X-Force faces off against an evil Cerebro with new members and a new artist in ‘Destiny of X’

X-Force, Krakoa’s black-ops security team, is getting an overhaul in the upcoming ‘Destiny of X’ era, with a new series artist in Robert Gill, new roster additions, new developments for the veteran teammates, and a new threat in the form of Cerebrax – a sentient Cerebro unit with a terrible scheme involving Forge, the mutant builder who can create anything.

As shown in a previous teaser for X-Force’s ‘Destiny of X’ status quo drawn by new series artist Gill (which you can read up on after the jump, and see an updated version of right here), Cerebrax appears to be a Cerebro helmet with menacing tentacles – and on Joshua Cassara’s newly revealed cover for April’s X-Force #27, seen below, Cerebrax appears to be actually taking over Forge’s body or bonding with him in some way.

According to Marvel’s announcement, Cerebrax will arise in the aftermath of the upcoming twin limited series X Lives of Wolverine and X Deaths of Wolverine, which will tell a combined story about Wolverine’s past and future involving multiple incarnations of the mutant berserker. And what’s more, it’s somewhat implied that its scheme will have something to do with the mutant power of resurrection – something every member of X-Force has now experienced multiple times.

In his comments accompanying the announcement, X-Force writer Benjamin Percy promises even more developments for long-running series subplots, including a “major transformation” for Quentin Quire/Kid Omega that Percy has been “building toward for some time.” He also promises the reveal of the identity of the mysterious Man With the Peacock Tattoo, a geneticist who has been one of X-Force’s main enemies in Percy’s run.

As for who that may be, the answer could coincide with another of Percy’s foreshadowing promises for upcoming X-Force stories, promising the appearance of one of his “favorite villains in the 616” for a multi-part story Percy states he’s “been wanting to write for years.”

“There has never been an easy time for X-Force, but the year ahead is going to be particularly chaotic and challenging,” Percy promises. “Get ready for menace, mayhem, and moral confusion.”

X-Force #27 is due out April 6. Stay tuned to Newsarama for Marvel’s full April 2022 solicitations, coming later this month.

Original story follows…

Marvel Comics continues to reveal the titles of the upcoming ‘Destiny of X’ relaunch of the X-Men line, with a new glimpse at X-Force as the series undergoes an overhaul in April. Writer Ben Percy will stick around for the new X-Force, joined by artist Robert Gill. It’s unclear if X-Force will relaunch with a new #1 in April, or if the title’s new status quo will continue the current numbering.

Marvel’s X-Force teaser seems to indicate a slightly new mission for the team, along with some apparent complications to their place on Krakoa. The teaser text reads “Beneath the sunny surface of Krakoa… Hide secrets… and monsters,” along with art by Gill that has some dire implications. 

The imagery shows core X-Force members Wolverine, Kid Omega, Beast, Sage, and Forge all seemingly hooked into some kind of sentient Cerebro-looking device. Semi-hidden text on the teaser seems to back up the connection between the creature shown in the art and Cerebro, listing the name “Cerebrax” with the caption “Status Online.”

Weirdly enough, Cerebrax is not a new name for Marvel Comics, as the name was previously used for an android character in the alt-universe ’80s Squadron Supreme title. It’s unclear how or if the original Cerebrax will connect to the new X-Force story as that character has no connection to the X-Men, and hasn’t previously made the jump to the mainstream Marvel Universe.

Whatever the deal is with Cerebrax, it seems to ramp up the already violent, unsavory missions that X-Force undertakes on behalf of Krakoa, stating that their “mission is about to get even deadlier.”

Stay tuned for more information on the ‘Destiny of X’ X-Men relaunch as it is released, and keep watch on Newsarama for Marvel’s full March 2022 solicitations coming later this month.

X-Force is just one of several new or relaunched Marvel mutant titles you’ll need to keep track of on our list of all new X-Men comics, graphic novels, collections arriving in 2021 and 2022.

I’ve been Newsarama’s resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I’ve also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)