A.X.E.: Judgment Day #6 (2022)

In Manhattan, Jada is contemplating the destruction of the city when Captain America steps out of a portal and takes her back with him into an Eternal city. The Eternals have opened their transport nodes all over Earth to use their cities as shelter. Tom makes his family stay at home, distrusting the strange portal that had opened outside, but his house begins to collapse. Katrina sees a portal, but instead repeatedly ventures into a burning building, rescuing people until she doesn't make it out alive. Komali finds comfort in thinking of Arjun as her building collapses. Daniela helps her mother into a portal, a small part of her lamenting that she left her bike behind. Jada gazes at the Eternal city, wishing she could share it with her daughter or anyone. Her thoughts are interrupted by the cries of Kenta, who is without his parents. Jada approaches the boy to comfort him. The Progenitor keeps trying to order the world to end, but it fights back. Starfox walks past a crowd of cheering citizens to convene with Nightcrawler. He informs that the heroes' forces have managed to tamper with the Machine That is Earth enough to prevent the Progenitor from activating its self-destruct. Kurt hopes this can give the heroes infiltrating the Progenitor more time, but Captain America warns him that the Celestial will change tactics. The Progenitor creates a rift on the planet in order to directly access the Machine's reality loom. Inside the Progenitor, Iron Man's strike team keeps pushing against the Celestial's defenses. Mister Sinister pouts at the fact that the Progenitor hasn't judged him yet. Makkari, Ajak and Sersi have realized that the Celestial has temporarily deactivated their protocols, giving them free will at last. The heroes breach into the Progenitor's core, finding a smaller manifestation of its self inside. Orbs float around it, showcasing what the Progenitor is observing, but it appears unresponsive to the intruders. Jean Grey takes the opportunity to strike, but Ajak strikes her down. The Progenitor reaches the Eternals' city. Starfox has Domo teleport weapons to the refugees so they can fight back against the Celestial, but it does little. Nightcrawler and Captain America teleport in front of the Progenitor, distracting it long enough for a half-rebirth Syne to get the jump on it. She has joined forces with Exodus, who is channeling all the power of a circuit of mutants through Syne to empower her. Inside the Progenitor, Ajak confronts Jean Grey. She and Iron Man agree that if they end this now, the billions of humans killed by the Progenitor will remain dead. Jean ponders that it might be a lost cause, but Tony argues that they have to at least try. Ajax suggests the other option is convincing the Progenitor that its judgment is flawed, and that this is a test on itself. The Progenitor is amused, and keeps gathering more information with the few seconds left the Earth has. Syne burns out by Exodus' empowerment, and the Celestial returns to its task. However, Moira MacTaggert leads the forces of Orchis against it. Disgusted by their intervention, Jean has Mister Sinister knock down Ajak, and she prepares to strike at the Progenitor's manifestation again. The Progenitor suddenly moves, gesturing a force field around Jean. It confirms that this was a test, and tells Jean that she failed. The Celestial explains that it was questioning itself, but has concluded that the Earth does deserve to die, since its inhabitants remain guided by self-interest. In order to show the Progenitor that the Eternals can change, Sersi has the Machine broadcast her words to disclose the truth behind the Eternals' rebirth, that each resurrection costs a human's life, and that she has ensured to keep it a secret. She invites humanity to judge the Eternals. The humans revolt. Sersi refutes the Progenitor, but it explodes Sersi into purple mist with a wave of its arm before she can finish speaking. Grief-stricken, Ajak questions whether the Progenitor deserves to destroy the Earth, claiming that this is a test for the Celestial as well, and that it will fail if it does so. Jean Grey recalls that the Progenitor failed her due to the Dark Phoenix's destruction, but points out that she was out of control, whereas the Progenitor is doing this consciously. She caresses it, asking whether it can live with it. The Progenitor tells her that it doesn't matter if it stops, since less than a billion people still live. Stark refutes it, remarking that the Progenitor is himself in a twisted way, and that when he gets out of his depth, he tries to make amends. The Progenitor warns that doing so could destroy it, and Tony tells it that's what being a hero is about. In its outer form, the Progenitor strikes the ground with its staff, generating a massive beam of light. In his inner monologue, the Celestial doubts its godhood, but assures that it can put things back in place. It concludes that it is not a god, since it would be without limits if it were truly omnipotent. Inside the Progenitor, its manifested form loses its balance. It asks Ajak for her judgment, and she remorsefully fails it. Crying, the Progenitor tells her that she is correct, and touches her hand, asking her to be better. The flash of light dissipates, and Iron Man and his allies find themselves outside the Progenitor, who has become once again the inert Avengers Mountain. Tony's systems detect that, although Uranos' damage and the Eternal War scars remain, the decimation caused by the Progenitor has been reverted. As Makkari and Jean wonder where Sersi and Ajak are, the latter descends, imbued with the Progenitor's Celestial power. She explains that Sersi remains dead since it was humanity's judgment. Proclaiming that she is now Ajak Celestia, the Eternals' new god, she tells Makkari that she will strive to be worthy of them if they strive to be worthy of her. Although dead, the Progenitor narrates. Tom and his family are alive, and he tries to process whatever secret his son disclosed when the world was ending. Katrina is venerated by her neighborhood, and she is letting it go to her head. A vision of Syne appears to Komali, and apologizes for taking Arjun's life when she resurrected; Komali laughs at the absurdity and then cries. Daniela continues working, but replies to a message from her mom faster than she would have before. Jada decides to sleep in until she gets a message on her phone that surprises her. Kenta tells his parents about his visit to the Eternal city and the people he met; his parents don't tell him that they had died, but find comfort that somebody looked after their child. After regaining the title of Prime Eternal from Starfox, Zuras reluctantly apologizes publicly to Storm, Nightcralwer for Druig's war on Arakko. As a treaty of alliance, he offers Storm the ability to employ Uranos for an hour. When Storm asks about Druig, it is revealed that he has been made Uranos' cellmate as punishment. Zuras also explains that the Eternals won't go to war against the mutants again, since he doesn't personally interpret the mutants' deviation to be excessive enough. After Zuras teleports away, Starfox prepares to leave the building, but he is driven back by an anti-Eternal mob. Jean Grey has set up the Phoenix Foundation to share Krakoa's gift of resurrection to the rest of the world, prioritizing the poor and disenfranchised. From the Treehouse, Cyclops contemplates a family of bystanders sporting Orchis merchandise. The Avengers hang out in the Avengers Mountain; Iron Man and Captain America walk down a corridor, and Tony jokingly brags about the Progenitor passing him and not Steve, but Cap shoots him down, pointing out that the Celestial was based on Stark and also tried to kill the Earth. Tony invites Steve to the pool in memory of Sersi, but Steve declines to meet up with Jada. He gifts her back a cup of coffee, and they contemplate the still-damaged city. Jada tells Steve that this doesn't prove anything, and Rogers admits that Jada was right, and ponders that maybe the Progenitor was right as well, since it's not a good world, but one never knows. In its narration, the Progenitor remarks that the Earth didn't pass as much as it failed. In an underground temple, Ajak Celestia reveres a statue of Sersi. The late Celestial explains that it was not worthy of judging anyone, and Ajak will work to become a worthy god. It expresses that Ajak will not make its mistake, that a species can't be judged in a single day, and that judgment is ongoing. Ajak walks past Makkari and steps out of the cave. The Progenitor states that every day could be the day the species goes too far, so one should act accordingly. Ajak stretches her fist forward with her thumb placed horizontally. The Progenitor declares that every day is Judgment Day.