X-Force (1st series) #14

Issue Date: 
September 1992
Story Title: 
Payback
Staff: 

Fabian Nicieza (writer), Terry Shoemaker (penciler), Al Milgrom (inker), Chris Eliopoulos (letterer), Kevin Tinsley (colorist), Bob Harras (editor), Tom DeFalco (editor in chief)

Brief Description: 

Cable and Copycat survived the explosion from previous issue. Cable says he wants Tolliver dead. He body slides both of them to Graymalkin. They fly off in a ship headed for Tolliver’s location. The rest of X-Force survived as well along with Rictor, Kane and Bridge. Pretty soon SHIELD comes after them. X-Force eventually defeats them and takes over their ship. Rictor decides to join up with X-Force now that Cable is gone. They fly away before any reinforcements can arrive. On the ship they think of where they should set up their new base. They decide on Warpath’s old reservation. Krule infiltrates the ship and grabs Cannonball. He wants to kill him. At the Ophrah Industries research facility, the tests on Roberto continue. They decide to go on to phase 2 of the experiment which puts ‘Berto in a world of pain. In Italy, Cable and Copycat go through some tunnels in search of Tolliver’s castle. Inside they find the real Domino. They also find Deadpool and Tolliver waiting for them.

Full Summary: 

An arm sticks out from a waterfall and grabs onto a tree limb. That arm belongs to Cable. He clings onto a Cliffside while holding onto Copycat with his other arm. He yells out Tolliver’s name in anger. He believes that he’s behind the early explosion of X-Force’s base that occurred last issue. He thinks his whole team is dead. He’s also mad at him for making “Domino” betray them. He wants Tolliver dead.
Close by, it turns out that Cannonball’s projected blast field did protect everyone from the explosion. He wants a status report. It turns out that everyone’s all right except for Shatterstar, Boom-Boom and Rictor. They’re knocked out. Grizzly, Yeti and Tigerstryke are missing.
Kane pulls out a gun, points it at Cannonball and tells X-Force to surrender. Sam tells him they won’t. Kane tells them they’re accomplices to Cable and need to be brought in. Siryn tells him that they’re not going with anyone. Boom-Boom awakes and tells him that they’re also taking Rictor with them. Kane won’t back down, especially with his newly arrived backup. A SHIELD Helicarrier shows up to arrest X-Force, with five helijets in the air. SHIELD can’t pick up any readings on Cable or Domino.
Nearby, Krule watches the action. He is happy to hear that Cable might be dead. It will make his job to capture the newest External, Cannonball, all the more easier.
Downstream, Copycat regains consciousness. Cable grabs her and body slides them both to Graymalkin. He asks Professor if the rest of the team is alive. Professor tells him they are and Cable wants them teleported to the ship. Unfortunately, the electromagnetic activity in their area won’t allow it. Cable decides to go after Tolliver instead of going after the kids. Copycat apologizes for betraying them, but Cable doesn’t want to hear it. They fly off for Tolliver in one of his jets.
Back in the Adirondacks, X-Force battles SHIELD. They take out four of the helijets and then Cannonball and Feral board the Helicarrier. Feral starts attacking the SHIELD agents on board. On the ground, Kane tells Boom-Boom and Shatterstar to freeze. Rictor hits him with a shockwave and tells him not to attack his friends. He was only in this for Cable. Back in the ship, Cannonball and the newly arrived Siryn head toward the control center of the ship. They seize control of the Helicarrier and Cannonball calls a cease-fire on all sides.
Now that the fight is over, they get Bridge on a medical cart. He’s stable. Boom-Boom tells Rictor how happy she is to see him again. Rictor tells her that he missed them too. Kane wants to know how they plan on escaping. Cannonball tells him they’ll use the Helicarrier. Rictor leaves to join them and Kane tries to stop him. Rictor tells him that as long as Cable isn’t around, he’ll join up with X-Force. After they’re all on board, they fly away.
Elsewhere at the Ophrah Industries research facility in New Mexico, the tests on Roberto are continued. Dr. Leah tells Mr. Joshua that he doesn’t think ‘Berto can take the solar absorptions much longer. Mr. Joshua knows that they shouldn’t proceed to phase 2 of the experiment, but fears Gideon’s wrath. He starts the next phase and Roberto lets out another agonizing scream.
30 minutes later, X-Force is still flying around in the Helicarrier. They don’t know where to set up their new base. Cannonball suggests they go to either Xavier’s or Moira’s Muir Island complex. Rictor disagrees. He doesn’t want to them included in their problems. Warpath suggests his old reservation for their base, the place where his whole tribe was killed. Cannonball agrees with Warpath.
All of a sudden Krule comes flying through the deck. He knocks down Cannonball and Warpath. Krule picks up Cannonball and tells him that he’s going to kill him.
Sardegna, Italy:

Cable and Copycat are traveling through the sewer systems, looking for the pipe that leads to Tolliver’s castle. They come to a grate and Copycat says that that’s the one that leads to his basement. Cable blows the grating off the wall. He wants Tolliver to know that he’s coming. When he’s inside, he finds Pico waiting for him with some kind of electrical whip in hand. Cable shoots him down. Then he looks at the wall and sees the real Domino in restraints. Now Cable is all confused. He doesn’t understand what’s going on. Copycat tries to explain to him that she thought the real Domino was dead. She’s cut short (literally) by Deadpool. Deadpool tells Cable that he’s going to kill him. Tolliver’s shadowy figure is right next to him.

Characters Involved: 

Boom-Boom, Cable, Cannonball, Copycat, Feral, Shatterstar, Siryn, Warpath (all X-Force)

Sunspot, former New Mutant

Krule (Externals)

Mr. Joshua

Dr. Leah

G.W. Bridge, Garrison Kane / Weapon X, Rictor (Weapon PRIME)

Tolliver

Pico

Deadpool

Domino

Story Notes: 
Issue Information: 
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