Overture

• Writer - Scott Lobdell
• Penciler - Brandon Peterson
• Inker - Terry Austin
• Lettering - Chris Eliopoulos
• Colorist - Mike Thomas
• Editor - Bob Harras
• Editor in Chief - Tom Defalco

X-Cutioner's Song

Summary

  Warren gets an image inducer and a limo and takes Charlotte out on a date, to Lila's One World Harmony concert in Central Park. There, Bishop frets over the impossibility of keeping tight security. Below the stage, terrorists plant a bomb, trying to kill Xavier. Stryfe, impersonating Cable, shoots them, wanting to kill Xavier himself.

  In Westchester, Scott and Jean go to Harry's Hideaway, and Scott daydreams about Betsy again. Bobby and Piotr go to the Shop Rite. Opal is taking some time to think, and Piotr is grieving over his brother.

  At the concert, Remy tries to comfort Ororo about her break-up with Forge, but she says he hasn't been much of a friend since he went to the Blue Team. He waltzes with her, to rock music, because that's the only step he knows.

  X-Factor is in the Grand Hyatt, watching the concert on TV. Multiple Man annoys Strong Guy by doing the conga with himself and rubbing it in that Lila didn't ask him to bodyguard. He annoys Quicksilver by existing.

  Jean telepathically yells at Scott: "?is this ability to drool whenever Psylocke enter a room some new mutant power of yours?quot; He reassures her that he loves her, and they kiss. Then Caliban bursts in. Piotr and Bobby rush to help and are attacked by Famine and War.

  Lila makes a short speech on tolerance and introduces Xavier, who gives a long speech on tolerance. Many in the crowd heckle him, and then Stryfe shoots him.

  Scott thinks he killed Apocalypse (X-Factor 68); Caliban says he has new power, enough to ignore Scott's blast and Jean's TK. He no longer snivels, and he rejects Caliban, the name Callisto gave him: he is Death, and he brings down the ceiling.

  Famine zaps Piotr, but he is armored, so her power feeds on herself. Piotr punches War, then the Horsemen teleport away, taking Scott and Jean.

  Warren flies at Stryfe, furious; he fires a few shots then bodyslides away. Xavier is wounded in the head. In their base on the Camp Verde reservation, X-Force gets their TV working and sees news of the attack.

  Note: continued in X-Factor 84.