X-FACTOR #83 – October 1992

Painting The Town

Credits: Peter David (writer), Mark Pacella (pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Glynis Oliver (colors), Richard Starkings (letters)

Summary

Genoshan refugees Jenny Ransome and Philip Moreau arrive to support the X-Patriots’ asylum request. Lukas, one of the X-Patriots, recognizes Moreau’s last name and connects him to his father, the man who developed the mutate process. Lukas uses his shape shifting ability to transform into Cameron Hodge and attacks Moreau. X-Factor is able to stop him before any damage is done. While the government is still deciding what to do with the X-Patriots, Havok convinces Val Cooper to let the team give them a tour of New York. Wolfsbane accompanies Taylor but loses track of him. Taylor, a young Genoshan with the ability to sculpt fire, is soon brutally beaten by a frightened mob in Central Park.

Continuity Notes

Wolfsbane says that if she returns to fully human form, she’ll change back into a Genoshan mutate. She also claims to be colorblind in her wolf form.

I Love the ‘90s

Guido and X-Patriot Pirouette dance to the “Mutant Rap”. Lyrics include “Go mutant! Go Mutant! Go!”

Review

This is the weakest issue of the “All-New. All Different” X-Factor so far. The last issue ended with Havok dramatically declaring that the team was going to Genosha with the X-Patriots. This issue, they’re still in New York while government bureaucrats try to decide what to do with the X-Patriots. At the end of the issue, they’re still not any closer to getting to Genosha. It seems as if the story is suddenly stalled because someone realized that X-Factor couldn’t go to Genosha and back in time for the X-Cutioner’s Song crossover. As far as time killing goes, most of this issue isn’t bad, but the storyline’s momentum is affected.

Mark Pacella fills in before Jae Lee’s brief run begins. He’s lost some of the Liefeld influence, but his work still has that patented early ‘90s ugliness. There’s a lot of scowling, pupils often disappear, costumes are inconsistent, and everyone has incredibly skinny feet. If I understood what Larry Stroman was saying in his recent CBR interview, it was Marvel’s decision not to renew his contract during this time. The fact that, apparently, someone somewhere thought that this was an improvement is mind-boggling.