In Betsy and Rachel’s private mindscape, Betsy—dressed in her iconic pink bodysuit—has created a mental space modeled after the Excalibur lighthouse in Cornwall, serving as a “happy place” for Rachel. Betsy expresses concern about Rachel’s powers following her death at the hands of Charles Xavier, but Rachel reassures her that she’s recovering and will be fine soon.
Their conversation is interrupted by Marvel Girl—Rachel’s past version from the Reload era—who has timeslipped into the present. Marvel Girl is surprised to see Betsy in her original body, let alone dating Rachel. Suddenly, Rachel’s body begins to crack under the strain of her immense power. Betsy explains that Rachel is struggling to contain it.
At that moment, Mother Askani—Rachel’s future version—arrives alongside other past versions of Rachel (from Days of Future Past, House of M, Prestige, and Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire). Together, they converge in the present.
Mother Askani explains that Rachel sacrificed herself to save mutantkind, but without the Phoenix Force—which Jean Grey fully claimed and took into space—Rachel created her own fire, resurrecting herself without the Phoenix or the Five. However, Rachel’s body cannot yet contain all this energy, resulting in the cracks. While she heals, the excess energy has been siphoning into Betsy Braddock. Mother Askani adds that she and Rachel’s past selves have been timeslipping into the present to seal the cracks and wounds in Rachel’s body. According to her, the process is almost complete.
The private mindscape is then invaded by La Diabla, who expels Rachel’s future and past selves back to their respective times and places. Betsy manifests dual psychic knives and prepares to fight La Diabla, but the villain immobilizes her with alchemy. La Diabla observes that Betsy is more than just a mutant, remarking on eldritch forces swirling within her. She also notes Rachel’s inability to contain her full power. However, La Diabla is focused on Forge and banishes Betsy from the mindscape, leaving Rachel trapped and paralyzed.
Betsy wakes up aboard the X-Jet, where Forge explains La Diabla’s identity. Betsy warns that they need to rescue Rachel from the mindscape immediately, or she risks collapsing and unleashing a psychic detonation that would kill every mind within a thousand-mile radius. Forge deduces that La Diabla’s symbol was specifically designed to block Betsy. To counter it, Forge crafts a techno-spirit rattle, combining his shamanistic knowledge with his mutant abilities.
Using the spirit rattle, Betsy reenters the mindscape, now wearing her Outback-era armor and wielding a massive psychic sword. She ambushes La Diabla, driving her sword through the villain’s chest and engaging in a fierce battle. La Diabla is shocked by their resilience and hints that Betsy and Forge are more than just their mutations. In a climactic moment, Betsy destroys La Diabla psychically, expelling her from the mindscape. Betsy and Rachel reunite and awaken in the real world aboard the X-Jet.
Tank greets them cheerfully, but Forge scolds them, pointing out that if they had shared their problem earlier, he could have modified their X-Force uniforms to handle their excess psionic energy. As the team discusses their next steps, the X-Jet is struck by what appears to be a missile. It’s revealed to be Colossus, who tears a hole in the aircraft and threatens to kill them, seemingly under the control of a headband resembling Malice’s choker—albeit without the skull emblem.
“For so long, my life has been out of control. Chaos and serendipity, wrapped in insanity. I have suffered, I have lost. Not just my life, but my very soul, my self. But no more. Now I know who I am.” – Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Braddock, daughter of Otherworld, mutant, telepath, telekinetic, defender of the realm and, above all, X-Man.
