World's End

• Writer - Chris Claremont
• Penciler - Alan Davis
• Inker - Mark Farmer
• Colorist - Dean White
• Lettering - Virtual Calligraphy
• Lettering - Chris Eliopoulos
• Ass't Editor - Stephannie Moore
• Ass't Editor - Sean Ryan
• Editor - Mike Marts
• Editor in Chief - Joe Quesada

Note Dead Yet

Summary

  Vargas called them a genetic dead end, and he did his best to ensure it. Betsy knew it was a final confrontation, and she was sure she'd win, until the moment she died (X-treme X-Men 2). She stuck around afterwards, breaking the rules, and tried to get a message to Neal through Lucas (X-treme X-Men 4).

  She's cold. She knows heaven doesn't have linoleum, and she aches, so she must be alive. Dozens of guns are cocked and aimed at her; she is under arrest.

  Logan trains Ororo in the Danger Room, dueling with wooden blades, no powers allowed, since their enemies will be expecting that. He duels Ororo and knocks her in the head, felling her, while Rachel, Kurt, and Lucas watch from the bleachers. Logan lifts her up, reminding her they have to be smart, and gives her a kiss. Kurt is annoyed at that.

  Scott appears in holographic form in the control room, to tell X-23 she shouldn't be there unsupervised. She's supposed to be in class, but she ignores him and watches the X-Men below.

  Ororo and Logan begin again, and Rachel wonders why they don't drill with robots, but Logan says robots are programmed, but people can surprise you. Ororo does, kicking him down and putting her sword to his head.

  Lucas uses his cyber-glasses to check on the Hellfire Club. Shaw is in the hospital in critical condition, and Sunspot has taken over as Lord Imperial, with Sage as his advisor. Current activities, unsanctioned.

  Logan yells to get Lucas's attention; he's next. Kurt tends to Ororo's bruise, and Rachel keeps herself from prying into their minds.

  Lucas asks Logan if their duel is like a classic Musashi story, where the warriors know everything from one glance, determine they're equals, and walk away. Logan spars with him, saying he knows of Musashi -- Ogun killed him. Lucas says he's studied Logan's moves, and there's nothing he can't handle. Their swords break, and Logan goes down. Just then X-23 burst through the control room window and lunges at Lucas. Kurt teleports to catch her, and Rachel holds her in place; Logan gives her a talking to. Ororo says she sensed that on some level, Lucas and Logan were seriously fighting. Emma appears telepathically and warns them to control X-23, or she will. She says there's a personal call for Logan, and an alert for the XSE team.

  Logan takes the call and leaves, saying there's something he has to handle solo. The rest of the team takes an X-Jet to Spain; they've been called back to where Psylocke was killed.

  Royal Tyrell Institute, in Drumheller, Alberta: Logan worked on an archaeological dig with McKenna 50 years ago, and she's now an old woman. She says nobody remembers except those who were there, and she needs his help to stop "them" before there's another massacre. They're using the museum as a cover for their greed, and she wants to end it. X-23 observes from atop a dinosaur skeleton; she must have stowed away.

  In the center of Valencia is a castle, Los Torres de Serranos, built by the Moors. Beneath it is the headquarters of Action Force. Cortes welcomes the X-Men and shows them what they've found: Betsy, who's in an observation room, reading a fashion magazine. The X-Men go to greet her, and she immediately lashes out at Lucas, with TK so strong Rachel can't stop her. Ororo makes lightning to get her attention, and she controls her temper.

  Cortes says she appeared 24 hours ago on the spot where she died; all the tests have shown it's really her, or an identical twin. Rachel quizzes Lucas, asking if they're sure she was dead; he says she was autopsied. Rachel suggests she's a clone; Betsy gives her a look, but she's been put in gauntlets to secure her. She doesn't remember anything, and Action Force has exhausted their options, so they turn her over to the X-Men.

  Rachel tries a mind-probe, but she can't get through her psi-shields. She turns to Lucas, to see why she's mad at him, and shows their experience in Dreamtime (X-treme X-Men 4). Betsy appeared to Lucas but was grabbed by unknown beings and disappeared. Lucas tried to warn her, but Betsy says since then he's forgotten all about her. Now she's back, so she asks what's next. A distress signal sounds; it's from Logan's jet.

  The Canadian Rockies: X-23 falls down a snowy hillside and gets into the X-Jet, where McKenna lies dead. Logan told her there's a beacon, so she wraps herself in a cloth and waits. She hears a noise outside and jumps out, claws extended. It's the X-Men, and Rachel freezes her in mid-jump. She yells for them to let her go, but they don't understand her screaming. X-23 warns they'll kill them all, and behind them in the woods, creatures ready their guns.