If there’s one thing long-time X-Men fans love, it’s drama — whether it’s familial, romantic, or political. And in X-Men #21, Jed MacKay delivers exactly that, continuing directly from the events of issue #20.

The emotional fallout from Jen Starkey’s tense conversation with Beast lingers, as expected. Still shaken, Jen is approached by Kid Omega, who tries somewhat awkwardly to comfort her. As a telepath, Quentin could hear her intense thoughts but refrained from reading them, citing a very specific threat from Psylocke involving dismemberment. Their exchange is revealing, as Jen opens up about her lonely life before joining the X-Men, making Beast’s cold dismissal in the previous issue hit even harder.

There’s little time to dwell on feelings, though. Magik soon arrives to recruit Jen and Kid Omega for a mission against Fitzroy and the Upstarts — a group that’s been hunting mutants for sport. Interestingly, Sugar Man, the Upstarts’ manipulative benefactor, has grown tired of their failures and abandons them, leaving them to face the consequences.

Meanwhile, Cyclops remains jailed, and Magik takes full initiative to lead the team. What follows is a brutal battle. Despite their considerable power, the X-Men are pushed to their limits. Jen initially freezes in combat, unable to muster the will to fight. But when Magik is nearly taken out and Juggernaut struggles to protect Kid Omega, Jen finally snaps, unleashing a monstrous, reptilian transformation and taking Fitzroy down.