Uncanny X-Men, The (1981 series) #227

In Dallas, the Adversary has just destroyed Eagle Plaza, and apparently the X-Men with it! Manoli, one of the two-person news crew covering everything, mourns her partner Neal, who had been in the tower with the X-Men. She’s held back by Crimson Commando, until Pyro alerts them that there’s footage coming through on the monitors. Miraculously, due to being in a time warp of Vietnam, the X-Men survived the destruction, with Neal continuing to broadcast everything. The X-Men tangle with the demons that are currently ravaging the Vietnamese soldiers in this time distortion, while Neal narrates for his viewers at home (and the readers). Madelyne then stumbles upon a shocking sight, a past version of Forge surrounded by his dead companions. He chants a spell, absorbing the souls of his nine dead friends and uses them to continue to open a rift in space, meaning Forge was responsible for the demons coming forth and massacring the Vietnamese army! Realizing what he just unleashed, the past Forge calls in an air strike, which ends up decimating the entire area!

High above, in Roma’s floating, otherworldly citadel, the Adversary taunts Roma, as well as the captured Storm and present-day Forge, that his victory is nearly complete. Storm tries to fight back to no avail, while Roma thinks to herself that there are still some surprises in store for the Adversary. Neal asks the X-Men their thoughts on Forge’s dark secret actions, which Wolverine has no time for. Neal points out that if the X-Men want to stop being viewed as outcasts and criminals, they need to actually fight for their cause where people can see it! Psylocke then senses the presence of everyone in the floating citadel and Rogue rockets up to check it out. She discovers that the Adversary is using Storm’s powers to defend the citadel with a hurricane and gets sent plummeting right back down to earth! Havok questions how they’re going to get close to the Adversary to make a difference. Dazzler has the idea to have Longshot attach his rope to the citadel and have his luck guide them through the storm! Neal gets some thoughts from Madelyne, and she expresses that she hopes her husband and son get to see a future where mutants are no longer hated.

With their plan just crazy enough to work, everyone attaches themselves to Longshot’s line and Rogue flies up, pulling everyone else along. She throws Longshot, letting his luck guide them in the right direction. On the ground, Colossus acts as their anchor, before he turns back to flesh and blood, assuring they can all make it up there together. Longshot’s luck successfully guides them through the hurricane and they begin to attack the Adversary. Longshot pierces him with his daggers, stunning him enough for Rogue to jump on him and start absorbing his power! Though deeply unpleasant for her, she absorbs as much as she can before Wolverine comes along to slash at him. It does nothing though, as the Adversary is specifically vulnerable to steel and not other metals. This gives Colossus an idea though, turning back to his armored form and barreling through a very surprised Adversary, completely destroying his host body! The Adversary commends Roma for setting up Colossus’s arrival, something he did not foresee, but states that it won’t change anything.

Rogue then uses the mystical knowledge she gained from the Adversary to open a portal. The Adversary prevents himself from getting sucked in, but it frees Storm and Forge. The others try their best to blast the Adversary into the portal, but they realize that Forge is the only one with the means to end things, this literally being the moment he was born for! Forge is reluctant, because he knows what the cost will be; since he initially used nine souls to open the portal all those years ago, he must now use nine souls to close it and banish the Adversary, the X-Men’s souls. Storm and Forge say goodbye once more, and Madelyne uses Neal’s camera to give a tearful farewell to Scott and her baby. The X-Men freely offer their souls, and Forge uses them to power his spell, banishing the Adversary away and closing the gateway! On Muir Isle, Kitty Pryde sees the news footage of the X-Men’s deaths, when she’s called to the infirmary by Moira MacTaggert. Kitty runs in to find that Nightcrawler is now out of his coma, but has to tearfully tell them what happened to the X-Men! Forge returns himself and Neal to Dallas, where Mystique angrily blames Forge for everything and considers him a murderer.

However, back in Roma’s citadel, the cosmic being and guardian of reality returns the X-Men to life! She states that the Adversary can only be locked away temporarily, in order to maintain balance, and her revival of the X-Men acts as a reward for their bravery. The X-Men realize they can use the opportunity to enact Storm’s plan of laying low and striking at their enemies from the shadows, since everyone thinks that they’re dead. Feeling this is the best course of action to protect their loved ones, Roma commends the X-Men, stating that they have transcended being heroes; they are now all…legends!