+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ X-Men Legends, by Activision Playstation 2 FaQ by jeromycraig, copyright 2004. Version 0.07 ___________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS ___________________________________ I. REVISION HISTORY II. DISCLAIMER III. OVERVIEW IV. CONTROLS AND GAMEPLAY Controls Basic Combat Controls Jumping attacks Grappling Throwing Objects Charged Objects Fastball Special Destruction Knockback Pop-Up Using Mutant Powers A Brief Word About the Game's Target Lock System Combining Powers X-Treme Powers Puzzle-Solving with Mutant Powers Movement Abilities Energy Melee Attacks Touch Damage Call Allies Separation Anxiety On-Screen Map Leveling Up Pick Ups Xtraction Points Bring Out Your Dead V. MENUS Team Information Menu Stats Skills and Powers Equipment Options Menu VI. PLAYABLE CHARACTERS Beast Colossus Cyclops Emma Frost Gambit Iceman Jean Grey Jubilee Magma Nightcrawler Professor X Psylocke Rogue Storm Wolverine VII. SUPPORTING CHARACTERS AND VILLAINS Avalanche Blob Forge Gateway General Kincaid Havok Healer Illyana Rasputin Juggernaut Magneto Marrow Moira MacTaggert Mystique Pyro Sabretooth Shadow King Toad VIII. X-MANSION IX. WALKTHROUGH A. New York City B. X-Mansion (I) C. HAARP Facility, Alaska D. X-Mansion (II) E. Sentinel Flashback X. EQUIPMENT Backpacks Belts Armor Artifacts XI. DANGER ROOM Freshman Missions Sophomore Missions Junior Missions Senior Missions X-Men Missions Legend Missions XII. SECRETS Comic Books Danger Room Discs Concept Art X-Trivia XIII. GLITCHES AND BUGS XIV. REVIEW XV. THANKS ______________________________________ THE ACTUAL FAQ ______________________________________ I. REVISION HISTORY 0.01 9/24/04 - Wrote general outline, completed Disclaimer, Overview, Controls and Gameplay, and Menus sub-sections. Added character bios and descriptions for Wolverine and Cyclops. Completed most of Mission One Walk-through before getting very, very tired and having to go to bed. 0.02 9/25/04 - Read through Walkthrough and realized how very, very bad and vague it got towards the end of the "Rooftops" section. Attempted to improve. 0.03 9/29/04 - Corrected target lock info. Added more information about X-treme powers and the power gauge. Added a whopping amount of various info to "Controls and Gameplay." Added biographies and skill summaries for twelve additional playable characters. Added some glitches to Glitches and Bugs section. 0.04 10/4/04 - Added more details to character skills. Started New Game to begin Walkthrough for HAARP Facility. Added ASCII maps and room descriptions for the X-Mansion section. 0.05 10/5/04 - Added some tips and corrections from alert readers, with exciting credits! Added X-MANSION (I) to the WALKTHROUGH section. Added biography for Professor Xavier to PLAYABLE CHARACTERS. Completed X-MANSION section, complete with crunchy and delicious ASCII maps! 0.06 10/8/04 - Added partial ITEM list. Added TRIVIA section. Added bios for SUPPORTING CHARACTERS AND VILLAINS. Added further clarification on the "Flight" ability. Added "Skill Points" and "Stat Points" to the PICK-UPS section. Pulled most of my hair out attempting to write a Walkthrough to the HAARP Facility, which is STILL not ready in a final form; so much for the Bounty. Some minor corrections to character bios. 0.07 10/12/04 - Completed Walkthrough for HAARP Facility. Added some minor corrections and items. Completed Walkthrough for X-MANSION (II), SENTINEL FLASHBACK, and JUGGERNAUT FLASHBACK. Started a drinking habit. Added numerous skill levels to characters. Added several secrets, and a glitch or two. II. DISCLAIMER This FaQ is the property of jeromycraig. It may not be reproduced in whole or in part by anyone else without express written permission. Failure to adhere to this may cause bitterness and much sarcasm in the author. As of now, only www.gamefaqs.com and faqs.ign.com have the author's permission to display this FaQ. If found elsewhere, please inform the author at jeromycraig at yahoo.com. Questions, comments, corrections, and suggestions are welcome. This is a first-time effort, and is probably pretty rough around the edges. CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is appreciated, and credit will be given where credit is due. Any hate-mail, flaming, or "133t-speak" will be deleted and addresses blocked. Please include "X-MEN LEGENDS FAQ" in your subject header. III. OVERVIEW Finally, the long-anticipated (by me) X-Men "RPG" is here. When I first heard rumors about this game over the past couple of years, I went into paroxysms of nerdly glee. After years of mostly sub-par X-Men gaming experiences (anybody remember "Spider-Man and the X-Men: Arcade's Revenge" on the SNES? What the hell was THAT all about?), it looked like this one was finally going to be the big one, Activision's mutant counterpart to their "Spider-Man" game success stories. People may be asking, "Well, is it The Big One? Or does it BITE the big one?" Or they may not. They probably already have skipped ahead to the WALKTHROUGH or SECRETS section. People are fickle. I need a hug. Part of my reason for writing this FAQ was the fact that the game manual was not very helpful at all. A lot of special moves and abilities definitely can use a more in-depth description in order to use them properly, and some abilities are left for the player to discover on his or her own. I have completed roughly 90% of the game, and am going back to review each level for the Walkthrough. The completed FAQ will include a full walkthrough for each level, so be patient. It's a-comin'. The plot of XML plays a tad bit fast and loose with established X-Men "history" by following the plight of Alison Crestmere (Magma), a young girl who has recently discovered her own mutant control over flame and lava. Kidnapped by the Brotherhood of Mutants after her powers manifest, she is rescued by the X-Men, who offer to protect her as well as train her in the use of her powers. Unfortunately, the Brotherhood still has plans for her, as her abilities are central to their sinister plan, a plan that will destroy the X-Men and ensure mutant dominion! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! ... Ahem! Sorry. XML is very much in the same vein as the "Baldur's Gate" series on the PS2: an action/arcade game with RPG elements. It even plays on what seems to be a very similar game engine. Fortunately, the game throws in enough extras to keep it fresh and fun, and has enough X-Universe extras to make even the most casual comic book afficionado wet their pants. IV. CONTROLS AND GAMEPLAY The controls for the game are relatively easy to use: Left Stick Move active character Right Stick Move camera (Left-Right); Zoom In/Out (Up-Down) D-Pad Select active character Triangle (T)Jump (double-tap to activate character-specific movement ability: flight, sliding, double-jump, charge, etc) Square (S) Different functions, according to context: Talk; Use; Pick Up/Throw Item; Grapple X Light attack O Heavy attack L1 Use Health Pack R1 Use Energy Pack L2 Call allies R2 Use active character's mutant power (hold R2 + S, X, O, or T); target lock SELECT Access Team Information Menu (pauses game) START Access Options menu (pauses game) R3 Change map size BASIC COMBAT CONTROLS: When an enemy approaches, you can whale the tar out of 'em with various combinations of X and O. The X button utilizes a light attack that is very quick, but less damaging. The O button is slower, but more damaging. Ironic, no? Here are some combos: Triple Strike X, X, X Your basic button-masher. Not fancy, but good enough. Knockback O, O Slower to execute, but more damaging. Knocks enemy away from you. Pop-Up X, X, O Knocks enemy straight up in the air. Can add an air combo. Trip X, O, X Knocks enemy down, leaving them helpless for a split second. Stun O, X, O, O Leaves enemy unable to act for a couple of seconds. Big Basic X, O, O, X, X, X Easy to use, and highly damaging. Will take out most minor enemies. Quick n' Easy O, X, X, X, X Pointed out by alert reader Charles B., all four button presses link to a fast and highly-damaging combo. JUMPING ATTACKS Pressing the Triangle button causes your active character to jump. While in mid-air, you cab initiate some smackdown with the X button. Pressing the O button after jumping causes your character to do a downward smash attack. GRAPPLING You can use the Square button at close range to attempt to grapple and throw your enemy. Moving the Left Stick when you initiate a Throw lets you determine what direction to toss 'em in. Try to aim for objects and walls (extra damage) or other enemies (damages both; the opponent being thrown takes less damage than the one he lands on). Be cautious with Grappling: The Grapple animation is relatively slow, and will open you up for attack. The game's poor targeting doesn't do you any favors. NOTE: "Boss" enemies cannot be thrown. THROWING OBJECTS By pressing the Square button near most objects, your character can pick it up and carry it. Pressing Square again or X will cause you to hurl the object in the direction you're facing. Objects are sized from small to giant. Any character can pick up a small or medium object, but large to giant objects require a character with super-strength and the requisite Might skill. As a general rule, the larger the object, the more damage it does. Some objects will explode on contact, for some nifty extra damage. BE CAREFUL: although you can't accidentally (or intentionally) punch or use a mutant power against your teammates, you CAN hit them with a thrown object. This advice brought to you by a man who accidentally wiped out his entire team with a single explosive barrel. CHARGED OBJECTS Gambit and Jubilee both have the ability to charge an object with energy by standing right next to it and pressing R2+X. If picked up and thrown, it will explode for additional damage. If not thrown, it will eventually explode on its own. Essentially, you can make your own grenades or landmines. FASTBALL SPECIAL I discovered this quite by accident. If you have both Wolverine and a character with super-strength (Rogue, Beast, or Colossus) on the same team, you can press the Square button to pick up Wolverine and hurl him at your enemies for lots o' damage. The echoes of my nerdy squeal of delight when I discovered this are probably still bounding about the universe. NOTE: Alert reader Matt T informs me that Nightcrawler can also be hurled in a Fastball Special. I have tried it, and it do seem to be all true and stuff. DESTRUCTION Many, if not most, objects and walls in the game are destructible, but some objects are harder than others to break. When a breakable object is struck, a "durability" bar appears over it, which is depleted by further attacks. Some objects are fragile enough to be destroyed by any attack (e.g. cardboard boxes), while others can only be destroyed by Destruction attacks. Certain mutant abilities add Destruction to the character's attack. The higher the amount of added Destruction, the quicker an object can be destroyed. See individual power descriptions in the PLAYABLE CHARACTERS section to determine which skills and powers add Destruction to their attacks. NOTE: Most objects will be destroyed when thrown, regardless of durability. Also, Gambit and Jubilee's Energy Charge will cause an object to explode automatically. KNOCKBACK Certain attacks and skills contain Knockback as a bonus statistic. When one of these attacks connects, the stricken opponent is flung back for a distance. The higher the Knockback stat, the farther the opponent is sent away. If the opponent hits something while being flung back, they will take additional damage. NOTE: "Boss" enemies cannot be knocked back. POP-UP Certain attacks and skills will knock an opponent straight up in the air. While airborne, enemies cannot defend, and you can juggle them with jumping attacks for some extra damage. NOTE: "Boss" enemies cannot be popped up. USING MUTANT POWERS By holding down the R2 button, you bring up the active character's mutant power HUD. While holding down R2, press the corresponding button (S, T, O, X) of the power you want to use. It's that simple, folks. Or, it should be. Unfortunately, it's now time for: A BRIEF WORD ABOUT THE GAME'S TARGET LOCK SYSTEM When an enemy approaches, tap the R2 button, and a red targeting square should appear around them. As long as the targeting square is on them, you will USUALLY automatically aim your mutant power at that enemy. Unfortunately, a side effect of the rare "X-gene" that gives them their powers has apparently struck all of the X-Men with severe ADD, as the target lock square will disappear when you least expect it. There's nothing quite like the feeling you get when you watch Storm blithely toss lightning bolts off into the wild blue yonder while an enemy stands DIRECTLY BEHIND HER pummeling her HP down to nothing. Unfortunately, target lock only targets the closest enemy OR BREAKABLE OBJECT. If you're really close to an object that you can use powers on, sometimes the game will target that object instead of an enemy, and not let you switch targets. The results aren't pretty. Basically, the target lock is nice when it works, but don't depend on it. Without target lock, the X-Men will generally use their abilities in the direction they're facing (sometimes they'll do this even WITH target lock). Learning to manually aim may save your life one day. COMBINING POWERS When two X-Men use a mutant power attack on the same opponent simultaneously, it causes a combined power combo that dishes out extra damage, as well as extra exp when the enemy is defeated. If the combo is successful, the name of the combo and head icons of the involved X-Men will appear. Cyclops and Storm each have access to the "Leadership" skill, which give additional bonuses to both damage and exp. on all power combos executed while they are on the team. Power combos are invaluable for leveling up your characters later in the game. X-TREME POWERS When an X-Man reaches Level 15, they can unlock their X-Treme Power on the Skill Upgrade Menu. This is the character's highest level of attack, and can only be used if you have a full X-treme gauge. It is activated by pressing R2+T. Once X-treme powers are unlocked, some enemies and breakable objects will give up little blue "X" symbols when defeated. Each symbol you collect fills a portion of the X-treme gauges displayed next to the character HUD. When all four sections of an X-treme gauge are filled, the X-treme power can be used. X-treme gauges are shared by the party, and depleted when an X-treme power is activated. Once X-Treme powers are unlocked, the team starts with the ability to fill one gauge. As the game progresses, you'll earn additional gauges, to a maximum of five. It should be noted that X-treme powers rely solely on the X-treme gauges. They do not deplete your EP. PUZZLE-SOLVING WITH MUTANT POWERS Frequently, while on a mission, you will come across obstacles or objectives that can only be passed by judicious use of mutant powers. For example, Iceman, Magma, and Jean Grey can use their power to create a bridge over certain areas, so that their teammates can cross. Often, areas that require the use of a mutant power will be marked with a spinning blue "X" symbol. While standing on the symbol, activate the appropriate power. There's a rather frustrating bug that can occur sometimes. See GLITCHES AND BUGS for further details. MOVEMENT ABILITIES Certain characters have additional movement powers that can be activated by double-tapping the Jump (Triangle) button, once unlocked. Most movement abilities eat your energy gauge alive, so use them sparingly: FLIGHT: (Storm, Rogue, and Jean Grey) Double-tap the Triangle button to fly. Fairly useless at lower skill levels, as it can suck your energy gauge dry. As Flight is leveled up, it uses less energy per second, and you can also pick up an ally and carry them by pressing the Square button while hovering right over them. Flight is excellent for scouting an area, as you are out of range of most enemy attacks. Some areas are only accessible by Flight. You can fight while flying (which takes extra energy from your energy gauge), but you cannot use any other mutant abilities until you land. While in flight, press the Triangle button to ascend, and the Square button to descend. The X button attacks repeatedly, while the Circle button causes you to perform a power dive attack that ends your flight. I recommend having at least one character with Lvl 5 Flight. At Lvl 5, it only takes 5 EP per second to remain aloft, and you can carry an ally. With a high enough Focus, the flying character regenerates EP faster than the Flight depletes it, allowing you to remain aloft indefinitely. At lower skill levels, Flight is best used as a jump enhancement to reach high ledges: fly straight up and quickly land on the ledge; if you do it quickly enough, the EP drain per second won't have time to activate. DOUBLE-JUMP: (Beast and Nightcrawler) The double-jump adds another body length of height to your jump, allowing you to reach higher ledges. Not a must-have, but it only takes one skill point to enable it. SLIDING: (Magma and Iceman) Double-tap and hold the Triangle button to create a slide. You will move forward 10' per skill level (for the first four skill levels), and indefinitely at skill level five. While sliding, you can steer left or right with the left stick, but the turn radius is pretty extreme. If you collide with an object or enemy, it will end the slide, but causes energy damage to whatever you hit. Like flight, sliding allows you to move over areas that are not accessible by ground. Unlike flight, the slide uses more energy per skill level, and can eat your gauge quickly. Also, if you end your slide (reach distance limit, hit an object, or just let go of the Triangle button) prematurely, you could potentially plummet to your death. It looks really neat, but use with caution. CHARGING: (Colossus) Double-tap and hold the Triangle button, and Colossus will jump up in the air and land in a lumbering charge. He will continue moving forward until he hits something, runs out of energy, or you let go of the Triangle button. Hard to use as an attack when you're already in the thick of battle, but excellent at reaching distant opponents quickly and smacking the bejeezus out of 'em, as the Charge is much faster than Colossus's standard running speed. You can steer left or right with the left stick while charging, but Colossus's maneuverability is even worse than Magma and Iceman's slide attacks. ENERGY MELEE ATTACKS Some characters (Storm, Jean Grey, Magma, Emma Frost, Psylocke, Iceman, Gambit) can use skill points to add energy damage to their melee attacks. This bonus is automatic, and can more than make up for low Striking stats. Storm, Magma, Iceman, and Gambit add energy damage, while Jean, Emma, and Psylocke add mental damage. The only drawback is when fighting against enemies who are resistant to energy or mental attacks, as both melee and mutant power attacks from these characters will be very ineffective. Please note that mental damage affects energy-shielded enemies normally, while energy damage will affect mentally-shielded enemies. Enemies that are resistant to physical damage will still take the full amount of bonus energy damage when hit by a melee attack. TOUCH DAMAGE Touch damage is similar to energy melee, except you don't have to attack to inflict damage. Certain powers will give characters an aura that will damage enemies just by bumping into them. Needless to say, enemies that use melee attacks against a touch damage-equipped character will take almost as much damage as they give. CALL ALLIES Pressing the L2 button will cause computer-controlled teammates to respond to your active character. If not in combat, pressing L2 will call your teammates to your side, which is useful for rounding up stragglers. If engaged in combat, it will cause your teammates to use a predetermined power (see MENUS section) on the enemy you're fighting, which is very useful for combining powers to get damage and exp bonuses, when timed right. SEPARATION ANXIETY Occasionally, your party will get officially separated, when one character will take a path that the others can't. When this happens, white pulsing circles will appear around the X-Men's feet, indicating that the active character is on his or her own until the team reunites. While separated, the party stops acting and moving as a team, and AI characters will remain where they're left. When the characters are all reunited, the white circles disappear, and team movement is re-enabled. There is an occasional glitch with this, however. See GLITCHES AND BUGS for more details. ON-SCREEN MAP The R3 button (pressing in on the Right Stick) toggles the On-Screen Map, which shows your immediate area in a semi-transparent display. Pressing the R3 repeatedly will toggle the Map between small, large, and off. The map will show mission objectives as a gold "X" symbol, giving you an idea of where to head. Xtraction points are marked on the map as a blue "X" symbol, and exits are marked as a red wavy line looking thing. One thing the map is lacking is a compass, which is going to make the walkthrough portion of this FaQ a major pain in the ass to write, much less follow: "Okay, you go around the, uh, thing... And you come to another thing in another direction, possibly left." LEVELING UP Unsurprisingly, defeating enemies earns you exp. Get enough exp, and your characters will go up a level, as well as earn skill points to put towards upgrading stats, buying new skills and powers, and upgrading existing ones. See TEAM INFORMATION MENU for details on using skill points. Exp rewards are shared by all characters. Characters currently active in a team level up faster than inactive characters, but all recruited characters will gain some exp, whether you use them in your team or not. PICK-UPS HEALTH AND ENERGY Health (red flask) and Energy (blue square thingie) pick-ups are fairly common. They're dropped by enemies, found inside breakable objects, and sometimes just lying around. Later in the game, they can be bought from the Morlock Healer by trading Tech Bits. If there is room in your inventory, just moving over them will pick them up. Pressing L1 will refill your active character's health, and R1 will refill his or her mutant energy gauge. At the start of the game, you can carry a maximum of 10 each, but your maximum load increases as the game progresses. TECH BITS The game's equivalent of money, these are also picked up by moving over them. They can be traded to Forge for equipment, or to the Morlock Healer for healing items (later in the game). Tech bits can be found inside objects, or dropped by enemies. X-TREME POWER ICONS These little blue "X" symbols start appearing when you've unlocked a character's Level 15 X-Treme move. Just move over them to replenish your "X" gauges, if you have room. EQUIPMENT Equipment is divided into three categories: Armor (adds to defense, or shields against certain types of attack), Belts (raise stats, enhance passive physical abilities, i.e. healing, energy regeneration, etc.), and Backpacks (enhance combat abilities). Equipment can be dropped by enemies, found inside objects, or bought from Forge by trading Tech Bits. Equipment can be assigned to different characters in the TEAM INFORMATION MENU. Equipment must be manually picked up by pressing the Square button. COMIC BOOKS Hidden in places throughout the game, comic books can be collected and the covers viewed in the Library when between missions at the X-Mansion. Comic books come with special bonuses when viewed, so collect 'em all. Comics are picked up with the Square button. They look like, well, comic books. Only spinny. NOTE: I have verified that you ONLY get the extra stat bonuses by checking your comic collection at the Library in the Mansion. DANGER ROOM TRAINING DISCS Danger Room discs are also hidden throughout the game. Finding them unlocks new Danger Room training missions. As completing certain missions in the Danger Room can earn you special bonuses and items not available elsewhere in the game, I highly advise you to keep an eye out for these. They're represented by a spinning disc symbol. PETER'S SKETCHBOOK These hidden spinning notebook things allow you to view concept art from the game in Colossus's room back at the X-Mansion. Not a must-have, but still kinda cool. SKILL POINTS Very rare pick-up. This resembles a rotating gold "SP". Move over it to pick it up, and the active character gains an extra skill point to put towards the power or skill of their choice. STAT POINTS Another very rare pick-up. More glowy rotating initials. Move over it to get an extra stat point to use as you wish. XTRACTION POINTS These are found scattered throughout every level. Xtraction points look like a giant blue glowy "X" symbol on the ground. Pressing the Square button while on an Xtraction Point brings up a menu of options. Here, you can save or load your game, switch out team members, or access Danger Room training missions (see DANGER ROOM section). Xtraction Points are also the only place you can resurrect a dead teammate. By choosing to change your team from the Xtraction Point menu, you will be taken to the TEAM INFORMATION MENU, which has the added option of replacing team members. Select the team member you want to replace, and a list of inactive team members will appear. Select the new team member, and they will replace the old one. You can swap out the entire team, or just change to members with specific abilities you might need to get through the level. BRING OUT YOUR DEAD If a teammate dies, the surviving team members can go to an Xtraction Point to revive them. Go to the Team Change menu, select the empty spot on the team (or replace a character), select your dead character from the inactive roster, and you can revive them in exchange for Tech Bits. That's it. Jean Grey could've spared everyone on the team a whole lot of misery and anguish after the Phoenix Saga, if she had only been more frugal with her Tech Bits. Selfish cow. V. MENUS TEAM INFORMATION MENU Pressing SELECT will pause the game and bring up the Team Information Menu. This is where you go to view a character's statistics, as well as change their equipment and upgrade their skills and powers. Move your cursor over the character you want to view. Pressing the Circle button will take you to the Details screen, where you can add Stat and Skill points, as well as change equipment. There are three screens in the Details menu. The first screen allows you to allocate stat points and set the AI behavior for computer control of the character. The second screen allows you to allocate skill points, purchasing and improving mutant powers and special skills. The third screen shows the character inventory, and allows you to change equipment. You can switch between screens by moving the D-Pad or the Left Stick, and can change the character by pressing L1 or R1. Pressing the Triangle button will take you back one screen, and pressing the START button will exit the menu completely. STATS Level Do I need to explain this one? The higher the level, the more powerful the character. Also, some skills and powers are only unlocked when the character reaches a certain level (see individual descriptions). HP The character's health. If this reaches zero, they join the Choir Invisible. Can be replenished with Health Pick-ups. Wolverine is the only character who can regenerate HP automatically, although some equipment will allow other characters to regenerate. EP The character's mutant energy. Goes down with every use of a mutant ability. Mutant powers require a set amount of energy to be used (see individual descriptions). Unlike HP, EP regenerates over time. It can also be replenished by using an Energy Pick-Up. Exp Gained by defeating enemies, completing some quests, and certain other events. Your characters will automatically go up a level when they gain enough exp, earning stat and skill points in the process. Str The character's physical attack ability. The higher it is, the harder you hit. Attack is equal to Level plus Strike. Agi The character's defense. Reduces damage from attacks. Defense is equal to Level plus Agility. Body The character's endurance; determines maximum HP. Base HP is equal to 25, plus 5 HP per Level, plus 10 HP per Body point (e.g. a Level 6 character with a Body score of 6 would have 115 HP). Focus The character's willpower; determines maximum EP and EP regeneration rate. Base EP is equal to 30, plus 4 EP per level, plus 7 EP per Focus point, while EP regenerates at a rate of 1% per Focus point (e.g. a Level 10 character with a Focus of 10 would have 140 EP, which would regenerate at 14 EP per second). Some equipment can increase this regeneration rate. AI LVL Allows you to set the default attack strategy of a character when computer-controlled: AGGRESSIVE Rushes headlong into battle; usually attacks active character's target. Uses mutant powers more often. NORMAL Is more selective of targets; uses mutant powers more sparingly. DEFENSIVE Stays out of battle, only fighting if personally attacked. As a general rule, set your "tank" characters to AGGRESSIVE, and everyone else to NORMAL. Save DEFENSIVE for times when a character may be low on hp, you're almost out of Health Pick-Ups, and there's not an Xtraction Point in sight. AI HEAL Determines how often computer-controlled characters will use Health Pick-Ups. Can be set to "Never," "less than 40% HP," and "Less than 20% HP." This setting is the same for all members of the team, and cannot be individually adjusted. Also, the computer AI will not use a Health Pick-Up if you only have 1-2 in your inventory. Personally, I've never seen a computer-controlled character EVER use a Health Pick-Up on its own, regardless of the AI setting, and spend a lot of time dashing from character to character, healing them. AI PWR Select which power the computer-controlled character will use if the "Call Allies" button is pressed. X-treme powers CANNOT be selected as an AI power. When your character goes up a level, he will automatically gain in one or more stats, and you will one or two extra stat points to add to either Str, Agi, Bod, or Foc. Press the X button to add a stat point, or the Square button to delete an added stat point so it can be used elsewhere (NOTE: You can only delete a stat point that you have manually allocated; also, once you return to play with that character, any allocated points are permanently changed, and cannot be subtracted later). Pressing the Circle button lets the computer auto-allocate points, but why would you want to do that? SKILLS AND POWERS The second menu screen allows you to use skill points to purchase new skills and powers, or to improve those you have already learned. Most powers and skills have several levels, and improve significantly from level to level. Most skills, powers, or skill levels require that your character be a certain level before the skill can be purchased or improved. To allocate skill points, highlight the power or skill you want to assign the point to. The information at the bottom of the screen will tell you current level information, how the next level will improve, and what character level prerequisites you must meet (if any). Skill Point allocation is done just like Stat Point allocation: press "X" to add a point, or "Square" to delete a point. Powers are slightly different from skills. First of all, while new skills can be purchased with a single stat point, new powers cost TWO skill points. After that, however, it only takes one skill point per level to improve a power. Each character will eventually have access to four different powers: two attack powers, one defensive power, and one "X-Treme" power. In addition, the three basic powers have two or more tiers. Once a power has been leveled up all the way, two skill points can be allocated to the next tier, upgrading that particular ability to a more powerful form. For example: Wolverine starts out with the "Brutal Slash" ability at Lvl 1. As he goes up in experience, he allocates skill points to "Brutal Slash," bringing it up to Lvl 5. He then allocates two skill points to the second tier, changing his "Brutal Slash" attack to the more powerful "Eviscerate," which will start over at Lvl 1. Lather, rinse, and repeat. Please refer to the PLAYABLE CHARACTERS section for more information on character-specific skills and abilities. EQUIPMENT The third menu screen allows you to assign equipment you've purchased or found to individual team members. Each team member can equip one backpack, one belt, and one armor. Just select the type of item you want to equip, and then choose the item from the inventory list. OPTIONS MENU Pressing the START button pauses the game and brings up the Options menu. Here, you can review your Mission Objectives, change game options, access multiplayer options, Load a saved game, or Quit to the title screen. Oddly enough, you can also access the Team Information Menu from here, which seems a tad redundant. You can also set your On-Screen Map display, for those who still haven't figured out where the R3 button is. VI. PLAYABLE CHARACTERS Here you will find all of the playable characters for X-Men Legends, including a brief history of the character, suggestions for leveling up and using skills, a list of all skills and powers available, and how they upgrade and change with added skill points. Many powers and skills require a minimum character level (CL) before they can be used or improved; if I've listed an ability as requiring CL 1, it just means that there is no minimum level. Please note that bonuses from improving abilities ARE NOT CUMULATIVE. When a defensive ability states that it decreases Dmg by x amount (e.g. -10 Dmg), it subtracts that amount from each damage roll against that character. BEAST (Dr. Henry McCoy) One of the five original X-Men, Hank McCoy earned the nickname "Beast" playing college football, due to his incredible strength, speed, and agility. Professor Xavier revealed to him that his physical abilites were due to genetic mutation, and he joined the X-Men, adopting his old college nickname as his codename. Originally normal in appearance, later further mutation evolved him into his current familiar blue, furry form. Beast is incredibly strong and agile. He has extraordinary dexterity, and is capable of using his feet to manipulate objects as well as his hands. He is also possessed of a genius-level IQ, and is considered a world-renowned expert on genetics, as well as being a top-notch scientist in other fields. Beast is very gentle in nature, with a dry wit, and is particularly close to Iceman, his best friend. Hank has served on several other superhero teams in the past, including the Defenders, the Champions of Los Angeles, and the Avengers. He remains in good standing with the Avengers today. Beast is, quite simply, a tank. You should develop his Striking, Agility, and Body stats accordingly, but don't ignore Focus, as his Propeller Kick is devastating in a group of enemies. Beast is available as a party member at the beginning of Mission Two, at the HAARP facility. He is voiced by Richard Doyle, a veteran character actor with dozens of tv and voice credits to his name. ABILITIES Pinball (R2+X) Rolls into a ball and spins into enemies. Decent range. Lvl 1 15-18 Phys Dmg; 10 EP (initial). Lvl 2 25-31 Phys Dmg; 15 EP (CL 3). Lvl 3 50-63 Phys Dmg; 20 EP (CL 5). Lvl 4 80-100 Phys Dmg; 25 EP (CL 7). Lvl 5 100-125 Phys Dmg; 30 EP. Cannon Ball (R2+X) More powerful version of Pinball. Lvl 3 150-165 Phys Dmg; 305 Knockback; 50 EP. Lvl 4 175-215 Phys Dmg; 370 Knockback; 55 EP (CL 21). Legend Ball (R2+X) Propeller Kick (R2+O) Spinning handstand kick; hits enemies around him. Lvl 1 15-18 Phys Dmg; 5' range; 25 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 25-31 Phys Dmg; 6' range; 30 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 50-63 Phys Dmg; 6' range, 35 EP (CL 9). Lvl 5 100-125 Phys Dmg; 7' range; 45 EP. Propeller Lash (R2+O) More powerful version of Propeller Kick. Lvl 1 125-150 Phys Dmg; 8' range; 90 Knockback; 55 EP. Lvl 2 150-165 Phys Dmg; 9' range; 245 Knockback; 60 EP (CL 22). Legend Propeller (R2+O) Beastial Feats (R2+S) Temporarily decreases damage received. Lvl 1 15 sec; -5 Phys Dmg; 60 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 16 sec; -8 Phys Dmg; 70 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 17 sec; -10 Phys Dmg; 80 EP (CL 9). Beastial Instinct (R2+S) Temporarily decreases damage and raises defense. Lvl 3 24 sec; -13 Phys Dmg; +5 Agi; 120 EP. Beastial Soul (R2+S) Temporarily decreases damage, raises defense, and increases jump range. Lvl 3 36 sec; -20 Phys Dmg; +12 Agi; +150% Jump; 160 EP. Orbital Bombardment (R2+T) X-treme power. Calls satellite beam to strike all enemies on screen. Unlocked at CL 15. Toughness (auto) Raises max HP. Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10). Mutant Mastery (auto) Raises max EP. Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10). Acrobatics (auto) Allows double-jumping, and permanently raises Agility. Lvl 1 +2 Agi (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4 Agi (CL 1). Lvl 3 +6 Agi (CL 1). Lvl 4 +8 Agi (CL 1). Lvl 5 +10 Agi (CL 1). Grappling (auto) Improves Strike, and reflects melee damage back at attackers. Lvl 1 +2 Str; reflects 4-5 Melee Dmg (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4 Str; reflects 9-11 Melee Dmg (CL 1). Lvl 3 +6 Str; reflects 15-18 Melee Dmg (CL 1). Lvl 4 +8 Str; reflects 25-31 Melee Dmg (CL 1). Lvl 5 +10 Str; reflects 50-63 Melee Dmg (CL 1). Critical Strike (auto) Improves chance of critical physical attack. Lvl 1 +2% chance critical (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4% chance critical (CL 7). Lvl 3 +6% chance critical (CL 12). Might (auto) Increases melee Dmg; allows you to pick up larger objects. Lvl 1 +5% Dmg; Heavy objects; +3 Destr (initial). Lvl 2 +10% Dmg; Massive objects; +5 Destr (CL 1). Lvl 3 +15% Dmg; Gigantic objects; +8 Destr (CL 1). Beast is a powerhouse, but his melee fighting is oddly slow. You will probably want to rely more on his mutant attacks, which is why I recommend building up his Focus pretty well. He is one of the three X-Men with super-strength, allowing him to destroy most objects with normal punches. The Might skill is awesome; when leveled up, he is capable of picking up and throwing most objects, including cars and trucks. He is also able to perform a Fastball Special when teamed up with Wolverine. His Beastial Soul power enhances his jump distance, allowing you to clear half a screen with a single jump. His Propeller attacks damage all enemies in a circle around him; at higher levels, you can take out entire groups at once. Set his AI Level to Aggressive, with Propeller Kick as his default power. COLOSSUS (Piotr "Peter" Nikoleivitch Rasputin) Raised as a simple farmer in a remote collective farm in Siberia, Peter discovered his mutant abilities while attempting to shield his little sister Illyana from a runaway tractor. He discovered he had the ability to transform his body into solid steel, vastly increasing his strength, and rendering him nearly indestructible. Soon after, he was contacted by Professor Xavier and enlisted into the X-Men. He served with the X-Men with honor for years. Unfortunately, he suffered several losses in a relatively short period of time. His parents were murdered, and Illyana came to live with him in the US. Unfortunately, she became one of the first victims of the mutant-killing Legacy Virus. These losses filled him with self-doubt, and during a subsequent battle with Magneto, he suddenly left the X-Men to join Magneto's Acolytes. It was later discovered that a brain injury was causing him to behave irrationally. The X-Men kidnapped him and corrected the injury, but he returned to Magneto, as he had given his word. Eventually, he left the Acolytes and served for a time with his former paramour Shadowcat on the British team Excalibur. Still haunted by the loss of Illyana to the Legacy Virus, he eventually sacrificed his life to create a cure, although recent events have shown that he may still be alive. As previously stated, Peter had the ability to transform his body into solid steel, giving him superhuman strength and near-invulnerability. While in steel form, he had no need to eat or breathe, and could survive for a time in extreme environments, such as underwater or in the vacuum of space. A very simple and gentle man, Peter was well-loved by all of the X-Men, and was in a relationship for a time with Shadowcat. He was a talented painter. Colossus is another tank, and his Strike, Agility, and Body should be modified accordingly. As a super-strong character, he has access to the Might skill, allowing him to hurl objects with the best of 'em. Colossus becomes available for recruitment following the mission at the Russian Nuclear Power Plant. He is voiced by Earl Boen, who has made the alarming choice of voicing Colossus to sound like Crazy Alcoholic Uncle Dmitri from the Olde Country (I'm not a big fan of this particular voice work, can you tell?). ABILITIES Power Smash (R2+X) Powerful lunging punch. Lvl 5 125-150 Phys Dmg; 5 Destr; 305 Knockback; 30 EP. Titanic Smash (R2+X) Extra-powerful lunging punch. Lvl 3 250-310 Phys Dmg; 5 Destr; 500 Knockback; 50 EP. Lvl 4 300-375 Phys Dmg; 5 Destr; 555 Knockback; 55 EP (CL 21). Titanic Legend (R2+X) Concussion Slam (R2+O) Handclap that produces an arcing shockwave. Lvl 5 50-63 Phys Dmg; 245 Knockback; 2 Destr; 10' range; 45 EP. Concussion Blast (R2+O) Upgraded shockwave; higher damage. Lvl 1 80-100 Phys Dmg; 305 Knockback; 5 Destr; 20' range; 55 EP. Lvl 2 100-125 Phys Dmg; 370 Knockback; 5 Destr; 20' range; 60 EP (CL 22). Concussion Legend (R2+O) Steel Skin (R2+S) Increases protection for Colossus's armor. Lvl 3 17 sec; -13 Phys Dmg; -33% Pain; 80 EP. Titanium Skin (R2+S) Upgraded armor; adds Beam protection. Lvl 3 24 sec; -20 Phys Dmg; -13 Beam Dmg; -66 Pain; 120 EP. Osmium Skin (R2+S) Upgrades further; immune to pain, and deflects Phys. Lvl 3 36 sec; -50 Phys Dmg; -20 Beam Dmg; 50% chance to deflect Phys Dmg; 160 EP. Seismic Smash (R2+T) X-treme power. Smashes ground, sending shockwave in 360 degree radius. Unlocked at CL 15. Colossus Charge (T+T) Colossus sprints, charging into enemies. Lvl 5 80-100 Phys Dmg; 10 Destr; 305 Knockback; 50 EP. Toughness (auto) Increases max HP. Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10). Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP. Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10). Critical Strike (auto) Increases chance of critical melee attacks. Lvl 1 +2% chance of critical. Lvl 2 +4% chance of critical (CL 7). Lvl 3 +6% chance of critical (CL 12). Knockback (auto) Adds additional Knockback to all Knockback attacks. Lvl 5 +305 Knockback. Might (auto) Increases melee Dmg, lifting strength, and Destr. Lvl 3 +15% Dmg; Gigantic Objects; +8 Destr. Colossus is the strongest of the three super-strong X-Men, with the most damaging physical attacks. His main drawback is his slowness; his Smash attack will often miss because his target has moved during the attack animation. This weakens his effectiveness against single opponents. Where he shines is in crowd control. His Concussion Slam/Blast is excellent in taking out large groups of opponents, especially with the extra Knockback provided by the Knockback skill. Level up his Concussion Slam/Blast as quickly as you can, as well as his Knockback skill. Set his AI Level to Aggressive, with Concussion Slam/Blast as his default power. CYCLOPS (Scott Summers) The very first X-Man, Cyclops has served on and off with the team since its inception. He is a skilled leader and tactician, and commands the respect of nearly everyone he meets (Wolverine being a notable exception). He tends to be very serious and introspective in nature. His body is a living battery, absorbing solar energy and converting it into power for his optic blast, a beam of concussive force projected from his eyes. Due to brain damage from a childhood accident, he is unable to shut this power off, and has to wear special ruby quartz lenses to keep from destroying everything he sees. Cyclops is particularly close to the other original X-Men, Beast, Angel, and Iceman, and is in a long-standing relationship with Jean Grey. Cyclops is a good all-around character, with nice long-range attacks. His optic beam attack is very quick, and doesn't use very much energy, and his Optic Sweep is particularly good for flinging back crowds of enemies. His leadership skill is excellent for increasing earned exp at higher levels. His starting stats are highest in Agility and Focus, but Strike and Body are fairly low. Build up his Body stat as best you can, but plan on putting lots of points into Focus, as he should mostly rely on his mutant abilities. Cyclops becomes available during the first mission, after defeating Mystique. He is voiced by Robin Atkin Downes. ABILITIES Optic Beam (R2+X) Long-range optic attack. Can be used to weld. Lvl 1 9-11 Energy Dmg; 1 Destr; 10 EP (initial). Lvl 2 15-18 Energy Dmg; 2 Destr; 15 EP (CL 3). Lvl 3 25-31 Energy Dmg; 3 Destr; 20 EP (CL 5). Lvl 4 50-63 Energy Dmg; 3 Destr; 25 EP (CL 7). Optic Blast (R2+X) Legend Blast (R2+X) Optic Sweep (R2+O) Wide beam attack. Less powerful than Optic Beam, but knocks back several enemies at once. Lvl 1 4-5 Energy Dmg; 1 Destr; 120 Knockback; 25 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 6-8 Energy Dmg; 1 Destr; 190 Knockback; 30 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 9-11 Energy Dmg; 1 Destr; 245 Knockback; 35 EP (CL 9). Optic Slam (R2+O) Legend Slam (R2+O) Tactics (R2+S) Buffer skill that raises combat abilities. Lvl 1 15 sec; +2 Str; +2 Agi; 60 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 16 sec; +4 Str; +4 Agi; 70 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 17 sec; +6 Str; +6 Agi; 80 EP (CL 9). Strategy (R2+S) Command (R2+S) Optic Rage (R2+T) X-Treme Power! Fires a high-power wide-range optic blast. Unlockable at CL 15. Toughness (auto) Increases maximum HP. Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10). Lvl 2 +20% max HP (CL 12). Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases maximum EP. Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10). Lvl 2 +20% max EP (CL 12). Accuracy (auto) Increase chance of criticals for ranged attacks. Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 4 +8% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 5 +10% critical chance (CL 1). Critical Strike (auto) Increase chance of criticals for physical attacks. Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7). Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 12). Leadership (auto) Damage and exp bonus to any combo done while on team. Lvl 1 +25% Dmg; +5% exp (CL 4). Lvl 2 +50% Dmg; +10% exp (CL 9). Lvl 3 +75% Dmg; +15% exp (CL 14). Point Blank Shot (auto) Increases damage done by ranged attacks within 10 feet. Lvl 1 +10% Dmg (CL 4). Lvl 2 +20% Dmg (CL 9). Lvl 3 +30% Dmg (CL 14). Cyclops is a capable hand to hand combatant, but his low initial Str stats will make you rely more on his ranged attacks. Although his optic blasts don't do very much damage at low levels, they improve nicely once you've invested some skill points towards improving his ranged damage. His Optic Sweep is particularly useful for when you're swarmed by enemies, as it can knock back several at once. If you can spare the points for his Leadership skill, the damage and exp bonuses add up nicely, especially later in the game, when it's harder to level up your characters. Set his AI Level to Normal, with Optic Beam as his AI Power. EMMA FROST (aka White Queen) Emma originally appeared as an enemy of the X-Men. As the White Queen, she was a co-leader of the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club, and used her mutant telepathic abilities and influence to further her own ambitions. She began her own recruitment drive of young mutants and formed a team of mutants dubbed the "Hellions," based at the exclusive Massachusetts Academy, where she was headmistress. Unfortunately for her, they were attacked by Sentinels programmed by the villainous future mutant, Trevor Fitzroy, an attack that left Emma in a coma. When she awakened, she found that the young mutants under her care had almost all been slaughtered by Fitzroy. These traumatic events led her to repent of her earlier actions, and she became an associate of the X-Men. Eventually, Professor Xavier entrusted a new group of young mutants under her care, and she and Banshee became co-mentors for the group Generation X, based once more out of her Massachusetts Academy. After the group eventually disbanded, she returned to the X-Men. Recently, she has discovered she has the ability to transform her body into a diamond-like substance, making her nearly indestructible. Emma's mutant abilities are unique, in that she does not have a directly damaging mutant power (until upgraded). Instead, her abilities disable or disorient large groups of enemies. As you have the option to add psychic damage to her melee attacks, concentrate more on enhancing her Agility, Body, and Focus. Her melee abilities increase significantly when in her diamond form. Emma Frost becomes available as a team member on the first mission to the Astral Plane to rescue Illyana. She is voiced by Bobby Holliday. ABILITIES Confuse (R2+X) Causes enemies to stop attacking for a brief time. Lvl 5 1-7 sec; short range; 30 EP. Command (R2+X) Causes enemies to attack each other briefly, while increasing their stats. Lvl 1 2-10 sec; med range; +2 to stats; 40 EP. Lvl 2 2-11 sec; med range; +4 to stats; 45 EP (CL 17). Legend Command (R2+X) Fear (R2+O) Causes enemies to run away for short duration. Lvl 5 1-7 sec; short range; 45 EP. Terror (R2+O) Causes enemies to run away, while decreasing their stats. Lvl 1 2-8 sec; med range; -2 to stats; 15-18 Dmg; 55 EP. Lvl 2 2-9 sec; med range; -3 to stats; 25-31 Dmg; 60 EP (CL 22). Legend Terror (R2+O) Psychic Shell (R2+S) Changes into diamond form, increasing defense. Lvl 3 17 sec; -13 Phys Dmg; -33% pain; 80 EP. Diamond Shell (R2+S) Upgraded diamond form, adds resistance to beam attacks. Lvl 3 24 sec; -20 Phys Dmg; -13 beam Dmg; -66% pain; 120 EP. Impervious Shell (R2+S) Adds further protection. Lvl 3 36 sec; -50 Phys Dmg; -20 Beam Dmg; -100% pain; 160 EP. Psychic Bedlam (R2+T) X-treme power. Damages and stuns all enemies. Unlocked at CL 15. Psionic Strike (auto) Adds mental damage to melee attacks. Lvl 3 15-18 Mental Dmg. Psionic Fury (auto) More powerful version of Psionic Strike. Lvl 3 50-63 Mental Dmg. Hardness (auto) Chance to reflect Phys Dmg back at enemies. Lvl 5 50% chance to reflect 100-125 Phys Dmg. Shell Might (auto) Increases strength and damage while in shell form. Lvl 3 +15% Dmg; Gigantic objects; +8 Destr. Toughness (auto) Increases max HP. Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10). Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP. Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10). Critical Strike (auto) Increases chance of critical physical attacks. Lvl 2 +4% critical chance. Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 12). Given the nature of her abilities, Emma works best in a supportive role. Set her AI Level to Normal, with Confuse as her default power. Fear works as well, but causes your opponents to scatter, making you have to chase them down. You may want to use her as a melee fighter: she attacks very quickly, and her Shell form and Psionic strike give her enhanced fighting capabilities. GAMBIT (Remy LeBeau) Remy first came into contact with the X-Men when he encountered Storm, who had been kidnapped by the X-Villain Nanny and reduced in age to that of a young girl. When Storm was eventually reunited with the X-Men, he came along with her, and soon joined them. Although most of his past is shrouded in mystery, it is known that he belongs to the Thieves' Guild in New Orleans, and is highly trained in martial combat, preferring to wield a staff when fighting. He has the mutant ability to charge an object with kinetic energy, causing it to explode. He usually carries playing cards, which he charges and hurls as weapons. Gambit is very secretive about his past, which has made it difficult for the other X-Men to trust him. His incessant flirting with Rogue led to a genuine romantic attachment, although his shady past often interferes with them. Out of all of the X-Men, he is closest with Storm and Rogue. Remy's natural speed and agility make him an effective close combat fighter. Use your stat points to increase his Agility, Body, and Focus, primarily Agility and Focus. As he has the ability to add Energy Dmg to his physical attacks, Strike should not be a high priority. Gambit becomes available for recruitment after successfully completing the first mission in the Morlock Sewers. He is voiced by Scott MacDonald, a character actor with numerous credits, the most interesting of which would have to be the killer snowman in the hilariously inept "Jack Frost" movies. ABILITIES Charged Card (R2+X) Hurls charged playing cards in an arc; can be used to charge objects as well. Lvl 5 3 cards, 15-18 Energy Dmg each; 3 Destr; 30 EP. Charged Shuffle (R2+X) Increases number of missiles; adds Knockback. Lvl 1 5 cards, 15-18 Energy Dmg each; 4 Destr; 120 Knockback; 40 EP. Lvl 2 5 cards, 20-25 Energy Dmg each; 5 Destr; 120 Knockback; 45 EP (CL 17). Staff Slam (R2+O) Radial attack; knocks back and adds Energy Dmg. Lvl 5 50-63 Energy Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 7' radius; 45 EP. Staff Detonation (R2+O) Upgraded radial attack. Lvl 1 80-100 Energy Dmg; 3 Destr; 370 Knocback; 8' radius; 55 EP. Lvl 2 100-125 Energy Dmg; 4 Destr; 370 Knockback; 9' radius; 60 EP (CL 22). Staff Legend (R2+O) Kinetic Boost (R2+S) Temporarily adds Energy Dmg bonus to melee attacks. Lvl 3 17 sec; +9-11 Energy Dmg; 80 EP. Kinetic Amplification (R2+S) Upgrade; increases speed, affects adjacent allies. Lvl 3 24 sec; +20-25 Energy Dmg; +15% speed; 120 EP. Kinetic Mastery (R2+S) Upgrade; affects all allies. Lvl 3 36 sec; +50-63 Energy Dmg; +30% speed; 160 EP. 52 Pick Up (R2+T) X-treme power. Fires entire deck of cards into air, exploding and damaging all opponents. Unlocked at CL 15. Kinetic Strike (auto) Adds kinetic damage to punches and kicks. Lvl 3 +9-11 Energy Dmg; 4 Destr. Kinetic Fury (auto) Upgrade to Kinetic Strike. Lvl 3 +20-25 Energy Dmg; 5 Destr. Overload (R2+X when adjacent to object) Adds Energy Dmg to charged objects. Lvl 1 +15-18 Energy Dmg; 40 Knockback; 4' radius; 20 EP. Lvl 2 +25-31 Energy Dmg; 120 Knockback; 5' radius; 20 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 +50-63 Energy Dmg; 190 Knockback; 6' radius; 20 EP (CL 12). Staff Master (auto) Adds Energy Damage to staff attacks. Lvl 5 +100-125 Energy Dmg. Toughness (auto) Increases max HP. Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10). Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP. Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10). Critical Strike (auto) Increases chance of critical melee attacks. Lvl 1 +2% critical chance. Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7). Gambit is primarily useful as a demolition character, with his ability to charge objects and make them explode. His Charged Card/Shuffle ability is more potent at close range, as all cards will hit a single target. His Staff Slam is useful for clearing out groups of opponents. Perhaps his most useful ability is his fully-leveled Kinetic Mastery, as all allies will have their attack damage increased, as well as their movement speed. Set his AI Level to Normal, with Charged Card/Shuffle as his default power. ICEMAN (Bobby Drake) Another of the five original X-Men, Bobby's powers allow him to lower the surrounding temperature to sub-zero levels, producing ice. He can use this ability for effects such as instantly sculpting objects of ice, creating protective shields, and traveling via a constantly-generating ice slide. Originally, he would generate an icy protective sheath around himself, but as his powers developed, he became able to transform to solid ice. The jokester of the X-Men, Bobby is rarely serious, a trait that masks deep insecurities. Only recently has he started to understand just how potentially powerful he really is. Bobby tends to avoid leadership roles, content to let others call the shots. His best friend is Beast, and he has worked with him as a member of the Defenders and the Champions. Bobby retired from active super-heroics for a while, working as an accountant in his father's firm. He returned to active duty upon learning that Jean Grey was alive, joining up with the five original X-Men to form the group X-Factor. X-Factor eventually was absorbed back into the X-Men, where Bobby remains today. Iceman's strengths lie in his Defense and ice abilities. Concentrate on building his Agility, Body, and Focus. He can enhance his melee attacks with ice damage, but works best as a ranged fighter, using his ice attacks to damage and disable his opponents. Iceman is available for recruitment at the beginning of Mission Two, at the HAARP facility. He is voiced by Darren Scott, who is apparently the host of something called "Sexy Urban Legends" on the Playboy Channel. Good to know. If I'm ever caught watching it, you have my permission to bludgeon me. ABILITIES Freeze Blast (R2+X) Temporarily slows enemy movement; builds bridges and extinguishes fires. Lvl 1 4 sec; -35% speed; 10 EP (initial). Lvl 2 5 sec; -45% speed; 15 EP (CL 3). Lvl 3 6 sec; -55% speed; 20 EP (CL 5). Lvl 4 7 sec; -65% speed; 25 EP (CL 7). Lvl 5 8 sec; -75% speed; 30 EP. Deep Freeze (R2+X) Temporarily freezes, then slows, enemies; builds bridges. Lvl 1 4 sec freeze; 4 sec -70% speed; 40 EP. Lvl 2 5 sec freeze; 4 sec -70% speed; 45 EP (CL 17). Legend Freeze (R2+X) Ice Shards (R2+O) Flings ice darts in an arc. Lvl 1 3 shards; 4-5 Ice Dmg each; 1 Destr; 25 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 3 shards; 6-8 Ice Dmg each; 1 Destr; 30 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 3 shards; 9-11 Ice Dmg each; 2 Destr; 35 EP (CL 9). Lvl 5 3 shards; 15-18 Ice Dmg each; 3 Destr; 45 EP. Ice Spikes (R2+O) Improved ice shard attack; adds Piercing ability. Lvl 1 5 spikes; 15-18 Ice Dmg each; 4 Destr; 55 EP. Lvl 2 5 spikes; 20-25 Ice Dmg each; 5 Destr; 60 EP (CL 22). Legend Spikes (R2+O) Ice Armor (R2+S) Temporarily boosts defense. Lvl 1 15 sec; -8 Dmg; 60 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 16 sec; -10 Dmg; 70 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 17 sec; -13 Dmg; 80 EP (CL 9). Ice Equipment (R2+S) Temporarily boosts defense and adds energy dmg to adjacent allies' punch attacks. Lvl 3 24 sec; -20 Dmg; allies gain 9-11 Ice Dmg; 120 EP. Ice Forge (R2+S) Temporarily boosts defense; all allies add energy dmg to punches. Adds touch dmg. Lvl 3 36 sec; -50 Dmg; allies gain 20-25 Ice Dmg; 20-25 Touch Dmg; 160 EP. Freeze Frame (R2+T) X-treme power. Freezes and damages all enemies. Unlocked at CL 15. Cold Smash (auto) Adds energy damage and Destr to melee attacks. Lvl 1 4-5 Ice Dmg; 3 Destr (CL 3). Lvl 2 9-11 Ice Dmg; 3 Destr (CL 5). Lvl 3 15-18 Ice Dmg; 4 Destr (CL 9). Cold Crush (auto) More powerful version of Cold Smash. Lvl 3 80-100 Ice Dmg; 5 Destr. Ice Tracks (T+T) Ice slide; damages charged enemies, and can cross dangerous terrain. Lvl 1 9-11 Ice Dmg; 40 Knockback; 10 EP per 10'; 10' slide (CL 2). Lvl 2 15-18 Ice Dmg; 120 Knockback; 15 EP per 10'; 20' slide (CL 7) Lvl 3 25-31 Ice Dmg; 190 Knockback; 20 EP per 10'; 30' slide (CL 12) Lvl 5 80-100 Ice Dmg; 305 Knockback; 30 EP per 10'; no limit to distance. Toughness (auto) Increases max HP. Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10). Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP. Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10). Critical Strike (auto) Increases chance of critical physical attacks. Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7). Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 12). Point Blank Shot (auto) Increases ranged damage within 10'. Lvl 1 +10% Dmg (CL 4). Lvl 2 +20% Dmg (CL 9). Lvl 3 +30% Dmg (CL 14). Lvl 5 +50% Dmg. Iceman's Ice Forge ability is a must-have. It gives all allies additional energy damage, and creates a touch damage aura. It takes a total of 12 skill points to level it up all the way, however. Don't overlook the potential of his Freeze Blast. At higher levels, enemies will be slowed down to a crawl, including Bosses, making this the perfect ability to bring speed demons like Mystique and Marrow down to a more manageable level. His Ice Shards are more effective at close range, as they will all strike a single enemy. Combine Ice Shards with Point Blank Shot to create a devastating attack. Set Iceman's AI Level to Normal, with Ice Shards as his default power. You may want to keep him under active control, as the computer won't be nearly as effective with his versatility. JEAN GREY (aka Phoenix) Jean has been with the X-Men from the very beginning. After the death of a friend triggered her telepathic abilities while she was very young, her parents sought out Professor Xavier to help her. She stayed with him learning to control her telepathy, and developed telekinetic powers as well. When he later formed the X-Men, she joined as one of the founding members, eventually falling in love with Cyclops. Jean's abilities grew stronger, and she apparently became the cosmically powerful entity Phoenix during an away mission in space. Telepathic manipulation by the mutant Mastermind and the Hellfire Club awakened her dark side, and she served as the Inner Circle's Black Queen briefly before surrendering to her dark side completely, becoming the destructive Dark Phoenix. When it became apparent that Dark Phoenix's power would destroy everything she held dear, Jean's personality reasserted itself long enough to commit suicide. Later, it was revealed that the Phoenix entity had actually substituted itself for the real Jean, patterning its memories and personality after the real thing. Jean was recovered and returned to the X-Men. She and Cyclops eventually married. Jean possesses enormous psychic potential, and is one of the most powerful telekinetics on the planet. Part of her still is linked to the Phoenix force, and she tries to maintain total control over her abilities. She is also a skilled telepath. She acts as a "den mother" to the younger X-Men, and is best friends with Storm. Jean works well as a distance attacker, and her Focus and Agility should be well-developed. She gains the ability to add mental damage to her melee attacks, negating the need to develop Strike very highly. Jean becomes available before Mission Two at the HAARP Facility. She is voiced by Leigh Allen Baker, who has several low-budget horror flicks and tv appearances under her belt. ABILITIES Telekinesis (R2+X) Move or throw objects and enemies at a distance. Lvl 1 No Dmg; Light objects; 10 EP+20 EP/sec (initial). Lvl 2 4-5 Mental Dmg; Light objects; 15 EP+19 EP/sec (CL 3). Lvl 3 9-11 Mental Dmg; Light objects; 20 EP+18 EP/sec (CL 5). Lvl 4 15-18 Mental Dmg; Light objects; 25 EP+17 EP/sec (CL 7). Lvl 5 25-31 Mental Dmg; Light objects; 30 EP+16 EP/sec. Telekinetic Mastery (R2+X) Increased damage and lifting power. Lvl 1 25-31 Mental Dmg; Large objects; 40 EP+15 EP/sec. Lvl 2 50-63 Mental Dmg; Large objects; 45 EP+14 EP/sec (CL 17). Telekinetic Legend (R2+X) Psychic Shout (R2+O) Radial attack; inflicts mental damage and decreases enemy stats. Lvl 1 4-5 Mental Dmg; -1 Str for 3 sec; 10' radius; 25 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 9-11 Mental Dmg; -1 Str, -1 Agi for 4 sec; 10' radius; 30 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 15-18 Mental Dmg; -2 Str, -1 Agi for 4 sec; 10' radius; 35 EP (CL 9). Lvl 5 50-63 Mental Dmg; -3 Str, -2 Agi for 5 sec; 10' radius; 45 EP. Psychic Scream (R2+O) Enhanced radial attack. Lvl 1 80-100 Mental Dmg; -3 Str, -2 Agi for 5 sec; 20' radius; 55 EP. Lvl 2 100-125 Mental Dmg; -4 Str, -3 Agi for 6 sec; 20' radius; 60 EP (CL 22). Psychic Legend (R2+O) Telekinetic Shield (R2+S) Reduces damage. Lvl 1 15 sec; -10 Dmg; 60 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 16 sec; -13 Dmg; 70 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 17 sec; -13 Dmg; 80 EP (CL 9). Telekinetic Shell (R2+S) Improved shielding; affects nearby allies. Lvl 3 24 sec; -20 Dmg; 120 EP. Telekinetic Armor (R2+S) Further improved; affects all allies. Lvl 3 36 sec; -50 Dmg; 160 EP. Phoenix Force (R2+T) X-treme attack. Telekinetically body slams all enemies. Unlocked at CL 15. Psionic Strike (auto) Adds mental damage to physical attacks. Lvl 1 +4-5 Mental Dmg (CL 3). Lvl 2 +9-11 Mental Dmg (CL 5). Lvl 3 +15-18 Mental Dmg (CL 9). Psionic Fury (auto) Higher mental damage to physical attacks. Lvl 3 +80-100 Mental Dmg. Telekinetic Combat (auto) Increases damage to all mental attacks. Lvl 1 +4-5 Mental Dmg (CL 4). Lvl 2 +15-18 Mental Dmg (CL 9). Lvl 3 +50-63 Mental Dmg (CL 14). Lvl 5 +150-165 Mental Dmg. Toughness (auto) Increases max HP. Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10). Lvl 2 +20% max HP (CL 12). Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP. Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10). Lvl 2 +20% max EP (CL 12). Flight (T+T) Allows flight. Lvl 1 40 EP/sec (CL 1). Lvl 2 30 EP/sec (CL 1). Lvl 3 20 EP/sec; can carry ally (CL 1). Lvl 4 10 EP/sec; can carry ally (CL 1). Lvl 5 5 EP/sec; can carry ally (CL 1). Critical Strike (auto) Improves chance of critical physical attack. Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7). Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 12). Jean's telekinetic abilities make her a formidable opponent. Psionic Strike/Fury stacks with Telekinetic Combat, adding an incredible amount of damage to her melee attacks. She is one of only three characters with the extremely useful Flight ability. Her Psychic Shout/Scream ability is very potent. It is highly-damaging, and has a huge attack radius when leveled up. A special note about Jean's telekinesis: if you press R2+X and hold them down, her target will be held in the air, and can be maneuvered around with the left stick. If you release the buttons while the target is still being moved, it will be hurled in the direction it is moving. JUBILEE (Jubilation Lee) Jubilee was born into wealth and privilege in Beverly Hills. When she was a teenager, her parents lost all of their wealth and were subsequently killed by assassins. She ran away from a foster group home and lived for a time in a Hollywood shopping mall, stealing what she needed to survive, and using her pyrotechnic mutant abilities to entertain crowds. She was eventually targeted by a group of mutant hunters, but rescued by Storm, Rogue, Psylocke, and Dazzler, who happened to be shopping there that day. Unknown to them, she followed them through a teleportation portal and stayed as an unseen "guest" at their hideout in the Australian Outback, which used to belong to the killer cyborgs known as the Reavers. The Reavers attacked and reclaimed the base while the X-Men were away, overpowering and torturing Wolverine. Jubilee rescued him, and the two escaped and traveled together for a time, becoming very close. When Wolverine reunited with the X-Men, Jubilee joined the team as well, learning to control her abilities. When Emma Frost and Banshee opened up a separate school for younger mutants, Jubilee went with them, as a founding member of the group Generation X. Jubilee has the mutant ability to form plasmic energy, which she can manifest in a variety of shapes, including sparks, spheres, and streamers. She has some control over their speed and trajectory, and can cause them to explode for concussive or energy damage, or simply give off a dazzling flare. She can also charge an object with energy, causing it to explode at the molecular level, but feels uncomfortable utilizing the more destructive aspects of her power. She is very brash and full of attitude, and a constant wisecracker. She is closest to Wolverine, who she views as a father figure. She became romantically involved with fellow Generation X member Synch, but it ended badly when he, well, died. Jubilee's main strengths are in her speed and agility. Unlike other energy-based characters, she is unable to add Energy Dmg to her melee attacks, so be sure to develop her Strike stat, along with Focus, so she has continual access to her mutant powers. Jubilee becomes available for recruitment after meeting her in the X-Mansion's back yard following the mission to the HAARP facility. She is voiced by Danica McKellar, best known as Winnie Cooper from "The Wonder Years." ABILITIES Energy Burst (R2+X) Throws fireworks in an arc; charges objects. Lvl 1 3 bursts, 4-5 Energy Dmg each; 10 EP (initial). Lvl 2 3 bursts, 6-8 Energy Dmg each; 15 EP (CL 3). Lvl 3 3 bursts, 9-11 Energy Dmg each; 20 EP (CL 5). Lvl 4 3 bursts, 12-15 Energy Dmg each; 25 EP (CL 7). Lvl 5 3 bursts, 15-18 Energy Dmg each; 30 EP (CL 9). Energy Blast (R2+X) Upgrade; increases number of missiles and Dmg, and adds Knockback. Lvl 1 5 blasts, 15-18 Energy Dmg each; 120 Knockback; 40 EP. Lvl 2 5 blasts, 20-25 Energy Dmg each; 120 Knockback; 45 EP (CL 17) Legend Blast (R2+X) Photo Flash (R2+O) Radial attack that disorients opponents. Lvl 1 1-3 sec Confusion; short range; 25 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 2-4 sec Confusion; short range; 30 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 2-5 sec Confusion; short range; 35 EP (CL 9). Lvl 5 2-7 sec Confusion; short range; 45 EP. Strobe Flash (R2+O) Upgrade; increased range, converts enemies. Lvl 1 2-10 sec Conversion; medium range; 55 EP. Lvl 2 2-11 sec Conversion; medium range; 60 EP (CL 22). Legend Flash (R2+O) Bait (R2+S) Penalizes enemy attack. Lvl 1 15 sec; -25% Dmg to enemy attack; 10' range; 60 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 16 sec; -35% Dmg to enemy attack; 10' range; 70 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 17 sec; -45% Dmg to enemy attack; 10' range; 80 EP (CL 9). Taunt (R2+S) Upgrade; increased range and effect. Lvl 3 24 sec; -50% Dmg to enemy attack; 13' range; 120 EP. Pep Rally (R2+S) Upgrade; penalizes enemies while helping allies. Lvl 3 36 sec; -50% Dmg to enemy attack; +20% to allies' Strike and Agility; 13' range; 160 EP. Independence Day (R2+T) X-treme power. Fireworks explode all around, damaging all enemies. Unlocked at CL 15. Detonate (R2+X when adjacent to object) Charges objects with energy, causing them to explode. Lvl 1 15-18 Energy Dmg; 40 Knockback; 4' range; 20 EP (CL 2). Lvl 2 25-31 Energy Dmg; 120 Knockback; 5' range; 20 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 50-63 Energy Dmg; 190 Knockback; 6' range; 20 EP (CL 12). Lvl 5 100-125 Energy Dmg; 305 Knockback; 8' range; 20 EP. Toughness (auto) Increases max HP. Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10). Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP. Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10). Accuracy (auto) Increase chance of critical ranged attack. Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 4 +8% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 5 +10% critical chance (CL 1). Critical Strike (auto) Increase chance of critical melee attack. Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7). Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 12). Point Blank Shot (auto) Increases ranged Dmg within 10'. Lvl 1 +10% Dmg (CL 4). Lvl 2 +20% Dmg (CL 9). Lvl 5 +50% Dmg. Jubilee's main strength is in her Energy Burst/Blast. At close range, all missiles will hit a single target, doing a lot of damage. Adding points to Accuracy and Point Blank Shot will greatly increase her damage potential, as she is the only multiple-missile character with access to both of these abilities. Her defensive power (Bait/Taunt/Pep Rally) is particularly good for disabling opponents. Set her AI Level to Normal, with Energy Blast/Burst as her default power. MAGMA (Alison Crestmere) Magma was introduced in the original "New Mutants" comic, in a retarded storyline that involved the NM discovering a lost Roman colony (!) in the jungles of South America (!!) that had not progressed in civilization past the glory days of the Roman Empire (!!!). Amara, a Roman senator's daughter, discovered her mutant abilities to control lava while fighting the mutant villainess Selene, and was urged by her father to join the New Mutants and learn about the New World (sigh). Years later (in real time), it was revealed that all of the citizens of Nova Roma, including Magma, were actually modern-day people from around the world kidnapped and brainwashed by the immortal Selene to recreate her beloved Rome, which almost made up for the original retarded storyline. Magma's real name was revealed to be Alison Crestmere, a British citizen. Magma seems an odd choice for this game, lacking the name recognition of some fan favorites that were left out. Personally, I would have liked to have seen Shadowcat as a playable character. Or even a guest appearance. I just like me some Shadowcat. Leave me alone. Magma has the mutant ability to control lava, in a form of specialized telekinesis. Rather than generate lava, she is able to pull it directly from the ground beneath her, and fire it in destructive blasts, as well as sculpt it into a variety of shapes. She can also instantly cool lava into hardened rock. She is immune to heat and fire damage, and is able to transform her body into a fiery magma form, increasing her strength and mutant power. Magma starts out highest in Focus, with average Agility and Body, and a low Striking score. As with other energy-based mutant characters, Magma can use skill points to add quite a bit of energy damage to her basic attacks, so Strike is a low priority for building up. Focus should be your main priority, while keeping her Agility and Body at a decent enough level that you won't be dying every other battle. Magma is the active character when back at the X-Mansion between missions, but can only be used in Danger Room training at first. She becomes available for away missions later on in the game. She is voiced by Cree Summer, who has had extensive voice experience in cartoons and video games, and was the voice of Elmyra in the Tiny Toon Adventures cartoon series. And now that I've looked that up on the IMDb, I'll never be able to hear Magma talk again without imagining her strangling small fuzzy "aminals." Fiery Blast (R2+X) Hurls several fireballs in an arc. Welds and builds bridges. Lvl 1 3 Fireballs, 4-5 Fire Dmg each; 10 EP (initial). Lvl 2 3 Fireballs, 6-8 Fire Dmg each; 15 EP (CL 3). Lvl 3 3 Fireballs, 9-11 Fire Dmg each; 20 EP (CL 5). Lvl 4 3 Fireballs, 12-15 Fire Dmg each; 25 EP (CL 7). Magma Blast (R2+X) Magma Legend (R2+X) Lava Fissure (R2+O) Lava knocks enemies straight up. Can build bridges. Lvl 1 9-11 Fire Dmg; 5' radius; 25 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 15-18 Fire Dmg; 5.5' radius; 30 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 25-31 Fire Dmg; 6' radius; 35 EP (CL 9). Lava Rift (R2+O) Legend Rift (R2+O) Fiery Form (R2+S) Temporarily boosts Attack and Defense; fire resistance. Lvl 1 15 sec; -5 Dmg; +1 Might; 50% resist fire; 60 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 16 sec; -8 Dmg; +1 Might; 50% resist fire; 70 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 17 sec; -10 Dmg; +1 Might; 50% resist fire; 80 EP (CL 9). Magma Form (R2+S) Atlas Form (R2+S) Volcano (R2+T) X-treme power. A volcano erupts, striking all enemies. Unlockable at CL 15. Burning Rage (auto) Adds fire damage and destruction to melee attacks. Lvl 1 4-5 Fire Dmg; 3 Destr (CL 3). Lvl 2 9-11 Fire Dmg; 3 Destr (CL 5). LVL 3 15-18 Fire Dmg; 4 Destr (CL 9). Erupting Rage (auto) Additional fire damage and destruction to melee attacks. Lava Tracks (T+T) Lava slide that does energy damage when charging an enemy. Can travel over unsafe terrain. Lvl 1 10'; 9-11 Fire Dmg; 40 Knockback; 10 EP per 10' (CL 2). Lvl 2 20'; 15-18 Fire Dmg; 120 Knockback; 15 EP per 10' (CL 7). Lvl 3 30'; 25-31 Fire Dmg; 190 Knockback; 20 EP per 10' (CL 12). Magma Might (auto) Increases strength and melee damage when in Magma form. Lvl 1 +5% Dmg; can lift Heavy objects; +3 Destr (CL 4). Lvl 2 +10% Dmg; Massive objects; +6 Destr (CL 9). Lvl 3 +15% Dmg; Gigantic objects; +8 Destr (CL 14). Toughness (auto) Increases max HP. Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10). Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP. Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10). Critical Strike (auto) Increase chance of critical physical attacks. Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7). Although one of the more obscure X-characters, Magma brings a lot to the game in terms of flexibility and raw power. She is capable at all ranges, but her blast attacks are particularly effective at close range, as all fireballs will hit a single target. Her sliding movement ability allows her to move to inaccessible areas. Level up her Magma Form as much as possible. It uses a lot of EP, but the damage and defense bonuses are worth it. Her Lava Fissure and Lava Rift attacks are good for clearing large groups of enemies, as they can strike several targets at once, if they are grouped together. Set her AI level to Aggressive, with Fiery Blast as her default attack. NIGHTCRAWLER (Kurt Wagner) Born in Germany, Kurt was abandoned and left for dead as a baby due to his demonic appearance. He was found and adopted by a traveling circus, where he became an acrobat, and their eventual star attraction. After leaving the circus, he was nearly killed by an angry mob before the X-Men rescued him and recruited him. He remained with the X-Men for several years, before the team apparently sacrificed their lives while he was recovering from injuries. He and fellow X-Men Shadowcat and Phoenix joined with British superheroes Captain Britain and Meggan to form the team Excalibur. After Excalibur disbanded, he returned to the reformed X-Men. Kurt possesses the ability to teleport himself and others short distances. He often uses this ability in combat, combined with his natural agility, to keep his opponents off-balance. He is also able to become nearly invisible in shadows, and can crawl up walls, much like Spider-Man (NOTE: not in this game, he can't). He is a gifted swordsman and acrobat, behaving like a modern-day swashbuckler. He is close to all of the X-Men, but particularly so with Wolverine and Rogue (whom he regards as a sister, due to the discovery that Mystique is his biological mother). All of Nightcrawler's attacks are physical in nature, so be prepared to invest lots of points into his Strike and Agility. His teleportation attacks keep the enemies from being able to counterattack effectively, but use a lot of EP, so put more points into Focus than Body. Nightcrawler becomes available following Mission Two at the HAARP Facility. He is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, a voice actor who has been on roughly every cartoon ever shown on the Cartoon Network. ABILITIES Teleport Leap (R2+X) Teleports behind enemy and hits them; can be used to bypass obstacles. Lvl 1 4-5 Phys Dmg; 15' range; 10 EP (initial). Lvl 2 6-8 Phys Dmg; 18' range; 15 EP (CL 3). Lvl 3 9-11 Phys Dmg; 22' range; 20 EP (CL 5). Lvl 4 12-15 Phys Dmg; 26' range; carry allies; 25 EP (CL 7). Lvl 5 15-18 Phys Dmg; 30' range; carry allies; 30 EP (CL 9). Teleport Strike (R2+X) More powerful version of Teleport Leap. Lvl 3 50-63 Phys Dmg; 42' range; carry allies; 50 EP. Lvl 4 80-100 Phys Dmg; 45' range; carry allies; 55 EP (CL 21). Legend Strike (R2+X) Teleport Flurry (R2+O) Teleport repeatedly, striking random targets. Lvl 1 4-5 Phys Dmg; 14' range; 2 hits; 40 EP+5 EP/hit (CL 5). Lvl 2 9-11 Phys Dmg; 16' range; 2 hits; 50 EP+5 EP/hit (CL 7). Lvl 3 15-18 Phys Dmg; 18' range; 3 hits; 60 EP+5 EP/hit (CL 9). Lvl 5 50-63 Phys Dmg; 22' range; 4 hits; 80 EP+5 EP/hit. Teleport Frenzy (R2+O) More powerful version of Teleport Flurry. Lvl 1 50-63 Phys Dmg; 24' range; 5 hits; 90 EP+5 EP/hit. Lvl 2 65-80 Phys Dmg; 26' range; 5 hits; 100 EP+5 EP/hit (CL 22). Legend Frenzy (R2+O) Shadow Blend (R2+S) Blends in with shadows to increase defense. Lvl 1 15 sec; -5 Dmg; +2 Agi; 60 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 16 sec; -8 Dmg; +3 Agi; 70 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 17 sec; -10 Dmg; +4 Agi; 80 EP (CL 9). Shadow Arts (R2+S) More powerful defense. Lvl 3 24 sec; -20 Dmg; +8 Agi; 120 EP. Shadow Mastery (R2+S) Highest upgrade to defensive ability. Lvl 3 36 sec; -80 Dmg; +12 Agi; 160 EP. Blindside Blitz (R2+T) X-treme power. Teleports multiple times, doing massive Dmg to random targets. Unlocked at CL 15. Leap of Faith (auto) Chance to prevent ally from dying; ally must be within range, and Nightcrawler cannot be active character. Lvl 1 25% chance; 10' range (CL 3). Lvl 2 50% chance; 15' range (CL 8). Lvl 5 100% chance; 60' range. Sucker Punch (auto) Increase chance of critical teleport attack. Lvl 1 +3% critical chance (CL 4). Lvl 2 +6% critical chance (CL 9). Lvl 5 +15% critical chance. Toughness (auto) Increase max HP. Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10). Mutant Mastery (auto) Increase max EP. Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10). Acrobatics (auto) Allows double-jump; provides bonus to Agility. Lvl 1 +2 Agi (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4 Agi (CL 1). Lvl 3 +6 Agi (CL 1). Lvl 4 +8 Agi (CL 1). Lvl 5 +10 Agi (CL 1). Critical Strike (auto) Increase chance of critical physical attack. Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7). Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 12). Nightcrawler might seem weak at first, but can develop into the best physical fighter in the game. His Sucker Punch skill stacks with Critical Strike, giving him a whopping +25% chance to enable a critical teleport attack. His X-treme attack, Blindside Blitz, is incredibly useful for Boss battles, as he tends to target the closest enemy for the bulk of the attack. A single Blindside Blitz can take off 1/3 to 1/2 of even a Boss's lifebar, unless they are resistant to physical attacks. Teleport Flurry is almost as useful. His teleport attacks almost always connect, and make defeating speedy opponents a breeze. Set his AI Level to Aggressive, with Teleport Flurry as his default power. When not in combat, Nightcrawler's Teleport Leap/Strike allows him to move past many otherwise impassable barriers. If you move him adjacent to an ally while teleporting, he will carry them with him to his destination. PROFESSOR X (Charles Xavier) Born into wealth, Charles's father died when he was very young. His mother eventually remarried, landing Charles with a stepbrother and emotionally distant stepfather. His stepfather left Charles alone for the most part, although he was verbally abusive to Charles's mother. He saved most of his abuse for his own son, Cain Marko. Cain resented Charles for the abuse that the younger man was spared, a resentment that developed into murderous hatred years later. While in his teens, Charles began to develop telepathic abilities, a side effect of which caused him to lose all of his hair while he was still young. Charles taught himself how to use his abilities and shield his mind from the intrusion of all the thoughts around him. He developed a strong set of ethics regarding the use of power, possibly due to witnessing the abuse of his stepfather. A brilliant student, Charles went on to become a renowned geneticist. He traveled the world for some time, during which time he met and became friends with Erik Lensherr. Erik helped Xavier with his research into mutation, and helped him design the computer Cerebro, which would augment his telepathic abilities to planetary range. The two eventually split over philosophical differences; Xavier believed in peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants, while Erik believed that humans would eventually try to wipe mutants out, and that the mutants should strike pre-emptively and take their place at the top of the evolutionary ladder. Some time after he and Erik went their separate ways, Charles lost the use of his legs while in battle with the villain Lazarus. Realizing that evil mutants would cause humanity to rise against the mutant race, Charles began recruiting young mutants and training them in the use of their powers to fight against threats to humanity. He dubbed them the "X-Men" (after the "X" gene that gave mutants their special gifts), and based them out of his old family estate. Charles is quite possibly the most powerful mutant mind on the planet. His telepathic abilities allow him to read minds and communicate mentally at vast ranges. He can alter others' perceptions or plant convincing illusions in their minds. He can even completely erase or alter memories, or assume control over a less mind, though he is loathe to do so unless left with no other choice. Using the computer Cerebro, he can extend the range of his abilities across the entire planet. Professor X is available only during two missions on the Astral Plane, and is automatically included in the party. He is voiced by Patrick Stewart, who was chosen by God at an early age to be Professor Xavier in all future movies and video games. PSYLOCKE (Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock) As the result of an extradimensional heritage, Betsy was born a mutant with enormous psychic gifts. Her brother was Brian Braddock, better known as Captain Britain, and she often aided him. During a time when he gave up being Captain Britain, she adopted the identity, but was severely wounded and blinded by the villain Jackdaw. Shamed by what happened to his sister, Brian re-assumed the powers and responsibilities of Captain Britain. Betsy eventually was given bionic eyes by the extradimensional villain Mojo and joined the X-Men. Unknown to her, her eyes recorded everything she saw, and the images were broadcast as entertainment on Mojo's world. Betsy was with the X-Men when they apparently sacrificed their lives to save the world from the influence of the chaotic demon, Adversary. They were revived by the Guardian of Order, Roma, and decided to let the world continue to think them dead, and operated in secret. Eventually, Betsy was separated from the X-Men, and kidnapped by the league of assassins known as The Hand. Her consciousness was exchanged with one of their assassins, and she was brainwashed into joining them in her new body. She was eventually found and freed by Wolverine and Jubilee, and traveled with them for a time, but was unable to reclaim her original body, still inhabited by the Hand's assassin. She was finally reunited with the assassin in her original body, only to find that the assassin, now known as Revanche, was dying from the mutant-killing Legacy Virus. Revanche died, trapping Betsy in her current body forever. Betsy has enormous telepathic talents. Her training with The Hand has given her martial arts skills equivalent to a modern-day ninja, and she has learned to combine her telepathy with her fighting skills, including the ability to focus her telepathy into forming a mind-shredding "psychic knife." Normally cool and sophisticated, Betsy gives in to her body's urges during combat, revelling in the fight. She actually prefers to couple her psychic abilities with her fighting, rather than using them at range, causing Wolverine to dub her an "action junkie." NOTE: her hair is dyed as an affectation; she is not a natural magenta. Psylocke is an excellent front-line combatant. As she gains the ability to add psychic damage to her melee attacks, focus more on developing her Agility, Body, and Focus. Psylocke becomes available for team recruitment after stopping the riots in New York, driving the GRSO soldiers out of the Morlock Tunnels, and defeating Juggernaut on Muir Island. She is voiced by Masasa, who needs a last name, STAT! ABILITIES Psychic Slash (R2+X) Attacks an enemy with her psychic knife. Lvl 5 50-63 Mental Dmg; 30 EP. Psychic Hammer (R2+X) Upgrade; increases Dmg and adds Knockback. Lvl 3 125-150 Mental Dmg; 245 Knockback; 50 EP. Lvl 4 150-165 Mental Dmg; 305 Knockback; 55 EP (CL 21). Hammer Legend (R2+X) Psychic Bolts (R2+O) Hurls several psychic blades in an arc. Lvl 5 3 blades, 15-18 Mental Dmg each; 45 EP. Psychic Spikes (R2+O) Upgrade; increases number of missiles and Dmg. Lvl 2 5 blades, 20-25 Mental Dmg each; 60 EP. Lvl 3 5 blades, 25-31 Mental Dmg each; 65 EP (CL 24). Legend Bolts (R2+O) Psychic Defense (R2+S) Temporarily reduces Mental Dmg; affects adjacent allies. Lvl 3 17 sec; -13 Mental Dmg; 80 EP. Psychic Armor (R2+S) Upgrade; reduces Mental Dmg and Knockback; affects adjacent allies. Lvl 3 24 sec; -20 Mental Dmg; -13 Knockback; 120 EP. Psychic Wall (R2+S) Upgrade; affects all allies, and adds Focus bonus. Lvl 3 36 sec; -50 Mental Dmg; -30 Knockback; +30 Focus; 160 EP. Psychic Onslaught (R2+T) X-treme power. Psychic waves attack all enemies for Mental Dmg. Unlocked at CL 15. Psionic Strike (auto) Adds Mental Dmg to melee attacks. Lvl 3 +15-18 Mental Dmg. Psionic Fury (auto) Upgrade; increases Mental Dmg. Lvl 3 +80-100 Mental Dmg. Blade Master (auto) Increases size and Dmg of Psychic Knife. Lvl 5 +175-215 Mental Dmg; Psychic Sword. Toughness (auto) Increases max HP. Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10). Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP. Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10). Critical Strike (auto) Increases chance of critical melee attack. Lvl 1 +2% critical chance. Lvl 2 +4% critical chance. Psylocke doesn't bring a whole lot to the game that other characters don't already. Her biggest power advantage would be her Psychic Wall; the Focus boost to all allies is very helpful. Her Psychic Knife can potentially pack quite a punch (tremble in awe at my alliteration here) once you've leveled up the appropriate abilities. Set her AI level to Aggressive, with Psychic Bolts/Spikes as her default power. ROGUE (real name unrevealed) Rogue's mutant power to absorb memories and abilities manifested when she was a teenager experiencing her first kiss, a kiss that left her boyfriend in a permanent coma. Traumatized, Rogue ran away from home and was eventually taken in by Mystique to join the Brotherhood of Mutants. While on a mission for the Brotherhood, she came into conflict with the Avenger Ms. Marvel, and ended up permanently absorbing Ms. Marvel's powers, including flight, super-strength, and near-invulnerability, as well as her memories. Unable to deal with this psychic trauma, she sought help from long-time enemies the X-Men. Although suspicious of her at first, they eventually accepted her as one of their own. She has been one of their most faithful members ever since, and developed a relationship with Gambit. Rogue's sassy Southern attitude and enormous physical power mask a deep vulnerability. Her inability to shut off her absorption power means she will never be able to touch someone without harming them. She regards Mystique as her mother, but does not let it conflict with her duties to the X-Men. She has forged a lasting friendship with Wolverine. Although she loves Gambit, his shady past keeps her from fully trusting him. She and Nightcrawler formed a bond after the latter discovered Mystique was his natural mother, and consider each other adopted siblings. Rogue is a powerhouse, and should be on the front lines of combat. She is able to do as much damage as Beast and Colossus, with the added bonus of being quicker. Raise her Strike and Body stats as high as possible, adding enough Focus to use her mutant abilities when needed, and enough Agility to keep her from being an easy target. Rogue is available for recruitment at the beginning of Mission Two at the HAARP Facility. She is voiced by Erin Matthews, who has a few minor film and tv credits, and was apparently once married to Neve Campbell's brother, which, given Neve's visibility these days, gives them an approximately equivalent level of fame. ABILITIES Southern Strike (R2+X) Powerful dashing punch attack. Lvl 1 15-18 Dmg; 40 Knockback; 10 EP (initial). Lvl 2 25-31 Dmg; 120 Knockback; 15 EP (CL 3). Lvl 3 50-63 Dmg; 190 Knockback; 20 EP (CL 5). Lvl 4 80-100 Dmg; 245 Knockback; 25 EP (CL 7). Lvl 5 100-125 Dmg; 305 Knockback; 30 EP. Southern Smash (R2+X) Increased Dmg and Knockback. Lvl 1 150-165 Dmg; 305 Knockback; 40 EP. Lvl 2 175-215 Dmg; 370 Knockback; 45 EP (CL 17). Southern Legend (R2+X) Ability Drain (R2+O) Stuns enemy and steals basic attack. Lvl 1 4-5 Dmg; 10 sec Stun; Dmg lvl 1; 25 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 9-11 Dmg; 15 sec Stun; Dmg lvl 2; 30 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 15-18 Dmg; 17 sec Stun; Dmg lvl 3; 35 EP (CL 9). Lvl 5 50-63 Dmg; 21 sec Stun; Dmg lvl 5; 45 EP. Ability Sap (R2+O) Stuns enemy and steals heavy attack. Lvl 1 80-100 Dmg; 25 sec Stun; Dmg lvl 5; 55 EP. Lvl 2 100-125 Dmg; 28 sec Stun; Dmg lvl 6; 60 EP (CL 22). Consume Ability (R2+O) Bullet Proof (R2+S) Boosts defense and resistances. Lvl 1 15 sec; -5 Phys Dmg; -30% Pain; 60 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 16 sec; -8 Phys Dmg; -60% Pain; 70 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 17 sec; -10 Phys Dmg; -60% Pain; 80 EP (CL 9). Iron Maiden (R2+S) Boosts defense; adds additional resistances. Lvl 3 24 sec; -16 Phys Dmg; -10 Beam Dmg; -60% Pain; -100% Knockback; 120 EP. Invulnerability (R2+S) Adds chance of avoiding Phys Dmg altogether. Lvl 3 36 sec; -30 Phys Dmg; -16 Beam Dmg; -100% Pain; -100% Knockback; 40% chance to avoid Phys Dmg; 160 EP. Energy Drain (R2+T) X-treme attack. Stuns and damages all enemies, as well as preventing them from using powers. Unlocked at CL 15. Toughness (auto) Increases max HP. Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10). Lvl 2 +20% max HP (CL 12). Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP. Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10). Lvl 2 +20% max EP (CL 12). Flight (T+T) Allows use of Flight. Lvl 1 40 EP per sec (CL 1). Lvl 2 30 EP per sec (CL 1). Lvl 3 20 EP per sec; can carry ally (CL 1). Lvl 4 10 EP per sec; can carry ally (CL 1). Lvl 5 5 EP per sec; can carry ally (CL 1). Grappling (auto) Increases Strike and reflects Melee Dmg. Lvl 1 +2 Str; Reflects 4-5 Melee Dmg (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4 Str; Reflects 9-11 Melee Dmg (CL 1). Lvl 3 +6 Str; Reflects 15-18 Melee Dmg (CL 1). Lvl 4 +8 Str; Reflects 25-31 Melee Dmg (CL 1). Lvl 5 +10 Str; Reflects 50-63 Melee Dmg (CL 1). Critical Strike (auto) Increases chance of critical physical attack. Lvl 1 +2% chance critical (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4% chance critical (CL 7). Lvl 3 +6% chance critical (CL 12). Lvl 4 +8% chance critical (CL 17). Might (auto) Increases Phys Dmg; allows lifting of larger objects. Lvl 1 +5% Phys Dmg; Heavy Objects; +3 Destr (initial). Lvl 2 +10% Phys Dmg; Massive Objects; +5 Destr (CL 1). Lvl 3 +15% Phys Dmg; Gigantic objects; +8 Destr (CL 1). Rogue is perhaps the best of the super-strong characters, even though she lacks a multiple-opponent attack (other than her X-treme move). She is a much quicker attacker than Beast or Colossus, and has the best defensive abilities of all the X-Men. Her Ability Drain/Sap power leaves an enemy completely helpless for a time. She has both the Might and Flight skills. Unfortunately, she can't pick up objects while flying; that would rock. Although Southern Strike/Smash does a lot of damage at higher levels, you might want to look at increasing her defensive capabilities. She is the closest thing to completely invulnerable out of all of the X-Men when her abilities are leveled all the way up. Ability Drain/Sap steals attack abilities from mutant enemies. To use it, activate the ability as normal, and then activate it again to use the stolen ability. The ability can only be used while the victim is still stunned. THANKS to Scott E. for the tip! STORM (Ororo Munroe) Ororo's parents were an American photojournalist and an African priestess named N'Dare. Her parents were killed in a bombing raid when she was very young, and Ororo was trapped in the rubble of their home with her parents' bodies. This event traumatized her, and she remains extremely claustrophobic to this day. She escaped from the ruins of her home and lived on the streets of Cairo for a time. She and several other children were taken in and trained as thieves and pickpockets. She eventually attempted to leave her master, crossing the African desert and nearly dying in the attempt. She was taken in by a friendly African village and raised as one of them. When her mutant abilities to control the weather manifested in her early teens, she used them to help the surrounding villages by providing rain for crops. Her abilities, combined with her striking silver hair and blue eyes, caused the villagers to worship her as a goddess, a role she came to believe in. Professor Xavier eventually contacted her and recruited her to the X-Men, where she remains to this day. Storm lost her mutant powers for a time after being zapper by a neutralizer gun developed by Forge, but he eventually found a way to return them to her. Ororo has the ability to control all aspects of the weather. She can cause rain, sleet, and fog manifest, and hurl bolts of lightning. She can manipulate the wind to create tornados or hurricanes, or use the wind to allow her to fly. She is largely immune to temperature extremes, and remains quite comfortable in both blazing summer heat or sub-zero arctic weather. One of the most powerful mutants alive, Storm could potentially use her abilities to alter the weather on a planetary scale, but she has a great sense of responsibility, and always uses her powers to have a minimal effect on the environment. In addition to her mutant powers, Storm is an excellent hand-to-hand combatant. Storm possesses a great deal of empathy, and is close to all of the X-Men, particularly Jean, who is her best friend. She is very close with Wolverine, and once had a romantic relationship with Forge. She serves as co-leader of the X-Men, sharing the burden of responsibility with Cyclops. Storm is most effective in combat when utilizing her mutant abilities, so be sure to level up her Focus as much as possible. As she gains the ability to add electrical damage to her melee attacks, focus more on increasing her Agility than her Strike. Storm becomes available at the beginning of the HAARP Facility mission. She is voiced by Cheryl Carter, who has numerous minor tv and movie credits to her name. ABILITIES Lightning Strike (R2+X) Calls down a lightning bolt; can weld. Lvl 1 9-11 Electric Dmg; 1 Destr; 10 EP (initial). Lvl 2 15-18 Electric Dmg; 1 Destr; 15 EP (CL 3). Lvl 3 25-31 Electric Dmg; 2 Destr; 20 EP (CL 5). Lvl 4 50-63 Electric Dmg; 2 Destr; 25 EP (CL 7). Lvl 5 80-100 Electric Dmg; 3 Destr; 30 EP (CL 9). Chain Lightning (R2+X) Upgrade; increased Dmg and Destr. Lvl 1 100-125 Energy Dmg; 4 Destr; 40 EP. Lvl 2 125-150 Energy Dmg; 5 Destr; 45 EP (CL 17). Legend Lightning (R2+X) Whirlwind (R2+O) Temporarily lifts and damages enemies and objects; can extinguish fires. Lvl 1 1 sec, 1-2 Dmg per sec; Small objects; 25 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 1.5 sec, 1-2 Dmg per sec; Small objects; 30 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 2 sec, 2-4 Dmg per sec; Small objects; 35 EP (CL 9). Lvl 5 3 sec, 4-5 Dmg per sec; Small objects; 45 EP. Tornado (R2+O) Upgrade; increased Dmg and duration, larger objects. Lvl 1 3.5 sec, 6-8 Dmg per sec; Medium objects; 55 EP. Lvl 2 4 sec, 9-11 Dmg per sec; Medium objects; 60 EP (CL 22). Legend Vortex (R2+O) Storm Shield (R2+S) Temporarily reduces Dmg. Lvl 1 15 sec; -8 Dmg; 60 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 16 sec; -10 Dmg; 70 EP (CL 7). Lvl 3 17 sec; -13 Dmg; 80 EP (CL 9). Hail Shield (R2+S) Adds touch Dmg; affects adjacent allies. Lvl 3 24 sec; -20 Dmg; 9-11 Touch Dmg; 120 EP. Blizzard Shield (R2+S) Increased Dmg; affects all allies. Lvl 3 36 sec; -50 Dmg; 25-31 Touch Dmg; 160 EP. Cyclone Fury (R2+T) X-treme power. Tornado touches down, striking all enemies with wind and lightning attacks. Unlocked at CL 15. Lightning Fury (auto) Adds Energy Dmg to melee attacks. Lvl 1 +4-5 Electric Dmg; 3 Destr (CL 3). Lvl 2 +9-11 Electric Dmg; 3 Destr (CL 5). Lvl 3 +15-18 Electric Dmg; 4 Destr (CL 9). Lightning Rage (auto) Upgraded Lightning Fury. Lvl 3 +80-100 Electric Dmg; 5 Destr. Toughness (auto) Increases max HP. Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10). Lvl 2 +20% max HP (CL 12). Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP. Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10). Lvl 2 +20% max EP (CL 12). Flight (T+T) Allows use of Flight. Lvl 1 40 EP per sec (CL 1). Lvl 2 30 EP per sec (CL 1). Lvl 3 20 EP per sec; can carry an ally (CL 1). Lvl 4 10 EP per sec; can carry an ally (CL 1). Lvl 5 5 EP per sec; can carry an ally (CL 1). Critical Strike (auto) Increases chance of critical melee attack. Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 2). Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7). Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 12). Leadership (auto) Increases Dmg and Exp for team Combo attacks. Lvl 1 +25% Dmg; +5% exp (CL 4). Lvl 2 +50% Dmg; +10% exp (CL 9). Lvl 3 +75% Dmg; +15% exp (CL 14). Lvl 5 +150% Dmg; +25% exp. Storm starts out rather ineffective, but levels up into one of the most useful members of the team. Her Lightning attacks, while rather slow, will always hit an opponent at any range, as long as the target lock is active. She is the only character capable of inflicting electrical Dmg, which is particularly effective against robots and other machines. Her whirlwind attacks, while not particularly damaging, temporarily take groups of enemies out of the fight, and combo particularly easily, as the attack remains active for several seconds. Storm should always be used as a ranged attacker, to maximize the use of her lightning bolts. Set her AI Level to Normal, with Lightning Strike as her default ability. WOLVERINE (James Howlett, now known as Logan) One of the most popular X-Men (if not THE most popular) among fans, Wolverine has won the hearts of millions, despite his tendency to leave a trail of bloody corpses in his wake. His mutant powers include a superhuman healing factor that allows him to regenerate almost instantly from wounds, enhanced senses, enhanced endurance, and enhanced strength (though not in the superhuman range). He is almost immune to poison and disease. His healing factor has slowed his aging process to the point where his age is undeterminable. His bones are laced with unbreakable adamantium, and he possesses retractable claws of the same material that can cut through most substances. The experiment that gave him his metal skeleton unfortunately traumatized him to the point of amnesia, making his past mostly a mystery. He has studied multiple forms of armed and unarmed combat, and is particularly well-versed in several martial arts disciplines. Although very blunt and unsociable on the surface, he is possessed of a very strong sense of honor and loyalty. He has formed several close friendships with other X-Men, particularly Nightcrawler, Storm, and Shadowcat, and has had a long-standing unrequited love for Jean Grey. He frequently comes into conflict with Cyclops, often baiting him. He serves as a father figure for Jubilee, and indeed seems to view her as his own daughter. Wolverine has recently had his memories restored to him, including the fact that his real name is James Howlett, which sounds like a Bible salesman. Stick with Logan, bub. Wolverine is very much a tank character, and should be played as such. Most of his attacks are short-ranged (but deadly) physical attacks. His starting stats are highest in Agility and Body, and lowest in Focus. Concentrate on primarily adding stat points to his Body, Agility, and Strike, as he will spend all of his time in close combat. Focus isn't a high priority for Wolverine, as his regular melee attacks are already very powerful without relying heavily on mutant power attacks, particularly with judicious use of skill points in the right skills (hint, hint: Sharpness; hint, hint). Wolverine is available at the very start of the game. He is voiced by Steven Blum, another veteran voice actor, who is also the voice of the Announcer on Cartoon Network's "Toonami." ABILITIES Brutal Slash (R2+X) Close-range claw sweep. Can miss, so aim carefully. Lvl 1 25-31 Phys Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 10 EP (initial). Lvl 2 50-63 Phys Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 15 EP (CL 3). Lvl 3 80-100 Phys Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 20 EP (CL 5). Lvl 4 100-125 Phys Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 25 EP (CL 7). Lvl 5 125-150 Phys Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 30 EP. Eviscerate (R2+X) More powerful slash attack. Adds additional bleed Dmg. Lvl 1 150-165 Phys Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 40 EP. Lvl 2 175-215 Phys Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 45 EP (CL 17). Legend Slash (R2+X) Claw Flurry (R2+O) Multiple slashing attacks at random targets. Lvl 1 9-11 Phys Dmg; 25 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 15-18 Phys Dmg; 2 attacks; 30 EP (CL 7). Lvl 5 80-100 Phys Dmg; 3 attacks; 45 EP. Claw Frenzy (R2+O) More powerful version of Claw Flurry. Lvl 1 100-125 Phys Dmg; 3 attacks; 55 EP. Lvl 2 125-150 Phys Dmg; 4 attacks; 60 EP (CL 22). Legend Frenzy (R2+O) Feral Rage (R2+S) Temporarily boosts defense and speed. Lvl 1 15 sec; +5 Agi; +30% Speed; 60 EP (CL 5). Lvl 2 16 sec; +5 Agi; +30% Speed; 70 EP (CL 7). Berserker Rage (R2+S) Unstoppable Rage (R2+S) Savage Rampage (R2+T) X-treme Power. Slashes all enemies on screen. Can unlock ability at CL 15. Healing Factor (auto) Automatically regenerates HP. Lvl 1 2 HP/sec after 5 idle seconds; -20% pain (CL 1). Lvl 2 4 HP/sec after 5 idle seconds; -40% pain (CL 7). Sharpness (auto) Adds Dmg and Destr to all claw attacks. Lvl 1 +4-5 Dmg; +3 Destr (CL 3). Lvl 2 +9-11 Dmg; +5 Destr (CL 8). Toughness (auto) Increases maximum HP. Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10). Lvl 2 +20% max HP (CL 12). Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases maximum EP. Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10). Lvl 2 +20% max EP (CL 12). Critical Strike (auto) Increase chance of criticals for melee attacks. Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1). Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7). Expertise (auto) Bonuses to Str and Agi. Lvl 1 +1 Str; +1 Agi (CL 1). Lvl 2 +2 Str; +2 Agi (CL 1). Lvl 3 +3 Str; +3 Agi (CL 1). Lvl 4 +4 Str; +4 Agi (CL 1). Wolverine is a melee fighter, so add skill points to Brutal Slash, Sharpness, Healing Factor, and Expertise as soon as you can. Sharpness is especially potent, as most of Wolverine's attacks make use of his claws. Set his AI Level to Aggressive, with Brutal Slash as his default AI Power. Change his default power to Claw Flurry once it is leveled up, as it does a lot more damage at higher levels. VII. SUPPORTING CHARACTERS AND VILLAINS AVALANCHE (Dominic Petros) Very little is known about Avalanche's past before he joined Mystique's incarnation of the Brotherhood, other than that he was a Greek immigrant who was naturalized as an American citizen. He has stayed with the Brotherhood since its inception, with brief solo criminal forays. In his most well-known solo effort, he held the state of California hostage, threatening to use his powers on the fault line and completely destroy the state. The Hulk attempted to stop him. During the battle, he directed his shockwave in desperation directly at the Hulk. The wave rebounded, shattering every bone in his arms. He has since healed, and returned to the Brotherhood. Avalanche has the ability to project a vibrating shockwave from his hands that has two effects: 1) it shatters, disrupts, and disintegrates solid matter; 2) it causes the matter to be propelled away from him. He uses this ability most often in combat to create huge crashing waves of earth and debris to overwhelm his enemies. Curiously, his shockwave has no effect on living organic material. In fact, if he targets his shockwave on a living thing, it reflects back to him and could potentially damage or kill him. He often uses his power to ride a wave of earth, which seems to suggest a background in, or at least a knowledge of, surfing. Avalanche is voiced by Peter Lurie, who has apparently been in every video game that has ever featured voice-work. He also voiced Sabretooth for this one. BLOB (Fred Dukes) Fred Dukes began his career as a circus performer. Not realizing he was a mutant, he assumed he was just an abnormally strong freak, and worked in the circus's freak show. The X-Men contacted him and offered him a place with them, but he declined. Having come to realize the nature of his abilities, he decided to use them for criminal activities. He took over the circus, and had fellow performers join him in attacking the X-Mansion, figuring they had equipment he could use to set himself up as a super- criminal. The X-Men defeated him and his allies, and Professor X used his telepathic abilities to remove all knowledge of the X-Men from their minds. Later, he was contacted by Magneto and offered a place in the original Brotherhood of Mutants. Together with Mastermind, Toad, Unus, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch, he served under Magneto with the Brotherhood for some time, until Magneto abandoned them. Blob continued his criminal career solo, until Mystique reformed the Brotherhood and offered him a place with them. He has been with the Brotherhood ever since. Grossly obese, the Blob's skin and body fat are much more dense than that of a normal human, rendering him highly resistant to physical damage. His thick skin and layers of fat allow him to repel most missile attacks without harm to himself. He has been known to even withstand the impact of a torpedo. He is also superhumanly strong, able to lift several tons. The Blob possesses the mutant ability to bond himself to the surface he is standing on, making him almost impossible to move. His powers make him a powerful physical presence, but he is fortunately somewhat slow-witted, especially when acting on his own. He was particularly close with Pyro, until the latter's death from the Legacy Virus. The Blob is voiced by Mark Klastorin, who is primarily a voice actor. FORGE (real name unrevealed) Little is known about Forge's past, other than a few specific details. It is known that he is a full-blooded Cheyenne, and served as an apprentice to the Cheyenne shaman Naze in his teen years. He served in the Viet Nam conflict and lost his right hand and right leg in a bombing attack. He retaliated by using his mystic powers to open a portal that allowed demons to manifest on this plane and attack his foes. The subsequent slaughter traumatized him to the point where he completely turned his back on his mystic heritage, and embraced science. His first recorded use of his mutant ability to invent things was when he replaced his missing limbs with robotic duplicates. Forge worked with the government as a weapons contractor, creating many devices, probably the most notorious of which was a neutralizer gun that would strip a superhuman being of its powers. During this time, he had met and struck up a romantic relationship with Storm. Unfortunately, the government took Forge's working prototype of his neutralizer with the intent of using it against Rogue. While protecting Rogue, Storm took the blast that was meant for her, and lost all of her powers. She was rescued by Forge, but left him in a fury when she found out he was responsible for inventing the device. Forge later destroyed the plans for and all working copies of the neutralizer. Later, it was revealed that a mystic force known as the Adversary was released onto this plane through the portal Forge had created during the Viet Nam war. He joined up with the X-Men to battle the Adversary, during which time he created a device to reverse the neutralizer's damage, and restored Storm's powers to her. In order to defeat the Adversary, he had to use his mystic training to sacrifice nine willing souls to send the Adversary back to its dimension of origin. The X-Men willingly gave their lives, and the Adversary was defeated. Forge retired from the public eye out of grief for his actions. Unknown to him at the time, the X-Men were subsequently resurrected by the Guardian of Order, Roma, and operated in secrecy for a time. Upon learning she was alive, Forge once again began a romantic relationship with Storm, only to leave when he was offered the chance to lead the government-sponsored team X-Factor. He has remained with X-Factor since. Forge has the mutant ability to invent almost anything. Through unknown means, his mind works through all of the steps needed to create almost anything he can imagine. He is limited only by his imagination and available materials. Forge is available throughout the game at any Xtraction Point. You can trade tech bits for items he has invented. He is voiced by Lou Diamond Phillips, who at one time had a promising career ahead of him. Let us all have a moment of silence for Mr. Phillips's career. GATEWAY (real name unrevealed) Gateway was first seen working for the criminal cyborg group, the Reavers. It was the Reavers who apparently named him "Gateway;" his real name has never been revealed. He used his teleportation powers to shuttle the Reavers back and forth between their hideout and their various targets. After the X-Men defeated the Reavers and took over the complex, he seemed content to operate in the same role (transportation) for them, although he occasionally acted on his own for unknown reasons, such as when he secretly transported Jubilee to the hideout, unknown to the X-Men. The X-Men eventually abandoned the Reaver base, and Gateway's activities immediately following that time are unknown. After the group Generation X formed, Gateway suddenly appeared to them and presented them with the bound, unconscious body of a young mutant girl. He spoke the only word he has ever been known to say: "Penance." Unsure whether he was referring to the girl or his own activities, nevertheless, the Gen-Xers took in the mutant and called her "Penance" from there on. Gateway stayed on the campus at the Massachusetts Academy for some time, before eventually departing. His subsequent activities are unknown. An apparent Australian Aborigine, Gateway has the ability to create teleportation portals that can bridge vast distances. He opens the portals by spinning his bullroarer while concentrating on a ceremonial fire. It is unknown whether Gateway is a mutant, or if his abilities are mystical in nature. He is apparently attempting to purify his soul and atone for past misdeeds, but due to his complete silence, no one is sure what he may be repenting (although it has been suggested that he was somehow involved in the murder of the Hellions by Trevor Fitzroy). He is rumored to be the father of the X-Man Bishop (per information revealed by Bishop himself), but it is unknown whether or not this is true. Gateway is voiced by NOBODY. He doesn't talk, yo. GENERAL KINCAID As I do not remember this guy from the comics, I'm going to assume he was made up for the game. General Kincaid lost his wife in the crossfire of a mutant battle, causing him to go all gung-ho on the mutant-hating bandwagon. He continuously speaks out against mutants in official forums, and is constantly trying to get approval for a more intensive means of dealing with the so-called "mutant menace." He is secretly channeling money into "Operation Vigilance," the primary purpose of which is to develop more powerful versions of the Sentinels, in order to hunt down and kill mutants. General Kincaid makes the classic blunder of targeting Magneto, which in turn causes Magneto to step up his own plans for global domination. Can't we all just get along? Kincaid is voiced by John DiMaggio, who also voices the Juggernaut. HAVOK (Alex Summers) When their private plane was attacked by an unknown craft, Alex and his older brother Scott (later known as Cyclops), were pushed from the plane with a single parachute, which caught fire on the way down. After recovering from their injuries, they were adopted by families on opposite sides of the country, and lost touch with one another. In his college years, Alex was kidnapped by a mutant calling himself the Living Pharaoh. Both of them had the latent ability to tap cosmic energy, but somehow, Alex's power interfered with the Living Pharaoh's leaving them both unable to access their abilities. The Living Pharaoh placed Alex in an inhibiting machine, allowing himself to fully access his own powers. Calling himself the Living Monolith, he came into conflict with the X-Men, who defeated him and released Alex, who could now access his abilities. He learned how to control his abilities from the X-Men, but chose not to join them. Eventually, he fell in love with the mutant Lorna Dane, aka Polaris, and the two served with the X-Men for a time. Eventually, they retired from active duty to pursue their love of geophysics. Later, the two were recruited to join the government-sponsored X-Factor, which Havok led. Eventually unable to deal with the burdens of responsibility, Havok left X-Factor, and joined the Brotherhood of Mutants, as led by the Dark Beast, Hank McCoy's evil counterpart from an alternate dimension (Age of Apocalypse, yo). However, Alex was only pretending to belong to the Brotherhood, and was secretly working against them. After taking the Brotherhood down, Alex operated independently for a time, until an accident propelled him into an alternate universe. When an evil cosmic force threatened to destroy all of the realities, Alex sacrificed his life by unleashing an unprecedented amount of power, destroying both himself and his adversary. Whether he was truly destroyed or not remains unrevealed. Havok has the power to absorb ambient stellar energy and release it as bursts of pure plasma. He can control the amount of energy he releases, ranging in effect from utter destruction to mild headache in his target. The power tends to radiate outward in a burst, but he can also project it unidirectionally down his arms. He and his brother are immune to each other's powers, as they are apparently able to absorb each other's energy without ill effect. Havok is voiced by Matt Nolan, an actor with numerous minor mainstream tv and film credits, as well as some larger independent roles. HEALER (real name unrevealed) Nothing is known of Healer's past before he joined the underground mutants known as the Morlocks. An elderly and wise man, he has often tried to steer the Morlocks onto the paths of non-violence, with limited success. During the so-called "Mutant Massacre," Healer was attacked by Sabretooth, but rescued by the X-Men. He was taken to the mansion, where he utilized his powers to help the survivors of the massacre. Healer was apparently killed at some point, but I never read that comic, so I have no idea by whom, or under what circumstances. Sorry. Healer had the ability to psionically cause superhuman mutants to regenerate from injuries, as well as recover quickly from diseases or poison. His power is said to only work on mutants, but this could be a mistake, as I've only seen that mentioned once. Healer can be accessed at any Xtraction Point following the rescue of Gambit from the Morlock tunnels. He sells Health and Energy pick-ups in return for Tech Bits. Later in the game, he also sells "Grab Bags," which have random items in them, ranging from basic equipment, to artifacts, to Danger Room discs. He will also sell "Qualifying Exam" discs, once you have moved beyond the point where you could find them on a mission. Healer is voiced by Ed Asner, better known as Lou Grant from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," as well as its spin-off, "Lou Grant." A political activist, Mr. Asner is apparently so liberal he makes ME look like a fascist, and I'm pretty damn liberal. ILLYANA RASPUTIN (aka Magik) Illyana was the younger sister of Colossus. A young girl, she sometimes found herself the target of villains seeking to strike out at the X-Men. The villain Arcade kidnapped her from her home in Siberia and used her as bait to lure the X-Men into Murderworld. She was rescued, and came to live with Peter at the mansion. The X-Men battle Magneto on a newly-risen island covered with ancient ruins, and defeated him. Illyana was visiting her brother on the island during clean-up, and was lured away and trapped in a pocket dimension known as Limbo by the immortal sorceror, Belasco. The X-Men traveled to Limbo and rescued her, only to briefly have her snatched away by Belasco as they were making their escape. They managed to pull her back through the portal, only to find that she had aged into a teenager. Apparently, time passes at different rates between the two dimensions. While only a few seconds passed on Earth, several years passed on Limbo. During that time, Illyana was trained in sorcery by both Belasco and an alternate Earth version of Storm. She also discovered she had the mutant ability to summon "stepping discs," portals that allowed her to teleport through space and time. She defeated Belasco, claiming much of his power in the process, and became the ruler of Limbo, choosing to return to the X-Men. Illyana joined the younger group known as the New Mutants, and served with them for some time. Unfortunately, the moral taint to her soul began to take her over, culminating in the event known as Inferno, when the demons of Limbo escaped and attempted to take over the world. During the conflict, she sacrificed the dark portion of her soul to close the portals between Earth and Limbo, resulting in the loss of her magical powers, and returned to her original young age. Illyana returned to Russia to live with her parents, only to come back to live with Peter when their parents were murdered. During this time, she came down with the Legacy Virus, and became one of its first victims. Illyana had the mutant ability to summon portals that would allow herself and others to teleport through time and space, passing through Limbo on the way. She was trained in both sorcery and hand-to-hand combat during her years in Limbo, although the bulk of her magical powers were only available to her in Limbo. Whether on Earth or Limbo, she had the ability to manifest a "Soulsword," a physical representation of her magic, which had devastating effects against magical creatures or spells, but no effect on non-magical beings. While using her Soulsword, mystical armor would begin to form on her body, covering more of her the longer she used it. Illyana became best friends with Shadowcat while she was a teenager, and after her death, the Soulsword became bonded to Shadowcat. It has since been given to Margali Szardos, Nightcrawler's adoptive mother, who has used it to achieve her own ends. Illyana's role in the game is the same as her role often was in the comics: bait. She is voiced by Jeannie Elias, an actress with numerous voice, tv, and movie credits. She was the voice of Margaret in the "Dennis the Menace" cartoon, which should be enough to have her deported. JUGGERNAUT (Cain Marko) Cain Marko's father Kurt was an atomic researcher. He divorced Cain's mother and put Cain into a boarding school. While Cain was away, Dr. Marko's colleague, Dr. Brian Xavier, died in an accident. Desiring his widow's wealth, he married her and took in her young son, Charles. Cain came back from boarding school to find he had a new stepbrother. Secretly abused by his father, both mentally and physically, Cain took out his rage on his stepbrother, bullying him mercilessly. When Charles's telepathic powers developed, he accidentally read Cain's mind and learned of the abuse. Cain, believing Charles had read his mind intentionally to humiliate him, grew to hate him. After a laboratory accident claimed his father's life, he and Xavier went to live at the Xavier estate in New York. Xavier's mother had died of grief previously, in no small part due to the realization that her husband only married her for her money, and she had left her estate and considerable fortune to Charles. Growing ever more resentful of Charles, he left the mansion and joined the military, eventually becoming a mercenary. It was during this time that he made the acquaintance and friendship of the mutant Black Tom Cassidy. When he and Charles ended up as part of the same military unit, he deserted, and Charles was sent to bring him back. He tracked Cain to a hidden cavern that contained a forgotten temple. Cain stole a large ruby from an idol in the temple, and was transformed into a huge being. The cavern collapsed, and Xavier escaped, thinking his stepbrother was killed. Marko used his new abilities to eventually dig himself out of the cavern, and, calling himself the Juggernaut, sought out Xavier with the intention of killing him. He was defeated by the X-Men, however, although he was able to escape capture. He became a criminal for hire, usually partnered with his friend Black Tom Cassidy. He clashed with the X-Men and various other super-groups, but preferred to use his powers for personal gain, rather than out-and-out world domination. Recently, he has been shown the potential he has to use his powers for good, and has saved the world on a couple of occasions. The realization that he has been wasting his life has caused a crisis of faith for him. Juggernaut has been mystically endowed with nearly-immeasurable strength and endurance. Once he begins moving, nothing in his path can stop him, although his progress can be slowed at times. Not only is his flesh extraordinarily dense and resistant to damage, but he wears a suit of nearly-impenetrable mystic armor, and can surround himself with a force field. The three together make him virtually invulnerable. His only true weakness is to mental or sonic attacks (though, presumably, his force field would protect him from the latter to some extent). To combat this, he has fashioned a helmet out of the same metal as his armor which completely shields his mind from mental attack. Juggernaut is voiced by ME! Nah, not really. But that would be cool. He is voiced by John DiMaggio, who was the voice of Bender on "Futurama." Okay, I take it back. That's almost as cool as me. MAGNETO (Erik Magnus Lehnsherr) The man who would become Magneto lost his family in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. This trauma caused him to manifest his powers for the first time, allowing him to escape. Sometime after that, he made the acquaintance of Charles Xavier, and the two became close friends. They eventually split over differences in their ideology: Erik's experience in the Holocaust had led him to believe that humanity would eventually try to wipe mutants off the face of the earth, and he believed mutants should strike first to protect themselves. Using several tons of stolen Nazi gold, Erik began his plans for mutant domination, beginning with an assault on a nuclear weapons facility. He was stopped by Xavier's newly-formed X-Men. He and the X-Men clashed several times over the years, with the X-Men barely managing to defeat him each time. At one point, they managed amicable relations, and Xavier trusted him with the leadership of the X-Men when he left the Earth to join his lover Lilandra in a distant galaxy. Magneto led the X-Men for some time, before eventually leaving them and returning to his plans for conquest. A group of terrorist mutants calling themselves the Acolytes made him their leader, and he created a free society for mutants on his orbiting base, Asteroid M. He continued to maintain plans for taking over the world, however, and in a subsequent attack on the X-Men, he used his powers to rip all of the adamantium from Wolverine's bones, nearly killing him in the process. After this, Xavier, realizing that Magneto could never be dealt with peacefully, used his abilities to wipe his former friend's mind clean, leaving him catatonic. Over the following years, Magneto eventually regained his memories, and is a threat to the world once again. Magneto has the power to generate and control various forms of energy on the electromagnetic spectrum. His sheer power is such that he was able to permanently alter the Earth's magnetic fields at one point, reducing the range of Xavier's mental powers. His control over magnetism is such that he can manipulate the iron in a person's blood so as to incapacitate, paralyze, or even kill. He is able to see patterns of energy around him and manipulate them. He typically wears a suit of metallic armor, which his magnetic abilities make as flexible as cloth, preventing his movement from being hindered. He is capable of generating a protective force bubble, which is nearly completely impenetrable. Magneto is voiced by Tony Jay, a veteran voice actor, who did the voice for "Dr. Lipschitz" in the "Rugrats Go Wild" movie. Which, admittedly, isn't that big a deal, but the name "Lipschitz" makes me giggle like a fiend. MARROW (Sarah, last name unrevealed) Very little is known of Marrow's history prior to joining the underground mutants known as the Morlocks. She escaped the so-called "Mutant Massacre," meeting the X-Men for the first time, as a young girl. Later, she joined several other Morlocks in leaving for another dimension with Mikhail Rasputin, Colossus's older brother. Time passed more quickly in the other dimension, and she returned as a fully-grown adult, forming the mutant terrorist organization Gene Nation. Members of Gene Nation kidnapped a subway car full of humans on the anniversary of the "Mutant Massacre," threatening to kill a human for each Morlock that had died that day. The X-Men rescued the passengers and overcame the terrorists. Marrow had set up a bomb in the tunnels that was linked to a triggering device on her heart. She taunted Storm during combat that the only way to stop the bomb was to stop her heart. Storm, needing to end the battle quickly before the bomb went off, tore Marrow's heart from her chest and destroyed the triggering device. Storm's cool like that, yo. Marrow was presumed dead, but resurfaced later in a battle with Sentinels in New York City (her mutant body actually had two hearts, and could still function with one remaining). During the battle, she met and fought side by side with Iceman, and accepted his invitation to join the X-Men shortly thereafter. Marrow has the mutant ability to cause her skeleton to grow radically through her skin, without harm to herself. She is able to generate weapons made of bone, and is extremely proficient at throwing weapons and melee combat. Her skeleton regenerates at an exaggerated rate, allowing her to replace bones she has removed very quickly. Her bone structure is denser than that of a normal human's, giving her a high degree of physical protection. Marrow is voiced by Nancy Linari, another voice and minor tv actress. MOIRA MACTAGGERT Moira first met Charles Xavier in college, where the two were pursuing similar degrees in genetics. The two became lovers, and she was one of the very few he entrusted with his secret abilities. She encouraged him in his plans to eventually form a school to help mutants come to terms with their abilities. The two eventually went their separate ways, but remained friendly. Moira returned to her home country of Scotland, where she married Joe MacTaggert. When she gave birth to a mutant son, Joe left her. Her son Kevin was born with the ability to alter reality to suit his whims, but exercising the power burned out his life energy. Moira kept him captive and sedated, searching frantically for a solution. He escaped and, taking the name Proteus, went on a rampage through the Scottish countryside, possessing the bodies of others to prolong his own life. Moira called in the X-Men for their help. Proteus had a fatal allergy to metal, and was eventually slain in self-defense by Colossus, after possessing the body of his father, Joe. Using the equipment she had designed and built for Proteus, Moira formed her own mutant research facility on Muir Island, an island that she owned off the coast of Scotland. She continued to aid the X-Men whenever they needed, and eventually headquartered the British team Excalibur out of her facility. Moira, perhaps due to latent mutations that were passed on to her son, became the only known human to be afflicted with the deadly Legacy Virus. She succumbed to it while searching for a cure. Moira MacTaggert is voiced by Michelle Arthur, who has had bit parts in such movies as The Terminal, GoldenEye, and Seabiscuit (no, she didn't play the title role). MYSTIQUE (possibly Raven Darkholme) Much of Mystique's past is shrouded in mystery. It is known that at one point in her life she had been using her shapeshifting ability to pose as a wealthy noblewoman, only to be forced to flee an angry mob when she gave birth to a clearly-nonhuman baby. While fleeing, she abandoned the baby, who was saved by a traveling circus and grew up to become the adventurer Nightcrawler. She has adopted so many forms and identities over the years that it is rumored even she is no longer aware of her original identity. Disturbed by rising anti-mutant hysteria, she formed the second version of the Brotherhood of Mutants. They plotted to assassinate Senator Robert Kelly, who favored an anti-mutant platform, but were foiled by the X-Men. Later, Rogue, who Mystique had taken in and raised as her own daughter, left the Brotherhood and sought the X-Men's help in controlling her mutant absorption power. Although hurt by this, Mystique could not bring herself to hate Rogue, and has often acted to protect her from harm, even though they are on opposing sides of the conflict. Mystique sought out government official Valerie Cooper and offered her the services of the Brotherhood, in exchange for amnesty. Renaming themselves Freedom Force, the group operated within the law, striking out at targets designated by the government. Some time later, Mystique's longtime friend (and rumored lover) Destiny was murdered by Legion, the schizophrenic son of Charles Xavier. Freedom Force lost their government backing, and went back to conducting terrorist activities as the Brotherhood. Mystique was eventually captured and forced to serve under Forge with the government-sanctioned team X-Factor. A technological inhibitor prevented her from using her powers to mimic other members of the team. Like fellow criminal Sabretooth, she managed to escape their custody, and resumed an old identity, that of a Senator's wife. She remains at large. Mystique has the mutant ability to psionically alter her shape, mass, and even clothing to resemble another person. She can adopt forms that are somewhat larger or smaller than her normal form, but can only adopt the shape of humans (revisionist cartoons notwithstanding). When in another form, she is almost undistinguishable from the original, down to finger- prints or retinal patterns. She is unable to replicate another's super- human abilities, however. Mystique is a highly-capable hand-to-hand combatant, as well as skilled in the use of firearms and conventional weaponry. She will stop at nothing, including murder, to achieve her ends, making her a very dangerous opponent. Mystique is voiced by Grey DeLisle, who apparently was out sick the day they covered "subtlety" in voice acting class. She also provides the voice for "Vicky" on "The Fairly OddParents," which might explain her apparent need to screech every line she has on this game. PYRO (St. John Allerdyce) Before coming into the public eye as the mutant terrorist Pyro, Allerdyce was a popular writer from Australia, writing travelogues, adventure novels, and a string of trashy Gothic romances. It is unknown whether he continues to write. He joined Mystique's incarnation of the Brotherhood, and served with them through their many changes in roster. He formed a close friendship with Fred Dukes, aka the Blob, and the two often pursued criminal activities outside of the group together. Pyro became afflicted with the deadly Legacy Virus, and left the group while pursuing a cure. He has since come into conflict with the X-Men, as well as the costumed adventure Daredevil. He remains at large. Pyro has the ability to psionically control fire. While he has it under his control, he can cause a flame to grow in strength and intensity, as well as assume any shape he can imagine, even that of living creatures. He is immune to burning from any fire that is under his personal control, but not from uncontrolled flame. Unable to generate fire, he often employs the use of a backpack-mounted flamethrower, which provides him with plenty of ammo for his power. Pyro is voiced by Robin Atkin Downs, who also provides the voice for Cyclops (qv). SABRETOOTH (Victor Creed) Victor Creed's mutations were evident at birth, causing his father to abuse the boy and confine him to the dark cellar at their home. Victor escaped through undisclosed (though probably very violent) means. His subsequent history is unknown, although it is known that he served with several other superhumans under the government's Weapon X program, and was partnered with Wolverine. The two had a falling out at that time, which has made them mortal enemies today. Creed teamed with the technologically-based villain Constrictor for a time, but the two parted, perhaps due to Creed's instability. He served as a freelance assassin for many years, coming into conflict with numerous superheroes. He worked with a young telepathic woman named "Birdie," who used her abilities to help him retain control over his psychotic rages. He became addicted to this process, and after Birdie's death, became much more savage and unpredictable. He was recruited by Mr. Sinister to join the Marauders, and participated in the so-called "Mutant Massacre" of the Morlocks in the tunnels beneath New York City. He was captured by the X-Men, and Professor Xavier worked to try to cure him of his bloodlust. Wolverine, incensed that they were sheltering Creed, allowed him to provoke him into attacking, and perforated his brain with his claws, effectively lobotomizing him. Creed remained childlike and docile for some time, long enough for the X-Men to relax their guard, before making his bid to escape, severely wounding Archangel and Psylocke in the process. He was eventually captured and added to the roster of the government-sponsored team X-Factor, as led by Forge. Forge designed a shock collar to prevent Sabretooth from harming others. Unfortunately, Sabretooth was eventually able to overcome the collar and escaped. He remains at large. Sabretooth possesses superhuman endurance and senses. He is very strong, although perhaps not at a superhuman level. He is also possessed of a healing factor, similar to Wolverine's, that allows him to regenerate from almost any injury. His claw-like nails and fangs are extraordinarily tough, able to cut through bone. He has animalistic urges, and gives in to bloodlust in battle. A true psychopath, he enjoys hunting and killing humans, and is considered to be a serial killer by the authorities. Sabretooth is voiced by Peter Lurie (see Avalanche). SHADOW KING (real name unrevealed) Little is known of the Shadow King's history or origin. He is presumed to be a mutant, but could possibly be an extradimensional entity. He was first encountered years ago by Professor Xavier, under the guise of Amahl Farouk, an Arab crimelord in Cairo. Sensing Xavier's presence, and jealous and afraid of another telepath being in his territory, he attacked Xavier. Xavier met him in psychic combat, and was barely able to defeat him, banishing his mental presence to the Astral Plane. Shadow King showed up years later, possessing the New Mutant Xi'An Coy Manh, aka Karma. Storm and the New Mutants were able to reach Karma's true mind, however, and she was eventually able to purge the Shadow King from her body, confining him once more to the Astral Plane. Shadow King next used his abilities to target several X-Men based out of the Muir Island Research Center. His influence caused the X-Men based there to become cruel and violent. Eventually, they clashed with the other members of the X-Men, and Professor X, who had had the use of his legs restored to him, fought the Shadow King on the Astral Plane. Unfortunately, the physical stresses caused by the psychic battle shattered his legs, confining him once more to a wheelchair. The Shadow King was banished once again. Shadow King exists as a disembodied consciousness based out of the Astral Plane. He is able to manifest in the physical plane by taking possession of weaker minds, completely submerging their personality with his own. Deprived of physical sensation on the Astral Plane, Shadow King tends to indulge in every depravity he can think of while possessing someone, especially gluttony, and the "borrowed" body often becomes grotesquely obese. Although Professor Xavier first encountered him as "Amahl Farouk," it is unknown whether this is actually the Shadow King's true identity, or another of his possessed victims. Shadow King is a powerful telepath, able to fight Xavier to a standstill, and is capable of manipulating the Astral Plane to respond to his whims. His form on the Astral Plane is usually that of a hideous demon. His main weakness is his over-confidence, which has led him to be butt-whipped by Xavier time and time again. Shadow King is voiced by Dorian Harewood, who has been in multiple movies, such as "Gothika" (which rocked), and "Glitter" (which, um, didn't rock). TOAD (Mortimer Toynbee) Originally resembling a short, squat man with bulging eyes and an unusually large mouth, Toynbee was picked on constantly as a child due to his grotesque appearance. His desperate search for affection and approval caused him to become incredibly subservient to anyone who showed him the slightest acceptance. He joined Magneto's original Brotherhood, where he remained devoted to Magneto, despite the former's constant abuse. Eventually separated from the team, he wandered for some time, coming into conflict with various other heroes. At one point, despondent about his life, he attempted suicide, only to be rescued by Spider-Man, which caused the pathetic Toad to worship the hero and attempt to become his partner. Toad mutated further later in life, to an even more inhuman appearance. He started his own incarnation of the Brotherhood, only to have it disbanded. Emma Frost, taking pity on him, allowed him to stay at her little-used Northern estate, only to have Generation X come into conflict with him later. He eventually joined the current incarnation of the Brotherhood, where he remains today. Toad's primary abilities lie in his legs, which are superhumanly strong. Although capable of lifting about a ton in his upper body, his legs are about five times stronger, enabling him to leap fantastic heights, as well as deliver superhumanly powerful kicks. His tongue is elongated and almost prehensile, allowing him to utilize it as a whip or to grapple. His spit has poisonous properties, and he can hurl it into his opponents' faces, blinding them or damaging them. Toad is voiced by Armin Shimerman, perhaps best known as the deliciously mean Principal Snyder on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer (series)." Well, best known to ME, anyway. He apparently also played the Ferengi Quark on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," which I never watched. VIII. X-MANSION GROUND FLOOR Contains most of the necessary rooms for daily living, as well as a library, classroom, and the Headmaster's office. +------+ +------+ | (1)E| |E (2) | | | +--oo--+ | | | | | | | | +-o--o-+-----+ +-----+-o--o-+ | o (3) o (4) | +-o--o-+-----+ +-----+ | | | | E | +-o--o-+ | (5) | | | | (6) | | | | S | | | +------+ | | +------+ + + \ / +o+ E - Elevators S - Stairs (1) DAY ROOM - Living room and rec area. You can access all unlocked movies by examining the television here. An evac tube can take you to the other two levels of the Mansion. (2) CLASSROOM - Classes for the younger students are taught by Professor Xavier and other members of the X-Men. An evac tube leads to the other two levels of the Mansion. (3) SITTING ROOM - Lounge and Study area. (4) LIBRARY - Here you can view collected comic books, and get their bonuses. (5) DINING ROOM - Huge table; seats 10. (6) PROFESSOR XAVIER'S OFFICE - Here you can view files on all recruited X-Men. DORMITORIES Living and study facilities for students at the Academy. +---------+ +---------+ | E| |E | | (1) | | (7) | | | | | +---+ +---+ +---+ +---+ |(2)| |(3)| | |(8)| | o o | +---+ o | | | | | |(9)| | | +---+ +---+ | o +---+ | |(4)| | | | +---+ o | +---+ +---+ |(5)| | | / E \ | |(A)| | o +---+-----+ +---------+ o | | | | | +---+-+-o-+-----+ +-----+-o-+-+---+ |(6)| | | |(B)| | | | S | | | | | | | | | +---+ | | +---+ +-----+ E - Elevators S - Stairs (1) COMMONS - Study and recreation area for students. Examine the computer here to play the X-Men Trivia Game. An evac tube can take you to the other two levels of the Mansion. (2) LOGAN'S ROOM - Somewhat messy. Check here for little Easter Eggs that reveal glimpses into Wolverine's history. (3) PETER'S ROOM - Very clean. You can review Concept Art that you have found by checking the sketchbook on his dresser. Check the room from time to time to find little Easter Eggs about Colossus. (4) BOBBY'S ROOM - Very messy, with lots of swimsuit posters. Check here from time to time to find personal items of Mr. Drake. (5) ORORO'S ROOM - Very tidy and decorated in an African theme. You can find personal items from Storm here. (6) ROGUE'S ROOM - Decorated in feminine Southern charm. You can find items about Rogue here. (7) COMMONS - Study and recreation area for students. Examine the computer here to view Loading Screens you have unlocked. An evac tube can take you to the other two levels of the Mansion. (8) HANK'S ROOM - Clean, but cluttered. Check here to find personal items giving you a glimpse into Beast's personality. (9) ALISON'S ROOM - This is the room given to Magma. It is still undecorated. Check it from time to time to find personal items. (A) JEAN'S ROOM - Very clean, with feminine decoration. Personal items here give insights into Jean's life. (B) SCOTT'S ROOM - Meticulously clean, and very masculine. You can find Cyclops's personal items here. It's right next to Jean's room. Not that I'm suggesting anything. SUB-BASEMENT This level houses all of the equipment and special facilities of the X-Men, including training, medical, computers, and laboratories. +-------+ | | +----+ | | | | | (1) | |(2) | | | | | | | | | | | E | | +------+---o---+----o---+-o--+-- | | \ | (3) o X \ | | +----------+ +------+--------+E E+---- | | | | \ | (4) | | | \ o | | | \ | | | | \ | | | | \| | | | +----------+ | | | | +--------------+ | | +--------+ | | | | | | | | | +-| | | (5) +-+ o (6) | | o +-| | | +-+ | | | | | | | +--------+ | | | | | | | | +--------------+ | | | | | | +---o---+ / \ / \ + + | (7) | | | + + \ / \ / +-------+ X - Xtraction Point E - Elevators (1) MED LAB - Developed with the special needs of mutants in mind, the advanced AI of the Med Lab is practically capable of performing surgery on its own, provided they can get approval from their HMO. (2) BEAST'S LAB - Hank McCoy's private lab, home to his research, computers, and inventions. His home away from home. (3) BRIG - Cell designed to hold all but the most powerful of mutants; used to detain captured foes before handing them over to the proper authorities. You can check profiles on the main villains here. (4) HANGAR - Houses the X-Jet, as well as some of the X-Men's personal vehicles. The X-Jet, which has VTOL capabilities, exits through a hatch that opens up in the school's basketball court. I like to think this little arrangement has claimed the life of many a sport-oriented young student at the Academy over the years. (5) DANGER ROOM - The X-Men's training facility. Contains exercise equipment for more normal workouts, as well as advanced AI, robotics, and holography that allows duplication of virtually any environment. You can access all unlocked training scenarios here (as well as at any Xtraction Point). (6) WAR ROOM - Home to computers that continually monitor world events, the X-Men meet here to plan battle strategy before going on missions. The X-Men's uniforms are also stored here. Go here when you are ready to initiate new missions. (7) CEREBRO - Professor Xavier's super-computer. A trained telepath can use Cerebro to greatly enhance his or her power. NOTE: The X-Mansion also contains a huge backyard, with tennis courts, basketball courts, gardens, gazebos, and a ginormous swimming pool, but I'm not even going to attempt to map that suckah. You're only in it once or twice, anyway. IX. WALKTHROUGH NOTE: As noted elsewhere in this FAQ, the on-screen map does not have a compass, limiting my ability to give easy-to-follow directions. Fortunately, the game is somewhat linear, so bear with me, and I'll get you there eventually. A. NEW YORK MISSION OBJECTIVES: Find Blob. After a nifty little FMV of the Blob kidnapping the newly-mutated Alison, you find yourself in control of Wolverine in a small courtyard. Move forward, and the first of several Anti-Mutant Troopers will rush you. These guys are pushovers, and are mostly there to get you used to the fighting controls. They're worth 7 exp each, so be sure to get them all. There are four troopers in this area. Dispose of them, and be sure to pick up a few power-ups by destroying trash cans and whatnot. Apparently there's been a recall of Health and Power Pick-ups, because people in New York are throwing them away by the boatload. Rather than point out all of the breakable stuff (there's a ton of it), just assume that you should be destroying anything with a durability bar to find pick-ups. Pick-ups seem to appear most often out of container-type objects (garbage cans, boxes, etc). Ahead of you will be a subway entrance. Go on down the stairs. Inside the subway entrance, three more troopers will attack. All three rush you at once, so try to use Knockback attacks to keep from losing too much health. The floor looks partially broken away and flooded by lava, but don't worry; you can't fall off. Check the trash for more pick-ups, if needed, and head up the opposite stairs. Two more troopers will attack as you exit the station. Slice n' dice and take the ramp with a Health Pick-Up to your right. At the first landing, another trooper will attack. Kill him dead, and continue up the ramp, jumping down onto some overturned subway cars. As you make your way back down to ground level, two more troopers will attack. Take care of 'em and go up the stairs to your left for a couple of pick-ups and two more troopers (exp! YAY!). Go back down to ground level, and follow the trail of the Blob's size 26 clodhoppers, which leads you into the next area, WEST MANHATTAN. WEST MANHATTAN As you enter the next level, Avalanche will appear and use his powers to create an impassable barrier. Avalanche is a jerk. Head down the stairs on your left into another subway entrance, where you will be attacked by three more troopers. You will probably gain your first level during this fight, and I suggest adding your new skill point to Healing Factor. Head up the opposite stairs. The next area will be swarming with troopers. Take 'em out, and continue to follow the Blob's footprints through a large glass atrium-looking building to the next street. More troopers. Merrily slaughter them, and follow the footprints into CENTRAL PARK. CENTRAL PARK - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Defeat Mystique; Find Blob. Upon entering the Park, there's a cut-scene where you meet Cyclops, only to get bitch-slapped by him because he's Mystique in disguise. Mystique runs away, leaving you to fight two Brotherhood Thugs. They're only slightly more powerful than the Troopers from the previous areas, so just whale away on 'em until they're good and dead. They're also worth 7 exp apiece. The bridge is out, so follow the footprints around, battling as you go, to the next bridge. As you cross the bridge, you run into Pyro, who sets a fire that blocks your path. Pyro is a jerk. Head to your left, passing through a large archway. Immediately to your right after going through the arch will be a set of stairs. If you continue on, you'll reach the broken bridge and a couple of pick-ups, if you need them. Otherwise, go up the stairs and drop down into what looks suspiciously like raw sewage flowing into a barred culvert. Destroy the bars and pass through the culvert, destroying another set of bars and emerging on the other side of the fire. Pyro has set another fire here, but you can break open the fire hydrant to your left (conveniently marked with a blue X) and put it out. Just past the fire is your first Xtraction Point, where you can save your game. Continue to follow the path until you pass through a square arch. Brotherhood Thugs slam the gate shut and lock it behind you, and you have your first Boss battle. BOSS BATTLE - MYSTIQUE (30 exp) The main thing to watch out for with Mystique is her speed. She'll probably land two or three hits on you for each time you hit her. Occasionally, she will whip out a pair of submachine guns and fire them full auto in an arc. She stands blessedly still while firing, allowing you to unleash a few Brutal Slashes her way. If she throws her pistols straight up and then catches them, she's preparing to unleash a full salvo straight ahead, which can take off quite a bit of health, but if you can dodge a clip of bullets, you can dodge a ball. She also tends to drop grenades, so keep an eye out for flashing objects on the ground so you won't be caught in the blast. Brotherhood Thugs will intermittently attack during this battle. When they show up, she will either jump on top of the nearby restroom and throw grenades or fire her guns at you until you've beaten them, or will shape-shift into a Thug and not reappear until you've defeated all of them. She will also sometimes shape-shift into a duplicate of Wolverine, minus the claws, but doesn't seem to have any particular physical advantage in this form, and still tends to use her guns and grenades. Keep an eye on your health, and the fight will be over in no time. The attacking thugs tend to drop lots of pick-ups, but if you want to conserve your items, and have allocated skill points into Wolverine's Healing Factor, you can avoid Mystique by running around the restroom. Occasionally she'll chase you, but more often she'll either try to run straight against the wall or just stand still and wait for you to reappear. Just keep the restroom between yourself and Mystique for a bit. You can regenerate plenty of health this way, and renew your attack. After Mystique goes down, enjoy a little cut-scene tough-guy talk, and continue on into EAST MANHATTAN. EAST MANHATTAN - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Find Blob; Defeat Blob. Just ahead on this level, Cyclops is waiting to join you. Switch your active control to him, especially if you're running low on Energy power-ups (You need to conserve Cyclops's EP for now). As you proceed forward, there's another Xtraction Point near a spire monument. Continue onward, battling Brotherhood Thugs as you go. Be sure to stick to regular melee attacks with Cyclops for the time being, as you'll be needing all of your EP for the upcoming boss battle. Follow the footprints until you enter an alleyway, and you'll come upon Alison and the Blob. Alison breaks away from the Blob with a little girlie-slap, and runs off to cower in a corner while you fight him. Hello? Alison? Lava? Ringing any bells? BOSS BATTLE - BLOB (20 exp) Blob may be 800+ lbs with big ol' he-boobies, but he's pretty quick, and his attacks do quite a bit of damage against low-level characters. Try to keep your distance, but also keep him on screen at all times, to better anticipate his attacks. His most devastating attacks involve throwing his weight around. If he starts charging you, DODGE, because he's getting ready to launch into a crushing belly flop. He will also jump straight up and land in a sitting position, causing a shock wave with a pretty decent radius that will not only damage everyone in range, but knock them down. He uses both of these attacks a LOT. The belly flop is pretty easy to dodge, but the shock wave attack doesn't have much of a lead-up animation, and will usually catch you if you're not careful. He'll also occasionally just try to punch you, which is less damaging. He also tends to pick up and throw a lot of objects. He's strong enough to lift a car or truck. If you see him pick one up, try to get something between you, because neither Cyclops nor Wolverine are quite strong enough at this point to play catch with Buicks. The area you're battling in is a loading dock with plenty of maneuvering room. When you first start the battle, run around the perimeter of the area destroying objects. Not only does this give Blob less ammunition to throw, but you'll reveal a lot of pick-ups that you'll probably need during this battle. Unfortunately, you can't destroy cars and trucks with either character yet. Blob is resistant to physical attacks, which means that you will have to rely on Cyclops's Optic Beam to do any appreciable damage. Although low-powered at Level 1, the Optic Beam will still do more damage than Wolverine's melee attacks. If you time it right and hit Blob with an Optic Beam just as Wolverine hits him with his Brutal Slash, you can increase your damage with a combo. Try to dodge Blob's more powerful attacks, healing or replenishing EP as needed, and keep nailing him with Optic Beams, and he'll eventually fall. After the battle, Alison will follow you, but is not yet a member of the team, and will not fight. Destroy all the breakables you can to replenish your pick-ups, and exit through the opposite alley to the EAST ROOFTOPS area. EAST ROOFTOPS - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Get to the X-Jet. You enter the area right next to an Xtraction Point. The metal stairs beside the Xtraction Point lead to a dead-end rooftop with a couple of Thugs. Go up the ramp by the stairs and cross the fallen billboard to another rooftop to meet a new enemy, the Brotherhood Insurgent. The Insurgents are a little tougher, and can fire energy beams, or a wide arcing energy attack that can stun you. They're worth 11 exp apiece. Go up the stairs to enter a building, revealing a Comic Book Pick-Up (Ultimate X-Men 33). Once you've reviewed this comic back at the X-Mansion, Wolverine will get a permanent +2 bonus to his Striking and Agility. If you take the time to trash everything in the room, you'll uncover quite a few Tech Bits and miscellaneous Pick-Ups. Take the stairs in the far corner to the roof, where another set of stairs and a wooden "bridge" will take you to a rooftop with enormous skylights and two sets of stairs. The staircase to the left leading up behind the huge Marvel sign is a dead end with a couple of meager pick-ups. Take the other staircase, straight ahead, and cross the makeshift bridge to the NORTH ROOFTOPS. NORTH ROOFTOPS You'll start out in a rooftop dining area. If you like, take the time to destroy all of the tables and chairs in a search for Tech Bits, while asking yourself brooding philosophical questions like, "Why do the humans fear and hate us mutants so?" You probably won't find anything, but isn't smashing fun? Take the wooden ramp up, and drop down to the next rooftop, where some Brotherhood Thugs will try to take all of the fun out of your existential angst. Mop them up, and cross a wooden ramp, a narrow rooftop, and another couple of wooden ramps to reach a new rooftop. Here, you'll be mobbed by several Thugs and Insurgents. The wooden ramp to your right leads to a dead-end rooftop with several pick-ups, but your goal is the metal staircase directly ahead. At the first landing, you'll find a spinning Danger Room disc. Grabbing it unlocks the "Teamwork 101" training mission. Continue up several flights, fighting Thugs and Insurgents along the way, and you'll reach the X-Jet. Congratulations! Mission one is complete! Now settle back and enjoy a brief cut-scene inside the jet, where Alison meets several of the X-Men and reveals that she has big, scary man-hands, much like Uma Thurman. B. X-MANSION (I) MISSION OBJECTIVES - Explore the sub-basement; Start new mission; Explore the X-Mansion; Contact Forge. Alison is escorted into Professor Xavier's office, where she meets the man himself, as well as Jean Grey. The Professor invites her to stay with them, offering a tour of the facilities by Jean, and a personally-guided tour of the sub-basement. Go ahead and accept the guided tour by Jean first. As you move through each room on the first two floors, Jean will provide background information on the room and various X-Men. Be sure to visit the Common Room in the West Wing of the Dormitories and play the Trivia game while Jean is with you; the exp bonuses for correct answers will be applied to both Magma and Jean! NOTE: On my replay game, I skipped both tours. When I played the trivia game, the exp was given to both Magma, and Storm (the last person I had talked to). So, the exp is given to Magma and whichever X-Man she talked to last. Interesting things to check: the easel in PETER'S ROOM; the Canadian flag in LOGAN'S ROOM; the picture of Jean in SCOTT'S ROOM; the rose pictures in JEAN'S ROOM; the chalkboard in HANK'S ROOM; the suitcase in ALISON'S ROOM; the desk in ORORO'S ROOM. After you're done exploring the first two levels of the Mansion, return to the Professor's office and agree to take the sub-basement tour. He will follow you at a surprisingly fast clip in his wheelchair, explaining the functions of the various rooms. Talk to him again to end the tour, and you're left free to explore on your own. Now that you're on your own, go ahead and contact Forge on the wall computer in the War Room, fulfilling one of the goals you have to meet before you can access the next mission. He reveals that the Brotherhood also attacked Dr. MacTaggert's facility on Muir Island, and stole a device to mask mutant DNA from genetic scanners. Interesting... Now, go explore a bit and talk to other members of the X-Men. You can find Beast in BEAST'S LAB, Storm in ORORO'S ROOM, Rogue in the SITTING ROOM, and Iceman in the DAY ROOM. After your little meet-and-greet with the other X-Men, now would be a good time to head to the Danger Room for some training (meeting the other X-Men adds them to your available team roster for training). Be sure to pick up the "TEAMWORK 102" Disc in the corner of the Danger Room control booth. When you're ready to access the next mission, go to the WAR ROOM and examine the holographic globe. C. HAARP FACILITY, ALASKA FROZEN FALLS - MISSION OBJECTIVES - Shut down surveillance system. NOTE: It is highly recommended you have a bridge-builder for the HAARP Facility. At this point, you have access to both Iceman and Jean Grey. Since Iceman can also extinguish fires, which you will desperately need on this level, he's your recommended civil engineer. You start the mission in a large circular clearing. Be sure your map is on, because I'm about to abitrarily assign directions. See the outline of the X-Jet on the map? It makes a perfect compass. The nose of the X-Jet will henceforth be pointing West. That's right: West. Head east through the only opening in the clearing, up onto a little ridge. Here, you will be set upon by a group of HAARP Facility employees, all eager to get the Employee of the Month award by trashing your team. Take 'em out. At This point, you'll be facing HAARP Security and HAARP Soldiers. Security is armed with a baton, and moves in for melee attacks. Soldiers are armed with machine guns, and try to move out of melee range so they can unload on you. Go for the soldiers first, as they will also occasionally throw grenades that can decimate a low-level team. Both Soldiers and Security are worth 11 exp apiece. Jump off the ridge to the east into a little river valley, with another encampment of HAARPers. Deal with them. NOTE: Iceman's Ice Beam and Storm's Whirlwind can both extinguish fires. This comes in handy a bit later. Head north. The river valley dead-ends at a large gorge, which will instantly kill any X-Man who falls into it, even though several of them can fly and/or are invulnerable. See the blue spinning "X" symbol? That's a signal that a mutant power's secondary ability can be used here. Using either Iceman's Ice Beam or Jean's Telekinesis, create a bridge. NOTE: If you stay on the ridge and follow the road north, instead of the river bed, HAARP flamethrowers will set burny obstacles in your path, forcing you to retreat (unless you have Storm or Iceman on hand to extinguish the blaze). Cross the bridge, and you will continue north in the river valley. You will reach a large steel door, the exit from this level. To your left, a small encampment of HAARPers guards one of your mission objectives: a small transformer. Defeat the guards and destroy the transformer. If you jump up the ledge just behind the encampment, you can find a sketchbook Pick-Up (HAARP soldier concept). Jump back down and head south and west, following the road. You will come to the second transformer, which is barely guarded. Take care of the guards and destroy the transformer. If you like, continue following the road to where the barrier was set ablaze. There are about a half-dozen enemies here, which is always good for some exp. Be sure to take out the new unit, the HAARP Flamethrower first, as his attacks can hit multiple team members. He is also worth 11 exp. Once you're done, head back to the giant steel door and pass through. THE BRIDGE - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Shut down surveillance system; destroy tank defenses. Check the location of the exit you've just come through on your map. It will mark the SOUTH border of the map, giving you another convenient compass. Follow the road to the west, taking out a minor encampment along the way. Directly north of this encampment, another transformer is in a small clearing, with a few guards. Take 'em out and destroy. Return to the road and follow it as it curves north. You'll come to a larger camp, and another transformer. There are a few more guards here. Beat ten kinds of hell out of 'em, and destroy the transformer. Directly west of this encampment, a ledge curves around. Follow it to reveal a COMIC BOOK pick-up. Go back to the road and follow it as it curves to the east, ending at a north to south river. There is another pesky encampment of HAARP rascals here. Following the river south just takes you back to the beginning of the level, so head north, fighting HAARPers until you pass under a large bridge. Directly north of the underpass is the last transformer. Destroying it gives you 100 exp. Head west from the transformer, and you will see a hill you can climb. Do so, and you will find yourself at the top of the bridge, right by a handy Xtraction Point. Save your game; the next boss is kinda pesky. Follow the bridge east. BOSS BATTLE - TANK (150 exp) As you approach the exit from this level, the door opens to disgorge several HAARPers and a tank. Yes, a tank. As long as the tank is functioning, more and more HAARPers will spawn, so you could take this opportunity to milk some exp. I wouldn't recommend it, though. The tank tracks your active character with its turret, firing a volley of missiles. The missiles explode for area damage, so it can wipe out your entire team, if you're not careful. Switch active control to your powerhouse character (I recommend Rogue or Beast) and jump onto the tank. You have to target and destroy the turret to defeat it. Fortunately, its bark is worse than its bite. A couple of Southern Smashes or Pinballs, and it's history. You can now pass through the exit to the next level. OUTER GROUNDS - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Find door (destroy more transformers, yo) Once again, check your map and use the exit you just came through as your compass, marking SOUTH on your map. Follow the road north, and you'll come to a train blocking the road. Defeat the soldiers here, TAKING CARE NOT TO STRIKE the squat red and yellow objects mixed in among the barrels and boxes. They explode, and can take off a fair amount of health. You can pick them up and throw them at your enemies, but you'll probably take out a teammate or two as well. Directly to the right is a large building. Take advantage of a game glitch and run straight up its side; on top is another DANGER ROOM DISC, for COMBINED POWERS 101. NOTE: if for some reason the glitch doesn't operate this time, use a flying character to get to the roof, or Beast's double-jump to get on top of the train and then on the roof. Drop down to the ground on the other side of the roadblock, and take care of the enemies here. Don't worry: you won't be alone for long. Your teammates will join you, using shortcuts only they know about. On your left will be a transformer, one of six. Destroy it. If you continue north, towards the bridge, rigged explosives will destroy it. If you have a flying character, you can fly across the gorge, only to drop to your doom about halfway across, because you probably don't have enough points invested in Flight to avoid sheer energy drain at this point. Let's just head west, instead. West of the destroyed bridge, you'll find another small enemy camp. Flatcars have dropped down creating a bridge here, allowing you to cross the gorge. Climb up the flatcar, turning to follow the railroad tracks immediately west. The red boxcar here has a Skill Point Pick-Up on top of it. Take whichever active character you want to have it, and jump up on top of the car (if your character doesn't have flight or another suitable skill, jump onto the metal hitch thingie, and jump again to the edge of the car; jump one more time, and you should end up on top of the car) to get it. Follow the tracks east, and you can drop down into a well-defended area near the level exit. The next two transformers are here. Kill the bad guys (well, technically YOU'RE the bad guys; they were just minding their own business and collecting a paycheck, until you came along and started slaughtering 'em) and destroy the transformers. You can now pass through the Eastern Exit. INNER GROUNDS - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Find Door (destroy transformers) Once again, use the exit as your reference point, this time denoting West on your map. Directly south of you is an Xtraction Point. Go ahead and use it if you need to. Directly east of your position is another enemy encampment. Take care of them, and jump up the ledge to your north. The next transformer is guarded here. The railroad continues here for a short distance, but there isn't anything to find on top of the cars this time. Follow the tracks to the eastern edge of the map, and bear south and east. You will come upon the next generator, guarded by some more HAARPers. Once again, maim, fight, and destroy. From this generator, head slightly to the SW. You will come to the edge of the cliff and see the road below you, and a large building beyond that. Jump down to the road and approach the building. Snipers on the roof will start firing at you. A large snowdrift offers roof access to both this building and another just SW of it. On the roof, take out the snipers and pick up another DANGER ROOM DISC, this one for "CHALLENGE - BEAST." If you try to pass behind the other building to the SW, a HAARP Flamethrower will ignite a barricade. You can either extinguish the fire with Iceman or Storm, or use the snowdrift to climb onto the building's roof, dropping down on the other side of the fire. Defeat the HAARPers here and destroy the last generator, which nets you another 100 exp. Be sure Iceman or Storm are on your team before heading any further east. BOSS (?) BATTLE - TANK (0 exp) Follow the road to the east, to reach the level exit. Several HAARPers will rush out to defend the base, accompanied by another tank. HAARP Flamethrower units will ignite a couple of barricades. These barricades are close together, making it difficult to get through without taking some damage. While your active character may be smart enough to realize that Fire Bad, your AI teammates will probably become crispy critters as they waltz back and forth through the flames. Use Iceman's Ice Beam or Storm's Whirlwind to extinguish the flames. This time, HAARPers don't spawn, so feel free to take them out before taking out the tank. This tank is a lot harder than the last. It takes longer to destroy, and fires more missiles. It apparently doesn't come with an exp award, or, if it does, it just didn't display it when I beat the tank. You'll probably go through a lot of Health Pick-Ups by the time this battle is done, so feel free to backtrack through the map to refill your inventory with pick- ups you didn't have room for at the time, before heading into the Facility. GROUND LEVEL - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Investigate the Brotherhood's activities. You start this level out in a huge garage. See the Xtraction Point against the wall? It's going to be our compass, denoting West. There's lots to destroy in this room, if you want a few Pick-Ups. Once you tire of the mass destruction, head up the staircase and through the only exit, to the North. As you enter this hallway, HAARP soldiers will turn on a forcefield that blocks any further advancement. Head through the door on your right, into a room that looks like living quarters for the HAARPers. In this room, the wall to your north is destructible, and you can bash your way in to the next room to the north, which appears to be a locker room. In the Locker Room, take care of the soldiers here, and then head through the door to your west, back into the hall. Here, you'll meet several more soldiers, as well as a HAARP Commander. He has a personal force field that makes him resistant to Physical attacks, so be sure to unload on him with your energy powers. He is worth 23 exp. You can access the control panel in this hallway to turn off the force barrier, but there's not really a need to. The hallway forks here, running north and west. At the far north end of this hallway is the level exit, but the door is locked. Instead, follow the hall west, into a large storage room. The high shelves in the Storage Room make it difficult to see around them. HAARPers are around every corner, so fold, spindle, and mutilate your way to the NW corner of the room, where a HAARP Commander is waiting. Use your energy powers to get rid of him again, and he'll drop a keycard. Pick it up with the Square button, and head out of the room. As you reach the fork in the hallway again, there's a door on the east wall that you can go through to enter the Rec Room. There's not much in here except a bunch of stuff to destroy. Go ahead and head north to exit this level. MESS HALL - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Investigate the Brotherhood's activities. As usual, use the exit you've just come from as your compass, this time indicating South. The hallway you're in, which is full of destructible items, curves East. At the end of this short hallway, a door leads north into the cafeteria. In the Cafeteria, you'll come face to face with a large group of HAARPers, led by another physically resistant Officer. Defeat them, and enter the small storeroom through the SW door. In the SW corner of the small storeroom, behind some boxes, you will find another DANGER ROOM DISC, this one for "COMBINED POWERS 102." Taking the north door of this small storeroom will lead you through a short hallway into the Kitchen, which exits back into the Cafeteria. The far north exit of the Cafeteria leads into another hallway, which is once again overzealously blocked by a force field. Head north into the Infirmary and destroy the East wall, making an opening into more Living Quarters. The control panel for the force field is here. Return to the hallway, and follow it until it curves North. The room to the South here contains another HAARP officer and some more soldiers. The level exit is to the North. SYSTEMS OPERATIONS - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Investigate the Brotherhood's activities. You know the drill by now: the exit you just came through marks "South" on your map. This short hallway opens into a long, narrow Generator Room (NOTE: the Generator Room looks more dangerous than it is. Although the floor beneath the walkway looks electrified and deadly, you can't actually leave the walkway to get to the floor beneath it). A HAARP Officer here will usually run like a bunny through the north door, leaving a few soldiers to fight you. Defeat them, and chase after the Officer, entering a large Computer Room. The Computer Room is populated by another HAARP Officer and a few more soldiers. Go through them like bad foreign water and head out the door to the west, which leads into a U-shaped hallway. The western door at the middle of the "U" is inaccessible, so follow the hallway around to head into another room to the east. This room appears to be a General Living Area. Deal with the HAARPers here, and head further east into another room, a large bi-level Command Center. Defeat another set of HAARPers, and head out through the south exit into another large bi-level room. At the end of this room are some more HAARPers. Smash, crash, and head out the east door. In this cross-shaped hallway, more HAARPers will ambush you. After taking care of them, the level exit is to your east. SATELLITE CONTROL CENTER - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Investigate the Brotherhood's activities; find Mystique or Toad. On this map, the exit you just came from will point West. Follow this hallway a short distance to the east and fight some more HAARPers. To your north is an Xtraction Point. Be sure to save your game, and then go through the south door into a large U-shaped bi-level room. In this room, fight the good fight and head out the east door. In this large computer room, a lab tech will confront your team, only to be revealed as Mystique. After some supervillainy smack-talk, Mystique summons Pyro to attack you. BOSS FIGHT - PYRO (51 exp) Pyro varies his attack according to the X-Men's range from him. If they are out of melee range, he will fire bursts from his flamethrower for medium Dmg. Within melee range, he will alternate between several different attacks. He can create small homing birds out of fire that strike for a small amount of Dmg. He can also create "Fire Demons" (11 exp apiece) that will engage you in melee battle. His most dangerous attack, however, is signaled by a pool of lava forming at his feet. When that pool forms, RUN AWAY FROM HIM; he is getting ready to release a narrow radial attack that is highly damaging. Before this battle begins, be sure to set your AI HEAL to "Less than 40% HP." This will help keep AI-controlled teammates alive, as they aren't quite bright enough to dodge his most damaging attack. Pyro is resistant to Energy Dmg, so switch your active control to a melee attacker (I recommend Rogue) and pummel him with physical attacks. Occasionally, he will become "Multiple Resistant," which I believe is triggered when he summons Fire Demons. Destroying the demons restores him to his regular resistances. Rogue's Ability Drain and Iceman's Ice Beam are both particularly effective against Pyro, as they slow him down, reducing the speed of his attacks. Iceman's Ice Beam can also extinguish some of his flame creations. Once Pyro goes down, head through the south door to meet a new generic enemy, the Brotherhood Marauder. Marauders attack physically, and are resistant to Energy Dmg. They are able to slam their fists into the ground, generating a radial shockwave that hits any standing characters, damaging them and knocking them down. They are worth 31 exp apiece. Defeat the two Marauders here, and follow the path around to a door on the west wall. In the next room, fight a couple more Marauders. You'll notice a small room to the north that is inaccessible. Break through the north wall, and you can fight another Marauder here. Not much else in this small room, so go back into the main room and exit through the south door, into a large bi-level Machinery Room. This room is swarming with Marauders. Defeat them as quickly as possible, but keep an eye on your HP, as those shockwaves can add up quickly. On the south end of the room is a large elevator, which takes you to the next level. MAIN TUNNELS - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Find Mystique or Toad. When you start this level, you will be right on an Xtraction Point. If neither Iceman nor Jean are on your team at this point, go ahead and add one of them. There's a point up ahead that's impassable without a bridge-builder on board. I actually prefer Jean to Iceman on this level, as there's a huge gorge you can TK your enemies into, saving yourself a lot of Dmg from fighting them directly. Incidentally, once you've encountered the Revolutionary minions, using TK or Whirlwind to throw them into the gorge nets you a huge exp bonus of 220 exp apiece, rather than the ordinary 67 exp they're normally worth. Marauders also net a Gorge Bonus, but it is only 103 exp, so focus on the Revolutionaries first, Marauders second. Bring up your large map and rotate it until the gold objective icon is directly above the blue Xtraction point icon: X | X | +---+ We will designate the corner of the level that the Xtraction Point occupies as the SE corner, and base our directions on that. With that in mind, head north to a large gorge and down some stairs to your west, where you will be swarmed by both Marauders, and a new enemy, the Brotherhood Revolutionary. The Revolutionaries are easily recognized by their green uniforms. They are resistant to physical attacks, and attack by either firing a powerful energy beam or by using a shorter-range arcing beam that stuns anyone it hits. They are worth 67 exp apiece. These battles with mixed groups are the most difficult thing you've faced so far, as Marauders and Revolutionaries will swarm you and overwhelm you if you're not careful. You might end up having to trek back to the Xtraction Point to revive some X-Men every now and then. REMEMBER: area effect attacks are your friends! After teaching the Brotherhood cannon fodder to maybe give peace a chance next time, head north to find the bridge is out. Have your bridge-builder create a crossing point for the others, and merrily skip across. Or stomp gloomily. Your choice. A Revolutionary is waiting for you across the bridge. Switch active control to Jean and use Telekinesis to gently lift him, move him out over the gorge, and drop him. Bam! 220 exp. Go up the stairs at the end of the bridge, and you'll encounter a large mixed group of Marauders and wacky green Revolutionaries. Keep control of Jean, targeting the Revolutionaries and dropping them into the gorge, getting 220 exp apiece. NOTE: If your TK victim is hit by one of your teammates while you're lifting and moving him, and the resulting damage is enough to finish him off, you'll only get the regular exp amount, plus a combo bonus. After dealing with all of the Brotherhood here, follow the path east, south, and east again, where a couple of Marauders will rush you. To the east, there is a ledge that drops down into the last room of the level. You can also take a narrow path to the north that curves around into the same area. There is no particular advantage or disadvantage to either, except that your teammates are better able to keep up with you if you follow the path. This new area is swarming with Marauders and Revolutionaries, but has a very sad lack of gorge access to drop them into. Defeat the holy heck out of everybody, but before you get on the elevator to exit the level, be sure to snag the DANGER ROOM DISC against the east wall; it unlocks "QUALIFYING EXAM 100." You are now free to exit the level. EXTERIOR ACCESS TUNNELS - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Find Mystique or Toad. You'll be immediately attacked as soon as you enter this level, so take care of bidness before worrying about compass points and whatnot. Also, be sure you have a bridge-builder for this level; otherwise, you'll be trekking back to the Xtraction Point to get one. After trouncing all the enemies in the room, including any that your over-eager teammates rushed off-screen to attract to you, check out the layout of this room: using the Xtraction Point as a reference, the staircase just ahead will be "North." Align your map as necessary. Head north down the stairs and take care of any enemies you haven't already beaten. A new enemy in this area is the Brotherhood Usurper, whose attacks and defenses are similar to the Revolutionary, but yields less exp (51 exp). As you head east toward a broken bridge, a small cul-de-sac to the south will yield a SKETCHBOOK. Build your bridge, and continue east. Cross as quickly as you can, because a few enemies on the other side will rush to attack you. Fighting while on a bridge can be deadly to both sides, as the momentum from melee combos can carry you right over the edge to your doom. Continue east and south, fighting as you go. Head up a slight incline, where you'll find an Xtraction Point, the level exit elevator, and a buttload of enemies. After defeating everybody, be sure to save before going up the elevator. VTOL PAD - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Fight Toad. BOSS BATTLE - TOAD (? exp) Compared to everything you did to get to this point, this Boss battle is a pushover. Toad's attacks all do physical damage, and have limited range. He will usually just punch and kick, but on occasion will use his X-Treme attack, a Tongue Lash, which doesn't do much damage, but flings all of his surrounding enemies away from him. Meanwhile, HAARPers will be coming up the elevators and attacking you. This is more of a nuisance than anything, but be sure to take 'em out, as most of 'em are carrying some decent pick-ups. Ever so often, Toad will start to glow, and his defensive status will change to "Multiple Resistances." This is a sign that he's getting ready to try to make a run for it via one of the single-person jets stashed around the perimeter of the pad. The jets are normally surrounded by an indestructible force field; find the one that's NOT glowing and destroy it quickly. Toad's resistances will return to normal, and you can pummel him some more. After a quick dialogue, which alludes to that wretched "toad struck by lightning" line from the first "X-Men" movie, you can experience a warm sense of accomplishment, as your first real game mission is accomplished. D. X-MANSION (II) EXTERIOR GROUNDS - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Sentinel flashback; Magma Test; Locate Professor Xavier and speak with him. Alison starts out relaxing by the pool, writing in her diary. When you get control back, head around the pool to talk to Iceman, who tells you about the recent mission at the HAARP Facility (and if I never have to type the acronym HAARP again, it'll be WAY too soon). Leave the pool and head toward the mansion. If you like, you can talk to a couple of generic students to get some background info on the X-Men and on General Kincaid. Check out one of the gazebos near the mansion door to find Jubilee, who is suddenly much more, um, BUXOM than I recall her being in the comics. Anyway, Boobilee and Magma quickly bond over some lame humor, and you can now train Juggylee in the Danger Room before accessing the next Mission. Speaking of the mansion, it's now time to head inside. GROUND FLOOR - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Sentinel flashback; Magma Test; Locate Professor Xavier and speak with him. Once inside, head to the Library, where Nightcrawler will teleport in and talk to you. During the course of the conversation, he will talk about Sentinels, and you get a chance to play the Sentinel Flashback mission (see WALKTHROUGH). Talking to Nightcrawler also makes him available for Danger Room training. While you're in the Library, don't forget to check your Comic Collection to get the stat bonuses. There's nothing else to do here, so head on upstairs. DORMITORIES - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Magma Test; Locate Professor Xavier and speak with him. At the top of the stairs, follow the little balcony towards the mansion's front door to pick up a DANGER ROOM DISC for the mission "PROTECT 202." While up here, indulge your sociopathic tendencies by going through a few more of the X-Men's belongings: check the wallmap in ROGUE'S room; the end table in LOGAN'S room; and the desk in HANK'S room. That's all that's up here for now, so take the elevator down to the sub- basement. SUB-BASEMENT - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Magma Test; Locate Professor Xavier and speak with him. In the MED-LAB, there is a Health Pick-Up in the back. In the BRIG, you can talk to Toad for a few hints about the Brotherhood's plans. In the WAR ROOM, you can talk to Cyclops, who reveals he was spying on your chat with Toad. Professor Xavier is in the Danger Room. Talk to him to begin a test of Magma's abilities. The test is really straightforward; simply defeat 22 of the Danger Room's robots. There are a multitude of Health and Power Pick-Ups along the way, and you'll discover that your carrying capacity has been increased to 15. After the test, a really cool CGI movie pisses me off with the suggestion that Magma's power level is comparable to the Phoenix. As if. MISSION OBJECTIVES: Play Juggernaut Flashback; Meet in War Room. After completing your test, spend some time in the Danger Room leveling up Jubilee and Nightcrawler to the other X-Men's level, if you wish. Before finding Beast in his Lab, be sure to save. When you talk to Beast, you get to play the Juggernaut Flashback mission. The Juggernaut flashback is pretty straightforward. Juggernaut is rampaging through the mansion, trying to find Professor Xavier. The original X-Men (in their old black and yellow costumes, no less) must defeat him before he finds him. When the mission begins, quickly run into the Entrance Hall. At the foot of the main stairs lies a DANGER ROOM DISC, "CHALLENGE - CYCLOPS." Now proceed to batter Juggernaut. A status bar on the lower left side of the screen shows how close he is to finding Xavier. You must defeat him before the status bar fills all the way. He is immune to mental damage at first, but after you have beaten him with physical attacks for a while, his helmet will come off, and Jean will be able to have full effect with her attacks. Be sure to use Iceman's Ice Beam to keep his movement slowed down (which also makes the status bar fill more slowly). Periodically, he will surround himself with a force field, becoming nearly immune to all attacks, and charge through the mansion. Chase after him. When he stops, the force field will drop, and you can attack him again. Utilize your combos, keep up the assault, and you should drop him before he reaches Professor X. When you're ready to access the next mission, head to the War Room. E. SENTINEL FLASHBACK SEVENTH AVENUE - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Battle the Sentinel; Protect the City. Yay! Classic X-Men action! For this Flashback Mission, you only have access to Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean Grey, and Nightcrawler for your team, all in their way cool costumes from the late 70's - early 80's. After a brief dialogue, a Sentinel attacks. Before fighting the Sentinel, quickly access the Characters Menu. Allocate Nightcrawler's stat and skill points as you see fit, and then access Jean's AI screen. Your opponents will all be Sentinels, which are nearly immune to psi attacks, making Jean fairly useless. Set her AI LEVEL to Defensive for this mission, which will keep her out of trouble. You can always switch to her and use her TK to hurl objects at the Sentinels, which the AI control never thinks to do. Between the other three X-Men at your disposal, you should make pretty short work of this first Sentinel. It uses a variety of medium-to-well damaging attacks, but is fairly slow. Your best bet is to circle behind it and mutant power it to death, particularly with Cyclops or Wolverine. Its attacks tend to have a long animation, with continuous damage while the attack is in operation. If a character is in the path of one of its continuous attacks, quickly switch control over to that character and move him or her out of the attack area. The Sentinel has several different attacks at its disposal: a long-lasting laser attack in an arc on the ground in front of it; a lingering poisonous gas cloud; and a crushing stomp. If a blue beam shoots from its eyes and starts probing the street, avoid it; any character hit by this beam gets target-locked for a missile attack. Once you defeat it, you will get 100 exp. Go back to where you started, next to a yellow cab. This end of the street shall be South on our homemade compass. To the east, a small alley winds between the buildings. Go through here and destroy some trash cans and whatnot if you need to refill your pick-ups. The alley turns north, revealing a DANGER ROOM DISC. Pick it up to unlock the training mission "DEFEND 202." Break down the wooden barrier at the end of the alley to find yourself back at the cross- road where you fought the first Sentinel. There is an Xtraction Point in the NW corner of this little plaza. Use it if you need to, and head north (east and west of here are both dead ends) to the level exit. EIGHTH AVENUE - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Defeat the Sentinels; Protect the City. As usual, align your map. The direction you just came from shall now and forevermore be known as "south." Head north up the street a little ways, and you'll be ambushed by two Sentinels. Take them on one at a time, using "Call Allies" to coordinate your attacks on one target. Try not to get between them, as their continuous attacks will leave you kinda dead. Defeating them earns you 200 exp. Head north. The T-intersection at the end of this path dead-ends in both directions, but there is a small alley to the west before you reach the inter- section that leads to the level exit. NOTE: If you've equipped Jean's Flight skill, she can levitate to the roofs of the buildings on either side of the street here, but there's not much more than a couple of minor pick-ups. Head on out the exit. NINTH AVENUE - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Find Escape Route; Protect the City. This level gets a lot harder. There are a lot more Sentinels to defeat before you can leave the area. As usual, align your map, making the direction you just came from "east." You start in a small alleyway. Head west, and it quickly forks, running west and south. Search the alley in both directions, looking for objects to break to replenish your pick-ups. Once you've destroyed everything in the alley, go back and take the south fork, exiting out onto the street, where you're promptly attack by a Sentinel, the first of five on this level. After defeating the Sentinel, go back into the alley and take the west fork (the street you were just on dead-ends in both directions) all the way out into the street, where you will be attacked by two more Sentinels. Beat them as quickly as you can (Power Combos are your FRIENDS!), and head down the street to the south. It quickly dead-ends, but another alleyway lies to the west. Go through it, praying for pick-ups. The alleyway curves north, spilling out into another street, where the last two Sentinels on this level are ready for a big group hug. Destroy them as quickly as possible, and follow the street to the level exit to the NW. TENTH AVENUE - MISSION OBJECTIVES: Hold out against the Sentinels; Protect the City. This is the last level of the flashback mission. You can be attacked by up to four Sentinels at a time here, so I hope you've leveled your characters really well. Align the map, direction you just came from being "south." There is a nearby Xtraction Point that I highly recommend you use. Head north, and you'll face the first of eight Sentinels on this level. Beat the tin man down, and check the little park area to the east. A Sentinel will fly down to attack you. Beat him, and four more will appear. Hurl your favorite swear word and proceed to avoid dying as best you can. My advice is to use your active character to "herd" the Sentinels by staying on the outside of the group and moving around their perimeter, attacking and running. The Sentinels will gradually drift together, making it easier for multi-target attacks to hit them. Attack a Sentinel, using "Call Allies" to combo the damage, and then run around the perimeter to the next. The Sentinels will be busy getting into each other's way, making it harder for them to target you. Eventually, all four will fall. Whew! In the SE corner of this park area is a trio of soda machines. Go check 'em out. Your quest for a cold refreshing beverage is the cue for another Sentinel to come flying down. After taking on four, this guy is a cakewalk. After defeating him, use Jean to fly to the roof of the building. There, you'll find a COMIC BOOK and a couple of miscellaneous pickups. Head back down to the ground and cross the street. There you'll find the last Sentinel. Beat him for a 500 exp bonus. Mission accomplished. X. EQUIPMENT Throughout the game, you can find or purchase different equipment items, to round out your character's abilities. Each character can equip up to three items: one Backpack or Artifact, one Belt, and one Armor. Item availability changes as the game progresses, so be sure to check out Forge's inventory after each mission. BACKPACKS Backpacks typically offer combat enhancement, giving additional abilities, or increasing the effectiveness of existing ones. BASIC DNA GENERATOR: 2000 TB; Improves EP regeneration by 25%. Available at beginning. DNA GENERATOR: 3000 TB: Improves EP regeneration by 50% Available after HAARP FACILITY. BASIC MUSCLE ACCELERATOR: 2000 TB; +10% to attack and movement speed. Available at beginning. BASIC POWER ENHANCER: 2000 TB; +9-11 Dmg on all mutant power attacks. Available at beginning. BASIC TARGETING IMPLANT: 1500 TB; +2% chance of critical ranged attack; stacks with Targeting skill. Available at beginning. BASIC TISSUE GENERATOR: 1000 TB; Allows character to regenerate 2 HP per sec, up to 25% of max HP. Available at beginning. TISSUE GENERATOR: 3000 TB; Allows character to regenerate 4 HP per sec, up to 50% of max HP. Available after HAARP FACILITY. BASIC WEAKNESS ANALYZER: 2000 TB; +2% chance of critical melee attack; stacks with Critical Strike skill. Available at beginning. BELTS Belts typically offer bonuses to characters' stats. BASIC AGILITY ENHANCER: 1000 TB; +1 to Agility. Available at beginning. AGILITY ENHANCER: 2000 TB; +2 to Agility. Available after HAARP FACILITY. BASIC BODY ENHANCER: 1000 TB; +1 to Body. Available at beginning. BODY ENHANCER: 2000 TB; +2 to Body. Available after HAARP FACILITY. BASIC FOCUS ENHANCER: 1000 TB; +1 to Focus. Available at beginning. FOCUS ENHANCER: 2000 TB; +2 to Focus. Available after HAARP FACILITY. BASIC STRIKE ENHANCER: 1000 TB; +1 to Strike. Available at beginning. STRIKE ENHANCER: 2000 TB; +2 to Strike. Available after HAARP FACILITY. ARMOR Armor provides added protection from different types of attacks. BASIC ELECTRON DEFLECTOR: 500 TB; +10% chance to deflect 15-18 Electrical Dmg. Available after HAARP FACILITY. BASIC ELEMENTAL DEFLECTOR: 500 TB; +10% chance to deflect 15-18 Elemental Dmg. Available after HAARP FACILITY. BASIC HARMONIC DEFLECTOR: 500 TB; +10% chance to deflect 15-18 Beam Dmg. Available after HAARP FACILITY. BASIC INERTIAL DAMPENER: 1000 TB; -20% Knockback. Available after HAARP FACILITY. BASIC INERTIAL DEFLECTOR: 500 TB; +10% chance to deflect 15-18 punch/kick Dmg. Available after HAARP FACILITY. BASIC NANOFIBER ARMOR: 2500 TB; -5 Dmg. Available at beginning. BASIC PSIONIC DEFLECTOR: 500 TB; +10% chance to reflect 15-18 Mental Dmg. Available after HAARP FACILITY. ARTIFACTS Not officially called "Artifacts" by the game, I gave them that title because they're very powerful and versatile items that require minimum Character Levels to even equip. Artifacts are equipped in the Backpack slot on the equipment screen. Artifacts are sometimes dropped by a defeated enemy, even in a Danger Room mission, which brings the savings to you! Some character-specific Artifacts are only available for completing the "Challenge" missions in the Danger Room for each character. Otherwise, Artifacts can be purchased from Forge or found in Healer's Grab Bags. NOTE: the "availability" description for each artifact refers to when it shows up in Forge's inventory. Most of the artifacts can be found or dropped at random, regardless of your progress in the game. NOTE: each Artifact is a unique item, and you can only own one of each. BANDS OF THE BEAST: 0 TB; +20% damage to Beast's mutant attacks; +5 to Strike; CL 20. Only Beast can equip; can only be obtained by completing CHALLENGE - BEAST in the Danger Room. BLACK TOM'S CANE: 2500 TB; +1 Body; -20% Beam Dmg; CL 7. Available at beginning. CANNONBALL'S FLAME: 4500 TB; -8 Dmg; +100-125 Dmg to flying melee attacks; CL 15. Available after HAARP FACILITY. DEATHBIRD'S JAVELIN: 6500 TB; +20% Attack and Run Speed; +9-11 bleed per sec for 5 sec to projectile attacks; CL 20. Available after HAARP FACILITY. THE EXODUS CLOAK: 30% chance to reflect Mental Dmg back at attacker; +80-100 Dmg to Humans; CL 18. FLIGHT OF THE NORTHSTAR: 2500 TB; 30% longer flight time; +20% Knockback to Knockback attacks; CL 10. Available at beginning. THE HAMMER OF NIMROD: 4500 TB; +125-150 Dmg to mutant attacks vs. Sentinels; CL 13. Available after HAARP FACILITY. LUCK OF THE LONGSHOT: 5500 TB; +1 to all stats; %5 chance to reflect punch or kick for 125-150 Phys Dmg; CL 17. Available at beginning. MANUAL OF THE PUCK: 4000 TB; +1 Agility; +15-18 Kick Dmg; CL 13. Available at beginning. OPAL OF OZYMANDIAS: 7000 TB; +5 Body; 30% chance to reflect all fire, cold, and wind damage back at attacker; CL 23. Available after HAARP FACILITY. RING OF POLARIS: 4000 TB; +1 Body; +20% Flight time; -40% Knockback; CL 13. Available after HAARP FACILITY. SHADOWCAT'S TOUCH: 4500 TB; -5 Dmg; +25-31 Punch/Kick Dmg to Robots; CL 15. Available at beginning. SPIKES OF PENANCE: 8000 TB; -8 Dmg; reflects 80-100 Phys Dmg to attacker; CL 27. Available after HAARP FACILITY. SUNFIRE'S MASK: -20% Dmg from fire; +9-11 Fire Dmg to mutant attacks; CL 16. THUNDERBIRD'S BEADS: 5000 TB; -20% Phys Dmg; Stun immunity; CL 18. Available at beginning. VINDICATOR'S GAUNTLETS: 4000 TB; +10% exp; -20% Beam Dmg; CL 14. Available after HAARP FACILITY. VISOR OF RETRIBUTION: 0 TB; +20% Optic Dmg; +5 Focus; CL 20. Only Cyclops can equip; can only be obtained by completing CHALLENGE - CYCLOPS in the Danger Room. WRATH OF WENDIGO: 4000 TB; -5 Dmg; -60% Pain; CL 14. Available at beginning. XI. DANGER ROOM In the Danger Room, you can use the training simulators to access training missions for your X-Men. They range from incredibly simple to dent-your-head- with-your-controller impossible. You can access the Danger Room either by physically visiting it while in the Mansion, or from any Xtraction Point. The missions in the Danger Room serve several purposes: A) You receive exp from fighting enemies in the Danger Room, and can level up your X-Men; B) It helps you formulate strategies for specific real-life missions later in the game; C) There are several Artifacts that can only be found by successfully completing certain DR missions; and D) You can find items and equipment in the Danger Room missions, just like you can on a real mission. The Danger Room Missions come in six levels, each progressively harder. Before you can go to the next level of missions, you have to AT LEAST complete the qualifying exam for the level you're on. It's just like those fascists who insist you complete grades 1-12 before graduating; it's just The Man keeping us down. Another requirement to access DR missions are the class credits. You earn credit points for successfully completing DR missions. Higher-level missions require that you have earned a certain amount of credits before you can access them. Each mission is worth a set amount of credit points for successful completion, and most allow you the chance to earn extra credit for meeting certain conditions: EFFICIENCY - Finish the mission with time left over. DEMOLITIONIST - Use lots and lots of power combos. TACTICIAN - Use all team members equally. UNTOUCHABLE - Take very little damage. The mission description will tell you what extra credit conditions are available. PLEASE NOTE: although DR missions require you to have a certain amount of credits before you can access them, you do not have to SPEND them. Your credits are basically just a score, and it never goes down (at least, not on the first date). Also, you can only earn credit awards for any particular mission ONCE. You can replay a mission as often as you like, but will only earn credits for uncompleted extra credit conditions on replay. FRESHMAN Mostly Tutorial-type missions, to get you used to the control and battle abilities. The first 8 missions are available the first time you access the Danger Room; the rest have to be found. SETTING 101 - HIDDEN GOODS (0 credits to access; earns 1 credit; extra credit available for EFFICIENCY) This is available the first time you access the Danger Room. As it is more of a Tutorial than an actual mission, you only have access to Magma as a character. In this mission, you have 30 seconds to destroy 7 crates. The crates are arranged in a circle around your starting point, and none are off-screen. Just run around the circle, destroying the crates. The only excuse for not completing this mission successfully would be a sudden crippling stroke, in which case you probably can't read this, and I can still safely mock you. SETTING 102 - THROWING (1 credit to access; earns 1 credit; extra credit available for EFFICIENCY) Another Tutorial, available from the beginning. Once again, you only have access to Magma. The set-up is the same as the last mission: 7 crates arranged in a circle around you. This time, you have 30 seconds to pick up and throw five of 'em. Easy as pie. MOVES 101 - TRIPLE HIT (1 credit to access; earns 2 credits; extra credits available for EFFICIENCY and UNTOUCHABLE) Okay, this picks up the pace a little. Once again, you only have access to Magma for this mission. You have 1 minute to defeat three opponents with the Triple Hit combo (X, X, X). Your enemies are Danger Room robots, worth 39 exp apiece. They will generate randomly on the screen, usually opening up with an energy blast. Sidestep the blast (to earn the UNTOUCH- ABLE credit) and Triple-X the heck out of 'em. One Triple-X is enough to defeat each robot. The Robots are the highest-exp opponents at this stage of the game, and Magma will probably go up a few levels. MOVES 102 - KNOCKBACK (2 credits to access; earns 2 credits; extra credits available for EFFICIENCY and UNTOUCHABLE) Once again, only Magma is available. You can still easily sidestep the laser attack to avoid damage and get the UNTOUCHABLE credit, and the Knockback combo (O, O) is easy to use. You have 1 minute to defeat three opponents with the Knockback combo. MOVES 103 - POPUP (2 credits to access; earns 2 credits; extra credits available for EFFICIENCY and UNTOUCHABLE) Another Magma-only mission. You must defeat four opponents with the Pop- Up combo (X, X, O) in 1 minute. Easy, easy, easy. MOVES 104 - TRIP (4 credits to access; earns 3 credits; extra credits available for EFFICIENCY and UNTOUCHABLE) Yep, just Magma again. Trip combo (X, O, X) five opponents in 2 minutes. This one gets a little harder, as enemies spawn faster. Still, it's nothing you can't handle, even with only one party member. MOVES 105 - STUN (4 credits to access; earns 3 credits; extra credits available for EFFICIENCY and UNTOUCHABLE) More Magma-only missiony stuff. This time, you have to defeat five enemies in 2 minutes with the Stun combo (O, X, O, O). This is a pain in the butt to get the UNTOUCHABLE bonus, as the enemies spawn much faster, and the Stun combo itself is rather slow, allowing a second enemy to beat the snot out of you while you're still comboing (is that even a word?) your current opponent. MOVES 106 - THROW (4 credits to access; earns 3 credits; extra credits available for EFFICIENCY and UNTOUCHABLE) Your last solo Tutorial. Use the Square button to throw enemies 7 times in two minutes. Easy to do, although the opponents can't be defeated with a single throw. They also tend to spawn in twos, making the UNTOUCHABLE bonus a chore to achieve; try throwing them into each other. TEAMWORK 101 (9 credits to access; earns 4 credits; extra credits available for EFFICIENCY, DEMOLITIONIST, TACTICIAN, and UNTOUCHABLE) Your first training mission with an X-Team. A simple mission. You merely have to press L2 10 times within 1 minute. A monkey could do it, but you'll probably want to try it yourself, because most monkeys won't care about the extra credits like you will. You will be rushed by constantly- spawning Brotherhood Thugs, Brotherhood Insurgents, and Anti-Mutant Troops. At low levels, may be a little difficult to survive. TEAMWORK 102 (9 credits to access; earns 4 credits; extra credits available for EFFICIENCY, DEMOLITIONIST, TACTICIAN, and UNTOUCHABLE) Similar to the preceding mission, right down to the goal. Call Allies 10 times in 1 minute. The enemies spawn a little faster, and are a bit tougher. COMBINED POWERS 101 (14 credits to access; earns 5 credits; extra credits available for EFFICIENCY, DEMOLITIONIST, TACTICIAN, and UNTOUCHABLE) A bit more tricky. Execute 5 power combinations within 4 minutes. Get your timing right on this one. Storm's whirlwind attack is perfect, as it stays on the screen for a couple of seconds. Whirlwind enemies, and then Call Allies. They should smack the enemies stuck in the whirlwind for an instant combo. Another good strategy is to use lots of radial attacks while pressing the Call Allies button; Jean's Psychic Shout/Scream is particularly effective. COMBINED POWERS 102 (14 credits to access; earns 5 credits; extra credits available for EFFICIENCY, DEMOLITIONIST, TACTICIAN, and UNTOUCHABLE) Execute 7 power combinations within 4 minutes. Use the same strategies as above. QUALIFYING EXAM 100 (28 credits to access; earns 0 credits; extra credits available for DEMOLITIONIST, TACTICIAN, and UNTOUCHABLE). Destroy 4 generators in 3 minutes. Easy as pie. HAARPers will swarm you while you try to accomplish your mission, but they're easily dealt with. Complete this mission to graduate to Sophomore level. SOPHOMORE The Sophomore Missions teach some more advanced strategies. You will also be able to access some character-specific challenges. PROTECT 201 (28 credits to access; earns 2 credits; extra credits available for DEMOLITIONIST, TACTICIAN, and UNTOUCHABLE). Ah, the Protection Missions. The bane of my existence. At least they're not TOO hard at the Sophomore level. You have four air vents that you must prevent from being destroyed for 2 minutes. They are stationed around the perimeter of the room. In a mission like this, where you're protecting stationary objects, radial attacks with a wide range are your best bet. Try to avoid chasing after enemies, and keep an eye on the objects you're protecting. Only attack enemies that are actively hitting your objects. DEFEND 201 (28 credits to access; earns 2 credits; extra credits available for DEMOLITIONIST, TACTICIAN, and UNTOUCHABLE). Just as frustrating as Protection missions, Defend missions require you to protect a living target. I recommend "herding" your targets together by running into them to push them in a certain direction. It's much easier than trying to keep an eye on them on opposite sides of the room. Also, try to concentrate on attacks that utilize side effects like Knockback or Confusion; this won't kill the enemy right away, but will prevent them from attacking. You must protect two "students" from being killed by marauding HAARPers. PROTECT 202 (34 credits to access; earns 3 credits; extra credits available for DEMOLITIONIST, TACTICIAN, and UNTOUCHABLE) Even harder than the last two missions. Protect one student and two computers from constantly-spawning HAARPers. DEFEND 202 (38 credits to access; earns 3 credits; extra credits available for DEMOLITIONIST, TACTICIAN, and UNTOUCHABLE) Here you have to defend a civilian and four vehicles from Anti-Mutant Troops and GRSO soldiers. CHALLENGE - BEAST (0 credits to access; earns 0 credits; extra credits are available for EFFICIENCY and UNTOUCHABLE; awards BANDS OF THE BEAST) Complete this mission to win Beast's unique artifact. Defeat 20 enemies within 2 minutes. You have unlimited EP, so just go hog-wild with your Propeller Kick. Be choosy with your targets, though. Some of your foes are physically resistant. Concentrate on normal enemies. CHALLENGE - CYCLOPS (0 credits to access; earns 0 credits; extra credits are available for EFFICIENCY and UNTOUCHABLE; earns VISOR OF RETRIBUTION) In Cyclops's solo mission, you have 2 minutes to defeat two Sentinels. With unlimited EP, use your optic blast to your heart's content. These Sentinels are more dangerous than the ones you fought in the SENTINEL FLASHBACK mission. They do extreme damage with each attack. In addition to abilities already covered, these Sentinels can fire eyebeams and drop energy grenades. Hit and run, baby; hit and run. If you're high enough level to equip the HAMMER OF NIMROD, do so. XII. SECRETS COMIC BOOKS There are several comics scattered throughout the game. Collecting them will give your characters special bonuses. ULTIMATE X-MEN #33 - Found in the EAST ROOFTOPS area of NEW YORK. Gives Wolverine a permanent +2 bonus to Striking and Agility. ULTIMATE X-MEN #9 - Found in the BRIDGE area of the HAARP FACILITY. Gives Iceman a permanent +2 bonus to Body. ULTIMATE X-MEN #39 - Found in the TENTH AVENUE area of the SENTINEL FLASHBACK Mission. Gives Nightcrawler a permanent +2 bonus to Agility and Focus. DANGER ROOM DISCS These are also scattered. Collecting them unlocks new training scenarios in the Danger Room, which come with special rewards of their own. If you miss out on a disc during a mission, you can sometimes obtain them from Healer. He will sell Qualifying Exam discs (which let you access the next level of Danger Room missions), and will sometimes have regular discs show up as Grab Bag items. This method of obtaining them is very costly, however, so you should make an effort to find the discs where they're hidden. See the DANGER ROOM section for further information on training missions. TEAMWORK 101 - Found in the NORTH ROOFTOPS area of NEW YORK. It's on the first landing of the series of stairs leading up to the X-Jet near the end of the level. TEAMWORK 102 - In the corner of the Danger Room control booth, your first time at the Mansion (X-MANSION (I)). COMBINED POWERS 101 - In the OUTER GROUNDS area of the HAARP FACILITY. On top of the building to the right of the train roadblock near the beginning of the level. COMBINED POWERS 102 - In the MESS HALL area of the HAARP FACILITY. Behind some crates in a small storeroom off of the main Cafeteria. QUALIFYING EXAM 100 - In the MAIN TUNNELS area of the HAARP FACILITY. By the elevator used to exit the level. CHALLENGE - BEAST - In the INNER GROUNDS area of the HAARP FACILITY. On top of a large building near the level exit. DEFEND 202 - At the beginning of the SENTINEL FLASHBACK mission. At the end of a small alley near where you start the mission. PROTECT 202 - During your second interstitial at the mansion (X-MANSION (II)). It's on the balcony at the head of the main staircase. CHALLENGE - CYCLOPS - Found during the JUGGERNAUT FLASHBACK mission. It's in the mansion's foyer, at the foot of the main stairs. CONCEPT ART Also hidden throughout the game, allows you to view the artwork of the game by looking at Colossus's sketchbook in his room. HAARP Soldier I - Found in the FROZEN FALLS area of the HAARP FACILITY, between some trees on a small ledge just left of the level exit. HAARP Soldier II - Found in the EXTERIOR ACCESS TUNNELS area of the HAARP FACILITY. In a small cul-de-sac before the broken bridge. X-TRIVIA In the Dormitories section of the X-Mansion, you have the opportunity to play a trivia game, with exp awarded for correct answers. There is already a FAQ out for this, but I wanted my FAQ to be as complete as possible, so I decided to include this part. Rather than just give the answers, I thought I'd provide a little x-tra trivia and background info for each question. I'm anal like that. ROGUE HAD ONCE BEEN ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED WITH WHICH EVIL MUTANT? During a time when she had left the X-Men for personal reasons, Rogue encountered the mind-wiped Magneto, and traveled with him for a time. The two became romantically involved, until his memories were restored, and he got all villainy again. THE ADDRESS FOR THE X-MANSION IS: 1407 Graymalkin Ln, in Westchester County, New York. OF THESE CHARACTERS, WHICH WAS THE FIRST X-MAN: Cyclops was the first given the title of an "X-Man." Although Jean Grey was the first to come to the mansion to learn about her powers, she was actually the last of the original X-Men to join the team. WHO ISN'T A MEMBER OF THE BROTHERHOOD? Gateway. Although at one point he served the evil Reavers as their transportation, he has never officially been a part of any team. NAME THE MACHINE XAVIER USES TO AUGMENT HIS PSYCHIC POWERS: Cerebro. Designed with the help of Magneto, Cerebro effectively extends the range of Xavier's powers to anywhere on the planet, although Magneto used his own abilities to alter the planet's magnetic fields to prevent that somewhat. WHY CAN'T CYCLOPS CONTROL HIS OPTIC BLAST? When their private plane came under attack, he and his brother Alex were shoved out the door with the one remaining parachute, which caught fire on the way down. The impact damaged the portion of Scott's brain which would have allowed him to turn his powers on and off. It apparently also permanently lodged a large stick up Scott's ass, as he remains one of the most humorless X-Men EVER. GAMBIT'S FATHER TRAINED HIM TO BE: A thief, yo. And a damn good one. Gambit belonged to the Thieves' Guild in New Orleans, set to one day take over the leadership when his adoptive father stepped down or died. NIGHTCRAWLER IS ORIGINALLY FROM: Germany. This is the reason for all of the "mein freund"'s, "ja"'s, "auf wiedersehen"'s, etc., in case you were wondering. WHEN JEAN GREY IS OVERWHELMED BY HER POWERS, SHE BECOMES: Well, technically, the answer they're looking for is "The Phoenix." But, Jean Grey and the Phoenix are two separate entities, and she is not likely to assume the full power of the Phoenix again. WHO IS CYCLOPS'S BROTHER? Alex Summers, aka Havok. Havok's abilities complement Cyclops's, and the two are immune to each other's powers. MOIRA MACTAGGERT RUNS WHAT FACILITY? She runs a mutant research facility on Muir Island, which was built to accommodate the special needs of her child, and which she continues to run after his death. WHO IS NOT TRULY A MUTANT? The Juggernaut, yo. Cain Marko was a normal human being before being mystically transformed into the Juggernaut. WOLVERINE WAS FORCED TO SLAY THE FATHER OF THE WOMAN HE LOVED. WHAT WAS THE FATHER'S NAME? Shingen, the leader of Clan Yashido. Wolverine fell in love with Mariko Yashido, only to come into conflict with her corrupt father, who was involved in criminal activities out the yin-yang. Wolverine killed Shingen in combat, restoring the honor of Clan Yashido, but which also prevented Mariko from being with her beloved, since he - you know - kinda killed her dad. The two were eventually reconciled, but wedding plans were stopped by the mutant Mastermind. Mariko was eventually killed, a fate that awaits most women who fall for Wolverine. See what happens when you avoid the nice guys and go for the bad boys, girls? CYCLOPS'S FATHER WAS LEADER OF WHAT GROUP? Believed dead, Christopher Summers had actually been abducted and enslaved by the alien race, the Shi'ar. He and several other slaves from various alien races made their escape, and became the intergalactic pirates known as the Starjammers. Christopher was reunited with his sons, but chose to remain with the Starjammers. WHO DEVELOPED SENTINELS AS A DETERRENT TO MUTANTS? Bolivar Trask was the original man behind the machines. After he died, his son Larry took up his helm. He died, too. The Sentinel program is now being maintained by the US Government as a fail-safe mechanism under the program "Project Wideawake." NOTE: Sebastian Shaw (answer A) is a member of "Project Wideawake," but as a superpowerful mutant, it is more as a means to keep an eye on the government. THE ORIGINAL X-MEN WENT TO THE "COFFEE A-GO-GO" TO LISTEN TO A BEATNIK KNOWN AS: I've read very little of the original X-Men, seeing as how an average issue of the original series goes for about $50.00, but the answer to this one is "Bernard the Poet." Just a word about the Beat generation: y'all were kinda goofy. MAGNETO'S OUTER SPACE BASE, ASTEROID M, HAS ALSO BEEN REFERRED TO AS: The Acolytes named the space station "Avalon," after the Heaven-like realm from King Arthur's mythology. WHO WEARS A HELMET TO PROTECT AGAINST PSIONIC ATTACKS? The Juggernaut, realizing he was vulnerable to his stepbrother's psychic abilities, constructed a helmet of mystic armor that shields his mind. Most of the X-Men's battles against the Juggernaut have ended pretty quickly, once they've gotten his helmet off. ... That sounded dirty. THE METAL BONDED TO WOLVERINE'S BONES IS: Adamantium. Don't bother looking it up on the Periodic Table or anything; Marvel made it up. Wolverine lost his adamantium skeleton for a time, due to injuries suffered from Magneto, but eventually had it restored by Apocalypse. Adamantium is an experimental metal that is completely indestructible by conventional means. WHICH IS A CODENAME FOR KITTY PRYDE? Upon first joining the X-Men, Kitty was given the codename "Sprite," perhaps because she was refreshing and effervescent. It was later changed to "Ariel." After her experiences with the demon ninja Ogun in Japan, she adopted the name "Shadowcat," which she felt was more appropriate to her state of mind, and has kept this codename ever since. TOAD'S REAL NAME IS: Mortimer Toynbee. Zoiks! I'd go with "Toad," too. ASIDE FROM BEING A POWERFUL TELEPATH, EMMA FROST CAN ALSO: While in combat, she discovered she had the ability to transform into a powerful diamond-like substance. How bitter am I that the game doesn't show her crystalline form? Pretty bitter, I tell ya. MOIRA'S SON, KEVIN MACTAGGERT, WAS ALSO KNOWN AS: A being of pure energy, Kevin had to possess human bodies to survive, eventually burning them out in the process. He adopted the name "Proteus," after the shapeshifter from Greek mythology, due to his constantly-changing identity. FOR A SHORT TIME, JEAN GREY WAS A MEMBER OF: Jean (actually, the Phoenix entity in Jean's guise) was psionically manipulated by the White Queen and Mastermind into believing she was the reincarnation of a founder of the Hellfire Club. She was eventually manipulated into giving in to her dark side, and helped the Hellfire Club capture the X-Men as their new Black Queen. She was eventually freed from their influence, but submerged herself into her powers, becoming the insane and evil Dark Phoenix. Cool red costume, though. WHICH X-MAN IS IMMUNE TO ROGUE'S POWER? Eh. The game says "Colossus," which I'm assuming means they are saying he is immune to her ability when in steel form. I'm afraid I'm going to have to cry "bull---t" on this one, though. At least in the past, Rogue has touched him in his steel form, causing him to revert back into human form, and temporarily giving her his armor power. This has happened on several different occasions in back issues of "Uncanny X-Men." NOTE: Alert reader Eliot L has informed me that Colossus was immune to Rogue's power in exactly one issue of "X-Men," that I apparently missed. STORM'S BIGGEST FEAR IS: Enclosed spaces. As a child, she was trapped under the rubble of her home with the bodies of her dead parents. As an adult, she has an extreme form of claustrophobia, going nearly catatonic when confined. Childhood trauma sucks like that. WHO IN THIS GROUP IS A MUTANT? Why, it's Bobby Drake, better known as Iceman! WHAT IS THE XAVIER PROTOCOL? The Xavier Protocol is the name given to Professor Xavier's secret extensive files on all known mutants, including their abilities, location, and secret identities. The Xavier Protocol has been hacked into as a plotline more times than I can count. You'd think they wouldn't just leave it lying around like that. Or at least rename the files; mutant- haters probably wouldn't think to open up "Minesweeper." PROFESSOR XAVIER BUILT CEREBRO WITH THE AID OF: Magneto, back when they were the best of buds. Of course, Cerebro has been directly responsible for Magneto's defeat countless times since. I'll bet he's still kicking himself over that one. FORGE IS A MEMBER OF WHICH NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE? Forge is full-blooded Cheyenne, and trained as a shaman to boot. The metal limbs come extra. THE COMIC BOOK "X-MEN #1," FEATURING THE X-MEN AND MAGNETO, APPEARED IN: September, 1963. And you can own said issue, if you have about $10,000 to spare. Jack Kirby was the original artist for the X-Men. You know, Jack Kirby had quite a fan following. I'm not one of them. Every single character he drew was short, squat, and trollish. That's right, Kirby! Your art SUCKED, man! WHO IS NEXT IN LINE TO LEAD THE X-MEN IF CYCLOPS IS UNABLE? "Next in line," my ass... Storm is CO-leader of the X-Men. At one point she defeated him in hand-to-hand combat WHILE STRIPPED OF HER POWERS over who would lead the X-Men. Credit where credit's due, people. PSYLOCKE IS FROM: England. Or Great Britain. Or the United Kingdom. Or whatever the hell you call it these days. WHERE DID JUBILEE LIVE FOR A SHORT TIME? Essentially homeless after her parents were killed, Jubilee fled group home placement to live in a Hollywood shopping mall for a time. After being targeted by mutant hunters, she was saved by members of the X-Men who had come there to shop. She followed them to their hq and lived there in secrecy, until the Reavers came back to reclaim their hideout. CYCLOPS DERIVES THE ENERGY FOR HIS OPTIC BLAST FROM: Solar energy, yo. Cyclops absorbs solar energy and converts it into power for his optic beam. He is capable of exhausting his optic blast if he uses it for some time without exposure to the sun. WHEN SHADOW KING FIRST MET PROFESSOR XAVIER, HE WAS KNOWN AS: Shadow King was in the guise of Amahl Farouk, a grotesquely obese Arab crimelord. Professor Xavier defeated him in psychic combat and banished his essence to the Astral Plane. THE MORLOCKS TOOK THEIR NAME FROM: The Morlocks' original leader, Callisto, named them for the underground future mutant race in H. G. Wells's "The Time Machine." Ya know, nothing has been revealed of Callisto's past, but she must have been pretty well- educated: she named the Morlocks from classic literature, and her name was taken from Greek mythology. GAMBIT'S POWER IS THE ABILITY TO: Cause voice actors to sound like Justin the Cajun Cook. Just kidding. He can convert an object's potential energy into kinetic energy, causing it to explode. JUBILEE IS THE UNOFFICIAL SIDEKICK OF WHICH X-MAN? After rescuing Wolverine from the Reavers, Jubilee traveled the world with him, coming to view him as a father figure in the process. Jubilee can get on my nerves (I know Kitty Pryde, and you, madam, are no Kitty Pryde!), but the storylines involving her and Wolverine are actually pretty touching. It was Sabretooth's threat to kill Jubilee that caused Wolverine to lobotomize him. AGAINST HER WILL, PSYLOCKE'S MIND WAS TRANSFERRED INTO THE BODY OF: Psylocke had her consciousness mystically transferred with that of a ninja assassin. She has come to terms with being stuck in her new body, and actually seems to prefer the enhanced combat skills that come with it. JUGGERNAUT RECEIVED HIS FANTASTIC POWERS FROM: Juggernaut was mystically endowed by the Gem of Cyttorak, a supremely- powerful extra-dimensional deity. The whole Juggernaut thing is always presented as a "curse." I don't get it. He was given incredible strength, endurance, and invulnerability. That's a curse?! Cyttorak really needs to look into his cursing strategies, before he curses some poor soul with eternal food, sex, and wealth. A NICKNAME FOR CYCLOPS IS: Scott "Slim" Summers. Jean's nickname is "Red," by the way. The two were once transferred into an alternate future, where they got the chance to raise Scott's son, Nathan, who would eventually grow up to be Cable. In order to preserve the timeline and keep their identities secret, they used their teenage nicknames as their identities, going by "Red" and "Slym," which looks like it should be pronounced "Slime," but isn't. SABRETOOTH AND WOLVERINE WORKED TOGETHER DOING COVERT OPERATIONS FOR: They were teamed together for a time working for both the CIA and Weapon X, before Sabretooth's bloodlust caused a falling-out with Wolverine, leaving them as mortal enemies today. KITTY PRYDE HAS A PET DRAGON NAMED: While on an outer space adventure on the Brood's home planet, Kitty was rescued by a tiny flying dragon, which became quite attached to her. She named it "Lockheed," after the original model of the X-Men's jet, the Blackbird. Broodworld was destroyed, and Lockheed presumed dead, but he managed to follow her back to the Earth through undisclosed means, and remains her constant companion today. Plus, he's cute as kitten britches. ONE NAME MYSTIQUE GOES BY IS: Raven Darkholme. Although often presented as her true identity, the multiple identities assumed by Mystique over the years make it doubtful that her true original name will ever be known. ONE OF STORM'S FAVORITE HOBBIES IS: Storm loves working with plants and gardening. She maintains a huge indoor garden in the attic of the X-Mansion, utilizing her mutant powers to water and care for it. IN ADDITION TO WOLVERINE, WHO HAS BEEN AN EXPERIMENT OF THE WEAPON X PROGRAM? Sabretooth was also part of Weapon X, although I doubt they experimented on him much. You'd think the whole "psychotic-loony-loves the taste of blood" thing would've tipped 'em off. WHEN DID COLOSSUS FIRST TURN INTO HIS METAL FORM? He rescued Illyana from being mowed down by a runaway tractor. Of course, the tractor was coming from 100 yards away (plus: tractors? Not exactly stealthy), officially designating Illyana as the least aware character ever presented. Dude, she didn't notice a TRACTOR bearing down on her! THE FIRST FIVE MEMBERS OF THE X-MEN WERE: Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, Beast, and Jean Grey, in that order. Although, as mentioned before, Jean was in the mansion before the others. She also used the codename "Marvel Girl," which makes me snicker. And then I remember the Scott/Jean wedding issue, where Jubilee was also making fun of the name "Marvel Girl," and suggested "Brain Babe," which makes me howl and occasionally wet my pants. WHEN DO A MUTANT'S POWERS NORMALLY FIRST ACTIVATE? Puberty, yo. As if all the regular hormonal changes and hair in new and exciting places weren't bad enough, they have to contend with growing extra appendages and vaporizing everything they look at. XIII. GLITCHES AND BUGS X-LEMMINGS The X-Men apparently not only must deal with a world that hates and fears them, but must constantly be on guard against the desire to hurl themselves over ledges to their doom. Try walking your active character over a fatal drop, and you'll see what I mean: 60% of the time, one or two AI characters will drop in right behind you. The only thing that keeps the last party member from following suit is that the game automatically switches characters when the active character dies. AI characters don't always require a leader's example to die; sometimes they'll take the plunge all by themselves. IT'S A BRIDGE! MUST CROSS! Sometimes, when you use Magma, Iceman, or Jean to create a bridge, one of the AI characters will immediately rush across it. Unfortunately, sometimes they will attempt to cross it before it's completely formed, plummeting to their death. DON'T TAKE IT SO HARD. I'M SURE IT HAPPENS TO ALL THE MUTANTS. Sometimes you'll approach an obstacle, stand on the blue symbol, and, well, your X-Man has trouble performing. No matter how you reposition yourself, switch powers, etc, the power stubbornly refuses to activate its secondary function and get past the obstacle. I've had this occur most often with bridge-building and welding. If your X-Men are having performance issues, try exiting the Level and coming back. If unable to exit the Level, try going to an Xtraction point and changing characters to another one with the same type of ability. If there are no Xtraction points available, or changing characters doesn't work, just about your only option is to load your last saved game and try again. If you STILL can't perform, try thinking about baseball. Or, you know, find another way. For example, if you can't build a bridge, have a character fly across, or have Nightcrawler teleport across the gap. WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GUYS COME FROM? As mentioned previously, occasionally the team will get separated when the active character moves off on his or her own in a manner that the others cannot follow. This most often occurs when the active character climbs onto a moving platform. The programmers have instituted an automatic "separation" policy, to prevent the X-Lemmings from trying to follow you and, well, splatting. The now-solo active character usually has to fight alone until they've created a way for the team to follow or returned to the team. Sometimes, however, when the active character is attacked, the remaining team members suddenly appear out of nowhere to lend a hand, and party separation is cancelled. I'm sure this is an unintentional bug, because: A. it doesn't always happen; and B. it happened once in a circumstance where the active character was heading toward a lever that would create a bridge for the other team members. The active character was attacked, and suddenly the rest of the team was there and the bridge was miraculously created without ever touching the lever. This is a harmless and sometimes useful glitch. WORDS FAIL ME Sometimes the spoken dialogue during a cut-scene will stop in mid-sentence, while the scene progresses. My game disk is brand new and scratch-free, so I'm calling this one a glitch. I KNOW YOU'RE THERE SOMEWHERE The game's AI usually only goes into battle mode when an enemy is sighted. Frequently, however, the game will enter battle mode whenever an enemy is on-screen, whether or not the enemy can actually be reached. For example: + + | | +---+ +---------------------------------+ | enemy | | +------------------------+ | | | | | +-----------| | | | | | | | x-men +------------------------+ | | | +---+ +---------------------------------+ | | + + As you can see in my pitiful ASCII map, the enemy and the X-Men are in adjacent rooms, but separated by an unbreakable wall. The game inexplicably lurches into battle mode, and your AI characters will rush into the wall and try to attack the enemy, frequently using their powers and gobbling EP like candy. When this happens, quickly move your active character away. Once you get far enough away, the AI characters will snap out of battle mode and rejoin you. DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME Usually, when you walk into another member of your team, they'll get out of your way. Sometimes though, the other members of your team will crowd you in and trap you. This usually happens in a doorway, but I have also had it happen in corners. The quickest way out of this is to switch control to an unblocked character. This glitch seems to be due to faulty AI. Thanks to Julian S. for reminding me about this one! REVENGE OF SHADOWCAT Perhaps bitter about being left out of the game (not as bitter as me, sweetie; your day will come) Kitty Pryde is apparently sneaking around behind the scenes and using her phasing power to make the walls semi-permeable. "Semi-permeable" means that objects will pass through, but you won't. There's nothing quite like breaking 50 objects in a room to finally reveal a direly-needed Health Pick-Up, only to watch it go sailing away through a solid wall, never to be seen again, much less used. GRAVITY, SCHMAVITY 90 degree incline? No problem! Stare in awe as your X-Men occasionally run straight up a wall or tree! Pound your head against your desk as they plummet down the other side and sometimes get stuck! XIV. REVIEW Under construction XV. THANKS Thanks to www.imdb.net for providing additional info on the voice actors. Thanks to "The Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe" (tm Marvel Comics, Inc.) for providing excellent reference materials for each character's powers and backstories. Thanks to Activision and Raven Software for providing such a huge gaming experience. Thanks to Julian S and Scott E for additional tips and corrections! Thanks to Marc L for introducing me to the Mystery and the Wonder that is The Bounty! Thanks to Charles B for the Quick n' Easy Combo! Thanks to Eliot L for additional info on the X-Trivia, as well as just having the funnest e-mails ever! Thanks to Matt T for additional info on the Fastball Special! Thanks to Stephen N at IGN for the invite to share my FAQ! Thanks to Leet Haxor for the handy spam-protective e-mail suggestion! Most of all, thanks to each and every person that has e-mailed me with compliments and suggestions. They keep me going, guys. It's like crack.