Xavier inspects the ruins of Muir Island and finds X-Factor and the free X-Men held in a telekinteic field by Legion, who has been made the Shadow King’s new host body. The Professor and the Shadow King fight while Storm, who had remained hidden after her defeat by Legion, zaps him with lightning, causing him to loose control over the telekinetic field and retreat. Xavier and the free mutants come up with a plan, Xavier will engage the Shadow King on the astral plane, with Jean anchoring him and Storm, Cyclops, Colossus and Archangel shielding them from physical attacks, while Beast, Banshee, Iceman, Forge and Rogue will enter the lab complex to disrupt the Shadow King’s nexus. Xavier is not faring very well on the astral plane, as his astral injuries all show on his physical body too. First his legs are broken and he suffers more injuries. The lab team has to fight the mutants still influenced by the Shadow King, and many personal issues hinder them, like Banshee having to go up against Moira and Siryn for example. The team that is supposed to guard Xavier enters the astral plane too through Jean’s telepathy to help the Professor, yet this exposes him to physical danger in the form of Legion lurking around. The Shadow King now can destroy both Xavier’s mind and body, but before he fulfills his deed, Forge uses a neuro-synaptic weapon on Psylocke and while she is still dazed, he plunges her psychic blade into Polaris’s head, disrupting the Nexus and the Shadow King’s power source. The Shadow King vanishes, Legion falls unconscious and Xavier’s back is broken, but the X-Men won and the dream is still alive.