Essential X-Factor, Vol. 2

X-Factor (1986-1998) #17-35, Annual #2

by Louise Simonson, Jo Duffy, Walter Simonson

Iceman gets too frozen, the Beast gets too bestial, and the Angel gets a really sharp new set of wings as the original X-Men face mutant-haters and hate-filled mutants who agree on one thing: They want X-Factor dead Apocalypse first gathers his horrendous Horsemen, and Caliban makes the transition from tracker to Hellbound Infectia, Orphan-Maker and the Alliance of Evil Plus: For fans of the current X-Factor, witness Quicksilver's earlier descent into dementia and the first appearance of Rictor Featuring Thor, Freedom Force and more

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

512 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1987

About the author

Louise Simonson (born Mary Louise Alexander and formerly credited as Louise Jones, when married to artist Jeff Jones) is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman, and Steel. She is sometimes referred to by the nickname "Weezie".

Since 1980 she is married to comic book writer and artist Walter Simonson

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

The (married) Simonson's take this title from strength to strength, with the coming of one of X-lore's biggest characters - Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen! There's excellent character development of the mutant kids (never to be bettered for Rusty, Skids etc.?). There's much more; X-Factor finally goes public with their powers; The Right & Cameron Hodge; a sentient Ship, a 'gift' from Apocalypse; plus debuts for Rictor, Infectia, Orphan Maker and appearances by Power Pack, Thor, Freedom Force and the Alliance of Evil! There's more - massive changes for Iceman and The Beast. Bubbling beneath all that, is the search for Scott's son and the impending meeting of an 'alive' Madelyne with Scott and Jean! And of course the ever growing tide of anti-mutant hysteria pervades as does the coming into law of the Mutant Registration Act. And this book culminates with the opening salvos of Inferno, with links to the earliest days of the X-Men! 7 out of 12, Three Star classic run.

2017, 2014 and 2010 read

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

By the middle of this book (The Fall of the Mutants) X-Factor finally removes itself from its initial setup; the whole mutant hunters who are trying to save mutants but are creating more mutant negativity with the help of a little manipulation here and there. Thankfully that is over with. The main team is over the top melodramatic or depressed through a lot of this book. Seems to be the norm for this book. The group of kids under their care are more entertaining than the "adults" often times.

This book has big changes for Angel. Alterations to Iceman and Beast powerwise. Cameron Hodge gets ousted. Apocalypse makes his big play (The Fall of the Mutants). X-Factor gets their ship. Cyclops gets messed with. All building up to Inferno. This trade ends right at the cusp of the Inferno storyline, which has been building in all three X-Titles.

Not the height of comics, but if you need your continuity go for it. It'll be interesting to see if much comes of it prior to the wrap up before the team swap 35 issues later.

I was beginning to enjoy Walt Simonson's art. It is not spectacular, but he gives a dose of style without taking over the story. Probably my only problem is he felt like he'd shift a bit between his personal style and a more conservative approach. This created a bit of inconsistency within itself. Not very dramatic, but noticeable. I don't know any sort of progression for his art over the long haul so I don't know where this falls in his work. But the art was definitely not a distraction for this book.

[Tomás Sendarrubias García · Rating 4 out of 5]

La teórica muerte de Warren Worthington había puesto fin a la primera etapa de Factor-X, y además, había dejado al equipo confundido por muchos motivos. Primero, los personales, por supuesto, y es que el resto del equipo tenía que lidiar con la pérdida de un amigo, y luego, los legales, pues de pronto Factor-X se va a encontrar con que el depositario del testamento de Warren es Cameron Hodge, que se va a ir revelando como un enemigo declarado de Factor-X y de todos los mutantes, y además, descubrirán que es el líder de la Verdad, una organización antimutante que cuenta con armaduras de alta tecnología y que utiliza a mutantes para sus atentados, como piensan hacer con Rictor, el mutante que maneja ondas sísmicas y con el que amenazan con destruir San Francisco.

Serán Cameron Hodge y la Verdad los enemigos recurrentes de estos números, descubriéndose además que el propio Hodge ha estado manipulando a Scott para fomentar su desconfianza en Jean Grey y su confusión con todo el tema de Madelyne Pryor, Jean Grey y Fénix, para mantener desestabilizado al grupo. Además, el grupo de jóvenes mutantes que Factor-X ha ido organizando a su alrededor va a alcanzar en estos números su alineación más amplia: Rusty Collins y Desliza, Artie y Sangui, Rictor y Bum-Bum. Y serán ellos quienes estén a su lado cuando, mientras la Patrulla-X se enfrenta al Adversario en Dallas, Nueva York es atacada por Apocalipsis y sus Jinetes, en la versión para Factor-X de La Caída de los Mutantes. Mientras combaten contra Apocalipsis, Factor-X descubrirá que Muerte es el Ángel, modificado y cambiado por Apocalipsis, que le dota de sus alas afiladas y plumas envenenadas, una gran modificación que hace al personaje mucho más interesante, la verdad. Pero esta vez, la lucha de Factor-X no será secreta, sino pública, por lo que todo el mundo va a descubrir que Factor-X son mutantes, y que además son héroes, y aunque a duras penas, conseguirán que Apocalipsis se retire y abandone su nave celestial (que se convertirá en la nueva sede del equipo). Muerte abandonará a Apocalipsis y Pestilencia morirá en el encuentro, pero Factor-X también sufrirá pérdidas, y es que Caliban los abandonará para pasarse al lado de Apocalipsis y conseguir más poder (Calibán sigue aterrorizado por lo ocurrido con los Morlocks en La Masacre Mutante), y la Bestia sufrirá varios cambios provocados por el toque de Pestilencia, de modo que cuando más usa sus poderes, más fuerte se vuelve... y pierde su inteligencia con más rapidez.

Ya con La Caída de los Mutantes a su espalda, Factor-X tendrá que hacer frente también a las consecuencias de lo ocurrido en Dallas, descubriendo Scott que Madelyne estaba viva y con la Patrulla (aunque ahora ha muerto junto a ellos) y comenzando la búsqueda de su hijo, mientras de nuevo vuelven enfrentamientos con la Verdad (esta vez con Muerte como adversario y con Cameron Hodge ayudado por una criatura demoníaca llamada N'Astirh), y a una mutante llamada Infectia, con el poder de alterar las claves genéticas de aquellos a los que besa, humanos o mutantes, y que decidida a hacerse con la nave de Apocalipsis, va a intentar seducir al Hombre de Hielo... pero va a terminar afectando con sus poderes a la Bestia, que justo así, antes de la siguiente gran saga, va a recuperar su aspecto peludo y azul, así como su inteligencia.

Números mucho más interesantes que los anteriores, por supuesto, y no les doy las cinco estrellas porque aunque me gusta mucho Walter Simonson no me vuelve loco, y creo que es un dibujante que satura los ojos si lees muchos cómics suyos seguidos. Pero una lectura muy muy disfrutable.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read as single issues on Marvel Unlimited. I also have already read to #39 by the time I remembered to write this review so I'll probably confuse issues!

I only read this because it leads up to and into Uncanny X-Men for the Inferno event with the Goblin Queen.

I just don't enjoy the writing or these characters as much, it really stands out when you read in parallel with Uncanny X-Men! Hank and Bobby do nothing for me, they're just there as a sideshow for Scott and Jean's soap opera drama, which was fun but is now getting a little exhausting.

Angel was transformed to Death by Apocalypse, who took advantage of his depression and anger over his wings being removed without his consent. The impact of his on the team and Warren was a bit lost on me because I didn't feel like I know his character and dynamic with the rest of them well enough. Up to that point he's been almost exclusively mooning over Jean despite having a girlfriend, so I wasn't loving him.

I also feel like there is some backtracking on what happened there .. like Candy walking in on him trying to profess his love for Jean (who rejected him) was a "misunderstanding"... sure pal.

I keep thinking how much better this all could have been if lead by Claremont!

There are also all the kids living with X-Factor and they have some adventures. I love Artie and Leech, Rusty is fine and I love Skids. Rictor is also fine (I understand his issues are due to trauma), but I cannot stand Boom Boom who tends to take center stage.

I'm always counting down the issues to when I can pop back over to Uncanny!

[Peter Zackowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louise Simonson writing is superb. Walter Simonson' art is spectacular. All the main characters of X-Factor have each of their own ongoing story arcs. Louise expertly weaves them into each other. Each issue serves to emphasize those character arcs, which pardons the fact that some villains are less than compeling. But on a whole this is a gem of a book from the X brand. You will need to lean into the soap opera-y drama of course, but isn't that why we are reading X books anyway? Louise is all about the characters stories over the fighting. Which is why this holds up three decades later.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

X-Factor improved when Louise Simonson came on board, but it's still not great. The art from Walt Simonson is pretty consistently good, but the Scott/Jean melodrama gets very tiresome. The parts with the young members of the team (Boom-Boom, Skids, Rusty, etc.) are much better. The battle with Apocalypse in the Fall of the Mutants crossover is pretty good and the best part of that messy semi-crossover. My favorite issue is #26 which has X-Factor doing classic super heroics after their battle with Apocalypse damaged NYC. Everything after that is pretty dull. Also Annual #2, a crossover with the Inhumans, Fantastic Four and Power Pack is a real confusing mess.

[Buddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Walt's art, as always, is breathtaking. But I lost interest in the stories halfway through.

[John Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate that I slept on this series for so long. Great consistent X-Men family title. Can't wait for more.

[The_Mad_Swede · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second Essential X-Factor volume collects issues # 17-35 and Annual # 2 and Thor # 378.

The team battles onward in its dual identity as mutant hunting X-Factor and mutant freedom fighters the X-Terminators, training their young wards and facing dangers such as the Horsemen of Apocalypse and the mutant hating organisation the Right.

A lot of changes are going on and all of it leading towards (though not yet up to and including) the big crossover event "Inferno". Included, however, are the X-Factor issues of "The Fall of the Mutants" and with a big showdown with Apocalypse, how can that go wrong.

Like the previous volume, a fun read!

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Similar feelings about this volume as the first, the kids are great and there's some stuff with Beast that's entertaining. Only difference is that the soap opera stuff goes from being boring to totally infuriating when they start explicitly trying to blame Madelyne and make me feel sorry for Scott (it's just not happening.)

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good lord, it sags in the middle.

I do not care about the X-Factor kids or their shenanigans. I'm in it entirely for the soap opera with the adults. When the soap opera is the focus, it's firing on all cylinders.

[Nico Meyering · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was remarkably confusing and melodramatic. I never really got the X-Factor/X-Terminator duality, and the only plotline that appealed to me was Beast's degeneration and subsequent revival.

I finished this on principle, but likely won't read the third volume.

[C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its Appocolypse and Archangel and all the good stuff that shaped the X-Men of my youth. Ah, middle-school.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start to the series with lots of big emotional storylines. The search for Maddie, the manipulation of X Factor, the Jean and Cyclops love story, the new kid characters. Well worth a read.

[Matthew Ledrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collects X-Factor 17-35

[Stephen Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any X-Factor fan!

Thank you for the load Franklin Public Library!

[Sam Poole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Massive stories! Fall of the mutants! Angel becomes Death! This was crazy dark but also so damn good. The soap opera reaches peak levels and doesn't relent. I honestly think this is amazing.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! And found most of the material in color collected in other volumes :D

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die Mutants Die!!!!