X-Factor#68(1991)

Inside Apocalypse's stronghold in the Inhumans' Great Refuge on the Moon, X-Factor faces its formidable enemy, who declares that their defeat will mark the beginning of a much greater catastrophe. He intends to eliminate the members of the fabled Twelve, a group of individuals whose combined significance threatens his ambitions, and reveals that Nathan Christopher will be instrumental in their destruction. The Riders of the Storm attack, but X-Factor quickly gains the upper hand against Tusk and Gauntlet. Jean attempts to reach Nathan with her telekinesis, only to discover that the infant remains physically attached to Apocalypse. The tide turns when Medusa, under Apocalypse's control, catches Jean by surprise and knocks her down. Cyclops is distracted by her attack, allowing Barrage to incapacitate him, while Crystal uses her command of the elements to overwhelm Archangel with a powerful gust of wind. Beast and Iceman are also overcome, and the entire team awakens imprisoned in cylindrical chambers connected to Apocalypse. Their captor intends to drain their life forces to restore himself and ascend to a higher plane of existence. As Scott hears his son crying out, he realizes the terrible purpose behind their imprisonment. An explosion suddenly disrupts the chamber, destroying the Riders' advantage. The Inhuman Royal Family, aided by Charlotte Jones, has freed their enslaved people and stormed the fortress. They release X-Factor from the life-draining capsules, but the conduits remain connected to Apocalypse and continue supplying him with energy. Scott urges his allies to sever the connection, although their combined attacks seem incapable of harming their monstrous opponent. Meanwhile, Askani, the mysterious protector who has travelled from the future to rescue Nathan, observes the battle. Having reached the past in a deteriorating physical state, she knows that her remaining energy is limited and that the future of her own era depends upon the infant's survival. When Jean and Beast approach Nathan's containment chamber, Askani realizes that its electrical charge will kill anyone who touches it. She intervenes just in time, pushing Hank away and absorbing the shock herself. The chamber is rendered inactive, allowing Beast to reach Nathan, while Askani identifies herself and explains that she is nearing the end of her existence in corporeal form. Despite X-Factor and the Inhumans' relentless assault, Apocalypse continues to overpower them with devastating energy blasts. Scott notices that their enemy is relying primarily on direct attacks rather than the shape-changing abilities he has employed in previous encounters, but he struggles to identify a weakness they can exploit. At Nathan's side, Jean senses that something is seriously wrong with the child. Ship confirms that the infant is exhibiting cellular abnormalities and identifies the cause as the same techno-organic virus that Apocalypse used to infect the spacecraft. Beast searches for a possible means of reversing the infection, but Ship warns that neither the time nor the necessary technology is available. Askani insists that she has come specifically to save Nathan, although Jean remains uncertain whether she can be trusted. Jean is suddenly drawn into Nathan's mind and finds herself on the Astral Plane, where she becomes aware of the infant's extraordinary psychic potential. She suspects that Nathan has brought her there so that her knowledge can be combined with his raw power to fight the infection. An image of Apocalypse confronts her, representing the virus attacking the child's body. Jean appears overwhelmed by the apparition, but her apparent fear conceals a deliberate strategy: she draws Cyclops's consciousness into the psychic struggle. Armed with a psionic sword, Scott attacks the manifestation, only to be struck by the backlash of the confrontation. Back in the physical world, Cyclops rises with the combined power of himself, Jean, and Nathan coursing through him. He unleashes an immense optic blast that tears Apocalypse apart, finally bringing their enemy's reign to an end. Scott immediately rushes to his son, but their victory cannot halt the virus, which continues to ravage Nathan's body. Jean considers establishing a telepathic connection with the dying infant, yet Beast warns that she could perish alongside him if their minds remain linked when his life ends. Ship reveals that it has merged part of its own substance with Nathan in an attempt to prolong his survival, but acknowledges that this measure can only delay the inevitable. Scott turns to Askani, demanding to know where she came from and who sent her. She explains that Nathan must be taken to a place beyond their reach, where he will be protected and his survival will serve a vital purpose. When Scott questions her repeated use of the word "kinsman," Askani explains that they share the same ancestral world and the heritage of humanity, making them family in that limited sense. Scott asks whether she will return Nathan once he has recovered, but she sadly admits that she lacks the energy to bring him back. With both Nathan's life and Askani's existence rapidly fading, Ship warns that there is no time left to hesitate. Faced with the prospect of losing his son forever, Cyclops reluctantly entrusts Nathan to Askani. She activates her time portal and disappears through it with the infant in a flash of light. Later, as the Inhumans and X-Factor celebrate their victory over Apocalypse, Scott withdraws from the gathering and joins Charlotte on a balcony overlooking the lunar landscape. She offers him her sympathy and reassures him that he made the right decision. Scott admits that he may never know what became of Nathan, but chooses to believe that his son has a chance at a better future. He reflects that hope remains the ideal holding X-Factor together, just as it once sustained the X-Men. Elsewhere in the Moon's Blue Area, the Watcher observes Scott's sacrifice and silently applauds his selfless choice.