[8] Peter David has developed the character, placing Layla at the center of the ensemble of mutant private detectives in his title X-Factor.

Doctor Strange suggested that the Scarlet Witch had created Layla as a failsafe to help the heroes in case something went wrong.

[10] Contradicting Doctor Strange's theory of her origin, Layla's life prior to the events of House of M has been described: she was a young mutant living in an orphanage where she was teased and bullied by other orphans.

However, Layla was shown to have fabricated a large portion of her experiences at the orphanage in order to facilitate her entry into X-Factor Investigations;[11] the extent of what really occurred is unknown.

When X-Factor have their final showdown with Singularity Investigations, she helps uncover the fact that Guido had been brainwashed by them at some point in his past while rescuing a client.

[14] Jamie organizes all X-Factor members to see Doc Samson for psychiatric evaluations; they play chess and she reveals she is willing to make sacrifices for the greater good and that even she is expendable.

[17] When the Inhumans come looking for Quicksilver, Layla advises him that Black Bolt isn't going to kill him during the confrontation and that he should take a small trip to the future to see the outcome of what happens to them.

When Siryn and Monet return from France, they bring an ex-mutant named Nicole, which shocks Layla because she didn't know of her arrival.

[19] Around this time, she is also offered a place among Nick Fury's Secret Warriors by Daisy Johnson but declines, claiming the mutants will need her more.

Layla then proceeds to kill the dupe to send the information back to the original Jamie, leaving her alone and stranded in the future.

[volume & issue needed] Layla eventually escapes the camp and helps a new mutant called Linqon.

[30] Later, Layla, Jamie and Ruby go find an old, frail Doctor Doom, requesting his help with time travel.

[33] Taking Doom to an old lab, he creates a Doomlock and turns on them, bringing forth Cortex, the rogue Madrox dupe.

Cryptically, she informs her younger self that while she knows why Doom sent her further back, Jamie will find out in "a couple of years",[34] apparently indicating that much time has elapsed since the current X-Factor series began (since Layla has only been "knowing stuff" since after the "House of M" event; prior to this, her ability was to awaken lost memories).

[volume & issue needed] Following the disappearance of the Invisible Woman, it is revealed Layla has been living with Dr. Doom in an advisory capacity for a year, awaiting to cross paths with X-Factor while they search for Susan Richards.

[35] During the events of Second Coming, Bastion assigns Bolivar Trask and his Mutant Response Division to target and kill every member of X-Factor Investigations.

Arriving at Dublin Airport, Layla and Shatterstar have come to the aid of Theresa Cassidy, who is now going by the codename Banshee.

During the confrontation, Layla uses technology acquired from Dr. Doom to combat the MRD soldiers and point Monet in the right direction to help turn the tide of the battle.

After Monet faints from exhaustion, she informs Guido that Wolfsbane has returned and joins the rest of X-Factor on a trip to Las Vegas.

Madrox has figured out that Layla has brought Guido (Strong Guy) back from death at the cost of his soul.

After being questioned by her teammates, Layla tells the X-Factor team the truth about reviving Strong Guy at the cost of his soul, before chanting a spell that sends Bloodbath to hell.

There is a flashback (flash-forward since it takes place 80 years in an alternate future) that shows Layla writing in a journal that described the outcome if Guido was left dead.

After their tryst, Layla admits to Jamie that she did revive Guido (Strong Guy) and doesn't want to keep any more secrets from him.

She states she wanted to change fate so Monet wouldn't blame herself for Guido's death, which would have resulted in her going through a year-long depression.

Before she could admit to Madrox that she was part of the reason that Terry left X-Factor investigations, Havok steps in and takes the blame.

[34] The sheer volume of knowledge was too much for a normal brain to take, and thus resulted in several gaps and blind spots (not knowing that Strong Guy was brainwashed, that Josef Huber's companion Nicole was a robot, or the machinations of Damian Tryp, for example).

Layla's foreknowledge is also heavily dependent on what her future self experienced and read from her younger self's journals, and thus she does not know what effects straying from this source might have (as in the case of Madrox's death).

[48] One such device that Layla now regularly employs is a power gauntlet capable of various effects such as force fields,[49] giant saws,[50] and energy blasts.

Writer Peter David addressed this disparity with Layla's powers in the letter column of X-Factor vol.