Most of the Mutants who had recently come to join them had mediocre, barely useful powers. Not one possessed a formidable ability.
Perhaps Vought had not been around long enough for its name to spread across the world, or perhaps most Mutants at the bottom of society had little understanding of their own identities and superpowers, continuing to live in ignorance.
While Vought's Mutants grew, the human world had already reached the brink of nuclear war.
Russia's secret plan to deploy missile installations in Cuba had been fully exposed by United States reconnaissance aircraft. The news swept across the globe in an instant, causing a worldwide uproar.
Every country in the world focused its attention on this narrow stretch of sea.
Everyone knew full well that the slightest misstep in this direct confrontation between the two superpowers, the United States and Russia, could send it spiraling out of control, ignite World War III, and unleash a nuclear catastrophe across the globe.
At this critical moment, with the world holding its breath and everyone on edge, the United States president delivered a public televised address to the nation and the world.
"The United States has formally established the following national policy: any Russian nuclear missile that crosses the blockade line enforcing the embargo on Cuba will be considered a formal military attack by Russia against the United States of America. At that point, the United States will launch a full and total retaliatory nuclear strike against the Russian homeland!"
Out at sea, the situation continued to deteriorate.
Russia's transport fleet drew steadily closer to Cuban waters, shrinking the buffer zone as the American and Russian fleets remained locked in a tense, armed standoff.
All diplomatic efforts aimed at easing tensions and averting nuclear war had failed. The situation had reached a