Issue 2

Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York

It had been exactly a week since the X-Men had tussled with Magneto, the Master of Magnetism, in New York City and, with the help of everyone's friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, managed to thwart his plans in revolutionizing the rise of 'Homo-Superior'; those who possess a gene that normal humans lack which gives them their uncanny abilities.

Since then, all had been quiet in the superhero department. Either the Fantastic Four were called in to help with New York City's latest disaster or the newly-formed Avengers were on the scene to get the job done.

If that was the case, Professor Xavier made sure that his students had plenty to do to keep their minds focused but also making sure that he wasn't overworking them.

It was halfway through the X-Men's lunch break when the Professor interrupted them with a telepathic command, asking them to join him in the War-Room to brief them on a most disturbing dilemma.

When the X-Men; Scott, Bobby, Warren, Hank and Jean, reached the War-Room, still garbed in their civilian clothes, the metal doors swished open and allowed them to enter. What stopped them dead in their tracks, however, was the silver, metallic helmet the Professor was wearing on his head. It was connected to the console built into the table situated in the middle of the room, the metallic tendrils that were plugged into it were fixed to the top of the helmet.

The Professor immediately saw their stunned reactions and smiled humbly, taking the shiny helmet off, which had two thick tubes coming out from either side of it, and placing it on its stand which then disappeared into the table, seemingly a secret compartment of sorts. He then gestured his students to sit, their faces still expressing astonishment at what they'd just witnessed.

"That, my students, was a contraption I've been working on for some time now and have only just finished it. I was just testing it out and it seems to be working substantially."

Bobby was the first to ask the obvious question, "Okay Professor, do you mind telling us what that 'contraption' is?" He then sat back in his chair and folded his arms, waiting for his question to be answered.

"That, Bobby, is what I've dubbed 'Cerebro'. Its interface helmet, when used by a telepath like myself, amplifies their powers by strengthening their brainwaves ten-fold, enabling a great number of feats to the wearer. In my case, it will help me detect and locate other mutants within the given vicinity but for the moment, it can only allow me to scan the entire New York state. Given time and much upgrading, it will enable me to scan the entire United States, possibly even the entire world." The Professor smiled at that notion, his genius-level mind probably planning out the schematics the second he started talking about it.

Turning to face the large screen that appeared from within the wall behind him, he wheeled himself over to the console beneath it and punched in a few buttons, lighting up a few seconds later with what the X-Men could see was a security camera recording a bank robbery in progress. In the top right-hand corner of the screen, they could see the time and date to be exactly what the Professor had announced only seconds ago along with the 'CNN' logo on the left.

"This, X-Men, was televised just a few minutes ago and I'm afraid that it's another mutant uprising. Ever since Magneto declared that mutants should stand up and rise above humanity, reports of their activity have slowly begun to rise, especially in the Manhattan area."

Back to the screen, they could see that the leader of the raid was making his way casually over to the front desk while his followers, four of them garbed in colourful costumes, stayed behind to keep the customers and staff in order. They watched as one of the four, a man who looked more plant-like than human, approached the small crowd of cowering customers and raised his hand. A second later thick roots broke through the floor and wrapped themselves around the crowd, making sure to cover their mouths so they would be silenced.

"Ha! That's better!" The plant guy laughed, "There's nothing better than a bit of peace and quiet!"

Suddenly, he was interrupted by the sound of sirens and the yelling of one officer, using a megaphone to make himself heard, "This is the NYPD! We have you surrounded! Come out with your hands up and we can resolve this peacefully or we may have to use force!"

The four chuckled to themselves, the leader not even acknowledging the police outside as he continued to coerce the bank manager to open up the vault they had in the back.

"Is this chump for real?" The man garbed in an orange and dark-green costume asked, thumbing in the direction of the entrance into the bank where the police waited outside. This guy was bigger than the others, in height and muscle wise. He also had the head of a black unicorn etched on his torso and a strange white disc on his forehead.

Another, wearing a costume which was half dark-blue and half purple with the same pattern on his head-mask, stepped forward and replied, the lisp in his voice clearly evident, "Letsth show them that we're not to be messth with!"

The four accomplices, the final of the four garbed in what appeared to be a run-down scarecrow costume, complete with a straw hat, advanced to the entrance, the camera view changing to that of one of CNN's video cameras recording the incident from behind the barricade.

As soon as the four appeared before them, the one with the unicorn etched on his front clenched his fist tightly and, from the white disc on his forehead, released a beam of magnetic energy, similar to that of Magneto's, which lifted one of the police cars into the air. A moment later, it was sent hurtling down the street, destruction in its wake, but luckily no-one was hurt.

Next, the 'scarecrow' approached a crowd of police officers and exuded an odourless pheromone upon them, which triggered intense panic attacks on his victims and caused them to experience severe and irrational fear. The officers were screaming and cowering on their backs and knees, crying out all sorts of absurdities. The villain laughed as he listened to their sombre music of sheer pain and mental agony.

Afterward, the one who seemed completely composed of vegetable matter, stood up and raised his hands out in front of him, a second later erupting a massive root from under the ground, mentally commanding it to wrap itself around one car before making it lift it into the air and slam it back down another.

Finally the last of them, the one wearing purple and dark blue, stepped forward and emanated a lustrous electrical aura around himself, illuminating the area in its light, blinding the rest of the officers who hadn't ran off or taken cover yet.

Once they'd finished, the cameraman still rolling from his hiding place in the alleyway across the street, the leader of the raid approached from within the bank, ordering two of the men to head back inside to collect the loot.

Garbed all in black, he was also bald, had strange tattoos etched on his arms and had a black stripe that encircled his head, which covered his eyes to resemble some sort of mask.

"People of New York City!" He hollered, the sheer quiet after the aftermath making his voice come out louder, "After this day, you shall all know us as "Homo-Supreme"! We have chosen the way of Magneto! That mutants like ourselves should rise above humanity and claim this world as our own with all of you to bow down to us!"

"Hunh!" Bobby huffed with disgust, a settlement they all agreed upon as they watched the conclusion to the news broadcast.

"…We must depart, sadly, but fear not, you shall be seeing us very soon. I can guarantee you that!" And with his little part said, the other four placed their hands on Vanisher's shoulders and with a simple thought, they disappeared into thin air, leaving the cameraman to record the after effects of the latest mutant uprising.

"And thus ends your briefing, my X-Men." The screen turned to black, and Professor Xavier faced the console once again, tapping away before a close-up of the man leading the bank raid appeared before them, followed by the others in turn.

"These are the foes that you shall next encounter…the super-criminal group going by the name of 'Homo-Supreme'! Strangely, even with the help of Cerebro, I haven't been able to locate them mentally, but I have another means of finding out that information."

He then revolved his wheelchair around so he was facing his students again, wheeling himself back to the head of the table, "In the meantime, I suggest you all suit up and head into the Danger Room. Scott, initiate training simulation no. 1-12. That should be sufficient enough to help you against the numerous powers of your foes."

Pressing the button in front of him, Cerebro reappeared from its secret compartment underneath the table with a smooth 'swish'. The Professor placed it upon his head, speaking to his students again but this time telepathically, "Now, if you'll please excuse me, I'd like to be alone with my thoughts." This was the X-Men's cue to leave, walking out of the War-Room as quickly but as quietly as they possibly could.

On their way to the elevator, which is their only access to the subbasement levels, they all had the same question plaguing their minds…even if they do surpass the training that Professor X had suggested, will they be able to overcome their newest threat that is Homo-Supreme?

Unknown location, possibly somewhere in the state of New York

In a secluded, desolate warehouse that used to manufacture all types of 60's, 70's clothing, the super-criminal group now known to the United States, and possibly the world, as Homo-Supreme were orchestrating their next plan…or should I say their leader, who'd made himself known as the Vanisher, was orchestrating their next plan of action.

"My first plan of action was a complete and utter success. We now have America's undivided attention. They all know now that we mean business and they'll submit to anything we have to offer. So, now comes the next part to my ingenious plan to have the homo-sapiens bowing down on their knees!"

He'd been walking around the round table that his four accomplices had been occupying whilst talking, now standing at the head of it, his palms flat on its polished, wooden surface, "I shall be leaving for the Pentagon as soon as this meeting's over. There, I shall notify whoever's in charge that I plan to steal their precious 'defence plans', even giving them a time and date. This will give them time to worry, to marvel at my awesome power and then, the plans shall be mine to do with what I see fit!"

The one who's adeptly named Scarecrow sat up on his chair, arms folded over his chest as he asked gruffly, "And what do we all do in the meantime, hmm?"

Vanisher glanced over to him, smirked, "Simple…you wait. Back in a tick." He winked and in a split second, he was gone. Vanished like his namesake on his way to the Pentagon, leaving his associates with open mouths, a little miffed that they weren't in with the action…

The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia

A few seconds later, Vanisher reappeared in the heart of the Department of Defence, just down the corridor from where the Chief of Staff's office resided. He was about to advance when two armed guards seemed to come out of nowhere, their weapons raised, "Hold it, mister! How the hell did you get in here without a permit?"

Vanisher sneered, confidence radiating him, "I don't need permits to go where I want to go. Step aside, homo-sapien, or feel the wrath of the Vanisher!"

The two armed guards looked at each other as though this guy had just escaped from a mental hospital before their attention was back on the black-gladded intruder, "Alright, Vanisher! Get face down on the ground with your hands behind your head!" When Vanisher made no attempt to do what he'd just ordered, he clicked the safety off his weapon, just to intimidate him, "Now!"

"Oh, you shouldn't have done that."

Taking no more chances, the guard spun his head to face the other and uttered his command, "I've had enough of this guy, take him down!"

As they were just about to fire upon Vanisher, he 'vanished' just in time for the bullets to continuing through the air until they embedded themselves in the wall at the other end of the corridor. Before they could wonder where or even how he disappeared into thin air, the teleporting mutant reappeared behind them, quickly spinning into a crouch with his right leg extended, successfully tripping them onto their front and back.

Before they could even get back on their feet, Vanisher right-hooked the silent guard, knocking him out cold, while he kicked the ordering guard straight in the face with the sole of his boot, sending him hard onto his back.

Dazzled but not unconscious, the guard moaned, feeling the full rush of pain in his nose, wondering if it was broken. He then tried to get up again but Vanisher was there in no time at all, grinning down at him, "Didn't I just say you shouldn't have done that? Now, it's time for me to say Nightie night." He finished with a swift head-butt, hammering the guard straight between his eyes, this time knocking him out.

Climbing to his feet, he dusted himself off and abruptly 'vanished' again, only to reappear right inside the Chief of Staff's office. The man himself, a Mr. William Lane with his mouth agape in shock, was sat at his desk with another man sitting opposite him with the exact, same look on his face as Mr. Lane's. The man wore a dark green uniform, medals pinned to his left breast, and a hat which indicated that he was someone of a high rank in the armed forces. Perfect for what Vanisher had in mind for his plan against humanity.

"It's - it's that Vanisher! The one who's been terrorizing New York City with his misfit band of super-criminals!" William Lane proclaimed, pointing at him with a firm finger, even though he was slightly shaking in his boots.

The evil mutant took a bow, arms extended, as though what he'd done was something to be proud of, "Oh, I'm flattered. You know who I am. Then we can skip the introductions." He straightened his back, "I've just come to tell you that those 'precious' defence plans of yours you got on your desk, shall soon be mine!"

William Lane shot up from his chair as soon as he heard Vanisher's proclaim, fists clenching, knuckles turning white, "What?! Over my dead body, thief!" And letting his renowned stubbornness get the better of him, he charged at the brash mutant, only for him to evaporate into thin air. Vanisher reappeared a micro-second later to watch Mr. Lane nearly knock himself out via the wall.

The uniformed man of high rank could only watch as the scene commenced, witnessing the Vanisher disappear into thin air, as if it were by magic, then reappearing right next to the desk, turning just in time to see William Lane hit the wall on the other side of the room. His mind couldn't seem to fathom what it was witnessing. This guy, who had weird, black, symbolic tattoos decorating his arms, upper body and head, had just vanished into the very air itself, only to emerge seconds later at a different point in the room! As if via teleportation but the General knew that that was impossible! Uncanny even! A feat only read in science-fiction novels and awed in TV shows and movies like Star Trek and The Terminator series.

"I wouldn't waste my breath if I were you," the intruder pronounced, the expression on his face smarmy, as though he could do this all day, which he probably could, "Just remember Mr. Lane…I shall be coming back for those plans of yours…very soon!"

It was then that he vanished again and this time didn't return, leaving the two men in silence, looking at each other in shock and awe at what'd just transpired there…

Unknown location, possibly somewhere in the state of New York

Back at Homo-Supreme's HQ, Vanisher reappeared at the exact same spot he was in before he teleported to the Pentagon. His arms up in the air as though in triumph, Vanisher announced, "It is done, my comrades! The second part of my plan's underway. I have announced to the Pentagon that I intend to steal the Armed Forces' continental defence plans! I'll give them a while longer to marvel at my power and then…in a matter of hours, they shall be mine! Only then will we make the final move in my ingenious plan…the most daring move in the history of crime! Something that even the Master of Magnetism couldn't have thought up!"

He filled the next moment with evil laughter, the four associates sniggering amongst themselves, the same thought running through their heads as if they were in telepathic connection…the fact that they were on the winning side for a change and that no-one was going to be able to stop them!

Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York

Concurrently, back at the secretive home of the 'X-Men', they were in the middle of the training simulation in the Danger Room that Professor X had suggested they use to train themselves to be better equip against their imminent fight with 'Homo-Supreme'.

Angel, as his moniker suggested, was soaring high above in the air at speeds of around 70 mph, dodging the missiles that the simulation was throwing at him, with relative ease.

Down below, the rest of the X-Men were tackling the various situations via their own means; Beast, utilizing his incredible gymnastic prowess, managed to effortlessly vault over the giant, mechanical hands that emerge from the very ground, intending to crush him in a deadly bear-hug. Immediately afterward, the agile X-Man dived into a forward roll to successfully evade the two, large saws that were slicing through the air at him in a vertical approach.

Cyclops and Iceman were swift on the offensive; the younger X-Man 'flash-freezing' the balls of searing-hot fire, which were being discharged via the cannons attached to the wall on the opposite side of the Danger Room, turning them into chunks of frozen ice. Simultaneously, Cyclops was robustly pressing the stud on the side of his visor, releasing numerous blasts of ruby, concussive force which totally eradicated the cannons in seconds.

Elsewhere in the Danger Room, Marvel Girl had her own test to triumph over. Held in place under her telekinetic power, a section of the wall was trying to crush her under its weight but she wasn't going to let that happen. A few seconds later she felt its mass getting heavier, pushing her to impel more of her ability but, unfortunately, this caused her to feel significantly woozy. To be quite sincere, she didn't really have a good enough reason to use so much of her power prior to now.

In the past, she would've utilized just enough of it to lift a book or something similar in weight. Now, she was being forced to use it against something that was twice her size and, since their scuffle with Magneto last week, she'd noticed that the more she had to use of her powers, the more it made her feel light-headed.

That was probably the reason why Marvel Girl couldn't hear Cyclops' voice as he shouted her code-name, in a bid to make her stop, but her sheer determination to overcome this obstacle was too much and suddenly, Marvel Girl fainted. Cyclops immediately released a powerful optic blast at the suppressing wall, resulting in it being completely demolished before commanding the Danger Room to stop the simulation.

As Scott sat Jean up with an arm hooked around her, he instinctively placed a hand on her cheek in an endeavour to wake her up, causing her to whimper before she finally opened her eyes, "Scott?" She looked around to see the others; Angel, Beast and Iceman, all looking down at her, each with a worried expression on their face, "Scott, what happened?"

He gently helped her to her feet, the sudden light-headedness causing Jean to collapse onto him before he answered her, "I don't know, Jean. One minute you were using your powers and then in the next, you "blacked out". Jean, is there something you want to tell us?" He asked this as though he was referring to us as a group but it sounded more to Jean like us really meant me.

Suddenly, before Jean had time to explain herself, Professor X's voice boomed into their minds, "X-Men, come to the War-Room at once! I have more news on Homo-Supreme's next plan of attack!" And then he was gone, everyone realizing that Jean's explanation would have to wait until later, until they've dealt with Homo-Supreme, at least.

Back in the War-Room and in their original places around the table, Professor X enlightened them on the 'Homo-Supreme' situation, "I have just spoken with my good friend, Special Agent Fred Duncan, at the FBI and he's informed me that the Vanisher had threatened to steal the Pentagon's continental defence plans! He says he's expecting Vanisher's attack at any moment! I'd suspected that might be his next likely move!"

Turning to face the console behind him, Professor X pushed a few buttons on the keyboard and the map of the U.S appeared before them, a red circle flashing in the state of Virginia, "You, my X-Men, shall depart for Arlington, Virginia. Effective immediately!"

"I'm guessing that means we finally get to tussle with the Vanisher or whatever he likes to call himself!" Iceman quipped, practically rushing out of the War Room on his way to the X-Jet, while the others walked on as usual.

Before the others disappeared out of the automatic sliding doors, Professor X pronounced anxiously, "X-Men, please be careful. Like Magneto, Vanisher is incredibly unpredictable! His powers of teleportation gives him an advantage but if you all work as a team and use the training that you've learned today, I know you can triumph."

The incentive at the end was what the teenaged superheroes needed to boost their confidence as they disappeared, following where Iceman went to the X-Jet…and to their imminent fight with the one named Vanisher…

The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia

Located in the Chief of Staff's safe in his office, heavily guarded by four armed guards, all expert in hand-to-hand combat and the use of all weaponry, were the continental defence plans the Vanisher warned he'd steal sometime today. One of the guys, the one holding a stun baton tightly in one fist, told the others, "Keep your eyes open, men! This guy could appear from practically anywhere!"

The guards nod in agreement, their fists tightening on their chosen weapons, ready to take on the Vanisher when he finally made his unexpected appearance.

"--And you couldn't have been more right, human!" Vanisher's voice appeared from within their little circle, "Thank you for keeping these plans safe for me!" He uttered arrogantly, dodging swiftly to his left when the guard, armed with the stun baton, interrupted him by trying to knock him out with it. Catching the arm that held the offensive weapon, Vanisher twisted it until he heard a satisfying crack, which caused the guard to drop it, before flipping him over onto his back and booting him in the face, knocking him out cold.

As he tackled with the other guards, he thanked himself for all the martial-arts training he'd learned back in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. Being a tough neighbourhood where he'd lived, you had to have learned some kind of self-defence or fear that you might be beaten up badly or even worse, killed.

Now his talents were working nicely against his opponents who, despite having expert knowledge on hand-to-hand combat, couldn't compared to his. One guard managed to aim his pistol at the distracted Vanisher's shoulder, a point on the body that was guaranteed to disable anyone, even a mutant like the Vanisher, but before he could fire, his target abruptly disappeared from view.

The bullet pierced through the wall on the opposite end, before Vanisher reappeared beside the pistol-wielding guard and kicked him square in the gut, followed by a kick of the back of the neck which sent the guy hard against the carpeted floor. Another one out for the count.

Not wanting to waste any more time dealing with these simpletons, Vanisher executed a swift roundhouse kick to one guard's face, who flew on top of a nearby table, and finished the last guard off with an right uppercut to the jaw.

Once the room had quietened down and Vanisher had got his breath back, he proceeded to the safe built into the wall and took out a rather peculiar weapon; one that fired energy beams hot enough to melt steel. Aiming it at the metal box that held the plans he was after, he pulled the trigger, releasing the energy within and instantly melting the door.

As soon as that was done, he holstered the weapon and took the briefcase which held the plans inside, holding it against to his chest before teleporting out of there. Unfortunately for Vanisher, whenever he "jumped" consecutively, it weakened him every time and halved the distance he could travel. Which is why, when he reappeared again, he found himself outside on the steps of the Pentagon, where a large, black B-2 Spirit was parked several feet away.

5 costumed individuals, all dressed in black and yellow uniforms, emerged from within. Four of them approaching him on foot, the other in the air, his white, feathered wings flapping gently, keeping him buoyant.

"The X-Men! I was wondering when you'd show your faces! Now I have a real excuse to exploit my powers!" The Vanisher announced, almost ecstatic at the fact that he was about to tussle with the X-Men, the very ones who defeated the Master of Magnetism himself.

"X-Men! Take him down as quickly as possible! Don't even give him time to breathe!" commanded Cyclops as Angel flew in from above, arms extended, and lifted the Vanisher right up into the air.

"Drop those plans, Vanisher or I drop you!" Angel enquired nicely but the teleporting villain answered him with a malicious snigger, "Your empty threats don't frighten me, X-Man!"

Yet, as he tried to fight off the winged X-Man, the briefcase slipped from his gloved hand and plummeted to the earth. Luckily, Beast had used his amazing speed and agility to somersault into the air to grab the imperative object. Landing perfectly on his two, enlarged feet, Beast waved the briefcase in the air, cheering, "I've got 'em! I've got 'em!"

Vanisher, still in Angel's grasp, found that he'd regained his strength and immediately vanished, only to materialize behind Beast, grabbing the briefcase as he flipped over the cheering X-Man, using him as leverage.

"I'll have those, thank you very much!"

As soon as Vanisher touched ground, Cyclops unleashed a precise, narrow optic beam at the villain's hand, not powerful enough to hurt him but enough to get him to drop it. Marvel Girl followed suit, grabbing the falling briefcase with telekinesis before guiding it back to her.

No! I've come too far just to let my plans fall apart because of some meddlesome do-gooders! Vanisher fumed, using his teleportation powers to appear right next to Marvel Girl before knocking her out with his sleeping gas gun he contained in his other holster.

"Cyclops! Angel! Help m--!" she managed to cry out before collapsing onto the grass, into a deep slumber thanks to Vanisher's sleeping gas.

"Marvel Girl!" Iceman called, his hands raised as he released a beam of intense cold, covering the briefcase in ice in an attempt to have it too cold for Vanisher to handle.

However, the villain just sneered, "Fool! You are too late! Your childish endeavours to stop me are pointless!" And with that, he was gone, vanished into thin air with the briefcase still in hand, leaving Marvel Girl slumbering in his place.

As the X-Men gathered together, Angel settling back down on the ground, Cyclops helped Marvel Girl out of her slumber, also helping her to her feet as she was still a little groggy, "Are you okay, Jean?" He asked anxiously.

Marvel Girl nodded, albeit woozily, "Y-yeah, I'm fine Scott…but what about the Vanisher?"

The four boys' shoulders sunk in defeat at exactly the same time, "He got away…plans and all." Beast uttered, his voice devoid of his usual jollity, now filling culpable that he, like the rest of them, had allowed Vanisher to escape.

"He took everything we could dish out…and he still managed to beat us and make off with the plans," Iceman also uttered, so softly that it was barely even a whisper, following the other four X-Men as they headed back into the X-Jet, their heads hanging low, back to their home in New York.

The Next Day - New York City

The news of the X-Men's defeat to the Vanisher seemed to spread like wildfire as newspapers with the superhero group on the front page were selling like hot cakes!

"The X-Men defeated? How can that be? They defeated that Magneto guy only last week!" One of the readers was saying to another, truly bemused about the whole thing.

"The Vanisher couldn't be that powerful? Could he?" The other one replied, as they and countless others questioned the result of yesterday's tussle between the X-Men and Vanisher…

Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters

Meanwhile, back at the X-Men's home, the young mutants were busy watching the mid-morning news in the living room, anxious to find out the latest on Vanisher and his crew, "--so our today's top story: the mutant menace known as the Vanisher, also leader of the mutant terrorist group, Homo-Supreme, had single-handedly defeated the X-Men yesterday afternoon outside the Pentagon and had also made off with the continental defence plans he swore he'd steal. Today, he's demanded a whopping $1 billion from the government, tax-free I might add, as his price for not turning them over to our country's enemies. As of yet, the government hasn't responded to his demands. I shall update you with more news as it comes. I'm Trish Tilby and this is NCBC News--."

Scott turned off the television by remote, throwing it onto the coffee table, luckily not smashing under the brute force of the throw, as he made his way over to the window, his arms crossed over his chest, eyes on the view of the mansion's huge front garden.

"Who does that wise-guy think he is asking for a billion dollars? Doctor Evil?" He heard Bobby ask the others, the others smiling at his reference to the villain in the Austin Powers movies, but it wasn't enough to keep their spirits up. They'd failed to stop Vanisher escaping with the Pentagon's defence plans and now he was ransoming the government for a ridiculous amount of money. Something they could've prevented if only they'd apprehended him.

Suddenly, the awkward quiet that'd enveloped the room was abruptly interrupted by the sound of Professor Xavier's voice as he made his entrance, "Don't be so down on yourselves," he replied softly, not needing to use his telepathy to know that they were still blaming themselves for what happened in yesterday's fray with Vanisher, "To be quite honest, you haven't done badly, considering your youth and your lack of experience. For you were up against a most formidable foe."

He then wheeled himself so he was now facing all of his X-Men, making sure that they were seeing eye-to-eye with him, "But now I think that the time is right for me to enter the picture…to reveal to you that sometimes brute strength isn't always the answer. So, when you next face the Vanisher, I shall accompany you myself."

Unknown location, possibly somewhere in the state of New York

Back in the meeting room, the Vanisher explained what was going to transpire later today and where it was going to take place. Unicorn, the mutant garbed in orange and dark green, pounded his fist against the table, making it rumble, nodding his head in anticipation, "Dah, vis eez vedi good! Soon, ve'll all be vich and powerful! Noding vill stop us!" He replied, his strong Russian accent clearly presentable in his voice.

"Yeah! Just imagine what we could accomplish with our share of that billion dollars!" The well-educated voice of Plantman, the one who was composed entirely of vegetable matter, followed, rubbing his palms together, already thinking what he was going to do with his share.

The Eel, garbed in purple and dark-blue, held his hand out beside him, electricity crackling around it, and kept silent, listening to the others bicker to one another before they were silenced by Vanisher.

"Alright, settle down, please! Let's not get too ahead of ourselves! We need to be on top physical and mental form if we want this plan to shift in our favour!"

Now that he'd got everyone's undivided attention, he proceeded to the conclusion of his plan, "As soon as this meeting's ended, I shall inform theChief of Staff at the Pentagon that the "negotiation" shall take place right outside the White House at 3:00 p.m. sharp!"

"But won't they set up a trap for you when you get there?" The Scarecrow enquired, watching as Vanisher pointed to each of them in turn, "That, my dear friend, is why I bringing you with me. For back-up. With all your supreme powers combined, they wouldn't dream of starting a fight right outside the very President's door!"

"Good! Vedi good! I like vedi much!" The others all agreed with the Russian mutant as they left the room to allow Vanisher to negotiate his terms in peace.

This was going to be a very special day for them…and for all of mutant-kind.

On route to Washington, D.C.

As the X-Jet flew almost without sound across the cloudless sky, Professor X was in the front, alongside Cyclops, flying it via his telepathy whilst explaining to his X-Men what was transpiring, "Special Agent Duncan has informed me that the meeting's going to take place at 3:00 p.m. which is exactly 5 minutes from now. Once we touchdown, just follow my lead and stick to the plan. By doing so, there needn't be any conflict afterwards, hopefully."

"And what if the plan should slip somewhat, Professor?" Iceman asked enthusiastically, his hand up as if he was in a classroom.

"You needn't put your hand up, Iceman," Professor X responded with a smile, "And if the plan doesn't go accordingly, then I'm afraid we'll have to resort to brute force. But only when I'm absolutely certain that there's no other way to avoid it."

Iceman secretly cried a "Wahoo!" in his head, wanting another go at Vanisher for duping them last time while the others shared similar thoughts to their confrontation with Vanisher.

"The White House's in range, sir." Cyclops notified, his sudden voice drawing the other X-Men away from their thoughts, all looking out either side of the X-Jet to see the infamous building coming into view.

"Just remember your roles, my X-Men." The Professor replied softly, still staring out of the front window, his back to them, "I don't wish for this to escalate into an all-out brawl. I want to show the world that not all mutants resort to violence in order to control these state of affairs."

Washington, D.C.

It felt like they were waiting for an eternity for Vanisher to arrive, outside the very residence of the current President of the United States, but when he finally did, all the muscles in the X-Men's bodies instinctively tensed. He'd brought his motley crew, Homo-Supreme, who were garbed in uniform much like the X-Men, along with him. Either for back-up or he was most certainly looking for a fight. Which he'd unquestionably get if he tried anything funny.

Vanisher lifted an arm and pointed at the X-Men, who'd fashioned a protective line in front of their leader, Professor X, "I'll give you costumed adolescents exactly ten seconds to push out of here! Remember what happened last time you stood in my way?! This is of no concern of yours!"

The X-Men didn't stir, didn't even budge an inch which made Vanisher angrier, his face flushed red which clashed with his black tattoos, "I've come here for my $1 billion! If the government knows what's good for them, they wouldn't dare refuse me!"

And then, suddenly, surprisingly, expectedly, the X-Men stand aside, revealing their leader and teacher Professor X, who was currently unknown to the public at large, to the tattooed villain and his cohorts.

"The time is now, my X-Men! Assume to your positions!" Professor X telepathically informed them before his attention was fully on Vanisher, "Vanisher, I shall give you one last chance to surrender to me otherwise I will counter your power with a force which is far greater…far more excessive!"

The Vanisher took one look at the Professor, who looked like to him like a regular average Joe sitting in his wheelchair, then at his cliquebefore he burst into laughter, pointing at his supposed vanquisher, "What?! You?! A helpless human, alone and defenceless, dares to threaten the Vanisherwho has single-handedly defeated the X-Men? You must be either very brave or very stupid!"

Professor X didn't react in any way to Vanisher's behaviour, just sat in his wheelchair patiently until the villain had had his laugh, "You may think it funny, Vanisher, but I am not at all as helpless as you might think. For I am like you," He said, now entering his mind via his eloquent telepathy, "A mutant…a mutant who is at this very moment using his powers against you!"

As the invisible waves of psychic energy bombard Vanisher's mind, the once fearing villain who could do anything, now found that he couldn't move, couldn't even teleport to safety, "Argh! Stop it! Get out of my head!" He squealed, hands cradling his head as though it might stop the constant thumping, dropping to his knees as the thumping continued to exaggerate.

A few seconds later Professor X stopped, he, his X-Men and Homo-Supreme looking down at the mutant known as Vanisher, cowering, seeming to be scared for his life. The once feared Vanisher was now a powerless human, wondering to himself about who he was, who they were surrounding him, and what he was doing there.

"Wow! There's something you definitely don't see everyday!" Iceman pointed out, watching as the villain with a black unicorn etched on his front stood in front of the group which the Vanisher had formerly established.

"Vhat you do to Vanisher?" But before Professor X could answer, Unicorn continued, "No matter! Ve're here for da money and if you vink you can stop uz with same trick, you've got another ving coming! Homo-Supreme, attack!"

Thus began the imminent battle; the X-Men vs. Homo-Supreme!

Like his namesake, the Eel pulled his hand back and, by forcing it forward, he unleashed a bolt of electricity that struck Beast square in the chest, the force of it sending the simian-like X-Man hurtling into a nearby car's door, denting it on impact. Nevertheless, thanks to his enhanced durability, his body could withstand such punishment.

Cyclops retaliated Eel's attack with one of his optic blasts, the red concussive beam hitting him in the same place as Beast's, propelling him hard onto his back, knocking the wind out of him.

Meanwhile, Iceman was tussling with Plantman who was using his powers over plant manipulation to call forth thick roots, which broke through the asphalt with its tremendous strength, to wrap themselves around the do-gooder. Thanks to Professor X's training, Iceman managed to fend them off with his ice-blasts, which would encase them in solid ice, but it'd only hinder them for a few seconds. Then the roots would break free and come at him again.

"Guys! A little help here would really suffice!" Iceman called out, blasting another two roots with his ice-blasts but to no avail.

From above, Angel noticed the youngest X-Man's dilemma and swooped down to help. Bringing his fist back, and at this velocity, the punch he was about to unload on Plantman was going to hurt, severely. The mutant composed of vegetable matter didn't see it coming. Wham! Sent him hard onto the asphalt but Angel didn't anticipate Plantman's resistance to physical injury, which caused him to get back up, as though he'd never been hit in the first place.

"Hah! You're going to have to do better than that, X-Man, if you want to best Plantman!" He shouted brashly, as if he felt truly invulnerable.

Beast had recovered rather quickly from Eel's electrical blast and, with his super-strength, managed to rip off the car door he had just dented, holding it with two hands as he charged at Plantman, "Then how about this, my florid foe!" A second later, he bashed his seemingly smug opponent full-on in the chest and, with additional strength behind the swing, sent Plantman hurling across the air and into the Eel, who was just climbing back onto his feet.

Iceman moved toward Beast, patting him on the shoulder, "Thanks for the assist, Beast. That was a super cool move, if I say so myself."

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Marvel Girl was handling the one they called 'Scarecrow', and she could see why. The guy's costume reminded her of the Scarecrow's in The Wizard of Oz, but that was about it. As soon as he advanced on her, she expelled her telekinesis, using her arms for added control as she suspended him into the air. She knew then that he'd be no longer a threat to herself and the others, but how long could she keep him up there? A minute, maybe two? It wasn't going to be good enough and she was already waning.

"What's the matter, girlie? Not strong enough to handle little ol' me?" The Scarecrow oozed confidence as he begun to sink back down to the ground, Marvel Girl having used up all of her mental energy, "Too bad, now it's my turn to have a little fun!"

Marvel Girl, as well as feeling weak from using up too much of her power, started to feel dizzy, the effect similar to that of Vanisher's sleeping gas but whatever was assaulting her senses, it had no plans of knocking her out. Suddenly, as though from underneath the very ground, fire erupted like a giant tidal-wave before it started to shape into a giant, fiery bird, like a phoenix rising from the ashes…the exact same one she'd been seeing in her nightmares.

She was screaming 'bloody murder', hands on her head, kicking around on the ground as though she was trying to fend off an invisible attacker.

"Yes! Give in! Let your fear take over you!" Scarecrow coerced cruelly, his voice reverberating, pounding in her brain, making it feel like it was about to explode.

"Nnnnoooo! Stop it! Please, get it away!" Marvel Girl screamed, her eyes wide as she saw the 'phoenix'-like bird looking down at her from above, eyes glowing brighter than its fiery body.

In the air, whilst dodging Unicorn's force blasts, which emitted from the white disk on his forehead, Angel saw Marvel Girl's quandary and swooped down to grab hold of Scarecrow. Maybe it might throw him off and return his fellow team-mate back to her senses.

The Scarecrow, however, felt an instinct to swerve around and saw Angel diving toward him, "Nice try, but no cigar, kid!" His arms were raised and Angel was struck with the same fear-induced pheromone that Scarecrow had used on Marvel Girl.

The winged X-Man plummeted the rest of the way down to the tarmac, hitting it hard on his side, screaming out like Jean was doing, something about his wings falling off and not being able to fly ever again.

This was getting intense. Two X-Men were down, by the same evil mutant no less, and the other three were gradually losing against Unicorn, Eel and Plantman. Professor X, who was sitting on the sidelines with an amnesiac Vanisher, needed to do something if he wanted his X-Men to come out of this…alive! With both index and middle fingers, on both hands, pressed against his temples, Professor X unleashed a telepathic force-bolt powerful enough to knock Scarecrow into unconsciousness.

"Ugh!" The villain uttered, before he collapsed onto the tarmac where he stood, Professor X's mental attack made sure that he wasn't getting back up anytime soon.

"Beast, attend to Angel and Marvel Girl! You're going to need their help now in order to stop the rest of them!" Came Professor X's telepathic voice as it entered the mind of Beast, who was still busy dodging Eel's electrical blasts with numerous jumps and handsprings.

"On my way, sir!" He responded, back-flipping en route to his team-mates, who've managed to sit upright, but were feeling extremely weary from Scarecrow's pheromone assault.

Kneeling next to Marvel Girl, he helped her carefully to her feet, still feeling slightly light-headed, before she signalled him that she was alright and should tend to Angel, who was still lying on the floor a few feet away, his wings outstretched to their fullest.

"Angel? Angel, are you alright? Can you hear me?" Beast asked, shaking him gently by the shoulders, breathing a sigh of relief when Angel finally mumbled and open his eyes, his deep blue eyes shining like diamonds in the Sun.

"Hey there, big guy. Did I miss much?" The smirk alone brought a smile to Beast's face as he helped his winged friend to his feet, right arm wrapped round him for support.

"Not much, but we're needed now to take down the rest of Homo-Supreme…Cyclops and Iceman are giving them their all but they need us to finish the job." He pointed in the direction of the skirmish, just in time to see Cyclops diving out of the way of Unicorn's beams of microwave energy, which was melting everything it hit, and Iceman erecting an ice-shield between himself, the Eel and Plantman.

Marvel Girl situated herself between Angel and Beast, hands on their shoulders, "Then what are we waiting for, boys? Let's show 'em what the X-Men are really made of!" She winked before leaving the stunned teenagers behind, returning to the fray with her arms raised and grabbing hold of Plantman's roots telekinetically, which were trying to ensnare Cyclops. With the reminder of her mental strength, Marvel Girl gestures her arms left and right, until the roots had ensnared Plantman instead.

Angel took to the air once more while Beast hurried along below on all fours, both still amazed by Jean's boost of confidence, and not wanting to question it, follow her into the fray. Angel, using his aerial manoeuvrability, evaded Eel's electric blasts once more, even bragging that he could do it all day, before grabbing the electrifying mutant under the arms and flying him up into the air.

However, like before with Plantman, Angel didn't anticipate Eel's other abilities, finding them out the hard way when he was charged with a small burst of electricity, emitted from Eel's very body. The abrupt shock caused Angel to let go, falling back down to earth while Eel landed safely on his feet.

Luckily, it wasn't a huge shock and Angel managed to recover himself before he hit the ground, soaring back up into the air and on pursuit of Eel, who was being attacked by fellow team-mate, Iceman.

"You X-Men cannod possibly vin! Ve are too much for you!" Unicorn proclaimed, using his super-human strength to rip out a nearby lamppost from the very pavement and using it to try and squash Cyclops.

What Unicorn didn't know, because he was too busy fighting with Cyclops, was that Eel had just been taken out by Iceman, Angel and Marvel Girl, using their powers together to overwhelm the slippery mutant.

"I'd check up on that theory if I were you," Cyclops informed confidently, joining the others as they gathered together, "Because I think you're outnumbered 5/1. It's your choice if you want to fight with those odds." His visor seemed to gleam a bright red, a finger on the stud, ready to be pressed if Unicorn so much as stepped an inch forward.

Unicorn, knowing that he was truly outnumbered, as his comrades were scattered about the street and Vanisher was no longer a means of escape, turned to an alternative means. Pressing a button that was situated on his belt, it started off the high-efficiency electric micro turbines in his boots, which allowed him to fly.

"Until next dime ve meet, X-Men!" He then disappeared over the rooftops of the nearby buildings and the costumed youngsters cheered in victory, some even giving each other "high-fives".

Approaching them with the amnesiac Vanisher by his side, Professor X praised them with a smile on his face, causing several wrinkles to appear around the corner of his eyes, "Well done, my X-Men! You've managed to maintain the situation without casualty or with much collateral damage."

Cyclops shrugged his shoulders, a hand rubbing the back of his neck as though in a nervous gesture, "Well, we couldn't have done without you, sir."

"Yeah," added Iceman, pointing to the Vanisher, who was too busy looking around his surroundings to listen in in their conversation, "If it weren't for you taking care of him and that weird Scarecrow guy, we wouldn't have had the chance."

Professor X had to agree with that as he nodded, "Just remember, X-Men…the greatest power on Earth is a power we all possess…the power of the human brain! Now," he turned himself around and, with the help of Beast, made his way back to the X-Jet, with the rest of the team following shortly behind, "We must now depart. Special Agent Duncan has just informed me that the law enforcement and his team are on their way to this location to apprehend Homo-Supreme. I also sensed the Presidential Guard approaching."

"What about the rest of them? Won't they be able to escape before they get here?" He heard Iceman ask, as they climbed up the ramp into the X-Jet, it closing when they were all inside.

"Don't worry about them, Iceman. I'm keeping them at bay with induced paralysis. They won't be going anywhere unless I release them."

As Professor X settled up front with Cyclops, Iceman and the others took the passenger seats and buckled up. The console hummed into life, lights flashing as the Professor started it up with his telepathy. A feat that still astounded the young teens even now.

On their way back to the Xavier Institute, Professor X mentally assessed the X-Men's latest mission with Homo-Supreme and couldn't have been more proud of their progress. They handled the situation like a team, and for understanding today's lesson, Professor X was going to treat them to something special…

…He just had to find out what, living in this day and age…

THE END OF ISSUE 2

Enemies:

Vanisher AKA Telford Porter - A mutant who has the amazing ability to teleport from one place to another by mental thought. The distance he can travel has yet to be determined. He's also the founder of the recently disbanded "Homo-Supreme", firm believers of Magneto and his vision of mutants living "above" those who are inferior…namely Homo-Sapiens.

Unicorn AKA Milos Masaryk - A former Soviet intelligence agent who defected to America after accepting Vanisher's offer to join his group of super-criminals in the name of Magneto. Being a mutant, Unicorn wields superhuman strength (able to lift 15 tons), stamina and durability. He also wears headgear equipped with an energy projector that allows him to project concussive energy blasts, lasers, and microwave energy. He also wears a pair of boots that are equipped with twin, high-efficiency electric micro turbines that allow him to fly.

The Scarecrow AKA Ebenezer Laughton - He was an circus escape artist and contortionist in his younger days before his mutant powers started to manifest. He found out that his body can produce a mutated pheromone that affects the adrenal glands of people and higher animals (even crows) within twenty feet of him, causing a sensory overload which triggers a panic attack. The same pheromone affects the Scarecrow's own adrenal system, giving him superhuman strength and stamina.

The Eel AKA Leopold Stryke - Technically, the Eel isn't a real mutant. He only said he was so he could join Vanisher's team because he said that they'll be stealing money to prove Magneto's point that Homo-Superior should rise about those that are inferior. Having made his own costume, it enables him to generate short or long bursts of electricity which allowed him to fire electrical bolts and give off blinding glows. It's also set up with an electric current in the costume that shocks anyone who touches it.

Plantman AKA Samuel Smithers - A mutant completely composed of vegetable matter, his powers enable him to manipulate all kinds of plant life into doing his bidding. His current form also allows him limited superhuman strength and high resistance to physical injury.