X-Factor#10(1986)

Continued from last issue... Deep in the Morlock tunnels, the Morlocks are going about heir daily routine when it's interrupted by the sound of screams and gunfire. Before they can ponder on the cause of such noise, the Marauders are upon them to carry out their mission to exterminate each and every last one of them. While elsewhere in the sewers, X-Factor is recovering from their battle with the Freedom Force. With Rusty injured, Cyclops sends Marvel Girl and Angel back to the compound with him, and Rusty's new friend, the female Morlock named Skids accompanies them. Cyclops, Beast and Iceman stay behind to search for Artie Maddicks, who ventured down into the tunnels to find Rusty earlier and is now lost. Hearing the carnage happening ahead they go to investigate and witness, to their horror, as Morlocks are being slain by the Marauders Harpoon and Arclight. By engaging the two Marauders, Cyclops, Beast, and Iceman save the lives of Morlocks Erg and Beautiful Dreamer. However, when Beast is injured, they are unprepared for the Marauders' capacity for murder, Cyclops collapses part of the tunnel when they are overpowered so that they can regroup and come up with a plan. Meanwhile, as Angel, Marvel Girl and Skids bring Rusty to the compound, Skids tries to make sense of the connection between the X-Terminators and X-Factor. Ultimately when Angel and Cameron Hodge are preparing medical attention for Rusty is Skids told the true secret behind X-Factor. Not liking the idea of the idea of mutants posing as mutant hunters and it's effect on human/mutant relations, Skids tries to flee back to the Morlock Tunnels. Knowing something terrible is going on down below, Marvel Girl stops her by using telekinesis to block the exit. While down below, Artie, Leech and Caliban try to seek safety when they are attacked by Sabretooth. While Artie and Leech manage to make it into a sewer pipe, Caliban is slashed by Sabretooth. However, Cyclops, Iceman and Beast happen by, not noticing Artie and the others Cyclops blasts Sabretooth and they keep on going. When Artie tries to go out to them, Leech (not recognizing them) figures they're dangerous and stops the mute boy from being reunited with the people trying to rescue him. They manage to pull Caliban into the pipe just before Sabretooth revives and just barely misses them, but having picked up their scents he tells them that he will track them down and kill them yet. Washinton D.C.: Freedom Force sits back and watches Trish Tilby's news coverage with satisfaction as their leaked information connecting Warren Worthington III to X-Factor. Tilby's research into this allows her to report on television that Worthington is secretly funding X-Factor. News travels quick, Candy Southern is advised during a board of directors meeting at Worthington Enterprises, while at the X-Factor Compound, Warren learns the truth himself as he and the others provide medical attention to Rusty. As the Morlocks continue to be slaughtered by the Maraduers, one of their number, a woman named Plague is saved from Harpoon and Sabretooth by Apocalypse. Apocalypse tells her that he has great plans for her in his future schemes and teleports her away. Down below, the Marauders Blockbuster and Vertigo attack Morlocks Ape and Tarbaby before Cyclops, Iceman and Beast arrive. While the team initially is unprepared for the two evil mutant's abilities, they injure Vertigo enough for Blockbuster to flee with her, saving Ape and Tarbaby's life. Elsewhere, Artie realizes that if Caliban doesn't get medical help soon he will die and uses his powers to try and track down Cyclops and the others. Meanwhile in the X-Factor compound, with Rusty's recovery touch and go, Angel realizes that the idea of operating X-Factor under the guise of mutant hunters was the wrong way to go about things and as a result his enterprise is going to fail. Jean however, takes the blame for this nightmare, breaking into tears over the how her return is really to blame, due to the trouble it's brought to everyone, especially Scott's, lives. Warren comforts her when Candy walks in and seeing the two hugging each other, she gets the wrong idea and calls her relationship and business dealings with him quits and storms out. Angel is about to go after her when he realizes that there are more important things. When Jean tells him that she's going back into the tunnels, he decides to go along with her. The Morlock Tunnels: Cyclops, Beast and Iceman come across Arclight, Scrambler and Prism and attempt to battle them. During the fight, Cyclops and Beast are knocked out and before Prism can slay them, Marvel Girl and Angel arrive and uses her telekinetic powers on him shattering the fragile mutant into pieces, killing him. They send Scramble and Arclight fleeing, but Iceman is blinded in the process. With no other choice, Angel sends Iceman, Beast, Cyclops, Marvel Girl and the surviving Morlocks alone while he continues his search for Artie and any other survivors. Angel hits luck and finds Artie a short time later, but this luck is short lived as they are found by Harpoon, Blockbuster and Vertigo. Telling Artie to run for it, Angel stands his ground but is easily overpowered. Blockbuster grabs him and begins breaking his wings until Harpoon takes his energy charged weapons and pins Angel to the wall by his wings. With the winged mutant incapable of escaping, the two Marauders close in for the kill.