issue summaries

Uncanny X-Men 208 Retribution Writer: Chris Claremont Penciler: John Romita, Jr Inker: Dan Green Colorist: Glynis Oliver Letterer: Tom Orzechowski Editor: Ann Nocenti Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter Date: August 1986

Kitty Pryde demands to know how Wolverine could stab Rachel.

Wolverine has returned to the Morlock Tunnels. The X-Men (Storm, Shadowcat, Rogue, Colossus and Nightcrawler) along with some of the Morlocks (including Callisto) are gathered around him.

Kitty continues yelling at Logan, saying he treated Rachel like she was the deadliest of supervillains and may have even killed her. She wants answers, but all Logan can say in his defense is that he did what needed to be done and Rachel gave him no other choice. Rachel was going to kill Selene and he couldn't let that happen. Kitty questions why he would value the life of a vampire over the life of his teammate.

Storm puts an end to the argument. She understands why Logan did what he does, but doesn't sanction it. There is no time to discuss it now, since they must find Rachel before she causes further harm.

Callisto offers the Morlocks' help, but thinks Rachel must be dead. Nevertheless, the X-Men go out to search for her.

In Central Park, Selene recovers from Rachel's attack by killing a thug who was mugging a woman. The woman being mugged thanks her, but then Selene kills her as well.

Selene returns to the Hellfire Club's mansion headquarters and summons all of the Lords Cardinal. She tells them that Rachel Summers, the X-Men's young Phoenix, attempted to kill her that evening and about Wolverine stopped her.

Sebastian Shaw doesn't know why this concerns them, since Rachel's grudge has always been against Selene. But Selene replies that Rachel's intent was to kill all of the Lords Cardinal. Shaw doesn't believe her, since the X-Men never have resorted to assassination.

Tessa (Sage) suggests that Wolverine's actions might imply that Rachel has broken ties with the X-Men.

Shaw decides that Rachel's threat cannot be ignored and she perhaps could be a tool that they could reshape for their own purposes. He wants her captured alive.

A computer locates Rachel in Central Park, near the Hellfire Club's mansion. It's the Sentinel Nimrod. He flies off after her.

In Central Park, Rachel cannot block out the thoughts of those around her. She is badly injured. Wolverine stabbed her in the heart and lungs. She is able to telekinetically seal the wounds, but if she doesn't focus, she will succumb to her injuries. As she makes her way through the park, her thoughts cycle between rage and despair. She wonders if she should just lie down and die. She can't believe that one of the X-Men - her family - could do this to her and she wishes her parents were there for her.

She finds the chard remains of the two people killed earlier by Selene. She goes into a furious rage, blaming Wolverine for their deaths.

As the X-Men and Morlocks are walking down a subway tunnel, they hear Phoenix shouting at them that innocent people were murdered by Selene and it is Wolverine's fault. She grabs Wolverine telekinetically and throws him down on the tracks as a subway approaches. Wolverine is stunned. Shadowcat jumps down and phases him out of the way of the train.

The subway stops, since the conductor assumes it just ran over someone. So Nightcrawler teleports them all out to a nearby park.

At least now they know Rachel is alive. Rogue feels bad that she knew Rachel was hurting and turned her back on her. Storm also regrets the way she treated Rachel, but they can’t take back what happened. They need to find Rachel and repair the damage.

With Wolverine out of action, it is up to Caliban to find Rachel. He tells them that they aren’t the only ones hunting Rachel.

The Hellfire Club are nearby in Central Park and on Rachel’s tail. Nimrod has also located Rachel, the X-Men and the Hellfire Club.

The Hellfire Club’s Von Riehm finds Rachel first. But before he can attack Rachel, Rogue grabs him. She tells Rachel that the cavalry is on the way. Rogue absorbs Von Riehm’s powers and goes into an frenzy.

The rest of the X-Men and Hellfire Club arrive on the scene and Rachel flees. Selene traps Rogue in a mound of dirt, and Colossus throws Shadowcat at her to free her.

The Hellfire Club’s Harry Leland makes Colossus so dense he sinks into the ground. Rogue tries to pull him up, but her gloves rip and she absorbs his powers. Rogue dives into the ground after him.

Shadowcat is panic stricken that Peter is going to suffocate, but Storm tells her take out Leland instead of trying to rescue him. Storm radios Nightcrawler and tells him to come with Wolverine at once. The Hellfire Club’s trooper sneak up behind Storm.

Rachel can telepathically hear what’s going on, and knows Storm is in danger. But she is afraid of letting Selene know where she is if she warns her. She first thinks it would server Storm right and that the X-Men need to suffer for what they did, then she doubt she would be any help anyway. She tries to justify abandoning her friends and makes her way further into the park.

The fight between the Hellfire Club and the X-Men is interrupted by the arrival of Nimrod who tells them that the use of mutant power is a crime punishable by death.