Ozymandias recalls a mighty warrior, who faced En Sabah Nur and his Dark Riders thousand of years ago. He had a right arm made of metal, long hair in a ponytail and a flashing left eye. He was called the Traveler and roamed through time and space. He was barely a footnote in history, yet he influenced – knowingly or not – the future of the entire planet. He had disrupted the plans of Ozymadias’ master’s plans many times before…
(thousands of years ago)
Ozymandias watches as the Traveler – a much younger Cable – wages battle single-handedly with sword and shield. He’s more than a match for the more than dozen Dark Riders, so En Sabah Nur decides to fight him himself. Ozymandias is worried about his master’s life and what would become of him without En Sabah Nur. He watches as their swords clash repeatedly.
After awhile, the Traveler manages to knock Nur’s sword out off his hand, but Nur quickly picks up an axe. Kicking the Traveler off balance, Nur’s strength allows him to easily disarm the Traveler – and then sever the arm as well. However, instead of seeing blood, En Sabah Nur and his men see a shiny, metal substance; they are shocked to see that the arm is artificial. En Sabah Nur reels at this, telling the Traveler that her has seen similar wonders within the conveyance to the stars. What kind of man is he? On the ground, the Traveler replies that he is the man of tomorrow. With this, he pulls a gun on En Sabah Nur and shoots him in the head, then adding that that makes Nur history.
Rising, the Traveler then grabs his techno-organic arm and reattaches it, the two pieces reconnecting themselves. The Dark Riders stare at the dead body of En Sabah Nur for a minute, and then kneel before the Traveler, accepting him as their new master. However, the Traveler is not interested in them and turns towards Ozymandias. He tells the scribe that he has no interest to take Nur’s place. As he wipes his sword with Nur’s blood on Ozymandias hand, he instructs Ozymandias to remember that there is always somebody smarter and stronger around and that being fit to survive means that you have the responsibility to help those who are not. Ozymandias looks at the blood on his hand and thinks about it. He watches silently as the blood drips down between his fingers and mixes with Cable's techno-organic blood.
(today)
Somewhere in Akkaba, Ozymandias watches as blood pours from a fountain into a large container. He has thought of the day that Cable defeated Apocalypse often… especially in the days before another rising…
(three weeks ago)
On Providence, Irene Merryweather has gathered Kriek, Prester John, Deadpool and Black Box on the island’s infonet chamber. She has assembled the group to look for Cable, who has been missing for two weeks, though Deadpool seems more interested in the fact that “Who’s the Boss” seems even funnier when it’s translated into Farsi. He then notices a screen showing “the 700 Club” and states that why someone hasn’t elected Pat Robertson president is beyond him.
Returning to the subject, Irene informs the group that Cable has been missing for two weeks, but trail has been negligible. However, Kriek has found out through his Interpol connections that there have been several museum robberies during the last six months. Deadpool tells her that he could follow her up to the point where she said that Cable was on the Goodyear Blimp. Irene pauses for a moment, then realizes that he is mixing up “negligible” and “dirigible” and despairs that she could follow Deadpool’s twisted train of thoughts so easily. Deadpool thinks that they are destined to find great love.
Deadpool thinks that they want his help and therefore tells them to ask him. When Irene asks Deadpool to help them, Deadpool, pleased with himself, tries to bodyslide by two, but nothing happens. Deadpool is confused why their whole “mutual teleporting schtick” they had going on isn’t working, but Irene thinks he’s useless and turns to Black Box. Black Box tells them that Cable had been investigating the museum thefts over the past few months, so he can provide a very faint trail to follow. While Irene wonders why Cable was doing this, Deadpool tells her that this means they are going on a road trip. He turns to exit and announces that he’ll pack the massage oil.
Ancient China, somewhere near the Ho-Lo Shan Mountains and years after his last battle with En Sabah Nur, the Traveler ambushes a caravan. Quickly besting the guards, he finds that they are transporting a large piece of advanced technology. The caravan doesn’t know what it is, but the Traveler tells them that they do know who wants it. He hides himself on the cart until it arrives at its destination: a village where Ozymandias is waiting for them. Appearing from beneath the tarp, the Traveler threatens Ozymandias with his gun and asks him where they found technology from the future. To the Traveler’s surprise, Ozymandias corrects him: this technology was found in the ancient past.
(today)
In the present, Deadpool and Irene arrive at Akkaba, where they find a Sphinx, with Apocalypse’s face. They quickly contact Black Box, who confirms that the stolen goods from the museum where heading to the place. Irene and Deadpool wonders why Cable isn’t there if he was ahead of them, or why he hadn’t just destroyed the place.
Unconcerned, Deadpool just pushes onward and cuts a hole in the side of the Sphinx for the two to enter. Once inside, Wade warns Irene that she should have stayed outside. Irene basically agrees, but notes that somebody should be along to stop Deadpool from doing something incredibly stupid that may result in the end of the universe. Deadpool has to admit that she has a point.
On a wall within, Irene discovers hieroglyphs, though to her surprise she sees that the they are actually Chinese. Transmitting the images back to the base, Irene asks Black Box to translate. Black Box quickly complies, informing her that it appears to be derived from the Hakka dialect: “In appreciation of the struggle. In adulation of the onslaught. In preparation for the rising of Apocalypse.”
Deadpool and Irene look at each other in shock. Deadpool thinks it’s cool, though Irene thinks he’s crazy. Running into the dark hallways, Deadpool rushes ahead, with Irene running behind. Entering an illuminated chamber, Irene sees Deadpool fighting strange, armored beings who appear to be techno-organic in nature. Deadpool declares them to be living, breathing, walking McFarlane toys.
While he fights, Irene asks Black Box to translate more. She needs to know what the creatures are protecting. Deadpool doesn’t care, however. He just wants to fight. Running from the fray, Irene hides, but then notices something odd. Black Box sees it also through their Comm-link: a smaller Sphinx floating within the larger Sphinx they are within.
Black Box identifies the technological foundation being Celestial in nature, matching the Celestial Ship Apocalypse used. However, he also notices traces of Badoon and Skrull technology. Whoever built the craft pieced it together from various sources.
Suddenly, the body of one of the armored creatures lands near Irene and she screams as she jumps. Exacerbated, she yells out for Nathan. A moment later, in response, she sees that the Sphinx opening and tells Black Box that she thinks she just wet herself.
Next, also to her surprise, Deadpool appears and asks her if he may see. Irene yells at him, “They are following you!” replying to the armored creatures behind him. When he replies, “I heard you scream,” she yells back again, “But they are following you!” To this, he again yells back: ”But I heard you scream!” Irene decides to stop this conversation, because somebody is coming out of the spaceship. When Deadpool thinks aloud that this is all very cool, Irene calls him an idiot, since he couldn’t stop the “dog soldiers.” To this, Deadpool replies that he’s pretty sure they’re called the Dark Riders. Dismissing this, Irene replies that if he can’t stop them, how does he expect to stop Apocalypse?
To Irene and Deadpool’s surprise, the Dark Riders bow to the man coming out of the tomb: Cable. Cable, with Ozymandias standing behind him, tells her that she is correct… but whoever said he wanted to stop Apocalypse from coming back?
