Marauders (1st series) #27

Forge’s lab:
Leaning against a Krakoan gate through which she cannot pass, Kate Pryde asks the inventor, he hasn’t forgotten her little problem, has he? Forge assures her he hasn’t, but he still doesn’t know why she cannot use the gates, and neither does Krakoa. He promises he will find a solution. Kate thanks him for trying. She knows he is swamped, and busy with that secret mission for the Quiet Council.

Working on some gizmo, he assures her he enjoys working on several problems at once. And he has to admit, at first, he thought her problem was funny. ‘Cause she can walk through anything except those doors, right? she asks with a forced smile. He replies that he meant that she disrupted every technology she encountered until this one, which has disrupted her. Surprised, Kate claims she was gonna guess that next. She leaves telling him she will stop feeling sorry for herself and bugging him. He replies that she is not bugging him and science will find an answer!

Emma Frost’s narration:
She narrates how Xavier and Magneto came to her with a story… It was a good one, and she is a sucker for happy endings, so she joined them. She set about the many tasks of building a nation, such as recruiting Kate Pryde for the post of Red Queen.

Along the way, there has been tremendous joy, such as when two of the Cuckoos she lost – Sophie and Esme – were restored to life – and heartbreak. She’s lonely, for the first time in quite a while. And she liked it that way at first, but it gets old. Mutantdom threw a party and asked only for recognition. They’d delivered gifts, medicines, hospitals. She is asked to do much government work, working alongside men she does not trust such as Mr. Sinister.

Present:
Emma is telling all those things to Lourdes Chantel, as they are riding horses. She admits to not doing any of the many things she is doing, as well as she should. What about Lourdes?

Lourdes admits she has been following with interest what they are doing here and is glad if she could help. She has a master’s in business and a law degree. It seems they might need help at Hellfire Trading. Emma snorts she needs to be in five places at once! It was hard establishing both their legal and illegal markets at the same time. And now their whiskey is the darling of the world. Krakoa was Lourdes’s dream. She tried to tell them years ago what they could accomplish together!

Lourdes agrees. She wanted no part of mutantdom, while they were all fighting each other, but it is different now. Emma showed her a great kindness and she is in her debt. But perhaps she can pay it back now. She used the chance that Emma gave her courtesy of Wilson Fisk to enter the world of finances. She describes how she became successful climbing the ladder but, separated from her fellow mutants, her life lacked purpose. Then she heard Xavier’s message. And then… mutantdom got it right.

Emma cautiously points out that, if Lourdes joins them, she would be dealing with him, but Lourdes assures her she is no longer afraid of Sebastian Shaw. Good, Emma tells her. If Lourdes is to take her chair at Hellfire Trading, she must be Shaw’s better. Lourdes is surprised at her offer.

Off the coast of Madripoor, one of three stolen helicarriers hosts a Verendi government helicopter. Disguised as arms dealers, Bishop and Pyro are expecting them on one of the helicarriers. Bishop fears Verendi will see through them, Pyro chides him they will with that attitude! He reminds Bishop they are arms dealers from Australia. He is “Mr. Nobody” and Bishop is “The Blade.” He wrote a backstory for both of them – Bishop read it, right? Of course he didn’t. He thought it was another of Pyro’s romance novels!

The chopper lands and Kade Kilgore and Manuel Enduque arrive on the platform, alongside several Reavers. Kade criticizes those helicarriers look more battle-scarred than battle-ready.

While Bishop sets up the equipment to the side, Pyro assures them with a broad grin they love Verendi down under. Now they’ve noticed those battlecarriers are vintage. There’s no more SHIELD after all. Their equipment is delicately used and shot at but they won’t find anyone that has three battle-ready helicarriers.

Which is the cue for one of the other carriers to fail and drop from the air. Two flight-worthy heli-carriers, “Mr. Nobody” amends.

Kade cries that they are not worth four billion a piece. Pyro suggests they have a little wiggle room. Bishop sharply interrupts him they don’t. Four billion apiece or they move to the next client!

Pyro whispers he is laying it on thick. He retorts that arms dealers don’t haggle and he wants to take those kids for everything!

Pyro whispers they can close the deal and walk to the Krakoan Gate at the French Laundry to celebrate. Bishop suggests they fight the Reavers, while shorthanded and end up being resurrected at Arbor Magna.

Kade decides they can pay the price but that includes the salvage price for the one that dropped in those eight billion. Pyro agrees and Kade transfers the cryptocurrencies.

He notices another vessel approaching and asks if that is their ride. Yes, Pyro claims as they land, then drags Bishop away. Those are the real Misters Nobody and Blade, he hisses.

The real arms dealers demand what happened to the third carrier. Ordering the Reavers to attack, Kade demands the eight billion back.

Pyro and Bishop jump down into a shaft. Unfortunately, the platform they landed on can be elevated, as the real Mr. Nobody demonstrates by pressing a button. He tries to shoot Pyro but it doesn’t work. Pyro grins that he told the flames that ignite his bullet to stop, then hits him in the groin. Bishop gets shot with an energy blast and immediately returns that energy.

They run to the edge of the carrier and jump off to the Mercury (currently in the shape of a flying pirate ship). Captain Kate asks if they got the crypto. Pyro tells her “yes” but warns her of the arms dealers’ drones.

Madripoor, nighttime in Lowtown and Wilhemina Kensington is running for her life, after her former Verendi allies emptied her bank account and sicced a Reaver assassin on her. It won’t hurt too long, the Reaver leers, after he has cornered the frightened girl. Gross! a voice from the shadows comments. She stabs the Reaver in the neck and he falls down.

A frightened Wilhelmina whispers she didn’t need the help. Callisto scoffs and introduces herself and explains the Cuckoos sent her to make sure Wilhemina got out of town. She suggests they leave before Prince Charming wakes up. Wilhemina smirks he isn’t getting up and Cal realizes she killed him. She asks Wilhelmina to help her get the body to the water, where they can get rid of it. Wilhemina complains she wishes she could change everything about her then she would just disappear. Which gives Cal an idea…

A little later, at the soon to be renamed Moira MacTaggert Memorial Hospital, Masque changes her appearance subtly. He tells her she still has looks but her own mother wouldn’t recognize her. Wilhemina informs him she couldn’t as she pushed her mother out of a window. Masque chuckles that he’s only known her for a few minutes but he’s gonna miss those exchanges and wishes her luck.

Krakoa:
At the Black Keep, Sebastian Shaw is in for a shock when he faces his former fiancée Lourdes Chantel. Arms crossed, Lourdes orders hm to save it and Emma informs him there are going to be some changes. He assures Lourdes he would give anything.

She puts her boot on his lap and orders him to stay seated. He’d give anything for what? Amend the behavior that caused her to flee? Yes, he admits, as he looks at her adoringly. With a triumphant grin, Lourdes announces she is going to take his position at Hellfire Trading.

Emma telepathically protests that isn’t what they discussed. She warns her, Shaw will never… But to her surprise he accepts, as this will free him for focusing on his work with the Quiet Council. He asks only that Lourdes retain Shinobi. The two women turn to leave. They are done, Lourdes announces. She is letting mutantdom back into her life, not him.

Left alone, Shaw smirks, scheming already. All hail the new Black Queen…

Later:
Emma and Lourdes sit on the deck of the Mercury, drinking champagne, and inform Kate of recent developments while she and other Marauders are busy battling the arms dealers and Reavers.

Emma announces some further changes. While firing at an armed foe, Pyro reveals that, after this mission, he plans an extended leave to go on a book tour. Lourdes teleports some of their foes away and asks Pyro what he writes.

While almost getting shot by Bishop, Emma asks the reason for the altercation. Kate summarizes they stole eighty billion from Verendi to give to charity and some of the black hats are not happy with them.

With the battle over, Christian Frost shows up to tell them he and Iceman are planning a vacation. Christian explains that, after helping terraform a planet and then fighting a dragon, Bobby’s been flexing his powers. He is busy in Niffleheim right now, fighting Frost Giants.

Making short work of several Frost Giants, Iceman demands the ones that fight Thor. They are the ones that fight Thor, one of them mutters unhappily. Things seem to be looking up, when one of them stabs Iceman, but that doesn’t deter him. Unhappily, one of the Jotun protests they usually know what they’ve done to earn a warrior’s wrath. Why is he doing this? To see if he could, Iceman whispers, then says more loudly, as a little payback for invading Earth. Don’t do it again! They politely promise not to.

On Earth, Christian explains that they will head to Ibiza, and afterwards he will come back with his own mutant name, not the one their father gave him.

Emma excuses herself and calls the Cuckoos to Hellfire Bay to talk about their offer.

The other Marauders continue the fight. He is not quitting too, is he? Kate asks Bishop, who assures her he won’t. This is too much fun!

Emma meets her Stepford Cuckoos, who ask her what made her change her mind. She replies they knew her recent unhappiness and presented her with a solution, and she was wrong to reject it. If the five of them are willing to serve as White Queen of the Hellfire Club, they would be lucky to have them. Though she finds it hard to believe all of them wish to help her.

Some of them wish to please, the current dominant Cuckoo replies. Others wish to step in her shoes to better learn not to become her. Emma silently smirks and the Cuckoo chides her for her nasty thought. It would be a shame if the image of her wearing sweatpants would be dropped in the mind of everyone on the planet. Emma smiles and reveals she always thought they would oust her in a hostile takeover, so this is a nice surprise.

As she gets back on her horse, she asks how they plan to share the role and is told the one in white makes the final decision for the day. Do her proud, she asks and rides off.

Emma joins the Quiet Council, certain she can now focus her attention on that work. Seeing Mr. Sinister, she flashes him a bright smile which disturbs him.

Nighttime in the Baxter Building:
An annoyed Reed Richards is at least somewhat impressed, since Kate Pryde is one of the three people who have made it that far sneaking into the building without triggering an alarm. Kate shrugs she was born a ghost and trained by a ninja.

Reed turns away and curtly announces he is busy. If this is about his son, she can… She interrupts, saying that she needs his help. She wants to use the Krakoan gates. Reed replies he wants something too. He needs the knowledge back that was stolen from his mind by Charles. Showing him two Krakoan plants, Kate suggests they help each other…