The Mutant Brawl

At long last, Factor Three is coming to an end. The saga that began way back in issue 28 now reaches its epic conclusion in issue 39. This group has kidnapped Charles Xavier, enslaved Banshee, invaded the X-Mansion, fought Spiderman, put the X-Men on trial, and even toyed with the Juggernaut. Now it’s do or die, as two teams of powerful mutants will collide on one battlefield. All the while, the fate of Earth hangs in the balance. Cyclops and Iceman are under attack from the US military, trying to stop a nuclear launch. Beast, Marvel Girl, and Angel are imprisoned in Moscow, accused of a failed assassination attempt on several communist leaders. The Blob is in the cell with them, unconscious. The Mutant Master watches calmly, convinced of his success.

Doomsday In Motion

After finding out who Factor Three really are, it is now clear that the situation is far worse than the X-Men ever imagined. Nothing less than the fate of entire world is at stake, as this evil group attempts to spark a nuclear winter. The X-Men will have to split up to stop an assassination and a nuclear strike on Moscow at the same time. The battle with Factor Three continues, as does the recent surge in writing quality.

X-Men on Trial

At last, the X-Men have a solid lead on Factor Three. This secret organization, its members and its plan, will be unmasked. With so many villains that could be holding a grudge against the X-Men, who will we see? We’re certain to see some new faces as well. Whoever they are, they’re planning on holding the X-Men on trial for crimes against the mutant race. Issue 37 is one of the most exciting I’ve read in a while.

While Dad’s away, let’s get our asses kicked by Spider-man!

Okay, so first of all, I feel the title is just begging for comment. I mean, I sure feel like I’ve seen this title before. Anyone else? Well, here are some numbers for you that I have recently made up. Not only are 27% of all Spider-man titles “Along Came A Spider”, but 85% of crossover comics that feature Spider-man also use this title. In fact (and somewhat surprisingly), it turns out that when you look at all non-Spider-man Marvel books published between 1960 and 2010, a whopping 38% of those individual issues use this exact title. So, that’s weird. Anyway, it’s issue 35 and The Banshee is out looking for his lucky charms!

Into the Crimson Cosmos!

Issue 33 picks up with Juggernaut trampling through a forest, on his way to an airbase. He is trying to steal a flight to Europe, so that he can meet up with his new friends, the mysterious Factor Three. Another Marvel hero makes his first X-Men appearance, and we learn more about the mysterious Cyttorak demon.

Revenge of the Juggernaut

We finally see what’s behind that old door and holy crap it’s the Juggernaut! Nice! He looks unconscious, he’s chained up, and he must have been in there for months. I can only imagine how pissed he’s going to be when he wakes up. It’s a good thing the Professor decided to go mess with him while the X-Men are away on vacation. Issue 32 begins a two part Juggernaut story, and one I’m excited to read.

Meet the Banshee

Issue 28 introduces two new villains, and one of them is a character that I’ve long known to be an X-Man. Banshee! I wasn’t expecting to see him pop up so soon, and I had no idea that Banshee was ever a villain. Issues like this are a perfect example of why we started this blog.

Banshee and another villain, the big, clunky Ogre, are plotting to kidnap Professor Xavier and ruin the X-Men. They will reveal the existence of a new secret crime syndicate and hint at a larger plot that will affect the world. This issue is full of secrets.