X-Factor #259 recap and feels

[kiev4am]

I haven't done a recap for ages but I got this issue nice and early and I thought I should make the effort, considering it's The One With Mojo And Stuff. Warning for long and rambling ;)

Comments

[etrangere]

'Star was from the future from pretty much his first appearance. Most of that part of things is basically continuity porn/working with previously established continuity to make sense of it.

[kiev4am]

Yes, that's true. But I do think that as continuity porn it's quite gracefully done - I have definitely read worse. PAD hinted for ages that he was trying to get Marvel editorial approval for the story he wanted to tell, so I imagine that he was quite constrained and did the best job he could within the lines drawn. I'm kind of wishing he could have scattered some continuity fairy dust on the Loeb Ben Russell story but I think that would have been nearly impossible in one issue. I *really* wish this could've been a 3-issue miniseries, it feels like a lot more could've been done with the ideas in here if PAD hd been allowed.

[kiev4am]

'Star just said they had to get the baby to the people who were going to raise him, 100 years into Mojoworld's future - he recognised that their arrival had potentially messed up the timeline, so he was trying to fix it.

Damn, the more I think of 'Star's role here the more Layla-like it is. I really hope PAD has plans to explore that similarity, and get to do it.

[rukia]

what I'm getting from this is that now we have to wonder just what exactly 'Star is?Actually, I'm not really wondering. I think the idea is that Shatterstar is an anomaly in time and space. He shouldn't exist, but he does. By being the origin of his father, if he were to go against what happened in this issue (i.e. not erase his parents' memories and not send himself to a different era to grow up and eventually make his way to Earth and X-Force) - he would not meet Rictor/join X-Factor/end up as Longshot's "father," and so Longshot would not exist and a great many people like Rictor, Alison and the Rebels, would be impacted by that. Everything would unravel

[kiev4am]

Yes, I like the explanation more every time I re-read the issue. They're a paradox, a loop, and 'Star had to keep it on track - in much the same way that Layla had to keep her timeline on track by zapping her child self with all of her memories. I would really love for this echo of Layla's dilemmas to be explored more - maybe that's why they 'connected'!

[kiev4am]

Yesss to the intertwining. I was initially a bit disappointed in the lack of romantic sappy stuff, but PAD put in a lot of subtle but significant detail to show how inextricably close they are, much like in X-Factor #45, and I appreciate the old-school Apollo-and-Midnighter-ness of that. I look forward to what fanfic will do with the fact that Ric got to be his significant other's, uh, midwife :P

[joasakura]

I was a snoodge disappointed at the lack of squishy romantic stuff, but yes, Ric recognising him from his moves and Baby!Star holding his finger.. eeee!

(and I feel vaguely proud of myself- the 'star->longshot->star loop was similar to what I'd planned out for MCIU 'Star)

[rukia]

The short issue was so frustrating. I wish there were more room for Rictor and Shatterstar to interact. Loved the few moments there were, though. And also, Rictor being such a sci-fi geek that is shows. :D

[kiev4am]

I'm trying to be grown-up about the Lack Of Kiss in this issue, but it's difficult. I did like the 'OMG are you okay' panel when 'Star wakes up and recognises him but (to quote Jack Sparrow) that was the opportune moment, dammit PAD!

And go you for accurate MCIU headcanon :)

[kiev4am]

PAD has officially got another Marvel book, but that's all the information that's out there, no notion whether it's an ongoing or miniseries even. He's teased that it's 'a mutant book' in an interview, and he's going to be on the Marvel X-men panel at SDCC, so I'm really hoping it'll have some X-Factor people... we'll know on Sunday, I guess.

And yes, I'd love to find out what other events 'Star knew about, and whether he knew he'd find Ric again.

[kiev4am]

I kind of know what you mean. I'm grateful to PAD for what he did with them (hell yeah) but he hasn't done a huge amount with them lately... but that said, PAD has been quite constrained by imminent cancellation and the needs of other arcs, I feel like he would have liked to dwell more on this Shatterstar arc if he could've. I don't doubt his affection for and good intentions towards the characters but I think that's the one issue with PAD's writing lately - I never wanted to team to be smaller but it's often felt like he had to put characters in the background to serve this or that storyline.

I dunno, I've so often felt ill-served when favourite characters of mine change hands (yup, still bitter about certain Authority writers!) that I'm loath to wish a new one on RicStar... bad attitude maybe :)