Uncanny X-Men #501 through Uncanny X-Men #525

Complete listed story — includes the ending

Uncanny X-Men #501

After exiting a Dazzler concert, Pixie and her friend are attacked by Hellfire Cult members. She tries to fight back, but the Hellfire Cult members ruthlessly beat her until she is left unconscious.

Meanwhile, Scott and Emma are spending the night together. Scott gets up from bed leaves for another room. Surprisingly, Emma finds him making a crib for the baby Cable took to the future.

In the morning, Warren and Scott are driving through the Golden Gate. Katie, Warren's secretary, relays an urgent message to Warren and he flies away, leaving Scott to drive to Greymalkin Industries, the X-Men's new headquarters. There, Scott finds Hank, Logan, Piotr and Karma. Then, Pixie, heavily injured, comes in and the X-Men help her.

At the Hellfire Cult headquarters, Empath is meeting with the cult members, ordering them to attack mutants. Then, he makes two cult members fight each other. Minutes later, he is revealed to have a sexual relationship with the Red Queen.

Later, Karma is walking through the streets listening to music. A few cult members are about to attack her, but Wolverine and Nightcrawler, teleporting from the base, appear and prepare to fight.

Uncanny X-Men #502

Following her recent ordeal at the hands of the Hellfire Cult, Pixie decides to leave the X-Men and moves with some art students in Oakland. Meanwhile, Wolverine and Nightcrawler make short work of the members of the Cult who sought to attack Karma and bring one of them back to the X-Men’s headquarters for interrogation. Aided by Karma and a former mutant acupuncturist, Cyclops extracts the exact location of the Cult’s lair from his prisoner. At the headquarters of the Cult, the Red Queen continues her sadomasochistic dalliances with Empath and pushes him to recount how he once peeked inside the mind of his onetime tutor, the cruel Emma Frost. The Red Queen then removes her mask and taunts Empath by assuming Emma’s visage. Shortly afterward, the X-Men invade the Cult’s lair and effortlessly tackle its members. Empath, however, lashes out against the team, his powers significantly enhanced and escapes through some tunnels, breaching through the policemen’s barricades outside. At Oakland, Pixie regrets leaving the team and borrows a scooter, intent on returning to them.

Uncanny X-Men #503

Following Empath’s escape from the Hellfire Cult headquarters, the X-Men hunt him down on the streets of San Francisco. Left behind at the former S&M dungeon that served as the Cult’s lair, Cyclops and Emma Frost split up and investigate for clues. Suddenly, though, the Red Queen, pretending to be Emma, appears in Scott’s mind, dressed in a fetish outfit and invites him to have a telepathic sex session with her. Meanwhile, Pixie discovers the X-Men are after Empath. Wishing to exact revenge for the beating she endured at the hands of the Cult, Pixie tracks down Empath and reacts in kind, severely beating and even blinding him. Later, in Madripoor, a mysterious woman recruits the assassin known as Chimera, promising she will resurrect whomever Chimera wishes, if she joins her. Back in San Francisco, Scott and Emma enjoy Dazzler’s concert in a nightclub, when Cyclops suddenly spots a familiar face among the crowd… his deceased former wife, Madelyne Pryor!

Uncanny X-Men #504

In the wake of Shadowcat’s loss, a dejected Colossus keeps to himself and spends his days in his armored form. Cyclops and Emma Frost confront him over his depression and alert him that the X-Men need the “old Colossus” back. They think he should be off the team until he can come to terms with his loss.

Emma later confronts Cyclops over his peculiar behavior in the nightclub the other day and suggests he stops evading her questions. Undeterred, Cyclops invites her to pry into his thoughts, hoping to assuage her concerns. Emma visits Cyclops’ mindscape, which bears the form of a lush hotel crowded with various incarnations of every attractive woman Cyclops has laid eyes upon. Emma soon discovers a black box in one of the ‘hotel rooms’, which she identifies as the source of power that drew her inside Scott’s mind. However, she finds herself curiously unable to open or even touch the lockbox. Scott explains that, being the quasi-leader of mutantkind, he keeps some important secrets in that box which, if discovered, could potentially endanger their species. He further upsets Emma by revealing it was Jean Grey who once taught him how to perform that psychic trick.

Karma interrupts their session and invites them to the TV room. There, they are shocked to watch footage of the Cooperstown massacre on television, leaked to the press by Simon Trask and his organization.

Colossus tries to overcome his grief by dining in a restaurant with traditional Russian cuisine. However, a Russian mutant, whose body is covered with animated tattoos, shows up with his gang and threatens the life of the restaurant owner. Colossus hesitates to intervene, recalling how this man once threatened his father’s life in Siberia. Meanwhile, in Buenos Aires, Beast and Archangel succeed in recruiting Dr. Nemesis for their science team, tasked with reversing the effects of M-Day. In Mojoverse, Madelyne Pryor recruits Spiral and Lady Deathstrike into her Sisterhood.

Uncanny X-Men #505

A video footage of the Cooperstown massacre, along with the claim that it occurred because of a mutant birth, has been leaked to the press by Simon Trask and his organization, Humanity Now, fanning the flames of anti-mutant hysteria all over the country. Using the video as a springboard, Trask’s goal is to succeed in legislating mutant reproductive rights. However, the mayor of San Francisco refuses to withdraw her support for mutants. Meanwhile, Pixie discovers blood on the bath towel of X-23. Worried, she hands it over to Emma Frost for examination. Agonizing over Cyclops’ refusal to share his secrets with her and allow her to co-lead the mutant community, Emma accepts an invitation to attend a secret meeting orchestrated by Norman Osborn, longing to prove she can be a leader. Meanwhile, in the Russian restaurant, Colossus makes short work of the tattooed man’s lackeys. Impressed by his strength, the man offers Colossus a job as his bodyguard. Piotr hesitantly accepts, hoping it will help him overcome his grief for Shadowcat’s loss. In Canada, Beast, Archangel and Dr. Nemesis recruit Madison Jeffries into their scientific team, tasked with solving the mutant birth crisis.

Uncanny X-Men #506

Colossus has joined the gang of a Russian mutant operating on San Francisco, hoping to vent his anger for Shadowcat’s loss by bringing the criminals to justice. While on a dock to pick up the contents of a cargo container one night, Colossus discovers that the container contains dozens of women smuggled from Russia and destined for labor or prostitution. Incensed, Colossus attacks his fellow gang members and releases the women, taking them under his wing. Back at the Graymalkin Industries in the outskirts of San Francisco, waves of depowered mutants arrive, one after the other, seeking refuge in the X-Men’s facility, in the wake of anti-mutant hate crimes taking place all over the country. The news media arrive at the scene and film Colossus entering the facility together with the immigrant women. With their base now catapulted into the public eye, Cyclops grows uneasy. Meanwhile, Piotr decides to confront the Russian mutant and punish him for his crimes, enlisting the aid of Emma Frost in the process. Elsewhere, on a remote island in Japan, Beast, Archangel, Madison Jeffries and Dr. Nemesis track down the brilliant Dr. Yuriko Takiguchi, whom they wish to enlist in their scientific team, tasked with reversing the effects of the M-Day. Takiguchi, however, isolated for years in his lab and deeming them as Russian agents who would steal his work, activates his ‘self-destruct’ mechanism: an unbelievably enormous and savage reptilian monster!

Uncanny X-Men #507

In Kunashir Island, Japan, Beast, Archangel, Dr. Nemesis, Madison Jeffries and Dr. Yuriko Takiguchi find themselves under attack by one of Takiguchi’s creatures, a giant sea monster by the name Leviathan – Takiguchi’s ‘self-destruct mechanism,’ lest an enemy would attack his secret lab. Under the circumstances, Warren feels compelled to openly transform into his secret Death/Archangel persona in order to slay the formidable monster. After he kills Leviathan, however, he has to confront Beast, who is understandably shocked that Warren didn’t trust him with his secret. Meanwhile in San Francisco, Colossus and Emma Frost make short work of the tattooed mutant’s lackeys. Colossus then brutally beats the ringleader, just as the latter uses his powers to reveal Peter’s greatest fear: to deal with the loss of Shadowcat. Finally coming to terms with Kitty’s loss, Piotr later visits a tattoo shop and has her name tattooed on his chest. Meanwhile, Cyclops has a private discussion with Sadie, the mayor of San Francisco. A worried Sadie reveals that, in the wake of recent events, anti-mutant hysteria is building up and people are getting scared of Cyclops and his ‘mutant army.’ In a shuttle in outer space, seeking a way to reverse the decimation of mutants, Magneto and the High Evolutionary put into use the knowledge they gleaned from dissecting the brain of the Dreaming Celestial. Performing a dangerous technological procedure, the High Evolutionary exposes Magneto to painful amounts of energy, seemingly succeeding in restoring his mutant powers.

Uncanny X-Men #508

Madelyne and her Sisterhood approach Martinique's sister, Regan, offering to resurrect their father. She then sends Spiral, Deathstrike and Chimera to Tokyo, where they snatch up a coffin. At the same time, Domino is delivering flowers to the same site and fights them. She manages to stab Chimera in her chest with a bystander's sword before they retreated. Domino then calls Wolverine to ask "Who was Kwannon".

At Greymalkin Industries, Beat introduces the final member of the X-Club - Dr. Kavita Rao. He explains to them the details regarding M-Day and says that the mutant baby in the future is the key to saving mutantkind.

Meanwhile, Madelyne heals Chimera and then instructs the Sisterhood on how to perform the ritual to resurrect the body of Kwannon and to fill the vessel is a live one -- Psylocke. The ritual causes a massive psychic disturbance felt by Emma, the Cuckoos, Karma and Empath. Once the ritual is complete, Psylocke, in her old body which Kwannon died in awakens.

Uncanny X-Men #509

The X-Men have found a home in San Francisco, where they are treated as equals, to fit in like normal people and to do good as superheros. In one example, Surge is taking a good run in Chinatown, only to outsped by Northstar, who had been recently invited to join. However, outside the city, Simon Trask of Humanity Now! Coalition is calling to support in passing Proposition X, which would require all humans with the X-Gene to submit to birth control procedures for the good of their planet, citing the Cooperstown massacre as proof that newborn mutant children bring disaster; Mayor Sadie Sinclair is opposed to this. Cyclops is optimistic that this can be beaten. As the X-Men argue over the issue of maturity, Pixie strolls into the Danger Room to fight against simulated Hellfire Cultists.

Down in the lab, X-Club is debating on how to figure out how to save mutantkind. Madison Jeffries had perfected a device to go into the future, but also worked it for the past; Professor Takiguchi suggests that they study mutantkind's origins; Dr. Kavita Rao agrees but they need to study the parents of a first generation mutant to find out what lead to an evolutionary leap; Jefferies suggests asking Namor; Beast corrects him - Namor wasn't the first mutant but the first of the first mutant birth boom. They have to find the parents of a mutant from last century and all eyes fall on Dr. Nemesis. He reveals that through use of narcotics, he had stayed old and young, having been born in 1906 and conveniently, his parents lived in San Francisco; Jeffries suggests a field trip.

Meanwhile, Lady Mastermind is confused at seeing two Psylockes. The Red Queen explains that Betsy Braddock was once a British girl who ended up in the mind of a Japanese woman named Kwannon. She was traveling between parallel worlds before the Red Queen found her. Using magic, she bewitches the British Psylocke to obey her and then clothes her. She then explains to her Sisterhood that what they did was a test to see if a dead body could contain something as powerful as Psylocke, which they'll do again on another; the Sisterhood is outraged that she claimed to be able to resurrect any of the dead they wanted. Deathstrike attempts to slash her only for her claws to pass through the Red Queen, revealing that she is a psychic ghost in need of a host. She states that they will attack the X-Men, who are ignorant of their rise.

Later that night, Cyclops looks at Emma, quietly sleeping. He moves onto the living room and tries sleeping on the couch, only to be interrupted by Pixie, Dazzler and Northstar, having been out for a drink. They ask why he is not sleeping with Emma; Cyclops assures them everything is fine. Then suddenly, the walls start to move. Cyclops quickly remembers the technique was used by Mastermind. Then, Chimera's beast shapes burst through the wall. Emma then becomes aware of the attack, only to be trapped in a mental illusion by Lady Mastermind. Elswhere, Spiral attacks Colossus and Nightcrawler, paving the way for the Red Queen. Wolverine quickly wakes, only to be punctured by Deathstrike's claws; the Red Queen is pleased to see Wolverine, the very man she was looking for.

Uncanny X-Men #510

X-23 finds a scared Armor, who informs her that all of the adult X-Men are out of commission. X-23 promises to lead them out of the facility. Unfortunately, they are right behind Chimera, who takes notice and attacks. Before X-23 could defend herself, Pixie teleports them out.

Elsewhere in the complex, Deathstrike pulled her claws out of Wolverine, bursting his lungs, which would heal. The red Queen then instruct Spiral to summon his new "playmate." His opponent turns out to be Psylocke. Deathstrike then joins in, while the Red Queen goes into his room and takes a small box. Wolverine leave the fight to demand to Maddy to not touch his stuff.

Meanwhile, Emma is trapped in a mental illusion casted by Lady Mastermind. Then she sees a red-haired figure, who she presumes to be Madelyne Pryor, but it is actually Jean Grey, who, with an image of the Phoenix in her hand, gives her the strength to fight back, literally, as Emma assumes her diamond form and brutally punches her opponent, declaring her a traitor to their race. She then rescues Cyclops from his absolute hell: class.

Pixie then bring the Stepford Cuckoos and Elixir to help out the wounded Colossus and Nightcrawler. Then, Chimera blasts the wall beside them. However, the Cuckoos engaged her in physical combat, while Pixie goes downstairs to take out Empath, who is the source of the X-Men's disability. The Red Queen then orders Spiral to get all their fellow sister mutants out. However, Wolveirne has his claws to Psylocke's neck, but Spiral claims that have hostages to hurt if he doesn't let her go; Cyclops rushes in and urges Wolverine to let her go, which he conceeds.

As the X-Men recuperate, Wolverine complains why X-Club wasn't involved in the fighting; Scott explains that they were quarantined in the Vault in case of security breach; he hates to lose assets. He then asks Logan what did the Red Queen want; he responds that she was after a lock of Jean Grey's hair he was keeping.

Uncanny X-Men #511

Cyclops, Wolverine, Colossus and Northstar are in the Blackbird, planning their next move. Northstar asks if the two of the men are going to speak to each other anytime soon; they both say "Nope."

At the Sisterhood's hideout, Madelyne Pryor instructs her Sisterhood to perform the spell to locate Jean Grey's body as her new host. This psychic disruption is detected by Emma, who is not knocked out this time. She brings Karma, Dazzler and Storm with her. Once the spell is finished, Madelyne orders the Wyngarde sisters and Psylocke to stay behind to prepare for the X-Men, as she and the others leave for their destination. It is then that the female X-Men arrive.

Madelyne and her servants arrive at the remains of the Xavier Institute, where it was obvious that Jean would be buried. However, Domino had already exhumed the body; Chimera is ready for a rematch; Madelyne declares that she will die; Domino reacts quicker, accounting for any possible variable, but forget about Lady Deathstrike, only for Cyclops' team to arrive.

Back in San Francisco, Dazzler attempts to get through to Psylocke, but the personality inside her is a murderous spirit that Madelyne found across space-time and she is not the Betsy Bradlock she knows. Nonetheless, Dazzler retaliates, informing her opponent that they've broke the window is so that she could utilize the sounds of the city to generate a powerful laser that blasted off half her face. Then the real Psylocke resurfaced, fighting a spiritual duel against her doppelganger, which she is able to win, proving that the good in her is stronger. She then returns to her Japanese body.

Back at Xavier's, Cyclops' team is engaged with the Sisterhood. Cyclops himself attempts to stop his ex-wife but his optic blasts went right through her. She congratulated him for making "insult, injury, and iron, all in one shot." She then opens the coffin, planning on granting him his wish of her becoming Jean all over again; he pleads her not to do this and offers his help; she rebuffs his attempts and begins her transformation. But then she realizes something is wrong; the corpse isn't Jean, but merely another one replaced by Domino before she arrived. Because only Jean's body could contain her, Madelyne is annihilated. With their leader gone, Spiral recalls the rest of the Sisterhood.

Later, back at Graymalkin Industries, Beast comes into Scott and Emma's room, demanding some answers: Logan leading a team into nowhere, bloodstained clothes in the laundry, Warren turning back into Archangel; as well as what Emma has been up to. They can't have secrets, which may destroy all that have left in such dangerous times. He announces that he's going on a mission with X-Club tomorrow and when he gets back, "we're having it aaall out...!"

Uncanny X-Men #512

X-Club, along with Angel and Psylocke plan on traveling back to 1906, before Dr. Nemesis was born, to gather DNA samples from his parents so that they can investigate the emergence of the modern mutant race. Psylocke is essential so that she can psychically disguise Beast. The time travel devices that they've invented have a dangerous side-effect that involves death, so they have to return in thirty-two and a half hours.

At 1906, Nicola Bradley is trying to envision how to perfect his device. While he is concentrating, four masked men attempt to attack him only to be warded off by Nicola's wife Catherine, as he escapes with the device. Next day, they tell Cornelius Shaw and his associate Salome about what happened. They have great interest in Nicola's device, which can produce wireless, free and unfettered energy.

The X-Club then turn up at the Bradleys' household, however, Nemesis doesn't want to meet his parents from before he was born. But once they knock, Catherine scares them off.

Cornelius and Salome then drive off, with the former ranting on of how dumb Nicola is, as they come in to a mansion with the Hellfire Club symbol on it. However, Donald Pierce is very angry that they failed to retrieve the device. He justifies that their seers have foreseen (using some sort of inhalant) that "Overmen" (mutants) will rise soon.

Meanwhile, Nicola had just finished his invention. When he runs upstairs to tell his wife, he finds out that she is pregnant. He brings the device to Cornelius and Salome, only to be captured as his device is installed in what looks like an early version of a Sentinel, intend on snuffing out Overmen. The mansion is then then attacked by Beast, Psylocke and Jeffries and rescued Nicola.

Catherine is attacked by Hellfire Club thugs, but she is rescued by Archangel, Takiguchi and Rao. However, Catherine faints and is attended to by Nemesis, who determines that her child is a boy. But just then, the rest of X-Club at being chased by the Sentinel. They managed to take it down with a massive amount of electricity. Unfortunately, Nicola is impaled. Suddenly, an earthquake also occurs. Before leaving, Nemesis instructs his mother to bury the samples in Golden Gate Park.

In the present, Angel is shocked that they caused the earthquake of 1906. When they go to the site where the samples were buried, they find that the Dreaming Celestial is standing on top of them. Nemesis states that the Celestial stands there because the past and future of mankind's evolution is here.

Nemesis goes back to 1906, to ensure his own birth, as his mother dies in labor.

Uncanny X-Men #513

Osborn creates his official X-Men team with Emma Frost as the leader. The team is joined by Namor at Frost's request. Frost confirms that Osborn has a shapeshifter posing as Xavier. Osborn confirms that Mystique is working for him. Emma Frost holds a public meeting introducing the H.A.M.M.E.R. sanction team (Dark X-Men). They impose a curfew on the city, which is broke by a group of mutants led by Hellion who are attacked by the Dark X-Men. Scott and the rest of the X-Men watch the events on television debating about what to do next. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Dark Beast has setup a machine to experiment on mutants in Alcatraz for H.A.M.M.E.R. and starts testing on Beast.

Meanwhile, Simon Trask, who is recovering in a hospital, begin infecting everyone with a technovirus.

Uncanny X-Men #514

Scott assigns his X-Men (Mirage, Domino, Mindee Cuckoo, and Psylocke) different tasks, as well as having them observe the Emma's team, who is called out to deal with the bio-sentinels attacking San Francisco. Emma discovers that whatever Trask has infected his people with has killed them and they are no longer human. Dani Moonstar goes to Vegas in the hope of approaching someone with a deal. Osborn then sends Emma's team to St. Francis hospital to deal with Simon Trask. Illyana meets up with X-Force to retrieve the imprisoned mutants while Psylocke and the X-Club are just off the pacific coast to reactivate a ship.

Uncanny X-Men #515

At a diner in the middle of a desert, a group of mysterious superhumans attack Scalphunter and subdue him.

Meanwhile, on the newly formed Utopia, Psylocke brings in breakfast for Dr. Takiguchi. Unfortunately, just as he receives his tray, he dies.

Elsewhere on the island, Cyclops is discussing with Namor, Emma, Storm, Xavier, Beast and Iceman over their logistics issues with power and drinkable water. Namor then questions as what he refers Utopia as: a refuge, reservation or sovereign nation. Cyclops answers that he just doesn't know, as he is just making this up as he goes along. Things then get tense when Emma and Storm start to argue, before Psylocke walks in to tell them of Takiguchi's passing. X-Club is then gathered over his body, wishing their friend peace.

Down at the docks of the island, Cyclops is ready to depart for San Francisco. However, Xavier follows him to chastise him for his lack of empathy during the meeting and expresses his fear of Cyclops losing his humanity. Cyclops assures him that everything is fine except for Takiguchi's death. However, now he has bigger concerns: telling the U.S. that they are not a threat. Xavier asks to come with him to which Cyclops objects, pointing out that the whole world thinks that he's with Norman Osborn and needs to stay hidden. Xavier shoots back that everyone thinks he is preparing an army and warns his student that he is gambling with lives.

At Graymalkin Industries, former X-Men HQ, Nightcrawler teleports both Emma and Danger inside. Danger asks why she was brought here. Emma answers that they have dangerous individuals in their base. However, she feels that there is a chance to redeem them and asks Danger to use her abilities to rehabilitate the prisoners. Danger accepts.

Back in Utopia, X-Club is debating over where they will host Takiguchi's funeral. Beast says that they will host it here.

At city hall, Cyclops meets with Mayor Sadie Sinclair to ask for logistical support with Utopia's inhabitant. In disbelief, Sinclair tells him that there hasn't been a federal warrant for him since he had formed Utopia. She then asks him what he is going to do next.

Later, Beast gives the eulogy at Takiguchi's funeral. Cyclops watches from afar, before walking to see Emma up on the balcony. Emma reacts coldly to their friend's death. Agitated, Cyclops demands to know why she is acting like this. Emma explains that being stuck in diamond form with a sliver of the Void in her head has strained her emotions.

Suddenly, there is a bright flash of light and they see Magneto hovering above.

Uncanny X-Men #516

Scalphunter is hung over a pit filled with five Predator X. Lobe, the leader of the mysterious group of superhuman who captured him offer him a job. He tells him to deliver Predator X to Utopia via plane, claiming that it will save mutantkind.

Meanwhile, in Utopia, Magneto, who had arrived out of nowhere, apologizes for interrupting Dr. Takiguchi's funeral and asks to see Cyclops. Cyclops and Emma rush towards Magneto, believing that he's here on Utopia to attack them. Magneto assures them that he means no aggression. He gives Cyclops his helmet that protects him from telepathy. However, Xavier believes it to be a trap. Cyclops stands up for Magneto and tells his mentor to stand down, though he has Psylocke close by, ready to stab Magneto with her psi-blades. Magneto explains that he contacted the High Evolutionary to find out how to solve the riddle of M-Day. They had taken a component from the Dreaming Celestial to use in an ill-conceived attempt to restore his powers. It worked for him but wouldn't work for others. He now accepts that mutants are not the future. However, he congratulates Cyclops for uniting mutantkind, whereas he and Xavier had been fighting for decades. Cyclops tells him that Cable is looking after the last known mutant baby born -- Hope, who will return one day from the future. Wolverine then rushes into the meeting room to inform everyone of Scalphunter's approach. Detecting that the interior is shielded, Cyclops sends Nightcrawler to check it out. Upon seeing Predator X, he teleports back and tells Cyclops to shoot the plane down.

Uncanny X-Men #517

Nightcrawler urges Cyclops to shoot down the incoming plane, for it is carrying five Predator X. Cyclops complies and destroys the plane; Scalphunter and four of five of the Predator X managed to survive. Cyclops then coordinates the X-Men for combat. He tells Namor to dive in the water after Predator 002, but he tells Magneto to stay put. He then separates all the other X-Men into two groups to take out the other three. However, Magneto intervenes a little, magnetically ripping of the armor off one of the Predators, before Colossus pulls its mouth open and Boom-Boom sends one of her explosive psionic sphere in it, causing it to explode. Meanwhile, Atlantean warriors gather to assist Namor against his Predator.

Inside Utopia, Predator 006 infiltrates the compound. Rogue instructs Gentle, Rockslide, Anole, Dust, Surge, Mercury and Armor to give her their powers, where she uses in combination to destroy the Predator from the inside.

Outside, Cyclops' group is battling the last Predator. Then suddenly, the Stepford Cuckoos rear in pain, before the fiery Phoenix flies out of them. Cyclops then attempts for kill the Predator, when Scalphunter takes the shot for him. As Emma arrives on the scene, Cyclops explains to her what just happened. And with the Cuckoos out cold, they need psychic coordination, meaning that they have to extract the Void sliver from her forehead. However, he first thinks of who sent the Predators and why. He assigns Dangers the duty of interrogating Scalphunter, who placed him in a holographic island in the middle of nowhere.

Uncanny X-Men #518

In New York, a homeless mutant girl is pleading for money. However, no one pays her attention, so she decides to return to her home in the subway tunnels. However, when she arrives, Predator X 003 springs out.

Back in Utopia, the decision is made to extract the Void from Emma Frost, as they need a psychic to help the X-Men coordinate, with the Stepford Cuckoos being currently unconscious. Professor X will bridge Cyclops' mind to Emma's and trick the Void out. Psylocke would be ready to "lobotimize" them both if anything goes wrong.

Meanwhile, X-Club is at Magneto's side, informing him that the excessive weight of Utopia's inhabitants will cause it to sink. Therefore, they need his help to stabilize it, to which Magneto accedes.

In Emma's mind, there is a white landscape with various assortments of possible attires for her. However, her likenesses attempt to expunge Cyclops, all due to being controlled by the Void.

Outside, on Utopia's shores, Beast arrives to see Iceman burning the bodies of Predator X. He expresses his doubts about Cyclops, allowing him to remain in captivity while being tortured, recruiting Magneto and making a huge decision for mutantkind that may possibly destroy them.

Back in Emma's mind, Cyclops manages to rescue Emma from the Void, allowing her to return to her normal form. Unfortunately, the Void has changed tactics and has made its way into Cyclops' mind

Uncanny X-Men #519

In a small cafe, a young boy tells Fantomex about how he found his girlfriend's dead body down in their underground home, before he was chased by a Predator X.

Meanwhile, in Utopia, Professor X tries to psychically restrain Cyclops, who has been overtaken by the Void. Emma opts to go into his head and if she fails, Psylocke rams her psy blades into both their heads. At the time, Cyclops is being attacked by the Void, inside his own mind.

Elsewhere, X-Club and Magneto have no success in achieving the necessary power required to keep the island from sinking. Just then, Madison Jefferies sees thousands of nanobots in the air, which he is able to gather together. He theorizes that whoever sends the Predator X to Utopia planned on having the hunters killed to unleash the bots on them. Already, the nanites have studied the X-Men, whom they are and how their powers work, sending all the info back to their boss. Magneto decides to leave and find a more suitable option to save Utopia. He negotiates with Namor to have the Atlanteans build a pillar to support Utopia, as well as serve as a refuge. As he disembarks to the surface, Beast sees him. Iceman interrupts his process of thought and asks what's wrong. Beast answers that he does not know.

Back in Cyclops' mind, he fights gainst the Void, but being displayed as an army of shadowy women he used to take an interest in. Just then, Emma, dressed in an army suit, rescues him. As they run from the Void, Emma explains the situation. Unfortunately, the entity separates them, attempting to seduce Cyclops to the dark side. He makes it to his room marked with an X, where he manages to contain the Void in his black box. He then returns to consciousness, swearing never to open the door again. Just as he wakes up, Beast comes in. After an unheard argument with him, Cyclops tells everyone that Beast is taking a leave of absence.

Uncanny X-Men #520

On top of Mt. Tamalpais, Magneto is apparently meditating. Cyclops and Emma Frost climb up to learn what he is doing. However, Magneto has blocked them out, both mentally and physically. Apparently, he is concentrating very hard on something, even though he is sweating and bleeding. They decide to contact X-Club to find out what's he's looking for.

In New York, Wolverine has impaled Lobe, but the latter doesn't feel pain, having somehow imitated his healing factor, before headbutting him. As Lobe' group fights the X-Men, he reveals that they nanites they unleashed from the Predator X on Utopia were to study how their powers work, so that they can turn all humans into mutants. His preaching is interrupted by Fantomex. Lobe shouts that he knows every X-Man; Fantomex said that he's not an X-Man, bringing up his guns.

Meanwhile, the X-Man Atlantean mutant Crosta is greeting a group of immigrating Atlanteans to Utopia. Next thing he knows, X-Club pops up in their sub, asking to see Namor so that they could assist in finishing the sea pillar that keeps Utopia aloft.

Back in New York, Fantomex has E.V.A. destroy Lobe's entire database on mutant powers, giving the X-Men the upper hand. However, Lobe, refusing to lose, unleashing his HX-N1 virus in the complex, meant to kill mutants. Fantomex orders EVA to surround the X-Men before they succumb. Lobe then swears that this isn't over and reveals that his real boss was John Sublime. Fantomex flies EVA out of the complex. Contacting Cyclops, Fantomex informs him that he had obtained samples of the HX-N1 virus for the X-Men to study and find a vaccine for.

Back in Utopia, X-Club determines that Magneto is drawing the massive bullet that Kitty Pryde is trapped in.

Uncanny X-Men #521

In New York, Wolverine, Psylocke and Colossus continue to battle Lobe and his associates. During the battle it is revealed that they want to become like the X-Men and have studied all the X-Men for a long time. Fantomex arrives though and his “ship” EVA takes down the controls which send Lobe and his associates the information about the X-Men, so the battle is turned in favor of the X-Men. That is until Lobe releases a deadly mutant plague, tailor made to affect at least 134 known mutants with a power-dampening influenza super strain. That is when Lobe’s connection to John Sublime is revealed. Fantomex and the X-Men escape in EVA, and Fantomex recounts that information to Cyclops. Refugee Atlanteans are welcomed to New Atlantis, before Madison Jeffries and Doctor Nemesis arrive to help finish constructing the pillar beneath Utopia. Cyclops and the White Queen find Magneto on top of a mountain, where he has blocked himself off to them physically and mentally. The X-Club believe they have figured out what Magneto is doing, however, and in deep space, Shadowcat believes that the spaceship she is keeping in a phased state has just changed course.

Uncanny X-Men #522

The giant bullet carrying Kitty Pryde, aka Shadowcat, inside is continually moving through space. Magneto, who is using his magnetic powers to pull it towards Earth, remembers when he and the High Evolutionary detected it. When it was determined that Kitty was alive inside, Magneto decided to put it aside until now.

At the moment, Angel descends on Cyclops and Emma, informing them that Kitty is coming back. However, Cyclops is worried about a global panic and has Nightcrawler teleport everyone except Emma, who was assigned to watch over Magneto back to Utopia. He assigns X-Club the task to prevent a panic. Next, he contacts the X-Men team with Fantomex, informing them all of Kitty's impending return, which excites Colossus.

X-Club fabricates a device to use Danger and the Stepford Cuckoos to trick the orbital satellites and people using technology and psychics respectively

All of the X-Men gather at Mt. Tamalpais. Cecilia Reyes is summoned to attend to Magneto once he has completed his task and drops his shields.

Despite their efforts, X-Club could not fool the Fantastic Four, who offer their assistance.

The bullet finally reaches Earth, before Magneto is about to pull Kitty out before collapsing. As Reyes attends to him, Colossus attempts to embrace Kitty, only to walk right through her. Worse, she can't even speak.

At Utopia, Kitty is placed in a device; Magneto is placed in the infirmary; the Atlantean colony at the base of Utopia flourishes; Fantomex attempts to court Psylocke; Dazzler and Northstar capture crooks in San Francisco; Nightcrawler talks with Pixie in his chapel; Angel and Iceman play basketball; Emma comforts Cyclops, as the sun rises.

Uncanny X-Men #523

On the run from Bastion’s forces, Cable and Hope Summers rob a supermarket for supplies and hot-wire a car.

Meanwhile, Wolverine reveals to Nightcrawler and the rest of the X-Men that there is a war brewing against Bastion and the Human Council, and that X-Force has been secretly on the front lines. Cyclops, telepathically connected to the team back on Utopia, admits to sanctioning X-Force’s actions. He orders the team to put their feelings aside and protect Hope at all costs.

Scott then connects with the New Mutants, mid-air in the Blackbird, and orders them to destroy Cameron Hodge’s weapons facility in St. Louis.

Hope and Cable make it to a motel and plan to rest for the night. Cable sees in a newspaper that the X-Men have moved to San Francisco.

At his base in Washington, D.C., Bastion describes to the Human Council how he can track the techno-organic virus - the same one he used to resurrect all of them - within Cable. He orders William Stryker and his Purifiers to the motel and asks Cameron Hodge for an update on towers that are being built for some unsaid purpose.

In their motel room, Cable is in the process of hacking the surrounding network when he is shut out entirely. He and Hope go on high alert as the lights go dark and the Purifiers spread out in the parking lot outside. From the Blackbird, Cypher detects the electrical outage and relays the location to Cyclops, who directs the X-Men to the motel. They arrive in the middle of a firefight. Meanwhile, in the air over St. Louis, the New Mutants descend on Cameron Hodge’s facility.

Uncanny X-Men #524

In Utopia's sick bay, while Madison Jeffries is attending to Karma's amputated leg, Magneto wakes up from his coma, having the strangest feeling that something has happened. Cutting to outside, the X-Men are in shock over the death of Nightcrawler. Breaking the silence, Dazzler demands that Hope brings him back. Cyclops intervenes, stating that it's not her fault for this. A confused Hope then runs off, thinking of herself as nobody.

Cable counsels her, telling her that she can't control what anyone else thinks of her, but she can control how she'll respond. He then introduces Hope to Cyclops. The latter then tries counseling her of how everyone has misconceptions about her. Hope sputters that its not fair that everyone thinks she's something else. Cyclops reminds her that her priority is to stay alive. He sends her and Cable off to sick bay, while he gives a proper funeral for Nightcrawler.

Meanwhile, in the X-Brig, Danger is altered to the possibility that something inside Utopia has disrupted Cerebra. Danger then does an accounting of all their prisoners. However, she fails to account for the presence of Donald Pierce, who has escaped and receives orders from Bastion to take out the Blackbirds, thus isolating the mutants on Utopia.

The X-Men then gather to discuss what to do. Cyclops orders Cannonball to go to Limo and find Magik. Cypher brings up the issue of Bastion's towers and advises that they simply blow them up. Cyclops shoots down that idea, at least until they figure out what they are. Therefore, he dispatches X-Club to investigate. Lastly, he reminds everyone that they should blame him, not Hope, for Nightcrawler's death.

In the sick bay, Hope sparks up conversation with Magneto. She asks him if he expects her to make everything right in the world like everyone else. In turn, Magneto asks her if all this stuff has happened immediately, to which she replied no.

As Nightcrawler's funeral begins, Beast walks up to Cyclops and reminds him that this is his fault. As the body is placed on the pyre, everyone then speaks about how good a friend he was. Wolverine, however, grows angry that Nightcralwer had to die for Hope. He points his claws at Hope, growling that she better be worth all this, as he and X-Force walk away.

Uncanny X-Men #525

An enraged Hope confronts Cyclops over his decision to send X-Force on a suicide mission into the future to stop the Sentinel invasion of Utopia at its source. Cyclops tries to calm her down, but Hope will have none of it, and furiously states that she hates him and runs off. Emma remarks sarcastically how well dealing with the situation went, but Cyclops ignores it and asks Emma if she had taken note of Hope's eyes, which had been glowing red with energy during the argument.

Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four arrive outside of Bastion's dome and confer with the X-Club and the Avengers to formulate a strategy to disable it and to aid the X-Men. On Utopia, Cyclops conveys a status report to the other X-Men via Emma's telepathy and instructs them to use their familiarity with the neighborhoods and surrounding areas of San Fransisco to their advantage and to fight the Nimrod Sentinels more effectively. As he breaks contact, another Nimrod approaches Utopia and breaches its outer wall. Cyclops quickly shuts down several levels of the complex except for those most crucial and the resulting explosion from doing so destroys the Nimrod.

Within the city, Storm, Surge, Iceman, Psylocke and Fantomex manage to destroy several Nimrods between them through coordinated efforts, while at the Port of Oakland, Namor fights several more by himself, but calls in for assistance as five more suddenly appear. Elsewhere, in the future, Cable, Cypher and the rest of X-Force find themselves in the middle of the Sentinel Processing Center. Cypher then notices a wall with a large poster spread across it, tallying the status of dozens of mutants as “Slain”, including all of them. Horrified and furious, Archangel tears the poster down. As Wolverine and Cable try to calm him, X-23 declares that the only way to prevent this future from coming to past is to kill everyone responsible, then return to the past and prevent it from happening again. Wolverine states that if they are supposed to be dead in this future, then the Sentinels will have no idea how to fight them effectively. Before they can react further, an anti-mutant assault team arrives and attacks, but they are quickly dispatched before they can report back to the Sentinels. After analyzing one of the assault unit's vehicles, Cypher determines that the Sentinels are sending the Nimrods back through the portal five at a time. Cable then says that they will fight their way into the processing center and will not come out until the future is razed and the past is saved.

Back on Utopia, Cyclops asks Professor Xavier to work with Legion as part of a larger plan and then charges Rogue of finding and protecting Hope. Outside, the Thing's and Thor's efforts to destroy the dome have met with very limited success and pressed them both to the brink of exhaustion. Mister Fantastic tells them that their attacks on it have only weakened it by fifteen percent. Iron Man further states that between all of them, they are at least a day away from getting inside. Doctor Nemesis grimly declares that within a few hours, every man, woman and child inside will be dead and the mutant race will be extinct.