Free Comic Book Day 2023: Avengers/X-Men #1

First story:

Mykines, where the world's gaze is currently focussed as mutantkind celebrate at their Hellfire Gala.

But outside the X-Men's Treehouse headquarters in New York City, New York, a shadowy figure looks up at the Treehouse as the rain pours down on him. This is exactly as he planned – there should be minimal resistance here. He checks his watch, then leaps upwards, where he lands on a branch. He knows that mutants are an invasive species that must be ripped from the Earth, and he hopes that the terrible things he must do will be forgiven by God someday. He climbs up through a window and begins making his way through the Treehouse.

The war between humans and mutants is at hand, and is glimpsed but not fully understood by the mutant precog Irene Adler a.k.a. Destiny, who is with her wife, Raven Darkholme a.k.a. Mystique, at the Hellfire Gala. 'Something's happening' Destiny utters. 'Here on Mykines?' Mystique asks, before Destiny drops her champagne flute, which shatters on the ground. Destiny turns to Mystique and tells her that a soldier has returned to the field of battle and matters are more complicated. She then asks where Rogue is, to which Mystique reports that Rogue just flew off at mach three. 'We must leave now' Destiny announces as she takes Mystique by her hand and walks towards a Krakoan gateway. 'If there's danger – we need to wait for Rogue. She -' Mystique begins, but Destiny tells her that Rogue will find them when the time is right, as they enter the portal.

Back at the Treehouse, the soldier stands before his prize – the battlefield uniform of Captain Krakoa, which is encased behind a Krakoan stasis tank. In times of strife, the symbols of nations can be vital to their survival. The soldier removes from his jacket a needle containing a fluid, with an Orchis symbol on the vial. The mutant nation-state of Krakoa must fall if humanity is to be the master of its domain. The scientists of Orchis set aside their petty differences in response to the mutant threat. They have been preparing for this night since Xavier revealed Krakoa to the world. The soldier grins as he injects the serum into the Krakoan stasis tank, then there is a rumbling, and a voice calls out 'Stop what you're doing...and I won't have to kick your ass'. It's an unimpressed Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops, who appears through a Krakoan portal and asks the intruder 'You didn't think you could waltz into the home of the X-Men undetected, did you?'

'Far from it. I wanted a fair fight. It's been a while' the soldier responds as he runs towards Cyclops, then shoves his elbow into Cyclops' stomach, knocking Scott backwards. 'Nice left' Cyclops remarks as he responds by punching the soldier hard in his face. 'Who are you?' Cyclops asks as he fires an optic blast, which the soldier narrowly dodges. 'I'm just a man' the soldier answers, glancing back at Cyclops, who responds by firing another optic blast at him. 'Stay down' Cyclops tells the soldier. Cyclops then contacts Forge via communicator, telling him that he is sorry to interrupt the partying, but there is a problem at the Treehouse, and he thinks it has been poisoned.

'The hubris of you mutants' the soldier snarls as he smacks Cyclops hard in the head, then kicks him to the ground, slamming one of his feet into Cyclops' head. 'I tell you the truth, that “I'm just a man,” and what do you do? You turn your back on me. You think me less than you... when, in fact, I am more' the soldier declares as he yanks the Captain Krakoa armor from the stasis tank and puts it on, while the infected Treehouse begins to crumble and burn around him. 'Not much of a fight, unfortunately. And Captain Krakooa is needed tonight in Washington, DC' the soldier declares.

The soldier drags Cyclops out onto the balcony and asks 'Flames or gravity?' Cyclops is barely able to grumble as the soldier lifts him up over his head, 'Dealer's choice then...gravity it is' he announces as he tosses Cyclops from the heights of the Treehouse. Cyclops lands on the street brlow. In times of strife, the symbols of nations can be vital to their survival...or their demise. The Treehouse is now ablaze as the soldier takes flight. This is a demise that, for the mutant nation-state begins tonight... with Captain Krakoa.

Second story:

Washington, DC, the Capitol, where, on the evening of the third Hellfire Gala of the Krakoan Age, the Senate Intelligence Committee is meeting to discuss the deep concerns of the intelligence community. A large bald man with a moustache sits before the Senate and asks 'Do you feel the existence of a mutant nation to be a clear and present danger to the United States of America?' One of the Senate responds by pointing out that the mutants have magic gateways that allow them to enter their country from their sovereign foreign ethno-state and completely bypass their customs and border patrol. 'Let me be blunt. They set aside their divisions and coalesced around the idea of mutant supremacy -' the man sitting before the Senate begins, to which another member of the Senate tells him that is hyperbolic, that all they have really done is moe to the South Pacific and plant some weird stuff.

'A group of them terraformed Mars' the large man states. 'They're the most powerful nation on Earth. We need to stop being stupid'. The large man reminds the Senate that their constituents pay more for every insurance when they live near mutants. 'We have a duty to give you the honest recommendation that the United States aligns with Orchis. It doesn't need to be public. It allows us to have a winner in either outcome' he points out. Suddenly, 'I suggest...you yield your time to Captain Krakoa' the mysterious new Captain Krakoa announces as he enters the Senate hearing. 'This is outrageous – this is a closed hearing!' the large man calls out, before telling Captain Krakoa that he is not recognized here. A security personnel rushes towards Captain Krakoa, who smacks him down with ease. 'Who remembers what Magneto told your ambassadors in Jerusalem?' Captain Krakoa asks. The large man looks at him, wide-eyed and scared, as he quotes “You have new gods now.” Captain Krakoa grins as he pulls pins from two grenades and replies 'Yes... and your gods are angry'.

At that moment, in Brooklyn, New York, Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America sits at a cafe. He was never one for parties, and declined the invitation to this year's Hellfire Gala. This year, he stayed in the city, sketching the neighborhood dogs. He's quite a gifted artist, though he rarely shares his work. This will be his last few quiet moments for a long time, as he overhears a news report which announces that a dangerous and developing situation has been reported at the nation's Capitol building. 'Oh no' Steve gasps, before pulling on his uniform and driving off on his motorcycle. He radios out on the Avengers' emergency frequency, and asks what is happening at the Capitol. He reports that he is heading for a jet, and asks if anybody else is inbound yet. But he gets no response, and suddenly, he realizes that he might be in danger. He holds his hands up and declares that his bike is off-balance, pulling to the left.

A couple of pounds of plastic explosive on the chassis will cause some alignment issues, and suddenly, there is an explosion on the Brooklyn Bridge, although Cap is able to dive to safety into the river below. It has been a while since he was the target of assassins. He could do without it, but it does make him feel alive. As he hits the water, he thinks to himself that whoever is behind this is going to have to try harder. Twenty feet underwater, that though is impressed – his enemy has thought this through, as he finds himself surrounded by a dozen or so Orchis agents. But Steve Rogers has been America's best soldier for the better part of two centuries. His success is mostly skill, a little science, but also timing and luck – and everyone's luck runs out. The Orchis agents swim closer to Cap, and one of  them shoves a blade into his shoulder. Cap opens his mouth, releasing what little breath he may have left. But Cap's luck will not run out today – as some external force suddenly raises him up through the water, and pulls him to safety – it's Rogue!

Rogue tells Cap that it is lucky she synced with Polaris' powers before she bounced from the Hellfire Gala, and informs him that she heard him on the emergency channel. Cap coughs as he  regains air, and Rogue suggests that they chat with his new friends, offering to pluck them up by their metal bits. Rogue does so, and as she sees the Orchis personnel she isn't surprised, and points out that Orchis is getting sloppy. 'Orchis forever!' one of the soldiers cries out, before pressing a button which is connected to a bomb which seems to be attached to all of the Orchis personnel. 'On second thought. Lemme drop this trash where we found 'em' Rogue decides as she drops the Orchis personnel back into the water, and an instant later, they explode. 'This feels bad' Rogue utters, before asking Cap what happened in DC. 'Terror attack' Cap responds, deciding that they are going to need help – they are all in a lot of trouble. 'You know as well as I do what this means for everybody. Human and mutant'.

Meanwhile, at the Preston home, where Emily and her husband Terry Sr. sit with their son, Terry Jr. and foster daughter, Ellie. 'In the Preston house, we eat our veggies, Ellie' Terry Sr. remarks, but Ellie looks unimpressed and announces that she hates brussels sprouts. 'Young woman, so help me -' Emily Preston begins, when suddenly, a brilliant light is aimed through their window into the dining room. Emily gets to her feet, assuming Deadpool has a hand in this, she calls out to Deadpool, warning him that she is going to drop-kick him into the East River. But as she arrives outside, she is shocked to find an Orchis operative waiting for her, with two Stark Sentinels standing behind him. 'Emily Preston? Are you aware there is a young mutant living under your roof?' the Orchis agent asks calmly.