When Strikes A Gladiator

• Writer - Scott Lobdell
• Penciler - Joe Madureira
• Inker - Tim Townsend
• Lettering - Richard Starkings
• Lettering - Comicraft
• Colorist - Steve Buccellato
• Colorist - Team Bucce
• Editor in Chief - Bob Harras

Summary

  The mutants are in Rockefeller Center; Hank predicts a White Christmas, then takes Trish to dinner. Remy goes off alone, angering Rogue, so Joseph takes her in a carriage ride. Bishop wants to be alone; Sam needs to shop for his family.

  In FAO Schwarz, an energy field opens, and Sam quickly blasts with a saleswoman to get out of the way. Gladiator grabs his head.

  Joseph uses his power to levitate the carriage above the city; the driver is not a bigot, and keeps going downtown, past the offices of Marvel Comics.

  Sam blasts away; then knocks Gladiator out of the building, away from the shoppers. Gladiator stops them in mid-blast, in mid-air. Sam can't budge him, so he grabs him and pulls the other way, bashing them both into a construction site.

  Joseph has brought the innards of the Z'Noxx chamber to the top of the World Trade Center. He shows Rogue that it is a psionic filter, which can keep his mind shielded, and he kisses her on the forehead. Merry Christmas.

  Sam knows he's outmatched but realizes Gladiator's power is fueled by confidence. He takes Gladiator's best shot without flinching, then punches him into the ground. The X-Men arrive; Hank congratulates the boy on redirecting Gladiator's punch into his own kinetic field.

  Gladiator emerges from the wreckage, apologizing. The Shi'ar have a crisis, and Lilandra has forbidden him to act, so he wants the X-Men to go instead. He ports all away, except Sam.