Forge (character)

Publication history

Forge first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #184 in August 1984, created by Chris Claremont and John Romita Jr. Claremont originally planned for the character to be named Daniel Lone Eagle, but that name was never used in official Marvel stories. Forge was a recurring figure in Uncanny X-Men, also appearing in five issues of Rom and various other X-Men related titles. After the Fall of the Mutants storyline, he stayed in Dallas and showed up in two issues of New Mutants. He later helped the Muir Island X-Men before setting out to find the missing team.

Forge took part in the Days of Future Present, X-Tinction Agenda, and Muir Island Saga events. He joined the X-Men for a time, then shifted to a support role and eventually left the mansion. Forge became a member of X-Factor starting with issue 93, left in issue 136, and made his last appearance in that series in issue 145. He appeared occasionally in X-Men comics as technical support and had a recurring role in the Mystique solo series and New X-Men.

During the Marvel NOW! era, Forge returned as part of Cable’s X-Force. After that series ended, he played a supporting role in Storm (Vol. 3) and joined Extraordinary X-Men. In the Krakoan Age, Forge appeared in many issues and served on the island’s X-Men team until he left during the 2023 Hellfire Gala. With the From the Ashes relaunch, Forge started a new X-Force team.

Fictional character biography

Forge is a Cheyenne mutant with a natural, intuitive genius for inventing things. Though he was trained as a medicine man, he prefers technology over mysticism, which creates a rift with his teacher, Naze, and pushes him to enlist in the military. He serves in the Vietnam War, rising to sergeant, and turns down an offer to join S.H.I.E.L.D. because he feels his place is still in Vietnam. On his second tour, enemy troops kill his comrades.

Enraged, he uses their spirits to summon demons to destroy the attackers. Worried about his fallen friends, he calls in a B-52 bombing run on his own position to shut the portal between worlds. The bombs destroy the spirits but also cost him his right leg and right hand. This act inadvertently lets the demon known as the Adversary enter Earth, and afterward Forge becomes reluctant to use his mystical powers.

Years later, he builds cybernetic replacements for his lost limbs. After Tony Stark stops producing advanced weapons for the U.S. government, Forge is hired by the Defense Department. One of his first jobs is to create a weapon that can detect the Dire Wraiths. He then builds a device that can neutralize mutant powers.

Henry Peter Gyrich, an agent of the National Security Council, takes the device on orders from the President. Forge objects, warning that it is untested and extremely dangerous. The device is used against Rogue, who is wanted for allegedly killing a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, but it accidentally removes the powers of her teammate, Storm.

Romance

Forge rescues Storm after she falls into a river and brings her to his home in Dallas, Texas. During her recovery, they develop romantic feelings. When Storm learns that Forge built the device that took her powers, she leaves him. Later, with help from Rom the Space Knight, Forge builds a larger version of the Neutralizer and uses it to banish the Dire Wraiths to Limbo.

In other media

Forge has been voiced by several actors across different animated series. In X-Men: The Animated Series, Marc Strange provided his voice for the character, who leads X-Factor; the series also features an alternate timeline version of Forge as the head of a mutant resistance. Gil Birmingham voiced him in X-Men '97.

Sam Vincent voiced Forge in X-Men: Evolution, where his mutant power includes turning one hand into a multi-tooled robotic device. This version was stuck in a pocket dimension for thirty years after one of his own inventions malfunctioned, until Nightcrawler rescued him. Roger Craig Smith voiced Forge in Wolverine and the X-Men, portraying him as a novice X-Men member who works as the team's engineer and mission analyst.

In video games, Forge appears as a non-playable character in X-Men II: The Fall of the Mutants. He shows up in Storm's ending sequences for both X-Men: Children of the Atom and X-Men vs. Street Fighter. Marc Strange returned to voice him as a playable character in X-Men: Mutant Academy 2.

Carlos Ferro voiced him as a playable character in X-Men: Next Dimension. Lou Diamond Phillips voiced him as a non-playable character in both X-Men Legends and X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse. Phil LaMarr voiced him as a non-playable character in X-Men: Destiny. Forge makes a cameo in Strider Hiryu's ending in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

Carlos Alazraqui voiced him in Marvel Heroes. He appears in Marvel Snap. Kerry Shale voices him in Marvel Cosmic Invasion.

Did You Know?

• In 2014, Entertainment Weekly ranked Forge 38th in their 'Let's rank every X-Man ever' list.
• In the Age of Apocalypse alternate reality, Forge is the leader of the Outcasts and becomes a mentor to Nate Grey before being killed by Mister Sinister.
• In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Forge is an Indian American member of the Brotherhood of Mutants.