By 1969, the book was not doing very well. Yes, there was time when the X-Men were not very popular. Writer Roy Thomas and artist Neal Adams attempted to rejuvenate the book, most notably by adding Cyclops's brother Havok and the green-haired Mistress of Magnetism Polaris to the team. However, it didn't help out very much. X-Men #66 (March 1970) would be the final original adventure of the team for several years. The book would continue on, but #67-93 would be reprints.
However, that would change. Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975), would be the first new X-Men tale in five years. Written by Len Wein and illustrated by Dave Cockrum. this tale would introduce a new team of X-Men, comprised of some of the group's most iconic characters...and Thunderbird. Poor John Proudstar. Killed off because he was considered redundant.
The issue would help revitalize the X-Men and pave the way for Merry Mutants to become one of Marvel's most popular and beloved franchises by the 1980s. In the 80s, artist/writer Bob Layton, who at this point was known for his artwork on Iron Man's book, wanted to reunite the original five X-Men for a new series. But there were a couple of problems. For one, Jean Grey was dead due to the events of the Dark Phoenix Saga. Also, Angel, Beast, and Iceman were members of the New Defenders team at the time. And in Uncanny X-Men #138 (October 1980), Cyclops had left the X-Men, feeling lost and unsure of himself after Jean Grey's death. He would come back to the team, but would return to retirement after the events of Uncanny X-Men #201 (January 1986), as his then-wife Madelyne Pryor had given birth to their son Nathan, who would eventually become Cable.
Well, one of those problems was easily solvable. In New Defenders #152 (February 1986), several members of the New Defenders and their allies seemingly perished battling the Dragon of the Moon, freeing up Angel, Iceman and Beast. Another, not so much. During the events of Dark Phoenix Saga, Jean Grey, corrupted by the power of the Phoenix, had consumed an inhabited planet, remorselessly killing the billions of inhabited beings on it. Marvel's then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter felt that made Jean an irredeemable monster, and he felt she got her proper punishment for it at the end of DPS. Despite this, he still greenlit the new series.
The team still needed a female member, so Bob Layton figured he would use Dazzler instead. However, Kurt Busiek would suggest an idea for Jean Grey's return, one that we saw play out in Avengers and Fantastic Four issues we looked at previously. Shooter also liked the idea as it absolved Jean of her whole "committing planetary-level genocide" thing, and he gave it the go ahead. And with that, Jean's return was set into motion. So with that out of the way, let's take a look at the formal reunion of the original X-Men in X-Factor #1!
The cover is pretty good. You got the original five X-Men together again, and the cover helps show off their powers. And I have to admit, I like Jean and Scott's new suits. "Baptism of Fire." Heh heh, pun.
"Third Genesis"
Writer: Bob Layton
Penciller: Jackson Guice
Inkers: Bob Layton, Jackson Guice, and Josef Rubenstein
Colorists: Petra Scotese, Christie Scheele (credited as "Max Scheele"), and Glynis Oliver
Letterer: Unknown
Editors: Mike Carlin, Michael Higgins
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
The story begins with Scott Summers chopping some wood.
He doesn't need an axe, he is an axe! Scott seems to have finally found some peace and happiness as a civilian and family man. Good for him. His wife Madelyne Pryor asks him to watch over baby Nathan while she goes to run some errands. Madelyne notes that Scott has been doing a lot of blasting wood. They probably got enough firewood for twenty years. The TV then broadcasts a special news bulletin.
Turns out there's been an increase in mutant activity lately, and there are calls in Congress for a Mutant Registration Act. Basically, if the Act becomes law, mutants would have to register themselves with Congress and report on their activities yearly. Huh. If this was written today, there would be no need for such an Act, considering social media and all that. This has gotten Scott concerned.
Madelyne demands that Scott gives her a hand with baby Nathan. She sees him watching TV and she realizes that Scott is thinking of suiting up again. She demands that Scott focus on helping their marriage and family. He's done enough with the X-Men. They can handle themselves right now. They don't need him anymore. But Scott can't let the X-Men go. It does make a sort of sense regarding him. Keep in mind, Cyclops was the very first X-Man. He was Xavier's very first student. Out of all the original Merry Mutants, one could argue that Scott was the one who's life was the most intertwined with the X-Men. Heck, you could argue the X-Men are his life. As such, he would have the most difficult time transitioning away into being a civilian. And it shows.
That night, Madelyne wakes up and sees Scott is not in bed with her, but on a balcony, staring out at the horizon, lost in his thoughts. She apologizes for snapping at him earlier, but she loves him and does not want to lose what they have. But Scott is not so sure what they have anymore. Madelyne has tried to overlook a lot in their marriage, including his missing Nathan's birth and her reminding him of the dead Jean Grey. She asks him if he's thinking about Jean. Scott admits that he is.
Yeah. Smooth move there, Scotty. But let's get away from Scott and his crumbling marriage, and go to something a bit more sunny. The next day, one Warren Worthington III, the high-flying Angel, is taking a nice relaxing flight. Inside his mansion known as the Aerie, Bobby "Iceman" Drake and Hank "Beast" McCoy are preparing to move out, as they plan to retire from superheroing themselves. Bobby makes an ice slide to help get the luggage down faster, but Hank is none too happy. After all, Bobby just left a bunch of ice to melt in the living room. But as far as Bobby is concerned, Warren will just use it as an excuse to redecorate the place again.
They find Warren's girlfriend Candy Southern lounging in the pool, and she notes they're all packed up. Yup, Much like Scott Summers, Hank McCoy and Bobby Drake are going to try out putting the costumes and superheroics behind in favor of living "normal" lives. Bobby got a job at an accounting firm and Hank has an interview at Empire State University.
Despite this, Bobby still feels they have another shot at being heroes. Warren explains they tried with the New Defenders, and half the team is now dead. They're washed up. Best to hang up the costumes while they still have some dignity as far as the Angel is concerned. Meanwhile, some construction workers are grumbling about working a job for the mutant millionaire. Dudes, he's paying you cash money. Quit whining and do your job.
One of the workers gets distracted staring at Candy and causes a power saw to go wild. It causes their scaffold to collapse. Thankfully, everyone makes it out okay thanks to the three former X-Men. Hank then realizes that Warren may have a point. Without a leader like Cyclops, they are rather rudderless. Hank and Bobby then drive away, Warren and Candy wishing them luck.
Warren then notices Hank forgot one of his bags. He checks it to make sure Hank hasn't forgot anything important, and finds a picture of him and the other original X-Men when they were starting out. Candy answers the ringing phone. It's Reed Richards. Warren thinks that maybe the FF accidentally wrecked his property again. I imagine it was the Thing that usually causes that. When he hears Richards's announcement, he's shocked. He's so shocked that he grabs his clothes and tells Candy to get his private jet fueled and ready in twenty minutes.
The scene then shifts again, to a shipyard. Particularly the San Diego Naval Yard. There, a medical frigate known as the USS Essex has docked after spending several months at sea. Funny enough, there have been several real life ships that had the name, but none of them were medical frigates. A chief named Fisher wants to take a young redheaded sailor out on a night on the town. You know, get drunk, get into a bar fight, meet some pretty ladies, your stereotypical fictional sailor stuff. They go to a bar, and the young sailor is introduced to Emma La Porte. La Porte happens to be a part of the World's Oldest Profession.
The young sailor is a bit nervous, and he's not gotten used to his beer yet. Chief Fisher suggests that La Porte...take the young sailor out for some air. She agrees, and tries to make out with him. The nervous sailor starts feeling very hot, but he's not coming down with a fever.
Meet Rusty Collins, newly manifested mutant. Horrified and scared beyond belief, the burning young man flees into the street, fire erupting from his body. The scene shifts again to JFK International. Warren's plane lands, and the Angel himself flies through the airport, looking for Reed Richards. Some angry people try to throw things at Warren, because he...flew. Ah well. People are stupid. Reed takes Angel to his transport on the roof of the terminal. Destination? Avengers Mansion.
The heroes arrive at the Mansion, Warren overjoyed to hear Jean is back. Reed figured that Jean having some old friends around would help her adjust. Back in San Diego, Rusty Collins is carted away to a truck by men in white fireproof suits, Rusty himself clad in a special outfit and straitjacket. Chief Fisher screams at Rusty, convinced he tried to murder Emma. He swears revenge on the young mutant.
In his Waldorf-Astoria Hotel suite, Warren contemplates calling Scott. He knows that his former X-Me nteammate has been having marital troubles. Jean being back would not help things. I think the story also hints that Warren himself has some feelings for Jean himself. Seriously, what is it with this story and guys in relationships desiring other women? After soul-searching for twelve hours, he realizes he has no other choice. In Alaska, Scott and Maddie are doing some washing up when the phone rings. Scott answers and hears the news. He's got to meet Warren in New York. Maddie tells him if Scott leaves, don't bother coming back.
Scott arrives in the City that Never Sleeps, and encounters some guards. They let Scott in after recognizing him. With all the anti-mutant sentiment out there, Warren wants to be safe. Which makes sense. He's a rich mutant. I bet people would hate him a LOT more than a middle-class one. Warren tells her she's in the next room. Scott and Jean meet up for the first time in years.
Jean is overjoyed to see her former flame again, but Scott is a married man now. His marriage is on the rocks, but yeah, he's still married. Scott is confused as to how Jean could be back, so Warren recounts the whole Phoenix/Dark Phoenix thing, then Jean's discovery by the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. Jean is back, but her telepathy is gone. She still does have her telekinesis, and that power appears to be stronger than ever.
Jean has a bigger worry. It seems that anti-mutant sentiment is higher than ever, which shows that the X-Men ABSOLUTELY SUCK at promoting human-mutant peace. And mutantkind seems to be on the verge of extinction because...reasons. Yeah, that seems to happen a lot to mutants. She explains that since Professor Xavier is gone and Magneto now leads the X-Men...she, Scott, and Warren should form their own group. But it's not that simple. Both Warren and Scott have essentially retired from the superhero biz. Jean is infuriated, as she feels they're just going to stand by and do nothing while mutants die out. Yeah, why are they dying out again? Well, she's going to do something about it!
You, Jean's casually wrecking a hotel room might not help their idea that mutants can be peaceful. She flies off, and Warren pursues her. Scott is far too emotionally tormented to do anything. Warren manages to catch up to her. He explains that she has a point...and he has an idea.
Two weeks later, the Beast visits Boston. He's getting an interview for a job at Harvard's Medical School. Dean Hauser greets him and clears his throat a lot. Man probably has a cold or something. He has some bad news for the Beast. Despite his scientific acumen, the rest of the staff don't feel very comfortable with the idea of working with a mutant. As such, Dean Hauser feels he has no choice to reject the Beast's application.
This scene does bother me for a bit. Yeah, what Dean Hauser did was wrong, but that's not what bothers me. Here's the thing. The Beast was an Avenger. He was one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. He was hailed as a hero. Dean Houser even mentions this! I get the whole "He's a mutant, and mutants are hated and feared thing", but in Beast's case, wouldn't it make more sense for Dean Hauser's rejecting Hank's application to be because the Avengers have fought some bad dudes, and they fear those bad dudes might come to the campus and wreck the place because they want some payback?! I mean, I can imagine the Absorbing Man attacking the place if he learned the Beast worked there.
Hank McCoy is fed up. This was the 15th interview with him ending with rejection, so he tears off his shirt and leaps away. However, a man sent by Warren wants to talk to him. In an accounting firm, Bobby Drake is rather bored. He's auditing some invoices, and he's soooo ready for lunchtime. He's hoping nobody ate his ham sandwich. He put his name on the bag, so nobody had better touch it. He gets a call from Warren, and this happens.
Heh heh, those guys should have gotten his autograph. Six hours later, the former New Defenders arrive at a large piece of waterfront property. This is the headquarters of Warren's new corporation. He also has a special surprise for the boys.
Jean is back, boys! ...why didn't Scott and Warren call them earlier? After a joyful reunion, Warren and Jean need Hank and Bobby's help. Scott's decided to make himself scarce, and they can't find him. Warren and Jean have some things to finalize, and they can't do this project of theirs without him. Why? Why not just let him stay retired and work on his marriage problems? If they need him to lead, well, why not just let Jean try it out instead? She's pretty gung-ho about this project.
But evidently, they HAVE to have Scott onboard. Hank and Bobby eventually manage to find him hanging around Jamaica Bay, where this whole mess started. He doesn't look good. He's all haggard, got himself some stubble going. Scott is an emotional mess. He mourned Jean. Everything has changed. And it turns out the woman he mourned...wasn't Jean. It was an impostor. He's also clearly still in love with her. Yeah, more on this later.
He's also scared of losing Jean again. Hank tells him Jean will understand. He moved on, which she would have wanted him to do. He's able to convince Scott to see her, and he has a chance to do something beneficial with his life, like the old days. Scott agrees.
The next day, Warren introduces the X-Men to his old friend Cameron Hodge, a public relations expert. Hodge explains the problem the X-Men have is that they have to gain the trust of other mutants, so they can be trained to use their powers responsibly so they can be good citizens. Also, they have to deal with the fact that a lot of humans are very frightened of mutants. It's not hard to see why. Who would not be a bit freaked out by someone who can kill you with a thought?
Hodge's plan is simple. The new "X-Factor Investigations" will pose as mutant hunters. You got a mutant around? They'll check it out and take care of it. So basically, the X-Men will feed the anti-mutant hysteria to help their fellow mutants. Yeah, this totally will not go horribly wrong.
Hodge had got some ads out already going on the TV. Meanwhile, Rusty Collins is confined in a Naval facility over his accidentally burning Emma. Chief Fisher comes by, and he wants some revenge. He believes Rusty intended to harm the poor woman, and he wants to teach the young mutant a lesson, by putting a bullet in him. Rusty freaks out, and it causes his powers to flare up again.
Nice work, Fisher. I hope you get keelhauled. Rusty tries to flee, but the facility's security goes after him. He panics, and his powers flare out of control. Fisher managed to escape himself, but realizes that mutant or no, he tried to kill someone in cold blood. He needs to find a way to cover his butt. He sees an ad for X-Factor at a bar's TV, and he gets an idea. All he needs is a couple quarters, and a pay phone...Yeah, it's 1986.
It's X-Factor's first mission! Scott is a bit reluctant to go, but Jean convinces him to come along because they need him. And so does she. He agrees, but only because he wants to tell her about Madelyne. They head to LaGuardia in their special jet, which is also a mobile headquarters.
Only Jean, Scott, and Bobby come along because Warren's wings and Beast's blue fur would make it obvious they are mutants. Yeah, deprive yourself of their help because you don't want to freak people out. They meet Fisher. He keeps out the fact he tried to murder Rusty, but tells them that the military's been pursuing Rusty into the hills nearby. True to Fisher's word, the military is engaging the young firecracker, and Rusty is preparing to fight back. However, an energy beam blasts a helicopter out of the sky. Who are this young man's saviors?
The X-Men are here! Yes, this is part of their plan. They also pose as mutant vigilantes to help save young mutants, so they can get them to safety. This seems...needlessly complicated. They send the military scurrying off and go find Rusty. However, Rusty is incredibly freaked out and understandably paranoid. People have tried to kill him A LOT over the past few days, and he's had enough.
The X-Men try to contain him, and it's not helping that the heat the pyrokinetic is putting out is causing the cave to come a-tumblin' down. The cave collapses, but Jean's telekinesis and Scott's optic blasts save everyone. They're able to escape, with Rusty contained.
An...asbestos bag?! Nice work, X-Men! You just gave Rusty lung cancer and mesothelioma! YOU PEOPLE ARE IDIOTS!
Anyway, they go back to Fisher, and say Rusty is caught. They ask him want to do with him. He suggests they just use him as a guinea pig. They hand him the bill: $42,000 dollars. He screams that's two years' pay. X-Factor offers to take Rusty back to where they found him, but he agrees to the payment. This part was pretty funny.
Rusty is confused as to why X-Factor would help him. Well, they're mutants themselves, and they want to help Rusty with his newfound gift. And they're going to do this while helping fuel anti-mutant hysteria. The X-Men are idiots.
The newly-crowned X-Factor are in a celebratory mood. But their triumph has come at a cost. The story ends at night in Anchorage. Madelyne Pryor sees an ad for X-Factor on TV, and she looks forlornly at a photo of Scott and baby Nathan.
Way to go, Cyclops.
This issue was...alright. But I feel it does have some problems. For one, the whole thing with Scott basically dumping Madelyne for his resurrected ex-girlfriend...that could have been handled a LOT better. It's pretty clear that the direction was for Scott to get back together with Jean. This was a very controversial moment for fans, and it hurt the character of Cyclops for years. Chris Claremont himself had said that he intended for Cyclops to permanently retire from the X-Men, as a metaphor for moving on in the next stage of life.
I would have gone for a compromise myself. Scott has moved on. He's happy Jean is back, but he's moved on, and he's a married man now. He'll help out X-Factor here and there, but he's generally doing the family man thing now. You'd still get the drama of Scott working with his ex, but it would go differently. Not to mention it would make Scott look like much less of a jerk.
Another thing is the whole "mutant hunter/vigilante mutant" double-identity thing. Personally, I think it is a bit unnecessarily complicated. I think it would be a lot simpler seeing then just being open mutants helping police their own. It could spread the message that not all mutants are these crazy monsters who want to blow up humans simply because they can. They should be doing things to educate people about mutants, appearing at schools and the like. Now that would be a story. Jean Grey going to meet a bunch of school kids and they ask her to show off her powers? That would be fun! Not to mention Beast was a former Avenger, that could give the X-Men a bit of help in the whole PR thing. After all, if an Avenger says they're good folks, then they must be, right?
I have no complaints about the art. I like it.
I've recently read some of this era of X-Factor, and I felt it had some unreached potential. If you want to read it yourself, this has been reprinted in the 2011 mini-trade paperback X-Men: Phoenix Rising. However, it's more readily available in the 2017 Epic Collection X-Factor Vol. 1: Genesis and Apocalypse. I recommend the Epic Collection. It collects the first 9 issues of X-Factor, its first Annual, Avengers #263, Fantastic Four #286, Iron Man Annual #8, Amazing Spider-Man #282, material from Classic X-Men #8 and #43, and it also has some awesome special features, like promo material and original pencils of select pages. All for only 40 bucks. It's a steal!
Next time, we go visit Spider-Man as he deals with the deadly Tombstone...
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