THE EYE OF THE STORM

By Shawn Gauthier and Jeff Axtman

Beneath the sands of the Libyan Desert in Egypt, a storm is brewing. A tempest of earth-shattering proportions, the effects of which will be felt across the globe. Now is the calm before the storm, when Heaven and Hell hold their collective breath in grim and silent anticipation.

A storm is coming, and no one on this Earth will be safe.

He was born En Sabah Nur, meaning ‘The First One’. Now he is only Apocalypse, an ageless mutant born some two thousand years ago here in the scorching sands of the Egyptian desert. Over the millenia, he has learned to bide his time, and prepare for the moment with unnerving patience when he will finally cull the weak from the strong.

That moment is fast approaching, and Apocalypse knows it. His recent run-in with Cable and Master Mold while searching for Ozymandias proved to be a bitter failure. It had taken him a long time to fully recover from the injuries he sustained during that battle… perhaps too long. If he was to make his move, he would have to make it soon, with or without Ozymandias.

“Show me,” he says, his commanding voice echoing through the cavernous corridors of his underground desert fortress. “Show me, computer, what else has transpired during my slumber.”

Immediately upon his verbal command, four holographic screens materialize in thin air around Apocalypse, surrounding him in an irredescent light. The screens flicker for a few seconds, after which they explode in a fury of images and sounds. Newscasts from all over the world depict images of wars, natural disasters, violence, death, starvation, and disease. Several different languages report the events of the last several months, during which time Apocalypse hibernated.

Something catches his eye, and with a single spoken word, the technology projecting the holograms freezes the images in place. “Stop.”

He stares at the news reporter on the screen. A human woman, one of the weak. But she is not of his concern. Instead it is the story she is reporting that has piqued his interest. Another verbal command, and the holograms obey. “Enhance, frame 00127.”

The four screens now display the same woman’s unmoving face. Apocalypse gives another command. “Play.”

“…this deadly new plague has been verified by the center for disease control,” comes the recorded voice of the woman as the screens play back the newscast. “It has been called the Legacy Virus, and was unleashed into our atmosphere months ago by the mutant terrorist known only as Stryfe. Thought to be infectious only to mutants at first, we now have confirmation that this virus, which is transmitted through the air, and has a death rate of one hundred percent, has now begun to spread to the human population!”

“Stop,” Apocalypse says, his dark, steely eyes firmly fixed on the screens before him. “I have seen enough.”

He turns to go, and behind him the four holographic screens vanish. Apocalypse travels through twisting halls to a large conference room in the heart of his fortress. Gathered there are the beginnings of his personal army: the mutant named Dani Moonstar and Apocalypse’s technological assistant, Trial. Near the back of the room sits Tusk, a former charge of En Sabah Nur who has recently returned to the fold.

Upon Apocalypse’s entrance into the chamber, the three mutants fall to one knee and bow their heads in a sign of reverence to their lord and master. He motions for them to rise, but not before revelling in their veneration for a few brief moments.

“What is it, m’lord?” asks Trial, eager to repay the debt he owes Apocalypse for saving him from the neural disruptor that Cable implanted in him.

“Much has changed with the world since my supposed death and abandonment on the Moon not so long ago,” Apocalypse begins, casting a cold glance Tusk’s way. His former minion’s face shows his abashment for having been a part of that heinous act, blindly following the madman Stryfe. Apocalypse is pleased that Tusk is now on his side once again, and he turns back to the others to finish his speech.

“One specific event has been brought to my attention,” he continues, “and that is the release of the so-called Legacy Virus upon an unsuspecting mutant population. The very make-up of this genetic plague is a testament to my undying sentiment of the survival of the fittest. It alone could separate the weak from the strong on an as yet unheard of scale. And so, my chosen, I must have this virus for myself, to do with as I please.”

“But master,” says the young Cheyenne woman by the name of Danielle Moonstar, “how do you plan on acquiring a sample of the virus?”

For a moment, Apocalypse stares at Moonstar with an approving gaze. ‘I have transformed this one well,’ he thinks. ‘To think… not more than a few weeks ago, she was a part of X-Force… the enemy. Now she serves me with unwavering faith.’

“An excellent question, Moonstar,” he replies, nodding her way, “and one that deserves a fitting answer. You see, my chosen, I plan on using all of you to steal the information on the Legacy Virus from one of the world’s foremost experts on its research.”

With that, Apocalypse strolls purposefully over to the far wall of the chamber, and touches a hidden panel on the large stone wall. Suddenly, the seemingly solid wall begins to waver, swirling to reveal behind it a large screen, nearly the size of the entire wall itself.

“Computer, cross-reference designate: Legacy Virus research,” Apocalypse commands. Immediately, the large screen scrolls through all the information it had acquired regarding the mutant virus while Apocalypse hibernated. Finally, it stopped on a single list of names.

LEADING STUDIES IN LEGACY VIRUS RESEARCH:

NAME – LOCATION
Campbell, Dr. Rory – Mobile
MacTaggert, Dr. Moira – Muir Island, Scotland, UK
McCoy, Dr. Henry – Chicago, Illinois, USA
Majcomb, Dr. Renee – Genosha
Unknown – Mobile

SELECT ONE:

He stares at the screen with obvious interest, along with the rest of the assembled mutants in his midst. Intrigued, Apocalypse commands the computer to access the file on the unknown scientist. There is a brief pause as the computer sifts through all the information it has attained. Then the screen shifts, displaying the desired file.

UNKNOWN MOBILE SCIENTIST RESEARCH SUMMARIES:

VIRUS MAKE-UP
VIRUS TRANSMISSION
VIRUS INFECTION
HUMAN CONTAGION
VIRUS MUTATION
UNKNOWN STUDIES
UNKNOWN STUDIES
UNKNOWN STUDIES
UNKNOWN STUDIES
END OF RESEARCH SUMMARY

Silence fills the large chamber as Apocalypse looks up at the huge screen before him. His arms hang at his sides, his hands closed tightly into clenched fists, his legs spread apart in a wide stance. For what seems like an eternity, he does not move, apparently taking in what has just been revealed to him.

Finally, Apocalypse folds his arms across his chest in seeming triumph, a wickedly devious smile plastered somewhat awkwardly across his face. Still staring at the screen, he whispers to himself, “Ah, Essex… how often do you attempt to escape me, to conduct your precious research away from my prying eyes. It will not work this time, my hated enemy… for you have something that I require from you.”

Somewhere far from the desert sands of Egypt, in a hidden laboratory…

The lab is dark, except for the faint glow of the computer monitors and consoles that surround the lone figure. A gloved hand graces a nearby keyboard. Another is raised to a chiseled chin, gripping it ponderously. The monitor before the figure is filled with complex equations and formulas. Piercing red eyes fix on the screen as they study the calculations with obvious understanding.

The being called Sinister is – and always has been – a scientist. More specifically, he is a geneticist. Long ago, when he was known simply as Nathaniel Essex, he was transformed by Apocalypse to be his personal assistant. Eventually Sinister freed himself of the tyrant’s control, and has been hiding from him ever since.

Now, Apocalypse has finally caught up with him.

With sudden violence, the laboratory wall opposite Sinister explodes, sending debris flying in all directions. He whirls around just in time to see several mutants – some of whom he recognizes, others he doesn’t – enter the lab through a gaping whole in the shattered wall.

“Sinister!” cries the mutant he knows to be Danielle Moonstar. She stands at the front of the group of mutants, indicating to Sinister that she is their leader. “We are the Dark Riders, the chosen of En Sabah Nur, he who is the Apocalypse! By order of the High Lord himself, we are here to confiscate all your scientific research on the Legacy Virus!”

Calmly, Sinister stands facing the Riders. He seems to be studying them, each one in turn. Slowly, he walks up to them, still not taking his eyes off of them. “My dear Moonstar,” he says after a time. “Something has changed you. I sense great power within you, such as you have never exhibited before.”

She curls her lips into a sneer. “You know nothing of me, Sinister!” With that, she raises a hand, pointing it to the bank of computer consoles on the far wall. “Dark Riders, attack!”

Immediately, three Tuskettes form out of Tusk’s back and spread out in every direction, heading for the computer terminals behind Sinister. Tusk himself picks up several monitors and other various machinery and hurls them Sinister’s way. Trial tosses two silver orbs into the fray, which immediately transform into a couple of Hound/Phalanx hybrids of his creation. The savage monstrosities tear into the surrounding equipment, sending sparks flying. Moonstar shouts orders, never once using her powerful new mutant powers.

Sinister puts up a good fight, risking life and limb to protect his research from falling into Apocalypse’s hands. He fires energy blast after energy blast, each one managing to find its intended target. But against the ferocity of the two hybrids and Tusk and his Tuskettes, he is unable to keep tabs on all the players.

Away from the battle, Trial sneaks up behind one of the undamaged computer consoles. Out of his mechanical hand forms a data receptor, which he promptly plugs into the data terminal socket on the side of the computer. At once, he begins downloading everything in Sinister’s entire database. Trial’s eyes go blank during the exchange, as his systems are overwhelmed with the sheer magnitude of information he is receiving at once.

On the other side of the laboratory, Moonstar realizes Trial needs more time to make the complete download. Sinister is fending off the other Dark Riders well, so she decides to take matters into her own hands in order to distract him just a little longer.

She raises her hands, preparing to use her enhanced mutant powers fully for the first time. She concentrates on Sinister as he fights off a couple of attacking Tuskettes, focusing all her energy on him. Immediately there is a flash of bright white light, and there, standing before Sinister is his most feared enemy… Apocalypse.

Moonstar’s original mutant powers allowed her to force her opponents to confront their utmost fears on the battlefield of their own minds. It seems to her now that her powers have been dramatically boosted by Arcadia, and that she can somehow materialize her opponents’ deepest, darkest fears. In the case of Sinister, the one thing he fears above all is his former master’s wrath, and thus Apocalypse himself was transported to the lab via Moonstar.

The ancient enemies stand face-to-face for a time, staring into each other’s blazing eyes. Sinister does a good job of hiding his fear from Apocalypse as the staredown commences. However, it is Apocalypse who makes the first move. He transforms his arm into a large laser blaster, which he fires at Sinister at point-blank range.

Sinister flies backwards several feet, crashing into an already demolished bank of computer monitors. Slowly, he struggles to his feet, realizing he has a gaping hole in his chest. He looks up to see Apocalypse coming toward him, his other arm morphed into a large blade. Sinister begins mending the cavity in his torso hurriedly, his malleable form slowly closing the wound together.

“Apocalypse!” comes Moonstar’s voice from behind the two combatants. “The transaction is complete! We are ready to leave!”

As if torn between the information he desired and the opportunity to kill his worst enemy, Apocalypse hesitates with his arm blade held high above his head. He looks down at Sinister as he lies helpless on the floor of his shattered and broken lab, staring up at Apocalypse with a burning fury. Without a word, Apocalypse returns his arms to their original form and presses a small button on his suit. Instantly, he and all of his Dark Riders are teleported from the lab, leaving behind a dejected Sinister to sift through the wreckage of his once grand laboratory.

With a crackle of energy, Apocalypse and his Dark Riders arrive inside the large conference chamber of his underground fortress beneath the desert. At once, Apocalypse orders Trial to display the stolen information on the large computer screen for all to see.

Once again, Trial extends the data receptor from his hand and this time plugs it into Apocalypse’s mainframe, dumping the information from his sytems to the computer’s. Information on possibly every mutant on earth scrolls down the computer screen. Apocalypse realizes he can use the catalogue to his advantage in his search for mutants for his growing army of destruction. Needless to say, that pleases him immensely.

Suddenly, a girl’s image flashes across the screen. “Stop!” Apocalypse shouts to the computer, which immediately obeys his commands. “Computer, detail all known information on this female mutant.”

The computer seemed to consider the request for a moment. Finally, its answer came in the form of an extensive profile, with a small picture of the girl in the upper corner of the screen.

REAL NAME: Jacobs, Melody
CODE NAME: Threnody
MUTANT POWERS: Ability to absorb the energies released in death and rechannel them with destructive force
CURRENT WHEREABOUTS: Eastern Seaboard

“Threnody…” Apocalypse whispers as he touches her face on the computer screen gently. “Yes, you are one of the strong, girl – I can feel it. You are indeed fit to survive. Soon, your power will be mine to wield… and you will be the first of Apocalypse’s new Horsemen!”

NEXT ISSUE: That’s right, Apocalypse is forming a new group of Horsemen! Will his first recruit, Threnody, willingly become the Horseman known as Death? Find out when The Aggregation Of The Horsemen begins!