Belles of the Ball

• Writer - Peter David
• Penciler - Larry Stroman
• Inker - Al Milgrom
• Colorist - Kevin Tinsley
• Lettering - Richard Starkings
• Editor - Bob Harras
• Editor in Chief - Tom Defalco

Summary

  Briquette overheats the boiler, so X-Factor has to evacuate the hotel, but it explodes with Guido inside. He emerges from the rubble, pounds the ground to release excess kinetic energy, and explains that he has been poisoned.

  Rhapsody breaks out of jail and flies off with Jamie. She admits killing Sharp (too much ecstasy), so Jamie and Pietro return her to prison.

  Val gets a doctor to prepare an antidote for Guido, but he doesn't trust it. He would rather give the crooked Shrew up rather than risk his life. So Alex drinks the same poison, putting his own life on the line, and they both drink the antidote.

  Coswell tries to turn a Genoshan ship away from New York harbor, but a mutant on board shames him for not welcoming immigrants and corrodes all the weapons to dust.

  X-Factor meet with the Belles, pretend to give them Shrew, then attack and defeat them with Shrew's help.

  Alex whispers to Pietro that he didn't really drink poison, just tap water.