X-Factor #5-#6: Apocalypse, Finally

One of the many things X-Factor has brought back from the 1960s is the random sexist comments by characters portrayed as heroic. I didn't miss that in Claremont's work, I can tell you. Here, on page 3 of #5, it is Bobby, saying to Jean "the last thing any of us wants is for you to lose that shape, Jeanie! Va-va-va-voom!". Oh dear. Perhaps Claremont is an anomaly, and this is just how comics were usually written in the 1980s? They're even saying "Holy Hannah" again, I haven't seen that for a while, either.

Anyway. This arc's mission is the recovery of Michael Nowlan, who is a mutant with the power of enhancing other mutant powers. He's been taking drugs to suppress this, and has run away from the "Alliance of Evil", which consists of Tower (can manipulate his mass/size), Frenzy (invulnerability, strength) and two new characters: Stinger (who can discharge electricity) and Timeshadow (who has short range time travel). This Alliance reports to Apocalypse, and there's four of them, so I wonder if they were candidates for Horsemen (by all accounts Apocalypse was a last-minute replacement so this was not intended by the writers, but it's nonetheless an interesting coincidence).

They fail, and Michael is spirited away. This results in some introspection. This wouldn't have happened in the old days. I mentioned briefly before that the revived Jean is not a telepath. There seem to be two chief reasons for this. Firstly, a mobile telepath is way overpowered compared to the rest of the team - it's the same reason they rarely let Xavier be all three of walking, on the team, and telepathic. Secondly (as Teebore has pointed out in the comments for #1), if she were able to read people's minds, this whole plot with Scott and Madelyne wouldn't work, as Jean would know about it and insist on Scott doing right by Maddy, right? It's telling that the original Scott/Jean plot petered out more or less at the same time she got those powers in the first place. Scott has made that call to Maddy, by the way, and had no answer. He reckons she's left him. Which is completely ridiculous of him. He has left her. Jean reckons that Scott's in love with someone else... Phoenix. Actually, I can't see a good reason why she hasn't guessed there isn't another woman involved here?

Anyway, Michael knows X-Factor's secret, but was kindly keeping it. Apocalypse arrives fairly well-developed, being centuries old and wanting mutants to kill mutants so that the strongest will remain. Our final battle sees Michael kill himself rather than allow the Alliance and Apocalypse continued access to his power.

We don't know very much about Apocalypse, but he makes an instant impression in a way that immediately marks him out as an Important Villain. This (thanks Louise!) is X-Factor's first slam-dunk.

X-Factor #4: F is for Frenzy

X-Factor #4 opens with the original X-Men - calling each other their popularly known codenames - beating up Tower at LaGuardia Airport (I'm assuming that in addition to divvying up the mutants, they've also split New York. Claremont gets JFK, Layton is stuck with LGA), in a supposed attempt to intimidate him into not associating with X-Factor. And they think this is going to improve the reputation of mutants? Senator Thompson points out to their PR guy, Cameron Hodge, that it might backfire. I can see how.

Tower escapes them, but Frenzy (for it is she) has been sent to keep an eye on him and then try to "rescue" Rusty Collins, for her mysterious employers. This proves unnecessary, when Collins simply runs away from X-Factor HQ. This is the first time any of these guys have been teachers - and they're rubbish at it, especially Cyclops, who is demonstrating his famed leadership ability. They'd be better off sending them to the school, perhaps, except that Magneto is also a rubbish teacher, and they think he's evil. When are they going to make contact, anyway? I get the feeling Scott is only not suggesting it as otherwise he'd have to explain to them the Jean/Madelyne situation. Yet another element in my "Cyclops hates telephones" theory, too. Come to think of it, does Jean even know they have children there at Westchester now? If so, why hasn't she suggested a rescue mission?

Anyway, #4's mission is X-Factor being sent to Ferreden School, to deal with a suspected mutant. Only it's someone pretending to be a mutant. Which is an interesting enough idea, but one given nowhere near enough time. Bendis did this better in Alias (#11-#14, if you're interested.)

They arrive back just in time to change into X-Men costumes and fight Frenzy for possession of Collins. They reckon she's an evil mutant, even though she's trying to liberate a mutant from what she thinks is an evil anti-mutant organisation? Sigh. I mean, what are they planning on doing when the X-Men proper turn up? Anyway, they take him back, and he agrees, saying he's too confused to say no. I can't say I blame him. The guys apologise to him for treating him rubbishly, and he makes up with Artie, after having called him a freak and worse earlier.

Man, I hate to say it so bluntly, but this book is just stupid. I hope it gets better soon.