The cosmic being known as the Watcher sits in a strange facility on Earth's moon. He notes that the universe is filled with wonder, and states that he has made it his labor to record all that intrigues him herein. It is from this lab on the moon that he studies the myriad secrets that have bedeviled gods and mortals alike. However, it isn't merely this cosmos which so fascinate him – for there are an infinite number of alternate realities – realities which diverge from their own when crucial events spawn different outcomes, like one such universe, where the much-maligned mutants known as the X-Men, formed under much different circumstances than the ones on this world, and where a well-known political figure has run for the highest office in the land – and won the presidency – former Senator Robert Kelly, has assumed the office of the Chief Executive. The Watcher looks at an image of President Kelly celebrating his win, and notes that as a senator, Kelly's views were thoroughly anti-mutant, and shared by many – but his life was saved by the mutant band called the X-Men, and so his beliefs have altered significantly. The Watcher decides to look in on this group of misfits as they prepare for a joyous occasion, one which will ultimately involve far more than the joining of two people in matrimony. He knows this, because he is the Watcher.
Meantime, at a country church in the town of Brewster, New York, the wedding ceremony joining two of Professor Xavier's Gifted Youngsters concludes, as Jean Grey, wearing a wedding dress, stands before Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops as she utters 'I do'. Professor Charles Xavier sits in his hoverchair off to the side of Scott, while Jubilee, Rogue and Ororo Munroe a.k.a. Storm are all wearing pink dresses as they stand near Jean. The priest standing before Jean and Scott then pronounces Scott and Jean as husband and wife, and tells Scott that he may kiss his bride. Scott smiles and thinks to himself that he has never been happier, but is sorry that Wolverine didn't make the wedding He wonders where Logan is.
At that moment, Wolverine, wearing the suit he was supposed to wear to the wedding, is back at the X-Mansion, inside the Danger Room, engaging in a less than festive way of celebrating the blessed day – programming a solidified hologram sequence featuring Cyclops in attack mode. 'C'mon, Summers – give it yer best shot! Don't hold back!' Wolverine snarls, as the faux Cyclops fires an optic blast towards him. Logan easily dodges the blast and tells the faux Cyclops that he had his blasted chance and fouled up. 'Hate to do this on yer wedding day...but I just can't stand the sight of you! Wonder why!' Logan shouts as he slices his claws through the Cyclops construct.
Back in the church, Remy LeBeau a.k.a. Gambit approaches Jean and takes her hand, 'Where I come from, we always kiss de bride – and all de bridesmaids! Can't offend, non?' Gambit remarks. 'Oh, Remy you'll never change' Jean smiles, to which Gambit tells her that it is nice to know there are things you can count on. Gambit notices Jean's eyes and asks her if she is troubled, to which the wide-eyed, distracted Jean tells him that it is nothing, that she was thihnking of someone. She apologizes for seeming distracted, while sensing that something is wrong with Wolverine back at the X-Mansion.
Nearby, Cyclops farewells the priest, asking him if he won't stay for the reception. Reverend Fischer thanks Scott, but informs him that he has promises to keep. The priest leaves the church, thinking to himself that he has miles to go before he sleeps, but that it was such a lovely ceremony. 'Wouldn't these grinning fools be shocked to learn the good Reverend Fischer – was their long-lost fellow X-Man with the power to alter his shape at will?' the priest thinks to himself, as he suddenly transforms into Morph! Morph grins, thinking that it would throw the X-Men for a loop to know the mutant called Morph was back from the dead!
One hour later, back at Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in New York's Westchester County. Jean appears on a staircase, holding her bouquet of flowers, she tells the ladies that it is time – and that this is the only scientific method they know to find out who will be tying the knot next. 'Ready?' she asks. Rogue tells Jubilee that she is too young to think about getting hitched, to which Jubilee asks Rogue to bite her tongue, and boasts that Christian Slater is all hers. 'Gotcha!' Jubilee exclaims as the bouquet is tossed her way – only a large furry blue hand grabs it before Jubilee can lay claim to it. 'Looks as if the mesmerizing Mister Slater remains a free man a wee bit longer' Henry McCoy a.k.a. the Beast jokes. 'Hey! No fair!' Jubilee protests. The Beast then hands the flowers to Jubilee, apologizing to her. 'Beast! It's you!' Jubilee gasps. 'In the somewhat furry flesh!' the Beast replies, handing Jean a wedding gift, and apologizing for missing the ceremony. Jean smiles and tells him not to explain, as they know he just got out of jail and that there were a million things to take care of. She adds gthat they are just glad to see him safe and sound.
Meanwhile, in the White House Press Room, Washington DC, where President Kelly addresses a crowd, informing them that before the election, he actively sought to end the injustice of Henry McCoy's imprisonment, and announces that as President, he intends to pursue a policy of conciliation towards mutants – providing they be law-abiding citizens. He states that they must put an end to the divisions in society and bring outsiders into the mainstream. Amongst thr crowd is a man wearing a t-shirt that has “Friends of Humanity” printed on it. 'Sorry, Mr President – time's up on the malarky meter. Now Graydon Creed gets his turn to truth-tell' the man, Graydon Creed, thinks to himself. He then speaks quietly into a small communication device and announces that Operation: Disrupt commences.
A moment later, a large bald man rushes towards the stage and hurls a chair at the President, who steps back just in time, as the man shouts 'That's all outta you, Prez! You were elected to protect us from mutants – not kiss their butts!' One of the President's guards tells the President gto get down, while the bald man shouts that the Friend of Humanity have only begun to fight. 'Better mend your ways, mutant lover, or else!' he warns the President as he rushes from the room. One of the guards declares that they can't fire until he is out of the crowd of reporters, while another guard states that he will contact security at the front entrance. Gaydon Creed watches all of this and speaks into the communicator again, remarking that state one is successful, so it is time to begin stage two.
At the X-Mansion, Jean Grey is still wearing her wedding dress as she enters the Danger Room to find Logan sitting on the floor. She tells him that they were wondering where he was, and that she was concerned. 'You didn't -' Jean begins, as Logan tells her that he was working up a little sweat, and must have got carried away and lost track of time. 'Don't worry, I'm fine' Logan adds. Jean kneels beside Logan, whose shirt has been torn to shreds, and she tells him that she wanted to be the one to tell him that Hank has been released from prison thanks to President Kelly. 'So the old furball's gonna be rejoining us spouting fifty-buck words nobody else knows, huh?' Logan replies, telling Jean that is great news, just great.
Jean looks forlorn as she tells Logan that she knows how this must hurt him, and admits to the attraction between the two of them – but that it is Scott who she loves. 'I'm so sorry for you' Jean adds. Logan doesn't look at Jean as he tells her that pity is the worst thing, and points out that he didn't even have the guts to show up at her wedding – instead, he flips out here feeling sorry for himself – a good man would have been there supporting her. Logan tells Jean that she made the right choice, and to enjoy her honeymoon. 'Hope you and the Boy Scout live happily ever after' he adds. Jean turns and walks out of the Danger Room, while Logan watches her leave, he thinks to himself that he should have made his moves months earlier, as it might have been he and her today, going off to some island, married. He tells himself that there is no use, as what's done is done – he is outside looking in – for good.
Meanwhile, in a seedy hotel room in downtown Salem Center: 'Why?' Morph asks, clutching his head, he appears in agony. 'Why? They were my friends! Why did they abandon me – leave me to die and run away?!' he wonders, while his head hurts badly, with pictures swimming around inside. Bad pictures – ugly – but true. Images flood his mind, he remembers the Sentinels coming out of the woods and attacking the X-Men. He remembers offering to draw the Sentinels' fire, while his teammates split. 'I ain't leaving ya, Morph!' Logan called out. Morph recalls being hit by an optic blast from one of the Sentinels – he thought it was all over. But he didn't die – as a man with a white took him in his arms and carried him to safety, who told him that the X-Men ran like rats after Morph had been hit and they never looked back. 'I'll destroy them all for that! All of them!' Morph exclaims in anguish. Morph declares that the X-Men are not his friends, they are his enemies. He then wonders what is making him do this, and realizing his head hurts bad, he decides to lie down and sleep.
In the X-Men's War Room, Storm, Jubilee, Rogue and Professor X gather around a monitor and watch footage on screen of a pro-human demonstration which turned violent and smashed a mutant safe-house in Manhattan. 'Bummer! This is worse than a hockey game, guys!' Jubilee exclaims, while Rogue asks the Professor what is going on. Professor X states that when they saved Kelly's life before he became president, his attitudes towards mutantkind changed. Xavier reminds the others that before, Kelly was virtually anti-mutant, but now his views have softened, and he preaches tolerance, so doubtless his followers feel betrayed, enraged, and are lashing out on their own. Xavier remarks that in this time of trial, they must remain diligent and hold fast to their ideals though they be under increased assault. 'That's cool. But do you think somebody's running the show... taking Kelly's place with the mutie-haters?' Jubilee suggests. Xavier tells her that is a very interesting question, and wonders if perhaps there is an insidious mastermind behind these “Friends of Humanity”.
Xavier suddenly excuses himself, and his hoverchair carries him across the War Room to another room off the side. 'Where yuh off to, Professor?' Rogue calls out. Xavier reports that a private video line is waiting for him, and that he will return shortly. Once inside the other room, Xavier switches on a monitor and sees Magneto staring back at him. 'Must speak with you – Xavier – I'm hurt -' Magneto's voice, somewhat fractured due to a bad link, utters. 'What's happened?' Xavier asks. But Magneto tells him that he can't talk now, that they will have to meet, and tells Xavier to look for the coordinates that appear on the screen. 'Magnus – your image is breaking up. Speak quickly' Xavier responds, but as Magneto's image fades away, his voice tells Xavier to hurry, that he can't last, there is violence that will end them all. Charles frowns as he notes the coordinates as being in Antarctica, and vows to head their immediately. But at the other end of the video connection, 'Yes... must see you immediately...' Magneto utters as he ends the video link – and is quickly revealed to be Morph, who shifts from his disguise as Magneto back to his true form, grinning, he laughs as he boasts that the sooner Xavier embarks on this wild goose chase, the sooner his precious X-Men will meet their demise!
Later, in New Salem, Wolverine, Gambit and Beast are playing a game of pool at a pool hall. The Beast lines up to take his shoot, and Logan frowns, telling Hank that he guesses his stay in the joint didn't do much to improve his pool-playing skills. 'Oh, ye of little faith witness now what in the parlance of the pool hall is rhapsodically referred to as – running the table' the Beast replies, and as Gambit chalks up his cue, Hank tells him that there is no need to waste the chalk, as this is a decidedly done deal. 'Big words, Beast. No balls in de pocket yet. I keep chalking' Remy responds, when suddenly, a brick is hurled through the window. Wolverine turns to the broken window and remarks that it looks like somebody doesn't want to wait in line for the table. 'Come on out and get some, muties!' a man with a baseball shouts as he and other Friends of Humanity members form a mob in front of the pool hall. 'Yeah! We wanna introduce ourselves!' another exclaims. Towards the back of the group, Graydon Creed hands one of his thugs a camera and tells him to get the camera ready for when the mutants come out, but not to start recording until he gives him the signal.
'Oh, my stars and garters! Observe this scenery-shredding scenario of civil disobedience!' the Beast remarks as he, Wolverine and Gambit emerge through the broken window. 'Do such overwhelming numbers inspire the fight or flight response, my boyos?' the Beast asks his friends. 'McCoy! We got us some mutant haters to trash!' Wolverine replies, before asking Gambit if he is up for it. Gambit responds by remarking that he doesn't have any playing cards with him to charge up and even the score, so he will have to make do with these little billiard balls. 'Look out!' one of the thugs shouts as Gambit hurls several kinetically-charged billard balls towards the ground in front of the Friends of Humanity. 'Hope you don't mind, mes amis! I be gentle!' Gambit jokes. One of the thugs moves forward and threatens Gambit with a gun as he tells him that there is only one way to keep stinkin' muties in line. 'Whatsamatter – nothing funny to say when you're looking down the barrel of an Uzi?' the thug asks as Gambit doesn't respond. Gambit replies that he makes the jokes only when the barrel belongs to a shotgun, not an Uzi – as Uzis don't make him think funny.
'On the other hand – such a handicap has never afflicted the bouncing Beast!' the Beast exclaims as he drops down from above and grabs the Uzi from the thug. 'Give it back! You clowns are nuts!' the thug shouts. 'Au contraire! Crazy maybe... nuts – never!' Gambit replies, while at the back of the group, the Friend of Humanity with the camera asks Creed if he wants him to begin filming. Creed frowns and tells him to start filming, but he needs to be absolutely certain only to tape the scene when the mutants are acting aggressively. Another thug with a large chain swings it towards Wolverine, threatening to rap his face with the chain until it looks like a waffle. 'Nice improvement if you ask me' the thug mutters, before warning Wolverine that he will then hang him from the nearest lamppost. 'Makes me feel warm all over knowing ya got big plans for me, sonny! Warm 'n wanted!' Wolverine snarls as he pops his claws.
'Too bad I gotta put a crimp in yer cozy scenario!' Logan points out as he slices his claws through the chain, and remarks that he knows someone who has another use for this little swing-around. Wolverine tosses the chain to Gambit and tells him to make him proud. Gambit calls back that he will give it the best shot, as he kinetically charges the chain and begins to swing it around, keeping the Friends of Humanity back as he tells them to scatter, and declares that he is not wasting no more time on the likes of them. 'Take off, scum!' Gambit shouts, while one of the Friends of Humanity looks at the chain in horror, and remarks that it is going to explode. 'Hey – I hear sirens!' one of the thugs calls out. 'Must be the cops!' another supposes, while a third suggests they get outta here, as they begin to scatter. Gambit suggests to Logan and the Beast that they do the same. 'Agreed' the Beast replies, pointing out that it would hardly do for the recent recipient of a legal pardon to be seen skulking about a crime scene – not at all. 'Yer just worried about being nailed fer unpaid parking tickets, McCoy' Logan jokes, while unseen by the X-Men, Graydon Creed smirks and thinks that he has just the footage he needs – the next stop is a network news division.
Later that evening, after the intrepid trio have returned to the X-Mansion, the assembled team learns of the Professor's whereabouts via hologram, as Wolverine, Storm, Gambit, Beast and Rogue sit around a table, while a holographic projection of the Professor appears, apologizing for his abrupt departure earlier, he reveals that he has been called away on a personal matter of the greatest urgency. He tells the X-Men that he knows these are difficult times, and tells them that they must work together in the days ahead, that nothing must divide them – too much depends on it. Xavier adds that until Cyclops returns from his honeymoon, Storm is the designated deputy leader. Xavier then bids his X-Men farewell.
Suddenly, Jubilee rushes into the room. 'Guys! You've gotta check out the tube! Like you're not gonna believe this!' Jubilee exclaims. 'Cool yer heels, Squirt. What'd they do? Cancel Beevis an' Butthead?' Logan asks, while the Beast asks her what has caught her eye. Jubilee turns on a monitor, which depicts the Beast during the fight with the Friends of Humanity. 'Your furry little blue bod did, Beastie! Somebody taped you dorks at the pool hall!' Jubilee declares, as the image shows the Beast holding one of the Friends of Humanity's guns, she points out that the recording makes it look like the three of them caused all the ruckus. Beast and Rogue look shocked, 'Of all the egregious editing! We were the ones under assault!' the Beast exclaims, adding that he refuses to believe the public will buy such a charade, such a travesty of the truth. Rogue tells the Beast that for someone who gobbles dictionaries, he sure can say some dumb things – as of course the public are going to believe the X-Men were the culprits – it's all right there in living color. Wolverine declares that they have been set up, that somebody is out to frame them. Logan gets up to leave, informing the others that he is going to take a little spin and start snooping around until he turns them up.
Outside the Mansion a short time later, Morph hides behind a tree and watches Logan speed away on his motorcycle and thinks to himself that one chump is out of the way, which will be a little easier to cause havoc without that lunatic around. Morph switches his form to resemble Wolverine and decides that it is time for the Wolvster to make his appearance and check up on the proceedings. As Morph climbs the front steps to the Mansion, he tells himself to take it easy, and that with Xavier gone, he can probably get the run of the place, but he better not get too anxious. As soon as he is inside, Morph/”Wolverine” is confronted by Rogue, who is surprised to see him back. 'Ah thought you was heading off to catch us a criminal!' Rogue exclaims, asking “Wolverine” if he forgot his galoshes or something. “Wolverine” tells Rogue that he had a sudden change of mind, deciding it was probably better to start fresh in the morning. Rogue stretches and tells “Wolverine” to change whatever tickles him, and informs him that she is going to the rec room to catch forty winks. 'Right. Good night' “Wolverine” replies, as he heads off in the other direction, Morph switches from appearing as Wolverine to appearing as Rogue, 'Last thing you'd be doing is sleeping if you knew what I had planned now' Morph thinks to himself.
Moments later, “Rogue” enters the War Room where she finds Gambit and Jubilee playing cards. 'What's up'? She asks them. Gambit looks up and tells “Rogue” that he thought she was catching a nap. “Rogue” replies that she can't, as she has a job for one of them, reporting that they just had information that a major anti-mutant attack is expected at the old mutant halfway house – so they need to send somebody down to check it out. 'Awesome! I'm on the way, lady!' Jubilee exclaims as she gets up dropping her cards as she tells “Rogue” not to sweat it, that she will be careful. 'Ah'm sure you can handle it, youngster. We're counting on yuh' “Rogue” calls back, before turning to Gambit and telling him that it looks like it is just the two of them now. Gambit looks surprised as “Rogue” places a hand on his shoulder and remarks 'Suppose Ah said Ah been practicing controlling mah power to absorb other folks' abilities an' strength? Reached the point where Ah can touch another human being without making 'em go weak an' such like so' “Rogue” remarks, telling Remy to figure out the possibilities.
'Thinking about it, darling' Gambit utters. “Rogue” smiles and tells him that she has been thinking lots about it, and that the War Room is hardly the place to be doing more than thinking about it, though. Gambit smiles and asks her what she has in mind, and as “Rogue” heads to the door, she tells suggests to Gambit that he get himself to the rec room in five minutes. 'Waitin' gonna be tough!' Remy replies, to which “Rogue tells him that it is gonna be worth it. Exactly three hundred seconds later, 'Chere?' Gambit calls out as he enters the darkened rec room. He goes over to where Rogue is sleeping, and leans in towards her, supposing that he kept her waiting too long – but he has the remedy for that – a peck on the cheek.
Back in the War Room, Storm watches a monitor that shows a report of more anti-mutant violence with the Friends of Humanity, depicted outside the largest mutant counseling center. Storm thinks to herself that the situation is becoming worse than feared, and wonders what else might go wrong. As if on cue, Rogue walks into the War Room, carrying a motionless Gambit in her arms. Storm asks her what she has done, to which Rogue tells her friend that it wasn't her – she was sleeping in the rec room, and dumb Gambit came in and kissed her, so of course she absorbed his powers and he went down for the count. Rogue tells Storm that she doesn't understand – she knows Remy has a thing for her, but he knows there is no way she can be touched without this being the result. 'The danged fool' Rogue mutters as she places Remy on a table. 'With all that's happening, he picked a great time to play Romeo'.
Storm frowns and suggests that perhaps there is more to Remy's seeming foolishness than is apparent. Rogue reaches for a cup of coffee and tells Storm that she doesn't know about that, but that since she has absorbed Gambit's kinetic charging powers for a while, if she touches anything it goes kablooie, because she doesn't have it under control – which she proves as the coffee cup explodes. Storm looks down at Gambit and remarks that it is amazing how he keeps such a deadly mutant ability in check. She adds that he is a mysterious man. Storm tells Rogue that she wants her to stay at the Mansion and care for Gambit when he revives and wait for Jubilee. Storm announces that she is going to go to the mutant counseling center that is currently under assault and take a personal hand in stopping the violence. 'This ugliness will not continue while I am here to stop it' Storm declares. Rogue agrees and tells Storm that she will hold the fort while she does her thing.
Ten minutes later, Storm arrives at the besieged mutant counseling center which is now on fire. 'That should'a smoked out any lousy muties still crawling around in there!' one of the Friends of Humanity shouts. 'Let's leave 'em all for dead' another exclaims. Suddenly, rain begins to pour down. 'Outta nowhere! What's happening?' one of the thugs shouts. 'THIS VIOLENCE AGAINST MY KIND MUST CEASE!' Storm cries from above. 'IT ENDS NOW, OR YOU WILL SUFFER A DELUGE BEYOND YOUR FEEBLE IMAGININGS!' Storm warns the thugs. 'In yer ear, big mouth! Here's what I think'a you show-off mutants!' one of the Friends of Humanity shouts back as he fires a rifle at Storm – which skims across her head, causing her to drop to the ground. The Friends of Humanity hear sirens and begin to run, not wanting to be discovered by the cops.
At Sinister's lair, the diabolical villain watches a monitor that shows police officers finding Storm. One of the officers notes that she has been grazed, and is losing blood, so they need to take her to a hospital. 'Excellent' Sinister thinks to himself, deciding that yet another x-piece is removed from the board, although there are others to be neutralized, he hopes that the pathetic Morph has done his part.
Later that evening at the Veterans Club in a run-down section of New Salem, Jubilee rings the doorbell and thinks to herself that this is a spooky dump – she hopes this wasn't Rogue's idea of a dumb joke. She waits for someone to answer the door, 'Like I got all night or something' she thinks to herself, when suddenly, Graydon Creed opens the door and asks her what he can do for her. Jubilee tells him that she understands he needs help protecting mutants from an attack, and introduces herself as Jubilee, a mutant who is here to help. 'Need some help – oh – of course. Mutants. Come right in' Graydon smirks, telling Jubilee that he thinks she will be surprised at how much they want her here – very surprised. And with that, Jubilee steps inside and the door clicks shut behind her....
