Complete listed story — includes the ending
Uncanny X-Men #226
Continues from last issue...
Going to Dallas, Texas to learn what force there might bring about their deaths, the X-Men have clashed with the Freedom Force outside Forge's old home Eagle Plaza. They had retreated inside the building to regroup unaware of the fact that in doing so, they had completed a spell by the Adversary that tore a hole in the fabric of reality over the city. Inside the ruins of Eagle Plaza, Wolverine recovers from his injuries sustained battling the Freedom Force, knowing that his teammates need him since Storm designated him, leader of the X-Men while she pursued her own private mission. With Mystique as a hostage, the X-Men prepare to for a counter attack while Havok stands watch. Havok is surprised to see that Mystiques comrades are only standing about. As he thinks about how mad the world has become -- a world where the X-Men are treated like outlaws and their old foes the former Brotherhood of Evil Mutants are heroes. Looking outside he sees that the force has Psylocke Dazzler and Rogue hostage and wonders if they can trade Mystique for them before noticing that something has Destiny upset.
Destiny is in a panic due to the fact that the sudden appearance of the tear in time and space has negated her mutant powers, making her truly blind and believe that her prophetic vision of the of their and X-Men's impending doom is close as neigh, that the entire planet will soon all be destroyed. When Havok notices Super Saber running off, possibly to find a back door into the building, Havok notices falling debris and blasts it away. By this point, Wolverine has almost completely recovered and tells Madelyne, Colossus, Havok that they have to retreat before Eagle Tower falls on their heads, even if it means leaving their comrades with the Freedom Force. When Mystique tells them to surrender, they balk at the idea. It's then that Longshot notices and points out to his comrades that there appears to be sunlight outside even though it's the middle of the night, turning the free X-Men's attention to the rift in the sky.
Elsewhere in the city, NPR reporters Manoli Wethere and Neal Conan are rushing through the sudden freak snow to get the story of the weird happening in Dallas when their car skids out. When they come to the border of the shining light and notice it is summer on the light side and "winter" outside, they decide to cross over to investigate further, even though they might die.
While outside, on the Eagle Plaza, Dazzler revives from being knocked out during the initial assault, having absorbed the brunt of Super Saber's sonic assault and decides to make a move to try and pull Psylocke and Rogue out of the battle. Blasting their opponents with a blast of light, Dazzler begins trying to pick up Psylocke when Spiral -- unaffected by the light -- casts a spell using Destiny's mask and one of her swords to fuse the mask to Dazzler's face effectively and painfully blinding her. Psylocke, having revived herself tries to attack Spiral physically and psychically however neither works and easily subdues Betsy warning her that she can remove the eyes that Mojo gave her. Rogue, having also awoken, attacks Spiral, but before she can land a blow Spiral teleports behind her. But before the spell-spinner can attack something catches her by surprise.
Elsewhere, Storm and Forge have found themselves transported to another Earth -- one where human beings never existed and nature grows in beautiful splendor. Since realizing that she had been tricked into attempting to slay Forge by the Adversary (posing as Forge's deceased shaman Naze), she has been nursing Forge back to health. When Forge awakens, Storm apologizes for being tricked so easily, but Forge not only forgives her but understands how she could have been so easily tricked. Storm, however, does not feel the same way. When coming to terms with their situation and considering the scope of the Adversary's powers, Storm wonders why when they were at his mercy that the Adversary let them live. Her thoughts are cut short when Forge screams out in pain from moving, Storm goes to his side and promises to stay by his side that night. This request puts a smile on her face.
While back in Dallas, the rift over the city has also caused time to go crazy. Some parts of the city there are dinosaurs while others futuristic cities and primitive barbarians stand side by side as the fabric of reality begins to unravel. Witnessing this, Logan realizes that whatever they are facing is bigger than both the X-Men and the Freedom Force and frees Mystique suggesting that the two teams work together until the crisis has been sorted out. Mystique agrees, but when she asks Wolverine for ideas, he has none. Colossus left to his thoughts considers how he had a desire to be reunited with his fellow X-Men after meeting the strange woman in Edinburgh. Remembering her fortune that the fate of everything rests on him makes him wonder if coming here was really his choice. When Madelyne asks him if he sees something, Colossus tells her he sees nothing and suggests they go back to help the others save the world. When she wonders how he can joke instead of wanting to run away and tells her that he stands by those he loves, much like she is.
While nearby, Manoli and Conan find a crashed futuristic news van and decide to try to use it to record the events happening in the area. They are then attacked by a barbarian which nearly takes Neal's head clean off until it's shot dead by Manoli. Shocked by the encounter, Neal tells his partner to get her camera feed set up so they can get rolling.
Meanwhile, the X-Men and Freedom Force begin working together to help those caught in the chaos. In the Galleria, Pyro and Longshot save a crowd from a Tyrannosaurus Rex. When Pyro introduces them, some children are shocked that "Muties" would save them, leaving Longshot to question them if being a mutant doesn't mean they can't be human beings or heroes. While on I-35 the police are trying their best to hold back an invading army of barbarians when they are lent a helping hand by Super Saber and Wolverine who fight their way through the horde. Their fight is being televised by Manoli and Neal. Watching Wolverine as he slaughters the warriors, Manoli wonders aloud what difference there is between Wolverine and the barbarians. Neal points out that Wolverine is on their side and asks her why he should be treated as an outlaw or different from others solely because he is a mutant. When he questions how the whole world could persecute mutants, Manoli -- noticing that their camera is piping into every major television network tells Neal that at least this time the whole world is watching and will see the truth.
While on the other world that Storm and Forge have been transported too, it has been many months that have passed and they have traveled to the location that would be Yellowstone Wyoming on their world. There they find a large patch of black earth where Forge's Aerie would have been. Taking a flower and tossing it on the charred ground it is instantly incinerated leaving Forge to properly deduce that the Aerie has been destroyed and the ground tainted by the Adversary, the magical powers in the location twisted by their foe. When once more considering the scope of their situation, Forge seems content to stay on this world even though their home world stands to be destroyed. When Storm asks him about the fate of their native home. Forge tells her home is where the heart is and his heart is with her. When he asks her where hers is, she tells him that she doesn't know and walks off, confused after all the manipulation she went through with "Naze". Forge smiles, understanding full that this "sanctuary" may be a trap by the Adversary. However in this game of "chess" these two mere "pawns" may become queens.
Back in Dallas, the X-Men and Freedom Force have gathered all the humans trapped in the location to Eagle Plaza which has been converted into a refugee area. There Manoli begins interviewing Mystique about the situation. When Manoli begins asking Mystique what it's like working with the outlaw X-Men, Havok pipes up and tells Havok that if the X-Men were the villains humans paint them to be they wouldn't be here and that they have been heroes since the days of their foundations. He tells the camera that every day they have spent risking their lives but too often paid the ultimate price for saving the world. He tells the camera that he is glad that this time around there is a camera to catch the truth and hopes that the people at home can enjoy the show. This statement earns Neal's respect. While elsewhere, Spiral tries to undo the spell that has bound Destiny's mask to Dazzler's face so that she can help with the relief efforts, however, some outside force is affecting her magics and she cannot reverse the spell due to the growing chaos. Colossus angrily grabs her by the throat and demands her to try harder until Psylcoke tells him to stand down, pointing out that she is as shocked as they are. When Colossus warns her against threatening another X-Man, she teleports away telling him that one day they will test each others powers against one another. Colossus, looking at the small statuette given to him by the strange girl in Scotland wonders if that won't happen sooner than either any of them suspect.
While back on the world created by the Adversary, Storm has traveled to this worlds version of Africa to call upon the Bright Lady for guidance much like she did as a child. However when her pleas are unheard, she realizes the horrible truth about this world: as idealistic as it is meant to be it has no soul and wonders if she is meant to be this worlds version of the Bright Lady.
Back on Earth, the Crimson Commando and Stonewall are leading officers to Eagle Plaza when they spot an party of Native Americans riding towards them in traditional Cheyenne outfits and on horseback. Approaching them the Commando is told by their chief that the chaos has been created by the Adversary and that only Forge -- who has been trained his entire life to face the old trickster -- can stop the creature. The Commando is inclined to agree, however before any more information can be gleaned, one trigger happy police officer shoots the chief, thinking him a threat. This causes his fellow officers to react in kind gunning down the Native Americans in cold blood, despite the Commando's orders to stop firing. In the aftermath of the senseless slaughter, Commando mourns the dead telling his comrade that these people came as friends and were murdered, making him wonder if the world even deserves to be saved.
On the other world, an entire year has passed and Storm has returned to where she has left Forge. She is surprised to see that he has not only built a home, but found a means to create a solar power system. When she greets him, she sees that he had cannibalized much of his bionic leg. The two are reunited and share a kiss and the two begin considering their options on what to do about their situation. Forge tells them that it is their job to decide what their nature is on this world.
While back in Dallas, barbarians are attacking the sanctuary leading to a full out battle. When Wolverine asks Neal what is going on outside, Neal tells him that there is a massive battle happening in New York involving X-Factor and that the Avengers and Fantastic Four are being held in reserve there. Wolverine is hardly surprised that they are left to fend for themselves. As Logan and Mystique consider what to do next, Colossus takes notice of Destiny and goes to her side, asking the precognitive what she can see. Destiny tells him that all she sees is an ultimate void of oblivion and unending chaos.. But now sees a faint glimmer, for Freedom Force and the rest of the world. But breaks into tears and tells Colossus that this comes at the cost of the lives of the X-Men, who's fate she says are sealed. A fate that will happen if the X-Men enter Eagle Plaza again. When Colossus walks towards the plaza, Madelyne asks Colossus what he is doing. Colossus tells her that if salvation is within Eagle Plaza, then sacrificing himself to save the entire world is a fair exchange.
As he does so reality continues to warp and when Psylocke sees him heading toward the building she stops him. When he cannot explain to her his plan in words, Psylocke scans his mind and recognizes the woman who told his fortune in Scotland was Roma the Omniversal Guardian. Realizing that they need to get up to Forge's penthouse, Wolverine sends Rouge to fly out and investigate first. As she does, Spiral is blasted from the roof and is sent falling down. She crashes into Rogue and their fall is blunted by the Blob. While Rogue is no worse for wear, Spiral has been knocked out. This makes up Logan's mind that the penthouse is just where they need to go, and they will have to go up the stairs. Havok tells them they're going to have some more problems as the lobby of Eagle Plaza has been transformed into a jungle. Taking a closer look, Logan recognizes it very well, it resembles Vietnam.
While back on the world that Forge and Storm have been sent to, the two realize that they have a choice: Either they stay and foster the human race on this empty world, being it's gods and let their home world perish, or return home and let this nubile world end before it could truly begin. Forge tells Storm that if they stay they will be spared the fate of everyone back home, but if they go back they will share the same fate as the world. Storm questions if Forge has a way they could get back home. Forge explains that while she was gone seeking answers, he was working to accomplish that possibility and shows her the new Aerie that he has created.
Back in Dallas, the X-Men and Freedom Force -- accompanied by a State Trooper -- enter the jungle that appeared inside Eagle Plaza. To their surprise, they are attacked by a Viet Cong soldier which the trooper easily dispatches. Logan's enhanced senses detect something wrong with the man, and when he begins spouting anti-mutant rhetoric, Mystique reminds him that mutants are the ones trying to save the world. When Mystique decides to have Freedom Force press on, Logan disagrees. He tells her to keep Freedom Force back so that if it's a trap not all of them are captured and tells her (while being filmed by Neal) that the X-Men are outlaws that nobody will miss if they sacrifice their lives to save the world. He then turns to his fellow X-Men and tells them that it's a volunteer mission and any one of them can back out. The X-Men all agree to tag along, even the blinded Dazzler and Madelyne Pryor who refuse to stay behind when Logan suggests it. When all is said and done, Neal Conan approaches Logan and shakes his hand. Logan turns and tells all gathered that no matter what happens, to always remember them.
As the X-Men venture into the forest a universe away Storm and Forge are atop the new Aerie. Here Forge has created a ring that can channel the mystic energies needed to send them back home. He explains that it will require the use of Storm's powers, telling her that while she was gone he built a device that -- he hopes -- will restore her lost mutant powers. Storm agrees to test the weapon out and when Forge blasts her with the newly created device he tells Storm to summon the elements. At first it doesn't work but after some concentration Storm is delighted to see that her powers have returned. Calling lightning, the restored wind-rider blasts the mystical posts creating the elemental pentagram needed for Forge to cast his spell to send them back home.
Back in Dallas, the Freedom Force and the state trooper flee from the lobby of Eagle Plaza as the weather takes a turn for the worse. The trooper stops and reveals his true form: that of the Adversary, who is surprised to sense that Storm and Forge are returning to Earth. Finding them worthy adversaries, he calls out to them telling all that he welcomes their sacrifice and will enjoy bringing the world into chaos. Seeing this transformation, the Blob freaks out and grabs Mystique and flees. Just then, the top floor of Eagle Plaza suddenly explodes...
This story is concluded next issue...
Uncanny X-Men #227
Continued from last issue...
As the X-Men and reporter Neal Conan venture into Eagle Plaza to try and free Roma and face the Adversary, the building suddenly explodes, leaving the Freedom Force and Manoli Wetherell to wonder if anyone inside survived. They are happily surprised and horrified to see that they indeed did and that Neal is filming the X-Men as are in what appears to be the Vietnam jungle where Viet Cong soldiers appear to be fighting demons. As the X-Men battle the creatures, Madelyne Pryor runs for cover and stumbles upon Forge's past self. She watches in horror as he casts a spell that takes the spirits of his fellow wounded American soldiers and opens a portal that unleashes a torrent of beasts. Horrified by what he has done, Forge then calls for a B-52 bomber to raze the area, destroying the demons. When the other X-Men find Madelyne, they ask her if she's okay she is frightened and points out what Forge had done many years ago.
While high above the heroes inside Roma's starlight citadel, the Adversary gloats to his three prisoners, Roma, Storm, and Forge. He mocks them for attempting to stop him from throwing the entire universe into chaos, and laughs at his coming victory. While Forge and Storm struggle to free themselves, Roma has secret set things in motion to stop the Adversary once and for all.
Back in the war zone, Neal Conan begins to get on Logan's nerves with his questions and Logan tells him to get the camera out of his face. Neal tells Wolverine that if the X-Men want to paint a better picture of mutants there isn't going to be a better time than now. Telling them that he has to show them mutants at their best and their worst to show that they too are human beings. He says that forcing him to shut off his camera will allow people to continue believing the worst about mutants, winning over the X-Men to allow him to keep filming their ordeal. Wondering where to go next, Psylocke mind scans and detects the mental traces of Storm, Forge and Roma directly above them. Logan sends Rogue to fly up and investigate. As Rogue approaches the Starlight Citadel a powerful wind picks up that sends her crashing back down to the ground.
As the X-Men begin to consider what to do next and how to get at their enemy, Dazzler suggests sending Longshot up first, as his luck powers might give them the edge to get in. As the X-Men rope each other together, Neal asks Madelyne why a normal human would be helping the X-Men. She tells him that she believes what the X-Men in what they stand for and that mutants shouldn't be maligned by people because they are different. Telling the camera that she wants to help build a better world, for everyone, however, isn't optimistic about the current situation where anyone will live to see it. But she hopes for it one day, for her husband and child. Ready to go, Rogue flies up with Longshot and tosses him into the wind. With Colossus working as an anchor until all the X-Men are pulled up into the air. Colossus then exerts an extreme effort to turn off his powers and be pulled toward the citadel as well.
Arriving there through sheer luck, Longshot attacks the Adversary with his throwing daggers, learning that the villain has a weakness to steel. After Rogue absorbs some of the Adversary's powers and Wolverine slashes him with his claws, Colossus comes in -- converting into his organic steel form and plows through the Adversary's human form, shredding it and revealing his demonic form to them all. Rogue, having absorbed the magical talents of the Adversary, opens a portal to banish the Adversary and tries to blast him through, but lacks the strength to do so. As Storm and Forge break free of their bonds, the energy projecting X-Men all lay on their full powers however none are strong enough to knock the Adversary through the portal. When Psylocke picks up a through in Forge's mind on how to defeat the Adversary, he refuses to do what is required, which leads to the Adversary mocking him for his inaction.
Forge explains that in order to defeat the Adversary enough people would have to sacrifice their life forces in order to knock the Adversary back into his prison and seal it off. Storm offers up her life force, and so do all the X-Men -- including Madelyne -- who, after saying goodbye to her husband Cyclops and her son on camera steps up willing to sacrifice her life to save the world. Forge then casts the spell converting the X-Men into pure energy, and tosses it at the Adversary, knocking him into his extra-dimensional prison and sealing it off.
On Muir Island, Shadowcat and Lockheed have been watching the battle on television and she is saddened that her best friends sacrificed their lives. However, there is some bright news from Moira -- Nightcrawler has awoken from his coma. Going to her old friend, Shadowcat has the unfortunate task of telling him the tragic news. While back in Dallas, Forge and Neal Conan are transported back to the lobby of Eagle Plaza. Emerging from the building Mystique demands to know why Forge sacrificed the souls of the X-Men and not his own. Forge tells her that someone needed to cast the spell, and he walks away as the Freedom Force's leader calls him a murderer.
However, within the Starlight Citadel, the now free Roma pulls the life forces of the X-Men out of the barrier trapping the Adversary and resurrects the entire team. She tells the X-Men that the Adversary cannot be locked away forever as the universe has a need for him, as a world without chaos is one without change or growth. Roma tells the group that what they have gone through is a rebirth. Logan remarks that Storm's plan of faking the X-Men's deaths worked out after all and thinks they should capitalize on it before Roma sends them back. While Dazzler is upset at the prospect of letting the world think she is dead, the other X-Men have unity in the fact that it provides their loved ones with protection as their many enemies won't go after them to get to the X-Men now. Havok suggests that they use this opportunity to strike back at their enemies with interest and the rest of the group agrees. Roma congratulates the X-Men and tells them that they are true heroes and that this day they have inspired people and become legends in their minds.
Uncanny X-Men #228
When hearing the news about the recent death of the X-Men, O.Z. Chase goes to a bar to drink while he goes over the last letter he received from his friend Alison Blaire. The letter tells of her experiences since joining the X-Men and it causes O.Z. to think back to the last time he saw Dazzler...
Back then the X-Men were still living at Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, and Dazzler was in the middle of a training session that is interrupted by Wolverine. Logan puts himself in the line of battle and does not help, leading to Dazzler failing her training session. When she asks why he didn't help, he tells her that she has to learn to stand on her own before she can rely on her teammates. This makes her angry, and she reminds him that she acted solo long before she joined the X-Men and can look after herself.
After a show, Dazzler vents her frustrations to Rogue and Psylocke, when Psylocke finds a story that Dazzler would find interesting. How a suspect in a series of "werewolf murders" had been recently arrested, and Dazzler is shocked to see that it is her old friend O.Z. Chase. Knowing that Chase could not be responsible for the slaying she decides to head down to Florida and try to help her friend. When Logan learns of it, she tells her not to go off half-cocked and by herself. However, Ali doesn't want to leave her friend and rejects Logan's offer for the X-Men to accompany her as backup, telling him that this is a personal affair that she can handle alone.
Meanwhile up on the Florida Panhandle, a farmer is about to go into town to meet with his daughter when he spots someone getting into his truck. When he approaches the would be thief, the man kills him with an energy blast and drives off. When Dazzler arrives in the town where O.Z. is being held, she is surprised to see that Wolverine has followed her there. Logan tells her that he doesn't listen to what he's told and figured she needed the help as he got the feeling that she wasn't entirely sure that O.Z. was entirely innocent. Admitting this, she tells Logan about O.Z.'s dog, Cerberus and thinks the dog might have had something to do with the murders.
As Dazzler goes to the police station and tries in vein to see O.Z., Logan notices that someone is following them and when the man doesn't provide any answers he knocks him out. Later, Dazzler breaks into the impound yard to try and find O.Z.'s truck and when she does she is surprised to find Cerberus there. She takes the dog back to the hotel room she and Logan are staying at and figures that Chase is the key but doesn't know how to get to him. Logan however has a plan: after downing an entire bottle of Whiskey, Logan acts trunk and disorderly so that he gets arrested and placed in a cell near O.Z.
As Logan pretends to "sleep it off", some men come into the cell block and begin demanding information on O.Z.'s most recent bounty, and tell him one of their men is missing. O.Z. tells them that all the information he has is on the police report. Realizing that something is up, Logan breaks out of his cell and knocks the two men out. Busting Chase out of jail, the two return to the hotel where Dazzler demands to know what O.Z. got himself into. He tells her he was hired to go after what he thought was your basic skip and trace.
He was hired to hunt down Columbian drug dealer Vladimir Zaitsev, who was arrested in a drug bust in L.A. who vanished when he was released on bail. Tracking him down to Florida he tracked the man down and fought through his security and confronted Zaitsev. Zaitsev blasted him, knocking him out and left him to be arrested by the police, who believed he was responsible for Vladimir's murders. When Logan asks to see a picture, he is shown one and remembers Vladimir a man who Logan tussled with years ago when Zaitsev was a member of the KGB. This leaves them to wonder who was after Zaitsev.
When there is a knock at the door, Logan recognizes the scent and opens it to find Henry Gyrich on the other side, a man that Logan knew when he was working with Canadian intelligence. Gyrich tells Logan that he now works for the NSA and his area of expertise is with mutants and asks if he can talk to the trio. Logan agrees and learns that Zaitsev was hired by the NSA to be a spy to leak information on the Soviet's mutant training programs so that the United States could prepare the proper defense. However, Zaitsev not only double crossed the NSA, but the KGB as well and ran off to Columbia where he set himself up as a drug lord. He explains that Zaitsev is on the run and that the Russians have sent spies to the States to eliminate him before he can give any information the US authorities. Gyrich asks Logan to help track down and capture Zaitsev -- alive -- telling him that it could help the X-Men's reputation. Logan doesn't like the idea of letting Zaitsev go unpunished for his crimes but he agrees to work alone and capture the spy.
When Logan beings tracking him he is surprised to find that both Dazzler and O.Z. have come along and decided to help out. Seeing no choice the trio work together to track down Zaitsev. They find him at the same time as the Russian agents sent to kill him and witness as Zaitsev kills them with his mutant powers. When Logan approaches him, a battle breaks out. When Dazzler attempts to Dazzle him, one of the surviving assassins tries to shoot her and she manages to dodge his shots and Zaitsev's attacks and take the shooter out. While Logan and O.Z. attempt to stop Zaitsev, but he flees the scene. However, he is attacked by Cerberus who savagely mauls him to death.
When the trio return to Gyrich to tell him what happened, the NSA agent is furious however the two X-Men and their friend are not that concerned considering that Zaitsev was a drug dealer. The entire experience leaves Dazzler to feel sorry for Gyrich, a man she feels is so caught up in his work that he cannot see the good that they did....
As O.Z. finishes reading the letter, he overhears one of the bar patrons speaking ill of the X-Men's sacrifice, angering him. Pulling out his shotgun he gets everyone in the bar to raise their glasses to Dazzler and the X-Men. Leaving the bar, O.Z. and Cerberus go back to his truck where he pulls down his sun visor revealing a photograph of Dazzler and raises one more drink in her memory.
Uncanny X-Men #229
Singapore: It's a typical day of business at the Hoan International Bank as Jessan Hoan shows Mrs. Pei and her two children around the bank. This tranquility is ruined when the bank is suddenly sieged by the Reavers, a group of cyborg mercenaries who teleport in with guns blazing. When the Reaver known as Skullbuster grabs the owner and demands that he provide the combination -- he cannot talk because the cyborg is choking him too hard. Jessan pipes up and tell the mercenary that there is no combination, that the vault automatically locks for 24 hours during an emergency and to leave her uncle alone. Skullbuster instead breaks the mans neck instead and has his colleague Bonebreaker use a laser cannon to blast through the vault. As the Reavers begin looting the facility, Pretty Boy decides to take Jessan as their hostage and they all teleport away.
They come out of the other side of the teleportal in Australia, where they once more threaten the Aboriginal Australian mutant teleporter Gateway that they will desecrate the land if he refuses to continue helping them pull their heists. The group then begins to party hard, like they usually do. Pretty Boy takes Jessan down to the room where the Reavers keep all their stolen loot and tells her that he is going to make her one of them so that they can use her financial skills to properly manage their soils. When Hoan tries to run, Pretty Boy grabs her and then ejects his eye filaments and begins reprogramming her brain to be like them, ruthless with no sense of morality.
Suddenly, an unexpected sandstorm blows up into the Reavers hideout and begins to trip them up before they can act. This has been caused by Storm who has come with her fellow X-Men to break up the Reaver's operation. While the others attack the main party, Dazzler and Longshot go to rescue Jessan. Furious at seeing Hoan being reprogrammed, Longshot cuts the filaments and saves her while Dazzler attacks and overpowers him.
While in the hideout's saloon, Colossus and Rogue attack the gathered Reavers, with an assist from Havok. When Bonebreaker grabs Rogue's bare arm, her powers absorb his memories, thoroughly disgusting her with how vile they are. In the confusion, Bonebreaker, Skullbuster and Pretty Boy manage to get away and order Gateway to teleport them away, telling the Aboriginal that if he does so then his debt to them is paid. When Gateway complies and the three senior Reavers manage to escape, Wolverine considers killing him, but Storm orders him to stand down, telling Logan that she thinks Gateway was forced into doing their bidding.
In the aftermath of the battle, the X-Men have gathered up the Reavers and bound them. With their mission accomplished they begin to wonder what to do with the captured Reavers, as letting them loose to the authorities would blow their cover of supposedly being dead. Roma appears before them and thanks the X-Men for completing the mission that she tasked them with. She then gives them the Siege Perilous, telling them that whoever passes through its gates is judged by the highest powers and is reborn into a new life where they can get a second chance. After some discussion, Storm gives the Reavers a choice: Go through the Siege, or be killed by Wolverine. The cowardly remains of the Reavers choose the Siege and soon traverse into it. Jessan cries against being forced through the Siege telling them that she was the Reaver's prisoner. The X-Men decide to leave her be and ask Roma to teleport her back home, something that Roma does thankfully.
Before departing, she tells the X-Men that they now have a bold new direction to go into, and leaves the Siege Perilous in their care. Telling them that they can choose to use it themselves should they desire to take on new lives. However, the X-Men all unanimously agree that they will stay together and go after their enemies before they consider doing this. As a final word, Roma tells the X-Men that she has caused them to be invisible to any scanning or detection method, be it technological, magic or biological in fashion -- save for the devices within the Reavers base. With that, she departs and tells the X-Men that they have the opportunity to lead the world and that the future rests in their hands.
Uncanny X-Men #230
At their new secret headquarters located in the Australian outback, Storm takes the opportunity to enjoy her recently returned powers, while Madelyne Pryor uses the systems created by the Reavers to track her progress. While elsewhere on the property, the other X-Men are engaged in a training session to try and take down Rogue. While Havok and Dazzler fail, Psylocke's mental powers take her down and Logan pins her until she surrenders. When the session is over, Madelyne marvels at how advanced the systems are and hopes to use the Reaver's devices to help track down the Marauders and take back her son. As the X-Men wind down from their training session, Dazzler notices that Longshot is missing and wonder where he has gone.
Below their base, Longshot is searching the tunnels, having heard voices he goes to see if there are any prisoners of the Reavers that they might have missed when they forced the cyborgs out. What he finds is the stolen loot that they had amassed over the years. Longshot's psychometric powers are extremely sensitive to these stolen goods and they cry out to be returned to their rightful owners. Longshot is soon overwhelmed by all the phantom voices and passes out.
Later, Dazzler begins the process of cleaning the Reaver's former possessions out of the living house and is disgusted by the amount of filth the cyborgs lived in. The final straw is when Dazzler finds screams when she sees something moving, prompting Colossus to smash into the room and investigate. She is disgusted to find a mound of animal feces under the bed. Going outside she has a temper tantrum from being so far away from civilization, it prompts Storm to use her powers to create a rainstorm that literally washes out the filth, which Havok promptly incinerates with his plasma powers.
When the X-Men begin to consider Gateway, the silent Aboriginal Australian mutant teleporter who quietly sits on the hill outside their base, Logan surmises that this is his land. Rogue makes an effort to communicate and be friendly with him, however her attempts to get him to socialize are met with silence. After a much-needed shower, Dazzler finds that Longshot has awoken from the coma they found him in and he tells them what he had gleaned from the treasure room. The X-Men confirm what Longshot had experienced, he convinces them to return everything to their rightful owners. Wolverine is the only one who has an issue with this task, although the other X-Men find it quite daunting. When Storm decides to carry out Longshot's wishes the X-Men work out a plan: Sifting through each item, they have Longshot divine their location and then they will have Gateway teleport them around the world to drop the items off to their rightful owners. As they are going through the items, Dazzler falls completely in love with a motorcycle which is among the loot, envying the original owner.
Eventually, the X-Men manage to find the homes for the majority of items and go to see Gateway. After Rogue explains what the X-Men intend to do, Psylocke telepathically gives him the locations they need to get to, and to their delight Gateway opens a portal for them to travel through. The X-Men then travel around the world dropping off all the stolen items to those who had their belongings stolen by the Reavers. Lastly, Storm makes a trip to Salem Center to look in on the New Mutants. She finds them out with their leader Magneto caroling in a snowstorm. They are not in the mood since the death of their teammate Cypher and the "death" of the X-Men. Unable to reveal herself in order to maintain the X-Men's cover, Storm instead uses her powers to divert the snowstorm, making the Mutants decide to keep on caroling.
When the X-Men return to their new home, they realize that it's Christmas Day and celebrate. Dazzler gets a surprise when Logan and Storm reveal that they kept the motorcycle with her. She is happy and pulls Longshot on for a ride. Lastly, Rogue pays a visit to Gateway and gives him a gift: a wood-carved flue. Gateway is visibly touched by this and invites her to sit next to him as he plays the musical instrument for her.
Uncanny X-Men #231
Colossus is plagued with nightmares about his sister Illyana being dressed for a regal event before being pushed into a massive oven to be cooked alive, leaving him to wonder if his sister is in trouble. Going into the Outback to let off some steam, Colossus becomes red hot under the Australian sun and when Rogue comes to check on him she burns her hand on his armored form. She cautions him to be careful as he could possibly burn someone if he's not careful. When he goes to look at his sketchbook of his sister, his worries increase when suddenly to his horror his super-hot body causes the sketchbook to go up in flames. He rages, and when he sees Gateway watching him, he wonders if the mute Aboriginal Australian is mocking him. He is soon cooled off by Storm who summons a rain cloud to lower his temperature. After discussing his apparent increases in power, Peter expresses his concern for Illyana's well being. Storm denies his request to go and see her, telling him that in order for the X-Men to protect their loved ones and be able to strike at their enemies, they must continue the illusion that they are deceased. Upset by this, Colossus pushes aside his worries telling her that she is probably found, but can't help but wonder for certain.
Later, as the X-Men wash up after supper, the team notes how miserable Colossus has been and convince Storm that they should let him go and check on Illyana. As soon as Storm agrees to allow this, Gateway appears as if he read their minds and leads the X-Men to the hill where he meditates. There he opens a portal to send Colossus to check on his sister. Peter goes alone, with his comrades wishing him luck.
Colossus appears in Limbo, the demonic realm ruled by Illyana. There Illyana is attempting to cast a necromantic spell to summon her brothers supposedly dead soul to help her with her current crisis. While she is doing so, S'ym mocks her telling the young Darkchylde that he will soon usurp control of Limbo from her and rule it over her. When Peter appears, Illyana believes that her spell has worked, little realizing that Peter is not really dead. Colossus, seeing this as an ideal opportunity to maintain the X-Men's cover, decides to use this as a ruse. When S'ym once more mocks her, Colossus goes into a fury and jumps down to attack him, smashing his technorganic form to bits. Illyana is surprised that a "necromantic shade" could act so independently, however, Colossus covers for this telling her that he is the "essence" of her brother, so why wouldn't he act as he would. He then asks why he was summoned to her, and she tells him that he needs his strength to help save the New Mutants.
Teleporting them both to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Colossus sees that it is slowly going through some kind of transformation. Illyana explains that one day she was struggling to study and write a paper on Mikhail Bulgakov's story the Master and Margarita when she was suddenly attacked by the characters from the book. Namely Azazello, Hehemoth and Koroviev. Easily captured, she was taken to their leader, the witch known as Baba Yaga who had Warlock, Rahne, Sam, Dani and Roberto captured and stuffed in small cages. She explained that she intends to cook and eat them. When Illyana attempted to summon her Soul Sword, she found her magics blocked and so she teleported away to Limbo but was unable to rescue her friends. It was at this point she thought to summon Peter's "spirit" to help, as mystical beings have a natural weakness to iron, his armored form would be an ideal weapon to use.
Soon, Colossus is teleported above the school. He smashes through the school's roof and into the lap of his enemies who are working on the captured Warlock, Mirage, Cannonball, Wolfsbane and Sunspot. By now, Roberto, Dani, Sam, Rahne and Warlock have been fed so much they've bloated up to an enormous size, becoming fatter to the point their already small cages look even smaller due to their enormously fat bodies. Noticing Colossus, Baba Yaga sends her minions on Peter while she absconds with the massively fat children so that she can toss the five in her oven. Colossus easily overpowers his attackers and follows after Baba Yaga. When a pathway to her kitchen is too small for his Colossus form, Peter successfully forces himself to revert back to his human form to fit through. In his vulnerable state, Yaga is able to easily overpower him, however before she can rip out his throat Peter returns to his organic steel form. Contact with the steel of his body causes Baba Yaga to seemingly explode, ending her threat, as Peter hopes that her damage to his young friends can be undone while eying the fat NMs sprawled on the floor beside him. After Illyana successfully restores the mansion, she teleports both Colossus and the New Mutants back to Limbo to reverse the spells Baba Yaga cast on the Mutants, which also proves successful, reverting her five heavily obese friends back to their slim, healthy forms.
There Illyana acts ashamed of her demonic nature, telling him her brother that the only reason why she is good is that she chooses to be. Peter tells his sister that's the point, and that he is proud of her, and that with work she can become something greater than a demon sorcerer and that he will always love her. When she remarks that he is "dead", he tells her that nobody is ever truly dead as long as they are remembered. When Gateway's portal opens up again Peter leaves his sister telling her to remember him. Not willing to let her brother go, Illyana considers casting the spell again, but quickly decides she was lucky as the spell should've made her Darkchilde side take full control and so she decides not to risk it again. She instead returns herself and the Mutants home so that they can follow her brother's example.
Down below, one of the Right soldiers banished to Limbo earlier believes S'ym to be dead and decides to take over as leader of the demon hordes. However, S'ym has managed to reconstitute himself and kill the soldier. He laughs about how the barrier between Earth and Limbo are growing thinner, also mentioning that "Baba Yaga" was really a Limbo demon who broke through, and soon they all will and take over the Earth.
Uncanny X-Men #232
Not too long ago, while Storm and Wolverine were battling the Crimson Commando and Stonewall and the other X-Men were battling the Juggernaut in Scotland the tranquility of the Diablo Rio Mountains were interrupted when something fell from the sky and crash landed near some campers. Going to investigate, they find a Brood Starshark craft, and they are soon all slaughtered by the surviving Brood warriors inside, except for one: paramedic Harry Palmer who is infected with a Brood queen embryo.
Today: Palmer is making his usual rounds on the site of a heart attack victim who's episode was triggered by the activation of his latent mutant powers: the ability to breath fire. As Harry examines the man and when he is left alone with him, his Brood personality takes over and infects the man with a Brood embryo.
Meanwhile, in Australia, Madelyne Pryor is teleported back to the X-Men's secret outback headquarters by Gateway after a shopping trip. She finds that there is nobody around to comment on her new outfit and haircut, and is particularly disappointed to see that her brother-in-law Alex is not around either. She goes down to the monitoring equipment after finding a note from the X-Men telling her they are on a mission and begins sketching designs for a logo so that the X-Men can be remembered by their activities and fulfill Roma's request that they become legends in the minds of the human race. Her attention is turned to one of the monitors when it picks up a news feed from New York City, where she is shocked to see her husband Cyclops and Jean Grey being interviewed by reporter Trish Tilby. Coming to the conclusion that Scott left her for Jean Grey -- who is alive and well after all she angrily punches the screen causing it to explode, knocking her out.
Denver: Palmer is returning to his apartment after his shift is over feeling particularly drained after the days work, and realizes that it only happens when he comes to the aid of mutants and wonders if that has anything to do with it. When he goes into his apartment he finds Psylocke and Colossus waiting for him. When the two try to warn him of the Brood embryo inside of him, Palmer surprises them with feats of super-human strength. He manages to toss Colossus through the wall of his apartment and make an escape. When he tries to make a break for his car, he is attacked by Havok, Longshot and Dazzler. When he tosses his car door at them, he misses (thanks to Longshot's luck powers) and takes down a hydro pole. While Rogue fixes the damage and eliminates the danger of the live wires, Palmer manages to escape on foot.
The X-Men regroup and with Storm creating a mist around the area, she sends Wolverine off to try and track Palmer down. Palmer meanwhile manages to board a city bus in an attempt to escape when he is attacked by Rogue. During the fight he easily over powers her and is about to infect her with a Brood embryo when Wolverine smashes the passenger window of the bus and throws him out of the bus, causing the bus to crash. While Rogue pulls herself out of the rubble, Wolverine chases Palmer to an alley that ends in a dead end. When Rogue catches up with Logan, the two have the infected man cornered when the police arrives. Detecting they too are infected by Brood, Wolverine kills the two officers. Not realizing the truth, Rogue believes Logan has gone berserk and stop him, when the other X-Men arrive and Betsy confirms Logan's actions. Just then, the X-Men soon find themselves surrounded by an army of partially transformed Brood all summoned by Palmer to kill the X-Men.
This story is continued next issue....
Uncanny X-Men #233
Continued from last issue...
The X-Men have tracked Harry Palmer -- a man infected with a Brood queen embryo -- to Denver, Colorado where they have been tricked into being ambushed by all those he has since changed over to Brood. In a dead end alleyway, the X-Men are surrounded by partially transformed humans whom to their surprise all turn out to be mutants, all part of the Brood's plot to take over the world. Palmer sends his minions on the X-Men to capture or kill them. Colossus squares off against a super-strong Brood known as Brickbat. While Storm is attacked by a Brood who can extend its limbs named Tension, and then has he will submitted by a pheromone emitting Brood named Temptress.
In a panic, Storm uses her powers to escape before she is completely enthralled, but she is soon chased after by a flying Brood named Dive-Bomber. Havok is about to blast the Brood, but stops short of doing so when he wonders if blasting the creature would kill the innocent person whom is the vessel for the Brood creature. Meanwhile, Rogue tussles with Temptress and when the Brood touches her bare skin, Rogue absorbs her psyche and powers and is under Brood's control, using Temptress's stolen powers to ensnare Psylocke as well. As Colossus continues to battle Brickbat, Wolverine finds himself easily bested in battle by the possessed Rogue and Psylocke thanks to an assist by paralyzing Brood known as Lockup. This leaves Logan open to being infected with an embryo by Palmer, who hopes to track down their leader Storm and infect her with a Brood Queen.
As the battle rages, at the Red Rock's amphitheater, construction is underway for Reverend William Conover's Glory Day Crusade that is scheduled to occur that night. Among those in attendance is Josey Thomas -- Harry Palmer's partner, who ignores calls from her ambulance radio to go to the site of the X-Men's battle against the Brood. Meanwhile, William Conover spends the time before his show gazing at the stars and taking in the beauty of God's creation. When he is joined by his wife Hannah, they talk about the battle that is happening in downtown Denver and rumors that it's caused by mutants. Conover feels bad for mutants, who are like any minority group and that they should not be persecuted and be allowed to live as free as anyone. When he notices his wife struggling to pour them tea due to her arthritic hands he wishes that he had some power to heal her affliction. While back in Denver, news crews have arrived on the scene and begin filming the battle between Colossus and Brickbat. To their surprise, their cameras only pick up images of the Brood warrior and not Colossus. However, they continue filming until the battle trashes the news van, cutting off the video feed of the battle. While high above, Storm tries to get away from Fly-Boy, who decides to change his tactics: He attacks a passing commercial airliner, prompting Storm to knock him out of the sky and then use her powers to save the plane from a disastrous crash, making it land safely at Denver airport. This leaves her open for an attack from Flyboy, who knocks her out.
While elsewhere, Madelyne Pryor is caught in a vision where she lives as an angelic free spirit with her husband Scott and their son Nathan. When Gateway (having come to investigate the explosion inside the X-Men's base) invades her dream, "Scott" changes into costume and blasts him causing him to disappear in a burst of flames. In his place is a featureless woman. Scott goes to this woman and kisses her, then removes Madelyne's wings and facial features to recreate the featureless woman into Jean Grey. He apologizes to his wife, tellig her that he loves Jean and the two take her son and leave, leaving the featureless Madelyne in a vast desert alone and abandoned.
While back in Denver, Fly-Boy and Storm's battle takes them back to the main conflict downtown. When Havok realizes Storm's in danger of losing the fight he is forced to use his powers to slay Fly-Boy. At this point, Colossus has just succeeded in beating Brickbat to death as well. With these casualties, Palmer orders his Brood minions to pull back, ordering Psylock and Rogue to protect Wolverine while he undergoes his transformation into Brood, but vows to pay the X-Men back in blood. In the battle's aftermath, Havok watches in horror as the partially transformed Fly-Boy returns to his human form. Mortified that he killed an innocent man, Storm tells Alex that the human side of Fly-Boy was murdered the moment that Palmer infected him with a Brood embryo and what he did was a mercy killing. She tells her fellow X-Men that they have to destroy the Brood no matter what otherwise the Earth is doomed.
This story is continued next issue...
Uncanny X-Men #234
Continued from last issue...
In Denver, the X-Men continue to try and hunt down mutants infected by the Brood and prevent their attempt to try and take over the world. Their battle explodes into the trendy Mile High Diner when Dazzler is thrown through the front window by the fire-breathing Brood known a Spitball. When the patrons believe Dazzler is the villain they grab her until Spitball tries to incinerate them all. Ducking to safety, Dazzler is open to an attack by Whiphand, and she is then knocked out by the teleporting Blindside. When the humans in the diner attempt to attack the Brood, they prove to be no match. Dazzler and the patrons are rescued by her fellow X-Men who arrive in the nick of time. As Longshot saves a diner patron from Spitball, Colossus snaps Whiphand's neck and Storm arrives and summons lightning to slay Blindside. While the other X-Men are checking on Dazzler, Spitball flees the scene and is pulled out of the area by Rogue -- who is still controlled by Temptress's psyche that she accidentally absorbed in an earlier battle.
While back at their secret outback headquarters in Australia, Madelyne Pryor is still knocked out after being blasted by an exploding monitor screen. As Gateway watches over her, she dreams that she is a featureless humanoid forced to choose a path in a long desert. As the beating sun causes her faceless form to melt into her current appearance, Madelyne trips over a skull and tumbles down a hill into cool water. She is helped up by the demon known as S'ym who drapes her in a sheet and brings her to a beautiful palace. There he offers the woman her hearts desire. Madelyne accepts this offer and he shows her the fingernails on his hand. Each nail shows a different aspect of her personality. Believing this to only be a dream, Madelyne chooses the one depicting her as a vengeful woman. S'ym corrects her on her assumption then plunges his finger into her chest, binding the two together and dressing her in strange garb.
Back in Denver, at the Red Rocks auditorium, Reverend William Conover is making last minute arrangements for his sermon. He once more notes the constant arthritic pain his wife feels and once more wishes there was something he could do to cure her pain. As the Reverend leaves to address those gathered, Hanna is approached by Harry Palmer's partner Josey Thomas, who tells Conover's wife that she has something that can help her arthritis. While not far away, Rogue is flying Temptress and Wolverine toward the Red Rocks. Logan, even though he is slowly transforming into a Brood, resists the conversion with his healing factor. When he revives, he slays Temptress and Rogue -- still under her control -- tosses him down to the ground. This causes Psylocke great pain as she (still under Temptress's control as well) travels with Harry Palmer and the other surviving Brood as they race toward the Red Rocks in a car. Their car is stopped when it rams into Colossus. Palmer orders the X-Men dead, and while Psylocke begins shaking free of Temptress's control, Rogue attacks Storm. When Longshot and Dazzler arrive, Dazzler uses her powers to blast Rogue, saving Storm's life.
This interrupts the reverend's sermon, and his congregation is horrified when Logan appears before them. The reverend tells them not to fear him, that he needs help. However, as Logan begins to transform into a Brood, the priest prays to God to save his life. Logan's healing factor kicks in killing the Brood embryo and causing him to revert to normal, leaving Conover to believe that the power of prayer saved Logan's life. The reverend is then attacked by Tension, but Havok arrives and incinerates him with a plasma blast. As he wonders if he will continue to find killing so easy he is attacked by Spitball and Lockup, however, he is saved by Longshot and the attack causes a wall to collapse on the two Brood killing them.
In the confusion, Harry Palmer has grabbed William's wife Hanna and threatens to kill her. While he keeps the X-Men at bay, Logan crawls under the stage and gets the drop on Palmer, pulling him under the stage. In an attempt to shake Logan's nerve, Palmer reverts to his human form and pretends he doesn't know what he's doing. Logan, unmoved by this kills Palmer without a single shred of mercy. In the aftermath of the battle, the Psylocke uses her powers to alter the memories of those present so they don't fully recall who had saved them. When Trish Tilby interviews William he tells her how they were saved by mutants and how people should not discriminate against them. When noticing that Hanna's arthritis has been miraculously cured, Conover wonders if God had something to do with it. Overhearing this, Josey Thomas grins.
As the X-Men return to their base, Havok is commended by Wolverine, however, he doesn't feel so proud because he was forced to kill. While down below, Madelyne Pryor still lies in the pool, more dead than alive and truly changed from the events that happened in her dream.
Uncanny X-Men #235
Welcome to Genosha, a prosperous island paradise... if you're a human. Case in point, a lone mutant flees into the night with his young child using his powers to escape the deadly Magistrates and smuggle the child aboard a commercial jet to Australia. While the mutant succeeds in smuggling the child into the planes landing gear, he himself is spotted and sent fleeing until he is shot and killed by the Magistrates.
When news of the child's discovery hits the newspapers, the Genoshan government sends their Press Gang to collect not only the escaped child, but Jennifer Ransome. Ransome, the daughter of a governor, had her gene testing doctored to appear as though she was a normal human, when in reality she is a mutant. Waiting at the airport, the Press Gang waits for Ransome -- a nurse for the Australian flying doctor's service -- to arrive. She arrives in a plane flown by Madelyne Pryor. When they disembark from their plane, the Press Gang attacks them head-on. When Jennifer pleads that she is innocent and an Australian citizen, they tell her that a Genoshan born is always a Genoshan and subject to their law. The two women are easily over-powered by the super-strong Punchout. They are then taken to Pipeline who uses his special modem to convert both Jennifer and Madelyne into data and electronically transmit them to Genosha for processing.
With Madelyne unaccounted for a few hours, the X-Men decide to investigate, sending Rogue first who spots Madelyne's wrecked plane. Gateway then teleports both Storm and Wolverine to the location to investigate the wreckage and Logan determines there was some kind of struggle as the two women were dragged onto a jet that just recently left. Relaying this information to Alex (who is surprised about how concerned he is over Madelyne) scans the flight data using their hideouts sophisticated computer systems. Finding them difficult at first, he manages to track the flight to Sydney, Australia. Soon the entire team is dispatched to the Sydney Airport where Wolverine determines that the scents of their kidnappers is still fresh in the plane, but those of Madelyne and Jennifer are not as such, as though they got on the plane but left well before their kidnappers did.
Tracking the Press Gang's scents, Logan and Rogue find themselves at a hospital where they put on disguises to sneak into the pediatric ward. When they are stopped by Punchout, Logan recognizes her scent as one of the kidnappers and attacks. When Punchout knocks Wolverine back and tries to land a blow on Rogue, Rogue absorbs her super-strength and knocks her out. When Logan and Rogue confront Hawkshaw and Pipeline, they panic and use Pipeline's modem to transmit a Magistrate soldier who blasts them out of the building. Seeing that they need reinforcements, they then summon an entire squad of Magistrates to their location to deal with the mutants that have come to oppose them while they go looking for Punchout.
While the other X-Men approach the hospital they are soon attacked by the Magistrate soldiers transported to the hospital. Despite their superior firepower, ruthless nature, and complete disregard for human life, the Magistrates are soon easily defeated in combat by the X-Men who bind them up, and flee when they hear the authorities coming, Psylocke altering their memories so they cannot clearly remember who attacked them. Meanwhile, Pipeline and Hawkshaw comes across Pipeline as well as Wolverine and Rogue, who are still knocked out. Realizing that they cannot be detected on any of their scanning equipment, they decide that the two X-Men are of interest and have them teleported to Genosha for examination.
While later, when the authorities arrive they find the Magistrates all bound up in steel girders with the X-Men's calling card. When they ask the Magistrates what happened they refuse to talk and the officer tells them that whoever did this to them will likely come back for more information from them, and whatever might happen might be more than they'll deserve.
This story is continued next issue...
Uncanny X-Men #236
Continued from last issue...
Wolverine and Rogue have found themselves transported to Genosha, an island nation that forces its mutant population into slavery, and they are not happy about it. Fighting their way through the Magistrates that await them when they are transported by the Press Gang member named Pipeline, the two mutants fight off their captors and manage to bust out of the extraction room. In the next room, they find Madelyne Pryor and Jennifer Ransome prisoners. However, before they can rescue their friends, the Genoshan known as Wipeout nullifies their powers.
Elsewhere on the island, Philip Moreau, son of David -- the Genegineer of Genosha -- is awoken by an early morning phone call for his father. Going out to see his father working on the garden, tells him that he is needed right away. When a craft comes by to pick him up, it burns some of the grass, however, one of the mutant slaves Mutate Vol 1 7781 uses its powers to repair the damage done while Philip goes on his morning job before classes. As the Genegineer is flown to the Genoshan capital, he is briefed by Chief Anderson who tells him about the two mutants that were brought to Genosha by the Press Gang. She explains that they are invisible to any of their equipment scans and that any attempt to record or search information regarding them turns up nothing. Data entered into their databases also leads to the data being deleted, making them wonder if a virus is at work. When checking in on the two, they find Wolverine passed out and Rogue in a catatonic state. Anderson explains to the Genegineer that some of her Magistrate troops had their way with her before they were discovered and she has been in that state ever since. She explains that the Press Gang is still in Australia working to extract the soldiers that were arrested thereafter their clash with a group of unknown mutants.
This happens to be the X-Men, who teleports into the captured Magistrates cells and demand answers. When the guards refuse, Storm orders Psylocke to probe his mind. Doing so she learns all about Genosha, and how it has enslaved its mutant population as a worker class. Disgusted by what she sees she lashes out on them until Storm orders her to stand down. As they teleport back to their base, Psylocke warns them that if their friends have suffered at their hands she will make them pay. Just after the X-Men depart, the Press Gang break into the prison to free their comrades. The X-Men meanwhile go from their base, learn what Betsy has pulled from the minds of the Magistrates and teleport off to Genosha to rescue their friends. While deep below their base, the demon known as N'astirh attempts to contact Madelyne Pryor via the bases communications system but finds that nobody is there but assures that he will be back later.
While elsewhere in Genosha, Phillip Moreau goes on his daily jog when he sees the Ransome family being arrested by the Magistrates. As Jenny is his fiancée he demands to know what's going on. Instead of answers, Phillip is roughed up by one of the Magistrates until he realizes who the boy is and lets him go. They explain that the Ransome family was found guilty of switching Jenny's gene scan with some other girls. Phillip does not want to believe it and flees the scene. In the holding cells, Rogue continues to withdraw into herself following her first "intimate" encounter with people being a near-rape. In her subconscious mind, she finds traces of the psyches of all those who she had touched when her powers were still active. There she runs into the psyche of Carol Danvers, who asks Rogue to let her take over as her military training skills can help get them out of the trouble they are in. With no options or guarantees that Carol will return control back to her, she agrees to do so. When Magistrates enter her cell to rough her up for the trouble they got in earlier, Carol uses her combat training to easily beat them and steals one of their uniforms and keys. She then goes to Logan's cell and finds that Logan is in pretty rough shape due to having his powers nullified. Recognizing Carol's personality, Logan tells her to leave him, but she refuses to do so after he saved her from the KGB many years earlier. Dressing Logan up in one of the uniforms they sneak out of their cell block and find that Madelyne and Jennifer are missing.
Back at the Genegineer's residence, Phillip accesses his father's computer and learns the truth, that his Jenny is a mutate and that she was to be re-engineered as a mining slave. When he father enters the room, he demands answers and when he realizes the shocking truth -- that Genosha's prosperity has come on the backs of mutant slaves, he cannot bring himself to believe that Jenny is a mutant, or that she is going to be genegineered into a slave. His father grimly tells his son that it has already been done.
Back at the Citadel, guards begin the genegineering process on Madelyne and Jennifer, when suddenly N'astirh appears on one of the monitors. Seeing that she is busy, he asks if he should call on her another time, Madelyne tells the demon to come later and the monitor suddenly explodes. While not far away, Logan and Carol decide to try to sneak out of Genosha in a craft, fighting their way through guards and stealing one they make a clean getaway. Carol tells Logan that they'll get their powers back and when they do, they'll come back and make the Genoshans regret ever crossing paths with them.
This story is continued next issue...
Uncanny X-Men #237
Continued from last issue...
Having detected the transport that Logan and Rogue (whose Carol Danvers persona has taken over her psyche) stole as it flies across the Indian Ocean. However, when the Genoshan Magistrates board the ship they find that it is empty and has been booby trapped. Although they narrowly avoid casualties, it informs them that the two loose mutants are still on Genoshan soil. While Chief Anderson finds this a relief, the Gengineer -- David Moreau -- still finds that this who incident still has the potential of being an utter fiasco. They both find the idea that two mutants who have had their powers nullified by Wipeout incredible and are frustrated by the fact that their scanners still cannot detect them. Further, attempts to use their technology to examine the two mutants proved equally as frustrating as any data about Wolverine and Rogue entered into the computers was instantly erased. However, all the hard copy work remains intact and the Gengineer is happy to see that the nullification of Logan's powers has caused his hemoglobin count to drastically drop, and that he will die within the day.
Meanwhile, in the streets, Logan and Carol attempt to keep a low profile and upon catching an promotional video on Genoshan prosperity, Logan finds it a crock as it has come from mutants being slaves to the human population. After watching some Magistrates giving a garbage clearing Mutate a hard time, Logan reunites with Carol who has put on a revealing outfit. She explains that this will help them steal some new security passes, as the ones they lifted from the Magistraites they jumped in the Citadel would likely have been red flagged by now. Entering a bar full of Magistrates, Carol does her thing while Logan keeps a low profile. Also in the bar is Philip Moreau, drinking his sorrows after hearing his fiancée Jenny had been tagged as a mutant and is to be shipped off the slave camps. When the Magistrates pick a fight with Philip, Logan uses it as an opportunity to escalate the fight into a full on bar brawl. In the middle of the fight, Logan and Carol grab as many security passes as they can get and high tail it out of the bar. However, when Phillip is tossed outside he overhears the Magistrates who bring the fight out with him recognize him as the Gengineer's son. They decide to teach the boy a lesson by putting him in a Mutate skin-suit and tossing him on the next Mute train out of town. Thinking this might be something of benefit for them, Logan and Carol decide to follow after them and board the Mute Train -- which they are disturbed to see is powered by mutant slave.
At the Citadel, Jenny -- who is just beginning the gengineering process to change her healing powers into ones that can form rock and minerals is brought before the Gengineer. When she begs David not to do this to her, he tells her that a Genoshan citizen has to do their part for the prosperity of their country, and that without the mutant workers they would not be able to maintain their quality of life. When he is told that Mutant-9818 (Madelyne) is ready for psi-scans he tells the guards that Mutant-9817 (Jenny) is ready for final processing. In the psi-scanning room, the technicians bond Madelyne's skin suit to her body and begin psi-probing her mind, however she warns them to stay out and begins to resist the psi-probe.
Meanwhile, the other X-Men arrive on the island before a convoy of Magistrates that are on patrol. The soldiers are shocked to see that none of the mutants register on their scanning devices and the X-Men make short work of them. With the Magistrates defeated, Storm orders Psylocke to scan their minds for useful information. She finds rudimentary psi-screens but as she attempts to cut through them she suddenly reels back and screams in pain. This is caused by Madelyne, who has caused a psychic backlash on her psi-probers that they are all slaughtered and sends out an alarm to the Magistrates who escort an increasingly weary Gengineer to her location. When Betsy recovers from the attack, she tells her friends the source of the psychic scream was shielded from her.
While aboard the Mute Train, Wolverine and Carol realize that they need to take cover inside the train. Logan opens the door with one of his claws and Carol is surprised when Logan begins to bleed heavily. Bandaging up his hand he explains that his healing factor used to heal the woulds every time his claws would pop out, cutting through his skin. Carol realizes that Logan has been getting weaker by the hour and realize that if they do not do something soon, Logan will die. They find Phillip Moreau among the Mutates, and as they are recovering him the mutants aboard the train begin to swarm them. This is until other Magistrates board the train, having detected the disturbance, and begin beating down the mutants. When the captain demands answers from Logan and Carol (not realizing they are escaped mutant prisoners) they explain that they came for Moreau's son. The captain tells the two to get the boy out and bring him to turn the boy over to their superiors to let them handle it.
As Logan and Carol carry the unconscious Philip to a jeep, Logan is furious at the sight of mutants being beaten by their slave masters and swears to Carol that he will not leave Genosha until he brings the entire country crashing down.
This story is continued next issue...
Uncanny X-Men #238
Continued from last issue...
When Madelyne Pryor managed to manifest psi-powers to kill the Genoshan psi-probes, the Gengineer demands to review the recordings of the psi-probe. The footage shows a young Madelyne picking flows when she is confronted and demanded answers by a psychic representation of the Gengineer and the Magistrates. When she refuses to answer and he lashes out, she is reborn in a blaze of glory that destroys the island. The "Gengineer", decked out in a Mr. Sinister costume then would run into Madelyne in her Goblin Queen form. She warns them about igniting the match that will bring about an inferno.
This display shocks all gathered to watch the video and the real Gengineer demands to know how Wipeout failed to eliminate her mutant powers. Wipeout is as shocked as they are, telling them that he detected no mutant powers -- latent or otherwise and therefore there was nothing to wipe out. The Gengineer then goes to Madelyne's cell and demands to know who she is, however Madelyne is not forthcoming with anything but mocking answers. When she begins chastizing him for enslaving mutants, and the two debate on the use of mutants as workers in Genoshan society until Chief Anderson reports to him telling him they have word on his son.
In the Genoshan Highlands, Logan and Rogue (with the psyche of Carol Danvers in full control of her body) show Phillip Moreau the facilities where the mutant slaves are kept after their days work. Seeing it's concentration camp style layout, Phillip is shocked at the reality of Genosha's mutant population. They are soon confronted by Chief Anderson who has come to arrest all three, pointing out to Logan and Carol that their cover was blown due to the fact none of the security systems picked up the two "Magistrates" who came in with the Gengineer's son. They are promptly arrested and flown back to the Citadel for final processing. Anderson tells Phillip that due to the fact that he saw things that none save the Magistrates and the director are supposed to see he will remain in custody until his situation is sorted out. As they fly back to the Citadel they are suddenly hit by some freak weather, making both Logan and Carol smile to each other.
While inside, Madelyne listens to Jenny's lamentations of her situation telling her cellmate that all she ever wanted to do was to heal people and now she will be forced as a slave. Madelyne tells the girl to be strong, and endure when she is taken away by the Magistrates for final processing. As she is being led away, Madelyne watches coldly, telling the guards that she will see them all burn. Elsewhere in the facility, Logan and Carol see the baby that was captured in Australia being led away and learn that it's mutant parents found a way to nullify their skin suits and managed to procreate and have since been killed. When the three are brought before the Gengineer, Phillip demands to know why his father is part of a government that would enslave part of it's population. Believing that this is wrong, he tells his father that he rest of the Genoshan people would not stand for it. When David tries to explain to his son that this is for the better good of his country, Phillip realizes that both he and his father have a very different opinion on the future of their homeland.
Meanwhile, the X-Men -- having stolen Magistrate uniforms use the cover of a massive storm created by Storm to sneak into the Citadel facility unnoticed. While Logan and Carol are told that they are going to be sent for final processing. Logan tells Chief Anderson that he would rather die first and feigns succumbing to his illness to pop his claws. This causes enough distraction for both Logan and Carol to fight off their captors. As this is happening, the X-Men are making their presence known and storming through the Citadel with their powers blazing, easily fighting their way through the ranks of the Magistrates. The X-Men first go looking for Madelyne but Havok finds it empty. When he comes across Phillip Moreau while he is looking for Jenny the two agree to work together.
Madelyne however has stripped off her skin suit and come to the Creche, a place where mutant babies are genetically bred for work. She is confronted by the Gengineer who threatens her at gun point. She calls his bluff telling him she could kill him in an instant, however before he can try to shoot her he is stopped by his son and Havok. Phillip points the gun at his father and demands to be brought to Jenny. With the X-Men reunited with Logan and Carol and the Magistrates standing down due to the X-Men's hostage, they find Wipeout and with Psylocke's aid force him to restore both Logan and Rogue's powers, saving Logan's life.
When Logan tells the X-Men they should tear down the Genoshan government and ptu the island in ruins, Phillip begs for the chance to reveal the truth to the Genoshan people and make them revolt against the government. The X-Men decide to allow Phillip the oppertunity, but warn the Magistrates that should they not change their treatment of mutants, they will be back. Havok shows what the X-Men mean by using his powers to destroy the Citadel. However he realizes that Madelyne and the mutant children might have still been inside, he is surprised when Madelyne shows up alive and well and kisses him. She tells him not to worry about the mutant children in the Creche as thy have been taken care of. Storm tells Phillip that his fight to free the mutants of Genosha would be better done outside the country and he and Jenny join the X-Men in leaving through Gateway's portal. Wolverine reminds the Gengineer that if they do not change their ways on their own, the X-Men will be back and there will be blood.
Uncanny X-Men #239
In Manhattan the Empire State building starts to grow, demons possess many technical things like elevators and telephones.
In a secret hideout, Mr. Sinister thinks about the X-Men as Malice rushes in. She tried to separate from Polaris’s body and discovered that they are permanently bonded. Sinister says, that this was the reason why he ordered her to possess Lorna Dane, he knew that the woman’s hidden hate, combined with the interaction of the unique energy matrices would lead to such a result. Malice is very angered, but Sinister convinces her, that this is for the better, for now she is the only unique and irreplaceable member of the Marauders. The missing baby of Cyclops and Madelyne is also seen in his secret hideout.
In Australia, Dazzler uses a day off to do the single thing she loves most – singing. She and Longshot enter a bar and Alison is allowed to sing with the band. The audience loves her.
Havok thinks about how much rejoining the X-Men changed his life, not only did he have to fight the woman he loves, he also had to use his powers to kill, even if it were only Brood. Madelyne comforts him.
Storm researches some video footage, and discovers the interview with X-Factor's Cyclops and Marvel Girl. She is shocked to see her best friend alive. Immediately she tells Wolverine, who said he already knew; twice he caught her scent he did not say anything, because he did not trust his senses, he thought he was going mad to smell the woman he loved.
In an underground cave Psylocke fights Rogue and Colossus in a training session. At first she does good, distracting them with her telepathy, but with teamwork she is defeated. Rogue holds her and Psylocke asks her to let her go, yet Rogue refuses with a "Make me". Psylocke gives Rogue a mind-blast and knocks her out. Rogue gets up, again the eye colour change from green to blue occurs, while Rogue is out of the picture Carol has taken over again. Psylocke decides to take a bath in an underground lake, after the tempers cooled down, she and Carol talk it through, Carol touches Betsy with the bare hand and is able to hold Rogue’s absorption powers in check.
Slowly Madelyne and Alex seem to fall in love. They both lost the loves of their lives and now are all they have left. They spend a night together. Later Madelyne calls N'astirh and makes a bargain. Madelyne wants the Marauders found (who nearly killed her and stole the baby), but most of all she wants her son.
This story is continued next issue...
Uncanny X-Men #240
Continued from last issue...
Alex Summers and Madelyne Pryor have decided to spend the evening at the Rainbow Room in Manhattan. They have a romantic evening and can't help but notice that the place is empty and that the weather in Manhattan has been unseasonably warm. Their evening is interrupted by a group of paranormal investigators who have come to set up equipment to monitor the Empire State Building, which they believe is growing in size. Their disturbance upset the owner of the shop and the scientists are kicked out. As they enter the elevator they are surprised when the walls come to life and attack them. While Havok talks to the owner, Madelyne examines the Empire State Building through binoculars and sees it as it really is and is happy. When Alex rejoins her the two decide to return home to their secret hideout in Australia. As they enter the elevator, Alex finds one of the scientists pairs of glasses and wonders what happened. Madelyne, noticing the scientists are now part of the demonic mural in the elevator dismisses their abrupt departure and the two are soon teleported back to Australia by Gateway. When Alex tries to spend more time with Madelyne, she decides to have some alone time and is teleported away by Gateway. Realizing she's upset, Alex thinks he can come up with a way to help her and rushes towards the X-Men's base.
Madelyne, having adopted her Goblin Queen persona has come to Bard College where she finds the grave of Jean Grey. She is angry that her husband Scott Summers supposedly gotten over his love of Jean when they married and angrily destroys Jean's tomb stone. Coincidentally, Jean's parents John and Elaine had come to the grave site and mistaking Madelyne for Jean, they are easily overpowered and transformed into demons, something she finds incredibly funny. When N'astirh joins her, she demands that he bring her to her son otherwise face her wraith. N'astirh complies and the four beings are teleported away.
Back in Australia, Rogue has taken to wearing some of Dazzler's clothing and trying to teach Longshot how to roller skate. When Dazzler jealously confronts her, she upsets Longshot when she suggests that he is her own private property, not realizing that while she loves Longshot he only regards her as a friend. This leads to a fight that tramples into an artists session of Colossus who is sketching Betsy in the nude. Seen on the monitors by Alex, he comments to himself how Longshot should be careful with Dazzler's feelings. Using the devices, Alex manages to track down the Marauders. When he realizes that Wolverine and Storm have sneaked up on him, he tells the two that he has tracked the Marauders to the Alley where they had originally slaughtered the Morlocks.
Meanwhile, N'astirh has teleported the Goblin Queen to a complex below an orphanage in Nebraska where she finds device similar to the Crech's she saw in Genosha. Wondering what it is, she gets a vision that suggests that she was grown in there. When she looks at the plaque she finds that the experiment inside was called "Madelyne".
While in the Alley below Manhattan, the Marauders are settling into their new headquarters when Blockbuster runs into the X-Men down one of the darkened alleys. He is knocked flat by Colossus, starting the X-Men's ambush on the group. The X-Men are out for blood and attack savagely, taking the Marauders by surprise. In the confusion of battle, Blockbuster is surprised when the wall behind him suddenly comes to life and swallows him whole. The battle takes another turn when Polaris uses her powers so snare Colossus and she gets into a "tug" of war with Storm, who pits her wind generating power against Polaris' magnetic abilities -- the loser would be pummeled to death by Colossus's body. However Polaris turns the tables by causing Colossus to smash through the top of the tunnel allowing the Marauders to escape to the surface above. When the X-Men follow after them both groups are shocked to see the entire city has undergone some transformation.
Back in Nebraska, the Goblin Queen is furious over the lack of answers that N'astirh has provided when they are both confronted by Mr. Sinister who tells Madelyne that he is her father.
This story is continued next issue....
Uncanny X-Men #241
Madelyne refuses to believe that Mr. Sinister is her creator. Instead she and her pet "Grey" demons attack him, because he is the mastermind behind the Marauders, who stole her baby. But the orphanage is Sinister’s headquarters, he has built in defensive systems, that chain the Goblin Queen and use her own energies against her. She calls to N’astirh for help, but he remains hidden in the shadows.
In the transforming New York, the X-Men continue to fight the remaining Marauders. Colossus is shocked to see Riptide among them, for he killed him during the Mutant Massacre. The police, riding demon-transformed police cars interfere. Polaris / Malice destroys one of the vehicles and hurls the debris against the X-Men, while Vertigo uses her powers to create a general nausea. The X-Men are almost defeated when Longshot throws randomly a blade, which hits a sign over Vertigo's head; it falls down and knocks her out. The fight continues and the X-Men fight more aggressive than ever, Havok even uses his power in full force killing Harpoon.
The Goblin Queen continues to ignore Sinister, she thinks of herself as a normal person with parents and a past. Mr. Sinister asks her that she tell him of her past memories to prove it. Madelyne tries to remember and comes up with an incident at the age of ten; she was playing with her best friend Annie, but suddenly she was hit by a car. Mr. Sinister finishes the story, the ten-year old redhead holds her friend in her arms, and suddenly she found herself in her friends head, sharing her last thoughts as they went out. Madelyne asks how he knows, Mr. Sinister explains that this is a memory of Jean Grey, actually it is the day when Jean’s power manifested. Back then Jean was put in the care of Professor X who trained her. Originally Sinister had planned to kill her parents, that Jean would have been brought to the orphanage, but he was too late, so he came up with the plan to steal a blood sample of Jean and clone her. Later though, when the clone hit puberty he was disappointed to see that she did not develop mutant powers. Then one night her incubation chamber exploded in a bird of fire, and the clone shouted "Scott" before passing out. In the shadows N'astirh thinks that if he saves Madelyne, she would be totally under his control, he leaves.
In Manhattan some of S'ym's techno-organic demons recognize the X-Men and the Marauders; they join the fight and shoot Prism. The X-Men kill off the whole squad, besides one who is captured by Colossus. He recognizes the species from his stint in Limbo. Colossus interrogates the demon and is surprised to hear that his sister Magik is no longer Limbo's ruler, because she was overthrown by N'astirh and S'ym. They also plan to transform the whole earth into Limbo, casting a special spell on the Empire State Building. Colossus smashes the demon to pieces and as his teammates cheer at him, he realizes that the demonic surrounding has a bad influence on them, only he is protected by his armored form, because iron shields against magic. He decides to search for his sister, because saving her might end Inferno.
Mr. Sinister continues his story. He researched that the exact instant "Jean" aka Phoenix sacrificed herself on the moon and it was the moment when the bird of fire appeared at the clone tube. He thought that they were connected like twins and now with potential powers he wanted to create the perfect child with her and Cyclops, so he designed a cover identity and memories for Madelyne and organized for the pair to meet. Everything happened as Sinister foresaw and wanted, till Jean Grey was found alive at Jamaica Bay. He knew that if the two would ever meet, Jean would telepathically discover the truth, so he ordered the Marauders to kill Madelyne and steal the baby, but they botched the job.
In New York, the X-Men dealt with all Marauders except for Polaris/Malice who got away. Longshot is concerned, how his teammates become more and more bloodthirsty. Suddenly N'astirh appears and bites him in the arm. Havok tries to nail him with a blast, but the demon vanishes, promising to feast on the X-Men’s souls like he just had Longshot. During the fight, Dazzler seems more concerned with her beauty. The X-Men prepare to follow N'astirh, but suddenly Wolverine’s senses pick up someone he knows.
In the orphanage in Nebraska, Sinister tells Madelyne that the failed assassination did not matter since she died a short time later in Dallas. To his surprise, she is now back alive and invisible to all technical sensors as well as she has displayed powers he never knew that she had. He plans to dissect her, to discover what changed her. The Goblin Queen gathers more and more energy till she overloads Sinister's defense systems. Before the two start a fight, N'astirh, now techno-organic, arrives on the scene again. He hands the baby over to Madelyne. The Goblyn Queen is thankful and loyal to N'astirh, she tells Sinister that she will destroy the baby, for it represents all of Sinister's manipulations and all of Scott Summers' hopes and dreams, and with this sacrifice she will give herself completely to the fire, to Inferno.
Uncanny X-Men #242
Story continued from...
To be sure that his senses are not fooling him, Wolverine kisses Jean Grey, confirming for him that she is still alive. Now for the first time ever, the X-Men and X-Factor have crossed paths as they are gathered around Madelyne Pryor who has her and Cyclops's son Nathan Christopher. With the X-Men having arrived, Madelyne has hidden her Goblin Queen form from them. Jean pushes Wolverine away when he refuses to stop coming on so strong, prompting her to tell Storm to control her people. When Iceman and Beast attempt to grab Christopher from Madelyne, Havok gets in their way. Tempers begin to flare out of control due to the X-Men's manipulations by the Inferno, and their continued belief that X-Factor are mutant hunters. This causes Wolverine and Dark Angel to come to blows. Warren manages to strike down Wolverine with his wing feathers. Rogue flies in and attempts to stop Warren by kissing him to absorb his strength, powers and memories. However, she only sees the image of Apocalypse in his mind and is shocked when Warren is capable of pulling away from her embrace. Before she can do anything about it, she is blasted from behind by Cyclops.
This leads to a full out fight between the X-Men and X-Factor. As Iceman attempts to ice up Havok, he uses his powers to melt the ice sending a flood. When Dazzler and Longshot get caught up in the water, the two -- having been affected by the Inferno spell -- start making out in the middle of the battle. As Cyclops pulls Madelyne out of the water, she berates him for abandoning her. When Scott tries to defend himself, his brother Alex appears and begins attacking him, telling him that he betrayed his marital vows to Maddie the day that he left her.
Just then, N'astirh appears before them and swats Havok away, and then unleashes two demons on Marvel Girl. The moment the creatures make contact with her, Jean realizes -- to her horror -- are her parents transformed into demons. As the battle rages on, N'astirh summons a demonic stage-coach and is about to leave with Madelyne, putting Cyclops in a position where he must make a tough choice: Does he save his wife and child from being taken into the clutches of the techno-organic demon, or save Jean from the creatures that are her parents transformed. Cursing himself, Scott chooses Jean, and N'astirh picks up Maddie and little Christopher and flee the scene. Havok, cursing his brother as well jumps onto the back of the coach in the hopes of rescuing her himself. Scott runs to Jean's side and Jean condemns Madelyne as a being of pure evil. Scott and Jean then go to where the members of the X-Men and X-Factor are still battling it out.
While speeding through the city, Madelyne drops her innocent appearance and readopts her Goblin Queen uniform. Havok meanwhile holds onto the coach for dear life. As the wind rips through his costume, he feels as though that it's doing something worse to his soul. When the coach finally stops at the transformed Empire State Building, he reveals his presence to N'astirh and the Goblin Queen. Maddie remarks how his tattered uniform now resembles her and asks for his loyalty. Giving it willingly, she christens him her Goblin Prince. As they enter into the building to prepare for the sacrifice of young Nathan, they are watched by Colossus who begins to scale up the side of the building in order to stop them.
Back in Central Park, the battle between the X-Men and X-Factor rages on, as the members of X-Factor learn that the X-Men still believe that they are mutant hunters and are unaware that they revealed themselves as mutants. As Wolverine and Dark Angel fight it out, Cyclops wonders where Storm is hoping that he can talk her into getting the X-Men to stop fighting. Storm has spent most of the battle floating above Central Park looking at the transformed Empire State Building and wondering how the Inferno has affected her and her comrades. The obscene obelisk reminds her of the butte from the other dimensional world that the Adversary banished her and Forge not too long ago and wonders about its significance.
While high above the tower, N'astirh, the Goblin Queen and Havok prepare for the coming sacrifice by creating an altar. N'astirh is shocked to see how quickly Madelyne is adapting to her newfound powers. When the demonically transformed Grey parents arrives with young Christopher Summers, Madelyne is disgusted by their ability to sense that the child is somehow related to them. As Madelyne finishes commenting about how only the baby is truly hers, she is angered to find that young Christopher has telepathically communicated to Jean Grey about his impending sacrifice launching her into a fury and deciding to hold off on the sacrifice until she can destroy Jean Grey once and for all.
Down below in Central Park, Jean Grey's battle with Rogue is cut short when winds carry her up to where Storm has been watching the battle. When the two are finally reunited, they agree to get both of their teams to stand down so that they can save Christopher from his insane mother. However their reunion is cut short when N'astirh teleports before them and attacks, despite the combined efforts of both X-Men and X-Factor, none prove to be much of a match against the newly techno-organic demon. However, when he grabs a hold of Rogue and attempts to infect her with the Transmode virus, he learns that she had developed an immunity to it thanks to her encounter with the Technarc named Magus. While atop the Empire State Building, Colossus reaches its peak and when he attempts to stop the Goblin Queen, she blasts him away. As he flies across the city he is saved from a nasty landing by Iceman, who uses an ice slide to send him flying into N'astirh, weakening the creature due to its natural weakness to iron, forcing the demon to teleport away.
With the X-Men and X-Factor unified, Storm orders Psylock to boost her psi-powers over the static created by the Inferno by psi-linking with Marvel Girl. This is a pleasant surprise for Jean, who for months has not had the benefit of her telepathy. They exchange information regarding Rogue and Colossus's encounter with the Magus in order to learn the weaknesses of techno-organic beings so that they can better deal with N'astirh when they make their final assault on the Empire State Building.
Sending Colossus up the tower again to distract N'astirh, the Goblin Queen and Havok, he finds himself bound by strange tentacles. When Dark Angel and Wolverine join the fracas, they injure N'astirh and save Colossus giving Storm and Iceman and opening to freeze N'astirh in ice. As N'astirh boasts that the cold allows his computer systems to operate at peak efficiency he attempts to cast a massive spell. However, this is when Cyclops and Dazzler chime in with their powers along with Storm increasing the humidity under the ice barrier causing N'astirh's circuits to overheat. As the final salvo, Storm unleashes a powerful torrent of lightning bolts that quickly overload N'astirh's circuits causing him to explode. Unfortunately for the two groups of mutants, even though N'astirh was seemingly destroyed, the Inferno spell still appears to be intact.
Cyclops is appalled at Storm's willingness to slay their enemy, and this begins a debate between the two groups' different methods in striving for defending mutants. In the middle of the argument, Jean is suddenly caught in a mystical noose and pulled away, when the X-Men and X-Factor turn to see who has attacked Jean, they are shocked to see that the Goblin Queen is still alive and possessing all her magical might and demon hordes and that she now intends to destroy them all.
Uncanny X-Men #243
This story is continued from...
On top of the Empire State Building, the X-Men mourn for Madelyne Pryor and talk about everything that happened during Inferno. Suddenly Jean Grey cries out. She forms a telekinetic bubble around herself and lets nobody in. Psylocke uses her telepathy to bring herself, Cyclops, Storm, and Wolverine inside Jean's mind. There they are at the Blue Area of the moon and witness the last instants before Phoenix sacrificed herself. She perishes shouting Scott's name. The X-Men see that her energy does not dissipate, but rises towards earth. Cyclops wonders how Jean knows of these events since she is in suspended animation at Jamaica Bay at the time. Suddenly a large fist appears and smashes the memory, it is Sinister. Psylocke tells the others that if he destroys all memories, Jean's soul and mind will be completely obliterated. The X-Men float through more shards of memories, which are clearly Madelyne's. In the center, they find Jean's memories loosely assembled around an image of the mansion, which is guarded by a redheaded figure. As the X-Men approach she looks like the Goblin Queen and fires a blast, then she turns into Jean as Marvel Girl and asks for forgiveness. Betsy understands that Jean's condition is a result of trying to integrate two powerful individual psyches. Storm suggests to bring Rogue into the mindscape too, since she faces a similar effect each time she uses her powers, but Psylocke discovers that an outside force blocks her from going outside of Jean's mind. A huge image of Sinister appears and he destroys another memory shard. The X-Men try to fight him, but physical powers are useless, only Betsy's telepathy stands a chance and she succeeds in building a barrier, keeping Sinister at bay. The others try to talk some sense into Madelyne's personality, who gained the upper hand again. Both Scott and Logan fail, she refuses to help and is glad that the X-Men might die along with her. Storm realizes that this isn't Madelyne at all, it is Jean who is about to give up; she was terrified about the Phoenix force's offer and denied it with her every being. The results were Dark Phoenix and the Goblyn Queen, maybe it would be better if things ended right now. Psylocke's shield breaks and Sinister gets through again. He heard the last part of Jean's fears and offers her to break the terrible cycle by stripping her of memories and identity that have caused nothing but pain. Madelyne refuses, she changes into Dark Phoenix, then into Jean and tells him that this is her mind, her soul, her life and she means to keep them herself and she blocks Sinister out.
In Xavier's mansion, which he uses as a hideout, Sinister tells Malice to alert the others, since the X-Men are on their way. Jean learned of his location during their final battle for her mind. The X-Men and X-Factor have split up into smaller teams, the first, consisting of Jean, Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine and Archangel enter the mansion through Storm's former attic. Psylocke and Rogue use the hangar bay as their way in. Meanwhile Beast and Longshot brought Mr. And Mrs. Grey and baby Christopher to the X-Factor ship. They argue which one stays behind to guard the Greys and who may go to help to fight Sinister. The remaining mutants, Colossus, Iceman, Havok and Dazzler, approach the mansion through the Morlock tunnels beneath the Xavier estate. They cover forty miles without a problem, but right before the mansion, they run into a demon-transformed Blockbuster. He is faster and stronger than they remember and knocks Colossus and Iceman out before they can do anything. In the narrow tunnels, Dazzler shoots a full force laser beam, but she has no effect. Blockbuster grabs her, but suddenly Havok unleashes a plasma beam and kills him. Alison wonders, because he was always afraid of that, Alex replies that Inferno changed him. In the hangar bay Sabretooth sneaks up on Betsy and slams her into the ground, he wants to rip her throat, but Psylocke reaches into his animalistic mind and stops him in mid-air and fries his mind. Upstairs in the mansion, the first group discovers that Sinister has searched through everything, personal and private rooms, even the Professor's office. While they are most distracted Malice strikes and hurls metallic debris around and Jean and Ororo quickly defeat her.
The X-Men gather in the main room and start to interrogate Polaris/Malice, who is held in one of Jean's telekinetic fields. She refuses to reveal any information about Sinister. Storm orders Psylocke to mind-probe her and then try to separate the two women, but Malice says that would surely kill her because the bonding is permanent. She turns to Havok, claiming that she still loves him, and Alex asks her to prove it by giving them the needed information. The mansion explodes, all lie around unconscious. The only one who is unhurt is Malice. Ironically the field that held her shielded her from the impact. Sinister comes out of hiding and pulls Jean from the debris, now he has the original to tamper with and he orders Malice to kill the other members of the X-Men and X-Factor as Longshot arrives on the scene to stop them.
Uncanny X-Men #244
In the Hollywood Mall in Los Angeles, a young teenager calling herself Jubilee uses her mutant powers to generate light and small fireworks to entertain mall patrons for money. The mall security notices the young performer and attempts to apprehend her. After an unsuccessful attempt, they decide to call a group of mutant hunters called the "M-Squad" to solve the problem for them. In Australia, Rogue causes friction with her teammates because of her rage at sharing a mind with Carol Danvers. Carol is forced to resume control when the tension rises to a breaking point. Dazzler suggests that tensions could be eased with some fun and shopping. Gateway transports Storm, Rogue, Psylocke, and Dazzler to the Hollywood Mall in LA where they are noticed by the young Jubilee. After a few hours of shopping, the group notices the commotion of the arriving M-Squad. After dispatching the Squad, and their Inferno enhanced equipment, the four X-ladies return through Gateway's portal, unaware that the young Jubilee has followed them.
Uncanny X-Men #245
In deep space, a group of interstellar conquerors, comprised of myriad species and calling themselves 'The Conquest', make plans against their newest objective: Earth. Meanwhile in Australia, Wolverine notices the low morale among the men in camp. Taking a cue from Storm's all-ladies trip to LA, Wolverine suggests a trip with the guys to town. Shortly after arriving in Sydney, Wolverine's group, comprised of Colossus, Longshot, Havok and himself, witnesses the arrival of the invading Conquest.
The reactions of the citizens of Sydney confuse the Conquest causing their leadership to decide to cut their loses and activate a bomb of unimaginable devastation. A half inebriated Havok destroys the command ship before the bomb is activated, saving the day and stranding the strike force members of Conquest. Meanwhile, in the highlands of Kentucky, Tessa of the Hellfire Club is shown a devastated installation that once imprisoned the now free Donald Pierce, the former White King.
Uncanny X-Men #246
Dazzler looks into the Siege Perilous and sees herself dying whilst Wolverine decides to leave to take care of some business. Carol Danvers (in control of Rogue's body) visits her brothers grave and Senator Kelly says no to funding for new Sentinel projects. Nimrod gets turned into Master Mold and is then attacked by Carol. In the midst of the battle Senator Kelly’s wife Sharon is shot by Nimrod's eye blasts.
Uncanny X-Men #247
Before it is able to deal a death-blow to a beaten Rogue, the Master Mold finds itself under attack by the newly arrived X-Men. Using teamwork, the X-Men are able to apparently destroy the Sentinel, only to realize the battle has already taken the life of an innocent; Senator Kelly's wife, Sharon. With little warning, the Master Mold springs back to life. Using newly generated defenses and weapons, the rejuvenated Sentinel seems more than a match for the X-Men. Realizing that she still has the Siege Perilous in her possession, Dazzler throws the crystal amulet toward the Sentinel. The Siege Perilous grows to a tremendous size, large enough for the Master Mold to pass through. Rogue, sensing Dazzler's plan, uses her powers to push the Sentinel through the portal, but not without being dragged inside with it. Kelly blames mutants for his wife's death and ensures Shaw that his Sentinel project will get all required funding. Elsewhere the Reavers are plotting revenge on the X-Men, unaware that they are being watched by Nanny and the Orphan Maker, who want the X-Men for themselves.
Uncanny X-Men #248
Donald Pierce and his new compatriots, the Reavers, practice their coming attack on the X-Men. Meanwhile, back in Australia, Longshot dreams. In the state of Dreamtime, brought on by Gateway, Longshot speaks with Storm and tells her that he must leave the group to search for his identity. Nanny and the Orphan Maker, knowing of the coming deadly conflict with the Reavers, finalize their plan to save the X-Men, quite against their will. They arrive at the X-Men camp and swiftly capture Psylocke, Havok, and Dazzler. The three captured X-Men are placed in armor, designed by Nanny, which bends the X-Men against their will. The three are then forced to use their powers against the still free X-Men, Storm, and Colossus. During the following conflict Havok is freed from his armor. Still groggy, he fires a plasma discharge at Nanny's fleeing sky ship, which crashes to the ground, exploding on impact. To his horror, Havok is informed that the ship carried not only the fleeing Nanny and Orphan Maker, but the captured Storm as well. She is found dead among the debris.
Uncanny X-Men #249
As the remaining X-Men bury their recently deceased teammate Storm, a call is received by the base's computer. The call is from the missing Lorna Dane, a.k.a. Polaris, asking for help. The X-Men investigate the call, leading them to Punta Arenas, Chile. Upon arrival, the X-Men witness Polaris being kidnapped by warriors from the Savage Land, led by Zaladane and her Savage Land Mutates. Reaching a stalemate, the X-Men offer to allow Zaladane's forces to withdraw with their captive, if only the innocent people of Punta Arenas are left alone. Zala accepts and and she and her forces leave, failing to notice that one soldier in her army is none other than the disguised Havok.
Uncanny X-Men #250
Zaladane and her forces return to Antarctica and their towering fortress in the Savage Land. Havok reveals himself only to be captured. Bound and drugged to prevent him from using his powers, he is forced to watch as Zaladane steals the powers of Polaris. Dazzler, Colossus, and Psylocke arrive on the scene and are immediately ambushed by the Savage Land Mutates. After the X-Men are captured, they are brought before Zaladane. Polaris, to everyone's surprise, begins to manifest new powers of strength and invulnerability. Swiftly, she frees the rest of the X-Men and other prisoners who revolt against Zaladane. With the tower in flames, the X-Men flee the fortress in a sky-sled, only to realize that Zaladane is still alive and has activated the tower's defensive shields. Before the X-Men can decide their next move, they are teleported back to their base in Australia by Gateway, much to the concern of Psylocke who experienced the X-Men’s death in a precognitive vision.
Sources and content license
Source and revision history · Exact listed stories combined in catalog order. Sources retain their stated license; formatting and headings adjusted. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 226. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 227. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 228. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 229. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 230. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 231. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 232. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 233. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 234. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 235. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 236. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 237. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 238. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 239. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 240. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 241. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 242. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 243. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 244. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 245. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 246. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 247. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 248. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 249. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from Marvel Database contributors, Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 250. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. · Content license