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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

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Intervention
It is the middle of the night at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, in Salem Center, New York. To the outside world, the Institute is a place for “gifted” young men and women to come and learn. That, however, is an exaggeration of the truth. The Institute is the former home of Charles Xavier, one of the world’s leading authorities on genetic mutation, and it is, in fact, headquarters fro two groups of mutants - men and women with extraordinary powers. The Uncanny X-Men, and, at least for now, the Unpredictable X-Force.
One member of the young heroes in X-Force is Tabitha “Boomer” Smith, who walks down the stairs towards the kitchen. Still wearing her team uniform, but with pink-bunny slippers on her feet. Stepping into the kitchen and turning on the light, Boomer is surprised to see her five teammates - Theresa “Siryn” Rourke Cassidy, Bobby “Sunspot” DaCosta, James “Warpath” Proudstar, Shatterstar, Caliban - standing there. ‘Umm, I know this isn’t my birthday…so what’re you guys doing down here in the dark?’ Boomer asks.
‘We’re here to help ye’ Siryn replies. ‘For your own good. For your own safety. Before you’ve taken complete leave of your senses’. Tabitha knows what Siryn is speaking about, after all, she has been warned and repeatedly ignored those warnings. What Tabby doesn’t know, is that there is a price to be paid for that. Boomer bursts out in laughter, ‘If this is a joke - I don’t get it!’ she exclaims. But no one is laughing. Because no one finds it funny. Siryn points at Boomer and tells her that she has a problem and that she must own up to it before it’s too late. ‘Oh, and who died and made you the leader?’ Boomer snaps back angrily, before asking where Cable is.
Suddenly, someone approaches Boomer from behind, tapping her on the back, Sam “Cannonball” Guthrie enters the kitchen, telling Boomer that nobody died, that Cable isn’t here, and that Cable made Siryn deputy leader following his departure to the X-Men. Boomer stares at her boyfriend, still unhappy at him for joining the X-Men, she nevertheless leaps into his arms, urging him to make the others understand that there is nothing wrong with her. ‘I mean, they’re all acting like I was on drugs or something!’ she exclaims.
Sam pushes Tabitha off him, ‘No! You have got to change the direction you’re on!’ he exclaims, telling Boomer to take responsibility for her actions, or else face the consequences. ‘Will someone please tell me what everybody’s problem is?!’ Boomer exclaims, smacking her hands against her head, frustrated. Caliban hangs his head and announces that he doesn’t want to go first, but that his friends say he lost the most. Shatterstar tells Caliban to continue as he begins operating the hologram projector, which projects images of what Caliban is speaking about.
Caliban remarks that Boomer knows about him, how he was a Morlock, who lived under the city in tunnels, until that day, when Sabretooth and the Marauders killed almost all of Caliban’s friends. Caliban points out that Sabretooth hasn’t just killed Morlocks, but also other mutants - and humans too. Even children. Horrified at the images displayed on the projector of Sabretooth slaughtering some Morlocks, Boomer turns away, and Shatterstar switches the projector off. ‘That’s what this is about?’ Boomer asks, hugging herself and hanging her head. ‘My…helping Creed?’.
Caliban approaches his friend and tells her that he didn’t want to upset her, ‘It’s just why would Boomer be nice to Sabretooth - when Sabretooth is a killer?’. This angers Tabitha, who swirls around, ‘How dare you?’ she exclaims. ‘We took you in, Caliban, without so much as a peep!’ Boomer asks Caliban if he thinks that they all forgot that he was once a Horseman of Apocalypse, and that he kidnapped Jubilee, and before that Shadowcat. ‘Your hands aren’t exactly clean!’ she points out. ‘Caliban doesn’t understand. He washed his hands this morning. With soap!’ the Morlock replies, holding his hands up for everyone to see.
The room begins to glow orange as Boomer charges up a plasma time-bomb, ‘You don’t want to get into this. None of you do. We’ve all got our dark secrets - and some of us don’t have them in the hark anymore. RIGHT BOBBY?’ Boomer shouts angrily, asking him how much damage he caused as the Reignfire. ‘Was it my imagination, or were you willing to kill us all?’ Boomer asks. Sunspot hangs his head, unsure of how to reply. Cannonball comes to his best friend’s defense, telling Tabitha that she cannot change the subject like that. ‘This isn’t about Bobby. This is about you’.
‘WRONG!’ Tabitha shouts back. ‘This isn’t about anything other than one thing - giving somebody a second chance!’. Boomer exclaims that she isn’t an idiot, she knows what Sabretooth did, but that he has changed, especially after Wolverine popped a claw into his brain. ‘Now he’s like when somebody gets sober’. Boomer tells her teammates that they should buy into that or else they should take a much closer look at Sunspot. ‘Cause nobody knows when he’s gonna freak out - and turn back into Reignfire!’ she exclaims.
Sunspot replies that there is someone who knows, he does, because he is in control. ‘Says you’ Tabitha snarls. ‘Yes, I say so!’ Bobby exclaims, adding that he appreciates Sam sticking up for him, but that he can defend himself. Bobby explains that thanks to Cable, Reignfire is behind him. Tabitha smirks, ‘So…we’re in agreement, then. That someone can change and put their past behind them’.
The rest of X-Force continue to look exasperated, ‘There’s no getting through to her!’ Sunspot exclaims. ‘She’s putting up a fight. We were all told to expect this’ Siryn adds. Warpath suggests to Tabitha that he might be able to put it another way, and explains that Sunspot earned their trust, after all, he was one of the original New Mutants, and whatever force possessed him, turning into Reignfire, was a separate persona entirely, not Bobby.
Warpath reminds Boomer that Sabretooth lived his life as an evil man, and for all they know, he is simply pretending right now. Warpath adds that one thing is clear though, Sabretooth is changing, growing, becoming more powerful. ‘How much longer before he simply reverts to what he always was?’. Boomer asks Warpath if what he is saying is that there is no such thing as redemption. ‘Then what are we fighting for?’ she asks. ‘What’s the point of the X-Men or X-Force, or Gen X for God’s sake - if we can’t really save anybody - we can only lock them away and give up on them?’.
Suddenly, Shatterstar shouts ‘Enough!’ and storming out of the kitchen, declares that he will no longer take part in this. Siryn tells everyone else to stay where they are, and follows Shatterstar out of the kitchen into the hallway, asking him what he thinks he’s doing, reminding him that for Boomer’s own good, they agreed to do this together. Shatterstar replies that what they actually agreed to do was help a friend who might be in danger. He points out that Boomer believes she can handle the situation. ‘Who are we to say she cannot?’.
Siryn tells Shatterstar that he doesn’t understand, and explains that sometimes people need help getting their lives back on track. ‘I had to face it with my drinking -’ she begins, but is interrupted when Shatterstar continues to walk away, declaring that he only knows what he has seen, and remarks that as it was with Rictor leaving, each person has their own life to live as they see fit, and that includes Boomer.
Siryn hangs her head, when a voice calls out to her telepathically, asking her how it is going. Siryn turns and sees Professor Charles Xavier, founder of the X-Men, with Ororo “Storm” Munroe at his side. Theresa tells the Professor that it is as he said it would be, Boomer seems to be following the pattern he described: denial, anger, bargaining, and then, hopefully, acceptance. ‘Only we’re still heavily into the “anger” part‘. Frustrated, Siryn explains that it is like talking to a wall, and that Boomer doesn’t see herself in the least bit of danger.
Storm touches Siryn’s face and points out that Boomer has a great deal riding on her friendship with Creed, and informs Theresa that even she has spoken with Tabitha about it, although Tabitha refuses to say exactly why, she can still be a very strong-willed young lady. Xavier tells Siryn that X-Force must be prepared to take this “intervention” to the next step. Siryn replies that she was hoping it would not come to that. Xavier telepathically asks her if she would like him to join her, but Theresa declines his offer, replying that he is welcome to stay psi-linked with her, but that this is X-Force business.
Meanwhile, in the South Seas, ‘More!’ screams a being of horrific power, as he feeds off the very life force of the Islanders here. ‘I must have more!’ he shouts, the bodies of dozens of Islanders lying scorched at his feet. He is simply known as Holocaust, and like his name, he once had the power to lay waste to an entire planet. But that was a different world. And as he is learning a different time. ‘Impressive’ a voice remarks. ‘You have decimated the entire population of this island, creature. What do you intend to do now?’.
‘Who…?’ Holocaust asks. ‘Fresh meat!’ he exclaims, grinning wickedly, he unleashes a massive burst of power at the new arrival, who just happens to be Sebastian Shaw! Holocaust’s power smacks into Shaw, but he simply absorbs it, though it rips most of his clothing off. The former Black King of the Hellfire Club, the world believes him to be dead. If all goes according to plan, the world, and his son, Shinobi, will soon hear otherwise.
‘That was…unnecessary’ Shaw tells Holocaust, informing him that he has succeeded in doing is ruining a perfectly good handmade suit. ‘And an expensive one at that’ he adds. The other part of Shaw’s mutant abilities is to rechannel the energies he absorbs - and give it back tenfold. He does so, smashing his incredibly powerful fists into Holocaust’s face. ‘I will KILL you for that!’ the deranged, displaced mutant shouts back. ‘Or, you can listen to reason and find that a partnership between us can prove mutually beneficial…’ Shaw suggests calmly. Soon. Dreadfully soon….
Back at the Xavier Institute, Tabitha exclaims ‘What are you saying? That I can’t be in X-Force anymore?’. Sunspot explains to her that what they are saying to her is that she alone has the choice. Theresa tells Boomer that if she wants to put her life in jeopardy and continue this “friendship” with Creed, then she can. ‘But we’re not going to let you do it without consequences’ Warpath warns her. Boomer turns her back to her teammates, ‘So that’s it? This is how you treat me? You tell me that you care about me - but I don’t behave the way you want me to - so we can’t be friends anymore?’.
Continuously frustrated, Siryn screams at Boomer, ‘Are you that daft girl? Can you not see that we’re trying to keep you from KILLING yourself?’. Warpath tells Boomer that he cares for her, like a brother loves a sister, but that she is the one who is putting that friendship at risk. ‘All our lives in fact. If Creed were to get free and it was somehow due to your involvement…’ his voice trails off, as Boomer smiles and suggests that she clears all visits with Xavier before hand. Caliban remarks that he doesn’t understand, ‘Why is picking your friends so hard?’ he asks.
Boomer suggests that they decide upon a chaperone, or an observer in the Danger Room, looking out for her. Bobby tells his long-time teammate that he wants this to work out - without threats or consequences. ‘Do not put us in a position we do not want to be in, Tabitha. Make the right choice!’ he urges. Slightly forlorn, Tabitha asks if she can have one last visit with him, just to explain it, before asking Sam to help her with this.
‘We can cut some kind of deal…’ she suggests, putting a hand on Sam’s arm. Cannonball hangs his head, telling Tabby that he loves her with all his heart, but he swears this thing she is doing is wrong. ‘And I can’t be a part of it if you want me in your life’ he tells her. ‘But, don’t you get it, Guthrie? It was cause you ran off and joined the X-Men - you’re the one to blame!’ Boomer snaps back, before turning away and beginning to sob. Cannonball, Sunspot, Siryn, Warpath and Caliban stand behind her, and Cannonball replies that he isn’t to blame. ‘I’m trying to save your life’.
‘Fine, then. Since you all seem to know what’s best for me. Maybe I don’t belong on this team anymore!’ Boomer announces, throwing her hands into the air after wiping away some tears. Suddenly though, the Professor’s telepathic voice is heard, ‘That would be a terrible waste’ he tells the former New Mutant. ‘Professor?’ Boomer whispers as Xavier enters the kitchen, the other members of X-Force look at him, relieved that he has decided to get involved.
Xavier tells X-Force that he could no longer remain silent on the subject, and announces that he is speaking on behalf of Cable now, admitting that he and Cable do not agree on a great many things, there is one thing they do agree on, that Boomer has a home here, a family and friends. Xavier goes over to Boomer and tells here to never think that Victor Creed is anything other than an evil man. ‘Do not throw this life away for the likes of him!’ Xavier declares.
‘He’s evil?’ Boomer replies quickly, before excusing herself for living as she tells Xavier that he seems to have conveniently forgotten that the New Mutants went a long time living with Magneto, in this very house, having Magneto look out for them. ‘And if I’m not mistaken, it was all with your blessing!’. Boomer declares that whatever “evil” Creed has caused cannot compare to Magneto’s. ‘And you gave him second, third and fourth chances!’ she adds.
Xavier tells Boomer that she has just made their argument for them, and admits that trusting Magneto, one which he takes full responsibility for. Xavier remarks that he sometimes forgets that the X-Men were created not only to try and promote harmony between homo-superior and homo-sapien, but also to stop evil mutants from hurting anyone. Xavier tells Tabitha that whether or not Sabretooth has changed is not actually the point. ‘You have the choice not to endanger yourself and walk away unscathed. Seize that opportunity, Tabitha, your life is too precious’.
‘You don’t understand! None of you do!’ Tabitha exclaims, leaning on a table. Sam asks her to listen to them, but Tabitha begins to lie slumped over on the table, telling them that if they don’t believe in giving somebody a second chance, no matter how horrible they have been, or how badly they treated you. ‘Then I have to give up on Victor…just like I did with…my father…or me’. Boomer begins to cry.
Later, almost dawn, and Boomer enters the control booth of the Danger Room, exhausted after a long night of debating - arguing - with her teammates. For weeks now, she has secretly entered this place where Sabretooth has been housed. Showing him a bit of kindness in a world that has good reason to hate him. Sitting down in one of the chairs, Tabitha recalls how tonight she was forced to open herself up to the people she loves the most, explain her behavior - “for her own good”. So why does she feel so awful? Pressing a button on the control, a screen lights up, Danger Room Access DENIED. Unauthorized Entry Code. Boomer slams her fists against the control panel, thinking that she should have expected this, they changed the entry code.
Tabitha turns on the inter-comm and calls out to Creed, asking him if he is awake, she proceeds to tell hi that the others don’t want her to see him anymore. ‘Are they right?’ she asks. Tabitha presses herself up against the large glass window and peers into the jungle setting which is currently programmed to hold Sabretooth. ‘I need to hear it from you, Victor. That I wasted all this time - believing in you’. She gets no response, ‘Victor…? Hey! I defended you! Looked after you! You can at least speak to me!’ she screams at him. ‘You could at least…’ her voice trails off, before she runs from the control booth, covering her sobbing eyes.
The silence from the Danger Room is deafening, leaving Boomer haunted by Warpath’s words: Sabretooth lived his life as an evil man. For all knew, he’s pretending now. But one thing is clear - he’s changing - growing - becoming more powerful. How much longer before he simply reverts to what he always was? And deep within the faux jungle, a beastly shape moves, ever so slightly, jaws bared, and fire in his eyes…Sabretooth!


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

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Target: X-Force
‘What is mine…is mine!’ Sebastian Shaw, the Black King of the Hellfire Club thinks to himself. ‘I did not build Shaw Industries up from nothing and into a world-wide conglomerate to have it taken from me. I did not wrest control of the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club - and become the undisputed Black King to allow another to succeed me’. Sebastian decides that, most importantly, he did not intend to turn over any of his wealth or power to his impertinent son, Shinobi. ‘So he murdered me’.
Shaw thinks to himself that what his son doesn’t know, and what the entire world will soon learn, is that Shinobi failed, and the price of his betrayal will be astronomical. To accomplish this task, Shaw has taken on two allies, one old, one new. The first is the ever-reliable Lady Tessa, Shaw’s familiar who stood by his side over the years in the Hellfire Club, offering yet again her loyalty and telepathic powers.
Here, in the Hellfire Club, soldiers mill about in the lab, where Shaw and Tessa stand before a platform on which a third figure stand ‘Yell me, my friend, are you pleased with your new armor’s design?’ SHaw asks. The large orange being replies ‘It is adequate’ as he clenches a fist. This being is known as Holocaust, a presumptuous name nevertheless for one who has possesses extraordinary powers. As Shaw recalls, Holocaust claims to come from an alternate reality - one where Apocalypse rules, and Shaw’s enemies, the X-Men, were outlaw reels, led by, of all people, Magneto.
Whether or not that is true though doesn’t matter to Shaw, who is only concerned with the fact that he has an instrument of enormous destruction, on a very short leash. Holocaust exclaims that he only needs to know if the armor is functional, and he turns to one of the Hellfire Club guards, ‘Stansfield, get out of the way!’ another of them calls out to his comrade. ‘NO!’ Shaw shouts out, but it’s too late, as Holocaust has moved too fast for him. ‘That’s a word I do not respond to, Shaw. Learn that well, “friend”!’ Holocaust exclaims as he murders the guard.
Shaw steps onto the platform and tells Holocaust that was totally unwarranted, ‘You’ve ruined good equipment that will take time and money to replace!’ he exclaims, motioning to the damage that the blast created. ‘He…he…killed Stansfield - just like that!’ the other guard exclaims. Holocaust shoves his powerful hand in Shaw’s face, ‘I don’t think I like your tone’ Holocaust exclaims. A frightened Shaw telepathically calls out to Tessa, who responds also telepathically, assuring Shaw that she will handle it: ‘Holocaust - lower your weapon! Good’. Tessa orders into Holocaust’s mind, and indeed, he lowers the weapon.
As Shaw had been informed, telepaths were quite rare on Holocaust’s world, which allows Shaw a modicum of control, when it becomes necessary. Shaw frowns at Holocaust as he tells him that they have completed only half the bargain. ‘You have your armor…now I get what I want from our partnership…’ he tells Holocaust. Shaw thinks to himself that he has been a patient man, and now his patience is about to be rewarded.
Meanwhile, in Jonestown, Pennsylvania, the X-Force heroine Tabitha Smith a.k.a. Boomer has returned to where she once lived, until she ran away from her so-called home. ‘What am I doing?’ Tabby wonders as she sits on her jeep on a road overlooking the small town. Tabitha has rarely spoken of the incident that drove her from this place, and is equally reluctant to discuss the incident which has brought her return. ‘I swore I’d never come back to this town. But after what happened with Sabretooth…’ her thoughts trail off.
Boomer drives into the city, past a group of youths playing basketball, she thinks to ‘And isn’t this just like me? When the going gets tough…the tough…run away’. Even though, Tabitha and her teammates have seen far too much battle for their age. Boomer, appropriately named, has the power to blow up just about anything, yet in the pit of her stomach, she knows this is the hardest thing she has ever done.
Nearby, in the yard of a trailer park, a man is trying to fix his car. ‘Dang…blasted…stupid!’ he mumbles, unaware that Tabitha is approaching him, after parking her car several feet away. Boomer thinks to herself that with Cable off “who-knows-where”, she needs someone who will listen to her. ‘Man, oh man, this was a really bad idea!’ Tabitha tells herself. Mr. Smith realizes someone is behind him now, and believing it to be Gus, he asks Gus what took him so long, ‘I could’ve built a new engine by the time -’ suddenly, Boomer interrupts him, revealing her presence, she exclaims ‘It’s not “Gus”!’ Mr. Smith spins around. ‘Huh?’ he asks, confused. ‘Hello Daddy…’ Boomer whispers.
Meanwhile, twenty stories below New York City, a maze of tunnels exists that once housed the mutant outcasts known as the Morlocks. Most of them are dead now, X-Force’s Caliban being one of the few exceptions. Trudging through the water, Caliban tells his teammate Bobby “Sunspot” DaCosta that he is pleased to have him here. Bobby, flying low in the tunnel replies that he is happy to be here. ‘Really?’ asks Caliban, surprised, as he would have thought Bobby would have wanted to go out with the others. Bobby is a young man trying to start his life over again, to look at he and Caliban, one would only see monsters of a sort, but to look deeper, one would see that they are actually two very lonely young men.
Bobby explains to Caliban that he cannot just “go out” as he used to, as his new powers create too much interference with the image inducers, and he cannot change back to a normal looking appearance. ‘Does that both Sunspot?’ Caliban asks, before remarking that he has always looked like this, except now of course he looks like a different version of himself after what Apocalypse did to him. ‘Right’ Bobby replies, before asking Caliban where it is they are going. Caliban replies that he likes to come down here, even though Cable gave him a new home. ‘It’s hard to let go of the old one’.
Sunspot thinks to himself that there is more to Caliban than anyone knows, and recalls a saying his Grandmother used to say: “Listen to the innocents for even they have something to say…”. Down below, Caliban suddenly senses mutants up ahead, and wonders if all the Morlocks didn’t die, like him. He runs off in the opposite direction from Sunspot, who suddenly realizes that Caliban has disappeared. Bobby calls out to Caliban, when suddenly, there is a burst of energy up ahead. Bobby races in the direction of the energy burst, calling out to Caliban as he flies, practically blind, down in the tunnels.
The deeper Bobby goes in the tunnel, the darker it gets, thus causing his solar charge to decrease. ‘Caliban, why don’t you answer me?’ Bobby calls out, when, suddenly, he rounds a corner, and discovers a limp Caliban in the clutches of Holocaust. ‘Sunspot! Can the traitor, Gambit be far behind?’ Holocaust asks. Sunspot, unaware that Shaw and Tessa are standing in a shadowy-alcove nearby, replies ’I don’t know how you know me - or why you would like me with Gambit - but if you have the power to take out Caliban - let’s see how you like it on the receiving end!’.
With that, Sunspot bombards Holocaust with solar power, causing Holocaust to remark that he was mistaken, as the Sunspot he knew would never have been so foolish as to give him what he needed. ‘I feed on the living energy of others!’ he exclaims. ‘Uh-oh’ Sunspot whispers, before he two falls victim to Holocaust via a massive energy burst. Thus, it has begun, the first two pawns have been taken off the board.
Meanwhile, in the Upper West side of Manhattan, specifically Columbus Avenue: James “Warpath” Proudstar and Theresa “Siryn” Rourke Cassidy walk side-by-side down the busy street. Warpath may be the physically strongest member of X-Force, but next to Siryn, he feels like a bowl of oatmeal, after all, he has a crush on the deputy leader of X-Force, but Theresa on the other hand, is oblivious, or not interested.
James tells Terry t hat he is really glad she wanted to go out with him, to which Siryn replies that it is no problem as she loves the city. ‘Oh’ James mumbles in reply. Siryn tells James that after being on a separate assignment for so long, she has not yet noticed his new hair style. ‘You don’t like it?’ James asks. Siryn replies that it isn’t that, but it just takes some time getting used to. Warpath reminds Siryn that, during the fight with Reignfire he nearly died, and it made him realize that he has been living in his brother’s shadow for so long - his costume, his look, his everything, so he knew it was time to move on and start appreciating what he has, here and now - beginning with X-Force and -.
Siryn interrupts James, ‘Jimmy!’ she exclaims as she stares a dress on a mannequin in a store window. ‘Hmm?’ asks James, puzzled. ‘Come with me!’ Theresa exclaims, grabbing James by the wrist and pulling him into the store. ‘Nothing makes a woman’s heart skip like a dress sale!’ Siryn gushes, holding up two dresses. ‘Oh’ James mumbles, before telling Terry that he thought they were going out for dinner. Siryn assures Warpath that they are, and tells him that this will only take a moment. ‘Oooh, and I have to try that one!’ Theresa exclaims, taking another dress from the sales woman.
James sits down next to a man, who turns to him and says ‘Welcome to the “Land of Abandoned Spouses”!’. James awkwardly replies that he and Theresa are not “spouses”, to which the man replies ‘Oh, you’re going through that nightmare: “If we’re not married, what are?” “Significant others?” “Soul mates?”’. He tells James that his own partner was partial to “Reason for living”. James glances away from the man and wonders ‘Why couldn’t I still be stuck in Siberia?’.
James suddenly recalls what it was that the Mimic said about him, that he had heightened senses, so he begins to concentrate, and indeed, begins to hear some of the women talking in the changing rooms: ‘- never fits right -’, ‘- need new shoes -’. This surprises James, impressed that he can actually hear people whispering. ‘This is incredible!’ he decides, when, suddenly, ‘ - help, Jim…!’ he hears. ‘What the -?’ he wonders, while another voice whispers ‘- lose ten pounds -’.
James realizes that Siryn is in danger and races towards the changing rooms, all the while more muttered speech forces its way to him: ‘ - wonder if I took this in -’, ‘- never eat again -’, ‘ can’t get away wearing -’. James calls out ‘’m coming Theresa!’ but as he rips open one of the changing room doors, he is greeted not by Siryn, but by a woman dressing, who screams. ‘Sorry! I’m really sorry!’ James whispers.
Suddenly, someone taps James on the back, causing Warpath to spin around, whereupon he is confronted by Sebastian Shaw! Shaw remarks that he had hoped not to soil his hands with this business, while Warpath is awfully surprised to see Shaw, and exclaims ‘That’s not possible! You’re dead!’ before punching Shaw hard in the face. Shaw recovers easily and just grins, ‘I got better, boy’ he boasts, before complimenting Warpath on his impressive punch, but remarks that for someone who can absorb and rechannel it back, it was nothing more than a waste of valuable time. With that, Shaw smashes James across the room into a pillar. Two more fall.
Meanwhile, in Lower Manhattan, the Soho District, home to the trendy and the clubs they attract. Shatterstar, X-Force’s very own man-from-an-alternate-world walks alone along the street, thinking that perhaps he should have accompanied Warpath and Siryn, but despite what James said, Shatterstar had the distinct impression that he did not want him to come along with the two of them. Passing a nightclub, Shatterstar recognizes it as one of the clubs Rictor brought him to, and wonders why he hasn’t heard from his friend. Suddenly, a scantily-clad woman standing outside the club calls out to Shatterstar: ‘You look lost. Want to get found?’ she exclaims. Shatterstar replies that he isn’t lost, to which the woman asks if he wants to go dancing. ‘I…thank you, but no’ Shatterstar replies as he continues on, walking past the club.
‘I miss Julio…’ Shatterstar thinks to himself as he passes a dark alley, where, suddenly, someone calls out urgently: ‘HELP!’ as three thugs loom over him, ‘No use crying for help’ one of them tells him. ‘Nobody wants your kind around here’ another remarks. ‘Enough!’ Shatterstar shouts, revealing his presence behind the thugs. ‘This your girlfriend, Mary?’ one of the thugs asks. Stern-faced, Shatterstar replies that he doesn’t know who he is referring to, but he does know, however, when the sides are unevenly matched, and announces that he will even them, pulling his swords from his duffel bag, he remarks that he will not need these to reach that goal, and sticks them into the concrete.
Entering the battle, Shatterstar decides that he is much more in his element now, but wishes the antagonists were worthy of a true contest, and easily kicks one of them other, before smashing the other two into each other. Shatterstar pulls the man who was being attacked up off the ground, and the man asks his rescuer why he helped him. ‘You…required it’ Shatterstar replies. ‘Sure, but this kind of thing goes on all the time and nobody helps -’ the man replies, when suddenly, he goes wide-eyed as he stares past Shatterstar. Shatterstar turns around to see what the man is looking at, before he becomes the victim, as another falls.
Back in Jonestown, tears fall from Boomer’s eyes - she and her father have talked for hours, neither of them saying anything of real consequence, but talking nonetheless. Holding a cup of coffee in her hand, Tabby smiles at her father and tells him that she knows he hates her, having a mutant for a daughter. Mr. Smith holds his head in his hands, quietly telling Tabitha that he doesn’t hate her, that he has never hated her. Sitting inside his caravan as the sunsets, Mr. Smith assures Tabitha that he isn’t trying to make excuses or anything, but that after the mill closed, and he started drinking…his voice trails off.
Mr. Smith tells his daughter that, looking at her now, all grown up, she has her mother’s eyes. ‘Anyway, after she left -’ Mr. Smith begins, until Boomer interrupts, ‘Wait! What do you mean “left?” You always told me Mom died!’.  Mr. Smith tells Tabitha that her mother is still alive, somewhere, ‘Living a life free of you and me’. Tabitha is about to put a hand on her father’s hand to comfort him, when the doorbell to the trailer rings. ‘Hold that thought. I’ll get the door’ Tabby tells her father.
However, as soon as she opens the door, Tabby sees Sebastian Shaw, and Holocaust standing behind him, and urgently calls out to her father to get down on the floor. Shaw smirks and introduces himself to Mr. Smith. ‘You may have heard of me’ he remarks, before Holocaust blows up the trailer.
Standing in the orange-yellow glow of the explosion, Shaw thinks to himself that there is a certain beauty to a well executed plan - an elegance that only a few can appreciate. But knows that, ironically, for all he has accomplished today, it is merely the first step. ‘They have all forgotten. They all thought I could die so easily…that they could take what I so carefully built up over a lifetime. And there, in that cold wasteland, I made a vow as I lay dying…. Xavier. The X-Men. The Hellfire Club. Shinobi. They will all learn. Slowly. Painfully. What is mine…is mine. And what is theirs…is mine!’….


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Fun, Fun, Fun! (first story), The Gamut (second story)
First story: The young men and women that comprise the mutant team known as X-Force – Shatterstar, Warpath, Domino, Siryn, Sunspot and Boomer – together with former member Cannonball are about to play some beach volleyball. With the kids having seen more than their share of fighting, bloodshed and death, their mentor, Cable, felt that “enough already” and decided to take the team to the tiny South Sea island known as Kali – for some sun, surf and fun! Cable now sits on a lifeguard’s elevated tower overlooking the match and shouting, “Let’s get to it.” It’s Boomer, Caliban, Siryn and Domino versus Sunspot, Shatterstar, Warpath and Cannonball!
“Eat this, Guthrie!” Tabitha screams as she serves the ball. Siryn applauds her for her nice serve. Domino urges the girls to look alive: they are only one point away from soaking these wimps! As the ball heads to Sam’s way, Bobby urges him to “take it to them!” Similarly, Shatterstair proclaims this is a matter of honor and James asks Sam to set it up! “Ah got it!” Sam repeatedly shouts as he’s about to make an underarm pass at the ball coming towards him.
However, Sam falls on the ground, missing the ball. Fortunately for the boys, Sunspot moves rapidly across the field and deflects the ball in time. As the ball reaches the girls’ side, their sole male teammate, Caliban, admits he’s confused. Making an underarm pass, Siryn asks him to concentrate on the game. However, Caliban tells Domino that, if they are playing boys against girls, why is he on the girls’ side? “Caliban is a boy!” he insists, referring to himself in third person as usual. Losing her patience, Domino explains for the billionth time that they did it to even out the sides. “And give us a handicap,” she admits to herself.
Hearing this, the guys joke “I’ll switch sides!” Shatterstar kicks the ball, remarking that they may all joke if they wish but he takes all competition seriously. Shatterstar’s kick sends the ball on Caliban’s head and is then ricocheted towards some bushes nearby. Theresa rushes to the ball. Unbeknownst to her, it’s not the real ball she picks up – concealed under some branches nearby – but what appears to be the ball.
Handing the ball over to James, since it is his turn to serve, Theresa wishes him good luck: he’ll need it. James insists they’ll see who needs the luck. Cable reminds James this is the game point. This game is for the undisputed bragging rights for the rest of the weekend. Warpath feels the pressure and finally serves the ball, remarking that, as the X-Men used to say, “One fastball special, comin’ up!”
The ball makes some weird spins on the air, though, and the girls fail making contact with it. Tabitha argues that’s cheating. Suddenly, everyone is puzzled to see the ball transformed into a green/purple lobster! The “lobster” starts talking like a sportscaster and goes flying all the way to Cable, attaching itself on his face! Trying to breathe, Cable makes desperate efforts to take it off his face. Suddenly, Cable and the lobster are momentarily lost in a puddle in a light. The next moment, Cable is grabbing the green-skinned Impossible Man from his neck!
Furious, Cable informs his assailant he just made a big mistake. Most of the X-Force is puzzled by who this being is, but Cannonball conceals his face in his hands in despair, mumbling “not him!” He informs them this is the Impossible Man. He tells Cable he comes from this planet called Poppup and as silly as he may appear… he is extremely powerful.
Domino advises Nathan that maybe he ought to let this being go before he turns… blue. Tabitha assures them they don’t know what they’re in for. Sam has told her he’s megawatt trouble! Cable asks Impossible Man if that’s true: is he here to give them trouble? Disgruntled, Impossible Man exclaims that he’s never been treated so…! He pauses, as her remembers there was that time with the Fantastic Four, but Mr. Grimm didn’t have much in the way of a sense of humor. Cable bluntly informs him neither does he.
Impossible Man finally cuts to the cheese and informs them that, since his last visit, he’s been blessed by fatherhood. Three darling “Impossible Kids”: everything a parent would want actually. They lack only a modicum of discipline. Thus, and since they meet the age requirement, what better way to learn than with one’s peers by joining X-Force! Cable insists he’d love to have them but according to their by-laws, paragraph 9F, subparagraph “D,” no new members are allowed during any month ending in an “r”! They wouldn’t want to go against the by-laws, would they? “No!” the team unanimously agrees.
Cable believes the Impossible Man should leave now since they can’t really be of any help to him. Scrunching, twisting and bending him, he again shapes Impossible Man into a ball, kicking him in the sea and urging him to have a nice trip and write if he finds work! Sam believes that was not a good idea. Undaunted, Cable blows his whistle, urging them to play volleyball.
Soon after the game resumes, the earth trembles and Impossible Man erupts from the ground, now transmogrified into a giant worm-like monster and tells Cable that wasn’t very nice. Nathan interrupts him, admitting he’s right. All he asks is that since they’re on vacation, Impossible Man waits until they get back to civilization and then calls his office to make an appointment. Impossible Man cries that’s not fair! He has to take care of his problem right away.
Cable urges him to stop that; it’s annoying. Impossible Man is probably used to getting his own way but that won’t cut with him. Defeated, Impossible Man vanishes. Cable boasts, “You just need to know how to handle them.”
Impossible Man, however, doesn’t let the team be. In the next few hours, he shape-shifts into the towel Domino is about to use after having a bath. Upon realizing who/what the towel is, Domino screams Cable’s name. Later, the team is having a picnic; much to everyone’s chagrin, though, Impossible Man has transformed himself into the basket containing the food, offering everybody some mustard! A little bit later, Tabitha and Theresa are sitting by the hotel pool. Tabitha wonders what figure it cost Cable to rent out this whole place for them. A waiter serves Theresa her oysters. As she opens the shell, she sees a tiny Impossible Man begging her to take his kids, just for a little while!
As night falls, Sam and Tabitha are walking along the coast. Sam finds it pretty there. Tabitha wishes they could be like this all the time – except for the part with the Impossible Man. Sam knows it’s been hard since he left the team but he doesn’t think Cable would graduate him if he didn’t think he was ready. Tabitha, however, insists that Cable isn’t right all the time. Sam asks her if this is why she wanted them to come out here in the moonlight and skip dinner. Tabitha’s response is negative as she puts her arms around Sam’s shoulders and kisses him.
Soon, Sam and Tabitha catch up with the others, who are already having dinner alfresco, in the company of live music, courtesy of their hotel resort. As natives dance on stage, a woman holding a microphone welcomes everybody to the Kali-Kali Resort – where their service is only surpassed by their island delicacies! Tonight, the Kali-Kali dancers bring them in native tribal dance. As they say in Kali, “quanta mosota delaya,” which means “may the sun always shine and the skies remain blue.”
Cable confides in Domino his confidence that this is the last they’ve seen of the Imposs… Domino stops him, telling him not to jinx it.
The woman with the microphone informs them that the island was once ruled by a horrific sea creature, called Barrachus the Kalinator that could only be defeated by one pure at heart. If Barrachus should return, which among them could defeat him?
Cable thinks this stuff is ridiculous but loves it. Impossible Man suddenly materializes in Cable’s arms, exclaiming that “ridiculous” is his middle name! He believes Cable should meet two of his kids whose names are “ridiculous” – that is, if Popponians had names! Startled by the alien’s appearance, Cable accidentally overturns the table, causing every food and drink to fall on top of his not-quite-pleased students.
Furious, Cable tells Impossible Man to get this through his green pointed head: his kids are his problem. “Now go away!” he yells. Impossible Man begs him to help him. He tried being a responsible parent but this discipline thing eludes him – maybe if he could just talk to them…
Siryn puts the matter in another way: if Cable doesn’t take care of this problem, he’s going to have a much bigger one on his hands! Domino also whispers to his ear to meet these “impossible kids”: how much trouble could they be? Nathan gives some money to the hotel staff to compensate for the damage done and finally tells Impossible Man to bring out his kids. Enthused, Impossible Man summons them.
The earth shudders as Impossible Man’s three teenage kids – two sons and a daughter – approach from the woods. They all look bored and aloof. In despair, Cable realizes they’re slackers: every parent’s nightmare! It’s going to take a lot to get them motivated.
Part 2Nobody is at the lobby of the Kali-Kali resort hotel. The hotel is renowned for its décor and service but with its being at full capacity and only nine actual guests, things are a bit relaxed. Impossible Man shows up, however, and rings the bells at the reception repeatedly until he finally shapes his hand into a hammer and smashes it, in frustration!
The receptionist finally shows up. Dressed in full tourist outfit, complete with camera and traveling bags, Impossible Man tells him he would like to check in. The receptionist is terribly sorry but they have no more rooms. Impossible Man insists he’ll take a room on the thirteenth floor. The receptionist replies they have no thirteenth floor. Impossible Man informs him they have now. The man argues that’s impossible. However, thanks to the shapeshifting abilities of Impossible Man and his kids, a green/purple thirteenth floor is indeed suddenly created!
In awe, the receptionist asks him how many are in his party. With a smile, Impossible Man replies that depends: are children free? Only under the age of twelve, the man informs him. Impossible Man then replies there’s just one person in his party: himself – and he will take care carrying his own… luggage. Still in shock, the receptionist thinks that he thought he had seen it all when the large purple one kept saying to him “Caliban likes you!”
In his bedroom, Cable grabs an extra hour of sleep. Slowly opening his eyes, Nathan is puzzled by the color of his pillow: it’s bright green! The “pillow” is, of course, Impossible Man who gleefully informs Cable his kids are up and raring to go! “Why couldn’t this all be a bad dream…?” Cable woefully thinks.
Soon, the entire team sans Cable and Domino is gathered in the hotel rec room, all wearing their swimsuits. Undaunted, the kids of Impossible Man are comfortable seated on a couch, watching Saved by the Bell on TV! Holding the ball, Theresa asks the kids to listen to her. Cable wants the team to include them in their fun – so, will they get of their “duffs” and turn the blasted telly off?!
One of the kids tells the team they’re in the way. Siryn insists it’s a beautiful day outside. The others tell her it’s no use pounding her head against a brick wall: it’s their tough luck if they don’t wanna have fun. As the team exits the room, Shatterstar sits among the aliens, happily proclaiming that this is a fairly intriguing episode of the show. He tells them that the character called “Screech” has to dress up in… Siryn’s head appears on the door. She tells Shatterstar to get his buns out here on the double!
A little bit later, the team enjoys some water sports. The boys are driving boats, Cannonball and Warpath on one of them, Sunspot on another and Shatterstar with Caliban on the third. Theresa and Tabitha are waterskiing, following Shatterstar’s boat. Sam challenges Bobby to race him round a big greenish rock they can see close to them. Impossible Man’s kids are watching them from the beach, lazy and aloof as always. One of them asks his siblings what X-Force called this. His brother replies they called it “fun.”
Whilst continuing racing, Bobby discusses with Sam on Impossible Man’s kids, finding them to be a bunch of dweebs. “Diff’rent strokes for diff’renet folks,” Sam replies. They, of all people, should understand that.
Theresa confides in Tabitha she almost feels badly for those kids: missing out on all of this! Tabitha jokingly asks her what they are supposed to do: hold their hands? Siryn reminds her she said “almost feel bad” and cackles!
Bobby thinks the sea is getting choppier, as seen around the greenish rock. Warpath has a question for Bobby: is it his imagination or is that rock growing? Sunspot wonders whether Warpath’s gone loco. How can a rock grow?!
Suddenly, the rock proves to be an enormous fish-like sea beast, complete with fish scales, who springs out of the water, howling “WHO DARES DISTURB BARRACHUS, THE KALINATOR?!” His rise causes a great uproar to the sea, causing all the boats to overturn. The team finds itself swimming. Terrified, Caliban screams he can’t swim! Theresa grabs him, urging him to calm down.
Swimming away from the monster, Bobby wonders if Sam’s thinking what he’s thinking. “Ya mean, what’s green and purple and appears outta nowhere?!” Cannonball responds. He tells Bobby he doesn’t buy this “Kalinator” for one minute. Warpath suggests they discuss this on shore before they all drown! Meanwhile, Impossible Man’s children walk to the hotel, asking each other, stoic as always, “What do you want to do?”
The Kalinator walks out of the sea, causing people on the beach to flee in panic. The monster argues this island may have changed since last he awoke but still there is no one to oppose him! The woman recounting the Kalinator “fable” the previous night kneels to the ground, realizing the legends are true. She prays to the gods of Kali to send them a deliverer! Sunspot indeed shows up and flies upwards with her, moments before she would have been squashed by the Kalinator’s foot. The woman insists Bobby doesn’t understand: they’re all doomed! Nothing can stop the Kalinator!
Siryn and Cannonball fly around the Kalinator, still mistaking him for the Impossible Man. Siryn reminds him that Cable told him to stop this nonsense whereas Sam points to the fact he’s wrecking a lot of people’s stuff. Still, he realizes the “Impossible Man” isn’t listening, as the beast proceeds to grab the hotel building.
Inside the hotel, the now armed Domino, rushes towards Cable’s room, hoping Cable’s not sleeping – he’s a bear when he first wakes up. Kicking the door of his room open, she finds him on the shower! Surprised, Nathan remarks she’d better have a good reason to be there.
Suddenly, the Kalinator devours the walls surrounding Cable’s room. Domino asks him if that’s good enough reason for him. Cable hastily puts on a towel as his three flying students, Siryn, Cannonball and Sunspot, approach, a little shocked to see him in the nude. Ever-shy, Sam suggests he puts some clothes on.
Also mistaking the Kalinator for the Impossible Man, Cable stands before the beast, telling the “purple and green wingnut” to listen up – he’s taken this way too far, so why doesn’t he just pop out of here? The Impossible Man suddenly materializes himself from a chain Cable wears around his neck, asking if that’s it: he scolded a monster?! How about some of that world-class butt kicking action? Astonished, the X-Force members wonder that, if that’s the Impossible Man, then… who the heck is the monster?
The Kalinator suddenly roars and literally devours Sam, Bobby and Theresa alive! Tabitha keeps pumping the monster with her time-bombs whereas James asks Caliban to lend him a hand and see if they can topple this beast. Caliban insists he’s trying but the monster is heavy! While Cable is putting some clothes on and frantically looking for his belt, the Kalinator grabs the remaining members of X-Force – minus Domino – with Tabitha exclaiming this isn’t fun!
Seeing his students devoured, Cable acts on pure instinct and adrenaline and unleashes a telekinetic blast against the beast – to no result. Domino starts shooting the Kalinator but informs Cable of the dismal news: they are hopelessly outclassed here. Nathan remarks it’s obvious they’re going to need some help to get X-Force out of there and find a way to stop this thing. “Who?” Domino wonders. The X-Men will never get here in time.
Impossible Man makes his appearance, accompanied by his kids. Dead serious now, the Impossible Man tells them that help has arrived: his kids are going to help X-Force or no television for a month! Cable regrets they didn’t just go to Disneyland like he wanted to!
For a moment, the beast stops. Contained alive in the belly of the beast is the entire team of X-Force, giving the Kalinator the worst case of heartburn! Warpath suggests they’ve got to get out of here before this creature has the time to properly digest them. Shatterstar believes that there, in the belly of the beat, there must be some clues to its defeat and starts slashing the monster’s flesh with his sword.
On the beach, Impossible Man thinks this isn’t what he had in mind at all. He realizes his kids are failures… he is a failure… how is he ever going to explain this to the Impossible Woman? His despair is cut short by the Kalinator squashing him with his foot. Flat like a paper, the Impossible Man is swept away by a breeze. His offspring watch him, ever-aloof; instead, the Impossible Man’s daughter wonders if they’re gonna miss Melrose Place tonight!
Furious, Cable scolds the kids, reminding them this is not some television show: this is real life! Their father – no matter what else they thought of him – only wanted something better for them! “Whoa… real life” one of the kids exclaims. Suddenly motivated, the kids realize they should help. All of three of them instantly shapeshift into three guns. Cable picks up the guns, merging them into one, realizing he may not know what these guns will do, but Guthrie claimed these “Popponians” are supposed to be very powerful. As he pulls the trigger of one of the “gun,” aiming to the Kalinator, the “gun” is grumping, telling him not to so squeeze so hard!
Nathan tosses the guns aside, thinking that these idiots have him acting like an idiot, forgetting one of his earliest lessons: use everything at your disposal. He telepathically goes deep into the Kalinator’s mind and finds the dark secret that everyone has, the one thing it itself fears. He then transfers the secret in the minds of Impossible Man’s offspring, urging them to shapeshift into the Kalinator’s greatest fear and prove to their father, their friends and themselves that they have value beyond what everyone sees.
The three kids transform themselves into a sea monster so huge it makes the Kalinator look small in comparison. “M-Mother…?” the Kalinator mumbles in terror, seeing the horrible monster roaring. Kalinator’s “mom” devours him in an instant. Domino asks Cable how he expects to get X-Force back now. Fortunately, the “impossible monster” throws up the team, safe and sound, save for their utter disgust for being littered all over by the Kalinator’s bodily fluids!
Impossible Man also reappears and embraces Cable, thanking him for getting his kids motivated: the entire galaxy will know the name of Nathan Dayspring Summers! The kids themselves admit that was kind of cool. Enthused, Impossible Man asks them if they learnt anything from this little experience. Transforming into different versions of Cable, the three Poponians state that the “why” of any situation is secondary to the situation itself; what is… is; they must protect the innocent – even though they may fear and hate them! The kids decide to depart since there are universes depending on them now! Indeed, the whole “impossible family” finally vanishes away in a puddle of light.
Cable asks the team who’s up for a game of volleyball. Ostensibly pissed, Tabitha notices that Cable somehow got through this whole mess without getting a tiny bit of goo on him: she suggests they throw him in the ocean! Cable pleads them to calm down. They shouldn’t blame him; they should blame the Impossible Man! The team starts chasing him, however, and Cable flees in panic, calling for Domino to help!
Second story: Domino is standing in an alley. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a shadow shift where no shadow should be. Mixed in with the sounds of traffic, she hears the slightest rustle of clothing. Her hackles go up; her adrenaline surges. There is a certain appeal to danger that excites her. She turns to face her stalker; expose him and force him to action.
It’s a black-clad ninja that lands from above. Domino deflects him with a kick as he attacks her. Behind her, two more ninjas drop without a sound but Domino spots them anyways. As she beats them with grace and fluidity, she thinks that, after years of training, her muscle memory impresses even her. God, I’m good, she thinks. Rendering the two ninjas unconscious, she wonders who they might work for… who might have sent them?
The third ninja is still on his feet and unleashes his shuriken stars against her. Domino uses a girder as a shield and then hurls it onto the ninja. Apparently a robot, the ninja releases some incomprehensible electronic sounds and collapses. “That’s all you got?!” Domino yells, her snide remarks aimed at the mysterious person sending the ninjas after her. Domino confesses aloud that she though he might give her a challenge. Suddenly, someone replies “You want a challenge? Me, too.”
The person who just uttered that steps out of the shadows – it’s another Domino! The true Domino is driven mad: someone using the doppelganger routine again? She’s had someone try to impersonate her before – take her place. But the metamorph Copycat was never her. She was good but she wasn’t good enough. Thinking this, Domino incessantly punches and kicks her doppelganger and quickly knocks her out.
“Don’t tell me I’ve run your entire gamut already!” Domino again boasts aloud. Someone else attacks her from behind, though. She turns around, wondering whether her mysterious antagonist is throwing at her another of his little toys.
Surprisingly, she sees her former Six Pack teammate, Grizzly. Bordering on insanity, Grizzly begs her to do it while she still can: shoot him! Shocked, Domino thinks that the lunatic has certainly done his homework and unrooted a way to hurt her. The wound is still so fresh… like yesterday. Domino assumes her opponent has changed the rule – lowered his standards. Is nothing sacred anymore? She momentarily recalls the day Grizzly died.
(flashback)Grizzly had confessed that he – Genesis – had made him do horrible things that will never go away. He implores her to pull the trigger if she still cares for him at all. Domino desperately insists there’s got to be something they can do. Grizzly, however, grabs the gun Domino’s aiming and pulls the trigger himself.
(present time)Domino tells herself she couldn’t stop him. There was nothing she could do. Her opponent is trying to use it against her, manipulating her emotions, playing with her head, hoping that this will unnerve her – that she can’t fight a memory so dark and painful. Domino, however, is not about to be defeated by her own emotions. She won’t allow herself to be twisted like that. She’s going to beat Grizzly’s robotic doppelganger but not like this – not with a gun.
Jumping on a big garbage can she sees nearby, Domino invites the “Grizzbot” to come and get her. Domino thinks it’s ironic how contrary this arrangement is: her adversary keeps trying to kill her and she lets him try. It gives her a thrill, though, and after all, he never wins. The confrontations he throws at her always seem to test her strength and skill – challenges of the highest physical level. But this time he tried to beat her psychologically, using her emotions against her, banking on how life-like his toys can be; testing her mettle rather than her muscle.
The “Grizzbot” indeed jumps on the garbage can, screaming that he’s making him do it, he’s making him kill her – repeating the same words the true Grizzly kept telling Domino the day he died. Domino averts his attack, jumping away and the robot impales itself on a “No Playing” sign next to the can.
Domino boasts she’s beaten him again! She assumes she must really be getting under his skin to cause such a drastic change in strategy. She supposes she should take it again as a compliment. “By the way” she adds, “I knew where you were all along!” Saying this, she hurls the pole of the sign on the little van that was stationed in the street across the alley. The pole opens a huge hole on the van. “So… same time next year… Arcade?!” Domino exclaims. Indeed, Arcade is seen in the van. With a sardonic smile, he admits he really thought he had her this time. He won’t be satisfied till he wins and she loses – her life! He agrees he will see Domino again – sooner than she thinks.


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

[Assistant]
Reflections in the Night
After midnight at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. ‘No, what I said was - “Her story doesn’t add up”!’ declares Bishop, of the X-Men as he examines the destruction in the Danger Room, where a crime has been committed - a tragedy has occurred - a murderer has escaped. While his teammates hunt down the dangerous fugitive, Bishop is attempting to put together the pieces of this most disturbing puzzle. Bishop is a time-displaced peace-keeper from a future less than a century from now. At his side, hampering the investigation to the best of his abilities, is another time-displaced hero, Cable.
Ororo “Storm” Munroe watches from the Danger Room control room, as Cable a.k.a. Nathan Summers asks Bishop if what he is saying is that Boomer lied to them. Cable warns Bishop that when he questions the word of an X-Force member, then he hears about it from him. ‘Indeed?’ Bishop replies, before reminding him for the eleventh time that, according to Boomer, Sabretooth got free first, she tried to stop him, and then Psylocke was almost fatally injured. Bishop adds that since Psylocke is unable to tell her story for the moment, he feels he must examine every facet of Creed’s escape.
Bishop picks up the restraints that Victor “Sabretooth” Creed was held in, and remarks that it looks as if they were shattered from the outside - from an energy burst. Cable grits his teeth and looks Bishop square in the face, ‘Whatever you’re thinking, don’t go there’ he warns him, declaring that he stands by Boomer’s story. Bishop suggests to Cable that he take a step back from him, ‘Or what “friend”?’ Cable retorts, when suddenly, a burst of lightning separates the two, courtesy of Storm.
Storm declares that the conversation ends now, pointing out that it’s late and they are al understandably on edge. Ororo points out that whatever with Sabretooth - and the aftermath - was a tragedy but she will not allow it to create an even greater schism in this house. Though she wields power over the elements, Storm’s greatest power comes from her stature and sense of authority. Storm turns to Nathan and remarks that he seems unusually defensive about Bishop’s suspicions. ‘Can it be - on some level - you share them?’ Ororo asked.
Cable grits his teeth again and replies that Boomer told them her story, and he cannot accept she would lie to them. Bishop begins to tell about a similar case he worked on with the X.S.E., which Cable interrupts, exclaiming that he knows about the security forces that trained him. ‘Everybody in the house does’. Cable them excuses himself, and as he leaves, Storm turns to Bishop and remarks that Cable is afraid. ‘He should be’ Bishop replies. ‘For if we begin lying to each other, what hope do we have?’.
Meanwhile, upstairs, a photo of Tabitha Smith a.k.a. Boomer in happier times, alongside her then New Mutants teammates Cannonball, Mirage, Sunspot and Warlock sits on a dresser - then goes up in flames as Boomer destroys it, along with most other items in her room with a plasma-charged time bomb. Tabitha’s life has never been easy, and by being part of X-Force, she has found a way to improve herself. Since joining the New Mutants she has changed her name from “Boom-Boom” to “Boomer” and designed her costume over and over again, until eventually it became more conservative.
Tabitha even went as far as falling in love with X-Force’s former deputy leader, her long-time teammate, the straight-as-an-arrow Sam “Cannonball” Guthrie, who recently graduated to the X-Men - something that upset Tabitha very much. Tabitha looks at a teddy bear, ‘Three…two…’ she begins as she lights up a time bomb.
Elsewhere in the mansion, in the medi-lab, X-Force’s Shatterstar yawns, telling the X-Men’s Beast a.k.a. Dr. Hank McCoy that they have been over and over this. ‘Humor me, then’ Beast replies. Lying back on the examination table, Shatterstar replies that he doesn’t understand, remarking that there is nothing “humorous” about this. ‘Ah, yes. Your “difficulty” with idioms. I keep forgetting’ Hank remarks, before asking Shatterstar to close his eyes and try to remember the very first memory he is able to.
Shatterstar does as asked, and, unaware that Cable is watching from an observation booth, reveals that he sees bloodshed and warfare - the war-torn planet that was his home-world. ‘What’s this about?’ Cable wonders to himself, before the Beast asks Shatterstar about his parents. ‘My parents…they…wait…you have this information!’ Shatterstar replies, to which Hank replies ‘No. Tell me the first thing that popped into your head’. Shatterstar replies that it was nothing, remarking that he was a bio-engineered warrior on his world, and that memories of any ancestral breeding were regarded as unnecessary.
Cable telepathically calls out to Beast, ‘I want to speak with you now!’ he orders, so Hank excuses himself from Shatterstar, leaping over the table, to which Shatterstar thinks to himself that people come and go in the strangest ways around here. In the observation room, the Beast tells Cable that he is not used to having his examinations interrupted by a very loud telepathic outburst and suggests that he go to Professor X for some lessons in subtlety. Cable reminds the Beast that he asked him to give the X-Force team a once-over to determine if Shaw left some post-hypnotic orders that he has to worry about.
Shatterstar stands at the window to the observation room, watching Cable and the Beast argue as Nathan asks Hank how asking Shatterstar about his past is going to him. The Beast replies that something about Shatterstar’s background doesn’t quite fit, remarking that his DNA sample, matches the records they have on the former X-Man, Longshot - exactly, which is of course not physically possible. Cable suggests that perhaps their race is far more different than either of them realize, and shouts that all he wants to know about is Shaw. ‘You have to let me -’ Hank begins, until Nathan interrupts, snapping that he is late for a meeting and doesn’t have time for this. Cable leaves the room, leaving a gape-jawed Hank behind as he tells him to stick to the matter at hand.
Meanwhile, on the mansion roof, Remy “Gambit” LeBeau of the X-Men sits, leaning against the chimney. He has a world of trouble on his mind and has come to think, and perhaps find a way out. But the silence of the night is shattered by the sonic wail of X-Force’s new deputy leader Theresa “Siryn” Rourke Cassidy, who suddenly knocks her entire bedroom wall down. Without a moment’s hesitation, Gambit swings down from the roof, and leaps into Siryn’s quarters, for, as always, he can forget his troubles by escaping back into a world that he is all too familiar with - a world of unknown danger.
Gambit sees that Theresa is still asleep in her bed, and quickly goes over to her, placing a hand over her mouth, he wakes her, telling her not to scream again. Siryn is shocked to see Gambit, and sits straight up, asking Gambit what he is doing in her bedroom. This is not the first time Gambit has been asked that question by a woman, but certainly never before under these circumstances. ‘Would you believe I heard a woman scream - and came to her rescue?’ Gambit replies.
Siryn half-grins, telling Gambit that he can’t be serious, as she was asleep when he came here. ‘Oui. And in your sleep, you screamed. The proof is right before you’ Gambit remarks, motioning to the gaping hole in Siryn’s room. Siryn gets out of bed and goes over to the destruction, in disbelief, she exclaims that she is always in control of her power. Gambit asks her if she could have been dreaming, to which Siryn replies that she remembers, and it was a terrible dream. ‘I’d been held against my will. And someone else was there…Deadpool? Siryn whispers, looking as if she is about to cry. A mystery for another time….
Elsewhere, the Highway between Westchester and New York, where at 3.30AM, not a lot happens, so, for the local sheriff’s department, it is as good a place as any to catch forty winks or so, like two police officers are doing right now. Suddenly, a speedometer wakes the officers, alerting them to something approaching them, and very fast at that. Staring out their window, they see a large figure, but no car. ‘Hi sheriff. Bye sheriff’ grins James “Warpath” Proudstar as he races past them.
All the time he was growing up on the Apache Indian reservation, James heard stories about his older brother’s power. How his brother, the short-lived, no deceased X-Man known as Thunderbird, could outrun the buffalo and still have the strength to bring one of them down. Up until recently, Warpath never displayed that kind of ability. ‘Weird’, he thinks to himself. ‘I must be moving at close to a hundred. And I can see as if it were daytime. What is happening?’ he wonders.
James wonders if this is what the Mimic was raving about when he was babbling about his powers. Looking off into the distance, James sees New York City and thinks that it is unbelievable he has ran this far. James wonders what it is he is doing here, recalling that he received a message through the National Council of Indian Affairs: “Someone has to meet me; it’s a matter of life and death”. James recalls that the woman refused to leave her name, and wanted to meet her in this junkyard of all places. ‘Weird’ he thinks to himself, looking around, unaware, that somewhere in the darkness, a woman giggles.
Back at the Institute, Cannonball stands outside Boomer’s door, asking her to open up. ‘I can’t believe you wont let your own boyfriend in!’ he exclaims. Inside the room, Tabitha sits in front of a shattered mirror, slumped over, with a pair of scissors in her hands, she tells Sam to go away. ‘Don’t you have any X-Men you can play with?’ she asks. Sam tells Tabitha to listen to her and informs her that he has spoken with the hospital, and that they have upgraded her father’s condition from critical to serious. ‘You checked on my Daddy?’ Tabitha asks as she begins cutting off her hair.
Sam replies that he is concerned about Tabitha’s father, but that mostly he is concerned about her. ‘Don’t be’ Tabitha replies, tossing a small time-bomb through the keyhole of her room, impacting with Sam, it knocks him backwards across the hallway. Continuing to cut her hair, Tabitha exclaims that she has never felt better in her life.
In another part of the mansion, Bobby “Sunspot” DaCosta smiles, in the privacy of his quarters, he is happy, and hums a melody which is somehow familiar. What Bobby doesn’t know though, is that the melody won’t be created - until two thousand years from now. Bobby hovers upside down, while his teammate, the Morlock known as Caliban asks him what he is doing. Bobby replies that he doesn’t know. ‘Caliban does not understand’ the simple-minded Morlock replies. ‘How can someone who is doing the thing he is doing - no know why he is doing it?’.
Sunspot replies that what is scary is the fact he is actually going to try and explain it to Caliban, and declares that, lately, and increasingly, he has been aware of a language - a whole new way of thinking that is new to him, something he absorbed from Cable. Bobby adds that it is similar to when he thinks in his native Portuguese, and not in English. ‘I do it without thinking about it’ Bobby remarks, asking Caliban if he understand that. ‘Ummm…no’ Caliban replies, scratching his head.
Sunspot explains that language is very important, as it defines a person in many ways. Sunspot asks Caliban why he always refers to himself as “Caliban this” or “Caliban that”. Caliban grins and replies ‘Because that is Caliban’s name!’. Sunspot tells Caliban that the way he should say it is “It is my name”. Caliban rubs his head, ‘”Sunspot” is Sunspot’s name! Maybe Sunspot should not spend so much time upside down!’ Caliban replies matter-of-factly.
Back near New York, at the junkyard full of cars, Warpath thinks to himself that, after everything that happened with Shaw, they all have to keep their guard up. He wonders if perhaps coming here was not such a good idea, and admits that he was half-hoping Siryn was playing a game on him, when, suddenly, there is an explosion behind him, burying James in some car debris. A woman stands nearby and thinks to herself ‘Oh, no, I hope I haven’t killed him!’, when, suddenly, James bursts out from under the debris, his costume torn, he shouts ‘Whoever you are - you won’t find me that easy of a target!’.
Seeing a figure standing in the shadows, Warpath tosses some rubble in her direction, ‘And if you want a piece of me - I’ll give you the fight of your life!’ he warns her. The mysterious woman stands in awe as the two-ton of crushed car is thrown at her with blinding speed, but, to Warpath’s surprise, the woman meets the challenge head on, “catching” the debris above her by stopping it’s gravity, then imploding it so that it becomes about the size of an apple.
The woman then somersaults over to Warpath, landing right in front of him, she address him by name, then tells him that she didn’t mean to hurt him. ‘I only wanted to meet you’ she claims. Then, leaning into him, she rests her lips just off his, ‘And give you something to remember me by’ she whispers, before somersaulting away from James. ‘Who -?’ Warpath exclaims, but the woman replies ‘Now, don’t forget me, James. Don’t forget…”Risque”…’.
Dawn, and like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that fit so delicately together, Cable bears the burden of responsibility for each member of his team. As tonight has shown him once again, these young men and women have identities and with them, their own crises and triumphs. But, it is a burden Cable must shoulder, knowing how far X-Force still has to go to achieve it’s potential.
Pulling up outside the mansion in his jeep, Cable sees James leaning against a pillar at the front entrance and asks him what he is doing. James replies that he is watching the sun come up and remarks that it has been a very strange night. ‘Must have been - I don’t remember Siryn wearing that shade of lipstick’ Cable replies. ‘She didn’t - I mean -’ James begins to reply, when he’s suddenly interrupted by Cannonball, who rushes out onto the porch, urgently telling Cable that he is pleased he is back, and exclaiming that he thinks they have a real problem with Boomer.
Warpath wipes Risque’s lipstick off his mouth, while Cable asks ‘Now, what?’, before Nathan, Sam and James go upstairs to Boomer’s quarters. Cable orders her to open the door immediately, to which Boomer calls back ‘Or you’ll huff and you’ll puff and you’ll blow my house in?’. The door opens slowly, and Cable tells Boomer that if she needs to talk then - Cable stops talking and the three men go wide-eyed as Tabitha steps out, wearing a modified, more svelte uniform, and with her scraggly blonde hair now cut very short.
With a time-bomb hovering above her hand, and smoke from all the plasma fires she created in her room, Tabitha grins, exclaiming ‘From now on…it’s not “Boomer”…or “Boom Boom”…or “Tabitha”…or “Tabby”…the lady’s name is MELTDOWN! Anybody got a problem with that?’.


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

[Assistant]
Bad Girls
Camp Hayden, Kentucky. They have come down here before – when the United States government was conducting experiments into the next phase of it’s Sentinel Project. Code named Nimrod, the project was developing an android hunter of incredible technology built for only one specific purpose: To locate, detain and if necessary, destroy all mutants. As the first line of defense for a panicked humanity, the Sentinels offered a shred of comfort, against a growing and seemingly hostile mutant population with strange and often frightening powers. A comfort, unless of course you happened to be a mutant. But just as all humans don’t hate or fear mutants, there are mutants who believe that both peoples can coexist peacefully.
Three of those mutants, Second Generation Children of the Atom – Theresa Rourke Cassidy a.k.a. Siryn, Tabitha Smith a.k.a. Meltdown and the mysterious Domino otherwise known as “Beatrice”, comprise the female members of the pro-active X-Force squad. They approach a set of doors at Camp Hayden, and as Tabby picks the lock, Domino asks her if she would like any help. ‘What I need is for you to get off my back and give me some room’ Meltdown snaps back, reminding Domino that she was a crook long before her mutant powers kicked in. Siryn flies down to her teammates and asks them to keep it down, for she could hear them miles back.
The struggle for peace often comes at the expense of war – a war needs soldiers. Meltdown smirks and tells her teammates that if it were up to her, she could have handled the situation on her own. The door opens, revealing an empty facility. After their last investigation here, X-Force was promised that the Nimrod research was too dangerous and would be curtailed. To make certain of this, the young women have returned to have a look. This is not what they expected to find, and scrawled across a wall is the word Onslaught.
Heir to former X-Man Banshee’s sonic scream and deputy leader of the team Siryn asks Domino ‘who or what is “Onslaught”’ as Meltdown  - whose new attitude has not gone unnoticed – declares that it seems as if the whole place has been picked clean but nobody knows it.
Team co-leader Domino picked this group and specifically wanted Meltdown along, for she is something of an expert when it comes to young women on the edge. Domino smiles, agreeing with her team that something is wrong. Domino starts to suggest they may have stumbled upon some cover up when suddenly a loud rumbling is heard. Tabitha declares ‘Earthquake’ but the intelligent Siryn points out that it is not coming from below – and seconds later the gigantic mutant known as the Blob drops into the room.
Not all mutants believe in the cause X-Force fights for – case in point: Fred J. Dukes. ‘Chicks!’ he exclaims after gazing upon Terry, Tabby and Dom. This man’s obese condition has made him into an impenetrable mountain – and he knows it too. Siryn tells Blob that she doesn’t know what connection he has to this “Onslaught” but that if he thinks they will wait for the rest of his Brotherhood to catch them unaware – ‘Think again!’ Eeeeeeeeeeeee Siryn screams at Blob, causing his flabby body to ripple as he tells her that she may as well get up to date – that he is not part of the Brotherhood, or Freedom Force anymore, but it doesn’t mean he hasn’t got a whole new bag of surprises – for anybody that wants a piece of him. As he says that, his hideous gut rebounds against Siryn, knocking her back.
With Theresa down, Domino knows has to make a choice – she can continue this confrontation, meaning Meltdown will be in the center of it – or she can try the unexpected and find a diplomatic solution to the situation. Holding a very large gun, Domino tells Blob that she doesn’t know what he is doing here, but thinks that if their agendas do not conflict then ‘what say you go your way and we’ll go ours?’
‘You’re kidding right?’ replies the hideous mutant who reveals that he may have been sent here to snatch whatever Nimrod technology he could. However, he informs the girls that this is the first night he has been out since he was … cranked up … and while he was hoping to get a shot at the A-team – ‘those X-Men chumps, you femmes are gonna be the appetizer’. Domino smiles and sarcastically says ‘Looks. Charm and self-confidence. I can’t imagine why you don’t have a date tonight; she exclaims before firing her weapon at him.
Blob tells Domino that she has no idea who she is dealing with and as the bullet pulses towards her, he extends an arm and grabs it with his hand, revealing that he got his powers jacked and learned things – like mass shifting. He tells Domino that if she wants to try and blow a hole in her with some armor-piercing shell she should go ahead and grinning he tells her ‘yer the ones who are gonna haveta eat it!’
Blob received more than just a boost in confidence – for he has always been a braggart, but he is now showing a level of ability that which simply put, is stunning. ‘Coming back at ya, babes!’ he tells the girls before throwing the bullet back at them, causing an explosion. But as the dust clears, Meltdown looks up to see Blob running towards her, exclaiming if the bullet didn’t kill them then he is here to clean the plates. Meltdown tells Blob that he has been blowing a lot of hot air about how they have no idea who they’re dealing with and tells him that the same goes for him when it comes to her – in spades!
At that moment, at Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning, where under the guise of a study for genetic mutations, members of two teams – the Uncanny X-Men and, for now, X-Force use this mansion as their home. Although it no longer functions as a school, it does not mean lessons cannot be learned. James “Warpath” Proudstar and the extra-dimensional Shatterstar are about to face off against one another, teammates who approach everything very differently.
Proudstar is a Native American who is coming to terms with a newfound surge in strength and speed, while Shatterstar believes himself to be a born warrior from an alien world, who of late senses a diminishment of his killer instincts. ‘Ha! Gotcha!’ declares James as he knocks Shatterstar’s swords out of his hands using his spear. James grins and exclaims that he doesn’t believe it – ‘after twelve times I finally beat you!’ On the ground, Shatterstar asks James to forgive him for not sharing in his enthusiasm, for losing is not something he is accustomed to.
James reminds Shatterstar that they have all been through a lot really, for after what happened with Sebastian Shaw and company taking over X-Force’s minds and reminds him also that he ran Domino through. He helps Shatterstar off the ground, and rubbing his face, Shatterstar tells James that in an odd way he has only made his point. He asks James why should the single incident with Domino haunt one who was trained to be a warrior and who has seen death a thousand times? The men leave the Danger Room and Warpath suggests to Shatterstar that it is a sign he is becoming human. ‘If that is so ... then … what will become of me?’ asks Shatterstar, almost scared.
Back at Camp Hayden, Meltdown has thrown many time-bombs at the Blob – but his overwhelmingly disgusting body just sits – flab in a crater. Blob asks Tabby if that is her only trick – to blow out the floor beneath her before joking that she is not even as old as that trick. His flesh extends, his large fist coming towards Tabby as he declares he will enjoy beating her into a little bit of paste.
Meltdown dodges him, exclaiming that no one is going to do that to her again. ‘Ha! Sez you!’ Blob remarks. The Blob laughs at her – like the kids growing up, her father and Sabretooth – they all laughed. But he doesn’t see her run over to him and jump on him, straddling his neck with her legs. The laughing used to make her feel small, worthless and dismissed. Blob starts to choke as Tabby tells creates a time-bomb and tells him he thinks nothing can hurt him from the outside in, but he is going to find out if it works from the inside out. Shoving the time-bomb down his throat, she tells him he just swallowed a grenade – and she just pulled the pin.
Siryn and Domino have regained consciousness, and Siryn is surprised to see Meltdown means to kill him. Before she can react, Domino asks Siryn to wait so she can see how it plays out. Nobody is laughing anymore, but Tabby smiles as she tells the Blob that in ten seconds he will blow. ‘Nine’. She tells him to try and cough it up and she will set it off before he can cough it up. ‘Eight’. Siryn declares that Cable would not allow this to go on, but Domino tells her to shut up. ‘Seven. Six’. ‘In five. You’re not alive,’ Blob begins to sweat and mumbles that he gives in. ‘You win,’ he shouts.
‘What about next time?’ Tabby asks. Exclaiming that if she kills him now then they will have one less evil mutant to kick around. ‘Get this witch offa me!’ Blob declares as Tabby smiles and says ‘Four’. Domino tells Tabitha that it is enough and that she has made her point – dramatically. Tabitha asks Domino if they are not supposed to stop the bad guys before they can hurt innocent people, and points out that it is what she is doing. She tells Domino to back off as Siryn whispers to Domino that she can knock her out with one sonic scream.
Again, the choice falls to Domino and the wrong decision could cost the Blob his life. But Domino knows that when she opted to take Tabby along – it was to see how she would fare in the field. ‘Do what she says!’ screams the Blob, while Domino realizes that if Meltdown is bluffing, then X-Force have gained a very crafty “new” player…and if she’s not….
Domino holds her arms out and asks Tabitha to turn off the time-bomb. Meltdown informs Domino that all she had to do was ask nicely, and as she pulls the time-bomb from the Blob’s throat she exclaims that there is ‘No point in wasting energy…3, 2, 1, yum!’ and the time-bomb dissolves. Siryn is surprised and tells Domino that she doesn’t remember Meltdown being able to do that. Unimpressed, Domino folds her arms and replies that there is much they have learnt tonight that their “little Boomer” has not shown them before. What goes unsaid is that Domino cannot determine whether this is good – or bad.
As Meltdown walks down his flabby body the Blob declares that he cannot believe he was beaten by a bunch of women. ‘Life’s tough, Mr. Dukes. Deal with it’ says Tabitha as she snaps her fingers and creates twin explosions, bursting Blob’s eardrums. He cries out, before falling backwards with a loud WHOOMPH. ‘Now what do we do with him?’ asks Meltdown. ‘It’s an interesting problem. None of us has the power to lift him’ Domino remarks monotonously. The more reasonable Siryn tells the others that they cannot leave him here. ‘Why not?’ asks Tabby, reminding the others it is not as if they came looking for him.
Domino has to keep telling herself that when you are out with X-Force you should expect the unexpected. Case in point: The Mimic. Who, upon contact with any mutant can “Mimic” his or her powers. He has permanently absorbed the powers of the Original X-Men and is currently using Angel’s wings and Phoenix’s telepathy and telekinesis. However as Domino watches the Mimic use Jean Grey’s power to lift the obese Blob from the ground she notices something disturbing - he has gained a new power – control.
Telepathically, Calvin Rankin tells the Blob that their “employer” is not going to be very happy with him. On the ground, after the two villains have left, Meltdown tells Domino that Siryn could follow them, or that she could blast them out of the sky – ‘No!’ exclaims Domino as she crosses her arms and reminds Meltdown that the Blob’s powers were seriously enhanced, and she suspects the Mimic’s as well. She reminds the girls that the Mimic allegedly disappeared from Siberia.
Domino declares that she doesn’t care how much power the three of them have, they are not rushing headlong into a confrontation without more information and at the very least, the rest of the team. Meltdown looks to the ground and exclaims that she is not so sure about this “team” anymore. It has been a long Saturday night for these women, and one not any will forget soon.
Sunday. Dawn. Manhattan. During the week, New York’s Rockefeller Center is teeming with people – for now, it’s quiet. There are two other current members of X-Force – Caliban, whose enormous size and strength belie his childlike mind, and the handsome Bobby DaCosta, a.k.a. Sunspot, who is a living battery powered by solar energy. A manhole in the middle of the road is opened and Caliban informs Sunspot that they are here, just as he promised.
On this team which looks remarkably human, their “uniqueness” has led to something neither of them counted on – friendship. Sunspot moans that they need to find another way of getting around, but Caliban replies that he likes the sewers and asks Bobby why he doesn’t. Sunspot begins to say that he feels like Bugs and Daffy when suddenly an explosion grabs the heroes’ attention, both turn to a building, Caliban asking if that is Sunspot’s friend’s building. Bobby informs Caliban that he is not a friend, but merely someone who impacted upon his life, someone of great power and cunning. Bobby tells Caliban that even the fact he was contacted suggests this is a trap, or his “friend” is in serious danger.
Just then, a figure plummets from the building and lands, hard, on the concrete in front of Bobby and Caliban. ‘Dear God! Caliban, that’s…’ ‘Sunspot’s friend?’ asks Caliban cutting off Bobby. ‘Gideon, his name is Gideon’ Bobby informs him. Caliban apologizes to Bobby as he informs him that Gideon is dead. Sunspot is shocked, but realizes Caliban probably doesn’t understand and informs him that Gideon is an External and cannot die. Caliban declares that he doesn’t know what an External is, but that Gideon is most certainly dead.