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Pawns (first story)<br> The Apocalypse Journal, part IV (second story)
First Story:
Standing on the balcony entrance to their Ship, Scott “Cyclops” Summers, Jean Grey a.k.a. Marvel Girl, Bobby “Iceman” Drake, Hank McCoy a.k.a. the Beast and Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Archangel look out over the city in horror. ‘Oh no! Not another one! We are so screwed!’ Iceman exclaims, while Jean asks Cyclops where the baby is, not to mention Apocalypse. ‘Gone. Teleported somewhere. I don’t….know where’ Scott replies, while pointing outwards: ‘And that’s - that’s Arishem, the Judge. Apocalypse said -’ Cyclops remarks, while the massive Celestial called Arishem stands over Ship. ‘I heard what he said. I don’t care right now why the Space Gods are here or what they want!’ Jean declares as she runs towards the edge of the platform.
‘Christopher is crying! I can feel him…inside my mind. We’ve got to find him -’ Jean exclaims, but Scott grabs her ankle, telling her to wait, pointing out that they do not know where Apocalypse has taken Christopher. ‘He’s not in any immediate danger. Nothing can hurt him. He’s inside his force bubble. He -’ Scott begins, while Jean angrily declares ‘He’s wet and hungry and mad and - and scared, Scott. He’s…so scared’ Jean exclaims as she collapses in Scott’s arms. ‘And so are you’ Scott points out. ‘And so am I’ he admits, assuring Jean that they will find the baby. ‘Your…psychic link to Chris will lead us to him eventually. But right now - can we abandon this city, maybe the whole world, even for our own child?’ Scott asks, adding that if any harm comes to their son, Apocalypse will pay a terrible price. ‘But we need to make the right decision’ Scott exclaims. ‘Sorry. You’re right. We…we have to think. But Scott…he’s so small…and helpless’ Jean exclaims.
Meanwhile, far beneath the Himalayas, Apocalypse arrives via teleportation inside his stronghold, while Christopher cries. Apocalypse tells the baby to lower his force field and cease his wailing. ‘You are in no danger from me, at present’ Apocalypse exclaims. ‘In fact, if we are lucky, you might mean the preservation of all I’ve worked for. As you will’ Apocalypse declares, before turning his attention to several monitors, watching the events back in Manhattan, as he tells the baby that hs presence will force X-Factor to join him in a confrontation with his mother’s maker - and possibly, his own.
Back at Ship, X-Factor gather around their former ally Apocalypse’s hound, Caliban, and Iceman exclaims that kidnapping babies is a new low for Apocalypse. ‘But leaving you here to face the music while he gets away…? That’s just his style’ Bobby exclaims. Caliban replies that Apocalypse has not abandoned his Hellhound, simply leaving him here as a liaison. ‘Did you not comprehend what my master said? Are you not curious why he fears the human genome has been corrupted?’ Caliban asks. ‘That’s bull. Apocalypse is the master of lies’ Archangel exclaims.
Warren asks Caliban what does the genome techno-babble have to do with those Celestial monsters out there. ‘Or us? Or Christopher?’ he asks as Gammenon the Gatherer appears next to Arishem. Caliban remarks that even Cyclops must acknowledge that mutants have few offspring. ‘And even those few were the result of some sort of outside influence…or were ultimately non-viable!’ Caliban exclaims while Jean throws a telekinetic field around him. ‘So Apocalypse says. And yet, I have a son! Perfect. Healthy!’ Scott exclaims. ‘Do you?’ Caliban asks, reminding him that his dead wife Madelyne was Jean Grey’s genetic duplicate - cloned by Mr Sinister.
‘And Christopher -’ Caliban begins, before Jean declares that she doesn’t care if Christopher is her child or Madelyne’s. ‘He’s a baby. He…needs us!’ she exclaims. ‘Yes. And the fact that your powers repel each other means that you are, in all probability, his genetic mother’ Caliban exclaims, pointing out that Cyclops’ and Christopher’s powers do not repel. ‘A minor anomaly? Or a clue to the child’s true parentage?’ Caliban suggests. ‘Don’t tell Caliban you haven’t wondered. Is Nathan Christopher the true child of your body? Or like your wife, a creation of the evil geneticist Sinister?’ Caliban exclaims.
‘Even his middle name suggests -’ Caliban begins, before Scott shouts ‘NO! Enough!’ and unleashes an optic blast, knocking Caliban back across the chamber. ‘Don’t you understand? We don’t care how he was made! We just want him back!’ Jean exclaims. Hank tells Cyclops and Jean to chill, suggesting they don’t kill Caliban - yet. ‘This is why Apocalypse left you here, isn’t it, Caliban?’ Hank asks. ‘To distract us with this gibberish…the same way he used the Master Meld to distract us’ Hank adds, while wondering what Apocalypse is really up to. ‘Where is my son?!’ Cyclops booms, before Caliban, lying on the ground, announces that Apocalypse has taken the child to the lair of Mr Sinister to learn the truth.
‘Not to distract us, then. But to lure us there! Why?’ Hank exclaims. Caliban replies that he doesn’t know, pointing out that Apocalypse has his own agenda, and keeps his own secrets. ‘Caliban knows only that his master left Caliban to guide X-Factor - ’ Caliban remarks, while Archangel exclaims that Ship is back on-line. Ship begins to rise from where he stands in Manhattan, as the sentient ship declares that he heard all, though could not respond, but is now fully functioning. Ship informs Cyclops that there are approximately 147 enhanced humans within this city who will stand between Earth and the Celestials. ‘Good point’ Cyclops replies, while Ship flies past the two Celestials, announcing that Apocalypse left him the coordinates for a location in the state of Nebraska. ‘We will be there in 3.5 minutes’.
‘You have 3.5 minutes, Caliban! Make them count! What did Apocalypse mean by mutants don’t have viable progeny?’ Scott asks. ‘What about Magneto? The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are his children’ Beast points out. ‘Their mother was a powerful witch. It was her magic -’ Caliban begins. ‘And Professor Xavier? His son Legion -’ Iceman exclaims, while Caliban declares ‘Is insane and comatose’, before remarking that his master believes that most - if not all - viable children born of a mutant liaison were the result of some external intervention, be it magic or science. ‘The few conceived naturallu were seriously flawed and those who survived infancy did not live past adolescence’ Caliban remarks, before pointing out that all of X-Factor have had liaisons. ‘Where are your children?’
‘We don’t have any…just Scott’ Archangel exclaims. ‘Yeah, we’ve always been careful’ Iceman adds. ‘Always, Bobby?’ Hank asks. ‘Hank, don’t tell me you’re buying his guff?’ Warren asks. Images of Mr Sinister, Madelyne Pryor, Cyclops and Jean Grey flash by on a monitor, while Caliban exclaims that, for other mutants, it is the same. ‘We Morlocks are also barren. My master has many questions’. Caliban lists some of those questions - ‘How exact a duplicate of Jean Grey was her clone, Maddie Pryor? Who is this child’s father? Was the child genetically altered? What else has Sinister done? The answers could mean nothing, but…my master fears the Celestials have been angered by his efforts - and by the efforts of others - to force changes in humanity’s DNA’ Caliban explains.
Caliban adds that Apocalypse fears many things - among them, that his own existence has become a threat to humanity’s survival. Ship announces that they have arrived, and as Ship hovers overhead, X-Factor leap from their sentient home, with Jean telekinetically lowering herself, Cyclops and Caliban, while the Beast follows Iceman down on Bobby’s ice-sled, and Archangel flies down. Scott asks Jean if she can feel Christopher, to which Jean replies that he is still crying, but is not here. The heroes and Caliban land on the ground, and Caliban declares that Apocalypse will bring Christopher to this location - as that is part of his plan.
‘A decommissioned and sealed nuclear silo’ Scott points out, to which the Beast declares that there is symbolism and a kind of mad logic, before pointing out that Sinister enters via teleportation, as will Apocalypse. ‘But we -’ Hank begins, ‘Have our own methods!’ Cyclops exclaims as he unleashes an optic blast, creating an entrance for them. ‘Apocalypse wants a diversion, so we give him one! We go in fast and furious!’ Scott exclaims, telling the others not to give Apocalypse or Sinister time to think or marshal their defenses. ‘We’ll make Apocalypse come to us - NOW!’ Scott booms.
X-Factor and Caliban descend into the silo, as Cyclops declares that they have scores to settle with both Apocalypse and Sinister, and that if this confrontation means Apocalypse and Sinister will end up tearing each other to shreds, it will save X-Factor the bother. ‘But we take Christopher out of the equation!’ Scott adds, when suddenly, an alarm sounds as the mutants enter some sort of laboratory, where tanks of green-colored liquid floats. ‘Intruder alert’ the Beast suggests. ‘Good’ Scott replies. ‘So where -?’ Bobby begins, before they move further into the lab - and see various bodies floating in the tanks. ‘Oh my stars and garters…! That’s…us’ Hank exclaims. ‘Sabretooth…’ Caliban whispers. ‘Oh my God’ Jean exclaims.
Jean looks at younger versions of herself in the tanks, and exclaims ‘It’s…us. But…not’. Jean adds that her telepathy is nearly gone, but she always senses something, in living beings. ‘These are just -’ Jean begins, before a teleportation signal announces the arrival of the deadly Mister sinister. ‘Mindless bodies. Empty shells. Slabs of meat. Blank slates’ he concludes Jean’s sentence. ‘Until I law hands upon them and, through my own unique and proprietary process, give them life…and history. Of a sort’ Sinister declares. ‘Like what you did with Maddie, Sinister? How did you -?’ Jean begins, shaking a fist at the villain, who once again finishes her sentence: ‘Acquire your DNA? Yours personally -? It was long ago, even your dear mentor, Professor Xavier, never learned of it’ he reveals.
Sinister continues: ‘Cyclops, too, made his donations early. As did his brother. The rest of you have engaged in many battles, your wounds presented…opportunities’ Sinister explains. Suddenly, Sabretooth appears, declaring that it is a kind of immortality. ‘And dead useful…on occasion. Eh, Caliban? Ready for round two?’ he asks. Sinister grins wickedly, while Caliban declares that Sabretooth was not tough enough to beat him the first time. He calls him a clone, and declares that this time, he will send him and all his brothers back to the hell where they belong.
Elsewhere in Mister Sinister’s complex, Apocalypse teleports in with the baby. ‘Papa!’ Christopher exclaims. ‘Yes, young Nathan Christopher! Cyclops and the others are here…and their arrival has successfully masked my own’ Apocalypse replies, before thrusting his fingers into a control panel, declaring that, while Sinister is distracted, they shall learn exactly who and what Nathan Christopher is ‘And end this disaster that my one-time apprentice has created’ Apocalypse exclaims that, for the sake of this world, he hopes that what he does here - and elsewhere - will be enough.
Back in Sinister’s main lab, Jean announces that the baby is here, that she can feel him. ‘Where is -?’ Scott asks, while Sinister exclaims ‘Good call, Jean. I can call you Jean? I feel I know you…down to the very atoms of your soul’. Sinister remarks that as far as Cyclops’ precious son goes, they can just step through into his dedicated neonatal unit. ‘I’ve created several variations on that theme. Pick whichever son you choose!’ Sinister exclaims, surrounded by small tanks, filled with infant clones. ‘No! MONSTERS!’ Cyclops shouts, his eyes charge with optic energy - before he unleashes a massive burst of energy at Sinister - but Sinister puts up a deflector shield. ‘You never have been able to do things the easy way’ Sinister remarks.
The optic beams rebound and hit two of the tanks, causing them to crack. ‘I like that in a hero. So much more to work with’ Sinister exclaims, as a door opens, and several figures appear. Sinister remarks that Archangel was always of a sunnier temperament, and asks him if he likes what he sees here, as a clone of Warren - how he used to be - moves forward amongst the group entering the lab. ‘Join me, and I will erase the mark Apocalypse has placed upon you’ Sinister offers.
‘Immortality? What a crock! They’re a bunch of zombies!’ Archangel exclaims as the battle begins. ‘Watch who you call a zombie, bub!’ a Wolverine clone exclaims, while Iceman battles the fiery version of himself, Caliban battles Sabretooth, and Jean approaches the mysterious Cable clone. Sinister blocks another of Cyclops’ attacks and declares that, in a way, Archangel is right, but that they are hardly of the mindless sort. ‘They are simply whatever I want them to be! As you will be, once I am done with you!’. Marvel Girl tells Scott that they need to end this. ‘Christopher -’ she begins, to which a smirking Sinister exclaims ‘Surely you mean young Nathan? My namesake?’.
Referring to the man Jean is battling, Sinister tells Jean that she is perceptive to recognize Nathan in his adult incarnation. ‘Jean, don’t listen to his garbage!’ Cyclops exclaims, continuing to unleash his optic blast. ‘Think, my dear! That spark! That clash of powers! Who else -’ Sinister begins, while Cyclops shouts ‘ENOUGH!’, and calls out to Apocalypse, telling him that they have taken his bait, and are fighting his battle, before removing his ruby-quartz glasses his blast is at full strength, as he shouts ‘This ends today!’, and he finally knocks Sinister down to the ground. ‘Now bring me my son!’ he orders, before his power suddenly stops.
Sinister smirks and wipes the blood from his mouth, remarking that Cyclops has reached the limits of his power, while his limitless army is still standing. ’Even the strong will fall before us. And Earth will be left in human hands…where it belongs’ Sinister exclaims.
Jean goes over to Scott and kisses him. ‘Jean…?’ Scott asks, opening his eyes.  Jean tells Scott that, in case they do not make it out of here, she wants him to know that in all her incarnations since their beginning, he has been the center of her universe. ‘I felt you…in my heart. I love you!’ Scott exclaims as his eyes begin to go red, his power returning. Jean places Scott’s glasses back on, and tells him that deep inside of her, in a place she thought had died, she has always known. ‘Good. That’s settled. Now let’s clear out of this rat’s hole…’ Scott begins. ‘And find our baby…and take him home!’ Jean exclaims as they hold hands, and confront Sinister and the clones.
Second Story:
During the last century, Apocalypse had transferred his main activities to a cavern deep beneath the Himalayan Mountains, and no longer confided many of his actions to his Ship. His apprentice - the boy who called himself Mr Sinister - labored by Apocalypse’s side. Among other gifts, Apocalypse gave Sinister an extended adolescence - a time to study and learn. But like many young men, Sinister was impatient, and he scorned Apocalypse’s careful shepherding of humanity, caring more for the results. Looking at several monitors depicting humans and chimps, Sinister suggests ‘Why not just change them? You have the knowledge and the power. You can make them into anything you want them to be’.
Apocalypse explains that the Celestials reserve the right to directly alter human genomes for themselves. ‘This is how they punish transgressors. When they return -’ Apocalypse begins, showing a monitor of a Celestial destroying an area. ‘But you altered me’ Sinister reminds Apocalypse. ‘You’re but one boy…kept hidden from their artifact, my Ship. But genetic manipulation on a large scale could be disastrous. That is why I go carefully in my defiance’ Apocalypse explains, before telling Sinister to return to his studies.
Apocalypse knew that like any sorcerer’s apprentice, Sinister was growing restless, and wished to test his own power. Yet, Apocalypse knew that he underestimated the extent of Sinister’s yearning - and his resentment. Sinister leans over a cage of rodents of various genetic manipulation, and picks up one with two heads, declaring that he spends his time imprisoned here, breeding mice to achieve minor mutant variations, while Apocalypse wields power and destruction. ‘All because you were born a mutant!’ Sinister exclaims. Apocalypse was distracted - fighting in a war, while Sinister masked his defiance. ‘Why waste time when there are easier ways to change a species! With more interesting results!’ he exclaimed to himself’.
Apocalypse only saw what Sinister wished him to see - a steely intelligence and a forceful will - and some interesting experiments on the reactions of DNA to different stressors. Apocalypse knew that if Sinister chose to approach his studies differently than he, using test tubes and vats and microscopes, that was his prerogative, so long as he learned. But, while Apocalypse was away, Sinister had also been building his own variation of Apocalypse’s teleportation portal. Teleporting himself to London, Sinister exclaims ‘Why wait for Apocalypse to deem me worthy of more power and aggress into the world? I can recreate myself in his image…or any image I choose!’. Apocalypse told himself that this was a good thing, that it proved Sinister has initiative.
Eventually, there was triumph, as the first wave of Homo Superior was born - among them Charles Xavier and the men who would become Magneto and Wolverine. Even in infancy, their potential shone like beacons in the night, Apocalypse decided. Apocalypse watched a world at war, saw technology burgeon everywhere - he knew that the human gene pool was nearing its tipping point and one more push was all that was needed. Apocalypse witnessed Sinister’s influence in experiments performed by the Nazi regime - vile, but nothing that would actively draw the Celestial’s wrath, so Apocalypse ignored it.
A period of relative peace and stability followed, necessary for the safe growth of the burgeoning generation, and Apocalypse did his best to keep it so. Technology began to advance, and more mutant infants appeared. The Fourth Host came, and Apocalypse cowered beneath the Himalayas, sensors withdrawn to avoid spiking their notice. Apocalypse feared the Celestials would learn what he had done, but they left - and Apocalypse emerged unscathed to find that his former apprentice, Mr Sinister, had vanished from his sight.
Later, Apocalypse found Sinister again by his deeds, freed of all caution since the Celestials Fourth Host had departed, he had begun to experiment with genetic manipulation on a grand scale. Among his many secret schemes, Sinister was using the island of Genosha as his own private laboratory, creating poisonous conditions that artificially encouraged the emergence of mutants - and a society that enslaved them.
It was then how thoroughly Apocalypse understood that he had underestimated Sinister’s ambition…and his resentment. As Apocalypse had been inspired by the Celestials to become a god and create mutantkind in his own image, Mr Sinister had seen Apocalypse’s very existence as a threat to human pre-eminence. Mutants were powerful beings to be enslaved, to be used, as Sinister had used Apocalypse. The duo fought, but neither of them was strong enough to destroy the other.
In Mr Sinister’s actions, Apocalypse foresaw a future that could spell disaster for mutantkind, unless he acted - dark days would overtake mutantkind - what would be known as the Days of Future Past - and Apocalypse began to plan how to counter it….


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Prisoner of Love
It’s a warm, sunny day in New York City. Dressed in a hat and a trenchcoat, in an attempt to conceal his “monstrous” physical features, Hank McCoy has a walk downtown. His thoughts are as gloomy and melancholic as bright and joyful the day is. Hank ponders that life can be rough. He thinks it can get to a point where it seems like everything is crashing down around one’s ears. Sometimes one can feel that way even when things are going smoothly. That’s when one needs to escape and get lost in a crowd – like Hank does now.
On a bittersweet note, Hank thinks that, even thought he’s also known as the Beast, he’s no beast; in fact, he’s kind of a sweetie! But he’s a mutant. That’s the reason he has to bundle up like it’s January while it’s May. The sight of his furry l’il hide has been known to get non-mutant pulse rates a’galloping! Hank has heard this phrase countless of times before: “How dare this stinking mutie go walking around normal folks, like he belongs or something?” Vexed, Hank thinks that, apparently, it doesn’t matter if this “stinking mutie” regularly risks his life for the sake of all those indignant straights.
Still, he sometimes likes to go mingling incognito among the unwashed masses. It’s his way of getting a taste of how it feels passing for normal. It’s the only time he’s just another Joe; no worries, no responsibilities, no surprises. A million miles from the Danger Room: there, he never knows what to expect. And he hates getting hit in the face with a snowball, especially when it happens without warning.
(flashback)Beast is practicing in the Danger Room. Suddenly, he gets a snowball thrown in his face – courtesy of Iceman – and crashes down to the floor, after standing twenty feet above it, much to the dismay of his tailbone. Annoyed by the stunt Bobby just pulled, Hank tells him that a friend would have informed him he was part of this test run.
Sporting a mischievous smile, Bobby insists that’d be cheating. Equally cheerful, Archangel agrees, arguing that a real pal wouldn’t ask such a thing from a friend. “Tell that to my aching derriere, Warren” Hank moans as Archangel offers his hand to help him get back on his feet. Warren asks him if he wants to give it another try. Hank thinks he’ll pass. He doesn’t seem to have all his cylinders firing today.
Archangel rather rigidly states that, in their line of work, that’s a good way of ending up dead. Please, no sermons, Hank implores him: he gets enough from Scott. As he is about to exit the room, he explains to them that sometimes a body gets tired and loses its edge. After all, he’s only human… “Sort of,” he adds in a lower voice as he leaves. Bobby and Warren remain skeptical over this last remark.
Walking in the corridor, Hank is fully aware that Bobby and Warren meant well. However, he knows there are times when one just doesn’t want to hear too much truth. He suddenly stops outside a room, hearing someone say “Just a little bit more, Christopher.”
Standing outside the nursery room, he sees Marvel Girl telekinetically moving a spoon towards baby Nathan Christopher Summers, Scott’s kid, the latter seated on a high baby chair. Jean urges baby Christopher to eat all his Pablum; otherwise, he won’t grow up big and strong, like his daddy. The spoon gets closer to the boy… and Christopher telekinetically repels it, throwing the food all the way back to Jean’s face, much to her chagrin! “Chris-1. Jean-0,” an amused Hank thinks.
Jean looks crossly at the toddler… and Nathan, seemingly calm until then, bursts into tears, realizing he did a bad thing. Her face suddenly beaming with joy, Jean holds Christopher in her arms and tries to appease the “big fella” by telling him that it’s all right; no harm done. She assures him they will get back to the old feedbag later. However, right now, she thinks it’s tickle time – and playfully swirls the baby around, contained as he is in her telekinetic bubble and proceeds to tickle him.
With a disgruntled face, Hank moves on, thinking about babies. What are his chances of ever having one? Next to zilch. And if he did have one, what would it look like? As he momentarily glimpses at himself in a door glass, he thinks that his child might take after its father. That would make for a delightful childhood, he bitterly contemplates – and tries to imagine all the marvelous names his child would have to grow up with.
“’Morning, Hank,” Cyclops greets him. “Is it?” Hank wonders. Scott asks him where he’s heading. “Out. Just out,” Hank responds. Scott asks him if he’s okay. Beast assures him he is, why wouldn’t he be? He jokes that one can never be too rich or too slim. Cyke is aware that something’s bothering him. “Just life in general,” Beast scores him off and hastily puts on a hat and a trenchcoat and leaves.
(present time)Hank ponders that if anyone’s got the right to occasionally snit, it’s him. After all, he’s a cute l’il furry freak whose only friends are other freaks. Of course, all of them can pass as humans, when they like – unlike Hank. Is it any wonder that he sometimes gets the blues? In a half-hearted attempt to joke, Hank tells himself that wasn’t meant to be a pun. Luckily, he knows one sure-fire cure for the blues: go take a walk in the Big Apple. They say that New York is the greatest city in the world – although, some might argue to the point. All Hank knows for sure is that it’s a terrific place to get lost in order to sort things out. He always manages to properly realign his attitude on these little strolls. And thus he is now here, walking downtown.
Browsing through the crowd, Hank thinks that they call New York a melting pot. He can almost see the day when a mutant will be able to go among these folks without having a lynch mob after him. Of course, he also knows that today is not the day, so he keeps his hat pulled low. Seeing a woman walking around in an expensive fur and another begging in the streets, he realizes that New York is a city of extremes; if something exists, one will find it here. Seeing a boy throwing his baseball against a wall in an alley, he also contemplates it’s got to be a strange place to grow up in. The town’s confusing enough living here as an adult, let alone…
He suddenly pauses, as he hears someone bawling: “There she goes down the alley! Get her!” Puzzled, Hank turns around and sees a quintet of men, some of them brandishing crowbars and chains, enter an alley, proclaiming “It’s party time!” Immediately realizing there’s trouble there, Hank decides that taking it to the high ground might be a good idea; it’s best to know exactly what’s going on before committing himself to action. He would feel silly if it is just some teenager trying to catch up with his girlfriend. However, for some reason, he doesn’t think that’s the case. Gentlemen callers don’t usually come around carrying crowbars and chains.
Hank quickly ascends the backstairs of an apartment house and then leaps to the roof of the adjacent building, now standing right above the alley, watching the five men balefully clustering a blond woman in a white dress. One of the punks tells the woman that they’ve been looking for her. Another guy reveals that Joey told them what she did to his brother. A third guy, with sunglasses, flaunts his jackknife, snarling that no one treats a Rattler like that. She’s going to have to pay for that… in blood!
Suddenly, though, the punk is thrown a stone in his face. Beast lands to the ground and tells the Rattlers that no one’s going to do any bleeding here today, urging the “little psychopaths” to go home and watch some boob tube. Hank quickly turns to the damsel in distress, and tells her not to worry. He’s got everything under… under…
Hank finds himself unable to complete the phrase. One glance at the woman – slim and slender, with a face right out of a Renaissance painting and a cascade of blond hair streaming down her shoulders – and he’s lost. He’s never seen anyone or anything so beautiful in his whole life. He realizes the dastardly crime she must have committed against Joey’s brother. She obviously broke the poor kid’s heart… and almost gets a 5-inch blade driven into Hank’s own heart, as the man with the sunglasses tries to stab him! Hank avoids the strike and punches his assailant, deciding to keep his mind on the problem at hand; time enough for romance later.
As Hank takes all five men on, he estimates that they really aren’t much of a threat: just a bunch of street toughs flexing their muscles. He’ll be able to handle them without breaking a sweat. After all, he’s been trained to take on super villains, real Earth shakers. He identifies the group as nothing but a band of snot-nosed kids, heading for trouble. He decides to go easy with them and not really turn up the juice. He can’t use an elephant gun to solve an ant problem.
And then, one of the men hurls a brick at Hank, getting him in the back. As Hank collapses to the ground, one of the men congratulates Shank, the man with the sunglasses. One thug wonders what’s with this dude. Shank tells him it’s a freaking mutie, that’s what! Another thug asks what they should do with him. Shank tells them to waste him and is about to exercise his crowbar on the unconscious Beast. Suddenly, though, the quintet looks at something, all of them gasping in horror.
Hank remains senseless for a while. As he starts waking up, still half-asleep, he mumbles that next time he will definitely use an elephant gun! Suddenly, realizing that something has transpired, Hank, eyes wide open now, sits up on a couch, within an apartment, shouting “Say what?!” His next spontaneous query is: where is he?
“In my apartment,” the ravishing woman from the alley responds, comfortably seated on the ledge of a window nearby. “And you’re…?” Hank inquires. She introduces herself as Synthia Naip. Hank asks her whether she carried him here or he was capable of walking. “Do I look like I could carry you?” the enigmatic woman glibly reples. “Guess not,” Beast admits. Synthia thanks him for his help back in the alley. Sure, no problem, Hank replies.
As Synthia sits next to him on the couch, he asks her what happened after he hit the canvas. Did those punks give her any more trouble? “Nothing I couldn’t handle,” Synthia cryptically replies. She admits that he surprised her showing up the way he did. She had no idea he was on the roof. Hank wearily admits that mutants have a talent for showing up just in the nick of time.
Intrigued by the word “mutant,” Synthia asks him if that’s what he is. Mutant, mutie, Homo superior – folks have lot of colorful names for his kind, Hank explains. Synthia pensively remarks this is interesting. Looking all around the thoroughly bare apartment, devoid of almost any furniture save for a few, Hank assumes she hasn’t lived there long. “Relatively speaking, no,” she admits. She’s a stranger to this… town. Gently folding his face, she assures him that in many ways she is as lonely as he is. Not looking straight at her, Hank asks her what she knows about his being lonely. “There’s a lot I know about you, Hank McCoy” Synthia assures him.
Puzzled, Hank asks her how she knows his name. Caressing his right hand, Synthia asks him if he can feel it deep in his heart: their souls have touched and found a kindred spirit in each other. Kissing his hand, she claims that she realized that the first moment their eyes met. “Eyes? Yes… Eyes…” an increasingly confused Hank mumbles. Synthia asserts that she’s the woman he’s searched for all his life; she is the loving heart that will drive off the dank and lonely night. She asks him if what she says is true. “Every word,” a mesmerized Beast assures her, as he puts his hands around her waist. Synthia insists that he is just what she most needs: strong arms to hold her; someone to watch over her; a protector. And then, they finally lock lips.
Later, Hank wakes up in a bed. He starts looking for his unlikely new lover, wondering whether he’s left alone. He puts on a bathrobe and moves around the apartment, thinking that it is such an empty place. As he enters the kitchen – barely furnished with a table, chairs and a fridge – Hank realizes that food doesn’t sound like a bad idea. He opens a cupboard, only to find it bare. The fridge is in the same sorry state and Hank hopes that maybe there’s a diner somewhere in the neighborhood.
“There is, but who needs it. I’ve already fixed you breakfast,” Synthia suddenly replies, apparently reading his thought, as she enters the kitchen, also dressed in a bathrobe. Guiding him in another room, she informs him that she’s made a double helping of everything and asks him to sit down and dig in; he needs to keep his strength. Hank hesitantly complies. Synthia also sits down and Hank asks her where she’s from. Far from here, she replies. “Being enigmatic, are we?” Hank remarks. Synthia assures him it’s not that: it’s just hard to pronounce. Besides, what does it matter where she comes from? Hank assumes it doesn’t.
Looking into his eyes, Synthia argues that all that’s important is how they feel for each other. She urges Hank to stay by her side; she’ll take him to places he never dreamt existed; together, they will explore realms beyond the reach of his imagination. Hank nervously exclaims she couldn’t do that… could she? Synthia assures him that there’s no end to the pleasure she could give him. She tells him that all she asks in return is her protection and then buries her face in his hand. Hank swears he’d never let anyone harm her.
As her face rises from his hand, blood dripping from her lips, Synthia assures him she knows. Hank is shocked to see the blood on her lips and realizes she broke the skin in his hand! Smirking, Synthia asks him whether it hurt… terribly. “No… not at all,” Beast admits. He leans closer to Synthia; their faces become one as they exchange a passionate kiss. Synthia’s teeth have left a bloody mark on his hand.
(dream sequence)A lunar landscape, devoid of life, with a sky the color of blood red. Only a multi-tendril monster, the stuff of opium dreams, creeps amidst this rocky, harsh wasteland. A slithering nightmare.
…
The doors opens. A man exits an apartment. He looks human – in his leather jacket, sunglasses, wavy longish hair – but Hank doesn’t buy the lie. The Dark One radiates a black and ominous power that chills Hank to the bone and then strides off, a sinister purpose in his gait. His eyes are constantly in motion, searching for something – or someone. Hank pities the poor soul he seeks. Then, in a flash of pure horror, he realizes the person he’s hunting is…
(real world)“Synthia!” he screams as he wakes up. “Thank God…” he sighs in relief upon finding her sitting on the floor. Kneeling close to her, he tells her that he had a dream. There was this thing that turned into a man… “And he’s coming for me,” Synthia completes his phrase. Hank asks her if she knows. Synthia assures him she knows about dreams. Hank confirms it was just a dream. He asks her why she’s so sad. Because I know too much, she explains. She knows it’s a harsh world out there with so few happy endings. Hank snuggles against her, as she gently folds his hair. Her eyes closed, she suddenly opens them – eyes the color of sea.
Later, Hank is comfortably lying on the couch while Synthia is playing with his hair. Hank admits that she’s become his entire world, even though he knows so little about her. “What are you, my love?” he asks her. Synthia replies she’s anything he wishes her to be. Hank murmurs that she does such strange and wondrous things to him. “Nothing you don’t want me to do,” she assures him. Hank assumes she is not completely human, is she? No, she clarifies. She tells him that neither is he.
Suddenly irritated, Synthia argues that no human could make him feel the way she did; no human would want to! As she turns her back to him and gazes outside the window, Hank pleads her not to be angry. He didn’t mean to… He doesn’t know what he meant. He’s so sorry… Synthia tells him not to be. He can’t help what he is… he can’t understand. Hank retorts that he might understand if she’d only talk to him. He begs her to tell him what’s going on here. “Perhaps later,” she exclaims. She asks him to call it a night and disappears in the shadows.
Morning. Hank feels that the morning light burns some of the cobwebs from his psyche. He wonders what he has been doing. He doesn’t even know exactly where he is. He wonders how long he has been here. One day? Two days? He realizes that Scott and the gang will be wondering what’s become of him. He’ll have to give them a ring. However, Synthia doesn’t have a phone; doesn’t seem to need one; apparently doesn’t work. Hank decides he’ll take her out for breakfast and find a payphone.
As he gets up from bed and goes near the window, he reconsiders his decision: maybe he ought to make that lunch or even dinner. He feels so weak; all his muscles have turned to rubber. He’s never felt so wretched. He thinks that maybe it’s the flu.
Suddenly, as he gazes outside the window, he spots something that makes him think it must be a hallucination caused by the bug. But then, he realizes he’s real: that graceful form cutting through the morning sky is really his pal, Warren Kenneth Worthington III, a.k.a. the Archangel! Hank assumes that X-Factor must be beating the bushes, trying to find out what’s happened to him. He frantically tears at the window to call to Warren. However, the window jams up.
Synthia appears and asks him what he’s doing. Looking like a scolded child, Hank explains it’s his friend, Warren… Synthia wonders if he was going to leave without saying goodbye. She pulls down the window shades, without uttering a word. She tells him he looks tired, terribly tired. She believes that a little more rest is what he needs. Hank lies on the bed, closing his eyes, falling asleep from exhaustion.
Later, Hank is abruptly woken up by Synthia’s scream: “Hank!” He literally breaks through the bedroom door, reducing it to splinters and sees the most unbelievable thing taking place in the middle of the living-room: his four X-Factor teammates – their faces now monstrous and sporting razor-sharp teeth – have stripped, gagged and tied Synthia upside down in chains, ready to torture her with fire-heated iron! Appalled, Hank wants to know what the devil they’re doing. “Anything we want!!” Cyclops replies and unleashes his optic blasts on him.
As Hank collapses, Cyclops exclaims that this takes care of the old party pooper. He then tells Synthia he doesn’t like her looks: he thinks he will change them! Sporting a grotesque smile, he asks her what she thinks about that. “Bad idea, Scott,” Hank suddenly exclaims, as he grabs Scott’s head and knocks him out with a punch.
The rest of the team goes into action, just like Hank has seen them do it a thousand times before; that’s why he anticipates their moves and avoids their initial assault. Hank wonders if it is he’s never seen their true faces before this moment. Are his eyes only open now for the first time? As Hank takes Jean, Warren and Bobby on at the same time, he contemplates what people say: that love changes the world for you and makes you see it differently. If that’s true, his love for Synthia has revealed what a nightmare existence he’s been living. One Hank will never return to!
Hank swiftly eliminates all his teammates and then unties Synthia and holds her in his arms, asking her if she’s all right. “Yes…” Synthia replies and tells him that he saved her. As the two kiss, a telepathic conversation ensues:
“But I’m still your prisoner, aren’t I?”“Aren’t all we prisoners to something?”“I’m your slave and there’s nothing I can to break the chains that bind me.”“Because you find the chains comforting. They are of your own making.”“You’re evil.”“I’m beyond good and evil. I simply am.”“Will I survive this passion?”“I’m not sure either of us will.”
Hank wakes up. He feels he’s getting near the end of his rope; burning out; too wasted to even move. He tells Synthia he’s dying. Dressed in a rather revealing outfit, Synthia retorts that he only feels like he is. She reminds him that she had warned him how it would be: it’s nothing but feelings.
Crawling to her feet, Hank asks her why it has to be like this. Synthia pities him: poor Beasty, all confused. Hank recalls that she said she’d explain. Synthia considers that perhaps she should. After all, the time for Hank to play the knight in shining armor is almost upon them. “What are you?” Hank again asks her. Synthia explains that she’s something he couldn’t even begin to comprehend. Once, the cosmos was filled with her kind; their numbers seemed infinite. But then, they came. “They?” Hank wonders. The enemy, Synthia explains. Those that seek to annihilate them. The Dark Ones.
Synthia explains that the Dark Ones hate their light and pleasure and they have the power to extinguish both. Unfortunately, now that there are so few of Synthia’s kind and so many of the Dark Ones, the latter grow even stronger. She explains that one of them now stalks her. Hank remembers the being from his dream and realizes he’s the one she means. Synthia informs Hank that the Dark One will be here soon and she has no hope defeating him alone. She needs his help. She is extremely weak from fleeing this terror; that’s why she has been hiding on this backwash world, trying to regain her strength. It has been difficult because she had to carefully choose whose energies she stole. She only tapped into those who would side with the Dark Ones.
But then Beast came along. He was so astonishingly different. When Synthia first arrived, she keyed into the human factor because she thought them the world’s dominant species. She knew nothing of mutants until Hank showed up in that alley. His arrival truly surprised her. She didn’t sense his presence because he isn’t truly human. She doubts that the Dark One will be able to sense him either. She believes that a surprise attack by Hank might do the trick; get the Dark One lower his guard enough for Synthia to slip past it. She tells Hank it’s the only hope she has and begs him to help her. “For you… anything!” Hank readily replies.
While they talk, the Dark One approaches the apartment… his face strangely variegated.
Synthia urges Hank to listen carefully to what she says. She warns him that an encounter between beings of their ilk is like nothing he’s ever experienced; it will be disorienting. She instructs him to stand by a wall – that she points to him – and close his eyes very tightly. He is not to open them until he hears Synthia address the Dark One. He must then look at the Dark One and concentrate only on him. If he allows his eyes to stray, vertigo will overcome him. If that happens, all is lost for both of them!
She asks Hank if he understands what she’s saying. Hank replies affirmatively but retorts that he’s weak. Synthia tells him not to worry about that for the moment. He must hold his attack until he hears her scream the word “Now!” “What about you?” Hank asks her. She assures him she will be with him, fighting alongside him. She shall always be by his side in her own fashion.
As they kiss, Hank can feel his strength returning from that kiss, like fire burning through his veins. He thinks it’s like sheer torture and wild abandon; it’s like love. He then stands by the wall, as instructed. Synthia looks at the door, waiting for the coming of the Dark One. Indeed, very quickly, the door is lit by a preternatural light. The Dark One enters the apartment, gleefully smiling. Synthia greets him.
In an instant, the apartment, reality, everything’s melting away to an interdimensional smorgasbord of ever-shifting actualities. Hank feels his stomach breaking into an insane tarantella, threatening to revolt. He mentally curses Synthia for not warning him it would be like this: she’s always playing games and keeping him in the dark! However, he somehow holds it together and remembers Synthia’s words: Look only at the Dark One!
Synthia stands her ground against the towering mass of destructive force: the Dark One has reverted to his true form, the multi-tendril nightmare. Hank can feel the light Synthia projects rip into the monster. However, he senses the futility of her move, as the monster overwhelms Synthia’s defenses. “Now!” Synthia signals him.
Hank leaps against the monster, just as a mad howl, filled with a lifetime of anger and frustration, erupts from within him. He thinks that death takes note of his presence… but it is only a fleeting glance, terminated by the world exploding around them. He has never before felt such naked power released in such a devastating display: Synthia transmogrifies into her true form, a sublime and towering crystalline being that now lashes out against the Dark One, taking advantage of the distraction offered by Hank. Within the heart of the fiery cataclysm, Hank can still see a glimpse of Synthia.
With the monster reduced to nothingness, Synthia holds Hank in her arms. “Is… is that you?” Hank mutters. “It is me,” Synthia tells him. Hank tells her she’s beautiful. “And so are you,” Synthia replies. She tells him that once again he saved her life and for that she will always be grateful; to prove that gratitude she bids him farewell and asks him to return to his life and prosper. Beast asks her to wait… not to go…
He suddenly finds himself, wearing his trenchcoat, lying in the alley where he first met Synthia. A little boy asks him if he got mugged or something. The boy informs him it’s Monday, the same day Hank took his little walk. After inquired by Hank about Synthia, he tells him that he doesn’t remember any blond woman or street gang and the expression in his eyes shows that he thinks of Hank as some kind of headcase. Hank doesn’t try stopping the boy when he makes an excuse about hearing his mother calling and runs away. The boy couldn’t answer the only question that needs answering. Was Synthia nothing more than a hallucination caused by a bad hotdog? Or did Hank really meet and fall for the most fantastic woman that’s ever existed?
Hank realizes there’s no chance he’ll ever be able to track down her apartment or trace her. He admits to himself that there’s no way to tell if any of what he experienced was real. He wonders: did he really live out an unbelievable encounter? Or will he forever ache from a phantom memory? He may go mad wondering.
Then he feels it, as he takes his glove off and touches his right hand. It’s just there under the fur. The gossamer trace of teeth marks on his hand.


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[Assistant]
The Blood Hunters
(Port Menier, Quebec: 11:57 P.M.)
Weapon X, better know as Kane, is hanging out at a shipyard in Quebec. He has been sent on a mission to stop the crime lord Tolliver from getting his hands on a shipment of Japanese software. Tolliver has hired the “merc with a mouth” Deadpool, to make sure the heist goes down as planned. However, Kane has other ideas as he leaps from on high at Deadpool.
They knock each other silly, focusing on each other’s jaws. Kane loses two teeth in the process. As the fighting continues, they comment on the Weapon X program and how Deadpool hates it. Eventually Kane gets the upper hand (literally) as he fires his left hand at Deadpool’s throat. This takes Deadpool out of the fight. Just as he is about to haul ‘Pool off to jail, Bridge startles him from behind.
Deadpool sees this as his chance to escape, so he starts to run. Bridge pulls out a gun and shoots him down. Kane gets upset and tells Bridge he shouldn’t be interfering with his business. G.W. tells him about Cable and how S.H.I.E.L.D. wants him for questioning. While they’re talking, Deadpool teleports away much to Kane’s dismay. Bridge asks him if he wants to join the mission to bring Cable in, but Kane declines the invitation. He walks away and Bridge calls in to be picked up.
(Adirondack Mountains: 8:45 A.M.)
The X-Force team is out in the woods. Cable wants to train them on how to handle an ambush in the field. They’re playing a game of tag with Feral. One of them must find Feral before she can tag them and they’ve got 15 minutes to do it.
Cannonball is flying around when out of nowhere, Feral jumps on top of him. She steers him towards Warpath and they both end up knocking down a tree (Feral’s bloodlust is in high gear). Next comes Boom Boom firing away with her wrist launchers at Feral. Feral leaps at Boom Boom and forces some of her time bombs to hit Cable in the face.  Domino steps in to break it up and instead receives a double kick to the gut. Shatterstar decides that it’s his turn to tame the kitty. A battle to the bone as he says!
Cannonball comes flying in to break up the fight. In her bloodlust, Feral slices open his abdomen. Sam goes limp and starts bleeding everywhere. Cable shoots Feral with some tranquilizers and she goes unconscious. Warpath grabs Cannonball and Cable picks up Feral and they all hurry back to the Medilab.
(Manhattan, World Trade Center: 9:47 A.M.)
At the World Trade Center, Black Tom and Arianna are starting up an interdimensional locator and teleporter. This machine was part of the deal for Black Tom.
(X-Force Headquarters in the Adirondacks: 10:22 A.M.)
Sam’s in the recovery bed with a bandage around his waist.  Cable tells Same he's going to be all right, but wonders what they should do about Feral.
(Manhattan, World Trade Center: 11:37 A.M.)
The teleporter starts shaking and glowing. It explodes!  Out of the smoke comes Black Tom’s best bud, the one and only Juggernaut.


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Battle Cry
Siryn flies towards the World Trade Center in the hopes of bringing her uncle, Black Tom, to justice. She heads to the top of the building and finds Juggernaut hanging around. She goes into attack mode heading straight towards the giant behemoth. Juggernaut belts her a good one and she goes flying backwards. She comes back for another try and her uncle pops out from behind Juggernaut and hits her with his mutant energy blast.
Siryn begins plummeting towards the ground. When she rights herself, she sees X-Force’s scout ship above her. Cable hails her and asks her to join them for their own assault on Black Tom and Juggernaut.
Inside the World Trade Center Roberto and Gideon are talking amongst themselves. Berto wants to take action against the terrorists, however, Gideon says they should bide their time until there’s a move to make. In walks Black Tom and Juggernaut to check on their hostages.
Inside the X-Force scout ship, Cable greets the newly arrived Siryn. Siryn explains how tired she is of people like her Uncle Tom doing evil things every day. Cable assures her that she’s hooked up with the right crew because they’re out to put an end to evil mutants. He quickly goes over the game plan and the attack begins.
First up, Warpath. He jumps from the ship onto the top of World Trade Center Building #1. Juggernaut is back up there and takes the diving Warpath head on. The force of Warpath’s inertia knocks them both over the edge of the building. They fall to the street below. In come Cable, Shatterstar, Cannonball, Feral and Domino (Boom Boom is flying the ship). Everyone except for Feral takes out a guard. Cable tells them to keep destruction to a minimum and to clear one floor at a time.
Inside, Tom is arguing with Gideon about his hostage strategy. Tom threatens to kill him if he doesn’t shut up. This pushes Gideon to his threshold and he takes action. He tells Berto to follow his lead and dives for Tom. Black Tom fires an energy blast at Gideon and knocks him away clearing a path for Sunspot to take Tom out. Sunspot gets in some good hits, but Black Tom holds his own. Then Cable and Shatterstar show up and Cable shoots Tom in the shoulder. Cable gives Black Tom an ultimatum, but Tom has one of his own. His thumb is on the button of a detonator that will blow up the building. He will do it if he has to, he says.
On the ground below, Warpath and Juggernaut are duking it out. In comes NYC's friendly neighborhood web-slinger, Spider-Man. He wanted to see the crisis for himself. He knows there’s nothing he can do about Juggernaut that Warpath isn’t already doing so he decides to check out the hostage situation. That’s when the building explodes.


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[Assistant]
Sabotage : Part 2
Warpath, Feral, Shatterstar, and Spider-Man are poised to take on the Juggernaut. They’re pretty tired from previous battles in the day so Spider-Man tells them to all dog pile on the ironclad giant. Spidey is witty as ever as he leaps on top of Juggernaut’s shoulders. He shoots some webbing in Juggy’s eyes, but he just rips it off and knocks Spider-Man aside.
Domino joins the fracas and takes over leadership. She tells Warpath to perform the good old Fastball Special courtesy of Shatterstar. Juggernaut scoffs at them, but isn’t too happy as Shatterstar flies at him and cuts him up with his swords.
Inside the ravaged World Trade Center, Cable searches for Black Tom while Cannonball and Boom Boom look for survivors. Cable gives Tom another ultimatum, “Give up and die or make me come after you to kill you”. Tom Cassidy has other ideas on his mind. He appears behind Cable and threatens to fry him with his mutant energy blast. Cable wants to know what he expected to get out of all of this. Tom says three things:
1.Get Cain Marko back
2. Prove he’s willing to back his threats with actions
3. To see one of the X-Teams eliminated
Now they’re in a standoff. They both start shooting at each other. Black Tom falls into an elevator shaft and grabs onto a cable to stop his fall. He surrenders and tells Cable to pull him up. Cable’s reply is a gunshot to the mouth. Tom starts falling down the shaft. Deadpool snags him on the way down. He tells Black Tom that Tolliver has hired him to bring him to him.
Back on the ground, Siryn has joined the battle against Juggernaut. The scene cuts to a helicopter flying nearby. Bridge is onboard with another soldier named Balaban. They are recording everything that X-Force is saying so that they have a better chance of bringing Cable down.
Over at the battle royale, Warpath is taking a beating from Juggernaut. Siryn flies in and rips of Jugg’s helmet. Juggernaut is stunned because his armor is mystically bonded together. He had no idea how Siryn could have ripped his helmet off. Shatterstar explains to him that his swords were forged in a dimension of magic and science and were able to sever the mystical bond of his armor.
Juggernaut is really angry now. He wants to take them all on. Just then, Cable shows up and tells Juggs that he “took care” of Tom Cassidy. Before Cain has time to react, Deadpool grabs his leg and teleports him away.
Bridge shows up with Balaban and attempts to arrest Cable in the name of S.H.I.E.L.D. Cable doesn’t want to fight anymore so he bodyslides everyone out of there and onto the scout ship (everyone except for Spider-Man of course). On the ship, Sam asks Cable what it is that everyone has against him. He tells Sam he wishes he knew. Cable turns on the after burners and they all head back home.


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[Assistant]
Under the Magnifying Glass
(Somewhere in Europe: 11:00 p.m.)
Deadpool teleports into a room with Black Tom and Juggernaut in hand. It turns out to be Tolliver’s place. ‘Pool tells the boss that he gotthe goods as promised. Juggernaut doesn’t know who Deadpool is, but thanks him anyway for getting them out of the sticky situation they were in. He requests a doctor for Tom and Tolliver assures him that he will get a very special doctor. With an evil grin on his face, he says they’ll have to pay the price, for services rendered.
(Manhattan: 6:44 p.m. 3 days later)
Dr. Karl Lykos is walking back to his apartment with some groceries. He plans on making dinner for his girlfriend, Tanya Anderssen. He’s pretty happy these days, being human and enjoying life. His happiness quickly fades, however, when he opens the door to his apartment and finds Tanya in the clutches of Toad with Blob right behind him. Toad’s only request, Lykos’ soul.
Toad gives Blob the cue and he grabs Lykos. Doc has no idea who these men are so Toad makes the introductions. He explains that he wants to start up a new faction of mutants who are intent on dominating the homo sapiens of the world. He wants Lykos to join the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
Over at the X-Force base Cannonball, Boom-Boom, Cable, and Domino are watching the news. It’s an interview featuring Gideon and his thoughts on the World Trade Center situation. He blatantly says that he believes Cable to have masterminded the whole situation. He calls for Cable and his X-Force team to be stopped. None of the X-Forcers are pleased with the broadcast. They can’t believe that Sunspot would join up with this man, Gideon. They’re also afraid that Bridge will be after them even more.
Boom-Boom wants to know what the next move is going to be to clear their name. Domino says that maybe the reputation would help them against their opponents. Sam and Tabitha don’t understand. They don’t want to be branded as outlaws. Cable tells them that they knew what they were getting into when they signed up. He tells them to trust him. Sam becomes furious and wants to know why they should trust him after all that’s been happening. Cable agrees that he hasn’t proven himself trustworthy, but he wants to know if both of them want to stay on X-Force. Both Cannonball and Boom-Boom agree to stay, at least for now.
Outside, Warpath is running through the forest, thinking about all the Native Americans who fell before him. He wants to avenge his people’s deaths and he decides that if X-Force won’t help him, he’ll do it by himself.
In the Danger Room, Shatterstar is exercising his skills. Feral watches from a distance. She doesn’t know what to make of him. He finishes his training and is startled to see Feral watching him. She comes on to him, calling him “Shatty-Buns” and propositioning him to another “wrestling match”. He tells her he doesn’t want to fight her and she replies, “Who said anything about fighting.”
Meanwhile, Siryn is up in the Danger Room Control area. Cable walks in and asks her what she wants to do. She wants to know if she can stay with the team for a while, until everything calms down. Cable thinks that would be a good thing. He welcomes her to X-Force. He warns her that it's going to be tough being associated with X-Force. She tells him that she can handle it.
(Washington D.C.: offices of the Commission of Superhuman Activities)
G.W. Bridge, Nick Fury, Henry Gyrich, and Val Cooper are having a meeting on what to do about Cable. Henry wants to sanction him, but G.W. won’t hear of it. Nick wants to know why X-Factor can’t be brought in on this. Gyrich says that the new team isn’t ready yet. He then asks Bridge if his closeness with Cable in the past has anything to do with his reluctance to take him down. Val assures him that is not the case. Then Bridge talks about his plans involving old associates of Cable, like Weapon X, and bringing them into the picture. Gyrich is fed up with this situation. He announces that Project Wideawake is ready to go back on-line and that Cable is going down.
(Manhattan: abandoned warehouse)
Lykos and Tanya are locked up in metal restraints, pinned against the wall. He wants to know why Toad and Blob are doing this. Toad tells him that he wants Sauron back. Lykos says the only way that could happen is if someone’s life essence is drained into him. Toad boasts that he knew that, that’s why he brought along his girlfriend, she will be the sacrifice. He yells for them to stop, but his words go unheeded. Toad activates the machine. The room fills with green electricity.
After the process is complete, Toad asks Dr. Lykos if he is all right. He emerges and says that Karl Lykos is no more, Sauron has returned! Toad and Blob are pleased. Tanya Anderssen is no more.


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[Assistant]
Under the Gun
(Caracas, Venezuela: safe house for the MLF)
Stryfe is sitting at his throne and Zero is at his side. He talks about how people must be laughing at him right now. After all, his best plains have been undone, time and time again. He knows better though. He goes on to insult other characters on the playing field. He says that Gideon is a fool, Cable is a failure, and that Xavier and Magneto are not working at their full potential. He says to let them laugh. He knows what’s coming ahead.
He takes off his helmet and we see that his left eye is just like Cable’s right eye. As a matter of fact, his whole face looks like Cable’s. He will be the last one laughing.
(Manhattan, New York)
We see the high buildings of Manhattan and the sewer tunnels below. Toad is attempting to strike an alliance with Masque and the Morlocks. Here we are introduced to the remaining members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Pyro and Phantazia. Masque is uncertain whether to agree to the alliance. The Morlock Thornn joins the debate. She agrees with Toad and believes that they should get what they deserve by force. She suggests they start off by going after the escaped Morlock, Feral (member of X-Force). Masque, after listening to Thornn, agrees to the alliance.
Toad happily accepts the truce. As an act of good faith on the Brotherhood’s part, their next move will be to go after X-Force.
(Adirondack Mountains: Headquarters of X-Force)
Cable and Domino are taking a bath together. Domino wants to know what the kids would think if they knew that Cable was getting most of his hardware from Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.). He says he doesn’t care. So Domino asks him if he thought about telling Sam and Tabitha the truth about his past. He says he’s thought about it, but doesn’t think they’re ready yet. Domino assures him that he must tell them the truth eventually.
In the mess hall, Sam and Tabitha are making food. Feral comes crawling in. Tabitha goes towards her and starts yelling at her for almost killing Sam a few issues ago. She tells her that she doesn’t trust her and never will. Feral starts to get angry. Boom-Boom walks away and tells her not to forget what she said. Feral growls that Boom-Boom made a big mistake insulting her and she’ll find out soon how big.
Outside, Shatterstar has asked Warpath to battle him one-on-one. He thinks it will be better than any Danger Room simulations. Siryn is also there to make sure it doesn’t get out of control. They start the match and Warpath decks Shatterstar. Warpath asks ‘Star to put down his swords, but he says no, they are a part of him in battle. So Warpath decks him again. Shatterstar comes back with a few shots of his own. Warpath, however, gets the final blow. Siryn calls the match. Warpath suggests to Shatterstar that he stop fighting like it’s for entertainment (like he did in his home world), he would do much better.
Out of the blue arrive the Brotherhood. Pyro snags Siryn. Warpath and Shatterstar go into attack mode. Siryn wants to know how they found them. Toad tells her that it was the very resourceful Morlocks.
Siryn distracts Pyro and flips him over. Toad yells for Sauron to get Shatterstar. Sauron swoops down and snags him. Blob, Pyro, and Toad corner the remaining members of X-Force, Siryn and Warpath, intent on showing them what the new Brotherhood is all about!


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Under the Knife (1st story)
X-Tenuating Circumstances - part 1 (2nd story)
First story :
Warpath asks Siryn what the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is all about. Toad answers for her. He says that they are a group of mutants who aspire to Brotherhood and are evil by desire. He then proceeds to tell them they will be dead before the day is done.
Up in the air, Shatterstar is struggling with Sauron. Sauron tries to get Shatterstar to look into his eyes so he can hypnotize him. Instead, Shatterstar cuts him up with one of his swords. Sauron drops ‘Star and he falls towards a tree. He grabs a branch and swings safely on the ground. He runs off in search of a weapon that could take out the highflying Sauron.
Nearby, Phantazia, Masque and Thornn are looking for the hidden entrance to X-Force’s Headquarters. Masque finds it and Phantazia overrides the system. The entrance door swings open and they enter. Masque hits the light switch and they see that they are in the Hangar Deck. They’re amazed at all the technology that X-Force has. Thornn suggests that they start planting the explosives before they get busted. Suddenly, warning shots buzz by their heads. They turn around to see Cable, Domino, Cannonball, Boom-Boom and Feral ready for them. Cable yells to Masque that he’s tired of him sneaking around his bases’ and he is as good as dead.
Outside, Warpath and Blob are fighting, so are Siryn and Pyro. Siryn fires a sonic scream at Pyro’s throat and knocks him down. Toad comes in and tackles her. Toad showcases his new ability to secrete green fluid from his hands that could seal her mouth closed. All of a sudden he’s hit from behind from a plasma burst. It turns out that Shatterstar has found his weapon. He tells Siryn that he wants to go after Sauron. Warpath joins them in their search as he has just defeated Blob.
Inside, Phantazia is disrupting Cable’s weapons so he tells Feral to attack. She goes right for her sister, Thornn. Thornn hits the light switch and everyone is left in the dark. Thornn and Feral are at each other’s throats. Cable is trying to shoot Phantazia, but his guns still won’t work. Cannonball comes flying in at her and as he goes right through her she disrupts his blast field and it starts to malfunction. Cable yells for a retreat topside. Boom-Boom wants to know what happened to Sam, but Cable makes her leave. Cable yells for Feral to come, but she wants to stay and fight Thornn.
She and Thornn are really going at it now. Thornn gets Feral with a good one across the chest. Then she picks her up by her throat and chokes her to unconsciousness. She wonders to herself if she should kill her sister.
Outside, Sauron is evading ‘Star’s gunfire. He lands near the secret entrance to the Hangar Bay. Cannonball is coming out the hatch at full speed. He’s unsure whether to engage Sauron because his blast field is out of whack. As he comes into contact with Sauron, he is impaled straight through his back. He stops breathing, much to dismay of the newly arrived Cable and Boom-Boom.
Second Story :
Weapon X is out in a snow-filled wooded area of Canada. He got a call about a smuggling operation from the States. He comes to a house and scans six men inside. He busts down the wall and takes care of the six goons with ease. He goes to check on the merchandise and is double whacked by Forearm. He looks up from the floor and finds Forearm, Sumo, and Wildside standing there. He wonders what he has gotten himself into now ?


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Flashed Before My Eyes
Continued from previous issue, Sauron is gloating about his first kill on the battlefield, Cannonball. Cable yells for him to back away from Sam. Boom-Boom is yelling desperately for Sam to wake up. The phrase “wake up” triggers memories in Cable’s mind. We experience Cable’s flashback and catch a glimpse of his mysterious past.
(flashback)
We see Cable, Domino, Bridge and Grizzly raiding a Hydra research facility with guns a blazin’. They were sent on a mission to retrieve an energy converter that was stolen from their employers. The opposition keeps coming at them and they keep mowing them down. It’s obvious by now that Cable is the leader of Wild Pack.
From a tower close by, three Hydra soldiers fire a plasma generator cannon at the group and hit Grizzly in the chest. He’s all right, but mighty mad! He walks over to the tower and starts shaking it. The three Hydra men fall off along with the cannon. They come up to a wall and have to climb it. Cable makes some references that no one understands. It’s as if he’s from another time they remark. As they reach the top they find the remaining members of Wild Pack, Hammer and Kane, waiting for them.
Their job was to take topside and they did a might fine job at that. Everyone starts bragging about how well they did. Cable shuts them up by pointing out that it was he who made them as good as they are. He tells them that they still have to finish the mission.
Next, we see Wild Pack walking down a set of stairs into a laboratory. The entire place is empty which unnerves Cable. He tells the team to be prepared. We find out that Hydra has been working on a 21st century version of the Hydrogen bomb. The component they’re attempting to steal back is vital to the weapon’s operation. It’s Hammer’s job to retrieve the device.
Cable starts to worry and wants Hammer to hurry up. Kane starts acting all cocky towards Cable and he tells Kane that things just aren’t right. Right then, Hammer says, “Uh-Oh”. All of a sudden, Baron von Strucker’s face shows up on all the monitors. It’s a prerecorded message for anyone invading the facility. He tells them they have 20 seconds to evacuate or else they’re dead. Everyone starts yelling for Hammer to get the fibrillator. When he finally gets it, Cable bodyslides everyone out.
The building explodes as they fly away in a helicopter. Cable’s surprised that Hydra actually blew up the building. When he mentions that he doesn’t know who von Strucker is, another reference to him being from another place is made.
It turns out that the device originally belonged to A.I.M. Hammer gives it back to one of the A.I.M. members and they, in turn, give him their paycheck. They tell them that the fibrillator actually didn’t work to begin with. They just wanted to see how far Hydra had gotten with building their weapon. They’re guessing, that if they blew up the building, not far.
Later on, Cable and the rest of Wild Pack are parting ways. They want to know when they’ll meet again and Cable says he’ll find them. He drives away on his motorcycle and requests a time slide. He goes through a portal and enters a room with three levitating robots. Their names are Scott, Jean and Hank. They tend to his needs. Apparently, Cable was gone one year his time, one day the robot’s time. It turns out that Cable is from thousands of years in the future.
Months later, Cable is at his computer and asks Professor if there is anything new on the research front. He wants to know if there’s a new Awakening to report. Professor tells him about Samuel Guthrie. How he was affiliated with Charles Xavier and there were reports of him being around in the 24th century. Cable refers to him as a possible High Lord. He says that if Sam is to be a king, then he must be a man first. Cable decides to become his teacher.
Cable wants to time slide 6 months to a year before Sam’s Awakening. The robots warn him that he’s made many enemies in this time and that the mutant population is on a verge of a civil war. He goes through the portal anyway.
(present)
Cable is wondering if Sam will wake up. He wonders if Professor was wrong. Maybe Sam isn’t a High Lord. Cable and Boom-Boom keep yelling for Sam to wake up. Sauron tells them that he is dead. Cable says that Sam won’t be the only one to pay for his stupidity. He aims his gun and blows Sauron away.


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Underground and Over the Top (1st story)
X-Tenuating Circumstances - part 2 (2nd story)
First story : It turns out that Cable only succeeded in winging Sauron when he shot him. So now Boom-Boom and Cable are running to the medi-lab with Cable holding Sam in his arms. Sam is bleeding pretty badly. Boom-Boom plays some defense and throws a bunch of time bombs at Sauron to keep him back. He falls down, but Thornn comes flying in to the fray and tackles Boom-Boom. Luckily, Domino shows up as well and delivers a jarring kick to Thornn’s back.
Domino tells Thornn to get back up. She wants to know why they came to attack X-Force. Thornn tells her about the partnership between the Brotherhood and the Morlocks. Domino doesn’t understand why they would want to attack other mutants. She is so angry that she roundhouse kicks Thornn in the face and knocks her out. She tells Boom-Boom to go to the medi-lab to help Cable in case someone goes after him. Boom-Boom wants to know what Cable could do; after all, Sam’s dead. Domino tells her that dead doesn’t always mean dead.
Cable is in the medi-lab yelling for Sam to get up. He explains out loud that a High Lord’s life doesn’t really begin until he dies. Sam still isn’t moving. Sauron sneaks in there somehow and gets the drop on Cable. He tries to hypnotize him, but Cable only looks at him with his techno-organic eye. He fires three shots from his gun at Sauron.
Outside, Warpath, Shatterstar and Siryn are looking to see if any of the Brotherhood remains. Siryn can’t see anyone from the air and the ground crew isn’t having any luck either. Suddenly, Blob pops out and knocks Warpath for a loop. It turns out that Phantazia was scrambling their senses. So ‘Star and Siryn go after Blob. Shatterstar dives at him with his sword ready. He swings his blade across Blob’s face and cuts him pretty good. Blob starts backing up towards the edge of a cliff and jumps off. He did this to escape the X-Force duo. Even though Siryn and ‘Star know he survived the fall, they turn around and go off in search of Phantazia.
Near the medi-lab, the newly awakened Feral is having some fun with Sauron. She is scratching and scraping him with her claws. He gets in a good shot himself. Cable comes in from behind and shoots him twice in the back. Then Thornn comes in and jumps on top of Cable. She yells at him for shooting Sauron in the back and claws at his face. He flips her around and she lands on the ground. She looks at his face and is surprised. He tells her he’d do whatever it would take to win a fight.
Domino and Boom-Boom come running in and want to know what happened. Cable tells them that he shot Sauron and knocked out Thornn. Boom-Boom asks about Sam and Cable says he’s dead. She’s upset that Cable left them alone in the firefight to try and save an already dead Cannonball. That’s when Masque and Phantazia walk in.
Masque has a device and is ready to push the button on it. Cable tells Masque that he is going to kill him. Warpath, Shatterstar and Siryn come walking in. Siryn suggests that he surrender. Phantazia, knowing that the going was getting tough, says it’s time to go. Masque attempts to leave, but Cable tells him that he’s crossed him too many times. He’s already given Masque his final warning. He gives the order for ‘Star to execute him. Shatterstar impales Masque from behind and lifts him up in the air. Warpath wants to know why they would do such a thing. Cable tells him he wanted to make sure that Masque and the Morlocks never bothered them again, especially after what happened to Sam. Right about that time, Sam walks into the room and asks what’s going on.
Second story :
Weapon X is fighting with Wildside, Sumo and Forearm. He starts off by kicking Wildside in the face. He goes after Sumo next. He picks him up and throws him at Forearm. He thought this mission would be simple, he thought wrong. Wildside grabs his neck from behind and starts choking him. He tells Kane that he’s going to kill him. Kane swings Wildside around to his front and grabs his throat as well. He fires off his hand and sends Wildside flying. He then removes his now hand-less arm and smacks Forearm with it.
Kane hears the sound of Zero’s teleportation power. The three MLFers go running through the portal. Kane doesn’t want them getting away and jumps through as well, but not before reattaching his arm and hand. When he lands on the other side of the portal he finds Stryfe waiting there for him.


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Answers (and Questions)
Prologue 1: X-Tenuating Circumstances - part 3
Weapon X is now in an MLF safehouse surrounded by Wildside, Sumo and Forearm. He performs the same moves on them as he did in the warehouse. He throws Sumo into Forearm and when Wildside leaps on him he grabs him and fires his hand at him, sending him flying. Forearm steps in and nails Kane. Kane fires three tasers from his fingers at Forearm and electrocutes him. Sumo steps up to the plate. Kane puts 210% efficiency into his right arm and pounds Sumo’s skull. He keeps saying that he wants Stryfe.
Stryfe calls out Kane’s name. He removes his helmet and Kane stutter’s out, “Cable”. Stryfe looks exactly like Cable.
Prologue 2: X-Ternals
Gideon’s helicopter takes him to the Swiss Alps. He enters the chalet of Nicodemus and finds the High Lords, Saul, Nicodemus, Burke and Absalom waiting for him. They all felt the Awakening of Cannonball from the previous issue. It turns out that Gideon recruited Sunspot because he believed him to be the next High Lord. Absalom is angry with Gideon for getting the wrong person.
Gideon goes on to tell Saul he knows how to capture the newest High Lord. He plans on calling up Krule, another External, and sending him to do the task. Absalom doesn’t agree with his plan because Krule is a bit of a wild card. Gideon explains that if Cable is watching over the newest External then Krule would be the best option. That way, they can remain anonymous.
Later on, we find Gideon brooding outside the dinner room. Nicodemus approaches him and tells him not to worry about Absalom. Nicodemus also wants to know what Gideon is going to do with Sunspot now that he is not the High Lord they thought he was. Gideon hints that the Roberto DaCosta won’t be around for long.
Main Story:
The team is surveying the damage from their fight with the Brotherhood. Masque and Sauron are lying on the ground, Masque in a pool of blood. Boom-Boom wants to know what just happened. Cable tells her not to worry about it right now. He wants her to go with ‘Star and Domino outside to look for Pyro and Phantazia. He tells Warpath to take Sauron and Masque’s bodies to the Morgue. He also wants Feral to take her sister Thornn to a holding cell.
Cable and Sam head to the infirmary for a talk. He checks him out on the medical scanners and everything seems fine. Cable explains to him what happened with Sauron. Sam wants to know why he is still alive. Cable tells him that he’s immortal, that he’s an External.
Sam wants to know exactly what he means. Cable tells him that Externals are a small group of mutants, some of whom have been around for centuries. They have eternal life, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be killed. He explains to Sam that he’s been looking for him most of his life. That’s why he found the New Mutants and made them into X-Force. Cable wants to train Sam because he might be the future’s last hope.
He goes on to tell him that Gideon might be an External and that he might have thought ‘Berto to be the next one. Sam’s in shock. Boom-Boom comes running in and reports that they couldn’t find Phantazia and Pyro. Also, everyone is waiting in the communications room to hear their next move. He says that tomorrow they’re going to visit the Morlocks and leave Masque’s head on a pike as a warning to never mess with X-Force again.
Inside the MLF safehouse, Weapon X is confused as to how Cable is Stryfe when he saw them fight each other. He blames Stryfe for past problems and leaps at him. Forearm snags him midair before he can lay a hand on Stryfe. Kane still wants answers. Stryfe poses a question to Kane. What if he wasn’t Cable, rather Cable was he. Then he uppercuts Kane and we see him falling off a cliff.
A few hours later at the X-Force base, Boom-Boom and Sam are having a heart to heart. Sam can’t believe he died and Boom-Boom assures him that he did. Sam is pretty bummed because he has a ton of questions and he knows he may never truly find all the answers.
Over at Department K headquarters, Kane is looking for General Clarke. He wants to contact Bridge and bring in Weapon Prime. Clarke doesn’t want to bring in Prime, but he does have one person he recruited, Rictor.
Cristina, island of Sardegna Italy, is the location of another one of Tolliver’s safehouses. Inside are Tolliver and Deadpool. Tolliver is upset that he hasn’t received an update on Cable in over two months. He tells Deadpool to remind Domino of her job. Deadpool says he’ll do it for free because he owes her one. He ‘s going to make Domino pay in blood.