Chapter 1
Page 1. Four panels, one below another, each the width of the page.
Panel 1. MAGNETO, a white-haired boy of about fourteen in rough, Holocaust-era clothing, surrounded by Nazi guards who are attempting to detain him in a concentration camp. He is magnetically levitating their weapons. Everyone seems equally shocked by this occurrence.
Caption: 1944.
Panel 2. Magneto, roughly the same age but perhaps a bit worse for the wear, on the deck of a Nazi-crewed ship in the Arctic. In the distance, a flaming, smoking plane piloted by RED SKULL (a leather-clad, superhuman Nazi who’s face is a literal red skull) and being attacked from the outside by CAPTAIN AMERICA is preparing to crash into it. This is a shocking occurrence to everyone except perhaps Captain America.
Caption: 1945.
Panel 3. Magneto, trapped in ice in the aftermath of panel two. This is 66 years later, though. He has been discovered (and is surrounded) by modern-era SHIELD agents led by Colonel NICK FURY, a bald, fit black man of approximately forty years. He is smoking a cigar.
Caption: Five years ago.
Panel 4. Magneto playing chess opposite Professor CHARLES XAVIER, in a nicely-appointed study. Magneto is approximately seventeen years of age, dressed decently and appears to be well-fed. Xavier, a bald, white man in his early forties, is wearing a sweater-vest and collared shirt. While Magneto is sitting in a rather nice parlor chair, Xavier is in a wheelchair.
Caption: Two years ago.
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Page 2. Splash page.
Head-on camera shot of Magneto, posing dramatically in his purple-trimmed red uniform, cape and helmet. If his age is apparent at all with the helmet on, he is about twenty years of age. He is ripping open the gates of a Naval installation with powerful, magnetic force. Deconstructed signage in the vicinity reads something like ASTILLERO NAVAL DE COSTA PERDITA (Costa Perdita Naval Yard).
The gates are in the foreground, as are several uniformed, armed, helmeted soldiers apparently tasked with guarding the gate. Their weapons are levitating in air and they look every bit as shocked as the Nazis from 1944. The BROTHERHOOD OF EVIL MUTANTS, however, standing behind Magneto, appear to be pleased with the whole situation. Behind them is the silhouette of a freighter docked at a harbor.
QUICKSILVER is a young, white-haired man in a form-fitting blue uniform with a white lightning-bolt stripe crossing from his left shoulder to his right hip. His waist is similarly belted with a lightning bolt and he is wearing white gloves and boots. He is vibrating with barely-controlled super-speed.
SCARLET WITCH is a young woman draped in a red cape and wearing a somewhat revealing shoulderless red unitard/bikini and thigh-high boots. Her face is framed with a red-tiara and flowing brown hair. Her hands at her sides twinkle with pink, magical energy.
MASTERMIND is a drab looking man in his fifties, with drooping hair and mustache. He is wearing a brown suit and short brown cape.
BLOB is a bear of a man, with a fantastic handlebar mustache and cropped brown hair. He’s in his late twenties, and wearing jeans, an open leather jacket and no shirt. He’s fat, and he has a massive gut. But there’s muscle in there too, and he’s no laughing matter.
Caption: Now.
Caption: Costa Perdita Naval Yard, Costa Perdita.
Caption (Magneto): Peter and Wanda Essex, Jason Wyngarde and Frederick Dukes have all witnessed various, relatively small, injustices over a long period of time.
Caption (Magneto): I, Magneto, witnessed some of the worst possible, packed into the space of a couple of years.
Caption (Magneto): In any event, we have all seen enough. As have our people.
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Page 3. Splash page, with two inset panels.
The splash image (drawn as if shot from the ground) is of a young man, about sixteen years old, wearing a brown, fur-collared leather jacket, black shirt and blue jeans. He has brown hair and brown eyes. Notably, the young man has a pair of red-tinted sunglasses hanging from the collar of his shirt, rather than on his face. This is SCOTT SUMMERS. He is standing outside of a yellow taxicab, with a duffel bag on the ground on either side of him.
Inset Panel 1. Birds-eye view where we can now see that the taxi (and Scott) is parked in the circular driveway in front of a large mansion. The taxi is driving away as Scott, bags in hand, walks to the front door.
Inset Panel 2. Close-up of Scott’s hand, finger about to press (but not yet on) the doorbell beside the front door.
Caption: Westchester, New York.
Charles (telepathic): It’s open, Scott.
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Page 4. Six panels, taking young Scott (and the reader) on a quick trip through the mansion’s lobby (1), down a hallway (2), to an elevator(3), inside the elevator (4), another hallway (5), and ending at a sliding door marked DANGER ROOM CONTROL ROOM (6).
The lobby is furnished with typical high-class foyer furnishings (table, couple of nice chairs, large picture of Professor Xavier) and the first hallway features wood, wallpaper, a couple pictures on the wall we can’t really make out the details of. The elevator fits in perfectly with the décor, the doors are wood-paneling.
The elevator interior, second hallway, and sliding door are all polished metal, glass, bright light, concrete floor. It’s a secret sub-basement, as opposed to the upper level of the mansion which appears to be prepared for public viewing.
Charles Panel 1 (telepathic): Leave your bags. If you follow the sound of my voice in your head and the glowing orb I’m superimposing on your vision, I can guide you to meet your classmates.
Charles Panel 2 (telepathic): I hope you remember me from my visit to your home in Alaska a few months back. I’m gratified that Christopher and Kate still feel my school is the best place for you.
Scott Panel 2: I do! And I’m glad it looks like the brochure. I was worried.
Caption 3 (telepathic): Press the button for Sub-basement two.
Caption 4 (telepathic): I trust your flight was restful. Be that as it may, you will have the next two days to familiarize yourself with the grounds and your fellow students before beginning classes.
Caption 5 (telepathic): Proceed to the end of the hallway and then I can introduce you to the class.
Scott Panel 6: Danger…Room?
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Page 5. Splash page of the DANGER ROOM, as viewed by Scott standing in the open Control Room door. Professor X is turned to face Scott. He’s seated in his wheelchair, in front of a modern-looking control board of buttons, toggles and touchscreens and microphones on small stands. Beyond that are the X-Men, on the other side of a glass window, in the Danger Room itself a story below.
The Danger Room is three stories deeper than the control room floor, and looks like an urban warfare environment at present, sandbags, dilapidated buildings and rubble all around.
The X-Men are fighting a SENTINEL. The Sentinel is a large, ten-foot tall, tan robot trimmed in various shades of brown, black and olive drab. It’s basically painted like military vehicles and tanks are. The Sentinel is currently engaging the X-Men BEAST on the ground with a laser blast from its hand and STORM in the air near the Sentinel’s head with laser blasts from it’s eyes.
The standard X-Men training uniform is a black leotard accessorized with a black cowl and yellow tunic, briefs, belt, boots and gloves. STORM is a young, athletic black woman of about eighteen, with flowing white hair. Her uniform is custom-accessorized with black cape-like flaps, trimmed in yellow and attached to her wrists to help her fly. BEAST is a large, white male, muscular in build and about the same age as Storm. He has oversized hands and feet and is leaping clear of the Sentinel’s attack in a graceful, athletic manner.
Charles: I thought this might be a less awkward means of introduction.
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Page 6. Six-panel grid, with the bottom two portions just being one wide shot of Professor X. The other four panels are a close-ups of each X-Man, currently in their training uniforms and engaging the Sentinel.
Panel 1. STORM, dodging the Sentinel’s laser blasts. A gust of wind fills her cape and ruffles her hair, and lightning dances at her fingertips.
Caption: “Storm commands the elements. I found her in Cairo as a young girl. She’s my adopted daughter and the First X-Man.”
Panel 2. SAGE, a distance away from the fight, in a soldier’s prone position with a sniper rifle supported on a pile of 2-3 sandbags. She is about nineteen years of age, slim and exceptionally pale, with a black ponytail protruding from the back of her cowl.
Caption: “Sage is Storm’s adopted sister. She saved my life in Kabul. Teresia’s telepathic, can process information like a computer and is far better with a rifle than anyone her age should have to be.”
Panel 3. BEAST, leaping halfway up the Sentinel’s massive torso, flipping in mid-air and smiling about the whole thing.
Caption: “Beast is my star student. He’s finishing a PhD at Columbia next month. We’re both fortunate I found Hank before he drew too much attention to himself on the football field.”
Panel 4. GAMBIT, pulling playing cards out of a small olive-drab satchel hung crosswise from his right shoulder to his left hip. His hands and the cards glow pink with energy. His other hand is posed behind him, holding a six-foot collapsible bo staff. He’s about seventeen, white with a bit of stubbly goatee and mustache. Instead of the cowl, his headgear is a black “head-sock” open at the top to let his brown hair flow freely.
Caption: “Ororo—Storm—found Remy in New Orleans, being raised by local thieves. Gambit can charge anything with explosive energy, but he prefers to throw cards.”
Panel 5. Charles, speaking to Scott, his attention turned away from the X-Men themselves.
Charles: The Danger Room itself is set three stories deep in the earth and has secondary control rooms on the other levels. It uses machines I’ve designed, along with SHIELD holography and Life Model Decoys to--
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Page 7. Four-panel stack, each running the full length of the page.
Panel 1. Gambit, on the ground firing a card up at a large glowing red button above the wide control room window. A panel above the button reads “EMERGENCY ACCESS.” Inside, we can see Charles doing his best Surprised Pikachu impression. This clearly wasn’t in the lesson notes.
Gambit: Eh, Prof, let’s meet the new kid!
Panel 2. Inside the Control Room, Professor X, gestures Scott away from him, a protective pose. The Control Room window is sliding away, exposing Charles and Scott to the Danger Room itself. The Sentinel is not attacking the rest of the team and has directed it’s full attention to the Control Room.
Charles: Scott, get down!
Panel 3. The Sentinel has fired one of it’s HANDS toward the Control Room. It has rocketed itself halfway there. Danger is imminent. Charles is diving out of his wheelchair, to take cover behind the control panels.
Scott: I think I have this, Professor.
Panel 4. Scott, unleashing full-force, red optic beams from his naked eyes, blasting the Sentinel hand to hell.
SFX: ZARK!!
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Page 8. Six-panel grid.
Panel 1. Charles, gesturing Scott toward the door leading back the way he came.
Charles: That was…impressive. I’m going to have to implement further safety measures.
Charles (telepathic): Teresia, activate the Room’s reset program.
Panel 2. Scott and Charles standing in front of the elevator.
Scott: Is he always like that? Gambit?
Charles: He had a rough upbringing before joining us a couple of years ago. I’m still working on his rougher edges.
Charles (telepathic): Mr. LeBeau, see me in my office in fifteen minutes.
Panel 3. Scott and Charles in the elevator.
Charles: He is what the School is all about, though. In his own way, just as you are in yours.
Scott: Yeah, I think I understand. This thing with my eyes is taking some getting used to, but at least I have my parents and brother.
Panel 4. Charles, waiting beside the elevator. Scott walking out. They’re back on the floor Scott originally entered on.
Charles: Gather your bags and meet me back here, please.
Panel 5. Scott, bags in hand, returning down the hallway.
Charles (telepathic): My first students, Storm and Sage, were orphans. I met them at the end of my time spent “countering violent extremism,” as my friend Colonel Fury likes to say.
Panel 6. Scott and Charles, back in the elevator.
Charles: I quickly realized it would be more than just orphans who needed help, though. And perhaps more importantly…that if they didn’t get it from me…
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Page 9. Four panels, each spanning the width of the page, stacked.
Panel 1. A wide-angle shot of armed soldiers rushing toward Magneto and the Brotherhood. Mastermind is standing closest to Magneto himself.
Caption (Xavier): …someone else less altruistic would be willing to bridge the gap.
Magneto: Befriend those troops for me, Jason. They’re an asset to us alive.
Mastermind: On it.
Panel 2. The exact same panel composition, But the Brotherhood, courtesy of Mastermind’s illusion powers, now appear to be wearing crisp officer dress-uniform versions of the same uniform the soldiers are wearing.
Mastermind: At ease, men!
Lead Soldier: Gentlemen…Ma’am! We didn’t expect an inspection. There’s a bit of trouble at the gate we need to look at.
Magneto: All part of our inspection. Assemble the rest of the men on the parade field.
Panel 3. Magneto, flanked by Blob and Quicksilver. Everyone’s in their Brotherhood clothing in the rest of these panels. Mastermind’s illusion isn’t for the reader (this time)! With one hand, Magneto is handing a small USB drive to Blob. With the other, he is gesturing toward Quicksilver.
Magneto: Fred, this is for the computer room. Try to breach the server room…gently. Pietro, clean up the mess outside as best you can and perform a check of the perimeter.
Blob and Quicksilver: Yes, Magneto!
Panel 4. Magneto and Scarlet Witch, parading down the now-empty hallway toward the building’s conference room.
Magneto: Control of this headquarters building ensures us control of the base. You will accompany my, dear, in case we encounter further obstacle.
Scarlet Witch: Of course.
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Page 10. Six-panel grid.
Panel 1. Scott’s new room at the Xavier school, from the POV of Scott standing in the doorway. We can see a double bed, desk with lamp, and a clothes dresser. There is a black and gold training uniform folded on top of the bedcovers, with yellow gloves beside it and yellow boots on the floor. On top of the uniform is a thin, gold VISOR with a single horizontal red lense.
Charles: Here are your quarters. The rest of the class live in this hallway as well. I’ll have Hank show you the school’s online shopping account for any décor or supplies you’d like to order.
Panel 2. Scott, holding the visor in his hand and looking, questioningly, at Charles.
Charles: A small welcoming gift. The toggles on the sides select a range of adjustments to the beams you fire from your eyes.
Panel 3. Charles, wheeling himself beside Scott’s bed.
Scott: You told me a bit about the school when we met at my parents’ house…
Charles: Plenty more to tell, clearly. I needed a new sense of purpose badly near the end of my time in the military…
Panel 4. A young—eight, perhaps—Ororo, Storm, wide-eyed and white-haired, caught picking the pocket of an incredulous-looking, younger Xavier in military fatigues.
Caption (Charles): Fortunately, one was provided to me while I was on temporary leave in Cairo, Egypt.
Panel 5. Xavier, in his military uniform, lower body buried under rubble in an urban warfare, Middle-Eastern environment. He has an understandable look of anguish on his face.
Caption (Charles): I sensed something was different about the young orphan Ororo. I used my influence to have her sent back to the estate, here, and would have likely resigned my commission to join her shortly anyhow—but life had slightly different plans for me.
Panel 6. The same panel but with the addition of a girl’s figure beside Charles, dressed in mismatched war-torn clothing and a keffiyeh scarf around her face. She has a rifle strapped across her back. She is very clearly a child soldier.
Caption (Charles): Sage—Teresia—was only a couple years older than Ororo when she saved me the next year. I’d been attacked while returning from negotiations with an Afghani village’s elders. I’m alive to bear the results of that encounter today solely due to her actions.
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Page 11. Five panels, two on top and three beneath.
Panel 1. Storm, sweat on her brow and blue eyes twinkling with just a hint of laughter, catching a towel thrown to her by Gambit.
Storm: I guess I’ll walk you down to the Professor. Might be the last time I see you out of your room this weekend.
Panel 2. Gambit, walking beside Storm as they leave the Danger Room behind them. Gambit, also sweating, is sipping from a water bottle.
Gambit: I’m gonna take a shower first. You can join me for dat if you like, cheri.
Storm: We don’t have time for that. Any of it. Charles is gonna be pissed.
Panel 3. Gambit, clearly regretting nothing, kissing Storm on the cheek. She’s laughing and blushing a bit. They’re in the elevator, headed to the same floor Charles and Scott were earlier.
Gambit: The Prof, he know me by now, ‘Roro. Same as you. And the boy, Scott, he gonna have to learn.
Storm: From the way he handled the Room, I’d say he already knows something.
Panel 4. Storm, taking Gambit’s hands in hers outside the elevator. They’ve reached the mansion’s ground floor.
Storm: But I don’t think Charles will be so distracted with him as to stop teaching you.
Panel 5. Gambit, pointing down the hallway, suggestively.
Gambit: You wanna get wet, cher?
Storm: Maybe some other time, Remy.
Gambit: Whenever you like.
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Page 12. Four-Panel Grid.
Panel 1. Scott, sitting on his bed, holding the visor. Charles sits nearby in his chair.
Scott: So Ororo and Sage have been with you for years. And then there’s Hank and Remy. Are there any other students?
Charles: I’ve worked with a few other mutants. Some your age, some older. A couple younger. For my research, and also at the behest of the government.
Panel 2. The bottom half of the panel shows modern-era Nick Fury, seated at a computer. The monitor shows a battle between the HULK and IRON MAN in his Hulkbuster armor. The top half of the panel over his head depicts a flashback image of a younger, military-era Charles Xavier and Nick Fury (younger, still bald but with two eyes). They’re in military fatigues and caps with Army Captain’s rank on them, sharing a joke or something similar. Better days and all.
Charles: I worked with SHIELD’s current director, Colonel Nicholas Fury, during my time in the Army. An association that’s served us both well in the decade since.
Panel 3. Storm, in a smart pantsuit, standing in front of a jail cell as it’s opened by a nearby guard to release Gambit, in scruffy clothes and a trenchcoat.
Charles: He’s kept mutants off the government’s radar to date, and far away from his Avengers Initiative. In return, I’ve consulted for him on some very difficult cases.
Panel 4. Charles in his chair, escorted by Sage in civilian clothes, waving his hand in front of a shocked, mustachioed coach. Behind him is a slightly worried, but impressively built, Hank McCoy still wearing half his athletic gear. Xavier is clearly using his powers on the coach to solve a problem for Hank.
Charles: And then there are cases I’ve been able to handle on my own. But as of right now, my class of students consists solely of you five.
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Page 13. Five panels, like the conversation between Storm and Gambit.
Panel 1. Sage, not a hair out of place and not at all sweating, tossing a towel to a slightly damp and exhausted-looking Beast. They’re on a lift taking them from the bottom of the Danger Room up to the Control Room.
Sage: You appear to have put in some work, McCoy.
Beast: Well yeah, I can’t just lay down with a rifle and exude pulchritude.
Panel 2. The pair of mutants in the control room. Beast has removed his cowl and rolled the top of his uniform down around his waist, exposing his massive, hairy, upper body.
Beast: You still have my glasses in your ammo pouch?
Sage: Sure do. Computer: execute Danger Room reset.
Panel 3. Sage, pulling a glasses case from a pouch on her belt and handing it to Beast, who has taken a seat in the Professor’s chair.
Sage: Thoughts on the new arrival?
Beast: Seems like he’ll be a force multiplier. Quick thinker.
Panel 4. Beast, pushing his glasses up on his nose. He wears small, round lenses with a thin, wire frame.
Beast: A bit of what Gambit can do, but one massive beam instead of delivering multiple explosive objects at once. A bit of what you can do, but without the requirement of a weapon.
Panel 5. Sage, grinning, her fingers steepled under her chin, elbows resting on the back of Beast’s chair.
Sage: And nothing to offer in terms of challenging your supremacy?
Beast: Teresia, my dear, this team should be so lucky as to have two other personnel who can think as well as I.
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Page 14. Four-panel grid. Three across the top half of the page, and the fourth taking up the bottom half.
Panel 1. Charles, wheeling his chair away from a pensive-looking Scott.
Charles: I’ll leave you to unpack, son. I have a counseling session with one of your peers.
Panel 2. Scott, lifting his head up to look at the Professor.
Scott: One more question, please. We have Storm, Sage, Beast and Gambit. What are we calling me?
Charles: That sort of thing seems to sort itself out on it’s own. I’ll see you at dinner.
Panel 3. The pensive-looking Scott from panel one, now alone on his room, framed in the light coming through the open doorway into his room.
Panel 4. Scott, in the same pose, but smiling, and looking thoughtful, in the ambient light of the room with the door now shut.
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Page 15. Six to eight panels, beginning with Nick Fury, sharply dressed in a military “pinks and greens” uniform with shiny buttons and medals, walking up to the door to the SITUATION ROOM in the first panel and ending with him leaving the same door behind him in the last panel. He’s having a conversation with the President and Secretary of Defense, with other military officers, the Joint Chiefs, present and participating as well. Behind the President, there is a massive television screen showing various security-camera depictions of the Brotherhood’s invasion.
Fury, at attention at the foot of a long table around which the President, SECDEF and Chiefs are seated: Colonel Nicholas Fury, reporting as instructed.
President: As our liaison on superhuman affairs, we need your input on this situation that’s developed in Costa Perdita.
Fury: Magneto and the Brotherhood. I’ve gotten some of the same reports from the local embassies.
SECDEF: He’s taken over their naval base outside of Bohem. Which controls the major distribution point for their new bio-pharmaceuticals.
Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA): And also the weapons used to protect those shipping lanes from pirates.
Fury: The company importing those products into the US was a major donor to your last campaign, if I remember right, Mr. President.
President: I hadn’t noticed. Think we’re gonna send in the Avengers. These guys have powers. Controlling metal, reports of monsters appearing out of thin air at the port. The white-haired kid outruns the shutter speed on the security cameras.
Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CSAF): Nevermind that we have zero records of these people existing before today. How is that even possible?
Fury: I’ll have to address that after I get the situation under control. But not with the Avengers. I have another option I’d like to exercise, with respect.
SECDEF: You’ve always delivered, Nicholas. Give us a SITREP in twenty minutes. Dismissed.
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Page 16. Six-panel grid. We are in Professor Xavier’s study. A lot of dark wood, bookcases, books. To one side is his desk with two computer monitors and some neatly-organized papers. He doesn’t need an office chair, of course, but there are two chairs across from it for students or other visitors. To the other side is the chessboard and chair from the first page. Other than these items, it is sparsely-furnished, with large curtained windows and a certificate or two nicely framed and hanging on the wall.
Panel 1. Charles, rolling his chair around the side of the desk.
Charles (thought): Remy is late. Of course, Remy is late.
Panel 2. Closeup of the computer monitors. One of them is lit up with an alert showing Nick Fury’s face and the caption INCOMING CALL.
Charles (thought): Just as well, apparently.
Panel 3. Charles’ face, lit up by the computer screen.
Charles: I hope this is a social call, Nicholas.
Fury (speakers): It isn’t, I’m afraid. It’s Max.
Panel 4. Charles, lit up smiling. Hopeful, optimistic.
Charles: He’s reached out? It’s been nearly three years--
Fury (speakers): He took over a naval base in Central America, Charles.
Panel 5. Charles, looking shocked.
Charles: I’m sorry, I haven’t had the news on. I’ve been busy with a new—
Fury (speakers): Which means mutants are now on the nation’s radar.
Panel 6. Repeat panel 5.
Charles (microscript): oh.
Fury (speakers): And I’m gonna need the X-Men.
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Page 17. Seven panels, 3 rows of 2 and the final panel across the bottom of the page.
Panel 1. Scott, suitcase open on his bed, looking up from the clothing he’s unpacking.
Charles (telepathic): Apologies, students, but you’re needed in the hangar five minutes from now.
Panel 2. Gambit, in the shower, vibing and sudsing his hair. We’re catching him just as his eyes widen from the Professor’s unexpected psychic announcement.
Charles (telepathic): Wear a clean uniform. We are certain to have eyes on us.
Panel 3. Beast, leaping from an office chair in his room, pitching the book he was reading onto the bed behind him.
Charles (telepathic): That is likely to be the case every day from now on.
Panel 4. Storm, watering her plants, towel wrapped around her torso.
Charles (telepathic): And we will ensure, together, that this is a positive development for our School and our people…
Panel 5. Sage, in full uniform, exiting her room.
Charles (telepathic): …despite the best efforts of the man we will oppose today.
Panel 6. Beast, Sage, Storm and Gambit in full kit, in the elevator, taking it down to the hangar level.
Charles (telepathic): I will brief you psychically…
Panel 7. Wide-angle shot of the hangar, dominated by a massive aircraft. This is the X-Men’s stealth Blackbird jet. Beside it are Professor Xavier and Scott. Scott is in his full uniform to include the visor the Professor gifted him. The other four students are rushing toward them from the open elevator door.
Charles (telepathic): …once you are airborne.
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Page 18. Seven panels, 3 rows of 2 and the final panel across the bottom of the page. The X-Men, aboard the Blackbird jet. The cockpit consists of pilot and copilot seats before a broad panel of controls and indicators, open in the rear to the main compartment. It is modular, like a military plane in that there is a rail system on the floor where different kinds of seating can be attached or removed to accommodate cargo. In this particular instance, Sage is piloting the jet, Storm is copiloting, and there are two rows of two seats each in the compartment behind each of them. Beast, Gambit and Scott each have a row to themselves.
Panel 1. Gambit, shuffling a deck of cards, across the aisle from Beast.
Gambit: This a bit different from the Professor, nah?
Beast: He’s trusted Teresia and Ororo with missions before. And I believe the three of us can trust them.
Panel 2. Gambit, looking over the seat in front of him at Scott. Scott is leaned up against the wall of the jet, lost in thought.
Gambit: You think it’s inspiring or worrying that he’s sending all of us for this one, though? And the new kid, he’s not even unpacked.
Panel 3. Beast, stepping into the aisle to address his teammates in the cockpit.
Beast: What I think, is that we need a better codename than “new kid.” Ladies, any ideas?
Panel 4. Storm, looking back over the top of her seat at Scott.
Storm: Well, Charles came up with ours based on powers. Yours is just the optic blasts, right?
Panel 5. Scott, looking up.
Scott: Yeah, just the optic blasts.
Panel 6. Beast, perked up, pointing a finger in the air, a Eureka! moment.
Beast: I have it! With that visor he’s wearing, we shall dub him Polyphemus!
Panel 7. Storm and Sage looking at each other across the cockpit.
Storm: What’s a Polyphe—
Sage: Cyclops. We’re just calling him Cyclops, Hank.
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Page 19. Six-panel grid. We’re back on Costa Perdita, in the headquarters building the Brotherhood has taken command of. Brotherhood regroups, character interactions
Panel 1. Magneto, perched atop a fantastic-looking office chair. It was the General’s or something. But this isn’t enough for Max, and he’s pulled metal from somewhere to raise it even higher on a rough-looking but stable dais.
Magneto: Ah, Jason. Are the troops in good health?
Panel 2. Wide-angle shot of the large conference table Magneto is presiding over from his dais. Scarlet Witch is already seated at the table. Mastermind is pulling out the chair beside her as he addresses Magneto.
Mastermind: In good health and prepared to throw it all away if their comrades choose to storm the base.
Panel 3. Quicksilver, returning to the conference room, and a seat at the table, at roughly half the speed of sound.
Quicksilver: Everything looks good outside. All the bodies and debris have been scuttled. And I detected no incoming.
Panel 4. Blob, walking through the conference room doorway. Instead of the large table and his peers, Fred is making a beeline for a random desk off to the side.
Blob: Program’s been installed on the network servers. And I guess since we’re secure now, I’m gonna check in on Bobby, unless you need something.
Magneto (Off Panel): Make sure he’s done his math homework, Fred. He hates it.
Panel 5. Blob, leaned up against the desk. It’s obviously straining under his weight, but surviving so far. Blob has his phone in one hand and is tapping on the screen with the other.
Blob: Hey, Bob, it’s ya Uncle Fred. How’s it hanging?
Panel 6. BOBBY DRAKE, a young-looking, sandy-haired, short adolescent boy of about fourteen, kicked back on his bed, in his bedroom. He has Janelle Monae and Adam Lambert posters on the walls, and a desk set up with schoolbooks, a notepad and a laptop. He has his phone in one hand and a bottle of soda in the other. His hand and the bottle are both frosty and cold-looking.
Bobby: Pretty good. Wish I was there. You went out on the water and didn’t bring the ICEMAN!
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Page 20. Two rows of four panels, bottom third of the page is one wide panel.
Panel 1. Blob, pointing at the screen, and Bobby shown on it, giving a lighthearted lecture.
Blob: Yeah, well, I know you have your own beef with the flatscans, but we’ve been around a bit longer. Let us get you good before we turn you loose, yanno?
Panel 2. Bobby, grinning in spite of his disappointment. He clearly feels good about someone caring about him, even though he isn’t getting his own way.
Bobby: I get it. But if a few of those guys catch an extra punch or two from me, I wouldn’t be mad about it.
Panel 3. Wanda, looking over at Blob from her seat. Beside her, Mastermind has a couple finger placed lightly on her arm. But it’s pretty clear she has other priorities than whatever’s on his mind.
Wanda: Tell him to do his—
Bobby (phone, off panel): Yeah, tell her I did it. I’m caught up on modules until you get back.
Panel 4. Blob, on the phone.
Blob: Good kid. There should be a frozen pizza in there for ya, unless your Uncle Pete killed it already. You know how much he needs to pack away. I better go. Max looks concerned.
Panel 5. Magneto, striding from the dais he’s seated upon down to the floor, on steps he’s magnetically created from surrounding metal.
Magneto: Indeed, I am. We have some new arrivals. You may be about to be tested in the field against a deserving foe. But first…
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Page 21. Splash page! The Blackbird, in flight over the Costa Perdita Naval Yard. In the sky above and behind it, we see the ghostly, transparent image of Magneto’s helmeted visage dominating the background, his eyes flashing with magnetic power. Magneto, of course, can’t astrally project. This is a bit of good ol’ artistic license.
But the important thing here is that the Blackbird’s engines are flying apart into their component pieces magnetically! The rest of the aircraft is intact, but clearly, Magneto has used his magnetic powers to tear the engines apart in a precise and methodic manner.
Caption (Magneto): …they will be tested by me…
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NEXT MONTH:
The X-MEN vs. The BROTHERHOOD!
XAVIER debates MAGNETO!
One of the X-Men…Joins The Brotherhood!?
(no, that can’t be right…)
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