Uncanny X-Men, The (1981 series) #513

Continued from DARK AVENGERS/UNCANNY X-MEN: UTOPIA.

Simon Trask and his Humanity Now! Coalition marched on San Francisco which was a haven for the X-Men and the other mutants who 'survived' M-Day. Mutants and their supporters came out in protest and their were violent clashes. Iron Patriot (Norman Osborn) and his Dark Avengers have taken charge to restore order.

Ares and H.A.M.M.E.R. agents are keeping the violence out of City Hall. In Hayes Valley Venom is 'arresting' Colossus, but Iceman arrives to whisk Piotr Rasputin away on his ice-slide. At the Civic Centre X-leader Cyclops is on the run from HAMMER. At the Castro Theatre Ms. Marvel (Moonstone) blasts Nekra watched by Armor, Bling and Karma. Hawkeye (Bullseye) threatens rioters in the Embarcadero. Daken does the same somewhere else.

Meanwhile IP is holding a press conference at Fisherman's Wharf seemingly supported by Prof Charles Xavier. They urge mutants to disperse peacefully and leave Trask's followers to the Avengers and HAMMER. They ask Scott Summers to resign as leader of the mutant community and end his separatist policy.

But in HAMMER's west coast HQ on Alcatraz Island prisoner Beast is in mental communication with someone who claims to be the real Professor X and also a captive. HAMMER agents take Henry McCoy to something called the Omega Machine run by Dark Beast, the Hank McCoy from the Age of Apocalypse timeline.

Last issue Osborn invited Emma Frost to lead *his* team of X-Men. Now he and 'Prof X' take her, dressed in a Black version of her usual White Queen outfit, to 'meet' the Dark X-Men. Which they do by watching them on a camera feed. Mimic (Calvin Rankin) is here because of his multi-powers and his eagerness to please. Dagger (Tandy Bowen) was really recruited to get the teleporting power of her partner Cloak (Tyrone Johnson). Daken, son of Logan, is borrowed from the DAv - every team needs a Wolverine. Weapon Omega (Michael Pointer)'s power has been amplified by Dark Beast.

Black Queen responds by declaring she can telepathically tell Prof X isn't the real deal. So the Prof gets out of his wheelchair and reveals 'himself' to be Mystique (Raven Darkholme). Emma doesn't trust her but Norman explains she's been injected with a nanotech bomb to ensure her 'loyalty' (as he used to keep some of his Thunderbolts in line).

Ms Frost demands to add a member of her own choosing to the team. And they are joined by fellow Cabal member and mutant Sub-Mariner.

(At this point the story of the rioting is continued in XM Legacy #226-227 where Rogue, Gambit and Danger are brought from Australia to help by teleporter Pixie. They go to rescue Trance amongst other things and tangle with Ares and Ms Marvel. Rogue temporarily absorbs some of Ares' power weakening him. But Moonstone can avoid even 'his' powerful attack by going insubstantial. But that makes her vulnerable to Trance's spirit form. A combined assault takes Karla Sofen down.)

After things calm down NO holds another press conference on Alcatraz Island where he introduces the (Dark) X-Men to be led by Emma Frost. She claims to intend to reintegrate the mutant and human communities. But for the moment there will be a curfew every night until Osborn's martial law can be lifted.

Simon Trask gets up from his hospital bed and infects staff and people with some kind of techno-virus which makes them follow him.

HAMMER and SWAT teams have Graymalkin Industries surrounded. Cyclops is keeping his X-Men inside for now, and they're watching Emma Frost on the news. Colossus, Loa, Mercury and Surge are disturbed by White Queen's betrayal, but Scott is willing to wait to see what his lover's game plan really is.

Osborn and Frost tell reporters that mutants who have been arrested are being detained in a facility which ensures they can't use their powers to escape and cause more harm/damage. Surge is angry about this but Anole thinks it's reasonable. Cyclops agrees that they have to obey Osborn's laws - for now.

(We also see Dazzler, Nightcrawler, Onyxx, Psylocke, the Stepford Cuckoos and maybe Pixie and Yuriko Takiguchi.)

In a bar called the Gene Pool in the Sunset District some unhappy mutants meet (Adam-X, Avalanche, Hellion, Lorelei, Match, Meld, Sunspot). Hellion, still sporting the cuts and bruises from a beating in DAv/UXM: Utopia, knows humans hate them and wants to make a stand. Adam-X is his usual rash angry self, but Avalanche and Sunspot advise being clever about it. Hellion agrees and suggests they deliberately break curfew in a very public place and allow the fascists to arrest them for peaceably gathering. Match suggests Union Square Park.

Meanwhile Osborn and Dark Beast are showing Black Queen the Omega Project in Alcatraz to assure her that it's humane. DB tells her that the Omega Machine just applies a governor to limit a mutant's use of his power. But we see a limp Beast being carried back to his cell from that very machine. But the tour of the facility is interrupted by news of something happening in Union Square.

The X-Men see it too (they spend a lot of time watching TV news). (Extra chars we see here are Graymalkin, maybe Cipher and definitely Pixie.)

Our 7 friends have arrived and Match has set light to various things. Hellion speaks to the cameras and dares Norman Osborn to arrest them. But it's the Dark X-Men's 1st mission to do the job. They turn up and attack the protesters. Black Queen punches Hellion in the face and declares him arrested.

And Cyclops decides it's time for him to meet with Norman Osborn.

Continued in DARK AVENGERS #7.