One of my favorite comic books in the 1980s was Marvel Comics' X-Factor. It revived the original X-Men team and brought Jean Grey back to life (the first time).
The team today is very different than the team of yesteryear. It focuses on X-Factor Investigations, which is a detective agency made up of mutants. And some of the team consists of characters that I've never had a particular fondness for: Madrox, Longshot, and Shatterstar. On the other hand, Wolfsbane (one of the original New Mutants) and Rictor (one of the young mutants the original X-Factor takes under their care) are also team members and I've always liked the two of them.
I read an article that the powers-that-be were pairing up Rictor and Shatterstar as a gay couple and it intrigued me. To throw an even bigger twist into the storyline, Wolfsbane shows up seven months pregnant, carrying Rictor's baby, and catches the two of them together. Whoa. Talk about drama. I gave X-Factor #207 and #208 a try. I was extremely impressed with writer Peter David's character development, as it gave me a greater appreciation toward characters I've always liked, as well as those that I never particularly cared for. And the scenes involving Rictor, Shatterstar, and Wolfsbane were fantastic. A special thank you goes out to Peter David and Marvel Comics for including scenes between Rictor and Shatterstar that were not limited to a hug or pat on the back. They're shown as a regular romantic couple trying to work out their problems.
Peter focuses more on the interaction of the characters, by giving them their own lives and stories, rather than using the characters to just fight battle after boring battle. He moves the characters forward with real-life events that will forever change their lives. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen enough in comic books. Oh, and I was happy to discover that Longshot no longer sported a mullet and Shatterstar no longer looked like a samurai with a ponytail.
As long as Peter David stays on as the writer, I'm definitely adding X-Factor to my list of monthly comics.
3 comments:
> To throw an even bigger twist into the storyline, Wolfsbane shows up seven months pregnant, carrying Rictor's baby, and catches the two of them together.
Rahne isn't actually pregnabt with Rictor. They slept together 7 months ago when Rictor was severely depressed and (unknowingly) manipulated Rahne into sleeping with him. (Thanks to Quicksilver's Terrigen crystals that have the power to manipulate the wielder's desires. Long story).
Rahne left the X-Factor team afterwards. She met her beloved, the Hrimhari pronce, and slept with him. She got pregnant, and the Godly nature of the child was killing her. Hrimhari sacrificed herself to save both Rahne and her baby. Rahne, now lone mother, returned to X-Factor presumably to seek help from Rictor.
Judging from Layla's expression, she knows that Rahne is lying.
I haven't read X-Factor since the original X-Men incarnation. But I have to say I really like the logo with the little X-person within the letter X.
The original X-Factor did have some great moments though - the introduction of Apocalypse being one, of course.
@Rob - The "X" in the X-Factor logo reminds me all the time of now-defunct Disney Institute at Walt Disney World. LOL
http://www.google.com/images?q=disney+institute+logo
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