Appearing in "The Key"
Featured Characters:
- Havok (Alex Summers of Earth-616) (Main story and flashback)
Supporting Characters:
- The Six
- Bloodstorm (Ororo Munroe)
- Ice-Man (Bobbie Drake) (Main story and flashback)
- The Brute (Hank McCoy) (Main story and flashback)
- Gambit (Remy LeBeau)
- Jean Grey
- The Fallen (Warren Worthington III) (Only in flashback)
- Goblin Queen (Madelyne Pryor) (Only in flashback)
- Havok (Alex Summers of Earth-1298) (Only in flashback)
- Captain America
- Reed Richards
- Lizard (Curt Connors) (First appearance)
- Man-Spider (Peter Parker)
- Doctor Doom (Victor von Doom)
- Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius) (First appearance)
- Absorbing Man (Carl Creel) (First appearance)
- Wonder Man (Simon Williams) (First appearance)
- Titania (Mary McPherran) (First appearance)
- Namor
- Doctor Strange
- X-Men
- Magneto (Max Eisenhardt)
- Rogue (Death)
- Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff) (Death)
- Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner) (Death)
- Polaris (Lorna Dane)
- Mystique (Raven Darkhölme) (Death)
- Elektra (Death)
- Scotty Summers
- Raven LeBeau
- Logan (James Howlett)
- Mariko Yashida
- Mari Logan
- Brian Logan
- Thor / Father Donald Blake (First appearance; dies)
- Daredevil (Matt Murdock) (Death)
- Lethal Legion (First appearance)
- Fin Fang Foom (First appearance; dies)
- Devil Dinosaur (First appearance; dies)
- Moon Knight Boy (First appearance; dies)
- Gargoyle (Isaac Christians) (First appearance; dies)
- Brother Voodoo (Jericho Drumm) (First appearance; dies)
- Sherry the Showgirl (Sherry Storm) (First appearance; dies)
- Slapstick (Steven Harmon) (First appearance; dies)
- Nova (Richard Rider) (First appearance; dies)
- Lectronn (Thomas Samuels) (First appearance; dies)
- Abomination (Emil Blonsky) (First appearance; dies)
- Strong Guy (Guido Carosella) (First appearance; dies)
- Luke Cage (First appearance; dies)
- Drax the Destroyer (Arthur Douglas) (First appearance; dies)
- Iron Fist (Danny Rand) (First appearance; dies)
- Black Panther (T'Challa) (First appearance; dies)
- Namorita (First appearance; dies)
- Warriors Three (First appearance) (Final appearance)
- Beta Ray Bill (First appearance; dies)
- Valkyrie (Brunnhilde) (First appearance; dies)
- Defenders
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Sentinels (Only in flashback)
- Onslaught (Only in flashback) (Charles Xavier)
- Avengers (Only in flashback)
- Iron Giant Man (Tony Stark) (Only in flashback)
- Deathlok) (Only in flashback)
- Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) (Only in flashback)
- Typhoid Mary (Mary Walker) (Only in flashback)
- Hawkeye (Clint Barton) (Only in flashback)
- Mindless Ones
- New York City Citizens, alive and dead
- Aunt May (First appearance)
- Foggy Nelson (First appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
- Cars and buses
- Various Airships
Synopsis for "The Key"
The body of Captain America is drained of it's remaining life force by The Beyonder, who is searching for knowledge about Havok at the center of the Earth. He learns of all the past exploits of The Six, and reveals himself to the planet, psychically telling the foes who banished him to the center of the Earth that he's back.
Energies left over from the fight with Cap and Havok destroy part of the Moon, and Magneto and his X-Men are forced to leave their retreat there and return to Earth.
The Beyonder causes mass hysteria and chaos across the globe as he searches for Havok, only to decide he doesn't want to destroy the planet until after he's found him.
Just as Alex passes out from Dracula's bite, The Beyonder's energies hit all of The Six and Dracula, causing them to part ways.
In NYC, Father Donald Blake is fighting the crowds who would like to worship The Beyonder as their savior, saying that he used to think he was a god, but it was blasphemy. Man-Spider saves him from being beaten to death, and the first wave of heroes to stand against The Beyonder arrive.
Daredevil and The Lethal Legion don't last long. The Beyonder sets off an Atomic blast and vaporizes them all instantly.
Back at the castle, The Six rush to get Havok to the med-lab before he bleeds to death while Dracula decides that he must drink of the power in Havok's blood once again.
The Beyonder scours New York City looking for a clue as to where Havok is, throwing thousands of people into the air at once, killing them all as he goes through their minds for clues.
Ice-Man gets tired of waiting for Dracula to come attack them, and starts a scouting party with Hank to drive an Ice Stake through his heart. Havok lapses into a coma-like sleep. The X-Men, along with Doctor Strange arrive to help battle The Beyonder.
The second wave of heroes to battle the Beyonder attack him, including Thor and The Abomination, and are all vaporized in a giant explosion.
Havok floats through his unconsciousness as Jean leads the vampire hunting team, only to get Quicksilver killed immediately. Apparently Dracula is faster than he was.
Scotty uses his power to reach out to Havok in his unconsciousness, showing him that most of the X-Men have already been killed by Dracula and that the Beyonder is on the rampage. Gambit leaves with his daughter to keep her out of harm's way.
The Defenders with Rogue and Magneto attack The Beyonder next, and are quickly dispatched.
Dracula kills Hank and swipes at Ororo, taking Elektra next, Ororo gets Scotty out of there at Elektra's insistence, as she sets off a grenade at point blank range, killing herself in an attempt to destroy Dracula. Of course, she fails.
At the last minute, Havok wakes up and shoots Dracula, just as The Beyonder is finishing off the Defenders and the remaining X-Men.
Notes
- This Annual takes place between Mutant X #31 and Mutant X #32.
- Man-Spider is mistakenly called "Spider-Man" by the crowds in New York City.