Issue+17+-+'Happiness+is+a+Warm+Gun'


 * Issue 17 - 'Happiness is a Warm Gun' **




 * Plot**

The night before the students return for the spring semester, the staff of Academy X sorts through the new students and assigns them to teams. They then see a TV interview with Katie Couric and Cordelia Frost. In the interview, it’s revealed that Cordelia is now the head of Academy M. Katie asks if the school is for mutants, and Cordelia says the “M” is for multicultural. She says the school promotes mutant/human interaction and has several non-mutant students. She also says that they are sponsoring a mutant pride parade in a week (Saturday). Lastly, she says that Academy M does not condone the illegal usage of MGH, but supports the legalization of the drug (a proposition will probably be on the ballot in the fall to legalize MGH).

On the day students move in, new students arrive and returning students come back to the school. A new student name Daniel (whose mutant ability is that he cannot die) meets the staff and his fellow students. Cameron arrives via crashing into the front lawn. He is brought into the lab and sedated due to the concern that his Weapon XI brainwashing could trigger. When he awakens, he is speaking only French. His memories have been removed by Xavier over break in hopes of preventing him from turning into a mutant killing machine, but it has left Cameron disoriented. He eventually returns to speaking English and goes back to his room to find a note from Dagan. Confused, he asks Rafé, who gives him some basic information but doesn’t tell Cameron about their romantic past.

Matt tells Dane that he has a call from Scott Summers. Samantha can see that Matt’s distracted, but he doesn’t want to talk about it. Sam reads his mind and learns that “three are now missing.” Dane takes the call – it’s an offer from Scott, Hank, and Logan to join the X-Men at the end of the semester. Colossus has left due to the loss of Kitty Pryde, and due to Dane’s similar powers, he’s been offered the spot. He says he’ll think it over. He greets Meghan when she arrives. She thanks him for the flowers he gave her. She congratulates him on the offer, having heard about it from the X-Man Hiskako. Meghan also speaks to David and tells him that she’s considering becoming a teacher at the school next year.

Jessica talks to David about her concerns over being a teacher and team leader of mutants when she’s no longer a mutant herself. David gives her some encouragement. They then welcome the new students: including Daniel, there’s a student who can breathe underwater, one who can create psionic weapons, one who can control gravity, one with a chitinous exoskeleton, one who can change into spiders, one who can evolve reactively, and one with a healing factor. Daniel discovers that his roommate is Cameron, and it’s implied that it’s because Daniel won’t die if Cameron's Weapon XI brainwashing triggers and Daniel is killed. There’s a brunch, and Dane addresses the new students. There’s some interest in attending the pride parade sponsored by Academy M in San Francisco, and Dane says they’ll go. That night there are team meetings where the team leaders introduce new students and give pep talks to the students. David asks the spider student, named Hugo, to test his venom on Daniel.

The next day Bastienne gives detention to several students. Sam and Matt talk about his concerns. He reveals that some Morlocks are missing, but he can’t discuss it with outsiders. Later in the week, Dane holds a staff meeting. At the start of the meeting Lucius reveals he’s looking for a cure for Hope (the mutant “cure”). He also says that when he sent Dagan back in time it closed a time loop because she defeated Victorious. Now the future didn’t need the eXalts to defeat the villain, meaning that timeline is separate – it’s not their fate any longer. Dane reveals in the meeting that he’s accepted the X-Men’s offer - he'll be an X-Man soon. David says he’s happy for him.

At the pride parade on Saturday, the eXalts are accosted by cosplay-attired fans and the press. Sam and David give a rooftop interview while the other teachers bring the students to the parade. As the parade is starting, a shot rings out – and in the middle of the Academy X students, Toxin’s head explodes. Snipers are seen on a nearby building. They take a shot at Oldeani, the school's healer. A battle ensues with the sniper team, who are revealed to be Purifiers (human terrorists who hate mutants). Strangely, they are wielding Reaver weaponry (advanced cybernetics). More students are shot, but they are brought to safety through Amanda’s portal. Cameron and Daniel fight alongside the eXalts until Cameron is badly hurt and Meghan steals his powers. Billy is shot and almost killed. Dane and Bast each kill a Purifier, while the other Purifiers are knocked out. Their leader, Matthew Risman (the lieutenant of the founder of the Purifiers, William Stryker) is knocked out by David and carried through the portal to the school. What will the Purifier reveal?...

**Next:** Issue 18 - 'We Die Young' **Previous:** Issue 16 - 'A Long December'