Exiles #94

The universe-shattering conclusion of Chris Claremont’s first arc on EXILES! This Earth’s Madame Hydra has brought the planet to its knees. Now she’s ready to deliver a final, fatal blow to her former husband, Reed Richards. Can this last hero standing stop his world from dying with the help of Psylocke and Sabretooth? Or will this be the first world the Exiles fail to save?

Reed and Sue face off in Reed's lab. She contemplates his offer to rule an infinite number of parallel worlds in exchange for leaving him with this one world. Their discussion is cut short as Wolverine is sent flying back, smashing into a wall. Sue is mad at Reed for having a trap set. Reed counters with the fact that Wolverine was sneaking up behind him, invisible, with his claws out. He tries to get Sue to think about his offer. She is more concerned with the discovery of Psylocke. Sue throws her around a bit and Betsy lets her body go limp and takes the abuse. As Wolverine walks over to put the finishing touches on her, she surprises him and makes quick work of him. This Wolverine is different than hers. He makes mistakes with his overconfidence. As Psylocke is about to finish Wolverine, she notices Slaymaster walk in. She is instantly reminded when the Slaymaster of her world tore her eyes from her head.

Outside, Sabretooth is trying to heal and tie up Blink and Spider-Man. He wonders where Morph and Longshot are since they are due to leave shortly. He hears someone coming and tries to prepare for it but falls over instead. He finds himself face-to-face with a little girl. It turns out to be Valeria Richards along with Elektra. Elektra introduces her and says she's the salvation of the world. Suddenly Heather calls with a transmission. It's time for them to leave the world before the entire dimension disappears. Sabretooth tells her that Morph and Longshot went looking for Betsy. Elektra tells him that if he takes Blink and Spier-Man, they will never be free of the Hand's brainwashing. Elektra and Valeria are determined that Reed will save the dimension before it's too late. Sabretooth has no choice but to stay and breaks off the transmission.

Back at Reed's secret base, Slaymaster notes the look on Betsy's face. He begins talking to her and Sue orders him to just kill her. Reed tries fighting to get Sue to release her hold on Psylocke when Wolverine stabs her from behind. Slaymaster isn't too happy because he feels the kill should have been his. Wolverine tells him it doesn't matter as long as they win. Slaymaster asks if that is fear he sees on his face. Sue chimes in again for them to stop arguing when she is slammed by a huge fist. Morph (in the guise of Juggernaut) and Longshot have arrived. Sue tries doing the killing herself, tired of waiting for Wolverine and Slaymaster to do so. As she fires more invisible blasts, Morph blocks them to protect Betsy's body. Wolverine goes after Longshot. Despite his moves, Wolverine falls at the hands of Longshot as he gets in a lucky strike.

Slaymaster starts talking to Sue. This causes her concentration of blasts to weaken slightly. She takes out Longshot with an invisible strike since he couldn't see that coming. She finds a device that Reed intended to use to banish them. She clicks the button and there is a bright flash of light. The entire dimension blinks out of existence. Heather, in the Crystal Palace begins to cry as she sees the dimension is gone off her monitors. She doesn't want to believe it since the systems have glitched before. She waits and waits until finally accepting that her friends are dead.

Time passes and the dimension is reborn. Everything is returned to the way it was just before the world blinked out. Reed's plan worked. He can barely hold his body in form as they leave his headquarters. It turns out that Reed was able to improve a plan based on Heather's comlink transmission. Sabretooth questions the fact that Reed went to a lot of work only to save three people. Reed tells them that he was able to save about two billion people. They were reduced in size and teleported into a pandimension that is accessible through the necklace around Valeria's neck. Even though Reed was able to save two billion people, five billion still died at the hands of his wife.

Time goes by as the world begins to rebuild itself. Elektra wonders where he place will be in their new world and whether or not she can stay with Reed. Blink wakes from her brainwashing finding Mr. Creed at her bedside. Reed is still healing himself but is able to walk around with a cane. Betsy is recovering also. She needs crutches to get around. As she sits outside looking at this world, she is joined by Longshot and Morph, who suggest she spend the day with friends.

In another dimension on another Earth, the Betsy of that world has a stranger come up to her. He comments on her beauty and she thanks him. The man appears to be Slaymaster and tells her a woman should always hear the truth before she dies as he slams his fist at her.