Story #2#8AU (no title given)
Writer:
Gerry Duggan, Rick Remender. Penciler/Inker:
Adam Kubert. Colorist:
Frank Martin. Letterer:
Cory Petit.
Synopsis
In 4145
Kang amuses himself watching
Ant-Men Eric O'Grady and
Scott Lang fight to the death against sword-wielding ants in an artificial ant-hill. He turns to the young teen
Apocalypse Twins Uriel and
Eimin that he abducted as infants in
#5. He claims that he has always defeated them as grownups in multiple timelines as they tried to lead and defend mutantkind. These and other timelines have shown that war between humans and mutants is inevitable. He proposes that they take a new approach and lead mutants to a destiny separate from humans. The Twins are willing and eager to do whatever their 'father' wants.
Kang promises to teach them how to fight to overcome the obstacles that will arise. Uriel asks why they can't simply just use time-travel to kill their enemies at birth. Kang claims that is not the honourable way of the warrior, but also explains that such intervention usually has unpredictable and undesirable consequences. As an example he will show them the timeline that has arisen in
Age of Ultron after
Wolverine went back in time to kill
Henry Pym.
In this timeline
Morgana le Fey is the dominant enemy and the
Defenders are the super-group arrayed against her.
Kang shows them
Steve Rogers (
Colonel America in this reality wearing
Nick Fury's eyepatch), 1 of their greatest foes in all timelines. He wants them to kill him without using the time-powers he has given them, and in open conflict - not sneaky assassination.
Rogers enters the tunnels beneath New York seeking the mutant
Morlocks, who are even more cautious of topsiders since
Mr Sinister tried to wipe them out in the
Mutant Massacre.
Callisto reluctantly takes him to their leader
Havok.
CA is here with the blessing of
Alex Summers' brother
Cable, to arrest
Caliban wanted for murder. There's no love lost between the brothers, Havok believes Caliban killed in self-defence, and the Morlocks don't trust human courts, so they refuse to give him up.
Havok is supported by his wife
Rogue. Steve reminds them that
his murdered wife
Scarlet Witch believed that humans and mutants should live in peace, but the Morlocks don't rate
her much either.
The argument is interrupted by an attack by the Twins. Eimin fires what seems like solid light beams at CA while Uriel strikes at him physically. They claim to be defending the Morlocks, but the mutants don't know who they are and the light beams are hitting some of
them.
Havok tells Rogers to head off into the tunnels to draw the fire away. The twins follow him, and he hears them talking about Father Kang. Steve realises that the youngsters are just deluded pawns, and this tempers his response. But he ambushes them, downing Eimin. CA and Uriel engage in a physical struggle until they are separated underwater. Rogers surfaces near some more Morlocks as Uriel strikes with the solid light, and again Morlocks get injured. But Steve also has lots of light shards in his back poisoning him. Invisible Kang urges the Twin to finish him off, but Uriel hesitates.
Havok arrives to hold Uriel off while CA staggers away. Uriel tries to argue his way past the mutant, saying he's seen what humans do to mutants in the future in
Red Skull's concentration camps. Havok won't give way, and under the insistence of Kang Uriel cuts him in 2 with the sharp edge of his wings, saying Alex was too weak to lead the mutants.
Rogue catches up with her husband and viciously attacks Uriel when she sees the dead body. But the Twin fatally stabs her with his wing tip. As she's dying she touches his face to take his memories. She realises that he is
Archangel's son, and that Kang has corrupted the Twins. Surprisingly Uriel says they
know Kang is evil. But he is teaching them how to save their people the mutants.
Uriel flies off with Rogue, taking her to the Morlocks to possibly be healed. But Eimin stops him, firing more solid light knives which finish Rogue off. Angry Uriel attacks his sister. They're supposed to protect mutants, not kill them! But Kang praises Eimin for having the will to kill her enemies, while Uriel has shown weakness. And they both failed to kill their prime target Colonel America.
Kang takes Rogue's hood as a trophy for Eimin. They go back to his future HQ, where the trophy room holds things like multiple different heads of
Hank McCoy the
Beast and multiple different
Iron Man helmets. Kamg claims to have killed them all in hand-to-hand combat. The twins notice for the 1st time the axe which Kang tells them is
Jarnbjorn, enchanted to kill
Celestials (as seen in
#6). He has used it to kill
Apocalypse and his heirs in many timelines.
Kang says Uriel needs toughening up, and will be sent to spend more time in 1 of Red Skull's camps under the control of
Ahab. Eimin volunteers to accompany her brother.
CharactersGood (or All)Plus: Callisto.
EnemiesPlus: Apocalypse Twins.
