On a world far from our own, created by mortal hands, it is a curiosity well hidden amid the vastness of space. Shielded by nigh-impenetrable defenses, it is both heaven and that other place. It’s all a question of who you ask. Aboard an intergalactic space station, a lizard-like alien creature by the name of Jh’az calls to central command and tells them that he found their breach.
Central command replies very good and adds that as troublesome as their Zennan friend is, they can’t afford another escape. Leaning down to check on the female alien, Jh’az informs them there is no chance of that, not this time. She’s unconscious and he’s not getting a pulse, he thinks she’s dead. Central command asks if he’s certain. Zennan vital signs can be difficult to read.
Just then, the essence of the female alien leaps into Jh’az’s body. As Jh’az begins to run away, central command asks what’s happening, is the Zennan conscious? When Jh’az doesn’t respond, central command issues an alert and deploys guards to bring Jh’az in. Before they can react, Jh’az opens up fire on them and takes them out. Turning around, Jh’az states that he needs a new vessel. Another alien, smaller this time tells him that he can’t let him board his ship, he’s been instructed to…
Jh’az walks towards him and informs him that he wasn’t talking about his ship. As the female alien leaps out of Jh’az, she tells him that she’ll deal with that particular obstacle once she’s divested herself of this lumbering clod and found herself more suitable accommodations. Once inside the smaller alien, she shoots Jh’az and hitches a ride on a space ship. Her next stop – Earth.
More specifically, a New York dive called Hardcase’s, the kind of place where more people are carried out than manage to stagger out on their own. Where the cheapest rotgut whiskey is the order of the day and a side-splitting headache the next morning is the best you can hope for. Not the kind of place to take a lady. But Carol Danvers is no lady and Logan is no gentleman.
Dressed in civilian clothes, Carol and Logan are playing a friendly game of pool. As Logan takes his final shot, Carol tells him that he’s got her; she’s officially embarrassed. Now plug the sucker into the hole so they can start a new round. And don’t even think ‘bout gettin’ her to bet this time. While Logan makes his final shot, he tells Carol that it’s gonna take him a while t’ drink all th’ brews she owes him already. He’s thinkin’ she’s about due fer a freebie. He tells her to feel free t’ rack ‘em up for that next round an’ not to worry. He won’t let it get around that Ms. Marvel’s lost her touch as queen o’ th’ cue.
Taking another swig of her beer, Carol tells him whatever. It’s been a while since she could lay claim to either of those titles. Her game’s kind of suffered on her journey from bright-eyed U.S.A.F. fly-girl to ex-Avenger. She asks him can he believe it, she’s been NASA’s security chief at Cape Canaveral, a magazine editor, even a bonafide damsel in distress until one of Captain Mar-Vell’s battles resulted in her gaining super powers of her own.
Logan replies yeah, she’s gone through a lot o’ changes since they first met, had their share o’ good times though. He remembers years ago, when he was with C.S.I.S., an’ she was a spy workin’ for American intelligence an’ he broke her outta that prison in Moscow. He recalls years later, the two o’ them snuck into the Pentagon to upload a virus an’ wipe out all their records o’ the X-Men. Carol says they did have their adventures, didn’t they. She then asks where her drink is anyway and begins to bad-mouth the waitress.
Before she can continue, the waitress appears and Carol thanks her, telling her she’s a lifesaver. Seeing her actions, Logan asks her is she’s sure she doesn’t want to slow down a bit. All kiddin’ aside, he did beat her pretty bad. Continuing to drink, Carol tells him to forget about it. This isn’t like the first time she quit the Avengers. She asks him if he wants to know why she quit; does he wanna know what the big deal was with the Avengers? She made a few lousy mistakes. They knew she had turned into Binary and was hangin’ out with the Starjammers for a time. She had powers, big time. But when she found out she’d lost the powers she had as Binary, she kept it a secret from the rest of the team and she’ll admit it, she was wrong but it didn’t warrant the kind of treatment she got.
Logan tells her maybe not, but she betrayed their trust. If there’s one thing he’s learned over the years, especially during the time he’s spent with the X-Men, it’s that you can’e ever do that. Logan then thinks to himself that this Avenger business must be eatin’ Carol alive. She’s tryin’ not to let him see it, but the way she’s drinkin’, she’s gotta be feelin’ pretty low ‘bout now. An’ here he is tryin’ to read her th’ riot act. She’s noddin’, but he can tell she ain’t really listenin’. He…
Before Logan can finish his thought, a report comes across the television and Trish Tilby begins her report at the heart of the destruction. An international debate on human-mutant relations is set to begin there tomorrow, but at this hour, a different kind of battle is raging outside the U.N. building. A militant extremist calling herself Powerhouse is obliterating everything in sight as a symbol of humankind’s destructive attitude toward mutants. Police are on the scene, but it’s quickly become clear that they’re ill-equipped to deal with a threat of this magnitude. The National Guard has been called in, but right now, it appears the police, like those trying to assuage the growing tension between mutants and humans are losing control.
Back at the pool table, Carol goes to take a shot and calls out to the ol’ canucklehead that this is where his friendly neighborhood Warbird turns the tables on… Just then, the effect of all the alcohol she had catches up to her and the whole room begins to spin. As she falls into Logan’s arms, Logan tells her not to sweat it; they need to call it a night anyway. Judgin’ from t’ news, all heck is breakin’ loose down at the U.N. and it sounds like they could use a hand. She, on th’ other hand could use a cab. He also tells her not to call him “canucklehead.”
Laughing, Carol tells him to lighten’ up, she jus’ slipped is all. She then tells him that he’s kinda cute when he’s mad. Helping her stand up, Logan tells her uh huh and informs her that he needs to go. Carol says don’t worry, the Fantastic Four, or god forbid, the Avengers will take care of the U.N. They always do an’ him an’ her c’n still have their fun, there’s no need t’ run off. Logan informs her that she’s missin’ the point. To the average joe, Powerhouse is making a stink on behalf o’ mutants everywhere an’ like it or not, he’s gotta stake in that.
Outside the bar, Logan changes into his yellow and blue uniform and stands next to his bike. As he gets ready, he thinks to himself what a night. Carol an’ him have been drinkin’ buddies, friends, since her Air Force days. They’ve put their lives on the line for each other, seen each other at their best an’ worst but he’s never seen her like this. She’s comin’ on t’ him so strong it don’t even take his keen senses t’ smell it. He’s never seen her put ‘em back like that. After bein’ forced outta the Avengers, she could be drownin’ her sorrows but he’s thinkin’ it’s more than that…
Before he can ponder it further, Carol exits the bar wearing her Warbird uniform. She angrily tells Logan that she’s thought it over and she still thinks he should let someone else handle this but she’ll be dipped if she’s going to let him sideline her too. Logan tells her they’re not having this conversation, she just drank… Carol yells at him that she can’t believe him. She just watched him pound down twice as much as her, but she’s the one who should be back inside, sobering up with a cup of joe!? Give her a break! Before Logan can get on his motorcycle, Carol grabs him and she flies him into the air. As they ascend, she tells Logan that she can get him to the U.N. a heckuva lot quicker than that ol’ hog of his.
As they near the U.N., Carol asks Logan if that was so bad and states that he just doesn’t want her to spoil his rough-and-tumble loner image. Putting his mask on, Logan replies that hangin’ with the X-Men shoulda taken care o’ that. He’s more worried that she’s gonna fly him into the side of a building. He then tells her to drop him once he gives her the word. He appreciates the lift an’ all, but he still thinks she needs some time to clear her head. He did drink more than her, but his mutant healing factor makes it pretty tough for him to get even close to bein’ snookered…
Just then, Carol sees Powerhouse and tosses Logan towards the ground. As she does, she tells him to take the low road. As Logan plummets towards the ground, he calls out to Carol no. Using his agility, he directs his body towards Powerhouse, thinking all the way that this isn’t exactly how he’d planned on doin’ this, but it will have to do. With that, Logan sticks his feet into the back of the ranting Powerhouse. When he knocks her down, he tells her that, as much as he’d enjoy doin’ this the hard way, he think it’d be better f’r everybody involved if she just called it quits an’ surrendered.
Enraged, Powerhouse calls him human-loving filth and tells him that he’s as blind as they are, blind! She then turns around and unleashes a vicious blast to Logan’s chest, knocking him backwards into a wall. Picking himself up, Logan replies that’s he guessin’ that’s a “no.” He then thinks to himself that this is going to be tough, it feels like she’s absorbing his energy or somethin’. He’s feelin’ weak an’ his healin’ factor is slower ‘n usual. Powerhouse tells Logan that it makes her sick the way he rallies to the human’s aid, while their people are hated and feared the world over. They were the ones gifted at birth, they have the powers, the abilities, and that makes them their superiors. The humans hunt them, persecute them because they fear the truth. She doesn’t know who disgusts her more. Him, Wolverine, or…
At that moment, Warbird uses her power to unleash a blast behind Powerhouse. Still in the air, Carol tells her to save the speech, whatever point she wanted to make became moot the minute she decided to turn the U.N. into a war zone. The next blast she unleashes causes a section of concrete wall to plummet towards the civilians below. Seeing that, Logan calls out to Warbird to stop and thinks to himself that this is gettin’ worse by the second. Carol’s three sheets to the flamin’ wind and she’s weavin’ around an’ firin’ blind. The way things’re stackin’ up, she’s as much of a threat as Powerhouse.
Elsewhere, on the side of a road, a young man asks his buddy this is a joke, right. He thought there was something wrong with the car the way he stopped, but now… Climbing up the side of a hill, his buddy tells him to knock it off, he knows what he saw. His friend replies that’s what’s freakin’ him out and asks if he’s sure it wasn’t just a shooting star, or maybe that bad Mexican food they had in Congers. His friend tells him that whatever it was, it was too big, too bright to be a falling star. He then asks him if he smells that. His buddy tells him to tell him that he just didn’t. His friend says he’s serious, it smells like something’s burning and…
They both stop in their tracks when they see the crashed space-craft. The guy that wasn’t too fond of looking for what his buddy thought he saw tells him they aren’t seeing this, tell him they’re not seeing this. His friend asks him what is he – nuts? They’re the luckiest couple of schmucks in the whole world, can he imagine how famous they’re gonna be. His buddy asks famous? Is he the only guy in the world who doesn’t watch “The X-Files.” They’ve gotta get out of there before some government goon squad kills them to keep this a secret. Ignoring his buddies pleas, the more adventurous one checks out the crash site closer and finds the pilot. Unfortunately, he thinks he’s dead.
Back near the U.N., Logan continues to dodge energy blasts. As he does he thinks to himself this is bad. Not that he was expecting it t’ be a picnic. He works best up close an’ personal, an’ Powerhouse’s plasma blasts are doin’ a pretty fair job o’ keepin’ that from happenin’. But thanks to Carol, things have taken a turn for the worse. When another blast comes in, Logan says scratch that. They’ve cleared the turn and wound up smack dab in the middle of a complete disaster. That was one o’ Carol’s blasts. He realizes that she’s so off-kilter she’s practically runnin’ interference for Powerhouse.
Watching the two of them continue to trade blasts, Logan decides that he’s gotta find a way to get in close enough to end this before things get even more out o’ control. While he attempts to sneak up on Powerhouse, hoping her preoccupation with Warbird will give him the time he needs to attack, Carol yells out to him that now is his chance; she’ll cover him. As she unleashes an errant blast that hits a building over some civilians, Logan yells at her not to do him any more favors and to get outta this. He can handle Powerhouse but she’s puttin’ him in a real tough situation there. Carol yells back that he just doesn’t wanna admit he was wrong about her earlier. Can’t he see that she’s got things under control?
Just then, Powerhouse punches her out and calls her a drunken fool. If she had any more alcohol on her breath, her plasma blasts would ignite it. She calls her drunk, useless and a mess – she can barely fly anymore. She’s a waste of her time and, as she smacks her away, Powerhouse tells Carol to get out of her face. Witnessing that, Logan pops his claws and calls out to Powerhouse that does it. Slashing her across the face, Logan tells her this might not be her finest hour, but even hammered, that “fool” just helped him clean her clock. Landing with a thud, Carol tells Logan that she doesn’t feel so good.
Continuing his assault on Powerhouse, Logan tells Powerhouse that woman’s a good friend and that she’s goin’ through a whole lotta garbage right now. And at this minute, so is he. When he slashes Powerhouse she states that she felt that. She then says to Logan that he doesn’t get it, does he. He’s helping the humans keep mutants in line. Calling him a traitorous fool, she asks him doesn’t he see what they’re doing? How can he stand to look at himself in the mirror? How can he live with himself? How, how does he live knowing that their people are treated like pariahs while he defends their oppressors? They should be the rulers, not the slaves. As she starts to power up, Logan tells her it ain’t that simple, the world ain’t black an’ white. The humans ain’t the enemy. They need t’ find a way t’ live together an’ she needs to clam up. With that, Logan punches her out with a clawless fist.
Surveying the damage, one of the residents of New York asks Logan if he’s one of the X-Men and what happened there. Logan replies that he’ll tell him whatever he needs to know just as soon as he finds… At that moment, Logan finds Warbird slumped over some wreckage. Calling out to the crowd, he asks if there is a medic on hand, his friend looks like she…
Before he can get a response, an SUV appears on the scene, runs over a mailbox and crashes into a utility pole. Immediately, Logan turns his attention to the SUV and mutters to himself that it just keeps gettin’ better, doesn’t it? When it rains, it pours. Walking up to the SUV, Logan calls out that they better make that two medics, the driver is banged up pretty good. Checking to see if the kid has a pulse, Logan tells him that he doesn’t know what got into him but the only way anyone’s gonna find out is if he gets out of this okay. Just then, the kid wakes up with clear eyes and an evil, demented look on his face. When he calls out the name Wolverine, Logan is in shock.
Across the street, Carol picks herself up and says that she gets the distinct feeling that the pounding in her head has nothin’ to do with how much she drank tonight, the witch packs quite a wallop. She wonders how long she’s been out. Seeing Wolverine over next to the SUV, Carol asks him what’s going on. Where’s Powerhouse, did they win? When he doesn’t answer, she asks him if everything is all right. When Logan turns around, he has been possessed by the alien and has that same evil, demented look on his face.
