7/7

7/7 Michael Nowlan: coerced power source Michael Nowlan is the person the Alliance is pursuing and exploiting. Counting him alongside its willing attackers misses the central conflict of the story. His mutation amplifies the powers of other mutants, sometimes beyond what they can control. The Alliance has become dependent on that boost, while Michael wants to escape. Drugs suppress his ability, entangling his existing addiction with the danger of being useful to people who will not let him leave. X-Factor offers a possible way out. The Alliance counters by threatening Suzy, his ex-wife, forcing him to strengthen the very people the heroes are trying to stop. His first meeting with X-Factor is complicated by the team's own public deception. They advertise themselves as mutant hunters while secretly trying to help mutants. Michael has heard the advertising, so their arrival frightens him before they can explain what they really do. His reaction puts their powers under pressure as well. Beast's efforts to reach him matter because Michael needs someone to listen before demanding cooperation. The Alliance has already made his ability into a reason to imprison him. Being confronted by people he believes have come to hunt him gives him no reason to feel safer. X-Factor has to undo the impression created by its own business before it can begin helping. When Suzy is killed, Michael's power surges disastrously. His attempt to draw that power back into himself proves fatal. The story leaves X-Factor with a rescue they could not complete. Michael's last concern is that they keep helping other mutants. Amid a fight over who can become strongest, the captive they came to save asks them to keep doing the work.