Written By: John Semper, J. M. De Matteis & Steven Grant (story), Michael Edens (teleplay)
After learning from Dr. Connors that whatever he's mutating into won't be human, Spider-Man decides to seek out the one person who could help him: Professor Charles Xavier. Arriving at Xavier's School for the Gifted, Spider-Man barely reaches the roof before the X-Mansion's security system captures him and deposits him in the lower levels of the mansion. Worse, his Spider-Sense detects danger, and as a blue gloved hand appears in the shadows, as the hand clenches into a fist, three adamantium claws extend out from the back of it, before the owner of those claws emerges into the light: Wolverine, who is soon joined by the rest of his team, the X-Men, including Cyclops, Rogue, Storm, Beast, Gambit, Jubilee, and Jean Grey. While Jubilee is shocked to see him in the flesh and Rogue takes to flirting with him, Wolverine demands to know the meaning of his presence. Not impressed with the X-Men's hospitality, Spidey breaks free of his metal straitjacket, temporarily subdues the X-Men with his webbing, and attempts an escape as the X-Men pursue him. Reaching a dead end with several doors, Spidey randomly chooses one, but he picked the worst choice, as Gambit reveals that Spider-Man has entered the Danger Room, which he still had running a program regarding the X-Men's automated arch-enemies, the Sentinels.
The X-Men have no choice but to enter and protect Spider-Man from the Sentinels until Jean is able to shut down the Danger Room. Before the X-Men can then attack Spidey, Professor X finally intervenes, allowing Spidey to explain why he's there. However, once Spider-Man explains his plight to Xavier, the professor is unable to help him as his school is designed to help people with their (natural) mutations, not cure them. Angered, Spidey leaves, but finding a kindred spirit in Spidey, Beast goes after him, suggesting he try his luck with a scientist by the name of Herbert Landon. No sooner after Spidey leaves, Beast is captured by mercenaries hired by Landon.
Back in NYC, Peter is attending a conference regarding Landon and his project regarding curing mutations, but the conference is attacked by the Hobgoblin, who damages the ceiling to where it could collapse, despite Spidey's attempts to stall it with holding everything up with his webbing. However, before the ceiling caves in, Spidey is given a chance to escape by a mysterious force that holds up the ceiling long enough for him to get clear.
Meanwhile, growing worried about Beast's disappearance, Wolverine decides to go look for him when it is mentioned that Beast was last seen speaking to Spider-Man. Wolverine finds him outside Landon's laboratory, and as the two prepare to fight, Hobgoblin watches with amusement...before preparing a pumpkin bomb to destroy the both of them...
Mutant Agenda provides examples of:
- Berserk Button: Wolverine takes offense to Spider-Man's use of the word "freak."
- Blackmail: Hobgoblin charges Landon a hefty fee to keep quiet about his secret.
- Calling Your Attacks: Lampshaded.Storm: Power of lighting, strike again!
Spider-Man: Um, power of web-shooters, get real sticky. - Crossover: With X-Men: The Animated Series.
- Dark Secret: Landon intending to destroy all mutants.
- Dreary Half-Lidded Eyes: Rogue when flirting with Spider-Man. Giving him such a smoldering stare
that, had he not been in love with MJ, there's no doubt Peter would've fallen for Rogue. Who wouldn't? - Dude, Where's My Respect?: "I can save the world ten times over, but when I need help? I'm on my own. Thanks... for nothing."
- Evil Former Friend: Landon to Beast.
- Famed In-Story: Beast is a well-known mutant, due to events occurring on X-Men.
- Fangirl: Jubilee appears to be one for Spider-Man, if her surprise by his appearance is any indication.
- Fantastic Racism: A student named Sessilee asked Peter if there were any "muties" in the convention, which causes a surprised Peter to walk away from her in disgust. She even calls him a "mutie lover".
- Foreshadowing: The auditorium's collapse seems to have stopped long enough for Spider-Man to get out of the way.
- Hidden Depths: Beast knows what it's like to find a cure to be normal.Beast: Perhaps [Spider-Man] has a right to seek a cure. There's a man at the Brand Corporation who has been researching mutant genetics. Maybe he can help.
Wolverine: Come on Beast. This ain't like you.
Beast: Then what makes you think you know me so completely? - Hypocritical Humor: When Spider-Man leaves the X-Mansion, Jubilee tries to go after him, knowing that he could be a great ally, but Wolverine stops her, because, according to him, Spidey is a too much of a loner to be a part of the team. Beast reminds Wolverine that when they met him for the first time, he was not that different from Spider-Man, annoying him, while Jubilee laughs at him.
- Irony: Landon mocks Beast for laying the groundwork for his mutant-destroying chemical.
- Let's You and Him Fight: Spider-Man vs Wolverine, due to Logan thinking the Wall-Crawler is involved in Beast's disappearance.
- The Man Behind the Man: The Kingpin is funding Landon's project in the hopes of getting a super-powered army.
- No Sense of Personal Space: Rogue isn't the least bit reluctant to turn Spider-Man around and get up close to playfully trace his chest and rub his cheek.
- Not So Above It All: When Rogue withdraws from Spider-Man with a seductive smirk there's a second where his head follows her forward, as if he were indeed Distracted by the Sexy, if only for a moment.
- "Not So Different" Remark:
- A comparison between Wolverine and Beast is made.Jean Grey: You seem overly worried about Hank. Why?
Wolverine: I don't know. He's been acting weird lately. He's usually solid as a rock. But now.
Jean Grey: That's the side he chooses to show us. But we've all got our own private pain. You of all people should know that Logan. - Beast remarks that Spider-Man reminds him of when Wolverine first joined the team.
- A comparison between Wolverine and Beast is made.
- Oh, Crap!: Gambit's reaction to Spider-Man going into the Danger Room, due to leaving on the Sentinel training simulation.
- Properly Paranoid: Told to bring in a mutant, Lewald and his men simply stake out Xavier's school, due to the Professor's reputation as a "mutie lover." When they see Beast out in the open and alone, they move in.
- Ship Tease: Rogue's rather enamored with Spider-Man, though it's pretty one-sided on her end.Rogue (to the captive Spidey): Name's Rogue, Sugah. You're kind of cute in a creepy sort of way. Maybe y'all tell me what you're up to, hmmm?Rogue (to the Danger Room Sentinels): How's a gal supposed to keep a boy interested when y'all keep scaring him away?
- The Tease: Rogue is quick to flirt with Spidey the minute she lays bedroom eyes on him.
- To Be Continued: Hobgoblin seeks to take advantage of Spider-Man and Wolverine fighting."How entertaining! A fight to the bitter end! Problem is, nobody's gonna win... except me!"
- Tuckerization: The mook Lewald was named after X-Men story editor Eric Lewald and his sister, showrunner Julia Lewald.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Landon based his anti-mutant chemical on Beast's former research about curing his own mutancy.
- Wrong Genre Savvy:
- Charles Francis Xavier is a world-renowned geneticist and the world's leading expert on genetic mutations—so, quite logically, Spider-Man figures that Professor Xavier would be able to help him with his own mutation (specifically in curing him of it). However, when he finally has a chance to actually talk to Professor Xavier and explain his situation to him, the Professor (though certainly sympathetic and would honestly love to help Spider-Man) explains that his genetic research really only deals with natural mutations (which Spider-Man's mutation isn't) and the whole reason he started the Xavier Institute was to help people who're born with mutations (such as the X-gene) to learn to use their powers properly and accept who they are (mutations and all), rather than "cure" them of it.
- After Beast disappears, Wolverine checks out his last location. When he picks up on Spidey's scent (as well as those of a bunch of other people he's never smelled before), he naturally assumes that Spider-Man must have had something to do with Beast's disappearance.
- You Are Not Alone:Spider-Man: Why are you going out of your way for me?
Beast: No man can turn his back on another's pain. I may be a mutant, but I'm still human.
Spider-Man: Well, that's where we're different. I'm not sure I still am. [swings off]
Beast: How sad. We are all alone until we accept our need for others.
