Today marks a turning point in human/mutant relations. It is today that the United States congress will decide whether to pass a new bill that will legalize regulation of the mutant population of the US, one more successful than that of the Mutant Registration Act.

Standing about the room are various reporters from such television, radio, and print giants as CNN, WNBC, and the New York Times. Just below the building there are four reporters about to enter. Their names are Jean Grey-Summers, Scott Summers, Sam Guthrie, and Ororo Munroe. To the highest up in the pentagon they are known as the X-Men, but in an instant, all that will change. Hurling her arm into the air, Jean summons the vast amounts of telepathic and telekinetic energies she can wield, which have amplified ten fold since the death of Xavier.* Energy fills the air in the empty basement as the primal power beings to take the shape of an all too familiar bird. The raptor physically rearranges the molecules of the clothing worn by the four men and women transforming their uniforms into facades made to represent the usual news person's garb. But she must take their "masks" one step further in light of all this mass mutant hysteria going on through out the country. With one thought she actually changes their psychic personas. They are, to the world, nothing more than unimportant newscasters and even their own families would not remember who they once were. They ascend to the press conference above. They blend into the crowd of reporters seamlessly, as they await to hear their colleague's speech. But before he can begin, presidential hopeful and leader of the Neo-Humanist party, Jonathan Lancaster takes the floor.

( *See Uncanny X-Men #4 for details--Dino )

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congress. We all know why I address you on this day. It is not to deal with petty problems, such as the federal budget, or gun control, no! I speak to you about a problem, that we as humans, must face together. Why is there a terrorist war on the United States? Why must we live in constant fear of a nuclear war with Genosha? Why do our children die at the hands of madmen every day? The answer is simple: mutants! They are like a secret army that has infiltrated America. They could be your neighbors, they could be your doctors, hell they could be leading your country right now! Don't we have the right to know who is teaching our children, who is treating our illnesses, who we are living next door to? We do have that right, ladies and gentlemen. And it is time we exercised that right, that ability to feel safe knowing who you are dealing with, human or freak! By their very nature mutants are a danger to our society, they believe in anarchy and the laws of the jungle. But we as a civilization can not deal with that! We must have order, not based on who has the greatest genetic ability, but on equality on hard work and on ethics, all of which mutant do not have. That is why I have submitted proposal number sixty-six. It is time for us to take the country back into our own hands, and if mutant regulation laws are what we need, then let there be mutant regulation laws! When you vote today congressmen, do the right thing. Forget your petty differences of republican or democrat, because both sides now face down the barrel of a new threat, and in this time we must band together as one party! The party of the human race!"

As his speech ends a symphony of praise fills the room. It is clear to see this crowd's political views, but the day has not been won yet, there is another speaker to take the floor. To the many members of the Avengers and the X-Men, he is the Beast. But here he goes by his given name, Dr. Henry McCoy. As Senator Lancaster steps down from the podium, his rival in this debate takes his place. And McCoy addresses those before him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the decision you make today will greatly affect thousands of people. Many are innocent and few are guilty of crimes against humanity, but it is those, the few, that you are speaking of. How could you, in good conscience, punish the whole for crimes committed only by a small percent of the population? This bill, asking for routine genetic scans in corporations and government institutions, will just be creating a great rift and tremendous discrimination. Though it is not illegal to do such a thing, this bill, if passed, will most definitely lead to more of these type of regulations, hindering the rights of the mutant population. You are all aware of the plans of the Neo-Humanists. To mandate genetic scanning of each person in the country as well as the legal separation of humans from mutants, would you all dare reinstate the Jim Crow laws? I leave you with one simple fact, as long as you suppress 'us' there will be an 'us' to suppress. Please vote no on this…"

An explosion on the south wall interrupts his words. He flings himself toward the direction of the blast trying to save all those he can. Fire begins to overtake the building as the heroic Beast is ordering the people out of the edifice.

Her eyes gleam with the power she holds inside her. The facades she and the other X-Men wear disappear in an instant. And even though she has swore time and time again not to invade the minds of people with out their permission, in order to protect the team's anonymity she erases her friend's faces from the minds of the hundreds of people in the room. At one time it would have been a great feat to do such a thing, but now, she barely breaks a sweat.

Ushering the innocent people out of the room they finally get the last person out. It is at this time that the former thief and goddess, Storm, summons the power of the wind and clears the smoke which fills the air. Standing there, amidst the conflagration is a man unknown to the X-Men. Field leader, and heart of the X-Men, Scott Summers motions to his protégé to check on the people outside. In an instant Samuel Guthrie does as he is told blasting out of the building with his immense force as he checks on the humans below. The ever cheerful Beast rips off the specially made suit that cover his body, exposing the uniform he wears beneath. He swings from a wire hanging from the ceiling to join his teammates.

"So what did you think of the speech?" he says lightly as the group stares down their opponent.

It is at this time that Scott Summers gets a clear look at the face which looks straight back at him. Somehow he knows that face, those eyes. In an instant he realizes where he had seen it before and all the pigment is erased from his face. His expression is that of one who had just been visited by a specter.

"Cyclops, what is it" exclaims his friend and ex leader of the X-Men, Storm.

"Nothing" he replies as he shakes it off. "You!" he yells across to the mutant terrorist at the other end of the large building "do you have any idea what you have done? Any chance of the congress not passing proposal sixty six is gone because of you!"

The mutant stares straight toward the X-Men. "You can't know how sorry I am." with that word, he releases a wave of fire blasting throughout the entire building. Jean Grey puts up a telekinetic field just in time to spare the team. The woman known as Storm summons her amazing powers to deal with the burning building.

"Dear goddess, I beseech you, bring the winds from the north to spare my friends." Chilling gusts fill the room cooling the intense flames to small embers. But it is to no avail, he leaves without a trace and the building is too far gone to be spared.

That night the X-Men watch the ten o'clock news in awe of the events that have transpired.

"It has been one month since the death of revealed mutant and alleged terrorist Professor Charles Xavier. In retaliation to that event, mutant groups have waged war on humans, especially against the leader of the Neo-Humanist party Jonathan Lancaster. It has been three weeks since the murder of his family by a mutant group calling themselves the Mutant Liberation Front. In such time he has become the figurehead of the mutant regulation lobby, and has revealed his intentions of running for President. Earlier today, he spoke before congress introducing the first in a series of mutant regulation bills. He was challenged by outed mutant Doctor Henry McCoy. But the day ended when a mutant terrorist, known as Thunderbird, supposedly connected to the aforementioned MLF destroyed the Capital Building. Later that day proposal sixty-six was passed by congress unanimously. Finally there is some regulation of the mutant problem. This is Sam Maier reporting."

At that point the television began to fuzz as a new image emerged. The picture was that of a man dressed in a strange robe. The blue cloth draped over his back and made him look very regal. Strange face painting made him look like some strange creature. With a pale blue covering his face, but most noticeably, dark blue lips. He spoke.

"X-Men, this is a direct feed from the Apocalypse Dawn. Listen and listen well."

The X-Men stare in amazement at the screen. Each one not flinching. At that point Beast sprung into immediate action knowing exactly what to do. He punched in a series of code and with in seconds the line was being traced. < ERROR, Trace canceled by outside force > appeared on the screen.

"Do not waste your time with attempted to trace this feed either, it will not work. I am the Katan, head of the Apocalypse Dawn, and I tell you know X-Men that a great war is brewing. The likes of which the world has never seen before, and only the strong will survive. The Dawn will make sure this competition for survival takes place, and this is our warning. Cross us, as you have The Eternal One, and you will feel our wraith. As you can see we know where you are, how to tap into your computer systems and all there is about you. Do not play games X-Men, for if the Dawn wants, your worthless lives will end." The picture became nothing more than a dot and the team was left to themselves.

"Scott, what do we do?" asked Jean. The fear in her voice was very evident.

He replied. "I, I don't know. They know the X-Men are stationed in the mansion. All their threats are real. I don't know how safe the mansion is now."

"Yes Scott, but no matter where we go, this "Dawn" seems to have the capability to find us," Storm replied.

"They don't seem offensive. Almost like they don't want to have trouble with us. It was a warnin' not a threat exactly," Sam, said proudly. He would show these X-Men that he was more than some Freshman.

It was at that point that Scott saw something. Something terrible, like a flashback to a memory so awful that he actually felt physical pain. But this was no memory, more like a vision of what will come. A large explosion right in the middle of New York City. Beginning somewhere on Manhattan, the force leveled everything. Like the force of an atom bomb.

"Scott, honey, is everything all right? You look ill."

"I'm fine Jean, I just realized what this Dawn is capable of, that's all."

Later that night in the room belonging to Scott and Jean Summers.

"Scott" she says softly as she lays next to him. "Something has happened to you. It's hidden from our psychic rapport, and I feel uncomfortable with that."

"I'm sorry Jean. But its hidden from me as well. But I think it has something to do with the Professor. We both know that before he died he sent his knowledge and power to you. But he also gave me a gift Jean. Something terrible. Jean, the Professor has had many different files, his mutant underground, the listed of outed mutants and mutant helpers, his X-Protocols, and more. But when he was Onslaught he used his powers to the max. This included using his psychic abilities to peer into the most-likely possible future. When he recovered from Onslaught, instead of recording this information in the mansion, he could not trust his own files any longer with the series of events in Operation: ZERO Tolerance. Before his death Jean, he sent me our future. Every last detail is buried deep in my mind. Surfacing only if it is jogged forth with a image or other signal. Knowing your own future is not a blessing, it's a curse."

Deep beneath the Egyptian sands. The Eternal One stares at a screen before him which displays the recent event in Washington DC.

"She is the one."