Keep the sword, Captain. I don't need one... and you might want to fall on it at some point in the near future. 
Appearing in "Vulcan’s Progress"
Featured Characters:
- Vulcan (Gabriel Summers) (Main story and flashback)
Supporting Characters:
- Captain of Warbird M'Kaedo
Antagonists:
- Emperor D'Ken (Only in flashback)
- Unnamed Shi'ar soldiers (Only in flashback)
- Imperial Guard
Other Characters:
- Major Christopher Summers (Only in flashback)
- Katherine Anne Summers (Only in flashback) (Death)
- X-Men (Only in recap)
- Professor X (Charles Xavier) (Only in recap)
- Cyclops (Scott Summers) (Only in recap)
- Marvel Girl (Rachel Grey) (Only in recap)
- Shi'ar Advance Scouts
- Galactus (Galan) (Mentioned)
- Majestrix Lilandra Neramani (Mentioned)
- Deathbird (Cal'syee Neramani) (Mentioned)
- Julius Caesar (Mentioned in narration)
Races and Species:
- Mutants (Main story and recap)
- Humans (Homo sapiens) (Only in flashback)
- Shi'ar (Main story and flashback)
- Strontians
Locations:
- Earth-616
- Outer Space
- Earth (Only in flashback)
- Europe (Only in recap)
- United Kingdom (Only in recap)
- Scotland (Only in recap)
- Muir Island (Only in recap)
- Scotland (Only in recap)
- United Kingdom (Only in recap)
- Europe (Only in recap)
- Shi'ar Galaxy (Mentioned)
- Chandilar (Mentioned)
- Earth (Only in flashback)
- Outer Space
Items:
- X-Uniforms (Only in recap)
- Cyclops' Visor (Only in recap)
- Shi'ar Stargates (Destroyed)
- Exospex
Vehicles:
- Unnamed Shi'ar vessel
- Shi'ar Warships
- Shi'ar Warbird M'Kaedo
Synopsis for "Vulcan’s Progress"
Vulcan journeys through the deep recesses of space, shadowed by the memories of his dark childhood. From the day he was ripped from his dying mother's womb, Vulcan was groomed to be a slave for the Shi'ar Empire. His horrific origins (revealed to him by the X-Men), now drive his insatiable desire of vengeance upon the former emperor D'Ken. After more than a week Vulcan encounters his first Shi'ar vessel and, without giving it a second thought, he destroys it. Vulcan then threatens one of its survivors into giving him directions to Chandilar, the Shi'ar throneworld. However he is told by the terrified man, that he requires a vessel in order reach his destination. Before being obliterated by Vulcan, the survivor also states that D'Ken has been catatonic for many years now. Searching for some other consolation, Vulcan turns his sinister plans on the Shi'ar people and their current leader (Lilandra). Afterwards, he locates three warships in the distance, and mercilessly destroys two of the vessels. The remaining warship has no choice but to surrender to Vulcan. In the days that follow he expands his knowledge of the Shi'ar, including the existence of Lilandra's older sister, Deathbird. The crew destroy each stargate they pass through in anticipation of the Earther's (X-Men) arrival. When the Warbird reaches the inner realms of the Shi'ar Empire, they are hailed from space. Declared enemies of the imperium they are ordered to capitulate their spacecraft... by the Imperial Guard!
Notes
- This issue is Chapter Three of the Twelve issue story arc entitled "The Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire"
- This is the first of three issues where the X-Men do not feature in the story arc.
- The scenes of Vulcan's birth were first shown in X-Men: Deadly Genesis #6. The flashbacks also take place in this limited series (see below)
Trivia
- A Shi'ar scientist claims that the throneworld of Chandilar's defenses are so great that they can hold back Galactus for days.