X-Statix was a
fictionFiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al team of
mutantIn comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
superheroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es in
Marvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, specifically designed to be
mediaMass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
superstars. The team, created by
Peter MilliganPeter Milligan born in London, a British writer, best known for his comic book, film and television work.-Early career:Milligan started his comic career with short stories for 2000 AD in the early 1980s. By 1986, Milligan had his first ongoing strip in 2000AD called Bad Company, with artists Brett...
and
Mike Allred, first appears in
X-ForceX-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
#116 and originally assumed the moniker
X-Force, taking the name of the more traditional superhero team, who appears in #117 claiming to be “the real X-Force”.
Publication history
In
2001-Year overall:* Marvel Comics withdraws from the Comics Code Authority and established its own rating system for its publications.- January :* January 23: Fred Ray, Superman's primary cover artist of the 1940s, passes away at age 80.- September :...
, the
X-MenThe X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
family of titles were being revamped by the newly appointed
Marvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
editor-in-chief
Joe QuesadaJoseph "Joe" Quesada is an American comic book editor, writer and artist. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom...
, with the aim to make the titles more critically and commercially successful. Former Vertigo editor
Axel AlonsoAxel Alonso is American comic book creator, known primarily as an editor at DC Comics from 1994–2000, and at Marvel Comics from 2000 to the present. At DC, he edited a number of books published under their Vertigo line, such as Doom Patrol, Animal Man, Hellblazer, Preacher and 100 Bullets...
hired writer
Peter MilliganPeter Milligan born in London, a British writer, best known for his comic book, film and television work.-Early career:Milligan started his comic career with short stories for 2000 AD in the early 1980s. By 1986, Milligan had his first ongoing strip in 2000AD called Bad Company, with artists Brett...
, best known for his
surrealSurrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
,
post-modernistPostmodernism is a philosophical movement evolved in reaction to modernism, the tendency in contemporary culture to accept only objective truth and to be inherently suspicious towards a global cultural narrative or meta-narrative. Postmodernist thought is an intentional departure from the...
comics such as
Rogan Gosh and
Shade, the Changing ManShade, the Changing Man is a fictional comic book character created by Steve Ditko for DC Comics in 1977. The character was later adapted by Peter Milligan and became one of the first Vertigo titles....
, and
MadmanMadman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero created by Mike Allred and most recently published by Image Comics. He first appeared in Creatures of the Id...
artist
Mike Allred, as the new creative team for
X-ForceX-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
, starting with issue #116.
X-ForceX-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
prior to Millgan and Allred's first issue sold well but rarely had been the critical success Quesada wanted.
From their first issue of
X-Force things were changed right away; gone was the previous team and replacing them were characters more like
popstarsA celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
or
reality TVReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
contestants than traditional superheroes. The title was laced with Milligan's
satiricalSatire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
take on the superhero team as well as general
cynicismCynicism , in its original form, refers to the beliefs of an ancient school of Greek philosophers known as the Cynics . Their philosophy was that the purpose of life was to live a life of Virtue in agreement with Nature. This meant rejecting all conventional desires for wealth, power, health, and...
toward the entire
genreGenre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
. Milligan and Allred would regularly play with killing off the title characters: In their first issue, they wiped out the entire team with only two exceptions.
This dramatic revision of the series was not universally accepted. Many readers wanted "their" X-Force back, a complaint Milligan later
parodiedA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
in the pages of the title. However, sales had increased and the title was receiving mainstream media coverage in the likes of
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine.
X-Force was canceled with issue 129 in
2002-March:* Adventures of Superman #600: super-sized anniversary issue by Joe Casey, Mike Wieringo, and Jose Marzan, Jr. -April:* Batman #600: "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive," part one, 64-page giant, written by Ed Brubaker.-January:...
and re-named
X-Statix; it restarted with a new issue #1.
X-Statix carried on the same themes as
X-Force, but with an increasingly satirical tone.
Milligan planned to deploy
Princess DianaDiana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
as a character in a story-arc beginning in
X-Statix #13: she was slated to return from the dead as a mutant superhero. However, when news of this leaked out to the media, a series of objections followed, most notably from the
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
tabloid newspaper
The Daily MailThe Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
. Quesada and Marvel announced that they would alter the character, replacing her with a fictional pop star named
Henrietta HunterHenrietta Hunter is a fictional character in the X-Statix series. She is a mutant with superhuman powers. She was a "pop star" from the fictional country of "Europa", and the one-time leader of the X-Statix.-Publication history:...
.
Although sales of the title during this time were moderate, they soon began to decline drastically. After a story-arc that pitted X-Statix against The
AvengersThe Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, low sales prompted the title's cancellation with issue #26, published in 2004. In the last issue Milligan and Allred killed off the entire team, serving up one last parody of the superhero genre, while tying up the remaining plot threads.
Marvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
published
X-Statix Presents: Dead GirlDead Girl is a fictional character, a mutant superheroine in Marvel Comics' X-Statix series. She is a mixture of ghost and zombie...
in 2006. In the 5 issue mini-series, Dead Girl teams with
Doctor StrangeDoctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
to combat a group of villains who have returned from the dead. The series is written by Milligan, with covers by Allred. The storyline (which features the return of The Anarchist, The Orphan, and U-Go-Girl) parodies the manner in which creators in the industry handle death in comic books, with popular characters often brought back from the dead.
Detailed roster
The team was a group of colorfully dressed and emotionally immature young mutants put together and marketed to be superstars first by the mysterious
CoachThe Coach is a fictional mutant character in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe. He was the "leader" and member of the second team of X-Force and was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred . His first appearance was in X-Force #116...
and later by media mogul
Spike FreemanSpike Freeman, was a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was the owner of the second team of X-Force and X-Statix, who first appeared in X-Force vol. 1 #117, and was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred...
. Some of the members included:
- Anarchist
The Anarchist is a fictional character from Marvel Comics.He was a member of the superhero team X-Statix. The Anarchist first appeared in X-Force #116 and was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred...
, the team's self-proclaimed "token" Black Canadian, whose acidAn acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red...
-like sweat enabled him to fire acidic energy bolts.
- Bloke
Bloke , also known as Rainbow, is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Universe. He was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred in X-Force #117 .-Fictional character biography:...
, a mutant with the ability to change the color of his skin, like a chameleonChameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
; certain color changes would enhance his strength. He revealed himself to be gay shortly before his death, although his first appearance was laden with blatant references to his homosexuality.
- Dead Girl
Dead Girl is a fictional character, a mutant superheroine in Marvel Comics' X-Statix series. She is a mixture of ghost and zombie...
, a literal dead girl who could reform her body and control its parts when dismembered, and could "read" the memories of dead bodies.
- Doop
Doop is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe who was created by writer Peter Milligan and artist Mike Allred. He made his debut in X-Force vol. 1 #116. He is a green, floating spheroid creature of unknown origins who spoke in a "language" all his own . Doop is a bisexual creature...
, a green, floating spheroid creature of unknown origins who spoke in a "language" all his own (represented in text by a special fontIn typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
), and who served as X-Force's cameramanA cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
. It was hinted many times that he might have been manipulating the team or that he was trying to control them in some clandestine way but nothing was ever resolved or proven.
- El Guapo
El Guapo , which in Spanish means either "the Handsome One" is a fictional mutant character from the Marvel Universe who first appeared in X-Statix #9.-Fictional character biography:...
, a sexy male mutant with a flying skateboard that had a mind of its own.
- Henrietta Hunter
Henrietta Hunter is a fictional character in the X-Statix series. She is a mutant with superhuman powers. She was a "pop star" from the fictional country of "Europa", and the one-time leader of the X-Statix.-Publication history:...
, an inexplicably reanimated woman with enhanced physical abilities and empathy. Originally intended to be Princess Diana.
- Mysterious Fan Boy
Fan Boy is a comic book character in the X-Statix series. He is a mutant with superhuman powers in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Fictional character biography:...
, the self-proclaimed greatest fan of X-Statix, he was put into the team so his powers and unstable personality could be placated and controlled. Orphan conscripted long-time ally Lacuna to inject him with a serum that would stop his weak heart to prevent him from a dangerous eventual personality meltdown. He had limited reality-warping powers and some of the acts he performed were illusion casting, animating dead bodies, rearranging items on a molecular level, creating explosions, and healing injuries.
- Orphan
Mister Sensitive is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, who was a prominent castmember in the X-Statix series. He first appeared in X-Force vol...
, aka Mister Sensitive, the team's de facto leader, a suicidal mutant with purple skin and two antennaeAntennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
protruding from his forehead who possessed heightened senses, superhuman speed, and the ability to levitate.
- Phat
Phat is an openly gay fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Universe. He was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred in X-Force vol. 1 #117...
, an (eventually) openly gay EminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
or Vanilla IceRobert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
pastiche who could harden, soften and increase the size of any part of his body by expanding his subcutaneousThe hypodermis, also called the hypoderm, subcutaneous tissue, or superficial fascia is the lowermost layer of the integumentary system in vertebrates. Types of cells that are found in the hypodermis are fibroblasts, adipose cells, and macrophages...
fat layer.
- Saint Anna
Saint Anna is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Universe. She was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred in X-Force vol. 1 #117 .-Fictional character biography:...
, an Irish-Argentinian mutant with the ability to levitate and control the motion of objects as well as physically and mentally heal others.
- Spike
Spike and The Spike are the names of several fictional characters in Marvel Comics. Recent characters of this name have had similar powers to generate projectile spikes, possibly inspired by Spyke from X-Men: Evolution....
, a controversial African American character who made fun of Anarchist for being white inside, even though his skin is black. He is capable of extending thin spikes from his body or launching them as projectiles.
- U-Go Girl
U-Go Girl was a fictional character from the Marvel Comics universe, and a member of the superhero team X-Force, as well as X-Statix. She first appeared in X-Force vol...
, a blue-skinned, redhead, narcolepticNarcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder, or dyssomnia, characterized by excessive sleepiness and sleep attacks at inappropriate times, such as while at work. People with narcolepsy often experience disturbed nocturnal sleep and an abnormal daytime sleep pattern, which often is confused with insomnia...
teleporter who was once romantically linked to Zeitgeist and then to Orphan.
- Venus Dee Milo
Venus Dee Milo is a fictional character from the Marvel Comics universe, that was member of the mutant superhero group X-Statix. She appeared in the first issue of that series and was created by Mike Allred and Peter Milligan....
, whose body was made entirely of crackling red energy that allowed her to teleport, project concussive blasts of energy, and heal minor wounds.
- Vivisector
Vivisector is a fictional character, an openly gay intellectual mutant featured as a member of X-Statix by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in X-Force #116 and was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred.-Fictional character history:...
, a bookish scholar who could transform himself into a wolfThe gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
-like creature with enhanced senses, speed, agility, and razor sharp fangs and claws, and who briefly became Phat's lover.
Mentors
- Coach
The Coach is a fictional mutant character in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe. He was the "leader" and member of the second team of X-Force and was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred . His first appearance was in X-Force #116...
, manipulative mentor of the team when it was still named X-Force. He has only one arm and red eyes. He was once called "The Arm" but it was never fully explained why. He had the second X-Force eradicated to start a new one. He had X-Statix capture a young mutant named Paco Perez to sell to Pharmaceutical companies but Orphan intervened and sent the boy away. He then tried to have Orphan killed but was eventually killed by a gunshot in a struggle with U-Go Girl.
- Spike Freeman
Spike Freeman, was a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was the owner of the second team of X-Force and X-Statix, who first appeared in X-Force vol. 1 #117, and was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred...
, is an amoral billionaire with an addiction to thrills (he once voluntarily played Russian roulette). He assists the team by auditioning new members and by doing the team's public relations. Orphan kills him after he advocates the murders of innocent people.
Allies
- Lacuna
Lacuna is a fictional character, a mutant and the occasional ally of the superhero group X-Statix.-Fictional character biography:...
, a young girl named Woodstock who set out to prove that she was worthy of membership into the then X-force by playing pranks on the members with the help of her powers. Even though she was more than capable, Orphan rejected her but on occasion would call upon her for help. When Orphan finally came to her to offer her membership, she declined, preferring instead to take up a spot as a talk showA talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
host where she would expose the secrets of the stars. Her powers allow her to walk between the moments of time while everything else remains still.
- Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
, mentor of the X-Men who assisted X-Statix on certain occasions. He constructed special suits to accommodate Orphan and Venus Dee Milo's mutations.
- Wolverine
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
, an old friend of Doop who aided Orphan in taking down Coach and his back-up team. Wolverine also accompanied Doop in searching for the Pink Mink.
X-Force
In Milligan and Allred's first issue of
X-Force, nearly the entire team was killed off in an incident called the Boyz 'R Us massacre. This precursory team, of which only
U-Go Girl,
Doop, and
Anarchist survived, also included:
- Battering Ram
Battering Ram is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Universe. He was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred in X-Force vol. 1 #116 .-Fictional character biography:...
, who had superhuman strength, and durability as well as a thick skull which sported two ram-like horns and purple skin.
- Gin Genie
Gin Genie is a fictional character, mutant superhero in the Marvel Universe Universe, she was a member of the second team of X-Force. She was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred...
, who could direct seismicSeismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies. The field also includes studies of earthquake effects, such as tsunamis as well as diverse seismic sources such as volcanic, tectonic, oceanic,...
energy from her body but only when she had consumed alcohol.
- La Nuit
La Nuit is a fictional character, a French mutant and superhero in the Marvel Comics universe, he was a member of the second team of X-Force...
, a Frenchman who could generate a cloak of dark energy around him that would disperse light and control objects.
- Plazm
For PLAZM magazine, media, or design firm see PLAZMPlazm is a fictional mutant character and superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe, a member of the second team of X-Force. Plazm was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred . He first appeared in X-Force vol...
, a living, lighter than air, liquid man who could control metabolic functions upon contact with another or through a spray from his hands.
- Sluk
Sluk is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a member of the second team of X-Force. The character called Sluk was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred . He first appeared in X-Force vol...
, who has a face composed of tentacles (he was actually dead before the Milligan run even began, but is seen on a videotape).
- Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist is a fictional mutant character and superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe, a member of the second team of X-Force. Zeitgeist was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred .-Fictional character biography:...
, the team leader who could vomit acidic ooze from his mouth. He conspired with Coach to have his teammates killed in the Boys R Us massacre, but he was caught in the crossfire and killed as well. He previously had a one-night standOriginally, a one-night stand was a single theatre performance, usually by a guest performer on tour, as opposed to an ongoing engagement. Today, however, the term is more commonly defined as a single sexual encounter, in which neither participant has any intention or expectation of a relationship...
with U-Go Girl.
Collected editions
The appearances have been collected into
trade paperbacksIn comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
: Famous, Mutant & Mortal (hardcover, 288 pages, July 2003, ISBN 0-7851-1023-2) collects:
- Volume 1: New Beginnings (collects X-Force #116-120, 128 pages, November 2001, ISBN 0-7851-0819-X)
- Volume 2: Final Chapter (collects X-Force #121-129, 224 pages, November 2002, ISBN 0-7851-1088-7)
- X-Statix:
- Volume 1: Good Omens (collects X-Statix #1-5, Marvel, 2002, ISBN 0-7851-1059-3)
- Volume 2: Good Guys & Bad Guys (collects X-Statix #6-10, Wolverine/Doop #1-2 and X-Men Unlimited #41, Marvel, 2003, ISBN 0-7851-1139-5)
- Volume 3: Back From the Dead (collects X-Statix #11-18, Marvel, 2004, ISBN 0-7851-1140-9)
- Volume 4: X-Statix vs. The Avengers (collects X-Statix #19-26, Marvel, 2004, ISBN 0-7851-1537-4)
- X-Statix Presents: Dead Girl (collects 5-issue limited series, Marvel, 2006, ISBN 0-7851-2031-9)
External links
- The X-Titles revamp as discussed in The Comics Journal
The Comics Journal, often abbreviated TCJ, is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels...
#262