X-Men '97: Season Two #4 Spoilers

Spoilers: X-Force followed the pull of the Opal of Ozymandias to an ordinary-looking American town secretly controlled by Clan Akkaba. Psylocke sensed that nearly every mind nearby had been fitted with psi-blockers, yet she also detected an ancient presence drawing the opal toward it. Although she did not believe they had found War, the signal suggested that they were finally closing in on the Horseman’s trail.

While Jubilee and Sunspot posed as stranded travelers, an elderly resident welcomed them inside before he and his wife revealed themselves as armed cultists. After subduing the pair, Jubilee warned Cable that the entire town appeared to serve Apocalypse. Cable, Psylocke, and Archangel encountered similar resistance inside the local elementary school, where they defeated more followers and stole their freshly laundered robes to infiltrate the Clan’s gathering.

At the ceremony, Ozymandias rejected a worshipper’s request to use Apocalypse’s rejuvenation chamber, insisting that it belonged only to his master and the woman chosen to stand beside him. He then presented Famine—Autumn Rolfson—wearing a bridal dress. Ozymandias recalled how her uncontrollable mutant power once caused food to wither in her hands until Apocalypse transformed her, while Famine boasted that she could now destroy far more than what was on her plate.

Convinced that Famine could bear Apocalypse’s heir, Ozymandias called her a far better candidate than Pestilence. He then warned her about Candra, who had joined Apocalypse after Rama-Tut’s defeat and became the only woman he regarded as his near-equal. Candra secretly persuaded him to share a fragment of his power, then attacked him in a moment of weakness and fled, using the stolen energy to become an immortal External—a betrayal Apocalypse never forgave.

Before the ritual could continue, Exodus arrived with his Acolytes and denounced Apocalypse as a fallen prophet, arguing that Magneto’s vision offered mutantkind a nobler path. Exodus then revealed that he had penetrated Ozymandias’s psi-blockers and that locating one of Apocalypse’s rejuvenation chambers had been his true objective all along. He intended to use the chamber to resurrect Magneto. As the rival factions confronted one another, Cable searched Ozymandias’s quarters and recovered enough prophecies to anticipate War’s next moves.

Ozymandias refused to surrender the chamber, and fighting erupted after Famine struck one of the Acolytes. Exodus ordered his followers to defend one another, while Ozymandias branded them apostates and commanded Clan Akkaba to purge them. After recognizing Rusty and Skids among the Acolytes, Jubilee warned X-Force that although they had entered the town searching for a man named War, an entirely different kind of war had found them instead.

X-Men ’97 Week, Part Five: Psylocke Takes on the Avengers

07 • COMIC BOOK

X-Men ’97: Strike Files Infinity Comic (Vol. 1) #6

Following the rescue of the imprisoned young mutants, the X-Force jet became severely overcrowded. Sunspot teased Archangel and Psylocke, suggesting that beneath their hardened exteriors they must feel proud of having saved the children. The team delivered the young mutants safely to the Xavier School, but remained aboard to avoid exposing their location or mission. Their caution proved justified, as Black Widow secretly observed the drop-off and attached a tracking device to the underside of their jet.

Running low on fuel, X-Force landed at one of Cable’s supply caches hidden in a snowy mountain region. Psylocke and her teammates were immediately confronted by the Avengers, who had tracked them there to arrest them for disrupting X-Factor’s government-sanctioned operations. Captain America attempted to persuade Cable to surrender peacefully, but Cable opened fire, triggering a full-scale battle between X-Force and the Avengers.

During the fight, Psylocke faced Hawkeye and attacked with silent, relentless precision. Wielding her katana, she rapidly overwhelmed the Avenger with her superior martial arts skills and prevented him from mounting an effective defense. Hawkeye desperately called for assistance, complaining that although Psylocke had barely said a word, she was thoroughly beating him. Hercules offered to help only after dealing with Sunspot, leaving Hawkeye struggling to withstand Psylocke’s assault alone.

The battle ended when Cable threatened to destroy the fuel cache and trigger an avalanche upon the town below, forcing Captain America to order the Avengers to stand down. As Psylocke and the others returned to the jet, Captain America warned Jubilee that X-Force’s extreme methods would eventually lead them too far. Jubilee admitted that this was precisely why she remained with the team: someone needed to keep its dark mission under control. With the Avengers unable to intervene, Psylocke and X-Force escaped and continued their hunt for Apocalypse.

08 • ANIMATED SERIES

X-Men ’97: Season 2, Episode 7 — “Strange Land, Savage Heart”

While the X-Men confronted the Acolytes in the Savage Land, Psylocke joined Cable and X-Force in tracking Apocalypse to a hidden lair beneath the Parthenon in Athens. Expecting a confrontation, the team instead discovered Apocalypse’s skeletal remains surrounded by fragments of his technology, suggesting that the immortal tyrant was dead or had somehow abandoned his body. Jubilee then found one of Gambit’s distinctive playing cards nearby, confirming that Apocalypse had resurrected him as the Horseman Death. The discovery shifted X-Force’s mission toward the possibility that Gambit now carried Apocalypse’s legacy and represented the greater threat.

X-Men ’97 Week, Part Three: Psylocke Uncovers Apocalypse’s Secret

05 • COMIC BOOK

X-Men ’97: Season Two (Vol. 1) #3

X-Force’s next mission took them to a clandestine auction of rare artifacts in Madripoor, where Pestilence unleashed her plagues in a desperate attempt to seize an opal recovered from one of Apocalypse’s tombs and regain his favor. When X-Force stormed the auction, Psylocke joined her teammates in battle and observed that the Horsemen had begun turning against one another. Pestilence confirmed her suspicions by declaring that neither X-Force nor Famine would stand in her way. Archangel ultimately defeated Pestilence, allowing the team to escape with the opal.

Aboard their jet high above the Pacific, tensions remained high as the hunt for Apocalypse continued. Psylocke stepped forward holding the glowing red gemstone and identified it as the Opal of Ozymandias. She recounted how Ozymandias, once a pharaoh’s son consumed by his pursuit of power, had been overthrown by En Sabah Nur—Apocalypse—and cursed with prophetic vision and eternal servitude as the chronicler of the tyrant’s deeds throughout history.

When Cable impatiently demanded to know whether the artifact retained enough power to locate Apocalypse, Psylocke remained unfazed. Purple butterfly energy bloomed around her face as she activated her psychometric abilities and reached into the memories preserved within the stone. The accumulated anger, pain, and relentless will to survive nearly overwhelmed her. More unexpectedly, she discovered the X-Men themselves woven into Apocalypse’s ancient past, revealing that their histories were far more deeply entangled than she had realized.

With Cable’s assistance, Psylocke pushed deeper into the opal’s memories. They witnessed the newly named Apocalypse vowing vengeance against the remnants of Rama-Tut’s empire while embracing Candra and testing her suitability as his queen. The visions then shifted to Ozymandias discovering Rama-Tut’s hidden technology, only to be ambushed by Apocalypse and transformed into an immortal seer condemned to record his conqueror’s deeds for eternity.

The visions continued as Apocalypse brought a massive boulder down upon the crusader Bennet du Paris to teach him that “survival is not enough.” Psylocke and Cable then witnessed Ozymandias advise Apocalypse to father an heir rather than continue searching for a new vessel. When the face of Famine suddenly emerged within the memories, the psychic connection surged beyond Psylocke’s control and violently hurled both her and Cable backward across the jet.

Archangel rushed to steady the shaken Psylocke as she voiced her fear that Apocalypse’s heir might already have been born and hidden from the world. Cable recovered and immediately relayed the revelation to the rest of X-Force. Their mission had suddenly become far more dangerous: they were no longer simply hunting Apocalypse, but preparing for the possible existence of his secret child.

PUBLICATION NOTE • ONGOING

The Story Continues

X-Men ’97: Season Two is still ongoing. Issues #4 and #5 are scheduled for release on September 2 and October 14, 2026, respectively. The story of X-Force and Psylocke then continues in Episode 2 of the animated series.

X-Men ’97 Week, Part Two: Psylocke Trains the New X-Force

04 • COMIC BOOK

X-Men ’97: Season Two (Vol. 1) #2

After Jubilee and Sunspot were successfully recruited into X-Force, Psylocke relentlessly drilled the young mutants in hand-to-hand combat at the team’s clandestine base. She pushed the young mutants far harder than their standard training sessions, emphasizing that their enemies strike to kill and there is no room for hesitation in X-Force.

Cable and Archangel interrupted the sparring session to distribute new tactical uniforms to the recruits. Cable immediately initiated a mission briefing, explaining that former Horseman War was actively establishing safe houses to orchestrate Apocalypse’s return. To stop this, X-Force needed to hunt down Apocalypse’s remaining Horsemen—War, Famine, and Pestilence—by utilizing the psionic tracking abilities of the mutant Caliban.

The team descended into the dark Morlock tunnels beneath New York City to search for their tracker. An encounter with an elderly Morlock named Annalee quickly proved to be a trap. X-Force was suddenly ambushed by a militant group of mutants known as the Acolytes.

A fierce battle erupted in the underground corridors as the Acolytes attacked through a thick cloud of smoke, courtesy of Amelia Voght. Psylocke engaged in close-quarters combat, utilizing her psychic blade to strike down Barnacle, while Cable exchanged heavy fire with Frenzy. During the standoff, the Acolytes revealed they were in the tunnels to recruit the surviving Morlocks into a new movement led by Exodus.

While the two factions argued, Jubilee located a terrified Caliban hiding in the shadows. After a gentle plea, Caliban agreed to point them in the right direction to stop Apocalypse. Unwilling to wait, Psylocke sneaked up behind Caliban and violently amplified his tracking powers with her telepathy, forcefully extracting the target locations from his mind against his will.

Jubilee was furious at the violation, shouting that Caliban had already been willing to help them. Psylocke remained entirely unrepentant, coldly stating that Apocalypse plans in eons and X-Force did not have seconds to spare. With the necessary coordinates acquired, Cable commanded the team to lock and load, leaving the Acolytes behind as they set off to eliminate the targets on their strike list.

X-Men ’97 Week, Part One: Psylocke Joins X-Force

01 • COMIC BOOK

X-Men ’97: Strike Files Infinity Comic (Vol. 1) #2

Believing that Apocalypse will eventually return, Cable recruits Psylocke and Archangel—both former victims of the villain—to form his new team: X-Force.

Reflecting on his past, Cable recalls the painful death of Askani, the woman who raised him. In her final moments, she prophesied that he would become the “cable” binding the past, present, and future. She explained that he was destined to carry this heavy burden and face Apocalypse because he is strong enough to endure the pain, and because the villain fears Cable’s deep understanding of human connections.

Snapping back to the present, a hardened Cable reveals his true intentions. He warns Psylocke and Archangel that X-Force’s foundational mission is not just to stop Apocalypse, but to absolutely and completely destroy him, giving them a final ultimatum: fall in line with the cause or get out of his way.

02 • COMIC BOOK

X-Men ’97: Season Two (Vol. 1) #1

Psylocke and X-Force investigated Clan Akkaba, a cult that worshipped Apocalypse, hoping to uncover details about his planned return. Because the captured cultists preferred death over revealing any information about their “High Lord,” the team decided to use a captive clansman as bait. Their objective was to lure out the Alliance of Evil, a group they believed were Apocalypse’s low-rent lackeys.

The trap worked flawlessly, drawing the Alliance of Evil into an abandoned bar where X-Force immediately engaged them in battle. During the violent clash, Cable and Archangel launched a direct attack against Tower, while Psylocke maneuvered to strike Timeshadow from behind.

After neutralizing the initial threats, the team cornered Stinger, the final remaining member of the Alliance. Psylocke stood by and remained completely silent while Cable interrogated their captive. During the interrogation, Stinger mistakenly assumed the team was the X-Men, prompting Cable to coldly correct her, remarking that they were nothing like the X-Men.

03 • ANIMATED SERIES

X-Men ’97: Season 2, Episode 1 — “Days of Past Future”

During a strategic briefing, Cable reflected on the impending reign of Apocalypse, declaring that their small group was all that was left to stop the villain.

Standing confidently with her arms crossed, Psylocke delivered a critical intelligence update. She informed Cable that she had successfully managed to pick up a trail of the last of his horsemen. Maintaining her composure, Psylocke further warned the team that their intel indicated this remaining enemy would be a bit of a handful.

After the blue-skinned Archangel asked what their next move should be, Cable stepped forward and handed a confidential dossier directly to Psylocke. She took the folder and opened it, carefully examining the contents alongside Archangel. As Psylocke studied the document—which revealed photographs of young mutants like Jubilee and Sunspot—Cable walked past her toward the ship’s cockpit, announcing that their immediate mission was recruitment.

X-Men Unlimited Infinity #142 Spoilers & Art

Spoilers: The X-Corps drop the floating island on top of Selene, where the thrusters roast her alive. Sunspot joins the others to check if Selene is really dead. Selene resurrects herself and declares that no child will ever be able to kill her.

In reality, Selene is trapped in a stasis chamber developed by Wiz-Kid, Trinary, Tempo, and Somnus. Mirage explains that keeping Selene alive but pacified is the best way to contain her, despite Tempo's protests. The other Externals have also been locked up in stasis chambers where they relive an endless cycle of their worst nightmares.

Most of the X-Corps disband, while Strong Guy heads back to the floating island. Mirage and Sunspot talk and reflect on what their next move should be now that the threat of the Externals and the war against Orchis are over. Sunspot explains that Madrox and Layla are staying on the island with their son because it's their home. However, Cerebra stayed in Nova Roma to catalog all the mutants killed by Selene. Rictor and Shatterstar have taken a break to spend some time together. Betsy reunited with Rachel. The Proudstar brothers went back to Camp Gozhoo to rebuild their village. Sunspot admits he has no idea what to do next. Mirage leaves for a meeting with Karma and Wolfsbane. Meanwhile, Cannonball arrives at the floating island and reunites with Sunspot. The two hug and share a moment of friendship. The future is unlimited.

The Krakoan Era is officially over for Miss Betsy Braddock!

X-Men Unlimited Infinity #141 Spoilers

Spoilers: Selene and Dani engage in a fierce one-on-one battle, with Selene boasting about her impending ascension to becoming a true External High Lord and dismissing Dani as insignificant. Despite Dani's best efforts, Selene easily catches and breaks her arrows. Meanwhile, the rest of the team, including James, Betsy, Rictor, and Shatterstar, are retreating, acknowledging that Dani is buying them time. They encounter and eliminate two zombie Orchis goons, with Betsy noting the persistent threat of Selene's zombie soldiers. Madrox appears, revealing that he and his duplicates have taken care of the remaining enemies.

Magma is eager to fight Selene but is reminded by Betsy that she and Khora are vital to the mission's success. Betsy coordinates with Roberto, who is ready with X-Corps Island and a team including Layla, Trinary, and Wiz-Kid. Layla expresses concern about testing new tech on Selene, but Roberto trusts his team.

The fight between Selene and Dani continues, with Selene attempting to drown Dani, who retaliates by striking Selene with her bow and stabbing her with an arrow. Betsy emphasizes the importance of isolating the battlefield to protect Nova Roma and the rescued mutants. A mutant circuit involving Magma, Rictor, and Khora is initiated to isolate Selene's palace.

As Dani prepares to leave through a portal with Shatterstar's help, she reveals that the fight was a setup for Selene's downfall. The mutant in the Cerebro-like helmet is revealed to be Cipher, whose abilities were used to hide X-Corps Island, thanks to Trinary's programming. Dani taunts Selene, implying that traditional methods can't kill a witch like her, as she disappears through the portal, leaving Selene in disbelief.

X-Men Unlimited Infinity #140 Spoilers

Spoilers: Selene's ascension is nearly complete as she grows in size and rises covered in blood. Every drop of blood that drips from Selene transforms into a creature. Betsy warns X-Corps that they need to buy time for Mirage's team to work. Betsy, Rictor, Shatterstar, Thunderbird, and Warpath group together to face the blood drones.

Meanwhile, Mirage's team (Magma, Cerebra, Khora, Velocidade, and Escapade) rushes to stop Selene. Mirage notes that Selene is holding Tempo prisoner in her grasp and that her ascension won't be completed if they rescue Tempo. Escapade and Velocidade manage to rescue Tempo. Magma seizes the opportunity to hit Selene with her lava. Mirage observes that Selene is using the full strength of her mutant powers to complete the ascension; Cerebra then intervenes and makes her X-gene disobey her. Selene loses her giant, bloody form and becomes enraged at having her ritual interrupted. Mirage points her arrow at her and says it's time to settle the score.

X-Men Unlimited Infinity #139 Spoilers

Spoilers: Selene walks through a pool of blood in her chamber, engaging in conversation and taunting Tempo, who is restrained on a large piece of bone. Tempo's powers have dramatically accelerated the External ascension process within just a few days. An explosion erupts from the top of Selene's palace tower. Mirage reaches out to the prisoners and calls for reinforcements: Magma, Escapade, Velocidade, and Khora of the Burning Heart.

Magma melts through the walls to liberate the prisoners. However, Dani warns that if the shackles were enchanted to suppress powers, simply breaking them won't suffice. After a power-boosting circuit between Cerebra and Khora, everyone's powers are restored. Despite this, Nova Roma remains besieged by undead guards. Madrox confronts the guards, multiplying into hundreds.

Betsy, Shatterstar, Rictor, Warpath, and Thunderbird hasten towards the palace, but their progress halts abruptly as Warpath gestures upwards. They behold Selene's near completion of ascension, witnessing her emerge from the palace, towering in size and drenched in blood.

X-Men Unlimited Infinity #138 Spoilers

Spoilers: Outside Nova Roma, Saul, in his dragon form, grabs Captain Britain and takes flight. Meanwhile, Rictor and Shatterstar keep fighting against Absalom and Nicodemus. Inside Nova Roma, Mirage leaves Thunderbird to deal with Crule as she heads towards the cells where Selene keeps the mutants imprisoned. Mirage encounters Cerebra and warns that more allies are arriving to join them. Thunderbird and Crule engage in a brutal and fierce yet balanced fight. When Crule gains the upper hand, Warpath shows up and chops off Crule's arm, freeing his brother. Despite Crule's contempt, he decides to face them both, but he's no match for the Proudstar brothers and ends up defeated. Shatterstar and Rictor join the Proudstars in Nova Roma, assessing the losses: with Crule, Absalom, and Nicodemus defeated, Gideon and Burke handled by Sunspot, and Apocalypse and Candra out of the picture, only Saul remains. Betsy continues riding Saul, soaring through the air, and orders him to land. With no choice, Betsy uses her psychic knife on Saul, knocking him out until he falls unconscious to the ground. Betsy informs Mirage that the Externals have been defeated and it's time to bring in the strike team.

X-Men Unlimited Infinity #137 Spoilers

Spoilers: Saul warns X-Corps that they shall not trespass any further, with Absalom and Nicodemus by his side. Betsy orders Mirage and Thunderbird to move forward, while she, Rictor, and Shatterstar stay behind to deal with the three Externals. Betsy attacks Saul with her psychic sword, but he stops it in midair. Saul transforms into a dragon, and Betsy jokes that in a fight between knight and dragon, the knight always wins. Meanwhile, Rictor and Shatterstar decide to switch opponents, with Rictor facing Absalom and Shatterstar against Nicodemus. Saul warns that Betsy falls short of her responsibilities and doesn't understand her potential as a vessel for magic. Betsy retorts that she's used to old mages questioning her worth, referring to Merlyn, and defends herself from Saul's attack with a large butterfly-shaped telekinetic shield. With a surge, Betsy climbs up the dragon's body and thrusts her psychic sword into its scales.

Further into Nova Roma, Mirage and Thunderbird encounter Orchis zombie soldiers and take them down one by one. The duo finds the pens where the kidnapped mutants are being held. Before they can free them, Mirage and Thunderbird are confronted by Crule, who seeks a rematch against Thunderbird.

Captain Britain Graces the Cover of "X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic" #141

The cover of "X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic" #141 features Captain Britain, signaling a continuation of the External Saga. Initially planned as a 20-part story from issues #121 to #140, the arc has been extended to 25 chapters, as confirmed by Steve Foxe's newsletter. Issue #145 is set to conclude the saga on June 24.

X-Men Unlimited Infinity #136 Spoilers

Spoilers: Shatterstar teleports Rictor, Thunderbird, Mirage, and Captain Britain to Nova Roma. Betsy notes that Selene's defenses have created a psychic dead zone around Nova Roma, making telepathic contact with X-Corps Island difficult. Mirage recalls how Nova Roma's citizens suffered at the hands of Doctor Barrington recently, emphasizing the need to stop Selene once and for all. Mirage mentions that Magma will soon play her part in the war against Selene.

Meanwhile, amidst the Amazon jungle, the X-Corps encounters an invisible barrier. Betsy identifies it as magic, noting that the Externals are skilled in ancient ways. Rictor raises the earth to gain a better vantage point, revealing that Selene has shielded the entire city of Nova Roma under a dome. Thunderbird considers punching the dome, and Shatterstar suggests blindly teleporting inside, but suddenly the dome opens for them. A blast of fire is launched directly at the X-Corps, and Rictor shields the team by knocking them back to the ground. Absalom and Nicodemus appear, challenging the X-Corps to a fierce battle. Saul intervenes, urging his comrades to calm down, as it will serve him well to unleash the beast within him once again, transforming into a dragon.

X-Men Unlimited Infinity #135 Spoilers & Art

Spoilers: In a dynamic battle, Sunspot and Solem overpower Gideon, leaving him defeated on the ground. Despite Gideon's resilience and warning of his ability to rebuild, Sunspot cunningly exploits the situation by seizing Gideon's fortune with the assistance of Sebastian Shaw, who gleefully betrays Selene. Meanwhile, Solem confronts Sunspot with the option of decapitating Gideon, leading to a revelation about the Externals' mutant-tracking software, which operates on a dead man's switch. Gideon offers critical information to Sunspot in exchange for his freedom, but Solem severs his hand to prevent further manipulation. As Gideon questions the team's ability to thwart Selene's plans, Sunspot, accompanied by Shatterstar and Trinary, departs, leaving behind a tense atmosphere of impending confrontation.

On X-Corps Island, Trinary and Wiz-Kid use Gideon's DNA to access the Externals' mutant-tracking software, contemplating erasing it to hinder Selene's plans. Layla Miller warns of potential consequences if Selene discovers the disruption to her supply chain, emphasizing the need for swift action. Observing from above, Betsy, Dani, and John recognize the urgency to confront the Externals directly, signaling a shift towards proactive engagement. As tensions escalate and plans unfold, the team braces for the impending clash with Selene and her allies, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown.

Dead X-Men #4 Preview

Dead X-Men #4

Writer: Steve Foxe

Art by: Vincenzo Carratu, Bernard Chang, David Baldeon

The Story: Everything ends! Prodigy, Dazzler, Frenzy, Cannonball and Jubilee have gone farther and have risked more than any X-Men team before. Now, at the end of everything, the final fate of Krakoa rests on these five mutants. Will the Dead X-Men save the seed of the future…or kill it before it can even be planted? Rated T+

In Shops: Apr 17, 2024

 

Marvel Preview: X-Men ’97 #2 Teases Psylocke Appearance

X-Men ’97 #2 features the return of Psylocke, a mysterious psychic ninja. News anchor Trish Tilby reports on Psylocke's recent activities, hinting at potential trouble caused by the enigmatic figure. Serving as a canonical prequel to Disney+'s animated series X-Men '97, this comic sets the stage for forthcoming adventures in the mutant universe.

X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #133 Spoilers

Spoilers: Thunderbird and Captain Britain discuss strategy while examining a map of Nova Roma. However, Gideon successfully disables the floating island's thrusters, causing it to plummet toward the ocean. Betsy contacts Dani telepathically, learning that although Trinary and Wiz-Kid expelled Gideon from the system, the thrusters are still failing. Dani warns that if the island hits the ocean, it could break apart. Betsy then asks Rictor to use his geokinetic abilities to prevent the crash. With time running out, Rictor summons earth from deep below the ocean, rising to catch the falling base.

Betsy inquires about the extent of the system damage, and the Madrox dupes inform her that they can repair it, but it will take time. Dani consoles Taki, who blames himself for Gideon's success. Trinary reveals that they managed to counter Gideon's hack during the battle and can trace his digital trail to find his operation. Sunspot overhears and enters the room, eager to confront Gideon. However, he is exhausted and depleted from boosting the island's thrusters, leaving him unable to take immediate action.

Dani expresses concern for Sunspot's condition and advises him to rest. Sunspot believes this is the opportune moment to retaliate against Gideon, who expects them to be weak and inactive. Dani suggests assembling a squad with Cipher and Magma, but Sunspot rejects the idea, opting to enlist the help of someone outside of X-Corps Island. He reveals that he has been accumulating resources and knows the perfect individual to assist them in bringing Gideon down.

In a penthouse atop a skyscraper in Chicago, Gideon converses with Burke, expressing his preference for high-rise living over Selene's choice of ruling from Nova Roma. Burke experiences a precognitive vision of violence involving metal and blood. As he describes it, their conversation is interrupted by the appearance of Solem.

X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #131 Spoilers

Spoilers: At the External Stronghold in Nova Roma, Cerebra, Tulkas, and Somnus are imprisoned, tasked with caring for mutant children. Suddenly, zombie Orchis troops throw a Jamie Madrox dupe into their cell. In a flashback, Dani discusses the plan with Jamie Madrox, with the latter emphasizing the need for more intel to stop Selene's ritual. Jamie Prime prepares his dupe for a mission by injecting him with a needle and syringe, requesting Betsy to induce psychic sleeping time before the injection. Additionally, Betsy installs subliminal pain nullifiers to alleviate any discomfort. Layla suggests using technology against the Externals' psychic defenses. With Wiz-Kid and Trinary's help, they implant a camera in the dupe's eyes to gather intel. Multiplying the dupes, they hope one will be captured by Selene's Orchis forces. The plan succeeds as two zombies seize a dupe.

Returning to the present, Jamie's dupe instructs Somnus and Cerebra to smile for the camera, knowing they're being watched by the X-Corps team. Thunderbird expresses relief at seeing the Camp Gozhoo children alive and praises their resilience, eager to rescue them and confront the Externals. Somnus and Cerebra inform X-Corps of the Externals' plan to gather mutants for Selene's ritual, revealing the existence of multiple cells like theirs. Determined to disrupt Selene's plans, Jamie's dupe volunteers to be chosen as the next sacrifice, successfully drawing the attention of Orchis goons. As he is carried away, he braces himself for what lies ahead, motivated by his commitment to Layla and Davey.

In Selene's chamber, surrounded by a gruesome scene of death and blood, the zombie Orchis goons present Madrox to her. Delighted by his presence, Selene prepares to feed on him. However, the attention shifts to a figure tied to the ceiling above Selene, revealed to be Tempo. Betsy realizes that Selene needs to manipulate time, using Tempo to achieve her ascension. Despite their revelation, the X-Corps team faces a new challenge as the camera feed is corrupted, prompting Trinary's alarm. Suddenly, Gideon appears on the monitor, taunting them with the Externals' ability to breach their systems, reminding them of the game they're playing.