If they want a show -- ah'll give 'em one they'll never forget!!

-- Cannonball

Appearing in "Arena"Edit

Featured Characters:

• New Mutants
  • Cannonball (Sam Guthrie)
  • Wolfsbane (Rahne Sinclair)
  • Sunspot (Roberto)
  • Psyche (Dani)
• Professor X (In an illusion or vision)

Supporting Characters:

• Amara Aquilla
• Lucius Antonius Aquilla (First appearance)

Villains:

• Marcus Domitius Gallio (First appearance)
• Selene (First appearance)
• Castro

Other Characters:

• Unnamed Nova Roman senators and soldiers
• Melantha and other servants
• Falco, Rogier and other gladiators

Locations:

• Brazil
  • Madeira
    • Nova Roma (First appearance)
      
      

Synopsis for "Arena"Edit

The New Mutants are taken to Nova Roma by Roman Legionaries, and locked in a cell with Amara, who came with them. She asks them not to reveal she isn't actually one of them, and relates that she is the daughter of Lucius Antonius Aquilla, first senator of Nova Roma, and her activities could bring shame and ruin to her father's political party. Psyche uses her powers to realize that Amara also fears Selene, the black priestess. The New Mutants try to escape, but trigger a poison dart trap which knocks them unconscious. The capture of the New Mutants has been noticed by Senator Aquilla, whose demonstration of this knowledge forces Lord Gallo to send them to the Arena (males) and auction blocks (females) as provided for by law. But unbeknownst to Aquilla, Castro was also captured by Gallio's forces. Gallo and Selene meet with him, and he offers to connect Gallo to his employer (by implication, Sebastian Shaw), who could provide modern armaments. The female New Mutants are bathed and dressed for the auction blocks, and given a drug. Unable to rouse them usefully that night, Amara tries to sneak out on her own, only to be captured by Selene - who recognizes her! The next day the female New Mutants are taken to watch the Arena match - featuring Cannonball and Sunspot! Finishing off all other opposition, they start to fight each other (having also been drugged), with Wolfsbane and Psyche cheering them on. Wolfsbane, not liking who's winning, transforms into a wolf to join in. This snaps Psyche out of her drug-induced haze, and she projects Professor X's head as a psychic manifestation for the three in the arena, snapping them out of it, before hopping down to join them. Much to the New Mutants surprise, Rahne's hair and startling transformation lead to her being declared of the same line as Gaius Julius Caesar and connected to Romulus and Remus, and the gathered Romans kneel for her!

NotesEdit

• This issue is reprinted in other comics and books, see references for more info.^[1]
  

TriviaEdit

• Jim Shooter is credited as "Emperor".

See AlsoEdit

• Write your own review of this comic!
• Discuss New Mutants Vol 1 9 on the forums
• Cover gallery for the New Mutants series
• Images from New Mutants Vol 1 9

Recommended ReadingEdit

• None.

Links and ReferencesEdit

• The New Mutants at Wikipedia
• The New Mutants at Marvel Subscriptions
• The New Mutants series index at Comicbookdb.com
• The New Mutants series index at Uncanny X-Men.net
• The New Mutants series index at the Grand Comics Database Project
• The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators - accessed on 01/16/2010