Ultimate X-Men: A Hard Lesson
Issue: #58
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Pencils:
Inker:
Colors: Paul Mounts

Charles Xavier is discussing his bank accounts with the local branch manager; the school’s financial assets have been frozen because of a suit brought about by the Sebastian Shaw estate. The manager tells Xavier there’s nothing to be done while the investigation is in progress. As Xavier turns to leave, a pair of conjoined twins calling themselves “Syndicate” suddenly invade the bank. Syndicate explains that they are a mutant -- their heart produces an electromagnetic pulse that fries electrical systems.

Xavier sends a telepathic summons to any police in the area; the bank manager tries to reason with Syndicate, but the mutant hits him with the barrel of a gun. When Xavier mentally suggests that Syndicate put down the guns, Syndicate says they’re immune to telepathy and accuses another bank patron of being the telepath. Xavier reveals that he’s the telepath. Syndicate doesn’t believe him; the gunmen kick Xavier out of his chair. Syndicate then demands that the bank personnel turn over the money.

The Westchester police arrive and surround the building. Syndicate points the gun at the man they think is the telepath. Xavier mentally tells the other man what to say, that the police will storm the building if Syndicate starts shooting, but that they can use the humans as hostages. Xavier calls the X-Men, who are dealing with a “situation” in New Jersey and can’t break away. In the meantime, Syndicate sends the “telepath” out to deliver their demands to the police, and sends everyone else into the vault. They threaten to kill a hostage every fifteen minutes until their demands are met.

The bank guard suddenly suffers a heart attack. Xavier identifies a woman who used to be a lifeguard. When she protests that that was 20 years ago, he mentally releases her long-term memory of how to perform CPR. Xavier then rallies the rest of the hostages with a plan to take on Syndicate before they can start shooting people. He removes a mental block in the mind of a woman with Tae Kwon Do experience, and asks the bank personnel to gather as many theft prevention devices as they can find. Then he wheels out to speak with Syndicate, offering to buy his own freedom with a bag of money. When Syndicate refuses, Xavier throws the bag at them, releasing the dye packs within and blinding the gunmen. As one group of hostages flees the building, one woman kicks a gun out of Syndicate’s hand; a man knocks the mutant out with a fire extinguisher. Xavier then sends them out of the building to safety.

Syndicate wakes up and grabs Xavier, who reveals that he can still read their minds even if he can’t control them. He calls them Matthew and Luke, and tells them that he knows they are stealing the money to pay for their sister’s operation. Xavier threatens to force their sister to jump to her death if they don’t cooperate with him.

A few minutes later, Syndicate leaves the bank and asks to surrender. Or at least one half of him does – the other twin suddenly turns hostile. Police open fire, and Syndicate falls to the ground.

Off to one side, Syndicate sees the police close in on a piece of empty sidewalk. Xavier as telepathically broadcast a false scene of Syndicate being gunned down. Syndicate is now free to help Xavier deal with the Hellfire Club, which is behind the freezing of Xavier’s assets; in return Xavier promises to pay for their sister’s operation. He ends by telling Syndicate that they are his students, and that the world is his classroom.


Submitted By: Seldes Katne