And Spidey Makes Four! #2

Locations: New York New York City Manhattan X-Factor Complex Georgia Atlanta Ryan Biochemicals Laboratories Synopsis: While attempting to experiment on the Beast in order to learn how to reverse human mutation, Carl Maddicks puts his guinea pig under cardiac arrest. Fearful for losing any success in his project, Maddicks manages to restore Beast's heartbeat and decides to attend to his son before beginning phase 2 of the procedure. Visiting his son Artie, he tells the young mutant to project an image of the man they hired to capture Beast[1], when Artie shows him the battle between the X-Terminators and Tower, he warns his son not to let Tower tell them where they are hiding out -- telling the boy that they intend to hurt his kitten if they come. Artie, who loves his pet, agrees and when Tower attempts to tell the X-Terminators that he was hired to capture Hank and take him to the Ryan Research Laboratories, Artie uses his powers to mindlock Tower. When Carl begins the next phase of his operation, it causes Hank to scream out in pain. Hank's screams break Artie's concentration enough for Tower to break free and tell his comrades where he is located and what Maddicks intends to do. When Tower begins to leave, Marvel Girl offers him a place to train how to use his powers with X-Factor. Tower, laughs at this offer and departs, telling Jean that she is out of her mind. With a lead on Hank's location the group heads out to try and save their friend. While back in New York, Vera Cantor arrives at X-Factor headquarters to ask Cameron Hodge if he has hard any news about Hank, when he tells her that he has heard nothing he meets with Senator Thompson. Thompson has come to see Hodge at great personal risk to his political career but has come to ask him one important question: If he's realized that X-Factor could be doing more harm than good. Back at the Ryan Bio-Labs, the next phase of Beast's operation is complete and Carl has wrapped him up head to toe in bandages and has left him alone for the nonce. When Artie enters the room he curiously scans Hank's mind and finds nothing but pain and feels deep sympathy for the man his father has been experimenting on. When X-Factor arrives outside the facility, Cyclops suggests that hey split into two teams. With Marvel Girl and Iceman breaking through the main fence, Angel and Cyclops would fly in from above. As Scott uses his optic blast to break open the door, Angel once more asks Scott about telling Madelyne about Jean's resurrection. After some pressure, Scott tells him that he tried to call Madelyne on the phone but found that the number was disconnected, Warren gives him his apologies. Telling Warren he'll deal with it later, Scott bursts through the door to find that there are a number of armed guards waiting for them. As the X-Terminators fight their way through the complex's security, Artie detects their presence to his father. Carl tells his son not to worry as he is just finishing the third and final phase of his experiment on the Beast. As Hank's teammates make it the ground level with security following after them, the X-Terminators confront Maddicks. They see Hank all bound up in medical bandages and fear the worst. Maddicks explains that he met Hank years earlier while working at the Brand Corporation and how he worked for the Secret Empire until his failure led to them attempting to assassinate him[2]. He explains after he recovered in hospital he was reunited with his son who's mutant nature manifested shortly thereafter. Stuck with a deformed son who cannot speak but only manifest images from peoples thoughts, he sought to find his son a cure for his mutation so that he could live a normal life. When security arrives, Maddicks tells them that because he is in a top secret section of the facility the soldiers have orders to shoot to kill. Fearing for his sons protection, Maddicks sends the X-Terminators away with Hank and Artie while he attempts to hold security off with a gun. However, he doesn't fare very well as security guns him down and he dies before his sons eyes. Before security can continue their attack the X-Terminators escape with Artie and Beast and return to the X-Factor headquarters. Scott returns to his room to brood about the state of his life when he is once more confronted by Jean Grey. Jean demands that Scott talks to her about what's going on. However, before Scott can tell them they are called to the infirmary and are told that Hank has come out of his coma. When they arrive they are shocked to find that Maddicks' experiment as at least partially successful as Hank's mutation has been reversed to the point before he had blue fur. Despite this regression, his friends are glad that he has pulled through. Hank is completely perplexed and wonders how he is going to explain this to Vera.
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