X-Men #72

They are the children of the atom - homo sapien superior - men and women whose genetic structure has gifted them with extraordinary abilities. Gathered together by Professor Charles Xavier, the X-Men have been instructed to use their incredible powers for the betterment of mankind. Shunned by society at large, these outlaw mutants fight an endless battle to bridge the ever - widening gulf between humanity and mutantkind by protecting a world that hates and fears them.
Cyclops Scott Summers is cursed with the ability to fire devestating optic blasts from his eyes whenever he opens them. To keep them in check he has to wear special glasses with ruby quartz lenses. He is married to Jean Grey. Recently, for some unknown reason, Scott's mind has been reverted to that of a child.	Wolverine Wolverine has the mutant ability of rapid healing. He also has retractable bone claws and an extremely violent attitude. He used to be in love with Jean Grey and disliked Cyclops for a while because Jean picked Scott over himself.
The Phalanx The Phalanx are an extremely advanced race of conquerors. As techno-organic beings they can reshape their bodies into any form as well as having a permanent mental link with all other Phalanx. They can assimilate most beings and elements into techno-organic beings, like themselves. Mutants however prove difficult for them to assimilate.	Magneto One of the most powerful mutants in existance, Magneto does not agree with Charles Xavier's dream of mutant / human co-existance. Instead he believes that the two races should live apart, completely independant of each other. Although not necessarily evil, he is willing to fight for his cause and doesn't mind who he destroys to achieve it.
Colossus Russian mutant. Has the ability to transform his flesh into living metal, almost invulnerable to any force.	Professor X Professor Charles Xavier, founder and leader of the X-Men. Charles dreams of mutants and humans living side by side. One of the most powerful telepaths on the planet, the Professor has the ability and the followers to maybe, one day, make that dream a reality.
Previously in Uncanny X-Men After many a defeat, Professor Xavier rallies together a huge army of mutants to take the fight to the Phalanx. However the attack begins it does not go according to plan and Wolverine is confronted with a terrifying sight.

Wolverine stood speechless as he tried to comprehend the unbelievable sight before him. His one time love and one of his closest friends had been assimilated by the Phalanx.

"Jean." Wolverine whispered.

"ANALYSIS INCORRECT" came the mechanical reply. "WE ARE PHALANX"

Logan looked at Scott Summers, Jean's husband. Scott's face was blank. Not surprising really since his mind had reverted back to that of a child for some unknown reason. "Is that a bad guy?" Scott asked confused, "Shall I blast it?" Wolverine didn't have time to reply before the Phalanx chirped up again.

"WE ARE NOT 'BAD'. WE ARE THE ULTIMATE IN EVOLUTION. WE COME AND RELEASE LIFE FROM THE CURSE OF FLESH. WE ARE THE FUTURE."

"Then why do you kill, destroy and force your beliefs onto others. Eh. We beat you back once, freaks, we'll do it again." Wolverine had to strain to accept the fact that it wasn't Jean he was talking to. He made that mistake before*.

"WE WERE ONLY DEFEATED PREVIOUSLY DUE TO THE UNKNOWN FACTOR OF PSIONICS. THIS TIME WE HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO ACCOMMODATE THIS FACTOR INTO OUR PLANS."

"Jean isn't just some 'factor' creep, by the time I've finished with you, you'll understand that."

"INCORRECT. JEAN GREY DOES NOT EQUAL PSIONICS. SHE IS ONLY A MEDIUM THROUGH WHICH TO ACCESS THE PSI-FACTOR. THROUGH HER WE HAVE SET UP A PSIONIC SCAMBLING FIELD THAT ENCOMPASSES THE PLANET EARTH AS WELL AS REDUCING SPECIMEN: SCOTT SUMMERS TO AN UNIMPORTANT FACTOR."

'So that's what was inhibiting the Professor's powers earlier*' Logan thought, remaining vigilant at all times. 'And they did this to Cyclops. But if they've got the know-how, why not just wipe us all.' "Why not wipe us all clean?" Logan stalled as he looked for an opening to exploit in the inevitable fight that was to come. The Phalanx didn't respond. 'Unless part of Jean is still inside, fighting them.' Wolverine considered. 'This is bad. If there's still a chance we can save her, how can I attack it now?' "Jean." Logan appealed. "If you can hear me fight it." Sounds of battle could now be clearly heard behind them. He looked over to Scott who was fiddling with his uniform, oblivious to the importance of the scenario. "Fight it Jean, fight it!" The Phalanx recoiled a little and Wolverine slipped forward and grabbed Jean's visible face. "That's it, you can do it." He encouraged as he slipped his hand down to waist height. "I'm sorry Jean." He whispered as he popped his claws into the Phalanx's mid section. It fell to its knee's writhing in Logan's hands. Just for an instance, the techno-organic virus retreated from over Jean's eyes and she looked through him, towards Scott. Then she was gone and all that remained was the Phalanx. The drone reformed into liquid and oozed away bonding with the core. Wolverine stood still for a moment, contemplating what he had done, trying to justify it to himself. 'I couldn't bring myself to hurt Jean before, and a whole solar system was destroyed because of my mistake. I did the right thing.' He turned to Cyclops who was crouched beside a wall, firing optic blasts down the corridor. "That's the way Scott." Wolverine half-heartedly encouraged Cyclops as he prepared to charge the Phalanx that was occupying the corridor.

"Don't patronise me Logan." Came the angry response, totally to the surprise of Logan.

'It must have been Jean.' He surmised, 'A parting gift to the one she loved more than life itself. A…..' His train of thought was interrupted by Cyclops commanding voice.

"We have to rejoin the others. They're down this corridor. Then you can explain to me what the hecks going on." They both charged in unison, hitting the Phalanx that blocked their way both high and low. The Phalanx fell to their combined might in seconds. They quickly rejoined the others who were engaged in a holding action against three Phalanx. "Wolverine, join them." Cyclops commanded, "If these things are what I think they are then they'll have adapted to my optic beams." Wolverine obeyed but the situation looked bleak. The three Phalanx stood between the team and the central core, they had adapted to all of the mutant powers of the strike force, and Box, their only hope at injecting the virus was down.

"We must act quickly." Magneto reminded them. "Phalanx reinforcements will be here soon. We must administer the virus now. There must be another way." Suddenly, a humming filled the room and a flash of light behind the Phalanx announced the arrival of Cable.

"I thought you might need a hand." He shouted as he started to fire into the backs of the drones attacking Magneto's group. He was rewarded with the sight of one of the Phalanx collapsing under the barrage. Two remained. He lined up with the next drone when something snagged his foot. He looked down and saw, firmly wrapped around his calf, a tentacle that had emerged from the central core behind him. He tried to break free, but it was too late to stop him from being pulled into the core.

"That's it then." Bishop screamed as he fired of the last of his ammo. He ducked a flaying tentacle only to be hit by the prone form of Wolverine who had been struck unconscious and projected by one of the drones. "We must retreat." Bishop demanded. "We can not get through. We must abort and strike again later. There is no way through."

"No, Comrade. There is a way." The groups attention turned to the hulking form of Colossus, who had, until recently, been fighting with a steady, silent resolve. Before any one could say anything he started towards the two remaining drones, building up speed, lining up with his intended target.

"Piotr, no!" Magneto pleaded, but it was too late. Colossus ploughed into the two Phalanx with incredible force that hurled the three of them into the core.

"Peter." Iceman shouted, but there was no response.

Magneto was the first to snap back to reality. "Quickly, give me the virus. We must apply it before the damage caused by Piotr's sacrifice is repaired. He must not have died in vain." Bishop pulled out the small vial from his boot and threw it over to Magneto who caught it magnetically. Already, the fissure opened by Colossus' impact was almost repaired. 'Not as precise as the opening Madison Jefferies could have formed but it will have to do.' Magneto pondered as he tore the lid off the capsule, holding the virus in place magnetically and slammed it into the hole. "Now you will learn." Magneto sneered, "No matter how strong something is, no matter how much it believes it is right, no matter how much it beats and tortures, it can not quench the dream of freedom. For against a rightful cause such as freedom, armies, tyrants and empires will all fall. Stick that in your memory banks!"

"NOTED."

"What!" the group shouted together, panic spreading across all their faces. They looked around, nothing had happened, the Phalanx Citadel stood as firm as before. "This can not be!" Magneto exclaimed.

"INCORRECT. YOU STILL DO NOT COMPRHEND OUR TRUE AGENDA. FOR CENTERIES WE HAVE CONQUERED ALL WE HAVE COME UP AGAINST, NOTHING HAS STOOD IN OUR WAY, WE HAVE BROUGHT THE PURITY OF TECHNO-ORGANICS TO BILLIONS OF WORLDS. HOWEVER THE UNIVERSE IS OF ONLY LIMITED SPACE. EVENTIALLY WE WOULD HAVE RUN OUT OF NEW RACES TO SAVE. HOWEVER LAST YEAR, WE RECEIVED A SUMMONING FROM THIS PLANET, A TRANSMISSION THAT REVEALED THE PRESCENCE OF A TIME TRAVELLER HERE. SUBJECT DESIGNATE: CABLE. HE WAS OUR OBJECTIVE ALL ALONG. NOW WE HAVE ACHIEVED THAT OBJECTIVE, WE HAVE INTEGRATED CABLE'S TECHNO-ORGANIC BODY PARTS WITH OUR OWN, WE NOW KNOW THE SECRETS OF TIME TRAVEL. WE NOW EXIST BEYOND TIME. YOUR VIRUS CAN NOT HARM US. YOU HAVE GIVEN US THE ULTIMATE GIFT, A DOORWAY TO ACCESS INFINITE WORLDS AND TO CONQUER THEM. ALL TIME ANOMALIES ARE NOW RESETING. ALL MUST BE AS IT SHOULD FOR OUR ARRIVAL ON EACH TIME PLANE." The Phalanx core revealed.

As if to confirm what they were saying was true, Bishop shimmered and disappeared in a flash of light, flung back to his home time. The noise of battle from outside stopped suddenly and several other flashes could be observed through one of the many 'port holes' that adorned the walls of the citadel.

"RESET COMPLETE."

"You cannot do this! Magneto protested.

"IT IS ALREADY DONE." Came the sure reply. All around them, the citadel began to writhe and pulsate, flowing towards the core. Within a minute all Phalanx on Earth had merged with the core, reforming it into a huge sphere. Then, the ball itself flashed and disappeared leaving the last words spoken by the core ringing in the ears of every single mutant in Xavier's force.

"IT HAS BEGUN!"

The silence was finally broken by a muffled shout nearby to the strike team. Those nearest to the noise turned their heads to see the worse-for-wear form of Colossus pulling himself out the rubble. As some of the X-Men ran to help him up, Cyclops approached the newly conscious Wolverine. "Have you seen Jean around Logan?" he asked unsuspectingly. Wolverine, still groggy from the fight, put his arm around Scott, as much for support as to comfort him for what was to come.

"Cyclops, Scott, I'm so very sorry."

Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, 1 day later.

Xavier sat behind the podium, preparing to address the many mutants that stood before him, just as he had done a day before. "Ahh, ahm. You all know why you are gathered here. You have all dedicated your life for the good of humanity, for my dream of human-mutant co-existence. You have all pledged yourself to me and my dream. However dreams change. In light of recent events, and I am not just referring to the Phalanx incident, I have had to refine my dream slightly. In order for homo sapiens to accept us, we must earn their trust. For years we have initiated in guerrilla operations against those who may oppose the just way of life that everyone is deserving of. We could not afford the luxury of public missions. No longer. From now on we will take a much more active part in the defence of our world. We will oppose evil on a much larger scale than we do now. It will not be easy, but in the long run it will be worthwhile. Anyone not wishing to be a part of this leave now. Already Alpha Flight has left, returned to Canada. Three of them did not return, Flex, Radius and Murmur all said that this encounter has changed them, and their priorities. They have left to search for their parents. The Morlocks have gone back to the sewers, preferring their existing way of life. Magneto and little Charles have left to follow their own dreams. Psylocke has other business and has also had to leave*. And also Forge. He has been asked by the government to work for them once more**. Most of you already are members of X-Factor, X-Force, Excaliber, Generation X or the X-Men. With all this in mind, I have decided to split the X-Men into three teams. Gold Team will be stationed here in the mansion, Red Team will be located on Muir Island, and Blue Team will be based in the old X-Men base in Australia. Now I hear some complaints from you, do not worry, Gateway has agreed to stay with us and act as a, erm, how do I put this…ferry between the three teams. Although you will be thousands of miles apart, it will be as though you were living next door to each other. The Massacusiss Academy will stay open and will continue training new X-Men for their eventual induction into one of the teams. As I have already said, this will not be easy, but the rewards for humanity will be great indeed. Do I have your support?" A rousing cheer filled the auditorium. Xavier knew that this was the beginning of something big. Something that might just make a difference to the world. Deep down, he smiled.

NEXT ISSUE: We welcome aboard new writers, Barry Reese and Randy Lander. Now there's a recipe for success if ever I saw one!

All feedback is extremely welcome and appreciated. Send your letters to me at bob.blair@sunderland.ac.uk. See ya.