Forge (comics)
Encyclopedia
Forge is a fictional character
in the , a superhero
associated with The X-Men
.
A mutant
with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology
, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Mystique
which led him to associate with the X-Men, beefing-up the technology at the X-Mansion
. He was also a member of the Pentagon
-funded mutant group X-Factor
.
and artist John Romita Jr., Forge first appeared in Uncanny X-Men
#184 (August 1984).
- an intuitive
genius
, it is as natural as breathing for him. He is a Native American
of the Cheyenne
nation. Although he was trained as a medicine man
, he has primarily relied upon technology
rather than mysticism
to accomplish his tasks. This rift between Forge and his elder teacher, Naze, made Forge leave his past behind and join the military.
While in the army, Forge became a good soldier and served in the Vietnam War
. After rising in the ranks to become a sergeant
, he was asked by S.H.I.E.L.D.
to join. Forge declined, because he saw his need was in Vietnam
. During his second tour of duty in the war, his comrades were killed by enemy troops; in anger, he used their spirits to summon a band of demon
s to destroy the opposition. Forge, concerned about his former comrades, decided to order a B-52
bombing on his position to close the portal from the world of the unliving. The bombs came down destroying the spirits. This action wasn't without a heavy price, as Forge lost his right leg and right hand. This action allowed the demon called the Adversary
to come to Earth
and Forge has since been hesitant to employ his mystical abilities.
Years later, Forge had created cybernetic replacements for his lost limbs. When Tony Stark
stopped making advanced weaponry for the Federal government
, Forge was hired as an employee of the Defense Department
.
One of his earliest commissions was to design a weapon to detect the shape-shifting aliens, known as the Dire Wraith
s. Subsequently, Forge constructed a device capable of neutralizing mutant powers. Following orders from the President
, Henry Peter Gyrich
, an agent of the National Security Council
, took the device. Forge protested because the device was untested and it was extremely dangerous to use. The device was to be used against a member of the X-Men
, named Rogue
, who was wanted for allegedly killing a S.H.I.E.L.D.
agent. However, the device instead removed the powers of her teammate, Storm.
. During her stay, Storm began to have a romantic connection with Forge. Yet, Storm began to hold Forge in contempt, when she found out he was the reason she lost her abilities. Storm left and rejoined the X-Men. Storm later returned to Forge, to help him fight the Dire Wraiths. The Dire Wraiths resurfaced to prevent Forge from perfecting his neutralizer and they were defeated by the combined forces of the X-Men, Magik
and Amanda Sefton
.
Forge later improved his Neutralizer, against the Wraiths. Yet, he became hesitant to design more devices like it because of what happened with Storm. With the help of the Wraiths' enemy, Rom the Spaceknight
, Forge was able to create a large scale version of the neutralizer in Earth's orbit. Rom and Forge used the device on the Wraith's home-world, casting the entire race into the other-dimensional Limbo
.
After saving the world, Forge destroyed all remaining Neutralizers and focused on ridding the Earth of the Adversary once and for all. The Adversary had other plans though and in the shape of Naze convinced Storm that Forge had gone insane with grief after she left and was planning to open a gate to hell. Storm tried to kill Forge, but the moment she stabbed him she saw that he was sane and that she had been tricked. The Adversary banished Storm and Forge to another dimension, devoid of human life. Storm and Forge spent an unknown amount of time there, rekindling their romance. Finally they discovered a way to return to Earth to stop the Adversary. Forge restored Storm's abilities and used her abilities to power a gate back home.
nine willing lives to banish the Adversary forever; eight X-Men and Madelyne Pryor
volunteered and died in the casting of Forge's spell. However, the goddess
Roma
intervened and secretly restored the X-Men to life. Magik
, younger sister of X-Man Colossus
, viewed Forge as responsible for the death of her older brother and battled against Forge, who fought back using his knowledge of Native-American sorcery. Feeling guilty over his involvement, Forge allowed Magik to stab him with her Soulsword in the hopes it would kill him. Instead its effects caused both mutants to come to terms with their shortcomings.
's Freedom Force
and an interim team of "X-Men" against the Reavers
at Muir Island
. He was essential in winning the battle, having used his mutant skills to create a rifle that deactivated the cyborg enemy 'Skullbuster' and forced the rest of the Reavers to retreat. During this battle, Destiny
was killed, but not before foreseeing
that Forge and Mystique would one day love one another, a fact that both parties found implausible. Afterward, Mystique blamed him for Destiny's death.
Banshee
approached Forge, hunting for leads about the whereabouts of the X-Men. Forge was convinced by visions that all the X-Men were still alive. During this time, his days as a soldier in the Vietnam War were depicted. The two of them traveled all over the world looking for their missing friends. Forge and Banshee eventually found the X-Men and became full time members. They fought against several threats, such as Genosha
n soldiers, Skrull
s, and the Shadow King
. The fight against the Skrulls was Forge's first trip into outer space. Forge's skills were critical in defeating Cameron Hodge
and overthrowing the Genoshan government. His plans were kept deep inside his own mind by a self-induced trance that even the forced removal of his false limbs did not break.
Forge later became a member of the X-Mansion
's "support team". He was responsible for redesigning the Danger Room
and the Blackbird
jet.
and Storm's constant involvement with the team, Forge and Storm's relationship became rocky. Forge came to eventually leave the X-Men, when he believed that Storm would've rejected his proposal of marriage. Ironically, she would have said yes. The pair continued to have an on-again-off-again relationship, until it ended for good. Forge went back home to Dallas to become a government contractor again and to help with the mental care of Mystique, who was becoming schizophrenic. During her stay, Forge and Mystique grew closer and had an affair.
as the new government liaison for the mutant superhero team X-Factor
. Forge went on his second cosmic adventure while with X-Factor, venturing to the far side of the sun with dozens of other superheroes in the incident known as the Infinity Crusade
. Forge was personally affected as one of his team, Wolfsbane, has been kidnapped by the villain called the Goddess. The adventure was very anticlimactic for Forge, as he ended up orbiting a duplicate Earth in an escape pod, along with the vigilante Nomad. He did wish to fight but his pod was needed as part of a communications chain.
When the team began to experience personal problems, Forge took a more active involvement, gradually taking over the leadership of the remaining members of X-Factor. In this context, he saw the mutant criminals Mystique
and Sabretooth
forced to become unwilling members of his team. Forge also came to terms with his heritage when the Adversary
returned. With Naze's assistance, Forge was able to defeat the Adversary by combining technology created using his mutant powers with his mystical abilities. Under Forge's leadership, X-Factor was tricked into hunting and battling former team member Multiple Man. Following this, Forge severed the team's involvement with the government and led them underground. Forge and Mystique became more attracted to one another while working together as members of the team, with Forge ultimately falling in love with Mystique. During their time underground, another former X-Factor member, Strong Guy
, awoke from a coma that he had suffered due to his powers over-stressing on his heart. Forge created a device which saved Strong Guy's life. Along with the other team members, Forge was severely injured after Sabretooth betrayed and attacked the team. Mystique's feelings for Forge did not prevent her from escaping her forced membership while Forge was recuperating. After recovering from his injuries, Forge refused to become a member of a new X-Factor line-up led by former team leader Havok, as he felt that Havok was no longer trustworthy. This new version of X-Factor was disbanded shortly thereafter. For a time, Forge was not active on any mutant groups, though he briefly worked as support staff at the X-Men's mansion.
, for a brief stint.
Recently, Charles Xavier
asked him for help in locating Mystique whom he needed for a clandestine mission. Forge also helped Cannonball
and Siryn
find Cable
with the aid of Deadpool
and built a pair of special gauntlets for New X-Men team member Surge
; afterward, he returned to his lab to build a Nimrod
unit with the primary objective of protecting mutants and secondary objective of protecting humans. He then encountered a time-traveling Nimrod suffering from severe damage, demanding that Forge fix him; this version of Nimrod came from an alternate future, and had compelled an alternate version of Forge (married to Storm, with two children) to build a device to allow it to travel to the past. The alternate Forge had seemingly complied, but actually built a device to send Nimrod not only back in time, but also to another timeline, and to disable him upon arrival. Nimrod threatened to harm this reality's Storm, and Forge offered to transfer Nimrod into his own version of the Sentinel, which Nimrod agreed to. The transfer was interrupted by the arrival of Surge and the rest of the New X-Men, who had received Forge's distress call through Surge's own gauntlets; in the ensuing battle, Forge helped them defeat Nimrod.
and Layla
to the future, he goes on a mission at Cyclops' behest to rendezvous with the other X-Men, who are on their way to confront Sinister's forces. He is shot by a seemingly treacherous Bishop. He is then seen in the recovery room along with other injured X-Men.
#29, when the X-Men fly to his complex on Wundagore Mountain to confront him about his apparent role in an inter-dimensional invasion of Earth.
After following a trail of mysteriously genetically-created mutants and death, the X-Men finally track Forge down, who through a monologue, reveals his true madness. He endeavors to save the world from the Annexation, an invasion from a parallel world on the other side of the Ghost Box, the transdimensional teleporter. He plans this by sending the X-Men to the parallel universe that is home to the Ghost Boxes to destroy them before the Annexation begins. The X-Men try to talk Forge down but he rebukes them and furthers his madness by forcibly opening the Ghost Box, risking all life on Earth. Thanks to the assistance of Abigail Brand and Beast, a world-destroying laser is shot into the opening of the Ghost Box and before everything is destroyed, Ororo offers Forge a chance to come back with them. Forge only screams of his rejection by Ororo and she lets him go. Forge remains in his complex as it is destroyed.
with a superhuman intuitive
talent for inventing mechanical devices, backed up by the ability to visually perceive mechanical energy
in action. This power allows him to instinctively recognize the potential and functional uses of any machine or technological device in his visual range, a skill that combined with his natural intelligence gives him the ability to conceive, design and build highly-advanced mechanical devices; and operate, modify and disassemble existing technology or create countermeasures for it. Forge's superhuman talent for invention does not mean that he is of a superhuman intellect, even a genius
at invention must for the most part consciously work out the theoretical principles behind the invention and then the design of the invention itself through a series of logical steps. In Forge's case, however, many of these logical steps are worked out by his subconscious
mind. Hence, Forge himself might not be entirely aware of exactly how he figured out how to create an invention of his. Sometimes, he must disassemble a device he has made to even figure out how it works.
Forge wore synthetic stretch fabric backed by micro-thin bulletproof Kevlar and thermal insulation while a member of the X-Men. He sometimes employs devices of his own invention. Most notable among these was his Neutralizer gun that could suppress superhuman mutant abilities. The only known examples of this device have been destroyed. Forge has also invented a hand-held scanning device that can detect the presence of superhuman beings or aliens.
Forge has knowledge of many scientific and technological fields.
He also possesses various mystical abilities such as spell casting through mystical training, though he rarely uses these. He possesses extensive knowledge of Native American magic.
His bionic right hand and right leg often contain concealed weapons and devices that he can use in combat. In addition, they can be outfitted with computer interfaces and plasma blasters. His skill as a hand-to-hand combatant and as a marksman from his military training were so impressive that Nick Fury offered him a job with S.H.I.E.L.D.
, Forge was a member of Magneto's X-Men. He left them to go his own way and became the founder and leader of the Outcasts, an anti-Apocalypse resistance cell of mutants in the disguise of a traveling theatre group. The Outcasts' consisted of Sauron
, Toad
, Brute
, and Mastermind
, and later Sonique
, who is rescued by the group from the Infinites during their attack on a train. He became a father figure to Nate Grey
, and also his trainer, teaching him how to combat without using his powers. When the Outcasts were attacked by Domino
and her henchmen Caliban
and Grizzly, Forge attempted to distract them with a Flash Grenade and later in the battle personally killed Grizzly for killing Toad. Forge was eventually killed by Sinister, who had been masquerading as a member of the Outcasts called Essex.
, the final arc of Grant Morrison
's run of New X-Men, a British Mutant under the name Smith had taken Forge's alias, the Maker. Though his powers and his relation to Forge, if any, are unknown, he bore some physical resemblance to the former Maker, and also carried numerous mechanical tools.
as a scientist working under Tony Stark, Iron Man
. He is one of Stark's most trusted employees and is one of the first to learn that he is truly Iron Man. He utilizes his skills in technology and computers by aiding Jarvis
and Stark in tracking down the mutant gene bombs that Johnny Storm
and Stark are hunting down all over the city.
: Future Imperfect, describing an alternate timeline where the Hulk becomes the Maestro, the Maestro claims that Forge created a weapon specifically designed to kill the Maestro, but that the Maestro killed him before the weapon could be used. The present-day Hulk would later encounter Forge using just such a weapon.
alongside Magneto's Acolytes
as one of few survivors who were hiding on Asteroid M
from the hordes of zombie superhero
es on Earth. He constructs artificial limbs for the Black Panther
after the zombie Giant-Man consumes some of his original ones. Forge becomes close friends with Black Panther, and Forge's daughter later marries Black Panther's son and the couple later conceives a child. After the Panther's and Forge's children die under a mysterious circumstances (later revealed that to have been murdered by Malcolm Cortez), both friends become closer through their shared tragedy, and help to raise their grandson together.
During the former heroes' forty years of absence, Forge anticipates that the zombies would return. Over the decades he and his forces plunder the technological remnants of the world. He makes improvements to Reed Richards' and Tony Stark's technologies for defenses of the colony New Wakanda, such as the Avengers' force field projector and Iron Man's armor
s. The interdimensional transporter is the only technology Forge is unable to rebuild, and it is later revealed that Fabian Cortez
's son, Malcolm, has sabotaged it by removing some of its key components. Forge dons one of the Iron Man armors when the zombies return. After multiple extensive battles, the surviving zombies and the colonists begin a truce because the returning zombies' hunger has faded. Cortez ambushes and teleports the zombies to another dimension in order to seize power within the colony. Cortez kills Forge to hide this.
comic, Forge was a traitor to mutant-kind. As punishment, Bloodstorm used him as a source of blood to feed upon. He cooperates with this, feeling guilty for his previous crimes. His only other 'ally' is a brainwashed Shadowcat.
continuity, Forge has been dramatically re-imagined. He became a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants
and follows Magneto
with the promise of getting to strike back at humans. This version of Forge is also of India
n descent, a play upon the mainstream version of the character's American Indian heritage.
Magneto ordered Forge to invent a machine that would enhance his abilities to an extreme point (as the Professor
's Cerebro
does for telepaths), a point where Magneto would be able to kill every human on Earth. Forge, slightly naive, agreed to build it, the promise of Magneto's offer of ownership of Canada and a hate-free world blinding him. It was only at the final stages of his machine that he realized what he was truly doing-— about to slaughter millions of people. He attempts to confront Magneto about this, telling him that he was under the impression that Magneto would only frighten the humans. Magneto replies that in the start of a new nation, one must make sacrifices and coldly asks Forge if he is hesitating. Forge hastily assures him no; he is later seen depressed and angry.
In the 'Magnetic North' storyline it is revealed that he was freed from prison by Mystique
. As a pair, they frame Lorna Dane with one of Forge's devices. It causes her powers to malfunction, killing dozens of innocent people. Later, Forge does nothing as Mystique snaps the neck of a female police officer and assumes her form. As part of a carefully thought out plan, Forge and Mystique later personally attack the Triskelion; the headquarters for the Ultimates and a supervillain prison. They kill dozens of S.H.I.E.L.D.
soldiers during the attack and even more die cleaning up the prison break which results.
He is then taken into custody, but escapes Triskelion using a phasing device, also helping Wolverine break out as well. Although, according to Nick Fury
, he orchestrated the escape in order for Wolverine
to lead him to the Hulk's location. He is later tortured and killed in the Savage Land
.
. Originating from Earth-2814, he was married to his reality's Storm. In this reality, the Skrull
s succeeded in conquering Earth
, but Forge, rebuilding and reprogamming Sentinel City to destroy their command city. He seemingly perished in the explosion, but was instead plucked out of time and put on the Exiles.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the , a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
associated with The X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
.
A mutant
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...
with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Mystique
Mystique (comics)
Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
which led him to associate with the X-Men, beefing-up the technology at the X-Mansion
X-Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, the X-Mansion is the common name for Professor Xavier's mansion. It is the base of operations and training site of the X-Men and the location of a school for mutant teenagers, the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, formerly Xavier's School for Gifted...
. He was also a member of the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
-funded mutant group 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...
.
Publication history
Created by writer Chris ClaremontChris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
and artist John Romita Jr., Forge first appeared in Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#184 (August 1984).
Early years
Forge is a mutant with an innate superhuman talent for inventionInvention
An invention is a novel composition, device, or process. An invention may be derived from a pre-existing model or idea, or it could be independently conceived, in which case it may be a radical breakthrough. In addition, there is cultural invention, which is an innovative set of useful social...
- an intuitive
Intuition (knowledge)
Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason. "The word 'intuition' comes from the Latin word 'intueri', which is often roughly translated as meaning 'to look inside'’ or 'to contemplate'." Intuition provides us with beliefs that we cannot necessarily justify...
genius
Genius
Genius is something or someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight....
, it is as natural as breathing for him. He is a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
of the Cheyenne
Cheyenne
Cheyenne are a Native American people of the Great Plains, who are of the Algonquian language family. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taeo'o and the Tsétsêhéstâhese .The Cheyenne are thought to have branched off other tribes of Algonquian stock inhabiting lands...
nation. Although he was trained as a medicine man
Medicine man
"Medicine man" or "Medicine woman" are English terms used to describe traditional healers and spiritual leaders among Native American and other indigenous or aboriginal peoples...
, he has primarily relied upon technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
rather than mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
to accomplish his tasks. This rift between Forge and his elder teacher, Naze, made Forge leave his past behind and join the military.
While in the army, Forge became a good soldier and served in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. After rising in the ranks to become a sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
, he was asked by S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
to join. Forge declined, because he saw his need was in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. During his second tour of duty in the war, his comrades were killed by enemy troops; in anger, he used their spirits to summon a band of demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s to destroy the opposition. Forge, concerned about his former comrades, decided to order a B-52
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
bombing on his position to close the portal from the world of the unliving. The bombs came down destroying the spirits. This action wasn't without a heavy price, as Forge lost his right leg and right hand. This action allowed the demon called the Adversary
Adversary (comics)
The Adversary is a fictional character, a demonic supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:The Adversary first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #187-188 , and was created by Chris Claremont and John Romita, Jr....
to come to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and Forge has since been hesitant to employ his mystical abilities.
Years later, Forge had created cybernetic replacements for his lost limbs. When Tony Stark
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
stopped making advanced weaponry for the Federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
, Forge was hired as an employee of the Defense Department
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
.
One of his earliest commissions was to design a weapon to detect the shape-shifting aliens, known as the Dire Wraith
Dire Wraith
The Dire Wraiths are a fictional extraterrestrial species published by Marvel Comics. The Dire Wraiths first appeared in Rom #1 , and were created by Bill Mantlo and Al Milgrom. The Dire Wraiths are the main opponents of Rom the Spaceknight....
s. Subsequently, Forge constructed a device capable of neutralizing mutant powers. Following orders from the President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, 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:...
, an agent of the National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
, took the device. Forge protested because the device was untested and it was extremely dangerous to use. The device was to be used against a member of the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
, named Rogue
Rogue (comics)
Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 , but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade, before seeing print in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10...
, who was wanted for allegedly killing a S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
agent. However, the device instead removed the powers of her teammate, Storm.
Romance
Forge rescued Storm, after she fell into a river. Forge brought her back to his home, in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. During her stay, Storm began to have a romantic connection with Forge. Yet, Storm began to hold Forge in contempt, when she found out he was the reason she lost her abilities. Storm left and rejoined the X-Men. Storm later returned to Forge, to help him fight the Dire Wraiths. The Dire Wraiths resurfaced to prevent Forge from perfecting his neutralizer and they were defeated by the combined forces of the X-Men, Magik
Magik (comics)
Magik is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is the younger sister of the Russian X-Man Colossus.-Publication history:...
and Amanda Sefton
Amanda Sefton
Amanda Sefton is a fictional character, a witch in the Marvel Universe. She is the foster sister and former lover of Kurt Wagner, Nightcrawler of the X-Men....
.
Forge later improved his Neutralizer, against the Wraiths. Yet, he became hesitant to design more devices like it because of what happened with Storm. With the help of the Wraiths' enemy, Rom the Spaceknight
Rom the Spaceknight
Rom is a fictional character, a cosmic superhero in the . He first appears in Rom, Spaceknight #1 and was created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema.-Toy:...
, Forge was able to create a large scale version of the neutralizer in Earth's orbit. Rom and Forge used the device on the Wraith's home-world, casting the entire race into the other-dimensional Limbo
Limbo (Marvel Comics)
Limbo, may refer to several fictional locations in titles published by Marvel Comics. The concept debuted in The Avengers #2, , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-History:...
.
After saving the world, Forge destroyed all remaining Neutralizers and focused on ridding the Earth of the Adversary once and for all. The Adversary had other plans though and in the shape of Naze convinced Storm that Forge had gone insane with grief after she left and was planning to open a gate to hell. Storm tried to kill Forge, but the moment she stabbed him she saw that he was sane and that she had been tricked. The Adversary banished Storm and Forge to another dimension, devoid of human life. Storm and Forge spent an unknown amount of time there, rekindling their romance. Finally they discovered a way to return to Earth to stop the Adversary. Forge restored Storm's abilities and used her abilities to power a gate back home.
X-Men
Forge and Storm arrived on Earth and joined the X-Men in their battle with the Adversary. In the X-Men's final battle with the Adversary, Forge was required to sacrificeHuman sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
nine willing lives to banish the Adversary forever; eight X-Men and Madelyne Pryor
Madelyne Pryor
Madelyne Pryor is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. As the love interest and first wife of X-Men leader Cyclops , she became a long-standing member of the X-Men supporting cast, until a series of traumas — being abandoned by her husband, losing her infant son, and...
volunteered and died in the casting of Forge's spell. However, the goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
Roma
Roma (comics)
Roma is a fictional character featured in numerous Marvel Comics titles. She is the daughter of Merlyn. Roma is the Omniversal Guardian, charged with the safety of the Omniverse...
intervened and secretly restored the X-Men to life. Magik
Magik (comics)
Magik is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is the younger sister of the Russian X-Man Colossus.-Publication history:...
, younger sister of X-Man Colossus
Colossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
, viewed Forge as responsible for the death of her older brother and battled against Forge, who fought back using his knowledge of Native-American sorcery. Feeling guilty over his involvement, Forge allowed Magik to stab him with her Soulsword in the hopes it would kill him. Instead its effects caused both mutants to come to terms with their shortcomings.
Destiny
Forge, unaware of the X-Men's resurrection, found himself fighting alongside MystiqueMystique (comics)
Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
's Freedom Force
Freedom Force (comics)
Freedom Force is the name of two teams within Marvel Comics' universe.The original was a supervillain team, though they occasionally acted in a heroic capacity as well. It was a government-sponsored team originally composed mainly of Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants...
and an interim team of "X-Men" against the Reavers
Reavers (comics)
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe the Reavers are a team of criminal cyborgs. The most significant team of Reavers were dedicated to the destruction of the mutant X-Men, and a number of them especially wanted to take revenge on one particular X-Man, Wolverine. The name was originally used by...
at 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:...
. He was essential in winning the battle, having used his mutant skills to create a rifle that deactivated the cyborg enemy 'Skullbuster' and forced the rest of the Reavers to retreat. During this battle, Destiny
Destiny (Irene Adler)
Destiny is a Marvel Comics fictional character, known as an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141...
was killed, but not before foreseeing
Precognition
In parapsychology, precognition , also called future sight, and second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception that would involve the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics...
that Forge and Mystique would one day love one another, a fact that both parties found implausible. Afterward, Mystique blamed him for Destiny's death.
Banshee
Banshee (comics)
Banshee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who operates as a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Werner Roth, Banshee first appeared in X-Men #28 ....
approached Forge, hunting for leads about the whereabouts of the X-Men. Forge was convinced by visions that all the X-Men were still alive. During this time, his days as a soldier in the Vietnam War were depicted. The two of them traveled all over the world looking for their missing friends. Forge and Banshee eventually found the X-Men and became full time members. They fought against several threats, such as Genosha
Genosha
Genosha is a fictional country that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe. The fictional nation served as an allegory for slavery and later for South...
n soldiers, Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
s, and the Shadow King
Shadow King
The Shadow King, also known as Amahl Farouk, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shadow King exists as an entity of pure psychic energy that feeds on the hatred of humanity...
. The fight against the Skrulls was Forge's first trip into outer space. Forge's skills were critical in defeating Cameron Hodge
Cameron Hodge
Cameron Hodge is a fictional comic book supervillain and opponent of the X-Men, as seen in Marvel Comics. Created by writer Bob Layton and artist Jackson Guice, Hodge first appeared as a supporting character in X-Factor #1 , and was later revealed to be secretly acting against that group as the...
and overthrowing the Genoshan government. His plans were kept deep inside his own mind by a self-induced trance that even the forced removal of his false limbs did not break.
Forge later became a member of the X-Mansion
X-Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, the X-Mansion is the common name for Professor Xavier's mansion. It is the base of operations and training site of the X-Men and the location of a school for mutant teenagers, the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, formerly Xavier's School for Gifted...
's "support team". He was responsible for redesigning the Danger Room
Danger Room
The Danger Room is a fictional training facility built for the X-Men of Marvel Comics as part of the various incarnations of the X-Mansion.-Early designs:...
and the Blackbird
Blackbird (comics)
The Blackbird is the aircraft used by the fictional superhero team the X-Men. There have been several incarnations of this craft over the years, with Cyclops and Storm as the main pilots.-History:...
jet.
End of romance
With the arrival of BishopBishop (comics)
Bishop is a fictional comic book superhero, appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men family of books...
and Storm's constant involvement with the team, Forge and Storm's relationship became rocky. Forge came to eventually leave the X-Men, when he believed that Storm would've rejected his proposal of marriage. Ironically, she would have said yes. The pair continued to have an on-again-off-again relationship, until it ended for good. Forge went back home to Dallas to become a government contractor again and to help with the mental care of Mystique, who was becoming schizophrenic. During her stay, Forge and Mystique grew closer and had an affair.
X-Factor
Forge went on to replace Valerie CooperValerie Cooper
Valerie "Val" Cooper is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe who currently works for the Office of National Emergency. She is most notable for her work as the liaison for mutant affairs in the United States government.-Publication history:...
as the new government liaison for the mutant superhero team 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...
. Forge went on his second cosmic adventure while with X-Factor, venturing to the far side of the sun with dozens of other superheroes in the incident known as the Infinity Crusade
Infinity Crusade
Infinity Crusade is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in 1993. The series was written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Ron Lim, Ian Laughlin, Al Milgrom and Jack Morelli....
. Forge was personally affected as one of his team, Wolfsbane, has been kidnapped by the villain called the Goddess. The adventure was very anticlimactic for Forge, as he ended up orbiting a duplicate Earth in an escape pod, along with the vigilante Nomad. He did wish to fight but his pod was needed as part of a communications chain.
When the team began to experience personal problems, Forge took a more active involvement, gradually taking over the leadership of the remaining members of X-Factor. In this context, he saw the mutant criminals Mystique
Mystique (comics)
Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
and Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
forced to become unwilling members of his team. Forge also came to terms with his heritage when the Adversary
Adversary (comics)
The Adversary is a fictional character, a demonic supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:The Adversary first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #187-188 , and was created by Chris Claremont and John Romita, Jr....
returned. With Naze's assistance, Forge was able to defeat the Adversary by combining technology created using his mutant powers with his mystical abilities. Under Forge's leadership, X-Factor was tricked into hunting and battling former team member Multiple Man. Following this, Forge severed the team's involvement with the government and led them underground. Forge and Mystique became more attracted to one another while working together as members of the team, with Forge ultimately falling in love with Mystique. During their time underground, another former X-Factor member, Strong Guy
Strong Guy
Strong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,...
, awoke from a coma that he had suffered due to his powers over-stressing on his heart. Forge created a device which saved Strong Guy's life. Along with the other team members, Forge was severely injured after Sabretooth betrayed and attacked the team. Mystique's feelings for Forge did not prevent her from escaping her forced membership while Forge was recuperating. After recovering from his injuries, Forge refused to become a member of a new X-Factor line-up led by former team leader Havok, as he felt that Havok was no longer trustworthy. This new version of X-Factor was disbanded shortly thereafter. For a time, Forge was not active on any mutant groups, though he briefly worked as support staff at the X-Men's mansion.
Xavier's Underground
Forge later took part in Xavier's Underground movement. He worked with a former X-Factor member, Multiple Man, in Genosha. Afterwards, Forge returned to the X-Men and became a mentor to Danielle MoonstarDanielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
, for a brief stint.
Recently, Charles Xavier
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
asked him for help in locating Mystique whom he needed for a clandestine mission. Forge also helped Cannonball
Cannonball (comics)
Cannonball is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, Cannonball first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants ....
and Siryn
Siryn
Theresa Maeve Rourke Cassidy is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those belonging to the X-Men family of titles...
find 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...
with the aid of Deadpool
Deadpool (comics)
Deadpool is a fictional character, a mercenary and anti-hero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 Deadpool (Wade Winston Wilson) is a fictional character, a mercenary and...
and built a pair of special gauntlets for New X-Men team member Surge
Surge (comics)
Surge is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Universe, one of the student body in the Xavier Institute, and a member of the former New Mutants squad therein. She maintained her powers post M-Day and was the leader of the New X-Men. She first appeared in New Mutants, vol...
; afterward, he returned to his lab to build a Nimrod
Nimrod (comics)
Nimrod is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #191 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr. Hailing from the "Days of Future Past" timeline, Nimrod is a powerful, virtually...
unit with the primary objective of protecting mutants and secondary objective of protecting humans. He then encountered a time-traveling Nimrod suffering from severe damage, demanding that Forge fix him; this version of Nimrod came from an alternate future, and had compelled an alternate version of Forge (married to Storm, with two children) to build a device to allow it to travel to the past. The alternate Forge had seemingly complied, but actually built a device to send Nimrod not only back in time, but also to another timeline, and to disable him upon arrival. Nimrod threatened to harm this reality's Storm, and Forge offered to transfer Nimrod into his own version of the Sentinel, which Nimrod agreed to. The transfer was interrupted by the arrival of Surge and the rest of the New X-Men, who had received Forge's distress call through Surge's own gauntlets; in the ensuing battle, Forge helped them defeat Nimrod.
Messiah Complex
After Forge sends MadroxJamie Madrox
James Arthur "Jamie" Madrox, also called the Multiple Man, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men...
and Layla
Layla Miller
Layla Rose Miller, also known as Butterfly, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in House of M #4, and was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Oliver Coipel...
to the future, he goes on a mission at Cyclops' behest to rendezvous with the other X-Men, who are on their way to confront Sinister's forces. He is shot by a seemingly treacherous Bishop. He is then seen in the recovery room along with other injured X-Men.
Divided We Stand
Forge has not been the same since Bishop attacked him during his mad quest to murder the first mutant child following M-Day. Forge suffered an array of injuries including serious head trauma. Bishop stole several time travel devices that Forge was reverse engineering. Throughout his recovery, Forge has been obsessed with recreating his notes and research on these devices. Fixated to an unhealthy degree on this project, Forge shuts himself off in his home at Eagle Plaza to devote all his time to this work. But before he begins, he enhances his home’s defense systems to ensure that he never falls victim to such an attack again.Ghost Box
Forge later returns in Astonishing X-MenAstonishing X-Men
Astonishing X-Men is the name of three X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were limited series. The ongoing series began in 2004, with its first run written by Joss Whedon and art by John Cassaday. It was then written by Warren Ellis with art by Phil Jimenez. Daniel...
#29, when the X-Men fly to his complex on Wundagore Mountain to confront him about his apparent role in an inter-dimensional invasion of Earth.
After following a trail of mysteriously genetically-created mutants and death, the X-Men finally track Forge down, who through a monologue, reveals his true madness. He endeavors to save the world from the Annexation, an invasion from a parallel world on the other side of the Ghost Box, the transdimensional teleporter. He plans this by sending the X-Men to the parallel universe that is home to the Ghost Boxes to destroy them before the Annexation begins. The X-Men try to talk Forge down but he rebukes them and furthers his madness by forcibly opening the Ghost Box, risking all life on Earth. Thanks to the assistance of Abigail Brand and Beast, a world-destroying laser is shot into the opening of the Ghost Box and before everything is destroyed, Ororo offers Forge a chance to come back with them. Forge only screams of his rejection by Ororo and she lets him go. Forge remains in his complex as it is destroyed.
Powers and abilities
Forge is a mutantMutant (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...
with a superhuman intuitive
Intuition (knowledge)
Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason. "The word 'intuition' comes from the Latin word 'intueri', which is often roughly translated as meaning 'to look inside'’ or 'to contemplate'." Intuition provides us with beliefs that we cannot necessarily justify...
talent for inventing mechanical devices, backed up by the ability to visually perceive mechanical energy
Mechanical energy
In physics, mechanical energy is the sum of potential energy and kinetic energy present in the components of a mechanical system. It is the energy associated with the motion and position of an object. The law of conservation of energy states that in an isolated system that is only subject to...
in action. This power allows him to instinctively recognize the potential and functional uses of any machine or technological device in his visual range, a skill that combined with his natural intelligence gives him the ability to conceive, design and build highly-advanced mechanical devices; and operate, modify and disassemble existing technology or create countermeasures for it. Forge's superhuman talent for invention does not mean that he is of a superhuman intellect, even a genius
Genius
Genius is something or someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight....
at invention must for the most part consciously work out the theoretical principles behind the invention and then the design of the invention itself through a series of logical steps. In Forge's case, however, many of these logical steps are worked out by his subconscious
Subconscious
The term subconscious is used in many different contexts and has no single or precise definition. This greatly limits its significance as a definition-bearing concept, and in consequence the word tends to be avoided in academic and scientific settings....
mind. Hence, Forge himself might not be entirely aware of exactly how he figured out how to create an invention of his. Sometimes, he must disassemble a device he has made to even figure out how it works.
Forge wore synthetic stretch fabric backed by micro-thin bulletproof Kevlar and thermal insulation while a member of the X-Men. He sometimes employs devices of his own invention. Most notable among these was his Neutralizer gun that could suppress superhuman mutant abilities. The only known examples of this device have been destroyed. Forge has also invented a hand-held scanning device that can detect the presence of superhuman beings or aliens.
Forge has knowledge of many scientific and technological fields.
He also possesses various mystical abilities such as spell casting through mystical training, though he rarely uses these. He possesses extensive knowledge of Native American magic.
His bionic right hand and right leg often contain concealed weapons and devices that he can use in combat. In addition, they can be outfitted with computer interfaces and plasma blasters. His skill as a hand-to-hand combatant and as a marksman from his military training were so impressive that Nick Fury offered him a job with S.H.I.E.L.D.
Age of Apocalypse
In the Age of ApocalypseAge of Apocalypse
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 - 1996 comic book crossover storyline published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616, although it was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295, it had...
, Forge was a member of Magneto's X-Men. He left them to go his own way and became the founder and leader of the Outcasts, an anti-Apocalypse resistance cell of mutants in the disguise of a traveling theatre group. The Outcasts' consisted of Sauron
Sauron (comics)
Sauron is a comic book character, a supervillain in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. An enemy of the X-Men, the character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Neal Adams. He first fully appeared as Sauron in X-Men #60 ....
, Toad
Toad (comics)
Toad is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #4 ....
, Brute
Brute (comics)
Brute, in comics, may refer to:*Marvel Comics:**Brute , a superhero who is an alternate reality version of the X-Men's Beast**Brute , one of the lesser known Morlocks in the main Marvel universe...
, and Mastermind
Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde)
Mastermind is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #4 . He was given his "real name", Jason Wyngarde, by Chris Claremont and John Byrne.The original Mastermind was a mutant with the power to...
, and later Sonique
Siryn
Theresa Maeve Rourke Cassidy is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those belonging to the X-Men family of titles...
, who is rescued by the group from the Infinites during their attack on a train. He became a father figure to Nate Grey
X-man
X-Man is a fictional character and superhero in the Marvel Universe.X-Man may also refer to:*X-Man , a South Korean game show*Xavier Carter, nicknamed X-Man, American track and field athlete...
, and also his trainer, teaching him how to combat without using his powers. When the Outcasts were attacked by Domino
Domino (comics)
Domino is a Marvel Comics character, best known as a member of the X-Men offshoot X-Force. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, she first fully appeared in X-Force, vol...
and her henchmen Caliban
Caliban (comics)
Caliban is a mutant character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Caliban's first appearance was in Uncanny X-Men #148 , written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Dave Cockrum.-Fictional character biography:...
and Grizzly, Forge attempted to distract them with a Flash Grenade and later in the battle personally killed Grizzly for killing Toad. Forge was eventually killed by Sinister, who had been masquerading as a member of the Outcasts called Essex.
Here Comes Tomorrow
In the apocalyptic alternate future of Here Comes TomorrowHere Comes Tomorrow
"Here Comes Tomorrow" is the eighth and final story arc in Grant Morrison's run on the Marvel Comics series New X-Men, which ran from issues #151-154...
, the final arc of Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
's run of New X-Men, a British Mutant under the name Smith had taken Forge's alias, the Maker. Though his powers and his relation to Forge, if any, are unknown, he bore some physical resemblance to the former Maker, and also carried numerous mechanical tools.
House of M
Forge is seen in House of MHouse of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
as a scientist working under Tony Stark, Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
. He is one of Stark's most trusted employees and is one of the first to learn that he is truly Iron Man. He utilizes his skills in technology and computers by aiding Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis is a fictional supporting character in the Marvel Comics titles, The Avengers, Iron Man, and Spider-Man.-Publication history:...
and Stark in tracking down the mutant gene bombs that Johnny Storm
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
and Stark are hunting down all over the city.
Hulk: Future Imperfect
In the mini-series HulkHulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
: Future Imperfect, describing an alternate timeline where the Hulk becomes the Maestro, the Maestro claims that Forge created a weapon specifically designed to kill the Maestro, but that the Maestro killed him before the weapon could be used. The present-day Hulk would later encounter Forge using just such a weapon.
Marvel Zombies
Forge appears in Marvel ZombiesMarvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the Marvel Zombies series of related stories...
alongside Magneto's Acolytes
Acolytes (comics)
The Acolytes is a team of comic book mutant supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The Acolytes followed the principles of the mutant Magneto, particularly the mutant right of superiority over normal humans. Some members of the Acolytes even worshipped him with a religious fervor and regarded...
as one of few survivors who were hiding on Asteroid M
Asteroid M
Utopia is the name of the sepratist mutant homeland created by the X-Men from the remains of Asteroid M which is the name of several fictional settings, each an asteroid converted by the mutant Magneto into his home/orbiting base, in the Marvel Comics Universe...
from the hordes of zombie superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es on Earth. He constructs artificial limbs for the Black Panther
Black Panther (comics)
The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
after the zombie Giant-Man consumes some of his original ones. Forge becomes close friends with Black Panther, and Forge's daughter later marries Black Panther's son and the couple later conceives a child. After the Panther's and Forge's children die under a mysterious circumstances (later revealed that to have been murdered by Malcolm Cortez), both friends become closer through their shared tragedy, and help to raise their grandson together.
During the former heroes' forty years of absence, Forge anticipates that the zombies would return. Over the decades he and his forces plunder the technological remnants of the world. He makes improvements to Reed Richards' and Tony Stark's technologies for defenses of the colony New Wakanda, such as the Avengers' force field projector and Iron Man's armor
Iron Man's armor
Iron Man's armor is the fictional powered exoskeleton worn by the fictional Tony Stark when he assumes his superhero role of Iron Man. The first version of the armor was created by Stark with the help of Ho Yinsen....
s. The interdimensional transporter is the only technology Forge is unable to rebuild, and it is later revealed that Fabian Cortez
Fabian Cortez
Fabian Cortez is a fictional character, a mutant comic book supervillain from the Marvel Comics universe and an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and writer/illustrator Jim Lee, he first appeared in X-Men #1 ....
's son, Malcolm, has sabotaged it by removing some of its key components. Forge dons one of the Iron Man armors when the zombies return. After multiple extensive battles, the surviving zombies and the colonists begin a truce because the returning zombies' hunger has faded. Cortez ambushes and teleports the zombies to another dimension in order to seize power within the colony. Cortez kills Forge to hide this.
Mutant X universe
In the Mutant XMutant X (comics)
Mutant X was a comic book published by Marvel Comics featuring Havok, a mutant and former member of the X-Men, who was transported into a parallel dimension. It was written by Howard Mackie....
comic, Forge was a traitor to mutant-kind. As punishment, Bloodstorm used him as a source of blood to feed upon. He cooperates with this, feeling guilty for his previous crimes. His only other 'ally' is a brainwashed Shadowcat.
Ronin
In the alternate reality of X-Men: Ronin, the X-Men are superheroes based out of Japan. Forge is a Japanese police officer with an attraction to Storm. He also helps build and pilot an array of robots called Sentinel Force which are sent against the X-Men.Ultimate Forge
In the Ultimate MarvelUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
continuity, Forge has been dramatically re-imagined. He became a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants
Brotherhood of Mutants
The Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men...
and follows 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...
with the promise of getting to strike back at humans. This version of Forge is also of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n descent, a play upon the mainstream version of the character's American Indian heritage.
Magneto ordered Forge to invent a machine that would enhance his abilities to an extreme point (as the Professor
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
's Cerebro
Cerebro
In the Marvel Comics universe, Cerebro is a device that the X-Men use to detect humans, specifically mutants. It was created by Xavier and Magneto, and was later enhanced by Dr. Hank McCoy...
does for telepaths), a point where Magneto would be able to kill every human on Earth. Forge, slightly naive, agreed to build it, the promise of Magneto's offer of ownership of Canada and a hate-free world blinding him. It was only at the final stages of his machine that he realized what he was truly doing-— about to slaughter millions of people. He attempts to confront Magneto about this, telling him that he was under the impression that Magneto would only frighten the humans. Magneto replies that in the start of a new nation, one must make sacrifices and coldly asks Forge if he is hesitating. Forge hastily assures him no; he is later seen depressed and angry.
In the 'Magnetic North' storyline it is revealed that he was freed from prison by Mystique
Mystique (comics)
Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
. As a pair, they frame Lorna Dane with one of Forge's devices. It causes her powers to malfunction, killing dozens of innocent people. Later, Forge does nothing as Mystique snaps the neck of a female police officer and assumes her form. As part of a carefully thought out plan, Forge and Mystique later personally attack the Triskelion; the headquarters for the Ultimates and a supervillain prison. They kill dozens of S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
soldiers during the attack and even more die cleaning up the prison break which results.
He is then taken into custody, but escapes Triskelion using a phasing device, also helping Wolverine break out as well. Although, according to Nick Fury
Ultimate Nick Fury
General Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional character published by Marvel Comics. A reinterpretation of the character Nick Fury, one of the most notable differences between the two is that the mainstream Nick Fury is an Italian American colonel with graying brown hair, while this Nick Fury...
, he orchestrated the escape in order for Wolverine
Ultimate Wolverine
Ultimate Wolverine is an alternative version of Wolverine who appears in comics containing stories set in the Ultimate Marvel universe. He first appears in Ultimate X-Men #1 and was created by Mark Millar and Adam Kubert.-Early years:...
to lead him to the Hulk's location. He is later tortured and killed in the Savage Land
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
.
Exiles
An alternate version of Forge is drafted onto the interdimensional superhero group the ExilesExiles (Marvel Comics)
The Exiles are a group of fictional characters that feature in three Marvel Comics series, Exiles, New Exiles, and Exiles vol. 2. The Exiles consists of characters from different dimensions, or realities, which have been removed from time and space in order to correct problems in various alternate...
. Originating from Earth-2814, he was married to his reality's Storm. In this reality, the Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
s succeeded in conquering Earth
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
, but Forge, rebuilding and reprogamming Sentinel City to destroy their command city. He seemingly perished in the explosion, but was instead plucked out of time and put on the Exiles.
Television
- Forge guest starred in a few episodes of the X-Men animated series. He is unique in that he has two separate roles in the show: in the present, he is the leader of the government-run X-Factor, and in the future, he leads the mutant team that resists the Sentinels in the Days of Future PastDays of Future Past"Days of Future Past" is a popular storyline in the Marvel Comics comic book The Uncanny X-Men issues #141 and #142, published in 1981. It deals with a dystopian alternate future in which mutants are incarcerated in internment camps...
timeline. He was voiced by Marc Strange.
- Forge also guest starred in the X-Men Evolution episodes "Middleverse" and "Shadow Dance", voiced by Samuel VincentSamuel VincentSamuel Vincent is a Canadian voice actor who works with the Ocean Productions based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia.-Biography:...
. In this series, Forge had the ability to turn one of his hands into a multi-toolMulti-toolA multi-tool is any one of a range of portable, versatile hand tools that combines several individual functions in a single unit...
ed robotic device — possibly corresponding to the comic versions' prosthetic hand. This version of Forge was a teenager who talked and dressed like he had been stuck in time since the 1970s, because that's exactly what happened as revealed in "Middleverse" where one of Forge's inventions had backfired and kept him stuck in a pocket dimension for over twenty years. In return for NightcrawlerNightcrawler (comics)Nightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
freeing him from Middleverse, Forge enhanced Kurt's powers with technology, but suffered the consequences of tears leading to the other dimension as seen in "Shadow Dance" where Nightcrawler's teleportation experiment with Forge ends up releasing strange creatures from a brimstone-like dimension. Luckily, Forge was able to use a special projector to send the creatures back after the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants managed to knock most of them out.
- Forge appears in Wolverine and the X-Men, voiced by Roger Craig SmithRoger Craig SmithRoger Craig Smith is an American voice actor. He is also known as Roger C. Smith. He is generally known as the voice behind Chris Redfield in Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, as Ezio Auditore da Firenze in Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and...
. He works as the X-Men's engineer, who is often seen working on repairs to the advanced systems of the mansion, such as the Danger Room, CerebroCerebroIn the Marvel Comics universe, Cerebro is a device that the X-Men use to detect humans, specifically mutants. It was created by Xavier and Magneto, and was later enhanced by Dr. Hank McCoy...
, and the BlackbirdBlackbird (comics)The Blackbird is the aircraft used by the fictional superhero team the X-Men. There have been several incarnations of this craft over the years, with Cyclops and Storm as the main pilots.-History:...
(which he had to reactivate the cloaking technology when the X-Men had tracked Professor X's body to Genosha). He is also the inventor of the mutant inhibitor collar, which is highly sought after by the humans to use against mutants. In the future, Master Mold uses an evolved version as a containment for mutant prisoners. In this series, he is portrayed as being a much younger, inexperienced member of the X-Men and only attends missions for analysis only. Wolverine assigns Forge the responsibility to download the advanced coding of Master Mold and create a virus to stop it. Equipped with an arm-mounted laser blaster, Forge is first seen in combat on a mission with WolverineWolverine (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...
, NightcrawlerNightcrawler (comics)Nightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
, and Emma FrostEmma FrostEmma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
to rescue CyclopsCyclops (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 GreyJean GreyJean 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...
from Mister Sinister.
Video games
- He was a playable character in the X-Men: Mutant Academy 2X-Men: Mutant Academy 2X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 is a PlayStation video game, the sequel to X-Men: Mutant Academy. Both feature the X-Men in a 3-D fighting arena similar to Mortal Kombat 4. Like its predecessor, the game allows the player to select from several heroes and villains and includes many of the signature moves...
and the X-Men: Next DimensionX-Men: Next DimensionX-Men: Next Dimension is a fighting game, released in 2002 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube video game consoles. It is the third game in the X-Men: Mutant Academy fighting game series, following X-Men: Mutant Academy and X-Men: Mutant Academy 2...
video games (both versions voiced by Carlos FerroCarlos FerroCarlos Ferro is an American actor, writer, director, and producer.-Early life:Carlos’ first career in the entertainment industry was as a DJ. Spinning records in San Francisco’s nightclubs, he quickly became one of the city’s prominent DJs, befriending musical acts such as Grace Jones and the...
). Forge plays a pivotal role in X-Men: Next Dimension. He is kidnapped by Bastion in order to extract the designs for a weapon that can depower mutants from his mind and install it into the Sentinels. - Forge appears as a Non-playable characterNon-player characterA non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
in the video games X-Men LegendsX-Men LegendsX-Men Legends is an action role-playing video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. It was released on the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles in the fall of . Barking Lizards Technologies developed the N-Gage port of the game, which was released in early...
and X-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is an action role-playing game released in 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, N-Gage, PlayStation Portable, and GameCube video game consoles as well as the PC...
voiced by Lou Diamond PhillipsLou Diamond PhillipsLou Diamond Phillips is an American film, television, and stage actor and director. His breakthrough came when he starred in the film La Bamba. He earned a supporting actor Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in Stand and Deliver and a Tony Award nomination for his role in The King and I...
. In the first game, the X-Men had to save him from Juggernaut who attacks his lab on Muir Island. In the second game, he helps the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants in their fight against Apocalypse. In both games he sells equipment to party-members (taking the place of Beast in the second game). In the trivia, mini-games, his relationship with Storm is mentioned as well. It is stated that his abilities are inventing new technology and mystic powers. - Forge appears as a non-playable character in the DOSDOSDOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
game X-Men II: The Fall of the MutantsX-Men II: The Fall of the MutantsX-Men 2: Fall of the Mutants is a role-playing DOS game for the PC. It follows the basic story of the X-Men crossover storyline "Fall of the Mutants".-Plot:...
. In the game, he and Storm are captured by the AdversaryAdversary (comics)The Adversary is a fictional character, a demonic supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:The Adversary first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #187-188 , and was created by Chris Claremont and John Romita, Jr....
, and can be seen tied in the final stage. - Forge appears in the endings of Storm in the CapcomCapcomis a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
fighting games X-Men: Children of the AtomX-Men: Children of the Atom (arcade game)is an arcade game that was produced by Capcom and released on the CPS-2 arcade system in 1994. It is the first fighting game produced by Capcom using characters under license from Marvel Comics, widely praised for its faithfulness in capturing the spirit of its namesake comics, by using colorful...
and X-Men vs. Street FighterX-Men vs. Street FighterX-Men vs. Street Fighter is a fighting game originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in . It is Capcom's third fighting game to feature Marvel Comics characters and the first game to match them against their own, with characters from Marvel's X-Men franchise being matched against the cast...
. - In Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
, Storm mentions that Forge caught WeaselWeasel (comics)Weasel is a fictional character who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Joe Madureira, he first appeared in Deadpool: The Circle Chase #1 . Weasel is a friend, sidekick, information broker and arms dealer for Deadpool...
in the X-Jet Hangar if you speak to her in Valhalla. - Forge appears as a non-playable character in the X-Men: DestinyX-Men: DestinyX-Men: Destiny is a video game based on the X-Men comic book series. It was developed by Silicon Knights and published by Activision. The game was released in North America on September 27, 2011 for the PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, and Nintendo DS consoles...
video game, voiced by Phil LaMarrPhil LaMarrPhillip "Phil" LaMarr is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. One of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, he is also known for his small, but memorable role as Marvin in Pulp Fiction...
.
Novels
- He is mentioned in the novelization of the movie X-Men: The Last StandX-Men: The Last StandX-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...
as the creator of Mystique's mobile prison.
External links
- UncannyXMen.net Spotlight on Forge - Detailed Biography on UXM.
- Forge on the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki