X-amining X-Men 2099 #8

"Ghost Winds"
May 1994

In a Nutshell
A new team of X-Men debut as the other X-Men part ways with the Freakshow.

Writer: John Francis Moore
Penciler: Ron Lim
Inker: Jim Sanders III
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Colorist: Tom Smith
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Plot
Krystalin marvels at Victor Ten Eagles' holograms of the original X-Men, before the pair set out to track down the mysterious shadow they observed flying in the night sky. Meanwhile, Mama Hurricane & the Freakshow prepare to depart Iron Horse. In New Mexico, Krystalin & Victor visit an agricultural cooperative only to find the place ransacked, Victor's contact encased in ice and saying they were attacked by agents of Zhao. At Iron Horse, Mama Hurricane gives Xi'an a map of all the previous Mutant Underground routes, while Metalhead decides to stay with the departing Freakshow. Meanwhile, Krystalin & Victor track the cooperative's attackers to a desert compound. Inside, they're attacked by a group of apparent mutants styled after the original X-Men. Together, Krystalin & Victor are able to fight off the X-Men, but as they try to escape, Zhao himself knocks them out, declaring they are to become one of the Chosen - one of his X-Men!

X-amining Generation X #-1

"The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship!"

July 1997

In a Nutshell

A young Emma Frost and NYPD officer Sean Cassidy cross paths with Dark Beast!

Writer: James Robinson
Penciler: Chris Bachalo
Inker: Al Vey
Letterer: Comicraft
Colorist: Marie Javins

Associate Editor: Mark Powers

Editor: Bob Harras

Plot

Hoping to use her nascent telepathic abilities to glean stock market tips from the wealthy elite, Emma Frost gatecrashes a party at the Hellfire Club. Overuse of her power exhausts her, however, leading to an encounter with Harry Leland, who offers to give her a ride home. But after passing out in the bathroom, Emma awakens and sneaks away on her own. Outside the club, she's accosted by a group of men, an encounter observed by NYPD detective Sean Cassidy and his partner, who are surveilling the club to watch for Leland. As the men chase Emma into an alley, Sean rushes to help. Cornered, Emma is knocked out by one of the men, at which point they're attacked from the shadows by a savage beast. Emma awakens in the sewer lair of the Dark Beast, and the two agree to help each other. Just then Sean arrives, having followed them, and believes Dark Beast to be threatening Emma. He attacks, and Dark Beast responds in kind, almost killing Sean. He is saved by a telepathic burst from Emma, at which point Sean's partner, as well as Leland, arrive. Rather than be arrested long with Dark Beast, Emma uses her telepathy to alter their minds, directing them to take Sean to the hospital. Then she and Dark Beast part, their alliance secure.  

X-amining X-Men 2099 #7

"Hurricane Force"
April 1994

In a Nutshell
The X-Men meet Mama Hurricane

Writer: John Francis Moore
Penciler: Ron Lim
Inker: Jimmy Palmiotti
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Colorist: Tom Smith
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Plot
The fight between the X-Men and the Freakshow is brought to a halt by the arrival of Mama Hurricane and her associate Rosa. Elsewhere, Krystalin arrives at the home of Victor Ten Eagles, the person Xi'an sent her to contact. Back in Iron Horse, Mama Hurricane brings the X-Men into her base of operations, where Cerebra realizes that Rosa is pregnant with a mutant as Xi'an attempts to heal Metalhead of the disease with which Contagion infected him. Later, Hurricane confirms she is the same person who helped shepherd mutants to the sanctuary of Avalon during the Great Purge. Just then, a group of armored Trackers, seeking the Freakshow, attack the base, but working together, the X-Men & Freakshow fight them off. Afterwards, Xi'an declares he is going to find Avalon. Meanwhile, Victor Ten Eagles shows Krystalin the reason she was sent to him: a shadowy figure flying in the night sky, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Archangel.

X-amining Cable #-1

"The Devil's Herald!"

July 1997

In a Nutshell

Moira meets Cable in the moments immediately after he arrives in the past.

Writer: James Robinson

Penciler: Ladronn

Inker: Juan Vlasco

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Crowquillcraft

Colorist: Glynis Oliver

Editor: Mark Powers

Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

Moira MacTaggert and her ward Rahne Sinclair race from Muir Island to the town of Stornoway via boat, having received word of trouble in the city. Making landfall, they discover Reverend Craig whipping a mob into a religious frenzy at the site of a strangely dressed man who doesn't speak English. Moira tries to calm everyone down, but her efforts are futile until the stranger uses telepathic abilities to alter the perceptions of the mob. Realizing the man is a mutant, she brings him back to Muir Island. There, she tries to run some tests on him, but the equipment causes his mechanical arm to go wild, triggering an explosion. As Moira is about to be crushed by falling debris, the stranger saves her, using telekinesis to stop the falling debris. He then uses his telepathy to read Moira's mind to learn English - also accidentally learning about her son, Kevin, in the process. Able to finally communicate, he tells Moira he is from the future, and has arrived in this era on a mission. He can't give her any details, other than the fact that he needs to find Charles Xavier. Moira tells him she knows Xavier, and promises to take the stranger to him. Meanwhile, in Switzerland, Apocalypse emerges early from hibernation, having been awakened by the arrival of the stranger in this time. 

X-amining X-Men 2099 #6

"Freakshow"
March 1994

In a Nutshell
The X-Men battle the Freakshow

Writer: John Francis Moore
Penciler: Ron Lim
Inker: James Sanders III
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Colorist: Tom Smith
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Plot
As Meanstreak, Krystalin, Bloodhawk & Fitz fly back from New York, Bloodhawk once more bids adieu to the team and flies off, followed shortly thereafter by Fitz, who recklessly jumps out of the craft after Bloodhawk. Disgruntled, Bloodhawk gets him safely to the ground, albeit in the desert still miles away from the rest of the X-Men. Eventually, Fitz comes across a meditating Xi'an, and together, they return to the X-Men's camp. There, the X-Men intercept a transmission from someone calling herself Mama Hurricane. Xi'an hopes this is the same Mama Hurricane who helped mutants during the Great Purge, as she may be able to help him find more mutants. After he dispatches Krystalin on a separate mission, he and the rest of the X-Men track Hurricane's signal to an abandoned town in Arizona. There, they encounter the Freakshow, a group of genetically modified Degens. When Xi'an asks after Mama Hurricane, a fight breaks out, during which Metalhead is infected with a disease by Freakshow member Contagion, prompting Xi'an to confront Breakdown, the Freakshow's leader, and remove the glove from his "destruction" hand.

X-amining X-Men (vol. 2) #-1

"I Had A Dream"

July 1997

In a Nutshell

Professor X and Magneto reunite on the verge of their philosophical differences exploding into open conflict.

Writer: Scott Lobdell

Pencils: Carlos Pacheco 
Inks: Art Thibert
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Chris Lichtner & Aron Lusen

Associate Editor: Mark Powers
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

At his mansion, Charles Xavier continues his physical therapy, under the guidance of his nurse/girlfriend, Amelia Voght. She urges him to rethink his plans regarding mutantkind, but he insists they can't simply hide in his mansion and do nothing. He then asks her to teleport him to the remains of concentration camp in Europe, where he knows his old friend Erik will soon appear. Meanwhile, aboard Asteroid M in orbit around the planet, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff discuss their recent alliance with the man known as Magneto Despite having saved their lives, Pietro remains unconvinced Magneto is a good man. Magneto arrives and brings the twins down to the concentration camp, where he finds Xavier and Voght waiting. The two former friends each try to convince each other, for the last time, to give up their respective plans to chart the course of mutantkind's future, with Xavier arguing that places like the concentration camp will rise again if Magneto launches his war on humanity. Both men acknowledge their ability to kill the other, but leave each other in peace for the last time, with Magneto declaring there will be only one onclusion to their conflict, and to the victor will go the spoils. He then scoops up a handful of earth, and returns with the Maximoffs to Asteroid M.

X-amining X-Men 2099 #5

"Lightningstrike: Fall of the Hammer Part Three"
February 1994

In a Nutshell
The X-Men become embroiled in the "Fall of the Hammer" crossover.
Writer: John Francis Moore
Penciler: Ron Lim
Inkers: Jim Sanders III
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Colorist: Tom Smith
Loki, Mischiefmaker: Joey Cavalieri
Odin, All-Seeing: Tom DeFalco

Plot
As Fitz escapes from Alchemax's security forces, on Valhalla, floating above New York City, Meanstreak, Krystalin & Bloodhawk are confronted by Heimdall. He takes out Meanstreak & Bloodhawk, but Ravage helps Krystalin escape. Below, as the crowd cheers the return of Thor, Fitz commandeers an aircab to get up to Valhalla, recalling how the X-Men arrived in the city and were caught by Alchemax at the apartment of Meanstreak's friend Jordan Boone, prompting the group to split up & Fitz to be captured. As the cab climbs higher, it suddenly gives out, but someone grabs Fitz to prevent him from falling to his death. On Valhalla, Loki appears before Meanstreak and offers to disable the neurotech that gives Heimdall his powers, allowing the X-Men to knock him out. Loki then reveals himself as Boone, having undergone Alchemax' genetic restructuring process to gain powers for himself. Just then, Fitz arrives, along with his rescuer, Dr. Doom. Fed up with the environmental harm being done by Valhalla, Bloodhawk takes to the sky, intent on destroying it, only to be blasted down by a bolt of lightning hurled by an angry Thor.

X-amining Wolverine #-1

"A Whiff of Sartre’s Madeleine!"

July 1997

In a Nutshell

Logan meets the inventor of adamantium.

Script: Larry Hama
Pencils: Cary Nord
Inks: Scott Hanna
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft/EM
Colors: Joe Rosas
Editor: Mark Powers

Editor in Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

Hoping to help Logan find some answers about his metal skeleton and his past, James and Heather Hudson have setup a meeting between Logan and Myron MacLain, the scientist who created adamantium. When Logan arrives at the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. to meet with MacLain, he is monitored by both the CIA and Hydra. MacLain is astonished to learn someone bonded adamantium to Logan's skeleton, having only heard rumors about a Japanese scientist developing a process for such. Just then, CIA agent Victor Creed bursts in; pleased to see Logan doesn't remember him, he pulls a gun, but a Hydra team attacks, hoping to capture Logan.  interrupted by Hydra, who open fire on the pair, trying to hit Logan. The ensuing brawl is joined by Nick Fury and Carol Danvers, who rescue Logan with an assist from Black Widow, who tells Logan he's better off not joining any of the groups pursuing him. When Creed catches up to them, Logan defeats him, but rather than finish him, he merely takes his hat. Then Logan departs to return to Canada, more confused than ever. As he leaves, Hydra agents target him with a missile, but their leader Madame Hydra calls off the attack, opting to leave him alive — for now.