Uncanny X-Men 225

Fall of the Mutants.

We catch up with Peter Rasputin, he’s sketching in Edinburgh under the curious eye of local children. He’s still not feeling great, it takes a lot of concentration to stay in human form now. A mysterious woman comes along and reads his palm, mysteriously she knows much about him and that the fate of everything hangs on a decision he has to make, and she gives him a statuette of Colossus, a chess piece, then disappears. Firecrackers from the kids startle him into turning to his armored form and he runs off, feeling greatly persecuted as a mutant.

Meanwhile, Naze is now possessed by the Trickster, and we see him in a mystical house with the goddess, Lady Roma held prisoner. She’s the woman who spoke to Colossus, there are statuettes of the X-Men and Freedom Force on a chess board. There is a game being played for all of creation between her and the Adversary/Trickster. He’s removed Storm and Forge from the board but she’s got other pieces to play.

Peter is still in armored form, and he’s really angry and disillusioned. He has this long inner monologue about the inherent unfairness of the mutant situation, it’s well written and illustrated. Silvestri draws a nice Colossus and the coloring is brilliant.

He destroys a phone booth but manages to get in touch with Illyana in America. She’s in the middle of a New Mutants mission but teleports over to pick up her brother and take him to the X-Men.

Well, the X-Men are in Dallas—where they were very specifically told not to go on pain of death—-looking for Storm and Forge. Forge’s Eagle Plaza penthouse security lasers blast Wolverine, and Longshot and Dazzler come to his aid. Even Longshot gets zapped. Havok blasts the place and they get out, only to run into Stonewall, and Avalanche and the Blob, who flattens Wolverine.

The Freedom Force is here to arrest them. Havok challenges Mystique for supporting the vile Mutant Registration Act with her gang of criminals. At Psylocke’s direction, Dazzler blinds everyone with a light burst, but Destiny warns them ahead of time and Super Sabre knocks out Dazz. Spiral seems to know Longshot, she fears being recognized. Rogue tackles her.

Mystique says she didn’t want a fight to happen, she came to save lives. Destiny sees timelines tangling and nothing but death in the immediate future.

Psylocke is mentally manipulating Blob, trying to get him to move off of Wolverine. She evades Super Sabre with illusions and he ricochets off Stonewall and Avalanche. Crimson Commando clobbers Psylocke. Then, Wolverine pops is claws into Blob’s butt and he leaps in the air. Colossus suddenly teleports in and sends Blob flying with a massive punch.

Storm appears and pleads with the X-Men to trust Mystique but Rogue tackles her because she’s really Mystique. Spiral zaps Rogue and takes her prisoner.

The X-Men head into the tower but Destiny comes running to stop them. Whoever is inside the tower at dawn will die.

The night sky splits open and a bright light shines down. It’s the end of the X-Men and possibly the world!