Secret Wars II # 1 - Earthfall!

A metero crashed near Denver and Molecule Man seemed to think that something was amiss.  Volcana called him back in to their apartment to watch television, but the reception soon broke up.  They looked outside to find boulders of earth flying through the air.  Volcana over-reacted, destroying one might boulder, but setting their apartment on fire in the process.  Molecule Man put the fire out and ventured outside to find the cause of the strange phenomenon.  

In Muir Isle, Professor Xavier cried out in pain.  He could sense the presence of the Beyonder and was determined to organise an attack.  While his son, David Haller, played with building blocks on the floor (see New Mutants #29) the Professor planned for Magneto to lead his X-Men into battle.  The Professor also sent out a telepathic call to Captain America.  Cap was on a passenger jet, flying coach when he received the message.  Immediately he asked the pilot to divert their course.  The pilot agreed since Cap had saved his platoon during the war, but asked that Cap take the heat by announcing the change in course to the passengers.

Back in Molecule Man & Volcana's apartment, the Beyonder had taken on an amalgamated appearance.  He use the forms of many heroes and villains he had encountered during the Secret War.  He sought only to understand more, and Molecule Man demonstrated how he could turn an ornament into an edible apple.  They sent the Beyonder to Los Angeles where he would have many experiences, and advise him to change his appearance to something less conspicuous.

In Westchester, Nightcrawler & Colossus argued with Magneto.  Suddenly the remaining X-Men came crashing in through the window, but Nightcrawler & Colossus fought to protect Magneto.  They listened to what he had to say and tentatively agreed to join him against the Beyonder.  They all climbed into the limousine and Magneto used his powers to make the vehicle fly.

In Hollywood, the Beyonder appeared in the office of Stewart Cadwall, a script writer.  The Beyonder had taken on the appearance of Molecule Man, and immediately copied the trick he'd seen back in Denver; he transformed Cadwall's desk & scripts into a massive pile of apples.  Meanwhile across Los Angeles, Magneto lifted the roof of a gladiatorial arena.  He summoned the New Mutants to come to his aid.  Cannonball, Magik, Dazzler and Cannonball's rockstar girlfriend Lila Cheney followed, but Magma & Sunspot remained behind (see New Mutants #29 or details).  Magneto then commanded Rachel Summers to use her telepathy and locate the Beyonder.  Although uncomfortable at using her powers to hunt down powered being again, she soon located a man of great power in Hollywood.

The Beyonder had been convinced to grant Cadwall immense power.  He transformed his Shazam trophy into a a sword shaped like a lightning bolt, and the rest of him became a super hero like something from one of the Saturday morning cartoons that he used to write.  As Thundersword Cadwall leapt upon his pegasus Borromir and started to attack all the studios who had rejected his scripts.  There he encountered the X-Men's flying limousine.  They attacked him believing him to be the Beyonder.  Magneto had Rachel telepathically connect him to all the X-Men so he could give them orders instantly.  However the X-Men begrudgingly listened to his commands, even though they were already doing what he had instructed them to before he had told them.  Thundersword's attention was drawn to a local McDonald's, but his attack against junk food accidentally caused the neighbouring apartment building to catch on fire.  Rachel telepathically commanded the tenants to flee.

Captain America pleaded with is taxi driver to go faster, while Iron Man suited up ready for combat.  Just as burning debris was about to fall on a mother & son, Captain America dived to protect them with his Vibranium-alloy shield.  Thundersword appeared to fight Captain America and the junk culture he represented.  Cap lead the attack.  His shield drew Thundersword's attention.  Dazzler followed up the attack with a blinding flurry of lights.  Magneto finished it off by dumping dozens and dozens of cars on Thundersword, but he still survived the attack.

Rachel Summers began to sense another being.  Feeling around in thin-air, she suddenly found herself face-to-face with the Beyonder.  In the confusion, the X-Men & New Mutants didn't attack.  Instead, the Beyonder approached Magik and plunged his hand into her chest.  He then drew out the physical manifestation of her demonised soul, the Darkchilde.  Magik panicked and created a teleportation disc that whirled herself away from the Beyonder's grasp, taking Cannonball, Shadowcat, Rachel and Dazzler with her (see New Mutants #30 for the rest of their story).

Wolverine's bezerker rage grew and he lunged at the Beyonder.  The other X-Men pulled him back, but not in time to stop him from slashing his Adamantium claws over the Beyonders face.  They all feared his reaction, but the Beyonder merely stood there.  Lila Cheney panicked and teleported the remaining X-Men across the galaxy.  

Captain America was distracted by the X-Men's disappearance, and so Thundersword struck him from behind.  As he was about to deliver a killing blow, Iron Man arrived and saved Captain America.  His armour's readings detected that Thundersword's power was derived from his thunderbolt shaped sword.  After that, it was easy for Captain America to aim his shield, forcing Cadwell to drop his sword & return to normal.  Cadwall broke down in tears despondent at how he had destroyed his employer's studios.  Captain America and Iron Man agreed that he should be given psychiatric help.  

Meanwhile, the Beyonder decided that he wanted more experiences.  When he watched Dazzler in action, he felt something move inside of him.  Then when Wolverine slashed his face, he had experienced something instead of just watching it.  He quickly realised that being in a fight was different to watching one on the television.  Therefore he vanished, but had really turned himself invisible and closely followed Captain America.