Jubilee escorts Rictor and Boom Boom through Genosha in hopes of escape!
Originally Published December 1990
So, here's the story from A-Z: If you want to get to safety, you've got to follow Jubilee.
But first, we open with some snotty kids talking about how great it is to live in Genosha, with all it's cool technology and rad mutate slaves, as the news is spread that two of the invading X-Men (Wolverine and Psylocke) have been captured while invading the Citadel. The kids get to salver in excitement over the fact that their neighborhood is being turned into a kickass warzone as the hunt for the remaining escaped mutants lands on their doorsteps, with a pair of Magistrates being led by a mutant-sensitive tracker slave, now in pursuit of our wayward heroes Jubilee, Boom Boom and Rictor.
Boom Boom, for her part, is a little salty of this Jubie-come-lately. She doesn't appreciate Jubilee throwing her weight around just because Wolverine put her in charge. Hell, she even stole Tabitha's explodey-blast gimmick, which she would totally be using right now if the Genoshans hadn't stripped her of her powers.
With the Magistrates giving chase, Jubilee intends to buy some time to escape, but Tabby and Ric have a different plan.
The two dispatch their pursuers and turn their attention to the tracker, a sniveling slave with little more autonomy than an actual machine. The mutants' insistence that he's safe with them and free does not seem to compute.
With reinforcements arriving, the trio beats feet -- as far and as fast in the opposite direction of X-Factor as possible, at Rictor's behest, to buy the rescue squad some time and latitude. They, in turn, are busy smooching and speculating on who, exactly, this week's deadly foe is...
While Cannonball and Warren discuss the strange case of Alex Summers -- not himself, yet not a mutate.
Speaking of whom, at the Citadel, Alex confers with Boss Hodge over some of the setbacks that have risen up in seeking out the invaders. The trackers' abilities have gone cold, likely due to some mechanical chicanery whipped up by Forge. In any case, Hodge wants them stopped, and yadda yadda, now he's off to go watch the Genegineer make another mutate out of captured mutant Rahne Sinclair.
Alex is left to contemplate why exactly that dastardly mutant Cyclops called him "brother," and why their powers didn't affect each other. If only there were some clear and rational explanation.
 |
| Good thing he's pretty. |
While Genegineer prepares Rahne for the process, Hodge demands that she be left some tiny shred of her former identity, as a cruel joke. The Genegineer balks -- no modifications, no substitutions -- but Hodge is specifically here to make things as painful and torturous as possible for the mutants, so make it happen, Captain.
Across town, Jubilee and her charges sneak into an empty apartment looking for food and supplies, but are soon interrupted by its resident... a magistrate!
They're able to disarm him, but are moreso alarmed by what they see on TV (which had been turned on by Jubilee, looking for MTV, but only finding the Genoshan News Network.)
That's a brainwashed and enslaved Rahne, imporing her colleagues to turn themselves in. The Magistrate crows that it will soon be curtains for the whole mutant cause, but this only motivates Rictor further -- he loves her, and he wants her saved.
Boom Boom and Jublee prevent Rictor for running off half-cocked, but agree to put their necks on the line to save Rahne and anyone else who needs it.
This show of compassion proves strangely moving to their mutate friend, who offers to try to fight his programming and help them.
While these four "Ninja Turtle" their way back into the Citadel (via the sewers, not by ordering pizza and partying with a rat) the rescue force works to plant bombs all around the Citadel.
Because, you know, destroying the Citadel last time did such a good job of ending the Genoshan threat.
Cable and the others soon find themselves hip-deep in Magistrates as Jubilee and the others watch on.
The dis-empowered New Mutants, however, prevent Jubilee from joining the fray, finally admitting that Storm was right to seal the hatch, ending that debate at long last. The pair are wise to hold Jubilee back -- the Magistrates brought Wipeout, and soon the heroes are but powerless prisoners of Hodge.
With Hodge ready to sweep the area for mutants, it seems certain that Jubilee and the others will be found, but...
Yes, that Mutate Slave was good to his word, giving himself up to save his new friends and promising there's nobody else here, no sir, no nasty mutant invaders, and everyone knows Mutates can't lie, wink wink, sorry there was something in my eye, wink.
But before they can get fully away, Rictor, Boom Boom and Jubilee witness one more horror as Hodge trucks out his latest acquisition to taunt his new captures.
Rictor vows revenge, starting by tracking down Wipeout and getting their powers back. Then they're either going to save their friends --
To be continued!
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