X-Treme X-Men #3

Cover: Salvador Larroca

Title: Hell to Pay! (24 pages)

Writer: Chris Claremont
Pencils: Salvador Larroca
Colors: Liquid! Graphics
Letters: Tom Orzechowski
Assistant Editor: Frank Dunkerley
Editor: Matt Hicks
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas

Feature Characters: Storm, Bishop, Rogue (also in fourth flashback following X-Men #109 and preceeding flashback in X-Treme X-Men #2), Sage (also in second flashback following flashback in X-Men: the Hellfire Club #4 and preceeding her behind the scenes appearance in Uncanny X-Men #98), Thunderbird III (also in fourth flashback following X-Men #109 and preceeding flashback in X-Treme X-Men #1), Psylocke (deceased; also in first then second the third flashbacks all preceeding Captain Britain #8, also in fourth flashback following X-Men #109 and preceeding flashback in X-Treme X-Men #2), the Beast (leaves the team, next in X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land #1 to #4 then in New X-Men #114; all also in fifth flashback that takes place between the flashback and main story in X-Treme X-Men #1)

Supporting Characters: Maria Pilar Cortes, Commander Sandoval, Action Force

Villains: Vargas, Thais, Thaiis; Sir Gordon Phillips (in fifth flashback, next in Uncanny X-Men #388), Sebastian Shaw (in fifth flashback following flashback in X-Men: the Hellfire Club #4, next behind the scenes in Uncanny X-Men #98) Hellfire Club

Guest Appearances: Brian Braddock (last in Thunderbolts #45), Meggan (last in Excalibur #125)

Flashbacks: [1] Betsy Braddock's career as a supermodel. [2] Betsy Braddock as a special agent member of the secret spy agency S.T.R.I.K.E.'s Psi Division. [3] Betsy Braddock attends the Hellfire Club, but Tessa uses a show of force to convince her to leave before they can corrupt her. [4] Psylocke, Rogue and Thunderbird train in the Danger Room. [5] Celebrating on their first night in Valencia, Betsy surprises Neil by dressing as an Indian Princess.

The X-Men find Psylocke and Beast but are surrounded by members of Action Force. Commander Sandoval decides not to arrest them because the X-Men fought to save them. Thunderbird is overcome with grief Psylocke's death Rogue tells the others about Vargas and how he was able to counter whatever she tried to use against him. Bishop finds some of Vargas's skin and blood under Psylocke's fingernails. Sage analyses it and finds is not a mutant but also not quite human. The X-Men track down a hideout of Vargas's and attack letting out their grief. Although they lead to the capture of many of a crime gang they are dishearted that Vargas wasn't among them. Storm discovers that he was never there but had fooled them to make a point. Sage visits Beast in hospital and uses her ability to see mutant potential and develop it to accelerate the Beast's minor healing factor. While doing it she sees an image of the Beast further mutated. Sage then discusses with Storm her fear that Vargas is a living version of the Xavier Protocols, Prof. X's plans to neutralise mutants. The next morning Psylocke's body is escorted back to Britain on her brother's private jet, and the Beast and Storm agree that he needs leave. They are unaware that Varags is watching them.

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