NB of the Week

-SO WHEN YOU SAY PSYCHOSOMATIC, YOU MEAN LIKE HE COULD START SPOILS WITH HIS THOUGHTS?-

X-Factor #262 - The End of X-Factor: Part 6
Written by Peter David
Drawn by Neil Edwards

Layla has a problem. The man she loves and married is turning further into a demon. Worse over: she's pregnant with his child. And not a dupe child like he reabsorbed years ago (in an awesome but slightly messed up story). Real flesh and blood child. But Madrox is losing what little humanity he has left and Layla is scared. She did not see this one coming. After he breaks his chains, Madrox attacks her, no longer knowing who she is. As she screams, she yells out the only thing she hops will help: I'm pregnant with your child. What bit of life he still has must have understood something because he gets off her and crawls back into his hole (literally). As Layla deals with cops and more mess (not the important stuff to this issue), Jamie begins to pray. Soon, he is visited by Theresa (Banshee/Siryn), who a bit back became the Morrigan and told them to pray for her is they ever needed anything. So Jamie prayed. Back up to Layla, she is fighting some cops who are going to arrest her and some big-wig in a suit with a nifty gun that can penetrate her forcefield. Just when she figures it's all over, Jamie Madrox comes in and forces everybody off his land. He has been cleared of the demon and mack to normal. As the three (Layla, Banshee and himself) of them talk, Theresa says she can summon everybody back and start back up again to which Madrox smiles, looks at wife and says:
We have a child to raise. A farm to get back up and running. And a world to leave to other people to save. We're Done.
We're Done.

This issue was a double edge sword for me. Being the final issue of David's amazing run of X-Factor, it was a bitter feeling knowing that no more would be coming but it was a very satisfying ending as well. Characters were left for better and worse but leaving with the main two happy together was completely worth it. And remember a month ago in issue 260 where a shadow figure offered Polaris a position on a new X-Factor? Peter David has said that issue was a big clue as to his next book from Marvel. So maybe X-Factor is over, but it looks like X-Factor isn't quite done yet.