X-Men 197: Photographs & Memories

Pages 1-2: Colossus

We have a splash page that is Callisto and Colossus looking down towards Kerri (still appear as she did when Colossus locked her up last issue), Masque (with his new appearance, and for the first time wearing something other than his hooded robe – though it’s clearly track pants and a hooded sweatshirt borrowed from some other Morlock) and Ursus (still looking a little bearish, but not as much – the overt snout is gone, for example, but he still has more prominent than usual canines, and is now very bearded and hair rather than having legitimate fur). The three are facing Callisto and Colossus and surrounded by a crowd, albeit one at arm’s length. Callisto still has a black tracing of her capillaries, almost like a tattoo, on her cheek.

It’s clear that most of the Morlocks are here: the reader can see Sunder towering over the crowd with Plague and Memento at his side, and elsewhere in the crowd are Caliban, a family unit made up of the Colonel, Mrs. P and Aviary (who is female, thin, a little plain and with her feathers instead of hair could probably pass for a Shi’ar if she put her mind to it), Miss Scarlet, Leech, and anyone else who we have name checked in the past

“Based on what we’ve learned from the surface some extra-dimensional idiot messed with the minds of the whole city,” Callisto is yelling out to the group. “That led to a few interesting days down here, but I’m giving everyone a blanket pass on this one. That doesn’t undo the injuries, and it doesn’t bring Jacob back to life, but they’re burying a lot more corpses up surface than we are down here, so either we’re all really comfortable with anger or we’ve got more community spirit. Take your pick.”

"Or," thinks Colossus in a thought balloon, "the Alley protected the Morlocks from the worst of the attack." He does not, however, interrupt (and has likely mentioned that to Callisto before, anyway).

“Now what the hell,” Callisto says, “are we going to do with you three?”

"She already knows that," reads Colossus's thought balloon. "We talked about that before she called the meeting. Callisto doesn't call impromptu meetings. She -plans- them.... Is this how Storm and Cyclops did it? Is it how Nightcrawler and the Professor do it? Or... does the Professor not need to plan because he knows our minds so well?"

[LP: This isn't meant to be major worrying or insight into any of the people he's thinking about, more musings on the whole leadership thing.]

Stan Lee presents the Uncanny X-Men in: Photographs and Memories

Credits Box: caught in the frame are Written by Diane "Dazzler" Kelly Penciled by Myles "Nightcrawler" Corcoran Inked by Lisa "Colossus" Padol Colored by Kris "Ariel" Keegan Lettered by Joshua "Phoenix" Kronengold Edited by Brian Rogers Rachel Rogers, Editor in Chief

Masque steps forward, “I’ll go,” he says, “I don’t deserve to be among you any longer. Not after…what’s happened.”

He turns slowly to face the crowd, “Anyone who wants to see me before I go, I’ll give you back old faces, or give you new ones. You don’t need to fear my touch any more, or need to fear walking among the surface folk.”

"That wasn't planned," reads Peter's thought balloon. "At least, not by Callisto."

There's a one panel flashback to Peter seeing the conversation between Masque and Callisto before the meeting, where she calmly tells him "you will go quietly or I will stick a knife in you".

Callisto has stiffened at Masque's little bit of political theater. “Generous of you, Masque,” Callisto says with just a trace of rancor in her voice. She tosses him a thick pile of banded cash, “Here’s some of the money you got from the mob a few months back. That will help set you up in style, right?”

He tries to snatch the bundle from the air, underestimates the effects of his new height and bobbles it, then has to crouch down to pick it up from the floor. He looks up at Callisto with a hint of irritation on his face, but says nothing.

Callisto is already tossing another bundle of the money at Kerri, and this time it’s a perfect toss to land right in the girl’s hands. “You’re going too, right?”

One could be generous with the term and call that a question. The once mousey and now voluptuous Morlock nods. “Thank you. Thank all of you so much.” She’s nearly breaking down with emotion. Colossus knows the girls last few days have been a roller coaster of hate, hope, fear and now relief that there is to be no punishment.

“No one is trapped here, Kerri,” Callisto tells her, and while her voice is slightly more charitable her finger is tracing the spiderweb on her cheek. “You could have gone at any time. Any of us can.”

"And yet, they don't," reads Collossus's thought balloon. "Or... will some take Masque up on his offer?"

She looks at Ursus, “And you?”

“I’d like to stay. I…” the bear-boy hesitates “I promised someone I’d start helping out Healer. I’d like to see that through.”

“You good with that?” she asks the Morlock’s would be magus, who nods with great portentousness.

“All right, then,” Callisto yells out, “That’s it. Everyone get back to cleaning up. We’re committing Jacob to the North Forty at sunset if anyone wants to be there to say goodbye.”

The crowd breaks up, and Callisto steps out of the metaphorical limelight into a side hall, trusting Colossus to follow.

“New face or not, he’s still a manipulative %^&*,” she says to him once they have a semblance of privacy.

Peter nods. "People don't change completely overnight." He smiles, tentatively, and adds, "You still have to train me to keep from taking a wrong turn every twenty feet."

His next thought balloon says, "...how much of leadership is manipulation?"

She scowls at him, but he can see it’s without real rancor. "Don't be cute. Now that he thinks he doesn’t need this place he's trying to peel some of it off, get his own little circle before going topside. I couldn't care less what he does up there, but I don't want him dragging anyone else out of here on false promises."

"How many people do you think will take him up on his offer of a new face?" asks Peter.

[LP: I just realized that he's not even thinking there's a shot of Callisto taking Masque up on that, which is kind of interesting.]

"Four, maybe a little more. Not as many as their might have been if I hadn't reminded everyone what a heartless snake he was."

She stops and rubs her eye with the palm of her hand. "This one has been tough for the community; I'm still not sure it wouldn't have been better to plant him in the North Forty after his last stunt."

"I... don't like Masque," says Peter. "But... he didn't kill anyone. He tried to get other people to do that, but they didn't. Maybe you _do_ have more community spirit.

"I used to think -- well, what everyone topside who knows about --" He gestures around. "all of this probably thinks. That people stay here because they wouldn't be able to blend in above. That if they could, if people above would allow them to, they would. But... this isn't just somewhere to hide from people who would hurt you if they could. It isn't Utopia, I know." He risks a grin. "The plumbing's shaky, at best, and by the time the tunnels are cleared out from one thing, something else has knocked at least three walls down.

"But it's a community, a _strong_ one. So many of you could live topside, even without Masque's help, no matter _how_ you look, no matter _what_ people think. You'd survive. You'd... you'd get by as well as a lot of people topside, and better than many. And... if you trusted Masque -- If you _could_ trust him, I mean... If he really only wanted to help, how many would go?"

"But I can't trust him, Peter. So the hypothetical is useless." Callisto looks at him, a little personal pain in her eye that six months ago he wouldn't have been able to read, "But to answer it, enough. Communities like this need a critical mass if they're going to survive. We can't have too many or the politics get unwieldy, but we can't have too few or the politics get toxic and the work doesn't get done. I figure we can handle getting bigger by breaking out work groups and setting up points of authority. Smaller? No."

[BR: Lisa, were you planning to ask any questions about Kerri? Or is Peter wisely letting that drop?]

[LP: I think Peter's kind of forgotten that he was wondering exactly why Callisto had such a strong reaction, as he's pondering complicated questions of ethics and communities. I think he is wondering whether the good looks will be enough for Kerri and whether Masque really made the right choice of a face, and just isn't connecting any of that to Callisto who is just so... Callisto.]

Peter's thought balloon reads, "So, if everyone wanted to leave..."

"I'm sorry," he says, probably not quite sure exactly what he's sorry about -- judging, not taking enough things into account, that so many people would leave, that the community's necessary -- it's more like wanting to put a bandaid on Callisto's feelings without calling attention to knowing that she has them, which is probably quixotic at best.

Changing the subject, he says, "Would I be in the way at the North Forty?"

(I don't know how much of this Callisto picks up on from non-verbal cues, but he thinks he should be there and he'd like to be, but he also thinks that the Morlocks get to say who goes to Morlock funeral services, and while one might or might not believe Storm's a Morlock, Peter hasn't either claimed or earned that right by Morlock rules (near as I can tell).)

"I think people would be pissed if you weren't there. And I know Sunder could use the support. Like it or not, Colossus, you're one of us now."

Page 3: Hellfire Club

The opening shot is of a photograph of the Hellions, a sort of class picture. Emma frost is holding it. “The risks you take with my assets, Sebastian, are unacceptable.”

“They are lovely assets, Emma,” Shaw tosses back, and we see that they’re inside the Hellfire Club mansion in Manhattan.

“I’m not joking,” Emma says, laying the picture down on the table. “The hellions represent out best long term investment in mutant power and you’re perpetually willing to risk them for dubious short term gain. Not pulling Thunderbird and Jetstream out of Proudstar’s vengeance quest gave Xavier an opportunity to plant seeds of doubt inside the organization and forced me to hobble Empath more than I wanted to. This little debacle in central park cost us the Jones girl, who had enormous potential.”

“Not problems you can’t solve, Emma,” Shaw says with a wave, “and while you’re devoted to your protégés none of them have managed to meet the Club’s standards self-made success. How things ended with Leland* makes me even less willing to coddle inheritors, and you’re building a whole group of them.”

[* Ed: Shaw and Frost believe that Harry Leland committed suicide rather than face club exile after his overextended, inherited financial empire collapsed. Actually Professor X maneuvered Leland into protective custody with the RCX, the UK’s Super-Espionage team See issues 191-192 for more.]

“Whereas you’re building toys that Gyrich just took away from you,” Emma counters.

“We’ve been over this before, Emma,” Shaw says in a placating tone after a moment’s jaw clenching. “I’m willing to let you pursue your students as a backup plan to our larger goals. But you have to remember what the larger goals are.”

“Do you even remember?” Frost shoots back. “Eliminating the X-Men was just to clear ground for acquiring more power, but at this point they’ve moved from a target to a distraction to an outright enemy. Xavier warned me he’d be going on the offensive and since then we’ve lost Cerebro, Leland, Coy Mahn, control of the Sentinels, had our systems hacked, had our indoctrination of the Hellions interrupted and lost the Jones girl as a possible asset. We made the fight about him rather than securing our own power and he’s returning the favor.”

Shaw brushes that aside, “He’s not responsible for all of that…”

“We Don’t Know That!” Frost yells back. “We literally have no idea what he’s capable of when he puts his mind to it.”

“The Sentinels are still under our control, Emma, and we’ll make damn sure that Xavier and his crew are their first targets.”

“Fine,” she replies, “But leave my students out of it. Right now the only strings I have on the X-Men’s behavior are grounded in his interest in protecting those children. If everything goes south that’s the last lever we have to protect our assets.”

“Or the lever we need to expose his,” Shaw says back.

“No!” Emma spits, “From here on in the Hellions are off limits, Shaw. They’re not pawns, they’re not assets. Try it again and I will burn you.”

Shaw smiles, “Such fire. Very well, Emma. Coddle them as you will, and we’ll discuss their fate in the new world.”

Page 4-5: Xavier (and later the hellions)

The opening shot is of the wall in Xavier’s office and its photographs; centered on panel is one of the original X-Men. The word balloon on the panel reads “You’re saying my daughter’s a Mutant?”

“That’s correct, Mr. Jones. That’s why the Massachusetts Academy was so interested in recruiting her,” Xavier turns to young Angelica Jones “No sight to your academic record, miss.”

“It’s also why you’re interested in her, right?” Mr. Jones says again, “You and your mutant paramilitary organization.”

Xavier smiles, “I’d disagree with that characterization of our activities, Mr. Jones, but yes, I would not be extending this offer to your daughter if she weren’t a mutant. ‘Typical’ children don’t need the specialized training that we or the academy provide. My school is designed to teach not just academics but also how to safely control a student’s mutation to make sure they are not a threat to themselves or others.”

“And to fight people,” Jones adds.

“Some students at the school are members of the X-Men, and the X-Men do end up fighting people, yes. The majority of the younger students are just students. Upon graduation they’re free to live their lives as they wish – our graduates have includes fashion models and accountants, biochemists and bush pilots, advertising executives and police officers.

“Mr. Xavier, sir,” the girl asks, “If I’m a mutant, what can I do?”

“I don’t know, Miss Jones,” Xavier says, “Your potential is powerful but still latent. If you agree to be a student here we could help you manifest it in optimal conditions for its development.”

“But will I turn, I dunno, all green and scaly?”

“I wish I could tell you,” Xavier says. “Most mutants with gross physical changes manifest those at birth, but not all.”

“Wait,” Mr., Jones says. “If you can help her mutation come out can you make it _not_ come out?”

Xavier shakes his head, “It is part of her, Mr. Jones. If it doesn’t materialize during the biological stresses of puberty it may very well emerge at some other stressful part of her life – college exams, perhaps, or while in labor. Better to understand what it is now, while she still has time to learn to control it.”

Mr. Jones nods, “and you can do that?”

“Yes,” Xavier says, “I’m confident that I can. But if you decide you would rather not, I understand and would just ask you to keep our contact information available. If you decide to instead contact Miss Frost again she has similar facilities, if not as well advanced as ours. Her philosophy is less egalitarian than mine, but I dare say she would do a creditable job with your daughter’s powers and education.”

“I dunno, Mr. Xavier,” Jones says.

“Daddy, can I at least get a tour?” Angelica says, “See how it looks as a school?” she looks from her father to Xavier

“If your father is comfortable with that, of course,” Xavier says, and Mr., Jones gives a small nod.

After a second the door opens and Dani comes in to show Angelica around, “Hi, I’m Danielle Moonstar – sort of the ‘head girl’ for the current class. Come on through here and I’ll show you around.

The shot of Angelica following Dani is recreated inside the design of the Rider-Waite Four of Wands, with the doorframe, the doorframe past it and a hanging floral tapestry taking the place of the flowered chuppah in the image.

“She’s lost to us,” Tarot says, and the next panel shows the whole array of the reading. The French mutant shakes her head, setting her auburn hair waving. “The girl’s future is unset – she doesn’t end with the X-Men, but she may shair an apartment with urban vigilantes or live in a vast mansion with gods. But she’s not one of us, or one of them.”

Catseye, in her feline form, cocks her head at her, and past her in the frame is Miss Frost. “I think this will make an interesting test of your precognitive powers, Ange-Marie. Thank you.”

“Would you like me to do a reading for the school, Miss Frost?”

“No, child, that would keep me from being objective,” Emma says with a thin smile as she leaves the room.

Undaunted Ange-Marie shuffles the deck and lays out two cards – the Tower, crossed by the Hanged Man. That figure still has dark skin and devlish features. “Oh no,” Tarot says, “He’d better come.”

Pages 6-7: Nightcrawler

The establishing shot is of St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church, on west 31st street. It’s a lovely church, and currently home to Father Michael Bowen. Mr. Bowen is hardly the head priest of such an august parish, but he is well known and respected for his work with the Korean community that has sprouted up in the city.

“Could you run that past me again, Kurt?” is the word balloon coming out from the church.

Inside the church, in one of the smaller side rooms used by the community, are Kurt, Archie aka Leech and father Bowen.

"Well Father, simply put Archie needs to go home. He ran away and fell in with some bad people, but that's behind him now. He just wants to go home."

Kurt is clear-eyed and earnest. Leaning forward, he puts a reassuring hand on Archie's shoulder.

"He's afraid, Father. Afraid he won't be welcome home. Because of his mutation. We hoped you could act as intercessor or go-between to reunite mother and son. God willing."

[BR: I did some research and it seems leech can talk; at least he has uttered single word sentences in the past. So we're saying he just doesn't like to talk.]

Father Bowen nods. "And his mother is in the Church?"

Archie nods at this, and produces a small pile of photographs from his sweatshirt pocket. He roots through them and finds a shot of he and his mother at what is clearly his first communion. The boy in the photo bears no resemblance to the green scaly individual standing before father Bowen.

"That will help," Bowen says, "I trust you remember your parish?"

Again the boy nods. And Bowen nods too. "I'll get to work on contacting her, then."

He looks back up at Kurt, "I'm not saying this will be easy, but Lord willing we'll get the boy home. Does he have somewhere to stay?"

Kurt replies, "yes Father. I'd like to invite him to the Xavier Academy upstate. It's quieter[1] than where he was before and there are other young people living there."

[1] Hah! Quieter my ass. When not overrun with a Sh'iar invasion force, giant robots, demons, or a passing mutant with a chip on their shoulder.

Bowen goes down on one knee to put his face level with the boys, "can you speak, Archie?"

"Yes." The boys voice is shocking - clear and pure, what you would expect from a castrati, perhaps, but not what the mind would place coming out of that face.

"Well then, when was the last time you had confessional?"

Tears well up in Archie's eyes at this moment of accepted normalcy. "Years."

Bowen smiles. "Can't have that. Let's get the state of your soul taken care of before we start worrying about the small things, shall we?"

Some time later, while Archie is working through a couple of rosaries, Father Bowen is again talking to Kurt.

"How old is the boy? It sounds like his voice hasn't cracked yet."

"I'm honestly not sure. 11? 12? It's been difficult to get anything of his previous life out of him. You'll understand that I've wanted to take things gently with him. I'm not sure if he is confirmed in the Church, Father."

Bowen shows him the picture, "he's had his first communion, that's good enough for me. I've never been the most doctrinally pure," he grins.

"Still, caution is justified. Let Archie tell us what he needs to as he needs to. It'll all come out eventually."

Bowen shakes his head a little, "I have to admit, you and your friends have been giving me no end of challenges lately. Finding out Xi'an wasn't really Xi'an when she took her brother and sister back, well, I'm spending a lot of time helping her unravel the custody issues there. Now this? I have his name, her name, their parish, and the date of his disappearance. Finding her will be easy. Getting her to accept Archie as Archie? I don't know. God willing she'll be ecstatic to have him home and that will be that - I've seen reunited families do that regardless of pregnancies, drug addictions and all manner of issues. But Archie can't put the baby up for adoption or hand it to an aunt; he can’t beat the needle. He won't age out of being a mutant, or overcome it. So his mother will have to accept him, love him, as he is, forever."

He shakes his head again, smiling slightly, "Sorry. Preaching to the choir. Occupational hazard."

"God willing indeed, Father," replies Nightcrawler. I pray that we can reunite Archie and his mother, and even more so that the reunion is a happy one. I don't like to think of his pain should she reject him." Kurt grimaces, sharp teeth glinting in the light from the votive candles, at the thought. "I trust the Lord's plan for the child... but I suppose it's best to take this carefully. Will you approach Archie's mother before introducing mother and child? That could be a potentially traumatic reunion. I'd like to be there, Father, though I realise my appearance might frighten the woman. I could remain nearby."

"I'll be approaching her, yes. Letting her know that her son turned up at our church, but that he's changed a lot. Prepare her for it as much as possible. If I can get him talking, if that's his old voice, it will help a lot." He looks at Kurt, "Having you there, dressed normally and not in your super-hero clothes, possibly with someone else - Amanda? - may be a boon. Just a subtle way of showing that physically different doesn't mean broken."

"Certainly, Father. I'm sure Amanda would be happy to help."

When Kurt is getting ready to take Archie home the boy hands him a photo of himself, possibly the last one taken before his mutation. The frayed images moves from green three fingered hand to blue, and Archie whispers "Disguise?"

"Certainly, Archie, if you need it. Let's see if we can't get the image inducer to whip something up."

We see a boy leaving with Nightcrawler, hand in hand, framed by the church doors.

Pages 8-9: Ariel

“Just look relaxed, child. No, really relaxed, not fake relaxed” We see the word balloon inside the panel sans tail, and the panel itself is an image of Miss Scarlett, one of the Morlocks, standing next to a white background and looking supremely uncomfortable in a fashionable outfit that is entirely unlike anything she’s worn in years.

We cut out to see the photo shoot going on – roughly a half dozen people present between the photographer, the costuming person, the lighting people and so on - with Kitty and Doug in their ‘trust us, we’re professional’ attire on trying to keep an eye on things. The photographer stops and says “OK, take 10. I need to readjust some things.”

Scarlett droops a little, and Doug nudges Kitty’s arm to go over and talk to the girl, who despite likely being at least a year older than kitty, looks young and uncomfortable outside of her tough girl Morlock wear.

Kitty goes over and smilingly puts a hand on Scarlett's shoulder, saying, "Come sit down for a bit. Those lights are really hot, aren't they? I bet somebody will bring you some water."

"I don’t mind the heat," she says despondently as she flumps down. "It's that I feel like I'm screwing up somehow. I CAN'T STOP messing with the lights, or how I look. I'm sorry. He's going to be here all day and it's never going to look right because I don't look right."

Her voice drops to a whisper, "why aren't you up there?"

Kitty looks a little dismayed, for more than one reason as it turns out when she whispers back: "One, I look normal ... two, there's the effect on the, uh, group to think about ... and three ... my mom doesn't like the idea. I'm still trying to talk her around."

"Your MOM...?" Scarlett looks incredulous, then seethes. "I'm putting myself on public display because your MOM doesn't like the idea?!"

Her skin darkens a shade and as Kitty can feel some heat around them both as Scarlett's mutation slips. Before things can go any further there's a second of silence when both girls once again hear the 'click-whir-click-whir' of the camera.

"There! That's perfect!" the photographer says, "The darker red, the hint of anger in the eyes. You looks so much the everyday teenager."

Scarlett takes a step back from Kitty, her color dropping in embarrassment.

"No, no, don’t lose it. Don't be comfortable, Scarlett - get angry!" he insists. "No one trusts a comfortable teenager!"

Kitty giggles, then looks embarrassed. "I've been doing this all wrong, then?" she quips.

Then she steps forward and puts an arm around Scarlett's shoulders to speak to her quietly and intently. "You're doing this because somebody has to be first, okay? And somebody who's pretty, and a legal adult, and who just wants to live a normal life - that's what you told us, right? - is perfect for first."

Scarlett stops fuming, at least a little bit. "Fine. You're right. Fine."

The photographer shoos Kitty out of the way, "Out, out, you are no not hot enough for this shot."

Kitty looks amused and backs away.

Later, after the second round of developing and looking at the photos, the photographer comes over to Kitty and Doug with one of his assistants, a young woman named Sabrina.

“Hey, Kate,” he says, “I wanted you to take a look at this – Sabi had an idea for a later part of the campaign,”

It’s a quick mock-up of shots that the assistant had been snapping earlier, showing three young woman – Scarlet, Kitty and herself in the mirror – with the labels underneath “Mutant, Human, Mutant”, a conscious reference to the previous anti-racism campaign with the 'white', 'black', and 'yellow' captions under photos of hearts.

‘What do you think? In the idea that it could be your sister, or brother, or whoever?”

"Er," Kitty says, a little taken aback, but rallies. "It's a start, but suggesting mutants aren't human is, well, kind of the opposite of what we're going for, isn't it?"

The assistant looks at her and says "Well, there isn't another good word for it, is there? I mean, Homo Superior isn't exactly understated." The girl is earnest in the asking, as if this is really important to her. Before Kitty can respond the photographer chimes in.

"Is Mutant less human than Queer?" he says. "We're working hard to make that one a pride point."

"Exactly," Kitty says, "but you've got the term 'straight' for contrast, right? Because 'normal' isn't the right word either."

Kitty looks frustrated, running a hand through her hair. "Thing is, we don't say that people with, say, dwarfism or cystic fibrosis are mutants, but scientifically speaking they are." She holds up a hand, smiling, to forestall protest: "I know scientific terms aren't what most people think of first, okay?"

"I don't know what would be best ... maybe 'typical' isn't as loaded?"

"Yeeeah, we can work that..." the photographer says, and Sabrina takes out one of her sharpies and alters the text on the mark up.

As the crew is packing up Kitty sees Sabrina sidle awkwardly over to Scarlett and whisper something to her. Scarlet stares back at her for a moment and then smiles a bit, and the two part with a little wave.

Scarlett waits until they’re well clear of the film crew before she whispers to Kitty and Doug, “she said she wanted to know how much what I was doing meant to us. To ‘us’.”

“More of us out there every day, Scarlett,” Doug says, “and pretty soon they’re all going to want to be as brave as you.”

Pages 10-11: Phoenix

The first panel of this sequence is a shot of the Polaroid that Memento game to Phoenix last issue. The hand that is holding it is clearly not Rachel’s however, and the word balloon on the panel is simply “Fascinating.”

We’re inside the Avengers mansion lab. The FF have temporarily taken up residence there since their own HQ was yanked into orbit and detonated by Doctor Doom*. The FF themselves have recently returned from a trip to the Microverse that made some profound changes to the team, but it’s been long enough that the ever flexible Reed Richards has, er bounced back. Being Reed he’s in his uniform, because that’s what Reed wears around a lab.

[* Ed: See Fantastic Four issues 228-279 and issues 282-285 while you’re at it. ]

Reed hands the photograph back to Rachel, “and you say he salvaged this from your aborted timeline?”

Rachel takes it back, holding it carefully against her chest. "Yes. He ate my timeline--apparently, that means he can make objects appear from it. Temporarily, that is. I'll need to make a copy of this before its gone."

"Well, I can assist - the Avengers lab has the capacity to digitize the photographic image for computer storage. With your permission, of course. It would also allow me to run a full radiological scan on the physical manifestation. While I don't have Doom's facility with time travel technology I can certainly equal him when it comes to the esoteric physics of parallel dimensions, and I suspect Memento's power creates ectoplasmic extrusion of the latter, for all that he has theorized its workings.

"That...would be helpful, thanks. And I am curious about Memento's powers--there's certainly time involved, I can see it, but I haven't sensed anything in particular about his ability to summon parts of what he eats."

Reed's arm has stretched across the room to start turning on the scanner, but he's still looking at her. "And you can see time flows? Fascinating. OK, the system is ready - if you'll just place the photograph in the scanner?"

Once the picture is in place Reed gets absorbed by looking at the spectrographic readouts of the object. Rachel can see the image form on the computer screen, tightening up line after line. As this is going on she feels a very strong thought coming from Doctor Richards.

Rachel, can you hear me?

Yes, sir, loud and clear

I'd like an opportunity for a private discussion concerning Franklin, and while many married men may fear their wives overhearing conversations unnoticed I think I have greater cause for concern than most....

Unless she's got a way to block me out, she's not in the room, but fair enough. What do you want to talk about?

Franklin's aging, Reed thinks. He had functionally stopped for a year. About 16 months ago his mutant powers manifested to temporarily age him to adulthood. It was traumatic, and that was when he created internal dampers to slow his powers, which also appear to have slowed, or even reversed, his aging. Chronologically he is nearly nine, but over that year he regressed from presenting at seven to six and a half, where he stabilized. Since his mutation is so powerful, and its use has been so scarring, I believe he has subconsciously taken steps to prevent himself from growing up and assuming its full ability.

There's no evidence on Reeds face that he's having this conversation, continuing to work on the scanner. I have never been enamored of Mr. Barrie's work and would not see it replicated in my household. Fortunately since Franklin's exocognitive event on meeting you those dampers have been breaking down. He has also resumed aging. What we have taken as a growth spurt is him restoring himself to his original chronology. But now that he is approximately where he should be I worry if your presence, your relationship, might lead him to continue that biological acceleration.

Taking her cue from Reed, Rachel pulls out a book and pretends to peruse it while continuing their telepathic dialogue. I can't say I don't want Franklin -- my Franklin back. Of course I do. But I don't want this Franklin to not have his childhood. Do I need to stop visiting?

Not just yet. It's possible he'll stop on his own now that he's reached his proper age; if he continues at an accelerated pace we'll have to take other measures. The one thing you should definitely avoid is making psychic contact with him. During his temporary adulthood he was able copy memories from myself, Johnny and Ben and sort through them looking for clues to his identity. If he were to manifest that ability again on someone with strong memories of him as an adult.... Reed lets the thought hang, then starts speaking.

"Interesting readings, Rachel. With your permission I'd like to get a similar analysis of your body - that should answer some questions about Memento's powers, and perhaps give us a way to see if there are any other artifacts or effects from your timeline in our own."

Rachel sends her response back before Reed has finished talking, quick as thought, Right. Yes, I think it would be best to keep myself locked down around him, then responds. "Yes, do scan me; I want to see what you'll find out. After, do you want to take a reading of my pulling on the timestream myself? I'll try not to break anything."

"Yes and alas no, in that order. The equipment here is serviceable but not to the level I really need for studying a time manipulation rather than a simple anomaly." Reed indicates where she should stand for the scan.

"Oh? Given their run-ins with Kang the Conqueror, I'd think they'd want to be all kitted up."

A short time later "Here it is," Reed says, handing her a machine the size of her palm. "I fabricated one for you as well. If there is any additional contact with your native timeline, from franklin or somewhere else, this will detect it."

[BR: I'd like to call scene there, and no, there's no way I would EVER, EVER consider that Checkov's Gunning.]

Page 12: Nightcrawler

The opening shot of this sequence is a panel showing a three fingered hand holding a four-photo strip that is showing Kurt, Amanda and the hologrammed boy that is Archie in his pre-mutation state. The photos are about what you expect with silly faces for all. In the next panel is the three of them in an establishing shot on Coney Island. It’s definitely spring now – still too early for swimming, but definitely warm enough to hit the boardwalk.

A panel with Sam Guthrie in a heap having crashed passing too close to Archie. A panel with Wolverine hacking and coughing over a cigar as Archie rides his bike pass; Amanda and Kurt are nearby stifling giggles. A panel of Sunspot in swimming trucks buckling under a pile of chairs he's moving around the pool, as his solar-powered strength fades. A final panel with Kurt closing the door to Archie's room and a view of Archie curled up in bed clutching the Nightcrawler plushie he got for Amanda (I've forgotten the issue number).

Cut to Master Toad's.

"I'm only keeping the boy company, Amanda love," Kurt says as a second enormous ice cream concoction arrives at their table. Archie is already elbows-deep in his magnificent dessert.

"Yes, dear," Amanda replies patiently. "But mutant metabolism or no, you'll not maintain that admittedly lovely acrobat's physique eating that."

Kurt looks up guiltily, ice cream on his chin, before sharing a grin with Archie.

We get a long establishing shot of Master Toad's showing its family friendly approximation of an evil mastermind's base for a layout - with the second level being a balcony around the outside with very stable bridges designed to look like catwalks as spikes inward to another platform over a central area (directly over the juice bar and video arcade on the first floor) all made up to look like central reactor core - neon on the lower level and blasts of dry ice fog on the upper level. The wait staff are all dressed in the Toad's 'minion gear' - green jumpsuits with the two lump 'toad eyes' icon, though they've lost the headgear because wait staff complained that cutting down their facial expressiveness cut into their tips - and there are several 'super folk' around - Sauron, Man-Wolf, Moon Knight a few others - giving the place plenty of color.

The old Spider Man villain the Kangaroo appears at their table and says "You were foolish, Archie, to think that you could avoid Master Toads attention" and with a squeal of delight from Archie the ludicrously attired villain picks up the boy and leaps from the table to the corner of the second floor, on which s curtain had opened, revealing the Toad to begin today's floor show.

Amanda gives Kurt a big smile. "You set that up, didn't you?" she says as she snakes a long handled spoon into his ice cream to snag a whip-cream covered cherry.

"But of course," replies Kurt with a broad grin. "I have a weakness for a bit of theatre, as well you know."

"How are things going with Father Bowen? any luck with finding Archie's family? "

"Yes!" Kurt replies eagerly. "Father Bowen has located Archie's mother and is hoping to arrange a meeting. I will attend, for moral support as much as anything."

He pauses, thinking. "My love, I would like you to be there too, if you want to. For many reasons: to present an adult mutant in a happy and loving relationship as a model for Archie's future, to support Archie as you've been doing so marvellously since he came into our lives, to reassure Archie's mother, and so much more.

"Selfishly but most of all, my love, because I want you beside me."

His prehensile tail snakes out from under the table, wrapped carefully round a small velvet box. He takes the box and slips slowly onto one knee, proffering the contents of the box[1]. The next panel is in silhouette, surrounded by dark blue flowers matching Nightcrawler's fur. A single word balloon reads:

"Will you marry me, Jimaine*?"

[* Ed: Jimaine Szardos is Amanda Sefton's childhood name]

Amanda's eyes well up with tears "Oh you bastard," she chokes, "I have been having such problems getting a ring sized for you...." Then she realizes that perhaps this is not the best respond and says "Yes you big furry elf. Yes." She leans in to kiss him and then some motion in their peripheral vision catches both of their eyes.

On the platform they can see Archie pointing out what's going on at the table, and Toad, with a grandiloquent gesture of his walking stick/control gizmo, displays the happy couple on the 'Master Toad World Domination Screen' for all to see. A throaty cheer comes up from the wait staff and the families at the other tables.

"That little...Toad!" Amanda hisses and giggles at the same time.

Kurt's eyes widen at the display on the big screen. "Verdammt! I told him champagne, not a song-and-dance routine. Then again," he adds as he focuses his attention on his new bride-to-be, "for two circus brats like us what's a little song and dance?"

The two embrace under Master Toad's really rather over the top light show.

[1] MC: I'm thinking a Savage Land diamond, but I'm open to suggestions.

[BR: Works for me. Hey, how about something you pulled off of Belasco's hand? What could go wrong there?]

Page 13: Colossus

The opening shot of this page is once again of a photograph, this time it’s one of the few that Peter has of Russia, showing his parents and sister at the age she was before she was kidnapped by Arcade into the US, and then kidnapped again by Belasco into another dimension. The fingers holding the photograph are clearly too feminine to be peter’s however.

[ED: assume this whole scene is translated from Russian.]

“Do you wish, sometimes, that you could go home Pitor?” Ilyana asks. The next panel shows the two are in Peter’s room, which given his increasing dedication to the Morlocks has become less occupied than before.

Peter thinks about this, resting his chin on his hand.

"Yes," he says. "But... it wouldn't feel like home. We've changed too much. Do you wish you could go back to the person you were before all of that?"

"Sometimes," she says, "But I barely remember who I was before Arcade took me, never mind Belasco."

Peter nods, thinking that he's not always sure who -he- was before joining the X-Men.

[LP: Okay, I know he was a lot older, and it hasn't been that many years, but what with culture shock, finding a surrogate family, lots of death, fighting, saving the world, and all that...]

She plops down on a chair, "I write Mama and Papa letters, but I don't know how much gets through the censors, and how much I can even tell them. Do they really understand that I'm not a little girl anymore?"

"I'm not sure that's something any parent really understands... even when things are more... usual," says Peter. His thought balloon reads, "Or older brothers."

"But you don't get letters back praising you on your fine penmanship for such a little girl. Two years ago I was eight, and Mama still thinks I'm ten, if not six! I want to be able to talk to them, to tell them what I'm doing, what I'm feeling, but I think it would just scare them. I want all those years of being their little girl back...."

"But I could go back, or go visit, if I really wanted to...."

"Do you?" he says, curious, and a little troubled by the thought, for reasons that have more to do with Callisto than with Ilyana. At least, he hopes that's the case.

She nods, "Sometimes, but it's so risky. The further away I try to go the more I shift in time. I could try though, spend time in Limbo, really focus on where I'm going, but I could end up back before I was born, or after mama and papa are dead. I wish I had more control!"

[Right, scratch that line, then -- Peter would know all of that. I didn't quite get that they were de facto defectors. How close could they get, safely, by conventional means? E.g., London? Munich? Meanwhile, given that's probably not the real point of the conversation,]

[BR: Well, they disappeared from their farm and have no papers. Xavier probably telepathically wrangled something 6 years ago to get Peter out but I doubt that still holds. Soviet intelligence likely knows by now who Colossus is - they're very good at that sort of thing - and that he's a mutant. Arcade probably did Ilyana a favor when he kidnapped her before some remnant of the Soviet Super Soldier program could. Still, this means that their family likely has some light monitoring (not too much since the eldest sibling is a deceased state hero cosmonaut) to see if either of you come back through. Physically the easiest/closest you can get is actually Japan, since the family is near Lake Baikal. But you're right, that's not the purpose of the scene. ]

"And, then, even if it worked," he says, "we'd have to explain, and... after that, I don't know."

"I should be able to go ANYWHERE," she grumps. "Jump me now into 8 years into the future of Mama and Papa and not confuse them at all, but I never be sure where I'll end up. I don't want to go back to live on the farm... I just want to see them. I have you, and I have Kitty, but it's not like home. I like the New Mutants, but I don't love them the way you love the X-Men. After Belasco I'm not sure I can love anyone like that again."

The Ilyana sitting here, in Peter's room, is so very different than the vivacious vamp who haunts the New Mutants. Her cloak of boundless self-sufficiency is off as she talks to the one person in the world who she knows will love her no matter what.

She's silent for several minutes and then says, "Are you moving down to the tunnels permanently?"

He shakes his head. "That's not what they need. They need a liaison from the surface world."

"Good."

Peter reaches to take Ilyana's hand. "It's not what I need, either," he says. "It is... hard to be part of many worlds, but it's the right thing."

"I know that, big brother," she says with a rueful grin. "I certainly know that."

Page 14-15: Phoenix

The opening shot is a photo of Jean Grey at her parent’s house. The frame is gold, the border is black. The hand holding it is masculine and manicured. The word balloon is “Well, I can see who you take after.”

The next panel shows Adrian Maxwell, Rachel’s boss at Maxwell Peterson Von der Donk Public Relations, holding the photo. He’s dressed casually for spring, and in through the window behind him you can see the milling of equally casually dressed adults and children that indicates a ‘break in the grill’ spring cookout at the Grey household.

“So, I hardly see you at the office I’ve been travelling so much – are you still enjoying the internship at our madhouse?” he says to Rachel as he puts the frame back on the end table.

"Quite well, thank you," Rachel, dressed casually, but attractively, takes a sip of her lemonade. "I never had a chance to have a normal life, back where I came from. The office, the work--it's normal, but a nice-normal."

"If you think our jobs are normal, well, let's say I hope you never find out different because we don't want to lose you," Maxwell says with a smile, holding the door open for her as both of them step back outside into the sunshine.

"Nice of your father to invite a few of us from the office along to this." Outside Rachel can see three of her fellow 'Donkers', as they call themselves, joining in with the kids of her grandparents friends on the volleyball court - Brenda is the office assistant who took Warren's coat and shirt before the Brotherhood attack, Kevin is the guy from advertising with the really cute figure and Zelda is the longest standing with the firm and has gone out of her way to befriend Rachel.

"Comparatively normal, anyway," Rachel says.

A bit of montage here, as the conversation slides into a volleyball game, with Rachel grabbing Kevin to face off against Zelda and Brenda.

There are a couple of panels on the game, showing the four of them batting the ball back and forth when in the final panel we see both Rachel and Kevin yell "got it" as they leap simultaneously before going down, with Rachel having overpowered on the collision and landed atop Kevin in a classic romcom fashion.

"Oof!" Kevin says, staring up at Rachel's face as her longer hair hangs down to one side, giving them a curtain of privacy from the laughing Zelda and Brenda. "You're stronger than you look!"

"I work out," Rachel says, "healthy body, healthy might, right? You're not too weak yourself, though," she grins.

"Crew. It was the best sport I could find that would keep people from ramming into me. I may need to rethink that criteria," he smiles as he shifts position to get out from underneath her before the scene becomes awkward.

"OK, you two, it's 19 to 20," Brenda yells. "Game Point. Losing team buys lunch on Monday!"

"Hey!" Kevin yells, but Brenda already has the ball in the air.

The ball flies over the net, Rachel's block sends it back over but into Zelda's spike. Kevin dives to get under it and hits it back in the air at an arc that would take it out of play. Instinct and a lifetime of training takes over and Rachel runs, leaps, rebounds off a tree and spins in midair to smack the ball back into play and over the net. The whole of that is drawn with multiple overlapping Rachel figures to show the wixua movement that her telekinetic enhancement of her body gives her. The ball bounces neatly inside the other teams square as everyone's jaws are dropping before Kevin yells "Yeah! Our serve!"

Oops, Rachel thinks. Still, in for a penny She tosses the ball up in the air, focusing as it makes its arc, and gets it across the net. If it's a little less graceful than it ought to be that's the counter balance of her early training to keep herself under the radar. Still, with Kevin clearly energized about their chances again the pair hammer home three more points in quick succession.

"Dammit!" Brenda yells with a joke in her voice. She waggles a finger "We were winning until you went all ninja girl on us! You better have inexpensive taste in food is all I have to say!"

"Well, we'll see what my stomach says," Rachel responds, "being a secret ninja takes a lot of energy, you know!"

The quartet break up and mingle, and after a few minutes Brenda pulls Rachel aside and asks "So what's up with Kevin?"

"How do you mean?" Rachel asks.

As Brenda starts her reply Rachel is distracted by seeing the shadow of someone behind the curtains of her mother's second floor bedroom. Rachel zones out almost entirely, reaching out with her mind to try to see who -- or what -- would be moving around in there, when everyone should be down here.

Brenda's word balloon has a dotted outline and the words are in greytone, hard to read, "You know full well what I mean! He was over you for a lot more than the two second rule."

Up in the room Rachel can feel two minds - Zelda and... Mom?

"Mom?" Rachel says, snapping back to her body. "Sorry, I have to go," she snaps, heading into the house.

"It can't be her," she thinks, "But then, if not, what is it? She's dead and gone. Isn't she?"

Those thoughts are on a panel as she takes the steps up three at a time. As she's halfway to the door her mother's mind flickers out, leaving just Zelda in the room.

Zelda is standing in the room, staring at the door as if expecting Rachel to come in. "I know your secret," she says. "I know you can’t be Jean Grey's daughter."

"If I have a secret, that's not it," Rachel says. "What did you -do-?"

Zelda is in a mild state of shock, and Rachel can't be sure she's answering the question or continuing her conversational thread. "I knew your mother when she was in High School. I used to date Bobby Drake. You're too old. There's no way you could be her daughter. Everyone else doesn't know, or doesn't want to see, but I know."

"You're right that I'm too old, of course, but that doesn't stop me from being my mother's daughter, it just makes it more unlikely. What did you do?" Rachel looks around to see if there's any sign of her mother's now vanished presence.

Aside from the two of them the room is empty. There are small bric a brac on the shelves alongside books her mother read as a child, pictures of Jean and her family and friends in frames, an old concert poster for Bob Dylan on the wall.

"They weren't normal, you know. Bobby and the others. They weren’t normal. Of course you know. You're her. She wouldn't tell me. Bobby and Hank would never tell me, but how could I not notice," Zelda's look is a little glazed. "How could a truly love him if they wouldn't tell me? How? But now I know...I know why...you're...."

And with that she falls over. "Zelda! Zelda, all you all right?" Abandoning caution, Rachel opens her mind, trying to see what has brought Zelda low.

Inside Zelda's thoughts there's the recent memory of her coming into this room to look around, confused by the ages and dates of Rachel and Jean. She poked through the pictures and knickknacks until she found a paperweight with an image of Jean superimposed in it.

She picked up the paperweight and her world exploded with a full and complete awareness of Jean Grey. That was, shall we say, a bit of a shock. "Right -- you'll keep, Zelda -- although you're definitely going to need some help, after close contact with mom. Now...where's that paperweight?"

Glancing around the shelves she finds that Zelda had put it back in place. There's a shimmering image of her mom inside the crystal globe. It's seems innocent enough.

"Right." Phoenix picks up the harmless-looking globe with one hand by its base, and touches the other hand to it. Mom?

The sense of her mother flows through her, the sum total of Jean Grey's psyche. She feels her connection to space time engage automatically, filling her with awareness and power.

She sees her mother look her in the eye and say "Rachel, my love, not yet."

And then the matrix is plucked from her hand by Zelda. The concern on the woman's face is evident, as is a certain understanding.

"Rachel? Rachel! You were on fire! Are you ok?"

Rachel takes a moment to pull herself together. "Oh, er, um. I mean, that was awesome, and scary, and amazing, and no, I'm not ready for that, but yes, fine." There's a joy in her voice that has seldom, if ever, been there before. "The fire didn't hurt. You shouldn't touch that; Mom is...overwhelming. Did the air glow? Please say the air didn't glow; if so, this is going to be really hard to explain."

"Um..." Zelda replies, "well the air around you glowed. It was really bright in the room. I don't know if someone saw it outside."

She looks at the paperweight that she had already dropped back on the shelf. "Is that really her in there?"

"It is...in a manner of speaking, I think," Rachel says. "It's a psychic image, surely. Whether that counts as 'really her?' It depends. It might be just a very convincing picture. But if she can learn and grow--how is an exact duplicate different from the original, particularly when one of them is..." Rachel's breath catches, and she wipes away a solitary tear, "Sorry. Is gone. Gone."

Zelda hesitates for a second, and then embraces her, weeping.

Rachel holds her back, tears now running freely down her face as she lets go.

(over-narration by Rachel as we go through a top two thirds of a-page multi-panel montage of Rachel enjoying the rest of the party, relaxing with Kevin, bonding with Zelda, hugging her grandfather, and finally, leaving, the crystal globe visible in her purse.)

"I don't know much about the world I've found myself in. It's so like and unlike the time I grew up in, and as much as I've found people to connect with, fulfilling work, and maybe even people to love, I don't know whether I'll ever stop tripping over echoes of my past, or ever know that I've avoided the horror of my future. But I do know this."

(a three panel sequence (on the bottom third of the page) of Rachel, now in her room at the school (the sphere now on a shelf with some other curios), creating a new costume, this one a clear echo of her mother's green and gold costume, but retaining subdued bondagy cutaways on the arms and legs)

"I -will- fight to protect what I've found here; my friends and loved ones. And I -will- become someone my mother would have been proud of."

Page 16: Nightcrawler

The opening panel is a photograph and news clipping from a West German newspaper. It’s dated February 1979, and shows a very recognizable Nightcrawler performing a trapeze act at a circus. In a word balloon we hear the translation “Baden-Baden crowds thrilled to the trapeze exploits of the mysterious, marvelous ‘Nightcrawler’. Costumed acrobat brings down the house.”

Cut to the next panel which shows Kurt and Amanda in bed at her apartment. She’s wearing a tasteful, minimal fan service nightgown with the covers over her legs, on which is propped a scrapbook of his pre-X-Men clippings that she has just pulled out from under the bed to surprise Kurt.

“You were quite the thing after Mother and I left the circus, weren’t you?” she says

[Not-So-Brief discussion of canon for the purposes of this game: Margali found Kurt as a newborn in the Black Forest of Germany, a man lying dead nearby who Margali took to be Kurt's father. She took Kurt into the small circus where she lived with her own children, Jimaine and Stephan, and held a cover identity as a 'Gypsy fortune teller' while she worked her actual magics and taught them to her biological children. Kurt, on the other hand, was taken in spiritually by the troupe acrobats who were Roman Catholic. (For our purposes Margali's, and therefore Amanda's, school of magic is highly time and place driven, relying on astrological convergences, rituals held at specific sites, collecting power over long periods and so on, which is why in Annual # 4 she can be ridiculously powerful despite never having been seen before or heard of since.) Stephan, several years older than Kurt and Jimanie, eventually left the circus for Winzeldorf, Germany; shortly thereafter Margali and Jimanie left as well (for reasons not yet specified) while Kurt stayed on as an acrobat, trusting he would see his foster family again soon.

[The circus had been moderately successful, but the appearance of the 'Nightcrawler', and impossibly skilled acrobat dressed in flamboyant 'devil' costume brought it to national attention. Sufficiently so that caught the eye of Amos Jardine. Jardine was a Florida-based circus owner who was consolidating smaller circuses and had a love for the old school 'freak shows'. He purchased the circus and, once he learned that Kurt was not in a costume but an actual mutant, insisted he be pulled off the trapeze and into the freak show. Kurt quit in disgust, having seen his openly accepting community of circus people crash on the rocks of bug business. Packing his things he evaded Jardine's thugs and made his way to Winzeldorf to bunk with Stephan until he could find new employment.

[Instead he found that Stephan, freed of his mother's influence, had turned to black magic and was responsible for the deaths of several children. Stephan had always worried about this possibility and had once made Kurt promise to stop him if he did slide into evil. The two battled and Stephan ultimately fell on his own knife (whether accident in battle or suicide in a moment of good winning for just a second over evil in the classic Marvel fashion is unclear). Unfortunately Kurt is spotted and, due to his appearance, blamed for Stephan's murders. It is when he was escaping from the mob that he was rescued by Xavier and joins the X-Men. Unable or unwilling to explain what happened (or unable to find Margali) Kurt does not inform his foster mother and sister of what occurred.

[Four months later (X-Men 98) Kurt meets and starts dating Amanda Sefton, who is Jimanie in disguise. Jimanie had always been in love wither foster brother and upon hearing what happened at the circus followed him to the US and assumed a cover identity as an airline stewardess. Quick work, but a little gypsy magic helped. Two and a half years (!) later with her cover identity still in place Kurt and Amanda team up with Spider-Man, foiling an assassination attempt on old Web-head that was funded by Amos Jardine, who wanted to have Spider Man killed on the trapeze in his circus for a mass of free publicity (plus Spider-Man had messed up Jardine's capture of Man-Thing a few months earlier). Amanda uses this as a chance to query Kurt incognito on what happened after Jimanie's departure from the circus.

[Six months later Margali uses years' worth of stored ritual power to revenge herself on Kurt by trapping him in a facsimile of the Inferno but the X-Men Doctor Strange and Jimanie/Amanda are able to prevail physically, magically and emotionally to convince Margali that Kurt is innocent in Stephan's death. Her true identity established Amanda and Kurt continue their romantic relationship. And that takes us to today.]

[BR: as for where I want to go with this scene? My main goal is to re-establish some of the details of Kurt's backstory in advance of post issue 201 - I am planning to introduce the possibility of a second short 'round the world' story arc with the X-Men through Europe and Russia and touching on plot elements from Kurt and Peter's backstories. Not wedded to it, but it could be fun. I like the idea of the X-Men fighting Doctor Doom in Latveria, maybe doing some magical stuff with the Stephan backstory (especially if Josh is playing Magik at that point), maybe something with circus folk, then something with the Soviet Super Soldiers whom I can't believe the X-Men have never encountered, and so on. Whatever we do Jardine will be making some sort of appearance in issues 202-213 and I wanted to get his name back into the book.

[In this scene Amanda is surprising Kurt with a book of photos and newsclippings from his pre-X-Men day which she was making an engagement present before he pre-empted her. A little history talk, drop any hints for player-related requests in the post 201 story idea, small talk about the wedding, Archie, they're having kids, etc. Just casual. ]

Kurt grins. "Oh liebchen, I did so love the big top. Who knows, if Amos Jardine hadn't bought the circus I might still be there now."

"I don't suppose we could invite some of the old troupe to the wedding? It's a little much to expect them to travel so far. Assuming, of course, we're getting married in the United States. I'm sure the Professor would allow us to borrow the Blackbird to fly friends to Europe for the wedding."

"That sounds perfect! Mother will be happy if we can have it on or near a locus and on an auspicious date, and that would be easier to do in Europe. Plus it's been much, much too long since we saw everyone."

Kurt reaches for a notebook and pencils from the bedside table with his tail. "All right my love, have you a bridesmaid in mind? I was going to ask Logan to be my best man. I hope he's not soured on the idea of weddings since Mariko refused him at the altar.[1]"

[1] See Uncanny X-Men #173 - Ed

"I think it has to be Betsy as Maid of Honor," Amanda says, referring to one of her flight attendant roommates - the one Peter used to date. "We consoled ourselves about distant and unobtainable gorgeous men for so long that she'd be hurt if she weren't there. Candy and Maddy will of course be witnesses."

[BR: I might be getting a little too detailed here but I did some quick reading on German wedding traditions ( http://www.personal.psu.edu/jld345/German.html) and there isn't usually a bridesmaid or best man or other wedding party, just male and female witnesses. At least in 2005 anyway - maybe 20 years ago it was different. Now, Amanda and Kurt are both Americanized enough to have at least Logan and Betsy, but I don't know about broader wedding parties. The whole bit about Mother wanting an auspicious date is to make sure we hold it off until after issue 201 - plus Amanda will have issues that have to be hammered out about being married in a Catholic ceremony, being a gypsy witch and all.

[This line from the web page produced such a glorious image of Kurt and Amanda standing in the wreckage of a bar that it must be used. "On the second day there is a big, informal party called the Polterabend—“the evening with lots of broken porcelain.” Friends and relatives bring old porcelain and kitchenware to smash in front of the bride and groom. The broken pieces are thought to grant them a happy, lucky life. “The German proverb—‘Scherben bringen Gluck’—which can be translated as ‘Broken crockery brings you luck,’ is derived from this custom (Marriage 2005). The bride and groom have to clean up everything, symbolizing that nothing will ever be broken in their house (Phelan 2005)."

[MC: It's in keeping with a long tradition of clueless cultural cross-contamination at Marvel to have inappropriate wedding rituals in a X-Men book, and I'd also suggest that Kurt would definitely want Logan to have some supporting role. They're old friends by now. I do love the broken crockery image, though how we’d distinguish it from a regular Saturday night with the X-Men is another question.]

Page 17: Colossus

The first panel of this page is a shot of the top of the Professor’s desk, where he’s looking at some photographs of various Morlock teenagers – readers can recognize Harvey, Leech, Miss Scarlet and Ursus, as well as a few others that haven’t been identified. There are a couple of pages of notes for each in Peter’s handwriting.

“I appreciate you getting Callisto to share these with me, Peter,” the Professor is saying. “I know she is striving for a self-sufficient community but I do worry about the training their young mutants are receiving. It’s a potentially dangerous environment for them to be honing their powers. Do you feel they would be amenable to on site tutoring?”

"Some might," says Peter. "They... if they think it will help them in ways that are concrete to them.... It's not that they don't do abstract thinking or see long term possibilities. At least, they're no worse than any teenager at that. But... like any teenager, I don't think they'll want to do something because some surface dwelling adult thinks it's good for them. They need to want it.

"Also... Professor, what we teach them, we have no control over how they use it. I think I... I can accept that. It's still better than not helping. But..." He looks a little troubled, or perhaps embarrassed. "When I started coming to them, I knew that they were going to raid the surface. I try to make it easier for them, so that they don't always need to, but... I know they still do it, and that I can't both stop that and help them."

Now very embarrassed, he says, "I didn't tell you anything you didn't already know, did I?"

"Actually you did, you told me your level of concern about the Morlock children," Xavier replies. "Your fears are legitimate, but if our teaching makes them better thieves but stops them from accidentally being murderers with their powers so be it."

Colossus nods.

"In the Morlocks Callisto forged something extraordinary. They are a viable community in which humans and mutants live without animosity. She has done so by presenting the rest of the world as a common foe, and it rests on the strength of her personality, but it's still no mean feat - more than I or Magneto have ever done.

Xavier lays his hand on Peter's shoulder. "Your presence there is building upon that seed. The more self-sufficient they are, as you said, the less they have to raid, and the less the surface world becomes a threat. The more you are seen as her vice counsel the less the enterprise rests on her shoulders. The more all of us are available to assist them the less isolated they become, and the more exposed we are to one model of human/mutant society. You are drawing them back into the world, even as we learn from them."

He sits back down, "Extending the opportunity to teach their children is the next logical step. As you say if we try to force it they will resist. If you can explain all the benefits to Callisto I expect she might force it, which is no worse than many students at South Salem High School. But if they see how it can help them.... So how do we do that?"

"I can explain the benefits," says Peter, slowly. "But... you are right that it's an extraordinary community. She doesn't want to lose it. I... don't want her to lose it either.

"But, is it only a community because they don't have better options? How can we give them options without destroying the community? If we can find a way to do that, Callisto can help us find ways to show them how training can help them."

Xavier shrugs, "You've ascertained Ororo's belief that they raided the surface for members was false, so the people who join the Morlocks are those who feel they have nowhere else to go. For various reasons society has abandoned them, or they it. I expect many could, with training and patience, be brought back to 'civilized' society, but would that gain them more than making the Morlocks themselves better supplied and more democratic? "

Peter nods. "This is something we all want."

He starts looking at the photographs.

_Leech: Blocks use of mutant powers Exceedingly odd appearance. _

"He's closer to Kurt than to me," says Peter. "They have a lot in common. But, I think both he'll be interested, especially if his mother likes the idea."

_Shuffle: Nervous system control – much like mind control but the target is still conscious and thinking. Acts as a surface world thief and carjacker _

_Komodo: large reptile form Often the voice of caution and reason; hates the nickname ‘Scaleface’ _

"I think they'll both be interested in learning more," says Peter.

_Harvey: Invisible Friend – this is either a telekinetic construct or she can turn one other person invisible. Has a hunted backstory; also an expert chess player. _

Peter smiles. "I've worked with her. And, perhaps she might learn from Rachel." (Telekinesis is really not his forte...)

_Ursus: super-athleticism and senses Not technically a mutant, but was physically enhanced by Masque. _

"He needs our help," says Peter. "He needs to learn how to use... what Masque gave him. If I can't explain it to him, I'm sure that Kitty can."

_Aviary: Winged flight, Daughter of Mrs. P _

"She is angry a lot of the time, but I think she would be willing to channel some of that anger into learning how to be more effective."

_Miss Scarlet: EM wavelength shifting Powers make her skin bright red. _

"She's already working with us," says Peter, probably unaware of the brief argument with Kitty.

_Aztec: Force field disk + blood magic His magical training in ancient Aztec blood magic is separate from his force field disk mutation._

"He and Ilyana could learn from each other," says Peter, a little troubled.

Xavier shakes his head, "And that worries me as much as it does you."

Pages 18 Nightcrawler

We have another first panel photograph establishing shot, this time the image is of the pre-mutation Archie with his mother and father at some formal gathering – likely someone’s wedding – with Archie in that sort of ill-fitting suit that people will shove kids into for such events. There’s a woman’s hand holding the card.

“Now you have to remember, Mrs. Grant, that Archie doesn’t look like he did there.”

“Don’t,” The woman says forcefully as we pull back to see her standing next to Father Bowan, poking a finger at him. “I know what you told me, and if you think, if you even think for one minute…”

She stands there for a second and controls herself – Kurt and Amanda are in the next room over, with Archie, keeping him occupied, but they can’t help but see and hear what’s going on.

“When Archie was ten his daddy got burned in a fire, and I stood by him every day, every night, until God gave him peace two years later. He was a mass of scars and pain and I never, ever, stopped loving him. I don’t…” her voice cracks, and she recovers, “I don’t care what he looks like. I just want my little boy back.”

Inside the vestibule Archie is clutching tight to Kurt’s neck, burying his face in the mutants indigo hair. Kurt can hear him whispering “I didn’t want her to have to suffer more. I saw how daddy looked and I…”

That Archie is stringing together that many words at all is a minor miracle compared to how he was when Kurt and Amanda took him in, but the boy is struggling to control himself and Kurt can feel the hot tears on his cheek.

Kurt's clutches the boy in his arms, his thick fingers cradling Archie's head protectively. Butterflies and Sentinels wreak havoc in his stomach as he tries to stay calm.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Grant. I never meant…” Bowen says, and then gives up and gestures for Kurt and Amanda to bring Archie into the room. The boy disentangles himself and walks in, shyly, holding hands with Amanda and Kurt so they flank him.

Mrs. Grant, a somewhat stout, raven haired woman in her 40’s, drops to one knee when she sees the figure approaching, and to her immense credit looks only confused and not revolted by Archie’s appearance.

“Momma? It’s me momma.”

Archie’s voice, untouched by his mutation, shatters any concern the woman may have had about the small greenish figure’s identity and she bursts into tears, sobbing. Kurt would have more luck holding the Juggernaut in place than holding onto Archie’s hand at that point as he sprints into his mother’s arms.

Amanda reaches over and takes Kurts now free hand. “Good work, hero,” she whispers.

Kurt hugs Amanda, his face wet with tears of joy and relief. "That, my love, was tougher than a fight with ten Magnetos. Thank you liebchen, and thank God for his grace."

After a couple of moments Mrs. Grant looks up, first at father Bowen and then at Kurt and Amanda, "Thank you. Thank you so much. I...I don't even know who you are..."

"This is Mr. Wagner and Miss Sefton, Mommy," Archie proudly announces, "They've been taking care of me at Mr. Wagner's school while Father Bowen looked for you. And they're getting married!"

Kurt quickly dabs his eyes. "Please, call me Kurt," Nightcrawler smiles warmly as he extends a hand to Mrs. Grant. "It's been a honour to take care of Archie, Mrs. Grant. He's a very special boy."

"I..." she swallows back more tears as she takes his hand, "I'm Carrie. Please call me Carrie. And Congratulations. I'm sure God will bless your marriage. You're such nice people. Archie....I..."

She chokes back more tears as she gives Amanda a hug, then looks back to Kurt, "You have a...School?"

[MC: Carrie Grant? I did a double take, appropriately enough.]

[BR: yeah, she gets that a lot. On the other hand, take a look at Cary Grant's birth name.]

"Yes, Carrie. We do. Not many students its true, but a good school nonetheless. I'd be delighted to speak to the headmaster, Professor Xavier, about Archie if that was something you wanted to explore. I'm sure he'd be keen to have Archie attend the school."

Kurt looks at Archie. "How about it, Archie? Would you and your mom be interested in seeing more of the school and how it runs? And remember, there's a great ice-cream parlour in downtown Salem too so it wouldn't have to be all school tours and the like."

"Yes," Archie says, "But not yet."

Mrs. Grant nods, "I... like the idea of there being a place for people like you, and him. But not yet."

"Look mommy," Archie says, getting his mom's attention. "Mr. Wagner gave me this!"

He pushes the button on the hologram generator and Carrie gasps as her boy flickers back to his old face and form. Archie smiles "It's a disguise! Like being a super-hero!"

She glances at Archie, and then back at Kurt, then over at Amanda "do you all have... ?

"Powers? To some degree, yes. Not everyone is as dashing as I am, eh Amanda? But the purpose of the school is to help teach mutants to come to terms with their mutation, and use their abilities safely for the good of all. The professor's dream is a world where all people, mutant and non-mutant, live together in peace. With a lot of work and God willing, we will see that dream become reality."

Pages 19: Nightcrawler & Colossus

It's a bright spring day and Amanda has come out to the mansion to meet with Kurt, Peter and Ilyana. We see her dressed in casual clothes as she parks and walks up the drive, waving to the trio in the window.

"It's too bad Wanda had to stop teaching me," Ilyana says, staring into her tea*.

[*ED See the upcoming Vision and the Scarlet Witch limited series for more details on that! ]

Peter nods, this seeming the safe thing to do.

Kurt is entirely sympathetic to Wanda's wish to raise a family, recent event in his own life putting married life into a new light. "Illyana, it _is_ a shame, true, but Wanda and the Vision need their space. Opportunities for quiet family time don't come all that often in the life of an Avenger. Or an X-Man," he adds a little sheepishly as he sees Amanda's friendly wave.

"Come, let's meet Amanda and make plans."

Ilyana sulks just a bit but stands up to head out. "I suppose."

Outside Amanda gives Kurt a quick kiss before turning to the others. "Peter, Ilyana, good to see you. So it looks like you have to settle for the junior team for a bit, kid. I'll try not I get us eaten."

Ilyana smiles a little at Amanda's self-deprecation. "I'll keep a ward waiting."

"Excellent!" and the two women fall into a discussion of where Wanda left off that quickly leaves Peter and Kurt lost..

"I don't think I follow any of this," Peter whispers to Kurt, under the mistaken impression that Kurt does. "Can you translate for me? "

"Ach, friend Peter, I am as much in the dark as you. Let me tactfully suggest we boys retreat to a safe distance. Say, to the Cafe A Go-Go? Or somewhere serving something slightly stronger?"

Peter nods. "The cafe, I think."

The closest café from Grymalkin Lane is actually one town over from Salem Center - the quaint Café a Go-Go that's a relic to the era of Laugh In and Sock It To Me that has managed to transform from dilapidated to kitschy with the passage of time. The owners are still the same couple from its inception - the only change is the hair turning to iron grey from sunny blonde - and they've been serving students from Xavier's for close to two decades. Nothing phases them.

As Hannah shuffles off having taken their order Kurt and Peter are able to continue to the conversation.

"I am glad that Amanda can offer Illyana some help with her magic,"

Kurt says as he cups his cup between his blue hands . "But, friend Peter, how are you with the idea? Growing up with Amanda I have some experience of a sort-of-sibling learning magic, but as ever with the X-Men, your and Illyana's situation is so much more complicated."

"I don't know," says Peter. "Is it so much more different than any mutant power would be? For me, many powers are different enough from my own -- telepathy, telekineses." He gestures at Kurt. "Teleportation. All of these are more complicated than just being strong. It's... more the years she had thrust on her than the powers. The experiences she shouldn't have had to go through."

Kurt nods agreement. "It is a terrible burden to bear, and a dreadful crime that was done to Ilyana. Bless Kitty and her kind heart. She has practically taken Ilyana as a sister. While that can only soften the hurt done by her stolen childhood, it is something."

He pauses a moment, thinking. "Peter, it may not be my place to suggest this, but is there something we could do for Ilyana? She's a teenager now, I know, and I don't expect dolls and tea parties would appeal to her, but perhaps there is something in particular that she has missed from childhood that we could provide? Parties? Dances?"

"Birthday parties, certainly. Dances?" He shakes his head, bemused. "We didn't really have anything formal. I think... I think what she misses most are the people."

"Ach, I know. My life since joining the X-Men has been tumultuous and it doesn't leave much time for trips home. I do hope Amanda and I can convince the Professor to bring everyone over to Europe for the wedding. I so want to introduce my X-Men family to my circus family. Does Illyana like circuses? I know a lion tamer I'd trust to show here around."

"I think a circus would be nice," says Peter. He stares into space for a moment, then says, "How do you do it? You and Scott and Ororo and the Professor? "

"Huh?" Kurt replies nonplussed. "Oh, you mean the leadership thing? As God is my witness, Peter, I wish I knew how to do it. I have only narrow, if graceful and beautifully formed shoulders, you know."

He sighs. "Seriously, I couldn't do it if we didn't have the team members we have. I trust you and the others, and bless you all, you trust me. It's like juggling with fire on a trapeze in a hurricane."

Kurt's voice drops noticeably.

"Sometimes, I lie awake thinking... about Jean. About John [1]. But I have faith. In God and in my friends."

[1] John Proudstar, Thunderbird, who died in X-Men #95 on a mission against Count Nefaria.

Peter is silent for a moment, remembering them as well.

"It's hard for Ilyana too," he says. "But, in a different way. She told us it is always a temptation to treat teammates like chess pieces."

"Ach, nein. I know that Scott could make such difficult decisions. Storm too, in time. I am afraid I could not. Or may not, when the time comes."

"It isn't only that," says Peter. "If it becomes too easy during those times... it can become too easy during other times. I think... better it be too hard than too easy." He doesn't sound entirely certain of that.

Kurt smiles at his young Russian friend.

"Amen, Peter. Amen."

Pages 20-21: X-Men

This scene includes everyone (except Alison) as it’s the party that Betsy is holding for Kurt and Amanda.

All of Amanda’s airline friends who are in town are in attendance, as are all of the X-Men. Also present are Danny Rand (Iron Fist, ignoring the really stupid Iron Fist Turns Evil plotline running in Power Man & Iron Fist at this point), Misty Knight and Colleen Wing whom Amanda became friends with when Colleen was Jean’s roommate waaaay back around issue 106 or so. There is no way we’re getting through this scene without a bit of Betsy having a tipsy flirt with occasional date in years past Peter – Lisa, you have been warned.

[BR: any requests from the crowd for other attendees from the school? I am placing Ilyana and Doug there if nothing else]

[MC: There could be comedy with Roberto da Costa trying to get booze and roping Sam Guthrie into his nefarious scheme. Kinda hard to do with a psychic headmaster in the room perhaps.]

[BR: I'm not sure about Sam and Roberto being here if all of the NM aren't, but with Ilyana present as Amanda's student would Kurt also have invited Rhane and Dani given their working together? And with that plus Doug and Kitty could the whole of the NM not be here? Thoughts? I was wondering about having Roberto hitting on the youngest of the flight attendents....]

The setting in Amanda’s Central Park West apartment, crowded with people, food and drink. Peter's sitting, drink in hand, probably on the couch. Kurt is perched on the back of the couch, leaning in to talk to Peter.

"Peter! I don't dare go in the kitchen. Amanda's girlfriends are in full-on wedding planning mode. It's terrifying. I was nearly smothered in fabric swatches."

Peter glances toward the kitchen, but fails to find something soothing to say.

Doug nods, “Kitty wanted me in there to advise, but I have my limits….”

Meanwhile...

Kitty is in the kitchen, participating in the discussion of fabrics and colors.

[KK: She does like costume design!]

Rachel is also in the kitchen. Floating next to/around her are a couple of improbable fabric swatches, with weaves shifting ever foot or so wildly between different textures and colors.

Betsy is already slightly tipsy and doesn’t seem to notice the oddity of the floating cloth; the rest of ‘the girls’ vacated themselves for a moment to go refresh their drinks in a pack.

Amanda is looking skeptical “Are you sure tartan’s the right idea?”

Ilyana smiles her faux-evil smile, “Depends – am I going to have to wear it? No. Is someone else going to have to wear it? Absolutely!”

“Girl,” Mistie says, “That’s not a nice thing to do to a sister. ’Sides, Coleen won’t be caught dead in plaid”

“Where is she, anyway?” Betsy asked

“Dad raised her to be a samauri,” Misty says, “She don’t do bridesmaid dresses.”

"I don't see why that's a problem," Rachel says, her floating fabric changing to a selection tartans, including a yellow, black, and red one in familar shades. "Tartans are warrior scotts fabrics; very much 'run up to you and kill you' colors. Seems entirely reasonable for a samurai."

"I'll go ask her," Betsy says, swaying out of the room.

Back outside: Xavier is in the corner, not a natural mingler, with the aforementioned Coleen.

Xavier asks “Forgive me for prying, but is there some sort of psychic link between you and…”

“Long story,” Coleen says with a smile. “Not enough saki for that.”

The other slight attendants are at the makeshift bar, pouring themselves something else. They turn at look at the small know of Peter, Kurt, Danny and Doug and giggle.

Danny looks as stiff as Peter does. “I’ve had to do dozens of dinner parties and they never make any sense to me,” he admits.

“It’s not complicated,” Doug tells him, “Peter’s the only unaffiliated man over here, so they’re sizing him up.” He looks at his drink “Is this spiked?”

"But I'm not -- what?" says Peter (distracted from correcting Doug by the question about the drink, for maximum comic effect).

Kurt smiles mischievously and shoves Peter between the shoulder blade. "Go on, proud son of Russia. Mingle, and make nice with the ladies."

"But --" The rest of the protest is swallowed as Peter finds himself in the midst of the ladies.

[BR: I want to go on a brief digression here by pointing out that we're in 1985 and while flight attendants have won some legal victories there are still plenty of enforced rules in place for appearance, weight, etc. that won't be resolved until the 90's. This is a long-winded way of saying that the trio of women surrounding peter at this point are that idealized femininity of male business travelers as perceived by airline executives. This is relevant because such women are diametrically opposite to Callisto.]

The ladies are more than willing to spend a few moments talking to the tall, broad shouldered, exquisitely muscled, square jawed young man.

"Peter! We’ve heard so much about you!" "It's been so long but do you remember me? I'm Janice, we met a few years ago at another party." "Here, let me get you some punch...."

"I'm suddenly very glad I brought Misty to the party," Danny says, sipping his cranberry and tonic.

"Oops," Doug whispered. "I missed that...."

"Missed what, Doug? Please don't tell me one of Amanda's friends is a secret mutant mastermind."

"I said Peter wasn't attached, but he is. I just hadn't seen it till now. "

"Oops." Kurt grins. "Wait, what?"

"Look at him," Doug shrugs, "he's not nervous because he's around women. He's nervous because...he's afraid his girlfriend will find out."

"Peter, the sly dog. He's played that very close to his chest. I wonder..."

[BR: CROSSING THE STREAMS!]

Betsy pushes out the door from the kitchen into the main room and sees Peter surrounded by the other women. Questions for Coleen aside she heads over to that scrum just as Peter turns. With a jump she plants a big kiss on him. "Petey, it's been forever!"

"Oops." Says Doug.

Peter turns bright red, and his thought balloon probably reads, "Callisto is going to kill me."*

"Er..." Peter pulls away and tries to figure out how to beat a hasty retreat that doesn't dent too many feelings.

[* LP: I can just see her saying, "Let me get this straight. You think I'm going to kill you for thinking about me before, during, and after someone else kissed you." Or not, depending on mood and who's writing her that month...]

Peter is given a convenient distraction by a knock on the door. Using that as an excuse to separate himself from the women he moves to the door and opens it

On the other side are Logan, carrying a six pack of really good beer, Ororo (her hair gown back out to her shoulders) and another figure just slightly out of Peter's shocked line of site.

"Heard there was a party," Logan says, "So I picked up some beer and stragglers."

Peter's reaction is to grin and hug Ororo.

Once Logan and Ororo are in the room the third figure steps forward, looking slightly uncomfortable under his shock of white hair.

I think Peter falls silent at that point. (The X-Men aren't at war with him at the moment, right? But... it's awkward.)

MC: Yeah, it would help to have a recap of the current state of play between the X-Men and Magneto. In original continuity, the book is heading towards the trial of Magneto in #200, but to be honest I've forgotten the game-world situation between Charles and Magneto at this stage. Also are we calling him Erik or Magneto, or something else?]

[BR: Game world situation is pretty good. Reconciliation started at the end of issue 150 when Magneto nearly killed Kitty and then questions what he was doing this for if he would make that error. He then assisted the X-Men in the Reverend Stryker situation in _God Loves, Man Kills_ and again left as a not quite ally. He then sided with them exclusively in the Secret Wars. Finally, inside our continuity Ororo's been working with him for months. In short, he's as close to an ally to the team as he's ever been. It's still awkward though.]

From the kitchen, Kitty's voice can be heard saying: "Who?" Followed by a shriek from Kitty as she streaks through the crowd (not literally: that would be rude) to reach the newcomers and throw her arms around her friend: "Ororo!"

Followed a moment later by, "What happened to your *hair*?!" coming from both women

Ororo laughs and runs her hand through her hair. "I let it grow back out. Shaving it was just too much trouble."

"Mine had an accident with a floor ..." Kitty says, and then notices Magneto and temporarily loses the ability to speak.

"Mmmm," Ororo says with a smile, then sees her looks and gives her another hug. She whispers in her ear, "I will vouch for him, Kitty. He's trying to change."

"If you say so," Kitty murmurs.

In the corner of the room Coleen is still standing next to the professor, having acknowledged Ororo with a smile and nod when she entered but not wanting to face the crowded doorway. "I thought you two had made up," she says to Xavier. "Aren't you going to go over and say 'Hi'?"

Charles smiles, "No need. We spoke as soon as he came in. But he needs the space to expand his reconciliation with the rest of the X-Men."

Rachel comes out of the kitchen to see what the fuss is all about, and stops short the moment she sees Magneto. "Magnus!" She looks confused for a moment, looking around. "Um. Magneto is an ally, not an enemy right now, right?"

"Ja, Rachel," Kurt pipes up. "For better accord with your memories no doubt."

Kurt steps nimbly down from the back of the couch where he was perched. "Welcome, Magnus," he offers neutrally. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Thank you, Kurt," Magnus says, clearly relieved at the reception. "My apologies for arriving unannounced."

He then hands a small wrapped parcel over to be added to the engagement presents. "Mazel Tov."

Kurt receives the parcel with a nod and a thank you.

"And, if Kitty will release our windrider for a moment, I too would like a hug. Ororo! It is _good_ to see you."

Kitty steps back a bit, and unconsciously drifts toward Logan, obviously not sure how she feels about all this.

"Nice night, huh?" Logan deadpans. "If it's any comfort you ain't the only one he makes edgy."

Somehow, Logan is already holding an open beer. "Never much care for it when he says he's on our side, for all that he ain't been shooting at us lately."

"My head really does believe in redemption," Kitty says. "But yeah, the rest of me ..."

"And you, Kurt." [Ororo] pulls back and takes a look at him. "And congratulations - a long time coming."

"Yeah," says Logan with a grin, "I'm looking forward to _this_ party."

"Now, Logan, Amanda and Besty want to get their deposit back eventually. Remember the apartment is not made of Shi'ar self-repairing technology!"

"I ain't talking this one, elf. I'm talking the bachelor party," Logan says with a wicked grin.

If Kurt's not already handled it, Peter will get that drink for Magnus (and is probably relieve to have a protocol for that). Magnus accepts the glass, moving into the room and letting everyone say hello to Ororo by the door. "Thank you, Peter. I'm glad to see I haven't spoiled the mood. I trust you are well?"

"Ah, yes, thank you. And yourself?"

"To be honest, I have been better. Ororo asks me request from people to whom I previously demanded," Magnus takes a sip of his drink. "Changing modes of behavior, styles of leadership, it's draining."

"I heard you call my name earlier," Magnus says to Rachel, "But I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage."

"I'm afraid so," Rachel says, "I knew you, in my past--your possible future. You were a mentor, an ally, and a friend." Magnus nods, "And so I hope to be here."

I dislike not knowing things about my own actions, past or future, Miss. Too often I've been, say, imitated by a robot claiming to be someone's parent, she feels him project into her head. Please share the relevant details with me psychically.

"I really hope this doesn't turn him back into a villain or something," Rachel thinks, "but hiding it would be worse." (under Rachel's account, images play, mostly reused from New Mutants volume 3) Not a robot. I am from a future where Sentinels took over most of the United States, and started imprisoning or killing all mutants, among other things. The New Mutants, and then the X-Men, myself, as Marvel Girl among them, had managed to operated against them for years, but eventually our luck ran out, most of us were killed, and the rest taken to a camp. The only reason I was able to escape was that Kate was able to disable your suppression collar. That meant that you could help distract the sentinels long enough to send Kate back into her past self to try to change things -- and later, could make enough of a distraction that I could break out from the camp entirely. Without that freedom, without your counsel, without your help and training in the years between the destruction of the Institute and that final, desperate try, I wouldn't be here now. Magnus shows no outward sign at the information dump - such is his mental control that he can process this (at least superficially) as fast as Rachel pours it in - but a second later he moves in and gives Rachel an avuncular kiss on the forehead.

Thank you, Rachel, for showing me how I respond to the apocalypse. It will help me, I suspect, become the man you knew without all the death.

Page 22: Xavier and Magneto

It’s slightly later in the party (we can tell because the clock on the wall in the panels with Magnus and Rachel has moved forward a couple of hours), and Charles and Magnus find themselves face to face. This is a half-page shot running vertically along the left hand side of the page. The two men are shaking hands, standing next to one another you see that Magnus is slightly taller and broader shouldered than Charles but the two are standing as equals.

“Charles.”

“Magnus.”

“I think I am finally in a position to wage peace,” says the most powerful ‘evil’ mutant on the planet.

“Then let’s get to work.” Charles says warmly.

The other half of the page is dominated by a Sentinel – the oversized one we saw earlier – with several more standing near it. Gyrich and the general are standing on frame as well, but they are dwarfed by the figures.

“The move to wartime footing made all the difference, Gyrich,” The general says.

Gyrich nods. “Then let’s get to work.”