X-FORCE

x-force-m-branch-ohotmu.jpg 
 

Membership: Bedlam (Bermuda Schwartz; formerly Havok), Tempest (William Read; formerly Storm), the Wall (Lemuel Sullivan; formerly Colossus);
    formerly Dazzler (Kimberly Schau; apparently deceased), Longshot (Roger Welton; apparently deceased), Psylocke  (Matt Coris; apparently deceased; not pictured), Rogue, (Victor Barlow; remained loyal to M Branch) Wolverine  (Ryan LaPorto; reportedly deceased; see comments),

Purpose: Survival, escape attempts on their lives by Roland Blaisdell and the M Branch;
    formerly intended to serve as superhuman agents of the US government

Affiliations: Cloak (Tyrone Johnson), Dagger (Tandy Bowen), Dr. Ilsa Moon;
    formerly M Branch (funded their creation)

Enemies: Roland Blaisdell (leader of M Branch), M Branch, Rogue (traitor)

Base of Operations: Unrevealed:
    formerly the Mid Town Hospital, Manhattan, New York City;
    formerly an unidentified US government research facility.

First Appearance: (BTS, codenames listed) Cloak and Dagger III#9 (December, 1989);
    (Seen and identified) Cloak and Dagger III#10 (February, 1990)

History: (Cloak & Dagger#10 (fb) - BTS) - During the Acts of Vengeance, the US government was given reason to question the loyalty of Freedom Force, their agents at the time. As a result, a fanatical faction of the government (which was behind the failed super-powers registration act) formed a scientific offshoot called M Branch. The group appointed Roland Blaisdell to head M Branch. Blaisdell handpicked eight recruits from the ranks of patriotic volunteers, eager to serve their country.

    The scientists at M Branch subjected the enlistees to cosmic rays, gamma rays, and combinations of both in an effort to produce mutagenic changes like those which empowered the Fantastic Four and the Hulk.

    The group was christened X-Force, issued uniforms, and assigned the names of the X-Men (Colossus, Dazzler, Havok, Longshot, Psylocke, Rogue, Storm, and Wolverine) who had recently seemed to have died in battle against the demonic Adversary.

(Cloak & Dagger#10 (fb) - BTS) - However, during the training period, all began to exhibit signs of radiation poisoning to various degrees. Blaisdell brought them to Mid Town Hospital in Manhattan to receive care under Dr. Ilsa Moon. 

    Despite her efforts, the subjects continued to deteriorate, and Longshot and Psylocke died. Blaisdell then made it clear that he was no longer interested in trying to prolong the lives of the others, but instead wanted Dr. Moon to collect data on their progression and eventual death, so that he might make other attempts in the future.

(Mutant Misadventures of Cloak & Dagger#9 - BTS) - A chart of the door of the room containing the X-Force members listed Psylocke and Longshot as deceased. 

    As a member of X-Force demanded to be let out, the M Branch agents called for sedatives, and a nurse rushed in, after which things quieted down. 

    Making a wrong turn in the hospital, Father Micheal Bowen walked by during the commotion. He asked what was going on, but was told it was highly classified, and he was swiftly escorted out. He asked the Lord to be with the poor, tortured souls in that room.

(Mutant Misadventures of Cloak & Dagger#10 (fb) - BTS) - Wolverine was the third to die.

(Cloak & Dagger III#10) - The remaining members of X-Force -- Colossus, Dazzler, Havok, Rogue, and Storm -- refused to allow themselves to die just so the government could learn from their mistakes. Under the direction of Colossus, they attempted to break out of the hospital. x-force-mbranch-purged

    Cloak and Dagger were in the hospital visiting Father Delgado and heard the struggle. They initially believed the members of X-Force to be criminals, and so they sided with the soldiers of M Branch. Blaisdell arrived and decided to terminate the entire group, and he ordered his soldiers to open fire. Dazzler and Rogue were shot, but the other three escaped further injury, after which Dr. Moon stepped between the soldiers and X-Force members and escorted them into the elevator; with Pvt. Read (Storm) still stunned from being struck by Dagger's light blasts, Sarge carried him upstairs.

    When Cloak and Dagger met them up there, Dr. Moon explained X-Force's history.

(Mutant Misadventures of Cloak & Dagger#10 (fb) - BTS) - Dazzler apparently perished from her wounds.x-force-mbranch-farewell

    After Blaisdell told Barlow/Rogue that it was time for him and his friends to make the supreme sacrifice, Barlow (who had suffered some degree of head wound) reversed his position and decided to follow orders.

(Cloak & Dagger III#10) - After learning the group's origins, Cloak and Dagger were quite sympathetic. Blaisdell and his soldiers then located them, along with Rogue, who told his teammates to fulfill their obligations to their republic or her would have to help M Branch kill them.

    Cloak and Dagger helped fight off Rogue and the soldiers and teleported Dr. Moon and the other three to the Holy Ghost Church, where the soldiers could not find them. Dagger used her powers to clear the drugs and radiation from the former X-Force members' systems, apparently curing them.

    The fugitives then took new names -- the Wall (formerly Colossus), Bedlam (formerly Havok), and Tempest (formerly Storm) -- and they decided to go out on their own. Dr. Moon joined them, planning to provide them with medical and financial assistance as they attempted to elude M Branch

COMMENTS: Created by Terry Austin and Mike Vosberg.

    There were not great images of the team and there were no images of some of the characters in the original stories. Mike Vosberg was kind enough to provide us with copies of original sketches of the characters, from which the main image was drawn for their entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update 2010#2.

    The original picture of the first seven members showed Wolverine, who was mentioned as the second to die. Psylocke was not shown initially, but was mentioned in their origin, and was mentioned as the first to die. Another time, Longshot was listed as the first to die. Longshot and Psylocke were listed as the two dead on their hospital file, while Wolverine was still listed as alive at that time.
    Presumably, they are all dead. Although X-Force's handbook profile in OHotMU A-Z Update 2010#2 speculated that Wolverina (from Carnage: It's a Wonderful Life) was X-Force's Wolverine...somehow femizined)

    The next issue blurb stated, "The Hunted and Betrayed X-Force will return!" I guess they really like to build that suspense.

    X-Force did make one more appearance: Marvel Age#102 (July, 1991), in Fred Hembeck's page: Hembeck had Bedlam and Tempest on to discuss their new series, X-Force. they were both excited, but surprised that no one from Marvel had called them, with the first issue due out any day. Cannonball showed up and revealed that the series would be about the former New Mutants. A rumble nearly ensued, until Hembeck called in Phyllis Twombly, aka Origin, to settle the dispute. She revealed that Marvel had requested that she turn the name over to the new group, and she had complied.

    I'm thinking there are probably 4 or 5 people reading comics today who remember these guys.

    Connection between the original X-Force and the Exemplars (As two members from each team share names with two from the other team)? Probably not, but it would be a good story.

    Real names for Longshot, Psylocke and Wolverine were revealed in X-Force's profile in OHotMU A-Z Update 2010#2.

CLARIFICATIONS:
(take a deep breath) X-Force has no connection to:

The Wall, formerly known as Colossus, was patterned after the X-Man Colossus, Piotr/Peter Rasputin,--Giant-Size X-Men#1
He has no known connection to:

Dazzler was originally patterned after the X-Man Dazzler, Alison Blaire,--Uncanny X-Men#130
She has no known connection to:

Bedlam, formerly known as Havok was originally patterned after the X-Man Havok, Alex Summers,-- X-Men I#54, 58.
She has no known connection to:

Psylocke was originally patterned after the X-Man Psylocke, Betsy Braddock,--Captain Britain I#8, New Mutants Annual#2

Rogue was originally patterned after the X-Man Rogue, Anna Marie,--Avengers Annual#10

Tempest, formerly Storm , was originally patterned after Storm, Ororo Monroe,-- Giant-Size X-Men#1.
He has no known connection to:

and that's not counting all of the alternate earth counterparts, etc.

BEDLAM
(formerly Havok)
Pvt. Bermuda Schwartz (I kid you not)

Originally known as Havok, she was one of the three to stay with the group.

She could intensify already existing mental states, as well as cause hallucinations.

(Civil War: Battle Damage Report) - Tony Stark considered Bedlam as a potential Initiative recruit.

 --Cloak and Dagger III#9 (10

 Note: See the main profile for images of a full body form and head/face shot

 

 

 

 

DAZZLER
Kimberly Schau (presumably a private)

    She was shot and reportedly killed during the group's escape from Mid Town Hospital.

    She could project electricity, primarily as bursts of brilliant light.

 

 

 


--Cloak and Dagger III#9 (10

Note: See the main profile for images of a full body form and head/face shot

PSYLOCKE
Pvt. Matt Coris

He was one of the first to succumb to radiation poisoning.

His abilities are unrevealed.

--Cloak and Dagger III#9

Note: See the main profile for images of a full body form and head/face shot

 

ROGUE
Pvt. Victor Barlow

    He remained loyal to Blaisdell and the M Branch, despite their lack of concern for his survival, and even shooting him. He had only a superficial gunshot wound, and recovered almost instantly.

    He felt that the other members had turned traitor to their country, and so he agreed to oppose them and assist in hunting them down.

    He could leech the calcium from one's bones, causing severe pain, and theoretically cause the skeleton to have the consistency of rubber.

  --Cloak and Dagger III#9 (10

Note: See the main profile for images of his full body form and head/face shot

    Comic science is comic science, but in case you care, if you actually decalcified bones without removing anything else (as per Rogue's powers), the bones would become like rubber, but wouldn't turn into a gelatinous pool. If you don't believe me, put a steak bone in vinegar for a few days.

 

 


TEMPEST
(formerly Storm)
Pvt. William Read

    One of the three to stay with the group, he was also the most volatile member.

    Tempest can intensify already present atmospheric conditions. He could even transform water running out of a drainpipe to a full torrential downpour from the skies.

 --Cloak and Dagger III#9 (10

 Note: See the main profile for images of his full body form and head/face shot

 

 

 

 

 

THE WALL
(formerly Colossus)
Sgt. Lemuel Sullivan

    The leader of the group, heone of the three members still with the group.

    The Wall is a good 7 to 8 feet tall, and possesses superhuman strength (Class 10?) and durability, as well as advanced training in strategy, and in armed and unarmed combat.

 

 

 

 

 --Cloak and Dagger III#9 (10

Note: See the main profile for images of his full body form and head/face shot

ROLAND BLAISDELL

    A former presidential advisor, he was chosen to run M Branch.

    He cared only about the final result, and nothing about those involved in the process.

    Blaisdell was more than willing to sacrifice the entire group if things weren't proceeding as planned.

 

 --Cloak and Dagger III#9

 

 

 

Dr. ILSA MOON

    An expert on the effects of radiation, she was chosen to try to reverse or retard the deterioration of the group, but was unsuccessful.

    She was infuriated at Blaisdell's absence of concern for the group, and decided to stay with the group when they fled the hospital.

 --Cloak and Dagger III#9

 

 

images: (without ads)
Mutant Misadventures of Cloak & Dagger#10

    pg. 16, panel 2 (pre-mutation headshots);
    pg. 23, panel 2 (purged of excess radiation by Dagger);
    pg. 24, panel 2 (farewell);
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update 2010#2: X-Force main image       

Appearances:
Cloak & Dagger III#9-10 (December, 1989 - February, 1990) - Terry Austin (writer), Mike Vosburg (artist), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Civil War: Battle Damage Report (2007) - Ronald Byrd, Anthony Flamini, Michael Hoskin (writers), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update 2010#2 (August, 2010) - Chris Biggs, Ronald Hugh Byrd Jr., Madison Carter, Jeff Christiansen, Kevin Garcia, Richard Green, Michael Hoskin, Rob London, Sean McQuaid, Mike O'Sullivan, Markus Raymond, Jacob Rougemont, Gabriel Shechter, Stuart Vandal, David Wiltfong (writers), Alex Starbuck (asssistant editor), John Denning (associate editor), Jeff Youngquist (editor), Mark D. Beazley, Jennifer Grünwald (editors, special projects)  

First Posted: 12/19/2001
Last updated: 02/13/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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