Issue+29+-+'South+of+Heaven'


 * Issue 29 - 'South of Heaven' **




 * Plot**

In a flashback to before the anti-mutant protestors storm the gates of the school, Samantha is shocked by the surprise baby shower attended by many of her friends from Xavier’s school and recent graduates of Academy X. All of the staff is present except for Dane (who is helping his girlfriend, Hannah, with a problem) and Lucius (who is monitoring the security room). Some Hellions are there, as well as her half-brother Kurt (“Nightcrawler”), Jubilation Lee (“Jubilee”), Frankie (“Euphoria”) and Tiberius (“Diesel”) from Xavier’s, Adhra (“Shade”), Jay (“Icarus”), Roxy (“Bling”), Tanya (“Jade”), and Thomas (“Duplicate”) from Academy X. Georgie, Bastienne’s sister, is revealed to be texting with her boyfriend, Rafé. Liam is trying to watch television but all channels are tuned to the end of the governor’s speech. Samantha opens presents and plays baby shower games when gunfire suddenly explodes in the front yard of the school.

 Outside, SHIELD agents are attempting to subdue the suddenly-violent protestors who have climbed the gates of Academy X and are charging the entrance. For some unknown reason the security system has failed. Members of the Humanity Now! coalition reach the front of the school and a group even kicks in the door. When the eXalts and a few students and friends rush to defend the school (including Bling, Euphoria, Icarus, Lobo, Nightcrawler, and Pixie), several of the protestors are revealed to be using Reaver technology. In the fight that follows, Bast is shot but small force fields appear to deflect the bullets. Several mutants are badly injured but are healed by Medic or brought to safety by Pixie or Blur. SHIELD agents attempt to stop the protestors, but they are overcome by the mob. In the distance, Vortex sees a woman with a shaved head that Blur realizes is Cordelia Frost. As the fight winds down, the SHIELD helicarrier arrives overhead. Mustang stops Cordelia from fleeing the scene by knocking her out and bringing her inside the school.

 The staff of Academy X has little time to evaluate the situation. Safe in the security room, Samantha sees news footage of a superhuman attack that has destroyed a section of the Golden Gate Bridge! The eXalts, along with Sorceress, Chi, and Lobo, quickly teleport to the scene. There they are shocked to find that the governor’s motorcade is under attack by a group of mutants: the members of the Los Angeles branch of X-Corporation (Manuel “Empath” de la Rocha, Amara “Magma” Aquilla, Sally “Skids” Blevins, Hugo “Skitter” Garcia, Laurie “Skitz” Preskitt, Hector “Stringfellow” Valencia, and Roberto “Sunspot” da Costa)! Before their eyes, the X-Corporation members knock over the governor’s limousine and cause it to explode! Mustang is able to drag the governor to safety and Sorceress teleports him to a hospital. The eXalts are then able to knock out the mind-controlled mutants, but not before Bast is made to attack Blur, Blur attacks Bast in turn, Lobo is bitten by Skitter’s spider swarm, and Medic is confused by Skitz’s mutant ability.

 Sorceress teleports the eXalts, their allies, and the unconscious X-Corporation members to the school. Back at Academy X, SHIELD agents have taken control of the scene. All of the protestors have been taken into custody and arrested. The protestors with Reaver technology have been put into special restraining handcuffs. Captain Henderson gives a situation report to David and inquires about the safety of the students. The SHIELD helicarrier then hurries to the scene of the Golden Gate Bridge attack. Cameron keeps an eye out while Lucius and Matt check the perimeter defenses for signs of malfunction. Billy does a quick circuit of the mansion and the grounds to make sure everyone is safe. Samantha mans the security room with Dagan and Santo. Bastienne checks in on Jessica and Gabriel. Gabriel is in shock. Apparently, during the battle with the protestors, several mysterious wounds opened on Gabriel’s body. Mac goes to the lab with the unconscious X-Corporation members and a psychically-comatose Cordelia Frost (due to Liam and the Manh twins). Jessica later sedates the mutants medically for safety reasons.

 David asks Mac to heal Hugo in order to wake him up. Upon waking, Hugo says that he and the other members of the Los Angeles branch of X-Corporation had a meeting with generous donors who wanted to contribute to the campaign against Proposition X. The meeting was held in the suite of an upscale hotel in Los Angeles. When they arrived, instead of finding wealthy donors waiting for them, men in Japanese masks were lying in wait. The men in masks engaged the mutants while an elderly Japanese woman used her power of mind control to bind the mutants to her will. Soon all X-Corporation members were slaves to this woman. Hugo also remembered seeing three Japanese characters on her mask: “Gou” “Ka”, and “Kai.” Joni was summoned to decipher the letters, but she was unsure what they meant.

 Mac then began waking the other X-Corporation members when SHIELD contacted the school. Word had been sent from above: Academy X must turn over the X-Corporation mutants. Reluctantly, Bastienne agreed. Once the mutants were escorted out by SHIELD, Mac woke Cordelia. As she came to, David kissed her, but Cordelia only dissolved into shock and began crying and rocking back and forth. Samantha and Liam (the school’s best telepath), went into her brain to see what she knew. At first they were confronted with repeating images of the Purifier attack in June: students vomiting blood and dying in Cordelia’s arms. Deeper, they saw she had been wandering the streets of Los Angeles, sleeping in alleys, and eating out of dumpsters when she was confronted by men in Japanese masks. She was brought before an elderly Japanese woman and brainwashed.

 David called a staff meeting to discuss the events of the day while Bastienne and Jessica tended to Gabriel. Upstairs, Gabriel admitted that during the combat with protestors, he could see through Bastienne’s eyes when she was shot. Somehow, his injuries had come from protecting Bastienne. She consoled him by saying that at least he knew what his mutant power was. He admitted he was in love with Bastienne. Meanwhile, the group did more research into the Japanese characters on the elderly woman’s mask and found that they had a sinister meaning: “Hellfire Club.”

**Next:** Issue 30 - 'Rise Me Up From Down Below' **Previous:** Issue 28 - 'Storm The Gates'