
"Paradise Found" - Mr. Sinister kidnaps Moira
MacTaggert and her teenage son. The X-Men hurry to the rescue, unaware that they're
walking into a carefully-planned trap. While Rogue and Storm fly over Muir Island,
searching for Sinister and the Nasty Boyz, Xavier and his other students investigate the
research center. Sinister and his henchmen utilize Proteus's awesome matter-warping powers
to catch them, then disable their mutant abilities with portable anti-mutant generators.
Undaunted by the loss of
their unique talents, Beast and Banshee devise an ingenious plan to escape from Kevin's
specially-shielded chambers before Sinister can steal Moira's genetic samples. Morph's
unexpected arrival turns the battle around, allowing the X-Men to capture Sinister.
Rogue is badly injured in the
desperate struggle. Moira devises a method which should allow her to accept Gambit's blood
transfusions, but her mutant abilities backlash, nearly killing her. In desperation,
Wolverine forces her to absorb his healing abilities. Her body stabilizes and absorbs
Gambit's genetic code, allowing her to finally touch him...for a while.
Meanwhile, Xavier realizes
that Kevin may actually be his son, and offers to stay on Muir Island and train
the boy.
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"Paradise Found - Epilogue" - What really happens when Gambit and Rogue are finally left alone! (x-rated)
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"Serpent's Kiss" - Wolverine and Storm are each being
haunted by persistent dreams of having been married in an alternate universe. When Cerebro
discovers a new, malevolent lifeform in the ancient pre-Aztec ruins of Teotihuacan, they
head down to Mexico to investigate. They're promptly attacked by a huge flying
serpent...the evil 'god' that once brought destruction to the holy city. Storm believes
that she unwittingly released the serpent from its temporal prison by having taken a
sacred amulet from the ruins many years ago.
Dr. Amaldio, the only
surviving archaeologist, aids them by revealing Teotihuacan's most carefully-guarded
treasure--a buried chamber which functions as a nexus between alternate timelines. There
they discover that they were married in a different universe, and are shaken by the deep
love they shared in that life. They waver between remaining in that alternate timeline and
returning to their own world.
Their need to protect each
other and Amaldio from the deadly serpent finally strengthens them. They reluctantly
abandon the other-world and their dreams of finding true love, and join forces to defeat
their ancient nemesis.
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"Beastly Encounter" - Professor Xavier has accepted an
unusual new student--a young human with unprecedented mutant abilities. Beast flies out to
the Parkwood Mutant Institute to collect her, and is stunned to discover that Carly
is Xavier's new empath ("Beauty and the Beast" ). On their return trip,
she explains how being blind strengthened her innate empathy while providing a convincing
cover for her growing talent.
Without warning, they're
attacked by powerful missiles which nearly destroy Beast's mini-jet. They crash-land in
the mountains, and Beast cannibalizes the jet to provide shelter from an approaching
blizzard. Yet before the X-Men can arrive to rescue them, they're found by mutant-hating
lumberjacks. Carly poses as a circus performer and uses her empathic abilities to calm
them when she introduces Beast as her 'pet'.
Jake and his men escort them
down to their camp, where they're attacked by three evil mutants who are holding the other
lumberjacks hostage. Though Beast is furious that Jake planned to betray them, he risks
his own life to rescue the hostages. A fourth mutant, the Sultan, captures Carly, but the
X-Men's timely arrival thwarts his escape. While Wolverine fights the Sultan, the other
X-Men capture Mystique and her two new partners, Vanguard and the illusionist, Jason
Wyngarde.
The Sultan tries to kill
Carly by unleashing his full destructive telepathic abilities, but she instinctively taps
into Jean and Scott's psychic rapport to defeat him. Too late, Jean discovers that Carly
destroyed the Sultan's mind by turning his own fears against him.
Though the X-Men manage to
protect Jake and his men in the ensuing fight, Mystique and her allies escape. The
lumberjacks finally realize that mutants aren't inherently evil, and a tentative
friendship begins when the X-Men help rebuild their damaged camp.
"The Sphinx Saga" - a seven-part mini-series which spans the entire galaxy...and beyond. This one-page introduction gives a brief history of the Egyptian Pyramids and mystical Sphinx. It also tells about the sacred chamber buried beneath the Sphinx's front paws, and hints at hidden treasures which renowned psychics and prophets have been predicting for decades.
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"Timeless Treasure" - A French telekinetic, Henré
D'Argent, and his team of archaeologists have finally opened the fabled Sphinx's chamber.
They're stunned to discover a large hexagonal alien artifact inside the chamber, which
starts to glow as they approach it. Meanwhile, Cerebro records an unusual psychic pulse
emanating from the Cairo region. Xavier realizes that it must be linked to D'Argent's
excavation. Storm and D'Argent are close friends, so she asks Xavier to join her in Egypt
and learn what caused the psychic disturbance. Wolverine, Beast, Gambit, and Rogue
accompany them.
The team secretly meets with
D'Argent, who tells them more about his unexpected discovery. Beast fears that the ancient
alien device may be linked to their old enemy, Apocalypse. It starts to glow as they
approach it; then glowing beams of light shoot out of its sides and fasten on Xavier.
Rogue throws herself in their path, trying to protect him. Xavier thinks he sees a ghostly
image separate from her body and disappear into the device's hazy center just before the
beams shut off again. Rogue falls to the floor, unconscious.
Before any of them can react,
armed guards charge down the tunnel, ready to attack them.
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"Separation Anxiety" - The X-Men combine forces to
escape from the sacred chamber and return to the hidden Blackbird. When Rogue finally
regains consciousness, she doesn't remember any of her teammates or even her own name--the
alien beams seem to have completely wiped away her memories. She's frightened by her first
glimpse of Beast...then stunned to learn that she and Gambit are married. Xavier
psychically soothes her while they return to the mansion.
Jean and Xavier enter rapport
with the other X-Men, psychically recording every memory that deals with Rogue. Then they
take turns implanting those memories back into her mind. Gambit realizes that because her
memories are incomplete, Rogue may not directly remember loving him. Later, Xavier tells
him that the alien device appears to be a portal between their world and another unknown
place. Carol Danvers has apparently escaped from Rogue's mind and traveled through the
portal, but may have taken Rogue's memories with her.
Rogue slips out of the
mansion before dawn and returns to her childhood home, hoping to regain more of her
memories. She finds that her father's house has been deserted for years, then relives the
trauma of discovering that she was a mutant. Gambit has secretly followed her, and is
waiting for her down by the river. When he sees her crying, he emerges from the shadows
and promises that somehow they'll find a way to restore her memories. She insists that she
needs to travel through the portal herself, and he finally agrees to accompany her.
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"The Nexus" - Professor Xavier reluctantly agrees that
Rogue's only chance to regain her memories may be to travel through the alien portal.
Storm and Wolverine volunteer to accompany Gambit and her. Beast gives Storm his precious
Shi'ar multicorder, which he's programmed to interpret most of the alien symbols.
The X-Men return to the
Sphinx's sacred chamber and approach the ancient portal. It promptly activates, and
surrounds the four travelers with golden light. One by one, they vanish into its center.
When the 'Sphinx Team'
tumbles through the other side of the portal, they find themselves in a large pristine
chamber. The Nexus, a sentient super-computer, establishes contact with them through
Beast's multicorder.
Yet before they can venture
outside to explore, alien outlaws suddenly attack them. The initial blast throws Gambit
back against a wall. His teammates valiantly fight the raiders, but are eventually
captured. Just as Rogue loses consciousness, one of the aliens rolls Gambit over and she
sees the gaping hole in his chest armor. Gambit is dead.
Back on Earth, the X-Men are
returning home in the Blackbird when they get an emergency call from Moira MacTaggert.
Sinister's henchmen have attacked her laboratory and freed their evil leader. Xavier
immediately agrees to help her, and changes course for Muir Island.
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"Sinister Games" - Sinister's men caused widespread
destruction when they attacked Muir Island. Morph is already helping Banshee and Moira
repair the damage, so the X-Men offer their assistance.
Too late, Beast learns that
only a full telepath can activate the portal. When Cyclops accuses the weary scientist of
negligence, Morph offers to assume Xavier's form and travel through the portal himself.
Though his offer is tempting, Xavier decides that Morph should help track down and
recapture Sinister before he causes more damage.
He and his students return to
the mansion, and begin their search. Sinister has already attacked a biological research
station in the Amazon jungle. While Jubilee sulks in her room, Morph and his teammates
head for South America. Jubilee promptly sneaks down to the hangar and steals a mini-jet,
bound for Muir Island. When Xavier discovers that she's gone, he contacts Moira, and
learns that Kevin has also disappeared.
Before he can follow the
errant teenagers, Henré D'Argent calls and accuses him of stealing the alien portal. Then
he realizes that Sinister and his henchmen attacked D'Argent's camp immediately after
Kevin and Jubilee disappeared into the sacred chamber. Though the teenagers escaped
through the portal, they and every other telepath on the planet are now in danger from
Sinister.
Xavier contacts several
telepaths, including his one-time student, Psylocke, to warn them about Sinister's
schemes. Psylocke scoffs at his warning and hangs up on him. Xavier decides to fortify the
mansion for any mutant who requests sanctuary. Morph returns to Muir Island, and takes
Banshee with him to Russia, to enlist Colossus's aid.
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"Deadly Rendezvous" - Morph and Banshee find Colossus
teaching his townspeople how to play football. He agrees to help Xavier, and brings along
his young sister, Ilyana, for Xavier's evaluation. When Xavier shakes her hand in
greeting, the room seems to shiver and whirl around them. Shaken, he agrees to train her
when her mutant powers emerge.
Kevin and Jubilee have
arrived at the Nexus planet. The empty dome shows signs of a fierce battle, and they find
a scrap of Wolverine's uniform wedged in the shattered wall. Dismayed, they rush outside
and head for the distant mountains, searching for their teammates.
Meanwhile, two aliens are
supervising a robotic medical renovator. While it repairs their 'witness' and restores its
life, they watch Kevin and Jubilee through their monitors. Then they communicate with
their witness using holograms and simple symbols. The witness--Gambit--is infuriated when
he realizes that his captors are interstellar cops. Finally he agrees to help them track
the outlaws who kidnaped his partners.
Proteus and Jubilee reach the
mountain's shelter just as the slavers' ship soars overhead, bound for the Nexus chamber
again. They hide in the trees, then climb to the top of the mountain and find their path
blocked by sheer cliffs and a vast ocean. They decide to resume their search in the
morning, and set up camp under a large overhanging rock.
Back on Earth, Archangel
scolds Psylocke for being so rude to Xavier. She challenges him to rejoin Xavier's team
himself, but he refuses to answer her and stalks away.
Meanwhile, Sinister has
brought the alien portal to his new lair, and is trying to decipher the hieroglyphs. He
decides to infiltrate Xavier's computer to learn the translations. While he contacts a
psychic who might help him access Cerebro, he plots to take over all the alien worlds on
the far side of the portal.
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"Deadly Rendezvous Interlude" - Kevin and Jubilee discover danger and passion beneath the moonlit skies on the Nexus planet. (x-rated)
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"When the Hunter Becomes the Prey" - Xavier finds
Ilyana browsing through his large library, and gives her a very old book about Merlin and
Camelot. Then he telepathically links with her and teaches her how to read in English.
That evening, Beast invites her to a workout session in the Danger Room. When Xavier
pushes her to a crisis point, her mutant abilities abruptly surface. She uses a broken
stick as the focus for an immense surge of energy, and shatters a Sentinel's head. Xavier
and his team watch a slow-motion replay later, and Beast likens her maneuver to Merlin
using a magical wand.
The sun is just rising on the
Nexus planet, so Proteus and Jubilee resume their search. Proteus creates a tube of water
which safely carries them down the sheer cliffs, then they ride it like a surfboard to the
nearest island. They're unaware, as they vanish into the trees, that Gambit and the two
alien cops are monitoring them from a distance.
Meanwhile, the remaining
three X-Men are trying to escape from their large crystalline cell in the slavers' cave.
When their combined efforts fail, Rogue finally admits that she saw Gambit killed. As they
subside in shock, their captors gleefully watch them from a distance and plot to enslave
Earth.
Back on Earth, Sinister has
gathered his invasion force. Juggernaut and Black Tom join Omega Red, Deadpool, and
Mystique's Brotherhood. Sabertooth drags along his son--Graydon Creed, Jr.--and Mystique
finds herself taking pity on him. Only Sinister's proposed telepath is missing. Furious at
her refusal to join his elite band, the evil scientist sends his men to capture her.
On the Nexus planet, Kevin
and Jubilee locate the slavers' island. One of the outlaws captures them, but they're
rescued by Carol Danvers. The former heroine recognizes them through Rogue's memories, but
doesn't remember anything since she and Rogue battled many years ago. Then Gambit and the
alien cops arrive, and again Rogue's memories briefly resurface. Shaken, Danvers follows
Gambit into the slavers' cave to help rescue his teammates.
Danvers is mortally wounded
in the ensuing battle. Rogue reabsorbs Danvers' spirit to save her life. As they merge,
Rogue's memories are restored. She 'sees' an array of poignant memories that culminates
with her wedding. Yet when she and Gambit try to kiss each other, both receive a massive
electrical shock. Now they seem to repel each other's life energy.
Subdued, they prepare to
return to Earth. Kevin and Jubilee finally warn them that Sinister may have taken the
portal, and that they may be walking into a trap.
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"Games Mutants Play" - Morph returns to tell Xavier
that he's located Sinister's lair by spying on Emma Frost. Sinister's men have kidnaped
her and taken her to his hideout. Xavier makes plans to attack Sinister and recapture the
portal before the Sphinx Team returns.
Sinister forces Emma Frost to
infiltrate Cerebro so that they can access Xavier's knowledge about the portal. When she
reluctantly focuses her telepathic abilities through the device, she realizes that she
can't allow Sinister to abuse its awesome power. Stalling, she psychically searches
Xavier's mansion to make sure that they aren't being traced--and discovers that Cerebro
has apparently been destroyed!
Before Sinister and his team
can enter the portal, the center dilates and the Sphinx Team charges into the cave.
They're badly outnumbered, but put up a valiant fight. Mystique allows Creed to avenge
himself against Sabertooth, then protects him by morphing into a section of the rocky wall
to hide him from view.
Xavier and his extended team
(Cyclops, Jean, Beast, Morph, Banshee, Nightcrawler, and Colossus) join the battle.
Deadpool tries to ambush Xavier, but Archangel and Psylocke arrive just in time to rescue
him. Though Sinister's and Mystique's henchmen escape, the X-Men capture the other evil
mutants.
Xavier explains that he moved
Cerebro's vast resources to Muir Island, deliberately leaving the mansion open to attack,
to confuse and thwart Sinister. Carly and Ilyana are there with Moira, waiting for them.
When they reach Muir Island,
they find that a beautiful grove of trees has mysteriously appeared on the island's
western tip. Moira tells them that Ilyana created it by casting a magical spell from
Xavier's book. Xavier realizes that he's the wrong person to train her, and considers
asking Beast to arrange a meeting with Dr. Strange.
Meanwhile, Carly tells Gambit
that a woman down in New Orleans left him an urgent message. Rogue accompanies Ilyana to
the magical grove while Gambit hurries inside to take the call.
When Gambit finally joins
Rogue, he explains that he has to return home, and doesn't know how long he'll be gone.
She finally remembers her real name, and whispers it in his ear. Though he likes it, he
decides that he's more comfortable calling her 'Rogue.' He kisses her hand and promises to
return, then turns and hurries away.
Rogue watches in silence as
his mini-jet rises into the air and disappears to the west. Then she bravely leaves the
magical grove and rejoins her teammates.
Ready to read the stories now?
Then click here to dive right into
Episode 1 - "Paradise Found"