Issue Date: May 2010

Story Title:
fifth story: It's Not Lupus!

Staff:
fifth story:
Kathryn Immonen (writer), Serena Ficca (art), Sotocolor's G. Garcia (colors), Dave Sharpe (letters), Matteo de Longis (cover art), Daniel Ketchum and Jordan D. White (editors), Joe Quesada (editor in chief), Dan Buckley (publisher), Alan Fine (executive producer)

Brief Description:
fifth story:
Nico and Karolina are in the kitchen stuffing a turkey when Molly arrives feeling really ill. She throws up, and the other two wonder, just for a moment, what it might be. They pack her off upstairs and have Victor monitor her temperature. She's burning up. Meanwhile, Chase walks in and begins to transform. He rambles incomprehensibly and his muscles begin to enlarge. Something's very wrong. Karolina takes down Chase whilst upstairs, Molly begins to filp out, causing Klara to take cover and Victor to consider using a Vulcan death-grip on her. Karolina asks Nico to cast her mind back to see if she can determine what might have happened. Nico recalls a couple of hours earlier when she was in the kitchen with Chase. Chase was bugging her and when Molly arrived asking Nico to read a story, Nico slammed her hand down on the Staff of One and asks Molly to cut her some slack. She is seriously nearly sick to death of them both. She cut her finger when she hit the staff and she now realizes what's happened. It's all her fault. No one blames her, and she's thankful that her magic will at least wear off. She goes to see Molly who is recovering and reads the story that Molly has written, which Nico likens to Sleeping Beauty.

Full Synopsis:
fifth story:
(once upon a time)
Karolina and Nico are in the kitchen of their Malibu residence preparing food. A large turkey sits on the table. Nico remarks that Karolina can't just bring home whatever she finds by the side of the road, but she assures Nico that she found it in the walk-in freezer. There's a side of beef in there too... at least she thinks it's beef. It wasn't wearing cement shoes. Nico replies that she's talking about Klara. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to bring her a century into the future without making sure she had shots or whatever. She wonders why she's the only one taking this seriously.

Karolina, stuffing the turkey, asks her to relax and stop trying to manage every risk. Klara's not Typhoid Mary. Nico asks how she knows! There are reasons you can't even walk around LAX with an apple and not get fingered by a fruit beagle. Good reasons. She's tired of playing nursemaid to everyone. "So stop it," replies Karolina. She may be the leader but not everything is her responsibility. "Since when?" asks Nico. She's not even sure it was smart to add another person to the mix, and she doesn't mean Xavin. She's not going to apologize for being realistic. Karolina asks if she wants realistic. Nico's busy polishing her magic staff while she's thinking about dinner! And she doesn't even eat meat. Nico points to some of the turkey’s insides in her hand and bets that thing did, though.

Their conversation is interrupted by Molly who appears looking the worse for wear. She's sorry for bugging Nico again, but she really doesn't feel good. She then bends over and hurls all over the floor. The others are shocked, and as Karolina grabs some kitchen roll, she turns to Nico and says, "Oh, come on Nico. You don't really think..." Nico doesn't know. Molly spends most of her time with Klara. It's not out of the question, and it's not like they can just take either one of them to a doctor. Karolina mops up the mess and suggests that they could all quarantine themselves and Nico could throw up a magic barrier.

Nico wonders what happens if someone gets really ill and there's no one to help. What if it's her? She can't reverse her own magic. She places her hand on Molly's forehead and discovers that she's burning up. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" asks Karolina. Nico replies that if she's thinking she should wash her hands, then yes. Karolina reckons they should get the robot in on this, but Molly tells her that victor hates it when she calls him that.

(soon)
Molly is soon in bed with Victor relaying her temperature to Nico, sarcastically, over a two-way radio. He monitors her using the palm of his hand. Klara sits at her bedside thinking this is all her fault. Everybody's been nice to her and this is how she repays them. Nico apologizes to Victor for calling him a robot and asks him to look after her. Karolina wonders if it could be something she ate. She asks Nico for some help with the giant turkey. Between them they manage to get the bird in the oven. Nico says they all eat the same thing - garbage. Karolina knows that, but Molly's just a kid. Doesn't she eat dirt and things? Maybe she talked to some filthy stranger or maybe she's got the plague. Victor, still listening in, exclaims, "The plague! What?!"

Chase then arrives. His shirt is ripped and his arm muscles are bulging. He tells them he feels like total crap; like he's about to download lunch. Technicolor yawn. Drive the porcelain bus. Nico and Karolina turn to see Chase turn a shade of purple, his veins bulging to the surface. Nico asks him to get to bed, but when he becomes even larger and screams, "Call the walrus! Whaurr!" they both realize something's seriously wrong. Karolina powers up and creates a kind of defensive wall between them. Chase has lost it, growling, "Alien girls! You think you're so pretty! I want a human girl! Now!" Karolina asks Nico to get out of there, but Nico tells her she isn't leaving her with that!

Her energies drop Chase to the floor, but he still screams, "Give me the big chicken! Now!" Nico tells Karolina that just because she isn't human, that doesn't make her immune. Chase is disgusting. Karolina asks her to be useful and start working backward through her mind or make a list to figure out what might have happened to them. Nico, still holding the two-way radio, thinks back. Molly was up with the sun. They didn't see Chase until one. No visitors, phone calls or weird stuff. No difference. Goddess, she exclaims. So boring! She swears she's gonna kill whoever's responsible. She hears Victor ordering Molly back into bed, but Molly is off running about crazily. "Stop reading my diary! Let me give you some sugar! Pony ponypony!" Klara cowers away thinking Molly's got the hydrophoby. Nico tells Victor that it's the fever talking and asks him not to let Molly hurt herself. Victor replies that Molly's just achieved the super nutso power-up. He swears he's gonna have to put the Vulcan death-grip on her.

Molly continues to run around the room shouting random sentences. Nico asks Victor to hang on and maybe she'll just pass out. "It's slobbering time! C'mere puppy!" Molly smiles as she approaches Victor. Vic speaks into the two-way radio and tells Nico that this may be his last transmission. She should know that he blames her and he'd like his body preserved in Amber. At least, he thinks that was her name. Nico barks back that this is not her fault. "I know I do everything around here, but I did not..." She pauses a moment. "Oh no..."

(once upon a time and two hours ago)
Nico and Chase are in the kitchen, with Nico taking care of her Staff of One. "I had no idea you were so good at staff polishing, said the bishop to the actress.” He points to a spot that she's missed. Nico asks him to shut up and leave her alone. Can't he just go away for ten minutes? Nope, he replies. He thought she was going to talk to Victor about staying out of the garage and away from the tools. "Look after your own tools! said the actress to the bishop. It's not my problem." Chase adds that Victor doesn't listen to him, but Nico wonder why. She's never met someone so capable yet so moronic. "Looked in the mirror lately?" Chase snaps back. Molly turns up and reminds Nico that she promised that she'd come and read her story. She promised yesterday and the day before. Nico slams her hand down her staff and tells Molly to cut her some slack. She said she'd do it and she will! Has she ever let her down before? "N-no," replies Molly, a little frightened. Nico's finger bleeds a little as she says she is so totally seriously nearly sick to death of both of them.

(present)
Nico looks at the plaster on her finger and sighs. Karolina tells her that it's all quiet upstairs and down. What's the 411? Nico admits that it's her fault. It's magic, which is good news because it'll wear off, but he owes Chase a big fat apology. Chase busies himself gnawing on some meat and Nico asks if it's safe for him to be eating raw turkey. Karolina tells her she zapped it with a little starlight which seemed to work okay. She can't imagine it tastes very good. As Chase mumbles deliriously, Nico says she can't waste an apology on Chase in his present condition. If Karolina's okay there, she'll go visit Molly. Karolina assures her that they're all okay and asks her not to worry.

Nico enters Molly's room to find the place in a total mess. Molly is back in bed with Klara fast asleep beside her, and Victor is seated on a tiny white chair. Before Nico can explain, Vic tells her he heard everything and asks her not to worry about it. "Everybody keeps saying that to me," she replies.

Nico leans over Molly who is semi-awake. "Hi honey bunches of oats. How're you feeling?” Molly says she is exhausticated and asks if she came to read her thing. It's right beside her. Nico replies absolutely, and apologizes for making her wait. She flips through the pages and tells Molly that she appears to have just written Sleeping Beauty. Does she really want her to read it to her? Molly says yes, starting with the part where she pricks her finger and gets all tired and the magic happens. It needs fixing. She hates that part. "Me too, kiddo," replies Nico. "Me too."

Characters:
fifth story:
Karolina Dean, Molly Hayes, Victor Mancha, Nico Minoru, Klara Prast and Chase Stein

(in flashback)
Molly Hayes, Nico Minoru and Chase Stein

Notes:
fifth story:
This is the first of two issues breaking new talent at Marvel. The title, It's Not Lupus! refers to a running joke from the series House, in which Lupus is often diagnosed as the problem, often to be proved incorrect. (Thanks to Alan Wilkinson for spotting that) 

The runaways story is eight pages long. Continuity-wise, this could fit anywhere between Xavin leaving for space to the house in Malibu burning down. I would place it between Runaways (3rd series) #6 and #7 as it's a nice fit there. Old Lace could still be around but simply not on panel.

The other stories in this issue are -
1) Street Level starring Spider-Man, Thor and the Fantastic Four
2) Let It Out starring the X-Men
3) Icarus's Wings starring Iron Man
4) Let Sleeping Devil's Lie starring Bullseye
6) Modern Love starring Iron Fist and Spider-Woman

The 'Once Upon a Time' introduction refers to the comparison between this story and Sleeping Beauty. It's also ambiguous as to whether this is in continuity, but there's nothing to stop it from being so.

Cement shoes refers to the common act of criminals weighing people down with concrete in order to drown them or hide their body. The runaways’ parents were known villains.

Typhoid Mary is a character in Marvel Comics, but she also existed in real life. Mary Mallon is known to have infected over fifty people with the disease.

At the time of this story, Xavin would have been in space having left with the Majesdanians in Runaways (3rd series) #6.

Nico apologizes over the two-way radio to Victor for calling him a robot, but it was Karolina who actually said it.

Hydrophobia (rabies) is a zoonotic disease, the early symptoms of which include violent movements and uncontrolled excitement, as exhibited by Molly.

The Vulcan death-grip was first used by Mr. Spock in the Star Trek episode, The Enemy Within. It involves pinching the victim's neck using all four fingers opposing the thumb at a pressure point, rendering them unconscious.

With Nico saying she is sick to death of Chase and Molly, one would think it would be her who fell ill, not them.

411 is the telephone number for local directory assistance in the United States and Canada.

Marvel's Jim McCann interviewed the contributors at the end of the comic. This is what Serena Ficca had to say:

When did you start drawing?
I've drawn since I can remember and I've always loved it, starting from the days I was attending primary school. Drawing has always been my main interest and relief valve, so I decided to make my passion a job and I enrolled at the Scoula Internazionale di Comics, a school for comic book artists in Rome.

What was your first comic book work?
My very first job was a really short story (only 4 pages) I drew two years ago for the anthology, "Monsters 3" editied by Italian editor Nicola Pesce Editore.

How did you break in at Marvel?
It all really happened by chance. I was in Dublin for the comic con with my boyfriend who was there for the preview of his comic book. I had no idea Marvel was going to review portfolios at the convention. I had a portfolio with a few French pages I was working on, whilst waiting for the Angouleme comic convention. I left my book for review at the convention. The next day I discovered my name on the list of the ChesterQuest, I met C.B. Cebulski... and that's where it all began.

What's your dream project?
My dream project? I think it's important for a young artist to tackle all sorts of work and I hope to eventually make a good living out of comic books. Eventually, I'd love to work on a French comic book, something with lost of witches in it.

What advice would you give to up & coming artists?
Read lots of comic books! And always have your portfolio ready for a convention, you never know who you're going to meet!