X-Force: Geoffrey Thorne and Marcus To Send the X-Men Strike Team on a Global Mission (Exclusive)

The X-Men: From the Ashes era will see X-Force take on a new mission on a global scale. One of the many announcements to come out of Marvel’s relaunch of the X-Men franchise included a new volume of X-Force from acclaimed screenwriter Geoffrey Thorne and X-Men artist Marcus To. Forge is at the forefront of X-Force as its leader, and there’s a very specific reason why he’s decided to gather these troops. The creative team has taken the time to answer some questions about X-Force and offer the first look at pages from the first issue.

ComicBook spoke to Geoffrey Thorne and Marcus To about X-Force #1, with the duo offering a look inside what they’re cooking for the X-Men super squad. Thorne discussed how he selected the roster of X-Force, the threat Forge sees coming, continuing the story of Rachel Summers and Betsy Braddock as a couple, and more, while To talked about coming up with the design for X-Force’s new costumes. We can also exclusively reveal the first look at pages from X-Force #1 along with Marcus To’s design sheets for their costumes.

Earlier this month, ComicBook also got to reveal the covers and solicitation for September’s X-Force #3. The covers and solicitation tease a confrontation with Nuklo, a legacy character who’s the son of Golden Age heroes Whizzer and Miss America. While Nuklo comes from a heroic background, he appears to be at odds with X-Force come September. “THE NUKLO OPTION! FROM THE ASHES,” the solicitation reads. “X-FORCE’s biggest mission yet brings them to the brink of destruction at the hands of NUKLO! But when Nuklo’s mysterious rampage conflicts with the world-threatening Fracture Node detected by Forge, what sacrifice will X-Force make to complete their no-win mission? Secrets, surprises, team drama and nonstop action make X-Force the hottest book of the summer!”

The exclusive first look and interview for X-Force #1 are below.

X-Force roster

ComicBook.com: How much input did you get to have when selecting the roster for X-Force? And how much will the cast rotate story arc to story arc?

Geoffrey Thorne: Total. Right from the jumpoff. Tom [Brevoort] liked the initial pitch. Mark [Basso] liked it for X-Force. Mark and I clicked and this story and roster are what both of us landed on for this story.

There were a couple of characters we couldn’t use because they’d been grabbed up prior to me being pulled into X World. I was pitching blind, going in so I hadn’t known they were unavailable. Basically, X-Force would have had three more members otherwise and, no, I’m not saying who. Spoilers for other folks’ books are a no-no.

Forge and Sage were always the core and they remain so.

Forge as leader of X-Force

Forge as leader of X-Force comes during a time of increased popularity for him, thanks to his presence in X-Men ’97. What’s that been like on your end, and what looming threat or threats have forced Forge to build this iteration of X-Force?

GT: As popular as it is, the cartoon has (and has had) zero influence on the book. I’ve always loved Forge and this was a chance to put him in front.  I came to Tom with this almost a year prior to the cartoon’s debut. Mark snapped it up about 5 months after that, still months ahead of the TV show debuting.

What ‘looming threats…?’ Hm…

I don’t know what’s a spoiler and what’s not so… here’s what I think I can say.

Forge has, via his powers, become aware of a pretty massive, ongoing threat to the world that is very close to causing a full collapse. He puts this team together to stop that and he, personally, will stop at nothing to prevent these potential armageddons from happening.

For more on that story, please check out X-Force #1.

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Betsy and Rachel

Rachel Summers and Betsy Braddock fans are understandably pleased to see their relationship continue in a new book. Can you discuss their mindset in being part of an outfit like X-Force?

GT: Well….

This X-Force isn’t like any previous version so, while Betsy’s not super thrilled to join up, Rachel has the Need for Speed, as the kids said back in the 1990s. They both have their own things going on, as a couple and individually, that make Betsy, in particular thinking wild adventuring might not be the best plan right now but, again, Rachel needs to be out there DOING STUFF so, they jump on Forge’s train.

Sometimes you go to a party because your girlfriend wants to, even if you’d rather Netflix and Chill.

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Tank’s a tank

What can you tell us about Tank, the newbie of the team? What’s their mutant power?

GT: Tank is a member of Forge’s X-Force. Tank’s pretty big and his name is Tank, so, judging by Tank’s looks, I’d say Tank can both take and throw a punch.

What to expect

What are you most looking forward to readers seeing or experiencing when the first issue of X-Force drops?

GT: I want them to have the same kind of fun we’re having taking these crazy mutants in directions they’ve not gone before. We’re trying to provide a rollercoaster ride so occasional screams of delight as the story unfolds would not be unwelcome.

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X-Force costumes

What kind of design notes did you get from Marvel before you started working on the new X-Force costumes?

Marcus To: The team decided that we should stay with a black stealth unified team look. I felt that it was important to have some color that would make them pop. We landed on the red as a uniform color but I threw in a bit of yellow to call back to the classic X looks.

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