Bob Layton - X-Factor Cover Commission

A while back, as I was watching the CAF update, this commission idea occurred to me. It was right around the time Bob expressed his displeasure with X-Factor and its costumes after advising on them (thanks to us for hounding him about it). I had a crystal clear picture of the piece in my mind.

I finally reached out to him and asked for "Cyclops (X-Factor Costume) fighting Iron Man (artist's choice/weird armors are cool) on the cover of X-Factor. I'm thinking Cyclops front and center, optic-blasting a defeated Iron Man in the back, as he's standing over him. Or, as a second choice, Cyclops blasts Iron Man out of the sky. Essentially, Cyclops is the star. In the background, Jean Grey and Emma Frost are together. Emma is consoling Jean. Jean is worried/in tears, and Emma is maliciously gleeful. Somewhere, perhaps along the very bottom under Iron Man as a singular line, a cover line reads 'The Boys Are Back In Town!'"

Bob completely found an undiscovered X-Factor cover. The piece is a perfect cover commission. Iron Man still features while the X-Men remain stars of the piece. Bob went above and beyond for the setting, too. It's bright, gorgeous, classic, and dramatically humorous. Everyone I've shown this piece to has nothing but good things, even when they add to the jocular presentation.

Bob is lightning fast, and Spencer sent the piece at the speed of light. This is what commissioning is all about.