Wolverine lies in pain on a temporary setup medi-unit, while Rogue begs Professor Xavier to help Wolverine before he dies. The X-Men are currently on the Black Bird heading towards Earth with their wounded friend. Xavier tells Rogue that the medi-unit and Wolverine’s healing factor will help with the physical problems, but he and Jean will help with Wolverine’s mental trauma. At the front of the plane, Bishop commands Quicksilver to trade places with him, because he wants Pietro in the Captain’s chair.
(in Logan’s mind)
On the astral plane, Logan is crucified on a giant metal X, while Xavier and Jean watch him being attacked by both Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike. In the background, Logan’s old teammates from Team X are slowly approaching him as well. Jean asks the Professor why does he not remove the attackers for Logan’s safety? Xavier explains to Jean that since they are in the epicenter of Logan’s most suppressed cataclysmic memories, they would risk changing Logan’s personality by interfering in anyway in Logan’s mind.
The next memory Logan appears in is the memory of just a few hours ago, when Magneto ripped the adamantium from his body. Jean asks Xavier why are they there if they cannot help Logan in his times of need? Xavier replies to Jean that if he removed the bad memories from Logan’s mind, then he would be doing as much damage to Logan’s mind as Magneto did to his body. He also tells Jean the reason they are there and that is to be there when Logan’s matrix of his mind begins to collapse and to be encouragement in Logan’s moments of despair.
Logan, dressed in his blue and yellow uniform, walks through Jean on towards another memory. Xavier and Jean wonder what the next memory will be, when the two realize that they are no longer standing on a hill. They are shrunken in size and the two of them are standing on Logan’s chest. They two realize that they are in the tank with Logan at the Weapon X facility, where the adamantium was bonded to Logan’s bones. Jean tells Xavier that she does not want to see these memories, because she realizes that the memories they are witnessing are private ones that Logan would never want them to see. Xavier agrees and he disconnects their psi-link to Logan’s mind.
(Back on the Blackbird)
Bishop screams to the other X-Men that they have totally lost the use of their heat shields and he places a comm-link call to Gambit, who is in the engineering section of the plane, to switch the Blackbird to it’s back-up shields. Quicksilver asks Bishop if they can change their trajectory, because, if they were on an Avenger’s Quinjet, the maneuver would be fairly simple. As Bishop frantically works on the controls he explains to Pietro that the Blackbird was never meant to be an orbital shuttle so, if they change anything, they will run out of fuel before they can make it home. The plane begins to shake violently, knocking everyone around the ship and also causing Logan’s medi-unit to come loose from its bindings, waking Logan from his nightmares.
After the plane levels off, Xavier begins to give Logan a shot of meta-morphine to induce Logan’s sleep once again. While Rogue and Jean secure the medi-unit, Logan begs Xavier not to give him any painkillers. He knows he will be numb forever after he dies. Xavier does as Logan wishes and they watch Logan as his body tries to knit itself back together again. They are shocked to see that, as soon as Logan’s healing factor knits the body back together again the wounds reopen. Xavier explains to the others that Logan’s body could handle the wound if it was localized, but, since it is spread over his entire body, his healing factor is having a harder time compensating for the physical trauma.
Bishop turns to Quicksilver and tells him that he thought the rough trip to pick them up was the hardest part he would have to go through, but the trip home is turning out to be so much worse! Bishop explains that if they make even a small mistake and their descent is changed they will all die and their ashes will be spread all over the skies above New Jersey.
Sitting on their front porch, a dad and his son look into the sky as they see what the boy believes to be a shooting star, his dad tells him to make a wish. Unknown to them, the shooting star is the Blackbird!
On the Blackbird Logan tells Jean of his wish that the two of them would have had it different in their lives, but he is happy that she and Scott will now find their own happiness. A few feet away from the two friends, Xavier places headphones over his ears and sets down in front of the comm-link to radio Moira Mactaggert, who is awaiting his call in the basement of Xavier’s mansion.
Moira receives Xavier’s call and asks him why he does not use a psychic-link to talk to her, instead of a crude radio transmission? Behind Moira, Iceman and Jubilee stand by, listening for an update on their friend’s condition. Xavier explains that he is already depleted from their fight with Magneto and he wants to save the rest of his strength to help Wolverine if he is needed. He asks Moira also to explain to him what he needs to do to help Logan’s physical problems. Moira tells Xavier to not let Logan’s temperature go over one hundred and eight degrees. Also, not let him go to sleep. “Oh Wolvie!” cries Jubilee as she hears the concern in both Xavier’s and Moira’s voices.
Aboard the Blackbird, Bishop presses the button to encase the aircraft in a blast shield to save them from the gravity that is trying to crush the planes hull. Rogue is blasted aback by the exploding fly-by-wire interface that controls the maneuverability of the plane. Bishop frantically calls back to Gambit to see if there is a back up interface on the engineering console, which Gambit replies that the entire engineering section is in flames. Quicksilver is mentally commanded by Xavier to use his speed to manually maneuver the ship before they are torn apart by the sudden change in direction. Quicksilver, using his speed, easily does as he is commanded as he congratulates Bishop on his quick thinking earlier when he let him take over the Captain’s seat.
Gambit runs to Jean’s side, as she commands him to help her and Xavier with Logan, as Rogue is needed on the flight deck. As Gambit runs to their aid, Logan asks Xavier to come closer to him so the two can talk about Logan’s wishes if he is to die.
Back at the mansion, Moira and Jubilee listen in to Wolverine’s comments. He tells Charles that if he dies he wants him to take care of things for him, especially to take care of Jubilee! Shocked, Jubilee cries out that Logan has never talked so morbidly. Mad, Moira turns to Jubilee and asks her to be quiet. The line they are on is a two-way and, if she loses hold onto hope, Logan will as well.
Above Earth, the Blackbird begins to tear itself apart as Bishop screams that they have lost the right aileron and the flaps. He also reports that there is a stress crack on the wing that is widening to the cabin. Xavier screams to Jean that he will take care of Logan, but she needs to use her powers to hold the ship together.
Outside the plane, the wing repairs itself with the help of Jeans powers, but, on the inside, the team worries aloud how long Jean can keep her concentration?
In Salem Center, four of the X-Men, plus Shadowcat, run to Moira and Jubilee’s side as they hear the stress of their teammates on the plane. Cyclops asks why Jean is not saying anything and Moira chides them for their brash voices. As all the X-Men ask different questions on their teammates condition, Moira does not answer Cyclops. She turns to Hank and Scott and tells them that it is their job to plot the descent of the plane and figure out how to get them home. Hank, having already thought of the idea, tells Moira that the trajectory is already being computed in the mansion’s computers.
Back on the Blackbird, Xavier tells Gambit that he will have to take over the monitoring controls, because he is going into Wolverine’s mind to help flatten out the brain wave spikes. As he goes, he also reminds Gambit that if Logan dies while Xavier is in his mind, it will also prove fatal for Xavier himself.
In Salem Center, the team hears Xavier’s words and they all fear for their mentor’s safety. Scott watches the video screen and, as he sees his lover in pain, he worries that he is watching the past unfold in the present. The situation, he thinks, is just like the shuttle that plummeted through the radiation storm, back when Jean turned into Phoenix!
(in Logan’s mind)
Xavier appears in a valley where, in front of him, Wolverine runs naked. He sees Wolverine tearing through many of his past adversaries, making his way to one man. The one man’s name is Magneto. As Xavier runs to catch up with Logan, he sees Magneto ripping Logan apart. In this plane of existence, though, Xavier has power and he grabs Wolverine by the feet, as Logan heads towards the white light of death. Logan begs Xavier to let him go, but Charles, not wanting his friend to go, tells him that it is not good to die. Logan, with a tear in his eye, tells Xavier that he knows that the light means death, but that is what he wants.
(on the Blackbird)
Bishop tells the team that they are fixing to hit a storm front and Jean also comments that she can no longer hold onto the skin of the right wings. Bishop tells her to let the skin go and to only concentrate on holding the frame together. Bishop next commands Gambit to come to his aid by adjusting the ship’s level manually and, as Gambit approaches, he says “Te Bile Pas Mec!” Gambit grabs the stick and pulls back with all of his strength saying, “Un piece de gateau!” Bishop turns to Gambit, commenting on his bravado, just as the main hatch blows from the plane’s side. Frantically, Bishop screams that the cabin will depressurize and everything that is not strapped down will get sucked out into the sky!
(in Logan’s mind)
As the excitement goes on outside, Xavier accidentally loses his hold onto Logan. As Logan is sucked into the light he tells Xavier goodbye. When he lands in front of the light, he looks up to see Illyana Rasputin, wrapped in white robes, reaching out towards Logan. Logan tells Illyana that he is ready to go, just as he feels that he is being thrown backwards away from the light. Logan begs Illyana not to push him away as his body contorts inwards.
(in the Blackbird)
Xavier comes out of the psi-link, just in time to take control of the now-deteriorating situation. Xavier commands Jean to let go of the wing and to concentrate on keeping the hatch secure, so they all don’t get sucked out by the vacuum. Jean asks Xavier why he has broken his psi-link with Logan and if Logan is dead. Xavier explains that there is nothing else he can do with Logan now, because the rest he will have to do on his own. Jean uses all her strength to bring the hatch back onto the plane’s side, as Xavier tells them that Logan has gone into cardiac arrest!
A lightning bolt strikes the plane, causing Jean to lose control of the hatch, which is released into the sky. Jean, who is trying to hold onto one of the consoles, is thrown out of the plane when the console breaks loose form its place. Jean grabs a hold of the opening of the door, just in time to save herself from being sucked out. Gambit and Rogue begin to hurdle towards her so Jean uses her powers to push them back to the control deck, to help the others gain control of the plane. Frantically wondering to herself how she is going to find the strength to push herself back in, Xavier tries to carefully reach for Jean, as he screams her name.
(in Logan’s mind)
Logan hears someone calling for Jean and he wonders, as he runs from the white light, if it is himself that is calling for Jean’s help? Logan runs and up ahead he sees a hand and he begs Jean to reach out to him and bring him…
(back at the Blackbird)
Logan grabs a hold of Jean’s arm. As he pulls Jean back into the plane, she thanks him for coming back for her. He tells her that it was not he that came for her, but it was the other way around. She had saved him.
Time heals all wounds and, two weeks after the X-Men’s brush with death, life begins to become normal again. The X-Men are in the danger room as Storm, Beast, and Xavier watch the teams progress as the team trains together. Moira is at the door as Logan, who is dressed in his fighting uniform, tells her that he wants to join in the training with his teammates. She orders him to go back to his room and rest, as his wounds are not completely healed. Logan raises Moira’s arm, as he walks into the room, telling the team that he needs to prove to himself and that he still deserves a place on the team. As the team leaves the room, Logan looks up to ask Xavier if he gets a chance to prove himself.
Xavier tells Logan that he will do as Logan asks and programs the room to release two battle droids. Logan, in a defensive manner, tells Xavier that he can eat these two walking can openers for breakfast. Though as the two droids hit the ground, Logan runs from them and the X-Men see for the first time, in Logan’s eyes, the look of fear! Logan is thrown around by the two battle droids. As his teammates watch, they beg Xavier to stop the exercise. He tells them that he will not, because Logan needs to realize his limitations for himself.
Xavier asks Logan if he wants to terminate the session and, as Logan stands to wipe his nose, he tells Xavier no. Logan tells the team that he is still the best at what he does… Suddenly, to the X-Men’s shock, they see Logan release his claws. The team gasps in horror as they see Logan on the ground, screaming in pain, as his claws are sticking through his hands with blood running down them. The team screams out orders to one another as they cancel the session and run to their friend’s aid, all of them realizing, for the first time, that Logan’s claws are actually part of his body and not just augmentations.
Outside the Xavier Mansion, Jubilee and Wolverine lean against a tree, near the pond on the property. Jubilee tells Logan to relax, that his body needs time to heal, but Logan interrupts her, telling her that he is not worried about himself right now. He asks her why she has been acting different of late and if she wants to talk to him about it? She tells him that she does not want to weigh him down with her problems. She has just been thinking of the time when she got so mad at the creeps that killed her parents, she was able to use her powers in a strong way, stronger then she had ever used them before.
As Logan and Jubilee stand to their feet, he tells her that she needs to stick with Xavier, because he has never let him down. As the two walk, Logan asks Jubilee to use her powers to light his cigar, which she does. Almost immediately, Logan coughs uncontrollably, showing that he cannot handle the smoke from his own cigars. He throws the cigar away and tells her that it is time for him to quit the cigars anyway.
Later that night Logan leaves after he checks on Jubilee, leaving her a letter on her table. In the letter, he explains that he has become a liability and that is why he is leaving. He also tells her that she is one of the strongest people he has ever met and to stick with the Professor. He also leaves letters for everyone else in the living room along with six cups of coffee. He walks outside and fires up his motorcycle, only to look back and see Jubilee watching him leave. He smiles at her and waves as he speeds off.
