some gems are already missing, Gambit wants to ensure that Ororo's ruby remains safe. However, Gambit is attacked by an other-dimensional warrior named Shaitan, capturing Gambit and stealing the ruby. Shaitan then uses the gems and Gambit's mutant ability to empower them, thus opening the portal for his master, Khan (who, taken by Ororo's powers and beauty, wants to make her his queen). Ororo's X-Men oppose and defeat the invaders, but not before Ororo is seriously injured by Madripoor's ruling crime lord Viper (before the battle) and by Khan's harem (during the battle). Sage activates all of the powers that Rogue has ever imprinted at once, enabling Rogue to turn the tide of the battle. During the melee, Vargas returns to kill Rogue, after the diaries predicted she'd kill him. As Rogue is attempting to save Gambit, she gets trapped by that same energy that empowers the portal. While they are trapped, Vargas impales them both with a huge broadsword. Rogue uses the strength of Wolverine and the Hulk to overcome her injury, though Gambit remains close to death. Rogue finds Vargas and fights him in order to avenge Psylocke's death and his attempted murder of her and Gambit, as predicted in the diaries. The fight is filmed by a news crew and just as the camera loses power, Rogue is shown standing over Vargas with a sword, poised to strike. It is not actually shown if she kills him or not. In the midst of the battle in Khan's invasion platform, Lifeguard's power reacts unexpectedly to conceal her identity, leaving her permanently as gold-skinned, bird-like humanoid - revealing her Shi'Ar heritage. Her brother, Slipstream, reacts badly to this and runs off to parts unknown. The team succeeds in defeating Khan as other heroes join in the relief efforts. Storm, Rogue, and Gambit, all near death, are saved with the arrival of Jean Grey, as well as Nightcrawler and Beast. With the help of Beast's surgical expertise, Jean Grey telepathically pulls Storm and Rogue from the abyss of death, and helps Rogue do the same for Gambit (who views this as his one chance for salvation and pleads with Rogue to cross over with him until she pulls him back). Lifeguard and Thunderbird leave the title with this arc, going after Slipstream. Rogue and Gambit take time to recuperate. In the next few issues (19 and X-Posé 1–2) (arcs 6