Face The Music

• Writer - Chris Claremont
• Penciler - Salvador Larroca
• Lettering - Tom Orzechowski
• Colorist - Liquid!
• Ass't Editor - Andrew Lis
• Editor in Chief - Joe Quesada

Summary

  Jean in Cerebra reaches around the world to talk to Ororo. The others are with Sage, comatose after Mastermind's attack. Remy gets Red Lotus to take him to the Triad council for trial.

  Heather's power manifests, dragging her into Sage's mind to rescue her. Jean's parents in Bard College nearly had their house burned down, but the students and faculty rallied to help them. Jean realizes Ororo has a boyfriend and encourages her to have sex with him. Red Lotus denounces Examiner as the real murderer; he has proof from Shaw's files, and Remy throws cards to subdue the villain.

  Heather finds Sage as a girl, running from soldiers in the Balkans and being recruited as a spy by Xavier. Jean warns Ororo about Nova (X-Men II:114ff) and wants to keep her team quarantined.

  Heather sees Sage as Tessa, in Shaw's arms, and then Mastermind attacks her. She killed her father by making him think he was drowning, but Heather's power finds a defence for all her wiles (drowning, squid attack, harpoon, desert). Shaw tells Tessa to shoot Sage (herself, that is), so he can reclaim her as his servant; Sage had actually switched places with Heather, and she punches out Mastermind and blocks the bullet aimed at Heather. Heather and Sage wake; Heather is angry Sage used her mind like that.

  Mastermind is in the hospital; she and the Examiner are in police custody. Baltimore and Lucas try to bully Shaw, but he ignores them, so they go have dinner together.

  Ororo realizes Jean's powers have increased and wonders if Nova and Vargas are related. She wants the diaries Xavier had, but Jean says they're missing, probably taken by Nova. Jean wants Ororo's team in reserve against her.

  Rogue calls to Ororo, who has a new hairdo and costume. All's well that ends well.