Issue(s): X-Factor #93
Cover Date: Aug 93
Title: "The Longest Day part I"
Credits:
J.M. DeMatteis - Script
Scott Lobdell - Plot
Terry Shoemaker - Penciler
Al Milgrom - Inker
Jaye Gardner - Assistant Editor
Kelly Corvese - Editor

Review/plot:
This is a kind of downtime/transitional issue.

X-Factor have learned about the death of Illyana Rasputin, and Havok and Wolfsbane have gone to the X-Mansion to express their condolences. Wolfsbane, who worked with Illyana in the New Mutants, tries to hug Colossus, but finds him dead inside.

Havok and Cyclops get to have a little handball bonding session, with Cyclops trying to convince Havok to believe in Xavier's dream. And Xavier examines Wolfsbane to see if he can undo the brainwashing done by the Genoshans. He says that in order to try she'd have to revert to human form, which would make her a mindless mutate, and he can't guarantee that he'll be able to cure her even then. Wolfsbane goes to Havok and asks for a leave of absence so that she can go to Muir Island to "get muh life back".

Havok also notices a file on Xavier's computer about the "mutant underground" but Xavier says that he can't tell him what it's about. "This isn't a matter of trust -- but of prudence".

As for the rest of X-Factor, we learn that Madrox is traumatized over killing Mellencamp last issue.

As i noted last issue, this is odd since Madrox previously killed Carnivore the same way. I guess jokey characters don't count. A note in the lettercol says that Madrox's "life saving" act in X-Factor #91 is also a contributing factor.

Polaris and Quicksilver both get new government issued costumes. Polaris is given the new costume because her old one was considered too provocative.

Quicksilver's costume is loaded with a bunch of 90s accessories.

But once he demonstrates that the extra junk won't even stay on when he uses his super-speed, it's determined that the actual costume underneath isn't bad.

This is cute, but it's unusual after the opportunity presented to Quicksilver by Cortez last issue. The fact that Quicksilver is ultimately not objecting to wearing a uniform conforming to the team colors suggests to me that he wasn't at all tempted to accept Cortez's offer to lead the Acolytes.

Strong Guy, meanwhile, is ambushed by Lila Cheney in the shower and brought (naked) to one of her concerts on another planet. She suggests that with all the misery going on with the X-characters that he stick around with her for a tour. He refuses, saying that he needs to be there for the X-Men since they've lost Illyana, even though he didn't know her. She observes that he's changed since joining X-Factor (very true), and he confirms that he's not the "hyperactive party animal I was before" (which doesn't really sound entirely like an accurate depiction of his butler/bouncer days as we've seen them).

Finally, we go to the Pentagon (and talk about photo-referencing!) and see that Val Cooper is stepping down as X-Factor liaison after she lost their trust last issue. She's being replaced by Forge.

In the lettercol there is a column from editor Kelly Corvese that says that fans were "distressed" when Peter David left the title but, based on fan mail, people are not disappointed by the Lobdell/DeMatteis combination. However, he announces that now Joe Quesada is leaving the title as well. He says that he knows the new artist will be to the audience's liking, but doesn't say who it will be yet. (I don't know if he had anyone in mind yet; Jan Duursema, who already penciled #91, will become the regular artist but not right away.)

My opinion is that Peter David had what it took to make this quirky cast work in a way that i don't think most other writers did, and any new creative team should have come with another revamp of the title. But i say that as someone that did not continue to follow the book in realtime or afterwards, so i don't really know yet how things go.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is not part of Fatal Attractions, but it takes place before Uncanny X-Men #304 (which is; part 3), which depicts Illyana's funeral. I've also placed this before part 2 of Fatal Attractions in X-Force #25. The reasons for that aren't critical, but it's in that issue that Cable exposes Asteroid M, and you'd think that would garner a reaction from the X-Men and the world, but no one is reacting to it here.

The title of this issue is "The Longest Day part I", and part II is next issue. But Uncanny X-Men #304 definitely takes place after this, and that issue is referenced next issue. So we shouldn't assume from the title that both this issue and next take place on the same day.

Polaris and Quicksilver get new costumes in this issue. They are wearing their old costumes in Infinity Crusade. Of course one can always wear an old costume, and Polaris in particular resents the new one in this story. But barring other considerations, i'll place this after Infinity Crusade.

References:

• Illyana died in Uncanny X-Men #303.
  
• Angel says that Colossus needs to be given space to mourn, drawing on his own experience of having been turned into Archangel by Apocalypse circa X-Factor #23.
  
• Quicksilver says that his last meeting with Crystal - in X-Factor #88-89 - was a disaster, but a talk with Polaris seems to convince him to give it another shot. It's also in that arc where we learned that Wolfsbane was brainwashed.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A