Luciano Vecchio does a splendid job as writer and artist here, thrusting Bobby into a fun adventure while catching us up on “The Indomitable Iceman”’s goings-on, including his current impetus, the state of his personal and love life (or lack thereof), and a team-up that may be hinting at things to come for both Bobby and a certain fire star. (This is for BobbysWorld and Rift only.)
Los Angeles. Bobby briefly reflects on his rise in popularity after helping terraform Mars, before he is attacked by a gang of “lava men.” He saves a smitten pedestrian and performs some scintillating acrobatics but is stopped in his tracks by a “power-dampening dart” administered by PURIFIRE, who refers to Bobby as “mutant scum” and notes, “The integration of mutant ideology and poison medicine has tainted the human race beyond redemption,” before declaring, “It's time to cleanse! To burn it all! To PURIFY!”
Bobby and Purifire spend some time exchanging quips and blows, during which Purifire let's slip, “You won't humiliate me again,” to which Bobby responds, “Again? Wait, do I know you?” But before Purifire can answer, Bobby blows ice in his face and “cryo-override[s] his power-dampening tech.” Bobby asks him, “What else do you have?”, to which he quickly responds, “Spell grenades,” and tosses a handful of grenades that, when they hit the floor, morph into more lava men.
Bobby overwhelms the lava men with fifteen “semi-autonomous ice golem” and puts out the fire, saving the day. Howeve, he fails to notice that Purefire has vanished. Suddenly, the smitten young man he saved earlier springs up (hm.) and thanks him with a kiss.
The Green Lagoon. Krakoa. Bobby, Rictor, and Northstar catch up over drinks. Jean-Paul notes, “Sounds like you’re making up for all the time you lost growing up in the closet,” after which Rictor chimes in, “Look at you! All scruffy, going solo X-Man, moving out of mutant paradise to a crappy mancave in L.A.”
Bobby admits, “ Since I came out, I’ve never had a chance to take a break from the X-drama and just focus on myself for awhile. I need this.” After Rictor asks him about Christian Frost, Bobby admits, “ Oh we’ve grown to admire and care for each other very much. But it didn’t lead anywhere serious.” Bobby says he's “very much” single and “secretly craving old-fashioned romance.”
Rictor then asks him about Romeo and Bobby replies, “The Inhuman I fell for when I was a time-displaced teen, who ghosted me and broke my heart before I went back in time and forgot it all, but now I remember? No idea, he must still be around being a kid in this era.”
As they continue their banter, Firestar walks by, prompting Bobby to call after and follow her. “Jones! Long time no see,” he says, asking her, “Are you finally moving to Krakoa?” She responds, “Hi Bobby. Still nope, just passing by to use the portal network. No way I’m leaving my dad behind for not being Homo superior.” She asks him about his parents, and he reveals that he hasn't spoken to them in a while because, “They’re no fans of the rise of the Mutant Nation, and we’re back in distant, passive-aggressive, guilt-tripping season.”
Angelica then asks if he wants to team up with her, to which Bobby agrees. They head for a disaster site to provide relief by saving several pedestrians trapped in a flooded and collapsing building. Suddenly, Bobby blacks out, defrosts, and plummets into the water. As he swims to the surface, he notices a hand reaching for him through the water. He grabs it and breaks through the surface only to find--Romeo!
“Why, Bobby,” says the swarthy young man, “You look like you've seen a ghost.”
To be continued!