WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Way of X #5, available now from Marvel Comics.
Mutant society has made tremendous accomplishments as of late, but none of these compare to the miraculous rescue of an entire world by the unlikely pairing of Nightcrawler and Fabian Cortez. By combining their powers, the two adversaries have managed to save an entire world. Not only that, but the latter of the two might even have the potential to save all the mutants of Krakoa from an upcoming threat.
In Way of X #5 (by Si Spurrier, Bob Quinn, Java Tartaglia, Tom Muller, and VC's Clayton Cowles), Nightcrawler is on the surface of the planet Arakko (formerly Mars) alongside newcomer Lost and the loathsome Fabian Cortez. Try as he might to bring these two to some sort of reconciliation over their shared past, the influence of Onslaught proves to be too great for them to overcome. The evil psionic entity drives Cortez to use his powers to overload Lost's powers to the point of killing her. In her dying moments, Lost latches onto the gravity of Arakko's largest moon Phobos, placing it on a collision course with the inhabited red planet.
Once the gravity of their situation is realized (literally), Cortez demands that Nightcrawler teleport them to safety, but the veteran hero has another idea. Just as Cortez supercharged Lost's powers to set this cosmic tragedy in motion, Nightcrawler wants Cortez to overload his teleportation ability in an effort to save the planet and avert disaster. It's a tall order, one that would sound like maniacal ravings if it were given by anyone else, but somehow even Fabian Cortez knows when to play the hero despite his instincts.
Ever since his first appearance in 1991's X-Men #1 (by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee), Fabian Cortez has stood out as exceptionally awful in a sea of despicable villains. Born into a life of unimaginable wealth and status, Cortez was drawn to anything that shook up the perceived doldrum of his luxurious existence. He became a member of the Upstarts, a group of mutants organized by the villainous Gamesmaster to hunt others for entertainment and sport.
Cortez is most notorious for forming the Acolytes under the guise of believing in Magneto's mission. He brought the team to the elder mutant's stronghold on Asteroid M before detonating the entire orbital base, all in the name of racking up a high score. In the years since, Cortez has started wars, been killed and resurrected, and been given a place among the heroes of S.W.O.R.D. Despite all of this, Fabian is still largely despised by his mutant brethren, particularly Magneto, and is treated with disdain and distrust.
However, in this situation, Cortez helps Nightcrawler as asked, saving Arakko in the process. Not only does this highlight just how much good he is capable of achieving, but it also demonstrates how Fabian's powers could potentially save his people from the pending threat of Onslaught. If Cortez can empower his brethren enough to overcome Onslaught's influence, then the psionic entity won't be able to draw any more power from the mutants of Krakoa. Unfortunately, by the end of the issue, it appears that Cortez may be out of commission at least temporarily.
After pushing his powers to the brink, Fabian Cortez is rendered comatose due to the exertion. To make matters worse, Charles Xavier isn't keen on bringing him back anytime in the near future considering the role that Cortez played in the Phobos incident, as well as his other recent disappointments. As far as Xavier is concerned, there are more deserving, less disruptive mutants who are better candidates for healing and resurrection.
If not for Xavier's string of questionable decisions over the past few months, this might not stand out as particularly foreboding or threatening. However, with the looming presence of Onslaught confirmed, it is possible that Xavier is being manipulated, especially with the mutant being one of the X-Men's best chances of overcoming their latest threat.