towards the source ...
... which is the burnt-out shell of the treehouse that was the mutant nation of Krakoa's embassy in New York. Captain America is giving a speech to an assembled crowd and admits that he sent a false distress call to show them how the mutant/human Unity Squad comes immediately to his aid. They're all there now including Penance (Monet St Croix). Daily Bugle owner/reporter Ben Urich is there taking notes. Some in the crowd vociferously believe that mutants murderously attacked Washington DC (that was CapK in FCBD (2023) Uncanny Avengers) and also murdered human ambassadors at their Hellfire Gala (that was Orchis in the 1-shot). CapA tells them he doubts that mutants were responsible for the attacks and he believes that CapK isn't Cyclops (who wore the uniform previously) and isn't even a mutant. An old woman throws a cup of malt at him but he restrains Deadpool and continues to suggest that some group is promoting hate and division in the country.
At Orchis HQ Feilong isn't happy with CapA's speech and asks Dr Stasis and MODOK why their agent CapK isn't doing something about it. DrS has to admit that he's gone off-script by stealing a nuclear bomb, but he says it'll all work out when they get Cyclops or Prof X to put on trial.
Steve Rogers reminds the crowd that he volunteered in WWII when America was attacked by enemy states, but he believes in Krakoa. A heckler says that muties stopped being Americans when they set up their own nation. Cap admits that he was sorry that they felt that they weren't safe in the US. Draping himself in the flag he tells them that America needs to hear the truth. He makes a big speech about people not being afraid each other and asks them to question anyone who tries to make them so, which seems to sway a lot of the crowd. And he finally casts doubt on Orchis.
The old woman tells him she still hates the X-Men as she always did, but she apologises for throwing her drink over him and offers to pay for the dry-cleaning, which Cap declines. Ben Urich congratulates him and Steve says he expects to have a meeting set up for tonight which might interest the reporter. Which is a bit premature because he only now asks Rogue to help set the meeting up. Last issue Urich told him that the X-Men supposedly have a human witness to the murder of the ambassadors and he now asks Rogue to get the witness to come forward. She says she doesn't know anything about it because she wasn't there, but she'll see what she can do.
Monet tells Cap that she and Quicksilver have a lead on the MLF, which is news to Pietro Maximoff. But the super-speedster carries her to the shopping mall she indicates. In the last 2 issues there was some friction between the pair and here Pietro still reacts badly to Monet's imperious ways as she tells him to steal some coats and sunglasses as a disguise and then accompany her into a perfumery. She finally relents and explains that when they fought the MLF she smelt an expensive perfume only available here ...
... but she still wasn't ready to be immediately attacked by the Fenris twins. Holding hands to increase their shared power Andrea Von Strucker blasts a column holding up the ceiling. Monet has to use her super-strength to support it while Quicksilver moves all the civilians to safety and returns in time to speed-punch the duo before they can fire at her. He then 'borrows' some acrow props (and a hard hat) from a building site to shore the column up freeing Monet to threaten the twins. Pietro also separates them to decrease their power and beats up Andreas Von Strucker while Monet does the same to Andrea, asking them where the atomic bomb is. But the villains are too scared of their boss Captain Krakoa to tell.
But then the temporary supports give way and Monet has to go back to holding the ceiling up, and Quicksilver lets the twins escape. He doesn't seem bothered and she realises that he deliberately kicked the supports away because he put his Avengers ID card on 1 of them to track them. He tells her that he also took *her* card and planted it on the other twin. Previously whenever Pietro carried her she told him to watch where he put his hands. But earlier this issue surprised him by moving his hand to a mildly amorous position. Now he kisses her and she slaps him, but with a smile and a compliment.
Steve Rogers joins Ben Urich at the Bugle for the meeting he mentioned earlier. He says he still doesn't know who the witness is that the X-Men are protecting but they've agreed to meet here now. Then a voice tells them that it is *he* who is protecting the *X-Men*. The witness is Wilson Fisk, ex-Kingpin and ex-Mayor.