X-Cutioner's Song Part 10: X-Factor #86

             What is up nerds? And welcome back to the tenth chapter of our look back at X-Cutioner’s Song. Today we examine X-Factor #86 and thankfully it’s the last time I have to write about Peter David for a good long while. Written, of course, by Peter David, with pencils from Jae Lee, inks by Al Milgrom, letters from Steve Outro, and colors by Glynis Oliver, our issue opens with Wolverine revealing on a video call to his fellow X-Men, Stryfe has taken Scott and Jean to the Moon. The X-Men are confused, questioning Wolverine’s conclusions in David’s typically wry and overly twee dialogue. Wolverine reveals that he received a subconscious psychic flair from Jean and that’s enough to get the rest of the X-Men on board. Cut to the Moon and we see Scott and Jean as they float through the cold vacuum of the lunar surface, moments from death. Our heroes manage to stumble into an air bubble, but it is a brief respite as Stryfe approaches. Back on the X-Men video call Wolverine says that he, Cable, and Bishop are going to attempt a three-man rescue operation but Storm objects to them throwing themselves into a situation where they have little to no information about the threat that they face. Eventually it is agreed Cable, Bishop and Wolverine will make their own way to Stryfe’s base and rendezvous with the X-Men there. Cable reveals that his teleportation technology requires adjustments to jump from Greymalkin to the Moon since it has been set to teleport to Earth previously and “there are different gravimetric fields involved.” Havok remains skeptical but the X-Men assemble an assault team to rescue Jean and Scott as well as take down Stryfe. The team consists of Havok, Psylocke, Archangel, Iceman, Polaris, Cannonball, and storm with Beast remaining behind to assist the Professor.

We move back to the Moon where we see Stryfe has rescued Scott and Jean and proceeds to unload a doozy of a monologue. He spends a few panels monologuing before Jean asks what he wants with them. But Stryfe upbraids our heroes for their self-righteousness instead of revealing any new information. As Scott and Jean run out of oxygen within their air bubble Stryfe offers them a chance at salvation as “it is, after all, the least I can do. And I always do the least I can do. In that respect … I take after you.” We cut back to the X-Mansion where we see Apocalypse being confronted by the X-Men as he has recovered and is now expected to help Professor X as he said he would. Archangel remains skeptical that Apocalypse can help Chuck but ultimately leads him to the Professor. There is a brief pause where Madrox has revealed that the X-Patriots sub plot from a few issues has gone sideways, but it does not go anywhere so don’t worry about it. Apocalypse reveals that the Techno-Organic virus infecting Charles Xavier has moved beyond simple medical treatment, but of course he can cure the Professor. Apocalypse uses his powers to advance the virus, horrifying the X-Men who attempt to stop him but are held back by Warren. Back on the Moon, Stryfe demands that Jean and Scott beg for their life, “the way a child would beg with his parent”. Our heroes, of course, say they’d rather die than throw themselves at the feet of such a villain as Stryfe. As they collapse Stryfe removes his helmet in tears and demands that Jean and Scott look at him. Back at the X-Mansion we see the Techno-Organic virus overwhelm the Professor briefly before he collapses to the floor and Apocalypse declares that he is cured. Apocalypse reveals that he had accelerated the virus’s growth to such a point that it needed to feed on him and found the ancient mutant “unpalatable”. Storm declares that they are in his debt and that they need to get to the Moon to save Jean and Scott, falling further into Apocalypses debt when he reveals that he has a spaceship. Back on the Moon, Cable, Bishop, and Wolverine teleport into Stryfe’s base where they think they managed to arrive unnoticed before immediately being confronted by the Dark Riders as the issue comes to an end.

Honestly, this issue is the least I have hated Peter David. The dialogue still has the overly twee and smarmy quality that is a huge turn off for me, but it is very much toned down. And almost all of the issue is focused on setting up dominoes for the climax of the event. We got all the heroes to the Moon for the final battle with Stryfe, Professor Xavier is seemingly cured but at what cost and the Apocalypse story line is resolved for the moment, and most interestingly of all Stryfe’s pleas for attention and emotional torture are peaking just in time for the ultimate reveal of his and Cable’s backstory. The art rules, Jae Lee’s heavy line work lends Stryfe so much passion and emotion in his body language and the inks and colors are super vibrant and saturated. All in all, a fun little issue that I wasn’t expecting to enjoy as much as I did. 8/10