Beyond Evolution

Number Seven - Beast of Burden

First Published: July 2002
Stars: Beast, New Mutants
Writer: Devin Grayson
Art and Colors: Udon, Long Vo, Charles Park and Saka of Studio XD
Letters: Randy Gentile
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Associate Editor: Brian Smith
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
Pages: 23

For more information about this comic, including scans of the first four pages visit Toon Zone!

Summary

As the story starts, we find Hank McCoy talking to the Professor. He wants to come to the Institute, as his mutation has made it impossible for him to remain a teacher at Bayville High, and though he can continue with his genetic research, it lacks funding. Hank tells Xavier he’ll miss teaching, but Xavier tells Hank he won’t be staying there for free: the Professor expects his students to learn, and his teachers to teach. As Hank asks whether there are any other teachers at the Institute, Xavier responds Hank’ll be the first one. However – the more senior residents are in tutoring positions.

Cut to the Danger Room, and we find Kurt, Evan and Kitty lying all over the floor, and Logan yelling at them. The Professor introduces Logan to Hank, and asks the students how they’d feel if Logan would be replaced in his role as P.E. teacher by Hank. The students are glad, but as Hank gets congratulated by Logan, Kitty tells Hank Logan isn’t as rough as he appears. Xavier suggests the students to let Hank meet the other students – the new recruits – but as Hank, the students and Logan leave the Danger Room, Storm tells Xavier there’s a serious issue they haven’t addressed yet: the hierarchy at the school. She explains to him that – since there’s an increasing chance the kids’ll be ‘forced into defensive action’; a field leader would have to be appointed. It would have to be someone the younger students can look up to, but who?

Meanwhile, Hank’s first activity at the institute is organizing a game of (no-powers) baseball outside. Magma’s at the pitch, and it’s Kurt’s turn… and strike three, he’s out! Kurt apologizes to Evan (the team captain), and though he finds Kurt’s idea to port to the bases a good one, he blasts him for having missed the ball. Evan treats the game as an occasion to show the ‘newbies’ who’s in charge. Jean interrupts Evan, telling him Kurt had done his best, but Evan reacts badly to Jeans intervention. As Rogue asks where Scott is, Kurt tells her he’s in the kitchen – surrounded by broken eggs and claiming to be busy studying geometry. (If anybody can tell me what the heck this means, please do so! Sunray) Jamie asks why he’s in the right field, as nothing ever hits out there, and Logan tells him if he doesn’t stop whining he’ll get hit out there.

It’s Jean’s turn now, and Evan keeps bugging her that she has to bunt this one, and Jean reminds Evan that she can hit the ball. Evan tells her he’s the captain, and that he’s telling her to bunt it. Jean hits it. The ball goes in Jamie’s direction, but he’s not paying attention. Sam begins running for it, but so does Jamie. They hit each other, and Jamie ‘multiplies’. One of the Jamies catches the ball – actually, it lands into the hand of a knocked-out Jamie. Jean’s declared ‘out’, but Evan starts protesting, as Jamie used his powers. Hank sees it another way: Jamie used his powers accidentally. Evan really gets mad now, he starts falling out at Hank, Jean and Roberto. Hank tells Evan he’s out of the game because of his conduct. Evan’s pissed off now, he was made team captain because of his competitiveness, but as nobody does what he says… Hank reminds Evan that leadership isn’t about forcing everybody to obey one’s will.

Scott turns up, and as Evan’s just been thrown out of the game, he’s made team captain. Scott agrees, but he tells that “if we’re gonna do this, let’s do it right.”

Cut to the Danger Room and Evan’s thanking Scott for letting him play again. Scott tells him that, as a team, they won’t leave a man behind. It’s the New Mutants turn for batting, and Multiple’s up first. Jean’s pitching, but Logan tells her to hold it. He taps on Jamie’s shoulder, and tells Jean Jamie’s ready now – there are five Jamies waiting… As Jean throws, the Jamies all swing, and one hits the ball. Jamie reacts belatedly, and starts running for the first base after a while, but it doesn’t seem like he’s gonna make it – until Bobby ices up the floor, and Jamie slides in – safe! (In case you haven’t noticed yet, this time round it’s mutant baseball.) Next up: Sunspot, and he wants some more lights – he hates artificial lighting. He tells Jean to give him her best shot – she does a TK shot, and Spyke catches her fastball. Next try, Sunspot flares up, and wacks the ball. Kurt ports up and catches it, but the impact throws him into the control room. Jean has to catch Kurt with her TK powers. With Sunspot, that’s the third man out, and now it’s the X-men’s turn to bat.

Rogue’s up, and Jubilee’s the pitcher, with Ray the catcher. Rogue misses the first ball as she closes her eyes, and as Jubilee comments her on that, Rogue uses her powers on Ray, so she’s got his skills at the game. Second ball and Rogue slams the ball pretty hard, but as she runs for the first base, Magma stops her with a volcanic burst while Sam catches the ball. Rogue’s out. She says she feels sooo stupid, but as Scott tells her she did her best, she says she actually meant she feels so stupid (after having touched Ray… Hum, hum) Ray doesn’t enjoy the joke…

Kitty hits the ball, and makes first base, but as Scott takes up position, Boom Boom blasts the control panel with a cherry bomb. The danger room goes into code red lock-down, and as a consequence Scott can’t see a thing – everything’s red, and red through red glasses… But Jean guides him with her TP. As Scott makes it to first base, Rahne turns wolf and fetches the ball. While the Beast resets the control panel – “If this saving the world stuff doesn’t take off, we could always go pro.” - , Rahne and Jubilee discuss their tactics on Spyke. - “What do you think we should do about Jock-boy here?” “Grrrr…” - Logan warns the kids Spyke’s the X-Men’s best player, and while Spyke boasts he’s gonna bat the ball right out of the park, all of them prepare. But Spyke was acting on a plan: he gives the ball a slight hit, and it actually falls short.

While the kids all scramble for the ball, the X-Men start running. Ray manages to grab the ball, and as he tries to catch Kitty out, she runs right through him. It’s a home run, and the X-Men win. As Hank congratulates them on their game, Scott receives all of the praise. They all agree he did some nice strategizing, but Scott tells them it was the teamwork which made them win.

Satisfied, Logan, Hank, Ororo and Xavier look on. They’ve just found their field leader. Cut to Hank’s laboratory, and Scott comes to see Hank as he’s working on his computer. Scott tells Hank he’s just been made field leader, but that he’s worried he’s not right for the job. Hank reassures Scott that he’s a bright mind, and that he’s a natural born leader. Just then, Hank receives an Email. An anonymous person offers him the funds for continuing his genetic research…

Summary written by Nikko for -