Limbo…an eldritch dimension ruled by a wayward witch-child who now, hovers over an inverted pentagram trying with all her heart and soul to fit together the shattered pieces of her life. Her name is Illyana Rasputin, she calls herself “Magik” and she is a long-serving member of the mutant teen heroes known as the New Mutants. Small demons surround her, grinning as she goes about using her powers, when her friend and teammate Sam “Cannonball” Guthrie approaches her and asks her if she can get the scrying glass back together. ‘You have eyes, don’t you, Sam?’ Illyana replies, pointing out the obvious, before warning Sam to keep back as the energies she is wielding are dangerous, and she is so close to finishing.
There is a click as the shattered scrying glass is put back in place and Illyana announces that it is revealing what they are after – the ship that kidnapped Lila! Magik’s teammates gather round – Dani “Mirage” Moonstar, Bobby “Sunspot” DaCosta, Rahne “Wolfsbane” Sinclair and the alien Warlock. There is another alien present too, the enigmatic Gosamyr, who clutches onto Sunspot as she confirms that that is Spyder’s ship. Sam asks where Spyder is taking his girlfriend Lila and if Illyana can teleport them there.
Bobby points out that the image is changing, and a demonic looking version of Illyana appears, laughing wickedly. ‘No! She’s come for me!’ Magik exclaims. The demons all around Illyana begin screeching with pleasure. ‘It’s you, mistress!’, ‘Your destiny!’, ‘What you must become!’, ‘Stay with us here in Limbo!’, ‘Rule us forever!’, ‘We love you like this!’. Suddenly there is a burst of energies and Illyana is knocked back. One of the small demons exclaims that it was darkling energies that she could not hold back, and the scrying glass is once more shattered, sending shards flying everywhere.
The demons all scatter to protect themselves while Mirage uses her psychic powers to throw up a shield, protecting herself and her best friend Wolfsbane. Warlock copies Dani and transforms himself into a shield to protect Sunspot and Gosamyr. Bobby asks Warlock if he is okay when one of the shards hits him, but Warlock just tells Bobby to stay back, pointing out that although Sunspot is strong, he is not invulnerable and the splinters will cut him.
Unexpectedly, Dani bumps Rahne, who is knocked several feet away. Warlock sees Rahne and urges her to transform into her wolf form as some shards are hurtled towards her, when suddenly, Cannonball blasts down and picks Rahne up. ‘Oh, Sam…you saved me! Just like a knight in shining armor!’ Sam tells Rahne that it is kind of fanciful, before remarking that his blast power does sparkle a little bit, before telling Rahne that she could have been cut really bad so she needs to be more careful. Rahne informs him, as they descend, that Dani bumped into her, before muttering ‘What does it really matter’ and assuring Sam that she will be more careful as she doesn’t want to worry him.
Cannonball motions to the crater in the ground where the scrying glass used to be and Mirage remarks that is the chance you take when you mess with Darkling energies, before pointing out that Illyana did find Lila’s kidnappers so now she can teleport them onto the ship. But Magik replies that it is not that easy as the ship is travelling at warp speed, so by the time she teleports them to where she saw the ship, it will no doubt be gone, meaning they would land unprotected in a vacuum and be dead in a matter of seconds.
Resigned, Illyana exclaims that she has failed, that she cannot control Limbo or even restore the scrying glass. She reminds her friends that she was barely six years old when she fell into Limbo, that she hated it here, but nevertheless survived, learned its foul magicks and won her way out. Upset, Illyana declares that she tried so hard to make it bright and beautiful, but now look what it has become. ‘Limbo is as I am. And I…I’m becoming everything I hate!’ Illyana declares that the monster leering at her from the shattered glass, that is her future from Destiny’s vision.
Dani, Rahne and Warlock hover around Illyana to console her and Dani assures Illyana that it was just an illusion. ‘We love you, self-friend Illyana!’ Warlock exclaims, while Rahne exclaims that Illyana is not a monster and that they will keep her safe. Gosamyr turns and sobs into Bobby, asking what about her family, and their friend Lila, who will keep them safe? ‘Oh, Bobby…that witch-girl was my last hope!’ Gosamyr exclaims, resigning herself to the fact that they will never rescue her family.
Annoyed, Mirage tells Gosamyr to quit whimpering, ‘You stole Spyder’s space-yacht, didn’t you’ Dani points out, before suggesting that Illyana teleports them onto the yacht, then teleports the whole yacht into space, to where the scrying glass last showed Spyder, then maybe they can track Spyder from there. Illyana gets to her feet, assuring Warlock that she is all right, she declares that she can teleport the yacht into space.
Illyana points out that Destiny told her she had to leave Earth and learn, or else the world would be destroyed, and suggests that perhaps she should go after Lila alone. ‘Exclamation! No way self-friend!’ Warlock exclaims. Rahne agrees, telling Illyana that Warlock is right and they will not let her. Sam asks Illyana if she thinks he will just sit by and watch her go and rescue his girlfriend, to which Gosamyr asks ‘You’re Lila’s promised one?’ Bobby explains that Sam is, sort of, before adding that while Sam is spoken for, he is now. ‘I don’t have anybody at all!’ Bobby exclaims, before Illyana teleports everyone back to Gosamyr’s ship.
Sam suggests they get going straight away, but Rahne points out that perhaps they should tell Magneto, after all he is their headmaster and he might worry. ‘That’s an understatement!’ Dani remarks, reminding her team that they are supposed to be at the school, grounded. Magik adds that Magneto never let them go and save the X-Men, so he certainly wouldn’t permit them to go and rescue Lila. Bobby declares that they should just go, while Warlock points out that perhaps they should explain the situation to Magneto, but someone else replies that even if it worked, it would take time and every second counts. ‘Then we’re all agreed…outer space, here we come!’
With that, Illyana teleports the space yacht and everyone inside it to the last location the scrying glass saw Spyder’s ship at. ‘Hey, dig this set-up!’ Sam exclaims as he looks around the small ship. Gosamyr explains that they can track Spyder’s ship on the screen if they are close enough. She remarks that it is simple really, as the controls are set to automatically display in the operator’s natural language. Sam remarks that he is going to look rather silly rushing into battle in a sports jacket, to which Gosamyr tells him not to worry as the ship will provide him with the proper battle gear, for it is equipped to supply whatever the require, and all they have to do is ask.
Gosamyr ushers Dani, Illyana and Rahne over to a large contraption and after pushing some buttons, a whole lot of clothing comes out. Mirage remarks that there is more here than just Sam’s costume, to which Gosamyr replies ‘Of course. Why should he have all the fun?’ Gosamyr rummages through the clothing with Mirage and Wolfsbane as she explains that as she thought they would be in space for some time, they may as well be comfortable.
Gosamyr hands Rahne a pink dress, to which Rahne exclaims that it is beautiful. ‘Something simple and elegant, Dani?’ Gosamyr asks. ‘I don’t think…’ Dani begins to reply, before she feels the fabric of the clothing and remarks that it feels like air. Gosamyr turns to Illyana, but Illyana just storms away, declaring that she should not be here with them, adding that she should have gone away alone.
Gosamyr puts a bathing-suit style outfit on and remarks ‘Ill-tempered, isn’t she?’ before urging Dani and Rahne to try their outfits on, as she cant wait to see how they look. ‘Well…?’ Rahne asks as she stands before Gosamyr in her new puffy pink dress. Gosamyr replies that she is amazed, before turning to Dani, who is dressed in a very unflattering outfit and remarks that she looks like a tent pole. ‘It is kind of big…’ Dani mumbles, to which Gosamyr explains that is how they wear them on Andromeda 3, before remarking that perhaps Dani does not have the flair to carry off a dramatic fashion statement.
Gosamyr turns back to Rahne and tells her that she is looking quite fantastic. ‘I am?’ a surprised Rahne replies, before remarking that perhaps it is because her dress is kind of like Lila’s. Obviously up to something, Gosamyr suggests to Rahne that she might even look a bit like Lila in her dress. ‘Really? Oh I wonder if Sam…and the others will think so?’ Rahne wonders, before she points out her hair. Gosamyr grins as she presses a button on the contraption and remarks ‘What hair?’ With that, Rahne is now sporting wild black tresses, similar to Lila’s.
Dani declares that she doesn’t know why she put this junk on and begins pulling the outfit off. ‘This is a rescue mission, not a fashion show!’ she exclaims, before storming off and informing Rahne that she is going to help Sam and Bobby find Spyder’s ship. Rahne looks slightly forlorn as she watches Dani leave, but Gosamyr remarks that it is sad to see how uncomfortable a tomboy looks in a dress, before assuring Rahne that Dani is jealous. ‘Of what?’ Rahne asks. ‘Why it must be you. You do look so much like Lila in that dress!’ Gosamyr exclaims wickedly.
Aboard Spyder’s ship, the eight-legged alien is surrounded by other equally unappealing characters and Lila is chained up before him. They look at a monitor which depicts to them the travels of the New Mutants and Spyder tells the intergalactic super star to observe her would-be rescuers and tell him if what he has accomplished is not wonderful. ‘They think they stalk me in secret, while in fact they pursue me in the trap that I have provided!’
The hot-tempered Lila Cheney snaps back at Spyder telling him that the New Mutants will use his own trap to catch him, then destroy him. Spyder grins, telling Lila he doubts it, for Gosamyr is with them – and it is in Gosamyr’s nature to destroy! Spyder explains to Lila that the “shes” of Gosamyr’s race emit energy which intensifies the passions of those around them – passions which he will take, twist and use!
Lila asks Spyder who Gosamyr affects him, to which Spyder replies that she doesn’t, for his is an intellectual race, without the natural emotions that buffet others. ‘Except for Greed’ Lila remarks. ‘Ah…greed!’ Spyder mutters, before pointing out that Lila sought to escape his greed – and failed, just as the New Mutants will fail. He sniffs something from the test tube that he carries around and decides that he must give the New Mutants time to fail – and Gosamyr time to do what she does best!
At the console, Dani exclaims that they have been scanning for ages, so where can Spyder be? Sam replies that he has pushed the range as far as it goes, so he is afraid they might have missed him. Suddenly something comes up on the monitor and Dani exclaims that it might be Spyder’s ship. She tells Sam to give her the controls as they have got to go after it pronto. Sam tells his fellow co-leader of the New Mutants to chill out, as he can handle it. Bobby folds his arms and asks Dani what is with her. ‘You sound like the Wicked Witch of the West, when you scowl like that, you look like her too!’
Rahne enters the console room, announcing herself, she asks her teammates how they like her new look. Sam goes over to her and brushes a hand through Rahne’s shaggy hair as he asks her if she has been playing dress up – only for his jaw to drop to the floor when Gosamyr enters the room. Gosamyr exclaims that she showed Rahne how to operate the clothing machine, before handing him a facsimile of his own costume. Dani scowls some more while Bobby grins and tells Gosamyr that she looks incredible. ‘You sure do!’ Sam agrees as he watches Gosamyr. Rahne shakes Sam a bit and asks him if he noticed who she looks like. ‘Raggedy Ann?’ Sam asks.
Bobby motions to the monitor and informs Gosamyr that they have located Spyder’s ship, before asking her to come with him to the observation deck where he will tell her all about his plan to capture Spyder and rescue her family. Gosamyr hands Sam his uniform and thanks Bobby, telling him it would be wonderful. Warlock whispers in Sunspot’s air, telling him not to go as he does not trust Gosamyr, adding that no one is acting like themselves around her. Bobby tells Warlock that he doesn’t know what he is talking about. ‘Everybody’s acting just like themselves!’ he exclaims while grinning at Gosamyr.
Later, in the observation deck, Bobby informs Gosamyr that when his father learned he was a mutant he abandoned him to Xavier’s school, and his father has since joined the Hellfire Club, the biggest band of cut-throats around! Bobby claims that no one, not his parents, Professor X, Magneto or even his teammates really understands him, which he thinks is just as well, before telling Gosamyr that he has never told anyone else this, but he found an evaluation Professor X wrote back before he went away and left Magneto in charge. Bobby reveals that the evaluation said Professor X feared Bobby would turn to evil.
Bobby slams his fists down on a table, breaking it as he shouts that he wants so much to be a great hero, so why is there this dark part of him? Gosamyr puts a hand on Bobby’s shoulder telling him that she understands that he is strong and passionate and used to getting what he wants. Gosamyr tells Bobby that on her world, those are important assets in a male, and leaning into kiss him asks what else would any female want in a hero?
At that moment, Rahne, who has returned to her regular form, enters the observation deck and sees Bobby and Gosamyr kissing. Gosamyr looks up at Rahne but does not break away from the kiss as she winks at her. Rahne is shocked then rushes from the observation deck.
Soon, Warlock remarks that they are lucky Spyder’s ship has slowed and that the space-yacht has an automatic tracking mechanism, otherwise they might easily lose Spyder’s ship. Bobby remarks that he isn’t sure about that, as astrogation doesn’t look that difficult. ‘To you, maybe! I have enough trouble with trigonometry!’ Sam exclaims. ‘Do you, Sam? You look like a man who could handle anything!’ Gosamyr exclaims while Bobby feeds her some grapes. ‘I do?’ Sam asks surprised.
Gosamyr remarks that it appears Spyder’s ship is veering near to that planet, to which Wolfsbane remarks that it might be where he is taking Lila, before telling Sam that he must love Lila a lot to come all this way to rescue her. ‘Don’t you…Sam?’ But Sam doesn’t answer, he’s to busy watching Gosamyr. Bobby begins eating some of the grapes himself while Gosamyr asks Danielle why she keeps making her spear change sizes, ‘Why don’t you conjure up something…interesting?’ she asks.
Dani replies that “interesting” is easy, all she has to do is focus on someone’s greatest fear or desire, then there it is, in the flesh just as they see it. Dani adds that she cannot know what they want or fear though until it appears; explaining that the only way to get rid of it is to call up something else. She remarks that she has to have something safe to conjure up, something certain, so she is practising “wanting” this spear large or small, more than anything else in the world.
‘If that’s what turns you on. I have other interests!’ Gosamyr replies while Bobby fawns all over her. ‘I just bet you do!’ Sam exclaims, grinning, shocking Rahne who suddenly gets up and announces that she is going to the observation deck. Mirage calls out to her, asking her what is wrong, but when Rahne doesn’t answer, Dani follows her. Gosamyr tells Sam that she thinks Rahne has a crush on her, but Sam replies that Rahne is just a kid, before explaining that Rahne was friends with one of their teammates who died and implies that if they had been older there might have been something going on between them, therefore Rahne is mixed up about romance.
Sam informs Gosamyr that Rahne is an orphan and was raised strictly and religiously, while at the same time she read a lot of fantasy books and fairy tales, until a couple of years ago when she started turning into a werewolf! Sam thinks that Rahne is rather unfortunate, being so mixed up, and adds that she looks up to him as sort of a big brother. ‘If she had a crush on anyone, Gosamyr, it would be me!’ Bobby boasts.
Gosamyr changes the subject by turning everyone’s attention to the monitor where they watch Spyder’s ship drop into orbit around that planet. Gosamyr gets up and decides to go and tell Dani and Rahne, while Bobby blows kisses to her as she walks away, and Sam decides he should get changed, for if there are fireworks then he needs to be dressed for them!
In the observation deck, Rahne lies on a chair, wondering how Sam can look at Gosamyr that way, before thinking that he is good and noble, so how can he flirt with a creature like Gosamyr, especially as poor Lila could be…her voice trails off. Dani is about to enter the deck when Gosamyr grabs her, and casts some power on her as she exclaims ‘Poor little Rahne…wouldn’t it be wonderful…to give her her heart’s desire?!’ The pendant around Dani’s neck lights up and Gosamyr lets go of her arm.
Confused, Dani tells Gosamyr not to touch her before asking her why she came here, ‘Come to torture Rahne in private?’ Gosamyr declares that Mirage has a nasty, suspicious mind, before informing her that Spyder’s ship is dropping into orbit around the planet and she thought she ought to know, though she is sure the boys can manage fine without her. ‘What? Omigosh there’ll be all sorts of stuff to handle!’ Dani exclaims as she rushes back to the bridge, telling Gosamyr to come along with her.
Gosamyr doesn’t follow Dani’s order; instead she looks into the observation deck where Cannonball – wearing a very unusual costume appears before Rahne, holding out a flower. Sam tells Wolfsbane that he is sorry he hurt her feelings before, adding that he wanted her to know his love for Lila was a terrible mistake and that it s she who he really loves.
Back on the bridge, Dani, Bobby and – Sam? – sit at the controls, while Gosamyr and Warlock watch. Sam exclaims that he has the space yacht coaxed into orbit neat Spyder’s ship, when suddenly, a strange alien appears on the view screen, informing them that they are in unauthorized orbit. The alien orders them to transmit their registration and landing documents immediately or else be blown from the sky. ‘Landing documents?’ Bobby asks. ‘We don’t even know what they look like!’ Dani exclaims as Sam suggests that they make a quick getaway. ‘If they’ll let us!’ Dani mutters.
Back on the observation deck, Sam tells Wolfsbane that she is the only girl for him, in the whole universe and beyond. ‘What the…’ Rahne mumbles, before telling Sam not to say it. ‘You’re promised to Lila!’ she reminds him as he reaches out for her. ‘You’re her boyfriend!’ Sam responds by telling Rahne that he loves her, not Lila, ‘No! It’s wrong!’ Rahne exclaims, falling off the chair then rushing out of the room, thinking to herself that it is her own fault, for Sam is pure and true, and it was she with her wig and dress that drove him to this.
On the bridge, Cannonball announces that they are trapped in some kind of tractor beam, the yacht will not budge from orbit. The alien informs the New Mutants that they have twenty seconds to produce the papers or else they will be destroyed. Dani whispers to Sam and Bobby that if he wants to see their papers then perhaps she can give him some papers. She remarks that it is a new power, so she doesn’t know if it will work at such a distance, but perhaps if she concentrates hard enough….
At that moment, Rahne rushes into the room calling out for Bobby, when suddenly Cannonball tells her to be quiet as Dani is concentrating. ‘Sam?’ Rahne asks, surprised. ‘Rahne – who’s that?’ Sam exclaims as he comes face to face with himself. ‘What’s he doing here?’ the other Sam asks.
‘Bingo!’ whispers Mirage, before urging everyone to look at the screen and telling them her plan worked, as the alien holds some papers in his hand. The alien smiles and informs Mirage that he has seldom received more acceptable authorization papers, before informing her that she is free to land here and very welcome. ‘I did it! I made what he wanted appear!’ Dani exclaims, pleased with herself.
At that very moment, Rahne and the real Sam watch as the phoney Sam in the strange costume vanishes. Rahne begins to cry and transforms into a half-girl half-wolf state as she wonders why and how he disappeared, before turning to Dani. ‘I thought you were my friend!’ Rahne shouts, leaping at Dani and asking her how she could play such a horrible, cruel trick. Dani tries to get up from her seat and rush away as she replies that she didn’t and doesn’t know what Rahne is talking about, but it’s too late, as Wolfsbane slams her onto the console.
‘You do know! Sam saw! Everybody saw!’ Rahne screams, tears spilling from her eyes she screams ‘They saw what you did to me!’ Sunspot rushes over and pulls Rahne from Dani, while Gosamyr goes over and tells Dani to stop fighting Rahne. ‘Haven’t you hurt her enough already?’ she asks. Dani realizes what really happened and says to Gosamyr ‘You did it, didn’t you? When you touched me? You made me do it! I don’t know how, but you made me do it!’ Furious, Dani tells Gosamyr to get away from her, then smacks her in the face, causing Gosamyr to fall over.
While Sam and Bobby see to Gosamyr, Warlock tries to console Dani as she warns Gosamyr never to touch her again, then she rushes away. Warlock calls after her, asking her to come back and explain to everyone what is going on, but Dani shouts back that she wants them all to leave her alone.
Warlock and Sunspot stand confused, while Wolfsbane sobs on the floor. Magik has been watching the proceedings from where she is sitting on a ledge high above her teammates, and Cannonball asks Gosamyr if she is all right. ‘My head…’ Gosamyr remarks, while Sam points out that it is a good thing Dani sent the papers before she got mad.
Suddenly, the alien on screen has the papers taken from his hand by another alien, who asks what it is, then realizes that the authorization papers are a bribe – and emperors ransom! ‘No, how could we have been so dumb!’ Sam asks, realizing that the alien’s greatest wish wasn’t for their papers, but for money. The second alien introduces himself as Admiral Dupen’th and declares that the punishment for bribery is immediate execution. He orders his ship to lock onto the space yacht, then to blow them away!
