X-Factor #88
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeX-Factor #88 is the first appearance of Random (Marshall Evan Stone III), a protoplasmic mutant bounty hunter created by Peter David who would become a recurring presence throughout the X-Men line for decades—surviving into the Krakoa era and beyond. The issue also marks one of Joe Quesada's earliest high-profile Marvel penciling assignments, bringing a kinetic visual energy to the government-sponsored X-Factor lineup that helped define the book's look during its most talked-about stretch. Beyond the debut, the issue cleverly uses the X-Patriots' standoff and Random's contract-for-hire premise to probe questions about mutant autonomy, government authority, and Genosha's still-simmering post-apartheid politics—themes that were already central to Peter David's run and would escalate into the title's Genosha arc within issues. The story has remained in print continuously through multiple collected editions, underscoring its lasting value within the architecture of early-'90s X-Men continuity.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was written by Peter David near the end of his initial X-Factor run, with Joe Quesada on pencils and Al Milgrom on inks for the main story; a back-up story, 'Time Out' Part 1, was penciled by Chris Batista and inked by Andrew Pepoy. Kelly Corvese edited under group editor Bob Harras and editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco. The issue arrived on January 19, 1993 with a March 1993 cover date, following a four-issue interruption caused by the 'X-Cutioner's Song' crossover, and resumed David's X-Patriots subplot with Quesada now aboard as regular penciler—a pairing that would last only a handful of issues before David departed the title and Quesada moved on.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Random (Marshall Evan Stone III), a protoplasmic mutant bounty hunter created by writer Peter David, whose real name was not revealed until X-Factor #97.
- First appearance of Sasha Ryan, identified in this issue as the new Genoshan Director of Genetics.
- Written by Peter David; main story penciled by Joe Quesada and inked by Al Milgrom; back-up story ('Time Out' Part 1) penciled by Chris Batista and inked by Andrew Pepoy.
- The issue's cover was also drawn by Joe Quesada and Al Milgrom; the book shipped in both Direct Edition and Newsstand Edition formats, plus an Australian price variant.
- The main story, titled 'Random Violence,' follows X-Factor clashing with Random over the X-Patriots—Genoshan refugees seeking hospital treatment for their teammate Taylor—while a parallel Genosha subplot shows Moira MacTaggert alongside the new Genoshan president and Sasha Ryan.
- The back-up story, 'Time Out' Part 1, features Quicksilver and Crystal of the Inhumans and is also written by Peter David.
- Random's power set—a protoplasmic body that automatically adapts to counteract opposing mutant abilities, and the ability to form his limbs into plasma-firing weapons—was established in this debut issue.
- The issue has been reprinted in: X-Factor Visionaries: Peter David Vol. 4 (2008); X-Men: Fatal Attractions (2012); X-Factor Epic Collection Vol. 8: X-Aminations (2019); and X-Factor by Peter David Omnibus Vol. 1 (2021).
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Reprints
Reprinted in Facteur X #29 (1994), X-Force #13 (1995), X-Factor Visionaries: Peter David #4 (2008), X-Men: Fatal Attractions #[nn] (2012), X-Factor Epic Collection #8 (2019), X-Factor by Peter David Omnibus #1 (2021), X-Men: Fatal Attractions Omnibus #[nn] (2024)
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