Geoffrey Thorne recently made a return to the CBR Forums to engage with fans and address questions about his highly anticipated X-Force run.
Some people have raised concerns about the portrayal of the "Native American with red headband" imagery, considering its origins in Hollywood rather than specific cultural attire. I'm curious if you and/or Marcus To have delved into this aspect while developing Forge's character.
Thorne: Hm. We had a lot of discussions about Forge. A LOT. I did considerable research on Cheyenne history, traditions, and current status. None of that will make it into these first issues. Once I'm done writing X-Force, I'll tell the backstage stories and post pages from my first drafts. I make a point of almost never describing how the sausage is made while I'm on a book because there are scumbags who will use frank discussions to gin up controversy in order to get clicks. I'm aggressively anti-scumbag. Bottom line: Forge has a few established looks, and in these first issues, we are using a variation of one of them. That said, THIS time, at least, there's a story reason for the headband.
Could you provide more insight into the concept of X-Force having a revolving cast of guest heroes?
Thorne: Heh. Normally, I wouldn't do this, but I got hammered on the Green Lantern run with covers that revealed plot twists, blurbs that were literally false in their descriptions of what the books contained, and covers that sometimes depicted scenes that never occurred and were never even proposed by me. I'm going to caution everyone, once again, about putting too much stock in these marketing blurbs about our book. I didn't write these marketing blurbs and have no input into them. SOME of what they've said is accurate. Some, like this "rotating guest star" thing, is not. I'm not looking to have to defend myself for failing to fulfill promises I never made. This book will absolutely not be a revolving door of mutant guest stars. Nor will it be a plug-in "mutant of the week" book. This is not Mutant Marvel Team-Up. This is X-Force. Our playing field is the entire Marvel universe. Not saying what it WILL be (SPOILERS), but it will not be either of those things. At all. Put that entirely out of your mind.
I find it particularly exciting to hear that there won't be a revolving door of guest characters in this series.
Thorne: We will be FAST. We will be GLOBAL. We will be RUTHLESS. We will be CONTENTIOUS. We will LIE. We will BETRAY. We will ROLL THAT COASTER as hard as we can. Because we are about winning, about solving the problem for good, not slapping a bandaid on it. And we will, most definitely, be STRANGE.
Will Deadpool be a permanent team member or just a guest star for the initial arc?
Thorne: Wade is 100% a guest. He is not on the team on anything resembling a permanent basis. Whether you love Deadpool or hate Deadpool, you will enjoy what we do with Deadpool.
The issue I have is with Betsy retaining her role as Captain Britain. It seems unrealistic for Britain's top hero to be involved in killing. Personally, I much prefer Betsy as Psylocke. Her transition to Captain Britain doesn't sit well with me.
Thorne: Wait and see.
I'm curious about the mechanics of Betsy's role as Captain Britain. Captain Britain is typically seen as the British equivalent of Captain America, a symbol of heroism. Seeing her on a hit squad feels out of place. Additionally, revealing mutants' involvement in killing could exacerbate existing tensions between mutants and humans. This development has dampened my enthusiasm for the book; I'd prefer to see Betsy return to her Psylocke persona.
Thorne: Wait and see.
My concern about the portrayal of killing ties back to Betsy's identity as Captain Britain. As England's premier hero, it's challenging to reconcile her involvement in lethal activities. X-Force traditionally comprises anti-heroes, so integrating a traditional hero like Captain Britain seems discordant. However, I'm open to seeing how this unfolds in the series.
Thorne: The past won't help you. New deck. New dealers. New game.
What are your thoughts on Betsy's psychic weapons? Are there plans to introduce more medieval-inspired weaponry, or will she predominantly stick to the classic sword and shield?
Thorne: Heh. Lady Braddock will be doing some new stuff, for sure.
Are there any unresolved X-issues that you will be revisiting? Additionally, will there be brand-new villains introduced in this series?
Thorne: New villains, yes. And some [I hope, engaging] spins on old ones. I don't plan on revisiting anything, not the way I think you mean. That said, while the Krakoa era will have come to an end by the time we debut, the ripple effect from all that will have ongoing consequences on the characters in the book. The rise and fall of Krakoa is a significant and, I think, traumatic event to many, many mutants in the X-verse. It would be poor storytelling to ignore that.
Is there any possibility of Cable showing up in X-Force?
Thorne: I have no problems with Cable. He can be fun. But he's got too much gravity for the stories I tell. Any book he's in becomes a Cable book and I'm not here to tell Cable stories or have the story I want to tell transformed into a Cable book. I can't speak to what anyone else is doing with ANY of the characters people want to see but there are a bunch of us with a bunch more series and minis to be announced and a LOT of mutants unaccounted for.
Will Betsy's history with Warren be addressed in this series, or will there be any interaction between them? I'm not a fan of Betsy and Rachel as a couple.
Thorne: I dunno about other writers but nobody controls my narratives but me and, to some degree, the editor. Betsy's with Rachel now, that's the canon. Every character carries their personal history with them just like we all do. MANY queer people go through years or even decades pretending to be straight for their own reasons (usually tied to self-preservation in a hostile society) before coming out. Some, tragically, never do. I've got a sibling who went through this and it was extremely painful for them and for me be unable to help them through it beyond just being supportive of their struggle and their decisions. Betsy and Rachel are now canonically bisexual and, currently, in love with one another. Betsy and Warren certainly did happen and, should they meet up again in X-Force, or elsewhere, I like to think they would remember that time with warmth and happiness. But Betsy is in her own body now and Kwannon's back in hers. When Marvel accepted my pitch for what is now X-Force, Betsy and Rachel were already a couple and a couple they will remain unless there's an EXTREMELY compelling reason to break them up (and I mean EXTREEEEEEEEEEEEMELY compelling). I don't see it happening, frankly. Betsy's romance with Warren will not be rekindled or revisited on my watch. Also, while I love the canon, I hate nostalgia like cancer. We will be moving forward, not backwards.
“For so long, my life has been out of control. Chaos and serendipity, wrapped in insanity. I have suffered, I have lost. Not just my life, but my very soul, my self. But no more. Now I know who I am.” – Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Braddock, daughter of Otherworld, mutant, telepath, telekinetic, defender of the realm and, above all, X-Man.
