Closed Danglers
1) Is the U.S. government still after X-Force? In X-Force (1st series) #1, Nick Fury sent G.W. Bridge to arrest X-Force after S.H.I.E.L.D. discovered the remains of a MLF base that X-Force destroyed, though he specifically wanted Cable brought down. Bridge went on to enlist the aid of Garrison Kane, though the man refused. Soon after in X-Force (1st series) #4, Bridge spied on the team while they battled Juggernaut and Black Tom at the World Trade Center and then tried to arrest Cable, but he bodyslid the team away. Later, Bridge accompanied Weapon: PRIME in capturing X-Force, but was defeated in X-Force (1st series) #13-14. After that, it seemed that the government had given up on capturing the team.
The U.S. government is no longer after X-Force. In X-Force (1st series) #19, Bridge left S.H.I.E.L.D. in anger over being blamed for the botched mission with Weapon: PRIME. Xavier sorted the situation out with Valerie Cooper also in X-Force (1st series) #19 and promised that, as long as she did not put the team in a detention center, he would keep them under house arrest until things died down. It should also be noted that no charges were pressed against X-Force, which is why they also left the mansion in #19.
2) Does Cable still deal with A.I.M.? In X-Force (1st series) #6 it was revealed during a bathtub scene with Cable and Domino (actually Copycat posing as her), that Cable had connections with the terrorist organization A.I.M. and that was where he got all his supplies from. Obviously, X-Force would not have been happy if they ever found out.
Cable probably isn’t affiliated with them, as A.I.M. went back to its terrorist ways and abandoned the sales of weapons during the “Taking AIM” story arc in the Captain America and the Avengers. In the tub, Cable stated that he wouldn’t care what Cannonball and Boom-Boom would think, so it seems to be of little concern to him anyway.
3) How did the Toad get new powers? In X-Force (1st series) #7, the Toad displayed a new power, which was to secrete resin from his hands. This power was demonstrated when his newly reformed Brotherhood of Evil Mutants attacked X-Force in their headquarters on request by the Morlocks. The Toad was about to use this power to seal Siryn’s mouth, yet this additional power had no explanation.
Peter Luzifer helps point out the solution to this problem. In Generation X #19, the Toad reveals that he has a mutant acquaintance known as the Surgeon. This person has the ability to make people into “something more.” This Surgeon character may have used his powers to alter Toad’s abilities or help reveal a latent power.
Beyond that, the Toad’s changing powers were further addressed in the X-Men Forever limited series, where it was revealed that there is instability in Toad’s genetic make-up, which had been causing his powers to alter over the years. By the end of the series, the instability was genetically repaired, leading to his new powers becoming permanent and a change from his usual ugly appearance to his movie appearance. Since then, Toad's appearance has continued to fluctuate. He sometimes has normal skin and other times, it is green. Currently appearing in Wolverine and the X-Men, Toad is back to roughly where he began in the looks department though his powerset remains more consistent.
4) What happened to Artie, Leech and Wiz Kid? After X-Force (1st series) Annual #1, Artie, Leech, and Wiz Kid seemed to have disappeared into character limbo.
Artie and Leech moved on to become supporting cast members of Generation X. From there, they went on to co-star with other Marvel characters in the limited series Daydreamers. Leech spent time as a captive of the Weapon X program, as seen in Weapon X (2nd series) #5, where he was used to dampen the powers of all captive mutants in Neverland. Artie vanished into comic limbo, but when Neverland was shut down, he and Leech were reunited and became involved with the Future Foundation. Artie was rendered powerless following M-Day, as seen in New Avengers (1st series) #18, but with the Future Foundation he was given a helmet that replicated his old powers. Wiz Kid vanished into comic limbo for some time, before being among the mutants confirmed as de-powered following M-Day as seen in New Avengers (1st series) #18. He has since appeared at the Avengers Academy, although it remains unclear whether he has regained his powers or not.
5) What happened when Cable and Stryfe met eight years in the past? In X-Force (1st series) #17 Cable revealed that he had first met Stryfe eight years previous. There was a lot of history hinted between the two of them, though little is revealed about this first encounter in the present day.
This refers to do the events in Cable (1st series) #1-2, in which Cable and the Six Pack encountered Stryfe. Both Cable and Stryfe were both fresh in the present during that limited series. Cable also told Bishop and Wolverine in X-Force (1st series) #17 that Stryfe came back along with Cable to prevent the rise of the Externals, whom Cable felt were needed to safeguard the future.
6) What happened to Tempo? In X-Force (1st series) #30, Tempo and X-Force parted ways after Tempo had defected from the MLF during a battle. The young woman had seen the error of her ways and wanted to make a fresh new start, maybe even get a college education. Cable left it open for her to join X-Force, should things not work out the way she planned.
Tempo would later reappear in X-Force (1st series) #67, but was once more a member of the MLF. Most recently, she resided briefly on Utopia and was seemingly killed during the Age of X reality warp caused by one of Legion's errant personalities.
7) Was Domino really married? In X-Force (1st series) #32, Domino mentioned that she was married before, but details were left sketchy about what happened to her marriage.
In Domino (1st series) #1-3, more details were given about her former life. At one point in time, she was married to a scientific genius named, Milo Thurman who was held as a prisoner by the National Security Agency who viewed his uncanny ability to interpret global trends and use them to predict future events as an invaluable asset. Domino was assigned to guard him and the two became close. It seems a bit odd that a government agency would allow a prisoner to wed his personal guard, though he was shown to enjoy certain freedoms and privileges not normally afforded to other prisoners in order to secure his full cooperation. Milo ultimately sacrificed himself to save Domino, as shown in this limited series.
8) Did Magma find her parents? In X-Force (1st series) #34 Magma headed off to England to find her parents. It was never revealed if she had found them.
A narration box in X-Force (1st series) #87 states that Magma was a British exile, which means that Magma was cast out of the United Kingdom, thus meaning that her search was unsuccessful. And, with her origin being re-retconned in New Mutants (2nd series) #7 and X-Treme X-Men #34, Magma is truly a Nova Roman, which means that there were no parents in the United Kingdom for her to find, so she had to have been unsuccessful.
9) What happened to the diseased Absalom? In X-Force (1st series) #37, the Eternal known as Absalom was revealed to have contracted the Legacy Virus, though this revelation wasn’t really expanded upon and his fate was left in the air.
Absalom is dead now thanks to Selene, who drained him of his life energy in X-Force (1st series) #54.
10) What happened to the ninja trying to rescue his son? In X-Force (1st series) #42, there was a subplot dealing with a ninja who was attempting to rescue his son, Asahi, from a biochemical research plant. There was also a reference to the Clan Yashida.
This story was picked up again in X-Force (1st series) Annual ’99, in which Shatterstar and Rictor investigated the research plant where Asahi was stored. Turned out that the company, the Verschlagen Industries, had started a genetic breeding program – creating eight mutants. All of them were born to the same mother, but of different fathers. Asahi was the first of these eight children.
11) What happened to X-Force in the two week gap? X-Force (1st series) #44 took place two weeks after the events of X-Force (1st series) #43. The team was now in Xavier’s school, waiting for Cable to conclude his meeting with Xavier. It was clear that there were some changes and that some new changes were to be made, but what had already happened?
The only major changes were that Cable freed Sunspot from Reignfire’s influence via his telepathy and that, afterwards, Sunspot retained some Askani knowledge and underwent a massive power boost. There were also other minor changes as well, but nothing too drastic.
12) Was there a connection between Jeremy Stevens and Gamesmaster and would anyone rescue Deadpool? In X-Force (1st series) #47 Deadpool rescued Siryn from her undercover mission in the Weisman Institute. However, Siryn wanted to confront Dr. Weisman before leaving, but the two were ambushed by a young patient, Jeremy Stevens, who knocked out Deadpool and used his telepathic powers to send Siryn back to the mansion reporting that everything was fine.
Although it might seem that the connection between Jeremy Stevens and the Gamesmaster was that they were one and the same, some time before, during the Child’s Play crossover, the Gamesmaster was shown to be an adult, living in a rather secluded location. Apparently, Jeremy Stevens was just under his telepathic control.
As for Deadpool, Siryn would later remember Deadpool and free him from his prison in X-Force (1st series) #56.
13) What happened to Neurotap? After X-Force (1st series) Annual #2, Neurotap went into character limbo.
Neurotap later returned in X-Force (1st series) Annual ’99, still with Martin Strong, who by then had allied up with Verschlagen Industries. In the end, Neurotap switched sides though and helped X-Force fight her employer. Though she has not appeared in recent years, the Civil War: Battle Damage Report noted that Neurotap was one of the relatively few mutants to retain their powers following M-Day.
14) How did Sunspot become Reignfire? Over time, Reignfire had become a deadly adversary of X-Force. In X-Force (1st series) Annual #3, it was revealed that there was a connection between Sunspot and Reignfire, hinting at them being one and the same.
This was resolved in X-Force (1st series) #80. In truth, Sunspot and Reignfire were two different people. During experimentation that Gideon conducted on Sunspot in X-Force (1st series) #13-15, Dr. Joshua took some of Sunspot’s genetic material and introduced it to Project 19, a mutant life form, who became known as Reignfire. Due to their genetic link, Reignfire could temporarily possess Sunspot from time to time, making it seem as if he was Reignfire.
15) When did Tessa become telepathic? In X-Force (1st series) #49, Shaw’s longtime servant Tessa displayed telepathic powers and later claimed in #50 that she was a novice.
This dangler was finally cleared up in the “Prisoner of Fire” story arc in X-Treme X-Men #41-45. Tessa, or Sage as she goes by now, revealed that she was always a telepath, but of a low order. Due to the amount of important information she has stored in her mind, which makes her very valuable, Sage uses her low-level telepathy mostly defensively to shield her mind. She cannot use it actively and defensively simultaneously, so she mostly uses it defensively. Especially during her time with the Hellfire Club, with the telepathic Emma Frost around, Tessa would not have dared risk exposure, and constantly used her telepathy to shield her mind.
16) What horrific event would be in Warpath’s near future? In X-Force (1st series) #63 a Latverian precog foresaw a horrific event in Proudstar’s near future. It was stated in X-Force (1st series) #65 that, if he chose the wrong path, he would be consumed by darkness.
There are two possible theories about what the precog saw. It could have been a foreshadowing of Proudstar being kidnapped by Risque and accepting to perform a certain mission for Sledge in X-Force (1st series) #68, during which he had to visit some strange dimensions. On the other hand, the vision could have referred to his “death” and visit to Hell in X-Force (1st series) #73-74, in which he learned the truth about Camp Verde.
Either scenario is acceptable, and it has to be one of the two, for anything else wouldn’t qualify as “near future.“
17) How did Michael Whitecloud survive the Camp Verde massacre? In X-Force (1st series) #66, it was revealed that Whitecloud survived the Camp Verde massacre that claimed the lives of Warpath’s tribe. How Michael survived was not explained.
The answer to this was revealed in X-Force (1st series) #72. Stryfe and Martynec’s men burned down the reservation during the night. However, Whitecloud was out copying evidence of Stryfe’s criminal activity. On his way back, Whitecloud had car trouble, which led to him not being at Camp Verde when it was destroyed.
18) What did Warpath and Sledge agree on? In X-Force (1st series) #66, Warpath was kidnapped by Risque and brought to Sledge, where he made an unknown pact with Sledge.
This dangler was revealed over the course of X-Force (2nd series) #68-71. It turns out that Warpath agreed to help Sledge find the Vanisher in a strange dimension in exchange for valuable information about massacre at Camp Verde.
19) What was done to Domino? Did she lose her powers? In X-Force (1st series) #68-69, some members of X-Force were captured by Operation: Zero Tolerance troops and, one of them, Ekatarina Gryaznova, singled Domino out for a specific purpose and forced her to undergo some surgery. Afterwards, it seemed, Domino had lost her luck powers.
As revealed in X-Force (1st series) #71, indeed a device was implanted to the back of her skull, slowing down Domino’s reflex and reaction time. The device couldn’t be removed, for it was partially attached to her spine and could have rendered her paralyzed. Eventually, Domino learned to get by without her powers, but she didn’t mind when the device was deactivated by Jesse Aaronson in X-Force (1st series) #82.
20) Is Karma a lesbian? In X-Force (1st series) #75, X-Force bumped into Karma while on vacation. Karma was ecstatic to see her friends and dropped clues that she was homosexual, though this was all very ambiguous.
Karma’s homosexuality was fully established in the Mekanix limited series and in New Mutants (2nd series) #4.
21) Who kidnapped Locus and Skids? In X-Force (1st series) #80 Locus and Skids were teleported to Latveria during the heat of battle. Once there, they were both knocked unconscious by a mysterious figure.
This dangler was soon resolved in X-Force (1st series) #85. Locus and Skids were kidnapped and captured by a sorceress named Pandemonia, who put the women under her spell. When Pandemonia tried to do the same to X-Force, she was defeated, though, and Locus and Skids regained their free will.
22) What did Arcadia do to Moonstar? In X-Force (1st series) #84 Arcadia lashed out with her transmutation powers, changing Moonstar. A few seconds later, it seemed she reverted back to normal, but in the upcoming issues Dani discovered to have new powers.
As it would be discovered later on, Dani not only gained quantum-based powers, but Arcadia had created some bond between the two women, each beginning to experience the memories of the other one. Eventually, in X-Force (1st series) #99-100, the Demon Bear made a return through Arcadia’s nightmares, using her reality warping powers to become physical. In order to end this growing threat to reality, Moonstar sacrificed her cosmic power to unchange everything.
Still Dangling
1) Why did Tolliver want Black Tom Cassidy and Juggernaut? In X-Force (1st series) #5 X-Force battled Black Tom Cassidy and the Juggernaut in the World Trade Center. Cable blasted Tom down an elevator shaft, but the man was saved by Deadpool, who moments later teleported Juggernaut away with him. In the following issue, the two saved villains were brought to Tolliver, who offered to give Tom medical attention, but warned the men that they would be bound to his service.
It is unknown why Tolliver wanted Black Tom and Juggernaut. It is possible that he wanted to recruit them as agents, as he did with Copycat/Domino. However, when Deadpool and Tyler next appeared in X-Force (1st series) #10, Juggernaut and Black Tom were not with them.
2) What happened to Feral’s flirtations with Shatterstar? X-Force (1st series) #5 was the first instance of many flirtations on Feral’s part with Shatterstar, starting with when she came on to him while he was training. However, Feral would always get negative signals from the man. This would become a long running sub-plot, but it was later dropped with no ending.
It could be the case that this was meant to be an early hint towards Shatterstar’s “asexuality.“ In later issues, Shatterstar would bond with Rictor a lot and openly tells about his troubles understanding human interaction at all – which many readers perceived as him being gay. But indeed the plan was to make him asexual; offspring in the Mojoverse being created through genetic engineering.
While Shatterstar vanished into comic limbo for a period of time, Feral was killed in Wolverine (3rd series) #54. Later, Shatterstar made a surprising return in X-Factor (3rd series) #43, and has been in a serious relationship with Rictor ever since.
3) Who refinanced Project: Wideawake? In X-Force (1st series) #5, after arguing with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Valerie Cooper on what do with Cable and X-Force, Henry Peter Gyrich stated that “Project: Wideawake is ready to go back on-line” and that they had gotten the financial backing that they needed since Shaw Industries collapsed. The identity of the new financier was kept secret.
This story probably leads into the later Nimrod story and the discovery of Sentinels over in X-Factor. Till this day, though, the identity of the financier is unknown.
4) Why did Cable need the Externals? In X-Force (1st series) #8, Cable revealed that he was in search of the Externals, because he believed that they could overthrow his nemesis, Apocalypse. In fact, he claimed that this was his reasoning for returning back to the past and taking X-Force under his wing, as he believed Cannonball would be the next High Lord. However, Cable never explained why he needed an External. Of the known Externals, none displayed powers that made them too powerful compared to several other mutants who were far more powerful and better suited to fight Apocalypse.
Thanks to Selene, the Externals are no more after the events of X-Force (1st series) #54, so even if Cable still needed them it would be too late. It was later believed that the fabled Twelve would be the ones to defeat Apocalypse and Cable would be the one to gather them. However, that was retconned in Apocalypse: The Twelve and the Twelve ended up becoming a power source for Apocalypse, or at least that is what he claimed.
Selene also stated that Sam was no External at all and that Cable lied about it, placing Cable's real motives for his taking X-Force, or more specifically Cannonball, under his wing into question.
5) How did Cannonball survive being impaled? In X-Force (1st series) #9 X-Force defeated the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and avenged the death of their teammate Cannonball. Suddenly, Cannonball walked out of the infirmary alive and well with no chest would anymore. Cable explained to him that his death experience had triggered his status as an External, a sub-race of mutants gifted with near-immortality. However, in X-Force (1st series) #54 the story is retconned by Selene, who revealed that Cannonball was never an External. So how did Cannonball come back from the dead?
For some years there were rumors that the retcon of Cannonball’s status as an External was because the entire storyline was being dropped due to legal problems over similarities with the Highlander movie franchise. This was denied by Marvel editor Mark Powers when asked in an interview. Since Cannonball was an already established character, along with Selene and Apocalypse, these Externals, or once believed Externals, were allowed to survive while the rest of the group was killed. Due to the quick end of the group, the writers probably did not take the time to explain how he survived earlier on, as they wanted the Externals to be gone as soon as possible.
Selene only hinted at Cable having lied about the entire thing, so he might have had a hand in Sam’s uncanny resurrection. However, some years later in New X-Men (2nd series) #28, Cannonball's supposed immortality was referenced again, this time by Beast. After Cannonball was shot three times at close range, Beast commented to one of the young mutants that Sam was immortal, but the tone of his voice did not indicate whether he was joking or not.
6) What happened to Nicodemus in the past? In X-Force (1st series) #10, Gideon explained that Nicodemus had endured “centuries of hardship.” However, no examples were revealed.
No more details have been revealed in regards to this dangler. Nicodemus soon died of the Legacy Virus in X-Force (1st series) #20 and the External storyline was dropped in X-Force (1st series) #54, so it is no longer important.
7) What was Cable’s relationship with the Externals? In X-Force (1st series) # 10, Cable said that he had fought the Externals before in the past. The details of this event were left unexplained.
No more details have been revealed in regards to this dangler. Not even whether it meant that Cable encountered the Externals somewhen in the future, or whether he met them in the past, while time-traveling.
The only thing established between Cable and the Externals is that he believed he needed them to save humanity from Apocalypse. (see dangler 4)
8) What happened to Rictor after leaving the New Mutants? In X-Force (1st series) #10, Rictor resurfaced in Toronto, Canada, after having left the team in New Mutants (1st series) #98. With Weapon: PRIME being assigned to take down Cable, and Rictor carrying a grudge for the man too, he joined that team.
Originally, Rictor was supposed to go to Genosha to rescue Wolfsbane, which deepens the mystery of how and why he ended up in Canada. It has been some time and no explanation. Rahne and Rictor met several times afterwards, but the matter was never brought up, and probably never will be.
9) What was Weapon: PRIME’s interest in Cable? In X-Force (1st series) #11, Kane revealed that the line-up of Weapon: PRIME all had reasons for taking Cable down. Kane wanted revenge against Cable for several incidents in the past, including a recent one, which unbeknownst to him was not Cable but Stryfe. Rictor wanted to make Cable pay for murdering his father (also Stryfe’s doing) when he was a child. However, the motives of Tygerstryke and Yeti/Wendigo were not revealed.
No more details have been revealed in regards to this dangler.
10) What was the history of the alternate future? In X-Force (1st series) Annual #1, readers were introduced to a new alternate future. However, this led to several unanswered questions. What was the history of this alternate future? Would this be the future of the 616 universe? How did Illyana become Darkchilde? Were Cyberlock and Douglock the same being? Who was Powerpax?
Most of these danglers will most likely remain unanswered. However, it is safe to assume that this future is not the true future of the 616 universe, as all of Marvel’s alternate future’s are disregarded as just that: alternate.
For a time, this future seemed very unlikely. Illyana Rasputin was dead, so she couldn’t grow up to be the Darkchilde of this story, and Douglock has been revealed to have been Warlock deep down with some memory engrams of Doug Ramsey written over his core while Ramsey himself was deceased. Of course, this is the Marvel Universe and currently Doug Ramsey is alive once more and Illyana Rasputin has returned (sort of).
The one previously unseen member of the team, Powerpax was a young redhead named Frankie who possessed all four powers of Power Pack. Nothing else was revealed beyond that and there is no known counterpart to her in the main Marvel Universe.
11) Why was Crule a Nazi and why didn’t Gideon kill him? In X-Force (1st series) #12, it was revealed that Crule spent some time in Nazi Germany working the ovens to burn the Holocaust victims and that Gideon had passed up an opportunity to kill Crule, who was considered the black sheep of the Externals and was only called upon only when the group needed a killer.
No more details have been revealed in regards to this dangler and with Crule and Gideon both dead it likely never will be.
12) Why did Crule try to kill Cannonball? In X-Force (1st series) #14, Crule was sent by Gideon to kill Cable. That way the Externals could safely take Cannonball under their wing. Crule found the team as their base was detonated and believed that Cable died in the explosion. X-Force fought against S.H.I.E.L.D in their helicarrier and, as the team finished choosing their new base of operations, Crule arrived and tried to kill Cannonball, because he saw him as a threat to the other Externals, who stated earlier that they wanted Cannonball to join them.
One theory is that Crule may have taken it upon himself to eliminate a new enemy, as, at the time, it was believed that Cannonball was the next External. Since the Externals did not like associating with Crule, and his main objective to kill Cable was no longer necessary, he may have decided to eliminate his enemies, as it was clear that Cannonball would never betray X-Force and join the Externals.
13) Why did Gideon want Cannonball out of External affairs? In X-Force (1st series) #15, X-Force defeated Crule and made plans to free Sunspot. Externals. Gideon contacted the team and made a deal with Cannonball. They would let X-Force have Sunspot if Cannonball would stay out of all External affairs. This deal, however, did not comply well with earlier scenes in which the Externals wanted Cannonball to join them.
With the Externals all gone now it may never be revealed as to why the Externals suddenly lost interest in him. Possibly it was because they found him to be too much of a hassle and knew that he would never betray X-Force or possibly because they felt he was too powerful for them, since he did defeat their assassin, Crule.
14) Did Apocalypse really kill Cable in the past? In X-Force (1st series) #17, Stryfe brandished a sword to attack Apocalypse with. On the knife were carvings related to Apocalypse and it appeared to have been some sort of religious artifact. Apocalypse, however, had no clue as to who Stryfe was and why he wanted revenge on him. During the battle, Stryfe was unmasked and Apocalypse mistook him for Cable, whom he claimed he killed in the past.
No more details have been revealed in regards to this dangler, as, until this point, there was no previous history between Cable and the present day Apocalypse, even though Cable was making plans to destroy him. How Stryfe obtained the weapon, seen earlier in Cable: Blood and Metal, that Apocalypse used to “kill” Cable with is unknown.
Of course it’s quite possible that Cable – or Stryfe – time-traveled to the past, but the purpose of such a journey was never revealed.
15) Why did Gideon consider X-Force a threat to the existence of the Externals? In X-Force (1st series) #21, Gideon stated that X-Force was a dangerous threat to the existence of the Externals, though he gave no reason as to why.
Peter Luzifer points out that the Externals fear X-Force simply because the group knows that they exist. A couple of incidents back up this opinion. Gideon tried several times to lure Sunspot away from X-Force, when the Externals believed Roberto was an External. It seemed that they didn’t want this trait of his to be revealed. Also, all External meetings were kept a secret.
16) Who was Sluggo and what was his Weapon X connection? In X-Force (1st series) #22, a new character, Sluggo, was introduced with connections to the Weapon X program. Little information was given about this character.
In Deadpool: The Circle Chase #1, it was revealed that Sluggo’s real name is Bernard Hoyster. Though his entire Weapon X connection hasn’t been revealed as of yet, Heath Johnson points out that Deadpool: The Circle Chase #1 indicates that he was friendly with Deadpool, Kane, Vanessa and Slayback, during the time they were involved with the program. Given Sluggo was killed by Bob, Agent of Hydra in Deadpool (3rd series) #36 it is unlikely new information about Sluggo will be revealed.
17) Did Weapon: PRIME track down Domino, Grizzly and Hammer? In X-Force (1st series) #23, Tygerstryke declared that Weapon: PRIME would track down Domino, Grizzly and Hammer. Since then, they haven’t done much to track them down.
No more details have been revealed in regards to this dangler.
18) What was Deadpool inferring about the relationship between Copycat and Tina? In X-Force (1st series) #23, Deadpool said that he “never liked what you [Copycat] and her [Tina] had together.” However, what Deadpool was referring to was never revealed.
No more details have been revealed in regards to this dangler and, with both Copycat and Tina dead now, it will probably never be touched upon again.
19) What was the origin of Wildside? In X-Force (1st series) #26 Reignfire referred to Wildside’s “oh-so-proper upbringing.” Little else was brought up about his background.
Although he was seemingly killed in Weapon X (2nd series) #10, he in fact survived a mind-wipe by Cable, although he was confirmed as de-powered in New Avengers (1st series) #18. Given that de-powered mutants appear so infrequently since M-Day, there is little chance that this will be followed up on.
20) Who was Locus? As the question indicates, there was little revealed about Locus, especially regarding her identity in X-Force (1st series) #27.
When she initially appeared, there was much fan speculation that Locus was Illyana Rasputin, or at least an alternate reality counterpart. However, writer Fabian Nicieza stated that Locus and Illyana were not the same character. Other problems regarding Locus’ identity included the manner in which her race seemingly shifted from Caucasian to African and that her hair color did not stay consistent either. While attempts could be made to explain the blonde ponytail as part of her costume, in at least one scene the blonde hair was shown to be real, while in many other cases she was clearly drawn and colored as African-American with dark hair. The Marvel Handbooks later revealed a real name (Rayna Piper) but with her death in Weapon X (2nd series) #1, we are unlikely to get any sort of resolution to the many questions surrounding her origins or shifting appearance.
21) Why was Moonstar “cast out of a heaven” and what happened to her horse, Brightwind? In X-Force (1st series) #27, Moonstar said that she “fell screaming from the skies, an angel cast out of a heaven that I didn’t belong in.” Obviously it referred to her leaving Asgard, but the details were never mentioned. Also, her horse, Brightwind, was mysteriously transformed into Darkwind and her powers changed.
No more details have been revealed in regards to her power change or the transformation of Brightwind. However, the part about her being “cast out of a heaven” may refer to the Asgardians' exile that was occurring over in the pages of Thor under writer Warren Ellis.
22) What happened to Locus and Sunspot after they disappeared? In X-Force (1st series) #28 Sunspot’s and Locus’ powers interacted and they disappeared with no explanation of what happened to them afterwards.
It is unknown what happened to these two after their disappearance, save that they wound up some time in the past. They were somehow retrieved by Reignfire, who used the opportunity to take control of Sunspot after holding him prisoner for some time as revealed in X-Force (1st series) #79-80.
23) Why did “Milbury” and Major Domo want Shatterstar and X-Treme dead? In X-Force (1st series) #30, Arcade identified those who hired him to attack Shatterstar and Adam-X, the X-Treme as “Milbury” and Major-Domo. The motives of these two villains was never elaborated.
It should be noted that “Milbury” was usually used as an alias for Mister Sinister and that Major-Domo was an agent of Mojo. Writer Fabian Nicieza confirmed some time ago that X-Treme was to be the brother of Cyclops and Havok, thus ending the Third Summers Brother mystery, which would explain Sinister’s part in this. However, this has not been revealed in the comics.
As for Major-Domo’s motives, they are yet to be revealed. However, both Major Domo and Shatterstar are Mojoverse-related characters, so therein might be the answer.
24) Where did Empath run off to? In X-Force (1st series) #34, Magma broke up with Empath, as he had kept the Nova Roma lie going on. He stalked off, muttering about how being nice isn’t all that it is cracked up to be. What happened to him after that?
Empath showed up again working with the L.A. division of X-Corporation in X-Treme X-Men (1st series) #31. In X-Treme X-Men (1st series) #34, he was even reunited with Magma, who still carried a grudge. Since then, Empath has been involved with the 198, and was later seen working for the Red Queen, as seen in Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #501-503. Since then, he has been imprisoned in the X-Brig on Utopia. Empath’s activities between Nova Roma and X-Corporation have yet to be revealed.
25) Why did Forearm join the MLF? In X-Force (1st series) Annual #3, Moonstar noticed that there didn’t seem to be any good reason as to why Forearm joined the MLF. It was made clear that he did not like the other members and he was not as fully committed to their ideology as the other members were. Why did he join?
No more details have been revealed in regards to this dangler and, as Forearm was killed in Wolverine (2nd series) #167, that too is a plot that will never be picked up on again.
26) What happened to Apocalypse in the Celestial ship? A flashback in X-Force (1st series) #37 shows En Sabah Nur (real name of Apocalypse) enter a Celestial ship, which seemed to lead to him to become partly mechanical.
As seen in the Rise of Apocalypse limited series, Apocalypse already used some alien/future technology to upgrade himself. Also, it seems that Apocalypse used some technology aboard the ship to teach himself how to use host bodies and hibernation chambers.
However, it should be duly noted that Saul, who narrated the entire scene, made it quite a point that he witnessed En Sabah Nur enter the ship, but never saw Apocalypse leave – as if they were two separate individuals.
Flashback scenes in Cable & Deadpool #27 revealed more of this storyline, including the Celestial Ship taking En Sabah Nur into space, and Ozymandias being told by the Traveler that Apocalypse will return, not En Sabah Nur.
27) How would Cannonball save the Externals from the Legacy Virus? In X-Force (1st series) #37 it was revealed that, shortly before his death, the precognitive External Burke predicted that Cannonball would save the Externals from the Legacy Virus, though how he would do this was not revealed.
Aside from Selene, all the Externals are now dead, as shown in X-Force (1st series) #54, so this is a moot point. However, in X-Men (2nd series) #62-64, Cannonball was among the X-Men who went to Hong Kong investigating rumors of a cure to the Legacy Virus. In that storyline, Sam was almost injected with both the rumored cure, the Elixir Vitae, and a sample of the Virus. Possibly, this is what Burke had envisioned.
28) Why did Emma Frost mess with Warpath’s self-confidence? In X-Force (1st series) #42 Emma Frost was playing her games once again. This time, she tried to undermine the self-confidence of Warpath. Why did she do this?
Though no more details have yet to be revealed, Peter Luzifer has come up with several possibilities. One, Emma could have been getting revenge on him for leaving her Hellions shortly before their death in Uncanny X-Men #281, and she may have been projecting her anger over their death onto him. Another possibility is that in her own version of therapy, Emma has a history of talking down to people in order for them to realize their potential, as she has done with Iceman in Uncanny X-Men #318 and #331, as well as Cyclops throughout New X-Men.
29) When did Sunspot abandon Locus and how did Locus learn to speak Shi’Ar and D’Barian? In X-Force (1st series) #43 it was revealed that Sunspot had abandoned Locus, who in her time away learned the languages of the D’Bari and Shi’Ar.
It is unknown how or exactly when Sunspot "abandoned" Locus or any of what transpired between them after they disappeared. It was revealed later that Reignfire had a hand in their return. As for the languages, it is easy to see Locus learning Shi’Ar, as they are a large empire. However, the only planet to speak D’Barian was D’Bari IV, which was destroyed by the Dark Phoenix. However, Locus hinted that she had time travel powers, which would explain things. In Avengers (1st series) #4 it was revealed that there was a D’Bari on Earth since the time of Ancient Greece. Also, Uncanny X-Men #387 confirmed that not all D’Bari were on their home world when it was destroyed.
30) Why did Reignfire attack the MLF and did Forearm live? In X-Force (1st series) #43, Reignfire attacked the MLF, though for unknown reasons. The fate of Forearm in particular was left open.
While the motives of Reignfire were never revealed, Forearm survived the attack and later appeared in Excalibur (1st series) #104-105 and X-Force (1st series) #67-68, still with the MLF. However that didn’t save him from being killed during the Madripoor Bloodspot tournament in Wolverine (2nd series) #167.
31) What was Shatterstar’s true origin? In X-Force (1st series) #45, the Beast gave Shatterstar a full physical, which led to the first of many hints of Shatterstar’s origin being false. Also, in #46, a man, Benjamin Russell, looking very similar to Shatterstar, was in the files of the Weisman Institute, in which Siryn was working undercover in for Cable and Xavier.
Shatterstar’s origin was supposed to be addressed in X-Force (1st series) #60-61, which it was, but the letters pages revealed that not even the writers could comprehend Shatterstar’s origin anymore. As for Benjamin Russell, Shatterstar’s essence would later be placed into Russell’s body by Spiral, since Shatterstar’s body was dying. Upon waking, he claimed he was now “whole,” which further deepens the plot.
Shatterstar currently stars in X-Factor and writer Peter David has stated that he will be resolving Shatterstar’s origin in an upcoming story.
32) What happened to the station in Siberia? In X-Force (1st series) #45, several members of X-Force headed to Siberia to investigate why one of Professor Xavier’s underground stations suddenly went off line. Upon reaching the station, the team discovered that it was completely destroyed and two of the three men working in there were dead and the survivor claiming that they shouldn’t have trusted Xavier.
The former X-Man Mimic, attacked X-Force at issue's end and in X-Force (1st series) #46, he accused X-Force of being responsible for the attack and questioned why they killed his friends in the station. As for why the survivor claimed that they shouldn’t trust Xavier, it could be that this was a hint towards the upcoming Onslaught event and it having been Xavier himself who destroyed the station (in order to enlist the Mimic). Unfortunately, the survivor did not live for very long to confirm this suspicion.
33) How did the Mimic regain the powers of the original X-Men? In X-Force (1st series) #46, X-Force battled against Mimic in a destroyed Siberian complex that Mimic thought X-Force destroyed. During battle, Mimic did not display his latest collection of powers absorbed, but rather the abilities of the five original X-Men. Given the fact that he was sent to Siberia, sometime after Marvel Comics Presents #54-61, where he was sent to Japan by Xavier to be as far away from mutants as possible and prevent him from absorbing powers wildly, it was odd that he had these powers.
It is unknown how Mimic regained these powers. Given the idea that Onslaught may have been responsible for the attack on the installation, it could be that he tampered with Calvin’s powers and brought forth his five earliest powers.
34) Where did Mimic disappear to after battle? At the end of X-Force (1st series) #46, the team finally defeated Mimic after a massive explosion caused by Sunspot but, when they checked the crater created and the surrounding area, they could find no trace of the Mimic. The team followed his trail thanks to Caliban and were led to a still burning chasm, where he seemed to have been taken after a brief scuffle with someone.
Mimic was next seen as one of Onslaught’s minions in the soon after Onslaught crossover, so it was probably that he who took the Mimic. However, both Mimic and the Blob were under the employ of Sledge, in his debt after he helped them with their powers.
35) Where was Sebastian Shaw hiding? In X-Force (1st series) #48, it was revealed that the thought to be deceased Sebastian Shaw was alive and well, but was hiding after he let the world believe that his irreverent son, Shinobi Shaw, murdered him.
No more information has yet to be revealed in regards to this dangler and, with Sebastian having made many appearances afterwards and with Shinobi deceased, this probably won’t be addressed any time soon.
36) What happened to Boomer’s mother? In X-Force (1st series) #49, Marty Smith revealed to Boomer that her long-thought deceased birth mother was truly alive somewhere, though no ideas to where she was were given.
No more details have been revealed in regards to this dangler. Tabitha has not made any progress to find her mother apparently.
37) Did Shatterstar have parents and why was his DNA similar to Longshot’s? In X-Force (1st series) #51, Shatterstar recalled having parents and to make his origin even more confusing, his DNA was apparently identical to that of Longshot’s.
Many fans speculated that Shatterstar is the child of Longshot and Dazzler, due to the fact that, when Dazzler was pregnant, Longshot recommended naming the child Shatterstar and that Shatterstar’s powers have similarities to Dazzler’s powers (they both involve the transformation of sound). However, Shatterstar comes from a century further down the time stream in the Mojoverse than Longshot, making that impossible, not to mention that the baby of Dazzler and Longshot was never born. Also, in his “current” origin, Shatterstar was meant to be a genetically engineered being, meaning he shouldn’t have any parents at all.
Shatterstar currently stars in X-Factor and writer Peter David has stated that he will be resolving Shatterstar’s origin in an upcoming story.
38) Was Cannonball an External? In X-Force (1st series) #54, Selene finished off the last of the Externals and revealed that Cannonball was never an External at all and that Cable lied to them all. She mentioned that now only “one other” External was alive besides her. Apparently that referred to Candra, as Apocalypse was only believed to be an External.
The rumored reason behind Cannonball’s External heritage retcon was due to legal matters with similarities to the Highlander franchise, running concurrently. However, it is possible that Selene could have been lying about Cannonball not being an External, as how he returned from the dead in X-Force (1st series) #9 indicated that he was an External. Maybe Selene wanted to sew dissension among X-Force, by claiming Cable lied?
It should also be noted that writer Robert Weinberg wanted to address the Cannonball/Cable/External plot on his run on Cable, but was taken off the book before doing so.
39) What does the Gamesmaster have to do with Shatterstar’s origin? In X-Force (1st series) #56, hints were given that the Gamesmaster, who was using several people at the Weisman Institute as host bodies, had something to do with the Shatterstar’s origin. Not to mention the mysterious Benjamin Russell, also connected to Shatterstar, was another patient at the Institute.
Shatterstar’s origin is currently ambiguous and needs to be cleared up. While it could be the case that the Gamesmaster was somehow involved in Shatterstar’s origin / creation, it could as well be the case that he just learned of him through Benjamin Russell, and that he was toying around with his intimate knowledge.
Shatterstar currently stars in X-Factor and writer Peter David has stated that he will be resolving Shatterstar’s origin in an upcoming story.
40) Was Risque from the future? During X-Force (1st series) #57, Risque saw long-time X-villain Mr. Sinister and made the following comment: “That’s Sinister himself. I knew I might run into some of the legendary ones, but not this soon.” This hinted at Risque coming from the future.
According to a Scott Lobdell interview, Risque was originally planned to be a member of the Askani Sisterhood, so, yes, she was from the future, though this was never stated in the book and thus is still a dangler. Another hint regarding her past is that Sinister had no data on her, which, as we know from X-Men (2nd series) #52, can only mean that she was not from this world, as was the case of Bishop in that X-Men issue, since Sinister claims to have catalogued information and DNA from every mutant on the planet.
Still, the revelation was never made and, with Risque having been killed in New X-Men Annual #2001, it’s a moot point.
41) Who stole the NYPD files on Benjamin Russell? In X-Force (1st series) #59, the NYPD’s files on Benjamin Russell were stolen by an unknown person. To add to the mystery of Benjamin, the Weisman Institute, in which he was housed, was mysteriously abandoned.
No more details have been revealed in regards to his dangler, but it seems to tie into the general Shatterstar origin dangler. Shatterstar currently stars in X-Factor and writer Peter David has stated that he will be resolving Shatterstar’s origin in an upcoming story.
42) How did Mojo come back from the dead? In X-Force (1st series) #60, Mojo I is back from the dead, after his apparent death in X-Men (2nd series) #11. However, this story completely conflicted with a concurrent Longshot story, going on in Marvel Fanfare (2nd series).
In all likelihood, the two stories were not meant to be read as occurring at the same time, though with Mojo dead in the Longshot story and him being alive in the X-Force story it is hard to figure things out. Mojo is indeed alive and back to making his shows, but how he returned is unknown. Maybe he faked his death to get ratings?
43) What was the past connection between Risque and Sledge? In X-Force (1st series) #60, it is mentioned that Risque made an unknown deal with the being known as Sledge.
As revealed in X-Force (1st series) #66, Risque’s part of the deal was to deliver Proudstar to Sledge, apparently in return for Sledge having kept her out of a “bad situation“ several years back. No additional information was given and, with Risque being killed in New X-Men Annual 2001, there is little chance of this being brought up again, unless Sledge returns.
44) How did Clearcut get his powers? In X-Force (1st series) #62, the team met Clearcut, whom Caliban’s senses revealed to not be a mutant. How he got his powers then is a mystery, although he mentioned that he had some sort of debt to Cable. Currently, there is no information in Cable’s background that shows when he met this man.
No more details have been revealed in regards to this dangler.
45) Where did Shinobi Shaw disappear to? In X-Force (1st series) #62, Shinobi Shaw revealed that he was on the run from his father, Sebastian Shaw, whom he thought he had killed, but in truth was still alive. It is unknown what happened to Shinobi (or his comrades in the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club), as this was his last appearance to date.
No more details have been revealed in regards to this dangler, though Sebastian has made numerous appearances since, but with no mention of his son. Shinobi himself fell into character limbo and was confirmed as still powered in the 198 Files. However, sometime after that, as mentioned in X-Necrosha #1, Shinobi was killed by Sebastian. Shinobi was briefly resurrected during this time, but nothing was revealed about the circumstances surrounding his death.
46) What caused Caliban’s seizures? In X-Force (1st series) #65, Caliban was suddenly able to play the piano perfectly. Then he was overcome by a seizure. The seizures continued into the following issue, but this subplot was soon dropped with no explanation of his condition.
Though no clear explanation was given, Cable assumed that it might have been a side-effect of his transformation into one of Apocalypse’s Horsemen, just like how Archangel regained his feather wings in Uncanny X-Men #338. Caliban would soon be transformed into a Horseman once again, this time into Pestilence, though he eventually overcame Apocalypse’s influence and lost the added powers. His seizures do not seem to have returned.
47) What happened to Tempo, Dragoness and Wildside? In X-Force (1st series) #68, Prime Sentinel forces during Operation: Zero Tolerance took Tempo, Dragoness and Wildside of the MLF into custody. They were not taken to the Hulkbuster base, like the captured X-Men were, so where did they go?
It is unknown where the three were taken, but it can be assumed that they were released after Zero Tolerance ended in X-Men (2nd series) #69. Wildside was seen again in Weapon X (2nd series) #5 and subsequent issues. However, he was confirmed as de-powered in New Avengers (1st series) #18 and has not appeared since then. Tempo was the next to make an appearance. Still powered following M-Day, she joined up with a new team of Acolytes in X-Men Annual (3rd series) #1, and later was caught up in the reality-warp known as the Age of X, where she was killed. Dragoness’ activities remain unknown up until the time she appeared in San Francisco during the Utopia riots. She accepted the offer to live on Utopia, spending most of her time with other former x-villains, and often causing trouble.
48) How is Tarot still alive? In X-Force (1st series) #87, X-Force fought against the group known as the New Hellions, one of their number being a former Hellion, Tarot, who was killed in Uncanny X-Men #282 by Trevor Fitzroy, along with several other Hellions. No clear explanation was given as to how Tarot was still alive.
Peter Luzifer points out that many clues hinted at Tarot’s resurrection having something to do with her lover, King Bedlam, whom “she knew she would become inextricably bound to,” as revealed in X-Force (1st series) #87. It could be the case that King Bedlam retrieved Tarot’s dead body and, ever since, has been using his powers to control her bodily functions. Further evidence that supports this theory is in X-Force (2nd series) #90, in which Tarot tells Bedlam that she owes him her life and also asks him to “Attendez (= wait), Christopher, you know I cannot live without you.” However, that last remark could also be taken as a romantic remark.
It appeared that Tarot died again following this, as she was resurrected during Necrosha, fighting alongside her Hellion teammates. The circumstances surrounding this death have not been revealed, and the fate of the Hellions following Necrosha remains unknown.
49) Why was the Triune Understanding spying on X-Force? In X-Force (1st series) #87, it was revealed that Meltdown’s father and his new wife were members of the Triune Understanding, a mysterious faith group that seemed to have a hidden agenda. In the following issues, the Triune began spying on Meltdown and the rest of X-Force, but this subplot was dropped.
As it turned out, X-Force was not the only group to be targeted by the Triune Understanding. The Triune also targeted the Avengers and it was revealed in Avengers (3rd series) #50 that the Triune was founded by Jonathan Tremont not as a faith group, but to amass a large group of followers from which he could steal part of their life energies from to power a ship, which he was to use to travel to space to gain the power of a mystical energy force.
Though their reasons for spying on X-Force were never revealed, the Triune tried to publicly humiliate the Avengers to gain more popularity and more of a following. It is possible the Triune spied on X-Force in order to use the public’s fear of mutants to their advantage, since X-Force would be the easiest mutant team to infiltrate.
50) Where did Magma go? In X-Force (1st series) #87-90, Magma was part of the New Hellions, her motivation having been wanting to make some money. In the end, though, she didn’t escape with her teammates, but helped Cannonball to deal with the Armageddon Man before slipping away in the confusion.
When Magma next showed up in Uncanny X-Men #423, she was crucified on Xavier’s front lawn by the Church of Humanity. Although she survived and has been very active with the New Mutants following her near-death experience, Magma has not spoken of her activities following the New Hellions debacle.
51) What became of Julianna Sandoval, or Sunspot’s membership in the Hellfire Club? In X-Force (1st series) #98-100, Selene blackmailed Sunspot into joining the Hellfire Club in exchange for his dead girlfriend, Julianna Sandoval, getting a new lease at life. Her soul was placed into the Marissa Sebastian, a young woman who had died of a brain aneurysm, and, although Julianna was supposed to continue her life as Marissa, she recalled bits of her former life. She even recognized Roberto when she bumped into him on the streets.
Sunspot would next appear in X-Treme X-Men #31 as the leader of X-Corporation Los Angeles, apparently no longer bound to the deal made with Selene. Julianna / Marissa has neither been seen nor mentioned since Sunspot’s return, not even in the New Mutants reunion in New Mutants (2nd series) #13, in which his Hellfire Club connection was briefly brought up again.
52) What was the significance of Siryn’s necklace and is that how she regained her voice? In X-Force (1st series) #99-100, the mute Siryn put on a magical necklace, which gave her voice back and thus her powers as well. However, she was possessed by someone or something, and she flew away from her aunt’s house, where she had been living, not bothering about exposing herself as a mutant.
While some fans believed the necklace to be Malice, it looked entirely different from the choker that usually indicated a possession by her, and actually that choker would only appear after a possession and was no real physical item that could be put on.
In Wolverine (2nd series) #155-156, Siryn was granted her powers back permanently, thanks to an infusion with a serum derived from Wolverine’s healing factor. Plotter Rob Liefeld later admitted that he had no idea of the necklace plot, hence no mention of it, but that it had to be assumed that Siryn got rid of the possession (and the necklace) between the two stories. That still doesn’t answer who or what it was.
53) Why did Romany Wisdom’s appearance change? In X-Force (1st series) #106, the character Romany Wisdom was re-introduced, but she looked entirely different from how she looked like in Pryde & Wisdom #2-3. Not only that, but she kept changing in her next appearances in #109 and #115.
Romany Wisdom works in espionage, so possibly her changing appearance has to do with her work, as she would most likely have to disguise herself to avoid detection.
54) How did Pete Wisdom survive? In X-Force (1st series) #115, Cannonball disguised himself, as his thought to have been deceased mentor, Pete Wisdom, who was shot to death in X-Force (1st series) #105, or at least that is what everyone thought. Later in #115, it was revealed that Wisdom was still alive.
X-Force (1st series) #115 was the last issue of the series featuring this group of mutants, though the series would go on with a different group with a different agenda. Wisdom had not revealed how he survived by the end of the issue and he has yet to make another appearance since.
55) What happened to X-Force after their last mission? In X-Force (1st series) #115, X-Force departed on their last mission, which ended with the team being trapped in a complex that exploded. Domino was seen being thrown clear, but the issue ended with the fates of Warpath, Meltdown, Jesse Aaronson and Cannonball up in the air.
Most of the team (Cannonball, Meltdown and Warpath) already appeared alongside Domino in X-Force #117, opposing the new media-friendly group about using the X-Force name. For a time, it looked liked Jesse Aaronson sacrificed himself so that the others could live, but he too showed up later in Uncanny X-Men #423, as one of the victims of the Church of Humanity. He did not survive the ordeal.
The others found new homes in Cable’s Underground or the various X-Corp branches, all over the globe. However, how exactly the members of X-Force survived the explosion is still a mystery.