#bei the blood moon

[braddocklegacy]

X-Terminators #4 (2022)

[illyanarasputinfan]

Christopher Fokken

[phierie]

Loved this episode of Married at First Sight Krakoa

[sbhelarctos]

[lesbiannieism]

thinking about doug “i got enlisted in this swordfight championship thing and i totally thought i was gonna die but it turned out to be a wedding to this really gorgeous warrior woman who’s a head taller than me who i can’t really talk to but she’s really hot and she protects me from danger and i immediately fell head over heels in love with her” ramsey

[nitpickrider]

I'm afraid your beloved and the imp are a package deal at this point. X Men Unlimited Infinity 43

[iconuk01]

So Apocalypse has chosen his heir and it's... Doug Ramsey... the most unlikely possibility of the twelve chosen candidates (And therefor the most obvious winner for a cynical reader).

I have... feelings about this as an idea as you might imagine, and regrettably few of them are especially positive, but in an effort to hold on to optimism at some level, I shall wait and see where this goes.

I mean, I like the reasons Apocalypse chose Forge, Dani and Doug as possible heirs: those with not the greatest power levels, but a new way of looking at things which might proves useful.

Dani in particular is interesting in her reason for accepting a candidacy, given her vested interest in training future mutants.

And she turns him down because she doesn't need his help.

Forge he chose because of what he could offer the wrold, and what the world had thrown away in destroying Krakoa, but knowing that Forge also invented the mutant power neutraliser weapon makes unsuitable

The final narrative decision to take a mutant whose whole point was how low key his powers were and how otherwise close to baseline human he was and amping them up into... Revelation... It's going to take a lot of very good writing to make me invested in this. I hope there is plenty of that at least.

The fact he also gets the ugliest physical upgrade imaginable doesn't help. Doug managed to avoid the worst of 90's retoolings at the time by conveniently being dead, but this looks like the 90's slammed him with the subtlety of a frying pan to the face.

I might have expected this to be the end of part four of a five part story, and Doug turns it down in the finale because that's not how he operates, but, well, this is a new post-Krakoan age.

Oh well, let's see what comes next.

[rei-ismyname]

X of Swords - Saturnyne's Tarot Read

The inciting incident for X of Swords was Amenth/Arakko conquering the Otherworld province of Dryador, killing everything that lived. Saturnyne used their boastful ownership of Dryador to have them agree they were her vassals - consent being a key element of the Fae's operations.

When they announced their intent to keep conquering until they reached Earth and Krakoa, she rules lawyered them into a contest of Champions. Being Otherworld, she did a tarot reading to preordain the future and lock them into her rules. Here's the cards...

Judgment, spelt the British way, as Britain is where Otherworld touches Earth. It portrays Apocalypse and his Grandchild through War, Summoner, standing on the cusp of the External Gate. It also references Krakoa and the resurrection protocols - alluding to the enemies it will bring them.

The Four of Wands. It portrays Apocalypse (and Genesis') four children and original Horsemen. Death, War, Pestilence and Famine. Four is also the most important number in mutant magic, representing the four points of the X.

The Hanged Man. It portrays Siryn, Archangel, Polaris, Rictor, Rockslide, Summoner, Beast, Apocalypse and Havok. All on the Otherworld side of the External Gate. A LOT was suspended for and by this event, but the card is not just for those pictured. That applies to all players, even Saturnyne.

The Eight of Cups. It portrays a symbolic picture of Genesis/Annihilation, foreshadowing the tension between the two and the fluidity of alliances/desires/values. The description applies to both of them equally, which is rather elegant IMO.

The Ten of Swords. It refers to the contest, the two groups of ten swordbearers, and metatextually to the event itself. It portrays Cable with The Light of Galador, Apocalypse with Scarab, Wolverine with Muramasa, Magik with the Soulsword, and Betsy with the Starlight Sword.

I believe the obscured forms in the background are the other Krakoan swordbearers - Cypher with Warlock, Storm with Skybreaker, Brian Braddock with The Sword of Might, and Gorgon with Grasscutter & Godkiller. Though Krakoa had only nine swordbearers, with Gorgon's two blades made the total ten. It could be Bei, The Blood Moon, who switched sides upon marrying Cypher. Isca, the Unbeaten switched sides as well though she didn't have a choice in the matter. Neither seem to match the silhouettes, so perhaps it's just lampshading how stacked the deck seems against them.

Tarot, one of Emma Frost's old students, drew the same cards as she explains in this data page.

She knows more about tarot than I do (not a difficult thing) and she adds some context for us. Something I think about often is the confirmation that Apocalypse is into both astrology and tarot. A funny concept, but he also pulls off some wild magic. 616 is inherently more fantastic than our universe and operates on story logic. I think I'd prefer it to what we have, even with all the downsides, but that's just a daydream. Shout-out to Chinese numerology there too BTW.

[chorus-the-mutate]

In another instance of fuck it, we ball this year I am here to drop one of my most nuclear marvel takes: I hate the direction the newest X Men comics have taken all of the X Men characters in. Once the theme of coexisting with humanity and the struggles the X Men faced to integrate with the world at large was abandoned in favor of self segregation on Krakoa I gave up on their comics. This defining theme is not only what the X Men were built on but was the biggest, defining theme that has kept them relevant for half a century when the Inhumans failed to do the same. While finding community is important, especially for all marginalized people, self segregation just isn't feasible because every marginalized group is so large and diverse that they'll eventually divide into subcategories and fall into conflict after conflict until there is no group at all. Just look at how often mutant kind fights each other and that even with Krakoa there's still a Brotherhood. Then look back into your life and your community of choice to see if this same kind of division and subcategorization is happening there. The X Men and every real life rights activist group they've ever paralleled showed that when we as people are struggling to protect ourselves we take a stand, we reach out to the world around us and reaffirm our right to exist. Sure, there are people that will never understand, people that fall into supremacy groups or people that maliciously co-opt these causes for the benefit of themselves. But you know what we do with them? We leave them behind and face tomorrow together, no matter how long it takes to shake off the bad actors. Self segregation might protect you in the short term, but you won't always be able to protect the people you care about. The bad actors, the people in power that instate policies to strip away our human rights count on us to lay down and die or in fight until we give up all of our own. And when you or I are alone, when there is no community, the bad actors will know that their war has been won. The X Men themselves, all of their recent writers and the world at large has seemingly forgotten that. But we shouldn't. Facing the world and reaffirming our right to exist is the only way forward.

And with that serious discussion of why I hate the current state of Krakoa as a concept out of the way, I'm just gonna discuss everything I know about the X Men comics currently and what I dislike about them.

Fair Warning there will be discussions of crimes ahead, including discussions of sexual assault, enslavement, eugenics and murder, lots of murder

. I hate the recent trend marvel has had of babyfying a lot of mutant villains but it is especially egregious with villains like Apocalypse, Sabretooth and Omega Red. Apocalypse's farce of a redemption arc is so bad it deserves its own bullet point later on but Sabretooth and Omega Red aren't getting away so soon. Even if Sabretooth is literally one of the only mutants being punished for the plethora of crimes he's committed he is still a serial killer/mass murderer/terrorist/rapist and in spite of the efforts he has made to change he still doesn't take responsibility for his past when he is judged by the council on Krakoa. The sheer amount of destruction he has caused is just something that cannot be undone and if Sabretooth has made as much progress as certain writers want us to believe he should face imprisonment or execution with acceptance. And if writers want us to believe that Sabretooth is as irredeemable and cutthroat as always why is he being promised any sort of amnesty by people who know that he will do even more reprehensible things? Then we have Omega Red who's somehow more of a muddled mixed bag than Sabretooth is. His edgy death powers, his presentation as a character in general and his mix of good and bad deeds seem to set him up as a prime example of an anti villain/anti hero character. But then you have the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Volume 1, Issue 8 that mentions how Omega Red was killing and assaulting children which is a huge crime that needs to be addressed and retconned if writers want to redeem him. And if writers don't want to redeem him, especially if he is a confirmed child murderer/predator then why are the X Men so cooperative with him? Why are the members of the quiet council willing to prosecute Sabretooth (even if his punishment is lacking) but not prosecute villains like Omega Red or Mister Sinister for the severe past crimes they have committed and still need to be held accountable for? Because they agreed to follow three laws??? That's not enough of a reason to give these people a pass, hell it's not enough of a reason to give people like Professor X or Cyclops a pass for their worst crimes that they still refuse to take accountability for. Also before anyone brings up the point of rehabilitative justice vs punitive justice I'm just gonna say that rehabilitative justice is for people that have committed minor crimes like drug crimes and theft or for people that have committed murder under extenuating circumstances like self defense, the defense of others, revenge for extreme injustices against someone's loved ones/an innocent party and murders committed under duress. Not for people committing war crimes, organized crime, sex crimes or murder for the fun of it. Sabretooth and Omega Red definitely fall into the latter category.

. Everything from Apocalypse's farce of a redemption to his farce of a wife in these recent runs are poorly written disservices for Apocalypse's character as well as a disservice to the characters around him. Apocalypse has been made to be irredeemable from the jump because he is a mutant supremacist that constantly commits mass murder and enslaves others to commit mass murder at his side. Angel's most iconic storyline as a character is about how Apocalypse emotionally manipulates him after the loss of his wings and kidnaps him for the expressed purpose of brainwashing him into the horsemen of death. And this is brainwashing that Angel has been battling on and off with for years. Hell his entire goal as shown through every iteration of the Age of Apocalypse storyline is to create a mutant supremacist ethnostate where he puts mutants in breeding camps and forcibly conscripts them into his armies to kill or subjugate any dissidents he finds. And now that Genesis is around we're supposed to believe that this goal of creating this mutant supremacist ethnostate where his own people are systematically enslaved, abused, bred and killed off is for the greater good??? HELL NO. Apocalypse's goal in and of itself is too harmful for the world at large to ever feasibly be implemented and hand waving that fact off by having Genesis instruct Apocalypse to "make mutants stronger to fight Annihilation," isn't gonna cut it. Genesis herself ain't gonna cut it because she is an arrogant, self righteous war monger who beat her own children to "make them stronger" and dragged half of her people, including her own children, into thousands of years worth of warfare against an alternate dimension of demons because she couldn't handle losing. But the worst part of this all is that the writers don't have the balls to make Genesis look bad. They hand wave her actions away and play up how much Annihilation is influencing her actions in the present, then give her a slap on the wrist by having her exiled somewhere. Hell even Storm, who should know that someone like Genesis is full of shit, voted not to exile her after taking over Arrako and got outvoted. The writers could've saved her character by being honest with the fact that she's a bad person and actually exploring that by discussing if surviving Annihilation's invasion at all costs is worth the price of everyone's humanity and quality of life. That way, when it's revealed that Genesis plunged her own people into war when there was an out it could actually fucking mean something. Looking back on Apocalypse and thinking of his lost loves I am reminded of Autumn Rolfson, another very good reason Apocalypse never deserved a fucking redemption arc. He met her and hired her to become his horseman of famine as a teenager. And then he has a kid with her. At best this is a blatant abuse of power on Apocalypse's part, at worst it's grooming. You could even make an argument that Apocalypse is also guilty of rape by proxy because Angel had sex with Ichisumi, a horseman of pestilence, while he was brainwashed and Apocalypse is responsible for taking away Angel's ability to consent because he brainwashed him.

. Also there is no way in hell I am supposed to sit here and believe that Genesis didn't take Apocalypse with her to Amenth because he wasn't strong enough. That motherfucker is one of the most blatantly overpowered and competent characters in Marvel and all she can do is control plants. While I'd usually admire someone's creativity with their powers there is no way in hell that Genesis is more powerful or capable than he is when she is dumber than a sack of bricks and only controls plants. Hell she's so underpowered in comparison that all of their kids are underpowered. How the fuck was she even able to do that???

. Also also Genesis is beautiful but her main outfit is very unflattering on her, her shoulder pauldrons are extremely bulky and gaudy looking which makes the rest of her outfit look unnecessarily clunky. But even if you removed the shoulder pauldrons her outfit isn't well constructed because the shirt has weird embellishments that don't add anything and her skirt can range from normal to unnecessarily bulky depending on whoever's drawing her. If anything Genesis should've stayed in her Annihilation outfit because at least it actually flattered her and seems to pay more homage to her Egyptian heritage than her main outfit does.

. On another note I feel like the original Horsemen of Apocalypse need to be reworked. None of them make me angry like their parents but I feel like their power sets are lacking, especially in comparison to the other horsemen, and it feels like a wasted opportunity that the writers mainly focused on Genesis instead of them. It also feels like a massive waste of potential for the original Horsemen of Apocalypse to go with their mom to Amenth. I feel like it would've been more interesting to see the original horsemen focus on the goal of making earth stronger, setting a real example for all horsemen to come, and really explore their relationship with Apocalypse, especially since Death seems like a relatively good aligned character all things considered. Them being gone until now could've been explained by having the original horsemen being put into stasis after a devastating defeat and Apocalypse secretly protecting them this whole time because he loves them so much. Plus the emotional reunion of Apocalypse finally seeing his children awaken from stasis and truly being ok after thousands of years would be so much better than what we got.

. Isca the Unbeaten, Bei the Blood Moon, White Sword and Gorgon have all just been wasted in this run because their characters are interesting but are being used in service of Apocalypse's shitty new lore made to help "redeem him". Isca especially shines above the rest because her power of literally being unbeatable is extremely well crafted. Not only has it been explained in a way where she still has tangible, realistic weaknesses but it also shapes her personality and leads to interesting developments where her flaws are acknowledged. I just wish she stayed red. She is perfect and needs to stay when better writers start retconning this entire run. Bei the Blood Moon is also quite nice, she's well designed, has a good personality and her efforts to make her marriage with Cypher is quite sweet. I just hate that they killed Cypher and just turned him into Apocalypse's successor with making mutant kind better but that's not a her problem. White Sword has a really cool power where he just summons an army of champions he's killed with said sword and his temporary dissent into madness where he was trying to defend this one stronghold for ages is quite intriguing, he just needs more content. And our boy Tomi Shishido aka Gorgon has always been an interesting villain, one I always thought was most interesting as a member of the HYDRA Council, but he falls into the redemption arc trap every other mutant in fucking existence fell into. The reason he gets a pass is because compared to the likes of Sabretooth, Omega Red and Apocalypse his redemption isn't as egregious and I respect him for not becoming one White Sword's champions even when White Sword proceeded to kill him. Hopefully when he eventually comes back he'll just go back to working for HYDRA and getting into drama there.

. These recent X Men comics have been very bad at exploring their own allegories relating to mutants as marginalized people. Not only have they had the X Men and mutant kind as a whole self segregate on Krakoa they have also redeemed every goddamn mutant in existence because marginalized mutant = good. This kind of behavior is how we get people being shielded from the consequences of their racism, sexism, anti LGBT sentiments or other forms of bigotry because they're part of a different marginalized group. This behavior is how we get predators, abusers and animal abusers co-opting LGBT spaces for their own benefits. And this sentiment of all mutants being good hasn't even been working in their own comics, sure poor baby Apocalypse has been going through his "redemption arc" but Mister Sinister is actively fucking over other people and using his position on Krakoa as cover for his research even though he knows it's wrong. The X Men, especially the Quiet Council, come off as immoral cowards because they've bent over backwards to shield war criminals, mass murderers and creeps just because they're mutants that are capable of following three basic ass rules (or capable of lying about following those rules like Mister Sinister). But the worst part is that there are enough writers saying that it's moral to shield and babify terrible people just because those terrible people happen to be marginalized. It's the coward's way of writing diversity and I'm tired of seeing this babyification everywhere I look. They also take their own allegory too literally by reincorporating Orchis as the human supremacist opposition to the X Men and fully diving into this conflict, hoping to reflect real life struggles people face against bigotry. But all of these mutants have superpowers and Orchis, a human organization where some people randomly gained powers at some point, are trying to make sure that humanity isn't overtaken by mutants population wise because they're worried about the consequences it'll have on humanity. And yes, I know it's supposed to reflect the fear white Americans have of any minority group out populating them but that fear doesn't make any sense and Orchis' fear does to an extent. X Men stories like these fail all the time because bigotry against super powered mutants can be rationalized to an extent while real life prejudices can't. X Men stories revolving around anti mutant sentiments are at their best when they focus on the mutant characters feelings and the social ramifications this bigotry has on their lives. Nightcrawler running away from his home because people fear him for nothing more than his appearance is impactful. Angel's anguish at having his wings amputated by his own father because his father couldn't stand the sight of them is impactful. This story where a bunch of extraordinarily powerful people bicker and fistfight over who should inherit the earth in 20 years time isn't. Plus characters like Abigail Brand, MODOK and Fenris (Andreas and Andrea von Strucker) have more interesting things to do with their time, why are they here?

. These X Men comics are also structurally horrible. The writers not only eliminated most of their compelling villains by going out of their way to redeem every mutant they could but the pacing is so fast that even I can't keep up with what's happening anymore. The breakneck pace is a trap all marvel comics have fallen into recently in the quest to make the next big event™ but now these writers have to scramble and find things for the X Men to do because they intentionally handicapped themselves by eliminating so many goddamn villains. There's no longevity that gives the readers time to breathe and there are no real stakes to keep readers invested because conflicts are solved so quickly in favor of creating the next big conflict. Pair all of this with how Krakoa functions and the fact that basically any mutant character can be resurrected any time a writer wants them back, nothing matters to the audience reading these comics because every single problem can be solved with ease.

. I also hate how Broo became the Brood King. I love my boy Broo but him becoming Brood King was a contrived solution to the Brood conflict and it detracts from his character since being king of the brood keeps him from exploring his own scientific interests and completing his own goals. I want my boy to cure cancer, not take the Brood out of the equation when we are desperately in need of a sustainable, reliable source of conflict. If the writers wanted to explore Broo's relationship with the Brood more he should've had an adventure where he finds kinship with more Brood mutants and has to decide if he should bring them to earth or not.

. Also while we're talking about space I hate how the X Men just terraformed Mars for Arrako. It feels tacky to mess with Mars and like a waste of potential to do something cool with Mars if someone did want to mess with it.

Tl;dr: These recent runs of X Men comics ruin almost everything good about the X Men and I hope the reception to MCU X Men movies that follow the formula that works for them forcibly retcons the X Men comics back to their roots

[heckcareoxytwit]

Storm, Sunfire, Sunspot and the Arakki mutants gather around at Arakko-Mars during the aftermath of Blood Dawn the Arakki sparring ritual. The injured Sunspot tries to joke as a way of coping his pain from his ill-timed fight with a stronger Arakki mutant. He hopes that the Arakki mutants are not about to start another pain-based holiday. Bei the Blood Moon reminds him that Arakko lost its voice in Otherworld and now Redroot the Forest has finally returned to them. Cue to Bei's words, Sunfire manages to return Redroot with the help of Weaponless Zsen and Storm. After extracting Redroot from his chest, Storm helps to keep Sunfire alive by zapping his chest to jump-start his heart. Once Zsen had planted Redroot to the soil, Storm showers the Arakki mutant with rain to make her grow into normal size. Sunspot mentioned that he wallowed in self pity long enough and has a more important role to play. Bei says their pain will not be without purpose. Sunspot approaches Weaponless Zsen and tells her serving with her father (Fisher King) and aunt (Syzya of the Smoke) was an honor. Sunspot decides to relinquish his seat on the Night table and grants it to her so that he could go back to Earth and find his friends.

X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #120, 2024

[celadons-penultimate]

Well, I made one post where I told y'all about one of my weird, random X-Men / mutant ships (Polaris X Colossus), but then I remembered Tumblr doesn't have as restrictive a character limit as Twitter, so why not fit multiple ships into one post? So here goes, a few more (unranked) non-canon mutant pairings I'm in favor of, for no reason at all:

1) Bishop × Frenzy

2) Prodigy × Gentle × Trinary (YES, a polycule, I said wtf I said)

3) Dazzler × Ruckus (if Kwannon / Psylocke & Greycrow, a former Marauder, can find love worth rooting for, this is also possible)

4) Thunderbird × Bei the Blood Moon (with ALL disrespect, Cypher & Bei still feels like a joke pairing; Doug, John & Bei ALL deserve better)

5) Spyke × Tag (iirc, each was PLANNED to be gay in their respective stories, but neither was confirmed, some X-Men writer needs to get on that)

[braddocklegacy]

Betsy Braddock mantra: “Die or be killed”

[tournament-of-x]

The Hole

Announcement!

The following ten characters will be receiving new portraits for all future matches! On the left are their old portraits, and on the right are their new portraits.

The Five-In-One | Stepford Cuckoos

Sunfire | Shiro Yoshida

M / Penance | Monet St. Croix

Galura | Gabrielle Diwa

Thunderbird | John Proudstar

Black Priestess | Selene Gallio

Bei the Blood Moon

Marrow | Sarah Rushman

Lactuca the Knower

Prodigy | David Alleyne

Credit for Prodigy’s new portrait goes to @poorlydone-xmensketches.

If you have any complaints or criticisms regarding this decision, feel free to make them known.

[sofiamantegafan110]

NEW X-MEN SEASON 3, EPISODE 8!

PLEASE NOTE: NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS EPISODE. EXCEPT FOR A GUY IN AN ALLIGATOR SUIT.

EPISODE 8: CONTEST OF SWORDS, PART 2

WE OPEN IN THE FLOATING GARDENS OF ROMA REGINA AS OUR HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTESS, SATURNYNE, ASKS TWO UNSEEN CHAMPIONS IF THEY’RE READY TO BATTLE. WE THEN CUT TO CESSILY AS AN EXPRESSION OF DISBELIEF CROSSES HER FACE.

CESSILY: YOU’RE FUCKING KIDDING ME. THIS GUY? AGAIN?

WE THEN PAN OUT AND SEE THAT SHE IS ONCE AGAIN FIGHTING POGG UR-POGG, UNARMED. MERCURY FORMS A BLADE FROM HER HAND AND ASKS THE GIANT GATOR IF HE KNOWS WHAT SHE LEARNED LAST TIME THEY FOUGHT.

POGG UR-POGG: YOUR ANSWER WILL BE DULL, SO DON’T BOTHER TALKING…

SUDDENLY, POGG UR-POGG GRABS CESSILY IN ONE GIANT HAND AND DROPS HER INTO HIS MOUTH WHERE HE SWALLOWS HER WHOLE.

POGG UR-POGG: …WHEN MY MOUTH IS FULL.

WE CUT OVER TO THE VIEWING ROOM WHERE THE NEW X-MEN ARE SHOCKED. VOLTA HANGS BACK, LOOKING ON IN INTRIGUE WHILE SYZYA SITS DOWN, WATCHING AS POGG UR-POGG LOOKS TRIUMPHANT.

POGG UR-POGG: WHAT AT FIRST TASTES YUMMY… NOW BEGINS TO TICKLE FUNNY… UNTIL POGG UR-POGG FEELS SUDDENLY CRUMMY…

SUDDENLY, POGG UR-POGG VOMITS OUT CESSILY, WHO’S HOLDING A SMALL GOBLIN-LIKE MAN, WHO COWERS ON THE GROUND IN FRONT OF HER.

CESSILY: LIKE I SAID, I LEARNED SOMETHING NEW. THE WORD POGG MEANS “SWORD” IN ARAKKII… I THINK. AND SO I REALIZED THAT YOUR LITTLE ALLIGATOR PAJAMAS ARE JUST ONE BIG SWORD. MIND-BLOWER, HUH?

REAL POGG-UR-POGG: NOW I KNOW YOU’RE MY OPPONENT, BUT I PRAY YOU WAIT JUST A MOMENT…

MERCURY PAUSES AS IF SHE’S ACTUALLY CONSIDERING IT.

CESSILY: MM. NAH.

WITH THAT, SHE PUNCHES POGG UR-POGG IN THE FACE, KNOCKING HIM OUT.

CESSILY: THANK YOU. NEXT.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 5 * KRAKOA: 3

CUE INTRO AND CREDITS

WE THEN BEGIN A MONTAGE TO “THE WARRIOR” BY SCANDAL AS THE CHALLENGES CONTINUE. IN OUR FIRST SCENE, WE SEE WAR FACING OFF AGAINST VIC, MONET, AND VOLTA AS THEY TRY TO WITHSTAND VARIOUS AMOUNTS OF TORTURE IN A DUNGEON.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 6 * KRAKOA: 3

IN OUR NEXT SCENE, DEATH, ISCA, AND POGG UR-POGG FACE OFF AGAINST CESSILY AS THEY TRY TO ROLL HUGE BOULDERS UP A MOUNTAIN. CESSILY’S ROLLS BACK DOWN, AND SHE LETS OUT A STRING OF INAUDIBLE CURSES.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 7 * KRAKOA: 3

NEXT, ISCA, THE WHITE SWORD, AND JULIAN ARE UNDERWATER AS THEY STRUGGLE TO MAKE IT PAST SEVERAL SEA MONSTERS. JULIAN AND THE WHITE SWORD ARE INDISPOSED WHILE ISCA SEEMS TO MAKE IT THROUGH UNHARMED.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 8 * KRAKOA: 3

IN OUR NEXT BATTLE, REDROOT, VIC, MONET, AND DOUG ARE IN AN EATING COMPETITION. THE FOOD ON THE TABLE LOOKS OUTRIGHT DISGUSTING, BUT VIC IS ABLE TO PLOW THROUGH WHILE MONET AND DOUG LOOK READY TO LOSE THEIR LUNCH.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 8 * KRAKOA: 4

FLASHING LIGHTS PULSE THROUGH THE ROOM IN OUR NEXT SCENE AS WAR, BEI THE BLOOD MOON, LAURA, AND CESSILY ARE IN A DANCE-OFF. WHILE WAR AND BEI SEEM TO HAVE IT HANDLED, CESSILY IS TWERKING LIKE A WOMAN POSSESSED AND LAURA IS MAKING NO EFFORT TO HELP HER.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 9 * KRAKOA: 4

NEXT, REDROOT, POGG UR-POGG, JULIAN, AND MONET ARE TRYING TO MAKE THEIR WAY THROUGH AN ENDLESS LABYRINTH. ANY DIRECTION THEY SEEM TO TAKE JUST LEADS THEM RIGHT BACK WHERE THEY STARTED, AND JULIAN IS CLEARLY FRUSTRATED.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 10 * KRAKOA: 4

NEXT, WAR AND DEATH AND VOLTA AND CESSILY ARE TRYING THEIR BEST TO SOLVE A JIGSAW PUZZLE. CESSILY IS CLEARLY TRYING TO GET VOLTA INTO THE TEAM SPIRIT, BUT SHE IS NOT INTERESTED.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 10 * KRAKOA: 5

NEXT, MONET, LAURA, REDROOT, AND WAR WALK DOWN THE RUNWAY IN COUTURE GOWNS. MONET LOOKS RIGHT AT HOME, BUT LAURA DEFINITELY LOOKS LIKE SHE WANTS TO STAB SOMETHING.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 11 * KRAKOA: 5

IN OUR FINAL SCENE, ISCA, JULIAN, AND CESSILY ARE TRYING TO NAVIGATE THEIR WAY THROUGH THE BLIGHTSPOKE DESERT. JULIAN IS EXAMINING A MAP WHILE CESSILY IS HOLLERING AT HIM AND POINTING AHEAD OF THEM WHILE ISCA IS WALKING IN A RANDOM DIRECTION, TRUSTING HER POWERS.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 12 * KRAKOA: 5

AS THE MONTAGE CONCLUDES, WE SEE VIC AND REDROOT IN THE CROOKED MARKET, WARMING UP FOR A FOOT RACE. A DAPPER-LOOKING MAN IN A PLAID SUIT, MAD JIM JASPERS, TELLS THEM THAT THEY CAN FIND ANYTHING IN THE CROOKED MARKET IF THEY LOOK HARD ENOUGH. EVEN A FINISH LINE. IN THE VIEWING ROOM, JULIAN LOOKS AT THE OTHERS AND SAYS THAT VIC’S GOT THIS IN THE BAG.

A GUN FIRES AND VIC AND REDROOT BOOK IT THROUGH THE MARKET. VIC IS HAVING THE TIME OF HIS LIFE, RUNNING AND JUMPING OVER BOOTHS WHILE REDROOT IS DOING SOME SORT OF SPEED WALKING. SATURNYNE OBSERVES THIS.

VIC: TOO SLOW, GRANDMA!

SATURNYNE: THAT BOY’S GETTING TOO COCKY. HE NEEDS TO BE SLOWED DOWN.

SATURNYNE TURNS TO HER ATTENDANT, AN AMPHIBIOUS-LOOKING WOMAN.

SATURNYNE: RYL? FETCH THE FURY. LET’S EVEN THINGS OUT A BIT.

MEANWHILE, VIC IS STILL RUNNING AWAY WITH THE RACE. HE GRINS AND CONTINUES TO TEASE HIS OPPONENT, NOT NOTICING THAT SEVERAL BLACK MACHINE-LIKE CREATURE WITH FLASHING YELLOW LIGHTS ARE APPEARING IN HIS PATH. HE LOOKS UP TOO LATE AND THEY TACKLE HIM.

IN THE VIEWING ROOM, THE TEAM GASPS AND JULIAN ASKS WHAT THAT WAS. MONET TELLS HIM THAT THOSE ARE FURY CYBIOTES, MADE BY MAD JIM JASPERS TO DESTROY ANYTHING IN THEIR PATH. CESSILY LOOKS BACK AT THE SCREEN, SAYING THAT THEY NEED TO STOP THE RACE, BUT SYZYA SAYS THAT THERE’S NO WAY THEY CAN REACH THE CROOKED MARKET IN TIME.

BACK IN THE MARKET, VIC IS STRUGGLING TO FIGHT OFF THE FURIES AND WHILE HE DOES, REDROOT PASSES HIM, SAYING THAT SHE’S ROOTING FOR HIM. VIC GRUNTS AS HE KICKS SEVERAL FURIES OFF OF HIM, AND TURNS BACK TO HIS OPPONENT, NOT NOTICING ANOTHER FURY BEHIND HIM WITH A BLADE-LIKE ARM.

JULIAN: VIC! WATCH OUT!

VIC TURNS TOO LATE AND THE TEAM WATCHES IN HORROR AS THE BLADE SLICES THROUGH VIC’S ENTIRE LEFT ARM.

THINGS SEEM TO HAPPEN IN SLOW MOTION AS VIC FALLS TO HIS KNEES, TRYING TO KEEP FROM BLEEDING OUT WHILE REDROOT IS STILL RUNNING. SHE BUMPS INTO A TABLE ON THE WAY AND A CRYSTAL VASE SHATTERS ON THE GROUND. EVERYONE WATCHES AS REDROOT CROSSES THE FINISH LINE, HUFFING AND PANTING.

REDROOT: I… I WON? BUT I’VE NEVER WON ANYTHING BEFORE.

SATURNYNE: YES. BRAVO, DARLING.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 13 * KRAKOA: 5

AS REDROOT STANDS IN TRIUMPH, MAD JIM JASPERS CONGRATULATES HER BEFORE TELLING HER THAT THERE’S ACTUALLY A SMALL MATTER OF HER DEBT. REDROOT LOOKS CONFUSED AND MAD JIM TELLS HER THAT THE OBJECT SHE SHATTERED WAS A RARE CRYSTAL IDOL OF BOMBU, CRAFTED FROM THE SALT OF AN OOBAGONIAN PRINCESS’S TEARS.

REDROOT: WHAT? OH, DEAR. I… HOW MUCH DID IT COST?

MAD JIM: IT WAS PRICELESS.

SATURNYNE STRIDES UP TO VIC AND WITH A WAVE OF HER HAND, THE FURIES ARE GONE. VIC LOOKS AT HER IN DISBELIEF, ACCUSING HER OF CHEATING, AND SHE TELLS HIM THAT HE IS PLAYING HER GAME, AND THEREFORE, HE MUST PLAY BY HER RULES. SHE THEN LOOKS AT HIS STUMP OF AN ARM AND SIGHS, KNEELING DOWN.

SATURNYNE: POOR DEAR. LET ME FIX THAT FOR YOU.

SUDDENLY, VIC YELLS IN PAIN AS HIS ARM BEGINS TO MEND ITSELF BACK TOGETHER, EXCEPT IT’S A DARKER SHADE OF GREEN, BIGGER, AND MORE MONSTROUS. SATURNYNE TELLS HIM THAT SHE USED A BIT OF MAGIC TO ACTIVATE HIS SECONDARY MUTATION, AND SMILES, TELLING HIM THAT IT’S GOOD AS NEW.

SATURNYNE: BUT I AM AFRAID THAT YOU HAVE A CHALLENGE AHEAD OF YOU, DARLING. POOR REDROOT IS DISCOVERING NOW THAT THIS REALM HAS A COST.

VIC WATCHES IN HORROR AS JASPERS SHRINKS REDROOT DOWN TO THE SIZE OF AN ANT BEFORE PLACING HER IN A SMALL GLASS VASE. SHE POUNDS AT THE GLASS, BUT IT’S NO USE. SATURNYNE THEN TELLS VIC THAT THE DAMAGE HE CAUSED IS SIMPLY INCALCULABLE. THAT IS, UNLESS, HE ASKS FOR HELP.

VIC: WHY WOULD I ASK YOU FOR HELP? YOU’RE THE REASON THIS HAPPENED!

SATURNYNE: I KNOW, MY DARLING. BUT JASPERS DOESN’T PLAY BY THOSE RULES. YOU COULD BE THROWN INTO HIS DEBTOR’S OUBLIETTE. BUT I’M OFFERING YOU A WAY OUT. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IN RETURN IS STAY IN THE COMPETITION, WITH YOUR FRIENDS, AND KEEP PLAYING THE GAME. NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

VIC: YOU’RE EVIL.

SATURNYNE LAUGHS.

SATURNYNE: SWEETIE… I KNOW.

LATER, THE DOOR TO THE VIEWING ROOM OPENS AND VIC ENTERS WITH HIS NEW ARM. THE TEAM CROWDS AROUND HIM, ASKING IF HE’S OKAY.

VIC: NO. I’M NOT OKAY! I’M OUT! I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE! THIS BITCH DOESN’T CARE ABOUT US OR THE ARAKKII! SHE JUST WANTS TO PLAY WITH US LIKE LITTLE HAMSTERS ON A WHEEL! LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO REDROOT! MAYBE MEGAN HAD THE RIGHT IDEA AFTER ALL.

CLARICE WATCHES AS VIC WALKS OUT OF THE ROOM. WHEN HE’S GONE, VOLTA SPEAKS UP.

VOLTA: NO ONE IS TO BLAME. THE BOY IS SIMPLY TOO WEAK. IN THIS GAME, IT’S ALL ABOUT SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.

JULIAN: Y’KNOW WHAT? I’M GETTING SICK AND TIRED OF YOU! YOU’RE ON TEAM KRAKOA WHICH MEANS YOU’RE WITH US! IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU’RE NOT AN X-MAN, BUT IF YOU WERE, MAYBE YOU’D LEARN TO TREAT YOUR TEAM WITH RESPECT!

VOLTA: I’M NOT ON YOUR TEAM. MY LORD DOOM REQUESTED THAT I BE HERE, SO HERE I AM. I’M NOT STICKING AROUND FOR ANY ONE OF YOU, AND I’M NOT ONE OF YOU. I NEVER WILL BE.

JULIAN: OKAY, WELL I’M SURE THE ARAKKII WOULD BE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU! MAYBE WE COULD SWAP YOU FOR DOUG’S NEW WIFE! SHE’D BE A MUCH BETTER FIT THAN YOU AND WE CAN’T EVEN UNDERSTAND HER! HECK, EVEN THE ALLIGATOR OR THE SHIRTLESS HORNY GUY WOULD BE A BETTER TEAM MEMBER!

VOLTA: WELL, I AM HERE AND I AM ON YOUR TEAM, BUT THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US. I AM A SOLDIER, AND YOU ARE A CHILD.

SYZYA SUDDENLY STEPS IN.

SYZYA: IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT BEING A SOLDIER, VOLTA. TRUST ME, I KNOW THAT. YOU NEED TO TRUST YOUR PEOPLE, AND HELP THEM. AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU ARE REPRESENTING KRAKOA. AND THAT IS WHAT MATTERS. WHO ARE YOU MOST LOYAL TO? THE LATVERIANS? OR ALL MUTANTS OF EARTH?

THE TEAM WALKS OUT OF THE ROOM, LEAVING VOLTA ALONE TO CONTEMPLATE SYZYA’S WORDS.

MEANWHILE, VIC STANDS ON A TERRACE OVERLOOKING A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET. HE STARES AT HIS NEW ARM IN CONFUSION AS HE LOOKS OUT AT THE HORIZON. SUDDENLY, SOMEONE WALKS UP TO HIM, AND HE REALIZES IT’S GENESIS.

VIC: I’M NOT PLAYING ANYMORE. YOU’LL HAVE TO FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO TORMENT.

GENESIS: I AM NOT HERE TO HARM YOU. I SIMPLY WISH TO SEE IF YOU’RE ALL RIGHT.

VIC: WHY? AREN’T YOU ALL JUST CUT-THROAT KILLERS?

GENESIS: WE MAY SEEM THAT WAY, BUT YOU FORGET THAT WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR OUR LIVES FOR MILLENNIA. WE SACRIFICED SO MUCH SO YOU AND THE PEOPLE OF EARTH COULD BE FREE. I LEFT MY HUSBAND FOR THAT PURPOSE.

VIC: YEAH? WELL, WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST VOTE YES WHEN THE COUNCIL WAS DECIDING OUR FATE OR WHATEVER? DON’T YOU WANNA SEE HIM?

GENESIS: MORE THAN ANYTHING. BUT THE TRUTH IS… I AM SCARED. I’M WORRIED IF WE ARE SIMPLY TOO DIFFERENT AFTER SO LONG APART. BUT I AM THE LEADER OF ARAKKO, AND I MUST THINK FOR MY PEOPLE. PUT THEIR NEEDS BEFORE MY OWN.

VOICE: YOU DON’T HAVE TO THINK LIKE THAT.

VIC AND GENESIS WATCH AS CLARICE WALKS IN.

CLARICE: I’M FIGHTING BECAUSE I WANT TO GET SOFIA BACK. I’M FIGHTING BECAUSE I LOVE HER. BUT I’M ALSO FIGHTING SO ARAKKO AND KRAKOA CAN BE REUNITED. I’M FIGHTING SO YOU CAN SEE YOUR HUSBAND AGAIN. THE GAME MAY HAVE TURNED AGAINST US, BUT I KNOW WE CAN PUSH THROUGH. I BELIEVE WE CAN WIN THIS.

GENESIS AND VIC LOOK ON IN UNDERSTANDING.

VIC: BUT WHAT’S THE POINT? LOOK AT US. WE’RE BARELY SCRAPING BY. AND SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN HURT. MEGAN, SUMMONER, WAR, LAURA, REDROOT… SATURNYNE DOESN’T CARE WHO WINS AND WHO LOSES. SHE JUST WANTS A SHOW.

CLARICE: THAT MAY BE TRUE, BUT IT’S WORTH IT. VIC, THIS ISN’T ABOUT US. IT’S ABOUT DOING THE RIGHT THING. ISN’T THAT WHAT X-MEN DO?

VIC NODS AND CLARICE SMILES AND HUGS HIM BEFORE TURNING BACK TO SEE THAT GENESIS IS LEAVING. SHE SIGHS BEFORE TELLING VIC THAT SHE THINKS HIS NEW ARM IS COOL. HE SMILES AND THEY HEAD BACK INSIDE AS CLARICE ASKS WHAT ELSE SATURNYNE COULD POSSIBLY THROW AT THEM.

ANOTHER MONTAGE OCCURS AND “THE WARRIOR” PLAYS AGAIN AS WE CUT BACK TO THE FLOATING KINGDOM OF ROMA REGINA. BEI, DEATH, POGG UR-POGG, CYPHER, AND MERCURY ARE ON A STAGE AS ROMA ANNOUNCES THAT CESSILY MUST STEP FORWARD.

ROMA: HERE IS YOUR CLUE. PLEASE SPELL. YOUR ANSWER. A WHITE RABBIT PULLED OUT OF A HAT, A SPELL CAST BY A WIZARD, AND THE VERY LIFE FORCE OF SATURNYNE. WHAT AM I?

CESSILY CROSSES HER ARMS, THINKING BEFORE COMING UP WITH HER ANSWER.

CESSILY: WELL, THE LAST ONE THREW ME OFF A BIT, BUT BECAUSE OF THAT, I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER.

CYPHER: YOU GOT THIS, CESS.

CESSILY: THE CORRECT ANSWER IS SPELLED… B-I-T-C-H.

DOUG FACEPALMS AS CESSILY LOOKS MIGHTY PLEASED WITH HERSELF ONLY TO LOOK SHOCKED AS ROMA SAYS THAT THE ANSWER IS INCORRECT.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 14 * KRAKOA: 5

IN ANOTHER ROOM, LAURA AND THE WHITE SWORD STAND IN FRONT OF A MIRROR. AN UNKNOWN VOICE TELLS THEM THAT THEY WILL OBSERVE THE FACES OF ALL THOSE THEY HAVE KILLED, AND THE FIRST TO LOOK AWAY LOSES. WE DON’T SEE WHAT’S IN THE MIRROR, BUT THE TWO COMPETITORS LOOK ON SOLEMNLY BEFORE LAURA CLOSES HER EYES, A TEAR RUNNING DOWN HER CHEEK.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 15 * KRAKOA: 5

NEXT, ISCA, WAR, VOLTA, MONET, AND JULIAN ARE STANDING OUTSIDE WITH SATURNYNE, WATCHING THE WAVES CRASH ON TWO GIGANTIC ARCHES OF ROCK.

VOLTA: WHAT ARE THESE?

SATURNYNE: THESE ARE THE ROCK SIRENS OF CLEVERMORE. FEW CAN RESIST THEIR CALL.

CUT TO A FEW MINUTES LATER AS JULIAN RUNS INTO THE WATER, WORKING TO REMOVE HIS UNIFORM.

MONET: C’MON, VEE. LET’S GO. I THINK JULIAN’S GOING TO SHAG THAT BOULDER.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 16 * KRAKOA: 5

FINALLY, IN THE HOLY REPUBLIC OF FAE, WAR AND ANOLE STAND IN FRONT OF A SMALL BLACK KITTEN. WAR CURRENTLY HAS A BANDAGE AROUND HER HAND AFTER HER ENCOUNTER WITH LAURA.

WAR: WHAT IS THE TASK.

SATURNYNE: SIMPLE. KILL THE KITTEN.

THE KITTEN LOOKS UP AT THEM WITH BIG EYES AND MEWS ADORABLY AND VIC TURNS TO WAR, LIKE HE KNOWS WHAT SHE’S ABOUT TO DO.

VIC: YOU WOULDN’T DARE…

CUT OVER TO VIC AND WAR BOTH WRESTLING ON THE GROUND WITH WAR REACHING FOR THE KITTEN WHILE VIC IS GRABBING ONTO HER, TRYING TO GET HER TO STOP.

SCORE: ARAKKO: 17 * KRAKOA: 5

LATER, BACK IN THE NEW X-MEN’S QUARTERS, CLARICE IS WALKING AROUND JULIAN, LAURA, VIC, AND CESSILY, EXASPERATED.

CLARICE: WE ARE GETTING MURDERED OUT THERE! AND NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRY, IT’S LIKE YOU GUYS ARE DETERMINED TO FAIL! WHETHER YOU’RE THROWING SHADE AT OUR HOST…

CESSILY: IN MY DEFENSE, SHE TOTALLY IS!

CLARICE: …OR WRESTLING WITH YOUR OPPONENT…

VIC: THAT WAS A CUTE KITTEN!

CLARICE: …OR JUST NOT LOOKING AT ANYTHING AT ALL…

LAURA DOESN’T RESPOND.

CLARICE: …OR EVEN FUCKING A BOULDER!

JULIAN: IT WAS A SEXY BOULDER! SORRY, LAURA.

MONET: CLARICE, WE’RE TRYING, OKAY? YOU CAN’T PUSH US THAT HARD.

CLARICE: MAYBE I WOULDN’T IF WE ACTUALLY WON A MATCH!

SYZYA: TO BE HONEST, YOU HAVE STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. SUMMONER IS DEAD, REDROOT IS CAPTURED, AND NO ONE HAS SEEN SOLEM SINCE HE TOLD LAURA TO SUB IN FOR HIM.

CLARICE: SYZYA HAS A POINT. WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE. BUT THEY HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE. REMEMBER WHY WE’RE DOING THIS, GUYS. I NEED YOU TO GET YOUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR ASSES AND FOCUS!

CESSILY: YES MA’AM!

ALL EYES TURN ON CESSILY AS SHE SALUTES.

CESSILY: WHAT? YOU DON’T GET OFF ON BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO?

VOLTA GROANS BEFORE SAYING THAT SHE’S GOING TO GET SOME AIR. BEFORE SHE LEAVES, SYZYA LOOKS AT HER AND TELLS HER TO REMEMBER WHAT SHE SAID. VOLTA NODS AND WALKS OUT THE ROOM. AS SHE KEEPS WALKING, A HAND SUDDENLY GRABS HER FROM BEHIND, YANKING HER INTO DARKNESS.

A FEW MINUTES LATER, VOLTA’S VISION CLEARS, AND SHE LOOKS UP TO SEE DEATH’S MASK STARING AT HER.

DEATH: WAKE UP. IT IS TIME TO BEGIN.

VOLTA SITS UP, HOLDING HER HEAD AS DEATH EXTENDS A HAND TO HELP HER UP.

VOLTA: I FEEL… STRANGE.

DEATH: YOU’RE NERVOUS. THAT’S ALL. AND HOW COULD YOU NOT BE…

WE THEN ZOOM OUT AS VOLTA AND DEATH STAND IN AN AMPHITHEATER-LIKE AREA MADE OF PURE OBSIDIAN. THE SKY IS RED AND THE SUN IS ECLIPSED. VOLTA LOOKS AROUND, CONFUSED.

DEATH: …IN A PLACE SUCH AS SEVALITH.

VOLTA: IT… IT SMELLS LIKE THE DEAD.

DEATH: NO…

THE CAMERA FOCUSES ON SATURNYNE, LOUNGING ON A THRONE. VOLTA LOOKS AROUND AGAIN AND REALIZES THAT THE AUDIENCE IS NOT HUMAN. THEY’RE VAMPIRIC CREATURES.

DEATH: …IT SMELLS LIKE THE UNDEAD.

SATURNYNE: YOU MUST BATTLE UNTIL FIRST BLOOD. BEGIN.

AS “PLEASE” BY BLANCK MASS AND ZOLA JESUS BEGINS, DEATH AND VOLTA BATTLE IN SLOW MOTION. DEATH SLASHES AT HER, BUT VOLTA PARRIES WITH HER DOOM SPEAR. THE NEW X-MEN WATCH AS SHE JABS AT HIM, BUT HE DODGES. HE SLASHES AT HER AGAIN, BUT SHE JUMPS OUT OF THE WAY, TRYING TO USE HER POWERS, BUT TO NO AVAIL.

DEATH: WHY DO YOU FIGHT FOR THEM? YOU HARDLY KNOW THESE PEOPLE. YOU ARE A WARRIOR, VOLTA. YOU ARE ABOVE THEM.

DEATH SLASHES AGAIN AND VOLTA DODGES. SHE GRIPS HER SPEAR TIGHT AS THE NEW X-MEN CONTINUE TO WATCH, INTRIGUED. VOLTA PAUSES BRIEFLY, AS IF SHE’S CONTEMPLATING SYZYA’S WORDS. THEN FINALLY, SHE SPEAKS.

VOLTA: THAT MAY BE TRUE. BUT I AM VOLTA DOOM. I AM NOT JUST A LATVERIAN. I AM A MUTANT!

EVERYONE WATCHES AS VOLTA JUMPS INTO THE AIR IN SLOW MOTION, BRINGING DOWN HER SPEAR IN AN ARC. SLOWLY, THE SPEAR SLASHES THROUGH DEATHS SWORD, AND HE WATCHES AS THE BLACK BONE OF AMDUAT BEGINS TO CRUMBLE.

DEATH: THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH. NOW LOOK UPON THE LAST FACE ALL LIFE SEES.

THE CAMERA PANS BEHIND DEATH AS HE SLOWLY REMOVES HIS MASK. SOMEWHERE IN THE BACK OF VOLTA’S MIND IS THE VOICE OF TARN THE UNCARING, REMINDING HER THAT DEATH CAN KILL WITH A LOOK. SHE THEN TURNS TO SEE THE REFLECTIVE SILVER OF HER SPEAR AND GRINS.

VOLTA: YOU FIRST.

SUDDENLY, VOLTA HOLDS HER SPEAR IN FRONT OF HER, AND DEATH LOOKS IN SHOCK AT HIS HAZY REFLECTION. A PURPLE MIST GOES FROM DEATH TO THE SPEAR, AND THEN BACK TO DEATH AS HE IS OVERCOME BY HIS OWN POWERS.

VOLTA: THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT YOU AND ME. THIS IS ABOUT US. ALL OF US. AS MUTANTS. AND THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH.

THE NEW X-MEN WATCH WITH BAITED BREATH AS VOLTA SURGES FORWARD IN SLOW MOTION, HOLDING HER SPEAR HIGH. SHE YELLS AND THE MUSIC SWELLS AS SHE LUNGES FORWARD, IMPALING DEATH THROUGH THE CHEST WITH HER SPEAR. BLOOD GUSHES FROM THE WOUND AS VOLTA PULLS OUT HER BLOODY SPEAR, WATCHING AS DEATH FALLS. IN THE VIEWING ROOM, CESSILY PUMPS HER FIST AS HER TEAMMATES LOOK IMPRESSED.

VOLTA LOOKS AROUND, A BIT OF DEATH’S BLOOD ON HER FACE. HER EXPRESSION IS CALM.

VOLTA: WELL? HE’S BLEEDING, ISN’T HE? HAVE A TASTE AND FIND OUT.

THE VAMPIRES SURGE INTO THE ARENA, TEARING DEATH LIMB FROM LIMB, AS VOLTA WALKS AWAY, THE MUSIC SWELLING. AS SHE CONTINUES TO WALK AWAY, SHE LOOKS OVER AT SATURNYNE AND HOLDS UP HER MIDDLE FINGER. THE CAMERA FOCUSES ON HER CALM YET BRAVE FACE BEFORE CUTTING OUT JUST AS THE MUSIC ENDS.

[sbhelarctos]

Doug Ramsey you will always be famous

[mispelled]

hi! I can't remember if I've sent in a request or not. if I have ignore this

I'd like to request Bei the Bloodmoon (X-Men character)

Thanks for voting!

Vote Glenn for a doodle