stormandforge

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My (very biased) thoughts on the Hellfire Vigil

In my last reaction post about X-Force (2025), I flippantly said that even though I hoped the Vigil would bring the team closure, the X-Force section would most likely be 4 pages of Tank.

And guess what?

Don't get me wrong: they were very nice pages. Someone said the X-Force section belonged in a better book, but I'm going to take it further: Thorne and To's pages felt like the only segment made by (and for) adults. That's right, I said it. There's more wisdom and emotional depth in Kestrel's speech than there is in the whole issue. And as much as I wanted more Forge and Sage, the focus on Piotr really goes to show that Thorne's X-Force was a character piece. Thorne couldn't leave a character unexplored. You gotta respect that.

Look at the cute brotherhood going on here. I'm definitely crushing on Kestrel.

He also isn't letting up on presenting Forge and Sage as a duo (see: Illyana's dialogue, which refers to X-Force as Forge and Sage's mission, as opposed to just Forge's). A little gift for my sad little shipper's heart.

Small Forge sighting:

But no Sage.

My people are officially back to being C-list again.

The sooner I get used to it...

[stormandforge]

Little Furaha 💕

Can't wait to meet you, baby girl.

[stormandforge]

I don't like my boy being comic relief, but at least there's vague gay subtext

"Oh... Be gentle."

"Yeah. Right. The first scratch is always the most painful."

Wolverine and the x-men: Season 1, Episode 4: Overflow

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The cuntiness claims another victim.

Forge says welcome

Dude is steezy as fuck seriously. Disabled king. Not a fan of the whole 'working for the US military' thing, but he's given that up to serve cunt and be a wizard full time.

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Oh, the truth of this.

The cocked hip, I can't

Forge says welcome

Dude is steezy as fuck seriously. Disabled king. Not a fan of the whole 'working for the US military' thing, but he's given that up to serve cunt and be a wizard full time.

[stormandforge]

Forge and Sage in X-Force - issue #3

Want to know what turns Sage on? Read issue #3.

Spoiler alert, it's Forge-related, otherwise I wouldn't mention it as part of a series on Sage/Forge shippyness.

Let's get into it.

Forge and Sage sitting in a tree k.i.s.s.i.n.g on the Blackbird talking. It's customary by this point; they talk to each other more than they talk to anyone else. They also spend a lot of time alone together, and in this scene they're physically apart from the rest of the group, sitting to the side in a little brainy huddle.

We get some dialogue that reminds us of the oppositional/complementary nature of their powers (more on this in my post on issue #2) plus some exposition, which leads Forge to describe the Analog - his latest invention, and device that supports the whole narrative premise of the book.

Sage responds like this:

Did you notice the line?

"It pings my mutation when I look at it."

I actually guffawed when I first read this, because it very much sounds like, you know, an INNUENDO BOMB.

Read the line again. Is there any chance you could use it out of context without some smartass commenting "that's what she said"? None.

Sage might as well be telling Forge that his invention turns her on. In fact that's exactly what she's saying, in her own delightful Sage way.

(And from there, it's not too much of a jump to say the Analog symbolically represents...something else that belongs to Forge.)

Just look at the little private moment that immediately follows:

Why are they suddenly so close?

What happened to the background? Why has the world melted away?

Are they staring at each other, the magic ball, or both? I think the last, but in any case, they're both seeeriously entranced here. Together. By the same thing. In their own little private world.

No seriously, get a room.

So...yes. In terms of Forge/Sage shippyness, issue #3 peaks on page 2. But there's still a bit more to say after that.

I think of issue #3 as a sort of turning point, because it's when writer Geoff Thorne bursts the Forge/Sage bubble that characterised the first two issues and starts including the other characters in a more significant way. And through them, we get an outside perspective on the pairing.

Which, I'm happy to say, aligns with my reading so far.

In their first big conversation of the run, Betsy and Rachel implicitly confirm that Forge and Sage are indeed their own duo, almost separate from the group. When Betsy suggests: "Why not tell Forge and Sage what's going on?", she demonstrates that she thinks of them as joint leadership, even though it's not officially the case.

Then Betsy makes another interesting comment:

From Betsy's point of view, Sage trusts Forge. The reader, however, knows from Sage's narration that it's more complicated than this. Where does Betsy get this from then? I don't see her reading Sage's mind without consent, so to me it's simply a vibe she picked up. But even if you think Betsy read Sage's mind, then it means something has changed for Sage since issue #1 and she now trusts Forge. (Bad idea girl, bad idea.)

Either way: at this point, Forge and Sage look like a cosy little team of two to the people around them. Which is adorable.

And that's issue #3. See you next time for issue #4!

Bonus content:

Turned on by his most advanced invention, and impressed by his simple ones, too? Someone's in trouble.

Nothing special to note here, except that these two working together pings my mutation.

[stormandforge]

I love a fresh view on my boy 💙

Marvel Masterworks - Uncanny X-Men vol. 10

I really like Forge XMen and #186 is a banger. Instantly my fav.

He's written very 1980s, by which I mean some concepts are fumbled and I think Claremont could've done a bit more research especially regarding Cheyenne people, but! Disabled mutant Tony Stark who's trauma and mutantness drive him to retreat from the world, who is a genius in some respects and absolutely played in others, and who is actually punished by the narrative for his dickhead actions ie. building a de-mutant-ificaton ray for the fucking United States. I think rooting him in the government rather than something like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is an excellent move, and characterizing him as someone who can build a Star Trek holodeck but who nonetheless is easily deceived is very solid, he's a classic 2E D&D high INT low WIS.

Maybe he's different later, but that's my bead on him as of this earliest stage, anyway.

[stormandforge]

Forge by Sam Johnstone

instagram.com/nightshift_sam

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Forge by @uzuriartonline

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Forge and Sage in X-Force - issue #2

I'm doing a series of posts on Forge/Sage in X-Force 7 (2024 - 2025). Writer Geoff Thorne said he was building up to them being a couple before the run was cancelled, so I'm pointing out the signs one issue at a time. This post is about issue #2.

Ahhh...issue #2, my beloved.

On the surface it's about an ancient spell taking over Wakanda, but it's really an excuse for Thorne to explore Forge and Sage - their powers, their personalities, and how they play off each other. He shamelessly does away with the rest of the team, pretty much, and focuses on just them (with a particular focus on Sage, because he can't help himself).

People complained about this at the time, I remember. Me, I was drenching my comic in grateful tears: one full issue of my darlings being amazing together!

Growing the seed he planted in issue #1, Thorne establishes their powers as compatible. Put simply: she's Theory, he's Practice. They need each other, it's that easy. If you understand their powers, it makes absolute sense; but symbolically? SO shippy.

So we get descriptions of their respective power sets ("processing speed of a tachyon", chef's kiss), plus hints about compatibility in the dialogue.

Forge tells Sage:

"Tell me what's happening here. I can't build a fix if I don't understand the problem."

Oh really? Almost sounds like you need her to do the thing.

Later, Sage declares:

"I know how to seal the fracture, but I can't do it."

Oh really? Almost sounds like you need him to do the thing.

And once they actually do the thing (I mean defeat the bad guy, get your mind out of the gutter) it can only be together. They bring in narrative resolution as a double act, with Sage finding the solution and Forge executing it.

Metaphor, anyone?

Also, because they are complementary, they also need to be opposites, so they clash the whole way through. The banter from issue #1 descends into bickering and it's absolutely delightful. Also a basic tool of romance narratives - if you need proof, just stream the first Regency-era drama you encounter.

Generally speaking though, this issue is full of moments, guys. Lovely shippy and funny moments. Moments of:

Preferential treatment

His whole team is in free fall but he only worries about one person. Hashtag bad leadership.

Old couple vibes

Holding hands and fighting like your mom and dad.

Unnecessary touching

He's adjusting her goggles, in case you're wondering. He's helping. Why he has to get all tender-touchy to do that is a different question. Also she could kill him for it and she hasn't, so there's that.

Compliments

Aww. That's the nerd equivalent of "hey, nice ass".

Bonus: Sage realising the sad new trajectory of her life

He's such a dick it's hilarious, but mostly I can't help but think of this bottom panel as a moment of realisation for Sage. Like, "Fuck, is this my life now?". Yes, Sage darling. It absolutely is. Get ready to be treated like shit by this man, and asking for more.

See you again soon for the next issue! I should warn you: it's borderline pornographic. You'll see.

(Art by Marcus To.)

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A selection of outfits worn by Forge in the 80s and early 90s

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Jay Anacleto - X-Force

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Never Forget the time that Forge was rehabilitating from his PTSD after serving in the war, and he created a bunch of full-sized robot controlled vehicles (including "Kit" from Knightrider) and named them Forge Force.

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Cable & X-Force #19

But like so many things in this life... It made sense at the time.

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Variant cover for X-Force #9 (2025). By Erik M. Gist.

[stormandforge]

while I appreciate the like, please refrain from reposting threads from rp blogs, it really messes with our notifications

Sorry friend, I'm old and I don't know these things. Thanks for teaching me!

[stormandforge]

Uncanny X-Men #226 (1987)