A Founding X-Men Hero Finally Leads His Own Team as X-FACTOR Begins

By Spencer Connolly

Published Jul 21, 2024

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Summary

X-Factor gets a fresh start with a new leader, Angel, in a government-backed strike force hunting other mutants exclusively.
Fans get a sneak peek at the all-new team, promising exciting storylines and potentially new mutant additions.
The X-Factor leader's involvement in another ongoing X-Men plotline inadvertently spoils future events, but also amps up the anticipation.

In an exclusive preview shared by CBR for X-Factor #1 (with first-looks at the covers for X-Factor #2 and #3, plus an interview with series writer Mark Russell), fans get the best look yet at the all-new team, including and especially its leader, Warren Worthington III aka Angel.

The entire roster is: Angel, Havok (who will be co-leading the team), Pyro, Frenzy, and Feral, with the promise of other mutants ing the team as well. Polaris is also featured in the preview, indicating that she may be an official addition later down the line, but for now, that remains to be seen.

What Marvel Comics Has in Store for Post-Krakoa X-Factor

Just like earlier iterations, this new X-Factor will be a government-backed strike force, only this time, things will look decidedly different. Before, X-Factor was essentially X-Men with human oversight, allowing mutants to use their powers for ‘good’ while also ensuring that the government controlled what ‘good deeds’ they’d be doing (whereas the X-Men simply went where they were needed). This version is going to be similar, but with a major caveat: the new X-Factor will be fighting other mutants exclusively.

Right now in Marvel canon, mutants are more hated than ever before. That has created violent mutant groups that want retribution for the paradise that was stolen from them upon the fall of Krakoa. So, the U.S. government is going to fight fire with fire, while also parading the X-Factor as tools for propaganda, assuredly with the message of ‘mutants work for humans’. Plus, other countries are forming their own mutant armies, and the X-Factor is America’s contribution to this particular arms race.

X-Factor Accidentally Spoils Another Ongoing X-Men Title

X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse by Steve Foxe and Netho Diaz

In the ongoing storyline X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse, En Sabah Nur is holding a contest to determine who will be his heir on Earth. Apocalypse is going to rule over Arakko (the mutant settlement on Mars), but he needs someone to ensure Earth’s evolution stays on-track. And, while not in the contest per se, Angel - or, Archangel - is one of the mutants Apocalypse is considering. In fact, Angel reclaimed his Archangel form during this comic, and even tried to kill Apocalypse himself before the contest went any further.

Now that fans know he’ll be leading the X-Factor, it’s a safe bet that Angel will have nothing to do with Apocalypse’s schemes moving forward, which is a pretty major spoiler. However, even if it does spoil another storyline, Angel being the leader of the X-Factor is undeniably awesome, and immensely impactful. A mutant propaganda team hunting other mutants for the government, led by a founding member of the X-Men? That’s interesting, and should only make fans more excited about the full release of X-Factor.