Appearing in "Public Enemy"
Featured Characters:
X-Men
Storm (Ororo Munroe) (Leaves) (Main story and recap)
Rogue (Anna Marie) (Main story and recap)
Professor X (Charles Xavier)
Supporting Characters:
Rachel Summers
Cyclops (Scott Summers)
Madelyne Pryor-Summers
Forge
Antagonists:
National Security Council
Project Wideawake
Henry Gyrich
Valerie Cooper
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
Mystique (Raven Darkhölme)
Destiny (Irene Adler)
Dire Wraiths
Other Characters:
Unnamed members of a governmental mutant affairs group
F.B.I.
Unnamed US soldiers
U.S. Secret Service
Jody, Max and other unnamed people on the 'Longshot Annie'
Michael Rossi (Mentioned)
S.H.I.E.L.D. (Mentioned)
Nick Fury (Mentioned)
Agent Price (Mentioned)
Agent Garwood (Mentioned)
Selene (Referenced)
Avengers (Mentioned)
Cody Robbins (Mentioned)
President Ronald Reagan (Mentioned)
Carol Danvers (Mentioned)
Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett) (Mentioned)
Rom (Mentioned)
Mark Twain (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Humans (Main story and recap)
Mutants (Main story and recap)
Cyborgs
Dire Wraiths
Galadorians (Mentioned)
Realities:
Earth-616
Locations:
Solar System (Main story and recap)
Earth (Main story and recap)
North America (Main story and recap)
United States of America (Main story and recap)
Washington, D.C. (Referenced)
White House (Referenced)
Andrews Air Force Base (Referenced)
Virginia (Main story and recap)
Arlington County (Main story and recap)
Pentagon (Main story and recap)
New York
Westchester County
North Salem
Salem Center
Graymalkin Lane
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
Alaska
Anchorage
Texas
Dallas
Eagle Plaza
Mississippi
Caldecott County
Mississippi River
Natchez (Mentioned)
Missouri (Mentioned)
St. Louis (Mentioned)
Louisiana (Mentioned)
New Orleans (Mentioned)
Tokyo (Mentioned)
Sun (Referenced)
Limbo (Mentioned)
Items:
Superhuman/Alien Neutralizer
Cerebro (Behind the scenes)
Ruby-Quartz Sunglasses
Superhuman/alien scanner
Rom's Neutralizer (Mentioned)
Vehicles:
Forge's private jet
Military transport plane
Longshot Annie, a tugboat
Synopsis for "Public Enemy"
Government agent Henry Gyrich is having a meeting at the Pentagon where he is reporting on the mutant known as Rogue. After explaining her powers, her previous criminal history, and the recent attack on SHIELD, he tells those gathered that he has been authorized to use the neutralizer weapon invented by Forge to stop her. When Raven Darkhölme protests this move, wondering how Gyrich got a prototype when it hasn't been tested, she is shocked to hear that her co-worker Valerie Cooper supports this move and no amount of protests will stop the action from being carried out.
At the X-Mansion, Storm interrupts Professor Xavier's session with Rachel Summers to inform him that Rogue has left. The Professor leaves Rachel alone while he and Storm go downstairs to try and track Rogue using Cerebro. Left to her own devices, Rachel decides to look around the Professor's office. Finding a phone book that lists her father Cyclops living in Alaska, she decides to call and speak to him. However, when she hears his voice and the voice of Madelyne Pryor in the background, Rachel cannot bring herself to utter a single word and eventually Cyclops hangs up.
While back in Washington, Mystique returns to her room to find that Destiny is there waiting for her. Irene warns that Rogue is in trouble, however Mystique wonders if allowing Gyrich to neutralize her powers could be to the benefit of Rogue having a normal life. When she asks Irene what the future has in store for Rogue, Destiny cannot see into the immediate future as some temporal anomaly prevents her from doing so. As Gyrich approaches where they are tracking Rogue, Mystique contacts Forge and tells him that the government is using his prototype without testing it. Forge is furious and flies after them in his private jet while placing in a call to the president.
While in Caldecott Country, Mississippi, Rogue is spending time relaxing along the banks of the Mississippi River. She is found by Storm who confronts her with the truth about the phantom memories she's been living of Carol Danvers. When Rogue admits that she is struggling to find a way to control her powers and fears harming them, Storm convinces her to willingly absorb some of her power. Rogue is reluctant at first, but since Storm does is willingly offering up her powers, Rogue tries it out. The power absorption knocks Storm out, and Rogue is completely amazed by the abilities she has gained and how Storm sees the world.
After finding that mastering Storm's powers would take some work, Rogue is attacked by Gyrich and his men. As Rogue attempts to avoid getting blasted by the neutralizer, her weather-controlling ability spirals out of control, and a massive storm is created, threatening a nearby boat. Storm, having revived, comes to Rogue’s aid to control the weather and pull the boat to calmer waters. Gyrich takes this as an opportunity to get a clear shot on Rogue, however, Storm shoves her out of the way. Storm is struck by the weapon, causing her powers to flare out of control, destroying the ship and knocking Rogue far away, before being neutralized. Storm falls unconsciously to the water below where Forge, having arrived just in time to witness the event, dives into her rescue. He is furious at Gyrich for using his untested prototype and the fact that he hit an innocent woman. He points out that Storm is a member of the X-Men and Gyrich's stupidity today may have turned the X-Men from champions of humanity to their enemies.
Watching this from a mystical pool far away are the Dire Wraiths who have analyzed Forge's weapon and finds that it is similar to that which was used by ROM the Spaceknight. In order to guarantee their victory in taking over the Earth, the Wraiths have come to the decision that Forge must die.
Issue data from marvel.fandom.com. Used via CC-BY-SA.