MARVEL/DC COMICS PRESENTS #17

Prof. X/Magneto

Columbia University

2003

“March 26, 1964 is a special date in civil rights history. Does anyone know why?” Arani Desai, history teacher, asked her students.

The auditorium room was sparsely populated with listless students. A few had their heads down and appeared to be dozing. What students that had a little attentive energy looked around with their eyes trying to avert her gaze.

“Anyone?” Arani asked looking around.

One young female student near the center of the room hesitantly raised their hand. “Um, is that when they started the Civil War?”

Arani sighed, “No. That was 100 years ago. Anyone else?” After seconds of near deafening silence, she said, “Okay. It is clear we got our work cut out for us and some of you are approaching near death. I’m going to end things a bit early for you. Please read chapter 10 and drink plenty caffeine before our next class. This and more from that chapter will be on the test.”

As the students slowly left out of the auditorium, a figure entered in the corner of Arani’s vision as she started collecting her papers on the podium. Assuming that one of her students wanted to speak she asked without looking up, “Do you have a question on the discussion?”

“I’m not a student, but I do have a question for you, Miss Desai,” a male voice said.

Arani turned her head and saw a mature bald man in a wheelchair wheeling himself in. “Who are you?”

The man wheeled further over to her and said, “My name is Professor Charles Xavier. My interests are in genetics and biochemistry with a special interest in human mutations. I’m here because I believe that you have the gene for mutant abilities.”

Arani quickly went over to the door of the auditorium and locked it. Then she went back to the podium and quickly placed her papers into her bag. “Sorry, wanted to make sure a student didn’t walk in on us. So, you believe that I am a mutant? How did you come by this revelation?”

Xavier smiled and said, “Because, Miss Desai, I am a mutant. My mutant power along with a mechanical apparatus that I use can detect the unique mental signatures of mutants from that of normal humans. I’ve learned that, like I, you have that unique signature.”

Arani gave a small chuckle. “I guess someone would figure out sooner or later.” Then she lifted up her right hand and at once ice crystals began to form on her skin. She lifted up her left hand and a small flame appeared from her fingertips.

“Astonishing!” Xavier said as he saw the sight.

“It’s all fun and games until you give an unintentional cold handshake or accidentally lighting a curtain on fire when you’re a kid. Now what does this have to do for you?”

“I run a school in Westchester, New York for gifted individuals such as yourself. I would like to further teach you how to use your abilities and hopefully have you in turn teach other younger recruits. You are a teacher, Miss Desai, I ask that you would lend your talents to help other mutants as well.”

Arani walked over a little closer to Xavier and leaned on a nearby table. “Interesting proposal. I feel that there is more that you want.”

“The world is changing, Miss Desai. There has been an increase in mutant births since the ‘50s. Mutants that are needing guidance. Guidance that could prevent hostilities between human and mutant. I have a dream, Miss Desai, for a peaceful coexistence between human and mutant. A dream that is needed now before more unsavory elements on both sides cause issues for us all.”

The lock on the auditorium door suddenly moved on its own. Then the door opened on its own and a white-haired man wearing a hat and trench-coat walked in. As he walked in with an almost confident stride, his eyes darted between both of them before settling on Xavier.

“I hope that I am not considered one of that number, Charles. I may feel offended. Well, after all our years of friendship.” With a gesture to the door, it closed and locked.

“Well,” Arani said at the turn of events, “it seems we have another mutant to join us. As one of my students would say, now it’s a party. Who are you, sir?”

The white-haired man removed his hat and placed it on a nearby table before answering, “You may call me Magnus. I trust Charles has given you a delightful story on the fantasy he has for our kind. I, on the other hand, see things as they are.”

Xavier’s expression took on a dourer mood. “Magnus? So that is what you’re calling yourself now.”

“When one has a great destiny before them, they should have a more appropriate name.” Magnus said.

“Magnus,” Arani said, “I guess you can’t go wrong with choosing a Latin name. I assume you have a proposal as well?”

“That I do, my dear.” Magnus said with a smile. “If Charles hasn’t mentioned it already, mutants are growing. Both in numbers and power. In time, we, Homo Superior, will outnumber them all. Then we shall take our rightful place as gods among lesser beings. However, there are some who wish to curb our rise. They, both human and mutant, will seek to manage us. There are humans right now who are proposing to find ways to number us, count us. As history has shown us, Miss Desai, it is a prelude to extermination. Unless we make a first strike. Join me and we will educate our brothers and sisters that we should take our steps to rule as nature desires us to.”

“Magnus,” Xavier said as if he was still not accustomed to saying the name, “your path will only lead to destruction of both sides with violence. A show of force will create many of the very things that you fear will happen.”

“A show of force is all that humans will understand, Charles.” Magnus retorted. “We have a chance to start planning a first strike, before they round us up out of our beds to slaughter.”

“If the two of you are done with me,”Arani said, as the pair seemed less interested in her, “I ask that you turn off the lights before leaving.”

“My apologies, Miss Desai, it seems that our old discussion has taken precedence over our initial reason for being here.” Xavier said.

“My apologies as well, Miss Desai,” Magnus agreed, “Charles and I will have to table out talk for another day. Have you made a decision on our offers?”

“Or would you like more time to consider?” Xavier asked.

Arani looked at both men for a moment as they awaited her answer and said, “No, to both of you.”

“I’m curious as to your reasoning,” Magnus said with a slight perplexed look in his face.

Arani gathered her bag and placed it upon her under her arm. “Gentlemen, I would assume that the answer would be obvious. One offers the open hand; the other offers the closed fist. Both approaches could be used for either good or ill. I choose to seek another option that does not require one hand in rejection of the other. I appreciate your thinking of me with both of your movements, but I reject them. Please honor that answer, whether it is from me or anyone else you meet after today. Good day.”

After leaving the two men alone in the auditorium, Arani walked to the other side of the campus to a waiting limo. As she approached the driver’s tinted window, the window rolled slowly down. Inside was a tan robotic face staring at her. Arani smiled and entered the passenger side of the limo. After she settled in he limo, they drove away from the university.

“Sorry I was late ‘Rani, I had a time getting through traffic,” the robotic driver said.

“That’s alright, Cliff,” Arani said. “I think I just witnessed a form of history repeating itself. Do you know what happened on March 26, 1964?”

“Can’t say that I do.”

“That my dear Robotman was the day two icons of the Civil Rights Movement met for the first and last time: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.”

“You don’t say.”

“Yes. I just had an unannounced visit from Xavier and Magneto today. Both had means of finding me or for that matter any mutant. They both offered me a position with them.”

“I hope you told them to take a hike.”

“Of course.”

“You’re with The Doom Patrol now. Why did you say it was like 1964?”

“Because those two remind me too much of King and X. They both want to see what’s best for mutants, but they severely differ in their approaches. Xavier appealed the most to me, but I feel there’s more to his agenda than he’s letting on. Him being a telepath doesn’t help either. Magneto was an automatic no.”

Arani lifted up her right hand and the air super chilled around it. White crystals of ice fell creating a beautiful mini snowfall gently falling into her open hand. “One wants a beautiful peaceful existence.” Then Arani lifted up her left hand and a small flame mildly erupted from her hand. The flame writhed but stayed content within her palm. “One wants to stoke the fires of war with a first strike at mankind and rule over them.”

“Sounds like you and The Chief got a lot to talk about when you get back home.”

“That we do, Cliff. The future he feared for mutants has just made a step forward.”