Wolverine And The X-Men (2011 series) #9

In the casino planet Sin various aliens bet on which planet of the Andromeda system will get destroyed by the Phoenix Force. It's the well-populated #9.

Relaxing on the Jean Grey School's beach Beast enjoys having recovered from Sabretooth eviscerating him (last issue) and Wolverine savours having working legs again (after an alien 'broke' them in #7). But they're interrupted by a special Phoenix Force alarm. In Kitty Pryde's class Idie Okonkwo gives a presentation on the Phoenix Force and how it likes to bond with Jean Grey or people like her. She mentions the theory that it was somehow responsible for the birth of Hope Summers, the 1st 'new' mutant (since M-Day), but as 1 such mutant she points out that she herself has never met the PF. Broo is up next with a history of the Nova Corps and why he should be allowed to join. Captain America arrives to talk to them about the Phoenix but 1st he has to get past the school's defences - the grounds which are a grandchild of Krakoa The Living Island. Inside he's greeted by receptionist Doop but then experiences 1 of the random Danger Room exams for which he only scores B-minus. He finally links up with Hank McCoy and Logan.

Atop 1 of the School's floating towers the Shi'Ar Warbird (whose name is now revealed to be Ava'Dara Naganandini) who's here to 'protect' Kid Gladiator gets a garbled message from his father Emperor Gladiator which is probably to get KG out of the way of the PF. Kubark himself thinks he should be *teaching* many of the classes instead of attending them, specifically in this instance Cannonball's class on how to use a jetpack. Sam Guthrie is concerned about his sister and fellow teacher Paige/Husk (who's also learning to use a jetpack?) because her skin-shedding power is malfunctioning. Telepaths Quentin Quire and Rachel Summers are suddenly struck down by an image of the incoming Phoenix, and janitor Toad has to use his prehensile tongue to save QQ when he falls out of the sky. Paige congratulates Mortimer Toynbee on the save.

Steve Rogers confirms to Hank and Logan that the Phoenix Force is on a destructive path towards Earth. Beast agrees to join a space team on an intercept mission. Wolverine tells Cap that the PF is coming for Hope. Cyclops, leader of the X-Men on Utopia Island, believes she's a Mutant Messiah and will welcome the Phoenix as part of that. Logan split from him over this (in the Schism event). He thinks she's just a 16-yr old girl caught in the middle. Cap says they need to keep Hope away from the PF. Wolvie says the Utopia gang will fight to the end against him. Steve asks Logan which side he will be on?

Headmaster and headmistress Logan and Kitty watch over unconscious Quentin and Rachel in hospital beds. Kitty guesses that their connections to the PF suggest that *it* is involved. Logan doesn't answer but asks her to convene a staff meeting. He goes outside to ask the statue of Jean Grey what to do. But he finds Idie having a solo picnic there. She says she likes being here, even though her strict Catholic upbringing tells her there's something sinful about that, but she sometimes likes to be alone. Then Wolverine tells the staff about the Phoenix coming for Hope, and that he's decided to join Cap's team going to Utopia to take her into protective custody. He wants the others to stay here and protect the kids no matter what. Afterwards Hank tells Logan he knows what he's thinking. If Hope starts to turn into Dark Phoenix he's going to kill her, which is why he's deliberately never got close to her. Logan replies that Hank had better stop the PF getting here, and he heads out to the helicarrier that's come for him. And outside Blindfold is crying because she can see the future.

On Planet Sin everyone's betting on Earth's destruction. The space mission set off. And on the Shi'Ar homeworld Gladiator authorises the Death Commandos to go after the Phoenix while he himself goes to Earth to save his son.