The Spectre Of Things To Come

• Writer - Fabian Nicieza
• Penciler - Rob Liefeld
• Lettering - Virtual Calligraphy
• Lettering - Rus Wooton
• Colorist - Matt Yackey
• Ass't Editor - Stephannie Moore
• Ass't Editor - Sean Ryan
• Editor - Mike Marts
• Editor in Chief - Joe Quesada

Summary

  Sam is back in Kentucky, where he feels like he belongs. He's recuperating (see UXM 447) and has used his X-Corp money to buy a farm. He flies over the fields, scattering seed, wondering if he ever wants to go back to the endless struggle of humans and mutants and aliens and clones… He hasn't felt right in a long time, following instead of setting his own path.

  He sees a flash of light in his barn and realizes downtime is over. Inside, Spectre materializes and checks he's in the right timeline, but he already knows he is, because the air doesn't have the tang of blood and electricity he's used to in the future. He has his personal computer locate Sam and learns he's 11 meters away. Spectre turns to look in time to see Sam blast through the wall. He can hardly believe he's seeing the legend in person; he's younger than he expected, with longer hair, and also outraged, not even stopping to ask who he is. Spectre says he doesn't want to fight and makes himself intangible; Sam crashes through the wall behind him and then realizes from the man's speech ("Stab his eyes," "the vids") that he's from Cable's time. He really doesn't want to save the world again, but Spectre says destiny is fixed; he wants his help against a threat to homo sapiens and homo mutatis, both now and in the future.

  Spectre explains: Cable tried to convince the Askani Council to end the truce and attack En Sabah Nur, who was gaining strength since the attack on his stronghold (perhaps by Rachel in X-Men: Phoenix '99). Meanwhile, the humans had developed the Helix, becoming the very thing they oppose, mutants. Also, the Skornn had been found. Spectre says Cable had a way of rousing people, and saying "Skornn" to mutants is like saying "salt" to slugs.

  Cable insisted they can't wait for the flood to learn to swim, and they must unite under a leader. The council said for him to be the leader, he had to prove himself, and their guards attacked. He created a psimitar, the manifestation of his telepathic gifts. Spectre, his nephew, held his mother's hand and watched from the gallery, amazed that fighting could be beautiful. He realized later the guards were synthetic and may have been programmed to lose -- their heads, in this case. Cable held them up to the council and declared war, fighting so other would not need to, dying so others may live, despite the Askani philosophy of peace. He called for volunteers, and those who came became legends: Tetherblood, Dawnsilk (see Cable 1), Adam Spectre, Lark, Sepulcher, and many others. They fought, and Adam Spectre died, in a war Cable started and which nearly destroyed all life on earth.

  Cable has assembled much of his old team: Warpath and Sunspot, despite their commitments to X-Corp (New X-Men I:133, X-Treme X-Men 31), and Tabitha (last seen Weapon X II:13). Cable's told them the same story, and Shatterstar is amazed he's admitted to making the wrong choice. Tabitha is reluctant to be a warrior again, but Cable says it's one mission, not a life choice.

  Domino shows Spectre on the monitor; Cable says he's trouble in any timeline; Domino says he's with Sam, and Warpath wonders if it's more of the High Lord nonsense (X-Force I:8). Shatterstar just wants to protect their ally, but Warpath thinks he just wants to kill something; this time, he agrees. Cable initiates a bodyslide and teleports the team away.