The X-Men battle the Acolytes while Joseph and Astra confront Magneto.
The Acolytes are prodded by the telepathic suggestion of Xavier to leave the safety of their jet to ensure that the X-Men have been killed by the nuclear blast unleashed against Magneto.
The X-Men play dead long enough to draw the Acolytes from the plane. The two teams engage in fierce combat, but the X-Men are holding back – trying to draw the last of their opponents out of their vehicle. Colossus activates his power to act as a lightning rod for energy built up in the atmosphere from Magneto's electro-magnetic pulse wave. The resulting shock dispenses of the Acolytes on the ground, while Kitty eliminates their pilot in the jet.
Seventy-five miles away, Magneto is concentrating on repelling the nuclear explosion and repairing the Earth's magnetosphere when he feels something slip through his defensive shield.
The intrusion is Astra and Joseph, riding through the air in a magnetically shielded bubble. Astra dispenses of Joseph and heads into Magneto's sanctum. She taunts him and destroys the elements of his structure that regulate his exposure to the EM energy in the atmosphere.
At the United Nations the general assembly debates their response to Magneto's actions – possibly a devastating nuclear strike? They're interrupted by Dr. Alda Huxley, ambassador from Genosha. She professes to have a solution to Magneto's demand for a mutant sanctuary.
Magneto recovers and lashes out at Astra, overwhelming her alien technology. Joseph interrupts him before he can deliver a finishing blow.
Log in to comment