The latest issue of X-Force furthers the underlying theme of Marvel's relaunched mutant population of the Marvel Universe to truly reach their full potential. It is a stark message, signaling a new direction for the franchise, though it has already become clear that Xavier's shadow won't be so easy to escape.
X-Force #3 – written by Geoffrey Thorne, with art by Marcus To – continues this trajectory away from Xavier's long-time dominance over the franchise. So far, in the "From the Ashes" reboot era, various characters have declared Xavier's dream "dead" and "broken," but this issue offers a more tangible take on the negative influence it had. As narrator Sage describes it, trying to adhere to Xavier's exact vision of the world was the root cause of many X-Men heroes' descents into villainy.
Forge & His New "X-Force" Team Confront The Dark Side Of Charles Xavier's Marvel Legacy
X-Force #3 – Written By Geoffrey Thorne, Art By Marcus To; Color By Erick Arciniega; Lettering By Joe Caramagna
X-Force #3 offers another precise elaboration on the idea that Charles Xavier had, over the years, become a negative influence on his students, as the issue's narration notes:
Xavier tells them the world is black and white. Binary. Then he lets them find out all on their own it's really shades of gray. One by one, they always do. And one way or another, they crack. And some of them fall.
This is a harsh, but not invalid criticism levied at Professor X – one that continues the trend of the franchise's "From the Ashes" era, one defining feature of which so far has been Marvel's attempt to carve out a post-Xavier world for X-Men. Here, X-Force #3 offers an acknowledgment that, over the years, more and more of mutantkind's greatest heroes have faltered, and even in many cases turned bad.
The previous Krakoan Era was a high-point of prosperity for Marvel's mutants, but it also ultimately led to the "death" of Charles Xavier's role as mutantkind's greatest leader. The era ended with him disgraced, and vilified – not because he rejected his own moral doctrine, but rather because he clung to it too rigidly, too long ed when it had ceased to be of utility to him and his followers. More than just how Xavier himself failed mutantkind at the most critical hour, however, X-Force #3 stresses that his teachings had long had a deleterious effect on his students.
Forge Argues That Xavier's Moral Vision For Mutantkind Corrupted His Most Dedicated Students
X-Force #3 – Available September 25 From Marvel Comics
Among the greatest tragedies of the Krakoan Era was original X-Men character Beast's fall from grace; in the previous volume of X-Force, Beast's role as the intelligence chief for mutantkind's Krakoan nation led him to take increasingly desperate, and finally, entirely villainous actions. However, that is just one acutely prominent example in a long line stretching back decades; downfalls and heel-turns have long been an integral part of the X-Men franchise. As Sage argues in X-Force #3, this can be attributed to the strain placed on X-Men's core cast by trying to adhere to Charles Xavier's worldview.
Why Professor X Is Now Considered a Villain in X-Men Lore
Charles Xavier is a complex, tragic figure, constantly trying to protect his mutant "children" while becoming a villain due to his moral failings.
This is a complex take, one that will have many fans revisiting and reconsidering decades worth of X-Men stories, looking back in hindsight for the many moments in which it seemed one of mutantkind's foremost heroes failed Professor X – when, in actuality, it was perhaps the exact opposite. As exciting as the new locations, new characters, new villains, and more have been as X-Men's "From the Ashes" era has kicked off, this recontextualization of everything that has come before is the most thrilling aspect of the franchise's new paradigm.
The New X-Force Team Validates The New X-Franchise's Attitude Toward Xavier
The Fringe Is The Center Now
In many ways, "From the Ashes" has been looked at as a "back to basics" overhaul for the X-franchise; the Krakoan Era was a spectacular reinventing of X-Men's mythos, while this new line of titles may feel much more familiar to old school Marvel fans. That said, the franchise's current perspective on Charles Xavier is startlingly new; even when he has been an antagonist in the past, his core role in X-Men lore was never called into question in the way each X-book is openly doing now, in its own way.
X-Force's New Costumes Break Marvel Tradition with a Power That's Nothing to Do with Mutation
As Forge leads Marvel's new X-Force, the team get a major upgrade as the master inventor provides costumes that give them additional powers.
As X-Force #3 indicates, this series has perhaps the best opportunity to discover mutantkind's potential outside the auspices of Xavier; of X-Men storytelling, to one degree or another, but now that the franchise's most familiar characters are grappling with the true nature of Xavier's legacy unlike ever before, the most insightful criticism is likely to come from the mouths of the X-Men characters who have long observed from the periphery.
X-Force #3 will be available September 25, 2024 from Marvel Comics
- Movie(s)
- X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- First Film
- X-Men (2000)
- TV Show(s)
- X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men '97 (2024)
- Character(s)
- Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23
- Video Game(s)
- X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine's Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)
- Comic Release Date
- 213035,212968
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
