X-Factor # 31 - The Only Game In Town, Part 4: The Middle East Side is Burning

Overview

Never has a title said it all quite like "The Middle East Side is Burning." X-Factor's battle with Arcade may be over, but the former Mutant Town is now paying the price. Walled in, cut off from any possible aid, the residents of the Middle East Side are hemmed in by flames on all sides, and their only hope of survival are the embattled members of X-Factor.

Recently in X-Factor: Having survived Arcade’s death traps, X-Factor has broken into his hidden Mutant Town headquarters, only to discover a disgraced Purifier named Taylor. Drummed out of the Purifiers because he was tricked into accepting the undercover Rictor into the fold, Taylor hired Arcade to exact revenge upon the team. With Plan A having failed, Plan B is now enacted, as Taylor’s death will trigger a series of bombs throughout Mutant Town; and having poisoned himself just before X-Factor arrived, Taylor’s death is looking pretty darned imminent.

What happened:

• Moments before Mutant Town is about to get blown up, we see the experiences of its residents: an old man relives horrors of history; a group of ex-mutants doesn't intend to give up on their neighborhood without a fight; a failed comedian humiliates herself on stage.

• X-Factor fail to save the dead former Purifier and Rictor is unable to break into Arcade's computer. Monet brings in the villain, but he doesn't give them the info they need. Rictor punches Arcade, only to discover it’s a robot. There is nothing for them to do except run outside and help their neighborhood. Right after X-Factor leave, the robot reveals he's actually the real Arcade.

• Outside of Mutant Town the authorities still fail to get through Arcade's barrier and the only thing they can do is haplessly watch people burn to death. Valerie Cooper tries to contact Tony Stark with no success.

• The old man, ex-mutants and the comedian are in trouble due to fires taking over Mutant Town.

• Rictor is back in Arcade's hideout, trying to break into his computer and stop the bomb.

• Theresa saves the comedian, who reveals herself as an ex-mutant. Guido aides the two of them and saves a mother and child. Monet helps the ex-mutants gang, but they refuse to be saved by her. Jamie rescues the old man from the roof he's trapped on.

• Rictor gets furious and breaks the computer. It results in a system overload and the barrier is down. The firemen immediately begin to work on the fires while Valerie Cooper plans to bring order to Mutant Town once and for all.

Bad pun

What do you get when a mutant who had the lame ability to make people laugh loses her powers? The worst comedian ever.

Face off

Dr. Doom uses robots of himself to get away; Arcade disguises himself as his own robot dupe.

What's a one benefit of being Irish? Theresa already knows every bar jokes ever written.

The definition of heroism

According to Jamie – keep on fighting despite losing, and somehow find a solution. Rictor demonstrates.

Looks like X-Factor's days as protectors of Mutant Town are about to take a big turn, with Valerie Cooper deciding to expand her involvement.