issue summaries

X-Men Annual 14: Days Of Future Present Part 4 You Must Remember This Writer: Chris Claremont Penciler: Art Adams Inkers: Dan Green, Bob Wiacek, Al Milgrom, Art Thibert, Steve Mancuse Colorist: Brad Vancata Letterer: Tom Orzechowski 2nd Story: The Fundamental Things Writer: Chris Claremont Penciler: Mark Heike Inker: Geoff Isherwood Colorist: Nel Yomtov Letterer: Mike Heisler Assistant Editor: Suzanne Gaffney Editor: Bob Harras Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco Date: 1990

Still confused about what just happened, Rachel goes to a New York City diner for a cheeseburger. While there, some thugs attempt to rob the place. With just a thought, she disassembles their guns and tosses them to the ground.

Adult Franklin appears in the diner, but then disappears. Rachel goes out to look for him and flies off. While searching for him, throughout the city many hear her mental cry (including Spiderman and Doctor Strange). Rachel wonders if she just imagined seeing him, then tells him to show himself or she’s leaving.

Franklin finally appears, telling her she wasn’t sure if it was safe after their last meeting. Rachel finally remembers who is he, and calls him by his nickname, Scrapper. She is still not sure she should trust him. He offers to let her scan his thoughts, but she doesn’t think that will prove anything. He says she needs to make a leap of faith, because the Phoenix has no choice but to follow the dictates of her heart.

They kiss and the Phoenix Effect fills the entire sky.

Later, Rachel and Franklin land at Four Freedoms Plaza where the members of X-Factor and the Fantastic Four are assembled on the roof. Franklin apologizes for all the trouble he caused and says this is his and Rachel’s second chance to find happiness.

Scott demands that Franklin give Nathan Christopher back to him. Under his breath, Reed tells Scott to calm down and let him handle it. Reed reminds Adult Franklin that there is some unfinished business- that he needs to return Scott’s son and X-Factor’s ship, his younger self is still in a deep sleep and they haven’t dealt with Ahab.

With one glance from Adult Franklin, his parents forget everything that is still wrong. Instead, they tell their adult son how happy they are for him and Rachel and how proud they are of him.

The rest of the Fantastic Four are alarmed, since little Franklin is getting weaker.

Scott asks Rachel what they are going to do. She says they’re going to go where ever their hearts lead them, but promises to stay in touch.

Hank realizes that both Jean and Scott have completely forgotten about the baby.

Sue tells Jean how lovely her daughter is. But Jean insists that Rachel isn’t hers. Sue replies that she someday might be and that there is something magical about a parent seeing the person their child will become.

Jean protests that she’s not a parent and she’s not even married. She can’t find anything magically in being confronted by her future child who directly tied to the power she deeply hates and a future where everything she holds dear is destroyed.

Franklin tells Rachel that her mom didn’t really mean that, but Rachel replies that she senses Jean’s thoughts as naturally as she does her own. She knows her mom is hurt and scared, and blames herself for what might happen in the future.

Franklin reminds her that no matter what happens with her mom, she will always have him.

Reed shakes Franklin’s hand and tells him to take care, as Sue hugs Rachel. She tells Ray to give Jean some time and she will come around.

Rachel and Franklin fly off. For a moment, Reed and Sue continue their Franklin-induced fantasy land until Ben Grimm knocks them out of it by reminding them of everything that is still terribly wrong.

Forty miles away in Westchester County, Storm (who’s currently a child thanks to The Nanny) and her new friend, Gambit, find the school in ruins and attempt to break-in to sub-basement. They are discovered by Cable. He and Storm fight until Forge, Banshee and the New Mutants arrive and recognize her.

Cable briefs Storm on the situation with the Adult Franklin Richards. Storm realizes that Adult Franklin is not who he claims to be. The Franklin Richards of Rachel’s future was killed. So he is a lost soul or something far worse.

Scott is brooding on the roof of Four Freedoms Plaza. Sue asks him what’s wrong, and he is still upset that Jean is still angry with him. Sue tells him so much of Jean’s life she has had little control and she’s trying to assert some control.

Suddenly, Scott and Sue are attacked by Ahab and the Sentinels and captured.

Downstairs, Storm explains to the assembled members of the Fantastic Four, X-Factor and the New Mutants about what happened in Days of Future Past and what she knows about Rachel’s future.

Jean senses a wrongness from Rachel and they all head out to find Franklin and Rachel.

At Ahab’s liar, Ahab genetically transforms Cyclops and Invisible Woman into Hounds so they will hunt down their children (in a process that is far more advanced then was used to transform Rachel into a Hound. Rachel served as the initial Hound prototype.) The process is also cannot be reversed.

Ahab says that they should have a specially ability to locate their blood relatives. Sue is able to quickly know the location of both Franklins, but Scott is unable to locate Rachel. Ahab finds this odd, since Rachel is his daughter and not even her psi-talents would allow her to hide from him. But he assumes that if he finds Franklin, he will find Rachel.

Franklin and Rachel are in a New York City park with Nathan Christopher, sitting by a pond.

They attacked by Ahab, Cyclops and Invisible Woman. Franklin is trapped by his mom’s force field. Rachel tries to protect Nate, but her powers are no longer working. Ahab tells Rachel he’ll enjoying breaking her again, and hits her with a whip that disrupts her brain function.

Adult Franklin, Rachel and Nathan Christopher are taken to Ahab’s liar.

Rachel taunts Ahab that his plan aren’t working. But Ahab tells her that she must miss the her glory days as his best hunter. He tells her in time, she will yield to him. She insists that she’s no longer a scared little kid who’s so lost and hurt she would respond to a gentle hand from anyone, even someone like him. She doesn’t think he has the guts to match her in a fair fight.

Ahab tells her that he doesn’t need her anymore, since she had her half-brother now and she is so weak, she can’t stop him.

A mutant proximity alert sounds and the Fantastic Four, New Mutants, X-Factor and the X-Men Banshee, Forge and Storm burst in. They see that Cyclops & Invisible Woman have been genetically transformed into Hounds.

Storm notices that Franklin and Nathan are imprisoned, but Rachel isn’t restrained.

They are attacked by Ahab’s Hounds, including Scott and Sue.

During the fight, Ahab makes the off-handed comment to Cable about seeing someone he knows. (see note below).

Storm frees adult Franklin. Confused, he asks why she is so short.

Ahab ends the fight by using an energy field that traps all of his enemies and kills all living tissue.

Adult Franklin appears in in a Fantastic Four uniform to Ahab and tells him he won’t hurt Rachel or anyone else. He destroys Ahab’s equipment.

Ahab decides it’s time to retreat and tells all of his Hounds to heel, including Rachel. She struggles to say no.

He shoots a harpoon at her. Jean tells Franklin to "magic" it away, but his powers aren’t working. Neither are Rachel’s. Jean jumps in front of Rachel, taking the harpoon blast. The harpoon was specifically keyed to his victim, so it hurts Jean as it would Rachel.

Rachel tries to call Jean "Mom", but can’t. She asks Jean if she’ll let her heal the damage the harpoon did.

Ahab flees a final time, but leaves the genetically transformed Cyclops and Invisible Woman for them to remember the fate that is in store for mutants in the future.

Beast and Forge examine Ahab’s equipment that was used for the transformation, but find no way to reverse the process.

Rachel faints and little Franklin is now in a coma.

Scott, Sue, Little Franklin and Ray are all taken to Reed’s lab in Four Freedoms Plaza. Beast says there is no way to revert Scott and Sue back to normal without knowing their original genetic template.

Hank can’t find anything wrong with Rachel and Little Franklin. But they are fading away.

Ororo asks Adult Franklin if that’s what he wants. He denies that it is his fault. Ororo explains to him what happened to him when he died. In that split second before he died, he propelled him to a place where he remembered being safe.

Rachel wakes up. He tells her that it will be alright. He realizes what Storm they are saying is true. Little Franklin is in a coma, since he can’t maintain his dreamself when awake. And he’s stealing energy from his younger self and Franklin to maintain his dream.

Jean tells him that eventually Franklin will drain both Rachel and Little Franklin dry and they will all die.

Rachel doubt that Jean even cares if she did die. He hugs Franklin and tells him that they will at least be together. But Franklin isn’t willing to sacrifice innocent lives to prolong his fantasy world.

Both Franklins enter a device that will cause Adult Franklin to discorporate, which should cause the younger Franklin to wake up and regain his powers again. Reed theorizes that the effect this will have is unknown and it’s possible that Rachel could cease to exist in this time. Rachel says that is a small price to pay to save the future.

Fearing that she is about to die, Rachel says her goodbyes. She tells Jean that if she ever wonders about her, she left a holempathic crystal with both their essences at her parent’s home to remember her by. As Reed activates the machine, Rachel goes into a full Phoenix Effect firebird, showing the full power of the Phoenix. Beast questions what she is doing. What comes naturally, she explains. She is fire and life incarnate, now and forever, she is Phoenix.

Her Aunt Sara told her how Phoenix had rebuilt her DNA after being transformed into water-breather using only her instincts. Now it’s Rachel turn to do the same thing and rebuilt Scott and Sue’s DNA.

Franklin says a final goodbye to Rachel and disappears.

Little Franklin wakes up, asking if his dreamself was out playing. Scott and Sue also wake up, completely back to normal. Scott asks if that was what it was like for Rachel. Ororo replies that it was only a taste, since Scott was only on his leash for a day, while for Rachel it was half her life.

Ororo asks if Rachel is okay.

Stunned, Rachel is still there, wearing her Hound costume and her Houndmarks. She is afraid that it means that they failed. The future remains the same, Franklin died for nothing, and she is going to have to live through it all again.

Rachel tells Jean that she’s sorry, but Jean turns away. Ray sobs that she never meant to hurt her. She just wanted to find her family, like Franklin. She guesses she needs to start fresh and make her own. She flies off, still crying.

Jean shouts for her to wait, but doesn’t go after her. Jean says she didn’t mean to hurt Rachel, but part of her thinks everything she sees her that her future is pre-ordained and unchangeable.

Sue reminds her that at least she has her family and friends, whereas Rachel is the sole survivor of a world they are working with all their might to prevent from ever existing. No matter how hard it is for Jean, it is far worse for Rachel. Rachel is Jean’s daughter and Sue asks her if she really wants to leave things with her like this.

Scott approaches Jean, but Jean doesn’t want to talk about it.

Later on, little Franklin seems fine. He and Nathan Christopher (both wearing Fantastic Four 1/2 sweatshirts) are playing with Warlock as if nothing has happened. Forge remarks that Franklin will need even more training with his powers.

Reed asks Storm where the X-Men go from here. Scott offers to let her stay with X-Factor on their ship. But Storm says too many of the X-Men are still missing and they need to search for them. Beast offers X-Factor’s assistance, and Storm says that joining forces may be necessary.

Afterwards, Jean goes to her parents’ home and finds the crystal that Rachel left for, contemplating what Rachel said.

Notes:

The vague references to some sort of relationship between Ahab and Cable were added by Editor Bob Harras. This was before it was decided that Cable would be Nathan Christopher Summers all grown up, and Harras was trying to come up with who possible backstories of who Cable was.