The original five conclude their X-Factor adventures and return to the X-Men fold!Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Beast and Archangel are professionals through and through. But when the likes of Sabretooth, a cadre of vampires and a threat from an alternate dystopian future wage war against our heroes, it’s no big surprise that things get a little out of control! And when the island nation of Genosha strikes at the X-Men, the New Mutants and X-Factor join an assemblage of mutants to mount a rescue mission that leads to disaster. With old foe Cameron Hodge pulling the strings, it could even end in X-Tinction! Then X-Factor must contend with the return of Apocalypse and the shocking loss of Cyclops’ son, Nathan Christopher — before an ordeal with the Shadow King that leads Scott, Jean, Bobby, Hank and Warren back home to the X-Men! It’s the end of an era — setting the stage for a (blue and) golden age!COLLECTING: X-Factor (1986) #51-70; X-Factor Annual (1986) #5-6; X-Factor: Prisoner of Love (1990) #1; Marvel Fanfare (1982) #50; Uncanny X-Men (1981) #270-273, #278-280; New Mutants (1983) #95-97; material from Fantastic Four Annual (1963) #23; New Mutants Annual (1984) #6; X-Men Annual (1970) #14; X-Force Annual (1992) #1; Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #74, #85-92Written by Louise Simonson, Peter David, Chris Claremont, Jim Lee, Whilce Portacio, Fabian Nicieza, Jo Duffy, Scott Lobdell & MorePenciled by Terry Shoemaker, Marc Silvestri, Steven Carr, Andy Kubert, Jon Bogdanove, Whilce Portacio, Butch Guice, Joe Staton, Jim Lee, Paul Smith, Rob Liefeld, Guang Yap, Jae Lee & More
Contributors: (W) Louise Simonson; Peter David (A) Terry Shoemaker; Marc Silvestri (CA) Whilce Portacio
Writer and editor Louise Simonson launched Power Pack and Web of Spider-Man and wrote memorable runs on New Mutants and X-Factor — helping map out the “Mutant Massacre,” “Inferno” and “X-Tinction Agenda” crossovers. Her major editorial credits include Star Wars and Uncanny X-Men. At DC, she wrote multiple Superman titles and became one of the main creative forces behind the “Death of Superman” saga; her scripts also appeared in Detective Comics, New Titans and more. She returned to Marvel to write the Galactus the Devourer limited series and 1999-2000’s Warlock, starring characters from New Mutants. Her later Marvel work includes the limited series Jean Grey and Power Pack: Into the Storm.Peter David is one of the industry’s most prolific and versatile writers whose record-breaking stint on Incredible Hulk remains a fan-favorite to this day. His similarly long-running — and critically acclaimed — association with X-Factor began in the early 1990s and continued in 2005 and 2014. His other Marvel work includes Captain Marvel, two lengthy stints on Spider-Man 2099, Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider and the smash-hit Symbiote Spider-Man limited series and its sequels with artist Greg Land. David is also a novelist and screenwriter. Among his credits are some forty Star Trek tie-ins; original novels such as Sir Apropos of Nothing, Howling Mad and Knight Life; movies Trancers 4 and Trancers 5; and episodes of Babylon 5 and Crusade. He also co-created the TV show Space Cases with actor-writer Bill Mumy.In addition to illustrating annuals for New Mutants, X-Factor and X-Force, Terry Shoemaker helped conclude the “Heroes Reborn” version of Iron Man and contributed to the armored Avenger’s subsequent relaunch. He also penciled Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes for DC, CyberRad for Continuity and Zealot for Image, as well as several Wildstorm stories.Industry giant Marc Silvestri entered the upper echelon of comics innovators in the late ’80s during fan-favorite, record-breaking runs on Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine. Silvestri left Marvel in 1992 to co-found Image Comics; his imprint, Top Cow, is one of its four longstanding autonomous studios. At Image, Silvestri created some of today’s most popular properties — including Cyberforce, Witchblade, Weapon Zero and The Darkness. Silvestri has returned to the world of Marvel’s mutants on New X-Men and X-Men: Messiah Complex.