X-Factor Annual #5
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeX-Factor Annual #5 is the pivotal third chapter of 'Days of Future Present,' the 1990 summer crossover that served as a sequel to the beloved 'Days of Future Past' two-parter from Uncanny X-Men #141–142 (1981). The issue delivers one of the most emotionally charged moments in X-Men history: Jean Grey's first face-to-face meeting with Rachel Summers, who reveals she is Jean's daughter from a dystopian alternate future — a revelation Jean and Cyclops both refuse to accept. It also stages the first full, active appearance of Ahab in present-day Marvel continuity, cementing him as a Moby Dick-coded villain with direct ties to Rachel's traumatic past as a Hound. The crossover as a whole was unusual for depicting Cable and infant Nathan Christopher Charles Summers as two separate individuals in the same story, a creative tension Marvel would later resolve by revealing them to be one and the same.
In "Act of Faith [Days of Future Present Part 3]," the X-Factor team joins forces with the Fantastic Four in a high-stakes battle against Ahab, as Franklin Richards from the future attempts to reshape reality according to his memories. Amid the chaos, Rachel confronts her mother, and Franklin’s desperate actions lead to the sudden disappearance of Nathan Christopher. Written by Louise Simonson and illustrated by Jon Bogdanove, with inks by Al Milgrom, colors by Brad Vancata, and letters by Joe Rosen, this 1990 annual features a cover by Bogdanove and Milgrom that captures the moment’s intensity.
In "Act of Faith [Days of Future Present Part 3]," a young Nathan Christopher Charles Summers finds himself caught in a desperate struggle as the Sentinels and the Hounds converge on a fractured future. With time unraveling and the fate of the present hanging in the balance, Nathan’s survival hinges on a choice that tests the very limits of belief and courage.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was written by Louise Simonson (lead story) and Peter David (backup), with pencils by Jon Bogdanove and Dave Ross respectively, and edited by Bob Harras under editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco. It went on sale May 15, 1990, with a cover date of July 1990. The 'Days of Future Present' crossover was part of a deliberate Marvel editorial strategy that year to cluster the 1990 annuals into smaller, self-contained group events rather than a single line-wide storyline, with each cluster pulling in only the directly relevant titles. A notable production quirk: X-Factor Annual #5 was physically published before New Mutants Annual #6, yet its cover labeled it 'Part 2' while its interior credits it as 'Part 3' — the two issues were released out of their intended narrative sequence.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First full present-day appearance of Ahab (Roderick/Rory Campbell) — his cameo debut was in Fantastic Four Annual #23, the opening chapter of the same crossover.
- Contains the first in-person meeting between Jean Grey (Marvel Girl) and Rachel Summers, during which Rachel reveals she is Jean's daughter from the 'Days of Future Past' timeline.
- Part 3 of the four-part 'Days of Future Present' crossover (Fantastic Four Annual #23 → New Mutants Annual #6 → X-Factor Annual #5 → Uncanny X-Men Annual #14), a sequel to Uncanny X-Men #141–142 (1981).
- The cover erroneously labels the issue 'Part 2'; it was released before New Mutants Annual #6 ('Part 3'), causing the story parts to appear out of publication sequence.
- Lead story written by Louise Simonson, penciled by Jon Bogdanove, inked by Al Milgrom; backup story written by Peter David, penciled by Dave Ross, inked by Geoff Isherwood.
- The backup story by Peter David is titled 'Tribute the First' and features a reflective Jean Grey visiting the Phoenix's grave, where she meets an elderly Holocaust survivor whose story helps Jean grapple with questions of identity across multiple lives.
- Cable and baby Nathan Christopher Charles Summers appear in this crossover as two apparently distinct individuals — a deliberate story tension that was later resolved when both were revealed to be the same person.
- The entire 'Days of Future Present' crossover was collected in a 1991 Marvel trade paperback (ISBN 0-87135-739-9), and the constituent issues have since been reprinted in the Fantastic Four Epic Collection and the New Mutants Epic Collection.
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Reprints
Reprinted in X-Men: Days of Future Present #[nn] (1991), Facteur X #14 (1991), X-Men - Rescapé du futur #[nn] (1994), Gli Incredibili X-Men #0 (1994), Essential X-Factor #4 (2012), Essential X-Men #10 (2012), X-Men: Days of Future Past #[nn] (2014), Fantastic Four Epic Collection #20 (2014), New Mutants Epic Collection #7 (2020), X-Factor by Peter David Omnibus #1 (2021), X-Men: X-Tinction Agenda Omnibus #[nn] (2024)
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