X-Force #30

Arcade is one messed up menace- if Shatterstar and Adam X don't kill one another, then Shatterstar's wife will pay with her life! In Ireland, Siryn and Warpath are greeted by some unwanted company at Cassidy Keep…

After fighting, Shatterstar and X-Treme team up to take down Arcade. Juggernaut and Black Tom are back in Ireland, just in time for Siryn to make a visit. Domino arrives at Camp Verde to help reunite X-Force.

Notes:

• X-Treme and Shatterstar first met in X-Force Annual #2.
• Also, Mr. Milbury was supposed to be Mr. Sinister, but this storyline was never furthered. (Adam X was supposed to be a rumored third Summers brother, something Sinister would be very interested in knowing.)
• On page 26, Windsong is speaking but the picture is colored to look like it is Ms. Locke, which gives the impression that Ms. Locke is speaking to control Windsong. This is not the case; it's just the wrong coloring.

Synopsis

Shatterstar and Adam X are engaged in a heated battle. Neither man wants to fight, as each esteems the other as solid warrior. Adam X feels he is fighting for a greater cause: a woman's life is on the line if he doesn't kill Shatterstar. He draws Shatterstar's blood and uses his mutant powers to ignite the electrolytes in his blood. Adam X turns to a video camera and tells Arcade that he refuses kill Shatterstar and demands that Arcade tell him the name of the contractor who wants him killed. Arcade refuses. Shatterstar awakens and Arcade instead shows the person he is hanging over Adam X's head: Windsong, a woman from Shatterstar's homeworld. Everyone is surprised to find that Windsong is Shatterstar's wife.

At Camp Verde, Cable finally gets an answer from Tempo: she won't join his team. She won't join any team. Tempo decides that she's had it with the superpowers game and departs to finish college. As she leaves, Domino drives up in a jeep.

In one of the bunkers, Siryn tries to clean up the mess she recently made while drunk. Warpath joins her and reaffirms his feelings for her, but also lays the foundation as just being her friend. Siryn admits that she is touched but that she really needs to get away. She invites Warpath to her home in Ireland. He is overjoyed. Meanwhile, Black Tom and the Juggernaut show up at Cassidy Keep, the family estate, and kills the family lawyer, whom has taken up residence.

Inside Murderworld, Shatterstar takes a bold move and throws his sword at Windsong. She shatters. Shatterstar and Adam X realize that Arcade is playing them for fools and they begin fighting back against their environment. They take out the cameras and try to make their way to Arcade's control room. They are waylaid by guards but easily take them out.

Arcade begins to panic, but Ms. Locke comes up with a plan. She figures that the men still don't know whether Arcade actually has Windsong or not so she pulls up another holographic image to greet the men as they storm the control room. Shatterstar sees no alternative if he means to save his wife and falls on his own sword. Arcade is thrilled and requests that Adam X be apprehended for a future adventure. Shatterstar revives, however, and stabs Arcade in the back. Arcade ends up having been a robot. The men turn on Ms. Locke and inform her to tell the contractors that the game is over. They leave and Shatterstar explains that he knew Windsong could not have actually been present in Murderworld since the two had never met each other, let alone developed any feelings to act as leverage over the two of them. He also knew his ability to heal himself would act as time bought for Arcade to lower his defenses.

The men split up and Rictor picks up Shatterstar. The men head back to Camp Verde and Shatterstar decides to open up to his friend about his past.