Uncanny X-Men #457

Publisher
Marvel
Year
2005
Month
5
LastChanged
1/27/2024 8:19:28 AM
World's End

Cutting Edge
On Ice: Worlds End,
Summary

  Kurt and Lucas are marched to the Hauk'ka fortress in the Savage Land; they are amazed that they've never heard of a saurian civilization there, especially one with a modern army and superheroes. They realize Rachel is moving and acting like one of them, and that she's blocked access to their powers. Lucas guesses she's removed their mental blocks, too, and she turns on them, yelling that they have no secrets from her. They insist they're her friends, but she yells they're monsters, and her face takes on a Hauk'ka appearance. Raina is concerned that Kaidan will lose control of her, but she's convinced she's one of them and is doing this of her own free will.

  Kurt and Lucas are dumped in a skeleton-filled dungeon, along with prisoners from all the races of the Savage Land. They brace themselves for attack from the saurians, till they greet them warmly; they're prisoners, as well, and not of the Hauk'ka race, who appeared recently and want to conquer the world. Warnings sent to the outside world were not responded to; the saurians happily assume the X-Men will rescue them.

  Kaidan analyzes Rachel's genome and sees that her telekinesis is transforming her genes, to make her body match her image of herself as a Hauk'ka. Her ability to manipulate matter is without limit; Raina is nervous about that, but Kaidan assures her Rachel's on their side.

  A storm approaches; snow and lightning fill the air. They realize Ororo is trying to escape, and Rachel's power is scrambled by the lightning. Raina flies her down to get into range, and before they land, snowdrifts have already formed. Masano falls to the ground; Rachel reads his mind and learns Ororo's sedatives wore off before the inhibitors were engaged. They find Ororo bound but raging; Rachel realizes she's out of control, threatening life with a killer storm. She reaches into her mind past the elemental fury to make her civilized self realize what she's doing; Ororo collapses, and Rachel admits it was just lucky. Raina sees that Rachel's face is becoming saurian and is shocked.

  Betsy looks at the snow in the Savage Land and tells X-23 it's a bad sign. Ororo must have done it, and Rachel must have stopped her again. X-23 picks up their teammates' scents, and Betsy says she's a lot like Logan. X-23 isn't happy to hear it. They come across a frozen raptor, still warm inside: Ororo can whip up a wicked storm. X-23 notes Rachel's scent and footprints are strangely reptilian. She senses Betsy's angry and asks is they're supposed to fight, but Betsy says it's not about her. X-23 knows she died and got better, but she's seen many things in her short life. Before they put her claws in, they tested her healing factor; she killed them, and they didn't get better. Suddenly, they are netted.

  Kaidan says there are too many mammalians for them to conquer. He plans to use Rachel to boost Ororo's powers and create hyper-storms across the globe, like those caused by the "nemesis meteor" which killed their ancestors. Humans should be extinct within a year. The Hauk'ka council approves unanimously.

  Hauk'ka guards bring the prisoners out, and Kurt and Lucas are set free. If they make it to the ridge, they live. They immediately battle the Hauk'ka and quickly overcome them. Taking their "pulser" guns, they yell for their fellow prisoners to run for it. Before they escape, Raina and Rachel (now in a red costume) arrive and attack. Just in time Betsy arrives and punches Rachel, propelling her into a chasm, into which Raina swoops to rescue her. Betsy is amazed at her own, new strength; Kurt chides her for not using her psychic knife to break Rachel out of her delusion, but she doesn't know her own powers anymore and couldn't risk it. She introduces their new allies: Ka-Zar and the Savage Land Mutates!

  Notes: this story follows on to X-Men: Savage Land '01 LS.