The 198 Files contains short bios of the at the time known mutants retaining powers after M-Day.

It should not be confused with the group '198' although several members are featured.

It also has short bios on O.N.E.

Overview

“CHILDHOOD’S END” Part 1 (of 4)

NEW CREATIVE TEAM! Red-hot X-23 writers Craig Kyle and Chris Yost and rising star Mark Brooks (ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL, AMAZING FANTASY) take the New X-Men in a bold new direction. Spinning directly out of House of M #8, the New X-Men deal with the changed world. Will X-23 join the team? Will the friendships persevere? Will the kids survive? No one is safe and not everyone will live through this incredible change in the status quo. Brace yourself, the rules have changed and the safety is off.

Issue Summary

Dallas, Texas – Two Years Earlier:
A destitute looking old man approaches an abandoned church in Dallas, Texas. The sign on the front reads “Ministry of the Reverend William Stryker”. Rev. Stryker enters and begins to speak to the Lord, asking him why he was forced to sacrifice everything he held dear: his wife, his child, and his ministry. He wonders why God has forsaken him and left him with nothing. He takes a gun from his pocket and holds it to his head, begging the Lord to once more give him strength and to light the way back to Him. As he is about to pull the trigger a light floods the room and the enormous crucifix before the Reverend Stryker glows. Stryker falls to his knees and thanks the Lord.

The Xavier Institute – M-Day:
Emma Frost awakens on the lawn of the Xavier Institute following the reality-warping event that created the House of M. As she gets her bearings, she hears a cry for help from inside the Institute and races inside to investigate. Inside, the collective student body reacts to the after-effects of the reality warp and the Scarlet Witch’s decree of “No more mutants.” Kevin Ford is awakened by a scream and heads out to see what’s wrong. A boy is running down the hallway screaming and nearly knocks Kevin over. Behind him is Dallas Gibson AKA Specter who is crying and states that he cannot call forth his shadow. Kevin then hears another scream and leaves Dallas to find out what’s happening. He turns the corner and sees utter chaos in the common room. The students’ reactions are varied. Some are screaming for help, others are jubilant and thankful. Preview is declaring that she can’t see (due to the loss of her precognitive powers) while Indra, who is still obviously mutated, cannot recognize one of his classmates who apparently no longer looks the same without his mutant genome.

Emma bursts through the door and tries in vain to calm everyone. She then calls out telepathically to the Stepford Cuckoos to help her. The three telepathic sisters all apparently still have their powers as they are overwhelmed by the panic and emotions of the student body. Emma sees a delirious young man who is punching a wall. His fists are covered in blood but he’s smiling as he realizes that he is normal and can once again feel pain. Emma uses her telepathy to force him to sleep.

Amidst the chaos, Icarus (who still has his wings) tries to get everyone to calm down. He is with Wallflower and Wind Dancer. Kevin approaches them and realizes what has happened: they’ve all lost their powers. He excitedly approaches Laurie and says that it’s wonderful as he reaches out to touch her. As he grabs her arm, it begins to wither away. Icarus pushes Kevin away and asks what he was thinking. Kevin is shocked at what he’s done since he assumed his powers were gone, too. Icarus and Sofia rush Laurie to the infirmary as Kevin looks on in horror.

Emma makes her way to Cerebra while telepathically monitoring the school. She senses that Melody Guthrie still thinks she can fly and is about to leap from the roof of the Institute. Emma telepathically alerts the Beast, who leaps through a window and catches Melody as she begins to fall. Emma realizes she cannot find the student code-named Hydro and alerts the X-Men. Logan pulls the boy out of the pool and replies to Emma that he’s found him but that he’s dead. Emma calls the Stepford Cuckoos, who are still psionically overwhelmed by the mental chaos, to her side.

Josh Foley wakes up and wonders what’s going on. His roommate, David Alleyne seems dumbfounded and states that he doesn’t know…that he doesn’t know anything. Apparently, Prodigy has lost his mutant ability to telepathically absorb the knowledge and skills of others. In a nearby room, Hellion wonders what’s happened to his roommate, Tag who is in shock over losing his mutant powers. Dust and Surge realize that they should go help while Mercury looks at her silvery form in the mirror and wonders aloud “Why not me?” Rockslide on the other hand is still obviously in possession of his mutant powers and rocky form but is sleeping through the commotion. Wither is in complete anguish and declares again and again that this isn’t fair.

Inside Cerebra, Emma and the Cuckoos join together to telepathically will the entire student body to sleep. They are successful and Emma thanks “her girls”, who make it clear to Emma that they are not her girls. They wonder what’s happening.

Xavier Institute - Two days later:
Danielle Moonstar bursts out of the headmasters’ office looking angry beyond words and strides silently past Cyclops, slamming the door once he’s inside. Inside, Emma tells Scott that Dani has no place here, like all the rest who have lost their powers. Scott reminds her that he said they would discuss this first. Emma says it doesn’t matter and that without her powers she’s just a potential victim like all the students who are now human. Cyclops replies that he doesn’t care and that Dani is family. Emma insists that the school is for the “gifted” and that Dani no longer qualifies. Emma tries to explain that she knows how much Dani means to Scott and the students, but that she is merely trying to save her. Scott disagrees and says it isn’t right. Emma tells him not to be selfish and to let her go, for her own safety. Outside, Wolverine listens in on the entire exchange.

In the infirmary, Laurie Collins looks at her withered forearm and hand and says she can’t feel anything. She begs Elixir to help her. He tells her he’s trying but can’t stop crying. He asks if it’s her doing or just him. She replies that she thinks it’s him, perhaps implying that she has also lost her powers. He promises to keep trying until he’s fixed her. Outside the room, Wither watches in anger.

Fisherman’s Wharf – San Francisco:
X-23 is sitting on the pier when her cell phone rings. She answers but says nothing. Logan says that she might as well talk since he can hear her breathing. She says that she misses ‘them’ and Logan tells her that they aren’t there anymore. X-23 replies that ‘she’ was her only friend and Logan says he knows but that she’s gone now and that he needs her to come home now. He calls her Laura. She refuses and Logan reminds her of the deal they made. He says that he didn’t tell anyone that he knew her and even let her slash his face and that she hasn’t kept up her end of the bargain. Laura says she tried and Logan tells her that she didn’t. He tells her no more growling or alien costumes, she has to try for real this time. X-23 is worried that Weapon X will find her there. He tells her that she’s probably right but that the world is a scarier place and she’s needed by the kids at the Institute now and that she needs them. He tells her that if she doesn’t come back, she’s already dead. He asks her to trust him and she hangs up the phone and tosses it into the Bay.

Xavier Institute – Two Weeks after M-Day:
Emma and Scott are arguing. Now that word is out about the decimation of the mutant population, Emma is determined to protect those students who remain no matter the cost. She knows that now that this information is public, their enemies will be coming after them. She tells Scott that if he wants blood on his hands, then so be it. As they argue, a bloodied hand reaches for the front door. He manages to push the door open before collapsing. Emma looks out to see the bloodied and apparently lifeless body of Jay Guthrie on the doorsteps. His wings have clearly been amputated and poorly bandaged as blood is seeping through and he is covered head to toe in blood.

Overview

DECIMATION TIE IN!

HUGH STEBAKOV – co-writer of the critically acclaimed THE FRESHMAN -- joins Sean Scoffield for a Decimation tie-in featuring Mesmero! The master of manipulation has always had the power to make anyone do anything he wishes – but what happens when he realizes that, for the first time in his life, he is entirely powerless? Now, even just convincing one person to really and truly believe in him may be the only way to prevent his life from completely unraveling…

Then, DAMON HURD and CLAY MANN bring you the story of THE MARVEL…a previously unknown hero of incalculable strength…a hero who has defeated the hordes of Doctor Zivalus, fought off the rabid aliens at the gates of Graystone, and beaten back the evil Zister Twins at the Hour Of Doom… but now that his mutant powers have disappeared, he’ll lose more than any other mutant—everything.

The utopia is gone. But what is left? Ismael Ortega finds that his life has completely changed in the wake of House of M. How can he keep going when everything around him is rotten to the core?

Overview:

In the fallout from HOUSE OF M and following last year’s surprise hit film-noir series--MADROX, a new mutant team is forged! X-FACTOR is an investigative mutant agency including Madrox—the Multiple Man, Guido—the Strong Guy, Wolfsbane—the shape-shifter, Siryn—the chorus girl, Rictor—the living earthquake, and GENERATION X’s Monet—the pompous witch. Drawn together in the heart of District X, this rag-tag band of heroes has a lot of answers to find, and fast!

BONUS: A key player from HOUSE OF M will play a major roll in X-FACTOR! (No, it’s not Wolverine—sigh)

Issue Summary

Rictor stands on the snow-covered ledge of the building in Mutant Town that houses X-Factor Investigations. His breath hangs visibly on the air as he ponders his next decision.

Jamie Madrox AKA The Multiple Man provides the narration for this tension-filled scene. He explains that “X-Factor” refers to that unpredictable something. That unforeseen occurrence that changes everything in an instant. The things in life that you just don’t see coming. When that time comes and you don’t know how to handle it, that’s when you call X-Factor Investigations.

Jamie watches Rictor from a neighboring rooftop and wonders aloud what his old friend is up to. He wonders if this is a “cry for help” moment but decides that he doesn’t really believe in that and just finds this annoying. Still, since Rictor is a pal he can’t just stand around and do nothing. So Jamie does what Jamie does. He creates some dupes of himself to weigh his options. One particularly fatalistic dupe says it doesn’t really matter if he offs himself now since he’ll die in the upcoming nuclear holocaust anyway. Another thinks it should be Rictor’s choice and they shouldn’t interfere. Another insists that it’s too beautiful a night to die and that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Jamie decides that the last dupe has the right perspective to deal with the problem effectively. The dupe is enthusiastic about being chosen and rattles on about how appreciative he is.

Jamie orders the other dupes to toss the other across to the roof where Rictor is poised to jump. They toss the dupe who lands with a skillful roll. The real Jamie and the remaining dupes watch as the chosen dupe goes to talk down Rictor.

The real Jamie notes that the true problem with being a “multiple man” is that he can’t make up his mind on anything of importance since he can always choose every option by creating a new dupe to pursue each one that arises. No choice or direction is any more enticing since he never really has to choose just one.

The chosen dupe climbs down to where Rictor is contemplating his fate. He cheerfully says hello to Ric who asks what he’s doing there. The Jamie dupe says he’s there to keep him from doing anything stupid. Ric insists he not get too close and asks who sent him. The dupe replies that Rictor has made the nightly news. Ric looks down on the emergency crews and gathering onlookers and wonders if this is his fifteen minutes of fame. The dupe tells him that whatever it is, they can deal with it. Rictor explains that he’s not a mutant anymore and that that’s the one thing he can’t deal with.

Meanwhile at the Power Plant bar, Siryn is meeting with a young woman named Victoria. At Theresa’s request, Victoria has secured some information to help in taking down her boss, Mr. Manetta. Manetta was a con man whose schemes caused a lot of misery for the mutants in Mutant Town. Siryn tells Victoria that she’s done a great thing by taking this risk and that the lives of lots of people will be improved once Manetta is brought to justice.

Victoria reaches across the table and places her hand on Siryn’s as she confesses that she did it because of her love for the red-haired mutant. Theresa looks down in shock and gently removes her hand from under Victoria’s. She begins to say that Victoria will be joining the witness protection program and Victoria interrupts and asks if Theresa will be going with her. Siryn says that she never promised that. Victoria says she just assumed they’d be together given their feelings for each other. Siryn is thrown for a loop by this and tries to explain to Victoria that her feelings have to do with her voice. Victoria interrupts and gushes about how much she loves Terry’s voice. It’s then that Siryn notices that the pages Victoria brought her are blank. Victoria says this is impossible as Siryn realizes that it may mean someone may have switched them. Victoria panics as she realizes someone may be on to her.

At that moment, the windows shatter as a rain of machine-gun fires mows down Victoria. Siryn moves to Victoria’s side and tells her they’ll get an ambulance and she’ll be fine. She tells Victoria to stay with her but it’s no use. She dies in Siryn’s arms. In anguish, Theresa lets out a sonic scream of “NO!” that shatters all the glass in the area.

Back on the rooftop, Jamie’s dupe is surprised to hear that Rictor is now powerless and himself exclaims “No!”. Ric explains that 90% of the mutant population are now mere “saps”, homo sapiens. Jamie replies that he thought the popular term was “norms” and Rictor explains that he hates that terms because it implies that being human is “normal”. For him, normal was being a mutant and in perfect tune with the planet itself. He explains to the dupe that most thought he could just make the ground shake. In reality, he was linked to the planet and could sense every shift and movement in the earth around him. He could feel the planet’s power and now he feels like someone has stuffed his head in a bag. He confesses that before losing his powers, he pitied everyone a little bit because they didn’t experience the world like he did. Now, he’s no different than those he once felt sorry for except he knows exactly what he’s lacking in a way they never did. He ends by telling “Jamie” that he has no idea what it’s like to feel alone in a crowd. “Jamie” replies “You’d be surprised.”

At that moment, Strong Guy yells “Surprise!” as he leaps in front of the getaway car of the woman who shot up the Power Plant and killed Victoria. She manages to swerve out of the way but Guido grabs ahold of her bumper, which pops off as she speeds away. Siryn arrives and Guido expresses his relief to see that she’s okay since he saw the bar getting shot up. Siryn is clearly angry and tells Guido he was supposed to be providing back-up. He says that he was coming and that she had said show up at eight and that it’s only a quarter of. Siryn is still angry and tells him he could have known she’d get there early. Guido retorts that he’s Strong Guy not “Psychic Guy” and starts to ask why Terry’s so upset. She beats him to it and exclaims that Victoria is dead and that it’s all his fault. He tells her flat-out to go to hell and she says she’ll meet him there as soon as she’s cleaned up his mess. He twists the bumper angrily in his hands as she flies off.

Jamie watches his dupe talking with Rictor and says into his radio communicator that “he seems to have things in hand.” Jamie explains to his unseen ally that his dupe is keeping Rictor talking and no one jumps to their death in the middle of a sentence. He urges whoever he’s talking to to get there quickly nevertheless. Jamie notes that he himself has a perverse side that probably would commit suicide in the middle of a sentence just to be funny. Recently, his dupes have been manifesting as aspects of his own personality. This new aspect of his powers has him questioning the worth of “Jamie Prime” now that he’s providing himself with competition.

On the rooftop, Jamie’s dupe is explaining the dynamics of X-Factor Investigations to Rictor. He notes that he started out small with Strong Guy and Wolfsbane helping out part-time. Rictor is surprised to hear that Rahne is involved. “Jamie” goes on to explain that he recently got a million dollars and increased the size and scope of the operation. He won the million on a game show. When asked to “phone a friend” he called his dupes who were busily researching the right answers to the question. Rictor asks what the million dollar question was. “Jamie” tells him it was “Who wrote ‘Mefisto in Onyx’ and that he knew right away it was Harlan Ellison.

He goes on to explain how he’s been sending his dupes out to learn new things and how he’s amassed an array of knowledge and skills as a result. He tells Rictor he used the money to buy the building where X-Factor Investigations was set up. He also set up bigger offices and some apartments for himself and the new operatives he’s hired on. He admits that they aren’t up to code, but the authorities steer clear of Mutant Town or what’s left of it. Rictor jokingly refers to it as the “Great Power Outage of 2005” and asks why they aren’t investigating that. “Jamie” replies “Who says we’re not?!?” and divulges that they got tons of calls from ex-mutants and it’s one of the cases they’re working on. Rictor asks who exactly “we” consists of.

“Jamie” provides a quick roll call: Siryn, who has recently discovered she can use her voice to enthrall others to adore her when she is completely calm. He notes that it only works on humans but that they’ll gladly sacrifice themselves just like with the sirens of myth.

At that moment, Siryn catches up with the escaping shooter and uses her scream to drive her car into a light post. The woman gets out of the car, gun in hand. Siryn taunts her and begs her to try to shoot her. The woman refuses and turns the gun on herself to Siryn’s horror.

“Jamie” continues his roll call and mentions that M joined too. Rictor thinks he means the character from the Bond movies. “Jamie” clarifies that he means Monet St. Croix AKA M. Rictor seems put off by this, referring to her as “Supergirl-meets-Veronica Lodge” and notes that she looks down her nose at everybody. “Jamie” replies that it’s a really cute nose though. Rictor wonders if this is a sales pitch to try and get him to join. “Jamie” replies that they’d love to have him. Rictor reminds “Jamie” that he’s not a mutant anymore to which “Jamie” replies that 99% of detectives in the world aren’t mutants. Rictor says that he’s not a detective either.

As “Jamie” begins to reply, an amplified voice from below calls up to Rictor and calls him a “flaming idjit”. Rictor looks down and says a weak hello to Rahne Sinclair, who is standing down below with a megaphone. She is angry and asks him if he knows what’ll happen to him if he commits suicide. She heatedly explains (in exhaustive and gory detail) that it’s a mortal sin and he’ll spend eternity in hell being tortured endlessly by demons if he goes through with it. He meekly retorts that in Japan it’s regarded as an honorable death. Rahne does not let up a bit and asks him if this looks like Japan to him. She asks if he sees any Shinto shrines or if there’s a Toshiro Mifune film fest up the street. He admits that he doesn’t. She affirms that it’s because they aren’t in “Bleedin’ Japan!” She ends her tirade by asking if he knows where he is?

This same question is echoed by Siryn who is asking the same question of young Layla Miller who has just shown up at X-Factor Investigations. Siryn is sitting with her feet on the table staring at a shot of liquor she’s poured for herself. She asks what the girl wants and Layla introduces herself. Siryn bitterly says that she answered “who” not “what” and Layla asks the Irish mutant if she’s going to drink that. Siryn says no. She explains that she’s an alcoholic and only gets to stare longingly at it and dwell on the fact that a young woman is dead because of her. Guido chimes in and says that he thought it was his fault. Siryn apologizes for how she unloaded on Strong Guy, who says he’s been called worse (by her on occasion). He begins to explain that he has some info on the shooter, but Layla interrupts and finishes his sentence. She explains that the woman was an operative from Singularity Investigations, a security agency for the rich and famous. Guido asks who Layla is and how she knew this. Layla introduces herself again and announces that she’s joining the group.

Outside, Rahne continues to provide detailed descriptions of hellish torture via her megaphone until Rictor gives in. “Jamie” helps him to his feet and asks if he’s okay. Rictor says he guesses he is and asks if “Jamie” is the real thing or a dupe. He confesses to being a dupe and how Jamie Prime thought it best to send a more optimistic aspect of his personality to talk Rictor down. Ric doesn’t fully get it and the dupe goes on to explain that he’s not really the optimistic side of Jamie Madrox. Rictor seems surprised as the dupe explains that he just tricked Jamie Prime into thinking that. The dupe smiles widely and explains that he’s really the perverse side of Jamie’s psyche, the part that compels Jamie to do the unexpected. He draws Rictor in close and whispers to him that he’s the unpredictable side of Jamie’s nature, the fly in the ointment… the x-factor. With that explained, the dupe shoves Rictor off the rooftop. 

Overview

HOUSE ARREST Parts 1 & 2 (of 3)

Something’s amiss at the House of Xavier! A sneak attack forces the X-Men to re-evaluate just who their friends are, and to align themselves with former enemies! The Xavier Institute will never be the same.

Spoilers

Valerie Cooper agrees to keep Polaris’ secret that she apparently not longer has her mutant powers, while Iceman also seemingly powerless, searches the woods for her. Valerie informs Cyclops, Havok and the other X-Men that the Sentinels are here for the X-Men’s protection, and introduces them to Alexander Lexington, the leader of the Sentinel Squad, the men and women who control this new generation of Sentinels. The X-Men are seriously unimpressed about this, but some of the Sentinel Squad aren’t too keen on the idea of protecting the X-Men either. Meanwhile, also in the woods is the Leper Queen and the other members of the Sapien League, who launch another attack on the X-Men, forcing them to accept Valerie’s offer to help them. Bobby finds himself in more trouble when the Sapien League find him, and the Leper Queen prepares to kill him, however the White Queen picks up Bobby’s distress and alerts the X-Men to his plight, while she does something to him…and to the Leper Queen’s distress, the mysterious villainess finds her arm covered in ice. As the X-Men arrive on scene, they see a confused Bobby once more in his ice form. Meanwhile, in Egypt, an Archaeologist stumbles into a hidden chamber at a dig site, and is greeted by a mysterious shadow on the wall, while at a space station, Gazer realizes he too has lost his powers, and converses with the mysterious "Phantom Torso", before the mysterious green thing he has been trying to make contact with comes into view on his screen.