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There's a new X-Factor #1, and with the relaunched title comes a new team with a new gimmick as government sponsored social media influencers – and that premise brings more than its share of satire to the latest comic in Marvel's line-wide 'From the Ashes' X-Men relaunch.
But there's a sinister secret hiding in the new X-Factor that gives the satirical premise a tragic edge that makes it one of the most compelling new titles of the relaunched X-Men line so far.
Spoilers ahead for X-Factor #1
As seen in promotional material leading up to its launch, the new X-Factor #1 by writer Mark Russell, artist Bob Quinn, color artist Jesus Aburtov, and letterer Joe Caramagna opens with the introduction to the public of a new team of government sponsored social media influencers led by Warren Worthington III/Angel.
Organized by human TV producer Roger Broderick, known for such programs as "Jail Chef" and "Marriage Ape," the new X-Factor consists mostly of mutants selected from a massive casting call of volunteers. Along with Angel, the team includes Rusty Collins/Firefist, and Feral, along with newly introduced mutants Xyber (who has electromagnetic powers), and shapeshifter Cameo.
Right away, the team is sent into action against a new mercenary group known as X-Term, led by Russian mutant Darkstar. If you think it sounds like a bad idea to send a group of mostly unseasoned and underpowered mutants into battle against a private army of well-trained mercenaries, well… you're exactly right.
Though the team is able to fight their way into X-Term's headquarters, a series of misuses of their powers and mistakes leads to a huge building falling on the team, killing several members and gravely injuring others. It's not specified who exactly dies and who survives, but we do know that Angel is in the hospital with serious injuries, and Xyber is mostly unharmed.
Before the dust can even settle, however, Broderick visits Angel in the hospital to let him know that while the mission didn't go as planned, the team's social media numbers are skyrocketing. This leads to the reveal that Broderick has already lined up a whole new X-Factor team led by Havok, this time with Frenzy, Cecilia Reyes, Pyro, the returning (and wary) Xyber, and Granny Smite, an immortal mutant who will never die, but will continue to age.
Broderick tells Angel that he now understands how to make X-Factor popular with the public – by sending them on endless suicide missions where the team members will be killed or maimed, stating that "people hates mutants," and that the way to win his audience over is by sending mutants to their death for their entertainment.
But there's one small ray of hope – Havok's on-again-off-again flame Polaris seems to be investigating Broderick's suspicious motives with the new X-Factor team. So there is already a resistance forming to his brutal agenda.
Mark Russell's eye for satire remains as keen as ever with X-Factor, diving deep into questions around social media exploitation and corporate allyship. It's a concept that picks up on themes that were first introduced to the X-Men mythos in Peter Milligan and Mike Allred's now classic X-Force/X-Statix, which originally revolved around a reality show about a team of mutants.
X-Factor takes those ideas and runs with them in a new direction, wrapping one of the most thoughtful and intriguing ideas of the new 'From the Ashes' era in a thin veil of silliness before ripping it away to reveal true horror. And artist Bob Quinn and colorist Jesus Aburtov's straightforward take on the action also hits the exact right notes by balancing Marvel's current dramatic house style with a boatload of personality and keen storytelling.
The story continues in September 18's X-Factor #2.
X-Factor is one of the best X-Men teams of all time.
