Continued from X-Men #14. A knock-down drag-out fight involving almost every character in the X-books. X-Factor and the X-Men hunt down X-Force in hopes of finding Cable who they believe attempted to kill Professor X. An immense battle ensues, half of X-Force is injured and the other half retreats, eventually surrendering.
The Gold X-Men team hunts down Apocalypse's Horsemen and take them down in a warehouse.
Cable is back in the present and readying himself.
Mr. Sinister shows up at the X-Mansion and threatens Val Cooper and Stevie Hunter. Bishop shoots him in the head to no avail, Sinister departs after leaving a message about who the X-Men really need to be worrying about.
Forearm presents Jean Grey and Cyclops all wrapped up to Stryfe who calls them mother and father. Story continues in Uncanny X-Men #295.
Note: Siryn doesn't know yet that the Madrox she knew and cared about wasn't the real, X-Factor Madrox.
Synopsis
X-Force stares down the combined Blue Team, a task force of X-Men and X-Factor with the unenviable task of bringing in the younger mutants. Cannonball tries a bit of diplomacy, telling Havok that X-Force doesn't know what Cable is up to. Feral goes nuts. She smells a fight and jumps at the opportunity to fight. With the floodgates opened, the opposing sides clash. Cannonball blasts Havok. Wolverine takes on Shatterstar. Siryn waylays Madrox, despite their history (which he understandably doesn't remember, as it was a clone gone rogue that she loved). Wolfsbane takes on Rictor while Rogue makes light work of Boomer. Strong Guy rechannels Warpath's onslaught and returns it in spades. Wolverine claws his way through Shatterstar's gut and Havok nails Rictor as Cannonball calls for a retreat. Down to just himself, Sunspot, Siryn, and Feral, Cannonball leads the X-Force into a ravine and Wolverine follows.
The Gold Team lands the Blackbird at a warehouse in hopes of ensnaring Apocalypse. Their Cerebro scanner picks up Caliban's mutagenic signature and they move in. Archangel does an aerial survey while Quicksilver does the ground reconnaissance. Seeing nothing outside the warehouse the team bursts into the building. It's empty. The scanner reads that the Horsemen of Apocalypse are present but they are not seen. The ambush comes from above; Caliban and Famine drop in on the team. Famine strikes Beast and lets her blight suck the health right from his body. Storm and Iceman combine powers and freeze the two assailants. Beast, emaciated, sits on the floor. A holographic image sparks to life and Mr. Sinister congratulates the Gold Team on being able to move to the next round. He states that Apocalypse is not behind the plans up to this points but that the forever walker is still responsible.
In the X-Mansion, the real Mr. Sinister goads Bishop, as he doesn't thing the X-Man has it in him to deal with Sinister appropriately. Well capable of proving him wrong, Bishop shoots Mr. Sinister in the face. This action pleases Mr. Sinister, who rises and tosses Bishop aside like a rag doll. He then tells the company that he'd love to kill them but his machination will prevail this time. He drops a piece of paper on his way out disclosing the responsible party. Val Cooper reads the name and can't believe who Sinister says is behind this whole mess.
Cable, in his Switzerland safehouse, gets an update from Professor and arms himself to finally take out Stryfe, once and for all.
At Stryfe's hidden base, Forearm drags the bodies of Cyclops and Jean Grey to Zero. He awakens them and Stryfe presents himself to them, his so called mother and father.
In the ravine, the remnants of X-Force try to outwit Wolverine. They fail. Wolverine does a pass at the group and then disappears into the woods. This diversion is enough to allow Psylocke to nail Siryn in the head with a psi-blade. Feral turns to attack Psylocke when Wolverine returns and subdues her. Cannonball and Sunspot then see an army of Madroxes. The fight is over; they surrender. Taken into custody, Havok can't help but ask: "What do we do now?"
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