X-Factor #1



"Third Genesis"
Writer: Bob Layton
Pencils: Jackson Guice
Ink: Josef Rubenstein, Bob Layton, Jackson Guice
Color: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Mike Carlin

Grade: A-

Summary: Cyclops is living in Anchorage with his wife Madelyne Pryor and son, Nathan following his departure from the X-Men. He's struggling to come to terms with no longer being a superhero and Jean's death, leading to fights with Maddy. Meanwhile, Angel, Beast, and Iceman are moving out of the New Defenders base following the death of much of the team (see New Defenders series). Suddenly, Warren gets a call from Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four about something urgent and leaves immediately. Elsewhere, a young sailor is getting a drink at a pub when he's approached by a young lady. However, his mutant powers activate and he bursts into flames, much to the horror of the others in the bar. Back in the main plot, Warren meets Reed and he takes him to meet Jean (who was found to be resurrected in the Fantastic Four series). Warren calls Scott to come see Jean, who rushes out of his house leaving Maddy angry and distraught once again. Scott is struggling to decide how he feels about Jean's return, which is compounded by the fact that he doesn't have the courage to tell her that he's now married to Maddy. Beast and Iceman arrive and are overjoyed to see Jean again. Cyclops leaves to take a walk to come to terms with his feelings and Iceman and Beast convince him to join them in the new venture that Warren is organizing. Meeting with Cameron Hodge, Warren's college roommate, the five become X-Factor, a mutant team that also functions as a public relations organization to improve human/mutant relations. Meanwhile, the fire mutant from before breaks out from prison and goes on a rampage. The newly formed team rush to the scene and manage to subdue him and take him back to their headquarters. They find out his name is Rusty and he agrees to stay with them to control his powers. With that, the team agrees to stay together as X-Factor.

Thoughts: Phew! That summary was mouthful for sure! This inaugural issue is mostly setup, but it's good setup. Bob Layton manages to set up multiple character relationships that provide much of the dynamic for the early years of the series (i.e. Scott vs Jean, Scott vs Maddy, Hank and Bobby's bromance, etc.). I'm a huge sucker for "getting the band back together" stories and this is easily one of the best, along with the first dozen issues of the 5YL Legion. The dialogue gives us the sense that these are characters who deeply care for each other and have been friends for years, which makes the reader more invested in seeing them resolve the tension that exists between them after one of them being believed to be dead for so long.

However, we must tackle the elephant in the room: Jean's resurrection. I don't think many of you will disagree with me that bringing Jean back undermines the poignant ending of Claremont's original masterpiece. The Dark Phoenix Saga was one of the first instances that comic characters could not only change over time, but that the stories could have huge ramifications that pushed the characters forward in new directions. That being said, I think Layton tackles the issue the best that he can in this first issue. By having Scott feel awkward about Jean's return, it's clear he isn't attempting to skirt around the issue that the retcon brought to the X-Men franchise and actually manages to inject some very effective soap opera drama in the process. The suspense and tension between Scott and Jean only continues to get tighter as the series progresses until it finally boils over and Layton (and later Simonson) brilliantly string the readers along for the ride.

Overall, things are off to a good start and it only gets better from here.

Thanks! I've been meaning to do this for a while, but it took me a while to finally get around to it.

Of all the silly pretend deaths, near deaths, and resurrections Marvel has done, I've always though Jean was the one that made sense.

The whole point of a Phoenix is rising from the ashes, after all.. if Claremont didn't intend for her to come back, he should have chosen a different motif.

I've only read PADs X-Factor, but I'd like to get Simonsons run...I liked her on MoS and Steel.

Plus, Walt is the artist for most her run, plus fill-ins by David Mazzuchelli, Art Adams, Rick Leonardi, Steve Lightle...  Towards the end of her run, Weezie's other artists were Paul Smith and Whilce Portacio, too.

One important thing about X-Factor #1 to note is that it was done completely from scratch in under two weeks. Brian Cronin has the whole story here, but basically, they had the first double sized issue completed, and then two weeks before it was to be published, Jim Shooter suddenly decided it didn't work and told them they either had to redo the entire thing from scratch, or else they were off the title and he'd find someone else to do it. So Bob Layton and Butch Guice just started over and completely re-wrote and re-drew it. No idea what was in the original story, or why Shooter did this, but it's interesting to speculate.

That'll be a great thread, Pharozonk!

I'm also a sucker for stories that bring the old gang together, which is one of the reasons I enjoyed the Five Years gap so much in Legion of Super Heroes.

With X-Factor, however, I fear my  potential enthusiasm  as a big X-Men fan was  killed, and my enjoyment marred, by several problems with the whole concept of the team.

Jean returning from the dead? That had me so angry I gave up comics for many months. Scott abandoning his wife and kid? That was SO contrary to his character that I simply couldn't believe what I was reading. The plan to " help" mutants by fomenting hatred toward them? That was so awful that it had to be retconned into a nefarious plan after a year! (Or perhaps it was planned from the start by the creators, in which case the five main characters are bloody idiots).

Unlike most stories where the old gang comes back together, this series didn't start with the joy of being the Beatles again, or having Thomas and Buscema on Conan once more. X-Factor was so full of guilt and of a sad need to belong that it was painful to read. (It got better when the team beat Apocalypse and got their new uniforms after the Fall of mutants storyline, but the first few issues were more painful than enjoyable).

I was also sorry to see years and years of character development go down the drain. Hank, blue and furry ex-X-Man, who had such a great career as an Avenger? Back to square one. Angel, the retired hero who had become a company leader? Back to square one. Jean Grey, who had known triumph and cosmic tragedy? Back to square minus one, since not only was she returned to her pre-Phoenix persona, but all the growth that people who had mourned for her to move on beyond their pain was erased. Bobby? Well, nothing to say there. Iceman had never been very intesting up to that that point, except perhaps in The Champions. As for Scott, God... X-Factor was character assassination, pure and simple, as far as Scott was concerned.

When New Mutants first saw print, it was because Marvel wanted to put out a new mutants book and Chris Claremont rushed to propose such a thing, so that the fate of the X-characters would remain consistent. I am truly sorry that it didn't work the same way with X-Factor.

Perhaps it would have been better had the fifth member been Madelyne, as initially considered.

Obviously we have different opinions on this title, and I look forward to see what made you like it so much! Perhaps it will even make me change my mind!