BIOGRAPHY - page 5
Unsurprisingly, this was not the case. It is not known what exactly transpired after Belasco’s arrival in the N’Garai dimension but it seems that, rather than being destroyed by them, Belasco managed to strike an alliance. It is possible that he had been able to do so as a result of recent political upheavals in their dimension. An offshoot race of demons, called the Rutai, who had once been enslaved by the N’Garai, now conquered the N’Garai in turn. Their new second-class status very well may have led to their compact with the sorcerer. The scope of this would come later during another conflict with the X-Men. In the meantime, Belasco managed not only to escape but to return to Limbo, his former prison, and set up a new base of operations.
However, Belasco did not strike at first and did not direct his vengeance on the X-Men. Rather, he seemed to have taken advantage of events surrounding one of his most hated foes, Margali Szardos. In recent months, Margali had convinced Kitty Pryde to give up the deceased Illyana Rasputin’s Soulsword to her for safekeeping. [Excalibur (1st series) #83-85] Margali became drunk with power and used the sword to kill other every other magician who was ahead of her in the Winding Way. Margali’s plans also led to her becoming the Red Queen in the London’s Hellfire Club and attempting to destroy the city and conquer Britain. Failing at her attempt, Margali suffered from the result of a spell being disrupted and faded away. [Excalibur (1st series) #100]
Where she was immediately sent remains unclear, however soon thereafter she came under the possession of Belasco and became his prisoner in Limbo. Along with Margali, Belasco came into possession of the Soulsword. Rather than proceeding with his plans immediately, Belasco 
conducted a rather odd test of some of his former enemies, who were also former members of the X-Men. At this time, Kitty Pryde, Nightcrawler and Colossus were members of the Britain-based team called Excalibur. Wishing to test them for a future plan, he teleported them to Limbo and placed them in a small village populated by versions of them from alternate realities. It was not long before the trio deduced where they were. Immediately following their conclusion, Belasco returned them to Britain, telling Margali that his foes had “grown” much since they last met. [Excalibur (1st series) #102-103]
As the months passed, Belasco, ever patient, continued to consolidate his power before acting. He used another Fear-Lord, Nightmare, to test Excalibur again. [Excalibur (1st series) #119]
After much deliberation, he evidently decided that he should seize full control over the powers of the Winding Way, which he now had access to through his prisoner, Margali. Appearing before Nightcrawler, Belasco showed the mutant an image of his stepmother and offered to free her, in exchange for permanent custody of the Winding Way. After Belasco’s departure, Nightcrawler contacted Amanda Sefton, his old love and, ironically, Margali’s daughter, whom Nightcrawler had known in his youth as Jimaine. Amanda used her powers to teleport herself and Nightcrawler to Limbo, where they made their way to Belasco’s citadel to free their mother.
All plans involved seemed to have disintegrated quickly upon the convergence of all parties. Belasco’s servant, the demonic Nightcrawler, had struck a bargain with the captured Margali, promising to free her if she stole the Soulsword for him, so that he could conquer Limbo. The 
captured Margali was actually not Margali but her daughter, Amanda, in Margali’s body. Transversely, Margali’s mind was acting in Amanda’s body, guiding the true Nightcrawler into a plan to free herself. Learning all of this quite suddenly, in the middle of battle, Belasco tried his best to salvage his plan, but it was not to be. During a sword fight with Nightcrawler, Amanda managed to blast the Soulsword out of the sorcerer’s hands, making it drop hundreds of feet below. With the arrival of the restored Margali, Belasco decided that there was no chance for victory anymore and departed. [X-Men Unlimited (1st series) #19]
[Note: The sudden return of the demonic Nightcrawler goes unexplained. Given the timeless nature of Limbo, this was possibly Belasco’s original servant from before his inevitable death. Or, he may have been culled from the alternate reality versions briefly met by Excalibur.]
Around this time (whatever time is), Belasco was recognized as a contemporary of the Hell Lords of the nether-realms, akin to Mephisto, Hela, Pluto, Satannish and others. “Lord Belasco of the Corrupted” appeared before Noble Kale (spirit of the Ghost Rider) after he assumed temporary control of Mephisto’s realm. Belasco mockingly gave Kale best wishes and promised not to join the other Hell Lords when they inevitably overthrew him. [Ghost Rider (3rd series) #94] He was also depicted in flashback [X-Force / Champions Annual ‘98] to a scheme by Pluto and the other Hell Lords which failed and inadvertently led to the formation of the Champions of Los Angeles. [Champions (1st series) #1-3] This would have to be an anachronistic appearance thanks to his rule of Limbo, but what conquest exactly made the Lords recognize Belasco as an equal goes unexplained.
After a period of recuperation, Belasco finally began to enact the alliance he had set up with N’Garai. In a variation of his old spell, using a locket filled with five Bloodstones, Belasco planned to open a portal between the N’Garai realm and Limbo. From this new base of operations, the N’Garai would be able to invade all of space and time, spreading their power throughout the multiverse. Finally, would Belasco have fulfilled his pact with his patrons, the Elder Gods. First, however, they required the gathering of the Bloodstones.
Long before, Belasco had etched a spell onto the skeleton of Kitty Pryde when it was under his power. Through this connection, he drew Kitty back to Limbo while she slept. Upon awakening, Kitty found a fantasy Earth created for her benefit, one of utter horror. It seemed that, while she was sleeping, the N’Garai had entered the world and killed millions. She met with Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, Banshee and Sunfire still fighting against all odds. The only hope was the evocation of a counter-spell, which Nightcrawler knew would close the cairns and reseal the barrier between dimensions. The spell required a blood sacrifice, which made Kitty apprehensive, though she was spurred on by her “teammates.” Upon the completion of the spell, to her horror, Kitty witnessed the others all turn into their true forms as N’Garai demons.
Too late, Kitty realized that she had been tricked. Moreover, the master of the deception, Belasco, appeared, sporting a new arm. Gloating as ever, Belasco explained that the new limb had been given to him by his masters for serving them well. Using this new arm, Belasco reached into Kitty’s chest and removed her soul. It would become the catalyst stone for his spell and, in return, Belasco would give Kitty only pain and horror. Before Belasco could act, however, a new player arrived, who seemed very much to be an old foe.
This “Magik” managed to battle Belasco to a standstill and saved Kitty’s life by teleporting the both of them away. Once safe, Magik used her scrying powers to determine Belasco’s scheme. It 
seemed that Belasco intended to use the souls of the original five X-Men (Archangel, Beast, Iceman, Phoenix and, in Cyclops’ place, Polaris) for his new Bloodstones. To capture these five, Belasco used the five N’Garai who had transformed into the five “new” X-Men. Magik needed to stop at least one of the sacrifices, teleporting around the globe to interdict the N’Garai. However, she only succeeded in protecting Jean Grey. The other four had their souls stolen by the N’Garai and Magik could only preserve their bodies inside her Soulsword to prevent their permanent deaths.
Returning to Belasco’s citadel in Limbo, Magik was able to reinforce herself with Archangel, Beast, Iceman and Polaris. Now in Limbo, they could be released and fight for their own freedom. While this group fought Belasco’s forces at the front gate, Magik teleported herself into the sorcerer’s inner sanctum. Expecting this, Belasco was waiting for the sorceress and defeated her handily at 
swordplay. Before he could deliver the final blow, however, Magik summoned Kitty Pryde to aid her. Belasco was also able to make short work of Kitty as well. However, she had only been a ruse. Magik had feigned her defeat and, while Belasco had concerned himself with Kitty, Magik made her way to Belasco’s pentagram and destroyed all five Bloodstones, returning the souls within to their true owners. [X-Men: Black Sun #1-5]
[Note: Black Sun made clear for the first time that the N’Garai equated Belasco’s Elder Gods and masters. This explains why the Bermuda isle temple in X-Men Unlimited (1st series) #9 had both a N’Garai cairn underneath it and relief murals which Belasco identified as connected to his Elder Gods. So why did Belasco attack and try to conquer the N’Garai in that story? It is possible his “Elder Gods” were so cloaked in reverent myth and legend that even their servant didn’t recognize the connection between the lesser N’Garai warrior caste and the true power of the N’Garai masters.]