Chapter 89: Magneto Clones
Tony's battle plan wasn't complicated. It involved Wolverine making the first move, openly drawing fire. After all, Wolverine was nearly immortal, and ordinary humans were no match for him.
If mutants were deployed, most mutant clones wouldn't stand a chance against Wolverine. If they encountered a Magneto clone, Tony would take it out from a distance using non-metallic bullets.
One would handle close combat on the ground, while the other provided long-range support from above.
Meanwhile, while the base's attention was fully focused on the two, George, with his vast array of abilities, would sneak into the base, kill Sandor Rice, destroy the research data, and then join the fight.
Even if they had to retreat in the end, as long as Sandor Rice was dead and all the research data was destroyed, the mission would be considered a success.
George agreed with this plan.
Facing 101 mutants with diverse abilities, combined with the base's guards, a direct assault would be unwise.
If he could capture Sandor Rice, George could use his psychic abilities and Legilimency to extract his memories, locate and destroy all the research data, and eliminate any potential threats like "Rice 2.0."
He had no intention of using the research data to create his own army of mutant clones.
For one, these clones lacked independent thought and were entirely controlled by computers.
If they encountered an enemy like Ultron or a skilled hacker, the clones could be hijacked and turned against them before the battle even began.
Secondly, developing and manufacturing mutant clones wasn't a simple task. Even with all the research data, he would still need to build a proper research facility.
Building such a facility would require significant time and effort, and if not managed carefully, other factions could easily steal the results.
Instead of investing that energy, George preferred to focus on improving his magical abilities.
His goal today was to eliminate Rice as a threat, kill all the mutant clones, and publicly destroy all related technology.
However, he would secretly keep a copy of the research data, just in case it proved useful in the future.
For example, if he needed wand cores, he could clone Phoenix's hair or similar materials. Even if the clones weren't as potent as the originals, they might still be effective—perhaps even more so than Professor X's hair.
Inside the experimental base.
"Boss, Wolverine has broken in!"
Commander Donald rushed in, visibly panicked, which made Rice frown.
"What's there to panic about? It's just Wolverine. What's there to fear?"
The fact that Wolverine had found their location and launched an attack was indeed surprising.
But it was just an old wolf, barely restored to some of his former strength through medication. What was there to fear?
Besides, he had a beautiful woman by his side, and he didn't want to appear weak in front of her.
"No, boss, you need to see this!"
Commander Donald handed Rice a tablet. Rice's pupils contracted as he saw the footage on the screen.
"He's restored!"
The tablet was connected to the base's surveillance system, and the footage showed a young Wolverine tearing through the base's guards.
It wasn't a fight—it was a massacre. None of the guards could stop Wolverine in his prime.
Modern firearms were useless against him. Once he got close, it was over—guns shattered, and guards fell. Even rocket launchers only knocked him down temporarily, and they didn't always hit their mark.
If the guards were willing to throw their lives at him, they might have caused some trouble.
But the guards were human too. Facing an unkillable foe like Wolverine, their morale quickly crumbled, and the defenses collapsed at an alarming rate.
That's why Donald was so panicked. If they didn't act soon, Wolverine would be at their doorstep.
"Mr. Rice, it seems your base is in trouble. I hope this won't affect me?"
Black Widow put on a frightened act, though internally she was thinking that the attack might provide the perfect opportunity to seize the research data without waiting until nightfall.
Rice responded with confidence:
"Madame, don't worry. It's just Wolverine. Please wait in my room while I handle this minor issue. We'll discuss our cooperation afterward."
"Then I'll be waiting... in your room."
Black Widow licked her lips seductively, then followed a guard to Rice's room.
Once she was gone, Rice's expression turned vicious.
"That fool actually came to us. Today, I'll make him wish he were dead!"
He quickly made his way to the mutant clone incubation chamber and ordered the staff:
"Activate the Magneto clones."
At his command, nine of the hundred incubation pods opened.
Nine identical, younger versions of Magneto stepped out and, following the computer's instructions, headed to intercept Wolverine.
When selecting mutants to clone, Rice didn't limit himself to one clone per mutant. Instead, he prioritized cloning the most powerful mutants.
For example, among the hundred mutant clones, there were ten clones of Black King, ten of Professor X, ten of Phoenix, and ten of Magneto.
Others, like Wolverine, Sabretooth, Nightcrawler, Emma Frost, Colossus, Cyclops, and Storm, had two or three clones each.
Since these clones were far weaker than the originals—the strongest barely reaching Level 3 mutant strength—they relied on coordinated abilities to attack.
Each Magneto clone could control magnetic forces weighing a few hundred pounds, but with nine working together, they could easily immobilize Wolverine, leaving him helpless.
And indeed, as Rice had predicted, the tide of battle turned the moment the nine Magneto clones arrived.
Through the tablet's surveillance feed, Rice watched as the nine Magneto clones used their magnetic powers in unison, pinning Wolverine to a wall. Then, they extracted steel bars from the wall and impaled Wolverine, firmly securing him in place.
As for how Rice obtained the genetic material of mutants like Black King and Nightcrawler, he had his father's former superior, General William Stryker, to thank.
After the first mutant war, Black King's body was taken by the CIA and later handed over to Bolivar Trask.
Trask, in his quest to create Sentinels, captured and killed mutants like Nightcrawler, acquiring the genetic material of most mutants.
After the 1973 White House incident, Trask was convicted of espionage and sentenced to life imprisonment.
William Stryker, a Department of Defense liaison stationed at Trask Industries, obtained all of Trask's mutant genetic data and began independent research on mutant genes.
After Stryker was defeated by the X-Men, Rice took all the data and initiated his mutant eradication plan, breeding new mutants.
Except for Apocalypse, who was reduced to dust by Phoenix, Rice had genetic material from most notable mutants in his database, ready to be cloned.
(End of Chapter)