Now he remembers his mission briefing as new Security Officer for
SWORD's
Peak space station (taking over from his younger version
Kid Cable). SWORD boss
Abigail Brand explains the situation of the
Last Annihilation event.
Dormammu has invaded this universe (in the shape of his planet-sized head replacing
Ego The Living Planet) to take over 5 worlds that will enable him to win it all. (See
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #17 for the immediate effect of that pentagram of planets.) Brand and
Nathan Summers are still feeling out the power dynamics of their relationship - they both like to be in control. She introduces Cable to the architect of the plan he's going to be following -
Rocket Raccoon. Rocket is surprised when Cable salutes him with respect - it turns out he's a big hero to the future.
Back in the immediate future Cable's shield arm is absorbing the energy of atmospheric friction to boost a field which keeps his body inertialess. If it holds out the landing will be a doddle. Unfortunately it fails in the last seconds but Cable still manages to walk away from the crash. However his arm is wrecked, and he discards it along with its AI Belle. But he generates a holographic replacement with a combat AI
Nicky (appearing as a devil). That's not all he's got. A
Krakoan seed sprouts instantly into a gateway through which come his hand-picked new team of
X-Terminators Boom-Boom,
Cannonball,
Khora Of The Burning Heart,
Lila Cheney and
Wiz Kid ...
... just in time to face a skimmer-riding Breakworld security squad who will take the survivors (if any) to fight in the arenas of
Powerlord Varrn. (Things have changed a bit since our last visit.) Khora throws a knife through the leader's brain. Cable tells the others not to damage the skimmers while they take the others down. Cannonball rockets into action, Boom-Boom generates and throws concussion bombs. Wiz Kid generates a shield around his hover-chair, and the 2 very big guns which *do* destroy a skimmer. But then he uses his techno-wizardry to convert its remains into a much better version.
They all then fly improved skimmers to
City Seven. On the way Lila flirts with
Sam Guthrie to remind him of their relationship in his
New Mutants/
X-Force days, much to the amusement of his fellow X-Forcer
Tabitha Smith. But they know that these days he's happily married to
Smasher (
Izzy Kane) of the
Shi'ar Superguardians, with a kid. The city is deserted and Cable now tells them that it's actually an automated factory which contains the weapon they're here to steal.
As a giant robot unfolds itself out of the city he says that this Mk2 is much smaller than the Mk1 which was the size of a moon. It fires missiles at them but Cable gets Khora to share her power with Boom-Boom who then creates a colossal energy ball which Cannonball flies to the robot's head. The team are relieved that Sam's forcefield protected him as he emerges from the shattered head. Wiz Kid then flies his chair inside the robot with Khora in tow. Her power boost enables him to only take 2 seconds to convert the robot into a 'planet-sized super-gun' (somewhat of an exaggeration there).
Lila Cheney then does what she was brought along to do. She teleports them and the gun across the Galaxy to
Port Prometheus on Mars. Where Brand and Rocket have used most of Krakoa's store of
mysterium to create a giant bullet to go inside the gun. (I'm unsure whether the bullet is made of mysterium or they used it as Galactic currency to pay for it.)
The
Last Annihilation event will continue in the
LA: WICCAN & HULKLING 1-shot.
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