The visit with Xavier begins, and they discuss Magneto’s mail first. Magneto has been receiving anti-human fiction and marriage proposals, amongst other things. Magneto gives another insult to humanity and their strange obsession with him, their bringer of genocide. Xavier doesn’t claim their perfect, but that they at least deserve to live and breathe. Instead of continuing this conversation (thank you!), Magneto basically agrees to disagree.

They talk about the prison, where Magneto is treated like royalty, and wants to send the hulk a Christmas card (I’m assuming he’s being sarcastic). Xavier apologizes for everything coming to this, and Magneto points out that Charles is not as sorry as he is.

Canada: Wolverine is fighting a bear. Cyclops appears out of nowhere, and mentions that there’s a perfectly good restaurant fifteen miles down the road. Wolverine is blunt, and asks if he’s back for a rematch. Cyclops doesn’t think what happened back in Alaska was even a real fight, just Cyclops cutting loose a huge optic blast and Wolverine going down for the count. Wolverine, while eating raw bear meat, asks if he was supposed to get a few licks in before he went out. Cyclops asks him if he thinks he got what he deserved for what he did. Wolverine: “Only every cut and bruise.” Wolverine is still surprised to see Cyclops “opening old wounds.” Cyclops gets to the point, and reveals that he’s here to apologize.

Back to the Plastic Prison: Magneto tells Charles he’s learned of Charles selling out to the U.S. government. Charles counters and calls it a compromise, but Magneto still thinks it’s hypocritical, considering it was that same government that created the Weapon X program. He believes that they’ll use Xavier’s school just like they used Weapon X. Xavier shuts him up, after all, they are being watched by all the surveillance. Xavier continues with his more public planning elements, such as equal rights for mutants in the work place as well as at least one positive mutant character in a number of popular television shows (Ultimate X-Statix?). Magneto makes a flippant remark and asks Charles what he’s really doing here. Xavier gives Magneto more of his dogma, but then mentions about a possible source for Magneto’s unhappiness: his estrangement from his children. Magneto angers, and calls his kids a slew of names, traitor amongst them, and says he cannot bear to be with them. Xavier asks whether or not all this hostility might have something to do with their mother, and that they’re constant reminders of Magneto’s “weak” passionate moment with a human female. Magneto tells Charles to leave.

Canada again: Wolverine doesn’t understand why Cyclops is giving an apology. After all, Wolverine was the one that tried to steal his girlfriend by killing him. Cyclops says it’s because he acted like a barbarian. Instead of adhering to pacifist ideals promoted by the professor, the first thing he does after someone crosses him is to kick the crap out of them. Wolverine says it sounds logical. Cyclops asks what is accomplished, though. All it did was put the world’s most dangerous mutant (Cyclops said this, but is it true?) back up in the hills and resorting to his old self again. Wolverine asks Cyclops to get to the point. Cyclops asks Wolverine to come back to the school and finish his rehabilitation. Wolverine asks if this is just a way to get in good with the professor, and while Cyclops admits that’s part of it, he also doesn’t want Wolverine to become an enemy. He’s taking preemptive action, so Cyclops and Wolverine don’t end up like Xavier and Magneto. Wolverine asks about the others at the school, and Cyclops says they voted and the decision was unanimous. Wolverine says he’s not like any of them, that he’s been tampered with, his memory replaced with things about killing and hurting people and he’s too screwed up for the school. So Cyclops makes another offer, if he comes back the professor might be able to help him with his past. In working with S.H.I.E.L.D., they’ve found a piece of Wolverine’s past, a wedding ring. “To James, with all my love.” Wolverine takes the bait and joins Cyclops in the X-jet.

More conversation between Xavier and Magneto, thought Xavier’s on his way out. We learn that Charles will be defending Magneto is his upcoming trial, and that Magneto is at least interested to hear whether or not Quicksiler recovered from the injury given to him by Magneto. We end with Xavier leaving and erasing the memories of the conversation from the guards minds. Note: the guards names’ are Mark Millar and Adam Kubert. Is this their last issue?

Review: This issue was a fitting conclusion to the arc. I’m not surprised Wolverine’s going back to the mansion, but I am surprised it’s so soon. I thought he’d at least go on a few of his solo things before coming back and his coming back would be more hero-like than “well, come on back, we never should of kicked you out in the first place.” I hope the professor has a few protocols ready, because it’s obvious Wolverine can’t be trusted.

Now to the meat, which is Professor Xavier and his involving the government in his operations. While this is still a landmark move for mutant kind, involving characters like Fury may prove to be problematic, especially if their intentions to make mutant Ultimates are true. Xavier working to get the work place safe for mutants is noble, but his forcing positive mutant characters into television? Xavier is really pushing his agenda on everyone, and it mirrors some of the less ethical moves of other civil rights movements. I agree with his agenda, yes, but forcing human beings to be fed mutant propaganda simply isn’t right. It all seems very sneaky and backhanded, too. Xavier’s use of the media is brilliant, but at the same time it’s scary. I know the American populace has difficulty understanding academic or philosophical issues without relating them to something (like religion or celebrity status), and because of this they almost need to be carefully introduced to mutant kind through their most liked mediums and positive images. However, it still doesn’t address what’s really going on: humanity is being extinguished by genetics little by little. I’ve talked about this before. Sure, it’ll be a long time before it happens, and it’s natural, but if I were slowly becoming extinct, I’d want to know. It basically comes down to this: I don’t trust Xavier. I’ve never trusted the Ultimate Xavier. He seems too weird and sly to be sincere. I’m sure his ideals are what he says; it’s his methods that I worry about. They are better than Magneto’s, however, and I suppose that’d make it the lesser of two evils.

However, back to the issue, this arc was almost as good as some of the early ones, like the first one, even. It could be the best arc yet. This particular issue was a conclusion, though, and that’s what felt like.

Three of four stars.

Until next time.