The Uncanny X-Men (1981)

The hunters become the hunted as the X-Men let the Hellfire Cult know they won't be going down without a fight. Beast brings a special guest star to visit the Cult's latest victim. Cyclops and Karma chalk up a victim of their own. Nightcrawler's extracurricular activities are brought to light. And learn, for the first time, what Wolverine listens to while fixing his car. All this and the team leaps into battle against the Cult in a full-frontal assault...the prize, San Francisco!

In the depths of his heartache over Kitty Pryde, Colossus goes looking for something-- anything-- to stop his pain...and finds a nightmare from the Old Country running rampant in the States. What's their connection? Elsewhere, Angel and the Beast begin a worldwide quest gathering some of the most unique minds on Earth and run across a hero long thought dormant. Emma checks in to a hotel you have to see to believe while poor Scott sits idly by...oh, and then footage showing the Alaskan Massacre that kicked off MESSIAH COMPLEX is released to the media. Just another day in the life of the all new, all different X-MEN!

Colossus continues his quest to ease the pain of losing Kitty Pryde-- and it brings him face-to-face with some evil from the Old Country, run amok on the streets of . Elsewhere, the shockwaves caused by Simon Trask's press conference continue to ripple, making anti-mutant hysteria hit a fever pitch. And as Angel and Beast continue to assemble the Fringe Science Team in the far north of , Storm demands an audience with Emma Frost, queen to queen...

Emma's bad dreams continue, and, man, when the White Queen has a long night, we ALL have long nights. Peter finds horror in the Port of Oakland. The assembly of the fringe science team continues with a big -- BIG -- discovery that will probably kill them all before they have a chance to fix that whole no-more-mutants thing. And with the Humanity NOW! Coalition stoking fires of anti-mutant hate, Cyclops implores his X-Men to keep a low profile... HA. Dummy. Part 3 (of 4)

The secret of the Cooperstown Massacre goes worldwide and anti-mutant hysteria explodes nationwide. If Scott and Emma don't trust each other, how can mutantkind keep it together? Beast and the newly-assembled science team fight for their lives on ...and the Angel's deepest, darkest secret is revealed to all present. Uh-oh. Innocent lives are trapped between the Russian mob and everybody's favorite heartbroken mutant Colossus, fighting along against old-world horrors that have followed him here. Oh! And the Sisterhood is finally assembled and ready to destroy the X-Men once and for all.   

The X-Men get up to the delicate art of living as the Sisterhood plan their imminent demise. The Science Team gets to work, trying very hard not to kill one another first. Simon Trask gains traction in the California state legislature, muscling PROPOSITION X to an emergency ballot vote. If it passes, mutants past and present, powered and otherwise, won't be allowed to breed... all this and a friend returns as a foe and ready for murder. Oh, things are getting ugly.   

The X-Men get up to the delicate art of living as the Sisterhood plan their imminent demise. The Science Team gets to work, trying very hard not to kill one another first. Simon Trask gains traction in the California state legislature, muscling PROPOSITION X to an emergency ballot vote. If it passes, mutants past and present, powered and otherwise, won't be allowed to breed... all this and a friend returns as a foe and ready for murder. Oh, things are getting ugly.

Somewhere in the Western United States. Scalphunter is working as a line cook in a tiny, desert roadside diner. Before he can open he is greeted by the mysterious Lobe and his team of mercenaries – Thug, Burst, Verre, and Bouncing Betty. After a brief struggle the team subdues Scalphunter and loads him into their transport.

Utopia, off the coast of San Francisco. Betsy (AKA Psylocke) brings a tray of breakfast to Dr. Takiguchi's room to find that he has passed away in his sleep. Elsewhere on the island, Scott (in full Cyclops uniform) holds the first leadership meeting with his senior staff – Emma, Storm, Iceman, Beast, Namor and – begrudgingly – Charles Xavier. Scott asks them to work on keeping the island powered with a supply of clean water. Storm and Emma nearly come to blows before Betsy interrupts the meeting.

Scott delegates the dispatch of Dr. Takiguchi's body to the science team (AKA X Club) and heads off the island to meet with Mayor Sinclair while Emma brings Danger to the old headquarters at Graymalkin Industries. Emma proposes that Danger become the warden (and rehabilitator) to a new Danger Room inspired prison for their interred villains. Danger accepts.

Scott and Sinclair verbally spar but ultimately have a productive meeting. Sinclair vows that mutants are safe and accepted in San Francisco, for the time being. Back at Utopia, Beast leads a service for the doctor. Scott returns and watches from the fringes of the service, unable to hear. When Emma later chides him for his insensitivity he does the same for her, only to be reminded that she is trapped in diamond form in order to contain a sliver of The Void she absorbed from Sentry.

Scott and Emma's conversation is interrupted by massive blast outside of their office. When the initial surge of energy dissipates they see Magneto floating above Utopia – which was previously his home, Asteroid M.

Brief Description:

Scalphunter learns that he was abducted by Lobe and his associates for a specific purpose - to fly a freighter plane with a very special cargo to Utopia, as Lobe plans to save mutantkind. On Utopia, everyone is startled by Magneto’s arrival. Xavier immediately begins to argue with Magneto, but Magneto announces he has come to speak to Cyclops. Cyclops orders Xavier to stand down, while Magneto gets to his knees and assures Cyclops he has come to talk. Despite Xavier’s continuing protests, Cyclops accepts Magneto’s offer, and Magneto proceeds to explain his quest to unlock the riddle of M-Day, and how regained his powers. Magneto congratulates Cyclops on uniting mutant kind unlike he or Xavier ever could. Soon, Scalphunter approaches Utopia, but the X-Men are reluctant to let him land, despite him claiming he is seeking sanctuary. Non-combatants are sent to safety, while, Nightcrawler teleports on board to check out Scalphunter’s cargo - only to discover several Predator X creatures aboard!

Full Synopsis:

‘Whuh - where am I?’ a muscular man asks as he wakes, finding himself in darkness, strung up above some sort of pit. ‘Ahhhh! Son of a -’ he begins, before a voice tells him not to move, or to try not to anyway. The muscular man recognizes the voice: ‘Ya big-headed bastard - why don’t you cut me down and we’ll have us some words, huh?’ The voice tells the muscular man that he should stop moving so much. ‘They can see in darkness. Especially movement’ he informs him. Looking downwards, the muscular man asks ‘What can? Who’s “they”?’ Suddenly, some sort of creature lunges upwards from the pit below, mouth full of jagged teeth bared as it reaches for the muscular man.

From behind a one-way mirror, a voice tells the muscular man that the more he wiggles, the more he excites them. ‘And you’re certainly not going to squirm your way to freedom’ he adds. A light is turned on, and the voice tells the muscular man to go ahead and take a look. ‘You’re high enough that they can’t get to you. It’s okay. I’m pretty sure it’s okay. Not positive. Eh, it’s okay. You’ll be fine’. The muscular man looks downwards and sees several creatures moving about in a very small pit, similar to a well. The voice reveals ‘We made them. Well - we remade them. Upgraded them’. He adds that they had six, but five will do them nicely. ‘See, they’re hungry and haven’t eaten in a long time’ he adds, before remarking ‘So: That’s how you’ll die if you don’t start listening to me’.

‘What do you want from me?’ the muscular man shouts. The man called Lobe reveals that he wants to hire him. He reveals that he has a task that could make use of his precise skill set and history. He adds that he had to make him sure he understood what would happen if he failed. ‘You’re gonna get eaten!’. Flanked by his companions - Verve, Bouncing Betty, Thug and Burst - Lobe asks the muscular man if they are clear. ‘Do you understand the consequences of failure?’ Love asks. As the creatures arch upwards, the muscular man looks down at them and replies ‘Yeah. We’re clear…’, to which Lobe smiles. ‘Great. Let me now tell you what happens next…’.

Meanwhile, the island nation of Utopia, home to the Uncanny X-Men and their myriad allies. Including - Wolverine, Beast, Storm, Colossus, Psylocke, Nightcrawler, Northstar, Angel, Madison Jeffries, Kavita Rao, Pixie and Professor Charles Xavier - who stare up in amazement by the arrival of Magneto - the Master of Magnetism - and the X-Men’s oldest foe. Suspended in the air, Magneto firstly apologizes, claiming that disrupting a memorial was not his intent. ‘I’ve been through an awful lot and came a very long way to see you all’ he remarks. ‘Erik…as always…your…timing…is impeccable’ Charles remarks, before asking Magneto what it is he wants. Magneto removes his helmet and replies and tells Charles that, frankly, he doesn’t want to speak to him at all, and that he is here to see Cyclops.

At that moment Cyclops and the White Queen rush from one of the buildings on Utopia, and Cyclops orders the X-Men to fan out and execute close-combat Magneto tactics. But Magneto tells Cyclops that his people will not need to do that, and casts his helmet towards Cyclops, remarking that without the protection from psychics his helmet provides, his mind is an open book to them all. ‘I have nothing to hide’ he claims. As Cyclops catches the helmet, Magneto tells him to keep it or destroy it, he doesn’t care. ‘Look it as a gesture: my sword…laid at your feet’. With that, everyone stares at Magneto.

‘It’s a trap’ Xavier declares as psychic energy flows around him. ‘All of this - the time, the place, the false penitence - it’s always a trap. I’m so tired of this, Magneto. This stupid, endless cycle…’ Magneto declares that he will not fight Charles, and Cyclops steps in between them, telling the Professor that Magneto has not done anything yet. ‘We can’t just shoot first and ask questions later’. ‘”Later”? After what, exactly?’ Xavier asks. ‘Just what does this man have to do to us to finally convince you all he’s rotten to the core?’ Xavier declares. ‘How many times must he attack -’ but Charles is interrupted by Magneto, who tells him that their time has passed. ‘You and I…this thing of ours…it isn’t ours anymore’ Magneto declares calmly.

‘It’s always ours, Magneto. It’s always us!’ Charles exclaims, waving his hands about. ‘Charles, for once in your life -’ Magneto begins, readying his powers, before he screams as Xavier attacks his mind. It lasts moments, and when it’s over blood trickles from Magneto’s nose. ‘Well, there goes that Nobel Prize you’ve always suspected you deserved…’ Magneto jokes, before declaring that he did not come all this way for war, and that he did not come here to be attacked. ‘And you shouldn’t be’ Cyclops remarks, before turning to Charles and ordering him to stand down. ‘I’ve been doing this a lot longer than you have, Scott. And, with all due respect, I’ve been dealing with Magneto since before you were born’ Xavier adds. He declares that he will not let Magneto waltz in here and shatter what is left of mutant kind.

Elsewhere, the muscular man has been removed from the restraints which suspended him over the pit of creatures, who are now in cages. Lobe tells him that he cannot break out of here, but to believe that he can still get out. ‘You can still earn your freedom and we’ll never have need to darken your doorstep again’ he remarks, while his allies stand around the muscular man, who asks ‘Why don’t you get me outta these things and we’ll have a talk, huh?’ referring to the clamps around his hands. ‘Just you and me. A real nice talk’. ‘How stupid do you think I am?’ Lobe asks. ‘I let you out, you try to kill me, I kill you, and then I have no one who can deliver my cargo’. ‘Cargo?’ the muscular man asks. Motioning to the creatures in the cage, Lobe tells the muscular man he wants him to deliver them for him. ‘Come’ he beckons him to follow him.

Back on Utopia, Magneto remarks that Charles and he have been at each other’s sides or at each other’s throats their whole lives, and so he doesn’t blame him for his reaction. Magneto adds that he thinks of himself as not given to hyperbole, and asks Cyclops to consider that as he says this: ‘I am here in awe of your accomplishments and of your leadership through these dark days. Scott - oomph - Cyclops…how much clearer can I say this? I come not to bury Caesar…but to praise him’ Magneto remarks, kneeling on the ground in front of Cyclops.

Elsewhere, Lobe and his companions lead their captive into a large hangar bay, which houses a very large aircraft. ‘I got plans, buddy. Plans within plans, of which you have a very small part in’. Motioning to the large aircraft, Lobe declares that it is a C-17 Globemaster III - 174 feet long, 169.8 foot wingspan, max speed of mach .76 and a 2785-mile range, which is plenty to get you where you are going. He explains that they have modified it to allow for him to be its sole pilot. ‘I’ll be serving as co-pilot remotely and we’ve automated all loadmaster functions’ Lobe adds, before remarking ‘Now here is where you tell me you can fly my plane’.

‘Damn right I can fly it’ the muscular man declares, asking why they would go to all this trouble kidnapping him and showing him the monsters of theirs if they were just going to put him on a plane and send him on his way. ‘Because you’re a mutant, John Greycrow a.k.a. John Riverwind a.k.a. Scalphunter. And I don’t know if you caught the nightly news a couple days back but…Scott Summers just moved all of mutant kind to an island and threw open the doors’. Lobe declares that Scalphunter is going to approach Cyclops’ airspace - which may or may not be defended, he doesn’t know - so they want Scalphunter to figure that out, but he is sure Cyclops will let Scalphunter through because he is a mutant. ‘Just get close enough to drop off my cargo. Drop it and we’re done’.

‘You wanna kill all the mutants on the face of the Earth, go right ahead. But why do you need me to do your dirty work?’ Scalphunter asks. Lobe explains that Cyclops will not open his doors to them because they are not mutants. ‘And we don’t want to kill every mutant…we want to save mutant kind. Every single last one of you’ he claims.

Back on Utopia, ‘Really. Scott, this clearly -’ the Professor begins, but Cyclops interrupts him, telling him that, with all due respect, he has said enough for today. Cyclops turns to Psylocke and tells her that if she detects so much as an untoward thought, to drive a psi-knife into Magneto’s skull. ‘As you wish’ Psylocke replies. Cyclops extends a hand to Magneto and tells him to get up. ‘Let’s talk’. With that, everyone departs, except for Professor X and the Beast who remain together.

Soon, inside the conference room, Psylocke stands behind Magneto who tells those in the conference room that he believe that if anyone could unlock the riddle of M-Day, it would be the High Evolutionary.

(Flashback illustrations, narrated by Magneto)

Magneto remarks that the

Man had created an infinite number of species across dozens of worlds, so surely he was smart enough to discover precisely why no more mutants were being born. Magneto reminds everyone that even the Beast approached the High Evolutionary, asking for his help. Only, the High Evolutionary didn’t see the same potential in the poor Beast as he did in Magneto, turning the Beast away, while Magneto and the High Evolutionary started in space, devised a plan. ‘We would start by lobotomising a God and seizing his mind and all the power therein’. He explains that they came to San Francisco, where the Dreaming Celestial came to stand for whatever obscure and arcane reasons one can ascribe to such beings.

Magneto explains that he, with artificially created powers, caused a distraction to make sure the X-Men did not notice his associate as he absconded with the Celestial, where upon they used that raw slab of the Celestial’s mind, they created a device designed to lift the M-Day effect permanently. ‘I was the guinea pig’ Magneto reveals, adding that the process almost destroyed him and utterly destroyed the machine, so it was not the cure they sought. ‘But when it was done…I was reborn. Recharged. Like a man of twenty again. And it was time to come home’.

(Present)

‘…Then I saw you’d found the old place, and I saw everything leading up to that and…and I came back’. Magneto concludes, while Cyclops and the White Queen watch him intently. Magneto declares that there is no way to undo what has been done - no way to reignite a stagnant race. ‘I’ve gone to the depths of space to find another answer and it’s simply not out there’. He tells Cyclops that there is no future. ‘I was wrong. Homo Superior is not the future of man. We’re its vestigial tail’. Gazing around the conference room, Magneto exclaims ‘But you…look what you’ve accomplished. While Charles and I were engaged in an endless tug-of-war, you forged your own path. You did what neither of us could accomplish’.

Magneto declares that as their kind stands on the precipice of extension and gazes into the abyss, Cyclops has united the mutant race. ‘Magneto, I did what I had to do. That’s it. That’s all’. Cyclops adds that he doesn’t care what Magneto thinks know, and remarks that they are down, but not out. ‘We’ll be back. Mutants…will be back. I know this’. Magneto tells Cyclops that he doesn’t need to put on a brave face for him, and remarks that there is no tragedy in dying with dignity, and no shame in holding their chins high while their flame extinguishes.

Cyclops declares that he has faith, ‘Or Hope, I should say. The girl. The mutant birth in Cooperstown, Alaska. She’s alive. She’s safe. She’s protected. And one day she’s coming back’. Magneto looks puzzled, and covers his face. ‘She…the girls is alive? I didn’t -’ he begins, when suddenly, Wolverine enters the conference room and announces that they have a problem.

At that moment, Scalphunter and his plane full of dangerous cargo approaches Utopia. Scalphunter radios to the island nation, explaining who he is, he requests permission to land, as his fuel is rapidly running out and needs permission immediately. In the communications room, Madison Jeffries asks Cyclops ‘What do we do?’. Cyclops tells the former Alphan to give him the headset and to scan the plane with everything they have got. Cyclops greets Scalphunter and asks him what he is trying to pull. ‘You think we couldn’t drop you out of the sky if we wanted?’ he asks. ‘You’re the one that threw open the doors to mutants from all over - and I know I ain’t nobody’s favorite but I need whatchacallit…sanctuary’.

Jeffries informs Cyclops that the plane is shielded. ‘He could be alone or have a half-a-dozen a-bombs onboard’ Jeffries remarks, to which Cyclops declares that you don’t shield things you don’t need to hide, and turns to Nightcrawler, explaining that Scalphunter is three miles out and he needs to know what is on the plane. Nightcrawler instantly teleports away, while Cyclops sends out a communication, informing all non-combatants to get to the safety shelters, just in case. He explains that they are going to contain whatever threat Scalphunter presents, but they are not taking any chances. Cyclops asks the White Queen to help direct everyone below until they know what they are dealing with, and declares that they don’t treat this like a fight. ‘This is an invasion. And it will be repelled with extreme prejudice’. Outside, Dazzler, Magma and Rockslide go about helping civilians to safety, while Cyclops declares that this is their homeland now, and they treat it as such.

Moments later, Nightcrawler arrives onboard the plane, and in the cargo hold, he sees the cages filled with the deadly creatures - the deadly Predator X creatures. ‘Gott im himmel’ he exclaims in German, while Cyclops turns to the Professor, who, thanks to his telepathy, reveals that Nightcrawler is scared, before announcing that he has teleported again. Indeed, Nightcrawler lands somewhere on Utopia, and after exclaiming something in German, he tells Cyclops to shoot it down. ‘Shoot it down! Shoot it down right now!’ he exclaims frantically, while Cyclops, who has made it outside very quickly, readies his optic blast and orders the X-Men to battle stations.

Original Solicitation:

Magneto’s return has stunned the X-Men, but that’s not the only surprise they’re in for as a herd of Predator X’s come hungry for mutant tar tar. The hits just keep on coming, but can the X-Men, still nursing their wounds from UTOPIA, deal with all this?

Synopsis:

Utopia, off the San Francisco coast. Nightcrawler breathlessly informs Cyclops that Scalphunter's plane headed for Utopia contains five Predator X beasts – genetically engineered monstrosities who feed on mutants as their sole sustenance.

Without hesitation, Cyclops slices the plane out of the air with one blast of his optic beam. He commands the three Cuckoos to scan for signs of life and keep the entire team psychically connected (via their Phoenix Force enhanced powers).

The Cuckoos reveal that Scalphunter and four of the five predators survived the blast. Scott begins to give orders to the team but Namor balks, electing to dive into the depths of the Pacific to deal with one of the beasts on his own.

The X-Men engage two of the remaining predators while Emma and Rogue wait beneath ground with the young X-Men. Magneto strips the the metal coating from one of the pair of beasts, which is then frozen solid by Iceman. Colossus shatters the block of ice and holds open the maw of the stunned beast so that Boomer can drop a massive timebomb down its throat. Iceman freezes it solid once again, and the subsequent blast shatters both the block of ice and the beast inside.

Magneto, weak from the effort of stripping the first beast, is too weak to engage the second – Nightcrawler ports him off of the battlefield while Cyclops, Northstar, Psylocke, and Wolverine deal with the second monster.

Rogue and Emma hear noises below deck but stay silent to avoid riling the students or the approaching final predator. Beneath the waves, Namor and his Predator have battled to a standsill when a fleet of two dozen Atlantean warriors intervene to slay Namor's quarry.

Above ground, Cyclops and Madison Jeffries distract their Predator until Storm arrives, along with a massive plume of lightning that electrocutes the monster. Cyclops appears to finish it off with an optic blast into its throat.

As the final Predator X approaches the young X-Men below the ground, Rogue has everyone in the room touch her – Gentle (super density), Rockslide (self-shattering rock), Anole (agile lizard), Dust (malleable sand body), Surge (super speed and electricity), Mercury (living metal), and Armor (psionic armor. Rogue proceeds to utterly disassemble her foe in a matter of seconds – evading it with agility and super speed, shattering into thousands of superdense malleable particles of living metal that she drives into every orrifice of the Predator's body, and propelling those pieces outward covered in impenetrable psionic armor.

Rogue and Emma report that their foe has is eliminated while, topside, Warpath and Wolverine continue to wrestle the final Predator X. Suddenly and without any warning, the three Cuckoos collapse to the ground, and the Phoenix Force leaves their bodies. Scalphunter K.O.s the final Predator, but Scott still wants him imprisoned in the brig at Graymalkin.

With all five Predator X monsters destroyed, Cyclops has only two priorities – discover who modified and deployed the predators, and stage a psychic intervention for Emma so she can return to flesh (and employ her psychic powers).

In the X-Brig, Danger confronts Scalphunter, demanding, “Who sent you to Utopia?”

Cyclops takes a voyage into the head of Emma Frost in hopes of containing the horrifying piece of the villainous Void that has been stuck there since UTOPIA. Can they possibly defeat the awfulness that has haunted the most powerful being in the Marvel U? Tensions are rising on Utopia as the X-Men deal with the new members of their team and the fact that the island is…well…sinking. And Wolverine and a classic pal take one of the craziest journies you’ve ever seen.

Cyclops takes a voyage into the head of Emma Frost in hopes of containing the horrifying piece of the villainous Void that has been stuck there since UTOPIA. Can they possibly defeat the awfulness that has haunted the most powerful being in the Marvel U? Tensions are rising on Utopia as the X-Men deal with the new members of their team and the fact that the island is…well…sinking. And Wolverine and a classic pal take one of the craziest journies you’ve ever seen.

“NATION X” There's a rogue Predator X stalking mutants beneath New York City and it's down to Wolverine and Fantomex to hunt it down. There's an island in the San Francisco Bay that the mutants call home and it's slowly sinking -- and only King Namor can save the day. And meanwhile, in San Francisco, a supermob is making life hard in Chinatown...somebody call the X-Men! Part 6 of 8!

Cyclops gave orders for Wolverine, Psylocke and Colossus to hit New York and track where the group of Predator X had come from (see Uncanny X-Men #517) and the source of the nanites, which held information on all of the X-Men's strength and weaknesses.

Wolverine followed the Predator X's scent to the sewers of the city. There the X-Men discovered that Fantomex already dealt with the monster. The X-Men asked for Fantomex's help to determine where the Predators came from, but Fantomex was not willing to help them in their mission.

Meanwhile on Utopia, Magneto explained there was a massive support pillar beneath the island that would prevent it from sinking into the ocean. Cyclops was furious at him for working behind his back and told Magneto that he wouldn't receive his trust this way. Magneto left Utopia, deciding that it was time to do some good for a change. He began to meditate on the top of a mountain alone.

Back in New York, Wolverine, Psylocke and Colossus tracked the Predator's point of origin inside a unknown building. Inside, the super-powered beings who had forced the former Marauder Scalphunter to send out the Predator X's were expecting their arrival.

“NATION X” What on Earth is Magneto doing on top of Mt. Tamalpais, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco? He’s not telling and the X-Men Psychics can’t get it out of his brain. But he’s been up there for days plotting something that will rock the X-Verse to its core. All this while Wolverine, Psylocke, Colossus and Fantomex take on the foes that have been plaguing the X-Men since the start of “Nation X”.

“SECOND COMING”, CHAPTER SIX A beloved X-Man died defending Hope, the returned mutant “messiah.” As they lay their comrade to rest, the remaining X-Men are left to question: Is she worth it?

Synopsis

The issue beings in the Sick Bay of Utopia, with Magneto still comatosed, Karma having her leg treated and Colossus socializing with Kitty from outside her containment pod. Karma gets annoyed while having her bandages fixed, as Magneto wakes up, exclaiming that he has a feeling that they've missed something that's happened.

Up on Utopia, and a crowd has gathered around the dead body of Nightcrawler; Bastion's arm protruding from his chest. Emma seems sad, while Cyclops and Hope seem shocked. Wolverine is angry and Iceman concerned, as Dazzler cries in Northstar's arms, and Hope in Cable's. Dazzler tells Hope to bring him back. Cyclops tells them to stop putting the blame on Hope, her then realizing that they blame her but doesn't understand how at first, before running off, shouting that she's incapable of anything and is nobody. Cable calls after her but Emma pushes Cyclops to follow her. Cable has a talk with her about the inability to control what others think of you, only your response and they will survive this. Cable introduces her to Cyclops, revealing while stuttering slightly, that he's his father, with Hope reacting in surprise. Cyclops introduces himself, saying he's been waiting a long time to meet her, stating that it must be weird for her for others to expect so much, as she continues to explain that she's nobody. Cyclops tells her she must stay alive, before instructing Cable to take her to the Sick Bay to have them both checked out, before leaving, telling them he has to bury Nightcrawler.

Walking back into the crowd, Cyclops tells Angel to prepare his body, asking Bobby to prepare the rights and telling them that they need to contact Amanda Sefton, and that they need to work now to stop Bastion to make sure his death wasn't in vain, over a panel of Wolverine snarling.

He then calls down to Danger, who's running therapy sessions with the prisoners, telling her that she needs to check the presence of them to make sure their there because Cerebra has been attacked somehow. She acknowledges the presence of all her prisoners, including Donald Pierce, who however has escaped, but Cyclops tells her to remain sharp as they theorize that they've been infiltrated.

Pierce is walking through a tunnel in the island, reporting to Bastion telling him that Danger is still fooled and that asking what he needs to do next. While examining virtual models of Utopia, Bastion tells him that containment is now they're main target and they've started killing the teleporters, and now Pierce needs to stop their ability to leave the island by destroying the Blackbirds in the hanger and he send the maps to Pierce via they're link. He is then instructed to find the X-Men and destroy them after that; Pierce questions that this is suicide, but is reassured and says he'll do it in Bastion's name.

Cyclops comes to the conclusion that they need Magik back to teleport and sends Cannonball and his team, teleported by Pixie, to Limbo to find her. Cannonball believes however that they should focus on destroying Bastion's towers, Doctor Nemesis agreeing with him. Cyclops sends the X-Club to find out what he's doing with them and for them to destroy them. Before they leave, he tells them that they should blame him for Nightcrawler's death not Hope, as she's still just a girl, before advising them to return alive.

Dr. Kavita Rao is performing a medical examination on Cable, as Hope looks through Kitty's containment window to have her wave back. Magneto explains to Hope who she is and that she's not herself nowadays and that none of them actually are. Cable then tells Hope not to talk to him, but she persists, asking why Cable doesn't want her talking to him, and he replies by telling her that Cable believes he's up to something. She blatantly asks why this should worry Cable, to which he replies that he wasn't always this fragile. They shake hands and exchange names, and Hope realizes from his previous statement that he believes her to be a messiah of some sort, and asks does he believe that. He replies by telling her there's still suffering in the world, to which she seemingly jokingly replies that given a week or two she could do something about it, before Angel cuts across, explaining that they've got a few minutes before everyone's heading off so they can say goodbye to Nightcrawler.

As Cyclops, Wolverine and Colossus carry his casket followed by a crowd, Beast appears, shouting at Cyclops, telling him that it's his fault. Cyclops calmly thanks him for attending, claiming it would've meant a lot to Nightcrawler.

It turns to Iceman who thanks everyone for being present, and that it isn't a proper Catholic burial but they're doing the best they can, before reading a passage from Ezekiel 37:4, saying he thought it was nice and liked the song as a child, during which we see shots of Storm, Cable, Hope, Cyclops and Emma. Then, they each take it in turn to state something about the mutant himself, while a mirage of Nightrawler in different costumes in drawn across the top of the page.

Up to then, Wolverine has said nothing, and Iceman asks if we like to, and we see Wolverine's claws extracted slightly, cutting himself. Wolverine begins monologuing, stating that Nightcrawler was the only person who saw him as a person, not an animal. He then extracts his claws fully, shouting in Cyclops' face, before turning and pointing his claws at hope, stating "You better be worth this, I swear to God." before leaving the burial with X-Force.

Things have never been worse for the X-Men. They're stuck in an impregnable dome of Bastion's creation. As if that's not bad enough, inside this dome is a portal to the Days of Future Past timeline through which thousands of Nimrod Sentinels are pouring. Cyclops has sent Cable, Cypher and X-Force on a suicide mission into the future to destroy the portal, but do they stand a chance?

There is a wall of the dead in the future that includes the portraits of many slain mutants, including Beast, Iceman, Penance, and Wolverine.

After the events of Second Coming, the X-Men's world has changed. We can’t tell you much without spoiling the crossover, but here are some words to whet your appetite: Hope, Emma, Namor, Sebastian Shaw. Classic X-Men artist Whilce Portacio is back again for this story-arc of epic proportions! Featuring a back-up story by Allan Heinberg and Olivier Copiel that ties into Avengers: The Children's Crusade!

Angel and Bobby watch over Laurie, one of the five new mutants to spring up since Second Coming. This is a different manifestation then normal, she's older then the average age of manifestation, and she show no signs of unique abilities just pain and sickness (hair loss, bone aches, ect). Laurie isn't exactly coping well, she is cursing god and begging for her life. Bobby and Angel are concerned and frankly bored but Scott reminds them this is very different then normal manifestation and the mutant evolution just may not be done evolving.

He orders them to continue on. Hope informs Scott she's about ready to leave for Antarctica, she's going on a journey to find more about who she is and hopefully find some peace. Scott sees her off, commenting to Emma he wishes she could stay, thays she's only just arrived. But then he had to be off as well,he's planned to meet up with Logan in Japan who's monitoring another of the new lights (The five new mutants since Hopes return are referred to as The Five Lights.) Scott hopes to fix his relationship with Logan which has become fractured since Kurt's death.

Hope arrives in Alaska , she becomes discouraged when she learns of her mother's death and all the other lives lost when she was born. She learns her grandmother is still alive and doesn't live too far from the location. But before any of that she wishes to visit her mother and bring her flowers. Once Hope is at the burial site she runs into an older lady who tells Hope she left flowers at the wrong tombstone, for this is where her daughters buried. Hope apologizes not wanting her to know who she truly is. They share pleasantries and Hope gets to learn a little about her mother before parting ways.

On their way home to Utopia Hope thanks Scott for letting her go, though it was a sad trip she's grateful to learn more of who she is/was. Suddenly they learn Laurie is on her roof about to jump, no longer wanting to be this freak. Hope and company arrive in time to try and talk her down. Laurie is too distraught and makes the leap. Hope jumps after her grabbing hold of Laurie, luckily midflight this completes her mutation. Laurie's skin becomes a light blue shade and she gains the ability to fly. They fly back to the group commenting that they both feel amazing and complete. Laurie pledges her life to Hope, promising to follow her everywhere and anywhere. The issue ends with Hope asking Rouge who's the next mutant they must go visit

“QUARANTINE” Is there anything worse than that slow, sinking, feeling like you're getting sick? You can't get warm. Your bones hurt. Your throat closes and your chest gets too heavy every time you breathe and then you know you're doomed... so what if it happened to all the X-Men, all at once? The Sublime are back and they've unleashed a contagion on Utopia.

To what end? Why now? And what's next? Who's left in San Francisco to deal with the Collective Man? Related: where does Dazzler get all her awesome outfits?

The X-Men on Utopia are getting sicker and sicker and their powers are shutting down one-by-one. Wolverine’s healing factor is down and he’s suffering adamantium poisoning, but he’s much better off than the mutants whose mutation defines their bodies, like Rockslide and Mercury. And if that weren’t bad enough, The Collective Man has Chinatown in the palms of his many hands and the Sublime Corporation is kicking the plan they’ve been hatching since #515 into high gear!