X-Men/Fantastic Four #5
Chapter 5
With an army of Brood attempting to invade Times Square, the combined forces of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four are there to try and stop them. However, the Brood outnumbers the two teams and they start to get stretched thin. This is because Mister Fantastic and the Beast are busy in the Baxter Building trying to cure Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Gambit, and Emma Frost after they were exposed to cosmic radiation after a mission in space. After calculating the risks, the two scientists agree that they must try to restore the four X-Men regardless of the risk. Activating the machines that will purge their DNA of the cosmic radiation, they wait and hope for the best. The first to wake inside the stasis chamber is Wolverine, who breaks free from containment.
Back in Time Square, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four are beginning to falter when they are joined by the Beast, Wolverine, Gambit, and Nightcrawler who manage to turn the tide of battle. However, this still doesn't stop the Acanti ships that are over their heads. Beast informs Cyclops that Emma has been cured as well and that she has gone back to the Xavier Institute with Mister Fantastic to resolve this very issue.
At the Xavier Institute, Mister Fantastic has boosted the range of Cerebra allowing Emma to use her telepathic powers on the Brood ships. Using her abilities she conjures up the image of both the Phoenix Force and Galactus, leading the Brood to believe that the Earth is doomed and tricking them into fleeing the planet. In the aftermath of the battle, Emma is reunited with Cyclops and everyone is brought up to speed on what happened. Mister Fantastic apologizes to Ben as the method to cure the X-Men cannot be used to cure him, but Grimm is okay with the situation, telling Reed that his day to be cured will come sooner or later. After the cleanup effort the Fantastic Four are invited back to the Xavier Institute where they engage in a baseball game with the X-Men. During the game, Sue and Emma have a sitdown and Emma confides in Sue that she has realized the importance of having a family.
Recurring Characters
X-Men (Cyclops, Emma Frost, Beast, Storm, Wolverine, Gambit, Nightcrawler), Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), The Brood
Continuity Notes
Mention is made to the Avengers not being able to help. This story happens following the events of Avengers Disassembled when the Avengers disbanded after the Scarlet Witch went crazy as depicted in Avengers #500-503 and Avengers: Finale #1.
