X-amining X-Force #13

"Everything Hits the Fan"
August 1992

In a Nutshell
Weapon: Prime attacks X-Force

Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Pencils: Mark Pacella
Inks: Dan Panosian
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Colors: Steve Buccellato
Edits: Bob Harras
Fan Cleaner: Tom DeFalco

Plot
Weapon: Prime attacks X-Force, taking them by surprise, but as Cable scrambles to remove his technology from the base and re-set the charges intended to fakeout Tolliver, his team manages to overcome Weapon: Prime. Meanwhile, Gideon meets with Dr. Joshua, who is conducting painful experiments on Sunspot. Back at X-Force's base, Cable puts in a call to SHIELD medivac to retrieve the injured members of Weapon: Prime, then prepares to blow up the base and go after Tolliver. Just then, the charges go off, seemingly of their own accord, with Cable & Domino getting separated from the rest of X-Force and Weapon: Prime. As the base comes down around them, Cannonball shouts for everyone to get near him. Later, in Sicily, Tolliver gloats to the real Domino over reports of an explosion in the Adirondacks, revealing that Vanessa's override trigger worked, before toasting the death of Cable.

X-amining X-Force #12

"X-Ternals A Prologue" / "Traitors to the Cause"
July 1992

In a Nutshell
Gideon recruits Crule as Weapon: Prime prepares to attack X-Force.

Plot: Rob Liefeld
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Penciler: Mark Pacella
Inker; Dan Panosian
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Colorist: John Cebollero
Editor: Bob Harras
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Plot
In Madripoor, Gideon confronts fellow External Crule. After being bested by Gideon, Crule agrees to take out Cable on Gideon's behalf. Meanwhile, X-Force confronts Domino about working for Tolliver, and Cable comes up with a plan, while Weapon: Prime picks up their final member, Grizzly, then prepares to attack X-Force. At X-Force's base, Domino contacts Tolliver, telling him she's surreptitiously set charges that will detonate the base and kill everyone inside. But in actuality, Cable intends to use the explosion to fake X-Force's deaths. Elsewhere, Rictor tells Kane that Cable killed his father, the reason for his vendetta against him, while Gideon returns home with Krule, much to Roberto's dismay. The next morning, Weapon: Prime reaches X-Force's base, just as Cable promises that once they blow up the base, nothing is going to stop them from taking the fight to Tolliver.

X-amining X-Force #10

"Answers (And Questions)" / "X-Ternals: A Prologue" / "X-Tenuating Circumstances Part 3"
May 1992

In a Nutshell
Cannonball learns he's an External, the Externals plot to capture him, and Rictor returns.

Plots What?: Rob Liefeld
Scripts Where?: Fabian Nicieza
Pencils Who?: Mark Pacella
Inks How? Dan Panosian
Letters When: Chris Eliopoulos
Colors Why: Dana Moreshead
Under Sedation: Bob Harras
Questions (& Questions): Tom DeFalco

Plot
As Kane battles the MLF, Gideon meets with his fellow Externals, a group of immortal mutants, to discuss the recent awakening of Cannonball. He is lambasted for mistakenly believing Sunspot to be the next External, but promises to dispatch Crule to rectify the mistake. Meanwhile, Kane comes face-to-face with Stryfe and discovers he has the same face as Cable. At X-Force's headquarters, Cable orders Masque & Sauron to be taken to the morgue while he tells Cannonball about the Externals and his status as one of them. At the MLF headquarters, Stryfe toys with Kane before knocking him out. Waking up just outside Department K, Kane rushes in to see General Clarke. Believing Cable to be Stryfe, he tells him that Bridge was right, and that they should put the Weapon Prime program at his disposal. Clarke isn't sure Weapon Prime is ready, but he does introduce Kane to Rictor, who is also looking forward to bringing down Cable. Elsewhere, Mr. Tolliver dispatches Deadpool to pay Domino a house call, in order to remind her how much it displeases him when his employees ignore their job.