Warning: Contains spoilers forX-Force #4!A mysterious new lineup ofAvengershas officially made its bold debut in a shocking cliffhanger at the end of Marvel’s latest issue ofX-Force. When Nuklo starts causing destruction all over the world, Captain Britain helps the X-Force travel through Otherworld so they can teleport to stop the rampage. However, after their battle ensues, they are stopped by a group of familiar heroes with new unique designs and identities.
At the end ofX-Force#4 by Geoffrey Thorne, Marcus To, Erick Arciniega, and Joe Caramagna,Forge’s team of mutantscomes face to face with five different versions of iconic Avengers.Storm, Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Panther take on new forms and looksas their team confronts the X-Force.
Though this roster is a fresh development, some of the designs are reminiscent of alternate universe charactersin a Marvel Comics storyline from over thirty years ago. The mutant team will seemingly go up against the Avengers team from another world first introduced by a legendaryX-Forcewriter.
Forever Yesterday: Marvel’s New Avengers Designs Have ’90s Origins
With a Big Focus on Classic Characters
The Avengers at the end ofX-Force#4 originates in a 1991 comics storyline calledForever Yesterday, which begins inTheNew Warriors#11by Fabian Nicieza, Mark Bagley, Larry Mahlstedt, Andy Yanchus, and Joe Rosen. In the story, which takes place on Earth-9105,Captain Assyria leads an Avengers team with Storm, Iron Man, Monica Rambeau as Sceptre, and the Egyptian god Horusas a Thor-like character variant. InX-Force, Cap, Storm, and Horus’ designs are pretty similar to their ’90s counterparts, but Iron Man’s suit is a new cool blue, while the character resembling White Wolf is a fresh addition to the Avengers of Assyria.
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If the MCU’s take on the Avengers is the only one you’re familiar with, you’ve got a big surprise coming here.
TheForever Yesterdayuniverse has only shown up once since its three-issue run inTheNew Warriors, more recently appearing in a Spider-Verse adventure calledWeb Warriorswhere that universe’s version of Electro appeared.Though it’s still unclear why they’ve shown up inX-Force, it could be a result of the team’s Otherworld travelorForge’s powerful new gadgets like the Analog. Regardless, it’s fascinating to see this Avengers team from the past in a bold new fashion with a reinvigorated lineup. As they order the X-Force to stand down amid their incursion, perhaps Earth-9105 will be fleshed out even more.
Forge and Storm’s Romance Returns With a Surprising Twist
Could They Be Getting Back Together?
Another one of the big takeaways from the cliffhanger at the end of the latest issue is Forge’s reaction to being confronted with an unknown new version of Ororo.The two mutants’ romance is a major part of both of their Marvel histories,and though they’ve both had other relationships, Forge is understandably still a little hung up on his lost love. Their relationship went more mainstream when theLifedeathadaptation inX-Men ‘97highlighted Forge and Storm’s steamy romance, but has come back to Marvel Comics as Forge joins Ororo at Omega-level mutant status and leads his X-Force team.
As noted, Storm and Forge’s romance played a large role in the critically-acclaimedX-Men ‘97animated show. The first season is available to stream in its entirety on Disney+!
Forge will undoubtedly remain unlucky in love as he meets this Ororo, sincetheForever Yesterdayversion of Storm was married to Horus in her last appearance. FutureX-Forcesolicitations also revealed a reunion between the two for the series’ upcoming sixth issue with a cover by Stephen Segovia and Rain Beredo, along with a love triangle featuring Mystique also being teased. Though that version seems to be a different Storm than is featured in theForever Yesterdaythrowback, andpossibly different from her currentAvengerslook, Ororo keeps coming back to haunt Forge as the one that got away.
Forge’s Brilliant New Inventions Could Be Leading to Disaster
And It Will All Play Out inX-Force
The themes fromLifedeathandForge’s innovative devicesending up detrimental to mutants may be making a return as his inventions become increasingly more advanced and powerful. Between his upgrades to the X-Force jet and suits and the Analog device guiding the team toward world-ending threats before they happen,Forge’s tech advancements are groundbreaking but threatening if in the wrong hands.Though it’s unclear if the Earth-9105 Avengers have shown up due to a mishap during Captain Britain’s Otherworld trip or due to the Analog going awry, the new Omega-level mutant Forge will have to keep his inventions close to his chest.
TheForever YesterdayAvengershave returned to shake up Marvel continuity yet again.
Though the Avengers team making their debut at the end ofX-Force#4 isn’t a totally new invention for the series, the lineup is still a bold new development for the universe. Crossing over with the ’90s iteration of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes fromTheNew Warriors, the mutants will have to explain themselves and perhaps work together with the team to figure out what’s going on. TheX-Forcemust attempt to navigate the distinct personalities and identities of these different heroes from what they know, as theForever YesterdayAvengershave returned to shake up Marvel continuity yet again.
X-Force#4is available now from Marvel Comics.
X-Force
X-Force is a Marvel comic book series that started in 1991 after the team debuted in The New Mutants #100. X-Force was created by Rob Liefeld and originally consisted of Cable, Cannonball, Copycat, Shatterstar, Feral, Boom-Boom, and Warpath. Several other notable Marvel characters have joined the team over the years including Jean Grey, Deadpool, Wolverine, Deathlok, and X-23.
