X-Factor, Vol. 2: Know Your Enemy

X-Factor (2024)

by Mark Russell, Bob Quinn (Artist), Jesus Aburtov (Colorist)

A new status quo for X-Factor as Doctor Doom seizes control of the Marvel Universe!

There’s a new man in charge! Angel returns to lead X-Factor just as Emperor Doom will lead the world to glory! But in the magnanimous Doom’s utopic domain, what could X-Factor’s mission be? And what could bring them to a small nation on the island of…Genosha?! Plus: How will Angel feel about bringing Havok back into the fold after all he’s done? The answers will shock you — and so will the final secret X-Factor is hiding!

COLLECTING: X-Factor (2024) 6-7, 9-10

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, X Men, Comic Book

112 pages, Paperback

Published September 2, 2025

About the author

Mark Russell is the author of God Is Disappointed in You and Apocrypha Now. He also writes the comic book series Prez and The Flintstones for DC Comics. He lives and works in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

X-Factor unfortunately joins the pile of other 10 issue From The Ashes titles that start out really strong and then kind of fall apart at the end.

Like everything else, we get 4 issues here to finish things off, with X-Manhunt interrupting everything midway through. Russell does a decent job of bringing everything full circle and slamming the door shut behind him, but it feels a lot like the Havok & Polaris show, with most of the other characters who had been so much fun in the first volume like Granny Smite mostly just...there.

It's not a bad ending, and it doesn't feel rushed like X-Force or NYX did, but it definitely feels like there was a lot more potential to see here. It's a shame that even the X-Books aren't safe from the current Marvel 10 issues and you're done approach.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little better balanced than the first in terms of seriousness/goofy humour, this volume concludes the X-Factor adventure.
I think the dicrepancy between this and the other X series – at least the ones I follow – was too big for it to last in the long term. In a frankly gloomy post-Krakoa atmosphere, this over-the-top comedy tone could hardly be expected to go far. There were some good ideas and a few very funny passages, but the concept – and the team – were too haphazard.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I don't know what to make of so many X-titles being cancelled at #10.

As much as I was not a fan, there were somethings I liked... sometimes.

Granny Smite comes to mind. When's the inevitable Deadpool team up?

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Discards a lot of the character work from the first volume, largely because the X-Factor team, recently burned by their US government overseers, basically have to get back to work. No time for mutiny! (with the exception of Havok, I guess) Instead, we're straight back into the fray... in a series of event crossovers.

You can feel the series sliding towards an abrupt conclusion as the X-Factor team, now led by Angel, goes after an AI-powered Genosha (Gigosha, sigh) that's also desired by new-emperor Doom. The whole thing concludes with a sudden revolution that brings back all the characters back for a satisfying pantsing of the US military folks. Know Your Enemy continues to be fine, an engaging read with almost no consequences.

[Alex Sarll]

If it had more than ten issues, maybe this series would have been able to balance the desire to do a superhero Thick Of It, the bleak philosophising ("there is nothing that better symbolizes how much you've lost than the face of someone who used to love you"), and the character work. But as is, obliged to wrap up in a hurry and still work in two different crossovers (of which the One World Under Doom stuff really doesn't align with the event's core books), even promising ideas (like the algorithmic state of Gigosha with its T&Cs that, as usual, go unread when they really shouldn't have) are squandered. Russell's work has been wobbling for a while now, as even his pitch-black satire gets overtaken by reality week on week, but I'm holding the reverse Midas touch of the post-Krakoan X-office chiefly responsible for this one.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:

The era of Krakoa is over, and mutants all over the world are scrambling to find (or re-find) their place in the larger world. Some are returning to their roots, while others are still trying to make a stand in their own way.

Enter the X-Factor! A new mutant organization led by a media-savvy CEO. It’s just as bad as it sounds, with the team being run by humans and forced to post constant updates on social media. What a nightmare.

Review:

Man, I thought the first volume was chaotic (and admittedly fun). X-Factor Vol. 2 leans even heavier into the commentary, satire, and yes, chaos. It’s a mixed bag, as there are some elements that I really enjoyed.

Ironically, it’s not the missions I find interesting, but everything else happening around them. We have the Polaris subplot, Angel’s story, Granny Smyte (adore her), the list goes on. I’m still tempted to give this volume a perfect rating, simply because I love Granny Smyte so much. I also liked the new addition, so I hope we see him again, too.

X-Factor Vol. 2 is the final arc in this series, as it’s one of several series ending in the From the Ashes era of the X-Men. I’m conflicted there, as while this series had potential, I feel like it was wasted in some places. Then again, 10 issues it’s a lot of wiggle room, so the creative team barely had time to get started before they were told to quickly wrap things up and leave it be.

Highlights:
Superhero Adventures
X-Men Conflicts
Granny Smyte

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[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finishing up this run in the "From the Ashes" storyline, I can tell I am really missing a lot regarding the events of X-Manhunt. I really hope I enjoy it, as it is next in my reading list.
Highlights (as they are):
- Havok takes over X-Factor when Frenzy leaves. He finds out that info was being leaked to the Mutant Underground, currently being led by Polaris.
- At trial, Bruin tells a story about Jovius sacrificing himself for keeping the knowledge of Krakoa away from Orchis. Turns out, Jovius isn't dead, but working with the military leaders of X-Factor.
- Angel is put back in charge of the team and given a mission to take out the mainframe of Gigosha (formerly Genosha) so Doom can't gain the knowledge about mutants it has, they eventually succeed and it's kind of hilarious how they do it.
- Havok eventually rescues Polaris from the military and X-Factor is dissolved

This one was okay. Nothing crazy here. Excited to read X-Manhunt.

[Nick Pratt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again Marvel doing everything in their power to waste an idea. It’s bad enough to have to explain major crossover events to set up your story, but I get it. To then reference another one that happens DURING the story, to include tie ins that conclude elsewhere and then wrap the whole series early to set the stage for the next one is inexcusable. What are we even doing here? I’ll add this to the pile of books that I was really enjoying until they lose focus or feel constrained by outside events. This has been going on for years. As of late, Marvel’s insistence on telling every story with a massive unending continuity instead of letting authors tell original self contained stories has left me completely uninterested in their books. 2/5

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 2 out of 5]

In some ways, this isn't as bad as the first volume. But that's primarily because it's largely forgotten its premise, which was a rip-off of X-statix. Oh, there's a funny/influencer splash page here and there, but the whole idea of X-Factor being media whores is largely forgotten in this volume.

But the plot is just a mess (in part due to Manhunt-X getting in the way), the dialogue is occasionally nail-on-the-chalkboard bad, and the characters all seem like caricatures. Except Warren, who's just totally out of character.

A mercy killing. This will never be reprinted and will entirely be forgotten.

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly was pretty on board with this quasi-Thunderbolts alike story despite the overbaundance of very of the moment social media jokes. Havok continuing his work as the resident sad-sack wasn’t the best plot, but all the new characters were fun and the re-envisioning of Pyro as a steamy romance author was fun. Just as I was getting on board with all of this though, it seems the run is at an end despite the time largely still existing. Are they coming back under a different banner? I loved their general existentialism and nihilism despite the upbeat tendency to just get the job over with so they could go on to the next thing…felt familiar…

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh..

In the end, it's a temporary book to fill a temporary hole for characters they either don't have ideas for or want to test ideas on.
(Guess they had to figure out some fix for Alex and Lorna...relationship=TBD)
===
Bonus: Warren opts in on surgery to get some version of his Archangel wings back (AND claw gauntlets, boots, and a sword??)
Bonus x2: Where does he get ALL THOSE corndogs?
Bonus^3: WHY would you give someone with redundant organs a killswitch and no exit strategy??

[Scarred Wizard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Err.. It's not bad but it's not great either. Mark Russell lost his touch unlike the Vol. 1 which was really good. Action wise is ok. But still can't beat the Vol. 1.

And why the f is Issue #8 included in here? It's an X-Manhunt event that will be included in the trades. They did this with Uncanny X-Men Vol. 2 too. Wtf, you Marvel scammer??

Rating : 6.5/10

[Kamen Rider Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arte consistentemente bueno, gran potencial pero cancelado antes de tiempo

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

This kind of feels like the epitome of a nothing comic. I honestly expected a lot more from Mark Russell than the weak sauce we got. It's not bad, but it's not good either. It's just nothing.

[Nate Deprey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just think the X-Men are a bad fit for Mark Russell. I like and respect his work but this just felt like an example of corporate comics gone wrong.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

I’d like to see what Russell could do with X-factor detectives.

You can tell it’s being spinned down quickly.

[canivetepreto]

(read all the chapters separately)

[Erik J · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was awful. The whole run was just pointless and the "humour" was not funny.

It is always nice to see Havok, Angel, and Polaris though.

Overall - 2/5

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ultimately rather pointless, though it does have its moments. The art is not bad.

[Andres Pasten · Rating 1 out of 5]

Russell irreconocible

[Andrew Alvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art for me was very consistent and though the story was a bit hit and miss I overall enjoyed it.