There’s a new X-Factor #1, and with the name revived comes a new team with a new gimmick like influencers on government-sponsored social media, and that premise brings more than its fair percentage of satire to Marvel’s newest comedy e-book “From lineup,” Ashes’ X-Men relaunch.
But a sinister secret hidden in the new X-Factor gives the satirical premise a tragic twist that makes it one of the most compelling new titles in the revived X-Men lineup yet.
As the pre-launch promotional fabrics show, the new X-Factor No. 1 by Mark Russell, artist Bob Quinn, colorist Jesus Aburtov and pen Joe Caramagna opens with the public introducing a new team of government-sponsored people. Warren Worthington III/Angel.
Curated by human television maker Roger Broderick, known for systems such as “Jail Chef” and “Marriage Ape,” the new X-Factor is primarily made up of mutants chosen from a large cast of volunteers. In addition to Angel, the team includes Rusty. Collins/Firefist and Feral, as well as the newly brought mutants Xyber (who possesses electromagnetic powers) and the shapeshifter Cameo.
Immediately, the team springs into action against a new mercenary organization known as X-Term, led by the Russian mutant Darkstar. If you think it turns out to be a bad concept to send an organization of commonly green, underpowered mutants into war against a personal army of well-trained mercenaries, well. . . you’re probably right.
Although the team must fight their way to X-Term’s headquarters, a series of abuses of their powers and mistakes lead to massive construction raining down on the team, killing several members and seriously injuring others. It is not specified who exactly dies and who. survives, but we know that Angel is in the hospital with serious injuries and that Xyber is almost unharmed.
However, before the dust settles, Broderick visits Angel in the hospital to let him know that although the project didn’t go as planned, the team’s social media numbers are skyrocketing. This leads to the revelation that Broderick has already assembled a whole new team. The X-Factor team led Havok, this time featuring Frenzy, Cecilia Reyes, Pyro, the returning (and cautious) Xyber, and Granny Smite, an immortal mutant who will never make it. she will die, but she will continue to age.
Broderick tells Angel that he now understands how to make X-Factor popular with the public: by sending them on endless suicide missions where team members will be killed or maimed, stating that “people hate mutants” and that the way to win over their own is to send mutants to their deaths for their entertainment.
But there’s a small glimmer of hope: Polaris, Havok’s flashing flame, appears to be investigating Broderick’s suspicious motives with the new X-Factor team. He is already forming resistance to his brutal program.
Mark Russell’s eye for satire remains as sharp as ever with X-Factor, delving into the issues surrounding the exploitation of social media and corporate alliances. It’s a concept that tackles themes that were first incorporated into the X-Men mythos in Peter Milligan and Mike Allred’s now-classic X-Force/X-Statix, which revolved around a TV series about a team of mutants.
X-Factor takes those concepts and takes them in a new direction, wrapping one of the most thoughtful and intriguing concepts of the new era of “From the Ashes” in a veil of silliness before tearing it back to reveal true horror. And artist Bob Quinn and colorist Jesús Aburtov’s simple take on the action also hits the mark, balancing Marvel’s existing dramatic flavor with full personality and passionate storytelling.
The story continues in X-Factor #2 on September 18.
X-Factor is one of the X-Men groups of all time.
I’ve been Marvel Comics’ resident historian for professional comics and general comics at Newsarama since 2011. I’ve also been an on-site reporter at most major comic book conventions, such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I’m the artist of many photographs and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/They)
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