issue summaries

X-Treme X-Men 40 Prisoner of Fire Part 1 Writer: Chris Claremont Penciler: Igor Kordey Inker: Greg Adams Colorist: Liquid! Letterer: Rus Wooton Assistant Editor: Stephanie Moore & Cory Sedlmeier Editor: Mike Marts Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada Date: March 2004

Twice before, the X-Men have crossed paths with the mutant predator, Elias Bogan, a mysterious wealthy recluse. He has chosen them as his next victims and is especially interested in Sage (Tessa).

Bogan’s shadowy telepath (who is later revealed to be Rachel Summers who has been enslaved by Bogan) stands on the beach.

Nearby, a depowered Rogue strolls down the beach of Valle Soleada, California, with Gambit (Remy LeBeau). They begin to kiss, but are rudely interrupted by Lucas Bishop running down the beach without watching where he was going.

Remy invites Rogue to a clambake on the beach that evening.

Back at Rogue’s beach house, Evangeline Whedon (a lawyer/mutant shapeshifter) complains to her ward, Marie D'Ancanto, about a case. Marie still can't understand why the X-Men are letting her stay there, after she tried to kill them, but Vange explains that they are offering her a second chance.

Marie goes and asks Sage if she wants any coffee. Sage is busy doing research on what led to Marie going after mutants, which involves X-Corporation (a mutant outreach organization), Elias Bogan and the community of Valle Soleada.

She traces the history of X-Corp’s Los Angeles headquarters and finds that it is an exact replica of a building that was in that same location in 1921.

Sage tries to contact the Xavier Institute, but communications have been completely disrupted. She can't contact any of the X-Men at the Institute. She contacts Storm (who’s in Japan) and says they have much more to be concerned with than just Elias Bogan.

Later that evening, Rogue, Remy, Cannonball (Sam Guthrie) and Lila Cheney are all seated around a camp fire on the beach, discussing everything that has been happening. Vange (in her dragon form) lands, carrying Sunspot (Roberto DaCosta) and Magma (Amara Aquilla). Bobby explains that the X-Men have been too splintered lately and never see each other anymore. The others ask why Sage and Bishop weren't invited, but Vange says Sage was busy working and Bishop said he would be there later.

Earlier that evening, as Bishop jogged along the beach, he is ambushed. An SUV runs him over and several thugs attack him and tie him up with barbed wire.

Bishop manages to escape, but he is grabbed by Bogan's shadowy telepath, who takes over his mind. She takes his glasses (so he can't communicate with the rest of the team) and says that by the time his teammates figure out he is missing, it will be too late for him, for them and especially for Sage.