Geoffrey Thorne's Q&A on X-Force -- Round 2

Geoffrey Thorne, the writer of Marvel's forthcoming X-Force series, revisited the CBR Forums to delve deeper into fan questions. His return engagement provided enthusiasts with more details about the highly awaited comic book.

How did you present your pitch for X-Force to Marvel Editorial?

Thorne: I pitched them a team led by Forge with ZERO "marquee" characters with a spin nobody else had pitched. I pitch a lot of stories to a lot of people, and most of them get shot down. It's always a surprise when the more offbeat ones are the ones that get traction. How offbeat they remain by the time you see them is another story entirely. Nonetheless, based on the issues that have made it through the editorial minefield intact, I'm excited for July.

Can you elaborate on Deadpool's role in X-Force?

Thorne: I don't know how anybody else is using Wade, but in X-Force, I think both Wade-haters AND Wade-lovers will enjoy what we do.

Is there any significance to Betsy not being referred to as Captain Britain in the solicitations and not wearing her costume? The same with Rachel not being called Askani. Will this be addressed in the book?

Thorne: It's difficult to address certain questions without spoilers or breaching my NDA. All I can say is, I KNOW you're excited and trying to parse every ounce of data out of the smallest announcements, but I would caution everybody against digging TOO deeply into the solicits. They are, by their very nature, a tiny and very shallow overview of the story to come. Sometimes they're straight-up wrong. The way I write superheroes who know each other's AKAs and real names is they sort of switch back and forth between them, depending on the scene. For instance, Rachel's 'hero name' is Askani, but Betsy's probably never going to call her that. Same with Captain Britain vs. Betsy. That would be like me always calling my wife Director Thorne instead of, you know, her name or whatever pet name I have for her. I think you can take comfort in the fact that the FROM THE ASHES initiative (or whatever we call a themed release these days) is not a reboot. Krakoa happened and the events of the Fall of X are canon.

How long have you been developing X-Force?

Thorne: I've been thinking about this since 2020 or slightly earlier.

What settings can we expect to see in your series? Will there be visits to locations like House of Magneto, Age of Apocalypse, or Days of Future Past?

Thorne: Where will it take place? Hmmm. I was going to do a Back to the Future joke, but you lunatics will think I'm hinting at time travel or something (I'm not NOT hinting at time travel). Let's see... [Thorne linked to Cowboy Bebop's opening sequence]. This should stir the pot.

Do you have any specific sources of inspiration for your upcoming run on X-Force? Are there any shows, movies, albums, or other media that you'd use to describe the tone of the team and its mission?

Thorne: Hannah Barbera's Johnny Quest. This for sure...

Will Sage have a more active role in combat this time? She missed out on much of the X-Force action previously!

Thorne: That, I can guarantee. I really believe people have been underestimating exactly what Sage is/can do with her power.

What details can you provide about the character Tank?

Thorne: You haven't even met Tank yet. That guy is FULL of surprises.

Considering Forge's aim to solve the world's problems, how many ethical boundaries will he and his team be willing to cross?

Thorne: He's not fixing ALL the world's problems. That would be crazy. Ethical lines? Where we're going, we don't have ethical lines. Hey, I got the Back to the Future joke in after all.

Can you address concerns from readers about Marcus To's art style potentially not aligning with the tone of a book like X-Force?

Thorne: That panel shared by Marcus To is NOTHING compared to what's happening. Honestly, if you think this is a book about folks standing around talking, you are in for a CRAZY surprise. This one panel does NO justice to what issue one is. Buckle up.