Alkali Lake, Canada - the not too distant future - night

The new, ten stories tall Alkali Lake hospital looms in the distance in an old medical plaza. An ambulance drives off from the hospital.

DR. LOEB: "How is the patient?"

Within the top level of the hospital, the bald, mid-40s DR. JON LOEB walks down the main hall with a NURSE.

NURSE: "He's resting. He still hasn't woken up, though. There's still some mild scorching on his face and around the eyes."

DR. LOEB: "Does anyone who he is?"

NURSE: "No, sir. We didn't find any identification on him. After his ordeal, he's lucky to be alive."

Dr. Loeb nods and stops walking, standing outside of a patient's room. Loeb turns to the nurse.

DR. LOEB: "Is there any idea how he received these burns? Was anyone present when it happened?"

NURSE: "No, sir. He was found alone in the forest. It looks like he had been left there for several days."

Loeb nods and grabs the doorknob.

In the patient's room, Dr. Loeb opens the door and walks into the room from out in the hall. The Nurse follows Dr. Loeb in and they walk down the room to a patient bed. Dr. Loeb stands before the bed and looks ahead at the man lying on it.

DR. LOEB: "I think he's waking up."

The 30 year old man on the bed is SCOTT SUMMERS. He is wearing a hospital gown and a blanket is pulled up over him. Bandages are wrapped around his forehead, eyes and forehead and another bandage is taped to his left cheek. Scott stirs, his head turning to one side, and MOANS in pain. Dr. Loeb walks to Scott's side and Scott rubs his mouth. SCOTT COUGHS and flinches at the pain in his throat.

DR. LOEB: "He's coming out of it."

Scott turns his head to his right, startled.

SCOTT: (in raspy voice) "Who said that?"

Scott pauses for a moment and turns his head to his left.

SCOTT: "Jean? Jean?"

DR. LOEB: "Please, sir. Try not to speak. Your throat was damaged from the burns you sustained."

SCOTT: "Burns?" (beat) "Jean...Where's Jean?"

DR. LOEB: "Lie still. You've been in some sort of accident. You need to rest."

SCOTT: "Accident?" (beat) "My head hurts...Can't rest now. Jean. She's..."

DR. LOEB: (interrupts) "Please try not to talk again. You need to let your voice rest for a few days. Now listen to me very carefully, sir. My name is Dr. Jon Loeb. You're in a medical bed on the top floor of Alkali Lake Hospital. You were found burned and dehydrated a few miles from the lake and you were likely there for days, maybe even weeks. You're lucky to be alive."

SCOTT: "Weeks? But..." (beat) "Jean..."

Dr. Loeb stands beside Scott and looks at the singed flesh around Scott's mouth and lips. Dr. Loeb looks at the bandages around Scott's eyes. Scott rubs his hand down his mouth and cheeks gently and he feels the singed skin on his face.

DR. LOEB: "I need to take a quick look at your eyes and make sure your sight wasn't damaged by the burns."

Scott instantly looks fearful after hearing this statement. As Loeb reaches for the bandages, Scott instantly grabs his wrists and stops him.

SCOTT: "No! Don't do it!"

DR. LOEB: "Sir, please."

SCOTT: "Please...I don't want to hurt you."

DR. LOEB: "Nurse, help me."

The Nurse stands at the other side of Scott's bed and she lifts up the bandages, despite Scott's resistance with Dr. Loeb. Scott throws back his head and he lets go of Dr. Loeb's wrists, just as the bandages fall off his shut eyes.

SCOTT: "No! Don't! STOP!!"

The Nurse holds Scott's shut eyes with her fingers and nearly lifts Scott's eyes open. Scott quickly shoves both the Nurse and Dr. Loeb away with his hands.

SCOTT: (yells) "GET BACK!!"

As the Nurse is pushed back, she is able to lift Scott's eyes open as she's knocked back. BOOM!! Red energy suddenly flows up from Scott's pupils and it spews up through the ceiling. The powerful energy punctures through it and pushes its debris up, sending it flying onto the ceiling. Scott shuts his eyes tight and turns his head aside. The Nurse and Dr. Loeb sit up and look at Scott in shock. His head is lowered and tears go down his face. The Nurse and Dr. Loeb stare at Scott in disbelief, as he slowly raises his head.

SCOTT: (softly) "Please... please say I didn't hurt anyone."

In the morning, in the master bedroom of his home, ALEX SUMMERS - 28 years old with shaggy blond hair and wearing a robe over his clothes. Alex stares at a page of the newspaper. The door opens and LORNA DANE - 28 years old with a brunette wig worn over her hair - walks into the room. Lorna is dressed in an open robe over her nightgown.

LORNA: "Alex" (A beat) "Sweetie?"

Lorna walks to Alex and stands before him. He still stares at the paper, ignoring her.

LORNA: "You said you were just going to read the paper and then you were going to get dressed. We'll be late for work."

Alex still stares at the paper, ignoring her. Tears are forming in his eyes. Lorna looks at him in concern.

LORNA: "Alex, what is it?"

Alex lowers the paper and shuts his eyes.

ALEX: "I didn't want to find him like this, Lorna. Never like this."

LORNA: "Baby, what are you talking about? Who did you find?"

Alex lowers his head and lowers the paper. Lorna takes the paper from Alex's hands and looks at the paper. She looks at the opened pages of the Obituaries section and looks at the list of names. Lorna looks at one name on the list: SCOTT SUMMERS. Lorna looks up at Alex, as he starts to cry. Lorna sits beside his chair and holds him close to her.

LORNA: (softly) "Oh, Alex."

In his office in Essex Laboratories, NATHANIEL ESSEX, now 50 years old, sits at his desk, dressed in a business suit. Essex looks down at several papers stapled together on his desk and he looks at the list of names typed on its front page from top to bottom. Essex looks at the page a moment, looking at the names. Essex shakes his head and sneers, as he turns to the next page. There is a knock on the door.

ESSEX: "Not now."

The door opens from the outside and SAGE - late-20s with long black hair - walks into the room, wearing a business suit.

ESSEX: "I have no time for this, Tessa."

SAGE: "Yes, sir. You do."

Essex looks up at Sage and sneers at her.

ESSEX: "What are you talking about?"

SAGE: "We just got a report from a new hospital at Alkali Lake of a mutant brought in for treatment. Part of the roof was blasted open when they opened his eyes. They didn't disclose a name to the public, but a source of ours working on their staff smuggled the name for us."

Sage hands Essex a folder and smiles. Essex takes the folder from Sage's hand and opens it to the front page.

SAGE: "Recognize the name?"

Essex looks at the page a moment and notices the name, stunned. Essex lets out a soft smile, somewhat relieved.

ESSEX: "Scott."