#but then Kurt makes a device to track Xavier

[captainkingsley]

thinking about how if James hadn't threatened Xavier to go back and get Kurt or else, he never would have reunited with Hercules

[nicsnort]

Trial by Fire (part 79)

A Nightcrawler/Fem!OC romance, drama, and mystery fanfic, with lots of Quicksilver thrown in for fun and even more drama.

Intro (with link to full Ao3 story) First Previous

“You want me to what,” Bedelia asked disbelievingly. She sat across from Xavier and Beast in the lab downstairs. Beast had wanted to examine her properly and run some tests on her to track the changes that she went through. But when Xavier arrived, he had suggested the most insane thing.

“Ms. Hayes, I know what I am recommending may sound ridiculous, but you cannot rely on the collar. If it were to fail, you need to know how to control your powers.”

“I understand the logic, Xavier, but I--” Bedelia cut herself off trying to find the correct words. She was terrified at having the collar removed. Seeing her body of aflame, hearing the crackling fire around her. She wasn’t that. She just wanted to be normal. “I don’t want to control the power. I want it gone. The depowering agent Sinister made, you have the formula from his computers, can’t you give it to me?”

“Kobold,” Kurt said softly, touching her shoulder in comfort. “It is not permanent.”

“Then I’ll take it every day. I don’t care--”

“And the files Hank found show it has deteriorating effects on the cellular structure if taken regularly. It has a high risk of cancer and may outright shorten your lifespan. It is not safe as a permanent measure,” Xavier explained. He rolled his chair forward and took her hand comfortingly in his.

“I know this is a difficult situation, and I am not suggesting you do this training today. Take time to recover. But is it not better to learn to control your powers now in a safe environment than to be forced to contend with them later if the collar fails? There is no guarantee we would be able to stop you again.”

“Professor,” Kurt hissed, displeased that he’d make that sort of dire warning. Even so, Kurt knew he was right. He’d barely been able to get to Bedelia this time—next time, who knew what would happen? Though Kurt would fight against the world to prevent a “next time” from happening, it was still a possibility.

Bedelia pulled her hand from Xavier’s hold with another sigh. He was right, and she knew it. “Alright, I’ll try it, but only to learn how to control the flames on my body. I am not going to use these powers to fight.”

“Of course. Kurt, you know how to operate the Danger Room. Use it whenever she is ready. Otherwise, I encourage you to rest, Ms. Hayes. The Brotherhood and X-men are still at a truce. You will reside here until you are fully recovered.”

“Thank you,” Bedelia replied. With a nod, Xavier left. At this point, Beast had finished setting up the machine needed to examine Bedelia’s condition.

“The main issue is that gem in your forehead,” he told her, gesturing for her to sit in the X-ray chair. “The files I retrieved did have sparse information, but I want a look myself.”

Bedelia did as instructed, Kurt hovering near Beast the whole time. The X-ray machine swirled around her, taking a comprehensive photo of her skull. After a few minutes, she was free to stand. “While those develop, I will recalibrate the image inducer…unless you want to keep the hair?”

“I’d prefer my normal - I mean old - hair color, if it isn’t too much trouble,” Bedelia replied, handing over the image inducer. She caught sight of her image in a nearby mirror and quickly looked away.

Beast noticed the behavior from the corner of his eye. “Kurt, could you run and get us all some drinks? I am parched. Coffee if you could?”

“Coffee would be nice,” Bedelia told Kurt as well.

Any protest that would have been on Kurt’s lips at the thought of leaving Bedelia alone disappeared at her request for coffee as well. “Of course, I will be back soon.”

A few short moments later, Beast had adjusted the image inducer to better reflect a pre-powers Bedelia. “Here you are,” he told her, handing the inducer back over.

Bedelia quickly put the device back on and returned to looking normal. A visible wave of relief came over her face as she did. “I know it can be hard at first,” Beast told her softly, “but it does become easier to look at yourself in the mirror. One day it will just become normal.”

She looked over Beast with curiosity. “You weren’t born like…with fur?” Kurt had told her that he had been born with his appearance. For some reason, Bedelia thought Beast had been too. She’d never seen an image of him without his fur and fangs.

“Quite the contrary. I was born with larger-than-normal hands and prehensile feet but other than that, I was quite a handsome lad. It is actually my own fault that I look this way now. I made a formula, an attempt at a mutant cure. It had the opposite effect and caused a secondary mutation; it made me a true beast.”

“How long did it take to become comfortable with it?”

“Comfortable? A few years, even now, I occasionally wish I could look normal again. But to accept it, to be able to look at myself in the mirror? A couple of weeks. I only was able to because I let my friends help me. I saw how they accepted me despite my new differences. You do not need to force it, though. You are not on anyone’s schedule for acceptance apart from your own.”

The words of Beast touched Bedelia in a way that Kurt’s, and especially Quicksilver’s, had not. She still felt like her appearance and powers were not right. They were not her. But Bedelia understood. It would take time. Just like all things, it would take time. And for once, Bedelia was not alone to work through the trauma.

~~~~

Pietro darted around the school’s campus, double-checking the perimeter. Even with Sinister gone, it did not mean Essex was defanged. They knew where the school was, and so long as the truce - as tenuous as that was at the moment - held, Magneto had ordered him to guard the area. The only thing that made it tolerable was knowing that he was keeping an eye on Bedelia as well.

It had been a day since the journalist had awoken. He’d kept his distance, knowing that she was in a delicate state. Not wanting to deal with the tears. Naturally, it wasn’t because he had to work out how relieved he was that she was safe. How that now she was a mutant, those buried thoughts of ‘if only’ now were a possibility…

Still, Pietro had known well enough that he had to play his cards right if he were to woo her to his side. To the Brotherhood’s side. So he’d left a tray of comfort food for her and her favorite ice cream. Just a reminder of everything he had done for her. 

Today he would find the opportunity to speak with her without that blue elf. And it was just his luck that he found the chance as she was reading in the library, the elf gone making them a nice private lunch. Sickening. But it worked in Peitro’s favor.

“Whatcha’ reading,” he asked, zipping behind Bedelia, causing the pages to rustle from his wind. Pietro leaned over the back of the chair, looking down at her book nosily.

Bedelia jolted at the sudden voice but soon realized she was in no danger. She tilted her head up and was surprised at how close he was. It was a bit annoying. What did he even want? “History book, about British colonialism in the Caribbean.”

“So, you do read stuff besides trashy romance novels.” 

“Yes, are you going to sit and talk or am I going to have to crane my neck to look behind me?”

Good, she knew why he was here. Well, she always was quick to catch on. Pietro quickly moved into the chair next to her to look at her better. It was then he realized that she was hiding herself, pretending to be human. He frowned. “They gave you an image inducer,” he commented as neutrally as he could.

Bedelia sighed slightly. She knew this was coming. “Yes. It is so I can get used to everything and not be worried about every reflective surface I come across.”

That made sense, Pietro begrudgingly conceded, especially how she reacted yesterday. “Well, at least it hides that collar I know you’re wearing.”

Bedelia grit her teeth at that response. There had been a reason she was avoiding the Brotherhood members at the manor, and this was it. She knew what it must mean to them, to all the mutants, here that she was refusing her power in such a way. That she had such a vehement rejection of her mutation. Even if the X-men were more understanding, she knew that it went against their ethos. “Yes, well, it is probably the only thing letting me keep my mind and not go into a dissociative state.”

“Right, can’t have that after everything we went through to get you back.”

There was an awkward pause before Bedelia spoke up. “Thank you for the food yesterday. I don’t think I had eaten for about a day before that.”

“Yeah, well, as you said, don’t need your mind to go, and you needed it before when stuff happened.” He didn’t want to mention Pyro by name. Pietro’s brow furrowed for a moment as he looked at her. While he had hidden a few tools around the kitchen to delay the elf he knew he was running short on time. “Listen, about the attack on the studio. I should have gotten you out. It’s my job to protect you, and I keep failing.”

It stung to admit failure, especially in such a way, but after speaking with a few others in the Brotherhood, he knew this was the right course. Make her sympathetic to him, and women loved apologies. Nothing to do with the regret he actually felt - did not feel - at all…

Bedelia was taken aback by Pieto’s words. She was expecting him to sprout some more propaganda and rhetoric until Kurt returned. Not be this vulnerable. Sighing deeply, she closed the book to fully look at him. “I do not blame you. You took care of the immediate threat. No one could have known that Essex was waiting outside for me…trust me, I’ve been through all the “if only’s” while stuck inside my own mind the past two weeks.”

Pietro opened his mouth to respond but thought better of it. Instead, he looked at her for a long moment, his face going dark as he thought about Bedelia being experimented on. “How much do you remember,” he asked carefully. There was a softness to his tone he did not intend to reveal.

“All and nothing,” Bedelia told him, running her hand through her hair. “It's like remembering watching a movie because I know it was my body, but I wasn’t in control. It wasn’t me yet it was…I remember everything up until I passed out from the collar.”

A shame. Pietro was hoping he would be able to play up his role in her rescue if she didn’t recall. Instead, he took a sympathetic route. “Being mind controlled is never enjoyable, but Sinister won’t be a problem anymore.”

Bedelia’s mouth went dry as she asked what was on her mind. “I vaguely remember. His voice suddenly stopped. Did the Brotherhood…is he dead?”

“Yes,” Pietro told her bluntly. No need to sugarcoat it. “I watched Magneto drive a beam through his body myself.”

There was a long silence from the journalist before she muttered, “Good.”

The statement was soft. Almost as though Bedelia had not intended to say it aloud. And to Pietro, it was a victory. She was glad that Sinister was dead, that he had been killed by the Brotherhood. With all the firm mortality of the X-men - especially the elf - it was a wedge that he could use to pry them apart.

Of course, it was at that moment Kurt returned to the library. The mutant froze at seeing Pietro sitting across from Bedelia. He put his hand on Bedelia’s shoulder. Immediately she reached up and covered it with her own, which gave Kurt a small dose of relief. “I have finished making lunch. Should we eat Kobold,” he asked her, looking down so he didn’t have to look at Quicksilver any longer.

“Yes, I’m starving.”

“See you at dinner, Bedelia,” Pietro said pointedly as if he had not noticed that the elf was trying to keep Bedelia away from everyone - especially him. With that, he zoomed from the room. 

The moment Pietro was gone, Kurt felt more comfortable. “What did he want,” he asked not bothering to hide the bitterness in his tone.

“He sort of apologized for letting me be captured by Essex, but I feel like he was testing the waters for if I would still write about the Brotherhood.”

Kurt frowned; he didn’t like that idea. Not just that the Brotherhood still wanted Bedelia to write for them but that they were harassing her about it so soon. “Let’s get away, ja? Eat lunch.”

Bedelia stood from her chair and took Kurt’s hand with a soft smile. Getting away sounded perfect. “Where to? The pond again?”

Her touch was a boon, washing away the worried thoughts Kurt had. “You’ll see,” he told her before teleporting them to their castle. The tree house he had taken her to before when they believed the Brotherhood was trying to take her back. He had cleaned out the leaves and set up a blanket with pillows for their comfort.

“Kurt, this is perfect,” Bedelia exclaimed, climbing up to stick her head through the entrance to the tree house. “A castle fit for a fey prince.”

“And for his princess,” Kurt told her, climbing up through the window. Bedelia laughed at the sight and finished climbing in. Together they settled in for lunch.

____

Next

Fanfic Masterlist

[prfxxor]

plot ideas: some krakoa council drama, a disagreement maybe? or maybe something with a little bit of action? oooor... Perhaps Cassandra Nova shows up in Krakoa somehow? ¬__¬

@bothsidesofaquestion // plot ideas you really want to try with my muse // accepting.

honestly... it's surprising that there hasn't been a more consequential disagreement that has, y'know, some meaningful effect on the plot that makes sense.

but ho boy, if cassandra somehow returns ------- charles will shoot his own brains out to stop her from taking over cerebro. he threatened it during his first run-in with cassandra ... he was serious about it then, and he will act on it now. perhaps even preemptively, not even giving her a chance to test him. because the stakes are that much higher now -- his mind is no longer just a tracking device, but a storage unit, holding information of EVERY MUTANT ON EARTH, not to mention sensitive krakoa state secrets and secret/sacred knowledge about the future given to him by moira---

we saw how the destruction of genosha affected him. he will absolutely off himself before allowing even a chance of it happening again to krakoa.

but this is where it could get interesting ...

death is rather... impermanent on krakoa. and charles, for all of his willingness to go to the extremes to prevent his own mind from being weaponized by the enemy, is too proud to be truly suicidal. and he has always the care for his students and mutants; he wouldn't leave them entirely alone to fend against cassandra -- especially knowing what she’s capable of.

what could possibly happen here --- is him finding a way to be resurrected without his powers. knowing charles fucking xavier, he probably already has a protocol for this exact situation. and he will find a way to share this with only his most trusted confidants, which will include kurt. perhaps he's resurrected without his powers in secret and seeks kurt out to help him stop cassandra, or kurt is tasked with secretly resurrecting charles that way to begin with.

either way, they will have to work together on the down-low, since the more people know about charles' return, the more likely cassandra could find out and plan her defense. it would be a secret mission, and lots of opportunities for character growth and relationship development!

[thecomicsnexus]

God Loves, Man Kills

MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL #5 JANUARY 1983 BY CHRIS CLAREMONT, BRENT ANDERSON AND STEVE OLIFF

SYNOPSIS (FROM MARVEL DATABASE)

Prologue Two young mutant runaways named Mark and Jill are fleeing from a group of religiously motivated anti-mutant group known as the Purifiers. They chase the two children into a playground where they are executed with guns and strung up on a swing set with a sign labeling them as "Muties". Their bodies are found by the X-Men's long time foe Magneto, who vows to make those who have killed these children, and many others, pay for their crimes.

In New York City, the leader of the Purifiers, the popular televangelist Reverend William Stryker finishes reading a Bible passage from Deuteronomy 17:2-5, before getting a call from his operatives. They report to him their findings about the mutant group known as the X-Men, providing him information of their members, powers, and the well guarded secret that they operate from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. When his aid enters his office to get him ready for his evening broadcast on the ABC network, Stryker hints that he is about to destroy the X-Men.

Chapter 1 At the dance school of Stevie Hunter in Salem Center, Kitty Pryde gets into a fight with one of her fellow students after he makes an anti-mutant comment. The fight takes them right out into the street and Piotr "Peter" Rasputin and his sister Illyana try to break it up. When Stevie goes outside to see what the commotion is about, Kitty's fellow dance student Danny tells them that Kitty attacked him when he was talking about how he and his parents were members of the Stryker Crusade and went on an anti-mutant tirade, and called Kitty a "Mutie-Lover". With the situation straightened out, Stevie sends Danny away and tells Kitty to calm down because they are only words. Kitty becomes even more upset that Stevie can be so tolerant of such hatred asking her if she would be just as tolerant if Danny called her a "Nig***-Lover" before storming off back to the Mansion. Stevie thinks Kitty was right.

When Peter and Illyana follow after her to make sure she gets home safe, Stevie considers Kitty's words and realizes that Pryde was right. Visibly upset, Stevie goes back into her dance studio, unaware that Purifiers have been watching the whole confrontation. Further still, she is unaware how close they were to killing her, the only thing saving her life being the fact that she is human.

Arriving at the Mansion, Kitty tells Logan about the scrap she had, and also tells him that she did not have the heart to win the fight because she was not fighting a super-villain or evil mutant, but a kid like her. Later, the X-Men gather to watch Nightline on ABC where their teacher, Professor Charles Xavier appears next to Reverend Stryker in a debate about the danger of mutants in their society. While Xavier maintains his long standing stance that mutants are merely the next step of evolution, Stryker airs his religious belief that mutants are an abomination before God and must be exterminated. When the interview ends, Kitty and the other X-Men are angered by Stryker's words and decide to change into costume and practice in the Danger Room to blow off some steam.

While the X-Men are training, Stryker's aid, Anne, bumps into Scott Summers and Ororo Munroe at the television station, marking them as the X-Men Cyclops and Storm. Anne approaches her leader and tells him that they will be striking the three X-Men when they approach Central Park. Just as planned, when Xavier's Royals Royce drives past Central Park they are attacked by the Purifiers, who gun all three mutants down with tranquilizer guns and blow up the Royce. When the police call the mansion later, they inform Kurt that the Professor and the others have died in a car accident, much to everyone's sadness.

Chapter 2 The next day while the other X-Men are in the city, Kitty spends some time alone outside on the Xavier state when she is joined by Illyana. Illyana tends to the grieving Kitty and the two decide to talk a walk. Along the way they come across some strange scanner device that has been setup and directed at the Mansion. Wondering who had set it up, Kitty shorts it out with her phasing powers and the two lay in hiding to see who comes to investigate.

While in the city, Wolverine, Colossus and Nightcrawler investigate the supposed accident site. While Logan and Peter examine the wreck, Kurt surveys the area in secret. When Wolverine identifies that this was no accident, Nightcrawler notifies them that two men in a car have been watching them the whole time. Wolverine decides that they should get the men and change into costume. Despite the men's attempt to flee, the three X-Men manage to disable their getaway vehicle. However these Purifier members are ready to fight using their special armor. They only get one shot in when they are stopped by Magneto, who uses his magnetic powers to destroy their armor and use it as a containment.

Back at on the Mansion property, Kitty and Illyana watch as Anne and other members of Stryker's Crusade arrive to repair the device that Kitty damage. Ariel decides to try and sneak up on them by phasing through the ground. However as she is working herself through, they activate the device and detect Illyana's proximity to them due to her mutant nature. They knock her out with a tranquilizer dart and take her hostage. When Kitty attempts to sneak into their getaway vehicle by phasing through the trunk, Anne detects it and fills the trunk with gas to knock her out as well.

Shortly thereafter, Magneto and the X-Men take the captured Purifiers back to the X-Mansion where Wolverine attempts to interrogate them by threatening to use his claws. When this does not work, Magneto tortures them with is magnetic powers and they learn that Stryker intends to use Professor Xavier to achieve his goal of complete eradication of the mutant race.

Chapter 3 At Stryker's headquarters, Charles Xavier is being put through brainwashing wherein he lives the illusion of being crucified on a cross and being attacked by the various X-Men, who torture him and maim his body until he is saved by Reverend Stryker. This brainwashing is for the purposes of bending Xavier's will and making him loyal to Stryker so that the Reverend can use Xavier's mental powers to further his goals. Stryker then goes to check on Cyclops and Storm who are also his prisoners and have been restrained and tortured in deprivation tanks. Releasing them temporarily, Storm asks Stryker why he is doing this. Stryker replies that it is because their existence "is an affront to the Lord."

Stryker explains to the two mutants why he started his crusade to eliminate Homo superior. He says that, thirty years ago, he was a soldier working for the military during nuclear tests. He was married and his wife Marcy was pregnant with their first child. When visiting Marcy's parents on the holidays their car crashed outside of Phoenix. As Anne went into labor, William helped her give birth. When he saw that his son was a mutant, he was horrified and killed his newborn child and then his own wife. He put their bodies in the wreck of their family car, which was leaking gasoline, climbed in next to them, lighting it on fire. Miraculously, Stryker survived the explosion while his family was burnt beyond recognition. After the funeral, he turned to the bottle and ultimately got removed from the military because his drinking caused him to lash out on his trainees. After hitting rock bottom, he would find new direction when he read about mutants and found God. Believing that mutants were godless abominations, the work of Satan, he began his crusade which he helped boost his popularity with the help of his newly established televangelist career.

Stryker tells his two captives that he began focusing the first part of his crusade on destroying the X-Men, and learned all about them when one of his devoted followers -- a member of the FBI -- provided him with a file on the X-Men that was prepared by one-time government liaison Fred Duncan. He concludes that he does not plan on killing the two captured X-Men yet. When Anne calls in and reports that she has Illyana and Kitty captured, Stryker orders her to bring Illyana to his offices, but to kill Kitty, much to Storm's horror. When Ororo pleads that he spare Kitty's life, he recites scripture that justifies his decision and fully imprisons them once again.

Anne and her Purifiers drive to the South Bronx, where they place a "Mutie" sign on its trunk and open fire on it. When they check to make sure that Kitty is dead, they are shocked to find that the trunk is empty. Anne orders her men to go out and track the girl down. Ariel, who had phased as soon as she heard the gas jets, tries to find her way out of the Bronx when she runs into a gang of thugs in a back alley. They are about to mug and rape her when the Purifiers arrive and demand that they turn the girl over to them. When the punks refuse, Anne shoots one of them, leading to a gun fight in the alley. Kitty manages to slip away with her phasing powers, however the Purifiers pursue her. She manages to call the Mansion and tell the other X-Men where she is before she has to flee again, this time phasing onto a passing subway train. When a police officer comes to see if she is okay, the Purifiers smash through the roof of the train. When the cop goes to her aid, they shoot him down in cold blood. Before they can kill Kitty, Magneto arrives and levitates the train, deflecting the Purifiers' bullets and energy blasts with his magnetic powers. The X-Men arrive and make short work of Kitty's attackers. With Magneto's help, the X-Men remove the bullet from the police officers chest and take him to a hospital.

A short time later, Reverend Stryker checks on Xavier and is happy to see that the brainwashing has worked and that Charles is now a willing follower of his cause. To prove this, he has Xavier to use his mental powers to seemingly slay Cyclops and Storm, as a Purifier doctor announces that their vitals signs have ceased. With the two senior X-Men seemingly slain, Stryker orders the preparations for his giant rally at Madison Square Garden.

Meanwhile, the X-Men manage to capture Stryker's head doctor and learn what Stryker is attempting. Sneaking into Stryker's office tower, they collect Storm and Cyclops's body and recover Illyana in disguise. However when they are found out by Anne, she tries to shoot them, but proves unable to stop them. As the elevator bursts through the roof through Magneto's powers, Anne jumps out onto the Stryker Building. On a rooftop, Wolverine confirms that Cyclops and Storm are not physically dead and have just had their brains shut down and vital signs reduced. Magneto manages to jump start and revive their minds with a jolt of his powers, and they learn of Stryker's full plot.

Chapter 4 At the Square, Stryker has Xavier hooked up to a machine that will allow him to detect mutants in the audience and kill them with his mental powers. As the rally begins, Stryker begins his harshest sermon yet, verbally calling out for the destruction of Mutantkind. This does not sit well with the security guards, as well as a prominent United States senator. Behind the podium, a Purifier activates the psi-scan device connected to Professor X.

Outside on a nearby building, the X-Men start bleeding from the ears and having headaches. They notice similar effects on some of the pedestrians below. Meanwhile, Magneto enters the rally through the roof and confronts Stryker. Stryker compares Magneto to the devil, and directs the psi-scan device at him to knocking him down. While the X-Men fight the Purifiers, Ariel tries to save Professor X, but he blocks her with a mindblast. As the fight carries on all the mutants -- including the Senator and Stryker's loyal minion Anne -- begin to get nose and ear bleeds. When Anne realizes this, she begs the Reverend for mercy. However, he refuses to compromise his beliefs, pushing her off the balcony and, as television cameras roll, falls to the ground and snaps her neck on impact.

While back stage, the X-Men find the Professor and are forced to knock him using simultaneous attacks. Cyclops then smashes all of Stryker's machines. Rallying his teammates, Cyclops points out that the only way to stop Stryker's organization is to take down Stryker himself -- no matter what it takes, a decision all the X-Men agree upon. They appear on stage and plead their case for mutants, debating their opposing view with Stryker on live television. When Stryker attempts to use Nightcrawler's demonic form to prove his point, Ariel pipes up and tells the audience that, despite Kurt's physical appearance, he is kind and generous and tells them all that if she had to choose between her friend or Stryker's god, it would be her friend. Stryker then pulls a gun and is about to shoot Kitty when one of the police on security detail shoots Stryker instead. The crowd is soon dispersed and the X-Men, who in the eyes of the law have done nothing wrong, are allowed to leave.

Epilogue Later, back at the mansion, the X-Men watch the news and see that public opinion of Stryker has pretty much been destroyed due to the fact that he almost shot a teenage girl on live television. With Xavier back in his right mind and the threat of Stryker's bigoted campaign over, Xavier and the X-Men offer Magneto to join the X-Men. However, Magneto cannot bring himself to join after everything that has happened. Magneto offers Xavier the chance to join him in his cause, but Xavier refuses and Magneto departs. Xavier thanks his students for saving him and their work that day. Alone with Storm, Cyclops points out that only through love and acceptance will humanity and mutants be able to live side by side together.

REVIEW

It is hard to say where this story goes in term of continuity... but it definitely happened (as the characters returned). The most interesting thing about this issue is how Cyclops gives better speeches than Xavier (I worry a bit when this happens, as sometimes it ends up being the writer and not the character, preaching). And while the conflict in question is believable (because we see these maniacs on tv all the time), as a piece of fiction, it offers very little for the reader to understand. We already know they are wrong in their way of thinking, but it is a better experience if we doubt it a little bit. Having the purifiers trying to kill humans as well as mutants... doesn’t do much for the antagonists. In fact, it takes the security guards a lot of time to react to Stryker’s homicide.

This novel explores Xavier’s dream, and ponders if Magneto was always right. In the end it doesn’t matter. Xavier is committed to his dream, and so are his X-Men (even Colossus), even if Magneto was right.

And of course Magneto is not right. But at least he made them think about it.

I do not like the coloring of the time for graphic novels. For some reason it looks too much like an illustration. However, I found the flashback sequence more believable done this way.

Lastly, I do not like the title of the novel. Which god loves? It was a safe title for Claremont, but it is not really implied in the story that “God” loves everyone. It is mentioned by Cyclops that Mutants have to be God’s creation as well... but the reverend talks about the old testament and the book of revelations most of the time... it seems to me like the new testament was omitted for effect. But never mind, I am an atheist.

I give this issue a score of 9

[irelise]

the yew tree 1.3a/?

Erik has worked with Sebastian Shaw, mutant revolutionary, ever since Shaw rescued him from human experimentation when he was a boy. He is reluctantly enlisted to assist in Shaw’s newest scheme: seducing the wealthy and enigmatic Lord Xavier and claiming his vast fortune. With Shaw posing as Xavier’s doctor, Erik goes undercover as Xavier’s personal manservant to convince him to fall in love with Shaw.

But Xavier has secrets of his own, and it isn’t long before Erik starts having second thoughts about the whole thing…

(the handmaiden inspired au - no canon knowledge required

start reading here!)

Warnings for this part: referenced past suicide, referenced antisemitism, canon-typical references to human experimentation Rating: M Word count: 4358

3.

It’s ginger tea today. He inhales deeply, drawing in the sharp scent, trying to will away his burgeoning headache. Nearby, Sebastian bustles around the room as he checks on his stores of sedatives and serums with all the loving care of a deranged artist.

He looks away, wrapping his hands more firmly around the heat of the teacup.

“So,” Sebastian says. “Progress?”

“Nothing of note to report. You?”

“Really?” The carpet muffles the click of Sebastian’s heels as he circles closer. “I hear you’ve been getting quite cozy with our mutual friend. Is that going to be a problem?”

He makes himself smile coldly. “Spying on us, are you?”

“I don’t need to.” Again, Sebastian’s voice drips self-satisfaction. “He reports everything to me. Keep that in mind, will you?”

“No need to threaten me.” His right temple throbs, the headache setting in. Not even the ginger tea helps. “I haven’t forgotten what’s at stake. I’ll play my part.”

***

Very early on, Erik had learnt that getting Xavier out of bed is a test of his patience. Left to his own devices, Xavier will happily fall asleep again, then have the gall to act surprised when Erik wakes him for the second time. Then the third.

What is Xavier going to do if he doesn’t have a manservant at his beck and call? Just sleep the whole day away? Erik scowls as he clambers out of his narrow cot; thanks to a poor night’s sleep and a throbbing headache, he’s in an even less charitable mood than usual. He raps sharply on Xavier’s door – as predicted, there’s no response.

By now, opening Xavier’s door without further invitation is just a matter of routine, so Erik doesn’t think twice about stepping into the room. It’s surprisingly dim inside.

“Rare to see you shut the curtains,” Erik remarks. Drawing Xavier into conversation makes him less likely to go right back to sleep, he’s found.

Today, the Xavier-shaped lump on the bed doesn’t move.

“Sir? Are you all right?”

He’s answered by a muffled: “Terribly sorry, Erik, but I don’t feel well today. Why don’t you take the day off?”

“What’s wrong?”

“…Migraine.”

Oh, for – As if Xavier is the only one here with a headache. Determined to get Xavier up – it’s for his own good – Erik stomps over to the curtains and throws them wide. “Rise and sh-“

“Close the bloody curtains!”

Erik yanks the curtains shut before he even registers himself moving.

“Sorry,” Xavier grits out. The air seems to pulse with his discomfort; Erik gets a distinct sense that Xavier is fighting down nausea to talk. He looks genuinely unwell – although, really, that uncharacteristic shout of command is already a siren announcing there’s something wrong with Xavier. “I’m quite sensitive to light when I’m like this. Noise, too.”

Guilt twinges, but Erik firmly pushes it down. “Should I get Dr. Schmidt?”

“No need, he’s given me medication already.”

Erik has to fight the sudden urge to hunt down that medication and toss the lot of it out. “Anything else I can do for you?”

There’s a small movement as Xavier turns, curling further away. “I’ll be fine with some rest. I was quite serious earlier, Erik – just take the day off. Please. I’d like to be alone.”

You don’t want something to eat? Or some water? Erik opens his mouth – then immediately snaps his jaws shut again, lips thinning. He’s not here to play nursemaid to a pampered noble. If Xavier wants to be alone, then he’ll get his wish.

(Xavier has never turned down his company before. If anything, he’s always been too gregarious.)

“Have a good rest, sir,” Erik says evenly. This is none of his business.

***

Banished from Xavier’s room, Erik is left at loose ends. As soon as he catches himself dithering, Erik growls.

Damn. He’s grown soft from all that time spent playing servant. He finally has some time to himself – he should have jumped straight to investigating the connection between Xavier’s uncle and Bolivar Trask. Shaw had said he’d been carrying out his own investigations, but Erik thinks, very sourly, that Shaw has been too busy fooling around with Xavier to do much of anything.

With his frustration at this whole situation driving his powers, Erik prowls along the servant corridors, reaching out with his metal-sense in search of anything suspicious. It’s long, tedious work: the mansion is labyrinthine in its enormity, and there is metal absolutely everywhere. Forget looking for a needle in a haystack; Erik feels like he’s hunting for one specific needle in a room filled with needles. It doesn’t help that he’s not sure what he’s looking for. Hell, he doesn’t even know if there’s anything to be found.

Around noon, he takes a break for lunch and a quick check-in with Shaw, who predictably has nothing useful to say. “Just let him sleep it off, you know how fragile humans are,” had been his input.

Completely useless.

After lunch, Erik switches tracks, confining his search to Kurt Marko’s wing of the manor. The whole thing is inaccessible: locks he has no problems with, but there are plenty of servants working in the wing, not to mention Marko himself. Erik isn’t willing to take the risk of being caught when he’s still largely fumbling about in the dark at this stage. It’s not worth it.

Finding the nearest room to Marko’s wing, Erik slips inside and locks the door. He settles himself cross-legged on the plush rug, closing his eyes. To search Marko’s whole wing with his powers… He doesn’t know if he’s strong enough. He’ll need to tap into the deepest recesses of his anger for this.

Erik exhales, hating the shaky edge to his breathing as he forces himself to reach for his childhood memories. The lab in the underground bunker, alternatively lit in stark white lights that hid nothing or plunged into absolute darkness. The dead metal of the examination table. The leather straps, rubbing his wrists raw.

Anger and hate and fear – that’s the source of his power. Erik can feel it come to life, a thing of deadly edges that sends all the metal in the room shivering, and he smiles grimly to himself.

Never again. Shaw had taught him how to harness his power; he’ll never have to be afraid again.

On instinct, he sends his power diving down, down, far below the ground, where men believe they and their secrets are safely hidden away from the light of the sun.

And there – a bunker, lined with reinforced steel. Erik drags up more memories: the scientists, their cultured calm, the way they chat about their weekend plans while Erik writhes on the examination table in between rounds of testing.

The steel begins to warp from the force of his anger. Erik bares his teeth. Focus. Reconnaissance, not destruction.

Not yet.

With the distance, it’s near impossible to make out anything – he specializes in blunt force and raw power, not finesse. But he thinks – or maybe it’s his memories muddling his perception – that there are machines down there. Metal filing cabinets, many of them. He tries to search for surgical tools, but his anger is beginning to burn itself out, replaced by a nauseating churn in the pit of his stomach.

Breathing heavily, Erik lets go, flopping down to lie on the rug. Above him hangs a chandelier done in delicate metal tracery. It feels dead. All the metal in the room feels dead. Erik closes his eyes, keeping them closed until the burnt-out spark of his power slowly come back to life, and the feeling of vulnerability fades.

He’s found out all he needed to know for today. Erik glances out of the window – the sun is just beginning to set, dappling the grounds in rosy golden hues. Usually, he’d be bringing dinner to Xavier around now, and then they’ll be settling down together in the study.

He lies there, indecisive, then gets to his feet.

Half an hour later, he knocks (very, very gently) on Xavier’s door, a tray balanced on his other hand. “Are you awake, sir?”

He thinks he hears Xavier saying “come in”. Good enough. Erik opens the door just a crack, trying to avoid letting too much light into the room.

“Erik, hello.” Xavier is gingerly pulling himself up to a sitting position, his usual grace absent. It’s too dark to see much of anything in the room, but Erik is pretty sure Xavier looks like shit.

He steps closer to the bed. “I brought you some food,” he says gruffly. “Crackers, yoghurt, some nuts.”

Xavier can only manage a wan smile, but Erik can feel the gratitude coming off him in waves. “Thank you. It’s very thoughtful of you, my friend.”

“Just doing my job.” Feeling unaccountably awkward, Erik sets down the tray. “Do you want me to draw you a bath?”

“It sounds lovely, but I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Xavier says, even though up close Erik can see that his curls are plastered to his forehead with sweat. Erik opens his mouth, about to argue, but then he remembers Shaw’s implication that Xavier had been dealing with these migraines all his life and closes his mouth again. He’ll trust that Xavier knows how to deal with his own condition by now.

“Anything else I can do for you?” He asks instead. “How are you feeling?”

“Still rather poorly, I’m afraid, but I expect I’ll be mostly recovered by tomorrow.” Xavier closes his eyes. “Did you want to use the study? You’re welcome to it.”

Indignation flares – how typical for a noble to assume he had ulterior motives for something as simple as bringing food.

Xavier grimaces, rubbing his head. “I’m sorry, Erik, did I upset you somehow?” He sounds so exhausted that the fight leaves Erik in a rush.

“No,” he says curtly. “You should eat. Have you been keeping hydrated? I’ll bring you more water.” Xavier keeps a pitcher of water by his side. It’s near empty, so Erik goes to top it up, fetching a towel and an extra basin of cool water while he’s at it. Xavier stirs but doesn’t protest as Erik wets the towel and begins to wipe gently at his forehead.

After a while, Xavier sighs quietly. “I am sorry. I had hoped to spend a more enjoyable evening with you, but…”

“It’s not your fault.”

“It’s poor recompense, but the least I can do is offer you the use of my study. I don’t know if I’ve made it clear enough before, but it’s open to you at any time, Erik.”

He can practically feel Xavier’s distress and shame beating down on him. “Charles.” Impulsively, Erik leans closer, gently smoothing the towel against Charles’ forehead one more time. “Just relax, all right?”

Charles tilts his face back, giving Erik easier access. It would be so, so easy to lean down and brush a kiss against his forehead. “All right.”

***

Xavier is worryingly subdued the next morning, but at least he’s no longer flinching away from light and noise. Still, Erik tries to be gentle as he helps Xavier through his morning routine, privately disturbed at the lifeless look in his eyes.

Seeming to catch his unease, Xavier forces a smile. “I’ll be fine, Erik. It always takes me another day or two to recover.”

Erik looks up from where he’s kneeling on the ground, helping Xavier put on his long white stockings. The cloth whispers against Xavier’s fair skin as he draws it up, stretching it taut. “I’m surprised your uncle is still making you read when you’re like this.”

Xavier’s gaze flicks to the window. “He gets terribly displeased if I fall behind on practice.”

And here’s an opportunity to ask about Kurt’s wing of the mansion – Erik seizes his chance without hesitation. “I think I’d like to listen to you read someday. Does he ever show you off?”

“Oh, yes, but they’re rather exclusive affairs.” Erik has the keen mind of a hunter: he immediately narrows in on the way Xavier’s clasp together – a nervous gesture? “I can always read to you in private, heaven knows I do plenty of that already.”

Erik smooths the stocking against Xavier’s skin, then cradles his foot, his thumb brushing against the shapely ankle as he slides the smart buckled shoe onto Xavier’s foot. “From memory? I don’t see a single poetry book in that study of yours,” he says, half-teasing. “That uncle of yours must have quite the collection to make up for your deficit.”

“I didn’t know you had such an interest in poetry, Erik.”

“More like a curiosity. I’ve never seen a collection of poetry before, and your uncle guards his so jealously.”

Xavier’s hands twist in his lap. “You aren’t missing much.”

“So what’s it like?” Erik finishes putting on the other shoe and Xavier stands, allowing Erik easy access to get everything straightened up one last time.

“Like any other room full of books. It’s not terribly interesting.” Xavier exhales slowly, rubbing at his temples. “I’m sorry, could you please go see if Dr. Schmidt is around? I can feel another headache setting in.”

“What are you hiding, Charles?” Erik murmurs, but Xavier only blinks at him in wordless question, still rubbing slowly at his temples. Erik can tell when it’s fruitless to press a point. With a grunt, Erik pulls himself to his feet, heading off to find Shaw, who dismisses him for the rest of the day.

Erik spends another few hours wrestling with his powers, trying not to think about what Shaw could be doing in Xavier’s bedroom. His rage sparks and flares, but try as he might, the finesse he needs for investigating Marko’s bunker simply refuses to come to him.

He’s exhausted when he trudges back to Xavier’s room later that evening, a touch earlier than he normally would. Even before he rounds the corner, he can hear the murmur of excited voices, Xavier’s soft laugh drifting into the hallway.

Erik’s heart stutters. He takes the last few steps almost at a run, knocking sharply on the door and flinging it open.

Shaw and Xavier both look up. They’re seated together at the small reading table, bodies angled together, a stack of books open in front of them. Shaw’s hand is resting on top of Xavier’s. The light of the setting sun falls gently over Xavier, dusting his cheeks with a rosy glow of health.

And – Xavier is smiling, bright and warm, full of uncomplicated happiness. Again, Erik’s heart constricts in his chest. Charles had never smiled at him like that before.

“Erik! Is it time for Dr. Schmidt to leave already?” Charles gets to his feet, his hand slipping away from Shaw’s.

Erik nods tightly. Shaw is staring at him. He’s smiling, but his eyes are cold, and Erik can hear clear as day: Remember the mission. “I’ve just come to see him out.” He bows to Shaw. “Whenever you’re ready, doctor.”

“Nice show,” Shaw mutters to him once they’re alone, striding along the mansion’s richly-carpeted hallways. The gas lamps throw flickering, ominous shadows onto Shaw’s face. How could Xavier trust him so easily?

“See you tomorrow, doctor,” Erik growls, showing him the door.

Xavier is still at his desk when Erik returns, nibbling at his bottom lip as he leafs through one of Shaw’s books. The smile had left his face, but he looks peaceful sitting there, the very portrait of a young scholar, studious and thoughtful.

The mission, Erik reminds himself. “You were enjoying yourself.” A statement, not a question.

Xavier hums. “Come join me, Erik.”

Frowning, Erik settles himself into the chair that Shaw had just vacated. “Is Dr. Schmidt really so charming?”

Xavier arches an eyebrow, but at least he has the good grace to give Erik a proper answer: “He’s intelligent, a good conversationalist, and he doesn’t look down on me for my illness. It’s not so easy to find someone like that.”

Erik grits his teeth. “Is that all it takes to win your heart?”

“…Whatever are you talking about, Erik?”

“When you’re with him, you look –” No. He can’t do this. Shaw was a fool for thinking he could play matchmaker. “Never mind.” Erik stands abruptly. “I’ll go draw you a bath.”

***

Xavier’s health dips up and down over the next week, but even on his worst days he still invites Erik to spend evenings in his study. They’ve taken to reclining on the couch together, Erik listening with his eyes half-closed as Xavier’s cultured voice speaks of mutation and evolution, extinction and cohabitation.

(“Peace is a dream, Charles,” Erik had argued once. “Homo sapiens would never accept the idea of a more evolved species of human. Look at the world now – look at how humans war against each other!”

Erik is a mutant. He is a Jew. Peaceful protest, doing things through the proper channels – they are quaint weaknesses he doesn’t have the luxury to afford, not when the potential cost is so high. The deck had been stacked against them from the very start.

Humans only understand fear and power. He will speak to them in the only language they comprehend.

Charles had looked at him, searching, and Erik had braced himself for a reprimand, but Charles had only nodded. “I understand. I don’t even disagree entirely. But if there is even the slimmest possibility for peace…”

“I don’t believe in wishing for the impossible.” He had said, looking directly at Charles. The words had tasted bitter.)

It’s bleak and cold when Erik wakes that morning, and he can hear the soft roar of rain cascading down on the mansion – the perfect sort of weather to spend sleeping in. He grimaces as he goes through his morning routine, ready for a grueling exercise in getting Xavier out of bed.

To his surprise, Xavier is already up when he enters the room. He’s sitting by the window, his eyes fixed in the distance – looking the yew tree again, Erik bets.

Something about the scene sends a shiver crawling up Erik’s spine.

“I didn’t expect to see you out of bed already,” he remarks, joining Xavier at the window. He can’t shake the sense of wrongness. “…Did you see her again? Your aunt?”

Pale, Xavier bites his lip and nods.

Erik makes a decision. “Come on. Back to bed.” When he reaches to place a hand on Xavier’s shoulder to shepherd him there, he almost snatches his hand back – Xavier is freezing cold beneath his thin nightshirt. “How long have you been sitting here? You’ll catch a cold.”

“It might be too late for that, my friend,” Xavier murmurs, but he allows Erik to guide him back into the warmth of his blankets. Erik bustles around the room, heating up some water for tea. A quick glance at Xavier confirms he’s still staring out the window; Erik carefully flexes his power, just a little, encouraging the metal of the kettle to heat up more quickly. Soon, the comforting smell of chamomile fills the air. Erik makes two cups, going to sit with Xavier on the edge of his bed once he’s done.

Some colour returns to Xavier’s waxen skin after he takes the first sip. He smiles at Erik, tired but grateful, and Erik feels a strange warmth bloom in his chest.

“Want me to tell your uncle you’re sick today?” He offers. Xavier’s intelligence is wasted on florid poetry anyway; Erik thinks both of them would much prefer a morning of studying together.

“Very tempting.” Xavier smiles again, and Erik relaxes slightly, seeing a bit of spark return to Xavier’s eyes.

“Then let me tempt you.”

He knows right away that Xavier will refuse and he’s right; Xavier shakes his head with a look of regret. “I must keep up with my responsibilities,” he says, but makes no move to get out of bed.

Impulsively, Erik reaches out to hold Xavier’s hands. It fits perfectly into his. “You sure you’re fine?”

He’s lost his fair share. He knows all about ghosts.

Xavier’s fingers curl against his, and he holds on with surprising strength. “No. I’m not.” He says with an honesty Erik can never match. “My parents died when I was young, too young to remember them properly, and my uncle and I always had a…somewhat strained relationship. My aunt is the only real family I can remember.”

“You two were close?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. Certainly, I felt a kinship with her, because….” Xavier exhales sharply, looking at the yew tree, a dark shape in the distance shrouded by mist and rain. “I don’t know. I can’t be sure, but, I think – I think… It was my fault. I drove her to it. It was all my fault.” His voice hitches.

I was nine when my aunt hung herself there. Erik grips his hand more tightly. “Charles –”

“I’m sorry.” Charles’ voice is very soft. He’s still looking at the yew tree, but he doesn’t shake Erik’s hand off. “I don’t think… I’m not quite ready to talk about this yet.”

“All right.”

Charles look absurdly grateful at being given even that small bit of allowance. Erik frowns to himself. “More tea?”

“No, I’m…” Charles bites his lower lip, squeezing Erik’s hand. “I’d like it if you could just stay with me. Just for a while.”

“All right,” Erik repeats, and Charles manages a small smile.

They sit in silence, drinking their tea. After a while, Charles quietly asks: “Would you mind telling me a bit about your family?”

My parents are dead. Erik bites back the reflexive answer, thinking about Charles’ request. “…What do you want to know?”

“Anything. Were you close?”

One of Erik’s most cherished memories – faded and rusted by now, but still cherished – is of the day his mutation had awoken, an uncontrollable mini-storm of coins and magnets and paperclips hovering around him as he shrieked with delight and his mother laughed and laughed. “Come see,” she had exclaimed to his father the moment he had returned from work. “Look at what our Erik can do!”

She had loved him so much. She had been so proud, even as she cautioned him to be careful, because the world is not as kind as it should be.

He can’t share this memory with Charles.

He tries to search for another memory, but it had been so very long since he had allowed himself to think of his parents that everything feels shrouded, forgotten, overshadowed by their untimely deaths. Erik feels sick to his stomach when he realizes in a moment of clarity that he had not thought of them for years except in connection to vengeance.

Charles is still watching him, a soft look in his eyes. “It’s all right if you don’t remember.”

“I should,” Erik says harshly. “I owe it to them.”

“Beating yourself up over it won’t help, yes?” Charles’ thumb strokes along his knuckles. “If you’re trying to recall happy memories, then falling back on your anger won’t help you, Erik.”

Erik blinks. “She said something similar once. My mother.” The memory comes back to him in bits and pieces, snatches of half-remembered events. “That I was too angry all the time.”

“You have a vision for the world. You value justice. And when the world falls short of the mark, I think your disappointment turns to anger.”

For someone who’s been locked up in the mansion all his life, Charles’ can be uncannily perceptive.

“Even when I was a kid?” Erik smiles wryly. “You know what, I don’t think you’re wrong. I was always angry about our circumstances.”

“Circumstances?”

Erik takes a deep breath and takes the plunge. “We were Jewish.” He looks at Xavier, daring him to show some sort of prejudice, but Charles only looks at him with honest curiosity. “I’ve always known that we had to be careful. That people hate, and you can’t reason with them because they want to hate. The world isn’t fair.”

Charles nods, but Erik doesn’t think he understands completely. Nobody can, unless they’ve lived it themselves.

“I can’t imagine your parents were happy that you had to be so angry so young.”

Erik grasps at the delicate, moth-eaten threads of his memories, tarnished like old silver. It frustrates him that he can’t quite recall specific words, specific conversations, but the gist of it gradually returns to him. It helps that Charles is giving him specifics to work with. “No,” he says slowly, “I think they were glad that I wanted to improve the world, to repair it. But they also wished I could live in the present more. Appreciate what was around me.”

“It sounds like quite the balancing act.” Charles looks thoughtful, tongue darting out to run against his upper lip. “But it makes sense, doesn’t it? Taking the time to remember what you’re fighting for, I suppose that would make you fight harder…”

“Why, Charles, I thought you hated fighting.”

Erik grins when that gets a short laugh out of Charles. “It’s only a figure of speech!” Charles protests, still smiling. “I’m not talking about violence, of course; there are different ways of fighting. Or repairing, as you so eloquently put it.”

“Maybe.” They sit in silence for awhile longer, but Erik’s thoughts are humming: it’s as if his mind had grown fogged over the years without his realizing it. Now, he’s carefully stripping away the layers of dust, trying to unearth his childhood memories for the first time in years.

Helping his mother around the house with chores, the smell of matzah ball soup filling the kitchen. His room and his favourite maroon blanket. Being read to, from storybooks, from the Torah, being patiently encouraged to question and reflect – something Shaw had later beaten from him. The holidays: food, singing, storytelling. The careful motions of his mother’s work-worn hands as she lit the Shabbat candles, ushering the Sabbath.

(Later, when he returns to his investigation of Marko’s lab, his power comes easier to him than it ever had before.

Thank you, Charles.)

(next part)

[superpoweredfancast]

The latest adventure of Marvel’s mutants has come to an end and the new dynamic Jonathan Hickman has created for the Children of the Atom is intense and engaging in its storytelling.

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Spread over twelve books with 6 for each part of the story, House of X and Powers of X change everything for the X-Men and how they will relate to the Marvel Universe going forward. All twelve issues are filled with amazing and interesting moments, but we’ve cut straight to the heart of the series and chosen our top 6 moments from the series ahead of the upcoming X-Men #1 coming this month.

[SPOILERS if you haven’t read the series!!!]

6. The New Mutant Homeland is a Mutant Itself (Powers Of X #4)

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Charles Xavier and Magneto are creating a new mutant utopia and have learned from the mistakes of Westchester, Genosha, Asteroid M and more. This time, the mutant homeland will be a fellow mutant, the sentient island of Krakoa. The history of the mutant island is laid out in Powers Of X #4, but the mutant has a long history with the X-Men. Douglas Ramsey is brought in to not only find a way to communicate with the island, but also to develop the first mutant language. Krakoa not only serves as the homeland for the mutant species, but seeds of Krakoa are planted all over the world and across the galaxy to serve as portals that allow mutants to move freely while keeping others out.

5. Amnesty for All Mutants (House Of X #5)

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With all of the calamities that have befallen the mutant species, Homo Superior is going to have a long road ahead of them if they are going to build and sustain a mutant nation on a planet surrounded by enemies. So Charles and Magnus decide that the best way to neutralize the threats to their new nation from those who share the mutant gene, but not the ideologies of Magneto or Xavier, is to offer every mutant on the planet amnesty and a place on Krakoa. It’s a risky gamble that will bring some of the biggest threats the X-Men have ever faced into the fold, but having Omega Red, Apocalypse, Sinister, Exodus and more opens the doors for some amazing stories to come.

4. Cerebro has a Hidden Function (Powers Of X #5)

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Anyone who has seen previews of House of X and Powers of X has noticed that Charles Xavier is sporting an updated, portable version of his mutant tracking device Cerebro. The main function of the device has always been to give the wearer the ability to track a mutant across the globe for recruitment, recovery, rescue or threat assessment. In House of X we learn that the new version of Cerebro has an additional function. Designed by Forge, the new Cerebro helmet gives Charles the ability to make a back up of a mutant mind. It’s a bold idea and one that will come into play with the next moment on our list.

Utilizing other mutants with powers that include altering reality and genetic manipulation, Charles can regrow deceased mutants and imprint their minds back into new bodies.

3. Charles Sacrifices his Children to Save the Future (House Of X #4)

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House of X and Powers of X have raised the stakes for the mutant population of the Marvel universe. Those stakes, which are featured in both the near and distant future, prompt Charles and Magneto to act in the present. After stealing intel that informs them of a Mother Mold (an ultimate weapon designed to create Master Molds) being brought online at a hidden base orbiting the sun, Xavier gathers an elite team of X-Men to end the threat and secure the future. The team, consisting of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Monet, Angel, Husk and Mystique, are sent to infiltrate the Mother Mold and send it hurtling into the sun. With no Krakoa tech to bring them back, this mission proves to be a one way trip as an explosion kills members of the team while the survivors battle it out to finish the mission.

Hickman doesn’t pull any punches in this part of the story and the sacrifice the mutants make, including a brilliant and poignant moment between Kurt and Logan, shows that Xavier is willing to do whatever it takes to stop threats to mutants. The aftermath of the mission also shows the culmination of Xavier’s cunning as the dead X-Men are resurrected and their minds returned by Cerebro.

2. Charles Makes the World an Offer They can’t Refuse (House Of X #6)

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It’s not enough for Charles Xavier to declare that Krakoa is a mutant oasis and that some of the most dangerous mutants on the planet have been given amnesty on its shores. In order to build a new nation, you must be recognized as a nation by the rest of the world. Rather than declarations and overt threats, Xavier and Magneto are prepared to make the rest of the world an offer.

In a speech to everyone on the planet, Charles Xavier lets them know that mutants have developed breakthroughs in medical science including cures for Alzheimer’s, Cancer, ALS and more. He informs them that he would have offered those things freely before as a means of fostering peace between humans and mutants. This time, the cost of human longevity will be recognition of Krakoa as a mutant nation and that all mutants are citizens by birth. It’s a message that Xavier will back up with actions both political and physical.

1.  The Secret of Moira MacTaggart (House Of X #2)

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The biggest revelation from this groundbreaking series is that one of the oldest and well known characters in the X-Men universe has one of the biggest secrets in Marvel Comics.

When a mysterious woman contacts Charles Xavier to tell him that his dream needs to change, we find out later that it the woman is Moira MacTaggert. Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, Moira was a preeminent scientist in the field of genetic mutation and served as an ally to Charles Xavier and the X-Men through the years. What we didn’t know is that Moira has been a mutant the entire time. Her ability to hide her mutant status has kept her safe and the fact that her powers include reincarnation with the retained memories of each new life will change the fate of mutants forever.

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Moira has witnessed the fall of mutants again and again in her previous lives and has spent those lives both working for and against that cause either trying to cure mutation or protect it. With each existence and subsequent death, Moira has learned lessons and she has linked herself to multiple ideologies including Xavier’s , Magneto’s and even Apocalypse. Moira’s current journey is to guide the new future for mutants from behind the scenes with both Charles and Magneto acting as her proxies after showing both of them the futures that she has witnessed. This makes Moira one of the most important characters in the X-Men lore and the key to their ultimate survival.

What were some of your favorite moments from House of X and Powers of X? What moments stuck out to you and what direction do you think the mutants will go next when X-Men #1 launches October 16th?

Let me know in the comments below.

  The Top 6 House of X/Powers of X Moments The latest adventure of Marvel's mutants has come to an end and the new dynamic Jonathan Hickman has created for the Children of the Atom is intense and engaging in its storytelling.