—Xi'an Chi XanBut we refuse to be categorized and quantified by any database -- our spirit is greater than the whole of the mega-corps combined. Here we celebrate and draw strength from our differences. Here we dare to choose our own destiny.
Appearing in "The Gathering"
Featured Characters:
- X-Men (First appearance)
- Tim Fitzgerald (First appearance) (Joins)
- Junkpile (First appearance)
- Cerebra (Shakti) (First appearance)
- Serpentina "Tina" (First appearance)
- Eddie (First appearance)
- Desert Ghost (Xi'an Chi Xan) (First appearance)
- Krystalin (First appearance)
- Meanstreak (First appearance)
- Bloodhawk (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Greater Nevada Syndicate (First appearance)
- Synge (First appearance)
- Noah Synge (First appearance; dies)
- Lytton Synge (First appearance)
- Desdemona Synge (First appearance)
- Sal (First appearance)
- Ramon (First appearance)
- Several unnamed enforcers
- Unnamed sniper
- Synge (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Several unnamed nomads
- Lawless (Mentioned)
- Eurydice (First appearance)
- Alchemax (Mentioned)
- Mutroids (Mentioned)
- Degens (Mentioned)
- Xavier (Mentioned)
- Magnus (Mentioned)
- Zhao (Mentioned)
- Del Ruiz (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth-928
- Earth
- North America
- United States of America
- Nevada (First appearance)
- Nuevo Sol Arcology (First appearance)
- Security Room (First appearance)
- Las Vegas
- Synge Hotel and Casino (First appearance)
- Synge's Stables (First appearance)
- Nuevo Sol Arcology (First appearance)
- Kingman, Arizona (Mentioned)
- Hellrock, New York City, New York (Mentioned)
- Nevada (First appearance)
- Saigon, Vietnam (Mentioned)
- United States of America
- North America
- Earth
Items:
- Neural Restraints (First appearance)
- Adamantium
Vehicles:
- Experience Van (First appearance)
Synopsis for "The Gathering"
Timothy Fitzgerald is introduced to a group of drifters and mutants in Las Vegas who take him into their desert compound. Many have a semi-religious devotion to the Desert Ghost (Xi'an Chi Xan), a mutant with the ability to heal with one hand and destroy with the other.
Elsewhere, the mutant Bloodhawk narrowly escapes being killed by some of the same X-Men who have taken in Fitzgerald.
Xan confronts billionaire industrialist Noah Synge, warning him to leave the mutants alone to live their lives. Synge shows up dead later, and Xan is assumed to be the killer.
When a sniper attempts to kill Xan at the Nuevo Sol Arcology compound, Fitzgerald narrowly saves Xan's life but he is still struck by the bullet and his fellow mutants run for safety.
