Appearing in "Furnace of His Brain, Anvil of His Heart"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Dark Riders (Disbands)
Other Characters:
- Elektra (Elektra Natchios)
- Stick
- Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur) (Mentioned)
- Magneto (Erik Magnus Lensherr) (Mentioned)
- X-Men (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth
- Genesis Citadel
Items:
Synopsis for "Furnace of His Brain, Anvil of His Heart"
Continued from last issue...
Genesis has captured Wolverine and intends to re-bond Adamantium to his bones. As Cannonball and Zoe Culloden (who have broken into the citadel of Genesis in Akkaba Egypt) they overhear how he Genesis intends to reprogram Logan into being Death in a new version of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. He also explains that millions of Egyptians have been captured and placed in special sarcophagi that would channel their life forces into one that supposedly has the body of Apocalypse within, in the hopes of resurrecting their master.
Genesis orders his minions the Dark Riders to begin the Adamantium bonding and mind wipe process in the hopes of succeeding in this task. When Cannonball attempts to go out and attack, Zoe tries to hold him back, telling them it is not their time to interfere yet. When Wolverine's healing factor begins to resist the bonding, it causes Logan a great deal of pain, however Genesis and his cohorts press harder. Cannonball, unwilling to let his friend suffer pushes Zoe aside and she teleports away. With the bonding process beginning to succeed, Cannonball comes out of hiding attacking Genesis and the other Dark Riders and smashing some of the equipment. Although Sam catches them off guard, the Dark Riders soon knock the boy down and pile onto him, beating him savagely.
However, the system is so severely damaged, that Logan begins to resist as Lifeforce attempts to get things under control. It is too late however, and the holding tanks explode, showering the lab with Adamantium shrapnel, killing both Hurricane and Lifeforce. Wolverine however, is alive and well, and when Genesis tries to capture Logan, Cannonball gets up and blasts the two away telling him they have to stop Apocalypse from coming back from the dead. Blasting into the next room, Cannonball black out from his beating and crashes among the many sarcophagi.
Meanwhile, at a mountain top far away, Elektra is being directed by her trainer Stick to detect a warrior who has lost his way from the path. After some discipline from Stick, Elektra is able to sense him and agree that he has fallen from the path.
Back in Egypt, Sam revives to find that Logan is nowhere to be found and calls out to him to help. When he is attacked by Spyne, Wolverine attacks from the shadows and kills the lone Dark Rider. Then one by one, Wolverine slays the other Dark Riders: Deadbolt, followed by Gauntlet. Watching Gauntlet getting slaughtered convinces Dirt Nap to flee the scene. While this is happening Genesis has taken Sam hostage and is dragging the boy to the Creche of Apocalypse intending to move it to a safer location. However, when they arrive there, Logan makes himself seen and Sam points out that Genesis may not live to see Apocalypse's dream of survival of the fittest come true. This is because Genesis's experiments have somehow pushed Wolverine's evolution ahead to a more feral state and he attacks Genesis savagely like an animal. While Logan is slashing Genesis to death, Cannonball runs to the Crech and opens it, he is surprised to find that it is actually empty, making him wonder if Apocalypse was even in there to begin with.
When Sam turns around to tell Logan this, all he sees is the corpse of Genesis. From the darkness, Logan tells Sam to apologize to Cable for killing his son, explaining that he had no choice. When Sam asks if Logan is coming back to the mansion with him he is answered with silence. Sam realizes that they've lost Logan in more ways than one. While back at the secret home of Stick, Elektra understands that her mission is to locate Logan and train him how to find the path again.
This story is continued in Uncanny X-Men #332....
Notes
- Hologram cover version and regular cover version exist.
- Color separations by Electric Crayon.