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 #7

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

The former leader of the Brotherhood and Freedom Force, as well as a former member of X-Factor, Raven Darkholme possesses the ability to change her shape at will, allowing her to assume any form. Before his untimely demise, Professor Xavier gave Mystique a choice - prison or become a headmaster for the Massachusetts Academy. She chose the latter.
Mystique

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

"Any questions?" Ms. Darkholme asked.

The first day of the Stealth Ops course at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Yet, Mystique is oddly confident in her course outline speech for the class. Paige Guthrie, a.k.a. the omnimorphic mutant Husk, raises her hand.

Mystique pointed at her. "Yes, Paige?"

"Yes. I had a more personal question. Will you be teaching morphing techniques to me?" Paige asked.

Mystique thought about it for a moment, "Tell you what, see me later. Anyone else?"

"Yeah," Jubilee said, "is there going to be bookwork?"

"Most of the class will be lectures, and you are expected to take notes." Mystique replied. "Other than that, it's going to be hands-on work. We will be spending time in the Danger Room."

Everett raised his hand, "What about the exam?"

Mystique smirked, "Ah, that's a secret."

Right then, the bell abruptly began to ring, marking the end of class. The students gathered their things and left. Except Paige, who walked up to Mystique, "When did you want me to see you?"


Meanwhile, just outside the classroom...

"Man! Doesn't she give you the creeps?" Everett said.

Monet sucked her teeth. "Aw, you've got to give her a chance, Everett"

Jono concurred, "I think that class sounds like a blast!"

Everett looked down. "I dunno. It's just... weird. I mean, its weird enough with hangin' with the White Queen and all..."

"I'm sure they've got Mysty under wraps, Ev, don't worry about it." said Angelo.

Everett looked at his schedule sheet that was given to him by Ms. Frost earlier in the day. "But it says here that our exam for that class is a 100-question multiple choice test..."

"Maybe she decided to change it at the last minute to an essay exam." Jono said despairingly

Jubilee became alarmed. "Ah! Jono! Don't jinx it!" she started shaking him back and forth.

"St-t-oo-o-p It!" Jono said.

"Hey, what classes do you guys have next?" Everett asked.

Jono took out his schedule sheet, "Psychic Physics."

"Me too." Monet said.

"Me too! Aw, what fun, another class with the M-ster." Jubilee teased.

Monet rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

"I have a Danger Room training class with Mr. Cassidy," said Everett.

"I got that class in the Danger Room, too." Said Angelo

"Oh! I think Paige had a class in there, also." Jono remembered.

"What's she doing in there with Ms. Darkholme, anyway?" Everett asked.

"She was asking when Ms. Darkholme could see her about her powers." Said Monet.

"Man, its all so freaky!" Everett exclaimed. "Jubes, you're on this with me, right?"

"Eh. It's too much to worry about." Jubilee said, as she searched her bag for her CD player. "...Where are those headphones?"

"Why are you wanting to listen to it anyway?" Monet asked.

"I got that stupid Toni Braxton song stuck in my head again, I'm gonna kill it with Garbage or something." Jubilee replied. "Where are they?! ARG!"

"Are you sure you put them into there today?" Jono asked.

"...not 100%." Jubilee grumbled. "Grr... 'He wasn't man enough for me...'"

"No! It'll be stuck in MY head!" Everett pleaded.

Jubilee got a sinister look. "Mwahahaha..."


Later in Emma's Psychic Physics class...

"I ain't thinkin' bout cho man..." Jubilee hummed.

"I hope you all are prepared to take notes for today's class." Miss Frost warned. "This class will be like the others that I've taught, structure-wise. It will require some math... Jubilee... and don't forget your calculators in your rooms, because I'm going to be less lenient about leaving the class this time. The book we are going to be using is 'Psychic Physics and Astral Science' by Charles Xavier. We will do one chapter every week..."

Jubilee groaned to herself. She noticed Monet devoted to her notebook as usual. Scribbling every word that came out of Miss Frost's mouth, no doubt. The best part was when she went to borrow Monet's notes and see that they were all in perfect script and practically verbatim. She peeked over to look at her notes. "Huh?"

M was writing about Mystique and Emma!

Raven:
Could replace us
Wants to do something
Has said she has reformed
Has had a student desert her, doesn't want that to happen again

Emma:
Could take over our minds
Wants to teach
Never said she was reformed
Has had students die on her, doesn't want that to happen again

"Miss Lee! Miss St. Croix! Pay attention!" Emma yelled.

"Sorry Miss Frost!" The girls replied.


Meanwhile, in Banshee's Danger Room class...

"Do you know I made him leave?..." Everett hummed.

"What'd ye say, lad?" Mr. Cassidy asked.

Everett spoke up, "Uh... nothing, Mr. Cassidy."

"Right, everyone suit up and head into th' DR. The activity for today will be a level 3 crisis te assess critical thinking. Yuir homework for tonight will be based on yuir performance in there, as usual." Said Mr. Cassidy.

Skin, Synch, and Husk all suited up and headed into the Danger Room as Banshee turned on the holographic projections. The formerly barren room was now a Shi'ar spacecraft brimming with alien beings. They heard a maniacal cackling above them. It was Magneto. He was tearing walls apart and throwing debris around tehe ship.

"Let's go, guys! Synch! Synch with Skin and you two make sure the people here are protected from the debris. I'll husk and try to find some way to take Magneto down." Husk said, as she tore off her skin to expose a green, reptilian form.

"Right!" said Synch, as his synchronistic aura surrounded Skin.

Husk checked out her new form. Her hair was gone, skin scaly, and fingernails claws. She began to climb the wall of the ship with much ease. In an attempt to leap at Magneto, who seemed to be mindlessly tossing objects at the denizens of the ship.

Synch and Skin were busy trying to save the beings from being flattened by the objects Magneto was throwing around. A statue was hurled at Synch.

"Synch! Watch out!" Skin called out.

"I got it!" Synch said, as he flung his extra-long skin from his fingers at a computer monitor that was bolted to the ground and retracted it quickly, dragging himself along the ground. "Whew. Good thing this suit is friction-resistant, otherwise I'd have quite the rugburn goin' on. Hey! Skin! Chair heading straight for a mother and son at 3 o'clock!"

"I'm on it!" Skin exclaimed. He hurled his fingers between two posts and recoiled the skin to give him the momentum to knock the chair away.

"C'mon, c'mon..." Husk was surveying Magneto for a perfect moment to strike. "Just turn a little further... There!" She sprung off the wall and punched him in his spine, taking him down. Then she kicked off the other wall to soften her fall.

The simulation ended. Mr. Cassidy came over the announcer. "Very good, kids. Ye get C's."

Everyone moaned. "Why, Mr. Cassidy?"

"I think I'm being very generous." He turned on the hologram again, this time the scene was frozen, with debris still hanging in the air. "Look over there. You neglected that entire corner of the hall. There were six fatalities at this scene. There was also an alternate way of getting Magneto." He tapped at the controls and brightened a computer control with a monitor that displayed a blinking control with Shi'ar words on it. "Over here, if you hit this button, you would have made a plastic roof between where you and Magneto were. It was a cheat, but I thought I'd let you know."

"Man, we can't be everywhere at once!" Skin complained.

Banshee laughed, "Just wait until ye see the level 4 simulators! Okay, lads, time te suit down, the bell's about te ring."


Later, in the Computer Room...

Paige sat at her computer delving into her newsgroups. All of a sudden, an IM appears for her.

"PsyChamber: Hey."

Paige smiled at the screen name.

"SoupaGal: Oh, hi.
SoupaGal: Are you in the Computer Room right now?
PsyChamber: Yeah. I said hi. You didn't say anything back.
SoupaGal: I have headphones on, I borrowed them from Jubilee this morning.
SoupaGal: listening to MP3's.
PsyChamber: Oh really? She was looking for them.
SoupaGal: Hehe
PsyChamber: So what are you doing?
SoupaGal: I'm readin' newsgroups. u?
PsyChamber: Taking these personality tests.
PsyChamber: I'm 53% bastard, by the way.
SoupaGal: Don't listen to them.
SoupaGal: I took one and it said I was 20 or 30 percent intelligent.
PsyChamber: Ha ha
PsyChamber: So how was PE?
SoupaGal: lol. It was good. I can tell its gonna be hard this year tho. PP?
SoupaGal: :)
PsyChamber: Aw, it was alright. I'll trade you for Danger Room, though. I hate Miss Frost's classes with all that bookwork.
SoupaGal: I would be ok with that trade.
SoupaGal: What do you think about Ms. Darkholme?
PsyChamber: She's ok. Did you get to talk to her like you wanted?
SoupaGal: Yeah, we talked on and on about morphing powers.
SoupaGal: She said I could have a personal study period with her like Jubilee next semester if I wanted.
PsyChamber: cool."

Suddenly, a warning popped up onscreen announcing that the schools internet connection would be shutting off in five minutes.

"PsyChamber: I'll see you on the way out.
SoupaGal: right."

After about a minute, they got up, ready to leave. Before they reached the doorway, Jono took Paige in his arms and stared into her eyes.

Paige turned away, "Jono... we shouldn't kiss... your powers..."

"I know." He said. "No gel like you should be cursed with a guy like me."

She tried to console him "Jono, don't think like that, ok? I like you just the way you are."

"Yeah. So why do I feel like I'm forcing you?" Jono said with disparity.

Paige gave him a big smile and pinched his chin. "Cuz you cant believe you scored such a great gal like me, silly!"

He laughed as they walked out, his arm over her shoulder.


"Arg! Miss Frost! This is too hard!" Jubilee whimpered.

"Jubilee, you always say that, but you're a million miles away when I try to explain some of these things with you." Miss Frost said. "Well, anyway, I think you've had enough. I want you to STUDY the things I've taught you, and ask the others for help. And look in that book!"

"Fine." Jubilee gathered her things and left the room. "'Did you know he meant to stay... with me?' AAAH!" she dumped her bookbag onto the floor. "WHERE ARE THOSE HEADPHONES?!"


Meanwhile, in a place as of yet undisclosed...

"Hmm... everyone. Here is your next mission."

"What? Not that little runt again."

"Quiet! It was because of your foolishness that we underestimated that White Witch! Come on!"