Uncanny X-Men #3
"The Reunion" part 3
Story and Script by: Richard Gutierrez
All characters TM and copyright of Marvel Entertainment Group 1998
The cool fall breeze gently brushes the auburn hair of freshmen collage student, and former X-Man, Kitty Pryde. She is on her way to her first class on her first day of collage with an arm full of books and folders, and she couldn’t be happier…
Kitty (to self): I can’t believe I’m actually going to be doing something for me for a change. I’ve been "fighting the good fight" for what seems like forever. First with the X-Men and then with Excalibur I’ve traveled to far off galaxies, seen long lost civilizations, been to other dimension…Heck, I’ve got a purple dragon as a pet! Sometimes it’s more than this little Jewish girl from outside of Chicago can believe actually happened! But know that Excalibur dissolved, I’ve come to the realization that I need some time for me. Kitty Pryde. Not Shadowcat. Just me. I hope the others will understand why I didn’t go to the reunion. I hope Colossus…Peter…understands too. We where starting to get closer as the team started to come apart. Kurt, Nightcrawler, seemed to take it the hardest. I hope he’s O.K.
Just then the young mutant, with the ability to "phase" through objects rounds the corner of her building and…
Kitty: Offff!
Guy: Offff!
…runs into another student, Mark Steevo, a fellow freshman, also on his way to his first class on his first day. Schoolbooks and folders fly into the air and scatter about.
Mark: (scrambling to try and help pick up the mess): I so sorry. Please let me help you pick up this mess.
Kitty (scrambling to try and help pick up the mess): It’s OK. It’s my fault. I was lost in thought and not paying attention to where I was…going.
Kitty looks up and sees the young handsome student and all thoughts of the X-Men, school, and proper speech patterns goes out the window.Kitty: You’re…It’s…fine. Thank you.
Mark (handing her, her books): Here you go. By the way my name is Mark, what’s yours?
Kitty: Katherine, but my friends call me Kitty. Would you by chance be heading to Psyche class now? (to self) PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!
Mark: No, but I did see that we will be in Ms. Collings Computer theory class this afternoon. I can’t wait…I mean I’d like to see you…I’ll see you there.
Kitty: Yes you will.
Just then the sound of the first class bell goes off and that old familiar feeling of "oh no I’m going to be late to class" swell up inside the two freshmen.
Kitty: You’d better hurry, you don’t want to be late.
Mark: Sure. Look I’ll see you later OK?
Kitty: Ok.
The two students run off to class. Kitty’s mind also starts running for the first time since she left England about her and Mark.
Kitty: (to self) Wow! I think I’m going to like computer class. Cool!
Kitty runs up the stairs and though the doors and heads to her class.
Meanwhile at the bottom of the world….
The band of 7 mutants called the Uncanny X-Men, Havok (Alex Summers, who has the ability to channel cosmic energy into powerful blast), Wolverine (Logan, who’s healing factor and bone claws make him one of the toughest men alive), Storm (Ororo Munroe has the ability to control weather), Colossus (Peter Rasputin, can transform his massive Russian frame into steel), Sunspot (Roberto DeCosta is a member of X-Force who draws strength for the sun and uses it to fire blasts for heat), Iceman (Robert Drake can freeze the moisture in the air), and Phoenix (Jean Grey has vast powers of Telepathy and Telekinesis) are traveling through the dense brush of the Savage Lands toward a mountain that they believe is home to one of their deadliest foes, Mister Sinister. They where informed by one of the natives of the Savage Lands, who happened to be Colossus’s son and namesake Peter, that Mister Sinister was holed up in one of the several caves that dot the mountainside. The X-Men believe that their missing leader, Cyclops, is being held there, also.
Iceman: Is it me, or do we have no idea where we are going?
Wolverine: Shut your trap, popsicle. I’m trying to use me senses to catch any hint of Slim’s scent.
Storm: Logan, calm down. Bobby’s just running his mouth. Try not to let him distract you.
Sunspot: (to self) What the heck am I doing here? I show up at the mansion for this "X" reunion that Jean Grey called. I get their earlier than my teammates from X-Force so I don’t have to deal with Boomer…I mean Tabitha. I wanted to avoid my best bud, Sam who’s an X-Men by the name of Cannonball, cause he saw me and Tabitha playing "tonsil tennis". Which isn’t a bad thing except, they where boyfriend and girlfriend. What am I going to do about that?
Havok: So Pete, was that really your son?
Colossus: Yes it was. It just so hard to believe that my…son could have grown so fast and have such hatred for the X-Men and me. I thought N’eerl, his mother, taught him better. After this is over, I’m going to go back to he village and make things right.
Havok: I believe that you will big guy. (to self) If only my problems where as easy to face. When X-Factor was destroyed I came to the X-Men to try and get some direction. I show up and BOOM we’re off to save my brother, Scott. Well, I’m going to make sure that he is rescued. I wish Jean would wake up. She’s been knocked out ever since we left the mansion.
At that moment on the psychic plane…
Jean Grey: I can’t believe it ! The static that I’ve been following was caused by one of our oldest foes…who’s dead! Then again, I’ve been "dead" before and here I am... who’s to say he didn’t come back too. If he is back, I’m going to have to find away back to my body.
With that, Jean Grey, the wife of the kidnapped Cyclops, tries to "back track" to her body.
Not far away in one of the many caves that are sprinkled in the Savage Lands mountains…
The kidnapped Cyclops and his fellow prisoner, Tyro, have made an interesting discovery…
Cyclops: What do you mean there’s nothing on my eyes and they are open? That can’t be!
Tyro: It’s true. I may be only 16 but I know what eyes look like. Yours are a little strange in color. Hey, are you a mutant like me? See I have this ability that’s really lame. See, I have what I call "beginner’s luck". I can do whatever I wanted and do it perfectly…as long as it’s the "first" time I’ve ever done it.
Cyclops: Why is that lame?
Tyro: Think about it. The first time I drive a car…. shot baskets…knit a sweater…it’ll be perfect. The next time I do it…it’s not. The next…it’s worse! Eventually, I won’t be able to do it at all. What are your powers?
Cyclops: I fire beams of energy from my eyes. That’s why it’s impossible for my eyes to be open! I have no control over them…if my eyes are open, I fire the blasts, constantly!
Tyro: Wow! I didn’t recognize you, you’re one of the X-Men aren’t you? Did you come here to rescue me?
Cyclops: No, I was captured too. Don’t worry though I won’t let him hurt you anymore.
Tyro: It’s not him I’m worried about, it’s the woman.
Cyclops: The woman?
Tyro: Yea, she can mess with people’s minds. Maybe that’s what she did to you? Maybe she made you "think" you had a visor on.
Cyclops takes a minute to think….
Cyclops: Tyro, point me toward the door.
The young man by the name of Tyro points Cyclops toward the door of the dungeon…
Cyclops: Stand behind me.
Cyclops fires a blast at the door and destroys it.
BOOM!!!!!!
Tyro: That was so cool!! What do we do know?
Cyclops: Now, you will have to be my eyes because I don’t dare open them.
The two run out of the dungeon and begin their escape. They continue to run, until…
Tyro: I see a light up ahead. I think it leads to outside! It’s just around this corner.
As they round the corner, Tyro runs right into Mister Sinister’s lab where he is talking to his band of Marauders.
Tyro: Oh man. So much for my beginner’s luck.
Mister Sinister: Well, it is very nice to see that you have escaped your prison, Scott. I’m still waiting for your brother and sister X-Men to show up. I think that they are close by. They will probably be here just in time to help clean your blood off of my machines. Get them!!! Mister Sinister motions to his troops, the reptilian Slither, the muscle-bound Powerhouse, the energy absorber Sponge, the mysterious cloaked woman called Prior, Riptide and his mutant ability to spin at high velocities, and the red headed mutant Inferno. They move as one to attack the X-Man.
Mister Sinister: Don’t harm the boy. He is very important to my plan.
Cyclops: Stay behind me. Where are they?
Tyro: Right in front of you.
Cyclops opens his eyes once again and unleashes a wide band blast that clips Riptide sending him crashing into the wall.
Riptide: Offfff!!
Powerhouse: Your blast bounce right off of me and my partner Sponge can just absorb it. You got anything else in your bag of tricks?
Tyro: (reaching from behind Cyclops and grabbing a length of chain and throwing it at Powerhouse): No but I do!
Tyro is able to wrap the chain around the massive neck of Powerhouse, cutting off his air supply.
Powerhouse. You…little…brat!
Sponge: Neat gag, son. I’ll just cut the chain and he’ll be free and you’ll be one step closer to Mister Sinister.
Sponge cuts the chain and Powerhouse is free.
Cyclops (to self) I could start to free wildly but there is no telling if Tyro will stay out of the way.
Just then a loud explosion rocks the lab.
Mister Sinister: What the…?!
The X-Men have arrived just in time to rescue their leader.
Wolverine: Thanks Havok for blowing that hole. Now, I’ve got a lot of bent up frustration….who’s first?
Mister Sinister (to self) This not what I need. I need that boy to help me solve to cursed Legacy Virus! His beginner’s luck would help me find the cure! I’ve got to get them out of here. I know..
The X-Men rally around Cyclops and battle the Marauders.
Cyclops: Where’s Jean?
Storm: She was attacked at the mansion and has been unconscious since then. Tend to her and we’ll give you cover.
Cyclops runs over to Jean Grey’s body and cradles it in his arms.
Cyclops: (to self) Come on baby! You know I’m nothing without you. Come back to me.
Jean Grey (waking up): Ok since you asked so nicely.
The husband and wife kiss.
Wolverine: I hate to be the one to break up this "Hallmark" moment but we could use some help.
Sunspot: This Sponge guy is just soaking up my blasts!
Havok: Let’s try some good ol’ fashion teamwork.
Havok joins his blasts with Sunspot’s and the two powerful mutants cause Sponge to overload and he faints to the ground.
Colossus (grabbling with Powerhouse): You are strong, but I am stronger.
Powerhouse: Big talk commie!
Colossus grabs Powerhouse by his head and throws him out of the whole that Havok blasted. Powerhouse flies almost 2 miles away before he slams into the ground.
Powerhouse: Is that the best…you…can
RRRRRUUUUMMMMBBBBLLLLLEEE!!!!!
Powerhouse here’s the rumble just in time to realize that he is standing in the path of stampeding dinosaurs!
Back inside the mountain Storm has wrapped up Slither in a small tornado that causes the mutant to get dizzy and pass out.
Iceman: You seem to be the only one left little lady. Let’s but you on ice.
Iceman encases the mutant called Prior in a block of ice, immobilizing her.
Iceman: Let’s take off this hood and see what we…see?
Iceman looks on as he sees the face of a woman that his teammate, Havok, said was recently deceased. He stares at the face of Lorna Dane a.k.a. Polaris….Havok’s lover!
But before the other X-Men can react to this Mister Sinister runs to his control panel and flips a switch. All the X-men start to feel a tingling sensation…
Sunspot: What’s happening?
Mister Sinister: Easy…I’m sending you away to leave me and the boy in peace. Have a good trip.
Tyro: I won’t stay here with…
Tyro leaps at Cyclops has the energy field swallow’s the X-Men up.
Mister Sinister: Noooooo!!!
Later…
Tyro: …you.
The young mutant looks around as the other X-Men materialize around him.
Iceman: Where are we?
Jean Grey: Oh no! We’re on the moon!
The X-Men are on the moon! How do they get back and what will they find? Join me shortly for part 1 of "The Cure". Also, Kitty’s date with Mark.
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