City Hall, San Francisco, Mayor Sadie Sinclair’s office. She asks her assistant to try and “mayor up” the following press release: The X-Men’s response to the Juggernaut is imminent. Until then, the emergency services are proceeding with the vacation. The situation is serious but under control. They are working hand in glove with the X-Men. Their collaboration couldn’t be closer.
Having finished the official version, she tiredly rubs her eyes and asks her assistant if Summers is answering yet. No reply, she is informed. Sadie muttering curses Cyclops to the circle of hell reserved for serial voice mail abusers. As if on cue, there’s a phone call for her. Cyclops apologizes. They’ve been making final preparations. Is that any excuse not to pick up the damn phone? Cyclops replies he isn’t exactly in the right headspace to answer the phone, then asks Emma to patch the mayor in.
The astral plane:
Sadie finds herself in a kind of white room with Cyclops. Emma Frost is there as well, dressed in a white skimpy cowgirl suit and resting on her throne. Scott asks Sadie to stay calm. This is a psionic conference room. How come she gets the throne? Sadie asks. Emma points out it’s her psychic projection.
Cyclops points towards a map to where the Juggernaut currently is. Emma shows a hologram of him while Scott narrates how Cain Markro was empowered by the extradimensional entity Cyttorak as its avatar. What does “extradimensional entity” mean? Sadie inquires. It’s what you call demons in polite society, Emma informs her.
Scott continues that on a good day he was a Thor class threat by himself. Now that he has this hammer they have no idea how powerful he is. Magic’s never been the X-Men’s area of expertise. Sadie asks what the plan is. Scott summarizes that the Juggernaut is indestructible. Physically he is a powerhouse. But he’s vulnerable to psychic attack. The helmet he wears gives him protection. In short: They hit him hard enough to get it off, they turn off his brain. They go home.
Sadie refers to the Juggernaut’s followers, the anti mutant crowd. If they are as close as the map shows and the X-Men apply too much force, there’s going to be some collateral damage. She can’t condone that. Scott calms her, they planned for that. Emma whispers that a little collateral damage to knock a little sense into them could do them a world of good.
In the Cerebra chamber, Emma concentrates and forces the followers telepathically to leave the Juggernaut’s side. The Juggernaut says something in Norse, then slams the ground. The shockwave hurts the people. His acolyte translates that the Juggernaut believes that mind invasion is the greatest sin against nature. If you remove anyone’s free will, it negates their very selves. If they try and annex their wills, he will kill them rather than let that abuse continue.
Cyclops gives orders to assemble the team for the initial engagement. And add Cecilia Reyes, he decides.
Soon, Cyclops and Cecilia are standing on the I-580 east of San Francisco, waiting for the Juggernaut and his followers. Cyclops tells Cecilia her responsibility is keeping the mob safe with her forcefield. If her forcefield slips… she’ll let Emma know and Cyclops can back off.
Cyclops informs Juggernaut they are there to stop him. His acolyte mocks Scott, who knocks him out and then fires his full optic blast at the Juggernaut.
In the meantime, Shadowcat phases up Colossus from the ground behind the Juggernaut. Colossus grabs him from behind, trying to get to the helmet. Juggernaut shakes him off and Iceman tries to catch him.
Cyclops reminds Bobby that Colossus doesn’t need the help. He knows what to do. Sorry for still having human emotions! Bobby snaps. But he knows! He tries to freeze the helmet to absolute zero. Instead, Juggernaut hits him off his iceramp.
“Excuse me,” Colossus says politely and hits Juggernaut in the face. To no avail, he is hit back and flies through the air.
They’ve got some penetration regarding the helmet? Cyclops asks Emma but she has no telepathic trace yet. Cyclops next calls Magneto, who tries to remove the helmet magnetically. Angrily, Juggernaut throws his hammer at him. Throwing a hammer at the master of magnetism is somewhat futile, Magneto boasts until realizing he cannot stop the hammer with his powers. Fortunately, at the last moment, Kitty quickly phases Magneto out of harm’s way. He announces the hammer is unstoppable as well. Cyclops orders his team to back off.
On the astral plane, Emma informs him he slowed down Juggernaut’s speed from an average of 4.1 mph to 3.8 mph. They’ve delayed San Francisco’s destruction by matter of minutes. The keys of the city are surely theirs. Please, Cyclops sighs while Sadie exclaims she is going to be mayor of the flattest demographic group in the US!
Cyclops informs her that this was a preliminary engagement. Now they know the helmet can be disrupted. There are many more options available. Utopia has over 100 mutants. Why isn’t he deploying them? Sadie demands. Emma points out the best half of them are children, to which Cyclops adds that it creates too many variables. Juggernaut is indestructible. With a few exceptions they are not. If they go in en masse they’re going to be killing their own. He believes that’s what Juggernaut wants. How does he work that out? Sadie asks. He hasn’t killed any of them yet and he could. So, plan B? Sadie asks. Plan 2, Scott corrects her. “Plan B” implies they only have 26.
He tells Emma to relay three orders. Firstly, deploy the second team: Storm, Psylocke, Angel Dazzler. Strictly delaying the target! Secondly, get all students to the mainland. She thought he wasn’t going to deploy the kids, Sadie bursts out. He just needs them near enough to pull off what he is planning, Cyclops replies. And finally, tell Hope to get ready.
Soon, while the second team is trying to slow Juggernaut down, Hope, the students and many X-Men have gathered. Cyclops reminds Hope she can use everyone’s power but is going to burn out fast when she does. They’ll extract her when she drops. Just get that helmet off. After Hope affirms, Cyclops orders Storm’s team to pull back.
Primal whimpers “flight.” It’ll be fine, Hope tries to calm him and powers up, mimicking as many powers as she can and attacks. She hits the Juggernaut with all kinds of energy while trying to dislodge the helmet physically. Finally, by liquefying it, Hope succeeds, moments before passing out.
Helmet’s clear, Cyclops informs Emma who, enabled by Cerebra, attacks the Juggernaut telepathically. Red energy comes from his eyes and, far away, Emma’s eyes begin to glow red as well. Endless, she mutters. Her psychic astral office she shares with Scott and Sadie splinters. Instead, the acolyte enters, telling Scott and Sadie that they cannot stop the Juggernaut! The Breaker of Stone. Only he can stop his foot from falling.
He addresses Sadie, accusing her of harboring sinners for long enough. She must decide who her citizen are. These mutants aren’t people. Drive them forth…destroy them! Sink this island Gomorrah! Save her city!
He turns to Scott. He has now seen that those human hate mutants. He has seen the mob the great Juggernaut leads towards them, driven by fear and hate. And still Cyclops fights for them! Don’t fight for these people! Do nothing and even though San Francisco will be ashes, mutantkind will be saved!
His foot is raised! he shouts. It will fall! Only they can decide where!
Sadie and Scott are both back in their bodies, facing an impossible decision and the Juggernaut continues undeterred… Unstoppable! Emma breathes.
