Summary
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for X-Factor #1
It’s no secret that theX-Menfranchise has gotten complicated these last few years, and Marvel knows it.Beginning withHouse of X, the franchise steadily lost its grasp on the most important part of the X-Men – caring about the characters. With the X-Men’s recent soft reboot, there’s a new chance for Marvel’s rich repertoire of mutants to retake their place at center stage.
X-Factor#1- written by Mark Russell, with art by Bob Quinn - follows the fall ofthe mutant nation of Krakoa, as mutantkind as whole, and the X-Men in particular, have been scattered across the globe once more.
In Louisiana, a team led by Rogue is trying to put together a new school, while Cyclops is renovatinga Sentinel-based weapons arsenalin Alaska – and at the same time, Angel hopes to win over the public’s opinion with his new X-Factor. However, instead of remaining champions of mutantkind,X-Factor has become a for-profit pseudo-militaristic social media marketing campaign.
Rogue & Wolverine Officially Debut Their New X-Men Roster Against the Last Villain ANYONE Expected
As Rogue and Gambit reunite with Wolverine at the start of Uncanny X-Men, their first enemy comes in the form of a totally unexpected Marvel foe.
Marvel’s X-Men Reboot Is An Opportunity To Fix Where The “Krakoan Era” Went Wrong
X-Factor (2024)#1 – Written By Mark Russell, Art By Bob Quinn; Color By Jesus Aburtov; Lettering By Joe Caramagna
InX-Factor#1, Broderick is referring to the low-profile selection of mutants he’s gathered, yet it’s hard to ignore the way it signifies Marvel’s previous approach to theX-Menfranchise.
Naturally,after Krakoa’s destruction, there has been a power vacuum for control over the remaining mutant population. The U.S. Government, as expected, has taken the opportunity to create a team of desperate mutants willing to turn themselves into nationalist propaganda as a means of recruiting more mutants into the U.S. military. Leading X-Factor’s turn toward television ratings,a business mogul and master of marketing named Rodger Broderick has taken his new job in strides and fully intends to profit off of every mutanthe can get his hands on.
Currently, Broderick is nothing more than an obviously distrustful charmer whose only goal is to make money, but what he is capable of is making a point. While watchingX-Factor’s first missionfrom a distance, Broderick admits to General Mills, the militaristic leader of X-Factor, that
If nobody likes the characters… focus on the plot.
InX-Factor#1, Broderick is referring to the low-profile selection of mutants he’s gathered, yet it’s hard to ignore the way it signifies Marvel’s previous approach tothe X-Men franchise.
The X-Men Franchise Has A Refreshed Sense Of Purpose
Back To Basics, Focusing On Characters
Through Rodger Broderick, Marvel admits that they lost sight of what made the X-Men important.
It seems Marvel recognizes what fans really want – a return to the classics.The original X-Factor teamwas designed to pose as mutant hunters with a secret mission to help the mutants they hunted down. Eventually, the team discovered that allying themselves with those who cared nothing for mutants and their fight for justice, shockingly, would only do more harm than good. It seems clear that’s a point Marvel is trying to make again; in a way,they admit they stopped caring about what Stan Lee and Jack Kirby intended for the X-Men to be.
Readers should expect more of this type of self-inflicted constructive commentary throughout the rest of the series. The X-Men used to be aboutpeople trying to survive in a hateful world and what they got up to was simply a means of telling the characters’ stories. Through Rodger Broderick, Marvel admits that they lost sight of what made the X-Men important; now, each new series in the refreshed canon is a new chance to make mutants relevant again, and hopefully, this time, Marvel will get theX-Menright.
X-Factor #1is available now from Marvel Comics.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
