X-Men #94 (1975)

Chapter 1: The Doomsmith Scenario Professor X congratulates the assembled X-Men old and new on the success of their recent mission. He also wants to talk to them about the future and asks all the new members to remain on a permanent basis. Most of them agree, some hesitantly. When Banshee is asked to stay, he confesses his concern that he is too old for the team of young heroes, but accepts the challenge anyhow. Sunfire, however, refuses to be a part of a long-term team and leaves. Unexpectedly, most of the original group - Marvel Girl, Iceman, Angel, Lorna Dane and Havok - all opt to go their own ways as well. Of the original team, only Cyclops agrees to stay on, even though Jean pleads for Scott to leave with her. The next morning, Cyclops informs Jean that he loves her but he is staying. She tells him she loves him too, but still leaves along with the rest of the old team regardless. Cyclops introduces the new team to the Danger Room - the school’s combat training facility - for their first session. Hot-headed Thunderbird dismisses training as unnecessary. He enters the room, confident that he will quickly best its challenges. However, he gets only a few seconds through a workout routine before he is flung out the door. Over the next few days, Cyclops uses the Danger Room to train the new X-Men hard. During one session, Thunderbird’s leg is grazed by a laser beam. Cyclops calls him out for being careless and tells him how he could have lost his leg if the laser was on full power. Thunderbird pushes back against Cyclops’s leadership until Xavier telepathically intervenes and breaks up their fight. Chapter 2: Death O'er Valhalla High In the mountainous area of Colorado, a helicopter flies near the Cheyenne Mountain, where the command center for NORAD is located. In the base’s war room, a package is brought to officer Joe Harris. Upon opening it, Harris activates a teleport portal from which five odd-looking beings, the Ani-Men, emerge. The Ani-Men attack and quickly overcome the war room’s personnel. More soldiers arrive and the battle continues until the Ani-Men have overcome all resistance. Their leader is revealed to be Count Nefaria. He reminisces to his Ani-Men about how he and his last group of criminals were captured by the X-Men. He also recounts how he engineered these new beings with the help of Maggia scientists and says that he will use them to take his “revenge” upon the world. Cyclops confides to Nightcrawler how he regrets his interactions with Thunderbird. Then Professor Xavier telepathically summons the team to the briefing room. There they see a video message from Nefaria playing on the main screen, informing the world that he has activated the "Doomsmith Command System" and demands every country give him money as ransom or else he will launch the entire U.S. arsenal of nuclear missiles. He gives the world three hours to comply. From Avenger’s Mansion in NYC, the Beast reaches out to ask for Professor Xavier's help with Nefaria as the Avengers are already involved with another mission. (The Beast was until now unaware of the roster shake-up in his old team and is initially taken aback to see a bunch of unknowns at the school.) The X-Men accept the mission. Cyclops orders Thunderbird to stay behind as he’s still recovering from his leg wound, but Thunderbird insists to be allowed, however. Prof. X overrules Cyclops and Thunderbird goes along with the team. Upon reaching the Cheyenne Mountain airspace, the X-Men’s stratojet is met by the Air Force. Cyclops informs them they are taking the Avengers' place in the fight and then they are told to contact Lieutenant General Fredricks. Even though he is reluctant to trust them, Fredricks grants them official access to the base. As the X-Men fly toward the base, Nefaria detects their jet and fires SAMs[3] at them. Cyclops maneuvers the jet around the mountain in an attempt to shake the missiles, but they strike the jet and Cyclops hits an eject switch. The X-Men break away in an escape pod. Nefaria, however, fires sonic disruptors at the escape pod and it is disintegrated. The X-Men survive but are left in free-fall miles above the ground.