Uncanny X-Men #20 has the stage set for the vaccine that will erase the mutant race. We have learned the involvement of Emma Frost and the Hell Fire Club. Now can the X-Men stop the eradication of their species? This is now your spoiler warning. If you want to read the issue you can still grab Uncanny X-Men #20 online or try your local comic shop. So stop reading here if you don’t want to spoil the book.
The vaccine is in production and is somehow making children sick when injected. A flashback to 3 days ago reveals the X-Men finding the Nasty Boys murdered. I like this style in storytelling where we get the end first and later find out how we got there. The Upstarts killed the Nasty Boys as a trap to lure the X-Men to them. After a short battle, Shinobi Shaw reveals their real plan was to keep the Hell Fire Club from manipulating the Nasty Boys or any other mutants for their own gain. The whole battle seemed a little rushed and the Upstarts motives still a little murky. Shaw killed herself after being surrounded by the X-Men.
The X-Men return home to find Dark Beast claiming to have created something to counter-act the vaccine. There is some understandable disagreement between the X-Men about whether to listen to him or not. I didn’t understand the debate initially. Yes, it’s Dark Beast and he’s psychotic but he has saved several members of the team. Havok wouldn’t even let him tell them his plan. They eventually agree to hear him out. The plan was to release the anti-vaccine into the upper atmosphere so that children all over the world will receive it. They give the aerosol to Banshee and he delivers it in the air.
This brings us back to the present where kids are getting sick from the vaccine. Captain America and Dr Nemesis pay Scott and the X-Men a visit to find out what they did to make the vaccine deadly. The X-Men are not aware of the deadly side effects the kids are experiencing. They take Dr Nemesis back with them to confront Dark Beast. McCoy’s plan was to make parents chose between their hatred of mutants and the possibility of killing their own child. So the whole debate on listening to Hank’s plan was pretty warranted after all. Magik takes care of McCoy by teleporting his head into the ceiling. Dr Nemesis then reveals that he believes he can save the kids who have been affected by the vaccine.
Meanwhile, Wolverine and Psylocke have been fighting Emma Frost and the Hell Fire Club. Callahan and O.N.E. show up to intervene. That whole battle was confusing. I’m really not sure what happened to everyone after Wolverine got hit with the flame thrower. Callahan locks Frost away after they clean up the mess from the fight. In the end, Emma reaches out psychically to Scott and gives him his memories back while asking for the X-Men’s health. Now we only have two issues left until Uncanny is done and Hickman’s House of X starts. You can catch more on that in the House of X and Powers of X trailer.
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