As the new leader of the Morlocks, Storm forbids them
from attacking or threatening the people of New York. Callisto swears to Storm
that she’ll regain leadership once more and Storm tells her not to push her
luck, as they’ve already fought once before, with Storm victorious.
Nightcrawler observes that Storm seems to be going out of her way to make an
enemy of Callisto and he worries to himself about the dark changes he’s seeing
in her. Meanwhile, in Alaska, Madelyne Pryor awakens from a terrible nightmare with
a start! When Scott Summers comes to check on her, she recounts to him a
terrible tragedy from her past. She had been in a fiery plane crash, which left
her as the sole survivor, miraculously without a scratch! She mentions the day
of the accident as September 1st, 1980, and Scott realizes that’s
the very same day that Jean Grey died!
We cut again to Beverly, Massachusetts, where Carol
Danvers finishes up a visit with her parents. She notes the awkwardness, for
while Professor Xavier was able to restore her lost memories, she still doesn’t
feel the emotions that should go along with them, feeling that her life as
Carol Danvers may truly be over! Meanwhile, at Xavier’s School for Gifted
Youngsters, Charles Xavier himself continues to work with Lilandra at breaking
the psychosomatic issues that still prevent him from walking in his new body.
Xavier then alerts Colossus in the kitchen to the arrival of a visitor.
Colossus opens the door to find Rogue, who frantically says she’s not there for
a fight and needs Xavier’s help! The rest of the X-Men are gathered and Rogue
explains that her powers are out of control and that the persona she absorbed
from Carol Danvers is driving her crazy! She can’t tell which thoughts and
memories are her own anymore and, feeling lost, turned to Xavier as her only
hope. Xavier wants to examine Rogue alone, and while the X-Men question if
that’s a good idea, he states that they have nothing to fear her from the
broken, anxious girl before them.
While the X-Men all have their misgivings about Rogue
and her real intentions, Kitty Pryde suggests a Danger Room session so they can
blow off steam. Illyana Rasputin elects to set up the program for the Danger
Room but when it loads up, it shows a replica of their adventure in limbo
against Belasco! This shocks Illyana just as much as anyone and Kitty angrily
shuts the program down. Illyana then attacks Kitty, as if in a trance,
summoning an energy sword out of nowhere that’s able to hurt Kitty even when she’s
phasing! Kitty disarms Illyana, which breaks her out of her spell and she
collapses, saying that she remembered everything that happened in limbo during
the seven years she was trapped there! Later on, Storm wrestles with her own
issues, just as aware of the changes in herself that Nightcrawler noticed
earlier. She feels herself changing, hardening, gaining aspects that make her a
better leader for the X-Men but which seem to be at the cost of her ideals. She
feels at a crossroads for where her life is heading, feeling sudden, intense
anger at Xavier for making her an X-Man, a decision which she feels is
destroying her!
Xavier calls the X-Men in once more to say that he’s
determined that Rogue is being sincere and that he’s admitted her to both the
school and to the X-Men, as a probationary member! Storm feels that she should
be consulted, as team leader, feeling that they won’t be able to trust her. At
that moment, Carol, as Binary, returns to the mansion, and a moment later,
Rogue goes rocketing out of the mansion and practically into orbit from
Binary’s punch! She flies back down, where Binary is waiting for her and gets
belted again before Colossus attempts to restrain Carol. Carol reveals who she
is to Rogue, which stuns her and Storm and the other X-Men threaten to walk if
Rogue stays as an X-Man. Xavier fires back, saying they can’t just pick and
choose who to help, reminding Storm that she advocated for Wolverine not long
ago due to his potential for good, and the same applies to Rogue. Xavier says
that this is why he started the school, to give mutants the best shot possible
at a better life and that he won’t ever deny or condemn any mutant that comes
to him for help. The X-Men trust Xavier’s decision, while Carol flies off,
feeling more frustrated and betrayed than ever. Storm once again feels at a
crossroads, not knowing whether she should stay or go, feeling that no matter what she chooses, she will never again be the woman that she was.