X-FORCE #1 REVIEW

[Jason Grasso]

<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11775"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xforcev3-01t.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="X-Force #1"></a>Reviewer: Jason Grasso, Desperad07@aol.com
Story Title: Angels and Demons, Part 1 of 6

X-Force, now with 100% less Liefeld!

Writers: Craig Kyle and Christ Yost
Artist: Clayton Crain
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Production: Irene Lee
Assistant Editor: Aubrey Sitterson
Editor: John Barber
Executive Editor Axel Alonso
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Published by: Marvel Comics (www.marvel.com)

I was very skeptical of this new version of X-Force. For one, the genesis of the team seemed such an abrupt departure from what the X-Men are all about. Secondly, it’s an oddly structured team, compromising mutants with almost the exact same specialties (tracking, bladed weapons or mutations, often reckless strength). But most importantly, it was another comic book to spotlight the ridiculously-overused Wolverine.

But the debut issue of Cyclops’ wetworks team, given the spotlight in many issues of Messiah Complex, is quite impressive on a few levels, even despite the aforementioned reservations. It also picks up the fumble that was the Purifiers’ inexplicable quick exit from the crossover event after having been a crucial part of its beginning.

The Purifiers’ have infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. and slaughtered agents from the inside to gain something important. The details are sketchy but Cyclops understands that the Purifiers are no longer to be treated with delicate hands and Xavierian morals so he regroups X-Force, sans the injured Hepzibah and the deceased Caliban, to eliminate the threat.<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11776"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xforcev3-01bvt.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="X-Force #1 (bloody variant)"></a>

Messiah Complex only briefly touched upon the idea that Cyclops and Wolverine, once polar opposites, are now more alike than one can remember. Wolverine has become a sort of bastion of justice in the Marvel Universe, less the conflicted ronin and more the determined teacher and father figure. Meanwhile, Cyclops has become a determined, uninhibited leader, with no time for the trappings that once hampered him, whether it be the influence of love, or that of his mentor, Xavier. He’s now essentially handling things on a level with Wolverine. I think it’s important that the two eventually got to this place as there may not be two X-Men who’ve been allied together more consistently over the years than these two. With or without Jean Grey, their rivalry had gotten stale and only served to pump up Logan’s machismo at the sacrifice of the characterization of Scott Summers. For now, it is fun to see Wolverine shocked at Cyclops’ violent inclinations.

Wolverine initially has reservations and seeks to handle this on his own, but Cyclops has already sent X-23 ahead to the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility much to Logan’s chagrin. Wolfsbane and Warpath both have a vested interest in this mission, completing a four-man team with the ability to literally rip people to shreds and plenty of reasons to do so. This ain’t your older brother's X-Force. They track the Purifiers to the church where the evil group is attempting to gain considerable leverage over the mutants via some familiar technology.

If you were around during the lean and disappointing days of Operation: Zero Tolerance, you’ll find particular interest in who makes an appearance by issue’s end. It’s a natural progression of the Nimrod storyline that has been a key part of storylines in Kyle and Yost’s New X-Men run. The Purifier’s new weapon awakens just as X-Force enters the fray, leading to a classic yet rather predictable cliffhanger.

I was really impressed with Crain’s art. I understand it’s a bit of an acquired taste and I don’t know that I have even had any exposure to it previous to this. But it really helped elevate the title for me, making it something I would continue to pursue quite eagerly. Of particular note were the illustrations of the Purifiers’ machinations in both the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility and their own church. The most impressive one was the wide shot of Warpath at Caliban’s burial, painted so brilliantly that it most closely resembled a photograph.<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11777"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/xforcev3-01vt.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="X-Force #1 (variant)"></a>

X-Force gets off to an entertaining start, with enough introspection to validate its place in the current X-Men oeuvre. (It’s certainly more relevant than the directionless kick-off to Divided We Stand found in Uncanny X-Men.) As someone with very little exposure to New X-Men, I found the writing to be exceptional. Interwoven with art distinct from other X-titles, this creative team could really take this team places. To me, the key to that long term success will be how much freedom they are given to take those stories to definitive conclusions and not just make this thing feel like another vehicle for an icon character.

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‘Don’t be a Nimrod! Buy X-Force online now from X-WORLD and save!’ (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=26079)

[Nick Costanzo]

I'm absolutely interested enough in this to pick up the first trade. I'm no longer really in to the idea of buying single issues, but that's for all titles. Comcis just read better in trade form these days. I figure in a few months we'll get the first trade for this title.

[Ann Nichols]

I thought it was very significant that when Wolverine pointed out to Warpath & X-23 that if they went along with this mission, they'd no longer be X-Men, he invoked every surviving member of the original team except for Cyclops.

[Lambi]

Interesting.
You may have jsut convinced me to pick this up.
And Liefield free to boot!

[franckd]

Thanks for the review. You got me interested. I didn't even want to try the book before. I will buy the first issue with my next X-Factor.

[Radiate]

I've always thought the X-Men should have a covert-ops team! Despite my love for the X-Men as a family, they've needed this team, now more than ever because of the times they live in.

So count me in!:D

RADIATE!

[Phil Hunn]

Still not going anywhere near this. Good art can't compensate for the fact that I'm not 15 anymore, and stopped finding this kind of mindless carnage fun a decade back...

[cattmoe]

Good art can't compensate for the fact that I'm not 15 anymore, and stopped finding this kind of mindless carnage fun a decade back...

Really? Because that Joker icon says otherwise....

I wasn't excited when I first heard about this series but I decided to give a shot and I'm glad I did. I was definitely impressed by the first issue, although I wouldn't be upset if Wolverine were replaced with someone else.

[Phil Hunn]

Really? Because that Joker icon says otherwise....

A bunch of heroes going down the "kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" route? No thanks. Especially since Jamie Madrox just proved that there were other ways to deal with the Purifiers than to simply slash them to pieces...

[Jos1988]

liefeld wasnt that bad, amused me alot. (please note: im ridiculously feverish and also see snakes coming out of my alarm clock) :sick:

back to the main topic at hand, im curious about this. if reviews of subsequent issues remain pretty positive i might give this a looksee

[Jack]

A bunch of heroes going down the "kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" route? No thanks. Especially since Jamie Madrox just proved that there were other ways to deal with the Purifiers than to simply slash them to pieces...


Phil, as always, entitled to your opinions, but I have to ask. You continually seem to dislike almost everything X-related year after year. You won't buy this. You won't buy that. So that naturally begs the question why you bother to continue to respond or concern yourself with the X-Line at all. I'm not saying that you do not have some valid points, but if you've outgrown these stories, books, characters....

[JD Francesco]

The funniest commentary I've read on X-Force so far came from Paul O'Brien on the X-Axis:


...common sense is apparently at a premium in this book, because the deniable, secret black-ops X-Men team are wearing X-Men uniforms with X-logos on them, and are led by the world-famous X-Men member Wolverine, wearing a slightly recoloured version of his world-famous costume. As secret teams go, these guys suck.

He also brought up the question of exactly how Cyclops plans to keep this team a secret from his telepath girlfriend. I don't think I'm going to read X-Force but for the sake of any of you critical thinkers who are shelling out money every month to read it, I hope the issue is addressed.

I did thumb through it in the store to see for myself that no one from any of the X-teams except Warpath could be bothered to show up for Cannon fodder's funeral. :hmmm:

Nice art though.

[iceman06]

A bunch of heroes going down the "kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" route? No thanks. Especially since Jamie Madrox just proved that there were other ways to deal with the Purifiers than to simply slash them to pieces...

I guess you'd hate reading a novels following the exploits of war heroes or military/intelligence special ops forces who often "kill 'em and let God sort 'em out" when they engage the enemy on their missions. Also, what exactly did Jamie accomplish? He got into a fight with people who probably killed some of his dupes while he was unwilling to kill.

The funniest commentary I've read on X-Force so far came from Paul O'Brien on the X-Axis:

...common sense is apparently at a premium in this book, because the deniable, secret black-ops X-Men team are wearing X-Men uniforms with X-logos on them, and are led by the world-famous X-Men member Wolverine, wearing a slightly recoloured version of his world-famous costume. As secret teams go, these guys suck.

In the past, X-Force ran around wearing x's without any connection to the X-Men, the X-Men are disbanded, Wolverine runs around doing the exact same stuff with his bright yellow costume without anyone saying anything, and dead men tell no tales.

He also brought up the question of exactly how Cyclops plans to keep this team a secret from his telepath girlfriend. I don't think I'm going to read X-Force but for the sake of any of you critical thinkers who are shelling out money every month to read it, I hope the issue is addressed.

Maybe, he's developed mental blocks that would require her to be extremely invasive (thus violating their trust) to know anything about what he's doing. Once she feels the resistence, she may be smart enough to realize she doesn't want to know about it.

I did thumb through it in the store to see for myself that no one from any of the X-teams except Warpath could be bothered to show up for Cannon fodder's funeral. :hmmm:

That is probably his 2nd funeral. Warpath also held a private fureral for his brother after the official X-Men funeral.

[jota]

The funniest commentary I've read on X-Force so far came from Paul O'Brien on the X-Axis:
...common sense is apparently at a premium in this book, because the deniable, secret black-ops X-Men team are wearing X-Men uniforms with X-logos on them, and are led by the world-famous X-Men member Wolverine, wearing a slightly recoloured version of his world-famous costume. As secret teams go, these guys suck.
He doesn't mention the fact that no one that meets X-Force is suposed to survive. Who cares if the guy Wolverine is about to decapitate recognizes him, who's he going to tell? A medium?

[Jordan T. Maxwell]

i have next to zero interest in this book. (of course, that "next to" is on the negative side. :P) Kyle and Yost have yet to impress me as writers and the entire concept just strikes me as a yawnworthy and derivative step back to the "grim and gritty" aspects of 90s X-Men books that were entertaining enough when i was 11 but don't hold much relevance now.

and i loved Brubaker's first issue of Uncanny post-MC, so i'm guessing the Bizarro opinion in this review means i should trust my instincts and steer clear of this mess. :P

[Greg Reeves]

i have next to zero interest in this book. (of course, that "next to" is on the negative side. :P) Kyle and Yost have yet to impress me as writers and the entire concept just strikes me as a yawnworthy and derivative step back to the "grim and gritty" aspects of 90s X-Men books that were entertaining enough when i was 11 but don't hold much relevance now.

and i loved Brubaker's first issue of Uncanny post-MC, so i'm guessing the Bizarro opinion in this review means i should trust my instincts and steer clear of this mess. :P
Let's not deny that a large part of your dislike stems from the fact that they killed you. :P

[ultimateX]

i am very pleased that marvel has sustained their level of providing top-notch work for its loyal fans. after messiah complex, i would expect some sort of down time for readers. but that didn't happened as shown in xforce#1. i must say, this is very different from the x-books that i love. i guess the editors have finally realised to raise the bar a notch higher and provide us with this team that will hopefully spin out more interesting stories. kudos to the group. looking forward for more.

[JD Francesco]

He doesn't mention the fact that no one that meets X-Force is suposed to survive. Who cares if the guy Wolverine is about to decapitate recognizes him, who's he going to tell? A medium?

I suppose if the book is to successfully stay true to its mission statement then there will not be any recurring villains for the duration. However, bringing back Bastion isn't such a bad idea. It would be kind of a waste to just kill him off at the end of the first story arc.


In the past, X-Force ran around wearing x's without any connection to the X-Men, the X-Men are disbanded, Wolverine runs around doing the exact same stuff with his bright yellow costume without anyone saying anything, and dead men tell no tales.

I think pre X-Cutioner's Song X-Force is probably the closest thing to this current incarnation. They may have been running around wearing the X but I was never given the impression that they were operating in secret. I guess their mountain base was kind of intended as a secret but the Brotherhood and the Morlocks found it easily enough. Also Cable was still a mystery man at the time. Not even an official X-man. Wolverine on the other hand is.

As for Wolverine's solo title, I don't read it so I suppose you know better than I.


Maybe, he's developed mental blocks that would require her to be extremely invasive (thus violating their trust) to know anything about what he's doing. Once she feels the resistence, she may be smart enough to realize she doesn't want to know about it.

That is probably his 2nd funeral. Warpath also held a private fureral for his brother after the official X-Men funeral.

Heh, I'm probably the only one who cares that Cannon fodder is dead so I guess the desert scene is all we're going to see. Readers shouldn't have to assume how Scott is managing to keep any of this a secret from Emma though. It should come up in the story. Hopefully it does.

[Allison Wright]

He doesn't mention the fact that no one that meets X-Force is suposed to survive. Who cares if the guy Wolverine is about to decapitate recognizes him, who's he going to tell? A medium?
That really makes me want to read the book...So they'll be killing any witnesses as well as the evil doers, then?

[Jason Grasso]

and i loved Brubaker's first issue of Uncanny post-MC, so i'm guessing the Bizarro opinion in this review means i should trust my instincts and steer clear of this mess. :P

It's ironic because some X-Force detractors are pointing out things like a cover-ops team wearing Xs on their uniforms led by the famous Wolverine, and Cyclops keeping secrets from a telepath. But in comparison to Uncanny X-Men, a delightful romp on the heels of their mentor's seemingly mortal end and uncertain disappearance, Bizarro world still makes more sense. A gritty comic just seems more appropriate for the x-universe now instead of an inexplicably vacuous trip back to the 60s, but only after some nookie in the Savage Land!

[Kizmet]

He doesn't mention the fact that no one that meets X-Force is suposed to survive. Who cares if the guy Wolverine is about to decapitate recognizes him, who's he going to tell? A medium?

Ahhh! So that's why X-23 added a mask to her costume, because she doesn't want the dead people she leaves in her wake to be able to ID her.

Wait, what if the bad guys are holding innocent victims prisoner? Will X-Force kill them too or let the secret come out? After all it's public perception that Scott's worried about, not the villains he'd actually send X-Force after.

And of course X-Force are such a bunch of perfect killing machines that there's no chance ANYONE would ever escape, or that they'd ever get caught on surveillance video.

I agree that UXM's current tone is way too light to match the mood set by MC, but X-Force is still not a direction I want to see the X-Men travel in. X-Factor hits the right balance between bad things have happened and the characters are effected by that without going the route of abandoning all the principals the X-Men stand for and becoming remorseless killing machines, who when they aren't committing murder spend all their time either talking about how wrong it is to commit murder or making plans to commit murder.

[David Henry]

I'm impressed.

I didn't expect much from this book, with its team of hack and slashers, but the writing was solid and sharp and the highly stylized art was the clincher.

This clayton Crain can tell a story. The fact that he handles the pencils, inks and colors so adeptly puts him on a plane almost by himself. The art and colors scream Simon Beasly on Judge Dredd, but no complaints here. The art is phenomonal.

Crain's depiction of Wolverine is spot-on, and I loved his layout of Caliban's casket inside the Thunderbird markings James set up. I also like the new look he gives Rahne, who, by the way, makes an obvious and odd choice to join the team. The fact that she approached Cyclops is interesting.

And make no mistake that this is Cyclops' team. Not Wolverine's.

Again, great, dramatic start.

If Xavier's dream is finally over, as Cyclops mentioned in Uncanny, X-Force certainly nails the coffin. This team could never happen with Charles alive. I wonder what Magneto would think...?

[iceman06]

I think pre X-Cutioner's Song X-Force is probably the closest thing to this current incarnation. They may have been running around wearing the X but I was never given the impression that they were operating in secret...Not even an official X-man. Wolverine on the other hand is.

Does it really matter how secret it is? Even if X-Force becomes known to the public, the important part is that they don't claim ties to the X-Men. They'll simply be like the old X-Force.

Readers shouldn't have to assume how Scott is managing to keep any of this a secret from Emma though. It should come up in the story. Hopefully it does.

How do you know the story you want wasn't written 4 months ago? This is the 1st month of this new direction. Give them some time to tell their stories so you know you have something to complain about.

Ahhh! So that's why X-23 added a mask to her costume, because she doesn't want the dead people she leaves in her wake to be able to ID her.

I think she added the mask because someone told her they're good for not being seen in the dark by people who want to kill you. They didn't get around to explaining how the bare midrift doesn't help though.

Wait, what if the bad guys are holding innocent victims prisoner? Will X-Force kill them too or let the secret come out? After all it's public perception that Scott's worried about, not the villains he'd actually send X-Force after.

And of course X-Force are such a bunch of perfect killing machines that there's no chance ANYONE would ever escape, or that they'd ever get caught on surveillance video.

Again, I don't think it's that big of a deal in the long run. If innocents discover X-Force, it's X-Force led by the guy running around with the unregistered superheroes calling themselves Avengers not the disbanded X-Men. Also, X-Force probably saved their lives.

I agree that UXM's current tone is way too light to match the mood set by MC, but X-Force is still not a direction I want to see the X-Men travel in. X-Factor hits the right balance between bad things have happened and the characters are effected by that without going the route of abandoning all the principals the X-Men stand for and becoming remorseless killing machines, who when they aren't committing murder spend all their time either talking about how wrong it is to commit murder or making plans to commit murder.

I'll give PAD a chance to tell his story, but I don't see how X-Factor can do much to stop the Purifiers. The point of X-Foorce is that these people are tired of being effected by the bad things the Purifiers have done. As for the bold type, every time I hear these complaints I'm struck by how much this sounds like some of our military men and women who put their lives on the line and carry the burden of taking another person's life so that we don't have to. The circumstances are different, but they're doing the same thing. Whose to say that these people have no remorse or won't be seen showing any? Also, who wins the election?

[David Henry]

... Whose to say that these people have no remorse or won't be seen showing any? Also, who wins the election?

I think it's already setup that Rahne and Jimmy will be the two to ground Wolverine and X-23, who I'm starting to like as a character, now. Didn't think that would happen. I like the fact that she's very intelligent and articulate. But considering one of her best friends is Kidden from NYX, it's no wonder she's a smart cookie, too.

[Kizmet]

Again, I don't think it's that big of a deal in the long run. If innocents discover X-Force, it's X-Force led by the guy running around with the unregistered superheroes calling themselves Avengers not the disbanded X-Men. Also, X-Force probably saved their lives.

The problem is named Tony and/or public perception. Right now by claiming the X-Men are disbanded Scott is trying to put off formal registration of mutants. If a bunch of mutant vigilantes are running around who are clearly associated with the X-Men then it is likely that Tony will insist on mutant registration.

Why would Scott care about the bad guys knowing who his team is? They've abandoned the mansion. He's gotten rid of any public target for mutant haters. The reason the team can't be associated with the X-Men is because of what they're doing. A team of mutants running around dispensing justice as they see fit is only going to breed more fear and hate toward mutant among baseline humans. That's why X-Force has to be hidden away like a dirty secret. But what's the point if the disguise is paper thin.


As for the bold type, every time I hear these complaints I'm struck by how much this sounds like some of our military men and women who put their lives on the line and carry the burden of taking another person's life so that we don't have to. The circumstances are different, but they're doing the same thing.

And I don't like hearing real military people and police, who are held accountable for their actions compared to Cyclops' personal assassin squad. My brother is a soldier, not a vigilante playing judge, jury and executioner.

Because your typical comic book hero is a vigilante, acting on their own recognizance with no higher authority and no accountability their behavior has to be above reproach. And since Scott is doing everything in his power to keep his assassin squad under the radar it's clear that he doesn't want them answerable to the public.


Whose to say that these people have no remorse or won't be seen showing any?

Of course we're going to be seeing them feel remorse. Still what I don't like about this book is that even when the team isn't in the act of killing someone every aspect of the book revolves around killing. In this issue we have Scott and Logan arguing the morality of a team like X-Force who's mission is to kill. We have Logan telling X-23 and James about how killing is bad for the soul. Then we've X-Force and the Purifiers killing. And afterwards we probably will have X-Force members angsting about killing. It's still all about violence.

[iceman06]

The problem is named Tony and/or public perception. Right now by claiming the X-Men are disbanded Scott is trying to put off formal registration of mutants. If a bunch of mutant vigilantes are running around who are clearly associated with the X-Men then it is likely that Tony will insist on mutant registration.

Public perception is a secondary concern right now. It's important, but preventing the registration of all mutants isn't as important as preventing the death of all mutants. They'll do what they need to do as long as they can.

Why would Scott care about the bad guys knowing who his team is? They've abandoned the mansion. He's gotten rid of any public target for mutant haters. The reason the team can't be associated with the X-Men is because of what they're doing. A team of mutants running around dispensing justice as they see fit is only going to breed more fear and hate toward mutant among baseline humans. That's why X-Force has to be hidden away like a dirty secret. But what's the point if the disguise is paper thin.

I still say public knowledge of the team is secondary to the team's mission. I agree that Wolverine's mask is a giveaway, but I don't see how this complaint comes up now with all he does in his regular uniform in all his other books over the years that according to everyone here should be pinned on the X-Men too.

And I don't like hearing real military people and police, who are held accountable for their actions compared to Cyclops' personal assassin squad. My brother is a soldier, not a vigilante playing judge, jury and executioner.

Well, I say tell these people to stop using words and phrases that describe the heroic acts of real life military men and women to demonize comic book characters. It's just weird. Now you're saying your only problem with this team is that they aren't held accountable for their actions? When have the X-Men ever been held accountable for their actions? They've been vigilantes for 45 years. They're all criminals. How many of them have ever been on trial for anything? While killing is definitely worse, going around beating people up (who as far as the authorities know may or may not have done any wrong) is still against the law.

Because your typical comic book hero is a vigilante, acting on their own recognizance with no higher authority and no accountability their behavior has to be above reproach. And since Scott is doing everything in his power to keep his assassin squad under the radar it's clear that he doesn't want them answerable to the public.

Again, the people who should techincally be handling this have been infiltrated by the murderous terrorists to the point where they have not and will not act. Why should Cyclops wait for them to act?

Of course we're going to be seeing them feel remorse. Still what I don't like about this book is that even when the team isn't in the act of killing someone every aspect of the book revolves around killing. In this issue we have Scott and Logan arguing the morality of a team like X-Force who's mission is to kill. We have Logan telling X-23 and James about how killing is bad for the soul. Then we've X-Force and the Purifiers killing. And afterwards we probably will have X-Force members angsting about killing. It's still all about violence.

It sounds like this isn't the book for you. That doesn't mean the book shouldn't exist or is inherently a bad idea.

[JD Francesco]

Does it really matter how secret it is? Even if X-Force becomes known to the public, the important part is that they don't claim ties to the X-Men. They'll simply be like the old X-Force.

Secrecy sure seems to be important to Scott since he keeps saying things like "No one can know" and "Emma doesn't need to know". As far as I know secrecy is how standard black ops teams work. I'm just running with the premise set by the writers. If you have a problem with the importance of the secrecy angle take it up with them.

How do you know the story you want wasn't written 4 months ago? This is the 1st month of this new direction. Give them some time to tell their stories so you know you have something to complain about.

I never said how Scott keeps the secret of X-Force from Emma wasn't going to be covered in the future. All I have said (twice already) is that I hope it will be. :)

[iceman06]

Secrecy sure seems to be important to Scott since he keeps saying things like "No one can know" and "Emma doesn't need to know". As far as I know secrecy is how standard black ops teams work. I'm just running with the premise set by the writers. If you have a problem with the importance of the secrecy angle take it up with them.

I don't have a problem with the secrecy...it's just that I don't have a problem with the secrecy not being airtight. Although they should keep it up as long as possible and make adjustments to improve, I don't think it will or can last, but once someone knows about them, they just move into the situation the original X-Force was in while not revealing the connection to the X-Men. People are seeing dead ends when I see left turns.

I never said how Scott keeps the secret of X-Force from Emma wasn't going to be covered in the future. All I have said (twice already) is that I hope it will be. :)

That's a good point. Again, I'm not worried about it. I'm more interested in the story they plan to tell. If they don't give me an answer, I already have one. People say I shouldn't have to come up with an answer, but these explanations come pretty easily.

[Imraith Nimphais]

you know...for the lot of you (the detractors) who are projecting the HOW, WHY and WHEREFORE of this team, you would think you were all sitting right there next to C & C every single moment they put pen to paper...fact o tha matter is...yer not. If you dont like the premise of the book...don't buy it...it's that simple...if yer just a bit intrigued...as one guy said earlier...pick up the trade...it's that simple. I for one, am really hooked on this new team and I'm willing to go along with C & C for the ride wherever they may take me...I am NOT going to think about the H,H & W's, that's C&C's job...not mine...all I really want is great story-telling, great character developemnt, and really beauty-full art work...and this incarnation of X-Force delivers all that and then some.

[Kizmet]

Well, I say tell these people to stop using words and phrases that describe the heroic acts of real life military men and women to demonize comic book characters. It's just weird. Now you're saying your only problem with this team is that they aren't held accountable for their actions? When have the X-Men ever been held accountable for their actions? They've been vigilantes for 45 years. They're all criminals. How many of them have ever been on trial for anything? While killing is definitely worse, going around beating people up (who as far as the authorities know may or may not have done any wrong) is still against the law.

I've never read Punisher, I've never been a fan of Wolverine's solo. Until now the X-Men have never gone out on a mission with the intent to kill. To me there is a HUGE difference between one of their enemies dying in the heat of battle and a team like X-Force which exists solely to commit premeditated murder.

As I said above, I don't mind vigilantism in comic books as the hero hold themselves to a standard above and beyond that of people who do work within a system that provides checks for the law enforcer's behavior. What I don't like is the X-Men deciding that it's okay to circumvent the laws and decide who should live and die. This is complaint is more directed at Scott forming the team than the team itself.

X-23 is a severely screwed up teenager who was raised since birth to be a weapon. Rahne is here because of a vision from the future that has her terrified that she's really a killer and that she'll eventually murder her friends. Because she's messed up she's desperate to get away from the people she believes she's fated to kill and because of the damage to her self-image she thinks she belongs with a group like X-Force. James is angry and hurt and looking for revenge. And Wolverine is leading them because Scott didn't give him any choice by sending X-23 into the field before contacting Logan.

As for Scott, he's hiding this team from his fellow X-Men, even Emma, so he doesn't have to deal with their disapproval. In MC Scott repeatedly refused to listen to anyone else. He's taking advantage of these people's problems to make them into his personal hit-squad. Scott's leadership style is military dictator and I think he's the one with the Messiah Complex... Right now the primary difference I see between Scott and Magneto is that Magneto is more charismatic.

[Phil Hunn]

Phil, as always, entitled to your opinions, but I have to ask. You continually seem to dislike almost everything X-related year after year.

I'm a naturally negative person, I guess ;)

However, if I like something, I'll say so - X-Factor is wonderful, as is X-Men First Class(and I will go on record as saying that Vulcan is a personal favourite character, just because he's a vicious, petulant bastard of a villain). It just seems to me that the wider X-Universe is heading down a nasty path, and has been for some time (since the start of Messiah CompleX, if not beforehand). Painting itself into such a tiny corner that a team like this is "necessary" in order to help it escape just seems to be a bad idea all round.

You won't buy this. You won't buy that. So that naturally begs the question why you bother to continue to respond or concern yourself with the X-Line at all. I'm not saying that you do not have some valid points, but if you've outgrown these stories, books, characters....

This is going to sound awfully pretentious, but I really do like the X-Universe, and I hate to see its supposed heroes nosediving into this kind of bloodthirsty carnage (and Cyclops being turned into Ruby-Quartz Wolverine).

I guess you'd hate reading a novels following the exploits of war heroes or military/intelligence special ops forces who often "kill 'em and let God sort 'em out" when they engage the enemy on their missions.

Warhammer 40,000 novels are among my favourite reads, actually, and history books about the Vietnam War & the autobiographical accounts of soldiers, pilots and medical personnel involved in that conflict are a personal hobby of mine.

The difference? They're military professionals, and not a bunch of vigilantes acting as judge, jury and executioner without any official sanction. The occasional death as a consequence of superhero action is fine, but for this squad to exist we have to process the idea that Cyclops - previously the poster boy for Xavier's non-violent methodology - has essentially assembled a murder squad.

Try again, Bragg.

I think she added the mask because someone told her they're good for not being seen in the dark by people who want to kill you. They didn't get around to explaining how the bare midrift doesn't help though.

Obviously, it's like the Scarlet Witch's George Perez-designed costume: if she does a little belly-dance she can distract any men in her way while her team-mates run past.

Secrecy sure seems to be important to Scott since he keeps saying things like "No one can know" and "Emma doesn't need to know".

This is the same Emma who wanders around in Scott's dreams for kicks, right? If she wants to know something he won't tell her (or feels he's concealing something), she'll just reach right on into his head and take it without even asking twice. So trying to hide anything from her is like trying to eat soup with a fork.

[iceman06]

The difference? They're military professionals, and not a bunch of vigilantes acting as judge, jury and executioner without any official sanction. The occasional death as a consequence of superhero action is fine, but for this squad to exist we have to process the idea that Cyclops - previously the poster boy for Xavier's non-violent methodology - has essentially assembled a murder squad.

Well, make that distinction every time because the words used describe both groups. What no one seems to understand is how vulnerable mutants are, how dire the situation is, and how the story dictates this as a necessary action. They have militarized because they have no choice. There is no other way to neutralize the Purifiers. Beating them up accomplishes nothing when they just heal up and shoot some little mutant girl in the head. Without killing them, the idea of stopping them from executing their goals may be impossible and a bit naive when they have so many numbers, are religiously devoted to their cause, and are set on killing anyone mutants and humans alike who don't fit into their plans.

Will you agree that being proactive against the Purifiers is necessary? Considering the SHRA, the corruption of SHIELD, and public opinion of the Purifiers, would you agree that this can't be done in the open? Considering how the Purifiers have the weaponry and intent to kill mutants on sight, would you agree that they need to be kind of sneaky? Now, you're left with this team, but I think the next question is where we disagree on the answers so I won't even ask. I am curious about what people think the other options are though. Personally, I could care less about the law if my life is in serious danger. I hope no one thinks silly ideas like knocking these guys out, tying them up, or sending them to the authorities will accomplish anything. Also, can we get a list of X-Men foes whose goal was not money, power, or pride, but death?

This is the same Emma who wanders around in Scott's dreams for kicks, right? If she wants to know something he won't tell her (or feels he's concealing something), she'll just reach right on into his head and take it without even asking twice. So trying to hide anything from her is like trying to eat soup with a fork.

I've made the suggestion before, but if Emma digs around and finds some pretty strong resistence she might decide not to go any further despite being able to since she trust Scott to tell her want he feels she needs to know.

[Phil Hunn]

There is no other way to neutralize the Purifiers. Beating them up accomplishes nothing when they just heal up and shoot some little mutant girl in the head.

Following that line of thought, then, Batman should have put a bullet through the Joker's heart years back, and Spider-Man should have pounded the Green Goblin's head to a pulp a similarly long time ago, since both of those villains are unrepentant killers who continue to slaughter everybody they consider to be either (a) a hindrance to their plans or (b) an ideal way to pass the time. Every murder those two commit should therefore add to the "justification" of Bruce or Peter snapping and committing murder in return. And yet it doesn't, and they don't. And never will.

Batman didn't kill the Joker even after he'd blown Jason Todd to kingdom come, and Spidey didn't kill the Green Goblin after Gwen Stacy died. Peter came closest to crossing that line, but he pulled himself back from the edge before he could do so.

There's an old saying, which goes something like this: "Take care when fighting monsters, lest you become a monster yourself." Cyclops' new attitude is coming close to proving that point.

I hope no one thinks silly ideas like knocking these guys out, tying them up, or sending them to the authorities will accomplish anything. Also, can we get a list of X-Men foes whose goal was not money, power, or pride, but death?


Bastion & the Sentinels. The Friends of Humanity. The Church of Humanity.

And funnily enough, no mass-murder solutions were used on these guys.

Odd, that...

[iceman06]

Following that line of thought, then, Batman should have put a bullet through the Joker's heart years back, and Spider-Man should have pounded the Green Goblin's head to a pulp a similarly long time ago, since both of those villains are unrepentant killers who continue to slaughter everybody they consider to be either (a) a hindrance to their plans or (b) an ideal way to pass the time. Every murder those two commit should therefore add to the "justification" of Bruce or Peter snapping and committing murder in return. And yet it doesn't, and they don't. And never will.

Batman didn't kill the Joker even after he'd blown Jason Todd to kingdom come, and Spidey didn't kill the Green Goblin after Gwen Stacy died. Peter came closest to crossing that line, but he pulled himself back from the edge before he could do so.

There's an old saying, which goes something like this: "Take care when fighting monsters, lest you become a monster yourself." Cyclops' new attitude is coming close to proving that point.

Mass murderers and serial killers in comics should have been killed a long time ago. As flawed as the system is, that's why there is a death penalty. Naming these guys doesn't show that these guys should still be running the streets killing people. You can blame the writers for making them so deadly that it's stupid to keep them alive when someone can actually kill them, but somebody should've definitely crossed the line. When dealing the the reality of death in comics, you need to be real about the retaliation.

Bastion & the Sentinels. The Friends of Humanity. The Church of Humanity.

And funnily enough, no mass-murder solutions were used on these guys.

Odd, that...

Bastion and the Sentinels are robots who are destroyed at every opportunity, but no one else you mentioned has actually succeeded in mass murder to the degree that the Purifiers have nor have they done so at a time when there are less than 300 mutants in existence. I say again no one seems to understand how hard times are for mutants right now, and until they do, they will never understand X-Force.

[Phil Hunn]

You can blame the writers for making them so deadly that it's stupid to keep them alive when someone can actually kill them, but somebody should've definitely crossed the line.

No. No, they should not. Spider-Man is not Frank Castle (and even Frank lets big Marvel underworld guys like Jigsaw and the Kingpin live, even if he deliberately and sadistically re-ruined Jigsaw's face after it had been painstakingly reassembled by surgeons), and for him to go around snapping the neck of every killer he fights would not only betray the essence of the character, it makes the whole unreality of superhero comics irrelevant.

If you're advocating that every villain who kills be either executed or otherwise permanently incapacitated, then that takes out... let me see... pretty much all of them, except losers like the Trapster, the Gibbon and the Spot.

Great. Let's gut the rogues' gallery of every comic. That'll be popular. See how far you get with that one.

Christ I'm glad you're not writing the X-Books...

[Kizmet]

Mass murderers and serial killers in comics should have been killed a long time ago. As flawed as the system is, that's why there is a death penalty. Naming these guys doesn't show that these guys should still be running the streets killing people. You can blame the writers for making them so deadly that it's stupid to keep them alive when someone can actually kill them, but somebody should've definitely crossed the line. When dealing the the reality of death in comics, you need to be real about the retaliation.

And yet for all the times that these people have been put into the court system they have never been given the death penalty. Since the X-Men and most of the other heroes are vigilantees I want them to put the bad guys into the court system and that's all they can do. They can be frustrated at the court's failure to request a death penalty, but they can't play god. They can't decide that they know better than all the little people and start killing everyone who they believe deserves to die. If I wanted to read "Punisher" I woud read it, but I don't. And I don't like seeing the X-Men turned into Punisher version 2.0.

And yes 200 hundred odd mutants left alive is a desparate situation, but since I think Marvel made a HUGE mistake in reducing the population to that extreme... Well X-Force is just the latest in a line of decisions that Marvel has made which I believe are putting the X-line into a state that is slowly but surely driving me away from the titles as a group.

[iceman06]

No. No, they should not. Spider-Man is not Frank Castle (and even Frank lets big Marvel underworld guys like Jigsaw and the Kingpin live, even if he deliberately and sadistically re-ruined Jigsaw's face after it had been painstakingly reassembled by surgeons), and for him to go around snapping the neck of every killer he fights would not only betray the essence of the character, it makes the whole unreality of superhero comics irrelevant.

Who says Spider-Man has to do it? If Gwen is the only person Osborne's known to have killed, he should be punished by imprisonment like most are. I'm talking about mass murderers and serial killers.

If you're advocating that every villain who kills be either executed or otherwise permanently incapacitated, then that takes out... let me see... pretty much all of them, except losers like the Trapster, the Gibbon and the Spot.

Great. Let's gut the rogues' gallery of every comic. That'll be popular. See how far you get with that one.

Christ I'm glad you're not writing the X-Books...

So your true concern is the rogue's gallery? If that's the case why not argue for villains who don't commit mass murder or serial murder? Then, your heroes look a lot smarter when they trust the legal system. If a villain's only goal is murder, what are they good for except to kill and eventually be killed?

If I were writing, this wouldn't be a concern. You'd probably be happier with the situation as I would never have gone in this direction. The thing is that unlike some of you, I'm willing to accept the truth that this is the situation and that this is what the situation calls for.

And yet for all the times that these people have been put into the court system they have never been given the death penalty. Since the X-Men and most of the other heroes are vigilantees I want them to put the bad guys into the court system and that's all they can do. They can be frustrated at the court's failure to request a death penalty, but they can't play god. They can't decide that they know better than all the little people and start killing everyone who they believe deserves to die. If I wanted to read "Punisher" I woud read it, but I don't. And I don't like seeing the X-Men turned into Punisher version 2.0.

I'm the one who pointed out the problems with the legal system so there's no need to explain it. My point was that the existence of mass murderers and serial killers leads to the concept of a death penalty to deal with them. Taking the life of one person who contributes nothing good to society to spare the lives of many future victims.

As for vigilantes, don't they decide they know better than everyone else by fighting crime outside the system in the 1st place?

Why is it so hard not to read X-Force when it's so easy for you not to read Punisher? Aren't there plenty of x-books to choose from? If you don't read X-Force do you do this for Punisher reviews as well?

And yes 200 hundred odd mutants left alive is a desparate situation, but since I think Marvel made a HUGE mistake in reducing the population to that extreme... Well X-Force is just the latest in a line of decisions that Marvel has made which I believe are putting the X-line into a state that is slowly but surely driving me away from the titles as a group.

Well, that's less of a complaint about X-Force than it is about the direction of the entire line. This direction dictates that X-Force exists. This direction doesn't make sense without the existence of X-Force.

[Phil Hunn]

So your true concern is the rogue's gallery? If that's the case why not argue for villains who don't commit mass murder or serial murder?

My concern is not to make the rogues' gallery of any comic look like a freakin' meat grinder.

There are lots of villains who are basically simple thieves at their core (like, say, the Rhino, the Trapster and the Spot, who, for all their posturing, aren't really killers), but you need the more brutal villains as a contrast to the relatively innocent schemes of those guys. Otherwise you end up with a situation similar to the one that prevailed in the early days of the Comics Code Authority, where Batman - the grim & gritty urban vigilante - was reduced to fighting aliens in a day-glow Gotham City. And nobody wants to return to those days. Nor do people want to throw away good villains (and good characters) like the Joker, Sabretooth & Magneto because they have blood on their hands.

Then, your heroes look a lot smarter when they trust the legal system. If a villain's only goal is murder, what are they good for except to kill and eventually be killed?

Sabretooth has been a "kill because he likes it... and maybe to make some money" character for years, and he's continued to be a key aspect of Wolverine's rogues' gallery for over twenty years. And will be again, I'd wager, once somebody brings the guy back (and they will, considering how useless Daken and Romulus are).

[iceman06]

My concern is not to make the rogues' gallery of any comic look like a freakin' meat grinder.

The way to do that is by not allowing the villains to become so unrepentantly murderous that the those who oppose them look like idiots for not at least trying to kill them when they have the chance. With the Purifiers, there's no "great villain" to preserve so they don't have that problem, but the Joker should never have become that murderous.

There are lots of villains who are basically simple thieves at their core (like, say, the Rhino, the Trapster and the Spot, who, for all their posturing, aren't really killers), but you need the more brutal villains as a contrast to the relatively innocent schemes of those guys. Otherwise you end up with a situation similar to the one that prevailed in the early days of the Comics Code Authority, where Batman - the grim & gritty urban vigilante - was reduced to fighting aliens in a day-glow Gotham City. And nobody wants to return to those days. Nor do people want to throw away good villains (and good characters) like the Joker, Sabretooth & Magneto because they have blood on their hands.

Sabretooth has been a "kill because he likes it... and maybe to make some money" character for years, and he's continued to be a key aspect of Wolverine's rogues' gallery for over twenty years. And will be again, I'd wager, once somebody brings the guy back (and they will, considering how useless Daken and Romulus are).

Sabretooth has proven to be extremely difficult to kill in the first place, his powers allow for him to heal from any attempts on his life, and heroes have tried (and kind of succeeded) to kill him so he doesn't work as an example in support of what you're trying to say. Magneto's goal has never been murder. He wants mutants to rule over humans. As for the Joker, someone with the skill and opportunity to kill him should have. It didn't have to be Batman though. To my knowledge, the Joker has no regenerative powers, and he has been captured. I don't read Batman comics, but if he's killed that many innocents on purpose, the first mistake was allowing him to become so bloodthirsty, and the second was to allow the heroes to look so dumb by continuing to capture someone like this who always escapes. Maybe, they need a "Crisis" to wipe away some of his kills.

[AngelofDeath69]

I liked the issue. since is a first, i can't say much or make a judgment. It's clear that Cyclops and the members of X-force are crossing a line, and i'm sure there's going to be payback.

So far i liked it, but i'm waiting for the arc to finish to make mind about this title.

[Radiate]

Wait wait wait...hang on. Now, it's late in the Uk and i'm tired after a tough day lol. But those who have problems with the title/don't like it i just want to ask one question that's not to be construed as being angry or bitter, i'm just curious:

did you like the first issue? Did you like the writing? The pacing of the issue? Etc.?

Now you can disagree with the concept of X-Men killing, that's fine. But isn't that the whole point of this title? To explore whether X-Men killing is a good thing or bad thing? I for one love the X-Men as a family. And agree with their no-killing mantra. But aren't you all interested to see what it's like for them to kill or not? Yost and Kyle promise to show and explore these fundamental issues, so i'm in for the long run.

The X-Men are in extreme circumstances right now, they're nearly extinct as mutants and need to safeguard their own survival, i understand that and i understand their need for drastic measures. And you can't disagree that the motive for the title hasn't come out of actual story.

It's a natural progression established from cannon.

RADIATE!

[Anthony Lucynski]

I liked it. I loved the art, and thought the concept was great.

Anthony L

[Imraith Nimphais]

I liked the issue. since is a first, i can't say much or make a judgment. It's clear that Cyclops and the members of X-force are crossing a line, and i'm sure there's going to be payback.

So far i liked it, but i'm waiting for the arc to finish to make mind about this title.

Ahhh...a voice of reason AND common sense...which apparently is not so common as everyone would like to think.

[BlackSamurai]

There's a definite need for a few issues to pass for anyone to tell how good this will be, but I like the setup, despite the fact that Wolverine's "voice of reason" to everyone felt overwrought. I do understand that regardless of being a seasoned killer, he wouldn't want for all the others to take up the life.

All that being said, I think the approach to this type of book was all wrong. We shouldn't have needed for Scott to even be saying things like "Emma doesn't need to know." She of any of them would more understand these steps as necessary. Both of them could be on one accord with this (and who knows, maybe that's the case though unrevealed to even Logan) and here's why it should be the case:

Who better to help cover the shadier dealings of the X than a telepath versed in being shady. Prof and Jean may have been more powerful telepaths, but I bet Emma was better versed in using the power for deception
The whole issue with witnesses or escapees (and even as intel and coordination) may require a telepathic intervention
Since Scott is being advantageous with the team members' reasons for being there, insight into their motivations and/or a little nudging would be handy
A sensible counter to the compromised SHIELD's Psi division

The whole idea of cover, since many out there are skeptical about the less-than-covert costume choices, brings me to a bigger necessity if a tactician like Cyclops really wanted this team to be a secret; a sweeper. By now, the authorities, SHIELD, and Avengers teammate/boss/enemy Tony Stark knows what Logan does. If a ton of dead bodies are going to be turning up with signature three pronged claw marks and slashes (along side two pronged ones, wolf paw ones and vibranium induced ones) any law enforcement agency worth more than spit is going to be hunting Wolverine, and the better ones will also figure in X-23, and maybe also Wolfsbane and Thunderbird. Granted, our familiarity reading their exploits may not match up with how well-known these characters are to the authorities and general public of the MU but definitely there's a SHIELD file somewhere that could point them at them.

All of that to say, someone else needs to be throwing off any potential pursuers by following up to hide the nature of the wounds this slasher team will be inflicting; if not, this team will need to be destroying ALL evidence after their involvement. Not that this team can't, but with just four members it might not hurt to introduce just one more character who'll even so be apart from the main story anyway. A fire or acid type seems best, but I am hard pressed to think of an X-'hero' that would fit. Non of the energy types are cut out for such a task (maybe Sunfire in a stretch) and the only acid type I can think of died in Alred's X-Force (would be interesting to finally link the two X-Forces in such a way though even though I never cared for that version and they never officially were associated with the actual X-Men). Not that a simple House of M excuse couldn't be employed to have brought him back, but here may have been a better choice of having brought in a new character (instead of brushing aside promising ones in NXM for more destined-for-obscurity newbies to further saturate the character pool when mutants already were supposed to have been thinned out by M-Day) to suit the sadistic personality that may be needed to doctor fresh cadavers. Wither could have fitted right here power-wise; but again, the personality.

What would have worked, and not had fans coming down on Cyke (even though I don't disagree with him wanting to actively permanently eliminate such threats hell-bent on mutants' destruction) would have been for a shadier person approaching Wolverine to reform Cyke's X-Force for such missions, even a villain or a former one with law enforcement ties. Had they not flipped Bishop's status I could see him going back to his hardcore kill-'em-all routes and directing this team with official-though-secret sanction, especially with the premise that SHIELD was infiltrated (but Marvel didn't look this far ahead did they, heck, Bishop could've made as good a choice to be running around as the baby's protector instead of a near carbon copy Cable pursuer - but at least I understand the sense of having a character related to Jean as a lead if associated with the hinted-at-being-Jean baby, even if to throw folk further off). I'm almost tempted to wish that without a Skrull tie-in that at least Mystique is impersonating Cyclops to further the mutant protection agenda (but with the current Wolverine/Mystique dynamic in the Wolverine series, and her lack of ability to fool his AND Rhane's noses, that's out too unless she had access to such scent resources). Note the Mystique replacement of Cyclops is not because I disagree with his stance to send out this team, but to have a connection to shadier resources for such things as a sweeper or explaining how Emma is not to know Scott's decision.

I'd even take Emma being a little villainous and telepathically tricking Wolverine into thinking this was a mission from Cyclops (and this would be interesting because of three things: she has a history with Proudstar, a dislike for or desire to employ X-23 far away from the other kids, and stronger mutant death issues than Cyclops) plus it's easier for her to keep things from him than vice versa AND there's potential for this very issue to fracture their relationship if it was Scott trying to hide this already, so why not let the fault be hers and spare Scott another indignity as the reason for a ruined relationship? Then the eventually aged Jean can return from the future to be with Scott, as many fans wanted.

Since it probably will be as is, and be Scott anyway, it is likely that he doesn't want Emma's name associated with this mission so Wolvie wouldn't think she's been pulling Cyke's strings all the while. The truth is that I don't believe she would've had as big a problem with the nature of these ops in the first place, but her credibility as a hero is still fragile enough to need protection, so Cyclops has her in the know but doesn't need any one else knowing that detail. That makes perfect sense, far more sense than him trying to deceive his telepathic lover; I must add, without a strong reason to at that. As for the very nature of these ops; Cyclops could've and should've made a deal with Stark, or someone else high up in SHIELD, getting (understandably disavowed) sanctions for this kill squad in exchange for (and using the leverage of) an outside team sniffing out the SHIELD infiltrators. Probably liaising with Skids as a follow up of her involvement now with SHIELD and having her spearhead covering their tracks. Actually, when the proverbial $#!% hits the helicarrier's fans, this can probably be a revelation of the story or a later made deal Cyke strikes with Stark or Hill to get them out of trouble and sanctioning.

Now that I think of it, this long winded post should've also been a suggestion letter to Marvel, not just a thread reply.

[n25philly]

good points. Here's some food for thought. When Cyclops is saying that Emma doesn't need to know about it, how do we know that she isn't making him say that. Odds are that if Cyclops was really behind this she would know in five minutes. It would make more sense to me that she's been getting close to Scott from no reason other than to get him to use the X-Men for her needs without everyone immediately looking at her. Especially now that Jean, Xavier and Betsy aren't around, who's going to stop her? One X-Man acting out of character is a lot more suspicious than all of the X-Men being out of character.

[Ann Nichols]

I suppose Emma wouldn't mind killing Purifiers rather than use her telepathy to make them pro-mutant.

Wither would be perfect for disposing of the bodies.

[the m0nk3y]

I suppose Emma wouldn't mind killing Purifiers rather than use her telepathy to make them pro-mutant.

Wither would be perfect for disposing of the bodies.
Unfortunately Wither is running around with Selene. He would probably be targeted by Cyclops rather then get recruited.

Speaking of Emma... Where is Shortpack this days? He fits the need for telepathic "radio" communications and crowd control.

[Phil Hunn]

good points. Here's some food for thought. When Cyclops is saying that Emma doesn't need to know about it, how do we know that she isn't making him say that. Odds are that if Cyclops was really behind this she would know in five minutes.

And there it is. Apparently Scott is too dumb to realise that a telepath who has no problems wandering around in his freakin' dreams whenever she feels like it (not to mention one who's increasingly being shoved into the role of Jean Grey v2.0) would be wise to any secrets he's holding within about five minutes. Or that Emma's past methods fit this kind of thing far more than his do. What a maroon...

[BlackSamurai]

Unfortunately Wither is running around with Selene. He would probably be targeted by Cyclops rather then get recruited.
Actually, I thought of the relevance of the Selene thing, but trying not to get even more long winded in my earlier post I left out how that coalition would factor in- Wither has always been uncomfortable with death, so his experiences with Selene should 'upgrade' his personality enough to be cold enough to do this work, disposing of the evidence but insisting on not actually taking lives himself, hence being a sweeper and not on the actual assault team. It also could provide a chance to back story what's been going on since Selene got her hands on him; and can include a rescue mission by Cyke and Emma, with the latter freeing his mind from the obligatory psychic alterations of Selene that would see him otherwise only come back as some villain years from now, if Marvel even ever remembers him.

He is so fated to have a villainous future because of the nature of his power that he would be more sustained as a tragic hero character if kept on the side of the angels battling that duality; instead, 'they' incorporated his power into Josh, made Wither redundant, and shuffled him off to limbo. I personally wasn't that invested in him as a character, so if Josh's burgeoning omega class mutation potential would be also upgraded to rapid decay (which is not that much a stretch) I figure he can fill this slot too. He's also more likely because he's at least got a history with Rahne, was on a team with Laura, and may be already being backgrounded in Young X-Men after being mainlined. Conversely, he's also fairly unnecessary for his healing aspects in a team already consisting of 2 rapid self healers, 1 medium speed one, and a tough guy (who probably heals sorta quick too) so Wither still fits best, unless Anarchist can make it back from the afterlife after his romp with Dr. Strange or with some M-day shenanigans.

I repeat again, the small main cast of this book allows for another character to fit in comfortably enough, especially if only to be used as a satellite one, and much as I like Hepzibah, we already have (arguably more than) enough feral clawed characters on the team and her relationship with Proudstar is nether all that interesting nor necessary following the fate of Corsair (though I get that it is not her way to mourn him long or see moving on so soon with a young buck as tasteless). Let her bounce back out to the stars with a strike team (easily full of limbo characters) and help pull Havok and her former Starjammer comrades' fat out of the fire; especially as a non-energy wielding/dependent character that would make slightly more sense against Vulcan.