From: visser@convex.com (Lance Visser)
Subject: Re: X-Force: How to fix it.....
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 06:05:28 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

In <92102.092621EAO102@psuvm.psu.edu> Ernie Oporto <EAO102@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:

+>Thought we might stazrt this going as a thread.
+>Since many of us think the X-Force storyline stinks so far, what would you
+>do if given command of the book.  Killing all the characters and starting
+>with New Mutants #101 doesn't count.  You have to work with what you have and
+>make it something good.  Yes, this is a challenge, but what would you do?
+>It seems with the new Highlords thing, Marvel has decided to step in and keep
+>Robbie from doing any more damage than he already has.  They've handed the
+>Cable: Highlords miniseries to Nicieza.  The latest X-Force features pencils
+>by a Robbie look-alike with a difference...he has just a bit more of a clue
+>about body proportions, but not too much more.  So get to work and come up
+>with something.  Make this Highlords thing (ugh!) and the characters available
+>work for you!  Oh, yeah....Rictor's back.

	Well, firstly the concept for the book is that x-force are "outlaws"
or at the very least working at the fringes of authority.  The problem 
so far is that they really have done nothing to warrent that status or
the loathing the other x-groups have shown toward them.

	The fist thing to do is have a couple of issues where x-force goes 
out to fight someone/something and causes lots of property damage and
endangers lots of lives....leading to warrents for their arrest being issued.
During the fight, a television reporter gets some choice tape of cable
shooting people in the back....etc and maybe even some of his "This is war!"
shouts get picked up.  The "public" perception is that x-force is fighting
what amounts to a mutant "gang-war" and are a menace of the first order. 
	After the fight, Sam has it out with Cable back at their HQ for
the terrible job as leader.  The whole group forces him to step down 
and Sam and/or Warpath takes over.  
	Warpath is not going to be strong enough to fight Juggernaut anymore.

	Fairly early on, I would have them try to track down the people who
destroyed Warpath's village.  The one surviving member of the "team" that
did it is tracked down but dies under mysterious circumstances which seem 
to point toward Cable killing the man (but this is not shown one way or 
the other) before he can talk.  Can Cable be trusted will run though the 
book, but there would be none of this we-must-follow-cable garbage.

	They would also do lots more "raids" against groups to gain 
either information about their activities/or to take needed equipment.
No raids-to-wipe-the-enemy-out.  Nobody in the group is really all that
interested in fighting to the death (except Cable), but just surviving.
For example, a story where x-force "raids" a research facility where
sentinal design work is going on.  The people working at the facility 
for the most part dont understand the "big picture" of what they are 
working on.  Cable, of course wants to kill them on principle.  

	"money" is one of the groups primary ongoing hassles.  They need
it for various things and since they are on the run, dont have easy access
to it by any normal way.

	Another major thread I would wind through the series was Sam, 
as leader by default more or less, trying to weld them into a group as
far as fighting goes and variously succeding/failing. 

	As to the highlords stuff, I think its just a real stupid idea.
I would resolve it as fast as possible and in a way that somehow unmakes
sam as a highlord and kills Gideon.  Sam is a good "human" character.  There
is no reason to wreck the character by sticking this horrible highlander
gimmick on him forever.