Comic Browser:

Force Works #21

Mar 1996

Andy Lanning, Andrew Wildman

Story Name:

Afterimage

Synopsis

Force Works #21 synopsis by Rob Johnson

Rating:

This epilogue to the Crossing crossover continues from AGE OF INNOCENCE: THE REBIRTH OF IRON MAN.

Force Works (Century, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) and U.S.Agent), plus Suzi Endo, Fisher Todd and the base computer Plato, listen to a hologram recording made by Tony Stark after he formed the team, to be played in the event of his death. (At that time Wonder Man was on the team, and Century hadn't arrived.)

In the briefing room the alien Century consoles Scarlet Witch by telling her that Iron Man had thrown off Kang's influence in the end, and died a hero stopping him in Avengers #395. Scarlet Witch blames herself that she got there too late (possibly with Spider-Woman and U.S.Agent behind the scenes). Century fends off questions about his adventures in the Century: Distant Sons 1-shot, and wonders how to tell Wanda he loves her.

In the medi-bay Suzi Endo is recovering from cryogenic suspension. U.S.Agent shows her the captive Cybermancer, who had replaced her in between Iron Man #321 and Force Works #17. Cybermancer is Suzi Endo from a devastated future more than 12 years ahead. She predicts that Suzi will develop the Cybermancer suit, and become her. U.S.Agent leaves Suzi with the suit, and locks Cybermancer in the brig.

Meanwhile in the techlab Spider-Woman is helping Fisher Todd deactivate the time-portal they found in the secret basement of their HQ. An armoured Wonder Man and a techno-organic version of the robot Ultron come through from Cybermancer's future to rescue her. U.S.Agent arrives in time to help fight them. Ultron KO's Fisher and Julia. Wonder Man leaves him to fight U.S.Agent, while he goes to find Cybermancer.

Plato alerts Scarlet Witch, and she and Century confront Wonder Man. Wanda is confused because Wonder Man died in #1. Simon claims that she herself is dead in his future. He renders them both unconscious.

Wonder Man frees Cybermancer, and it is clear that they are lovers. He claims that their future is destroyed and they must survive here. They go to get the Cybermancer suit. Ultron has knocked U.S.Agent out, and heads to join them.

Suzi Endo prepares to take the Cybermancer suit. And the time portal starts to suck this universe into the dying future universe the invaders have come from.

The epilogues to the Crossing end in FORCE WORKS #22.

Review / Commentaries

Force Works #21 Review by Rob Johnson (May 8, 2012)

This issue is an epilogue to the Crossing crossover, continuing from Avengers #395. Except that Wanda watching young Tony Stark undergo surgery in the Age of Innocence 1-shot probably happens in between. Moonraker is mistakenly shown on cover. Not only is he not in the comic, he isn't even mentioned, not even by his lover Julia. He is currently severely injured, under the medical care of the Avengers since Avengers #394. Kang's forces have been using time portals to get to this time from the future. This suggests that Cybermancer's future is where Kang is based. Her more than 12 years ahead of the current 1996 dovetails with the discovery in #18 that Stark had been using technology from 2009. Wanda will manage to bring the real Wonder Man back to life in Avengers v3 #2. I don't think Ultron's techno-organic status means he is infected by the techno-organic virus of the Technarchy featured in the X-Men family of comics. I think it just means he is a machine made from organic matter, possibly similar to his 'son' Vision. He certainly seems to have developed emotions. The relationship between Cybermancer's future and the events of the Crossing will be clarified somewhat next issue.

> Force Works comic book info and issue index

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Main/1st Story Full Credits

Andy Lanning

Andrew Wildman

Sandu Florea

Ian Laughlin

Additional Credits

Letterer: Jack Morelli.
Editor: Nel Yomtov.

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Century

Scarlet Witch
(Wanda Maximoff)

U.S. Agent
(John Walker)

Ultron

Wonder Man
(Simon Williams)

Plus: Fisher Todd, Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter), Suzi Endo, Cybermancer.

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