X-Force Annual #2

[iamrman]

The gimmick of Marvel's 1993 annuals was introducing rad new characters and Adam-X the X-TREME was the raddest.

Adam is chasing a woman and blasted in the back by a suddenly appearing X-Force.

Of course, a fight breaks out. This was the 90’s, so they weren't going to do anything as dumb as talking things out.

Adam thoroughly thrashes X-Force just to show how muchnof a threat he is. He does this by utilising his powers of igniting the electrlytes in a person's blood. I think this means he sets their blood on fire?

Adam then decides to run away, because they had to drag this thing out somehow.

Needless to say, not many of the rad new characters from these annuals caught on. Your mileage may vary whether Adam-X caught on or not. He is so needlessly rad and I just love him for it. Can anybody else remember other characters introduced in these annuals? My memory goes blank after Genis-Vell and the X-Cutioner.

Comments

[julian]

I in fact read this issue! (In 1995, but hey, at least I read it.)

I have, on this list, heard of Blood Wraith and Darkling, as well as the X-folks. But like, I don't remember *why*.

[phantomfo]

I remember Cuchulain and thinking he was actually interesting when I was 14 (he teamed with Shamrock, who's luck also made her immortal).

And Charon's appearance in X-Factor seemed to be He Who Shant Be Named's way of mocking there actual event. He was introduced alongside his two resurrected brothers, who had died in the pursuit of powers. One of them had replaced his hands with cybernetic propellers, to become a mutant hunter by the name of "Number One Fan." He promptly realized that he couldn't turn the doorknob off the room he was in, tried to facepalm, and decapitated himself.

[beyondthefringe]

Ye gods, I can name more of DC's New Blood than anyone has a right to, and even I don't remember most of the Marvel equivalents, and what a pack of forgettable, forgotten, ridiculous characters those are.
I mean sure, Genis-Vell went on to some lasting success. And um... several showed up in Civil War. I think Bantam got blown up during a fight after someone punched a gas tanker.
But most of them--oof.
I'd say bring them back, but then again, I don't want to see them brought back just to be more cannon fodder.

[scorntx]

Gosh, someone remembers Bantam!
(Only knowing about him because the annual he's in was in the Captain America Epic Collection.)

Poor guy. Got a whole annual dedicated to him, never appeared anywhere else ever again until Civil War killed him off. In a flashback.
Where he's trying to enforce an idiotic law in another country.

Damn Civil War...

(though maybe part of the reason for Bantam's obscurity might have something to do with the fact that he dressed like a chicken.
The tiniest of chickens.
...
......... no, I don't have any irrational dislike of chickens which may be influencing this viewpoint. Dunno what you're on about...)

[iamrman]

I can hardly remember anybody from New Blood. Well, Hitman and that's about it. Most of them ended up as Crisis fodder, right?

[beyondthefringe]

All sorts of fodder. Most of the "Blood Pack" were murdered in one blow by Superboy Prime, I think.
Others have been killed off here and there, in whatever storyline needed a random dead hero.
But still, with Hitman, Blood Pack, Anima, and Gunfire (at the least), they collectively headlined more series than all of Marvel's new characters from the same year combined.

[mastermahan]

Yeah, Genis was the only one to get an actual comic. And it was much later, only came after he lost the mullet, and had the advantage of Marvel needing to publish *something* called Captain Marvel every few years so Billy Batson doesn't get the name back.

Although Annex had a miniseries. Why the HELL anyone thought there was a market for an Annex mini, I have no idea.

[iamrman]

Oh, yes, Blood Wraith. Last seen in Busiek's Avengers if I remember orrectly.

[mastermahan]

I built my collection out of quarter bins, so I had more than a few of those comics. I remember them pretty well too. For example, Wildstreak was a paraplegic who walked with an exoskeleton that increased her strength and speed. Hitmaker, meanwhile, was a paraplegic who walked with an exoskeleton that increased his strength and speed.

Annex switched things up by being an amputee who walked with an exoskeleton. Also, he could 3d print and teleport himself weapons, which was hilariously referred to as "faxing".

I never kept the cards.

[giraffesforever]

I read this when it came out and even as a kid I remember wondering what Sunspot was doing on the cover.

[dan_ingram]

Personally, I liked Adam. You could tell Fabian had some ideas there.

[scorntx]

Thinking part of the reason for Adam X (the X-TREME)'s longevity is either his sheer radness or his sheer ridiculousness.
Hmm.
Might be some overlap...

[iamrman]

A little from column A, a little from column B.

[30secondstonataliemars]

With Steve Orlando's love of deep cuts I'm sad he didn't bring ADAM X THE X-TREME back for the current Marauders arc that deals with the Shiar and their insane space bird people bullshit

[iamrman]

Adam was last seen in X-Men Legends, where it was finally revealed that he was the missing Summers brother. Everybody had their memories conveniently wiped at the end so it doesn't interfere with the current X-Books.

[30secondstonataliemars]

And I hereby decree

That everything will be just as it was

And no one will reference these events again

UNDER PENALTY OF TORTURE

[mazway_75]

Aw, no scan of the trading card that came bagged with every annual?

[iamrman]

These are from a trade, so I guess the art for the trading card is at the end.

[mazway_75]

What I remember most is editors of the time actually thought these new characters hits with one going "They're not going to just show up and no one remembers them like Squirrel Girl."