Let’s take a moment and admire that Mike Mignola cover. Wow.
Future X-Factor reinventor Peter David (whose run on volume 2 of this title will be PHENOMENAL) does a one-and-done pitting Beast against Mesmero, with the fate of ex-girlfriend Vera Cantor hanging in the balance. Sadly, Mignola doesn’t do the interior art, but it’s still a fun story. It’s mostly Beast fighting through Mesmero’s illusions until he finally reaches Vera and saves her.
There’s a coda tacked on at the end saying Infectia hired Mesmero. It looks like it was something editorial added to make this story relevant to the ongoing X-Factor saga, since this issue could have been written for multiple series and have occurred pretty much any time in Marvel’s timeline.