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Preview art by
Mike Choi &
Sonia Oback |
By Marc Strom
You shouldn't mess with…the
Vanisher?!
After their gruesome battle royale with
Bastion and the
Purifiers,
X-Force has been tasked by
Cyclops with their next mission: track down the Vanisher and recover the sample of the Legacy Virus which he's stolen. But as the team will find out in the pages of X-FORCE #8, on October 29, finding the Vanisher won't put a stop to their troubles.
Unlike many of X-Force's constituents, the villain, who made his first appearance during the swinging 60's way back in X-MEN v1 #2, has never had the toughest rep in the Marvel Universe. But according to series writers Craig Kyle and Chris Yost—joined on this arc by artists Mike Choi and Sonia Oback—he didn't need street cred in order to fall in with the team.
"We needed a teleporter," Yost confesses. "And, of course, we like the classic villains, although granted he's a bit more classic than we usually go back to."
"Vanisher hates the team and every one on it," Kyle adds. "I think it's safe to say he'll be actively looking for ways to get our guys killed as the series moves forward."
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Preview art by
Mike Choi &
Sonia Oback |
While the Vanisher started out as a second-string thief, he reappeared several years ago as the leader of a gang distributing MGH—Mutant Growth Hormone—when he crossed paths with the
X-Men once again. But since then, he's slowly built his financial strength back up again.
"Angel pretty much took down his previous criminal operations, so he's been taking on odd jobs to build up his bank accounts," Yost comments. "Easy stuff, in and out, using his powers to basically steal stuff."
According to Kyle, however, the Vanisher's most recent job may prove a bit more than he expected:
"Vanisher is a small time crook that signed up for a job way bigger than he can handle. Now he's got to deal with the people who hired him
and our heroes. He's caught in the middle and has nowhere to run."
But just how a sample of the Legacy Virus—the deadly disease which only targets mutants—exists for the Vanisher to get his hands on remains an unanswered question.
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Preview art by
Mike Choi &
Sonia Oback |
"The original virus was cured long ago, but this sample has been in the labs of
Mr. Sinister, so who knows what this strain can do," Kyle teases.
Now that he has one of the deadliest mutant-killing weapons in the world, the Vanisher can expect quite a bit more attention than he's received in the past.
"Something this dangerous draws everyone to it," Kyle explains. "Unfortunately, most of those pursuing it don't want it destroyed."
The Vanisher marks another entry in a long list of classic X-villains which Kyle and Yost have brought back in the pages of X-FORCE, and the duo forecast a number of additional familiar faces in the coming months.
"Demon Bear [will appear] in #9 and #10, and issue #11 sees the return of a classic villain," Yost hints. "There's a big crossover coming up that's going to heavily feature a couple more classics."
His co-writer also points out that many characters' reappearances stem from their love of the X-Men's history.
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Preview art by
Mike Choi &
Sonia Oback |
"Some people compare this book to the stories of the 90's, but Chris and I are fans of the 80's," Kyle relates. "The [Chris] Claremont years of UNCANNY X-MEN are the stories that made us X-fans. There are a ton of characters and storylines that we loved as kids that we plan to bring into this title."
Kyle and Yost also vow that the current story-arc, "Old Ghosts," will continue to build to a much larger story as X-FORCE barrels ahead.
"It's all building to something big," Yost confirms. "There's not really any filler or throwaways here. It's all leading to one massive story."
"The fans that have read our two
X-23 [limited series] and our NEW X-MEN run will find that they have been on this X-FORCE journey since the very beginning," Kyle elaborates. "Everything we've done up until now has been building to this run. When it's over it will be the
biggest story we have ever told in comics.
"Chris is right. There isn't a single moment in any issue that doesn't have meaning or some importance to the coming stories. We're laying seeds that will feed the
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X-FORCE #8
cover by
Mike Choi &
Sonia Oback |
ongoing individual character arcs as well as the massive series arc that concludes almost two years from now."
And many of those seeds will result in some significant changes for each of the team's beleaguered members.
"Every single character will be changed by their experience in the pages of X-Force," concludes Kyle. "
Wolfsbane for example, has a major story that is unfolding as we speak. This is a story that no one will predict but one that we believe many long time fans will really love.
"Bottom line, if you like what we've done so far, it only gets better from here."
X-FORCE #8 slashes its way into stores on October 29, but you can read more from Craig Kyle & Chris Yost right now on Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited!
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