X-Men #2 (1991)

In Genosha, Magneto has arrived at the scene of the hospital that was attacked by the Acolytes and confronts the X-Men after their battle with the group. He reiterates that he stands with his newly formed group and will punish them for their actions, which happened without his approval. Rogue pleads with Magneto, trying to make him see that his behaviour will prove right all those who perceive Mutants as a threat. Cyclops insists that Magneto no longer cares, a sentiment with which Magneto agrees. Magneto comes under fire from a helicopter constructed from non-metallic materials which fires missiles that aren’t metallic either. Magneto is still able to decimate the helicopter by using his power to smash metal beams through it. He then causes the ground to give way underneath the X-Men. Rogue flies to stop Magneto, but he magnetically sends her hurtling into the nearby ocean. Fabian Cortez, one of Magneto’s Acolytes, briefly battles Psylocke and then kisses her, amplifying her telepathic power which causes her to be bombarded by the thoughts of millions of people. Psylocke becomes overwhelmed by this. Meanwhile, Nick Fury, Valerie Cooper, and representatives of a number of Earth’s governments are watching a news broadcast about the attack in Genosha. The reporter highlights the fact that Genosha had only recently started recovering from the last time the X-Men had been there. They discuss Magneto’s actions and how to respond to them. Fury wants to defuse the situation, the representative of China thinks they should bring Magneto into the U.N. and the representative of Russia insists that they will act against Magneto even if nobody else in the U.N. will. Psylocke, still reeling from the telepathic assault, is identified by a group of Humans as a Mutant and they approach to attack her. They’re warded off by Beast. He then demands to know what Cortez did to Psylocke. Cortez reveals his amplification of Psylocke’s power before he’s hit from behind by Gambit’s quarter-staff. Magneto calls for the fighting to end and encourages the X-Men to join his side in defence of Mutantkind. At Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Professor X is monitoring Fury’s meeting. Forge tells Charles that he has alerted Storm’s Gold Team about the Blue Team being taken down by Magneto. Charles asks Forge about the Magneto Protocols, with Forge replying that they’re only accessible to people at the level of the President. Charles suggests that he’ll need the information. He asks where Moira MacTaggert is. Banshee informs him that she left the building soon after Forge sounded the alarm about events in Genosha. Charles decides to find her. Forge cautions Xavier that it’s not safe to leave the heavily defended building, but Charles insists that he will be fine going on his own. In Genosha, Rogue returns to confront Magneto. As he’s distracted by her, Psylocke uses her temporarily amplified power levels to take Magneto down with her psychic knife. Before the X-Men can take advantage of this opportunity, Chrome, another of the Acolytes transmutes most of the team with a metallic coating, turning them into statues. Along with the restrained Wolverine and Cyclops, the X-Men and Acolytes are flown up to Asteroid M. Along the way, Magneto cautions Cortez that he will face punishment for his actions in attacking Genosha. Once they’re back aboard Asteroid M, which is still guarded by the field of nuclear missiles appropriated by Magneto, Cortez informs his leader of a discrepancy in his genetic code that Cortez found after healing Magneto of wounds inflicted by Wolverine. Magneto knows of only one way the genetic alteration could have occurred. Meanwhile, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Russia launches a plasma cannon into space. Their intention is to use it to attack Asteroid M. Xavier has managed to track Moira to the Boathouse. She worries that Charles will think she’s withholding information from him, as she did when it came to her son Kevin, until he became the threat of Proteus. While Xavier tries to get through to Moira, they are confronted by Magneto. He then flies the boathouse into space away from the mansion defences, much to the chagrin of Forge, who had warned Xavier not to leave the mansion. As the Boathouse reaches space, protected by a magnetic bubble, Magneto deactivates defences in Xavier’s Hoverchair and demands answers about the genetic alteration from both. He reminds them of the time he was reduced to a child by Alpha and was placed in the care of Moira. He was later returned to his adult self by Eric the Red. What Magneto wants to know is what was done to him inbetween the two incidents. At first, Moira feigns ignorance. Magneto endangers Xavier’s life which causes Moira to agree to tell Magneto the truth. Once back aboard Asteroid M, Moira reveals to the assembled Acolytes and X-Men what took place. Moira had found indications of an instability in Magneto’s central nervous system. She thought perhaps this could be the cause for Magneto’s actions when he went from being a friend of Charles Xavier to an enemy of him and the X-Men. Moira believed that if she could modify Magneto’s genetic matrix then she could eradicate the instability, not only ensuring Magneto was no longer villainous, but also being able to use the same process to save her son. Magneto gets mad, having to now question his every decision since the procedure. He forces Moira to agree to brainwash the Blue Team into joining his Acolytes by nearly killing her in a metallic shell. Meanwhile, in the Sakhalin Islands, Russian military are removing a casket from a vehicle. General Akhronayev, the man in charge of the troops, assures the man with whom he’s meeting to make a deal, Matsu'o Tsurayaba, that Magneto’s electromagnetic pulse disabled computers which will ensure nobody knows the casket is missing. Suddenly, ninjas of the Hand emerge from snow banks and ambush the troops. Under Tsurayaba’s orders they kill Akhronayev and his men. Back aboard Asteroid M, Professor X is recovering in a chamber when he’s greeted by the Blue Team. He asks what their plan of escape is, but is shocked when Cyclops informs him that the team has decided to join Magneto. At the X-Mansion, the Gold Team of the X-Men have been informed by Jean Grey of the Blue Team’s defection, something she could sense through her psychic rapport with Scott. They run through Danger Room simulations where they take on the Acolytes and the Blue Team, but constantly meet defeat. The situation gets even more tense when Nick Fury contacts them, against regulations, and reports that Russia have decided to launch a plasma cannon against Asteroid M to destroy it. The only way to stop the plan is for the Gold Team to defeat Magneto first. Despite the simulations ending in failure, Storm is determined that they will face their teammates and Magneto.