Story continued from X-Factor #61
In the U.S., NPR-TV News reports on the Genoshan
crisis, with several prominent figures weighing in. Reed Richards states that
he knows the X-Men personally and can’t credit the charges against them, while
She-Hulk requests a visa to go to Genosha in order to defend them in court.
However, She-Hulk’s request is denied, with arraignment for the mutants said to
be taking place the next day. That day comes, and every one of the captured
mutants are put on trial together, with their charges being read to them. Cyclops
tries to plead their American citizenry, but Banshee explains to the others
that all records of each of them have been wiped from all federal databases,
making their claim hard to prove. The judge presiding over their case enters,
with the mutate Storm in tow. Furious he couldn’t prevent Storm’s
transformation from happening, Wolverine leaps to attack the judge, barreling
through half a dozen magistrates in the process. Storm protects the judge by
blowing Wolverine back with a gust of wind, allowing the chief magistrate to
finish the job and strike Wolverine at his weak points. With Wolverine quelled,
they offer the mutants the choice to undergo their genemod process to become
mutate slaves, which Jean, speaking for everyone, refuses.
The mutants are then handed over to Cameron Hodge to
do with as he please. Hodge looks on in glee at all the new toys he has to play
with and readies everything for his entertainment. As all of the X-Men are led
one by one to be chained to the wall, Cable and Gambit attempt to fight back
and escape. However, Hodge ends up holding Psylocke in front of himself,
forcing Cable to drop his weapon and surrender. Hodge shoots at Cable, and
Gambit pushes him out of the way, getting shot in the leg with a metal spike in
the process. Hodge decides to remove Cable’s bionic arm and eye in retaliation,
and Psylocke claims that it’s too much for her, and that she surrenders to the
genemod process. Hodge is suspicious of her sudden change of heart, but Havok
takes over, leading her away for processing. The others try and figure out how
to get out of this, while Beast points out that last time they were bound as
securely as this, Storm was able to pick the locks, an impossibility now. Hodge
then forces Wolverine and Archangel to fight each other, and broadcasts it for
his captives to watch. With Archangel unable to control his wings, and Hodge
feeding on the dislike the two have for each other, he sits back to enjoy the
show!
Meanwhile, elsewhere on Genosha, Jubilee uses mini
versions of her fireworks to get Boom-Boom out of her containment suit. Just as
she’s going to do the same for Rictor, they end up having to hide when they
spot the Genegineer pulling up! The three of them watch the Genegineer use a
mutate to start tunneling to Hodge’s bunker and decide to follow him to see
what he’s up to! Back with Hodge, he decides Wolverine and Archangel’s fight is
going too slowly and decides to have fun elsewhere. He contacts Wipeout,
disguised as the Genegineer, and tells him to meet him at his office, before
heading out. Elsewhere in the citadel, Psylocke is being led towards the
processing unit, when she breaks free of her guards and knocks them all out,
before grabbing a weapon and hopping into a ventilation shaft! At the same
time, Hodge arrives at the Genegineer’s office with Wolfsbane and learns
through his computer of a plot the Genegineer has planned against him! Just
then, Wipeout arrives and Hodge reveals that he tricked him up there!
Back with the others, Cyclops figures Psylocke has
made her move by now and, having deduced he got shot in the leg on purpose,
tells Gambit it’s his turn! Gambit reaches up, pulls out the metal spike
with his teeth, catches it again with his feet and reaches up to pick the locks
on his restraints with it, in record time! Once Gambit’s freed the others, they
split off to go stop Wolverine and Archangel from killing each other. At that
same time, Havok discovers Wipeout dead in the Genegineer’s office and gets
framed for his murder! Elsewhere still, the chief magistrate, with Storm in
tow, get ambushed by Hodge, who’s finally decided to blatantly move against
them. They’re saved by Psylocke, who holds off Hodge with some machine gun fire
and the chief magistrate tells the reluctant Psylocke they should work
together. Meanwhile, the others find Wolverine and Archangel, and Jean breaks
up their fight, just as the chief magistrate arrives at the door with Storm.
Storm pulls Cyclops to her with a gust of wind and a strange reaction happens.
Somehow, their contact ends up restoring Storm to adulthood, her memories and
autonomy intact, as well as restoring Cyclops’s powers! Psylocke then comes
tumbling through the door with Hodge in tow. Cyclops blasts Hodge, and when the
smoke clears, Hodge states that for the last time, it’s his turn! To be
continued!
Story continued in New Mutants #97
Give that special marvelite a timely gift