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Limbo
The teenage mutant heroes known as the New Mutants, along with their new companion the alien Gosamyr arrive in the dimension known as Limbo after harrowing adventures in deep-space, and seeing that there is trouble in Limbo, Bobby “Sunspot” DaCosta asks Limbo’s ruler, who happens to be his teammate Illyana “Magik” Rasputin to teleport them out of here. In her eldritch armor, Illyana replies that she is trying. The New Mutants are used to travelling to Limbo when Magik teleports them anywhere, it is how her power works - but Limbo has never been like this before!
The demon S’ym orders his minions to destroy the New Mutants, and so begins yet another battle for the tired New Mutants. Sam “Cannonball” Guthrie and Sunspot take the point, followed by Danielle “Mirage” Moonstar and Rahne “Wolfsbane” Sinclair, while Warlock protects Gosamyr, and Magik exclaims that she can’t do it, that she can’t make a Stepping Disc to take them to Earth. ‘We’re stuck here in Limbo - maybe forever!’
‘No way!’ Cannonball exclaims as he blasts towards a demon, informing the demon that he is invulnerable while he is blasting. ‘What about you?’ he asks as he smashes through the demon. Sam calls out to Dani, his co-leader of the New Mutants and suggests to her that she better wish up her biggest weapon-spear, because she will need it! Dani agrees, and summons her spear before driving it into one of the demons, asking Sam if this could tie into Destiny’s prophecy - that Illyana had to leave Earth and learn, or else Earth would be destroyed?
Illyana points out that they did go into space, and that she did learn! Illyana exclaims that there are others, besides her, with demons in their souls, but it is how they deal with evil that counts. ‘And it helped to find out I’m not alone!’ Sunspot punches a demon, while Gosamyr clings to him, and exclaims that it doesn’t get us back to Earth. Bobby then informs the alien that he is very infatuated with to avoid these creatures, as they are filled with the Transmode Virus, and if they choose to, they can infect her.
Gosamyr stares at one of the reddish-pink demons as she reminds Bobby that her physiology is alien to the demons, she isn’t human, so she may not be able to be infected. Suddenly, Warlock, in the form of a very large mallet, slams down on the demon Gosamyr was looking at. ‘Self thinks, Gosamyr, that self will not let them try!’ Warlock exclaims, before pointing out that Gosamyr is dangerous enough to her friends as she is without being infected with the Transmode Virus.
Sunspot continues to use his super strength against the demons, while Warlock pulls Wolfsbane from trouble. The young Scots woman thanks her alien teammate, while remarking that there are so many of the creatures and all of them so evil, making it hard for her to breathe here!
Magik destroys a group of the demons, shouting ‘I rule Limbo, monsters! I won it the hard way!’ The powerful young woman rushes towards S’ym, asking him how he can dare to turn her kingdom against her. S’ym, chomping on his trademark cigarette, addressing Magik as “Darkchilde” and asks her why she is blaming him, after all, Limbo is hers, there is no question about that. He tells her that Limbo reflects what she is, and that it isn’t his fault is turns her stomach.
‘You turn my stomach…monster!’ Illyana shouts as she slices S’ym in half with her Soulsword. S’ym is gone, and Illyana exclaims that she won - until S’ym leaps up from the murky water by Illyana’s feet, shouting ‘Guess again, babes!’ and reminding Illyana that he is infected with the Transmode Virus, meaning he is techno-organic and therefore her magic sword cannot disrupt him. He boasts that nothing can destroy him after shoving Illyana into the water, then, standing over her, he snatches the Soulsword from her while exclaiming that he can destroy her.
Illyana is shocked that S’ym could take her sword, as she created it from a piece of her soul. S’ym explains to Magik that her soul is corrupted by Limbo’s dark magic, meaning so is her sword. Glancing at the gleaming sword, S’ym declares that there is so much power for others to tap into - dark power - and that the sword’s barest touch conjures monsters. ‘Let’s see what its touch will do to you…?’ S’ym exclaims as he raises the sword high above Illyana - but it only clangs against her armor which grows spikes to protect her. S’ym is not amused by this, but points out that Illyana is still his captive, so he will simply figure out some other way to kill her.
Turning to the other New Mutants, S’ym declares that he will have no problem killing them! Illyana looks at her friends and thinks that S’ym is right, and remarks that it isn’t just her life at stake here, the others are in this because of her. Illyana knows she has to get them home - but something is blocking her, she cannot reach Earth. But Magik is not entirely powerless, and creates a Stepping Disc to retrieve her friends from where they are struggling against the horde of demons, who wonder where they have gone. ‘Maybe Darkchilde stronger than we thought!’, ‘But where? To Earth?’ the demons mutter.
Suddenly, N’astirh appears before S’ym via scrying and S’ym realizes that the other demon has been spying on him from N’astirh’s lair on Earth. ‘Where is your trust?’ S’ym asks, before assuring N’astirh that he would not kill his little precious, as S’ym honors their agreement, and he only meant to scare the Darkchilde. ‘You actually tried to decapitate her with her own sword!’ N’astirh exclaims, and tells S’ym that it would not have been nice. S’ym suggests to N’astirh that he better take a nicer tone with him, as he has the sword, meaning he has the power! ‘S’ym rules Limbo now, and soon, S’ym will rule all of Earth!’ N’astirh points out that the Darkchilde has escaped, and asks S’ym if he really thinks he will rule Earth. S’ym replies that the Darkchilde has not escaped to Earth, to which N’astirh points out that his magick stopped her from doing so, ‘Even from Earth, my magic, my foresight, far outreaches yours!’ N’astirh boasts, before telling S’ym to ask him nicely and he shall find the Darkchilde and deliver her to him.
‘Where are we?’ asks one of the New Mutants as they emerge in some kind of large chamber. Magik replies that she called a Stepping Disc, the nearest one around, and it brought them here. Looking around, Illyana informs her friends that this is the place where she first met the demon-lord Belasco, in this throne room, where he lured her. ‘Lured you, how?’ asks Rahne. Illyana replies that she was with her brother and the X-Men on an island where the wall between Earth and Limbo was weak.
Continuing, Illyana explains that she heard Belasco calling her, so she came, and fell into a Stepping Disc, which brought her here. Magik remarks that she thinks she heard Belasco’s call because of an inborn affinity with Limbo - after all - she was born with the power to control the Stepping Discs. Magik takes her seat on the throne and reveals that when she got lost here, Belasco gave her a locket and said that he loved her. ‘I believed him. I was only six years old!’
But what Illyana didn’t know at the time was that Belasco really wanted to use her to bring the evil gods he served to Earth. A frightened Rahne asks if that is what S’ym means to do, but Illyana replies that S’ym only serves himself, before continuing on with her story, revealing that the X-Men followed her to Limbo and tried to save her - but one by one - they died! ‘Died?’ gasps Rahne, stepping backwards into a pile of bones. Illyana gets to her feet, informing Rahne that she is standing on Nightcrawler’s foot. She explains that Cat phased it into the ground and killed him, because he had become a sick thing by then, a monster.
Rahne knocks a skull to one side as she asks who “Cat” is. Illyana picks up another skull and announces that this is Cat, or at least what is left of her. ‘Grown…changed…twisted demonically…by Belasco. You know her as Shadowcat…Kitty Pryde!’ Illyana exclaims that she fought Cat and killed her. ‘Even here she was my best friend…and I killed her!’ Illyana holds Cat’s skull up and exclaims that Nightcrawler, her brother Colossus, Wolverine, they all died around her - because of her.
Illyana reveals that Storm tried to save her from the dark seed Belasco planted in her soul - but she killed her too, to keep Storm from eternal damnation at Belasco’s hand. Illyana slams Cat’s skull to the ground, shattering it and begins to pound the ground as she declares that she blamed Belasco for what she had become, but realizes that she must have chosen it. ‘No one made me murder my nest friends!’
Sunspot exclaims that Magik has popped her cork, and tells her that she is wrong, crazy. Mirage points out that the X-Men are indeed dead, but that they died on Earth, and only recently too. Warlock adds that Nightcrawler and Shadowcat are still alive, trying to reassure Illyana that she did not kill them. Wolfsbane exclaims ‘You’re our friend. You couldn’t have! You didn’t…did you?’
Very demonic looking, Illyana glares at the New Mutants with blood-red eyes. ‘Oh, yes!’ she exclaims, pointing out that time is different here, and revealing that alternate choices mean alternate timelines and alternate people are created. Illyana remarks that it is difficult to explain, but assures the New Mutants that she made the right choices, the ones that let her live and led her back to Earth - while the others were trapped here and died.
Cannonball tells Magik that she sounds almost proud of herself, before remarking ‘Sometimes, in the heat of battle, people die. But murder, Illyana? For any reason?’ Rahne asks Magik why she never told them this before and asks her why she is saying it, exclaiming that it cannot be true, before declaring that it must be this terrible place. ‘Things will be different when we’re home. Please…let’s go home!’ the frightened Wolfsbane exclaims.
Sunspot points out that Illyana is home, when suddenly Gosamyr alerts everyone to the incoming barrage of demons. ‘There they are!’ the demons exclaim upon seeing Illyana and the others. ‘Master traced them here!’ ‘Get them!’ But Magik is too fast, creating a Stepping Disc around her teammates she then leaps into it, and they all vanish, while the demons slam against the ground.
Wolfsbane screams, wanting to know where they are, as a decaying form of Colossus stands before them. Magik shows her friends the proof that her story is all true. Illyana tells Rahne not to worry, that she didn’t kill her brother, S’ym did, to which Dani tells Illyana to stop torturing Rahne, as she cannot take much more of this. Suddenly, there is a scream, and the New Mutants all look to another ledge, where they see a little blonde girl running away from S’ym.
S’ym tells the little girl not to run away from him, as he wants to talk to her. He finally catches up to her, and holds her upside down by her legs, informing her that he doesn’t like it when she won’t smile at him. ‘S’ym doesn’t like your attitude!’ the demon shouts before slamming the little girl down on the ground.
This upsets Rahne a lot, but Illyana stops her from going over to the girl. ‘What are you doing, Illyana? Have you gone mad? She’s just a wee child, an innocent baby!’ Rahne exclaims. ‘We have to save her!’ Tears form in the Darkchilde’s eyes as she asks her teammates if they don’t understand anything. ‘That…baby is me! The way is was when I first came here!’ Magik explains to her teammates that during the last jump they teleported in time as well as space - ‘Into the past. My past!’
Magik explains that S’ym is punishing her for some imagined transgression, informing her friends that he did that whenever he could catch her. ‘I remember. I don’t want to remember!’ Magik gasps as she looks at her former self, telling the New Mutants and Gosamyr that they cannot stop S’ym, they must leave her past-self to learn what she can from this - a lesson in hatred - so she will be around to defeat Belasco and become what she is today - monster though she might be - and so that she can learn to control the stepping discs and hopefully send them home!
Cannonball exclaims that the price is too high, while Warlock points out that Magik speaks of only sending them to Earth and not herself. ‘Earth is your home too!’ he exclaims. ‘Is it?’ asks Illyana, pointing out that S’ym never killed her, when he could have so easily. ‘I wonder why’. Illyana then turns to Rahne and tells her that they should go, as she is sure that what happens next to her former self is not something Rahne wants to see.
Cannonball grabs Illyana as she turns away and motions to the past which is continuing to play out, though there is a green demon flying above S’ym and bombarding him with energy, declaring ‘The girl-child must remain alive!’ Sam asks Illyana who that is, to which Magik replies that she doesn’t know, as she has never seen this demon before, however she can feel his power, nearly as powerful as Belasco was, and potentially as powerful as she is.
‘N’astirh! Rebel…you dare to threaten Belasco’s guard?’ the past S’ym asks as the past N’astirh knocks him to the ground. ‘I threaten the human sorcerer’s cringing lackey!’ N’astirh replies, before a fight follows. Rahne turns away sobbing, exclaiming that they are tearing each other apart. Rahne tells Illyana that she had such horrible thoughts about Illyana being a murderer and consorting willingly with demons, that it was all her fault they are stuck here.
Rahne goes over and hugs Illyana, ‘But you were an innocent baby when you came. Too young to understand! None of this is your fault!’ Illyana does not hug back, while Sunspot mumbles ‘And you endured this horror. Day after day…for seven years!’ Rahne tells Illyana that even if it means they have to stay here, they should go and save her child-self. ‘No!’ replies Illyana and teleports herself and the others away, at the right moment too, for the demons have found them, though once again are not quick enough.
Meanwhile, on Earth, in the glorious city of Manhattan. Standing almost on the highest point of the Empire State Building are four very powerful beings. Not just because of their mighty mutant powers, but they are powerful for many other reasons. They are the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club! Magneto a.k.a. the White King, Sebastian Shaw a.k.a. the Black King, Emma Frost,  the White Queen and Selene, the Black Queen.
The Master of Magnetism, Magneto exclaims that the Empire State Building is growing, to which the White Queen remarks that it is impossible - isn’t it? Magneto points out that when Shaw summoned the Inner Circle to meet, he came reluctantly, as his students were missing and thought Shaw was exaggerating. Emma declares that it is almost palpable, even without her telepathic power she is certain she would feel it, something in the air - something evil!
Shaw motions to the tourists on the observation deck below and remarks that they seem more disturbed by the weather. One tourist looks through some binoculars and exclaims that he didn’t know they would be so high up, and that it is too bad about the haze. He declares that if the haze let up, then he bets they could see all the way - suddenly he begins screaming as he is cut-off mid-sentence, and he falls back, clutching his eyes and screaming ‘My eyes! My eyes!’
‘My eyes, now! Like them?’ the binoculars ask, grinning as blood drips down its “face”, now complete with real human eyes. ‘Die! Thing of evil!’ Magneto exclaims as he blasts the binoculars with a burst of magnetic energy. But at that moment, the antennae that the Inner Circle are standing on begins to crumble! Magneto reminds his associates that they have laced their costumes with threads of steel - a precaution which has paid off as he is able to use his powers to grab hold of them.
Shaw alerts Magneto to the falling steel beams and tells him to watch his back. Magneto motions to the steel beams and exclaims that he has power over iron and steel - even the living metal that this tower has become. Meanwhile, the tourists have all rushed to the elevator, all wanting to get back to the ground. But as the elevators make the trip back to the ground, they increase their speed, faster and faster.
Emma tells Magneto that she can feel the screams of the tourists and asks him to catch the elevators - but it’s too late, they land, and the doors open, only for a river of blood and bones to flow from it. ‘How can this be happening? What’s going on?’ Emma asks, unaware that the wicked demon N’astirh is watching these events he had a hand in play out, with the imprisoned Artie Maddicks and Leech at his side.
Back in Limbo, and in an earlier time, a version of N’astirh welcomes Illyana to his corner of Limbo as she and her friends arrive. Sunspot points out that this slot is occupied and suggests they leave. ‘I think not! Take them!’ N’astirh orders his N’asteris while Magik realizes who this is, and asks him why he stopped S’ym from killing her. The past N’astirh informs Magik that he has watched her through precognitive magic and has summoned her into the past via a transport spell of his own devising - more cumbersome than her elegant, natural approach, but it is effective in its own way.
N’astirh tells Illyana that he needs to speak with her privately, to which Magik asks him who he is. N’astirh explains that he is a poor demon scorned by Belasco fro apprenticeship. ‘He preferred human students, you see, and thought demons only good for servants!’ N’astirh points out that Belasco first chose Storm, and then Illyana over him, before revealing that he stole Belasco’s main book of spells before Illyana could destroy it and travelled into the past, where he has now mastered all of them.
N’astirh explains that he has a natural affinity for dark magic, before revealing that S’ym’s army is massed for invasion, and tells Magik that he will help her defeat him and save her friends and escape to Earth. Magik remarks that, in dealing with demons, there is always a price, to which N’astirh exclaims ‘You wound me, Darkchilde! I offer help because I love you!’
N’astirh points out that the power to return to Earth is Illyana’s in any case, as it is her birthright, but that she fears to use it. ‘What do you mean?’ Illyana asks. N’astirh points out that Illyana let S’ym take her sword because she knew in her heart what she had become, and rejected it, thus, she surrendered to S’ym, the most powerful piece of her soul. N’astirh reveals that S’ym will indeed try to use the sword, so he tells Magik to take the sword back and accept its dark power, which will enable her to defeat S’ym and use it to save her friends, to return home and save the world.
Illyana asks N’astirh if he will send her back to S’ym so that she can do this, and what he gains from helping her. N’astirh declares that he only wants her to accept her true self, to embrace her dark heritage and defeat S’ym - for now, that will be enough he exclaims. ‘And in the future?’ Illyana asks. ‘Someday, perhaps, you will return to me as my dark bride…if you choose’.
‘No! You can’t!’ Cannonball exclaims. Illyana replies ‘That’s the future, Sam…and this is now! If I don’t d something, none of you will have a future! Don’t you see? He saved me from S’ym. He wants to help me - he says he loves me!’ Rahne begins to cry as a demon comes and puts its hands on her face as she reminds Magik that Belasco said he loved her too, ‘And see what he’s made you - no! Get away!’ she tells the demon.
Magik tells the other New Mutants that Rahne is nearly insane now, and points out that if she stays here she will die. ‘You’ll all die! Then S’ym will use the power of my sword to lay waste to our world!’ Illyana exclaims that she can stop him and asks what is her life compared to that? Magik tells N’astirh that they have a bargain, she will take back the sword, and opens a Stepping Disc which envelops her friends, some of who are protesting.
N’astirh tells Magik to go and do her part, and assures her that he will do his. Crotus goes up behind “Mawthur” and asks him what he is doing, pointing out that the Darkchilde is his rival for power, he asks why he would help her. N’astirh smacks Crotus back across the ground, telling him that he lacks understanding, as does that fool S’ym, for S’ym underestimates Magik’s true value. ‘He schemes to kill her. I plan to use her!’ N’astirh boasts, before remarking that the human need to choose right over wrong, good over evil, has ever been, and will ever be, the Darkchilde’s greatest tragedy. ‘But that is in our future…’.
In present-time Limbo, S’ym is startled by the sudden appearance of Magik and the others. Magik leaps at S’ym telling him that the demon N’astirh has betrayed him ‘And delivered you into my hands!’ Illyana shouts as she conjures magic to attack S’ym. Sunspot suggests to his teammates that if Magik is going to do this, they may as well help her, and begin battling the underling demons. Magik dodges all of S’ym’s attacks, eventually she gets herself on top of him and blasts him in the head, causing him to stumble back and enabling her to take the sword. ‘Power…dark power…I can feel it! I am power!’ Illyana shrieks as she is transformed into a twisted version of herself, red scales line her body. He beautiful flowing blonde hair now dirty and, her eyes yellow, and a forked tongue darts from her mouth.
Magik declares that she has the sword, and S’ym is now nothing. ‘Earth is safe from your greed…and the Stepping Discs are again mine to command!’ Illyana begins to open a portal back to Earth, but it is hard, some residual barrier blocks the way. She pushes through it though, with all her will, and the New Mutants arrive, not at the school as Cannonball points out, but over Times Square in New York!
The Stepping Disc gives way and the teenage heroes begin to fall to the ground. Cannonball blasts down and grabs Mirage, while Warlock transforms into a parachute of sorts, enabling Sunspot and Wolfsbane to grip on to him, while Gosamyr holds onto Sunspot, and Magik just leaps to the ground, her now cloven hooves to take the brunt of the fall. However the Stepping Disc is not entirely gone, as hundreds of underling demons begin to enter New York.
Mirage tells Magik to close the Stepping Disc, but Illyana replies that she is trying, but she can’t. ‘It’s open, and there’s nothing I can do!’ Illyana exclaims woefully as hundreds more demons begin to fall from the sky.
N’astirh appears beside Magik, and Illyana turns to him, ‘You tricked me! You wanted this to happen!’ she shouts. N’astirh points out that Magik chose to take the power, to try to save her friends, and her world. ‘My friends have simply crashed the party!’ Magik tells N’astirh that he lied to her, to which N’astirh replies ‘Not entirely’, and points out that only the Darkchilde could wield the sword’s dark energy to open such a portal, while only he could wield the forces that it takes to keep it wide open! Magik exclaims that he betrayed her, to which N’astirh replies of course he did, for although he truly loves her, he is a demon nonetheless….


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

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The Gift
Illyana Rasputin was once a beautiful gift to the world, filled with the promise of perfection. That was when she was young…before she fell into the demonic dimension called Limbo. There, she was raised by sorcerers and demons. She survived. She learned. She traded a bright piece of her soul to the darkness…for power. She became Limbo’s mistress and escaped back to her own world. But Limbo rebelled…and followed her home!
Today, in Times Square, the uber-demon known as S’ym puffs on a cigar as he stands on Illyana “Magik” Rasputin, currently known as the Darkchilde, though she is covered from head to toe in eldritch armor. Both mutant and monster reach for Illyana’s powerful Soul Sword. S’ym remarks that Magik’s armor may protect her from his Transmode Virus, but that she still rejects her dark heritage. ‘You refuse to be the Darkchilde in more than name and form’, he says, before remarking that it is good, as it will make it easier for him to destroy her.
‘Destroy me, S’ym?’ Illyana asks from behind her armor, while a proud voice inside of her whispers to herself that if she can no longer be perfect in beauty and goodness…why not be perfect in evil? For without the dark power, she is nothing, an empty shell. A vacuum that which nature abhors. ‘Demon…you make me laugh!’ Illyana exclaims as she forces S’ym off of her body and picking him up, tosses him across the room and out of the window of the building they were in.
The voice whispers to her again, telling her that with the darkness and power, she is the Darkchilde, that her existence has meaning, and that she has already done so much by bringing Limbo to a corner of Earth, but the voice adds that she could do so much more too. Illyana fires a blast of magical energies at S’ym as she reminds him of how he tortured her when she was small and helpless. ‘I’m not small any longer!’ she boasts as she leaps from the window, and holding her sword high, adds that she has more than enough power already to destroy him.
S’ym lies in a pile of rubble, while Illyana looms over him. Already the long-serving member of the teenage mutant heroes the New Mutants has fought off the nightmare whisperings. She is still fighting them - but she is losing, evident as she brings her powerful sword down upon S’ym, slicing him into several pieces. S’ym’s head bounces along a bit before stopping, and grinning at Illyana he points out that he didn’t kill her when she was small because N’astirh protected her. S’ym’s techno-organic body begins to reform as S’ym informs Magik that N’astirh is now dead, and boasts that it was he who defeated him, reduced to ash. S’ym stands up before Illyana and tells her that he wants her sword - and her dark power.
S’ym declares that it will be his pleasure to take it from her - then take her life. He lunges at her, but Illyana tells him that he is wrong, and unleashes a massive amount of magical energy upon him, forcing him backwards and into a brick wall. Magik proceeds to tell S’ym that N’astirh is not dead, although he no longer protects her. ‘He has abandoned me’. Magik tells S’ym that N’astirh knows she can access the dark powers that will destroy S’ym utterly and that he hopes S’ym will force her to take that choice. ‘And you know, S’ym, that tempts me…it really does!’ Illyana exclaims wickedly.
Meanwhile, not too far away, just off Times Square is a church, which is currently a haven for a trio of injured teenage mutant heroes, an female alien, three pre-pubescent mutant boys and ten babies. The three teenage heroes stand in the doorway of the church and watch their un-injured friends and teammates in the New Mutants and X-Terminators leave to go and find Magik. Rusty Collins of the X-Terminators remarks that he knows they are in no shape to go with the others, but he still feels like a shirker.
Danielle “Dani” Moonstar, co-leader of the New Mutants and codenamed Mirage tells Rusty that it is hard letting them go, adding that she is afraid for them - as she sees death everywhere. ‘My head…’ she adds. Sally Blevins a.k.a. Skids remarks that it is probably her head again and suggests to Dani that she go and lie down. Dani tells her new friend that it will not do any good, as the Valkyries  gave her a gift that lets her see death coming. ‘right now…I see death all around!’
Not too far away, the rescue team consisting of a merged team of New Mutants and X-Terminators makes their way to find Magik. Warlock has once more transformed himself into “Super Warlock” to carry his friends around, except for Cannonball a.k.a. Sam Guthrie who blasts alongside. Sam remarks that the way the buildings and streets keep shifting around, he doesn’t know if they will see Illyana even if they fly right over her. Warlock exclaims that, nevertheless, they need to continue the search, pointing out that Magik might be the only one who can put the city right.
Rahne “Wolfsbane” Sinclair reminds her friends that Illyana took back her sword and became the Darkchilde so that she could get them home - that it was never Illyana’s intent for this to happen. Bobby “Sunspot” DaCosta remarks that he feels badly, and adds that if Illyana did this to save them, then it must be their fault, to which Julio Richter a.k.a. Rictor adds that the X-Terminators played their part too, and that he and Boom-Boom feel just as bad.
The young heroes continue on their journey, when suddenly they come to a set of traffic lights that glows red and begins talking to them; ‘Hey you hoodlums! Red light! And this is a NO WAY street!’ Warlock continues to fly past the traffic lights as reality bends and twists even more, with the entire road warping around them as the traffic light asks them if they cannot read a sign or do they not know what a red light means. Cannonball cries out for Warlock to stop, and the traffic light exclaims ‘You ain’t even slowing down!’
Warlock alerts his friends to the fact that the street is looping around them and trying to crush them, as several demonized cars drive up behind them. ‘Yup! Penalty for traffic offenders! Gonna grind you into a traffic jam!’ one of the cars shouts. ‘Stoplight wise mouth lacks street smarts!’ Warlock shouts as he smashes through the traffic light. The cars increase their speed. ‘They ran the lights!’ one of the cars shouts.
‘That’s not all we’re gonna do to your lights!’ Sunspot shouts as he and the others begin battling the road and any traffic lights they come across. Tabby Smith, better known as Boom-Boom tosses her plasma time-bombs about while she tells her fellow X-Terminator Rictor to ‘Shake ‘em up, dude!’ Sunspot remarks that they could really use Professor X about now, to which a wide-eyed Boom-Boom exclaims ‘Professor Xavier is your teacher? The old guy who used to teach X-Factor?!’ Sunspot replies that Xavier taught them once, but he had to leave, and now they have a new headmaster, who he suspects shows more concern for them than the danger to the city.
Meanwhile, through twisted Manhattan streets strides an upright man. He knows the demons that scurry before him, he has seen them before. His little sister was once their mistress in Limbo. However she escaped, left Limbo and its nightmare world behind her. So where is she now, the mutant X-Man Piotr Rasputin a.k.a. Colossus wonders - and what is Limbo doing here? The mighty X-Man grabs a scrawny green demon by the neck and asks where his sister is. ‘S…sister?’ the demon asks.
Colossus explains that his sister fell into Limbo when she was six, and by the time she escaped, she ruled everyone in the domain, before arriving back here on Earth, eight long years later, only to discover that for those on Earth, mere hours had passed. The demon explains that is because time is different in Limbo, and another squawks ‘Time better there!’ Colossus holds out a couple of photos of his younger sister at age six and one of the demons remarks ‘One time is all time in Limbo through teleport discs!’ The green demon in Piotr’s grasp points out that it is part of Limbo’s special magic, to which another demon exclaims that it is the only part that mighty S’ym cannot bring here to Earth.
‘S’ym? My sister rules Limbo, not S’ym!’ Colossus exclaims. ‘Surprise for you, big guy, huh?’ another demon exclaims, before informing Colossus that his sister no longer looks like that girl in the picture, that N’astirh has since changed her. Another demon informs Colossus that S’ym fought N’astirh and won. Yet another demon cries ‘You Colossus, Darkchilde’s brother!’ The demons recall that Colossus is in his organic steel form and that he fought S’ym once, so they decide to bring him to the mighty S’ym - ‘For our new ruler…shiny coronation gift!’
Nearby, on a rooftop high above, the Hellfire Club’s Inner Circle battle the invading demons. Sebastian Shaw a.k.a. the Black King angrily remarks that this is the doing of Magneto’s students. Shaw points out that Magneto has lost control of Illyana who has set her demon hordes against the Earth. Magneto reminds Shaw that he has already told him there was unrest in Magik’s kingdom, and that it is more likely that Illyana lost control. Magneto’s attention is suddenly drawn elsewhere as he sees who he thinks is Colossus in the hands of demons, before deciding that it cant be, as the X-Men are dead, he saw them die - the whole world saw!
Suddenly, there is a blinding light as the uber-demon N’astirh appears before the Hellfire Club, announcing that he would call a truce. The demons stop fighting, and Magneto, Shaw, the White Queen and Selene all gather around N’astirh as he introduces himself, remarking that there is no reason for his legions to battle them, as they all share the goal of world domination. N’astirh points out that, previously, economic means, combined with the selective use of their mutant powers have furthered the Hellfire Club’s goals, before declaring that he has other means at his disposal - the magic of Limbo is behind him.
Magneto replies that his student Illyana rules Limbo, to which N’astirh reveals no longer, as the Darkchilde and her great enemy S’ym, will destroy each other. N’astirh boasts that when that happens, he alone will rule Limbo and Earth, and offers Magneto the opportunity to rule this world together.
Mere blocks away, the New Mutants and X-Terminators have escaped the barrage of demonized cars and Bobby exclaims that it is a good thing they are free. Rahne remarks that this is all far too much for them to handle, and wonders if perhaps Illyana can do something about it, to which Julio points out that first they have to find her. Tabitha mutters that they could use some help from adults and wishes X-Factor was around.
Leaning over the side of Super-Warlock, Rahne suddenly points to a rooftop and asks Sunspot if that is Magneto over there, perhaps he could help them. Rictor exclaims that Magneto is the guy who blew up the Russian sub - a villain! Wolfsbane replies that Magneto reformed - or so Professor X believed. She adds that Professor X even made Magneto the headmaster of their school, but the New Mutants don’t trust him, as he wouldn’t help the X-Men when they were in trouble - and they died - and now, Magneto has allied himself with the Hellfire Club.
Cannonball remarks that, nevertheless, Magneto is awfully powerful, and tells his friends that they should lead on down. Wolfsbane exclaims that Cannonball is right, perhaps they should seek his help - after all, it is Earth against the demons, and they know what side Magneto will choose this time. ‘Do we?’ Sunspot asks. He remarks that he hates to mention this, before motioning to who it is that Magneto and the Hellfire Club are talking to. The young heroes all look at where Bobby is pointing, and Rahne exclaims ‘N’astirh! But we saw him explode! We thought he was dead!’ Rahne also points out that N’astirh has been infected with the Transmode Virus.
Boom-Boom asks what the Transmode Virus is, to which Cannonball explains that it makes N’astirh techno-organic, like Warlock, meaning he will be practically invulnerable now, and able to shape-shift. Rictor asks Wolfsbane what it is that N’astirh is saying, and using her heightened hearing abilities, Rahne replies that N’astirh is saying he only wants Manhattan, and that if they stay away from the Empire State Building, the Hellfire Club can have the rest, before adding that he said something about “Selene’s holdings in the Amazon Jungle!”
Bobby angrily remarks that that is where Magma is, and Rahne exclaims that they are trading human lives like playing cards. Rictor remarks that it looks like the New Mutant’s headmaster is cutting a deal with the demon who got Illyana into this mess. Boom-Boom suggests that they get out of here, or before they know it they will be the ones under attack next.
Not far away, S’ym and Magik continue their fight, when suddenly, the lesser demons drop Colossus at S’ym’s feet. ‘Present for you, master’ they say. S’ym puffs on his cigar as he grins over at Magik. ‘Your brother, Darkchilde!’ he exclaims. S’ym asks Magik if he should treat Colossus here as he once treated him in Limbo, but before S’ym can bring his fist down upon Colossus, Magik screams ‘NO!’ and blasts the demon with magic, knocking him back and allowing Magik to inspect the man before her.
She kneels beside him and exclaims that this can’t be her brother, as he was killed in Dallas - but turning him over, Illyana sees that it is. Illyana raises her sword and asks S’ym what he has done to her brother, to which S’ym replies that it isn’t what he has done, but what he will do, and the two clash in battle, with Magik warning S’ym to keep back while she defends her brother, who, unbeknownst to her, is beginning to come to.
Up in the air, Super-Warlock alerts his friends to flashes from a magic-infused fight down below. Sam exclaims that it must be Illyana and asks the others what they are waiting for as they head down to the street below. Bobby suddenly reminds his friends that Illyana is the Darkchilde, so what happens if they save her only to have her create greater trouble? Cannonball asks his best friend how he can say that, as she is their friend, Illyana, and reminds him that Illyana saved them, regardless of the consequences.
Sam turns his attention back down to the street and seeing who he believes to be Illyana all covered in armor, exclaims that it can’t be her - can it? Angrily, Sunspot remarks that their “little” Darkchilde just had horns and scales, but now she has evolved even further - but into what? Rahne remarks that whatever it is that Illyana is becoming, she seems intent on slaying S’ym. Rahne remarks that she hates that monster and he deserves to die for what he has done to Illyana, but nevertheless they still have to stop her, as her blind rage, her passion for revenge can only drag her deeper into darkness.
Warlock promises Wolfsbane that he will save Illyana from herself, and swoops down into the midst of the battle, knocking S’ym to one side and picking up Illyana while Cannonball motions to a pile of metal on the ground and remarks that it looks familiar. Before anything more can be said about it though, Illyana cries ‘You fools!’ and Warlock, with everyone else in tow, crashes into a shop down the street, smashing right through the front window.
Sunspot remarks that they don’t have time for S’ym, to which Rahne points out that at least they have Illyana. Rictor asks where it is they are, to which a lamp on a nearby shelf informs them that they are in a pawn shop, which is right where they belong. Various objects around the shop begin spouting off cryptic sentences: ‘Always been everyone’s pawn’, ‘Shoved here and there’, ‘Held as collateral for power’, ‘Even sold herself’, ‘Pawn became a queen though!’, ‘Queen of darkness, dark queen’, ‘Alone on the board’, ‘Checked at every move’, ‘Has to play the game out to the end!’
Suddenly, Colossus crashes into the room with S’ym, ‘Incoming mail!’ Boom-Boom shouts, while Sunspot remarks that it is Colossus, but he thought he was dead! Boom-Boom asks who Colossus is, while the X-Man himself looms over S’ym, demanding to know what he has done with Illyana. S’ym glances at Magik, still covered in the eldritch armor and asks Colossus if he doesn’t recognize his “little snowflake”.
Colossus is horrified, ‘Illyana - ? No!’ he exclaims, asking S’ym what he has done to his sister. Illyana turns away from Colossus, exclaiming that she didn’t want him to know, that she was almost glad he was dead so that he would never see her like this. ‘I should be dead! I’m dead inside already!’ Illyana shouts as she opens a Stepping Disc and jumps through, with the New Mutants and X-Terminators trying to stop her.
The gathering of heroic teens falls through the disc also and Boom-Boom asks where they are now. They all stand behind Illyana who is sobbing on her knees and Sam informs Tabitha and Rictor that this is Limbo, where Illyana was raised, and learned to control the teleportation discs that pop on and off at random, until she finally used one of them to escape. Rahne adds that this is where the demons on Earth came from and Boom-Boom turns around to look behind her, where she sees dozens of demons. ‘Oh…gross!’ she exclaims, before asking what they are going to do now.
Back on Earth, Colossus calls out for Illyana, to which S’ym remarks that it is Piotr’s own fault that his “little snowflake” came to this. ‘Mine?’ Colossus asks furiously. S’ym points out that Colossus abandoned her, let her think that he was dead while he went about his own business, at which time S’ym wen about his business of deposing Illyana. Colossus smashes S’ym across the road, declaring that he visited Illyana in Limbo, fought S’ym and saved her.
S’ym corrects his opponent, ‘Thought you saved her’ he exclaims, before explaining that Illyana merely thought he was a ghost, one of her dark conjuring. S’ym turns the lower half of his body into a tank-like vehicle and races towards Colossus as he remarks that Colossus simply thought he made things better, thought he saved her. Colossus boasts that he will save her now, that he will slay every demon on Earth to defeat S’ym and win Limbo for himself, if that is what it takes to get his sister back.
Elsewhere, a gathering of lesser demons from Limbo including some of the N’asteris remark that the Darkchilde has gone back to Limbo to take back her kingdom, then she will call them home. Another demon points out that the babies are here, the ones that they collected. ‘Know where they are!’ another cries and the demons take flight towards the church, exclaiming that they are going to take the babies to Limbo with them. ‘Nothing in Limbo nearly good to eat as little human babies!’
Back in Limbo, cheering demons lift their queen triumphantly. Rahne extends a hand, calling for Illyana to come back, but Illyana replies that she cant, as she now sees how wrong she was to turn her back on Limbo. ‘Once I won, I had to rule it!’ Illyana tells her friends that, in trying to escape, she created a power vacuum which S’ym and others rushed to fill - with disastrous results for Earth. Rahne points out that Illyana didn’t mean to do all this, that it isn’t her fault, and asks her if she just cant come back, ‘Just be our Illyana? Our friend?’
Sitting on her throne now, Illyana replies ‘I wish…oh how I wish…’ before declaring that the time for that is past, for if she evades her destiny then Earth will be destroyed - this is where she belongs! Magik boasts that, as the Darkchilde, she is special, powerful, and controls the hordes of Limbo. So she asks, ‘Why would I even want to be an ordinary girl again?’
Meanwhile, demons scurry around as Colossus and S’ym continue their battle. S’ym remarks that Illyana is in Limbo, while Colossus is still here, strong, powerful and impervious to his Transmode Virus. The demons leap onto Colossus as S’ym warns him that despite all of that, he will not prevail. ‘And you will never again see your sister alive!’
Back at the church, Mirage, Rusty and Skids are defending their sanctuary from a barrage of demons. Sally extends a force field to shove the demons back while she remarks that it was quiet for a while, and now this! She asks her boyfriend where they came from and what could have happened. Rusty replies, as shoots bursts of flame at the demons, that he doesn’t know, but that this is not a good sign. The demons all begin chanting that they want the babies, to which Dani, while fending off the demons with her spear, points out that the demons seemed to have forgotten about the babies, so why would they want them now?
Danielle supposes that something must have happened with Illyana and Limbo, adding that the death glow flickers on and off, yet she thinks that death becomes less of a probability and more of a certainty with each passing moment till it seems to surround them all, heralding death for all - for this city - for the whole world! The death glow flickers over Rusty and Skids, while Mirage exclaims that she cannot fight it alone, no matter what she does, it just glows brighter! Mirage passes out due to her concussion, and little Artie and Leech hold on to her.
Sitting on her throne, Illyana motions to her scrying glass, now restored and improved, she tells everyone to look at the state of Earth, the state of her own power. Illyana remarks that it is so easy now that she is coming to accept what she truly might be. In the scrying glass, Magik sees Artie and Leech trying to help Dani, and Manhattan, which is now lost. Her brother, losing in battle against S’ym. And of course Dani’s death-vision, which sees most clearly what this invasion of Earth means - ‘The beginning of the end of everything!’
‘Unless…’ Illyana utters as she suddenly has an idea. Her throne glows gold as she exclaims that she will do it, remarking that her whole existence, her whole life has led her to this moment. Wolfsbane tells Illyana that she won’t let her do it, and begins running off after Illyana. Cannonball tells her not to, and all of the others begin running after her. ‘Come back here!’ exclaims Bobby, while Sam asks her where she thinks she is going. Rahne mumbles that Illyana has chosen, ‘I can’t save her!’ she remarks, before explaining that she cannot help thinking about how when Illyana was little, and reminds her teammates that they travelled through one of those Stepping Discs.
Rahne is about to leap into a Stepping Disc, until Warlock grabs hold of her and pulls her back. Rahne reminds Sam, Bobby and Warlock that they saw her too, innocent, almost a baby, trapped in Limbo - lost in time! Rahne asks how they could let her stay here, how could they have let that happen? Rahne begins sobbing, revealing that it has been preying on her mind since she first saw the infant Illyana, and regrets that she let their Illyana stop her from rescuing the child.
Sam points out that it was Illyana’s life, that she knew what she was doing, before telling Rahne that it is in the past and they have to deal with the here and now. ‘Not in Limbo!’ Wolfsbane shouts as she transforms into her wolfen form, exclaiming that Limbo’s past, present and perhaps even future can all be now! Rahne exclaims that at least she can try and save Illyana and leaps into a Stepping Disc. The New Mutants follow, and the X-Terminators are not far behind, though Boom-Boom complains ‘Aw no…not again!’ and Rictor asks where they are now.
‘Good question’ Sunspot replies, explaining that the discs pop at random throughout time and space, which is why all times in Limbo are the same time. He adds that they cannot control where they go, that is Illyana’s speciality. Sunspot then turns to Wolfsbane and asks her if she has gone mad, that she is going to get them lost, in fact they are lost already. Rahne replies that she doesn’t care, as she didn’t ask them to follow her. Rahne reminds her friends that she hates Limbo, as it frightens her near to death, so if it frightens her, it must frighten an innocent child even more.
Rahne leaps into yet another Stepping Disc and the others follow her. Rictor remarks that this might not be such a bad idea after all, until they come across some demons in the next area they land in. Sam asks Julio if he likes slugging it out with demons, to which Julio replies ‘Not especially’ before pointing out that if they save the kid and get her out of Limbo, then perhaps the Darkchilde will not have to fulfil her destiny and none of this would have happened. The teens fight their way past some demons when Rahne thinks she sees Illyana through another Stepping Disc. She reaches through, calling out for her, and grabbing her as the others follow, they all immediately fall through yet another disc.
‘Oh gross’ mumbles Tabitha, while Sunspot asks where they are going now. The answer comes quickly, as the teens and young Illyana look up to see the Darkchilde standing above them. ‘You went…I felt…NO!’ she exclaims as she lays eyes on her younger, innocent self. ‘You caused all of this!’ Magik screams as she swats young Illyana away, telling her that she should have died like the others. ‘But you fought to live, to become what only I could become…and in that process to die inside…a little bit at a time…until there is nothing left!’
Magik begins transforming once more, the armor disappears as she shouts ‘Ignorant child! See…know…what you will be. What I am…I AM POWER!’ screams the new version of the Darkchilde, her body resembling living white energy as she grabs the young Illyana by the hair and exclaims that she should destroy her for what she has made of her. Magik holds the Soul Sword above the child until Rahne rushes over and holds onto young Illyana, before looking up at her teammate and exclaiming ‘No! Illyana, no. That’s Limbo’s way, the way that trapped you here!’
Illyana looms down over Rahne, who exclaims that if they can save the young Illyana, the innocent child Magik came from, then they might also save Magik, and the world as well. Tears roll down Rahne’s face as she tells Illyana that this time, she has a choice. ‘A…choice?’ Illyana asks, before turning away and exclaiming that N’astirh told her that, in Limbo there is no such thing as a right choice. However, Magik knows that N’astirh, a demon, is the master of deception, so perhaps Rahne is right, and they can beat N’astirh at his own game.
Rahne holds onto the young Illyana still while Magik engulfs herself and her friends in a Stepping Disc, announcing that the only choice is to remove the choice - to negate her presence in Limbo as if she had never existed here at all. Warlock asks Magik what it is she is going, to which Illyana replies that Destiny’s prophecy was that she must learn, but how can she learn, as she is the Darkchilde, shut away from life, always on the outside looking in. ‘But can I learn? Have I?’ she asks.
‘Is this the answer?’ Magik asks as they arrive back in the Inferno that is Manhattan. Sunspot exclaims that they are back in Times Square, while Rictor asks what is happening to the Stepping Disc. Sam exclaims that it is growing. An eldritch pillar of fire begins to sweep the Earth, hurling the demons who contaminate it back to Limbo where they belong. Now, the Darkchilde, the burning mote in the eye of the storm hurls her sword, fashioned from the darkest, most powerful piece of her soul…into the heart of darkness…and becomes, in truth, a child of blinding light. The light fills the surrounding area, and in all the confusion, Rahne loses hold of the infant Illyana. She calls out to Sam, asking for his help.
Not far away, Colossus and S’ym’s battle is interrupted by a powerful wind. S’ym turns, and is suddenly caught in the wind and blown away, leaving behind a puzzled Colossus.
At the church, Artie and the alien Gosamyr, a friend of the New Mutants, are tending to Mirage, when suddenly she regains consciousness. Gosamyr realizes something is wrong, and asks her what it is. Clutching her head, Danielle replies ‘Not wrong, Gosamyr - it’s wonderful. My death visions have vanished!’ Dani heads outside where Sally and Rusty are still battling the demons, only for the demons to be blown away, caught in the winds of flame as Sally points out. ‘They’re blowing away!’ Rusty exclaims, and Dani realizes that it must be Illyana.
Rusty exclaims that they did it, that they found her, Mirage agrees and declares that they have to go see, but knows that they can’t leave the church. Suddenly, ‘Yes, you can!’ exclaims Gosamyr as she stands in the doorway of the church with Artie Maddicks at her side. Gosamyr points out that the demons are gone and she will be able to keep the little ones safe until they return. Mirage and Gosamyr have never gotten along, so Dani is slightly taken aback by this kind offer, before thanking Gosamyr, and rushing off with Sally and Rusty, shouting back ‘You’re a pal!’
A haze sits all around Times Square, but it doesn’t take long for Dani, Sally and Rusty to reach their friends and teammates. ‘Rahne…what is it?’ Sam asks as everyone gathers around Rahne, who is sitting on the ground, holding the eldritch armor of Magik in her arms. Tears fall from Rahne’s eyes as she announces that Illyana’s armor is crushed. Broken. Colossus has reached the younger heroes also. ‘Illyana…?’ he exclaims. Cannonball begins to cry also.
Colossus kneels down beside the now-blackened eldritch armor, ‘My sister…my little snowflake!’ he whispers, while Mirage rushes over to her best friend, Wolfsbane who exclaims that Illyana wasn’t the Darkchilde at the end, but an angel, a being of light, burning so brightly that they could hardly look at her. ‘She sacrificed herself and saved the whole world…and all the time she was a wee child, too!’ Rahne informs Dani that she held the infant Illyana in her arms, while the Lightchilde burned - and then, she couldn’t feel little Illyana in her arms anymore.
Rahne finds comfort in Dani’s arms as she declares that she must have let go of Illyana, somehow lost her, as the smoke cleared, and there was her charred armor, just an empty shell. However, at that moment, there is a quiet voice from within the blackened armor. ‘Piotr Nikolivich….’ Colossus is confused, until there is another murmur from within the shell, ‘Help me!’ Colossus realizes that it is his sister and tells her not to move as he will free her. He rips into the armor with his incredible strength, revealing Illyana Rasputin…as young child!
The child leaps into her brothers arms, and Mirage motions for Rahne to look. Rahne does and the child rushes over to her. Rahne continues to cry, this time though, tears of joy. Cannonball recalls how Illyana said that she was empty inside, but that she was wrong, as the innocent kid inside was there all along waiting to get out. Rictor asks if because Magik saved her younger self, does this mean that the Illyana they knew, the teenage Illyana, never existed?
Sam replies that that is impossible, as they knew her and remember her. He exclaims that they might never know what it means except that because of her sacrifice, Earth has been saved. ‘And your life will stretch before you like a golden path…filled with the promise of all that’s wonderful!’ Rahne tells the young Illyana held in her arms.
And so, Illyana Rasputin, Cannonball, Mirage, Sunspot, Rusty, Skids, Boom-Boom, Rictor, Warlock and Wolfsbane saved the world…but unbeknownst to them, N’astirh is perched nearby, watching them. ‘And so it ends’ he remarks, exclaiming that here on Earth, all is again, as it was meant to be - or so they think. He exclaims that the transport disc is closed and his demon servants have been swept away, also his churlish rival, S’ym has been removed from play. ‘See them gloat. Ha! Those children who defeated me, quite an apparent success…fools! All fools!’
N’astirh exclaims that his beautiful Darkchilde should have trusted him, but now she is lost, reduced in stature, powerless, vulnerable, destroyed. ‘The inevitable result when humans meddle in the affairs of demons!’ N’astirh looks towards the Empire State Building and remarks that demons, on the other hand, have had a glowing success rate in manipulating humanity throughout history, adding that the chasm between Earth and Limbo yawns wide, stretching an impossible distance. ‘But I will build a bridge…on the souls of the innocent Nathan Christopher Summers…and the lost Madelyne Pryor. Before the sun rises…Earth and Limbo will be mine!’


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
King of the Hill!
‘I can’t believe it! This mess used to be our school!’ cries Samuel “Sam” Guthrie a.k.a. Cannonball, co-leader of the teenage mutant heroes the New Mutants. Gazing around at the remains of their home and school, the New Mutants are uncertain of what transpired. Sam wonders what happened, to which his co-leader and friend Danielle “Dani” Moonstar a.k.a. Mirage remarks that it looks like the place exploded. Bobby “Sunspot” DaCosta wonders if it was Magneto, their headmaster, to which his best friend Sam replies that there is no chance it was Magneto, as he spends all his time with his allies in the Hellfire Club, so chances are he doesn’t even know what has happened.
Rahne “Wolfsbane” Sinclair exclaims that she hopes no one was here because there is no way they could have survived. Rahne clutches onto their de-aged teammate, Illyana Rasputin, formerly Magik, recently reduced to infancy. Illyana exclaims something in her native Russian, to which Rahne assures Illyana that she has her, before remarking that it would certainly help if she spoke English.
Suddenly, the New Mutants hear a groaning noise. Danielle exclaims that she can see a death glow and motions to a pile of rubble, ‘Somebody’s dying!’ she exclaims, adding that they are alive, but barely. Sunspot uses his incredible strength to lift up some rubble, and remarks that it looks like a portion of the second floor fell on whoever is trapped there. ‘Hang on, we’ll have you free in a -’ Bobby begins to say, until the trapped person leaps out, revealing himself to be Sabretooth! ‘So you did, boy! To your eternal regret!’ Sabretooth shouts as he lashes out at Bobby.
Cannonball leaps into action and propels himself towards Sabretooth, knocking him over. Bobby remarks that he is in no shape to hurt anyone now, to which Cannonball wonders who he is, adding that he feels guilty for hitting him so hard. Sabretooth calls the New Mutants ‘Dum mutant brats’ and boasts that he did this, and was proud to. Rahne, in her lupine form, asks him who he is, to which he introduces himself as Sabretooth of the Marauders, that their boss is Sinister, ‘He fought your precious mutant heroes! Blew this place all to Hades!’
Sabretooth begins to tell the New Mutants that they should have been here as it was a riot, before the New Mutant’s alien, Warlock, proclaims him dead. ‘Is he?’ Dani asks. Warlock replies that he detects no vital signs at all. Dani remarks that this is odd, as the Valkyrie’s gift lets her see death coming. She points out that Sabretooth is dead, and yet death isn’t coming for him. ‘I wonder why?’ Sam reminds Danielle that her powers have been acting funny lately, to which Dani replies that her head is aching like mad.
Cannonball remarks that he wonders if there are any other Marauders around here, when suddenly a voice from above exclaims that the Marauders have made their move for domination long before he thought it possible, so perhaps emboldened by the X-Men’s demise, he should have seen it coming. ‘The Hellfire Club!’ Sunspot shouts as Magneto finishes his speech. The New Mutants headmaster hovers in the air above his former home, alongside Sebastian Shaw the Black King, Emma “the White Queen” Frost and Selene the Black Queen.
Bobby picks up a large part of the ruined school and shouts that the mansion is destroyed, the school is gone, so they will not come back with him. ‘Bobby, wait!’ Rahne exclaims, but it is too late as Sunspot hurls the rubble at the Hellfire Club. Magneto and the others continue to hover in the air, and Magneto asks Sunspot if, after all their lessons, he has no better judgment, then to hurl steel equipment at the Master of Magnetism? Indeed, Magneto demonstrates his power over metal by hurling the steel far away.
Sebastian Shaw tells Magneto that his student is strong in that form - not to mention impudent. Shaw drops to the ground and exclaims that he will be more than glad to match Sunspot strength for strength, and teach him the facts of mutant power! Shaw punches Bobby, hard, and sends him careening backwards. ‘Stop It, Shaw! Leave him alone!’ Cannonball shouts in defense of his best friend as he blasts towards Shaw, who just grins. ‘Selene - if you will?’ Shaw asks.
‘My pleasure, Shaw’ the sultry Black Queen replies as she causes some of the rubble to rise up before Cannonball, who slams into it, preventing him from reaching Shaw. Sam is slumped over in front of the Black Queen, who remarks that surely he remembers from their previous conflict that inanimate objects obey her every command. Selene puts one of her hands on Sam’s head and remarks that there is another aspect to her power, when suddenly, she is mortified as her body is transformed into that of a frail old woman.
‘No! What has happened? What have I become?’ Selene screams. Mirage announces that Selene has become what she fears the most - that her powers to drain life energy from others will destroy her. The White Queen comes up behind Dani and tells her that it was a nice try, and that it was a more thorough mastery of her power than she thought capable of her. Emma then orders Dani to release Selene and return her to normal. Emma uses her own powers on Mirage, forcing her to do as she is told.
Warlock comes to his friends rescue by transforming himself into a giant set of jagged teeth. Warlock tells the White Queen that her may be able to threaten Mirage, but he is impervious to her telepathic bolt. ‘But no impervious to me!’ Magneto exclaims, before encasing all of the New Mutants and young Illyana in a massive ball of metal, created from the rubble of the mansion. Magneto declares that he has had enough of this rebellious nonsense, and informs his charges that he will only ask them once, and expects a clear and immediate answer: ‘Who is that little girl? And where is Illyana?’
Young Illyana exclaims in Russian that she is Illyana! ‘Illyana? Reduced to childhood? How? Why - ? What have you done to her?’ Magneto exclaims urgently. Cannonball informs Magneto that Illyana did it herself, she chose it for herself. Sunspot remarks ‘That time when she started turning into dark Illyana, you thought you saved her…ha!’ Rahne tells Bobby to hush, pointing out that Magneto did try, but that Illyana could feel this evil building up inside herself, but she did also feel that Magneto saved her, she wanted so much to believe it.
Mirage informs Magneto that, finally, the demons tricked Illyana, and she became the Darkchilde, bringing Limbo to Earth. ‘But in the end, she saved the world…and herself…the only way she could…by becoming the little innocent child she used to be!’ Warlock informs Magneto that the only reason the New Mutants even came here was to tell him that they will not run away anymore, because they will not be living here anymore. The New Mutants tell Magneto that Warlock is right, they will not let him teach them anymore, as they are officially quitting. ‘We saw you make a deal with N’astirh, Illyana’s great enemy! And we’ve seen other things. We don’t want to have anything to do with you…or the Hellfire Club!’
Shaw rushes up behind Magneto and asks him if he sees the trouble that his weakness has caused. Shaw reminds Magneto that when they elected him a member of their Inner Circle, he controlled the New Mutants and the X-Men. ‘Now you control nothing!’ ‘NOTHING?’ Magneto retorts. ‘The X-Men are dead! The New Mutants, though mere teenagers, have defied you time and time again!’ Shaw remarks that as a direct result of this defiance, Illyana, the most powerful among them, and potentially the most likely to serve the interests of the Club, has been reduced to less than nothing.
‘You, Magneto, are now less than nothing! I move that you be removed as the White King of the Hellfire Club!’ Shaw shouts before delivering a punch to Magneto. On the ground, Magneto declares that it is Shaw who is unfit to lead, who, like Charles Xavier, is incapable of seeing the entire picture. Magneto exclaims that he knew that the struggle for world domination among the growing mutant factions would soon begin.
Magneto remarks that, nonetheless, he hoped that he would have time to walk the path of peace and that this path would lead to their kind to co-operation and reconciliation. ‘There was a human woman who fostered that hope in me!’ Magneto remarks as he uses his powers to send shrapnel flying up at Shaw, forcing his opponent back.
Magneto remarks that he gained control of both the X-Men and New Mutants, while his next step was to establish ties to the Hellfire Club, and thus he began to form his coalition, his power base, upon which to build a foundation for control and peace among mutant kind. ‘Then the Marauders attacked the Morlock tunnels, killing so many - I allowed the X-Men to face them alone!’ Magneto remarks that they were to be his army, his first line of strategic defense in his quest for peace. ‘I had to test them…to see if they would hold!’
Magneto exclaims that the line held, although there were losses, and he was pleased. Shaw lifts up a plank that Magneto is standing on and tells him he made the move of a fool, ‘Like your present attack - the move of a dreamer!’ Shaw reminds Magneto that he absorbs kinetic energy, so what doesn’t kill him, only makes him stronger. The plank slams down as Magneto takes to the air, admitting that Shaw is right to some extent - that the barbaric ferocity of the Marauders assault shocked even he. Magneto declares that it made him realize his mistake, and that time was running out!
Magneto transforms the metal plank into a large roll, declaring that he knew they must be ready, not to further peace, but to fight the ultimate war for dominance among mutant kind. ‘The X-Men, however, continued to express an ineradicable weakness for the humans…whom our kind is destined to suppliant!’ Magneto adds that in the X-Men’s defense, Professor Xavier had encouraged this weakness in them when they were young and malleable. Magneto declares that he saw Xavier’s philosophy in dealing with new recruits could not be his own, before smashing the large metal baton into Shaw.
Watching and listening through a gap in their “prison” the New Mutants understand now why Magneto joined the Hellfire Club. ‘And started bossing us around instead of explaining things!’ Danielle adds. ‘He didn’t want us thinking or acting for ourselves!’ Rahne exclaims. ‘He wanted us trained, like soldiers, to obey, to do whatever he told us, no questions asked!’ Sunspot remarks.
Suddenly, Shaw shreds the metal Magneto attacked him with, ‘Very effective, that exercise in control proved, Magnus, did it not?’ Shaw mutters sarcastically. ‘How your students loved you!’ he exclaims. Magneto replies that he did not require their love, only their obedience. Magneto remarks that, as he feared would eventually happen, the X-Men rushed to Dallas to defend the humans there against an encroacher, where he refused to aid them this time, on philosophical grounds.
‘The X-Men saved the humans of Dallas…but died themselves. The ultimate defeat!’ Magneto exclaims as he hurls a large jagged ball at Shaw, who uses his own strength to pick up an equally large “bat” and swat it away, while the New Mutants know now why Magneto did not try to help the X-Men. ‘He let them die…just to teach them a lesson!’ Sam exclaims in horror. ‘We made our speeches and we heard his, we know who we’re really dealing with now. It’s our time to bust out!’
Magneto uses his powers to form a large hand while telling Shaw that he claims that the “Goblin Night” brought on by one of his students caused tremendous economic loss, before telling Shaw to think about it - ‘The demons struck, not at our kind, but at the humans greatest city. It weakened the humans grip on this world!’ Magneto declares that Xavier could never see the big picture, as he was blinded by his faith in human goodness. ‘You, Shaw, are blinded by your greed!’ Magneto attempts to drop the massive metal hand on his foe, who replies ‘You think, Magnus, that I miss the big picture?’ Shaw swats the hand, in the form of a fist, away while telling Magneto that it is his racist zeal that blinds him to the profit potential the humans offer. The fist becomes a flat palm and engulfs Shaw, who remarks that Magneto would cause economic disaster for mutant kind, as well as the humans.
Inside their “prison”, Sunspot declares that no matter how hard he punches, the walls will not budge. Rahne suggest they try again, all together this time, to which Sam points out that they have tried, so Magneto must be using a corner of his mind, there merest portion of his power, to keep them contained in here.
At that moment, Shaw smashes free from his own prison, boasting that mutant factions will grow more powerful and each will profess its own attitude toward their place in the world. ‘X-Factor and Apocalypse. Alpha Flight…the Marauders and the Hellfire Club…and even in Genosha, where, by the way, the Hellfire Club has major investments!’ Shaw exclaims that Genosha is a litany of emerging mutant power and asks where the danger to them in that?
Magneto calls Shaw a fool and remarks that although he sees, he doesn’t understand. ‘The day for major confrontation is close at hand!’ Magneto declares that the day is coming when even the exploited Genoshan masses, trained in obedience and honed in hatred will rise up to vent their fury on the oppressing world. ‘Mutant will fight mutant…and the winner will take all!’ Magneto declares that already it is happening, and some, like the X-Men, have been winnowed out. ‘These martyrs to their cause may be the most dangerous of all…inspiring youngsters like these New Mutants to follow in their misguided footsteps!’
Magneto bombards Shaw with more metal while exclaiming that the most difficult thing is to fight a legend, before approaching Shaw and extending a hand to pull him out of the rubble while telling him that he is no legend. ‘Indeed?’ Shaw retorts, before Magneto is blasted back by a powerful energy, and Shaw remarks that Magneto’s greatest fault is that he underestimates his opposition. Shaw reveals that, built into his suit is a device that can reverse polarities, allowing him to fling off not only the crushing metal, but Magneto as well.
‘Holy cow!’ exclaims Sunspot as Magneto lands near the New Mutants. Bobby announces that Magneto is taking a beating and is now out for the count. Warlock tells his friends that they must break out so they can offer Magneto assistance. Wolfsbane asks Warlock if he is kidding. ‘Haven’t you been listening? Magneto’s as bad as they are…maybe worse!’
Shaw approaches Magneto and asks who is now the blind fool, revealing that, like Magneto, he planned for this contingency, this confrontation - since they say they met! Shaw grabs Magneto, who remarks ‘Have you Shaw?’ and telling him to know then, that the time for negotiation, for the slow and cautious path, has ended. ‘It is time to recruit and army! We must be ready, Shaw…or the world will bury us!’ With that, Shaw is taken by surprise as Magneto buries the both of them in a mountain of rubble from the mansion. Selene and the White Queen simply stand and watch.
‘What happened?’ exclaims Bobby. Sam asks his friend if he doesn’t remember that it was in the schools computers - the one way to beat Shaw is to overload him, and that is just what Magneto did, hitting Shaw with everything that he had. Rahne points out that, in defeating Shaw, Magneto buried himself also.
‘Both of them destroyed. How can he…?’ begins Selene, until Magneto exclaims ‘How can I what?’ as he uses his powers to clear the mountain of rubble, revealing himself and Shaw. Magneto tells Selene that, surely she doesn’t imagine that a barrage of metal would place the Master of Magnetism in jeopardy, before holding Shaw up to them and remarking that Shaw claims he is unfit to be one of the Hellfire Club’s Inner Circle. Magneto reveals that he knows something of Shaw’s economic activities, and that Shaw Industries financed the Sentinel operations against mutant kind.
Magneto tosses Shaw at the Queens’ feet, declaring that it is he who is unfit to be among them, and therefore Shaw must be forced from the Inner Circle. Shaw declares that they all know his Sentinel operations mask his real activities, while its government contracts and technological research have made many of their own advances possible. Shaw points at Magneto and remarks that Magneto is right about one thing - there is room for only one of them in the Inner Circle. ‘I say that he must go…if I am to remain!’
Magneto remarks that it is a stalemate and asks the White Queen what she has to say on the matter. Emma asks Shaw if he remembers when the Lords Cardinal faced the mutant slayer robot Nimrod, a battle in which Leland and von Roehm were killed. Emma asks what Nimrod can have been other than some highly advanced rogue Sentinel. Shaw replies that Frosts’ idea is impossible, and adds that even if it were so, their carelessness caused their deaths, not he.
The White Queen exclaims that Leland and von Roehm’s deaths were wasteful and did nothing to advance the Hellfire Club’s cause, so on this one, she sides with Magneto, voting that he stays. Magneto points to Selene, announcing that she casts the deciding vote. ‘Vote with Shaw, and he remains. Vote with us, and he is Black King no more!’ The dark-haired vamp remarks that she and Shaw have clashed before, ‘And yet -’ she begins to say, until Emma interrupts her, pointing out that without Shaw’s interfering, Selene would have a free hand among her Amazonian holdings.
‘Amazonian? But Amara lives there now and Selene -’ exclaims Rahne until Cannonball hushes her, reminding her that Magneto doesn’t know they know about Magma, and he doesn’t want him to know. ‘A free hand in the Amazon…’ Selene thinks to herself. ‘And among Lords Cardinal, as well, Miss Frost. Though that is not what you plan’ Selene then points to Shaw, and holds a “thumbs down” sign. Betrayed by his Black Queen, Shaw cries ‘Fools!’ before declaring that they will turn on each other as they turned on him, they will rend and tear until there is nothing left! He storms away, walking across the debris and warning them that, through Magneto’s bigotry, they will force their nightmare vision on their kind, and on the world! He warns them that they forget he remains a force to be reckoned with, and boasts that Shaw Industries will be at his back, just as his company has backed all of them.
Watching Shaw disappear in the distance, Selene remarks that this is an interesting development, their number being reduced further, and wonders who their new Black King will be now. Magneto asks if they really need another in their Inner Circle, and points out that the fewer who rule, the less the power must be shared our among them, and proposes that he functions as both Black and White King - ‘Grey King, if you will!’ Magneto remarks that for those who see the world in terms of black and white, of good and evil, are destined for disappointment and destruction.
‘We know you mean us!’ Cannonball shouts from within the metal prison. Sam tells Magneto that they know now he is one of the bad guys. ‘And that makes you the one who’s doomed for destruction!’ Bobby shouts. Rahne asks Magneto to think about what he is doing, as it is wrong. ‘And no matter what you do to us…’ Mirage begins, ‘…self friends will never join you’ Warlock concludes.
Magneto uses his powers to tear down the metal prison and tells the New Mutants that if that is the way they feel then they are free to go. ‘What?’ Sam asks in surprise. Magneto points out that they are young and asks only that they remember what they have learned here today. ‘You have been so dazzled by Xavier’s dream of goodness and peace…that you fail to see the world as it lies before you’. Magneto warns the New Mutants that as the decade progresses, and the wars begin, they will learn that he is right.
Magnus remarks that those  who fail to seize power - and quickly - will be lost, and tells the New Mutants that, in time, some of them will return to join him freely in his conquest. ‘Know now, that you will be freely welcome’. ‘Never! We’ll never join you!’ Sunspot shouts, to which Magneto remarks that Sunspot will be the first of them to join him. ‘NO!’ shouts Bobby until Cannonball calms him down, pointing out that Magneto is egging him on purpose, and that he shouldn’t fall for it.
Sam tells his friends that it is time for them to get out of here, and Warlock scoops them all up as he transforms into a helicopter. Wolfsbane reminds her teammates that the White Queen has students too - the Hellions at the Massachusetts Academy, and wonders what this will mean for them. Sunspot recalls Magneto’s comment about letting Selene loose in the Amazon, and asks his friends what this will mean for Magma. Mirage declares that they cannot let him get away with this, to which Cannonball replies that he doesn’t know how, but they will find a way to stop Magneto.
Telepathically, Emma informs Magneto that she read the New Mutants’ minds and somehow they know about the Club’s connection with Magma and her father’s kingdom, though they have no clear idea what it is the Hellfire Club plans to do there. Magneto silently replies that he suspected that all along, but that it is good to have confirmation. He adds that, cut off from the school that trained them and suspecting the Hellfire Club of villainy, the New Mutants will no doubt go to Nova Roma and valiantly try to stop the Club and save their friend. He tells Emma that the New Mutants’ efforts will weaken Selene for them, and soon there will only be one Queen as there is now one King!