After a mutant riot and an anti-mutant riot in San Francisco, Norman Osborn tries to enforce peace by creating his own team of Dark X-Men to serve in much the same way the Dark Avengers did, using these teams to bring down the real X-Men.
The Dark X-Men: The Confession one-shot is written by Chris Yost and Craig Kyle of X-Force.
After the events of the "Messiah Complex" storyline, Cyclops ordered Wolverine to form a new X-Force team to act as his own covert black-ops squad, something Cyclops himself revealed to no one outside the team, in particular the co-leader of the X-Men and his lover, Emma Frost.
Also, in the Secret Invasion: Dark Reign one-shot, at the first meeting of the Cabal, Osborn promised Frost to leave the San Francisco mutant community alone, provided she kept them under control.
Trask's influence resulted in many states supporting the anti-mutant legislation, which in turn caused turmoil in the mutant community.
As X-Men try to quell the fighting across San Francisco, Osborn shows up to hold an impromptu press conference.
At the jail, Beast begins to hear voices in his head, and it is revealed that the real Charles Xavier is a few cells over, bleeding and injured, claiming that Osborn has done something to him that is impeding his powers.
They are intercepted en route by Pixie, who teleports them into the city, which is in a state of chaos due to the riots.
They impose a curfew, which is shut down by a group of mutants led by Hellion, who are attacked by the Dark X-Men.
The "Omega Machine" that Dark Beast is using on Hank McCoy is slowly eating him away, causing him great pain and torment.
Elsewhere, Frost and the Dark X-Men are finishing up quelling the riots and capture the team led by Hellion.
During the skirmish, Daken almost kills Avalanche, but Frost stops him in time, reminding him to avoid force.
While she examines the facility, Xavier speaks to her telepathically unbeknownst to Osborn and Dark Beast.
Back in San Francisco, Simon Trask gathers a group of Human Sentinels who are ready to destroy all mutants.
Magik meets up with X-Force to retrieve the imprisoned mutants while Psylocke, Kavita Rao, Madison Jeffries and Dr.
It is revealed that Dani Moonstar went to Vegas to make a deal with Hela, asking for a new ride home and a big sword, implying that she wishes to regain her Valkyrie powers.
Dark Beast goes to look for more subjects, but finds that Magik and X-Force have teleported them out, as Mindee had warned him.
The Dark X-Men face off against X-Force, with Frost and Namor revealing themselves as still on the good guy's team by taking out Daken and Mimic.
Osborn tells her to go ahead, but then realizes the sheer number of mutants as Pixie puts it, all of them X-Men, and in front of the camera.
Cyclops goes on TV to inform the world of Utopia, a place where mutants will be safe from harm and from persecution.
Osborn also holds a press conference in which he presents himself, his Avengers and his X-Men as the victorious side that managed to drive the mutants away.
Dressing to 'fit in' (Deadpool wears a set of flamboyantly pink shorts and shirt), Wade is nearly provoked into killing a group of a hecklers, until two teens tell him that no matter what, he's beautiful.
Content by the compliment, Wade lets the hecklers live and heads to a local bar where he beats up (and possibly kills) a group of sailors and the bartender.
Mockingbird and Ms. Marvel suggest that the team go to Utopia and help their friends, but Ronin disagrees and urges the other New Avengers to join him in killing Norman Osborn.