The X-Men’s covert operations team, X-Force, is shaking up its ranks to welcome two new members, Colossus and Wolverine (Laura Kinney), who are wasting no time to unleash their classic tag-team attack, the fastball special. X-Force’s new roster is up against a dreadful demon that comes straight from some classic X-Men tales.
Marvel Comics has shared a preview for the upcoming X-Force #40, by Benjamin Percy and Paul Davidson. The issue will introduce a new story arc, called “The Ghost Calendars“, which will feature a shake-up in X-Force’s lineup, with Wolverine and Colossus joining the ranks of the most controversial team in Krakoa. In one of the preview pages, Wolverine and Colossus kick off their first X-Force mission together with a fastball special, the iconic attack made famous by Piotr and Logan. Meanwhile, the rest of the team will have to contend with a demon that looks a lot like one of the N’Garai, classic X-Men foes from the 1980s.
Colossus and Wolverine Join The Ranks Of X-Force
Since the foundation of Krakoa, X-Force had the unenviable task of dealing with the threats to mutantkind with tactics that the public would not approve of. Cover ops, assassination, and immoral decisions are the bread and butter of the team, which includes the likes of Omega Red and Deadpool. However, the member who was most tainted by X-Force’s tactics is actually Beast who has recently fully turned into an evil villain. It’s time for a change of direction for X-Force, and it seems that this is coming in the form of two new members, Colossus and Wolverine.
The names of these two mutants are synonymous with the most iconic tag-team move in superhero comics, the fastball special, in which Colossus throws Wolverine at their foes. The fastball special was used for the first time in X-Men (vol. 1) #100, from the legendary team of Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, and since then it has been used by many characters and referenced in a wide range of media. On the other hand, the N’Garai demons are not as widely known as the fastball special, but old school fans of the X-Men will surely recognize these horror-inspired villains who made their first appearance in X-Men (vol.1) #96, also courtesy of the creative minds of Claremont and Cockrum.
The Fastball Special Is The Most Iconic Tag-Team Attack In Superhero Comics
While the demon that X-Force faces in the preview is not clearly described as a N’Garai, it would be a great callback to one of the most fondly-remembered eras in X-Men’s history, and it would perfectly complement the return of Wolverine and Colossus’ fastball special.
The new era of the X-Men’s most controversial team begins on May 17, 2023, with X-Force #40.
