Chapter I: Deliverance to New Dark Ages

Section 1: The Fall of Apocalypse and Delegation of Nathan

X-Factor, which consisted of the original X-Men, were accompanied by the entity known as Ship and Sgt. Charlotte Jones of the NYPD. The Inhumans, a group of metahumans living on the moon, also joined them on their mission. Apocalypse had seized control of the Inhumans’ lunar refuge with the purpose of turning their people into an army of conquest. Some among the Inhumans’ royal family were transformed into Apocalypse’s “Riders of the Storm,” who would later be known as the Dark Riders. By the time X-Factor had reached Nathan, Apocalypse had infected him with a debilitating and potentially deadly techno-organic virus. X-Factor managed to “destroy” Apocalypse, and they assumed that he was dead.

Following the battle, a woman of the future, called Askani, arrived before X-Factor to offer her help in saving Nathan’s dwindling life. She explained to them that Nathan would die of the techno-virus without the treatment that he could only receive in the future to which she belonged. Nathan, watched over by Ship, was then brought to the future with the Askani (X-FACTOR #67-68).

Section 2: Background for a Future Under Apocalypse

The Askani delivered the infant Nathan to the construct known as Boak and an elderly, time-displaced relative of Scott Summers and Jean Grey. Rachel Summers was the daughter of the two heroes in a different, again alternate dimension. She lived as a mutant hound, subjugated and used by her human oppressors to hunt down and kill other mutants. She later came to the present day, was possessed by the Phoenix force, and joined a group of European adventurers named Excalibur. She was thrown into the timestream once again, and came to reside in this present future world, 2000 years further down the road from the present day. A recollection of how Rachel first founded the order of the Clan Askani is in order before the story of Nathan’s life in her war-torn world can continue.

Rachel was shunted to this cruel and unforgiving future world directly from her life on Muir Island in the later 20th Century. Once the confusion of her new surroundings subsided, she disguised herself to blend in with the oppressed peoples kept under warlord Apocalypse’s rule. While concealed from his notice, she befriended a young mutant that had a knack for building technological devises. His name was Blaquesmith.

Meanwhile, in a place known as Crestcoast, Apocalypse toiled to create a new armor to house his body and consciousness. His councilor, a sadistic woman called Nero, ran his empire in his place while he was preoccupied. She had the power to gain the mutant abilities of all those that she had killed over the years while under the service under her lord. Sibling prelates Ch’Vayre and Luminesca served her as she did Apocalypse. [[[[[Note: The presence of a young Ch’Vayre in this story contradicts established continuity.]]]]] Apocalypse told Nero of the creation of three warriors he’d engineered to test the strength of human and mutant alike.

In Antartica, a group of psi-talents known as the Order of Witnesses became aware of Phoenix’s prophesied arrival. They dispatched one of their own, Diogenes, to investigate. While Diogenes sought out Phoenix, Rachel, still disguised, infiltrated Apocalypse’s rebirth ceremony with the aid of her telepathy. She hoped to destroy him while he was incapacitated during his “rebirth.” As Nero discovered her own true motives, Rachel discovered that Apocalypse was not to be found where he was held to dwell. Nero made a move against Rachel and was overwhelmed by the raw power of the Phoenix force. Although defeated, Nero survived to fight again.

Diogenes approached Rachel and urged her to enlist the help of others in her quest for good. Over the next two years, Phoenix allied herself with warriors that fought alongside her. Her forces then consisted of the young Blaquesmith, the warrior robot Ozana, a water-being called Qua, Lexii, the sole survivor of a cloned sisterhood destroyed by Apocalypse’s infinites, and the daring Malachi Hark. Together with Diogenes, they continuously rebelled against their oppressors.

Her band investigated a site where Nero tested a deadly living virus against its inhabitants. A trap was set that claimed the lives of Qua and Prelate Luminesca. Phoenix sacrificed her own life to lay waste to the virus. Luckily for her, she rose from the ashes of death a few seconds thereafter.

Nero took Diogenes and his young companion from the Order prisoner. They were tortured, and Squy’rr, Diogenes’s companion, forfeited information to the enemy before he died. The Askani, as Rachel’s group was called, was forced to travel to Antarctica to defend the once secret Order of the Witnesses. But they were too late in arriving. The witnesses were dead, save for a young girl named Sanctity and her sisters, who the Askani defended with their lives. [[[[[A young Sanctity’s presence in this story contradicts continuity.]]]]] Nero killed Malachi Hark and fought Phoenix once again. To save her own life, Rachel bestowed upon Nero the Phoenix force, which nearly engulfed her. Rachel mercifully attempted to take back the Phoenix force before it could inflict permanent damage on Nero, but it broke free of them both and departed for the skies above. Nero chose to die along with the dome where the witnesses dwelled, which Rachel decided to detonate to keep its secrets from falling into the wrong hands. She went on to further establish the Clan Askani against Apocalypse, and she awaited the preordained arrival of young Nathan, her brother, who arrived several decades later (X-MEN: PHOENIX #1-3).

Section 3: The Death of the Future Incarnation of Apocalypse

Apocalypse, who oppressed all in this dark future, was in need of Nathan. Apocalypse’s current body had almost burnt itself out, so he needed a newer, fresher body as his vessel. He needed Nathan. Fearing that Nathan would soon die of the techno-virus, the Clan Askani created a healthy clone to ensure that Nathan would grow to fulfill his given destiny to destroy Apocalypse. The clone would later be known as the Chaos-Bringer, Stryfe.

Apocalypse attacked the Askanihold and kidnapped Stryfe, the unflawed clone. The Clan Askani was nearly wiped out during the attack. The remaining Askani sacrificed themselves willingly to ensure that Nathan would not come to harm. A machine was constructed which brought the lifeforces of Cyclops and Jean Grey to this future. They were to raise young Nathan. The two did not travel to the future in body, however. Their minds alone were pulled through time and placed into two bodies cloned from DNA remains gathered from their descendants. Cyclops and Phoenix met with the Mother Askani, who described their situation. Using her fading remnants of the Phoenix force, she invested in Scott and Jean the limited use of their familiar powers.

Nathan was discovered by Ch’Vayre, one of Apocalypse’s minions. The three attacked Ch’Vayre, and they managed to escape with the boy. Scott and Jean, who assumed the names Slym and Redd, raised Nathan after all, having previously forfeited him to Askani in the present.

Meanwhile, young Stryfe was being raised by Ch’Vayre under the care of Apocalypse for preparation of Apocalypse to possess. Stryfe grew to be a very powerful, formidable, and obscenely murderous child. Ch’Vayre secretly pitied Stryfe’s corruption along with his evil tendencies. But Stryfe was content in sin.

Stryfe and Nathan weren’t aware that one another existed, and they grew apart as a Prince and a Pauper. They both began to show signs of their great psi-abilities. Nathan’s powers were dampened, as he always had to use some of them to suppress the techno-virus of which he was afflicted.

Slym, Redd, and Nathan found a friend in the thing known as Prior Turrin. With Prior’s forces, they discovered a lab used to research the Legacy Virus [[[[[To be explained in greated detail further ahead.]]]]]. Apocalypse planned to have the virus adjusted to affect only humans. [[[[[An interesting side note: Stryfe used information regarding the Legacy Virus to unleash it upon mutants in the present day. Residual samples of the virus from the present may have possibly been used by Apocalypse in this future. So the virus may not have any point of origin at all. A similar conundrum presented by time travel is that Apocalypse named the clone Stryfe after a worthy adversary he once encountered in the present. Little does he know that this boy will grow to become the time-traveling Stryfe that he encountered. So like the Legacy Lirus, the origin-point of the choosing of the name Stryfe is also non-existent.]]]]]

Nathan lost control over the techno-virus. The spirit of Rachel Summers, previously departed after Scott and Jean arrived, visited him and helped him to regain some lasting degree of control over it.

When Apocalypse prepared to possess Stryfe, Slym, Redd, and Nathan killed him with Ch’Vayre’s assistance. Slym and Redd faded from Nathan’s presence back to their bodies in the past (our present), moments before they ever left them. Nathan was left abandoned in the future to fend for himself (THE ADVENTURES OF CYCLOPS AND PHOENIX #1-4).

Section 4: The Time Following the Abandonment of Nathan

With Apocalypse’s reign over the future ended, a new evil arose to take his place. The Canaanites seized authority of a world still reeling over the throes of oppression.

A teenage Nathan Dayspring and his friend, Tetherblood, are arrested for badmouthing the Canaanites. While imprisoned, Blaquesmith, who would serve as a mentor to him, befriended Nathan. With coincidental suddeness, Nathan began to feel sick. Blaquesmith investigated his health and found within Nathan’s chest cavity Ship, long absent notice since Nathan’s delegation unto the Askani [[[[[Ship chose to go by the name of “Professor,” and he would aid Nathan in his adventures.]]]]]. Nathan, with the Professor, Blaquesmith, and Tetherblood, managed to escape from the prison.

Meanwhile, the Canaanites discovered that the Askani were not extict, as was previously thought, and that their continued existence threatened their new position. They’d launch an expedition to destroy them once and for all. ‘Strator Umbridge of the Canaanites was assigned to head up this campaign, and to begin by locating the Clan Askani’s base so that her superior, Tribune Haight, can send in forces to destroy them. She soon found that the Askani were based in the legendary land of Ebonshire. Ebonshire was deemed by outsiders to be uninhabitable due to the vicious tendencies of its wildlife. But the Askani dwelled in this forgotten place, lead by the corrupt, self-aggrandizing, and insane Madame Sanctity, who was a direct disciple of the Mother Askani.

Meanwhile still, Stryfe and Ch’Vayre decided to restore the empire that Apocalypse once held. They created from an abandoned machine a Zero unit android to be of assistence to them. Within the ancient Sphinx, Stryfe descended ever deeper into madness. He attempted to re-animate long-dead legions of Apocalypse. Stryfe began to become aggressive towards Ch’Vayre, dissatisfied with how his guardian thought of him. Zero, at this point, revealed to his leige that only one other mutant would be capable of helping him increase in the use of his own power. This mutant was Madame Sanctity. Old Ch’Vayre is attempted to assassinate his ward, Stryfe, to prevent the evil boy from ever rising to become ruler. But Stryfe proved himself too powerful to be defeated by his elder guardian.

‘Strator Umbridge arrived at Ebonshire, albeit in a crash-landing, aboard the Gender Splay, a futuristic pirate ship. Nathan stumbled upon this ship. The entire crew was immediately killed by the aforementioned wildlife, the vicious Daegon, except for ‘Strator Umbridge. One such member of the Daegon species battled Nathan until Aliya, a young Askani, interfered. She quickly ended the battle using a psimitar, a weapon that focuses one’s psi-powers. They encountered and defeated another horde of Ebonshire wildlife, the Loci. Here, Nathan enjoyed his first experience wielding the psimitar. Aliya and Nathan brought the wounded ‘Strator Umbridge to Madame Sanctity for caring within the Askani base. Nathan, only then meeting this woman, asked Sanctity to teach him in the ways of the Askani. Sanctity instead left Nathan to Aliya. Sanctity revealed to Aliya that Nathan was the fabled Askani’son.

The inhabitants of Ebonshire adored Nathan, though he wasn’t quite comfortable in a position of adoration. While recuperating, ‘Strator Umbridge transmitted the location of the Askani base to Tribune Haight and the New Canaanite forces via a navigational signal. Hiding among the Clan Canaanite forces headed for Ebonshire was Nathan’s friend Tetherblood, come to assist his friend. Stryfe, Ch’Vayre, and Zero traveled to Ebonshire aboard the Canaanite ships as well, attaching their vessel to a ship’s outer hull. Stryfe rearranged Ch’Vayre’s mind to be loyal to him.

The Canaanites arrived and began their destructive attack on Ebonshire. ‘Strator Umbridge, still appearing to Nathan as a guest, attacked he and Aliya. Tetherblood appeared at the most urgent moment, and he killed her swiftly before she could do the same to Nathan and Aliya. While the battle raged on, Stryfe proffered Madame Sanctity a chance to join him, which she accepted. The battle turned against the Canaanites’ favor, and so Tribune Haight turned tail to escape. Nathan came between him and the way out to tell him that while the Canaanite forces fought, so would Nathan, Aliya, Tetherblood, Blaquesmith, and others to oppose them as the rebel group the Clan Chosen (ASKANI’SON #1-4).

Section 5: The Golden Age and Decline of the Clan Chosen

Years later, Stryfe’s own forces had grown. He managed to somehow kidnap Tetherblood and the Professor from Nathan’s own Clan Chosen, which had grown in number. They were led to believe that Tetherblood was a traitor.

Stryfe launched a psionic attack on Nathan, leaving him comatose. Nathan was dying. Aliya was sent 2000 years into the past (our present) to seek out the man called Cable, Nathan’s future self, and to bring him back to the future with her to save young Nathan’s life. Aliya soon returned with Cable and Domino, straight out of the year 1995. They met up with the rest of the Clan Chosen, who brought them back to their camp. Cable believed that he could only help Nathan with the assistance of the Professor, whom Stryfe possessed.

The Clan Chosen, with Cable and Domino, attacked Stryfe’s camp. While the rest of the Clan Chosen battled Stryfe and his men, Cable and Domino explored Stryfe’s camp in search of Tetherblood and the Professor. Before they could escape with Nathan’s allies, the real traitor to the Clan Chosen, a member named Korless, admitted to helping Stryfe capture the Professor and Tetherblood. Korless then attacked Cable and Domino.

Cable used the Professor to bodyslide them away and back to the Clan Chosen’s camp. The Professor and Cable worked together to help Nathan recover. The Professor sent Cable and Domino back to the year 1995. Nathan, Aliya, Tetherblood, and the rest of the Clan Chosen were once again united in their efforts to combat the evils of Stryfe and the Canaanites (CABLE #25).

Cable petitioned the Askani Council to meet the growing threat of the Alliance of Humanity and the resurgency of the Skornn. He was joined by the warriors Lark, Sepulcher, and Adam Spectre (X-FORCE LIMITED SERIES #2).

In one particular battle in the Grand Canyon, Nathan, Tetherblood, and other members of the Clan Chosen battled the Canaanites to keep them from their base camp. The base camp was protected by another member of the Clan Chosen, called Dawnsilk, and Nathan’s adoptive son, Tyler. Aliya, who had chosen the name Jenskot for herself, after the legendary Cyclops and Phoenix, was also at the base camp. When Nathan and Tetherblood returned to the base camp following the battle, they witnessed an explosion that destroyed it. Aliya had been fatally injured, and soon died in Nathan’s arms. Boak, another member of Nathan’s clan, revealed that the attack on the base camp was not made by the Canaanites, but by Stryfe. Stryfe had taken Tyler, Nathan’s son.

The Clan Chosen tracked down Stryfe to the old, abandoned Lake Michigan venting tunnels. [[[[[Stryfe wore the metallic armor that he now wears today.]]]]]

When they came upon Stryfe and his men, Tyler was among them. Tyler’s mind had been tampered with by the mutant Frisco. Tyler was corrupt and insane, truly one of Stryfe’s troops. He held Dawnsilk hostage and connected a neural-link to her. If Nathan attempted to bodyslide them out of the tunnels, her mind would suffer extreme damage. Nathan, left with no other choice, bodyslid his clanmates away. Dawnsilk’s mind was forevermore scrambled (CABLE #1: pages 1-10 and 25-30 with ads).

[[[[[Cable soon traveled back to the past, and to the era of his birth, only to return again to the future through the events of a cataclysmic clash with Stryfe on the moon. See preface of Chapter II for specifics. Also, see Section 11 for specifics on the character Kane and his circumstance for being in this time period]]]]]. The “Flatliners” attacked Kane and the Clan Chosen. Cable appeared and helped in the battle. General Haight’s new Canaanite soldier, Sinsear, debuts. He was given a mission to travel to the 20th Century to kill Cable. Sinsear had fought Cable before and wanted revenge.

The Clan Chosen planned to attack and infiltrate the Canaanites’ new Tinex machine (time machine). They infiltrated it and then used it to send Kane and Cable back to the 20th Century, to the time displacement core, at the bottom of the ocean. Sinsear was already in the 20th Century by that time [[[[[Note: The Clan Chosen then consisted of Tetherblood, Dawnsilk, Hope, Boak (who was with the Askani when baby Nathan was first sent to the future), and Eleven, part of the same series of androids as Zero.]]]]] (CABLE #1-2).