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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
…Before the Dawn
“Run, boy, run!” When King Arthur shouted those words to Tom of Warwick, it was a call to arms across the land. For though Camelot had fallen, Arthur knew that his dream…his hope…would live on in the young. The daring. Hundreds of years later, Charles Francis Xavier had a different dream. One where mutants – men and women with strange and often frightening powers – could peacefully co-exist with a growing humanity that would often fear and hate them. Toward that end, he recruited two teams of unique Children of the Atom. He named the first the Uncanny X-Men, and the second the New Mutants. Today, the New Mutants are called X-Force. And the dream? The dream has become a nightmare named Onslaught.
(Sunspot’s dream)
Roberto “Bobby” DaCosta playing soccer is a yesterday among yesterdays. For the scene playing out now, has already occurred. A time when the only thing Bobby had to worry about was an opening down field. In Brazil, soccer was the king of sports, and with his skill, Roberto was a prince. Sitting in the bleachers, Bobby’s father, Emmanuel DaCosta asks young Juliana Sandoval, Bobby’s girlfriend, if she saw the last move. ‘My son is an artist with the football!’
Juliana smiles, for it is a wonderful thing to be young and in love, and have the one you love be like a shining star that fell to Earth. Bobby aims, shoots, and scores. This was a champion match between arch rival schools. But in another time, this game would go unfinished, stopped by the startling revelation that Bobby is not an ordinary boy, but rather the solar furnace who will go on to be known as Sunspot.
In whatever place this is, Roberto wins the game however, and the crowd cheers for him. Bobby is happy. After the game, Bobby and Juliana kiss, to which Bobby’s father tells them that there will be plenty of time for romance later…once Roberto has showered and changed. Juliana tells Bobby to listen to his father, but Bobby replies ‘What better reason to be late than one more kiss?’
As Bobby proceeds to the showers, Juliana tells his father that Bobby acts as if this is the last time they will be together. Emmanuel tells Juliana not to question love, for like youth, she should enjoy it while it lasts. Bobby tells them to wait where they are as he will be right back. He thinks to himself that Juliana is right, that he is just a fool in love, but that they will always be together. If that’s what you want, Roberto, we can make it so. Bobby is surprised by the voice in his head, but the voice tells him that he can trust him and that he needs his help.
Bobby sees a small boy in the darkness that has now surrounded him, and the boy tells him that he came to him first because he needs him to convince the others. The boy tells Bobby that he is now and will always be the heart and soul of X-Force, for without him, the rest will not follow. Bobby watches as his hands glow with power, he declares he will always be different, be an outsider ‘…without my father…Juliana…without love…’. The power flares over him, as the mysterious boy says Perhaps, but what about the others? As the ebony energy slowly envelops the boy, Bobby remembers, and knows that he has no choice.
(reality)
Nighttime now, at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, Salem Center, Westchester, New York. Once, these walls stood for something – an ideal that was taught by a good man and learned by eager students. Now, it lies wasted, charred by the brutal war that the psionic manifestation Onslaught commands – and a surprise attack from the genetic manipulator known as Mr. Sinister. X-Force pitched their last battle here – and lost.
Suddenly, Theresa Rourke Cassidy a.k.a. Siryn bursts through the rubble, gasping for air, she thought they would be dead for sure. Rubbing her face, Siryn remembers how she and her teammates were protecting Nate Grey from Onslaught, only to be blind-sided by Sinister, who somehow turned Nate’s power against them. ‘Nae! The others!’ cries Siryn, who quickly uses her powerful sonic scream, breaking not only the rubble so she can get back into the mansion remains to find the others, but also breaking the deafening silence.
As she hovers above her unconscious teammates, Theresa’s thoughts turn back to the prayers she learned as a child and she tells herself to be calm, as her friends will be all right, after all, they have been in worse scrapes than this. She gores over to Sunspot and holding his head up she asks him to give her a sign. She checks his pulse and heartbeat – none, but she remembers that none of them know how his powers work, so maybe she cannot hear his heart.
Worried, Siryn doesn’t understand, for they all suffered the same attack ‘how is it I alone…survived?’ Siryn doesn’t get overcome, instead, she stands up and reminds herself that they have all been trained never to give up. She knows that they need help though, but all the communications equipment is damaged.
Siryn uses the psi-link that all X-Force members have with their oft-absent leader, Nathan Summers a.k.a. Cable and she calls to him, not knowing if they are still linked or even if he can hear her thoughts, ‘but we need ye Cable, like never before!” Siryn uses every ounce of her will power, reaching out with her thoughts…and it pays off, for a bedraggled Cable answers her cry. Siryn points out that she can hardly hear him, and Cable informs her it if because of Onslaught and all the psionic interference. Theresa tells Cable that she can hardly hear him, even though he is only in New York, not far away, fighting for his life. Cable tells Theresa that he will be there as soon as he can, and to be strong ‘Always darkest before –’ he cuts out, and Siryn screams when the psionic feedback hits her.
Cable’s gone, so Siryn realizes that it is up to her. She knows that if she can just save one of her teammates then she can hopefully find out what ails the others. She starts with Meltdown.
(Meltdown’s dream)
Elsewhere, the young woman codenamed Meltdown has an authority in her voice she has only recently acquired. She was once a confused, shaken girl who could easily be taken advantage of – abused even. Often her tormentors were men – the last one went too far. Holding one of her trademark “time-bombs”, explosive blasts of plasma energy, she looks down at the mutant villain known as Sabretooth and tells him to get up. She throws time-bombs at him and tells him that it is not like he didn’t have it coming to him.
When no one else thought Sabretooth deserved another chance, Tabby went out on a limb for him – and he betrayed her trust, brutally; Viciously. He tries to run from her powers and she calls him a wimp. But as he lies on the ground she knows she just killed him and it would seem implausible that he would do anything ever again. However, Victor Creed is a resilient man, and he survived. Getting up he snarls and tells Tabitha that he is going to gut her this time, but as she sends several time-bombs flying towards him, Tabitha says ‘Fat chance’ and as he falls to the ground ‘Loser. Lets go again’.
Suddenly, Sunspot, followed by the mysterious boy emerge from some bushes, and Bobby asks Tabby if in the end, this is all she wants. ‘I knew it had to be too good to be true!” declares Meltdown, to which Bobby tells her she must know why he is here then – for they each have to decide which is more important – what they want individually – or what is best for the team.
He asks Tabitha if that is what becoming “Meltdown” was all about – no more running, but facing whatever cards she is dealt. He tells her that this is why X-Force needs her – for her fighting spirit against the insurmountable odds. Tabby starts to ask Bobby if they are all dead, but he tells her that they aren’t yet, however, with each passing moment he thinks they might lose one – or all – forever. Sunspot asks Meltdown if she will follow him, and as she looks down at the dead Sabretooth, she smiles and says ‘Yep, wouldn't miss it for the world!’
(Caliban’s dream)
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…A story which has been told a thousand times unfolds again. A rocket ship spirals towards Earth, its sole passenger is the last, best hope for a new generation. Tragically, the ship crashes in a Nebraskan cornfield. Amazingly, no one is hurt, and a car passing by sees the crash. ‘Stop the car, Nathan! Stop the car!’. Standing over the small spaceship, they see the passenger, ‘Stab my eyes, Beatrice! He’s alive!’ ‘Caliban likes this part the best!’ says the gray-skinned boy in the space ship.
Years pass… and Caliban has grown into a healthy…err, mutant… Holding up a tractor with just one arm, Caliban tells “Pa-Nathan” that he fixed it like he asked. Nathan wipes his hands and tells Caliban that he has done good, as Beatrice tells Cal that ever since he came to live with them, things have a habit of falling into place.
In another time, another place, the mutant tracker with a childlike sensibility called Caliban was among the last of a slaughtered group of mutants known as Morlocks. The Morlocks lived in sewers beneath New York and in the shadows. Caliban smiles as he tells his Cable and Domino – err, Nathan and Beatrice – that he likes it here, for this was all he ever wanted. Sensing mutants, Caliban puts the tractor down and rushes away, telling Nathan and Beatrice that he will be right back.
Entering another barn, Caliban sees his friend Sunspot and asks him if he has come to stay with Caliban too, for there is lots of room in the barn. Slowly, Sunspot tells Caliban that he doesn’t know if he will understand this, but that he needs to come with them. Bobby tells Caliban that they need his childish sense of hope that there will be a brighter tomorrow.
Meltdown declares that this never happened in Caliban’s life, to which the gray mutant smiles and asks if that matters, as he is happy. Frowning, Caliban asks if what they want is to take him away from his happy place to that “other” place – where Onslaught is. From in the shadows of the barn the young boy tells Caliban that where they are headed, Onslaught cannot hurt them. Caliban realizes he knows this boy, but does not remember who he is. The boy tells Caliban he is a friend, one whom he has trusted for years. Caliban just replies that he doesn’t understand.
(reality)
At that same time, Siryn whacks her fists against Caliban’s chest, ‘Ye big lug, wake up!’ But she gets no response, and thinks that the whole team is slipping away from her.
(Warpath’s dream)
In a time that never was, a homeland that is near forgotten – an Apache reservation, the home of John and Jimmy Proudstar. John Proudstar, the former X-Man known as Thunderbird died on one of his first missions. He was never able to see the inspiration he would bring to his younger brother, James, who would become the strength and speed of X-Force as Warpath.
Running alongside a herd of buffalo, John tells his brother that he never thought he would say it, but he has done him proud. James replies that he is only doing all right, for he has finally turned his life around. As they jump onto a large buffalo, John tells his brother to forget his life, they need to turn the herd around before someone gets hurt. ‘Together, there isn't anything we can’t do!’ James declares. The mighty beast falls and Proudstar tingles with excitement. In some way, he knows the brothers are working side-by-side in a way they never got to – and now, may never again.
Later, James asks John if it will always be like this, but before the older Proudstar can answer, Sunspot, Meltdown and Caliban arrive. Bobby tells Jimmy that it is his courage that brings the team together, for he has taught them to put aside their personal doubts and face the challenges ahead. James asks Bobby if his brother can come to, but the mysterious young boy tells James that Thunderbird’s time has long past, and only Warpath has the choice to continue. James frowns.
(reality)
At the mansion, Siryn gives Proudstar mouth-to-mouth and tells him that if she ever needed him, it was now. ‘Come back t’me, Jimmy!’
(Shatterstar’s dream)
Then, in a place that is neither far nor near. Sunspot leads Meltdown, Caliban and Warpath and tells them that they need to hurry, for they have to find him soon. Caliban declares that he senses him near, right on top of the hill. When they reach the top of the hill, everyone is shocked to see Shatterstar and ask him what he has done to himself. Leaning against a tree as he lies in the grass, Shatterstar replies he hasn’t done anything other than merely take time out to ‘smell the vegetation’. ‘“Roses”, it’s “smell the roses”’ Tabby tells him. ‘Yes!’ he shouts.
They stare in awe because they expected to find Shatterstar upon some battlefield, like the Great Norse Gods who look forward to a Promised Land called Valhalla, he would be out with his blade drawn, fighting the good fight. What else would one expect from a warrior born? Sunspot asks him if he will go with them, but Shatterstar replies ‘I do not think so’, for back “there” there are too many questions unanswered. Beginning with “Who am I really?” He tells them that here it does not matter, for here ‘I am me’.
This shocks his teammates, and Tabby tells him he has to come with them, for it is all or nothing. Sunspot tells Shatterstar that no one has reason to be confused about himself more than him, and he respects what Shatterstar is going through. Sunspot tells Shatterstar that it is he who brings a passion to the team, a passion which is uniquely his, and that if he ever wants to learn the answers about life, the only way is to come with them. Shatterstar frowns, unconvinced. Suddenly, the mysterious boy who has been following them appears in the sky and says: Your time grows shorter. If you wish to continue…go now. For soon, you will not have the choice.
(Domino’s dream)
 Her name is Domino and she has been many things in this life: mercenary; bandit and co-leader of this band of misfits. In an empty black space, she fires a gun and asks ‘who’s out there?’ Much more than that, they do not even know about her – starting with her real name. The laser passes through Sunspot as he reveals who is there. Domino tells them to go away, for she never wanted any part of this, that it was all Cable’s deal, not hers. She informs them that she will be fine her, and so will all of them. ‘All alone? In the dark?’ Sunspot asks, before asking Domino if there is nothing from her life that she would want to keep – nothing that would fill this emptiness.
Domino hesitates before she says ‘Maybe…then face the light of my past’. She suggests that it might be easier to be alone in the dark. Sunspot tells her that she needs to know they need her leadership and the promise that they can accomplish anything. Sunspot tells Domino that while Cable is their strength, their caretaker, she brings them a belief in themselves and that without it they cannot be their best.
Domino is about to reply, when the mysterious boy appears, he tells Roberto that he has them all now and all he needs to do is bring them into the light – and all their dreams will be fulfilled. He urges them on, telling them that if “he” finds them here, then they will not be able to complete their journey. Sunspot asks the boy who it is that he fears, but the boy replies that it matters not, and urges them into the light, ‘and do not look back’…
…‘There is nothing more for you hear’ says the boy as he transforms into Onslaught. He was so certain that the night’s manipulations were compete that the guide reveals himself too soon. For such is the arrogance of the one being who would destroy the future. The hope for tomorrow. The nightmare that is Onslaught. X-Force turn back and see the powerful being behind them, and Caliban tells them that looking back is a good thing.
Warpath reminds them that they were told to hurry, but Sunspot decides that Caliban is right, and stunned, they watch Onslaught. Warpath wonders if they have been used. But Bobby points out that in the desire to realize their dreams, Shatterstar continues, saying that they ‘forgot the only way to a brighter tomorrow’ ‘is by kicking butt today!’ declares Meltdown. ‘Starting with you, Onslaught,’ barks Domino.
 (reality)
At the mansion, Siryn keeps a sole vigil, praying...then suddenly, her teammates wake up. Domino is relieved they are back, but Bobby points out they might not have been anywhere at all, for he suspects this was controlled by Onslaught, and his desire was to win at all costs. What goes unsaid however, was that together, they each glimpsed a bit into each other’s souls – bonding this team in a way they never were before.
James asks Siryn if she has been at the mansion all along, to which she informs him she was there all night. He cuts her off and asks where Risque is. Siryn informs him that she doesn’t know, for Risque wasn’t here when she awoke. Worried, James grabs Theresa’s arm and asks her what she means and reminds her that Risque was with them when Sinister attacked. Theresa suggests that Risque might not have been hurt as much as the rest of them, or perhaps someone else took her. Furious, James asks ‘who took her’, but Siryn tells him to let go as he is hurting her.
Caliban steps between them and tells them to stop, for he senses someone else here. It is the mysterious boy, who tells them not to be afraid and reveals that in his last moments he has come only to thank them, and tells them that they have all unselfishly won much this night. Turning to Siryn, he reveals that he could protect only one member of the team and therefore chose her, for she alone is the team’s inspiration, and tells her that she has an unshakable belief in that what they do is right.
Sunspot asks the boy what…who… he is. I chose well, declares the boy, who remarks that a memory is a fading memory at best. He reveals that he is what Onslaught could never fully control or destroy. The goodness of a young Charles Xavier. Domino asks him what happens to him now, and passing his hand through hers, he reveals that thanks to her victory over the dark he is free, and while Onslaught remains separate, they need to remember that they all represent the next generation of mutants. The young. The daring. A light Onslaught could never extinguish.
Sunspot, Siryn, Warpath, Meltdown, Caliban, Shatterstar and Domino...X-Force remains whole, standing once more as they watch the child’s image fade with the coming dawn. Although they are left in the ashen ruin of Xavier’s former home, and while they know with the likes of Onslaught and Sinister still out there, they may have lost a battle…but the war still goes on. Yet, tonight, somehow, they feel certain they won more than all their battles put together, that this was their greatest victory. “Run boy, run!”


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

[Assistant]
Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?
Absolute darkness… suddenly penetrated by a relentless voice: “Who are you?” A man sitting pensively on a chair is spotlighted. “Shatterstar,” the man replies, while staring at the floor. Everything in the room is again shrouded in darkness. “Who are you?” the voice again asks. Spotlight on Shatterstar. “I… told you. Benjamin Russell.” Darkness is restored. “Who are you?” the voice persists. Shatterstar is again spotlighted. He furiously exclaims he doesn’t know and starts pounding his fists on the glass walls of the room where’s he contained, all the while screaming that this is enough. He has answered their questions as many times as he can and this is no way to treat a warrior born!
Observing him from the other side of the “interrogation room” are his mentor, Cable, and his teammates in X-Force: Caliban, Domino, Sunspot, Meltdown, Warpath and Siryn. Cable is sitting on an operator’s chair, regulating the lights from a console. Scratching his head, a baffled Caliban admits he doesn’t understand: doesn’t Cable want to help Shatterstar? Rather uncharacteristically, Domino agrees with Caliban: haven’t they put ‘Star through enough?
“Have we, Dom?” Nathan wonders. He reminds her they’ve got an incredible situation there. Nathan’s telepathically probed him, more than once and apparently, Shatterstar genuinely believes he is both Shatterstar and Benjamin Russell. This means that the kid they’d taken in as one of their own may be someone completely different… and Cable doesn’t like that.
“Who does, Cable?” Sunspot retorts. However, he also wonders whether they learnt something from his Reignfire experience – the fact that two personalities can exist without either side knowing. Warpath believes that Bobby is being too hard on himself and argues that Shatterstar seems more confused than actually having a second lethal identity. Standing cross-armed, Meltdown exclaims that Shatterstar stood up for her once and now she’s doing the same for him. She asks Cable to let Shatterstar out or she’ll blast him out. Siryn advises her not to act that rash. They don’t know the extent of the damage Gamesmaster has put Shatterstar through.
Listening to their arguments, Shatterstar assures them he understands. Ever since he came to X-Force, he’s been something of a mystery, somehow linked to the former X-Man, Longshot, an alien with hollow bones. He recalls how he was teleported from one hundred years in the future from some far-off distant place… and now he’s told that he’s not that person; that he’s Benjamin Russell, a runaway from Boston. He does not recall ever being in Boston. He wonders if they have something called “Red Sox.”
“Si” the mutant known as Rictor affirmatively replies, as he suddenly – and unexpectedly – enters the interrogation room. This is the last voice Shatterstar thought he would hear this day… and it is the first sign that everything just might turn out all right. For a time, Rictor fought side-by-side with X-Force until he took a leave of absence. It was a decision that was the most difficult for Shatterstar, his best friend.
Rictor explains that the Red Sox have fans who believe in them even when they are losing; like Shatterstar and himself. Holding Shatterstar’s hand, he asks him que pasa: doesn’t he have his head screwed on straight anymore? Still astounded, Shatterstar asks him if it’s really him. Smiling, Rictor affirms that: who else would come all the way from Mexico to see his sorry self? The two men share a laughter.
Meanwhile, Cable and Domino are having a telepathic discussion, via their psionic link. A vexed Domino asks Nathan what he wants to do now. Cable suggests they wait: maybe Rictor can get Shatterstar to open up. Domino begins saying that she’s not the one to second-guess him… “You?!” Nathan exclaims in disbelief. Domino mutters that after what happened with Xavier and Onslaught…
Nathan believes she’s right. Xavier was a benevolent man, who became the most dangerous foe they’ve ever faced. Given that, just the idea of having a member of their team who can’t account for his past is a liability. Nathan wants to handle this carefully. Domino insists that’s not what she meant. She thinks these kids – X-Force – have been through enough. They want Cable to help Shatterstar.
Cable shouts that’s what he’s trying to do! This isn’t a punishment! He admits he doesn’t like being wrong. He was wrong about Xavier – and it cost them dearly. Siryn assures him that they’d follow him into a burning pit if they were told to… if it meant saving the life of an innocent. She reminds him that’s what he taught X-Force to be. Right now, they need to solve a problem that affects one of their own. “I… see,” Nathan replies. Domino tells him that she’d hate to say that she told him so… “All right, then, let’s do it,” Cable exclaims – although he has a very bad feeling about this.
Soon – Outside a bunker somewhere in the mountains of upstate New York
Siryn asks Warpath why he’s being so quiet. James admits he gets why Cable has them on the move, hidden in this safehouse of his: this whole Onslaught thing has got them so that they aren’t supposed to trust anyone. James, however, just lost something he trusted. Risque has gone missing and nobody will let him go and find her.
Theresa insists she doesn’t mean to pry but wonders what they really know about the girl, anyway. James knows there’s not much to tell: Risque saved his life; she knows a lot more about him than he knows about her; he doesn’t even know her real name. “And that doesn’t bother ye?” Theresa asks him. “Why? Does it bother you?” James aggressively responds.
Before Siryn can answer, though, Cable and the rest of X-Force exit the bunker. Cable tells his people to move it since they’ve got a lot of ground to cover. He then gives a psionic order: “Cloak off.” With that order, the P.A.C.R.A.T., X-Force’s own armed carrier, suddenly appears before them.
Cable, though, wants to have a word with Warpath first. Nathan knows that James is worried about this Risque woman. James is surprised he knows and asks him if he had any news. Not yet, Cable admits – but he’s got some feelers out there. He needs James to be patient and focus on the Shatterstar issue for right now. Understood? Understood, James replies. As the P.A.C.R.A.T. takes off, James thanks Cable.
Meanwhile, in the 53rd precinct of New York City, Detective Charlotte Jones is looking through some files. However, the specific file she’s looking for seems to be missing. One of her male colleagues approaches her and asks her if she’s looking for something. Charlotte mumbles it’s nothing important. She argues that ever since New York got turned upside down, one can’t find anything around here. Her colleague corrects her: she means, since those muties turned this town upside down. He always thought that Graydon Creed was a crackpot of a presidential candidate – but maybe Creed’s right. Maybe they should take out those mutants before they take the humans out. Charlotte angrily advises him not to think too hard; he might hurt himself!
A little bit later, Charlotte walks in the streets of New York City, wondering how this could have all happened. Heading to her destination, she spots a damaged Sentinel unit in an alley, all the while thinking that so much of it is still sketchy. It could be wintertime before S.H.I.E.L.D. gets these Sentinels off the streets. She also considers the rumors. Could it be true that Captain America… the Avengers… the Fantastic Four are all…
Charlotte suddenly realizes that someone is behind her. A man drags her backwards in an alley, just as Charlotte pulls out her gun and points it at him. The man – Cable – asks her to pull down the gun. Charlotte is surprised to see it’s him. She warns him that, the next time he touches her without her permission, he’s going to need more metal body parts! After all, she said she’d meet him here and she’s right on time.
Cable apologizes for his… abruptness but argues these are hazardous days: he had to make sure she wasn’t followed. He asks her if she brought the police files on Benjamin Russell. Charlotte explains she looked everywhere but it’s completely clean, including all the X-Force material the precinct had after the arrest of Cable’s team – all of it, gone. Nathan asks her if she has any idea on who’s responsible. Charlotte admits she doesn’t… and that’s what worries her. She believes the times are changing and not for the better. She tells Cable to watch his kids. Something bad’s coming, something the X-Force isn’t ready for.
A little bit later, Cable is on the P.A.C.R.A.T. again, with Domino piloting the ship, heading north. He tells Domino she should have seen Detective Jones; he didn’t have to psi-scan her to know she was scared. Domino thinks it’s weird: how is it possible that all their records could have just… vanished? Cable reminds her that both of them have done things in the past to make people disappear. It’s a skill like anything else and from what Nathan gleaned from Jean Grey, the “Zero Tolerance” project is looming on the horizon, just waiting to pounce on mutants everywhere.
Domino suggests that perhaps Gamesmaster is just making it harder for them to learn the truth about Shatterstar. “Either way, Dom,” Cable remarks. He was hoping that after Onslaught, they’d have a little slow downtime, a chance to really work with this team. But here they are on the fly again.
In the rear of the ship, Rictor remarks that there’s just so many chickens he could chase helping out his mother before he was itching to come back. Shatterstar asks him if he’s making a commitment; is he part of X-Force again? Before Julio has the chance to answer, Caliban grabs him, hoping that he has a new friend in him, even though he doesn’t know him very well. “Um… yeah,” Rictor nervously replies.
Perplexed, Meltdown recalls that Rictor had told everyone that he wouldn’t have Cable telepathically mucking around in his head, thus he quit. However, now he’s back. Rictor reminds her of what he told them when he left: if they needed him, he’d be back – and Shatterstar now needs him. After what they know about Onslaught, they should all be concerned about anybody who wants inside their head.
A little later, the trail leads the team back to the Weisman Institute for the Criminally Insane in Rutland, Vermont. It was there that Siryn and Shatterstar first learned about the… discrepancy in Shatterstar’s past. However, the Institute now looks entirely abandoned. Theresa recalls that she was here only days ago – and it was a fully functioning hospital! Domino reminds Cable that this is eerily similar to when they first went down to the Nimrod facility, after Onslaught had stripped it bare.
Nathan believes that someone has made the hospital to look like it has been abandoned. He telepathically tells his team that he wants a hard target search. If it’s not nailed down, they are to look under it and it if is nailed down, they are to tear it up! He tells them he wants answers and then urges them to go around searching. As they all comply, Rictor bellyaches that some things haven’t changed.
As the team splits up and investigates the grounds of the Institute, Rictor realizes how Shatterstar feels: he thinks he’s been here in the past but at the same time, he doesn’t. Shatterstar affirms that. It is, as Meltdown once described, a “déjà vu.” Whatever it is that Gamesmaster did to him, it started there; Shatterstar is certain of that much! Unbeknownst to Rictor and Shatterstar, the Mojoverse beings known as Gog and Gog N’ Magog, are prowling nearby, concealed behind some bushes.
Empty-handed, X-Force soon departs with the P.A.C.R.A.T. Shatterstar exclaims they’ve found nothing and are back to where they began: the apparent abandonment of the Weisman Insitute is nothing more than another piece of the puzzle. Cable suggests they press on. He’s sorted out enough messes to know this isn’t going to be easy. Their next stop is Boston. Maybe something there will jog Shatterstar’s memory…
Suddenly, Cable tells them to team to brace themselves! The carrier shakes up as a terrible sound is heard. Nathan inquires Domino of their status. She informs her they’ve got an onboard fire and also lost the starboard engines!
Gog and Magog tear the rear of the ship apart and storm in, wailing in an incomprehensible language. Sunspot asks if anybody has any idea who these guys are. “Ugly and uglier?” Tabitha glibly remarks as she releases her time bombs against them. Sunspot also releases his solar plasma bursts against them, urging everyone to blow their assailants back out the way they came in! Rictor joins the fight, admitting that this is the X-Force he remembers. As Rictor releases seismic energy and sends vibratory shockwaves against Gog and Magog, Shatterstar warns him that this craft cannot handle the kind of punishment his power causes without going down. Too late, though, as the ship starts spiraling downwards.
Gog and Magog grab Shatterstar and then, with a frightening burst of speed, break through the other side of the P.A.C.R.A.T. with Cable in pursuit. Nathan can’t get a clean shot at them and telepathically urges Domino to try and right the ship; he wants answers and there’s only way to get them and that’s outside on the wing! Seeing Shatterstar being teleported away with the two beings, Nathan rushes into the puddle of light and also vanishes with them. As the ship spirals out of control at nearly 800 mph, Domino knows that even though she may be dead in the next few seconds, whatever fate she may suffer, Cable is in for something worse.
However, suddenly, the ship is stabilized just a few inches before crashing down, on the water, and lands rather smoothly. “Nice play, Domino!” Bobby gasps. Domino doesn’t take credit for this miraculous landing, though: things may have a habit of going her way but this is beyond anything possible.
They suddenly hear someone talking from the pilot’s chair. “Oh… I wouldn’t know about that… you just have to be born lucky, I guess.” X-Force is shocked to see it’s Longshot!


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

[Assistant]
I Know YOU Are But What Am I?
Mojoworld: A technological nightmare located in another dimension
Together, Cable and Shatterstar had recently set out to discover the truth about Shatterstar’s identity which has lately come into question. This isn’t what they had in mind, though.
Cable is hanging upside down, all four of his limbs placed in manacles, a helmet connected to numerous wires placed on his head. Struggling to resist to the mindwipe process he undergoes, Cable keeps mumbling these words, against his own will: “Whatever Mojo wants. Mojo gets. Whatever… nnngggn… Mojo wants… Mojo… gets!” “Nooooo!” a similarly apprehended Shatterstar screams upon hearing this, fearing that Nathan may have started to give in the brainwash process.
Watching Cable from the control panel, Gog’n’Magog is genuinely astonished. His father, Magog, agrees: he’s never seen anyone hold out this long – none like Cable. They are both suddenly distracted by a voice behind them: “Well, boys, how’s it going?” Although both Gog and Magog are seasoned in bloodied battle, they fear nothing except the being who just asked this question: Mojo. Magog nervously stammers that they weren’t expecting… that is, they’ right on schedule…
Mojo gleefully notices that Cable and Shatterstar are fighting his precious mindwipe. “Then turn up the volume! Turn it up until it comes out of their ears”! Mojo orders his underlings with sinister pleasure.
“I will kill you!” Shatterstar defiantly states, despite the condition he is in. However, he is immediately punished for what he said, as electricity surges through his body, causing him exquisite pain. “In your dreams” Mojo responds to Shatterstar’s threat. “Dreams that now belong to me!” he adds.
New York City
X-Force and Longshot are about to invade a rather odd-looking home in the Greenwich Village district of Manhattan – an abode that houses far more than the typical urban dweller, as signified by a cryptic symbol adorning the outside window.
After she climbs all the way up to the roof together with the rest of X-Force, Domino leans against the occult-shaped window grate and tries to sneak a peek inside, while confessing to Longshot that, even thought she’s been to this neighborhood lots of times, she doesn’t think she’s ever noticed this house. Longshot retorts that sometimes you just need to be lucky – after all, he knows a great deal about luck. Ever since arriving here from the universe Mojo seeks to rule, he has had the ability to beat the most impossible odds.
Suddenly, the strange grate moves, akin to a living creature of multiple tentacles, and Longshot and X-Force are swallowed in the interior of the house! “Good evening,” Dr. Strange, the master of the house, greets them. Enraged, Rictor informs Dr. Strange that he’s got less than three seconds to set them loose before he shakes this casa to the ground! Dr. Strange asks the team to forgive the abrupt way in which he brought them into him home. However, he stresses the fact that, with the state their world is in, one must proceed with great care.
All of a sudden, the room is bathed in a blinding light, as hundreds of candles are lit, courtesy of Dr. Strange’s mystic arts. Noticing Longshot, Strange admits that he thought he sensed an old friend. However, in the light, Strange can see that Longshot has changed and wonders what manner of darkness could dim his bright spirit. “War, good Doctor. War.” Longshot emphatically stresses. Longshot fears that the Hundred Year War which history tells them will destroy his homeworld has begun; that’s why Longshot needs Strange’s magics to get him back there.
Completely out of sync, the always childlike Caliban sees a strange tripod nearby and finds it pretty. As Caliban approaches it, Sunspot orders him not to touch anything. Even though Caliban retorts that Sunspot knows he will be good, he instantly lays his hand on the tripod, only to discover in shock that the tripod is protected by some sort of green, magical fire.
Meanwhile, Rictor breaks into the conversation between Longshot and Dr. Strange and reminds to them that, while the two of them are getting reacquainted, Cable and Shatterstar have gone missing. All Rictor wants to know is if this Dr. Strange is going to help them or what! “Ah, the arrogance of youth,” Dr. Strange coolly remarks.
Irked by Rictor’s reaction, Domino grabs his arm and admits that she might have forgotten what it was like having someone as pleasant as Rictor on the team. However, she also assumes that Julio hasn’t rocked that brain of his to the point where he’s missed that Dr. Strange – as strange as he may seem – is someone with tremendous power and deserves their respect. “In my book, that’s only if he can help us find Shatterstar” Julio insists.
Dr. Strange is sorry to admit that the power he once held is no longer his. In the past, he could and actually had returned Longshot home, but he’s not sure such a thing is now possible; much less possible to return all of them. “You just point us in the right direction and let me take it from here” Longshot allays Strange’s fears. “Swell” Domino remarks.
Interlude – South Beach, Florida
The mysterious woman known as Risque enters a house by the beach, realizing that she can’t wait any longer; she’s pretty sure they haven’t been watching this place. After all, just like she tells James, “what’s life without a little risqué?”
Risque turns on the switch on the wall… and then realizes the power’s out. She wonders: didn’t she pay the bill or…? She realizes she can’t worry about that now; she has to get back to her friends; get back to Warpath and try to explain…
“Try to explain what, Gloria?” a voice suddenly replies inside her head, chilling her very marrow. In an instant, Risque is telekinetically slammed against the wall with such a force that parts of the wall are torn apart. As she tries to get back to her feet, the voice goes on to remind her that they pulled her out of Xavier’s before Sinister could get his hands on her… and this is how she repays that debt? “By running away from us?” the mutant known as Mimic adds, not telepathically anymore but in his own voice, as he appears in front of Risque, in the company of Blob.
Mimic believes that’s Risque’s running away is kind of rude. Blob is confident that Mimic hit the nail on the head. “Chicks. Can’t live with ‘em. And ya can’t live with ‘em,” Blob cackles. Seeing the two dangerous mutants she feared she would encounter, Risque admits that she made a mistake. She appreciates all the man has done for her – for them. However, she also insists she made a mistake and she’s going back to James. “But, sweet Risque… that wasn’t our deal…” another man, hidden in the shadows behind Risque, suddenly remarks, sporting a devilish grin…
Mojoworld
“Shatterstar. Shatterstar. Shatterstar.” Mojo mumbles while watching Shatterstar on a screen, the latter brandishing his swords and fighting scores of armored soldiers. Mojo admits that if he heard Shatterstar’s name once more, it would drive him insane. Considering what he just said, Mojo mumbles in a lower voice “Mmm… I wonder if that’s what did it?”
Mojo gets back on topic and informs his audience – Cable and Shatterstar, both strapped to a chair, both of them goggling, bearing almost comically shocked expressions – that what they’ve got here, watching, is the life and times of their boy Shatterstar. He explains that what they’re looking at happens 100 years from today. He then urges his two guests to watch the next part carefully.
The screen shows Shatterstar, 100 years in the future, just before he delivers the coup de grace to the tyrant of Mojoworld… Mojo! Mojo freeze-frames the film at that point and asks both men to study what is going to happen. Now raging mad, Mojo snarls that, after 100 years of putting the best show in this – or any other galaxy – Shatterstar kills Mojo! “Kills me!” Mojo repeats, unable to believe the blasphemy.
Shatterstar, visibly perplexed, exclaims that he doesn’t understand any of this. He’s just a kid from Boston; his name is Benjamin Russell! Mojo remarks it’s too funny: Shatterstar doesn’t even begin to understand what they did to him!
Cable suddenly decides that the show’s over and breaks free from his straps. Frightened, Mojo urges him to wait; it’s not time for a commercial yet! Cable, however, grabs the entranced Shatterstar and coerces him to snap out of it.
Suddenly, Cable turns around only to see the villainess known as Spiral. Nathan pronounces her name with disgust. Spiral orders him to sit back down. The show hasn’t even begun…
Meanwhile, Longshot and X-Force pass through a magical, light portal – courtesy of Strange – and end up freefalling headlong to the ground. As they fall, Longshot mumbles “See? It worked!” Domino remarks that’s one way of looking at it. She then pleads the two flyers on the team, Sunspot and Siryn, to grab anybody they can. As they all land safely on the ground, Longshot urges them all to be on the lookout; he doesn’t know if they’re behind enemy lines.
Before he even finishes his phrase, though, the gang find themselves targeted by guns from all directions. “Who was it that said he was born lucky?” Domino quips, meaning Longshot.
Dazzler, the mutant who gave up a promising singing career to join the X-Men, where she met and fell in love with Longshot, appears before them, accompanied by the various rebels she now fights alongside for the freedom of Mojoworld. Alison jokes that Longshot said he was going to be home in time for dinner and here he is with a house full of guests! “Miss me?” a smiling Longshot asks her. “More than you know, lover,” Dazzler assures him.
Domino admits that she has been in enough scrapes to know… Dazzler and everyone else are armed to the teeth. She asks Dazzler how bad things are here. Ali explains they are bad as bad can get. After a long time of relative peace, Mojo has changed the rules. Without a world that was dominated by his television programming, he has moved into a new era, one were real war – real violence – is the norm. In other words, Mojo has now developed a tasted for blood. “And that’s who’s got Cable and Shatterstar? Lovely” Domino remarks.
Longshot explains that Mojo has a time-traveler at his disposal and that gives him access to future holovids; it’s like having tomorrow’s newspaper today. As near as Longshot himself can piece it together, they are now on the verge of the Hundred Year War – a war that will end not only with Mojo’s death but also with the martyrdom of Shatterstar. “Martyrdom?! You mean my best friend is going to die?” an upset Rictor exclaims upon hearing this. Longshot believes that with a little luck… maybe not.
Soon, outside Mojo’s fortress
Magog and Gog’n’Magog guard the entrance to the palace – a gate with Mojo’s grotesque face chiseled on it. Magog asks his son if he can smell the Earthers. “Earthers?! Here?!” Gog’n’Magog exclaims in surprise.
“Here. There. And everywhere,” Rictor confirms Magog’s senses and unleashes his seismic waves on the ground, wanting to see how these two beings hold up to a 9.8 earthquake! As the earth tremors under Magog and his son, a blurry figure, running at an exponential speed, moves past the two being and seizes their weapons.
“Tell me that blur was you, Jimmy” Tabitha tells Warpath as he approaches, thoroughly amazed by the stunt he just pulled. James simply replies that they needed to take their weapons, so he took them. “At 100 mph. Too cool,” Tabitha remarks. “My turn,” she adds and harnesses her energy into explosive spheres of devastating force which she releases on the gate, causing it to explode.
X-Force and the army of rebels storm into Mojo’s palace. Flying on the air with Siryn, Sunspot wants to know if she’s thinking what he’s thinking. Theresa replies that if he means that this is going too smooth, they should not look a gift horse in the mouth. However, on the ground, seeing that the fortress is thoroughly empty, Dazzler confirms Sunspot’s suspicions: Mojo would never leave his palace unguarded… unless he’s moved on. Domino retorts that they could stand here and debate strategy until tomorrow. However, if her friends are in there, she’s going in. Now.
As they all advance in Mojo’s palace, they find out it’s cold and empty and discover no objects inside save for a television set. “Everything a man could want,” Domino ironically remarks. Still, she approaches the TV set, only to discover there’s no place to plug it in. Caliban suggests she just turns it on. “Caliban…!” Bobby is about to reprimand him. “Actually, Bobby, what do we have to lose?” Domino retorts, while realizing how scary it is that twice in one day she’s agreed with Caliban!
Domino indeed clicks the “turn-on” button on the remote control… and they are all shocked to see it works… and more shocked to see Cable and Shatterstar on TV, with a banner on the lower right of the screen “Stay tuned for another exciting episode of THE CABLE AND SHATTERSTAR SHOW!” Enraptured, Caliban remarks that if he knew that Cable was going to be on television, he would’ve gone with him! Longshot, however, warns them that Cable and Shatterstar are not on television as they know it: they’ve been digitalized and Mojo has trapped them inside his televised product! And in that form, they can’t survive!
Rutland, Vermont, Earth
An average American family is watching TV. The voice warns them not to touch that dial: another action-packed adventure of Cable and Shatterstar is coming right up!
The family dad asks his kids if they want to watch something else. “No,” they all respond in unison, as all four members of the family – mom, son, daughter and even the father himself – have already succumbed to Mojo’s ‘spell’, their eyes empty and robotic, all of them entranced by the “Cable and Shatterstar” show. “He said not to… touch the dial,” the family son mumbles.
“Perfectamundo,” Mojo remarks at that very moment. X-Force is stranded back on Mojoworld while he’s here on Earth with a hit television show and soon all the audience he’ll ever need!


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

[Assistant]
Ask Me No More Questions and I’ll Tell You No More Lies!
Rutland, Vermont
An average American town where the average American family collectively watches eight hours of television a day; fifty-six hours a week; two thousand, nine hundred and twelve hours a year. In that context, one begins to understand the power of the medium!
This time, however, television seems to exercise an uncanny influence on the citizens of Rutland, all of them peculiarly riveted in front of their TV sets, thoroughly besotted, watching as “… It’s time for another thrilling adventure of Cable and Shatterstar!”
Unbeknownst to everyone, what they are watching is not a TV show with actors but a holovid that depicts the final battle against the madman known as Mojo, one hundred years in the future! Digitalized by Mojo and trapped inside this holovid of the future are Cable and Shatterstar, both fighting for their lives against Mojo’s army. Shatterstar informs Cable that this is the day he dies. “Not if I have anything to say about it, Shatterstar,” Cable retorts.
Shatterstar thinks that Nathan has misunderstood him. He reminds Cable that the two of them now stand on Shatterstar’s homeworld, one hundred years in the future! It’s a time of war. A time and place where the creature called Mojo rules all… and it is Shatterstar’s destiny to die this day!
Nathan reminds Shatterstar that he knows enough about time travel to know that nothing is certain. He knows that as far as destiny goes, only a person can choose the path s/he is on. Shatterstar, in response, argues that if the choice is his… he chooses to fight on! Saying this, he dives down on the scores of hostile, brutal beings that have menacingly surrounded Cable and himself and prepares to draw blood. While shooting some of his assailants, Nathan pities the poor kid, thinking that Mojo has Shatterstar’s head so turned around he doesn’t know which way is up.
Mojo’s voice, acting as the narrator of the “show,” is suddenly heard, enthusiastically informing the audience that it’s been like this for days or weeks or maybe for hours; neither man can know the truth: Cable, that war-torn man from millennia in the future is once again fighting side-by-side with Shatterstar, the prince of blades, in this entertainment-crazed dimension! “Tonight’s episode: Ask Me No More Questions And I’ll Tell You No More Lies!” And just remember – DON’T TOUCH THE DIAL!” Mojo orders the audience.
As the fight continues, Cable pleads Shatterstar to listen to him: they have to get out of here! He believes none of this is real; somehow, Mojo has recreated… Shatterstar interrupts him to remind him that he was and will always be a warrior born. Bred only for battle, he will see the tyrant Mojo fall!
Cable realizes he never thought about his similarities with Shatterstar before. Both of them, thrust out of the future to the present. Both of them, chosen at birth to stop a mad despot. Cable lost Aliya while Shatterstar lost his Windsong. Maybe together they can stop this before they’re out of time… and out of luck!
Slaying all adversaries in his vicinity, Shatterstar asks Cable – if, of course, Nathan survives this conflict – to tell everyone in X-Force that there is no way he can repay them for their friendship. He was proud to have fought alongside them!
Shatterstar suddenly sees Mojo nearby and rushes forward to confront the insane dictator of Mojoworld. “Nooo!” Cable screams – in vain. Mojo invites Shatterstar to come near him; the dance is nearly done. Brandishing his sword, Shatterstar attacks him… and Mojo, with a single strike, almost slays the brave warrior.
On Earth, in a television station outside Rutland, the true Mojo – his presence inside the holovid being merely a digitalized version of himself that he projected there – is watching what just happened in the holovid. Excited to see Shatterstar fall, Mojo exclaims it’s brilliant; colossal; stupendous! He then grabs the microphone and again serves as the narrator of the “Cable and Shatterstar show”: “Is this the end of our heroes? With Shatterstar doomed, what fate is in store for Cable? Stay tuned, true believers… and DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL!”
In the station, as in everywhere around Rutland, people have become entranced, irresistibly drawn to the “show,” doing nothing but watching Cable and Shatterstar’s adventures. The people in the station do not even notice Mojo moving around them. Mojo wonders why he didn’t do this long ago. A nation of couch potatoes, giving off enough ambient energy that slowly, seductively, he can draw off and beam it back to Mojoworld!
Meanwhile, in Mojoworld, the members of X-Force, who arrived in this dimension intent on rescuing Cable and Shatterstar, have just watched Shatterstar fall in action in the one and only television set found in Mojo’s empty palace. Mourning for his teammate’s apparent loss, Caliban exclaims that Shatterstar is dead. “No” Rictor, Shatterstar’s closest friend, refuses to believe. His teammates, however, are brooding, as are Longshot and Dazzler, the two former members of the X-Men who have long been fighting to overthrow Mojo’s tyranny.
Longshot admits that he’s afraid about Shatterstar. Even though Cable and Shatterstar are trapped inside Mojo’s digitalized state, what they have just witnessed in this television is no fantasy. “Madre de Dios!” Rictor exclaims in anger, slamming a wall with his bare fist. He retorts that he did not come back to this team to see his amigo die! He will find a way to get to Mojo and free Shatterstar even if he has to split this planet in half to do it!
“What a surprise, you’re only making this situation worse,” Domino tells him and urges him to calm down. She reminds Julio that, since Longshot comes from here, he certainly knows more about Mojo than they do and if anyone can get at him… “I wish,” Longshot remarks, his face visibly hardened. He fears that even his much-touted “luck” cannot help them now. Shatterstar is lost…
“You’re wrong,” a voice belies Longshot’s judgment. “You?!” Quark, one of the rebels allied with Longshot and Dazzler, exclaims in disgust, pointing his gun at the unexpected visitor… Spiral!
Spiral indeed appears before them and insists that Shatterstar can be saved, although they must act quickly. Meltdown, however, wonders whether Spiral thinks they just tuned in! They all know she’s worked for Mojo longer than her six arms combined. She advises Spiral to take her arms and get out before she blasts her!
“Child… perhaps I didn’t make myself clear,” Spiral cuts her short. She informs the team that, with every passing moment, Mojo siphons off energy from Earth, making him near unstoppable. Suffice to say, that is not where her interests lie. However, she warns Longshot that, the longer they wait, the digital images of Cable and Shatterstar will fade. She confesses she cannot do this alone and insists she needs both Longshot and Siryn to act as guides. Theresa instantly turns to Longshot and asks him if they can trust her. “It’s… as they say… a longshot at best” Longshot wittily replies.
Suddenly, Mojo’s minions, Magog and Gog’n’Magog storm inside the room. Magog instantly orders his son to kill the lot of them! “It’s a trap!” one of X-Force exclaims. Spiral insists that this is not of her making and tells Longshot and Siryn that they must go now if they want to get inside. “Inside?” Siryn wonders. Longshot grabs her hand and tells her to move! For whatever her reasons, Spiral is the only teleporter they have and if she’s going in, so should they!
Rictor retorts that if anyone should go, it should be himself! Theresa tells him to grab her hand, then, before it’s too… Before she even has a chance to finish her phrase, though, Theresa, is pulled inside Spiral’s teleportation whirlwind, together with Longshot. In a blinding flash of light and sound, the three of them are gone.
Always cocky, Tabitha sneers at Gog and Magog, warning them that if they want a fight, they’re going to learn the hard way that X-Force doesn’t go quietly! Magog retorts that she will also learn that Mojo’s army is more than his son and himself! Indeed, dozens of monstrous-looking warriors make their entrance, armed to the teeth.
Inside Mojo’s holovid, Cable urges the dying Shatterstar to hold steady, as he uses what he can of his telekinetic powers to keep them together until… “Spare yourself, Cable,” Shatterstar interrupts him. He reminds Cable that, as a warrior, he is glad to have died in battle. As a man, his only regret is not having learned the truth about his identity. The riddle of whether or not he was Benjamin Russell will now never be solved.
“Maybe not,” Spiral retorts, suddenly appearing before the two men, in the company of Longshot and Siryn.
Earth
Watching through monitors in the TV station of Rutland, Mojo is dumbfounded, at loss to understand what is happening here. He wonders: how did Spiral get on his show? He approves all rewrites; he approved all guest appearances! He decides he’ll break all her six arms and then he’ll break her neck! He’ll kill them all! He’ll… Suddenly, much to his chagrin, the signal is lost!
Mojoworld
Seeing that the signal is lost, Caliban exclaims “Caliban did not break TV!” Releasing his solar bursts on several of Mojo’s warriors, Sunspot pleads Caliban to guard that box with his life; something tells Bobby that if Cable and the rest are to return, they’re going to need it! “And then what, Bobby?” Sunspot asks himself. He knows that he can blast away at Mojo’s troops with his solar energy all he wants but if Shatterstar has died, what are they going to do?
Nearby, his teammates are also dealing with Mojo’s army. Tabitha admits that having Rictor back on the team might not be such a drag after all. Rictor remarks that people change; no one should understand that better than her. Meanwhile, Caliban is frantically pounding the TV set, hoping to fix the image!
The Weisman Institute for the Criminally Insane – also located in Rutland, Vermont
It is here that Siryn and Shatterstar first learned about Shatterstar’s other identity: a boy named Benjamin Russell. This is another time. Another when.
Spiral teleports Cable, Shatterstar, Longshot, Siryn and herself right outside the Institute’s front gate. Nathan holds Shatterstar in his arms, the latter barely clinging to life. Siryn asks Cable how Shatterstar is. Ignoring Theresa, Cable tells Spiral that if she has some sort of plan, he’d like to hear it… now.
Suddenly realizing where Spiral has brought them, Theresa explodes, wondering why the devil she’s done this. Spiral explains that she did it because this is where the hero of their world will complete his cycle; here is where the life and death and life of Shatterstar begins anew. She then asks Siryn to take them quickly to the bedside of Benjamin Russell, considering she’s been to this place before.
Siryn protests to Cable that she doesn’t know if she can do what Spiral is asking. The time she spent here is foggy at best; they still don’t know what Gamesmaster did to her. Longshot intervenes and assures Theresa that if she leads them inside, with a little luck, they’ll find the boy. “If you say so, Longshot…” Theresa mutters.
As they all approach the entrance to the Institute, Dr. Weisman comes out and gives them an icy reception, telling them that this is a private institution and unless… Siryn, however, interrupts Dr. Weisman and addresses her by her name, wondering whether Weisman recognizes her. Cable, however, believes they have no time for this. Using his telepathy on Dr. Weisman, he imposes his will on her, making her utter, “There’s no need to detain you, go on ahead.” As they enter the Institute, Siryn expresses her hope that Cable never uses his telepathy on them like that. However, like he always taught them, if an opponent gives them an opening, they should seize it!
Soon, Theresa leads them outside a door, informing them the boy is in there. Even though the door is locked, Cable boasts that they haven’t made a lock yet that telekinesis can’t pop… which he does, in no time.
They all enter the room, where they discover a patient, identical in appearance to Shatterstar, lying comatose on a bed. Spiral begins recounting his life story: Benjamin Russell. When Benjamin’s mutant powers manifested themselves, he was hurled into a coma. Since that day, he has been kept alive only by artificial means. They boy has no family; no life to speak of – other than the role he was destined to play. Spiral then addresses Longshot, telling him that he knows what must be done.
Now taking Shatterstar’s body in his arms, Longshot informs Cable that among his people there is a way that they live on. He’s heard it called a “soul”… others call it a “life essence.” To Longshot’s people, it is simply “uemeur.” Nathan contemplates that what Longshot just told him is incredible; the Askani believe in a similar concept…
Longshot goes on to inform them that this is the greatest honor that one can bestow upon another. A gift, like no other – both in what Shatterstar gives and in what Benjamin Russell accepts. As he approaches Benjamin, Longshot now carries a bright glow in his hands – the dying Shatterstar’s life essence – which he bestows upon the comatose man.
Siryn, however, asks them: what do they know about the lad? She wonders who speaks for this Benjamin Russell. Cable has another thing to ask: how did Spiral know to come to this place? How did she know about this particular boy?
“Is it not enough that Shatterstar will live again to fulfill his destiny?” an emotionally charged Spiral retorts, tears streaming down her face. “Is it not enough to say that both young men mean more than all the world to me?”
Everyone present now stands silent as they bear witness to a moment of wonder: Shatterstar’s essence, his very soul, enters the body of Benjamin Russell. And then, just a moment later, Benjamin/Shatterstar rises from the bed. “I… live” Shatterstar says. For the first time in a long while… he feels whole. “Thank you” he utters.
“And now it’s time to say good bye to you and all your friends! Like forever!” Mojo suddenly roars, appearing before them as a digital projection. Longshot orders Spiral to get them out of here. In a whirling twister of energy, they are all teleported back to Mojoworld. Before they even land on the ground, however, Cable telepathically asks Caliban to break the transmission signal before Mojo can trace it back. Caliban complies and knowing just what to do, he destroys the TV set in Mojo’s palace!
Earth
Lost somewhere in the transmission between Earth and Mojoworld, Mojo becomes a victim of his own desires: as Caliban breaks the signal, Mojo begins dissolving. “Noooo! I told you not to touch that dial!” he screams just before he fades.
Mojoworld
Domino wonders if Longshot’s luck held out, while Siryn assumes that Spiral can get them back to Earth again. Nearby, Rictor asks his best friend, Shatterstar, if he’s alright. “I think so, yes,” Shatterstar replies. He feels he now knows enough to move forward. His life is now forever tied to the past of a young man who gave him a chance to seek a path that he, alone, must choose. He is glad to have finally gotten to the floor of all this. “Bottom, amigo. To the “bottom” of this,” Rictor corrects him. “Whatever, Rictor,” Shatterstar replies and suggests they just go home.
And somewhere, the Gamesmaster watches… and laughs… and laughs… and laughs…


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

[Assistant]
Human Nature
Nga Coy Manh is strapped on a huge metallic platform; a tear rolls down the young girl’s cheek. It is often said that, through a child’s eyes, the world is a wonderful place, full of hope and promise. To Nga’s eyes, however, the world is a dark place full of men who value their own scientific pursuits more than the precious life of a child.
Indeed, watching their monitors, a team of scientists swaps updates over Nga’s condition. “What is the reading of her X-factor?” one of them asks. One of his colleagues informs him that the subject is currently exhibiting the mutant gene. “If we’ve done our work well, not for long,” the scientist who asked the question remarks. He is confident they will stop these creatures from developing superhuman abilities once and for all. As the final tests will prove, they may have found a way to completely remove the X-factor from mutants!
Nga pleads them to let her go. “What are you doing to me?” the girl asks in agony. Trapped behind some bars in a cell nearby, Nga’s brother, Leong Coy Manh screams “Let her go! Let go of my sister!” Leong remembers what it was like to be free and that memory – as well as the love of his sister – is all that keeps him going. As Leong starts screaming his sister’s name, one of the guards argues that they should shut that mutie kid’s trap. The other guard assures him the boy will be quiet soon enough.
“Don’t those idiot guards realize that you can hear every word they say?” Clear-Cut, one of Shinobi Shaw’s mercenaries, wonders aloud, his question aimed at Shinobi himself, who sits rather impatiently on a richly adorned throne. Shinobi assures him the guards will be dealt with in time. Clear-Cult insists they should kill them now and be done with it. He tries to convince Shaw that these men cannot be trusted to keep his secrets. “And if your father were to discover any of this…” he adds, rather suggestively.
Also standing next to Shaw’s throne, his other henchman, the woman known as Mindmeld, seconds Clear-Cut’s suggestion to dispose of the guards. She even suggests taking their minds with her power and placing them into rats. They could even use the guards’ comatose bodies as pin cushions or… “Enough, Mindmeld” Shinobi interrupts her. He stresses the fact that these flatscans are simply the means to an end. He then addresses Dr. Graves, giving him the green light to proceed with the child.
“Initial countdown sequence,” Graves declares. Throughout the countdown – starting with five – Nga agonizes, in the thought that if her older brother, Tran, was still alive, he would surely put a stop to this madness. For that matter, if her sister, Karma – one-time student of Charles Xavier – could find her, she would surely be rescued. If her own mutant powers were fully developed, perhaps Nga could even save herself.
None of these is the case, however: the voice of one of the machine’s operators finishes the countdown. A huge blast is unleashed against Nga’s strapped body. Nga tries to scream but there is no sound – only incredible, unbearable pain. Leong watches his sister suffering, bathed in an otherworldly light: the world has changed for him, much as it has changed for his sister.
One of the operators tells Dr. Graves that he might want to take a look at this, pointing at the readings on his monitor. “What?! That can’t be…!” a frustrated Graves exclaims. Rushing to Shinobi, he informs him that the subject is still exhibiting the X-factor gene. They will need to run more tests. Shinobi confesses to Graves he’s disappointed. “You seem to think that you are in your research lab in Genosha,” he mocks him. Shinobi makes it clear he does not have time for tests – only results. Clear-Cut secretly thinks that this scum, Graves, probably enjoys torturing little girls.
“If you reject want a guinea pig, take me… leave my sister out of it!” Leong is heard screaming from his cell. “Silence, boy” Shinobi replies in an undeterred manner; he assures him his turn will soon come. In truth, however, Shinobi is quite anxious and lost in his thoughts. Much as he loathes admitting it, if the whispered rumors are true, if his father somehow survived their encounter, then his own time will come eventually. However, if this process is perfected, not only will it prove to be a potent weapon for Shinobi against his father but will also place him in a supreme position of power in the continuing struggle between man and mutant.
Suddenly, an alarm is heard from the loudspeakers accompanied by a warning voice: “Security to area three.” “Area three?” one of the guards exclaims. He wonders how anyone could have gotten that close. “It seems we have visitors,” Shinobi gleefully notices. He urges both Clear-Cut and Mindmeld to go and make them feel welcome.
The “visitors,” as Shinobi called them, are five members of the strike team known as X-Force: Caliban, Sunspot, Meltdown, Domino and Shatterstar. As the team advances through the corridors of this installation, Caliban asks Sunspot what “Cable-Nathan” meant when he said things are not always what they seem. “Well, Cal, what he meant was…” Sunspot begins, only for him to finish his phrase in the Askani language! Hearing this, Meltdown turns to Domino, asking her in amazement if the two of them are the only stable members of the team. First, they find out Shatterstar is a reincarnated spirit in the body of a comatose kid and now they have to listen to more of Cable’s Askani battle-language gibberish from Sunspot! Domino urges Tabitha to keep her mind on the mission unless she wants to end up dead. Domino reminds her this is not their turf. They came because they know that Shaw is up to some nasty business here and after their last run-in with the Shaw family, they can’t take any chances.
As Shatterstar steps forward, Caliban urges him to wait because he smells a mutant close. Shatterstar is enthused: finally time for some action! As he unsheathes his sword, the whole team comes face to face with Clear-Cut, Mindmeld and several of Shaw’s guards. “That is far enough, my friends” Clear-Cut states. He explains that if they wish to ever leave this installation alive they will place all weapons on the floor and stand down. “So this is the infamous Domino?” Mindmeld sardonically notes. She assures Domino she has heard much about her. Defying them, Shatterstar suggests they make this easy on themselves and just take them to Shaw.
Clear-Cut assures him he will get there – just not how he would have hoped. In an instant, Clear-Cut attacks Shatterstar brandishing a sword. Shatterstar admits that finally Clear-Cut is speaking his language! As the two men start engaging in swordfight, Clear-Cut admits he doesn’t know how Shatterstar earned his reputation but so far he isn’t impressed. As the swordfight continues, Shatterstar thinks it has been too long since he tested himself against another warrior born. After all he’s learned about himself recently, all the doubts and fears he’s faced, he welcomes the chance to let instinct take over.
“You children are pathetic!” Mindmeld states in contempt. She remarks that even though they have been given special abilities that make more than human, they are still shackled by the same old dreams: Peace. Harmony. Mindmeld never thought Domino would buy into all that from what she’s heard. She assures them, though, that no matter what, they will all be intimately familiar with each other’s dreams and beliefs. Indeed, with a sardonic smile, Mindmeld releases a beam from her hands against Domino. “Domino, meet Caliban!” she exclaims. Domino wonders what’s happening to her as her psyche is transferred to Caliban’s body. Releasing her blast on Tabitha this time, Mindmeld states “Meltdown, meet Sunspot!” causing Tabitha’s soul to enter Bobby’s body. Mindmeld informs them she just transferred their psyches to another’s physical being, a process that can never be reversed unless she wishes it!
Suddenly, Meltdown and Domino look at their own unconscious bodies through the eyes of others: Sunspot and Caliban’s eyes respectively. Both women are shocked to find themselves trapped in the bodies of their teammates. Domino can’t believe she’s in Caliban’s body. “Caliban here, too, patch-eye. Feels funny,” Caliban admits, now sharing his body with Domino.
Two of the guards approach Domino and Tabitha’s unconscious bodies, one of them carrying a pair of inhibitor collars and urging his colleague to hurry with these collars before they wake up. His colleague assures him he shouldn’t worry. They’ve got time: the battle is over for these two.
Agonizing, Sunspot asks Tabitha what she is doing to him: he feels like he’s losing control. Tabitha’s psyche is heard inside his head, explaining she’s just trying to… Without finishing her sentence, she exclaims, “Bobby, your mind… what did Cable do to you?!” Overwhelmed by the strange images buried deep within Sunspots psyche, both mutants are lost to the battle.
Domino – through Caliban’s body – addresses Mindmeld as “mind-witch”, assuring her she won’t go down that easily: “You wanna scrap… let’s do it!” Clear-Cut, however, moves rapidly and jumps right in front of Caliban/Domino. He suggests Domino reconsiders her next move. Materializing a bladed weapon in his right hand, Clear-Cut holds the blade suggestively in front of Domino’s unconscious body, asking her not to make him destroy her body. Shatterstar furiously declares that he will not surrender to that. Domino orders him to stand down; that’s her body Clear-Cut is holding. However, silently, quickly, an inexplicable gesture on the part of Clear-Cut – namely, slipping a key in the belt tied around Domino’s waist – goes unnoticed by all save for Domino.
The guards lead the captive members of X-Force – their powers neutralized by inhibitor collars – sans the unconscious bodies of Domino and Meltdown to the cells. One of the guards orders the others to remove all prisoners’ weapons. Sunspot is shocked to see Karma’s brother and sister, Leong and Nga being locked in the cells and wonders what they are doing here. Leong and Nga, kept in separate adjacent cells hold out their hands trying to touch each other in despair. Leong asks his sister if she’s alright to which she replies she feels dizzy.
Seeing Dr. Graves stand above her body with a syringe at hand and remark that this one will make a fine test subject, a furious Tabitha screams that he gets away from her body! Only Sunspot can hear her voice inside his head and asks her to wait. Tabitha, however, fiercely rushes forward, controlling Bobby’s body, when suddenly bars materialize in front of Bobby/Tabitha, cutting his/her way and trapping them into a new cell.
Caliban/Domino, Sunspot/Meltdown and Shatterstar find themselves trapped in the same cell. Domino’s voice in Caliban’s head urges him to stop it now! Caliban wonders what he did wrong. Domino’s voice orders him to stop thinking this stupid song! Nearby, Sunspot is tortured by guilt, wondering how he could have let this happen to those kids, meaning Nga and Leong. Tabitha’s voice asks him why he is blaming himself. Sunspot explains he was a member of the New Mutants when he let Karma go off by herself to find them. He laments that: they – he – should have been there with her. “You mean instead of saving the world several times over?” Meltdown retorts. She urges Bobby to cut himself some slack and go talk to Nga.
Bobby approaches the bars of the cell he’s kept in and introduces himself to Nga, who is kept in the adjacent cell. He tells her his name is Bobby and that he’s a friend of her sister. Their sister misses them very much and she’s been looking for them. With hope in her eyes, Nga asks him if they are here to rescue them. Bobby replies affirmatively and tells her not to worry: everything will be just fine.
Shinobi intervenes, stating that he’s afraid DaCosta is misleading the child. “Shaw!” Sunspot exclaims upon seeing him. Approaching the cell where Bobby’s kept, Shinobi asks him why he bothers with this trash when he can take his rightful place by his side. Bobby’s father would have loved to watch Bobby rise through the ranks of the Hellfire Club. Sunspot assures Shinobi he’s wasting his breath. “Am I?” Shinobi wonders. He asks Bobby if they – meaning his teammates – know how powerful he is; if they know what he’s done. Shinobi is willing to make a deal with him: if Bobby joins him, Shinobi will release the children and Bobby’s friends.
In Sunspot’s mind, Tabitha screams “He’ll never join your brat-club, you pretty-boy loser!” Shinobi still waits for Sunspot’s answer: “what say you?” Sunspot angrily tells him to shove his offer. “Very well… Spiral… The children are yours… Take them,” Shinobi states. One of the guards wonders in amazement where she came from. Indeed, Spiral makes her appearance and instantly teleports away with the children, telling them it’s time for a ride of sorts; she’ll take them to a place most wondrous. As Nga vanishes, she urges Bobby to “Tell Xi’an, please!”
Shinobi tells Bobby that he can’t avoid his destiny and takes Clear-Cut as an example. He explains that Clear-Cut comes from a long line of noble warriors and yet he tries to pass himself off as a cold-blooded mercenary. He asks Clear-Cut if he really thought he could deceive him. As Clear-Cut is surrounded by several guards, he expresses a sudden wish to leave Shaw’s island! Moving incredibly fast and slashing several of the guards with blade-like weapons generated in his hands, Clear-Cut asks Shinobi how his foolish lackeys could dare raise their weapons against him: he helped train them!
“How could you betray us?” Mindmeld shrieks as she transfers her own psyche to Clear-Cut’s body. Clear-Cut hears her voice inside his head telling him it’s time for a little nap. As he’s rendered unconscious by Mindmeld the guards inform Shinobi the prisoner is secure. Satisfied, Shaw orders them to prepare him for testing.
Meanwhile, twitching a finger, Domino realizes she’s back in her own body and things might finally begin to fall into place. Indeed, a short time later, she urges Tabitha – also back in her own body – to make no sound. Having taken her own inhibitor collar off, she explains she did the same with Tabitha’s. She also explains that when Mindmeld went into Clear-Cut’s body she must have lost her power over them. Apparently, there’s a limit to how long she can maintain the transference.
Tabitha asks her how she got the key. “From Clear-Cut” Domino explains. She hands the key over to Tabitha, telling her to release the others from their inhibitor collars. As Domino walks behind the guards’ backs, she hopes they haven’t blown this whole shebang. It’s been amateur hour all the way so far. She realizes Cable’s not going to like this but, then again, he’s the one who had more pressing business in Egypt.
At the same moment, Clear-Cut is strapped on the same platform Nga previously was. Mindmeld has done her duty but perhaps too well: in order to defeat Clear-Cut she had to enter his mind and body but now she is seemingly trapped there. Mindmeld’s psyche urges Clear-Cut to let her out; she can’t understand how he is doing this! Clear-Cut maliciously reminds her that she wanted to be here. If he goes down, she’s going down with him!
Shinobi orders Dr. Graves to begin the process. Graves argues that the subject is not prepared. His DNA is still being scanned for analysis. Shinobi menacingly informs Graves that he’s wasting his breath – and Shinobi’s own time. “As you wish, sir,” Graves complies. Mindmeld screams through Clear-Cut’s mouth, pleading Shinobi to hold the countdown as she is still in Clear-Cut’s body! Shinobi argues that sacrifices must be made in the name of progress and Mindmeld’s life is a very small one, at that matter.
As Graves orders the beginning of the countdown, the entire X-Force quintet shows up, ready to fight. The ever-humorous Meltdown asks Shinobi if anybody ever told him the ‘80s are over: who gave him that haircut? Sunspot asks Shaw where Spiral took those kids. Domino informs the team that she wants this done by the numbers and orders Meltdown to use her plasma bursts to lay down a suppressing line of fire. Tabitha complies, remarking that it’s times like these they need their own theme song. “Guess I’ll make my own music. I’ll call it Boom goes the weasel!” she jokes while unleashing her bursts. Shinobi watches as his best laid plans crumble around him but before the day is done he’s determined to cause some damage of his own.
Moments later, Mindmeld finally manages to break herself free from Clear-Cut’s body to return to her own. A surprise awaits her, though, as she is shocked to see she’s wearing an inhibitor collar. Meltdown stands nearby, singing the Welcome Back, Cotter theme song! “Now, Mr. or Mrs. Mindmeld… what is your real name? Pat…? Chris?” Tabitha mocks her. “I know… I’ll just call you sleepy!” she concludes, knocking Mindmeld out with a punch!
As the destruction of Shinobi’s base continues – in large part, thanks to Tabitha’s time bombs – one vital piece of equipment has yet to be destroyed: the machines. After another countdown, the perseverant Dr. Graves unleashes a blast against Clear-Cut’s strapped body. The readings in the monitor indicate that the gene analysis shows no trace of mutant factor.
While the rest of the X-Force members still battle Shaw’s guards, Meltdown asks Domino if Clear-Cut is alright. Untying Clear-Cut and putting his hand over her shoulder to carry him, Domino explains he’s unconscious but still breathing. Shatterstar, slashing guards with his sword nearby, argues she should worry about him later as there is still a battle left to win.
Domino tells Clear-Cut she has to get him out of here. Suddenly, though, Shinobi appears, telling “dear Domino” she is not going anywhere. Phasing his hand right through her chest, he asks her whether she has forgotten he possesses the power to alter his tangibility; to phase into a solid object such as her chest cavity and then make himself solid once more.
“Bad idea,” the now conscious Clear-Cut suddenly informs him, getting in the middle. Shinobi is shocked to see him, mumbling about the machine… Clear-Cut’s power… Clear-Cut informs him he is full of surprises and Shinobi’s phasing ability will do him no good against the blades he can manifest at will! Indeed, he slashes Shinobi with one of his blades, sending him hurling against Dr. Graves. As Shinobi rises from the ground, he accuses Graves this is all his fault. Graves argues that’s impossible: Clear-Cut’s mutant power read zero! Shinobi tells him he has failed him for the last time and phases his hand through Graves’ throat, killing him in the process. Domino, realizing she has to get Shinobi while he’s still tangible, instantly attacks him with a punch, looking for a payback. She is soon joined by Clear-Cut, who also starts punching Shaw.
Meltdown stands in front of the machines Shaw used to turn mutants into so-called normal humans. She thinks the machine is now going to experience a meltdown and starts generating her explosive spheres of energy. Tabitha cheerfully urges Shinobi to go ahead and phase away: he may survive the explosions but he’ll never use this base to harm anyone again! “Oh… by the way… we saw your daddy recently… he’s coming for you” she happily informs him. Shinobi assures her they’ll meet again and they will all regret ever crossing his path – and then phases away.
X-Force and Clear-Cut make their exit from the installation moments after the final explosion takes place. Tabitha thanks Clear-Cut for the assist. Domino tells him that, when she was in Caliban’s body, she detected that he was not a mutant. “How…?” she asks him. “You think anyone who has special powers is a mutant?” Clear-Cut responds. He accuses them of being arrogant. “By the way… tell Cable my debt is paid in full,” he adds with a mischievous smile.