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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Charge of the Dark Brigade!
In a hellish realm, Mephisto addresses his beloved Death as he watches the one from beyond through a scrying glass. While his own power is naught in comparison, to protect his beloved Death, the Beyonder must be destroyed. He sees him sitting on a small South Pacific island as he has for days now and wonders what he is thinking about.
Mephisto seethes with rage at the thought that the Beyonder could do to them what he wishes. Even they are subject to his whims. Enraged, he has his demons return to torturing the souls. The agony calms him down somewhat and he recalls, horrified, how the Beyonder temporarily destroyed Death, thus cutting off Mephisto’s supply of souls. How relieved he was when the Beyonder restored his beloved Death. But what guarantee is there that he will not change his mind again, he worries.
He informs Death he has a plan and shows her the huge device he calls Beyondersbane. It has the power to cause the Beyonder’s undoing and ironically the power came from the Beyonder himself. He expended an enormous amount of energy to destroy Death. Energy is never truly lost and it would have returned to him slowly once he restored Death, except that Mephisto intercepted and siphoned it into his device. It is held there but barely.
Mephisto reminds Death that, once before, part of the Beyonder’s power was stolen by Dr. Doom and for a short time the Beyonder seemed vulnerable. He is not certain if he is vulnerable now and fears him. Yet he must follow this plan. What choice has he? What should he do?
“The Death of a God is sweet…” Death unexpectedly speaks. The Beyonder’s or his? Mephisto asks frightened. Beloved?
Meanwhile, on a tiny Pacific island, the one from beyond sits and ponders. Suddenly, a somewhat chunky man arrives in a motor boat. He greets him with an “aloha” and introduces himself as Ed Strunk. He’s on the next island. They are neighbors. He was a sales exec but gave it all up to come here and find himself – become a famous painter or something. He got any magazines or Jack Daniels? No, is the Beyonder’s curt response. What is he doing here? Ed inquires. Thinking, the Beyonder replies. Repeating the word a few times in consideration, Ed announces it’s a great idea!
At that moment, a hundred and fifteen miles to the south, a film crew is shooting a scene for a science fiction movie, the star of which is the Fantastic Four’s Thing. With the shoot over, an actor gushes that he is fan.
They are distracted by the mail plane landing. The pilot Hertneky also brings Ben’s beer and, after some good-natured ribbing, they are all drinking. Hertneky asks where Ben got the stuff first. Ben replies in Pittsburgh, when he was on the wrestling circuit. Hertneky recalls he wrestled that Beyonder fella there. Ben becomes enraged and squeezes the box with the beer cans, with predictable results. He shouts at him not to mention that name around him – ever. Puzzled, Hertneky recalls Ben whupped him. He wanted to kill him, Ben admits. He tells him the whole story.
The Thing’s story:He tells him how he and many other heroes were kidnapped by the Beyonder to another world to fight. Eventually, the other heroes returned to Earth. For some reasons, the Thing was able to change to his human form on Battleworld and so he stayed behind.
Before long, he got into trouble and lost his human half altogether. He returned home to find his best friend Johnny Storm had stolen his girlfriend, Alicia Masters.
After that, Ben travelled around for some time and ended up as a wrestler. During that time, the Beyonder came to Earth. He must have fallen on hard times too and ended up as a wrestler. Ben met him in the ring. Recalling how the Beyonder had screwed up his life, he almost killed him. He wanted to, so bad he could taste it.
Present:Ben finishes his tale. He wimped out at the end. He still wants to though. He wakes up at night thinking about it.
Not far away, Ed hasn’t gotten the Beyonder to talk any more, but he figures there is something to his sitting and thinking approach. He promises to come back.
Two days later, Ed brings along some of his friends from the big island who want to try out the ‘think system.’ They sit down and do just that.
Meanwhile elsewhere, a sinister-looking type calling himself Bitterhorn makes deals with several supervillains, among them the Juggernaut, the imprisoned Electro as well as Baron Mordo.
While word spreads about the Beyonder as a South Sea island guru, the power couple Absorbing Man and Titania also make a deal with Mr. Bitterhorn.
In his realm, Mephisto considers the latest development with the Beyonder a bit worrisome but is pleased with progress otherwise. His agent is recruiting the necessary lackeys. As each lackey shakes hands with Bitterhorn, he is imprinted with an invisible sigil that links him to Beyondersbane. When the time is right, the lackeys will attack the Beyonder. If he uses any of his awesome powers against them, or if one of them but touches him, a mystic circuit will be closed and all the energy within Beyondersbane will surge back into the Beyonder in a sudden overwhelming power feedback, destroying him in a fireball of cataclysmic energy. Earth too shall be destroyed approximately with a third of the universe, not to mention all the lackeys. Of course they don’t know that.
He announces he senses Death’s question: will the power in Beyondersbane be enough? Probably not. But, thanks to the consensus among all great powers of the multiverse, he has another source to draw upon. For a critical moment, all the power in the universe shall be added to what he already has, for the operator of his machinery is the personification of the universe itself… Eternity. With his power, there must be enough.
Mephisto enthuses how wonderful it is. Several trillion beings will die. She should consider it a gift. And of course, he will reap his share of souls, it will be like… Christmas! A demon informs him the Legion Accursed is formed. All 99.
On the Beyonder’s island, an aerial news crew finds the island full of thinking people. The CBS crew want to talk to the guru but Ed Strunk introduces himself as his friend and informs them he doesn’t want to talk much. He just likes to be left alone to think. Ed will talk to them.
That evening, in the apartment of Owen Reece and Marsha Rosenberg, the couple are playing Trivial Pursuit with a friendly couple when they are interrupted by the news discussing the Beyonder’s latest lifestyle decision. Owen makes an excuse and leaves the room.
Marsha follows, to find the room transformed cosmically. He informs her the major powers of the universe – save him – are conspiring against the Beyonder. He can’t quite tell what their plan is. They are being very clever. The Beyonder will never notice until it’s too late. He begins to cry, undecided what to do. Half of him wants to warn the Beyonder, the other half hopes they succeed. She gently prods him to rejoin the game.
Meanwhile, at Xavier’s school, the X-Men and New Mutants are watching the news as well. Rachel Summers announces that, now that they know where he is, they should go after him. Magneto points out he is doing nothing and suggests they leave him alone.
And in Manhattan, Spider-Man muses if he should try the think system. Nothing else he does ever works.
And one hundred fifteen miles from the Thinkers’ island, Ben Grimm watches TV and learns the guru is the Beyonder.
Sometime later, in a cavern far beneath Thinkers’ island, Mephisto has gathered his troops. He and Death stand in front of a giant hourglass. If the Beyondersbane device is not used soon, meltdown is almost certain. His Legion Accursed is massed and held in stasis at the peak for readiness. In mere moments, Eternity will have finished the focusing of his own power and they will strike. He wants to see how the Beyonder is faring above.
Ed informs the Beyonder of hundreds more arriving since the news report. The Beyonder decides to leave. He’s annoyed at the crowd.
Mephisto is horrified. If he moves, they will have to recalibrate everything. The device will melt before they are finished. He must keep him there. He decides to create a diversion to distract him.
In the Thing’s quarters, he has a nightmare of Johnny Storm stealing his girlfriend, Alicia. He wakes up with a start to find a man standing at the foot of his bed. He recognizes his father, who berates him for letting that Beyonder bum push him around. He turns into Ben’s old coach, who reminds him when the going gets tough the tough get going. He changes into Sue Storm of old, who tells Ben she never thought he would be a coward, and finally into Alicia, who claims the Beyonder forced her to betray him.
She turns into his wrestling manager Ed Garner, who shows him the contract for his next bout. Just sign and he can settle up with that Beyonder guy! Don’t bother reading the fine print. It just discusses how he will have lots of power, and some minor stipulations. Not caring, Ben quickly signs, then begins to swim over to the Beyonder’s island, intending to start the fight at once.
Back in his lair, Mephisto gloats that, with the Thing’s power a hundredfold multiplied, he should be able to distract the Beyonder, and later his soul will be Mephisto’s.
On the Beyonder’s island, Ed still tries to convince the Beyonder to stay but his mind is made up. Suddenly, they hear noise from the cove. The Thing has arrived. He vows to kill the Beyonder… for Alicia! The Beyonder asks if they can talk about this.
No! the Thing shouts and smashes a boulder. He orders him to fight. The Beyonder remains seated and refuses. Ed asks he thought he was one of the good guys? Ben is confused. He is but he wants him dead and won’t be denied.
The Beyonder muses if one such as Ben can have doubts about his role, then perhaps is not so terrible that he does. Ed suggest they all talk.
Below, the sands have run out. Mephisto orders the Legion Accursed to attack. He gloats: whether the Beyonder slays them or they him, either way the circuit gets completed. Eternity and Beyonersbane will wreak their fury.
The villains burst onto the surface to kill the Beyonder. Ben wonders whether to help or stop them. The Beyonder muses if he is really so monstrous that horde wants to slay him. Should he let them, should he kill them or simply teleport away? Mephisto fears he will take the third option and Death just waits. Eternity stands ready, the mighty of the multiverse tremble and Owen Reece is distracted from playing Trivial Pursuit.
Seeing the Beyonder not react, Ben finally against his own urges decides to protect him. He faces the villains and battles, knowing deep down what’s right. However, he wonders how he is so powerful and does so well against the horde of villains. Unless that dream--? Nah, he tells himself.
Even more villains come in from the air. The moment is at hand, Mephisto fears.
The Thing grabs the Absorbing Man and throws him against the flying villains before they can reach the Beyonder.
Nooo! Mephisto howls as the Thing single-handedly ruins his plan. He realizes the only way to stop the Thing with his multiplied power is to tear up the contract, which would mean he loses the rights to Grimm’s soul. Mephisto hesitated then does so. Now he shall triumph, he believes, for his sole remaining villain, the Juggernaut, is unstoppable.
The Juggernaut hits the Thing several times then reaches out for the Beyonder.
Now! Mephisto shouts.
When the going gets tough the tough get going! the Thing recites from the ground and grabs Juggernaut’s ankle. He holds him back and causes him to fall. The meltdown begins. The villains all begin to glow and disappear. Beyondersbane melts down and the energy within dissipates and returns to the one from beyond.
Death leaves and Mephisto begs her to come back. At that moment, in the pits, the wretched for a moment forget their own pain. Eternity strides back to its own palace in the multiverse.
In Denver, Owen Reece senses the crisis has passed and fears that eventually he is going to have to get involved.
Meanwhile, on Thinker’s island, the Thing would like to take out he Beyonder but collapses.
The Beyonder realizes that, while he’s been thinking about his role in the cosmos, he helped some others find theirs, especially Ben. Just by sitting here, he forced him to realize his true role is a defender of life, not a murderer. Maybe his true role is to teach others this. He thinks he’s on to something here...


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Betrayal!
Denver, Colorado, a modest apartment:Take it easy! Owen Reece, the Molecule Man, advises the Beyonder, who bursts out he can’t take it easy. It’s so frustrating! He’s so angry that he want to destroy all existence!
He lashes out with his power, thoughtlessly. As his outburst spreads out further and further, it levels the mountaintops around the city, destroys a satellite, then the moon, continuing on and on…
Owen suggests it is good to vent pent-up frustrations but maybe he is getting a little carried away. He doesn’t care! the Beyonder shouts. Doesn’t he understand? He’s fed up with this place! Ever since he discovered this stupid multiverse, he’s been unhappy. He can’t stand it anymore.
Let’s just talk about it, Owen pleads. His partner Marsha Rosenberg enters bearing some snacks and getting a look at the devastation inside the apartment. She asks what happened. Owen explains the Beyonder blew off some steam, but it’s all right now. He assures the Beyonder they can work it out. Hasn’t he always been here when the Beyonder needed help or advice? Discreetly, Owen fixes the damage done. He reminds him he is his friend. Let’s just take it down from the top. Still sulking, the Beyonder half-heartedly agrees.
Taking him aside, Marsha whispers to Owen she is afraid. He assures her it’s fine. He was in therapy for a long time. He knows what to do. She assures him of her love. He replies that gives him strength. The Beyonder glares at them.
After she leaves, Owen returns to their conversation. He was trying to tell him about attempting to find a role in the multiverse… It’s more than that, the Beyonder interrupts. The very existence of the multiverse is becoming a source of frustration to him. He’s beginning to think he’d be happier if he simply destroyed it. Then he’d be alone again.
Owen recalls whenever he tended toward extreme behavior, his therapist had him talk about his childhood. The Beyonder points out that he didn’t have a childhood. Nevertheless, Owen suggests they take a look at his origin.
They return to the Beyonder’s universe, which is nothingness since the Beyonder is everything in that place. What was it like when he was there? Not much different, the Beyonder guesses. He was here but had no form or organization. At least he doesn’t think he did. It’s hard to say. He doesn’t remember much before the event.
The event that tipped him off that something else existed, Owen recalls. What was that like? The Beyonder shows him by pointing to a pinhole to the other universe. It was caused by some cataclysmic event in Owen’s universe. Owen looks through it and sees the cataclysmic event – the atomic accident that transformed him into the Molecule Man. He caused this. Does that means he created him? the Beyonder demands in disbelief.
Owen doesn’t know and quickly changes the subject. He asks him to lie down on the couch he creates and retrace his steps after he came to Earth. The Beyonder is impatient but acquiesces. They go through his time early on when he had learned about human wants and tried to copy them. He took over the world but gained no fulfilment.
He tried love, right? Owen asks. Didn’t work out either. Alison Blaire didn’t want him, even rejected him when he offered her half his cosmic power!
Owen tries to explain that makes love so special, that it cannot be bartered. He knows, the Beyonder snaps. Enough already! He doesn’t care about love or her anymore. He doesn’t want to talk about it.
Owen suggests they go on. They see Dr. Strange advising the Beyonder to find his role in the cosmic tapestry. Therein lies fulfilment. The Beyonder now decides that is baloney. There is no role for him. He even tried helping others find their role, figuring that might be his role.
They look at how that worked out.
Flashback:A memory of Spider-Man’s foe Puma trying to kill the Beyonder, as that was his role, a quandary for the Beyonder. Spider-Man intervened, preventing the Beyonder’s death.
Present:Loudly, he announces this is a waste of time. They return to Owen and Marsha’s apartment. Marsha welcomes Owen and the two are being lovey-dovey, annoying the Beyonder. He scoffs that fulfilment isn’t possible as long as anything besides him exists. Owen protests that he is fulfilled. Bull! the Beyonder shouts. Everyone here in this chaotic multiverse are merely parts of a whole and needs other things. Nothing is complete here. Not even him, as long as there are other things. Other things are the root of this insidious thing desire. But he can fix that! he rants. By destroying everything else. Then he will be everything again and fulfilled.
Owen points out he said he didn’t remember much from before. How does he know he was happy? The Beyonder shouts at him to shut up. Owen pleads he thinks the Beyonder hasn’t really tried to be part of this world. Sure, he’s taken a human looking form, but he’s not really human. He is so powerful… infinite… that nothing really means anything to him. Maybe if he let himself become mortal…
Kicking the couch, the Beyonder accuses the Molecule Man of wanting him vulnerable so he can kill him. Then he decides Owen is too much of a wimp. But he is afraid the Beyonder will destroy his little fool’s paradise. Well, it’s over. He’ll destroy all of existence, starting with him.
Owen points out all he has done for him and asks for some time. The Beyonder decides to give him 24 hours, then he will be back and the end starts here. He teleports away.
He reappears in a luxury hotel in San Francisco and demands their best suite, controlling the staff into obeying his order.
Later in a five star restaurant, he controls the pretty sommelier into accompanying him.
Later again in his suite, he is pensive, despite the company. He becomes angry at her obedience and displays his power with an earthquake, then stops it again. He admits he can’t find any meaning and asks why mortals cling so desperately to their wretched lives. She figures it’s because life is so short. Annoyed, he punishes her by turning her into a crone. He turns her back, figuring to let her have her last few hours, then sends her away… as he senses trouble.
Moments later, the X-Men attack. The Beyonder is bored and busy thinking, so instead of actively fighting he takes out Rogue and Wolverine by deflecting Magneto’s blast at them. He rebuffs the attacks of Colossus, Shadowcat and Magneto similarly. Figuring their existences will be expunged tomorrow, why rush it? He will murder no one! Rachel Summers vows and displays the Phoenix effect as she attacks him with all her power. The Phoenix effect flares… and nothing happens.
The Beyonder grabs her by the throat and explains that maybe at some point, if he’d deliberately left himself wide open, she might have been able to destroy him, but the truth is she never had a chance. She is sophisticated enough to realize that. So why this kamikaze run?
Rachel groans that he forced this attack by coming here, knowing that the X-Men protect this city. He realizes she is right and decides he has to think about that. He teleports away.
The Molecule Man watches all this and panics. What if he is on his way here? Marsha tells him not to panic. There must be something he can do. Owen uses all his power to create a force-dome over this part of the country, hoping it will be Beyonder-proof.
The Beyonder gets a good laugh out of this and effortlessly shatters the forcefield, causing the Molecule Man to despair.
Shortly, the Beyonder appears in a desert in the southwest and calls for the Hulk. He wants to talk to him. The Hulk attacks, intending to kill him. The Beyonder is not hurt but amazed at the Hulk’s savagery. He freezes him and wants to find out why. He looks into the Hulk’s mind and memories.
Last the Beyonder saw him, he was in his human form, Dr. Bruce Banner at a Crossroads between dimension and also at a crossroads in his life. He was considering suicide. At that point, any desire was a mystery to the Beyonder but he found the desire for self-destruction especially puzzling. He still does and wishes to learn more about it. He wants to study the Banner side of his mind but he finds it is missing. No wonder he is more vicious now. He is nothing but rage and power personified. An infinity of power with no finite element inside. He looks away, realizing it’s ugly. Worse, it reminds him of someone. He lets the Hulk go.
In the meantime, the Molecule Man has gathered all the free energy in the multiverse - but it is not enough. There’s no way he can make a dome strong enough. He begins to cry. As she comforts him, Volcana wonders if the Beyonder really wants to destroy everything or whether he just wants to get at Owen, because he is jealous over what he has with her. Owen doesn’t know and admits he’s scared.
Sometime later, the Beyonder materializes in Manhattan and visits one Peter Parker. Peter asks him in but apologizes he can’t let him use the bathroom this time. The Beyonder just wants to talk. Peter is surprised. The Beyonder shrugs, why not. He likes him better than anyone else he met. He’s unique. He has power greater than he knows and he is so human. He observes both a fascination with death and a passion for life with mortals. He asks for an explanation.
Peter recalls some time ago he was swinging by as a suicide was jumping from a building. As Spider-Man reached out to catch him, he reached back. Right in the middle of committing suicide, he was reaching back and holding on for dear life. When the end is rushing toward you, you know you are really alive. That sort of situation comes up a lot in his line of work. Confronting mortality? the Beyonder wonders. Peter points out that everyone does it every day.
The Beyonder is displeased. Again he hears that life is given meaning by its finiteness. The Beyonder leaves through the window, telling Peter he irritates him. All of the smug insects irritate him. As it stands, Parker may have talked him out of obliterating all existence. They’ll see.
Barely outside, he gets attacked by the New Mutants. Irritated, he swats them aside, figuring Phoenix alerted them to his presence. He tells them he has some thinking to do, so get lost or he’ll turn them into little mutant potatoes.
Meanwhile, the Molecule Man packs, announcing he has a plan.The two of them will flee to the Beyonder’s realm where he will create a forcefield fortress for them. The Beyonder might not be able to find them. Marsha orders him to stop. The Beyonder will find them eventually. He has to make a stand. So show some guts and do it here and now! She wants him to fight? Owen asks and begins to cry. She tells him to do what he has to and thinks if it comes to the worst, she will do what she has to, no matter how much it hurts him.
The Beyonder sits on a desolate peak in the Andes, muttering that Peter Parker would probably find this view spectacular. He considers apologizing to Owen and then maybe he will help him give this mortality business a try.
At the apartment, Owen nervously waits while Marsha tries to give him pep-talks. The Beyonder appears and greets Owen, who immediately zaps him, causing the Beyonder to be stunned for a moment. Marsha orders him to do it harder. The Beyonder protests, he came to… Die! Owen shouts. He zaps him again and again.
Not bad, the Beyonder admits and sarcastically thanks him for showing his true colors. He might have made a terrible mistake otherwise. When he moves threateningly toward Owen, Marsha throws herself at his feet and begs him to spare her, even if he kills Owen. She’ll do anything for him. She babbles she never loved Owen. The Beyonder pushes her away in disgust. She runs away.
Owen breaks down. Disgusted, the Beyonder asks if that is what mortality is about: to have something mean so much that you are nothing without them. He admits this cheered him up, so he will have a last look around before erasing everything. When he runs out of interesting things – in a few days max – Owen will be the first to know. Until then, lie there and whimper.
Marsha has eavesdropped. Now she leaves and drives away crying. She betrayed Owen to make sure the Beyonder was no longer jealous and wouldn’t kill him. Let someone else fight him. But she wonders who can…
Epilogue:The Beyonder appears above the Rocky Mountains, cursing the day he stepped into this multiverse. Erasing it may not be enough. Just the mere memory may be enough to prevent him from ever feeling complete again. He releases energy in rage.
His rage influences weather patterns, noticed by the Avengers who are looking for him from their Quinjet. They are ready to battle but Captain America wants to talk to him first. He asks him what he was thinking, releasing energy that could have levelled half the state. The Beyonder orders him not to bother him with his petty concerns. He attacks with an energy tornado. Only Cap dodges it. The Beyonder turns giant and grabs him musing maybe Cap will give him a special final insight…


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

[Assistant]
God in Man, Man in God!
Somewhere deep in space, the one from beyond contemplates all existence. He intends to destroy it. No, erase it. Everything must go. Even his memory of it. That’s the tricky part.
Meanwhile, in a roadside café in Colorado, Marsha Rosenberg aka Volcana tries to get in touch with the Avengers hotline using a payphone while ordering some donuts. After finally getting through and swallowing, she tells the operator she’s got to talk to the Avengers. The Beyonder is about to wipe out the entire universe!
The operator becomes alert at the name and passes the call on to Mr. Fantastic, who explains that right now only the Fantastic Four are at Avengers Mansion, as the Avengers left the mansion some time ago in search of the Beyonder. Does she know where he is? Marsha replies he was at her apartment yesterday. She lives with… used to live with the Molecule Man. She explains how Owen had pretty much given up using his powers. They were just another suburban couple. Some time ago, when the Beyonder came to this world, Owen befriended him. Yesterday though he was about to kill Owen and destroy all existence. She sort of tricked him and stalled him. She’s been trying to call the Avengers ever since, but the lines are always busy.
Mr. Fantastic promises they’ll get to her as soon as possible. Quickly, he tells his team there is a crisis with the Beyonder. Since they no longer have their pogo plane, it will take hours for them to get to Colorado. That moment, though, they and many other heroes are transported somewhere else, namely the Colorado Rockies.
The Torch quickly identifies the other heroes as the Avengers West and East, Spider-Man, Alpha Flight, the Silver Surfer, Cloak and Dagger, Power Man and Iron Fist. It’s like a convention of Who’s Who in Super America!
No Who’s Who is complete without the X-Men! Rachel Summers announces as the X-Men make a dramatic entrance. She reveals that she gathered them here. Captain America figures it’s to stop the Beyonder, in which case they can put aside their differences with the X-Men. For now. That’s real big of him, Wolverine mocks.
Rachel reveals that she has some residual power given to her by the Beyonder and stresses they need each other.
Volcana, whom Rachel has also brought, pipes up that she can help too and demonstrates her lava powers. Rachel explains she brought her here for info about the Beyonder which she already gleaned from her mind. It would be best for her to be returned home. Reed Richards agrees and Rachel uses her surplus power to transport Marsha home.
Hesitantly, Marsha enters the apartment she shares with the Molecule Man. She recalls how she seemingly betrayed and abandoned Owen to make him seem too pitiful to the Beyonder to kill him. It worked. However, Marsha hopes he didn’t harm himself afterwards.
The apartment is a mess, his teddy is torn apart, then she sees Owen and screams.
Meanwhile, several hundred miles to the north in a helicopter created from thin air, the Beyonder wanders aimlessly but not even the gadgets entertain him. Deciding he needs a private place to think, he creates an underground sanctum. He sits down then decides to get his thoughts on tape.
He recounts how he came from – was – a realm beyond the multiverse. He accidentally learned of this strange multiverse where everything is incomplete and constantly trying to remedy this. The driving force of all existence is desire. Since he’s become aware of the existence of this multiverse, even he is no longer one alone. He is aware of others, therefore incomplete and therefore he knows desire.
This leaves him pretty screwed up. He is in a unique situation, as he is omnipotent. Reality isn’t real to him. Everything he says is, is. If he says cows have wings, they do. His imagination and reality are indistinguishable. Maybe he has just dreamed everything up including wingless cows, but it makes no difference.
So he knows desire, because he is incomplete, but what does he desire? What does he need? Nothing! Maybe literally. He was free of desire back when he seemed to be all that was therefore erasing the rest of existence seems logical. But as long as he conceives of other things, they exist in a fashion, because his thoughts equal reality. Can he erase his own mind? And if he does, is he dead? He doesn’t remember anything before the multiverse revealed itself to him. Was he alive before then and just unaware or was he born in that instant?
He keeps thinking about all the mortal beings whose lives he’s touched. He just can’t shake the doubt that they have something important he is missing. He can’t go on like this. He must do something. Should he wipe out all existence and risk godsdeath or try to taste that something which mortals have? There’s only one way to do that – by risking mortal death. The Beyonder curses. He may regret this…
He has taken human form but he has never truly become mortal. He probably should do it like everyone else, by being born in a human body. Getting a human woman for the job would be too messy and take too long. He creates a huge machine to do the job. He figures he should test it first. He decides to gather all the wisps of energy and shadows of thought that are left of the New Mutants and feeds them into the machine.
The machine gets to work growing appropriate bodies to house the essences of the New Mutants. It only takes seconds to take the maturation to the point desired, in this case adolescence. As an additional touch, even the costumes and hairstyles are recreated.
He examines them to find they are fine except the process left them sort of empty inside. At least he won’t have any trouble until he figures out what to do with them. He makes modifications to the machine to prevent the same thing happening to him.
Soon the Beyonder is all set and creates a vessel in which to store his power, while he tries the experiment.
No sense stalling, he decides. There is a blinding flash as the Beyonder’s body turns into pure energy, which enters the vessel while one tendril – his essence – enters the machine. Quickly a human body gestates, grows to adulthood and is born – as his own son.
The Beyonder is shocked at the effect, plunges his hand inside the energy containing vessel and returns to his prior state.
Meanwhile, Marsha finds Owen Reece, who was dozing in the easy chair. He greets her mildly and she is relieved he is alright. He is puzzled at that comment. She points out the state of the place. She feared he’d do something to himself. He admits he was a little upset at first. He was totaled, he amends, and for the first time she wasn’t there to fix it because she had caused it. So he wanted to die. Then it suddenly occurred to him: If he was nothing without her, what had she ever seen in him? So he had the choice to kill himself or find something in himself that is worthwhile. He didn’t find anything, but he figured what did he need? The strength he had when she was with him. It seemed easier just to quit, but he didn’t. He knows now that two people who aren’t okay by themselves aren’t any good together. In a way, he’s glad she left.
Marsha asks if he doesn’t love her anymore. He kisses her and tells her he loves her more than ever now he doesn’t need her anymore. She thinks she understands.
Surprisingly, Owen announces they have to help save the world. Marsha asks why one of the cosmic powers can’t do it. They are all too afraid, he replies. Except maybe Mephisto and he is no reliable guy. No, he has to do it. Alone, if necessary.
In his headquarters, the Beyonder marvels at the rush he experienced before. He was aging! Every breath seemed like an event. Each second unique – irreplaceable! It was unbearable and yet now the oppressive sameness in this form is unbearable. He’s got to try it again. He divests himself of his power and again has his essence enter the machine… To be reborn as his son.
He experiments with his now very human strength, experiencing limits for the first time. He wonders what it is like to be out of breath and runs until he is exhausted.
That moment, Mephisto and his demon horde teleport in. The Beyonder realizes he is helpless as the demons attack and capture him. Mephisto muses about how to best torture him. He vomits maggots on the helpless Beyonder’s face. They engulf the Beyonder completely and bite. This can’t be real! he groans. Oh yes it can, Mephisto cackles.
But the Beyonder recalls Mephisto has no power over humans on this dimensional plane, meaning this is all illusion. He stalks toward the vessel holding his power. Flames surround it. He feels Mephisto’s magic burning him as he reaches for the power. Mephisto still tries to convince him but the Beyonder prevails and turns into his old omnipotent self.
Mephisto and his creatures instantly disappear. The Beyonder realizes he has many enemies. How can he protect himself, if he turns mortal again? Must he annihilate all else?
In the meantime, the heroes have arrived above his headquarters. Phoenix senses the Beyonder eight or nine miles below. Let’s break out the picks and shovels! Spider-Man jokes.
The heroes turn to Reed Richard for their next step, only to be surprised by the Molecule Man, who announces he can get them there. Hawkeye immediately announces his suspicions. The Molecule Man retorts this is not the time discussing his sordid past. They need him. Hawkeye remains unconvinced but Reed sees his point. With him, they at least have a small chance. Unexpected help comes from Wolverine’s quarter, who announces his past ain’t pretty either, but he likes long odds better than no odds.
Below, the Beyonder is aware of their presence. He has figured out what changes to make to his machine but still has to alter the device. He considers the New Mutants. He reconstructs their alien teammate Warlock to complete the team, then programs them all to defend him and sends them above.
The heroes are surprised but don’t recognize the mutants, as the Beyonder recently killed them and erased all trace of them. As such, the heroes are not prepared for the teenagers’ attack. Wolfsbane goes for Tigra, Cannonball manages to momentarily flatten the Hulk, Warlock attacks the Fantastic Four, Magma scatters several members of the Avengers and Alpha Flight and Magik faces Thor, Captain America and the Black Knight.
Mirage and Karma identify Phoenix as the greatest threat and attack together. Mirage confronts her with her fear of her losing control of her powers, while Karma attempts to possess Rachel.
It takes Iron Man, Hulk, Namor and Wonder Man hitting at once to stop Cannonball in flight. The Thing tackles Wolfsbane, while the Silver Surfer and the Vision drop Magma. Magneto stops Warlock and the Invisible Woman, Scarlet Witch and Dagger take down the two psychics paralyzing Phoenix.
A little later, Phoenix reads the kids’ minds and reveals their identities and how the Beyonder has made everybody forget them. He recreated them and used them as pawns. She will later try to undo the damage done to their minds but right now she wants to make the Beyonder pay!
Seconds later, the Molecule Man’s power rips a shaft through the ground, taking them downwards.
In the Beyonder’s lair, he makes alterations to his machine to recreate himself as staying all-powerful, while being mortal. That moment, the heroes arrive. He assures them he is not interested in destroying things anymore. Then why did he send his kid stooges after them? the Torch demands. Only to delay them, he assures them.
However, the heroes led by Phoenix, Molecule Man and Thor break through his barrier. They ignore his pleas that he doesn’t want to fight and he realizes that if he teleported himself and his machine away they would just follow. All right, then so be it! An energy blast takes out the heroes. He sure he wants this? he challenges the Molecule Man, who is convinced by now that the Beyonder is a selfish god. He dies or they do. They begin a battle felt all through the multiverse.
Meanwhile, the heroes have recovered. They join the battle as the Molecule Man threatens to be overwhelmed. He had a chance, the Beyonder admits grudgingly, but it’s over. He tosses Owen to his friends. He intends to finish them all in one shot because he hates having to do it. They are all history!
The Beyonder’s deathstroke rends the Earth and space, destroying everything in its path utterly. On Earth, where once the Rocky Mountains stood, is now a steaming fissure.
Meanwhile, in the Beyonder’s lair, he sulks about, now having to stabilize orbit due to the planet’s loss of mass while making the final adjustments to his machine. He can hardly contain his impatience. He needs humanity in addition to his omnipotence!
He begins the process, his essence flowing into the machine to be reborn as human while the bulk of his power is stored in a vessel. As the Beyonder’s new body begins to form as an embryo the powers is sent to the form to merge with its cells.
At the site of the destruction, the heroes stir. An exhausted Molecule Man announces it’s a good thing he is not as heroic as they are or he’d have given everything in the battle. Then he wouldn’t have been able to shield them. He adds that he put everything living out of the blast’s way and stored it in subspace. Captain America cannot believe it. Owen laughs that he has power on a level beyond them and the Beyonder has power on a level above him. But this hurt him badly. Phoenix assures him they’ll take it from here and teleports them into the Beyonder’s lair.
They are surprised to not find him but the machine instead. Mr. Fantastic wonders why he is growing a new body. Owen shouts he is vulnerable. Kill him! Kill a baby? Volcana asks disturbed. Some heroes like Namor and Wolverine side with the Molecule Man. Others like Wonder Man, the Invisible Woman and the Scarlet Witch cannot stomach the idea of killing a child. Mr. Fantastic suggests they take a moment to figure out what’s going on here.
Suddenly, Spider-Man shouts a warning. There is danger coming from the machine. Indeed, an inbuilt defense mechanism almost blows them up. Only the shield of the Invisible Woman, aided by Phoenix and the Silver Surfer, saves them. Sue Richards sinks down, exhausted.
Several heroes decide to destroy the machine but Mr. Fantastic stands in their way. He reminds them that not only is a child being formed in there but that device contains the power of the Beyonder. If they destroy the machine, the energy might destroy everything. They have to wait out the process and reason with the Neo-Beyonder.
No! Owen Reece shouts and blasts the machine. He must die! Power emits from the machine and the child screams as the end begins. There is only whiteness, but then everything is back to normal.
Reed isn’t sure what happened. He gives orders to find the child. Seconds later, the Surfer finds the baby and cradles the dead form. The heroes turn away, horrified.
Marsha addresses Owen, who tells her he had to do this. She assures him of her love. Captain America addresses him and thanks him for preventing the end of the world, though he wishes there had been another way. So does he, the Molecule Man replies and admits he pushed himself too far. He lost his power and may never heal.
He thrust the power conduit into the Beyonder’s former dimension. Like a Big Bang, a universe is formed, planets form and intelligent life emerges on some of them, finite existences giving meaning to the infinite… and so finally the Beyonder’s desire is fulfilled.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
The Secret X-Men
Chandilar, the jewel of the Shi'ar Empire, where the Great Ornithery Festival is underway. Hundreds of alien partygoers are dressed in extravagant feathered costumes, while robot drones pour glasses of green champagne as they dart about the festival. For some young Shi'ar warriors, it is a chance to prove their mettle against a foe. The ancient Shi'ar features are celebrated in an array of feathers and lights, drinking and dancing. For other heroes, like Roberto DaCosta a.k.a. Sunspot, it is just the best party on 75 planets. Currently, Roberto is making out with a woman, who falls backwards onto a bed. 'Come here' she beckons him. 'If she asks? I lead the X-Men' Sunspot thinks to himself. He moves towards her, when suddenly, a sharp weapon is placed between him and the woman. 'Are you kidding me?' Sunspot exclaims. 'I found him, Lady Deathbird' the woman smirks.
Deathbrid looks pleased as she leers at Sunspot. 'This mightbe about to be the best night of my life!' Sunspot grins, thinking he's getting lucky with both women. 'I assure you, it will not be, Sunspot!' Deathbird snaps. Deathbird declares that she needs the assistance of the X-Men, and that her scout here said that he is currently claiming to be the leader of the X-Men. 'It seems as though she was able to get you alone easily. But despite your low risk awareness, you are... my ally' Deathbird remarks. 'That's good. I was gonna ask, like, what are we?' Sunspot replies, confused over his relationship with Deathbird. He takes glass of champagne and tells Deathbird to sit down and relax, have drink. But as he takes the glass from the floating drone, Deathbird's scout suddenly shoots the drone, destroying it and shattering the wine glass. She apologizes to Deathbird, and assures her that any potential recording devices have now been neutralized. 'He just dispenses champagne...' Sunspot's voice trails off.
As the scout leaves the room, Deathbird informs Sunspot that she comes to him in need of an ally outside of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. She reports that Delphos and Oracle, the Imperial Guard's precognitives, have seen a threat on the life of Xandra, the young empress, and as such, she has moved her to a secondary location far from Chandilar. Deathbird tells Sunspot that his X-Men are to meet there under the utmost secrecy, as Xandra is a high-priority target. 'I hope I make myself clear' Deathbird declares, before turning to leave the room, and tells Sunspot that she has made it difficult to reach this location by design, and adds that she did not know who the X-Men would choose as their leader. 'I thought it might be you, Roberto... I like to be right' Deathbird adds. Sunspot smiles and thinks to himself that Deathbird is crazy about him.
Shortly, at the Guthrie residence on Chandilar, where Sunspot's best friend, Sam Guthrie a.k.a. Cannonball, is busy in the kitchen. His son, Josiah, can be seen playing with some toys in the living room nearby. 'So she's like, “Sunspot, leader of the X-Men”... are you listening?' Sunspot exclaims. 'Oh, sure. Hypothetical X-Men team lineup is a favorite game of mine. At least till someone's feelings get hurt' Sam replies. 'Did you wanna hear about the team I picked or not?' Sunspot responds, before telling Sam that the two of them will be co-captains, and that they need Strong Guy for some muscle and Armor because she's adaptative. 'Then, you need some firepower. I like Boom-Boom, because she's sexy. And Banshee, because he's sexy' Sunspot jokes. Sam keeps watch over the food he is preparing, shaking a frying pan above the element, while he drinks from a beer bottle.
Sunspot continues, adding that then you need a wild card. 'And you want to ask them early on – they're impossible to manage if they get the idea that they're an afterthought'. Sam tells Roberto that is some “fine team leadering” and asks him who he would go with. 'Marrow' Sunspot quickly replies, before announcing that he then has a secret weapon, a reset button – Tempo. 'Tempo! Like, if you screw up, she can fix it!' Cannonball frowns at Sunspot as he asks if this isn't the group from the night of the Hellfire Gala. 'And I ain't sure that's how Tempo works, Beto' Sam adds. 'Well, let's ask her' Sunspot replies. 'Huh?' Sam responds. 'She's downstairs, dude. This wasn't a hypothetical' Sunspot reveals. 'Why'd you just let me make pasta like a bonehead if we got somewhere to be?' Sam exclaims. 'I wanted you to have your carbs before our mission' Sunspot replies. He tells his friend that he may be invulnerable when he is blasting, but that he is also mean when he is hungry.
'All right, ya blorks said ya needed us and we came' Guido Carosella a.k.a. Strong Guy remarks as Sunspot and Cannonball arrive downstairs, and find their associates waiting for them. Heather Tucker a.k.a. Tempo, Sean Cassidy a.k.a. Banshee, Tabby Smith a.k.a. Boom-Boom, Marrow, Forge and Hisako Ichiki a.k.a. Armor are wall waiting, hands on hips or arms folded. Sunspot quietly tells Cannonball that he really doesn't have time to waste. 'And you trust me, right?' he adds. 'You're always telling me “Beto, I trust ya”' 'Yeah, 'cause you're always saying “you trust me, right, Sam? Tell me you trust me”' Cannonball replies. 'And you say yes!' Sunspot exclaims.
Banshee points out that he hadn't heard from them since the night of the Hellfire Gala, when they were all drowning their sorrows after the vote. 'Hey, yeah. You were supposed to text me about plans!' Tabby tells her friends. Armor suggests that these are the plans, and asks what they are doing here. Sunspot smiles at everyone and tells them that ever since the Hellfire Gala, he couldn't think of anyone better to ask: 'It's a secret mission. We have to go meet Deathbird at a secondary location' he reveals. 'Deathbird? The psychotically violent vassal to the Shi'ar Empress? She called you?' Tempo asks, skeptically. 'Well, yeah, it's about the Empress... again -' Sunspot begins, when suddenly, Sam looks worried as a voice shouts out 'Saaaaaaaam?! Can you come up here, please?'
'Deathbird? The Empress? Beto, you shoulda told me right away -' Sam tells his friend as they return to the living quarters upstairs. Beto tells Sam that he is sorry, and asks him if he understands now – it's for love. 'Yeah...I get love. I have a wife, who I love, who used to love me but now is gonna just want me dead' Sam replies. 'Where the hell have you been? Why aren't you answering your comms?' Sam's wife, Izzy a.k.a. Smasher asks as she appears with Gladiator. 'The Empress Xandra is missing' Gladiator announces. 'Oh no! Uhh... again?' Sam replies. 'She is a high-priority target' Gladiator exclaims, raising his voice. He then clears his throat and states that it would seem Deathbird is missing along with her. Smasher reports that Oracle and Delphos are gone, too, so with two precogs nearby, she doesn't think Deathbird and Xandra were taken by surprise.
Gladiator boasts that their recent defenses are impenetrable, which means Deathbird must have Xandra and be hiding with her. 'So...Deathbird is...bad again? Causing you trouble. We should...stop her?' Cannonball replies. 'Yeah. Same...uh, same question' Sunspot adds, scratching his head, confused. 'I see seven mutants on my front stoop so I'm guessing you got a team ready  already?' Smasher asks. 'Uh, affirmative, that's them' Sam responds. Gladiator takes Sam and Beto aside and tells them that he would not ordinarily trust such things to those outside the Imperial Guard, but that Cannonball is family to one of their own, so this way, the Imperial Guard can remain here in defense. '... Ah can't believe you, Beto' Sam frowns. 'I was gonna tell you! I just wanted to do it with a reveal. It was gonna be so good!' Betao exclaims. 'Izzy is gonna kill me -' Sam starts to say, to which Beto snaps 'So don't tell her! We're not psychics! You make your girl happy, I make my girl happpy, we call each other in a week when we pry them off our laps!' Beto exclaims. 'You're lucky Ah love you' Sam mutters. 'Yeah, I am' Beto agrees, before he calls out 'To meeee, my X-Men' and bursts into laughter.
Shortly, in the Imperial Guard hangar on Chandilar, Sunspot finds himself being stared down by “his” team of “X-Men”. 'Whoa, hold on, why all the frowns? Sam, did you explain to them what's  going on?' Sunspot asks. 'He tried. Here's how far he got: We showed up to help you with a secret rescue mission, and now we're in the middle of an Imperial Guard pickle?' Forge replies, while aiming a large gun at Sunspot. 'We've gotta hunt down Deathbird...but she's the one who gave you the mission?' Tabby asks. Forge tells Sunspot that he is not looking to mess around with these kinda stakes. 'We screw this up, and we muck up Krakoa's standing with the Shi'ar. Not to mention the Professor's daughter's on the line' Forge adds. 'All the more reason to trust me and take it seriously, old man' Sunspot declares.
Sunspot then asks the others to hear him out. He admits that he plays hard, and declares that he is a winner at heart. He assures his companions that he is not being sneaky, he is being smart. 'They both want the same thing - Deathbird and Xandra found alive. We don't know what the rest of the situation is, and the last thing we want to do is run our mouths and incite some sort of interpersonal war that quickly turns intergalactic' Sunspot exclaims, before asking his companions if they want to worry about giving the Professor indigestion, well, tht will do it. 'We can make everyone happy at once. You wanna know how I know?' he asks. No one says anything, so he tells them that it is because they are heroes, and would be an incredible X-Men team – not just because they all wanted it so badly, but because it's true – they are a kick-ass team. 'He has a point' Armor frowns. 'Heh, yeah, we rule' Marrow agrees. Armor calls Marrow by her only known name, Sarah, and tells her that this is pretty serious. 'Sunspot was the last person to talk to Deathbird, so we've got a head start on the Imperial Guard...even if they don't know that yet' and suggests that they should probably just try to find her as quickly as possible.

Forge turns to a computer console and tells Armor that she is smart, and announces that he is calling up a ship to borrow. 'Though if I'dd known we'd be pulling deep-space travel duty, I'd have brought us along something a little more heroic...'. Sunspot thanks Forge and tells him that he has don't plenty already when it comes to making them feel heroic. 'People? I got a little excited. I had Forge make us something special' Sunspot grins. He tells his companions to get on board and he will show them.
Shortly, hurtling through Shi'ar space is a vessel, where, onboard, the nine mutants have changed into their new matching black and gold costumes. They are relatively standard across all of the group, with each allowing for the individual aspects of the wearer – Banshee's has wings, Tempo's has her yellow helmet and Tabby covers her uniform up with her trenchcoat. Marrow declares that these fit great, to which Sunspot confesses to going into their Cerebro backups to get their sizes. Tempo admits that the uniforms look great, before asking Beto to next time ask her her dress size instead of creeping around her backups. Tabby tells Banshee that he looks “damn good” and Banshee replies by telling Tabby that she doesn't look so bad herself. 'We look damn good, team!' Sunspot exclaims. 'Hands in the center -' he begins to say, before something out of nowhere slams into the ship.
'Look at that timing! Battle stations, everyone!' Sunspot orders. Cannonball surrounds himself with a forcefield as he announces that he is taking a crew outside. Armor offers to go with him, raising her psionic exo-armor around herself. 'Heh, Me too' Marrow alls out as she begins to form an armor of bone matter around her body. 'Hey, uhhh, Sarah. Ah'm not yer dad, but -' Sam starts to say, to which Armor looks at Marrow and tells her to put a spacesuit on. 'Naaah, I'll be good. 'Sides, Guido n' Forge took 'em all' Marrow responds. 'Fer what?' Cannonball asks, when suddenly, Strong Guy, wearing several spacesuits patched together to cover his large body, appears. 'I'm coming too! Hold on!' he calls out, explaining that hr had to make a special request to make one of his famous Strong Guy pots of Strong Coffee for the bridge crew, and get a spacesuit.
As Cannonball, Armor, Marrow and Strong Guy gather at the airlock, Cannonball looks at the spacesuit that Strong Guy wears – several extra sleeves sticking out from various parts of the suit, he asks if Forge just stitched that together now. 'Yeah. Such a handy fella. We all in?' Strong Guy replies. Armor starts to point out that Marrow doesn't have a spacesuit on, when Strong Guy presses the button which opens the airlock, and the four are shunted out into space. Sunspot's voice can be heard over the comms system as he tells Cannonball to speak up, and asks him what he sees out there. 'Was sorta hoping y'all could give us some insight there, over' Cannonball responds. Forge and Banshee take the helm, manning the ship, while Sunspot, Tempo and Tabby stand behind them. Forge reports that the radar is on the fritz, picking up nothing but black – but  that doesn't mean there's nothing out there. 'Yeah, like... we're surrounded' Tempo suggests.
'Hold on' Cannonball calls out, before asking Marrow if she is all right, as she can be seen floating nearby. Marrow's body is now entirely encased in bone armor and she turns to Cannonball, holding two long bone fragments like swords. She tells Cannonball that she has been wanting to try out a bone spacesuit ever since she learned that she can come back when she dies. 'But I can't do any damage to this swarm of darkness and I don't know what it is' Marrow adds. Cannonball tells his strike team that he has an idea. 'Power 'a cooperation, am I right?' Cannonball asks as his blasting field glows around him. 'On it!' Strong Guy replies as he begins punching at the darkness, striking it with powerful blows. This plan works, as the darkness separates, revealed to be the alien race known as the Sidri. 'Y'all we got Sidri bounty hunters! I shoulda known!' Cannonball calls out. Armor, Strong Guy and Marrow begin to battle the aliens as Cannonball blasts a path through them.
'Sidri! They're always involving themselves in Shi'ar crap!' Sunspot exclaims. 'Yeah? Who do they usually side with?' Tabby asks. 'Whoever's paying' Sunspot tells her. 'That's not so bad' Tabby decides. Cannonball complains about how difficult it is to fight the Sidri and asks his companions back on the ship to get ready and open the air lock and let them back in. 'I'm yer man' Banshee replies as he runs down towards the air lock. Forge informs Cannonball that Banshee is on his way. Banshee taps at the control panel and remarks that he is happy to blow off some steam. 'But I'll have to deploy the wings, hold my breath and hang on tight' Banshee remarks. He takes a deep breath then clings to the edge of the spaceship as the air lock opens. Cannonball, Strong Guy, Marrow and Armor make their way back towards the air lock, while Banshee releases a powerful sonic scream that blasts back the approaching Sidri.
The spaceship continues on through space, with the remains of the dead Sidri floating behind it. 'Sean. That was amazing' someone calls out. Banshee sniffs, and pulling Strong Guy's discarded spacesuit around himself for warmth, he also holds a cup of coffee and remarks that it worked, and got the Sidri off their backs. He then asks his companions if they figured out where they are going here. 'I did, actually' Sunspot smiles smugly. Tabby and Tempo look over at him as Sunspot announces that Forge was able to run an algorithmic request to all surveillance AI for potential flight paths matching Deathbird's ship's description, and they were able to run it back and again about fifteen thousand times in the few minutes they have been sitting here. 'You mean I was able to. I did that' Tempo exclaims. Tabby then asks where they are headed. 'Somewhere fun? Exciting?' she enquires. 'One of those Shi'ar party planets Beto talks about? We'll have to stop for cloths first. I can't go in this -' she begins, to which someone announces that the planet below has breathable air. 'So...let's count out blessings and hit the mall later, Boom-Boom' they suggest. 'Tch' Tabby mutters.
The spaceship descends onto the ice-covered terrain of the planet below. The group exit the spaceship and begin examining their new surroundings. 'Not to be rude? I know the air is breathable, but it smells like farts' Armor complains. 'That aside...this place looks like it's half space junk and half frozen rock' Tempo remarks. 'You think we're gonna find Xandra here?' she asks. 'I don't know. Deathbird said to find her at a secondary location, maybe they came here first. We gotta be on the right track, you saw the data' Sunspot responds. Cannonball points out that the Imperial Guard could have mopped through tose Sidri no problem, and suggests that there has to be more to this. 'No way, Sam – they wouldn't have found their way to her' Forge replies, reminding him that they only did it with his rigging and Tempo's ability to run it so fast. 'Banshee saved out asses -' he starts to say, before Sunspot interrupts him, announcing that he doesn't like all the disagreeing, and suggesting that they are all just punchy after the run in with the Sidri.
'Yeah? Backseat driving test your limits up there, Captain?' Banshee frowns, hands on hips. 'Tch' Sunspot frowns, before he throws his arms in the air and starts to walk away, suggesting that they split up and look around. He tells everyone to stay within hollering distance, and to yell if they see anything. 'Or don't. Get eaten by something, whatever' he mutters quietly. 'You'll know when I give a shout' Banshee retorts. Sunspot looks annoyed, and quietly tells himself 'Roberto, you are a winner, you are handsome, he is jealous because you are younger and prettier'. Nearby, Marrow starts smashing her way through one of the ice-rock compounds. 'Nice job, Marrow. I'll head, uh, this way...' Armor remarks. Strong Guy punches at another formation and agrees that Marrow had the right idea, as it looks like something is frozen under the ice. 'I'm gonna break it!' he calls out. But Forge tells Guido to be careful, and not to break it – too late though, and a strange gas seeps around the mutants. Tabby gasps and complains 'More of that fart gas'. Tempo covers her mouth and tells everyone that she is about to turn them all back before they suffocate. 'Hey, buddy!' Cannonball calls out as he wraps an arm around Sunspot. Sunspot is surprised to see Cannonball, and asks him if he didn't go looking. 'Guido found something. So I came to find you!' Cannonball smiles.
Shortly, the group gathers around a large door built into the rock formation. 'Oh my. Wow. Okay. Uh. Anyyyyy...anyone a space wizard? Anyone been studying...space wizardy!' Sunspot asks. Forge reports that it is not magic, and that if he had to guess, it looks technopsionic in nature. 'Can I hit it' Marrow asks as she approaches with two bone fragments. Forge tells Marrow not to, suggesting that now the door is exposed, it is probably real sensitive to tampering. 'Technopsionic?' Armor asks. 'Like we should have brought a psychic?' Tempo suggests. 'I knew I forgot something' Sunspot mutters. 'Ah was gonna say something...' Cannonball tells his friend. 'What? Were you too involved with your pasta? What's wrong with you? Why didn't you say something?' Sunspot suddenly shouts at Cannonball, who looks taken aback.
Soon, the door slides open. 'Finally! Between now and the next mission? Action item? We find a psychic. You can't throw a rock without hitting one on Krakoa...' Sunspot mutters. The group walk into a cave, and towards a certain object in the center of the cave. 'That's it? Just a Krakoan gate?' Marrow asks, unimpressed. But Sunspot thinks it is kind of brilliant – if you want to make sure only your strongest mutant alies get through, put the mutant doorway at the end. 'I just hope it doesn't implicate us' Cannonball remarks, adding that he doesn't know if he likes how this mission is going. 'Seems more n' more like we're walking into something' he adds. Beto rubs the back of his neck and tells Sam that he is sorry for panicking earlier, and that he didn't mean to get saucy. 'Aw, it ain't no thing' Sam replies, adding again that he is worried they are walking into something. 'Well, sure, but the literally only have Delphos and Oracle with them to see the future! They would know how to make sure we got to them, right?' Beto asks. 'Think how useful that would be, to see $#%& coming -' Sunspot begins, before Boom-Boom shouts 'Sunspot! The sidri followed us!' as she turns around to see hundreds of the aliens moving towards the group. Boom-Boom offers to hold off the Sidri with Guido, enabling everyone else to get through the gate.
But Cannonball suggests to Sunspot that they mop this floor. 'Attaboy! Lemme have this dance with Sam and I'll meet you all on the other side!' Sunspot calls out. Boom-Boom blasts one of the Sidri that gets near her, while Strong Guy carries Tempo and Marrow into the Krakoan gateway. 'Enh! I wanna see!' Marrow complains. Armor and Boom-Boom turn as they step into the gate, and see Cannonball blasting through the Sidri, while Sunspot blasts them with powerful flaming energy. 'See. See? Aren't we having fun?' Beto asks. 'Yeah, we're pretty great co-captains...this was a good idea' Sam replies.
Later, inside another spaceship that orbits the Great Kythri Wormhole. Deathbird stands before the group of mutants, with Empress Xandra sitting on a chair, nearby, and Oracle and Delphos standing to one side. Deathbird announces that their shuttle won't last longer than two standard days before it is sucked into the wormhole and shattered in exo-space. 'You were wise to hurry' she remarks. 'Excuse me? You, Xandra and both seers would have been killed if we hadn't turned up on time?' Sunspot asks. 'Geez, yuck. Maybe I'm not ready for this X-Men job...' Armor mutters. But Deathbird declares that she would havve removed them before being sucked into the wormhole, but that she would have led the X-Men to believe that as punishment for their failure, she would have wanted them to bear that shame. 'Cal'syee, please be kind to my friends...' Xandra calls out to her aunt. Deathbird then tells the X-Men that they did not fail. 'You succeeded quite handily' she tells Sunspot. 'Thank you' Beto replies. 'Suspiciously so' Deathbird adds, narrowing her eyes as she looks into Sunspot's eyes. 'Huh? What?' Sunspot asks. Deathbird queries as to whether Sunspot has anything else to tell her. 'No trouble with the guard?' she enquires. 'Trouble? Uh,no, no trouble...' Sunspot replies.
'Beto -' Cannonball calls out, before Deathbird warns him not to toy with her, and grabs him by his throat, lifting him off the ground. Cannonball, Boom-Boom, Strong Guy and Marrow get ready to intervene, while Deathbird calls Sunspot a fool and tells him that she has eyes and ears everywhere, and that she knows he was sent here by Gladiator and the rest. 'You lie to my face! After being trusted with the Empress' life?' Deathbird exclaims, before telling Sunspot that he is no ally to her, and that she should kill him and his entire team for this. 'Can explain -' Sunspot begins, struggling for breath as Deathbird grips his neck tightly. 'Put him down, Deathbird!' Cannonball calls out. 'Or don't – let's trash this place! I wanny try my bone spacesuit again!' Marrow exclaims. 'Marrow, again with the brilliant ideas' Tempo mumbles, before telling Banshee that when she gives the word, he should bust the glass on this space shuttle – and to hold his breath, as he is about to get another nosebleed.
But, before Tempo can  carry out her plan, 'Please! Stop!' a telepathic voice calls out. It's Xandra, who tells everyone that they don't have time to fight like this. Xandra then tells Deathbird that she can see their thoughts, and that they aren't lying – they came here as X-Men, as their allies. 'When I really do go missing...that's who we count on' Xandra adds. Deathbird releases Sunspot, while Xandra points out that they didn't come here with Gladiator, and yet they could have. She tells Deathbird that what is important is the truth – they don't know who in the Guard they can trust, and it seems their cautious secrecy has bred distrust among important alliances. 'Even when those alliances are tentative. Such as yours and Gladiators – they are vital!' Xandra exclaims. Deathbird scowls, while Guido steps forward, he announces that he doesn't want to butt in, before revealing that they faced some resistance on the way in – a bunch of those Sidri, the creep alien bounty hunters. 'They were all over our asses' Guido adds. 'Oh, well I hired those' Deathbird admits, explaining that Xandra needed allies who can handle themselves in combat, of course – a simple test of mettle.
'And I picked the best team. I mean that. Ask Sam!' Sunspot exclaims, punching Guido's arm as Sunspot adds 'He heard the whole heist team rundown. Flawless victory!' Xandra then apologizes to Sunspot, telling him that he was slightly influenced by her there. 'Deathbird says I must make hard decisions myself. If I wanted allies from among you, I had to choose them. The night your X-Men were chosen, you all who wanted it the most, did not fight among each other...you toasted together. As friends' Xandra explains, suggesting that seemed more important than who had what power. 'Yeah, well, you coulda thought to include a psychic' Forge remarks. Xandra smiles and tells him that she supposes he is right. Xandra then confesses to helping a little there, too, as when she sended their distress from afar, she couldn't help herself, and her allies. 'The precogs told me we'd be in danger, so Deathbird insisted they come along' she adds. Xandra remarks that they feel safer with the precogs around, and adds that she doesn't know what dhe would do if anything happened to Deathbird.
At that moment, a Sidri flies close to the shuttle, and breaks through a glass screen with a cable, which latches onto Deathbird's back. Death bird screams, and Xandra leaps up from her chair, 'X-Men, help!' she calls out. 'I'll seal the breach!' Forge exclaims as he goes over to the shattered window, and uses a knife to  slice through the cable connecting to Deathbird. He tells Oracle and Delphos that they have to move, and Delphos calls out 'Deathbird's been hit with something! It's stuck to her!' Forge looks at the window and tells everyone that they have to get out of this room and air lock it off. He reports that he can patch is long enough to get them all out of here safely, but that it won't hold for a lightspeed journey. 'Damned Sidri! Get this off of me, Sunspot!' Deathbird shrieks. 'Everyone out!' Sunspot shouts at his teammates, who leave the room along with Xandra, Delphos and Oracle. 'They follow whoever's paying – they must have gotten a better offer!' Deathbird exclaims. The part of the cable stuck in Deathbird's back begins to beep, and Deathbird reaches around to grab it, despite Sunspot telling her not to, as it is a teleport mine. Too late, and Deathbird vanishes.
Sunspot looks out the shuttle and sees that the Sidri is headed for the wormhole, and supposes that it is trying to escape. He calls out to Tempo, and asks her if she is willing to help him out. Tempo places a spacesuit helmet on over her own yellow helmet, and tells Sunspot that she is way ahead of him. 'You look mad, my friend. Let's get your girl back' Tempo declares. A moment later, Sunspot and Tempo are flying through space, and Tempo laughs as the Sidri looks behind himself. 'They always do that...when I've already jumped way ahead' she exclaims. 'That sounds like it never gets old' Sunspot replies. 'It doesn't' Tempo tells him, while Sunspot announces that he is into righteous anger – and about a billion joules of unfiltered solar energy, which he releases against the Sidri, destroying it before it escapes through the wormhole.
Back inside the space shuttle, 'Everybody in?' Tabby asks. Xandra announces that she has contacted the Imperial Guard, and that the ship is damaged, but they should be able to make the lightspeed journey safely thaks to Forge's help, and they are expected on Chandilar shortly. 'Hey, I got a question. And I'm a big dumb fella so it's probably nothing. How come y'all didn't see it coming? The precogs?' Guido asks. Oracle and Delphos stare at Guido, as Oracle announces that the future is a complex thing, and to tell him the answer to that, would change things too drastically. 'Huh. Maybe I am a dummy. That make sense to you, Princess?' Gudio asks, turning to Xandra. 'Empress' Xandra corrects him, before she states that it does, and that her advisors know she has access to the truth within their minds at all times. She looks over to Oracle and Delphos and acknowledges that it would change the future drastically if they told them. 'They believe that. And perhaps Deathbird's loss...is a necessary component of a brighter future...but I pray not' Xandra adds.
Sunspot sits next to Cannonball and asks 'What am I gonna do?' Sam tells his friend that he is going to rescue her, that he is going to get back home, apply a few noes about psychics and get back on that horse. 'But you won't be ablel to come. Izzy will be mad' Sam smiles at Beto and tells him that he is pretty sure Izzy will be working with them, as this seems like her department. 'Yeah? So you'll come with?' Beto smiles. 'Of course' Sam tells his friend. Sunspot approaches Forge and tells him that this battered ship doesn't need nine mmutants weighing it down, and asks how long he thinks they can safely use the gate in the other room to get back to Krakoa, and let Xandra carry on to Chandilar. 'Before that room becomes entirely unsafe to enter? Uhhh...five minutes ago' Forge responds. Tempo announces that she can do five minutes. 'Say bye to the Empress now. Just because I have time does not mean we need to waste time. Ready?' Tempo exclaims.
But, before farewells can be said, 'Now, please, Xandra' one of the precogs calls out. 'Like this?' Xandra asks as she puts the mutants under her telepathic control. 'Yes, quickly, before they go through their gate' one of the precogs says. Delphos remarks that they canot know why Deathbird has been rtaken from them yet, but that her absence is a very dangerous hole in their defenses. Oracle tells Xandra that she understands these mutants are her friends, and they have proven themselves to be capable, but that they cannot trust them with Shi'ar secrets. 'The more folks who know what went on here today...even our trusted allies...' her voice trails off, as Delphos explains 'The more ill will befall us' and states that these X-Men cannot know of Deathbird's absence – it is a tactical failing they can't have exposed, and that Xandra must alter their memories and take that part away.
'Alter their memories? I thought this was only a training exercise, I didn't think it would be serious. They are my friends...and they wanted it so badly! More than anyone, these ones wanted to be X-Men...' Xandra replies. Delphos points out that Empresses do not always get to have friends. She acknowledges that Xandra is the Empress and they are merely advisors, but urges her to choose quickly. Xandra states that she understands, and announces that the X-Men will remember the rest of it, the chase and the fun of it, but not all of it – they cannot know Deathbird is gone. She releases her control over the “X-Men”, and Tabby smiles: 'Don't forget to hold your breath when you go through the gate!' she calls out. 'Aye, it's good luck' Banshee agrees. 'Who said that? Do people thing that? We're gonna be talking about this the whole walk to Sam's place' Armor mutters.
The nine mutants steps through the gate, and Sam announces that he holds his breath past graveyards, but never dont a gate. 'Ooh, like that big one by LaGuardia? I held me breath so long I almost passed out one time' Guido exclaims. 'Buddy, what did you think was gonna happen if you breathed?' Beto asks. Guido tells him that he doesn't know, but his Aunt Gina did it, and he never questions her. 'I had an Aunt Gina! She was a car model!' Tabby calls out. 'You got pictures?' Forge asks. Marrow then points out that Banshee is smiling – and not because he is going to yell.
Back on the space shuttle, tears fall down Xandra's face. Delphos and Oracle each put a hand on her shoulders, as she remarks that Roberto cares for Deathbird, but she believes her advisors. 'But I want them to think of tonight and feel proud. And though I accept I must change their memories...of that, I am not proud. My X-Men must be my secret!'


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Tin Can Heroes: part 3: Savagery
The Savage Land…
James Rhodes has been defeated. Four strong, giant arms pick him up, noticing that Rhodes is still alive. Another mysterious creature checks another defeated Sentinel, and finds another survivor. An amphibious-like creature finds an unconscious Skylark, who is also still alive and picks her up. Brainchild orders Barbarus and Amphibious to take their new foundlings back to the compound, certain they can find some use for them.
Barbarus notices another recruit, but he’s half-dead. Brainchild doesn’t think that the guy is going to last much longer, since he already lost a lot of blood. He thinks it’s better to leave him behind, so the mutates all walk back to their base. A few moments later, the fallen are approached by another, lizard-like creature who is ready to have some lunch!
9500 miles away in America, at the Sentinel Squad O*N*E* base…
Valerie angrily shows the gathered recruits in her office the disasters that happened yesterday. She explains that this was supposed to be a routine bodyguard assignment. Instead, an entire town was reduced in ruble, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage. Two Sentinel units were destroyed. And Jake Slayton is going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Val grants that the recruits contained a significant threat, but there are numerous unanswered questions about exactly what occurred. This morning, she plans on finding out the truth.
She asks Lex the first question. She shows him a picture of his Sentinel unit fighting the Growing Man. Val has learned that Lex’ Sentinel exhibited a strange power surge of unknown energy, which none of the O*N*E* technicians can explain or account for. And she hopes that Lex can. Meld interrupts, lying that he believes he has something to do with it. He lies that, before Lex and his squad went on the assignment, they had some words and that Lex isn’t the biggest fan of mutants. Meld claims that, because of his power to manipulate whatever metal he touches, his Sentinel is different from those of the others. He retrofitted it to allow the flexibility and responsiveness to his powers. So, Meld adds, after he and Lex went at it, he was mad. Meld claims to have touched Lex’ Sentinel and manipulated it bit by bit, making the power overload his fault.
Valerie appreciates Jeremiah’s candor, but his actions could have killed somebody. She defends that, under normal circumstances, this revelation would have probably been enough to kick him off the team. As it stands, this will go into Meld’s jacket, and will very likely affect his long-term prospects of promotions. Meld understands. Valerie continues to say that, before they move over the unit to the reassignments, she would like to explore some of the various protocols that were ignored in the bodyguard mission. Including the fact that the recruit company C.O. did not issue a plan of attack.
Briggs becomes angry when he hears Val talking about the reassignments. He defends that he already informed Val that the communications system was down, and that the others jumped into the fight before he could give his orders. He wants to know where the combat instructor is, as he isn’t present at the meeting. After all, he was the one who signed off this unit going into the field when some of them clearly weren’t ready.
Briggs believes that Rhodes should take some of the responsibility. Val reminds Briggs that he’s walking on thin ice. She explains to him that he can talk about responsibility with his new Unit commander. Briggs has now been relieved of his commands. And as for Rhodes, she adds, he was leading another Sentinel Squad unit to the Antarctic. And at the moment, he is missing in action. And the recruits Rhodes took with him are presumed dead.
A few moments later…
The recruits walk out of Val’s office, and go outside. They notice all of the broken Sentinel parts being dropped back on the ground. Nixon jokes that they said his squad was a disaster, but when he takes a look at all of the Sentinel parts lying around, it looks like the other squad’s mission has been a complete disaster. Rajani warns Nixon not to bee too smug, as there aren’t any of them left to chew out. She defends that this is the unit they will replace, and realizes that they will probably face the same thing they did.
At the back, Lex whispers to Meld and thanks him for what he did for him back in Val’s office, especially considering what kind of a jerk he has been. Meld doesn’t mind, as he gets that kind of behavior from most people. He doesn’t see any reason why Lex should have been any different. After all, Lex isn’t the only mutant who wishes he could keep his powers a secret. Lex doesn’t know what to say. Nixon thinks Joni must think it’s pretty cool to be reassigned to the Brawler unit. Rajani thinks so, remembering that Valerie told her that her temperament suited that unit. And, she also angrily defends, she doesn’t like being called “Joni.”
Nixon believes that they are still going to need somebody to supply the technical information. He wants to know who’s going to pilot up the recon unit. Slayton, now with a wheelchair, jokes that that would be him. Everyone is thrilled to see Jake again, except for Briggs, who still mocks about the fact that Val mentioned he’s walking on ice. Slayton jokes he can’t let the team down when there’s work to be done.
Nixon is surprised that Slayton is already talking about work when he shouldn’t even be back on his feet yet. Slayton doesn’t see why not, as he can pilot a Sentinel as good as anyone else can. And from what he’s been told, the unit is going to need all the help they can get. Nixon thinks Slayton must have heard about their mission to Antarctica. Slayton confirms that, mentioning that he’s got a full workup on the mission. The other squads they are backing up, including their new squad commander, Sergeant Steele. Steele is some piece of work. And for the record, their new mission won’t be just Antarctica. It will be in… the Savage Land!
While taking a look at the beautiful Savage Land and its many dinosaurs, Steele begins explaining the unit’s mission. First thing he needs the recruits to do is to forget everything their old combat instructor taught them. He reveals that he and his men were the first Sentinel Squad to be combat-certified. He wants the recruits to understand he doesn’t want them working with him, and that he already doesn’t like them. But as long as everyone is there, Steele wants to make one thing clear: he will be the voice of God. He will be the divine rapture and merciless retribution, all rolled up into one glorious piece of metal mobile warfare. Everyone can call him Sarge, or even Sergeant John Steele. Steele doesn’t even care what the rookies are going to call him; he just expects that when he gives an order it will be followed up upon.
Steele points the recruits to the valley below. That is mutate territory. He explains that the mutates are a bunch of freaks that Magneto made even freakier, and that they have been causing problems ever since. Their compound showed up a month ago on the O*N*E* satellite imaging systems, and what they are doing there is anybodies guess, but it looks like one big mess. He adds that the Savage Land already has intelligent dinosaurs, and they aren’t sure what augmentation devices have been implanted onto their heads. O*N*E*’s intel hasn’t been able to inform him if building a super-powered dinosaur army is the mutates’ plan, or just part of their plan. But Steele doesn’t really care about that. He does care about finding out if Rhodes and the other recruits are still alive, and entering the compound where they will probably be.
Lex wants to know what the plan is. Steele is surprised to hear that remark. He angrily defends that they are hundred-foot tall robots with super-strength, laser beams and enough munitions to fill-up a battle tank. He wonders what Lexington thinks the plan is. Lex admits that doesn’t really make him feel any better. After all, they all saw what happened to the last Sentinel Squad that came there. Steele reveals that he read Lex’s file and doesn’t need that kind of attitude. Steele defends that they originally send one squad in to deal with these monsters, and now they have three squads to work with. They’ve got twenty-four super-strong Sentinels, with the combined firepower of Desert Storm and Hiroshima. He gives the order to move into action, so all the Sentinels do as told and attack the mind-controlled dinosaurs!
Steele orders Williamson to fire some missiles. He does so, but the missiles are out of control! They ricochet, and hit Winston’s Sentinel! His Sentinel is destroyed, but luckily Winston himself survives the blast. Steele believes that these dinosaurs don’t just have enhanced strength and defenses – they are telekinetic as well! A dinosaur attacks Briggs using its claws, but Briggs is having trouble of his claustrophobia again and doesn’t do a thing to help himself. Steele lifts his Sentinel up into safety. Slayton recognizes that the Sentinels are too powerful, and fears they are going to be exterminated if they don’t keep moving. Steele, who gets surrounded by many wild dinosaurs, believes they are going to be exterminated anyway.
Lex doesn’t think so. He decides to use his powers, and charges up his Sentinel. Another power overload takes place, which hit the dinosaurs and takes most of them out! Briggs finally realizes the truth: that wasn’t just a power overload earlier: it was caused by Lex! Everyone is startled, except for Meld, who is pleased. Steele wants to know how many mutants are on this squad. Lex doesn’t think that’s important right now, noticing that not all dinosaurs are defeated yet. He wants to retreat but Steele doesn’t think so. Lex doesn’t care about what Steele says, as he doesn’t want to end up as dinosaur food. He orders his squad to follow him and leave. Steele angrily defends that Lexington doesn’t get to give the orders around here. As Lex’ squad follows him, the dinosaurs fire their optic beams upon Steele and his squad, killing them all!
Briggs becomes angry with the fact that there are just six of them left. Rajani knows that, and believes that, if they hadn’t followed Lex’ lead, they might have ended up as well. Briggs doesn’t care, as they can’t know that for real. Lex has had enough of Briggs’ whining and wonders when he’s finally going to step up and do something. He leaves his Sentinel, and uses a platform to land on the ground. Briggs thinks that the mutant they’ve been working together with is also a deserter.
Briggs becomes even more upset and wants to hear one good reason why he shouldn’t blast Lex. Lex smiles that he isn’t going to run away. He claims that, if these mutates and their pet dinosaurs want a fight, they are going to get one. And they are also going to rescue Rhodes and the other recruits. But they won’t do it without a plan because otherwise they’ll end up dead as well. They are going to rescue everyone… without Sentinels!