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| Publisher |
Marvel |
| Published | January 1983 |
"Transfigurations" After Binary blasted off into space, accidentally tearing a whole in the hull, the X-Men are suddenly faced with explosive decompression. Quick thinking allows them to block the hole and restore atmospheric pressure long enough to let the ships automated repair systems actually fix it. Back at the X-Mansion, Illyana, Stevie Hunter, and Moira MacTaggert are getting some sun. Moira goes in to talk with Charles. Reed Richards wrote a letter to her about Xi'an Coy Manh, a mutant that he'd like her and Charles help training. Recently Moira and Charles have fought a lot about whether the school should continue, Moira says she's done fighting, but other options exist for the girl. Other options like Magneto and Emma Frost. Faced with that choice - its him or some of the greatest threats the X-Men have ever faced, Charles makes the decision he has to, and picks up the phone. Storm pilots her shuttle, thinking herself through the options available to her. Suddenly, the Brood transformation begins, but the shuttle stumbling into the galactic core floods Storm with enough power to halt and even reverse the transformation! It then becomes clear to Storm what she must do. Summoning the power of the galactic core itself, she lights up like a young star for the briefest of moments (ripping the shuttle apart in the process). The Brood embryo does not survive the experience. Neither does she. Back on the Z'Reee Shar, Wolverine convinces Lilandra that paying the Brood back in kind is the only viable response. Surprisingly, Cyclops comes around to agreeing with him. Wolverine later stumbles upon Nightcrawler praying. This leads to a brief discussion of spirituality (or lack thereof), and ends with Wolverine suggesting they go look for beer. Kitty dreams. In her dreams she's at a funeral, but the person in the coffin is also herself. Suddenly, it opens its eyes and changes into a Brood, reaching for her - she tries to phase but it still grasps her. It pulls her into the grave and only the young queen remains. Kitty awakes with a yelled "No!". And quickly Peter is there to comfort her. Kitty is afraid of death - more specifically, she hates knowing she's going to die from something growing inside her that could take her at any moment, much preferring death in battle or in old age. After a long hug, Kitty wishes she was older, and to her surprise, Peter responds that he also wishes it were so. They kiss. However, Peter is adamant that Kitty is in fact too young, whereas Kitty figures societies rules don't really matter when you're at death's door. The discussion is cut short when suddenly Kitty spies... Ororo. The vision speaks briefly, then disappears. Logan and Kurt are drinking something alcoholic that was whipped out by the food synthesizer, when Ororo also appears to them. Logan responds flippantly, then realizes it was Ororo - but by then she's gone again. She appears to them again, as a little child, muttering "sigh, this isn't right either", before disappearing once more. Kurt and Logan run to the bridge to tell everyone they've seen Storm, where Kitty and Peter have already done so. Storm appears a few more times, each time looking differently. Suddenly, an Acanti is seen on visuals, and it swallows them - dampening their engines and weapons! At last, Storm manages to manifest in her X-Men uniform, and tells them there is no cause for alarm - the Acanti and she are one.
