Ultimate X-Men # 94 - Absolute Power, Part 1 of 4

Overview

New scribe Aron Coleite jumps aboard, fresh from his stint as one of the top writers on the hit NBC show Heroes! Regrouping after the devastating battle against Apocalypse, the X-Men encounter a new adversary which seems unstoppable. To fight it, the young mutants must ask themselves: how far are they willing to go and what are they willing to take to raise their game? The answer will test the bonds and shake the team to its very core.

Flashback to Siberia, ten years ago. Piotr Rasputin secretly admires an anti-communist poster featuring Captain America. He wants nothing more but to be a hero. Having to do his chores on he family farm, Piotr is in the barn milking a cow. His name is called and is followed by gunfire. Piotr instantly changed to metal form (unfortunately the cow couldn't). Inside the barn is Anatol Spichkin, a Russian mobster, and his men. He tells Piotr that if he ever wants to do something more with his life, he'll have a job for him.

Today, at the Xavier School for Gifted Children, a softball game is taking place against Emma Frost's students. As they are playing, Nightcrawler takes a moment to apologize to Peter for the way he treated him after he found out about his relationship with Northstar. Suddenly Iceman stumbles onto the field, his left arm broken off. He tells them to run and falls over. He lands and shatters. Alpha Flight has arrived.

Wolverine tells them that this is his fight. He attacks Vindicator. Mac simply hits him with a full blast that sends him flying. Cyclops orders the attack. One by one, the X-Men (and other students) are all getting trounced, despite the odds. Vindicator tells Northstar that he is property of the Canadian government and is to return to serving Department H immediately. Colossus stands up and Northstar begs him to back off saying that he doesn't know what they are capable of. The rest of the X-Men are taken out and Northstar is in Alpha Flight's possession. They prepare to leave in their transport but Colossus is not giving up. He's standing in the back holding it to prevent it taking off. Aurora distracts him by taking away the light from him.

In the infirmary, Beast has managed to piece Bobby back together. He is amazed by Bobby's ability to survive. Peter is on edge and wants to go after Northstar right away despite Cyclops' hesitation. He wants more information since twenty-five of them were easily defeated by the five members of Alpha Flight. Finally Logan walks in. He landed in Maine. He managed to grab a piece off of Vindicator's suit. It contained a power-enhancer drug called "Banshee," a mutant growth hormone. He tells them that it's highly addictive and extremely lethal. Jean asks what would happen if a mutant took it. Hank tells them they just saw, it would turn them into gods.

Their talk about Banshee seems to have a strange effect on Peter. He just walks out of the room. Jean talks to Scott and wants to probe Peter's mind. Scott tells her it'd be wrong. She says she just wants to help him and he won't know she's there.

She sees memories in Peter's mind. His first "time" and getting caught by his father. He goes to see Spichkin but he says he can't use him. Even though he can turn to steel, he's "weak as a little girl" and can't even lift his arms. Spichkin tells him to go home but Peter can't. Spichkin offers the solution of Banshee. As Jean reacts to this memory, Peter can sense her presence.

To put it lightly, he's not too happy at the invasion of his privacy. As he attacks Jean, the others come to her defense. Jean tells him that the drug is killing him right now. Peter compares himself to Captain America but Wolverine tells him he's no Cap. Nightcrawler quickly comes to Peter's defense mentioning all the times he's saved them. Peter says that the bad guys are getting more dangerous and perhaps they should all be using the drug. Jean starts to heat up and states that they are a drug-free institution and anyone doing drugs will be expelled. Colossus says he's going after Northstar so they can consider him expelled.

Peter packs a few things and prepares to leave. Scott wants to talk to him but Peter tells him not to try to stop him. Scott says he wants to help. He says that he loves Jean but is scared of what she could become. They need each other and Peter can't do this alone. Peter notes that he's not alone as others are willing to join him.