Anyone know when X-FACTOR #1 hit the shelves?

[Reno McCoy]

I'm looking for information on X-Factor #1. It was the first comic I read that really got me into reading and collecting comics. I'd like to know what year and month it came out. I'd also like to know what the story was about (without actually going out to buy it)

 

I'd also like an idea of what other titles/storylines were being published at that same time.

 

Is there one spot where I could access this type of information easily?

[deathlok]

Feb 1986 according to OS.

[Reno McCoy]

Thanks!

[deathlok]

X-factor was very typical of the late 80's market. The art was not thta great and the story was kinda iffy. Although it did kinda start having other X-teams in their own title. Followed by X-Force, Excalibur, New Mutants, etc.

[awe4one]

X-factor was very typical of the late 80's market. The art was not thta great and the story was kinda iffy. Although it did kinda start having other X-teams in their own title. Followed by X-Force, Excalibur, New Mutants, etc.

 

I liked the Simonson art...

 

Jim

[HarrisonJohn]

I'm looking for information on X-Factor #1. It was the first comic I read that really got me into reading and collecting comics. I'd like to know what year and month it came out. I'd also like to know what the story was about (without actually going out to buy it)

 

I'd also like an idea of what other titles/storylines were being published at that same time.

 

Is there one spot where I could access this type of information easily?

 

In the mutant universe, Uncanny X-Men 202 & New Mutants 24 came out the same month (cover date Feb 1986, which in real time was probably Nov 1985, since Marvel dated their stuff 4 months ahead). The story in X-Factor #1 stems out of stories in Uncanny X-Men 201 (Cyclops exits), Avengers 263/ Fantastic Four 286 (Jean Grey found in cocoon), and Defenders 152 (series ends, freeing Angel, Iceman and Beast).

 

Here's a description of the issue from uncannyxmen.net

 

After the demise of the Defenders, the surviving members and former X-Men, Angel, Iceman and Beast, are intent on leading normal lives. This changes when Angel is called by Mr Fantastic and informed that Jean Grey is back from the dead. Angel informs Cyclops, Jean’s one-time lover, whose marriage to Madelyne Pryor is currently undergoing difficulties. As Cyclops leaves for New York without explanation, Madelyne throws him out. Cyclops meets Jean and Warren and learns that Jean wasn’t Phoenix and was caught in a cocoon in suspended animation, while everybody believed her to be dead. Jean tells the men how shocked she is about the growing anti-mutant sentiment and demands they do something. When the men tell her that they have retired, she becomes angry. Angel finally comes around and agrees, while Scott disappears. Angel calls Beast and Iceman, who find Cyclops and convince him of giving it a go. Angel introduces them to Cameron Hodge, the PR man of their new organization: X-Factor. The plan is to pose as mutant-hunters, while actually saving those mutants and training them in their powers. Their first case is a young, naval sailor named Rusty Collins, whose pyrokinetic powers went out of control. After his superior, Fisher, tried to kill him, Rusty fled, the military hot on his heels. Fisher calls in X-Factor and the team finds and captures the boy, intending to help him.

[shadroch]

I believe it came out Halloween week of that year.Marvel had been teasing the fans by creating a team very similar to the original X-Men in the Defenders by teaming Angel,Iceman and Beast with a powerful telepath(Moondragon)

Back then,Marvel didn't really hype their books the way they do now,and the resurrection of Jean Grey,while hinted at,was quite the surprise.Avengers 263 and F 286 were very under ordered and were quite hot for awhile.Marvel threw a real curve when Jean returned as Marvlel Girl,not a planet-killing megamaniac.

X-Factor got off to a good start but faded badly,very quickly.

BTW- The New Mutants preceded X-Factor by several years.

Also-Always remember comics were cover dated several months after their release date.

This was so a kid wouldn't pass up a month old comic because it was dated the previous month.

[jbud73]

I'll actually say that the first 30 issues were very good. They introduced Apocalypse, contributed major story arcs to the Fall of the Mutants and Mutant Massacre and of course ended with the now famous, or imfamous Inferno. The new directions with Angel / Arc-Angel, Iceman growing up and the extension of his powers as well as tying up a lot of loose ends (and argueably creating too many new ones) with Jean and Scott.

 

I stopped collecting this series somewhere in the 90s, not sure why I went that long, 60 issues after it had played itself out, but oh well I still buy Uncanny and New-Xmen for the same reason - just hoping that some creative team will capture the magic.

[FlyingDonut]

A friend of mine speculated HEAVILY on X-Factor 1, and has about 1000 of them. Not that it matters, but I'll bet you he could pull a 9.9 or 10.0 out of that pile. He's got five unopened distributor boxes of them.

 

Whenever I needle him about it, he points out that his other 80s speculation (Amazing Spider-Man 252, Dark Knight 1 and Secret Wars 8) did pretty well, and then laughs at me about the 1000 Man of Steel 1s I still have.

[HarrisonJohn]

I'll actually say that the first 30 issues were very good. They introduced Apocalypse, contributed major story arcs to the Fall of the Mutants and Mutant Massacre and of course ended with the now famous, or imfamous Inferno. The new directions with Angel / Arc-Angel, Iceman growing up and the extension of his powers as well as tying up a lot of loose ends (and argueably creating too many new ones) with Jean and Scott.

 

I stopped collecting this series somewhere in the 90s, not sure why I went that long, 60 issues after it had played itself out, but oh well I still buy Uncanny and New-Xmen for the same reason - just hoping that some creative team will capture the magic.

 

X-Factor 10-25 are some of my favorite comics and my introduction to mutant books. The series itself was generally good from 1-40, then got dragged down by non-stop guest artists til the entire team changed with issue 71. I think the biggest problem for the original team was that once they met up with X-Men during Inferno, there wasn't so much reason for them to operate seperately. What's interesting is that the original X-Men made it to issue 66 and as X-Factor they made it to 70. Pretty close.

Some trivia: The original creative team were about to introduce a villan named The Owl (!) when Louise Simonson came on board and decided the team needed a villan a little bit more manacing: Apocalypse.

[Sal]

A friend of mine speculated HEAVILY on X-Factor 1, and has about 1000 of them. Not that it matters, but I'll bet you he could pull a 9.9 or 10.0 out of that pile. He's got five unopened distributor boxes of them.

 

Whenever I needle him about it, he points out that his other 80s speculation (Amazing Spider-Man 252, Dark Knight 1 and Secret Wars 8) did pretty well, and then laughs at me about the 1000 Man of Steel 1s I still have.

 

yowtch.

 

makes me feel better about all of those Justice League International books I bought duplicates of...

[Dr_Neff]

The only thing on this thread that is menacing is the spelling!

 

NOW send all those unwanted extra failed investment copies to comics4kids!

 

We got 75 copies of "Robin" the other day!

[tilleycs]

NOW send all those unwanted extra failed investment copies to comics4kids!

 

I was thinking the same thing...geez, get a tax write-off, it's the most you'll be able to get from them.

[the blob]

oh, i don't know, if he does shows i'd venture to guess that bagged and boarded and looking nice he can sell those x-factors steadily out of a dollar bin. he may have to do 200 shows to get rid of them, but i'll admit that, in the past, when i saw a minty minty one for a buck i'd pluck it out. i was out of comics when that series hit the stands. i think i got out maybe in 1985 or so a few months into the new mutants run (yeah, i remember buying several of those...)

[ninanina]

Having invested heavily in Dazzlers, Marvel Star Trek, X-Men 137 (actually that last one didn't turn out too bad)...by the time X-Factor came out....I saw the light and only bought 1 copy.

 

By then, I knew better. But it was an expensive lesson.

[Reno McCoy]

Never know what the future might hold. These books still might reach great heights.

 

 

 

 

 

[the blob]

yes, they may get moved to $2 bins

 

(of course, MY copies of those books all deserve guide!)

[ComicSupply]

More likely, the .50c to .25 bins if any cases are unearthed

[awe4one]

Having invested heavily in Dazzlers, Marvel Star Trek, X-Men 137 (actually that last one didn't turn out too bad)...by the time X-Factor came out....

 

Your speculative abilities are no doubt very keen...

 

Jim

[the blob]

well, if the dollar continues to devalue, we'll have south american style inflation and those dollar bin books really will be $2 books