X-Factor Investigations
Encyclopedia
X-Factor Investigations is a fictional detective agency created by writer Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...

 for 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...

 comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...

 series X-Factor (volume 3)
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...

. The agency first appears under the name XXX Investigations in the first issue of the Marvel Comics limited series Madrox #1 (November 2004). In the final issue, Madrox #5 (March 2005), the name is changed to X-Factor Investigations, and later abbreviated XF Investigations.

Publication history

Peter David introduced the agency in the limited series Madrox. The Madrox series ended in March 2005, but with positive fan and retailer reaction to the book, Marvel relaunched the series under their oft-used title X-Factor, David having considered Madrox an X-Factor book anyway. At the 2005 San Diego Comic Con
Comic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...

 Peter David announced the agency would continue, following events in Madrox and House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...

and intended the agency to be "dark and scruffy," inspired by the paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...

 Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...

 TV series X-Files. At the 2009 Fan Expo Canada, it was announced that the current X-Factor series will be re-numbered to #200 in December 2009, to take up the numbering of the original series.

Fictional team history

X-Factor Investigations is a detective agency run by Jamie Madrox
Jamie Madrox
James Arthur "Jamie" Madrox, also called the Multiple Man, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men...

, formerly known as the costumed superhero Multiple Man. The agency was originally named XXX Investigations, but team members thought that it sounded too much like Madrox was investigating pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...

. The new name is taken from the government-sponsored mutant supergroup that the three founders had previously served on.

"Madrox" and "Decimation" (Issues #1-7, 10-13)

The initial staff consisted of Madrox's best friend and special enforcer, Guido Carosella (Strong Guy
Strong Guy
Strong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,...

) and former teammate Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane
Wolfsbane (comics)
Wolfsbane is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men.A Scottish mutant, Wolfsbane possesses the ability to transform into a wolf or into a transitional state somewhere between human and wolf...

). Following the House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...

, Madrox's newfound wealth from winning a Who Wants to be a Millionaire-style gameshow allowed him to recruit several of his former colleagues of the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 branch of the now defunct X-Corporation
X-Corporation
The X-Corporation is a fictional institution from the X-Men comic book series by Marvel Comics. This organization was created to ensure the protection of mutant rights throughout the world due to the increasing number of mutants....

. New members include Siryn
Siryn
Theresa Maeve Rourke Cassidy is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those belonging to the X-Men family of titles...

, a powerless Rictor
Rictor
Rictor is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe, who appears in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Walt Simonson and first appeared in X-Factor vol.1 #17...

, M
M (comics)
M is a fictional comic book superheroine, a mutant who appears in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics...

 and Layla Miller
Layla Miller
Layla Rose Miller, also known as Butterfly, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in House of M #4, and was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Oliver Coipel...

, who has inserted herself into the group to keep them from discovering the truth behind the mutant Decimation
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...

. Recently, the team has come into conflict with rival agency Singularity Investigations, after they ordered Siryn beaten and left for dead.

After meeting with Singularity CEO Damian Tryp
Damian Tryp
Damian Tryp is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. His first appearance was in X-Factor vol. 3 #2.-Fictional character biography:left|thumbnail|Ancient Tryp...

, Madrox has asked Siryn to find out more about the Decimation from the heroes who might have been involved (by using her modulated voice to make them more suggestible). She learns from Spider-Man that the X-Men (who had denied any involvement), as well as Quicksilver
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...

 were, in fact, central to the ending of the House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...

 and the subsequent Decimation
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...

.

Little is known about Damian Tryp apart from that he runs Singularity Investigations, which is in direct competition with Madrox's X-Factor Investigations and his encounters with Madrox's team. He is also one of the few mutants that kept their superhuman powers after the M-Day
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...

, although it has been revealed that he might not be a mutant, but a genetic throwback to an earlier time, i.e., a "changeling", a predecessor to mutants who develops powers at birth. Tryp’s mutation enables him to live for a very long time, as evidenced by him being alive in the 12th-century Wales. He also is able to move through time in a similar fashion to Quicksilver
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...

, which enables him to bring together himself at three different times.

Damian Tryp also seems to be involved in Jamie Madrox’s past. When Jamie was born, the doctor’s slap caused him to multiply into two identical babies, which was rather shocking to both his parents and the doctor. 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....

, a friend of the Madrox family, suggested that they move to Kansas to raise the boy in privacy with the possibility of the boy to be later taught at Professor X’s school for the gifted youngsters. However, when Madrox was still young, Tryp also makes an own offer to look after Jamie, claming that Jamie was also a "changeling" like him. Jamie's parents, however, refuse to give Jamie to Tryp, who proceeds to create a freak tornado that kills Jamie’s parents.

The all out conflict between Tryp's Singularity Investigations and X-Factor Investigations began after the youngest version of Tryp badly beat Siryn
Siryn
Theresa Maeve Rourke Cassidy is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those belonging to the X-Men family of titles...

 (after shooting her in the neck with a dart that prevented her from using her powers) and left her for dead. Siryn, as part of her duties for X-Factor Investigations, was investigating the murder of the woman who died in Jack Vaughn’s penthouse under suspicious circumstances. Jack Vaughn (a movie star) claimed that the woman was killed by her sister, Gloria Santiago, who was upset about the relationship (claiming that Jack was “no good” for her sister), and that all he was trying to do was wrestle the gun away from her. The sister thus hired X-Factor Investigations to help her clear her name and bring Jack to justice. Singularity Investigations was representing Jack Vaughn with Tryp, Junior (i.e., the youngest version) as the defense counsel. Siryn and X-Factor Investigations managed to incriminate Vaughn and to thwart SI’s assassination attempt on Rictor
Rictor
Rictor is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe, who appears in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Walt Simonson and first appeared in X-Factor vol.1 #17...

. Tryp, Junior was so infuriated by this that he ambushed Siryn and beat her almost to death, leaving her to die in an alley.

Madrox and Strong Guy
Strong Guy
Strong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,...

 give Tryp a very public warning as Tryp is jogging in the park. They tell Tryp that they know that it was him who hurt Siryn, and while they will not hurt him in broad daylight, he should watch his back. Tryp, Junior and Tryp, Senior make Madrox an offer to join their firm, and Madrox laughs in response.

Civil War (Issues #8-9)

Recently, Quicksilver
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...

 has returned to Mutant Town following the events of Son of M
Son of M
Son of M is an American comic book limited series, a follow up to Marvel Comics' "House of M" event, starring the depowered Quicksilver. Quicksilver was one of the many mutants to lose his powers as part of the Decimation, which he was, in part, responsible for.-Background:Following his sister's...

, having gained the ability to restore other mutants' powers from the Terrigen Mist
Terrigen Mist
The Terrigen Mist is a fictional substance from the Marvel Comics universe. It plays a prominent role in the stories of the Inhumans, a fictional race of super-humans...

s. X-Factor used this to confront the X-Men with their knowledge of the Decimation. As a result, X-Factor has taken a public stance in defiance of the Superhuman Registration Act
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...

. However, Rictor and M
M (comics)
M is a fictional comic book superheroine, a mutant who appears in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics...

 were registered by a duplicate of Madrox who is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Madrox, Strong Guy
Strong Guy
Strong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,...

, and Wolfsbane
Wolfsbane (comics)
Wolfsbane is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men.A Scottish mutant, Wolfsbane possesses the ability to transform into a wolf or into a transitional state somewhere between human and wolf...

 are already registered because of their membership in the previous, government-sponsored X-Factor. The X-Men have decided not to interfere with Quicksilver as long as he stays in Mutant Town.

X'd Out (Issues #10-13)

It has also been exposed that Tryp and his company have been working on a new version of the legacy virus. A former Singularity employee came to X-Factor Investigations and related that Tryp was attempting to restart the Legacy Virus
Legacy Virus
In the fictional Marvel Universe, the Legacy Virus was a devastating plague that ripped through the mutant population, killing hundreds and mutating so that it affected baseline humans as well....

, the plague that killed several mutants, including, briefly, Madrox himself. Strong Guy
Strong Guy
Strong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,...

 was sent to drive the man to safety but once they were alone, Strong Guy killed him and called Tryp to report. It was later revealed that Tryp had placed a hypnotic suggestion in Strong Guy’s head to turn him into a sleeper agent. According to the oldest version of Tryp (ancient), all of Singularity Investigations' efforts to create the Legacy Virus
Legacy Virus
In the fictional Marvel Universe, the Legacy Virus was a devastating plague that ripped through the mutant population, killing hundreds and mutating so that it affected baseline humans as well....

 have been to prevent a possible future in which X-Factor manages to undo the Decimation
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...

, but as a result, humanity is wiped out by the re-powered mutants in a bloody conflict. As such, X-Factor Investigations' new goal is to undo Decimation, but also to prevent the conflict Tryp predicted.

Due to one of Madrox's dupes blowing up the SI building, apparently killing Tryp, Junior and Tryp, Senior (i.e., the middle-aged version), only the ancient Tryp (the one who has been alive the longest and has seen the grim future) is still alive.

After the destruction of Singularity Investigations, the present form of Damian Tryp (the elder/ancient) reveals to Layla that her very existence had foiled his plans — she is a force of chaos like he is. Tryp also reveals that when he comes into conflict with Layla, terrible events occur as a result. Following her encounter with Tryp, Layla appears genuinely shocked for the first time: the glass of milk she is pouring overflows, spilling onto the floor.

After finding out about the foretold event, each member of the X-Factor Investigations receives a session with Doc Samson
Doc Samson
Doc Samson is a fictional character, a superhero and psychiatrist in the Marvel Comics universe, known as a supporting character in stories featuring the Hulk.-Publication history:...

.

World War Hulk

X-Factor came to the aid of Professor Xavier, when the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....

 came looking for him due to his role within the Illuminati

After The Civil War (Issues #14-24)

After Madrox's experience with his S.H.I.E.L.D. dupe, a dupe he has forgotten about, Madrox went on a quest to gather his lost dupes and revealed an ability to absorb himself into dupes. This quest met an end when he found a dupe who had built his own family. Meanwhile Siryn and Monet bonded in France and rescued a child from a riot. X-Factor was then attacked by the X-Cell
X-Cell
X-Cell is a terrorist organization in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional team biography:Made up of ex-mutants, the group targets government authorities in an attempt to regain their lost powers after the Decimation event, which de-powered over 90% of the world's mutant population and which they...

 and almost defeated. The X-Cell's members believed the government to be responsible for their lost powers. All but Marrow
Marrow (comics)
Marrow , is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is a mutant whose bones grow out of her skin and can be removed from her body, providing her with potential knives and clubs as well as body armor....

 and Callisto
Callisto (comics)
Callisto is a Marvel Comics fictional character, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, she first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #169 ....

 were repowered by Quicksilver and Rictor—a process that resulted in the death of their leader
Elijah Cross
Elijah Cross is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in X-Factor vol. 3 #17 as a de-powered mutant, who lost his powers as a result of M-Day.-Fictional character biography:...

 and Abyss
Abyss (comics)
Abyss is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe. An alternate universe's counterpart of the character first appeared in X-Men Alpha, and the heroic Marvel Universe version of the character first appeared in Cable vol...

, Fatale
Fatale (comics)
Fatale is a fictional character who first appears in the Marvel Comics universe. She is an assassin, usually working for Dark Beast. She first appeared in X-Factor vol. 1 #112, but in X-Men vol...

 and Reaper
Reaper (Marvel Comics)
Reaper is the name of several fictional characters in the pages of Marvel Comics, most notably the Reaper whose real name is Pantu Hurageb, a mutant in the X-Force comic book series...

 fleeing into the brimstone dimension to fate unknown. When Layla Miller revealed what truly happened to Callisto and Marrow, Rictor used his powers to expel the Terrigen crystals from Quicksilver's body (except for one, which Quicksilver kept) at the cost of his powers.

Messiah Complex (Issues #25-27)

Madrox, Rictor, and an accompanying Layla Miller were alerted to the Xavier Mansion by Emma Frost during the mutant baby conflict.

Madrox and Layla were sent to Forge's headquarters to send two dupes into different alternate realities. Layla jumped in with one of the dupes at the last minute, claiming she had a part to play in their mission. Unfortunately, Forge informed Madrox that there was no way to retrieve Layla and his dupes, who received instructions to kill themselves once they received the information they needed to get reabsorbed into Madrox Prime. Layla and the Madrox-dupe have since landed in Bishop's future, captured and abused in mutant interment camps.

Rictor was instructed to go undercover as a Purifer by pretending to shoot Rahne as she attacked the group's members. He has since gained information on their artillery until his cover was blown by Anole
Anole (comics)
Anole is a fictional mutant superhero in the Marvel Universe. He was created by Christina Weir and Nunzio DeFilippis and first appeared in issue #2 of New Mutants vol. 2 . A student at the Xavier Institute and junior member of the X-Men, Anole is one of the few openly gay characters in the Marvel...

 and the other New X-Men
New X-Men
New X-Men was a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics within the X-Men franchise. After the end of Grant Morrison's run on X-Men , titled New X-Men, the title was used for a new series, New X-Men: Academy X, serving as a continuation of the second volume of New Mutants...

.

Rahne later joined the mutant group X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...

 to hunt down Cable using their hyper-keen senses.

Siryn was called by the mutant named Peepers asking to help him out. When Siryn arrived on the scene, Peepers was eaten to the bone by Predator-X who was already on his way looking for the next mutant to kill.

Strong Guy, Siryn, and M joined forces with the X-Men against the various groups trying to take control of the mutant baby.

Divided We Stand (Issues #28-32)

After a confrontation with Jamie about her leaving, Rahne reveals that she has seen herself murder Jamie and Layla Madrox on their wedding night, and not wanting to kill Layla upon her return from the dystopian future, leaves the team and joins X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...

. Meanwhile, Rictor, while walking down a street, think he has seen Layla. After following the young girl, he finds a young prostitute who happens to appear around the same age. After some aggressive words with the young woman's pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...

, he gets into a fight that leaves him wounded. After Guido joins in the fight, the men quickly disperse, and he walks with Rictor to the E.R. Elsewhere, Jamie is seen looking for a fight, and finds himself at a Purifier
Purifiers
The Purifiers, also known as the Stryker Crusade, are a fictional paramilitary/terrorist organization in the Marvel Comics universe and enemies of the X-Men...

 gathering. After shooting their leader with a tranquilizer, Jamie makes three copies of himself, and readies for a fight. Siryn reveals to a reverend that she is pregnant with Jamie's child; and later at a bar, reveals to Monet that she intends to give birth to the child.

Meanwhile, Mutant Town is under the clutches of Silver Age
Silver age
A silver age is a name often given to a particular period within a history, typically as a lesser and later successor to a golden age, the metal silver generally being valuable, but less so than gold.-Greek myth:...

 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...

 villain Arcade
Arcade (comics)
Arcade is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Arcade first appeared in Marvel Team-Up, vol...

 with Rictor as his prisoner, Valerie Cooper returns as a supporting character and X-Factor relocates to Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

.

Secret Invasion (Issues #33-34)

Sometime after Messiah Complex, Darwin goes in search of Professor Xavier because he wants to help him. He encounters Longshot
Longshot
Longshot is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero best known as a member of the X-Men. He was created by writer Ann Nocenti and artist Art Adams.-Publication history:...

, who tries to lead him to the Professor by using his powers. Longshot, however is unsure if his powers have been working correctly and tests them out on a group of people which turn on Darwin and attack. After a brief fight, Darwin manages to get away and the crowd turn on Longshot. Darwin's father hires X-Factor to find his son, supposedly because he feels bad for walking out on him and his mother when he was younger. Madrox, Monet and Guido track down Darwin and Longshot but Longshot is attacked by Jazinda
Jazinda
Jazinda is a Marvel Comics supporting character. She is the estranged daughter of Kl'rt the Super-Skrull. Exiled from the Skrull empire under threat of death as a traitor, she currently resides and works on Earth as part of a freelance bounty hunting team with She-Hulk.-Fictional character...

 and She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....

 who are trailing after him because he is really a Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....

.

After a fight between the two groups, they both realize Longshot is a Skrull, capture and hand him over to Jazinda and She-Hulk and go their separate ways.

Recent Events (Issues #35-50)

After Darwin is reunited with his father, only to be betrayed and sold out to by operatives of an organization known as the Karma Project, who are experimenting on living human beings. Meanwhile, the real Longshot shows up and he and Darwin join X-Factor. Valerie Cooper takes an interest in Siryn's unborn child. During a confrontation when Siryn is leaving for the hospital because her water broke, Val is accidentally shot. While Val recovers, Siryn gives birth and finally acknowledges that her father is dead and is never coming back. She names her son Sean after her father, but when Madrox holds him, he absorbs Sean. Jamie Madrox leaves X-Factor Investigations in order to talk to his last remaining dupe, John Maddox. Explaining to John that dupes are unable to have babies, John reveals that he already knew this. However, Jamie threatens to kill himself, knocking out John. Before he pulls the trigger, an older Layla Miller returns to stop him.

Jamie is transported to the future in the midst of the Summers Rebellion, where mutants rise up against Sentinel and human oppressors, which is led by Ruby Summers, the daughter of Cyclops and Emma Frost with her fathers' optic blasts and Emma's organic mineral body, Layla, and a cyborg Cyclops, whose predicament is Jamie's fault. After Jamie kisses Layla (now an adult) out of happiness at seeing her, Cyclops wants Jamie to find out why some mutants are winking out of existence. The group visit an aging, senile Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...

, who says Layla told him in the past that he'd have to instruct Jamie and her on something in the future, and it is now.

In the present, X-Factor and new members Longshot
Longshot
Longshot is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero best known as a member of the X-Men. He was created by writer Ann Nocenti and artist Art Adams.-Publication history:...

 and Darwin
Darwin (comics)
Darwin is a mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe. He first appeared in X-Men: Deadly Genesis #2, and was created by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Pete Woods. Darwin was one of the "Missing X-Men"...

  are battling Cortex, an agent of the Summers Rebellion era government. Cortex briefly controls Shatterstar
Shatterstar
Shatterstar is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the .-Publication history:Shatterstar first appeared in The New Mutants vol. 1 #99 , and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. Since his debut Shatterstar has mainly appeared in the original X-Force title, with some issues...

 and M, using them to respectively make assassination attempts on Reverend John Maddox and an X-Factor client. Cortex grabs Longshot, trying to also control him, and realizes he and Shatterstar are connected, and when Cortex loses control over Monet, she attacks him and his hood falls back revealing that he is the second Jamie Madrox duplicate from Messiah Complex.

The Madrox dupe is teleported to the future once more, where his technological parts are taken over by an elderly Doom. There he engages in combat with the future X-Men. Although he manages to kill Fitzroy, Ruby begs Layla to bring him back revealing that Layla has the ability to resurrect the dead -- however her powers restores them without a soul/conscience. The conflict reaches its peak when a massive Sentinel is about to destroy most of the mutants. Fitzroy absorbs Cortex's life energy and sends the massive sentinel in the past (where the sentinel crashes killing it's constructors parents thus completing a chain of events that started all of this). Madrox is teleported back in the past to Detroit where he meets up with the rest of X-Factor.

Layla however goes further back where she meets up with her younger past self. After telling her all of this she downloads her knowledge into her past self's mind thus further completing the causality loop and granting her the knowledge she had to begin with.

The Invisible Woman Has Vanished! (Issues #200-203)

Following the events in "X-Factor" Issue #50, Madrox decides to move X-Factor Investigations back to New York City, what he believes is where the team should really be. In their first mission, the team is approached by Valeria
Valeria Richards
Valeria Meghan Richards is a fictional character of Marvel Comics, the daughter of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman , husband and wife and two original members of the superhero team the Fantastic Four. She is the younger sister of Franklin Richards...

 and Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in Fantastic Four.Franklin is an Omega-Level mutant with vast psionic and reality-manipulating powers...

, who ask for X-Factor's help to locate their mother, The Invisible Woman
Invisible Woman
Susan "Sue" Storm Richards is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and was the first female superhero created by Marvel in the Silver Age of Comics...

, who has mysteriously vanished. Upon going to the Baxter Building, X-Factor is stonewalled by Reed Richards, while Strong Guy and Shatterstar battle with Thing, ending in Thing's defeat. Longshot identifies from clues left on the Fantasticar that Sue was kidnapped to Latveria and in a vision sees Layla Miller allied with Doctor Doom. After much debate, the team travel to Latveria to assault Castle Doom and steal back Invisible Woman, where Monet, Shatterstar and Thing go head-to-head with Doom himself.

Elsewhere, Monet returns home only to discover Val Cooper with bad news, her father has been taken hostage by terrorists and will only return him in exchange for Monet herself. Following from the events of the Latveria battle, Monet and Strong Guy travel deep into the unknown jungles in the hope of freeing Monet's father. It is revealed that the man behind the kidnapping is none other than Baron Mordo
Baron Mordo
Baron Karl Amadeus Mordo is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by Marvel Comics and appearing as an enemy of Doctor Strange...

.

Second Coming: Revelations (Issues #204-206)

Given the mission to kill all members of the X-Factor team, Bolivar Trask
Bolivar Trask
Bolivar Trask is a fictional character and a military scientist in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #14 . He is the creator of the Sentinels.-Fictional character biography:...

 designates Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man
The Absorbing Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #114 The Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first...

 and Bastion
Bastion
A bastion, or a bulwark, is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall , facilitating active defence against assaulting troops...

 to do the task for him. However, the team is weakened by the absence of Strong Guy, who is dealing with Baron Mordo and the kidnapped Monet.

Changes in Roster

Although originally Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...

 only seemed to add characters to the roster, the Messiah CompleX
X-Men: Messiah Complex
"Messiah Complex" is a comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics from October 2007 to January 2008, which ran through the various X-Men books....

 event has left the team short two members. Layla Miller
Layla Miller
Layla Rose Miller, also known as Butterfly, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in House of M #4, and was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Oliver Coipel...

 was stranded in a concentration camp
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...

 in an alternate future for a period of time, while Rahne Sinclair has joined X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...

 for personal reasons. But, to flush out the holes he created, David has announced two new members to join the team, Longshot and Armando Muñoz (Darwin)
Darwin (comics)
Darwin is a mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe. He first appeared in X-Men: Deadly Genesis #2, and was created by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Pete Woods. Darwin was one of the "Missing X-Men"...

.

The reasons that David chose Longshot are that he feels that Longshot's optimism and upbeat attitude would be perfect to replace Rahne and Layla respectively. He chose Armando because he is a relatively blank slate. He first appeared in Deadly Genesis
X-Men: Deadly Genesis
X-Men: Deadly Genesis is a comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in late 2005 and early 2006. The series was written by Ed Brubaker with interior art by Trevor Hairsine and covers by Marc Silvestri. Starring the X-Men, this series celebrates the 30th anniversary of Giant-Size X-Men #1...

 and his only subsequent appearance was in the follow-up storyline Rise and Fall of the Shi`Ar Empire. David feels that with becoming a main character in a series, it will give him the chance to expand the character's personality.

It was revealed in early 2010 that Wolfsbane would return to the team following the disbandment of X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...

. The character is expected to return in X-Factor #208 with news of her pregnancy.

Starting with issue #230 in January 2012, Havok and Polaris will be joining the X-Factor Investigations roster.

Team Roster

Issues Years Roster
1 to 7 2006 Butterfly
Layla Miller
Layla Rose Miller, also known as Butterfly, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in House of M #4, and was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Oliver Coipel...

, M, Madrox, Rictor
Rictor
Rictor is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe, who appears in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Walt Simonson and first appeared in X-Factor vol.1 #17...

, Siryn
Siryn
Theresa Maeve Rourke Cassidy is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those belonging to the X-Men family of titles...

, Strong Guy
Strong Guy
Strong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,...

, Wolfsbane
Wolfsbane (comics)
Wolfsbane is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men.A Scottish mutant, Wolfsbane possesses the ability to transform into a wolf or into a transitional state somewhere between human and wolf...

8 to 24 2006 - 2007
}, Rictor, Siryn, Strong Guy, Wolfsbane
|-
|align=center|25 to 27
|align=center|2008
|align=left|Messiah Complex
Messiah complex
A messiah complex is a state of mind in which an individual holds a belief they are, or are destined to become, a savior. The messiah complex does not appear in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ....

 crossover
|-
|align=center|28 to 32
|align=center|2008
|align=left|M, Madrox, Rictor, Siryn, Strong Guy
|-
|align=center|33 to 39
|align=center|2008 - 2009
|align=left|Darwin
Darwin (comics)
Darwin is a mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe. He first appeared in X-Men: Deadly Genesis #2, and was created by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Pete Woods. Darwin was one of the "Missing X-Men"...

 , Longshot
Longshot
Longshot is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero best known as a member of the X-Men. He was created by writer Ann Nocenti and artist Art Adams.-Publication history:...

 , M, Madrox, Rictor, Siryn, Strong Guy
|-
|align=center|40 to 42
|align=center|2009
|align=left|Butterfly, Darwin, Longshot, M, Madrox, Rictor, Ruby Summers
Ruby Summers
Ruby Summers is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe first appearing in the one-shot X-Factor: Layla Miller.-Fictional character biography:Ruby is the daughter of Scott Summers and Emma Frost from the dystopian alternate future Earth-1191....

, Siryn, Strong Guy
|-
|align=center|43 to 50
|align=center|2009
|align=left|Butterfly, Darwin, Longshot, M, Madrox, Rictor, Ruby Summers , Shatterstar
Shatterstar
Shatterstar is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the .-Publication history:Shatterstar first appeared in The New Mutants vol. 1 #99 , and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. Since his debut Shatterstar has mainly appeared in the original X-Force title, with some issues...

, Siryn, Strong Guy
|-
|align=center|200 to 207
|align=center|2009-2010
|align=left|Butterfly , Darwin, Longshot, M, Madrox, Rictor, Shatterstar, Siryn, Strong Guy
|-
|align=center|208 to 213
|align=center|2010-2011
|align=left|Butterfly, Darwin, Longshot, M, Madrox, Rictor, Shatterstar, Siryn, Strong Guy, Wolfsbane
|-
|align=center|214
|align=center|2011
|align=left|Darwin
|-
|align=center|215 to 229
|align=center|2011
|align=left|Butterfly, Longshot, M, Madrox, Rictor, Shatterstar, Siryn, Strong Guy, Wolfsbane
|-
|align=center|230+
|align=center|2012
|align=left|Butterfly, Havok, Longshot, M, Madrox, Polaris
Polaris (comics)
Polaris is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men family of books. Created by Arnold Drake, Don Heck, Werner Roth and Jim Steranko, Polaris first appeared in The X-Men #49...

, Rictor, Shatterstar, Siryn, Strong Guy, Wolfsbane
|}

Notes: - The character acts as a recurring character only. - Wolfsbane leaves the group to join X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...

, but rejoins in #208. - Layla Miller is left stranded in the future. - The character joins following the revival during Messiah Complex. - The character joins following the death of his Skrull impersonator during Secret Invasion. - The character returns to her own time in #50. - The character is not an actual member of the team, but holds alliance with Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...

instead.

Awards

In 2010, X-Factor won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book. Peter David said this in an interview later: "I’m appreciative of Marvel Comics allowing me so much latitude in X-Factor, particularly Joe Quesada’s unequivocal public support when Rictor and Shatterstar first liplocked. I note that the award only names me, and I think that’s shortsighted, because there’s been a host of artists and editors along the way who have done a terrific job to bring the stories to the public. And ultimately I look forward to the day when this award is utterly unnecessary because the positive portrayal of LGBTs is simply so commonplace that it’s no longer newsworthy. It’s just the normal state of things."

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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