Tragedy strikes the New Mutants! Meet Bird-Brain, a bizarre creature who’s about to become the team’s feathered friend. The New Mutants face off against their rivals, the Hellions, to track Bird-Brain down…but before the quest is done, one of them will switch schools! But there’s worse in store for the team, as they trace Bird-Brain’s origins back to the freak-filled island of the Ani-Mator. Between his weird science and the armored killers of The Right, one of the New Mutants will not return home! Shattered by grief, guilt and loss, how can the team possibly move forward? The New Mutants clash with Freedom Force, and the alluring alien Gosamyr draws the team into an outer space adventure. But as Illyana’s rage grows, there’s trouble brewing in Limbo…

COLLECTING: New Mutants (1983) 55-70, New Mutants Annual (1984) 4