Uncanny X-Men: Curse of the Mutants

Mutants vs Vampires!

For more on the X-Men vol. 3 series, read here

Synopsis

The story begins with Dracula at a vampire summit. His son Xarus plans to overthrow him due to his "bad leadership." Xarus had met with the leaders of each vampire clan and makes a deal that unites the Claw Sect Vampires (a clan of vampire warriors), the Charniputra Sect Vampires, the Mystikos Sect Vampires (a clan of business vampires), the Nosferatu Sect Vampires, the Krieger Sect Vampires, the Atlantean Sect Vampires, Moksha Sect Vampires (a clan of vampire seers) and Siren Sect Vampires (a clan of vampire seductresses). Xarus and his allied vampires end up staking Dracula enabling Xarus to assume leadership over the vampires. Xarus' allies in the Mystikos Sect managed to invent a special device which can block the frequencies of light that are harmful to Vampires. Xarus decided to use this device to create a new, more dominant place in the world for vampires as he has each device handed out to his vampire allies. Upon attacking the fortress of the Krieger Sect Vampires, Xarus' allies eliminate the clan's elder leadership. He has the Claw Sect not declare itself for him, so it can hang back and be contacted by any would-be traitors seeking an alliance like his brother Janus Tepes and the peaceful Anchorite Sect. Following an attempted betrayal from the Siren Sect Vampires, Xarus foolishly allows its leader Alyssa to live and keep serving him. Alyssa secretly slips one of the light-deflecting pendants to Janus which enabled him to escape after the Claw Sect betrayed him to Xarus. While wearing a light-deflecting pendant, Xarus declares himself Lord of the Vampires in front of his vampire army.

Cyclops sends Pixie out to check up on Jubilee. As the two girls are enjoying themselves at an outdoor cafe, where a man sizzles and explodes in the Sun. Blood and parts of the man's body cover many in the square including Jubilee. After testing her blood, it is determined that Jubilee was infected during the explosion by a manufactured virus. That night, the other people infected by the virus during the explosion respond to the call of the vampires. However, the vampires are disappointed that Jubilee (whom they appear to be waiting for specifically) is not there. The X-Men quickly determine they are dealing with Vampires.

Blade arrives in San Francisco to assist the X-Men in capturing a vampire specimen for the X-Club. He confirms Dracula's death and reveals that his son Xarus is the new lord of vampires, having united many vampire clans together. He immediately objects to Cyclops' plan to resurrect Dracula. Much later while the X-Men gather to discuss the death of Dracula and learn who the new Lord of Vampires is, Dr. Kavita Rao is seen checking on Jubilee only to be attacked. Jubilee leaves Utopia to go see Xarus who proceeds in biting her. It's also revealed that Xarus only wants Jubilee so the X-Men can come to rescue her and fall into a trap....especially Wolverine.

While underwater, Namor has his encounter with a race of Atlantean vampires and is tasked with retrieving the head of Dracula. Storm and Gambit are sent to steal the headless body of Dracula from the vampires. Blade later has his encounter with Xarus who tells Blade his plans to take over San Francisco.

While attempting to free Jubilee, Wolverine is bitten by her. At the same time, the X-Men resurrect Dracula who declines to help them and says that he will deal with this himself.

As X-Club members Madison Jeffries, Kavita Rao, and Doctor Nemesis work on a cure for the vampirism, their test subject escapes and the lab goes into lockdown.

Upon Wolverine being added to the ranks of Xarus' army, the X-Men prepare to fight Xarus' vampire armies.

The Vampire Nation has gathered its forces for an assault on Utopia. Cyclops has prepared his defenses for this attack: only the literally tough skinned X-Men for combat, while the other remain inside the compound; Archangel has prepped himself for air defense; and Iceman is having his very body blessed by a priest, in an attempt to make it holy. The battle then begins, as the vampires attempt to press onto Utopia, through land, air and sea. The ground and air forces stop, as Wolverine lands down, who plows through his former comrades. But Cyclops then presses the button on a remote Doctor Nemesis gave him, causes Wolverine to rear down in pain. It is revealed that before Wolverine went out on his hunt for Jubilee, he had his blood taken to see if his healing factor could counteract vampirism. But unknown to him, Nemesis has injected him with nanobots to shut down his healing factor, as Cyclops had anticipated that he might be bitten and turned, before they could reactivate it unexpectedly. Back to his normal self, Wolverine turns on the vampires, as the X-Men and Atlanteans push the bloodsuckers out. Wolverine then warns Xarus over the video that he'll be coming for him. Unfazed, Xarus orders that a second wave be sent in. However, his aide informs him that they sent in all their available forces and it may take time for a new strikeforce to be organized. But Xarus would have none of it, declaring that he will take Utopia today, raise a flag over it, stand over Wolverine's bones and drink Cyclops' blood. Just then, Dracula walks in, reasserting himself as Lord of the Vampire. He grants amnesty to the other vampire sects for betraying him, all except Xarus. With the sudden return of his father Dracula, Xarus tries ordering his minions to help him, but receives no support. While the X-Men storm his lair, Xarus decides to deal with his father himself. But this time, Dracula is more careful and repays the favour by ripping Xarus' head off. It is then that the X-Men enter. Whereas Cyclops wants nothing more to do with the Vampire Nation, Blade doesn't see eye-to-eye with him and charges at Dracula, only to knocked unconscious with an optic blast. Cyclops then reminds Dracula of their previous, unspoken agreement. However, the Lord of Vampires muses that if his son was successful in uniting the vampire sects into one functional alliance, then perhaps he may finish what he started: conquer Utopia. Cyclops reminds him that before they reunited his head with his body, X-Club was studying it, meaning that he has a trick up his sleeve. After a short stare down, Dracula calls Cyclops' bluff, but nonetheless, decides to end hostilities with mutants. He even gives Jubilee back to them. Back at Utopia, Jubilee is put in isolation. Blade believes that the only solution is to put her out of her misery. Wolverine warns him not to, prompting the vampire hunter to leave. While watching it on the monitor, Cyclops and Emma wonder if Jubilee can be cured.

July

Curse of the Mutants Saga

Death of Dracula #1 One-Shot

X-Men #1

August

X-Men #2

Namor: The First Mutant #1

X-Men Curse of the Mutants: Blade #1 One Shot

X-Men Curse of the Mutants: Storm and Gambit #1 One Shot

September

X-Men #3

X-Men Curse of the Mutants: Smoke and Blood #1 One Shot