Chapter 22: X-Factor – Inferno (1989)

Boy it’s been a while, but we’re finally at the next big chunk of Bobby Drake’s history: The “Inferno” story. Unfortunately, although Iceman appears throughout the massive story, he really doesn’t have a lot to do in it. To be honest, it was hard to work up enthusiasm to write about this era. You’re forewarned.

“Inferno” holds an important place in X-Men fandom, but more because of the consequences of the story than because it’s any good. I’m going to summarize it here before we begin.

Colossus’ 6-year old sister Illyana was kidnapped to Limbo (back in Uncanny X-Men #161), where she grew up, discovered her mutant powers, and eventually overthrew its demon lord and became ruler (Magik miniseries). Her second-in-command Sym is resentful, and after being exposed to the technovirus in a New Mutants story, he thinks he has the power to overthrow her and then lead an invasion of earth. So, in order to enact his plan, he sends his henchman N’astirh and a bunch of demons to earth to kidnap mutant infants that can be used to open a portal. While there, they distract all the heroes with demon magic that causes a heatwave, transforms inanimate objects all over Manhattan into man-eating demons, and for good measure, unleashes the X-Men’s dark sides. There is never an explanation of why Sym can send N’astirh and the demons to earth before the portal is opened.

Because they need to rope in Uncanny X-Men and X-Factor they also apparently want a backup plan, they also tempt Madelyne Pryor into becoming the Goblin Queen, by unleashing her latent psychic powers and promising to find her missing son, Nathan Christopher (Uncanny X-Men #235-239). N’astirh believes that if the original portal fails, they can still open one by sacrificing Nathan because he’s so powerful. It’s never entirely clear what they need Madelyne for, since N’astirh’s the one who finds the baby and has magic powers of his own. In the course of the story, we finally learn Madelyne’s origin: she was a clone of Jean Grey created by Mr. Sinister, who only came to life when Phoenix died (Uncanny X-Men #137). Phoenix attempted to return the portion of Jean’s soul that it stole from her (Uncanny X-Men #101, Classic X-Men #8), only for Jean to reject it due to the horror of learning what Phoenix did in her name. So Phoenix put that soul into Madelyne. The whole thing ends with Madelyne dying, Jean reclaiming that part of her soul, and consequently, the memories of Phoenix and Madelyne. The whole thing was meant to be a cover for Scott’s abandonment of her, by explaining that in a way Madelyne was both actually Jean and also a villainous plot to corrupt him.

Structurally, the whole story ends up being strangely episodic. First the New Mutants defeat Sym, then the X-Men and X-Factor defeat N’astirh, then Maddie, then Mr. Sinister. It also suffers from jarring tone shifts from issue to issue and page to page. On the one hand, it’s a horror story about the corruption of a little girl, the revenge fantasy of a spurned wife, and a horror tale about child-eating demons. On the other hand, it’s a story where anthropomorphized fire hydrants and mailboxes make wise cracks and bad puns as they chase down civilians and lisping demons hunt children with an enchanted viewfinder. It doesn’t help that the whole thing is colored in bright primaries that undermine the whole “demon night in Manhattan” vibe the story seems to be going for.

The takeover of Manhattan also stretched the “Inferno” story into a crossover that impacted virtually every Marvel title in 1989. Fortunately, most of these stories are inconsequential two-and-three-parters where the heroes fight anthropomorphized objects. The only real exception is Web of Spider-Man, which introduced the new Hobgoblin. And luckily, Iceman doesn’t appear in any of those other issues.

X-Factor #33 (October 1988)
Writer: Louise Simonson
Artist: Walt Simonson

The Alliance of Evil – remember the all-queer team of mutant rights activists we were told are bad guys? – attack X-Factor live on the news to protest the Mutant Registration Act, which was a long-running subplot in 1980s X-books. Meanwhile, as part of the set-up for “Inferno,” New York is in an unprecedented heat wave and inanimate objects are coming to life and attacking people.

Iceman’s main contribution to the plot is being snotty about accompanying the kids on a clothes shopping trip. They all suddenly need clothes because X-Factor is transferring them to an actual school, which we’ll see in the X-Terminators mini. The kids rightly assume that Iceman’s just upset because (his former lover) Beast is still in a coma after saving his life from Infectia. By the end of the issue, Beast is awake in his familiar blue ape form but with his intelligence restored, and Bobby seems a little disappointed he’s all furry again.

In the end, Freedom Force – that other team of mostly queer mutants who work for the government and are therefore the bad guys – swoop in and arrest the Alliance and compel X-Factor to register. Beast does, since his identity is already public knowledge from his time as an Avenger. Cyclops, Marvel Girl, and Iceman register using only their mutant names in protest (Iceman’s identity is already at least sort of public knowledge from his time in the Defenders, but everyone seems to forget that). And Rusty – the only student old enough for compulsory registration – refuses to register but says he will voluntarily turn himself in for investigation of the crimes he’s been charged with.

Meanwhile in subplots, Nanny and Orphan Maker debut, kidnapping some mutant children, and Cameron Hodge gets a new suit of armor to fight Archangel.

X-Terminators #1 (October 1988)
Writer: Louise Simonson
Artist: Jon Bogdanove

At their new private schools, X-Factor’s former wards learn of a demon plot to kidnap mutant children and set out to stop it.

Iceman’s only contribution to this story is that he’s in the scene where Rusty turns himself into the naval police, and he escorts the older kids to Phillips Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. Incidentally, Rictor and Boom Boom seem to age up quite suddenly around this time period – whereas they were only 12-13 when they debuted a couple years prior in publishing time, they’re now portrayed as being older high schoolers, and that’ll persist through their move to New Mutants in a couple months’ time.

This issue is also the debut of Whiz-Kid, who only made a few more appearances after the Inferno crossover and faded into obscurity. He’s recently resurfaced in Sword (Vol 2) with a decidedly queer look, though he has not officially identified as such yet.

Iceman doesn’t appear in the rest of this miniseries, which crosses over with the early New Mutants chapters of Inferno and ends with the older kids joining the New Mutants while Artie and Leech stay in school with Whiz-Kid.

X-Factor #34 (November 1988)
Writer: Louise Simonson
Artist: Walt Simonson

Cameron Hodge kills Candy Southern and Archangel kills Hodge, but not before Hodge makes a deal with N’astirh that grants him immortality. Meanwhile, Nanny and Orphan Maker intercept a list of locations of mutant infants Hodge was sending to N’astirh and vow to protect them. And Cyclops and Marvel Girl head to the orphanage where Scott grew up because Scott’s suddenly remembered that’s where Destiny told him he might find his missing son (back in X-Factor #29 – father of the year over here).

Iceman doesn’t appear in this issue because he’s over in X-Terminators #1, and Beast is busy helping the Avengers in the finale of “The Evolutionary War” in Incredible Hulk #350 and Avengers Annual #17.

I would have skipped this issue, but it does include a scene where N’astirh flat out calls bullshit on Hodge’s claim that he always hated Angel and asserts that he actually worshipped and loved him. No kidding. Add one more to the list of X-Factor’s queer villains.

X-Factor #35 (December 1988)
Writer: Louise Simonson
Artist: Terry Shoemaker

Cyclops and Marvel Girl find Scott’s son Nathan Christopher in a sub-basement of the orphanage where Scott grew up and end up fighting Nanny and Orphan Maker, who want to kidnap the mutant infants kept there for themselves.

Iceman’s only contribution to this issue is a short scene at the beginning where he and Beast are rescuing civilians from inanimate objects that have come to life and are terrorizing Manhattan.

We found out Mr. Sinister had Nathan in Uncanny X-Men #239. The orphanage is undefended because, according to one of N’astirh’s demons, he’s led the Marauders to a different fight in Uncanny X-Men #240 (actually, in that issue, the Marauders say Mr. Sinister sent them to set up shop in the Morlocks’ Alley… perhaps it was N’astirh in disguise). Still, the orphanage appears to have a full staff of “zombie” workers who don’t notice anything going on around them. Unfortunately, Shoemaker’s art fails to sell any of the horror of what this should look like.

Nanny has a whole team of brainwashed tween henchmen including Jean’s missing niece and nephew, continuing the simmering subplot of her missing sister. Though it’s implied that Joey and Gailyn are mutants, we never see them use powers and they’ve never been affirmatively confirmed as such. They were eventually killed in the “End of Greys” story (Uncanny X-Men #467).

While they all fight, N’astirh’s demons make off with Chris and a bunch of other infants for the portal ritual.

X-Factor #36 (January 1989)
Writer: Louise Simonson
Artist: Walter Simonson

After Iceman and Beast save a bunch of people from an anthropomorphized subway train, X-Factor regroup just in time to see N’astirh open his portal to Limbo (in X-Terminators #3 and New Mutants #71) and the demon invasion proper begins.

The major subplot this issue is that Iceman helps Hank get back together with Trish Tilby, who is at first put off by Beast’s sudden change in demeanor now that he’s got his fur, intellect, and sense of humor back. Must have been hard for him to serve his ex-boyfriend up like that.

Angel rejoins the team, wanting revenge on the demons that powered Cameron Hodge to terrorize him.

X-Factor #37 (February 1989)
Writer: Louise Simonson
Artist: Walter Simonson

Although the actual demon invasion was stopped in X-Terminators #4 and New Mutants #72-73, X-Factor have to deal with N’astirh’s backup plan: having Madelyne sacrifice her and Scott’s son to open the demon portal.

Iceman, Beast, and Angel mainly spend this issue standing in the background as Madelyne explains her origin and motivations to Cyclops and Marvel Girl.

Uncanny X-Men #242 (March 1989)
Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: Marc Silvestri

Madelyne tricks X-Factor and the X-Men (who have been corrupted by the demon magic) into fighting each other until they team up to defeat N’Astirh.

Wolverine recognizes something that triggers a “pain” memory in Angel’s scent. This is one of a handful of hints around this time that Apocalypse was involved in giving Wolverine his adamantium skeleton, which were never followed up on.

Dazzler and Longshot check out of the fight to go fuck. Eh. Demon influence?

Iceman plays a big role in the fight and is instrumental in destroying N’Astirh by freezing him and the Empire State Building (just like he did last year in X-Factor #27). But again, this story isn’t really his.

X-Factor #38 (March 1989)
Writer: Louise Simonson
Artist: Walter Simonson

X-Factor and the X-Men team up to finally defeat Madelyne Pryor. And with Madelyne’s death, the Inferno is finished and Manhattan returns to the status quo.

Iceman appears throughout this 41-page issue, but doesn’t even have a line of dialogue,

Uncanny X-Men #243 (April 1989)
Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: Marc Silvestri

With the demons defeated, Mr. Sinister tries to tie up loose ends by erasing Jean Grey’s mind to destroy the information about him she’s absorbed from Madelyne. When that fails the X-Men and X-Factor finally go after Mr. Sinister at the X-Mansion, where they find out he’s been hiding.

Iceman only has two lines of dialogue in this issue, while he’s fighting a demonically transformed Blockbuster.

X-Factor #39 (April 1989)
Writer: Louise Simonson
Artist: Walter Simonson

The X-Men and X-Factor defeat Mr. Sinister. Though it appears Cyclops kills him, he’ll be back in a couple years explaining he faked his death.

Sinister explains how he’s been manipulating Cyclops since he was a child, but not why. We’ll eventually learn his motivation is that he met a time-travelling Cyclops and Jean Grey in the 19^th century (The Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix miniseries) and became convinced that their progeny would be a weapon to take down Apocalypse if necessary (although his rivalry with Apocalypse never really went anywhere either).

Iceman has two lines of dialogue in this issue.

X-Factor Annual #4 (third story)
Writer: Mark Gruenwald
Artist: Jim Fern

Two FBI Agents are tasked with explaining what was happening during the Inferno story, and eventually get around to asking X-Factor. They decide to convince the FBI that the entire story was a hallucination caused by a “hypno-ray” deployed by AIM. Very little to worry about here, although it does introduce a dangling plot thread about a demon that managed to stay behind on earth, never again followed up on.

Bobby doesn’t appear in the other stories, two of which are part of the “Atlantis Attacks” crossover, and the other is a Magneto and Doctor Doom short.

X-Factor #40 (May 1989)
Writer: Louise Simonson
Artist: Rob Liefeld

After attending funerals for Madelyne Pryor and Candy Southern, Iceman takes Artie, Leech, and Taki back to school, leaving the rest of X-Factor to take the mutant infants from “Inferno” to Washington, DC where they’re told the government will return them to their parents. Weird that X-Factor is holding onto them for so long and also weird that they have to be taken to Washington when most of the children were stolen from New York and Nebraska. Also weird that no one questions that the government claims to be returning children that were stolen from an orphanage to their parents, relayed by Blob with an ominous grin. This would be addressed twenty years later in New Mutants Vol 3, where we learn the government was planning to use them to invade Limbo).

Anyway, Iceman’s trip to school means he’s not there for the fight against Nanny and Orphan Maker, who are trying again to kidnap the “Inferno” babies (as we’ve seen, “Iceman isn’t there for the story” is a running theme through this era of X-Factor). X-Factor stop them, and also rescue Nanny’s Lost Boys, including Jean’s niece and nephew. Jean says she’ll continue to look for her sister, but it actually will never come up again, until she’s suddenly confirmed dead in X-Men Vol 2 #36.

Freedom Force show up to collect the babies and Lost Boys, and tell X-Factor that they’ve recommended that Rusty is released on his own recognizance until he stands trial.

Where to get these issues: All of these issues and more are in the X-Men: Inferno Omnibus, and have been reprinted in softcover. They’re also available on Marvel Unlimited.

Next time: We’ll dive into the Inferno aftermath with the “Judgment War” year, and oh look, Bobby gets a storyline for the first time since he was put in this book!

ROB SALERNO

Chapter 22: X-Factor – Inferno (1989)

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