Brotherhood #6

Issue Date: 
December 2001
Story Title: 
Awakening
Staff: 

X (story), Joe Bennett (penciler), Tom Palmer (inker), Jon Babcock (letters), Avalon Studios (colors), John Miesegaes (assistant editor), Axel Alonso (editor), Joe Quesada (editor in chief), Bill Jemas (president)

Brief Description: 

Malon Reeves has joined the Brotherhood. Together with her lover Bryson they fight Malon’s father. This fight ends in the death of both Bryson and Malon’s father. Marshal asks Malon to help him stop the Brotherhood. X decides to set his plans into motion.

Full Summary: 

In a promotion video for the Brotherhood, Malon tells how she has renounced her family and she now calls herself Simone, a member of the Brotherhood. The video shows also recent actions of Malon and Bryson against the Reeves Corporation. Malon openly accuses her father of using mutant blood money to finance his empire. She then tells him that they will reveal his secret to the whole world.
After seeing this video, Malcolm Reeves smashes the TV-screen and asks Marshal what he is going to do about the Brotherhood. Marshall says that he’s going to act soon, but first he wants to know Reeves’ secret. Malcolm denies that there is any secret and orders Marshal to bring Malon back to him. Marshal remarks that he’s not working for Reeves and that he better tells him his secrets when he returns from his next interrogation with Bela, the captured Brotherhood member.
In London, Fagin and Asher have joined up with Bryson and Malon. Fagin is annoyed with Bryson and Malon’s behaviour and wonders when they can actually do something. Asher is beginning to doubt the Brotherhood and wonders when innocents are going to get killed. Meanwhile Bryson and Malon are discussing Bryson’s strange behaviour as of lately. Bryson tells her that he thinks that X is going to do something big without telling the cells of the Brotherhood. Malon convinces Bryson that they are doing a good thing by fighting Malcolm Reeves, but Bryson stills wants to send a message to X.
Bela is again being tortured by Marshal and this time Marshal wants to know about X.
In a small town Bryson is telling Malon his story. His sister was killed ba an angry mob that wanted to kill Bryson for being a mutant. His mother died shortly thereafter. The Brotherhood then contacted him and offered him a way to channel his rage. His invulnerability didn’t help against the pain in his heart though and therefore he decided to help Malon. Malon and Bryson start to make love, but are interrupted by Fagin who wants to take action. Bryson tells Fagin to think for himself and not follow X’s orders blindly, but then stops. He tells them that there are people outside. The next moment someone is shooting at them. The Brotherhood escapes through a secret tunnel. Outside several soldiers are standing and stop firing when the house is destroyed. Their leader contacts Marshal and tells him that they are retrieving the bodies.
At the end of the tunnel, Bryson gives money to Fagin so that he and Asher can run away. They leave. Bryson asks Malon if they are also leaving, but Malon tells him that they have unfinished business.
Malcolm Reeves is in his office when he notices that someone is burning through the door. Malon enters with Bryson. Malcolm Reeves is very happy to see his daughter alive, but Malon wants him to tell the truth about her and her mother. Malcolm tries to deny it, but Malon pushes on and finally accuses him of being a mutant himself. Malcolm then confesses, but tells her that her mother was being killed by her own powers and that she was going crazy. She wanted to go public, but Malcolm couldn’t allow that. Peri (the doctor who died in the last issue) thought he could cure her and that without her powers she would regain her sanity. The process failed and Malon’s mother died. Malon then tells him that she’s going to expose him. Her father goes berserk and activates his own powers (which make him look like Ghostrider in a business suit). Bryson attacks Malcolm and tells Malon to leave. Bryson throws himself and Malcolm out of the window. Malon is crying at the window when Marshal arrives. He tells her that she can set things right if she helps him locate X.
In the USA, Hoffman has found out that the London cell has been wiped out and that Marshal is about to find them. He despairs, but Orwell calms him down and X decides to set his plans into motion.

Characters Involved: 

Mike Asher, Bela, Bryson, Fagin, Orwell, Simone / Malon Estella Reeves, X / Hoffman (all Brotherhood)

Dr. Malcolm Reeves , Malon’s father and mutant in denial

Marshal, government operative and enemy of the Brotherhood

Several soldiers

Story Notes: 

Last appearances of Bryson and Dr. Malcom Reeves. Bela presumably dies too.

Issue Information: 
Written By: