Beyond Evolution

Number Nine - House Party

First Published: September 2002
Stars: X-Men, Brotherhood
Writer: Jay Faerber
Guest Artist: J.J. Kirby
Guest Colorist: Chris Walker
Letterer: Randy Gentile
Associate Editor: C.B. Cebulski
Associate Editor: Brian Smith
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
Pages: 22

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

Summary

The Professor’s briefing the X-Men: as Storm, Hank, Logan and the New Mutants are gone, and he’s leaving to investigate a mutant sighting, they are gonna be alone. He therefore expects them to go to school as normally today, and to train in the weekend. He tells Scott he’s in charge, and that he wants to be contacted if anything’s wrong. “I will, Professor. But what could possibly go wrong?” “Famous last words.”

Cut to Bayville High. Kurt’s talking to a friend about the Professor being away for the weekend, and the friend tells him that – with such a huge mansion and no Professor – this can only mean one thing: they’ll have to throw a party. Kurt agrees with that (theoretically…) but his friend then shouts – in the corridor, with everybody around – there’s gonna be a party at Xavier’s. Everybody reacts excited, except for Scott…

Cut to the Danger Room. As the X-Men are training, they’re talking about the pros and con’s for throwing a party. All the con’s – Xavier’s reaction; the risk of the others discovering the installations – are countered with pro’s – Xavier’s never gonna know; throwing a party is fitting in with the others, and that’s one of Xavier’s principles – and Scott agrees on holding the party.

Cut to Saturday night, and the party’s going on. Everybody’s enjoying themselves, Jean tells Scott it isn’t too bad – suddenly, the Brotherhood – Toad, Avalanche and the Blob – show up. Some words fall, but as there’s a crowd around, and they – theoretically – can’t refuse them, they can stay. Scott orders the others to keep an eye on the Brotherhood. Cut to one of the corridors. The Blob’s checking out the doors, and he’s close to discovering the Danger Room. Kitty and Jean are observing him, and they realize what he’s up to. Jean uses her TK to hold the door shut, but the Blob keeps putting his strength and weight behind it, and Jean’s having trouble holding on. Kitty decides to distract the Blob. She phases through the door Blob’s yanking, and tries distracting him with some ideas. She tries inviting him to a dance – he declines – but when she invites him to the kitchen, Blob gladly accepts. Behind the corner, Jean’s exhausted, but relieved.

Cut to the Hangar. Lance and Toad have intruded, but are confronted by Scott and Kurt. Scott tells them that, as there are no witnesses around, they’re gonna have their butts kicked. Lance launches a tremor at them, but Kurt ports Scott out. As the fight begins to escalate, a party-goer comes in and asks them what’s going on. Scott, Lance, Kurt and Todd back-track, and succeed in fooling the party-goer. He decides to rejoin the party. As they’re back alone, Kurt tells Todd and Lance they’re leaving. Todd boasts “Who’s gonna make us?” Kurt tells them he will. Before they can react, Kurt ports first Todd, then Lance out. When he returns, Scott asks him where they are. With a smile, he responds: “Way into the woods.”

Cut to the hall. Scott and Jean agree that the party has to be stopped. Jean sees a kid riding in one of Xavier’s chairs, but tips him out of it with her TK. Kitty also agrees on stopping the party, and tells them she’ll kill the music. She asks the DJ, but as he can’t hear, she points to the sound system – and accidentally phases her hand through it. Scott tells the guests the party’s over. They don’t wanna leave, but suddenly they notice the sound system’s on fire. Seconds later, they’re all gone.

Meanwhile, the blaze’s getting out of control. Kurt grabs the sound system, and ports with it to a lake. He falls into it with the sound system. Scot blasts one of the curtains down. Jean uses her TK to smother the fire with it. Spyke pins the curtain with his spikes. Kurt ports back in, wet, and says that is wasn’t that bad – or was it? The damage’s extensive, and Spyke asks Scott what they’re gonna do. “We’re gonna work like crazy, all night if we have to, to get this place back in order… before the Professor comes back, and grounds us for life.

Kitty phases through some walls on her way to get cleaning supplies. She encounters somebody they had forgotten all about: in the kitchen, the Blob’s raided the refrigerator, and he’s taking a nap. “Well, there’s one guy who’s gonna get a good night’s sleep.”

Next morning, and the Professor’s back. He asks the team, since the mansion’s still standing, how all went. They pretend nothing happened. The Professor tells them that that was what he hoped to hear, and that he’s glad his trust in them wasn’t misplaced. Scott stops him. He begins telling him what really happened. He tells the Professor that, maybe, they can’t be trusted after all. The Professor tells him he’s just proved he can…

Summary written by Nikko for -