Force of Nature
PURPOSE: Eco Terrorism
AFFILIATIONS: The Project
ENEMIES: New Warriors
CURRENT MEMBERS: Aqueduct, Firebrand (Broxtel), Skybreaker, Terraformer
FORMER MEMBERS: Firewall
BASE OF OPERATIONS: Project: Earth headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland
FIRST APPEARENCE: New Warriors #7 (1991)

Aquaduct - Force of Nature Firewall - Force of Nature Skybreaker - Force of Nature Terraformer - Force of Nature
      
HISTORY : Force of Nature is the name of a team of four superhuman mercenaries posing as employees of Project: Earth and defenders of the environmental issues. Project: Earth is an ecological direct action group based in Geneva, Switzerland, that regularly uses violence and deceit in retribution against those who damage the earth's ecosystem.
       Even though many of Project: Earth's activities are behind-the-scenes, the group appears to skirt the edges of terrorism in the public eye. One such action involved creating the group Force of Nature, employing villains like Water Wizard and Firebrand by giving them a chance to hurt or kill people and destroy property under the guise of nobility; only the member Terraformer has expressed an actual interest in the planet's well-being. The villains were given codenames to reflect mankind's molding of elemental forces and disharmony with nature-- Aqueduct for Water Wizard and Skybreaker for Aireo, Terraformer and Firewall.



       Force of Nature's first public mission was to stop developers in the Amazon rainforest. At the same time, Project: Earth's leader Omar Barrenos had the Project's inner circle fake their own kidnapping as a publicity stunt to encourage sympathy for their cause and discredit the developers. The group of young heroes called the New Warriors investigated the disappearance of one of the inner circle members, Madeline Baldwin, mother of the Warrior Speedball. Force of Nature, however, ambushed and subdued the heroes, and Barrenos tried to persuade them to join the cause. Although the team refused, Speedball pledged their help anyway after seeing that his mother was among the Project: Earth crew. The Warriors and Force of Nature were to attack the developers together, but instead the Warriors saved the lives of the clear-cutting crews and defeated Force of Nature. A last-ditch effort on Barrenos' part to martyr Madeline Baldwin and frame the developers was derailed by Speedball, but the administrators were able to escape into the forest during the confusion. Project: Earth was discredited, and Force of Nature were incarcerated and turned over to the Brazilian government.



(New Warriors I#8) - The politically-minded Project Earth sought to fight against those who would abuse the environment. To do so, they recruited former villains, each representing one of the elements, to form their Force of Nature (Water Wizard became Aqueduct, Aireo became Skybreaker, a Plantman simuloid became Terraformer, and a new operative became Firewall).
(New Warriors I#7) - Protecting a Project: Earth plot in the Brazilian rain forest, Force of Nature questioned and killed a man to discover the identities of arriving Americans, the New Warriors.
(New Warriors I#8) - The New Warriors (Chord, Firestar, Marvel Boy, Namorita, Nova, Speedball) investigated the Project's activities in the rainforest, and the Force of Nature tried to stop them. Terraformer buffeted Marvel Boy and Speedball while Skybreaker downed Namorita and Firestar by withdrawing the air around her. Firewall flashed fire around Nova, then Force of Nature stood before the captive heroes, wondering if they should kill them. Barrenos and the others entered, attempting recruit the heroes, and Speedball agreed they would aid them.
(New Warriors I#9) - Force of Nature mobilized to attack the rain forest contractors, doing as much collateral damage as possible, but the New Warriors immediately set out to stop them, rescuing many of the workers from being injured. Nova knocked Firewall into Skybreaker, who had been pursuing Speedball. Firestar and Marvel Boy hit Terraformer with a twin burst that left the plant-creature withered, and Namorita defeated Aqueduct. Project: Earth fled, and Force of Nature was delivered to the authorities.
(New Warriors I#29)-The Force of Nature, with new member Firebrand replacing Firewall, entered war-torn Trans-Sabal to stop the environmental havoc there, including massive oil well fires ravaging the country. They spent several weeks in conflict with the Trans-Sabal army, led by General Halladah who piloted Mandroid armor, and the Peoples’ Armed Front, led by Araq Mezdbadah, trying to protect the interests of the environment. Each member of the Force of Nature ended up adopting a darker persona, using their powers in new deadly ways.
(New Warriors I#29) - – Project: Earth asked the New Warriors (Firestar, Namorita, Nova, Rage, Silhouette, Speedball) to intervene in a civil war in Trans-Sabal to pull out the Force of Nature. The Warriors arrived as a battle between the Army and the Front was coming to a head. Terraformer battled against Rage and Firestar. Aqueduct shut down Halladah’s armor, shorting it out by manipulating the water in the Mandroid’s system, but was then caught under the fallen bulk of the armor. Halladah and Mezdbadah prepared to face off in a final struggle, and Aqueduct grew determined to stop it, hoping to end the struggle.
(New Warriors I#30) - – Aqueduct, by firing a burst of water, intentionally dehydrated Halladah, killing the general. While Skybreaker was taken down by Speedball and Silhouette, Firebrand considered running back to the US until the Warriors' ally, Sprocket, took him down. The Force of Nature continued the fight in the country’s capitol, alongside the New Warriors, where the heroes decided to leave the country in a peaceful state. They ignored Terraformer's pleas to stop the oil fires, and Namorita stopped Firebrand from assassinating Trans-Sabal's leader. The young heroes chose to leave the country.
(New Warriors I#36) - Imprisoned in the Vault, Aqueduct, Terraformer, and Skybreaker aided Wizard and Gargantua in a revolt against the Guardsmen to gain better rights for prisoners, Terraformer needing a plant for symbiotic survival. Fellow prisoner Marvel Boy helped secure the plant and the revolt died down. The members of Force of Nature all (potentially) have extensive histories outside this team. Aqueduct was formerly the minor villain, Water Wizard who first appeared in Ghost Rider II#23. Firebrand may or may not be Broxtel, a villain who first appeared in Web of Spider-Man#77. Firewall went on to become Silk Fever of the Folding Circle. Skybreaker was formerly the evil Inhuman Aireo, who originated in Fantastic Four I#47. And Terraformer is one of the many simuloids created by Plantman, who first appeared in Strange Tales I#114.



       Project: Earth soon arranged for Force of Nature's release, believing them to be more successful as a group than they had been as individuals. However, the operative Firewall was lost a few months later and was replaced by the mercenary Firebrand. The team was given another mission-- to put out the oil well fires raging in the war-torn Middle Eastern country Trans-Sabal. The mission went awry, and after a few weeks, Project: Earth officials contacted the New Warriors. The Project claimed to have surreptitiously assisted the heroes previous to this, and made them agree to pull the Force of Nature out of Trans-Sabal. The Warriors were successful, and Force members Terraformer, Skybreaker and Aqueduct were remanded to custody at the American prison called the Vault.
       Since this incarceration, the Force of Nature has yet to band together again. Terraformer and Skybreaker were seen in a small riot at the Vault, stopped by Justice while he was imprisoned there. Aqueduct and Firebrand have since returned to their mercenary lifestyle.


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