X-Factor #116 Title: X-Factor #116: Homecomings (Marvel Comics, 1995, 23 pages) Creators: Howard Mackie (writer), Steve Epting (pencils) Availability: Out of print.
A couple of months back, timemonkey requested scans of non-Austen Northstar and Polaris meeting. So, in keeping with my "I only bought this because it had Northstar in it" posting tendencies, here's a run-in between Alpha Flight and X-Factor. That's right, you lucky people! You're getting some 90's-era Howard Mackie goodness!
For all that I've complained -- and will continue to complain -- that damn near every writer to come along has an exasperating tendency to confuse reminding us that Northstar likes men with actual character development, Northstar is still way better off than Aurora in the characterization department. Whereas Northstar's been given some positive traits over the years, his sister's defining characteristics always reset to her being two flavors of crazy (boy and batshit) and, if someone was feeling really creative, occasionally bitchy or an abuse victim.
Howard Mackie did not buck the trend, but at least he didn't get overly creative.
We open on Alpha Flight HQ in Toronto. This would be when the twins were going through another period where no one could figure out if they were dark-haired or white-haired. The colorist split the difference and made them...blond? This is not without precedent, but I don't feel like explaining that tonight and I don't think anyone is really all that interested.
Where is Aurora headed? Well, she's off to Virginia to kick the crap out of Kyle Gibney AKA Wildchild, who's running around in his NO FEAR shirt and AXO kneepads after Aurora forced his YOKOHAMA motorbike into a ravine. (Was Marvel selling adspace on the actual characters during this time period? Anyone know?)
You see, not so long ago, Kyle was a member of Alpha Flight and also a total bishonen pretty-boy going by the name of Wildheart. He and Aurora had a bit of thing going, but then Kyle reverted back to his original fugliness and fled. Aurora's crazy is acting up again, so she's decided all at once to not take this abandonment well. Anyway...
Kyle attempts to explain and apologize, but Aurora is having none of it. But just as she's about to wring the life out of him, Mystique steps in and saves the day through cunning use of not-giving-a-damn-about-the-crazy-woman.
Omigod, indeed. This latest deception causes an unprecedented amount of shit-flipping on Aurora's part, to the point that she burns out her own powers and falls over.
Single emo tear.
Aurora and Wild Child show up in the Weapon X series a few years later. He's uglier than before, and she's a crazy bitch. Oh yeah, and in an abusive relationship with Weapon X's director. *sigh*