One of the best things about X-Men ’97 – Marvel’s new animated series – is its ability to feel tonally, visually and narratively congruent to its predecessor; the beloved Saturday morning cartoon X-Men: The Animated Series. While it manages to feel like an organic continuation of the original series, it also feels like a significant upgrade in several areas. It may only be a handful of episodes in, but X-Men ’97 already feels surprisingly well fleshed out, with many fresh character arcs and dynamics having already been set up – and the world of the X-Men looks set to become even more expansive as each episode unfolds. This is perfectly exemplified by the end of the show’s most recent episode, in which Forge introduces himself to a mournful Storm, setting up a classic comic book storyline.

It’s worth noting that despite the character’s reveal at the end of the episode, this isn’t the first time Forge has made an appearance in the show’s continuity, having already made several appearances in X-Men: The Animated Series. Still, the character’s role in these episodes was primarily restricted to alternate timelines, making him relatively unknown to most of the current X-Men members.

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Who is Forge in X-Men comics?

Created by iconic X-Men writer Christ Claremont and artist John Romita Jr, Forge’s first Marvel Comics appearance is in 1984’s The Uncanny X-Men #184, in which he’s sought out by Mystique and Valerie Cooper for his technological capabilities. Boasting a strange but undeniably useful grab bag of powers and abilities, Forge is a mutant with the superhuman ability to subconsciously comprehend the inner workings of machinery, technology and complex mechanical objects. This makes Forge unparalleled in his field, with the mutant proving capable of inventing, creating and upgrading a near-endless variety of powerful equipment, technology and weaponry.

A member of the Cheyenne nation, Forge also happens to be an accomplished shaman, making him extremely well-versed in mysticism and magic. The character’s tendency to utilize his technological abilities rather than focus on the mystic arts eventually causes a rift between Forge and his mentor – Naze – and he enlists in the military, becoming embroiled in the Vietnam War. It’s during this time that Forge witnesses the death of his entire platoon at the hands of the enemy. Forge then uses his powerful mystical abilities to summon the spirits of his fallen friends as a method of counterattack, unintentionally opening the door for a demonic entity known as Adversary to enter the realm of the living. This demonic entity becomes inextricably linked to Forge, frequently returning to cause chaos for both Forge and the rest of the X-Men.

It was also during his time in Vietnam that Forge lost both a hand and a leg, though he was fortunately able to create fully-functioning cybernetic prosthetics to replace them. Despite the character’s tendency to drift in and out of the X-Men’s orbit – making his appearances inconsistent in frequency over the years – Forge’s history and connections to the Marvel Universe’s other mutant characters make him an interesting, albeit underused, character. Considering his connection to mainstay X-Men characters such as Mystique and Storm, it’s good to see that Forge looks set to have a more substantial role in upcoming episodes of X-Men ’97.

Forge’s appearance in X-Men ‘97

For avid fans of the comics, it seemed like a distinct possibility that Forge would make an appearance in X-Men ’97following the show’s second episode, in which Storm is hit with an energy beam meant for Magneto, that strips her of her potent mutant abilities.Sure enough, the closing moments of X-Men’s ’97 third episode confirmed this, with Forge tracking down a grieving Storm, who leaves the X-Men after losing her abilities. Forge seemingly suggests that he can restore Ororo’s powers, setting up one of the duo’s most popular stories.

As well as having an impact on Storm’s character arc, it’s entirely possible that Forge could stick around as a more permanent fixture in X-Men ’97, with the character’s history having ramifications for many members of the X-Men’s world. Adversary – the aforementioned demon summoned by Forge – serves as a recurring thorn in the X-Men’s side, even resulting in the sacrifice of Madelyne Pryor in the comics to ensure the demon’s defeat. Given that Forge was introduced in the same episode as Madelyne Pryor’s reveal, it’s possible that the show is hoping to have the character play a prominent role even outside of his connection to Storm.

What does this mean for Storm?

Although it’s unclear exactly how faithful to certain comic book storylinesX-Men ’97 is planning to be, the interaction between Storm and Forge at the climax of the show’s third episode, “Fire Made Flesh”, confirms that the brilliantly-written Chris Claremont story “Lifedeath” is being set up. In the comics, the story sees a de-powered Storm and Forge form a close bond over their respective traumas, though their burgeoning romance is soon cut short when Storm learns that Forge actually designed the weapon that took her powers during his time as a contractor for the government.

Much later on, after resuming their romance in 1988’s “Fall of the Mutants” arc, Forge is finally able to restore Storm’s powers after they become stranded in a different dimension. With that said, it took three years of X-Men comics before Ororo’s abilities returned, so it’s not a given that the character’s powers will return anytime soon in X-Men ’97 – especially since the show is already confirmed for a second season – so while Forge’s emergence in the show is ultimately good news for Storm, it may not be the quick fix that many fans might be hoping for.

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X-Men '97

The animated X-Men team returns in the Disney Plus reboot, X-Men '97. With Professor X gone, Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean Grey, and the rest of the mutants find themselves under the leadership of Magneto and facing a new threat. X-Men '97 is the first project under the newly created Marvel Animation banner.