Storm makes her way from Eagle Plaza, lost in her
thoughts about the events of last issue. Behind her, one of the Dire Wraiths
materializes inside Forge’s building and is instantly vaporized by his weapons.
With Forge’s defenses now thoroughly tested, more Dire Wraiths appear at the
doors disguised as FBI agents. One of them kills and takes the form of the
night watchman, who turns off the alarms blaring through the building, allowing
the other Wraiths to enter undetected. The previous alarms caused Storm to
stop, wondering about what’s going on, when she’s attacked by a Dire Wraith as
well. Storm breaks away from the beast, running for refuge in Forge’s building.
Storm is saved from the Dire Wraith by the timely arrival of Forge’s old mentor
Naze, whose shaman abilities warned him that Forge was in danger.
Storm attempts to call Forge to warn him, but just as
he answers, more Dire Wraiths flood his top floor living area! Ororo and Naze
determine that they’ll have to make their way up the building to Forge’s
rescue. Ororo arms herself with the dead guard’s revolver, remembering when
Wolverine taught her how to use a gun, just in case she ever needed it. Storm
and Naze begin to make their way up the elevator shaft, when they’re attacked
by more Dire Wraith creatures called Hellhounds. The Wraiths use their magicks
to snare Ororo with one of the elevator cables, pulling her up to certain death
as the elevator descends. She frees herself and uses the momentum to launch
herself up to the higher floors, feeling a strange sense of exhilaration. On
the lower floors, Naze continues to kill any Wraiths he comes across with great
skill.
Storm opens a door and finds herself outside on the
roof as a blizzard inexplicably rages. She’s attacked once again by Wraiths and
struggles to defend herself in the biting cold. She makes her way back into the
building, forced to kill one of the Wraiths by intentionally locking it outside
where it quickly freezes to death. Storm doesn’t have long to reflect on this
however, when a strange psychic attack sweeps through the building, painfully
melding the minds of Storm, Forge, Naze, and everyone and everything else in
the building. It’s especially painful for Forge, whose automated weapons
protect him from the Wraiths as he’s feeling the effects. Storm and Forge then
reunite, though Storm is obviously not particularly pleased to see him.
While Forge is occupied, one of the Wraiths uses his
magic to switch his and Storm’s appearances, in order to get Forge to shoot
Storm, thinking she’s a Wraith. However, Forge taps into his long unused
mystical abilities, allowing him to see through the illusion and shoot the
Wraith anyway. Just then, Colossus and Rogue arrive to help, having a nice
reunion with Storm. They continue to fight the Wraiths, and Colossus and Rogue
learn of Storm’s lost powers, making Rogue feel particularly guilty. Forge then
generates a hologram of Rom the Spaceknight and Starshine, the Dire Wraiths’
nemeses, causing them to divert their attention and allowing him to take out
the remaining Wraiths. Just then, a hole rips in the fabric of reality, sending
through mysterious creatures that attack the X-Men anew! To be continued!