X-Men Legends II 1 & 2

[StrayLamb]

X-Men Legends II #1 (July 2022) by Roy Thomas

Who’s in it (courtesy of Jason Doty):

Wolverine (Howlett)
Hulk (Banner)
members of the Canadian Corps Commandos
members of Department H in main story and FB including Colonel Bernardo & Capt. Helm
Jack O' Diamonds in main story and FB's
citizens of New York
security at the Brand Corporation in Long Island
Havok (image)
Lorna Dane (image)
Blob (image)
Unus (image)
Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde) (image)
Iceman (image)
Angel (Worthington III) (image)
Mesmero-BTS


What Happens:

XL2 1 (12:2 - 12:3)-FB: [Context: This takes place immediately after X 42/2 (4:3)] An early incarnation of Dept. H, experimenting with a mutant-detecting device, inadvertantly collects Jack O’Diamond’s scattered atoms, materializing him in their tractor beam.

XL2 1 (1 - 5:3): Weapon X chases Hulk thru the forest and they renew their battle. This takes place between IH2 181 & 182.

XL2 1 (5:4 - 9:2): Weapon X is retrieved by a Canadian Air Force Copter under the command of Capt. Helm, and a net is dropped over Hulk as a squad of commandos drops to the ground, but Hulk makes short work of them; a gas missile is fired at Hulk, knocking him out; Hulk wakes to find himself carried in a titanium cage, suspended below the copter, but he trashes the cage, and jumps to the ground, taking off into the forest. This is a retelling of IH2 182 (1 - 3:6).

XL2 1 (9:3 - 9:6): Losing sight of the Hulk, Capt. Helm orders the copter to return to base.

XL2 1 (10 - 20): Having rested for three days, Weapon X reports to Col. Bernardo, who gives him a new assignment. Bernardo explains they’ve learned that until two days ago, the so-called Secret Empire was holding nine extra-normals in the South-West desert in the USA, but they’ve somehow got free, and they’ve tracked at least two of them to Long Island; Weapon X asks how he’s supposed to get into the US, when Jack O’Diamonds smashes thru the wall. Bernardo tells Weapon X that the two of them will be working as a team.

Jack O’Diamond teleports with Weapon X to the mains labs of the Brand Corp on Long Island. Weapon X tells Jack he’s done with Dept H, but Jack tells him he needs this mission to succeed so he can get into their good books, and they get into a fight. When a signal alerts them the the presence of their quarry, Weapon X’s curiosity gets the better of him. Finding the guards unconscious, Weapon X and Jack follow the signal down into the labs, where they appear to find Havok, Polaris, Iceman, Angel, Mastermind, Blob, and Unus the Untouchable.



X-Men Legends II #2 (August 2022) by Roy Thomas

Who’s in it (courtesy of Jason Doty):

security at the Brand Corporation in Long Island
Wolverine (Howlett)
Jack O' Diamonds
Mesmero in main story and FB's
Beast temporarily disguised as Wildlife in main story and FB's
Number One of the Secret Empire in FB's
Captain America (Rogers) in FB's
Agent Nine (Linda Donaldson) of the Secret Empire (also in FB)
Number One of the Secret Empire - BTS
members of the Secret Empire in FB's
Professor X in FB
Cyclops in FB
Falcon (Wilson) in FB
Marvel Girl (Jean Grey) in FB
Iceman in FB's
Angel in FB's
Havok in FB's
Lorna Dane in FB's
Unus the Untouchable in FB's
Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde) in FB's
citizens of a nearby town where where the Secret Empire held the mutants in FB
members of Department H in including Colonel Bernardo & Capt. Helm.


What Happens:

XL2 2 (10:2 - 13:4)-FB: [Context: This takes place between CA 174 & CA 175] Mesmero and Beast are the first to awaken on the energy wheel. Mesmero uses his powers to influence Beast and has him break them free, leaving their images behind in their place, and appearing to still be shackled to the wheel. As they escape, Mesmero tells Beast that he was lucid before the weapon was fired, and that Captain America had brought the Secret Empire something they valued, an Electron-Gyro. Beast tells Mesmero that he had just finished developing it for a lab on Long Island, and that it’s still there, revealing that Cap brought them the less-powerful prototype. When Beast wants to rescue Linda Donaldson, Mesmero strengthens his influence over him. Reaching a nearby town, Mesmero secures transport for them to the East Coast.

XL2 2: Weapon X and Jack attack, but discover the mutants are illusions as they crash into each other. Weapon X and Jack are both knocked out, to the amusement of Mesmero and Beast, now in the guise of the masked Wildlife, who assume they also came to steal the Electron-Gyro. Having been sent by (presumably) the new Number One to recapture any of the escaped mutants, Linda Donaldson, the Secret Empire’s Number Nine, arrives at the labs. Wildlife loads the Electron-Gyro onto a forklift, then ties up Weapon X and Jack with a steel cable. Mesmero shoots at Weapon X and Jack with a Laser Gun, but Wildlife knocks the gun aside, and Weapon X and Jack break free. Linda appears, sparking a memory in Wildlife, but Weapon X knocks him out. Deciding that four mutants are too much for her to handle, Linda tries to abscond with the Electron-Gyro, but she’s stopped by Jack.

Seeing Linda in danger, Beast’s memories return, and he leaps between her and Jack, who knocks him down, damaging his mask. Linda recognizes Hank’s voice, and realizes he’s the Beast. Jack slaps her aside, but as he prepares to kill her, Weapon X stabs him from behind, and shakes him until he disintegrates, destroying the Electron-Gyro along with him. His mask having been torn, Weapon X takes the intact top half of Wildlife’s mask, and hoisting Mesmero over his shoulder, he advises Linda to take off before the guards wake up. Linda tells the unconscious Hank that he was a fool for ever loving her, and takes off. Beast wakes up to find he’s alone, and dons a lab-coat, telling the guards he didn’t hear a thing.

Back in Canada, Bernardo chides Weapon X for returning with only one mutant, and confines him to barracks. Weapon X tells him that’s fine, as he has some things he wants to sort out in his mind. Capt. Helm warns Bernardo that Weapon X’s about to go AWOL, but Bernardo tells him his replacement will be there in a few days, so he’ll let him worry about it.


Notes:

1. Wolverine is referred to as Weapon X throughout the story.

2. The head of Dept. H is named Col. Bernardo.

3. The copter pilot from IH2 182 is named Capt. Helm.


Chronologies:

BEAST/HENRY "HANK" PHILIP MCCOY
---
CA 174
XL2 2-FB <<< ADD
CA 175-BTS <<< ADD BTS
XL2 1-BTS <<< ADD
XL2 2 <<< ADD
A 137-FB
---

BERNARDO, COL. <<< ADD ALL
IH2 181
XL2 1
XL2 2

HELM, CAPT. <<< ADD ALL
IH2 182-VO
XL2 1
XL2 2

HULK/DR. ROBERT BRUCE BANNER
---
IH2 181 (16:3 - 18)
XL2 1 (1 - 5:3) <<< ADD
IH2 182 (1:1)
W:O 28 (18:1 - 18:2)-FB
IH2 182 (1:2 - 2:4)
W:O 28 (18:3 - 18:4)-FB
IH2 182 (2:5 - 2:7)
W:O 28 (18:5 - 19:5)-FB
IH2 182 (3:1 - 3:4)
W:O 28 (19:5 - 19:9)-FB
IH2 182 (3:5 - 17:7)
---

JACK O'DIAMONDS/JACK WINTERS
---
X 42/2 (1 - 2:3)
UO 1 (20:2 - 20:6)
X 42/2 (2:4 - 3:3)
UO 1 (21:1 - 21:2)
X 42/2 (3:4 - 4:2)
UO 1 (21:3 - 21:4)
X 42/2 (4:3 - 5)
XL2 1-FB <<< ADD
XL2 1 <<< ADD
XL2 2 <<< ADD
SENSH 34
SENSH 35

MESMERO/VINCENT
---
CA 174
XL2 2-FB <<< ADD
CA 175-BTS <<< ADD BTS
XL2 1-BTS <<< ADD
XL2 2 <<< ADD
CX 17/2 (1 - 13:4)
---

NUMBER 9 III/LINDA DONALDSON
---
CA 173
CA 174
XL2 2 <<< ADD

PROFESSOR POWER/ANTHONY POWER
XL2 2-BTS <<< ADD
DEF 102-BTS

WOLVERINE/"LOGAN"/JAMES HOWLETT
---
IH2 181 (16:3 - 18)
XL2 1 (1 - 5:3) <<< ADD
IH2 182 (1:1)
W:O 28 (18:1 - 18:2)-FB
IH2 181 (1:2 - 2:4)
W:O 28 (18:3 - 18:4)-FB-BTS
IH2 182 (2:5 - 2:7)-BTS
W:O 28 (18:5 - 19:5)-FB-BTS
IH2 182 (3:1 - 3:4)-BTS
W:O 28 (19:5 - 19:9)-FB
IH2 182 (3:5 - 17)
XL2 1 (9:3 - 20) <<< ADD
XL2 2 <<< ADD
SMV.W (1 - 5)-FB
AF 53-FB
AF2 1-FB
W:O 28 (20)-FB
XO:W (17)
---