Excalibur #23 (2021)

Bird (no description)

In the Old Bailey, Nightcrawler is tried. Despite his protestations, he is summarily condemned to be imprisoned, and genetically altered to remove his abilities. As he is thrown into a holding cell, he hears a voice he knows. Meggan’s! He fights off her attackers, and finds Meggan, but not the one he was expecting. This reality’s Meggan cowers as he comforts her, while her former attackers back away.

Under the city, the group are under attack by monstrous, human like creatures, somewhere between human and cockroach. Captain Britain holds them off for as long as he can, before he is overwhelmed. Meggan throws them off him, her body finally adapting to the pollution in the atmosphere. As the creatures flee under the renewed assault, Kit is comforted by Captain Britain, as she slowly slips away. Before she dies, she tells Captain Britain about Illyana, and how she pushed her from the window to take over her gang. But he is incredulous, still believing her to be Kitty of their reality. After Kit has died, he turns to talk to Meggan, but she has disappeared.

In Kit’s tower, Alistaire tends to Rachel, who is suffering from some kind of illness. As he does so, Illyana uses the opportunity to try and threaten him into helping her further her own aims.

Back at the Old Bailey, Nightcrawler, this reality’s Meggan and other prisoners are escorted under armed guard to a prison transporter. As they approach it, he teleports out of his handcuffs, taking out Justicer Cadbury, and taking his gun, which he uses to free the prisoners. He and Meggan take a transporter, but as they take off, a Justicer fires on them. Meggan dives in front of Nightcrawler and she dies, switching back to her standard form as she does. Back in the tower, Alistaire resists Illyana’s powers, but as she tries to get into his mind, Rachel makes a stand. However, in her weakened state, she is no match. As Illyana ties her in shadow, a transporter smashes through the dome, and Nightcrawler dives on Illyana. However, she stops him in mid air, but before she can do more, she sees more Justicers in pursuit. Hiding Alistaire, Nightcrawler and Rachel under shadow, she presents an innocent face to the Justicers. However, Meggan, disguised as Kit, shatters that illusion, as Illyana flings her across the room with her powers. The Justicers open fire, but she becomes the Darkchilde, and so the bolts bounce off harmlessly. Before it can attack, Captain Britain punches it, and as they battle, the Lord High Justicer and the Chief Magistrate, this reality’s version of Brian and Betsy Braddock fly into the building, with Betsy using her powers to restore Rachel to health as the two Brian Braddock's attack. Rachel, with the power of the Phoenix once more, burns away the Darkchilde to reveal a now powerless Illyana. As they celebrate their victory, Justicer Bull attempts to arrest them all for their superhuman abilities. Alistaire talks her down, as he makes her realise that the definition of a superbeing also sums up the Justicers. She announces that she has paperwork that will last her until the evening, leaving them time to activate Widget and leave once again.