First story:
(1995)
Alberta, Canada, where Wolverine had been warned away by the Clan D'Arqueness, who told him that he no longer needed to carry the burden of protecting the world from the Truth – the demon they had summoned during World War II.
On a clear day, Elizabeth Twoyoungmen a.k.a. Talisman stands on a snow-covered ground, a sprawling forest behind her, she holds a bunch of dark flowers in one arm, while smelling another of the flowers and smiling. Several wolves wait at her feet, when suddenly, the immensely powerful young sorceress clutches her head and screams. The wolves howl as Talisman drops to her knees, 'W... W... Wolverine' she gasps.
But Logan is very bad at listening.
The X-Mansion, in New York, where Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Storm and Colossus gather as a mystic projection of Talisman appears before them. 'You're sure, Talisman?' Wolverine frowns. Talisman tells him that she is, and reminds him that he asked her to set a magical trip wire along the Weirdways so she would know when his demon once again tried to touch this world. Talisman explains that the demon isn't just touching the world, it is clawing – digging – itself out from Hell – and it will be with them soon.
After every battle Logan and his mutant friends had won, why wouldn't he be confident? This was just another fight.
'Then we don't have much time' Wolverine announces, arms folded. Hands on hips, Cyclops turns to Wolverine and asks him to tell them again what they will be facing, as he was a little vague when he went over this before. 'Ain't like I'm an expert, Stretch' Logan replies, explaining that he has only fought this thing four times, and the last time was about twenty years back. Logan declares that it is a demon, whatever that means, and that it calls itself the Truth. 'But devils lie. That's their whole thing' Cyclops points out. 'Maybe it thinks it's being ironic' Logan suggests, before adding that it is bad news.
Wolverine continues, explaining that the Truth comes to Earth about once every decade, and never to the same place twice – it picks the worst place in the world and just pops out. Wolverine tells his teammates that if it doesn't get stopped there, banished with some kind of spell, then it can't be banished, and it gets stronger with every person it kills. Jean asks if they go to wherever the demon appears and keep it there until Talisman has a chance to banish it, to which Wolverine confirms that is the plan. Jean asks how they will know where to go, to which Talisman reports that she will know, as she will be able to feel its presence now that she is attuned to it, and whenever it emerges, she can teleport them there.
Colossus asks if they can kill this beast, but Wolverine tell him that it doesn't seem like it, that you can't kill the Truth, all you can do is send it back and buy the world another ten years, at least that is what the witches told him, anyway. Cyclops frowns and tells the X-Men that it is time to go save the world.
But this is not just another fight. And Logan should have listened.
Shortly, at the Eruption of Soufriere Hills in Montserrat. Cyclops cries out in agony as he fires an optic blast – but is brutally struck down by aother surge of energy that the horrible demon known as the Truth fires at him, causing him to drop to the ground, motionless. 'Scott, NO!' Jean screams while slamming a telekinetic blast into the Truth, who grins wickedly. Storm hovers back from the battle while Wolverine closes in on the Truth, claws at the ready, and Talisman crouches nearby. Suddenly, Colossus calls out to Jean, 'Watch out!' he warns her, before lunging at her, pushing her to safety away from the blast which he takes the brunt of.
Storm joins the battle, blasting the Truth with lightning, while Jean attempts to hold the Truth in place telekinetically. Talisman reaches out and puts a hand on Wolverine's shoulder, informing him that she needs to know the spell to cast to send the demon back. 'Quickly, before anyone else dies!' she exclaims. Logan looks back at his ally and tells her that he doesn't know it. 'The witches always -' Logan begins, when suddenly, the Truth leaps forward and grabs Talisman by her neck.
The Truth is no fool, it has gone after the only person in the battle with a chance of sending it back. None of the others have any magic. And the Truth seemingly snaps Talisman's neck. With Talisman gone, the Truth can focus on the others, and it looks to the sky where Storm furiously shouts 'DIE!' as she casts a powerful surge of lightning towards the demon, who somehow “grabs” the lightning, and hurls it back towards a wide-eyed Storm, 'By the Goddess...' Storm utters, before the blast of lightning impales her, and blasts out the other side of her body.
Jean collapses back into Wolverine's arms, 'Dead...dead...so many dead...I can feel them dying in my mind' she exclaims, clutching her head, while Colossus tries to put the flames out that dart across his back, and tells Logan that the psychic shock of Scott, Talisman and Ororo, he fears Jean cannot function. 'How can we fight this demon?' Colossus asks. Still clutching her head as Logan lays her on the ground, Jean calls out to Scott, telling him that she can feel him, she asks him if he is dead, while
Wolverine answers Colossus' question by telling him that they will defeat this demon together. 'We'll do it together' he reiterates as he pops his claws and prepares to facwe down the horrid demon.
They were so brave, Logan and his X-Men – so brave to even try. 'STOP!' a voice suddenly, screams, and Logan, Colossus and the demon turn to see a young woman with long blonde hair on a ledge nearby. She wears a black costume with some silver armor and clenches her fists, 'You've done enough' she declares, before a familiar SNIKT sound is heard as she pops a set of claws of her own – claws that appear to be a blueish-white color. She then lunges towrds The Truth – and slices his right arm off. The Truth responds by slamming his other arm into the mysterious woman's face. She tries to strike him again with her claws, but she misses, and the Truth slams his fist into her, knocking her backwards. 'Not this time, you bastard' the young woman exclaims as the Truth leaps at her, so she kicks him in his abdomen. She then raises her claws again, 'Not...today!' she warns him, while summoning forth a strange glowing ball of energy – as it moves closer to the Truth, it envelops him, and the horrid demon vanishes. 'Until next time, Devil. Remember my face. I'll be waiting for you' she announces.
As Wolverine and Colossus check on Jean, the mysterious blonde woman approaches them and tells them that she is sorry. 'We told you not to come, Wolverine. This is no longer your fight' she remarks, to which Colossus asks Logan if he knows this woman. 'I don't know her, Colossus' Wolverine replies, removing his maks, he stands up and moves away from Jean, motioning to the blonde woman, he announces that he is pretty sure she is his daughter!
