Uncanny X-Men, The (1981 series) #203

At the Golden Gate Bridge, Rogue reminisces about everything that happened between her and Carol Danvers. This was where Rogue initially drained Carol of her powers and inadvertently destroyed both of their lives. Rogue flies off, feeling that no matter what she does, she’ll never be able to fully atone for those actions. She flies back to where the X-Men have been staying in San Francisco and finds a pensive Kitty Pryde. Kitty reveals the soulsword and armor usually belonging to her best friend Magik that have somehow bonded themselves to her. Kitty bemoans the fact that The Beyonder erased the New Mutants and now she’s the only one who remembers they ever existed! Kitty feels hopeless over the fact that The Beyonder could just as easily do the same to them and no one would ever know!

Rachel Summers, as Phoenix, then appears revealing that she retained the bit of the Beyonder’s power he gifted her last issue and plans to use it to stop him for good, even if it means the destruction of the universe! Though reluctant, Kitty and Rogue offer Phoenix some of their life essence to aid her in her plan. A depowered Jessica Drew also offers her spirit as assistance. Rachel then takes the life essence from a sleeping Colossus, Wolverine, and Magneto before attempting to the same with Storm. However, Storm is awake and heavily disagrees with Rachel’s plan, causing Rachel to take her essence by force. Now with everything she needs, Phoenix transforms into her giant bird form and flies off into space, watched all the while by The Watcher, who muses that Rachel now must face the same trial her mother once did.

In an instant, Phoenix has flown out of the milky way galaxy and soon encounters Charles Xavier, Lilandra, Corsair, and the other Starjammers on the fringes of Shi’ar space. Xavier senses what Rachel is planning to do and tries to talk her out of it, to no avail. Phoenix flies to the ancient, nameless planet that houses the M’Kraan Crystal and heads inside the Crystal. Now with the essences of all her teammates, plus Xavier and the Starjammers, she plans to use the Crystal, just as her mother once did, this time to destroy the entire universe and recreate it into one without them or the terrible threat of the Beyonder! Rachel taps into the power of the Crystal and soon becomes one with all of creation! As she feels each and every individual life she’s now connected to, Storm asks her if she can really do what she’s planning, if she can really snuff them out?

An instant later, everyone is back on earth once more, Rachel not having been able to go through with her plan, feeling like she’s failed. While her teammates try to tell her she made the right decision, the Beyonder appears, stating he’s disappointed. Rachel realizes that the Beyonder purposely left his power with her, and was planning to use her to do his work for him, to send the universe back to a state where he could be unaware once more. She blazes bright, returning to the Beyonder the power he lent her and with it, the oneness with all of creation she felt! This overwhelms the Beyonder, now finally seeing the worth of life. He now feels unsure of what his next steps are, and the X-Men tell him that’s part of being human, what he so desperately wanted to know. He finds himself grateful for what they have shown him, and departs, telling them not to squander the gift of life. The X-Men then watch the sunrise, wondering if they made a difference, forced to be content with the fact that, for now, they still live.