Uncanny X-Men, The (1981 series) #232

Not too long ago, at the same time Storm and Wolverine were facing off against Crimson Commando and Stonewall, and the rest of the X-Men were fighting Juggernaut in Edinburgh (UXM #215-218), a group of campers witnessed what they thought was a meteor falling. The “meteor” lands near them and they decide to check it out, reasoning that it couldn’t have been an actual meteor since they weren’t immediately vaporized from the proximity. At the crash site, they are stunned to discover a huge shark within a smoldering crater. The possessed shark suddenly springs back to life and kills one of the group, as the others get brutally mauled by a Brood, witnessed by the last of the group, Harry. Terrified out of his mind, Harry makes a run for it and escapes in his camper, driving all night and running Havok and Polaris off the road (as seen in UXM #218). Harry keeps driving until he can find somewhere safe, even though he isn’t sure that anywhere is safe anymore.

Flash forward to the present, in Denver, and Harry and his partner are heading to a distress call for their job as parademics. They arrive at their destination to discover the issue is a mutant who can breathe fire, who lost control when he began to have a heart attack. Harry checks him over before his hand morphs into that of a Brood and he infects the mutant as well! Meanwhile, back in Australia, Madelyne Pryor returns from a shopping trip via one of Gateway’s portals. She discovers that the X-Men have left on a mission and uses her time to try and come up with a symbol the X-Men can use as a discreet calling card. Madelyne then catches a TV interview that shocks her to her core! She sees her husband Scott with a very much alive Jean Grey! Concluding that he left her and their baby for Jean, she punches the screen in a jealous rage, causing the whole thing to explode and send her flying back!

Back in Denver, Harry makes his way home, unable to shake a foreboding feeling. He enters his apartment to find Psylocke and Colossus waiting for him, and they tell him he’s ill! Acting out of impulse, Harry grabs Colossus and throws him into Psylocke, knocking both of them out of the building! Surprised at his own strength, Harry’s body continues to move on its own, while his conscious mind has no idea what’s going on! Havok blasts Harry’s car to prevent him from escaping and Harry rips the door off and hurls it, narrowly avoiding Dazzler and Longshot. The thrown door does end up knocking down a telephone pole, causing Rogue to catch it and tie it back up. The rest of the X-Men arrive, and Wolverine concludes that Harry has a Brood scent about him, though Psylocke confirms that he has no idea that he’s infected. Storm tells Wolverine that she wants him alive, to learn if he’s infected anyone else, as Wolverine stalks off to locate him once more.

Meanwhile, a still terrified Harry tries to get as far away as possible. He tries hailing a taxi which just ignores him, before he’s able to flag down a bus and hop on board. He tries to rest for a moment, before Rogue reveals that she’s on the bus as well. He lunges at her and she’s shocked to discover that she can’t overpower him! Just as he’s about to infect Rogue as well, Wolverine pulls him out of the window and throws him from the bus, just before it crashes! Wolverine and Rogue corner Harry in an alley, just as Harry’s police friends arrive to help him. Wolverine quickly responds by attacking the cops and fatally wounds one before he’s grabbed by Rogue, thinking he’s gone berserk! Wolverine then reveals that the police are Brood as well, which is confirmed by Psylocke. “Harry” then takes the revelation one step further by revealing that every single person in the area is a Brood, as they surround the X-Men, looking to add their hated enemies to their ranks! To be continued!