First appearances: Mojo, Longshot, Spiral, Major Domo, Arcade Notes: This arc's plot is similar to the man-hunting plot from Richard Connell's 1924 short story, "The Most Dangerous Game." Several of the characters are adapted from the mainstream universe, with major changes placing them on Earth instead of in alternate realities. Mojo, an overweight alien, becomes Mojo Adams, an overweight albino human. Major Domo, Mojo's right-hand alien, becomes a businessman. Longshot is transformed from a heroic alien into a mutant felon. The role of his girlfriend, Spiral, is reversed from villainess to victim. Arcade is an evil genius in mainstream Marvel, with no ties to Mojo. Vaughn was complimented for pulling off this story arc without using Wolverine, who is notably absent. Hard Lessons Originally published in: Ultimate X-Men #58-60, Ultimate X-Men Annual #1 (June - Aug 2005, Oct 2005) Creators: writer Brian K. Vaughan, artists Steve Dillon, Stuart Immonen, Tom Raney Plot outline: Charles Xavier witnesses a bank robbery by a grotesque, psi-resistant conjoined twin mutant named Syndicate. Xavier realizes that they became criminal only to help their terminally-ill sister, and he offers the conjoined twins a chance to redeem themselves. He fakes Syndicate's death and instructs them to wait in a safe house. Storm picks up Wolverine in the north, where he is searching for his past. An adamantium-laced, cybernetically-enhanced Yuriko Oyama (aka Lady Deathstrike) attacks them. Her benefactor is the sinister Dr. Cornelius, from Weapon X. Cornelius is (apparently) killed, and Yuriko is restrained. Juggernaut escapes S.H.I.E.L.D.'s custody and tracks down Rogue, his old flame. He meets her (and her lover, Gambit) just after they have stolen the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak. Gambit loses his life in a fight with Juggernaut, who absorbs the gem. Rogue retrieves Gambit, giving him one last kiss before he dies. When Rogue phones her ex-boyfriend, Iceman, she is afraid that she has permanently absorbed Gambit's memories and powers. First appearances: Syndicate, Lady Deathstrike Deaths: Gambit Notes: In the beginning of his run, Vaughan had difficulty bridging the gap between new and veteran readers, but found his stride during this collaboration with Steve Dillon. In the mainstream Marvel continuity, Yuriko Oyama is also an adamantium-laced cyborg. The Ultimate X-Men Annual #1 was published between issues #62 and #63 of Ultimate X-Men, four years into the series' run. It is the first annual for any X-Men line since Bill Jemas decided that additional regular