The MARVELOUS Muppets: X-Men Mark The Spot

[muppetwriter]

So far, this Muppets/Marvel story has beaten the length of its predecessor (the Spidey/Muppets story that I'd done back in August). It's reached its sixth chapter, and we're still in the middle of the story, according to Bryan Singer's original script. Hopefully, by the time we've reached the end of the story, the new X-Men movie will be out.

But for now, let's get back to the story with Chapter 6.

Chapter Six (Part One):​

Xavier lied asleep in a hospital bed, inside the laboratory; several electrodes were taped to his head and a screen next to the bed monitored his erratic brain waves. Jean and the splinted Beast stared at the monitor, following its rhythm. Storm, Rogue, and Gonzo stood at the foot of the bed; they were each trying to hide their fear, and not doing a very good job of it. Cyclops looked on, the stress shown clearly on his face.

“What’s wrong with him?” Gonzo asked.

“His vital signs are weak and getting weaker.” Jean told him.

“I’m in the process of running more tests.” Beast added. “But it seems that every minute that goes by he gets weaker.” All were silent; Gonzo looked to Beast with desperate eyes.

“Can you help him?” He said.

“I don’t know.” Beast remarked, and Gonzo focused his gaze back on Professor Xavier, thinking about all that he had taught the blue weirdo over the course of his time at the mansion.

“Out of everything that he told me, there was always that one important thing that he said about faith.” Gonzo uttered. “He told me that God shares most of his abilities with mutants respectively, and the one way we can show our gratitude is by our faith in Him or the way He works in such mysterious ways.” Rogue, taking the advice that Xavier told Gonzo seriously, placed a hand on Gonzo’s shoulder and wept silently.

“Amen to that.” She said, and Gonzo looked up at her and nodded, smiling.

Meanwhile, inside the front hall, morning light shined through the jagged holes in the wood where the knobs of the two huge wooden front doors had been pulled off; the antique steel knobs lied twisted and mangled on the floor. Kermit, Fozzie were cleaning up the mess that Magneto and his brotherhood had left the night before, with help from the small girl that Fozzie interacted with.

“Man! If I wanted to be part of so much hard labor, I’d go back to my old job as a bellhop!” Rizzo/Colossus complained, as he knelt down in front of the door with a dustpan, sweeping up the mess. “But I’ve gotta admit, this Colossus character’s body is just the type for work like this.”

“I’m really worried, guys.” Fozzie/Jubilee said. “Now that Professor Xavier’s in a coma where does that leave us?”

“Where do ya think it leaves us?” Rizzo/Colossus asked, sarcastically. “It means we’ve got the opportunity to get out of this mess, before we get ourselves further into it.”

“We can’t leave here, until we get back into our own bodies.” Kermit/Bobby told Rizzo.

“That won’t be much of a problem.” Fozzie/Jubilee said. “Dr. Grey can always get us back into them.”

“Only one problem, Fozzie…” Kermit/Bobby said, “Professor Xavier was the only one who could handle the mind transference professionally.” Rizzo and Fozzie weren’t too pleased with that revelation.

“You mean to tell me that we’re gonna be stuck in these people forever?!?!” Rizzo/Colossus exclaimed. “I don’t know about you fellas, but I’m getting a little sick of being a Russian rat with a solid personality!”

“Hey, it isn’t so great for me either, pal.” Fozzie/Jubilee said. “I mean, how are people gonna react to a teenage Chinese girl telling jokes, while fireworks are shooting out of her fingertips?!”

“Actually, that should be an improvement compared to telling jokes as an ascot-wearing bear with a hat that he can’t even attach to his head right!” Rizzo/Colossus snapped.

“Well, being a six foot whatever Russian guy is an improvement to being a foul rat!” Fozzie/Jubilee shouted, angrily, and the both of them started screaming at each other and even tried taking swings at each other, with Rizzo holding back a swinging Fozzie by having his palm pushed against his head (that was possible for Rizzo, because of the height advantage Colossus’ body had over Jubilee’s). Eventually, Kermit came in between the two and stopped the fight.

“Now cut that out, you two!” Kermit/Bobby exclaimed, and Rizzo & Fozzie immediately stopped. “You think it easy for me having to worry about freezing someone, with just the slightest touch of my hand?” While the three talked amongst each other, something caught the little girl’s eye, as she leaned in closer to the jagged hole in the door; light from the hole washed over her face and then suddenly the light was cut off, as if something was blocking the hole. “I am sorry that everything seems to have gotten worse in the hours, but we have to work together in order to get out of this mess.” The small girl stepped back from the hole; a look of fascination coming across her face, as if she saw something coming through the hole. “Now we have to work together if we want to get things back on track.”

“Even if that means going up against this Magneto character in order to do it?” Rizzo/Colossus asked, and Kermit slowly nodded, realizing that facing the Brotherhood might’ve been a task that needed to be handled before getting back to their bodies. “Oh, now I know that I’m gonna hate this rest of this ride.”

“Excuse me?” A voice said, from inside the front hall, and the group turned in the direction that the voice was coming from (which was near the two huge wooden front doors) and shocked looks appeared on their faces as they gawked at their visitor. “I need someone to take me to Professor Xavier.”

Inside Cerebro, Gonzo was with Cyclops, Jean, and Storm as they stood before the device, as Beast rose awkwardly on his splinted leg, with his back to the open control panel. In Gonzo’s mind, he wished that Bunsen and Beaker could be where he was standing, admiring the structure of such a massive machine like Cerebro. Of course, he knew that they were probably having an even greater adventure in space with Victor Von Doom and his team of skilled astronauts.

“It’s gone.” Beast indicated. “The neuro-filter…someone removed it.”

“Well, let’s just get another one.” Gonzo suggested.

“I doubt if you’d find one in your local Wal-Mart, Gonzo.” Beast remarked. “The neuro-filter acts like a surge protector, regulating the infinite flow of information from Cerebro to the Professor’s mind. It’s what keeps him from being crushed by the consciousness of millions.”

“Wow. That must be one enormous migraine.” Gonzo said, while Cyclops stepped away, pondering Beast’s words; he understood the ramifications…the damage that had been done to Xavier.

“Can the Professor repair his own mind?” Cyclops asked.

“I’m afraid that without Cerebro’s help, he won’t have the strength to heal himself.” Beast informed. “And without the neuro-filter…there’s no Cerebro.”

“He’s already losing control of his vitals.” said Jean, who was noticeably upset. “Respiratory. Cardiovascular. Unless we manage to replace the filter by tomorrow morning, I’m afraid.”

“We have to find Magneto.” Cyclops said, and as he, Jean, and Gonzo exited Cerebro and into the sleek hallway outside, they were approached by Fozzie, Kermit, and Rizzo.

“You guys will never believe who’s here in all places of Westchester.” Kermit/Bobby said, just before Senator Kelly stepped around the corner to the surprise of Jean Grey. Kelly seemed as if he was not in the same state that he was in during the hearing that Kermit and Jean attended; he was wearing a beach towel that covered him from the waist down and a Hawaiian shirt.

“I don’t know about you all, but this isn’t the look of a man that’s on vacation.” Rizzo/Colossus bantered, as Kelly trembled as though from a high fever; his body was covered with a layer of sweat.

“Dr. Grey.” Kelly murmured. “Your front door was damaged…there was a hole…” Kelly made a hole with his hands that was not much larger than that of a coffee can. “…I squeezed through.”

“Yeah, you should’ve seen it!” Fozzie/Jubilee exclaimed, excitedly. “He was like something out of a James Cameron movie!”

“I wasn’t aware that you had mutant powers, Senator.” Kermit/Bobby commented.

“I’m not…a mutant.” Kelly uttered, and he buckled in pain, but then caught himself. Jean and Cyclops rushed to help him, as Beast crutched himself out to see what was happening, and Kelly was quick to notice his stunning appearance. “What in God’s name are you?”

“I’m Beast.” He told Kelly.

“Of course you are.” Kelly remarked.

Moments later, once the group was able to get Kelly into the laboratory, he was placed in a bed next to Xavier’s (where the Professor had his eyes closed, with Rogue at his side). Kelly was trembling and burning up from what seemed to be a bad fever that kept getting worse. Jean had a syringe in her hand and was swabbing some alcohol on Kelly’s skin.

“I’m sorry to come here, Dr. Grey.” Kelly said. “I was afraid if I went to the hospital, they would…”

“Treat you like a mutant?” Gonzo interjected, and Kelly looked towards him, not as surprised by his unusual appearance as he was with Beast. “We’re not what you think, Senator. Not all of us.” Kermit couldn’t help but roll Bobby’s eyes with annoyance, wishing that Gonzo would stop thinking of himself as part of the mutant race.

“Tell it to the ones that did this to me.” Kelly told Gonzo, and they all watched as the cotton swab ignited like flash paper in her hand, which was a sight that left them shocked. Jean paused and took the bottle of alcohol from the shelf and poured a small amount on Kelly’s arm, causing it to instantly catch on fire.

“He’s like a flame-broiled whopper!” Rizzo/Colossus uttered.

“With or without ketchup?” Fozzie/Jubilee inquired.

“Oh, will you two cut it out?!?!” Kermit shouted.

As the day progressed straight into the evening, everyone tried desperately to figure out what in the world was happening to Senator Kelly; and while the others did just that, the plans that Kermit, Rizzo, and Fozzie had to get themselves out of the mess they were in seemed to be halted by another uncanny event. The trio (sharing bodies and souls with Bobby Drake, Jubilation Lee, and Peter Rasputin) simply faced facts and realized that there was no escape from their problem, as long as Professor Xavier was in his vegetable state.

However, hope seemed to come early for Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo, as well as Gonzo and the X-Men, as Rogue came up to the group and informed them of Professor Xavier’s sudden regain in consciousness back in the lab. Without bothering to question Rogue’s certainty, the group followed her back into the laboratory, where they discovered Xavier, nearly conscious in his bed. Jean looked up at the screen above him and noticed Xavier’s brain waves dropping severely. Kelly lied unconscious in his bed—his heart monitor was weakening.

“The beepin’ sounds that are being made in this room must signal somethin’ bad…and I’m just guessin’ here.” Rizzo/Colossus said, as Beast limped over to Xavier, who was struggling to speak. Beast bent down so that Xavier could whisper into his ear.

“What’s he saying?” Kermit/Bobby asked, and after Xavier said all that he needed to say, Beast moved away from him and turned to the others.

“Perhaps we should focus on getting the Professor’s brain waves back on track, as well as the Senator’s heart monitor,” Beast said, “Then I shall share what Xavier has discovered from the mind of Senator Kelly.”

TO BE CONTINUED...​

Coming up next...Magneto's ultimate plan revealed!!!

 

[muppetwriter]

Here's the rest of Chapter 6. Let's see what Magneto's up to (for those who've seen the actual movie, you've already guessed what's gonna happen next. )

Chapter Six (Part Two):​

A little later inside the laboratory, after the team was able to get the vital signs of both Senator Kelly and Professor Xavier back on a steady pace again, Beast told the others all about what Xavier had discovered after using what was left of his telekinesis to find out what happened to Senator Kelly. It all had much to do with Magneto and some kind of invention that he created that somehow triggered the mutator gene in normal human beings, and he was using Adamantium as its core. To further descript his explanation, Beast grabbed a wax pen and drew a light bulb on a glass drawing board.

“Thomas Edison knew how to make the light bulb; he had the energy source, and he had the vacuum.” Beast said. “But he didn’t have the filament. He tried metal after metal, but nothing would hold to power…until he found tungsten.” Rizzo, of course, was lost in the middle of Beast’s lecture.

“So…what’re you tryin’ to say?” Rizzo/Colossus asked.

“You didn’t get any of that?” Gonzo asked him. “Where has your mind gone for the past twelve minutes?”

“Oh, funny, Gonzo! Real funny!” Rizzo/Colossus exclaimed, sardonically. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m having a bit of a problem listening to a five-foot blue-haired mutant with the intelligence of Einstein times a million! Why don’t you translate for me, Gonzo?”

“Alright, I will.” He said. “Apparently, Adamantium is the only metal strong enough to hold the energy this machine produces. Magneto used the Adamantium in Logan’s dog tag to test it on the Senator.”

“And I assume now he plans to use the rest of Logan’s skeleton for a larger demonstration.” Beast added.

“For what purpose?” Cyclops asked.

“Magneto thinks that the rest of the world’s problem is that they don’t understand what mutants are going through, because they’re too far into the Homo sapiens category.” Gonzo indicated. “But this machine mutates Homo sapiens.”

“Yes…only there’s a problem.” Beast said.

“And what’s that?” Kermit/Bobby asked.

“The mutator gene is not responding to the radiation the way it would in Mother Nature.” Beast explained. “It’s forcing the body’s cells to replicate thousands of times faster than they’re accustomed to.”

“And what does that mean for Senator Kelly and everyone else?” Fozzie/Jubilee asked.

“The Senator’s body is literally burning itself out.” Beast replied. “This machine…it kills people…and Magneto doesn’t even realize it.”

“So where do you think he’s planning this larger demonstration?” Storm inquired, just as Jean looked down and saw Xavier pointing with a trembling hand, trying to speak; he was pointing to a television set inside the laboratory and looking at yet a report on Ellis Island. Cyclops, Jean, Gonzo, Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo walked over to the set, and all they noticed was an aerial shot of Manhattan, slowly coming around toward the harbor. The television image was from the point-of-view of a helicopter circling Ellis Island, taking in all the security and construction.

Suddenly, the sound of Kelly’s heart monitor began to pick up speed. Jean rushed to Kelly and touched his pale neck; she drew her hand back quickly as if it was burned. The heart monitor kept speeding up until it was racing faster than a human heart could possibly produce, as Jean backed away helplessly. The sheet that covered Kelly’s body began to flatten out, and the sweat covering his body thickened into a viscous, clear liquid and began to run off the table.

“He’s…He’s…melting away!!” A shocked Gonzo cried, and Cyclops held Jean as she turned away.

“Well…I guess this means mutants everywhere can party like it’s 1999, eh?” Rizzo/Colossus uttered, and everyone turned and stared at him in disgust, which made Rizzo feel a bit sheepish…but not for the reason everyone else was thinking. “Oh, wait. This is 2006, right?” Meanwhile, on the television set, the helicopter was getting shots of the gathering leaders of the world, the water clogged with boats, and the thousands of onlookers on Manhattan Island; it was all well within range.

It was obvious that the team had to do something immediately to prevent Magneto from putting anyone else under the same deadly fate that Senator Kelly suffered. So, soon after all of Kelly had melted away, a team that consisted of Cyclops, Jean, Storm, and Gonzo had gone into the Ready Room and got into their X-Men uniform. As they were preparing themselves, Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo came into the room and noticed how Gonzo was dressed in his own uniform, which only increased Kermit’s dissatisfaction.

“What’re you doing?” He asked Gonzo.

“Don’t talk me out of this, Kermit.” Gonzo remarked. “You saw what happened to Senator Kelly.”

“Yes, I did…it was very appalling.” Kermit/Bobby said.

“Appalling?” Fozzie/Jubilee said. “It was more like tossing-your-cookies-and-sticking-your-head-in-a-toilet-and-drinking-the-water-while-gargling-and-then-kissing-a-dog-with-bad-breath-type appalling.” Kermit just looked at Fozzie and nodded.

“Thank you for the elaboration, Fozzie.” He said.

“And if that’s not enough, just think about a frog fryin’ on a hotplate, and you’ll have your definition of appalling.” Rizzo stated, and Kermit darted him a horrified expression. “Oops. I forgot that I was talkin’ to a human with a frog’s mind.”

“Listen, I know what you’re all going to say, but I have to do what I have to do as my civic duty as a mutant.” Gonzo said.

“Gonzo, for the final time…you are not a mutant!” Kermit/Bobby said. “You are as vulnerable to that doohickey of Magneto’s, just as everyone else.”

“I refuse to believe that.” Gonzo told Kermit. “Professor Xavier says that I have a mutant power until all of this weirdness, and I intend to use it for our upcoming battle.”

“But, Gonzo…” Kermit/Bobby said, until Rizzo stepped in and interrupted.

“Let me handle this, Kermit.” Rizzo/Colossus said. “I think he needs to listen to someone who’s willin’ to be on the same level of weirdness that he’s on.”

“Be my guest.” Kermit/Bobby said, and Rizzo turned to Gonzo, placing both of his hands on Gonzo’s shoulder.

“Gonzo, I…” Rizzo said, and that’s when he stopped for a moment and slightly shook his head, right before he began talking exactly like Colossus. “I believe we should come with you to stop Magneto from killing millions of innocent people.” Gonzo was pleased to hear “Rizzo” say that, while Kermit and Fozzie were taken by surprise.

“Rizzo, what’re you…” Kermit said, just before he and Fozzie started shaking their heads and talking exactly like the people whose bodies they were supposed to be taking over. “Magneto has to be stopped…and you’re gonna need our help to do it.”

“I’ve always wanted to be part of the X-Men action! This is so cool!” “Fozzie” said, and it was obvious to Gonzo that Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo were no longer in the minds of Bobby Drake, Jubilation Lee, or Peter Rasputin; however, there was still a part of them inside. Gonzo knew who was causing them to act the way they were, and he turned to Jean, who was in readiness with Storm and Cyclops.

“I thought you didn’t have the mind power to transfer their minds.” Gonzo said.

“I didn’t.” Jean told Gonzo. “It’s evident that Kermit, Fozzie, or Rizzo didn’t have the courage or skills to go out and help us stop Magneto and his Brotherhood.”

“And neither do the students who they were controlling.” Cyclops added.

“So where is the courage coming from?” Gonzo asked. “And who’s in control?”

“Both your friends and our students are in control of the bodies.” Jean replied. “I created new personalities that have the dedication of Colossus, Jubilee, and Iceman with the skills that Rizzo, Fozzie, and Kermit have learned to use over the course of the previous days, adding in some courage from Storm, Scott, and myself.” Gonzo was truly impressed by the small amount of mind power that Jean, and though it was small, it still rivaled that of Professor Xavier.

“Awesome!” Gonzo exclaimed. “This is definitely one experience that Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo won’t ever forget.”

“Unfortunately, that’ll have to be the case, if we make it through this battle.” Jean told Gonzo, who was a bit confused.

“What do you mean?” Gonzo asked.

“You friends have failed to understand the importance of what has been happening lately, Gonzo.” Cyclops stated. “They don’t get the mutant race at all.”

“How sure are you about that?” Gonzo said. “I mean, I know they’ve been trying to talk their way out of this whole battle, but that doesn’t make them cowards or mutant-haters.”

“No one’s saying they are, Gonzo.” Storm said. “It’s just that…we cannot afford to have characters like them speaking too much about us, once they leave this mansion.”

“That is why we’ll erase their memories of this whole incident, after we handle Magneto.” Jean said, and Gonzo wasn’t too happy to hear that; however, he knew in his mind that it was probably for the best.

“Gosh, I…I figured it would’ve been nice to share this experience with my friends,” Gonzo said, “But now that I know how they feel about my connections with you all, I guess you’re right. They’re not ready to accept the truth yet.” It was silent in the room for a moment, as Jubilee, Iceman, and Colossus were suiting up in their own X-Men uniforms; once they were all ready, they exited the ready room and entered a hangar (located directly below the mansion’s basketball court), which was the location of the Blackbird, a giant, sleek aircraft that the X-Men used to get around. Soon after boarding the Blackbird and strapping themselves to their seats, the X-Men and Gonzo (the first “X-Muppet”) held on tight as the engines began to fire up.

On the court above, a basketball sat on the ground in the middle; suddenly, the asphalt started to vibrate and the basketball rolled a few inches—then there was a grinding noise and the surface began to separate at the half court line. The basketball fell through the widening hole and bounced off the wing of the rising Blackbird. The aircraft turned and cleared the hangar before blasting off into the night sky.

END OF CHAPTER SIX​

Coming up next....Mutants, Muppets, and More Mutants!!

 

[muppetwriter]

Just wanted to notify everyone on this...

For anyone who has Fox's FX channel on cable and for those that haven't seen any X-Men movies yet, FX's broadcast premiere of "X-Men 2: X-Men United" is tonight at 7/6c. I recommend watching this one, because it's the best one...that is, until the third one comes out this summer.

 

[muppetwriter]

Some old friends appear in Chapter Seven.

Chapter Seven (Part One):​

That night on Ellis Island, security of every kind covered every inch of the island. Helicopters were coming in at the rate of about one every minute to deliver dignitaries and their families from all over the globe. A steady flow of limos poured onto the island over a simple two-lane bridge from New Jersey, as a Muppet newsman stood in the foreground.

“With the ceremonies beginning shortly, it looks as though the last of the dignitaries have landed at Newark and Teterboro airports and will be arriving momentarily.” The newsman said, during the broadcast. “It would seem the United Nations has had their wish tonight. There doesn’t seem to be an empty seat in the house.” The newsman looked around to see if there were possibly any seats available, and to his displeasure there were none. “And that might be a problem for this newscaster, considering the fact that he has been standing all day long and handling this stupid report! Could I please have a chair people?! My dogs are barking here!” Unusually, the newsman’s feet started barking like actual dogs, and they even went as far as dragging him away from where he stood. “Whoa! Down, boy! Down!”

Near the banquet table where fabulous and expensive cuisines were being served, the famous Swedish Chef was baking most of the delicious meals for all of the dignitaries, without even making a huge mess. Some of the vegetables that were sitting on the table feared whether or not if they would be included in one of the Swedish Chef’s dishes. Several times had they tried escaping from the banquet table, but Chef always spotted them and forced them to stay on the table.

“Well, if his sharp-cutting blade doesn’t get us first, then those dignitaries eventually will.” A tomato uttered.

“Not unless if we spoil ourselves.” A cabbage suggested.

“Good idea!” A potato exclaimed. “Quick! Someone find out what happens in the next X-Men/Muppets story!”

All around New York City, many citizens were gathering to watch the historic event on television, including all of the residents in the Happiness Hotel. At the Hotel, many had been wondering what was going on with Fozzie and Kermit, who had been frozen in place for three days straight; Fozzie was standing by the front door and Kermit still had the phone receiver in his head, near his head. While Dr. Phil van Neuter (the only available Muppet scientist in the Happiness Hotel at that time) and Miss Piggy were trying to figure out what was wrong with Kermit and Fozzie, everyone else had their eyes glued to the television set in the living room.

“Like, it’s too bad that Kermit and Fozzie aren’t awake to see this.” Janice said.

“Yeah, I wonder what’s happened to the frog and our furry, funny bear.” Dr. Teeth said. “They haven’t blinked, moved, or done anything lately, since they tried to go out and find Gonzo & Rizzo.”

“Speaking of the weirdo with the blue hose, I’m starting to wonder if he and Rizzo are gonna come back any time soon.” Floyd stated. “No one even knows where they’ve been and why they’re gone in the first place.”

“Maybe they went on a little road trip.” Dr. Teeth assumed. “Probably going to the one place where Gonzo’s always wanted to be.”

“Where’s that?” Floyd asked. “Disneyland?”

“No. Area 51.” Dr. Teeth remarked, and all members of the Electric Mayhem burst out laughing, except for Animal, who was screaming “Road trip! Road trip!” over and over again.

“Hey, hey! Cool it, Animal!” Floyd exclaimed. “We’re not on tour yet!”

Back on Ellis Island, inside the security control tower, the operating commander monitored the countless video screens that displayed nearly every crevice of Ellis Island, as well as other parts of New York Harbor and the network news feeds of the event. Near the main entrance (the front of the Great Hall of Ellis Island, where once immigrants poured into the new world by the millions), a huge military band off to one side played music from the different countries to help with the milling about and shaking of hands. The President himself was in the crowd, meeting and greeting, with a mob of Secret Service always right there.

On a deserted part of the island (away from the action), a uniformed Secret Service agent kept tight watch on the island; it wasn’t long before something had fallen upon him, causing a sickening crunch. However, it wasn’t something that fell on the agent…it was someone…Toad. Because of Toad’s weight on him, the agent was tumbled into a heap. Toad looked around quietly, listened, and then leaped away, landing on top of another Secret Service agent in the process.

On Liberty Island, two Secret Service guys approached one another; one was holding a smoke, the other was producing a lighter. Just as his smoke was about to hit the flame, the flame dodged to one side; he moved to follow it, and the flame dodged the other way. The guy with the smoke looked at the guy with the lighter, as if to say “knock it off.” The lighter guy shrugged as the flame instantly grew to a raging intensity, engulfing them! As they were incinerated and their ashes fall to the ground, Pyro climbed to the scene from the seawall below, dripping wet. He had come dressed to make trouble on that night; strapped to his back was an impressive-looking flame thrower.

Near the seawall, a Secret Service man waved to a Coast Guard boat as it passed by; the pilot of the boat, a man in his late forties, waved back. As the Secret Service guy waved, he jolted upright, with his face contorting in impossible pain. Slowly, he was lifted off the ground by Sabretooth, who had the last Secret Service man impaled on his claws; he casually threw the body to the ground.

The Coast Guard pilot focused on the wheel of the boat as he morphed into Mystique and turned the boat toward Liberty Island. The boat bumped and grinded on the manmade rocky shore, while Sabretooth jumped down to the deck and met up with Magneto, who was coming up from below; they nodded to one another and walk toward the front of the boat. On the deck was something covered with a tarp; Sabretooth pulled it back to reveal Logan, unconscious from a drug that was inserted into him. Another much larger object was on the back of the boat under another tarp.

Meanwhile, in the night skies flew the X-Men’s Blackbird jet, which Cyclops was piloting as Manhattan came into view; they banked to the south, heading directly towards their main destination: Liberty Island. As Cyclops checked his monitors, Gonzo seemed to be really enjoying the ride.

“Wow! I think I’ve got goose bumps over my goose bumps!” He exclaimed, and he seemed to have just that, because his long hooked nose had bumps forming over themselves. Gonzo looked over to Colossus, Jubilee, and Iceman, who were calmly sitting in their seats. “Are they aware of all that’s happening right now? Will they remember anything from this battle?”

“No. They’re minds have been shielded by my telekinesis.” Jean told Gonzo, as she turned and grinned at him. “Kind of like putting on a blindfold.”

“Even if they weren’t shielded, they still won’t remember anything, after we’ve erased their memories.” Cyclops stated, as he finished checking his monitors. “Radar Stealth Mode checks out. All right, there’ll be less security north of the George Washington Bridge. I’m taking her down.”

“Into the Hudson?” Jean asked.

“Uh-huh.” Cyclops replied, smiling, as the Blackbird slowed to a hover, with its Harrier Jet engines tilting back until they were vertical to the water. The engines cycled down and the plane lowered until it was hovering a few feet off the surface. “V.T.O.L. off.” As the Blackbird sunk, the hatches closed off and the wings retracted to transform the plane into a submarine to the surprise of Gonzo.

“Is there anything you guys can’t do?” He uttered, and Jean, Cyclops, and Storm all smiled, while the engines pulled tight to the body of the craft and began to propel it forward. The water of the Hudson River rippled as the submersed aircraft passed under the bridge and into the harbor.

“So, Gonzo,” Cyclops said, “Has anything kicked in yet?” Gonzo waited for a moment to give a reply to Cyclops’ question, seeing if he actually sensed his secret mutant power anywhere within him. Unfortunately, he didn’t sense anything at all.

“Nothing.” Gonzo said, and Cyclops sighed with discomfort, wondering if it was such a bright idea to bring Gonzo along with them. “I know that I’ve got some kind of power. Professor Xavier told me that I do.”

“Maybe it’s on the fritz.” Cyclops uttered, in a sarcastic tone, and Jean slightly touched his shoulder, calming him down. “I’m sorry, Gonzo. Just…Just focus, alright. It’ll come to you soon.” And under his breath, he added, “Hopefully as soon as we make it to Magneto’s location.” Jean looked over at Cyclops and then to Gonzo, who had his eyes closed and focusing on finding his mutant power; her doubtfulness was just beginning to grow, and she knew that if things did get worse during battle, she must do her duty as an X-Man to keep Gonzo out of danger. For Gonzo’s sake, Jean hoped that Professor Xavier wasn’t wrong about him and his “inner mutant.”

Meanwhile, Logan awakened in an unknown environment, with his arms cuffed behind his back; he was delirious and weakened from the drug. He looked around and realized that he was in an oddly-shaped room with barely enough space for him and Magneto, who smiled at him in the half darkness.

“Where am I?” Logan asked, weakly.

“You’re backstage at the encore of creation.” Magneto replied, looking at his watch. “Three minutes to curtain.”

“What are you going to do?”

“In the road to survival, there is always sacrifice, Logan. We are the future…not them. We must protect ourselves. After tonight, when the leaders of the world return home, they will return as brothers…as mutants…and our cause will be theirs. This is survival; I know you understand that, Logan…or is it Wolverine?” Magneto stepped out of the hatch and closed it, coming to stand on a railing outside from his high perch, overlooking the island. He was standing on the catwalk around the torch of the Statue of Liberty, about a mile away from Ellis Island; he had his back to its gold translucent flame, looking over at the activity on Ellis Island and hearing the band and breathing the cool evening breeze. “Give me your tired, your poor…” He turned to the bright lights of Manhattan and its millions of inhabitants, “…Your huddled masses.” He brought a radio to his lips. “Lights.”

Elsewhere, Sabretooth was tearing the padlocks off of the generator shed that powered the island; he grabbed a hold of a fuse lever marked “Liberty Display Lights” and pulled it down, turning it off. Inside Liberty’s torch, Logan was in darkness; he frantically tried pulling on his binds, leading to no avail. Meanwhile, back in the Blackbird, Cyclops was monitoring the area above-water on a video screen.

“The lights on the Statue of Liberty are off.” Cyclops indicated.

“She never did look good in the dark.” Gonzo uttered. “Actually, I’d always thought she would look good as a chicken.” A statement like that made Cyclops believe that the only power Gonzo contained was the power of “Chicken Fetishes.”

“Beast said that Magneto would have to take a high vantage point.” Storm said.

“Let’s dock over there.” said Cyclops, motioning to an open area of water next to Liberty Island, just as he pulled a lever, which made the Blackbird surface. “Storm, give us some cover.”

All over the city of Manhattan, curious viewers were staring at their sets and watching an image of the Statue of Liberty sitting dark. The Happiness Hotel residents were a lot more puzzled than everyone else, as Scooter walked over to their television set and analyzed it to see what was wrong.

“Maybe the reception’s all screwed up.” Scooter assumed.

“Nah, it can’t be.” Pops told Scooter. “We had a repairman come in a few weeks ago to look at it. He only charged fifteen thousand for it.”

“Fifteen thousand bucks?!” Scooter exclaimed.

“Bucks? Naw…I’m talkin’ about penguins.” Pops said. “A buddy of his needed them for some kind of performance at Broadway next week.” Rowlf looked closely at the darkened image of the Statue of Liberty on the television set.

“Hey, is it just me or does Lady Liberty look a lot like Beyonce Knowles in the dark?” Rowlf asked, but no one answered. “What? Am I the only one who ever fantasizes anymore?”

Back on the Hudson River, the water level outside the Blackbird lowered as the plane surfaced. The plane rose until it was nearly flushed with the surface of the water. Out of the jet’s window, the Statue rose away into the fog that was rolling in over the harbor.

TO BE CONTINUED...​

Coming up next...Gonzo Goes Up Against The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants! And...A New Mutant Power Is Born!!!

 

[muppetwriter]

Here's the rest of Chapter Seven.

Chapter Seven (Part Two):​

Jean, Cyclops, Storm, Gonzo, Iceman, Colossus, and Jubilee stepped off the wing tip of the Blackbird onto the island; they climbed over the fog encased seawall and stand, staring up at the Statue and the desolated island. On the torch, Magneto took the moment in the darkness to point his hands and all of his concentration on the bottom of the torch. The air rippled with magnetic energy as the cap-like end piece of the torch began to vibrate; metal groaned and twisted, and with a crack of metal, the cap came free, dropping to the ground. Inside the torch, Logan stared down through the hollow torch as the cap fell away into the fog. At the bottom of the statue, the X-Men team was deciding how to proceed.

“We should check out operations,” Cyclops suggested, “See if the Secret Service is still around.” Storm was surveying the layout of the island; she looked up at the Statue and noticed something just in time.

“LOOK OUT!!” She cried, and they all looked up, seeing how the cap of the torch was screaming down towards them out of the sky. Everyone leaped out of the way, except for Gonzo, who was still focusing on bringing out his mutant power.

“Gonzo! Get out of the way!” Cyclops shouted, from a safe distance, and just when it seemed as if Gonzo was going to be crushed by the torch’s cap, his eyes popped open and he lifted his arms, catching the gigantic object with his bare hands! Cyclops, Jean, and Storm stared in utter disbelief, as they watched Gonzo toss the cap away into the Hudson River. Even Gonzo himself couldn’t believe what he had just done.

“I DID IT!!!” He yelled, and his companions shushed him, reminding him that they were on a mission that required stealth and silence. Gonzo kept himself quiet, as the other X-Men approached him.

“How did you do it, Gonzo?” Storm asked.

“I’m not sure.” Gonzo replied. “All I did was think about what particular power that I always wanted to have and super-strength came to mind. Next thing I know…I have super-strength.” Cyclops, Jean, and Storm were really happy for Gonzo; however, they didn’t have the time to celebrate over his newfound power.

“Well, how about we use that super-strength against Magneto and his twerps?” Cyclops said, looking up at the torch. “Jean, can you raise me up there?”

“It’s too far.” Jean remarked, and Cyclops began assessing the situation.

“Storm, Gonzo…you two take the south entrance with Bobby and Jubilee.” Cyclops ordered, just before he pointed to the main entrance. “Jean and I will go in here.” Storm, Gonzo, Iceman, and Jubilee started for the south entrance. “I’ll see you all soon. Oh, and Gonzo…” Gonzo stopped for a moment and turned back to Cyclops. “Be careful…even with that remarkable strength of yours.” Gonzo nodded in affirmation, and he continued on to the south entrance with Storm, Iceman, and Jubilee.

Back on the torch, Magneto prepared to execute the next stage of his plan when he looked out over the island; he realized that a dense fog had rolled in, obscuring his view of the bottom half of the Statue. He looked out towards Ellis Island and saw that the fog was localized over Liberty Island.

“Be careful, everyone.” Magneto stated, into the radio. “I think we may have company.”

On the Coast Guard boat that Magneto came in on, the giant tarp and the object underneath it both rose into the air, standing upright. The tarp slid to the deck to reveal the same machine that Magneto used to mutate and kill Senator Kelly; the air rippled as it rose higher in the air. While the machine was rising, Logan yanked at the manacles inside the torch, in an attempt to pull his hands free. Soon the machine had risen up and into the bottom of the torch itself; with it almost on him, Logan’s struggles turned to rage. Suddenly, he popped his claws and frantically cut at the wall behind him, as the machine drew closer.

Meanwhile, Gonzo and Rogue quietly entered the Statue’s museum with Jubilee and Iceman; it was filled with scale models and full-size displays documenting the history of Lady Liberty—one display showcasing the metal strips that lined the Statue for support. The group quickly headed for an exit on the far side of the room, until the lights suddenly went out. A low, guttural croak echoed in the void.

“I sure hope that was one of Kermit’s visiting relatives.” Gonzo uttered.

“Gonzo…stay close to me.” Storm whispered, as they started backing toward a six-foot copper replica of the Statue, which had the ability to turn its head and watch Gonzo, Storm, Jubilee, and Iceman as they backed toward it. The replica blinked and the eyes turned Mystique yellow.

Meanwhile, Cyclops and Jean were in a giant room that welcomed the many visitors to the Statue, along with Colossus; in the center was the old torch, placed there after the Statue’s 1986 restoration. The only light in the room was a soft red glow that emanated from the old torch. While inside the old torch room, Cyclops noticed a map of the Statue on a pedestal.

“Over there.” Cyclops said, and he & Jean studied the map, looking for the way to the torch. In front of them was the old torch; its eerie red glow was growing brighter. With Cyclops’ attention focused on the map of the statue, the dim red glow turned brighter and brighter; soon enough the glowing got Cyclops’ attention and he turned to look up at the old torch, which glowed fiery red hot. “Get down!”

The torch exploded and caused a ring of fire to wipe across the room, as Cyclops, Jean, and Colossus ducked behind the marble map pedestal, fire whipping around them. At the center of the old torch was Pyro, with his eyes wide, manipulating the fire like an orchestra conductor. Cyclops, Colossus, and Jean were all pinned down, as fire swept around the map pedestal. Cyclops turned and fired a series of optic blasts blindly through the fire, blasting the ceiling and causing chunks of debris from the ceiling to shower down onto Pyro. The distraction brought the inferno to a stop, since Pyro no longer had control over the flame. Smoke filled the room, as Jean tried to catch her breath; the sudden chaos had accidentally broke the telepathic hold she had on the minds of Kermit, Fozzie, Rizzo, Iceman, Jubilee, and Colossus, bringing the Muppet trio back in control of the students’ bodies.

“Whoa! What the heck’s goin’ on?!” Rizzo/Colossus exclaimed. “One minute I’m in a locker room, and the next…I’m in a shvitz that looks like it went haywire!” Rizzo looked around the smoking room and noticed how neither of his friends was there with him. “Hey, where’s Gonzo?” Meanwhile, Cyclops stood and headed toward the old torch trying to draw a bead on Pyro; but he didn’t see him. That was when a column of fire erupted from the thick smoke, rocketing at Cyclops. “Hey! Look out there!” Heeding Rizzo’s warning, Cyclops dodged, flipping a heavy wood table with flaming pamphlets on it and using it as a shield against Pyro’s fiery onslaught.

Jean, having caught her breath, looked over to see Cyclops pinned down as fire wrapped around the table—the fire was burning through it. She also took notice of how “Colossus” was acting really frightened and nervous, signaling that Rizzo was in control of his body again to Jean’s displeasure.

“Rizzo,” She said, as she stood up from behind the marble podium, “Do you think you could distract Pyro long enough for me to stop him?”

“Are you crazy?!” Rizzo/Colossus exclaimed. “That guy will turn me into a Pop Tart!”

“Not if you use Colossus’ special power.” Jean said, and Rizzo knew exactly how to work the mutant power of Colossus; it was like a bad cold to him, in the sense that after spending two or three days with it, it was easy getting use to. And with that, Rizzo stepped up bravely and confronted Pyro.

“Hey, matchstick!” Rizzo/Colossus shouted, and Pyro stopped his assault on Cyclops, focusing on Rizzo. “Why don’t ya mess with someone your own size?”

“Scott Summers is my size!” Pyro exclaimed, and Rizzo was at a lost for words.

“Well, uh…how ‘bout messin’ with me?” Rizzo/Colossus said, and he couldn’t believe those words came out of his mouth.

“My pleasure.” Pyro uttered, just before he unleashed an arm of fire toward Rizzo. By the time the arm of fire got a hold of Rizzo, he had already transformed his skin into steel, making him impervious to the deadly flame. Rizzo looked at himself and realized that what he was doing actually helped; the only thing that the flame was doing to his steely skin was making it extraordinarily hot. While Pyro had his attention on Rizzo, Jean stretched out her fists and focused her telekinesis on Pyro’s mind. It wasn’t long before Pyro suddenly got very tired and stopped himself from scorching Rizzo any further.

“What’s wrong, matchstick?” Rizzo/Colossus asked. “Had enough?” Pyro didn’t answer; instead, he just slipped into unconsciousness and passed out across the floor. “Ha, ha! I wore him out!”

“Rizzo!” Jean shouted, and she pointed to the opposite walls near the old torch, where there were two large fire extinguishers. “Use the heat from your body to take out those extinguishers.”

“Right!” Rizzo/Colossus acknowledged, and he ran through the flaming room to the extinguishers; once he grabbed them, he held them close to his body, causing the extensive heat from his body to make the extinguishers explode in front of him. Since the power of Colossus’ steel form was so extreme, Rizzo was left harmless from the effect of the blast, while the flames once covering the room were gone, leaving a choking smoke behind; the column of flames against Scott vanished. After the explosion, Rizzo looked at himself and noticed how Colossus’ body was back to its normal form, with a ravaged uniform that was covered with white foam. “Man! What a rush!” Cyclops walked up to Jean, and the both of them stared down at Pyro’s unconscious body, still lying on the floor.

“What did you do to him?” Cyclops asked her.

“He’s just a kid, Scott.” Jean remarked. “He’s no older than you or I was when we first joined Xavier’s school. Maybe there’s still hope for him.”

“Yeah, and maybe Charles Manson just wants to hold the Beatles’ hands!” Rizzo/Colossus said, sarcastically, and Cyclops was quick to notice how “Rizzo-ish” Colossus was again.

“Looks like the rat’s in control again.” He commented.

“You’ve got that right, buddy.” Rizzo/Colossus stated. “And I don’t know how you twerps and Gonzo were able to get us to come with ya on this crazy mission, but you’re gonna get us out, alive and uncooked!”

“We will, Rizzo.” Jean promised.

“But for now, how about we watch our own butts and keep an eye out for any more of Magneto’s goons?” Cyclops suggested.

“First we have to get Pyro out of this room; it’s unhealthy for him to be in here, when he’s still very much alive.” Jean indicated.

“Jean…” Cyclops said, not sharing her thoughts on Pyro.

“It’ll be alright, Scott.” Jean assured. “Trust me.” Cyclops just stared at her for a long moment, and then he turned to Rizzo.

“Carry him as far as the hallway outside and leave him there.” Cyclops ordered, and Rizzo picked up Pyro’s unconscious body, right before they all got out of the smoke-filled room.

END OF CHAPTER SEVEN​

Coming up next...Fireworks and Ice, With A Dash of Weirdo!!

 

[The Count]

Good stuff here. Some small touch-ups might be needed when rereading the story before posting, but otherwise it's been a great read. Post the next chapter when ready, please.

 

[muppet maniac]

Apparently some years ago(say around 2000), the Henson Company had ideas for a Muppet superhero movie. The plot was going to be about the characters getting superpowers. But after that, there was no word of a complete plot and production date has yet to come.

 

[muppetwriter]

Apparently some years ago(say around 2000), the Henson Company had ideas for a Muppet superhero movie. The plot was going to be about the characters getting superpowers. But after that, there was no word of a complete plot and production date has yet to come.

Hmm. I didn't know that. Interesting.


I apologize if I still haven't gotten the chance to get back to finishing this story. Lately, I've been writing some other superhero crossovers (for both Marvel & DC), and I just haven't thought up a good ending for this one. When I do, eventually, get back to finishing this, I might do an "Ultimate Muppets" story (based off of the upcoming "Ultimate Avengers" DVD) that'll be similiar to the Muppet superhero idea that the Henson Company had.

 

[ReneeLouvier]

OOH! I finally got around to reading your story, I love it muppetwriter! Very nicely done!

Kinda odd in the first chapter to see Scooter like that. I could just see him doing that like, you know that "Black Power" thing and all. Cool, yet creepy.


Gave me shivers.

 

[muppetwriter]

OOH! I finally got around to reading your story, I love it muppetwriter! Very nicely done!

Kinda odd in the first chapter to see Scooter like that. I could just see him doing that like, you know that "Black Power" thing and all. Cool, yet creepy.


Gave me shivers.

Thanks, Renee.

I'd always figured Scooter was a complicated muppet, long before I began reading the "Sadie Stories." Out of all the Muppets, I wanted either him or Sam the Eagle to represent the "Mutant-Haters" that characters like Senator Kelly do for the humans.

The "X-Men" story had always been like a discriminatory series, in which the characters Magneto and Professor Xavier resemble historical figures like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. Stan Lee himself made that point when he first started the comic book.