''X-Factor'' is an American
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. ...
series published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in 19 ...
. It is a
spin-off
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
from the popular
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to ...
franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as ''
X-Factor (2020),'' written by Leah Williams.
''X-Factor'' launched in 1986, featuring the five original X-Men reorganizing as a group in response to the seeming outlaw status of the then-current X-Men team of whom Magneto was a member. In 1991, the founding members were incorporated back into the regular ''X-Men'' series, and ''X-Factor'' relaunched as a U.S. government-sponsored team incorporating many secondary characters from the X-Men
mythos. The series was canceled in 1998 after 149 issues.
The 2005 ''X-Factor'' series followed the mutant
detective
A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads t ...
agency
X-Factor Investigations. Written by
Peter David, the series drew acclaim from
Ain't It Cool News, and won a 2011
GLAAD Media Award
The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT) community and the issues that affect their l ...
for Outstanding Comic Book for the romantic relationship between
Rictor and
Shatterstar. The series ended in 2013 after 114 issues. The following year a new series, ''All-New X-Factor'', was launched featuring a new corporate-sponsored X-Factor team. It was written by Peter David and drawn by Carmine Di Giandomenico. It was cancelled after 20 issues due to low sales.
Publication history
Original team (1986–1991)
''X-Factor'' launched in 1986 featuring a team composed of the five original
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to ...
that debuted in ''X-Men'' #1 (1963):
*
Angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inc ...
– A millionaire heir, capable of flight by means of two feathery wings extending from his back.
*
Beast
Beast most often refers to:
* Non-human animal
* Monster
Beast or Beasts may also refer to:
Bible
* Beast (Revelation), two beasts described in the Book of Revelation
Computing and gaming
* Beast (card game), English name of historical Fren ...
– A brilliant scientist possessing bestial strength and agility.
*
Cyclops – Former X-Men team leader, with the ability to emit powerful "optic blasts" from his eyes (the origin of the optic blast are portals in his eyes from another dimension).
*
Jean Grey (Marvel Girl) – The long-time love of Cyclops, possessing
telekinetic abilities.
*
Iceman – A brash jokester, gifted with
cryokinetic (the ability to lower temperature around him and form ice) abilities.
Original writer
Bob Layton
Bob Layton (born 1953) is an American comic book artist, writer, and editor. He is best known for his work on Marvel Comics titles such as ''Iron Man'' and '' Hercules'', and for co-founding Valiant Comics with Jim Shooter.
Early life
Bob Lay ...
wanted ''X-Factor'' to be a reunion of the original X-Men, an event complicated by the extensive histories of the characters following the initiation of a new team of X-Men in 1975.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Angel, Beast, and Iceman wandered through various superhero teams. By 1985, all three were members of the
Defenders. With the monthly ''Defenders'' series already due to be cancelled, Marvel's editorial staff elected to have the other members of the group killed off in the final issue in order to free up Angel, Beast, and Iceman for X-Factor.
A more difficult task was the return of Cyclops and Jean Grey. In 1980, Jean Grey was killed during the seminal ''
Dark Phoenix Saga'', and since it was considered vital that the team have a female member, Layton opted to use fellow mutant
Dazzler.
Publicity material for the series began to appear at this time, with images of the team using a blank space or silhouette in place of the female member as a teaser mystery.
However, writer
Kurt Busiek had earlier thought of a way to add Jean Grey to the roster which somebody else suggested that became one of the most significant cases of
retroactive continuity
Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subs ...
in comic book history: Jean Grey had never actually been the Phoenix. Instead, the Phoenix entity copied Grey's identity and form, keeping her safe in a cocoon-like structure beneath
Jamaica Bay. Busiek related the idea to
Roger Stern
Roger Stern (born September 17, 1950) is an American comic book author and novelist.
Biography
Early career
In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine ''CPL'' ('' Contemporary Pictorial Literature''), one of the first platfo ...
, who related it to
John Byrne. Byrne wrote and illustrated ''
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
'' #286 (1985), incorporating Busiek's idea. Several panels of this comic were rewritten (by X-Men writer
Chris Claremont) and redrawn (by initial X-Factor artist
Jackson Guice) to depict the Phoenix entity as less malevolent than Byrne intended.
In order to join the team, Cyclops walked out on his new wife
Madelyne Pryor, an
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...
n pilot who bore a strange resemblance to Grey, and their infant son,
Nathan Christopher. These events, along with the resurrection of Grey in general, were highly controversial with fans.
The original X-Men disassociate with the current team because Professor X had placed their old nemesis,
Magneto
A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
, as its leader. The five original members set up a business advertised as mutant-hunters for hire, headquartered in the
TriBeCa
Tribeca (), originally written as TriBeCa, is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. Its name is a syllabic abbreviation of "Triangle Below Canal Street". The "triangle" (more accurately a quadrilateral) is bounded by Canal Stre ...
neighborhood of downtown
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
,
posing as "normal" (non-superpowered) humans to their clients. The mutants that X-Factor capture are secretly trained to control their powers and reintegrated into society. Through their "mutant hunting" they recruit a group of young wards:
*
Artie Maddicks – A pink-skinned, mute child who could project hologram-like images of his thoughts.
*
Tabitha Smith – A young woman who ran away from her abusive father, who can create handheld energy spheres that she can explode at will, which she calls "time bombs".
*
Rusty Collins – A former member of the
U.S. Navy whose
pyrokinesis first manifested uncontrollably, severely injuring a woman.
*
Leech
Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms that comprise the subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the oligochaetes, which include the earthworm, and like them have soft, muscular segmented b ...
– A green-skinned young boy, who can dampen the mutant powers of those around him.
*
Rictor – A Mexican teenager who can produce powerful seismic waves.
*
Skids – A runaway who could project a protective force field around her body.
Eventually, the team decides that the "mutant hunter" ruse did more harm than good by inflaming hatred, and blames it on X-Factor's original business manager,
Cameron Hodge, who is revealed as a mutant-hating mastermind.
Bob Layton and Jackson Guice wrote and illustrated, respectively, the first few issues of ''X-Factor''. They soon turned over creative duties to
Louise Simonson (writer) and
Walt Simonson
Walter Simonson (born September 2, 1946) is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' ''Thor (Marvel Comics), Thor'' from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known f ...
(artist). Despite their relationship as husband and wife, both the Simonsons have said they did not approach work with each other any differently than any other collaboration; in particular, though Walt occasionally contributed ideas, he did not co-plot the series with his wife.
In ''X-Factor'' #6 (1986), Louise introduced
Apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...
, who would appear in
multiple issues and become X-Factor's nemesis.
Louise Simonson placed the series in line with the darker tone of most of the X-Men franchise; after a year on ''X-Factor'', she remarked that "in real life all of my friends should be happy, but in comic books all of my characters should be miserable."
In ''X-Factor'' #10,
the Marauders, a group of mutant mercenaries, severely injure Angel's wings, which are later amputated. When an interviewer commented on the brutality of this turn of events, Walt Simonson replied, "Hey, that's nothing compared to what happens to him eventually."
Despondent, Angel attempts
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...
by detonating his airliner mid-flight, but Apocalypse rescues him and transforms him into Death, one of his
Four Horsemen, giving him metal wings and blue skin. Angel escaped Apocalypse's control, but these physical changes remain. He is renamed Archangel and becomes a much darker character, eventually rejoining the team in issue #36. Angel's replacement on X-Factor,
Caliban, turns to Apocalypse for more power in issue #24, with Apocalypse leaving X-Factor his ship in return.
In the 1989
crossover ''
Inferno'', Madelyne Pryor is revealed to be a
clone
Clone or Clones or Cloning or Cloned or The Clone may refer to:
Places
* Clones, County Fermanagh
* Clones, County Monaghan, a town in Ireland
Biology
* Clone (B-cell), a lymphocyte clone, the massive presence of which may indicate a pathologi ...
of Jean Grey created by the mutant geneticist
Mister Sinister. Manipulated by demons and tormented by Scott's rejection of her, Madelyne kills herself in a
suicide attack on X-Factor.
Wanting to do stories with more focus on X-Factor's teenage wards, Louise Simonson successfully petitioned editor
Bob Harras for permission to do a miniseries featuring them.
Following the miniseries, titled ''
X-Terminators
The X-Terminators are fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
History
The name "X-Men" was originally used by X-Factor at that group's inception. The five original X-Men (Angel, Beast, Cyclops, I ...
'', the characters left ''X-Factor'' and were moved to ''
New Mutants''.
In the last major storyline of the first ''X-Factor'' series, published in early 1991, Apocalypse kidnaps Nathan Summers, sensing that he would grow up to be a powerful mutant and possible threat. X-Factor rescue Nathan from Apocalypse's lunar base, but find him infected with a
"techno-organic" virus that cannot be treated. A clan of rebels from the future, known as the
Askani, send a representative to the present time to bring Nathan 2,000 years into the future to be treated. Fully grown, he returns to the 20th century as the
antihero
An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform action ...
, Cable.
X-Factor, the X-Men, and several minor characters team up to fight the telepathic
Shadow King in another crossover event, ''
The Muir Island Saga''. Afterward, the original members of X-Factor rejoin the X-Men and several characters from various X-Men-related series become founding members of a new X-Factor.
Government team (1991–1998)
Rather than end the series, Marvel hired writer
Peter David and illustrator
Larry Stroman to recreate X-Factor with new members, all of whom were already allies of the X-Men, and three of whom were involved in the ''Muir Island Saga''. The new X-Factor worked for
the Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metonym ...
, replacing
Freedom Force as the government's salaried mutant team.
Their relationship with their benefactors was often strained and complicated. The new X-Factor, debuting in issue #71, included:
*
Valerie Cooper – A U.S. government agent with history as both ally and adversary of the X-Men who becomes X-Factor's government liaison, carrying over from her duties as liaison to a prior government-sponsored team of mutants,
Freedom Force.
*
Havok – A former X-Man and brother of Cyclops who can manipulate powerful, but hard to control, cosmic rays. Havok serves as X-Factor's leader.
*
Multiple Man – He can create duplicates of himself on physical impact. He was previously offered X-Men membership, but he declined, opting instead to work at the
Muir Island research center.
*
Polaris
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...
– Havok's long-time lover, and also a former X-Man who can control magnetism. Rumored to be Magneto's Daughter.
*
Quicksilver
Quicksilver may refer to:
* Quicksilver (metal), the chemical element mercury
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Quicksilver, a bluegrass band fronted by Doyle Lawson
* "Quicksilver" (song), a 1950 hit for Bing Crosby
* ''Quicksilver'' (sound ...
– A long-running
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
character, and a former foe of the X-Men, who possesses super speed and a difficult temperament.
*
Strong Guy – A wise-cracking character who can re-channel
kinetic energy
In physics, the kinetic energy of an object is the energy that it possesses due to its motion.
It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its a ...
aimed at him, transforming it into muscular mass and power.
Lila Cheney
Tatiana Caban
Bethany Cabe
Caber
Caber is one of the Celtic gods of Avalon, a warrior god. Caber is a good friend to Leir and usually accompanies him in battle.
Cable
Danielle Cage
Danielle "Dani" Cage is a fictional character in Marvel ...
's former bodyguard.
*
Wolfsbane – A
Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
, former New Mutant who can transform into a
wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...
-like creature. Some artificial manipulation of her feelings cause her to love Havok, bringing her much conflict and frustration because she knows he loves Polaris.
The lineup was selected by the ''X-Factor'' editorial staff.
Legion was to be a member as well, but was dropped because it was felt the character was not suited to be a team player. David was instead given the option to use Quicksilver, which he has said was a pleasant surprise.
Commenting on his approach to the series, David said that his priority was to tell stories which developed the individual characters of the team, remarking "I feel there's nothing unique to the book if you come up with a generic plot and just plug in these characters."
David left in 1993. The series continued under writer
J. M. DeMatteis and artist
Jan Duursema, but struggled to distinguish itself among other X-books. Shortly after David's tenure on the book ended,
Forge, a former government weapons contractor whose mutant powers were his brilliant engineering skills, was added to the group; first replacing Cooper as their liaison after she had been compromised by one of Magneto's
Acolytes
An acolyte is an assistant or follower assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession. In many Christian denominations, an acolyte is anyone performing ceremonial duties such as lighting altar candles. In others, the term is used f ...
, and later as an active member. Cooper later becomes an active member as well, her marksmanship and athletic skills compensating for her lack of superhuman powers.
In a 1995 story, Multiple Man apparently dies of the
Legacy Virus, a deadly illness that attacks mutant genes, which is later revealed to have only killed one of his duplicates. Strong Guy is put into suspended animation after suffering a heart attack caused by the stress his extra mass put on his body. Wolfsbane, cured of her artificial love for Alex, transfers to the European mutant team
Excalibur
Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in t ...
. Havok leaves to infiltrate a mutant terrorist ring.
Writer
John Francis Moore and illustrator
Jeff Matsuda introduced a new X-Factor line-up, consisting of Forge as the team's new leader, Polaris, Cooper, and several new recruits:
*
Mystique – A
shapeshifting mutant criminal and master of espionage. Mystique is forced to join X-Factor following her capture by federal agents.
*
Sabretooth – A homicidal mutant criminal who possesses talons, heightened senses, and a
healing factor
With physical trauma or disease suffered by an organism, healing involves the repairing of damaged tissue(s), organs and the biological system as a whole and resumption of (normal) functioning. Medicine includes the process by which the cells ...
. Like Mystique, Sabretooth is a captive member that Forge uses special technology to control.
*
Shard – A
holographic
Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later re-constructed. Holography is best known as a method of generating real three-dimensional images, but it also has a wide range of other applications. In principle, it ...
computer program with the personality of the X-Man
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...
's deceased sister of the same name. Bishop is a time-traveler from a distant future, where he and Shard are members of
Xavier's Security Enforcers. The holographic Shard was brought to the 20th century with Bishop.
*
Wild Child
Wild child usually refers to a feral child; it may also refer to:
Film and television
*'' The Wild Child'', a 1970 French film directed by François Truffaut
* ''Wild Child'' (film), a 2008 teen comedy starring Emma Roberts
* "Wild Child" (''R ...
– A former member of
Alpha Flight who possesses heightened senses, fangs, and claws.
Afterward, writer
Howard Mackie injected more political and espionage elements into the series, a trend that culminated in the team's secession from government sponsorship. Multiple Man and Strong Guy appear again at the same time. Despite Forge managing to fix Strong Guy's problems, he does not rejoin the team. The popularity of ''X-Factor'' continued to dwindle and Mystique and Sabretooth, two popular X-Men villains, failed to draw in more readers. Wild Child mutates out of control, Mystique hunts down Sabretooth (who had kidnapped young Tyler Trevor Chase), and Forge breaks ties with X-Factor.
In 1997, Marvel attempted yet another revival. After various stories focusing on individual characters, a new team was gathered consisting of Havok, Multiple Man, Polaris, Shard, and other members of the X.S.E., Fixx, and
Greystone, that are brought to the 20th century. However, this version of the team disbands in the same issue in which they debut. In that issue, #149 (1998), Greystone builds a
time machine meant to take him and his compatriots back to the future. However, the device explodes, killing Greystone and Havok. Afterward, X-Factor disbands.
The time machine's explosion transports Havok to a
parallel world, populated by twisted versions of Marvel characters. He explores this strange world in the series ''
Mutant X'', which lasted from 1998 until 2001. Although Marvel planned to revive ''X-Factor'' as an ongoing title after ''Mutant X'' ended, this did not happen for another 4 years.
Volume 2 (2002 miniseries)
A four-issue ''X-Factor'' limited series was launched in 2002. This series focused on the government's new Mutant Civil Rights Task Force, which consisted of humans who investigated anti-mutant
hate crimes and inadvertently discovered an anti-mutant
conspiracy
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agr ...
within their own ranks. This series focused heavily on the "mutants as a metaphor for minorities" aspects of the X-Men concept. The series was written by Jeff Jensen with artwork by
Arthur Ranson.
Volume 3 (2005–2013)
X-Factor Investigations is a detective agency run by
Jamie Madrox, also known as Multiple Man. The name is taken from the government-sponsored group the three founders previously served on. The initial staff consists of Madrox's best friend and special enforcer, Guido Carosella (Strong Guy), and former teammate Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane). Following the events of the "
House of M" storyline, Madrox's new-found wealth from winning a ''
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (often informally called ''Millionaire'') is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, currently owned and ...
''-style
game show
A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...
allows him to recruit several of his former colleagues from the
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
branch of the now defunct
X-Corporation
The X-Corporation (X-Corp) is a fictional institution appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men comics. This organization was created to ensure the protection of mutant rights throughou ...
. New members include:
*
M (Monet St. Croix) – a wealthy ambassador's daughter with an array of superhuman powers.
*
Rictor (Julio Richter) – A Mexican mutant who can produce powerful seismic waves.
*
Siryn (Theresa Cassidy) – Banshee's daughter with similar sonic-based powers.
*
Layla Miller
Layla Rose Miller, also known as Butterfly, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in '' House of M'' #4 (Sept 2005), and was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel. Peter David has develop ...
– a young mutant who inserts herself into the group to keep them from discovering the truth behind the "
Decimation" storyline.
Peter David put a noir spin on the mutant series and dealt with Jamie Madrox as the central character. The new series spun off of the "House of M" and "Decimation" storylines and also "Madrox" mini-series opens with a suicide attempt by Rictor, who has lost his powers. The series deals with the group's attempt to unravel the truth behind the "Decimation" and its aftermath, fighting with Singularity Investigations, and dealing with Madrox's powers and their consequences.
During the "
Messiah Complex" storyline, Jamie and Layla travel to a dystopian future in which mutants are persecuted and imprisoned. Jamie escapes and returns to the early 21st century, but Layla is still trapped. Rahne fears (because of a glimpse she has had of the future) that she, while in her wolf shape, will murder Jamie and Layla. To prevent this, she quits the team and joins
X-Force. Rictor also quits. Jamie travels to the future with the help of an aged Layla Miller and helps a rebellion led by a cyborg Scott Summers and his daughter
Ruby
A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapp ...
, while the rest of the team is in the present. After battling Arcade, who captured Rictor (who then rejoins), the team meets one of Jamie's duplicates, who calls himself Cortex and is joined by new members:
*
Longshot – a genetically created humanoid from Mojoverse with favorable probability outcomes.
*
Darwin
Darwin may refer to:
Common meanings
* Charles Darwin (1809–1882), English naturalist and writer, best known as the originator of the theory of biological evolution by natural selection
* Darwin, Northern Territory, a territorial capital city i ...
(Armando Muñoz) – one of Moira's early recruit with reactive evolution powers.
*
Shatterstar (Gaveedra Seven) – founding X-Force member with that can open dimensional portals and channel vibratory shockwave through his swords.
Writer
Peter David's decision to explicitly establish male characters
Shatterstar and
Rictor entering a romantic relationship in ''X-Factor'' #45 (August 2009), confirming clues that had been established in ''X-Force'' years earlier, drew criticism from Shatterstar's co-creator,
Rob Liefeld, though Editor-in-Chief
Joe Quesada
Joseph Quesada (; born January 12, 1962''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; page 107) is an American comic book artist, writer, editor, and television producer. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books ...
supported David's story. David would eventually be nominated for and win a 2011
GLAAD Media Award
The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT) community and the issues that affect their l ...
for Outstanding Comic Book for this second run on the title.
In December 2009, the series adopted a cumulative numbering with issue #200, with 149 issues of the first volume plus 50 issues of the third volume constituting the previous 199 issues. During the
Regenesis
''ReGenesis'' is a Canadian science-fiction television series produced by The Movie Network and Movie Central in conjunction with Shaftesbury Films. The series, which ran for four seasons from 2004 to 2008, revolves around the scientists ...
relaunch, Polaris and Havok joined the team in ''X-Factor'' #230.
The series ended with issue #262 in September 2013.
''All-New X-Factor'' (2014-2015)
The next incarnation of the series was ''All-New X-Factor'', written by Peter David and illustrated by
Carmine Di Giandomenico. This version was announced as a part of the
All-New Marvel NOW!
Marvel Now! (stylized as Marvel NOW!) is a comic book branding for the relaunch of several ongoing comic books published by Marvel Comics, that debuted in October 2012 with new #1 issues. The relaunch also included some new titles, including ''Un ...
initiative at the
New York Comic Con
The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006.
History
The New York Comic Con is a ...
in October 2013, and debuted in January 2014. The opening storyline, which continues events from issue #260 of the previous series, and depicts the corporation "Serval Industries" forming a new corporate-sponsored version of the team, which includes Polaris, Quicksilver,
Gambit,
Danger,
Cypher and
Warlock.
Volume 4 (2020–2021)
''X-Factor'' was relaunched in July 2020 as part of ''
Dawn of X
"Dawn of X" is a 2019 relaunch of the ''X-Men'' line of comic books published by Marvel Comics in the wake of the twin miniseries ''House of X'' and ''Powers of X''. This initiative culminated in the crossover event '' X of Swords'', which was fo ...
'' written by Leah Williams and drawn by David Baldeon. The new team investigates cases of missing mutants and presumed deaths for Krakoa, confirming if they can be resurrected:
*
Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier) – team leader and former Alpha Flight member with superhuman speed.
*
Polaris
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...
(Lorna Dane) – an X-Factor alumna who can control metal.
*
Prestige (Rachel Summers) – a telekinetic and telepathic mutant from a dystopian future.
*
Daken (Akihiro) – Wolverine's son with similar powers to his father.
* Eye-Boy (Trevor Hawkins) – a young mutant with multiple eyes all over his body.
*
Prodigy
Prodigy, Prodigies or The Prodigy may refer to:
* Child prodigy, a child who produces meaningful output to the level of an adult expert performer
** Chess prodigy, a child who can beat experienced adult players at chess
Arts, entertainment, and ...
(David Alleyne) – former
Young Avengers and Xavier Institute student that can mimic other skills and knowledge.
*
Aurora
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
(Jeanne-Marie Beaubier) – twin sister of Northstar with the same power.
The team works closely with The Five, a circuit of mutants introduced in ''
House of X/Powers of X'' working in conjunction to resurrect fallen mutants:
*
Goldballs (Fabio Medina) – produces a limitless amount of unviable biological eggs.
*
Proteus
In Greek mythology, Proteus (; Ancient Greek: Πρωτεύς, ''Prōteus'') is an early prophetic sea-god or god of rivers and oceanic bodies of water, one of several deities whom Homer calls the " Old Man of the Sea" ''(hálios gérôn)''. ...
(Kevin MacTaggert) – transforms the unviable egg into a viable one.
*
Elixir (Joshua Foley) – biologically kickstarts the process of life, initializing cell replication and husk growth.
*
Tempus (Eva Bell) – temporally matures the husk to a desired age.
*
Hope Summers
Sarah Hope Summers (June 7, 1902 – June 22, 1979) was an American character actress known for her work on CBS's '' The Andy Griffith Show'' and '' Mayberry RFD'', portraying Clara Edwards.
Early life
Hope Summers was born in Mattoon, Il ...
– enhances and synthesizes the other resurrection mutants' powers to ensure the success of each resurrection.
X-Factor Members
In 1986, the team debuted in ''X-Factor'' #1.
Collected editions
Oversized hardcovers
Trade paperbacks
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
All-New X-Factor
Volume 4
Other versions
*In ''
Ultimate War'', X-Factor is a U.S. operated prison camp for mutants in
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
, which appears to have been named after
Camp X-Ray in
Guantanamo Bay.
* X-Factor appears in
X-Men '92 as a peace keeping force after the X-Men disappear.
[''X-men '92'' vol. 2 #6–10]
*
Mutant X's X-Factor is known as The Six.
In other media
X-Factor appeared in the ''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to ...
'' TV series. Its lineup consisted of
Forge,
Polaris
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...
,
Multiple Man,
Strong Guy,
Quicksilver
Quicksilver may refer to:
* Quicksilver (metal), the chemical element mercury
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Quicksilver, a bluegrass band fronted by Doyle Lawson
* "Quicksilver" (song), a 1950 hit for Bing Crosby
* ''Quicksilver'' (sound ...
,
Havok, and
Wolfsbane. In the episode "Cold Comfort", Iceman broke into their facility to find his girlfriend Polaris. Jubilee accompanied Iceman to the facility where they were ambushed. When the rest of the X-Men arrived at the facility, its members Multiple Man, Strong Guy, Havok, and Wolfsbane ran afoul of the X-Men. When it came to a battle against the X-Factor which ended with the X-Men and Iceman being victorious, Forge said to Professor X that the battle was to test them. In addition, Iceman found that Polaris is a member of the group and engaged to Havok. In the episode "Family Ties", Quicksilver was seen as a member of X-Factor. In the episode "The Phalanx Covenant" Pt. 1 & 2, Quicksilver, Forge, and Polaris appear as the featured members of X-Factor.
References
External links
*
''X-Factor'' issues on Marvel.com''X-Factor''''X-Factor'' vol. 2 an
''X-Factor'' vol. 3at the Comic Book DB
''X-Factor''''X-Factor'' vol. 2 an
''X-Factor'' vol. 3at the
Grand Comics Database
The Grand Comics Database (GCD) is an Internet-based project to build a database of comic book information through user contributions. The GCD project catalogues information on creator credits, story details, reprints, and other information useful ...
{{Authority control
Comics characters introduced in 1986
Comics by J. M. DeMatteis
Comics by Louise Simonson
Comics spin-offs
GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book winners
X-Men supporting characters