My Quest to Read All X-Men Related Comics in Order from Beginning to Present time

[SunflowaSeeds]

Cable #97-100

A bomb goes off in a busy street in Lima. Cable hears it on a news report as he sits in a diner which is outside a prison. Cable hears a noise and runs out of the diner towards the prison. He jumps the wall and enters into a battle with members of the Shining Path. They free their leader Ernesto Sanz and teleport away before Cable can get to them. Back in a hotel he listens to some news reports before heading off to find the Shinig Path. Cable has found his way to the camp but is surrounded. Meanwhile the police too learn of the camp's whereabouts. They capture a criminal named Angel Esteban and torture him till he gives away the location of the Shining Path, then he is shot. Cable is surrounded and tries to fight back, however the techno organic virus flares up and he is captured and put in a cell. Meanwhile Inza and some of the Shining Path break into the peruvian finance minister‘s home and kill him and his daughter. A young boy Phillipe takes some food to Cable and sees him meditate. Cable shows him how it is done and while they are at it finds something inside him has changed. The rest of the Shining Path soldiers are relaxing when suddenly the police attack them. Cable covers Inza from an exploding wall before she teleports to protect Sanz. The Shining Path fight back and Cable gets caught in the cross fire whilst trying to help some peasants. Cable is about to be shot by Inza but is saved by Phillipe. Inza tells her son he made his decision and teleports away with Sanz. Cable grabs the boy and flies away from the camp, which is under attack. Cable goes to the hospital to run some tests on himself. Inza and Sanz are at the house of Senator Steinberg and find that they have 14 billion dollars. Sanz liquidates the account and asks him to buy 51% of the Peruvian debt, thus buying the country. Cable believes that he can remove the Techno-organic virus, but doesn’t know what’ll happen if he does. Inza and Sanz return to the safe house. Cable is waiting in Inza’s room and tells her he knows all about their plan before kissing her.

Ernesto walks in, he shatters Inza's eardrum and telekinetically slams Ernesto against a wall. Ernesto and Inza catch a reporter off guard and deliver a message saying they aren't going to interfere with the government, and throws her a tape. However it was only Cable posing as them through mental disguises, while the Inza and Ernesto are tied up in his car. The remaining Shining Path girls try to rob a bank but Cable stops them. They are taken to the police., During an interrogation, Gomez, the policeman kills his fellow officer, Kaval, whilst questioning Carla. He then shoots her blaming her for Kaval's death. Two men attempt to take over the old shining path camp, but are stopped by Phillipe and the other children, who are wearing phoenix emblems and using Askani teaching to push them back. Cable visits Inza in Jail and tells her he will look after Phillipe. He checks out of his hotel and goes for a walk.

Cable meditates on a beach probing his body for the techno-organic virus. The Virus flares up and cable is inside a lab. He is attacked by robotic monsters, but is able to defeat them. We return to the beach and we see parts of Cable's history, but the virus flares again. Suddenly he spews up the virus and he realizes he is free of it. He tries his powers but is knocked out by the force of them. When he awakes he throws the virus into the sea, before being crapped on by a seagull.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

New Series

X-Treme X-Men #1-4

The team are in Valencia, Spain, where they all get attacked the local guardia forces. Rogue is shot into the sea, while Storm, Bishop, Beast, Psylocke and Thunderbird are caught; only Sage manages to escape. The Deputy Minister of Justice arrives at the high tech base of the guardia where she is met by the commanding officer. Meanwhile Vargas and his henchmen kill some local police who are hoping of capturing Rogue when she washes ashore. The rest of the team wake up to find themselves in a maze and after a short battle fall through a hole in the floor. The five captured X-Men deal with everything that the Civil Guardia throws at them in their examining Maze, but they get separated. Rogue and Sage locate the base, and Rogue forcefully enters the ancient towers, only to find the scientists killed. She is then attacked by Vargas, who defeats her. Beast and Psylocke come to the scene, and again Vargas easily beats Hank, breaking many of his bones; only Psylocke is left standing. In the following battle Vargas kills her by running his sword though her gut. Vargas claims that she was only the first and leaves to let the rest of the team find their beaten comrades and a word written with Betsy’s blood : “PRONTO“.

The rest of the team search the city all over, but can’t find the killer, who is neither mutant, nor superbeing, yet something more than human. To save the Beast from dying Tessa uses a never before seen power. She can perceive mutants' full potential and temporarily bring it forth. It strains her a lot, but she boost Hank McCoy’s healing factor so that he is able to survive his injuries. Later Psylocke’s coffin is brought to the airport to be flown to England. Storm also sends the Beast back top Westchester as he is too weak and would only be a liability. Throughout the issue various flashback are made; they mention Betsy’s days as a supermodel, her S.T.R.I.K.E. training, Tessa preventing her geeting drawn into the Hellfire Club, Psylocke’s desire for action and battle and her choice to enjoy every single moment of life as it might be the last. Also Storm quotes the diary to mention a threat to the X-Men from within. From one of Gateway’s dreamtime visions, the X-Treme X-Men learn that Bishop is a descendant of Gateway. Also they see a vision of the future involving a 'needle“, a special elevator that transports cargo from earth’s surface into the orbit. They look at a diary page, which pictures Gambit crucified with six pieces of jewelry and something growing out of his chest.

Later the X-Men break into Destiny’s house only to find a crate with goodies prepared for them. One box looks like holding a diary, but it has been stolen by Vargas. At the same time Gambit breaks into Vargas‘ castle, but is captured and defeated. Yet he charms his way out of the situation and is allowed to leave, on the way out he steals a big diamond, which Vargas notices, but pretends not to. Later Gambit checks on the X-Treme team and finding them to be alright, leaves before being spotted.

Uncanny X-Men #394

While a grumpy Cyclops watches with dismay media reports on mutants, a young mutant, Warp Savant, celebrates his eighteenth birthday - by going to Cape Citadel and announcing himself as an evil mutant. Wolverine and Phoenix are the first on scene to investigate, but they too find themselves elsewhere when Warp uses his power on them. Cyclops and Archangel arrive, with a device that manages to quell Warp’s ability - but unbeknownst to them Wolverine and Phoenix have been transported into Warp’s brain. While Warp is taken down, Wolverine and Phoenix are forced to confront the fact that they may be about to die - and so they share a passionate kiss - only to be ripped back to reality when Warp releases them. Warp then uses his power on himself, and vanishes, leaving a still angry Cyclops, a bothered Phoenix and a scowling Wolverine to pick up the pieces.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

Deadpool #57-60

The Weapon X project is back. They have succesfully recruited Sabretooth, Garrison Kane, Mesmero, Wild Child and Sauron into their ranks and improved their abilities. Deadpool is the next in line for recruitment, approached by Sabretooth, Deadpool has no way to turn the “offer“ down. It’s either come along, or get killed. The project shows Wade that they can boost his damaged healing factor to regrowing his limbs, and removing the scars from his disfugured body. After experiencing one hour of looking normal, Deadpool accepts and undergoes treatment. They are sent to deal with a dangerous mutant in Iowa. Along the way, Deadpool makes fun of Kane, by comparing him to various mechanical beings of cinema history, and finally the real source of their enemity is brought up – Vanessa, who had a relationship with both of them. In the town they find a huge glowing figure that can’t control it’s abilities, kane tries to kill it, but none of his weapons work. Deadpool is able to calm their “opponent“ by telleing joke after joke and as the creature powers down, there remains only a frightened teenage boy. Kane uses the chance to shoot him in the back – crisis dealt with. Deadpool gets angry and tells the Director that he wishes to leave the Program, especially after discovering that he recieved mental inhibitors that prevent him from harming any of the staff. However the Director get his attention once more, as he reveals Deadpool’s next task : He is ordered to kill a failed agent of the Program – Copycat, aka Vanessa. He pretends to take the assignment, but actually wants to help his former girlfriend. The Weapon X project expected this and send Garrison Kane and Sabretooth after them. While in Creed’s appartment, agent Jackson finds dozens of recently killed bodies and starts to have second thoughts about his place in the organisation, as his superiors don’t seem to care about this at all. Garrison Kane hunts Copycat and Deadpool through the town, finally they face each other in the zoo, with Vanessa being hidden in the gorilla cage, posing as one of the apes. After Deadpool has defeated Kane he returns to the cage, only to witness Copoycat dying in his arms. Sabretooth finished her off while the others were fighting.

Deadpool removes his implant that ensures his good behavior and battles the entire Weapon X troops. He makes his way to the Weapon X complex, intending to take down the Director, but he is intercepted by Sabretooth, who teases him with how much Copycat screamed when he killed her. They fight and suddenly a gas is released that interacts with the projects modifications on Deadpool’s body. He starts to melt, his entire body losing cohesion. Deadpool goes down and continues to insult the Director, till nothing remains of him besides his right fist. Later Wolverine receives a package, it contains the fist and a letter, telling Logan to reconsider joining as this is what happens to those who oppose the Weapon X project.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

Deadpool #61-64

Following his death last issue, Deadpool is now a ghost and attends his own funeral. He then moves on to the afterlife, passing many famous dead characters, until he reaches a replica of Bates Motel. Inside he finds mistress Death waiting for him, and right as they are about to get it on, Deadpool is pulled back to life by a mysterious fuigure using some magical energies. Deadpool bursts out of his grave, his body now emanating some incredible stench. Deadpool’s mysterious ressurection left him naked and amnesiac. He wanders the streets in a shabby tranchcoat and befriends a few homeless people. They run into Deadpool’s friend Weasel, who can’t believe that Deadpool is still alive. All over the city four other Deadpools appear. One, acting like a true hero, stops a bank robbery, one is trying to take over New York’s underworld by shooting a few crimelords, another one is a performance artist about to become a media star, and the last one is a psychotic killer running amok.

Weasel takes Deadpool and his homless friends to his secret base, and gets him to remember his past. Meanwhile T-Ray hires killer Deadpool to assassinate media Deadpool while he hosts the VTV awards later that night. It all comes together during the awards. In the end the Deadpools decide to form a team, but as they do T-Ray shows up. Before even a fight between T-Ray and Team Deadpool can start, killer Deadpool betrays his associates and shoots heroic Deadpool, media Deadpool, maniac Deadpool and finally the real Deadpool, who is still talking despite having a huge hole in his chest. T-Ray and killer Deadpool carry the bodies away, to a strange grave surrounded by stoneblocks. The tombstone says “Deadpool – Cursed With Life“, before displaying images of important stages in his life. T-Ray finally reveals that the other four Deadpools are embodyments of different personality traits of him, and he demostrates it by using a device called the Gemini Star to extract another one, this time a nerd version of Deadpool. Deadpool and T-Ray’s employer are in love with the same woman, and the plan is too drain Deadpool of all personality so that he is no longer interesting. Deadpool can’t beleive that there is nothing else to him other than four guys and a nerd, so he uses the Gemini Star himself and a feminine Deadpool, his inner child and the unrespected Deadpool appear. Salvation arrives in the form of Weasel, Deadpool’s homeless friends and an army of grammar school kids, the only people with weapons they could assemble fast. In the confusion T-Ray wrests the device back from Deapool, but it gets damaged, and all eight additional Deadpools get sucked into T-Ray who then collapses. Later Weasel and Deadpool are hanging out together, they meet the homeless bums again, who have all decided to get new lives. Duke wants to run for mayor with Scuzzy being his spokesperson, and Popeye spends a romantic week with T-Ray, who is kind of apathic, and is now a cross of the nerd, the unrespected and the maniac Deadpool. Elsewhere Thanos is bickering, he does not tolerate that Death the woman he loves is in love with Deadpool, and to ensure that they never meet again, he has cursed Deadpool so that he can never die.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

Wovlerine v2 #170-176

As one of the injured contestants of the reality show “Stay Alive” is transported due to injury, they are ambushed by Mauvais and his minions, Bloodscream and Vermin. There, Mauvais takes the form of the show’s host and transports up to the Arctic. In a diner, Logan is watching the show on television and sees Mauvais reveal his true self and attack and kill the contestants. Logan immediately heads to the Arctic to face his foe. As he does so, Mauvais uses the dead bodies to cast a spell to take revenge on the Canadian gods who imprisoned him all those years ago. Once he finally makes his way to Mauvais, he is unable to attack him until the monstrous Wendigo has been summoned. Mauvais intends to eat the creature’s heart in an effort to destroy his captors those many years ago. Realizing his situation, Logan must save the Wendigo if he has any chance of saving Canada. Elsewhere, Sabretooth spies on Lady Deathstrike in Japan. Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, Sabretooth secretly spies on Omega Red and watches him murder a cheating associate of the General’s.

Logan and the Wendigo face off against Mauvais. Each time Logan gains the upper hand on Mauvais, the Wendigo intervenes and attacks Logan. Eventually, Mauvais is able to get the Wendigo alone and proceeds to kill him. After eating its heart, Mauvais turns into a Wendigo hybrid. Extremely powerful, Mauvais beats Logan into unconsciousness and goes to bite him in the neck. Before he can, however, members of Alpha Flight show up and save Logan from death.

Thanks to the huge ice column he created, the Northern Gods are unable to participate in the battle. Using teamwork, Logan and Alpha Flight are able to fight Mauvais, monsters he reanimates and eventually the column itself. Eventually, it all becomes too much for Mauvais to control and he begins to lose. When the column is finally destroyed with a fastball special, performed by Sasquatch and Logan, the Northern Gods appear and banish Mauvais to the Realm of the Great Beasts. Before they do, however, Mauvais attempts to drag Logan along but, after receiving a vision of Logan’s miserable future, he laughs at him and lets him go. Once Mauvais has disappeared, Logan is left to ponder what Mauvais meant.

Wovlerine v2 #173-176

Systematically, Nightcrawler, Heather and James MacDonald Hudson, and Yukio are taken out by the combined forces of Omega Red and Lady Deathstrike. During their attack, they also take Amiko into custody. Meanwhile, at Alpha Flight’s headquarters up in Canada, Logan talks with Shaman about his impending doom when they realize that it may be those close to him. Logan is able to inform Cyclops of what the situation is before he is shot by a mutant power cannon operated by Weapon X. It is powered by the mutant Leech, which drains Logan of his mutant power. However, the Director didn’t intend for it to fire. In Las Vegas, Sabretooth has the photos of the targets in front of him along with a diskette.

At the Weapon X compound, the Director learns from Kane that Sabretooth is the one who used his codes and also stole a bunch of materials, including the Logan Files. Brent Jackson shoots his mouth off and, after the Director slaps him, attempts to fight back. However, he learns that he cannot and is knocked out by the Director himself. In Japan, Logan visits the grave of Mariko before going to visit Yukio. There, he learns that she was attacked by both Omega Red and Lady Deathstrike. On her back is a note for Logan to find what he is looking for at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas. Once there, Logan proceeds to battle both Omega and Lady D. Luckily he is wearing one of Guardian’s old suits. Eventually, the numbers game takes over and the two beat Logan into submission. After that, they take him to Creed, who is holding Amiko captive.

In Las Vegas, Creed double-crosses Omega Red and Lady Deathstrike and teleports away with Logan and Amiko in tow to the forest surrounding the old Weapon X facility. After some cat and mouse and a few battles, Logan and Creed ultimately battle inside the facility itself. There, Logan finds the Logan files and Amiko, who is barely breathing. At that moment, Creed viciously attacks Logan. After he has beaten him severely, Creed tells Logan that the reason he can’t recall his memories is because his healing factor heals over the bad ones, not because they were modified. Simultaneously, the Director, Kane and various Weapon X agents arrive. When the Director discovers that Creed is close to killing Logan, he orders the M.P.C. to be fired upon him. When it is, it weakens him and Logan is able to battle back. However, before he delivers the killing blow, the Director arrives on the scene. When he does, Creed uses a device to teleport himself away, just as Logan falls to the ground dead.

In the afterlife, Logan meets a redhead who takes him through a number of experiences in his life. Logan believes her to be Jean Grey, though she avoids confirmation of such. The redhead proceeds to point out to him that, in his life, he chose to either lash out or withdraw. She then leads him through a door where he can achieve happiness. Before he can start his journey, however, he is approached by Lord Shingen, Cyber and a number of other dead villains. Logan chooses to attack them, much to the redhead’s displeasure, and is assisted in his ordeal by Peter Rasputin, Colossus, who greets him warmly. Eventually, Colossus and the villains disappear before his eyes and the redhead tells him that, as a result of his choice, he has lost his chance at happiness. As she goes, she adds that she is not Jean, at which point Logan realizes that she was actually his first love, Rose. Now alive, Logan escapes his bodybag, kills the Weapon X agents transporting him and makes his way back to the X-Mansion. There, he is visited by Amiko, who was healed by the Weapon X program as a sign of good faith. Content for the time being, Logan goes to enjoy some time with his foster daughter.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

Poptopia

Uncanny X-Men #395-399

In a nightclub in London, Chamber rescues popsinger Sugar Kane from a crowd and is invited to talk to her in privacy. Meanwhile Archangel, Nichtcrawler and Iceman come to London too, both to investigate a spike of mutant energy detected by their new Cerebra device and to search for Chamber who never showed up at the mansion after Generation X’s disbanding. In the sewer system they encounter a mutant community similar to the Morlocks in New York. While the three X-Men discuss what to do in their hotel, Mr. Clean, equipped with a flame-thrower enters the tunnels, and torches most of the people down there.

Sugar Kane and Chamber continue their romance, though Jono is unsure about all the media attention they get. Iceman and Nightcrawler pay him a visit to remind him of his responsibilities to mutantkind, but he turns them down. Archangel scans the tunnels and according to his readouts some of the underground community survived being scorched. Later he, Nightcrawler and Iceman investigate and run into Mr. Clean who is able to fight them off and escape. Wolverine arrives in London.

Mr. Clean is revealed to belong to a larger organization led by the Supreme Pontiff. He thinks about commiting suicide, but then continues to hunt through the tunnels for any survivors of the underground community that he earlier attacked. Wolverine pays a visit to let Jono know that the team will always be there for him and to back up his words he beats up one of the guards who called Chamber a freak. Nightcrawler, Archangel and Iceman head into the subway tunnels to help the outcast mutants that survived the incident with Mr. Clean. Kurt finds them and introduces himself as an X-Man. Newspapers speculate that Sugar Kane is pregnant with Chamber‘s baby. While Wolverine kills Mr. Clean, the X-Men help the survivors of the underground massacre to leave London. They even offer them to come to Xavier’s school, but they prefer to live in secrecy and peace. Sugar Kane’s manager arranges for her to be “abducted“ by some men in containment suit. Kater TV news report that she was tested at a governmental facility and is not pregnant. She secretly meets with Chamber one last time and confesses that she needed him to give her good-girl image a needed edge to maintain her career. Feeling used Chamber returns to the X-Men.

Archangel learns that members of his organization have been spending company money on a mutant brothel called the X-Ranch. The X-Men send Iceman to the ranch to investigate and he masquerades as a client. The brothel’s house mother, Madame Drache, escorts Iceman to his appointment, Stacy X.

Stacy uses her pheromone powers to control Iceman’s bodily functions and incapacitate him. Archangel comes to save him and subdue Stacy. The Church of Humanity enters the brothel armed with deadly weapons and an appetite for mass murder. The X-Men and Stacy fight off the attackers and escape, but not before several X-Ranch employees and clients are murdered. Once they’re all safe inside the X-Wing, the X-Men and Stacy fly east.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

E is for Extinction

New X-Men #114-117

Ms. Nova shows Bolivar Trask's nephew how homo sapiens slaughtered the neandertals thirtythousand years ago and then tells him that mutants will do the same to humans within a few generations. Xavier is trying out the new cerebra when a large spike of the mutant gene is spotted in South America. He asks Cyclops and Wolverine to investigate, as they are already back on the way from rescuing a new mutant in australia named Ugly John. Xavier hears a voice inside his head that tries to take control of him, but is saved by Jean. It appears that the voice may be of Ms. Nova, who takes Mr. Trask to a Master Mold facility in South America and introduces him to Wild Sentinels.

Ms. Nova and Donald Trask plot the impending doom of mutantkind. On Professor Xavier’s orders, Cyclops and Wolverine try to stop them while escorting a mutant passenger. During their mission, the inbound X-Men are attacked and captured by a squadron of wild sentinels protecting Ms. Nova and Mr. Trask. Beast is alerted and tells Professor Xavier, who is resting after Ms. Nova’s telepathic assault last issue. Ms. Nova betrays Mr. Trask by stealing his DNA and kills him.

She takes control of the wild sentinels and ordering them to destroy Cyclops, Wolverine, Ugly John, and mutants worldwide. Cyclops and Wolverine apprehend Ms. Nova, but not before Ugly John is killed and Cyclops must put him out of his misery.

Next we see Emma Frost teaching a psychic class in a school in Genosha. Suddenly, an arsenal of sentinels wreaks havoc in Genosha, killing millions while Xavier, Jean, and Beast watch via cerebra in horror.

Beast and Jean find Emma Frost amidst the death and destruction in Genosha. She seems unhurt and she’s developed a diamond hard outer layer of skin. The X-Men wonder what to do with their prisoner Cassandra Nova, the woman behind the Genoshan carnage. They learn that Cassandra’s a new kind of living being on Earth and she wants to destroy mutantkind so her species can dominate. Soon humanity will die out, leaving only mutants and people like her in existence. Cassandra attacks the X-Men and tries to use Cerebra to wreak havoc. Professor Xavier shoots Cassandra and Emma helps the X-Men during the melee, changing her mind after deciding to leave them earlier.

Taking a rest, Cyclops and Jean try to resolve personal and marriage issues stemming from Scott's experience with Apocalypse, while Professor Xavier comes out of the closet to the whole world. On television he announces that he is a mutant. The world now knows the Xavier Institute’s secret: It’s a home and training ground for mutants. The school opens its gates to them worldwide, accepting over one hundred new students, and the X-Men cope with sudden responsibility and public scrutiny. While anti-mutant protestors shout at the gates, the Xavier Institute forges ahead, determined to be a safe haven for homo sapiens superior. One student in particular, the Beak, has trouble fitting in and Beast tries to ease his anxiety. Beast experiences anxiety of his own when Trish Tilby, unable to deal with his feline-like mutation, breaks up with him. Jean seeks comfort from Wolverine due to her marriage troubles, but she asks for more than he can give. Cassandra reveals her deception, having taken over Professor Xavier’s body and we find out that they are related. She viciously attacks Beast and forces the Beak to beat him senseless.

Ignorant of the infiltration, the other X-Men proceed as usual while Cassandra plots. Through Professor Xavier, Cassandra organizes a trip through space with Empress Lilandra in a Shi’Ar spaceship, eager to cause destruction from the stars.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

X-Treme X-Men #5-9

Through one of Sage’s fantastic inventions the team learns what little they can about the contents of Destiny's Diary, including predictions of current catastrophic events like the destruction of Genosha. The X-Men also discover that Gambit’s wanted for the murder of crime lord called Viceroy. Bishop does some undercover work and the team investigates the scene of the crime. They find clues to the murder and learn that Viceroy has two children, heirs to his criminal empire. Storm decides to locate them. Even though most of the evidence points to Gambit’s guilt, Rogue believes in his innocence. Since her teammates believe that Gambit could indeed be guilty, Rogue leaves them in anger to find clues on her own. She heads to Chinatown, where men are planning to kill Viceroy’s children and eliminate heirs to the criminal throne. Rogue finds Gambit in a restaurant. Julius Gow, the restaurant’s owner, has his thugs attack the two of them and their powers are negated during the fight, so they seek shelter. When someone kills Gow and frames Gambit, Gow’s grandson the Red Lotus mistakes Rogue and Gambit for murderers. He defeats them both, leaving them in dire straits.

The X-Treme team continues their investigation into the death of Viceroy. Bishop delves into the nature of his killing, Rogue tries to clear the prime suspect, and Storm and Thunderbird protect the children of the deceased. When he learns about the shooting death of another mob boss, Bishops heads toward the scene of the new crime. Rogue and Gambit are captured and tortured by the Examiner while Red Lotus watches. Despite their pleas of innocence, the Examiner believes they were responsible for the death of even another crime boss. Rogue and Gambit manage to free themselves, but the Examiner escapes punishment. Red Lotus starts to believe that they had nothing to do with any murders, but he still treats the X-Men harshly, forcing Rogue to knock him out. Rogue and Gambit leave to inform their teammates about their adventure, taking the unconscious Red Lotus with them. Storm and Thunderbird locate Viceroy’s children, the Cameron siblings, but evil forces are close behind. Criminal gangs want to seek and destroy the Camerons and eliminate any heirs to Viceroy’s empire. Sage becomes a target as well when her old allies from the Hellfire Club reenter her life with a vengeance. Sebastian Shaw and Lady Mastermind imprison Sage within an impressive illusion, intending to brainwash her back into the Hellfire Club.

Storm and Thunderbird save the Camerons’ lives by defeating assassins and Heather Cameron reveals herself as Lifeguard, a mutant with mysterious power.

The Camerons learn the truth about Viceroy and their blood ties to the local criminal underworld. They decide to help the X-Men put an end to the death and destruction. While investigating another murder, Bishop meets an inspector and the two of them join forces to get to the bottom of this mess. Rogue, Gambit, and Red Lotus return from their adventure, but Shaw and Lady Mastermind surprise them. The villains capture Rogue and force Gambit and Red Lotus to flee. Along with Sage, Shaw plans to brainwash Rogue into helping him become the leader of Australian crime. Once they’ve reached safety, Gambit and Red Lotus vow to save their friends and stop Shaw.

Various plot threads start tying together as the X-Treme X-Men unravel Sebastian Shaw’s plan to become king of the Australian underworld. Bishop and Teri Baltimore round up a large band of criminals. Rogue continues to serve as a manipulated weapon of destruction while Lady Mastermind uses her to savagely attack the rest of the X-Men. After nearly killing Storm, Rogue tries to destroy the rest of her teammates believing them to be the team’s enemy Vargas. Once Thunderbird defeats Lady Mastermind, her illusion weakens and Rogue regains her sense of reality just in time to stop herself from killing the people she cares about. Red Lotus fights Sebastian Shaw to a standstill in a valiant effort to rescue Sage, but it may take a miracle to save Sage’s mind, as she trapped in Lady Mastermind’s illusionary world.

Gambit and Red Lotus invade a meeting of the Triad’s ruling council. They present evidence that proves Gambit’s innocence as actually the Examiner is responsible for the murder of the Viceroy and he and Shaw had wanted to take over all of australia’s crime syndicates. In the X-Men’s appartment, Storm is visitied by an astral image of Jean Grey. From half a world away, Jean establishes contact and though their conversation would fill hours in the real world, it takes only seconds on the astral plane. Jean warns Storm of Cassandra Nova and that she might have infected the teams at the school with some strange illness, so they should consider the mansion quarantained. Also the diaries given to Xavier by Mystique are missing. In the next room the catatonic Sage is still trapped in Lady Mastermind’s illusion. The others wonder what to do, as Sage suddenly reaches out to Heather, whose Lifeguard powers activate as she is pulled into the illusion as well. She experiences the scenarios that Tessa has to witness until being discovered by the illusionist. Lifeguard manifests new abilities for every new threat that Mastermind throws at her, but her power is limited to only reacting and she can’t hope to defeat her foe. Meanwhile Tessa is manipulated into pointing a weapon towards a version of herself, representing her allliance to the X-Men. Once she shoots it, she will be loyal to Shaw once more. Mastermind believes Lifeguard defeated after draining her body of water in a desert-scenario, yet her skin cracks to reveal Tesa underneath. Trained by Xavier himself, Sage managed to switch places in the illusion scenario, right under Mastermind’s nose. Still the bullet is fired against Heather who finds herself in the victim position, but Tessa, within Lifeguard’s armor, leaps in between and the bullet bounces off. Sage and Heather return to the real world, where Tessa apologizes for taking over Heather’s body and risking her life. Lady Mastermind took the bullet’s impact herself and is wheeled catatonic into a hospital. Bishop and policewoman Terri Baltimore try to arrest Sebastian Shaw, but can’t come up with enough evidence to support it.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

New X-Men 118-126 & 2001 Annual

In the Feng Tu facility of China, John Sublime makes a deal with its jailer, Ao Jun, to acquire his prisoner, Xorn, a mutant with incredible energy powers.

Sent to Hong Kong to investigate the murder of X-Corporation member Risque, the X-Men and Domino learn that John Sublime and Ao Jun are part of a mutant organ smuggling operation. Sublime’s pharmaceutical company kills mutants and implants their body parts into human beings so ordinary people can gain powers. Sublime calls these augmented humans U-Men, the third species. The X-Men infiltrate the Sublime Pharm Solutions building of Hong Kong where they learn about Xorn. The X-Men locate Feng Tu where Xorn tries to kill himself, and take the world with him, swallowed by the black hole he’d create. Cyclops convinces Xorn to stop and offers him membership in the X-Men, which Xorn accepts. The X-Men destroy Feng Tu and Ao Jun is killed. However, John Sublime and his illegal activities still persist.

Beast recuperates in the mansion hospital while Cyclops and Jean experience more marital discord. While the X-Men handle protestors and anti-mutant hatred at their front gates, mutants abroad are suffering because of John Sublime and his U-Men’s organ smuggling operation. The U-Men abduct a teenage mutant named Angel with fly powers, desiring her wings, but Wolverine has other ideas. Cyclops and Emma question Sublime about his activities, but they end up in dire straits, the next possible victims of his devious medical operations. Wolverine rescues Angel from becoming Sublime’s latest victim and tries to help her come to terms with being a mutant. Even though Wolverine means well, Angel seems resistant to him and X-Men.

Jean comforts Beast and Beak, trying to help them and discover the cause of their pain. She’s taken aback when Beak tells her that Professor Xavier is responsible. The U-Men attack the mansion and Jean leaves to stop them before Beast can tell her that Cassandra Nova is the real reason he and Beak were attacked. Outside of the Xavier Institute, Jean and the students prepare to defend the school and stop the U-Men in a battle for their lives. Wolverine brings Angel to the Xavier Institute just as Jean defends the school against an army of U-Men. While she repulses the invasion, Jean uses her power in uncharacteristically vicious ways and emanates an aura of flame, reminiscent of Dark Phoenix. Wolverine notices the slight change in Jean, but she assures him that everything is fine. Cyclops and Emma free themselves from the U-Men’s clutches and confront John Sublime, the man behind the U-Men. Sublime seemingly commits suicide, which one of his victims may have telepathically forced him to do. Beast comes around and reveals that Professor Xavier is trapped inside the mind of Cassandra Nova.

While the comatose body of Cassandra Nova lies in life support, the X-Men prepare to rescue the tortured psyche of Professor Xavier from her mind. After they permeate Cassandra’s consciousness, Jean and Emma embark on a psychic journey, but are plagued by hostile manifestations of Cassandra’s personality. Emma quickly becomes detained, but Jean presses on. Jean locates Professor Xavier’s psyche and discovers that Xavier tried to kill his twin sister while they were both in the womb. Once Jean and Emma regroup, they travel back out of Cassandra’s mind and Jean reveals her findings to the rest of her teammates.

Lilandra travels to Earth to warn the X-Men of Xavier's possession by Cassandra Nova. Enroute, they are attacked by Cassandra who telepathically takes down the crew, one by one. As the ship's pilot falls, wrecking the ship, Lilandra send the Imperial Guardsman Smasher to warn Earth.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

Back at the X-Mansion Emma suggests a new curriculum for the students, Phoenix and Cyclops reflect on Jean's powers, and Beast diagnoses Xavier/Cassandra's condition. Cassandra boobytrapped her own body with a psychic form of Alzheimer and other diseases and Xavier will die within a week, further she might be responsible for the flu epidemic and also seems to have been involved with the U-Men. Additionally she outed Xavier as a mutant, causing the school to get attacked by protesters and media, yet Jean plans to change at least this aspects by having a press conference and try to convince humans of their good intentions. Knowing that Xavier will die inside of Cassandra's failing body, Cyclops travels to China to visit a mutant capable of great healing - Xorn. Elsewhere on Earth, Smasher arrives, violently impacting on the pastures of a rural farmland. Unfortunately for Smasher, the group of Earthlings he tries to warn before passing out has little hope of heeding his warnings – they are a herd of cattle.

Later, Emma tries to console four of the Stepford Cuckoos quintet about their sister, Esme, who has begun exchanging affection with a boy. Later again, as Jean holds her press conference with the media, Beast makes a startling discovery: the flu that the mansion residents have been stricken with recently is being caused by Nano-Sentinels.

Beast rushes to tell Jean, who is escorting the media out. At this time Kato, Esme's new boyfriend, makes his final report to his mothership. Simultaneously, Cyclops and Xorn are taken out in China, and the Imperial Guard make their move on the Institute. Gladiator, leading the assault on the mansion, gives one simple order: Destroy all mutants.

In Earth orbit Cyclops and Xorn are being held captive by a mind controlled Lilandra and her Imperial Guard. Despite Cyclops' warnings, Lilandra and her forces are convinced that Cyclops and Earth's mutants are suffering from a psi-plague. Lilandra orders her Imperial Superguardians, who have already landed at the Xavier Institute, to carry out their sterilization orders. The Superguardians quickly find the X-Men and their students prepared to defend their home. Despite the X-Men's valiant efforts, when the Imperial Guardsman Gladiator enters, the battle the conflict is soon over. At the moment of the Superguardians' victory Smasher is found who confirms the X-Men's claim; that the being posing as Charles Xavier is in fact the monster, Cassandra Nova. Back on the superdestroyer space ship, Cyclops and Xorn manage to free themselves and swiftly turn to their captors to press their advantage.

With vacant eyes that once sparkled with life, Empress Lilandra watches as her Imperial fleet, under her orders, lays waste to the Shi’ar Empire. Controlled by Cassandra Nova, who is still in Xavier's body, Lilandra decides that rather than heed her adviser's words, she will order him killed. Before the order can be carried out, Cyclops and Xorn, recently freed from their shackles, arrive and easily dispatch the Imperial Guardsmen. Rather than face them in combat, Cassandra turns her back, and calmly walks to the transit stream, teleporting to the mansion below. The two X-Men use the next precious seconds to locate the comatose Lilandra before the starship explodes around them. In the Xavier Institute, Angel, the Stepford Cuckoo Girls and the Beak pool their resources to force Stuff to remove Emma Frost from her bonds.

Meanwhile, in the Institute's basement the X-Men and the recently turned ally Superguardians discuss their current situations including the impending attack by Cassandra Nova, the Nano-Sentinels and the ailing body of Cassandra that Xavier is currently inhabiting. Taking a chance, they decide to let Cassandra's body die and allow Xavier's mind to move into Jean's. To buy time for the procedure the Superguardians move to the surface to confront Cassandra. The procedure is a success. Cassandra's body dies and Xavier's mind shares that of Jean's. Overflowing with Xavier's being as well as his power, Jean tells Beast that she can now see Cassandra and she is here.

On the surface, Cassandra has easily defeated her Superguardian opponents and tells Charles that it will be his turn next.

Cyclops and Xorn, carrying the unconscious Lilandra and her advisor Araki, run through the Shi'ar superdestroyer as it explodes around them. Carrying their still unconscious charges, the two X-Men jump into the transit streams which should teleport them to the Xavier Institute below. Meanwhile at the Xavier Institute, Cassandra Nova finishes off Gladiator, the last Superguardian standing, and proceeds to the mansion itself. Nearby, Emma Frost and her Stepford Cuckoo girls proceed with their plan regarding their captive Stuff and a tissue sample for him to emulate. In the bowels of the Institute, Cyclops and Xorn arrive to find the Beast and Phoenix, who contains Xavier's mind, preparing for the final attack of Cassandra. After being informed of their medical situation, Xorn uses his powers to kill the nano-Sentinels inside the X-Men's bloodstreams. Now with a clear mind and sensing Cassandra's plan, Phoenix/Xavier puts on the Cerebra helmet and disperses Xavier's mind to the countless mutant minds across the planet. Phoenix has no time to revel in her accomplishment as Cassandra, still clad in Xavier's body arrives. Cassandra dispatches Phoenix and dons the Cerebra helmet. Cassandra's plan backfires after the mutant minds of the world reflect back the mind of Charles Xavier, expelling Cassandra from Xavier's body. Now without a body, Cassandra's psychic essence begins to fade. Emma Frost arrives with Cassandra's old body, offering it in exchange for her and her wards personal safety. Cassandra accepts and inhabits the body, only to discover that the body is not hers, but the transformed body of the Superguardian Stuff. Now trapped in this body, Cassandra is forced to learn about the world by Stuff's synthetic brain, which has been programmed to teach. Back in the real world the X-Men take stock of their situation and are shocked to learn that the professor no longer has need of his wheelchair.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

Uncanny X-Men #400

After confronting the Church of Humanity, the X-Men capture a priest and learn a little more about his brethren. When Stacy X obtains one of the Church’s devices, she’s accidentally teleported into the heart of the organization and taken prisoner. Wolverine interrogates the priest and gains insight into the Church of Humanity’s motivations when he hears a story about their leader, the Supreme Pontiff. Stacy suffers the Church’s wrath as she speaks falsely about her history with the X-Men. The X-Men invade the Church of Humanity’s home base and save Stacy, but not before the Supreme Pontiff gains a small victory of his own by tampering with Nightcrawler’s mind.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

End of Run

Deadpool #65-69

Several months ago, Deadpool was hired to assassinate an Asian crime lord, but accidentally stumbled into a truce meeting of the four most powerful crime leaders of Asia. Although he only randomly shot his gun, he actually killed all of them. The incident gave him quite a reputation and he is now an admired and respected mercenary. He also set up Deadpool Inc. and his assistant Sandi has her hands full coordinating his many appointments.

Deadpool also takes in a homeless bum he calls Ratbag and makes him his biographer. Later that day, Deadpool is offered a high amount of money to take a certain job in Germany. He agrees, but it's a set-up. Deadpool is approached by a man calling himself the Black Swan. He is angry for buffoons like Deadpool ruining the nobility of the assassination profession, and especially because dealing with the four crime lords was supposed to be his final defining task. Black Swan has a strange ability: he can hack into the human mind and body like it's a computer and place a virus there. Deadpool is left paralyzed and can do nothing to prevent getting beaten up by the Black Swan and his forces time and again.

Sandi and Ratbag tie Deadpool to a table and pull on his limbs. Their painful plan is to put his broken bones in their right positions so that his healing factor can properly restore him. However, his brain is still screwed up as he doesn't remember his encounter with the Black Swan, his aim is totally off and he confuses guns and doorknobs all the time. Later, Wade takes on a new assignment. A rich old man wants him to get the Rhino's horn, as he wants to have sex with his beautiful young blonde bimbo wife. While Deadpool tries to capture the Rhino, he receives a higher offer from Mrs. Whittaker who doesn't want her husband to regain his youth. But it's already too late as the Rhino is now mad at Wade. He hunts him through the town to Deadpool's gym, where Wade takes some heroes stuff from a trophy case. Most of it is useless, but he can use a canister of Ant-Man's shrinking gas to make the Rhino small. He then saws off the horn and brings it to the Whittakers, but also leaves them a gun to sort out their differences. Right after Deadpool leaves a "Bang" is heard. Wade keeps the miniature Rhino in a terrarium and makes fun off him, throwing him a cookie. He tells the villain to behave or he'll never give him the growing serum, though actually Deadpool doesn't have it.

The shrinked Rhino is now attached to Deadpool’s key chain much to his annoyance. Deadpool takes another job, namely protecting a certain music act from a freak sending hate mail. The singer is Dazzler and it turns out that the whacko is not a mutant hater, but a disco hater. He saves her from a bullet at her concert. Later in his penthouse, Deadpool continues to make fun of the little villain who angrily demands the growing gas. Deadpool grows tired onf the Mini-Rhino and flushes him down the toilet. Meanwhile Sandi has discovered a bag of peanuts with “Air Muenchen” printed on it. With help from her friend Taskmaster, she tracks down that Deadpool and Ratbag must have encountered the Black Swan and that’s the reason for Wade’s neurological problems. Deadpool meets with the Taskmaster, who knows the Black Swan from a mercenary job years ago. He saw him use his mental powers on another merc and knows how dangerous the Black Swan is. After a final job, Deadpool returns to his headquarters, only to learn that his assistant Sandi is in a hospital.

Deadpool has only two more days before his mind entirely breaks down because of the Black Swan's virus, but he says this is more than enough time to make sure that Sandi will never be harmed again. Sandi doesn't want to have a death on her conscience and makes Wade promise to not kill Jerry, so he only beats him up and tells him to leave and never come back. Still, the Taskmaster is not bound by such a promise and finishes the job Wade started. Deadpool says goodbye to his friends and allies before he and Ratbag return to Germany. He fights his way into the Black Swan's castle, and it turns out that not he but the Black Swan killed the Four Winds. He now wants to finish Deadpool, but he brought an insurance with him - a suitcase filled with explosives attached to a timer counting 6 minutes down. First he asks the Swan to set Ratbag's mind right and it works. He finally remembers his name is Erik and can again think straight. Deadpool tells Ratbag to leave the building as he fights it out with the Swan. Deadpool loses one arm in the fight, but eventually gets the upper hand as the Swan tries to use his telepathy on him. Wade uses the mindlink to give the Swan a rundown of his entire life, and the overwhelmed the Swan no longer puts up a fight. Deadpool wants to stop the detonation sequence, but he needs the code that he has written on his hand to not forget it. However it's the hand of his cut off arm, and before Deadpool gets to it, the castle explodes.

Deadpool will continue in Agent X

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

Wolverine v2 #177-190

In New York Father Braun alerts Logan of a plot happening within the Catholic Church. His old mentor, Cardinal Panzer, has set himself up as a Shadow Pope and is planning to brainwash everyone into becoming Catholic by using a device that produces extra-low frequency vibration emanations, E.L.V.E.S. Braun informs him that one of his friends has already been killed. Dogma, a being apparently neither human or mutant, ambushes Braun and Logan and stabs Logan in the back with a white-hot sword, allowing him to escape. Logan and Braun track the device to Brooklyn Bridge and successfully destroy it, but is ambushed a second time by Dogma who vomits acid in Logan’s face and tosses him into the water. Without Logan, Braun is easily captured. Three days later, at the Vatican, Braun is being tortured by Cardinal Panzer’s people while Logan lies unconscious in a van in Rome. Once he regains consciousness, he easily escapes his captors. In the dungeons, Father Braun is still being tortured by Sister Inquisitor and Cardinal Panzer, who demand to know who his friend is. Later that night, Logan makes his way through the sewers and deals with a number of assassins before he faces off again against Dogma. This time, Logan defeats him by ripping open his costume, which turns out to be some kind of containment suit. Logan then makes it to Braun’s location, but is too late to stop Panzer from shooting him in the head. Logan wants revenge, but is stopped by Cardinal Parente, who promises that he will see that Panzer is brought to justice. Once Logan leaves with Braun’s body, it turns out that Parente and Panzer are both part of the secret society. Now, they have to be more careful than before, as they don’t want to incur the wrath of Logan or the X-Men.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

End of Series

Cable #1-1-107

Three years ago, Gani arrived home to find that his sister hds been raped by serbian soldiers. To restore family honor he was forced to kill her. Present day, UN peacekeeping forces are dropping bombs on Macedonia, however they have dropped some bombs on the wrong targets. Cable gets a lift from photojournalist Eddie Hoyle to Skopje. Dr. Cvetkovski talks with a colleague about the virus they have created to kill the Shiptar (a derogatory term for ethinc albanian), whilst Ethnic Albanians meet with NATO troops and hand over their weapons. Dr. Cvetkovski's assistant, Viktoria, is attacked by a colleague, but she stops him when she finds a gun. He tells her that he knows she has been stealing Interferon from the lab and going to tell on her. Cable plans an assault on an office tower. Late at night he enters the building and sets a bomb, only to be confronted by Viktoria. He grabs her and jumps out of the building before it explodes. Eddie Hoyle meets with Reuben Goldberg and shows him the photos of Cable. Reuben tells him to finish the job he was hired for. In an underground complex Gani is talking with Dr. Yacoupi about the problems they have as they enter a room where they are cloning people.

Outside the burning building, General Popov talks with Dr. Cvetkovski, who tells him everything about their genetic virus has been destroyed, and that his assistant Viktoria maybe involved. Cable is walking Viktoria to what she believes is a safe place, a church where she grew up. However on arrival they are ambushed by Macedonian soldiers. Luckily they are able to escape thanks to Cable bodysliding the pair away to a secret base. Cable tells Viktoria his plans before they leave his base. In an underground facility, Samir gives an inspirational speech to dozens of macedonian clones. Gani plays chess with his cloned sister and her new boyfriend arrives, but Gani is overprotective. Dr. Yacoupi recieves tests results that say the clones will only survive for two years at the most. Cable and Viktoria arrive at the hotel, but before they can enter the room, the photojornalist Eddie Hoyle shoots Cable in the head.

Cable lies dead on the floor, when suddenly his power flares up and the bullet in his forehead shoots through the roof. He then spasm and half the hotel is destroyed, before he lands on the floor unaware of what has just happened. Viktoria helps him get away. Goldberg meets with Samir and tells him about the Macedonian virus. Samir then has Fadili, one of his soldiers, shoot Dr. Cvetkovski who created the virus. Cable tells Viktoria that he knows about Goldberg, and she tells him that she wants to help as there is nothing else she can do. At the cloning facility, Dr. Yacoupi tells Gani about the results he has; the clones will deteriorate and break down within two years. Gani leaves to find his sister. Not much later the clones start to show the first signs of nervous breakdown. Ana is confined to her room and remembers her past. She wants to kill Gani. General Popov believes Cable is responsible for the damage at the hotel and wants Eddie Hoyle, cable’s attacker to be kept alive for questioning. Meanwhile Cable and Viktoria search for clues as to where the facility is. They find a lead and later reach the hidden entrance to the facility holographically hidden in the mountain side.

In Skopje, Eddie Hoyle is visited by Goldberg and killed for his loss against Cable. General Popov and his army approach a cloning facility. Inside the facility, a clone riot breaks out, while Viktoria and Cable sneak into the computer lab. Dr. Yacoupi and his assistants, Gani and Samir, take care of the riot and Yacoupi introduces a new serum he has come up with just in case the clones went crazy. Demanding Samir to take the serum as well, Gani reveals that Samir was killed weeks ago in an assassination attempt. Angered, Samir takes it out on Dr. Yacoupi but, Gani saves the doctor by knocking Samir unconscious. Just then, General Popov and his army break into the facility and attack the defending clones. Elsewhere, Gani runs off to check on his sister, Ana, but is surprised to find her waiting to kill him. Cable does try to leave but fails in his bodyslide, due to interference from Goldberg. He is able to think of another way to escape, though. As Popov nears his position, Cable blows up the entire facility and whisks himself and Viktoria to safety. Outside the mountain, Viktoria questions Cable about the Askani and he questions her about if he is really doing good for the Macedonian people. Back in Skopje, the communal leader calls Goldberg to tell him if he screw up again…sacrifices can be made.

Cable is meditating on a cliff, while a red haired guy is filming the corpse of his employer, Lazarus. They talk about the red-haired mans job which involves filming every death of his employer for a TV show, when a helicopter lands. Children wielding machine guns step out and tell Cable to accompany them. Lazarus “resurrects” tells Nathan he has to stay and kill him. One of the kids shoots Lazarus and tells Cable to come with them or he will shoot on of the little girls. He is taken to Mr. Singapore luxurious penthouse. Once there, Mr. Singapore tries to convince Cable to come and work for him. Nathan gets very upset and temporally poisons Mr. Singapore. He tells him he can’t be controlled. He flies off in the copter and heads towards a thunderstorm. Mr. Singapore knows this isn’t the first time Cable has attempted suicide and that he will survive because his powers won’t let him die. Indeed as the copter is struck Cable’s telekinesis forms a bubble that protects him as he falls into the sea. Nathan thinks that he is afraid of himself.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

Uncanny X-Men #400-409

A distraught Banshee silently mourns the loss of Moira MacTaggert. An army of multiple men abducts Lady Mastermind from a high tech facility after she suffers from a chilling virtual reality illusion. The multiple men attempt to take Mystique as well, but she’s nowhere to be found. Wolverine finds Stacy X up to her old tricks in a small town and forces her to come back with him. Nightcrawler finds Stacy and fumes at her, but Wolverine convinces him to ease off, much to Stacy’s surprise. In Europe, the Blob is haplessly escorted into an ambush where Banshee leaves him in dire straits.

The X-Men check out the new X-Corps headquarters and are welcomed by Banshee. In his opinion, the mutant population needs to be policed by mutants and he has drilled this team to function like an army. The X-men witness an alarm going off, as two mutants are registered battling each other in Berlin. Banshee sends his operatives to deal with the situation, and Avalanche, Surge and the Blob quickly defeat the battling Abyss and Fever Pitch and also deal with a local mutant hating militia.

Once in Berlin, Bashee congratulates his team, inspects the captives and interrogates the militia men, who are serving A.R.M., the Acculturation Resistance Movement, and they won’t stop until the last mutant is defeated. The X-men are shocked that their old friend is working with well known criminals and at the methods he uses to achieve his goals.

The next day, Warren Worthington attends a G8 meeting in rome to talk about the rising mutant population. He points out that among mutant society there are different philosophies, and that the X-men have dedicated themselves to Charles Xavier’s dream of peaceful coexistence. Actually it should not be a genetic discussion, but one about political and social evoltuion. In the X-Corps labs, Sunpyre has studied the two captives and tells Banshee that they both have formidable powers but might be too violent to keep in line. Banshee answers “We’ll see” and he walks into a secret chamber, where Mastermind is strapped into a tank, with cables and tubes connected to her body. He plans to use her illusion power to to get both new arrivals under his control.

Iceman follows Blob, Avalanche and Surge into a bar. Tempers flare and they almost fight, but then they calm down and reveal that Banshee has arranged full immunity for them and pays the former criminals for their involvement in the X-Corps. Later Surge travels to Zürich, where he kills A.R.M. leader Jakob Eisen and several of his followers. The news show a video tape of somebody posing as Jakob Eisen, leader of A.R.M., who claims that his organisation exterminated X-Corps member Surge. Banshee sends M, Jubilee, Husk and Multiple Man to Zürich to investigate, but it’s a set-up and they have to fight an entire army of A.R.M. operatives, yet they are able to defaet them. Banshee finally snaps and uses his sonic power on one of the A.R.M. members demanding to know Eisen’s location, but Nightcrawler stops him in time and Sean finally comes to his senses.

In Paris Banshee has both Chamber and Nightcrawler as guests in the X-Corps building. He offers Jono to join and reveals that his former teammates Jubilee, Husk and M are already there. Chamber learns from the girls that they don’t share Banshee’s methods, they only joined to keep an eye on him. Also there is something strage in the basement. Chamber decides to pretend to join and investigate, and finds Mastermind’s tank in the basement, and suddenly he is pulled in her astral scenario involving the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Chamber and Martinique communicate on the astral plane, until she says she has an important appointment. She tries to lock Chamber out, but underestimated him, as he escapes from her trap. Chamber witnesses a conversation between Martinique and an unseen person, who apparently infiltrated Banshee’s organzation. Chamber is discovered and knocked out by Surge’s electricity blasts, next to him are Blob, Avalanche and Fever Pitch, ready to take over. Meanwhile Sunpyre is studying Abyss in the labs, and assasinated from behind.

While the others are away, Radius pays Stacy to do what she has done during her prostitute days, but hard as she tries, her pheromones don't enter his forcefield. They get surprised by Avalanche and the Blob. Radius gets buried beneath the ground and Stacy gets knocked out. The villains then escape with the entire fleet of gunships. When Banshee and the X-Men return from Zürich they find that the X-Corps has been betrayed from within. Sunpyre is found dead in the lab, and Abyss is in shock. Nightcrawler discovers the unconscious Chamber in the Blackbird, right before a time delayed bomb goes off. Meanwhile, the villains, especially Fever Pitch, are causing mass destruction in Paris to show the world the true face of mutant pride. Turns out that they also have dozens of Multiple Men under mental control. Banshee and one of the loyal Multiple Men go to Mastermind's chamber to shut her down, but "Multiple Man" is actually Mystique in disguise. From behind she rams a knife into Banshee throat.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

Last post continued

Mystique releases Mastermind from her holding tank. With her help, Mystique has undermined Banshee's X-Corps. As they head to the command central, they leave Banshee bleeding to death from his throat injury. On the way, they kill any Madrox dupes that cross their way. In Paris, Archangel and M team up to deal with the enemies' fleet of helicopters, piloted by mindcontrolled Madrox dupes. One by one, M bursts through the copters and takes the pilots back to Jamie for reabsorbing. While Iceman prevents Fever Pitch from incinerating the Louvre by encasing him and the entire building in a huge block of ice, the team is unable to stop Avalanche from shattering the Eiffel Tower. Elsewhere in the X-Corps complex, Jubilee and Husk battle the Blob. Stacy comes in and joins them, still angry about how he dealt with her and Radius. Stacy uses her pheromone control to over-stimulate the Blob's pleasure centers. Meanwhile, Mystique explains her philosophies of mutant terrorism to Martinique when an alarm goes off in the lab. Mystique checks it out, and finds banshee barely standing before he collapses. With his last willpower, he dragged himself there and freed Abyss, who now sucks Mystique into his inner void.

The boy is unable to control his power, and Banshee is more than willing to let himself get sucked into the blackness too. He is saved, however, when Husk and Jubilee arrive in time to hold him back. After he is taken to a hospital, the X-Men and remaining X-Corps members mourn the death of Radius and Sunpyre and wonder what became of Chamber and Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler has a nightmare in which he re-lives the explosion in the X-wing. To save himself and Chamber he teleports them blindly and they arrive in the german Alps. He dreams that he is being crucified on a large 'X' as the Church of Humanity march across the countryside under the looming figure of the Supreme Pontiff. Kurt wakes up to see his friend Feuer Langhagen who he was in the circus with. Nightcrawler goes outside to see Chamber watching the mountains that surround Feuer's cabin. Jono telepathically contacts Stacy X who is at the X-Corps base, where Archangel and Iceman are dealing with Prodi, the president of the European commission about the recent disaster in Paris. Stacy attempts to tell Warren and Bobby of Jono’s message but they don’t believe her. However Archangel is contacted by Phoenix, who confirms Kurt and Jono's position to be in the mountains. Feuer notices Nightcrawler brooding and Kurt tells him that he has been having doubts about Xavier's dream. Kurt notices the approaching gunship carrying the X-Men. After a long discussion Kurt returns with the X-Men and bids Feuer farewell. Stacy is at first angry that Chamber invaded her mind, but is taken aback when he reveals to have chosen her as he felt she would be the only one to take him seriously.

At Worthington Industries, Archangel tries in vain to answer the flood of questions from the press concerning the recent events. Just as Warren becomes overwhelmed Nightcrawler teleports into the room and puts on a good show for the press, jokingly suggesting that the media should treat him as they would treat a celebrity, and wondering if he should get a Hollywood agent. After the conference, Warren wants to know why Kurt acted so showy, to which Kurt replies that he thinks of it as a return to the recklessness of his earlier days. Stacey X complains about Warren in front of Logan, who shows Stacy his old yellow costume. Logan explains that he wore it for years because he was too afraid to leave a role that everyone was used to seeing him in. Later Stacy meets her “date“, who turns out to be a mutant with age acceleration and an immunity to medication, placing him in incredible pain. Stacy does as he asks and uses her pheromones on his pleasure centers, ensuring that he will feel nothing else for the next months. Later Iceman, Wolverine and Chamber pick Stacy up and tell her she did good. Nightcrawler discovers a some dead bodies of teenagers who overdosed on the designer genes, the drug that the Vanisher created. He alerts Warren to it, who immediately calls in the staff of his company to try a corporate takeover of the Vanisher’s organization.

Wolverine and Chamber discuss the situation with the Vanisher. Wolverine mocks and disagrees with Warren's tactics to get to the Vanisher through his business contacts, but Chamber sides with Warren and the argument is settled. Mistaken for just another drug addict, Stacy gets close enough to the Vanisher to place him under her pheromone control. About two weeks later she releases him and tells him that Warren Worthington demands to see him. They meet in a tavern, unaware that both brought back-up as several of the Vanisher’s henchmen as well as Iceman are posing as waiters. When the Vanisher learns that Worthington has bought the designer gene trade from under him while he was in his pheromone-induced state, he tries to teleport away, but Iceman freezes him in place. The other waiters inject themselves with the drugs, transforming into mutants too, but Bobby encases them all in a block of ice. Logan agrees that Warren’s approach was the right one. At the same time, Nightcrawler investigates a church in which a few dead junkies were found. Kurt is shocked to discover that the church’s Cardinal is addicted to designer genes too, as he transforms into a huge monster. Suddenly members of the Church of Humanity teleport in and kill the Cardinal. Since their leader, the Supreme Pontiff, has special plans for Kurt, they leave him unharmed. Later Logan finds Kurt brooding. He admits that he has been putting on a front of frivolity to conceal the recent things he has learned about himself. Logan reminds him that despite everything changing, but the X-Men have saved the world before, and they will do it again.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

Weapon X: The Draft- Sauron

The Director orders Sauron to recruit Emma Frost into the Weapon X program as they need a telepath. Actually he is aware that Sauron will fail, but thinks that Sauron is the most expendable of his agents. Like expected, the White Queen disposes quickly of Sauron.

He goes to recruit the back-up target instead – an australian telepath, named Jack, whose problem is that every time he overuses his powers his limbs turn hard and brittle. He tells Jack that he wants to recruit him, and because of his problematic condition, Jack agrees, hoping that the Weapon X staff will find a way to cure the unwanted side-effect. On the way back, Sauron thinks that jack is making fun of him like the Director usually does, and he goes into a berzerker rage. He attacks Jack and breaks him into pieces. Snapping back to his senses, he takes the pieces of Jack, who is still alive, to Weapon X. Sauron gets locked up, partially to ensure that Jack’s condition isn’t contagious, but also as a torture, as Sauron doesn’t like being locked into tight spaces. Waiting for his improvements, Jack reads the Director’s mind and is shocked to find out his evil plans.

Weapon X: The Draft- Agent Zero

The man, who will become Agent Zero, is brought to Weapon X by Sabretooth, more dead than alive. He turns out to be an old friend of Wolverine and he despises Weapon X, but right before he dies, he accepts the Director’s offer to heal him in return for his services. The Weapon X scientists restore his body and even make some enhancements. The man now no longer has a scent and he can fire concussive blasts from his hands that melt whatever they hit. He gets a special vibranium costume that absorbs any sound and blends in with the shadows, making him the perfect weapon, who can’t be seen, heard or smelled. He asks for a mask as he doesn’t want anybody to know his identity or what he has become – only the Director, Brent Jackson and Sabretooth know who he is.

At first Agent Zero is given a few easy missions that he isn’t opposed to. The Weapon X project hopes that this will make it easier for Agent Zero to feel comfortable. Finally he is given the order to kill Wolverine. Agent Zero tracks him down with ease, but when he fires the anti-metal bullet, he deliberately misses him. The Director knows that he did it on purpose and Agent Zero gets punished for his mistake. However actually he did not expect Zero to succeed, the whole scenario was designed to further break Zero’s strength of will.

Weapon X: The Draft- Kane

Kane and Brent Jackson try to recruit Rapture to join Weapon X. Rapture turns out to be an ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. operative who was recruited into the agency’s psi-ops called The Contingency by Brent Jackson himself, before he betrayed the organization and defected to the Weapon X program. Kane and Jackson find Rapture right as she is on the run from a set of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, because under her lead, the Contingency broke away from S.H.I.E.L.D. After effectively dealing with the agents, they try to get Rapture to join the Weapon X project, but she no longer trusts Jackson and advises Kane to do the same. Brent tries his best to convince her, but as words show no effect Kane attacks her, following Weapon X’s directive that it‘s wither join or die. Rapture realizes that she has to outsmart Kane and lures him into an abandoned building. As it collapses due to Kane’s attacks, Rapture teleports away to safety. Kane and Jackson report to the Director and blame each other for the failure. The Director decides to leave Rapture for a while, though sooner or later Weapon X will have to neutralize the Contingency.

Weapon X: The Draft- Wildchild

The Weapon X Program sends Wild Child to recruit his one time lover Aurora from a mental asylum, where operatives of the Project had sent her several weeks ago. Wild Child breaks into the Institute and finds her almost apathic, staring with eyes wide open and drooling. Wild Child is in tears seeing her in this state. Aurora thinks of Wild Child as a monster, yet doesn’t resist when he picks her up and leaves with her. On their way back, the couple get into a fight with some mutant haters, but Wild Child easily kills them. Finally Aurora recognizes her former lover, despite the recent changes he's been through, and manages to stutter a Thank you. Kyle wants to keep Aurora for himself, but Agent Brent Jackson convinces him that only the Weapon X scientists have the means to restore her mental health. Three months later, Aurora has made a full recovery. Wild Child is very anxious to see her, but she breaks his heart when she tells him that she can’t stand his ugly looks. A flashback shows that Sabretooth severed Wild Child’s vocal chords half a year ago, when he annoyed him during their mission to recruit Sunfire, whom they shot after he refused to join.

Weapon X: The Draft- Marrow

Marrow, the former X-Man, is now working for Weapon X in exchange for a procedure that slows down her bone growth, allowing her to be beautiful. To test her loyalties, the Director sends Sarah, how she now prefers to be called, to kill D’Gard, a friend of her who once saved her life. Marrow hesitates, but then agrees, though she decides to enjoy her new beauty first and goes out to a club. It’s actually the same club in which she and Gene Nation murdered several humans, and she keeps seeing the dead victims in her mind’s eye, though she enjoys the attention the beautiful Sarah now gets. She is approached by a handsome man called Junichi and spends the night with him. Her evening ends when Kane interrupts and orders her to go through with the mission, as D’Gard soon will be moved to another location. She refuses and they battle, but even without her bones she manages to defeat Kane. Returning to the apartment, Sarah discovers that Junichi is actually Mesmero. Marrow gets very angry and manages to generate a bone knife in her hand, which she rams into Mesmero‘s throat. Determined to prove that she can handle whatever Weapon X will throw at her, Sarah completes the mission by killing D’Gard. She sits on Brooklyn Bridge for hours, thinking about the events, and then jumps into the water. She returns to the Weapon X project unharmed, and tells the Director that she is now incapable of being hurt and that her name is again Marrow.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

Wolverine v2 #181-186

Logan arrives at a bar and orders some booze. Besides him and the barkeeper there are only three other customers, telling each other stories at a nearby table. All of them work in some criminal organizations, and they remember what happened when somebody annoyed their bosses, and they had to pay for it. When the third guy wants to tell his story, the other two interrupt him as they notices that Logan is staring at them. They ask him what he wants, fearing that he is a cop. Logan goes and sits with them and buys them a round. He has a story for them too. A friend of his borrowed money from three lowlifes because his daughter needed an operation. However he couldn’t pay them back, and these guys did something to him, so he asked a friend to help him out. Of course this friend is Logan. He keeps telling the story of how he tracked down the three guys bosses, already dealt with them and now has tracked down the three guys themselves. While he describes how he will kill each of them, the barkeeper pulls a rifle, but Logan works him into the story too. The three gangsters are still surprised, as Logan begins to revel in the smell of fear, before he finally does what he came here for. After all three and the barkeeper are killed, Logan proceeds to the basement, where the little girl is being held captive. As they walk out of the bar, the girl asks if Logan is Spider-Man. He answers that he isn’t because Spider-Man is a sissy. Logan also carries a bag, containing the cut-off hand of one of the three guys.

The newspaper reports of three members of the Pazzo Family having been killed at a wedding. This is disturbing news for Johnny, the underboss of the organization. Johnny gets upset and Tony tells him he should do everyone a favor and just kill Freddo the boss. Johnny reprimands him for making such a suggestion. On the way to Freddo’s office he reminisces about the day his former boss, Freddo's father, told him he was leaving the family not to him, but to his son Freddo, who otherwise would never make it to anything in his life. As Johnny arrives, Freddo is furious and lets Johnny feel that it is he who is the boss. He then asks him about the murders at the Chez Bippy bar, where three more of the Pazzo Family were killed. Just as they are about to have an argument, Wolverine walks in with a box. It contains the hand of one of the murdered mobsters. Johnny and his men pull out their guns and threaten to kill Logan, who remains calm. Before anyone can react, he slashes their guns with his claws and explains that he killed those guys, as they crossed a line when the took the child of his friend hostage. Logan then proposes a deal, wants the debt from his friend forgiven in exchange for his services. He will assist them in getting rid of the Roman, an adversary that’s been killing a lot of their men, like those at the wedding. Against Johnny’s advise Freddo accepts, citing a quote from “The Godfather: “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”

Two police officers are tailing the mob boss known as the Roman. He is disguised as a roman and is destroying a fruit stand pretending to be mad. The Roman goes home and changes into his business suit. Bruno, a henchman of his, comes in and informs him of Logan’s latest killing. The Roman reprimands Bruno, since the cops could be listening. Since it’s the third time Bruno has done this, the Roman opens a trap door that drops Bruno into a pit filled with lions. Later the Roman and another henchman, Vincente, discuss the possibility of hiring someone themselves to kill Logan. The Roman says he has chosen the Sweeper, a killer that has worked for the Kingpin among others.

Back at Freddo’s house, the mob boss tries to convince Logan to kill the star witness in a trial against him, much to the chagrin of Johnny and Tony. Logan says he can’t be bought and that as soon as his friends’ debt is paid off, he’s leaving. Freddo is left thinking that Logan must have a price. The Sweeper walks into a café where Logan is eating and sits with him. He assembles his gun under the table and the other customers leave the coffee house as soon as they see this. Logan pops his claws and kills him. He sends the ashes to the Roman. Later that night, Johnny sends two goons to kill Logan. They fail; Logan kills them both and then goes after Johnny. Johnny asks him to kill him, but they are interrupted by the Roman’s goons who take them back to the Roman’s mansion. The Roman drops him into the lion’s pit, but Logan manages not to fall in. Instead the Roman’s henchmen drop Johnny inside. Johnny cries out for help, so Logan jumps in after having dispatched of all the mobsters, save for Roman. In the pit, Logan manages to tame the lions. When the Roman looks down, wondering what’s happening, Logan climbs up and droops the Roman into the pit. Logan calls Freddo to tell him the deal is off, since the job is finished. Freddo answers that Logan must first kill a grand jury witness from a trial against Freddo. He says Logan will obey, because he has his friend and his daughter hostage.

Freddo is showing Logan a movie. The situation portrayed in the movie is similar to the one Logan is facing. Freddo has kidnapped his friend and his daughter. He threatens to have them both killed, unless Logan kills a grand jury witness from his trial. Logan tells Freddo he’s dead and walks away. Johnny and Freddo get into an altercation, because Johnny thinks Freddo is wrong to threaten a kid. The next day at the trial, the witness appears, much to Freddo’s dismay. He orders Tony to make the call to have the child killed, but Johnny impedes it. After the trial Freddo tells his driver to take him home. The driver is actually Logan who takes Freddo to a forest in the outskirts of town. Tony and Johnny are waiting for him there. Logan cuts off Freddo’s finger, takes the ring that makes him godfather of the mob and gives it to Johnny. Johnny tells him that his friend’s debt has been paid. Logan tells him he doesn’t know the guy; he simply overheard the story and decided to check it out. Johnny is taken aback, but then he and Tony take Freddo to grave they have dug up and kill him, by shooting him three times. Logan hears the shots as he drives off into the night.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

X-Treme X-Men #10-18

While the X-Men and their new-found friends are resting in their civilian clothes, Gambit asks Storm for possession of the ruby she wears in her costume's choker. Sage surprises Gambit by identifying Storm's family heirloom as part of a collection of ancient gemstones called the Madripoor Set. They are attacked by a hulking creature called Shaitan.

Shaitan teleports Gambit & Lifeguard away. Desperate to follow and rescue their abducted friends, the X-Men allow Sage to use her abilities to unlock the latent powers of Davis Cameron. He manifests the ability to access a Warp Wave teleportation power, and Davis takes the team to Madripoor, where they are greeted on Madripoor by its current ruling princess, Viper. She leads the X-Men to a temple where Shaitan has Gambit tied to an altar surrounded by the gems of the Madripoor Collection. The X-Men attack Shaitan, but not before he successfully activates the gems and, using Gambit's energy powers, opens a portal from which emerges an immense red energy-laced tower. Also emerging from the portal are alien combat troops. The X-Men rescue Lifegurad and capture the troop leader before they withdraw. After the X-Men have left, a new portal opens and more troops emerge. The new troop leader informs his men that the reports are correct and that their leader has been captured.

Shaitan wants to find Khan, his missing leader, yet Gambit refuses to talk. Meanwhile in the U.S. the President’s National Staff and the Avengers analyze the tower and the forcefield. It goes up 22,600 miles into the atmosphere and can be used as an elevator to transports cargo and men. Within the next fifty hours it will become fully solid. Madripoor‘s Air Force is being attacked by the invaders aircraft’s and the X-men try to help them best as they can with Rogue, Thunderbird and Bishop shooting aircrafts out of the sky, and Lifeguard catching both human soldiers and alien invaders as prisoners alike, though minutes later, the Viper executes the Alien Invaders that the X-Men had just captured, except for Khan, who Storm jumps on to protect him from the bullets. Rogue disarms the Viper and Storm convinces Khan that not all of them think like her. Shaitan and the alien troops find their executed men and they angrily kill many of Madripoor’s army in revenge. Meanwhile the X-men have made it to one of Viper’s hideouts where they analyze their situation. Shaitan finds the X-Men just as Khan thanks Storm for saving him. Recognizing that he is only after Khan, Storm decides that it’s better to split up. She places Bishop in charge and wants to take Khan elsewhere, but Viper attacks Storm from behind while the rest of the X-Men escape. Viper wants to finish her earlier execution and attacks Khan, but is defeated by him. Khan orders Shaitan to call a medivac for Storm because he wants to save her to become his Queen.

In a tunnel under Madripoor, Viper hands out weapons trying to prepare the Madripoor civilians for war. Rogue leads an attack against soldiers by using her new mutant powers of illusion to turn herself, Bishop, and Thunderbird into Sabretooth, Wolverine, and the Hulk. After the battle, the rest of the X-Men show up and they disguise themselves using the alien soldiers' armor. All except for Rogue are later found and taken through the portal for medical assistance. Rogue is left behind as the X-Men's back up just in case the others do not make it back. Khan carries Storm to his ship through the portal that links his ship to Madripoor on Earth. The soldiers on Khan's world try to praise him for his heroics but he tells them to be silent in honor of Storm. Resolute, Khan tells Shaitan that he will make Storm his Queen and calls for a Skinwalker. A black liquid substance arrives in a canister, which Khan pours onto Storm. Then the alien transfers itself onto Shaitan, transforming him into a Storm look alike. Khan sends Shaitan after the other X-Men and then tells his physicians to save Storms life. Later, Storm wakes up in a bedroom, pampered by attendants. When Storm asks Khan to stop his attack on Earth, he tells her no that he will conquer Earth and her at the same time. Storm tells him that she will not be conquered... but she may surrender. Wrapped in an embrace, they both passionately kiss.

Sage jump-starts Rogue's mutant powers, and Rogue and Slipstream use them to destroy much of Khan's army on Earth. In an apartment building, Vargas, with his statue of Psylocke, watches Rogue fight the army and talks to himself about their need to kill Rogue. Elsewhere, the other four X-Men sneak past Gambit and his guards and onto Khan's space station. There, Lifeguard goes through a metamorphosis and transforms into more of an alien being. Using her own powers, Sage is able to hack into Khan's computers and find out where Storm is being held prisoner. Sage also finds information on what occurs when Khan actually conquers each dimension. In Khan's fortress, Storm is in her prison quarters being pampered by her attendants and talking to Khan about the X-Men. Khan leaves and later talks to Shaitan about their plans on capturing the X-Men and Khan's weakness for Storm.

Elsewhere on Khan's ship, the Pathfinder troops discuss Khan's recent attitude change because of Storm. When they notice Lifeguard approaching them with three soldiers behind her, they mistake her for a Royal Shi'ar dignitary.

After talking to one of the soldiers, the X-Men are found out and they have to fight for their lives. After their battle they find out from the guards that Storm may be in a Harem, so Sage decides to go rescue her alone. Meanwhile, Khan has finished his talk with his generals and he walks into the chamber where Storm is waiting for him. As they float in the air, they kiss passionately. Later that evening, Jalene and the rest of the Harem decide that they have had enough of Storm and try to kill her. However, when Storm tries to protect herself with her mutant powers, they betray her and she collapses in agony. While all these events transpire in space, on Earth Rogue sits on burnt out debris from one of Khan's battle planes. Vargas approaches her and he tells her that he wants to fight her right here right now.

 

[SunflowaSeeds]

X-Treme X-Men #10-18 Continued...

Despite her injuries, Storm takes out the entire Harem with hand-to-hand combat and creative use of her diminished powers. Sage makes her way to a control room and she causes security breaches all over the tower, making it look as if there were hundreds of X-Men attacking it. She then goes to aid Storm and escorts her through the air vent tunnels to safety. Storm however has other plans, she has discovered the buildings weakness – a large supply of water at the top of the tower, used as coolant for the machinery. At the same time, Lifeguard, Bishop, and Thunderbird, posing as Royal Shi’Ar gain access to the Damage Control central. Once in they reveal themselves and force Khan’s staff to leave the room, while they continue to upload Sage’s scrambling data files. While all this goes on in space, on Earth Rogue faces off against Vargas. Finally he reveals his motives as he shows Rogue a page of Destiny’s diary that has Rogue stabbing Vargas with his own sword. Rogue distracts him with Cyclops’s optic blast, and Slipstream teleports in, plucks Vargas from the area and takes him above the temple that Gambit is trapped in. Yet Slipstream’s inexperience costs him as Vargas manages to slice across his back with his sword, almost killing him. Vargas crashes into the temple where he quickly disperses the entire troop of Khan’s army, and plans to take on Gambit, who finally releases a charged piece of rock he had been hiding in his fist. Outside Rogue saves Slipstream from drowning in the swamps as suddenly the temple collapses, apparently killing Gambit, though saving the universe from Khan’s invasion.

Rogue flies into the collapsing temple, looking for her lover Gambit. Despite him still being trapped by the tight red beam and it’s forcefield, he caused the building‘s destruction, hoping that his death would close the portal and save the world. Rogue tries to free him, but ends up trapped by the forcefield as well, as she has absorbed Gambit’s powers in the past, which allows the beam to use her as a conduit as well. Still disguised as Storm, Shaitan investigates reports of a single swordsman killing many if the alien invaders – it is Vargas. Thinking Shaitan to be the X-Men’s leader, he battles and easily defeats “her“. Vargas then approaches the defenseless couple, and rams his sword straight through both Rogue and Gambit. Up above in the destabilizing tower, Storm and Sage are trying to sabotage the water supply system, when suddenly Khan shows up. He easily defeats Sage but him and Storm are too much of an even match. While they are busy battling each other Bishop finishes the job the two X-Men started and blasts the pipes of the water supply. Both Storm and Khan get caught in the floodwave and are washed away. As they fall Storm grabs a hold of a ledge saving herself and Khan from a long and probably fatal fall. Khan tries to talk her into reconsidering his offer but she denies him leaving her and Bishop to fall the rest of the way down through the tower. Lifeguard though saves the two would be heroes and she flies them to the portal back to earth, where they meet with Sage and Thunderbird. Khan has different plans though, he separates his Warship from the towers head, planning to navigate it through the portal, intending to conquer the X-Men’s world even without his tower. Yet, the five X-Men, now on the other side of the portal back on Earth, quickly fire all their powers toward the ship to keep the ship from fully making the trip. It is still stuck in the portal as it implodes, apparently killing Khan and his troops. Sadly the X-Men have no time for celebration as they find the injured Slipstream, and the lifeless forms of Rogue and Gambit.

In the temple in Madripoor, the X-Men mourn the apparent loss of Rogue and Gambit who lie in front of them, with Vargas‘ sword skewering both of their bodies. Yet they are not dead as Rogue speaks up, requesting their help. Bishop removes the sword and him and the X-Men tend to their friends injuries as best as they can. Rogues powers go cray and she decides to go after Vargas. Sage is shocked that the solution to their diary quest was right before them, as Rogue’s imprint of Destiny should have all the knowledge they need. Elsewhere in the city, Vargas carries his price, Storm’s body (actually Shaitan). He finds his two servants and they return to base, where Rogue, posing as the Psylocke statue is waiting for them. She attacks and knocks Vargas out of the building, but suddenly her extra powers fade. Left with only her basic powers and her skills in hand to hand combat, she defeats both Thais and Thaiis, before Vargas returns. At first Vargas and Rogue seem evenly matched, but her wounds reopen, and the swordsman gains the upper hand. The fight is observed by Shanna Cho and her cameraman, who keeps recording. Rogue finally imprints Vargas and is now able to match him blow for blow. Suddenly she comes to the realization that the diaries are a trap, that they leave no room for spontaneity or hope. Rogue prepares to strike Vargas with his own blade, but it is unclear wether she kills him or not, as right then the camera’s battery runs out of power and the end of the fight is not recorded. Elsewhere, Lifeguard attends to her brother’s injuries and he awakes but sadly he sees her Shi’Ar appearance and refuses to believe that this alien is his sister. Madripoor’s ruling prince, the Viper, comes with the medical supplies to help the X-Men. Unluckily for her, Storm remembers that she nearly killed her and takes her vengeance by shooting her with one of Sage’s guns. Luckily Viper was wearing Kevlar which stopped the bullets fatal blow. Still, Sage threatens Viper to never harm her friends again and with a blade to her throat, Viper is forced to agree to her demands.