--===PROGRESSIONS OF POWER===--
 _By Various_ 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: "Prelude to Ascension" and "All Cry the Children" are part of an
email rpg started on racx several years ago. 


 Here are the original chapter summaries:
 
    The X-Men Trilogy - "Progressions Of Power" (The Summary) 12 pages

 
                               (parts 1-17)

 Previous Chapters available by E-MAIL request to Dan Adams at
dadams@hpbs3339.boi.hp.com.

 This Story is in 30 parts, and not everyone may want to read all of it to
know what is going on, so what follows is a summary of the important
things that have occurred in each chapter. Also included are a few liner
notes, Corrections of Gaffs in older posts, and new Chapter Titles. This
will be updated as each chapter is added. This mega story, in its original
form, was an E-Mail roleplaying adventure. The following was co-plotted
and co-written to varying degrees by the players in the game. They are
listed at the end. This story is mostly written in a Script format, and is
mostly a first draft, because this thing took/takes up too much of my time
to do it any other way for free. The events in this story divert from
Marvel Continuity at the point directly after the attack of the Upstart
Fitzroy on Forge, and his rescue by the gold team, and after the three
leaders of the X-Men's trip to the Savage Land and the subsequent
encounter with the Upstart Sienna Blaze This story was my attempt to tie
up all of the various loose threads in the Marvel X-Plots into one big
plot. I ended up taking more liberties with the Marvel Universe they I
originally intended, so things could not have turned out this way. It also
got more convoluted as the New Mutants and then Excaliber pushed there way
into the story. But the mega plot ties up Magneto, Time Travel, The
Phoenix, and the Hellfire Club. It also brings back the New Mutants an
reunites Excaliber with the X-Men. As Sunrider says - MURO! All marvel
charecters copywrite by Marvel Comics. SOSUMI.
 (Jodlin Pierce, Chris Sypal, and Richard Darwin are not)
 -GM/Author Scott Bachmann/di800@cleveland.freenet.edu
 _The Players_
 DougLock: (-17) lehoczkyy@husc.harvard.edu (Union Jack)
 Magneto: (-17) rivk@midway.uchicago.edu (Naomi Gayle Rivkis) 
Colossus: (-12) dn961@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Matthew S. Mccarthy)
 (13-17) phoenix1@sound.demon.co.uk (Dave Girling)
 Rogue: (-17) jav41196@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Jennifer Vodvarka)
 Gambit: (-17) V534YYNN@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu (Matt Dempster) 
Majik: (-17) glaw@Jade.Tufts.EDU (Gabe)
 Wolverine: (-17) musgse@meaddata.com (Steve Musgrave)
 Cannonball: (-17) tnieboer@nyx.cs.du.edu (Toby Nieboer)
 Cyclops: (8-17) chl701s@nic.smsu.edu (Christopher Lenger)
 J.Pierce: (7-17) uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu (John)
 Shadowcat:(14-17) mkellis@hoshi.Colorado.EDU (Mike Ellis)
 Nghtcrwlr:(14-17) jarchow@beech.csis.gvsu.edu (Matt Jarchow) 
Jubilee: (14-17) U28016%UICVM@UIC.EDU (Eloise Beltz-Decker)
 Banshee: (14-17) siilsu@utu.fi (Sunrider) 
Bishop: (14-17) jmj696s@nic.smsu.edu (J Michael Jeffryes) 
All Else: (1-17) di800@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Scott Bachmann)
 
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Book 1 : "Prelude to Ascension"

 Part 1 - "Blazing Entry"

 Forge had been summoned by Xavier and the Gold Team to save Ilyanna
Rasputin from the Legacy Virus. Forge can not stop the virus's mutability,
so he modifies the Neutralizer (once used to stop Dire Wraiths) to cancel
out a mutants X-factor. Without the X-factor to attack, the disease goes
into remission. Xavier calls a war council with the Blue and Gold teams,
and announces his decision to go on the offensive against threats to
humanity like the Upstarts, and to discover if Magneto is alive. Taking
great risk, the Upstart Sienna Blaze attacks the X-Mansion itself with aid
from the Gamesmaster. At the same time, the dead New Mutant Warlock gates
into the danger room. Xavier divides the teams to deal with each conflict.
Meanwhile, Magneto, hidden in his Antarctic Citadel, is disturbed by time
traveller named Renegade who has bent sent back in time to keep him alive.

 Part 2 : "Revelation"

 The Eternal, Renegade, explains to Magneto that he is destined to fight a
war with the Eternal Apocalypse over something called the right to be the
High Lord of New Canaan. This war is the culmination of a series of Wars,
Man against mutant, and Eternal Mutant vs Eternal Mutant. Eternals are
immortal mutants which eventually band into factions known as the Council
of Lords. One of these factions, Genesis, sent Renegade back in time to
protect Magneto because the other Lords are also using Time Travel to
defeat each other. Renegade was once the Mutant Morlock Skids, and possess
an indestructible, frictionless, force field and enhanced psi blocks which
make invulnerable to all attack. Renegade is a stray in the various wars,
seeking only survival. She was allied for awhile with an Eternal named
Trust, but his death left her despondent, unwilling to choose sides. She
tells Magneto that his "Death" by the Upstart Fabian Cortez was actually a
piece of a larger plot by the Eternal Gamesmaster to become the High Lord
himself. However, it is Apocalypse and his servant, Mr. Sinister that
kills him for good, and that's what Renegade must stop. She finally
collapses, exhausted by the difficulty of time travel. (Homage to my
Marvel Character, Skids, that I once roleplayed in someone else's game)

 Part 3 : "Genesis-Exodus"

 The majority of the X-Men are being reduced to a standstill as Blaze
attempts to shred the earth's magnetic field over the Mansion itself, and
the magnetic fields prevent the X-Men from stopping her. The psionic might
of the X-Men is also blocked by the Gamesmaster. Forges Neutralizer then
takes care of Blaze, and Forge takes her prisoner, along with Fitzroy as
he assumes his new duties as government liaison to mutants, and leader of
X-Factor (an error in the text said X-Force) Forge leaves after arguing
with Storm and being interrupted by Bishop being protective of Storm.
Bishop reveals that Forge is Genesis. Xavier sends the Gold Team off to
deal with the Upstarts, while he takes command of the Blue Team to deal
with Magneto. Warlock is revealed to be unaware of how his rebirth
occurred as is Douglas Ramsey, who is also alive but in symbiot with
warlock. 

 Part 4 : "Subjective Reality"

 (An error had part 3 and 4 released with the wrong numbers)
 Loki discusses with Hela his interests in the mortal world, and they talk
in vague terms about their plot to gain vengeance on the X-Men/New Mutants
for their adventures in Asgard. Dani Moonstorm is revealed to be held by
Hela. Loki hints as she leaves that his plot goes further than vengeance,
it will grant him dominion of Midguard, Earth. Xavier an Dr. McTaggert
examine the Douglock (merge of Doug and Warlock) and Xavier fears that
Doug is only a figment of Warlock's imagination. Cerebro reveals little,
something blocks it. Warlock also shows Doug how he "Died." Meanwhile,
another Time Traveller, the Eternal and Council Lord Cannonball, chosen by
the losers of the Council War, is sent back in time to defeat Apocalypses
Time Travelling which has brought about their downfall. He is equipped
with a Stark artificial Lifeform Computer which can alert him to
distortions in the time continuum. Sam and Al arrive and are immediately
attacked. (My homage to Quantum Leap)

 Part 5 : "The Unspoken Price of Power"

 	Xavier second guesses Magneto, expecting that if he is alive, he would
make a pilgrimidge to Israel on the "Holiday" that commemorates the
constant siege of the oppressed. He plans to find Magneto before he causes
trouble. 	(There is a small lost section with Magneto that
clarifies/reveals the following: Magneto does not know how he was reborn
after the fall of Asteroid M, and he is using computer E-Mail to discover
what is going on with the world. He carefully covers his tracks but a
mutant named Trust tracks him down, and praises the fact that his savior
has risen.) 	Magneto scowers the electronic highway, and discovers that
mutants have been hounded in his absence. He has also been worshipped as a
martyr and savior by more than just the Acolytes. His "Dream" and
"Nightmare" have gone on without him. 	Renegade and Magneto converse
reveal bits of their past to each other, and Renegade discloses that she
was sexually abused by her father as a child, and only her mutant power
saved her from further abuse. The same power almost killed her when she
was Skids and rescued by X-Factor. The same power has also kept her alive
during the wars when everyone she knows has died. She breaks down, not
being very strong emotionally anyway, and Magneto comforts her. She takes
strength from him, and pledges to be his ally, hoping his dream can stop
the horrors in the lives of mutants. 	Ilyanna, the disease in remission,
begins to act strangely, to worldly for her age. Beats and Moira can find
no reason for the strangeness, but both are certain something is odd.
	Ilyanna turns out to be psionically linked to Majik. Majik has been
trapped in Limbo, and can now share leave by trading places with Ilyanna.
(My homage to the original Mar-Vell/Rick Jones stories)

 Part 6 : "Romper Room"

 	Douglock searches Cerebro for the whereabouts of the New Mutants and
discovers little. The Gamesmaster appears and warns them from interfering,
hinting that his rival has brought about their rebirth. 	The X-men
Practice in the Danger Room.

 Part 7 : "Escalation"

 	Magneto and Renegade do indeed leave for Israel, covering their tracks
and hiding out in a hidden base in the Golan Mountains. 	As they arrive, a
new round of conflict between Syria and Israel has begun as peace talks
have stalled, and violence in the occupied territories has increased. The
Hizballah fires rockets into Israel, which Magneto stops. 	The violence
becomes a minor invasion and Magneto investigates. Renegade discovers that
Magnus has been talking to Trust, and wonders where her past self is at
this time. 	(Real time was strange here as Marvel suddenly brought Skids
back in X-Force, and the above events in Israel were actually occurring as
we played.) 	Meanwhile in a Boston Restaurant, the Dark Hunters (formally
Dark Riders, and followers of Apocalypse who go around testing mutants for
the forthcoming holocaust) attack Jodlin Pierce, College student, and
cousin of the deceased Hellfire club member, Donald Pierce. They kill
everyone in the place except Jodlin whose power to control the bodies
functions is nearly a match for them. Just as the Dark Hunters begin to
get the upper hand, they flee as the Upstart, and leader of the Friends of
Humanity appear, video tape the carnage, and then threaten to kill Jodlin.

 Part 8: "Jihad"

 	Majik takes over Ilyanna's body and the younger Ilyanna grows in stature
and is covered by eldritch armor and wields the soul sword, she goes to
investigate the Mansion. 	Cyclops and Xavier discuss a warning from
Gabrielle Haller, currently a UN Ambassador, that evidence suggests that
Magneto may be in Israel. Cyclops wonders again about the obsessiveness of
Xavier with magneto, worrying about the change in him. 	Xavier summons the
Blue Team to leave, and the Danger Room session ends. Wolverine tells
Jubilee to stay behind as they leave. 	Colossus, has been testy over the
deaths of his family and near deaths of his sister Ilyanna. He took the
Danger Room scenario to far, and while there had left Ilyanna with Beast,
and afterwards could not find her. He is furious with Beast. 	He seeks his
sister and she finds him, and tells Peter about her "duality."
	Individually, the Blue Team voices doubts about the quality of their
lives, questioning their place in the team. The leave for Israel. 	In
Israel, the Syrian invasion is small, but they armed with a powerful
mutate created by the HEART project, Byzantium, who claims can detonate
his body like an atom bomb. (Anybody remember the Jack of Hearts? The
stories of the Government/SHIELD powered Being program that evolved from
agency designed to harness the complete power of the sun? Could also be a
religiously converted villain, the one who caused Mar-vells death.)
	Magneto accepts the threat at face value, he reaches out with his power
and encloses Byzantium in a Magnetic bottle, and tells Renegade to be
prepared to flee. Then he goes out to confront them. 	SHIELD, and other
military forces are called in, and both Magneto and The X-Men in the
Blackbird and Magneto hear this. The X-men rush in the Blackbird to stop
the Mutant. (Slight Gaff, CNN broadcasted these events live to the world.)
	Byzantium carries through on his threat and detonates, and Magneto
contains the blast. The radiation is stopped, but his own power blasts
outward, uncontrolled and tears havoc in all electrical gear. The
Blackbird is caught in this magnetic storm and goes down. Magneto's base
is destroyed by this backlash and Renegade is hurled into the Syrian army.

 Part 9 : "Face the Face"

 	Destiny is revealed to be alive and living as a crazed homeless person
on the streets of San Francisco. She is being used as a tool by the
Gamesmaster so that he can know the future. She tells him that time
travellers are interfering with the future. The Gamesmaster admits that
there are minds that his omnipotent Telepathy can't penetrate. He forces
her to do a distant Augury, and reveals that Loki becomes the High Lord,
not Apocalypse, and that the Gamesmaster has already lost the Game of
Ascension that he plays by manipulating the Upstarts. 	Meanwhile, Magneto
rescues renegade, who turned out to have the upper hand. The Blackbird is
landed by Magneto who has been deafened. His power seems to have increased
with its stressed out use, and he turns his only field into a magnetic
eardrum allowing himself to hear. 	The X-men confront Magneto. Rogue is
uncertain, and the majority of the X-Men still partially regard magneto as
an ally. Xavier is confrontational, verbally linking Byzantium's
fanatascism with Magnus's own. The tension is high. 	Meanwhile, Shadowcat,
on leave from Excaliber, arrives to see how Ilyanna is doing. She
discovers that Banshee and Beast are there, and both teams are not.
Banshee had arrived to discuss his plans for Generation X, and to see
Moira. Kitty goes up to see Ilyanna, and Banshee asks Beast to helm him
train his new team. 	Meanwhile, Cannonball discovers his attackers are
actually drug lord cronies, and leaves them behind. He decides to head to
the X-mansion, deciding Cable and X-Force would not be in his interests.
Cannonball arrives at the Mansion, and is met by Banshee. Cannonball
pretends to be someone else, and Banshee, not recognizing him, is mostly
fooled. Beast recognizes him however, just as Sam takes ill and passes
out. 	Finally, the Douglock has decided to find Magneto, their former
teacher, after being leery of Xavier's behavior. Using Xavier's private
computer files as reference, they go to Antarctica where they lose the
trail. Majik has been trying to track down Douglock since they disappeared
from the mansion, and found that a spell more powerful than her own was
hiding them. She gets close, and appears briefly in Antarctica. Then
returns in time to fool Kitty.

 Part 10 : "Death and Ascension"

 	Kitty comes downstairs with Ilyanna, just as Sam collapses and is
carried off by Beast to the infirmary. Fearing the Plague, Kitty phases
away with Ilyanna. 	Beast and Moira examine Sam and consult with Sean.
They discover that Sam is somehow immune to the Plague, and is older, and
possibly a time traveller. Beast exhibits more signs that he himself has
the Legacy Virus. Sam only has a tropical flu, heals quickly, but feigns
illness to be alone and consult his time computer AL. 	Al reveals that
time is being distorted by an outside force, and it is uncertain if the
X-Mens knowledge of him and the cure to the plague are safe things for
them to know. Sam decides to tell a partial lie to the X-men while he
figures out what to do. 	Beast takes a nap and dreams a nightmare where he
dies, meets Dani, and Hela. 	In the South Pole, Douglock decides to pursue
Majik, combining Doug's powers with Warlocks, and opening a stargate with
the same configuration as Ilyanna's Light Circle, hoping it will bring
them to Limbo. 	Majik, in Limbo, is trying to create an artificial body
for herself, not content to share Ilyanna's. The Douglock gates in,
destroying Limbo, and it then reforming from the power of the soul sword.
Warlock is week, and can't manifest Doug's personality. Ilyanna's demon
lackey, Sy'm, still infected by the techno-virus from Warlock's fathers
attack on limbo, is spotted by Warlock, and mistaken for the Magus, and
prepares to attack. 	Next, Jodlin Pierce gets the upper hand on Graydon
Creed, after Creed shoots him in the arm. Creed was there to stage an
assassination of a mutant senator, already killed by the Dark Hunters. An
aid to Creed knocks out Jodlin with a stun gun. 	Jodlin awaken in a cell
in Genosha. Outside, two voices bargain for Jodlin's life. Inside the
cell, Jodlin has a cellmate, Pyro. 	Xavier and Magneto debate philosophy,
when Xavier takes ill.
 	The X-men prepare to blame Magneto, but Xavier absolves him with his
last breath. 	In the future, the forces of Franklin Richard lose to
Apocalypse in a battle on the moon Titan. Apocalypse leaves and is
followed by Loki. 	The ones in shadow are revealed to be Eternals
themselves, from other worlds, better known as the Celestials. Apocalypse
appears to claim the title of High Lord, the only witness being Immortus
and the future Sorceress Supreme of Earth, Majik. 	As Apocalypse makes his
plea for dominion, it is revealed that the Celestials created the
competition for High Lord when they introduced the X-Factor in the human
Genome. Their goal was to create one worthy being one of them, the High
Lord being granted Cosmic Power, and the right to dominion over a region
of time/space, namely Earth. 	Loki interrupts, stating the Apocalypse
should not be considered because Apocalypse is not from our reality, but
from a reality where Von Doom became Immortus and then became the High
Lord, but turned down the offer to become a Celestial. In that reality,
Apocalypse was created by Franklin Richards to slay Von Doom, and failed.
Apocalypse appeared in our time stream, and altered it so that Von Doom
never became Immortus, then claimed the title for himself. 	The celestials
still find Apocalypse worthy, so Loki challenges him for the title. The
celestials agree to this and Loki snaps his fingers, eliminating
Apocalypse. Loki hints that time travel is dangerous, and claims the title
of High Lord for himself. 	(This was my homage to cosmic Jack Kirby
Marvel, back when all of Marvel had one unfolding plan, and a tip of the
hat to the avengers battle with Immortus. It doesn't jell completely, but
it does a better job than the historical butchering they do now.)

 Book 2 : "All Cry the Children" (of the Atom)

 (Some confusion as the numbering system lists this as part 1 of book two,
but I refer to it as Part 11 in my game)

 Part 1 : "Not with a Bang, but a Whimper."

 	A myriad Apocalypses from alternate realities gather to discuss the
incident with Loki. In all realities, Apocalypse has lost the seat as High
Lord. Together, they plan to stop Loki. Loki's first job as high Lord will
be to clean Nexus earth of all alternate realities. This will take time,
and all of the Apocalypses will conspire to slow him down. One of them is
sent to slay Loki in asgard, in the past... 	 Xavier has a fever dream of
past guilt, and recalls the mutant Acolyte that helped them stop Cortez
and the Acolytes. The boy told Xavier that his and Magneto's dreams more
similar than they were different, and he vowed never to return until he
could learn to Trust someone again. Xavier, ill, wrecked with guilt,
decides he is no better than magneto and succumbs to the Legacy Virus!
 	Xavier Dies.
 	(While it aided my plot, this was my snub at Marvel for bringing back
Magnus only to kill him. Plus Claremont meant for Xavier to die or
retire...) 	Cyclops repeats out loud the words of Xavier's dream, and
offers Magneto an olive branch and to return with them. Rogue goes to
Magneto, and the two embrace and stay close as Magneto flies them home.
	Meanwhile, Jodlin befriends Pyro, learns that Cortez is in charge of
Genosha, where there are imprisoned. Then, Jodlin discovers that Pyro is
dying from the Plague. 

 Part 2 : "Departure"

 	In Limbo, Warlock is healed by Majik, and Doug is restored. Everybody
makes peace and reveals there origins. Majik was trapped in the soul sword
at the end of the Inferno, and didn't become conscious until long after
doom conquered Limbo and was then driven out by Excaliber. The Sword came
into the hands of a demon that conquered Limbo, Majik, now aware,
destroyed him, and became a being without a body. She could not leave
Limbo in that form, but once Ilyanna's powers were taken, somehow a report
between Majik and Ilyanna formed, allowing their souls to trade places In
Ilyanna's body. The Soul Sword seemed to be capable of creating light
circles in any body, and Ilyanna surmised that she could posses any body
by giving it the sword. 	Cannonball is still sorting out the vagaries of
time travel when he is visited by the apparition of Jack Wayne, one of the
minds trapped in the mind of Legion, Xavier's catatonic son. Jack Wayne
claims Malice (One of Mr. Sinister's Marauders) has possessed Legion.
Cannonball knows that Legion will one day become the Gamesmaster. 	The
Blue team returns home with Xavier's body, all sullen. Rogue becomes close
to Magneto again. The others stalk off to sulk. 	Wolverine goes off and
gets as drunk as his healing factor will allow. Wolverine then checks on
Matsuo, remembering that the Psylockii have not returned from Japan and
their confrontation with him. Then, he gets into a fight with Cyclops over
whether Magneto should be there, and leaves to find the Psylockii. He
decides to return to Japan, despite his vow against it, because he blames
himself if Matsuo has harmed them, since he didn't go with Gambit, Beast
and the two girls when asked. He finds Jubilee and takes her with him.
 	SHIELD investigates the remains of Magneto's battle with Byzantium.
Magneto, in his grief, left a magnetic trail to New York when he flew the
Blackbird home. Nick Fury doesn't want to carry out the Magneto Protocols,
he reveals that they hunted Nazi's together. He also doesn't want to
attack Wolverine, as they've been friends. He's rather see SHIELD solve
real world problems like hunger and war. 	Jodlin in his cell, tries to
heal Pyro, and discovers the Virus artificial, a microscopic machine that
uses cells to replicate, and then shreds the cells that contain the
X-Factor. He can kill the Virus in the air, but its too difficult to stop
in the body. Suddenly his power is boosted, and he destroys the virus.
	Fabian Cortez enters, it was his power that boosted Jodlin, and confirmed
Cortez's guess that Jodlin was the cure for the Plague. He reveals that he
was in charge of Genosha, but now the world knows Magneto is alive, so
he's on the run. He trades control of the Acolytes and Genosha to Graydon
Creed in exchange for a safe escape, and Jodlin. Cortez tries to kill
Pyro, but Jodlin stops him. 	They leave together, for Japan.

 Part 3 : "The High Cost of Living"

 	Wolverine tells Jubilee about the Professor's death, and the two leave
for Japan. 	Douglock and Majik discuss ways for getting Majik a new body,
and Douglas figures out that the soulsword could be given to a body that
was near death. The soul would be gone, but the body could be revived by
Warlock. They search war zones and hospitals, and find the body of a
comatose teenager who would never recover from injuries sustained by a
rape gang and then by an attack on the patients at the hospital by the
Acolytes. Majik takes over the body, and finds the memories intact, but
the process works. Douglas decides to avoid getting himself a body and
remain a symbiot of Warlock. 	Jodlin and Cortez get to know each other on
the flight to Japan. Cortez proves to be unpredictable, being at once both
friendly and psychotic. He frees Jodlin from shackles, but Jodlin decides
to stay with him for awhile, perhaps fearing Cortez's power, perhaps not.
Cortez legendary charm at gathering and converting allies continues. 	
Cyclops tries to keep everyone together and offers Magneto to stay if
he'll follow the dream. Magneto declines and leaves, abandoning both Rogue
and Renegade. Before he goes, he searches Xavier's private files in
Cerebro. He finds that Charles knew he was dying, but would rather stop
Magnus with his mutant power, than have it taken away so that he could
survive. Charles meant to attack magneto, but he never got the chance. 	He
goes to the Atlantic Ocean and raises an Island from the sea. It once was
a city with a thriving population, and Magneto intends it to be so again.
A place where only mutants will be allowed, a counter to places like
Genosha and South Africa. He calls it Avalon. 	Rogue goes to her room and
gives into her grief, shattering the window of her room and flying off to
sulk by the lake behind the mansion. She is interrupted by Renegade who is
also venting frustration by arguing with herself out loud. Rouge, in her
grief, doesn't recall who she is, and assumes she's an intruder and in
anger almost attacks. 	Cyclops broods when a message comes in from
Excaliber. They are making a crash landing in the hangar. They have Bishop
with them, and he's injured, but Bishop was last with the Gold Team...

 Part 4: "All Together Now"

 	Fabian Cortez and Jodlin Pierce are on route to Japan. Along the way,
Fabian reveals that he plans to meet with fellow Upstart Shinobi Shaw.
He's doing this because Creed plans to use Genosha as a staging ground to
purge all mutants, so Cortez figures an alliance with Shaw is the best
solution since Shaw owes him a debt from when Cortez worked for Sebastian
Shaw. Cortez also frees Jodlin and makes him an ally. 	Jodlin also
discovers that Cortez's powers maybe vampiric, he needs to feed off mutant
energy to survive. 	The duo arrive at Shaw's estate, are denied entrance,
and they make ready to barge in. 	Meanwhile, Wolverine and Jubilee go to
Hong Kong, intent on booking boat passage to Japan so that they can arrive
unnoticed. While in Hong Kong, Wolverine visits Rose, and old friend and
learns that Matsuo is in dishonor. Further, Sabretooth has been attacking
Clan Yashida interests, and Shinobi Shaw has been consolidating the
smaller clans in a bid to ally with Clan Yashida. No word exists the
Psylockii. 	Wolverine and Jubilee leave Hong Kong with a smuggler that
specializes in smuggling refugees, and it turns out to be Karma and her
siblings. Karma has been in the Pacific Rim helping refugees get safely to
Hong Kong, which is against the law in all countries. And the law catches
up with her as they are attacked by a bounty hunter sent to capture her,
and it's Wolverines old ally, Maverick. 	At the mansion, Excaliber makes a
crash landing with Bishop among them. Phoenix felt a distress call from
Jean in Genosha, and she and Kurt went to the rescue, and found only
Bishop. They barely escaped Genosha, as its in the midst of a civil war of
humans &FOH vs mutates and Acolytes. 	Bishop tells them that the gold team
is being held prisoner by the humans, and the Blue team plans a rescue
with Excaliber. Bishop, Phoenix and Renegade all recognize each other, and
wonder about the future. 	Rogue broods on her life and the coming mission,
and debates her future with the X-Men. One thing she decides is that she
needs to make up with Gambit, after her behavior around magneto, before
its to late. Kidnapping him to the roof, she tells him she loves him.
	Bishop prepares to leave as well, and broods. He has strong doubts about
Cyclops and Nightcrawler and the future.

 Part 5 : "When Old Friends Come to Call"

 	Jodlin and Cortez easily break into Shaw's home, too easily. They find
Shaw raping the mindless Betsy Braddock. Shaw is not happy to see them.
Then they are attacked by Sabretooth, but he's no match for Cortez and
Jodlin, but then neither is Shaw. 	Shaw and Jodlin are both sons of the
Hellfire Club's Inner Circle, and Shaw reveals that he was planning on
rebuilding the Inner Circle, with himself as the Black King. He'd already
built an impressive power block in Asia, and controls his father's holding
in Shaw International. Cortez agrees on a new Inner Circle, but takes the
leadership position for himself. Jodlin and Shaw agree to be a part of it.
There first order of business then is to figure out who sent Sabretooth to
kill Shaw, and what happened to the British Psylock. 	Meanwhile, in Sam
guthries room, part of Legion's split personality, JAck, has asked Sam to
enter Legion's mind to save Legion from the Marauder Malice. Before Sam
says yes, Majik and Douglock gate in. Sam's time computer warns him that
these two former dead New Mutants are sources of time flux. Sam decides to
be weary but keep an eye on them. They agree to go help Jack, but before
they do so, Majik takes them to Limbo so that when their astral form
leaves their bodies, the bodies will be safe in Limbo. 	As they gate out,
Moira, Beast and Banshee enter again, see the gate closing, and Beast
leaps through, taking Banshee with him. As all gate away, Jack steals
Moira's soul. 	In limbo, Jack tells them that they all must help him if
they want Moira back. He adds that Malice is temporarily gone from Legion
but could return at any time, and when she does, Jack will be killed for
his treachery, so he wants them to hurry! 	They grudgingly agree to go and
inside Legion's mind is a scene of central park and the Hellfire club.
David (Legions real self) is in the mansion. As they head towards it, the
dreamscape becomes a night mare, and they find themselves in the Morlock
tunnels, in a time just after the Marauders massacre of them. 	Back in
Hong Kong, Karma, Jubilee and Wolverine best Maverick and escape. 

 Part 6: "Time and a Word"

 	This is where _most_ of the plot is revealed to our heroes. 	Magneto
prepares his Island hideaway to become a free state for all mutants. While
doing so, he is met by Mr. Sinister. And for the first time, to anyone,
Sinister reveals the amster plan that's been guiding him - The destruction
of Magneto, and there after his own survival. 	Sinister reveals that he
saved Magneto from death aboard Asteroid M, leaving him to recover in the
Savage Land. Sinister also reveals that he is the lackey of Apocalypse,
and that apocalypse considers Magneto his arch foe as the two are destined
to duel over the fate of mutantkind. Apocalypse has used Sinister as his
agent to travel back in time and eliminate the forces that Magneto will
use against him. Sinister and his Marauders wipe out the Morlock's,
Magneto's future foot soldiers. Sinister and his Marauders manipulate the
Upstarts into wiping out the Hellfire Club, Magneto's future generals. But
when Fabian Cortez kills Magneto, Sinister succeeded to well. Apocalypse
no longer needs Sinister, and considers him a threat, so Apocalypse
activates a self destruct sequence in Sinisters gene code (Sinister was
created by Apoc. from the DNA of Scott Summers son, Nathan, in an
alternate timeline). To save himself, Sinister clones himself and goes
back in time again, and creates Madeyline Pryor, in the hopes of creating
another Nathan. Succeeding, he awaits Nathan in the future, and posing as
a Doctor, clones Nathan for the Askani rebellion against Apocalypse. To
throw Apocalypse futher off the trail, he clones himself and lets him be
killed by Scott Summers. But all is for naught, Apoc. catches up to
Sinister, takes the clone, creates Stryffe, and Sinister flees to when in
time he saved Magneto. 	As if THAT weren't enough, Sinister reveals that
Jean Grey _IS_ the Phoenix, faked her own death and resurection. Jean is
unaware of these things, as it is the Phoenix part of her personality that
is in control. The Phoenix intends to create the perfect host for itself,
Jean's child Rachel. However, over time, Xavier figures out this all out,
and plans to stop the Phoenix with a sentinel modified by Forge. The
activation of that sentinel at Rachel's birth created the "Days of Future
Past" timeline, with Xavier as the traitor. But Apocalypse new plan,
involving Stryffe, has killed Xavier with the Legacy virus. The Virus has
also been injected into Jean's body by the FOH holding her. Should Jean
come close to death, she will first become the Dark Phoenix to save
herslef, and the only one that can stop her is...Magneto. 	MAgneto ignores
Sinister, and continues his plans. 	Meanwhile, it is revealed that Fabian
Cortez was to be elected Defense Minister of Genosha, but the revelation
that Magneto was alive caused a rebellion in his mutant supporters.
Graydon Creed and his FOH stepped in to restore order, creating the full
blown human/mutant/mutate civil war in Genosha. 	The Blue Team X-Men and
eX-caliber plan their assault on Genosha to free the gold team, dividing
half into an infiltrating force, the other into a strike/rescue team.
	Night crawler leads Bishop, Gambit, and Renegade into Genosha. Renegade
ponders the time continuim, wondering how the Phoenix could be in two
places at the same time (Rachel &Jean). Sinister then appears for his
second confernece. Renegade tries to kill him with Bishops gun and fails.
Sinister reveals to them much of what he had before. Grimly, the group
goes on. 	Cyclops leads the remaining team of Phoenix, Shadowcat, Cyclops,
and Rogue. Rachel takes the time to ponder question about her future posed
by Renegades presense. Kitty and Colossus begin to work out their
estranged feelings for each other, and Rogue seeks some brief R'N'R by
flying off to a nearby rock Concert by Richard Darwin. 	Finally, in the
Pacific Ocean, Karma delivers Wolverine and Jubilee to Japan.

 Part 7 "It's a Small World Afterall"

 	Nick Fury tries to get the plans for Forge's Neutralizer from Forge, and
tells Forge that he's going to order X-Factor to help him capture Magneto,
and that Magneto is at Xavier's Mansion. Forge gives Fury nothing, and
then takes X-Factor to the mansion, finds non-one there and oreders
X-Factor to destroy it, rather then have Xaviers secrets fall into SHIELDS
hands. They take out Cerebro and the infirmed LEGION and Emma Frost first.
	In Madagascar, Rogue kills time by attending a Rock Concert and finding
out she has a fan club. Shadowcat gives Peter the cold shoulder. (My bow
to the STRIPE fan club that is a posting sight for this story and home to
many of the players. Richard Darwin, Dave Henry's alter ego, and Chris
Sypal, notable .RACX posters get cameo's.) 	In Avalon, Magneto address his
growing followers, and finally address the world, declaring Avalon's
soveriegnty.

 Part 8 "Hellfire"

 	Majic's light circle dumps her into a mental construct of the Hellfire
club. Hypnotized and lounging about are Legion, the White Queen, Moira Mc
Taggert. She is then attacked by Sabretooth. 	In another part of Legion's
mind, Sam, Banshee, Hank, Doug, Warlock, and Jack fight off the Marauders
in the Morlock tunnels. Sam and Banshee handle most of them, but Beast
goes down and Doug is shot. Jack then pulls a double cross and takes away
the wounded Douglock and Beast. 	In Japan, Wolverine and Jubilee leave
Karma behind and explore Japan. They find Yukio in drunken stupor, where
she's been since losing Logan. The new Hellfire club is also plotted out
and plans are made to assault Matsuo by Cortez, Pierce, Creed and Shaw.
	Emma Frost reveals that while in her coma, the mutant Malice took over
her and brought her into Legion's mind and linked it to David Haller. She
used Emma's Powers to turn Legion into the Gamemaster. Majic wakes her up
while trying to escape Sabretooth, and she merges with Magic. The two
exchange knowledge, and the former White Queen learns that the Hellfire
Club and Hellions are gone. 	The new Hellfire club begins their assault on
Matsuo as Logan prepares to do the same... 	(This was all sub plot, and
the sub plots were now officially taking over and becoming more fun then
the main plot!)