They travel through Jean's mind. Sinister was able to get past Jean's defenses due to the fact that the memories are not hers. As the group approaches X-Mansion they are attacked by the Goblin Queen. Jean, dressed in her original X-Men uniform apologizes, she is having trouble controlling her psyche. Psylocke compares Jean's dilemma to what Rogue goes through when she absorbs someone. Cyclops asks if Rogue can be brought in to help Jean cope. It is then that Psylocke discovers that they are trapped.

Sinister appears and smashes one of Madelyne's memories. Storm attack but it is useless in the astral plane. He captures Storm and threatens to reshape her mind, but Psylocke fights telepathy with telepathy. As Psylocke holds off Sinister, Jean regress through forms of Madelyne in her flight suit, and herself in her green X-Men uniform. The Madelyne side of her states that at least Sinister is evoking her vengeance for her. Both Wolverine and Storm try talking with Madelyne and Jean. Jean feels the situation is hopeless, one result of the Phoenix Force was the Dark Phoenix, the other was the Goblin Queen. Psylocke falters and Sinister offers Jean a blank slate, free from the two dark fates. Jean transforms into the Goblin Queen, the Dark Phoenix, and finally into herself in her X-Factor uniform. With that, she throws Sinister from her mind.

Sinister sits in front of a smashed desk in a musty room. A couple of strands of smoke rise to the ceiling. Malice leans against the door with a smug grin and asks if he's having a hard time. Sinister simply tells her that company is coming.

Jean has traced Sinister to his base: X-Mansion. As Jean, Cyclops, Archangel, Wolverine, and Storm lower into the Storm's loft, Psylocke scans the area. No one appears to be home. Scott stops Jean because he feels she's acting differently. Jean says that Madelyne is a part of her now. For what Sinister did to her, he must be stopped. Cyclops tells Storm that Jean's acting like Wolverine. Storm replies that she has good cause.

Psylocke and Rogue enter the hanger below the mansion. Rogue cautions Psylocke just in case there are enemies defended from her psyscan. As they walk down the hall, a pair of cat eyes glance in out from the shadows.

Dr. and Mrs. Grey are wearing a couple of Cyclops uniforms as they wait on the Ship. The Ship states that it can only detect a ghost of a fifth person. Longshot tells Beast that he is invisible to scanners. Hank is ready to leave Longshot with Dr. and Mrs. Grey, but the X-Man protests. Beast questions him, and Longshot admits to being uneasy after N'astirh made him into a wicked man.

Havok, Dazzler, Iceman, and Colossus approach the mansion via the Morlock tunnels. There they encounter a giant demons of Blockbuster who immediately strikes Colossus. Iceman encases him, but he breaks free easily. Iceman is knocked down by an ice shard. Dazzler's beams have no effect. Blockbuster picks her up and Havok blast the Marauder. Dazzler is astonished that Alex would kill the villain. Alex simply replies that he has changed.

Sabretooth attacks Psylocke. He gets ready to bite her throat, but Psylocke stuns him.

The upstairs group hears Jean let out a cry. Sinister has been through everyone's personal belongings, smashing them as he researched the X-Men. Malice attacks. Cyclops deverts a large piece of metal thrown at Wolverine, but Malice simple begins to propel the shrapnel. Jean blocks the metal pieces and Storm slams Malice tot he floor. Malice gloats that she can't be hurt without harming Lorna. However, the Marauder gets worried when Storm seems willing to make that sacrifice.

Later the teams meet together. No one has found Sinister. Storm tells Psylocke to scan Malice's mind as Jean holds the Marauder telekinetically. If need be, Psylocke is to remove Malice from Polaris. Malice pleas for her life, but not even Alex will budge. Either she tells them where Sinister is, or she dies.

The mansion explodes. Malice emerges from the rubble, yelling at Sinister. He did not warn her because he did not want the X-Men to take the knowledge from her head. Sinister picks up Jean and tells Malice to kill the rest. Longshot arrives and tells them that they'll have to kill him first. Neither Malice nor Sinister have a problem with that.

Review: Now *this* is why I'm a big Sinister fan. Things aren't going his way, he disappears until the time is right to strike. He makes his base of operation X-Mansion, and when the X-Men are all there, he just blows the place up. I'm with Wolverine on this one: "Man has brass."

Blockbuster, okay he didn't turn back, the X-Men didn't change back. What made them so different? Okay, I can understand that Blockbuster is a wicked person in the first place, but why weren't others similarly affected? Was it because the demons got to him physically? Okay, I guess I'm over analyzing a small point.

I don't know the repercussions of all this, but not even Jean has the high road attitude she had in Uncanny 242. Havok killed Blockbuster without even flinching, again contrasting his guilt for killing Dive Bomber. And no one seems to object to killing Malice even if it meant that Lorna would die.

Not much really spoke to me personally as far as the artwork goes. Still, solid art.

One of my favorite quotes is in this issue:

Storm: "That outcry - Jean!"
Wolverine: "Lady's full o' surprises. Didn't know she knew that kind'a language."
Cyclops: "Your influence, probably."