X-Factor launched in 1986 featuring an eponymous team composed of the five original X-Men that debuted in X-Men #1 (1963):
- Angel – A millionaire heir, capable of flight by means of two feathery wings extending from his back.
- Beast – A brilliant scientist possessing bestial strength and agility.
- Cyclops – Former X-Men team leader, with the ability to emit powerful “optic blasts” from his eyes.
- Jean Grey (Marvel Girl) – The long-time love of Cyclops, possessing telekinetic abilities.
- Iceman – A brash jokester, gifted with cryokinetic abilities.
The founding of X-Factor hinged upon the reunion of the original X-Men, an event complicated by the extensive histories of the characters following the initiation of a new team of X-Men in 1975.