Power Pack #1 Grow Up (One Shot)

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The issue begins with Alex Power looking outside the window, seeing storm clouds and being concerned that it’s going to rain on his birthday; and complains that it’s bad enough his three siblings (Julie, Katie and Jack) are all going as well (which appears to be a Lila Cheney – who is commonly seen in New Mutants as an intergalactic pop star).

Katie’s frustrated that Alex doesn’t want them along; and her disintegrating power kicks in, making a small hole in her Lila Cheney shirt. Alex scolds her for not being able to control her power; then he himself is swept outside the window because he was using his zero gravity powers and a strong wind pulls him out. Jack quickly uses his power to assume a cloud form and hide Alex from floating in the air from prying eyes, with Julie using her power to fly out there and grab Alex and drag him back into the room. (Pretty sure this was all done to show potential new readers what each of their powers very early in the issue, which is a good move!) It notes here, when Julie is scolding Alex that he’s 13 years old.

Two of Alex’s friends show up at the house, along with Allison who gives Alex a gift.

Meanwhile, thirty six point seven light years away, Kofi (the horse like humanoid) is seen in the smartship, Friday as Kofi studies an ancient whale like species known as the Acanti. (The Acanti were seen in Uncanny X-Men #156 originally; then again, namely in Uncanny X-Men #162 through #165 – where the Acanti are, the Brood are never far behind… Speaking of the Brood…) Kofi and Friday observe that something has the Acanti on the run and it appears to be a ship that is trying to enslave the Acanti – and Kofi has Friday fire his working lasers at full power to help the Acanti which catches the attention of the Brood. (Told you, where there’s Acanti, there’s Brood). Friday takes a hit that knocks out his communication, so they’re forced to make a jump which gets them to Earth.

Meanwhile, on Earth – Alex, Jack, Julie, Katie, Allison, and Alex’s two other friends, along with his parents, and a mess of other people are at the park awaiting for the Lila Cheney concert to start, when Katie spots Kitty Pryde (of the Uncanny X-Men – imagine that! Kitty being there, where Brood and Acanti are all tied to this!) At that moment, Friday bursts into the atmosphere above the concert, still being pursued by a Brood vessel. Unfortunately, Alex is too busy looking at Allison to notice; but Julie definitely caught that it wasn’t fireworks, but rather Friday and he appeared to be in trouble. Julie takes Katie and Jack to her parents, since Alex is too distracted and lies to say that Katie needs to use the restroom and that her and Jack will take her. They catch up to Kitty who also saw the “fireworks” – while she didn’t recognize Friday, she did recognize the Brood vessel. She informs them that Wolverine is on his way, and that he was currently with some Morlocks.

Julie, Katie, Jack and Kitty make their way to Friday, which is partially in the water, where they find a frantic Kofi trying to explain what he’d seen and how he’d been chased; and just then the Brood attack, initially seeking to capture only Kofi and kill the others; until the others reveal they have powers too! (Fun Fact Time – The Brood Queen lays eggs inside of people; the eggs hatch and take over the person, and if the person has powers – mutant or otherwise – the brood egg takes on those powers when it contorts the body into becoming a Brood).

Meanwhile, Alex realizes he’s been acting like a jerk and excuses himself, telling his parents he has to use the restroom and begins running towards where the others had headed – only to be firmly grabbed by none other than Wolverine. Alex and Wolverine join the fight against the Brood; and Katie can’t bring herself to harm the Brood too much, because despite how evil they are, they’re still living things. Together, they defeat, capture and restrain the Brood, and Katie uses the coin that Kofi had given her to summon his uncle, Byrel, to deal with the Brood prisoners.

They story concludes with Kitty getting Lila Cheney to sign the action figure/doll and give it to Katie; who then gives it to Alex as a birthday present to him.