"X-Men 2" (If **I** had written it); Prologue

X-MEN 2: “And Power Corrupts”

A Screenplay in Seven Acts by Alan White

This is a screenplay designed to create a sequel which will meet and surpass the expectations created by the first movie, “X-Men,” Directed by Bryan Singer and written by David Hayter. Many went into the first movie expecting more action from what they perceived as a superhero move. In the following story the number of mutants with demonstrable powers who have functional roles is greater, and there are more scenes of conflict between those mutants. This gives a chance for the special effects to far exceed that of the first movie, satisfying the desires of the action-craving summer movie audience. This script also seeks to stay true to the human story of our mutants, as well as provide the action that movie sequels need in order to leap ahead of their predecessor.
This story borrows several elements from earlier issues of Marvel Comics’ “Uncanny X-Men” (tm) originally written by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Although Marvel retains the copyright of the characters of the Hellfire Club, Proteus, Moira MacTaggart, and Phoenix, the story elements, dialogue, and the usage of these characters herein owe a debt to how Mr. Claremont and Mr. Byrne first introduced them to comic fans everywhere.

(Afternote: This was written in 2000, and is at this point meant only to be a piece of fanfiction.)

CAST OF CHARACTERS

THE X-MEN
PROFESSOR CHARLES XAVIER
SCOTT SUMMERS, AKA CYCLOPS
LOGAN, AKA WOLVERINE
ORORO MUNROE, AKA STORM
JEAN GREY who will become PHOENIX
ROGUE

XAVIER’S STUDENTS & GUESTS
DANI
BOBBY
JUBILEE
KITTY
PETER aka Piotr
ILLYANA
Dr. MOIRA MacTAGGART
Other Assorted

THE HELLFIRE CLUB
SEBASTIAN SHAW, The Black King
EMMA FROST, The White Queen
JASON WYNGARDE, The Black Bishop
DONALD PIERCE, The White Bishop
CAROL DANVERS, The Black Queen
HARRY LELAND, The White Rook
REMY LEBEAU, AKA GAMBIT, The White Knight
TESSA, The Black Knight

THE MORLOCKS
NIGHTCRAWLER aka Kurt Wagner
BEAST aka Hank McCoy
CALISTO
LEECH
Other Assorted

THE SENTINELS
#1 through #6

PROTEUS

X-MEN 2:“And Power Corrupts”

OPENING ACT
Scene One-A Delivery Room
(A woman is having a difficult birth in a delivery room. She is attended by five nurses and a doctor. When finally the baby is delivered, it’s eyes glow. As it cries for food, a sudden mist comes from it and the nurses are drained of their lifeforce by the mist, they die agonizing deaths. The doctor manages to sock the child away into a containment chamber, an infant-sized cabinet in the wall, as the doctor dies from the draining effect.)
(Only the mother is left alive and untouched.)

Scene Two-Pan Out from the Delivery Room
(As the camera slowly pans back, we see a cold, sterile base surrounds this birthing chamber where automated drones are taking the baby away.)

Scene Three-The same Base; advance forward in time
(Establish an ‘aging’ of the base to impress the passage of time.)
(Pan in to a different area of the base where we see WOLVERINE on the hunt. The base is dark and haunting. WOLVERINE seems to be going on instinct alone. As he rounds a corner, he gets a flash of memory . . .)

Scene Four-Flashback, Slow Motion
(. . . We see LOGAN in the same spot in the base, only the set is better lit, LOGAN looks younger--less gruff, cleaner cut--and he is accompanied by a beautiful blonde female. They wear “espionage” clothing . . .)

Scene Five-Present day, Base
(. . . WOLVERINE is back to himself and continues forward. He comes to a catwalk overlooking the chamber which haunts his dreams; coffin-sized experimentation tanks, glass cabinets full of dissecting instruments. Again he has a flashback . . .)

Scene Six-Flashback, Slow Motion
(. . . in the past, this was the place LOGAN and his blonde fellow agent separate along the catwalk. The blonde is struck down, LOGAN gives himself away with a cry of anger, and then is struck down.)

Scene Seven-Present day, Base
(WOLVERINE is stunned by these memories, they are surfacing for the first time. )
(He is discovering that the base isn’t completely deserted. There is a patrol of four GUARDS and a young SCRUFFY-LOOKING MAN dressed in a high-collared trench coat. He has black eyes with red pupils.)
(WOLVERINE attacks without hesitation. He takes out two guards before the SCRUFFY-MAN steps in with a bo-stick. WOLVERINE chops the stick down, forcing the scruffy man to begin using his power to charge the stick pieces and throw them at WOLVERINE. They explode off WOLVERINE, knocking him to the ground.)

SCRUFFY
(Cajun accent) You’re here t’find answers, no? Killin’ me’s not gunna git ya dat, mon ami.

WOLVERINE
At this point satisfaction is all I’m lookin’ for.
(WOLVERINE charges the man again. It is hard for him to fight the projectiles, but it doesn’t incapacitate him. He dodges some of the projectiles and they hit control panels in the walls behind him.)
(The control panel begins to short out in the wall behind WOLVERINE.)
(The two GUARDS who survived WOLVERINE’S attack look panicked.)
(The SCRUFFY YOUNG MAN looks panicked as well.)
(We follow their attention to an upright, man-sized glass cylinder framed with metal. There is liquid in the cylinder which begins to drain due to the damaged controls.)

SCRUFFY
Ain’t none o’us gonna get enny satisfaction if we don’t get out of here an’ right NOW.

WOLVERINE
What the hell is that.

(The liquid has drained completely away and inside is a DESICCATED FIGURE-which begins to stir. The eyes of the FIGURE glow and the glass cylinder morphs into floating blobs, freeing the figure. Note that the metal does not morph)
(This event impacts on WOLVERINE with a markedly noticeable panic. Terror grips him and his posture reflects it.)

DESICCATED FIGURE
Humannnn . . . I . . . hungerrrr . . .

(A misty essence looking identical to the mist from the newborn INFANT in the first two scenes leaves the DESICCATED FIGURE and flows into a human GUARD.)

GUARD #1
Oh god!! Mr. Gambit help me . . . please!!!

(The GUARD’S personality changes from terror to satisfaction. The sound of the voice goes hollow abnd the eyes glow.)

Ah, but this weak human shell will not last.
(The GUARD’S body begins to age and whither.)

GAMBIT (SCRUFFY)
Party’s oveh. Run f’r your lives!

(WOLVERINE, GAMBIT, and the other guard run.)
(GUARD #2 is caught just before GUARD #1's body crumbles to powder.)
(Soon GUARD #2 eyes are glowing, but the body begins to decay.)
(GAMBIT and WOLVERINE are all that is left running until the mist catches up to them)
(The mist seeps into WOLVERINE)

WOLVERINE
(Fearfully, which is a new sound to us fans.) No! What is it . . . get this OUT OF ME . . . (WOLVERINE’S speech dissolves into a gargle of defeat, then his personality changes. His voice goes hollow and his eyes glow.)

WOLVERINE/PROTEUS
After so long. Seems the experiment is over.
(The floor and walls around WOLVERINE/PROTEUS begin to warp.)

GAMBIT
(Running and escaping.) Nuh, Proteus. It’s just begun.

WOLVERINE/PROTEUS
This body is so strong-and it heals itself! It’s wonderf-(Suddenly WOLVERINE/PROTEUS screams long and loud.)

(GAMBIT seems to know what’s happening to WOLVERINE/PROTEUS. He smiles wryly and then completes his escape.)