While some Consortium agents are on the job to execute Storm, another team is taking care of ‘ro, happily Remy and Rogue save her. Cyclops team arrives in time to prevent the other to kill Storm. After a fight, they neutralize them but Storm kill one of the guys in armor and flies away. The S.H.I.E.L.D take into custody the consortium agent in armor neutralized by Kurt’s team and say to him, Remy, Rogue and ‘ro that Colonel Fury want them back at the mansion. Cyclops team explore the scene of the fight and Sabretooth find a secret door. Kitty opens it with her claw (she cuts the electronic screw). Over the door they find an hidden slip with a clean tunnel straight out to the Hudson. But a S.H.I.E.L.D team arrives and here too they take control of the situation. Cyclops is reminded that he « has no jurisdiction ». Scott then receive a call from Hank asking him to come back without asking questions: There’s something serious. In the mansion’s park Nick Fury displays S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, questioned by Manelli he answers they are « People [he] recruited […], People [he] trust[s]… Just like you. » but he refuse to develop further what he means. Dugan, a young redheaded female agent inform him they lost contact with the transport carrying Fabian Cortez. It just vanished. Furry asks her if she has any theory about what happened. He closes the conversation commanding her to investigate further.
Somewhere in northern Africa at the open door of a S.H.I.EL.D. aircraft a bounded Cortez is delivered to the Consortium by a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
Everybody is now back at the X-Mansion . Beast spent the night trolling the archives to understand what is going on with Storm. According to all measurable parameters both Storm and ‘ro are the real deal. But there is something else: He found some very hold files that Charles wrote for some of them even before he got paralyzed. The truth is this: Magneto’s dream of mutantkind as the next evolutionary step for humanity is just a dream. Charles was at first seduced by the idea but when he investigated further he discovered there’s no old mutants. They die young. When Beast began to run numbers, he found out that « most of active mutants are in their twenties or younger.[…]. Only a comparative handful are […] mature. In all our records, in all the world I can’t even find any over the age of 60. […] the X-gene comes with a price.[…]». Scott then argue with Charles that the deterioration of Magneto began even before what Cortez did, as far as the adventure in the Savage Land with Rogue and Fury actually. Jean wonders if it is why Charles is now in a wheel-chair while six week ago he could walk. He doesn’t know. He then reveals what he believes: The mutant may very well be doomed by the very powers that makes them unique. « Our bodies are finite vessels […] the more power we use, the less is left to sustain our very lives. When young […] the output is less noticeable. But as we age […] everything become noticeably more finite. Eventually we all reach our limit. The well of power comes to its end and with it our very lives. » For years now he as searched for a solution on Earth and across the universe. He failed. The X-men are a bit angry against the Prof now. Rogue realize that it’s how Genosha could get away with mutant slavery: Simply in pushing them hard enough to make them die quickly. Then Nick Fury enters the conversation no matter how questionable was Charles decision to hide the truth the dream still stands. The X-men saved the universe twice and are still needed, even if they have the right to disband. If they condemn Charles, then they will have to condemn Logan too because he knew the truth. The dream stands. The dream of a future full of hope for all of humanity is still good. Charles took is decision and will have tt live with it, it is now to the X-Men to take theirs.
At sunrise--atop the onshore peak, midway along the Xavier estate, overlooking the mansion, and breakstone lake the x-men say goodbye to Wolverine. Beautiful moment, beautiful colors. ‘ro is there, and Kurt, who brought the beer, and Kitty, and Jean and Scott. She loved him and now al their hearths are broken. Scott, the one of his best days, doesn’t talks much but he still loves her. He isn’t angry or doesn’t show it. One thing will never change: He will be there for her if she needs a friend.
Cyclops then speaks as the leader of the X-Men: « I hate to admit it […], but Fury is right. Charles blazed a path. I hate the choices he made but this isn’t about him. We’re not fighting for equality or even understanding… This is about survival! I’m making my choice. I ask you all to join me. Time come my friends, for us to pick up that torch… and set things right. ».

Scott is the one who really shines in this issue. Good Jean, ‘ro, Hank and Nick Fury moments. Sabretooth seems to play along well for now. Young agent Dugan, probably of the family of Dum Dum looks cute and competent. Prof X doesn’t look bad. He did what he though the best. His choices were questionable but don’t tarnish his character. It appears he is neither a perfect nor a bad man.

The reveal in this issue is of course a retcon, neither the first one Claremont or other writers did, and certainly not the last one Claremont will ever do. All along the 80s Uncanny X-Men got its fair share of change in history that made possible some interesting stories that needed them, without changing what was essential. The Phoenix, originaly a malovent force, became the incarnation of life, Wolverine the psychopath became a smart fighter and an honorable samurai, and so on. Some secondary , though well known, characteristics where changed but not the essential.
X-Men Forever marks the returns of Chris Claremont to the X-Men at the point where he left them in 1991. It is in now way a simple continuation on old steam of evented stories . The book has its own premises and is Claremont is now setting up the ground on which the stories will be built.
It doesn’t seem possible to find mutants older than 60 years old. Most of mutants are in their twenties. Some are kids, very few are what we would all mature, which means probably in their late 30s and in their 40s. Fine.
It may be a bit infuriating to think so big a thing was kept secret for so long, it may even not seem believable it could be kept secret to the reader for so long. But for the reader, it doesn’t change a single thing.
It puts a sense of pressure on the characters. It makes necessary for them to live fully and intensely. For the characters this is important. For the readers not so much. We read the adventures of young people, most of them in their early twenties or late teens. They are the heroes of the story, we read about their present, a present where they are fully alive.
X-Men Forever will works on different basis than the other X-Men books or the movies. It is not 616, it doesn’t follow the same rules.
The X-Men will have new costumes in X-Men Forever and they will know that they won’t live very old.
Jean loved Logan and lost him. Her love was far more open than it as back in 1991. But Claremont is not writing 1991 stories: This is a beginning and we start with this slight change and the others stated above. What we see here is a story in the making. The future is unknown.
Scott and Jean will have to deal with this situation. The X-Men can’t count anymore on one of their most important member. Wolverine was one of their leaders, even if he didn’t want to make it official. Ororo is now a kid, barely adolescent and they don’t even know what is the truth about her and the traitor Storm. Both seem real and yet how could that be even possible?
There’s lot of doors open by the somehow arguable, and for some maybe even infuriating, changes that Claremont did to the X-Men continuity to launch this book.
But we can’t say it is a change in his working process, as far as his original run he always worked this way; and most of the time it turned out for the best.