X-Factor Files: Investigating the Marvel Universe- Alpha Flight and Marvel's Star Trek!

40 Episodes
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By: Daryl and Phillip

Join Daryl and Phillip (and their silent partners, bunnies Nick, Nora, Asta, and Clyde) as they review corners of the Marvel universe! Catch us weekly for coverage of Alpha Flight or Star Trek comics (or special bonus episodes!). Find us on Instagram @xfactorfilespodcast

Quest for Quasar #8 with Chad Anderson
#16
Last Wednesday at 9:49 AM

Chad journeys from Graymalkin Lane to chat with Daryl all about issue 8 of Quasar!

Episode art by Phillip Sevy!


Rawhide Kid (2003)
#15
04/08/2026

Join Daryl as he talks about the 2003 Rawhide Kid series, which Marvel released under its MAX line.


Quest for Quasar #7 with Mr. Scott Free
#14
04/01/2026

Senior Spider-Man correspondent Mr. Scott Free joins Daryl to discuss Quasar #7, which sees a Peter Parker appearance AND Terminus is here (for reasons!).

Episode art by Phillip Sevy!


C2E2 2026
#13
03/30/2026

We journeyed to- and survived- three whole days at C2E2 and had a great time! Listen to our tired selves talk about the creators we met, the fun art we bought, and our general impressions of the con!


The Other Half with Jim McCann and Joe Eisma
#12
03/25/2026

Phillip and Daryl are joined by co-creators of Ignition Press' The Other Half, Jim McCann and Joe Eisma! Issue one just dropped and we are about a month away from issue two, so we chat with Jim and Joe about the series, their inspirations, their style, and what to expect from coming issues!


Quest for Quasar #6 with Jason from the Avenging Hour
#11
03/18/2026

Jason from the Avenging Hour joins Daryl to chat all about Quasar #6, We're still in the grips of the Acts of Vengeance crossover- we get appearances from Venom, the Watcher, Red Ghost, and the Living Laser!

Episode art by Phillip Sevy!


Alpha Flight 71-78
#10
03/11/2026

As promised, we are steaming our way through the Hudnall run of Alpha Flight (in more ways than one) and you get a TON of issues covered in this episode!


Quest for Quasar #5 with John from the Avenging Hour
#9
03/04/2026

John is back with Daryl to discuss Quasar's fifth issue, which is an Acts of Vengeance crossover complete with a Stingray appearance!

Episode art by Phillip Sevy


Star Trek: Early Voyages 10-13
#8
02/25/2026

We get a fun little two part story with a Tholian-adjacent species, then time travel and meet Jim Kirk- but not in the way you expect! Join us as we go through four issues of Star Trek: Early Voyages in our penultimate episode covering this series!


Quest for Quasar #4 with Christian Smith
#7
02/18/2026

Christian Smith joins Daryl to discuss Quasar hanging out with cult leader Aquarian!

Episode art by Phillip Sevy!


Alpha Flight 67-70
#6
02/11/2026

We crack into Hudnall's run of Alpha Flight and, well.....tune in for our takes.


Quest for Quasar #3 with Mr. Scott Free
#5
02/04/2026

The Quasar series really starts grooving with this issue, as we are down with the backstory and can start building out Quasar's world! Daryl is joined by Mr. Scott Free to talk about this himbo.

Episode art by Phillip Sevy


New Star Trek Thoughts!
#4
01/28/2026

Phillip and Daryl chat about the four Trek series put out by IDW- including the two that have wrapped up by now- as well as the new Starlet Academy show and the upcoming Voyager video game!


Quest for Quasar #2 with John from the Avenging Hour
#3
01/21/2026

John from the Avenging Hour joins us as we get part two of Quasar's origin story- where has he been the last few years?!?! Well, we have some answers for you!

Episode art by Phillip Sevy!


Alpha Flight 64-66
#2
01/14/2026

We have reached the end of the Bill Mantlo's run and, along with that, the most unorthodox issue of the entire series!


Quest for Quasar #1 with Gregory Wright
#1
01/07/2026

Are you ready to join the Quest for Quasar? We begin our journey through Mark Gruenwald's solo Quasar series by chatting with Gregory Wright, who was not only one of Mark's assistant editors, but also a personal friend. Jump in for an insightful chat about Mark and why he was drawn to the character of Quasar.

Quasar Art by Phillip Sevy


Star Trek: Early Voyages 7-9
#34
12/10/2025

We kick off this episode with...Klingons...but it goes uphill from there! We end on an issue that may be Phillip's favorite of the series so far.


Alpha Flight 61-63
#33
12/03/2025

We have two Mantlo issues and a Hudnall fill-in issue. Let's dive back into Alpha Flight and see what the folks are up to! (Spoiler: Heather makes a rash decision or two.)


Star Trek: Early Voyages Issues 4-6
#32
11/26/2025

We revisit "The Cage" from a different perspective, then journey to a strange planet with very emotional Vulcans for a two-issue arc!


A Superchat with D'Manda Martini and Chad from Graymalkin Lane- Russell Dauterman's Avengers 800 Cover
#31
10/29/2025

Ever wonder what it's like to be in a group chat with Daryl, D'Manda, and Chad? Well, wonder no longer! We get together to have a chat about Russell Dauterman's GIGANTIC Avengers cover. We break down what we love about it and spoiler: it's Tigra's hair. Well, that and everything else!


Alpha Flight 58-60
#30
10/22/2025

We take a journey with the team that goes from outer space all the way back to Canada (presumably). Making pit stops in Liveworld and China, we start building towards the end of Mantlo's run!


Star Trek: Early Voyages 1-3
#29
10/08/2025

Let's go to the Captain Pike era! No, not Strange New Worlds- the Pike era that existed first! We go through the first three issues of Early Voyages and meet an (almost) all new cast of characters along the way. Oh, and Klingons (of course)!


IDW Star Trek- September 2025
#28
10/01/2025

Join us as we talk about...current comics?!?! IDW has put out several new series since August and we want to tell you all about them! We cover the first issues of Strange New Worlds: The Seeds of Salvation, The Lastarship, and Voyager: Homecoming, as well as the first two issues of Red Shirts! Come join us and find a Trek title you might like to pick up!

And no worries, Lower Decks fans- we will have a dedicated episode all about that ongoing title in the coming weeks!


Alpha Flight 54-57
#27
09/24/2025

Murder Mommy Heather is in full force as we meet, and come to love, Goblyn! We go from Canada to space in this issue and you are not ready for these shenanigans!


Star Trek Telepathy War
#26
09/17/2025

It's the biggest (and only!) crossover event from the Marvel Star Trek line and it is a...crossover that happened! Come hang with us as we chat the good, the bad, and the could have been!


Alpha Flight 51-53
#25
09/10/2025

Heather Hudson, our resident Murder Mommy, strikes again! We get a new foe for the team and we are nearing the point where we meet a new member of the team. Before that? The Derangers! #rip


Star Trek: Voyager Splashdown
#24
09/03/2025

Under the sea...under the sea. Down where it's wetter may not always be better as the Voyager sinks to the bottom of an ocean world! Giving you Titanic vibes It should, because this is 1998 and our culture has literally nothing else going on.


Alpha Flight 49-50, Annual 2
#23
08/13/2025

We have two giant sized issues- and one regular- for you in this episode! We bid a bittersweet farewell to THREE original Alpha's, then go down to Antarctica for a Heather Hudson murder spree.


Star Trek: Voyager 12, 14-15
#22
08/06/2025

We reach the end of Voyager's ongoing series and pick up where we left off, as the ship and crew fight to escape their entanglement on a huge colony ship. After that, we see Seven of Nine join the cast!


Alpha Flight 46-48
#21
07/28/2025

As Northstar koff koffs his was around these issues, we see what goes on when Heather goes home (she, uh, is really into bonfires), when you rely too much on a discredited doctor and his shifty medical advice, and how much physical gratification means to Aurora. We also talk about how much fun The Uncanny Experience was and how much Superman made us want to cry.


Star Trek: Voyager 9-11
#20
07/09/2025

We are back in the Delta Quadrant to visit with our favorite late-90s shipbound Trek crew! We get a named supporting character who has a great Trek legacy; he promptly then leaves the ship. And we end on a cliffhanger!


Alpha Flight 43-45
#19
06/25/2025

We visit the New Life Clinic on the way to Expo '86 in this episode, and it's not the fun adventure you would think it could be! But at least the team has a good doctor on call(?).


Tower of Shadows
#18
06/18/2025

Phillip and Daryl go through the newly-released Tower of Shadows collection, published by Fantagraphics on collaboration with Marvel. We highlight some of our favorite moments from the eight issue collection and try to bring spooky season a little early this year.


Star Trek: Voyager 6-8
#17
06/11/2025

We're back and reviewing a three issue arc centered on Captain Janeway doing her best when stranded with some crusty Delta quadrant villains! Join us as we chat about the drama involved. Plus, Tom and Harry are dumb.


Alpha Flight Annual 1, Issues 41-42
#16
05/28/2025

We get a fun little adventure in Alpha Flight's first annual- including the return of our queen, Gilded Lily! After that, we see the book start to change under Mantlo's pen with the resuscitation of Beta Flight!


Star Trek: Voyager 4-5
#15
05/21/2025

The Voyager crew encounters the Kazon for the first time within the comic! Also: cheesecake.


Alpha Flight 39-40, Avengers 272, Marvel Comics Presents 99
#14
05/15/2025

Ready for the end of the Atlantis arc? Well, before we get to that- we get an eight page story about Puck! Then we move on to Alpha Flight 39-40 and Avengers 272. And spoiler: it ends in a wedding!


Star Trek: Voyager 1-3
#13
05/07/2025

We begin our exploration of the Delta Quadrant with Star Trek: Voyager issues 1-3! Journey with us as we dive into some Talaxian-related drama!


Alpha Flight 35-38
#12
04/30/2025

We get a brand new villain in the book- Pestilence! And he's gross! These four issues are the first half of a big arc that focuses on Snowbird, Shaman, Talisman, and Marrina (primarily).


Starfleet Academy 17-19
#11
04/23/2025

We bid farewell to Starfleet Academy with its final three issues and we have some big feelings about it!