Marauders #4 (2022)

Lauren Amaro

Later, Kate Pryde) and Bishop) stake out a high rise from the roof of a skyscraper in downtown Taipei. The blueprints Bishop has provided are labeled in Krakoan, so they prove useless to Kate, who hasn’t had the language telepathically downloaded yet thanks to her inability to go through the Krakoan gates. Bishop says the blueprints shouldn't matter as long as she hits "the bullseye”, then they tandem base jump off the skyscraper. As they fall, Kate tries to convince Bishop to join Hellfire Trading as the Red Bishop, but he is hesitant. They release their parachute and Kate phases them both through the roof of the high rise right behind the backs of the armed guards on patrol. When they emerge from the ceiling of the penthouse, they unhitch from the parachute's harness. Bishop says they need to be out of the building within 90 seconds if they want to avoid being spotted.

According to Bishop, the penthouse is owned by billionaire couple Lim) and Chen Zhao). Lim has gone missing and his wife has been speaking at anti-mutant rallies, claiming he disappeared after touching a Krakoan gate. Bishop’s tech has been unable to scan the penthouse’s panic room, so he needs Kate to phase them in. Kate phases them both through the wall and into the panic room, then through the walls of a windowless shelter within. Inside, they find Lim Zhao in a sparse prison cell. Surprised, Lim falls to his knees and thanks his saviors. He begs to be taken to Krakoa, calling Kate and Bishop by their mutant codenames. Bishop notices robes marked with an “X” hanging on the wall and realizes Lim is a member of Order of X), a mutant-worshipping cult that formed after Charles Xavier’s) telepathic message that announced the establishment of Krakoa to the world. As Kate and Bishop try to figure out what to do with Lim, the door to the cell hisses open.

Two young women enhanced with Lady Deathstrike) claws kick Lim aside and attack Kate and Bishop. During the fight, one of them re-breaks Kate’s nose; Kate responds by phasing a pillow through the woman’s arm and letting go. The woman screams in pain and falls to the floor with the re-solidified pillow protruding from her side. Bishop blasts the second woman with his plasma rifle. Bishop and Kate tell Lim they’re going to see his wife and drag him out of the cell.

Chen Zhao speaks to a full crowd at Taipei Arena. As she demands to know her husband’s whereabouts, Kate shouts from the crowd and produces Lim for all to see. She tells the crowd that Lim was in the Zhaos’ penthouse the entire time, and that he seems to love mutants as much as Chen hates them. Kate climbs on-stage and tells Chen that mutants are done being “scapegoats”. As the crowd boos Chen, Kate phases herself and Bishop through the stage floor, all the while trying to sell Bishop on the color red.

Sometime later, Bishop messages Beast) about the Deathstrike-enhanced henchwomen he and Kate encountered. Beast thanks him for the heads up and not-so-subtly recommends he take Kate up on becoming the Red Bishop.

A disgraced Chen Zhao travels to Madripoor to meet with Homines Verendi) and pledges a financial contribution to the villainous group. In return, Wilhelmina Kensington) offers Zhao the position of White Bishop to her White Queen.