X-Men: Children of the Atom Script by: Danny Devlin Cast: Professor Xavier: Patrick Stewart Wolverine: Hugh Jackman Cyclops: James Marsden Jean Grey: Famke Jansenn Storm: Halle Berry Warren Worthington, III (Angel): Matt Damon Hank McCoy: Robin Williams Rogue: Anna Paquin Gambit: Steven Dorff Val Cooper: Nicole Kidman Alex Summers(Havok): Hayden Christiansen Dr. Robert Trask: Alex Trebek (yes, I’m serious) Peter Henry Gyrich: Matthew Sharp INT. PRESIDENTS OFFICE We see Valerie Cooper, a young, well dressed woman storming down the hallway towards the presidents office. She is about 27, and wears a blazer and skirt. She knocks on the presidents door, doesn’t bother waiting for an answer, and storms in. The president looks up. PREZ: what is the meaning of this? Ms. Cooper? VAL: what is operation: wide awake? The president shrugs. PREZ: I believe it is Dr. Trask’s project. Why do you ask? VAL: Because I am the appointed overseer of that project, and Trask won’t even let me see what he is doing!!! PREZ: And you want me to let you in? VAL: NO! I want you to talk to him! I need to have access to this! Ever since Gyrich died, all Trask has been talking about is the mission he promised Gyrich he would do. WHAT IS THIS MISSION? PREZ: I do not know, Ms. Cooper. I will talk to him. There is a pause, and the two are staring each other down. PREZ: You are dismissed, Ms. Cooper. Valerie sighs heavily and turns on her heel to walk out of the office. She gently closes the door and when she turns around, her path is blocked by a good looking young man, about 29 years old, wearing a black leather jacket , black shirt and black pants, with black sunglasses. His name is Alex, and he has blonde hair, cut short. VAL: Oh! Alex, you frightened me. ALEX: Sorry. What did you find out? VAL: Nothing. The president is even more clueless than you or I. (lowering her voice)Did you get in touch with Dr.Xavier? ALEX: No, I left a message. Third one this week. VAL: That man is the most knowledgeable resource on mutants of anybody in the world, Alex. He could help you. Val walks past him, but he stands staring at the presidents door. ALEX: I hope so. He turns and walks out. CUT TO INT. X-MANSION. DANGER ROOM Cyclops is teaching Rogue how too absorb mutant powers with no lasting effect. CYKE: If you concentrate hard enough and use your power for only a moment, you might be able to “borrow” my powers temporarily. Rogue nods, but seems reluctant to do so. She removes her glove and touches Cyclops’ face gingerly. We see his veins through his skins, and she closes her eyes. When she removes her hand, she opens her eyes, and they are glowing hot red. ROGUE: I…I can feel the power…in my head…behind my eyes..I Before she can utter another word, red beams erupt out of her eyes, hitting Cyclops in the chest. He doesn’t flinch. When the power stops pouring forth, Rogue talks. ROGUE: Why didn’t…you’re not hurt…? CYKE: I have an immunity to my own powers. Rogue nods, as the camera pans up, showing a black window. CUT TO. INT. DR CONTROL ROOM Professor Xavier is watching the training exercise when the door slides open. With out moving a muscle, Proffesor X says PROFX: Hello, Henry. His guest is not startled: he expected this. He is fairly tall, about six feet. He has large hands, and shaggy brown hair, pulled neatly back in a ponytail. He is a large man. His name is HANK McCOY. He is a world reknowned geneticist, and an old friend of Charles. HANK: Hello, Professor. How goes the training session? PROFX: Better. Marie is showing signs of improvement. She has, while very limited, at least some degree of control over her mutant ability. Hank nods, and both watch as Rogue attempts to control Cyclops’ powers. Then. HANK: Professor, I’ve just finished calculating the results of Rogue’s test. PROFX: And? HANK: she is an extremely intelligent young girl, with a low level of psionic abilities, as you believed. But, Professor, I found something else interesting… PROFX: Yes, Henry? HANK: she has. . .potential. Professor… she may be able to fly. CUT TO EXT. A LARGE GREY METAL BUILDING. DAY. The building is large and grey. (Duh.) it has only one door. CUT TO INT. LAB. Dr. Robert Trask is busily studying schematics and such, when the phone rings. He walks annodinly over to it. TRASK: trask here. VOICE: (V.O.) Meet me at the Washington Monument in fifteen minutes. TRASK: What? Who is this? VOICE: fifteen minutes. Be there. There is a click, and then a long beeeeeeep, as the voice has hung up. Trask sits there, bewildered, and then reaches for his jacket. CUT TO. EXT. A ROAD. Snow blows all around, and through the snow, we see a headlight, coming at us in alarming speed. As it gets closer, we see the driver is none other than WOLVERINE. The camera follows him as he drives through, and as the camera turns, we see a large building complex fenced off by a barbwire fence. CUT TO EXT. OUTSIDE THE BUILDING WOLVERINE gets off of his bike, and pulls his jacket tightly around him, a cigar in his mouth. He looks at the building, and then, the screen slowly fades into a time in the past, when WOLVERINE is suspended in a tube of liquid, people all around him drinking champagne, a few looking and pointing at him. He itches his hands, when the claws pop out, and he screams. WOLV: (shudders) Never again. He walks towards the building. CUT TO EXT. THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT We see Trask waiting for whoever told him to be here. A man walks up behind Trask and whispers in his ear. GYRICH: Hello, Trask. Trask jumps, startled. When he sees who it is, he looks as if he has seen a ghost. Maybe he has. TRASK: G—gyrich? You’re.. GYRICH: Dead, Trask? No, nout quite, my friend. TRASK: But, how could you…the coronoer said you were mauled by a bear… GYRICH: That wasn’t me you fool! That was a dummy. You don’t get it, do you? Magento wanted me, needed me. I was number two on his list to be turned into a mutant. They picked some schmuck off the street and had that monster Sabretooth do a number on him. Then they planted my identification and clothes on it. The guy was so torn up that no amount of testing could prove that he wasn’t me. When Magneto was captured, I eventually was able to escape, thanks to my friend. TRASK is shocked: he believes he has seen the Impossible. TRASK:Friend? GYRICH leads Trask over to a waiting limousine. GYRICH: I’ll tell you all about it, my friend… Both men get into the limousine as the camera cuts to EXT. FOX BUILDING. The X-Rolls Royce pulls up and Professor Xavier and Hank McCoy step out, being trailed by Jean Grey. Jean pushes the professor inside and Hank follows as the camera cuts to INT> FOX BUILDING Inside is a bustle of activity, and a female attendent runs up to Professor Xavier. GIRL: Professor! You’re just in time. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to make-up to prepare for your interview. Thre group starts to walk. HANK: Charles, do you really believe this is wise? PROF: You know as well as I do Hank, that I must do this. I know I’m fighting a losing battle, but someone must champion the cause. I am the most knowledgeable person about mutants in the world. I am expected to fight this battle. HANK: but, professor.. JEAN: Hank, the professor knows what he must do. Just as you continually search for the answer to genetic mutation, the Professor continually fights for equal mutant rights. Hank sighs, defeated, and the group continues to walk. Camera cuts to INT. CANADA. We see Wolveirne inside the large building. Around him are shattered tubes, and machinery. He walks up to large door, which reads “Project: Weapon X” WOLV: Weapon X? He touches the door, and it slides open upon his touch, startling him. Inside the room is much different. Extremly modern and computerized. All the lights are off, and Logan stops to light a match. He finds a switch and throws it on, bringing the room around him to life. A large screen is in front of him, and it flickers to life. A large stylized X appears. WOLV: What the hell… A woman doctor comes on screen. WOMAN: We started the Weapon X project as a top secret government initiative known as Project: Alpha Flight. The original idea was to create the ultimate killing machine: unbreakable, super-powerful, vicious. We picked up our first subject, the man known as Victor Creed… The screen shows a picture of Sabretooth, and wolveirne growls. WOMAN: …in a cabin in Canada. Our second subject, Logan, was found in Japan. These two men were chosen because of their unique mutant ability to completely heal any wound. . .no other person would be able to survive the bonding process. Befroe the operation, we totally wiped both of their minds. Our first subject, who was known only as Logan, was a success…the adamantium metal bonded totally to his skeleton, and was not rejected by his body. We were preparing to begin the second operation, when Logan, now codenamed Wolverine, suddenly experienced radical side-effects to the bonding process. 9 inch retractable claws made of adamantium suddenly poped out of the area between his knuckles on both hands. He used these claws to tear apart his holding cell, and, in an anamalistic rage, destroyed everything around him. Wolveine growls and pops out his claws on his right hand. WOMAN: this video tape is the only known copy of the complete Weapon X program. The screen blipped out, and Wolverine is standing there shocked. Camera cuts to INT. LARGE BUILDING –DC Dr. Trask and Gyrich are coming into the building, and Trask is asking Gyrich questions. TRASK: How did you escape? Who’s your friend? Why did I have to continue work on Operation: Wide Awake? GYRICH: Robert Trask, allow me to introduce my associate…our associte… He points to a corener where a man walks out of. He is tall and well built, with red-brown hair that hangs down behind his ears, and a scruffy goatee. His eyes are red. He has a smirk on his face. REMY: Hey, mon ami, de name is Remy,Remy LeBeau. Non? He shakes hands with Trask. GYRICH: Remy was a neophyte member of Magento’s brotherhood, Dr. Trask. He had never seen action, was still learning to develop his mutant powers. And he helped me escape. So, I gave him stock in our mission. TRASK: Mutant? What…what can he… REMY: I blow sutff up real good. GYRICH: He can tap into the potential energy of any object, change it into kinetic energy and detonate them. He was a member of the Thieves Guild in New Orleans before Magneto picked him up. Remy pulls a card out from his trenchcoat, charges it and throws it agasint the wall in a perfect beeline, making a decent size explosion. Both men watch with satisfaction. GYRICH: Mr. LeBeau…Dr. Trask… He leads them over to a large door, which opens automatically. When they step inside, the camera pans up to shows an army of large robots…Sentinels. GYRICH: …welcome to the future. Camera cuts to INT. XAVIER SCHOOL FOR HIGHER LEARNING Cyclops calls the others to gather around the television. We see many mutants, including Kitty who drops in from the ceiling, Jubilee, Piotr, Quicksilver, Blob, Pyro and finally Bobby and Rogue, who walk in together. CYKE: The interview is about to start. He turns the television on, and the Fox News logo fills the screen as the Camera cuts to INT. FOX BUILDING Professor Xavier is ready to begin his interview. REPORTER: I’m Mike Fall with Fox News Tonight. We’ll have all you weather and sports updates but first, our top story: The Mutant Problem. Are mutants dangerous? Are they being discriminated against? We’ll hear from two leading authorities on Mutants. First, Professor Charles Xavier, the leading authority on mutants. Welcome to the show, Professor. PROF: Thank you, Mike. FALL: and second, Graydon Creed, the founder of an anti-mutant group, Friends of Humanity. Welcome, MR. Creed. CREED: Thank you, Mike. Good evening, Pofessor. The professor nods. PROF: Mr. Creed. Mike, I’d like to start off by saying that mutants are not a monolitich group, per se. They do not possess one set of abilities or goals. They are individuals, and should be judged as such. CREED: But, Professor, these individuals do possess some pretty scary powers…how are normal humans to protect themselves against these… PROF: I believe the word you are looking for, MR. Creed, is humans. CREED: They are not humans, Professor. You can not call them humans. In fact, the genetic term for “mutant” is Homo Sapien Superior… a term which relates to a different speicies all together. PROF: Mr. Creed, your fears are based in the same hatred that surrounds racism and prejudice. . . CREED: And your beliefs, Professor, are based on the fact that nobody has anything to fear from mutants! Not long ago, a mutant madman tried to mutate the entire convention of UN world leaders! If we have nothing to fear from mutants, then. . . The screen goes blank and the camera pans back to Cyclops, whos eyes are glowing like amber. ROGUE: I don’t know ‘bout y’all, but ah feel the need to break sumthin. . .anyone care ta join me in the danger room? The mutants leave to go to the Danger Room. Camera cuts to EXT. FOX BUILDING. The Professor is being escorted by Jean and Hank to the Rolls. JEAN: No, Hank, we got slaughtered. Creed played to peoples emotions… he. . . She is interrupted as a good looking young man runs up to the professor. He is tall and dressed well. He has longish blonde hair. MAN: Excuse me, Professor, my names is Warren Worthington, III. I was in the audience during your debate. I’d like to talk with you about some of the things you said, and. . . PROF: I don’t know, Mr. Worthington, I really must be going… He is cut off when Graydon Creed walks out, being escorted by his own men. The media is following after him. WARREN: It’s men like him that make this world a scary place to live. The professor regards him with an inquisitive eye. He is reading his mind. PROF: Um, Mr. Worthington, I’d be honored if you’d join me. . . WARREN: Thank you, Professor. They all get into the Rolls as the camera CUTS TO EXT. SENTINEL BUILDING-WASH,DC A convertible pulls up, and both Val Cooper and Alex Summers get out. Val goes and bangs on the door. INT. SENTINEL WAREHOUSE TRASK: It’s that bitch Cooper, and her boytoy Summers. Both of you hide. I’l deal with her. He opens the door. TRASK: Valerie! How nice to see you. And Mr. Summers. A Pleasure, as usual. ALEX: Enough crap, Trask. We want to know whats going on here. TRASK: Oh, Please, come in! Come in! The couple walks in and they see an office. VAL: this is operation:wideawake? TRASK: The same. Nothing more than a national mutant survey. Alex eyes Trask with suspicion. VAL: I don’t believe you, Trask, but I can’t prove any differently. You’re a lucky man, Trask. Let’s go, Alex. She walks out, and Alex follows her. ALEX: He’s ;lying. There’s more to it than that. VAL: Of course hes lying, Alex. And we’re going to find out exactly what Wide awake is. ALEX: YOU are, Valerie. I’m going to Westchester. I’m going to find Xavier. VAL: Oh? Good for you, Alex. When is your flight? ALEX: Tomorrow. CAMERA CUTS TO INT. SENTINEL WAREHOUSE TRASK: You can come out, shes gone. REMY: Dat bitch knows too much. GYRICH: Remy is right, you have to get rid of her. TRASK: I can’t do that without attracting too much attention. . . GYRICH: Then we have to launch the project before she finds out what it is. TRASK: No, its too early, I. . . GYRICH: How many working models do we have? TRASK: 6. Two flights of Sentinels are operational. GYRICH: Remy, where was that stray mutant. . .whats his name… REMY: Wolverine GYRICH: Right, Wolverine. Where was he? REMY: Canada. De ole Department H headquarters. GYRICH: Excellent work, Remy. Dr. Trask, let us test our first Sentinel…send him to acquire Mutant designate: Wolverine. TRASK: But I… GYRICH: Do it, Trask. REMY holds a charged ace at Trask’s neck. REMY: I’d do dis t’ing if’n I was you. TRASK: Fine. TRASK walks over to the computer and types in a few command lines. TRASK: there. Sentinel A-4 is armed. The doors behind them slide open, and a giant robot steps out. His eyes glow red. SENTA4: Sentinel A-4 online. Ready for instructions. GYRICH: Tell him what to do, Trask. Trask is busily typing in commands. SENTA4: Understood. This unit is on its mission. GYRICH: Wait. Unti A-4…Stealth mode. The sentinel ripples and disappears, it is in stealh mode. The roof opens up and the sentinel roars silently out as the carmer CUTS TO INT. X-ROLLS ROYCE Professor X is sitting with Hank and Warren, Jean is driving. PROFX: Warren, tell me a little about yourself. WARREN:Sure, My name is Warren Worthington , III. I inherited a great deal of money from my father, and I live out in Colorado, in the Rockies. HANK: What are you doing all the way over here? WARREN: When I heard that the famous Professor Xavier was going to be giving a speech on mutants, I couldn’t resist. I flew out here. HANK: Ah. Private jet. WARREN: Uh…not…exactly… HANK: What are you saying, Warren? PROFX: Hank, Warren is a mutant. Warren looks surprised. WARREN: How did you know that? PROFX: (in his mind) It is okay, my son. We are all mutants here. Warren looks spooked. WARREN: But… PROFX: I am professor Charles Francis Xavier, founder and head of Xaviers School for Gifted Youngsters, a place for mutants who want to learn how to control their powers. You are Warren Kenneth Worthington, III. For a time, you were a man known as the Avenging Angel. But your parents died, and yu went home to take over the family business. WARREN: How… PROFX : (aloud) This is my mutant birthright: the power of telepathy. I can read and control minds, and prject my own thoughts into the minds of others. WARREN: Then he.. He points to Hank. HANK: Henry McCoy, biochemist. My mutant ability is an overall heightened ability of agility, speed, strength, and endurance. JEAN: I am Jean Grey, a telepath and telekinetic. WARREN: This..is…too much, I. . . PROFX: Warren. . .join us. . . Warren looks at Professor X’s outstretched hand as the camera CUTS TO INT. LARGE BUILDING Wolveirne has begun to wreak havoc on the room, with computers thrown evcerywhere, the message playing again in the background. WOLV: MY WHOLE LIFE! A DAMN LIE! He stops and breathes heavily. Overhead, the snow sky is parted by as dark shadow moving slowly into the area. Wolverine sniffs the air. WOLV: Oil? He looks up as the giant robot lands with a thud. SENTA4: Mutant designate: Wolverine. Stop where you are. His claws pop out with a snikt and Wolverine growls. The Sentinel lifts a giant hand and fires an energy beam at Logan but he dodges it. WOLV: Not, bad, buddy. But you can’t beat this! Wolverine lunges at the Senitnel and slices a hole in its leg. It falls to the ground and Wolverine begins hacking away at its head. The Sentinel sparks and wolverine is thrown off. It stand on it operational leg and ties Wolverine up in a wire. Wolverine is lifted high into the air when he cuts through the wire, and drops to the ground, and then takes out the Sentinels good leg, all in one motion. SENTA4: This unit suffering extensive damage. Primary objective has changed. Primary objective: destroy Mutant Designate: Wolverine by whatever means necessary. All around the sentinel, bits of metal begin to move off the ground and begin to repair the sentinels damaged areas. WOLV: Ah, geez. . . He runs out of the building as the large sentinel stands up, bringing most of the building down with him. He fires an energy blast at Wolverine, who is hit, and goes down. WOLV: Help. . .me. . . He passes out, and the Sentinel walks up towards him. CUT TO. INT X-ROLLS ROYCE PROFX: Stop the car! The Rolls comes to a screeching halt and Professor Xavier touches his temples. PROFX: Logan is in trouble. He is being.. . hunted by. . .some. . .thing, I. . .Jean, inform Cyclops, Storm and Rogue they are to travel to Canada and help Logan in whatever way possible. And quickly! JEAN: I’m already on it, Professor. She reaches out to touch Cyclops’ mind, and the camera pulls away from the rolls and files at high speed over the road system to Cyclops. CYKE: Stop the Danger Room simulation. Storm runs into the control Room. STORM: Scott, I. . . CYKE: I know, Ororo. Prep the jet. I’ll get the costumes. Storm is already going as Rogue comes into the room. ROGUE: What’s tha matta? CYKE: Wolverine is in trouble. ROGUE: Logan… She touches her chest where Wolverines dog tags are. ROGUE: I’m comin with ya. Cyke turns to her, eyes flashing. CYKE: No, you’re not. Its too dangerous, you’re too young. ROGUE: Mista Summas, I… CYKE”You nothing, Rogue. Please stay here. He turns and runs towards the costumes. Rogue fumes. CUT TO. EXT. A ROAD Alex Summers is tearing down the road on his motorcycle. He arrives as the X-Mansion just as the X-Jet takes off. ALEX: What the hell? He touches a button on the side of the gate, and a voice comes through. VOICE: Yes? ALEX: I’m here to see Professor Xavier. My name is Alex Summers. VOICE: the professor is out, but I. . . It breaks off. VOICE: Please come in. The gates open and Alex goes in. CUT TO. INT SENTINEL BUILDING REMY: De op’ration a success, non? GYRICH Wolverine is dwon, yes. But the Sentinel is still repairing itself. Trask, how much longer util the Sentinel reaches full operastional status? TRASK: About 10 minutes. GYRICH: Fine. Continue regular monitoring of the mutant. CUT TO. INT. X-MANSION Bobby Drake is escorting Alex through the halls. BOBBY: I’m sorry, Mr. Summers, but the professor is out right now. However, he should be back in a few minutes if you want to wait? ALEX: Sure, Bobby, that sounds great. Where is he? BOBBY: He was at a news show. They were interviewing him an Mr. . . uh… ALEX: Creed. Graydon Creed. Founder of Friends of Humantiy. BOBBY: Right. How’d ya know that? ALEX: I’ve been following the professors studies for some years now. As for Mr. Creed, I feel he is a prejudist fool. BOBBY: Yeah, so do I. They come to the professors private study. BOBBY: You caN WAIT HERE. ALEX: Thanks. Bobby leaves and the camera cuts to EXT. SENTINEL FACTORY Val Cooper pulls up and gets out, she abgs on the door. Trask opens up. TRASK: Yes, Ms Cooper? She holds up a piece of paper. VAL: This is an order from the President himself to force you to let me in. I want to know exactly what Operation: Wide Awake is. TRASK: Come in! Where is Alex? VAL: He. ..has business of his own to conduct. TRASK: I see. VAL: Now, Trask, explain to me exactly what Operation:wide awakes purpose is. TRASK: it is little more than a mutant database. . , VAL: a psuedo- Mutant registry act. TRASK: something like that.