X-amining Excalibur #110

"Hearts Bled Crimson"

June 1997

In a Nutshell

The battle with the Dragons of the Crimson Dawn leaves Captain Britain powerless.

Writer: Ben Raab

Penciller: Salvador Larroca 

Inker: Scott Koblish

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft

Colorist: Kevin Tinsley

Editor: Matt Idelson

Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

Led by Spiral, Excalibur arrives in Hong Kong, near where Captain Britain is being held by the Dragons of the Crimson Dawn. Meggan confers with the mysterious figure only she can see — Xiandu, once a member of the Dragons who was betrayed and murdered by them — and asks for his help. Meanwhile, the Dragons are torturing Captain Britain, attempting to unleash the Crimson Dawn on Earth. Just then, Excalibur attacks, with Spiral battling the Dragons while Excalibur is led to Captain Britain by Xiandu. Reunited with Meggan, Captain Britain is able to reverse the Dragon's spell, reabsorbing his energy, but he can't reabsorb it fast enough. With Meggan's help to regulate the flow of energy, he manages to seal the rift, causing the Dragons to flee. Later, Brian reveals he's now powerless, and tells Meggan he is leaving the team to discover what he needs to do next. Meggan worries this is the end of their engagement, and Brian says he'll understand if Meggan can't wait for him, but she says she would wait forever.  

X-amining X-Men (vol. 2) Annual '97 #1

"Not A Cloud In The Sky"

May 1997

In a Nutshell

The Gamesmaster traps the X-Men in a world that seems too good to be true!

Writer: John Francis Moore
Pencils: Steve Epting
Inks: Dan Green
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft/KF 
Colorist: Brad Vancata
Editor: Kelly Corvese

Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

Life is good for the X-Men: they are treated like celebrities, chased through the streets of Salem Center by autograph seekers. Rogue and Gambit are happily dating, Beast has cured the Legacy Virus, and Cyclops can control his optic blasts. The government has shut down the Friends of Humanity, and Bastion has been arrested. But something doesn't feel right to Joseph. Looking at old photos of the X-Men, he realizes what it is: Jean Grey is missing, and none of the other X-Men seem to have any idea who she is. Worried about his sanity, Rogue and a reluctant Gambit humor Joseph as he uses Cerebro to track down Jean, discovering she is a captive of the omnipathic Gamesmaster. He explains that he's given the X-Men a perfect world in exchange for Jean — the one member of the X-Men whose psychic abilities could pierce the illusion. If they give her up— or sacrifice one of the other X-Men in her place —  they can live in a paradise. If they refuse, he'll revert reality, but they'll always remember what they lost. Joseph manages to distract the Gamesmaster long enough for Jean to escape and attack him on the Astral Plane. She tries to learn as much as she can about him, but he escapes, leaving behind only an address of his possible location. The X-Men investigate it, but find the house abandoned, save for a TV playing a news report about crimes against mutants, making it clear the Gamesmaster's perfect reality has crumbled.