The X-Men arrive at the Calgary Stampede, Calgary’s
biggest recreational complex, and break the doors down. Shaman witnesses the
X-Men arrive and sets up measures to prevent anyone else interfering. Cyclops
then thinks back to how everything started last issue, with Alpha Flight
demanding Wolverine, and his and Nightcrawler’s subsequent capture. Storm was
able to follow Vindicator’s energy signal here, where they find Wolverine and
Nightcrawler tied up in the middle of a large arena. Knowing it’s a trap, when
the X-Men go to retrieve their teammates, they are confronted by Alpha Flight!
Vindicator wants to avoid a fight, telling them they can take Nightcrawler and
go, but that Wolverine is staying with them!
Outside, Banshee, Colleen Wing, and Misty Knight
arrive but encounter the wall of air that Shaman set up to deter intruders.
Inside, Cyclops and Vindicator continue to argue, while Colossus becomes
suspicious of Northstar. Thinking that Northstar is about to attack, Colossus
stomps the ground, causing a tremor and starting the fight with Alpha Flight in
earnest. Wolverine and Nightcrawler join the fight, revealing that they were
just playing possum, while Storm reflects on Colossus’ out of character behavior.
Northstar clocks Cyclops from behind, while Nightcrawler and Aurora engage in a
cat and mouse chase. Storm tangles with Snowbird while Shaman continues his
weather spells to keep Wolverine off balance.
However, in other parts of the city, we see that
Shaman’s reckless use of the weather has caused his storm to get out of
control, as it takes on a mind of its own! The fight progresses, as Wolverine
tangles with Vindicator and Colossus uses the judo tricks Cyclops taught him to
get the upper hand on Sasquatch. Nightcrawler and Aurora continue their chase,
with Nightcrawler giving Aurora a cheeky peck, enraging her. Wolverine declares
that he’s a free man, when the raging storm finally becomes evident to all
present. Storm wraps Snowbird up in her cape, leaving her on the ground before
flying up to try and deal with the storm. With supreme effort, Storm flies into
the upper atmosphere and molds and guides the weather to her bidding, spreading
the tempest out safely across the country.
Storm finally lands again, victorious but exhausted.
Northstar, seeing the evidence that she’s the most powerful, hits Storm from
behind as soon as she lands, causing Cyclops to retaliate with an expertly
timed optic blast to the face! Cyclops is about to lay into Northstar when
Wolverine stops him, for an interesting role reversal. Wolverine knows that the
fight will end if he agrees to go with Alpha Flight, and had been only going on
this long due to his stubbornness. Wolverine is loaded into a truck, in a
rather inhumane fashion, while Nightcrawler posits that Alpha Flight are not
lucky enough to know anything of the true Wolverine. The X-Men are escorted via
plane out of the area, until they cross the border. Cyclops plans to head back
to get Wolverine by force and the others agree, until Wolverine, from one of
the pilots’ seats, reveals he’s been on the plane the whole time! Cyclops asks
about the next time Alpha Flight tries something, and Wolverine says they’ll
deal with it when it comes, preferring to celebrate in the meantime!