Epic Beards of Review: X-Factor #21 (Comic-a-Day 67/365)

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X-Factor #21, OCT 87 (writer) Louise Simonson (artist) Walter Simonson

X-Factor has had enough, so they’re tossing Cameron Hodge out. Beast tackles him, Iceman forms an interrogation chair–even Cyclops lets loose an optic beam towards Hodge. It feels a little over-the-top, our heroes using their powers against him, and it’s only adding fuel to his fire.

The lot of them are on their way to Angel’s (Warren Worthington III’s) will reading, where X-Factor is not surprised to find huge crowds of protesters as well as their newscasting nemesis. Here (pg. 10, panel 3) is the best reference of Jean Grey looking like Famke Janssen in the X-Men movies.

Money-hungry relatives aside, it’s what X-Factor is here for, too. X-Factor gets the money! Funds administered by Cameron Hodge! No surprise there.

As they leave the reading of the will, X-Factor is again confronted by their newscaster nemesis, only this time, she’s spouting good news. Turns out she’s been digging deep on this whole mutant hunter thing, and she’s finding some nasty coincidences pointing to Cameron Hodge.

Whether or not she’s part of Hodge’s plans still remains to be seen, but he has succeeded in getting under X-Factor’s skin. With the dastardly flip of a communication ring, Hodge unleashes a handful of battle-suited baddies showering mutants and humans alike with gunfire. His goal: to expose X-Factor as the mutants they are. It doesn’t look like it has worked well, shots hitting cameras as X-Factor unleash their powers.

We get yet another glimpse of Apocalypse, Death now standing by his side. When will they return?!