Uncanny X-Men, The (1981 series) #249

On the X-Men’s meeting table, Havok has drawn the faces of the team and crosses off the ones they’ve lost recently, Rogue, Longshot, and now Storm. As Havok wonders who will be next, the computer screen behind him shows the other X-Men burying Storm. Havok gets drunk and obsesses over everything that’s happened recently, wondering why Roma even brought them back to life if they were just going to die again one by one. He thinks about Madelyne betraying them and angrily wonders where Wolverine is when they need him. Havok runs through the events of last issue, until he gets so upset that he blasts the computer screen. The resulting explosion blasts him across the room and knocks him out! As the screen starts to miraculously repair itself, a call comes in from a desperate Polaris on the run in Chile. She reveals that she’s been more herself recently, less under Malice’s control, and that she needs help. While Polaris can barely get her message through, Malice taunts her, saying that Alex doesn’t care about her anymore and in the grand scheme of things, all she’s doing is talking to herself. She blasts apart the phone booth in anger, and gets found by two dock workers who think she’s hurt. While one of them takes Polaris to somewhere safe, the other heads off to get the doctor, but doesn’t get very far before he’s attacked by an unseen assailant!

Back in Australia, Colossus attempts to paint but gives up in frustration, leaving his artwork lying in the sand. His paintings are confiscated by Lady Deathstrike and her men, in the process of getting some recon on the X-Men. She takes them back to the Reavers’ lair, where she notes a clear pain present in Colossus’s art. She wonders if killing him would be a mercy at this point, and Donald Pierce reinforces their plan to wipe the earth clean of all mutants, starting with the X-Men, and warns her not to oppose such an enterprise. Later, Havok awakens in his bed with a note telling him about Lorna’s call, unsure how either got there. Psylocke comes in to check on him and they head down to check out the computer, which Havok is shocked to see is whole again. Havok traces Lorna’s call to Punta Arenas, Chile and Psylocke, acting as sort of the new unofficial leader, makes the call to check it out as a team. Not long after, Psylocke psi-scans the area wondering who helped Havok since none of them did but yields no answers. The X-Men gather together and let Gateway teleport them to their destination.

At said destination, Polaris is tended to at a bar, when suddenly the place is invaded by some of the Savage Land Mutates! They begin to slaughter everyone in the bar as they look to capture Polaris, whose head is spinning too much to effectively use her powers. They end up capturing her, as elsewhere in the city, the X-Men arrive at the docks through Gateway’s portal. They immediately see an explosion in the distance and know something’s going on. As Psylocke gets overwhelmed by all of the psychic screams in the area, she’s stunned by the arrival of more Savage Land Mutates. The X-Men quickly deal with the couple that attacked them and Havok attempts to intimidate one of their prisoners into talking. They’re then surprised by the arrival of more Mutates, getting blinded by one called Whiteout. The four-armed Barbarus attacks Colossus as Dazzler, who can still see to a degree due to her powers, tries to fight back. She contends with a guy called Gaza, while the frog-like Amphibus pounces on Psylocke.

Amphibus strings Psylocke up on a telephone pole where she telepathically directs Dazzler. She has Dazzler dodge and roll at just the right time, while firing two blasts on either side that take out each of their enemies! She then telepathically freezes Barbarus’s mind long enough for Colossus to send him flying across the docks, earning them the victory! With their enemies out of the way, Psylocke develops a plan for how to proceed. The Mutates’ leader, Zaladane, addresses the citizens of Punta Arenas, blaming them for a recent oil spill that affected the waters near the Savage Land. She keeps Polaris sedated with a hypnotic plant called the black lotus, as Psylocke, Colossus, and Dazzler come to confront her. Zaladane offers a trade of her men the X-Men captured in exchange for the Chilean citizens, as well as safe passage out of there. The X-Men accept, while Havok secretly sneaks onboard Zaladane’s ship disguised as one of her forces. As they take off, he hears Zaladane call Polaris “sister” and promises to himself that she’s going down! To be continued!