Warning: contains spoilers Force X #5!With tens of millions of mutants around, the X-Men have been home to many powerful and complex people. Some still stand out from the crowd, and I’ve always believed Noriko Ashida aka Surgeto be one of them. From her early days as an Academy X student to recently joining Forge’s X-Force, she has been a favorite, and I was shocked and disappointed by his recent death in X-Force.
Force X #5 The team’s battle against the ultra-strong Nuklo continues as he attempts to link Nexus Points and bring countless numbers of monsters into the world. It was a terrible situation (as it always is), with Nuklo’s only real weakness being electricity. As all the other heroes failed, I could see a big heroic moment on the horizon for Nori.
I wasn’t wrong, but I didn’t expect it to cost her her life when the new X-Force was just getting started. Surge has always had incredible potential, both as a leader and as an elemental powerhouse, and I’m devastated to see that disappear so soon.
X-Force loses its newest member, while Surge sacrifices himself to save the world
Force X #5 by Geoffrey Thorne, Macrus To, Erick Arciniega and Joe Caramagna
X-Force exists to do the dirty work of saving the world. Their solutions aren’t pretty and they’re rarely kind, but they are effective. Forge specifically built his team as being the most capable of responding to catastrophic events, and I didn’t realize exactly how expendable that made Surge. Forge’s goal is to prevent disaster, and he basically harnessed his mutant power to turn his team into a “machine” designed to achieve that. Technically, this means I watched Noriko fulfill her role and do her job to the highest caliber possible, but that doesn’t make it seem any less of a waste.
As an X-Men fan, I’m used to losing my favorites, but it’s harder to swallow when a death feels unsatisfying. Nuklo was X-Force’s first major battle as a team, and Noriko Ashida joined the group later than the others, so she had little time to adapt. Her history with Forge, who designed the gloves that give her control over her gifts, could have created an interesting dynamic, and she was a fresh voice among the veteran players. She died by choice as a heroine, but I believe the moment greatly diminished that impact.
Surge’s early death in X-Force is frustrating
It has proven what it is capable of, but remains highly underutilized
Surge joined the ranks of the X-Men Institute in the early 2000s in New Mutants #8. It was not an easy transition, as she had little control over her electrical powers, which often erupted in dangerous explosions. I grew to like her immediately as she found a place among her peers despite her personal struggles, and I continued to love her as she became a leader after M-Day – rough edges, rudeness and all. Unfortunately, Nori fell out of the spotlight years ago, alongside many of the “Academy X” students, despite proving to be one of Marvel’s most resilient and capable mutants.
My shock and disappointment at Surge’s sacrifice is reflected in Sage’s anger when she quits the team – a choice that threatens to disband Forge’s new X-Force just as they are getting started.
Surge survived M-Day, survived a brutal attack by the Purifiers, fought the Nimrod Sentinels, and endured many of the greatest mutant catastrophes. I always thought she deserved to be a bigger player, and it seemed like X-Force was her chance, especially with other Academy X kids active in other titles. Instead, I am already forced to say goodbye to the character that attracted me. To die a heroic death is still to die, and a future return is not easy without the Resurrection Protocols. I feel let down – both on a personal level and on behalf of such a talented and underused character.
The new X-Force is already falling apart
Surge’s death revealed the flaws in Forge’s idea
My shock and disappointment at Surge’s sacrifice is reflected in Sage’s anger when she quits the team – a choice that threatens to disband Forge’s new X-Force just as they are getting started. The mutant inventor’s decision to assemble the group as if he were building an unfeeling machine is callous at best. I had high hopes that having Nori on Forge’s team would mean potentially exploring their unique relationship, but now I feel like the person she looked up to and who helped her understand and channel her mutant gifts had no qualms about discarding her since she did it. an impossible choice.
With so many mutants to choose from, not everyone can be a top-tier player – at least not for long – and a small part of me is grateful that Surge became a hero on his terms rather than remaining in comic limbo or die. in the background. It’s still small consolation for losing a character who I know could accomplish so much more if given the chance. Nori is powerful, she is an excellent team player and she deserved better than this. Outbreak time with the X-Men revealed its unlimited potential, and I think X Force it just wasted its most promising young hero.
Force X #5 is now available from Marvel Comics.