Mysterious X-Men Hero's Name Is Finally Revealed

By Timothy Adams

One thing X-Men fans love is a mystery, and a lingering secret from Chris Claremont's original Uncanny X-Men run has finally been revealed. If you've ever wondered what Forge's real name is, it was uncovered in a 2020 tweet from an account dedicated to the historical X-Men scribe.

The 2020 tweet from The Claremont Run put the spotlight on Forge, the X-Men's resident technological genius. Created by Claremont and John Romita Jr., Forge made his Marvel debut in Uncanny X-Men #184. Throughout the many issues Forge has starred in, his teammates have only referred to him by this name. While some may have assumed it was either a codename or his birth name, The Claremont Run revealed Forge's real name to be Daniel Lone Eagle.

"In honour of reaching 4000 followers, please accept this fun tidbit from Claremont's papers: though still unnamed in Marvel canon, Forge's real name actually appears in Claremont's outline for the character's debut in UXM 184: say hello to Daniel Lone Eagle!" the tweet reads. The account adds that even though Claremont's outline offers up the real name, Forge is never referred to it inside the pages of a comic. Thus, this makes the Daniel Lone Eagle name non-canon. A follow-up tweet does state that Forge lives in "Eagle Plaza," perhaps an Easter egg Claremont decided to slip into one of his comics.

Forge has the mutant ability of invention, being able to craft together anything he puts his mind on. He's had various stints on a number of X-Men teams over the years, as well as a long relationship with Storm. With the X-Men establishing a new status quo under the stewardship of Jonathan Hickman, Forge is one of the vital members of X-Force, the X-Men's version of the CIA. Whenever X-Force needs a weapon or special tool made, they turn to Forget to get it done, making him an essential part of the team.

Marvel announced Chris Claremont will make his return to the X-Men in a February 2022 story in X-Men Legends #12. Joined by artist Scot Eaton, the Claremont story serves as a prequel to his run on Excalibur, a spinoff of Uncanny X-Men featuring Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde.

"It's always fun wandering back along existing pathways and especially having the opportunity to fill in a couple of nifty gaps that were initially skipped over along the way—closing off one significant story-arc and lighting the fire that ignites the series that follows," Claremont said in a press release. "Talk about a treat!"

Do you prefer Forge or Daniel Lone Eagle? Make sure to let us know in the comments!

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