X-Force #20

After a satellite launch accident, Cable's ship Graymalkin is unveiled in Earth's orbit! It's a race to space for X-Force and S.H.I.E.L.D.!

Graymalkin is uncovered during a Stark Industries satellite launch and the find brings SHIELD knocking to Cable's old base of operations. X-Force, upon finally getting communications set up in Camp Verde, see the station and teleport. The team finds a familiar voice in Professor, but the reunion with Ship is short-lived, as SHIELD has breached the base.

Synopsis

Stark Industries is just about to place online a satellite that will change the face of communications. Sadly, the new satellite is released directly in the path of the cloaked Graymalkin. The electro-magnetic forces from the collision unmask Cable's huge space base. The workers are dumbfounded.

In Washington, photos of the space station circulate. Val Cooper is brought in to Henry Peter Gyrich's office because he'd like her X-Factor team to find out if the base belongs to Cable. Val knows someone who'd be far more interested: SHIELD.

Upon hearing that one of Cable's bases may have been found, G.W. Bridge demands an audience with Nick Fury and requests to be let in on the task. Knowing of Bridge's desire to take Cable down, Fury allows Bridge to rejoin on a provisional basis, with some conditions. A little later, James Rhodes informs SHIELD that they can't take any action on the newly discovered base. Law states that salvage rights belong to Stark Industries since their satellite hit the thing. Fury asks to let a SHIELD expedition through and Rhodes agrees, with some conditions.

At the X-Force base of Camp Verde, Sunspot holds a communications bunker aloft as Cannonball, Rictor, and Lila Cheney attempt to fix the wiring. Shatterstar works out off to the side and gets annoyed by Feral's continued use of the name "Shattybuns." Fed up, Shatterstar walks to the team project and does a quick tune-up. Flustered, Cannonball asks why Shatterstar hadn't offered to fix the communications an hour ago. Simply, they didn't ask him to. After fifteen minutes or so, the machinery kicks to life and Lila is able to pick up some news. The team learns that a space station has been found. They immediately assume that it is Cable's old space base, Graymalkin. Cannonball doesn't hesitate when he orders the team to gear up. (Warpath, Boomer, and Siryn are out getting supplies.) In no time, Lila has the team teleported up. Cannonball agrees that the place looks like what Wolverine and Bishop described from their stay there. To clinch the fact that this is Cable's base, a voice greets Cannonball. The voice sounds familiar, like that of the old X-Factor Ship.

Inside Tina Valentino's home, the proprietor once again tries to coax her guest out from her room. Tina tells Copycat that she's seen her in all kinds of morphs, this one can't be too odd. Copycat finally opens the door and steps out. Tina is flabbergasted. Copycat has morphed into a Tina duplicate.

Down Under, Domino enters a bar. She spots a big guy in the corner and makes her way towards him. It's her old Six Pack pal, Grizzly. He mentions that he's out of the game and that's why he slinked away from the Weapon: PRIME debacle. Domino doesn't care. She needs help finding Cable's X-Force. He agrees to help.

In a Swiss Alps mountain home, the External Nicodemus lies ill. Doctors have no clue what could be ailing him, as he seemed to have recently been in perfect health. One doctor notes that Nicodemus's temperature is rising and that Gideon should be summoned. Too late, as Nicodemus explodes into a fiery explosion that kills all the doctors. Gideon rushes to the room to find everyone dead, including Nicodemus, the first External to die.

Back at Graymalkin, a SHIELD space craft approaches. On-board is Nick Fury, G.W. Bridge, Network Nina, and Alexander Pierce. Dubbed the Colombus Team, they leave their craft and float towards the behemoth space station. Bridge works on gaining access. Inside, Cannonball still can't believe that he's talking to Ship again - though he is told countless times that the name is Professor and not Ship. Cannonball rebuts this with facts about the Professor's past. Professor doesn't remember anything before the year 3761 AD. Before the debate can go any further, Professor announces a hull breach. X-Force gets a visual of Fury's team and heads out to take them on.

Network Nina relates that her powers are useless due to an electromagnetic interference. This work for X-Force, as they are able to surprise the team with an ambush. Fury is the first hit. Bridge sees X-Force and shouts that Cable must be involved. Feral and Shatterstar correct him. They also take down Alexander and Nina. Bridge tries to come to his team's aid but is stopped by Rictor. This shocks him, as Rictor was on his team the last time SHIELD scuffled with X-Force. Regardless, Rictor knocks him out of the fight. Cannonball takes out Fury and X-Force regroups. They determine that they'd better leave before any reinforcements arrive.

Reinforcements arrive. The team turns around to see War Machine.