Factor Three
Encyclopedia
Factor Three was a short-lived supervillain subversive organization within the pages of The X-Men
, and was a part of the Marvel Comics
Universe
. It was led by the Mutant Master
, who was secretly an alien from a race of beings from Sirius
that resemble octopus
es. It used various mind control methods to capture and train new agents, though some merely joined for profit. The Factor Three saga, as the storyline has become unofficially known in the years since, was one of the earliest multipart storylines in the team's history.
and Werner Roth
.
The team continued to be mentioned or appear throughout the following issues, from #29-39 (February–December 1967), until the team disbanded.
and the Ogre
. Oddly enough, though the organization's credo involved the prosperity of the mutant race by becoming the third World Power (after the US and then-Soviet USSR), The Ogre was not a mutant at all, but was merely a paid mercenary who relied on technology. Banshee, forced to submit to the Mutant Master's commands via a headpiece rigged to explode should he refuse, teamed up with The Ogre to kidnap Professor Charles Xavier
. His fledgling X-Men
thwarted their attempts, captured the Ogre, and freed Banshee.
Later, Factor Three freed the supervillain
Juggernaut
, serving to distract the X-Men while a second attempt was made to kidnap Professor X; this time they succeeded. With the help of Banshee, the X-Men were able to locate Factor Three's hidden base within the Alps
, but were captured during the rescue attempt. Finally meeting the Mutant Master himself, along with his full array of henchmen, their plan was unveiled. They intended to cause nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union, which would wipe out the human race.
The X-Men were able to escape the mountain base just before Mutant Master blew it up, and again thwarted their plans. Factor Three relocated to an alternate base, where Changeling, Mutant Master's second in command, discovered his plans to destroy mutantkind as well as humankind. Changeling freed Professor X and Banshee, who inadvertently destroyed the Mutant Master's cloaking device, revealing his alien appearance. The X-Men and the remainder of Factor Three joined forces in attacking Mutant Master, who committed suicide to avoid capture. With Mutant Master dead, Factor Three ceased to exist.
Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
, and was a part of the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. It was led by the Mutant Master
Mutant Master
Mutant Master is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. His first appearance was in X-Men vol. 1 #28.-Publication history:The Mutant Master was created by Roy Thomas and Ross Andru. The character was first mentioned in X-Men vol...
, who was secretly an alien from a race of beings from Sirius
Sirius
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, it is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. The name "Sirius" is derived from the Ancient Greek: Seirios . The star has the Bayer designation Alpha Canis Majoris...
that resemble octopus
Octopus
The octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms...
es. It used various mind control methods to capture and train new agents, though some merely joined for profit. The Factor Three saga, as the storyline has become unofficially known in the years since, was one of the earliest multipart storylines in the team's history.
Publication history
Factor Three was first mentioned in The X-Men #28 (January 1967), and was created by Roy ThomasRoy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and Werner Roth
Werner Roth (comics)
Werner Roth was an American comic book artist, perhaps best known for immediately succeeding Jack Kirby on Marvel Comics' X-Men....
.
The team continued to be mentioned or appear throughout the following issues, from #29-39 (February–December 1967), until the team disbanded.
Fictional team biography
Factor Three first appeared through two of its agents, BansheeBanshee (comics)
Banshee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who operates as a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Werner Roth, Banshee first appeared in X-Men #28 ....
and the Ogre
Ogre (comics)
Ogre is a fictional character of the Marvel Comics Universe.-Fictional character biography:Ogre was originally an operative of the mutant terrorist organization Factor Three...
. Oddly enough, though the organization's credo involved the prosperity of the mutant race by becoming the third World Power (after the US and then-Soviet USSR), The Ogre was not a mutant at all, but was merely a paid mercenary who relied on technology. Banshee, forced to submit to the Mutant Master's commands via a headpiece rigged to explode should he refuse, teamed up with The Ogre to kidnap Professor Charles Xavier
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
. His fledgling X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
thwarted their attempts, captured the Ogre, and freed Banshee.
Later, Factor Three freed the supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
Juggernaut
Juggernaut (comics)
The Juggernaut is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #12 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
, serving to distract the X-Men while a second attempt was made to kidnap Professor X; this time they succeeded. With the help of Banshee, the X-Men were able to locate Factor Three's hidden base within the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, but were captured during the rescue attempt. Finally meeting the Mutant Master himself, along with his full array of henchmen, their plan was unveiled. They intended to cause nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union, which would wipe out the human race.
The X-Men were able to escape the mountain base just before Mutant Master blew it up, and again thwarted their plans. Factor Three relocated to an alternate base, where Changeling, Mutant Master's second in command, discovered his plans to destroy mutantkind as well as humankind. Changeling freed Professor X and Banshee, who inadvertently destroyed the Mutant Master's cloaking device, revealing his alien appearance. The X-Men and the remainder of Factor Three joined forces in attacking Mutant Master, who committed suicide to avoid capture. With Mutant Master dead, Factor Three ceased to exist.