X-Factor: The Original X-Men Omnibus #1

History

Writer Bob Layton and penciller Jackson Guice launched X-Factor (vol. 1) in February 1986 with a mandate from editor-in-chief Jim Shooter to reunite the original five X-Men — a mission complicated by Jean Grey's definitive death in the 1980 Dark Phoenix Saga. The elegant solution originated with Kurt Busiek, who as a fan had formulated the idea that the Phoenix Force had duplicated Jean and left the real woman in a cocoon beneath Jamaica Bay; Busiek shared this with Roger Stern, Stern passed it to John Byrne, and Byrne and Stern together pitched it to Shooter, who approved it, leading to a coordinated three-series preamble through Avengers #263 and Fantastic Four #286 before X-Factor #1 kicked off in earnest. When Layton departed the book around issue #6, editor Bob Harras brought in Louise Simonson, who quickly invented Apocalypse as a replacement villain of sufficient stature, with artist Jackson Guice designing the character; Walt Simonson then came aboard as artist, with the married Simonsons guiding the series through its most celebrated phase, including the Mutant Massacre crossover and Angel's transformation into Archangel.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First appearance of the team X-Factor: X-Factor #1 (February 1986), written by Bob Layton, pencilled by Jackson Guice, with a cover by Walt Simonson — the double-sized debut that re-established Jean Grey's resurrection and formed the team.
• Jean Grey's return was built on a retroactive continuity device conceived by Kurt Busiek: the Phoenix Force had copied Jean's identity and kept the real Jean Grey in a life-sustaining cocoon on the floor of Jamaica Bay, absolving her of the Dark Phoenix Saga's atrocities.
• The Jean Grey resurrection storyline ran across three titles as a coordinated 'backdoor pilot': Avengers #263 (discovery of the cocoon), Fantastic Four #286 (Jean freed and briefed), and X-Factor #1 (team formation) — all three are reprinted in this omnibus.
• First cameo appearance of Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur) in X-Factor #5; first full appearance and cover in X-Factor #6 — both written by Louise Simonson, with Apocalypse designed by artist Jackson Guice, who created him as an impromptu replacement for a planned villain Layton had intended.
• Angel (Warren Worthington III) has his wings irreparably damaged by the Marauders during the Mutant Massacre tie-in issues; after their amputation and a subsequent suicide attempt, Apocalypse transforms him into Death — one of the Four Horsemen — giving him metal wings and blue skin; he later escapes Apocalypse's control but retains these physical changes, becoming Archangel.
• The creative team shifted significantly within the run: Bob Layton and Jackson Guice launched the series, but Louise Simonson took over as writer around issue #6, with Walt Simonson later joining as artist — together the Simonsons steered the series into its key Mutant Massacre and Four Horsemen storylines.
• Omnibus volume 1 (released September 4, 2024, hardcover, 1,248 pages) collects X-Factor #1–26 and Annuals #1–2 alongside contextual tie-in issues from Avengers, Fantastic Four, Thor, Power Pack, Amazing Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man Annual, Mephisto vs., Secret Wars II, and story material from Marvel Fanfare and Classic X-Men.
• The original X-Factor #1 story is titled 'Third Genesis' and was subtitled 'Return of Jean Grey: Part 3 of 3,' directly continuing from Fantastic Four #286 — establishing from the outset that the series was a deliberate, cross-title narrative event rather than a standalone debut.

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