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Quote1 Human! I...need...you! Quote2
Proteus

Appearing in "There's Something Awful on Muir Island!"

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  • Quinjet
  • Starcore Space Shuttle (Only in recap)

Synopsis for "There's Something Awful on Muir Island!"

On Muir Island, Moira MacTaggert is testing out Jean/Phoenix’s abilities to learn the upper limits of her expanded powers. Moira is disturbed at the seemingly limitless amount of energy the Phoenix can generate. After correlating some data, Moira hypothesizes that, after saving the universe from the effects of the M'kraan Crystal, Jean had subconsciously created her own mental barriers to keep her powers at a manageable level. Now, however, they seem to be returning to their cosmic level and Moira would like to know why. Moira’s theorizing prompts Jean to recall the events that transformed her into the Phoenix and then the events that brought her to Muir Island following the supposed deaths of the X-Men. (Unbeknownst to them, a shadowy figure is spying on them.)

The X-Men are alive and well, however, and believe that Jean is the one who died (as well as the Beast). At that same time, they are undertaking a training session in the Danger Room. Wolverine attempts to help Colossus but is neutralized while an overconfident Nightcrawler is taken down by a sonic attack. After it’s over, Cyclops chews them out for their poor performance until Wolverine loses his temper over “playing games" and storms off. Cyclops laments to Storm that he’s uncertain the new X-Men, who still don’t function as a cohesive unit, will ever work as well together as the original team did because the disparate members were all brought together as adults rather than as teenagers as the original team were, and are each so strong-willed in their own ways that it’s hard for them to truly cooperate.

In orbit around Earth is Asteroid M, Magneto’s secret hideout. He is still recovering from injuries sustained in his last battle with the X-Men. While reviewing his computer records of his previous battles with the original team, he accidentally accesses an old data file on his late wife Magda. Seeing her face causes him to recall the painful memory of the death of their child child at the hands of bigoted peasants, as well as how Magda fled from him in fear when he used his powers to avenge their daughter. He deletes the file so that he does not have to relive the memories again.

Meanwhile, the mysterious man named Jason Wyngarde, a mutant himself, has been slowly molding the mind of Jean Grey since he first met her. He has been stalking her throughout her extended stay in Europe, taking on different guises and accessing her mind in order to plant the seeds for his plans to transform her into the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club.

On Muir Isle, Jean seems to briefly fall into a trance while Jason is thinking of her. Lorna snaps her out of it however and Jean uses her powers to instantaneously transform her clothes several times as she pirouettes around the room.

In Moira's lab, Moira pores over the data and ponders the fact that Jean has been granted powers akin to a god. Profoundly disturbed, she wonders where Charles Xavier may be and wishes he would come back.

Xavier is in the Shi'ar galaxy as Lilandra's consort. While she is attending to matters of the imperial court, Xavier (who, by Shi’ar standards, is like “the village idiot”) checks out holographic records of the X-Men’s previous adventures in this galaxy. Xavier had never been fully briefed on the events and only just realizes how much power that Jean/Phoenix wielded during the adventure with the M’Kraan Crystal. As Moira already has, Xavier realizes that Jean’s new powers are likely far too vast for her to control for long. He prepares to return to Earth immediately.

Back on Muir Island, Moira steps on a gold tooth. Examining it, she becomes alarmed and rushes to Mutant X’s containment chamber. She reacts in horror at what she finds there.

Elsewhere on the island, Jean - using her powers to shield her from the cold of Muir Isle - passes by Jamie and Alex. While Jamie remarks on how well Jean in a light summer dress is withstanding the bracing cold of Muir Isle, Alex thinks to himself that it is not like Jean to show off her powers, or use them in such a casual manner. Jean telepathically “hears” Alex’s concern but dismisses it.

Upon entering Moira’s research facility, Jean detects an intruder in the vicinity. Changing into her costume, she begins searching for the intruder when suddenly she finds herself seemingly transported back in time to the Victorian era for a brief moment. She snaps back to reality when someone jumps her from behind. Looking into her attacker’s face, she screams in terror. Alex and Madrox hear her and run to investigate.

Back at the X-Mansion, the Beast drops by to check out the school. He’d left sensors in place to alert him of any possible intruders, which have gone off since the X-Men returned. He is stunned to find the X-Men (whom he’d believed were dead) very much alive - and vice versa. Explanations are made all around and he informs them that Jean is alive as well and visiting Muir Isle. While Cyclops places a call to Muir Isle, Beast departs to check in at Avengers Mansion and inform them he’ll be traveling with the X-Men to Scotland as well. (He doesn’t want to miss out on the reunion.)

Lorna answers Scott’s call and tells him there is a security situation going on at the island. However, before she can explain further, Lorna is attacked by some strange being that has a need for her. The last thing Cyclops hears before the line goes dead is Lorna's screams.

This story is continued next issue.

Notes

  • Jean's flashback recounts events from X-Men #101-113 and fills readers in on her activities since parting ways with the rest of the team. The narration over the flashback explicitly states that Jean died during her spaceflight, something Jean stated in X-Men #102.
  • Magneto appears to be reviewing a video of his initial battle with the original X-Men in X-Men #1.
  • This issue features an oblique crossover with a contemporaneous storyline in the Avengers' book. In Avengers #186, Quicksilver is told facts about his and his sister Wanda's history, including the fact that their mother was a woman named Magda who was fleeing from an unidentified husband who had great powers but used them cruelly. Magda had been pregnant with twins (Pietro and Wanda), but didn't want her husband to know of their existence. Magneto's cameo in this issue makes clear that Magda was his wife and the inference is that Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are his and Magda's children. It would be several more years before either Magneto or the twins actually realized this connection, in Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4. It would ultimately be retconned in Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #7 so that they were not related, and actually, not even mutants.
  • Jason Wyngarde/Mastermind is the second old X-Men villain to mentally manipulate Jean into becoming his "bad girl" romantic partner (Mesmero performed a similar act on her in X-Men #111).

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