Uncanny X-Men #193

Story Title: Warhunt 2

Staff: Chris Claremont (writer), John Romita Jr. and Dan Green (artists), Glynis Wein (colorist), Tom Orzechowski (letterer), Ann Nocenti (editor), Jim Shooter (editor in chief)

Brief Description:
Thunderbird II, brother of the late James Proudstar, has captured Sean Cassidy, ex-Banshee in a plot to kill Charles Xavier, whom he believes responsible for the death of his brother, the original Thunderbird. Xavier, barely recovering from the beating received in last issue, and the X-Men go in a rescue mission, infiltrating the center of American air defence, where cassidy has been hidden. Not only they have to fight Thunderbird, Empath, Roulette and Firestar, but they also are detected by the military, who are influenced by Empath. Eventually, Xavier convinces Thunderbird II that he didn't kill his brother : John Proudstar died like a hero, but the X-men’s reputation is finally destroyed. In New York, Nimrod is living at Jaime Rodriguez house and attempts to locate Rachel.

Full Synopsis:
On Muir Island, Sean Cassidy is assaulted and captured by James Proudstar, aka Thunderbird II, member of the Hellions and brother of the late John Proudstar, the first Thunderbird II. James is waering the costume of his dead brother, in fact they look so much alike that Sean believes he is seeing a ghost and James warns him that he and the X-Men might "join him" soon.

In the Morlocks tunnels, Callisto is saying hello to Charles Xavier, who just awakened from a night of coma after having been nearly beaten to death by anti-mutant students last issue. As Xavier reacts violently about being dressed with leather, in a Morlock room, Callisto explains what happened to him and how the Morlock Healer spent most of the night putting him back in one piece. Unfortunately, the Healer was not in good shape and will spent months recovering for what he did for Xavier. Callisto says that Xavier is not fully healed : the slightest effort, be it physical of psychic, could cost him his life. As Callisto and Xavier walk down the Alley toward Xavier‘s School, she mentions that she tried to coexist with humanity before founding the Morlocks, and that it cost her dearly; they are interrupted by Sunder bringing the bodies of Annalee's four children : they have been shot and killed, getting Callisto quite angry and sad.

In the Rocky Mountains, James Proudstar is on the mountain where his brother died. He blames the X-Men and wants to make Xavier pay with his life. Two of his colleagues in the Hellions, Empath and Roulette, find James, offer their help, as he can’t hope to take on the X-Men himself, but he doesn't want them. Still Roulette and Empath stay, and Empath also manipulates the young and naive Firestar into helping them fight the X-Men, controlling her emotions and also claiming that the White Queen sent them on this special mission.

At Xavier School, Cannonball trains with the X-Men in the Danger Room, while Cypher and rachel watch from the control booth. The cluster of mutants witness the return of Charles Xavier and can't help making witty remarks about his new style of clothing.

In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Storm is travelling on a ship to Africa and suddenly sees the images of mountains and the ghost of her mother, N'Dare. Maybe a sign that her fate awaits her in her homeland.

Back at the School, Charles Xavier fully realises the extent of the damage his body endured : he is like a broken doll, suffering from traumatic amnesia, unable to remember who assaulted him, and has to stop teaching and leading the X-Men. While he is having a bath, Nightcrawler calls him on the phone, to alert him that Proudstar has captured Sean Cassidy and suggest to the X-Men they should fetch him in the Cheyenne Mountain, codenamed Valhalla by the US military. If they don't come, Cassidy will die. The X-Men ponder that if they go rescue Cassidy, they have to infultrate the NORAD, one of the most heavily defended military stations, thus getting saddled with the air force and becoming the enemy number one. They have to chose between a dead teammate or becoming outlaws, but the decision is clear. Xavier decides they must free their friends first, and worry with the consequences of their actions later.

As the X-Men approach Valhalla, they are aware that something's wrong with Xavier (he has not yet revealed the full extent of his injuries to them and using his mental power puts him in pain). Kitty phases inside the military base, and Rachel links her mind with Kurt, so that he can teleport to her whereabouts. Once he has seen the place with his own eyes, it’s no problem to port in Colossus, Rogue, Rachel and Logan one by one. Left behind in the Blackbird with Lockheed, Xavier feels remorse about being secretive and risking the lives of his students, but he did not want to spoil Nightcrawler’s first mission as field leader of the team. Lost in his thoughts, Xavier is attacked by Empath and Roulette who quickly neutralize him with nerve gas.

Inside the mountain, Rachel telepathically senses that the professor is attacked. Kitty goes back, finds the Xavier alone and unconscious, the equipment of the Blackbird destroyed. She then heads back to the team to report, and Nightcrawler takes it hard, as leader everything is his responsibility. He then asks Rachel to scan for Banshee’s whereabout, but she refuses and panics. While she goes catatonic, she is reminded of her time as a hound, there she had to use her power to track other mutants, and therefore can’t brinmg herself to use her powers to track Sean Cassidy. Logan spots Banshee‘s scent and he and Kitty team up to phase though the base searching for him. Nightcrawler teleports Rogue to the Blackbird to guiard the professor and then returns to Colossus and the scared Rachel. Piotr wonders what horror she must have endured to react this way, but Kurt says that they can’t worry about that now.

Meanwhile, Roulette, Empath and Firestar are also in the mountain. Roulette uses a bad luck disk, that scrambles the X-Men’s devices that avoided their detection. Suddenly the military registers that mutants are inside the base, and Empath intensifies the emotions of the people in the command center into a full blown panic.

Deep isnide the NORAD, Kitty and Wolverine free Banshee, and fight Thunderbird II as suddenly a neurotoxin is released. Kitty figureds that her intangibility would save her, but she is wrong and the gas renders her unconscious. As Logan tries to rescue her, he is taken out by Proudstar. James then wants to run to kill Xavier, but he turns back and drags the two X-Men out of the neurotoxin filled room, honor demands that he kills Xavier, but the doesn’t want the deaths of the X-Men on his head.

Kurt, Piotr and Rogue are attacked by Mandroids, who entangle Nightcrawler in a net and carry him away. The other two can deal with the robots, but are then fought by Firestar. Nightcrawler is taken to the base commander, who surprisingly orders the mutant’s death. Kurt recognizes Empath in the crowd, who then takes control of the teleporting mutant too, and causes him to recklessly fight the soldiers. Colossus has troubles fighting Firestar, as she remins him of his younger sister, and she takes him out with a microvave blast. Rogue then absorbs her, and discovers the truth about the teenage girl : she is not a villain, just a mixed-up, manipulated kid.

Kitty and Logan have woken up, and they stop Empath. Kitty phases him through the floor, where Logan is waiting for him. Empath faints as he sees the claws pop. They tie him up, and wonder how to get out with the still unconscious Banshee, as they are surrounded by Mandrois.

Coming to his senses, Kurt teleports away with Roulette, who is not used to the strain of it. He meets back with Rogue and Colossus, and Rachel too has calmes down. Rogue demands that she either helps them locate Kitty and Logan, or that she lets her absorb the telepathy, so that Rogue can do it. Rachel is scared, but then uses her power to track her teammates, and Kurt can teleport to his teammates in trouble.

In the Blackbird, Xavier faces James Proudstar, ready to kill the telepath with a knife belonging to his brother. Since Xavier cannot use his telepathy, he tries to convince Prodstar that his brother died bravely, as a hero, and that he would never have let himself being manipulated by a telepath. Being himself confused about all that matter, Proudstar finally gives up his murderous intentions and burst in tears just as Rogue arrives, ready to charbroil him with Firestar's powers. Xavier comforts Proudstar by telling him that, unable to kill in cold-blood, he understood that killing him wouldn't be an homage to his brother but an insult. In fact, James is a very courageous man if he can accept the truth for what it is.

At Xavier's, the X-Men are taking a well-deserved rest, with Empath and Roulette sleeping sedated upstairs. On the news, the NORAD prepares a manhunt against the X-Men who are now officially outlawed. Xavier and the X-Men offer asylum to Proudstar and Firestar, but Firestar loves her teacher, Emma Frost, and Thunderbird must find his own destiny, a destiny which beginst at Massachusetts Academy, so they depart.

In New York, Jaime Rodriguez is arguing about the "mutant menace" with one of his closest friends, while his guest, Nimrod, is searching for Rachel with a computer belonging to Tomas, Jaime's son. And a news flash warns us that the Juggernaut is back in town. To Nimrod it’s clear that both X-Men and Juggernaut need to get terminated.

Characters:
Colossus, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Shadowcat, Rachel Summers, Wolverine, Professor Charles Xavier (all X-Men)
Banshee, Storm (former X-Men)
Cannonball, Cypher (New Mutants)
Lockheed, the dragon

Annalee's children, Callisto, Morlocks, Sunder (all Morlocks)
Firestar, student of Emma Frost
Empath, Roulette Thunderbird II (all Hellions)
Nimrod
Jaime Rodriguez
Tomas, his son

Notes:
Warhunt is the original title of Uncanny X-Men #95, in which Thunderbird I died.

Nimrod has settled in the home of the Rodriguez upon invitation from Jaime Rodriguez, whose life he saved in #191.

Firestar was first created for the TV cartoon “Spiderman and his Amazing Friends“. Uncanny X-Men #193 marks her first comic appearance, though some issues of her later released limited are chronologically set before.

Firestar is not an official member of the Hellions. Emma Frost used to train her apart from her other students, prepring her to become her secret weapon against Selene. To push Firesatr’s progress she always promised her to become a member of the Hellions.

During the Mutant Massacre, in Uncanny X-Men #210, the killer of Annalee's children will be revealed to have been Scalphunter of the Marauders.

This Issue has been reprinted in:
Essential X-Men Vol. 5 (Trade Paperback)

Classic X-Men #97
Giant Size X-Men #4

Issue Summary written by: Nicolas Giard