Legacy

• Writer - Judd Winick
• Penciler - James Calafiore
• Inker - Jon Holdredge
• Colorist - Transparency Digital
• Lettering - Paul Tutrone
• Ass't Editor - Nova Suma
• Ass't Editor - Mike Raicht
• Editor - Mike Marts
• Editor in Chief - Joe Quesada

Summary

  Colossus stands before his sister Illyana's grave, killed by the Legacy Virus (UXM 303). On this world, it was a plague worse than the Black Death. It started slowly, just killing mutants, and many said it was their natural lifespan, but it spread to latent mutants and then those with any aberrant DNA. Cypher was near death, so Warlock merged with him to save him (cf. New Mutants 53). The Legacy Virus merged with the transmode virus, and the infection spread to all life, controlling all and turning them into evil Vi-Locks (cf. the Phalanx Covenant, UXM 316-317, during which Blink originally died, NXM 37).

  Now, in Las Vegas, three kids crawl under a fence to catch lizards, out beyond the perimeter and the protection of the Disrupters. Sure enough, Vi-Locks attack and debate whether to infect them and send them back into the city or just behead them. The Exiles arrive and give battle; Calvin gets the first shot, using Cyclops's blast. The Vi-Locks take a few blows and then retreat to their Network. Clarice follows but finds a horde of Vi-Locks approaching from over the hill, and she gets knocked out, and the Exiles quickly retreat with the kids into the city.

  They are watched, and Spider-Woman catches away the children with her webs, and then a trapdoor opens drops them into a holding cell. Pym scans them, ensuring they're not infected, and then introduces himself, apologizing. He says 70% of the world has become Vi-Locks. The Avengers fortified Vegas but could be overwhelmed any time. Communication with the outside is via telepaths, and the decontamination labs hold many partially-infected victims. Pym used all known mutant healing factors to make an antidote, but it just stalls the virus. Clarice suggests they get the original strain: Cypher and Warlock themselves; Pym agrees; the Tallus says they're in Mainframe, which is the headquarters for the Vi-Lock Primes. Pym is discouraged and says most superheroes have become Vi-Locks.