Marvel: Master Of Role Playing

Chapter 173 - Collapse of the Statue of Liberty

Wiping out mutants completely wasn't all that difficult.

The truth was that only a handful, like the X-Men, truly cherished their mutant identity. For the vast majority, gaining powers brought not joy, but fear. Confusion. To them, mutant abilities weren't a gift. They were a burden. Something that isolated them, that introduced chaos into otherwise ordinary lives.

"What did you say?!"

Beast stared at Luthor in disbelief. As a fellow scientist, he immediately understood the terrifying implications behind those words.

"No. That's impossible. After so many years of evolution, the recessive X-gene has already hidden itself within nearly every human. Everyone has the potential to become a mutant. You can't possibly erase all traces of the X-gene. And even if you tried, you'd need a sample of pure human DNA—one that has never carried the gene."

His voice was loud and firm, but deep down, he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

At this point in time, the mutant child Jimmy from X-Men 3 hadn't yet been discovered. So Reid and the others had taken a different route to eliminate mutants.

They planned to start from the genetic level, removing the traces left behind by the Celestials, the ancient beings who had altered human DNA and created the potential for mutants.

The biggest challenge with this method was that in the Marvel universe, nearly every human carried some form of this genetic modification. Relying solely on Marvel's population, they would never find an untouched, original human genome to use as a base.

But they weren't from this world.

Luthor and the other clones of Reid had come from outside the Marvel universe. Their bodies carried no trace of the Celestials' work. They had never been altered. They had no potential to mutate.

All they had to do was use genetic engineering to mix modified gene agents into everyday products. Over time, the genetic fragments left behind by the Celestials would completely disappear from human DNA. People would return to their original form, true, unaltered humans.

"Sample?" Luthor raised a brow, then tapped his chest. "Isn't that standing right in front of you?"

He smiled.

"I'm a pure human. A human who's never been altered by alien hands. So go ahead... embrace the future we offer."

As he spoke, his fingers moved swiftly over the holographic interface projected from his armor. A signal, invisible to the naked eye, was instantly transmitted into space.

The LexCorp satellite that had been hovering over New York received the command and slowly began to transform. It shifted from an ordinary communications satellite into a space-based laser weapon.

Within moments, a crimson beam of energy shot down toward Luthor's position, fired from the satellite that had already been charged and waiting.

Back on top of the Statue of Liberty, Beast, trapped inside the device, was falling apart.

"No! You can't do this! You're wiping out an entire race!"

He could accept dying. He believed his death would pave the way for a better future. But he couldn't accept a future where mutants were gone forever.

He shouted at the top of his lungs, completely losing control. But his voice changed nothing.

Luthor calmly raised both hands, catching the crimson laser as it descended from space.

His armor had been equipped with a special system that allowed it to store energy on contact. The beam didn't harm him. It gathered into a massive glowing sphere above his head.

Meanwhile, the machine had started draining the life energy from both mutants.

"Ahhh!!!"

Logan let out a cry of pain. His regenerative ability struggled to keep up, but he barely managed to hold on.

Beast, however, wasn't so fortunate.

His powers were already weak. Even after evolving a second time through genetic modifications, he simply didn't have the kind of deep energy reserves the machine needed.

In just a few seconds, his blue fur vanished. His strong, beast-like form faded away, leaving behind a thin, frail man collapsed beside Logan's feet.

"So... you recruited me... just to use me as a power source?"

Even though the mutant didn't understand the science, he could see what was happening. Gritting his teeth through the pain, he glared at the shriveled body of Beast lying at his feet.

"Hahaha... Logan, I'm sorry... but it looks like you're going to die with me now!!"

At that moment, the machine reached its limit.

A white, net-like wave of radiation began spreading from its core in every direction.

High in the air, Luthor hovered with the massive sphere of energy in his hands, now larger than the Statue of Liberty's head. He had fully absorbed the power sent down from the satellite.

"This should be enough," he muttered. "If I go too far, it might mess up the next phase of the plan."

Watching the radiation wave closing in on him, and even knowing for a fact that his body carried no trace of the Celestials' genetic modifications, which made it impossible for him to turn into a mutant, Luthor still had no intention of using himself as a test subject.

With a sharp motion, he slammed both hands downward, and the massive energy sphere crashed toward the machine below.

In an instant, the device was destroyed. The immense energy it had stored erupted violently, triggering a massive explosion that reduced the Statue of Liberty to twisted wreckage.

Beast, now just an ordinary human, stood no chance. The moment the energy sphere touched him, his body was completely vaporized, leaving no trace behind.

Logan, on the other hand, barely survived. Luthor's scanners showed clearly that the mutant had used Beast's body as a shield to avoid direct contact with the energy blast. Still, the shockwave from the machine's destruction hit him full force.

But Luthor had no interest in finishing him off. He didn't care whether Logan lived or died. The man posed no threat. In fact, there was a chance he might even be useful in what was coming next.

Not wasting any time, Luthor turned away. The thrusters on his armor flared to life, and he flew straight back to LexCorp.

...

Far away, in the underground basement of the Xavier's School, Charles sat alone in his wheelchair at the entrance of the Cerebro chamber and let out a quiet sigh.

He had already sensed it. Beast and Havok, the last of his old friends, were dead.

Their brainwaves had ceased. At the same time, he could feel numerous humans rapidly approaching from the sky.

It had begun. Humanity was making its move.

From the moment he sent Beast on that mission, Charles had known this would happen. He knew that given the chance, LexCorp wouldn't show them any mercy. They would take this opportunity to wipe them out completely.

But thankfully, he still had one last card to play.

After sacrificing all the students capable of fighting, and his last two old friends, he had used the chaos as cover to conceal his final move.

Thinking of this, Charles moved his wheelchair forward. The door scanned him automatically and slid open, allowing him to enter the now-transformed Cerebro chamber.

And there, inside the chamber, stood Rogue, her eyes vacant and unfocused. She had been waiting for him for a long time.

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