Forge (Earth-616)

The man known as Forge is a Cheyenne Indian who was once the pupil of Naze, a shaman in his tribe. Forge developed considerable mystical powers as a result of the training Naze gave him. Forge is also a mutant with an unusual talent for inventing mechanical devices — an intuitive genius, it is as natural as breathing for him.

Forge served in the Vietnam War and lost his right hand and right leg in a B-52 attack. He sank into a suicidal depression and tried unsuccessfully to kill himself. Forge designed an artificial hand and leg to replace those he had lost. For reasons connected with the war that have not yet been made clear, Forge decided to give up the use of his ability to wield magic. For the most part he has not used his mystical abilities in at least ten years.

The government commissioned Forge to devise a means of detecting and combating the shape-changing alien Dire Wraiths. Forge created a scanner device that could detect the presence of superhumanly powerful mutants and extraterrestrials in its wielder's vicinity, and could even specifically differentiate between Dire Wraiths and other aliens. Forge also created a neutralizer device that could theoretically deprive any superhumanly powerful being of his or her superhuman abilities.

On presidential orders Henry Peter Gyrich, an agent of the National Security Council, took possession of the only existing model of Forge's neutralizer in order to use it against Rogue, a member of the mutant X-Men who was falsely suspected of killing an agent of the intelligence organization SHIELD. Forge was outraged; the neutralizer was still untested, and he did not know if it would remove a target's superhuman powers temporarily or permanently, or possibly even kill him or her. Forge physically attempted to prevent Gyrich from using the device on Rogue, but Gyrich instead shot Rogue's fellow X-Man Storm with it, as she attempted to protect her colleague. Her own superhuman powers apparently entirely removed, Storm fell into a river, from which Forge rescued her.

Feeling guilt and responsibility for the loss of her powers, Forge brought Storm to his headquarters in Dallas, Texas. There Storm revived, and she and Forge grew strongly attached to each other. However, when Storm learned that Forge had designed the neutralizer gun that had deprived her of her powers, she felt betrayed. Furious at Forge, she left his building, but returned on learning he was in danger from the Dire Wraiths. The Wraiths were aware that Forge's neutralizer could not, in its present stage of development, harm them and intended to kill him before he could improve it. Together, Storm, Forge, the X-Men, Magik, and the sorceress Amanda Sefton defeated the Wraiths who came after Forge, but Storm's hatred of Forge persisted.

Forge further improved his neutralizer so that it would negate the Wraiths' mystical abilities, and created several of these improved devices, but he was still guilt-ridden over Storm's loss of her powers. Fearing that people would use his neutralizers against other superhuman Earth beings, Forge did not want to give them the devices even for use against the Dire Wraiths. But after joining forces with the Wraiths' greatest foe, the space knight Rom, to battle Wraiths in Dallas, Forge decided to construct a gigantic "neo-neutralizer" in Earth's orbit. Powered by Rom's own neutralizer, Forge's orbiting device could cast all the Dire Wraiths on Earth into other-dimensional Limbo.

But Gyrich intended to use the neo-neutralizer to eliminate the superhuman powers of every being on Earth. To thwart Gyrich's plan, Rom and Forge aimed the neo-neutralizer not at Earth but at the Wraith's homeworld, Wraithworld, which was approaching Earth through hyperspace. The device negated Wraithworld's magic, the source of the Wraiths' own mystical powers, therefore causing Wraithworld to cease to exist and depriving Wraiths throughout the universe of their mystical abilities. Thus Forge is responsible for saving Earth from the Dire Wraiths.

Forge has ensured that the neo-neutralizer cannot be used against Earth's superhumanly powerful beings, and all known specimens of Forge's neutralizer have been destroyed. One neutralizer was used by Tony Stark to depower the superhuman criminal known as the Termite, and was subsequently destroyed.

Forge was forced to use his mystical abilities again when the X-Men battled the Adversary, a demonic mystical entity which had taken the form of Forge's teacher Naze. It was revealed that Forge, using the souls of nine soldiers from the Vietnam War, had opened a portal that released the Adversary. In order to banish the Adversary, Forge was forced to use the souls of eight X-Men and Madelyne Pryor, who were restored to life by Roma.

Forge returned with the X-Men to completely restore their mansion to their previous level of technology. Forge proposed to Storm, but when she would not leave the X-Men for him, he retracted his offer. He returned to Dallas with Mystique, taking it upon himself (and fulfilling Destiny's dying prophecy) to rehabilitate her as she was suffering from psychological damage after having been possessed by the Shadow King. Forge and Mystique were attacked by the time-hopping mutant Trevor Fitzroy and were rescued by the X-Men. Mystique left Forge soon afterward, claiming her sufferings were a ruse to enable her to steal sensitive information from Forge's computers.

Forge was then contacted by Valerie Cooper to become the government liaison to a new version of the mutant team X-Factor, modeled after the defunct government-sanctioned Freedom Force. Forge soon became an active member of the team, participating on many missions and supplying the team with its technology. During this time, he was reunited with Mystique and also fixed a holographic module that contained the mutant law enforcer from the future, Shard. When team leader Havok was MIA, Forge took his place. He later reclaimed his mystical heritage in another confrontation with the Adversary, defeating him by using both his technological and his magical abilities.

Later still, Forge divorced X-Factor from government sanction in order to take the team underground. Soon after, however, the team was nearly destroyed by the rampaging of its member Sabretooth, and Forge quit the team, returning leadership to Havok.

After a time, Forge was contacted by Professor X to infiltrate Genosha with Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man, since Magneto had seized control over the country. In reality, Magneto's acolyte Exodus was posing as Magneto, and he captured Forge to force him to enhance his psionic powers. The X-Men rescued Forge, and he returned to his clandestine mission observing Genosha. With the apparent demise of Magneto and the freedom of Genosha, Forge returned to the X-Men where he acted as a member of the team's support crew.

Retiring from the X-Men to create a new high-tech headquarters in Baltimore, Forge was contacted by Professor X once again. He needed Mystique’s help in order to track the murderer of one of his secret mutant operatives. They rescued Mystique from a state execution that was to be her sentence, setting her up as one of Professor X’s underground agents. Forge became her support technician, supplying her with technology and weapons, despite their rocky relationship and Forge’s continued feelings for her.

Forge also helped Cannonball and Siryn find Cable with the aid of Deadpool. Forge built a pair of special gauntlets for New X-Men team member Surge. Forge is currently working on a Nimrod unit with the primary objective of protecting mutants and secondary objective of protecting humans. It seems that Nimrod is trying to stop the objectives from being downloaded.

Messiah Complex & Divided We Stand

After Forge sends Madrox and Layla to the future, he goes on a mission at Cyclops' behest to rendezvous with the other X-Men, who are on their way to confront Sinister's forces. He is shot by a seemingly treacherous Bishop.^[2] He is then seen in the recovery room along with other injured X-Men.^{[issue # needed]}

Forge begins to behave differently since Bishop attacked him during his mad quest to murder the first mutant child following M-Day. Forge suffered an array of injuries including serious head trauma. Bishop stole several time travel devices that Forge was reverse engineering. Throughout his recovery, Forge has been obsessed with recreating his notes and research on these devices. Fixated to an unhealthy degree on this project, Forge shuts himself off in his home at Eagle Plaza to devote all his time to this work. But before he begins, he enhances his home’s defense systems to ensure that he never falls victim to such an attack again.

Ghost Box

Forge later returns in Astonishing X-Men #29, when the X-Men fly to his complex on Wundagore Mountain to confront him about his apparent role in an inter-dimensional invasion of Earth.^[3]

After following a trail of mysteriously genetically-created mutants and death, the X-Men finally track Forge down, who through a monologue, reveals his true madness. He endeavors to save the world from the Annexation, an invasion from a parallel world on the other side of the Ghost Box, the trans-dimensional teleporter. He plans this by sending the X-Men to the parallel universe that is home to the Ghost Boxes to destroy them before the Annexation begins. The X-Men try to talk Forge down but he rebukes them and furthers his madness by forcibly opening the Ghost Box, risking all life on Earth. Thanks to the assistance of Abigail Brand and Beast, a world-destroying laser is shot into the opening of the Ghost Box and before everything is destroyed, Ororo offers Forge a chance to come back with them. Forge only screams of his rejection by Ororo and she lets him go. Forge remains in his complex as it is destroyed, and it is assumed that he perishes in the ensuing laser blast.^[4]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Intuitive Genius: Forge is a mutant with a superhuman intuitive talent for inventing mechanical devices. His mutant ability functions as perception, as he possesses the ability to visually perceive "mechanical energy" (the kinetic energy and potential energy present in the components of mechanical systems) in action. This power allows Forge to instinctively know and understand the potential and functional operations of any machine or technological device in his visual range, a skill that combined with his natural intelligence allows him to conceive, design and build mechanical devices; and operate, modify and disassemble existing technology or create countermeasures for it.

Forge's superhuman talent does not mean that he is a greater inventor than geniuses such as Reed Richards, Victor von Doom, or Anthony Stark, none of whom owe their talent for invention to mutation. But even a genius at invention must for the most part consciously work out the theoretical principles behind the invention and then the design of the invention itself through a series of logical steps. In Forge's case, however, many of these logical steps would be worked out by his subconscious mind. Hence, Forge himself might not be entirely aware of exactly how he figured out how to create an invention of his.

He has created fantastic futuristic devices including cybernetic systems (to replace his lost hand and leg), sophisticated holograms, and elaborate computer and fiberoptic systems.

Sorcery: He also has a high mystical aptitude and has developed several magical spells, including a so-called "spirit sight," the ability to open portals to other dimensions, and the ability to steal and use others' souls to enhance his mystical spells. For the most part he has not used these abilities in years, and hence is out of practice in wielding them.

Abilities

Forge is an accomplished athlete and trained soldier. Expertise in many areas of science and technology, extensive knowledge of Native American magic.

Strength level

Forge possesses the normal human strength of a man of his age, height, and build who engages in moderate regular exercise.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Forge's right leg is cybernetic, a replacement he created for his original leg, which was lost during combat operations in Vietnam. It contains various devices which he has used in emergencies. He has also harvested it for parts.

Transportation

Forge has constructed and piloted several aerial vehicles.

Weapons

Forge sometimes employs devices of his own invention. Most notable among these was his neutralizer gun that could suppress superhuman mutant abilities. The only known examples of this device have been destroyed.

Links

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↑ All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #4
↑ X-Men #206
↑ Astonishing X-Men #29
↑ Astonishing X-Men #30

[0] All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #4

[1] X-Men #206

[2] Astonishing X-Men #29

[3] Astonishing X-Men #30

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[2]

[3]

[4]

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