This is The Dead Zone: The Place Of Endless Echoes.

Look! Neutrino cries. It’s Xerodus!

They approach a glass coffin wherein a man-machine in full body armour stands with a ferocious black beast on the end of a chain.

All around them, stacked in glass coffins as high as the eye can see, are the bodies of The Vanquished. Look! Neutrino cries. Our old foe Metamorph!

Metamorph stands before them, encased in glass, a blaster in each of his eight hands.

So, The Anomaly says. He too is now one with The Vanquished.

I’m sorry, Neutrino says, as they approach a glass coffin wherein a man and woman are fixed holding hands.

It is my mother and father, The Anomaly says.

This is The Dead Zone: The Place Of Endless Echoes.

Is there no end to The Vanquished? Neutrino cries.

At that there is a sound. A slithering sound.

In the distance, at the vanishing point, three stars can be seen.

The stars approach.

Beneath them walks The X-Ray Kid. On his head he wears The Hood of The Snake, what is Miracle.

So, The Anomaly says. He too is now one with The Vanquished.

Behind The X-Ray Kid the body of the snake runs to the vanishing point.

The three stars descend and become as men: The Sons Of Men.

You should not have come here, they warn Neutrino and The Anomaly, in a voice like fire unsound. This is no realm for mortal men.

The X-Ray Kid remains silent. The snake upon his head lets out a hiss.

We followed our brother, who betrayed us, Neutrino says.

That was no betrayal, the stars say, in a voice like cold fire. The X-Ray Kid’s quest for The Singularity and his overthrowing of The Tower hastened his arrival in The Dead Zone: The Place Of Endless Echoes. He meant for you to remain on the other side. His mission must be completed alone.

Ye cold stars! Neutrino cries. How can you stand silent sentinel over this abomination? This obscene parade of The Dead?

This is The Dead Zone they reply, in a voice like silent thunder, The Place Of Endless Echoes.

We have scaled Heaven’s Gates to bring our brother back home, The Anomaly announces. And to free him from the mesmerism of The Black Serpent!

You can no more free him from The Black Serpent and have him live than you can cut the worm from his beating heart, The Sons Of Men reply, in a voice like frozen flames.

Try and stop me! The Anomaly counters and he draws his flaming sword.

But The X-Ray Kid lets off a blast from his eyes and The Anomaly and Neutrino are knocked to the ground, their very bones illuminated by its rays.

Neutrino clambers to his feet and attempts to rush The Sons Of Men but an invisible force field bars his way.

You may no more bring The Dead back to life than you may rewrite your own past, The Sons Of Men cry, in a voice like a far-off storm.