The Age of Apocalypse, where Hisako Ichiki a.k.a. Armor has thrown X-Man to the ground, telling him that she is sorry, but if his life is really the price to pay to save their world, then she can no longer fight it – he has to die. She punches him with her force field and tells him that she thought they could find another way, but it's too late. Armor continues to punch X-Man as her teammates Megan Gwyn a.k.a. Pixie, Santo Vaccarro a.k.a. Rockslide and Robert “Glob” Herman look on. 'Oh God. It's really happening' Pixie utters. 'This... it's not how I imagined it' Rockslide remarks, while Glob tells the others that this can't be right.
On Prime Earth, Ororo Munroe a.k.a. Storm electrifies Magneto, the Horseman of Peace, with a powerful lightning bolt and tells him to stop this madness, that with X-Man gone, surely he can regain control of his mind and can end this fight. 'No' Magneto responds. Storm tells him that is a pity, and that without his “messiah” she would have thought they could count on him to see reason. Magneto states that X-Man may be temporarily removed, but that his dream lives on, and they will see it through. 'You will fall' he tells Storm. 'So be it' Storm responds as Kurt Wagner a.k.a. Nightcrawler teleports around Blob the Horseman of Bounty, and Laura Kinney a.k.a. X-23 leaps towards Omega Red the Horseman of Wellness. Storm fires another powerful lightning bolt at Magneto, while Bobby Drake a.k.a. Iceman joins in the fight against Omega red and asks if appears to anyone else that even though their master disappeared, these Horsemen seem the same amount of evil. 'Yes' X-23 tells him, while Sam Guthrie a.k.a. Cannonball throws a punch at Omega Red and Warren Worthington a.k.a. Archangel hovers nearby. Iceman tells the others that it makes him wonder why they are still evil, and Nightcrawler agrees, 'A little bit' he remarks as he punches Blob hard in the face.
Archangel fires some metal blade feathers at Omega Red and tells him to give it up, that X-Man is gone and with him their purpose. 'Can you not feel that?' he asks. Lorna Dane a.k.a. Polaris drops down behind Omega Red who remarks that all he can feel is a great hole where one there was purpose. 'You are responsible for that' he tells Archangel. Archangel remarks that he wishes he didn't understand how Omega Red feels, but the fact is, it means nothing. 'It's over. You're done. All of you!' he calls out, while Polaris traps Omega Red in a magnetic field and tells him that he should listen to Archangel, because he knows of what he speaks. X-23 approaches Blob with her claws at the ready and tells him not to make her do this. 'Do what? What kind of damage can a bootleg Wolverine with only four claws manage?' the Blob replies as he slams his fist into the ground around X-23, attempting to knock her back. X-23 growls and raises her claws in response.
'Is Legion alive?' Betsy Braddock a.k.a. Psylocke asks as she, Jean Grey and Lucas Bishop walk over to where Legion's body is slumped against a wall. Jean kneels beside Legion and reports that he is, but his mind is sort of shut down, that she can't reach him at all. Betsy attempts, but she can't either. She suggests to Jean that they could combine their efforts, but to be honest she is more concerned with where the kids are – Armor, Pixie, Rockslide and Glob were just here and were trying to talk sense into X-Man, and now they are all gone, she doesn't feel them anywhere. Jean adds that it is the same for Nate, X-Man, there is just nothing. Bishop asks if they are dead, to which Jean tells him that if it were that simple there would be bodies, but with Nate, he's so powerful he could be hiding from them – but all five of them disappearing and the Horsemen seeming confused by his disappearance makes her think that he is really gone, but she isn't sure to where and why.
Jean reports that she and Betsy will work together, trying to break into Legion's mind. 'It's all bloody disconcerting' Betsy remarks, when suddenly, 'You can say that again, Betsy' a voice calls out. Jean, Betsy and Bishop turn and look over to where Kitty Pryde is phasing through X-Man's large citadel. 'Kitty! You're here? Are you all right?' one of them asks. Kitty tells them that she has been better, but then again, she's been worse, too – including five minutes ago when she was powerless and tied to a chair and acting as part of an ill-advised council to X-Man. 'Council? I don't understand' Jean remarks, to which Bishop asks Kitty if X-Man kidnapped her so that she could advise him. 'I knew not all his dogs were barking... but that seems especially bizarre' Betsy declares. Kitty reveals that it gets weirder, as she wasn't the only one X-Man had. 'He also had Senator Allen here' Kitty points out as she helps Senator Ashton Allen from the citadel. 'And... well, there's no way to put this one delicately...Apocalypse' Kitty adds as the uber mutant steps out of the shadows!
At the Xavier Institute for Mutant Education and Outreach, protesters are still picketing the X-Men's home, as a reporter states that some celebrate while others mourn the destruction of the Xavier Institute, home of the X-Men. She continues, reporting that the tension here is palpable as New York State legislature debates the merits of introducing a new vaccine that will effectively eradicate the mutant x-gene. The report is watched by Victor Borkowski a.k.a. Anole, who goes wide-eyed as the reporter asks if they are close to the end of the era of Homo Superior. 'Anole?' a voice calls out. 'Feeling better?' Hank McCoy a.k.a. Beast asks, to which Anole replies that he is still a little sore, but getting there. 'Good' the Beast tells him, walking over to where Anole is sitting on the edge of the bed in the medlab, Beast informs him that they need to talk. 'Sure, what can I -?' Anole begins, to which the Beast frowns and tells Anole that he knows what he did. 'I'm...I'm not sure what you mean. Can you be more specific?' Anole asks, but the Beast tells him not to make this any more awkward than it is already by lying to him. The Beast informs Anole that he has footage from his labs, and he knows Anole stole the vaccine he had been developing – he wants to know why.
Back outside X-Man's citadel, 'Apocalypse!' Bishop shouts as he readies energy blasts, while Jean asks Kitty if she is okay. Apocalypse tells Bishop to put his weapon down, as they have bigger problems at the moment, so their rivalry will have to wait. 'Yeah, I'm still getting used to it too' Kitty remarks, before Betsy announces that they are in Legion's head. 'And we're not alone' Jean reports. 'Oh my...' Betsy gasps as Jean informs the others that they have found the younger X-Men, Armor, Glob, Pixie and Rockslide, only they look different. 'They're trapped inside Legion's head in some sort of... it looks like...' Jean begins. 'Hell' Betsy suggestions. 'Literally, they're in X-Man's home? The place he was created? It's a lab... Mr Sinister's... but he's gone... it's...' Jean begins as Bishop declares 'It's the Age of Apocalypse'.
Bishop explains that it is an alternate timeline created by Legion, that he has been there and hoped he would never have to return, but they have to save those kinds from that hell as soon as possible. 'Betsy, can you -' Bishop begins, before Kitty interrupts him, 'One moment' she starts to say, but Bishop tells her that he doesn't think she understands how traumatic that world is – they can't leave them there another second. Kitty tells Bishop that she does understand, but that they need to consider the situation before they act too quickly. She adds that none of them were able to contain X-Man, none of them could stop him, and right now, he's contained. Storm drops down near Kitty and points out that they are just children. 'Our children' she adds. 'So is Legion. And so is X-Man' Kitty remarks. Kitty declares that right now they are facing a world that wants them dad – the vaccine will wipe mutants out, so they can't have Legion and X-Man – the literal children of X-Men – running around, acting like gods and destroying whatever little goodwill the world still has towards them. 'Since we now have them incapacitated...we need to figure out how to solve this problem properly. The kids can buy us time. They're X-Men. They'd understand' Kitty remarks, while Storm frowns at her.
Bishop asks Kitty if she is insane, to which Kitty tells him that she doesn't like it, either. She adds that she has seen what X-Man can do – he's more powerful than he's ever been before, and they don't stand a chance against him – so at least this way they have time to make a plan. Apocalypse remarks that Kitty is not wrong, that there is no way she and the X-Men could defeat him. 'You have a chance to destroy both Legion and X-Man. And yet you are incapable of doing what needs to be done to ensure your own victory... a minor sacrifice for your own survival' Apocalypse points out, before raising his voice, he declares that he must do it for them: 'XAVIER'S CHILD MUST DIE!' He then leaps forward towards Legion, 'NOOOO!' Bishop shouts as he fires a blast of energy towards Apocalypse, while Storm readies a surge of lightning, and Jean and Betsy stand over Legion. 'Stop, Bishop!' Kitty calls out as she runs after Apocalypse. Jean causes a wall to collapse on Apocalypse. 'You ungrateful, ignorant swine -' Apocalypse remarks, while Jean tells Kitty that they can't do this – they kids deserve their help. 'Your emotions will be the end of you' Apocalypse warns the X-Men.
Jean keeps Apocalypse back with a telekinetic shove, while Apocalypse points out that this is a war and casualties are to be expected, that the lives of a few whelps should not even register as a concern. 'Hold up...no! That's not what I was saying!' Kitty calls out. Bishop turns to Betsy and asks her to put him in Legion's head, but Betsy tells him that she doesn't know if, or how that would work. 'I need you to try it' Bishop declares. 'Those kids... they need us' Bishop points out, while Betsy watches Jean telekinetically flip Apocalypse upside down. Bishop warns Betsy that if they don't do it now, they are dooming the kids to an eternity in that place – and that isn't something he would wish on his worst enemy. 'It's a bad place, Betsy. They don't deserve a fate like that' Bishop adds. 'Okay...' Betsy replies, before shoving a psionic blade into Bishop's head and through into Legion's head.
Back in the Age of Apocalypse: 'I'm sorry, Nate. But this ends now. GRRRAAAH!' Armor calls out as she is about to deliver the fatal blow to Nate Grey – until a voice shouts 'NO!' and Armor is knocked back by a powerful blast of energy. 'I can't let you kill him, Armor' Bishop announces as he appears. 'Bishop! Oh my God! We're saved!' Pixie gasps. Glob exclaims that he knew it – he knew that someday the X-Men would come for them. 'Umm...where are the rest of the X-Men?' he asks. 'You want to explain it to them or should I, Bish?' Armor asks. 'What're you on about, then?' Pixie asks. Armor tells her that there are no other X-Men, no rescue, it's just Bishop. Pixie tells her to quit lying, but Armor tells her that if she doesn't believe her to ask Legion how much the X-Men take care of their own – or Magik, or Kitty or Havok or Rogue. 'That's what we never understood back home. None of us. The X-Men are soldiers. And soldiers fall. We are lost X-Men' Armor remarks. Bishop frowns as he informs Armor that not everyone was ready to lose her yet. 'But enough were that you came along, right?'
'But enough were that you came alone, right? We've been in this hell for almost a year and -' Armor starts, but Bishop informs her that it has only been five minutes. 'Five...how is that...all we've done. What we've had to do to survive...' Armor utters, narrowing her eyes. Bishop tells her that he is sorry, and that he knows what it is like here. 'Then you understand why we have to kill X-Man. If he ever made it back he'd do something like this to -' Armor starts, but Bishop interrupts her, telling her that she doesn't. He knows Armor has seen the worst of humanity and mutantkind, but tells her she has to rise above that, that she can't let it change her, there are always other options than murder. 'That's rich coming from you. Is that what you tell yourself every time you see Hope?' Armor replies. 'You...you're not changed...' X-Man remarks as he gets to his feet and walks towards Bishop. 'He isn't changed! This isn't real. None of this is real' he remarks. X-Men decides that Bishop is smarter than he looks, which he supposes isn't hard.
Energy surrounds X-Man as he looks around himself and discovers Legion standing nearby. 'You made this! It's not real! We're in your subconscious!' he realizes. Legion tells Nate that he is sorry, but that it is the only prison that can hold him. 'I am the master of minds! You think you can hold me?' X-Man asks. 'I do' Legion responds as a brilliant light shines around him, he remarks that Nate will find that his mind is a little more complicated than what he is used to. 'Do you really think you're the first super-powered child to throw a tantrum in here?' he asks, motioning to the psyches around him that resemble various super heroes, 'We are Legion' Legion boasts. 'I know what you are, David. But I'm afraid you have no idea what I am' X-Man responds as his powers begin to harm the psyches around Legion, 'Wait! Don't -' Legion begins. 'Your father failed you. To soothe your broken mind he told you that there is a real you buried in there. He told you the mind is the self. What you are. I know the mind is but a tool. And tools can be taken away' X-Man declares, announcing that this is his mind now, as Legion appears to go blank, frozen in place.
X-Man drops back down to the ground where Bishop and X-Men students are gathered, 'Umm... what the hell is happening?' Rockslide asks. 'Why are they having a staring contest?' he enquires as X-Man and Legion look at each other. 'This is bad' Bishop remarks. 'How bad?' Armor asks, before Glob announces that he doesn't feel so well and is surrounded by energy.
Back in the true reality, Betsy is keeping watch over Bishop and Legion's bodies while Jean continues to keep Apocalypse at bay, as suddenly, the X-Men students re-materialize nearby. 'Hold crap! Are we home?' Pixie asks. 'This is real? We're normal again?' Rockslide asks they all look at their bodies, 'We changed back...' Glob remarks. 'We're home! It's amazing!' Pixie calls out, while Glob hangs his head and mutters that he didn't want to change back to this. 'What does your return here mean? Tell us how you defeated X-Man, children. Speak now' Apocalypse declares as he appears behind Pixie. 'Holy crap! Apocalypse!' Pixie gasps. Betsy tells Bishop that she is shuffed that this all worked out, but that she has had it with mucking around in her teammates' heads. Bishop tells Betsy that he didn't do this, that X-Man did, and they need to figure out where he went right now. Jean looks up, '“Where” indeed' she remarks, as a figure appears nearby, energy rising around them, the figure is a combination of X-Man and Legion, who exclaims 'Your plan to destroy your god has failed, X-Men, now it's your turn!'
