Spyke makes his return, having turned into an angry vigilante who protects the Morlocks. He is unafraid to go in public with his disfiguring mutation, causing panic in his environment, especially since the extreme prejudice against mutants is on the rise. Anti-mutantists Duncan Matthews and his friends go and hunt Spyke down, and they even stumble upon a small boy named Dorian Leech. Also, in a foreshadow towards the eventual fight against Apocalypse, Nick Fury of SHIELD releases Bolivar Trask and orders him to build new improved Sentinels.
Tropes included:
- Being Good Sucks: Nick Fury puts emphasis on how he was ordered to let Trask out of confinement.
- Big Damn Heroes: Spyke makes a habit of this: saving Lucid from an alley beating, interfering with Duncan leading an attack on Cannonball and Magma, saving Leech from getting crushed, and taking a blast for Leech.
- Brought Down to Normal: Leech can drain all energy, including mutant power. Spyke is briefly back to his old self, and Cyclops gets a moment to look around without his visor.
- The Bus Came Back: For Spyke and his powers have advanced since we saw him last.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: A young black man noting how his kind should be allowed to frequent places that others get to and actively fighting for that right against bigots.
- Hypocrite: Spyke asks if Wolverine would be doing the same in his place. Averted, as Wolverine fully admits he'd be doing the exact same stuff if he were Spyke's age.
- I Choose to Stay: Spyke stays with the Morlocks because they need a protector.
- Innocuously Important Episode: Leech and his powers will prove instrumental in the final episode.
- Lampshade Hanging: Wolverine is incredulous that Xavier wants him to be the one to talk to Spyke, saying he really thinks the creeps and thugs deserve a good thrashing.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Duncan's car gets destroyed after he harasses Cannonball and Magma. He later gets arrested for the vigilante attacks, including trying to kill Leech. And this is his last appearance, so it's all rather fitting.
- Lesser of Two Evils: Nick Fury doesn't care for Trask, but he knows they need to be ready for whatever comes out of those pyramids.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: Spyke doesn't just defend mutants; he makes the attackers suffer, such as trashing Duncan's car.
- Pet the Dog: Lucid is apologetic that his search for food meant Spyke had to come to his rescue. Spyke reassures Lucid that he did nothing wrong.
- The Scapegoat: Mutants all over the world are getting the blame for Apocalypse's pyramids and the costly attempts to attack them.
- Small Steps Hero: Spyke is defending mutants whenever he sees trouble. When told he's making a tense situation worse, he insists he's doing what needs to be done in the here and now. Wolverine lampshades this by saying he's not seeing the big picture.
- So Proud of You: Storm to Spyke before he returns to the sewers.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: After Leech is outed as a mutant, Xavier approaches Leech's mother and tells her the boy will be welcome at the institute.
- Would Hurt a Child: Leech's mother watched, as a mob tried to assault her child and almost let heavy store equipment fall on him. Also Duncan took a shot at Leech.
- You Keep Telling Yourself That: Leech's mother keeps insisting that her son isn't a mutant, that he's just sick. Of course, she's saying this to an angry mob threatening her son.
- You Monster!: Leech's mother to the people at the store who attacked her son.
