Weapon X (3rd series) #27

Issue Date: 
February 2019
Story Title: 
Weapon X-Force, conclusion
Staff: 

Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), Luca Pizzari, Alberto Alburquerque, Roberto Di Salvo & Ibram Roberson (artists), Frank D'armata (colorist), Virtual Calligraphy's Chris Eliopoulos (letterer), Rahzzah (cover artist), Jay Bowen & Anthony Gambino (graphic designers), Chris Robinson (editor), Jordan D White (X-Men group editor), C B Cebulski (editor-in-chief), Joe Quesada (chief creative officer), Dan Buckley (president), Alan Fine (executive producer)

Brief Description: 

In Hell, Sabretooth carries his son, Graydon Creed, as he walks with Mystique, Domino, Deadpool and Omega Red to the castle within Hell where Stryker is currently residing, as they plan to kill him. Sabretooth leaves Graydon by some rocks for safety while they convince the Devil that this time they are going to do things differently – they will kill Stryker and leave Hell, after everything that has been done to them, they deserve this chance. The Devil agrees, but as they near the castle, they learn that Mentallo is having more of the cult members killed in order to resurrect Stryker. Sabretooth instructs the others to return to Earth and have Azazel teleport them to Aspen where they can stop Mentallo, while he goes after Stryker. Sabretooth fights off demons before he finds Stryker who is in some sort of hybrid demon state. The others are teleported to Aspen along with Deathstrike and Monet, where they stop the cult members from killing themselves – until Mentallo is granted further powers from Stryker, and he is able to knock out Weapon X-Force. Stryker shows Sabretooth an image of the cult members preparing to sacrifice his friends so that he will be reborn. Torn between killing Stryker and saving his friends, Sabretooth leaves Hell and Azazel sends him to Aspen where he withstand's Mentallo's powers, but in the process is reduced to a primitive, savage state, stripped of his inversion. He dives into the cult members, rescuing Monet and the others, before Mentallo shoots him, and he falls into the pit of blades, becoming a sacrifice himself. Deathstrike then shoves her claaws through Mentallo, though he warns her it is too late, Stryker will return. Sabretooth falls into Hell, as Stryker is preparing to leave it – but he can't as Sabretooth decapitates him. Sabretooth then finds where he left Graydon and throws him into the portal, where he is reborn in Aspen before the members of Weapon X-Force. A horrified Monet wonders where Sabretooth is. The Devil finds Sabretooth, but decides that since he has been reduced to this state it would not be fair to keep him in Hell, that he needs to be mentally competent to appreciate the irony of earning eternal damnation while saving his own soul. The Devil then transport Sabretooth to Saskatchewan, back to the land of the living and tells him to earn his way back to Hell.

Full Summary: 

'We're going to save my son. We're going to kill William Stryker. And then we're going to fight our way back from Hell...and we're going to do it together' Victor Creed a.k.a. Sabretooth announces as he carries his adult son, Graydon, through the flames of Hell. Alongside him are Raven Darkholme a.k.a. Mystique, Arkady Rossovich a.k.a. Omega Red, Neena Thurman a.k.a. Domino and Wade Wilson a.k.a. Deadpool. 'Victor Creed with an inspiring speech? I can't believe my ears' Mystique smirks. Creed turns to Raven and tells her to believe them, and that he ain't fooling around anymore. He places Graydon on some rocks near the castle within Hell where Stryker resides and tells him to wait here, that he will be back and then they will get him out of here. Sabretooth asks his team if they are all okay with this, to which Deadpool points at someone and remarks 'You know... you might want to ask him'. Creed turns and looks up at the Devil, 'Yeah. This is your realm. What do you say?' Creed asks.

'Be my guest' the Devil responds as he hovers over Weapon X-Force. 'Sounds kind of ominous coming from him' Domino smiles. 'What are you talking about?' Deadpool replies, scratching his head. Domino explains to him that it is a pun: “Be my guest. My guest in Hell. Forever”. Deadpool then bursts into laughter, 'I get it!' he exclaims. Omega Red smiles and tells Domino that he gets it as well, but suggests that it is more a double meaning than a pun. Domino hangs her head, exasperated. 'Whatever. I ain't had it. The Devil's had his due. A thousand times over from every one of us. Every one of us has been cut up, tortured, experimented on and murdered more times'n we can count' Sabretooth announces. Memories flash through the minds of the others, as Sabretooth points out that they came to Hell – literally – to stop Stryker from murdering more of them all over again – and this time, it's going to be different. 'As you wish' the Devil replies, narrowing his eyes.

As you wish”? Deadpool quotes as he walks alongside Weapon X-Force, telling them that one is not quite as funny. 'It's not a joke' Mystique frowns. 'It's just the Devil telling us he's going to win in the end' she explains. Sabretooth tells her to shut up. “As you wish” Mystique quotes. 'He said before he just opens doors for people. We all just walk in on our own'. Mystique reminds Sabretooth that they are who they are, and they will all end up back here soon enough. 'I said shut up' Sabretooth snarls as they walk through more flames towards the castle, with Sabretooth telling the others that it is time to finish this. Suddenly, Omega Red points to a portal above the castle: 'New castle defense?' he asks as a red glow looms over Stryker's castle. 'I don't think so...' Domino replies, as she sees a platform above the castle, and standing on it is Mentallo with his cult followers, who are still performing their creepy ritual – trying to bring Stryker back to life. They see Stryker's body begin to re-form, and one of them declares that they are too late. Sabretooth disagrees and tells his team to get back to the surface and make Azazel send them to Aspen and slow the cult down. 'What about you?' Mystique asks. 'Stryker's mine!' Sabretooth declares.

In Washington DC, inside his lair, Azazel watches over the bodies of Weapon X-Force members, and notices Domino's begin to twitch. 'Done already?' he smiles.

Sabretooth meanwhile makes it into Stryker's castle, as Stryker's body continues to reform. 'STRYKER!' Sabretooth roars as a group of red-skinned, horned demons attack him. He fights them off, 'You ain't getting away from me!' Sabretooth calls out as he breaks past the demons and continues his search through Stryker's castle – 'I'm canceling the resurrection!' Sabretooth exclaims as he finds Stryker and lunges at him. 'NOOOO!' Stryker calls out.

In Aspen, Mentallo realizes that Stryker is under attack. 'Spill your blood now and bring him home!' Mentallo calls out to the cultists who continue to leap to their doom, jumping into a deadly pit of swirling blades. 'Spill... our... blooooood' the cultists chant. 'For you, Lord Stryker' one of them utters as he falls to his death. Suddenly, before any more cultists can fall,

Deadpool, Domino, Mystique and Omega Red are teleported into the citadel, along with Yuriko Oyama a.k.a. Lady Deathstrike and Monet St Croix. 'Not today, kids!' Domino calls out. Deadpool begins shooting at Mentallo, who runs in fear. He extends his thoughts out to Stryker, 'Reverend! Hear me now! I was a z-lister – a putz – until you lent me your infernal strength. I need that strength again now!' Mentallo pleads.

As he holds Sabretooth at bay, Stryker hears Mentallo's plea. 'You who have asked, Marvin Flumm – so shall you receive' Stryker responds, his own body in a transitional stage between human form and demon form. Sabretooth roars as he continues his assault on his hated foe.

'Hey, Mentallo! Meet Bullet-o!' Deadpool jokes as and Domino open fire – but their bullets are deflected by a forcefield that Mentallo constructs around himself. 'A sphere of pure psychic force? Isn't that usually above Flumm's pay grade?' Monet asks. Suddenly, Mentallo emerges from the force field, his body is now red, and wearing a black suit, he has a demonic form and grins wickedly: 'Haven't you listened to anything I've said this whole time? Anything is possible...with the right friends!' he shouts as he releases a powerful psychic wave that knocks back Weapon X-Force.

Back in Hell, Sabretooth has forced Stryker to the ground. His claws are ready to strike as he tells the Reverend that he would ask him if he has any last words, but he is going to tear his throat out so they will be more like last thoughts. 'Destroy me – or let your friends die?' Stryker asks, as a viewing pool appears above them, Sabretooth sees the cultists holding his teammates up above the pit. 'Spill their blood!' the cultists exclaim. 'Aah... they'll be fine' Sabretooth snarls. Stryker declares that Sabretooth really does belong down here, as all he knows is hate. 'You'll give up everything for it' Stryker points out. 'Look who's talking!' Sabretooth retorts, telling Stryker that he doesn't understand him at all, and revealing that he promised to get his son out of here, and is not leaving without him – no matter what. 'Then watch your friends die, you filthy mutant!' Stryker shouts. Sabretooth looks at the portal – Monet is about to be hurled into the pit. 'Dammit!' Sabretooth exclaims, tossing Stryker aside.

'Azazel! Take me to the others!' Sabretooth declares as he suddenly revives himself in Azazel's lair. Azazel sighs and mutters that it would have been much more convenient to have done this all at once. 'NOW!' Sabretooth roars. An instant later, Sabretooth appears in Aspen. 'Mentallo! Back off!' he shouts as he rushes towards Mentallo, who turns to Sabretooth and knocks him back with enhanced psychic energy. 'Excellent! The set is complete' Mentallo remarks, telling Sabretooth that he is nothing more than a weak-willed animal andthat soon he will yield – but Sabretooth fights back, forging on through Mentallo's attack, edging closer and closer. 'Ha! You're trying to fight it. But my mind is a thousand times stronger than yours' Mentallo boasts. 'Fine...if my mind's my weak point...I'm just gonna... looosse...' Sabretooth utters, before roaring and letting his animal instincts take over.

'Throw them in! NOW!' Mentallo booms – but before the cultists can carry out his orders, Sabretooth leaps at them, knocking them all backwards and forcing them to release their hold on the Weapon X-Force members. 'Fine' Mentallo mutters as he reaches for Domino's gun. 'We'll use your blood!' Mentallo declares as he opens fire on Sabretooth who was standing near the pit. Monet looks up, horrified as nearly a dozen bullets are fired into Sabretooth. 'Victor!' she calls out as Sabretooth plummets into the pit of blades – that cut him to shreds. 'VICTOR!' the shocked, wide-eyed Monet screams. Mentallo warns the rest of Weapon X-Force to get back, and aims Domino's gun at them – when suddenly, 'Oh look. I got to do something' Deathstrike mutters as she appears behind Mentallo and shoves her clawed hands through his chest. 'Too late. The sacrifice has been made...' Mentallo utters. 'And now my lord returns' he declares.

At that moment, Stryker laughs in Hell as a portal opens and Sabretooth falls from it, towards him. 'How sweet...that it is your sacrifice that frees me!' Stryker points out. 'No' Sabretooth snarls as he slices his claws straight across Stryker's neck, decapitating him. 'Didn't come back for you' Sabretooth adds as he hits the ground. Sabretooth wearily announces that if he is going to sacrifice himself, it is for his son, Graydon. Suddenly, Graydon's body is lifted from where Sabretooth left him earlier, up towards the portal. 'What?' Graydon utters, confused. 'Told you... told you I'd get you out' Sabretooth calls out to his son.

'What is happening?' Omega Red asks as a burst of energy appears before he and the others – Graydon Creed has been reborn. 'Sabretooth happened' Mystique snarls as she stands near Omega Red and Deathstrike. Domino and Deadpool are with Monet, who asks 'But... but what happened to Sabretooth?'

'Back again so soon?' the Devil asks as Sabretooth appears before him. Sabretooth is unable to speak, he simply growls, his eyes enraged. 'Ah. Mentallo couldn't stop you... but he's broken you, hasn't he?' the Devil realizes. Sabretooth simply growls in response once more. 'Or maybe just fixed you. Returned you to your true state' the Devil wonders. He frowns, as he can't enjoy this – Sabretooth came back for noble reasons, but he isn't mentally competent enough to appreciate the terrible irony of earning damnation while saving his own soul. 'No. I can't claim you like this' the Devil decides, opening a door which he beckons Sabretooth towards. 'Yes, beast. Look, a door... that's it. Go back to the land of the living' the Devil instructs Sabretooth, who crawls through the door, and finds himself in a forest in Saskatchewan. The Devil points out that Sabretooth is now free from that thin cloak of morality  and humanity he had tried so hard to pull around his shoulders. 'Go, my son. Embrace your true self once again... and earn your way back to Hell'. With that, Sabretooth turns and scurries off into the dark forest.

Characters Involved: 

Domino, Lady Deathstrike, Mystique, Omega Red, Sabretooth (all Weapon X-Force)

M II

Deadpool

 

Azazel

Mentallo

Rev William Stryker

Cultists

Graydon Creed

 

The Devil

Demons

 

Story Notes: 

This issue has the legacy numbering of Weapon X #55.

Final issue of Weapon X (3rd series).

Graydon Creed was killed in the classic X-Factor (1st series) #130. He was resurrected in X-Force (3rd series) #3 and killed again in X-Force (3rd series) #28, part of the “Second Coming” crossover.

Sabretooth was inverted during the “AXIS” event.

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