issue summaries

Uncanny X-Men 209 Salvation Writer: Chris Claremont Breakdowns: John Romita, Jr Finisher: P. Craig Russell Colorist: Glynis Oliver Letterer: Tom Orzechowski Editor: Ann Nocenti Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter Date: September 1986

Continuing from the last issue, the Sentinel Nimrod has interrupted the fight between the X-Men and the Hellfire Club in Central Park.

Lying close by is a half-dead Rachel Summers, who is nearly incapacitated by the injuries Wolverine inflicted on her when he stopped her from killing Selene, The Hellfire Club's Black Queen. Rachel, unable to block on the other's panicked thoughts, first thinks she needs to go help the X-Men, since they are her family. But then thinking of how Wolverine just turned against her, she tells herself that they don't care about her and she is better off on her own. So, she flees.

Nimrod announces that he will finish off his current targets (the Hellfire Club and the X-Men) before resuming the hunt for his initial target, Phoenix. Shadowcat tells Storm that they barely beat Nimrod with the whole team the last time they fought, so they have no chance now. Storm says to trust her that the odds will become a bit more even soon.

Rogue emerges from underground, having absorbed Colossus' powers, knocking out the Hellfire Club's Leland. That allows Kitty to phase down and rescue the trapped Colossus.

Nearby, the Hellfire Club's troops are carrying out their orders from Sebastian Shaw to eliminate Storm, no matter what. Callisto pushes Storm out of the way to avoid the sniper fire. Nightcrawler teleports himself and Wolverine in behind the troops and chases them off.

Rogue battles Shaw while Shadowcat continues to search for Colossus. Rogue throws Shaw directly at Nimrod, and he bounces off, heading for space. Selene tries to manipulate the ground around Nimrod, but he stops her.

Rogue wonders why Nimrod isn't attacking them, and Storm theorizes he is still evaluating their capabilities.

Storm tells Caliban and Callisto that they can't help her and to continue searching for Phoenix.

She then says to the Hellfire Club that they need to join forces if they have any hope to stop Nimrod. But Von Roehm isn't about to help the X-Men and attacks Storm. Wolverine pulls him off Storm and then Nimrod completely vaporizes Von Roehm.

Storm tells the remaining Hellfire Club members that Nimrod is going to kill them all if they don't stand together.

Shadowcat finally finds Colossus, but he is in armored form again. Unfortunately, that means Rogue no longer has Colossus' abilities which makes her a target for Nimrod. Rogue takes a direct hit from the Sentinel and crashes to the ground.

Rachel senses Rogue's thoughts and knows that she is badly hurt. She realizes she is a coward for running away, but knows that she is just as badly hurt. It is taking nearly all of her energy to keep herself barely alive. Going to help the X-Men would be suicide for her.

She hears music coming from the nearby Delecorte Theatre. She opens the gate and finds brightly colored lights inside. A strange woman greets her and welcomes her to the Body Shoppe, where she offers to remake her into a new person. Around her is a strange fantasy land.

Ray tells her that she's tired and that everyone wants something from her. All she wants is to be left alone. The woman tells her that she has come to the right place and takes her inside.

Finally, the X-Men and Hellfire Club begin working together against Nimrod. But nearby, the Central Park police take notice of the large battle in their park.

Nimrod blasts Nightcrawler just as he is teleporting, and Storm fears that he has been killed.

In the strange world called the Body Shoppe, the woman leads Rachel through a spiral, and tells her that this is a pathway to her destiny. Rachel wants to know what she'll find, but she's afraid. She asks if they can change her face so no one will recognize her, and the woman promises a money-back guarantee.

Back at the fight, Leland increases Nimrod's weight so that he can't move, but that causes Leland to have a heart attack. Colossus (with Kitty phasing him) reaches up from under the ground and grabs Nimrod's foot.

At the Body Shoppe, Rachel has become the woman's puppet and is convinced to leave her old time behind.

Nimrod goes into massive system failure as Shadowcat phases through him and Colossus then slams the robot into the ground.

Rachel is no longer bleeding, her wounds are gone and has become giddy.

Storm tells Selene to bind Nimrod to the ground. Tessa (who eventually becomes the X-Man Sage) tends to Leland, who is dying. Storm asks if he can try to help bring back Shaw (who was hurling upward towards space). Leland, who can affect a person's mass, causes Shaw to come hurtling back to Earth and smash into the ground near Nimrod, causing a massive explosion and huge crater. Wolverine intends to finish off Nimrod, but he teleports himself to safety.

They hear police sirens, and Tessa offers to extend the truce so long enough that they can all get away.

At the end of the Spiral, Rachel sees her friends and family, the X-Men, but she isn't with them. This will be her final memory of them. Ray tells the woman that she belongs with them. But the woman tells her puppet to go through the portal.

She reveals herself to be the evil Spiral, showing her six arms from beneath her cloak. She tells Rachel to bid farewell to her world because she will never see it again. Her life is gone and she belongs to her now.