| Rogue |  Yo, Spiral -- later! That's a promise.  |
| Spiral | One I'll gladly hold you to -- sugar! |
Appearing in "Freedom Is a Four Letter Word!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
Other Characters:
- Scott Summers (Photo)
- Nathan Summers (Photo)
- Madelyne Summers
- Unknown couple saved from a street gang
- Unnamed members of a San Francisco gang
- Unnamed San Francisco policemen
- Connie, a stewardess
Locations:
- California
- San Francisco
- 1 Yabro Court
- San Francisco Memorial Hospital
- San Francisco
- New York
Vehicles:
- TWA plane - Flight 707
Synopsis for "Freedom Is a Four Letter Word!"
The X-Men are continuing their clean-up effort of the San Fracisco area following their battle with the Beyonder and the Omega Sentinels[1]. As Storm patrols the streets she comes across a mugging in the China Town area. When she steps in to stop it, she easily beats up the muggers and takes them down before the police arrive. In the aftermath of the fight, Storm meets officer Bree Morrel, who tells Storm that she doesn't care what the rest of the world thinks about mutants or the X-Men and tells her that mutants have proved their worth to the people of San Fransisco in her books. When Storm returns to the home of Jessica Drew, the temporary lodging of the X-Men while they're staying in San Fransisco, she finds that Kitty Pryde has dressed up punk so that she can go on a date with David Ishima to see the latest Lila Cheney show. While Ishima promises to behave, Kitty's excitement for the date makes Storm worry. As Storm settles in, Rogue checks the mail and finds a postcard from Scott and Madelyne. When she tells them that Madelyne has asked them all to come up and visit in Alaska, Rachel throws a fit tossing dishes with her telekenetic powers. She is still struggling with being in a past where her mother is dead and her father is married to another women, and when Rogue tries to calm her down and convince her to confide in Cyclops the truth behind her origins, Rachel cannot bring herself to do it.
While aboard a TWA Flight heading to London, Amanda Sefton worries over her boyfriend Nightcrawler. It's been a week since their argument[2] and she hasn't been able to contact him and she wonders if their relationship is over.
Back in San Francisco, Kitty and David don't make their date as they are ambushed by members of the Freedom Force right outside of Jessica Drew's home. As the other X-Men rush outside to meet their government sanctioned foes they are caught up in the psi-webbing of their newest member the new Spider-Woman. The X-Men break free, but Phoenix is seemingly struck down by Spiral and then Pyro causes a massive blaze with his flame throwers. When he challenges Storm to fight him (unaware that she lost her powers), Storm is surprised when the heat from the flames has turned the fog surrounding the area into a freak monsoon. Storm decides to bluff him into thinking she still has her powers. She gets an assist from Rachel, who has been playing possum, who uses her telekinetic powers to lift Storm off the ground and into the air.
Blob joins the fight, and holds Rogue off while Spiral figures out that Rachel is behind Storm's "flight" and knocks her out with another blast. With Storm falling to the ground, Kitty uses her phasing powers to save her from a fatal fall. Meanwhile, Colossus attempts to put out Pyro's flames by breaking a fire hydrant, but the water stream is blocked by the Blob and he is swallowed up by the ground thanks to Avalanche. Colossus manages to break free, catching Blob off guard long enough for Rogue to throw him into San Fransisco Bay. When Jessica Drew notices the newest member of the Freedom Force had usurped her former costumed identity she confronts her. However, the new Spider-Woman warns Jessica that unless she stands down, as a federal agent, she can have her arrested along with the X-Men. Rogue attempts to absorb Spiral's powers, and while she gains two extra pairs of arms, she is taken control of by Spiral. When Linday McCabe attempts to rescue her cat from the roof of the house she shares with Jessica, she almost falls from the roof, prompting Kitty to break away from the fight and save her.
This brings the fight to an end as the Freedom Force manages to incapacitate all of the X-Men with an assist from the Spiral controlled Rogue. However, before the Freedom Force can arrest the X-Men, Lieutenant Morrel shows up and orders the Freedom Force to stand down. She points out to the group that they are out of their jurisdiction, and because the X-Men have been considered civic heroes in the city, and the Freedom Force are consisted of mostly wanted criminals she tells them that unless they can provide a warrant and proof that they have been pardoned by the government, they have no jurisdiction to take the X-Men prisoner. Conceding, the Blob warns her that the X-Men better not be in San Francisco when they come back and Spiral teleports them away.
In the aftermath of the battle, Storm agrees with Morrel to leave before the Freedom Force comes back. Inside Jessica's house the X-Men say their goodbyes. Rachel, realizing that she could have been killed or arrested tonight decides that she is going to finally tell Cyclops who she really is so that she can finally put her past to rest. While at the San Francisco Memorial Hospital, an unidentified female patient is brough through the emergency room, having suffered multiple gunshot wounds. With no identification on her she is listed as a Jane Doe. This woman is none other than Scott's wife Madelyne Pryor. While in New York, Nightcrawler says goodbye to the newly appointed queen of Ruruitania. The encounter with the woman having renewed his faith in adventure.
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in X-Men Classic #110 and Essential X-Men #6 and will be reprinted in the trade X-Men: Ghosts.
See Also
Links and References
Template:UXM Links
- The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators - accessed on 09/07/2009
- The Official Marvel Index to the X-Men (Vol. 2) #4 - See for further referencing