X-Men: One Marvel Hero Seems DOOMED to Be the Last Mutant

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Marvel Zombies: Resurrection #1 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Leonard Kirk, Rachelle Rosenberg, and VC's Travis Lanham, on sale now.

The X-Men roster is full of heroes who've survived the harshest conditions and most vicious threats. But the future is wide and full of possibilities, including many worlds where the heroes don't get the chance to save the day and are instead wiped out. In many of these worlds, there are at least a few heroes who make it -- but there's one consistent and surprising survivor.

Across multiple broken and ruined Marvel timelines, Forge is often shown to be among the last X-Men standing. But how does this specific hero always survive the end of the world?

HOW MANY FUTURES HAS FORGE SURVIVED?

Marvel Zombies with Spider-Man and the survivors

There are many potential futures for the Marvel Universe, many of which feature the destruction of the X-Men. Most of the team is wiped out in some way, either through the concentrated efforts of the villains, the final success of the Sentinel Program, or even as a by-product of the zombie apocalypse. But in many of these potential futures, Forge is actually able to survive in some form. In one version of the Old Man Logan-universe, Forge was one of the only X-Men to avoid being slaughtered by Wolverine. Eventually ending up as a protector of the Nothern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, he was one of the last fighters from the original Heroic Age and died helping ensure the survival of Dani Cage and Bruce Banner Jr. -- the beginnings of the new Avengers of the Wastelands.

In both Marvel Zombies and Marvel Zombies: Resurrection, Forge was actually able to endure through the end of the society brought on by the rising of the undead. Although he gave into a moment of weakness in Resurrection and was cut down by the corrupted-Beast, he actually became the very last original superhero on Earth in the original Marvel Zombies universe after the last of the undead were teleported to another reality. Even in outside media, Forge has proven incredibly resilient -- with multiple versions of Forge surviving into the dark future timelines where the Bishop and Cable of X-Men: The Animated Series hail from.

HOW DID FORGE SURVIVE SO MUCH?

For someone without a physically imposing power, it's natural to wonder how Forge could manage to survive the end of the world when some of his more seemingly capable and gifted allies are among the first wave of the fallen. But having those powers that work best in support roles might be part of the key to his continued survival. Because his powers are far more technical, Forge has often been kept off the front lines of any battles including the X-Men. This means it's unlikely he'd be in the first wave of casualties and would be in the perfect position to retreat or bunker down while his allies are cut down instead. His ability to invent anything means he's more than capable of creating anything to adjust to the situation around them, allowing him to survive wastelands, zombies, or robots.

Forge is also a veteran soldier, meaning the character has some combat and survivability training. Forge is capable of lasting on his own in isolation for extended periods, something that could give him a real edge in a world where the X-Men are being hunted. All of this comes together to make for a surprisingly durable and dependable mutant during the end of the world, regardless of the exact circumstances that have ended this Earth.

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