X-amining X-Man #15

"Turning Point"
May 1996

In a Nutshell

Co-Plotter: John Ostrander

Co-Plotter/Script: Terry Kavanagh
Penciler: Steve Skroce
Inks: Bud LaRosa & Rob Hunter
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Mike Thomas

Separations: Graphic Colorworks
Editor: Jaye Garnder

Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

Nate dreams he is back in his home reality, and talks with Forge. His dream shifts and suddenly he is with Madelyne, who gives way to Threnody as he wakes up. They are in a Red Cross shelter setup in the wake of the avalanche caused by his fight with Exodus. Still unsure if he can trust Threnody, he enters her mind, and realizes the tremendous pain and mental anguish she carries with her. Hoping to help, he removes one of the mental inhibitors from her forehead, which causes her powers to trigger an explosion. Meanwhile, in Paris, the real Madelyne discovers her recent knife wound has already healed. Back in Switzerland, Threnody wakes up to find Nate still unconscious: he protected her and the rest of the refugees from her blast, but knocked himself out in the process. She briefly considers abandoning him, then relents. Elsewhere, Shaw meets with Holocaust, but the two are interrupted by Onslaught, who tasks Holocaust with capturing Nate for him. A week later, Nate is lounging on a beach in Greece, where Threnody has brought him to recover. Unbeknownst to him, Holocaust, who has been shielded from mental detection by Onslaught, looms over him, preparing to strike. 

X-amining X-Man #14

"Fallen From Grace"
April 1996

In a Nutshell

Nate battles Exodus 

Plot: John Ostrander

Script: Terry Kavanagh
Penciler: Steve Skroce
Inks: Bud LaRosa
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Mike Thomas

Separations: Graphic Color Works
Editor: Jaye Gardner

Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

As Nate battles Exodus, Cable avoids the avalanche triggered by their fight. Nate finds he can easily outmatch Exodus in terms of power, but also that Exodus draws strength by absorbing Nate's power, so he switches tactics and hits Exodus with a massive uppercut, sending him reeling. Meanwhile, in Paris, Madelyne Pryor is staying with Selene and preparing some food when she cuts herself, and realizes it only hurt after she noticed the cut. Meanwhile, back in Switzerland, Nate and Threnody put some distance between themselves Exodus, while Blaquesmith argues with Cable, who refuses to consider killing Nate, wanting instead to talk with him. Exodus catches up with Nate, and they resume their fight. Cable tries shooting Exodus, but he easily blocks the bullets. Exodus seems poised for victory, until Nate senses his connection to Apocalypse in his mind. Fueld by his rage at Exodus' association with a being Nate hates, Nate pours enough power into Exodus that he exceeds his' capacity to absorb it. He then throws Exodus into a crevasse in the Earth and seals it behind him. Flush with power and seething with fury, Nate then turns to Cable, Blaquesmith & Threnody. He mocks the fear he senses in all of them, saying he senses it in every mind he encounters on this unspoiled Earth, yet he's only just begun...

X-amining X-Man #12

"Trust"
February 1996

In a Nutshell
Nate arrives on Muir Island to find Excalibur waiting for him

Writer: John Ostrander
Penciler: Steve Skroce
Inker: Bud LaRosa
Letterer: Richard Starkings/Comicraft
Colorist: Mike Thomas/Graphic colorworks
Editor: Jaye Gardner
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
Following Rogue's advice, Nate arrives on Muir Island, and is immediately attacked by a suspicious Excalibur. Moira calls them off, however, and proceeds to run a series of tests on Nate. Elsewhere, Mr. Sinister contacts Threnody and asks if they have any data on Nate Grey; she feigns ignorance, but actually believes that Nate will be her ticket to escaping Sinister. On Muir Island, Moira confirms Nate does not have the Legacy Virus, but finds some odd readings she wants to examine further. In the meantime, Nate spends some time with Wolfsbane. Later, Moira discusses her findings with Xavier: Nate's immense power is burning out his body, killing him. Meanwhile, Nate is drawn to the cell where Spoor is being held, and while he is able to tell Spoor is not being entirely truthful about his claims that Muir Island is place of mutant experimentation, he nevertheless grows suspicious. He proceeds to confront Moira in her lab, and when he reads her mind, is alarmed by the news of his impending death and the fact that she was reporting on him to Xavier. Outside, Colossus & Nightcrawler are stunned when Moira's lab suddenly explodes.

X-amining X-Man #11

"The X-Cutioner's Song"
January 1996

In a Nutshell
Nate & Rogue battle the X-Cutioner

Writer: John Ostrander
Penciler: Steve Skroce
Inks: Bud LaRosa & Rob Hunter
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Colorist: Mike Thomas
Separations: Graphic Color Works
Editor: Jaye Gardner
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
As the X-Cutioner prepares to attack his next target, Nate, flying away from his fight with Xavier, crashes onto the beach near Rogue. Worried about losing control of his power, he blasts her and flies off again, but crashes into the ocean when his powers burnout, forcing Rogue to pull him out of the ocean herself. Meanwhile, Xavier warns Moira MacTaggert about Nate. Back in North Carolina, Nate wakes up, and once Rogue makes it clear she's not currently associated with the X-Men, he asks her what she knows about Moira & the Legacy Virus, both of which he has recently learned about. Just then, the pair are attacked by the X-Cutioner, who is targeting Rogue. Though Nate easily overpowers him, the X-Cutioner has better control of his weapons than Nate does his powers, and thus is able to hold his own until Rogue joins the fray. Together, she & Nate easily defeat the X-Cutioner, who teleports away as Rogue warns him that next time he attacks, she won't be so kind. After he leaves, Rogue tries to convince Nate to see Xavier, but he insists he won't. So instead, Rogue suggests he visit Moira, and offers to put in a call with her as Nate flies off, bound for Muir Island.

X-amining X-Man #10

"Confrontation"
December 1995

In a Nutshell
Nate meets Professor X!

Writer: John Ostrander
Penciler: Steve Skroce
Additional Pencils: Jan Duursema and Casey Jones
Inks: Bud LaRosa, Ian Akin and and Rob Hunter
Letters: Comicraft
Colors: Mike Thomas and Matt Webb
Separations: Malibu
Editors: Jaye Gardner and Lisa Patrick
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
Nate Grey heads north, towards the X-Mansion. But he is waylaid by a hurricane and, struck by lightning, crashes onto a North Carolina beach. Meanwhile, Blaquesmith arrives at the mansion to warn Xavier about Nate. Meanwhile, Nate wakes up in a jail cell and is taken to breakfast at a nearby diner by the local sheriff who found him. At the X-Mansion, Blaquesmith tells Xavier about Nate's immense psychic power, , and they begin trying to locate the boy. At the diner, Nate learns about the Legacy Virus and prejudice against mutants, innocently announcing to everyone there that he's a mutant. Just then, Xavier & Blaquesmith locate him, and Xavier astrally projects to his location. He arrives just as Nate uses his power to put the increasingly angry crowd at the diner to sleep, and when he tries to scan Nate, he is detected, prompting Nate to pull Xavier out of the astral plane and into the real world. He then attacks Xavier, and though Xavier tries to reason with him, he quickly realizes Nate is too angry to listen, and that the only way to end their fight is to make Nate think he's killed Xavier. Returning to his physical body, Xavier tells Blaquesmith the encounter went poorly, as he fears Nate will never trust him or his X-Men now, but for the sake of the world, they must find him again.

X-amining X-Man #9

"A Question of Power" / "Teeth of the Storm"
November 1995

In a Nutshell
Nate battles Dark Beast

Story: Jeph Loeb (1st Story)
Writer: John Ostrander
Pencilers: Skroce & Haynes, Lee Weeks (2nd Story)
Inkers: LaRosa, Carani, Lowe, Hanna & Pennington, Bill Sienkiewicz (2nd Story)
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft, The Usual Suspects (2nd Story)
Colorist: Mike Thomas, Paul Becton (2nd Story)
Separations: Malibu
Editor: Lisa Patrick
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
Having killed Rex, Dark Beast confronts Nate, impressed with the work Sinister did in creating him. He suggests he knows more about Nate's nature, and tries to persuade him to help rule this world. But Nate knows Dark Beast's reputation from their home reality, and a fight ensues. Nate is more powerful, but Dark Beast fiercer when in close range, and he wounds Nate, taunting him that Sinister created him to be a weapon, but the weapon doesn't need to remain powerful after it completes its task, explaining Nate's random drops in power. He says he can help Nate and offers him a place at his side again, but Nate is adamant and knocks out Dark Beast. Recalling there were people once before who could help him, Nate instead decides to seek out this world's X-Men, and heads off. Watching this unfold, Blaquesmith realizes he must warn Professor X of Nate's imminent arrival.