X-Factor #235 spoilers

[crossbones]

i've never been interested in the current volume of X-Factor. the line-up didn't appear all that interesting (although i always liked Longshot) and overall a book that's basically about Madrox running a detective agency isn't very interesting to me.

having said that, i got interested when i read that Havok and Polaris are coming back. it's basically X-Factor 2.0 again (PAD/Stroman/Quesada run), minus Quicksilver, with some additional mutants thrown in.

i got curious enough to go back and read issues 200-235, as i had some free time on my hands. i've always liked PAD (especially his Hulk run back in the day), but to be honest, most of this put me to sleep. it only got interesting around 230 when Alex and Lorna appeared. i could've just as well jumped on at 224.1.

i might keep reading this now just to see where it goes. i do think that the book might benefit from trimming the cast down a bit. maybe it should be split into two books now, with maybe Madrox taking Butterfly, Pip The Troll, Shatterstar, Rictor and maybe Darwin along and start up Madrox Investigations in the west coast or something?

X-Factor itself would then consist of Havok, Polaris, Strong Guy, Wolfsbane, M, Longshot and Banshee. they could work for Val Cooper again full time. i would find that a lot more interesting premise.

[mikekerrIII]

X-Factor itself would then consist of Havok, Polaris, Strong Guy, Wolfsbane, M, Longshot and Banshee. they could work for Val Cooper again full time. i would find that a lot more interesting premise.

I'not not a fan of Havoc being there instead of Madrox. I really don't like the Idea of them working for a villain like Cooper full time

[gitdown]

I'm surprised so many people have issue with the "this is a job for the police" bit. It's a decent twist in a genre all about people who take matters into their own hands (vigilantes). It reminded me of a scene from an episode of Dr.Who a few years back ("Blink", the one with Carrie Mulligan and the Weeping Angels) where a guy is watching a horror movie and yells at the screen "why doesn't anybody go to the police in these things?". It's worth explaining that sometimes, although typically in the detective genre when people hire a P.I. it's to either avoid the police or get a second opinion.

I think the scene was more about showing Havok adjusting to what X-Factor is and how they work. The only time we saw him leading this group he was on a mission for Val Cooper, his old comfort zone. Havok leads mutant strike forces and superhero teams. X-Factor is a private investigation business. He is going to struggle with adjusting. The scene shows that without having someone just come out and say it. I think Jamie's "arrangement" is a good idea for making that work.

The thing that did bother me about Havok in this book was "I didn't know he was superstrong." "He's not." Even though Longshot has been in X-Factor for a bit, and even though Havok has been on a team with Madrox, Guido, and Rahne before, Longshot is still something of an enigma to the others and Havok doesn't know the others too well. Except for Havok and Longshot! They were in the X-Men togeather back when there were only 8 X-Men and they hid from the world pretending to still be dead. It was explained when Longshot first joined X-Factor that he lost his memories and that explains some personality changes and relationships altering, but Havok would still know ALL of Longshot's abilities very well. Aside from Polaris, Longshot is the guy on the team Alex should be most comfortable with. The line was probably meant to show Havok's surprise, but it came off like he doesn't know Longshot at all. Even his reaction to Longshot passing out after touching the camera was a bit off. "Oh, this again." would have been a more accurate response seeing as Havok has seen Longshot go through this before (I think it was Uncanny X-Men 230, the Christmas issue where they played Santa with the Reavers' stolen treasures).

I do understand PAD's reluctance to reference past continuity too much, especially a scene from a single issue thats about 20 years old now, but I am concerned about Havok and Longshot being portrayed as strangers. Of coarse I made similar complaints about Rictor and Rahne in the early issues and that turned out fine...

Yes! I was wondering why Havok was acting like he never met Longshot. They were part of the Outback X-men. He definitely used his psycometry powers during the Christmas issue. I really hope Scattershot is from the Mojoworld. Xfactor Investigation needs a mojoworld adventure since forever.

[gitdown]

btw Madrox > Havok

Maybe Havok can be the field leader while Madrox covers the Investigation part of it.

[blanchett]

btw Madrox > Havok

Maybe Havok can be the field leader while Madrox covers the Investigation part of it.

Terry should just be leading period.

[MartinRedmond]

I think Ariel should be the leader.

[Dr. Sonic]

I've been reading X-Factor pretty much straight on from the relaunch (when Madrox first became the central protagonist). While it's good, I must admit that the giant-sized cast often gets in the way of my enjoyment. The addition of Havoc and Polaris has only added to this.
But here's the question: if you had to narrow down the cast to, say, six mainstays, who would you cut out and who would stay?

[1derer]

i got curious enough to go back and read issues 200-235, as i had some free time on my hands. i've always liked PAD (especially his Hulk run back in the day), but to be honest, most of this put me to sleep. it only got interesting around 230 when Alex and Lorna appeared

Madrox taking Butterfly, Pip The Troll, Shatterstar, Rictor and maybe Darwin along and start up Madrox Investigations in the west coast or something?

X-Factor itself would then consist of Havok, Polaris, Strong Guy, Wolfsbane, M, Longshot and Banshee. they could work for Val Cooper again full time. i would find that a lot more interesting premise.

Havok and Polaris are in the book, but they're still not the dominant characters. The book has pretty much the exact tone and focus as it has previously pre-230. Unless their mere presence is interesting, I'm not sure I understand how the book could suddenly get interesting at 230.

Also, considering that Madrox owns X-Factor (it's a registered corporation), and the morgue their base is in, it would be a bit weird for him to be the one to leave. If he did leave, I doubt it would be with any more than one or two other characters, like when he went to the future with Layla.

Terry should just be leading period.

Madrox already asked her to. She said no. I agree that she's the best for the job though. She strikes the best balance between Madrox's over-flexibility and Havok's rigidness. Her primary weakness is that she loses focus when she gets pissed off.

[1derer]

I've been reading X-Factor pretty much straight on from the relaunch (when Madrox first became the central protagonist). While it's good, I must admit that the giant-sized cast often gets in the way of my enjoyment. The addition of Havoc and Polaris has only added to this.
But here's the question: if you had to narrow down the cast to, say, six mainstays, who would you cut out and who would stay?

I can do seven:

Madrox, Layla, Terry, M, Strong Guy, Rictor and Shatterstar. Their relationships are all interwoven enough that they naturally fit into each other's story-lines.

I agree with you that the cast is too big. I don't think that PAD has a problem juggling the cast, in fact, I think he does it amazingly well. I simply think that my preference would a tighter focus on the characters I like best!

[crossbones]

Havok and Polaris are in the book, but they're still not the dominant characters.

give it time, they've only been around for a few issues. seems to me Wolverine put them there to run the show.

The book has pretty much the exact tone and focus as it has previously pre-230. Unless their mere presence is interesting, I'm not sure I understand how the book could suddenly get interesting at 230.

true, but Havok is my favorite X-character, so yeah, the interactions alone make it more interesting for me.

Also, considering that Madrox owns X-Factor (it's a registered corporation), and the morgue their base is in, it would be a bit weird for him to be the one to leave.

wasn't the name X-Factor government owned at some point, though? maybe Val Cooper should sue. or maybe Madrox could go back to XXX Investigations.

If he did leave, I doubt it would be with any more than one or two other characters, like when he went to the future with Layla.

if it came to that, i could see Rictor and Shatterstar declining a goverment job and going with him. Layla would be a given, seeing how they're now an item.

[Astonishing!]

I don't think I could cut the cast down to six. M, Madrox, Polaris, Havok, Rictor, Wolfsbane, Shatterstar, Layla, Strong Guy and Siryn are all essential as far as I'm concerned. I like X-Factor just the way it is. And there's no way the market could sustain 2 X-Factor books. No way.

[Faded]

Madrox, Wolfsbane, Rictor, Shatterstar, M, and Banshee/Polaris.

I like Banshee a lot, but her interactions with the team are growing a bit stale and PoPo does crazy so much better. The first five have great and often bizarre relationships with each other. Longshot and Darwin don't really factor in anywhere, Strong Guy creeps me out albeit much less so than in the 90's, and almost every Layla scene has felt contrived since she returned from Bishop's timeline.

[MartinRedmond]

They should increase the cast by 6 more members. I love it as is.

[Swashbuckler]

I don't think I could fairly cut this cast up and be satisfied. I love that there are so many people. I'm not bothered by certain characters not being in every arc, mainly because the book comes out so frequently. That being said, sometimes when plots boil i feel like I'm waiting forever. Where is Wolfsbane's baby? WHERE IS FERAL?

[.A²]

I can't say I understand the need to split the team. The cast really isn't as large as everyone assumes and PAD maintains a good balance. Look at Legacy: Rogue, Rachel, Frenzy, Cannonball, Chamber, Iceman, Gambit, Mimic and Husk as regulars with Beast, Wolverine and now Kitty rotating in and out. Not to mention the X-Kids. And Wolverine and the X-Men: Wolverine, Kitty, Iceman, Beast, Rachel, Idie, Broo, QQ, Genesis, Angel, Kid Gladiator, Warbird, Krakoa and the rest of the X-Kids. If anything, the spotlight is more equally shared in X-Factor than it is in those books where certain characters dominate.