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Sacrifice
It wasn’t supposed to end this way. When Jean and Scott Summers were psionically yanked some two thousand years into the future, their essences placed in gengineered vessels, they welcomed the opportunity to raise the son they had lost to the farthest reaches of time. All the happiness and rewards, the sorrow and the sacrifices, their lives together, as a family in the here and now, end today.
Nathan is very ill, his Techno-Organic Virus flaring up. His entire body is breaking down in uncontrollable, liquid, unstable conjugations of flesh and machine. Scott and Jean – in this era, known as Slym and Redd Dayspring – watch him, fear and worry etched across their faces. Scott holds Nathan’s hand. Prior Turris tells them he’s sorry. There’s nothing more they can do for Nathan. Even without healer Prxuse’s prognosis, it is clear the boy’s condition has become terminal.
In despair, Jean asks him how this could have happened. The Techno-Organic Virus in Nate’s body has been in remission for years! As they have said, Turrin agrees – but the boy’s body has been changing as well in recent months. He believes the ancient term was… “puberty.” Jean tries to understand: is he saying the maturation of Nathan’s mutant ability is somehow agitating the T.O. Virus?
But one of many theories, Turrin replies – as sound as any other. The truth is, even after all these years, they don’t know about the boy’s disease or their entire Dayspring unit to draw any definite conclusions. While they’ve always respected the Daysprings’ privacy, he must point out their secrets may have cost Nathan Dayspring his life. Scott urges him not to talk about Nathan like he’s dead. Scott hasn’t given up hope. He hasn’t given up fighting and none of them are going to give up trying to save him.
“’At’s the spirit!” the healer Prxuse, a dwarfish, misshapen creature commends him. Scott observes that he sounds optimistic. Hopeful? Prxuse consider it for a moment. No, he wouldn’t say that. Since Slym allowed him to gene read Nathan, there’s one surprise after the next. Foremost: what they always assumed was bionics? Actually, the metal is… alive. Pulling one of the endless metallic appendages on Nathan’s writhing, agonizing body, he demonstrates his claims: “See? Warm to the touch…” The blood is felt coursing through the “veins.” Distended? Yes. Ugly as all things? Yes. Beyond all help? Yes. He’s surprised Nathan has lived this long. They might want to consider alternatives to this quasi-life. End his suffering, no?
Lowering his head, his eyes shut, Cyclops mutters that’s not an option. Jean bursts out, indignant: she has to believe there’s another way! For the past three years, she’s been tutoring him on the use of his biokinetic abilities. If she could only reach him telepathically through this coma, through the psi-interference…
And if she cannot? Turrin retorts. What then? Is she prepared to sentence young Nathan to a life even more horrific than Turrin’s – great parts of his body inextricably immersed into technology, making him a “freak”. Wouldn’t the embrace of death be more merciful?
At Apocalypse’s citadel, Prelate Ch’vayre faces much the same dilemma: death as an alternative to pain and suffering. Once the undisputed ruler of Apocalypse’s elite cadre, he now experiences something akin to a crisis of faith. Restrained by various mutants loyal to Apocalypse, Ch’vayre begs his master. If for no other reason, than to preserve the sanctity of his own immortal soul, he must abandon this madness!
Apocalypse, currently inhabiting the decrepit body of an elderly man, corrects him: he mistakes madness for destiny. Today brings the culmination of nearly four thousand years of personal evolution. Born into slavery, he – En Sabah Nur – has spent hundreds of lifetimes ignoring the ravages of time, defying the demands of nature, forging himself into the master of all manner of man and mutant. All of which would have been meaningless had he not found the child called Stryfe!
Stryfe is currently floating in the air, helplessly ensnared in psionic energy, as Apocalypse prepares to make his move and finally possess the boy’s body. Apocalypse explains that he named Stryfe after an ancient enemy of his – a man whose own machinations nearly destroyed him but who, in the end, only made Apocalypse stronger. But just as he ultimately triumphed over all who have dared oppose him over the eons, so too, is he prepared to use the young boy as the final vessel for his near infinite power! Thus, he urges Ch’vayre to cease his pathetic pleading on the boy’s behalf. The moment Ch’vayre took baby Stryfe from Askani Hold, he delivered him to his fate. He delivered him unto Apocalypse. Though he must confess, he fails to see the problem Ch’vayre has with all of this. For as long as Apocalypse has spoken, he has preached the survival of the fittest. That often necessitates a lesser life force being sacrificed for a stronger one.
Ch’vayre insists: for the sake of light and darkness, Stryfe is but a child. “Less than that, actually,” Apocalypse retorts: he’s the means to an end. He stresses how Ch’vayre has served him well over the years. He shouldn’t force Apocalypse to have him killed on this, the eve of his greatest victory. Turning to the tortured, agonizing boy, he exclaims that, soon, Stryfe’s voice that has been muted with pain, the eyes blinded by his transubstantiation, will speak and see the words and worlds as they exist in Apocalypse’s image!
ElsewhereAt last, it stops. The pain which is all Nathan has known over the past three days is replaced by an overwhelming state of nothingness. He can see the rest of his unit – his family – as if from a great distance. He can hear their words chipping faintly against a wall of near overwhelming silence. Despite the realization he is alone, trapped somewhere on the knife’s edge between life and death, Nathan refuses to go quietly into the night.
Nathan’s astral form begs them not to leave him when he needs them most! He begs him not to abandon them like his parents did! A voice interjects and informs him Redd and Slym can’t hear him. Nate realizes perhaps he isn’t as alone as he thought. Before him, he sees the astral form of a redhead adolescent girl. He realizes she must be Rachel – the voice in his head all these years. “In the ectoplasm, as it were,” Rachel explains. This form in which she appears to him is her favorite version – Rachel Summers at the age of fourteen. Before Xavier was assassinated, before Ahab and his Hounds, before the power of Phoenix.
Nathan admits he has no idea what she’s talking about. Curious, he asks her why she called him “brother.” Rachel is sorry, she is kind of skimming over a lot… but then they don’t have much time. The reason she called him “brother” is more than half the reason she’s here. She wants him to know that he has a much larger support system – a larger family – than he ever imagined. Hugging her tightly, Nathan asks her if that means she came to take him home. Rachel confesses it’s just the opposite. She’s here to explain why he’ll never have a home.
In the corporeal world, Scott still refuses to let go of his son’s hand. Jean hates to do this, but reminds him they have to get going. Tonight is the culmination of three years of raids – putting together the pieces of this virus Apocalypse’s scientists have been developing. The same virus they believe will be unleashed in their time as the Legacy Virus. Bottom line: it’s now or never.
Cyclops insists he can’t. Nathan needed him once, and he let him go. Even if there is nothing he can do – other than be here for him – he won’t… he can’t leave him alone. He’s sorry; she’ll have to do this without him. Kissing him, Jean insists never without him. He’s always with her… in her heart. Cyclops whispers that he loves her. As if I didn’t know that already, Jean teases him. Leaving the room, she tells Scott to take care of Nathan; tell him she’ll be there in the morning and she’ll sing his favorite song; tell him she’ll love him. “In the morning,” Scott promises, without taking his eyes off Nate. He wishes her “g’journey.”
Elsewhere, above Apocalypse’s citadel, the eerie light from young Stryfe’s transfiguration, fills the night sky with shades of a coming apocalypse. The people in the teeming city below look up in awe and fear. They cannot know that a new phase in the long, long life of the man once called En Sabah Nur is dawning. Still, they feel the dark power emanating from the place, and they avoid the shadow of the towering citadel that is home to their genetic overlord. But deep within Apocalypse’s hold, two key members of the Clan Rebellion materialize, to take a final, perhaps fatal, stand against Apocalypse’s century-long reign of terror.
Once they materialize inside, Prior Turrin notices Jean seems apprehensive and asks her what’s wrong. Jean points to the eerie light; it is almost pure psionic in nature. The interference is preventing her from scanning ahead. It means they could be walking blindly into…
Suddenly, Turrin suffers a psi-attack of the highest order – the synapses in his brain are exploding! Jean asks him to hold on! Given time, she’ll be able to reverse the… Barely mustering the strength to speak, Turrin tells her there’s no time and urges her to go on.
“Your friend will live,” Ch’vayre confirms as he appears. Enraged, Jean asks him he did all this. Ch’vayre apologizes for the cruelty, but he refuses to allow “others” to be involved with what they must do. “We, Ch’vayre?” Jean asks him, with doubt and surprise in her voice. What are they going to do? Ch’vayre reveals they’re going to attempt that which has never been done: they’re going to stop Apocalypse.
Elsewhere, within Nate’s mind, Rachel points him to his home. Nate is surprised to see the techno-organic part of his body. That’s what he looked like on the inside, before the virus started growing again. He wonders, though: why are they separated? He reaches out to touch his techno-organic part.
Suddenly, he sees Cyclops, as if from the inside again, his visage a mask of worry. Scott asks what’s happening. Nate hears the healer, Prxuse’s voice, talking about convulsions, losing vitals… Nate calls after Slym. Rachel explains to Nathan they’re worried about him, out there in the real world. There’s not much time. To be brutally honest, all of Nate’s suffering is happening because he isn’t trying hard enough.
“Hard enough to do what?” Nate demurs. If his body is at war with himself, what can he do? Rachel reveals that, here and now, he possesses as much, if not more, power than her or any telepath combined. Telepathically, he is strong enough to sense a stray thought a continent away. Telekinetically, he could extinguish a star with something less than a conscious effort.
Nate exclaims she’s got a few alpha waves on order… that’s just crazy. Rachel insists it’s his heritage. It’s the reason Apocalypse wanted him in the first place. And although he won’t remember any of this when – if – he survives, it’s important he knows it here, in his heart. As the Mother Askani, Rachel brought him to this time. She even created a clone to serve as a decoy, in the event Apocalypse struck before Nathan could be trained in the use of his powers. When she realized she was too weak to help him, she sent for his parents from the past. For ten years now, his mother has tried to educate him in regard to his abilities. Training he’ll need to telekinetically hold the techno-organic incursion form completely enveloping him.
Nathan hesitantly wonders whether he can do that. Rachel points out he’ll have to. An entire world is counting on him. It will mean sacrificing his other abilities, literally fighting on a cellular level every day of his life, making sure he lives to see the next dawn. But to answer his question: yes, he can do it. He’s a Summers. He can do anything…
As he voice fades away, Nathan sees Cyclops kneeling above him. He hears the healer’s voice: “Lost him… sorry…” Upon hearing this, Nate, inside his mental world, protests he’s not dead! He will not give up!
In the real world, Prxuse repeats to Cyclops that the boy’s gone. He should allow him to… “No!” Scott cuts him off. He is Nate’s father, he would know if he were gone! So long as there’s a spark of life within him, he won’t leave him! He will not give up!
Scott feels it in his soul, before he notices his son’s body move beneath him. “Yyyyou’re sssstill heeerreee? You didn’t leave me…?” Nathan moans as he wakes up, while the virus visibly begins to retreat. Almost too numb from the shock to speak, Scott mutters that no, he didn’t leave him. Astonished, he realizes that Nate is pulling his body together the way Jean taught him! His mutant power must be stronger than the effect the virus is having on his body.
Grabbing his father, Nate alerts him that they have to go. They’re needed… Tears flowing freely from his eyes, Scott mumbles that Nate doesn’t need to do anything but get better. He urges him to relax and… Nate tells him he doesn’t understand. It’s Redd… somehow he knows! It’s like their minds are one. He can sense her thoughts. She’s in trouble… alone. She… needs them.
In the citadel of En Sabah Nur, the High Lord notices that at last his vessel is prepared to receive his true essence, allowing Apocalypse to make manifest his eons-long dreams. Apocalypse will be strong… he will endure. He encourages the tormented Stryfe to see past his pain. Stryfe should take comfort knowing that his sacrifice will usher in the final age of mutantkind!
As he prepares to begin the ritual, Apocalypse reminisces of his old enemy, Xavier and taunts him. Can Xavier see him now, from the mud and mire that is his grave? Does he see Apocalypse was right all along? That he outlived Magneto, Sinister and Holocaust, even Xavier’s descendants, the Askani. He outlived them all! He stands where all the others have fallen! Just as he predicted… he has survived!
Grappling the ensnared Stryfe, he initiates the ritual of transferring the essence into the adolescent boy’s body. His aged body withers and begins to crumble. But then, a voice intervenes: “So far, Apocalypse, so far!”
Apocalypse is taken aback, as he comes under a psi-attack! Ch’vayre appears, in the company of Jean. He tells Apocalypse he is sorry… truly. Jean demands Apocalypse step away from the boy. No matter how much contempt he holds for any other life than his own, no matter the amount of blood he’s caused Stryfe to spill through his sick and twisted manipulations of Stryfe’s body and soul, Stryfe is a living, breathing individual with a right to his own life!
“You presumptuous… insects!” Apocalypse rages and attacks back. He has lived and prepared for this moment all his life! Residing in one body after the next, he did everything and anything it took to ensure not only his continued existence, but the growth and dominance of all Homo superior. One life lost, or one hundred thousand – what possible difference does it make so long as they survive?! Not that Jean will be able to answer him, for he can promise her they will forever be on opposite sides of the grave!
Knocking them out with an energy blast, Apocalypse returns to the boy; he has waited four thousand years for this moment. Making to kiss Stryfe, he urges him to know the kiss of the Apocalypse; know the gift that is eternal…
“NOOO!” he suddenly unleashes a blood-curdling scream of profound disillusionment, and recoils from the boy. This cannot be! In one shocking moment, he realizes Stryfe is not a mutant, not a true life-form! It is a gene-copy… a clone?! He verifies that Stryfe possesses the ability, but not the capacity to maintain his essence. In his true form, Apocalypse is weak, yet he should still be able to enter Stryfe’s body, until he can find a suitable vessel. However, a new, even more unpleasant surprise awaits him: Stryfe is somehow resisting him! For too many centuries, Apocalypse has flowed from one body to the other – never has anyone been able to resist the process!
“Maybe, Apocalypse, because no one has had help resisting you before!” Jean defies him, now joined by Cyclops and Nathan. In a flash – both dreadful and wondrous – Apocalypse sees beyond the earthly bodies and recognizes the essences of those who stand against him. Scott Summers, Jean Grey and the boy who would become Cable. Had he met them before this moment, he would have been able to divine their true origins.
“Curse the Mother Askani!” he howls as he lashes at them. Only she could have brought the three of them together to stand against him! Only she could have left this… thing in the place of the child he sought… the one he needed! But he will not be bested by defenders of a dream long dead! A dream long dead!
Scott, Jean and Nathan do not reply with words. Instead, they act in unison, acting as a family for what may be the first and last time in their lives, they strike as one.
Suddenly, inexplicably, Scott feels it. A psionic tug at the base of his skull. He has felt this way only once before, when he and Jean were yanked across time to this era to raise their son and battle Apocalypse. Both those tasks so painfully near completion, it would appear Scott and Jean’s time here is over. But it has come too soon, as Scott finds he may not want to go home. As their battle against Apocalypse continues, he psionically asks Jean how much longer they have. Jean replies it’s impossible to say. Something has been anchoring them in this era, a power greater than hers. With that power gone, it could be a matter of hours… or minutes.
Seeing them nowhere, Apocalypse wonders where they went. Did it suddenly occur to them that he possesses all the power he needs to defeat them? That he will endure as he has always done!
Scott and Jean, psionically masking themselves, are about to sneak up on him. Jean deduces that if what Apocalypse is saying is true… “He wouldn’t need Stryfe,” Cyclops finishes her reasonable thought. Seeing Ch’vayre distracting Apocalypse, he instructs Nate to reach out and disrupt the bond between Stryfe and his “father”; block whatever telepathic energy he feels. “Whatever ya say, Slym!” Nate complies. “Let’s see what they can do about changing that,” he remarks and approaches the still immobile Stryfe and touches his head.
As Nathan severs the telepathic link between Apocalypse and Stryfe, Apocalypse writhes in agony – a sight that brings no joy to Scott and Jean. They know that by blocking the telepathic exchange between Apocalypse and his heir, they end a ritual that has endured for eons. And the Apocalypse’s host final cry, Scott and Jean feel only emptiness.
Standing above the cadaver of Apocalypse’s final host, Scott can’t believe this is over. The pain; the suffering; the sorrow. All of it over. Jean reminds him it had to be done. He knows that, doesn’t he?
Seeing Jean slowly fading away, Nathan dashes at her. What’s happening to her!? She and Slym are leaving, aren’t they? “Don’t!” he pleads them. Jean assures him they don’t want to. But they can’t stop it! “Oh baby… let me hold you one last time,” she offers and opens her arms to hold him.
But Nathan passes right through her, as if she were a ghost. A woman’s voice – Rachel’s – speaks in Jean’s head and explains that Nathan can’t hear her. They’re in an altogether different plane of existence now. They’re on their way home. Scott is about to join her. And Rachel – well, she’s on her way to who knows where.
Jean is surprised to see Rachel, in her teenage form, appearing before her. What Nathan told them before is true. Rachel has been with him all these years, hasn’t she? From the moment she’s fell into her coma, she’s been watching over him. Rachel confirms she’s been watching over her brother and her parents. What else are big sisters for, right? She reveals that, five minutes ago, her physical body finally died. The long wait is over. Dejected, Jean exclaims that this can’t be happening! She…
Rachel asks Jean not to waste a single tear on her. She’s lived more than her share of life; fought more than her share of battles. She asks Jean to remind her to tell her about the fifty years she spent forging the Clan Askani some time. Until then, she’d like to ask one last favor. Jean tells her to name it. Rachel replies that Jean and Dad – all of them – accomplished a lot here. Apocalypse had practically destroyed their family, but they managed to take it back from him. They rose from the ashes – again.
Hugging her “mother,” Rachel knows she won’t be here for the rest of the fight. So she wondering if Jean would take back the one thing Rachel took from her. She’d like Jean to carry it with her and think of Rachel. She knows there’s a lot of pain and hurt attached to the name Phoenix, but she hopes there’s a lot of good, as well. Rachel tried to do the right thing for all of them. She tried to save them all. She begs Jean to accept the favor. Jean assures her she’d consider it an honor. Rachel replies she knows. “I love you, Mom.”
In the Askani timeline, Scott has a few more moments before he also fades away. There are so many things he wants to say to Nate. So many things he wants to teach him, about life, about the people who love him. He wishes he could explain to him why he and Redd have to go… but all he knows is that they have no choice.
Nate begs him not to leave him! He can take the disease… he can take down another dozen Apocalypses… but he can’t do it alone! Scott promises he’ll never be alone. Not in his heart… not in the only way that truly matters… because Scott will be there. “Because I love you, son. Remember that always!” Nate will be many things to many people. Sometimes love and respected. Other times feared and hated, almost always misunderstood. Someday, he’ll be a cable that unites the past with the present and future – yesterday with today and tomorrow. Nathan Christopher will be all those things… but he should know he’ll never be alone. “Never…” his voice begins to fade out. Nate reaches out and little hand momentarily holds Scott’s, until the latter vanishes.
Carrying the unconscious Stryfe in his arms, Ch’vayre solemnly tells Nate that he understands, of course, it does not end here. Ch’vayre is but one of En Sabah Nur’s followers – one of the disenchanted. But those who are loyal to Apocalypse, those in position of power, count themselves in the thousands. There will be many who search endlessly for his heir, and for the young boy responsible for inflicting such harm on the dynasty of Apocalypse. Ch’vayre has resources at his command. He believes he can protect both himself and Stryfe. But for Nathan, he fears…
Nathan snaps that he is not the one Ch’vayre should be worrying about. From everything Redd and Slym told him, Apocalypse went a long way to taking apart a dream. He’s going to put it back together… again.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Sinister Intentions!
Mister Sinister’s lab
“Useless! You’re totally useless!” a furious Mister Sinister shouts at his captive, the manacled Spider-Man. He should have left him to burn with Connors and the Beast in the laboratory fire! All these wasted hours of painstaking examination reveal what he thought all along… he is not a mutant!
Peter retorts that all he had to do was ask! Does Sinister think he enjoys being prodded and poked like a guinea pig?  “Enough of the mad scientist bit, Mister Sinister,” he tells him. Spidey’s interested in only one thing and that’s the welfare of that poor kid Adam. Sinister insists he’s interested in him, too… although for quite different reasons.
Watching the frightened Adam sitting by himself across the room, Sinister tells him to come here. “S-sure, Mister Sinister…” Adam complies. Sinister decides he will tell him more about this bad man, Spider-Man. He is the one responsible for taking Adam to Professor Connors’ lab where the X-Men engaged him in those frightening experiments. When Sinister arrived to rescue Adam, wasn’t it Spider-Man who tried to prevent him? “You know how much he scares you!” he tells Adam of Spider-Man. That is why Adam used his powers to help Sinister subdue Spider-Man in the lab.
Spider-Man pleads Adam not to believe in that garbage. He doesn’t know why, but Sinister is the one who’s going to hurt Adam. “Nonsense!” Sinister retorts. He reminds Adam they’re friends; it is Spider-Man who wishes to harm Adam. People like him fear and hate people like Sinister and Adam, simply because of their unique and enviable abilities. He urges Adam to free himself from the terror Spider-Man causes him. He encourages him to use his powers. Adam hesitantly complies; if Mister Sinister thinks it’s all right… Adam concentrates hard, his eyes and mouth begin to glow and he finally releases a pyrokinetic bolt against the shackled Spider-Man. “Not again! Adam! Noooo!” Pete screams in pain.
Elsewhere, Gambit exits the orphanage where Adam previously lived – Remy’s unconventional outfit causing some passers-by to wonder what he was doing at the orphanage. Gambit contemplates it’s a good thing the administrator is sensitive to Adam’s special needs. Otherwise, he would not have allowed Spider-Man, Hank and himself to take Adam to the safety of the Empire State University. Remy cannot help but feel sorry for the boy. Adam must have been scared to death when the Friends of Humanity stormed the orphanage and demanded he be turned over to them. Thank goodness Spider-Man was there to save Adam while Hank and Remy dispersed with those anti-mutant hoodlums.
Reaching the university campus, Remy thinks he can now return to see how Hank and Professor Connors are progressing with their experiments on Adam’s powers. Suddenly spotting several alarmed students around, Gambit asks them what’s wrong; what frightened them? One of the students tells him there’s a fire in one of the buildings; it’s out of control! Another student informs him that the fire department hasn’t come yet; people are going to be buried alive! Gambit retorts they are sounding full of doom and makes his way through the swarms of fleeing students. He is confident the X-Men always figure a way to beat the odds…
“Non. Mon dieu,” he suddenly gasps in horror, seeing a terrible fire raging in the science building. He prays that his friends are not trapped inside. Storming into the building, he quickly enters the lab, calling out Hank’s name; there is too much smoke for him to see! In despair, he asks Hank to tell him where he is! “Remy… back here… behind you…” a weary voice directs him.
Leaning above him, Remy promises they’ll be out of here soon. He asks him where Connors and Adam are. Beast explains they were here in the lab with him… but Connors’ friend was Sinister in disguise! Hank doesn’t know what happened to them after that. Dragging the dazed Hank, Gambit decides to get him in the hall for some fresh air… then he’ll go back to look inside!
Seconds later, Gambit returns to the lab and calls out Professor Connors’ name; is he here? Connors emerges, coughing, complaining that the smoke and the heat are unbearable… he can’t breathe… he begs Remy to help him… Gambit suggests they get going before the fire starts to bring the whole flaming place down on them.
Just as Remy utters those last words, some pipes begin to crash down on them. Remy jumps forward and pushes Connors’ out of harm’s way. Remy tells him he’ll be fine, but asks him where the boy is. What has happened to Adam? Connors explains he’s not here. He must’ve been taken by the madman who knocked Connors out. He then again pleads with Remy… he needs fresh air…
Shortly, the three men are exiting the burning building. Beast explains to Connors that his “associate” is much more than he thought him to be; a twisted genius obsessed with controlling mutant genealogy and one of the X-Men’s greatest enemies: Sinister! Connors reveals he’s known him a few weeks. They met in a conference on biogenetics. He seemed interested in Connors’ research. Beast claims that he didn’t trust that guy from the minute he walked into the room – now he has Adam!
Hank sees Gambit holding something in his hand and asks him what it is. Gambit explains he found it when he was groping around in the fire; it’s Spider-Man’s. Connors assumes that Spider-Man was here after he and Beast got knocked out and dropped out in a scuffle with that madman. He explains that the object Gambit has found is a transmitter Spider-Man uses for tracking purposes. Gambit assumes that when they find Spider-Man, they may also find Adam and the mystery man. Precisely, Connors confirms. He just hopes Spider-Man is having an easier time with Sinister than Connors himself did!
At Sinister’s lab, Spidey realizes that Adam’s pyrokinetic powers are as intense as any he’s seen. He sliced through these manacles like they were butter. If Peter doesn’t stop him soon, he’s going to end up being tonight’s extra crispy barbeque appetizer! He urges Adam to snap out of it – Sinister’s got him under some kind of spell! He’s making Adam hurt him! He encourages Adam to fight off Sinister’s control – he knows Adam can do it!
Sinister tells Adam that Spider-Man’s lies have delayed them long enough; it’s time they continued to get to know each other. “Okay…” Adam complies, still staring evilly at Spider-Man, glowing, ready to pitch the next bolt. “Good boy,” Sinister commends him. Adam can even meet the friends Sinister’s told him about. He knows Adam will enjoy their company… they’re so much like Adam. He then encourages Adam to finally destroy Spider-Man!
Suddenly, a noise is heard from the entrance to the lab. “You…?!” Sinister exclaims, watching Beast and Gambit crashing into the lab, courtesy of Hank who rips the door apart. Remy quips that maybe Sinister was expecting Chef Prudhomme with a bowl of shrimp gumbo! Hank snarls that he should have know that it was Sinister what the sick feeling in his stomach at the Empire State University was trying to tell him! This whole caper of scientific experimentation with mutants has got Sinister’s smell all over it! He’s got news for Sinister: it’s time they get rid of the stench! Sinister stresses that Adam’s the issue – and he’s not going anywhere!
Watching this interaction, Spider-Man mentally congratulates the X-Men on their timing; maybe now he can finally get through to Adam. He tells Adam to listen up. However, he quickly realizes it’s no use; Adam is totally zonked out by everything that’s happening to him. How much more can this poor kid take? he wonders.
A thrilled Sinister announces to Adam that the time has come for him to meet his new friends. “Say hello… to the Nasty Boys!” At once, Sinister’s team of mutant henchmen burst inside through the back door. Slab roars that he doesn’t like uninvited guests – doesn’t like them at all! Ruckus playfully remarks that’s a noble thought, but where’s Slab sense of courtesy and civility? Gorgeous George tells Ruckus that, while he and Slab jive, Hairbag and Gorgeous George himself will burn the X-Men alive! Hairbag informs Gorgeous George that he’s been waiting for a rematch with the blue furry one for a long time! “Destroy them!” he urges his teammates.
Gambit hopes they weren’t interrupting them from something important! Hardly, Beast banters – what could they be doing sitting on their duffs in a back room? Remy quips that perhaps they were playing a friendly game of cards! With this, Remy cuts the cards from the pack he always carries with him, uses his mutant power to kinetically charge them and unleashes them against his adversaries.
Seeing how Gambit’s cards missed all four of them, Slab tells him he’s come up empty-handed! Now it’s the Nasty Boys’ turn to deal! Slab makes to pummel Beast, who maneuvers himself out of harm’s way, while Hairbag releases his deadly breath on Gambit, who holds his own breath. Watching these altercations, Ruckus hopes that his teammates will leave them more than just scraps! “Don’t count on it!” Gorgeous George tells him – Hairbag’s lethal breath is enough to kill both X-Men! As the fight progresses, Beast tells Gambit that Adam was in bad shape; they’ve got to get him away from Sinister. Easier said than done, Gambit snaps back. Right now, it appears Spider-Man is the boy’s only hope.
Spider-Man watches Sinister joining the brawl. That leaves Peter alone with Adam, and with Adam not paying attention to him, this is the last chance he gets to bust out of his manacles. He hopes Adam has weakened them enough for Peter to do it. He’s got to break free – if he can’t, Adam will be left to Sinister’s tender mercies… he’ll never have a shot at a normal, happy life! Struggling hard, with all his might, he finally breaks free, boasting “Yes! Let’s see your pal Mr. Sinister do that, kid!” Peter is very impressed with himself! “Whoaa… neat,” an equally impressed Adam exclaims. Spidey tells him to stay here and do not move. He then decides to join the dirty party already in progress!
Kicking Slab with his agile feet, Beast remarks that the Nasty Boys have a short memory. The last time they met, the X-Men mopped up a South Pacific jungle with their hides! Here’s how they did it! Slab retorts that Beast is living in the past – here and now is the only thing that counts, he claims as he punches Hank in the face.
Batting at Hairbag with his cane, Gambit admits that Slab’s spiteful remark about his furry friend’s condition surprised him – or hasn’t Hairbag looked himself in the mirror lately? Kind of like the kettle calling the pot black, no? Again bombarding Gambit with his breath, Hairbag quips that foreigners like Remy have their way with words, but how good are they going to be handling these pearly whites of his? Remy begins coughing, trying to put up with his opponent’s breath.
Gorgeous George complains to Mister Sinister that it isn’t fair his letting Slab and Hairbag have all the fun – sometimes he thinks he plays favorites around here! Just then, everybody is surprised to see Spider-Man jumping down from the ceiling and achieving a combo kick on both Hairbag and Slab’s heads. “Hi ho, Nasty Boys!” Peter ironically salutes them. With a name like that, they ought to give some thought to becoming a rap group, because as supervillains, they’re a bunch of total losers!
Sinister orders Gorgeous George and Ruckus to destroy Spider-Man. Ruckus announces that here’s a message for Spider-Man and unleashes his high-decibel echoes on him. Seeing Peter lay on the floor, disoriented, Ruckus urges Gorgeous George to finish him. Gorgeous George believes Ruckus must be reading his mind! “Choke on this, bugger!” he hisses, just as Spider-Man watches his tar-like body stretching like a rubber… and then completely envelops him. Sinister reminds George that he complained before for being held back from contributing to the battle – George can now show Sinister that he was wrong and kill Spider-Man! Ruckus encourages George to just snuff Spider-Man all the way out!
Wrapped up within Gorgeous George’s pliable body, Spider-Man finds it cozy! He can’t figure these guys; with such cool mutant powers, one would think they’d come up with something better than a fifth-rate Reed Richards! With that, Spider-Man easily tosses Gorgeous George’s malleable body off of himself.
A furious Sinister acknowledges they’ve done well against his underlings, but now they must deal with him, and as they shall soon see, he is the real thing! He tells his Nasty Boys to stand aside and witness why it is he is called Sinister! He’s going to give them all quite a show! Gorgeous George protests it’s not fair; he’s getting aced out of another shot at them!
That’s shameful, Gambit exclaims. He asks Spider-Man if he has ever heard such words of disrespect in his life! “Never!” Peter replies. It’s either really hard to find good help these days or the gene pool in this crowd is awfully shallow! Beast suggests that one should watch what they were saying about gene pools in this crowd! Mutants are kind of sensitive to cracks like that! Besides, isn’t this the customary juncture at which one of the heroes vociferates… Charge! Gambit admits that he likes the sound of that and prepares to attack! Spidey claims he likes, too, all the while being a bit bemused by Hank’s use of the word “vociferate!”
“Enough!” Sinister growls. Seeing the Nasty Boys and the three heroes engaging in a fight, he tells his henchmen that he tires of this and orders them to back off. He already has what he sought in the first place. Spider-Man asks Beast what the heck he’s talking about. Hank admits he’s as puzzled as Peter. Sinister explains that it was imperative for him to study this boy who so early in life had manifested such dazzling mutant abilities. The tests they saw him perform at Empire State University confirmed his initial beliefs, but it is the DNA samples he extracted from Adam that will provide him with the genetic material to create generations of unstoppable mutants – all under his absolute control! Now, if they’ll excuse them, they have more pressing matters to attend…
Ruckus suggests they should take the kid in case Sinister needs him again. Sinister assures him they can come back for him anytime – he wants to begin work on these samples immediately! Slab, meanwhile, notices that the webbing Spider-Man had released during the fight to shield the heroes from Hairbag’s breath is stopping them from coming after them!
Seeing the villains flee, Beast urges the others to come on before they get too far! Spider-Man believes they should let them go – they’ve got to go back and check on… “Adam?” Gambit finishes his phrase, as he watches in awe, together with the others. Adam is floating in the air, burning with uncontrollable pyrokinetic energy. Visibly suffering, Adam begs Gambit to help him… it hurts so much… Astounded, Peter realizes Adam’s burning like a supernova! “Oh, my stars and garters…” Hank exclaims. Remy remarks he hasn’t seen anything like this since Jean Grey’s Phoenix problems! Spidey suggests he skips the history lesson! Adam needs their help!
Suddenly, he comes up with an idea – although, he fears that if his brainstorm fails, this place is going to blow up like Mount Vesuvius! Shooting his web to the ceiling, close to Adam, he tells the mutants to wish him luck. Gambit tells him to be careful and reminds him Adam’s just a boy. Climbing on his web, Peter reaches Adam and asks him to listen to him. If Peter didn’t bring him to Connors’ lab, he’d be okay right now. He’s sorry – but how about Adam giving him another chance? He suggests Adam lets him try to make it up for him; try to help him.
He knows Adam thinks everybody hates him, just because he’s different. That’s what Sinister wanted him to believe, but it’s not true. It’s just that most people don’t understand someone who’s different, and it frightens them. But Peter understands. So do guys like the X-Men. They’re just like Adam. They know what it’s like to be different…
Peter thinks to himself not to push Adam too hard… one wrong move will mess up this kid for life. He tells Adam that their differences make them special. Spider-Man himself has been to places and met people he wouldn’t believe. He fought alongside the Fantastic Four and the Avengers in an intergalactic war; battled Doctor Doom, Venom and the Lizard all over the world! Pretty cool, huh – all because he’s different.
Adam bemoans he has no place to go. Spider-Man can’t tell if he’s getting through to the boy and decides to keep trying. He explains that being different has made him a better man. It’s given him the chance to help people – that’s his greatest power. For some crazy reason, guys like him and Adam were handed a special gift. They’ve got to respect it and use it right. “I… am…” Adam mumbles. Peter tells him he’s not alone; there are plenty of people like them.
Realizing Adam is calming down, Peter decides that now he’s got to convince him for good. He tells Adam that under his Spider-Man mask he’s just like him – a regular guy with a special gift. “Let me show you…” Spider-Man offers. He can’t believe he’s doing this, but it’s the only way to help Adam. Seeing Spider-Man about to take off his mask, a disbelieving Beast tells Gambit that his eyes deceive him – Spider-Man’s one of the biggest secret identity freaks in these parts!
As Peter begins to take off his mask, he assures Adam that under this foreboding mask of spandex lies the sweet, lovable visage of an everyday Joe! He warns Adam, though: not only he hasn’t shaved, but this thing gives him the worst hair days!
Struggling to speak, Adam finally firmly says “No!” and prevents Peter from removing his mask. He tells the perplexed Peter he doesn’t have to do that. Adam doesn’t care what he looks like. He knows by what Spider-Man said that he thinks like him… if they think the same, then Adam knows Spider-Man understands him. Adam doesn’t feel alone and angry anymore. Spidey tells him he’s very proud of him; he’s quite a special boy. Smiling, Gambit tells Beast that this ‘Spider-Homme’ is one special kind of superhero. Equally pleased, Hank believes that Remy will get no argument from himself on that observation.
Addressing the mutants, Spider-Man asks them the million dollar question: what happens to Adam? Gambit thinks the court will maybe decide that for them. Adam decides to save them the trouble. He announces he wants to go back to the orphanage. He belongs with the other kids. At a loss, Beast deduces that Adam either makes a joke or he’s forgotten those selfsame youth caused him grievous harm. They’ve displayed no understanding of him! Adam insists he has to make them understand then. He’s got to teach them that being different is no reason to hate or fear. He’ll be fine, he reassures them, and asks them not to worry.
Remy warns him it won’t be easy. Hank retorts that Adam will have them to help him over the rough spots. Shaking Spider-Man’s hand, Adam wonders if he’ll ever see him again. Peter assures him that wild horses couldn’t keep him away! Besides, he thinks to himself, he owes Adam one – he’d hate to think what would happen if the whole world knew he was Peter Parker! Waving goodbye to everyone as he goes, he tells the X-Men not to be strangers… he is in the phone book! “See ya ‘round, fellas!”


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

[Assistant]
Child’s Play
An orphanage is under siege on New York City’s Lower East Side, attacked by a violent group called The Friends of Humanity, a growing organization whose sole aim is to separate from society – by force if necessary – those born with special abilities… mutants. Wavering placards with anti-mutant libels, the protesters are quite vocal about their stance. One of them warns the orphanage to give them that stinking mutie kid or they’ll burn this dump down! Another one screams that they know he’s in there and swears they’re taking him!
Inside the orphanage, the children are watching the protestors in terror. They fear that they may rip a man apart and wonder what they’re going to do. Some of the protesters hurl stones through the windows. A boy goes hysterical. He asks that someone make them stop; make them go away! They don’t want them any trouble! One of the adults urges the children to get away from those windows and run into the interior rooms. He promises the grown-ups will deal with this.
Outside, another member of the Friends of Humanity demands they get the mutie out there! Another guy vows that no lousy mutie is hiding from them; they’ll get him no matter what! Yet another rock is thrown into the building. One of the kids asks his peers to follow him. He argues that if they want Adam, they can have him! He’s a creep, anyway! He urges them to go; Adam’s probably hiding in his room upstairs!
The kids soon burst into Adam’s room. “Awright, wimp!” one of them addresses him. He’s the cause of all this – he’s going out there! Tearful and all curled up in a corner of his room, Adam supplicates them not to send him out – they’ll kill him! He never did anything! He’s just like the other kids – honest! Why can’t they just leave him alone?
Just then, Adam takes flight and storms into the corridor. The other kids go after him. Stranded in another corner of the building, Adam warns them to stay back! Another kid is incredulous: he’s warning them?! What is he going to do if they don’t listen? Adam insists he means it! He can’t help himself… can’t be responsible for what’s going to happen! He begs them to get lost while they’ve still got the chance!
The kids suddenly discern that Adam’s eyes are glowing! They realize that Adam doesn’t even look human anymore! “Man, this is bad!” one of them remarks. “Stay baaaack!!” Adam screams at them. The other children flee in panic, seeing Adam just moving his fingers and having some kind of flame wall shot up in front of them! One of the kids surmises he’s got to be a pyro freak or something!
After all his peers have fled in fear, Adam opens a window and watches the crowd gathered outside, all waiting for him down there. Kneeling on the ledge, he shouts at them that they almost made him hurt his friends! “You creeps really want me that bad, huh?” he scoffs at them. If that’s what they want… here he comes! “Get ready to catch!” he announces his imminent jump. One of the protesters below urges him to quit stalling and jump!
Standing among the crowd are also two members of the X-Men, Beast (disguised in a hat and a trenchcoat for camouflage) and Gambit. Gambit surmises that their friend that’s working here at the orphanage alerted Xavier about the mutant staying here just in time. Beast agrees that so it would seem. He’ll bet dollars to daffodils these charmers are charter members of the infamous Friends of Humanity sect they’ve encountered so often in the past. Remy assumes they got wind of the boy staying here and figured on drawing him into the open.
Pointing at young Adam perched precariously on the ledge, Hank deduces he must be their quarry. Remy realizes the boy’s going to jump. They’ve got up there and save him! Hank agrees: time then to shed the confining raiment as circumstances dictate and effect the nigh impossible rescue in his inimitable fashion! “Drum roll, please, maestro!” he exclaims. Jumping over the amassed crowd, Hank exclaims that this has the seeming of a joyful Sunday in the stands at venerable Giant’s Stadium! “Ahh, the memories!” he sighs nostalgically. As he leaps upwards, he suddenly sees in horror that the lad has been struck by a hurled rock; he’s been dislodged from the ledge! If he isn’t intercepted in scant seconds...
Unfortunately, a rock hurled by someone hits Beast on his head and knocks him off course. In panic, Hank realizes that he now can’t reach the boy in time! Falling off the building, Adam screams for help. He begs Hank not to let him fall!
Suddenly, Spider-Man cuts in and grabs Adam to safety. Beast is aghast: a gaudily-costumed figure has swung into the fray the snug the lad hastily! Spider-Man tells the kid that he’s got him now and advises him to go limp and leave it all in the webbed hands of “your friendly, neighborhood, Spider-Man!” He decides to better set down on a roof fast – he discerns this kid’s terrified.
Gambit angrily turns to the gathered protesters and tells them to back off; the party’s over! He releases some kinetically charge cards on them, hoping that these are going to get them packing! One of the protesters realizes he’s another blasted mutie – and he’s throwing some exploding cards at them! “Let’s get him…” he urges his companions and then scream “Yikes!” as one of the cards bursts very close to his feet.
Hank jumps down on the masses of mutant haters, remarking that he’s never heard echoed a less inspiring call to arms. What they need is a real threat to rally around! And who better than the blushing Beast to provide for them, he jests, as he grabs a couple of the protesters with his feet and hurls them against their peers. “How clumsy of my peripatetic pedal extremities!” Hank jeers in his usual scholarly style of speech.
At the rooftop, Adam asks Spider-Man if he can help him. Peter tells him to just stay right here and he’ll be right back. “Okaaaaay,” Adam hesitantly complies. Swiftly, Peter enters the fray against the protesters. He scoffs that if they call themselves “the Friends of Humanity”, then let them be friends! Just because he’s got the proportionate strength and speed of a spider, doesn’t mean he can’t crash this little lovefest of theirs! With this, he kicks at some of them!
One of the protesters watches in horror: now there are three muties in the fight! One of his companions realizes the muties are going to get the boy now! A third one suggests they split! Watching them flee in panic, Spider-Man jokingly wonders if it was his breath who did it. “Alas, no,” Hank remarks – they were most probably tardy for a finishing school appointment.
Shortly afterwards, Spider-Man recapitulates what Gambit and Beast have told him: they are mutants, students at some academy in Westchester County, where they try to help other mutants assimilate into society and deal with their powers. Adam is a mutant, too, and they were out to rescue him from the Friends of Humanity when Spidey himself popped in. Gambit tells him he got it right. Peter retorts that he only has their word for it and he’s not sure he wants to just release this child into their custody. “You sain’ you don’t trust us?” Remy snaps. They’re the X-Men – the real thing! Hank intervenes, trying to lower the tension: “Gambit, I’m sure…”
Spidey insists he didn’t mean offence. He has an idea that may put all their minds at ease – even Adam’s. There’s a biologist he knows at Empire State University, Curt Connors, who may be able to help Adam. He’ll contact him and they can all go over there. Hank finds it reasonable – and the chance to rub elbows with a fellow biochemist of Connors’ repute is tempting. “What say you, Cajun?” he asks Gambit. “Good as done,” Remy concurs. He tells Adam to stick with them. “Everyt’ing gonna be jake,” he assures him. Adam asks Gambit if he will show him some cool card tricks. Carrying him on his shoulders as they all leave, Remy assures him he’s going to be a riverboat gambler before Remy is through with him!
Watching from a distance, Mister Sinister realizes they are off to Connors’ lab. It’s time he called ahead to let him know of his own arrival. Xavier is not the only one whose attention has been drawn to that youth, Adam. Before that day is out, Sinister vows that the young mutant will be his.
Curt Connors’ lab, Empire State University
Connors hears a knock at them; it must be them. He welcomes Spider-Man and, seeing Beast and Gambit, nervously remarks that when he said he was being accompanied by some friends, he never imagined… “Quite a group, I know,” Peter replies. Shaking his hand, he says it’s good to see him again. He presents him with the boy, Adam, he told him about on the telephone. And these gentlemen are Adam’s ‘guardians’, members of the mutant group, the X-Men. He introduces Remy LeBeau from the Big Easy and Dr. Henry McCoy, the noted biochemist.
Connors reciprocates how good is to see Spider-Man again. He’s anxious to help this lad. Of course, he’s heard of Dr. McCoy. He assures him that his facilities are at his disposal. Hank thanks him: it is a veritable research wonderland. “Man, look at all this neat stuff!” Remy remarks.
Connors first wants to perform some routine tests to Adam. They’ll take some blood from him and look at under the microscope. In short order, they do, and Beast examines the blood. Platelet count, in order. Proteins, globulin and albumin, stable. Salts, sugar, uric acid and creatinin, all in proper trace amounts. Leucocytes, fine. He tells Connors they’re all within normal parameters. Connors suggests they proceed with a more detailed examination. A battery of tests is performed on Adam, measuring heartrate, respiration and body temperature.
After these tests are over, Connors tells Adam he’s healthy as a horse. Now, he wants to taste the extent of his special abilities. Placing three objects in front of him, he tells him that, first, he wants him to ignite the piece of paper, then, the same to the piece of wood, and finally, try and melt the metal bar. He tells him to concentrate. Without any indication of effort, Adam instantly incinerates all three objects, as asked.
Hank gasps that he is definitely not the child to deprive of his allowance! Connors is impressed that he set them all afire… in seconds! “Noticed that, didja, Doc?” Peter banters. Rubbing Adam’s head, a smiling Hank promises that the next weenie roast hosted by him will have Adam as the guest of honor. Excited, Adam asks him if he means it.
Gambit announces he has to leave now. There’s some… “paperwork” that has to be done back at the orphanage. He promises he will back soon. Peter says it was good meeting him; he’s got to split, too. He hopes Connors won’t let the boy burn the place down. Connors gives him his word he won’t. There is still much more to do. He tells Pete to take care.
Leaving the lab, Remy thinks that the boy has power that someday will rival any of the X-Men’s. He just hopes he isn’t going through the suffering they did. Simultaneously exiting the building through the window thanks to his webs, Spider-Man thinks that spider powers are one thing, but the ability to set things on fire… that’s the kind of great power that really creates some heavy responsibility!
Later, at the orphanage, Gambit thanks an employee named Philip, for alerting them to Adam’s presence here. “No problem, Gambit,” Philip replies. As a member of Charles Xavier’s underground, it’s his duty to keep tabs on anyone they suspect may be a mutant… for their own safety. Like Cerebro isn’t enough for picking up traces of new mutant types, Remy sarcastically observes. Philip has heard that Xavier’s got people like him everywhere… even the government. Remy assures him they leave no stone unturned. He confesses, though, that sometimes Xavier’s a little spooky.
Uptown, in Dr. Connors’ lab
Someone is knocking at the door. Connors explains that must be Dr. Essex. He’s a visiting geneticist from Eastern Europe who called him a bit earlier, and said he was coming by. Connors mentioned Adam to him.
Dr. Essex, an elegantly dressed man with a cane, walks in. He greets Connors and admits it was most kind of him to invite him here to see this remarkable young man. Connors introduces him to Dr. Henry McCoy, a well-known biochemist here in the States. Essex shakes hands with him. Hank realizes that something is distinctly familiar about the good doctor Essex. However, he cannot place his furry finger upon at the moment.
Essex turns to Adam and proceeds to shake his hand. Beaming with joy, Essex recalls how Dr. Connors said that Adam possesses some extraordinary abilities. Would he be kind enough to provide an example for Essex’s… amusement? “Splendid,” he remarks, without even waiting for the boy’s consent. Essex then asks Connors if he has the results of the prior tests.
Hank presents Essex with a file with the rather astonishing results of Adam’s pyrokinetic prowess. They were just about to test the lad’s abilities on a lead bar. As Essex surely knows, lead has a higher melting point that most metals. “Yes, yes,” Essex impatiently agrees. Shall they get on with it then? All three men wear special safety glasses and sit behind a console. Connors asks Adam to concentrate to the cylinder in front of him and do as he did before. He asks him to try to melt it, but to do so carefully and control his ability.
Adam concentrates for a while, his eyes glowing and finally stops. Connors explains that Adam didn’t melt it, but he got the lead red hot. Essex retorts that this boy has come nowhere near exhibiting his full potential. He suggests they continue. Hank respectfully reminds him he’s not in charge here. His eyes suddenly glowing red, Essex gloats that indeed he is. Realizing that something’s wrong, Connors wonders what’s going on and rushes towards Essex… but comes short of approaching him further, as if suddenly blocked by an invisible wall. “That should keep you for the nonce!” Essex snarls. Hank realizes that both he and Connors are trapped in some sort of stasis field. He’s unable to move… can’t even speak!
Turning to Adam again, Essex assures him he can do better! He tells him that Connors and Beast are just like all the others. They don’t really want him to tap into his power. They want him to feel weak, under their thumb. But Essex knows what’s best for him! He is his only friend! He urges Adam to melt the lead! Fueled by Essex’s infectious aggressiveness, Adam concentrates hard and finally succeeds in melting the lead. “Marvelous!” Essex relishes. He tells the child to feel the power surging through him!
Suddenly, Connors warns Adam to not go any further – things behind the lead are catching fire! “Stop it!” he pleads. Beast notices that Essex is changing – undergoing some physical transformation. Now he knows why his bearded countenance smacked Hank of the familiar! In reality, the suave, sophisticated sirrah is… Sinister! Towering over Adam, now in his true colors, Sinister tells him there’s no need to fear him. He is as much the same as Adam, he assures him. A world of inferior humans hate them because they are different… better than they are. But Adam will learn from Sinister. He will discover how best to use his abilities and turn the tables on any who would oppose him! He sees a great future for Adam – a glorious future at Sinister’s side!
Hank realizes that Sinister has lost control of the stasis field momentarily. Time for Henry McCoy to take advantage of the situation and stop the scintillating shenanigans! He immediately attacks Sinister. Would Sinister be so kind as to swivel his shiny, simonized self around toward Hank’s approaching appendages? he mocks him. He jests that the Super Heroes Handbook expressly forbids rending adversaries asunder from behind! “A loquacious bore… as always,” Sinister remarks of the Beast.
Back at the orphanage, Gambit is informed that Adam’s parents are still alive. Philip confirms they’ve had contact with them from time to time. They are interested in the welfare of their son, but they know his “special” status makes him a problem child in unforeseen ways. Like other parents in their situation, their fear outweighed their parental love. Remy assures him that problems like these are what the X-Men are all about. That’s why they’ve got to get the child up to Xavier and in their custody.
Curled up outside the window of Philip’s office, Spider-Man has overheard everything. He’s not sure he likes the sound of that. He recalls he left Adam with Dr. Connors and… McCoy the Beast. He suspects there’s something fishy about this bunch of renegade mutants. Which is why he’d better get back to Empire State University fast, before the boy gets kidnapped or something. He quickly reaches the university. Soaring high above the building, he sees Connors’ window just below. He immediately realizes something bad is happening here: spider-sense tingling like mad!
Inside the office, Mister Sinister gloats over his victory over the now unconscious Beast. Hank’s bestial acrobatics were no match for Sinister – as if they ever were. Now, Sinister has other matters to attend to. Watching everything from the window, a shocked Spidey wonders who the metallic Frankenstein is, and what he’s doing here. Hopping in, he asks Sinister if he wants to come along peacefully or if this going to get messy!
“Another annoyance?” Sinister puffs. Pointing at Spider-Man, he tells Adam this is just another bad man who wants to take him away and hurt him! He tells Adam to stop him now! The now easily convinced Adam begins glowing, all the while aggressively making it clear to Spidey that he doesn’t like him.
Peter jumps away in time, just as the kid looks nasty at him. The wall behind Peter explodes in flames. If Adam grows up to be a super-villain, Peter thinks he’s retiring early! Suddenly, his spider-sense is warning him that Sinister is rushing toward him. He immediately leaps upwards, causing Sinister to angrily demand he stand still! What manner of a creature is he?! Spidey quips that at least he doesn’t look like he washed his face with toothpaste this morning! He then strikes Sinister from behind, while hanging upside down from the ceiling, before he realizes he almost broke his hand by that metallic hide of the villain!
Peter then notices that Connors and McCoy, both unconscious, are really close to the flames. Their only chance is if his special liquid webbing can douse the fire. He has to do it fast or he’s sitting duck for Sinister! Releasing his liquid webbing, he realizes it’s working. Beside him, Sinister notices an interesting machine just above Spider-Man. He tells Adam he can stop the bad man; he just has to melt the cables on that machine over his head. He urges him to do it! Adam sheepishly complies, thinking this will stop the bad man. Despite Spider-Man’s spider-sense warning him, he can’t get out of the way in time, and the machinery collapses right on top of him.
Seeing how Spider-Man is still barely conscious, Sinister decides to “ease” his burden. He promises Spider-Man will not feel the weight on himself after this and then thwacks Peter with rage, knocking him out. Sinister then tells Adam he did well. They stopped the bad men who wanted to hurt him. Adam can see how well they worked together; did he like it?
“Okay…” Adam hesitantly replies… but did they have to hurt them so bad? He doesn’t like hurting people. Sinister assures him that he doesn’t like it either. But he only did what had to be done so they wouldn’t hurt Adam. Does he see now? “I guess so,” Adam responds. Looking at Spider-Man, Sinister conjectures that he may be a mutant, too. He’d best take him and investigate his genetic structure when the opportunity arises.
Sinister announces that they must leave now. Some bad men will come here shortly and take the unconscious men away, he assures Adam. They must not be here when they come. Seeing Sinister carrying the senseless Spider-Man, Adam asks him why he does that. Sinister explains that he heard Spider-Man is not as evil as the other two. There is a chance that they may turn him to their side, make him as good as they are. Wouldn’t Adam like to have another friend? Wouldn’t that make him happy? Adam admits he doesn’t have any real friends; it might be fun. Taking Adam by the hand and exiting the lab, Sinister agrees that one might describe it as… child’s play.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Beginnings ...
In Seattle one man climbs over a pile of dead bodies and as he climbs he thinks to himself that it should be raining. The man’s name is Bishop and he wishes it was raining so at least the smell of blood and flesh would not be so strong. For years Bishop, who is dressed in a gray hooded shirt with tattered gray rags from head to toe, with a solitary red scarf around his neck, has followed the trail of cullings caused by Apocalypse’s Infinities. As he travels across the sea of dead bodies Bishop thinks of a time and another place that he can not totally remember. He thinks about how all the humans in North America were warned to flee and how most of them did but many refused to leave their homeland and stayed behind. As Bishop closes the eyes of a dead man only in his thirties Bishop can not help but feel pity for these people. He invokes a moment of silence on their behalf though it does not last long. A girl around ten years of age runs into Bishop, running like hell itself is chasing her, as she cries for her Mamma. Bishop cradles the young girl in his arms, with a ticked off look in his eyes, he listens to her tell him of how the Infinities killed her Daddy and her Mamma. As he cradles her, giving her hope, a flash of light blasts its way towards the direction of them and the girl cries out “they’re here”!
The Infinities stand around their Captain Unus as he berates them for not being able to fulfill their orders to kill every human in Seattle. Unus asks them why they had not killed the girl’s friend, the gentleman in gray rags, before. One of the Infinities claims that his Homo Sapiens detector must be malfunctioning and Unus blasts the Infinite killing him. Unus chides him telling him how a good workman never blames his own tools for his personal failings. Unus tells the Infinite that he will kill the girl and the stranger himself. Unus sends a crushing forcefield towards Bishop and as he rambles on about how every flatscan with a brain is heading North, he wonders why this one is not. Unus is surprised to notice that who he thought was a human is actually a mutant with the ability to absorb and rechannel the powers used against him. The girl watches and is surprised to see a mutant instead of the kind man she thought she had met. Unus gets ticked off and as he calls Bishop a gene-traitor he commands the Infinities to kill Bishop. One of the Infinities hits Bishop knocking him off his feet and as the Infinite gets closer he boasts of how he and the other Infinites are enforcers of Apocalypse’s laws and how they will carve the flesh off of Bishop. Unus screams to the Infinite that they are on a clock and he needs to just shut up and kill Bishop.
With that said a voice comes from behind Unus saying “Not so fast”. The voice belongs to Sabretooth who, as he picks one of the Infinites off the ground, tells Unus that “we traitors like to stick together”. The X-Men standing behind Sabretooth are Blink, Wildchild, Morph, Rogue, Magneto, Quicksilver, Storm, Iceman, and Nightcrawler. Rogue asks her teammates if anyone recognizes the stranger dressed in rags. Magneto tells her that they only recognize him for what he is a “mutant persecuted and hunted by his own kind”. “Step away from him Unus”, says Magneto, “So say the X-Men”!
Sabretooth claims that they will not listen and he sends Wildchild to back the Infinites off. As the Infinites charge the X-Men, one worries for his life, and the other one claims that today is a good day because they will be greatly rewarded for bagging the traitorous X-Men. As one of the Infinites gets close to Sabretooth he commands Blink to get behind him. She pleas for Sabretooth to show mercy on the Infinite soldier but her pleas go unnoticed. Sabretooth is as savage as he ever was and watching Rogue in action, Blink thinks to herself that Rogue is even more savage than Sabretooth. A spear comes hurdling towards Rogue’s back but Nightcrawler teleports in and removes the spear from the Infinite soldier’s hands. Rogue turns to see the Infinite and the soldier begs to her that he wants to just surrender. Unemotionally, Rogue hits the Infinite away from her, the soldier probably would have ended up in the Pacific Ocean if Morph had not shape changed into a wall and stopped the soldiers pace. A few feet away another Infinite is being taken care of by being sandwiched between Quicksilver’s gale forced winds and Storm’s lightning attacks.
Prelate Unus though has a different plan of attack. He sneaks up to Magneto with a gun and places it to Magneto’s head and Unus tells Magneto that the plastic gun is filled with non-ferrous bullets and if he does not call off the X-Men he will die. “C’mon make a choice” Unus tells Magneto but Unus is shocked to feel his body freezing and as ice travels up his body and he shatters into pieces. Iceman appears and asks Magneto why he let Unus get so close to himself. Magneto informs Iceman that Quicksilver would have intercepted the bullets with ease anyway. Iceman asks Magneto to lose his death wish and just be happy that they won. Magneto walks up a hill and looks out at the desolation surrounding him. He tells Iceman that the X-Men’s victories always seem shallow. The dream still loses everyday somewhere else, as the Infinites still keep moving and killing humans in their path. Magneto admits that a long time ago even he himself believed that mutants should rule over humans. Quicksilver is shocked, apparently not hearing that account of his father’s past before, and he asks his father about it. Magneto says it was only a brief period in his life and the death of a friend named Charles Xavier helped him see a different dream. Magneto thinks aloud though that if it was not for his death Magneto might be one of Earth’s greatest enemies. Twenty years ago he made a promise to a friend as he was dying and now he wonders if Charles Xavier is watching from heaven and is disappointed in him for failing Xavier’s dream.
Blink comes in as Quicksilver and Magneto look out on the masses of dead bodies in a ravine near where their battle had just taken place. She tells Magneto that Sabretooth is having problems talking to the unknown mutant. Magneto asks her to take him to them and as he comes closer to them he asks Sabretooth what the stranger’s name is. Sabretooth is holding Bishop by the neck and Sabretooth tells Magneto that the stranger will not talk. Sabretooth then rips the hood off the stranger’s head, revealing that the man is Bishop. There is a good reason Bishop has not talked for two decades - because he has had nothing to say. Till today, when his eyes catch the eyes of Erik Magnus Lehnsherr. Magneto, shocked says “you…?” and Bishop screams back that Magneto is a murderer and that everything is his fault. Magneto doesn’t know what he is talking about. “ Legion!”, “Warped Time!”, “Killed Xavier!”, “”Let him die!”, “Not our world!”, “All twisted!”, “Your fault!”, Bishop replies to Magneto’s question. Though as Bishop says the word “fault” he collapses thanks to Magneto slowing the blood to his brain and causing Bishop to fall asleep. Sabretooth asks what Bishop was babbling about. Magneto replies that they will learn in time. Sabretooth thinks that Magneto had recognized the stranger, but Magneto replies that he was mistaken and that the X-Men must leave the area. Sabretooth though does not believe Magneto, but he does as he is commanded and the X-Men follow Magneto to their secret compound in Westchester.
Meanwhile in a lab in Apocalypse’s palace, the Beast is secretly working on one of his newest experiments. The person he is experimenting on is Fred Dukes, who is in great pain. As Dukes tries to break free, the Beast tells him to calm down, and to allow him to try to amplify his mutant power. The Beast jokingly tells Dukes that no matter what he does to him it will have to improve his looks. To the Beast‘s surprise Dukes breaks free of his restraints and he attacks the Beast calling him a butcher. Fortunately for the Beast Havok walks in and fires a blast at Dukes cutting a chunk of skin off of his shoulder. Beast afterwards asks Havok to destroy Dukes to teach him a lesson and Havok tells him that he will gladly do it. Before Havok can get another blast out Fred Dukes throws the Beast at Havok knocking them both to the ground. Havok asks the Beast what he did to Duke because a fat man should not be able to move that fast. With Dukes fixing to flatten them the two mutants prepare themselves for Dukes’ attack. Like Havok saved the Beast a few minutes earlier Cyclops comes in and destroys Dukes with a powerful optic blast from his one good eye. Beast thanks Cyclops for coming to their rescue but Cyclops chides the Beast for not stopping the experiments like Apocalypse had ordered him to do weeks ago. He tells the Beast that human and mutant relations are already strained to its limits and the Beast has to go against the Kelly Pact that Apocalypse is trying to get signed with the Human High Council in Eurasia. Maybe, Cyclops thinks aloud that he might need to tell Apocalypse of the Beast’s illegal operations. Offended, Havok grabs Cyclops by the shoulder and tells him that he has no right to report anything to anybody because Havok is head of security and only he has the right to report any illegal activities.
As the two brothers argue Sinister walks in and asks them if he had not raised them better than to fight amongst themselves. Alex tries to make an excuse but Sinister, very paternally interrupts him by saying that he does not care who started the fight he will end it. Sinister then turns his attention to the Beast and greets him asking him if he has been tinkering again? “It is not what it looks like!” the Beast stutters. Sinister tells the Beast that he needs to make sure that it does not happen again. Sinister commands Havok to clean up Dukes‘ mess, as he and Cyclops need to talk. As they walk away Havok’s eyes look angry and cold. Sinister tells Cyclops that he had hoped that Cyclops would one day follow in his footsteps. He next explains to Cyclops that he has to go away. Cyclops, shocked asks Sinister if it is his fault. “Not everything is about you“, Sinister interrupts and he tells Cyclops that madness has infected one of their own and his madness might bring about Armageddon. Cyclops asks if that really can happen and Sinister tells Cyclops that after a dozen lifetimes creating hell on earth he will not be able to enjoy it because Apocalypse’s schemes will destroy the Earth. Cyclops naively asks Sinister what he means about hell on Earth. Sinister, walking away apologizes for sheltering Cyclops for too long and he tells him that for the first time Cyclops will have to find the answers to all his questions himself. As he walks away he also calls out to Cyclops and tells him “farewell my son”. Cyclops with his head bowed and contemplating what Sinister has told him is startled to hear the roar of Eurasia style Sentinels passing over head.
Elsewhere in a nightclub called Heaven, Angel, the owner of the place, and his customers watch as the Sentinels fly overhead of them. “How does he hide us from the Sentinels?” One of the customers asks, and another customer replies to him that the Angel must have cut a deal with the Human High Council to have Heaven programmed as an immune spot to the Sentinels. “What does it matter” asks the Angel? Then he invites everyone human and mutant alike to enjoy the singing of his employee, the human Scarlett. The Angel walks off stage and Karma comes up to him and tells him that the “Cajun” has arrived and he is at the back table. While Angel walks away Karma tells him to count the silverware before he leaves. The Angel walks to the back table and welcomes Gambit to his club. He tells him that it has been a long time since he last saw Gambit at the Louisiana Cullings. Gambit interrupts and he tells the Angel to cut the bull and tell him where he can find Magneto. Angel, in defense asks Gambit what makes him think that he knows where Magneto lives? Because “Angel” spelled sideways is “Angle” Gambit replies, if anybody knows how to contact Magneto it would be him. Showing anger, Angel tells Gambit that he does not deal lightly with genetic terrorists like Magneto. He asks how important it could be, and now it is Gambit who gets angry, as the Angel should know how hard it is for him to return to Magneto after what Magneto had stolen from him. So it must be important for him to open his old wounds once more. “You owe me for Louisiana” Gambit tells Angel. With that said Warren tells Gambit where to find Magneto, but also that he never wants to see Gambit again. The two mutants are unaware of them being spied on. Sebastian Shaw stands in another room and watches the pair through a window with blinds.
In Westchester County or at least what is left of it the X-Men reside in their secret base at Xavier’s former estate. Over time a dozen mutants and more have lived here and some are even buried here. One child though was born here and that child Rogue is going to visit right now. Nanny, a robot made by Magneto to watch over his own son, is telling little Charles Lehnsherr a bedtime story. Rogue startles Nanny and at first it thinks Rogue may be an intruder. Rogue just tells Nanny that she was taking notes because of late Nanny has been more of a paternal figure to Charles then she has. Rogue next asks to see Charles and Charles is happy to see her and he cries “Mama”! As Rogue holds Charles in her arms he asks her where his Daddy is just as Magneto walks in, still in his armor minus his helmet, and he tells Charles that he is right there. “Play wif’ me?” Charles asks. Magneto tells him he would love to, but it is time for Charles’ bedtime. Magneto also says that Nanny will put him to bed as Mommy helps him say his prayers. Magneto tells Charles that he looks so bright and cheerful and how wonderful it is that he is turning out to be like the man he was named after. Rogue puts her gloved fingers to her mouth and kisses them laying her fingers on Charles’s head. While doing this she says Charles’ prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep if the Madri come before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take.” Rogue becomes very sad and tells Magneto that she wishes she could touch skin to skin with Charles. Magneto tells her that one-day she will be able to, just as they can now touch one another.
Elsewhere in the mansion Nightcrawler and Sabretooth watch Bishop pace from one end of the room to the other. Nightcrawler wonders why Bishop will not talk and Sabretooth announces to Bishop that Magneto has entered the room along with Rogue. Bishop angrily tells Magneto to tell the rest of the team what really happened to Charles Xavier at his death. Rogue asks Magneto what Bishop is going on about. Magneto has other plans though as he causes Bishop to fall asleep again he asks Rogue to use her power of touch to read Bishops mind; since their psi-powered mutants are no longer with them she is their only choice.
In Apocalypse’s palace Sinister walks in on Abyss playing with mental illusions of Sinister’s face. Sinister asks if Abyss is amused and he replies “always”. Sinister asks where Mikhail Rasputin is and Abyss answers him that he does not know. The four horsemen of Apocalypse Abyss, Holocaust, Mikhail Rasputin, and Sinister have been ordered by Apocalypse to join him in a meeting about future events. Abyss jokes about Sinister needing more sun as Holocaust walks in and stops their conversation. Holocaust tells them not to take Mikhail’s snub so lightly because as he is the fourth horseman of Apocalypse Mikhail’s responsibilities are grave indeed. He will surely be punished for his tardiness, Holocaust exclaims! Abyss tells Holocaust that he, “Holocaust: Truant Officer of the Damned” takes these meetings way too seriously. Apocalypse walks in and tells Abyss that Mikhail will be punished for his lack of judgment. Not now though because he will be punished when they find him as they sift through the ashes of the Earth. Sinister asks, “then the moment has truly come?” Apocalypse answers that he has all his soldiers in place for a final strike and since the humans think they have gained hope from the Kelly Pact, now is the perfect time to remove every human from the globe. Sinister interjects and asks Apocalypse if he truly understands what a war between humans and mutants might cause, such as the end of both races. Apocalypse angrily defends himself and tells Sinister that his only concern now is what seems to be Sinister’s newly wavering loyalty to him. Sinister asks Apocalypse to forgive him for his rashness and that he merely wondered if a lot of mutants would die in the coming Armageddon. Apocalypse tells Sinister that he does not care how many mutants or humans die because all he cares about is forming those who do survive into a powerful Army. “Certainly there will be unexpected losses,” Holocaust says. He also says that it will be interesting to see who lives and who dies. As Holocaust begins to show Apocalypse some of the plans he has for the attack on Europe, Sinister ponders if giving information to the enemy earlier was a good idea. He also hopes that Apocalypse’s planes do not destroy the secret schemes and plans he has spent a lifetime creating.
In London two hooded figures walk around the neighborhood and one of them asks how the other expects to find the Human High Council. He replies that they don’t need to, as the Council will surely find them. “Mutants!“ screams a man wielding a knife and hopping down from a fence followed by other members of what looks like a gang. The hooded figure then reveals himself as Weapon X and threats to cut the soldier with his claws. The other figure that is actually Jean Grey asks Weapon X if he cut the soldier. Weapon X informs both her and the soldier that he will not hurt the soldier, providing that he will take them to the army’s leaders, the Human High Council. Inside the clock tower once called Big Ben the Human High Council’s head members consisting of Bolivar Trask, Moira MacTaggert-Trask, Brian Braddock, a lobotomized Emma Frost, and Mariko Yashida have made their base of operations here. Weapon X greets Moira as he enters the tower’s clock room and Moira asks if Weapon X was able to retrieve the data rods from Sinister. In answer to her question Weapon X hands over the rods and tells Moira that the only thing he wants as payment for his services is to know what the data on the rods reveals. As Emma takes the rods from Weapon X, Moira morbidly tells Logan (Weapon X) that if the information is what she suspects, then it would not matter if he knew it or not because everyone could soon be dead. Emma, Brian, and Moira leave the room to examine the data rods for themselves. After they have left, Jean Grey comments on how they seem like good people. Logan agrees and Jean asks Logan if Sinister can be trusted. Logan tells Jean that out of everyone in the world she should know Sinister the most and she should know also that Sinister will have a lot to lose if Apocalypse’s plans are successful. With that said Jean and Logan embrace and kiss but unknown to Jean, Logan is staring at a woman who is watching them in the shadows and trying to hide from the two mutants, her name is Mariko Yashida.
Back in Westchester Quicksilver asks Magneto if his plan is very wise because he is asking his own wife to go into the mind of a person they all consider crazy. Magneto informs Quicksilver that he has no intention of letting his wife come to harm. He also says he will help her control her powers by extending his bio-magnetic shield that protects him from Rogue’s touch, around all three of them (Rogue, Bishop, and Magneto) to buffer Rogue’s powers and protect her from drawing to much of Bishop’s memories. Magneto warily stares at Bishop, in so much that he does not notice a shadowy figure lurking behind the wall Bishop is slumped up against. The shadowy figure watches Rogue touch Bishop and he also sees that after the touch all “hell breaks loose”! Nightcrawler and Sabretooth watch and are surprised to see some kind of counterforce emanating from Bishop attacking Magneto and Rogue.
Unknown to the rest of the team Magneto and Rogue are seeing visions of another reality. As Magneto and Rogue watch, Magneto realizes this is how it should have been and the timeline they are living in is the wrong one. Back in reality suddenly the shadowy figure bursts out from his hiding place and knocks Rogue away from Bishop releasing the three from their mind link. The figure is actually Gambit and to save Rogue he moves so fast that even Quicksilver is caught off guard by his speed. “Father!”, Quicksilver cries out as he sees Magneto fall to the ground and he asks what Bishop has done to him. Bishop interrupts and tells Quicksilver that he showed Magneto the truth. As Quicksilver pulls Magneto to his feet he asks Magneto to tell Bishop that he still thinks he is crazy and to Quicksilver’s surprise Magneto does not answer him. Rogue asks Gambit why he is back and as Gambit asks her to take a deep breath Sabretooth lifts Gambit off his feet and threatens to kill him. In time to save Gambit, Quicksilver angrily tells Sabretooth to put Gambit down because Magneto has requested to see him. Gambit congratulates Magneto for the wisdom of keeping Sabretooth on the team and Gambit tries taunting Sabretooth. Magneto tells Sabretooth not to hurt Gambit because he has need of his skills and Magneto, still in pain asks Nightcrawler to come to his side.
When Nightcrawler arrives Magneto asks for him to find his mother Mystique so he can speak with her. Surprised, Nightcrawler bamfs away and tells Magneto that his mother will be very surprised to hear from Magneto. Magneto commands the X-Men to leave him alone so that he can think. Defiantly, Gambit tells Magneto that he did not come all this way to be excused without a word of why he was called in the first place. Rogue begs Gambit to leave Magneto alone for a while as she next turns her attention to Magneto and she asks him why he is trying to shun even her away. Rogue reminds Magneto of their promise that neither of them would allow anything to ever come between them. Still listening Gambit tells Magneto that even he is holding Magneto to that promise that Magneto made to Rogue. Rogue next talks to Magneto and mentions their son. Gambit is shocked, he didn’t know of them having a child and he questions Sabretooth, who does not answer his question but just taunts Gambit because he was not invited to the baby shower. With his head bowed in contemplation Magneto tells Rogue that he knows better than to stop their fight against Apocalypse because that would go against everything Xavier’s dream had once stood for. Rogue walks off and tells Magneto that they all are counting on him.
Elsewhere someone screams “Nooooo!” and an explosion is seen coming from the same area. Apocalypse asks Holocaust about Sinister’s disappearance and Holocaust informs him that he already has operatives looking for him as they speak. “Excellent”, Apocalypse says to Holocaust as he looks out a window towards the moon, he also says that everyone that betrays him shall be accounted for.
In Westchester Magneto stands on a hillside with the moon towards his back and Rogue informs him that all the X-Men including Colossus, Shadowcat and Gambit are awaiting his next words. “They still think of me as their leader?” He asks her, and she replies that they have never stopped believing in him. Magneto asks if Rogue saw Bishop’s visions as he had seen them and she tells him that she does not believe a thing about that being the true reality. As he embraces Rogue he tells her that he knows that the reality is not his, hers, or the strangers, but the reality is very hauntingly familiar. With that said Magneto and Rogue walk down the hill with the moon behind them to go to talk to the X-Men.
Galaxies away, a crystal wave hits planet after planet and slowly makes it way towards earth.