Standing behind Gamora, Beast, also transformed by the Black Vortex, tells their friends that this is the future and urges them to step forward and embrace their truth. Submit to the Black Vortex! Gamora adds, having shown them all the Vortex and their mirror images within.
The others are less enthusiastic. Rocket trains his weapon on them. Storm asks Beast to see reason… before she fries him bald. The others wonder what to do. The young Angel is transfixed by what he saw in there. Is that really him?
Kitty Pryde shouts for someone to stop him but it is too late, as Warren reaches out and announces he submits to the Black Vortex. Moments later, he stands transformed as a masked warrior angel with energy wings. Awesome! he announces. Cool! Nova bursts out. Jean is horrified. Adult Beast asks Warren how he feels. Angel replies he never knew how trapped he was. Now he is free. He takes off his mask and tells X-23 it’s like he’s seeing her for the first time. All their lives on Earth, all their little worries. So insignificant! True magnificence lies in the cosmos.
Iceman is fascinated by the Black Vortex while Kitty Pryde is arguing with the grown Beast. She is worried about her charge, Warren, while he accuses her of ignorance.
Iceman is about to submit but Drax pushes himself between the Vortex and Iceman. Storm tells Rocket to get in his ship and meet her on the far side of the moon in five minutes.
“Back away from the Vortex, Oscar the Grouch!” Iceman shouts. He has not yet begun to unleash the grouch, Drax threatens.
Remember when it was his job to protect these kids? Kitty asks Beast. He retorts it is their job to realize their potential. Suddenly, they notice the Vortex is missing. Storm has stolen it.
At Mr. Knife’s flying fortress:
The Slaughter Lord Father Diablo announces they can find neither the heroes nor the Vortex. Find them, Mr. Knife aka J-son of Spartax orders grimly. Disgusted, Thane wonders aloud if maybe he should ask the Star-Lord for the power Knife promised him. Does J-son need his bastard son to make good on his word? Bring him the Black Vortex or he’ll—The Brood envoy hisses.
Mr. Knife tells both of them to listen. Thane will get his power, the Brood Queen will get what she wants. He stakes his life on it. Thane turns away. He is tired of promises. He wants the Black Vortex.
Mr. Knife quietly orders Father Diablo to go to Brennan-7 and do that thing they talked about. No survivors.
Czar joins them to reveal the Guardians and X-Men are on Spartax’s moon. Knife tells him to turn this dragon around. They’ll pay them a visit.
Carrying the Vortex, Storm struggles with the moon’s thin atmosphere as she flies through the ruins, cursing herself for putting her trust in a raccoon. She thinks she can hear Logan laugh at her…
Suddenly, her cape is nailed to a steel girder and she stumbles. The attacker Gamora orders her to stay down. The Black Vortex belongs to the whole galaxy! She is trying to protect the galaxy! Storm retorts. She could have been the first! Gamora spits as she raises her sword and almost hits her. Storm goes for a sword in Gamora’s cape. Storm blocks her blow and warns her that is not her first sword fight.
Gamora disappears into her cape, teleports in from behind and strikes Storm, then laughs at her when she tries a lightning bolt. “Daughter, halt!” a voice suddenly booms.
Gamora is shocked by her adoptive father Thanos’ appearance but Beast deduces it is an illusion caused by Jean Grey, who has appeared with Illyana and Drax.
Magik asks Drax what else Gamora is afraid of. Nothing! he shouts.
Enraged, Gamora raises her sword, intending to kill Jean. She brings the blade down but, instead of cleaving her into two, the blade passes through Jean, courtesy of Kitty Pryde who has grabbed Gamora’s cape and phased her. Back away from her student! she orders.
Drax carries Jean out of Gamora’s range. Kitty lets go and Gamora’s sword is embedded in the ground. Drax hits her hard the next moment and orders her to control herself.
Grabbing two smaller daggers, Gamora tells Drax to say ‘hi’ to Richard Ryder for her. Beast tells her to stop. The Black Vortex is there. There is nothing they need here.
The others have joined the heroes. Star-Lord tells Beast they need a good butt-whupping and he and his friends are just the ones to give it to them. Beast calls them wasted potential. Angel urges them to go. With a last warning, the three fly away at super speed.
Peter tells Magik to teleport after them. It doesn’t work like that, she replies. She needs a location. Captain Marvel announces they went beyond her top speed and Jean cannot sense their thoughts anymore.
Kitty lashes out at Peter. They took the Vortex! His friend almost killed Jean! Now maybe the whole galaxy is screwed! All because he saw a magic shortcut and chose to ignore the consequences. What kind of person is he?
Iceman interrupts, asking if that thing is on their side. He refers to Mr. Knife’s flying fortress, which is clearly not.
Fire! Mr. Knife orders and the living ship fires at the heroes.
