Head Like A Hole

Part 1 of the Chthon Arc.

PHASE 2

PHASE 1

Head Like A Hole
Dates run:	September 9, 2005 - March 27, 2006
Run By:	Jen
Read the logs:	Head Like A Hole

"The woman's mind is locked far away from here and though she has you to help, there will be none there to lend a hand for her return."

Wanda finds herself locked inside her own mind when an Elder God comes calling. With a rather specific plan in mind.

Cast

Wanda Maximoff, Scott Summers, Cain Marko, Kurt Wagner, David Haller, Marie-Ange Colbert, Cable, Storm, Cannonball, Jetstream, Dazzler, Polaris

Chthon, Charles Xavier, Magneto

Timing

September 9, 2005 - March 27, 2006

Plot Summary

Head Like A Hole

After a number of strange dreams about owls and an increasingly tenuous grip on her powers, Wanda sought to regain her equilibrium with a sojurn in the woods. She came to the conclusion that talking to Charles might be the best way to proceed with her issues, however 'someone' took exception - Chton the Corruptor, an Elder God of Chaos, similar to Cyttorak, who was trapped in Wanda's mind as a means of restraining him. Wanda was knocked unconscious and Chthon took control of her body, trapping her in her own mind.

Coming to the conclusion he needed to 'create' an appropriate body for himself to avoid being restrained again, Chthon set about trying to seduce the first man he came across - an unsuspecting Kurt. When Chthon's attempts aroused Kurt's suspicions, he knocked the teleporter out and moved onto another target, sensing similar power to his own - Cain. The alarm was raised, in the meantime, by Marie-Ange after having a vision and alerting Charles, who had Scott scramble the X-Men. Chthon's attempts to seduce Cain were interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Cable and the team. Chthon used Wanda's powers to fight back the telekinetic and blow out a wall, escaping onto the grounds. He encountered Storm, who tried to stop him before being knocked unconscious.

Inside her own mind, Wanda encountered Bova, a cow-like being who claimed to be Chthon's guardian, another being of the kind of Chthon and Cyttorak. She explained that Wanda had been born touched by Chthon, and that her mother Magda had sought Bova's help in imprisoning the remnant of the Elder God in Wanda's mind, to prevent him from harming the girl. Unfortunately, Chthon had finally built the power to free himself, exchanging places with Wanda and trapping her in his place.

The battle continued, with Cannonball and Jetstream both being taken down, but Dazzler managing to distract Chthon enough for two things to happen. Inside Wanda's mind, Bova helped her find a weak spot in her prison, and she began to free herself. Outside, Charles, Haller and Cable combined their telepathic powers to give Wanda the opening she needed to force Chthon back into his prison. The effort left her unconscious, and it was only through Lorna's intervention that she did not drown when she plummeted into the lake.

External Links

Head Like A Hole

xp_journal posts

Ties that Break, Ties That Bind

Powerless in the aftermath of Chthon's takeover and confused by the new knowledge she had of his existence in her mind, Wanda took a sabbatical, travelling back to Europe. She eventually came to her mother's grave, and whilst she was there, was approached by her father, Erik Lensherr. He attempted -yet again - to convince her to join him, and to her surprise, left peacefully when she refused. Wanda alerted the X-Men and continued her journey to the place she and Pietro had been born.

Drawn to the ruins of the house - named Wundagore - Wanda crossed the threshold and was hit with a blast of mystic energy. It was a gift from the Knights, the guardians of Chthon of which Bova was one, returning her powers to her in an effort to make things right. The task performed, the Knights - and Chthon - then left Wanda, this time permanently.

External Links

Ties That Break, Ties That Bind

Wanda's announcement of her departure to Europe

x_team posts

Related Links

X-Men Mission: Stalemate

Romancing the Holy Whatsis

Trivia and Meta

Trivia

Wanda dreamed of white owls frequently before Chthon made his presence felt.

The incident was Haller's first since his arrival, and he did not appreciate the headache later.

Wanda's experiences of Chthon and the mystic world caused her to begin doubting her role with the X-Men and ultimately led to her accepting a place with X-Force. The 'marks' of Chthon's presence are detectable to those skilled in the occult, as revealed by Romany Wisdom on a later visit.

Cain and Wanda later revisted their close encounter during Possession Night.

Meta

Plotrunner: Jen

The events of this plot still occurred in Phase 2, but specifics, such as which characters were involved, remain fuzzy for the purposes of not breaking the world. ;)

The Exemplars, part of Phase 2 Wanda's back history, also participated in this plot.