issue summaries

Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix 3 Through The Years Writer: Scott Lobdell Penciler: Gene Ha Inkers: Al Vey, Mark Pennington, Terry Austin and Joe Rubinstein Colorist: Kevin Somers Letterer: Richard Starkings / Comicraft Editor: Bob Harras Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco Date: July 1994

Three years after the previous issue, Jean is working with an 8 year old Nathan to help him control his mutant powers to disguise his metal arm. Jean asks Nate to try again, but he says he can't and that it hurts. She tells him to concentrate. Nate asks why she can't do it for him. She explains that he isn't with him all the time and he is fully capable of doing it himself.

Frustrated and angry, Nate rants that he has to disguise his appearance so that he can pass for human and not embarrass his adoptive parents so they can keep moving to stay ahead of Apocalypse’s minion, Ch'vayre. He morphs his metal arm into skin. Jean says she’s proud of him. Nathan complains that he is tired of running, hiding and pretending he is something he isn't.

Jean tells him that no matter what anyone calls him, it doesn't change what he is on the inside. Nate asks what he is on the inside.

Jean doesn't know how she should answer. She knows she can't tell him that he’s destined to become Cable - spending the rest of his life leading a rebellion against Apocalypse and constantly sacrificing his own happiness for the dream that began with Charles Xavier. Nor can she tell him that Redd and Slym Dayspring are really his parents, Scott & Jean Summers.

Jean replies that as long as Apocalypse is looking for them, they must hide. Nate rages back that they should go after Apocalypse and he should hide from them. Jean answers that someday they may, but not now. Nate replies that now he has to pretend he’s not freak and something not human.

Jean realizes that her sessions with Nate are taking a lot out of Nathan. She hugs him and says that no matter what happens or the way he looks. When he feels like he is alone, he should remember he isn't a freak, and there are always people who care about him, believe in him and love him - today, tomorrow and yesterday.

As he holds him, he thinks to herself that no matter everything she had to go through the past eight years, she wouldn't trade a single moment of it.

Several miles away, Apocalypse and Ch'vayre watch on as Stryfe tortures a human. Ch'vayre continues to be angry that all their master race has to offer the world is to torment and slaughter their inferiors for amusement. But Apocalypse merely praises Stryfe’s mutant abilities. Ch'vayre tries to talk to Apocalypse about how he is raising the boy, but Apocalypse angrily replies that he doesn't care about Stryfe’s childhood. He infected the boy as a baby with the techno-organic virus so that he would prove himself worthy of one day becoming his vessel.

Apocalypse continues that the boy’s sister, Rachel Summers, and her Clan Askani robbed him of his victory then. But he was able to capture the boy when he was brought to this era. (Apocalypse is unaware that Stryfe is a clone.)

Apocalypse tells Ch'vayre to be more concerned about stopping those who rebel against him.

Redd walks out into an alley where Slym, Turrin and others are planning a raid. She asks Scott if they had have a quick telepathic chat about Nathan. Jean explains that Nate’s going through a rough time and needs his father. Scott realizes he should be more sensitive to what Nate is going through, since he grew up in an orphanage. They kiss and Scott says he will talk to Nate in the morning.

Turrin and the others begin to question if Slym and Redd are committed to their cause and why humans would be helping them. Redd says they explains their motivations after the raid.

Nathan overhears them and learns that they are part of the rebellion against Apocalypse.

The raiding party travels through a series of forgotten tunnels in the city to a genetics lab, trying to find something that will bring down Apocalypse. The group thinks this was far too easy. Unbeknownst to Jean or Scott, Nathan snuck along.

The computer there shows them a DNA sequence that Jean & Scott recognize as the Legacy Virus. Redd questions how close this virus is to becoming a reality.

As the computer is explaining about the virus, Ch'vayre, Stryfe and Apocalypse’s troops enter, blasting them. It was a trap.

Nate sees that they need his help, but a voice tells him to stay out of harms way and he is held back by a mysterious force.

A battle erupts, and Turrin tells the Askani to set explosives so they can at least destroy the complex as they retreat. Scott reveals his optic blast to his friends, who thought he was human.

Above the battle, a voice tells Nate to ignore the screaming below him and concentrate on a computer panel. Nate replies that he doesn't know anything about computers. The voice tells him to open his mind to her, and she will tell him what his needs to know. He complains that it hurt, and the voice apologizes to her "little brother" that she doesn't have time to be subtle. As a diagram is projected, Nate says she has a lot of explaining to do.

Stryfe notices something above him and goes to investigate.

Redd and Slym charge at Ch'vayre, who recognizes them from the massacre at the Askani Cloisters. They're trying to keep Ch'vayre occupied while the others set explosive charges. Jean replies that she’s going to be angry if they die they before they get to see their son and daughter again.

Stryfe comes up behind Nate as he’s doing what the voice has instructed him to do on the computer panel. They are both able to read each other’s minds, and they notice the similarities between each other.

Stryfe is outraged, since he thinks he is the one heir to the throne of Apocalypse.

Rachel appears (as her 14 year old self) and blast Stryfe. She tells Nathan to concentrate and allow all the power he commands to flow through him. The techno-organic virus starts to go crazy and his body starts morphing. He asks what’s happening to him. Rachel tells him not to fear what he is. His powers will develop naturally and he will have no peer throughout the universe. Until then, she will be there for him.

Ch'vayre orders his troops to find Stryfe, fall back and level the complex. The rebels have caused enough trouble.

Ch'vayre, realizing that Jean and Scott are mutants, question why they would be fighting against Apocalypse. Redd retorts that it’s a freedom thing, something he wouldn't understand. Telepathically, Scott tells her that they can't both risk dying, since once of them needs to take care of Nathan. He urges her to leave before it’s too late. Jean replies that she just got the signal from Turrin that they have 20 seconds to get clear.

One of Ch'vayre troops carries out the conscience body of Stryfe. Ch'vayre tells him to make sure none of the rebels make it out of the complex alive.

Redd and Slym see Stryfe, and realize he’s the clone Rachel told them about.

Nathan calls out to Redd and asks if he can grab a ride out of the exploding complex.

As the complex explodes behind them, Turrin says that they didn't set that many explosive charges. Nate explains that it was him. He programmed the complex to self-destruct top to bottom.

Slym asks how Nathan could have known how to do that, since humans have been banned from using computers. Nathan explains that he had help - a voice in his head told him how to do it. He hears her sometimes. Her name is Rachel.

Later that night, as the city of Crestcoast celebrates above, Scott goes to visit Rachel. She is laying in a hospital type bed with tubes attached to her.

Scott tells her that for the past eight years, he and Jean assumed she was in a coma and completely shut-off from the world, but he should have known she wouldn't have accepted that. He thanks her, for what she did for them that day, for bringing them there in the first place and for bringing them together as a family.

He says he is sorry that he never treated her much like a daughter when he had the chance. And he wants her to know how proud he is to have been her father and how much he loves her.

In another part of the city, Ch'vayre realizes that what he believed Apocalypse wanted was a lie. After seeing what Stryfe has become, he realizes he must stop him before it’s too late to save countless millions of innocent lives.