The Big Picture

• 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

  Mt. Xixabangma: Anime has returned because her father Zed was killed (iss. 1), though having rejected his ways. A surviving monk, Gault, thinks she's dishonoring his memory by being there, but he loved her and died in the spirit of his teachings, protecting Shatterstar. She just wanted a name and orders her followers to help find him so she can kill him and get the sword back.

  Cable's team bodyslides to Sam's farm; he's surprised to see them all together; they open fire on the traitor Spectre, who says Cable can't be trusted and they all know it; Sam agrees, though Cable insists he no longer expects blind obedience.

  Spectre launches miniature robots, which Warpath and Tabitha easily destroy. Sam rockets into Cable, carrying him over a cliff and into a creek. Cable's TK has recently been weakened, and Sam is fighting with righteous fury. He accuses Cable of always lying to them; he says he always had his eye on the bigger picture; Sam asks about the little pictures: himself and his teammates dying in the future for Cable's cause. Cable insists whatever Spectre told him, the future isn't written yet; Sam says that's the point: knowing all the heartache in their futures, he still brought them into this life. Cable says, "I'm sorry, but…" and Sam is infuriated by the "but." He launches himself at Cable, who focuses his remaining telepathy to make him drop his blast field for a moment, long enough for him to punch him, knocking him into a tree, which splits in half. Cable carries him back to the group.

  Shatterstar faces off against Spectre, swords only; Shatterstar is glad to see he's as much a fool as he is; Spectre says Shatterstar is barely remembered, an individual gun in a battlefield. Shatterstar says, "Little Boy," which he doesn't understand; they lunge at each other. Shatterstar takes Spectre's measure and says he's an average fighter; he sees why he'd prefer turning traitor than dying in battle. They spar, and Shatterstar finds an opening and kicks him down. He explains that Little Boy was the A-bomb detonated over Hiroshima: individual weapons can make history. Cable arrive carrying Sam and stops Shatterstar from beheading him.

  Sunspot is furious that Cable hurt Sam; he powers up and knocks him aside, telling him to keep away. He wants no part of his mission, so Cable has Domino bodyslide the rest of them away.

  Near Plodiv, Bulgaria, 80 feet underground are the ruins of the temple of the Relic of Karnada. Helix teleport there and find the chamber where the priests died to revive the Skornn. They do the same themselves, and Skornn rises, hungry for Cable's flesh.