Ultimate X-Men: The Most Dangerous Game, Part 1
Issue: #54
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Pencils: Stuart Immonen
Inker: Wade Von Grawbadger
Colors: Justin Ponsor

A young man runs through a jungle, pursued by an older man with a gun. The quarry stops with his back to a tree; as the hunter takes aim, the young man pulls a handful of razorblades from a pouch and throws them, wounding the hunter. The older man hits him with the rifle, which breaks. The hunter pulls a machete and asks if his quarry has any last words. The younger man replies that he didn’t kill Lord Scheele, and that he’s sorry about the hunter. At that moment, a flash of lightning strikes the raised machete, electrocuting the older man. As the young man yells for help, the next panel reveals that the scenes have all been on television. A huge man announces that “the Condemned” is now the longest-surviving contestant on a television show called Hunt for Justice. The host identifies himself as Mojo Adams and reminds viewers about the show’s website.

Kitty Pryde, Jean Grey, and Scott Summers watch the jungle hunt and its aftermath. Kitty claims she’d heard rumors of mutant executions and hacked into a subscription site to watch the show. The X-Men assemble for a briefing. Charles Xavier tells them that his contact at the State Department has traced the show to an island called Krakoa, off the coast of Genosha, which is near Madagascar. The nation has a small population of mutants, including the young man who was being hunted, Arthur Centino. Centino was accused of assassinating a Genoshian politician named Joseph Sheele. Xavier says that all mutants are treated as subhuman in Genosha, but that those convicted of serious crimes receive even worse treatment; Mojo Adams uses them as the quarry on his television show.

Xavier suggests that several of the X-Men go to Genosha on a fact-finding mission, posing as American exchange students. If they can find evidence that Centino was framed, the Genoshan government might be persuaded to release him. Bobby Drake is unhappy about being chosen to go – he complains that a murderer shouldn’t be released. Piotr Rasputin wants to just storm Krakoa and rescue Centino. Xavier stops him, and sends the fact-finders on their way.

On Krakoa, two members of the filming crew search for Centino, who jumps them from a tree. Using the live feed camera, he tells Mojo that he’ll be coming after him. In the studio, Mojo’s assistant worries that the show’s ratings will drop if the same contestant stays on week after week. Mojo assures him that that won’t happen, but then the other points out that leaving Centino on for weeks is disrespectful to Sheele’s family. Mojo finally agrees to call in “the big gun”.

In New York, Jean and Scott chat while waiting for their flight. Bobby and Kitty, however, have a one-sided disagreement. In the Danger Room at the Xavier School, the students who remain behind engage in a battle against gargoyles. Piotr and Kurt commiserate about the way Xavier has chosen the deal with the Krakoa situation. Piotr points out that the next mutant on the show could be someone the X-Men know, even one of their own members. Ali suggests the group take matters into their own hands, fly the X-jet to Krakoa, and perform a rescue mission. Finally, she asks Piotr to choose whether to stay or go.

Submitted By: Seldes Katne