x-force #001: angels and demons

M-Day cut the mutant population down from millions to just under two hundred. Since that day, mutants had suffered deaths but not a single birth. But hope returned... in the form of an infant girl.

The mutant-fearing religious sect called the Purifiers reached the mutant child just days after she was born. They burned her city to the ground and killed every man, woman, and child they could find in an attempt to destroy the girl they believed to be the mutant Antichrist.

The X-Men's leader, CYCLOPS, assembled a strike team who would do whatever it took to save the infant and stop the Purifiers. This team was composed of the X-Men's best trackers and killers and was designed to cross the lines that X-Men wouldn't.

The team was led by WOLVERINE and called X-FORCE.

They succeeded in saving the baby but at a high cost. The alien Hepzibah was severely injured and the mutant Caliban lost his life. Since the completion of their mission, the Purifiers have gone back into hiding and the remaining members of X-Force have scattered...

Until now.

*******

Cyclops, accompanied by Wolfsbane, set up a private meeting with Wolverine at Angel's Aerie in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. He laid out some intelligence that Matthew Risman, the leader of the Purifiers turned himself in to S.H.I.E.L.D. a few hours earlier. However, in a shorter span of time, he and his men managed to kill 16 agents.

William Stryker and his Purifiers killed more students in a single night than we've lost in all the years since the Xavier Institute's doors first opened. But Stryker and his Purifiers have always targeted mutants. Xavier, the X-Men, the students, the baby... For Risman to attack humans... to stage an assault on a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility... This is an escalation in his actions like nothing we've ever seen. Now it seems likely that the Purifiers have several high-ranking members inside the government, which is why S.H.I.E.L.D. ignored the Purifiers' attack on the mansion. This also explains why they didn't act on the attack at the hospital in Alaska. But this is something S.H.I.E.L.D. can't ignore, no matter how many men the Purifiers have on the inside. Risman was after something. Something so important he risked everything to get it. And it's only a matter of time before he uses it against mutants."

"Well if those nutjobs are dumb enough to come after us again, we'll take 'em down. Hard," Wolverine stated.

But Cyclops had a different plan. He commanded his teammate to assemble X-Force once more. They are to go after Risman and his Purifiers and eliminate them permanently before they get a chance to do whatever it is they have planned.

"Damn, Summers. I don't know if I should be impressed, or worried you've snapped. What's Frost say about all this?"

"Emma... Doesn't need to know."

"Okay, I'm impressed," Logan muttered. However, he had to decline saying that there is no X-Force, that Warpath went M.I.A. after Caliban was killed by the anti-mutant cult.

Cyclops rebutted him saying that he knew where Warpath is. He was in Camp Verde, Arizona mourning for the loss of his friend whom he buried along with his brother, the former X-Man Thunderbird, and the rest of his tribe. Cyclops added that with or without X-Force, Warpath was going after the Purifiers. And so was X-23.

"Stop. Stop right there. If Jimmy wants in, that's his decision. He's making that choice. But Laura doesn't know how to choose. I brought her to Xavier's so she could start a new life, learn how to be a real person. Even after everything that went down with the kids, I'm not going to ask her to kill again. Forget it."

"You don't have to ask her, I already did," Cyclops said in a matter-of-fact tone. He narrated that as they are currently speaking, X-23 is inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility digging up some clues as to what really transpired. She found out that Risman had an inside man, Agent Jeremy Latcham. Apparently, he introduced a virus to the computer system that prevented anyone from finding out which object was stolen. Also, the agent performed self-termination to protect mission intelligence in the name of the father.

"... But I have Risman's scent. I can track him. What is my mission," X-23 asked over the communicator.

"Stay with him, report back once you have his location. Good work, Laura."

In a flash, Wolverine threw a punch at Cyclops' face. He was obviously mad at the actions of his leader. He stated that Laura was his responsibility and that he should have been consulted first before she was sent to investigate.

"Is this who you are now? You just use her like this? You set up Warpath to go down like his brother? You pull in Rahne Sinclair to this world? If you want Risman dead, you come to me. But I'll do it alone."

"This team is happening Logan. You think I don't know the line I'm crossing? I do. This isn't X-Men work. This is X-Force. No one can know. I'm not asking for your permission, Logan. You know it's what has to be done. And for the record... Rahne came to me."

"Logan," Rahne called out as Logan walked out of the aerie still furious at what he had just learned.

"Not in a million years, darlin'. Trust me... You don't want this. Whatever personal baggage you've got, just lose it. Forget about this."

Fargo, North Dakota.

Warpath, X-23 and Wolverine were doing some recon outside a church of the Reverend William Stryker. Still bothered with the set-up, Wolverine addressed them both saying that if they pursued this they won't be X-Men anymore - that Laura's chance to be human will slip further away and that Warpath knew that revenge didn't work out before and it won't work out again for him this time. He asked them to walk away. But his words fell on deaf ears.

"Fine. Your lives," the X-Man gave up as he put on his mask.

Inside the church, Risman spoke of how Reverend Stryker found each of the first brothers and how he put them on the road to salvation. And their instrument will be Nimrod - a messenger from the future as well as a warrior designed solely to slay demons, to slay mutants. The leader continued saying that the machine have leapt backwards in time for several occasions. Just like many years ago when it merged with another machine called Master Mold and became Bastion. And now, they have restored him by joining the body of Nimrod to the head of Bastion, giving life to their Oracle.

"Warning. Mutants detected."

As the Oracle alerted Risman, the three members of X-Force are fighting waves of soldiers, not hesitating to draw blood.

"Risman. He's not alone. He's got..." X-23 alerted Wolverine as she stopped fighting for a second.

"I smell her, too."

"X-Men! Stand down or the mutant dies," Risman yelled as he appeared holding Wolfsbane in her human form.

"Rahne!"

"She dies, you follow her one second later, Risman."

"He's lying... He doesn't want to kill her."

"X, don't..."

"I don't bluff, mutant."

*******

This merry band of trackers and berserkers made their first appearance in the crossover Messiah CompleX when they were tasked to get the baby from Cable by all means. Surprisingly, when the solicits of X-Titles post-crossover was released, the book was received with skepticism with an issue on purpose of this strikeforce post-Messiah Complex considering how emotionally disparate its members are regardless of how similar their powers and capabilities are.

One of the highlights of the first issue is the dialogue between Cyclops and Wolverine. The X-Men's proclaimed leader has become bolder and more bad-ass than ever - as implied by Wolverine's reaction.

Then we get to see Wolverine try to lead the new team. It's kind of fun seeing how he, at this point, seems to be the only person who is not agreeable with the X-Force's reformation. I like how he tried to desuade Warpath, Wolfsbane and X-23 from pushing through with the mission knowing how this would affect them as a person and as an X-Man. All throughout the issue, he exuded his sensible side - like how he portrays the role of an older brother to the likes of Shadowcat, Jubilee and most recently, Armor. I think this is gravely shadowed by his being a known-berserker.

Now for the Purifiers, I think they're one mean group to be dealt with. It's a no-brainer that they would be the connecting factor to the four individuals. Though it would have been better if Hepzibah joined them as well. She wasn't severely hurt in the climactic Messiah CompleX battle as far as I recall. Anyway, I'm sure Kyle and Yost has surprises in store for the readers knowing how well they mesh destruction, death and drama into their books.

If you love bloodshed, you'll adore this comicbook.