Marvel’s most extreme team is back this week with Inglorious X-Force #1. Kicking off a new era for the X-Men after the Age of Revelation, the new “Shadows of Tomorrow” title brings Cable back to the past on a mission to save the future, but there’s a problem this time. Something has gone awry, he has minimal tech, he can’t contact his Belle AI, and the stakes are higher than ever.
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Faced with perhaps more questions than answers, Cable has to assemble a new X-Force with just one real clue: three names carved into his metallic arm (Archangel, Hellverine, and Boom-Boom), and he has a starting point in that they need to find the future mutant President of the United States. The issue sets the story off on an interesting foot and positions not only readers but Cable for a major mystery with dire consequences. ComicBook had the opportunity to chat with writer Tim Seeley about the issue, the surprises held within, and what’s ahead — and it sounds like we’re in for quite the ride. And we also have an exclusive first look at issue #2. Warning: spoilers for Inglorious X-Force #1 beyond this point.
Inglorious X-Force Asks Some Different Questions Than You Might Expect
ComicBook: When Inglorious X-Force was announced, we knew that we’d be getting Cable back but with the challenge that he’s missing some memory. Now that the issue is here, it seems like Cable is a lot more on the back foot than we could have guessed — and he seems a lot more vulnerable than we’ve ever seen him. How much of an issue is this situation Cable is in personally going to be for the overall story?
Tim Seeley: I’ve always loved Cable, going back to when he first debuted when I was 13! And, despite all that love, my one quibble with him was that he was almost TOO powerful. He doesn’t REALLY need anyone. And so, I wanted to put him in a situation where he had to rely completely on his smarts and experience, but also—other people. But that doesn’t change who he is as a person—which is a cantankerous, militant zealot, who has all the time in the world, but has no patience. That gave me a lot of conflict and drama to work with, especially since it leads to him having very different relationships with each team member.
One of the things that I was most excited for in this issue — other than the return of Boom-Boom was the return of Unveil. What I didn’t expect is for Unveil to be working with the re-formed Mutant Liberation Front with an influencer, Kali seemingly running things. There feels like a bit of commentary to be had there, about the idea of how much, well, influence influencers can have and, in this case, that influence isn’t good. What can you tell me about your choice to take Unveil down this road — and about why an influencer was your choice for this story with Kali?
Unveil is a character Salva Espin and I made up for Age of X-Man, and I always loved her design. I figured that if Blink could make it out of Age of Apocalypse and an alternate universe, Unveil could too! And I thought it made a lot of sense for her to take her anti-establishment views with her to the Mutant Liberation Front.
I always loved the idea of the Mutant Liberation Front, but I think, in a post-Krakoa era, they have to represent something else other than just radical mutants. So, we took the original template of these activist mutants and gave them a new leader who plays a modern take on Stryfe. Kali isn’t just in the shadows…she’s behind a screen, orchestrating a whole army and philosophy from a streaming network. And I think that allows us to ask some different questions, like “Who are the people influencing society, why are we giving them that much power, and what, other than charisma, is giving them this right?”
So, there are some big surprises in this issue. I think the biggest one is the identity of the future president that Cable couldn’t save is. Why was Kamala Khan the choice here?
One of my favorite things about the original run of X-Force was that it was inherently about the idealism of youth corrupted by the reality of adulthood. Sam/Cannonball was the bright-eyed youngster, brought into this dirty fight by this very cynical, hardened soldier. I really wanted that dynamic to be the basis for this story. No one epitomizes that idealism in 2026 quite like Ms. Marvel.
It also gives me a way to show the very different generational viewpoints of our readers via the characters. Archangel is this very boomer coded guy; Boom Boom is very Gen X…and Kamala is a Gen Zer….which again…CONFLICT!
We also find out at the end of the issue the scars on Cable’s arm have a pretty grave meaning. They’re not just a list of people he needs on his team but are instead clues to who the actual killer is. How is that going to impact the story from here?
It’ll drive Cable’s missions as he seeks to clear or convict potential assassins. I always loved a team in which members had very different reasons for being there, and this lets me explore that really in depth. It’s a homicide detective style investigation for the first 5 issues.
And probably the best surprise of all, we get Domino at the end who seems to know way more than Cable does at this point. What can you tease about her role in this story?
Going back to the idea that I wanted there to be surprises in store, I really loved the idea of a “shadow member.” So, Domino, who is Cable’s best friend in a lot of ways is there to keep an eye on him, and she’s immediately seeing some things that make her nervous. I also think her powers of ‘luck” are really complicated to write, so I made it a challenge for myself to use them in a new way. So, you’ll see that play out over the first few issues, because she’s going to need all that luck she can get!
Get a First Look at Inglorious X-Force #2!
Here’s how Marvel describes Inglorious X-Force #2, out February 25th: “Hell to Pay… Hellverine must face demonic temptation…and it’s all part of Cable’s secret agenda! Plus: meet the hidden agent who’s been stalking X-Force from the shadows. The mysteries deepen, and the action amplifies as the true mission comes into focus…”
Inglorious X-Force #1 is on sale now.
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