His name is St. John Allerdyce, a former author. He's also a mutant, with the ability to psionically manipulate any existing flames. Usually found with a flame-thrower strapped to his back and arms, he once went by the moniker of Pyro. He's also a former member of the Brotherhood of Mutants. Unlike them, he's infected with the Legacy Virus, a disease deadly to mutants. Recently, a cure has been discovered for it. However, Pyro never received that cure, and had to rely on injections which suppressed the virus, provided by the Brotherhood's current leader, the Dark Beast.

After being kicked out of the Brotherhood, Pyro found his way to the home of X-Men Omega, where he was exhausted. During the X-Men's battle with the Brotherhood, Pyro prevented Fatale from attacking any of the other X-Men by engulfing her in flames. After this, he collapsed from the strain on his body.*

(* What, you mean you haven't read last issue yet? Go do it now... we'll wait--Russ)

With the strain on his body, and the spread of the virus, Pyro was incapacitated in the X-Men's infirmary. Currently, he's being watched over by Crystalia Amaquelin Maximoff, also known as Crystal. She is the husband of Pietro Maximoff, the X-Man called Quicksilver. She is also the only non-mutant member of the X-Men. A former Avenger, Crystal is an Inhuman, with the ability to control the four elements (earth, wind, fire, water).

"How is he doing?"

Crystal turned to see her husband standing in the doorway, still in uniform.

"No change," she sighed. "He lost a lot of blood, and some gasoline from his flame-thrower seeped into his wounds. That's not helping matters with the virus, either."

"Warren is trying to contact Reed Richards or Henry Pym or Hank McCoy," Pietro informed. "They would know how to gain access to the cure."

"Hopefully..." Crystal muttered.

"You seem overly concerned about him," Pietro said. "Why?"

"He risked his life to save us," she began. "He didn't have to stop Fatale, but he did anyway. I'm just sick of all this death..."

Pietro put a reassuring hand on his wife's shoulder.

"I know what you mean."

"Activate it."

"Are you sure, sir?" Francis asked.

"Do I need to tell you again, Francis?"

"Not at all," Francis replied. He typed in a few commands on a keyboard. The large machine began to whir as it became activated.

Energy began to gather at the top of it, and slowly, it was channeled down before the man. He simply watched with rapt attention as it slowly began to form.

"So tell me, wings," Rogue began. "How's it feel t'be able t' fly without bein' weighed down?"

"Fine," Archangel replied, in his usual cold demeanor.

"How come y' hardly ever talk when yer usin' your powers?"

"Quite simply Rogue, there's nothing to talk about during battle," Archangel stated.

"Not really th' answer ah was hopin' for," Rogue said. "Somethin's up with ya, ain't it, Warren?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd prefer to fly alone."

Following his statement, he increased his speed, shooting past Rogue as if he were a comet.

"Fine, be that way," she muttered.

He is Victor Creed, also known as Sabretooth. He lives for destruction, for bloodshed. He thrives on suffering. And he loves every minute of it.

After defeating his arch-enemy Wolverine in combat,* he was captured and imprisoned, only to be rescued by an unnamed ally. This man told Creed where to find X-Men Omega, provided transportation, and dropped him off to allow him to do his job.

(* See M2K's Wolverine #1 - Russ)

Sabretooth shut off the power to the Worthington Estate, and waited. He killed several innocent people and left them in the estate for the former X-Man, Gambit, to find. He also took down Blink, the youngest X-Man.

His defeat came, and he was imprisoned here. Now, he's forced to work alongside the people he recently tried to kill. And there's not a damn thing he can do about it.

Without warning, a psi-bolt struck his mind. The shadows began to run together, slowly forming into a feminine figure. Against the sea of black, a red mark glowed brightly.

"Hullo Victor," Psylocke said, as the shadows melted down to reveal her.

"Well, well, well," Creed stated with a grin. "Have ya come back f'r more, babe?"

"You nearly killed me when last we did battle," she revealed. "That won't happen again."

She shoved his head back against the wall, the shadows slipping over his legs, and a psi-blade appearing in her hand.

"If you so much as breath the wrong way, I'll bloody kill you," she hissed. "I'll fry every synapse in your brain, and I'll enjoy doing it."

"Glad t'see that I'm startin' t' rub off on you," he said, the grin never vanishing.

"Go to hell," she stated, as she drove her psychic knife into his head.

His mind was a sea of darkness. Full of death and destruction. Psylocke carefully manuevered her way through it, searching. There was a spot in his mind that was blocked off.

"You're NOT keeping me out now, Creed!!" she exclaimed. "Let me in, or so help me god, I will start tearing your mind apart!!"

She proved her point by slowly destroying various aspects of it. One by one, the defenses slowly fell. As she moved on, she found something else blocking her way. This defense was far stronger than the others, and she found that despite all her efforts, she couldn't break through it.

"You think you can keep me out, Creed?!" she asked. "I'm insulted!! While I may not be able to get through, the Crimson Dawn surely can!!"

The red mark on her eye began to glow furiously, expanding, moving away from her, and forming into a giant, sword-wielding warrior who cut through the barrier.

Inside, Betsy Braddock saw the events that happened when Creed was freed. And now, she could see the man responsible.

He was a young man, in his 20s, with short, blonde hair.

"The name, Creed!! The name!!"

As she searched through his memories, she realized at last why he couldn't tell her.

Sabretooth didn't know the name.

Elsewhere...

That very-same man was now watching as the energy began to flicker, and it became one. The man who appeared stood. He was also a young man, early 20s, with long, silver hair.

"Wh-where am I?" he asked.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," the man stated. "Joseph."

NEXT ISSUE: Pyro at death's edge, Bishop on the brink of insanity, and Blink discovers more about her powers.

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