Back to Gatefold
Issue #4 by Dino Pollard
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The Antarctic. A place which holds unhappy memories for the X-Men, particularly the majority of the team currently assembled.
Psylocke, Rogue, Proteus, Bishop, and Blink were all present last time when a madman called Deus used technology appropriated from Magneto’s abandoned citadel here. With his vast psionic powers combined with the captive powers of several X-Men, Deus planned to split the earth into a heaven and a hell, he himself being judge and jury of who lived where.
A recent disturbance on the Astral Plane caused Psylocke to recruit those four former teammates, as well as Gambit, Pyro and her own right-hand man, Vargas. The disturbance was linked to a young woman named Wicked, who proved powerful enough to keep the interim X-Men at bay. They followed her here to Antarctica where she raised the citadel from the ground.
“It’s someone worse…” said Proteus.
“What do you mean, ‘someone worse’?” asked Blink. “Who?”
“Dunno, but Gambit beginnin’ to remember why he retired from this life in the first place…” said the Cajun thief.
“It’s—ARGH!”
Proteus screamed as a streak of energy extended from Wicked and struck him like a lightning bolt to the chest, enveloping him in a field of crackling force and hefting him above the snow-covered ground.
“No!” cried Blink. She removed one of the javelins from the quiver on her back and hurled it. As the spike left her fingertips, it began to glow with the pink energy that was her own signature. But before it reached Wicked, it vaporized in the forcefield surrounding the mutant.
Proteus hovered towards Wicked and once he came within her grasp, she wrapped her hands around his throat. The crackle of energy grew, lighting up the entire sky and forcing the X-Men to shield their eyes from the brightness.
A sonic boom signaled the end of the lightshow and a single figure fell to the ground. Bishop rushed over to the fallen mutant and saw Wicked lying on the ground, completely unconscious, barely breathing.
“What the hell’s goin’ on here?” asked Rogue.
Bishop looked to the sky and his eyes widened. “No… can’t be…”
Where Wicked once was, now there was another figure. A man in his late twenties, with short, blond hair and crystal blue eyes. A sinister smile played across his face as he held Proteus’ neck between his hands.
“Hello Joseph, or have you gone back to Kevin now?” asked the man.
“DEUS!” exclaimed Bishop. The SHIELD agent drew his weapon and opened fire. Deus gestured with his hand and the bullets froze in midair before harmlessly dropping to the ground. He then threw his arm forward, releasing Proteus from his hand. Proteus flew like a rocket and Rogue took off, utilizing her own speed and strength to catch him and prevent further damage from befalling the young man.
“But… you died,” said Psylocke.
“Right you are, in the Hecatomb,” said Deus, hovering before the X-Men. “Thanks to Bastion and his Sentinels, I may have remained dead, if not for this young wonder.” He motioned to Wicked’s limp form. “That girl had the ability to summon spirits and mine was one she inadvertently contacted when trying to reach the souls of those who died in the Hecatomb. Once she did, I started to exert my influence on her mind, guiding her to this place where I had the means necessary to restore my form.” He smiled down at Psylocke. “And you, my dear, you played your part perfectly.”
“What do you mean?” asked Psylocke.
“The disturbance on the Astral Plane? Your desire to assemble your old team? Where do you think that came for?” asked Deus. “Why do you think Proteus was the first one you contacted? Because he was the one I needed. His reality-warping powers have given me a new body and now, they’ll give me the power to right the wrongs committed by mankind.”
Deus vanished in a flash of light, leaving the X-Men and Wicked alone in the Antarctic.
Psylocke, Rogue, Proteus, Bishop, and Blink were all present last time when a madman called Deus used technology appropriated from Magneto’s abandoned citadel here. With his vast psionic powers combined with the captive powers of several X-Men, Deus planned to split the earth into a heaven and a hell, he himself being judge and jury of who lived where.
A recent disturbance on the Astral Plane caused Psylocke to recruit those four former teammates, as well as Gambit, Pyro and her own right-hand man, Vargas. The disturbance was linked to a young woman named Wicked, who proved powerful enough to keep the interim X-Men at bay. They followed her here to Antarctica where she raised the citadel from the ground.
“It’s someone worse…” said Proteus.
“What do you mean, ‘someone worse’?” asked Blink. “Who?”
“Dunno, but Gambit beginnin’ to remember why he retired from this life in the first place…” said the Cajun thief.
“It’s—ARGH!”
Proteus screamed as a streak of energy extended from Wicked and struck him like a lightning bolt to the chest, enveloping him in a field of crackling force and hefting him above the snow-covered ground.
“No!” cried Blink. She removed one of the javelins from the quiver on her back and hurled it. As the spike left her fingertips, it began to glow with the pink energy that was her own signature. But before it reached Wicked, it vaporized in the forcefield surrounding the mutant.
Proteus hovered towards Wicked and once he came within her grasp, she wrapped her hands around his throat. The crackle of energy grew, lighting up the entire sky and forcing the X-Men to shield their eyes from the brightness.
A sonic boom signaled the end of the lightshow and a single figure fell to the ground. Bishop rushed over to the fallen mutant and saw Wicked lying on the ground, completely unconscious, barely breathing.
“What the hell’s goin’ on here?” asked Rogue.
Bishop looked to the sky and his eyes widened. “No… can’t be…”
Where Wicked once was, now there was another figure. A man in his late twenties, with short, blond hair and crystal blue eyes. A sinister smile played across his face as he held Proteus’ neck between his hands.
“Hello Joseph, or have you gone back to Kevin now?” asked the man.
“DEUS!” exclaimed Bishop. The SHIELD agent drew his weapon and opened fire. Deus gestured with his hand and the bullets froze in midair before harmlessly dropping to the ground. He then threw his arm forward, releasing Proteus from his hand. Proteus flew like a rocket and Rogue took off, utilizing her own speed and strength to catch him and prevent further damage from befalling the young man.
“But… you died,” said Psylocke.
“Right you are, in the Hecatomb,” said Deus, hovering before the X-Men. “Thanks to Bastion and his Sentinels, I may have remained dead, if not for this young wonder.” He motioned to Wicked’s limp form. “That girl had the ability to summon spirits and mine was one she inadvertently contacted when trying to reach the souls of those who died in the Hecatomb. Once she did, I started to exert my influence on her mind, guiding her to this place where I had the means necessary to restore my form.” He smiled down at Psylocke. “And you, my dear, you played your part perfectly.”
“What do you mean?” asked Psylocke.
“The disturbance on the Astral Plane? Your desire to assemble your old team? Where do you think that came for?” asked Deus. “Why do you think Proteus was the first one you contacted? Because he was the one I needed. His reality-warping powers have given me a new body and now, they’ll give me the power to right the wrongs committed by mankind.”
Deus vanished in a flash of light, leaving the X-Men and Wicked alone in the Antarctic.
THE HECATOMB
Muir Isle
Moira MacTaggert stepped into the makeshift meeting area where the X-Men resided. Blink looked up at the doctor, her blank eyes possessed of a pleading and hopeful nature.
“Kevin’s okay,” said Moira, resting her hand on Blink’s shoulder. “Right now, he needs tae rest. But there’s something very interesting about his x-gene scans.”
“Which is?” asked Bishop.
“It’s reverted, once again resembles Magneto’s,” said Moira. “Whatever Deus did, I think it may have sapped Kevin’s reality-warping powers.”
“Deus did say something about using Proteus’ powers,” said Rogue. “But what’s he plannin’ t’ do with them?”
“Last time, he wanted to create heaven and hell on earth,” said Blink. “Who’s to say his plan is anything different?”
“Is the girl awake?” asked Bishop. “Maybe she has some insight into his plans.”
“Still unconscious,” said Moira. She immediately turned to Psylocke. “And I’d advise against any psychic intrusion at this point. The girl’s been through a lot, her mind his fragile. Any further violation could cause permanent damage.”
“We may not have a choice,” said Psylocke. “Deus was powerful to begin with, but now that he has Proteus’ powers at his command? We can’t waste any time.”
“Anyone else under the impression we should probably call in the cavalry?” asked Pyro.
“Already tried, but communications seem to be down,” said Rogue. “The X-Men, Avengers, Fantastic Four, SHIELD… we only seem to get static with anyone we try to call.”
“What about the Psylocke phone?” asked Pyro.
“I’ve tried, but Deus’ interference with the Astral Plane seems to have grown. I can only maintain telepathic contact in a limited area. If I try anything more than that, all I get is white noise. Hopefully, Cerebro may be able to boost my abilities to the point that I can break through the white noise.”
# # # # #
The term “silent as the grave” is used to describe something incredibly quiet. However, in several cemeteries across the world, the silence quickly broke with rumbles from the ground.
It began with what sounded like a muffled banging noise that soon erupted into full-forced pounding. In one very large grave, a large hand burst through the ground and the figure pulled his massive form through the soil. Once freed from his prison, he crushed the headstone marker, which read FREDERICK J. DUKES.
Elsewhere, roots sprouted from a grave, slowly forming into a figure resembling a man with a goatee. The headstone read THOMAS CASSIDY.
In an unmarked grave, a flaming skeleton exploded from the ground, laughing hysterically as he streaked across, illuminating the night sky.
In Greece, the ground split open as a man rose on a column of earth.
A woman with turquoise skin appeared above her own grave before vanishing again.
Across the world, similar events happened, with onlookers shocked and frightened as various corpses burst through their coffins, without any signs of decay present on their bodies.
# # # # #
Muir Isle
“…coming… they’re coming…”
The voice was soft, barely audible as it escaped through the dry, cracked lips of the young mutant called Wicked. Kevin MacTaggert stirred awake and glanced over to her. She seemed to be talking in her sleep.
“What did you say?” he asked.
“…they’re coming… all of them… coming back… the Lazarus Contract… coming back… just like… from the ashes… can’t stop it… can’t stay dead… no one stays dead… never… not us…”
“What are you talking about?” asked Proteus. He climbed out of his bed and approached the one she occupied. “Wicked? Can you hear me?”
“…Resurrection Wave…”
“What are you saying?” asked Proteus.
Her hand grasped his wrist and he pulled away in shock. Then Wicked sprung in her bed, her eyes open but now pitch black. She grasped Proteus tightly clutching his face between her hands and looked into his eyes.
“Do you see?” she asked. “Do you see?”
“See what? What are you going on about?”
She collapsed into his arms and he could feel her small body quivering slightly. Then he could hear her sobs and feel her tears on his bare arms.
“They’re here… no stopping them now… they’re back… and it won’t ever stop, it will keep going…”
# # # # #
Psylocke’s lithe hands guided the Cerebro helmet over her purple hair. Her eyes closed and she reached out with her psychic abilities, an avatar of a butterfly appearing over her eyes. The LED lights on the Cerebro helmet lit up, indicating the machine had been activated.
She felt her mind connected to the rest of her team and then she extended her influence out further. Past Muir Isle, past Scotland, past the United Kingdom, trying to break across the Atlantic.
But once she reached a certain point over the Ocean, she hit a barrier and a scream of voices echoed inside her head, deafening her. Memories of death and destruction flooded across her mind’s eye, overwhelming even one who had been through as much as she had over the years.
Her eyes snapped open and she found her teammates trying to hold her steady as her body convulsed and screams came from her mouth. Once she returned to consciousness, she regained her composure and raised the helmet, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath.
“It’s madness… everything is out of control… nothing where it belongs… no stopping…”
“What’s happening?” asked Blink. “Betsy, what did you see?”
“Graves… empty graves… masses of them… no bodies… not anymore…”
“Bets, take it easy, relax,” said Rogue.
Vargas stepped forward and laid his palms on Psylocke’s shoulders. The mark of the Crimson Dawn appeared over his eye and began to glow while his eyes turned black. Psylocke began to relax as Vargas used the energies of the Crimson Dawn to calm her mind.
“Something’s not right, Deus has messed with the natural order,” said Psylocke.
“Seems like there’s something going on here, then,” said Proteus, appearing in the doorway. In his arms, he held Wicked.
“What are yeh doin’ out of bed?” asked Moira.
“I’m fine, but we have other things to worry about,” said Proteus. “Wicked kept saying something about resurrections.”
Before a question could be offered or an explanation given, the current inhabitants of Muir Isle collapsed to their knees from a migraine of the highest order. It began as a wail in their minds, and quickly exploded.
Across the globe, everyone experienced the same effect before a single voice rang out across the planet, speaking to every living being.
“Listen very carefully. My name is Deus and as the name implies, I am a god, at least in a fashion. One year ago, humankind engineered one of the most despicable genocide attempts in history. State-of-the-art Sentinels were released across the globe, eliminating over a million mutants in the span of only a few days in an event that has come to be known as the Hecatomb.
“And where was mutantkind’s self-proclaimed savior during this time? Where was the great Magneto? Sitting upon his throne in Genosha, content with his own nation and not caring one bit for his own people.
“And the X-Men, supposed defenders of the mutant race, where were they? Covering up the massacre’s human origins, making back-alley treaties with the American government. Playing the part of celebrities to make nice with the very scum that tried to eliminate them.
“But no more. No, today, on the anniversary of the Hecatomb, there will be no memorials for the dead. There will be no tears shed. Instead of a day of mourning, today will be a day of celebration as all of mutantkind gathers to celebrate the resurrection of their own kind.
“As we speak, mutant graves across the planet are being emptied as these mutants rise from the dead. It will start with the victims of the Hecatomb and it will continue on past that. The residuals will be felt everywhere. No more will mutants be second-class citizens. We have proven that we can surpass even death.
“Today, we celebrate the Lazarus Contract.”
The voice of Deus silenced and the X-Men slowly rose as the pain in their heads subsided. Pyro climbed into a chair and fished out a cigarette from his jacket. Before lighting it, he asked, “this is bad, right?”
“Y’think?” asked Rogue.
“It is, but I think I have a plan,” said Proteus.
# # # # #
The grounds of Antarctica rumbled as the area rocked with earthquakes. Slowly, the citadel rose up, hovering above the ground, continuing into the upper stratosphere.
In the center of the citadel, Deus hovered in the center of an amplification machine. He channeled the reality-warping powers of Proteus into the machine, and they spread across the globe, igniting the Lazarus Contract and resurrecting countless mutants from their graves.
It would only be a matter of time before the Lazarus Contract awoke every mutant from their slumber.
# # # # #
Muir Isle
Gambit stepped off to the side and lit a cigarette. Before the team could go after Deus, they needed to pinpoint his location so Blink knew where to teleport them. It took time, though, with Psylocke trying to scour the globe with Cerebro. Rogue utilized her own psychic abilities absorbed in the past while Vargas used the Crimson Dawn energies to keep the two of them stable as they enacted their plan.
He tried to avoid staring at Rogue, but he kept catching himself doing just that. Things were still strained between the pair. After he completed the Brotherhood mission for Cyclops, Gambit left before Rogue could have a chance to talk to him. He left the X-Men and crushed her and when he tried to return to her, he found she started up a relationship with Quicksilver. Now that seemed to be in the past as well, and Rogue was back at the mansion.
Still, too much had happened in the past for Gambit to consider jumping back into a relationship with her. Every time the two of them got together, tragedy followed. How the hell did Scott and Jean deal with this crap?
It was best for the both of them to keep their distance from each other.
“You’re staring again, LeBeau.”
Gambit turned and saw Bishop sitting nearby, cleaning out the barrel of a small shotgun. “Still getting’ mixed up Gambit’s business, eh Bish?”
“I had no intention of,” said Bishop, then added with a grin, “but your drool was starting to distract me.”
“Bon rien…” muttered Gambit.
“You do remember that I was brought up by a future version of yourself, correct?” asked Bishop. “So watch who you hurl those Cajun insults at.”
“Yeah, yeah,” said Gambit. “They ready to go yet?”
“Not sure, I’ll find out,” said Bishop. He flicked his wrist and the gun barrel clacked back into place. He slid the gun into a holster on his body as he walked over to the trio.
“Still thinkin’ about our little Rogue, eh Cajun?”
Gambit didn’t realize Pyro had come up beside him, also smoking a cigarette.
“What’s it to you?” asked Gambit.
“Just makin’ conversation,” said Pyro. “After all, we’re both the token leather-clad, chain-smoking, ne’er-do-wells in this little group of tossers. Thought it’d be fun to chat a little.”
“You thought wrong, mon ami,” said Gambit.
“Ease up, LeBeau. Storin’ your cards up your arse these days, eh?” asked Pyro.
Gambit turned to Pyro and lightly slapped his hand on the Australian’s jacket. “How ‘bout we just steer clear of each other, n’est ce pas?”
He walked away from Pyro and the blond man continued to smoke his cigarette. “These X-women fuck up their men something fierce.”
A small explosion came from Pyro’s jacket, not big enough to harm him, but big enough to startle him. He looked down at his jacket and saw a burn mark where a button once was. He looked to Gambit, who had a sly grin on his face.
“Tosser…” muttered Pyro.
# # # # #
Proteus held his hands up and a string of paperclips danced before his eyes, moving through the air without any obvious aid.
“Nice to see you using those powers again,” said Blink. “Reminds me of when we used to date.”
Proteus smiled. “Looks like Deus siphoned off all of my reality-warping powers, so I’m left with just the control over magnetism. Not a total loss, though. There’s still plenty I can do with this.”
“Are you sure this plan of yours will work?” asked Blink.
“No,” said Proteus. “But we don’t have much of a choice.”
“Y’know, I’m beginning to ask myself… what Deus is doing… is it really such a bad thing? I mean, bringing back everyone who died in the Hecatomb. We did lose a lot of good people. Plus, it might mean other good people will come back. Like Paige.”
“Or Charles Xavier,” said Proteus. “But think of everyone else who could come back. Like the Dark Beast.”
“Or Apocalypse.”
She sighed. “I guess you’re right. It sucks, though.”
“Yeah, I know, but nothing we can do about it,” said Proteus.
“Blink?”
Blink and Proteus looked to Psylocke, Rogue and Vargas.
“We’re ready,” said Psylocke.
# # # # #
A tear in space and time opened up, allowing the X-Men to arrive inside of Deus’ citadel. “Rogue, Bishop, stay close,” said Proteus. He latched on to the metal in his and Bishop’s uniforms and the iron in their bloodstream, hefting both of them towards Deus and his machine as Rogue flew by their side. Proteus hurled Bishop forward and the large man grasped tightly to Deus.
“You again?” asked Deus. “Remember what happened the last time you tried this stunt?”
“Yeah, I lost my powers,” said Bishop. “I’m prepared to do the same this time if that’s what it’ll take to stop you.”
“Unfortunately, my powers have only increased since then,” said Deus. “You lose this one, Bishop.”
“Not quite, big man,” said Rogue. She and Proteus grasped their hands together and Rogue wrapped her fingers around Deus’ throat.
“Psylocke, now!” ordered Proteus.
A butterfly avatar appeared over Psylocke’s face and the Crimson Dawn mark appeared on Vargas’ face. With him as her anchor, Psylocke connected with Rogue, turning her into a conduit between Deus and Proteus.
The reality warping powers surged through Rogue’s body and flowed right back into their rightful owner. Any excess energy Deus expanded into the Lazarus Contract went into Bishop, absorbing it and preventing Deus’ resurrection wave.
“That’s it!” said Psylocke. “Rogue can’t take anymore!”
“Bishop, go!” shouted Proteus. He pulled Rogue away and Bishop released all the pent-up energy right back at Deus, causing the machine to explode. Deus fell straight to the ground and Proteus reached out with his powers, latching onto Bishop and lowering the three of them to the floor.
Pyro walked over to Deus and tapped him on the head. “Congratulations, mate. You’ve just been owned.”
Suddenly, in a flash of light, the X-Men found themselves surrounded by hundreds of mutants. Each of them a victim of the Hecatomb massacre, each of them ready to defend the man responsible for their renewed lease on life.
Deus climbed to his feet, helped by his followers and he looked at the X-Men with a smile. “You were saying?”
“Guess that’s our cue,” said Blink. She raised her arm as her eyes lit up, and a portal took the X-Men away from the citadel, transporting them back to Muir Isle.
# # # # #
Epilogue
Moira turned off the television monitor. “It’s like that on every channel,” she said. “Everyone knows about the Lazarus Contract an’ what Deus did. Now there’s riots everywhere. Even Magneto’s havin’ trouble in Genosha.”
“There’s no telling how far Deus’ power extended,” said Psylocke. “Beyond the Hecatomb, we may have other threats to contend with, threats we thought were long gone.”
“At least Kevin sucked his power back,” said Blink. She noticed Proteus didn’t seem too happy about that. “…right?”
“In part,” said Proteus. “I’ve got most of my power back, but it’s nowhere near as extensive as it used to be. Deus may still retain some of it.”
“And with his citadel hovering above the planet, he got what he wanted—to become a god,” said Bishop. “Mutants are now close to outnumbering the humans, and this has empowered them. We may be looking at a reversal of the usual tensions we’re used to.”
“In other words, things are gonna get much worse before they get better,” said Gambit.
“So the question is, what do we do about it?” asked Rogue.
“We go back to our lives,” said Psylocke.
“…come again?” asked Rogue.
“We were sloppy, unorganized, and the only reason we came back together in the first place was because Deus wanted us to,” said Psylocke. “There’s more to it than Proteus, he had other plans in mind for us. And it’s best that we not tempt the fates. Whatever Deus’ plans for us, I can guarantee that they weren’t good. So we return to our lives. We deal with Deus individually on our own fronts, in our own ways. But this team, it was disbanded for a reason and we should keep it that way.”
“Ah well, it was fun while it lasted,” said Pyro. “Anyway, I gotta get back to Cali. Who knows what Maggott and Diode are doin’ to my club without me there.”
“I’ll be sure t’ talk to Cyke about this, see what our best course o’ action is,” said Rogue.
“Same with me and Fury,” said Bishop.
“Force Works will do our part, too,” said Blink. She looked to Proteus. “We could always use an extra hand, y’know.”
“I appreciate the offer, but no,” said Proteus. “I’m going to stay here on Muir, keep an eye on Deus as much as possible.”
“The X-Men could always use a couple more hands,” said Rogue. “Remy--?”
“Save yer breath, cherie,” he said. “Gambit got his own responsibilities t’ worry about.”
“Vargas and I will do our part with the Hand as well,” said Psylocke. “We won’t stay on the map for very long, but if you need our assistance, we’ll be there.”
“Guess that’s the end of the show,” said Pyro. “Right then, time to get plastered.”
# # # # #
AUTHOR’S NOTE
So that’s that. The little coda on my very long run on X-Men Omega.
Back when I wrote the “Prime Directive” story-arc that ran through X-Men Omega #37-41, I wasn’t thinking very straight. It was a strange time in my life, I had just experienced shocking death for the first time in my life, and I felt the need to write about it.
So I engineered a massive bloodbath.
It was ill-conceived at the time and it caused some conflicts between me and other writers, some of which have only recently come to be repaired. And in the spirit of making amends for past mistakes, I came up with a way to undo some of that bloodbath in a way that still honored the previous story without stepping on any toes.
At first, I planned to do this story in the pages of X-Force, relying more on science and genetic engineering than anything else. But as I thought about it, I realized something this grand didn’t really have a place in X-Force.
Around this time, with X-Corp gone, there was talk going around that M2K needed a new Uncanny X-Men title at the site. I tossed around some ideas for taking on such a book with Cory, came up with a line-up, and planned for “The Lazarus Contract” to cap off my first year on the title, with Deus’ influence being felt up until that point throughout the preceding storylines.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your preference), it didn’t end up happening. Instead, I thought it’d be interesting to do it as a limited series. The roster I initially conceived of was pretty similar to the one that appeared in this book, except Nightcrawler and possibly Wolverine were part of the cast. Cory told me I should just go with an X-Men Omega reunion and borrow Blink for the series, which I did with Dan Ingram’s permission.
A lot’s happened to these characters since I last wrote them as a team. There were some things I wished I could touch upon in more detail, such as the relationship between Blink and Proteus as well as the strained relations between Gambit and Rogue, but there’s only so much you can do in a limited series.
I hope you all enjoyed this coda to my X-Men Omega run, and here’s hoping the events of this series have a profound effect on M2K’s X-verse for the better.
Dino Pollard
December 26, 2007
Moira MacTaggert stepped into the makeshift meeting area where the X-Men resided. Blink looked up at the doctor, her blank eyes possessed of a pleading and hopeful nature.
“Kevin’s okay,” said Moira, resting her hand on Blink’s shoulder. “Right now, he needs tae rest. But there’s something very interesting about his x-gene scans.”
“Which is?” asked Bishop.
“It’s reverted, once again resembles Magneto’s,” said Moira. “Whatever Deus did, I think it may have sapped Kevin’s reality-warping powers.”
“Deus did say something about using Proteus’ powers,” said Rogue. “But what’s he plannin’ t’ do with them?”
“Last time, he wanted to create heaven and hell on earth,” said Blink. “Who’s to say his plan is anything different?”
“Is the girl awake?” asked Bishop. “Maybe she has some insight into his plans.”
“Still unconscious,” said Moira. She immediately turned to Psylocke. “And I’d advise against any psychic intrusion at this point. The girl’s been through a lot, her mind his fragile. Any further violation could cause permanent damage.”
“We may not have a choice,” said Psylocke. “Deus was powerful to begin with, but now that he has Proteus’ powers at his command? We can’t waste any time.”
“Anyone else under the impression we should probably call in the cavalry?” asked Pyro.
“Already tried, but communications seem to be down,” said Rogue. “The X-Men, Avengers, Fantastic Four, SHIELD… we only seem to get static with anyone we try to call.”
“What about the Psylocke phone?” asked Pyro.
“I’ve tried, but Deus’ interference with the Astral Plane seems to have grown. I can only maintain telepathic contact in a limited area. If I try anything more than that, all I get is white noise. Hopefully, Cerebro may be able to boost my abilities to the point that I can break through the white noise.”
# # # # #
The term “silent as the grave” is used to describe something incredibly quiet. However, in several cemeteries across the world, the silence quickly broke with rumbles from the ground.
It began with what sounded like a muffled banging noise that soon erupted into full-forced pounding. In one very large grave, a large hand burst through the ground and the figure pulled his massive form through the soil. Once freed from his prison, he crushed the headstone marker, which read FREDERICK J. DUKES.
Elsewhere, roots sprouted from a grave, slowly forming into a figure resembling a man with a goatee. The headstone read THOMAS CASSIDY.
In an unmarked grave, a flaming skeleton exploded from the ground, laughing hysterically as he streaked across, illuminating the night sky.
In Greece, the ground split open as a man rose on a column of earth.
A woman with turquoise skin appeared above her own grave before vanishing again.
Across the world, similar events happened, with onlookers shocked and frightened as various corpses burst through their coffins, without any signs of decay present on their bodies.
# # # # #
Muir Isle
“…coming… they’re coming…”
The voice was soft, barely audible as it escaped through the dry, cracked lips of the young mutant called Wicked. Kevin MacTaggert stirred awake and glanced over to her. She seemed to be talking in her sleep.
“What did you say?” he asked.
“…they’re coming… all of them… coming back… the Lazarus Contract… coming back… just like… from the ashes… can’t stop it… can’t stay dead… no one stays dead… never… not us…”
“What are you talking about?” asked Proteus. He climbed out of his bed and approached the one she occupied. “Wicked? Can you hear me?”
“…Resurrection Wave…”
“What are you saying?” asked Proteus.
Her hand grasped his wrist and he pulled away in shock. Then Wicked sprung in her bed, her eyes open but now pitch black. She grasped Proteus tightly clutching his face between her hands and looked into his eyes.
“Do you see?” she asked. “Do you see?”
“See what? What are you going on about?”
She collapsed into his arms and he could feel her small body quivering slightly. Then he could hear her sobs and feel her tears on his bare arms.
“They’re here… no stopping them now… they’re back… and it won’t ever stop, it will keep going…”
# # # # #
Psylocke’s lithe hands guided the Cerebro helmet over her purple hair. Her eyes closed and she reached out with her psychic abilities, an avatar of a butterfly appearing over her eyes. The LED lights on the Cerebro helmet lit up, indicating the machine had been activated.
She felt her mind connected to the rest of her team and then she extended her influence out further. Past Muir Isle, past Scotland, past the United Kingdom, trying to break across the Atlantic.
But once she reached a certain point over the Ocean, she hit a barrier and a scream of voices echoed inside her head, deafening her. Memories of death and destruction flooded across her mind’s eye, overwhelming even one who had been through as much as she had over the years.
Her eyes snapped open and she found her teammates trying to hold her steady as her body convulsed and screams came from her mouth. Once she returned to consciousness, she regained her composure and raised the helmet, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath.
“It’s madness… everything is out of control… nothing where it belongs… no stopping…”
“What’s happening?” asked Blink. “Betsy, what did you see?”
“Graves… empty graves… masses of them… no bodies… not anymore…”
“Bets, take it easy, relax,” said Rogue.
Vargas stepped forward and laid his palms on Psylocke’s shoulders. The mark of the Crimson Dawn appeared over his eye and began to glow while his eyes turned black. Psylocke began to relax as Vargas used the energies of the Crimson Dawn to calm her mind.
“Something’s not right, Deus has messed with the natural order,” said Psylocke.
“Seems like there’s something going on here, then,” said Proteus, appearing in the doorway. In his arms, he held Wicked.
“What are yeh doin’ out of bed?” asked Moira.
“I’m fine, but we have other things to worry about,” said Proteus. “Wicked kept saying something about resurrections.”
Before a question could be offered or an explanation given, the current inhabitants of Muir Isle collapsed to their knees from a migraine of the highest order. It began as a wail in their minds, and quickly exploded.
Across the globe, everyone experienced the same effect before a single voice rang out across the planet, speaking to every living being.
“Listen very carefully. My name is Deus and as the name implies, I am a god, at least in a fashion. One year ago, humankind engineered one of the most despicable genocide attempts in history. State-of-the-art Sentinels were released across the globe, eliminating over a million mutants in the span of only a few days in an event that has come to be known as the Hecatomb.
“And where was mutantkind’s self-proclaimed savior during this time? Where was the great Magneto? Sitting upon his throne in Genosha, content with his own nation and not caring one bit for his own people.
“And the X-Men, supposed defenders of the mutant race, where were they? Covering up the massacre’s human origins, making back-alley treaties with the American government. Playing the part of celebrities to make nice with the very scum that tried to eliminate them.
“But no more. No, today, on the anniversary of the Hecatomb, there will be no memorials for the dead. There will be no tears shed. Instead of a day of mourning, today will be a day of celebration as all of mutantkind gathers to celebrate the resurrection of their own kind.
“As we speak, mutant graves across the planet are being emptied as these mutants rise from the dead. It will start with the victims of the Hecatomb and it will continue on past that. The residuals will be felt everywhere. No more will mutants be second-class citizens. We have proven that we can surpass even death.
“Today, we celebrate the Lazarus Contract.”
The voice of Deus silenced and the X-Men slowly rose as the pain in their heads subsided. Pyro climbed into a chair and fished out a cigarette from his jacket. Before lighting it, he asked, “this is bad, right?”
“Y’think?” asked Rogue.
“It is, but I think I have a plan,” said Proteus.
# # # # #
The grounds of Antarctica rumbled as the area rocked with earthquakes. Slowly, the citadel rose up, hovering above the ground, continuing into the upper stratosphere.
In the center of the citadel, Deus hovered in the center of an amplification machine. He channeled the reality-warping powers of Proteus into the machine, and they spread across the globe, igniting the Lazarus Contract and resurrecting countless mutants from their graves.
It would only be a matter of time before the Lazarus Contract awoke every mutant from their slumber.
# # # # #
Muir Isle
Gambit stepped off to the side and lit a cigarette. Before the team could go after Deus, they needed to pinpoint his location so Blink knew where to teleport them. It took time, though, with Psylocke trying to scour the globe with Cerebro. Rogue utilized her own psychic abilities absorbed in the past while Vargas used the Crimson Dawn energies to keep the two of them stable as they enacted their plan.
He tried to avoid staring at Rogue, but he kept catching himself doing just that. Things were still strained between the pair. After he completed the Brotherhood mission for Cyclops, Gambit left before Rogue could have a chance to talk to him. He left the X-Men and crushed her and when he tried to return to her, he found she started up a relationship with Quicksilver. Now that seemed to be in the past as well, and Rogue was back at the mansion.
Still, too much had happened in the past for Gambit to consider jumping back into a relationship with her. Every time the two of them got together, tragedy followed. How the hell did Scott and Jean deal with this crap?
It was best for the both of them to keep their distance from each other.
“You’re staring again, LeBeau.”
Gambit turned and saw Bishop sitting nearby, cleaning out the barrel of a small shotgun. “Still getting’ mixed up Gambit’s business, eh Bish?”
“I had no intention of,” said Bishop, then added with a grin, “but your drool was starting to distract me.”
“Bon rien…” muttered Gambit.
“You do remember that I was brought up by a future version of yourself, correct?” asked Bishop. “So watch who you hurl those Cajun insults at.”
“Yeah, yeah,” said Gambit. “They ready to go yet?”
“Not sure, I’ll find out,” said Bishop. He flicked his wrist and the gun barrel clacked back into place. He slid the gun into a holster on his body as he walked over to the trio.
“Still thinkin’ about our little Rogue, eh Cajun?”
Gambit didn’t realize Pyro had come up beside him, also smoking a cigarette.
“What’s it to you?” asked Gambit.
“Just makin’ conversation,” said Pyro. “After all, we’re both the token leather-clad, chain-smoking, ne’er-do-wells in this little group of tossers. Thought it’d be fun to chat a little.”
“You thought wrong, mon ami,” said Gambit.
“Ease up, LeBeau. Storin’ your cards up your arse these days, eh?” asked Pyro.
Gambit turned to Pyro and lightly slapped his hand on the Australian’s jacket. “How ‘bout we just steer clear of each other, n’est ce pas?”
He walked away from Pyro and the blond man continued to smoke his cigarette. “These X-women fuck up their men something fierce.”
A small explosion came from Pyro’s jacket, not big enough to harm him, but big enough to startle him. He looked down at his jacket and saw a burn mark where a button once was. He looked to Gambit, who had a sly grin on his face.
“Tosser…” muttered Pyro.
# # # # #
Proteus held his hands up and a string of paperclips danced before his eyes, moving through the air without any obvious aid.
“Nice to see you using those powers again,” said Blink. “Reminds me of when we used to date.”
Proteus smiled. “Looks like Deus siphoned off all of my reality-warping powers, so I’m left with just the control over magnetism. Not a total loss, though. There’s still plenty I can do with this.”
“Are you sure this plan of yours will work?” asked Blink.
“No,” said Proteus. “But we don’t have much of a choice.”
“Y’know, I’m beginning to ask myself… what Deus is doing… is it really such a bad thing? I mean, bringing back everyone who died in the Hecatomb. We did lose a lot of good people. Plus, it might mean other good people will come back. Like Paige.”
“Or Charles Xavier,” said Proteus. “But think of everyone else who could come back. Like the Dark Beast.”
“Or Apocalypse.”
She sighed. “I guess you’re right. It sucks, though.”
“Yeah, I know, but nothing we can do about it,” said Proteus.
“Blink?”
Blink and Proteus looked to Psylocke, Rogue and Vargas.
“We’re ready,” said Psylocke.
# # # # #
A tear in space and time opened up, allowing the X-Men to arrive inside of Deus’ citadel. “Rogue, Bishop, stay close,” said Proteus. He latched on to the metal in his and Bishop’s uniforms and the iron in their bloodstream, hefting both of them towards Deus and his machine as Rogue flew by their side. Proteus hurled Bishop forward and the large man grasped tightly to Deus.
“You again?” asked Deus. “Remember what happened the last time you tried this stunt?”
“Yeah, I lost my powers,” said Bishop. “I’m prepared to do the same this time if that’s what it’ll take to stop you.”
“Unfortunately, my powers have only increased since then,” said Deus. “You lose this one, Bishop.”
“Not quite, big man,” said Rogue. She and Proteus grasped their hands together and Rogue wrapped her fingers around Deus’ throat.
“Psylocke, now!” ordered Proteus.
A butterfly avatar appeared over Psylocke’s face and the Crimson Dawn mark appeared on Vargas’ face. With him as her anchor, Psylocke connected with Rogue, turning her into a conduit between Deus and Proteus.
The reality warping powers surged through Rogue’s body and flowed right back into their rightful owner. Any excess energy Deus expanded into the Lazarus Contract went into Bishop, absorbing it and preventing Deus’ resurrection wave.
“That’s it!” said Psylocke. “Rogue can’t take anymore!”
“Bishop, go!” shouted Proteus. He pulled Rogue away and Bishop released all the pent-up energy right back at Deus, causing the machine to explode. Deus fell straight to the ground and Proteus reached out with his powers, latching onto Bishop and lowering the three of them to the floor.
Pyro walked over to Deus and tapped him on the head. “Congratulations, mate. You’ve just been owned.”
Suddenly, in a flash of light, the X-Men found themselves surrounded by hundreds of mutants. Each of them a victim of the Hecatomb massacre, each of them ready to defend the man responsible for their renewed lease on life.
Deus climbed to his feet, helped by his followers and he looked at the X-Men with a smile. “You were saying?”
“Guess that’s our cue,” said Blink. She raised her arm as her eyes lit up, and a portal took the X-Men away from the citadel, transporting them back to Muir Isle.
# # # # #
Epilogue
Moira turned off the television monitor. “It’s like that on every channel,” she said. “Everyone knows about the Lazarus Contract an’ what Deus did. Now there’s riots everywhere. Even Magneto’s havin’ trouble in Genosha.”
“There’s no telling how far Deus’ power extended,” said Psylocke. “Beyond the Hecatomb, we may have other threats to contend with, threats we thought were long gone.”
“At least Kevin sucked his power back,” said Blink. She noticed Proteus didn’t seem too happy about that. “…right?”
“In part,” said Proteus. “I’ve got most of my power back, but it’s nowhere near as extensive as it used to be. Deus may still retain some of it.”
“And with his citadel hovering above the planet, he got what he wanted—to become a god,” said Bishop. “Mutants are now close to outnumbering the humans, and this has empowered them. We may be looking at a reversal of the usual tensions we’re used to.”
“In other words, things are gonna get much worse before they get better,” said Gambit.
“So the question is, what do we do about it?” asked Rogue.
“We go back to our lives,” said Psylocke.
“…come again?” asked Rogue.
“We were sloppy, unorganized, and the only reason we came back together in the first place was because Deus wanted us to,” said Psylocke. “There’s more to it than Proteus, he had other plans in mind for us. And it’s best that we not tempt the fates. Whatever Deus’ plans for us, I can guarantee that they weren’t good. So we return to our lives. We deal with Deus individually on our own fronts, in our own ways. But this team, it was disbanded for a reason and we should keep it that way.”
“Ah well, it was fun while it lasted,” said Pyro. “Anyway, I gotta get back to Cali. Who knows what Maggott and Diode are doin’ to my club without me there.”
“I’ll be sure t’ talk to Cyke about this, see what our best course o’ action is,” said Rogue.
“Same with me and Fury,” said Bishop.
“Force Works will do our part, too,” said Blink. She looked to Proteus. “We could always use an extra hand, y’know.”
“I appreciate the offer, but no,” said Proteus. “I’m going to stay here on Muir, keep an eye on Deus as much as possible.”
“The X-Men could always use a couple more hands,” said Rogue. “Remy--?”
“Save yer breath, cherie,” he said. “Gambit got his own responsibilities t’ worry about.”
“Vargas and I will do our part with the Hand as well,” said Psylocke. “We won’t stay on the map for very long, but if you need our assistance, we’ll be there.”
“Guess that’s the end of the show,” said Pyro. “Right then, time to get plastered.”
# # # # #
AUTHOR’S NOTE
So that’s that. The little coda on my very long run on X-Men Omega.
Back when I wrote the “Prime Directive” story-arc that ran through X-Men Omega #37-41, I wasn’t thinking very straight. It was a strange time in my life, I had just experienced shocking death for the first time in my life, and I felt the need to write about it.
So I engineered a massive bloodbath.
It was ill-conceived at the time and it caused some conflicts between me and other writers, some of which have only recently come to be repaired. And in the spirit of making amends for past mistakes, I came up with a way to undo some of that bloodbath in a way that still honored the previous story without stepping on any toes.
At first, I planned to do this story in the pages of X-Force, relying more on science and genetic engineering than anything else. But as I thought about it, I realized something this grand didn’t really have a place in X-Force.
Around this time, with X-Corp gone, there was talk going around that M2K needed a new Uncanny X-Men title at the site. I tossed around some ideas for taking on such a book with Cory, came up with a line-up, and planned for “The Lazarus Contract” to cap off my first year on the title, with Deus’ influence being felt up until that point throughout the preceding storylines.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your preference), it didn’t end up happening. Instead, I thought it’d be interesting to do it as a limited series. The roster I initially conceived of was pretty similar to the one that appeared in this book, except Nightcrawler and possibly Wolverine were part of the cast. Cory told me I should just go with an X-Men Omega reunion and borrow Blink for the series, which I did with Dan Ingram’s permission.
A lot’s happened to these characters since I last wrote them as a team. There were some things I wished I could touch upon in more detail, such as the relationship between Blink and Proteus as well as the strained relations between Gambit and Rogue, but there’s only so much you can do in a limited series.
I hope you all enjoyed this coda to my X-Men Omega run, and here’s hoping the events of this series have a profound effect on M2K’s X-verse for the better.
Dino Pollard
December 26, 2007