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Quote1 My story isn't a pretty one, ladies and gentlemen...but...it's true!! Listen to it, and you'll understand...why mutants are the greatest single danger facing mankind today! You see, I am not the first Trask to outcry the mutant menace! My father did the same, three years ago! And the mutants killed him for it!! Quote2
Larry Trask

Appearing in "The Sentinels Live!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
X-Men #57

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  • Egyptian National Police
    • Egyptian Policemen (Unnamed)
  • NYPD
  • NBS Television Host (Unnamed)

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  • X-Men's Aero-Car

Synopsis for "The Sentinels Live!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
X-Men #57

New York City: Lorna Dane has settled into a new apartment and is still trying to adjust to the fact that she is a mutant with magnetic powers when she is suddenly attacked and captured by the mutant-hunting Sentinels.

While in Egypt, the X-Men attempt to calm down Cyclops' brother Alex Summers, who is horrified by the destructive force of his mutant powers, of which he fears that he has little control over. Alex explains that his powers where what destroyed the Egyptian temple that was the Living Monolith's temple, causing the Monolith to be reverted to ordinary Ahmet Abdol, a simple archeologist. When authorities arrive, the X-Men attempt to turn Abdol over to them, however, Abdol's notoriety in the area as an archeologist allows Abdol to turn the tables and demand that the police arrest Alex instead for destroying his archeological dig. When they attempt to arrest Alex, the young mutant panics and fires a plasma blast from his hands at the soldiers. The X-Men then intervenes while Alex flees into the desert. Furious over the situation, Cyclops and the other X-Men easily defeat the officers and chase after Alex in their jet-car.

The X-Men pass a cavern, unaware that is where Alex has gone to hide and lament over his unstable powers. Alex's worries are short-lived when a new menace appears, another Sentinel that easily captures the confused mutant. As the X-Men continue their search, they are alerted by Cerebro that someone had attacked Lorna Dane's apartment. Worried over his love interest, Iceman convinces Scott to allow him and Beast return to the United States and investigate Lorna's disappearance while the others continue their search for Alex in Egypt, unaware that the mastermind behind the Sentinel's resurrection is well aware of their splitting up and hopes to use it to his benefit.

Arriving in New York, Iceman and Beast search Lorna's apartment for clues, however, they are interrupted by the police who think that they are involved. Trying to escape, Beast almost falls from the apartment building to a nasty death on the pavement below when one of the officers on the scene tosses a chair at him and Bobby, knocking them both out the broken apartment window. However, Iceman manages to save them and the two mutants decide to escape to Scott's apartment and see if they can find any information about the attack on the news. They happen upon a news program where Federal Judge Robert Chalmers is denouncing mutants as a menace on national television. With him is Larry Trask, the son of Bolivar Trask the Sentinel's original creator.

Trask has appeared on the news blaming mutants for his father's death. He would go on and explain that he was present when his father built his first Sentinel before going off to College. Upon his return he was horrified to find that his father was killed during a battle between the X-Men and the Sentinels. Having kept a dossier on mutants over the years to prove his claims and with recent reports of the X-Men's battle with Egyptian authorities, he proclaims to the television audience that the mutant menace will be eliminated and that the Sentinels live again.

As Bobby and Hank watch this startling development, they are completely unaware that a Sentinel has tracked them down and is peering into Scott's apartment, poised to strike any moment. This story is continued next issue...

Appearing in "Mission: Murder!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
X-Men #58

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Synopsis for "Mission: Murder!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
X-Men #58

Continued from last issue...

While watching a news story about Larry Trask, son of the late Sentinel inventor Bolivar Trask, Iceman and Beast are attacked by a new model Sentinel. As the news story plays on and Trask reveals that he has rebuilt and redesigned his father’s robots with new weapons and that they can be pre-programmed with orders or operated by a remote control helmet, Bobby and Hank fight their attacker. While Bobby is captured by the Sentinel, Beast is forced to flee the scene when he realizes that he is outclassed against his Sentinel attacker.

While in Egypt, Cyclops, Marvel Girl and Angel take a break from their search for Scott's brother Alex to listen to answer a radio call from Hank. Hank explains to the group of Larry Trask and his Sentinels and Bobby's subsequent capture, but has to cut the transmission short to focus on avoiding capture himself. Warren defies Cyclops' orders and decides to fly back to the United States on his own to help his friends against the Sentinel menace.

While at the secret hideout of Larry Trask, Larry talks to Justice Robert Chalmers who expresses concerns about the "proof" Larry has provided that all mutants are a menace and to tell him that the public is not entirely sold on the idea. Larry agrees to let the press talk to the captured X-Man once he is rendered harmless. When Bobby arrives at the Sentinel base, Larry has him treated to a chemical steam bath that nullifies his ice powers for four hours. When Bobby attempts to attack Trask, a Sentinel stops him and Larry reveals that a hidden video camera had recorded the attempted attack which he intends to use as proof of the "mutant menace" that he is trying to sell, and vows to get revenge on the X-Men for his father’s death.

Taken to a holding cell, Iceman finds both Lorna and Alex there. He learns from Alex that Trask had designed him a special suit to control and regulate his powers and given him the codename Havok. Alex then tells Bobby that he was given all this in return for making a deal with Trask so that Lorna would be left alone. However, Bobby brands Alex a coward before hearing this, and as he's being told a Sentinel enters the room and grabs Lorna. Realizing that Trask's word was meaningless he unleashes a powerful plasma blast that destroys the Sentinel. Entering the room with another Sentinel, Larry then uses a device that nullifies Alex's powers. This horrifies Alex as this will reawaken the mutant abilities of Professor Abdol allowing him to transform into the Living Monolith once more.

While in Egypt Ahmet Abdol is meeting with government officials about his altercation with the X-Men earlier when he suddenly feels his powers returning to him. However before he can completely transform into the Living Monolith once more, two Sentinels arrive on the scene and douse Abdol with a special adhesive that blocks him from the cosmic rays that feed his power, neutralizing his threat and allowing for easy capture.

Trask sends out an army of Sentinels to capture all of the remaining mutants in the world, and a pair captures Angel with ease. This capture is watched through the horrified eyes of Scott and Jean who witness this capture while looking out the window of the airplane they are using to fly back to the States. While at a secret hideout, Mesmero and Magneto are attacked by another Sentinel. When Magneto attempts to stop the robot, it blasts him revealing that the being that Mesmero has been working for all these months was not the real Magneto, but a robot and he is easily captured by the Sentinels.

With only a few mutants still free, Larry considers his task a success and welcomes the arrival of Judge Chalmers who Larry proudly shows his work too. When Chalmers realizes that the captured mutants are being kept in suspended animation he expresses his displeasure that the mutants are not detained in a more humane way. This comment infuriates Larry who tells the judge that if he cannot count on his support he will deal with the mutant menace alone. However, Chalmers manages to calm down the emotional Trask. Larry then turns his attention to the members of the X-Men who are still not yet captured, who are planning on locating the kidnapped mutants with a mini Cerebro unit. As Trask watches this, he swears that he will capture these mutants. He swears on the medallion that he is wearing and reflects that it was a gift from his father shortly after the death of his mother, at that time Bolivar had asked his son to swear to never take it off.

Larry's recollection is cut short when suddenly his base is attacked by the Banshee who attempts to destroy the Sentinels with his sonic screams, however, Trask had built Sentinels specifically to deal with him and they knock out the sonic-screaming mutant with a sonic blast counter-attack. Furious at this attack, Larry orders the Sentinels to hunt down the remaining mutants and destroy them. Not wanting to be party to murder, Chalmers attempts to stop Larry, and is forced to strike the boy. The force of the blow knocks the medallion off of Larry, and upon that happening the Sentinels detect the presence of another mutant, Larry himself.

A nearby Sentinel grabs Larry and informs him that because he is a mutant his command over them is null and void, and that despite this they are going to carry out his last command; destroy all mutants.

This story is continued next issue...

Appearing in "Do or Die, Baby!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
X-Men #59

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  • X-Men's Aero-Car (Destruction)

Synopsis for "Do or Die, Baby!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
X-Men #59

Continued from last issue...

Cyclops, Beast and Marvel Girl are using a mini Cerebro unit to track down all of the mutants that have recently been captured by Larry Trask's Sentinels. However, their jet-car is blasted out of the sky causing the three X-Men to fall to plummet toward their doom. Thankfully, Jean is able to use her telekinetic powers to save them at the last minute.

Meanwhile in the secret hideout of the Sentinels, it is revealed that Larry Trask, himself, is a mutant when a medallion given to him by his father is accidentally removed from his person. The medallion had been nullifying his mutant powers, which in turn shielded him from the Sentinels scanners. Judge Chalmers reveals that he knew the truth all along and explains that Larry's father, the late Bolivar Trask, created the medallion after Larry's mutant powers of precognition foretold Larry's mother's death. With Trask outed as a mutant, the Sentinels refuse to follow any further orders from him and instead become fixated on carrying out his last order as a supposed human, to capture all remaining mutants and destroy them.

In rapid succession, the Sentinels seek out and attempt to capture the remaining mutants of the world. They find opposition when trying to capture Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Toad; however easily manage to capture Mastermind, Blob, and Unus. Judge Chalmers considers what to do about the situation, not wishing to be party to the mutant genocide. Meanwhile, the sentinels detect a concentration of mutant energy signatures. This turns out to be Cyclops, Marvel Girl, and the Beast who are now scaling the mountain which hides the Sentinel base. They are opposed by Sentinels, but easily defeat them and enter the compound.

Inside, they hide as a Sentinel prisoner craft arrives with the captured Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Toad. Realizing that the Sentinels are conditioned to deal with any mutants threats by identifying their targets and counter-acting their mutant power, the X-Men trade costumes with the former Brotherhood of Evil Mutant members. Cyclops trades costumes with Quicksilver's costume, while Marvel Girl trades with Scarlet Witch, and the Beast with Toad. When the Sentinels that captured the Brotherhood members attempt to take them to the holding chambers they are caught off guard. Confused by the discrepancy between their opponents' appearances and power sets, the Sentinels quickly fall to Cyclops, Marvel Girl, and Beast.

In the meantime, Judge Chalmers awakens Larry Trask from his suspended animation. Larry has a vision of Havok getting injured in the coming battle. When Chalmers asks what he can do to stop the Sentinels, he traces Larry's glance at the device he used to neutralize Havok's powers earlier. However, Chalmers misinterprets Larry's attempts to tell him what the gun is for as an order to kill Havok, which Chalmers refuses to do.

Cyclops and the others fight their way into the main chamber just as the Judge realizes the gun's true purpose and uses it to reactivate Havok's powers. Realizing what Chalmers has done, a Sentinel blasts him before Cyclops can attempt to destroy it. Cyclops then blasts open the cyro-tube that is keeping Havok in suspended animation. Now free, Havok turns his powerful cosmic energy blasts on the Sentinel.

The Sentinels begin to administer first aid to the Judge as a result of their programming to protect humans. Chalmers tells Cyclops that the only way to beat the Sentinels is with logic. Cyclops then suggests to the Sentinels that the most efficient way to accomplish their goal would it would be to eliminate the source that causes the creation of mutants. As Cyclops is telling them this, Havok, still believing that he is a menace, attempts to commit suicide, realizing what he is going to do, Cyclops chases after him.

Meanwhile, the Sentinels ponder Cyclops' suggestion and realize that it's the very sun that is the cause of mutants on Earth. The entire Sentinel fleet blasts off into space in an attempt to destroy the Sun, a mission that is destined to end in failure and the Sentinel’s destruction.

In the aftermath of the Sentinels' departure, Cyclops and the others find Alex buried in a pile of rubble begging for help. Realizing that his brother will need medical attention and psychiatric help in coming to terms with his mutant nature, he decides to call one of the Professor’s old colleagues. Shortly afterward, a call is made to Dr. Karl Lykos who agrees to see Alex. While the doctor makes arrangements with Scott, one of his patients suddenly slumps into unconsciousness.

This story is continued next issue...

Notes

  • Reprints the main story arc from Uncanny X-Men #57, #58, and #59. Some of the stories original work has been edited from this comic to save space.

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