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Essential X-Men Vol 1 42

Appearing in "Need to Know"

Reprint of the 1st story from
X-Men Unlimited #10

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Synopsis for "Need to Know"

Reprint of the 1st story from
X-Men Unlimited #10
Hank McCoy is a genius. Hank McCoy is a mutant. Hank McCoy is an unashamed monster, pupil of Sinister and former servant of Apocalypse's regime. But Hank McCoy escaped to another universe, where he has amused himself for years with human experimentation and shadowy pursuits. Now, however, he has decided to enact his greatest experiment: with sufficient knowledge, can he replace his counterpart in this universe?

Meanwhile, Beast of the X-Men has been trying to save the world. Using the Danger Room as a macroscale simulator, he is trying to crack the secrets of the Legacy Virus. Despite the worries of the X-Men, in particular his oldest friend Iceman, Beast throws himself into his work.

As this goes on, Dark Beast uses a series of ruses and biological adaptations to get close to Beast's old parish priest, his elementary school principal, his high-school sweetheart and his parents, pumping them for details of his life. Hank McCoy on this world, it turns out, was a sweet, well-meaning child with a boundless curiosity and an eternal love of two words, "why" and "because". Hank is amazed that his counterpart has done so much, and yet not taken the great strides science requires. He then murders all of these people except the parents, acknowledging that they still hold his heart.

After a week in the lab, Beast is at his computer, still convinced that he can save his friends. However, he is groggy from lost sleep, and makes a mistake in his chemistry... which then corrects itself, with the note "BECAUSE NUCLEOTIDES COMBINE COVALENTLY". Amazed, Beast tracks the bugging software to the old Brand Corporation offices, now derelict. In the dark, tired, distracted, and cut off from his friends, Beast is an easy _target for his counterpart, who finally explains to the reader why he is doing this: fear of this world's counterpart of Sinister prevented him from making powerful allies in this world. Now, Bishop remembers his activities in the Age of Apocalypse, and rather than break cover to make allies, Beast has decided to solve two problems at once, taking Hank's place so he can steal his allies and watch Bishop simultaneously.

Dark Beast also explains that he has murdered most of the people Hank knows. This drives Hank into a rage, and he prepares to kill Dark Beast. But the villain has an ace up his sleeve: curiosity. By killing him, Hank will never know what Dark Beast knows. In this moment of hesitation, Dark Beast knocks him out.

When Beast comes to, he is being bricked in behind a wall in the Brand building. As Beast sees his freedom vanish, he vainly asks, "Why?"

His counterpart will give him no answer other than, "Because."

Appearing in "By Friends -- Betrayed!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Avengers Annual #10

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Synopsis for "By Friends -- Betrayed!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Avengers Annual #10
The story opens in San Francisco as a human body falls from the Golden Gate Bridge, and Spider-Woman swoops in to rescue it. Jessica soon realizes that this was not a suicide attempt as the body was unconscious before it fell. Jessica is able to glide with the added weight for a while. When the wind dies, she and her passenger fall to the waters below. Jessica has to swim to the shore, carrying an unconscious woman with her. Three hours later, the sun rises over San Francisco.

Lt. Bree Morrel arrives at a hospital to meet a waiting Spider-Woman. Jessica drinks hot beverages and waits for news from the woman she rescued. A female doctor reports that "Jane Doe"'s body is in superb shape, but her mind seems to be nonexistent, functioning at the level of a newborn infant. The doctor theorizes that "Jane Doe" has been held in a mental hospital since childhood. Bree denies this idea as she has managed to identify the "Jane Doe" by using her fingerprints. The woman, Carol Susan Jane Danvers, 29-years-old, is a retired Major of the United States Air Force. She was also chief of security at the Kennedy Space Center, and former editor of Woman Magazine. Her Air Force file is classified, but Sabrina was told that Carol was one of the best people they had. Topnotch pilot, fluent in three languages, and expert in armed and unarmed combat. Carol is single and her last known residence was in Greenwich Village. She disappeared six months before her apparent "suicide".

Bree has also found out that Carol had been stripped of all identification. Even her clothes were stripped of their labels. This means that her assailant wanted to make Carol as anonymous and untraceable as possible. Bree thinks that they would need Carol's help to find the assailant. The doctor comments that they can not get inside her skull to determine the type and severity of the damage. Jessica gets the idea to contact Professor X, a man who has this ability.

At Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Jessica's phone call is received by Kitty Pryde. Kitty explains that the Professor is in the Danger Room, and she phases into the Danger Room to call him. Nightcrawler teleports into the Danger Room to make minor adjustments to a massive device. The device is held up on the air by Colossus. Piotr is frustrated because he has been holding the device for several hours. Kitty blames herself for all the damage in the School, due to her fight with a demon.[1] Storm reminds her that she survived this battle, and this is the only thing that matters. Machines can be replaced, while the people you love can not.

Professor X talks to Jessica and agrees to travel to San Francisco. Meanwhile, Nightcrawler prepares to try something with the device, though Wolverine expresses doubts that Kurt knows what he is doing. A device explodes and almost injures Kitty, so she and Kurt decide to redraw their plans.

Meanwhile, the Avengers are being singled out and attacked by the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, who are seeking to destroy the Avengers. Their assault is at first a success thanks to Mystique and Rogue taking out the most powerful of the Avengers. However, working together, the Avengers manage to defeat and capture the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

Learning that Carol Danvers has been recovering at the X-Mansion, the Avengers pay her a visit, having lost track of her following their last battle with Immortus. When they trivialize the reality of her forced relationship with Immortus' son Marcus, Carol rejects the Avengers and decides to stay with the X-Men. The Avengers, respecting her wishes, bid her farewell.

Notes

This is a UK title that features reprints of American X-Men titles.

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