Fall Down Go Boom

*“Jean-Paul! Northstar! Is it a pleasure to see you?”*

—**Iceman**, *Uncanny X-Men #414*

**Fall Down Go Boom** is an X-Men storyline written by Chuck Austen and illustrated by Sean Phillips.

The story was first published in *Uncanny X-Men* #414 in 2002. It reintroduces Northstar to the X-Men, as he had only ever been a member of the interim team during *Eve of Destruction*.

## Story

Outside Fort Albany, Ontario, a man beats his son for crying over a girl from his school. Suddenly, the boy's eyes start glowing and there's a massive blue explosion through the house. In Montreal, Professor X invites Northstar to join the X-Men to help teach younger mutants who may be struggling with their sexualities. Northstar is skeptical, but agrees to think on it. Professor X then asks Northstar to assist Archangel's team of X-Men in investigating a powerful mutant energy spike near Fort Albany, to which Northstar agrees.

Northstar arrives at the young mutant's house to find Archangel and his team. Several of the X-Men, including Nightcrawler and Iceman, aren't particularly excited to see Northstar due to his attitude. The group investigates the house and Northstar finds the remains of the boy's father. The boy's siblings have all survived the blast and Stacy X takes them to the Blackbird. However, the mutant boy refuses to get on the plane as he feels another explosion coming. As Northstar argues with Archangel, the boy's power activates and blasts Northstar into a tree. Northstar quickly recovers and grabs the boy, thinking he attacked him on purpose. Archangel volunteers to fly the boy back to Professor X himself, but Northstar notes that Archangel likely wouldn't survive a blast like he would. Archangel reluctantly agrees to let Northstar fly the boy to the mansion.

In the sky, the boy explains how his father was beating him which sparked the explosion. Northstar sympathizes with the boy, telling him his father beat him when he told him he was gay. The boy starts freaking out at this, calling Northstar a "fruit" and yelling at him to put him down. "I'm not a queer and you can't make me!" the boy says. Another explosion erupts from his body, disorienting Northstar. He regains his senses fast enough to catch the boy before he hits the ground.

The boy reiterates that he's not gay, and Northstar notes that he prefers men with hair on their chests. The boy finds this funny, and the two begin to bond. He reveals his name is Peter and apologizes to Northstar for calling him a fruit, saying he had just never met any gay people before. He tells Northstar that his father was beating him because he was crying over a girl, Nikki, who he was in love with but loved someone else. As they converse, Peter begins to feel the explosion coming and tries to warn Northstar, but it's too late.

Northstar opens his eyes to hear Xavier's telepathic voice telling him that Peter needs medical attention immediately. He deduces that Peter's explosions aren't the result of anxiety but rather an automatic process. Northstar tries to help Peter up, but the boy is in too much pain. Northstar begs Professor X to help the boy, but the professor replies "I am not a god, Jean-Paul." Peter feels the explosions again and asks for Northstar to leave so he doesn't hurt him. Northstar tearfully declines to leave. "I'm going to die this time, aren't I, Jean-Paul?" asks Peter. After a few moments, Northstar quietly says, "Yes." Peter asks if Northstar thinks Nikki will ever think of him again and then explodes as Northstar holds him.

Northstar soon awakens in the medical bay of Professor X's school with Archangel standing near Stacy X, who suffered from a mysterious injury. Professor X enters and tells Northstar that Peter is dead, but that his siblings are all with extended family. Northstar asks if there was anything they could do to save Peter, but Professor X is certain there was not. The nurse Annie Ghazikhanian asks Professor X to let Northstar rest, but Northstar tells the professor he would like to teach at the academy after all.

## Featured characters

* Northstar
* Peter
	+ Peter's Family
* X-Men
	+ Professor X
	+ Archangel
	+ Iceman
	+ Nightcrawler
	+ Stacy X
* Annie Ghazikhanian

## Trivia

* Northstar tells Peter that his father nearly killed him when he came out as gay. However, Northstar's birth father died when he was an infant and his foster father Louis Martin was killed when he was 6 years old. While it's possible that Northstar came out to Martin, it's far likelier that he made up the story to bond with Peter.

## Collected editions

* **Uncanny X-Men: Hope** collects Uncanny X-Men #410-415, 144 pages, January 2003, ISBN 978-0785110606