X-Men '97 #4

Glamorous journalist Trish Tilby appears on screen, reporting from downtown Westchester, where yesterday, a band of mutant mercenaries calling themselves the Marauders attacked a local establishment. Trish informs viewers that thankfully, through the intervention of several members of the X-Men, no one was harmed in the altercation. 'In other mutant news, a Russian-speaking strongman with steel skin rescued a young -' Trish begins, while, inside the Grey residence, Jubilee is standing next to the television and switches it to mute. 'Don't worry, Mr. Grey – new tech always has a learning curve. The mute button's right here, see?' she smiles. Elaine Grey smiles and tells her daughter, Jean, that her father wouldn't rad an instruction booklet to save his life. John Grey laughs and tells Jean that her mother is right. 'Do you remember what happened when I tried to set up the answering machine?' he asks.

'Yes, I... actually, I can't recall. How odd' Jean responds as she folds one arm across her body, when Storm approaches her and asks the Greys if she can borrow their daughter. 'Of course, Ms. Storm' Elaine responds. Storm tells Jean that she doesn't blame her for feeling overwhelmed, and notes that it is rare that they can all gather to celebrate news as wonderful as she and Scott having a child on the way. 'That's true, Ororo. I've just been having the oddest lapses in memory lately. Like I'm living a life that's not my own' Jean reveals, shrugging it off as maybe a stress all mothers-to-be experience. Jubilee walks past Jean and Storm to where Cyclops, Gambit, Rogue, Beast and Bishop are all gathered around a table laid with food and drink, while Wolverine and Morph can be seen standing in the next room over.

Morph shifts into Daredevil and tells Logan that if he keeps brooding so hard, Daredevil will sue him for copyright infringement. 'You're a regular man without cheer!' Morph smiles, to which Logan claims that he doesn't know what Morph means. 'I'm over the moon for the happy couple' he lies. Back in the main room, the Beast offers Bishop his sympathies, noting that such frivolities must feel like a cruel distraction from his time-displaced plight. 'Actually, Beast...this isn't so bad' Bishop responds while eating a sandwich. 'See, Jean? I knew you deserved a real baby shower. I only wish -' Cyclops begins, to which Jean interrupts him: '- That the Professor were here to celebrate with us. I know, Scott – so do I'.

Gambit looks into the living room where he sees John Grey standing by the television, and asks Jubilee if she is sure she pushed the right button, as it seems to him that the TV is on the fritz. 'Newfangled thing. Might need to adjust the antenna -' John begins, before Rogue goes wide-eyyed as she recognizes the energy that is darting about the television. 'Everyone – GET DOWN!' Rogue shouts. Too late though, as the wall to the Grey residence is blown in, and Scott and Jean rush over to Jean's parents. 'Are you all rgiht?' Scott coughs between the dust. 'We're fine, Scott. Is Jean -' Elaine begins, before Jean tells her mother that she is here. 'That was not what I meant when I said this party would be a blast!' Jubilee exclaims.

Standing in the gaping hole in the house is several villains – Siena Blaze who declares that it looks like their invites for lost in the mail. 'Didja spell “Siena Blaze” wrong on the envelope?' she grins. 'The Marauders prefer to be fashionably late, anyway' Arclight remarks while Harpoon and Prism stand with her, as Riptide hovers above them. The final arrival is Hazard, who, flying above everyone else, with the sun glowing behind him, exclaims 'Enough quips – its time to eradicate the X-Men... and then raze this town to the ground as payback for their sins!'

Cyclops begins to remove his suit, revealing his costume underneath, while Storm raises her hands overhead, lightning begins to crackle, as her suit disappears and is replaced by her costume, too. 'Attacking the mansion made me mad, Hazard. Striking us here? Makes me furious!' Cyclops exclaims, while Jean leads her parents away. 'No harm will come to this place – these people – while the X-Men yet draw breath!' Storm declares. Outside, Jean arrives with her parents near the Blackbird, and the Beast tells the Greys that they have been lovely hosts, but that he thinks it is time they retired to the safety of the Blackbird while the X-Men handle these uninvited guests.

'To me, my X-Men!' Storm cries out, eyes flashing as she takes to the sky and flies towards Hazard, while Rogue flies near her, towards Riptide. 'Take them down!' Cyclops shouts as he runs alongside Wolverine, Morph, Gambit, Jubilee and Bishop, as Wolverine snarls 'Don't have to tell me twice, Summers', while Siena grins and exclaims that this is going to be fun.

'Eat sparks, pet rock!' Jubilee calls out to Prism as she blasts the Marauder with her fireworks, but Prism just grins and as he introduces himself, he informs her that he can deflect anything she throws at him. 'Nothing can stop the Juggernaut!' Morph shouts as he switches into the Juggernaut and lunges at Harpoon, while Cyclops fires an optic blast towards Hazard and tells Bishop not to hold back with this one. 'Wasn't planning to, Cyke' Bishop responds as he fires a weapon at Hazard. Arclight dodges Wolverine's claws as he attempts to strike her, while asking her where he leader is. 'Sabretooth call in sick today?'

Elsewhere, from his lair, Mr. Sinister watches the battle unfold on several monitors and turns to Sabretooth, telling him that it was a brave choice not to lead from the front. 'Says the man watching the play-by-play from his secret lair' Sabretooth responds, before boasting that the Marauders need him more than he needs them. 'If they can't handle Logan's little friends on their own...they're just deadweight!' Sabretooth grins, he then turns to leave, telling Sinister 'See you when I see you'. Sinister doesn't look at Sabretooth and simply remarks that he has no doubt of that.

Back at the Grey residence, 'Rogue told me about you, Siena Blaze. Every time you unleash your powers, you threaten the integrity of the electromagnetic sphere itself!' Storm calls out as she flies towards Siena, who has levitated into the air, riding some energy. 'Ding ding ding. Isn't it great?' the callous young woman laughs, before the energy she is riding crackles about and a blast cuts down a large tree. 'Don't she know you're supposed to hell “timber” first?' Rogue asks as she flies over and grabs the large tree, deciding that it won't go to waste as she slams it into Riptide who was hovering over Gambit.

At the Blackbird, the Beast and Jean run towards the battle, where the Beast cautions Jean, with all due respect, for her strength and experience, but that he doesn't know that someone in her condition should be engaging in battle. 'I'm still an X-Man, Hank – the team needs me!' Jean responds. 'We will always need you – but you must also trust us to rise to the occasion!' the Beast remarks as he leaps at Prism and lands on his back. Arclight decides that there has been enough one-on-one battles, and that it is time to get the whole neighborhood in on the fun. She releases a powerful seismic shock that knocks Cyclops and Morph backwards. Harpoon takes a tumble, too, while Wolverine leaps into the air to avoid any impact. 'If she hit a gas main, the entire area could go up in an inferno!' Cylcops cries out, concerned. 'Aww, boy scout – don't threaten me with a good time -' Arclight begins, before she appears to be in agony, and drops to the ground as a result of a psychic assault. Jean appears from around the side of the house, and informs Scott that she has telepathically disabled Arclight's mind. 'Now the rest...is up to you' Jean adds.

The X-Men begin to regroup, and Cyclops reminds the team that they ran scenarios like this in the Danger room. He instructs Bishop and Morph to get into the Corsair formation, but as he starts to give Wolverine some instructions, Wolverine tells him that this isn't a dance routine. 'Following the right moves won't -' he begins, while, up above, Storm blasts Siena Blaze with lightning as she tells the rest of the X-Men that they face powerful enemies, and must work together. Cyclops realizes that Storm is right, and turns to Wolverine: 'You've fought more of these foes than I have. What do you think we should do?' he enquires. 'Thought you'd never ask' Wolverine responds before he pops his claws, and declares that this may not be a routine – but that switching dance partners never hurts.

'Mind if I cut in, Beast?' Wolverine asks as he leaps towards Prism, as the Beast bounds off of him. 'What's mine is yours, my friend' the Beast responds. 'Can you reflect these, buddy?' Wolverine asks Prism, holding up his claws, which display a scared Prism's reflection. 'Never bring a harpoon to a laser fight!' Bishop shouts as he blasts Harpoon in the back with his weapon, while Jubilee opens fire at Hazard, blinding him with her fireworks as she remarks that she cannot believe Chuck was ever friends with a skeezoid like him. 'Do not mock me, child!' Hazard retorts. 'Stand still, Fuzzball!' Riptide complains as he whirls about and fires several blades towards the Beast, who dodges them with ease and replies 'That's Doctor Fuzzball to you, ruffian!'    

Rogue drops down beside Gambit and asks him if he minds her borrowing something as she removes one of her gloves. 'I owe Siena payback for leaving me high and dry in Central Park!' Rogue grins. 'For you, Chere? Gambit don't mind a bit 'a hurt!' Gambit responds. 'Your antics end now, Siena -' Storm exclaims as she flies towards the villainess, while Rogue approaches her from behind and grabs her. 'HEY!' Siena complains, while Rogue asks her if she likes to cause trouble and run. 'Try doing that when your whole outfit's charged with kinetic energy!' Rogue suggests as she uses the power borrowed from Gambit to charge Siena's costume.

'All right, Jubes – I'm ready to fight armor with armor!' Morph calls out as he rushes over to Jubilee while shifted into Iron Man's form. Jubilee tells Morph to be careful, as she thinks she made this guy extra angry. Hazard cries out as more fireworks blast around his face, before Storm shouts for the northern winds to heed her call as she lifts Hazard up into the air in a cyclone. 'Cool the fires of vengeance in Hazard's heart!' Storm utters as she blasts Hazard at close-range with ice, freezing the surprised villain.

Back down below, 'Dis spinning top is the last of them, no?' Gambit asks as he slams his bo staff into Riptide's back, disrupting his cyclone effect. 'Not quite, Gambit. Our sleeping beauty is trying to make a run for it!' Cyclops exclaims as he fires an optic blast which strikes Arclight as she flees. 'Li'l Miss Natural Disaster wasn't so big and tough when she thought she was gonna blow up' Rogue notes as she drops down to the ground with Siena, adding that she doesn't think they need to worry about another rematch.

'So what now? We wait for Doctor Agent Major Brigadier Val Cooper to show up and “cuff 'em, boys”?' Morph jokes as he switches into Valerie Cooper's form. 'Back when I come from, we had more permanent solutions' Bishop remarks. 'Accepting that the government is willing to support our efforts will take time' Storm notes as she drops back down to the ground, and the Beast agrees, pointing out that significant change often does. 'Let's get these losers locked up already – we've got a baby shower to finish!' Jubilee exclaims, throwing her hands into the air. Gambit suggests that they clean up the destruction first, as Jean rejoins the others, and tells Scott that it felt so wrong not to fight at his side. 'You were with me every moment of the battle, Jean' Scott replies, before declaring that the rest of them can handle the rought stuff until their son is born. Scott embraces Jean who tells him 'That's just it, Scott...even after the baby's here, there's no telling what danger will lurk around the corner'.

From his secret lair, Sinister frowns and tells himself that every failure is just success delayed. 'That child will be mine!' he boasts.

In prison, a man with bright red hair and glasses approaches the cell where Carl Denti is sitting. 'Agent Carl Denti?' the man asks. 'Not an agent anymore' Denti responds. The man with bright red hair introduces himself as Henry Peter Gyrich, and tells Denti that he thinks they have mutual friends who are looking out for humanity's best interests.

Elsewhere: 'What are you doing here, Emma?' Magneto asks as he is visited by the White Queen and the Black King of thev Hellfire Club. 'I wanted to see the look on your face... when you read the last will and testament of Charles Xavier!' Emma Frost declares as she holds up Xavier's will.

In an undisclosed location, a young man wearing a gold and white jacket looks puzzled as his hands begin to glow. 'No – this can't be happening to me!' he gasps.            

The X-Men group together and rush forward as Cyclops announces 'We'll face them as we always have, Jean. Together, as... the X-MEN!'