Forearm (comics)
Encyclopedia
Forearm is a fictional mutant
villain in the Marvel Comics
universe. He was first introduced as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front
in New Mutants
#86, after Rob Liefeld
took over as the penciller of the series. Forearm has always been a mainstay on the terrorist group's roster, even staying through leader change and surviving incarceration.
was to liberate the incarcerated New Mutants
members Rusty and Skids
. They broke them out of prison and the pair joined the MLF out of confusion (and, as later evidence showed, neural implants kept them there). Forearm continued to be a mainstay in the team's ventures, including fighting Wolverine
, Sunfire, X-Factor
and other heroes.
Under the leadership of Cable
the New Mutants became the paramilitary
organization known as X-Force
, and began to be more aggressive in their campaigns. In one such mission X-Force discovers a hidden MLF base and, while fighting Forearm, Reaper
and other members of the team, nearly lose their lives when Stryfe orders the destruction of the base.
Later, Garrison Kane
stumbles upon Forearm, Wildside
, and Sumo
in the Canadian mountains and, after a brief scuffle, follows them through their teleportation
portal, where he is tortured.
After a series of supposedly unconnected art theft
s (all of which are related to Apocalypse
), Forearm is one of the few members of the MLF to approach Mister Sinister
and propose a trade. In exchange for a genetic matrix (none other than the Legacy Virus
which Stryfe owned), Sinister would hand over the captive Cyclops
and Jean Grey
. These events begin the X-Cutioner's Song
crossover. In the end, all of the MLF members are taken into custody- Forearm is defeated by Psylocke and Boomer working in tandem.
Soon after, a tyrannical despot named Reignfire
decides to restart the MLF. He breaks Forearm, Reaper, Wildside, and Tempo
out of prison and gives them their first mission: capture Henry Peter Gyrich
. The MLF also picks up new members Locus
and Moonstar
.
During the initial kidnap, Forearm is wounded by the self-described 'biosentry', Hardaway who is employed by Gyrich. The other team members kill the man. The fact that Hardaway had been altered so much in order to battle mutants only serves to further enrage Forearm.
Their mission is foiled by X-Force. During the battle Locus and Sunspot
become lost, but Feral
defects to the MLF after having a heated discussion with Gyrich. The team leaves and is taught teamwork by Moonstar, as, at the time, their ranks are once again down to four—Moonstar, Wildside, Forearm, and Feral. During this time Forearm and Moonstar begin to form a close friendship, as she sees something in him that is different from the other members of the terrorist outfit. During the time Moonstar was part of the team, Forearm ends up battling forces from the other-dimensional realm of Asgard
. They had appeared due to Moonstar's past history with the realm.
Sometime later Reignfire begins to hunt down his followers, taking Wildside and Forearm out first. All would have been lost if not for X-Force and Locus teleporting in to stop the madman.
Next the MLF travel to Muir Island
where they mean to steal the Legacy Virus data from Moira MacTaggert
. While there, they learn about the Xavier Protocols, which they decide to try to steal. They are confronted by members of the super-team Excalibur
. If not for the covert efforts of Moonstar, the mission would have been a success, but instead the team teleports away.
In their last appearance, the MLF once again is trying to steal data on the Legacy Virus, this time from a government institution who is trying to manufacture their own strain of the disease. They infiltrate the building and take the scientists hostage
. Again, through the sabotaging efforts of Moonstar, members of X-Force
manage to enter the building in an attempt to stop them. However, three of the scientists reveal themselves to be Prime Sentinel
s and begin to attack. The two groups pool their resources to try to survive, but only X-Force, Moonstar and Forearm manage to escape. The remaining members of the MLF are captured by operatives of Operation: Zero Tolerance
. During their time together, Moonstar reveals to him that she had been an undercover agent for S.H.I.E.L.D.
meant to infiltrate the organization and feed the government information. Feeling betrayed, Forearm parts ways with the team.
When he surfaced next Forearm was part of a fighting championship in Madripoor
called Bloodsport where superpowered opponents fight to the death. However, in an unfortunate turn of events Forearm was killed during a fight with former Serpent Society
member Anaconda
, who broke his neck. However, he would later appear inexplicably, alive and well, in the X-Force miniseries, again as a member of the MLF.
In the events of M-Day
, 90% of the world's mutant population lost their powers due to the Scarlet Witch
. During a mission, the New Avengers viewed a screen of de-powered mutants. Forearm was on that screen with other mutants de-powered after the House of M event. He had a cameo as a bartender in San Francisco during the Utopia crossover.
have both stated that Forearms' strength has increased since the first time they had fought him. Nonetheless, Warpath is able to defeat him with ease after a certain point, joking about toying with "the boy".
issue that asks "What If Magneto Took Over the USA." He is shown as a member of the MLF. In this storyline, Magneto
killed Stryfe
and coerced the remaining members of MLF to follow him. Forearm was also killed during this reality in an explosion.
and Barbarus
— one of the Savage Land Mutates
— also have more than two.
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
villain in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe. He was first introduced as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front
Mutant Liberation Front
The Mutant Liberation Front, or MLF, is a Marvel Comics supervillain group, primarily enemies of X-Force. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, the original MLF first fully appeared in The New Mutants #87 ....
in New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
#86, after Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
took over as the penciller of the series. Forearm has always been a mainstay on the terrorist group's roster, even staying through leader change and surviving incarceration.
Fictional character biography
Forearm was one of the founding members of the terrorist organization known as the Mutant Liberation Front (or MLF). One of their first missions under the leadership of StryfeStryfe
Stryfe is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character was created by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld, and first appears in The New Mutants #87...
was to liberate the incarcerated New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
members Rusty and Skids
Skids (comics)
Skids is a Marvel Comics mutant. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Jackson Guice, she first appeared in X-Factor vol. 1 #7 .-Morlocks:...
. They broke them out of prison and the pair joined the MLF out of confusion (and, as later evidence showed, neural implants kept them there). Forearm continued to be a mainstay in the team's ventures, including fighting Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
, Sunfire, X-Factor
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
and other heroes.
Under the leadership of Cable
Cable (comics)
Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
the New Mutants became the paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
organization known as X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
, and began to be more aggressive in their campaigns. In one such mission X-Force discovers a hidden MLF base and, while fighting Forearm, Reaper
Reaper (Marvel Comics)
Reaper is the name of several fictional characters in the pages of Marvel Comics, most notably the Reaper whose real name is Pantu Hurageb, a mutant in the X-Force comic book series...
and other members of the team, nearly lose their lives when Stryfe orders the destruction of the base.
Later, Garrison Kane
Garrison Kane
Garrison Kane, also known as Weapon X and Kane, is a fictional character from the Marvel Universe. He was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, and debuted in X-Force vol. 1 #2 .-Fictional character biography:...
stumbles upon Forearm, Wildside
Wildside (comics)
Wildside is a fictional mutant villain and sadist in the Marvel Comics universe. He was first introduced as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front in the comic title New Mutants, when Rob Liefeld took over as the penciller of that series...
, and Sumo
Sumo (comics)
Sumo is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe. His first appearance was in Tales of Suspense #61.-Fictional character biography:...
in the Canadian mountains and, after a brief scuffle, follows them through their teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
portal, where he is tortured.
After a series of supposedly unconnected art theft
Art theft
Art theft is usually for the purpose of resale or for ransom . Stolen art is sometimes used by criminals to secure loans.. One must realize that only a small percentage of stolen art is recovered. Estimates range from 5 to 10%. This means that little is known about the scope and characteristics of...
s (all of which are related to Apocalypse
Apocalypse (comics)
Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
), Forearm is one of the few members of the MLF to approach Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #221 and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri....
and propose a trade. In exchange for a genetic matrix (none other than the Legacy Virus
Legacy Virus
In the fictional Marvel Universe, the Legacy Virus was a devastating plague that ripped through the mutant population, killing hundreds and mutating so that it affected baseline humans as well....
which Stryfe owned), Sinister would hand over the captive Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
and Jean Grey
Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
. These events begin the X-Cutioner's Song
X-Cutioner's Song
"X-Cutioner's Song" is a crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics' in twelve parts from the November 1992 to early 1993. It involved the Uncanny X-Men, X-Men , X-Factor, and X-Force....
crossover. In the end, all of the MLF members are taken into custody- Forearm is defeated by Psylocke and Boomer working in tandem.
Soon after, a tyrannical despot named Reignfire
Reignfire
Reignfire is a fictional character and villain created by Marvel Comics for their series X-Force. His original creators were Fabian Nicieza and Matt Broome, who had completely different plans for the villain than what evolved....
decides to restart the MLF. He breaks Forearm, Reaper, Wildside, and Tempo
Tempo (comics)
Tempo is a fictional, African-American mutant villain in the Marvel Comics universe. She was first introduced as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front in the comic title New Mutants, when Rob Liefeld took over as the penciller of that series...
out of prison and gives them their first mission: capture Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers Vol. 1 #165 and was created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
. The MLF also picks up new members Locus
Locus (comics)
Locus is a fictional mutant villainess in the Marvel Comics universe. She was first introduced as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front in the comic title X-Force under the leadership of Reignfire...
and Moonstar
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
.
During the initial kidnap, Forearm is wounded by the self-described 'biosentry', Hardaway who is employed by Gyrich. The other team members kill the man. The fact that Hardaway had been altered so much in order to battle mutants only serves to further enrage Forearm.
Their mission is foiled by X-Force. During the battle Locus and Sunspot
Sunspot (comics)
Sunspot is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups the New Mutants and X-Force....
become lost, but Feral
Feral (comics)
Feral is a fictional character that appears in the Marvel Universe. She has been both a superhero and a supervillain and most recognizably associated as a member of X-Force.-Fictional character biography:...
defects to the MLF after having a heated discussion with Gyrich. The team leaves and is taught teamwork by Moonstar, as, at the time, their ranks are once again down to four—Moonstar, Wildside, Forearm, and Feral. During this time Forearm and Moonstar begin to form a close friendship, as she sees something in him that is different from the other members of the terrorist outfit. During the time Moonstar was part of the team, Forearm ends up battling forces from the other-dimensional realm of Asgard
Asgard
In Norse religion, Asgard is one of the Nine Worlds and is the country or capital city of the Norse Gods surrounded by an incomplete wall attributed to a Hrimthurs riding the stallion Svadilfari, according to Gylfaginning. Valhalla is located within Asgard...
. They had appeared due to Moonstar's past history with the realm.
Sometime later Reignfire begins to hunt down his followers, taking Wildside and Forearm out first. All would have been lost if not for X-Force and Locus teleporting in to stop the madman.
Next the MLF travel to Muir Island
Muir Island
Muir Island is a small, fictional island off the northern coast of Scotland in the Marvel Comics universe. It plays a prominent role in the X-Men comics and its related series.-History:...
where they mean to steal the Legacy Virus data from Moira MacTaggert
Moira MacTaggert
Dr. Moira Kinross MacTaggert is a fictional character appearing in X-Men stories in the Marvel Comics universe. She works as a geneticist and is an expert in mutant affairs. Olivia Williams played a minor role of Dr. Moira MacTaggert in X-Men: The Last Stand...
. While there, they learn about the Xavier Protocols, which they decide to try to steal. They are confronted by members of the super-team Excalibur
Excalibur (comics)
Excalibur is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an off-shoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, the original Excalibur first appeared in Excalibur Special Edition , also known as Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn.The...
. If not for the covert efforts of Moonstar, the mission would have been a success, but instead the team teleports away.
In their last appearance, the MLF once again is trying to steal data on the Legacy Virus, this time from a government institution who is trying to manufacture their own strain of the disease. They infiltrate the building and take the scientists hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
. Again, through the sabotaging efforts of Moonstar, members of X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
manage to enter the building in an attempt to stop them. However, three of the scientists reveal themselves to be Prime Sentinel
Prime Sentinel
Prime Sentinels are an advanced type of Sentinel which exist in the fictional Marvel Comics universe. They are a human/machine hybrid that uses nanotechnology from the "Days of Future Past" future...
s and begin to attack. The two groups pool their resources to try to survive, but only X-Force, Moonstar and Forearm manage to escape. The remaining members of the MLF are captured by operatives of Operation: Zero Tolerance
Operation: Zero Tolerance
"Operation: Zero Tolerance" was a crossover storyline that ran through Marvel Comics' X-Men related titles during 1997. The story followed from the "Onslaught Saga" and focused on individuals, including Bastion and Henry Peter Gyrich, within the United States government and their attempts to use...
. During their time together, Moonstar reveals to him that she had been an undercover agent for S.H.I.E.L.D.
Shield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
meant to infiltrate the organization and feed the government information. Feeling betrayed, Forearm parts ways with the team.
When he surfaced next Forearm was part of a fighting championship in Madripoor
Madripoor
The Principality of Madripoor is a fictional island located in Southeast Asia in the Marvel Comics universe. Based on illustrations, it is in the southern portion of the Strait of Malacca, southwest of Singapore.-Publication history:...
called Bloodsport where superpowered opponents fight to the death. However, in an unfortunate turn of events Forearm was killed during a fight with former Serpent Society
Serpent Society
The Serpent Society is a fictional organization of snake-themed supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The group was initially formed from the membership of a previous supervillain team, the Serpent Squad. The group, like its predecessor, has been made up of longtime antagonists of Captain...
member Anaconda
Anaconda (comics)
Anaconda is a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe who was created by Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio and first appeared in Marvel Two-in-One #64 in June 1980.-Fictional character biography:...
, who broke his neck. However, he would later appear inexplicably, alive and well, in the X-Force miniseries, again as a member of the MLF.
In the events of M-Day
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
, 90% of the world's mutant population lost their powers due to the Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
. During a mission, the New Avengers viewed a screen of de-powered mutants. Forearm was on that screen with other mutants de-powered after the House of M event. He had a cameo as a bartender in San Francisco during the Utopia crossover.
Powers and abilities
Forearm had an extra set of arms that extend from beneath his first set, giving him four arms (hence the name). In addition to this, he also had increased strength, resistance to injury, and stamina. Cable and WarpathWarpath (comics)
James Proudstar, previously known as the second Thunderbird but also known as Warpath, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero associated with the X-Men....
have both stated that Forearms' strength has increased since the first time they had fought him. Nonetheless, Warpath is able to defeat him with ease after a certain point, joking about toying with "the boy".
What If?
Forearm was also featured in a What IfWhat If (comics)
What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
issue that asks "What If Magneto Took Over the USA." He is shown as a member of the MLF. In this storyline, Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
killed Stryfe
Stryfe
Stryfe is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character was created by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld, and first appears in The New Mutants #87...
and coerced the remaining members of MLF to follow him. Forearm was also killed during this reality in an explosion.
Arms
Forearm's name stems from the fact that he literally has four arms on his body. He is not the first X-villain to possess more than two arms: SpiralSpiral (comics)
Spiral is a fictional character, a supervillainess in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in the Longshot miniseries by Ann Nocenti and Art Adams.-Fictional character biography:...
and Barbarus
Barbarus
Barbarus is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared was in Uncanny X-Men #62.-Fictional character biography:...
— one of the Savage Land Mutates
Savage Land Mutates
The Savage Land Mutates are a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain group based in the Savage Land, a hidden Antarctic environment of dinosaurs and primitive people in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional team biography:...
— also have more than two.
Television
- Forearm appears in the X-MenX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
episode "Secrets Not Long Buried." He is one of the many residents of the mutant-dominated community of Skull Mesa. In "Graduation Day," Forearm was among the mutants in Magneto's army.