Grief-stricken, Gambit holds Storm as Ms. Marvel clutches onto Bruce Banner; Spider argues with Colossus over whether they have to kill Bruce Banner, Vision intervenes and informs them killing Bruce would ensure the greatest percentage of success. SKLINCH! Mr. Marvel snaps Banner’s neck.
Colossus complains about there having to have been another way, Spider wonders how ‘this Colossus pansy didn’t end up with the Exiles.’ As Storm is dying, Gambit begs her to hold on and she pleads with him not to leave her behind, she wants a forest. With her last breath, the rest of the team is teleported away into a partially demolished building, their new team member looks on as Gambit is still holding out his arms where Storm was.
After a final sad cringe, Remy turns to face the new team member: Hyperion- -super powered alien. Angered by the dispensability of their lives, Remy lashes out, yelling about how unfair it is that the Timebroker has the power to pluck them from their lives and force them to jump from reality to reality forcing them to fix things and not have the power to make them indestructible. Ms. Marvel questions Gambit about what the Tallus is saying their next mission is, Gambit storms off reminding her that they just lost a teammate and a friend. “Forget the Tallus!” While Colossus is looking around, Ms. Marvel is busy checking out the new team member, Colossus tells them that he knows where they are, at Charles Xavier’s home, his school, the home of the X-Men. They look around at the smoking ruble and the remains of the school.
Asteroid M, high above Earth:
Quicksilver informs Magneto that the Sentinels have successfully destroyed Xavier’s but that there are a few weak life signs remaining, he asks if they should dispatch a rescue unit but Magneto tells him NO.
Magneto continues saying that Xavier’s people had the chance to come with them but they refused and now they can die with the humans they insisted on protecting who hated them so. He tells Quicksilver that he will destroy the humans and any mutant stupid enough to stand with them.
Earth:
As Colossus and Spider discuss what might have happened to the X-Men, Vision informs them that he will retrieve Gambit because the longer they stay, the greater potential for mission failure. Spider sarcastically tells Vision to go ahead and do that since he is so looking forward to going back to his reality and serving sixty-seven consecutive life sentences. Colossus questions Spider why he is helping on the missions if that is what he is going back to. Spiders informs him that he is just having fun. Spider questions what happens if they says refuse to carry out their missions and Colossus realizes that he never thought about that.
Hyperion ask Ms. Marvel what happens if they choose to disobey Timebroker since he left that out in their briefing. Mr. Marvel tells him that they never thought about it and the Tallus is on Gambit’s wrist and they listen to it and get to go home, it’s pretty straight forward. Carol adds that time is supposed to cease to exist if they don’t follow through, time is supposed to crash under the weight of a cosmic error. Hyperion questions the possibility of time ending. Smirking and eying him lustfully, Carol tells Hyperion that she’s never thought that deeply about it, and she’s more of a here and now type of girl. Hyperion is confused for a second as he senses that Carol’s temperature is elevating, her vessels dilating, and the blood flow is increasing. He asks her is she is coming on to him and she asks if it’s really that obvious, and adds that all the other male team members are unsuitable: Spider is more into acts of violence, Gambit is too moody with his woman being dead, Colossus is too much of a wimp, and well, Vision, she’s not sure what kind equipment he has. Hyperion is angered that Carol actually wants him in the middle of a place where dead bodies are still warm around them and grabs her arms and yell at her. He suddenly presses his lips against hers and rips her top, Carol looks on in shock, then melts into his embrace as Hyperion’s eyes remain open.
Vision files back to the school holding Gambit by the collar; Gambit is annoyed and Vision is already talking about their next mission, “complete extermination of all remaining mutants on this world.” Spider is excited about the possible multiple murders they get to participate in, Colossus informs him that he was hoping to hear the opposite and they would be able to save some lives this time. Vision informs them that there are ten remaining mutants on this Earth, not including Gambit and Colossus; there are three on Earth and seven on Asteroid M, including Magneto. Spider is somewhat pleased with ten targets, Colossus is worried about having to face Magneto. Vision tells them that the data is insufficient and that all they have to worry about is accomplishing their mission and moving on. Spider tells Vision that he likes a guy who speaks with authority and lets him kill people. Colossus goes to gather the others.
Carol lies in her undergarments as she asks Hyperion if he is sure he wants to rush off so fast because she could stay there all day. Hyperion tells her to get ready and that there isn’t time. Hyperion tells Carol that she disgusts him because she doesn’t even know him as she tells him that she was planning to stay there like that. Carol adds that Hyperion didn’t seem to be bothered by it before. Hyperion suddenly looks to the closet and tells the person that he knows she’s in there since he can see through walls. Carols asks him who he’s talking to and Hyperion tells the hiding person that she doesn’t want him going in there after her.
Kitty Pryde partially phases through the closet and begins telling them about the Sentinels. Carol is enraged and asks if she was watching them the whole time. Hyperion tells Kitty to ignore Carol and get behind him. Kitty asks why and Hyperion tells her that he doesn’t like repeating himself. Hyperion quickly pulls Kitty behind him as Colossus walks in. Kitty mistakes Colossus for her Colossus and phases through Hyperion and into Colossus’ arms telling him she thought they had killed him. Peter tells her that he isn’t who she thinks he is and drags her off him, he then tells her that he’s from another reality and tells her that their mission is to kill all remaining ten mutants. He cringes and clenches his fist to kill Kitty, then asks Hyperion if he could do it since he’s new. Colossus is caught off guard when Hyperion tells him that they are not killing anyone; Colossus starts to explain how their missions work. Hyperion tells him that he heard Vision explain the mission and they are not going through with the mission. Kitty asks Peter what is wrong with him and Peter asks Hyperion if they aren’t doing the mission then what are they going to do. Hyperion casually informs him that they are going to rule the world, what else?
Asteroid M:
Forge informs the group that once they release the tractor beam the asteroid will impact with the Earth is twenty-four hours resulting in an explosion which will fill the Earth’s atmosphere with dangerous gases rendering the planet a near lifeless dustball within a matter of weeks. Magneto then adds that they will sail off into the stars and take another world, most likely one of the Kree worlds. He says good riddance to mankind.
Meanwhile:
As Spider tries on Cyclops’ visor, Colossus and the others come out of the room, Colossus informs the others about an interesting idea that Hyperion had. Vision tells them that he heard the plan since he too has enhanced senses and has rejected it, he tells Colossus to kill the girl. Hyperion blasts Vision in half and comments on how he didn’t see that happening. Everyone looks on in shock but Hyperion tells them to relax since he doesn’t plan to kill them all. He explains his plan to stay in this reality and rule the world as gods. He adds that he understands that they all don’t have much to go back to in their own realities so why not stay and rule this one? Remy questions whether Hyperion will actually share the power or if they don’t follow him if they will end up like Vision. Hyperion tells them that it’s their choice. They look shocked and Spider tells him that he chooses trust, then asks which option will let him kill ten mutants, he then asks if he can kill some humans to make up for it. Hyperion tells him that he can kill more than ten if he likes. Spider likes this ideas and gives him a thumbs up. Gambit says it doesn’t matter to him either way. Colossus says it makes sense as long as they don’t create more problems by staying. Carol asks if they will continue to ‘you know’ and Hyperion tells her that they can as often as he can between other women; Carol agrees. Spider informs Hyperion that Vision isn’t completely dead since he’s still got some light in him. Hyperion says that it’s a good thing so Timebroker won’t be able to send in another person to interfere, “Now… shall we conquer the world?”
Asteroid M:
Quicksilver tells Forge that the asteroid won’t launch. Forge tells him that there seems to be a short in the panel, he adds that he can fix it but Quicksilver tells him to forget it and to disengage the power supply and the asteroid will just get pulled away by the Earth’s gravity and the results will be the same. “In a few hours, mankind will go the way of the dinosaur.”
