The former X-men members (The Beast, Angel, The Ice Man, Cyclops) are trying to live normal lives, with little success, in a world with growing mutant fear and animosity. They are rallied back together by a call from Reed Richards claiming to have found Jean Grey alive! Reed explains it all to Angel, who then calls Cyclops to reunite Scott and Jean and gives a detailed explanation as to why she is not dead. Whilst this is going on, a young mutant sailor by the name of Rusty Collins, is creating terror running around San Diego as an out of control flame. There is much on the mind of Scott Summers (Cyclops) as he wrestles with his emotions on the return of his first love, Jean, and his wife Madelyne, with whom he also has a child with. Much has changed since Jean Grey walked the earth. With Professor Xavier gone, she decides it is up to the surviving members of the original X-Men to carry on Xavier's dream of a world were mutants and humans live together in peace. With Warren Worthington III's (Angel) aid, they start a company that will serve a double purpose for their goal. It acts as a mutant locator through public advertising and also charges fees for the extraction of these mutants menaces. Under this guise, they will find and protect the mutants and teach them to control their powers. This organization is named X-Factor, after the x-factor gene mutation that gives them their powers. Their first assignment is to apprehend the young Rusty Collins, who has escaped the military jail holding him, upon a failed assassination attempt by his former chief, Fisher. The new X-Factor team arrives incognito to question chief fisher, who hired X-Factor, to learn the whereabouts of Rusty. They learn Mr. Collins is hiding out from the military in the San Diego countryside. Under the much needed leadership of Cyclops,whom is still soul searching, the X-Factor team arrives in their normal costumes to save Rusty in swift and decisive actions! Nobody told Rusty though and he heads for a cave thinking the team is their capture him. They find him quickly because he has created a sea of destructive flames dancing around him uncontrollably in the dark caves. They try to talk to him, but Rusty will not listen. Rusty attacks with a fiery torrent of flames that he can manifest with his sheer will! These attacks are weakening the cave ceiling and endanger the team the longer it takes. As the team moves in for the final take down, Rusty decides he would rather die then be imprisoned again and makes one final flaming destructive blast! The whole cave collapses on the team! Fortunately, Jean Grey's telekinetic powers create a safety bubble that the team and young mutant find a waning moment of safety from the falling debris. Scott realizes that if he hadn't chosen to join the team, he would have not only lost Jean a second time, but the rest of his family as well. With one shot from his optic blasts, he creates a path to the top of the mountain, saving them all! They apprehend the unconscious Rusty Collins in their X-Factor Inc. uniforms to curb suspicions. After a quick explanation, Rusty understands X-Factor's purpose and stays on to learn how to control his powers. At the same time in Alaska, Madelyne Summers sits awake pondering her future with Scott...

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