Issue+90+-+'Rebirth'


 * Issue 90 - 'Rebirth' **




 * Plot **

Has the eve of extinction arrived? The Phoenix Force, an immortal cosmic entity that’s the essence of destruction and creation, has reached Earth after leaving a trail of destroyed planets. Its intended host, eXalt Dagan Lightfoot, is no match for its raw power. The X-Men sought to control Dagan to use the Phoenix for their own ends while the Avengers hoped to protect her – or kill her, if need be. The eXalts were caught in the middle. As the Phoenix Force finally reached Earth, Tony Stark attempted one last desperate plan: he unleashed a blast of unimaginable power from his newly-created Phoenix Buster armor at the entity. When the smoke cleared, the Phoenix Force was no more… but it had instead split into five shards that each found a mutant host! The newly created Phoenix Five (X-Men team leader Scott “Cyclops” Summers, X-Man Ororo “Storm” Munroe, X-Corporation: Los Angeles CEO and eXalt ally Heather “Lifeguard” Cameron, former eXalt Dane “Panzer” Lightfoot, and eXalts team leader Samantha “Phantasma” Stone) spread to each corner of the globe to bring food, water and energy to poor areas of the world – all but Sam, who remained with the eXalts on Utopia. Over time, the benevolence of the other Phoenix Five turned to hubris. They outlawed war and destroyed the world’s nuclear stockpiles, even disarming S.H.I.E.L.D.  Their actions alarmed the Avengers. Steve Rogers, concerned that one or all of the Phoenix Five could become a Dark Phoenix, decided to seize the key to stopping them – Dagan! The eXalts faced off against the Avengers, and Cyclops (leader of the Phoenix Five) arrived to assist Phantasma. Then eXalt team member Carom used a shard of the M’Kraan Crystal to trap Sam but instead trapped himself. As Cyclops and Sam worked to close the rift opened by the crystal, Dagan willingly left with the Avengers. Cyclops, enraged, pronounced “No more Avengers!” In their ensuing quest to stop the superhero team, the Phoenix Four (Cyclops, Lifeguard, Panzer and Storm) begin capturing Avengers around the world. In one of those battles, the Scarlet Witch returned and actually injured Lifeguard. The Phoenix Four lashed out, and Lifeguard would have killed Hawkeye if it weren’t for Cyclops saving him. T’Challa (the Black Panther) injured his own wife, Storm. In the aftermath of the battle, Bastienne (merged with the Panther Goddess, Bastet) flew to Wakanda and joined her high priest, T’Challa. They spent the night together and ended up in bed. The next morning a dozen tornadoes struck the capital city – Storm had arrived! Bastienne teleported to the battle with T’Challa just as dozens of Avengers arrived with a new weapon: the Hulk! After a vicious battle, Storm was defeated – but the Phoenix energy within her transferred to the remaining Phoenix Four. The explosion of Phoenix energy drew Sam to the scene. She teleported the rest of the eXalts with her. They are surrounded by dozens of defeated Avengers and a destroyed capital city. Steve asks the eXalts if they will finally side with the Avengers. David wants to see Dagan, and Steve agrees. The eXalts teleport away with the Avengers, leaving behind three Phoenixes, each more powerful than before…  The eXalts materialize in a new place: K’un Lun, one of the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven. They stand in a courtyard in the midst of an ancient city. The nearby buildings suggest Asian architecture, though also an otherworldly style. The strangeness of the place is secondary to the primary concern: of the three dozen or so Avengers sent to stop Storm, two dozen have fallen! Mac moves to help the fallen heroes. Sam offers her energy to help him. They recognize She Hulk, The Thing, Spider Woman, Ms. Marvel, War Machine, Vision, Captain Britain, Valkyrie, and more. Though Mac stabilizes the dying, he’s unable to heal them further. Their Phoenix-inflicted wounds are incurable! Tony Stark was waiting for the Avengers to return. Steve tells him they were successful, but there were losses. Tony nods gravely and says the mission went like the past few –pyrrhic victories resulting in even more allies fallen or captured. As they talk, Bastienne notices that one of the fallen Avengers is none other than former Phoenix Five member Ororo “Storm” Munroe! She’s alive, but unconscious and very weak. Bastienne does what she can for the fallen woman, but she seems to be in a coma-like state.  Another familiar figure approaches: it’s Dagan! She hugs her teammates – even her father, David. Dagan is upset to see so many Avengers injured, but David says it’s not her fault – Captain America is to blame, as he escalated the situation with the Phoenix Five. Steve overhears and says it’s not the time for blame. Over the nearly one hundred active and reserve Avengers, over half have been captured. Another half of the remaining Avengers are too badly injured to fight, leaving only about two dozen left. Liam worries that Scott could follow Sam to K’un Lun, but Sam says travel between planes is difficult for the Phoenix Force because it’s a fundamental force of reality and therefore anchored there. Scott could find a way in time, however, so they’ll need to act soon. Steve says he hopes Sam can use her Phoenix-boosted psychic abilities to find the imprisoned Avengers. The other Phoenix Five are using their mental powers to keep them hidden, but as the only member of the Phoenix Five who was originally a telepath, Steve hopes Sam can break through their defense to locate the prisoners. Bastienne says Sam’s return to Earth will draw the other Phoenix Five out, so they must prepare for a fight. Steve says now is the time to recover, but they will strike soon. A servant leads the eXalts to a nearby monastery where they each have a small, spartan room.  Instead of resting, the eXalts gather in the entry area of the monastery to talk. David asks how Dagan is doing. She says she’s been training with a variety of teachers: Wolverine, the Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, the Iron Fist, and the Iron Fist’s own mentor, Lei Kung “The Thunderer.” Even after all that training (and training with the X-Men for months previously), she says she still hasn’t learned to control Phoenix Force energy. She feels like a failure. David tells her not to put too much pressure on herself. Captain America is the one pushing her to be the savior. He’s the one who put her in this position and caused the current conflict. From the doorway the eXalts hear Steve’s voice. “I’m getting a little sick of your moralizing, David,” he begins. “It’s a little hypocritical, considering you participated in the deaths of dozens of innocent civilians as a member of the Mutant Revolutionary Front.” News that David was a part of the terrorist’s group’s recent activities is a shock. It’s like a bomb went off in the room. Some eXalts are outraged by the news, others seem to be in disbelief, while some seem unsurprised by the revelation. In his defense, David says the eXalt’s team leader knew about his activities and condoned them. All eyes turn to Sam. She admits she knew he had secretly joined the MRF, but it was to work from inside the group to prevent civilian casualties. David adds that the MRF stopped bombing public places since he joined, or at least called ahead so the locations would be empty when the bombs went off. Dagan says the most recent bombing specifically targeted civilians, proving David a liar. David says the attack wasn’t supposed to go the way it did. He only did what he thought was right. Mac, clearly disgusted with David, says his actions will have consequences. Steve breaks in to say they need to work together now and can sort out the other issues later. David says that the Avengers need to communicate more and act unilaterally less. Steve agrees – he says he came to invite them to dinner that night to discuss plans. He then steps out.  Still reeling from Steve’s revelation about David, the eXalts split up to make use of their time before dinner. Sam, Dagan and Mac decide to find Doctor Strange. They find the former Sorcerer Supreme with the Red Hulk and Nova. Steven is happy to see that his son, Mac, is well. Mac is likewise pleased that Steven is okay, but he’s still upset that his father helped attempt to kidnap Dagan from Utopia – twice! Steven sighs. He says there’s rarely a time when everyone agrees. He didn’t agree with every aspect of Captain America’s plan, but in the end he trusts Steve Rogers and has to back his leader. Besides now is the time to plan for the threat at hand and figure out the next step to stop the Phoenix Four. Sam corrects him: Phoenix Three. Sam then asks if former eXalt student and Doctor Strange’s apprentice Amanda is in K’un Lun. Her powers could be useful. Steven says she isn’t an Avenger so she’s safe on Earth. She’s handling his affairs from the Sanctum Sanctorum. Mac asks to talk to his father privately. The Red Hulk and Nova agree to take a break and return later. Nova warns Sam that Scott will try to take her power. Red Hulk tells Dagan that she must keep training. Mac and Steven are alone for the moment. Mac asks if there’s a way to recharge the powers he’s lost recently. Steven says the artifact within him can only be recharged in specific ways. He confirms what Mac learned through research: a powerful energy source like the Phoenix Force should recharge Mac’s powers. Steven produces a scroll that contains an ancient spell that should help. Mac thanks him and wishes his father well. Steven reminds Mac that no one is ever fully in the right. All you can do is make the best choice you can when you must. He tells Mac that Dagan is the key to the Phoenix and that the eXalts must protect her the best they can. Meanwhile Sam can tell Dagan is upset. Sam says, “talk to me.” Dagan says she knows everyone expects her to be the weapon to stop the Phoenix Force, but no matter how hard she trains she can’t control Phoenix energy. Sam reassures Dagan that she’s more powerful than she knows. Dagan asks Sam how she controls the Phoenix Force shard. Sam says she tries to avoid using the power. It’s an alien entity and the power isn’t hers. Dagan has a more innate connection to the Phoenix Force somehow and, when the time comes, she’ll know what to do.  Elsewhere, Liam and Bailey explore the city. They’re intrigued by the sights and smells of the city. Ever since the Avengers attacked Utopia and he was exposed to Sam’s and Scott’s Phoenix energy, Bailey’s senses have been heightened. His skin also turned blue, but when his teammates asked him about the change he pleaded ignorance. While his skin color returned to normal, his senses are still enhanced. Liam, meanwhile, feels a pull to a certain area of the city. He is drawn to an ancient shrine to a former Iron Fist: Fongji Wu. Liam heard of the female warrior while on a spirit quest to the Under City, one of the other Seven Capital Cities of Heaven. An ancient sage in the Under City told Liam that the Phoenix was once repelled by Fongji Wu. As he ascends the stairs to her tomb, Liam can sense Fonji Wu’s spirit. He reaches out and communicates with the spirit. The spirit recognizes Liam’s strength and offers its blessing, though the power will come at a cost. Liam decides to accept the offer. A giant spiritual dragon emerges from the tomb and merges with Liam. The spirit wasn’t Fongji Wu’s – it was Shou Lao, the dragon of K’un Lun that gives the Iron fist its powers! Bailey steps back, amazed.  Back at the monastery, Bastienne is on David “babysitting” duty but grows bored. She decides to gets cleaned up for dinner. David uses his light powers to create a deck of cards and plays solitaire. He hears a cape swishing against the floor and turns to see Wanda “the Scarlet Witch” Maximoff enter. She says it was time to finally meet her brother (as they share the same father, Magneto). With a wave of her hand she turns the playing cards into a Tarot deck and begins doing a reading for him. As she lays out the cards, David says Magneto didn’t raise him, but he’s still a good father because he works to ensure the safety of him and all mutants. Wanda says she always felt more drawn to Xavier’s teachings. David says Xavier’s dream is admirable, but his methods have failed. Wanda says that David reminds her of their father – then amends that and says he reminds her of Scott. David says Scott did a lot of good with the Phoenix Force for a time before he was drawn towards using the powers for evil. Wanda wonders which David they’ll get – the one that admires Xavier or the one that resembles Magneto or Scott. There’s one way to tell. She lays out a card representing David’s past: Temperance. It represents good judgment and control, though Wanda is concerned because it implies David’s good judgment is in the past. The next card is for his present: The Devil. It implies that David is trapped in an unhealthy lifestyle. Lastly, she lays out the card that foretells his future: the Moon. She frowns as she examines it. When David asks what it means, Wanda says the Moon represents uncertainty. It depicts an unknown path that could lead towards self-knowledge… or becoming lost forever. David says the card is fitting. Wanda says she must leave. She’s glad she had the chance to meet him and she hopes that the path he walks brings them back together again.  Soon enough it is time for dinner in the feast hall. The eXalts regroup at the monastery before leaving for the gathering. They discuss what they’ve done since last parting. David says that the Phoenix originally chose Dagan. He asks her if she could draw the Phoenix out of the remaining Phoenix Four. She could experiment on Sam if Sam willingly offered the Phoenix Force to her. Mac wonders if such an experiment would be safe. David says Ororo survived having the Phoenix Force expelled from her, and she was beaten unconscious in the first place. If Sam offered the power willingly, the transfer might work. Sam says she’s willing – it would be better for Dagan to harness the Phoenix Force now than wage war to take it. Bastienne says Ororo barely survived losing the Phoenix Force and it’s too risky. Dagan says she’s willing to try to draw the Phoenix Force out of a host if she has to, but she doesn’t want to try unless it’s an emergency. The matter settled, they head to dinner.  The group is struck both by how many empty chairs line the tables at the feast hall. There is room for hundreds in the long hall but only two dozen Avengers are there. Liam spots Iron Fist and heads over to him. Iron Fist, or Danny Rand, is bowing before his teacher, Lei-Kung “the Thunderer.” Liam bows before Lei-Kung as well. The martial arts master bows slightly to the two men, then says to Liam that he senses new power within him. Danny is shocked to sense Shou-Lao’s spirit in Liam. Lei-Kung laughs. He says not to worry – Danny is still Shou-Lao’s chosen, but Liam now has his blessing. Lei Kung speaks to Danny and Liam about how to use Shou-Lao’s spirit to repel the Phoenix Force. David overhears Steve discussing plans with Tony, T’Challa and Steven Strange. Apparently Thor was recently captured. Spider-Man, who is also nearby, wonders how you can lose a Thor. They only had one of them! David wants to know what the plan is to stop the remaining Phoenix Five members. Steve says they will have a meeting after dinner to discuss it. When T’Challa excuses himself from the table, Bastienne approaches him. She ask how he’s doing. He thanks his goddess for her concern and says he hopes to make her proud in the coming battle. Bastienne says she’s not only his goddess and hopes she’ll see him after the battle. T’Challa says he’d like that. Meanwhile, a man with white hair speeds up to Bailey. It’s Noh-Varr, a fellow alien of the Kree people (Bailey is half Kree). He asks Bailey to follow him, then zips out of the hall. Bailey uses his kinetic energy control to attempt to keep up, though it’s clear Noh-Varr is faster. They meet on a hill overlooking K’un Lun. Lanterns glow across the city as the sun sets. Noh-Varr asks Bailey if he’s really the messiah the Kree have been hoping for. Bailey doesn’t think so. Noh-Varr shrugs, saying he’s seen many so-called messiahs in the past few years. He just hopes Bailey will help fight for the Kree people after the current conflict is over. Bailey is unsure – he intends to return to Utopia. They part ways.  At the meeting after dinner Steve addresses the Avengers and eXalts. He says the plan is to strike tonight. The remaining members of the Phoenix Five are stronger now that Storm was defeated, but that means they’re likely even less in control of their powers (Sam excluded, of course – perhaps because she used her Phoenix powers the least). They can’t afford to wait and recover – even now Scott, Heather or Dane could have become a Dark Phoenix while they remain ignorant in K’un Lun. But there aren’t enough Avengers left to stop even one of the Phoenix Five, let alone the three on Earth. They need to free their captured allies. Steve believes Sam can find the location of the imprisoned Avengers. If they strike hard and fast they should be able to free their teammates and gain the upper hand. Plus they have other allies waiting for them on Earth – Charles Xavier, Hank McCoy and Magneto. If Scott will listen to anyone, it will be Xavier. And when it comes to the battle, T’Challa and Tony have been working on a blend of science and magic to combat the Phoenix. Sam will be a major weapon, as will the Scarlet Witch and the Hulk. Plus he hopes Dagan’s training will pay off, as he guesses she will be the key to stopping the Phoenix Force. For now, the goal is just to get the prisoners out. The Avengers and the eXalts are both on board. Doctor Strange begins casting a teleportation spell, and soon K’un Lun fades around them.  The group emerges on Prospect Mountain in the Adirondacks. Hank, Charles and Erik are waiting. Steve greets the men, especially fellow Avenger Hank. While Steve and Hank talk, Bastienne and Charles have a quick conversation. He says he can sense that she’s different now. He senses the merger of Bastienne and the Egyptian goddess Bastet. Even so, he’s surprised at how much she hasn’t changed. Bastienne is still a part of her. He knows she feels lost at times, but he urges her to trust in herself and she’ll be okay whatever happens. He also gives Samantha a hug and says he’s proud of how well she’s exhibited control – not only controlling the Phoenix Force but also controlling the impulse of using the godlike power. But there’s no more time for talk. The other Phoenix Five have surely sensed Samantha’s presence back on Earth. Sam quickly locates the captive Avengers – they’re in a dormant volcano in Siberia. Steve calls for the Avengers to assemble, and Doctor Strange creates a teleportation circle to transport them to Siberia. As the heroes arrive, it’s immediately apparent something has disrupted Strange’s spell. The other members of the Phoenix Five are doing something to block them. Sam is able to penetrate the barrier blocking the teleportation spell, but she’s only able to bring the other eXalts with her. The group appears in the middle of the dormant volcano. The Avengers are all outside the volcano. Inside the heart of the volcano the eXalts can see that one chamber has been used as a prison for the captured Avengers. Yellow and orange flames serve as the bars keeping the heroes trapped inside. But the eXalts aren’t alone – they are surrounded by a dozen X-Men and Scott, Dane and Heather! An alarm goes off. Scott tells Dane and Heather to stop the eXalts. He’ll take on the Avengers. The battle is joined!  Panzer, Lifeguard and a dozen X-Men spring to defend the prison. Magik and Rogue lead the attack. Phantasma deflects their attacks and drops Magik. Meanwhile, Bastet attempts to teleport past the barrier imprisoning the Avengers to free the heroes. She is knocked back by the flames, however, and is badly injured. Armor attacks her former classmate, Phantasma, but can’t penetrate her defenses. Phantasma likewise knocks Gambit’s thrown cards aside. Glimmer flies high into the magma chamber, then blasts Gambit below and stuns him. Then Lifeguard surges forward, a fiery phoenix surrounding her. Mystic uses the magic learned from his father’s scroll and attempts to draw Phoenix energy from Lifeguard. The spell is successful! He siphons some of Lifeguard’s energy, causing her to crash into the ground. Even better, he finds that his drained powers are recharged! Mustang takes advantage of Lifeguard’s weakness and blasts her from the air. He finds she’s not entirely defenseless when his attack ricochets off her hardened skin. He pushes himself to attack again, but the result is the same. Primal draws upon Shou-Lao’s blessing and takes the form of the dragon. Spiritual wings emerge from his back and he swoops down on Lifeguard. His dragon bite pierces Lifeguard’s armored skin. She’s badly hurt! Bastet recovers and teleports next to Lifeguard, scoring a critical hit – Lifeguard is almost down! But then Panzer charges into the middle of the eXalts and unleashes a massive ground strike. Flames explode outward along with the concussive blast. Mystic, Bailey, and David are all knocked out! But the blast also takes down some of the X-Men, including Iceman, Angel, and Armor. The eXalts are barely standing, but then Panzer unleashes another ground strike. Bailey and Mystic are unconscious and dying – and Mustang is dead!  The same blast that killed David also knocks out Lifeguard. Just as when Storm was defeated, Heather’s Phoenix energy emerges and splits into Panzer, Phantasma and Cyclops. Empowered by the Phoenix energy and enraged at Mustang’s death, Phantasma unleashes a psychic assault on Panzer. He grabs his head and falls to his knees. Suddenly his armor drops – the eXalts have their opening! But the X-Men aren’t done yet. Rogue attacks Phantasma, but can’t penetrate her telekinetic force field. Angel dives at Phantasma next, but she sends him flying into Panzer, knocking them both prone. Bastet takes advantage of the distraction and teleports next to Mystic. She uses her ability to control his powers to make him heal himself, even though he’s unconscious. He revives. Bastet then exhausts herself to teleport next to David and pick up his lifeless form. Gambit focuses his powers on a massive attack, but Primal takes him down before he can strike. Panzer rises, fighting against Phantasma’s mental powers. He begins exuding vibranium to re-form his armor. Glimmer sees her last chance to strike. She finds a place where he’s still vulnerable and unleashes all her power in a single blast. Panzer slams into a volcano wall – he’s unconscious! Once again, Phoenix Force energy emerges from his comatose form and flows into Phantasma and Cyclops.  Phantasma lands next to Bastet, who holds David. She channels all the Phoenix energy she’s absorbed into David. Bastet backs away from the column of flame that flashes around him. David rises before them, alive once more! But Cyclops takes advantage of Phantasma’s distraction. As she finishes concentrating on resurrecting David, Cyclops strikes her with a fiery eye beam, knocking her out with one blast. The powerful attack also renders most of the remaining X-Men unconscious as well. As Cyclops claims the last shard of Phoenix energy, the dormant volcano begins erupting anew. The volcano rumbles and shakes and plumes of lava burst from fissures in the earth. Xavier calls out to Cyclops. “I’m begging you, son, stop this now!” The Phoenix Force flickers around Cyclops, who yells, “You are not my father!” “THAT IS ENOUGH!” Charles screams at Cyclops, who raises a hand. Charles falls to the ground. “It is,” Cyclops mutters coldly. Xavier’s body goes limp. Cyclops stands seemingly triumphant, but says, “Why? Why did you make me do this?” He turns to Steve. “Are you happy now, Captain?” The Avengers try to attack Cyclops, but flames flash around him, protecting him. “This is – this is what Jean felt like…” Cyclops says. “‘I am fire and life incarnate! Now and forever – I am PHOENIX!” The flickering flames dance around him, then explode outwards in a dazzling display of brilliance. “Ahh! What’s happening now?” Spider-Man asks. “It’s our worst nightmare,” Beast replies. “He’s the Dark Phoenix…”  As the Phoenix energy crackles around him, a sudden burst of white light slams into Cyclops and blasts him into the sky, out of sight. The eXalts turn to see Dagan and Wanda side by side. Wanda’s chaos magic surrounds them, which Dagan somehow channeled into the blast. The magic slowly fades. Dagan slumps. Wanda says, “It only drove him to the moon. It won’t stop him for long.” Dagan whimpers. “But that was all I had!” Steve Rogers steps forward. “We’re not done yet.” As the volcano continues to shake, Mac heals the downed Avengers. The captive heroes emerge from the prison. The X-Men that sided with Scott turn their tears for Xavier into action and join the Avengers and eXalts. “He’s coming back, but we’ll be ready.” Steve says. The eXalts stand ready, but first they must escape the erupting volcano. As the teams prepare to teleport to safety, David sees a figure emerge from a pool of bubbling lava. It’s a red-haired woman – Meghan, his former lover and now Sinmara, Queen of the Fire Giants! She kneels next to Dane’s comatose form. She runs her fingertips along his forehead, then takes his magical sword. “He was never worthy,” she says to David. Without another word she steps back into the lava and disappears. Then Doctor Strange finishes a teleportation spell and the group appears atop Avengers Tower in New York City. A red star glows brightly in the sky. Earthquakes rock the city and a tsunami rises in the ocean. There’s news of similar events worldwide. The Dark Phoenix is coming… <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;"> The superhero teams make a quick plan. They’ll teleport to the middle of the Australian Outback. It’s a desolate area – perfect for fighting the Dark Phoenix. The collateral damage from the battle won’t endanger anyone. Scott will be coming for Dagan, as she has the best chance of stopping him. Steve tells the eXalts to defend Wanda and Dagan. Liam says he can channel Shou-Lao’s energy to help them. It’s repelled the Phoenix before. Steve agrees. The Avengers will hold off Scott as long as they can so the eXalts have a chance at stopping him. Storm and Heather join the Avengers while Sam and Dane join the eXalts. Meghan has taken his memories from Muspelheim, but he’s brought up to speed and is ready to fight Scott. The red star is nearly upon them. Bastienne silently takes Liam’s hand as the end – one way or another – is near. The Dark Phoenix descends from the heavens as a fiery inferno. As it lands, figures made of flame rain down all around them. The Avengers and X-Men launch a desperate counter-attack to hold Scott back, but some of the fragments reach the eXalts. Glimmer, Scarlet Witch and Primal channel their energy to draw the Phoenix Force out of Scott, but it will take time. Even though she’s no longer a host, Sam is empowered by the Phoenix Force’s presence. She destroys a fragment that takes Heather’s shape. Bastet calls upon her faithful for power and destroys a fragment resembling Scott. Mystic uses the same spell that drained Heather to destroy a Storm fragment. Panzer and K-9 team up to destroy a Sam fragment. Mustang destroys a Dane fragment. With each destroyed fragment, the Dark Phoenix seems weaker. But most of the Avengers and X-Men are already down. Their sacrifice has bought the eXalts time, but several more Phoenix fragments rain down on the group. A Storm fragment creates a fiery tornado and injures many eXalts. A Panzer fragment unleashes a ground strike that staggers many. A Sam fragment nearly knocks out Mystic. A Heather fragment nearly takes out Glimmer, but K-9 jumps in the way. His skin turns blue, protecting him, but he’s still knocked out. Panzer takes a fiery optic blast from a Cyclops fragment to defend the Scarlet Witch, but he goes down! Bastet jumps in front of the trio, but even more fragments rain down and there are no further Avengers or X-Men to help. The end is here… <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;"> Just as it appears there’s no hope left, a column of energy rises from Glimmer, the Scarlet Witch, and Primal. A yellow beam shoots into the sky, circled by red chaos energy and a spiral of spiritual energy in the shape of a Chinese dragon. The energy explodes outward, destroying the Phoenix fragments and enveloping the Dark Phoenix. As the light recedes, the Phoenix Force is drawn into Dagan. She merges with the Phoenix Force at last. She levitates off the ground, a white Phoenix glowing around her. Her eyes glow with the same white energy. Around the world, the fires of the Dark Phoenix are extinguished. Earthquakes end, tsunamis melt back into the ocean, tornadoes dissipate, hurricanes subside. Then, drawing upon all her energy and the power lent by the Scarlet Witch and Primal, Glimmer wishes the Phoenix Force away. It explodes into a seemingly infinite number of rays of light that shoot out in every direction until the Phoenix is gone for good. A sudden silence washes over the area. The battle is over. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;"> Liam and Wanda support a collapsed Dagan. David and Dane hurry to her side. She’s okay, just drained. She found the willpower to control the Phoenix Force after all – but she feels like there was a cost. Meanwhile, Mac stands over a defeated Scott. Dazed and prone, Scott finally recognizes the eXalt. He says, “There’s another interpretation of your story. The scorpion doesn’t sting the frog. He makes it to the other side of the river. But once he’s there he stings a man on the shore and kills him. Maybe there’s no meaning. The moral of the story could be that god’s will is unknowable.” And with that, Scott falls unconscious. The Avengers and X-Men, now revived, join the eXalts. They put Scott in custody and promise to make sure he won’t escape. But even though Dagan ended the Dark Phoenix’s destructive power, many areas around the world need heroes in the aftermath of the attack. The groups split up to deal with the consequences of the Dark Phoenix. Bastienne doesn’t return to Utopia – she accompanies T’Challa to Wakanda to assist with the cleanup of the capital following Storm’s attack. She informs the rest of the group that she’ll remain there for the summer. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;"> Later, Mac is contacted by Steve Rogers. He offers Mac the chance to become a reserve Avenger again. He also offers to see Scott’s prison. Steve, Logan, and Mac visit a specially-constructed cell made of ruby to block Scott’s optic blasts. Scott admits that he’s grieving for Xavier, but he willingly accepts his fate. Everywhere around the world more and more teens are manifesting an X-gene. The mutant population is exploding, and none of it would have been possible without the Phoenix – and, yes, Xavier’s sacrifice. Logan can’t believe Scott’s hubris. Scott wasn’t some fated avatar meant to save mutantkind – he was a reckless man who caused a great man’s death. Scott won’t listen, however. He says humanity will pay if they turn their backs on the increased number of mutants appearing around the world. Outside the cell, Steve admits to Logan and Mac that the Avengers should have done more over the year to help the mutant community. By inaction they allowed the world to fear and hate mutants. In order to mend the bond between humans and mutants, Steve announces he’s decided to put together a new team of Avengers. Half will be current members of the Avengers and half will be mutants. He dubs this team the Uncanny Avengers. Their mission will be to show the world that humans and mutants can work together to help both the human and mutant communities around the world. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;"> Mac heads back to Utopia. The war between the Avengers and the X-Men may be over and the Dark Phoenix defeated, but the consequences of the conflict won’t end so quickly. Utopia is hundreds of times larger than it was before. New mutants are appearing all over the globe. Dane has returned, and Bastienne has left for Wakanda. Bailey and Liam have uncovered new powers. Sam must cope with the effects of being one of the Phoenix Five. David has been revealed to be a member of the Mutant Revolutionary Front. There is much to do, and new challenges ahead. What will the future bring?
 * Next: **__ Issue 91 - 'Judgment Day' __
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