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Boom-Boom fills Cable’s enormous shoulder pads in Marvel’s Fugitive X-Force
Cable is missing, X-Force is wanted for crimes and is ostracized from mutantkind, and Boom-Boom is calling the shots.
NewsbyChris Arrant, Editor-in-Chief
Published on Thu Sep 03 2026
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Marvel’s New Mutants were remade and militarized when Cable took over the squad, turning into an even bigger franchise called X-Force. So what happens when the literal powder keg of the group takes over for him?
Tabitha Smith, a.k.a. Boom-Boom, is stepping up to lead the X-Force after their long-time leader Cable comes up missing. With the militarized mutant squad on the outs with mutantkind (it’s a long story), Boom-Boom is stepping into her mentor’s massive shoes (and shoulder pads!) to lead a team to find him – while also trying to avoid being caught after being framed for an unspecified “horrific crime.”
This new series, titled Fugitive X-Force, picks up after the upcoming finale to the Inglorious X-Force series. While we’re not sure why this isn’t a continuation of that, a massive leadership change like Boom-Boom might be such a big thing internally to need it.
(Tim Seeley, give me that New Mutants #100 surprise ending in October’s Inglorious X-Force #10!)
“Fugitive X-Force is a natural extension of [Inglorious X-Force], following up with the ramifications of the events of that series, with the militant, mutant strike force forced to pick up the pieces and move on,” Seeley says in this new book’s announcement.
Boom-Boom’s Fugitive X-Force team is made up of his longtime partner Domino, Wolverine’s son Daken (aka Hellverine), X-Men founder Archangel, and Ms. Marvel.
“But now, they’re on their own, wanted for murder, and hanging on by a thread. But, they’ve got something going for them, Tabitha Smith—new leader! Boom-Boom has years of experience watching Cable work. She’s his best pupil in blowing things up…and she also looks great in very big shoulder pads.”
Drawing those shoulder pads and everything else is Marvel’s hottest new art prospect, Áthila Fabbio. Fabbio is making his Marvel debut with Fugitive X-Force, but comes into this after winning of the company’s international Art Atelier training program we’ve been following.
“I grew up in the ‘90s so Wolverine and Nightcrawler were my favorite characters—until I saw Cable!” says Fabbio. “I’m entering the world of X-Force with the same excitement I felt back then. I’m so grateful to Marvel that this is my first series—and to God for letting me live this dream of mine. I’m having a blast working with Tim Seeley and drawing what unfolds on these pages, and I hope readers enjoy it too! I am especially loving drawing Boom-Boom!”
Fugitive X-Force #1 (of 5) goes on sale on December 9.
Interested? Here’s where to find your closest local comic store, courtesy of Sweet, and here’s a guide to how (and where) to read comics online. If you’re looking for the best comics in recent memory, check out the Eisner Awards winners and the Harvey Awards nominees. And if you like free comics, here’s everything we know about Free Comic Book Day 2027.
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Chris Arrant: Chris Arrant is the Popverse’s Editor-in-Chief. He has written about pop culture for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher’s Weekly, Marvel, Newsarama, CBR, and more. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. (He/him)
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