FORCE OF NATURE
Membership: Aqueduct,
Skybreaker (Aireo), Sunstreak,
Terraformer
(Plantman simuloid);
former members Firebrand,
Firewall (Min Li Ng)
Purpose: To fight those who would harm the environment, or to follow the commands of Project: Earth
Affiliations: Avengers (Ares, Hawkeye (Bullseye), Iron Patriot (Norman Osborn), Ms. Marvel (Karla Sofen), Sentry (Robert Reynolds), Spider-Man (Mac Gargan), Wolverine (Daken)), Brother Grimm, Freedom Force (Challenger, Cloud-9, Equinox, Think Tank), Gargantua, Griffin, Norman Osborn, Project: Earth (Omar Barrenos, Li Muan Ho, Michael Shauneghan, Sasha Yamir), Razor-Fist, Scorcher, Shadow Initiative (Badd Axe, Ringer, Warbow), Wizard
Enemies: Asgardians, Avengers Resistance (Debrii, Gauntlet (Joseph Green), Justice (Vance Astrovik), Night Thrasher (Donyell Taylor), Rage, Scarlet Spider, Slapstick, Tigra, Ultragirl), Heavy Hitters (Nonstop, Prodigy, Telemetry), New Warriors (Chord, Firestar, Marvel Boy (Vance Astrovik), Namorita, Nova (Rich Rider), Rage, Silhouette, Speedball)
Base of Operations: Mobile
First Appearance: New Warriors I#7 (January, 1991)
History:
(New Warriors I#8 (fb) - BTS) - The politically-minded Project Earth sought to fight against those who would abuse the environment. To do so, they recruited former villains, each representing one of the elements, to form their Force of Nature (Water Wizard became Aqueduct, Aireo became Skybreaker, a Plantman simuloid became Terraformer, and a new operative became Firewall).
(New Warriors I#7) - Protecting a Project: Earth plot in the Brazilian rain forest, Force of Nature questioned and killed a man to discover the identities of arriving Americans, the New Warriors.
(New Warriors I#8) - The New Warriors (Chord, Firestar, Marvel Boy, Namorita, Nova, Speedball) investigated the Project's activities in the rainforest, and the Force of Nature tried to stop them. Terraformer buffeted Marvel Boy and Speedball while Skybreaker downed Namorita and Firestar by withdrawing the air around her. Firewall flashed fire around Nova, then Force of Nature stood before the captive heroes, wondering if they should kill them. Barrenos and the others entered, attempting recruit the heroes, and Speedball agreed they would aid them.
(New Warriors I#9) - Force of Nature mobilized to attack the rain forest contractors, doing as much collateral damage as possible, but the New Warriors immediately set out to stop them, rescuing many of the workers from being injured. Nova knocked Firewall into Skybreaker, who had been pursuing Speedball. Firestar and Marvel Boy hit Terraformer with a twin burst that left the plant-creature withered, and Namorita defeated Aqueduct. Project: Earth fled, and Force of Nature was delivered to the authorities.
(New Warriors I#29 (fb) – BTS) – The Force of Nature, with new member Firebrand replacing Firewall, entered war-torn Trans-Sabal to stop the environmental havoc there, including massive oil well fires ravaging the country. They spent several weeks in conflict with the Trans-Sabal army, led by General Halladah who piloted Mandroid armor, and the Peoples’ Armed Front, led by Araq Mezdbadah, trying to protect the interests of the environment. Each member of the Force of Nature ended up adopting a darker persona, using their powers in new deadly ways.
(New Warriors I#29 (fb))
– Project: Earth asked the New Warriors (Firestar, Namorita,
Nova, Rage, Silhouette, Speedball) to intervene in a civil war in
Trans-Sabal to pull out the Force of Nature. The Warriors arrived as a
battle between the Army and the Front was coming to a head. Terraformer
battled against Rage and Firestar. Aqueduct shut down
Halladah’s armor, shorting it out by manipulating the water
in the Mandroid’s system, but was then caught under the
fallen bulk of the armor. Halladah and Mezdbadah prepared to face off
in a final struggle, and Aqueduct grew determined to stop it, hoping to
end the struggle.
(New Warriors I#30 (fb)) – Aqueduct, by firing a burst of water, intentionally dehydrated Halladah, killing the general. While Skybreaker was taken down by Speedball and Silhouette, Firebrand considered running back to the US until the Warriors' ally, Sprocket, took him down. The Force of Nature continued the fight in the country’s capitol, alongside the New Warriors, where the heroes decided to leave the country in a peaceful state. They ignored Terraformer's pleas to stop the oil fires, and Namorita stopped Firebrand from assassinating Trans-Sabal's leader. The young heroes chose to leave the country.
(New Warriors I#36) - Imprisoned in the Vault, Aqueduct, Terraformer, and Skybreaker aided Wizard and Gargantua in a revolt against the Guardsmen to gain better rights for prisoners, Terraformer needing a plant for symbiotic survival. Fellow prisoner Marvel Boy helped secure the plant and the revolt died down.
(Avengers: The Initiative#26) - Under Norman Osborn's regime, the Force of Nature, with new appointed member Sunstreak, joined up with the Initiative and were assigned to protect the state of Oregon.
(Avengers: The Initiative#28 (fb) - BTS) - As the Force of Nature settled in, Sunstreak found herself pleased with her new employment, getting a retirement plan and even buying a house.
(Avengers: The Initiative#28) - When the Heavy Hitters (Nonstop, Prodigy, Telemetry) in Nevada seceded from the Initiative, Osborn sent in the Force of Nature to straighten them up. Under Sunstreak's leadership, they attacked the heroes on a rooftop. Sunstreak scattered the heroes with a fiery burst, Aqueduct hit Telemetry with a watery blast, Terraformer tried ensnaring Nonstop in his roots, and Skybreaker scattered the news helicopter with bursts of wind.
(Avengers: The Initiative#32/Siege#1) - The Force of Nature were sent by Osborn, alongside other villainous Initiative recruits and the Dark Avengers, to invade Asgard, which hanged suspended over Broxton, Oklahoma. In the intense battle that followed, Terraformer was slashed in half by an Asgardian sword.
(Heroic Age: Villains) - Steve Rogers assessed Force of Nature as a threat requiring incarceration, but thought that Sunstreak deserved another chance.
Comments: Created by Fabian Nicieza, Mark Bagley, and Larry Mahlstedt.
The members of Force of Nature all (potentially) have extensive histories outside this team. Aqueduct was formerly the minor villain, Water Wizard who first appeared in Ghost Rider II#23. Firebrand may or may not be Broxtel, a villain who first appeared in Web of Spider-Man#77. Firewall went on to become Silk Fever of the Folding Circle. Skybreaker was formerly the evil Inhuman Aireo, who originated in Fantastic Four I#47. And Terraformer is one of the many simuloids created by Plantman, who first appeared in Strange Tales I#114.
Profile by Chadman.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Force of Nature has no known connections to
images:
(without ads)
New Warriors I#8, p19, pan6
New Warriors I#29, cover
Avengers: The Initiative#28, p11, pan3 (Initiative lineup)
Appearances:
New Warriors I#7-9 (January-March, 1991) - Fabian Nicieza (writer),
Mark Bagley (penciler), Larry Mahlstedt (inker), Tom DeFalco (editor)
New Warriors I#29 (November, 1992) – Fabian Nicieza (writer),
Darick Robertson (penciler), Larry Mahlstedt, Brian Garvey (inkers),
Rob Tokar (editor)
New Warriors I#30 (December, 1992) – Fabian Nicieza (writer),
Darick Robertson (penciler), Larry Mahlstedt (inker), Rob Tokar (editor)
New Warriors I#36 (June, 1993) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), E. Craig
Brasfield (penciler), Jeff Albrecht (inker), Tom DeFalco (editor)
Avengers: The Initiative#26 (September, 2009) - Christos Gage (writer),
Rafa Sandoval (penciler), Roger Bonet (inker), Jeannine Schaefer
(editor)
Avengers: The Initiative#28 (November, 2009) - Christos Gage (writer),
Rafa Sandoval (penciler), Roger Bonet (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers: The Initiative#32 (March, 2010) - Christos Gage (writer),
Mahmud Asrar (penciler), Rebecca Buchman (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Siege#1 (March, 2010) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Olivier Coipel
(penciler), Mark Morales (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Heroic Age: Villains (January, 2011) - Chad Anderson, Peter Sanderson,
Anthony Flamini, Markus Raymond, Rob London, Madison Carter, Kevin
Garcia, Stuart Vandal & David Wiltfong (writers), Jeff
Youngquist
(editor)
First Posted: 06/09/2007
Last updated: 07/18/2013
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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