After discovering last issue that Garokk’s erected
city was upsetting the ecological balance of the Savage Land, Ka-Zar leads the
X-Men up a snowy mountain to get a better look at the fortress. Soon after they
reach the top, the X-Men are ambushed by some of Garokk’s guards riding flying
creatures. Storm flies around the creatures, still too weak from Sauron’s
attack last issue, and Nightcrawler teleports out to assist her. Though the
X-Men fight valiantly, the tide soon turns against them. Cyclops is hit from
behind and snatched, and soon after Colossus, Banshee, and Ka-Zar are also
nabbed and captured by Garokk’s forces. Wolverine pledges that he and the
remaining X-Men will storm the city and rescue their teammates. First though,
Wolverine has a little chat with Zabu, Ka-Zar’s sabretooth companion, and sends
him back to gather reinforcements.
Wolverine, Storm, and Nightcrawler then make their way
down the mountain and into the city. Wolverine “takes care” of a guard they
come upon along the way, much to Storm and Nightcrawler’s horror. Eventually,
they come upon the sewage area and Wolverine tells Nightcrawler to scout ahead.
No sooner does he say that though, when a dinosaur rounds the corner and chomps
down on Wolverine’s arm. Wolverine extends his claws, silencing the creature
and revealing that he heals quickly when Storm expresses concern. More raptors
soon show up and Storm calls up a small flash flood to wash them away.
The trio finally arrive at the vast main arena, where
Garokk and Zaladane have the others and are planning to sacrifice them. While
the others are tied up to the side, Colossus is bound in the midst of a magma
pit and briefly wonders if he’ll start to melt if this goes on for much longer.
Nightcrawler then teleports to the dais from way out on the outskirt of the
massive dome, much farther than he’s ever teleported before, and frees Cyclops’
eyes, allowing Scott to free the others. The X-Men fight back against the
guards while Garokk decides to flee, with Cyclops giving chase. Cyclops chases
Garokk to the top of the dome, where Garokk is able to recharge himself with
the dome’s energy generators. This leads to a duel of eye beams as both fire
their beams at each other, with Cyclops making sure to parry Garokk’s beam
precisely with his own, lest he be sent flying off the dome.
Cyclops and Garokk’s struggle rages on, but the pure
energy being expended is causing the dome to collapse in on itself. Eventually,
the dome completely crumbles, sending Cyclops and Garokk both hurtling down
into the city’s thermal shaft. Banshee catches Cyclops while Storm flies down
to save Garokk. She nearly reaches him when she inadvertently hesitates, and a
rock slams into her shoulder, causing Garokk to plummet to the depths below.
The others make it out of the crumbling city before realizing that Storm is
still in there. She flies out in the nick of time and lands apart from the
others, to ruminate on her failure to save Garokk, with Wolverine wisely saying
that this is something she needs to work out on her own. A couple weeks later,
the X-Men finally prepare to head out of the Savage Land, saying farewell to
Karl Lykos before they do. The X-Men head out on a raft, only to be caught in a
huge winter gale, stuck in the middle of the ocean in the midst of the worst
storm in a hundred years! To be continued!