Halloween may be over, but the horror hasn't ended in the X-men Supreme fanfiction series. The world of X-men Supreme has been overrun by the Cambrian. Mutants all over the world are turning into hulking, mindless zombies who have only one purpose and that's to evolve. And their evolution means the utter extinction of the human race. Most of the Brotherhood of Mutants and even some X-men have already fallen under the influence of the Cambrian. Other mutant groups such as the Morlocks have also fallen prey to this ancient force of nature. Throughout this fanfiction series, the X-men have had to overcome many powerful forces but none quite like this. Now in their darkest hour, they must have a plan.
In many ways, the Cambrian Explosion has been a convergence of numerous plots that have been unfolding throughout X-men Supreme Volume 4: Politics of Fear. It began with President Kelly seeking a means of containing Magneto and the mutant nation of Genosha. It led General Nathan Grimshaw to show just how vulnerable Magneto was on his mutant dominated island when he sent his top soldier, Captain Jack Freeman, to infiltrate Genosha. This set into motion the events that led to the the Cambrian Explosion and now the whole world has to deal with the consequences. Make no mistake. No mutant or human is going to come out of this unaffected. But they have to survive it first.
I know I've been treating this arc as my way of celebrating the X-men's 50th anniversary and I still see it as such. But beyond that, this is also a significant turning point for the X-men Supreme fanfiction series. In the same way Marvel is setting the stage for a major shift in the comics with X-men Battle of the Atom, I am hoping to do the same with X-men Supreme. Many characters will undergo a significant change. Relationships will be affected and trust will be broken. And the next issue of the Cambrian Explosion will set the tone for the final showdown. I've offered a brief hint of just how big that showdown will be I've prepared an extended preview.
‘Why do I keep making deals like this? I must be getting gullible in my old age. The things I do to prevent Irene’s visions are damn near criminal sometimes. To stop one apocalypse I have to stop another. It would be redundant if it wasn’t so frustrating.’
The war ravaged island was very different than she remembered. Whatever stunt Magneto pulled, it turned the entire country into a nightmare. The sky was still smothered by a thick, brownish cloud. Not much sunlight got through even though it was still the afternoon. The brown globs that were falling all over the world were no longer falling here. There was still a lot of residue on the buildings, in the streets, and over the fields. It was pretty disgusting and this is what Mystique had to thrust herself into.
As soon as she got the order from General Grimshaw, she entered a special launch tube in one of the submarines stationed off the coast. The General had her sneak aboard disguised as a regular crewman so she was able to slip in without causing a stir. Grimshaw had some of his trusted officers fit her with some scuba gear and launch her up onto the island. From there, she shape-shifted into a large bird and flew towards the Genoshan capital city. Even though the globs stopped falling, it was not a pleasant experience.
In addition to the cloudy skies the whole island was ominously silent. All the towns and cities that once teamed with mutants had been deserted. Everyone was gathering outside Magneto’s citadel. This also happened to be where the so-called anomaly was centered. When she first saw it, she was shocked. That shock quickly turned to disgust when she saw what it was doing to mutants.
‘Damn you, Magneto. I thought you couldn’t top yourself when you tried to destroy the world with an asteroid. I don’t know this shit glob’s story, but I’m pretty sure you did something to screw it up! If it weren’t for General Grimshaw’s exceedingly generous forms of compensation, I would leave you to rot. Sadly, I can’t afford to be callous. I have my mission and you’re zombie mutant army will NOT get in my way.’
Using a pair of binoculars, the shape shifter scoped out the enormous brown blob that had overtaken the citadel. It looked like a cross between a deformed potato and a beating human heart. It had veins running all over it, pulsing with ominous silvery streaks. At the base were hundreds of brown tentacle-like extensions going into the countless mutant victims that had been afflicted by this creature. They all stood in perfect circular formations, the extensions latched onto their chests as if it was sucking something out of their bodies. It was really disturbing and only one word was ever uttered.
“Evolve.”
It was hard to tell what was going on with this thing. If the growing mass and constant throbbing were any indication, this glob was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Mystique was going to make sure it would explode, except it would be under her terms.
‘This shouldn’t be too difficult. I just have to paint the target with a signal and let the cruise missiles do the rest. Should be the easiest mission I’ve had in a long time.’
The shape shifter traveled light for this job. Having to shape shift into a bird left her with little room to carry heavy gear like guns. All she had with her was a small sash given to her by General Grimshaw that was specifically designed to be held on the back of a large bird. Inside was a special long-range target scanner. It was no bigger than a paintball gun and not much heavier either. This was what would guide the cruise missiles through the clouds and towards their target.
The shape shifter cleared some dust and rocks from the top of the roof to set up the target scanner. She was a good mile or so away from the base of the citadel. It was painfully close to the mindless hoards below, but it allowed her to get a solid fix on the glob. Using the ledge of the roof, she set up the targeting device and looked through the scope to make sure it was in line.
“Perfect. Time to signal General Grimshaw,” she said.
Reaching back into her sash, she pulled out a small one-way communicator. This went to the General and only the General. It acted as a beacon that would signal the submarines. All she had to do at this point was keep the target in sight and watch the fireworks. But while she was checking the targeting laser, something caught her eye in the distance. A brief yellow light flashed not far from the base of the citadel. Curious, Mystique took out her binoculars and scanned the area. It didn’t take long for her to locate the source and make out a few familiar figures.
“No! It can’t be…Kurt?!” she exclaimed.
The sentiment that this would be one of her easier missions quickly went out the door. Through her binoculars she could clearly see her son along with parts of the X-men and Brotherhood. Even Professor Xavier was with him, wheelchair and all. They were all in their uniforms, indicating they were preparing for an attack. They probably had no idea they were in the crossfire of at an incoming hoard of cruise missiles.
“Damn you, Xavier! I swear you put my son in the crossfire just to annoy me!” spat Mystique as she shot up from her vantage point, “Sorry General, but my son comes before your country!”
Kicking the targeting scanner over, she grabbed the beacon and ran towards the other side of the building.
“General, I know you can hear me so I’ll only say this once! Do not launch those missiles! The X-men have just entered the picture! I’ve turned off the beacon and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stand down!”
These are dark and exciting times for the X-men Supreme fanfiction series. However, I've noticed a distinct lack of reviews on this site lately. I would like to change that. So please, I urge everyone who follows this fanfiction series to take the time to post reviews in each issue or send feedback to me directly. Either post it in the issues or contact me directly. Either is fine. I'm now willing to actually provide additional content and previews for those who review. I want to encourage as much feedback as possible so that I can make X-men Supreme the best fanfiction series it can be. Until next time, take care and best wishes. Excelsior!
Jack
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