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Doom Quest
Time present and time pastAre both perhaps present in time future,And time future contained in time past. T.S. Elliot, Collected Poems (1936) ‘Burnt Norton’, pt. 1
Castle Doom. Sometime in the distant past… Doctor Doom urges his Seer to show him more. He wants to see more! “As you wish, Excellency,” the Seer complies. “Behold the future!” he dramatically proclaims as a vision from the future emanates from a pillar at the center of the room – an image of the X-Men and Avengers fighting against the being known as Onslaught.
Doom marvels at the seemingly almighty creature: Incredible. A being that possesses such power would surely be invincible. He asks Seer what manner of creature this is. Still locked in a precognitive trance, Seer reveals the creature’s name is Onslaught. What else? Doom impatiently demands to know. Where did Onslaught come from? How was it formed? He must know more! Seer is sorry, but he can see nothing more… He moans and collapses as the vision fizzles away.
“Bah!” Doom groans. He grows tired of being teased by the Seer’s glimpses into the future. What good are these visions if he cannot use them to attain his goals in the here and now?! After he angrily destroys the pillar with his blasts, he moves into a room full of monitors. He finds there is something oddly familiar about the Onslaught’s visage. He clicks on a button and sees images of Magneto, along with members of his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Ah yes, he thinks – Magneto, self-proclaimed master of magnetism. He and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants tried to take over the South American nation of Santo Marco just a few days ago. Their attempted coup may have been a failure, but Magneto himself showed great promise, with the potential of someday becoming a great opponent.
Doom walks into a balcony of his castle that overlooks a breathtaking view of snowy mountains. He wonders: could there be some connection between Magneto and the Onslaught entity? If so, that raises some interesting possibilities… Seer approaches from behind him: “Sire…” Doom tells him to leave him; he has much to ponder.
The next morning, Doctor Doom and Seer walk along the corridors of the castle. Seer’s visions have inspired Doom. This Onslaught manifestation is obviously a vessel for some vast power source – one which he intends to harness and make his own. He believes that there exists a link between Magneto and the Onslaught from Seer’s visions. He wants to find that link and exploit it to his advantage. It occurred to him that, by taking a jaunt through the timestream, he may be able to pry the secrets of Onslaught’s creation from one of Magneto’s future selves. Ingenious, eh? he smugly compliments himself.
Seer cowardly asks his master to pardon him for his insolence… but is such a course of action wise? Doom wonders why it would not be. Is he not Victor von Doom, absolute monarch of Latveria? His will is law! With his superior intellect, anything is possible! He asks his minion to cease his dawdling and step aboard. If his quest is to succeed, he will have need of Seer’s telepathic skills to guide them on their journey. Seer protests that he knows nothing of this Magneto he refers to. Doom realizes that – which is why their first time-jump shall be to the past. Let us be off, he suggests – he will explain along the way.
After Doom calibrates the time-traveling apparatus, he and Seer are engulfed in a bright blue bubble. Doom believes Seer needn’t look so apprehensive. The cloaking bubble will ensure their presence is shielded from prying eyes during their travels. In fact, he should feel honored. Few living beings have been privileged to bear witness to the sight of his time platform in operation.
The time travel begins. The time platform materializes above a battle in development – one between Magneto and the X-Men. Spotting Magneto, Seer asks Doom if it’s him. Doom wonders if he has to ask. The resemblance of Magneto’s vestments to those worn by Onslaught is uncanny, is it not?
“Foolish children!” Magneto gloats below. If they will not join his cause, then they must be destroyed! “Heads up, X-Men!” field leader Cyclops warns his teammates. Magneto’s ignited the rocket fuel in that tanker; it’s going to blow!
Doom remarks that Magneto made quite an impression when he singlehandedly threatened to take over this military base in Cape Citadel last month. If not for the intervention of these mysterious “X-Men,” his efforts would have been successful. Strangely enough, these are the same teens who recently foiled his plans for Santo Marco. It will be interesting to see if this rivalry persists over time.
Below, as the tanker is about to blow on them, Cyclops turns to Iceman; he asks him to see if he can… “Way ahead o’ you, chief!” Bobby replies and contains the tanker in ice. The impact of the explosion throws Doom’s time platform back.
“M-Master….” the terrified Seer gasps. Doom advises him to stay back. Their shield held… and they remained undetected. Seer is still unclear why Doom wished him to serve as his guide, when he doesn’t know where – or even when – it is they’re going. Doom assures him he will, once he telepathically scans Magneto and commits his bio-signature to memory. They shall then use him as a focal point to aim their time-jumps into the future. He urges him to establish a psionic link now!
Below, the X-Men’s battle against Magneto continues. Reaching out with his mental abilities, Seer taps into Magneto’s essence, carefully forming the template for a psychic beacon. Oblivious of the intrusion into his psyche, the master of magnetism makes good his escape. From below, Cyclops zaps, but his blasts stumble on Magneto’s magnetic block.
Seer informs Doom that it is done. Good, Doom approves – then they should be gone from here. The future awaits!
The Savage LandDoom and Seer are transferred into another battle between Magneto and the X-Men, sometime later. Doom sneers: pathetic! Magneto suffers defeat at the hands of these selfsame children. Not exactly his finest hour. He asks the Seer if he can detect any trace of the Onslaught entity within him. “Negative, sire,” Seer reports after he mentally scans Magneto.
Below, Cyclops asks Magneto to give it up; it’s too late for him! Kneeling down amidst the collapsing base, Magneto agrees it’s too late to do anything… but die! Cyclops urges his team to get out of here… before the rest of this place goes up in place! Marvel Girl wonders about Magneto. Cyclops informs her that Magneto fell behind the crumbling wreckage. There’s no way to get to him in time…
Hearing this, Doom asks Seer if the boy is right; is Magneto dead? Seer reveals he isn’t – but he wants the X-Men to believe he is. Interesting, Doom notes. Perhaps he was too quick to disparage Magneto. He suggests they move on…
AntarcticaDoom and Seer’s time platform transports them above yet another battle between Magneto and the X-Men. It would appear that Magneto is facing off against a new breed of X-Men. Fascinating that their destinies should be so irrevocably intertwined, Doctor Doom keenly remarks.
Below, the X-Men and the defeated Magneto are facing a crisis. An incensed Colossus grabs Magneto and asks him what he’s done! Magneto, undeterred, insists that, if they’re doomed, the blame is theirs. Phoenix’s blast destroyed the main control console. Systems all over the complex are running wild – and they can’t do a thing to stop them! Banshee asks Cyclops what they should now; they’re a mile beneath a mile volcano!
Indeed, lava falls down on them. Watching this, Doom huffs. The habit of arriving in the midst of volatile circumstances is getting tiresome. He tells Seer to conduct his scan – and be quick about it. The situation is too unstable for them to remain here very long. “Done,” Seer quickly replies. No sign of Onslaught.
Below, a triumphant Magneto sarcastically suggests to Cyclops to hurry up. His team is depending on him and they’re running out of time.
Phoenix suddenly and curiously looks in the air, to the direction of the cloaking bubble. Seer immediately alerts Doom that the telepath can see them; they’ve been spotted! “What?!” Doom exclaims at a loss.
Below, Nightcrawler, having an epiphany, tells his teammates to wait a minute; the answer is right in front of them! They should have Magneto take them out of here the same way he brought them in… inside a magnetic force bubble! He suggests someone stops him; he’s their only hope… Before any of the X-Men can get their hands on him, Magneto repels them all with a blast.
Oblivious to everyone, Phoenix’s psi-form exits her body and confronts Doctor Doom on his platform. She recognizes Doom and greets him; this is a surprise. She wonders what he’s doing here. He shouldn’t bother to lay on the charm. She’s well aware that behind that regal façade, he’s just an arrogant, self-serving tyrant.
Doom warns her to take care not to offend him again. He suggests she looks around; she has more pressing matters to attend to than his presence here. This place is quickly becoming a molten grave; his affairs do not concern her. Phoenix insists they do if there’s a chance Doom could be their ticket out of here. It’s the only reason she refrained from psi-blasting him on the spot. What is it he is up to? How does that contraption of his work?
Below, the flying Banshee grabs Wolverine and rescues him from being incinerated by the lava. Wolverine thanks him… but what’s the point? Sooner or later, they’ll run out of places to go. Hearing this, Beast retorts that, till then, they’re alive. And while they’re alive… they don’t give up!
Above, Doom retorts that he needs not explain himself to Phoenix. His reasons for being here are his own. And they shall remain so. Doom thinks to himself that this redhead has changed much since their last time-jump. She seems… wild. Unfettered. The new attitude becomes her. He approves.
“We’ll see about that, Doom,” Phoenix replies. She’s betting his fancy gadgets won’t fare well against the power of the Phoenix! Seer informs Doom in panic that the bubble’s collapsing! Doom thinks that, under other circumstances, he would be titillated by such brazen display of power. But as it stands, he underestimated the psi-witch’s prowess. She somehow managed to penetrate their defense shields and disable the cloaking device. He decides it’s best to make their exit before…
“Watch it, Jeannie!” Beast shouts and lunges at the immobile Phoenix, shoving her out of harm’s way. The distraction causes Phoenix’s psi-form to return to her body. Before she vanishes, though, she damages the chronometer. Doom tells Seer to brace himself – they’ve been set off-course! He urges his minion to have faith. He shall have the primary guidance controls back online momentarily.
ManhattanSeer observes that his master has made it – but where…? Doom welcomes him to the 21st century. He awes at the devastation he witnesses on 21st-century Manhattan. What could have caused it? He assumes it must have been some massive global phenomenon. If so, he wonders how fares his beloved Latveria…
Seer suddenly alerts him there is danger from above. Doom is amazed: it’s some sort of robotic automaton! A Sentinel robot towers over them. The unit reports that it has detected a chronal anomaly in sector B-43. They are advised to surrender for investigation or face immediate termination. Doom defiantly states that he surrenders to no one… least all to a lifeless monstrosity such as this! Blasting the robot’s head, Doom sends dropping over a half-demolished building.
Doom warns Seer they must take refuge before the robot recovers. There’s no telling if it had a chance to summon reinforcements. Clearly, repairing the platform’s cloaking mechanism is now their top priority. As it long as it remains impaired, they are vulnerable to detection. He entrusts Seer to guard the time platform with his life, and promises he shall return shortly. When Seer asks him where he’s going, Doctor Doom explains he’s foraging to gather the tools and machinery needed to fix the damaged cloaking device. Seer wonders what if he’s seen but Doom assures him he won’t. He installed a portable cloaking unit inside his armor. Though its energy field is far too small to encompass the entire platform, its limited range shall be enough to shield his person.
Shortly, Doom stands outside the building where he means to gather the needed equipment. Seeing aged versions of Storm, Colossus and Wolverine lurking in the entrance, Doom realizes that his destination has attracted other visitors this evening. These older versions of some of the X-Men he encountered in Antarctica are gathering outside. Certainly a resilient bunch, he’ll give them that. Perhaps they can unwittingly aid him in his cause…
Looking over the entrance, the middle-aged Storm informs her friends that the coast is clear. The three X-Men enter, oblivious to the stealthy Doom following them. Wolverine remarks that the Baxter Building – the old headquarters of the Fantastic Four – contains the most sophisticated electronic lash-ups on Earth. That’s why the Sentinels chose it as their primary base. But it’s a base with an Achilles’ heel, if their intelligence reports are accurate, and the house-keeping system’s still operational. Doom ponders that those Sentinels he refers to must be the giant robots which apparently laid siege to the city.
Wolverine emits an electric beam from his belt buckle which activates the Fantastic Four’s private elevator. The elevator soon comes. All aboard, Wolverine urges them. Next stop, the roof – and the fight of their lives. Doom silently follows them aboard. As they get up, Colossus asks Storm if she’s nervous. Ororo admits she is, a bit. Her claustrophobia. Confined spaces still put her on edge. And she can’t help thinking that it wouldn’t take much to turn this tiny box… into a deathtrap. Indeed, Doom muses.
Once they arrive on their intended floor, Doom immediately gets to work on gathering what he needs. Still lingering at the elevator door, the X-Men make plans on how to attack the Sentinel that is operating the monitors. Wolverine whispers to Colossus to give him a fastball special – he’ll gut that sucker from head to hips!
Doom thinks that happening upon the X-Men was a grand stroke of luck. Their foolish assault should keep the Sentinels occupied long enough for him to proceed with his task unencumbered.
Wolverine is thrown by Colossus at the Sentinel in fastball special style. Unfortunately, the Sentinel immediately takes notice of him. “Pathetic organic being,” the robot remarks. Is Wolverine so arrogant as to believe he could even approach – much less penetrate – their innermost sanctum undetected? While Wolvie is still in mid-flight, the Sentinel incinerates him, leaving only a charred skeleton behind.
The Sentinel stresses the X-Men are here because they allowed them to be here. The better to terminate them. He asks Storm and Colossus to yield, or suffer a similar fate. Momentarily speechless by Wolverine’s brutal death, Ororo immediately regains her defiance and determination. “Never!” she cries out as she lifts herself in the air, assaulting the robot with her lightning bolts.
Listening to the fight while pilfering the necessary equipment from the other end of the room, Doctor Doom contemplates that the X-Men’s defiance in the face of such opposition is to be admired. These X-Men have earned his respect. There’s little doubt that these Sentinels are formidable opponents. In mass numbers, they could even prove to be unbeatable. In light of what he’s seen, it would be wise to take precautions against such a powerful enemy. Upon his return to the present, he shall begin working on the designs for an invincible army of robots of his own!
“Peter!” Ororo screams as a Sentinel’s blade pierces right through her abdomen. Peter cries out her name, as she drops dead. Doom sees that another X-Man is down. He must hurry if he’s to escape the Sentinels’ notice. Berserk, Colossus punches the Sentinel that murdered Ororo right out of the building. Taking advantage of the distraction, Doom makes use of his short-range rocket propulsion jets and makes a hasty retreat, carrying all the equipment he needs.
His task completed, Doom returns to the waiting Seer. Seer reveals he detects no sign of Magneto in this timeline; he must be dead. Doom announces he will adjust the chronometer accordingly for their next time jump then. Taking shelter within the relative safety of the time stream, Doom uses the brief respite to conduct the needed repairs on the platform’s disabled cloaking device. Doom asks Seer to keep his eye on the controls. Doom must focus all his attentions on the delicate procedure at hand. Seer complies. Doom successfully repairs the cloaking device. There – they are once again shielded from…
Seer protests about the psychic feedback, before he emits a scream of pain. “Incompetent oaf!” Doom chastises as he realizes what happened. In his clumsiness, Seer has locked the controls to a jump-point further back into the past than Doom’s intended setting. There’s nothing he can do to change their altered course until they’ve emerged from the time-stream! Doom becomes infuriated with Seer. Is he not capable of…
Suddenly seeing him on the verge of terror, his eyes glowing, Doom asks him what it is. Seer apologizes to his master… his actions were not of his own doing. Doom sternly asks him what he means. Pointing his finger at him, he demands to know what’s going on: “Answer me!” Seer explains they must have passed over the point in time that was shown to him in visions… a time when the Onslaught entity was at the peak of its power… He reveals Onslaught reached out to him, across the void… across the chasm of time-space… And for the briefest moments, he and Onslaught’s minds touched. Never has Seer ever make psi-contact with such a corrupted soul – never experienced such pure evil!
Clasping his head, Seer suspects that the intensity of the telepathic encounter has left him somewhat rattled – and confused… Confused? About what? Doom wonders. Seer is speaking in riddles! Seer reveals he sensed another presence within Onslaught… another consciousness… He thinks Doom should consider the possibility that the secret behind Onslaught’s creation may be locked inside the head of Professor Charles Xavier – and not Magneto, as they’d both come to believe.
Doom asks him who is this Xavier of which to speaks. Projecting forth a mental hologram of Professor X on his wheelchair, Seer explains that, as far as he can ascertain, Xavier is a powerful telepath, with strong affiliations to both the X-Men and Magneto. Doom decides to take Seer’s observations to heart. Was he able to get an imprint of Xavier’s psyche from the Onslaught entity before he broke contact? Seer nervously replies he was, but he doesn’t… Doom suggests he helps recalibrate the instruments then, so they may take out a slight detour and seek him out.
Charles Xavier’s private sanctumProfessor X is experiencing tremendous agony. “John Proudstar, get off the airplane before it’s too late!” he cries. Watching this from his platform, Doom asks Seer what transpired here. Who is Professor X speaking to? There’s no one in this room but them. Has the Professor lost control of his faculties? Seer explains that Xavier is actually maintaining telepathic contact with one of his students; a youth named Thunderbird who is on a dangerous mission along with the rest of the X-Men. He decides to show Doom.
Seer generates a vision of Thunderbird, on top of a small plane, pounding on it. Through his rapport with Xavier, he tells him he’s a man, a warrior of the Apache, and today he’s going to prove it! Banshee, who’s flying at proximity, begs him to get of the plane! Similarly, Professor desperately tries to convince him to get out! “Thunderbird…! Noooo!” he lets out a terribly shriek, as the plane explodes in mid-air. Seer informs Doom that Xavier never broke contact; not even during the boy’s death throes… Doom observes it will be curious to see how such a tragedy will affect Xavier’s psyche. He suggests they press forward.
Annandale, New YorkDoctor Doom and Seer watch the confrontation between Professor X and the deranged Dark Phoenix. “Meddling old fool… you have just signed your death warrant!” Dark Phoenix roars and blasts him, reducing his wheelchair into shambles. Perhaps, Charles admits. But he is in part responsible for what happened here. Though it may cost him his life, he will put it right. Seething with energy, Phoenix sarcastically notes that he sounds almost guilty – as well he should! He unleashed her latent telepathic ability. He set in motion the chain of events that created Phoenix – and then Dark Phoenix! She asks him to behold his creation! She is what was, what is, what will be – the Black Angel, Chaos-Bringer! She – is – power!
Despite being faced with such fearsome might, Xavier, collapsed on the ground, defies her. Power without restraint; knowledge without wisdom; age without maturity; passion without love. He must fight Jean. He must – he will – win. “Will you?” Jean smiles – and it is a cruel, utterly inhuman smile.
Incredible! Doom admiringly muses. Phoenix is even more powerful than ever. While Xavier is clearly tormented by the unpleasant duty before him. He notices they are engaging in a psi-war. A battle between student and teacher, waged on an epic scale. He daresay few mortals have been witness to such a display. He wonders… could this duel have driven Xavier over the edge and somehow imbued him with the powers of Onslaught? Doubtful, he concludes, considering Magneto is nowhere near here. And his presence – or at least partial involvement – during Onslaught’s creation has already been assured by the Seer’s visions.
Seeing Seer psi-scanning the two combatants, Doctor Doom asks him how fare their quarry. Seer explains that Xavier is attempting to bind the Phoenix Force with a network of psionic circuit breakers. Doom wonders whether he’ll succeed. Uncertain, Seer replies. But they dare not take the chance of Phoenix attacking them here like she did in Antarctica. They could be stranded here… or destroyed. Doom agrees. Although curiosity binds him to stay, he suspects Phoenix’s fate shall be revealed to them in due time. Let them depart before she takes notice of them…
Professor Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters, just outside the town of Salem Center in upstate New YorkDoom and Seer watch from their time platform. Doom wonders if there’s something wrong with their instruments. He sees no sign of Xavier.
In the mansion’s grounds, the X-Men stand over the fallen body of a Brood Queen – one which, only minutes ago, was Professor Xavier. Storm admits she could have slain the Queen with a lightning bolt – but she could not bring herself to do it. Wolverine tells her there’s no shame in being what she is. He’s the killer on this team, remember? Not this time, Cyclops retorts. He was the first X-Man. It’s his responsibility. He addresses what remains of Xavier: “Forgive me, Professor. If there was any alternative…”
“There is… none, Scott…” a weak response comes from the alien body. Scott is surprised: Professor?! Barely clinging to life, Xavier explains that the mental transformation was incomplete. He’s been resisting with all his might. The shock of Storm’s assault enabled him to gain upper hand. Eventually, though, the Brood persona will overwhelm him. That must not come to pass. For the good of Earth, of humanity, he begs Scott to kill him! Wolverine tells Cyclops that he heard the man.
Doom is at a loss: that’s Xavier? He must have fallen prey to some sort of alien infestation. A pity. So much for Seer’s hypothesis. Maybe… maybe not, Seer remarks. He senses the outcome here is still very much in question.
Cyclops counters to Wolverine that he heard Phoenix play this riff before she died. He never had a chance to save the woman he loved. He’d damned if he’s going to watch Charles go the same way. Doom’s curiosity is piqued: Phoenix dead? But was she killed by Xavier… or did she fall victim to other circumstances?
Cyclops insists that so long as there’s hope – no matter how slight – the X-Men will fight to preserve life. To create, rather than to destroy. Any objections? Lots, Wolverine sullenly retorts. None, Storm concurs with Scott. Doom believes they shall if their efforts were successful. Ducking back into the time stream, he and Seer continue on their journey.
Seer reveals that he scanned the X-Man called Cyclops before they left. The woman named Jean Grey – who later became Phoenix – eventually killed herself on the moon, sacrificing her own life for the sake of her friends and the good of the universe. Doom is appalled: she willingly threw away her chance at immortality?! What a waste.
Paris, FranceDoom and Seer materialize outside the Palace of Justice of the Ile de la Cite, about a block from Notre Dame Cathedral. Professor X lies on the lawn, at an ostensibly terrible condition. He feebly wishes this didn’t hurt so much. Magneto has knelt down at him. He implores him to stop talking nonsense; he’s not going to die! “Says who?” Xavier retorts.
Doom observes that, once again, they find Xavier at the brink of death. Confound it all – he is of no use to him in such a weak and feeble state! But what transpires here? Why does Magneto show concern for his sworn enemy? Surely this is some sort of foul jest. Are these two not bitter adversaries?
Magneto insists he won’t allow Charles to give up. Charles tells him off: he shouldn’t be absurd. It’s out of their hands. He asks Magneto to promise him that he’ll carry on in his place. He asks him to take over his school; look after his X-Men; teach the New Mutants. Impossible, Magnus retorts; they’ll never accept him. Xavier suspects he’s afraid. And with good reason, Magneto admits. He feels he’s not worthy of his trust, of this awesome responsibility. He begs him not to ask for what he cannot give.
Charles urges him to prove himself worthy. Does he remember in Israel when they were young; the dreams and ideals they shared? After that they walked tragically different paths. Magneto says now that his was wrong. He seeks to make amends – here is his chance. He should do what no one else believes can be done. It will stand as a far nobler monument – and better safeguard for mutantkind – than his martyrdom at this trial. Magneto fears it will be hard. Charles asks him to consider the alternative. After a brief pause, he enquires again: “Well?” Magnus promises he shall try.
“Bah! Sentimental drivel,” Doom disgusts. And he does not believe it for a second. He finds it highly unlikely that the so-called master of magnetism plans to keep his word. From what they’ve seen thus far in their travels, Magneto has proven to be a conniving, unscrupulous individual, and certainly not above lying to a man who is on his deathbed. This must be a ploy on his part to betray the Xavier and catch his vaunted X-Men unawares.
Below, Lilandra and Corsair of the Starjammers pop out of a pool of light, and carry away the gravely injured Xavier with them.
Doom admits that Xavier’s gullibility and his obvious lack of judgment makes him question the Seer’s supposition concerning his involvement in the Onslaught creation. Seer reminds him of the other consciousness he sensed inside the Onslaught entity. Doom repeats that he heard Xavier just now. He and Magneto were once friends. They’ve known each other for a long time. Perhaps it was some sort of attempted subliminal influence over Magneto on the Professor’s part over the years that Seer detected within Onslaught’s subconscious.
Having made up his made, Doom asks Seer to help him reconfigure the controls back to the original setting so that they may once again use Magneto’s bio-signature as a tracking beacon. Now more than ever, he’s convinced that the key to what he seeks lies with him.
The presentDoctor Doom and Seer teleport inside a castle. Magneto is seated, pensive and arrogant, on a throne-like chair. Seer mentally scans him. Astounded, he admits Doom was right: Magneto knows! Excellent – then the secret of Onslaught is as good as Doom’s, the dictator replies. Seer confesses it’s not as simple as that. When Doom asks him what he means, Seer explains that the knowledge is buried deep in Magneto’s subconscious. Doom suggests he unburies it then! He will not be denied when his goal is so close at hand!
Seer reveals he cannot. Since their last encounter, Magneto has found a way to erect sophisticated mental barriers to guard against any possible psionic probes or attacks. Unless he lets his guard down, he won’t be able to penetrate his defenses. Doom believes their next course of action is clear then. He orders Seer to keep scanning. Doom shall provide an appropriate distraction and bring Magneto’s recollections of Onslaught to surface!
Doom steps out of the platform and deliberate makes noise to distract Magneto. Vexed, Magnus wonders who dares invade his private sanctum. Turning to face Doom, Magneto is understandably surprised: how did he get in here?! Doom is pleased that Magneto is acquainted with his personage. That will make things easier. How he got here is of no concern to Magneto. As of why he got here, he wishes Magnus to tell him all he knows about the entity known as Onslaught.
Magneto is surprised: of what possible interest is that fiend to Doom? Doom explains that he hails from the past and he’s come to secure his future by harnessing Onslaught’s power and making it his own. A fool’s errand which shall surely result in Doom’s demise, Magneto notes. Putting his helmet back on, he repels Doom with a magnetic blast. “Begone from here, Doom,” he orders him – he does not tolerate intruders! Doom warns him to beware – he does not know with whom he’s dealing! Pressing a hidden switch on his armored gauntlet, he activates his personal force field, making himself impervious to Magneto’s mutant abilities. On his feet again, Doom vows that he will not suffer such an affront to his person again – and retaliates with a massive blast.
Magneto warns him that he would do well to heed his warning. Capturing Onslaught’s essence is beyond the scope of Doom’s powers. Therein lies the challenge, Doom retorts. “Oh, really?” Magnus scoffs. If Doom truly comes from the past as he claims, then he may not feel the same about his convictions once he hears the details of Onslaught’s downfall. Onslaught was eventually defeated. But victory came at a great price, demanding the ultimate sacrifice of not only the Earth’s greatest heroes… but Doom’s as well! What?! Doom muses in perplexity, as he repels various pieces of metal hurled to him by Magneto.
Hovering above the combatants, the Seer’s astral form goes unnoticed as he telepathically pries into Magneto’s psyche and plucks the secret of Onslaught from his mind, pinpointing the exact moment of the nearly omnipotent entity’s creation. Approaching Doom, he reports that it is done. At last, Doom thinks. Soon now, absolute power shall be within his grasp! He is confident that Magneto’s vicious lies are a feeble attempt to disarm him – but he will not be swayed from his chosen path! He should make no mistake: the power of Onslaught will be his. And once he wields it, Doom shall be supreme – lord over all! Before Magnus can get near him, he vanishes in the timestream, alongside his Seer. Magneto notes that Doctor Doom is truly an arrogant fool to attempt such a stunt. But he has nothing to fear from the likes of him. His own hubris shall be his undoing!
The time streamDoom congratulates his Seer. He asks him if Magneto spoke the truth concerning his fate. Partly, Seer reveals. From what he read in his stray thoughts, the other heroes have since returned unharmed. All except for Doom. Apparently his disappearance remains a great mystery… I see, Doom drily notes.
AvalonProfessor X, currently equipped with an exoskeleton, has grasped Magneto. Wolverine lies lifeless beside them, his adamantium expunged from his body. Xavier’s rage has reached unprecedented heights. He tells Magnus that his dream is to live with harmony with those who fear and despise them, to make them see the error of their ways, no matter the hardships they must endure, the sacrifices they must make to achieve that goal. Magneto’s dream, quite simply, demands that they rule over those who would oppose them – no matter the cost of suffering and degradation!
Doom spots Jean Grey amidst the crowd present in this dramatic moment. He wonders what she’s doing here; is she not dead!? Seer admits he doesn’t understand it himself. But he senses nothing of the Phoenix Force within her. She won’t impede their plans. Doom suggests they proceed then without further delay.
Xavier asserts that his difference with Magnus is that of light and dark, love and hate, life and death! Doom dismisses Xavier’s claims as sanctimonious double-talk. His blind delusions shall seal his fate. Seer alerts his master that the absorption transducer module is primed and set to go. Shall he activate it? Not yet, Doom replies. He tells him to await his signal. What he’s attempting is a delicate procedure. Proper timing is the key. On his command, Seer should be ready to transport them to the astral plane.
“No more, Magnus! No more!” Professor X grits his teeth with rage and indignation. Logan shall be the last! No one else will ever suffer! He caused the deaths of hundreds today – deaths Charles could have prevented had he stopped him years ago!
“Now, Seer!” Doom signals him. The moment of Onslaught’s creation is upon them! Straining at the effort, Seer shifts them out of normal space-time and phases them to the incorporeal level of perception known as the astral plane. Doom and Seer witness the confrontation. Xavier’s astral form attacks Magnus’, arguing that Magneto has killed too many – and Charles has had enough! He will make sure, here and now, once and for all, that he never kills again!
“Look! There it is!” Doom yells, pointing excitedly at the dark mass at the center of Magneto’s shining avatar. They witness a conspicuously evil, malicious psychic entity exiting Magneto’s avatar and reaching out to the chest of Xavier’s astral form, leaving something inside. Doom realizes it’s the birth of the Onslaught entity! In its infancy, the creature is at is most vulnerable; now is the time to strike. Shoving Seer aside, Doom clasps the absorption module, determined to do the deed himself. An unholy hum fills the air as Doom energizes the module and sets his scheme in motion.
However, Doom is quickly at a loss: how can it be? Even at its weakest, the foul beast is still resisting the transfer! Never in his wildest imaginings did he foresee such a display of raw power! Seer alerts him that the powers levels are reaching critical mass. He warns him: if he doesn’t cease this at once, the containment seals will be breached! In his zeal, Doom ignores the Seer’s desperate pleas. Quiet! he demands, thwacking him away. He distracts him with his needless prattling! Oblivious to the growing danger, a persistent Doom increases the module’s energy output. Seer asks his master to forgive him, but he cannot hold his tongue: the danger is mounting! His senses are overloading! The Onslaught entity is diverting its attention toward them! “What?!” Doom amazes.
Neither of them is prepared for what comes next. The black, malicious Onslaught entity, growing in size, approaches. Upon making contact with the shimmering bubble surrounding the platform, there is a massive release of blinding, explosive energy. The ensuing backlash hurls the platform back through the time stream, spiraling out of control.
Castle DoomDoctor Doom and Seer have returned to their original time and place. Entirely depleted of strength, the exhausted Seer mumbles that they are alive! So it seems, Doom grumpily notes. For whatever reason, the Onslaught entity chose to spare their lives and return them to their proper time, rather than slay them. Unfortunately, the absorption module has been reduced to slag, and the time platform is in need of major repairs. It appears he has made a grave miscalculation, and a costly one. But in spite of his apparent defeat, his mission was not a complete failure, for he now possesses knowledge which he can use to ensure his own survival into the coming millennium!
Charging one of his fists with energy, he nears Seer. He has served him well, but he’s afraid his usefulness has come at an end… “M-master? No! Please!” a horrified Seer pleads, realizing what is in store for him. He begs Doom to have mercy! Undaunted, Doom blasts him to oblivion. Standing above his lackey’s charred remains, he remarks that knowledge is power. In all the universe, there is no greater truth. And he does not intend to share it!


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

[Assistant]
Technical Difficulties
Salem Center, New York
Having just stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped up in a towel, Rogue inspects herself in her bedroom dressing mirror. Holding a black dress in front of her, trying to see whether it is a good fit, she suddenly ponders this is stupid! Tossing the dress on her bed next to other outfits, she realizes she’s acting like a schoolgirl, about to go on her first date. However, she also knows she’s every bit as scared, deep down. “You’d think life was complicated enough without me making it worse,” she muses. Holding a framed photo of Gambit in her hands, she reminds herself that she loves Remy; he loves her; so what’s the problem? She suddenly urges herself to pull herself together. Remy’s due home any second now…
Meanwhile, thousands of feet over the Atlantic Ocean, the mobile fortress known as the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier is currently winging its way due east. Aboard the helicarrier, a demonstration is about to occur. Major Remington Sole, project coordinator, in command of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the absence of current director Nicholas Fury, makes a dramatic announcement to his audience: “Ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure… Deathlok reborn! All-new, all-different… and all-ours.” Overlooking from a control room high above, protected behind glass, the spectators watch Deathlok making short work of all the robot units attacking him.
A S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist informs the audience that Deathlok is a killing machine that can react and adjust to any situation, yet remains completely under their control. Sole proudly informs them that test results have been phenomenal so far. Deathlok’s reaction times are off the chart and his hit/miss radio is exceeding all expectations. “Everything’s come together quite well, if I do say so myself,” he boasts, adding that they’re looking at the perfect fusion of cybernetics and biological organism.
Sole goes on to explain that Deathlok is a combination of the brain of one very special field agent, wiped clean of personal baggage and history but maintaining his razor-sharp instincts and reflexes and of a computer containing a fantastically sophisticated artificial intelligence program, similarly purged of flawed character traits. This precludes the danger of the unit initiating independent action and makes it immune to psychic or psionic manipulation. With the right hardware, S.H.I.E.L.D. will finally possess a weapon capable of taking on any and all mutant or non-human threats.
Enthused by the demonstration, the crowds begins clapping, applauding Sole’s work and urging him to proceed with the project: “fine work,” “endless possibilities,” “excellent job, Major,” “money well spent,” “expand production without delay,” “how soon can we have an army, then?”
In his office, Director Nick Fury uses his computer to access the system files. He can’t help but think this is sick. “Sick as it gets, if y’ask me,” he ponders in disgust. However, nobody is asking, so there’s nothing Fury can do about it. Nothing yet.
Muir Island, off the coast of Scotland
Shadowcat, Colossus and Nightcrawler carry on with their search for Douglock. Kitty discovers residual remains of Douglock’s techno-organic conversion process. She is confident this is his work. “All the more reason to proceed with caution, Kitty,” Kurt exclaims. He reminds her that the viral nature of their hybrid friend is unpredictable, at best… and highly contagious at worst. Piotr argues that there is little indication that Douglock has any degree of control over himself. If Douglock is once again mutating, as Kurt fears, the human spirit of Doug Ramsey may well be gone now, overwhelmed by his alien Phalanx nature within.
Suddenly, overhead they spot the S.H.I.E.L.D. scout craft they saw earlier taking off from the island. Piotr recalls they had assumed S.H.I.E.L.D. passed over earlier, without landing. “Wishful thinking, Peter,” Kurt remarks. Kitty is confident they’ve definitely been seen. Colossus is puzzled, though: for a top level spy organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. is not exactly subtle, are they? Nightcrawler surmises that perhaps they were in a hurry here, more concerned with time than deniability.
As they rush to the spot where the craft had been stationed, Kurt examines the ground where he finds evidence of a struggle… and also discovers a tracking device. Kitty identifies it as a single tracker, standard field issue. However, she is well aware that it’s beyond careless to leave something like that behind, even for a rookie. “Especially while it’s still registering an energy signature,” Kurt adds. Stunned, Kitty realizes that it’s the same wave-frequency as the Techno-Virus! It is actively transmitting from the direction of the scout craft. They all now deduce that S.H.I.E.L.D. has taken Douglock – by force, apparently. Colossus argues that they are his only hope now, since Professor Xavier and the others copped the last ride home.
Back at Salem Center, Rogue is about to welcome the team, after their recent absence from Earth. “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” Rogue reproaches herself. The whole time she has been back from Genosha, she has just been trying to figure out some way to apologize to Remy, to let him know he was right, that she was wrong to go chasing after the Magneto she remembered, the Magneto she couldn’t find a single trace of, even when she looked him right in the eyes. But the X-Men have returned from deep space – and from the sound of their message, something terrible happened out there. They’ll be hungry and homesick, in serious need of rest and time to decompress… so what was she thinking with this outfit she wore to welcome them, a sexy black/ purple dress?
The X-Men’s craft lands and Xavier, Storm and Wolverine are the first ones to emerge and approach her. Embarrassed, Rogue struggles to come off as enthusiastic. She fervently exclaims that it’s good to have them all back. Bemused with Rogue’s appearance and manners, Storm wonders: is everything… all right? “Absolutely, Ororo, couldn’t be better…” Rogue hurriedly replies. Noticing her outfit, Xavier wonders whether they interrupted her plans for the evening. Rogue assures him it was nothing like that… she was just… just…
Marrow is the next to greet her, walking arm in arm with Gambit. “Marrow?!” Rogue exclaims in shock, astonished by Sarah’s new looks. Rejoicing in Rogue’s reaction, Marrow realizes Rogue didn’t even recognize her, did she? “Can’t blame ya… don’t I look amazing?!” she asserts with a huge smile plastered all over her face. Next to her, Gambit also greets his cherie. Rogue simply pronounces his name, her eyes fixed on him. Marrow keeps bubbling with enthusiasm. She swears it was so cool! She should have died out there… up there… wherever… but her favorite Remy risked everything to save her! Gambit argues that Sarah still needs medical testing, of course, but it looks like everything’s fine. Her bone growth is just more controlled now, less random, and without the pain.
Rogue, her mind still absorbed with Gambit and other matters, exclaims that’s great. “How ‘bout you, cherie?” Remy asks her. He notices she is dressed… for a night out, maybe? Rogue replies that when she knew they were all coming back she thought that maybe they should talk. Storm wonders: is there something wrong? “Quite a lot, Storm” Rogue admits. Ororo realizes they have been away so long she had almost forgotten about the crisis left behind here. She asks Rogue if there have been any developments in Genosha… or with Magneto himself.
Rogue assures them it’s nothing that can’t wait. She planned to brief them all tomorrow but… Xavier cuts her off and exclaims that it’s tomorrow, then. He tells Ororo to take charge and announces that, if they need him, he’ll be in his study. However, he also firmly states that he doesn’t want to be disturbed unless absolutely necessary.
Storm instructs Wolverine to get their vehicle to the hangar. She then asks Marrow and Gambit to rush to the infirmary. She tells Rogue that she could be of help as well, if she truly does not have any other plans. “Sure. Ah got plenty o’ time,” Rogue hesitantly complies.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier
Scout craft Delta-Nine returns from Muir Island. After recognition codes are verified, the craft is cleared for docking in Bay Four of the helicarrier. The central computer voice instructs the pilots to report to Major Sole for immediate debriefing. “Oh joy, another couple o’ pumped-up pilots, back from their island cruising,” an agent quips as he sees the scout craft docking. He hopes they didn’t find anything out on that freak island. This time of night, there’s barely enough of them on shift to…
He suddenly gasps in horror, as he sees the two pilots disembarking… only the pilots are now infected with the Techno-Virus, their faces hideously altered! “Holy…?! Who… Wh-what are you?!” the agent screams. “We… are… his,” the infected pilots reply in robotic voices, grasping every agent in the vicinity. “As you will be,” one of them adds. ‘N-no… please… no,” the man begs, frozen with fear.
At the same moment, another agent in the monitor room realizes that something’s gone terribly wrong, as all monitors lose their signal at once. “Bay Four security to command!” he shouts in his radio. He informs them that monitors are down across the board just after the arrival of scoutship D-Nine landed by two confirmed agents.
Suddenly, though, he screams as he is entangled by techno-organic tentacles belonging to none other than… Douglock! “They belong to the master,” Douglock hisses. “Enslave him, boy,” a mysterious man standing in the shadows, his face concealed, orders Douglock. “I… am… Douglock. I… am…” the young Phalanx struggles to recover his identity. The man in the shadows – his arms metallic, his eyes glowing menacingly – commands Douglock to enslave the man and make him cancel the security-alert… now! “I… am… yours,” Douglock succumbs.
Xavier Institute
The X-Men examine Marrow’s bio-scans. Storm tells Logan that the bio-scans are encouraging but still… “But nothing,” Wolverine interjects. He agrees that the alien healing pod changed Marrow – it doesn’t take super-science and comparative X-rays to see that. The kid’s better for it, outside and inside, now that she doesn’t have random bone-shards punching through her guts all day. Ororo admits that Marrow’s basic biological functions do seem to be in order, as far as they know. Hearing this, Gambit tells Sarah that the prognosis sounds good. Real good. Apparently, she’s as healthy as she looks.
Ororo retorts they are not doctors. A more thorough and reliable diagnosis will have to wait until Hank McCoy and Cecilia Reyes can be reached. No hurry, Sarah replies with a smile. She quips that this isn’t exactly the worst thing that ever happened to her. She’s not the one worried here and she can’t even think of a reason she should be. She feels sharper than ever. She feels that her newfound bone-growth has real possibilities. To demonstrate this, she elongates one of her fingernails, makes it spiky and uses it as a comb of sorts to mess Remy’s hair!
“I knew it was a mistake t’save her life,” Remy banters and everyone bursts into hearty laughter – everyone, save for the pensive Rogue. Storm admits it is wonderful to see Marrow enjoying herself like this. And how ironic, after all Logan and she did to try to tame her. “Wonderful,” Rogue repeats in a bland, colorless voice. Noticing Rogue’s vexation, Ororo recalls that Rogue mentioned something to report about Magneto and Genosha. Rogue insists it’ll keep till morning. “Anythin’ you got on Magneto I wanna hear yesterday,” Wolverine vehemently insists and urges her to spit it out already. “Ah said it’d keep, short-stuff,” an uncharacteristically rude Rogue scores him off and leaves by announcing “’till morning.”
Baffled, Wolverine wonders what’s going on. What’d he say to set Rogue off like that? Ororo makes a hypothesis: perhaps Rogue fears that Logan is still intent on assassinating Magneto. “Is she correct?” Ororo boldly asks him. “You know me, ‘Ro,” Logan simpers – capable of pretty much everything, right? Ororo urges him not to be flippant. She assures him she understands his rage. Magneto made him suffer beyond any measure. More than any of them, Logan has cause to hate him. She pleads him, though: even if he is prepared to sacrifice his life in such a suicidal attack, he must think of the X-Men first. Now more than ever.
“I know,” Logan replies. For a while, he’d been thinking that Chuck was starting to break down on them. That maybe the Center – Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning – wouldn’t hold for much longer. However, he admits seeing a different side of the man while they were away. The way he handled Juggernaut and also trying to save the Skrulls from Galactus when he knew he never had the chance: it’s made Logan think again. Maybe Charles is more of a man than he’ll ever be.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier
Fixed in front of a monitor, Fury listens carefully as G. W. Bridge reveals the information he has gathered. Bridge tells Fury that Sole’s people are in lockdown all of a sudden, clammed up tight. He has also found out that Sole’s personal politicos are unavailable for the moment. Fury retorts that’s not good enough. He admits that Bridge is the only man outside this crate he can trust just now. “With full access to S.H.I.E.L.D. Project: Deathlok files, you mean,” Bridge brazenly ‘corrects’ him. “But give me a few more hours, and I’ll find out who – SKRRK – who for that money…” Bridge boasts, as his image on the monitor is suddenly lost, due to interference.
“No such luck, G. W…. afraid we’re fresh outta hours up here,” Furt exclaims. He angrily wonders what in the blazes is happening to his ship. The computer responds that the source of this upheaval is unidentified so far. It reveals, however, that an outside influence has taken command of the central computer.
Exiting his study, Fury watches as some of his men flee in panic. He realizes they’re out of control – completely out of control from the looks of it. He thinks this doesn’t make any sense. The crew is trained for every possibility; Fury drilled them himself. Even if the helicarrier’s going down – which is not, yet – there’s procedure to be followed, evacuation routes and lifecraft-launch schedules.
Concealed in the shadows, Fury watches as some other agents are menacingly approaching their colleagues. They all walk steadily, repeating in an atonal voice: “Hold. Be… his… or… be… dead.” Fury thinks this is insane! His men are being corralled by coordinated pincer-movements from their fellow agents. He vows this is going to change, as soon as he cleans up this little mess. However, he’s also aware he’s seriously outnumbered here and those are his men down there, clearly under the control of someone or something else. He won’t fire on them if there’s any other way. He just has to root out the real enemy here, wherever he, she or it is hiding, before this baby goes down for the count!
Meanwhile, Colossus, Shadowcat and Nightcrawler are still tracking down Douglock’s signal. Using an old airship, piloted by Kurt, the trio quickly approaches the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier. “Is that right, Kitty…?” Piotr suddenly exclaims. He asks Kitty: is her famed S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarier supposed to wobble like that? “Define right,” Kitty quips. She remarks that it is right that they set out for a hearty Scots supper and a visit with friends, but end up crammed into the cockpit of this creepy antique, which they confiscated from Excalibur’s old enemy, the Vixen. She mumbles that if the fuel tanks got half as many leaks as the pressure-gauges and brake-feeds… She pauses and goes on to remark that anything that slows down the carrier is all right by her and informs the others that they’re finally closing in on Douglock’s signal.
Colossus believes they should contact the school and inform the other X-Men of their situation here. Kitty reminds him that the others are exhausted and hungry, same as them, and they’re not even sure there’s a problem here yet. After all, it’s possible that Douglock went with S.H.I.E.L.D. voluntarily. However, she promises to call the cavalry at the first sight of trouble.
“Define trouble,” Kurt’s timely interjection comes just as the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier suddenly moves against the nearby islands, in collision course. “Calling the cavalry,” a shocked Kitty gasps. Colossus surmises it will likely be too late for the helicarrier by the time help arrives: impact with the main islands appears imminent! Kitty adds to the already dismal news by informing them she can’t reach anyone, X-Men or otherwise. The carrier is broadcasting a disruption frequency, effectively cutting off all communications within field range! What they’re watching is no accident!
“That is a fact,” Kurt agrees as he watches. He suddenly alerts Kitty: the helicarrier has begun to recover its equilibrium. He observes that it’s regaining altitude clumsily but steadily, as if the entire scenario has been staged, simply to force an evacuation. He realizes that whoever is responsible was willing to risk the complete destruction of the carrier. With increasing anxiety, Kitty also reminds them that whatever’s going on, their pal Douglock – or some other source of the Techno-Virus energy-signature – is still on-board. “The Phalanx?!” Peter speculates. Kurt thinks there is only one sure way to find out. He retorts it will not be easy, though – not without brake-feeds. Kitty asks him to just get them close enough and she will take care of Peter and herself.
Using her mutant power to phase through solid objects, Kitty allows Colossus and herself to leap through the ship’s wall to the relative safety of the helicarrier deck. Nightcrawler escapes the ship through his own ability to teleport, just as the Vixen ship crashes onto the helicarrier and then away. Reunited with his teammates on the helicarrier deck, Kurt confesses that this was as close as he ever wants to take it! “Fair enough,” Kitty remarks. She reminds them they’re not done yet, though. Not until they get inside this hunk of junk and get some answers.
Inside the helicarrier, Douglock’s captor – finally revealed as the Red Skull – demands that Douglock looks at him! He accuses him he was careless – dare he even say it, disobedient – and chastises Douglock by kicking him in the face. He flew too close to the cliffs back there, endangering Red Skull’s life in the process. Red Skull vows he will not tolerate such resistance! He reminds Douglock that his full concentration is required to maintain command of this flying fortress, so that Red Skull can manipulate each and every system in his name. He informs Douglock that the strain on him is obvious; Douglock is stretched to the breaking point and beyond, so it is time to abandon such pathetic attempts to oppose his captor’s will… once and for all! With sadistic pleasure, he reminds Douglock that none are left to hinder his plans now; none remain to rescue Douglock. “You are mine to control, ‘Douglock’,” he hisses. Through him, through the unstoppable power of his extraterrestrial techno-organic virus, the world will finally bow to the Red Skull!


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

[Assistant]
The Goth
In the Danger Room of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning in Salem Center, New York, the woman known as Psylocke delivers a crushing blow to her opponent. Sabretooth goes down face first into the ground, which is already torn up with debris everywhere. It was not long ago that Sabretooth nearly kill her. She vowed that he would never get a second chance.
Psylocke stands up with her arms outstretched with joy. She congratulates herself on taking Sabretooth down with one hit. She tells herself that the training session was marvelous. On the intercom to the Danger Room, Nightcrawler tells Psylocke that he is impressed, but telekinesis is more than beating up large and hairy enemies. A dime appears in front of Psylocke and Nightcrawler tells her that he wants to work on her fine motor control.
Psylocke realizes that Nightcrawler wants her to pick up the dime and tells her colleague that it won’t be a problem. She looks down at the dime on the ground, but it does not move. Mockingly, Nightcrawler informs her that everyone is waiting. Slightly annoyed, Psylocke tells him that she is working on it. When the dime still does not move, Nightcrawler tells her that they are still waiting. Psylocke gets pissed and tells Nightcrawler that, if he’d shut up and let her concentrate, he might see some results.
In the command room to the Danger Room are Nightcrawler, Rogue, and Tessa. Tessa tells Betsy that her enemies won’t be willing to wait and let her attack them in battle. Psylocke snaps at Tessa and insults the woman. Unfazed by the insult, Tessa tells Psylocke that she is merely stating a fact. If Psylocke does not master her abilities she will be a liability to the X-Men. Nightcrawler tells Tessa that she is being harsh but Tessa replies that she is in the mansion to analyze and observe. If she spares Psylocke’s feelings, asks Tessa, “Are you and your teammates prepared to pay the price?”
Rogue sits in a chair next to Tessa with her head resting on her fist, obviously bored. She asks Tessa why the X-Men should even trust her. Rogue reminds the woman that, not too long ago, she was working for Sebastian Shaw, one of the X-Men’s greatest enemies. Tessa turns to Rogue, who gets up, and says that, unlike the rest of the X-Men, Professor Xavier has known Tessa for a long time. Sometimes, Tessa says, the best way to safeguard a friend is to bind yourself to his mortal enemy.
Not accepting the answer, Rogue says that the saying could also work in reverse; Tessa could be infiltrating the X-Men for Shaw. Knowing Rogue won’t be persuaded with mere words, Tessa reminds the young girl that she herself started her career as a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants, led by an equally greater enemy, Mystique. The same accusation could be applied to her.
With a smile on her face, Tessa tells Rogue that, with their line of work, everything comes down to faith and trust. Both can easily be broken, however. Rogue is with the X-Men, who one time were her greatest enemies. They found a home for her with them and she proved her worth. Tessa asks Rogue if she would deny that opportunity to others. Rogue apologizes and tells Tessa that she of all people should have known better. Tessa says the apology is accepted. Rogue heads out into the hallway and tells Tessa and Nightcrawler to keep on working with Psylocke while she checks up on the others.
Rogue walks down the corridor, rubbing her forehead and wondering why she snapped at Tessa, who has been working at the mansion for weeks. Rogue tells herself that with all that has been happening in the last few days it is easy to be suspicious. Suddenly, a tremor shakes the mansion and the lights go out. Rogue tells herself that Psylocke must have given up and decided to smash things again. As Rogue goes to turn back a pair of gloved hands grabs her by the face and knocks her out.
Several miles away, at Harry’s Hideaway, a talk show is on the television. Outside, some bikers sit and watch the show while the X-Man Colossus draws a portrait of one of the waitresses. The host, Dr. Z, begins to talk about mutants. He first tells the viewers that mutants are, technically, another branch of the human tree. They are born with an X-factor that gives them abilities, which separate them from baseline humanity. However, these powers don’t mean they can do mundane tasks better. They can fly, melt steel, control the weather, and even twist the Earth’s magnetic field. One man, Magneto, threatened to destroy the world, so the United Nations have him his own country. The humans already on the island had to flee.
Now, though, things have changed, continues Dr. Z. Senator Robert Kelly knows first hand how dangerous mutants are. A few years ago the terrorists called the Brotherhood of Mutants tried to kill him. Later, they killed his wife in a fight with the so-called heroes the X-Men. Now he is running for President. The major parties disavow Kelly, says Dr. Z, but the host says that he supports him.
As the host continues with his story, someone changes the channel to a Yankees game. Several of the men complain about it and look around to see who changed it. “I did,” says Colossus. One of the men tells Colossus to change the channel back. Colossus tells them that there is enough hatred in the world. He gets up and tells them that they should dedicate their lives to more charitable ideas. The three men are intimidated by Colossus’ huge size and back down. Colossus introduces himself as Peter Rasputin and asks if they want any beverages.
Rogue wakes up and wonders where she is. Unbeknownst to her, she is actually on top of the remains of a skyscraper. She gets up and tries to remember the last time she was taken by surprise. As she walks forward, the rubble under her feet give way and she falls off the building. Not worried, Rogue tries to fly, but she realizes that she cannot. At the last second, she grabs onto a girder that is jutting out from the building and pulls herself onto it.
Rogue looks out to the city and realizes that the place is nothing she has ever seen before. The architecture is a little different than most cities. However, the majority of the buildings are damaged, with giant holes gaping on their sides. Many are on fire. After surveying the area Rogue believes that an earthquake has hit the city. However, Rogue also realizes that with a city this large, the earthquake would have made the newspaper. Not even she could have missed this story. This means that the scenario is an illusion. Rogue begins to wonder who would do such a thing and why and how they stripped her of her powers.
At the other end of the girder is an opening into the building. While Rogue begins to shimmy her way to the hole, she does not notice a hand appear in the shadows. A lone claw pops out of the hand, making a “snikt” sound. When Rogue reaches the middle of the girder, it falls off. She discovers that somebody cut off the other end while she was moving towards the opening.
Rogue kicks off from the girder and towards the building. However, she knows that her opponent expects her to go into the hole now so, when she lands on the side of the building, she then jumps in another direction towards a flagpole. Rogue then continues to jump from pole to pole to the other side of the building. In the hole, Wolverine compliments Rogue and tells himself that she caught him by surprise. He expected her to leap into his arms, which meant he would win. Now she made the game interesting. Wolverine smiles as he goes after his prey.
Rogue reaches her second-to-last flagpole. She does a back flip from the pole and goes across to the opposite building, where she goes feet first into a boarded up window. After she breaks through the window and lands, she gives thanks for her muscles still having enough power. Rogue runs down the hallway and takes off her jacket. She tells herself that she must assume that anything she can do, her opponent can also.
Rogue reaches an elevator shaft, which is open. She wraps her hands in her jacket and grabs onto the wire of the elevator and slides down. She slides into a parking garage, her favorite jacket now in ruins. A devilish smile appears on Rogue’s face as she thinks of all the pleasure she will have when she gets even with her attacker.
At Harry’s Hideaway, the three bikers that Colossus spoke to earlier get on their bikes to leave for the night. Fred tells his buddies that he could have “taken that hick.”  One of the men tells Fred that he is dreaming. A man Colossus’ size has to be a mutant the other says. The second man tells them to give it a rest and go home, because they have a board meeting tomorrow. Suddenly, the three hear motorcycles coming from the street. However, the street is empty, but the sounds get louder. As the men wonder what is happening, a bright light flashes in front of them and three motorcyclists appear. None of them are human.
In the bar, Colossus sketches a portrait a woman named Melanie while her friend, Kim, watches. Melanie tells Peter that he had guts standing up to the bikers. Peter tells her that there was no real danger. Melanie calls the men biker wanna bes and Kim calls the three losers. Suddenly, their attention is called to the door. Peter tells the women that their new arrivals are very much the real thing, unlike Fred and his friends. Standing there is a man with two women. The man is ghostly pale and wears silver armor. One of the women is also pale, with skulls all over her purple outfit. The last woman is dark blue with red eyes.
In what appears to be the ruins of a shopping mall, Wolverine continues his hunt for Rogue. Though it is pitch black and he has lost the girl, he knows his enhanced senses won’t keep her hidden for long. As he continues to walk into the room he steps on some rice cereal. Everywhere he steps, the rice makes popping sounds. Suddenly, from his left, a weighted bag is swung toward him; it is a classic ambush trap known as a deadfall.
Wolverine is unimpressed and thinks that he thought Rogue would know better. He pops out his claws and slashes at the bags. However, Wolverine has underestimated Rogue. The deadfall was filled with cayenne pepper. Wolverine collapses onto his knees and begins to choke and gag. His eyes water and his nose is filled with the pepper, making those two senses useless. Fortunately, he can still hear.
Wolverine quiets himself to listen. He picks up the sounds of several engines, which are moving on wheels. His vision still blurry, Wolverine can only see garbled images of his attackers. As he wonders where Rogue found back up, Wolverine jumps in the air to avoid being tackled. There is too much noise from the engines for him to find Rogue’s heartbeat, but he decides that he might as well take down the back up first. What he doesn’t realize is that the backup is just some mannequins, taped onto remote control cars. Sitting on a ledge, Rogue guides the vehicles with her remote controls. She has a devilish smile on her face.
After a few moments of fighting, Wolverine realizes that Rogue is attacking him with mannequins. As he finishes off the last one, Rogue comes from behind with a bullwhip and wraps it around Wolverine’s left wrist. She yanks him closer, but Wolverine tells her that a bullwhip cannot hold him. Rogue wraps his right wrist with another whip and tells him that it is what’s attached to the other end of the line that counts. Rogue kicks a stick in half that is supporting a weight. The weight falls to the ground, which pulls the other ends of the whips. Wolverine is lifted into the air and is suspended.
Wolverine compliments Rogue in getting him into a position where it would be difficult for him to bust lose. However, he tells Rogue, he has enough play in his wrists for him to slash the ropes. Insulted, Rogue asks Wolverine if he thinks she is that dim. She puts a spear at the base of his chin. Rogue tells him that his bones are made out of adamantium and they are virtually unbreakable. However, she knows her anatomy. As she puts a spear against his chest, she tells him that she knows there is no way his healing factor can save him from a spear through his heart and another through his brain.
Wolverine twists his wrists and cuts the bullwhips as he raises he legs around the spears and snaps them. Rogue catches the spearheads as Wolverine lands in front of her. Rogue has a spear at his throat and another at his heart, while Wolverine has his claws ready to stab her. He reminds her that his healing factor will guarantee he will leave the battle alive. Rogue tells him that he forgot she could absorb his healing factor. Logan tells her that her powers are gone, but Rogue disagrees, telling him that she knows that is part of the illusion. She tells him one of them is bluffing, the other is going to die. She asks Wolverine if he wants to find out who it will be.
Wolverine tells her no and also tells the computer to end the Danger Room simulation. He then tells her that she did better than expected. Confused, Rogue puts together what happened to her just recently. She asks what she did better at. Wolverine tells her she did better at dealing with an adversary when she was at a major disadvantage. Rogue asks why he did this. Nightcrawler teleports into the room as Wolverine lights a cigar and tells her that the X-Men need a field leader. Based on the current roster, Rogue is it.
Moments later in the Situation Room, Rogue tells the others that they have to be nuts if they want her to be their leader. She sums up the events of the last three days and tells them that there are X-Men more qualified to lead. Wolverine tells Rogue that he does not have the right temperament, but will follow Rogue to the end. Psylocke says she is a novice with her new powers and cannot be leader. Nightcrawler tells Rogue that he is studying to be a priest and could not accept leadership. Thunderbird flatly tells Rogue that he just joined the team and has not earned the right to lead. Archangel tells her that his company takes precedence, but will help the X-Men as a reserve member.
Still in disbelief, Rogue tells herself that this cannot be happening. Slightly annoyed, Wolverine informs Rogue that the decision was not casual. Their lives depend on her leadership. They would not have chosen her if they did not think she could do it. Rogue asks Wolverine why Storm or Cable could not lead. Wolverine tells her that, even if the two were at the mansion, selecting Rogue would still be the right decision. Being part of the X-Men is to help them reach their potential, which includes taking on new roles. He tells her that she can tell them she does not have the qualifications to lead, but she would be a liar. Rogue asks what she has to do now and is told that she should take the job she earned and lead the X-Men.
A little bit later, Psylocke streaks across the sky in civilian clothes. She always dreamed of flying. She received her pilot’s license some time ago and spent all her time in the air, but nothing like that can be compared to how she flies now. The experience is more special with her boyfriend, Archangel, at her side. Psylocke calls out to Thunderbird, who is driving a car beneath them. She asks him to join her and Warren. Thunderbird passes the offer. He thinks to himself that, where she and Warren are concerned, three is a crowd. Also, he does not fully trust his powers. A car he can control at any speed, but what happens when he makes a mistake with his powers?
As the three near Harry’s Hideaway, there is a flash of light from within the bar and a biker is tossed out of the building. Quick maneuvering from Thunderbird lets him miss hitting the biker. Psylocke and Archangel land by two unconscious men. Psylocke tells Warren that there have never been bar fights at Harry’s. Archangel replies that Colossus was already at the bar and, if he could not give them a heads up, then something must be up.
Back in the Situation Room, Rogue realizes that being leader also means you can’t have fun. She sits, board out of her mind. Tessa tells her that not everyone is out having fun. Rogue comments on how the “non–stiffs” all left and tells Forge that she is just joking.  Rogue tells him that she makes jokes so she does not have to hear the bad news he is probably going to give her about their current situation.
Forge brings up a hologram of the Earth with the High Evolutionary’s station orbiting it. He tells Tessa, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Rogue that Shadowcat’s last transmission told him that she was trying to reenter Earth’s atmosphere in a suit that Seth left behind for her. However, Forge was unable to track where the suit landed. Nightcrawler says that they could contact Phoenix, who could use her telepathy to find Shadowcat. Rogue, taking lead, tells Forge to make a device to find Kitty while they follow up on Nightcrawler’s idea. Rogue then turns the subject to the Neo and tells Wolverine and Nightcrawler that they have to find a way back inside the church to save Cecilia Reyes and Detective Charlotte Jones.
At Harry’s, Thunderbird asks Archangel if the three figures before them are anyone they know. Archangel says they are new blood and Psylocke wonders out loud if it is open season on the X-Men. Thunderbird tells the three attackers that they don’t want to fight. Psylocke tells Thunderbird to speak for himself. In the bar, all the men are on their knees and groveling over the blue women. Colossus is by the bar in a trance, as the pale woman leans against him and the pale man puts red paint on the X-Man’s face.
The pale man introduces himself as Sanguine and tells Thunderbird that the X-Men would lose even if they did choose to fight. He then introduces the blue woman as Beldame and the pale woman as Wanderer. The three are the Goth. He tells the X-Men to surrender or run.
Unimpressed, Psylocke decides to use her telekinesis to yank Colossus away from Wanderer. However, her plan does not work and she finds herself being flung into the man’s chest. Archangel tells Thunderbird to call back up. Neal goes outside and raises his arm. He shoots a plasma bolt into the sky, which bursts like a firework.
At the Situation Room, Forge continues to brief Rogue on the situation in Brooklyn when suddenly the global map changes into a local map of the Xavier Institute and Harry’s Hideaway. Rogue sees Thunderbird’s distress call and tells Forge that the trouble is close to home. She tells him to get the mansion’s defenses and shields up. Rogue grabs Wolverine and Nightcrawler by their hands and tells them to hold on as she is going to be making some speed.
At the bar, Archangel is attacked by the bar customers who are under the thrall of Beldame. Though he does not want to hurt them, Archangel tells himself that he has to reach Psylocke. He tells Thunderbird to help him, but Thunderbird says that he cannot fully control his powers yet and he may kill someone with the raw power of the sun. Annoyed, Archangel tells Thunderbird that, if he doesn’t have the skills, he does not deserve to wear an X-Man uniform. As Archangel continues to punch the civilians, he thinks to himself that he should not be too hard on Neal. Warren remembers when he was a novice and when Cyclops was also scared to use his powers. That is why he is pulling his punches. A goose’s wing can break an arm, which means his wings can do a whole lot worse.
As Warren finishes off the last of the men, Sanguine comes out of nowhere and barely touches him with the tip of his finger. Suddenly, Warren feels as if the energy inside of him is being sucked out. Simultaneously, Sanguine’s pale skin become blood red. Sanguine tells Warren he will make a delicious pet and then throws the pale man into Thunderbird. Warren starts to mumble that he is lost and Sanguine is salvation.
Psylocke recuperates and creates a psychic katana. She slashes Sanguine, who is pale again, in hopes of scrambling his neural net. As she goes to deliver another blow, Beldame catches her wrist. Surprisingly, Psylocke finds that she cannot break lose. In a trance, Betsy just stands there as Beldame tells her that her blade can cut through anything. She then asks Betsy what would happen if the blade is turned against its master. To Psylocke’s horror, Beldame brings the katana to her throat. Betsy screams in pain and falls to the floor.
Sanguine tells the other two women that their lord will be pleased. Wanderer says that, when Sanguine gives the word, she will open the portal. Beldame tells her that the word is given.
Outside the tavern, Rogue closes in. Nightcrawler sees something happen at the tavern and tells Rogue to pull up. Harry’s Hideaway glows and a blast wave escapes the building and passes through the entire town of Salem Center. Rogue throws Wolverine towards the bar and Nightcrawler teleports in. The three break in only to find the bar empty.
Forge comes up on their comm-link and tells the three that things are worse than they suspected. The mansion’s shields barely held up against the energy blast. The computers are scanning for life signs, but are not picking up any in the town; everyone has vanished. Wolverine realizes that the whole town has been kidnapped and questions who would do it and why. Rogue tells her companions that they need to get back to the mansion. They need to call Gambit, because trouble like this requires the whole team.