Wolverine And The X-Men (2011 series) #15

Cyclops and Emma Frost are the only X-Men left sharing the Phoenix power. Most of the other X-Men have realised that the power is driving those 2 mad and have joined the Avengers in opposition. Now they use the lull in the conflict to refresh themselves and figure out exactly what to do about the situation. The Jean Grey School is the centre of operations.

Hope Summers and Wolverine wander the School grounds to the graveyard, some of the gravestones with statues of the deceased. Identifiable are Banshee, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler and the 1st Thunderbird. Hope apologises to Logan for the names she called him when he 'betrayed' her to the Avengers on the Moon (in Avengers Vs X-Men #4) because now she realises he was right that she wasn't ready to take on the Phoenix. She still isn't but she knows a lot more now. Logan tries to convince her to sit the fight out in the School but she says if they fail there won't be any School. They're standing in front of Jean Grey's statue and Logan says if *she* were still alive none of this would have happened. But he adds that Hope won't be on her own because the X-Men and Avengers have united to support her. And we see an Avengers' Quinjet alongside the X-Men's Blackbird on the lawn.

In Beast's lab in the School basement Abigail Brand (of SWORD), Beast, Broo (the Brood child genius), Iron Fist and Iron Man (being annoyed by an infestation of Bamfs) are reviewing Hope's defeat of Cyclops at the end of AVX#10. This gives them some hope but sceptical Brand doesn't know how they can handle the Phoenix power even if they take it from Cyclops and Frost. Strangely science genius Tony Stark is putting his faith in what Hope learned in the mystical city of K'un-Lun. Broo interrupts the bickering to show them a new idea he's had which puts a new spin on things.

Behind them Bobby Drake and Kitty Pryde are continuing to develop their relationship. Kitty doesn't want Iceman to join the joint expeditionary force and offers to go in his stead. Bobby (jokingly as usual) says facing the Phoenix is preferable to staying in a School full of Bamfs and angst-ridden teenagers. So instead that discuss where their 1st date might be.

The School is welcoming an influx of X-teens from Utopia Island. Oya (Odie Okonkw) shows Primal and Velocidad around while Kid Omega (Quentin Quire) unsuccessfully hits on the 3 Stepford Cuckoos. The alternate-timeline Deathlok tells Pixie and Surge the rules. Genesis is mentally hit on by brain-in-a-dome No-Girl. Angel introduces Dust to the Krakoa grandchild that forms the Schools grounds. Charles Xavier and Rachel Grey wander the halls mentally discussing how to 'save' Cyclops when the Atlantean Crosta starts to ask them for directions and they both answer before he can get the question out.

They pass Quentin who mentally contests their thought claim to being the 2 most powerful telepaths on Earth. Prof X comments that Quire should grow up out of his pretence at being a revolutionary. Rachel suggests a week's detention for disrespect but Charles has a better idea. He mentally announces to the School that he's endorsing Quintavius Quirinus Quire's desire to be elected Student Council President. This will put a dent in his street-cred.

Meanwhile janitor Toad is leading his love Husk (Paige Guthrie) through caverns deep in his pal Krakoa. Mortimer Toynbee wants to show her an underground river with a beautiful waterfall but he's forgotten that the path passes through a cave that he can only traverse by using the adhesive resin exuded by his skin to walk on the ceiling. But Paige sheds her skin to reveal 1 she creates like his, and they both walk barefoot across the ceiling.

Shi'ar Emperor Kallark (Gladiator) is recovering in the School's hospital from the beating he took in #13 from the en-Phoenixed Colossus and Sub-Mariner. But he's well enough now to leave Earth and he tells his son Kubark (Kid Gladiator) that he's to leave the School and come with him. Kubark protests that they shouldn't run from the fight against the the Phoenix, but his dad says that's Earth's problem. He protests again to his appointed guardian Warbird but doesn't want to admit (especially to the other students) that he wants to stay because he *likes* it here. All 3 are teleported aboard the spaceship but Kallark sends Warbird back because he has detected that her heart has never been in being a Shi'ar warrior and he wishes her well in finding her destiny.

Iceman now has a meeting with headmaster Wolverine to ask for his old teaching job back after quitting to work with the Phoenix 5 (if they survive the Phoenix conflict). Logan readily agrees. He says he deliberately created a staff who wouldn't be yes-men, so he respected Bobby's decision. So Bobby takes the opportunity to make some more comments.

Hope and Idie are sharing ice cream and conversation. As 1 of the 5 Lights, the 1st 5 mutants born after Hope returned from her sojourn with Cable in the future, the 2 share a special bond. So Idie too doesn't want her friend to go off to fight the Phoenix. Hope changes the subject to ask if Idie likes any of the boys. Idie says the Brood Broo is really nice but Hope warns her to steer clear of Quentin. The Catholic girl bemoans the temptations around her and Hope asks if Broo is a good kisser. Idie doesn't know but it's unlikely with all those sharp teeth.

Angel is called before Wolverine, Headmistress Pryde, Rachel and Iceman. He thinks he's being expelled for flying around naked. Kitty says that *is* a problem but she says he's going to be their 1st official graduate and they want to offer him a job as a graduate assistant. He flies off with glee, shedding his shoes, jacket and shirt.

At the end Angel, Beast, Iceman, Prof X, Rachel Grey and Wolverine march off to war while Kid Gladiator watches from the departing spaceship.