Ultimate X-Men / Fantastic Four #2

Issue Details

Synopsis

While the rest of the X-Men are miles away on a wild goose chase, Iceman, Kitty, and Wolverine confront the Fantastic Four over the theft of the Cerebro system. While Iceman protects a fallen Kitty, Reed Richards starts hearing Rhona Burchill in his head, Burchill figuring out this is her ultimate plan for revenge. While Reed struggles with Burchill in his head, the rest of the Fantastic Four watch in horror as Reed holds his head, looking over to see various security agents in the Baxter Building forgetting to breath. Burchill makes her presence known to the rest of the Fantastic Four, able to access the Baxter Building. Burchill has also found a way to access the minds of humanity, able to take them under her control. When Burchill takes a break, Reed decides it is time to stand down against the X-Men. Wolverine comes clawing through Iceman's wall, ready to take down the Thing for the beating he was dealt earlier. As Wolverine pushes the Thing to the floor, losing conciousness soon after thanks to a virus from an earlier encounter with Burchill.  As Reed calls a truce with the other X-Men, Burchill plans her next move, speaking to Robbie about all the wonders she felt using Cerebro. She was able to see how humans work, excited that humans are just like machines, as she always pictured.   Reed is amazed at the X-Men's uniforms and their ability to throw off the Sentinels' scanning sweeps. Reed uses this information to modify the uniforms of the Fantastic Four, hoping of throwing off Burchill's new found ability. As for Wolverine, Reed figures out about the virus he has been given, a virus that mutates in order to avoid Wolverine's healing factor, and builds an antibody to combat the virus but it will keep him out for three days. As soon as they get their plan together, Franklin Storm refuses to let his children go after this woman. Sue convinces her father otherwise, knowing they are the only ones that can stop Burchell.   Both teams pack up and head out to the point where they traced Burchell's location. Johnny and Iceman head out first, able to sneak in silently from the air. Kitty and Sue enter the compound by foot, easy to sneak in with Sue's force field and Kitty's phasing ability. Grimm and Reed travel in the fantasti-car, following close behind. As Johnny and Iceman travel, Iceman discovers a young child about to jump off the roof of his house. As he swoops down to save the kid, he realizes they are possessed by Burchill, who transfers her control to Iceman. As Iceman and Johnny continue to fly, Johnny is attacked surprisingly by Iceman, giving Burchill the chance to overtake the Human Torch. Kitty and Sue make it into Burchill's lair, Kitty reaching for Cerebro around her foe's head. Burchill takes control of not only Kitty but Sue, turning everyone around her against Reed Richards. It is only moments later when Reed and Grimm come crashing in, Burchill keeps the upperhand, controlling Grimm to have a tight grip around Reed's elastic body. Reed outsmarts his opponent, overpowering Cerebro as it feeds control into Burchill's mind, creating a feeling of perfect empathy. Burchill throws Cerebro off her head, never wanting to understand every human's personal history. Burchill flees, sending her large android Robbie to nuke the complex. Before everything becomes bleak, Wolverine shows up, taking the robot down. While everyone is concerned with the escape of Burchill, Wolverine laughs, already handling her by removing her secondary gas line, causing her shuttle to explode.   The next day Reed hands Cerebro back to Wolverine, giving him instructions on how to reconnect it. While Agent Lumpkin is wondering why they aren't dealing with the break in, Franklin Storm lets the mutants go, saying they are grateful they broke in. The X-Men take a vehicle back to the Xavier School, being followed by the Blackbird.