Iceman is falling through a black void after the death of his father in 1942. He suddenly finds himself in a crib making baby sounds and being coddled by his young father and mother but retaining his Iceman appearance. His mother dances with a toddler version of Iceman and remarks on his resemblance to an ice cube before becoming ice herself and then falling and shattering on the floor. Bobby's father angrily sends him off to school, now appearing as a normal young boy when he suddenly plows into a wheelchair-bound Charles Xavier. Xavier asks Bobby to carry him to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters but he is suddenly shot and Bobby quickly turns into a teenage puffy-iced version of himself as a member of the fledgling X-Men and accompanied by his original teammates. He turns back to his parents who speak to him of the dangers of being an active mutant but is pulled away by Hercules accompanied by other members of the Champions and insisting that the only life for him is as a member of a super-team. However, he is shunned by Darkstar and finds himself in tears and back before his parents until the Defenders appear and pull him into their fray, demanding he belongs with them. Iceman resists, however, and insists he has no desire to make a choice and only wants to remain in the black void of oblivion. Upon thinking this, Oblivion suddenly appears and welcomes Bobby to his realm.
