Uncanny X-Men #390

Publisher
Marvel
Year
2001
Month
3
LastChanged
1/26/2024 9:51:22 PM
The Cure

Summary

  Mystique's manipulation of the Legacy Virus helped Moira discover the cure, and Xavier read it from her dying mind. Now Hank has it all put together, and his triumphal yawp rebounds across the grounds. The X-Men come running, on alert, but Hank says he has the cure, which can be disseminated just like the virus: airborne, triggered by the first subject's mutant power. Cecelia points out that would kill the first subject, so Hank puts it away till he can figure a solution. Piotr contemplates.

  The others play basketball, with powers, saying they should enjoy and not hide them. Xavier joins in, manipulating all their minds so he can score.

  Piotr uses anesthesia on Cecelia, injects himself with the cure, and turns to metal. He blames himself for not sending Illyana home to safety, and he refuses to wait while others die. His energy signature flares, making a flash that alerts the X-Men. Cecelia wakes and does CPR, but he is gone.

  Quotations from Giant-Sized X-Men 1, 1975.

  Piotr: "Papa – what should I do?"

  Nikolai Rasputin: "Do as your heart tell you, my son. It will not betray you."

  Extended rant: the Legacy Virus was elaborated as a bad practical joke, but instead of an ingenious and elegant solution to the mind-game, we get lame babble put into Hank's mouth. And "Patient Zero" was Gordon Lefferts (X-Force 18), with no indication he was a mutant. And an instantaneous airborne cure is more mystical than medical. And Xavier is a telepath, but he mistakes Hank's yell for an attack and doesn't sense Piotr's state of mind.

  We live in a culture of violence, where many children think it's cool to hurt others, with words, fists, and sometimes weapons. Piotr was a gentle giant: arms of steel but the heart of an artist, horrified when forced to kill (iss. 211). Now he is gone, and Marvel will judge only by sales.