They come from across the globe and all walks of life, but these teens share a spectacular and frightening secret--a genetic twist of fate has gifted each one of them with incredible powers. This is the next generation of mutants who have come to the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters in Snow Valley, Massachusetts, to learn how to control and utilize their growing abilities for the greater good of mankind. Helping them along the way are the exclusive academy's three headmasters, Sean Cassidy, Emma Frost, and Raven Darkholme. Together, the pupils and teachers do their best to attend class, learn about themselves, and find their place in a world that fears and hates them...


Generation X

Issue #1

by Mike Fitzgerald

Once a student of Professor Xavier himself, Irish native Sean Cassidy has now dedicated his life to teaching young mutants how to live with and employ their fantastic powers. Banshee's own genetic gift is that of a
Banshee

Once one of the X-Men's deadliest enemies, Emma Frost is a telepath of enormous power and questionable morals--a mutant who is more than willing to use her ability to read and control the minds of others. Only after seeing her first group of students perish did she resolve to join Xavier's efforts to create a brighter future for mutants and humans alike.
Emma Frost

Jubilation Lee is a southern Californian, ex-mallrat with the power to generate explosive bursts of energy! Her rebellious nature is perhaps the result of being orphaned, as she lived for a time relying solely on her own resourcefulness to survive.
Jubilee

Raised in the harsh environment of East LA, Angelo Espinosa learned at an early age not to expect too much from life. He must concentrate to maintain control over what everyone else takes for granted--and learn how to use his 6 or so extra feet of skin to stretch, grip, and wrap him self around opponents!
Skin

Born and raised in London, Jonothan Starsmore is cursed by his frightening appearance--the result of the first manifistation of his mutant ability, when telekinetic energy literally erupted out of him. Chamber's only means of communication is the capacity to project his thoughts into the consciousness of others. In addition, he can use the power of his mind to generate destructive bio-blasts!
Chamber

The young woman named Monet St. Croix comes from a family of aristocrats whose ancestral home is Monaco. Often time, her haughty bearing infuriates her teammates--but none can deny her advanced intellect, telepathic power, or superhuman strength.
M

Paige Guthrie has followed in the footsteps of her older brother Sam--X-Force's Cannonball--to become a student at Xavier's. As a metamorph, Husk has the ability to shed her skin, revealing beneath it a new body, a new form, in any number of bio-organic substances--from diamond, to rock, to steel!
Husk

Perhaps the most well-adjusted of the group, Everett Thomas possesses a synchronistic aura--an energy field that allows him to become genetically 'in synch' with any mutant in close, physical proximity. In essence, he has the ability to utilize aspects of other mutant's powers--on a limited basis.
Synch

By far the most mysterious of all the GenX kids, the young girl whose only other known name is Yvette has yet to communicate verbally with her fellow students or teachers. Apparently unable to give voice to her personal terrors, she has managed to find refuge within the confines of Xavier's School--where she is slowly beginning to learn how to cope with diamond-hard, razor-sharp, skin.
Penance

 

WRITERS NOTE: Welcome to Marvel 2K's Generation X #1! First off, let me say that I am totally wiping out all Hama and Faerber continuity. So if you're a Lobdell/Robinson fan, THIS IS THE FIC FOR YOU! But wait? Don't all Marvel 2K fics take place right after Maggie War? Yep they do. Which is why this is a little complicated. So I'm going to do change the Operation: Zero Tolerance ending just a bit:
1. Emma and Banshee have kissed and made up (aww...)
2. M never unmerged (WOOHOO!)
3. Emma and Sean found the kids shortly after, safe and sound.
4. And we'll assume the kids have been quietly studying all this time ^_^
That's it! Without further ado-do, here's Generation X #1, in the Merry Marvel 2000 manner!


Emma Frost, the former White Queen of the Hellfire Club, doesn't take much for granted. One moment she was a young debutante, the next she's hearing voices in her head. Soon becoming feared and hated like so many others. All of a sudden she was leading a band of young mutants known as the Hellions, and... well...

Emma Frost clings to her work with love. Her students are her greatest assets. If she were to lose them a SECOND time, there's no telling what she would become capable of.

"Miss Frost," Leech asked. "Where Jubilee?"

Artie and Leech take everything for granted. It goes with the innocence of youth.

"She went with Banshee and the others for driving lessons. Why?"

"Jubilee said she help us put up posters in treehouse. Said she had all these cool Captain America ones!"

"Oh."

The two children looked at her with their pupil-less eyes. Craving for an idea of something they could do.

"You could see if Angelo will let you play video games with him."

"Angelo playing Space Invaders and he never lets Artie and Leech have turns..."

"What about Everett? You can tell him he can have a break if he says he's busy studying..."

"Okay!" Leech giggled as he ran off.

"=)" Artie 'said,' as he followed.

Emma watched them as they ran off. Enjoying every bit of their innocence...


Everett Thomas, code-named Synch, takes a few things for granted. He used to take his parents for granted. Until he nearly killed them and his baby sister while under the control of Emplate. He used to take life at the Xavier school for granted until he and the others were nearly drowned at sea. Due to the nature of his powers, he cannot take the other members of his team for granted.

But Everett is happy with his life. He should be studying, but he was given a chance to have fun with the youngest students at the Xavier School, and he's not going to take this chance for granted.

"Okay guys," Everett said. "Let's get to it. You're lucky you know where Jubilee keeps her stuff."

"Captain America SO cool!" squeaked Leech.

"^_^"

Synch stopped in his tracks. He saw a man he had not seen in a long while. Not since he had first seen Emplate...

"Gateway..."

"?" Artie 'said.'

The old Australian looked at Synch with wide, open eyes. He stared at him for what seemed like eternity. Then all of a sudden, he tightly shut them, and opened them again. Everett looked past the man and finally saw what he was talking about.

"C... Clarice?!"


Angelo Espinosa, otherwise known as Skin, doesn't take anything for granted. He loves his life. To death. End of story. Lets move on.

Emma Frost stood in his doorway.

"Angelo? Can I ask you something?"

"Si," Angelo replied. "What can I help you with, Ms. Frost?"

"I just wanted to tell you to be a little nicer to Leech and Artie," she replied. "They really don't have anybody but each other, and I just thought you should treat them a little better."

"Okay. Gotcha. Let kids play Space Invaders more often. Anything else?"

"Well... now that you mention it, I was a bit curious as to why you didn't want to go with the others for driving lessons. You usually can't wait when it comes to the Sean's Jeep..."

"I need a little time to think once and a while... that's all."

"Well, if you need anything, Sean and I are here."

"Si Miss Frost. You got it."


Paige Guthrie, the younger sister of X-Force's Cannonball, doesn't take many things for granted. Her powers, for one. Its not every mutant that's gifted with polymorphical abilities such as she is. It may have been the greatest night in her life when she begged for the stars to make her a mutant. She threatened to tear of her skin if she didn't. Now look at her. As Husk, that's how her morphing abilities work.

"Slow down, lass!" Sean Cassidy shouted. Fortunately for the others in the Jeep, it wasn't the sonic scream of Banshee.

One might say that Paige takes a lot of things for granted, right now. They'd say she's taking her diving permit for granted, her and her friends' lives for granted...

"I KNEW I should have stayed and played Atari with Skin!" Jubilation Lee, a.k.a. Jubilee, cringed.

"You guys are making me NERVOUS!" whined Paige.

"Stop the car, gel, before the police see ya!" pleaded Jonothan Starsmore, called Chamber.

"Do as he says! There's a parking lot over there." Banshee instructed.

"Umm... okay..."

Paige reluctantly pulled in. She hadnt really wanted to, however. She really just wanted another go at it, mostly. But she was pretty sure she'd mess up again. She had been a little shaken up by the others' panicking. She shrugged it off and told her self there'd be other lessons.

"Gosh, you guys," Paige began. "I'd think after all we've been though as Generation X, you could handle a little beginner's driving..."

"Paige, Emplate never took us though three, count 'em THREE, red lights, ONE stop sign and TWO u-turns!!" Jubilee exclaimed. "Otherwise, I'd have given up this whole 'mutant superhero' thing long ago."

"I think ye kids have gotten enough lessons for today. Just let me nerves settle f'r a moment, and we'll be on our way home..."

"May I drive, Mr. Cassidy?" Monet St. Croix, sometimes called M, asked.

"I dinnae know 'bout that, Monet. Ye'd hafta be sure not ta be spacin' out on the road."

"I'll be careful, sir. That's a promise."

"I guess ye couldn't do any worse'n--er, go f'r it, lass."


Synch couldn't believe his eyes. Nobody'd talked about her much since... the funeral. And here she was.

"Hello, Everett," she said calmly. "It's been a long time."

"Evr'tt! Who she?" Leech asked.

"A friend, Leech" Everett replied. "A friend..."

"I need to speak with Ms. Frost," Clarice said. "It's important."

"S-Sure... lets go."

Suddenly, without warning, the ground erupted around them.

"What the--?!"

It took a form. One all too familiar.

"I'm baaack."


"Ay! I'm very impressed, M," Sean said. "Y'even swerved f'r that pup that came outta nowhere!"

"Almost makes you wonder why a dog runs out in front of a car that's in plain sight..."

"What are you insinuating, Lee?"

"Oh... nothing..." Jubilee smirked.

Suddenly, the Jeep fell silent. Jubilee and Monet stopped their bickering for a moment as they gazed at their school. Enveloped in the plant life from the biosphere.

M and Jubilee take things for granted everyday. One was that they could always return to their school at the end of the day. Good old Xavier's. Another was that they never, never thought Black Tom was going to return. So quickly, anyhow.

Banshee doesn't take much for granted at all. He's been an X-Man for years, now. One day, a villain's defeated, the next, he's back. Just like old friends...


Deep underground, Black Tom built a little space while he waited for the others... he's waiting still. Suddenly, Emma begins to stir... she notices Clarice. Her eyes widen.

"Blink?"

"Ach! I see ye've noticed the wee one with the purple face's back," Black Tom said. "Not that that... changes matters anyhow..."

"Tom... you have two choices," Emma warned. "One is to release me and let me kill you. The other is to wait until I escape and let me kill you."

The one known as Mondo gave her a closer look.

"Strange words comin' out of dis one."

"Strange words indeed," Black Tom replied. "Emma dear, what makes ye think yuir gettin out o' here? Please. Enlighten me. I have time t' kill."

"What do you plan to do with us? Are you still having delusions of taking over the school? Of taking care of all these students as little more than a tree gone MAD?"

"Mondo."

Mondo approached her and then rendered her unconsious.

"Li'l pest. You'll get yuirs. Ah... They're here..."


"But... didn't you say Penance killed your cousin, Mr. Cassidy?"

"She might've. But what do ye see, lass? As an X-Man, you'll start learnin' to expect the unexpected"

Black Tom rose out of the ground as if on cue.

"TOM! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW! WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS! I WILLNAE PLAY YUIR GAMES! I CANNAE GIVE YE THERESA BACK!"

"Oh come off it, boyo," Black Tom replied. "This isnt ABOUT Theresa anymore..."

"Then what is this about, Blackie? Why dontcha just leave us alone! So you have a sucky cousin! EVERYONE DOES!" exclaimed Jubilee.

"WHAT IS THIS ABOUT, TOM?"

Black Tom grew to an immense proportion, and smiled.

"Fun."

The ground enveloped them. Black Tom withdrew all the plants. And with that, they were gone.