X-Factor (2006) #13-24

[Kevin Van der Borght]

X-Factor (2006) #13
January 2007

http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xfactorv3-13t.jpg (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=10268)  http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xfactorv3-13vt.jpg (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=10269)

Story Title: Re-X-Amininations

Writer: Peter David (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14244)
Pencils: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Colorist: Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Letterer: Cory Petit (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=15500&highlight=petit)
Cover Penciler: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Cover Colorist: Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Variant Cover Penciler: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Variant Cover Inker:Danny Miki (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=13115)
Variant Cover Colorist:Dave McCaig (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=13287)
Assistant Editor: Sean Ryan (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=30241&highlight=sean+ryan)
Editor: Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)

After twenty minutes of silence, Doc Samson really wants to earn his money and makes another attempt to get something out of Guido. Suddenly Guido tells him about a birthday party that he once went to when he was little. During the party, a boy was hypnotized and had to cluck like a chicken. Although Guido found it hysterical, he was also curious about it and talked to the hypnotist. The hypnotist told him that he could not let people do stuff that they did not want to do. And if that is true, Guido wants to know from Doc Samson what that says about him as Guido killed a man under hypnosis.

While Guido plays with his yo-yo, he confesses to Doc Samson that he sought out the help of a hypnotist. Up until then his jokes had helped him deal with his twisted upper body but that was not working anymore for him. Unfortunately enough for Guido, the hypnotist worked for Singularity Investigations and made a murderer out of Guido. Guido wonders now whether the hypnotist made a murderer of him or if he already was one. At that point, the string of the yo-yo snaps and breaks a vase, after which Guido gets angry, stamps on the toy and destroys it completely. Guido admits that he still can feel and hear how he crushed Henry Buchanan's throat. Doc Samson explains to Guido that they brainwashed him and that it is normal for him to feel pain. It is not because Guido is a superhuman, that it means that he ditches his humanity as well. Doc Samson tries to make Guido realise that he was a victim and that it was not his fault. Instead of getting a reaction from Guido, Guido starts making jokes again.

The second one who ends up on Doc Samson's couch is Layla Miller. When Layla sits upside down in the couch, Doc Samson asks her about it. Layla explains that sitting like that makes the world more interesting as nobody else looks at it like that. Then she makes the comparison to an episode of 'Star Trek' in which the Enterprise got hit and hung sideways. When Layla asks Doc Samson why that was silly, he answers that it was because up and down is meaningless in space, unless it is in relation to a planet. Layla continues that by laying the Enterprise on its side, it looked as though the Enterprise was listing, which people found awesome. When Doc Samson asks Layla what the point is of this story, she wants to know from him what he thinks the point is.

As neither of them seem willing to answer the question, Layla focuses on the chess board that stands on the table. After the two start to play, Layla asks about X-Factor's psychiatric evaluation that Doc Samson did a long time ago. After Doc Samson tells her that he can not talk about that, he wants to know why she asked him as she is supposed to know stuff. Layla admits that she does not know all, only most things that deal with the future. When Doc Samson makes the assumption that knowing the future must be a burden, Layla informs him that it is, but she realises that sometimes people have to make sacrifices for the greater good. After Doc Samson asks her how she knows the future, she tells him that she sits naked at midnight and pronounces the word 'reveal'. At that point, a butterfly appears and informs her of things to come. Doc Samson asks Layla if her power really works like that and she tells him no.

When Doc Samson wants to make his next move on the chess board, Layla warns him not to make the one he had in mind. She even dismisses the next couple of his alternative moves. After Doc Samson notices how good she is at thinking ahead and comments on it, Layla tells him that she has to. Layla informs him that she does not consider herself as a control freak, after which the doctor wants to know how she would describe herself. When Layla seems not interested in continuing their talk, Doc Samson asks her which piece in a chess game describes her best. To his surprise, Layla shows him the pawn, which is generally considered to be the weakest piece. Layla knows that she is expendable because she knows what the endgame is. Doc Samson reminds her that a pawn can sometimes become something else when it reaches the other side of the board.

Next up is Rictor. Doc Samson obviously wants to know how Ric is dealing with the fact that he has lost his powers. Before Rictor answers, he wants to know from Samson why he is calling him Ric, considering that they are not friends. Samson informs him that he generally uses his patients' first names and that he can do the same with Rictor if he wants to, but Rictor does not want to be adressed by any name. Of course, Doc wants to know if Rictor thinks that he does not deserve a name. When Samson implies that Rictor is scared to answer the question, Rictor really gets agry because he has already faced several scary moments in his life. Rictor does not understand how Doc Samson could think that a question can scare him. Doc Samson points out that he can not shake a question to pieces. In fact Rictor can not do that with anything anymore. On this note, Rictor has had enough and is ready to leave. Just before he leaves, Doc Samson wants to know if he is always this angry. Rictor comes back and tells the doc that he understands that the doctor is trying to provoke him with his questions. At that point Rictor changes roles and asks Samson how he thinks that Rictor is doing. Doc Samson thinks that Rictor has bad days, during which Rictor wants to know why he lost his powers, and good days which are the days when Rictor does not have the time to think about his situation. Rictor has to admit that the doc is right and tells Samson that he is having a bad day.

At the beginning of Theresa's session, Doc Samson notices that she seems to be in a good mood. Theresa tells him that everything is great. She informs him that X-Factor is coming together as a team, that they have defeated Singularity Investigations and that she is proud of the fact that they took a moral stand on the registration act. So for Theresa everything is great. When Doc Samson brings up her father's death, she admits that she forgot about that and starts to laugh. Surprised by her reaction, Terry explains to him that her father is only pretending to be dead and that his death is only a way to delude his enemies. Therefor she is not going to shed one tear over his death. When Theresa notices that Doc Samson does not really believe her, Doc Samson explains that to him it looks as if Theresa is in denial. Doc Samson has to admit however that he can not be one hundred percent certain that Sean is really dead and therefor that Theresa is wrong.

Although Theresa wants to be on time for her appointment with the hairdresser, Doc Samson brings up the fact that she was recently brutally attacked. After Theresa informs him that she is dealing with it, he asks her if she has been drinking because of it. When she tells him quickly no, he points out that she said it rather quickly as if she was expecting the question. Theresa explains that she is trying to expect everything these days so that she does not end up being attacked again. Doc Samson reminds her that it is good to get upset from time to time. When she asks him if he sometimes does it, he admits that he sometimes wants to scream. But that is Theresa's problem because she can not scream without destroying things. Therefor Theresa likes to focus on things that make her happy. Theresa lets Samson in on a secret, which makes her very happy at the moment. She informs him that she and the real Jamie Madrox are a couple.

When Monet starts her session, she immediately asks Doc Samson if Terry is still in denial about her father's death. When he expresses his unability to discuss Theresa's state of mind with her, she sees it as a confirmation of her assumption. Samson tells Monet that everybody copes with trauma in their own way, Monet is convinced that denial is not coping. Although Doc Samson tries to remind Monet that they are talking about the death of Theresa's father, she informs him that Sean was more of a father to her than he was to Theresa and that she is dealing with Sean's death way better than Theresa.

When Doc Samson wants to talk some more about Monet's feelings about Sean's death, Monet states that she does not see the point in them talking. She is convinced that Samson has already formed his opinion about her being an arrogant, self-satisfied bee-yotch. After Samson asks her to surprise him, she confesses that she thinks about killing herself every day. Being a little suprised by her confession, Doc Samson wants to know if she is telling the truth. Her answer comes under the form of a statistic, which states that suicide is ranked third as a cause of death under girls of her age. Still Doc Samson can not believe what he is hearing and so Monet confesses that her thoughts to kill herself do not come from the average teen problems but from Emplate and Penance. To explain herself further, Monet brings up the Stockholm syndrome, which means that an hostage starts to empathize with their captor. In Monet's case, she can not bond with Emplate because he still comes,especially at night, to suck down her bone marrow to survive. And when he comes, she returns back into Penance. And that is why Monet has to be the strong M-person because from M, Monet draws her strength. After her revelation, Doc Samson wants to know if there is nothing in her life that makes her happy. Monet confesses that Jamie has seduced her and that everything since then is unbelievable.

At the start of his session, Jamie shows concern about Rahne because he is unable to convince her to open up about what happened to her when they dealt with Singularity. When the doc suggests to him to have sex with her, Jamie immediately understands that Doc Samson is aware of his relationships with both Therry and Monet. Doc Samson even dares to ask him if there is anyone else, to which Jamie jokingly responds that he would not mind having Rictor in his bed. On a more serious note, Jamie continues that there is nobody else to his knowledge. He tries to explain that it was his libido that had sex with Monet, although he is not too sure about that either. When Doctor Samson utters his disbelief, Jamie informs him that it becomes difficult to separate his memories from his dupes, as they eventually become his memories as well. Jamie states that he is pretty sure that he has been in charge since the night 'he' slept with the two women.

Again Doc Samson can not believe what Jamie is telling, after which Jamie asks him to cut him some slack as his world has been turned upside down. Not only did he discover that his parents were killed but also that he is a genetic throwback and not a mutant. When Jamie informs the doc that his dupe retrieved this information from the bad guys, Samson suggests that maybe the bad guys were lying. Jamie is not so certain of that as bad guys are too pleased with themselves to be lying about this kind of information.

Jamie lets Doc Samson know how he misses to kid around and to pretending not to care about anything, but Doc Samson informs him that that is called growing-up. He also reminds Jamie that he is now in charge and that people are counting on him, but Jamie does not want to live up to other people's expectations and he is tempted to run away. When Samson asks him why he does not do just that, Jamie confesses that he can not decide to do it. He thought that taking a point regarding the registration act would help him decide, but all it did was make things worse and now his life is just a mess. At the end of the session Doc Samson points out that Jamie owes it to at least one of the girls to tell them what is going on.

Rahne's session starts difficult because Rahne does not want to burden Doc Samson with what is troubling her. She knows it will be a burden because he will not be allowed to talk about it and he will not be able to change her once he knows what she is. When Samson asks her what she is talking about, Rahne explains that she does not know if she is a girl first and then a beast or the other way around. As a girl she just wants to be loved but then she has to deal with doubts and stuff like that. On the other hand as the beast her mind is clearer and positively pure, which a part of herself would like to be at all times.

When Doc Samson informs her that Jamie told him that something happened to her, he wants her to tell him about it. Rahne reveals that she has seen the future and she is certain that it was a true one. Rahne saw herself in a mirror in her animal form covered with the blood of Jamie and an older Layla, who just got married to eachother. Rahne had gutted them and they were lying dead on their honeymoon bed. Doc Samson reminds Rahne that she does not know if this is going to happen. Still the possility that it may be true, is what is waying so heavily on her. She can kill herself but then she would go to hell because people who kill themselves do not go to heaven. On the other hand if she does not kill herself, she becomes a murderer and she would end up in hell as well. Rahne is convinced that God has abondoned her and she knows that her friends would fear her if they would know. In tears, Rahne asks Doc Samson to help her.

After his sessions with the members of X-Factor, Doc Samson decides to make a house call and goes to Pietro's clinic. Samson wants to know if Pietro does not miss his powers. Pietro admits that he does not miss them one bit. He can now enjoy roses and their smell, and he can even appreciate the slowness of their growth. When Doc Samson inquires about the rumor that he is evil now, Pietro has to admit that he did something that could be described as being evil, but he does not consider himself to be evil because he acted out of love. He even tries to make amends for his sin, even if that means that former mutants regain a twisted version of their powers. Pietro is convinced that those mutants only get what they deserve. He does not consider himself to be the judge but only the instrument of the judgement. Although people may try to destroy him now for what he is doing, he is certain that he will be remembered as the man who saved mutantkind. Before they end their talk, Pietro states that he is a survivor, just like all the members of X-Factor, although he would not mind to squash Layla Miller.

On his way to X-Factor's headquarters, Doc Samson records his thoughts on X-Factor and utters his fear for the group's long-term health. Because all the teammembers are in one way or the other disconnected from reality, Doc Samson is not sure what is going to happen to them. Just as he arrives at the headquarters, Jamie is thrown out of the widow. Luckily for him, Doc Samson can catch him in time. Inside Monet is very angry and tells Jamie that he is dead. A few moments later Jamie loses uconsciousness.

Characters:
Doc Samson (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=23390)
M (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5751)
Layla Miller (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=38700)
Multiple Man (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=6163)
Quicksilver (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=7106)
Rictor (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18343)
Siryn (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9817)
Strong Guy (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9935)
Wolfsbane (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=10299)

<hr>
X-Factor #14
February 2007

http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xfactorv3-14t.jpg (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=10368)

Story Arc: Multiple Issues, Part 1

Writer: Peter David (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14244)
Pencils: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Colorist: Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Letterer: Cory Petit (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=15500&highlight=petit)
Production: Rich Ginter
Cover Penciler: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Cover Colorist:Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Assistant Editor: Sean Ryan (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=30241&highlight=sean+ryan)
Editor: Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)

The moment Jamie enters the room, he is greeted by a couple of guns. And Jamie's day was already going bad.

That morning, Jamie tried to patch things up with Terry but she only gave him the silent treatment, which he could not stand. So he suggested that she should hit him or yell at him or even tear his hair out. Jamie even tried to explain that he was about ninety percent sure that it was him, who slept with her and not his unleashed libido. When Terry started to whisper, Jamie told her that she could use her normal voice. Terry explained that she had to whisper otherwise she would lose control over herself, which would mean that she would start to scream, which would result in the destruction of the neighbourhood. In the end Terry advised him to leave before anything of that would happen.

Just after he left the room, Jamie was grabbed by an angry Monet, who wanted to talk to the dupe that seduced her as she had realised that it was not Jamie himself. Although Jamie tried to explain to her that he could not will a particular dupe to come out, Monet kept hitting Jamie against a wall in the hope that his libido dupe would be forced to resurface.

Later that day Rahne and Guido paid a visit to Alix Buchanan because Guido wanted to tell Alix that he killed her husband. Just before he knocked on the door, he tried to change his mind but Rahne reminded him that he forced her to come along in case he wanted to bail out. Rahne also advised him to be tactful with his confession. As they waited for the door to be opened, Guido was even willing to go to the cops as long as it meant that he did not have to face Alix Buchanan. The moment that Alix opened the door, Guido blurred it out that he killed her husband by crushing his throat. Shocked by his confession, Alix fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

Elsewhere, Jamie and Rictor were having a beer. When Rictor inquired about Jamie's injuries to the head, Jamie did not want to talk about it with him because things were both complicated and private. To Jamie's surprise, Rictor already knew what Jamie's dupe did with Monet and what problems it had caused for him and Terry. After Rictor revealed that Layla told him, he asked Jamie who of the two women was wilder in bed. After Jamie told Ric that he was a pig and after he waited a few moments, Jamie anwered the question anyway. When he revealed that Monet was the wilder one, it confirmed Rictor's assumption. On a more serious note Jamie told Rictor how the two women hated him, but Rictor was convinced that they would get over it and if they didn't, Jamie could look back on a great night. Just as Rictor was about to make another raunchy remark, Jamie told him to shut up and so they changed the subject.

Jamie asked Rictor about the fact that Quicksilver had taken such an interest in him lately. Rictor explained that Quicksilver claimed to be able to give him his powers back, but because Rictor did not trust the whole thing, he had to feel Quicksilver out. With a straight face, Rictor told Jamie that he did not have to worry about the whole thing because he was no longer sleeping with Quicksilver. Shocked by Rictor's revelation, Jamie spat out the beer in his mounth on Rictor. While Jamie tried to take this information in, Rictor pointed out that Jamie had lost his sense of humor and made it clear that he was joking. Even if Rictor were gay, he reassured Jamie that he would never get together with Pietro. To Jamie everything was possible, seeing in what kind of state all the members of X-Factor were. Just to give Jamie one positive thing, Rictor reminded him of the fact that he now knew that he and Pietro could never be a couple. Although Jamie acted as if he was not entirely relieved, he stated nonetheless that he was happy that they would not have to deal with a jealous Shatterstar. This time around it was Rictor who was shocked and just like Jamie Rictor spat out his beer on his drinking buddy.

Meanwhile Alix Buchanan got the entire story of what Guido did to her husband. When Alix asked if Guido was all right, Rahne explained that a hypnotherapist undid all of Singularity's brainwashing. Rahne also told Alix that Guido was able to remember where Singularity's operatives had dumped her husband's body and that they had already tipped the police of this information anonymously. After a brief moment of silence, Alix raised herself and approached Guido. Alix informed him that she and her husband believed that everything happened for a reason. Although she had to admit that she did not know what their role in life was, she could tell Guido that his was not to rot in jail as he was also a victim of Singularity. Although Alix knew that her husband's case would end up as another unsolved murder, she wanted Guido to promise her that he would not become another victim of Singularity. After Guido made his promise, Alix embraced him and they both started to cry.

Later on, Jamie went to the Central Park Zoo to meet Doc Samson, who had not arrived yet. Jamie liked looking at the zoo animals, because they did not have to worry about making choices. When Doc Samson arrived, he immediately asked Jamie how things were going with Terry and Monet. Doc Samson assumed that Jamie had not been thrown out of the window anymore because Jamie did not seem to have any glass shards in his hair. Although Jamie was happy about this, he was hoping to get more out of his life.

As they walked by the polar bears, Doc Samson informed Jamie that the polar bears might get extinct due to global warming. When Doc Samson asked Jamie's opinion about that, Jamie replied that Coca-Cola would have to find something else to sell their drinks. On a more serious note, Jamie answered that things of beauty could be hurt without anybody intending to. Doc Samson used his answer to know if that was how he felt about what he did to Terry and Monet, but Jamie remained silent for a moment.

When Jamie continued, he told Doc Samson that he fell like his life was out of control because he was literally all over the place. And because X-Factor's leader had no control over himself, his team was out of control as well. Jamie realised that he had to pull himself together but he did not know how. As they walked to the cages of the apes, Doc Samson asked Jamie to clarify what he meant by the fact that his life was out of control. Jamie explained that he felt like his dupes were running the show instead of him. There were dupes, who still had not returned after Jamie had sent them over the globe to get a better understanding of things. To Doc Samson it was clear that gathering his dupes would be a good start for Jamie to get control over himself once again. Doc Samson warned Jamie however that it would be tricky because Jamie's dupes had proven to be unpredictable in the past. Just as Jamie asked what the worst thing was that could happen, one of the apes threw some poo at him, but luckily the poo ended up against the cage's window. Jamie wondered if that was an omen for things to come.

In the kitchen of X-Factor Investigations, Monet and Terry sat back to back to eachother without saying a word. When Layla entered the room and noticed how the two were ignoring eachother, she got annoyed. Before Monet knew it, Layla turned her chair around. When Monet started to threaten her, Layla silenced her by telling her to shut up. After she turned Terry around as well, Layla told them that she understood that the two felt used by Jamie, but she also knew that Jamie had made them feel good for a while as well. Layla expressed her desire for the two to at least stop being mad at each other if they could not stop being mad at Jamie. Before Layla left the kitchen, she threatened to make things change if the two of them did not do anything about the situation.

A few moments later, Monet suggested for them to go shopping. At first Terry could not believe her ears that this was Monet's solution, but when Monet explained how she could easily charter a plane that would bring them to Paris, Terry agreed to join Monet.

At Central Headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D. Jamie was able to enter the building without any problems because one of his dupes worked there. It was that same dupe that caused a lot of confusion among the mutant society when he signed up for the Registration Act. Once inside the S.H.I.E.L.D.-building, the 'real' Jamie got quickly lost. Luckily one of the other agents showed him the way to his office.

Now, after a difficult morning, Jamie is surprised to see his former boss Valerie Cooper in his dupe's office. Val informs him that he was lucky that she was there the moment that he entered the building. S.H.I.E.L.D. was ready to kill him but Val was able to talk them out of it. Val reminds Jamie that he was up against S.H.I.E.L.D. and explains to Jamie that his dupe has an implant under his skin, which enables the agency to recognize the dupe. Jamie informs Valerie that S.H.I.E.L.D. knows nothing about his dupes and their unstable nature as of late and therefor Jamie needs to take back the S.H.I.E.L.D.-dupe. Because Valerie is convinced that Jamie and his agency have a lot to contribute and because of old times' sake, she has been able to keep him out of prison. However Val has to warn him that she can not protect them forever and makes it clear that Jamie needs to stay out of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s way.

Once outside Jamie has to admit that he underestimated S.H.I.E.L.D. but the same thing can be said for them as they do not know that he can track down his dupes by his low-level psychic link to them. Thanks to this link, Jamie knows that he had almost found his dupe inside, because he could feel his dupe very close to him.

Suddenly a young girl scout brings him out of his thoughts and asks him if he wants to buy some of her cookies. Just when Jamie keeps the box rather closely to his face, a gas escapes from the box. Jamie loses consciousness immediately. While other men load Jamie in a truck, the little girl tells Hydra-headquarters to warn their leader of the capture of S.H.I.E.L.D.-agent Jamie Madrox.

Characters:
Alix Buchanan
Henry Buchanan
Valerie Cooper (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=2201)
Ms. Diaz
Doc Samson (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=23390)
M (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5751)
Layla Miller (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=38700)
Multiple Man (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=6163)
Rictor (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18343)
Siryn (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9817)
Strong Guy (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9935)
Wolfsbane (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=10299)

<hr>
X-Factor #15
March 2007

http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xfactorv3-15t.jpg (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=10523)

Story Arc: Multiple Issues, Part 2

Writer: Peter David (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14244)
Pencils: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Colorist: Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Letterer: Cory Petit (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=15500&highlight=petit)
Production: Brad Johansen
Cover Penciler: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Cover Colorist:Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Assistant Editor: Sean Ryan (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=30241&highlight=sean+ryan)
Editor: Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)

First Appearance: Nicole

While Jamie is transported to a Hydra-facility by helicopter, he wonders how much grief a person really brings upon himself. Jamie assumes that many people like him feel like they are being punished without knowing why. The only thing that he knows is that, as the Multiple Man, he can go in all directions at once and that he can see all the possibilities.

While the Hydra-agents land the helicopter and bring him inside, Jamie realises that Hydra has confused him with his dupe, who is a S.H.I.E.L.D.-agent. Once inside the young girl, who was able to knock out Jamie with sleeping gas, orders the others to bring Jamie to Doc Locke. On his way there, Jamie mocks the doctor's name, which seems to annoy the little girl, who reveals that she is in fact twenty-seven years old. The young woman informs Jamie that Doc Locke used to work for Singularity Investigations and that he was the one responsible for turning Guido into a murderer by brainwashing him.

Inside Doc Locke's workplace, Jamie is tightly buckled in a steel chair. Doc Locke states that he finds it an honor to meet him. He informs Jamie that he got the chance to study all the information on 'Madrox Prime' that Singularity had gathered and he has to admit that Jamie would be an interesting subject for a thesis. After the doctor wants to know if Jamie is sitting comfortably and if he needs anything, Jamie asks for a gun so that he can kill Doc Locke. Because the doc has read Jamie's file, he is convinced that Jamie is not a violent person, but Jamie tells him that he would not be so sure about it. After Doc Locke puts a special helmet on Jamie's head, Jamie informs him that he was not kidding about killing the doctor. With a single push on a button, the brainwashing program begins.

At the Café de Flore in France, Terry laughs her heart out when Monet tells her how two princes once ditched both of their dates to hang on Monet's arms. Monet emphasizes that her story is true and that the scandal even scandalized the tabloids. At that point Monet realises that she could have bedded royalty but instead she had sex with Jamie, who is good enough for Terry but who is below Monet's status. Although Terry could take this as an insult, she can see it from Monet's point of view because Monet was brought up in the circles of an ambassador.

Suddenly Monet smells smoke. After Terry smells it as well, the two go to investigate it. They quickly discover that the fire comes from a bunch of protestors. After Monet inquiers what is going on, she learns from a Frenchman that they are protesting against the mutants that live there. Although the man can not say if the mutants still have powers or not, he does not care as their powers could return.

Meanwhile, Jamie's brainwashing program has begun. While Jamie's mother slaps his dupes out of him one by one, she blames Jamie for getting her and his father killed. Although Jamie apologizes, his mother does not want to hear it. Instead she continues blaming Jamie for their deaths. She blames him for not being a normal child. If he had been normal, Mr. Tryp would never have come to them and they would not have been killed by a storm. When Jamie states that he does not understand why Tryp did the things that he did, his mother is not interested in finding the answers to Tryp's motives.

At that point Jamie's father appears and tells his wife that slapping their son has no point, Jamie thanks him as he believes that his father has come to his aid. Surprisingly his father explains that his punishment is not severe enough to make Jamie understand how much of a failure Jamie really is. When Jamie sees the whip in his father's hand, he begs him to let his mother keep on slapping him, but his father shows him no mercy.

While Jamie screams his lungs out in pain, Ms. Diaz wants to know what Doc Locke is exactly doing. Locke explains that Jamie's strength comes from his numbers. Therefor he wants to split Jamie mentally so that his core personality is weakened. Because the dupes are Jamie's protection, he wants to strip them off so that Jamie will be easier to manipulate. When Ms. Diaz hears Locke's explanation, she thinks that it is going to take a long time but the doctor explains that although only ten minutes have passed, to Jamie it feels as if he has been tortured for an entire day. And so the reprogramming will only take a couple of hours instead of weeks. Seeing Jamie with the binoculars on his nose, she wonders what he is seeing, but even Doc Locke has to admit that he does not know either. All he knows is that he is stimulating relevant parts of Jamie's brain and that Jamie's subconsciousness does the rest. Doc Locke can not hide his admiration for what mankind can do to the human brain and vice versa.

In Paris Terry and Monet decide to make a stand, after the protestors start throwing tomatoes in the faces of their victims. Terry opens the attack with a sonic scream. Immediately someone uses his gun on her but luckily for Terry, Monet covers her and the bullets ricochets off of Monet's body. Unfortunately for the Frenchman, one of the bullets hits the Fabergé egg that Monet bought. Just before Monet can get a hold of the Frenchman, the police arrives. When Monet suggests to Terry to fly off, Terry informs her teammate that if they should leave that this story will end up as another one of bad mutants terrorizing innocent people. Even more important is that the protestors could carry on harrassing the mutants after their departure. And so the two decide to raise their hands. After Monet introduces herself, she informs the police who her father is and that she wants talk to a lawyer immediately. She also demands that they return her Fabergé egg to her.

Hours later Jamie's brainwashing program is completed. Doc Locke informs Ms. Diaz that he has stripped Jamie's personality down to its core. All they have to do now is to reprogram him in the interests of Hydra. Although Ms. Diaz wants to use Jamie as a stealth agent, Doc Locke is convinced that Jamie would be an ideal combat agent. When Ms. Diaz wants to know how well Jamie can fight, Locke can not answer her question but reminds her that in case of Jamie that they are talking quantity over quality. With a single slap of his cane on Jamie's back, Doc Locke creates a dupe. Doc Locke explains to Ms. Diaz what would happen if Jamie should be caring a nuclear device. Although the doctor does not know how Jamie does it, each duplicate would also be caring his own nuclear weapon, thus creating an entire nuclear army.

Inside Jamie's head, his parents have stopped punishing Jamie as he does not seem to understand how bad he has been. They realise that Jamie has to grow up and take responsibility for his actions. After his father unties his son, his parents ask him to make them proud by punishing himself. At that point Jamie starts to slap himself.

In the real world, Jamie starts to duplicate himself exponentially. Eventually Jamie starts to overcrowd the Hydra-base. Even though the Hydra-agents start to fire at him, they can not keep up and they get suffocated.

Somewhere in a Parasian prison cell, Monet is making a big deal out of the state of her cell. When Terry tells Monet to calm down, Monet reminds her that it was Terry's idea to play nice with the cops. Terry is happy with her decision as they have been able to make a political statement by telling people about the riots. And because mutants have been receiving negative reports in the American press, they proved that although they are mutants, that they are not above the law. But Monet does not care about the American opinion. She is only concerned about the state of their filthy toilet. Suddenly the man who shot at Monet and Terry is brought in as well. The two girls immediately notice that the man is covered in ashes and they want to know what happened. The man is gladly to inform them how he and the other protestors went back after the police left and how they burned the people inside alive. With a single gesture, Monet rips out a piece of bar of their prison cell and throws it at the man. Terry is shocked by what Monet did but Monet informs her that she only made a political statement.

At the Hydra-base, S.H.I.E.L.D. finally arrives. When they look at all the dead bodies, they notice how the Hydra-agents all seem to be crushed. Jamie's dupe proposes to get to the bottom of things and they start to check the place for survivors. The dupe finds a Hydra-agent who is still alive. Suddenly the Hydra-agent grabs the dupe by the hand. At that point the dupe comes eye to eye with the real Jamie. Before the dupe can do anything, he is being assimiliated back again. Before Jamie can walk out of the place, he has to take over the S.H.I.E.L.D.-uniform of his dupe. On his way out, Jamie remembers what happened to him. While Jamie created more and more of his dupes, Locke's control started to thin out, until Jamie was finally able to break free.

The most frightening thing about this entire ordeal is that Jamie feels nor good or bad about what he did, and in his eyes that is very, very bad.

Characters:
Ms. Diaz
Doc Locke
M (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5751)
Daniel Madrox
Joan Madrox
Multiple Man (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=6163)
Nicole
Siryn (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9817)

<hr>
X-Factor #16
April 2007

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xfactorv3-16t.jpg" hspace=3 align=top align=left alt="X-Factor #16" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=10721)

Story Title: No Dominion

Writer: Peter David (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14244)
Pencils: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Colorist: Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Letterer: Cory Petit (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=15500&highlight=petit)
Production: Kate Levin
Cover Penciler: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Cover Colorist:Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Assistant Editor: Sean Ryan (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=30241&highlight=sean+ryan)
Editor: Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)

At the St-Paul's Episcopal Church, the priest reminds the churchgoers that God gave the Earth to the humans to do as they will but that it does not mean that they have dominion over it. The priest's son is picking his nose during his father's sermon. Just as the priest tells his listeners that there are people who want to achieve dominion, Jamie Madrox enters the church. At that moment the priest starts to stammer, after which he completely stops talking. Jamie notices how quickly the priest became just as confused and uncertain as Jamie feels. While Jamie still stands in the doorway, his dupe explains to the churchgoers that he feels unwell, after which he leaves through a side door. Jamie runs to the backdoor of the church but his dupe is already gone. Jamie knows that his dupe is only delaying the inevitable.

Suddenly a woman comes from behind him carrying the young boy, who was picking his nose during the sermon, on her arms. The woman calls Jamie John and shows concern by checking if he is feverish. While they walk to their car, their son Daniel asks if his dad is mad at him for picking his nose. At that point Jamie fully realises what is going on.

In a Parisian prison, Terry is horrified by Monet, who has just crucified a man as a punishment for killing fellow mutants. After Monet punches a hole in the prison wall, they get out but there they face a dozen policemen and their guns. Terry launches a sonic attack, after which the two get airborne. The policemen try to hit the two but Monet covers Terry with her own body. Meanwhile other policemen discover the murderer pinned by the hands to the wall of his cell. Above him the word meurtier is written.

In the United States, Jamie and his family are already home. His son asks him to help him with a puzzle. Meanwhile Jamie's wife Susan has received a call from the sisterhood, who inquired if their priest is feeling better. When Susan asks him if their son is bothering him, Jamie learns that his dupe called his son after Jamie's father, which pleases Jamie alot.

After Susan leaves the room to give Daniel his bath, Jamie is convinced that he is going to hell for kissing Susan but he wonders if he is committing adultery, because technically she is his wife. Now that Jamie is thinking about Susan and Daniel as 'his' wife and son, he does not know anymore what to do with this situation.

Jamie walks through the house and ends up in his dupe's study, where he finds out that his dupe calls himself John Maddox. When Jamie picks up a picture of Susan and Daniel, he knows that his dupe has lied to them about who he really is. At that point John appears and asks him to put down the picture. Jamie informs John that they have a dilemma. John knows that Jamie is there to absorb him but John explains that he really likes his life and that he will fight for it. Just as Jamie asks his dupe how he is going to do that, John points a gun at Jamie.

In Paris, Monet and Terry look in shock at the building that the humans burned down. Suddenly Terry notices the girl, at whom the protestors were throwing tomatoes. The scared little girl asks Monet and Terry if they are going to hurt her. After Monet and Terry introduce themselves to Nicole, Nicole tells them that her parents died in the fire and that she is all alone now. Although Terry wants to take Nicole to the proper authorities, Monet decides to take Nicole with them. Terry tries to point out that Monet is basically kidnapping the girl but in the end Monet sticks with her decision, whether Terry agrees or not. While the three walk through the alleys of Paris, they do not notice that someone with red eyes and a black coat is following them.

In the U.S. Jamie's dupe is still pointing a gun at Jamie. John has dreaded the day that Jamie would show up to reclaim him but his dupe is ready to fight for his life and that of his family. Jamie explains to John that his wife and son will not disappear as well when Jamie reabsorbs him. John assumes correctly that Jamie is planning on reabsorbing his dupe without explaining it to his wife and his son. As they continue to talk, the two discuss all possible outcomes to this ordeal.

At a certain point the dupe has had enough and wants to know why Jamie is doing this to him. Jamie explains that he needs him back because otherwise Jamie's soul is not complete and without his soul, Jamie is nothing, which is something the priest should understand.

Suddenly Jamie tells his dupe to kill him because Jamie realises that he will live on as a part of his dupe. To Jamie it would be enough to live on like that and at the same time it would be a relief as well. Although Jamie stands right in front of the gun by now, the priest starts to cry and can not pull the trigger. While the dupe falls down on his knees, he asks Jamie to make it quick.

At an airport in France, Monet orders her pilot to get them out of there quickly. Suddenly Terry sees the police approaching the landing strip. A moment later a bright, white light blinds Terry. When the light disappears, the police cars have also disappeared. When Terry suggests that they should find out what happened, Monet disagrees and wants to get out of there. Monet tells Terry that they can always figure it out later.

After the plane lifts off, the man with the red eyes and the black coat witnesses their departure. After the man covers his hand, which radiates in energy, with a glove, he walks away as well.

In the United States Susan returns with a freshly washed Daniel in her arms. She immediately notices that something is different with her husband and asks him about it. The dupe explains that he feels free for the very first time in his life. Outside, Jamie takes a last look at the happy family. For the very first time in his life Jamie knows that he has made the right decision. He also feels free and that is a feeling that is worth a small piece of his soul any day.

Characters:
Daniel
Isolationist
M (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5751)
Multiple Man (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=6163)
Nicole
Siryn (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9817)
Susan

<hr>
X-Factor #17
May 2007

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xfactorv3-17t.jpg" hspace=3 align=top align=left alt="X-Factor #17" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=10781)

Writer: Peter David (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14244)
Pencils: Khoi Pham
Inker: Sandu Florea (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=13098)
Colorist: Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Letterer: Cory Petit (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=15500&highlight=petit)
Production: Anthony Dial (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1411851#post1411851)
Cover Penciler: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Cover Colorist:Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Assistant Editor: Sean Ryan (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=30241&highlight=sean+ryan)
Editor: Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)

First Appearance: Elijah Ross

Last Christmas, the Undersecretary of Defense Edward Hutchinson celebrated Christmas with his daughter and her family. At six o'clock in the morning his granddaughter was already opening presents. Like many grandparents he bought way too many gifts according to his daughter. When the little Abby opened a present with an elephant in it, Edward could not remember having bought it. When he looks at the card that was attached to it, he read that the elephant could present a choke present. A moment later the trunk of the animal was suffocating Edward. Luckily for Edward, his son-in-law Steve, who was a cop, came down the stairs just in time to shoot the elephant to pieces. Inside the stuffed animal was a message from something called the X-Cell, who demanded their powers back.

Back at the present day, Jamie Madrox finds one of his dupes sitting drunk in front of a police station in Detroit. When Jamie suggests for them to get a cup of coffee, the dupe knows that Jamie would get drunk as well if he should absorb the dupe in that state. When the dupe reveals that he knows that Jamie slept with both Monet and Theresa, he reminds Jamie that Jamie sent him into the world to become the greatest detective. What Jamie does not understand immediately is how this great detective became the drunk that sits in front of him. After a minute Jamie understands that his dupe has discovered something so big that he wants to drink himself to death. Out of love for Jamie and because the burden of what he has discovered is so heavy, the dupe does not want to be reabsorbed. His dupe also explains that Jamie will not get his knowledge after his death because he is a dupe that was created before Jamie's powers went out of control. The reason why his dupe has not killed himself yet is that he does not want to die pointlessly. Besides, he is still on a case. The dupe discovered that a captain of the police force works for the mob. When one of the younger officers discovered this as well, the captain had the young cop killed. Because the captain is so well protected, the dupe can not do anything about it.

At that point the captain comes out of the police station. Before Jamie knows it, his dupe shoots the cop in the head. Immediately other police officers open fire and kill the dupe. While Jamie starts to cry over the death of his dupe, Jamie realises that his dupe could have killed the captain in another way but because he wanted to die as well, he did it this way.

Just at that moment, Jamie gets a call from Layla, who immediately hears that Jamie is crying. Because Jamie is not in the mood, he angrily asks her what she wants. Layla explains that he has to return home immediately because by the time he gets back, something will have happened for which he will be needed.

In the streets of Mutant Down, Rictor tries to catch up with Rahne. He is concerned about her and wonders if she might want to talk about it but she is not interested. Rahne brings up Rictor's relationship with Pietro Maximoff. Although Rahne is convinced that Pietro is evil, Rictor is not so sure. Rictor is quickly able to revert the conversation back to its original subject, namely Rahne. Rahne repeats that she does not want to talk about it. In a desperate attempt Rictor asks Rahne if she is upset because Jamie did not sleep with her as well. At the sight of Rahne's shocked face, Rictor realises what a stupid thing he had just said.

Luckily for him, someone calls for help. In an alley two guys are beating up a defenseless man. When one of the two men hears a grawl coming from behind him, he turns around and comes eye to eye with Rahne, who is in her half wolf form. Because Rahne attacks him, the guy has no other choice than to use his gun. The man tries to tell Rahne something but long before he can end his sentence, Rahne has already taken him out. The second man has to release his prisoner to grab his gun but before he can fire it, Rictor has already grabbed him from behind. After Rictor gives the man a headbutt, the guy loses consciousness.

An angry Rahne tells Rictor that she did not need his help. Rictor apologizes for the remark that he made earlier on about her and Jamie, but Rahne does not accept his apology. Getting back on the matter at hand, Rahne does not see the victim of the two men anymore. After Rictor tells her that he ran away, he has some very bad news. While he searched through the pockets of one of their victims, he found a batch of the FBI. Rictor now realises what the first man wanted to tell Rahne when she attacked him. The two decide to leave the men behind but before they get the chance, they are surrounded by heavily armed O.N.E.-agents. Rahne and Rictor are placed under arrest.

At the X-Factor building, Guido is eating some ice cream. When Layla tells him how the flavor is called, Guido wants another name for it because its original name is not cool enough for him. So Layla decides on 'Smelly armpits", which Guido likes. Suddenly O.N.E.-agents charge the building and inform the two that they are under suspicion of terrorist activities. Layla takes the ice cream and asks the agents if they want to try her 'Smelly armpits'.

Some time later Jamie arrives at the building and is surprised to see it so heavily guarded. A man orders Jamie to come with him because their is a lady in a black limousine who wants to talk to him. Once inside the car, Jamie is not thrilled when he sees Valerie Cooper. Val comes immediately down to business and informs him that a terrorist organization called the X-Cell tried to kill the Undersecretary of Defense last Christmas. Since then the X-Cell has targeted many other governmental agencies and politicians. The X-Cell consists of former mutants, who are convinced that the government was behind the mutant decimation. Jamie gets to see a photo of a short man called Elijah Cross, who is the leader of the X-Cell. Val informs Jamie that they had him up until the moment that Rahne and Rictor interfered. Val obligates Jamie in helping her find Elijah and bringing the X-Cell down.

Somewhere else in Mutant Town, Elijah has found Pietro and asks him for his help.

Characters:
Abby
Valerie Cooper (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=2201)
Edward Hutchinson
Layla Miller (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=38700)
F.B.I.-agent Martelli
Multiple Man (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=6163)
Quicksilver (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=7106)
Rictor (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18343)
Elijah Ross
Steve
Strong Guy (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9935)
Wolfsbane (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=10299)

<hr>
X-Factor #18
June 2007

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xfactorv3-18t.jpg " hspace=3 align=top align=left alt="X-Factor #18" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=10898)

Writer: Peter David (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14244)
Pencils: Khoi Pham
Inker:Sandu Florea (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=13098)
Colorist: Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Letterer: Cory Petit (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=15500&highlight=petit)
Production: Rich Ginter
Cover Penciler: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Cover Colorist:Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Assistant Editors: Sean Ryan (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=30241&highlight=sean+ryan) & Will Panzo (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=43649)
Editor: Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)

Layla and Guido are placed under house arrest, guarded by O.N.E.-agents.

Elsewhere Pietro receives a visit from X-Cell leader Elijah Cross, who is convinced that the government took his mutant powers away. After the government legalised the Registration Act, he and others decided not to wait to see what the government has installed next. Therefore they founded the X-Cell, a terrorist organization. Because their terrorist actions have not achieved anything, Elijah came to Pietro to seek help. Just as Pietro wants to use his powers on Elijah, Callisto shows up and stops Pietro. Before Callisto realises it, Pietro's dupes kick the crap out of her. What follows next is a short description of what happened to Callisto after Pietro gave her her powers back a while ago. Pietro regrets what happened to Callisto but he has come up with a new plan to make the transfert safer for the receiver. Pietro needs a vessel and he has already an idea who would be perfect for it.

Meanwhile, Rictor is being questioned by O.N.E.-agent Flynn. By the time that Valerie Cooper and Jamie enter the interrogation room, Rictor has told Flynn a remarkable story, but little does Flynn realise that Rictor was pulling his leg. Valerie informs agent Flynn that both Rahne and Rictor are released to Jamie.

After the incident in Paris, Terry and Monet are almost back home. Monet is carrying Nicole, who became an orphan after some mutant haters burned down her home and killed her parents. Nicole is scared that Monet will lose her powers, just like she did, and that Monet will drop her. When they reach the X-Factor Investigations building, they immediately notice the O.N.E.-agents and Monet wonders if it has got anything to do with Paris. After they land on the rooftop, they see that the agents are leaving.

Inside Jamie wants to know what Layla knows about the X-Cell but Layla pretends that she has not got a clue. When Jamie tells her that they need to find these terrorists, Layla informs him that they are scared people and that the situation will take care of itself. Layla asks Jamie to trust her when she tells him that the X-Cell will self-destruct.

When Terry and Monet enter the room and introduce the team to Nicole, Layla is startled. Rictor realises that Layla did not know about Nicole, which amuses him. Returning to the subject of the X-Cell, Monet and Terry are filled in on the matter. Monet refuses strongly to turn the X-Cell over to the cops. She does not understand why the X-Cell has to be punished when they do not know what really happened on M-Day. When Nicole asks about what really happened on M-Day, the entire team goes silent. A moment later, Layla gives everybody a paper with a place on it where they have to go to to solve the X-Cell-problem.

Jamie and Rictor are sent to a deli but much to their surprise they are there to pick up an order that Layla made.

Monet and Terry go to a street, where prostitutes wait for clients. When the two realise this, they both want to kill Layla.

Rahne and Guido are supposed to get into the sewers but Rahne's enhanced sense of smell can not stand the stench. And Guido's body is too big for him to get into the manhole. Rahne decides to go back to the alley, where she and Rictor first met Elijah Ross, to pick up Elijah's scent. Guido puts the lid back on the manhole but he does not do it properly.

On their way back a man with a hat comes out of an alley and orders Jamie to give him the sandwishes. The man is starved and grabs the food out of Jamie's hands. After the man insults Rictor, Rictor loses his temper but the man pushes him away. After he pushes Jamie against a wall, Rictor and Jamie recognize the guy as the former mutant known as the Blob. Rictor is hard on the Blob and punches him in the face. Rictor is convinced that the Blob is part of the X-Cell. Only after the Blob starts to cry, does Rictor let go of him. Unfortunately for Rictor, the Blob pretended to be scared and before Rictor knows it, the Blob punches him real hard in the genitalia. Jamie comes to Rictor's aid but the Blob has back-up himself. Fatale is able to kick Jamie in the back. One of Jamie's dupes continues the fight with Fatale and breaks her arm, but Fatale is not defeated yet. From out of one of her gauntlets comes a poisoned blade, with which she cuts the dupe.

Meanwhile the Blob has stolen a car. After Fatale jumps in, the two get out of there and leave Jamie behind with his dying dupe in his arms. On their way the Blob and Fatale pass Monet and Terry, who recognize and follow them. Suddenly one of the car's tires ends up in the manhole, which Guido did not cover properly, and the car overturns. Before Terry can reach Fatale, Marrow throws a knife just in front of her feet.

Characters:
Blob (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=1761)
Callisto (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=2104)
Valerie Cooper (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=2201)
Fatale (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=4642)
Flynn
M (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5751)
Marrow (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5823)
Layla Miller (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=38700)
Multiple Man (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=6163)
Nicole
Quicksilver (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=7106)
Rictor (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18343)
Elijah Ross
Siryn (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9817)
Strong Guy (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9935)
Wolfsbane (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=10299)

<hr>
X-Factor #19
July 2007

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xfactorv3-19t.jpg" hspace=3 align=top align=left alt="X-Factor #19" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=10925)

Writer: Peter David (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14244)
Pencils: Khoi Pham
Inker: Sandu Florea (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=13098)
Colorist: Chris Sotomayor (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=13957&highlight=sotomayor)
Letterer: Cory Petit (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=15500&highlight=petit)
Production: Rich Ginter
Cover Penciler: Andrea DiVito (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=37107)
Cover Colorist:Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=43649)
Editor: Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)

After their fight with Fatale, one of Jamie's dupes got poisoned. To diffuse the poison, Jamie could make his dupe make more dupes but his dupe does not want to cooperate. Jamie starts to worry because he and his dupes are too death-obsessed lately. Rictor urges Jamie to make a decision and to his surprise Jamie absorbs his dupe, after which Jamie loses consciousness.

Elsewhere in Mutant Town, Rahne tries to pick up Elijah Ross' scent. Guido is concerned about the way she acts when she is in her half-wolf form and that she might decide to keep this form permanently. Rahne shares his concern. Finally Rahne has Elijah's scent so they move on.

Meanwhile Terry and Monet face Fatale, the Blob and Marrow. Terry tries to convince them to turn themselves in. Terry reminds them that they are no match for her and Monet because they do not have their powers anymore. Marrow accuses them of working for the government while they claim to be the protectors of Mutant Town. While Terry closes in on Marrow, she informs Marrow that she does not know everything. Before Terry knows it, Marrow uses a blade to injure Terry's shoulder. At that point Terry does not want to be diplomatic anymore and uses her sonic scream, but the Blob is just in time to jump on her and silence her. Monet comes to her teammate's rescue but Fatale uses a gun to hit Monet with an energy beam. Meanwhile Terry's sonic scream pushes the Blob high into the sky.

Terry's sonic scream is heard by Rictor but he does not know what to do as Jamie is still unconscious. Just at that moment, Jamie comes around and explains that by absorbing his dupe, the poison was brought to half strength. Although Jamie does not know if it will be enough to survive, he gets up. Suddenly the Blob falls on Jamie.

Nearby Monet is closing in on Fatale but she does not see how Rictor gets hit by Fatale's weapon a moment later. While Monet takes out Fatale and Terry does the same with Marrow, someone takes the unconscious Rictor.

At X-Factor's office, Nicole is enjoying some ice scream. She tells Layla that she wanted to die after she lost her friends and family in the fire in Paris. When Nicole wonders why she is there, Layla explains that it probably has got something to do with Nicole sharing her first name with Monet's sister. When Nicole remarks how the kitchen floor is so shiny, Layla explains that they had to replace the old one after she electrocuted someone there. Nicole immediately loses her appetite.

In the streets of Mutant Town, Elijah's trail has led Rahne and Guido to Pietro's clinic. Suddenly Abyss' tendrils grab Guido and pull him up on top of a building but before Guido can do anything, Abyss throws him far away. Meanwhile across the street Reaper shows up, carrying the unconscious Rictor. When he notices Rahne, he lays Rictor on the ground. Although he is ready for Rahne's attack, Rahne proves to be too swift for him. Luckily for him Callisto comes to his aid but Rahne's reflexes are too quick to get hit by one of Callisto's throwing knives. While Callisto keeps on throwing knives, Callisto tells Rahne that she is on the wrong side. Rahne realises that they should not be enemies and she is ready to tell Callisto the truth about M-Day. Before she can, Pietro grabs her arm and undoes Rahne's transformation. Eventually Rahne falls unconsciously to the ground. Pietro orders Reaper and Callisto to get rid of Rahne before he kills her. Pietro knows that they will obey because they need his help to get their powers back. They dump Rahne in the sewers. Meanwhile Pietro drags Rictor inside.

Back at X-Factor's office, Jamie attends to Terry's wound. Although Marrow and Fatale got away because Terry's injury had to be looked after, the team captured the Blob. He refuses to tell them anything. Monet is fine with that because now she can rip the information from his mind. In the end Monet gives him one more chance to start talking.

At Pietro's clinic, Rictor finally comes around. Pietro explains to him that he found him unconsciously. When Rictor remembers what happened, he states that he has to go but Pietro tells him that he can not go yet. Although Pietro tells Rictor that he is not a prisoner and that he can walk out of there, the membres of the X-Cell are at the other side of the door waiting to stop Rictor if he should decide to leave. Luckily for everybody, it does not come to that because Rictor's curiosity is peeked when Pietro tells him that he has found another way to give the former mutants their powers back. According to Pietro, Rictor still has his connection to nature, although he has lost his powers. Because evolution stems from nature, Pietro wants to channel his powers through Rictor to the recipient.

Characters:
Abyss (Nils Styger) (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=311)
Blob (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=1761)
Callisto (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=2104)
Fatale (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=4642)
M (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5751)
Marrow (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5823)
Layla Miller (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=38700)
Multiple Man (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=6163)
Nicole
Quicksilver (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=7106)
Reaper (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=7146)
Rictor (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18343)
Elijah Ross
Siryn (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9817)
Strong Guy (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9935)
Wolfsbane (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=10299)

<hr>
X-Factor #20
August 2007

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xfactorv3-20t.jpg" hspace=3 align=top align=left alt="X-Factor #20" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11058)

Writer: Peter David (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14244)
Pencils: Khoi Pham
Inker: Sandu Florea (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=13098)
Colorist: Chris Sotomayor (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=13957&highlight=sotomayor)
Letterer: Cory Petit (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=15500&highlight=petit)
Production: Kate Levin
Cover Penciler: Khoi Pham
Cover Colorist:Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=43649)
Editor: Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)

Death: Elijah Ross

At Pietro's clinic Fatal and Abyss rejoice after they got their powers back. Although Pietro channelled his powers through Rictor, Rictor has not regained his powers. Pietro explains that he has only gotten a small portion of Pietro's powers because Rictor was only acting as a siphon. Before they can continue the treatment, Rictor is exhausted and loses consciousness. As they wait for Rictor to come around, Callisto urges Marrow not to do this or to at least wait until they are sure that the process works. Suddenly the ground starts to shake but it is not Rictor. Outside hundreds of Jamie's dupes are walking towards Pietro's clinic. Elijah orders his men to take them.

For once Jamie's dupes are in agreement as they seek payback for poisoning another dupe and because Marrow hurt Terry. Rahne herself is also seeking revenge after the bad guys threw her in the sewers. In her full wolf form, Rahne jumps at Reaper and bites him at the throat.

Inside the clinic, Pietro, Marrow and Callisto watch the fight. Suddenly Layla shows up. Layla informs Callisto and Marrow that the government is not behind the decimation and that Pietro knows this as well. Pietro does not feel threatened by her until she shows him a tape recorder. While Layla plays it, the true story about M-Day and the X-Men's decision to keep the truth from the world is heard. While the tape continues, Pietro creates several dupes to attack Layla but Marrow and Callisto deal with them. Finally Marrow realises that it was Pietro's sister, who caused the decimation. Shocked by this revelation, Marrow loses her focus which gives Pietro's dupe the opportunity to stab her.

Meanwhile the battle outside continues. Reaper's neurotoxins have paralyzed Rahne but just as Reaper goes for the kill, Guido intervenes and saves Rahne's life. Elijah proves to be a worthy opponent as well. At some point Jamie smells something burning. Although Monet takes out Abyss, she is hit in the back by Fatale, who made herself invisible by bending the light. Unfortunately for Fatale, Monet is a telepath with accelerated hearing. With a single kick, Monet takes her out. When Abyss attacks Monet again, Jamie's dupes come to her rescue. Meanwhile the burning smell is getting worse. Suddenly Jamie realises that it is Elijah. Before Elijah explodes, he curses both Pietro and Rictor. With the death of Elijah, the battle stops. Fatale starts to feel hot as well.

At the clinic, Pietro urges Callisto to attend to Marrow, who is seriously injured. Finally Pietro can deal with Layla. When he touches her, Layla feels no pain which tells Pietro that she is not a mutant. Just as Pietro is about to kill Layla, Rictor comes around. Although Layla annoys Rictor, he can not stand by and let Pietro kill the kid. Layla quickly informs Rictor that Elijah just blew up, which means that the changes are still unstable. Before Pietro can lay a hand on Layla, Rictor grabs him from behind. In the struggle that follows, Rictor understands that Pietro was using him. Although Pietro's terrigen crystals did not restore Rictor's powers, he can still feel them. And because Pietro taught him that he still has some power within him, Rictor uses all of it to shake all of the terrigen crystals out of Pietro's body. All the crystals evaporate.

When Rahne jumps in through the window, she is more than ready to deal with Pietro but Layla tells her to help Rictor. Layla knows that Rahne cares a lot more for Rictor than that she lets on. Rictor tells Rahne that he is powerless again and that he is not worth saving. Although Rictor got to use his old powers only for a second, it felt good to him. While Rictor touches Rahne's snout and tells her that he is dying, Rahne starts to transform back to her human form.

Outside Reaper, Fatale and Abyss are getting hotter. Before they can explode, Abyss grabs his fellow teammembers, after which the three vanish into the Brimstone Dimension although nobody knows if this will save them.

After the entire ordeal, Jamie is worried about what Valerie Cooper is going to say when he tells her that all the members of the X-Cell are either dead or have vanished. The only one they could turn over is Pietro but because he might get a medal for being responsible for Elijah's death, they let him go.

While the hurt Pietro walks the streets of Mutant Town, he still has hope as he has one crystal left. When that last crystal evaporates as well, Pietro is left with nothing else than an aching body.

Characters:
Abyss (Nils Styger) (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=311)
Callisto (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=2104)
Fatale (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=4642)
M (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5751)
Marrow (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5823)
Layla Miller (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=38700)
Multiple Man (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=6163)
Quicksilver (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=7106)
Reaper (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=7146)
Rictor (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18343)
Elijah Ross
Strong Guy (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9935)
Wolfsbane (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=10299)

Cover only:
Siryn (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9817)

<hr>
X-Factor #21
September 2007

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xfactorv3-21t.jpg" hspace=3 align=top align=left alt="X-Factor #21" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11143)

Story Arc: The Isolationist

Writer: Peter David (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14244)
Pencils: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Colorist: Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Letterer: Cory Petit (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=15500&highlight=petit)
Production: Brad Johansen
Cover Penciler: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Cover Colorist:Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=43649)
Editor: Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt) & Nick Lowe (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=21867&highlight=lowe)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)

Jamie and one of his dupes are having a drink. His dupe wonders what the legal term would be for them if they were to have sex with each other. Jamie does not answer his question and wishes that he was alone but Jamie knows that it is not mankind's natural state of being.

Somewhere in a cold and icy cave, the Isolationist is tormented by his telepathic abilities. Although he already lives in a remote place, he still hears people thinking and talking, which is driving him mad. The only way to get rid of them is by taking some pills.

In Layla Miller's bedroom, Nicole is looking out of the window. Layla asks her what she is waiting for but Nicole tells her that she is just taking in the city. When Nicole wants to go to the bathroom, Layla warns her that stuff sometimes comes back up the faulty toilet. Although Nicole thanks Layla for watching out for her, Layla calls her a little creep behind her back.

In the living room Jamie confronts Monet and Terry because he wants to know where they stand with each other. By the looks that the two girls give him, it is painfully obvious that they have not forgiven him. Jamie explains that he misses being friends with them. Terry tells him that he can still count on them if his life should be in danger. Because Jamie told them that he wanted to be honest with them, Monet wants to know who was best in bed. Just as Jamie feels cornered by the question, Rahne enters the room angrily. She finds it demeaning that Monet puts Jamie on the spot like that. When Rahne gets so upset, her breath starts to smell like that of a dog, which makes Monet unwell. As fast as she can, Monet flies to the bathroom to throw up.

With the help of a portal the Isolationist arrives in New York but unfortunately he ends up in the middle of a street. Just at that moment, a heavy truck is going too fast for the driver to stop his vehicle in time. When the truck hits the Isolationist it is stopped immediately. Unfortunately for the driver, the collision throws him out of the window. Although the man is probably dead or seriously injured, the Isolationist leaves him unattended.

At X-Factor Investigations Nicole wakes up in the middle of the night. When she looks outside the window, she sees the Isolationist standing there. It immediately puts a smile on her face.

Elsewhere in the building, Rahne checks on Rictor. Rahne informs him of what was going on downstairs. She states that she will never make the mistake to begin something with one of her collegues. In the hope that Rictor wants to eat something, she brought him a tray with food but Rictor throws it across the room. Although Rictor states that he wants to be left alone, he starts to talk. As the tears roll down of his face, Rictor explains to Rahne that he has no more hope to ever regain his powers. What makes it even worse is that he had them in his grasp during the incident with Quicksilver and the X-Cell. Rictor is convinced that the mutant race is finished. By this time Rahne has taken place besides Rictor on the bed. After Rahne tells him to have faith, the two kiss each other twice. After the second kiss, Rahne walks back to the door. After she closes it, she takes of her t-shirt and kisses Rictor again.

The next day Guido meets Valerie Cooper in a local cafe. Guido comes immediately down to business and asks Val what she wants. Val is a little surprised because she thought that they were going to talk about the time that Guido worked for the government. Guido admits that he misses those days. Back then a superhero could work for the government out of his own free will. After they order a beer and a coffee, Guido wants to know what Val has to offer him. Guido thinks that Valerie wants him to spy on the rest of X-Factor but he makes it perfectly clear that he will never do that for all the money in the world. When Val tells him that they want to make him sheriff of the district, Guido is surprised by her proposal.

Meanwhile at X-Factor Investigations Jamie, Monet and Terry have a meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Tyler. The couple makes it clear that they are not mutants and that they do not think that there is anything wrong with being one. Still their problem involves mutants and their grandchildren Molly and Wally. When Charlie and June show them a picture of their grandchildren, Jamie immediately recognizes them as the 'Purity Singers'. June explains that their daughter Abby was not so prejudiced but that it all changed when she met her husband Roy. Now Abby and Roy use their children for propaganda purposes. Although the court granted Charlie and June visitation rights, their daughter and son-in-law ignore it. Therefore Mr. and Mrs. Tyler hope that Jamie and his team will help them see their grandchildren. When Jamie suggests to Monet and Terry to handle this, they sincerely utter their appreciation.

In the kitchen Layla is enjoying a bowl of cereals when Nicole enters the room. Nicole is wearing a pair of gloves and holds a plastic bag in her hands. Nicole informs her that someone tried to flush something down but because the toilet does not work properly, that something came back up. Nicole put it in a bag to show Layla. At first Layla finds that really gross but then she sees the positive pregnancy test. Because Layla did not know about it, she knows that that is not a good thing.

Some time later, Jamie is having a beer at a local pub. He is approached by Josef Huber who tells Jamie that they are going to become great allies.

Characters:
Valerie Cooper (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=2201)
Isolationist
M (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5751)
Marrow (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5823)
Layla Miller (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=38700)
Molly
Multiple Man (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=6163)
Nicole
Rictor (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18343)
Siryn (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9817)
Strong Guy (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9935)
Charlie Tyler
June Tyler
Wally
Wolfsbane (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=10299)

Back-Up Story Arc: Endangered Species, Chapter 3
Crossover: Endangered Species

Writer: Mike Carey (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=36644)
Penciller: Mark Bagley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=11710)
Inker: Andrew Hennessy (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14897)
Colorist: Raul Treviño (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18131)
Letterer: Joe Caramagna (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=37626&highlight=caramagna)
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=43649)
Editor: Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt) & Nick Lowe (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=21867&highlight=lowe)
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=11682)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)

Story continues from Uncanny X-Men 488 </a>

On his way to see the High Evolutionary, Beast faces the Snow Queen and her guards. Determined to talk to the High Evolutionary, Beast threatens to summon the other X-Men to Wundagore Mountain but the Snow Queen is not impressed. Because the Snow Queen had threatened Beast's fellow travelers, he sends them back. When Beast mentions the Snow Queen's brood-sister White Tiger, the Snow Queen loses it and attacks Beast. At a certain point of the fight, the High Evolutionary stops her and tells them that he will see Beast.

Once inside Beast explains to the High Evolutionary that the mutant race is near extinction. Beast is convinced that the High Evolutionary can remedy the situation. When the High Evolutionary states that extinction is a part of the natural order, Beast explains that the extinction was brought down by magic, which is not a natural process. The High Evolutionary fails to see the problem as most mutants survived the decimation. When the High Evolutionary compares Wanda Maximoff to the comet, which killed all the dinosaurs, Beast starts to lose his temper. Finally Beast realises that the High Evolutionary is not fysically there, which indicates how little Beast's problem means to him.

The High Evolutionary has however studied Beast's research and he is convinced that Beast will not succeed in solving the problem. When Beast asks what he is doing wrong, the High Evolutionary only tells him that science probably will not be the answer to something that was created by magic. Just before Beast is shown to the door, the High Evolutionary suggests that he stays where he is instead of going to the wrong places. In the end the High Evolutionary informs Beast that someone came looking for the same answer as Beast did, but the High Evolutionary does not reveal the other person's identity.

Story continues in New X-Men #40

Characters:
Beast (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=1121)
High Evolutionary
Snow Queen

<hr>
X-Factor #22
October 2007

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xfactorv3-22t.jpg" hspace=3 align=top align=left alt="X-Factor #22" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11263)

Story Arc: The Isolationist, Part II
Story Title: Natural Order

Writer: Peter David (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14244)
Pencils: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Colorist: Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Letterer: Cory Petit (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=15500&highlight=petit)
Production: Anthony Dial (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1411851#post1411851)
Cover Penciler: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Cover Colorist:Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=43649)
Editor: Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt) & Nick Lowe (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=21867&highlight=lowe)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)

First Appearance Clay, Solo

At Central Park Nicole stands on a bridge with a rock in her hand. With the rock Nicole shatters something white. Afterwards she throws the rock in the shallow stream underneath the bridge.

Hours earlier Josef Huber introduced himself to Jamie Madrox. When Jamie heared the name Huber, his memory went back to his last conversation with his detective dupe, who had talked about 'uber'. Although Jamie distrusted the coincidence at first, he changed his mind a moment later. Hubert noticed that Jamie was engaged in an internal dialogue.

After Josef told Jamie that he was German and that he was quite rich, Josef came down to business. He had found a way to make the government mutants' greatest ally. With the help of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, Josef wanted mutants to be declared an endangered species.

In Nashville, Tennessee the twin Molly and Wally were in concert, singing very strong anti-mutant lyrics. Although the crowd went wild, Terry and Monet had an entirely different opinion, which was heard by a man in the crowd. Using her voice, Terry convinced the man to go buy her a Persian rug. At that point the two girls decided that it was time to get behind the scenes but little did they know that they were already spotted. With the use of Terry's voice again, the guard let them pass. Before they knew it, Terry got shot in the head. Luckily for Terry, the bullet only creased her skull. While Monet held Terry in her arms, she noticed the sniper and called him gutless. Suddenly a handkerchief with chloroform appeared. While Monet was already feeling the effects of the solvent, the man behind her became visible.

At the work-out room at X-Factor Investigations, Rictor was feeling alot better after his night with Rahne. Rahne immediately noticed Rictor's changed state of mind when she entered the gym. She confessed that she only had sex with Rictor because she fell sorry for him. To her surprise, her confession did not hurt Rictor because he knew that that was her way of justifying her behavior to herself. Rictor figured that Rahne was acting on instinct that night, which reminded her too much of her wolf side. Although Rahne told him to shut, she suddenly jumped on him and started to kiss him. Because Rahne was quite wild, Rictor lost his balance and they fell to the ground. Before the two could get any further, Guido called them downstairs. Although Rahne did not realise it, she tore the back side of Rictor's shirt and scratched his back deep enough with her nails to make it bleed.

Meanwhile Terry and Monet were imprisoned in a dark room. Just before their captors showed up, Monet was unsuccessfully trying to break her chain. Although Monet was captured, she put on a big mounth and asked the names of their captors. After Solo and Clay introduced themselves, Solo explained that he was able to sneak up on Monet with the cloth of chloroform thanks to his suit, which had light-refractive capabilities. Monet tried to make them understand for what kind of people they were working for, but the two stated that they only cared about the money.

At X-Factor Guido was puzzled about the Registration Act because he thought that it only applied to animals. Josef had another interpretation of the act and was convinced that homo superior was a separate species and that it could be declared endangered, now that their numbers had dropped to a hundred ninety-eight. Guido corrected Josef and told him that there were only one hundred ninety-seven left, although Terry still believed that her father did not actually die. When Rictor entered the room and was introduced to Josef Huber, the latter slapped the former on the back. After Rictor screamed in agony, Rahne started to whistle. A moment later Jamie realised what was going on between the two but he decided not to get into it.

Back to business Josef continued his explanation that the government will have to provide a safe sanctuary for mutants once they will be declared an endangered species. Josef went even further and told the team that there might be a chance that they could overturn the Registration Act if they could prove that it posed a threat to the identity of mutant superheroes.

Meanwhile Monet succeeded in breaking her chain and was ready to go after Solo and Clay but when she kicked out the door, she found herself in the middle of nowhere.

In New York Josef Huber's telepathic abilities tormented him again as the voices started to come in again. Although Jamie wanted to help him, he pushed him away. After he took another pill, the voices started to fade again.

Almost back to the present, Layla Miller stood on the middle of a bridge in Central Park. In her hand she held the pregnancy test. Suddenly Nicole appeared. Although Nicole started to bug her, Layla still asked Nicole's advice about the pregnancy test. Instead of answering Layla's question, Nicole informed Layla that mister Hubert wanted her death. Just as Layla turned her face towards Nicole, Nicole hit her in the face with a stone. Layla fell unconsiously on the edge of the bridge. A moment later she was pushed down into the shallow stream.

With the help of the rock Nicole destroys the white pregnancy test, after which she leaves Central Park.

Characters:
Clay
Isolationist
M (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5751)
Layla Miller (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=38700)
Molly
Multiple Man (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=6163)
Nicole
Rictor (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18343)
Siryn (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9817)
Solo
Strong Guy (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9935)
Wally
Wolfsbane (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=10299)

Back-Up Story Arc: Endangered Species, Chapter 7
Crossover: Endangered Species

Writer: Mike Carey (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=36644)
Penciller: Mike Perkins (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=33501)
Inker: Andrew Hennessy (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14897)
Colorist: Raul Treviño (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18131)
Letterer: Joe Caramagna (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=37626&highlight=caramagna)
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=43649)
Editor: Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt) & Nick Lowe (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=21867&highlight=lowe)
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=11682)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)

Story continues from Uncanny X-Men 489 </a>

On their way to a government research facility, Dark Beast gives Beast a liquid. By drinking it Beast will learn everything about Dark Beast's research during the Age of Apocalypse.

Beast finds out how Dark Beast used both women and children for research. Dark Beast also created a new creature out of four different persons. Jamie Madrox provided him of an unlimited amount of test subjects. Beast witnesses how Dark Beast tormented Jean Grey to find out more about her. The liquid also contains the memory of the day that the Dark Beast discovered that Nate Grey was Jean Grey's son. Although Dark Beast knew that Nate Grey was created out of Jean Grey's D.N.A., he did not know that Mr. Sinister used Cyclops' as well.

With this last memory, there comes an end to the cruel world, in which Dark Beast lived and worked. As part of their bargain, Beast has to tell Dark Beast about Jean and Nate Grey but Beast can only tell him that they are both dead. Dark Beast knows that death does not mean much in the Grey family so he asks Beast about the specifics of their deaths. Beast informs his alternate version that Jean died of a massive stroke, caused by Magneto. Nate Grey dispersed his being and consciousness into every living thing on Earth because it was the only way to stop an alien race from feeding on every living being on Earth. Dark Beast immediately sees the posibility for him to reconstitute Nate, which disgusts Beast.

At the end of their exchange of information the two Beasts have arrived at their destination.

Story continues in New X-Men #41

Characters:
Beast (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=1121)
Bedlam (alternate)
Cyclops (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=1415)
Dark Beast (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=2524)
Jean Grey (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=1662)
Jamie Madrox (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=1685)
X-Man

<hr>
X-Factor #23
November 2007

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xfactorv3-23t.jpg" hspace=3 align=top align=left alt="X-Factor #23" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11337)

Story Arc: The Isolationist, Part III
Story Title: True or False

Writer: Peter David (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14244)
Pencils: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Colorist: Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Letterer: Cory Petit (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=15500&highlight=petit)
Cover Penciler: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Cover Colorist:Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=43649)
Editor: Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt) & Nick Lowe (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=21867&highlight=lowe)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)

In Central Park an unconscious Layla Miller is dragged out of the water by a very religious man. After he perfoms CPR, Layla comes around just long enough to see that her savior is Pietro Maximoff. Pietro is very happy that she is still alive because he sees it as his privilege to end Layla's life.

At X-Factor Investigations the X-Men Cyclops and Beast have just arrived. Cyclops makes it perfectly clear that he is only there because Beast persuaded him to come along. While he watches Jamie and Scott squabble, Josef Huber knows that neither X-Factor nor the X-Men have a clue what is really going on. After Josef introduces himself, he paints a picture for Cyclops in which he describes a march to the White House, consisting of mutants, ex-mutants and mutants-to-be, who want their government to declare mutants an endangered species. When Cyclops points out that the government has never been quick to help out mutants, Josef asks him where the harm is in asking the government's aid. In the second that Cyclops hesitates with his reply, Josef knows that he has him.

In a dark machine room, Layla Miller finally awakes again. As he looks at the child, Pietro wonders how he could kill a child but he is sure that Layla is a tool of Satan. When Layla sees his trembling hands, Pietro informs her that he thinks that he is dying. Pietro is convinced that he can only redeem himself to his god and save his life by killing Layla. When Pietro jumps at her, Layla quickly jumps aside. Pietro gets quickly back on his feet but when he tries to grab Layla, his sleeve gets stuck behind the machine. While Pietro tries to get loose, Layla runs for the door. After she opens it, she finds herself on a carousel. Layla quickly gets of it because Pietro is on her heels. For some reason Pietro falls on his knees at the edge of the merry-go-round. Before he knows it, he bangs his head against a pole. Although Layla keeps on running, Pietro's scream cuts through bone and marrow.

During his exposition, Josef knows that the reaction of his listeners is out of character for them. He realises that he has his mind controlling abilities to thank for that. Because his telepathy is not perfect, Josef had to get rid of Monet and Terry, whose powers are both mind-based. At the end of Josef's speech, Rictor states that it sounds too good to be true and too easy, which surprises Josef. Josef responds that it is normal for Rictor to be suspicious, certainly seeing what they have gone through lately. Josef acknowledges that it is going to be tough but he is also convinced that it will be worthwhile. When Beast asks how quickly he wants to get his 'million mutant march' organized, Josef answers the sooner, the better. At the end of the meeting, Josef looks at Rictor and wonders why Rictor does not succumb as easily to him as the others, especially seeing that Josef's powers work as good on mutants as they do on humans.

In Las Vegas Solo escorts Abby Tyler's family to an elevator, which will bring them straight up to the penthouse floor, where Solo's partner Clay will await them. On their way up, Roy keeps on talking about business but Molly is not in the mood. Suddenly something happens to the elevator, which makes the family fall to the ground. After a minute Roy realises that they are still going up.

Meanwhile on the penthouse floor, Clay warns his partner that something is wrong. When Clay opens the elevator door, he is just in time to see the elevator flying out of the building. In the air, Terry and Monet are happy that their plan worked. With little effort Monet flies the elevator to the rendez-vous point, where they will reunite the grandparents with their grandchildren. In the hotel Clay calls Josef to inform him that their plan to keep Monet and Terry occupied worked.

In New York Jamie gets a call from Layla who informs him that Nicole tried to kill her. Immediately Josef smells trouble. Layla explains briefly what happened and that Nicole mentioned the name Huber and that he wanted Layla dead. At the end of the call both Jamie and Josef know how things stand. Josef is not too upset because X-Factor has served its purpose as they brought him in contact with more influential mutants. In the battle that follows Josef uses his optic blast to blast Guido through the wall. Using Nightcrawler's power, he evades both Rahne's attack, teleports himself behind Jamie and throws Jamie outside through the hole, made by Guido's body. During the fight, Josef informs the team of his true plan. Although he explains how he planned to kill all the mutants during the march to the White House, he does not mention that he was also involved in Singularity Investigations, in the X-Cell and in the Tyler-case. After Josef throws Rahne outside as well, Jamie wants to know why he is doing this. Josef replies that they are driving him mad. When Jamie, Guido and Rahne attack him together, Josef opens his mechanical portal and teleports them to an artic wasteland.

Characters:
Beast (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=1121)
Clay
Cyclops (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=2235)
Isolationist
M (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5751)
Layla Miller (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=38700)
Molly
Multiple Man (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=6163)
Quicksilver (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=7106)
Rictor (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18343)
Ron
Siryn (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9817)
Solo
Strong Guy (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9935)
Abby Tyler
Wally
Wolfsbane (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=10299)

Cover only:
Nicole

Back-Up Story Arc: Endangered Species, Chapter 11
Crossover: Endangered Species

Writer: Christos N. Gage (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=43650)
Penciller: Scot Eaton (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14341)
Inker: Andrew Hennessy (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14897)
Colorist: Raul Treviño (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18131)
Letterer: Joe Caramagna (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=37626&highlight=caramagna)
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=43649)
Editor: Nick Lowe (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=21867&highlight=lowe)
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=11682)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)
Special Thanks to: Mike Carey (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=36644) & Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt)

Story continues from Uncanny X-Men 490 </a>

In an attempt to solve the decimation problem, Beast visits Forge in his headquarters in Dallas. Beast explains that every mutant, who originally came from an alternate timeline, still has his powers. Beast thinks that they are somehow protected by temporal or extra-dimensional energy. Beast hopes that these alternate mutants hold the key to undoing the decimation but because Beast does not know enough about this, he came to Forge.

Forge informs Beast that Nimrod had visited him not so long ago and showed him images from a future with mutants in it. Because they had never seen these future mutants with their own eyes, Forge built a machine to scan timelines in seach of mutants. When Beast sees that all these futures are flatlined regarding mutants, Forge explains that it can mean two things. Either those futures no longer exist or their are no more mutants left in those timelines. Beast refuses to believe Forge's explanation. Because Beast has reached another dead end, he hits Forge out of frustration. Forge suggests for them to work together to find a solution but Beast states that Forge can not help him.

Later on Beast rejoins Dark Beast and tells the latter that looking into the future is pointless as it is shaped by what they do now. Beast has also realised that Dark Beast is the only one who can and wants to help him. Beast informs his alternate self that he has come up with a new strategy to approach the problem. Because mutants have human parents, Beast wants to look for a man and a woman, whose combined DNA will create the X-gene. Beast is convinced that although the Scarlet Witch was able to destroy the X-gene, that she could not destroy its building blocks. When Dark Beast remarks that finding two compatible humans to create the X-gene is like searching for a needle in a haystack, Beast reveals that he has already an idea where to look.

Story continues in New X-Men #42

Characters:
Beast (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=1121)
Bishop (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=336)
Cable (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=2101)
Dark Beast (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=2524)
Forge (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=4694)
Hellion (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=26336)
Marvel Girl (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=6524)
Mercury (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=27077)
Nimrod
Rockslide (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=35164)
Shadowcat [alternate Earth]
Sugar Man
Surge (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=27079)
Wolverine [alternate Earth]
X-23 (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=33372)

<hr>
X-Factor #24
December 2007

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xfactorv3-24t.jpg" hspace=3 align=top align=left alt="X-Factor #24" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11453)

Story Arc: The Isolationist, conclusion

Writer: Peter David (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14244)
Pencils: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519) & Valentine De Landro & Andrew Hennessy (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14897)
Colorist: Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Letterer: Cory Petit (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=15500&highlight=petit)
Cover Penciler: Pablo Raimondi (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=14519)
Cover Colorist:Brian Reber (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=17838)
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=43649)
Editor: Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt) & Nick Lowe (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=21867&highlight=lowe)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)

While the Isolationist sees his adversaries vanish into the portal, he has conflicting feelings about the way things went. While he knows that he had to do all of this to ensure his own survival, he did not like to use his telepathic abilities to push X-Factor, Cyclops and Beast in the right direction to set his plan in motion. He hoped to kill all the mutants at once because he did not want to see them suffer needlessly. Now he is forced to kill them one-by-one.

After Rictor let Cyclops and Beast out, he returns to the team's office. He is just in time to see how Jamie, Rahne and Guido are teleported away. After Rictor sees how the Isolationist, who is standing close to the hole in the wall, closes the portal with a device, Rictor jumps at him. The little device falls out of the Isolationist's hand and bounces under a car. Before Rictor knows it, his opponent grabs him by the throat.

Meanwhile Layla is on 5th Avenue looking over her shoulder. When Layla heads for the subway, Nicole follows her below.

Somewhere very cold Jamie's dupes form a protective shield against the cold for Jamie, Guido and Rahne. With this latest ordeal Guido decides that this is the perfect opportunity to tell his teammates that he is going to quit X-Factor and accept Valerie Cooper's job offer. After Guido's resignation, Jamie asks Rahne why she is not in her wolf form. Rahne does not want to live if Guido and Jamie have frozen to death. Jamie tries to be positive and tells her to have faith that they will survive, but Rahne knows that faith is not always enough.

Elsewhere Terry and Monet have almost reached their destination. Inside the elevator that Monet is carrying, the prisoners are getting restless. A moment later Monet puts the elevator down and opens the door. Roy immediately accuses Monet of kidnapping and threatens to call the police. Monet is fine with that but reminds Roy that they broke a court order that gave the grandparents the right to visit their grandchildren. After Roy leaves the elevator, he is surprised that they are on top of a mesa. A few moments later Monet informs Terry that she has tried to contact every other member of X-Factor with no success. Terry agrees that Monet should head back to check out what is going on. If Monet flies supersonic, she should quickly be able to get back to New York. After Abby and Roy see Monet take off, Abby is a little concerned about it but Roy tells that they have done everything that the Isolationist asked them to do. Roy also compliments Abby's parents for playing their roles so beautifully.

While the Isolationist is still holding Rictor up in the air, he is astounded that Rictor is still fighting off the Isolationist's persuasion powers. Suddenly the bad guy faces another a problem as his Colossus-like armor starts to vanish. Rictor immediately makes good use of his oponent's distraction and hits him in the face. Using an optic blast, Josef launches his second attack but it has no affect on Rictor. Although Rictor is not a mutant anymore, Josef is convinced that his mental block, which prevents him from killing mutants directly, is making things difficult. In another attempt to stop Rictor, the Isolationist puts him on ice.

Meanwhile in the subway Layla stands very close to the platform's edge. She senses Nicole approaching. Just as Nicole runs towards her, Layla bends over to pick up a penny from the floor. Nicole falls of the platform and is hit by a passing train. Although Layla pretends not to know what happened, the other passengers are shocked when they see the broken robot, that was once Nicole, lying on the tracks.

At the X-Factor building the Isolationist is yet again astonished when the ice around Rictor melts. The Isolationist is unable to read Rictor's mind to figure out how Rictor could survive every attack. After Rictor is free again, the Isolationist has had enough and rips out a lamp post. Although he knows that he can not kill Rictor directly, he hits Rictor's ice prison in the hopes that one of the shattered blocks kills him. After Rictor jumps away, he ends up besides the car underneath which the Isolationist's device fell. Just as Rictor has grabbed it, he loses it again when his adversary grabs him by the shirt. Luckily Rictor is able to break lose. After Josef lifts the car, he is ready to kill Rictor with it.

Elsewhere Jamie and the rest are no longer able to fight off the cold. Rahne is however happy that she did not kill Jamie.

In New York Monet is just in time to prevent the Isolationist from smashing the car on Rictor's head. While the Isolationist deals with Monet, Rictor gets his hands on the teleportation device again. At that point, without Rictor realising it, the Terrigen crystals fall of his back into the sewers. Meanwhile the Isolationist is getting a headache again now that Monet is near him. Although he could kill the two, he sees no point in it as his original plan was genocide. After the Isolationist vanishes, Rictor uses the device to reopen the portal. Still able to walk, Jamie and his two teammates leave their cold environment behind.

Characters:
Valerie Cooper (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=2201)
Isolationist
M (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5751)
Marrow (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=5823)
Layla Miller (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=38700)
Molly
Multiple Man (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=6163)
Nicole
Rictor (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18343)
Siryn (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9817)
Strong Guy (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=9935)
Charlie Tyler
June Tyler
Wally
Wolfsbane (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=10299)

Back-Up Story Arc: Endangered Species, Chapter 15
Crossover: Endangered Species

Writer: Christopher Yost (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=43933)
Penciller: Andrea DiVito (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=37107)
Colorist: Raul Treviño (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18131)
Letterer: Joe Caramagna (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=37626&highlight=caramagna)
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=43649)
Editor: Nick Lowe (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=21867&highlight=lowe)
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=11682)
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=12902&highlight=quesada)
Publisher: Dan Buckley (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1395065)
Special thanks to: Mike Carey (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=36644) & Andy Schmidt (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=18460&highlight=schmidt)

Story continues from Uncanny X-Men 491 </a>

Using his magical powers, Dr. Strange travels to an alternate reality with Beast. Beast watches as his alternate self sits on his knee before Black Bolt and the other Inhumans. He tells Black Bolt his conviction that mutantkind can be saved by the Terrigen Mists. Although Black Bolt feels for Beast, Medusa informs him that the mists will only bring pain to the mutant species. At that point Dr. Strange decides to leave. When they leave Black Bolt's palace, they stumble upon Uatu the Watcher. Desperately Beast asks him if he has seen a way to solve his problem, but all that Uatu does, is gesture for Beast to be silent.

Dr. Strange shows Beast multiple alternate realities and each time Beast watches how his alternate selfs are unable to find a solution. Some use science while others seek the answer in magic or faith.

At the end of their journey, Dr. Strange explains that Beast needed to see this in order to accept the truth. After the journey Beast feels small and has no idea what to do next.

Story continues in New X-Men #43

Characters:
Beast (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=1121)
Beast [alternate Earth]
Black Bolt [alternate Earth]
Dark Beast (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=2524)
Dr. Strange
Gorgon [alternate Earth]
Karnak [alternate Earth]
Medusa [alternate Earth]
Triton [alternate Earth]
Watcher

X-Factor (2006) #1-12 (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=44418) | X-Factor (2006) #13-24

[Kevin Van der Borght]

Added summaries for issues 16-20

[Kevin Van der Borght]

Added summaries for issues 21-24