Issue+50+-+'Sanctuary'


 * Issue 50 - 'Sanctuary' **




 * Plot**

The eXalts have uncovered their real foe: “true” mutant Kaga, who has sworn to destroy all west coast mutants. At least the vampire sect leaders were defeated. Cameron pockets the ritual scrolls found on the body of the Moksha leader. The Hellfire Club: Tokyo samurai depart. Once the eXalts ash rest of the unconscious vampires, they follow in the elevator. As it ascends, an odd gas begins filling the compartment. Dane switches to his armored form and Cameron tries to blow the gas away, but everyone feels a tingling sensation on their skin. Nothing seems to happen and they emerge into the Coit Tower lobby unscathed. Dane leads the group to a public restroom where he breaks in and then breaks a water pipe to wash the substance off everyone. The group then meets Maki and her team. Maki says she dusted all but a few that tried to run. It seems that only five of the sixteen sect leaders still survive. Maki says she heard about the scrolls and asks if she can analyze them. Dane tells Cameron to hand them over. Maki then reclaims her equipment and the two groups depart.

Back at Academy X Samantha arrives following her time with the Morlocks just before the eXalts return. She joins the rest of the staff (minus Lucius, Ruth and Jessica since Jess is infected with nanites that make her into an unwilling spy) for a meeting. Thornn of X-Corporation: LA also joins the meeting. Sam shares her experience with the Morlocks: they realized an enemy was probing their defenses. Sam used her mental abilities to locate the foes. A group of Asian mutants, presumably from Hellfire Club: Tokyo (but the Crimson branch), were trying to smuggle a small crate into the Morlock caverns. The Morlocks couldn’t tell what the device could do, but inside was a large quantity of Hope. Meanwhile, Billy attempted to use his powers to bring Ruth to the meeting, only to find his powers wouldn’t work! With the realization that the chemical from the elevator may have been an airborne version of Hope, the eXalts all attempted to use their powers only to find that Mac was also depowered! Lucius is brought in to test Billy and Mac. His tests were conclusive: they were indeed dosed with Hope…

Next Billy shares good and bad news: the good news is that, in most futures Ruth can see, Billy and Mac have their powers. The bad news is that she had a vision that seems ominous. She saw a deck of cards. Four cards were dealt: an ace, a 2, a 3, and a 4. Each burst into blue flame. The group attempts to figure out the meaning. With few ideas, Sam goes inside Ruth’s mind to see the vision for herself. Since Ruth is blind she didn’t realize the A on the ace of diamonds card was in the same font as Academy X. The 2 is a heart with a halo above it. The 3 of spades is written in an Asian script, and the 4 of clubs features actual clubs instead of the club symbol. Now the staff can figure it out: Academy X will be the first target; the halo on the 2 represents an angel, so X-Corporation: Los Angeles will be next; the Japanese symbol on the three must mean Hellfire Club: Tokyo (and a spade means Ebon Branch) is third; and the clubs represent war, meaning the Mutant Revolutionary Force will be attacked last. The blue fire is Hope, which is blue in color. At this point Jess is given the cure to her nanite infection. The staff then becomes concerned that the device the Morlocks found may have been a way to spread airborne Hope and that there may be a similar device already inside Academy X. Though it’s late, Sam and David try to figure out a way to search the air ducts while everyone else gets rest. They enlist freshman Jamie, who can charm or possess animals. He takes over a chipmunk and has it run through the ducts. Sam monitors Jamie’s thoughts during the search, but they find nothing.

David is awoken just before dawn when Santo notifies him from the security room that he has a surprise visitor. David rushes out, guessing who it might be. He’s proven correct when he greets Cordelia at the gate. After a short reunion, they talk in his room. She says that she learned some disturbing news while hunting down Church of Humanity members. The Church of Humanity has a strike force they’ve dubbed the Purifiers after the other militant religious anti-mutant group. The Purifiers will soon be assisting in a large-scale mutant attack on the west coast. At breakfast Cordelia joins the teacher’s table and shares the news with everyone. The staff begins discussing what to do about the upcoming attack. It must be Kaga that’s behind it all. Then Lucius arrives from downstairs, bleary-eyed. He’s clearly been awake all night. He grabs a bagel and wanders off. David remembers that the last time he saw him that way was shortly before the techno-organic virus took him over. He asks Lucius if he’s found a cure for Hope, as it seems the techno-organic virus may be taking Lucius over again, and the Hope in his system should be keeping him in check. Lucius reluctantly admits that he has found a cure for Hope using vampire blood as an ingredient. Vampire blood reverts a person’s body to its original genetic state (which is why vampires don’t age). He reveals that the techno-organic virus has progressed, replacing his missing eye with a cybernetic eye. He’s been using other treatments to try to stop it from progressing further, but it hasn’t halted yet. Mac and Billy are excited at the prospect of having their powers returned, however.

Mac and Billy are injected with Lucius’ cure and regain their powers after a short period of burning pain. Bastienne is reluctant to tell Jess at first, worried that this cure won’t work (like so many others). When it becomes clear that it worked for Mac and Billy, Bastienne tells her. Jessica asks her if it’s okay, and Bastienne says it’s up to her. Jess tearfully says she wants her powers back and takes the cure. Her powers return! And it’s just in time, because Ruth says the attack will be soon. She’s had a new vision where all four cards are burning at once. The strike will be simultaneous! The kids, busy taking state tests, are moved to the Danger Room to finish the exams. David and Glimmer go to the roof to keep watch. David calls Michael to warn him, but doesn’t get through. He even calls S.H.I.E.L.D. to let them know about the upcoming attacks. They say they’re coming to help and even remotely deactivate David’s ankle tracking bracelet! The group then engages in a lot of discussion over the comms about which areas to defend. The group agrees they should help X-Corporation: Los Angeles, but there’s less interest in helping Hellfire Club: Tokyo (Ebon) or the Mutant Revolutionary Front. The discussion goes on for some time and is interrupted when an explosion rocks the Danger Room from below – the attack is coming from the escape tunnel! Emerging from the tunnel is the group’s former foe Danger and a cloud of airborne Hope!

The explosion knocks out Cordelia. Phantasma is hurt. The battle begins. Danger adapts to each attack by manifesting the X-Mens’ powers. She takes Colossus’ form to resist Phantasma’s telekinesis. The sentient robot teleports to avoid Bast’s attack. Danger uses Cyclops’ optic blast to stun Vortex. Several eXalts get wounded students out of the Danger Room. Medic steals energy from an unconscious kid to heal Vortex. Jess – once again Surf! – comes forward to make an ice wall that blocks Danger. Meanwhile, David and Dagan (on the roof) are surprised when Pixie teleports before them! She is with two women (a blonde and a brunette). She says they’ve been listening in on S.H.I.E.L.D. communications and they know Academy X is in danger. David has her teleport them to the Danger Room. Danger takes several more hits and is nearly defeated. David, realizing the fight will soon be over, sends Thornn, Panzer, Vortex, and Glimmer to LA.

At X-Corporation: Los Angeles, the battle is desperate. Airborne Hope fills the air and most of X-Corp: LA’s mutants have been depowered. The Church of Humanity’s Purifier strike force is opening fire. They’re lead by Risman – former Purifiers leader and eXalts foe! Lifeguard is already down. Thornn runs to her side, but is shot down as well. Vortex keeps the airborne Hope away while Glimmer and Pixie take out Purifiers. Panzer uses his thunderclap by slapping his one hand on the ground, taking out several others. The battle turns – but Thornn was affected by Hope, and the eXalt ally is dead! As the others wrap up, David receives a phone call from Michael. The Mutant Revolutionary Force’s formerly secret headquarters is under attack, and they’re losing! Pixie returns to Academy X to bring reinforcements to the mutant group’s base. Medic, Prism, and Phantasma teleport in with Pixie. They see a shocking sight. Dozens and dozens – if not hundreds – of super-powered individuals are assaulting the San Francisco manor. A clockwork sentinel, along with a ragged group of MRF members lead by Michael and PCX candidate Sangrey, is attempting to fight back, but they’re losing. They even catch a glimpse of former Academy X student Christine! The eXalts realize the attackers are adult mutants! Suddenly Surf attacks Phantasma with a boiling gout of water. Phantasma is unprepared and vulnerable and in great danger – but suddenly her husband, using an invisibility suit, appears and takes the hit! He had arrived at Academy X with the S.H.I.E.L.D. team and secretly joined Pixie’s teleportation to the MRF base. He’s badly hurt, but Medic is able to heal him, as well as MRF leader Cougar. The others try and fail to take down Surf. The two women who’ve been traveling with Pixie use mental powers to somehow stun many of the adult mutants. It buys the eXalts some time, but there are too many!

Phantasma goes inside Surf’s mind to stop her and is surprised to find Jessica’s mind trapped there, powerless in her own body! The adult mutants are under the control of Kaga! With all her concentration, Phantasma uses her mental abilities to break Kaga’s control over the adult mutants at the MRF base, stopping the attack. In the middle is a purple robot – former eXalts foe, The Monitor! Mustang and Medic remain behind to fight him while the others teleport away to face their true foe, Kaga! There’s only one place he can be: at Hellfire Club: Tokyo’s Ebon base! Pixie makes several quick teleports, bringing the rest of the eXalts to Chinatown. There they see that Kaga and his army of mutants from the Hellfire Club: Tokyo Crimson Branch have decimated the Ebon forces. Leading the Crimson team is Kaga in a hovering wheelchair. Next to him is a familiar woman in a cyborg body – Maya, Cameron’s past love and eXalts enemy! While the eXalts attempt to bypass Kaga’s impenetrable energy shield, Vortex is forced to attack his former girlfriend yet again! Phantasma enters Kaga’s mind. After a protracted battle of wills where Sam sees Kaga’s memories (including how he used dead mutant Paradigm’s technopath ability to control mutants injected with an X-gene using a variant of the techno-organic virus), Phantasma is able to change his memories. She confuses Kaga’s recollection of how to operate the wheelchair’s defenses. As Vortex kills Maya yet again, the rest of the eXalts are free to finish off Kaga. They then help Maki wrap up the battle. The day is won.

Back at Academy X S.H.I.E.L.D. has brought the mutant students to safety, though several have been depowered. Maria is there, but more surprisingly, so is Daisy! She doesn’t hate mutants after all. Pixie reveals that the two women are villains Mastermind and Lady Mastermind – her sisters! They freed her and she soon leaves with them. The eXalts help with cleanup. In the days that follow, students graduate, the eXalts mourn fallen friends, and revelations emerge. Namor voluntarily steps down from the Academy X Board of Trustees to give his position to Ebon Shogun Maki Matsomodo. The Avengers are opening their own school for super-powered kids. The biggest shock comes from the Californian Supreme Court: most of Proposition X is struck down, including bans on mutant marriage, chemical castration of mutants, forcing mutant kids to take the Hope “vaccine,” and so on. But one part is upheld: mutants must register. What will the future bring?

**Next:** __Issue 51 - 'Remix'__ **Previous:** Issue 49 - 'Devil Town'