Warning! Spoilers ahead for X-Factor #4!

The X-Men franchise just confirmed that the price of immortality in the Marvel Universe is almost too terrible to be worth it. While the superpower to stay young and agile forever sounds like a dream come true, a preview for X-Force suggests immortality is not only the most unappealing power ever, but it can also quickly become devastating eternal torment.

X-Factor #4 – written by Mark Russell and art by Bob Quinn – finds the government mutant team gearing up to rescue a subterranean expedition crew, but team leader Havok tells Granny Smite, an 87-year-old mutant, that he wants her to stay behind, due to her being immortal. Havok explains to Granny Smite that if she were to get lost on the mission, she’d be trapped suffocating underground forever with no way to escape.

Havok acknowledgment of immortals leading difficult lives also highlights how immortality has often led to stories with horrendous nightmare fuel and terrifying body horror.

X-Factor Confirms That Immortality In The Marvel Universe Is Actually A Fate Worse Than Death

X-Factor #4 – Written By Mark Russell; Art By Bob Quinn; Color By Jesus Abertov; Lettering By Joe Caramagna

When looking at heroes who are considered immortal like Wolverine, it’s apparent that living forever is less of a goal to strive for and more of a terrible fate to avoid at all costs as it leads to lifetimes of torture and puts a target on heroes' backs. Wolverine has lived for over two centuries and his long life has turned him into a deeply hardened, untrusting person who has lost countless friends due to both outliving them and witnessing their deaths. Hulk is another example of immortality gone wrong as both he and Wolverine have been experimented on in gruesome ways.

In The Immortal Hulk #8 by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett, the Hulk is detained by the US Government, taken apart, and put in jars for experimentation all while the Hulk remained alive, a truly frightening fate for the strongest avenger. While many heroes are immortal, it was revealed the mutant Mister Immortal will outlive not just humanity but the earth and universe, subjecting him to an eternity of loneliness. Not only do immortal superheroes outlive their loved ones but they also have to live through the often brutal and painful attempts on their lives that usually fail.

Immortality Forces Marvel Heroes To Endure Uniquely Horror-Inducing Experiences

Neverending Life Means Neverending Trauma

Immortality is overwhelming for immortal heroes; they are constantly subjected to dangerous situations that can lead to catastrophic mental and physical changes and the loss of loved ones. In X-Factor, Granny Smite often says she welcomes death, which is a tragic but frequent conundrum many immortal superhumans like Wolverine and Mister Immortal face; Granny Smite witnesses her entire family die and now has to live with an eternity of survivor's guilt. When looking at the lives of X-Men's immortal heroes, immortality is a power that has terrifying repercussions and leads to situations that no one would ever wish to experience.

X-Factor #4 will be available on November 6, 2024 from Marvel Comics!