X-Factor #25 - Marvel

This issue is another exciting chapter of the Messiah Complex. There's lots of things happening this issue. First of all, Rahne does a little acting by coming across as a mutant terrorist attacking the Purifiers headquarters. Rictor is stationed out front, so when she tries to attack . . . he shoots her down. Not really. Like I said . . . she was just acting. The whole thing was Scott's idea to get Rictor in undercover. And it worked. Meanwhile Jamie and Layla have gone to see Forge. This part is a little confusing, but basically, Forge has developed a way to track and follow divergent time lines. The problem, since M-Day, all divergent time lines involving mutants became " . . . well . . . flatlined, for lack of a better word." But, since the mysterious mutant birth, 2 branches have spiked. So he wants to investigate them. His plan is to send 1 of Jamie's dupes along each time-line, and then report back with their findings. Sounds easy enough. The thing is though, Forge doesn't tell Jamie's, until after his dupes have been sent off, that they're on a one-way mission. He implanted a message in their heads, shortly before they left, that as soon as they gather their intel, they should kill themselves and the knowledge will be instantly transferred back to Jamie. Now the real problem is, before the second dupe left . . . Layla jumped in there with him. Meanwhile the rest of the X-men team have gone searching for Amelia Voight. She used to be associated with the Marauders, so they're hoping that she can give them some information as to their whereabouts. Also Scott is busy arguing with the "New Mutants" . . . er . . "New X-Men" . . about their involvement in the whole thing. They want to help. They want to feel like they're part of the team. But Scott stands firm in his decision, "They also serve who stand and wait. And when your time comes . . . you may well wish it hadn't." Peter David wrote this book, as he has with the whole series. But I really think that Peter does better with the more characters he has to deal with. And Scot Eaton does an excellent job with the artist side of the creative process. I really think that this book has improved over the time it's been out. It gets better every month. Which, really, is the most you can ask for with a book.