Comicsfan commented on my comparisons among Marvel's X-Teams of the 90's in my last post on X-Factor #100, comparing then newcomer Random to Wolverine. Like Wolvie regards Cyclops' leadership, Random defies Havok's principled approach, standing just outside the group dynamic. I was thinking about Lobo's similar dress, but Comicsfan is right. To further illustrate, Random has a painfully obvious attraction to Havok's girl Polaris, not unlike Wolverine has to the X-Men's Jean Grey.
X-Factor #102, "The Polaris Plot", 1994
Initially hired by the government to test Lorna's abilities, the mercenary is refused payment for failing to kill her. Disenchanted with his ex-employer, Random is bribed by Forge to expose their dark machinations and join forces against them. after X-Factor exposes Colonel Malone's secret plans to brainwash Polaris to use her like a weapon against Magneto any other threat. Lorna felt Random held back in his initial attack on her, and her female instincts weren't wrong- he was definitely sweet on Lorna :D He tries to be cool dropping her off at the airport, claiming he did it all for the money and the car, but Lorna knows there is more to his tough guy front than Random will reveal....
I enjoyed Jan Duursema's drawing in this issue, particularly in the splash page at the top of this post where Polaris & Random take on Col. Malone's goons, Avalanche & The Commando! Jan (wife to fellow comic book artist Tom Mandrake) is an artist I was unaware of, now two years into my rediscovery of comics as an adult, ironically having read way more comics now than during my entire youth. There is of course more to issue #102, which you will have to seek out yourself- the purpose of this post was merely to share the dynamic between these characters I found interesting, come to terms with my own fascination with green-haired comic book vixens, and scan that killer battle scene for you little weirdos ;D
*See my posts on ToyBiz's 10" Deluxe Polaris action figure from 1997, and Diamond Select's MiniMate Polaris!
More Later-Make It FUN!
Random seems to be relegated to the background these days, which is a shame because a very good character is languishing. I guess he's difficult to write for. His "charm" lies in the fact that he's an abrasive mercenary who comes through when the chips are down--so while he may consent to being a team player for the duration, he's not going to want to stick around, nor would he be a good "fit" if he did. And he wouldn't be Random anymore, following the numbers plays of the team leader. But that doesn't mean he can't pop up in other titles. He could do very well for Marvel if handled properly.
ReplyDeleteBTW, you might enjoy checking out the "Random vs. Polaris" teaser (from X-Factor #94) displayed on the Wikipedia site. He's certainly missed!