03x12 - The Dark Phoenix: Part 2 - Inner Circle

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NARRATOR:
Previously onX-Men...

My psychic abilities
have discovered a creature
with more power

than even
you can imagine!

Do tell.

FROST: They call her
the Phoenix.

She was the guardian
of the fantastically
powerful M'Kraan Crystal.

The Phoenix flew with
the crystal into
the burning heart of the sun!

The Phoenix
destroyed herself?

No! It lived!

After depositing the crystal
in the sun, this primal force
returned to Earth.

XAVIER: Phoenix, why do you
still inhabit Jean's body?
Your work is done.

You do her harm
by remaining!

The Phoenix
could be the source
of limitless power!

Tradition demands that
such power be wielded by us,
the Inner Circle.

She's asleep.
I'm in her mind.

You may now enter.

WYNGARDE: And once
I'm in her mind,

I can use my power
of illusion to create
whatever reality I choose.

(GRUNTS)

No! Jean!

Not Jean.
I am Phoenix!

Good work,
my love.

Thank you, my husband!

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)

Xavier to Cyclops.
Do you read? Over.
Come in. Over.

His communicator
must be down.

Scott.

Respond
if you sense my presence.

Who would know
how to block
my psychic probe?

Cerebro, help me
break through.

Cerebro, why can we
not contact the X-Men?

CEREBRO: Dual barriers,
one human, one electronic.

Together they are confusing,
impenetrable.

Keep probing.
I need a moment's rest.

All right, Shaw.
You have them.

Now what are
we going to
do with them?

Whatever you like, Leland.

You doubted my work.
Admit it,
you were wrong.

I admit nothing!

Why not just dispose of them
and be done with it?

The mighty X-Men?
Are you mad?

They'll make nice lab rats,
don't you think?

Xavier has been trying
to contact
the X-Men psychically.

I blocked the probe,
but I don't know
how long I can hold it off.

If your power fails us,

(DOOR OPENING)

we can give the job
to someone else.
Jean, my dear.

Or should I say,
Phoenix?

Get away from her!

You cannot escape.
Nor can you hope
to be rescued.

The Circle Club is
an impregnable fortress.

You X-Men
were allowed to enter,

so that I could have
the pleasure
of introducing you

to the Inner Circle's
newest member.

Jean?

MERCENARY 1: No one
could have lived through
a fall like this.

MERCENARY 2: Shaw said
to bring back the body.

Yeah.

Well, come on.
Let's find
an easier way down.

(WOLVERINE GROWLING)

MERCENARY 1:
Can you see anything?

I don't want to have
to go swimming
around in there.

What was that?

Guess you found the body.
Go on in!
The water's fine.

(MERCENARY 2 SCREAMS)

(SNIFFING)

I know what
you're thinking, punk.

Question is,
"Can I get Wolverine

before he turns me
into shish kebab
with those claws?"

Well, bub, seeing as how
these claws are adamantium,

the strongest metal known,

and can slice through
vanadium steel

like a hot Kn*fe
through butter, buddy,

you got to ask yourself,
"Do I feel lucky?"

(SCREAMS)

Now where are the other X-Men?
And you better have an answer.

(GROANS)

We appear to be at
the mercy of our hosts.

Your power and beauty
are awe-inspiring.

Look at him,
sniffing after her
like a mongrel dog!

Don't worry, my love.
I can control him, too.

SHAW: Why don't you
freshen up in here,
while I order dinner?

You say
she loves you, Wyngarde.

Is that real,
or just another
illusion?

(SIGHS)

Jealous, Shaw?

(LAUGHS MOCKINGLY)

Of you and your cheap tricks?
Never!

Would you two geniuses
think for a second?

We can't deceive
and control
the Phoenix forever.

Some day she'll discover
the truth, and turn
against the Inner Circle.

You worry too much,
Ms. Frost.

You saw how easily
she became one of us.

Something inside her
hungers for new sensations,
yearns to feel.

I've introduced her
to dark emotions
she had never dreamed of!

She wants more!

And you're sure
we can control that power?

I can.

We'll see.

Bring her back in.

Order dinner.

Where's my
Chateau Calamari '59?

(DUMBWAITER DINGS)

Finally!

Lousy year.

Turkey!

Where do these guys
do their shopping?

Don't move, mutant,
or I'll blast!

(MERCENARY SCREAMS)

Now to find the fat slob
who dunked me!

Uh-oh!

Here! Go play
pick-up sticks!

(ALL GRUNT)

To our new queen!

ALL: Our new queen!

CYCLOPS: Jean. Jean.

Thank you.

Wyngarde! Quickly!
Engage her mind!

CYCLOPS: Jean. Jean.

Can this dark place
be your mind?

I thought it was time
we ended our
little game, Mr. Summers.

A duel!
No quarter asked,
none given!

My eyes!
What happened to my power?

(LAUGHS MOCKINGLY)

Your mutant powers
won't work here.

You're in
my world now.

A mental arena
of my creating.
Inside Jean's mind.

Jean, talk to me!

What is this?

My world, my rules,
my choice of weapons.

Peasant!

(WYNGARDE LAUGHING)

You can't fight
a whole world,

you pathetic
little ex-X-Man.

(CYCLOPS SCREAMS)

(WYNGARDE LAUGHS)

Don't go so soon.
It's very rude.

Stop your illusions
and fight like a man!

It's not me
that's doing it,
you blind fool!

Jean's own mind
is helping me
to destroy you.

No, I don't believe it!

You did this to her!

Wyngarde!

Jean, I've come
to free you!

I've already been freed.

Set free from the constraints
of sympathy and morality

that bind ordinary
human beings.

The Phoenix force
inside me
aches for sensation.

Jason Wyngarde
has shown us the way.

Can't you see it
all around you?

There's only darkness.

This is not your mind!
Wyngarde is deceiving you!

(PHOENIX LAUGHS)

The dark joy of destruction!

The end of Scott Summers!

(CYCLOPS GRUNTS)

What? (SCREAMS)

No!

My friend,
what's wrong?

ROGUE: Scott!

Is he alive?

When the mind
is destroyed,
the body cannot live.

As my loving new bride
has helped to demonstrate.

Yes, my queen.

You are everything
I had hoped you to be.

(CYCLOPS GROANING)

Cyclops lives!

How could he have
survived the shock

of the destruction
of his psychic image?

I must know!

He's still
psychically connected
to Jean Grey!

That's why he lives!

So, Wyngarde, your powers
over our guest
are less than absolute.

They are sufficient.
Test them,
if you doubt me.

Agreed.

I offer you the pleasure
of annihilating
this useless X-Man.

Do not do it!

I don't want...

For me...

Correction.
For the Inner Circle.

For new sensations,
my love.

PHOENIX:
For this new sensation,
the rapture of destruction,

for the pleasure
of the Phoenix!
The unbound joy of evil!

Leland!
You unmitigated fool!

You swore to me
that Wolverine had drowned.

Here's Johnny!

WYNGARDE:
Stop him! Now!

(WOLVERINE SCREAMING)

(GRUNTS)

Get up, Wolverine!

WYNGARDE:
You see, Sebastian.

Our new queen is more
powerful than the rest of
the Inner Circle combined!

And I control her.

Will you yield your place
as chairman
or do I have to take it?

Don't make me laugh.

The Inner Circle will never
follow a mutant

whose only power
is circus trickery!
Leland!

You've called me a fool
once too often.

Pierce?

What Wyngarde says
about our new
queen's power is true.

Will you turn against
me, too, Emma?

You wanted a new queen.
Now you have her.

You think you people
can get away with this?

I'll destroy
you all!

JEAN:
Wolverine, you're supposed
to be resting.

Even you can't
heal this fast.

Don't bet on it, Redd.

Sabretooth
nearly k*lled you.

Someday I'll learn
not to let my guard down.

(GROANS)

Oh, no!

Jean?

I've got to go.

Cyclops
is waiting for me.

So am I.

Oh, no!

Logan!

What have I done?

What have I let
the Phoenix do to Scott?

My queen,
I have a more important
job for you.

Destroy Sebastian Shaw!

Now wait a minute!

(PHOENIX LAUGHS MANIACALLY)

Wyngarde, you've lost
your hold over her!

No, I couldn't have!

No one can control
the power of the Phoenix.

(CYCLOPS GROANING)

Jean, it's you.

Talk to me! Help me!

PHOENIX: I tire
of your squabbling.
Amuse yourselves.

(LELAND SCREAMING)

I need no help from a woman
to destroy the X-Men.

I can absorb
all their powers.
Go ahead. Try it.

(SHAW SCREAMS)

Thanks, mon ami.
Leave the others
to Gambit.

I'll hang on
to this one.

(GAMBIT GRUNTS)

She play rough!

(GRUNTING)

You're half bronco!

Stop them!

What in the world?

(ROGUE GRUNTS)

I'll get my queen.
I can still control her.

Winds, rise and sweep
the thorns from our path!

(MERCENARIES SCREAMING)

People, mop up in here.
I have to find Jean.

Forgive me, Mr. Shaw,
for dropping in uninvited.

There's the fat pig
who dumped me in the sewer.

Let's dance.

Keep away! Uh-oh!

SHAW: Stop it!

You cannot absorb
what is not
focused upon you.

Clever, but ineffective.

My mutant power absorbs
the energy you use against me.

The Inner Circle is
not so easily defeated!

Ice, snow,
vent your fury!

(STUTTERING)
You can't do this to me!

(PEOPLE CLAMORING)

FROST: Get out of my way!

Jean?
Jean, where are you?

Lowlifes, pretenders!
I'll show you!

(STORM GRUNTS)

No one can defeat
Sebastian Shaw.

You couldn't manage
a heat wave,
by any chance?

Thanks for
the hand, sugar!

I bet these cybernetic things
cost an arm and a leg.

This way!

We've lost because of
Wyngarde's incompetence!

But the Inner Circle lives.
We will get our revenge.

GAMBIT: Look like
the hotshot Inner Circle
high-tailed it out of here.

But where's Jean
and Cyclops?

My dearest, you have
succumbed to your nightmare
again, my darling.

But fear not.

I have come to rescue you,
to take you back
to your real life.

To our life together.

Your pathetic attempt
to use me
has opened my eyes!

No! Please!
I cared for you! I...

You had me do evil
to gain you power.

But through this body,
I felt the thrill
of that evil.

Now I thirst for more!

(CHOKING)

I am too powerful
for your illusions.

Let the world see
how truly ugly you are.

Would you like to
see me as I truly am,

my love?

Jean? Jean?

The mortal Jean Grey
is no more.

I am fire made flesh!

Power incarnate!

I am the Dark Phoenix!

Jean? No!

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)