At the time, Multiple was still unaware of his renegade duplicate running around, but he finally learned over the next days. Everything fell into place during the press conference where Val Cooper introduced the new X-Factor, consisting of Havok, Polaris, Wolfsbane, Strong Guy, Quicksilver and Multiple Man. However, among the crowd of reporters was the renegade Jamie duplicate, who accused the main Jamie of being an imposter. The two Madroxes started battling each other, each calling up as many duplicates as possible. Apparently 40 duplicates is Multiple Mans upper limit, as when there were twenty pairs of Madroxes fighting each other all over Washington, no more Jamies appeared, even though the others kept hitting each other.
X-Factor knocked out all Jamies one by one, until only the two remained who had started the fight. Unsure who to believe, both Multiple Men were strapped into special chairs in the basement of X-Factor's base. Unable to move, neither one could hit himself and create duplicates. A polygraph expert was called in and, after excessive tests, he declared that the Jamie among X-Factor was the fake. Moira MacTaggert, confirming the happenings at the Coconut Grove, of which X-Factors Jamie had no knowledge, was another clue pointing in that direction. It didnt occur to any of his teammates that the two Madroxes might have split apart before that incident.
The renegade Jamie was let go and he absorbed the other Jamie into himself. Despite X-Factor telling him that of course he would be welcome among the team too, Multiple Man left, wanting no part in it. He soon met with Senator Steven Shaffran, the Nasty Boys and Mister Sinister, the mastermind behind all of it. The entire scheme was a stab at the US government in an attempt to undermine their credibility. When Sinister had found the renegade Jamie, he had Shaffran use his probability-altering powers to enforce his different personality. In a first attempt to take main Jamies place, the renegade version had shot him at the apartment and, after that had failed, Sinister posed as the polygraph expert, testifying on his behalf. Everything went according to their plans. However, all of a sudden, Jamies body began to collapse upon itself and vanished, before reappearing again in his X-Factor persona. The main Jamies personality was the stronger one and, together with his teammates, he managed to put a stop to Sinister schemes. [X-Factor #73-75]