"Gifted" is a comic book arc running through #1-6 of Astonishing X-Men (volume three). Edit
Creative Team
Writer(s) - Joss Whedon
Penciller(s) - John Cassaday
Inker(s) - John Cassaday
Colorist(s) - Laura Martin
Letterer(s) - Chris Eliopoulos
Editor(s) - Joe Quesada, Mike Marts, Cory Sedlmeier
Cover(s) - John Cassaday (Normal Covers #1 Cassaday Variant #1 Director's Cut #5 Variant), Gabriele Dell'Otto (#1 Variant)
Synopsis
Cyclops forms a new X-Men team! And because we fans demanded, fan favourite Kitty Pryde returns to the fold! And a new threat has risen: a "cure" for mutants!
As the X-Men hear about the cure, another threat arises, but it isn't a "cure": it's an alien! After being defeated, the X-Men aren't happy, and Beast visits Dr. Kavita Rao, creater of the "cure"!
Wolverine and Beast battle! But this time, Wolveirne has a good excuse for fighting his team mate! What does it have to do with this cure? Will Emma make these two beasts tango? And are you as amazed as Kitty is that Emma teaches Ethics (irony)? Plus Cyclops visits head of SHIELD: Nick Fury!
The X-Men infiltrate Benetech, after the last issues startling discovery! What lies beneath Benetech? Or rather who lies beneath Benetech?
Kitty Pryde is reveling from the huge ressur- -hmph- revelation, and who-- I'm mean what is the revelation! And above ground, arguments battles and raids go down!
The last issue in the first arc of this brand new series! Which member of SHIELD has been making agreements with intergalactic supervillains? All I can tell you for sure, is I think it's time for a Fastball Special!
Associated Issues
Edit
Returning to the Institute, Kitty Pryde finds old memories waiting for her. She also finds herself named as being a member of the senior staff of the Institute during the ceremony welcoming the new student body. The only member of the senior staff not present is Logan, who appears the next morning, picking a fight with Cyclops regarding his new relationship with Emma Frost.
This resumption of old animosities leads the Beast to call a meeting, during which Cyclops proposes a new direction for their group – returning to their roots as being super heroes, just like the publicly respected Avengers and Fantastic Four. They will gain acceptance from humans through actions they understand, not words they will not hear. Their first mission comes soon, as they leave to respond to a hostage situation caused by an apparent mutant and his gunmen.
Meanwhile, world-renowned geneticist Dr. Kavita Rao makes a startling announcement at a press conference. She states that the mutant gene is not an evolutionary step but a disease; a disease for which she has found a cure.
At her press conference, Doctor Kavita Rao shows the footage taken by a cameraman following two police officers to the scene of a disturbance, where a young girl name Tildie Soames has manifested her mutant power and unknowingly killed her parents and one of the officers. She is the example of a life ruined by an unwanted mutation, which can be fixed by Rao’s “cure.”
Meanwhile, the X-Men arrive at the hostage situation and make short work of the gunmen. However, their leader, a possible mutant claiming to be called Ord, of the Breakworld, easily defeats the X-Men in turn. Ord is forced to retreat, however, when Lockheed arrives and uses his flame breath, against which Ord is unprepared.
At the press conference afterward, the team learns of the claims of Doctor Rao of having discovered a cure for mutants. They continue the discussion back at the mansion but table the issue for the next day. After the meeting, Emma tries to bury the animosity between Kitty and herself, only to realize that it is much deeper than she ever thought.
Shortly thereafter, the Beast manages to sneak past security and break into the company sponsoring Doctor Rao’s research, Benetech, only to be discovered by Doctor Rao herself. Their conversation begins to turn into an argument, until the Beast admits that he’s not there to discuss the ethics of the situation but to know if the cure works.
The fallout of Benetech’s press release over their purported “mutant cure” continues, as hundreds of mutants apply for the treatment. Even at the Xavier Institute, students are leaving and even mocking their teachers, when they suggest that there will be a choice in its application.
The conflict makes it to the X-Men themselves, after Emma telepathically learns that the Beast is researching the validity of the serum so that he can use it on himself. Learning this, Wolverine orders the Beast to trash their sample, given to McCoy by its inventor, Dr. Kavita Rao, and leading to a fight. The skirmish is ended by Emma’s telepathy, leading to a meeting in the Danger Room, where Cyclops decides that they will continue with the research, so that they know what they are up against.
Cyclops also reports that his meeting with Nick Fury regarding the S.H.I.E.L.D. weapons obtained from Ord of Breakworld’s mercs did not go well. Either Fury has become a mutant-hater in the wake of the recent attack on Manhattan, or he is hiding something, which seems to be true.
Later, after further research, the Beast comes to a horrible discovery, as he realizes that the body Benetech has been running their tests on is someone with whom they were once acquainted. Guessing at who this might be, Cyclops infers that it is Jean.
Though Cyclops, Beast and Emma have a suspicion about what body Benetech has been using for its research, Cyclops does not inform Kitty or Wolverine, only that they are on a recon mission to the company’s lab.
Arriving via the X-plane, the team quickly makes their way into the facility, thanks to Kitty’s phasing power. The search eventually leads to the corpse of a mutant, albeit an unknown one. Cyclops and Beast’s reaction, seeming to be expecting something more, arouses Wolverine’s suspicions.
Before he can press them on it, however, the team is attacked by a group of gunmen, using heavy ordinance, who quickly gain the upper hand. Back at the Xavier Institute, Ord of the Breakworld steals into the mansion, only to find the X-Men gone. He does run into two students, Hisako and Wing.
Though they put up a valiant struggle for their age and ability, Ord gains the upper hand and injects some of the mutant-cure serum into Wing, leaving him behind as a message for the X-Men. Meanwhile, Kitty has used her phasing power to reach a deep sub-level, which leads her to a giant, locked door. Her opening of the entrance draws the attention of the guards, though they are no match for the mutant who was held within: Colossus.
Kitty’s shock is deep but short, as she quickly tries to calm down the enraged Piotr, who breaks down into tears at the sight of her, asking if he is finally dead.
At the Xavier Institute, the on hand healer, Elixir, is able to repair the injuries Wing received at the hands of Ord of the Breakworld, though Wing quickly comes to a horrific realization: Ord has “cured” him of his mutant powers.
Back at Benetech, Cyclops, Beast, Wolverine and Emma are at the mercy of the heavily armed Benetech guards, until the arrival of the startled Dr. Kavita Rao. Her attempts at helping the injured Cyclops give Wolverine time for his healing factor to repair his gunshot wounds. With Wolverine ready enough for action, Cyclops coordinates the X-Men’s counter-attack via Emma’s telepathy and the team quickly turns the tables on the Benetech guards.
Their victory, however, seems short-lived, as Ord of the Breakworld returns, more than a match for the wounded and weary X-Men. Surprisingly, help arrives in the form of Colossus, much to the uncontrollable astonishment of the X-Men, as he is phased to the ground level of the Benetech facility from his underground prison by Kitty Pryde.
At first, Ord is able to hold his own against Colossus, but the rage-filled blows of the former X-Man make short work of him. Before Colossus can finish the job, however, he and the rest of the X-Men find themselves surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, led by Nick Fury, who informs the team that they’re not going to win this day.
Surrounded by armed SHIELD troops, the X-Men choose to reason with Fury, explaining that they have discovered that Fury’s ally, Ord of the Breakworld, was experimenting on the resurrected Piotr Rasputin in order to create the “cure.” Questioned by Fury, Special Agent Brand, director of SHIELD’s extra-terrestrial directive-driven counterpart, SWORD, confirms.
Ord is from a planet called the Breakworld, which possesses technology to see glimpses of the future. In one glimpse, they saw that an Earth mutant – possibly an X-Man - destroys their planet in their lifetime. SWORD entered into an agreement with Ord and the Breakworld to create a cure for mutation – in lieu of an alien invasion. SWORD and Ord had enlisted the aid of Dr. Kavita Rao, using DNA from the Breakworld resuscitated Colossus to create it.
As Brand continues her explanation, rioting mutants, incensed by a possibility of a cure, break into Benetech, scattering the SHIELD agents. In the confusion, Ord sneaks away to his spacecraft. As he rockets away, with the cure formula, Colossus manages to launch Wolverine to the ship via a Fastball Special, and Wolverine manages to makes Ord land.
The situation diffused, Fury suggests they walk away and act like the incident never happened. Having no way to object, the X-Men comply. Back at the Institute, the X-Men take stock of their situation. The Beast is still torn by the cure, of which he possesses the last sample, though he will not take it – for now.
Taking a little private time, Kitty and Piotr ponder the meaning of finding each other again. Meanwhile, Emma and an unseen cohort ponder how, if at all, Colossus’ return changes their plan.
| Storyarc Name: | Gifted |
| 1st Appearance: | Astonishing X-Men #1 |
| Appears in: | 2 issues |
| Publisher: |
