Thor, Iron Man, & Black Panther Get Major Redesign as New Avengers Team Debuts

Warning: Contains spoilers for X-Force #4!A mysterious new lineup of Avengers has officially made its bold debut in a shocking cliffhanger at the end of Marvel’s latest issue of X-Force. When Nuklo starts causing destruction all over the world, Captain Britain helps the X-Force travel through Otherworld so they can teleport to stop the rampage. However, after their battle ensues, they are stopped by a group of familiar heroes with new unique designs and identities.

At the end of X-Force #4 by Geoffrey Thorne, Marcus To, Erick Arciniega, and Joe Caramagna, Forge’s team of mutants comes face to face with five different versions of iconic Avengers. Storm, Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Panther take on new forms and looks as their team confronts the X-Force.

Though this roster is a fresh development, some of the designs are reminiscent of alternate universe characters in a Marvel Comics storyline from over thirty years ago. The mutant team will seemingly go up against the Avengers team from another world first introduced by a legendary X-Force writer.

Forever Yesterday: Marvel’s New Avengers Designs Have ’90s Origins

With a Big Focus on Classic Characters

The Avengers at the end of X-Force #4 originates in a 1991 comics storyline called Forever Yesterday, which begins in The New Warriors #11 by Fabian Nicieza, Mark Bagley, Larry Mahlstedt, Andy Yanchus, and Joe Rosen. In the story, which takes place on Earth-9105, Captain Assyria leads an Avengers team with Storm, Iron Man, Monica Rambeau as Sceptre, and the Egyptian god Horusas a Thor-like character variant. In X-Force, Cap, Storm, and Horus’ designs are pretty similar to their ’90s counterparts, but Iron Man’s suit is a new cool blue, while the character resembling White Wolf is a fresh addition to the Avengers of Assyria.

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The Forever Yesterday universe has only shown up once since its three-issue run in The New Warriors, more recently appearing in a Spider-Verse adventure called Web Warriors where that universe’s version of Electro appeared. Though it’s still unclear why they’ve shown up in X-Force , it could be a result of the team’s Otherworld travel or Forge’s powerful new gadgets like the Analog. Regardless, it’s fascinating to see this Avengers team from the past in a bold new fashion with a reinvigorated lineup. As they order the X-Force to stand down amid their incursion, perhaps Earth-9105 will be fleshed out even more.

Forge and Storm’s Romance Returns With a Surprising Twist

Could They Be Getting Back Together?

Another one of the big takeaways from the cliffhanger at the end of the latest issue is Forge’s reaction to being confronted with an unknown new version of Ororo. The two mutants’ romance is a major part of both of their Marvel histories, and though they’ve both had other relationships, Forge is understandably still a little hung up on his lost love. Their relationship went more mainstream when the Lifedeath adaptation in X-Men ‘97 highlighted Forge and Storm’s steamy romance, but has come back to Marvel Comics as Forge joins Ororo at Omega-level mutant status and leads his X-Force team.

Forge will undoubtedly remain unlucky in love as he meets this Ororo, since the Forever Yesterday version of Storm was married to Horus in her last appearance. Future X-Force solicitations also revealed a reunion between the two for the series’ upcoming sixth issue with a cover by Stephen Segovia and Rain Beredo, along with a love triangle featuring Mystique also being teased. Though that version seems to be a different Storm than is featured in the Forever Yesterday throwback, and possibly different from her current Avengers look, Ororo keeps coming back to haunt Forge as the one that got away.

Forge’s Brilliant New Inventions Could Be Leading to Disaster

And It Will All Play Out in X-Force

The themes from Lifedeath and Forge’s innovative devices ending up detrimental to mutants may be making a return as his inventions become increasingly more advanced and powerful. Between his upgrades to the X-Force jet and suits and the Analog device guiding the team toward world-ending threats before they happen, Forge’s tech advancements are groundbreaking but threatening if in the wrong hands. Though it’s unclear if the Earth-9105 Avengers have shown up due to a mishap during Captain Britain’s Otherworld trip or due to the Analog going awry, the new Omega-level mutant Forge will have to keep his inventions close to his chest.

Though the Avengers team making their debut at the end of X-Force #4 isn’t a totally new invention for the series, the lineup is still a bold new development for the universe. Crossing over with the ’90s iteration of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes from The New Warriors, the mutants will have to explain themselves and perhaps work together with the team to figure out what’s going on. The X-Force must try to navigate the distinct personalities and identities of these different heroes from what they know, as the Forever YesterdayAvengers have returned to shake up Marvel continuity yet again.

X-Force #4 is available now from Marvel Comics.

X-Force

X-Force is a Marvel comic book series that started in 1991 after the team debuted in The New Mutants #100. X-Force was created by Rob Liefeld and originally consisted of Cable, Cannonball, Copycat, Shatterstar, Feral, Boom-Boom, and Warpath. Several other notable Marvel characters have joined the team over the years including Jean Grey, Deadpool, Wolverine, Deathlok, and X-23.

Writer

Rob Liefeld, Benjamin Percy, Rick Remender

Penciler

Rob Liefeld, Greg Capullo, Tony Daniel, Adam Pollina, Jim Cheung, Whilce Portacio, Jorge Lucas, Mike Allred

Inker

Dan Panosian, Harry Candelario, Kevin Conrad, Bud LaRosa, Mark Morales, Gerry Alanguilan

Colorist

Dan Panosian, Harry Candelario, Kevin Conrad, Bud LaRosa, Mark Morales, Gerry Alanguilan

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