X-Factor #225

Back to Marvel as I take a look at one of my favorite X-books, X-Factor. Anybody who has seen the teaser images for this series knows that some big changes are coming up in two months time, so I guess the moral of the story is I should enjoy this series before the shake-up.

X-Factor #225:

Summary: First off, this issue establishes that Rictor does indeed keep his powers after the events of Avengers: The Children's Crusade #6, which absolutely surprised the hell out of me since I thought for SURE Marvel would undo that somehow. Besides Rictor's powers being back, we learn that Wolfsbane was extremely down on herself for abandoning her baby a few issues back, and that she kind of/sort of blames Layla for not warning her as to how her son would be born. Oh and Guido is still acting a bit peculiarly since his apparent return to life. As for the main story, Madrox gets a phone call from a homicide detective in his hometown telling him that the woman who was squatting in his old farmhouse had been brutally murdered. Madrox brings Layla, Longshot and Shatterstar to the police station to see the body, hoping Longshot could use his ability to read inanimate objects on the dead woman to learn how she died and where her son was. Longshot is surprised to find that something was blocking him from reading the woman, who suddenly wakes up screaming for her missing son, Terry. Shatterstar tries reason with the zombiefied woman, but she doesn't want to hear it and tosses Shatterstar away. Madrox tries to wrestle her down, but she tosses him aside and suddenly seems to become possessed by something else. The now possessed zombiefied woman calls Layla an Acolyte and warns Layla to stay out of B.B.'s affairs. The team tries to wrangle the possessed zombie woman down, but she tosses them aside, grabs Layla and kisses her(?!?) before bursting into flames and disappearing. And THAT ends this issue.

Thoughts: Well that was weird as hell! But weird in a good way. Sure the ending to this issue was eight different flavors of bizarre, but I liked it. It left me wanting to get my hands on the next issue to see who B.B. was and why Layla was being referred to as an Acolyte. As usual, Peter David did a great job of showcasing each member of this team, allowing almost everybody a little face time as well as slowly moving a few simmering storylines along. So yeah, I liked this one. What more can I say?

Score: 8 1/2 out of 10.Damned possessed zombies...