issue summaries

X-Men & Alpha Flight 1 (of 2) The Gift Part 1 Writer: Chris Claremont Penciler: Paul Smith Inker: Bob Wiacek Colorist: Glynis Oliver Letterer: Tom Orzechowski Editor: Ann Nocenti & Denny O'Neil Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter Based on an premise by: Jim Shooter, Ann Nocenti and Denny O'Neil Date: December 1985

Scott Summers and his wife, Madelyne Pryor Summers, are flying an ecological survey team from Alaska to the arctic circle. (Scott has retired from the X-Men, married and is working for his grandparent's charter airline)

They run into some bad weather and a strange atmospheric effect. Maddie hasn't seen anything like it, but Scott recalls that it's something similar to what the Alpha Flight member Shaman did to redirect the X-Men's plane. Suddenly, the situation goes from bad to worse as there is a fire in one of the four engines and a flash of lightning.

In Salem Center, New York, New Mutants members Illyana Rasputin (Magik) and Douglas Ramsey (Cypher) are hanging out at a restaurant. They run into trouble with a bully that Illyana has to use her powers to get out of. They teleport back to the mansion where the X-Men (Colossus, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Rachel Summers and Wolverine) are having a training session in the Danger Room. Kitty and Lockheed are in the observation booth.

Rachel keels over, receiving a psiflash and then cries out in agony. The Danger Room goes haywire and the X-Men find themselves surrounded by Sentinels and a Hound Rachel. They try to stop the Sentinels and protect the stunned Rachel. Xavier telepathically hears Kitty's cry for help. Kitty tries to stop the sequence, but the Danger Room is completely under Rachel's control. Xavier is able to telepathically calm Rachel, but allows her to maintain control of the Danger Room so she can show them what she saw that freaked her out.

She projects an image of the Summers' airplane. Scott tells Madelyne that it seems like the same weather effect caused by the Alphan Shaman. Then the plane is hit with a bolt of lightning, bursts apart and crashes in flames in the snow. A glowing Scott stumbles from the wreckage and into Rachel's arms. She screams "Daddy!".

Meanwhile, in a medical center in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen (Shaman) is examining Sasquatch (Walter Langkowski), who's having trouble with his powers. He goes to discuss his finding with Heather Hudson when Snowbird collapses at the door, begging him to help her.

Just then, a psychic energy claw grabs Shaman. Rachel demands to know why he attacked her father and wants him returned unharmed. Shaman tries to reach into his medicine pouch, but Ray telekinetically yanks it away from him and the bag pulls Heather inside of it.

From the other room, Sasquatch and Aurora hear the commotion and rush in to help.

Meanwhile, the X-Men arrive in the Blackbird. Rogue flies inside to stop Rachel from doing any arm.

Rachel switches Auroro's multiple personalities, which leaves her unaware of what's going on.

Shaman begs Ray to stop, but she tells him he has a lot of nerve saying that after what he's done.

Rogue lands outside, and hears the screams. She can't believe Rachel could be so cruel, but isn't sure how she would react if it was her father. Just then, she's blindsided by Northstar. She kisses him, knocking him out.

Inside, Shaman tries to help Heather as Rachel keeps demanding answers. Angrily, he shouts back at her that he doesn't know who her father is and she's possibly maimed or murdered his teammates for nothing.

Sasquatch breaks through the wall Rachel taunts him to take his best shot, when Nightcrawler teleports Professor Xavier into the room. He angrily shouts at Rachel and pulls her onto the astral plane. Towering over her, Xavier harshly berates her that she would dare act that way and tamper with another person's mind, regardless of what provoked her. He tells her he will not ever tolerate that type of behavior from her again and allows her to return to her body.

Nightcrawler helps Shaman free Heather. Xavier switches Auroro's personalities back and explains about Rachel's vision of Cyclops' plane crashing that implied he had been ambushed by Alpha Flight.

Shaman replies that he had nothing to do with it. But a still weak Snowbird says she was struck down when Cyclops' plane was, and she senses a great evil coming from Ungava Bay. Heather suggests they join forces to investigate.

Elsewhere, Loki, god of mischief, has come to a place apart from the world of gods and mortals looking for a great prize.

The members of Alpha Flight and the X-Men load onto Puck's old airplane and head to Ungava Bay, north of Quebec. As they fly across Canada, things are tense between Rachel and the Alphans. Auroro is still furious about what Rachel did to her. Further back on the plane, Rachel is unable to screen out Auroro's thoughts, and thinks she deserves it. Kitty tells her that she and Auroro need to make peace since they are on a mission together.

Heather Hudson walks down the aisle. As she passes Rachel & Kitty, Ray tries to apologize. But Heather is too distracted and blows her off. Heather sits down at the back of the plane with her old friend, Logan, and they discuss the recent death of her husband, Alpha Flight's leader Guardian and Logan's decision to stay with the X-Men rather than joining AF.

Meanwhile, Rogue and Northstar scout ahead. Northstar is still angry at Rogue for absorbing his memories during the fight. Northstar notices the grass that Rogue has, and goes to investigate where she found it among all the snow. Both of them land in a grassy plane, and the plane soon follows.

Like an oasis amongst the ice and snow, there is an incredible palace and summer-like weather.

A man approaches them and pulls off his hood. It's Cyclops! He is fine and not wearing his glasses. He welcomes them to paradise and tells them that it's a miracle. He has control of his optic blasts and doesn't need to wear his glasses ever again.

Rachel stunned and terrified. She wonders if she should tell him who she is. She desperately wants to, but she also has the desire to run away and hide. She knows she should be happy - considering what she saw in her psi-flash, but seeing him has brought back the memories of what happened when her timeline's Scott Summers died.

As the team introduces themselves to Scott, he asks the Professor who Rachel is and notices something strangely familiar about her.

Telepathically, Ray begs the Professor not to tell Scott who she is until she is ready to tell him.

Xavier replies that Rachel is a new student whose training is at a crucial stage, so she must remain with him.

As they all go inside, Ray and Kitty hang back. Telepathically, Kitty tells her that she can't hide from Scott forever. Ray replies that she may try, since she's so scared and doesn't know what to do.

Xavier tells Scott that he senses the crash and him burning. Scott explains that he was healed and still can't believe all of this isn't a dream.

Madelyn and the scientists are dressed in elaborate costumes. Maddie welcomes them to a their world where humans and mutants can live together in peace. Xavier still isn't certain what is happening. So, Madelyne demonstrates by healing Puck and making his normal size and alleviating his pain.

Telepathically, Xavier speculates with Rachel that what she sensed was real, but Scott had been healed of his injuries. Rachel feels guilty for causing all these problems for nothing, but he replies that she doesn't need to apologize since they could never have anticipated this.

Shaman goes back to get Snowbird, who they assume is still on the plane, but she has vanished. Wolverine goes out to find her, along with several of the passengers from Scott's plane, who now have superpowers that would solve the problems in the world.. All of them have achieved their maximum human potential.

As they have a feast to celebrate, Rogue asks Maddie if she could possible enable her to control her powers. She tests to see if it worked by touching Northstar and then kisses him when nothing happens.

Xavier is still suspicious about how all of this is happening. Scott tells him to probe Maddie and his minds, so he can be certain this power isn't evil. The Professor doesn't sense any outside influences or that they are being lied to, and he also senses that Madelyne is pregnant. Not even Scott knew.

As Maddie and Scott kiss, she tells him that his son is going to be perfect.

Rachel drops the glass she was holding as she realizes that Scott & Maddie are having a boy. Since she was Scott's first-born and only child, she realizes that this means she will never exist in this timeline. Ray runs out as Kitty calls after her, and Scott is baffled by what just happened.

Telepathically, Xavier tells Kitty to follow Ray. Kitty thinks she understands what upset Ray, but isn't sure she can help her. Shaman tells his daughter, Talisman to go with Kitty, so she can find out more about this place.

Xavier still wants to know why this is happening. He and the others are taken deep within the citadel to the Magic Fountain. Heather starts walking towards down a narrow corridor, saying she has been called by the light. When she returns, she has been transformed into the new Guardian.

Nightcrawler wonders about the implications of a wondrous light that can magically give anyone super-powers. Before Xavier can reply, thousands of demons come flying out of Shaman's medicine pouch and attack him. Madelyne grabs the bag and throws it to Aurora and Northstar who fly at top speed away from the citadel and then get rid of the pouch. They return to the others to learn that Maddie is unable to heal Shaman's wounds and he is dying.