Appearing in ""Back to the Present""
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- R.C.X. (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Ahab
- Quinn, Ahab's assistant
- Sentinels Omega Class
- Hounds
- Nimrod (Only in flashback)
- Sentinel Hierarchy (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- X-Men (Mentioned)
- Professor X (Charles Xavier) (Mentioned)
- Silkworm (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
- Mutants
- Human-Otherworlder Hybrids
- Mutant-Fairy Hybrids
- Humans
- Shi'ar
- Flock
- Robots
- Cyborgs
- Sentinels
Locations:
- Earth-811
- Earth
- South Bronx (Mentioned)
- Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters (Mentioned)
- South America (Mentioned)
- Earth
- Earth-616
- Earth
- Europe
- United Kingdom
- England
- Essex
- Cloud Nine (Mentioned)
- England
- United Kingdom
- Europe
- Earth
Items:
Synopsis for ""Back to the Present""
In the alternate future of 2013, Katherine Pride is connected to a series of machines. Ahab and Quinn watch her, while discussing how Rachel Summers managed to escape to the past, despite her normally being able to only project her consciousness back. As they watch the surveillance footage, they see Rachel disappear as Katherine primes a nuclear bomb. The resulting blast, and a security sentinel, meant Katherine was captured. They’ve tried to scan her mind, but her psychic shields are impenetrable. Instead, they seek to use the time warp residue from Rachel’s departure left on Katherine to send their own operatives back to recapture Rachel before she stops this future. As the machine powers up, Katherine screams in pain. But the power breaks her inhibitor collar, and she manages to phase, destroying the machinery as it implodes. As time repairs itself, she is at the heart of the tear, and her consciousness is set adrift in time.
2 years later, Widget appears in her place, and begins to repeat the phrase, ‘request external confirmation’. Quinn orders the Sentinels to scan it, and as they do so, Ahab appears in the room. He tells Quinn that he believes Rachel has sent a probe ahead before an attack. Ahab orders the Sentinel to seize it, but as it does so, Widget reacts in alarm, and disappears into the past, taking the Sentinel’s arm with it. Ahab vows to take revenge on Rachel, and goes to visit the Sentinel Hierarchy. It orders that Sentinels be adapted to time travel, to occupy all realities and eradicate mutants everywhere and when.
In the present, Excalibur return to the manor, as Rachel tries to take in all the changes that have occurred since she left. As she talks to Kitty, Feron emerges from the house, and begins to shout at Rachel for keeping the Phoenix force’s power. As he continues to rant, Rachel announces that she alone will return to the future, and that Excalibur must stay behind. They beg her to stay, but she has already initiated travelling to the future.
In 2015, Widget reappears, and is met by a group of parahumans, the R.C.X, who include Tangerine, Killpower, Albion and Dark Angel. Widget remains motionless as Tangerine scans it, before it flares into life, screaming about Sentinels. Tangerine sees into Widget’s mind, finding that it contains the consciousness of Katherine Pryde! On cue, Sentinels teleport in, and the R.C.X open fire. As Ahab and his Sentinels fight their way to Widget, it tries to escape through time, but is captured by a specially adapted sentinel.
Back in the present, Widget starts to materialise in Braddock manor, drawing the sentinel with it. Rachel sees Ahab through the time warp that has opened, and goes after him. Excalibur follow, to defend the members of the R.C.X. As they fight, Kitty is set upon by Ahab, but Rachel fries his prosthetic limbs. The Sentinel initiates a retreat, but manages to capture Rachel and Widget before teleporting away. As they disappear, the time warp shuts, and Excalibur are stranded in an alternate future. They decide that they have no option but to defeat the sentinels, or die in the attempt…