Geoffrey Thorne's Q&A on X-Force -- Round 6

Geoffrey Thorne recently visited the CBR Forums for another engaging round of Q&A about his upcoming work on X-Force. Thorne also took his time to leave a message to Betsy Braddock fans:

"My friends, I love Lady Elizabeth Braddock more and more as I write her. She is going to have lots to do in this book—things I think you will VERY MUCH enjoy. But I don't have the luxury of being solely focused on any single member of the team. All of them will get subplots, secrets, and spotlight. As I write, personalities are coming into conflict I hadn't expected, and that's always fun. I'm never out to dampen enthusiasm, only to temper expectations for what the book can accomplish. There's just no way this TEAM book can fulfill the goals a SOLO book can. That said, if I do my job right, maybe Marvel green-lights a new Betsy-centric book down the line. She's going to do big things, I promise. Just not ALL the big things at once."

Will we get to learn Forge's and Sage's real names, not just their codenames?

Thorne: Both Forge and Sage have multiple aliases. Sage has more aliases than anyone even knows about. What's either of their real names? Stay tuned.

Can you share how far you've outlined the story?

Thorne: I have plans for at least two multi-issue arcs. My arcs are not short. For example, Green Lantern went a little over a year. That was one arc of a proposed three. X-Force isn’t anywhere near as lore-heavy, and I’m not writing the equivalent of two books at once, so the pacing and tone will be massively different.

Did you have a hand in designing the new team costumes, or did Marcus develop the look based on your concepts?

Thorne: I was one of the people who got to chime in on the designs after the fact. There was some Forge, Tank, and Captain Britain discussion. Everybody else was just GO! Marcus doesn't need help in this regard, frankly. He’s a killer. We can talk more about that when I do the annotations.

Will the current state of Betsy's and Sage's powers be explained?

Thorne: Yes, we will see that. I've wanted to get my creative hands on Sage for some time, and now's my chance. Lady Braddock's status as Captain Britain can't be ignored and will necessarily play SOME part in our story but is by no means the dominating thread (For now. In the future, who can say?).

What is the mental state of each X-Force member after everything that's happened?

Thorne: Everybody has a different thing going on. Sage and Surge probably took the fall of Krakoa the hardest, albeit for very different reasons, and their responses to it are VERY different. Betsy and Rachel also have different responses. Not quite opposite to one another, but different. Forge probably just metabolized it, but who can say what goes on in that mind? Tank ain't talking, so we'll just have to wait on that.

Will Forge act as a mentor to Noriko? Does he see himself in her, similar to how he learned under Naze?

Thorne: No, Forge is nobody's mentor, and Surge is a grown-up. They do have a relationship different from the others, though.

As a Sage fan who never liked the alcoholic plotline, will that be addressed?

Thorne: No. Sage's problem isn't with alcohol.

Will X-Force operate independently, with little knowledge of what the other mutant teams are doing?

Thorne: Correct. They are doing their own thing. However, the first few issues happen over a relatively short period, whereas some of the other books may span days, weeks, or even months in a single issue. But this X-Force is unconnected to any other team or agenda.

Can we expect self-contained stories, multi-issue arcs, or a different structure?

Thorne: Both. I'm trying to keep a good balance on that.

Is there a chance Rachel will interact with Jean soon, possibly through astral visitations like Scott and Jean?

Thorne: Unlikely at this juncture. X-Force was plotted prior to knowing anything about the other books, so if we want to team up with Phoenix, we can, but any such appearance in the first arc would likely be in the form of a flashback. As you read more issues, you'll see why that is.

Did you choose the entire team yourself, or was it a collaboration with the editor to create a new X-Force lineup?

Thorne: I did pull the whole team, but there were three characters I wanted who were unavailable by the time Tom accepted the pitch, so I had to adjust the stories to work without them. It would have been a bigger team, in other words, with three more members. Turns out we don't need them, and a smaller team might actually be better. I can't say who those characters are because it might spoil what someone else is doing in their book.

Is the team complete, or could we see new members join after the first arc?

Thorne: I'm leaving the door open for one more member, but it depends on what happens with the other X books. I have not asked for any special treatment for that character from any of the other teams. I always have back-ups if the first choice is killed, banished, or otherwise unavailable. It will not be Deadpool, I can promise that.

As a request, could you limit or avoid possession stories for Rachel, Sage, and Betsy, given their past experiences with this trope?

Thorne: Lol. I promise, there will be ZERO possession stories.

With your storyline planned out, do you allow for flexibility in case new elements arise, or do you stick strictly to the script?

Thorne: You have to leave wiggle room. While it's not as cohesive as Krakoa, this era requires all of us to be in contact about each other's books. If there's an event or crossover, we have to be able to coordinate without wrecking whatever we had going prior to the crossover. So, yeah, I always try to be as flexible as possible when working at one of the Big 2.

How many issues will the first arc have?

Thorne: What I can say is you should consider every five issues to be a CHAPTER, not an ARC. My arcs are longer than that. I like when arcs flow into each other seamlessly, so the seeds of every upcoming arc will be dropped in the arc you're reading, though you might not realize it at the moment.

Will there be an updated origin for Forge, given that his original Vietnam era background no longer fits his intended age?

Thorne: Flashbacks are always on the table. Obviously, it can't be Vietnam, so yeah, the Siangcong war is Forge's war. I would imagine SOME of that backstory will show up.

Will Surge reflect on how her generation endured the decimation and the loss of Krakoa, despite regaining many friends?

Thorne: Nori is feeling the hit Krakoa took.

Will Betsy's precognitive abilities return?

Thorne: Nope. I don’t like precogs. Sorry.

With X-Force being more globetrotting, will we see more of the broader Marvel Universe, including various locales, heroes, and villains, rather than just X-Men adjacent ones?

Thorne: We will be seeing a lot of 616, forgotten, current, and new.

Will you tap into the 80's Marvel UK lore, featuring characters created by Alan Moore, James Delano, and Alan Davis in Captain Britain?

Thorne: I liked a lot of that stuff when it came out, but it will be quite some time before any of that shows up, if ever. This is X-Force, after all, not Captain Britain. That said, everything is fair game. No era is off the table.

Without a writers' room, do you keep in close contact with other writers, or do the editors update you on other books?

Thorne: We are all in semi-constant contact. We are already talking about places and ways to do little cameos and minor crossovers (between two books rather than the whole X line). I've read most of the first issues and seen some of the art from several of the titles, and it's all top shelf. We're nowhere near as interconnected as the Krakoa era, but the X line is still, at its heart, a family story. A great many predictions about what we're doing are WILDLY off the mark, which pleases me.

Can Brian Braddock regain his Captain Britain title? Having Betsy as Captain Britain while she's not even in costume doesn't uphold the legend and responsibilities of the role.

Thorne: This is not the place for that. This is not a FIX CAPTAIN BRITAIN book. It's X-Force. Once again, if you're thinking of X-Force as "the new Captain Britain book," you will be monstrously disappointed. Lady Braddock is a player, but it's not a stealth Captain Britain book. It's X-Force.

Will what Forge goes through in X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse impact his portrayal in X-Force?

Thorne: Everything to do with the fall of Krakoa impacts the cast of X-Force.

Does Forge still have his aerie?

Thorne: He does. People always seem to forget Forge is crazy rich, shoving him into the "gadget maker to solve problems" box. That's over. Forge owns a lot of properties.

How old would you say Forge is? He seems older than he looks.

Thorne: I prefer not to nail that down, but yes, Forge is considerably older than he looks.

In terms of Forge's love life, do you think his most interesting relationship was with Storm or Mystique?

Thorne: This will be addressed.

Betsy has shown psionic constructs like blades, bows, medieval gear, and even a turret. Will you draw on your experience with Green Lantern for her power manifestations?

Thorne: Nope. Betsy does do some constructs but nothing like what Green Lanterns do. Her powers don't work that way.

What sort of villains can we expect to see? Will they have specific interactions and connections with team members?

Thorne: Hm. Over the course of the arc, you will see a wide array of threats. Some will be straight-up villains. Some will be more in the nature of natural disasters in that there is no villainous intent, but the effects of behavior lead to cataclysmic outcomes. This arc is TEAM-specific, but there are rumblings in each of their pasts that could erupt at any time.

Will X-Force operate openly, remain secretive, or a combination of both?

Thorne: X-Force is doing its own thing, unknown to and without the sanction of any other group. The other X teams have no knowledge of their activities.

Which team member will have the most difficulty adjusting to the new status quo?

Thorne: Hmmm. I think, honestly, that depends on the moment in the story. I think Forge has the least problem with it for obvious reasons, and Sage basically thinks her way through pretty much any situation, good or bad. The others have a lot of baggage from the end of Krakoa they're sorting through. It will pop up at weird times.

Will Forge outfit the team with bio-suits or tech-based suits?

Thorne: Forge will be applying his mutant powers to all sorts of things over the course of this run. Suits will be the least of it.

Which character do you think fans will talk about the most or like the best?

Thorne: Probably Tank, judging by current interest.

What changes have been made from your original pitch that you can discuss?

Thorne: Less Vertigo, more Image.

Psylocke Debuts in X-Men '97 Season Finale

X-Men Unlimited Infinity #139 Art

X-Men Unlimited Infinity #139 Spoilers

Spoilers: Selene walks through a pool of blood in her chamber, engaging in conversation and taunting Tempo, who is restrained on a large piece of bone. Tempo's powers have dramatically accelerated the External ascension process within just a few days. An explosion erupts from the top of Selene's palace tower. Mirage reaches out to the prisoners and calls for reinforcements: Magma, Escapade, Velocidade, and Khora of the Burning Heart.

Magma melts through the walls to liberate the prisoners. However, Dani warns that if the shackles were enchanted to suppress powers, simply breaking them won't suffice. After a power-boosting circuit between Cerebra and Khora, everyone's powers are restored. Despite this, Nova Roma remains besieged by undead guards. Madrox confronts the guards, multiplying into hundreds.

Betsy, Shatterstar, Rictor, Warpath, and Thunderbird hasten towards the palace, but their progress halts abruptly as Warpath gestures upwards. They behold Selene's near completion of ascension, witnessing her emerge from the palace, towering in size and drenched in blood.

Geoffrey Thorne Talks Betsy Braddocks, Addresses Fan Concerns

Geoffrey Thorne, upcoming X-Force writer, recently joined the CBR Forums to discuss Betsy Braddock and address fan concerns.

How would you describe Betsy's personality?

Thorne: Pre-Krakoa, I'd have described her as grounded, focused but, often, puckish. Absolutely not grim dark. But not a wild child by any means. I see her with a smile on her face when I picture her. Post-Krakoa? I'd say she's trying very hard to get back to that place.

Addressing concerns regarding fans' dislike of Betsy's status as Captain Britain and recent characterization:

Thorne: I like Betsy more and more as I write her more and more, and I really liked her already. The Captain Britain thing was a wrinkle I never saw coming as a fan and, frankly, to me, is a much weirder deal than her being with Rachel now. I've given serious thought as to how, if and when the CB aspect of Betsy's life will come into play. I have a sneaking suspicion you will enjoy how we play it (even if you DON'T like her as Captain Britain). I always play the cards I'm dealt by editorial, but I play to win. I never thought I'd ever be on any X-Book, and the fact that it's THIS one with THIS story and THIS team? Cake, baby. All cake. 

Addressing concerns regarding Betsy being reduced to Rachel's girlfriend and token bisexual:

Thorne: The problem, at least in this sort of fiction, is, unlike gender or "race," which are passive presenting attributes, to be seen as bisexual or any sort of queer, you have to demonstrate your status via behavior.

It's doable, but if the character isn't in a relationship with someone (who is present in the book) or the sort of constantly flirty sort (that rubs a lot of folks the wrong way), there are limited means of expressing queerness without making the whole thing political and lecturing. As Rachel and Betsy are both empowered heroes and both in X-Force, I don't have to take time out to remind folks they're queer. I just write two people in a relationship that has ups and downs who spend a lot of time fighting aliens, monsters, and evil super scientists (not a spoiler). If these were novels, it would be cake to write these sexualities even when no one is flirting or dating because we can go in and out of a character's head without screwing up action. A 20-page comic isn't a lot of room.

I don't really think in terms of "inclusion" or "diversity" in any case. I live in a world with people in it, and that's reflected in my work. I think a lot of folks have defaulted to, "well, she likes girls now, so that's it for any hetero relationship." Not so. I think this is a self-limiting view and, in fact, doesn't apply to bisexuals at all. BOTH these characters are established as having intimate long-term relationships with men in the past with which they were, presumably, happy. NOW, they are with each other. Seen as some sort of symbol, and only that way, I suppose one would assume neither will ever be with a man again. I think that's too narrow. I see them as people. Love is love. Bisexuals are not limited to falling for their own gender or to the other one. All choices are on their table. I am hetero, so I'm with the ladies. If I were gay, I'd be with the boys. Rachel and Betsy are BIsexual, not HOMOsexual. Seems to me, being bisexual means they can fall for anyone they think is worthy of that love. Which is how we got here. Since comics are always in some sort of flux, it's doubtful that ANY relationship could be called permanent. Reed and Sue? Nope. Clark and Lois? Nope. So, I think Rachel and Betsy could have a long run but, should a great story come along that breaks them up, that would be allowed too. Just so long as it's emotionally "true." Make sense?

I have no interest in feeding anybody's girl-on-girl fix. Betsy and Rachel are going to be played as a real couple, not softcore porn. Also, they will be spending an awful lot of time fighting monsters, supervillains, and crazy cosmic disasters. Like nearly ALL their time doing that. So... don't worry. I'm not using X-Force to make political statements about bisexuals. Or any sexuals. Couples act like couples. Superheroes fight bad guys.

I know you guys are wary, and it's understandable. All I can promise you is we will not be falling into stereotype and that I will not be using bisexuality as a shield to deflect some idiot's dislike of lesbians. I am doing my best to write people. Just two people who are in love and having to save the world every five minutes.

Addressing concerns about X-Force regurgitating Tini Howard's formula and mistakes:

Thorne: There is no regurgitating old plots or formulae going on. I pitched something new. Marvel said, "Go!" and we're going. Will you like it? No guarantees there, of course, but we hope so. What it will not be (aside from the team members) is anything you've seen before." I'm excited. Marcus is excited. We think we've got something fun here. It will be, for sure, NOT a bunch of soul-broken mutants standing around whining about their shattered hearts and spirits. Nor will it be a slice-of-life story about Lady Braddock and her commoner American lover tidying up things around the manor and having Upstairs/Downstairs intrigue.

Sharing his favorite Betsy stories:

Thorne: I do [have my favorites]: All CAPTAIN BRITAIN (Marvel UK) appearances, all original EXCALIBUR Vol. 1 etc. appearances, the Psylocke & Archangel: Crimson Dawn miniseries, recent Krakoa era stuff, as well as fun bits here and there over the last decade.

Discussing the apex fighting styles available to a telepath:

Thorne: Essentially, it's this (have any other writers done this? I dunno.) Unless you have psi training to resist them, any telepath you fight knows everything you know, if they want to. That means ANY telepath of sufficient strength (it maybe wouldn't be true of a low-level TP) would acquire any fighting style and the expertise of any opponent in about a second. That means EXPERIENCE too. Just like NEO in the Matrix. "Hey, I know kung fu." And, once learned, a skill is kept. So, do the math on how many martial artists and swordsmen Betsy has fought in her storied career. Not to mention Rachel and Sage.

Homo Superior Podcast: Creator Crush - Tom Brevoort Talks X-Books

How would you describe X-Force?

Tom Brevoort: X-Force, in terms of description, is probably closest to Warren Ellis' Planetary. On the surface, it looks like a typical X-Force team, traditionally defined as the X-Men's kill squad. I'm kind of of the belief that the X-Men shouldn't have a kill squad, you know, for all that, our good guys go to Wolverine and say, "Hey, we need you to get a bunch of guys to, like, kill a bunch of people so our hands are clean and we could pretend to be moral while knowing about it and sanctioning it." That doesn't make any sense to me. Anyway, X-Force is centered around Forge. Forge has had a vision, and it's caused him to build something. The thing he's built predicts fracture points, moments and places in the world where a crisis is going to occur if something isn't done. Forge has assembled X-Force as the machine to deal with those crises. So the membership, who's in it, what they do, how they do it, is all built almost on an unconscious level because it's an outgrowth of Forge's maker power to put together the right elements to deal with the situation.

We'll also, fairly routinely in that book, have extra characters as guest stars and hangers-on in the way that Deadpool is in the first issue. But, you know, there's a larger thing going on. In that "Planetary" sense, not only are Forge and the X-Force characters getting involved in all these weird happenings around the world, but they begin to suss out the pattern behind them Da Vinci Code style. There's something bigger brewing behind all of that that we will slowly peel the onion layers back from and get to. But it's, you know, like, literally, they don't have headquarters. Their headquarters is a self-repairing Blackbird that they fly around on. They don't do wheels down unless something's going on. They're just on the go constantly.

X-Men Monday #250 – ‘From the Ashes’ Era Preview With Tom Brevoort

AiPT!: Marvel’s Senior Vice President of Publishing and Executive Editor Tom Brevoort was game to return to X-Men Monday and discuss how the “From the Ashes” era came together, answer X-Fans’ pressing questions, drop some character teases, and more.

AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Tom! First, X-Men is a franchise with over 60 years of history, hundreds of characters, and a passionate fanbase transcending comics. So I’m curious — once you accepted the reins of the X-Men at Marvel… what did you do next? Where do you even start?

Brevoort: [...] Then I went hunting for people to make these books. And casting wasn’t me alone — I should mention my office team: Annalise Bissa and Martin Biro, who worked with me on Avengers stuff before this. And Annalise goes back to working on the Krakoa books at the beginning of that era. Then the wider team is editor Darren Shan and his assistant Noah Sharma, who came over with me from the Avengers world where they had been doing Invincible Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and a bunch of things. And then Mark Basso and his assistant Drew Baumgartner stayed on in the X-Office where they had been doing Wolverine and X-Force and are now doing Wolverine and X-Force.

AIPT: Before we get into some X-Fan questions, I’ve been wondering about something. I’ve been an X-Fan for most of my life, and five of those years have been spent writing X-Men Monday and sorting through countless fan questions. In that time, I’ve received a crash course in the many things that matter to this fandom — from the minuscule to the significant. So, since you’ve been working on the X-line, is there anything you’ve learned via X-Fan interactions that’s surprised you?

Brevoort: [...] I saw there were a lot of people who were really invested in Betsy Braddock being Captain Britain, and there were a lot of people who were really invested in Betsy Braddock not being Captain Britain. So that’s a divide where it’s going to be difficult to make everybody happy.

X-Men Unlimited Infinity #138 Art

X-Men Unlimited Infinity #138 Spoilers

Spoilers: Outside Nova Roma, Saul, in his dragon form, grabs Captain Britain and takes flight. Meanwhile, Rictor and Shatterstar keep fighting against Absalom and Nicodemus. Inside Nova Roma, Mirage leaves Thunderbird to deal with Crule as she heads towards the cells where Selene keeps the mutants imprisoned. Mirage encounters Cerebra and warns that more allies are arriving to join them. Thunderbird and Crule engage in a brutal and fierce yet balanced fight. When Crule gains the upper hand, Warpath shows up and chops off Crule's arm, freeing his brother. Despite Crule's contempt, he decides to face them both, but he's no match for the Proudstar brothers and ends up defeated. Shatterstar and Rictor join the Proudstars in Nova Roma, assessing the losses: with Crule, Absalom, and Nicodemus defeated, Gideon and Burke handled by Sunspot, and Apocalypse and Candra out of the picture, only Saul remains. Betsy continues riding Saul, soaring through the air, and orders him to land. With no choice, Betsy uses her psychic knife on Saul, knocking him out until he falls unconscious to the ground. Betsy informs Mirage that the Externals have been defeated and it's time to bring in the strike team.

Marvel Studios Rumored To Be Developing A Live-Action Captain Britain TV Series For Disney+

ComicBookMovie.com: Comic book fans have been waiting for Captain Britain to step into the spotlight in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a new rumour claims the character is finally coming to Disney+.

A new rumour shared by scooper @MyTimeToShineH claims that a Captain Britain TV series is in the works for Disney+. The project is a series centered around Captain Britain, potentially replacing the previously rumored MI13 show. That's all we have to go on for now, though we'd be shocked if Marvel's MI13 and Excalibur comics don't influence what we see.

The last significant update on Captain Britain came from Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige nearly seven years ago when he said, "We have discussed it. There are a lot of actors that come in and ask about that part, so we’ll have to see." It's unclear what's taken so long, particularly as there have been several opportunities to add Braddock to the mix.

One actor who may have asked Feige about the role is former Superman, Henry Cavill. "I’m never going to say a Marvel character that is already being played by someone else because everyone’s doing such an amazing job," he said in 2021 when asked about possibly joining the MCU. "However, I have the internet and I have seen the various rumors about Captain Britain and that would be loads of fun to do a cool, modernized version of that - like the way they modernized Captain America. There’s something fun about that, and I do love being British."

Captain Britain was created by Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe and debuted in 1976. Endowed with superhuman abilities by the mystical Amulet of Right, Captain Britain is a patriotic hero who defends the UK and the Multiverse; however, it's Alan Moore's work on the character which put him on the map.

MyTimeToShineHello is a Tier 3 – Somewhat Reliable Source as decided by the community. For Marvel, they had a 67.06% accuracy rate from 236 leaks that we can currently verify out of 528 total.