X-Men (v2) #24, pg. 9

ISSUE SUMMARY:
Gambit and Rogue are sitting in a dinner club that is called Poppa Gumbo. When Rogue begins to cry, Gambit asks her what she is crying about. It turns out it is the horrible gumbo. Rogue then asks Gambit why he does not talk about his wife, to which Gambit changes the subject and asks Rogue why no one knows her real name. Meanwhile, in the medi-Lab of Xavier's mansion Jubilee sits on the bed that Illyana recently died in. Holding back her tears, she clutches the same "Bamf" doll that Illyana had carried and held with her till she died. Shadowcat tells Jubilee that she had given Illyana that doll when she was Jubilee's age and now if Jubilee wants to keep it, she can. Outside Poppa Gumbo, Gambit and Rogue ride in a hansom cab, talking of how much emotion both feel for one another. Caught in the moment, Gambit tries to kiss Rogue. At the last moment, Rogue stops Gambit and she tells him she is scared of hurting him. Back at the mansion, Moira Mactaggert and Banshee are in the medi-lab talking about how both of them have seen too much death in their lives. They both begin to leave the lab when Cyclops, Xavier, Beast, and Jean Grey meet and greet them. Cyclops shakes Banshee's hand, and welcomes him and Moira back home. Xavier then tells the group about Cyclops' recent encounter with Mr. Sinister, but questions what Sinister said. Cyclops takes up for Sinister, telling Xavier that even though Sinister lies, he also tells half-truths when it is in his interest. Jean asks the other X-Men, what if Sinister is telling the truth and it was Stryfe who released the deadly virus killing Illyana? Elsewhere, Wolverine walks up behind Jubilee and she begins to cry, pained by the death of Illyana. Wolverine bends down and holds Jubilee in his arms, comforting her. While in Psylocke's bedroom in Xavier's mansion, Revanche and Psylocke decide to come to a stalemate, still unsure though of the extent of their connection.

PAGE SUMMARY: Charles Xavier and the Beast are in the science lab underneath the mansion trying to figure out how Illyana died. Beast apologizes for his not being able to save Illyana and Xavier tells him to not apologize for something that is none of their faults. Beast looks for his glasses and, after realizing they are on his head, notices something on the DNA helix that is on his computer screen. The Beast, after seeing the problem on the screen, tells Xavier that if he wanted to study this new virus better, it seems that soon he will have plenty of new subjects to study.

COMMENTS: A friend of mine referred to this page as vintage, which being 23 years old now, I guess that may qualify. For me though, it harkens back to a classic age of the X-Men, when Marvel's Mighty Mutants ruled the comic scene. Missing a few word balloons, but that just allows for a better look at Andy Kubert and Bill Sienkiewicz's fantastic art.