The latest issue of X-Factor focuses on Layla Miller, and it’s a very good issue, even if it’s a little over my head. This issue probably bears repeated readings. It’s a take on the classic film Run, Lola, Run, and I am damn glad I saw that film back in college. If you haven’t, then how about The Simpsons episode ‘Trilogy of Error’ with the robot Linguo? It’s similar enough that this issue will make more sense. It’s basically a look into Layla’s ability to “know stuff” and how that is seriously messing with her head these days. It works well because it’s a very contained story, giving us a lot of depth into a character that we still don’t know that much about.

X-Factor #240

Layla Miller, or Butterfly, is really the only character Peter David created for X-Factor, instead of just re-using old, forgotten X-Men. He’s always had a good handle on Layla, and he really makes her latest problems shine in this kooky story.

Comic rating: 4/5: Good!

Layla was originally created as just a plot device by Brian Michael Bendis for his event comic House of M. I can still remember Bendis crowing on the Internet about how Layla was going to be the biggest, most important character in the Marvel Universe. In the end, Layla was really only a plot device that magically allowed the heroes to see through the illusion of the House of M and return to their old lives. After that, it seemed like she was added to X-Factor because nobody knew what else to do with her. Once Peter David had his hands on her, he basically ignored everything Bendis wrote for her in House of M, literally using the ‘it was all a dream’ cop-out to explain away Layla’s parents, and I think PAD has even established that Layla was putting on an act when she helped out the heroes.

The whole “I know stuff” schtick is an entirely PAD creation.I don’t think Bendis has given Layla a second thought after House of M. But no biggie. Layla has been very kickass in X-Factor, and this is a fun issue for her and her recent troubles.

Join me for a full synopsis and more analysis after the jump.

Run, Lola, Run is a German film from 1998 that tells the story of Lola, who has to collect $10,000 in 20 minutes to save her boyfriend’s life from some gangsters. So obviously she’s got to hurry. The gimmick of the movie is that Lola’s story is told three times, each time slightly altered in some way. And those slight alterations completely change not only her attempts to get the money, but also the lives of the people she encounters.

And that’s kind of how we’re viewing Layla’s knowledge of the future in this issue, which she explains in a brief prologue that essentially ‘rewinds’ her day in black and white. Layla tells the reader that she “knows things” because her mind had been filled with knowledge of the future, and so she’s always worked to ensure that what she knows comes true. She’s a tool of fate.

But recently, Layla broke her own rules. She knew that Strong Guy was supposed to die…but she used her mutant power to resurrect the dead (minus a soul) to keep him alive. That one action has created strange ripples in time, and now the future that Layla “knows” is altered in small ways, and so she’s trying very hard to make sense of it all.

This all comes to a head when Layla “knows” she has to be across town in 23 minutes to save a girl from jumping off a rooftop.

Pretty girl

The art is very good in this issue, by the way. Artist Neil Edwards draws a very pretty lady there, and it remains as such throughout the issue. It’s always a treat when X-Factor gets a good artist.

So Layla takes off running from X-Factor HQ, intent on making it across town in time to save the girl. But no sooner does she leave the building than she sees a homeless woman being picked on by a bunch of thugs. And we get our first taste of Layla ‘seeing’ the possible outcomes of her choices.

The future is very sea-colored

In the blue version, the woman is able to fight off the thugs on her own and grab on to a gun one was hiding. She fires into the air and the thugs run off, but she also shoots out a street light.

In the green version, Layla intervenes, but it doesn’t go so well. The thug is able to pull out his gun and fire several shots, but Layla uses her force field to block and ricochet the bullets – sending them up into the same street light.

We never find out which series of events actually happened though. I suppose that is left up to our imaginations.

Also, apparently, the entire island of Manhattan has lost power because Strong Guy is currently battling some elephant villain named Behemoth in a power plant. Their fight knocked out the power. I can see why, it looks like a pretty awesome fight.

Where have you been all my life, Behemoth?

Though Strong Guy is supposed to be on that date with Monet that we saw the start of last issue. More on that later.

Layla continues running, even as she keeps getting different visions of possible futures. She’s about to reach the taxi that’s supposed to pick her up…except instead of a taxi she finds a traffic jam that wasn’t supposed to be there. Layla knows something is wrong, but she keeps running anyway. She’s got to make it in time! She can’t let anything stop her!

Not even a winking cameo from Lola!

Women be runnin’

How silly! Oh PAD, you’re so wacky.

After that little bit of fun, Layla keeps running and narrating to the audience about fate and “God’s plan” and all that stuff. Frankly, it’s a little over my head. She runs past a lady with a dog, and she runs past a guy coming out of the subway, and we get another series of visions about the guy.

In the red version, Layla runs past him to the left, and that leaves him open to a mugger taking his wallet on the right. The guy confronts the mugger and gets knifed in the stomach.

In the blue version, Layla runs past him to the right, there is no mugger and the guy goes home to wallow in self-pity.

In the orange version, she bumps into him and knocks him down, but then a kind person behind him helps the guy to his feet. Then it turns out they were old college buddies who’ve now randomly bumped into each other after years apart. The old friend treats the guy to dinner and talks about getting him a job.

I guess it pays to bump into people

Layla continues narrating as she takes a tumble and falls to the sidewalk. She tells us that her mind is kind of short-circuiting now that she’s altered the future, and in times of great stress, she has all these visions of different possible futures. Some guy walks over to help her back to her feet, but Layla sees all the different possibilities of who exactly helps her up, whether it’s this guy, or it’s a cop, or it’s a superhero or it’s some woman…her mind is rather wonky.

But Layla gets up and keeps running, and she says that this makes her the perfect match for current boyfriend Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man. Because of his powers, Madrox is often plagued by indecision, since he could choose multiple options at once…and doesn’t understand why he shouldn’t. Madrox is trying to choose which path to take in life while Layla is constructing it, she says.

We cut to Guido and Monet, who, like I said, were out on their date when Guido decided to go and attack Behemoth. Monet is pissed that he’d charge off in the middle of the date, and now she’s walking home. Guido, still in his torn suit, is chasing after her, pleading with Monet to give him a chance. He was only doing what he thought a superhero should do: stop a bad guy. Still, Monet is pissed that he ruined their date!

Strong Guy and Spider-Man sittin’ in a tree…

Guido tries to tell her that he only did it to impress her, but then he gives up and storms off – and we get another bit of Layla vision!

In the purple version, Monet runs after Guido and they make up, eventually becoming lovers.

In the orange version, she lets him go, both still angry, and eventually they become mortal enemies!

And again, we don’t know what the true outcome is…I suppose we’ll find out in future issues.

Anyway, Layla makes it to the building and climbs the fire escape to help the girl. Layla doesn’t see her on the edge of the roof, where Layla’s memory had placed her. She was supposed to call up to the girl and talk her down from the edge. Instead, Layla climbs, and finds out that the girl was distracted by the power outages in the distance, so she picked the opposite side of the roof.

Kids love looking at shiny things

Layla shouts to her, causing the girl, Angelique Sasson, to fall off the edge. But Layla jumps and catches her, using her mystical know-how to break their fall safely. Once they land, the girl has had a profound revelation that she shouldn’t kill herself. She won’t let those cyberbullies bother her anymore. She wants to live!

The two hug as Layla reveals that she saw two possible outcomes of her day, and she took a big step to ensure that the outcome she wants is the one that will come true.

In the yellow version, Layla is married to Madrox in the future, and they have two kids. However, Madrox is dying and in the hospital. Fortunately, he’s saved by the medical advances from Dr. Angelique Sasson!

In the blue version, Sasson jumped off the roof, and she was never around to discover those medical advances. Madrox dies as a result, leaving Layla a crying widow.

Madrox lives!

So as you can see, this was quite the quirky little story. I hope I explained it well enough. There was a lot of talk about fate and choices and other stuff that defines Layla as a character, and some of it probably did go over my head. I never knew she had multiple visions of possible outcomes. But I think that’s a recent development. The issue benefits from the focus on just one character – with interlude – and it’s a fun read. It helps to get into Layla’s head. I tend to like the “day in the life” stories, and this was a good one.

Too bad about Strong and Monet though. They were cute together!