X-Factor #49 - Marvel

This book gets more and more interesting with every issue. In the future, Jamie is starting to ask some hard questions. He wants to know what this is all about. Why the Summers rebellion? Why the constant attacks by the Sentinels, even though they're defeated every time? And who is really the fault for all of this? Layla confides in him that while he does hold some of the blame, some of it also falls upon her shoulders. But she doesn't really get into the specifics. They've all gone back to Atlantic City for Doom to try to retrieve one of his doom-locks. Specifically, the one attached to Cortex. He seems to be the one that's mucking up time the most. In the process something happens between Doom and Scott. We don't know what exactly. It's just . . he's talking to Doom, trying to figure out why the doom-locks are a problem in the first place . . and then, Ruby and the rest enter the room and he's not there anymore. I'm not sure what Doom did to him, but . . he seems to be gone. I guess it's like the thing Scott was worried about . . the other mutants that seem to be blinking out of existence. Anyways, Doom retrieves Cortex . . which as soon as he arrives, Jamie realizes that it's one of his dupes . . but before anything else can be done, Doom informs him that he's been reprogrammed along the way to be under his sole control . . and he's now ordering him to kill all the mutants. The story in the present isn't really all that important. We learn that Shatterstar seems to have some type of shifting or phasing power. That's how he, Rictor and Guido ended up back in Detroit so fast. And he also seems to want to kiss everybody. Guido makes a lot of gay jokes at Rictor's expense. And they all end up saving Lenore from Cortex. Well . . kind of. When he disappears back to the future . . it was all kind of . . done. So it looks like this story will be wrapped up next issue in #50. It's hard to believe we're there already. But then after that . . X-Factor begins again . . renumbered at issue #200. Can't say I didn't see that one coming. Peter David will still be writing it, but Bing Casino apparently is the new artist. I've never heard of him before. Anyways, I really liked this issue. All the players are in place now . . in the future. Next issue we'll just have to see how everything unfolds. And I was just getting used to Valentine DeLandro's art too. That's ok. I'm really looking forward to the next issue. Oh yeah . . in #200 . . they'll be relocating back to New York also. I wonder what other changes will be in store for them.