| Synopsis | - In the wake of the Decimation, Pope Beast has put all of his efforts into attempting to solve the conundrum. In his desperation, he has come to beg the aid of the Inhumans. They turn him away.
This is a great surprise to Hank McCoy, who is eavesdropping through several dimensions thanks to the magic of Dr Stephen Strange. Dr Strange points out that the Scarlet Witch's spell affected a vast swathe of reality in some way or another, and nothing Hank can do now can stop it.
Hank is unconvinced, so Strange shows him more universes, where different versions of Hank are working on the same problem: outsiders, leaders, scientists, wizards, gunmen and transhumans. All are currently seeking an answer from some wise or powerful personage. None will meet with success.
Shaken by this, Hank leaves the Sanctum Sanctorum to look for the first domino to fall - he will search for Wanda Maximoff...
- M and Siryn take the Purity Singers and their parents to the top of a mesa in an unnamed wilderness. There, the children meet their grandparents in accordance with their court-ordered visitation rights. The parents reveal to the reader that they and the grandparents were working for Huber all along as part of an elaborate ruse. M becomes worried when she can't contact the other members of X-Factor who were teleported to Antarctica at the end of the last issue. M hurries back to New York at supersonic speeds.
Nicole follows Layla Miller down into a subway, planning to kill her by pushing her in front of a train. Layla bends down to pick up a penny at a very opportune moment, causing Nicole to trip over her and get hit by the train herself. It is revealed that Nicole was an android specially made by Huber to counteract Layla's precognitive abilities. The android is left in pieces by the impact.
Madrox, Strong Guy, and Rahne huddle together for warmth in Antarctica, with Madrox's dupes forming a human shell around them, like penguins. Strong Guy says he's quitting and taking a job Val Cooper offered him, to be the sheriff of Mutant Town. Rahne is a little glad she'll die before she can murder Layla and Jamie, which occurred in a vision of the future showed to her in a previous issue and which had been worrying her ever since.
Rictor, in New York, squares off against Huber. Huber uses various mutant powers against Rictor, like Collosus' superstrength, Cyclops' optic blasts and Iceman's freezing ability, but Rictor is immune to them all. This confuses Huber who is unaware that Rictor, a depowered mutant, is using leftover Terrigen Crystals from X-Factor's fight with Quicksilver and X-Cell. However, Huber decides to use an indirect approach by using his super strength to harm Rictor with a car. M arrives just in time to stop Huber from smashing Rictor with a car. Rictor then uses Huber's teleporter to rescue Madrox, Rahne, and Strong Guy. Huber turns to sand and floats away, eventually returning to his base in Antarctica.
|
