Era #4, Part 08: X-Factor #12-17

My Grade:  C+

X-Factor begins to unravel after the events of the Mutant Massacre. Angel's wings are damaged beyond repair just as the government digs deeper into his involvement with the mutant-hunting organization as a mutant. They also learn that the Marauder attacks extended to family members to include Jean's sister, Sara, and possibly Maddie. It escalating tension culminates in an unexpected revelation.

X-Factor Wards are finally formed and star in their first story. The kids include Rusty (#1), Artie (#2), Boom Boom (#12), Skids (#16), Leech (#17) and Rictor (#17). They will grow to play a bigger role in the X-Men continuum.  

[3-Stars] 12 - "Boom Boom Boom!" Street urchin mutant, Boom Boom, calls on X-Factor to deal with her disreputable guardian, the Vanisher. Things don't go as planned for her when Beast and Iceman show up. Meanwhile, Jean and Scott look for Jean's sister, Sara, but they are too late!

[4-Stars] 13 - "Ghosts!" Cyclops returns to Alaska to find Maddie and his son. He can find no evidence of her as if she never existed. He does, however, find the Master Mold.

[4-Stars] 14 - "The Mutant Program!" Cyclops versus the Master Mold bent on eliminating "The Twelve".

[3-Stars] 15 - "Whose Death Is It, Anyway?" Angel's life has been irrevocably changed.  His wings were surgically removed by court order after they develop gangrene. He is also the subject of a government investigation that may bring down X-Factor. He decides to take action. Meanwhile, the Morlocks leave the X-Factor Headquarters back into the tunnels. Skids decides to stay.

[2-Stars] 16 - "Playing With Fire!" Rusty finds the woman that he burned up in the first issue. He makes a bargain with Masque to return her appearance in this first X-Factor Wards story.

[3-Stars] 17 - "Die, Mutants, Die!" The X-Terminators are being framed for impending destruction of San Francisco at the hands of a young mutant called Rictor. Caliban joins the team as they race to the West Coast only to discover a deeper conspiracy hatched by a new anti-mutant group called the Right.