STORY: "Close Call" (21 pages)
The X-Men and Sunfire side with the Posse Comitatus against the Triumvirate. They also persuade Mikhail to give them a hand (he's upset about what happened the last time he used his powers, and doesn't really want to). Afterwards, Mikhail returns to Earth with Sunfire and the X-Men.

What you need to know:
Mikhail Rasputin turns out to have superhuman powers (hardly surprising given that both his siblings did). He's one of those annoying people with vaguely defined energy manipulating powers who can do pretty much whatever the plot calls for.

Mikhail reveals that he explored a previous appearance of the void on the Sakhalin Islands, and was pulled through. He was taken in by the Avatar (the present Queen's father) and married his other daughter. On discovering Avatar was a villain, Mikhail joined the Posse Comitatus. He used his powers in the war, and inadvertantly killed the Avatar, his wife and a fair number of his own people. None of which is actually really that important, but that's his origin story.

And as I said, Mikhail comes back to Earth.

Comments:
Pretty generic stuff, really. Superheroes in a fantasy world; Mikhail as the retired gunfighter convinced to take up arms once more in a just cause... You've seen it before. Again, not so much bad as very derivative - not to mention utterly inconsequential. The art's not much cop either; Portacio's mind seems to have been drifting onto other things by this point, but I'll come to that in a couple of issues

More importantly, Scott Lobdell starts scripting this issue. Byrne had been complaining of unrealistically short deadlines in which to script entire issues, and allegedly Lobdell scripted the entire issue in one night.  In fairness, while it's all a bit melodramatic, the dialogue doesn't read too badly.

FEATURE CHARACTERS
Professor X, Forge (both last in issue #284; both next in Wolverine vol 2 #51, then Professor X behind the scenes in Wolverine vol 2 #53, then in Wolverine vol 2 #63, #65 and #58 [sic], then both in X-Men Annual vol 2 #1), Jean Grey, Storm (both next in Wolverine vol 2 #51, then Jean Grey in Wolverine vol 2 #63 and #65), Archangel, Colossus and Iceman

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Mikhail Rasputin (returns to Earth in this story; his mutant powers are revealed; also in origin flashback which is his chronologically earliest appearance, preceding issue #285; next in issue #290) and Sunfire (next in Wolverine vol 2 #55)

VILLAINS
Avatar II (Sha-har-a-zath) and the Triumvirate (no further appearances for all)

GUEST APPEARANCES
Nick Fury (between Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD vol 3 #32 and Wolverine vol 2 #53), Henry Pym (between Avengers vol 1 #338 and #345) and Mr Fantastic (between Fantastic Four #361-362)

OTHER CHARACTERS
Primate, Adjunct and the Posse Comitatus
Avatar I (Avatar II's father) and Tra-mai-a-zath (Avatar II's sister; first and only appearance of both)

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