X-Men '97

Previously on X-Men...

My mom handed me over to the Prime Sentinels.

They collared me. What's left here?

Me.

Living doesn't get cheat codes.

Life's a total risk and it's on you.

Take it.

You call yourselves a family?

Humanity would rather die than have kids like us.

Missile alert! Missile alert! Missile alert!

Jubilee!

The sky is on fire.

Leaders are working fast to avert this mutant doomsday.

Those rebel leaders I told you about in the future,

rambling about the adventures of the X-Men,

those legends really didn't do my folks justice.

Goodbye, son.

Move! School's right up ahead.

What direction now?

It's over there.

What?

No, no.

What did I tell you? The X-Men are dead and they're never coming back.

Ferme ta guele!

Or I'll spare our ears any more of your lip.

We need to split up, regroup somewhere safe.

Safe? This was the safe place for kids like us.

Don't move!

This area's restricted.

Oh, please, don't hurt us.

Don't worry, son, we won't hurt you.

We're definitely the good guys.

They call themselves "X-Factor."

The US Government's mutant task force charged with containing global crises

in a world without the X-Men.

With unprovoked violence against mutant youths on the rise,

Director Val Cooper is under fire for a controversial campaign

to relocate mutants, quote, "for their own safety."

Tão fácil.

That's three times in a row.

Dinner's on me.

I'm starting to get the hang of this video game stuff.

Come on. Wanna play?

The X-Men wouldn't be playing around,

while the Government's detaining mutant kids.

It doesn't help that Forge and Bishop disappeared on us.

They'll pop up sooner or later, I promise.

And until then, the whole world's upside down

and we're just plugging quarters at the arcade.

Jeez, aren't you supposed to be the peppy one?

Cable?

Just to get this straight,

you want me, Jubilee,

to be part of your... super-secret black ops team?

I'm working on a case.

And you just happen to be

one of the last people to cross paths with my target.

Apocalypse?

He's been off the grid for a while.

But now one of his Horsemen's re-emerged on the scene.

Goes by the name of War.

I've been raiding his safe houses,

trying to figure out what that psychopath's cooking up.

Just turn on the news.

A perfect time for Apocalypse to ignite his dream war

between humanity and mutants.

His sole aim is to dominate the evolutionary chain.

If he's not stopped, he'll wipe out most of the world

and enslave anyone unlucky enough to survive.

Sounds like a lot of not fun.

You're telling me.

Listen close.

This is dangerous work.

I got no need for students or heroes.

We are soldiers.

Once you're in, you're in. No questions, no retreat.

Governments will hunt us.

Nowhere will be safe.

But it beats playing video games while the world's going to hell.

This team got a name?

Mission's simple, team.

We find Apocalypse's Horseman, we find Apocalypse.

Psylocke, see what you can read.

You picked quite the week for a duck shoot.

Too many minds. I can't isolate any of them.

Warren, how's the view from the sky?

No sign.

I'm heading farther north.

Jubilee, Sunspot, what's with the dancing?

This isn't date night.

Didn't you say "Blend in"?

Unlike that guy.

Green skin, bowl cut.

It's our target. On my 12 o'clock.

Tail him but keep your distance.

Genocides, massacres, civil wars.

Guy's got more blood on his hands than history books can count.

Cable, we lost him.

Anyone got eyes from above?

He's making for an alleyway up north.

He's on to us. I need backup now.

What the...

Don't let War get away.

I might know a short cut or two.

"Might" isn't exactly reassuring.

Just wait for my signal.

Now!

Whoo! X-Force 1, Creepy Apocalypse Zombies 0.

Sweet dreams.

You fight a battle that cannot be won.

Against the dawn of an age that cannot be stopped.

"When He-Who-Never-Dies will cull the weak from the herd."

"Until only the strong survive."

Yes, we know.

You forsake your master, heretic.

But in due time, you will face his judgment.

He won't speak willingly.

Apocalypse made loyal servants of us all.

I thought telepaths were supposed to...

Have manners?

That might be how your professor did it

but we don't have time for pleasantries.

Well done, well done.

Well done, War.

Open it.

Soon the Old World shall finally pass away

and together we shall forge a new one

in Fire and Blood!

His mind's booby-trapped.

Like a wall of diamonds blocking me.

I stole as much as I could.

Put him out of his misery before he hurts anyone else.

Whoa, what?

War is a Horseman. He cannot be saved.

- You were. - Yes, by Rogue.

And now she's gone.

Trust me, Jubilee, this isn't murder.

It's mercy.

But we could call the authorities.

He might have more to say.

We are the authority.

You didn't have to kill him back there.

We could have gotten more out of him.

Last I checked, I give the orders around here.

And last I checked, we were trying to stop a ruthless mass murderer,

not steal from his playbook.

I helped you get the Horseman.

But if you want anything else, I'm gonna need a little less killing.

Take it that means you've got a hunch.

Psylocke said the Horseman's mind was blocked by a psychic wall,

and saw diamonds.

I know only one telepath who's got a thing for diamonds.

Saw her turn into one in Genosha.

Emma Frost.

Well, what do we have here?

A stray, a firecracker and a pit-bull.

Not gonna lie.

If X-Force is going to crash my party,

that dashing Warren Worthington is more my type.

Though I wouldn't mind making you bark.

- Woof. - Ew.

Your exploits in Rio spun up a lot of chatter.

You all are quite the party crashers.

We're wasting time.

The X-Men saved your life in Genosha.

As well as their heroic image. And?

You owe us. We need information.

We all have wants.

Some of us can just afford them more easily.

Believe you and bowl-cut were business partners.

You want to tell us a little about the nature of that business?

Oh, you're serious?

And you're terrified.

Listen, my dears, I'm a matchmaker.

I help demand meet supply and take a small cut.

I don't get curious.

So please pack up your blame and...

Just tell us what the Horseman wanted.

He needed to smuggle cargo into Switzerland.

Got an address?

Of course.

But as I said,

I'm in it for a cut.

So where shall we start the bidding?

Horsemen tech.