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[Assistant]
…and Tragedy!
Near morning at the Xavier Institute, pandemonium ensues as the Institute is rocked by some kind of major attack. Looking from above the Institute, a giant X has been carved into the mansions foundation, going from the center and crossing to all the four corners. In the Crystal Palace, Wolfsbane, Carter and his parents are startled by the noise. Awaking from his dreams, Cyclops jumps into action.
Running down the hall, Cyclops grasps hold of a nearby young girl. He telepathically calls out to Martha and the Spikes that they are to sound a Global Alert, have Hub transport them from the mansion’s grounds, and find out who has attacked them. A young boy with a tail by the name of Nico runs next to Cyclops. He informs him that Jeremy was in his bed but now he is gone and everything is burning. Cyclops informs Nico that they will look for him together.
In the Crystal Palace, Cyclops’ best student, Wolfsbane, takes action. Getting on her com-link, she tells Northstar to pick her up. Carter begs Rahne not to leave him, as he will protect her there. She tells him that she is the Dean of Students and her first priority is the kids at the school. She orders Carter to stay there, as she jumps from the Palace’s door and into Northstar’s arms. He informs her of the situation, they are under attack from two main energy casters.
Behind Northstar, in the Crystal Palace, Carter tells Annie and Havok that the two of them died trying to protect him, but he was a kid then. Stepping out of his door Carter is revealed to be in his twenties. He asks them if they were this scared, when they were heroes?
Nearby, Stryfe tells Genesis and Madelyne that he does not care about the others, but Cyclops is his! Genesis asks the others if they think the X-Men know where they are. With that said, Madelyne is hurled into the air by a powerful telekinetic blast. Carter tells Stryfe and Genesis that they should leave his home or they will suffer the same fate. Carter’s distraction seems to work, as it gave the mansion’s security system time to activate the ground’s Sentinel defenses. Genesis flies into the air, commenting on how the X-Men have become sneaky using machines that were designed to destroy them as their protectors.
Genesis crashes through the roof of the Crystal Palace, confronting Havok and Annie inside. Havok blasts their attacker, while Genesis comments on how he and Annie should be dead.  Genesis smirks off the attack, obliterating Havok and Annie into dust. Carter, witnessing his parent’s death for the second time, curls into a fetal position on the ground. He cries to his mother for forgiveness. Genesis aims his gauntlets towards the direction of Carter. He states that if he wants his mother, he can join her. With a fiery blast the young telekinetic mutant is destroyed.
Above Genesis appears Juggernaut, Cargill, Hub, Kid Colossus and Polaris. Each member seems to be flying with the help of Polaris’ magnetic powers. Juggernaut makes the first move, as he allows gravity to take control and drops on the back of Stryfe, crushing him into the ground. Polaris takes care of Genesis, as she sends him hurtling towards her “sweetie, Kid Colossus.” Kid Colossus knocks Genesis several feet into the air with a huge punch from his armored fist. Looking behind him, Peter (Kid Colossus) sees Carter’s broken glasses.
The emotion he feels seems like visible pain, when the revelation that Carter is gone from them sweeps across his face. Polaris comes to his side. She tells him that it is for the best. She explains to Peter that since Carter’s mom and Havok died he had never acted the same. Magnetically lifting Kid Colossus into the air, she asks him if he is ready for a fastball special? He tells her that he is, as she hurls him into the awaiting face of Stryfe, who has just now recovered from Juggernaut’s earlier attack.
Nearby, Cyclops joins the attack, with a inquisitive Dust following close behind. She questions who the monsters are that are attacking them? Cyclops answers her, finishing his statement by telling her that they should be dead!
As the fight continues outside, another fight is waged on the inside of the mansion. This fight is fought by Northstar and Wolfsbane, who seem desperate to save as many students as they can. A young child, named Amy, which Northstar carries, happens to see into a nearby room. She announces that the room is where one of her friends named Julie stays. Tears fill Amy’s eyes, as she witnesses what has transpired in the room. Northstar grasps the young child, flying her and another student to safety. In-flight, he tells Amy to let Wolfsbane handle what is happening. Wolfsbane wrenches in despair, thinking to herself that there are too many dead, none of them being X-Men! Behind her, students flee their current wing just as an explosion takes out where they had just come from.
Behind Rahne, the nearby students have stopped crying; strangely, they walk as if in a trance… calmly and quietly. Northstar asks Rahne what is going on. Behind Northstar stand two women, Shan and Kitty Pryde. The two women usher the children through a nearby doorway and into Lila Cheney’s teleporting house. Rahne rushes to her friend’s side thanking them for coming to their rescue. The sentient house tells Kitty that if she would like to rest, she can now. A visibly exhausted Ms. Pryde informs the house that she will once they are done. Rahne grasps Shan’s hand, telling them that they have only saved a fraction of the school’s students. Wolfsbane asks Kitty if she can phase? Kitty confirms her questions, but is cut short as Shan exclaims that Kitty is too exhausted. Kitty tells her that she must press on for the children.
Northstar flies, asking what the point of being called a super hero is if they never get the chance to prove it? Barking out orders, Rahne tells Shan that she will stay with the house, while they try and save as many students as possible. Shan tries to argue, but is cut short by Rahne telling her that she has two siblings to look after. Rahne takes on her lycanthrope form, telling them that she is right, to do what she commands. All of the X-Men, save Shan, leave the room in search of the missing students.
Genesis attacks Cargill, who seems to be almost defeated. Luckily for her, a younger teammate is nearby, by the name of Wither. Acting quickly, the young mutant removes his cloves, turning Genesis’ body into ash, just before he is able to lay a fatal blow to Cargill’s body. Cargill thanks God for Wither’s help. Wither states that he hopes wherever Dani is she can forgive him for going against her order’s, as she once ordered him to never use his powers to kill again.
Rahne runs across two children, Diana and Oliver. Rahne jumps a wide chasm to be by their sides. Rahne doesn’t jump far enough, but luckily Lockheed is nearby. The small dragon swoops down, grasping Rahne’s hand, he hauls her to the nearby children. Rahne thanks Lockheed for the save and asks him if he can help lead them to Lila’s house?
In another room of the Mansion, Madelyne Pryor rips apart bed sheets, screaming of how the bed used to be hers and her husband's, how no one had the right to take it away from her! Sooraya (Dust) is nearby. As she opens the door she questions the ranting woman if she is Ms. Jean returned home? Madelyn in a fit of rage lashes out at the woman. Sooraya uses her powers to defend herself, leaving nothing but a pile of bones on the floor. A female hand reaches for Dust’s dropped burkha, putting it on before rushing outside.
Outside, Stryfe is fighting off Kid Colossus. He tells Peter that his father could not defeat him and neither can he! With that said, Stryfe punches Kid Colossus to the ground.  Behind Stryfe, Polaris enters the fray. She lifts him into the air, commenting on how dumb it is for him to be wearing a suit of armor when facing the Mistress of Magnetism. From behind Polaris, who appears to be Dust is seen drawing closer to the battle. Hub notices the woman’s approach and instantly teleports her away, stating that only heavy hitters should be in this fight.
Stryfe has gained the upper hand against Polaris, using his telepathy to make her forget how to control her powers. A nearby Juggernaut won’t allow another teammate to fall, as he tackles Stryfe through the floor of the destroyed mansion. The two fall until they reach the floor of the subbasement.
Inside the mansion, Rahne has rounded up another batch of students. As she starts back to find more, Kitty warns her that the Mansion’s core power has probably been compromised by the explosion. Rahne asks Kitty if she would walk away?
Cain continues to pound on the defeated Stryfe. The Juggernaut berates his attacker, telling him how Xavier cared for him no matter how mean he was, so he will not allow the dream to die today. Stryfe finally reveals his true form, that of a Warskrull. Cain radios to Cyclops, telling him that their attackers are not whom they appear to be. A bomb is planted in the chest of the Warskrull. He tells Cain to enjoy his victory, because for the cause he will make any sacrifice, especially his life! With that said a large explosion rocks the foundation of the Institute.
Above the hole, an approaching Cyclops is thrown away from the blast. The Shi’ar technology that ran the Institute was always taken for granted. Sadly, that is just how the Warskrulls knew how to hit the X-Men, as it was the Shi’ar that sent them to destroy the mansion!
Rahne witnesses the oncoming destruction. Turning to order Lila’s house to seal it’s doors, she tells Kitty to tell Dani she…!
The door slams shut and Kitty is on the other side, able to nothing but scream Rahne’s name, knowing her friend is dead!
The Institute was powered by an anti-matter fusion reactor. That day it was their destruction. That day, only three X-Men seem to be able to make it to safety. Northstar, who has spent most of his life only appearing to be selfish, makes a selfless act in saving the X-Men’s leader. Using every bit of power he can muster, the Canadian speedster flies him and Cyclops to safety. Polaris is another mutant that seems lucky, as her powers over magnetism float her away. No other X-Man is seen escaping the onslaught…all appear to have died!


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[Assistant]
Blown Away!
Cyclops just stares disbelievingly at the huge crater where the Xavier Institute used to stand. After the attack, nothing is left of the building or the grounds.
In the news, Neal Conan and Manoli Wetherell inform the world of the horrifying news: the most significant terrorist attack on American soil in years. Manoli explains the history of the Xavier Institute. Founded by mutant rights campaigner Charles Xavier, the Institute served both as school for mutants, but also as headquarters for the mutant superheroes called the X-Men. Their role today is carried on primarily under the auspices of their officially sanctioned successor, the X.S.E. The goal was and is to protect the world from both sides of the genetic divide.
Conan continues that, in Washington, the president has convened an emergency meeting with the National Security Council. He also grimly points out that most of the victims at the Institute are students and children.
Inside the council meeting at the White House’s Situation Room, the council is horrified to learn about multiple simultaneous attacks in California, Genosha, Afghanistan and downtown D.C., apart from the attack on the institute. The president announces that to him this looks like a coordinated strike. How can something like this come completely out of the blue? Is the threat exclusive to the X-Men or is the nation in danger?
He addresses Vargas, head of the X.S.E., who appears as a holographic transmission. Vargas admits to not having many answers and those he does have aren’t comforting. All aspects of the X-Men’s operation were apparently attacked. There have been major assaults on retired members and their families and on the X.S.E headquarters. Secretary of Homeland Security Val Cooper is dead, along with the assassin who impersonated her and a number of Vargas’ agents.
The president asks how the X-Men will respond and Vargas explains that, at the moment, they aren’t sure yet who is even alive, let alone in charge The president stresses that he won’t tolerate private vendettas and tells Vargas it is his responsibility to keep the peace. Which probably made them prime targets, Vargas observes. The president asks him not to let this get worse.
Another transmission comes in, this time from Prime Minister Courtney Ross, representing the European Union. Ross calls this a tragic day and the X-Men’s personal Pearl Harbor.
Another council member points at a computer screen: on the website of the Anti-Mutant Organization, Purity, Alice Tremaine states that the X-Men have brought this on themselves and predicts this is only a beginning. A general worries about a race war. Nothing would please Tremaine more, the president states grimly. They can’t leave this to the mutants. They have to be ready to defend themselves. He gives order to place the Nimrod Sentinels on full alert.
Back at what is left of the Institute, the teleporter, Hub, is teleporting in a ship of Mutantes sans Frontieres, carrying medical personnel and Hank McCoy, who cradles her exhausted form. X.S.E member Bishop is astonished at Beast’s presence, as he’d sworn to never come back after Vargas joined the X.S.E.
Beast reminds him that he is a founding member of the X-Men. Under these circumstances, he couldn’t stay away. Bishop welcomes him but informs him of the grim truth that there are only few survivors to save. Beast pointedly ignores Bishop’s outstretched hand and states he should get to work. He has brought a mobile field hospital, as well as a full complement of staff.
From some distance away, they suddenly see Cyclops’ optic blast firing into the air. Archangel grabs Beast to fly him there. He chides his old friend for his harshness towards Bishop. Hank explains that Vargas killed Psylocke before his eyes. Some things shouldn’t be forgiven. Warren retorts that some scars should be allowed to heal, but breaks off. He sees a shell-shocked Cyclops, kneeling on the ground holding the badly injured Northstar, who saved his life.
Afghanistan. There, Cable and his friends from X-Force were attacked. The few survivors are Domino, Feral and Rictor. An X-jet lands and the three warriors run towards it. Rictor states that he still cannot believe Cable is dead. Domino explains that he isn’t. That’s what’s so awful. Cable, Shatterstar and Warpath have become techno-organic clones of Technarx. From now on, they are the enemy.
Wolverine welcomes them on the plane and a relieved Domino hugs him. Wolverine grins and stabs her in the heart. Impossibly, his other arm stretches as he smashes Rictor against the wall. Feral attacks and is killed as well.  Domino shoots him with her firearms to no avail, as “Wolverine” tells her that her day is done and finishes her off.
Valle Soleada: the ruins of Rogue and Gambit’s home. Emma is hysterical. Gambit has taken both her and Rogue’s children. Rogue, on the other hand, remains surprisingly calm. She tells Emma that she assumes Sinister called in a marker that Remy felt had to be paid. She is certain that she will find them. Does she think he is innocent Roberto DaCosta, who is taking care of the injured Thais and Thaiis, asks. Thanks to Sinister, Remy was never “innocent,” Rogue retorts, but she is not yet convinced that he is guilty.
Emma suddenly shouts out “Scott.” On TV, they see Manoli Wetherell, reporting about the attack on the Institute. Shown are Beast and the survivors, Cyclops and Northstar. Rogue tries to calm Emma and on TV Cyclops calls out Emma’s name. She has re-established their telepathic link.
Emma explains that he is in shock. She still cannot raise Martha, the Spikes or Charles. Rogue tells her to turn to diamond. She grabs her and tells her they are going to fly high.
Elsewhere, the children are being held in some kind of see-through bubble cell. Emma’s eldest, Megan, tries to telepathically contact her mother, but can’t raise anyone. Rogue and Remy’s son, Oliver, tells her not to be surprised. If you kidnap someone, you make sure they can’t call for help. Megan still can’t believe Oliver’s father did this. He doesn’t want to either.
That moment, the Dark Beast walks into the room, gratingly cheerful. Grinning, he asks whether he can hold the baby and prepares to enter the bubble. Oliver and Meggan assume battle stances and warn him to back off. McCoy mocks them and asks if the practice those X-Men fighting stances. Do they dream of the day they get their very own uniforms? Do they think they can match him?
A battlestave touches him on the shoulder, as Gambit has joined them. He warns McCoy off.
Oliver and Megan are angry and threaten Gambit. Sinister, who has joined them as well, informs the children that in the end they will thank Gambit… and him. Because, for the people and the world, they know this is the end. Gambit tells him not to count the X-Men out yet. He’s made that mistake before. Dead mutants, walking, one and all, Sinister cryptically replies. He has read their future… and it is dust.
Elsewhere, Beast has hooked Northstar up to several devices in his mobile hospital unit but he can only make him comfortable. The speedster is dying. Scott asks Jean-Paul to hold on a little longer. They’ll find a healer. It is enough, Jean-Paul rasps out and asks Scott to let his life end in honor and peace. He sees the soul of his sister, Aurora, welcoming him. Behind her, there are the other Alphans, Shaman, Puck and Sasquatch. He joins them and dies.
Outside in the camp on a huge poster, Cyclops marks off the faces of all those who have died. So many. Dust joins him, carrying a cup of coffee. Scott thanks her and mentions this coffee is just the way he likes it. Emma isn’t the only one who knows him or cares, Dust states. Does she know what he really wants right now, Cyclops asks rhetorically. A fight. The more impossible odds, the better. He sinks down exhausted. He has phone-calls to make to every family. To tell them what’s happened to their children. Times like this he wishes Professor Xavier had never founded the school. That he’d never found his way to his door.
Some distance away at the lake’s shore, Xi’an Coy Manh kneels, crying. She is joined by Kitty, Rachel and Lockheed. Kitty and Shan hug, until a rising wind stirs them.
They look up to see Storm and Wolverine dropping from a plane. Kitty hugs Wolverine, who jokingly asks when she got taller than him. A decade ago, didn’t he notice? she retorts. She looks up to see Storm, who is wearing a strange device on her back, still floating in the air. Kitty is surprised to see her out of her life support module. Free from her prison, she means, Storm corrects her. She explains that their adversaries came for her too. They attacked her family. She is in this to the finish.
Kitty looks at her sadly, ready to argue, but Wolverine tells her to not. He already made the arguments. Storm’s too stubborn.
Cyclops and Dust join them and Wolverine informs Scott that they were attacked by a Warskrull. Cyclops grimly spells out this could mean they are at war with the Shi’ar.
On the Starjammer, a glowing Phoenix is in telepathic contact with Charles Xavier on Genosha. She tells Charles about Aliyah, Deathbird’s daughter. Charles states that means she’d be the rightful heir to the Shi’Ar throne. Jean explains Aliyah isn’t interested and the official heir is Lilandra’s son, Xavi. Xavier wasn’t aware of the fact he had a half Shi’Ar child. Something he and Bishop apparently have in common, Jean points out. Charles is suspicious. Liandra never told him. He never sensed it…
Jean continues that actually Lilandra’s chancellor is running things. He’s spent the better part of the last decade repairing the damage done by Cassanda Nova when she impersonated Charles. The Empire has become more aggressive and expansionist. Their only credible rival, the Kree, are on their last leg. That’s why the Kree tried to acquire Phoenix as a weapon from the slaver guild.
They’ve also identified two additional clandestine players: War-Skrulls and the Brood, who should be extinct. Carol is mad, as she sacrificed her own humanity to finish them.
Xavier states that the attack on the Institute can’t be coincidence. After some hesitation, Jean asks how Scott is. Xavier tells her that he is fine, as are Emma and the children. Jean is happy for him.
Charles adds that he is waiting for Domino, who is supposed to be bringing him news about Cable. He notes how odd it is that he can reach Jean on the far side of creation, but has trouble sustaining psilinks with the X-Men on Earth. They always had something special, Jean remarks and wonders if Charles own troubles could explain why she can’t link with Rachel. That doesn’t sound like coincidence either. She warns Charles to be careful and he tells her not to worry. He won’t be taken by surprise. He informs her that Domino is stepping in right now.
“Domino states that both Cable and Apocalypse are gone. Suddenly, Callisto goes ballistic, warning Charles and tossing knives at “Domino” as she tells Xavier to leave.
The Psilink has crashed and, on the Starjammer, Jean wonders what has happened.
“Domino” smashes Callisto into a wall and tosses her own blades back at her. Xavier, trusting Callisto, attacks Dom with an extractable dagger and trusts his telepathy to do the rest.
Domino turns into her real War-Skrull self and informs Xavier that they took his measure years ago. They charted every pathway of his mind and etched them all into their collective genome so that next time they fought… well he can guess the rest.


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[Assistant]
Code Red!
The Warskrull that disguised itself as Domino has Xavier by the throat and intends to kill him. Xavier lashes out with his telepathy, stripping back the layers of the mega-morph’s mind, the layers of the personalities the Warskrull used to imitate: Domino, Wolverine, finally Xavier finds himself. He hadn’t counted on an enemy that knew as much about him as he about them, how he’d think, how he’d react, and most importantly, how to ambush him.
Fortunately, he has back up and the Warskrull suddenly finds his mind fried by Psylocke’s telepathic knife. Betsy Braddock chides Xavier for being so careless and Xavier retorts that the situation was under control. He wanted a prisoner and not a corpse. Betsy explains that the Skrull was implanted with a brain-mine. His cortex was already fried. Xavier’s would have been next.
Xavier angrily argues that he can take care of himself, as he crawls over to Callisto. So could Callisto, Psylocke replies coldly. The other woman is badly injured from the knives the Skrull tossed at her. Betsy points out that this is war. Xavier assures Callisto she will be fine and telepathically contacts Cyclops. They compare notes. Xavier asks Scott to follow the Warskrull’s leads but Cyclops points out they have problems of their own. The Xavier Institute has been destroyed.
New arrivals at the Institute grounds are Rogue and Emma Frost, who had been in California when the attack happened. They thought they knew what to expect. They weren’t even close. Emma dashes off madly, desperately trying to find her husband. Rogue is greeted by Kitty Pryde who informs her that too many are dead and she fears that this is only the beginning. If you hit somebody like this, you finish the job. Does anybody have a plan? Rogue inquires. Scott’s running the show, Kitty tells her.
In one of the tents, Cyclops has gathered a group of X-Men past and present as well as X.S.E. members: Wolverine, Rachel, X-23, Monet and Hub as well as Martha Johansson, the brain. Cyclops explains that the attackers were Warskrulls. But at the same time in California Gambit betrays them to Mr. Sinister, while in Hong Kong Sage’s data-mines one of Sinister’s top operatives, Malice. The Warskrulls are out to slaughter the X-Men wholesale, but Gambit, apparently working for Sinister, is stealing their children. The question is whether this is coincidence or part of a coordinated strategy and if it is the latter who is responsible.
Satellite imagery suggests a battle with Sinister’s Marauders. This team is to pick up the trail. The group looks at him hesitantly. Scott drives home that he understands the desire for vengeance but answers are more important right now. What he doesn’t want are more faces on the “dead board.” He tells them they have five minutes to say their good-byes.
Emma Frost enters the room, angrily announcing that she is going with them. Cyclops forbids it and Emma slaps and curses him. She starts pummeling him, as she cries out that her children are gone. She rants that she should have stayed the White Queen. She should have killed them all at the beginning. At least then they’d never have fallen in love. She sinks down, exhausted, and Scott cradles her. He explains that he feels the same. But this is war and somebody has to call the shots. It’s who he is. It’s what he does.
In the meantime, outside, Karma, Banshee, Kitty and Rogue are helping the rescue workers with their work. Rogue complains that Scott should have sent her along with the away team. Suddenly, a holographic image of Marie D’Ancanto appears. Kitty impatiently tells her this isn’t the time, but Marie is insistent. If they don’t talk now, Kitty’s campaign is over. Alice Tremaine is scoring major points asking how people can elect a mayor who cares more about mutants than about her own city. Marie understands why Kitty is doing this but it is her job to get her elected. The voters like her, but they are scared and they are starting to listen to Tremain. She’s a racist, Kitty protests. She’s winning, Marie retorts. If Kitty wants the job, she has to fight for it.
Among the relief workers is Banshee, who announces to the others that several army cars are coming, apparently to help. Emma, still in Scott arms, suddenly screams in panic.
Outside, Beast is welcoming the woman that gets out of the first car. Suddenly, Emma telepathically contacts Hank, informing him that the soldiers are Warskrulls. This is another attack!
Before Hank can process this information, the newcomer backhands him with superstrength and then proceeds to get into one of the hospital units, intent on slaying the injured.
Inside, Cecilia Reyes uses her forcefield aggressively to kill the Skrull. A worried Beast rushes to his wife’s side and hugs her. She assures him that she will look after her patients, but he is to go and save the rest.
Outside, journalist Manoli Wetherell tries to protect some students by emptying her gun clip at another Warskrull. At the same time, she complains that almost every time she does a story on the X-Men, she ends up fighting for her life. Suddenly, she cries out startled as the Warkrull is frozen by a lava fountain that erupts beneath him and turns solid around him. Out of it steps Magma, who orders Manoli to take the children to the carriage house.
They are unaware of another Warskrull stepping up behind them, until Lockheed grabs Amara and Manoli, flying them high up out of the way and the Skrull is impaled by a spiked iron gate, hurled at him by Storm’s gale force winds. She follows it up with some lightning, only to have the Warskrull throw it back at her. Rogue protects her friend by intercepting the blast.
Shooting another Warskrull, Cyclops announces that they need prisoners. They are to keep that one pinned to the wall. Another Warskrull lunges at him, but suddenly Dust attacks him and snaps his neck. Scott orders her to go with Magma and help look after the kids, but she insists that her task is to look after him.
Nearby, Karma scoffs at the idea of taking prisoners. Their first priority is to survive. She has possessed the Warskrull in question, allowing Polaris to imprison him in a metal cocoon. However, another Warskrull impales Colossus, breaking Lorna’s concentration as she now focuses on that foe.
Banshee takes him down with his sonic scream, only to be attacked by another one who is then shot by Bishop. Emma runs to Sean’s side, worried that he is going to die. However, impossibly, “Sean” turns into a Warskrull as well and lunges at her. Instinctively, she shifts to her diamond form. The Warskrull hurls her into Bishop with all his might and the two of them are flung into the carriage house.
Inside, Amara closes the hole with a wall of frozen lava and orders Manoli to take the children and run. The journalist is worried about Bishop and Emma and, while they lose precious time arguing, a Warskrull bursts through the lava wall, intent on attack. Amara throws her lava blasts at him, but to no avail. That moment, however, he is dragged into the ground by Shadowcat. Kitty leaves him to solidify in the ground and perish as she runs to Emma’s and Bishop’s side, bringing medical supplies with her.
A little later, Karma joins them. They hug and Kitty admits that she didn’t feel anything when she killed the Skrull. She did what had to be done. Shan agrees it was the same for her when she killed the pirate who murdered her parents. She has no regrets. Kitty wonders if that’s what it’s going to take. Kill everybody who is out to get them?
Inside the hospital unit, Beast announces to Scott that Banshee is dead and Colossus is critical. Lesser causalities are too numerous to count. If the Skrulls hit them again… They won’t, Scott assures him. Beast prays he is right.
Later, Scott sits down to a holographic conference with Iceman and Sage of the X.S.E. Sage calls what is happening a genetic triage. Sinister is saving his assets – the children. Apparently, he believes the rest of them are doomed. She quickly supplies a reason for that. The final image from Juggernaut’s suit-cam. The bomb that destroyed the Institute was Shi’ar.
Scott announces that there hasn’t been any communication with the Shi’ar for the better part of ten years. Lilandra had made it clear that she wanted nothing more to do with the X-Men. Apparently, the policy has changed, Sage replies wryly. Something has happened of sufficient moment to mandate a pre-emptive strategic attack. Phoenix, she means, Scott spells out. Outside the tent, Dust is listening attentively to the sound of the name.
Sage believes so as well but she needs more data. She greets Kitty, who enters the tent, wryly pointing out that the younger woman is trailing in the polls. Great to see her too, Kitty retorts as wryly. She asks Scott if he has any ideas. Mostly he has determination, he replies. Starting right now, they find their enemies, all of them, and make them targets. And they keep on fighting until they win.
Kitty admits that she’s been doing a lot of thinking; Scott knows about what. He tells her she should go back to Chicago. The debate is the next day, the election’s on Tuesday. She isn’t running out on them. This is just as important. Because if being an X-Man means anything it is so that she – an admitted mutant – can run for office and be judged as a person. She has to make her case. Kitty should trust them to save the word. They are really good at it. She’s just to make sure there is a world worth saving.


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[Assistant]
Wandering Star
Aboard the Starjammer, somewhere within Shi’ar space, Aliyah Bishop is making her way through some of the lesser-known parts of the ship. Her mind wanders back.
(flashback to Aliyah’s childhood):
She recalls growing up on some planet with her mother, Deathbird, how her mother told her goodbye and finally, months later, the planet being attacked by spaceship and half-human mutant Heather Cameron aka Lifeguard trying to fly her to safety. The still young Aliyah is crying for her mother. This world and the child who lived there were Deathbird’s greatest secret. No matter what happened to her in her bid for the Shi’ar throne, she prayed both would remain safe.
Heather flies Aliyah to a space capsule and puts the child in it. Aliyah begs her to come with her, already guessing that Heather intends to sacrifice herself. The older woman explains that she has made Aliyah’s mother a promise and starts the pod. Heather calls after her that she owes it to Aliyah’s father too and that, with a little luck, she might get to see him. Heather begins to fire and, moments later, the world is destroyed. Aliyah’s pod is gathered in by the Starjammer, a ship as alone as lost as Aliyah.
(the present):
Carol Danvers, the ship’s mind, informs Aliyah via com-link that she has barely any contact with the girl. The link is unstable as well. Aliyah is about to enter a sector where Carol has no internal sensors. Aliyah reminds her that that is the point. She intends to repair the busted systems. Carol reminds her of the scope of that task. They are talking about a volume of roughly a cubic kilometer. Aliyah jokes that Carol should have taken better care of the ship when she had a chance. Carol tells her to be careful and adds that the sector has been “dark” since before she merged with the ship. She doesn’t know what is out there.
Aliyah gets to work, repairing a critical junction. Suddenly, a device detects an intruder. Aliyah asks whether it is Kurt. Nobody replies. Suddenly, there is an explosion and Aliyah wildly fires at whatever caused it.
Elsewhere on the ship, Jean Grey gazes into space. Is she enjoying the view? Nightcrawler asks. Jean replies that this is where she belongs. It is home. Before he can ask, she tells him to not. She is his daughter, Kurt replies simply, and Jean is Phoenix. And that means she can do anything? Jean asks mockingly. Can’t she? Kurt retorts. Phoenix insists that she is Jean and always will be. That’s what makes her unique in history and special. The Phoenix is great for jumpstarting creation but they are talking about micro-surgery on the soul. That requires a human touch. That makes her vulnerable. Is she afraid? Kurt asks and takes her hand.
Jean admits her fear and explains that she was captured by the slavers. The good news is that she knows their protocols. The bad though… It can happen again, Nightcrawler finishes his friend’s sentence. Part of her loves the leather, Jean admits. And the life it presents. Having no free will means total absolution from responsibility. She manifests the trappings of Dark Phoenix. He can’t imagine how tempting… She trails off and turns to Nocturne still comatose on a slab. For Talia Josephine she is her only hope.
Kurt tries to hold back, mentioning the risk. Jean laughs. She is an X-Man, she stresses. She doesn’t weasel. She hugs him, telling him he is family. All of them are. If she cannot fight for their freedom and future, why even exist? She asks him to hold their hands for when things get rough and gets to work.
(Nocturne’s memories / astral plane):
Jean’s astral body leaves her body, as she adds that another advantage of physical contact is that her experiences are his. She warns him that this is going to be nasty.
They see Talia’s childhood memories from before she became a hound. Talia’s memories of her parents – Nightcrawler and the Scarlet Witch are clear – but her own face is blurred out, because the slavers have subsumed her identity beneath their conditioning. Jean explains that her spirit has been enchained and they see a Talia, enchained by barbs. The barbs and spikes cut Jean and suddenly Jean begins to manifest them both on the astral plane and in the real world.
(reality)
Elsewhere on the ship, Aliyah is running for her life and trying to shoot whatever is behind her and shouting for Carol. She reminds herself that she is on her own and has to save herself. For all she knows, the being chasing her isn’t hostile at all. But her instincts tell her differently. She tries to open a lock when one of her scanners warns her of a proximity alert.
She enters the derelict hangar to find another ship there, one of the old imperial corsairs. She hasn’t seen one of them since she was a kid and from the look of things that could have been when this one crashed here. As she enters the ship, she reminds herself that they were stealth infiltrators, which could explain why the sector is off Carol’s grid.
Internals are stone cold; the ship is dead. Aliyah realizes that the ship triaged all its systems to sustain one single life. When energy ran out, the creature woke up. She sees the open pod and swears.
She gets to work, trying to connect the Corsair’s systems to the Starjammers, hoping to re-energize the entire section. Suddenly, she hears a loud booming noise. She looks up to see in horror that the blast doors of the hangar have been breached by something.
Elsewhere, Kurt urges Jean to fight the slavers’ influence, but she doesn’t want to. Taking her face into his hands, he bluntly tells her that then his child will die. As will hers. Her friends, her family. All she loves will be destroyed. Displaying the air of Dark Phoenix, she snarls that she doesn’t care. Kurt does the unexpected and kisses her, reminding her that she is fire and life. Their strength flows from her… and to her in return Jean replies as she kisses him back.
(Astral plane / Nocturne’s memories)
Jean takes Kurt on another trip there. She still displays the spikes but acts normally. She warns him that the scary part comes now. He explains that actually that’s Talia’s band, the “Butt monkeys.” Jean remarks that this band represents the essence of her being. The spikes surrounding the memory point outward, preventing anything from reaching T.J. She is protecting herself. Like “Sleeping Beauty” Kurt remarks. She loved fairy takes. She loved to hear him read them to her at bedtime. Jean promises he will again. Kurt points toward another set of memories, asking what they are. Everything since she became a hound, Jean replies. They take a closer look.
Nocturne is at the feet of one of the slavers, who is discussing things with a business partner they cannot see. The slaver explains that they are merchants, selling everything between dimensions, as long as profit is made. He continues that they like their market free of interference from governments, which is why they oppose Khan. They don’t need some pandimensional empire making rules. The past few years, Khan has been trapped in the customer’s dimension. Great for the slavers. The last thing they want is him regaining his throne or another one.
The customer can be seen. It is Empress Lilandra who agrees with the slaver. She doesn’t want Khan to gain her throne either. The Slaver explains that she needs an equalizer. Her own incorruptible clandestine praetorian guard. He points towards a globe that is being transported inside by several of his Hounds. Within it is a Brood.
Lilanrda points out that the Brood are extinct. Wiped out by those infernal X-Men. In her dimension, perhaps, the slaver retorts. But this is a pure strain from a dimension where the X-Men were beaten. Of course, quality like that doesn’t come cheap. Lilandra shrugs this off. If she bankrupts the Shi’ar for it, she’ll simply conquer the empire next door and bleed them dry. However, the slaver points out a problem. She will need a host to transport he Brood Queen undetected through the dimensional curtainwalls. Lilandra grins evilly, as guards carry Deathbird inside. Will her sister do?
(reality)
Aliyah grabs a gun pointing it at whatever is after her. Suddenly, somebody calls her name. How could it know that? Aliyah wonders. Dust settles as the shape assures her that she means no harm. She hadn’t intended for them to be apart so long but, as Aliyah can see, she had a small accident. It is Deathbird.
Aliyah lowers her gun in disbelief. She had been told her mother was dead. Overcome by emotion, she hugs her mother, babbling that she cannot believe she’d been trapped her under their noses all this time. Deatbird hugs her back telling her it is all right. Aliyah suddenly cries out in pain. Something has poked her in the stomach and drawn blood. She assumes it was her mother’s armor. Deathbird assures her the pain will pass.
A moment later, she turns into a Brood Queen and informs Aliyah that her Aunt Lilandra brought them into this dimension to serve her purposes. But the Brood are nobody’s puppet. As Deathbird’s life paved their way to freedom, so shall Aliyah’s grant them dominion over the Empire. Horrified, Aliyah presses her remote and lasers beams apparently destroy the Brood.
Elsewhere on the ship, Jean and Kurt draw are still shaken. Jean realizes that the spikes are gone now. She is herself again. When Kurt asks how she reminds him that she reacts to passion for better or worse. His feelings are so honest, they couldn’t help but point her in the right direction.  She is a little unsettled, as she senses a psychic residue. Like an outcry of pain and rage. Something happened while they were working with Nocturne. They turn to Talia, who is waking up, finally herself again.
A little bit later, Carol has scanned Talia and confirms Jean’s scan. The Hound conditioning has been purged. Aliyah joins them joking that she seems to have missed all the fun. Carol asks if she is okay. Couldn’t be better Aliyah replies and welcomes T.J. Carol points out that she is reading elevated adrenaline levels on Aliyah. The girl tells her off explaining she has been busy. However, she hasn’t been successful. The sector is still dark. There is no power, no internal sensor. Apart from that, everything is fine. She doesn’t mention what happened with the Brood.
In Chicago, Kitty Pryde and Xi’an Coy Manh have arrived in Kitty’s home. Kitty is on the phone, discussing the latest developments in the electoral campaign with her campaign manger, Marie d’Acanto, after telling Shan good-bye.
Marie informs Kitty that the attacks on the X-Men have radicalized public opinion, making things harder for Kitty. Her opponent, Alice Tremain, is making the election solely about mutants. Kitty ask her to give her an hour. She then wants a meeting with the senior staff at the Belles of Hell to discuss options. Kitty settles for a bath to wash off the grime, also examining the volumes of Destiny’s diaries, which she owns. The result leaves her in tears.
Phoenix’s fall shall be the X-Men’s bane
Phoenix reborn shall herald their doom!


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[Assistant]
Dance with the Devil!
In Afghanistan, the team of X-Men gathered by Cyclops – Wolverine, Marvel Girl, X-23 and M - have found the bodies of their friends from X-Force – Domino, Rictor, Feral as well as Irene Merriwether – and given them a decent burial. What now? Rachel asks their leader, Wolverine. They’ll find who did this and kill ‘em. Any of the ladies got a problem with that? the veteran X-Man replies.
M and X-23 are clearly out for revenge for their departed colleagues and friends but Wolverine notices hesitation on Rachel’s part. She tells him she is with him but, after further prompting, admits that she doesn’t like it. He tells her that sometimes, especially in the life the X-Men have defined for themselves,  there are only hard choices. That’s why she quit, Rachel states, looking away. She and Kitty wanted different. If she wants to bail… he needles her. Rising to the challenge, Rachel demands if he thinks she can’t cut it. Unsheathing his claws, he retorts that he knows exactly what she is capable of… and the consequences.
They both recall a moments years ago, when Wolverine was forced to stab a ruthless Rachel through the heart. Taking Wolverine’s hand, Ray admits that she was younger then and a lot more foolish. Wolverine relents and admits that he almost killed her back then. He never wants to face that choice again. Whatever reasons Scott had for including Rachel on this team, he knows better. Scott made the right call, Rachel insists with a weak smile. She’ll keep control. And they need her to find the trail.
X-23 butts in. She thought she and Wolverine were the trackers. Wolverine agrees that they got the scents. But those ended here. Rachel turns back and the Phoenix effect appears over her eye as she begins using her powers She muses that she always loved the adventure; the discovery. She grew up hunting mutants. This was her happy ending. She should have known her life would lead her right back to where she started. Energy bends around her. She coheres residual energy traces and the past replays before their eyes.
They witness the battle between Apocalypse, X-Force, Cable and Sinister’s agents and they see who brought Sinister’s people here – the teleporter Slipstream. The Master of the Hounds, Rachel states. As she once was? Wolverine asks. She was better, Rachel replies. No, she was the best and he isn’t the only one who is capable of manipulating primal quantum forces. She opens a gate way and they jump into it without hesitation.
Back at the camp, outside the ruins of the Xavier Institute, Scott Summers makes a call to some more parents to inform them that their children have  perished during the attack. Afterwards, he pours himself a drink in quiet desperation. While the woman who appears to be Dust is sneaking around in the tent, he reminisces morosely, looking at the pictures on his desk. His brother Havok, whom he couldn’t save. He remembers his greatest screw-up, the one that truly haunts him. He looks at picture of his relationship to Madelyne Pryor, his first wife. The screw-up that was his fault. When he met her, he thought he had found a miracle. With Jean, their life as couple was defined by their lives as X-Men. But Madelyne knew him as Scott, just a guy. And when he revealed himself as a mutant, she accepted him. He asked her to marry him. And when Nathan was born, things were even better.
Why couldn’t he embrace the joy that was handed to him on a platter, he wonders. When she asked him to leave the X-Men, he should have listened. He should have given his family a decent chance. Instead… There’s no way to atone. What he felt for Maddy was real. He should have trusted that. He should have fought for them as he fights for the X-Men.
The woman who appears to be Dust listens attentively to every word, as Scott recalls that he left Maddie when she needed him, that he broke her heart. He knows now what that means. How much he hurt her. For that, for all time, he is so very, very sorry.
Suddenly, he is interrupted when Hank McCoy shouts for him to come at once. It is Emma. Scott runs outside, while “Dust” closely studies the snapshots Scott held moments ago.
Scott enters the medlab to see Emma struggling to fight Hank and Cecilia Reyes. She shouts that she needs to save her babies. Sinister has them. Hank tells Scott that she is too badly injured.
The Cuckoos interrupt telepathically, announcing that they have lost all contact with Wolverine’s strike-team. Scott orders them to tell Bishop and establish a live-link conference call with Xavier. Hank implores him not to walk away. His wife needs him. Scott tells him to look around, see the multitude of patients. Who doesn’t need him? He has to decide who needs him more. And he’ll live with the consequences.
Emma shouts that he is running out on her just like he did to Madelyne, but he walks away anyway. Emma still struggles to get up while Cecilia holds her back with her forcefield. Hank finally sedates Emma. The doctors wonder why Emma suddenly begins to smile. They are not aware of the fact that Emma sees them as cute little manga chibi figures now.
the astral plane
“Chibi” Rogue joins them, or more to the point joins Emma. You can take the White Queen out of the Hellfire Club, but you’ll never take the Hellfire out of the White Queen, she mocks. For Emma sits before her on a throne and is wearing a White Queen costume. At her knees sits a chained Jean Grey. Emma haughtily announces that she already has a fool, referring to Jean. She doesn‘t need a “river rat” to take her place. Rogue laughs off the insult. She is proud of who she is and where she comes from. She changes back to her normal form and alters the surrounding to the Mississippi area and a picnic. Emma is forcing their mindlink between them, but they’ll do it on Rogue’s psychic turf.
They sit down on the blanket. Emma dislikes not being in control. Rogue shrugs it off. Must be tough dealing with folks as equals. Oh, she forgot Emma doesn’t have any. Emma tells her not to make fun. This isn’t about arrogance; it is about fear. She can’t help her children injured as she is. She needs a hero. She asks Rogue to be it. Rogue warns her that her power isn’t selective. She will borrow Emma’s abilities and her psyche. Her memories and secrets. Would she do any less for her children? Emma asks. They kiss.
reality
Moments later, a telepathic image of Rogue wearing a White Queen outfit appears to Hank and Cecilia, announcing that she is going to hunt.
At the XSE HQ in Washington, their current leader, Iceman, as well as the renegade Sage, learn about what happened. Sage is multitasking, at the same time examining the Malice choker she recently acquired. She explains to Iceman that Malice is Sinister’s chief operative. If she can tap into her, she can tap into him! Iceman warns her of the risk and Sage stresses that, despite being disavowed for years, she is still an X-Man. She muses that the worst is yet to come.
In Chicago, nayoral candidate Kitty Pryde is holding a speech and is afterwards talking with people in the crowd over Marie D’Ancanto’s warning that there are Purity protesters in the crowd. Kitty refuses to leave. Her supporters deserve some quality time with their candidate.
They are telepathically interrupted by Cyclops (via the Stepford Cuckoos). Ought to be a law against telepaths, Kitty jokes somewhat annoyed. There was. She helped get it repealed, Cyke reminds her. He explains that they have lost contact with Rachel’s team. Kitty is sure she is not dead, as she’d have sensed it through their psi-link.
That moment, she is hit in the head by a thrown brick. Dazed, she falls right through Marie’s hands. Pandemonium breaks out. Marie wants to take Kitty to a hospital but Kitty refuses. She addresses the crowd, telling them the people of Chicago are not about this. The Founding Fathers gave them the means to effect peaceful change in their government: the ballot box. That’s where they are supposed to take action, not by throwing a brick. That’s not the American way.
She asks why people have a problem with her being a mutant. In what way is she different apart from the fact that she doesn’t have to open the door when she forgets her keys? She stresses that she wants the same things they want for her hometown. These are the dreams they all share. The only thing that separates them is an accident of birth. She wants to embrace what makes them all the same, what makes them human. She urges them to all vote next Tuesday. And ends that they will keep bricks for building houses.
Elsewhere, the LeBeau and Summers children, still prisoners of Mr. Sinister, squabble. Meggan Summers accusingly tells Olivier LeBeau that this is his father’s fault and that Gambit is a liar and a traitor. Olivier’s younger sister, Bekka Raven, protests that her father saved them. Meg doesn’t buy it. Olivier shushes her and reminds her that the Shapeshifters – the War Skrulls – weren’t taking prisoners. If Gambit hadn’t intervened… At least they are alive! Does he wonder why? Maggan asks sarcastically and suggests that Sinister is using them as bait to capture the X-Men. Olivier tries to comfort her by pointing out that Sinister now has to deal with them.
The children don’t know that the scene is watched by Gambit and Sinister, who comments that they are utterly delightful and that Remy raised his children well. Remy announces that he doesn’t care. They are square now that is all that matters. Isn’t he even curious why? Sinister demands. Gambit replies that Sinister will tell him anyway. He loves to talk. Shame on himself for being as predictable as Gambit then, Sinister mocks, before adding that he is sure Gambit’s Anna will take him back if he charms her enough. After all, women are such fundamentally weak vessels. Prisoners of their passions. In a way, he reveals that is the genesis of what’s happening. A woman’s passion for the man who almost destroyed her. Curious despite himself Gambit inquires who Sinister is talking about: Lilandra and Charley? In a manner of speaking, he supposes, Sinister replies with a smile.
Suddenly a hologram of Shaitan (still in his Storm form) appears, announcing Sinister has more guests. Sinister leaves to check, all the while still explaining to Gambit that they are at war. Two great cosmic forces are at each other’s throat and no matter who wins Earth and humanity and mutants will suffer for it. One means to enslave them, the other annihilate.
Sinister checks on his people: Shaitain, the Counter Earth villains, a newly cloned Scalphunter (after the last one was killed by Domino) and the Technarx-infected X-Forcers, Proudstar and Shatterstar. Kneeling on the ground and clearly in agony is Cable. Gambit asks what the matter with him is and receives the explanation that Cable has been infected with Technarx nannites but is fighting them. Sinister coldly states this will change nothing, just make the process longer and allow Nathan to feel more pain.
He and Gambit continue to walk. He reveals that as he knows his enemies intimately he figured whom Cyclops would send and prepared the appropriate reception. In a chamber are the two ladies Mastermind, combining their powers to create an illusion that even the new prisoner Wolverine, Marvel Girl, X-23 and M cannot escape from. He adds that Rogue should be among them. As her children are his prisoners, she should have come, whether Cyclops had sent her or not. Here he could have saved her. Now she will likely be lost as the others.
A hologram of the director of Neverland appears, asking for authorization for sanction. Danielle Moonstar is out of control ever since the death of her soulmate, Rahne Sinclair. She is chanting a mixture of Cheyenne and ancient Norse. Despite inhibitors and drugs she is starting to manifest visual phenomena as well. In Dani’s cell, runes are appearing and Dani utters the name Hela every now and then.
Sinister explains the meaning to the director. While a member of the New Mutants, she was induced into the Valkyries. How sad for her that the gods she is calling no longer exist. He authorizes sanction and orders for Dani to be terminated immediately. Any objections? Sinister asks Gambit. The thief coolly replies that she is a friend, but it isn’t his place to speak and he has other priorities.
Paris, capital of the European Union. Following Emma’s idea, Rogue has rifled through the office of its first President Courtney Ross and found that “Courtney” has files on almost everybody including Sinister. Rogue rifles through Sinister’s file when she chances upon a picture of Sinister before his transformation, when he was young. She is surprised by what or who exactly she sees.
In Neverland, Dani is terminated in he sleep. Her heartline goes flat. Suddenly, she opens her eyes again and voices the name “Hela.”
Elsewhere, Sinister still explains things to Gambit. They are witnessing a clash of titans on a possibly apocalyptic scale. That’s what Apocalypse considered himself: a titan. Forgetting that those first gods were overthrown by their children. They have no allies to aid them. Nobody out there much likes this planet. To other races, this is payback, but Sinister has ambitions of his own with too many years invested in his own dreams to see them sacrificed to another’s cause. Regardless of the outcome, the X-Men are doomed. Sinister seeks only to save whom he can. To complete his work on a better day.
He reaches for his brow and takes off his red diamond. Gambit looks at him in surprise, as Sinister transforms into a now human-looking version of himself. Sinister continues that he wants Remy by his side, because where else should a son stand but with his father?


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[Assistant]
Secret Origins!
Gambit and Mr. Sinister – two men who look startlingly alike. Sinister’s history began in the 19th century.
(flashback)
A brilliant geneticist, ahead of his time and ostracized by his peers, Nathaniel Essex lost his son, Adam, to a hereditary disease. In 1859, Essex encountered En Sabah Nur, a mutant who’d been born a slave in the glory days of ancient Egypt and who’d risen to become its conqueror.
Awakening after millennia of hibernation, Apocalypse was determined to lay his claim to the world of that era. In Nathaniel Essex, he sought an ally who would help him achieve that goal. After all, every Dracula requires his Renfield. Apocalypse lured Essex in, telling him to relinquish morality and in turn have the chance to follow his work to its end, witness sights undreamed of, usher in the new age he had foretold. Apocalypse enhanced Essex in every way, but in turn demanded obedience. Essex became Mr. Sinister.
But even though Sinister aged more slowly than other men, he still aged, which made him wonder about Apocalypse’s offer of immortality. He came to realize that Apocalypse offered nothing for free. To enjoy all he had been promised, he had to prove himself worthy. Building on the works of Gregor Mendel, he made revolutionary advances in the fields of cloning. Using and discarding both bodies and women, he perfected a process whereby he would engender a younger copy of himself and then, using his powers from Apocalypse, transfer the totality of his psyche from his old body to the new one. Thus, from generation to generation, Sinister would be reborn.
In the twentieth century, he worked behind the scenes to shape the future both of humanity and the emerging subspecies of mutants. He worked alongside visionaries, renegades and monsters, among them, for example, the High Evolutionary. He taught in Oxford, among his students a young Charles Xavier and Moira Kinross.
Over time, his servitude began to chafe and he considered how to break free. To accomplish that, he needed a body untainted by Apocalypse’s enhancements. Fortunately, he had a broad selection of his own cell samples from before his own transformation. He realized, however, that his brilliance alone would not be enough. He was human, not a mutant, but he could change that.
Working at the Nebraska State Home for Foundlings, he created a new clone and spliced some different DNA into the child. It was a perfect plan. Until it went horribly wrong, when the clone was stolen. For having been a slave himself, Apocalypse knew how one would think. Working through the combined Guilds of New Orleans, his agents stole the baby and placed him in the hands of the master thief, Jean-Luc LeBeau, who raised him as his son: Remy LeBeau aka Gambit.
As a man, Remy rescued the X-Men’s field leader, Storm. And from that point on, the joke was on both Apocalypse and Sinister. Because Gambit discovered in himself aspects of spirit and soul that not even Essex had suspected. The capacity to be a hero. The capacity to love with all his heart.
(present)
Sinister relates that he adapted Gambit’s power from Cyclops’ optic blast. In terms of genetic material, the two of them are brothers. Half-brothers anyway. With Gambit and one of the Grey girls – Jean or Rachel - he gains the genomes of the key components of human evolution. Those capable of transcendence from the mortal to the divine.
Doesn’t he think the X-Men will stop him? Gambit challenges his newly-found “father.”
They’ll try, Sinister replies, and like his current prisoners they will fail.
The four captured X-Men are all prisoners of their own desires made real to them, thanks to the Ladies Mastermind.
(Wolverine’s dream)
Dressed in a tuxedo, Wolverine finds himself in the Princess Bar, with the diminutive Seraph. He mentions that the clothes make him uncomfortable. Laughing, the woman tells him that just because he was raised in the backwoods that doesn’t mean he can’t aspire to be something better.
(Monet’s dream)
Monet finally confronts her evil brother, Emplate, looking for revenge.
(X-23’s dream)
X-23 is living the good life, lazing at the pool in the company of her lover or husband, Fantomex, and their child.
(Marvel Girl’s dream)
Rachel and Kitty Pryde are living a life of adventure on a world which is a strange mix of science fiction and fantasy.
(reality)
The Ladies Mastermind triumph. Their prisoners have found ultimate happiness and won’t even try to escape. Using this as a cue, Dark Beast leers and suggests he could make Shakti really happy. Disgusted, the sorceress orders him to leave. Dark Beast turns to Technarx, who is still assimilating Proudstar, Warpath and Cable. Why is Cable crying? McCoy inquires. Involuntary response to the rewriting of core operating network, nothing of concern, Technarx explains.  McCoy mockingly agrees, before pointing out that this wouldn’t be the first time to underestimate these guys.
(Wolverine’s dreamscape)
Sabretooth crashes into the bar, killing Seraph. He then attacks Wolverine and reminds him that, whatever Logan cares for most, he will always destroy!
Wolverine awakes next to Mariko Yashida, who suggests they enjoy their honeymoon. Wolverine bluntly tells her that she s dead and so is Seraph. These are the moments he dreams of. Do those moments include him? Sabretooth, who shows up again, asks. Is he ready for round two?
(reality)
Meanwhile, in their containment chamber, the Summers and LeBeau kids are still arguing to the amusement of the guards outside. Suddenly, they are startled by a scream. They find Bekka LeBeau injured on the ground, apparently having ended up between the two fighting older kids. The guards run inside the chamber to find the kids were faking it.
The kids attack, but surprisingly the men are holding their own, when suddenly they are joined by Gambit, who easily dispatches of the men. The kids first look at him startled, then Bekka runs to hug him, joined by the others. At that moment, Shaitan attacks them. Gambit easily pulls Bekka aside, juggling her around while evading Shaitan’s attacks and finally taking him out.
He had hoped for much more from Gambit, a disappointed Sinister announces. But he still possesses the prime genetic material. One can always begin again. The brats have fulfilled their purpose, he informs Shaitan. He may deal with them as he pleases.
The children and Gambit, who is aware of the danger to them, run, when suddenly a transmat portal appears before them – on Sinister’s orders. Gambit, sill holding Bekka, stumbles through it. He immediately recognizes the strange ruins around them – the Blue Area of the Moon. No wonder they couldn’t find the Neverland concentration camp on Earth, he muses.
The other kids find themselves somewhere else. A desert town in the middle of nowhere. Megan finds that her telepathy is working again: She tries to psilink with her mother and finds in surprise that she links up with Rogue instead. Rogue explains that she imprinted Emma’s power, that’s why Megan reached her. Seeing through Meggan’s, eyes she realizes where the children are and flies to get them.
(Wolverine’s dream)
An empty restaurant. Jean Grey, dressed in a gown, is walking towards Logan. As he embraces her, he tells her that Sabretooth’s slaughtered every woman he ever loved. He saved the best for last. He doesn’t care if she is a fake. He won’t let him kill her. Glad to hear it, she announces, as she turns into the real Phoenix. Drawing him into a kiss, she announces that she is no fake. Somehow, she is telepathically synching into his vision. She warns him that she doesn’t have the strength to spare. If she dies there, this link will make it real. There is nothing more she can do to help him. Sabretooth enters. Wolverine unsheathes his claws. Her just being here is all he needs.
(reality)
Wolverine unsheathes his claws in reality and attacks and kills one of the Ladies Mastermind. The other three X-Men awake and Wolverine announces that they are going to take the fight to Sinister.
Neverland:
A reborn Danielle Moonstar, now dressed in clothing reminiscent of both her Cheyenne heritage and of the Norse death goddess Hela, announces that for some death is only the beginning. Now it is Sinister’s turn.
A live debate in Chicago, days before the election, a one-on-one confrontation between the two candidates, Professor Katherine Pryde and Congresswoman Alice Tremaine. Tremaine quickly explains her point of view and states that it all comes down to one simple question: Do they want the next mayor of this great city to be a human being or do they want a monster?


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[Assistant]
Godrise
While the X-Men are fighting for their lives, their former member, Kitty Pryde, is in a neck-to-neck race for mayor of Chicago. Her opponent, Alice Tremain, is the public face of Purity, the most virulent global anti-mutant hate group who began their televised debate at the University of Chicago with the question whether they want the next mayor to be a human being or a monster.
 I’m a monster? Kitty asks with a mocking, self-deprecating smile. She phases through her desk, as she addresses the audience, informing them that, through an accident of birth, she is a mutant. She can walk through walls. That’s the only difference, she drives home her point, because she is also a citizen of the United States of America, endowed with unalienable rights like all of them. Ms. Tremaine’s question is, does that difference make a difference. Are mutants monster or are they people? And where do they go from there?
Elsewhere, Kitty’s former teammate and friend, Rogue, dressed in a White Queen outfit after imprinting Emma Frost, is flying high in the atmosphere, flying as fast as she can to save her and Emma’s kids from Mr. Sinister. With Emma’s powers, she has managed to psi-link with Emma’s oldest child, Meggan, and tracked the children to the X-Men’s former Australian Outback headquarters, where the five kids find themselves attacked by robotic dogs.
The situation is grim, as Megan’s telepathy only works on organic brains and the others are too young to have developed powers. The cavalry luckily arrives as Rogue simply tears through the creatures.
Her son, Olivier, happily hugs her and babbles that his father Gambit was only faking to work with Sinister, so he could help them. Exasperated, Rogue exclaims God forbid her husband ever find an easy way to do anything. Megan addresses Rogue politely, asking why her mother is inside Rogue’s head. Rogue explains that she imprinted Emma, so they could find the kids together. She couldn’t come herself, as she’d been hurt. Meggan anxiously asks after her father, Scott Summers. Rogue calms her. That man will probably forever.
She telepathically transmits images of the children to Cyclops, to let him know they are all right. She turns back to her son asking about his missing sister and father.
When Sinister dropped Transmat portals on the fugitives, he sent them to two different destinations. Gambit and Bekka ended up in his private concentration camp for mutants, Neverland, in the Moon’s Blue Area. His agent, the director, attacks Gambit with energy blasts and mocks that Gambit should have kept his bargain. So he could turn out like her? he asks, as her armored guards close in on them. Suddenly, though, they are turned to dust, courtesy of Dani Moonstar, reborn as a Valkyrie, complete with winged steed.
Dani, now dressed in a warrior’s garb, displaying both Cheyenne and Norse characteristics, announces that they are done. The director stupidly states the obviously wrong, that Dani is dead. Dani deadpans that she is an X-Man. She got better.
Sinister made the director a match for her prisoners when he gave her the ability to channel the power of all the Marauders. She loosens an arrow at the woman, trapping her. Those powers are wasted on her, Dani continues calmly. The mutant she loved to terrorize is no more. What remains is Valkyrie. And through this vessel are reborn not only the ancient powers of the Cheyenne, but those of Asgard.
 The director calls up an emergency transmat to Sinister’s citadel, but Gambit smoothly trips her with his staff. As Moonstar raises her axe, the director pleads for mercy. Dani gives her the same mercy she showed her prisoners – none.
She turns to Gambit and Bekka, telling them to use the transmat portal and give the others her love. She is going to bury this place, rebuild the Rainbow Bridge and see where it leads her.
Back in Chicago, Kitty Pryde points out that, while they’ve been talking for over an hour, they have hardly said a word about taxes, education, transportation, healthcare, housing, jobs… the real concerns of real people. Being mayor is about making this city work and helping its citizens to make a better life; instead, Alice is making it all about fear.
Alice cuts in, reminding that, after what happened at the Xavier Institute, they have a lot to be afraid of. Kitty points out that while she is a Jew that doesn’t automatically mean she favors her faith above all other. Just like she doesn’t favor women over men, whites over non-whites and so on. A community is people working together for the common good, They don’t achieve that by casting people out. Alice Tremaine points out security. As a member of Congress, she has seen first hand the threats to this nation. She isn’t speaking about mutants this way out of prejudice but because they represent a clear danger. Bull, Kitty shouts angrily.
Back at Sinister’s HQ, Wolverine’s now free team engage the Marauders and their transformed prisoners, Shatterstar and Warpath, who now merely extensions of Technarx. While X-23 takes care of them, Rachel and Monet telekinetically dismantle Technarx itself right down to its constituent atoms. However, the sorceress Shakti attacks, using her magic to revert Monet to the mutated and aphasic form of Penance that for much of her life had been her prison.
A pyrrhic victory, as every edge of Penance’s body is sharp enough to cut through stone and Rachel telekinetically tosses her at Shakti, killing the sorceress. However, this leaves her vulnerable to being stabbed in the back by her “brother,” Cable, who has also been transformed by Technarx. Not wholly, though, as he apologizes. A tiny Phoenix symbol glows over Rachel’s eye, as well as Cable’s, as she reminds him that Technarx is dead. He can fight this. Cable replies hat it lives on in him just like it does in her now. And every second it grows stronger.
Rachel’s astral body touches Cable’s as she replies this only holds true if they fight it by themselves. Their inheritance, their playground is all creation, as their mother is Phoenix and that makes all the difference. Energy begins to engulf them.
Elsewhere, Wolverine is engaging Shaitan, who for years has been trapped in the shape of Storm. While Storm’s nervous systems had been gradually degraded by her powers Wolverine had taken care of her. Because of Shaitan, much of the world believed Storm a psychopathic terrorist. More than once, Shaitan had used his likeness to entice unwary X-Men into Sinister’s hands, such as Dani Moonstar, so for Wolverine beating up Shaitan is pure payback. Hurling an insult, Shaitan brutally hits back, stating that he fought by his Khan’s side, as he conquered whole dimensions. He is nothing special, merely the latest Wolverine he will add to his collection.
Suddenly Rogue joins the fray. Shaitan, however, at once realizes that the woman is not Rogue. She has Rogue’s looks and moves but not her powers. He hurls her aside and she turns to her true self – Mystique.
Cue for the real Rogue to show up. Shaitan smashes her into the ground and boasts that none of them are a match for him and even less for his Khan. Unimpressed, Rogue gets up again and returns the blow in kind.
Via Cerebra, Emma Frost is in contact with her and adds her power to Rogue’s, while Cyclops and Beast are anxiously watching. Rogue brutally kicks Shaitan, hurling him through the citadel’s wall, as she tells him to surrender. He would sooner die, the villain counters. Good, Rogue states, as she kicks him in the head with all her strength backing the kick.
Exhausted, she informs Emma that Shaitan is done. And she is wasted. Both she and Emma are exhausted and Emma closes the link, joking she doesn’t want to assimilate any more apart from Rogue’s tattoos. Rogue jokes back that it makes her nervous about what she might have gotten from the exchange.
Suddenly, Gambit is at her side and the two lovers embrace. Mystique shouts a warning but too late!  A tender moment turns to tragedy, as “Gambit” suddenly stabs her. While Rogue drops into Mystique’s arms, “Gambit” tells Rogue that he opened the portal to allow her to return so he could deliver a “father in law’s” fond farewell before his departure.
Just as he intends to finish her off, the real Gambit runs into the room, to be greeted by the smiling Sinister, wearing his form. He screams in denial as he sees his wife minutes from death. Sinister strides towards a chamber, telling Gambit that the future belongs to him. He will leave Gambit to the ashes of his past. For the moments of existence left to him.
Mystique speaks up. She tells Gambit to see to his wife and take care of her daughter. Sinister is hers. She reaches for Sinister’s fallen knife. Sinister points a weapon at her and informs her his weapons are keyed to the X-Men’s collective genome. The slightest wound is fatal. Mystique advance towards him as he fires. His bullets will adapt to her every change, he warns.
Even this one? she mocks, as she turns to the form she used for the past months – the Dark Beast. With a feral smile she tells him she watched him create his toy. She is immune. With his guns empty, the cornered Sinister offers to create a new and improved Rogue. She loved the one she got, Mystique retorts. They could remake the world, he offers. Absolutely, she replies, with a nasty grin. And an infinitely better one without him!
Crouching over his injured wife, Gambit shouts out for medics. With bloody fingers, Rogue touches his face and tells him there is nothing to be done. She can’t even channel any imprinted powers to save herself. She’s all used up. It’s not fair, he complains. When he was dying, she pulled him back from Heaven. Feel free to cut a deal with God, Rogue jokes, before informing him that Olivier and Emma’s elder three children are safe.
Crying, Gambit tells her that Bekka and Alex were with him and are safe. How can he tell them? With a wan smile, Rogue replies that he is the charmer. He can find a way. How is he supposed to go on, he asks. He’s the man she loves, Rogue replies. He’ll find that, too. She asks for a last kiss. He begs her not to die, before they kiss one last time.
At the Xavier Institute, the Spikes inform Cyclops and Xavier via  telepathy that they are detecting major readings from Genosha. A cloaking field has just been disengaged. They are linking with Rachel and now have a lock on Sinister’s headquarters. Xavier shouts out in surprise that all these years Sinister was in Genosha right under Xavier’s nose.
Back at Genosha, Mystique tosses Sinister’s head aside. Too little, too damn late. But at least they are quit of him. Gambit suddenly runs toward one of Sinister’s suits. Sinister said “departure,” he explains. Since he took Gambit’s place, it is only fair that Gambit now take his. Mystique reminds him of his responsibilities. What about his children? As Gambit changes, he tells her that his first responsibility is to keep his children safe.
Mystique changes into Sinister and tells him that she can do the job better. Gambit points out that Sinister worked with slavers and the Shi’ar. They know all about shapechangers. He’ll succeed because he is the real deal. Not just in the face but in the genes. And when he arrives, what then? asks Mystique. He’ll pave the way for Charles.
 Xavier telepathically joins them, having listened in. Mystique states that Gambit needs backup. A weary Rachel and Cable join them, still showing marks of Technarx’s attempt at assimilation. They volunteer to go.
What about his children, Mystique asks Remy. He replies that they never met their grandmother. It’s Anna’s gift to her. Someone to live for. No more lost causes, just a proper family, a real future. “’kay, mom?’ he asks as they hug. Good-bye, my son, she replies with tears in her eyes.
In Chicago, the debate is almost over. Kitty smiles, as she begins her closing statement, when she is telepathically contacted by Rachel, who informs her of Rogue and Sinister’s death. Kitty is horrified. But it gets worse, as Rachel quickly explains that soon Slipstream will come to pick up Gambit (disguised as Sinister), herself and Cable. She has to go. Her mom’s out there.
On the astral plane, the women hug, as Kitty moans that she’ll likely never see Rachel again. Some things they have to trust to fate, Rachel tells her in parting. Kitty is left in tears.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
The Grand Alliance
With the X-Men and their friends still grieving over the many casualties they suffered over the last few days, Xavier is conferring telepathically with several of his X-Men – namely Storm, Cyclops, Sage (and Iceman) and Kitty Pryde – over their next step. He informs them that he intends to travel to the Shi’ar throneworld, Chandilar, to try to effect some peaceful resolution to this conflict.
At the Xavier Institute, Scott Summers protests vehemently. Lilandra turned this school into a boneyard. They are way past talking.
If he truly believes that, Xavier replies, that he has failed Scott as a teacher. He reminds Scott that Warskrulls were responsible for those attacks. They have no direct evidence linking them to Lilandra.
From the XSE HQ in Washington, Sage remarks that this is, of course, how any respectable clandestine operation would be arranged, to ensure that those truly responsible remain blameless. Storm agrees. Whoever is behind all this, they have made it plain that they want the X-Men dead. A diplomatic resolution is no longer an option.
All the more reason to make absolutely sure they strike the proper target, Xavier replies. Suppose the intent there is to provoke them to retaliate against Lilandra? To discredit the X-Men? To endanger Earth itself? Can they risk that?
From her Campaign HQ in Chicago Kitty Pryde agrees with Xavier. Scott reminds Xavier that he will be traveling to another galaxy. If anything should go wrong… He and Magneto can take care of themselves, Xavier tries to calm his former students. Magneto agrees with a smirk that their reputation alone should inspire a measure of caution amongst their enemies.
On that basis alone, he’d be inclined to shoot first, but that’s just him, Iceman remarks with a grin. Xavier smiles at his student’s reply, before pointing out that they won’t be entirely without assets. The Starjammer is en route to Chandilar, which puts Phoenix by their side. In addition, Gambit, Cable and Marvel Girl have been transported there as well, with Gambit masquerading as Sinister. He reminds Scott that Lilandra was their friend and he was her consort once. For those reasons and more, he has to try things this way. By the same token, if he is wrong and the worst happens… They’ll be ready. Scott promises…
In the XSE HQ, Bobby Drake creates ice sculptures of Sinister and Gambit. He still has a hard time believing that Gambit is Sinister’s clone. It explains much about their actions over the years, Sage remarks.
Totally sucks about Rogue, Iceman muses. They’ve had casualties before, Sage points out. Doesn’t make it easier, he sighs. Especially with kids involved. What was Gambit thinking leaving them like that? Sage touches his shoulder only to pull back her hand, displaying severe frostbite. She points out that Gambit was trying to ensure they at least have a future. Do they? Iceman wonders. Do any of them? They are X-Men. A situation like this is always a trap. Sage agrees. What concerns her is that she can’t see beyond.
Robert asks mockingly if she is admitting that she is only human while healing her frostbite. Even she can’t know everything, she agrees. And even if she had all the data, would she really truly know everything? Bobby asks. Somewhere in there, she will come to the place where she will have to trust her instincts and make a leap of faith. Who is he and what has he done to Bobby Drake, she asks half astonished, half mockingly. What’s she talking about, he retorts. Iceman’s always been totally transparent. With surprising depths, it seems, she admits. See, he points out satisfied. She doesn’t quite know everything.
Meanwhile, back at the Institute, the teleporter Hub has returned with Mystique and the kidnapped children. Cyclops hugs his kids but then sees Gambit and Rogue’s kids, Olivier and Bekka, looking forlorn. He addresses them, telling them he knows how hard this is. How part of them wants to be brave. But mostly, they want to scream and rage and beat up on God himself. He has stood where they stand. He has lost what they have lost. If they ever need a hand to hold or anything…
Mystique interrupts him, telling him to bring their father back to them safe. That’s all. Until then, she is their grandmother. She’ll care for them as Anna would.
In Chicago, the polls have just opened to the tightest municipal election in memory. At Kitty Pryde’s HQ, her campaigning staff is hard at work, while Kitty herself is telepathically contacted by Charles Xavier once more. He asks how it’s going and she explains that the number are changing with every sample. It all comes down to whether or not folks will trust their future to a mutant. He has faith, Xavier tells her. She’d rather have his vote, she replies with a grin.
Does she really believe people are so afraid, he wonders. She tells him to ask again after the ballots are counted. The thing is, she continues, she and he pretty much bookend the reason people are spooked. He reads people’s minds, she walks through walls. Between the two of them, nothing is secret.
Is he sure he knows what he is doing, she asks, changing the subject. Is he sure this will work? She should ask him again after the votes are counted. Kitty can’t laugh at his feeble jokes. On the astral plane, they both look at an image of Lilandra. He explains it is a calculated risk. Lilandra only knows him as the teacher, the healer. She has no idea what came before. Neither, he hopes, does their true enemy. That should give them an edge. He hopes that as a target he is proving irresistible.
The scenery changes to show the X-Men currently involved in this mess. He is quite capable of dealing with any reasonable threat. And the unreasonable? Kitty demands. That’s where Scott comes in, he replies. Is he prepared to sacrifice the X-Men, Kitty asks. He shows her  the universe. This is at stake, he explains. Would she act differently in his place? No, she admits. Good, she may yet amount to something, he jokes. Now he is channeling Emma? she complains. She had her hand in shaping Kitty, Charles unexpectedly replies, as did Logan, Ororo and he. They have their parts to play in this final adventure. She has hers in what is to follow.
They return to the campaign HQ and Kitty’s body. It’s not fair, she complains. It’s life, he replies simply. They share a final hug as he tells her there is nobody better to carry on his legacy and fulfill his dream. With tears in her eyes, she tells him she takes back what she said years ago. She never thought he was a jerk. And she, while she may have been born to be an X-Man, is destined for so much more, he believes.
Before Jean Grey became one with the Phoenix, Charles Xavier had a celestial moment of his own when his telepathy established a bond with renegade Shi’ar princess, Lilandra Neramani. From that moment of first contact, it was love. With the X-Men’s aid, she became empress. Together, they saved the universe. For a time, he was her consort. Fate eventually drew him back to Earth and, after a time, the relationship floundered. They hadn’t even spoken in over ten years. And now she appears to be responsible for those terrible attacks allied with Sinister himself.
With the help of the slavers’ teleporter, Slipstream, Gambit, masqueraded as Sinister, accompanied by his “hounds,” Rachel and Cable, arrives on the Shi’ar throne world, Chandilar, where the Lord Chancellor is already expecting him.
Gambit’s intention is to blaze the trail for Xavier and find out if Lilandra is truly guilty. He asks the chancellor why he is greeted with armed forces. Isn’t he considered a friend? The chancellor grabs him by the throat and informs him that he has no friends. Only those who serve him. One such was Shaitan. Where is his champion? Slain, comes the curt reply.  In battles, there are casualties. Rogue killed Shaitan. Sinister killed Rogue, with the very blade he is holding at the chancellor’s throat this moment. Does he think he will live to use it? the chancellor blusters. That risk appears shared “Sinister” smirks. The chancellor lets go.
Back in space, the Starjammer is approaching Shi’ar space. One of the passengers, Nightcrawler, is nervous at the prospect. This ship has never been entirely welcome in Shi’ar space. Is Carol - he is talking to the personality of Carol Danvers that has merged with the ship’s computer – sure this is safe? Carol explains that Aliyah swears by the clearance codes. They are based on her genome and cannot be faked. She is the daughter of Deathbird, the Aerie’s crown princess. Legally among the Shi’ar, only the monarch has the right to condemn her. Carol informs Kurt that the girl has great instincts, so they should follow Aliyah’s lead. Xavier needs back-up and Phoenix is the biggest gun in their arsenal.
In Aliyah’s bedroom, a shadow comes close to the slumbering girl. She awakes and opens her arms to the shadow. Behind her, the image of Deathbird appears, only to morph into a Brood.
(The Astral Plane)
Wolverine is lying in an idyllic landscape, when he is joined by a smiling Jean Grey. He draws her down and they kiss passionately. He informs her that he has missed her, even in his dreams. It’s been so long. Why did she come back? She cries tears of fire, as she replies that she has come to end the story. “Sez you” he smirks. “Sez the rules” she replies. He tells her to screw the rules. They are X-Men, they make their own.
A passionate embrace later… they talk about his still poor condition. He asks if he can send her to Charley’s side. She explains that this link is only sustained through his strength and passion. In power terms, she is still more ghost than not. She tells him she doesn’t want to lose him. Won’t happen, he assures her. That’s Jean’s dream, she muses. He reminds her that she is Jean. She is Phoenix, she replies simply.
As the Phoenix effect engulfs her body, she announces that she is the alpha and the omega. The spark that ignites creation and the final fire that consumes all to begin anew. So what? he asks unimpressed. You can’t have that passion of creation if one isn’t alive. If everybody carries within themselves the spark of divinity, then the divinity has to embrace the spark of humanity too. Jean is Phoenix. Phoenix is Jean. She hates it, Jean replies simply. Is she trying to ditch her mortality? he asks, Yes she replies, looking decidedly cosmic. He protests and insists that she is Jean. Always will be, always has to be. Being human is what gives her perspective, where she finds hope. And fear, Jean replies. Humanity comes with baggage. Passion is fierce. It isn’t always benevolent.
He tells her she has to remember where she came from to tell them all where to go. Otherwise, what’s the point? She powers down and asks what happens in the end when she is the only one left? She won’t be, he promises. He plans to live forever? she asks incredulously. For her, absolutely. He is totally mad, she announces. She is totally worth it, he replies. She promises to be back.
(reality)
Logan awakes in the X-Men’s hospital and promises he’ll be there.
At the Xavier Institute, Charles Xavier addresses the assembled X-Men past and present to say good-bye. Addressing their current situation, he quotes John F. Kennedy. “Some see things that are and say ‘why’? I dream things that never were and say ‘why not?’” That’s why first and foremost Xavier’s has always been a school. While the X-Men must exist, the school is ever focused on reaching that summit. They fight because they must, but they should never forget why they fight. Eventually, he informs the others that he has received a Psi-flash from Rachel, Gambit’s team has arrived on Chandilar.
With Xavier’s telepathic link with Rachel providing the direction, Magneto and Polaris begin to create a wormhole. Polaris is to anchor the end on Earth.
Magneto jokes that it doesn’t seem right doing this without Wolverine. He can’t have all the fun, Xavier replies as he enters the wormhole. Joining him, Magneto wryly asks if this is part of Xavier’s plan, for they are expected by the Imperial Guard who look ready for battle. Perhaps they should have invited Wolverine after all, Xavier states. Any more bright ideas? Magneto asks. In Shi’ar, Xavier tells the guardians “Ariin’n sequra Mejah’lin.”
One of the Guardians, a new Gladiator, tells the Lord Chancellor that Xavier has invoked the safe conduct of emissaries. In honor, they must accede.
The Lord Chancellor replies that the X-Men are blood enemies of the Aerie. Xavier’s claim of honor is denied and his life forfeit. He orders the Guardians to kill them. Xavier and Magneto – the latter with a grim smile – get ready to fight, when Lilandra and her son enter and Lilandra gives the order to stand down.