Colossus Appreciation

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Uncanny X-Men #235 Oct 1988
"Welcome to Genosha"
Welcome to Genosha, a prosperous island paradise... if you're a human.
Case in point, a lone mutant flees into the night with his young child using his powers
to escape the deadly Magistrates and smuggle the child aboard a commercial jet to Australia.
While the mutant succeeds in smuggling the child into the planes landing gear,
he himself is spotted and sent fleeing until he is shot and killed by the Magistrates.

When news of the child's discovery hits the newspapers, the Genoshan government
sends their Press Gang to collect not only the escaped child, but Jennifer Ransome.
Ransome, the daughter of a governor, had her gene testing doctored to appear as though she was a normal human, when in reality she is a mutant.
Waiting at the airport, the Press Gang waits for Ransome -- a nurse for the Australian flying doctors service -- to arrive.
She arrives in a plane flown by Madelyne Pryor.
When they disembark from their plane, the Press Gang attacks them head on.
When Jennifer pleads that she is innocent and an Australian citizen, they tell her that a Genoshan born is always a Genoshan and subject to their law.
They are then taken to Pipeline who uses his special modem to convert both Jennifer
and Madelyne into data and electronically transmit them to Genosha for processing.

With Madelyne unaccounted for a few hours, the X-Men decide to investigate, sending Rogue first who spots Madelyne's wrecked plane.
Gateway then teleports both Storm and Wolverine to the location to investigate the wreckage
and Logan determines there was some kind of struggle as the two women were dragged onto a jet that just recently left.
Relaying this information to Alex (who is surprised about how concerned he is over Madelyne)
scans the flight data using their hideouts sophisticated computer systems.
Finding them difficult at first, he manages to track the flight to Sydney, Australia.
Soon the entire team is dispatched to the Sydney Airport where Wolverine determines that the scents of their kidnappers is still fresh in the plane,
but those of Madelyne and Jennifer are not as such, as though they got on the plane but left well before their kidnappers did.

Tracking the Press Gang's scents, Logan and Rogue find themselves at a hospital where they put on disguises to sneak into the pediatric ward.
When they are stopped by Punchout, Logan recognizes her scent as one of the kidnappers and attacks.
When Punchout knocks Wolverine back and tries to land a blow on Rogue, Rogue absorbs her super-strength and knocks her out.
When Logan and Rogue confront Hawkshaw and Pipeline, they panic and use Pipeline's
modem to transmit a Magistrate soldier who blasts them out of the building.
Seeing that they need reinforcements, they then summon and entire squad of Magistrates
to their location to deal with the mutants that have come to oppose them while they go looking for Punchout.

While the other X-Men approach the hospital they are soon attacked by the Magistrate soldiers transported to the hospital.

Despite their superior fire power, ruthless nature, and complete disregard for human life,

the Magistrates are soon easily defeated in combat by the X-Men who bind them up, and flee when they hear the authorities coming,
with Psylocke altering their memories so they cannot clearly remember who attacked them.
Meanwhile, Pipeline, Hawkshaw and Punchout come across Wolverine and Rogue, who are still knocked out.
Realizing that they cannot be detected on any of their scanning equipment,
they decide that the two X-Men are of interest and have them teleported to Genosha for examination.

While later, when the authorities arrive they find the Magistrates all bound up in steel girders with the X-Men's calling card.
When they ask the Magistrates what happened they refuse to talk and
the officer tells them that whoever did this to them will likely come back for more information from them,
and whatever might happen might be more than they'll deserve.

Story by Chris Claremont. Art by Rick Leonardi and P. Craig Russell.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Uncanny X-Men #238 Nov 1988
"Gonna be a Revolution!"
When Madelyne Pryor managed to manifest psi-powers to kill the Genoshan psi-probes,
the Genegineer demands to review the recordings of the psi-probe.
The footage shows a young Madelyne picking flowers when she is confronted
and demanded answers by a psychic representation of the Genegineer and the Magistrates.
When she refuses to answer and he lashes out, she is reborn in a blaze of glory that destroys the island.
The "Genegineer", decked out in a Mr. Sinister costume then would run into Madelyne in her Goblin Queen form.
She warns them about igniting the match that will bring about an inferno.

This display shocks all gathered who watched the video and the real Genegineer
demands to know how Wipeout failed to eliminate her mutant powers.
Wipeout is as shocked as they are, telling them that he detected no mutant powers
-- latent or otherwise and therefore there was nothing to wipe out.
The Genegineer then goes to Madelyne's cell and demands to know who she is,
however Madelyne is not forthcoming with anything but mocking answers.
She begins chastizing him for enslaving mutants, and the two debate on the use of mutants as workers in Genoshan society
until Chief Anderson reports to him telling him they have word on his son.

In the Genoshan Highlands, Logan and Rogue (with the psyche of Carol Danvers in full control of her body)
show Phillip Moreau the facilities where the mutant slaves are kept after their days work.
Seeing it's concentration camp style layout, Phillip is shocked at the reality of Genosha's mutant population.
They are soon confronted by Chief Anderson who has come to arrest all three,
pointing out to Logan and Carol that their cover was blown due to the fact none
of the security systems picked up the two "Magistrates" who came in with the Genegineer's son.
They are promptly arrested and flown back to the Citadel for final processing.
Anderson tells Phillip that due to the fact that he saw things that none save the Magistrates
and the director are supposed to see he will remain in custody until his situation is sorted out.
As they fly back to the Citadel they are suddenly hit by some freak weather, making both Logan and Carol smile to each other.

While inside, Madelyne listens to Jenny's lamentations of her situation telling her cellmate
that all she ever wanted to do was to heal people and now she will be forced as a slave.
Madelyne tells the girl to be strong, and endure when she is taken away by the Magistrates for final processing.
As she is being led away, Madelyne watches coldly, telling the guards that she will see them all burn.
Elsewhere in the facility, Logan and Carol see the baby that was captured in Australia being led away
and learn that it's mutant parents found a way to nullify their skin suits and managed to procreate and have since been killed.
When the three are brought before the Genegineer, Phillip demands to know
why his father is part of a government that would enslave part of it's population.
Believing that this is wrong, he tells his father that he rest of the Genoshan people would not stand for it.
When David tries to explain to his son that this is for the better good of his country,
Phillip realizes that both he and his father have a very different opinion on the future of their homeland.

Meanwhile, the X-Men -- having stolen Magistrate uniforms use the cover of a massive storm created by Storm to sneak into the Citadel facility unnoticed.
Logan and Carol are told that they are going to be sent for final processing.
Logan tells Chief Anderson that he would rather die first and feigns succumbing to his illness to pop his claws.
This causes enough distraction for both Logan and Carol to fight off their captors.
As this is happening, the X-Men are making their presence known and storming through the Citadel

with their powers blazing, easily fighting their way through the ranks of the Magistrates.

The X-Men first go looking for Madelyne but Havok finds it empty.
When he comes across Phillip Moreau, who is looking for Jenny, the two agree to work together.

Madelyne however has stripped off her skin suit and come to the Creche, a place where mutant babies are genetically bred for work.
She is confronted by the Genegineer who threatens her at gun point. She calls his bluff telling him she could kill him in an instant.
However before he can try to shoot her he is stopped by his son and Havok. Phillip points the gun at his father and demands to be brought to Jenny.
With the X-Men reunited with Logan and Carol and the Magistrates standing down due to the X-Men's hostage,
they find Wipeout and with Psylocke's aid force him to restore both Logan and Rogue's powers, saving Logan's life.

When Logan tells the X-Men they should tear down the Genoshan government and put the island in ruins,
Phillip begs for the chance to reveal the truth to the Genoshan people and make them revolt against the government.
The X-Men decide to allow Phillip the opportunity, but warn the Magistrates
that should they not change their treatment of mutants, they will be back.
Havok shows what the X-Men mean by using his powers to destroy the Citadel.
However when he realizes that Madelyne and the mutant children might have still been inside,
he is surprised when Madelyne shows up alive and well and kisses him.
She tells him not to worry about the mutant children in the Creche as thy have been taken care of.
Storm tells Phillip that his fight to free the mutants of Genosha would be better done outside the country
and he and Jenny join the X-Men in leaving through Gateway's portal. Wolverine reminds the Genegineer
that if they do not change their ways on their own, the X-Men will be back and there will be blood.

Story by Chris Claremont. Art by Marc Silvestri and Dan Green.