In Oblivion’s realm a servant is being whipped by one of Oblivion’s slave masters. Oblivion comments on who he himself is and why he created his daughter and he tells Mirage that “betrayal has a price”. Mirage tells Oblivion that he is a monster and she ran away from him to live her own life and she does not want anything to do with him. Oblivion answers her that she should not speak to him so, because she is not only his daughter but since she was created from the best part of him she is also him. Mirage calls him a liar that she would not come from a person so dark and void of feelings. Oblivion explains to her that why would he create a place of light and joy when his whole life is for destruction and darkness. Then he asks why she “insists on hurting” him so. Bobby thinks to himself that Oblivion is trying to put the same guilt trip on her as his parents try to put on him.
(recap of last issues)
Bobby remembers how all this got started with the fight he had with his dad at his retirement party. The strange box he found that transported him to 1942 where he watched Kali kill his father. Then he remembers Oblivion sending him to find Marge and her turning on him and her becoming Mirage.
(present)
While he thinks of all this Iceman gets madder and madder until he decides to take it out on Oblivion. Iceman thinks out loud that it was probably Oblivion that’s caused his life such pain and he attacks Oblivion with everything he has got. Iceman forms a shell around Oblivion trying to seal him in. Oblivion then breaks free and asks Iceman how he thinks he can fight Oblivion because he is everything; from Iceman to his daughter Marge to White Light and the Idiot, into whom he now transforms. Iceman tells him “No” that he might have been drawn to Oblivion’s realm because since his father died in the past he never lived, but he has dreams and that is what makes him alive. Iceman then creates a giant ice ax and slices the two villains in two. Oblivion then transforms into Kali and tells Iceman that no matter their creator in the end they all belong to Oblivion. Mirage watches all of what is going on and seems to get scared not for Iceman but for Oblivion. Oblivion/Kali tells Iceman that universes are created and destroyed through his gapping maw. Iceman screams “NO” and fires a barrage of ice at Oblivion/Kali knocking him back and transforming him back to Oblivion. Oblivion grabs Iceman in his hands and tries to squeeze the life from Iceman. Iceman then fights back causing Oblivion’s hands to open saying how his parents did not break their backs for anything and he did not stand for social injustice for anything. Also that everything in life has meant something, and Oblivion or no one will take that from him. Iceman then calls down an ice avalanche to destroy Oblivion and bury him in it.
Mirage seeing her father’s defeat turns into a look-a-like of Oblivion’s appearance and asks Iceman what he has done to her father. Iceman begs Mirage not to accept Oblivion but she picks Oblivion up and she tells Oblivion that she loves him. Iceman though is confused thinking that Marge loved him not Oblivion. Mirage tells Bobby that she can read his thoughts and she knows how he feels. The feelings though she says that Marge had for him were only a shadow of the feelings she has for her creator and she did not realize it till Bobby almost killed Oblivion. Then Mirage tells Bobby to just give up and go to the Oblivion and forget everything. As Oblivion picks Bobby up to swallow him, Oblivion wonders why he still feels so empty even after his triumph. He still feels jealous because Bobby has known love and Oblivion still does not know how it feels. Bobby thinks, of only wanting to feel peace as Oblivion swallows him and Bobby goes to being nothing.
Oblivion then thinks that now he must dissolve this reality and turn to nothing himself. A voice comes from inside of Oblivion, it is Bobby fighting his way out. Bobby tells Oblivion that he almost won until Bobby remembered the promise that Oblivion made him. That Oblivion would turn everything right again if Bobby would bring Mirage back to him. Iceman tells Oblivion as he is trying to come back from the void that Iceman has found one thing Oblivion could not keep down and that’s love and no matter how long it takes him he will free himself “FOR LOVE !!”
After Iceman pops out of Oblivion’s mouth Mirage grabs Iceman and tells Oblivion if Iceman hurt him, she would kill Iceman. Oblivion stops her and tells Iceman that thanks to him in that last bit of struggle he had felt something he had never felt before and it was “love”. Oblivion comments on how that in the beginning he thought a God knew everything but in the end he found that even a God can learn.
Oblivion sends Iceman back through the timestream but as he leaves he hears Oblivion explain to him that William in one reality will always be dead in 1942. Though time can be dammed up like a river and in another reality he can stop him from going into the past and make his life just like it was. Oblivion says though which reality is the true one - who knows “in a universe of dreams”. Oblivion then turns to Mirage after Iceman is gone and calls her his “daughter”, his “sister”, his “mate” and asks her to “dance one last dance in the world of forms”. Then Mirage and Oblivion merge together and return to the void they once were.
Iceman appears back in his parent’s house at the exact moment he left (in issue #2) to 1942. Iceman believes that time in Oblivion’s realm must past faster than time in the real world. He runs down the stairs to check to see if his father is alive. When Bobby sees his parents he rushes them and hugs them. They are shocked because in their time they had just got finished arguing with him. William Drake asks Bobby if he is drunk and Maddy tells William that he should know he does not drink. Bobby asks for his parent’s forgiveness and that he knows that they tried to give him the most love they could. William Drake says that Bobby is making him feel guilty and Bobby tells William not to feel guilty about showing him love. Iceman walks outside talking to his parents and telling them he is not going to quit college. His parents ask Bobby what had happened tonight and Bobby tells them he does not feel like he should talk to them about it.
Two strange shadows appear behind Iceman and he worries that it might be Oblivion toying with him again. As he turns around though he sees the Beast and Angel telling him they need his help and the three mutants head off to help. Bobby’s parents watch him fly off and they tell him to make them “proud”.
