X-Factor

Fatal Attractions, Part 1: The Man Who Wasn’t There

Several members of the Acolytes wreak havoc and cause death at a hospice in Virginia, leaving one of their number, Spoor, to get captured. Valerie Cooper, Havok, and Quicksilver manage to interview one of the nurses before she flat-lines. Scanner watches everything and reports it back to Fabian Cortez. While Scanner expresses her concern for the innocent humans who were killed, Cortez punishes her for that concern.

Valerie and Havok soon join Polaris, Multiple Man, Strong Guy and Wolfsbane in the holding cell where Spoor is being held captive. Spoor argues with them all, before Quicksilver arrives, and Spoor kneels before him, acknowleginh him as son of Magneto.

Later, Valerie and Quicksilver depart for Kentucky to investigate Spoor’s confession - that the Acolytes are planning to attack the military installation at Cape Hayden. Havok is annoyed that the rest of X-Factor is being left behind, and even more so that Random gets to go with Val and Quicksilver as back-up. Havok secretly disobeys Valerie though, and the rest of X-Factor follow in a new aircraft, during which Strong Guy throws up, Wolfsbane notices something wrong with Multiple Man, and the team is “visited” by a mysterious being, who, unbeknownst to them, is Exodus.

At Cape Hayden, Valerie, Quicksilver, and Random are confronted by some guards. Quicksilver speedily removes their weapons, before Senator Kelly reveals his presence. Quicksilver argues with him, before Valerie puts the Senator in his place after he questions her bringing mutants here. Valerie and the others enter the warehouse, where various forms of Sentinels are being stockedpiled. Havok and the rest of X-Factor make their presence known, furious that Valerie knew about the Sentinels here. Valerie explains that the Senate wanted the Sentinels, so long as deadly mutants like the Acolytes existed. Quicksilver agrees with Valerie, pointing out that humans have a right to protect themselves. He talks about his father, whom the Acolytes worship, before a large team of Acolytes arrive at Cape Hayden.

The Senator watches from a control room as the Acolytes engage X-Factor in battle, and orders security to protect the Sentinels. The Kleinstocks take on Random, while Unuscione and Polaris battle. Strong Guy defeats Javitz, while Katu and Mellancamp confront Multiple Man. Another Kleinstock battles Havok, while Quicksilver and Fabian Cortez discuss events. A Multiple Man dupe gets his eyes poked out by Mellancamp, so he creates a dupe inside of Mellcancamp - tearing the villain apart. Frenzy finds the Senator and is ready to kill him, for which Senator Kelly tells her she will be his greatest ally ever, making him a martyr. But before Frenzy can do so, Wolfsbane takes her out.

Cortez tries to get Quicksilver to admit that he is like his father, but Quicksilver adamantly denies it, despite Cortez goading him.

Eventually, Amelia Voght teleports the Acolytes away, leaving X-Factor to find the Sentinels gone and Valerie vomiting up a strange substance. Valerie then remembers being kidnapped by the Acolytes and having that creature implanted in her, mind controlling her. She begins to cry as she asks X-Factor to forgive her for bringing them here, telling them she was programmed to do it. Havok is still mad at her for lying about “Project Wideawake” - the Sentinels - and tells her that although he is sorry for what the Acolytes did to her, it is not different than what she has been doing to X-Factor - lying to them. Val explains that “Project Wideawake” is a back-up in case X-Factor doesn’t work, and explains she was following orders. Quicksilver points out her poor choice in words and reminds her of the Nuremberg Trials, before Valerie tells him that he cannot compare that to this, and that they are all her friends. Quicksilver tells her that is a typical saying of a flatscan, and walks away with the rest of X-Factor, leaving Valerie crying.

1st appearance of Exodus, an Omega Level mutant

Jul 1993

Marvel

75960602145109211

92

92

1

July

1993

Hologram Cover

Direct

1

United States

$3.50

Holographic Card

Modern Age

English

Magazine

2018-07-02 22:01:53

X-Factor, Vol. 1

Fatal Attractions

52

~$8.23

2025-12-31

2018-07-02 22:01:53