Factor X #4

In order to free the prisoners from the pens, Jean and Scott must take out the six telepathic brains that are lulling them.  On the way they run into the Bedlam Brothers, who decide this evil stuff is for the birds and they might as well help them out.

Their plan is successful, though Jean is largely exhausted from knocking out the brains, they are at least able to get the prisoners moving.  Beast is almost taken out by the creatures he's made in his experiments, but he's still quick and agile and even throws in a "Oh my stars and garters" before throwing them into his primordial soup and making an escape.  Havok tracks down his brother and Jean, and the two brothers fight, resorting to physical violence after it is once again pointed out that their powers don't hurt each other.  Cyclops knocks his brother out and decides not to kill him even if it means he'll track them down later, because he's tired of killing.  Havok eventually wakes up and vows to finish this once and for all.

Elsewhere, Apocalypse sends some of his men after Angel to shut down his club and take him in.  While the club is shut down, Angel makes a quick getaway thanks to a flamethrower and an empty elevator shaft.

I was genuinely surprised to find that the relationship between Scott and Jean here is actually pretty heartfelt and touching.  Their reasons for getting together feel more true and romantic than I've seen in a lot of other places.  They're not necessarily in love, per se, but Jean has inspired Scott to be a better man, and she is able to recognize the good in him despite where he is in life.  It's downright sweet.

Beyond that story development there's also a ton of action here, and it helps keep the story moving.  The constant battles feel a lot like the final climax of an action film, where the stakes are high and people reveal what side they are really on.  For a series that started off boring me to death, this one ended strong.

However you might notice that I didn't include a single scan for these issues beyond the covers, and that's because I personally don't care for this art style at all, with very thick lines and an overabundance of shadows.