File:Marvel Graphic Novel Vol 1 5 001.JPG

Description
Two children run from people calling themselves Purifiers. These children are shot dead, not because of the color of their skin, but because they are mutants. Finding the children hung from a swing set, Magneto vows to put an end to the Purifiers crusade. In New York, at Stevie Hunter’s aerobics class, Kitty gets into a fight with a young boy. This boy was talking about the need for the deaths of all mutants and the fight is only finished when Peter Rasputin steps in. Taking her back to the mansion, the X-Men prepare to watch a television commentary between Xavier and a man named William Stryker. Stryker is at his office, watching videos of the X-Men and trying to learn their strengths and their weaknesses. On the set of the studio where the meeting is being broadcasted, Stryker is able to more eloquently show his point of view, depressing Xavier. Scott and Ororo are there with him as well and they lead Xavier away afterwards, to drive him home. On their trip, the three friends are ambushed and taken to a secret compound for Stryker’s purposes. Back at the mansion, Kurt receives a phone call from the police, saying their mentor and friends are dead. Kitty, upset, runs into the hills and, after a couple of hours, is comforted by Illyana, who shows her a spying device she found earlier hidden on the estate grounds. Kitty dismantles the device with her powers and the two friends wait for someone to come repair it. While they’re waiting, the other X-Men go off to check on the accident. Logan comes to the realization that their three friends are not dead and Kurt radios that they are being followed. The X-Men defeat their stalkers, only to be surprise-attacked by armored Purifiers. Luckily, Magneto comes to their rescue and the X-Men and Magneto go back to the mansion to interrogate their hostages. Meanwhile, at the mansion, some more Purifiers kidnap Kitty and Illyana after they caught them near the spying equipment. On the road, the Purifiers are commanded by Stryker, who has just finished torturing his three hostages, to kill Kitty and keep Illyana alive. Kitty luckily escapes before the Purifiers have a chance and she calls the other X-Men for help. While being trapped by the Purifiers on a train, Kitty is saved by Magneto and her friends. After saving her, they head off to where the secret lab is to try and save their friends. There, Ariel and Kurt are able to interrogate one of the doctors that was working on Xavier to find out Stryker’s full plan to kill mutants everywhere. The event is supposed to transpire at Madison Square Gardens, after the X-Men enter and save Xavier, though Stryker’s plans are cut short. Scott decides not to leave, but to face Stryker and try and end their battle with him once and for all. Scott and Stryker verbally argue it out on national television till Stryker pulls a gun on Kitty threatening to kill her. Luckily for her an officer is there and shoots Stryker instead. Back home the X-Men are given an offer by Magneto to join his cause, which they decline.