Madripoor in the South Pacific

The Princess Bar is located in the heart of "Lowtown". If you have to ask where it is, you don't need to go. In the darkest booth in the darkest corner sits a man who is at the darkest point of his life. He's been sitting here for what seems like years. Slugging down the foulest rotgut whiskey that the barkeep can sling his way and enjoying it.

Man (in German): [Barkeep……another round, my friend]

Barkeep: Excuse me?

Man: Gott in Himmell, O.k. idiot. Give…me..another…drink! Did you understand me that… … time?

Barkeep: That's some attitude you've got there. How bout I give it right back at you.

The barkeep reaches under the bar and pulls out a sawed off shotgun and aims it at the man.

Man: I used to know the owner of this……establishment and he had a worst attitude that that. But since you've shown me…… yours, let me show you mine.

BAMF!! The air is suddenly filled with the smell of brimstone. The barkeep fires.

BLAM!BLAM! BAMF!!

Voice (from behind the barkeep): That wasn't very……nice.

The barkeep turns around and sees and blue and black furred creature blending out from the shadows. The creature is known as Nightcrawler, a former X-Man and, until recently, the leader of Excalibur. He has the ability to teleport from one location to another.

Nightcrawler (drawing his sword): Now, let's try this……again. Give me a drink.

The barkeep nervously begins to pour another drink and gives it to the mutant.

BAMF!

Nightcrawler (teleporting back to his booth): That's more like it. (to self) Stupid. When I want a drink give me a drink. I'm the man! I am…was the leader of Excalibur until Captain high and mighty Britain came back and decided that he and Meggan where leaving cause he couldn't trust me to keep his wife safe. He had lost his powers. Kitty tells us that she'd been excepted at MIT and is leaving to start classes there. Then we all get the telepathic invitation from Jean to meet at the X-Mansion for a reunion. Peter says that he had been thinking of returning to the states, to the X-Men. He packed his stuff and left. Rahne and Douglock didn't make the trip so they could stay and help Moira with the Legacy Virus. Leaving little old me standing in the hanger. My whole life I was a freak. I only fit in at the circus but only cause of my athletic ability to woo crowds. I thought I could make a difference with Excalibur. But no. I couldn't keep the team together. I couldn't find the professor. I couldn't help during the whole "Onslaught" affair. What good am I!?!

CRASH! Nightcrawler throws his glass against the wall and it shatters.

Barkeep: Hey! What do you…

Nightcrawler shoots the barkeep a look that sends shivers down his spine like a thousand daggers,

Barkeep:…doing? Never mind.

Nightcrawler (to self): Look at me. I'm here drowning my sorrows in this dive and Peter and the rest of the X-Men are probably partying it up. Those X-Men sure know how to party.

At that moment, several miles away in the SAVAGE LAND…

Colossus (slowly waking up): Wha…where am I?

Colossus has seen many sites in his life. He's been to space. Seen his "little snowflake", his younger sister Illyana, die from the legacy virus. Harvested grain on his family's farm in the old U.S.S.R. But nothing could have prepared him for the site now before the Russian's eyes.

Storm (screaming in pain): AAAARGHH!

Sunspot (reacting to Storm's scream): Leave her alone! Let me out of this and I'll show you some pain!

Colossus looks around and sees himself and his fellow X-Men (Wolverine, Sunspot, Storm, Iceman, Jean Grey, and Havok) strung up like roasting pigs on a spit. He tries to trigger his mutant power to change into organic steel. It's useless! He can't change. He looks at his hands and notices metal gauntlets are covering them. The other X-Men have them also. It must be negating their powers. He notices a young man with a large mohawk standing over Sunspot. He looks very familiar.

Young Man (holding Sunspot's head in his hand): You may think I am a savage, but don't think I'm stupid. You and your fellow X-Men are held in check by those restraints. There is nothing you can do to me but bleed on me.

SMACK!!!!

The young man slaps Sunspot across the face.

Colossus: Leave the boy alone.

Young Man (turning his glance to Colossus): I see that you are finally awake. Oh, how I've waited for this moment for my chance to get back at you for what you did to me and my mother.

Colossus (looking confused): What are you talking about? I've never met you before.

Young Man (kneeling in front of him): Oh really? I think you know who I am…father.

Cyclops (to self): How long have I been down here in this dungeon? Days? Weeks? All I know is that Mister Sinister locked me down here and placed a visor on me that keeps me from firing my optic blast. It seems he wants to use me as bait to trap the other X-Men. I can't contact Jean because the psychic link between the two of us has been cut! There is something that I'm missing though. My dialogues with him seem different.

Just then his thoughts are interrupted by the sound of feet shuffling on the coarse cavern floor. His body tenses for battle.

Cyclops : Who's there? Speak!

Tyro (weakly): Please, don't hurt me. I was just looking for some food or water. Do you have any?

Cyclops : What is your name, son? What are you doing here?

Tyro: I think my real name is Sam…something. I'm not really sure. The person who captured me started calling me Tyro for some reason. They said it means "novice" or something. I don't know. My head's kind of messed up right now. Last I remember was playing some basketball with some friends back home in Buffalo and the next I'm tied up down here.

Cyclops can't see the boy but by the tone of his voice he's probably between 14 and 17 years of age. He can almost feel the fear in his voice.

Cyclops: It's ok. I'll try and help you and get us both out of here. Can you tell me what this place looks like?

Tyro: Why? Can't you see for yourself?

Cyclops: No I can't. This visor on my face blocks my vision.

Tyro: What visor? I can see all of your face and your eyes are open!

Cyclops: What?!? No visor? My eyes are open? How?

Jean Grey: Nothing but static as far as my mind can "see". Scott where are you?

Just then Jean "sees" a break in the static.

Jean Grey: That white spot in the static. I wonder what that is ? I've got to go check it out.

Jean flies toward the spot and is drawn in by a psychic vortex.

Colossus: Peter? My son? What has happened to you? You shouldn't be this old?

Peter: You're right. I was out on a hunt with the rest of my tribe and ran into a cave chasing prey. While I was inside I came upon a strange mist that was coming from between the cracks of a large rock. As I stepped toward it, my prey sneaked behind me and I fell into the mist. The pain that coursed through me was unbearable! The mist aged me from 8 to 21 in a matter of minutes. It also gave me a higher intelligence. Now, father I have something planned for you. You abandoned my mother and me all those years ago to go running around with the X-Men. Neglecting your family. You and the X-Men will pay for that.

Wolverine (from behind Peter): I don't think so, bub.

Peter turns around and sees the X-Men known as Wolverine standing with his bone claws "snikted" and his restraints on the ground.

Peter: How did you get free? The restraints were supposed to hold. Attack him my friends!

The members of the Fall People attack Wolverine on all sides.

Wolverine (to self): I've got to take these guys out without hurting them but they attack with me with so much ferocity it's hard to keep my animal side in check.

The Fall People fight the valiant fight but in the end Wolverine is too much for them to handle.

Wolverine goes over to the other X-Men and frees them.

Iceman: It's about time. My arms where stating to snore so loud they were waking up my legs.

Peter uses the confusion to try and escape but a gust of wind lifts him gently off the ground.

Peter: Put me down!

Storm: Sure.

With that, Storm, the mistress of the weather, commands her winds to ceases, dropping Peter to the hard jungle floor.

Havok (runs over and grabs Peter by the shoulders): What was all this about? Where did you get those restraints?

Peter: I was given the restraints be a man that asked me to keep you from reaching him. He said that I could have my father and do with him whatever I wanted, but the rest of you I was to "keep busy".

Storm: Who was this man?

Peter: He said his name was Sinister.

Sunspot (gulping): Mister Sinister?

Wolverine: Where is he located?

Peter: Just over that ridge. He's set up shop in one of the many caverns that line the mountainside.

Havok: 5 will get you 20 that my brother, Cyclops, is there too.

Iceman: Let's go and kick some Sinister rear.

Wolverine walks back over to where the X-Men Jean Grey is laying unconscious.

Wolverine (to self): Come on Jean. We've got a line on your husband but we are going to need you if we have to go up against Mister Sinister.

Jean Grey: What happened? I was following the spot back to its point of origin hoping that it would lead me to Scott. Instead, I don't know where I am. Wait a minute, why does this seem familiar?

Return to UNCANNY X-MEN page.

GO TO UNCANNY X-MEN #3

Back to THE COLLECTION

You can E-Mail Richard at fearstalker@hotmail.com with any questions, comments, or suggestions