• Summary - X-Men/Alpha Flight 2

    The following issue summary was written by Robert Diehl as a part of Chronology.Net. This information is not to be reproduced without permission of the author.

    Issue: X-Men/Alpha Flight 2
    Date: Jan-86
    Story: The Gift: Part II (48 pages)

    Feature Characters: Scott Summers (Cyclops); X-Men Katherine "Kitty" Pryde (Shadowcat) and Lockheed the dragon, Piotr/Peter Rasputin (Colossus), Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler),

    Rogue, Rachel Summers (Phoenix II), Logan (Wolverine), Prof. Charles Xavier; Alpha Flight: Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen (Shaman), Elizabeth Twoyoungmen (Talisman), Dr. Walter Langkowski (Sasquatch), Jeanne-Marie Beaubier (Aurora), Jean-Paul Beaubier (Northstar), Heather McNeil Hudson, Narya (Snowbird), Eugene Milton Judd (Puck)

    Regular Characters:

    Guest Stars: Madelyn Pryor Summers (Anodyne); They Who Sit Above in Shadow

    Villains: Loki, Snow Giants

    Other Characters: Paul Domenic (Master Builder), Dr. Jeanne Chretien (Rockshaper/Earthmover), Phil Descard, Carla Ballenger (Cornucopia), Jacques Moreau (Brawler), Dr. Boyd Wilson (Beastmaster), Rodriguez (Pathfinder), Sam Ross (Living Library)

    Synopsis: Talisman, looking for Kitty, finds Domenic's sketchbook, which shows a degeneration of skill, and an old Viking village, and Rachel, crying because her father is going to have a son and not her (see last iss.). Then the ceiling collapses, and Rachel punches a hole through the wall to the Firefountain. When Talisman touches the fountain, it winks out for a moment, indicating it is magical in nature.
    Madelyne surreptitiously heals Wolverine of his berserker rages. He is unable to tell why he didn't continue looking for Snowbird, and Kitty suspects Beastmaster made him stop by controlling his animal nature. He goes now and finds Snowbird, curled up in a cave and dying. Pathfinder and Beastmaster appear and tell Logan there is no place for Snowbird and Shaman in the new world.
    Ross translates a rune stone that Talisman found: it is a dedication stone to Loki. Rogue strikes up a friendship with Northstar, whose mind she had absorbed last iss.
    Wolverine interrupts the party, having killed Pathfinder, and dumps Beastmaster's wounded body on the table. He and Ross explain that the fountain consumes all magic, and will kill all mystics. The teams divide on whether to support or reject the new world, and square off for a fight.
    Domenic reveals that the fountain also eliminated human creativity. Loki arrives to say it's still a good deal, and brings Snow Giants to force them to get with the program. Cyclops blasts him, and Rogue tries to absorb his power, but no go. The teams do, however, best the giants.
    Madelyn tries to save a wounded Ross, but Loki has taken back his gift. She pleads with him to let her save him, and he returns the power, under the condition that she no longer resists him. Loki thereby claims victory, but They Who Sit Above in Shadow intervene, declare him unworthy, and make him swear never to harm the teams. Loki leaves, taking back all his gifts.