[Assistant]
The Hellfire Gala
X weeks ago:'I understand your reluctance, but she should know the truth about herself' Emma Frost tells Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops as they look at each other while sitting in vines that hang from the Treehouse headquarters of the X-Men, in New York City, New York. Cyclops responds by indicating that he agrees, before remarking 'Her life is complicated. She still lives with her family. She has a secret identity'. 'That's so cute' Emma remarks, before suggesting that she might invite her to the next Hellfire Gala. 'Let me think about it' Cyclops tells Emma. 'One way or the other, we'll find a way to let Ms. Marvel know that she is -'Now:'- a mutant?' Kamala Khan gasps, wide-eyed as she looks up at Professor Charles Xavier after emerging from her Krakoan egg. 'That's right, Ms. Marvel. Welcome – you have a home on Krakoa' Xavier announces. Xavier is flanked by the Five - Proteus, Tempus, Elixir, Egg and Hope Summers, who introduces herself and explains that Ms. Marvel is both an Inhuman and a mutant, something they didn't think was possible. Fabio Medina a.k.a. Egg holds a hand out to Kamala and introduces himself as he tells her that it is nice to meet her, and that he is glad she isn't dead anymore. Egg informs Kamala that she is at Arbor Magna on Krakoa, and that her resurrection was rushed to the top of their list. 'You've got some friends in high places' he remarks. 'Wait, I didn't come out of that egg, right?' Kamala asks, motioning to the broken egg nearby.'Hello again, Ms. Marvel' a voice calls out. It's Cyclops. Wearing his classic '90s costume, he enters Arbor Magna along with Emma Frost, and tells Ms. Marvel that he understands she and the White Queen know each other already from some business with the Infinity Stones. 'Delighted, darling' Emma remarks, before Cyclops and Kamala hug, as Kamala tells Cyclops that this is weird, and that she will never get used to seeing him as this old dude – no offense. Cyclops laughs, and remarks that their time on the Champions was a long time ago for him, adding that the X-Men always seem to get tied up in time-travel shenanigans. 'My son is an old man' he explains. Kamala laughs, before asking Cyclops if he is screwing with her. Kamala turns to Emma and asks her if she is kidding, to which Emma suggests they shouldn’t bog down Kamala's coming out as a mutant with all the sordid details of the Summers family tree.'Whoa. I'm not “coming out” as a mutant, okay?' Kamala exclaims, holding up her hands in protest, to which Emma telepathically remarks 'Mutant technology is why you're alive right now... to disappoint me'. Emma continues, telling Kamala that she hopes she will reconsider between now and the party, and introduces her to Jumbo Carnation, who rushes forward, holding out a measuring tape as Emma remarks that Jumbo will both replace Kamala's uniform and give her something fabulous to wear at the Gala. Kamala looks confused as Jumbo begins to measure Kamala, who remarks that she is not ungrateful, but she doesn't understand how this happened. 'How did I die?' she asks. Cyclops informs Kamala that Xavier backs up mutant minds as often as possible, and assures her that she won't have any memory of her actual death, which he is glad for. He reveals that Spider-Man knows more, and suggests Kamala talk to him if she wants to ask, but he suggests going slow. 'I've been standing where you are. It's not easy' Cyclops adds, before a shocked Kamala asks about her parents, and about how long she has been gone. Emma tells Kamala not to worry, and that they will call on her family later, and rewrite their last few days. 'My mutant gift is actually to bring mercy' Emma smiles.'The Five brought you back, and now it's up to me. You will dazzle the room' Jumbo assures Kamala as the two of them, Cyclops and Emma leave Arbor Magna.'Oh wow' Kamala utters as she looks around at Krakoa, seeing several mutants flying up in the air above her. 'See you at the party' Emma calls out, while Jumbo grins and declares that he has something special for Ms. Marvel, and that he will be back soon. Cyclops asks Kamala if she has ever walked from New York to the Moon, or to Arakko. 'No, I never have' Kamala responds. Cyclops starts to walk into a Krakoan portal as he tells Kamala not to worry, that she can take it as slow as she wants, but that being a mutant is pretty damn great. 'Wait... my embiggening is my Inhuman side – do I have a mutant power?' Kamala asks.The untimely death of Ms. Marvel ended the debate over whether to tell Kamala that Cerebro identified her as a mutant. Emma Frost's desire that Kamala announce herself as a proud mutant was a political move. Disturbing revelations both true and false had sunk mutant-human relations to an all-time low. Still, there was reason for hope if you knew where to look.Months of work finally done, Jumbo Carnation can finally relax. He and the Mykines Lighthouse keeper were certainly doing their part to foster interspecies relations, as guests arrive at the Gala held at the Mykines Lighthouse, Jumbo and the lighthouse keeper embrace and kiss on some rocks beneath the lighthouse.The Gala is now underway, as the Stepford Cuckoos, wearing matching silvery-white dresses, welcome everyone once more to Mykines Island, protectorate of the nation of Krakoa, and another Hellfire Gala. They introduce themselves as the Five-In-One, the hostesses of this evening. They reveal that the theme of this year's party is Friendship and Futurism: A Dialogue. The Stepford Cuckoos welcome their human friends, ambassadors and honored guests whose lives have been made better by their Krakoan medicines. 'We hope their stories of health and happiness can dispel the disinformation that is spread about Krakoa by our enemies'. Among the attendees wearing extravagant outfits, the Scarlet Witch, Vision and Firestar can be seen hovering high up in the lighthouse, while Rogue and Captain Marvel can be seen nearby. On the ground, Jean Grey, Emma Frost and Cyclops take center stage. Kate Pryde can be seen talking to Cannonball, Mirage and Magik, while Professor X and Exodus are talking with Thor and the Black Panther. Bishop and Sam Wilson – Captain America – are talking together as Jubilee and Dazzler stand nearby. Iceman is with his Inhuman boyfriend, Romeo, while Psylocke and Forge stand near them. Multiple Man dupes pass trays of food and drink around the Gala as the Five are grouped together. Synch and Talon are together, while Rasputin IV watches them. Somnus is at the Gala, and behind him are the Kingpin and Tyhphoid Mary. To their left are Kamala, Dust, Marrow and Frenzy.Human attendees seem to be gathered together as the Stepford Cuckoos announce that the Krakoan age of mutantdom began with the gift of fruit from mutant technology, the drugs of the mind and body, grown from the seeds of their living-island home have been life-changing medicine for millions of their human friends. The Cuckoos report that tonight they will elect another team of X-Men, but also wish to discuss a deeper partnership with humanity and the steps they are making to correct where they have stumbled. 'We surprised you at our first Gala with the terraforming of a dead world... and tonight, Forge the X-Men's technopath, will unveil their latest gifts. 'They will help solve the housing shortages and food insecurity that plague those most in need' the Cuckoos announce, as Forge stands near a display of a city of sprawling high rises and Krakoan vegetation. The Cuckoos ask the guests to take some time this evening to meet Forge and marvel at his living model of mankind's city of tomorrow. 'It's another gift from your mutant friends... please relax and drink. We'll commence the X-Men vote in just a few moments'.Cyclops turns to Jean and informs her that the alarm just went off at the Treehouse. Jean puts her hands on Cyclops' chest and asks him if he wants to go together. Cyclops rushes towards a Krakoan portal and assures Jean that he has got this. His Gala outfit gives way to his classic '90s costume and he tells Jean that if he is not back before the vote, to give their news to everyone. 'Of course' Jean responds, before Cain Marko the Juggernaut approaches her and announces that he wanted to thank the X-Men personally for all they have done for everybody. 'That's very kind of you' Jean replies, smiling, reminding Cain that he has been on a path of redemption for a long time. She adds that she doesn't know who will serve, but that the team will be changing, and will need a powerhouse. Jean tells Cain that a spot on the roster would be well deserved – if he wished to pursue it. Cain smiles from beneath his helmet.Nearby, Kate Pryde leans against a Krakoan portal as if it were a wall, annoyed as always that she cannot use the mutant-transit system. Her treating the portals like this, in turn, annoys her fellow mutants, including Raven Darkholme and her wife Irene Adler, the duo known as Mystique and Destiny, respectively, who knock Kate aside as they step through the portal and arrive at the Gala. 'You aren't listening to me. There is a -' Destiny, wearing a strange gold and black outfit, begins, to which Mystique, who wears a white dress similar to her default costume, but with some gold accepts and a skull mask across her eyes, turns back to Destiny and declares that she disagrees, as she thinks she has been listening too much. 'I only just followed you away from here because I didn't want to make a scene tonight, but... I'm warming up to the notion' Mystique frowns.'Trouble in paradise for the old gals?' Bobby Drake a.k.a. Iceman asks Kate as he and Romeo approach her. 'They'd figure out a way to kill you in seconds if they heard you' Kate responds. 'I'm sure' Bobby responds, before asking Kate if she remembers Romeo. 'Pleased to see you again' Romeo tells Kate.Xavier approaches Kamala, who wears her elaborate Hellfire Gala outfit, and tells her that he doesn't need to be a telepath to see that she is uncomfortable. 'I feel guilty, Mr. Xavier. You saved my life, and I know you and Miss Frost want me to tell the world that I'm a mutant, but -' Kamala begins, to which Xavier telepathically cuts her off, '- but your life is quite complex already' he acknowledges. 'Yes! If my parents knew I was here, they would freak out!' Kamala responds. Xavier removes his helmet and tells Kamala that he needs to clarify one thing for her: 'We didn't save you. We were able to use our resources in concert to resurrect you. Imagine how much your parents would “freak out” at never getting to hug their daughter again'. Xavier continues, explaining to Kamala that the reason they hoped that she would announce her mixed heritage is not just that they would be proud to have here among them, but also that it might change the minds of those who fear them.Xavier puts his helmet back on and notes that Kamala has a lot to process. 'We hope you will join us. But not tonight. Be with your friends and family. Be good to yourself. Join us in your own time. And please – call me Charles'. Xavier turns and walks away, as Kamala calls out 'Wow, thanks, Charles!' Suddenly, Kamala extends her arm and grabs Xavier's shoulder, asking him to wait. 'Can you tell me what my mutant power is?' she asks. Jumbo Carnation and his lighthouse keeper boyfriend watch as Xavier glances back at Kamala and tells her that, unfortunately, he cannot. 'We have no idea what your gift is. Your encounter with the Terrigen Mist made you an Inhuman before your mutant power manifested' Xavier explains, adding that Kamala is lucky Cerebro correctly identified her at all, noting that the Mist has always had a negative effect on mutant physiology.Xavier motions to where Rogue is talking with Captain Marvel, and notes that Rogue is one of the most powerful mutants, but that she is extremely vulnerable to the Mist, and was nearly killed by it. Xavier adds that there is no telling what would have happened to Kamala if her X-Gene had expressed itself and she became an Inhuman later. Xavier explains that the current thinking is that Kamala's mutant gift never emerged after being suppressed by her Inhuman one, but that the X-Men can help her with that, and unlock her mutant potential. He telepathically assures Kamala that on Krakoa, they believe in bodily autonomy, so Kamala must have agency in that decision. 'It's another matter for you to consider' Xavier tells Kamala, before excusing himself, as there is a diplomat from the United Nations who asked for a few moments of his time. He then tells Kamala to enjoy the party, before he continues on his way.The chimera called Rasputin IV approaches Kamala: 'The Great X removed Cerebro and gazed upon you with his clear blue eyes' she calls out, before bowing in front of Kamala and telling her that she must be a mutant of tremendous importance. 'Uh... I hope not and don't think so' Kamala responds, before Rasputin IV introduces herself and explains that she has come from the future with gifts of the five, but not the Five. Hope, Proteus, Tempus, Egg and Elixir look on, while Kamala smiles and replies 'I'm Ms. Marvel – the first. I'm uh...' her voice trails off, before Rasputin IV shakes her hand and assures her that she knows her stories well. 'An Inhuman. A Muslim. A mutant. A human. A savior of all the tribes' Rasputin IV announces. 'Go easy – I'm kind of a secret mutant' Kamala whispers to Rasputin IV. 'Amazing' Rasputin IV gasps. She then places her hands against Kamala's and informs her that in the breeding pits, they used to say “May you be in resurrection protocols before you meet your heroes,” but that she makes a mockery of those things. 'Wait – I am your hero?' Ms. Marvel asks, shocked.Elsewhere at the Gala, Illyana Rasputin a.k.a. Magik holds her sword up as she marches towards two people leaning against a bar. 'Okay, I don't know who you are... but I sure know your kind. I can smell it on you – magic!' Illyana declares. 'Hmmm. That sound right to you, Dimitri?' a man in a suit with a red coat, and a streak of white through his brown hair asks. 'Never touch the stuff. Barely believe in it' Dimitri, who has short blond hair and wears a white tracksuit retorts.'Well then, you must just be talking to me. I'm Wyn' the other man introduces himself. Magik looks up at him and asks him how he got in here, as this party is invite only, and he was not on the list. 'Oh, I come and go as I like. You know what I'm talking about? I can smell that on you' Wyn responds. 'Hmmmm' Magik utters, to which Wyn tells her that there is a story going around about the beginning days of this great mutant experiment – that one of them stood at the top of the world and told a gathering of humans that things were a-changing. 'I heard that he said, get this, he wanted – no, needed – them to understand that... mankind had new gods'. Wyn starts to walk away from Magik and tells her that he has to know if that is a true story. 'Damn right it was' Magik snaps. 'WOOF. That's bold talk. No denying it' Wyn remarks. 'No, there isn't' Dimitri agrees, before Magik tells the mysterious gatecrashers that it is time for them to leave. 'But before you go, I am curious... why do you care?' she asks 'Professional curiosity. We work for the old ones' Wyn smiles.Kingpin and Typhoid Mary can be seen dancing, while, nearby, Sam Wilson looks at Joanna Cargill a.k.a. Frenzy and David Alleyne a.k.a. Prodigy and tells them that he owes it to them. 'Some of my best friends are mutants, but y'all make it hard to love this crazy commune when Kingpin gets to check into Fantasy Island' Sam declares. David tells Sam that it's his turn to be honest now, and that if they voted anonymously and telepathically, he doubts the Kingpin would crack the top hundred heels on Krakoa. Frenzy tells them that they are looking at this all backward. 'Consider the benefits of stranding old, rich, crime guys on a remote island surrounded by heroes. At least they're not running around stealing everything that's not nailed down. We don't even have money. Plus, we know where they are' Frenzy points out. 'Good points all around' Sam decides, before excusing himself as he receives a communication.'Understood. The Avengers are inbound' Sam announces as Thor, the Black Panther, Vision, Scarlet Witch and Captain Marvel close in around him and head towards one of the Krakoan gateways. Captain Marvel reports that the Avengers are responding to the DC incident, and that they are all leaving the Hellfire Gala now. 'Duty calls' Sam calls back to Frenzy and Prodigy. Rogue watches the Avengers depart, as her Avengers ID card lights up. She looks at it and the card reports that an unknown subject is attacking America's capitol. Emma Frost approaches Rogue and tells her that their guests are nervous, and that the rumors of a civil war on Arakko are beginning to spread. 'Why are the Avengers suddenly leaving?' Emma enquires. Rogue starts to tell Emma that she isn't sure, when a communication from the ID card reports that Captain America Steve Rogers has activated is distress beacon and is unresponsive. 'That must happen a lot, right?' Emma asks. 'Not even once, Sugah' Rogue responds, before she announces that she is inbound to Rogers, and flies though a Krakoan portal, her Gala outfit transforming into her classic '90s costume.Lourdes Chantal approaches Emma and informs her that she couldn't find Shaw anywhere, and that she just teleported in from Krakoa, but Shaw wasn't on the island. Emma thanks Lourdes for looking, and tells her that Shaw is up to something. 'And he's not alone as the Avengers will have a busy night' Emma adds, before Jean Grey telepathically addresses everyone by informing them that the moment is at hand. Jean hovers above the Gala attendees. Alison Blaire a.k.a. Dazzler is talking with Prodigy and they look up at Jean as she announces that when she left the Quiet Council to start this new team of X-Men with Cyclops, their goal was to be an example for anyone who wanted to serve, and to use their gifts for good. Jubilee watches Jean and blows bubble gum, while Jean continues, adding that they wanted to ready the next generation of heroes for the challenges of a world that, despite it all, still hates and fears them. Sam Guthrie a.k.a. Cannonball is standing with Frenzy while Jean turns to Laura Kinney a.k.a. Talon and Everett Thomas a.k.a. Synch as she declares that she and Scott were delighted to discover that that it was the two of them who were the students, as Synch and Talon are ready to lead a new team of X-Men, as she and Scott plan to step back.'We trust them implicitly to continue to save lives every day and be an inspiration for us all' Jean continues, while Forge, Emma Frost, Bishop and Angelica Jones a.k.a. Firestar watch her carefully. The Stepford Cuckoos then telepathically inform everyone that it is time to vote. A chorus of names rises up and quickly, a consensus coalesces around a group of names. Synch and Talon are the bedrock upon which the team forms. They say the Juggernaut is unstoppable... and with Jean's endorsement, it was true at the third Hellfire Gala of the Krakoan era. 'Jean said I'd be a hell of an X-Man!' is Juggernaut's reasoning for why people should vote for him. 'Ah. Fresh blood. Here they are...' Jean smiles as the votes are calculated, and she introduces the latest team of X-Men: Talon! Synch! Prodigy! Cannonball! Frenzy! Dazzler! Jubilee! Juggernaut!'Look up! What good luck! A falling star!' Jubilee calls out.These candidates had the makings of an astonishing X-Men team. Unfortunately, fate has other plans.A moment after the newest X-Men team take the spotlight, Nimrod drops down on them – literally. 'SORRY TO DROP IN!' the future-Sentinel claims as he blasts his way through Cannonball, Dazzler, Frenzy and Prodigy, tearing them apart in a gruesome display. Talon leaps to safety, dragging Synch with her, while Jubilee is knocked to one side by the force of Nimrod's impact, and Juggernaut and Jean Grey look on in absolute horror.Nimrod avoided detection by orbiting the Earth and descending from the themosphere at terminal velocity. Everyone at the Gala would have been killed, were it not for Jean Grey blunting the shockwave with her telekinesis. But the impact sends Jean and Juggernaut careening backwards and out of the lighthouse where they begin to fall from a great height.Blood on her face, Jubilee looks up at the Nimrod and begins to create some plasma blasts which she aims at Nimrod. '#*(% you, machine' Jubilee utters. The Nimrod responds by slamming his foot down on Jubilee's face and telling her that there is no need to be rude.The mutants at the Gala spring into action. Dust rises up in a cloud of dust, while a blast strikes one of the Multiple Man dupes, cutting him in half. Psylocke readies her psi-blade and instructs Magik to teleport the humans – and the Five – out of here. 'Be sure to save some for me!' Magik replies before rushing over to the human guests, informing them that the party is over, and she is going to get them all home. Bishop absorbs some energy as Magik runs underneath him.Orchis has been planning this night for years. They used every tool at their disposal. Controlling the message about Krakoa's dangers in the media – and depowering Magik by poisoning her with nanotechnology that inhibited her X-Gene.Standing in front of the Five and the human guests, Magik raises her Soulsword above her head, but her powers don't activate. There is no escape from this ambush.'Bobby!' Romeo cries out as he looks on, concerned for his boyfriend. Iceman moves towards the Nimrod on an ice-slide and tells Romeo to stay near Illyana. 'And Nimrod – if you're programmed to kill mutants – then you were programmed to die!' Iceman calls out as he slams into the Nimrod, encasing it in ice. The Nimrod cries out, surprised, before Bobby forms ice-spikes on his hands and slams them into the Nimrod's face. 'I TERRAFORMED AN ENTIRE PLANET!' Iceman shouts as he extends ice-tentacles which latch onto Nimrod and begin writhing through his body. 'What are you compared to that?' Iceman asks. 'Funny you should mention that. I'm going to liberate this planet – one mutant at a time' the Nimrod responds as he holds up a small tool that looks like a letter opener, it glows with energy, as Nimrod shoves it into Iceman's chest. 'One mutant at a time' Nimrod boasts, while Bobby gasps, as the energy from the device surges through him.Orchis planned and drilled. They executed the false-flag attack in DC and the assassination attempt on Captain America. They were dividing and conquering. Success would only be measured in corpses. First, they needed to take out the Omega-level mutants.'I have to hand it to you. Didn't think anybody could ring my bell like that' Nirmod remarks as Bobby stumbles backwards. 'If – if that was your best shot – then you're in a lot of trouble' Bobby declares defiantly, as he clenches his fists, preparing to continue to fight the Nimrod. 'Wait. What's happening to me?' Bobby asks as his body begins to glow, and then he starts to melt, announcing that he can't see. He calls out to Jean, Scott and Warren and asks them where they are. 'I'm sorry...' Bobby utters as his hand reaches towards Romeo, who reaches back, shocked. 'NOO!' Kate calls out as her friend is reduced to a puddle in front of her. 'BOBBY!' Romeo screams, while the Nimrod grins and states that Omega Two is dead. 'Now, where is Omega One?' he asks.'I'm right here, murderer. I'm wondering if in that terrible robot brain of yours you have an answer for what... can stop the Juggernaut?' Jean Grey calls out as she telekinetically hurls the Juggernaut from outside the lighthouse straight into the Nimrod – her version of a Fastball Special. Once again, Jean caught a sonic boom, directing it right at the Sentinel. 'Aw right, ya damn dirty machine... I'm gonna enjoy taking you to the woodshed!' Juggernaut exclaims as he smacks the Nimrod off the lighthouse, then drops down after him as the Nimrod lands on the island beneath the lighthouse.Jean Grey begins to coordinate the defense, but she doesn't have very long – the rest of Orchis' forces are inbound.Previously, just a single Stark Sentinel had nearly succeeded in killing the X-Men. Now, they faced them all – as several more Stark Sentinels descend upon Mykines. Inside the lighthouse, humans are in a panic, frightened, while Synch announces that he is synced with Polaris, and raises a force-shield, but he is being hit hard. He asks Jean if she can reach Storm, but gets no response – and then, through the Krakoan gateway next to him, Dr. Stasis dances into the Gala, accompanied by Omega Sentinel. 'La da di. Ahoy, hello, bonjour' Dr. Stasis calls out. 'We planned for your planning for this' Dr. Stasis claims, before introducing the Omega Sentinel as Karima Shapandar. 'And this is Dr. Stasis' Karima remarks as she dips the crazed variant of Sinister, who looks over, upside down, and sees the man he is looking for – Xavier.'Why, you look surprised, Charles. If you'd been paying attention, you would have gotten our RSVP for tonight' Dr. Stasis remarks. 'You're going to pay, you wretched madman' Xavier spits in response. Dr. Stasis grabs Xavier by his Cerebro helmet and utters 'I want you to see what I've accomplished. Look into my mind'. Xavier sees images of Dr. Stasis looking through a microscope, as Dr. Stasis tells him that while his attention was 'divided' during the previous Hellfire Gala, he was working very hard in Krakoa's pharmaceutical factories. 'It wasn't hard. I just flipped a few switches, and ever since then you've been peddling medicine with a back-door kill switch' Dr. Stasis reveals. Xavier's jaw drops, he looks shocked. 'Oh my god' he utters. 'What have you done?' Xavier calls out. 'No, no. don't you get it? What have you done?' Dr. Stasis responds, before turning to a Krakoan gateway and introducing Dr. MODOK, who emerges through the portal. 'Just, “MODOK,” please' MODOK responds. Dr. Stasis tells him that “Doctor” sounds cooler.MODOK grins as he tells Xavier to pay attention, and to witness what they can do to the so-called “medicines.” MODOK presses a button on a remote control, which causes several humans at the Gala to clutch their heads and scream in agony, while others become violent and start punching and attacking others. Several of them run to the lighthouse windows and hurl themselves through the glass to certain death below, while the Stark Sentinels open fire on the lighthouse. Emma looks on, and announces that she can't stop them, as MODOK has caused a chemical reaction in their limbic cortex. During the chaos, Kingpin and Typhoid Mary have become separated, and the Kingpin looks around, unable to find his wife. Orchis hasn't just hacked the Krakoan medicines, but also the gateway transit systems by coercing its secrets from Hordeculture. Orchis personnel arrive at the lighthouse with their weapons, and every second passing, the noose tightens around mutantdom – but the mutants have had their backs against the wall many times before, and start to put up a hell of a fight, like Magma, who unleashes a fiery blast out of the lighthouse towards the Sentinels, while Bling deflects multiple weapons’ fire back at the Orchis personnel.Kate leaps towards Strong Guy, 'Been a while' she tells him, before informing him that she needs a ride to the closest Sentinel. 'You bet, Kate – happy landing!' Strong Guy declares as he hurls Kate through the air, Fastball Special style – and Kate phases straight through the head of one of the Stark Sentinels, disrupting it. The Sentinel collapses to the Mykines island and crashes in fiery display. Kate has always been able to disrupt technology, which is why it was so ironic that she could never use the Krakoan gates – she had finally found a technology that disrupted her.Back up inside the lighthouse, Typhoid Mary approaches Kingpin and tells him that she is scared, that this is insane. 'Mary!' Kingpin exclaims, relieved at finding his wife. They are about to hug, when Omega Sentinel steps between them and punches Kingpin in the face, knocking him backwards. 'Back to your corner, human' Omega Sentinel snaps. Kingpin drops to his knees, and looks up at Omega Sentinel: 'You'll pay for this' he warns her.Nearby, Exodus unleashes his fury against several of the Orchis personnel, and, for a moment, it looks as if the mutants have managed to turn the tide. The Five are the cornerstone of the success of the Krakoan Age, and a formidable team in their own right, as they work together to battle one of the Stark Sentinels. With nothing but thought, Proteus transmutes metal into glass. Egg covers one of the Sentinel's hands in his “goldballs.” Orchis would lose tonight – if this was a fair fight.Rasputin IV grabs Ms. Marvel as an energy blast glows behind her. The chimera is an entire team of X-Men in one body. She has been sent back with the powers of several mutants, the one that matters right now is Kate Pryde's, and Rasputin tells Ms. Marvel to hold her breath, turning her intangible, she tells Ms. Marvel to let it swim through her, and that when she lets go, she needs to hold this thing steady. 'While I go kill it!' Rasputin exclaims as Kamala extends her arms and her hands turn large, enabling her to hold a Sentinel in place, while Rasputin climbs up the Stark Sentinel, fills its head with what appears to be ice, then causes the Sentinel to collapse, it lands with a mighty BOOM. 'Whoa! Is that an earthquake?' Ms. Marvel asks. 'Of sorts' Rasputin responds, before telling Ms. Marvel that they need to finish here and go help the Juggernaut.As at least two more Stark Sentinels attack the lighthouse, Juggernaut is on the shore of Mykines and tells Nimrod that he picked the wrong party to crash. 'I already apologized for that!' Nimrod responds. Juggernaut grits his teeth, while Nimrod raises a hand and unleashes a powerful surge of energy which slams into the Juggernaut, he screams as he is knocked into the base of the lighthouse. This tower changed not one, but two worlds, had survived the strike from above and the fire from within, but it cannot survive the strike from the unstoppable Juggernaut, and it begins to topple with a thundering BOOOOOM – until, suddenly: 'Stop' Jean Grey calls out as she catches everyone within the lighthouse with her telekinesis. You could hear a pin drop as Jean speaks quietly into their minds: 'I have you. I have you all. No one else is going to die tonight'. Jean then apologizes to the Gala guests, and tells them that she is sorry this has been such a horrible night.Jean then addresses everyone from Orchis, warning them to listen closely to her. She tells them that tonight, they trespassed against Krakoa and chose violence. She suggests that they let those thoughts go, and then they will survive to see the dawn. Jean announces that she is going to gently place her friends down, and is then going to change Orchis' minds. About as pleasant a threat as one could expect from Jean Grey – and she means it. In a moment, there would be no flesh and blood who hate mutants. But, something happens. An attack which was kept secret even from Dr. Stasis, who calls out 'It's not or never, friend'. Because it takes a lot of careful planning to kill a telepath. The assassin must be ready to strike on Mykines or in New York, had Jean answered the alarm at the Treehouse. But the assassin is Moira MacTaggert – or, rather, Moira X, as she is now known. And she has patience, time and an artificial mind that is immune to telepathy. Moira steps through a portal, while Jean Grey, Xavier and Angelica Jones a.k.a. Firestar have their backs to her. As Jean begins to lower everyone to safety, she telepathically reaches out to Cyclops, informing him that he is needed back at the party. But suddenly, Moira steps up behind Jean and shoves a blade though her neck. ''Ello, Jean' Moira utters, while blood sprays outwards from Jean, whose eyes convey a look of shock.At that moment, at the Treehouse in New York, Cyclops lies at the base of the X-Men's home and headquarters which is now ablaze. Cyclops' thoughts reach out to Jean, he tells her that he is sorry, that it was a trap, and he isn't going to be able to join her. He adds that he can't feel his legs, before wondering why he can't feet Jean.Back at the ruins of the lighthouse on Mykines, Jean is slumped over on the ground before Moira, who holds the blade in her hand and screams 'LOOK AT ME, CHARLES! Look at what I have done! And see what has happened to the one you love the most.' Jean begins to stir. 'Wh-what was on that dagger?' she asks as she tries to sit up. 'A little something we found in a place called Otherworld. I believe you call it Blightswill' Moira announces, before revealing that she doesn't have enough of it concentrated for them all – but she will.The sight of Jean struck down detonated a bomb in the Children of the Atom. Every mutant launches themselves to war in a righteous fury. Talon, Synch, Tempest  IV, Ms. Marvel, Hope and Egg can be seen rushing towards Moira, while Firestar grabs Jean and flies up above the others. Victory will belong to the mutants – how can it not? The enemy is not strong enough to stop them all. But then Moira grabs Xavier and holds the Blightswill-covered blade to his neck. 'Stop them, Charles. Do it now. Or we fill airwaves around the world with MODOK's sweet music, and all those humans you helped die like squealing piggies' Moira threatens.'STOP!' Xavier calls out, holding his hands up to keep the mutants back, before he removes his Cerebro helmet. 'God forgive me' Xavier utters. Emma, Kate, Synch, Kwannon, Tempest IV, Bishop and Egg come to a stop several feet away from Xavier, while Hope and Ms. Marvel hover above them. 'I surrender' Xavier announces, hanging his head, while the mutants before him look on, seemingly under his telepathic command.'Deliver the terms, Doctor' Moira calls out as she turns to Dr. Stasis, who reveals that Orchis has hacked more than just Krakoa's medicines – but also their gates, and right now, they all point off-Earth. 'We will kill no more humans – if you all leave' Dr. Stasis offers. He reminds the mutants that Nightcrawler went on an assassination spree, that a mutant clone caused an inferno in New York again, and declares that Krakoa's drugs are poison. 'This is a cancer surgery, Charles, and you are the cancer'. With his head still hanging, Xavier points out that he could never get all the mutants to agree to simply walk off Earth forever. 'You made them stop, Charles. Now make them walk. Or every drop of blood that spills will be on your head Moira warns her former friend.Dr. Stasis looks over to where the Stark Sentinels are tearing up Mykines, and suggests that they discuss consequences. He states that the first time a returned mutant is found on Earth, Orchis  will kill a human, but the second time, the cost will be ten humans – and then a hundred. 'I suppose you're smart enough to know about the powers of ten?' Dr. Stasis enquires, while Xavier calls out 'Please don't make me do this'.Suddenly: 'Firestar... wake up' a telepathic voice calls out. 'Jean? Is that you?' Firestar's thoughts are projected as she is forced out of Xavier's trance. Jean meets Angelica on the Astral Plane, and reveals to her that she is dying, and that Orchis have won. 'But Stasis is lying about it all -' Firestar starts, but Jean tells her that lies are powerful, and they will need the truth to burn it all away. Jean informs Firestar that she can embed her inside Orchis, explaining that she opened a door to Stasis' mind, and while she was going to erase it, especially after what he did to Cyclops, she has to be bigger. 'We have to be bigger' Jean adds, before telling Firestar that she can make Dr. Stasis think that he recruited her. Angelica looks shocked: 'Recruited me to what? Orchis?' she asks.'Yes. In his mind. As hard as we've been working to save the world, they've been working just as hard to destroy ours' Jean responds. Her astral form takes Angelica's by the hand and explains to her that Orchis have poisoned Krakoa's medicines, that everyone ingesting them is Orchis' hostage and will blame mutants – and the world will believe the lies. 'They took credit for killing the Celestial... and Krakoa meant well but also made mistakes. I can't force you on this mission... you must volunteer' Jean utters. Wide-eyed, Angelica agrees to do it. 'What's our story?' she asks as she holds Jean's hands. 'Let's say you sent an overture to meet right after you were elected -' Jean begins, but Firestar interrupts her: 'No. Before' she declares.Fake memories appear, as Firestar tells Jean that some of the mutants joked she was a narc, so they should lean into it – her election to the X-Men becomes Orchis' good luck. A fake memory of Firestar meeting with Dr. Stasis at a cafe plays out. 'So nice to receive your message, Firestar' Dr. Stasis apparently said to Angelica as he sipped his coffee, before apparently telling her that he hopes they can be great friends.'If we need to, who do I throw under the bus?' Firestar asks Jean. 'Beast' Jean suggests. 'Tell them the truth, and you can make bad stuff up about him, and everyone will believe you'.Back in the real world, Xavier picks up his Cerebro helmet. 'Damn you for this' he utters. 'If Hell's a real place... I'll see yeh there, Charles' Moira replies calmly, before Xavier gets to his feet and proclaims 'Go, my X-Men' as he begins to command mutantkind to step through Krakoan portals. He identifies himself to the mutants of the world as Charles Xavier, and that they must not resist – they must comply and walk through the Krakoan gate closest to them. He tells the mutants not to be afraid, and that all will be made clear, but that they need to know that in doing this, they are saving many human lives – and perhaps that of their own.Across the world, mutants are ordered by Charles Xavier to walk toward the nearest Krakoan gateway. Some, like Nightcrawler, who sits on top of a Krakoan portal in New York City, are specifically trained to resist such telepathic coercion and employ Xavier's own “red triangle” defensive strategy. Nightcrawler watches as several dozen mutants walk through the portal.At the same time, on Krakoa's archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, something unexpected is happening – a user of arcane magic is playing her own game – with her own rules. 'Bon voyage, luvs' Mother Righteous utters as she touches a Krakoan portal, which sends ripples through the gateway. The mysterious woman then begins to rise upwards.Nathaniel Essex copied himself, becoming Mr. Sinister, Dr. Stasis and a spacefaring version called Orbis Stellaris. He did so because he sought to dominate all life, and perhaps it was the love of a sick heart, but he also copied the visage of his wife – Rebecca Essex. Her seat of power lies on the Astral Plane, which is where she rises to, taking with her Krakoa's Atlantic island, trapping it in her lantern – no one knows she has done this, or why she has done this.At Krakoa's Pacific Archipelago, mutants have formed two lines as they approach two separate portals, while Xavier's voice can be heard asking 'How much do we love mankind?' In London, mutants queue in the darkness before a portal, as Xavier's voice can be heard asking 'Is it enough to stay away for a time? Yes. As long as necessary to protect them from evil. I can feel so many of you resisting, but please trust me now. This is the right thing to do'. In Madripoor, a similar scene plays out, as mutants are lined up in front of a portal as Xavier's voice calls to them: 'If we love them enough, we'll give them the distance they need... right now'.But back on Mykines, several mutants are using a special defense to RESIST Xavier's command – the Red Triangle Protocol. While many mutants approach the gateways, others stand their ground, like Emma Frost and Kate Pryde, while Lourdes Chantal can be seen standing with them, although she appears unable to use the Protocol.At that moment, in the Astral Plane, Firestar informs Jean that not everyone is leaving, and Jean explains that those who trained to resist telepathic assault are harder to sway – they don't know why Charles is sending them away, and are using his own “red triangle” defense against him. 'We are mutant. We only know the fight. Resist' Jean utters.Elsewhere on Mykines, away from the ruins of the lighthouse, Magik and Dani Moonstar a.k.a. Mirage are with Dust and Marrow, walking towards towards a portal. Magik carries the mutant called Curse over her shoulders, while Curse shouts 'Put me down! I don't wanna go!'Jean explains that Charles will use the others to force everyone through the gates.'I want to stay! Damn you, Charles. Curse you, you bald piece of -' Curse shrieks as she disappears through a portal. While Jean asks Firestar to find out about the poison on Moira's blade, their plans, strengths and weaknesses, she asks Firestar to get all the information she can to the resistance, to whatever remains of them on Earth – every mutant is now an X-Man. Forge is shown to resist Xavier's command, while a panicked Angelica tells Jean that she can't do this alone, and asks her how she will contact the survivors. Jean assures Angelica that it will be okay, that this is what she trained for.'...this is the price we pay... I wanted to bring in the others, but I'm out of time. Make no mistake. The survivors will find you. Mutants have always been hated and feared... now mutants will hate and fear you. When they come for you, tell the truth and never waver. Goodbye, Firestar... be brave' Jean utters with her dying breath. At that moment, Charles appears to keel backwards, arms outstretched, he is in agony at what is transpiring, while Jean's body has already been reduced to a skeleton, only her long red hair and glamorous Gala attire making her remains recognizable.Suddenly: 'Goodbye, Scott... I loved you...' Jean's astral form, manifesting in her Marvel Girl costume, utters as she appears before Cyclops, who is in an ambulance, being raced away from the burning Treehouse in New York. 'Jean, don't go...' Cyclops utters. '... I need you. I love you' he tells her.Elsewhere, Logan a.k.a. Wolverine stands in front of a Krakoan portal, RESIST, fills his thoughts,  which are suddenly joined by a the ghostly cries of Jean Grey, who breaks Logan's trance. 'Jeannie? Oh no. What have they done?' Wolverine asks, before dozens of Orchis agents appear before him. 'Man, this guy ain't going anywhere' one of them remarks, while another suggests that they do this the hard way. 'Let's dissect him. Everybody just focus on your assigned body part' another calls out. Wolverine pops his claws, while Jean tells him that they have almost lost it all tonight, but that the fight is not over. 'I loved you too...and I need you to do what you do best for me' Jean utters. And, as her life fades away, the berserker in Wolverine wakes. He is surrounded by the best special forces in Orchis' ranks – but they never stood a chance.Back at Mykines, Destiny stands before a gateway, then turns back and remarks 'This was our only chance... I'm sorry' before she tells Raven to listen to Charles. 'So much death and destruction, and it all culminates with a giant X in the heavens, with the fall of the Krakoans' Destiny utters as she vanishes through the gateway. Nearby stands Exodus, who is a powerful psychic and zealot. As Charles explained the danger to the sainted Five, despite them wanting to fight on. One does not always need psychic powers to make someone do what you wish. But where they were heading, not even Charles knows, as Exodus shoves Proteus, Elixir, Hope, Tempus and Egg into a gateway, 'AWAY! AWAY!' he booms at them.At that moment, a furious Mystique turns to Charles and snarls: 'Charles... how dare you try to command me?' A panicked Xavier urgently commands Mystique to leave, but Raven clutches her head, and blood trickles from her nose as she gasps 'My mind, stop! Puh-puhleez!' before she runs to a window, and hurls herself through it, and out of the remains of the lighthouse. 'NO MORE!' Mystique shouts, before screaming as she plummets to the rocky shore of Mykines, where she lands on a large boulder, blood pooling around her. Dr. Stasis laughs loudly as he looks out the smashed window and down at the shore. 'Oh my. The changeling looked like she had a stroke before she was dashed upon the rocks' Dr. Stasis remarks, before Mystique's body vanishes, and he notes that the sea has claimed her. 'At least something wants the wretch' Dr. Stasis decides.Suddenly, an ecstatic MODOK announces that the Atlantic island has disappeared off the satellites. 'Send the Sentinels to set up a perimeter around the Pacific island' MODOK declares, before Dr. Stasis turns his attention to the several mutants who remain in the lighthouse ruins. 'Uh, am I crazy, or are there still some very disgusting genes around here?' he remarks, while Emma Frost, Kate Pryde, Synch, Talon, Lourdes Chantal, Kwannon, Bishop, Ms. Marvel, Rasputin IV, Monet St. Croix, Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Angel, Akihiro a.k.a. Fang, Remy LeBeau a.k.a. Gambit, the Beaubier Twins Northstar and Aurora and even the Inhuman Romeo can be seen using the red triangle protocol to RESIST. Dr. Stasis turns to Moira and comments on her costume change. 'Way to get into the spirit of the evening' he points out. Moira holds up the poisoned blade and laughs, before reminding Dr. Stasis that she told him she was in the mood for a party. She then explains that the reason these mutants aren't moving is because Xavier trained them how to defend against telepathic attacks and coercion. 'I hope there's enough left on this blade for all of them' Moira scowls.At that moment: 'Everyone – wake up! Grab hands – Lourdes, it's now or never!' Emma Frost shouts. The others all snap out of the red triangle protocol, while Lourdes admits that she has never tried to teleport this many people before, before telling everyone to link hands. 'Hold fast!' Kate calls out as she reaches for Emma's hand. Romeo has Kate's other hand, and he turns to a bald man in a green suit who holds his hand, while Moira shouts 'Stop the teleporter! These mutants cannot escape!' she then hurls her blade forward and the blade lands in the chest of the bald man in the green suit. 'AAAH!' Romeo screams as the man falls backwards. Moira then leaps onto Xavier's back and begins yanking at the Cerebro helmet. 'I've got Xavier! Open fire – kill her now!' she shouts. 'I got her!' one of the Orchis agents claims as he aims his weapon at Lourdes – until the Kingpin appears behind him: 'I think not' the Kingpin remarks casually as he crushes the Orchis agent's neck with his bare hands. Another Orchis agent opens fire towards the mutants, who suddenly disappear with a POP, leaving Xavier, Moira, Dr. Stasis, Firestar, the Orchis agents, some humans and the man in the green suit behind. 'Aw, crap!' Dr. Stasis mutters.Lourdes Chantal has now teleported the small group of mutants, Romeo the Inhuman and her old nemesis the Kingpin farther than she has ever teleported – and to a place she never wanted to step back into again – the basement of the New York City's old Hellfire Club.'You may remove your hands now, Wilson' Emma snaps as the Kingpin takes his hands off her shoulders. Bishop and Kwannon stand near them. Rasputin IV, Ms. Marvel, Angel, Monet and Gambit are there, too. Northstar stands with his sister Aurora, who embraces her partner, Fang. Talon and Synch stand together, while  Kate turns to Romeo.'Where has my wife gone?' the Kingpin enquires. Emma tells him that she doesn't know yet. Kate suggests that they have to get help, then go back for Charles and the others. However, Lourdes suddenly emerges from some shadows, clutching her chest, blood pours from the wound caused by the gunshot that struck her as she teleported away. 'This was a... one-way trip, I'm afraid' Lourdes utters.Shocked, Emma calls out to Lourdes, then grabs her as she collapses and helps lay her on the ground. 'Here we are again... at another wonderful party gone horribly wrong' Lourdes utters. 'You saved us all' Emma tells Lourdes, before remarking that she should have stayed away from her, and Krakoa. 'You had a life. You got out of all this madness' Emma reminds her. 'No... it was a good dream. Worth fighting for... worth...' Lourdes responds before she passes away in Emma's arms. The others fall silent, some hang their heads, as Emma holds onto Lourdes' body as a pool of blood forms around her.Back on Mykines, MODOK laughs and exclaims that this is the most fun evening he has had in years, as he injects a gift from Hordeculture into the Krakoan gateway. At that moment, Nimrod lumbers into the ruins of the lighthouse, dragging the Juggernaut behind him. 'I didn't enjoy beating his brains in... but maybe I did just a little?' Nimrod asks, before wondering what Firestar is doing alive. 'Do I have to do everything?' Nimrod declares, before Dr. Stasis tells Nimrod that he is too hasty, and reveals that Firestar has been feeding Orchis information about Krakoa since before she was an X-Man, and now that they are going public, she is joining Orchis full time. 'And what about him?' Firestar asks, motioning to Xavier. 'His fate was sealed the moment Moira joined our ranks' Dr. Stasis smirks. 'He's mine!' a crazed Moira grins, eyes flashing red.At that moment, Emma leads the way through the tunnels beneath the New York City Hellfire Club, with the others trudging behind her. Emma reports that there are several tunnels that lead into and out of the old Hellfire Club, and reveals that she planted gateways here leading around the world – including one to Mykines. Walking behind the Kingpin, Rasputin IV remarks quietly to Ms. Marvel 'The Blob is smaller than I imagined him' to which Kamala tells her 'That's no the Blob'. Emma pushes a door open to a room where half a dozen Krakoan portals are waiting. 'Jumbo's quite fond of the Lighthouse Keeper' Emma remarks, before Kate supposes that she is not making this trip, suggesting instead that she make her way to the Treehouse and grab the Thunderbird. 'Hang on. Before we go rushing headlong back to war – what about the humans on the medicines?' Synch enquires. 'They're hostages. And we just got our asses handed to us' Talon adds.Emma stands in front of a portal and turns back to the others: 'I don't need to get very close to give everyone left on that island a lethal stroke. You fabulous X-Men can handle them machines' Emma smirks, adding that after she kills them, she will use her diamond mutation and pitch in on he robots. 'See you on the island' she remarks, but as she steps into the portal, she is blocked, and slams her nose into the portal instead. Kamala gasps, while Kate calls out to Emma, before smiling and telling her 'So that's how that looked'. 'What the hell? $#&%' Emma mutters. Talon and Synch check the other gates, and establish that they are all closed. 'We can't go back to Mykines now' Synch declares.In the ruins of the Mykines Lighthouse, a group of humans are gathered together. 'Excuse me! I'd like to get off Mykines now!' one of them calls out. He introduces himself as the ambassador of Ireland to the United Nations, and declares that they will not tolerate being held against their will for a second longer. He adds that he has finally got a signal on his mobile phone, and that the top news story is that there were “No human survivors at the Hellfire Gala” and notes that he has a family who will not be too chuffed at that headline. 'I've got to leave and correct that mistake' he exclaims. “No human survivors” Dr. Stasis quotes. 'Can you believe this? Our public-relations department sent out the press release too early' he remarks, before laughing and announces that this is awkward. 'Kill the humans' he commands the Orchis agents. Moira smiles while Xavier shouts 'No! I did what you asked – please, I'm begging you!' But, the Orchis shock troopers have psi-blockers in their helmets, so Charles is powerless to stop them. Instead, he slips into the minds of the victims, holding each soul as they pass from this life, never feeling a moment of pain as the Orchis agents open fire.Mykines falls dark, a dim light from one of the Stark Sentinels shines down into the ruins of the lighthouse, where Dr. Stasis, Nimrod and Firestar look on as Charles suddenly feels Moira's blade under his chin. 'I won't lie, Charles. I've been dreaming about this' Moira utters. She tells Charles that everything that's happened is his fault, and that tonight will forever be known as the “Mutant Massacre”. 'You sold laced medicines. You invited Nathaniel Essex onto the island, and he almost ended all life on Earth. X-Men Green are eco-terrorists. I could go on and on, but we have a busy day' Moira remarks. She tells Charles that his dream is dead, and that humanity will cheer for Orchis as they capture and kill all of mutantkind. 'Take solace that you won't live to see it' Moira suggests. Xavier frowns and tells Moira that she is ready. 'That's right, be brave' Moira grins as she raises her dagger, only for Xavier to remark 'Oh, I wasn't talking to you – I was just thinking out loud'.Then, suddenly, before Moira can strike, Rogue bursts up through the rubble of the lighthouse and tears Moira's robotic form. 'STOP HER!' Moira screeches, before Rogue grabs Charles then glances back at Firestar: 'Be seeing ya, traitor!' Rogue tells her, suggesting to Angelica that she sleep with the lights on. Rogue speeds out across the ocean, carrying Charles as she flies in unpredictable patterns. She knows that the machines are in pursuit. She flies across the Atlantic before Charles musters a word: 'Thank you, Rogue...' he begins, to which Rogue tells him to hand on, as Orchis are deploying Sentinels after them. Rogue informs Charles that she is taking him to Steve Rogers, who is re-forming the Unity Squad. 'We have friends -' Rogue begins, but Xavier suddenly calls put 'My god...my god! No, no, no! NO! Take me to the island!' he pleads. 'That's suicide' Rogue tells Charles. 'Please, you don't understand. They're all gone, Rogue' an exhausted Charles utters.'Who's gone?' Rogue asks, before changing direction, and flying towards an island, where waves crash against the shore. 'Our mutant family – everyone who walked through the gates. They were – they were meant to go to Arakko. I can't reach any of them. They're all gone... all of them... they're all dead' Charles utters as he drops his Cerebro helmet to the shore of the island. A wide-eyed Rogue reminds Charles that there was a quarter million mutants on Krakoa. 'They can't all be gone' she pleads. Xavier keels over, the ocean water lapping around him as he replies 'But they are. I made everyone walk through the gates. At the party and across the planet. Stasis told me I had to, but I didn't know – I didn't know they did something to the gates' Charles explains to Rogue. Charles declares that he pushed them into a meat grinder – that they are all. 'ALL DEAD! And I killed them!' Charles shouts, tears streaming down his face. He tells Rogue to leave him, and go avenge the others. Rogue takes off towards the setting sun, as Charles continues to sit on the shore of the island. 'Avenge Krakoa' he gasps, trembling in the waves, weeping for all he has built which is now in ruin. He anguished for the children he helped murder on this night. All good things must end, and the Fall of the House of X has begun. The island that Charles is on is the Pacific archipelago of Krakoa. Population: One.Meanwhile, back at the Hellfire Club, Synch and Romeo examine the Krakoan portals, while Aurora and Kamal watch Emma as the Kingpin tells her 'You have good reason not to trust me, but -' to which Emma interrupts him, noting that she trusts Orchis even less. 'Yes, I agree – you've made your point. And we can't stay here. This is one of the first places that the fascists will come looking for us' Emma tells the Kingpin. Kate approaches them, and tells everyone to trust her when she says that they will all get used to not being able to use the gates. She starts to lean against one of the gates – and then suddenly she falls through it. 'Katherine?' a wide-eyed Emma gasps.Finally, at Krakoa's embassy in Jerusalem, Israel: 'What the hell is this?' an Orchis agent exclaims as Kate Pryde falls through the gateway. Kate looks up and sees that she is surrounded by several Orchis agents. She sighs, 'You fellas aren't going to behave, are you?' she smiles.


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Xavier’s School for Gifted YoungstersRachel exits the front door of the school and manages only a few steps before screaming out at the top of her lungs. The X-Men inside hear her cries of anguish and leap to action. Magneto thinks they are under attack. As the not-so-merry band of mutants makes their way to the front door they are shocked at what they see outside. The landscape of their yard has been transformed into a barren desert. There’s sand and sun as far as the eye can see. As the X-Men crowd around Rachel they spot Kitty off in the distance standing over a figure lying in the sand. They wonder who it could be. Rachel tells them it’s their postman who collapsed when the scenery changed. They question what they should do about the crazy turn of events. Kitty, meanwhile, tries dragging the postman back to the mansion. As she ponders what happened she calls out to her friends for help. Nightcrawler ‘ports in only to be sent right back to the mansion’s doorstep. He collapses in Colossus’ arms muttering something about looking through the gates of Hades. Colossus suggests he go, but Storm decides Wolverine’s a better choice, with his healing factor and all. Wolverine takes off with the heat bearing down hard on him. He feels famished all of a sudden and the skin on his body starts pulling tight over his bones. Wolvie reaches Kitty and tells her he’s taking over. She turns to look at him, bearing the same taut skin as he. She tells Wolverine they need to hurry because the postman’s dying. Wolverine tells her to take a look at herself. She tells him not to worry about her, that the postman’s near death. Wolverine tells her they need to leave, but Kitty refuses to leave the postman’s side. She accuses him of being selfish. Wolvie, intent on showing what he cares about, pops his claws. He jams them into the postman’s face, much to Kitty’s surprise. Suddenly, the desert landscape disappears, and with it the postman. The Xavier grounds are back to normal. Seconds later, the gang’s back inside taking care of Kitty. They decide to search the grounds for the would-be psychic assailant. Rachel performs a psi-scan while Rogue takes to the air for an aerial sweep of the grounds. Neither of them finds any hostiles. Storm lays a cold compress on Kitty’s forehead, to which she tells Ororo she’s ok, the danger has passed. Logan lights up a cigar and says his instincts are telling him the danger is still there, their attacker will be back. Magneto heads off to Cerebro to see if he can track down the mysterious enemy. Wolverine tells him it won’t do any good. Hours later, Colossus is outside swimming in the pool. Nightcrawler teleports in and they have a brief discussion on Colossus’ difficult workout regimen. Nightcrawler refers to Piotr as the Tin-Man from The Wizard of Oz before teleporting away. Colossus keeps swimming his laps, but takes to heart what Crawler had to say. He wishes he didn’t have a heart to break just like the real Tin-Man because when Kitty was attacked he was afraid. As Piotr continues swimming his towel lands in the pool and wraps around his head. He can’t get it off and it drags him under the water. He transforms to his armored form and tears the towel asunder. As he gets out from the pool he begins threatening Nightcrawler for his little prank, but Nightcrawler isn’t there. Instead there stands a steel tower as high as any skyscraper. Colossus begins calling out for his teammates. He starts panicking. Storm, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Magneto show up and ask what his problem is. Piotr stares in disbelief as each of his friends now sports metallic skin. Wolverine tells him the world’s become a hard place so they need to be hard too. “...or we die” Nightcrawler adds. Magneto tells him they need to be hard, cold and in control like him. Colossus reverts to human form and tries convincing his friends they’re not in control, that humanity gives life meaning. He tells them to look at him he’s human too. Storm tells him humanity is pain and that he needs a shield. They start attaching metal sections to his body. Colossus tells them to stop. As they place the last piece, his mask, they tell him he’s armored against pain, he’s invulnerable. Colossus stands triumphantly as he understands he no longer has to fear for failure, pain or sorrow. He yells out that he’s finally free. Then he realizes he’s back in his bathing suit and the tower and his friends are gone. Storm draws the curtains and peers down at Colossus who is crying in Nightcrawler’s arms. She tells Magneto their foe has struck again. She reports Colossus is physically unharmed. Magneto voices his frustrations, he feels helpless. Storm offers that might be the whole point. Magneto talks about his old days where he would have acted out not caring of the consequences. Storm says it must have made life much simpler. Their conversation is interrupted by Kitty who asks if anyone wants to join her for lunch. Magneto and Storm enter the kitchen to find everyone there except for Colossus, who lost his appetite and went to bed according to Rachel. Kitty offers to make him a bowl of her mom’s chicken soup to cheer him up. Kurt jokes that Kitty’s off to get herself some munchies. Kitty tells him to relax, she can eat if she wants. She grabs the refrigerator handle and a cloaked, skeletal hand seizes her wrist. Kitty tries to pull free, but the mysterious being grabs hold of her other arm with a powerful grip. The cloaked figure asks Kitty if it’s time for lunch, and adds that she looks hungry. The figure places his hands on Kitty’s face, much to her horror. After removing his hands, Kitty’s face is emaciated. She falls to the floor starving. The cloaked figure offers Kitty a plate of steak and corn. Kitty begs for the food. The figure explains he was cooking all morning to make this meal. As he hands over the plate, Kitty’s withered, shaking hands reach for it. When she touches the plate the food melts away. All that’s left are flies and maggots, making their way through the rotten remains. Tears begin streaming down her face as she asks the cloaked figure who he is. The figure reaches up to its hood and pulls it down to reveal his face. “I am misery’s maitre d’, the chef of starvation, waiter to the waifs of the world, hash-slinger to the homeless!” he replies. He lists some more descriptive details of his existence before telling Kitty that his friends call him Hungry. Hungry commands Kitty to starve. She sits there curled up on the floor feeling like she’s wasting away. At this point Nightcrawler walks in and finds Kitty lying on the floor muttering about something called Hungry. He has just enough time to wonder what this “Hungry” thing is before he too is assaulted. Nightcrawler finds himself in the past, on the night when he killed his foster brother, Stefan. With the gypsy caravan in the background and Stefan at his feet he stares up in anguish at the images of the parents that abandoned him. He faces his doubts and inner fears and is overwhelmed. He feels he failed the X-Men when they looked to him for leadership. It was his faith that kept him strong, but he now admits that that too is gone. A spirit woman appears who offers to show Nightcrawler the way. Kurt asks if she’s the enemy. She tells him she can make him into a hero. Nightcrawler immediately accepts her offer. She tells him to regard the cross that has appeared behind him. He turns about and stares up at the religious symbol. He comments about the one man who sacrificed himself on the cross to save the world. He walks out of the light cast down from the cross and into the shadows. He claims to not be the same kind of man. The spirit points out that with his death it would allow another to breathe his air, take his space, and eat his food. “Viewed another way, what matters the death... of a demon?” she adds before disappearing. The rest of the X-Men walk in to find Nightcrawler collapsing to the floor. Kitty scoops him up from her position and holds him tightly. Later, Magneto decides to try Cerebro once more, despite his previous failure to locate their attacker with the tracking device. Rogue also performs another aerial sweep of the grounds. Wolverine takes to the woods to try and track down their foe. Rachel sits cross-legged on her bed as she determines this might be the chance she’s been waiting for to show everyone she deserves the Phoenix mantle and to make up for her mother’s past transgressions. Storm, meanwhile, is down in the infirmary caring for the three victims. Storm’s thoughts turn to her comrade’s loss of hope, their loss of a will to live. She’s frustrated that there’s nothing she can do to help those she loves. Magneto stares down at the Cerebro helmet, at the reflection of his face. He places it on his head and gets nothing. He tries reaching further out, but is attacked by a screeching orange beast. The beast punches through the Cerebro helmet, through Magneto’s head, and clear out the other side. The Entity has gained access to Magneto’s mind. He awakens to find himself lying supine on cold earth. Toad, one of his former minions, stands over him proclaiming the good news that his servants have decimated all humans. In the background mutants begin chanting, “All glory to Magneto!” Magneto sits up and asks what’s happened. Mastermind tells him humanity has been wiped out and homo superior now reigns. Wolverine comes over and hoists Magneto on his shoulders. He informs the bewildered leader that he killed all the remaining human prisoners as ordered. Sauron hails, “All glory to Magneto!” Wolverine carries Magneto towards a nearby hilltop where all of his followers are gathering. Blob tells Mags that a lot of the animals and crops were killed during the genocide, which might lead to problems down the line with their kids. As he chomps down on his burger he yells out, “All glory ta Magneto!” Magneto reaches his destination and is flanked on either side by Tessa and the Scarlet Witch. None other than Hitler himself steps forward to congratulate the Master of Magnetism on his clearing out of the genetic deadwood. “What an apt pupil you were! I salute you!” he finishes. Magneto, still unsure of things, thanks the former leader of the Nazi regime. Scarlet Witch tells him it’s time for his speech. Magneto stands atop the hill, towering over his subjects. As he speaks, he seems a bit unsure of himself. He discusses the hardships and struggles they faced in their quest for victory. He tells them they were right, and that even if they weren’t there’s nobody left to accuse them. In the foreground a deteriorated hand pops up from the ground. Legions of the undead rise from their graves and march their way toward Magneto and his people. Magneto can only watch in horror at the masses of dead slowly making their way towards him. He hopes they will understand his vision and why he had to do what he did to reach it. The dead trample over Magneto’s soldiers and begin reaching out to him. He stares at his impending death. He knows he deserves this and has no right to scream. Meanwhile, Rachel is still in her bed trying to psychically locate their attacker. Her telepathic powers are overwhelmed and she can’t get a grip. She grabs her head with her hands as the whole world enters her mind. She feels the suffering of the planet and fears for her sanity. Rachel transforms into the Phoenix to contain the overload and promises to ease their pain. She falls through a vortex that opens in the floor and finds herself in the dystopian future from whence she originally came. Rachel is no longer the Phoenix, but a hound. She tries to make a break for it, but she’s wearing a collar and someone is holding on to the end of her leash. Rachel cries out not wanting to hunt again. Someone tells her she’s the hunted. She turns around to find about a dozen hound versions of herself holding her leash. They accuse her of betrayal and she pleads with them that she didn’t want to. The taunts keep coming and all Rachel can do is say she’s sorry. She asks for forgiveness and the Rachel hounds dissipate. In their place appears the visage of the Phoenix. Rachel cries out for her mom and the Phoenix responds to her call. Rachel lifts up her arms and the Phoenix brings its head down. The Phoenix says it will kiss it and make it all better. The Phoenix takes the form of Jean Grey as it asks if Rachel will follow in her footsteps. Jean wraps her hands around the sides of Rachel’s face. Rachel says she wants to be just like her. Jean smiles and tells her she’s the best and that she must alleviate the suffering of the world. She pushes off on Rachel and tells her to kiss it and make it better. She then blasts Rachel away telling her to put them out of their misery as only a Phoenix can. As Logan wades through the pond on the Xavier grounds he senses the Entity’s presence. That’s when the sun moves behind the clouds and darkness envelops him. When the sun returns he finds himself naked, with normal hair and no claws, as if he was a baseline human. He looks around and senses a shape in the shadows watching him. Out from the shadows comes Wolverine. Wolverine torments Logan about his past and the questions that have plagued him for as long as he can remember. He offers to give him all the answers he needs, all the secrets. The only thing Logan has to do is beat him. Logan is nervous because he knows better than anyone nobody beats the best. Wolverine goads him, telling him to give it a shot, and then leaps at him. He slices Logan across the chest and arms a few times. Logan tries dodging, ducking, dipping and diving through the brush to avoid the onslaught. Cornered, Logan stands with his back against a large tree. As Wolverine jabs forward at his head, he ducks, causing Wolverine to get his claws stuck in the tree trunk. Logan maneuvers about and presses Wolverine’s claws up against his own throat. Logan resists the urge to kill him and lets him be. This shatters the vision and Logan finds himself back to normal. He proudly proclaims himself to be human as the Entity dissipates into nothingness. And moves onto Storm who finds herself staring up at a circus barker. She demands to know why he’s attacking them. He shouts down to her to follow him down the hall of mirrors. Storm tells him she’s in no mood for games. She receives a pie in the face as he tells her he is. The circus barker skips down the hall of mirrors telling Storm she’ll see all the different Ororos that have ever been and yet to be. As Storm makes her way she sees a pregnant version of herself in a nightgown with hair rollers lining her head. The next reflection is of her as a cheerleader, followed by an older lady baking a cake donning a heart-filled apron. Storm starts yelling out in angry disbelief. She sees herself as a small fairy and then a seductress, sprawled out on a bed wearing red lingerie. Storm orders him to stop the madness. She tells him he has no right. He tells Storm her heart and soul know the truth. She admits they may be facets of her personality, but is angry at being toyed with. She receives another pie in the face. She starts chasing after him in the darkness and stumbles into some sort of arena, where piles and piles of pies lie sitting in the middle. She receives yet another pie in the face. The Entity is now a clown and begins throwing pie after pie in her direction. He blows raspberries at her and asks her if she’s having fun. He tries provoking her into joining him in the fight. He taunts her, telling her she’s not good for anything. Storm comes close to giving in when she spots the onlookers in the arena. They’re all starved and malnourished. The clown tells her to ignore them and concentrate on him. He tells her they’re in the middle of a war. She tells him she only wants peace, and then offers the pies to everyone in the crowd. This breaks her free of the vision and she finds herself back in the infirmary. Storm understands how the others ended up they way they did, the Entity knew her dreams and weaknesses and was able to strike at the very core of her being. She goes about rallying the troops, telling them the battle is not yet over. Colossus tells her it’s useless. She tells him it’s not so, that the Entity plays with their mind, placing their hopes and fears amidst truth and lies. Magneto cuts her off and asks why, for what reason. “To hurt us,” she replies. They all agree he did a pretty good job except for Rogue who wonders why he never attacked her. Storm points out that they’re under attack and they need to do something about it. She tells them they’ve never backed down before and aren’t going to start now. She reminds them of all the hardships they’ve faced before and asks them if this is much worse. Nightcrawler says it is because they are all vulnerable against this psychic attack, and even Rachel, the only one with psychic powers, could do nothing to stop it. He asks Storm how she thinks they can defeat it. Storm admits she does not know. Rogue suggests telling it jokes. Storm starts to reply, but is cut off when Wolverine pops claws and slams them into the coffee table and says, “I’m done with talkin’!” That the Entity left him alive was his mistake. Wolverine says he’s ready to pay back the favor. Nightcrawler adds that he will go along to keep Wolverine out of trouble. Storm says they’ll all go. Rogue asks where. Rachel admits she had a connection with the Entity during her attack and thinks she knows where it might be. Soon after, the X-Men are aboard the Blackbird heading east. Inside the cabin the X-Men sit in silence, not making eye contact with each other. Rachel is the first to speak when she voices her concerns over facing the Entity again. Storm tells her they’ll face him because they must. Rogue wonders what’ s in store for her since she has yet to face him. She’s afraid of what will happen to her. Later, the Blackbird makes its landing in the arid heat of an African desert. The X-Men, clothed in white robes, make their way to an encampment of African people. When they near them they are shocked to find so many starving, weak and helpless. Rogue wonders if it’s the Entity’s doing. If so, she says they must stop him. Storm asks what the greater need is. Colossus asks what can they do when they are so few and they are so many. That’s when Wolverine hears a Lockheed Hercules transport coming in fully loaded with food, clothing, medical supplies and shelter. The anxious Africans crowd around waiting for the plane to make its stop. The relief workers on the ground tell the crowd to get back, but the plane is gets too close. Kitty notices the propeller nearing the crowd and tells her fellow mutants. When the pilot on board can’t stop it in time Nightcrawler drops the disguise and teleports in. He grabs as many as he can, about six, and takes them to safety. He worries about the rest he couldn’t get. That’s where Rachel comes in, free from her disguise as well. She places a telekinetic shield in front of the blades that pushes the people back and out of its slicing range. Rachel takes notice of how easy it is to push the people back; she can feel their weakness, that death hovers near them. The X-Men help unload all the crates. They do this plane after plane after plane. They don’t forget the reason why they came, but can’t help but serve the greater good, to help those in need. Yet for all their work nothing seems to change. Wolverine busts Colossus taking a break. He tells their strongest member they’ll rest when they’re done. Colossus asks when that will be, that things seem so hopeless. He also reminds Wolverine they should be hunting the Entity. Wolverine tells him this is more important. The X-Men set about helping with everything from feeding, tending to the sick, comforting the dying and burying the dead. For once they’re accepted without any hesitation. This lasts for days, and one night prompts Kitty to discuss the helplessness she feels and how it’s the worst feeling she’s ever had. Colossus tells her it’s a lesson in humility. Colossus gives an example of the irony of their survival. When they chopped down the tree to make the fire they’re sitting around, they removed essential ground cover, which will allow the wind to sweep away the topsoil, which will leave a sandy surface too low in nutrients to grow crops. Colossus sighs and says he has no answers. Across camp, Rogue tries feeding a dying boy some food. She can feel death near him, and suddenly the boy reaches out to her face. He touches her and Rogue absorbs his psyche. All she senses is a lifeless void. The child died even before touching her. Rogue cradles the bloated body against her and cries out to God. But it’s not God who’s causing this she remembers. Rogue stands up, tears streaming down her face. She proclaims she’s had enough. She knows the other X-Men are close to giving up, but not her. She decides to take on the Entity herself. She flies off to the campfire where she finds her comrades asleep. One by one she steals their powers, preparing for the battle that lies ahead. Storm wakes up and beholds the multi-faceted Rogue. She asks Rogue what she’s done. What must be, she replies, and flies off. Storm yells for her to stop, but Rogue doesn’t listen. Storm doesn’t believe Rogue can win against the Entity alone so she follows her on foot. Rogue combined Magneto and Rachel’s memories to find the location of the Entity. She stands outside what looked like a sand dune, but as she uses her stolen powers, she uncovers the entrance to a temple. She walks inside and finds the place in ruins. A group of vampire bats come screeching at her. She leans against the wall for support. Along the wall there’s an opening and a lizard-like face peers out of it, unbeknownst to Rogue. The Entity smashes through the wall and grabs a hold of her. Rogue tries absorbing the Entity, but instead the Entity’s essence takes over her body. Storm sees this happen as she enters the chamber. The Entity senses Storm hiding, gathering her thoughts. The Entity teleports in behind Storm, surprising her. Storm delivers a high kick and demands the Entity release Rogue. The Entity refuses, saying it is too comfortable in her strong body. Storm takes off running. She climbs up a pillar and sneaks into another room, but the Entity just phases through the wall and is upon her. Storm leaps off the edge of the overhang and onto a towering statue. The Entity realizes what Storm is, a mutant. The Entity tells Storm of the past when her people tried to defeat him, but were defeated instead. They built the temple to try and appease him. He fed off their despair. Storm wonders who he’s talking of. She wonders if it’s her African ancestors, that maybe she has some genetic memories of them. Her thoughts are interrupted as he blasts her off the tower. The Entity says he will kill her and feed of her death agony. The Entity finds it amusing that he’s actually going to kill something himself. Storm lands on her feet and plans her strategy. All she needs to do is survive until the absorbed powers go away. Storm tells the Entity he’ll have to wait because there are a thousand places to hide in the temple. The Entity lets loose with his telekinetic powers and obliterates everything in the immediate area. Storm falls to her knees and thanks him as they are now outside in the open desert. The Entity is confused by the thanks, but charges forward to kill her anyway. Nightcrawler teleports in and snatches her. He teleports a few times until he makes it back to camp. He tells her he saw the message Storm left in the sand and apologizes for arriving late. The Entity is sad to lose Nightcrawler’s power, but is still determined. He takes off and flies over to the encampment. Colossus grabs hold of his leg as he flies over his position. He slams the Entity into the ground. The Entity’s fears are realized. The X-Men have awakened. Wolverine goes after him next sending a powerful punch his way, but the Entity ducks. Wolvie goes for the gut this time, but his hand flies clean through the phased body. Then the Entity smashes Wolverine on the back of the head, sending him to the ground. The Entity comes in with a flying kick at Colossus. The mighty Russian falls. Kitty pops out from under the ground and grabs hold of the Entity’s leg. She tells everyone the Entity can no longer phase. The Entity kicks her too, sending Kitty to the ground. The Entity laughs at their feeble attempts. He knows they won’t truly hurt him, knowing they’d only be hurting Rogue. He feeds off their despair and grows stronger. The Entity flies off, apparently done with the fight. Magneto orders Nightcrawler to stop him and the German teleports in midair and kicks him in the stomach. Kitty urges Rachel to try and save Rogue. Rachel uses a bolt of telepathic energy in the hopes of finding Rogue’s psyche. She makes contact and removes the Entity from her body. Magneto lets Rogue down easy on the ground. The X-Men rush over to check on her. Nightcrawler reflects on the situation and wonders aloud if they’ve really won anything. Magneto says that Storm surviving and Rogue being free is a victory of sorts. Rogue counters that it’s meaningless, the Entity still lives. Storm offers her own opinion. She tells her friends the theory on how the human race began in Africa and that maybe the Entity was born with them as the ultimate primal mutant. She thinks it will always be there to feed off the misery of the people. Rachel agrees, saying she felt it has existed for as long as the human species. And she guesses it will continue to live due to the never-ending suffering that is humanity. The next day, more relief planes enter the area. The X-Men get to work unloading the supplies. With the previous night’s battle still fresh in his mind Nightcrawler asks his teammates why they think the Entity decided to attack them, why at this particular time. Storm thinks it might be the rise of Homo Superior. As disgusting as it sounds, she thinks mutants might be a different taste to the Entity, which may have excited him enough to pursue them. Storm also thinks it might have been out of fear. Magneto and Rachel were able to detect him. He also could have gone after them as a test, to see if he could be defeated. Rogue’s still not happy with the outcome. Storm reminds Rogue the Entity does not cause misery, but feeds off of it. She says the Entity is not evil in and of itself. Nightcrawler gets angry as he feels they’ve served no purpose coming there. He feels as though everywhere he goes his faith suffers another hit. He doesn’t need to feel helpless anymore, he needs a victory. Kitty puts her hand on his shoulder and points out the only way to defeat the Entity is to get rid of all the misery in the world. She tells Nightcrawler there’s no really way on winning, but she’s going to keep unloading the planes and try not to think about it. As night falls the X-Men try to feed a little kid some soup, but he won’t take it. Logan gets all angry that they’re going to lose another one. Rogue tells him sometimes when the children are so weak they just give up. Then the boy actually takes the spoon and swallows the soup down. Wolvie smiles at the toddler and the toddler smiles back. Wolverine brings Nightcrawler over to explain something to him. He uses the kid as an example of something good. The kid had no super-powers, only hope, and without that the will to live is gone and the kid is finished. Storm interjects that it could have happened to any of them. If each of them faced the Entity alone, without the team, they may never have made it. Instead they drew strength from each other and survived. Nightcrawler complains that they still didn’t win and may have to fight the battle again. Storm tells him that might be the answer, that they are always willing to continue the fight. Storm goes off on a monologue, “You counter despair with hope. You strive forever for the best you are capable to be! Therein lies the victory!” She continues saying it’s everyone’s battle and that they’ve discovered the nature of their foe and how to fight him. The only thing left is to do it. Kitty turns to Wolverine and tells him she can still feel the Entity, watching, eager, hungry. Wolverine agrees, but says so are they. And so they sit around the campfire and wait for the morning, when more planes will arrive with more people to help. Together, mutant and human, they wait... and hope.


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

[Assistant]
Kingbreaker – part 1
The planet Z’nox:
The Huz’deyr star system:
The first praetorian fleet of the Shi’ar armada arrives there. Their fleet mandate: the expansion of the Empire.
The Z’nox learn there is an invasion fleet and immediately engage their planetary defenses to shoot the invaders out of the sky. However, by the time a messenger arrives to inform the king in his palace, they already under attack. A moment later, the walls of the throne room crumble. Through the smoke and rubble, the king coughs that they are the Z’nox. They will never fall! He gives orders to call home their forces. They will destroy the Avians. No one can withstand the Z’nox!
As if in cue, the rather unstoppable Gladiator – member of the Shi’ar Imperial Guard – lands to join his Emperor. Gabriel Summers, known as Emperor Vulcan, steps on the head of the king of the Z’nox. He has a message for him, Vulcan announces, from his new ruler: Welcome to the Sh’iar Empire.
Planet Ovar:
The Janstak star system:
A council of many alien races is in uproar. The Kree ambassador reminds the others that the authority of the Galactic Council could have helped prevent some of the recent catastrophes. The Rigelian ambassador reminds him that the Kree did not suffer alone during the Annihilation Wave. He asks his recorder for the facts. At last known census 3.279 trillion lives were lost due to…
The Kree interrupts him. Ronan has taken steps to insure the Kree’s protection and survival. Can Rigel say the same? Can any other empire say that? The Rigelian agrees with him. The Galactic Council must be re-formed. The withdrawal of the Shi’ar is troublesome enough. Their lack of aid during the Annihilation Wave and the recent conquest of Kree space is even more so.
Indeed, another group, the Ovoids, announces… and perhaps more than troubling.  Ovoid scanners have intercepted a distress call from the Z’nox. They have been invaded by Shi’ar forces. They are outside the Shi’ar galaxy. Lilandra Neramani renounced expansion after the Kree / Shi’ar war. If there is to be order, the Shi’ar must be involved. They are too powerful to be ignored. They will get an answer to this incursion from the Imperium… whoever may be running it.
On Chandilar, surrounding a giant statue of Vulcan, Shi’ar cheer the emperor’s name. Standing on a dais, under representations of the gods Sharra and Kythri, the Empress Cal’syee Neramani aka Deathbird addresses her people. Emperor Vulcan has made true his promise… the Shi’ar rise again! Their power grows and their empire expands! The universe once more bows to their power! It has already begun. For this day… their emperor has broken the king of the mighty Z’nox!
A little behind her, to her side stands her uncle, Admiral Ka’ardum, leader of the Shi’ar fleet. The crowd gets worked up to a frenzy as Deathbird shouts this is their Emperor Vulcan! Vulcan the great! Vulcan the kingbreaker!
He should be here, the admiral informs her after her speech. He should stay on the front line, or be here on Chandilar, overseeing the empire. Not tormenting his brother. And will he tell Vulcan what he should be doing? Deathbird scoffs. He knows she is not afraid of Vulcan. She fears nothing, she never did, he reminisces. She reminds him that Vulcan is emperor. He does what he wants. But she knows his heart and she knows the hate that blood can cause. Let him have his hate. It makes the empire strong.
On several screens, they watch the Shi’ar invading other worlds. There is strength, Ka’ardum ventures, and then there is recklessness. Her husband is strong enough to survive his own faults, Deathbird decides. His enemies are not.
The extrasolar gas giant Ka’Murr:
A talon, a small ship deviates from its course, ignoring the calls of the spaceyard Kythri’s Anvil. The reason is one Rachel Grey who has taken over the Captain’s mind. She uses the talon to attack the spaceyard, then warns Lilandra in her small ship that they have already sent out the alarm. They’ve got about five minutes before the rest of the fleet arrives. If any of the Guard shows up, Lilandra begins. Rachel interrupts her she knows the drill. Just go!
Lilandra boards the spaceyard along with fellow Starjammer, Korvus Rook’shir. She assures the crew she doesn’t want to hurt them. She begs them to lay down their arms. The reply is that her termination has been ordered by the emperor himself. She apologizes for failing them, then orders Korvus to take them. Korvus, Rook’shir, wielder of the Blade of the Phoenix, attacks and quickly takes them out, afterwards he criticizes that allowing them to live is a mistake and wastes time. Her hands have enough blood on them, she retorts. Now if their intelligence is correct, what they want is here. And it is. The Starjammer.
Outside the station, Marvel Girl uses her vast telekinetic powers to keep off Shi’ar fighter, but urges them to hurry. Lilandra informs her they’ve got the Starjammer and are launching now. Get ready for evac. Finally, she announces, not aware of a ship behind her. But she is saved by the Starjammer.
Later: the World, Shi’ar space. Home the M’kraan crystal. Site of the M’kraan genocide:
Aboard the Starjammer, Rachel, carrying Cho’d’s pet Cr’reee on her shoulder, asks how much longer they are going to hide in this graveyard. Lilandra’s contacts don’t know where Alex and Lorna are, she can’t get close enough to read anyone who knows… they could be dead!
In the meantime, Sikorsky, the ship’s medic, tries to take care of Korvus’ injuries but he isn’t interested. Lilandra reminds Rachel that her contacts found them the ship. Vulcan is keeping the others alive. Havok, Polaris, even Ch’od and Raza. Had he killed them, he would let the whole universe know. She assures Rachel that they will find them. This is her empire, not Vulcan’s, not Deathbird’s or Ka’ardum’s. Hers. And she will have it back before they plunge the entire universe into war!
The planet Kr’kn. At the edge of Shi’ar space:
Havok crouches in his dark, isolated cell. A guard informs Vulcan that they believe that ever since the emperor’s initial visits, after he told him of the spies’ reports of the mutant activity on Earth that Havok’s mind has snapped. He responds to nothing, he does nothing. Vulcan has broken him.
Vulcan informs him he doesn’t know his brother. Have they continued working him over? The warden replies that he’s been interrogated, tortured… made to listen to the torture of his teammates. He’s been told the remaining Starjammers are dead. It doesn’t affect him. Nothing does. And his powers? Vulcan asks. Gone from what they can tell. He absorbs ambient cosmic energy. His first few weeks here he expended everything in violent outburst. But underwater, inside the prison walls… no cosmic energy, no power. He’s got nothing left.
Suddenly, Havok looks up at the camera and addresses Vulcan. I know you are out there, Gabriel. I can feel you.
Show him the others, Vulcan orders. Raza Longknife hangs chained from the walls, his cyborg parts having been excised. The Warden reminds the emperor they recommend execution for all the prisoners. Not yet, comes his rely. The warden points out that Longknife has killed eight guards since he’s been here. He kept piecing together weapons out of his cybernetic part. They’ve since had them removed.
Ch’od too is chained. Guards attack him with heat weapons. The warden announces that he’s almost impervious to torture and he’s been tortured the most. His manner… upsets the torturers. When they are finished, Ch’od asks if that was it, sounding disappointed. Their lines lack confidence and the complete absence of style is sad. They should try again.
Lorna Dane aka Polaris is chained to a bed and kept sedated. The warden explains they were forced to drug her. Nothing else works. They keep modifying the power dampener, but she keeps shorting it out. And the drugs… something in her system is burning them out as well. Something beyond any mutant powers they’ve ever seen.
Vulcan touches her chin. What’s inside her? he muses.  More drugs, he decides. Record her being injected. Show it to Havok. Make it pain…
That moment, Lorna opens her eyes. Alex… she mouths.
The next moment she gets her bearings. Vulcan swears and tells them to get the syringe now.
Shouting his name, Polaris slams them all away with a magnetic field, before vowing to kill him. Gabriel strikes her. Back to sleep, he orders. He orders his people to find out what’s making her so powerful. And they may want to up the dosage again…
Havok sits in his cell. Suddenly, Vulcan’s face appears on a screen. Raza Longknife is dead, he announces. And it’s all your fault, big brother. He’s so sad, Havok replies, like a child, trying to hurt him. It’s pathetic, really. He can wait as long as it takes, because he’s already won. Because, even though Gabriel rules an empire, he’s still coming to Alex. So desperate for him to bow down to him. And it’s never going to happen!
Enraged, Vulcan glows with power. He can kill him anytime he wants! he announces. He can kill Lorna anytime he wants. He can go to Earth and kill Scott… just like he killed their father. He remembers, Alex replies calmly and looks directly at the camera. Anxious, Vulcan ends the transmission.
Imperial guard telepath Oracle carefully addresses Vulcan, stating there has been another attack… He wants her dead! Vulcan shouts not much later, entering the bridge. He wants Rachel Grey dead! He wants Lilandra dead!
Oracle cautiously reminds him that he has assigned the fleet’s resources to the great expansion. He has put the Imperial Guard on the frontline. The Death Commandoes. The Phoenix has killed several of them already while hunting her.
Fine, he replies impatiently. The Guard can’t do it? He’ll make a new Guard. One that knows how to kill. They are at a prison, right? He’ll send criminals after the Starjammers, They’ll be his Imperial Guard. He wants to see a list of prisoners! Oracle and Nightside look at each other in disbelief.
In Havok’s cell, a slit at the bottom of the door is opened as his tray of (unappealing looking) food is shoved through. That small moment allows Alex to absorb a little bit of cosmic energy. He looks at the energy sparkling from his hand…