Hank also has a life outside the X-Men that is worth remembering when the original five come back together. He spends time with the Avengers and the Defenders. He builds friends…

Hank also has a life outside the X-Men that is worth remembering when the original five come back together. He spends time with the Avengers and the Defenders. He builds friendships outside Xavier's school, including his friendship with Wonder Man. There are people who know him as their teammate and friend without having been part of those original X-Men years. He doesn't return to the original group as somebody who has just been waiting around for it to reform. He's had responsibilities, relationships, and experiences elsewhere. That changes how X-Factor reads. These are adults coming back into one another's lives, with a history that makes them familiar and enough time apart that familiarity can't explain everything about them anymore. Hank belongs with them, but belonging doesn't mean he has stayed the same. There is also room for him to be sociable. A character with that much scientific knowledge could easily spend every scene standing beside a machine, delivering explanations. Hank gets to banter, have friendships, and pursue a relationship with Trish Tilby. His work matters enormously, but he has a personality beyond being the person everyone turns to when something needs analyzing.