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X-Factor, Volume 3 (Marvel Comics, 2005–2009)
X-Factor Volume 3 reinvented the concept of X-Factor as a gritty, character-driven noir series, shifting away from traditional superhero teams and into the world of mutant private investigation. Set in the aftermath of House of M, the series follows X-Factor Investigations, a detective agency run by Jamie Madrox (Multiple Man), operating out of Mutant Town in New York City.
Rather than focusing on costumed heroics, the series centers on damaged, morally complex characters navigating trauma, addiction, identity, and survival in a post–Decimation world where most mutants have lost their powers. Core team members include Multiple Man, Wolfsbane, Strong Guy, Monet St. Croix, Siryn, Layla Miller, and later characters such as Darwin and Longshot. Relationships, consequences, and emotional fallout are treated with unusual seriousness for an X-title.
Written primarily by Peter David, the run is widely praised for its sharp dialogue, long-form character arcs, dark humor, and willingness to let events permanently change its cast. Major storylines explore mental health, government surveillance, religious extremism, and the cost of resurrection and duplication—often blurring the line between hero and antihero.
Running 50 issues (#1–#50), X-Factor Volume 3 is considered one of the strongest and most mature X-Men–adjacent series of the modern era, redefining X-Factor as a flexible concept and setting the template for all future investigative and character-focused mutant stories.
