X-Factor 31 - Inferno Prologue

Infectia tries her hardest to get a kiss with Iceman.

X-Factor #31

Writer: Louise Simonson
Penciler: Walter Simonson
Inker: Bob Wiacek
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Greg Wright
Editor: Bob Harras
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

The Infectia storyline reaches its conclusion in this issue. Much of the early part is taken up with Iceman and Infectia's attempts to be alone and intimate on Ship as all the kids and the vessel itself do everything they can to prevent a kiss having been warned by Beast that there's something about Infectia only he can't remember what it is. There's a lot of humour to an operation with a quite serious undertone but Bobby doesn't realise this is anything more than the equivalent of younger siblings being pests. Eventually Infectia tries her power on Ship and manages to persuade it to supply a plane to fly her and Iceman to her home. The other subplots continue steadily. The strange egg creature prepares a being in armour who invades a house and shoots the parents of an infant. A group of hooded people discuss Death/Angel's recent transformation and his search for Candy Southern, noting it will bring him to them. And Cyclops and Marvel Girl face down Freedom Force then learn from Destiny that Cyclops's son is alive and they must return to New York. But the main action comes at Infectia's home as she restrains Iceman then gloats by transforming another man into a monstrous antibody to show him what he has planned for her. However the Beast has realised the danger and arrives in time to take the kiss himself.

This is a storyline that has run on for a few too many issues so it's good to see it finally resolved even though the ending is shocking and also confused as the Beast is depicted in both flesh and furry forms. There's also a decent logic to it as nobody knows for certain just why it's dangerous for Infectia to kiss Iceman so nobody tries talking to him and he later admits he wasn't listening anyway. Instead they go for the less subtle approach of interruption. Infectia is written in a mixed form. She shows cunning when she tries her power on Ship and manages to coerce it into briefly helping her but she also shows foolishness in gloating rather than getting the long awaited kiss over and done with. And it's still never explained just why she is so desperate to get hold of Ship.

The other subplots are continuing but risk overstaying their welcome. Both the egg and Death/Angel get a single page each. The egg storyline continues to be highly mysterious without much sign of just where it's going. Death/Angel's search looks like it will soon reach a climax. But for readers of only X-Factor the conclusion of the encounter with Freedom Force must be something of a disappointment. Although Uncanny X-Men readers would already know that Madelyne didn't know where her son was, those readers that lacked this knowledge would be disappointed to find no great clues come out of the whole encounter. Instead it ultimately boils down to a quick fight and then Destiny muttering some obscure comments about threads of the future being tangled in the past and a displacement of place and time. The whole trip to Dallas has been necessary but this is ultimately not very revealing in the overall search.

Overall this is a mixed issue. There's some good comedy and tragedy in it but it also shows just how long one story strand has been running for and doesn't do too much to advance the big quest. The shocking climax does make it highly memorable and provides for a strong cliffhanger.