Murder at the Mansion

• Writer - Grant Morrison
• Penciler - Phil Jimenez
• Inker - Andy Lanning
• Colorist - Chris Chuckry
• Lettering - Chris Eliopoulos
• Ass't Editor - Mike Raicht
• Editor - Mike Marts
• Editor in Chief - Joe Quesada

Summary

  Note: this is Murder at the Mansion part 2.

  Lucas and Sage drive back to the mansion (cf. Xtreme X-Men 23) to investigate murder. The gates are locked, so nobody can get in or out. Lucas holds up the diamond bullet that was engineered specifically to kill Emma and tells everyone they're suspects. Hank shows him the body, in fragments; he still hopes against hope she's still alive, but Sage is more than glad she's dead. It'll be hard to identify the killer, since nobody liked her. Hank says he did and starts cataloging the fragments; he intends to reassemble them. He asks them if he's their main suspect, since he's the least likely, but he was at the opera, Orfeo, with the Cuckoos.

  Lucas consults with Xavier, who, he points out, has been possessed before; Xavier says his teaching methods have failed in many ways, but he's still himself. He jokingly adds that Xorn healed his body and Jean his mind, but nobody can make him dance; Lucas is not entirely convinced, knowing monsters can even fake humor.

  He goes to interrogate Xorn's class, where Basilisk is driving Beak crazy by playing Clue wrong: "Prof. Sex in the toilet with the lawnmower." Sage starts with Angel, who denies she had a "relationship" with Emma. Lucas says they have to question everyone, and Sage asks Xorn for an alibi; he believes he was meditating. Angel says Emma just helped her get a dress for the prizegiving ceremony, and she was with Beak.

  Lucas questions the Cuckoos, asking about their falling out with Emma; they reply in unison that she taught them to hide their emotions as an advantage, but he's right. Sophie was killed (iss. 137) because Emma encouraged her to do "stupid, supposedly heroic things." They try to read his mind; he tells them it won't work since he just absorbs the psi-energy. They admit they were angry at Emma, but she was her favorite teacher, and they were at the opera with Hank.

  Lucas questions Jean about Scott's affair; she admits she has "the worst temper" but then psychically shows him that she didn't do it. He can't explain it to Sage, but he's convinced.

  Sage logs her thoughts: where is the murder weapon, who supplied the drug Kick, and why kill Emma Frost? Next day, Lucas has her e-mail with her mind and get them in to see the Omega Skulls; he wants to know about the Kick. He walks into the NY State Maximum Security Penitentiary, past the anti-mutant hoots of the prisoners, and meets with Redneck, who tearfully pleads to get out of there; he can't protect himself against the mutant-hating prisoners. Lucas asks him to name the drug dealer, and he'll see what he can do. Redneck says he just bought inhalers from Quire, who got them somewhere in the woods.

  Sage has been listening in and is already in the woods: she detected traces of Kick and finds some inhalers on the ground, and then a cabin.

  Beak, distraught, finds Hank in the lab with shivered Emma and says he is the drug dealer and he murderer, but he did it for the babies.

  Sage finds large cocoons stuck to the ceiling of the cabin; too late, she realizes she's not alone; someone holds a gun on her.

Summary

  Cover name was changed to "New X-Men" for Issues 114 - 156.