| Force Works | |
|---|---|
 Cover toForce Works #1 (July 1994). Art by Tom Tenney. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Publication date | July 1994 – April 1996 |
| No. of issues | 22 plus 1 ashcan mini-comic |
| Main character(s) | Century Cybermancer Iron Man Moonraker Scarlet Witch Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) U.S. Agent War Machine Wonder Man |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Dan Abnett Andy Lanning Tom Tenney |
| Written by | Dan Abnett (plots) Andy Lanning (scripts) |
| Penciller(s) | Tom Tenney (Ashcan; #1–4) Tod Smith (#5) Dave Taylor (#6–7) Staz Johnson (#8) Jim Calafiore (#9–12) Dave Ross (#13–14) Jim Cheung (#15–17) Yancey Labat (#18, 21) Hector Oliveira (#19–20) Andrew Wildman (#21–22) |
| Inker(s) | Michael Avon Oeming (Ashcan) Rey Garcia (#1–4, 6–7, 9–13, 15–22) Kevin Yates (#5) Don Hudson (#8) Mark McKenna (#14) Sandu Florea (#21) Sergio Cariello (#21) |
| Letterer(s) | Susan Crespi (Ashcan) Jack Morelli (#1–22) |
| Colorist | Joe Rosas |
| Editor(s) | Tom DeFalco Nelson Yomtov Mike Marts |
Force Works is the name of twosuperhero teams appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics.
The first version of Force Works appeared in thecomic bookForce Works #1 (July 1994), created by writersDan Abnett andAndy Lanning and initially drawn by Tom Tenney.[1] The team was formed from the remains of theWest Coast Avengers, after leaderIron Man left theAvengers due to an internal dispute. Force Works maintained a different outlook than that of the Avengers, trying to preempt natural and man-made disasters.[2]
The second version of Force Works was mentioned inCivil War #6.
Force Works began shortly after theWest Coast Avengers disbanded.[3]Tony Stark, otherwise known as the superheroIron Man, sought to form a superhero group with a different philosophy than its predecessors (most notably the East Coast branch of the Avengers): they would not just stop disasters, but prevent them. The team was initially composed of Iron Man,U.S. Agent,Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter),Scarlet Witch, andWonder Man. By the end of their first mission, Wonder Man was thought dead at the hands of the invadingKree, and shortly thereafter the alienCentury replaced him.[4] The group used a combination of the Chaos Computer (asupercomputer that used incoming information to predict future events) and the Scarlet Witch's powers to attempt to prevent major world problems.
Force Works used aStark Enterprises facility known as The Works as their base. The building was fully equipped for the team's use; it featured powerful security and stealth systems and incorporatednanotechnology that would repair the building if it were damaged. It was maintained by a Stark Industries staff, leaving Force Works to focus on its duties. The facility was also administered by anartificial intelligence system called P.L.A.T.O. (Piezo-electrical Logistic Analytical Tactical Operator). The Works also included living and training accommodations and could also produce hard-lightholographs.
Although Force Works was officially led by the Scarlet Witch, Iron Man would often act insubordinately and make his own decisions during their missions. Later it was revealed that Iron Man was under the influence of the time-traveling villainKang the Conqueror (even later revealed to be his future selfImmortus in disguise). The team fought several battles, existed for just less than two years, and disbanded. Most of its members rejoined the Avengers or sank into obscurity.
Shortly after the disintegration of the group, Tony Stark died in his attempts to regain control of himself from "Kang" and was replaced by a younger, alternate-reality version of himself. The original Stark did not remain dead for long, due to the events that culminated in the "Heroes Reborn" storyline.
A new version of Force Works was mentioned as being active and sent toIowa as a part of theFifty State Initiative. Although no members were shown or even named. According to editorTom Brevoort on aNewsarama interview it could be that the team consists of new super-heroes, some could be existing "Pro-reg" heroes and some could be established heroes "with an upgrade".[5]
Force Works was again mentioned as a team whenWar Machine was sent into space to deal with attackingSkrulls. Investigating a Stark satellite, he discovered Cybermancer there, and it was implied by War Machine she was a member of Force Works.[6]
| Title | Material collected | Date Released | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avengers/Iron Man: Force Works | Force Works #1–15,Force Works: Ashcan Edition;Century: Distant Sons #1; material fromIron Man/Force Works Collectors' Preview | May 2016 | 978-1302900564 |
| Iron Man/War Machine: Hands of the Mandarin | War Machine #8–10,Iron Man #310–312,Force Works #6–7 and material fromMarvel Comics Presents #169–172 | May 2013 | 978-0785184287 |
| Avengers: The Crossing | Avengers #390–395,The Crossing #1,Timeslide #1;Iron Man #319–325;Force Works #16–22;War Machine #20–25;Age of Innocence: The Rebirth of Iron Man #1 | May 2012 | 978-0785162032 |
Force Works appears in the first season ofIron Man (1994), consisting ofIron Man,War Machine,Spider-Woman, theScarlet Witch,Hawkeye, andCentury. Additionally,U.S. Agent appears in the eight-issue comic adaptation of the series.
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