Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for X-Men ‘97 Episode 4.
X-Men ‘97has introduced a number of new characters into the world ofX-Men: The Animated Series. Some of those characters are deep cuts from comics canon, particularlythe mutant-hating X-CutionerandJean Grey’s clone Madelyne Pryor. With the latest episodes “Fire Made Flesh” and “Montendo/Lifedeath — Part 1,” another new mutant has entered the picture:the mutant inventor known as Forge. Forge tracks down Storm (Allison Sealy-Smith), promising that he can help her regain her mutant powers after she loses them in battle with the X-Cutioner. But who is Forge, and has he brought more trouble to the X-Men’s doorstep?
A band of mutants use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them; they’re challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.
Forge Has a Complicated History With the X-Men — Especially Storm
Forge first appeared inUncanny X-Men #184byChris Claremont andJohn Romita Jr., which also marked the issue where Storm lost her powers. He would later reappear in theLifedeathstory inUncanny X-Men #186,and formed a romantic connection with Stormthat was shattered once she learned he created the weapon that de-powered her. In future issues, more of Forge’s backstory is revealed. He was a soldier who was wounded during service in the Vietnam War, which led to the activation of his mutant powers: the ability to understand and construct complex machinery.Using his mutant gift, Forge made himself a set of cybernetic prosthetics to replace his missing hand and leg.
Forge’s actions would come to haunt himwhen the demonic figure known as the Adversary appeared. The Adversary had been let loose when Forge tapped into his innate magical abilities and summoned a horde of demons to kill the men who killed his fellow soldiers in Vietnam; therefore, he sought to defeat the malevolent presence by any means necessary. The Adversary transports Forge and Storm to another worldwhere he is able to restore her powers. Following theFall of the Mutantsstoryline, where Storm and the rest of the X-Men seemingly sacrificed themselves, Forge joined the mutant team known as Freedom Force — who were also the former members of the Brotherhood of Mutants. He even formed a romance with Mystique before Banshee enlisted his help in tracking down the X-Men; after rejoining the mutant team, Forge would continue to help them and other mutant superheroes.
Forge’s Ties to Another Team of Mutant Heroes Are Hinted at in ‘X-Men ‘97’
Most of “Lifedeath — Part 1” follows the comics, with Storm turning her back on Forge after she learned he created depowering technology and the Adversary trapping both of them in a living nightmare. But eagle-eyed Marvel fans may have caught Forge’s ties to another superhero team. As Forge leads Storm around his home in Dallas, Texas, the walls of his basement feature photos of another superhero team —the mutant heroes known as X-Factor.
X-Factor previously appeared inX-Men: The Animated Series, when former X-Man Iceman came to the team for help. Their membership includes Havok, Cyclops’s brother who can absorb and fire solar energy; Polaris, the mistress of magnetism whom Iceman was in love with; shapeshifter Wolfsbane; super speedster Quicksilver (who also happens to be Magneto’s son); Jamie Madrox, whose ability to duplicate himself earned him the moniker “Multiple Man”; and the nigh-invulnerable Strong Guy. Unlike the X-Men, X-Factor had the backing of the government and werewidely accepted as heroes by the public; in the comics, Forge acted as their liaison to the government.
Prior to their government work, X-Factor boasted a familiar roster: the original founding members of the X-Men, including Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, Archangel, and Jean Grey. Formerly working as mutant hunters who would secretly help their “targets” live a new life, the team ended up rebelling when their manager, Cameron Hodge, turned out to be an anti-mutant supporter.The seeds for the original X-Factor forming may have been sewninX-Men ‘97as Cyclops is struggling with whether he’s needed on the team and Jean has returned following her cloning at the hands of Mr. Sinister. No matter what happens, Forge is set to play a major role in the rest of the season.
X-Men ‘97 is available to stream on Disney+, with new episodes premiering every Wednesday.
