From - Mon Jul 07 08:51:29 1997
From: Swpwarrior@aol.com


                                     Onslaught: Redemption

                                             Chapter Nine 

                                                Epilogue (B)

                                                     6.


Narrative: Manhattan. The twilight hour. 

{Panel follows Logan walking up a darkened staircase, 
{heading to the top floor, roof access door.} 

Narrative: An hour which dreams fade to nothingness... 

{Then Logan opens the door, collected on the roof of 
{Warren's Manhattan apartment, Storm, Iceman, Rogue, 
{Gambit and Cannonball all dressed in civilian clothes, 
{standing about casually waiting for Logan who 
{approaches.} 

Narrative: ...or in the miracle of the half-light are sometimes 
born anew. 

{Wolverine approaches.}

Wolverine: We all here? 

{Iceman responds.}

Iceman: All except Hank. He decided to take that teaching 
job up in Hamilton. 

{Wolverine looks off, as Psylocke, the only X-Man in uniform, 
{climbs up a service ladder, over the ledge, from beside the 
{building.} 

Wolverine: Good for him. 

{Logan throws down his cigarette, grinding the stub into the 
{ground with his foot, looking down.}

Wolverine: Alot's changed, boys and girls. An' there ain't no 
goin' back. The Professor's gone...so's the mansion. The 
Blackbird. Cerebro. We even lost some of our own. 

{Panel pans around the gathered X-Men, staring at Logan.}

Wolverine: Take a look around, 'cause we're all that's left. 
And things out there are as tough as they ever been. 

{Logan looks up to the others.}

Wolverine: Way I see it though, alot's still the same. There's 
still more out there that'd rather see us dead than anything 
else. I don't see no light at the end of the tunnel. And there 
sure as hell, alot of bad guys still out there gunning for us. 
But... we still got us a chance to do some good. 

{Panel pans to the others.} 

Wolverine: Anybody wanna back out, now's the time. No 
shame. 

{Cannonball smiles to himself.} 

Cannonball: Sworn to protect... 

{Iceman finishes his sentence, stepping forward.}

Iceman: ...a world that fears and hates us. I'm in. 

{Panel to Storm.}

Storm: As am I. 

{Panel to Cannonball, still smiling.}

Cannonball: Ah reckon ah ain't got anythin' better to do. 

{Gambit and Rogue, who stand closely together, leaned 
{against the brick ledge, he turns to her smiling.}

Gambit: What do you say, Chere? Our calendar all booked up? 

{Rogue turns to Wolverine.}

Rogue: It is now. 

{Wolverine turns to Psylocke who stands away from the 
{others.}

Wolverine: Betsy? You know the first thing we're gonna do is 
find, Warren. 

{Psylocke looks hard.}

Psylocke: That's why I'm here, Logan. 

{Wolverine steps back.}

Wolverine: Guess it's settled then. 

{Iceman looks, eyebrows raised.}

Iceman: Wait. Who's gonna be the leader? 

{They all look to each other. Panel to Gambit, Storm, 
{Wolverine and Iceman. Rogue steps forward. Panel 
{back to the entirety of the building from above, the 
{gathering framed against the rebuilding -- trestles 
{abound -- cityscape.}

Rogue: How 'bout we just make that up as we go? 

   
                                       7. 


Narrative: Outside Cairo, Egypt. 

{Panel opens at dusk, as the sun has almost set against 
{the beautiful and desolate desert expanse surrounding the 
{ancient pyramids and focuses on the Sphinx.}

Narrative: The ancient Sphinx holds many secrets. 

{Panel moves interior of the Sphinx, deep below, along a 
{pitch black forgotten underground passage way, a burning 
{torch comes into focus.}

Narrative: None darker than this... 

{The torch comes into focus carried by the same handsome 
{blonde man from earlier in the subway, now wearing a 
{stylized black ceremonial gown.}

{He steps forward into what at first appears to be a cramped 
{chamber, and hands the torch to Ozymandias, who hands a
{blue ceremonial gown to the man.}

Man: Is the ceremony complete, Ozymandias? 

Ozymandias: Not yet, Sire. You've returned in time. 

{The man moves along the passageway, his view -- and 
{the readers -- obstructed partially by a series of columns, 
{which surround the ceremony, as he moves around them, 
{the ceremony behind them as Apocalypse stands before 
{an unclad Archangel who hovers in the air, energy 
{surrounding him.}

Apocalypse: Time and again, I have tested you, Warren. 

{The man continues to move around the columns, partial 
{view of the ceremony as Warren's natural wings begin 
{to unfurl.}

Apocalypse: And you have proven fit.

{Continues, Warren's wings unfurling more, the energy 
{surrounding him building.}

Apocalypse: You have proven strong. 

{Continues, Warren's wings expand beautifully, 
{energy glows stronger, while a white energy emits 
{from Apocalypse's mouth.}

Apocalypse: You are prepared for this moment. 

{Continues, both energy sources stronger, wings expanded.}

Apocalypse: You are worthy of it. 

{The man rounds to the center, full view, approaching closer, 
{Apocalypse's back to him, who in turn faces Archangel.}

Apocalypse: Now you are mine... 

{Then Apocalypse collapses -- WHUMP!!! -- at the feet of 
{Archangel standing before the man, energy emanating, 
{wings expanded majestically, eyes tight to the reader 
{and says:} 

Apocalypse: ...completely. 

{Nemesis drapes the robe around his father. [6]} 

Nemesis: You are young again, Father. Young and strong. 

{Panel pulls back to Apocalypse in his new body, eyes 
{glowing with radiant energy, wings elegant and deadly. 
{[7]}

Apocalypse: Yes... Finally. After two millennia...it is time, 
my son.  

{Apocalypse eyes move off to the distance, Nemesis, who 
{stands beside and below his father, turns his head staring 
{off with his father.}

Apocalypse: Man-kind has been pacified. Their protectors 
vanquished. The first of the vaunted Twelve has fallen. 

{Full panel of an enormous, cavernous chamber, filled to 
{overflowing with hundreds of the same water-filled tubes, 
{each complete with fully grown men in their dormant sleep, 
{the end result of Almagordo and Weapon X.}

Apocalypse: My army is ready. My time has come. The 
Age of Apocalypse is upon us....

{Full-page panel, Apocalypse rises, fists clenched forward, 
{Nemesis beside him, both facing the reader, ready.}

Apocalypse: Let the Ascension begin! 



The Beginning... 
~~~~~~~~~~~~


For years you've been warned "a storm is coming".... 
In 1998 the storm hits...with a vengeance. 

       X-Men: Dawn of Ascension 
                                by Swp. 

Coming soon to ACFF and by subscription.  

 
                                               *Citations*

[1] Buffalo Wood was the site of the Weapon X Project where
Logan's bones were bonded with adamantium as portrayed in 
Barry Windsor Smith's "Weapon X" (MCP #72-84), as revealed 
in Wolverine #48. 

[2] The Infinities were Apocalypse's genetically engineered foot 
soldiers as portrayed throughout the "Age of Apocalypse" story
line. 

[3] Matthew Murdock is the secret identify of the Marvel Super
Hero; Daredevil. 

[4] Rene Majcomb is a Genoshan scientist and part of Xavier's 
former underground network. She traveled to the United States
to help combat the Legacy Virus as portrayed in Cable #22 and 
Uncanny X-Men #326. CDC = Center for Disease Control. 

[5] Tabitha Smith, also known as Boomer, Sam's former team
mate with X-Force was formerly his longtime girlfriend. 

[6] Apocalypse's son, Nemesis, the mutant who would later 
become Holocaust, was introduced in X-Men Chronicles #1, 
during the "Age of Apocalypse" storyline. 

[7] Apocalypse's need to transfer his life force into new 
host bodies to maintain his strength was revealed during 
"The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix" limited series.