New Avengers (1st series) #20

Genosha:
The name the Homo sapiens gave me is Eric Magnus Lehnsherr. My mutant name is Magneto. Though I am no longer a mutant. My mutant genealogy has been destroyed and I no longer control the magnetic fields of the Earth. I no longer have the power to help lead mutantkind to its place as the dominant species of the planet. Mutants are no longer the rising population. They are now just a few hundred. To rebuild our numbers will take generations. It will not happen in my lifetime. My children saw to that.

Among the ruins of Genosha, the despondent man once known to the world as Magneto, master of magnetism, sits alone in the ruins of a building, with only the sunlight illuminating the area. Dressed in his rags, the man writes at his desk.

I don’t know what I am writing. A manifesto? A biography? A suicide note? I haven’t decided. My life as I knew it, for all its success and failure, is over. I am stuck here in a desolated graveyard that –

Suddenly, the pen in Magneto’s hand suddenly pulls away from him and hangs in the air by its own power, much to his amazement. He gets up as a large gust of wind blows in and sends his papers flying off the table. It is then that he notices streaks of energy streaking all over the ruins of Genosha.

Outside, up in the air, the being known as Michael Pointer hangs in the sky, though he seems to be no longer in control of the powers he wields. Instead, he helplessly hangs there as the energy seemingly acts on its own accord, stretching is mighty power across the island.

S.H.I.E.L.D.:
An agent tells Director Hill that there is a massive energy surge on Genosha. Hill looks at the readings and tells her agent that this is more than just a surge. A bit annoyed at her arguing over semantics, the agent tells her this.

Hill calls the president and tells him that Michael is a collection of mutant energies he carries. Right now he seems to be birthing it out – meaning he is expelling it out of his corporeal form all over Genosha. Does the president understand her? The president asks Hill why Michael is doing this. What is going on there right now? Hill explains that the energy fields are still traveling over Genosha. They believe this is an immediate and hostile threat.

The president tells Director Hill that she has the authority to proceed as she sees fit. If she is asking him if she can vaporize the island, then he is telling her that he sure has hell will. I can’t do that, says Hill. I’m saying you can, replies the president. No, says Hill. She has agents en route, and the Avengers are already there!

Genosha:
The Avengers exit the Quinjet and step foot on the desolate ruins of Genosha. The team looks around at the cascading energy, and Captain America asks Iron Man to explain this. Iron Man tells Cap that this is a massive energy transference. What’s it transferring to, asks Spider-Man. Iron Man isn’t sure. He is still analyzing the data, which is a lot even for him. As Cage and Ms. Marvel look around, Cage asks the team what they should do. Cap tells him to stay with the group. Iron Man tells the team that they have to time this right. He has a plan but it’s a one-shot deal.

Spider-Man jokes that he loves one-shot deals. Cage, however, asks why they are, assuming that this is bad. “Well,” says Spider-Man, “There’s the whole thousands of mutant-controlled energy fields inside a mystery man in a place where millions of mutants died.” Sounds bad to him. When you put it that way, says Cage. Ms. Marvel, however, points out that this place is a tomb. Millions died here. There is nobody left here. “There’s somebody here,” says Wolverine.

Elsewhere, Magneto finds himself hanging in the air himself, thanks to the sentient energy that is attacking him. A sinister voice calls out to him, though not from Michael, telling him that he is the one. He is the only one mutants will rise up and follow. He is the only one who can avenge them now. Eric should not fight him. He should accept this gift. He should allow himself to be used to make this right. It is Magneto’s face that they have to see.

As energy cascades from Michael Pointer to Magnus, the voice tells Magneto that they tried to do it without Magneto. They tried using his face, and his name. However, it did not work. Even before this latest catastrophe against mutants, they learned that it had to be Magneto that brings the mutants their world. It only works with Magnus’ perfect mind. Now the mysterious duo has been given a second chance. It is meant to be.

Who are you, calls out the confused Magnus.

This body, replies the mysterious voice, is just a vessel that they came in. Michael Pointer absorbed all of their essence, because that is what his powers do. However, Michael has been fighting them at every step. It is barely holding together what they have brought Magneto. They needed Michael to get here. Without a body, the collective is useless.

Magneto looks down at his hands, which are seething with energy, much to his surprise. Once again, he demands to know who is attacker is.

You know who we are, yells the aggressor as all the metal in the vicinity begins to fly up into the air. They killed five thousand in Magneto’s name. Can Magnus feel the connection now? Can he feel it inside of him? No, screams Magneto, as he is suddenly dressed in his old red and purple uniform. You know who we are, screams the mysterious voice. Say it! Say our name!

“XORN!” screams the master of magnetism, as his helmet is restructured onto his head.

The Avengers, who have arrived on scene, hear Magneto scream the name. As in the yutz who trashed New York, asks Spider-Man. Oh great, says Cage, Magneto is back. Spider-Man jokingly thanks Iron Man for the new metal suit. Cage wonders what they shall do now, but Sentry asks the others if they heard that voice in the air. Yes, replies Spider-Woman. You heard the “Xorn?” asks Sentry. We all heard it, replies Spider-Woman. Just checking, says Sentry.

At that moment, the still body of Michael Pointer falls from the sky. As the Avengers charge Magneto, who is still receiving energy from Michael, Captain America tells Sentry that Magneto does not leave this island, no matter what. It has to stay contained. Spider-Woman, however, feels that they should leave and let S.H.I.E.L.D. take care of this. Take care of it, questions Cage. Wipe it off the map, explains Spider-Woman.

Above, Shen Xorn explains to his idol that Magneto needs an army. He will need an army to remind humanity of what they’ve done.

Below, Sentry offers to sink the island, but Cap tells him no. However, Spider-Woman says yes. They know the threat and it must be dealt with. There is a solution and they may be standing in the way. Iron Man interrupts and announces that he has lost contact with S.H.I.E.L.D. - something is blocking the signal. Ms. Marvel begins to agree with Spider-Woman, but suddenly the ground beneath the Avengers begins to crack and rip open.

Rise up, yells Shen as an army of corpses, including the Acolytes, rise from the ruins of Genosha, and surround the team. The Avengers find themselves surrounded by many horribly disfigured corpses that march towards them. Most are burnt beyond recognition, though some are identifiable, such as Rem-Ram and Senyaka of the Acolytes.

As the Avengers engage the zombies in combat, Vision tells the team that his files on Xorn are incomplete. Xorn’s files on Xorn are incomplete, says Wolverine, as he slashes up some corpses. Cage tells his teammates to quiet down as he is concentrating on the smell. Anyone else hears whispers, asks the creeped out Spider-Woman. Wolverine tells the group that the X-Men had serious trouble with him – or them – a while back.

Above, Xorn tells Magneto to look down. Humanity is already here to fight him. An example shall be made.

Iron Man flies by Sentry and tells him it is his turn. He should take off his metal belt and go engage Magneto. He stays on the island, reiterates Cap to Sentry. I can throw him into the sun, says Sentry as Cap rips off his belt. He stays on the island, Cap says one final time. Sentry then flies at top speed to Magneto, but is blasted away by all the cascading energy.

Sentry slams down into the ground nearby. He looks up to see a naked man, and asks him if he is Michael. A confused, naked, Michael Pointer asks what is going on.

S.H.I.E.L.D.:
The president continues to urge Director hill to use her opportunity to end this threat. He strongly urges her to take it. Hill explains to the president that the Avengers are on the island dealing with the threat – the Avengers he requested. The president tells Hill that his people in the Situation Room have advised him that there is no way the Avengers could handle the level of power being tossed around. Hill needs to take charge. Sir, you’re ordering me to kill the Avengers, asks Hill, shocked.

Sacrifice, corrects the president. There is a difference, he explains. Their memories will be honored. Hill has to think about the millions of lives she is saving. Hill walks over to a small case and opens it to reveal a red button. Sweat drips off her forehead as she puts her finger on the button and a look of fear and nervousness overcoming her. Suddenly, she composes herself and pulls away her headpiece. She apologizes to the president, but she already has a plan in motion.

Hill contacts Iron Man and tells him to get that plan in motion now. We are almost there, replies Tony. He then contacts Agent Carter and asks if her team is on the island.

Genosha:
We are, replies Agent Carter. Agent Daisy Johnson is with her. As a rather large group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents march in Genosha, Carter asks Iron Man what he wants Johnson to do.

Cap, asks Hill over the comm.

Iron Man tells Cap, as they fight zombies, that Daisy Johnson is there. Cap tells Iron Man to tell Daisy to do to Magneto what she did to Wolverine that one time. However, she should aim for the brain.

Agent Carter gets the order and tells Daisy what Cap says. What did you do to Wolverine, asks another agent. Daisy replies that she started a pinpoint earthquake tremor in Wolverine’s chest and his heart exploded. Won’t that kill Magneto, asks Sharon. I don’t know, admits Daisy. She has never done this before.

Iron Man tells Carol to get into position. She will have to absorb whatever energy she can. She needs to absorb it and then spread it out. You know it hurts, replies Ms. Marvel. That’s why you’re a hero. Is she ready?

Iron Man flies up to Sentry, who has successfully reached Magneto and has him by the neck, ready to punch him. Magneto, however, tells the hesitant Sentry to do it. Kill him – do not let this happen to him. Sentry is surprised that Magneto would say this.

Nearby, Iron Man calls Director Hill and tells her that he needs a lot of power. Take what you need, says Hill. Iron Man then calls out to Agent Johnson.

Daisy’s eyes glow with power as she supposes that she is ready. She then begins to focus and construct a pinpoint earthquake. Iron Man calls Carol, who is in position. Ms. Marvel tells Iron Man she is ready, and then adds to herself that this is going to hurt.

Above, Magneto pleads one last time to Sentry to kill him. Do it, says Iron Man, to his other teammates.

Daisy releases her earthquake in Magneto’s brain, which successfully disconnects his connection to Xorn, thus ending the energy transference. The wild energy, which whips Sentry away, cascades wildly, but Ms. Marvel takes the brunt of the wild power and absorbs it, though not painlessly. Iron Man uses his armor to capture the energy Carol absorbs and then shapes the energy into a radiating ball of energy, as Magneto’s body falls down by Michael Pointer.

Iron Man tells Sentry that the energy is trapped in an energy field. It won’t hold forever. Does Sentry still want to fly something to the sun? He will be right behind him.

As the zombies return back to motionlessness, Sentry takes the ball of energy and flies it off of the Earth, with Iron Man right behind him. Eventually, Sentry makes it to the sun, where he shoves the energy towards it before he is blasted away by the raw power. As the energy is seemingly destroyed by the superior power of the sun, Sentry sees the horrific face of Shen Xorn, which dies out.

Genosha:
A rescue helicopter touches down. No more Xorn, says Wolverine. And Magneto, asks Cage. The team heads over to where Agent Daisy Johnson is, and Captain America praises her work. Quake, says Johnson. It is her Avengers name. She wants to be called Quake.

I’m sorry, says Captain America, but they aren’t looking to add any members. Oh, says the confused Daisy. She thought he was recruiting her. No, I’m sorry, says Cap. We just needed your help for this one thing. “Well, this is embarrassing,” says the blushing Daisy Johnson.

Iron Man approaches Michael Pointer, who is being taken care of by S.H.I.E.L.D. Michael, in a blanket now, is confused on how the mighty Iron Man knows his name. What happened to him? Iron Man explains that it seems that he is an energy-absorbing mutant. I am, asks the bewildered Michael. Iron Man continues to explain that Michael was used as a vessel to transport a large living collective of mutant energy here to Genosha. Since when was I a mutant, asks Michael. I guess, since forever, replies Iron Man.

Michael holds his head and thinks hard. He remembers snow. He was walking in snow. He then has an image of Alpha Flight in his mind, and then realizes he has killed people. Angered, Wolverine gets in Michael’s face and yells at him. Heroes! He killed heroes!

Iron Man steps in-between the two and assures Michael that it wasn’t him. He was being controlled. He is not to blame. Tell that to Alpha Flight, says the angered Wolverine.

Suddenly, Michael’s hands begin to seethe with energy, shocking him. Iron Man realizes that Michael has kept a portion of the energy fields for himself. Michael is astounded, and asks if he has powers. Cap approaches Michael and tells him that he question is what he is going to do with his powers. Wolverine adds that Michael should think about what he will do to make up for Canada and Alaska. Michael looks at his hands, and Director Hill tells the team that they will start his training immediately. Maybe we got a new hero out of this deal, says Cage. Maybe, says Hill. Can we go, asks Spider-Man. He does believe that he hates this place.

S.H.I.E.L.D. agents put Magneto onto a gurney and begin to take him to the rescue helicopter. Director walks up to Magnus and tells him that he is under arrest for terrorist crimes against mankind. He can’t hear you, says one agent. Is he going to live, asks Hill. We’ll do what we can, says the other agent, as they take the motionless Magneto away. Why, asks Spider-Woman.

Hill bends over to speak into Magneto’s ear, and tells the man that, when he wakes up, he will be under arrest for terrorist crimes against humanity.

Iron Man and Hill watch as Magneto is taken aboard the helicopter. Iron Man then thanks Hill for not nuking them. Hill pretends that she doesn’t know what he is talking about, but Iron Man tells her it was nice of her to let him eavesdrop on the conversation. Did I do that, says Hill. Seems I’ve misjudged your going-ons, says Iron Man. As the helicopter flies away, Hill tells Iron Man that she now sees the situation she is in.

Suddenly, the helicopter carrying Magneto blows up!

S.H.I.E.L.D. Hellicarrier – Sometime Later:
Director Hill sits in her office when an agent comes into report that there is no sign of Magneto – not even his foot. The body could have incinerated in the blast.

Wanna make a bet, asks Hill.

The agent then hands Hill a book. They found it on the island. Magneto was writing a book. Hill flips through the pages, and then looks at the computer monitor behind her, with a report on the Superhuman Registration Act.

Hill thinks hard to herself, and then begins to read the book.

The name the Homo Sapiens gave me is Eric Magnus Lehnsherr.