X-FACTOR #208

Posted By: Peter DavidPosted On:

So here’s the deal:

We were working out the solicit information for X-Factor #208. Now you know I’ve been making a big deal about X-Factor #207, the issue before that, and been endeavoring to keep a lid on it. However in trying to prep the solicits for #208–both the issue info and the cover–I was left in something of a quandary. If we continue to keep our cards hidden, and write the solicit in the vaguest of terms and make the cover generic, it’s going to be absolutely impossible to get people stoked about what’s happening. I mean, when we did the stuff with the baby and Layla’s return, we could finesse our way around it. This time it’s impossible: All this cool stuff is coming up, and if we don’t say what it is, then there’s nothing to say at all unless we make it sound really, really boring, which it most definitely is not. But the solicit info is going to be publicly available two months before issue #207 hits the stands. What to do, what to do?

So we figured, y’know what? Let’s let people in on it this time. But if anyone’s gonna blow the bit, it’s gonna be me (although Marvel’s signed off on it, don’t worry; I’m not getting into trouble over it.)

So here, below the cut line, two days before the solicit information, is the cover art for X-Factor #208.

And no, that’s not Feral.  It’s exactly who you think it is.

Xfactor208

62 comments on “X-FACTOR #208”

  1. I heard that there was going to be a big announcement today.

    ….I am not disappointed at all.

    In fact, I squealed out loud and startled my cat. God, August can’t come soon enough. Thank you for sharing this with all of us.

    1. Well this is great news! I love Wolfsbane as a character. I like that she is Christian. We have to few of them in the X-men comics and with Nightcrawler passing away….

      Also Peter David when will we see another therapist issue dealing with the X-facotr members and the new members like Longshot, Darwin, and Shatterstar?

  3. First reaction: OH MY GOD YES THIS IS GOING TO BE EPIC.

    Second reaction: Holy crap, that’s a gorgeous cover. But then, should I expect anything else?

  7. “Never bet your life on what you think you know about a hormonal, sleep-deprived WMD.”

  10. If it weren’t for the other comments here, I wouldn’t have been sure it was Rahne. It could be Jack Russel or somebody.
    Don’t get me wrong, I definitely want it to be Rahne.

    So would you be willing to give us your thoughts about this lousy X-crossover going on right now? Does it really annoy you to have to interrupt your own storyline to do deal with something like that, or does it not bother you? Or are you the sort who doesn’t want to criticise your bosses, at least not while the thing is going on?
    (I’ve only read the X-Factor and Uncanny chapters. Your part isn’t so bad, but I really hate the developements I see in the latest Uncanny. And I hate that they’ve brought back all the fanatical anti-mutant bad guys that helped ruin the X-books back in the ’80s and ’90s.)

    But the important thing is Rahne Is Back!!!

  13. Needless to say Rahne would not stand a chance against Shatterstar, in my honest opinion, though she would put up a good fight. I so can’t wait for this issue to come out. I had the excited feeling in a split second where your blood heats up and your heart leaps into your head. Such a strange feeling but I DEFINITELY cannot wait for this issue. I have all the X-Factor issues and the Second Coming ones so far. That’s how much I love X-Factor and everything in-between involving them.

    1. CORRECTION: the OLD Rahne would not have stood a chance. She’s had a significant power boost: she’s a lot stronger and bulletproof now. Kinda like the werewolves in Twilight, lol.

  15. It’ll be interesting to see what PAD does with the new powers she’s gotten thanks to being lent some of her half-Asgardian child’s powers so she survives the pregnancy….

    2. Okay, I have no idea what you’re talking about, either.
      Which evil writer has been screwing up Rahne, and in which series?

      2. It’s not so bad, compared to what else has happened to her in X-force. Asgard’s relocation to earth gave her the opportunity to reconnect with her Wolf-prince from Claremont’s asgardian wars, way back when.

      3. I had assumed upon reading “Asgardian” that Hrimhari was the father of her baby (the “New Mutants/X-Men in Asgard” storyline is one of my personal favorite X-stories), and figured that Asgard being on Earth had something to do with that. It was just something of a WTF moment upon my first read of UmberGryphon’s comment….
        .
        I’ve since caught up with Rahne’s recent history via Wikipedia, and her current situation is peanuts compared to her apparently having EATEN Reverend Craig?! Really? Somebody wrote this into a script, and Marvel editorial gave it an OK? Honestly, Madrox absorbing the baby seems positively palatable compared to such disgusting shenanigans.
        .
        Chuck

      4. I flipped through a couple of early issues of X-Force, and they looked so bad I never bothered to look again. I had no idea they were doing so much damamge.

      5. Pennyforth, what’s really weird is the tie in issue coming up with “Iron Chef” in which Rahne faces off against the Lizard.

        “The secret ingredient is…Long Pig!”

  17. Alright, Werewolf By Night is back!

    (And here I though the big announcement would either be the Peter David action figure (at 1:1 scale) or PAD being cast as the Penguin in the inevitable Vivid Video Batman pørņ sequel.)

  18. Okay, fill me in: Why is Rahne battling Shatterstar such a big deal (compared to all the other slugfests seen each month in comics)? If it’s Werewolf by Night…same question.
    .
    And if it’s Rahne, why isn’t her fur brown instead of gray?
    .
    Awesome, cover though! That’s the sort of cover that becomes a classic. Kudos to Yardin. 🙂

      1. That doesn’t mean that they’d appear as different ones. Brown would simply appear to be a darkened shade of brown, not grey.

    2. The fight isn’t the big deal. The bigger points are:

      a) Rictor’s old girlfriend and Rictor’s current boyfriend beating the crap out of each other–major soap opera material.

      b) Rahne’s back. We’ve missed her, and the team didn’t know where she went or why, so there’ll be questions.

    3. I have been having questions about certain colors of certain characters in X-Factor. Specifically Guido. A few issues back (I can’t remember when), Guido has been colored darker. Now does this mean he’s been getting a a tan or is Guido now a black man? [I’m definitely looking forward to this Rahne issue of X-Factor, she has been one of my favorite characters.]

  19. My first thought, honestly, was “Man-Wolf is back?!” Then I realized who it had to be.

  20. Just of curiosity Peter, is this the extent of the end shock of 207? Cause as unexpected and nice as it is to see I don’t think this is anything compared to the shock at the end of 39 which you so cruelly teased issue 207 to be as cruel as, if not more.

      1. Maybe that’s why I don’t see what the big deal is. Or maybe it’s just me missing some obvious stuff because I’m being dense. But I don’t get what the big deal is supposed to be here.
        .
        A couple of “good guys” are fighting each other. Gee, never seen THAT on a comic book cover before.
        .
        Now I read X-Factor because I really REALLY enjoy most of PAD’s work. His name on a book is sufficient reason for me to buy it. (OK, some exceptions. Dropped Dark Tower after the first issue.)
        .
        But I’ve been slowly getting to the realization that continuing to get X-Factor is becoming more a matter of inertia than enjoyment. If asked, I really couldn’t tell you what has happened in recent issues without wracking my memory or going to look at past issues. I don’t buy other X-books and recent storylines in X-Factor have been leaving me with the feeling that I’m really missing key pieces of the story.
        .
        Much as I like PAD’s writing, particularly in superhero comics, it’s getting hard to continue to enjoy in X-Factor when there’s a sense of editorial dictates (?) getting in the way of just letting PAD do his thing.
        .
        So that when he does get to do his thing (as evidenced by whatever we’re supposed to be so drooling in anticipation of in 207-208?) it’s hard to know why I’m supposed to be excited/suprised/whatever.

  24. When Rahne was moved from X-Factor to X-Force, I started collecting X-Force as well because I loved the character. When we got to the “This is your Rahne on Drugs” part of the storyline, I dropped it like a hot, digsusting, rock.

    When a major character from Excalibur was killed during the current already boring as hëll crossover, in the X-Force book, I had enough. The New Mutants was no longer a book about the Xavier SCHOOL – in fact, there is no book about the Xavier SCHOOL anymore. They were just another boring X-Men team. The only bright light was X-Factor, because, kissass though it may sound, you’re the only one who did anything interesting (and fun!) with the story – the boring enemies in the main crossover were intelligent and witty in X-Factor. So, I gave up on all non-Peter David Marvel books. (It doesn’t hurt that JMS and Paul Cornell are taking over Superman over at the Distinguished Competition.)

    So, in all sincerity – thank you, thank you, THANK you, for letting me know that at least one of the characters I grew up with is back in good hands… heck, the only hands I’m now able to stand reading at Marvel.

    1. Seconded strongly.

      (Except that I, to my misfortune, kept reading X-Force as they managed to victimize the character I loved in the vain hope… hëll, I don’t know what I was hoping for. But my greatest wishes for the character right now have been fulfilled just by having her back with PAD and X-Factor.)

  25. In response to all the puns:

    Anyone remember who wrote a special called “Wolverine: Rahne of Terra”?

    And does this mean Peter will deal with her being pregnant with a, what, a half-Asgardian, half-human (or -mutant, if you prefer) baby? I’m pretty sure Necrosha ending with her still preggers, at least.

  26. Wait, I just realised. If Rahne is a mutant and she’s pregnant, then there’s another new mutant on the way and this Hope girl isn’t as important as everyone thought. Does this mean we can just go ahead and stop this stupid crossover now?
    Of course, the last time a mutant had a baby, things didn’t work out so well.

    1. But it’s a mutant demigod, so ALL the rules are thrown out. I mean, clearly an Asgardian saying “Me want baby!” would entirely overpower a mutant saying “No more mutant babies!”

    2. Technically (and I think it’s been referenced in passing, but not frequently, and probably not consistently), if Rahne’s child simply had her abilities, it’s not a mutant; she’s simply breeding true.

      Being a half-breed/hybrid doesn’t really change that – if the child has some mix of the genetic traits of the parents, not a mutant.

      Namor qualifies as a mutant, more than anything else, based on the little wings on his feet, which is a trait neither of his parents had.

      The fact that Namora seems to have them (I think, at least) is either an oversight or a hint at something else going on (Namorita had them, but due to being an genetically manipulated clone using DNA from Namora and Namor, as I recall). Or, I suppose, there’s some weirdly recessive gene that gives human/Atlantean hybrids winged ankles.

  27. Could some one please explain something to me: when the Scarlet Witch used her powers to get rid of 99% on the mutants then the surviving 1% lose their ability to have children?

    Because if that was Marvel’s idea then how did that dupe of Madrox get Siren pregnant? Was it because he was dupe and not the original one and that was the bypass Scarlet Witch’s reality warp/magic spell (or whatever her powers are) or until Hope was born?

      1. In one story they explained that Rachel Summers’ (Phonenix II) mutant power was her ability to transport her mind/conciousness back in time. Her telepathy/telekinetic powers were not “mutant” powers since they were genetically inherited from her mother.

    2. You have to always keep in mind that nothing about Marvel mutants makes much sense in terms of actual genetics or anything. Marvel makes up the facts as they go along, even if it contradicts what they said before.
      .
      No offense to the guy who wrote the Madrox and Siryn story.

      1. Yeah, Marvel genetics kind of has to play fast and loose with genetics as understood by reality. A single gene complex (the so-called “X-Gene”) is responsible for such a bewildering array of powers and appearances? Uh-huh. On the other hand, who wants to buy a whole bunch of books about teams of people who, due to their shared genetic mutation, all have the same powers and look like anybody else?
        .
        Kind of like the way they play with biology and biochemistry. I’m sorry, but exposure to a massive dose of radiation will not give you powers – it’ll give you dead. (“Yeah, this guy was hit by a blast of gamma radiation. He’s called the Corpse – his powers include the ability to lie perfectly still, have no life signs, and decompose.”)

  28. Yay, Rahne. Thank goodness she’s back. Most of my comments and questions have already been addressed above. I’m just happy she’s out of X-FORCE and back with Maddrox and company and being written by PAD.

    Thank you Marvel, thank you Mr. David!

  29. THANK YOU!!! I’ve been waiting for this since Wolfsbane left!!!! Now I can start buying X-Factor again. I was hoping she’d end up here when it didn’t look like she was going to be in New Mutants. That only left her being in this or Thor.. oh man, looking at the cover I can NOT WAIT for this!!!!

  31. I have question that might have been answered before
    why did cortex control shatterstar of all people was it just to bring shatterstar back?

    btw I think I’m in love with you

  32. YAY! I suspected that this would happen after X-Force #26. Wolverine told Cyclops that certain characters would not be returning to the team, and Rahne was one of them.

    I for one feel that X-Force made good use of her. X-Factor has plenty of other characters, so I didn’t miss her much here while she was gone. In the meantime, Wolfsbane got her powers increased as well as her popularity. I’m hoping that she brings some X-Force fans over to X-Factor.

  33. Rahne’s back! YES!!!

    Thank you, Peter David! It’s wonderful to see my favorite character back in the hands of such a capable, character-oriented writer.

  34. I have to admit, I’ve been scared as hëll about this. Rahne’s been one of my favorites since her early days on X-Factor back in the early 1990s, and… really, in hindsight, Rahne has been arguably one of the most consistent whipping posts of all X-Characters, and it’s difficult to see this stuff happen to characters I care about.

    The X-Force run was particularly difficult for me – the ending of the first arc offended me so much that I stopped paying money to witness such horrible character abuse – I kept up with the book without buying it, just so I could keep an eye on poor Miss Sinclair.

    And things didn’t really get much better for her.

    But now I see her returning to X-Factor, and I’m… conflicted. On one hand, I trust Mister David to do right by her, but on the other… I’ve just witnessed this character I love been subject to so much writer abuse that I can’t help it.

    I’ve always felt that Rahne had the potential to be a great character, but was too bogged down by being a perpetual abuse victim that she couldn’t get to the heights she was capable of.

    I’m begging you, Mister David – please break that cycle. Allow her to overcome all this abuse and become a strong character, a strong woman, because she deserves it. She’s earned it.

    Sorry for rambling.

  35. Well I’m pretty much a newbie, but I don’t get what many people have with the X-Force stuff. Let’s face it, Rahnes Father was responsible for his own death, considered him it is a wonder, that she didn’t become a villain. And yeah, in X-Force it was pretty rough for her, but that comes with the package when your dealing with the topics of x-force and mutant hating extermists. From what I know about the character, she deserved that Hrimhari appeared, it seemed to have helped her becoming more accepting of what she is. It’s a bit said that he had to leave. I agree however with one thing many here said: the cycle has to be broken. Even a comic-book character can only take so much, if the current authors will mess it up for her again, they are probably loose alot of buyers.

    1. Well, Andre, my main concern is that she’s this badass werewolf woman who should, by all rights, be one of the most dangerous members of any team she’s on, yet her role for these past four years or so has been that of the victim who needs rescuing from one thing or another. I hate to sound like a bandwagony male feminist, but this isn’t a position a male character would ever find himself in. And if he was forced to do horrible things under mind control, he wouldn’t crumble under the pressure and need a knight in shining armor to rescue him.

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