"Collapse Theory"
We open with the preview pages. Forge leads Cyclops to the Vault and shows him his big gun. He explains that this is Project Blackbox and the gun will fire a baby black hole when the Vault opens, which will collapse and end the Children. Cyclops questions the extermination of hundreds of thousands. The Vault suddenly opens and the gun misfires.
The Children emerge and quickly overwhelm the two mutants. Forge loses a hand, Fuego's flames absorb and redirect Cyclops' optic blast. The Children are greatly evolved and extremely powerful. Cyclops is killed. A series of panels...
The Children are on Krakoa wasting the mutants. Colossus is brutally killed. Krakoa falls less than a day after the Vault opened.
NYC is burning and we're told the Avengers went down swinging. Ghost Rider is killed by Fuego.
The Children kill the Fantastic Four. Sangre drowns Thing, Fuego kills Johnny, Reed is dead on the ground, Serafina snaps Sue's neck. Did I mention they have greatly evolved?
Earth's mystics lasted the longest and Latveria was the last stand of mankind. Clea and Doom are killed.
The Children are insatiable and now they're on Asgard, having killed everyone and eating a feast on top of Thor's dead body.
Forge, narrating, tells us all of this happened. We see a flashback of Forge and Xavier privately meeting in the woods at night in the recent past. They're sharing a drink (scotch?), Xavier pouring it using his TK. It has become stronger after resurrection. Interesting. They discuss the containment of the Children.
Forge is leading Cyclops through the jungle to the Vault again, same panels as the opening page. This time we see what Project Blackbox really is.
He created a bio-dome "hack", a reality that activated as the Children exited the Vault. Their takeover of Earth and Asgard was a simulation that they believe to be real. The X-Men join them outside the dome as Forge tells them they'll be needed to handle the Vault's protecters while Forge goes inside.
It's a rescue mission for Darwin!
Magik explains to Firestar that Synch wanted to sit this one out (bummer!) and took monitor duty.
Forge puts on that strange suit we've seen, which Jean senses is co-opting Mystique's powers. The team fights the sentries guarding the Vault while Forge morphs into Ferro and steps into the red dome, which is a gate so only mutants can enter and exit. He changes back to his regular appearance as it seems everything is calm. His simulation has caught some of the Children.
As Forge is entering the Vault, he tells Caliban to wake up. That is indeed Caliban's face on his suit! Caliban is confused - last thing he remembers he was at the Red Lagoon with Forge. Forge tells him it's a long story which he'll tell him during their long trip. Forge tells him this will be easy, a "milk run" because nobody knows they're inside. Caliban will of course be assisting with the tracking and locating of Darwin.
But someone is watching him enter the Vault, a mysterious diamond looking woman (Serafina?).