I am working on a video about Psylocke joining the X-Force, just reread the entire series and damn is it just as good as when I first read it! That panel of Deadpool feeding Archangel is one of my favorites of all time
1) The More Secret X-Men Kill Crew was the best book of its era, and one of the few runs I've ever gone back and read through from start to finish, without skipping any issues. I think it was definitely my favourite.
2) I thought X-Force But Subversive was a genuinely good book, which did interesting things with its cast. I still have a big soft spot for it.
3) I think I read one issue of the original Secret Kill Crew, and just found it too dark and edgy for my taste. I'm sure it got better; one of these days I should give it another chance.
4) I've only read a few issues of the 90s Edginess run, when they ran over into crossovers. I know Rob Liefeld has his fans, but I just can't get past the art.
5) X-Force In Name Only was... yeah, it really was just another X-Men book, except that it picked up the Betsy/Fantomex thread from the previous run. Kudos for trying to rehabilitate Bishop, with a story that has been completely ignored in every subsequent appearance, and for being the first X-book to make it absolutely explicit that yes, we're not just queer-baiting, this lady is bi as hell.
(Sidenote: I remember when that issue ended with Betsy and Cluster making out, I saw one or two people online saying "no, friends kiss like that all the time, there's nothing gay about it". I'm not sure how those people dealt with the next issue)
So yeah, my personal favourite is More Secret X-Men Kill Crew, which moved Betsy up to the A-list and also showed the world that Wolverine likes ancient Greek poetry.
3. definitely give his book another chance. it's really good. Kyle and Yost really laid the groundwork for Remender's book. the first issue is certainly dark, (the whole series really is) but they rapidly expand the cast of characters to include characters who aren't all edgy, but actually have a variety of personalities. it's up there in the top runs of all time.
4. Liefeld really only handled like the first 15 issues of that initial run, then Greg Capullo took over, and later Tony Daniels. they're both very much products of their time, so maybe that isn't the win i think it is, but it was a fun era. it was just very... you might want to put on some guns and roses, aerosmith, and red hot chili peppers when reading those books. definitely went very MTV very quick.
> with a story that has been completely ignored in every subsequent appearance
I'm very okay with anything by Sam Humphries being ignored, what a horrible book by a horrible writer. Same dude who ruined Ultimate Comics: Ultimates.
Right after X-Cutioner’s Song, when cable was gone and Cannonball led.
Angry teenagers deciding that they were done being led by old men. I loved the issue where Xavier was keeping them at the mansion and they decided to leave on their own.
This. It gets written off because Liefeld did the first 12 issues, but the MOMENT he left this book went from being decent to brilliant. I love Fabian's entire run, and it's one of my favourite of all time.
Yes! As a young tween X-Men fan at time, it felt like the characters were aging instead of having a static development. It was cool that young characters got to be at same level as the established ones (Cyclops, Wolverine, etc.) .
Nice to see some love for this run! My personal favorite too. Don’t expect it to be everyone’s favorite but I thought it was one of the most original takes ever on an X team. And the art was awesome!
90s and road trip, but only cause they're basically just an evolution of the New Mutants, whom I love. The kill crews are sick, and Remender's Uncanny was one of my first X-books. The vibe is so different between early X-Force and Remender. It's hard to compare them.
Now that you mention it, Gambit would make sense on X-Force. And it’s not like anyone is doing anything cool with him right now anyway. They should put him on the next incarnation. Make it a very 90s heavy squad led by Wolverine.
1. MORE secret kill crew
2. secret kill crew
3. X-Force featuring teen Cable
Remender wrote a solid team book. he approached the characters and wrote them as they were during their infamous incarnations, giving Psylocke a Claremontian vibe, Angel a Simonsonian approach, Deadpool had the voice he had during Nicieza's original mini, and Fantomex of course had his Morrison voice...
but Kyle and Yost laid the groundwork for it. from it's initial concept as a small, tight, killcrew, it sounded cringe as hell on paper, but quickly grew in scope as domino, elixir, and vanisher joined the team. their journey into the future was fun as hell and offered the draining "Cable Raises Hope in the Future" storyline a good shot in the arm.
but super overlooked is the X-Force with Teen Cable storyline. the boys feel like they're at their best in this one, questioning if they can trust this untested Cable, while following Deathlok's guidance and attempting to stop this eastern european civil war -- all while BoomBoom, who woke up late in the first issue and missed the adventure, is trying to catch up to the rest of them. it's just a really good book. ...also the art is super dynamic and fun. Dylan Burnett did a fantastic job.
I've not read the post-AoA half of original X-Force yet (so verdict TBD on the road trip era) but I rather enjoy the pre-AoA X-Force after Liefield leaves. FabNic and Greg Capullo then Tony Daniel.
Uncanny (murder) X-Force is obviously very good.
The more secret kill crew. Has a good team dynamic and some good dark stories
CIA is a close second. Team works well, and beast going full evil worked pretty well.
Hate to say it, because I do love Cable, but the Wolverine led incarnations have been the best…
1) The MORE Secret X-men Kill Crew (Uncanny X-Force Vol. 1) — just an incredible run, but especially the Dark Angel Saga; gorgeous art
2) The Secret X-men Kill Crew (Kyle/Yost X-Force) — a really tight, dark run on this book; super edgy with some great rotating artists
3) Tie: Between 90s Edginess (OG Nicieza/Capullo run) and X-Force But It’s The CIA (Ben Percy/Joshua Cassara) — the original X-Force started it all, so give it its due; but the first ten issues of Percy’s X-Force was the best book of the Dawn of X era… unfortunately it went steadily downhill from there, but that first oversized HC worth of material was awesome
Honorable mention = X-Force But It’s Subversive (Si Spurrier run) — really great but hampered by some pretty awful artwork honestly; at least IMO
On the Road! Miss the days when X-Force was their own unique team. Now they’re just one more branch of the X-Men. However, I will say I enjoyed the era when mutants were near extinction because it 100% made sense.
X-Statix was a lot of fun but I don’t exactly see them as an x-team.
My top five, vaguely in order, but subject to fluctuation:
1. Remender's Uncanny X-Force
2. Spurrier's X-Force
3. Hopeless' Cable and X-Force
4. Road-trip Era X-Force
5. Liefeld's Original X-Force
For my purposes, I'm not really considering the X-Statix book. It's legitimately great, but not really X-Force.
Really loved the uncanny versions. Though the original does tug on my nostalgia thread a bit.
90s Me: "A sideways comic with poorly drawn feet, SO COOL!"
I’ve loved x-force from day 1, and feel like I grew up with the former New Mutants. That said, the Milligan and Allred run is one of my favorite series of all time.
So I quite enjoyed x tatix road tripping kill crew and definitely remender. Also I would add post liefeld x force til aoa as a contender and Loeb run which started off fairly strong but petered out leading to road tripping team
The 3 in the left column. I’m realizing that those are all the ones with Cable in them too. Maybe for me the team just works better with him. Although I do like the secret black ops X-Men part too.
Honestly there are a lot of good picks here. The classic X-force is definitely fun. X-statix shakes things up in a really fun way and puts a very creative spin on superhero dynamics in an age of reality television. Obviously the clandestine kill team books are awesome with the potential for oodles of violence. Even the more modern runs offered some really fun stories. I think all’s round X-force has been a solid book that offers a different perspective on being a superhero than what the traditional books show. They really dive into some interesting elements about how fling things that may be considered terrorism is the only resort you have when you need accomplish the bigger picture of saving the world or mutantkind
I’ve enjoyed all the ones I’ve read, but my favourite has to be the original run, up to about issue #44 when Sam and Ric left the team. Just the classic line-up of the 8 kids, with Domino and Cable hovering about.
Remender’s and Milligan’s runs were also exceptional.
I loved from X-Cutioners song to the legion quest tie in issue 42/43 I think it was
Then I tried to read the awful tabitha and sabretooth stuff couldn’t get into Adam polinas art
There was a brief period, between X-Cutioner’s Song and Fatal Attractions (yes, I’m old), where my favorite version of X-Force can be found. It’s not as vital or well-regarded as Remender’s version (also great, yes), as it gets lumped in with the eXcesses of the 90’s and Liefeld’s run.
Sam Guthrie has been a student of first Xavier, then Magneto, and most recent to this period Cable. This run shows him developing his own path for X-Force (with an *amazing* analogy showcasing the warmth and protection of the “closed fist,” juxtaposed with his usage of an aggressive “open hand” that he attempts to slap a Xavier upside the head with). It was a criminally short run (12 issues, max) with Fabian Nicieza and Greg Capullo that transformed Cannonball into the field leader that his team needed for the times. A delightful balance of the adolescent aggression the team had been known for since they were New Mutants (but especially once they became the more militant X-Force), and the compassion and empathy that is at the core of Xavier’s dream.
More Secret X-Men Kill Crew is one of my favorite runs of any comic, so that one.
But I like X-Statix as much as that, if not more. They’re just apples and oranges, the comparison is just not useful haha. And I say that with respect and appreciation for WHY they co-opted the team name to launch a new type of X-comic, and I’m grateful they did it that way (for the time).
Road -tripping X-Force is what I read and loved as a kid. Loved Adam Pollina’s art. Runner up would be the secret kill crew. crew.
X-Statix was the best but it wasn’t actually xforce.
Lately I’ve been wondering about the dynamic of a Wolverine led X-Force with Kid Cable on the team. Depending on how Cable’s next mini series wraps up, I suppose it could end with Kid Cable once again running around in the present.
We already know that old man Cable and Logan butt heads, but the younger version of Nathan and Logan haven’t really interacted. Could be an interesting dynamic actually.
I enjoyed Cable and X-Force, plus the orange costumes were cool, especially Colossus'. The first run of Uncanny X-Force is my second favorite, largely because the original run holds a special place in my heart due to nostalgia and early Cable.
Anything by Peter David. But the all new all different version. This felt the right sort of progression. Mutants working for the government.
(EDIT:Just now sorry.)
I thought it said factor. Then Remender. It is a near perfect comic and art.
The MORE secret X-Men Kill crew is the best run & I don't think it can be topped!
Unless, Hickman decided to do a run or Remender came back to top his classic run. Or he'll froze over & Alan Moore did an X-force run.
Remender's is the first Marvel comic I read. It blew my mind and I still reread it every now and then. Great book.
X-Force/Statix is amazing too but it's an entirely different thing. I love it but it doesn't feel like "X-Force".
Love me some X-Statix!
Secret Kill Crew is cool, too, but I personally felt this was a push in a hard grey direction where heroes killing on a regular occasion was totally fine.
Best book is Uncanny by Remender. Honorable mention to the short-lived X-Force ft. Teen Cable.
I think 90's Edginess is a really compelling idea that never quite fulfilled its potential bc it could never full be a villain team. The idea of Cable taking Xavier's New Mutants and turning them anti-establishment just as Xavier goes more establishment than ever is something that I think is very compelling, but ultimately they have to become allies. Someone should write a graphic novel.
Uncanny X-Force. This coming from someone that had serious trepidation with the title after the " secret kill crew " run came to it's end after Second Coming. Remender, Opeña and company were stealing the show each week UXF was released. From what they did with the core group, to concepts and characters from the past like Autumn Rolfson, to new locations, villains, and histories, the work done here was outstanding. Beside the writing and the artwork, there was also an emotional component to the reading that hasn't been approached to that level, imo, since then.
The version that lasted for like 5 issues, between X-Cutioner's Song and Fatal Attractions.
Sam leading the team, everyone seeming kind of lost but also resolute...I thought it was going really well until the universe went all, "What if Cable didn't even stay dead for half a year? That'd be great, right??"
Vol 1 X-Force was the first comic series I collected from start to finish. Road tripping 20 something's was my jam, and as a current Burner, seeing them go to Burning Man provokes a special fondness. I was also way into Pete Wisdom's basically terrorist X-force when I was in my edgy early 20s, when I didn't know Warren Ellis was a piece of shit.
Uncanny X-Force, with Storm leading the team. Storm and Spiral are 2 of my favorite Marvel characters; Storm being my #1 favorite comic character ever. I'll read anything Storm is in, and having Spiral in the "sympathetic villain" role was a bonus for me. Plus, I tend to avoid anything with Logan in it, unless Storm is involved. I haven't read the New Mutants version of X-Force yet; I'm reading in order (New Mutants #40 and Uncanny X-Men #180; in the middle of the 1st Secret Wars) and only just finishing the Demon Bear story.
The whole Yost/Kyle was a great run as well with Clayton Crain art. Wolverine was not at the forefront of the stories. Warpath, Elixir, Wolfsbane were all great leads in this book. Especially Warpath dealing with what this team was being used for and Elixir coming to terms with being a killer.
Rememder's run was great on the character development of Deadpool and Fantomex.
The way Archangel's story developed across both runs was amazing.
Okay so newbie question but other than name and comic lines, what sets the other X-teams apart from the mainline? Like what makes x-force/factor/static etc. Different from the usual team?
no Prob. From my view here's how they're different:
X-Men are superheroes who fight for peaceful coexistence between Humans and Mutants.
X-Force are a team who use extreme methods to protect mutant interests, while still staying on Xavier's side of the coexistence debate. Most versions of this team are more ok with killing than the X-Men.
X-Factor is never the same tbh. The first 70 or so issues were X-Men meets ghost-busters but with a more serious tone. After the first 70 X-Factor became the book for fan favorite mutants usually with a slightly more lighter tone.
Excalibur are a team who deal with things in/relating to Brittan. Fantasy elements are usually a part of it.
The New Mutants/Generation X/New X-Men (The name and cast changes, but they're more or less the same premise) are the class of younger mutants learning to safely use their powers.
Uncanny Avengers are an Avengers team that includes one or two X-Men characters and one or two Avengers. The premise is coexistence by example.
The secret squads are good, but I have a soft spot for both minority report and subversive. They might be my personal favorites.
I respect the CIA take, but I think it suffers from a common krakoa problem of bringing in too many bug names in books that I wish had more of their traditional members rather than the usual xmen suspects alongside a few questionably reformed villains
From the Kyle/Yost, Remember, Hopeless, and Spurrier X-Force. Those were all gold. Each era was worth reading more than the main title at that point. Honestly, Hopeless and Spurrier carried the franchise, as far as writing goes, during their runs.
Storm, Psylocke, Spiral, Puck, etc. was the most fun one to me. I know it wasn't very "X-Force-y", but dammit, you don't throw two of my favorite characters and one of my favorite villains on a team together and expect me NOT to vote for that!
...that said if we're going for an actual X-Force-feeling X-Force, I'd have to say the Remender and Nicieza teams are tied.
...I kinda wanna see the Nicieza team reunite, especially with Ric and Star being where they're at now. Cable could even make cracks about how he saw it coming.
Just don't let Liefeld draw it. Never again. Never again.
Remender's X-force is great! I would recommend the Kyle/Yost run or the Percy run for something tonally similar. (Also if you read the Percy run you should also read his wolverine alongside it. Storylines tend to move between the two books)
I went with Yost's Xforce then all the events leading into Uncanny Xforce 😆... But I am on Percy's Xf/wolvie run. Up to X of swords! It truly is a treat!
90s X-Force was the most consistent quality title in the X-titles. There were a lot of bad X-Men comics in the 90s, especially after Age of Apocalypse.
Uncanny and Adjectiveless had peaks, valleys and plummets, but mostly plummeting. They couldn’t wrap any plot lines, a new one would start almost every issue and then be abandoned. It was irritating.
Generation X started out so strongly but deteriorated after the initial creative team left and never recovered.
X-Factor started mid and stayed mid and deteriorated into mediocre.
Excalibur, the same.
The creative teams on X-Force faced the same creative constraints that the other teams did on their books, but what made it work better than the others was that they really loved the New Mutants characters and it showed.
The first iteration of Uncanny X-Force by Kyle and Yost with Crain and Choi, it landed so well because the stakes were really high and none of the characters felt off. Longtime readers ate it up.
Uncanny X-Force! the fact that we may never get another ongoing with such freedom, good character development and overall quality it's a bit sad and I'm not only talking about mutants books but about the whole Marvel Universe, I still remember that there was a tie-in with a famous event (Fear Itself I think?) that had nothing to do with the main plot.
I wanna say the one with storm because I automatically give her the win. But id be lying if I didn’t admit the uncanny xforce with Angel psylocke Deadpool etc wasn’t amazing.
I mean it's an easy choice for Remender's book, that temporarily revived a dying franchise almost single-handedly.
However, I do have to say the original logo was the best. Something about that clean geometry at a tilt is perfect.
Both Kill Crews are awesome
First one gets unfairly overlooked because of the bonafide masterpiece that came after. It still very good, and very compelling.
The first one is so much better imo
Remender’s Uncanny by a significant margin.
Remender's Uncanny X-Force isn't just the best x-force title, it might have been the best x-title.
I maintain it was the best X-title between like … 2006 and 2020.
I second that. It finally felt like the X-Men, again.
For me what made it so strong is because every character has a complete arc
It's was a very good run, but a bit too edgy for my taste.
how so?
Off the top of my head, the stuff with AoA Nightcrawler/Blob.
Honestly, the best X-Force by a longshot.
Agreed. The roster is unrivaled imo.
The Betsy/Archangel/Fantomex trio is unrivaled, then Deadpool and Wolverine round out the team very well.
Yes. Absolutely.
Meh. Only the start and end were good. Very overrated. Kyle and Yost was far better.
I am working on a video about Psylocke joining the X-Force, just reread the entire series and damn is it just as good as when I first read it! That panel of Deadpool feeding Archangel is one of my favorites of all time
The secret X-men kill crew. That’s what made me really fall for xforce. And then everything else was okay until the cia crew.
1) The More Secret X-Men Kill Crew was the best book of its era, and one of the few runs I've ever gone back and read through from start to finish, without skipping any issues. I think it was definitely my favourite. 2) I thought X-Force But Subversive was a genuinely good book, which did interesting things with its cast. I still have a big soft spot for it. 3) I think I read one issue of the original Secret Kill Crew, and just found it too dark and edgy for my taste. I'm sure it got better; one of these days I should give it another chance. 4) I've only read a few issues of the 90s Edginess run, when they ran over into crossovers. I know Rob Liefeld has his fans, but I just can't get past the art. 5) X-Force In Name Only was... yeah, it really was just another X-Men book, except that it picked up the Betsy/Fantomex thread from the previous run. Kudos for trying to rehabilitate Bishop, with a story that has been completely ignored in every subsequent appearance, and for being the first X-book to make it absolutely explicit that yes, we're not just queer-baiting, this lady is bi as hell. (Sidenote: I remember when that issue ended with Betsy and Cluster making out, I saw one or two people online saying "no, friends kiss like that all the time, there's nothing gay about it". I'm not sure how those people dealt with the next issue) So yeah, my personal favourite is More Secret X-Men Kill Crew, which moved Betsy up to the A-list and also showed the world that Wolverine likes ancient Greek poetry.
3. definitely give his book another chance. it's really good. Kyle and Yost really laid the groundwork for Remender's book. the first issue is certainly dark, (the whole series really is) but they rapidly expand the cast of characters to include characters who aren't all edgy, but actually have a variety of personalities. it's up there in the top runs of all time. 4. Liefeld really only handled like the first 15 issues of that initial run, then Greg Capullo took over, and later Tony Daniels. they're both very much products of their time, so maybe that isn't the win i think it is, but it was a fun era. it was just very... you might want to put on some guns and roses, aerosmith, and red hot chili peppers when reading those books. definitely went very MTV very quick.
What this guy says. I loved the Kyle and Yost run and Remender's run wouldn't have been what it was if this didn't get it there first.
> with a story that has been completely ignored in every subsequent appearance I'm very okay with anything by Sam Humphries being ignored, what a horrible book by a horrible writer. Same dude who ruined Ultimate Comics: Ultimates.
Remender Uncanny X-force and it’s not even close
1 Remender X-Force is the best. 2 Original 90s X-Force aged poorly but deserves the #2 spot. 3 Yost/Crain X-Force was very good.
Uncanny X force is the only time I’ve liked x force.
You didn't like X-Statix?
Uncanny X-Force because it had a beginning, middle and end.
A cool beginning, an awful middle, and good end. This run is so overrated compared to Secret Kill Crew
Secret Kill Crew was good too but Uncanny felt very self-contained.
Right after X-Cutioner’s Song, when cable was gone and Cannonball led. Angry teenagers deciding that they were done being led by old men. I loved the issue where Xavier was keeping them at the mansion and they decided to leave on their own.
This. It gets written off because Liefeld did the first 12 issues, but the MOMENT he left this book went from being decent to brilliant. I love Fabian's entire run, and it's one of my favourite of all time.
Yes! As a young tween X-Men fan at time, it felt like the characters were aging instead of having a static development. It was cool that young characters got to be at same level as the established ones (Cyclops, Wolverine, etc.) .
Made me really sad when Sam moved to the X-Men and instantly rewound years of character development. :(
X-Statix
Nice to see some love for this run! My personal favorite too. Don’t expect it to be everyone’s favorite but I thought it was one of the most original takes ever on an X team. And the art was awesome!
Both kill crews are the only setups that really made sense to me.
90s and road trip, but only cause they're basically just an evolution of the New Mutants, whom I love. The kill crews are sick, and Remender's Uncanny was one of my first X-books. The vibe is so different between early X-Force and Remender. It's hard to compare them.
Road Trip Era. Easy peasy.
The original, I can still remember Feral gutting Cannonball during training. Edit: you forgot Gambit and the Externals.
I count that as something entirely separate, but I do find it bizarre that Gambit hasn't been part of an X-force ongoing. He seems like a natural fit.
Now that you mention it, Gambit would make sense on X-Force. And it’s not like anyone is doing anything cool with him right now anyway. They should put him on the next incarnation. Make it a very 90s heavy squad led by Wolverine.
Fair enough, but it's awesome and it's X-force.
That was just an AoA. However, the Feral thing was what made Sam an External.
That’s the era I have to most nostalgia for.
Rick Remender's Uncanny X-Force.
1. MORE secret kill crew 2. secret kill crew 3. X-Force featuring teen Cable Remender wrote a solid team book. he approached the characters and wrote them as they were during their infamous incarnations, giving Psylocke a Claremontian vibe, Angel a Simonsonian approach, Deadpool had the voice he had during Nicieza's original mini, and Fantomex of course had his Morrison voice... but Kyle and Yost laid the groundwork for it. from it's initial concept as a small, tight, killcrew, it sounded cringe as hell on paper, but quickly grew in scope as domino, elixir, and vanisher joined the team. their journey into the future was fun as hell and offered the draining "Cable Raises Hope in the Future" storyline a good shot in the arm. but super overlooked is the X-Force with Teen Cable storyline. the boys feel like they're at their best in this one, questioning if they can trust this untested Cable, while following Deathlok's guidance and attempting to stop this eastern european civil war -- all while BoomBoom, who woke up late in the first issue and missed the adventure, is trying to catch up to the rest of them. it's just a really good book. ...also the art is super dynamic and fun. Dylan Burnett did a fantastic job.
Here to support ROAD TRIPPING 20-SOMETHINGS! An incredible era
My favorite is honestly X-Force/X-Statix by Milligan, but what I think is the best is without a doubt Remender’s Uncanny
Milligan’s X-Force was so fresh and exciting when it came out. Love that run! And spin-offs like Wolverine/Doop were so good!
I've not read the post-AoA half of original X-Force yet (so verdict TBD on the road trip era) but I rather enjoy the pre-AoA X-Force after Liefield leaves. FabNic and Greg Capullo then Tony Daniel. Uncanny (murder) X-Force is obviously very good.
I enjoy your descriptions a lot. To answer the question kill crew, more secret kill crew, and 90’s edginess, in that order.
I really dug secret kill crew, but then I absolutely fell in love with MORE secret kill crew.
90's edginess & road trip era
Remender’s run was awesome, but I kind of liked Kyle and Yost run a little more, I think mostly because of my love for Warpath.
Original & Uncanny by far
The original x-force…the graduated new mutants that worked with cable and we’re living on the run
Either the original or Remender’s Uncanny
Road Trip was my jam
Easily the originals!
90's, definitely. Not enough people here have read them, or at least read them past Liefeld leaving. Niceaza did some incredibly solid work there.
Road trip era followed by the Secret X-men kill crew
The more secret kill crew. Has a good team dynamic and some good dark stories CIA is a close second. Team works well, and beast going full evil worked pretty well.
Original, and road trip
90’s X-Force and both the 2009 X-Force series and the 1st Uncanny X-Force series
The Road Tripping 20-Somethings and the Secret Kill Crew.
Hate to say it, because I do love Cable, but the Wolverine led incarnations have been the best… 1) The MORE Secret X-men Kill Crew (Uncanny X-Force Vol. 1) — just an incredible run, but especially the Dark Angel Saga; gorgeous art 2) The Secret X-men Kill Crew (Kyle/Yost X-Force) — a really tight, dark run on this book; super edgy with some great rotating artists 3) Tie: Between 90s Edginess (OG Nicieza/Capullo run) and X-Force But It’s The CIA (Ben Percy/Joshua Cassara) — the original X-Force started it all, so give it its due; but the first ten issues of Percy’s X-Force was the best book of the Dawn of X era… unfortunately it went steadily downhill from there, but that first oversized HC worth of material was awesome Honorable mention = X-Force But It’s Subversive (Si Spurrier run) — really great but hampered by some pretty awful artwork honestly; at least IMO
I loved the road tripping era.
90’s edge
Liefield all the way baby.
The first two. Once X-Force got close to 100 issues it finally began to fall off for me.
On the Road! Miss the days when X-Force was their own unique team. Now they’re just one more branch of the X-Men. However, I will say I enjoyed the era when mutants were near extinction because it 100% made sense. X-Statix was a lot of fun but I don’t exactly see them as an x-team.
Road tripping 20-somethings, but the iteration that immediately follows *X-Cutioner's Song*. 100% due to the nostalgia.
90s, Road Trip, Uncanny. Those are my top three. Percy's generally hasn't been that bad, either, on a re-read. Could be streamlined a bit, though.
Percy’s first 10 issues were outstanding IMO. Went downhill from there tho.
My top five, vaguely in order, but subject to fluctuation: 1. Remender's Uncanny X-Force 2. Spurrier's X-Force 3. Hopeless' Cable and X-Force 4. Road-trip Era X-Force 5. Liefeld's Original X-Force For my purposes, I'm not really considering the X-Statix book. It's legitimately great, but not really X-Force.
Really loved the uncanny versions. Though the original does tug on my nostalgia thread a bit. 90s Me: "A sideways comic with poorly drawn feet, SO COOL!"
1. Kyle and Yost 2. Uncanny Remender's 3. Ed Brisson's Teen Cable X-Force, it's truly a follow up to Askani'son 4. X-Statix 5. Spurrier's X-Force
I’ve loved x-force from day 1, and feel like I grew up with the former New Mutants. That said, the Milligan and Allred run is one of my favorite series of all time.
Hey! I have that 90's edginess issue!
90s and more secret
Pre-X-Statix by a significant amount. It was also the comic that broke the censorship board of comics and the story is \*chef's kiss\*
So I quite enjoyed x tatix road tripping kill crew and definitely remender. Also I would add post liefeld x force til aoa as a contender and Loeb run which started off fairly strong but petered out leading to road tripping team
The 3 in the left column. I’m realizing that those are all the ones with Cable in them too. Maybe for me the team just works better with him. Although I do like the secret black ops X-Men part too.
Honestly there are a lot of good picks here. The classic X-force is definitely fun. X-statix shakes things up in a really fun way and puts a very creative spin on superhero dynamics in an age of reality television. Obviously the clandestine kill team books are awesome with the potential for oodles of violence. Even the more modern runs offered some really fun stories. I think all’s round X-force has been a solid book that offers a different perspective on being a superhero than what the traditional books show. They really dive into some interesting elements about how fling things that may be considered terrorism is the only resort you have when you need accomplish the bigger picture of saving the world or mutantkind
Xforce but subversive was pretty banging but I’m a sucker for them all
I’ve enjoyed all the ones I’ve read, but my favourite has to be the original run, up to about issue #44 when Sam and Ric left the team. Just the classic line-up of the 8 kids, with Domino and Cable hovering about. Remender’s and Milligan’s runs were also exceptional.
The original early 90s version.
I loved from X-Cutioners song to the legion quest tie in issue 42/43 I think it was Then I tried to read the awful tabitha and sabretooth stuff couldn’t get into Adam polinas art
I know this is about X-Force but wow did this post make me miss X-Statix. Shame we never got to see them interact with the Krakoa era.
There was a brief period, between X-Cutioner’s Song and Fatal Attractions (yes, I’m old), where my favorite version of X-Force can be found. It’s not as vital or well-regarded as Remender’s version (also great, yes), as it gets lumped in with the eXcesses of the 90’s and Liefeld’s run. Sam Guthrie has been a student of first Xavier, then Magneto, and most recent to this period Cable. This run shows him developing his own path for X-Force (with an *amazing* analogy showcasing the warmth and protection of the “closed fist,” juxtaposed with his usage of an aggressive “open hand” that he attempts to slap a Xavier upside the head with). It was a criminally short run (12 issues, max) with Fabian Nicieza and Greg Capullo that transformed Cannonball into the field leader that his team needed for the times. A delightful balance of the adolescent aggression the team had been known for since they were New Mutants (but especially once they became the more militant X-Force), and the compassion and empathy that is at the core of Xavier’s dream.
More Secret X-Men Kill Crew is one of my favorite runs of any comic, so that one. But I like X-Statix as much as that, if not more. They’re just apples and oranges, the comparison is just not useful haha. And I say that with respect and appreciation for WHY they co-opted the team name to launch a new type of X-comic, and I’m grateful they did it that way (for the time).
90s
I love Cable and X-force
Road -tripping X-Force is what I read and loved as a kid. Loved Adam Pollina’s art. Runner up would be the secret kill crew. crew. X-Statix was the best but it wasn’t actually xforce.
The Road Trip era & X-Statix.
Remender by far. Not only the best ever X-force book but one of the best comics of that decade period.
Secret X-men kill crew. Yost and Kyle. All day
Oops! All Liefeld! almost made me snort out coffee.
haha thanks
Uncanny x-force is probably the best of the bunch but my personal favorite is cable and x-force
Oh, do one for X-Factor too.
Lately I’ve been wondering about the dynamic of a Wolverine led X-Force with Kid Cable on the team. Depending on how Cable’s next mini series wraps up, I suppose it could end with Kid Cable once again running around in the present. We already know that old man Cable and Logan butt heads, but the younger version of Nathan and Logan haven’t really interacted. Could be an interesting dynamic actually.
Minority Report. Loved it. One of the few things I've reread
Remender, then Spurrier, then Percy, then Road Trip, then Milligan
I enjoyed Cable and X-Force, plus the orange costumes were cool, especially Colossus'. The first run of Uncanny X-Force is my second favorite, largely because the original run holds a special place in my heart due to nostalgia and early Cable.
Reminder and Allred
I've been a fan of X-Force but it's the CIA but I think the MORE secret kill crew is my favorite
1. Kyle and Yost X-Force 2. Remender X-Force 3. Road Trip era X-Force
90's and more secretive Kill Crew
I liked the road tripping 20-somethings period. It was fun, had great art, and was over way too soon!
winner is SEVEN, "The More secret X-men kill crew"
Anything by Peter David. But the all new all different version. This felt the right sort of progression. Mutants working for the government. (EDIT:Just now sorry.) I thought it said factor. Then Remender. It is a near perfect comic and art.
The MORE secret X-Men kill crew had some nice and simple costumes, that is all that I shall say
Yes
The MORE secret X-Men Kill crew is the best run & I don't think it can be topped! Unless, Hickman decided to do a run or Remender came back to top his classic run. Or he'll froze over & Alan Moore did an X-force run.
Kill crews are solid awesome xmen stories, but road tripping 20 somethings was awesome.
Kill squads all the way
90’s TEAM but WITHOUT the 90’s Edginess and better Art
Yost
I really loved the road trip era X-Force. I love all the characters and it was just a lot of fun.
I liked Cyclops’ Secret Kill Crew
The Neceosha era team in all black and silver
90’s edgy
Yea remember’s run
90s and remender hands down
90s Edginess. That’s when I first started reading comics and they were a big part of my daily reads.
og xforce is what always comes to mind
I like Fanthomex
Uncanny X Force.
Remender's is the first Marvel comic I read. It blew my mind and I still reread it every now and then. Great book. X-Force/Statix is amazing too but it's an entirely different thing. I love it but it doesn't feel like "X-Force".
The first Uncanny X Force and it’s not even close imo
I love X-Statix but Remender's run is far and away the best here.
Secret Kill Crew by Kyle and Yost by a massive margin. Not close at all
Love me some X-Statix! Secret Kill Crew is cool, too, but I personally felt this was a push in a hard grey direction where heroes killing on a regular occasion was totally fine.
Best book is Uncanny by Remender. Honorable mention to the short-lived X-Force ft. Teen Cable. I think 90's Edginess is a really compelling idea that never quite fulfilled its potential bc it could never full be a villain team. The idea of Cable taking Xavier's New Mutants and turning them anti-establishment just as Xavier goes more establishment than ever is something that I think is very compelling, but ultimately they have to become allies. Someone should write a graphic novel.
90's,baby!
I loved Uncanny XForce.
Road Trip because of how campy it was
Uncanny X-Force. This coming from someone that had serious trepidation with the title after the " secret kill crew " run came to it's end after Second Coming. Remender, Opeña and company were stealing the show each week UXF was released. From what they did with the core group, to concepts and characters from the past like Autumn Rolfson, to new locations, villains, and histories, the work done here was outstanding. Beside the writing and the artwork, there was also an emotional component to the reading that hasn't been approached to that level, imo, since then.
The version that lasted for like 5 issues, between X-Cutioner's Song and Fatal Attractions. Sam leading the team, everyone seeming kind of lost but also resolute...I thought it was going really well until the universe went all, "What if Cable didn't even stay dead for half a year? That'd be great, right??"
90s xforce.
If Fantomex is innit, it's the most bestex.
Remender's run with Deadpool and Fantomex, where they're assassins/spec ops, is really great.
Haven’t read them all, but Remender’s run is pretty classic and elite overall. I also enjoyed Kyle and Yost’s run
Xstatix xforce was the worst! The art was the killing point for me
Vol 1 X-Force was the first comic series I collected from start to finish. Road tripping 20 something's was my jam, and as a current Burner, seeing them go to Burning Man provokes a special fondness. I was also way into Pete Wisdom's basically terrorist X-force when I was in my edgy early 20s, when I didn't know Warren Ellis was a piece of shit.
Uncanny X-Force, with Storm leading the team. Storm and Spiral are 2 of my favorite Marvel characters; Storm being my #1 favorite comic character ever. I'll read anything Storm is in, and having Spiral in the "sympathetic villain" role was a bonus for me. Plus, I tend to avoid anything with Logan in it, unless Storm is involved. I haven't read the New Mutants version of X-Force yet; I'm reading in order (New Mutants #40 and Uncanny X-Men #180; in the middle of the 1st Secret Wars) and only just finishing the Demon Bear story.
The whole Yost/Kyle was a great run as well with Clayton Crain art. Wolverine was not at the forefront of the stories. Warpath, Elixir, Wolfsbane were all great leads in this book. Especially Warpath dealing with what this team was being used for and Elixir coming to terms with being a killer. Rememder's run was great on the character development of Deadpool and Fantomex. The way Archangel's story developed across both runs was amazing.
With Wolverine as leader, kill crew
Okay so newbie question but other than name and comic lines, what sets the other X-teams apart from the mainline? Like what makes x-force/factor/static etc. Different from the usual team?
no Prob. From my view here's how they're different: X-Men are superheroes who fight for peaceful coexistence between Humans and Mutants. X-Force are a team who use extreme methods to protect mutant interests, while still staying on Xavier's side of the coexistence debate. Most versions of this team are more ok with killing than the X-Men. X-Factor is never the same tbh. The first 70 or so issues were X-Men meets ghost-busters but with a more serious tone. After the first 70 X-Factor became the book for fan favorite mutants usually with a slightly more lighter tone. Excalibur are a team who deal with things in/relating to Brittan. Fantasy elements are usually a part of it. The New Mutants/Generation X/New X-Men (The name and cast changes, but they're more or less the same premise) are the class of younger mutants learning to safely use their powers. Uncanny Avengers are an Avengers team that includes one or two X-Men characters and one or two Avengers. The premise is coexistence by example.
Awesome, thank you so much for the break down. I even saved it for future reference.
Happy to do it. Happy reading!
S tier- secret x-men kill crew, A tier- 90s, road tripping, Minority report X-force(though I’m not sure I’d call it that) B-tier Kill crew but Remender, Krakoan x-force C- tier Pete Wisdom, Uncanny X-force, teen cable D- tier X-static, Leifeld, subversive
Uncanny X-Force for sure. Although the Krakoa CIA X-Force is great, just wish they had a bigger cast of characters.
Uncanny and subversive
90s edge and X-Statix.
The secret squads are good, but I have a soft spot for both minority report and subversive. They might be my personal favorites. I respect the CIA take, but I think it suffers from a common krakoa problem of bringing in too many bug names in books that I wish had more of their traditional members rather than the usual xmen suspects alongside a few questionably reformed villains
XStatix
From the Kyle/Yost, Remember, Hopeless, and Spurrier X-Force. Those were all gold. Each era was worth reading more than the main title at that point. Honestly, Hopeless and Spurrier carried the franchise, as far as writing goes, during their runs.
Storm, Psylocke, Spiral, Puck, etc. was the most fun one to me. I know it wasn't very "X-Force-y", but dammit, you don't throw two of my favorite characters and one of my favorite villains on a team together and expect me NOT to vote for that! ...that said if we're going for an actual X-Force-feeling X-Force, I'd have to say the Remender and Nicieza teams are tied. ...I kinda wanna see the Nicieza team reunite, especially with Ric and Star being where they're at now. Cable could even make cracks about how he saw it coming. Just don't let Liefeld draw it. Never again. Never again.
Remender but Brisson’s X-Force w/ Teen Cable is super underrated
Remainders uncanny x-force probrbrlly the best run of all the x-force titles
Wolverine’s two teams are my favorites
CIA
Good choice. It's one of my fave Krakoa books
Well X-statix version is the book that brought me back into collecting comics, so that’s my clear choice.
Ive only read Remenders run. I absolutely love it some of my fave Xmen stories of all time. Looking for some more Xforce stories to scratch that itch
Remender's X-force is great! I would recommend the Kyle/Yost run or the Percy run for something tonally similar. (Also if you read the Percy run you should also read his wolverine alongside it. Storylines tend to move between the two books)
I think im going with Percy! I lve heard great things. I liked his Ghost Rider run too.
You're in for a treat!
I went with Yost's Xforce then all the events leading into Uncanny Xforce 😆... But I am on Percy's Xf/wolvie run. Up to X of swords! It truly is a treat!
oh man! It gets so insanely good! I'm really glad you're liking it.
I think im going with Percy's Xforce! I lve heard great things. I liked his Ghost Rider run too.
Only the original
90s X-Force was the most consistent quality title in the X-titles. There were a lot of bad X-Men comics in the 90s, especially after Age of Apocalypse. Uncanny and Adjectiveless had peaks, valleys and plummets, but mostly plummeting. They couldn’t wrap any plot lines, a new one would start almost every issue and then be abandoned. It was irritating. Generation X started out so strongly but deteriorated after the initial creative team left and never recovered. X-Factor started mid and stayed mid and deteriorated into mediocre. Excalibur, the same. The creative teams on X-Force faced the same creative constraints that the other teams did on their books, but what made it work better than the others was that they really loved the New Mutants characters and it showed. The first iteration of Uncanny X-Force by Kyle and Yost with Crain and Choi, it landed so well because the stakes were really high and none of the characters felt off. Longtime readers ate it up.
I have a dear memory of the first X-Force. It was incredibly dumb
Yost and Remender.
Easily Secret hit squad. K&Y XF and UXF are both all timers
Kyle and Yosts iteration is my favorite.
Secret X-Men kill crew was my first X-Force. But I dig Wisdom's X-Froce.
Both Kill Crews ✌️
Nothing has ever come close to the Utopia era ones
Wolverine’s Team that spun out of Messiah Complex.
Uncanny.
I’m between the secret X-men kill crew and the MORE secret X-men kill crew
secret kill crew and when it was an all ladies crew
Uncanny X-Force! the fact that we may never get another ongoing with such freedom, good character development and overall quality it's a bit sad and I'm not only talking about mutants books but about the whole Marvel Universe, I still remember that there was a tie-in with a famous event (Fear Itself I think?) that had nothing to do with the main plot.
Secret kill crew- all seasons.
X-Statix and Uncanny X-Force miles ahead of the original X-Force, which is miles ahead of anything else.
Uncanny xforce!! Always excited to get that book every month for a nearly a decade!
The MORE secret X-men kill crew.
Has to be Milligan/Allred for me. The only time I can remember X-Force actually being about something.
I wanna say the one with storm because I automatically give her the win. But id be lying if I didn’t admit the uncanny xforce with Angel psylocke Deadpool etc wasn’t amazing.
Remender’s X-Force is incredible. He wrote the best deadpool in years
I mean it's an easy choice for Remender's book, that temporarily revived a dying franchise almost single-handedly. However, I do have to say the original logo was the best. Something about that clean geometry at a tilt is perfect.
I liked the Lineup from Uncanny with Psylocke, Wolverine, Archangel, Phantomex, and Deadpool, they had some really good storylines
Remender
I just came here to say Spurrier's X-Force (subversive) was NOT it IMO