Banshee and Jean Grey

Introduction

Quite a few years ago, Jean Grey was brought back from the dead by Marvel. As Phoenix, she had been corrupted and turned into Dark Phoenix. She took her own life to prevent Dark Phoenix from returning. It later transpired that the Phoenix force had adopted Jean grey's form, while putting Jean's body into a cocoon on the floor of Jamaica Bay outside New York City. Long after Phoenix supposedly died, Jean was released from her underwater shell, and came back to the Marvel Universe as a founding member of the new mutant group X-Factor. This story is set in the period just before X-Factor was formed, based on events that actually took place in the X-Men comic. Banshee and Jean Grey had been taken to the Morlock's tunnels and changed by Masque in ways that prevented them from using their powers. In this story, Masque makes some more radical changes.

Cast

Jean Grey - One of the original X-Men. A powerful telepath with still to be fully understood telekinetic powers also. She is a tall red head.

Banshee - Originally an international criminal, he became an Interpol agent then finally a member of the X-Men. He has a sonic scream enabling him to fly, strike down foes, affect anything solid. He is a medium height, blonde Irishman.

Masque - A grotesque appearing mutant hiding in the Morlock tunnels along with a few dozen other mutants, all judging themselves unworthy of joining the rest of mankind on the surface. He (actually, I don't think Masque's gender was ever identified solidly. His[?] appearance is so gross that it is hard to tell one way or the other) has the mutant ability to alter the appearance of any person, in both body and clothes. The mind of the changee is usually made to blend into the change.

Leech - A young mutant living with the Morlocks who had the ability to turn off or cancel out the mutant powers of any mutant he was within ten feet of.

Only three days after being brought to the X-Mansion by the Avengers, who had found her in Jamaica Bay after her supposed rising from the dead, Jean Grey was attacked by three Morlocks who had teleported from the Morlock tunnels. She had been resting in the garden behind the mansion when she was jumped, and couldn't figure out why her mental powers hadn't alerted her to their approach. Nevertheless, she easily felled her attackers by first putting a telekinetic shield around herself, then using it to hit each Morlock with mental hammer blows. They finally realized the strength of the woman they'd attacked, and teleported back to the tunnels.

Jean surveyed the tatters her clothes had been left in by the attack, then went inside the mansion. Finding Banshee in the kitchen, she told him about the experience she had just had. Like Jean earlier, Banshee wondered why the Morlocks hadn't been detected by the mansion's security systems. This irked him in particular, because he was the designer and installer of the security systems. Jean also asked him if there was any way to do anything about the shape her clothes had been left in. Banshee suggested that Jean use the computers in the basement to design a new X-Men costume, and even if she wasn't going to stay around as one of the X-Men, she could at least look the part while there. Jean chuckled at his suggestion, then decided it would be worth a try, just to see what the machines were capable of.

At the time, the mansion was empty except for Jean and Banshee. The rest of the X-Men were in California, contending with a band of evil mutants calling themselves Marrauders. The mansion itself was set in upstate New York, in a beautiful area thickly wooded and moderately hilly. There was a perimeter wall surrounding the property, giving a bit of privacy to those within its four acre spread. There was an Olympic-size pool in back, playing fields on which a number of sporting events could be held by what were referred to as 'the students' who lived, worked and yes, studied at the mansion. This was the cover for the X-Men being there.

While Jean busied herself at the computers playing with costume designs, Banshee performed a systems check on the computer managing the security system. He found it to be functioning perfectly. This made it all the more puzzling as to how the Morlocks were able to attack Jean in the heart of the property without setting off alarms. When he'd finished, Banshee made his way down the hall to the computer facility adjacent to the Danger Room, a simulation center the X-Men used to hone their combat and survival skills. The computers that were being utilized by Jean were the same ones used to power the Danger Room, and if anything, made the Cray computers used by NASA, the military and the NSA look like laptops. They had been designed by an alien race called the Shi'ar, and given to the X-Men after their original mentor, Professor X, had left them to join the leader of the Shi'ar, the Empress-Majestrix Lilandra.

Banshee stepped into the room occupied by Jean, and asked how she was making out. Jean replied that she had a costume designed, and was in the process of having a sub-unit of the computer fabricate it. Banshee left Jean to her machinations, then went back upstairs to catch the news on the television. It was so much easier to let some news commentator show scenes and give a verbal description of what he thought was going on, than to have the monitors downstairs pulling in all kinds of information and trying to sort through it all. Grabbing a can of beer from the fridge and a bag of potato chips from the cupboard, Banshee settled into one of the recliner chairs in the rec room, then used the remote to turn on the TV. He was pretty well occupied by what was on, concentrating on the info being given about concerning the continuing strife in Northern Ireland, his original home, and failed to notice the movement behind him.

Jean saw how enthralled Banshee was, then decided to make her entrance all the more intriguing. She walked over to one of the vertical columns that was behind and to his right, then made a pose with her hands behind her head, forcing her chest out to its fullest, and raised her left leg up to put the foot on the column. Then, in a voice she normally used to drive her lover Scott, also known as Cyclops, into a frenzy, Jean said, "Well, Banshee, what do you think?"

Putting down his beer, Banshee turned and froze. His eyes went wide, his mouth hung open in a stunned gape. He finally got control of himself, and said, "Wow, Jean! I sure hope Scott gets a chance to see you in that costume before you decide to leave it behind. Its a killer!" Giggling, Jean undid her pose, then walked over to Banshee, who by now was standing. She gave him a quick hug, then suggested they go out back to enjoy the sunset. Banshee certainly could see no problem in accompanying this beautiful woman when she was making the suggestion, and followed her to the patio out back.

Just as they were settling into lounge chairs on the redwood deck, Jean and Banshee were startled to see four Morlocks pop into view directly in front of them. Three Jean recognized from earlier in the day. The fourth she hadn't seen before. At the same moment, Banshee tried to utter a sonic cry to bowl over their visitors, and Jean tried to erect a TK bubble to protect them. Both were shocked to find nothing happening. The fourth mutant that Jean hadn't seen the first time was called Leech by his fellow Morlocks, and he was robbing the pair of their ability to use their mutant powers. One of the attackers was the teleporter who got them all back and forth from the Morlock tunnels, and he stood by and waited while the remaining two grabbed Banshee and Jean before they could recover from their initial shock, and held them with their arms locked behind them. The entire group then disappeared from the patio deck.

They reappeared instants later deep in the Morlock tunnels, in a large chamber seeming to hold about twenty Morlocks, all standing around a truly grotesque shape that was barely human. "Welcome to our humble abode, Ms. Grey and Banshee. I was rather hoping to have only Jean brought here earlier today, but she proved stronger than I was led to believe. Now I have you both. I had originally intended to just hold Jean as hostage until the rest of the X-Men could be convinced to come and recue her, but with the two of you here, I think we could have a bit more fun."

"You'll be sorry you brought us here, you misbegotten blob," Jean said.

Masque motioned for her to be brought in front of him. "My, my, threats from a helpless woman?" he said. "In case you're wondering, my young friend here is called Leech. He negates mutants' powers just being near them. And my name is Masque. That costume you're wearing is certainly breataking, Ms. Grey. Why don't you take center stage and model it for us?"

Jean was pushed to the center of the room, and did a quick turn. All eyes were glued on her as she did so. Except for Masque's. He was busy watching Banshee. What those other than Masque saw was a shiny black body stocking that hugged every curve of Jean's body, with yellow trim forming a large X on her chest. There was a wide yellow belt well below her waist, hugging her hips. Yellow gloves covered her forearms, and went up to halfway between her elbows and shoulders. Yellow thigh high boots with 5 inch spike heels covered her legs. Masque noted the way Banshee was ogling at her. He turned to face Jean, then said, "I guess maybe you're back to calling yourself Marvel Girl. That costume fits the name very well." Then turning to Banshee, Masque said, "I notice that you seem to approve of Ms. Grey's looks, Banshee." Banshee actually blushed. "If you like what she looks like so much, Banshee, I think it only proper to give you the opportunity to fully do so."

Instructing his minions to restrain 'Marvel Girl', Masque had Banshee brought in front of him. As Masque was about to lay his barely discernable hands on Banshee's head, Banshee said, "What are you doing, Masque? Isn't it enough that you've tried to humiliate Jean?"

While he brought his hands onto the sides of Banshee's head, Masque replied, "My dear Banshee, what I do is change people. You say humiliation? I saw the way you were ogling her. If anything, you were the one humiliating her. Now, you may find out directly if she felt humiliated!" With that, Masque turned Banshee into duplicate of Jean, fantastic body, costume and all.

"What have you done?" Banshee started to scream, when she heard her new soprano voice and froze.

"You are now Marvel Girl, in every way the person you were just lusting after, my dear. Now, to complete your transformation." Masque once more touched his hands to the ex-Banshee's scalp, and the mental makeup of the mind within was altered to match the original model.

Masque then looked up at Jean, being held as she watched a duplicate of herself being formed. He noted with glee the shock on her face. "Bring her to me," Masque said. "We can't very well have two Marvel Girls running around here, can we?" he said as she was brought to him. "Ah, I think I have just the solution. This should make for lots of fun!" Masque laid his hands on Jean's head, and her body shape, size and color began to change. Her hair turned from red to blonde, and became long enough to reach her waist. Her already well endowed chest expanded to a large degree, and the costume of black she was wearing disappeared, to be replaced by a white corset bustierre. This was accompanied by a white panty, shoulder length white gloves, and thigh high white boots with incredibly sexy heels. Then her mind was erased, to be reprogrammed. Masque then had Leech move away from the two women. "Ladies and Gentlemen," proclaimed Masque, "I give to you the White Queen of the Hellfire Club and Marvel Girl. Let's see if they still have the desire to do each other in."

The White Queen still had all the mental powers she had possessed in her earlier form. Marvel Girl was not so lucky. She did not know of any non-mental powers her body might have, and found no mental powers to use when she tried to access them. It was a short fight. Before the White Queen could do any real harm, Masque had Leech step in. Masque wanted to have a lot more fun with his new toys before getting word to the X-Men that they might want to consider coming to the rescue of their compatriots. He was busy thinking of ways to add to his playthings...

This is the first part of a two part story by Steve Zink. He has more stories on my page. Including Lois Lane, Legion of Superheroes and Batman and Robin. Email him about this cool story.