Warning! Spoilers for X-Force #10 ahead!
Marvel just revealed a glimpse of an alternate version of the originalX-Menroster, giving readers a look at “clones of Cyclops, Marvel Girl,, Angel, Iceman and the Beast” brought up under the tutelage of Nathan Summers, rather than Charles Xavier, and who, in the future, will take up the mantle of X-Force, as the latest squad in franchise lore to go by that name.
X-Force#10, written by Geoffrey Thorne, with art by Marcus To, reveals this updated incarnation of the team, billed as “the all-new, all-different X-Force,” and while their appearance in the issues is only a brief cameo, what immediately stands out are the new looks for several of them.
While stalwart team leaderCyclops looks the same as ever, as does Iceman, Jean Grey, Angel, and Beast all have notable tweaks to their classic character designs.
Marvel Introduces Clones Of The Original X-Men, With Some Significant Changes To Their Familiar Appearances
X-Force#10 Written By Geoffrey Thorne; Art By Marcus To; Color By Erick Arciniega; Lettering By Joe Caramagna
InX-Force#10, the clones of theoriginal fiveX-Men, in their role as Cable’s X-Force squad, appear only as a possibility; they are inhabitants of a future which, from the temporal perspective of the issue, hasn’t come to pass yet. This could be all they amount to, a footnote in Cable’s long, complicated history, but this could also be a potential seed planted for a future Marvel Comics story. Perhaps most notable about artist Marcus To’s redesign here,aside from the large horns on Beast’s head, is that Angel is depicted carrying what appears to be Thor’s hammer Mjolnir.
Jean Grey is depicted in a costume with her familiar green-yellow color scheme, while also wearing a tattered tank top over it, while in addition to potentially wielding Mjolnir, Angel’s design has him in a sleek “prep school” style red-white suit. For what amount to small details in the overall scheme ofX-Force#10, the creative team managed to pack enough into this illustration to get fans talking, and moreover, to make readers want to see more of this team.
Marvel’s New Take On The OG X-Men Shows There Is Still An Appeal To The Classic Line-Up
A Refreshing Redesign Reminds Readers The “O5” Team Is Remains Iconic
The original X-Men, or “O5"as they are often called, still captivate many fans' imaginations, and it is clear that Marvel recognizes the value of harkening back to that era, given how frequently they do so. Most famously, the O5 squad spent an extended period of time active and operating in the contemporary Marvel Universe, even coming into conflict with their future selves at times. A reversal of that, featuring the team operating in the future, isan exciting idea thatX-Force#10 raises, but leaves for a future creative team to explore further.
It is clear that the appeal of the original X-Menroster has not abated, meaning that some version of them, past, present, or future, is very likely to appear in print sooner rather than later.
The “all-new, all-different X-Force” raised by Cable has a great deal of potential, though it might amount to no more than an Easter Egg appearance for diehard fans toponder the “What If?” questions over. Only time will tell, but considering the buzz surrounding this single-page appearance, in which they fight what appears to be some kind of Sentinel, it is clear that theappeal of the originalX-Menrosterhas not abated, meaning that some version of them, past, present, or future, is very likely to appear in print sooner rather than later.
