New X-Men # 37 - THE QUEST FOR MAGIK – PRELUDE

“THE QUEST FOR MAGIK” – PRELUDE

Superstar artist Niko Henrichon (Pride of Baghdad) joins Paco Medina for a special prelude to the New X-Men adventure of the year. It’s story time for the New X-Men, and Blindfold is spinning them a tale that will plunge the students of the Xavier Institute into a hell (or is that Limbo?) they cannot imagine. And what does this have to do with House of M and Illyana Rasputin? Everything!

Mercury continues to deal with the after-effects of her imprisonment by the Facility under the watchful eyes of her friends. Elixir convinces the Stepford Cuckoos to telepathically transfer all of Hank McCoy’s scientific knowledge into his mind to help him in the expanding use of his powers. Meanwhile, the Institute kids spend an evening telling stories around the fireplace. Blindfold’s tale of a young girl abducted and corrupted by a demon lord bears a striking resemblance to the origin of the New Mutant code-named Magik. Her tale takes an ominous tone when it stops being about Illyana’s past and begins to tell the recent return of Belasco and his conquest of Limbo following the reality shift called House of M. During this period, Belasco sensed the return of his mutant protégé who was resurrected during the Scarlet Witch’s reality warp. This drove Belasco on a bloody quest across dimension to reclaim his wayward apprentice. He began by reclaiming Limbo and casting out its current ruler, Amanda Sefton. With his seat of power there re-established he has traced Illyana to those who last saw her… the students of the Xavier Institute. As Blindfold concludes her tale, Anole realizes this is no imaginary story but a warning. His realization comes moments too late as the floor opens up to swallow them.