Charles has reopened the Xavier School, and Hank is preparing to teach a class, when the window shatters inward. A mercenary named Maverick has come to the X-Men with dire threats, and the People's Protectorate is in hot pursuit. They demand the X-Men return Maverick, who they say has stolen information from Russia. Maverick agrees to return with them, and says he has news of a far worse threat, if they will give him 24 hours. Their controller, Airstrike, agrees. Maverick then tells the X-Men there's a threat aimed at them. It seems the Russians, back in World War II, tried to create an answer to Captain America, combining a Russian monster with their science. This went badly, the result placed in battle massacred troops from both sides. The Russians declared it a failure and locked it away. Fast forward fifty years, and the von Strucker children have purchased the creature's prison, and pointed it at the X-Men. Maverick must go, he's got to keep a step ahead of the Russians, but he warns the X-Men: this thing, called Alpha Red, isn't coming... it's already here, somewhere!